A mum has shared how she became a self-made millionaire by 40 - by making use of other people's money, being 'brave' and not getting caught up in others' opinions.
Maureen Pound, 54, shared the five things she did to become rich and says to make money you need to 'take action'.
The mum-of-two shared how she would set a strategy and stick to it and made the decision not to live in her biggest asset, a three-bedroom $199k property in Melbourne, Australia - instead renting it out for $1,400 per month.
Another nugget of her advice was to 'get really great people around you' to help do the things you aren't good at.
Maureen started out as a secondary teacher aged 27 before entering the corporate world - writing IT training for companies like Tesco and the United States Air Force.
She saved as much money as possible from her pay packet to purchase properties - which she then decided to rent out.
Maureen became a millionaire at 39 after buying five homes - four in Australia and one in Vanuatu, the South Pacific - and rents them out, earns around 72k per year.
Maureen, director of a virtual assistant company, from Melbourne Australia, said: "If you want to become a millionaire you have to be brave and take action - if you take action you work things out.
"I feel very strongly about GenY and GenZ, I feel that every generation blames the generations above them but I think they can do it too - younger generations can achieve a lot with their money.
"I still live in a rental to this day and I have these other properties.
"If you're a millennial saying 'oh no, the properties are too expensive' my friend - who is a millennial - just bought one in Queensland for about $350k so stop going for the top of the market and get yourself in the market.
"You don't have to have this perfect plan, you just need an idea of what you want. If you take action you find out what works for you and what doesn't."
Maureen bought her first property at the age of 28 - a three-bedroom house in Melbourne - which she then rented out.
She said: "I started going out with a guy when I was 28 and he asked me what my five-year plan was and suggested I start investing my money.
"Each pay packet I put money away for a couple of years. I ended up with a $20k deposit for my first property.
"I was talking to someone at work who knew a man who was selling off-the-plan properties in Queensland and they were quite cheap and would be built in a couple of years.
"I thought 'hold it, I've got equity in this apartment that I could use to put down a deposit on these off-the-plan properties.'
"It took a few years to be built but once it was it got rented out straight away, then I still had some equity to buy a third property.
"Once again I went off the plan route and I found this great apartment about a block away from the beach, so I put down a deposit for that apartment."
Maureen currently owns five properties - four in Australia and one in Vanuatu, the South Pacific - three of which are long-term rentals and two are used as Airbnbs.
The property mogul started sharing her pearls of wisdom on TikTok where she quickly amassed 14.6 thousand followers.
She said: "I decided to share how I got to where I am today because I have a successful business and we are about to open in the UK.
Maureen wanted to highlight how anybody can become a millionaire she said: "I just want to encourage people, there are still opportunities out there for people.
One of Maureen's top tips is to surround yourself with great people.
She said: "Everyone is intelligent in different ways, I have lots of ideas about how to take action.
"But if you asked me about the bank interest rates on my property I wouldn't know, but it doesn't matter as I have people around me.
"People want the perfect answer, the perfect answer isn't out there - you have to find it."
Maureen said she is a 'self-made millionaire' - as she did not come from a wealthy family, and her dad worked three jobs to support his nine children.
After travelling Europe and Australia in her early twenties, Maureen became a teacher, and then entered the corporate world - writing IT training for companies like Tesco and the United States Air Force.
For the past 22 years, Maureen has been investing in properties, she said: "The key message is that I invested when working for someone else, with a fixed income and then had business and a varying cash flow.
"You can do both and it works."
Maureen said she has been 'surprised' by the reaction to her videos, she said: "I don't consider myself uber successful, but there is a property investment magazine that said it was unusual for a single woman to be this successful in the industry.
"I have done this all on my own."
Maureen said she made the decision not to live in her biggest assets.
She said: "I bought a property and after nine months, I moved out and rented it out and made rent off of it.
"I claimed tax benefits from being a landlord, then I rented something with mates and it was much cheaper."
Maureen's lasting piece of advice for wannabe millionaires is 'be brave'.
She added: "Be brave and take action, if you take action you work things out - you don't have to have this perfect plan - you just need an idea of what you want.
"If you take action you find out what works and what doesn't."
Maureen can be found on TikTok at @howtogetlaidontinder.
Five things Maureen did to become a millionaire by age 40 -
1) To make money use other people's money
2) Stick to your strategy
3) Not get caught up in other people's opinions
4) Make the decision not to live in her biggest asset
5) Get really great people around her
Residents of the Complexo do Alemao favela carry a corpse following a police raid in Rio de Janeiro (AFP via Getty Images) At least 18 people were left dead after a police raid on a complex of favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Officers raided the Alemao complex to target a criminal group that had stolen cars, robbed banks and invaded nearby neighbourhoods. Videos circulating on social media showed intense shootouts between criminals as well as a police helicopter flying low over the small, brick houses. At least 18 people died in the raid including one police officer, 16 alleged criminals and a female bystander, police said. The operation involved around 400 officers, four aircraft and 10 armoured vehicles. The lopsided death toll ignited fears of human rights abuses. "There are signs of major human rights violations, and the possibility of this being one of the operations with the highest number of deaths in Rio de Janeiro," the state public defenders office said in a statement. Ronaldo Oliveira, an investigator with Rios police force, said officials would have rather just made arrests of suspects but unfortunately they chose to fire at our policemen. Rio state Governor Claudio Castro, who is running for reelection in October, said on Twitter he lamented the police officers death. I will continue to fight crime with all my strength. We will not back down from the mission of guaranteeing peace and security to the people of our state, Castro said. In another tweet, Castro said his main rival in the elections, leftist Marcelo Freixo, defends criminals who attack police, such an important institution that makes us so proud. Freixo responded that the governor uses police to make politics. The governments strategy for tackling violence and organised crime, an approach that regularly sees deadly police operations, has come under criticism. A raid in Rios Vila Cruzeiro favela in May killed more than 20 people. Alemao is a complex of 13 favelas in northern Rio, home to about 70,000 people. Nearly three-quarters of them at Black or biracial, according to a July 2020 study published by the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economical Analyses. SWNSA woman gave birth alone on the bathroom floor in just 30 minutes before her husband or paramedics to arrive - and the ordeal was captured on her Ring camera.
Gabriela Perez, 30, was surprised when she woke up experiencing contractions on 15th January 2022 and realised her unborn baby wasnt wasting anytime in arriving.
Her husband, Miguel Perez, 34, a warehouse manager, was unable to get home in time as he was at work and so he advised Gabriela to call the paramedics.
But 20 minutes after her contractions started, Gabrielas water broke, and her contractions were becoming very painful and much closer together.
Gabriela couldnt hold on any longer and gave birth to her little girl, Aurora Isabella, on the bathroom floor, while on the phone to 911.
Minutes after Aurora was born, weighing 7lbs 3oz, the couple's home security camera caught paramedics rushing in to wrap the newborn up in a blanket and tend to Gabriela, who was losing blood.
The mum-of-six was taken to Javon Bea Hospital, Belvidere, US, to be checked over before she was able to return home the same day with Aurora.
Gabriela, a part-time shop assistant, from Belvidere, US, said: It all happened so quickly but it was such an amazing experience.
I wasnt expecting it as doctors had checked me over just a few days before and said she still wasnt on the way.
I woke up with contractions and my waters had broken after 20 minutes, 10 minutes later she was born.
I couldnt believe it.
Miguel thought the paramedics would make it to me in time, but I was OK.
Doing it alone was an incredible experience.
Gabriela was 40 weeks pregnant when she started to experience contractions at 8am on 15th January 2022.
She had been told by doctors that her daughter still wasnt on the way and had been scheduled to be induced on 17th January if her little one hadn't arrived by then.
It didnt seem like she was coming and there were no signs of labour, Gabriela said.
I was shocked when the contractions started, and my husband was already at work.
The contractions quickly got worse, and my waters broke at 8.20am.
I realised she was coming imminently.
Miguel told me to ring 911 and I had them on the phone, but I just couldnt hold her in anymore.
I was scared, and I didnt really know what to do.
I pushed and she was suddenly out and on the floor.
Minutes later, paramedics rushed in and took over to look after Aurora and Gabriela.
Gabriela was taken to Javon Bea Hospital, Belvidere, as she was losing blood.
They just got the bleeding under control and the two of us could come home again that day, she said.
Miguel thought the ambulance would have got there in time, so I think he feels bad that I had to do it alone.
But it was a magical and scary experience, and I realised my Ring camera captured it all, so I have her birth to look back on.
Aurora, now six months old, is settling in well with her brothers and sisters - Miguel, 10, Valerie, nine, Edan, six, Elizabeth, four, and Adrian, two.
Shes doing really well and growing fast, Gabriela said.
It was an emotional and crazy experience, but I wouldnt change anything.
Since coming to power in a 2021 coup, the Mynamar military junta has been accused of abuses against the Christian minority, which represents 6% of the country's population. Local NGOs have condemned the destruction of Christian places of worship. Christian minorities in Myanmar were discriminated against long before the military coup of 1 February 2021. But their situation has worsened with the junta in power, according to our Observers. Several villages in Chin and Kayah states, where many Christians live, have been the battleground for violent clashes between the Burmese army and resistance movements opposed to the coup. In these regions, dozens of churches have been bombed, burned or ransacked, and civilians have been killed. >> Read on The Observers: How rebel fighters are using 3D-printed arms to fight the Myanmar junta Images circulating on social networks show churches with smoke-blackened or destroyed walls, debris on the ground, and damaged bibles and other religious symbols. Geolocation here The church was in perfect condition in 2018, as this geolocation on google maps shows. Near the town of Demoso, in Kayah State, all that remains of St Matthew's Church is a burned-out facade, after the Myanmar army raided it on 15 June 2022. David Eubank, a former Texas soldier and fervent Christian who founded the humanitarian aid association "Free Burma Rangers", was in Demoso when the clashes between the army and resistance fighters broke out. He told us: "The army was shooting at us, it was hard to see anything. I heard several 'booms' and then the church caught fire. Before they left, they [the military] left several anti-personnel mines around the church. A 16-year-old Burmese boy stepped on them, luckily we were able to save him." The St Matthew's churchgoers live in the jungle, like many Karenni villagers (ethnic group in Kayah State), and pray every Sunday in a makeshift church-school made of leaves and plastic. Story continues >> Read on The Observers: Residents of Myanmars Kayah State flee to jungle to escape military junta Several churches have been destroyed in Kayah State villages, where the army has been conducting regular air strikes and ground operations in an attempt to quell resistance from Karenni rebels. David Eubanks told us about several attacks on Christian churches that he and his teams have witnessed. The state of Chin, located on the Indian border in the west of the country, has also been the scene of clashes between the army and resistance movements. More than 80 percent of the state is Christian. "The church I went to as a child has been destroyed" Salai Za Uk Ling is Deputy Executive Director the Chin State Human Rights Organisation (CHRO). He is a Baptist Christian m and along with his team, Salai Za Uk Ling documents abuses committed by the countrys army. They have counted more than 50 church attacks since February 2021 in Chin State, which range from aerial bombardments to ransacking by ground troops. In churches, the army destroys everything and takes away valuables, including offerings and collection money. This destruction of churches usually occurs when the army moves in convoy through villages. I was born and raised in Thantlang and the whole town has been attacked more than 30 times, since September 2021. The church I went to as a child was destroyed. The army maintains a presence there and it is dangerous to go back. In September 2021, the pastor of a Baptist church in Thantlang was shot by the army while trying to save his burning church after a bombing. His phone book was cut off and his wedding ring stolen, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO). Geolocalisation ici Salai Za Uk Ling added: [In Chin State], the junta is targeting churches, hospitals and schools... We know from testimonies of former army personnel that the military is instructed to 'clear anything that might be in their way'. Much of the fighting between the junta and the resistance is taking place where Christian ethnic groups live (Chin, Karen and Kayah states), so many churches and infrastructures have been affected. On 24 December 2021, Christmas Eve, the army massacred 35 people in a Christian village in Kayah State. The junta spokesman said that places of worship were not targeted, except during raids, when it had information that "terrorists" (rebels) were hiding inside. Our observer, as well as many other witnesses, have disputed this statement. When the military arrives in a village, they use churches as a base, because they know that Christians from the resistance forces will not attack them in the church. Analysts from Myanmar Witness, a project that documents human rights abuses in the country, told the Observers that it is difficult to know whether the churches are being targeted by the Myanmar military on purpose, or whether they are collateral damage from clashes with resistance movements. "Anything that is not Buddhist can be considered suspicious" Salai Za Uk Ling has been documenting human rights abuses in Chin State for 27 years, and according to him, this kind of discrimination is nothing new. Discrimination on the basis of Christian identity has always been a problem for the Chin [and other Christian ethnicities], as has the destruction of Christian buildings. This is a way for them [the army] to physically destroy Christianity. The junta already removed several large crosses from hilltops in the past (the junta was already in power before Aung San Suu Kyi's party came to power in democratic elections in 2015: Editor's note). Several religious buildings were also destroyed under previous regimes. Anything that is not Buddhist can be viewed as suspicious. The Buddhist majority has always been valued, there is a very nationalistic view of religion. The various ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar have long been discriminated against by successive Buddhist regimes. Foremost among these is the Rohingya Muslim minority, made stateless by a 1982 law and considered one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. Since the military coup, the army has also been accused of occupying and burning mosques. In June, Pope Francis and Myanmar's Christian religious leaders called on the junta to stop attacking religious buildings. The Myanmar army is predominantly Buddhist, and has pledged to protect Buddhism, which for our Observers may explain why they have no qualms about attacking churches. The army has also been accused of destroying around 100 Buddhist monasteries. 1,900 civilians have been murdered by junta soldiers since February 2021, according to a statement by UN Human Rights Council High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, in which she referred to "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" perpetrated by Myanmar's military. Jalan Woods-Bell died from stab injuries on his way to school (Met Police) A 16-year-old boy from Hillingdon has been found guilty on Friday of the manslaughter of 15-year-old Jalan Woods-Bell as he walked to school. Jalan was walking to school with his friends in Hayes when he was set upon by the defendant in June 2021. He died from stab injuries. Whilst it is apparent that there was some form of grievance between these two teenagers, nothing can justify the taking of another life, said Met Polices Detective Inspector Mike Nolan. The teenager was found guilty at Harrow Crown Court of the manslaughter of Jalan and possession of having an article with a blade or point in a public place. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. Police were called to Blyth Road at around 8.30am on June 11 and found Jalan with stab wounds. He died at the scene. CCTV cameras captured the moment the suspect who was just 15 years old at the time followed Jalan and his two friends. He produced a large Rambo-style knife from his waistband before chasing after Jalan and slashing him across the face and stabbing him in the chest. He then fled the scene and made his way to school but was arrested a short time later. Witnesses told officers that the suspect appeared to have been filming the attack on his phone, the Met said, but he refused to answer any questions during an interview. Mr Nolan said: The defendant attempted to justify his actions by claiming self-defence, but the evidence and eye witness accounts confirm that he was carrying a large knife in a gloved hand. Whereas Jalan was unarmed, and tried to use a traffic cone to fend off his attacker. Once again another teenager has lost his life to knife crime, and another family is grieving the loss of a child. Our thoughts are with them today. We are determined to do whatever is necessary to crack down on violence, but we need the help of our communities and partners to tackle this problem. Piney Gir RAISED in Kansas but adopted by Oxfordshire, singer-songwriter Piney Gir has come a long way since we first saw her, beaming away on stage at the earliest Truck Festivals. Those shows when the stage at Hill Farm, Steventon, really was the flatbed of a truck epitomised the festivals golden age. They were intimate affairs where the audience seemed largely composed of bands who had just played or were about to and their friends. Set up by talented brothers Robin and Joe Bennett of the band Goldrush, who then lived in the village (Joe still does), Truck was a resolutely un-commercial meeting of minds timed to celebrate Robins birthday. And the most popular guest at this overgrown birthday bash was Piney Gir. Her Country Roadshow gigs were sing-along, grin-along delights a beam of Midwestern sunshine in the Vale of White Horse. And they were presided over by a singer with a smile as bright as a Prairie summer sky. Oxford Mail: Piney Gir, bringing it all back home Much as happened since then. Truck is no longer run by the Bennett brothers and is, in many ways, unrecognisable. And Piney has also gone onto bigger things, releasing seven albums, and performing as part of backing group Roxys with Supergrass legend Gaz Coombes. Last month she was sharing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury with Oasis star Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds, immediately before Paul McCartneys headline set. Her appearance,saw her perform to a good chunk of the festivals 200,000-strong crowd and millions more watching on TV. This weekend, though, Piney will be back at the place she began and on a somewhat more diminutive stage. Oxford Mail: Piney Gir and Roxys Roxy, Roxy, Roxy... I think Truck Festival is great, she says as she prepares for Saturdays show on Trucks Veterans and Virgin stage a little corner of the old Truck amidst the hedonistic circus of the new. As the Kinks would say, its protecting the old ways, preserving the new thats what Truck means to me. I know its changed a bit since Goldrush split up and it was sold, but I played a few years ago with Gaz Coombes and guested on stage with Ralfe Band pre-Covid, and both times I had a brilliant experience. Its always been an amazing festival with great community spirit and it will remain close to my heart. Story continues I cant wait to play in that field again with my friends! Oxford Mail: Gaz Coombes and band. Picture courtesy of Piney Gir World's strongest band: Gaz Coombes and friends Pineys Trucking history started back in 2004 when her debut electro album Peakahokahoo was released on the Bennetts Truck Records label back in 2004. She toured supporting Erasure with Abingdon music producers A Scholar and A Physician, before launching The Piney Gir Country Roadshow the following year with album Hold Yer Horses which picked up a five-star review in the Guardian and was one of the NMEs top five albums of the year. A solid part of the Oxford music scene, which graced the late lamented Cellar, The Zodiac (now O2 Academy), Jericho Tavern, Port Mahon and The Bullingdon, and she curated stages at Truck. Always deliciously offbeat, one year she assembled a giant quilt, each square fashioned by a festival go-er, which was auctioned off for charity. Another time she hosted line-dancing lessons, with participants joining her on Trucks main stage. In 2007 she went to South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, with Goldrush. It was Goldrush who set up Truck Festival in the first place, she says. They started the whole shebang! Oxford Mail: The bands guitarist Garo Nahoulakian is now her producer, co-writer... and life partner. Garo collaborates with Gaz Coombes, along with fellow ex-Goldrusher Nick Growler Fowler, Mike Mickey Sticks Monaghan, and Tomas Tommo Greenhalf as well as Piney with Roxys girls Emma Brammer and Amy Ashworth. So how did she end up on stage at Glasto? Noel spotted us singing with Gaz Coombes when he supported him at Edinburgh Castle in 2018, she recalls. Noel told the NME that he stole us away from Gaz, but in fact we continue to sing with both legends. They were christened Roxys back stage at Later... with Jools Holland after singing and providing percussion for Gaz. Nile Rogers , who was also playing Later with Chic, approached Piney, Emma and Amy in the hall and gestured toward them saying Roxy, Roxy, and Roxy, who knew sleigh bells could be so sexy? The name stuck. So, what was it like to play The Pyramid Stage? Surreal, but of course it is! she laughs. I never dreamed Id play to such a huge audience on a globally acclaimed stage like The Pyramid Stage. Ive played Glasto a few times, but that was by far the biggest crowd Ive seen. From the stage, I could not even see the end of the masses. The faces kept on going and going; the flags upon flags were beautiful from up there. We had the sunset slot and that golden hour was a really special experience. The huge amount of people singing along with Noels hits was really cool too. Those songs mean a lot to people; it just felt like a whole lotta love. I couldnt stop smiling. Saturdays show sees her joining an 11-piece band These Go To 11. The all-star line-up includes members of Gaz Coombes band (Garo, Growler, Mike, Tommo and Roxys), Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds (Roxys), Palace (Tommo), Willie J Healeys band (Caspar Miles), Premium Leisure (Chris Barker), The Auteurs (Barny Rockford) and a very special guest. Itll be chefs kiss! she grins. The world's longest-living male giant panda under human care, An An, has died at the age of 35, the Hong Kong zoo where he spent most of his life said Thursday. An An's health had deteriorated in recent weeks, with a severe decrease in physical activity and appetite, and he was euthanised by veterinarians early Thursday morning, a statement from the amusement park and zoo Ocean Park said. The park said he was equivalent to 105 in human years, and that "the difficult decision" to put him down had been made for welfare reasons in consultation with Chinese experts. Born in the wild of mainland China's Sichuan province, An An was one of a panda pair gifted to Hong Kong by Beijing to celebrate the second anniversary of the city's handover from Britain in 1999. He and his mate Jia Jia spent the rest of their lives in Ocean Park. They were a venerable pair -- Jia Jia held the Guinness World Records for the oldest living panda and oldest panda ever in captivity when she died at the age of 38 in 2016. A panda's average life span in the wild is 14-20 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund. After Jia Jia's death, her surviving mate led a rather solitary life -- in 2021, he celebrated his 35th birthday alone with a Haagen-Dazs fruit and bamboo ice cake, surrounded by a number of handmade birthday cards from the Park's staff. - Political animals - Pandas are a top choice of diplomatic gift from Beijing, and An An and Jia Jia enjoyed a fair degree of political clout for zoo-dwellers. When they first arrived in the city, then-chief executive Tung Chee-hwa said that their names would inspire Hong Kong to be stable (An) and achieve great performance (Jia). And when news of An An's lack of appetite was announced last week, Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee called Ocean Park to express concern. Ocean Park has set up condolence books in the exhibition hall that An An used to live in. Within an hour of the park announcing his death, hundreds of tributes appeared under the social media post. Story continues "Thanks for all the happiness you have brought us over so many years," user "Tang Cc" wrote. "I really can't accept you passing away but I also can't see you suffering. I will be missing you," user "Tuan Yuan Panda" said. Hong Kong has another pair of pandas -- Ying Ying and Le Le -- who were gifted by Beijing in 2007. They hit the headlines recently for beginning to show mating behaviour during the pandemic after almost a decade of disinterest. Pandas are notoriously bad at reproducing, especially in captivity. They are categorised as "vulnerable" by WWF with a record of 1,864 living in the wild. su/reb/dhc SWNS Americans are using therapy to cure their midweek slump, new research suggests. In a poll of 2,009 adults, 59% have either attended or currently attend therapy. Of those respondents, almost eight in 10 (79%) would rather have therapy during the workweek instead of the weekend (12%). About one-quarter (26%) prefer to have their session on a Wednesday, specifically. The poll, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of BetterHelp, found that for 35%, how they feel after a therapy session is greatly dependent on which day of the week the appointment took place, even more so than than the weather outside (31%) or by recent current events (30%). Fifty-nine percent would rather have therapy in the morning than the afternoon (26%) or evening (6%). Further narrowing down their preferences, 57% of respondents prefer their therapist to be older than them. You squeeze in all kinds of things into your schedule when you find them to be valuable, necessary, and important to you, and thats how you incorporate therapy sessions into your life, says Haesue Jo, licensed therapist and head of clinical operations at BetterHelp. You prioritize them. You adopt the belief that your mental wellness and maintenance of its health is valuable, necessary, and important. You save space for sessions, you schedule sessions, you show up to sessions, and you incorporate insight and learnings between sessions. Time and day aside, almost eight in 10 (77%) believe they would benefit from being able to message their therapist whenever they needed. The poll also asked respondents to describe the goals they set for 2022. While 31% said theyd like to learn a new hobby and 26% are vying for a promotion at work, others are working on their mental wellness. The most respondents (34%) are aiming to reduce their anxiety. Eighty-five percent of those surveyed acknowledged that their family and friends have varying degrees of impact on their overall health and happiness. Asked what actions respondents believe are necessary for good mental health, resting (37%), eating a balanced diet (35%) and socializing with others (31%) ranked high among respondents. Research also revealed that respondents spend the same amount of time caring for their mental health and physical health every week. The average person spends about four hours per week maintaining their physical and mental state, which equates to about 347 hours, or 15 days total per year. Even so, one in 10 dont dedicate any time per week to their mental and physical health. Respondents also noted that physical and mental health work in tandem with one another. About four in 10 (39%) said both are equally important when it comes to how healthy you feel overall. But others prioritized mental health slightly over physical health, 29% vs. 25% respectively. Eight in 10 believe their physical health is dependent on factors completely outside of their control, but only about six in 10 (57%) say the same about their mental health. Holistic wellness considers all aspects of what makes you feel healthy, says Jo. Some may ponder, 'The chicken or the egg?' and sometimes I ponder, 'physical or mental/emotional wellness?' Only focusing on one of these aspects leaves you vulnerable to unwellness overall, since mental and physical health are so intertwined. TOP HABITS FOR GOOD MENTAL HEALTH Drinking water - 37% Exercising - 37% Resting - 37% Eating a balanced diet - 35% Engaging in hobbies - 32% Positive self-talk - 32% ENDS Europe Energy (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The European Unions plan to reduce the blocs gas use by 15% to prepare for a potential cutoff by Russia this winter has been met with sharp skepticism by Spain and Portugal, two governments that are usually big supporters of the bloc. Madrid and Lisbon on Thursday said they would not support the initiative announced by European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday. The proposal by the EUs head office would start with voluntary reductions but it also wants the power to make 15% savings mandatory for bloc's 27 nation in the event of an EU-wide energy emergency provoked by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Spain and Portugal, however, said making reductions obligatory is a non-starter. They noted that they use very little Russian gas compared to other EU nations such as Germany and Italy and that there are scant energy connections linking them to the rest of Europe. We will defend European values, but we wont accept a sacrifice regarding an issue that we have not even been allowed to give our opinion on, Spains Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said. Not matter what happens, Spanish families wont suffer cuts to gas or to the electricity to their homes, she said. (The measure) would serve for nothing if the gas that could not be used by Spanish industries could not then later be used by the homes or industries of other countries. Portugals secretary for the environment and energy, Joao Galamba, said the proposed measure was unsustainable and disproportionate. The whole logic behind rationing presupposes interlinked (European gas distribution) systems and it appears the European Commission forgot about that, he told the Portuguese newspaper Publico. He added that Portugal was for years and years disadvantaged because it had no links to the rest of Europes energy distribution network and the country has always had to buy more expensive gas. The reduced electrical connections and gas pipelines between Spain and France led to the EU allowing Iberian countries to install their own price control mechanisms this spring. Story continues All EU countries as well as many nations around the world are battling soaring inflation driven by energy prices. Spanish officials also noted their expanded infrastructure for importing LNG liquified natural gas. With six plants in Spain and one in Portugal, they account for one-third of Europes LNG processing capacity. EU member states will discuss the proposed gas-saving measures at an emergency meeting of energy ministers next Tuesday. ___ AP writer Barry Hatton contributed to this report from Lisbon. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ Follow the AP's coverage of climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment (Stefan Banach) Todays Google Doodle is celebrating a Polish mathematician Stefan Banach to mark the day influential academic became a professor. Banach was one of the 20th centurys most influential mathmeticians, and an original member of the Lwow School of Mathematics and founder of modern functional analysis. But, who was Stefan Banach? Heres everything you need to know... Who was Stefan Banach? Banach was born in Krakow, Poland in 1892 - then part of then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He never knew his mother, and his father sent him to be raised by family in the city. He was deemed unfit for military service during World War 1 due to his poor eyesight, so he instead taught in local schools. Banach was interested in maths from a young age, and he used to solve problems during breaks and after school with his best friend, Witold WiAkosz, who also went on to become a famous mathematician. After publishing mathematical papers he worked on in his spare time, Banach received a job at Lvov Technical University. He was a mostly self-taught mathematician and professor. During the war he met Hugo Steinhaus one of the most celebrated mathematicians of the time, in Krakow, and Steinhaus became fascinated with him and his abilities, given that he was largely self-taught. Steinhaus, an early founder of game and probability theory, referred to Banach as his greatest scientific discovery. They began working together and in April 1919 officially founded a society together that became the Polish Mathematical Society. Steinhaus introduced Banach to his future wife, Aucja Braus, and to many influential professors who helped kick-start his career. With the help of Steinhaus academic connections, Banach founded modern functional analysis, an entirely new branch of mathematics. Many concepts are named after him including Banach spaces, Banach algebra and the Banach-Steinhaus theorem. Banachs work on modern functional analysis allowed him to become a professor at Lvov Technical University - in present day Lviv, Ukraine - a hundred years ago in 1922. Story continues Throughout the twentieth century, he made major contributions to the theory of topological vector spaces, measure theory, integration, the theory of sets, orthogonal series and functional analysis, which is still studied and used today. After the takeover of the city by Nazi Germany in World War 2, all universities were closed. Banach, his son and colleagues all employed as lice-feeder for Rudolf Weigls typhus research. A louse-feeder was a human sources of blood for lice infected with typhus, which were then used to research possible vaccines against the disease. Working for Weigl, who saved and sheltered Jews, prevented Banach and his co-workers from being arrested and deported to a concentration camp. The Red Army freed the city in 1944 and Banach returned to re-establish the university after the war. However, The Soviet Union was removing Poles from the area, so Banach began planning his return to his home country. He was soon after diagnosed with lung cancer and was allowed to stay in Lviv. He died in August 1945, aged 53. The Google Doodle in his honour is seen in the UK, Sweden, Iceland, Germany, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Israel, Australia and New Zealand. What is functional analysis? Functional analysis is a branch of mathematics, the core of which is formed by the study of vector spaces. Britannica describes it as a branch of mathematical analysis dealing with functionals, or functions of functions. It adds: It emerged as a distinct field in the 20th century, when it was realised that diverse mathematical processes, from arithmetic to calculus procedures, exhibit very similar properties. A functional, like a function, is a relationship between objects, but the objects may be numbers, vectors, or functions. Groupings of such objects are called spaces. Differentiation is an example of a functional because it defines a relationship between a function and another function (its derivative). Integration is also a functional. Functional analysis focuses on classes of functions, such as those that can be differentiated or integrated. Two Russian submarines have been tracked by a Royal Navy warship in the North Sea, it has been revealed. The British submarine hunter HMS Portland, equipped with sonars and torpedoes, shadowed the submarines after they surfaced separately northwest of Bergen, Norway. A Navy spokesman said the pair - cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk and Akula-class attack submarine Vepr - were tracked as they made their underwater journey south along the coast. He said they "reported on the movements" of the Russian Northern Fleet vessels along with one of the RAF's new long-range maritime patrol aircraft, the P8 Poseidon. Major deal signed to ease global food shortage - live war updates The Type 23 frigate shadowed the submarines as they surfaced separately, before NATO and Baltic forces took over tracking duties as they continued to St Petersburg for Russian Navy Day celebrations on 31 July. HMS Portland's commanding officer, Commander Tim Leeder, said such operations play a "strategically crucial role" and added the "cohesiveness of Royal Navy, RAF and our allies' capabilities" ensured "we are capable of conducting and sustaining these types of anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic". Read more: Ceasefires need trust and for Ukraine-Russia's grain deal that's in scarce supply Ukrainians get minehunter training Royal Navy sailors are currently training Ukraine's navy in the operation of two Sandown-class minehunters, which are set to be sold to Kyiv. Ukraine's deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov met with UK armed forces minister James Heappey and parliamentarians in London before visiting soldiers and sailors training in Scotland. The ministers spoke with trainees and the Royal Navy instructors, observing them practising key skills at sea, such as weapon drills and damage control, while learning to operate the machinery on the vessels. Mr Heappey said: "The intensity with which the Ukrainian soldiers and sailors are training is something to behold. Story continues "They work with the focus of troops who know they'll be fighting in a war in just a few short weeks' time. "Delivering training that matches that intensity and focus is not straightforward. "The Royal Navy and the British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience to make sure their new Ukrainian friends are sent into combat with the best chance of victory." The Sandown-class minehunters, which were introduced into the Royal Navy in the late 80s, specialise in finding and neutralising mines in deep waters. The programme is part of training being provided by 1,000 UK service personnel at military sites around the country aimed at preparing volunteer recruits with the skills for frontline combat. Womens Euro 2022: Lucy Bronze warns Spain that England are here and we are here to compete Lucy Bronze has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of tonights Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain by declaring England are ready for their rivals wanting to knock them off their perch. England cruised through the group stages, winning all three of their games and scoring 14 unanswered goals, and they are now the favourites to win the tournament. The Lionesses, who are waiting to see if their head coach Sarina Wiegman would test negative for Covid-19 so she could be on the touchline tonight at the Amex, are comfortable in their role as favourites and the fact they have a target on their backs now. And Bronze believes fellow contenders to win the Euros, such as tonights opponents Spain, now fear England after they sent out a message of intent during the group stages. I think it (the group stages) shows what we are capable of. It shows that we are full of confidence, said Bronze. I think for other teams it is kind of twofold - are teams going to potentially be a little bit scared or is it potentially that teams want to knock us off that perch that we have got ourselves on. But I think we are prepared for either of them. We are not really focused too much on what they think of us, its about building our confidence, keeping the momentum, keeping the kind of flow of what weve got going. But yeah, we do know that there has obviously been a message sent out to the rest of the teams that England are here and we are here to compete and get to the very end of the tournament. England have had to cope with a number of issues in the build-up to tonights game. They have trained earlier due to the record temperatures in London over the past two days, while players have used ice jackets to cool down after sessions. The squad have also had to cope without Wiegman, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week and missed the final group game, a 5-0 win over Northern Ireland, on Friday. The 52-year-old has been in remote contact with the squad and watched training from afar, wearing a face mask, and she insists it has not caused too much disruption. Story continues Its not the worst nightmare, just a situation we have to deal with, said Wiegman yesterday, while conducting her media duties via Zoom. Im around and still doing my job. Im just doing things virtually or outside from a big distance with the mask. Ive been involved in all of the training, I just make sure I dont get close to people. But you can always observe real closely and sometimes give a message. We had a line so I was in contact with the technical staff all the time during [Fridays] game, watching it of course from here (at the teams south-west London base). After their fine group stages England go into the match as favourites, but captain Leah Williamson insists they are not underestimating Spain. Obviously its knockout football, the game changes once you get through the group, the nature of the game is different, she said. Were in good form, and hopefully we can do what we have been doing in this tournament tonight. (Andronis Arcadia ) The Andronis hotel group has the monopoly on luxury accommodation in Santorini - and, specifically, the whitewashed clifftop town of Oia with its iconic blue domed churches and fiery sunsets. We picked Andronis Arcadia for its pared back aesthetic, serene spa and poolside vibes before packing up and moving a few minutes away to the ultra-luxe, hyper-romantic caves of the Andronis Luxury Suites. Where? The sunset is big business in Santorini with influencers and tourists tusselling in a nightly elbow fight for the best view of the pink and orange skies. But Andronis Arcadia has parked itself on arguably the most coveted piece of real estate in Oia so you can see the blazing transformation from your sun lounger, cocktail in hand. The hotels yoga instructor performs a nightly sun salutation to celebrate its magical. Andronis Luxury Suites sits in the heart of Oia with its jigsaw caves staggered down and along the cliffs. Its a 25-minute drive to both properties from Fira airport. (Andronis Arcadia) Style Andronis Arcadia is cool, calm and incredibly zen. Think chilled hedonism. Theres a must-book spa (more on which later) and a resident poolside DJ. Start the day with a fresh fruit smoothie and finish it with a pitcher of Santorini sangria and that sunset. At the heart of everything is the pool polished concrete, chunky low-slung linen sun loungers, a sunken swim-up bar - and its poolside restaurant Pacman trendy reclaimed wood furniture, gorgeous staff and rattan everything. The hotel is modelled on a traditional Greek village and the cubist white-washed suites (all with a view of the Aegean) are slotted jigsaw-style along the shoreline. Each comes with a plunge pool, suntrap terrace and infinitely instagrammable pampas grass. Rooms are pared back with wicker chairs, light neutrals and more rattan. The sunset suites offer more privacy but are within easy access to the pool and restaurant. (Andronis Luxury Suites) Over at Luxury Suites, the higgledy-piggedly resort clings to the cliffs of the caldera. Flat shoes are recommended and a walk up from the pool will leave your thighs burning. Andronis coined the concept of the cave house and still does it better than the young pretenders. The caves are simple with more polished concrete and simple interiors because, really, its all about the private terrace and the views. Get up early to watch the mists dance off the Aegean in the morning light. Story continues Food & drink At Andronis Arcadia its all about poolside restaurant Pacman. Breakfast is hearty with Greek pastries, made to order omelettes, creamy greek yoghurt (the kind of which youll find impossible to get at home) served with any topping you can dream of and fresh juices (we loved the Lava Blood with beetroot, ginger, water, lemon and kale). For lunch, fresh sushi, local classics and chilled bottles of assyrtiko make for a lovely lingering break from the sun. More formal dining can be found courtesy of head chef Stefanos Kolimadis at Opson restaurant where the tasting menu is based on ingredients used in Ancient Greece and modelled on the dishes loved by philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Omiros. The Luxury Suites encourage you to have one of the butlers deliver the a la carte breakfast to your private terrace. No great hardship. Pre-order from the extensive four-page menu the previous night. Come nightfall, treat yourself to at least one meal at al fresco restaurant Lycabettus. It has won Greeces answer to a Michelin star three times and the nine-course degustation menu is a showboating masterclass in outstanding cooking. The menu changes but expect sunchoke foam with hazelnut ice cream and truffle to start, wagyu striploin with celeriac pomme souffle and black truffle Japanese beef sauce is a solid main and round it off with poached peaches with verbena, moscato and almond. Its not cheap (185 per person (without wines) and 323 per person (with wines), but it will be one of those meals you bore people about for years to come. (Andronis Arcadia) The hotel group will host its annual Andronis Gastronomy Festival this summer which sees resident chefs host a series of pop-up dinners. Jason Atherton kicked off proceedings in June and still to come is Viki Geunes of Zilte in Antwerp; Paco Morales of NOOR in Spain; Niklas Esktedt of Ekstedt in London and Alexandros Tsiotinis of CTC in Athens. Facilities As of summer 2022, there are two pools at Andronis Arcadia and a third under construction so sunlounger surfers can take pleasure in working their way around them all. The Evexia spa offers up everything from extensive tailored three-hour treatments to manicures and pedicures. For those in need of a major reset, Dr Zulia Frost is famous for her hair profiling test. In just 20 minutes with a single strand, she can create a full wellness profile and accompanying treatment plan. ILA Beyond products are used throughout which are organic and vegan. A treatment is worth it alone for access to the relaxation room. Hop into the hammock or curl up on a day bed with the olive tree-scented breeze blowing in and views of the rustic farmland and Aegean beyond. Away from dry land, the hotel offers a half-day island tour aboard its sleek Andronis Feretti yacht. Lunch and full crew included. Over at Lycabettus restaurant at sister hotel Luxury Suites, private wine tasting sessions can be arranged for just one couple per night. Despite its precarious position, the Luxury Suites has also managed to squeeze the Mare Sanus spa into the clifftops. The hotels infinity pool and charming bar is carved into the rocks with those beautiful ocean views. Its hard to imagine a more beautiful spot on the island. (Andronis Luxury Suites) Extracurricular Its easy to spend money in Santorini and the winding cobbled streets of Oia are the best place to do it. From designer boutiques to local craftsmanship, theres plenty to draw the eye and the credit card. A trip to a local winery is also well worth the effort. Wear comfy shoes and take the 100 sweaty steps (avoiding the donkeys) down to Amoudi Bay where a handful of seafood restaurants sit on the waters edge. We loved Sunset Amoudi (ask for a waterfront table) and Amoudi Fish Tavern for fresh fish suppers. (Andronis Arcadia) Best for Honeymooners, friends, adults the Luxury Suites is a child-free zone Details Andronis Arcadia, from 490 per night including daily breakfast; andronis.com/hotels/andronis-arcadia Andronis Luxury Suites, from 555 including daily breakfast; andronis.com/hotels/andronis-luxury-suites At least 18 people died on Thursday during a major police raid in a dense warren of Rio de Janeiro slums, state military police said, in the latest bloody confrontation in Brazil's second-largest city. Tactical teams from Rio de Janeiro's civil and military police raided the Alemao complex to take down an alleged criminal organization. The group was suspected of involvement in cargo theft and bank robberies and was planning incursions into rival slums, the military police said in a statement. At least 18 people died in the raid: one police officer, 16 alleged criminals and a female bystander, police said. The operation involved around 400 officers, four aircraft and 10 armored vehicles. The lopsided death toll ignited fears of rights abuses. "There are signs of major human rights violations, and the possibility of this being one of the operations with the highest number of deaths in Rio de Janeiro," the state public defender's office said in a statement. The military police declined comment beyond their statement. Rio state police forces regularly carry out deadly raids in the city's sprawling slums. President Jair Bolsonaro supports heavy-handed tactics by police in their fight against organized crime, and has said gangsters should "die like cockroaches." After the raid, locals could be seen bundling injured people into the back of vehicles to be taken to hospital as police watched. Gilberto Santiago Lopes, from the Anacrim Human Rights Commission, said police refused to help. "We had to carry them away in a beverage truck, and then flag a local resident in their car to take them to hospital," he said. "(The police) don't aim to arrest them, they aim to kill them, so if they're injured, they think they don't deserve help." Local residents were furious and yelled at the police. "We're scared to live here," one local screamed after the raid. "Where are we? Afghanistan? In a war? In Iraq? If they want a war, send them to Iraq." (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent trip to Tehran, during which he met Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, was largely ignored by western media. But news outlets in Russia, Turkey and Iran itself gave the meeting front-page prominence. Officially, the tripartite summit took place as part of the Astana Process, initiated in 2017 as an alternative to faltering UN efforts aimed at bringing peace to Syria. Neither forum managed to resolve the differences between Bahsar Al-Assad and the various rebel groups fighting to overturn his regime. The 16-point Joint Statement, published by Irans Foreign Ministry after this week's talks, has little to say about the situation in Syria. More attention is paid to the global food and energy crises generated by the Ukraine war. Tehran becomes the capital of diplomacy according to the state-affiliated Mehr News Agency. "We have certain differences concerning what is happening on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. But we have a shared position that American troops must leave this territory," Russian President Vladimer Putin was quoted as saying following the Astana Troika summit. "They must stop robbing the Syrian state, the Syrian people, with their illegal oil exports." Referring to worries that Russias gas utility Gazprom had stopped supplying gas to its clients, the Russian president said that Gazprom "has always fulfilled its gas supplies liabilities and will continue to do so." According to the Russian president, Western nations are seeking to shift responsibility for their own mistakes in energy policy onto Russia, and onto Gazprom in particular. 'Eliminate terrorists' Turkeys Hurriyet Daily News opens with Turkey, Russia, Iran to continue cooperation to eliminate terrorists in Syria, showing Raisi between Putin and Erdogan while the three are holding hands. Putin has a broad smile, Raisi appears determined, while Erdogan looks slightly sceptical. Story continues The paper highlights what was probably Erdogans most important incentive in travelling to Tehran: he needed approval for a planned action against Kurdish separatist rebels who have their bases in northern Syria, close to Turkeys border. "It should be understood clearly that there is no room in our regions future for separatist terror organisations," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Hurriyet, We will continue our fight against terrorist organisations in the time to come," he added. Safe shipment of grain Reporting on the summit, Russias Tass News Agency also focused on Syria, but mentions that a four-party meeting regarding the safe shipment of grain will be held in Istanbul on 22 July. The meeting is not yet officially confirmed, but Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations are scheduled to take part in it. During their stay in Tehran, Putin and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan discussed moves to create a grain corridor, according to the agency. Another Russian outlet,Izvestia, does pay attention to the bilateral talks, Putin-Raisi and Putin-Erdogan, which took place before the trilateral sessions started. Quoting Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the newspaper reports that the issue of deliveries of Iranian drones to Russia was not discussed, although the newspaper cites US intelligence saying that Russia is interested in buying 300 Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 devices. Boilermaker Avian and Exotic Veterinarian Headlines Upcoming Purdue Veterinary Conference As the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference returns to an in-person format for the first-time since the pandemic, a Purdue alumnus, Dr. Todd Eric Driggers (PU DVM 94) will give one of the keynote presentations on the topic, One Vets Adventure: Koala Medicine and Burn Management During the Australian Brush Fires. A 1994 DVM graduate of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Driggers is internationally recognized as a specialist in avian and exotic animal medicine. He will give the Dr. Jack and Naomi Stockton / Class of 1971 Lecture at 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 21. Dr. Driggers talk will be one of many continuing education sessions for the entire veterinary team that are offered along with traditional networking and special events during the conference September 20-24 on the Purdue campus. The conference will feature continuing education tracks on Veterinary Nursing, Small Animal, Ruminant, Swine, and Practice Management and Communication, as well as industry presentations and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) modules. Dr. Todd Driggers In addition to the Stockton Lecture, there will be three other plenary sessions. The Wellness Keynote at noon Wednesday, September 21, will feature Makenzie Peterson, DSW, MSc, director for wellbeing at the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), who will speak on the topic Addressing Organizational Culture and Wellbeing in Veterinary Medicine. At noon on Thursday, September 22, the AAVMCs senior director for institutional research & diversity, Dr. Lisa Greenhill, will address the topic, Developing Your Sense of Agency to Promote Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Workplace. Kicking off the conference on Tuesday evening, September 20, will be the Elanco Human Animal Bond Lecture featuring Gail Melson, Professor Emerita with the Purdue Department of Human Development & Family Studies, speaking on the topic, The Other End of the Leash: Why Animals are Important for Human Development. As the speaker for the annual Stockton Lecture, Dr. Driggers brings a wealth of expertise and experience in the field of avian and exotic animal medicine. After earning his Purdue DVM degree in 1994, he interned at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic in Indianapolis before starting Arizonas first exclusive exotic animal practice in 1995. Currently, he has both a mobile and stationary four doctor practice named The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Arizona. He also is president of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and of the Oasis Sanctuary that stewards over 800 birds. A 2016 finalist for the Ted Lafeber Practitioner of the Year, Dr. Driggers has spoken internationally at Association of Avian Veterinary Conferences, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians conferences and Unusual Pet Australian Veterinary conferences. In addition, he has authored several chapters in the publication Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, and has presented webinars. Dr. Driggers advocates for ethical stewardship of exotic animal care and for animal welfare. He raised more than $75,000 for Australian wildlife during the Australian wildfires and is licensed to practice in three Australian territories as well as the state of Arizona. Dr. Driggers also serves as medical director for mission trips to the Dominican Republic conducted through Food for the Hungry. His other interests include herping, birding and photography. Another 2022 Purdue Veterinary Conference feature will be a special track presented Friday, September 23 by speakers from the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. The week of continuing education also includes special events involving three longstanding traditions. The 50th Class Anniversary Celebration for the DVM Class of 1972 will take place Wednesday evening, September 21. The following night, Thursday, September 22, the five year anniversary classes will be honored at the Alumni and Friends Reception, when members of the Class of 1972 will be individually recognized and receive their commemorative 50th Anniversary medallions. Then Saturday, September 24, will feature the return of one of the conferences longest-running events, the Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog, which will start at 8:00 a.m. in front of Lynn Hall, after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. Click here for more information about the 2022 Purdue Veterinary Conference and to register. Click here to sign-up for the Dog Jog. Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu HA NOI Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said the US State Departments 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report contains unverified information, and does not reflect fully and accurately the situation in Viet Nam and the countrys efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking. The diplomat made the remarks in a statement on Thursday in response to the US report released earlier this week, which downgrades Viet Nam to tier 3, the lowest in the three-tier ranking. The report claims: The Government of Viet Nam does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity. Countries in this tier 3 ranking this year include China, Cuba, Cambodia, Brunei, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Russia, South Sudan, Venezuela, among others may be subject to certain restrictions on foreign assistance from the US, including Government nonhumanitarian, non trade-related foreign aid, funding for educational and cultural exchanges, etc. Hang said in implementing the Programme on Prevention and Combating Human Trafficking in 2021-25 period with orientations to 2030 (issued in February 2021), Viet Nam has been promoting the tasks and measures to combat human trafficking with utmost involvement from all ministries and localities. The country has also issued many documents guiding the implementation of the 2020 Law on Vietnamese Guest Workers, as well as a multitude of policies and legal documents on prevention of human trafficking and forced labour, support for victims of trafficking, as well as protection of children in the cyberspace, the spokesperson noted. In reality, the situation of domestic and cross-border human trafficking prevention and combat is constantly promptly reviewed, so that timely and appropriate measures can be deployed to overcome challenges caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Hang said. Viet Nam is also continuing its efforts to implement the Implementation Plan of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) to consolidate a transparent migration environment, prevent the risk of human trafficking in international migration activities. On July 18, 2022, on the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons (July 30), the ministries of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Public Security, Defence, and Foreign Affairs signed the agreement on coordination mechanism in receiving, protecting, and supporting victims of trafficking, spokesperson Hang said. In that spirit, we hope the US will cooperate with Viet Nam more closely in the future to have a full, comprehensive assessment of the situation in Viet Nam as well as the countrys efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking, Hang said. Viet Nam is also ready to discuss with the US and related parties about specific cooperation issues to jointly implement effectively the prevention and combat of human trafficking, she noted. VNS HA NOI Population aging, income disparities and living standards as well as labour migration pose great challenges to the poor and poverty reduction. Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh revealed problems in the implementation of the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in the 2021-25 period to the National Assemblys Committee on Social Affairs at a meeting on Wednesday morning in Ha Noi. Thanh also said that many poor districts and communes in coastal areas and islands have yet to escape from poverty. The localities with rugged terrain have faced socio-economic difficulties and challenges in infrastructure, leading to a high percentage of poor households, he said. Most of the poor and near-poor households still lack stable livelihoods and jobs, he said. They have low and unstable incomes, while lacking basic social services such as health, education, accommodation, clean water and sanitation, he added. They also lacked information and professional skills, making it difficult to find employment, he said. Thanh said the National Assembly issued Resolution No 24/2021/QH15, approving the investment policy worth at least VN75 trillion (US$3.3 billion) to implement the programme. However, the annual ceiling for non-business capital has yet to be determined, so ministries, sectors and localities struggle to plan and propose funding, he said. Moreover, the non-business capital to implement the programme in 2022 is lower than expected, he said. Also at the meeting, participants pointed out that there are still differences between documents of some ministries and sectors in directing the implementation of the programme, causing confusion. In addition, data from the implementation of the programme is not unified, the participants said. Tasks set Thanh said the key tasks in the last six months of this year are that the multi-dimensional poverty rate maintains a decrease of 1.2 per cent per year; the rate of poor ethnic minority households decreases by over 3 per cent each year; and the rate of poor households in poor districts decreases by 4-5 per cent per year. To do that, the mechanism for the implementation of the programme needs to be improved, he said. Ministries, sectors and localities must be guided to make five-year budget estimates and estimates for this year to implement the programme, he said. It has to summarise proposals of ministries, sectors and localities and submit to competent authorities for approval of the plan for capital allocation next year to implement the programme, he said. It is imperative to strengthen the effectiveness of communication and mobilise all resources to exceed the targets on poverty reduction, he said. It is also necessary to strengthen the inspection and perfect the monitoring and evaluation of the programme's implementation, he said. The programme was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh in January, 2022. Its overall goal is to achieve multidimensional, inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction. It will be carried out nationwide, with a focus on poor districts and communes in extremely disadvantageous circumstances in lowland and coastal areas and on islands. The programme targets to reduce the nationwide poverty rate by 1-1.5 per cent, by over 3 per cent among ethnic minority households, and by 4-4.5 per cent in poor districts per year. The number of poor and near-poor households is expected to decrease by half by 2025. All poor districts and communes in extremely difficult conditions in lowland, coastal areas and islands will receive assistance to invest in upgrading socio-economic infrastructure, serving livelihoods, and boosting production and trade, and providing basic social services. The rate of children from poor and near-poor households going to school at the right age will reach 90 per cent, according to the programme. VNS Vietnams manufacturing sector creates 80 per cent of industrial growth. Photo: Le Toan Nguyen Quoc Hiep, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors, said many construction firms in Vietnam reaped an on-year growth rate of 300-500 per cent in the first half of the year, especially big enterprises such as HB, Delta, and Vinaconex. Many of them are expecting a big outlook thanks to continued inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam. We believe that FDI will create 30 per cent of jobs for the construction sector, Hiep told the Ministry of Planning and Investment at a meeting over a week ago. Denmarks toymaker Lego, which was recently licensed to build its first-ever carbon-neutral plant worth over $1 billion in the southern province of Binh Duong, is reported to be offering a $400 million construction package to a number of Vietnamese contractors. In another case, a subsidiary of Vinaconex is implementing 80 per cent of a construction package initiated by a big foreign-invested enterprise in the northern province of Bac Ninh, Hiep added. The General Statistics Office (GSO) two weeks ago released a survey on 6,800 construction firms in Vietnam, stating that their Q2 operations were more favourable than in Q1. Specifically, while just over a quarter of respondents said their performance in Q2 was better than in Q1, around one-third said their performance remained stable. At Junes government cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that all sectors, including construction, have strongly recovered in the first half of 2022. In general, the confidence of enterprises, both domestic and foreign, is bouncing back. The economy is gaining strong momentum, with ongoing comprehensive recovery, he stressed. Vietnams GDP is estimated to have grown 7.72 per cent on-year in Q2 the highest Q2 growth level since 2011. The 6-month rate is estimated to have increased 6.42 per cent on-year. The government set a target of 7 per cent for the year. US-backed venture capital firm Ascend Vietnam Ventures (AVV) is highly valuing Vietnams economic outlook and its performance in the country. It has announced that it has exceeded its $50 million target for its flagship early-stage venture capital fund, AVV Alpha. AVV looks to invest in early-stage, capital-efficient, software-based startups, especially but not exclusively in areas such as fintech, edtech, blockchain, and the future of work, said Binh Tran, general partner of AVV. The team has increased its investments in startups in Vietnam, seeding up to $2 million into 25 startups by next year and following on with checks of up to $5 million. Tran also said, Vietnams dynamism, accessibility, and low cost of living, as well as abundant quality engineering talent, attract many founders. On top of that, many tech solutions built here can address similar challenges and customer behaviours in other emerging markets worldwide. Vietnam will continue to be seen as one of the best places to build global or regional market-leading companies. According to the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnams Business Climate Index released over a week ago, 45 per cent of respondents were significantly or moderately satisfied with the countrys efforts to attract and retain FDI, while 76 per cent expected their company to increase FDI before the end of the third quarter. This may be due to the fact that 55 per cent of respondents said Vietnam has improved its investment attraction and retention capabilities since the first quarter. Over 1,200 member companies took part in the survey. As foreign investors confidence in the Vietnamese market remains stable in a turbulent time, more FDI is flowing into the country. Vietnams potential for green growth is also inspiring European investors. As a result, these results should be interpreted positively, as should the Vietnamese market in general, said YouGov Vietnam CEO Thue Quist Thomasen. The GSO has also released the results of its Q2 survey on nearly 5,640 manufacturing and processing enterprises. Accordingly, 78.4 per cent of respondents said their second-quarter performance has improved from the first quarter. Only 21.6 per cent cited more difficulties than in Q1. Figures from the GSO also showed that the added value of the industrial sector in the first half of 2022 is estimated to expand 8.48 per cent on-year, with 6.97 per cent for Q1 and 9.87 per cent for Q2. Of which, that of the processing and manufacturing sector expanded 9.66 per cent, with 7.72 per cent for Q1 and 11.45 per cent for Q2, creating 2.58 per cent of the whole economys added value. Firefighters stand on a road as heavy smoke is seen in the background during forest fires near the city of Origne, south-western France, on July 17, 2022. Philippe LOPEZ / AFP Fires in parts of France, Spain and Portugal have already burned more land so far this year than in all of 2021 -- some 517,881 hectares (5,000 km2), or the equivalent area of Trinidad and Tobago. "The situation is much worse than expected, even if we were expecting temperature anomalies with our long-term forecasts," Jesus San Miguel, coordinator of the European Union's EFFIS satellite monitoring service, told AFP. San Miguel said there could be worse to come, adding that the hallmarks of global heating were all over this year's fire season. "Ignition is caused by people (but) the heatwave is critical, and clearly linked to climate change," he said. "The fire season used to be concentrated from July to September. Now we are getting longer seasons and very intense fire. We expect climate change to create higher fire conditions in Europe." Temperatures have warmed just over 1.1 degrees Celsius since the industrial era, and the United Nations Says Earth is currently on track to warm some 2.7C this century. This additional heat is enough to make the kind of heatwaves that baked Europe this week more likely to occur and to last longer when they do. - Rising fire risk - EFFIS said close to 40,000 hectares of forest in France have been lost to fire so far this year, more than the 30,000 that burned there in 2021. Spain -- where more than 500 people died during a 10-day heatwave this month -- has seen 190,000 hectares go up in smoke this year, compared with 85,000 last year. EFFIS said that Europe could end 2022 with more land burned by area than 2017, currently the worst recorded year for wildfires with nearly 1,000,000 hectares lost. In all of 2021, 470,359 hectares of forest were lost to fires in Europe, mainly in Italy and Greece. Yet those two countries have had a relatively good year in terms of wildfires: Italy has lost 25,000 hectares compared with more than 150,000 in 2021 and Greece has lost 7,800 compared with 130,000 a year ago. This week temperatures topped 40C for the first time on record in Britain, where a relatively high 20,000 hectares have burned since January. A study in February found that the proportion of July and August days of extreme fire risk in Britain would increase from 9 percent currently to 26 percent with 2C of warming. Mark Parrington, head scientist at the EU's Copernicus atmospheric monitoring service, said climate change had already contributed to how long wildfires last when they break out. "What is remarkable is just how long they burn," he told AFP. "This is not the kind of thing we typically see in Europe. Hotter temperatures combined with near-unprecedented drought conditions across much of Europe contribute to making forests tinder dry, providing the ideal conditions for wildfires to start and then spread. "There is a lot of fuel," said Parrington. "In central and southern Europe there is a clear upward trend for fire risk." As well as damaging ecosystems and removing carbon-absorbing vegetation from the land, wildfires themselves contribute to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Copernicus this week said fires in June and July in Spain and Morocco had produced some 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 -- the highest of any equivalent period since records began in 2003. The blazes also affect air quality for nearby populations. In southwest France, elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide have been noted for days over the city of Bordeaux, just north of two major burn areas, and even in Paris, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) northeast. The transactions will be Swire Coca-Cola's first investment in Southeast Asia, giving the company a leading position in one of the worlds fastest-growing beverage markets. After closing, Swire Coca-Cola will own and operate the three bottling facilities of Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Ltd. and one from Cambodia Beverage Company Ltd. The deal will be completed within six months if there are no antitrust procedures. Chairman of Swire Coca-Cola Patrick Healy said, "This acquisition marks a major milestone for Swire Coca-Cola, significantly expanding our operating footprint in a new region." With young demographics, increasing urbanisation, and pre-pandemic GDP growth of over 7 per cent per year, Vietnam and Cambodia open up significant opportunities for Swire Coca-Cola. Karen So, managing director of Swire Coca-Cola stated, "As a long-term strategic partner with Coca-Cola, we are delighted to be expanding our relationship through this acquisition and are excited by the enormous growth potential of the non-alcoholic beverage markets in Vietnam and Cambodia. They are valued at over $6 billion and forecast to grow at over 6 per cent CAGR until 2036." Swire Coca-Cola's relationship with Coca-Cola began in 1965 and the company is a division of Swire Pacific Ltd., which is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Ltd. As the fifth largest Coca-Cola bottler in the world by volume, Swire Coca-Cola has the exclusive right to manufacture, market, and distribute The Coca-Cola Company's products in 11 provinces and the Shanghai Municipality of the Chinese Mainland, and in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and 13 states of the USA. Swire Coca-Cola manufactures over 60 beverage brands and distributes them to a franchise-wide population of over 760 million people. Swire is also the owner of Cathay Pacific one of the airlines offering very early flights to Vietnam. In addition, Swire invests in a variety of other fields including logistics, cold storage, and services. This is the first time the company has entered Vietnam's beverage market. Following the news of the deal, a representative of Coca-Cola Vietnam confirmed with VIR that the restructuring does not affect the investment and business activities of Coca-Cola in Vietnam. We confirm the transfer of the bottling rights owned by Coca-Cola in Vietnam to Swire Coca-Cola. This transfer is approved in accordance with the current regulations and the parties commit to working closely with each other to make the transfer process smooth, minimising disruption to customers, suppliers, third-party partners, and employees." "We expect to complete the transfer process no earlier than the end of Q3 2022. Under the transaction, the bottling partner acquires full ownership of Coca-Cola Vietnam Beverage Co., Ltd. (CCBVL), but the legal status of CCBVL still exists," said the representative of Coca-Cola Vietnam. The representative pointed out that this is not an operation in which a new investor replaces an old one. It is just an adjustment of the owner in the same system between long-standing partners of Coca-Cola. In the first investment phase that began in 1994, Coca-Cola Vietnam established joint ventures in three regions. In 2001, Coca-Cola Vietnam became a totally foreign-owned company under Coca-Cola Singapore, owned by a South African consortium. In 2012, Coca-Cola announced additional investment capital of $300 million into Vietnam to restructure for the second time, so the deal with Swire Coca-Cola marks the third restructuring of Coca-Cola Vietnam. A media representative of Coca-Cola Vietnam noted, "We are still committed to investing and realising the commitments made by Coca-Cola in Vietnam. Japan's Onaga chairman received the investment certificate The leadership of HANSSIP, representatives of Japan's Kobe's business group, and manufacturers in the field of industrial applications, high technologies, and supporting industries signed the MoU. Japan's Onaga Company received an investment certificate for manufacturing aircraft, automobiles, and ship components at HANSSIP. Its partner, International Digital Services Vietnam Co., Ltd (IDS) received the business registration licence in the industrial park. Onaga, IDS, and a group of Vietnamese supporting enterprises signed a cooperation agreement for consulting, support, and technology transfer. Matsumoto Izumi, first secretary of Japan's Embassy in Vietnam, said that Onaga is a long-standing enterprise in Japan's Kobe region, manufacturing mechanical components that are applied in aviation, automobiles, trains, and robotics. Onaga's investment in HANSSIP would be in line with the cooperation policy on developing supporting industries between Vietnam and Japan. With the Vietnamese government's preferential policies to attract investment, and the industrial park's support for administrative procedures, more of Japanese investors will set foot in HANSSIP to develop the cooperation," said Izumi. Onaga Masaru, chairman of Onaga Company, said that Japanese enterprises have high technologies and experiences in supporting industries, so they can help Vietnam in industrial development and global supply chains. "Vietnam's market is a promising land. Vietnam imports a total of $100 billion of components for cars, motorcycles, and machines of all kinds annually," said Onaga. Onaga also proposed to Hanoi to provide more preferential policies for Japanese parts manufacturers and simplify investment procedures for them. Imported from Europe, Starbucks instant coffee products are available for online purchase on Lazada since July 3 and will be available in premium supermarkets such as Topsmarket, CoopXtra, Coop Fineline, Aeon, Lotte, Emart, and Vinmart. The rollout of the premium at-home coffee experience also showcases the fruitful collaboration between Nestle and Starbucks after the two joined hands in late 2018 to establish the Global Coffee Alliance. The alliance combines Nestles unrivalled 80-year expertise and heritage in coffee and Starbucks world-leading coffee chain expertise. Under the alliance, Nestle acquired the perpetual rights to market Starbucks Consumer Packaged goods and Foodservice coffee and tea products globally, outside of Starbucks coffee houses. The products developed under the alliance have been expanded to 50 countries and were soughtafter by consumers around the world. In 2022, the two companies bring a super-premium instant coffee range and the We Proudly Serve Starbucks coffee solutions to Vietnam for the first time. Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestle Vietnam expressed, Today is a special day for coffee lovers in Vietnam as we can now make and enjoy a cup of Starbucks coffee right at home. Vietnam has a rich coffee culture that has been ingrained in the life and soul of its people. Vietnamese people, especially the young, are open-minded and integrated into the new global trends in fashion, cuisine, and lifestyle." Jacob added, "Starbucks has got to be one of the most loved international coffee brands by the Vietnamese people. It is loved for its signature experience the aroma, the taste, the feeling, and the prestige. We at Nestle Vietnam recognise its influence on the people, which is why we have brought the Starbucks At Home range to Vietnam to enrich peoples home coffee experiences and to diversify our coffee offerings with local to global favourites. Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestle Vietnam Nestle and Starbucks have a true passion for outstanding coffee and are proud to be recognised as global leaders for their responsible and sustainable coffee sourcing. The products developed under Global Coffee Alliance meet strict standards in manufacturing from farm to cup and responsible growing methods with minimum environmental impacts. Both Nestle and Starbucks prioritise contributing to the development of society while ensuring long-term success in business, so as to ensure a healthier, wealthier community and preserve resources for the next generation. Over almost 30 years of presence in Vietnam, Nestle has brought diverse coffee experiences to their consumers with an exclusive product portfolio. From the traditional flavour of Nescafe Cafe Viet, now its consumers can enjoy truly international coffee of Starbucks at home, at work or when travelling. Consumers will have more options for instant coffee that meets their tastes. According to a stock-exchange filing, Swire will pay $1.02 billion for the assets in Vietnam and Cambodia. The transaction will be Swires first investment in the beverages market in Southeast Asia and will expand the groups business into this rapidly growing sector. Swire Coca-Cola Limited and Swire Beverages Holdings Limited which are subsidiaries of Swire Pacific entered into the agreements with Coca-Cola (Japan) Co. Ltd., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company. Swire Coca-Cola's principal activities are investment holding and the preparation, packaging, distribution, and sale of beverages. It is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world with exclusive rights to produce, sell, and distribute Coca-Cola products in most of mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and a portion of the western United States. Swire Coca-Cola currently produces 62 beverage brands and distributes them to a market of 762 million consumers. The acquisition reflects the appealingness of Vietnam's beverage market and its growing population of more than 93 million. Despite the fact that Vietnam is generally known as a lucrative market for alcoholic beverages, there are significant opportunities for brands in soft drinks. According to a report by Statista, Vietnam's revenue in the soft drinks segment currently amounts to $7.8 billion and the market is expected to grow annually by almost 7.2 per cent (CAGR 2022-2026). By 2026, 21 per cent of the spending and 12 per cent of the volume of the soft drinks segment will be attributable to consumption in bars and restaurants. For Axtell resident Dede Lee, watching her sports-loving, outgoing and wheelchair-using son Tristan grow up with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 was no easy job. But she knows in a world with growing accessibility theres nothing that can hold him back. Hes definitely got his dreams and hes not going to let anyone tell him he cant do it, Lee said. His world became a bit more accessible Thursday morning as the Axtell community gathered to commemorate the installation of Swing4Smiles, a wheelchair-accessible swing, at the new Axtell Community Park. Tristan Lee, 20, took the maiden voyage Thursday on the swing that he inspired, built by high school and college students and local businesses. The making of the swing is a story of months of teamwork, bringing together many locals and institutions to bring the projects design and fabrication to fruition. It came to be through a student-led collaboration among the Baylor University Engineering Department, Texas State Technical College welding, precision machining and auto restoration departments, and the Axtell community. Axtell High School graduate and former Chevron managing director Jeff Lehrmann headed the communitys part in the project and made the necessary connections putting the idea in motion. Lehrmann said the name of the project was inspired by a Bible verse, Isaiah 40:31, invoking imagery of soaring on wings of eagles. He said the divine spirit that encompassed the project will be felt by everyone who uses the swing in coming years, and everyone involved in the project has also felt this spirit through its construction. Think of soaring on wings like eagles, what freedom, what exhilaration you would have, Lehrmann said. And Im sure thats what all of us want in our life as well. For some of us thats easier than others. Lehrmann was integral in bringing together dozens of engineers and helpers to make the communitys dream a reality. Baylor adjunct professor and fellow Chevron retiree James Bates was also one of the many hands on the project, using his years of field experience to guide two teams of Baylor students in designing the swing. Bates said although the project was stressful, he saw the dedication students had to see it through. Thats why I like working on these types of projects, Bates said. The students are really motivated because they see its going to impact the life of an individual or community. Recent Baylor graduate Leonard Walker, a design team leader, said he and his classmates had to overcome some design challenges, especially for the scaffold and the portion holding the wheelchair. Theres hundreds and thousands of different types of disabilities, so not every child is the same, Walker said. So the challenging part was trying to make a design that was all-purpose. We need to keep every child safe while also maintaining that fun factor. Baylor engineering students designed the project for TSTC students to build. By bringing their ideas to professors at TSTC, the Baylor students were able to craft a design that not only met specific requirements and codes, but was also practical to build. The responsibility then shifted to students at TSTC, including Emily Smith, 19. She said this was the first time for her and her classmates working on a project of this scale and with this material. She said it was difficult juggling two jobs and her regular coursework, but shes thankful to have been a part of the process. We learned a lot that we would never have learned if we hadnt agreed to work on it, Smith said. Axtell is a rural unincorporated community encompassing some 2,000 people, but what it lacks in population it makes up for in heart and dedication. The swing is the newest addition since the park opened in December 2021, and Lehrmann said both the building of the park and the swing were made possible by fundraising and community effort. Many people spoke at the event, including Axtell ISD Superintendent J.R. Proctor and McLennan County Commissioner Patricia Chisolm-Miller, who commended the impact of the project and the community effort it took to bring the swing to life. Bates said the collaboration was inspiring. There were probably over a hundred people who had a thumbprint on this, either through the building or getting the playground together, administrative assistants they all came together for a common cause, to help out some kids that have some unique challenges in the community, Bates said. And thats just so refreshing, especially today where everything seems to be going crazy to know that, in the heart of it, everybody wants the same thing. VALLEY MILLS Gridlock prevailed this week as the city council considered measures to curb the authority of mayor in this town of 1,235 residents. The Valley Mills City Council agenda Tuesday included two proposed measures regarding the mayors power. One would reserve the power to hire and fire for the council, with the mayor making recommendations, Mayor Pro Tem Ray Bickerstaff said. This feels personal, said Mayor Josh Thayer. It feels like its about me. The Tribune-Herald previously reported on controversial firings of the public works director and city secretary who held office when Thayer was elected in spring 2021. The public works director left city employment in the summer and the city secretary left in the fall, to be replaced by supporters of Thayer. The Texas Municipal Code gives the mayor of a small city like Valley Mills authority to fill vacancies of city staff with council confirmation. While the code does not give firing authority to the mayor, it does say that a mayor inspects the performance of city officials and shall cause any negligence, carelessness, or other violation of duty to be prosecuted and punished. Council Member Nick Guerrero said three other council members had put this ordinance on the agenda. He asked whether the law would be removed from the books if Thayer were no longer in office. Bickerstaff answered that the ordinance was directed to the office of the mayor, not to Thayer personally. Thayer said the ordinance would hamper his ability to conduct day-to-day operations of the city. (The council) would completely undercut my authority as mayor, if you take away my ability to fire people, Thayer said. Bickerstaff said that under the proposed measure Thayer would be able to give verbal and written warnings and then make a recommendation about firing at the next council meeting. This actually protects you from a (human resources) standpoint, Bickerstaff said. Bickerstaff also said that when he was mayor a few years before, he brought all hiring and firing decisions to the city council. He gave them his recommendations and reasons and then the council acted. The council took no action on the ordinance. The second ordinance would have limited the authority of the mayor to make purchases, again requiring the mayor to seek approval of the council. Guerrero asked why the council was bringing up an ordinance in response to something that happened a year ago. He said the mayor bought an all-terrain vehicle with city money a year ago and action had been settled between the mayor and council members as gentlemen. Bickerstaff said this ordinance was on the agenda to clear the books of lingering items that had been proposed but not adopted or rejected. The mayor has a fiduciary responsibility to see that taxpayer funds are spent for the benefit of the city and in accordance with the law, Bickerstaff said. If a purchase is needed, put an item on the agenda and bring it to the council for approval. The council took no action on the purchasing limits. Gridlock also prevailed in the council on recommendations of the infrastructure committee. Infrastructure committee chairperson Casey Sadler told the council that any grants for projects to renovate the town water system will require matching funds. To get the matching funds, she said the city has three choices: raise taxes and fees, sell assets, or issue bonds. Thayer suggested the possibility of investigating a waiver for the restrictive use covenants on the deed to the citys airport, so that the airport could be sold as an asset to raise matching funds for the water system renovation. The deed given to the city by the Army Air Corps in the 1940s stipulates that the land may only be used for an airport, the Tribune-Herald previously reported. The airport has two unimproved dirt taxiways, no tower and no facilities. The Tribune-Herald reported last month that parties had contacted Valley Mills expressing interest in buying the land, but the council has not approved any such proposals. Guerrero proposed a motion on the mayors waiver suggestion, which died for lack of a second. He also proposed a motion to form a bond exploratory committee, which died without a second as well. In an executive session that lasted longer than 40 minutes, the city council deliberated the employment evaluation of Police Chief Roy Fikac. The chief emerged from the session with a smile. No motions regarding his employment were made. DALLAS Both federal and local health experts have raised Dallas Countys COVID-19 alert levels as the highly contagious COVID-19 variant BA.5 causes both case counts and hospitalizations to climb. Dallas County moved its internal COVID-19 risk level to orange, or extreme caution, last Saturday, just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties as having high community spread of the virus on Thursday. BA.5, an omicron subvariant that is now the dominant strain in the U.S., appears to cause less severe illness than its predecessors, although some people are still at risk, including those who are immunocompromised or over the age of 65. Heres what local health experts know about the circulating strain and what people can do to protect themselves from it: BA.5 is spreading fast BA.5 is most similar to BA.2, another omicron subvariant that picked up speed in Texas in March, although it has a few additional mutations on its spike protein, said Dr. Jeff SoRelle, an assistant professor of pathology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The mutations make BA.5 harder for the bodys immune system to detect at first, even when someone has protection from the COVID-19 vaccine of previous infections. Eventually, most immune systems catch on to the virus, but the mutations give it enough of a chance to sneak past the defenses and start causing some trouble, SoRelle said. Symptoms to look out for A BA.5 infection seems to come with the same symptoms as the original omicron strain, including headache, a sore throat, a runny nose, fever and fatigue. While the loss of taste and smell were tell-tale signs of COVID-19 infection with the alpha and delta variants, theyre much less likely with infections from omicron and its subvariants. A May study from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that chances of smell and taste loss were just 17% for omicron, compared to 50% for the alpha variant. Most people who have healthy immune systems and are fully vaccinated wont end up with severe illness from BA.5, but an infection can still make people feel lousy, said Dr. Thomas Giordano, chief of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. As a clinician, I would say its less severe, but as a person, I still dont want to get it because I dont want to be knocked out for a week with a flu-like illness, he said. Theres also the risk of long COVID, which can lead to sometimes debilitating symptoms such as fatigue and neurological issues for months after an initial infection. Its estimated that anywhere from 10% to 30% of COVID-19 patients might experience long COVID, according to the American Medical Association. The vaccine still offers the best protection Even though BA.5 is particularly good at evading immune responses, the COVID-19 vaccine still offers the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization, health experts say. Children 6 months to 4 years old can now get a child-sized dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while anyone age 5 and older can receive a booster dose. People who are older than 12 and immunocompromised can get a second booster dose at least four months after their first. The Food and Drug Administration has asked vaccine makers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to develop vaccine boosters that target BA.4 and BA.5 as well as the original COVID-19 strain, although those shots arent expected to be ready until the fall. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and other federal health officials have repeatedly said that people should get boosted now. Giordano said that, while the question of whether to get boosted now or wait for the new booster cocktail is a tricky one to answer, he would still recommend getting boosted sooner rather than later. I would go ahead and get it and not wait until the new versions of the vaccine are released, especially if youve got anything of significance that youre planning in the next two or three months like a trip or a wedding, he said. You dont want COVID to mess those plans up. Recommendations for avoiding COVID-19 in the red risk level Wear a mask indoors when in public. Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses. Get tested if you notice any COVID-19 symptoms. Increase ventilation when indoors by turning on fans or opening windows to increase air circulation. by John Parker/WarbirdsOnline It has been some since we last reported on the progress which Greg Batts has been making with the CAC Boomerang restoration projects in his workshop, Combat Aircraft Constructions Pty, located in the Brisbane suburb of Archerfield in Queensland, Australia. Regular readers will know that the first flight of Gregs personal project, CA-12 Boomerang A46-54, has been imminent for some time. We will begin with a report on that airframe. CA-12 Boomerang A46-54: Batts has completed numerous tasks on A46-54 in recent weeks to ready the fighter for its imminent first flight since WWII, but as we all know the devil is in the details. Indeed, many small detail items once listed on the workshop whiteboard have taken some time to resolve, let alone the major task of fitting the wooden monocoque over the fuselages internal tubular-steel frame. With that job now finished, Batts has been able to begin fitting the myriad panels and fairings, as well as the radio rack, canopy, and windscreen. However, problems with the pilots seat have required its removal for correction and reinstallation, consuming more time. All of the electrical, hydraulic, fuel and instrumental fit-outs are now complete and, with the aircraft essentially done, a systems testing program has begun, with hydraulic extension/retraction trials for the landing gear, wing flaps, and cowl flaps having taken place so far. A video of the gear retract tests is viewable below With the whiteboard checklist essentially down to the final test flight program now, Batts plans to remove the aircrafts outer wing panels so the airframe can make the journey by road some seventy miles west to Toowoomba Airport. Here, Batts team will reassemble the fighter, bolting on the outer wings and ailerons, fitting the propeller assembly, calibrating the fuel tanks, and performing weight and balance. The next phase will require an airframe inspection by an independent, certified engineer. With final testing and inspections done, Batts will perform engine runs and, if this succeeds, the possibility of an imminent first flight arrives. Speaking of this, Greg Batts noted, I have no idea how long the process will take to get to the first flight day, but it will happen someday, hopefully soon! A46-54 is finished in a different color scheme than the two presently airworthy Boomerangs (CA-13 A46-122 and CA-12 A46-63) . The aircrafts upper surfaces are finished in Foliage Green, with Sky Blue underneath. The fighters Squadron letters are hued the Medium Sea Grey of early Boomerangs. This all makes the aircraft very distinctive the chosen livery will make for an attractive and interesting comparison when A46-54 is displayed at air shows and ceremonies in the coming years alongside her peers. Regarding his progress with the aircraft, Greg said, I have been extremely fortunate to have my good friend and LAME Steve Orwin assisting me over these many years. His knowledge on the older warbirds has assisted greatly. We will be there when this Aussie aircraft takes to the air again. While the exact timing is uncertain, Batts hopes it will take place within a couple of months. Whilst visiting the Batts workshop, we were also able to view progress on two other CA-12 Boomerangs, these being A46-77 and A46-55. CA-12 Boomerang A46-77 The center section for A46-77 has been largely completed since our last visit; it is nearing a stage where it can be again mated with the fuselage, which is also progressing well. The center section reconstruction is based upon an example stripped from a Boomerang cousin, a North American Harvard Mk.IV. It is a complex task involving many labour hours to transform it into one fit for a Boomerang, so it is great to see this phase nearing completion. A new set of retracting ram outriggers are under construction presently; once fitted, the fuel tanks will then be able to go in and get hooked up, which will allow the subsequent installation of the tank bay doors for final fitting. During our visit, the freshly repainted vertical and horizontal stabilizers were fitted to the fuselage, indicating that significant progress is happening with this project. The rudder and elevators are ready for fabric application too. At the current pace, this Boomerang should be up on its wheels in the next couple of months, and then final fit-outs will be able to occur. The main fuselage fuel tank is currently undergoing work; that will need fitting prior to the center section going under the fuselage. Even so, it is clear that this Boomer will soon join the active fleet of these great Australian fighters! CA-12 Boomerang A46-55 A46-55, another of Gregs own aircraft, has also advanced significantly in the interim since our last visit. This example is one of the types most original survivors and, as such, is quite the time capsule. A lot of this aircrafts components came with the project when Greg Batts acquired it, which will make the Boomerangs restoration that much easier since fewer parts will need sourcing. The forward fuselage frame is now cleaned and primed and is currently going through X-ray evaluation to check for cracks and corrosion. Surprisingly, Batts found that it is in better condition than most other surviving Boomerang frames and requires only minor repairs before it is ready for reuse. The fuselages rear steel-tube frame will soon go through the same inspection process. The lower monocoque pan which fits under the rear tubular fuselage frame is currently in the jig for a strip down, inspection/repair, and reassembly. The fighters nose cowling is also under construction. A brand new (never-fitted) Harvard Mk.IV center section is already in the workshop and awaiting conversion for this Boomerang project. A46-55s complex wooden fuselage monocoque is already complete and ready for fitting when the time arrives. A46-55 will fill the void in the workshop once A46-54 moves to Tawoomba for flight trials; work on the airframe will certainly speed up after that, but there are already visible signs of great progress! CA-12 Boomerang A46-92 The other Boomerang at Combat Aircraft Constructions is CA-12 A46-92, but little if any progress has been made with this airframe so far. This rather historic Boomerang received battle damage during operations with No.4 Squadron RAAF while leading a flight of U.S. Army Air Forces P-38 lightnings over Papua New Guinea. The aircraft is presently relegated to a corner at the back of the workshop; it has lain under a tarp since 2019. Given the full-court press to get A46-54 into the air, A46-77 up on its wheels again, and A46-55s restoration accelerated, it would appear that A46-92 may not see additional progression for some time to come, given the current workloads and future time constraints at Combat Aircraft Constructions. Regardless, it is great to see so much movement with Australias only indigenously designed combat aircraft to see action in WWII. We extend much thanks to Greg Batts and the team at Combat Aircraft Constructions for allowing us access to this unique warbird restoration facility and look forwards to our return in the not-too-distant future! Many thanks indeed to John Parker for permission to reprint this article. To see more of his reports, please do visit his excellent website Warbirds Online. CEDAR FALLS Longtime volunteer Mary Taylor and country blues guitarist Eddie Bowles have been named 2022 Melendy Spirit Award winners. It is the first time two recipients have been recognized posthumously for the award in the same year, said Sally Kleiss Timmer, executive director of the Cedar Falls Community Foundation. The award recognizes individuals, families, groups or organizations, both living and deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to Cedar Falls that impact the quality of life. It is named for Peter Melendy, who at 36 became a Cedar Falls resident in 1859 and contributed to the citys cultural life and economic development. Usually we recognize one posthumous award per year. We thought both of these individuals were very worthy of receiving the Melendy Spirit Award. Mary passed away recently and left our community too soon, but she was very impactful and involved. We also had a resurgence of interest in Eddie Bowles and realized his impact on the community through his music and his kindness, Timmer said. Interest in Eddie Bowles was revived earlier this year when an exhibition of his life and music was featured at the Hearst Center for the Arts. The display was produced by 14 University of Northern Iowa students as a class project and included several musical performances by Cedar Valley musicians influenced by Bowles. Bowles died in 1984 at age 100. One of Cedar Falls first Black residents, his name and music is well-remembered by many area musicians and residents. Born in 1884 in Lafayette, La., he learned to play blues and jazz on homemade instruments before his parents bought him instruments to play. He played in several orchestras, including with Louis Armstrong. He married Sarah Blanche in 1911 and came north to find work. In 1914, he worked as a street paver laying Cedar Falls first brick streets. He also was employed by local railroads, worked at the John Deere foundry for 22 years and as a tree trimmer. Cedar Falls poet James Hearst wrote a poem about Bowles, published in Hearsts 1981 book, Time Like a Furrow. In the 1960s, Bowles returned to his musical roots, playing for family and friends. He also was sought out by young musicians wanting to learn his unique picking style of guitar playing. He continued playing into his 90s. Beyond music, Bowles had a generous, kind spirit, and the Bowles home was always a safe place for children who needed an escape from time to time. He also made sure each child had a new pair of shoes for the school year. Bowles is the first African American to receive the Melendy Spirit Award. Its important that we recognize the diversity that we have in the Cedar Valley and the efforts of people of all races and backgrounds to make our community a better place to live, Timmer explained. Mary Taylor, who died Oct. 13, 2020, was a Waterloo native whose family valued volunteer work, a trait she carried throughout her life. Her impact has been profound and notable, said Timmer, although she didnt draw a lot of attention to her volunteer and leadership efforts. Some people are unsung heroes and the public doesnt know all the different projects and organizations theyre involved in. Its important to recognize their efforts and shows other people what a difference they can make in their communities, Timmer explained. Taylor graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and began her career in community involvement at the Cedar Falls Tourism Bureau before becoming director of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa. She later joined Western Home Communities as director of development. She was actively involved in cultivating an award-winning Cedar Falls Main Street and provided leadership on such historic preservation projects as the Old Post Office. She helped create the Cedar Falls Authors Festival and volunteered for Cedar Trails Partnership, Friends of the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center and more than 25 other community organizations. In addition, she raised funds for Western Home staff scholarships. The Mary Taylor Health Sciences Scholarship was established in her name with the Western Home Foundation. Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame and received the Representative Citizen Award from the city of Cedar Falls and Cedar Falls Utilities. WATERLOO A Waterloo woman was arrested Wednesday night after allegedly biting a large piece of flesh off a mans forearm during an argument. Kayla Sharon Torres, 39, of Waterloo, was charged with two felonies, a third-offense domestic abuse assault and willful injury. According to the criminal affidavit, police were responding to the residence in the 600 block of West First Street at 7:33 p.m for an assault when officers found the victim out in front of the building with the severe injury to his right forearm. Blood was splattered all around the apartment and down the stairs on the outside of the building. And ambulance crew members said they could see his bone and tendon, the affidavit stated. Bond has been set at $10,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 29. Iran urges U.S. to stop "excessive demands" about reaching nuke deal Xinhua) 10:12, July 22, 2022 TEHRAN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday urged the United States to stop "excessive demands" about reaching an agreement in the talks on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, according to the foreign ministry's website. In a phone call with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Amir-Abdollahian also reiterated Iran's determination to reach a "good, robust and lasting" agreement in the nuclear talks. In a separate phone call with Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, on Monday night, Amir-Abdollahian urged the White House to stop "resorting to pressure and sanctions as leverage" in the nuclear talks. Both Al-Thani and Borrell expressed understanding about Iran's efforts to reach a final agreement in the nuclear talks. Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact. The talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. After a three-month pause, the talks resumed in late June in Qatar's capital Doha, but failed to settle the differences. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) The Rock Island County States Attorneys Office on Thursday charged a man for allegedly shooting a gun as he ran between houses and through yards Wednesday in a Moline neighborhood. Shawn W. Skinner, 50, Moline, faces charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to the Moline Police Department. About 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, people began calling 911 to report a man with a gun in the area of 55th Street Court and 34th Avenue, according to the release. Moline officers and Rock Island County Sheriffs Office deputies went to the area to search for the gunman. A member of the departments Special Investigative Group was in the 3200 block of 55th Street Court when he heard multiple gunshots, the release states. The detective saw a man with a gun between two houses in the 3000 block of 55th Street Court. The detective ran toward the man identified in the release as Skinner told him to get on the ground and arrested him, the release states. The weapon, a black 9mm Springfield XDM pistol, was recovered, and officers found five shell casings between houses in the 3000 blocks of 55th Street Court and 54th Street Drive, according to the department. No one was reported hurt, and there was no property damage reported, the department said. Skinners bail is $20,000, and he remained in custody Thursday afternoon, according to the Rock Island County Jail. To be released, he would have to post a $2,000 bond. Skinners first court appearance was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but the results of that hearing, including his next court date, were not yet available. WATERLOO Local law enforcement agents expect several more arrests in connection to a two-year long investigation into a Mexico-based drug trafficking organizations presence in Black Hawk County. Waterloo Police announced Thursday a third person was arrested last week on felony money laundering charges by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force and several other agencies. Cedar Falls Public Safety Department's work culture to be given closer look The $7,908 agreement with the university was approved unanimously by the City Council on Monday night. Megan Jolene Heying, 22, of New Hampton, allegedly distributed methamphetamine from the organization and also participated in the movement of the drug proceeds twice last year and once this year, from Black Hawk County to Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. She was involved three times in the wire transfer of funds, which totaled about $2,500, and faces three money laundering charges. Richard Louis Mohorne, 46, and Mark Anthony Sayles, 31, also were charged last week in connection with each transferring some $900 in proceeds last year from Black Hawk County to the Manjarrez Drug Trafficking Organization in Mexico. Mohorne allegedly transferred the funds on two occasions. According to the criminal affidavit, detectives identified one of the main operators in Mexico who was supplying Black Hawk County individuals with large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl. The operator was supplying another defendant with pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of pills containing fentanyl. That individual then provided Sayles, Mohorne and Heying with methamphetamine to sell. CEDAR VALLEY An Illinois driver in a stolen vehicle led police on a chase early Thursday morning through Waterloo, Cedar Falls and eventually into Jesup. John Thomas Veysey, 28, of Elizabeth, Illinois, allegedly reached speeds of 125 miles per hour, went through multiple red lights, and was arrested after hitting spike strips. He was charged with multiple traffic violations, reckless driving, and eluding. The pursuit started at about midnight Thursday near the corner of Franklin and East Second streets when Waterloo police attempted a traffic stop on the stolen 2017 white Ford Fusion. Veysey initially stopped, but then fled and led police close to city limits, at which point the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Office took the lead in the chase. The car traveled in excess of 110 mph on Broadway Street in a posted 55 mph zone and ran the red light at the off ramp for U.S. Highway 218 prior to Airport Boulevard. The vehicle traveled in excess of 110 mph on U.S. Highway 218 into Cedar Falls, a posted 65 mph zone. The vehicle traveled at speeds in excess of 110 mph on First Street in Cedar Falls in posted 45 and 35 mph zones, running a red light at First and Main streets. The vehicle continued at more than 110 mph in a 30 mph zone on First Street before turning onto Hudson Road, where the vehicle entered the wrong lane of traffic and traveled in excess of 70 mph in a posted 35 mph zone and construction area. The vehicle continued at speeds in excess of 110 mph through Cedar Falls and onto U.S. Highway 20, where it headed eastbound until reaching the Jesup exit in Buchanan County. At that point it was traveling at speeds in excess of 125 mph in a posted 65 mph zone. After entering Buchanan County, Veysey continued to elude before he hit spike strips. The sheriffs vehicle also hit the strips. Veyseys vehicle later became disabled. Veysey was taken into custody about three miles from where the sheriffs vehicle was disabled. WATERLOO A Waterloo woman was found not guilty Friday of child endangerment for an incident at a child care facility in 2020. Police alleged that Tammy Barrett, a teacher at Tri-County Head Start, assaulted a 3-year-old along with an assistant teacher. According to police, a video recording showed Barrett drag the child out of the classroom door. Barretts trial lasted three days. The jury deliberated for an hour and 45 minutes before delivering its verdict. Jenilee Schnell, an assistant teacher involved in the same case, pleaded guilty in March to child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor. Police said Schnell assaulted the 3-year-old by grabbing, pushing and holding the child to the ground several times. Police also allege Schnell laid on the child and put her arm on the back of the childs neck. At trial, defense attorneys entered a picture of the childs injury into evidence. A hatch-marked bruise was above the childs ear. Police said they determined the cause of the mark was from the child being pushed down onto a cot. The defense said the specific cot was not in Barretts room and, therefore, DNA testing could not be performed on the cot. CEDAR RAPIDS Attempting to diminish the significance of poll numbers and fundraising that trails Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear told Linn County supporters Thursday that such figures do not capture the sentiment of Iowans. Campaign filings this week showed Reynolds has more than 10 times as much cash in her campaign coffers as DeJear in her bid for a second full term, as a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows the Osceola Republican with a 17-point lead in the race. That poll gives us a barometer, but it does not tell us what people actually feel all over this state, DeJear told about 75 attendees of a fundraiser at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids, which included candidates, elected officials, local activists and faith leaders. What does that is our continued efforts and our approach to meet people where they are. The November race for governor is tough, she said, but Reynolds approval ratings have fallen as people of all political stripes dont like the direction of this state. The most recent Iowa Poll found Reynolds approval rating has risen in recent months. Overall, 52% of Iowans approve of the way she is handling her job up from 49% in March. They see that there is a stronger Iowa in our future and our current governor is just holding us back, DeJear said of Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. On a recent swing through western Iowa, DeJear said Iowans were making do grappling with their challenges. She said that showed her Iowans already have the vision and solutions to move the state forward. Were not short of vision, folks, DeJear said. We just need a governor thats willing to turn the lights on. Eric Van Lancker, DeJears running mate, said Iowans concerns that DeJear hears on the campaign trail are issues the Reynolds administration is not addressing: How am I going to pay for these groceries? Can I afford the rent that Im paying now? Can I take my child to this doctors appointment and afford it? DeJears solutions are from the heart Iowa solutions, he said. Shes spending time listening to Iowans from every corner of this state to understand the common grounds that Iowans share, Van Lancker said. If elected, Van Lancker told The Gazette their Day One priority would be to fund public schools. DeJear said that starts with early childhood education and continues through the community colleges and public universities governed by the state Board of Regents. It impacts every aspect of what were doing right now when we look at the challenges we have with a shortage of skilled workers to fill empty jobs in Iowa, DeJear said. Despite likely facing a Republican-led Legislature if elected as a Democratic governor, DeJear said she would reach across the aisle and work with people regardless of political affiliation. She said she and Van Lancker, the Clinton County auditor, would focus on empowering local communities to ensure all of Iowas 99 counties are strong. DeJear said there is a strong path to victory if, unlike 2018, independent voters, people of color and the age 18 to 24 voting bloc all cast ballots. To rally the reliably blue Linn County base around other Democratic candidates on the November ballot, Ann Brown, who co-hosted the fundraiser with Amara Andrews, highlighted elected officials in the room, including some who are seeking re-election. Brown also mentioned several candidates, including Elizabeth Wilson in Iowa House District 73, a district we need to keep Democratic and Kris Nall in Iowa House District 83 in rural Linn County a potential pickup for the Democrats. DeJear urged people to raise money so the campaign can air ads on TV and volunteers can make phones and knock on doors to spread her message. She asked if the attendees were willing to bring home her victory for Iowa in honor of the people whove fought in the past for the rights to vote, access quality education and reproductive health care. Weve seen their playbook, DeJear said. Weve seen their culture wars . We will no longer settle for their tenacious complacency, good people, because we know were better. Assalamu alaikum! My dear BROTHER, adviser to the Head of the Chechen Republic Adam Shakhidov @Shakhidov_Adam, revealed in detail from a religious point of view the topic of the participation of the Chechen Republic in a special military operation in Ukraine and, in general, the protection of the interests of the Russian state by Muslims. Often we can hear some reproaches from religious critics who do not have sufficient knowledge that Muslims should not interfere in todays events on Nezalezhnaya and stay away from the problems of the state. Without a doubt, they have only superficial knowledge or theses imposed from outside. This sermon is primarily for them. Adam Sajdalakhanovich cites as an example historical facts that have taken place more than once in Islamic history. Listen to his explanation of the Medina Agreement between Jews and Muslims, the story of the migration of the Companions of the Prophet to Ethiopia. Without a doubt, this is a complete and detailed explanation of the topic, after which there is no doubt that Muslims can live in a Christian state and observe the civic obligations of this country, advocate for the protection of its borders and interests. Islamic history knows such facts, and they are widely known in the Muslim world. As Adam Sajdalakhanovich rightly noted, among other things, today there is a war between good and evil, between traditional values and vile ideas of Satanism. The fight against the henchmen of Iblis must be waged by Muslims always and everywhere, and even the most ardent religious skeptics cannot argue with this postulate. I thank Adam Saidalakhonovich for such a detailed, detailed and interesting explanation of a topic that is relevant to the whole world. Kadyrov WtR Demarcation Line is the buffer line within Ukraine and it is getting farther and farther across as we read this article Lavrov made it clear He talks about the need to buffer Russia from the range of HIMARS. This definitely puts all Ukraine territory within a 300 miles of the Russian border, in the picture. This also implies that the more weapons the USA and EU send the bigger the territory loss and the wider the buffer zone will be Thus, keep it up and we have a shrinking Ukraine, daily It matters not to Russia. If they need to take all of Ukraine? They will What a web NATO weaved and now they are stuck in their own web WtR From Indonesia to Korea, Paris hosts fashion from around the world By Triana Alonso Translated by Roberta HERRERA Published Jul 22, 2022 A unique shirt made from newspaper fabric hung next to another printed shirt, created using natural dyes from exotic leaves or flowers and eco-friendly printing techniques. These two garments were presented at the "Experience Indonesia, un voyage artisanal" event, embodying a sample of tradition from the more than 17,000 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago, which is distinguished by its rich biodiversity and a wide variety of languages and ancestral tribes. The last men's in Paris was an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the country, taking it beyond the folkloric perception of its craftsmanship. Experience Indonesia - FNW "With this project, we want to weave alliances and present the 'savoir-faire' of artisans in Indonesia. We want to bring awareness to the vast Indonesian heritage and bring it closer to the fashion and luxury industry," explained Amal Sultan, head of the agency L'Adresse Paris, who organized the event together with Bank Indonesia. In parallel, the country was also highlighted at Le Marais, with an exhibition entitled "De Java a " and a selection of summer products. Preserving ancestral know-how and creating jobs for women The objective of this project is to preserve and revive ancestral techniques while building a network of employment and resources for female artisans in order to protect them from poverty and social exclusion. To achieve this, the Indonesian fashion and lifestyle platform brought together 15 local workshops. With 270 million inhabitants, the Asian country has more than 8 million creative businesses. Handicrafts is one of the region's main sources of income along with tourism, which has been severely affected by the pandemic. The project leaders took advantage of to close deals with international buyers and establish creative-artisanal synergies. Apart from a classic commercial objective, the creative platform also wanted to develop relationships between local workshops and designers or brands interested in their skills or raw materials, in a sustainable and eco-responsible way. Baobab show in Paris - Baobab And the application of these craft techniques are many: batik dyeing on hand-embroidered cotton clothes or decorative bamboo objects, various braiding techniques, use of natural pineapple or banana fibers for clothing, design of wicker or jute bags and accessories, modern trinkets made of pandanus leaves, ceramics or elements created from coconut... The list is long and not exhaustive. The beauty of Colombian craftsmanship Indonesia is not the only country to assert the value of its exotic craftsmanship. Colombia made its mark in Paris with two premium brands. Founded by Isabella Espinoza in Bogota in 2015, Baobab made its debut in the French capital with a colorful swimwear and beachwear fashion show staged on a morning cruise on the Seine to expand its business in Europe. "Our goal is to make Colombian design known around the world and use fashion to bring about change," detailed the entrepreneur, who studied law and is betting on "a circular and sustainable economic model." Her swimsuits, which retail for around $200, are made of recycled polyester from plastic waste and fishing nets collected from the sea. Each swimsuit purchased contributes to the restoration of the coral reef in San Andres, Colombia. Meanwhile, the ready-to-wear line consists mainly of summer dresses and sarongs, with proceeds going to reforestation programs alongside communities in the region. The brand, characterized by its sensual and timeless designs rendered in vibrant colors, has already its own boutique in Bogota and distributes its pieces in more than 100 points of sale worldwide, including Bloomingdales, and . Agua by Agua Bendita , also from Colombia, has even bought a commercial showroom in Le Marais to showcase its easily recognizable swimwear and ready-to-wear pieces. The label, founded by two friends Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza, uses tropical prints and handmade floral and animal embroidery to employ more than 500 women artisans settled in rural areas of Medellin, in order to "pay tribute to ancestral techniques" and "improve their living conditions while recognizing their talent". In most cases, these women are housewives who are protected by an independent source of income. With 25 of its own stores and a large network of distributors abroad, the brand already generates 65% of its sales outside its borders. In 2018, it released a second line inspired by biodiversity in Latin America, "Agua by Agua Bendita," with a commitment to sustainability and a high-end positioning. Currently, its collections are sold at and on , LuisaViaRoma and , among others. represented in its own country and in the United States, the firm was pleased with the "good reception" it received during its presentation and sees its development in Europe as favorable. From Mexico to Peru, a reinterpretation of customs and traditions Also hailing from across the , Mexican brand The Pack brought the "charro" culture to the Boon showroom, just steps away from Bastille, to develop its wholesale channel. Founded in 2016 by designer Patricio Campillo, the menswear label revisits traditional horsemen's garb and adds a contemporary twist that aims to "preserve local culture beyond trends." Its sophisticated aesthetic is loaded with elements borrowed from the equestrian world, including embroidered pants, leather jackets and blouses, sweaters and silk blouses in oxidized colors. Several famous musicians have already succumbed to the brand's charm, such as Leon Bridges, Jay Cortez and Bad Bunny. The Pack "Most of the materials we use are biodegradable. We have an eco-responsible approach and we seek to reduce our impact on the environment as much as possible," explained the Mexico City-based designer who prides himself on using metal-free plant-based pigments and producing on demand. "In this project, we try to make garments that have a positive impact on society," added Campillo. The brand's positioning is high-end, with linen shirts starting at $150 and embroidered leather biker jackets at $1,300. "The price must represent the value of the pieces," said the designer. He is committed to preserving local production in cities like Toluca, where he carries out the manufacturing of his leather items. Another Latin American label, D.N.I (Documento Nacional de Identidad), chose Untitled Showrool, which works regularly with the school, to present its designs. Founded in Paris in 2019, the brand is the most recent project of Paulo and Roberto Ruiz Munoz, two twins who emigrated to France at the age of 12 and always dreamed of studying fashion. Their casual and cheerful silhouettes, use of vibrant colors, delicate mother-of-pearl appliques and eye-catching prints pay homage to the summers on the beach of Huanchaco, located in the village of Casagrande. In this contemporary reinterpretation of Peruvian traditions, motorcycle cabs, local dugout canoes called "little reed horses", local gastronomy and references to childhood coexist with light cotton or thick fleece garments. The firm, which has T-shirts priced at 70 euros and shirts available for 210 euros, participated in a pop-up last spring at the Parisian department store that highlighted Peruvian design. From Korean minimalism to the Ukrainian struggle for survival Meanwhile, the Victor Showroom at the Galerie Richard in Paris welcomed a handful of Korean brands determined to regain a foothold in Europe after the hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Founded in 2020 by influencer EunHye Shin, the brand Le17Septembre Homme produces garments with clean lines. At Missing You Already, silhouettes are kept minimalistic and colors neutral. Lvir, for its part, is inspired by traditional Korean workwear while Blossom offers casual suits. The latter brand made its debut during the pandemic and is already selling its items on the Canadian e-commerce platform . Margesherwood The bold accessories that have people talking on social media deserve a special mention. These include Numbering's delicate heart-shaped jewelry, already seen on K-pop stars and characters from the Gossip Girl reboot, and Marge Sherwood's leather bags available in multiple styles, and platform sandals and high heels starting at 230 euros. During Haute Couture week, Ukrainian label Frolov made a notable return to the French capital with a show at the Westminster Hotel. Founded by designer Ivan Frolov in 2012, the ready-to-wear brand has had to survive in the hostile environment that its country of origin has become, which has been at war for the past few months. Its latest collection, " ", was designed before the outbreak of war, but has evolved into "something completely different from what it should have been", given the inevitable "irrelevance" of the collection's initial inspirations. Wedding dresses and fluorescent feathers acquired a new meaning in this troubled geopolitical context. In parallel, Frolov continued its charity work with hand-embroidered T-shirts featuring his famous yellow and blue heart, the sales of which benefit children affected by the war. Young actor Akkineni Naga Chaitanyas new movie Thank You has been released in theaters worldwide today. Directed by Vikram K Kumar, the movie has Raashii Khanna as the lead actress. The latest news is that the movie has locked its OTT platforms. Thank You will be premiered on Amazon Prime Video and Sun NXT after a few weeks of its theatrical run. For now, movie lovers can enjoy the film on the big screens. Malavika Nair, Avika Gor, Prakash Raj, Sai Sushanth Reddy and others played key roles in this movie, produced by Dil Raju under the Sri Venkateswara Creations banner. Thaman has rendered the soundtracks for this movie. Articles that might interest you: The much-awaited Hollywood movie The Gray Man, starring the Indian actor Dhanush in a pivotal role will be released in a few more hours. The special premiere of the Netflix original movie happened in Mumbai and the directors Russo Brothers and other celebrities attended the event. After the premiere of the film, the director duo interacted with the media. When one of the reporters asked them which Indian actor they would like to work with, they clearly said there are many great stars. They also added that they are keen to produce a movie with the master storyteller SS Rajamouli and also called him an incredible director. Russo Brothers said that they loved RRR very much. We need to wait and see for their collaboration. Coming to The Gray Man, the most-expensive Netflix movie also has Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in significant roles. Keep watching this space for more interesting updates. Articles that might interest you: Weather Alert ...Another Round of Thunderstorms This Week... * Another surge of monsoon moisture will bring back thunderstorms to the region this week, with the best chances being today, Wednesday, and Thursday. * Each day today through Thursday, most areas will have a 20 to 40 percent chance of seeing a storm in the afternoon and early evening hours. Nocturnal showers and thunderstorms are possible tonight and again Wednesday night. * Impacts will range from lightning, new fire starts, and strong outflow winds with blowing dust, to periods of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. * Ensure you have a way of receiving weather alerts or monitoring radar on your phone. If you live in a flash flood prone area, especially near a burn scar, be ready to act quickly if heavy rainfall occurs. WASHINGTON COVID-19 symptoms left President Joe Biden with a raspy voice and cough as he met Friday via videoconference with his top economic team. But the president tried to strike a reassuring tone, declaring, I feel much better than I sound. Later Friday, White House officials told reporters that Biden was working more than eight hours a day. His appetite hadnt diminished with Biden showing off an empty plate with some crumbs when speaking with his advisers and he signed bills into law and took part in his daily intelligence briefings, albeit via phone. Hes still doing the job of the president, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. That does not end. It was all part of a diligently choreographed effort by the administration to depict a commander-in-chief who had not relinquished his day job, despite testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday and being sent into isolation at the White House residence. As he beamed into a virtual meeting from the Treaty Room, Biden took off a mask and sipped water as he began discussing the decline in gas prices in recent weeks. Reporters were allowed to view a few minutes of the proceedings and, when they asked how Biden was feeling, he flashed a thumbs up although he was audibly hoarse and coughed a handful of times. The presidents doctors said his mild COVID symptoms were improving and he was responding well to treatment, as the White House worked to portray the image of a president still on the job despite his illness. Biden received his presidential daily security briefing via a secured phone call while, separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping wished Biden a speedy recovery. Biden had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday, but that went down with Tylenol, according to a new note from Dr. Kevin OConnor, the presidents personal physician. Biden also used an inhaler a few times but hasnt experienced shortness of breath. The president completed his first full day of Paxlovid, the antiviral therapy treatment meant to reduce the severity of COVID, and Bidens primary symptoms were a runny nose, fatigue and a loose cough. Other metrics, such as pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were normal, OConnor said, although the White House did not release specific figures and did not commit to doing so. The president right now feels well enough to continue working, and he has continued to work at a brisk pace, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters. Jha said Biden will remain in isolation in the White House living quarters for five days and then be tested anew. He plans to return to in-person work once he tests negative. As he works in isolation, the number of aides around Biden has been reduced to a very, very small footprint, Jean-Pierre said including a videographer and photographer who captured the images of Biden in the residence. Once Biden tested positive Thursday after more than two years of successfully dodging the virus the White House sprang into action, aiming to dispel any notion of a crisis and to turn his diagnosis into what Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain said he hoped would be a teachable moment. The White House released a photo Friday of Biden, masked and tieless, in the Treaty Room of the presidents residence, on the phone with his national security advisers. After the economic team meeting, he participated in a separate discussion with senior White House advisers to discuss legislative priorities. Jha said his hoarse voice might actually be a sign that he is improving rather than the alternative. Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre said 17 people were determined to have been in close contact with Biden when he might have been contagious, including members of his senior staff and at least one member of Congress. None have tested positive so far, she said. One of Bidens close contacts was first lady Jill Biden. Her spokesman Michael LaRosa said she tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday morning in Wilmington, Delaware, and hasnt shown any symptoms. LaRosa said shes spoken to the president multiple times as he remains in isolation. Another close contact was Vice President Kamala Harris, who participated in a National Urban League luncheon Friday and was spotted hugging participants, although during the event, she was seated more than six feet from others. She was masked as she headed onto the stage but took it off during the luncheon. The administration is trying to shift the narrative from a health scare to a display of Biden as the personification of the idea that most Americans can get COVID and recover without too much suffering and disruption if theyve gotten their shots and taken other important steps to protect themselves. Jha said, This virus is going to be with us forever, as he echoed Bidens message that Americans get vaccinated and boosted. The overall message was crafted to alleviate voters concerns about Bidens health at 79, hes the oldest person ever to be president. Jha said Friday that itll likely take until next week for sequencing to determine which variant of the virus Biden contracted. Omicrons highly contagious BA.5 substrain is responsible for 78% of new COVID-19 infections reported in the U.S. last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest data released Tuesday. Jean-Pierre has repeatedly bristled at suggestions the Biden administration wasnt being much more forthcoming with information about the presidents illness than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president contracted COVID-19 in the fall of 2020, before vaccines were available, and was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three nights. Still, the White House has declined to make OConnor directly available to reporters, despite repeated requests. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal The states labor force participation rate remains low and New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions leaders say some of that has to do with the high number of people in the state on disability. DWS Deputy Secretary Yolanda Cordova on Thursday called the number of New Mexicans receiving disability benefits very concerning. She said part of that may be due to the substance abuse issue impacting the state. The number of disabled workers on Old-Age and Survivors Disability Insurance totaled 61,294 in December 2020, compared to 30,940 in December 1999, according to DWS. Cordova and Employment Services Division Director Marcos Martinez presented to the Legislative Finance Committee some of the departments findings on the low labor force participation rate at a meeting Thursday in Silver City. The two department leaders also touched on other factors leading to the low number, including an aging population and out-of-state migration of working-age adults. It would be great if some of our substance abuse or treatment facilities also included a work component to it, so that we could maybe do something jointly where, while theyre going through recovery, were also sort of talking about that transition into employment, Cordova said. I think those are some of the primary reasons around our disability increase in our state. The labor force participation rate is the number of working-aged people who are actively working or looking for work; the states labor force participation rate stood at 56.7% in 2021. Moreover, the labor force participation rate dropped 9% for men ages 25-34 from 1999 to 2021, nearly double the national decline. Women ages 35 through 44 dropped 5%, which is also double the national rate of decline for that group. From 1999 to 2020, the number of disabled workers in New Mexico receiving Supplemental Security Income increased by more than 45% compared to the U.S. average of nearly 31%, according to the report. In that same time frame, New Mexico saw a 98% increase of those receiving Old-Age and Survivors Disability Insurance a doubling of the rate over the past 20 years. The national rate saw an increase of 67.2%. Cordovas response was prompted by Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, who asked why that number had risen so much over the span of two decades and how it can be fixed. Cordova and the department offered no immediate plans on how to get people on disability back into the workforce, other than general solutions. But Cordova and Martinez offered other, more pointed solutions on how to fix the low labor participation rate in a presentation that spanned more than an hour, including the creation of a program aimed at steering younger people into the workforce. They said New Mexico doesnt have a shortage of jobs, citing the DWS report that shows more than 31,000 jobs are currently available for nonfarm employment which includes most jobs but excludes nonprofit organization employees, farm employees and those who are self-employed. We do not have a lack of jobs, which is something that we normally do have, Martinez said. Those that are unemployed are concerned that maybe the wages arent where they need to be, so were looking to see how we can potentially supplement that or at least supplement the employer to be able to raise those wages. Editors note: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect year when mentioning the number of people on Old-Age and Survivors Disability Insurance. The correct year is 1999. This story has been updated. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Searing summer heat is stressing Public Service Company of New Mexicos grid as consumers blast their air conditioners, but a utility decision to partially postpone closure of the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station makes blackouts unlikely. Electricity consumption in PNMs service territory hit record levels early this week as triple-digit temperatures engulfed New Mexico and many other states. Peak load, or maximum daily consumer electric demand, climbed to all-time highs on Monday and Tuesday, said PNM Vice President for Generation Tom Fallgren. We set a record on Monday, and then a new record on Tuesday, Fallgren told the Journal. Our previous record was in 2013, when demand hit 2,008 megawatts. But early this week, that climbed by about 3% more, or about 60 MW higher than during the 2013 peak. Peak summer load usually occurs at 5 p.m., after sidewalks, pavement and other ground-based structures absorb hours of penetrating daytime solar heat that then radiates back into the environment, raising temperatures even more just as most consumers return home from work or other activities and collectively blast their air conditioners. Peak load reached 2,043 MW Monday afternoon. And at 5 p.m. Tuesday, it climbed to 2,069 MW, Fallgren said. At those levels, PNM must cut into its reserve margin of power, which refers to additional internal electric generation available on the utility grid to meet spikes in demand that climb beyond normal anticipated load. Rolling blackouts happen when peak load surpasses all local available generation and not enough electricity is accessible on regional wholesale markets to cover the extra demand stressing the grid. That, however, didnt happen this week, because PNM decided last February to partially postpone the permanent shutdown of the San Juan coal plant, which it had previously planned to do on June 30 as part of utility efforts to transition the grid from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The company did close one of the plants two operating units on June 30, but the last remaining unit is still functioning, and will remain in operation until Sept. 30. Shutdown postponement was necessary because pandemic-related supply-chain problems and regulatory issues delayed construction of four new solar plants slated to replace San Juan. Those facilities now wont come online until late 2022 and early 2023. The San Juan unit has continued to perform well, so we had few challenges during this weeks peaks, Fallgren said. It put us in a good position to ensure grid reliability. In addition, excess power from hydroelectric plants in the Pacific Northwest and Canada is available on the wholesale market if the current heat wave intensifies, or pushes PNMs peak load beyond reserve margins, said PNM spokesman Ray Sandoval. Were not too concerned about that, but were monitoring it closely, Sandoval told the Journal. Still, while San Juans continued operation will likely avoid any blackouts this summer, PNM could face major challenges in summer 2023. Thats because the utility will lose 104 MW of power that it currently receives from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona after one of its leases in that plant expires in January. Like the San Juan replacement power, supply-chain and regulatory issues have also delayed construction of additional solar facilities slated to replace Palo Verde electricity until at least year-end 2023. And with San Juan completely shutting down this fall, PNM will need to find alternative power supplies to navigate next summers peak loads. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Two brothers stand accused in a string of crimes over several months in Albuquerque, including multiple vehicle thefts and carjackings where shots were fired. Adrian Cly, 21, and Jeremy Cly, 23, are each charged with two counts of armed robbery and auto theft, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence in various crimes between March and June. Both have been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center and prosecutors have filed a motion to detain the pair until trial. An attorney for Jeremy Cly declined to comment, while an attorney for Adrian Cly did not respond to a message seeking comment. Detectives connected the pair to the crimes through video evidence from a police bait car, witness statements and matching the casings from various scenes to a single gun. At one point, according to police, one or both brothers were tied to an incident where shots were fired at an undercover auto theft detective. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court: The incidents began in March when an SUV was stolen from a rental company. An employee of Enterprise Rent-A-Car by the Sunport called police March 23 to report that a blue SUV had been stolen off the lot weeks earlier. On April 10, police responded to a carjacking, possibly involving the stolen rental SUV, near Juan Tabo and Central SE. A woman told police three armed men in a blue SUV stole her vehicle with her belongings inside and fired shots at her friend in the process. Police collected 9mm shell casings from the scene and found the womans vehicle abandoned a mile away. Detectives were eventually able to use GPS tracking to find the Apple AirPods stolen in the carjacking and the man who had them told police he bought them from a stranger later identified as Jeremy Cly. On April 18, two men and a woman stole a police bait vehicle in Southeast Albuquerque before dropping off one of the men, and the pair ditched the vehicle and fled police, with the man getting away. Police said the man was later identified as Adrian Cly in the bait car video and, at one point, asked wheres Jeremy? The woman, 18-year-old Tylea Chavez, was charged in the incident, but those charges were later dismissed due to insufficient evidence to proceed, according to court records. The next day, an undercover auto theft detective found the stolen rental SUV before the occupants fired at least one gunshot toward the detective and chased him out of the area. The SUV was found soon after and detectives found a 9mm casing inside, and lifted a fingerprint from the drivers side that matched Adrian Cly as a possible candidate. Police learned Adrian Cly lived near where the SUV was abandoned and where the bait vehicle was stolen from. They identified him as the thief seen in the bait car video. On May 6, police responded to a carjacking near Central and Tramway after a man reported that two armed men stole his car at gunpoint, firing a round in the air. Police found the stolen car abandoned a mile away with a 9mm casing stuck between the hood and windshield. The man told police that one of the carjackers called the other Jeremy during the incident. On May 31, a general manager of the same Enterprise Rent-A-Car called 911 to report that a white SUV had been stolen from the lot in a similar manner to the blue SUV theft. On June 16, officers responded to a dispute near Central and Tramway, and the caller, Adrian Clys ex-girlfriend, told police he had beat her, pointed a gun at her and fired two rounds before fleeing. Ballistics determined the 9mm casings found in both carjackings, inside the stolen blue SUV and the domestic dispute involving Adrian Cly were all from the same gun. On June 23, New Mexico State Police found the stolen white rental SUV at the Four Hills Studios near Central and Tramway, with a person apparently sleeping inside. Officers conducted a high-risk stop and arrested Adrian Cly, who was the sole occupant of the SUV. Cly told police he knew the SUV was stolen from the Sunport and was only moving it from one part of the complex to another for a man named Ghost. Albuquerque police arrested Jeremy Cly at Four Hills Studios on July 18. ISTANBUL Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The U.N. plan will enable Ukraine one of the worlds key breadbaskets to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russias invasion. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families, said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, Guterres said. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all, he told the envoys. Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Erdogan hoped it would be a new turning point that will revive hopes for peace. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. Im not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal, Kuleba told The Associated Press. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But Im very cautious because I have no trust in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Kulebas concerns in his nightly video address, saying, It is clear to everyone that there may be some provocations on the part of Russia, some attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust the UN. The European Union and the U.K. immediately welcomed the news. This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russias aggression against Ukraine, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss applauded Turkey and the U.N. for brokering the agreement. We will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words, Truss said. To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. African leaders, whose countries import food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia, also welcomed the deal, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it has taken much too long. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities such as wheat and barley have soared during the war. Although international sanctions against Russia did not target food exports, the war has disrupted shipments of Russian products because shipping and insurance companies did not want to deal with Russia. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, opens a path for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement, obtained by the AP, says a U.N.-led joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships arrivals and departures. Inspectors representing all parties at the Bosporus in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure no weapons or soldiers are on board. Under the deal, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, and the parties agree not to attack vessels and port facilities involved in the initiative. If demining is required to make the shipping lanes safe, a minesweeper from another country could clear the approaches to Ukrainian ports. The sides will monitor the movement of ships remotely and no military ships. aircraft or drones will be allowed to approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance the center sets. The agreement will remain in effect for 120 days and can be extended automatically. Guterres believes grain shipments could start within the next two weeks, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A senior U.N. official said Ukraine needs about 10 days to prepare the ports and needs time to identify and be clear about those safe corridors. The aim is to export 5 million tons of grains per month to empty Ukraines silos in time for this years harvest. Zelenskyy said nearly 20 million tons of grain will be exported initially, then some of the current harvest. Guterres first raised the critical need to restart the supply of Ukraines agricultural production and Russias grain and fertilizer to world markets in late April during meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then proposed a deal because of fears that the war could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Peter Meyer, head of grain and oilseed analytics at S&P Global Platts, said the deal does not mean that the global supply crisis is over. Traders anticipated a deal for the past several weeks, he said, so its effect might already have shown up in grain prices. And the agreement only covers the 2021 crop. Theres still considerable uncertainty about Ukrainian production this year and even next, Meyer said. Before the agreements, Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports, insisted on checking incoming ships for weapons and lifting restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Ukraine argued that Russias port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any safe sea shipments impossible. It sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack Odesa and accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately setting Ukrainian fields on fire. Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of stolen grain in the negotiations. It was part of a deal: Kyiv doesnt raise the issue of stolen grain and Moscow doesnt insist on checking Ukrainian ships. Kyiv and Moscow were forced to make a deal and compromise, he said. The deal was also important for Russias geopolitical relations, the analyst noted. Russia decided not to fuel a new crisis in Africa and provoke a hunger and government changes there, Sidenko said. The African Union had asked Putin to quickly ease the crisis with grain supplies. __ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Erika Kinetz in Kyiv, Ukraine, Raf Casert in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine PEORIA, Ariz. Former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence, held rival campaign events in Arizona on Friday, turning the governors race into a broader referendum on the Republican Partys future. Trump and Pence both talked up the successes of their administration and hammered President Joe Biden, but neither directly addressed the other or the growing rift between them. Pence, who this week added his name to a growing list of GOP establishment figures endorsing housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson, offered only an oblique critique of the Republicans still pushing the lie that Trump lost because of fraud. If you elect Robson, Pence said, you can send a deafening message heard all across America that the Republican Party is the party of the future. He was more direct later on Twitter: Some people want this election to be about the past, but elections are always about the future. Democrats would love nothing more than for Republicans to take our eye off the ball and focus on days gone by. Robson says the 2020 elections werent fair, accusing liberal judges of changing the rules late in the cycle and the media and big tech of suppressing conservative voices. But she has stopped short of saying Trump lost because of fraud. Her main rival, former television anchor Kari Lake, has embraced Trumps election lies along with his combative approach to his political enemies and the media. No one understands better than Kari how to fight back against the fake news media and the radical left, Trump said Friday evening during his own rally in Prescott Valley, one of the most conservative areas of Arizona. Trump took aim at two Arizona Republicans who refused to go along with his efforts to remain in office after losing to Biden. He said state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified last month to the House Jan. 6 committee, participated against the Republican Party. He said Gov. Doug Ducey has failed to secure the border with Mexico. Robson is a lawyer and housing developer who is locking up support from mainstream GOP figures growing increasingly comfortable with breaking from Trump. In addition to Pence, her supporters include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey, who famously silenced a call from Trump while certifying Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 presidential victory in Arizona. Telegenic and already well-known from her decades anchoring the evening news in Phoenix, Lake has energized Trumps most ardent supporters in Arizona. But she faces a potentially close contest with Robson, whose familys vast fortune has allowed her to vastly outspend Lake with early voting underway. As your governor I want to bring those America First Trump policies here to Arizona Lake said. Were going to secure that border. We are going to restore honesty and faith in our elections. Pence highlighted Lakes past support for Barack Obamas presidential campaign and a not my president meme the then-news anchor posted as Trump prepared for his 2017 inauguration. You need a governor thats supported every conservative cause from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, Pence said of Robson, who worked in the Reagan administration and raised money for Trumps campaign along with her husband, housing developer Ed Robson, one of Arizonas wealthiest residents. Robson has also donated to Democrats. Robson, Pence and Ducey also discussed border security during a second event in Tucson at the headquarters for the Border Patrol union, which staunchly supported Trump but broke with him and endorsed Robson. Securing the border takes two things: resources and will power, Robson said. President Trump and Vice President Pence already showed that it can be done. Trump and Pence have occasionally taken different sides in primaries this year, but this is the first time that they will have appeared in the same state on the same day to rally for their preferred candidates. The split-screen moment marks a more confrontational phase in their relationship as they both consider running for president in 2024. It also comes just a day after the House Jan. 6 committee revealed new details about the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that fractured the relationship between the two men. The committee recounted how Trump refused to call off the mob attacking the Capitol as Pence, just feet away from rioters, was whisked to safety. The committee played audio from an unidentified White House security official who said Pences Secret Service agents started to fear for their own lives at the Capitol and left messages for their loved ones in case they didnt survive. Shortly afterward, at 2:24 p.m. on Jan, 6, 2021, Trump tweeted that Pence didnt have the courage to block or delay the election results as Congress was certifying Bidens victory. Mike Pence let me down, an unidentified White House employee testified Trump telling him at the end of the day on Jan. 6. Trump did not talk about Pence Friday night, but did push back against earlier testimony by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who said she saw a White House valet cleaning up a mess after an angry Trump smashed a plate and the remains of his lunch on a wall. They have me throwing food, Trump said. I dont throw food in the White House. I dont throw food anywhere. I eat the food. Trump and Pence will again cross paths next week as the former president returns to the nations capital for the first time since leaving the White House. The Arizona primary is among Trumps last opportunities to settle scores and install allies to lead states that may prove decisive if he decides to run again in 2024. Trump and Pence were also at odds in the primary for Georgia governor, where the Pence-backed incumbent Brian Kemp easily defeated former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who had Trumps support. Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold whose move toward the center accelerated during Trumps presidency, was central Trumps push to remain in power despite his loss. Trump pressed state officials to block the certification of Bidens victory and, when he failed, his allies in Congress objected to counting the states 11 electoral votes. Since the election, Trump supporters have recounted ballots and analyzed vote-counting machines in an attempt to prove something was amiss. Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. Trumps allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed. ___ 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 THE HAGUE, Netherlands Judges at the United Nations highest court on Friday dismissed preliminary objections by Myanmar to a case alleging the Southeast Asian nation is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority. The decision establishing the International Court of Justices jurisdiction sets the stage for hearings airing evidence of atrocities against the Rohingya that human rights groups and a U.N. probe say breach the 1948 Genocide Convention. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the violent repression of the Rohingya population in Myanmar, which formerly was known as Burma, amounts to genocide. Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, welcomed the decision, saying 600,000 Rohingya are still facing genocide, while one million people in Bangladesh camps, they are waiting for a hope for justice. The African nation of Gambia filed the case in 2019 amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom fled to neighboring Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces in 2017. It argued that both Gambia and Myanmar were parties to the 1948 convention and that all signatories hade a duty to ensure it was enforced. Judges at the court agreed. Reading a summary of the decision, the courts president, U.S. Judge Joan E. Donoghue, said: Any state party to the Genocide Convention may invoke the responsibility of another state party including through the institution of proceedings before the court. A small group of pro-Rohingya protesters gathered outside the courts headquarters, the Peace Palace, ahead of the decision with a banner reading: Speed up delivering justice to Rohingya. The genocide survivors cant wait for generations. One protester stamped on a large photograph of Myanmars military government leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The court rejected arguments raised at hearings in February by lawyers representing Myanmar that the case should be tossed out because the world court only rules in disputes between states and the Rohingya complaint was brought by Gambia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The judges also dismissed Myanmars claim that Gambia could not file the case as it was not directly linked to the events in Myanmar and that a legal dispute did not exist between the two countries before the case was filed. Myanmars representative, Ko Ko Hlaing, the military governments minister for international cooperation, said his nation will try our utmost to defend our country and to protect our national interest. Gambias attorney general and justice minister, Dawda Jallow, said: We are very pleased that justice has been done. The Netherlands and Canada have backed Gambia, saying in 2020 that the country took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar and upholding this pledge. Canada and the Netherlands consider it our obligation to support these efforts which are of concern to all of humanity. However, the court ruled Friday that it would not be appropriate to send the two countries copies of documents and legal arguments filed in the case. Myanmars military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 in the aftermath of an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of Rohingya homes. In 2019, lawyers representing Gambia at the ICJ outlined their allegations of genocide by showing judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos of the military campaign. That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years. The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities. Prosecutors at the ICC are investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh. SACRAMENTO, Calif. California punched back Friday against two recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law and urged other states to follow suit. He acted one month after conservative justices overturned the constitutional right to abortion and undermined gun control laws in states including California. Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50-caliber rifles. Were sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement, he said. Its time to put them on the defense. You cannot sell, you cannot manufacture, you cannot transfer these illegal weapons of war and mass destruction in the state of California. And if you do, there are 40 million people that can collect $10,000 from you, and attorney fees, for engaging in that illegal activity. Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsoms request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but Californias law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Courts support for the Texas law was a terrible decision, Newsom said. However, if theyre going to use this framework to put womens lives at risk, were going to use it to save peoples lives here in the state of California. Newsom also placed $30,000 worth of full-page advertisements in three Texas newspapers Friday criticizing what he said is Gov. Greg Abbotts hypocrisy on gun safety. The ads parrot a comment by Abbott about childrens right to life but substitute gun violence where he said abortion. Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze responded. Its a similar tactic to the television ad that Newsom, a Democrat running for reelection, recently aired in Florida targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis. Newsom again denied presidential aspirations Friday even while stoking that speculation. I cant take whats happening in this country, Newsom said in explaining the ads. Cant take the assault on liberty and freedom, cant take the rhetoric, cant take the bullying, the zest for demonization of these governors, not just Abbott, DeSantis, but many of these other governors. An unusual combination of gun owner advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized Newsom for creating what they said amounts to a bounty system to encourage such lawsuits. The ACLU called Californias law an attack on the constitution for deliberately trying to sidestep judicial review by empowering enforcement by citizens and not governments, and for undermining due process rights. Its all about these two big issues that are facing us. And you cant have a double standard. You cant have one standard for guns and another standard for womens reproductive health. Its not right, Democratic state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, who carried the bill, said in an interview. Gun control advocacy organizations Moms Demand Action and affiliated Students Demand Action backed the bills potential to combat untraceable ghost guns. Newsom signed the bill at Santa Monica College, where five victims were killed in 2013 by a gunman using such a gun. The new law will make it easier for victims of ghost gun violence like myself to help enforce our laws, said Mia Tretta, who was shot in Santa Clarita during a 2019 attack at Saugus High School. She is now an incoming senior and a volunteer with Students Demand Action. Newsom grew emotional as Tretta introduced him. He later said he couldnt help but recall her optimism as he visited her in the hospital after an attack that he said personalized the danger for him as the father of a pre-teen daughter himself. Aside from the merits of the bill, opponents say it is written to discourage any legal challenges to Californias myriad gun regulations by requiring plaintiffs or lawyers to pay attorneys fees if they lose the lawsuit. That portion of the law is intended to make it impossible to file a Second Amendment challenge to an unconstitutional gun control law. That is itself unconstitutional, said Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Newsom acted a day after he signed eight other gun laws among numerous measures adding to Californias already strict regulations. They encourage the safe storage of firearms and limit gun making including with a 3D printer. Others bar gun sales on state property, boost inspections of gun dealers, limit dealer fees, and add child and elder abuse to the list of crimes that block gun ownership. The governor recently signed another bill patterned after a New York law that empowers anyone who suffered harm to sue gun makers or dealers who fail to follow precautions under a firearm industry standard of conduct. He further criticized the high court and conservative Republicans in a video message after he signed two earlier gun bills into law, one also addressing ghost guns and the other barring marketing firearms to minors. California and New York also are scrambling to update their laws regulating the concealed carrying of firearms after the nations high court ruled that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called lawmakers there back into a special session to approve changes that take effect Sept. 1, including requiring gun owners to allow an examination of their social media accounts. California legislators expect to act in August on concealed carry restrictions. ___ Associated Press Writer Paul Weber contributed to this story from Austin, Texas. San Miguel County deputies shot at a suspect, who wasnt hit, following a chase involving multiple law enforcement agencies Friday. New Mexico State Police, in a news release, said it is investigating the incident that started around 8 a.m., when Chaves County Sheriffs deputies were involved in the pursuit of the suspect later identified as 24-year-old Dion Isaac Lueras Ortiz of Albuquerque on U.S. 285. Chaves County authorities ended the chase near Vaughn as the suspect car continued north. State Police and the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office were contacted and a State Police officer found Ortiz traveling on U.S. 54 then on U.S. 84, where Ortiz fled at a high speed. Another State Police officer deployed a tire deflation device, which Ortiz drove over, though he continued north. At that point, two San Miguel County deputies positioned themselves on U.S. 84, south of Romeroville, and also deployed a tire deflation device, bringing Ortiz to a stop. State Police said Ortiz got out of the car and threw an object at the two San Miguel deputies, who shot at Ortiz. Ortiz was not struck by gunfire, only the vehicle was struck, State Police said. Ortiz was taken into custody on three warrants: two misdemeanor charges of violating a restraining order and a felony charge of aggravated stalking. KYIV, Ukraine Emergency workers recovered three bodies from a school hit by a Russian strike in eastern Ukraine, officials said Friday, one of a string of attacks on the nation. The casualties in the city of Kramatorsk followed a barrage Thursday on a densely populated area of Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, that killed at least three people and wounded 23. In the most significant agreement involving the warring parties so far, Russian and Ukrainian officials signed deals with the U.N. and Turkey to avert a global food crisis by clearing the way for the shipment of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain and some Russian exports of grain and fertilizer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address the deals offer a chance to prevent a global catastrophe a famine that could lead to political chaos in many countries of the world, in particular in the countries that help us. Yet the war that has blocked those grain shipments for almost five months did not abate. Russia this week reiterated its plans to seize territories beyond eastern Ukraine, where the Russian military has been trying to conquer the Donbas region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. The Ukrainian presidents office said that in one Donbas city, Kramatorsk, Russian shelling destroyed a school and damaged 85 residential buildings. Ukraines state emergencies agency said rescuers found three bodies in the ruins of the school, which was hit Thursday. Russian strikes on schools and hospitals are very painful and reflect its true goal of reducing peaceful cities to ruins, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said in televised remarks, repeating his call for residents to evacuate. Russia gave a different account of the attack. Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursdays strike killed more than 300 Ukrainian troops using Kramatorsks School No. 23 as their base. He said another strike destroyed a munitions depot in the southern city of Mykolaiv. Konashenkov also said Russian forces destroyed four U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems between July 5-20. The U.S. said it has supplied 12 of the multiple-rocket launchers to Ukraine. The claims could not be independently verified. A senior U.S. defense official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity in line with department rules, said Thursday that Russia had not yet taken out a single HIMARS but was likely to get lucky and do so at some point. The U.S. announced Friday that as part of a new $270 million security assistance package, it will deliver four more HIMARS to Ukraine. The package will allow Kyiv to acquire up to 580 Phoenix Ghost drones, about 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and more guided rockets known as GMLRS. Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-made rocket launchers and tactical drones to hold at bay Russias larger and more heavily equipped forces. The Ukrainian military has used HIMARS, which have a higher range and better precision compared with similar Soviet-era systems in the Russian and Ukrainian inventory, to strike Russian munitions depots and other key targets. In the Dnipro region of central Ukraine, three schools were destroyed in the latest Russian strikes, Ukrainian authorities said. Seven Russian missiles hit the small town of Apostolove, wounding 18 residents. The regional governor, Valentyn Reznichenko, decried the senseless attack. There are no military goals behind it, and this shelling could only be explained by their desire to keep people on edge and sow panic and fear, Reznichenko said. In other developments Friday: The British Defense Ministry said it believes that Russia is experiencing critical shortages of dedicated ground-attack missiles and therefore has increased its use of air-defense missiles in secondary ground attack mode. The ministry said Russia has almost certainly deployed S-300 and S-400 strategic air defense systems designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles at long range, and that there is a high chance of them missing their intended targets and causing civilian casualties. The senior U.S. defense official said the fight for Donetsk is likely to last through the summer, with Russia achieving slow gains at high cost. The official said Russia is launching tens of thousands artillery rounds per day but has used a lot of smarter munitions and cant keep it up forever. A city council member in Russias third-largest city was charged with disseminating false information about Russias armed forces and could face up to three years in prison if convicted. The criminal case against Novosibirsk council member Helga Pirogova was opened Friday, according to Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti. Investigators found that she published deliberately false information under the guise of a reliable message containing data on the use of the Russian Armed Forces, the report said, without giving further details. The independent Latvia-based news outlet Meduza said the investigation began after a tweet by Pirogova criticizing luxurious funerals for Russians killed in Ukraine. ___ Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Two women are dead in San Miguel County and a man is missing after flash floods raged in and near burn scars from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday afternoon offered condolences to the victims families and asked President Biden for more federal assistance to address post-fire flooding. Heavy rains flooded Tecolote Creek west of Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon. A San Miguel County Sheriffs Office news release said the agency first received a report of flooding in the Tecolote Canyon subdivision at 2:40 p.m. Thursday. Responders found an empty capsized vehicle in the creek channel along County Road A163. A search team found two dead women in different locations in the creek channel. The Sheriffs Office has not released the identities of the victims. The office said Friday evening that they were working with several law enforcement groups and search dogs to look for an adult male from the vehicle. National Guard members were also searching the area surrounding the creek on Friday. Lujan Grisham said she is deeply saddened by the tragic deaths. For a community that has already been through so much this year, this loss is another heartbreaking blow, the governor said in a statement. I want to express my most sincere condolences to their loved ones. As we await news on a third missing person in the flooding area, my thoughts are also with their family and the entire community. I am deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and National Guard members who responded to the area and are assisting in the search. Severely burned soil and trees repel water and can cause flash floods even with minimal rainfall. Some areas west of Las Vegas suffered the most severe burns from the fire, and are at the greatest risk of flooding and debris flows. Harold Garcia, a San Miguel County commissioner, said county residents should not let their guard down as the post-fire floods threaten northern New Mexico. Were working with as many agencies as we possibly can, but the burn scar is so big that its hard to work on the entire area, he said. The National Weather Service this week has issued flash flood watches and warnings for several areas of the burn scar. Las Vegas resident Edward Dominguez, 60, lost much of his familys 300-year-old ranch just south of Camp Blue Haven to the fire. The blaze burned down the small chapel that his mother built and where he prayed as a child. Then the floods came, and whatever was standing there is for sure gone now, he said. The National Guard and local law enforcement searched Dominguezs property on Friday for the third potential flood victim. He waded through thick mud, and found several lawnmowers and piles of burned trees that had washed onto his land. Ive tried to get assistance from FEMA, but, since that ranch wasnt my primary residence, they couldnt help, Dominguez said. Gov. Lujan Grisham on Friday repeated a request to President Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to include flooding impacts in the governments disaster declaration for wildfires in the state. Even with post-fire mitigation efforts to protect critical infrastructure, regular maintenance of those temporary protective measures is the costly responsibility of local jurisdictions, Lujan Grisham wrote in a letter. The governor said county and state agencies, and volunteer groups are operating at mass capacity. The state needs more resources to deal with the fires and floods. Lujan Grisham also asked the federal government to extend the disaster declaration period and reimburse 100% of the mitigation costs. In sum, the communities in impacted areas have been unable to recover from the initial impact of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history, she said. Now, these same communities are threatened by worsening monsoon rains with the potential to cause even more catastrophic damages. The Southwest Coordination Center estimates the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, which was caused by two U.S. Forest Service prescribed burns, has destroyed more than 900 structures. Firefighting costs have exceeded $284 million. President Biden announced in a June visit to New Mexico that the federal government would fully reimburse costs for emergency protective work and debris removal. But, in the meantime, local governments are using their operating budgets for post-fire costs. Theres no check thats been written to San Miguel County, Garcia said. We really dont know how long that will take. For such northern New Mexico residents as Dominguez, the flooding has added to the collective anger over the fire damage. It would mean so much to have someone say to us, We understand that youve lost everything, and were going to help, he said. This land has been in our family for generations. We cant get that back. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Child protective services staff are feeling overworked, underappreciated and experience a culture of fear at the state Children, Youth and Families Department when a child previously on their radar has been seriously hurt or killed, according to a newly released study. Sometimes front-line workers are left feeling as though they are making little difference with the families they are working to help, the study states. Staff experience recidivism with the families they are working with and are often trying to work with families that have little to no desire to engage with the child welfare system. The insight into the work pressures of front-line workers at CYFD came as part of an assessment of the agency by a national consultant hired to improve outcomes for New Mexico children. CYFD cabinet secretary Barbara Vigil asked for the outside review after the death of a Valencia County infant last November whose mother a week earlier had been referred to the agency for investigation. Vigil said the consultant, Collaborative Safety LLC, was asked to make recommendations as to how to improve CYFDs system of care by evaluating five child fatalities last year in New Mexico. The consultants report, which had been due in April, had been withheld for several months to remove any confidential information, such as specifics on the families or victims involved, she said. It is not designed to identify a specific fault or to blame any individual or specific aspect of our operations in saying this is the ultimate cause of the child fatality, Vigil said in an interview Friday. It is a broader approach, its based on safety science. The report didnt report serious failings by CYFD employees, and recommended no specific policy changes. But it identified key issues within the department such as high turnover, high caseloads and the perception of staff that there is a culture of fear that impacts their work after an adverse event involving a child. What was important to me was there was a culture of fear (among employees) and how important it is to instill support for their work, Vigil told the Journal. Its important for us to acknowledge that this work is very hard and they fear they may be held accountable in an unfair way without being given the tools and support they need to do their job. About 50 CYFD workers were interviewed by the consulting firm, which reported some staff often find themselves in the position of closing out an investigation into abuse or neglect of a child while waiting for a new case to be opened on the same family soon after. Without court involvement, caregiver engagement (such as parents) is voluntary, staff feel helpless to make any positive change, the report stated. There are difficulties connecting families with services, and given restrictions of case timelines and service availability, staff may close a case while a family is on a waitlist for services only to find out they did not use those services when another case is opened with the family in the future. The consultant reported staff often find themselves with little time to thoroughly investigate cases, thus creating stress that can lead them to quit. That creates extra work on the remaining staff, and even supervisors have to take on the work of employees who have resigned. Sometimes, that means supervisors cannot effectively provide supervision to their employees. Stemming turnover by offering more training and support to CYFD workers could address the problem, the report stated. The turnover rate for protective services workers is about 36%, according to the most recent legislative data. In responding to the findings, CYFD is retraining employees, and also plans to create new critical incident teams to review serious injuries and child deaths, Vigil said. Such teams would interview families, law enforcement, physicians and others to fully understand how the system worked or didnt work and how it can be improved to prevent similar incident in the future, Vigil said in a separate statement. CYFD should consider establishing a response to critical incidents that avoids punitive measures and provides resources to support workers following such events, such as peer support, psychological first aid, counseling and time off, the consultants advised. CYFD workers use of a safety assessment tool in their investigations was also evaluated. Staff interviewed said they had ongoing concerns for the family, but there was little more they could do because of the outcome of the tool, the report stated. For instance, the tool might indicate that it was safe to keep the child in the home after an allegation of abuse or neglect, but staff may feel there are still concerns with the family. This places the staff in the position where they perceive they cannot act on those concerns as it would go against what the tools output is, according to the report. In response, CYFD will be providing focused training on the use of the tool, which Vigil said isnt supposed to replace the common sense or judgment of the social worker. In an effort to increase transparency in the agencys reform efforts, Vigil also said she has decided to allow public access to meetings of a new steering committee also looking at ways to improve the agency. She also said CYFD is considering seeking changes in the state law that sets out the roles of law enforcement and CYFD in removing a suspected abused or neglected child from the home in an emergency. U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell has introduced a bill that would expand financial compensation for farmers and ranchers whose livestock is killed by endangered Mexican wolves. The New Mexico Republican said that the bill, introduced in the House on Thursday with Arizona Democrat Rep. Tom OHalleran, would create a more easily accessible and steady stream of compensation. The wolves have a devastating impact on farms and ranches in New Mexico and the federal government has a duty to compensate them, Herrell said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife data shows there were 79 confirmed livestock kills by wolves in New Mexico in 2021, and 48 in Arizona. A U.S. Department of Agriculture program for wolf depredations compensates ranchers with payments at 75% of the livestocks market value. The bill would boost those payments to 100% of market value. Kichcha Sudeep's upcoming fantasy action-adventure 'Vikrant Rona' is surely the next big thing that the audience is about to witness on the big screen. The trailer has given a short glimpse of the magnificent world of Vikrant Rona which definitely guarantees goosebumps with its thrilling adventure. Moreover, a startling thing about the film is that the tough and power-packed climax sequence was shot in a single take. The 7 Minutes long climax was shot without any break. It took around 15 days for the team to just plan the accurate execution of the climax. It is a sheer example of the team's dedication that they prepared the shot for 15 days and then Kichcha Sudeep performed the whole 7-minute-long climax scene perfectly in one go. It would have been a challenge for the team and the actors to shoot such a scene in one go. Now with this, the experience of watching the climax would definitely be a visual treat for the audience to watch out in the film. While sharing his experience of shooting the whole sequence without any cut, The Action Choreographer, Vikram said, "It was one of the most challenging shoots that Ive been a part of. The vision and conviction with which the team pulled it off is commendable. The amount of physical strain it brought upon Sudeep sir and yet he came back for more. Its rare that you see superstars go out of their way to get their performance right and Sudeep sir is one of the most professional actors around,". Vikrant Rona will release worldwide in 3D on July 28th, starring Kichcha Sudeepa, directed by Anup Bhandari, also starring Jacqueline Fernandez, Nirup Bhandari, and Neetha Ashok is presented by Salman Khan Films, Zee Studios and Kichcha Creatiions in North India produced by Jack Manjunath under his production Shalini Artss, and co-produced by Alankar Pandian of Invenio Origins the film. The Film will be distributed in North India by PVR Pictures. The Delhi High Court has ruled that a professional broadcaster is obligated to take minimum of safeguards while transmitting anything that may cause discomfort and disturb the sensibilities of a "ordinary and cautious viewer." The statement was made by Justice Yashwant Varma while rejecting a petition brought by TV Today Network Limited contesting an order issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in March this year imposing a warning penalty under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994. Click here to check the Award Categories The incident was connected to a telecast aired by India Today in February last year depicting an elephant being cruelly tortured by its keepers. Taking note of a complaint, the Ministry issued the contested order after putting the channel on notice. During the hearing, the Court stated that it was not disputed that the visual snippets that were originally broadcasted were not blurred, nor did the channel advise the audience to exercise caution in light of the caregivers' cruel actions and the anguish of the animal that was portrayed. "Viewed in light of those admitted facts, the Court finds no justification to interfere with the order impugned," the Court stated. "While the act of the petitioner in bringing that incident to the notice of the viewers and thus highlighting the issue of cruelty towards animals is not intended to be deprecated, the Court would have hoped that a professional broadcaster would have borne in mind the minimum precautions which must be exercised while broadcasting content which may cause distress and disturb the sensibilities of an ordinary and prudent viewer," it further added. Gifting giant Ferns N Petals (FNP), rolls out a new brand film on the occasion of Rakshabandhan featuring actor Adah Sharma. The campaign has been launched across multiple digital platforms in India and top NRI countries viz USA, Canada & UAE. The 60 seconds brand film which presents Indias first ever Rakhi brand Sneh by FNP has also hit the screens of 1000 multiplexes across 20 cities. Inspired by tales of beautiful bonds that are forged in everyday life that goes beyond families, friends and acquaintances, the wholesome ad captures an unspoken treaty of protection, a silent promise that exists between Adah who is a working woman and her auto bhaiyya who ensures she reaches home safely every night after the office hours. In life we tend to develop close ties with people who were never part of our growing up years, not familiar with our personalities. Yet these people have their own special ways to protect us, lend a helping hand, support us silently. To celebrate such cherished bonds that amplifies goodness of human hearts FNP presents Sneh Rakhi a thread of love which is carefully crafted to depict the intricacies of such relationships that transcend family ties. After all at FNP, emotions get gift wrapped Speaking on the association actor Adah Sharma said I am delighted to partner with FNP for the Sneh Rakhi Campaign. The campaign is close to my heart as it highlights a meaningful bond between 2 people. A bond which is very special to most of us and surpasses all societal labels Sneh which is the homegrown Rakhi brand by FNP is at the centre of the narrative and highlights the emotions and sentiments around gifting. Mr.Sai Thota, Head of Digital Marketing FNP comments, India's first Rakhi brand Sneh by FNP is a worthwhile effort to touch upon the beautiful occasion of Rakshabandhan, which celebrates every sibling duo. In our latest campaign the talented Adah Sharma plays her part with elan. The kaarigars of FNP have designed a beautiful box of Sneh for every generation of siblings, who wish to celebrate this festival differently this year He further adds While we have launched Sneh Rakhi in 2021 as the first ever Rakhi brand in India, the primary purpose of this year's campaign is to communicate that anyone who protects us (raksha) are like our siblings. We also wanted to emphasize on the experience of sending a rakhi to the brother rakhi wrapped in sister's love, rakhi encased in our Sneh boxes and not just random items delivered in brown box(es). While this campaign is going to be digital first, we are also launching it in countries like the USA, Canada & UAE targeting the overseas Indian community. Sneh Rakni is now available in 70+ countries. We have also made arrangements to make last minute/same day delivery in over 20 cities outside India" The bond of affection which the campaign film portrays can grow between anyone - a colleague, the watchman, your regular cabbie, the paratha stall owner or with someone we share a ride. Azaz Haque, Chief Content Officer, Media, Monks India said FnP will always stand for making gifting special, especially when you are celebrating special relationships. Rakhi celebrates a special bond between a sister and a brother, a special bond of care and protection. The film narrates this relationship which can develop between anyone, even if it's not relationship by blood. It conveys the message that special occasions, special relationships deserves a special gift. Which is FnP FNP pioneers in delivering gifts for every occasion. Exquisite Sneh Rakhi collection is available worldwide, where customers can place orders from the comfort of their homes. Thorough this brand extension, FNP foresees an upsurge in the sale of occasion gifting and premium gifting. With traditional Kalamkari packaging, the initiative portrays Vocal for Local approach . Exquisite Rakhi collection by FNP is available in 70+ countries where patrons can place orders from the comfort of their homes. FNP is growing its international footprints and is currently operational in UAE, Qatar and Singapore. The brand aims to expand its presence significantly. After all its an excellent solution to meet your everyday gifting needs. FleishmanHillard Australia and New Zealand, an Omnicom communications firm, has made a number of new leadership appointments that will join the worldwide FleishmanHillard network and TBWA locally. Jenna Orme has been promoted to managing director after eight years with the agency, the previous six as general manager, with Lexi Penfold joining from sibling PR firm Eleven to fill the vacant general manager position. Orme and Penfold will lead the integrated communications firm into a new era, after the rebound of the tourist industry, which has resulted in increased client growth, as well as FMCG and professional services victories. FleishmanHillard has appointed two new directors to its corporate and consumer communication businesses, in addition to the leadership appointments. Emma Jane Edwards, the recently hired director of corporate communications, is in charge of the corporate discipline. Edward has worked with major agency networks including as M&C Saatchi Group, Edelman, and Weber Shandwick, as well as clients such as Coca-Cola, Samsung, Amazon, and Unilever. Her hiring brings her back to FleishmanHillard after a brief sojourn in London. Alex Opitz has been elevated to the new position of director of brand marketing on the consumer side. Opitz joined FleishmanHillard in 2018, and her experience in the travel, technology, and luxury sectors gained over 15 years in the business working with brands such as Luxottica, Cathay Pacific, Bose, Fitbit, and Carnival Australia has been critical to the consumer division's success. "I am tremendously delighted to continue inside the TBWA family and transfer into FleishmanHillard," Penfold stated. I've been watching the team from the sidelines for the past year and am excited to get started and help a passionate and talented bunch of people that bring intelligence and originality to their work every day." "It's been a terrific eight years, and I'm looking forward to the next step with Lexi, Emma Jane, and Alex," Orme added. Our global smarts through the FleishmanHillard network, combined with acute local insights and expertise, provides clients an advantage as the industry transitions into its next era, and our people the opportunity to expand beyond our borders." "FleishmanHillard is the silent achiever of our TBWA Collective, moving from strength to strength each year," said Roberto Pace, group managing director, PR at TBWA. It is ideally positioned to bring the best of the global FleishmanHillard network to life locally, in addition to what TBWA has to offer in terms of strategic and creative capabilities. Congratulations to Jenna, Lexi, and the team for all they've accomplished so far and what's to come." India Today has terminated a member of Kolkata sales staff for posting an extremely derogatory post last night on his personal Facebook account. The post, said the India Today Group in a communique, was hurtful and against the basic principles of human decency. Asked for an explanation, the employee admitted to his momentary lapse of judgement and apologized unconditionally, saying he had already deleted the post within a few minutes. Click here to check the Award Categories However, this was a grave breach of the India Today Group's Code of Conduct. The employee's services were terminated with immediate effect last night, said India Today Group. The India Today Group does not condone such actions. We uphold the highest standards of ethics and professional decorum, said Dinesh Bhatia, Group Chief Executive Officer, India Today Group. Korean beauty brand innisfree has teamed up with long-running comic strip Peanuts to launch a limited-edition skincare range! innisfree is excited to announce the launch of its limited edition No-sebum Mineral Powder collection in association with Peanuts. A loose powder for soft, shine-free looking skin that comes in 5 different scents with each Peanuts character. innisfrees No. 1 Powder meets the Peanuts gang! The friends including SNOOPY, CHARLIE BROWN, LUCY, LINUS, and SALLY BROWN are teaming up to keep you company and your complexion clear and soft. These 5 Peanuts characters also come with messages of comfort to make you smile and help you forget all your worries! Choose your favourite NO-SEBUM MINERAL POWDER: SNOOPY - I hate boringness! Snoopy has a powdery cotton scent that goes well with soft fluffy Snoopy. Price: INR 510 CHARLIE BROWN - I only dread one day at a time! Charlie Brown has a calming tea scent to calm the mind. Price: INR 510 LUCY - Its my life, Im going to do whatever I want! Lucy has a Green Citrus scent for bubbly and free-spirited vibe. Price: INR 510 LINUS - Timing is everything. Linus has a Cacao scent that makes you feel comfortable and pleasant. Price: INR 510 SALLY BROWN - Who cares what other people think? Sally Brown has a Floral scent for a character full of loveliness. Price: INR 510 Benefits of the innisfree X Peanuts range: This fine sebum-controlling powder absorbs excess sebum to give a matte and soft finish It features fine particles of loose powder that sit naturally on the skin for a fresh and clear face of makeup This helps correct dull skin tone and fix makeup that easily gets messed up with excess sebum and oil to create bright and fresh-looking complexion Use a puff to gently pat on your roots of the bangs or crown of the head to make your hair looking fresh The range features illustrations of affable characters Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Sally Brown across its packaging and spotlights some of innisfrees most popular products. innisfree X Peanuts Green Tea Seed Serum & Volcanic Calming Pore Clay Mask Duo Set Price: INR 3200 Why not add a skin glow booster to the perfect pore care? Introducing the Green Tea Seed Serum & Volcanic Calming Pore Clay Mask Duo Set with Peanuts! Full size of Green Tea Seed Serum and Volcanic Mask comes with cute Peanuts characters, and mini size of Volcanic Toner, Volcanic Cleansing Foam! For a fresh and matte face in the upcoming summer, our best-selling No-Sebum Powder is a MUST! The set includes: Green Tea Seed Serum 80ml Volcanic Calming Pore Clay Mask 100ml Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam EX 100gm Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner 2X 30ml innisfree X Peanuts Green Tea Seed Serum Set Price: INR 2100 Introducing the cutest and the most powerful hydration set including a full size NEW Green Tea Seed Serum, and mini size Green Tea Skin, Green Tea Cream, Green Tea Foam Cleanser! Experience a 710%* instant increase in moisture with our best-selling Green Tea Seed Serum. For a fresh and matte face in the upcoming summer, our best-selling No-Sebum Powder is a MUST! The set includes: Green Tea Seed Serum LTD Edition with cute Snoopy! 3 additional free gift of Green Tea best sellers Cute word bubbles that melt your heart just by looking It is definitely going to be a good day with your Peanuts friends. So, dont wait anymore and get your hands on this super cute limited edition mineral powder that you must have! Through the attitude and witty life stories of Peanuts characters, innisfree hopes everyone to have a warm and happy day. Lenovo is one of the worlds leading personal technology companies, producing innovative PCs and mobile Internet devices. According to the Global PC market share by units, per cent (20162020) Lenovo is the largest PC vendor across. In todays world, Lenovo is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #159 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 75,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. It has major research and manufacturing centres in countries around the world. The brand has recently unveiled its next-generation jewel-crafted Yoga series; the battle-ready Legion and IdeaPad gaming laptops, in India, empowering consumers to Do More, Their Way. Launched at the #ExperienceSmarter event: Legion 5i, Legion 5i Pro, Legion Slim 7i and the IdeaPad Gaming 3i along with Yoga 9i, Yoga Slim 7i Pro, and Yoga 7i. These laptops are equipped with a 12th generation Intel Core processor, faster graphics, improved battery performance, and sustainable design to further Lenovo's Smarter Innovation for consumers. The AI-powered Yoga laptops are designed to anticipate user interaction and push the limits of smarter, high-performance gaming and content creation. Click here to check the Award Categories In conversation with Adgully, Chandrika Jain, Marketing Director, Lenovo, speaks at length about the brands marketing strategy, how they fulfilled the demand for products during the pandemic and much more. What strategies would you suggest for maximum reach for a newly launched product? In India, reach is still largely driven by traditional channels like television, however, digital also plays a very large role in media for reach. So, for me a combination of things like television, print, and digital would be a good strategy to achieve reach. Why do you think that your products stand out from those of your competitors? I am very sure my product stands out from those of my competitors. A lot of what happens in the area of technology is largely based in the technology itself that we are serving. Whether it is Legion or Yoga, the kinds of features that we are building into these products will make any consumer who pays attention realise that they are differentiated and thats why they stand out. For example, for Yoga, we started with a simple thing like its design the way it is built, the curved edges or what we call the jewel design, makes it not only gorgeous to look at, but if you were to handle the product, you will realise how easy it is on your hands and, therefore, you like the experience that it is delivering on the outside. But we take it many more levels inside. When you open the product and you look at the overall screen of the product, youll realise that we have the thinnest bezels that are available in the market today. But what does that mean to the consumer? When you switch that on, you see the widest screen possible. And that is delivering an experience. When you compare that with other products in the market, it will automatically stand out. We are packed with AI features. Today, privacy is everything. The screen remains on as long as you are in front of it, but the minute you move away, your screen shuts down and will switch on again when you are in front of it. All this is happening because of AI. Thus, simple things like this add to the differentiation of this product not just on the outside, but also on the inside. We have Lenovo Smart Lock embedded in Yoga, which means that if you lose your product, we will be able to find it and you will be able to remotely delete all the data that is on the product if anything happens to your product, and so on and so forth. Any consumer who is investing in the product will also want good after-sales service. Hence, we have ramped up our after-sales service to ensure that not only are you going to get premium care, where our best service people will respond to any queries that you might have, but should there be any accidental damage, we will take care of that too. If you need your data migrated from one place to another, we will take care of that. We take it one step further to service as well. Yoga will also help you contribute to the sustainability goals of the world by ensuring that for the emissions that Yoga is creating, we are offsetting it at some other part of India. If you look at what Yoga is offering, it is absolutely differentiated and a consumer today is an extremely intelligent person who doesnt need much more to explain that it is a differentiated product. How are you keeping Lenovo competitive in a price-sensitive market like India? India is a value-conscious country. But the definition of value, depending on the strata of society that you belong to, still remains the same. What India means by value is not necessarily always cheap. Yes, sometimes the size of the wallet is lower. But it also means, what are you able to give me within that price point that is of value to me. As a brand, Lenovo has multiple segments and multiple price points that we offer to the consumer. So, based on the size of the wallet that the consumer has, we have something of great value for that consumer, because within that price point we are offering them the best that we can. We have IdeaPad gaming, starting at the entry-level of gaming that goes all the way up to Rs 150,000, where we are offering a best-in-class Legion reach. But that doesnt take away from the fact that if you want a more mainstream product and you are an entry-level gamer, we still have a product in that segment. So, Lenovo offers products in every segment, irrespective of the value that the consumer is deriving, we will have something to offer for you within your definition of value. From a brand standpoint, I do believe that brands do play a role in peoples minds. In a world that is so full of competition, products and offerings, the brand is the only biggest differentiator that exists. Since various states were divided into zones with different rules in place during the lockdown period, how did you manage the distribution network amid all the restrictions? Lenovos distribution and supply chain network is extremely efficient. So, while there were restrictions in place, we managed to crack it well in time, which is why our products continued to be available across markets, both Tier 1 and Tier 2 markets, with smaller and bigger partners. So, it wasnt as much a challenge as it might have been for some, because we had figured a way out. The strict restrictions imposed due to the global pandemic had severely impacted all manufacturing facilities. How did Lenovo meet the challenges during that period? There were times in the last two years where the pandemic had impacted our manufacturing operations. We decided to keep the safety of our employees at the forefront. We have 30 manufacturing plants across the globe. There were instances during the pandemic period when we had shut down our manufacturing and supply operations. It did create supply chain management issues, but things started to ease out once we restarted manufacturing keeping all safety protocols in mind to ensure that the demand was met. So, it has been a fair balance of some shutdown and some movement to be able to keep the cycle going and to meet the demands that have been quite high in the last two years. Banks & NBFCs, Fintech, D2C Brands and retailers, Financial Services, Fashion, E-Commerce, Online gaming, OTT Platforms are the biggest beneficiaries, writes Tejas Rathod, Co-Founder, Mobavenue Media Pvt Ltd. Programmatic advertising, an AI-enabled automated process of real-time advertising by micro-targeting right consumers, promises brands greater transparency, better return on investment (ROI), cost-efficiency, and campaign effectiveness. Also known as real-time advertising, its real-time reach to tap consumers of specific interest, gender, behaviour and demographics make it extremely specific to derive desired results. Click here to check the Award Categories Mobavenue has been successfully capitalising on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain in order to drive sustainable business growth for its partner brands like Myntra, KreditBee, ICICI Bank, Unacademy, Zivame, Winzo, Shopee and Chingari, to name a few. Surge DSP is its in-house Programmatic ad platform and Intelligent Media Trading desk which is designed to drive performance for its brand partners. The company reaches consumers with its proprietary technology which delivers the right product to the right person at the right time. Additionally, Mobavenue is able to target consumers based on countless demographic and behavioral data points. It can even maximise user engagement by providing a value exchange between users and app developers across a variety of app categories, including finance, gaming, shopping, travel, lifestyle, and utilities. Back when leading fintech company KreditBee wanted to amplify the registration rate and push for high card transactions and loan approval rates, Mobavenues in-house Surge DSP enabled the team to get high traction disbursements to short-term loan borrowers at three months run rate. The companys integrated fraud partners ensured high day-to-day performance, brand safety, and fraud optimization for KreditBees campaign. Mobavenue also strategized to bid high on direct apps to drive more traffic, which has gone a long way to boost the reach and revenue of KreditBee. This technology considerably helps businesses to increase Return on Investment (ROI) because it can significantly speed up the execution of marketing efforts, cut costs, and increase efficiency. Artificial Intelligence can be used to assess how a consumer behaves on a website at any given time. You can then utilize these insights to anticipate their requirements and preferences in the future. Then a contextual ad can be placed before them. Contextual advertising works by matching the content of a webpage with the content of an ad. It is more concerned about the consumers current needs than what they have done in the past. For example, if you are reading an article about personal finance; an advertisement for Policy Bazaar will be treated as contextually targeted. Contextual ads serve users with non-intrusive ads relevant to their online activity. It protects privacy, serves relevant ads, increases the probability of interested users engaging with the ads, and enhances the click-through rate and returns on ad spend. Businesses can now create a more effective advertising strategy for their company. By using technology, businesses can now forecast and improve the user experience and improve the user experience to meet their needs based on their buying patterns and decisions. The advent of programmatic advertising has also brought several questions related to brand safety. We safeguard brand safety and fraud safety via proprietary in-house DSP by ensuring that a brand's ads never run near or within inappropriate or highly irrelevant content. Brands are thereby relieved as the ads are only displayed on trustworthy websites next to content relevant to the brand or the ad. Improvements in Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain have been playing a big part in digital advertising. Adopting AI for advertising will provide brands and customers with the competitive edge they require. The views expressed within the article are solely the authors and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Adgully. Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company and American performance and lifestyle footwear brand, flagged off registrations for the 3rd edition of the Skechers Mumbai Walkathon today, with Bollywood Celebrity Kriti Sanon. The Walkathon is part of the Companys focus to celebrate their popular Skechers GO WALK category, a range of innovative footwear designed for walking. Skechers Mumbai Walkathon is open to all and aims to bring together fitness enthusiasts and promote fitness on a larger scale. The last edition of the Skechers Mumbai Walkathon had seen an overwhelming participation of over 6,500 walking enthusiasts. This years event is expected to bring 10,000 walkers across three main distance categories of 3 kms, 5 kms, and 10 kms. The categories offer options to encourage participation among amateurs and more serious fitness enthusiasts alike. Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers South Asia said, We are very thrilled to return with the third edition of the Skechers Walkathon this year as we celebrate a decade of the Skechers GO WALK Category in the global market. Skechers develops innovative footwear designed to make walking comfortable and encourage consumers to stay active. With signature products like Workout Walker, GO WALK 6 and GO WALK 5 shoes, we aim to deliver comfort to every level of walker. This year, together with Kriti Sanon, the Skechers Mumbai Walkathon will aim to bring the city together in a festive atmosphere whilst promoting fitness as a culture in Mumbai. Bollywood celebrity Kriti Sanon added, I love fitness and it is a huge part of who I am as a person. I do not like to go a day without indulging in some form of exercise. Adding a simple brisk walk is the easiest way to stay fit and healthy, so I am excited to be associated with a smart initiative like the Skechers Walkathon. I love that its a great event for those who want to take their first step towards a more fit lifestyle. I am so glad to be a part of their biggest event which supports this cause. Twitter is reintroducing its Innovators Agency Awards to appreciate and inspire innovative work in media planning by agencies. First introduced in 2019, the Innovators Awards applaud the work of Twitters agency partners globally, giving them an opportunity to showcase and be awarded for campaigns that are driven by clutter-breaking use of the service. This year, the Awards will recognise agencies across the globe, and winning agencies will stand a chance to visit California for a celebration with Twitter. Krishna Iyer, Head of Agency, Twitter APAC, says, At Twitter, we collaborate with our agency partners with bold experimentation and innovation at the core of all our work. In the Indian market, this ethos is even more critical. The countrys cultural diversity both challenges and inspires agencies to push their creative limits and produce campaigns that speak to every set of its dynamic audience. Were constantly working to empower our agency partners and encourage more of the brilliant innovation that makes their clients work shine and stand out on Twitter. We are excited to invite Indian agencies to the Twitter Innovators Agency Awards and watch them showcase their work and accomplishments at a global level. Twitter has been home to the most engaging brand conversations, and these are planned, created, executed, and amplified through creative collaboration with its agency partners. Twitter works with these partners to help them make the best use of the service, its receptive audiences and dynamic advertising ecosystem, and is constantly empowering them with more tools to succeed. This years Innovators Awards will reward agencies that made the best use of these tools between 1 Oct, 2021, to 31 Oct, 2022, and campaign submissions can be made till October, 2022. The winners will be chosen across the following five categories: Best Launch Campaign Taps into Twitters receptive audience to launch a brands new product, campaign, or positioning Best Connect Campaign Connects to whats happening by building relevance and leveling up the conversation Best Conversion Campaign Leverages Twitters full-funnel product suite through innovative performance and/or commerce campaigns Best Social Impact Campaign Sparks public conversation and brings awareness to ideas that matter Innovator of the Year The Type Directors Club, the worlds leading typography organization, today announced the 25 talented young winners from 13 countries in the Ascenders 3 competition, celebrating international typographers, letterers, and type designers age 35 and under. Ascenders is the worlds premier portfolio-based competition dedicated to type in all its versatile forms, and the inspiring up and coming designers individuals or teams who are elevating the medium. Ascenders 3 winners are: Entrants submitted six projects with short descriptions, as well as a statement of their role in the project's creation, and a list of individual credits where applicable. This years entries were judged by a diverse jury of global leaders in the field, including a number of past Ascenders winners. One judge, San Francisco-based lettering artist and author Jessica Hische, tweeted: Ive been judging R1 of @typedirectors Ascenders competition and the insane caliber of work is making me want to delete my website. This years Ascenders are some of the best visual designers, type designers, and lettering artists working today, regardless of their age, said Paul Carlos, principal at Pure+Applied, adjunct faculty, Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York, and TDC Advisory Board member who created the program. The judges had a difficult time narrowing down their final selections given the amazing entries this year. The jury also unknowingly selected a geographically diverse group of winners, with designers and letterers in countries ranging from Auckland to Zagreb and many points in between. TDC, part of The One Club for Creativity, will host a reception for Ascenders 3 winners on August 16, 2022 at The One Club gallery space in New York, marking the opening of an exhibition of their work running through September 1, 2022. Prominent past Ascenders winners include Kevin Cantrell (US, 2018), Ben Grandgenett (New York, 2019), Ben Johnston, (Toronto, 2019), Phillip Neumeyer (Copenhagen, 2018), Juan Carlos Pagan (New York, 2018), Tre Seals (Maryland, 2018), and others. This years Ascenders branding campaign and award were designed by Zipeng Zhu, founder, creative director at Dazzle Studios, Brooklyn, with additional custom lettering by Tien-Min Liao. A recent study by a team of scientists using the AstroSat (Indias first dedicated multi wavelength space observatory) shows how the star-forming complexes in the outskirts of a dwarf galaxy migrate towards the central region and contribute to its growth in mass and luminosity. The processis an important link to understanding the bigger picture of the growth and evolution of galaxies. The research was jointly carried out by an international team of astronomers from India, the USA and France. The study was conceived by professor Kanak Saha at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and was published as a research paper on July 20 in the Nature journal. Anshuman Borgohain, the lead author of the paper, is a PhD student at the Tezpur University, Assam, working under the supervision of professor Rupjyoti Gogoi, who is a visiting associate at IUCAA, besides being a contributor to the research. Speaking about the finding, Borgohain said that capturing the process of assembly in dwarf galaxies is of prime importance because the diversity in their physical properties observed challenges the current theoretical models of galaxy evolution. Saha focused on the formation of galaxies in the early universe and their evolution. He said, UVITs resolving power and deep field imaging techniques have been the key to spotting some very young, large star-forming clumps. A good part of our research work consisted of meticulously calculating the time required for the clumps to migrate inside the galaxy. He also emphasised that the key challenge has been to firmly detect these faint blue clumps which are very far away for us to see. The redshift (cosmological distance) of these 12 dwarfs has been optimal in probing into these blue clumpy structures in their outskirts, he added. Professor Francoise Combes of the Observatoire de Paris, France, another co-author of the research said that the discovery has taught how surprisingly stars can be formed in metal-poor gas disks. It has been a mystery how some small galaxies like these can have such active star formation techniques, says professor Bruce Elmegreen of the IBM Watson Research Division, USA, who contributed actively to the study. He said that these observations suggest that the accreting gas in the far outer parts can be forced to move towards the center because of the inward torques exerted by giant gas and stellar complexes. PMB America was founded on the principles of capitalism. But there are those who think communism is the solution for every problem, from bad weather to old Joe's dementia. In their book, In Their Own Words, Terry Turchie and Donagh Bracken document that organizations such as the Weather Underground, the Black Panther Party, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, and The Democratic Socialists of American have been agitating for communism for decades. We've even got one senator who spent his honeymoon in the Soviet Union and a whole squad of congresswomen who openly support it now. They don't use the word "communism" very often, but their manifestos and stated goals are 100 percent aligned with that ideology. Instead, they use seductive terms like "social justice," "guaranteed income," and "equality." Capitalism vests ownership of property (along with the means of production) with the private sector. Members of the community are allowed to operate for their own individual interests and those individuals get to keep the profits from their work. Hence, hard work is rewarded. With hard work and initiative, anyone can succeed. So people tend to work hard. Domestic product (the total production of the community) is maximized. But the rewards are unevenly distributed. The portion of the domestic product that each person receives is a function of his contribution, not his membership in the community. The end result is that members of a capitalist community earn unequal portions of a very large pie. Communism vests ownership of property (and the means of production) with the commune otherwise known as the state. Members of the commune are expected to work for the benefit of the commune not themselves. Each is to contribute according to his ability and receive according to his needs. It sounds like perfect harmony until observed in practice. When all share equally in the rewards, hard work is irrelevant to the portion of the commune's production that each person receives. Everyone's portion of the domestic product is a result of his membership in the commune, not his contribution to it. Since hard work is not rewarded, people tend to not work hard. Total domestic product rarely exceeds sustainment levels. But equality of outcomes is maximized. Commune members earn equal portions of a small pie. Conceptually, capitalism and communism are inherently incompatible economic systems they function at opposite ends of the public/private ownership axis. Attempts to blend them are destined for failure. Capitalism maximizes productivity but sacrifices equal results. It provides equal opportunity, not equal outcome. The reward achieved by each individual is dependent on his own initiative. To realize capitalism's full potential, community members must have freedom to exercise that initiative. Therefore, personal liberty is a requirement for capitalism. Communism maximizes equal results (equal distribution of the domestic product) but sacrifices the productivity inherent in capitalism. It also requires that community members surrender their freedom. They are not free to exercise individual initiative. They are expected to serve the needs of the commune whatever those may be. They are expected to be a contributing member of the hive. Unfortunately, leftists have created an attractive narrative about communism. If one ignores its downside, communism sounds idyllic to a naive mind everyone sharing equally in the bounty of the commune. No class envy, no brutal competition, no "dog eat dog" business jungle just equality. Never mind that one has to give up personal choice and freedom to live in such a community. The leftists paint capitalism's unequal distribution of rewards as inherently evil. They prey on class envy, demanding that the "rich pay their fair share." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even declared that capitalism is "not a redeemable system." Of course, she ignores all metrics except equality. The left then seduces everyone by offering an impossible compromise which leftists assure us will provide the advantages of both capitalism and communism. They call it socialism. They assure us that socialism will provide the productivity of capitalism and the equal distribution of communism. We'll just allow capitalism to produce the wealth but force producers to redistribute wealth by regulatory or tax-and-spend schemes. They use terms like "ensuring a livable wage"; "protecting our most vulnerable"; "correcting social injustices"; or, as Barack Obama simply said, "spreading the wealth around." It is all a lie. Socialism is a deal with the Devil. Its promises are seductive, but it delivers only misery. Striking a compromise between two incompatible systems does not achieve the best of both systems; it achieves the worst of both systems. Socialism promises the productivity of capitalism with the equality of communism. But it actually delivers the inequality of capitalism and the low productivity of socialism just the opposite of its intended goals. Socialism relies on redistribution (via regulation or taxation) to promote equality. But that redistribution is actually a disincentive to production. Redistributed money is money that could have been spent on more production, which is instead redirected to non-production. In capitalism, you spend money to make money. In socialism, you spend money not to make money by redirecting it to non-producers. Therefore, the community doesn't produce as much product or make as much money to redistribute. As socialism redistributes wealth, less of the wealth is available to reward producers and expand production. Production stagnates, and domestic product declines. Declining domestic product results in less wealth for redistribution. Those who own property begin consolidating their holdings to maintain their own standard of living. As the pie gets smaller, they exert their influence to keep more of it. That causes the standard of living of those receiving the redistribution to decline. Pressure for increased redistribution builds, with the community demanding more taxation and social spending. The government raises taxes and the regulatory burden on producers, but that only further chokes production. With each cycle of the death spiral, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and inequality proliferates. The cycle continues until there is inadequate production to meet the redistribution demands. As Margaret Thatcher famously said, "the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." That's when the community has arrived at Venezuela. The rich are obscenely rich, and the poor are breaking into the zoo to eat the displays. The Venezuelan example is not atypical relative to other socialist attempts. When a socialist community can no longer function, it has reached a fork in the road where there are only two choices: Recommit to capitalism and return to rewarding producers for their efforts. Commit to communism, seizing the means of production and vesting ownership of all property in the commune. Socialism is merely a flowery invitation to move gradually toward communism, giving up our liberty in exchange for a life of subsistence. There are those who say it will never happen in America. Yet Obamacare was the first step toward seizing the means of production of health care. Senator Pocahontas Warren has proposed nationalizing every business with revenue over $1B. President Gremlin is reportedly considering seizing the energy sector's means of production to save the planet. President Obama even proposed nationalizing pension programs, seizing our retirement savings and replacing them with a government stipend taking the wealth we have earned and replacing it with the wealth we need. It can happen here if we aren't vigilant. Socialist experiments can end in one of three ways. Poverty and starvation Enslavement to the state Return to personal freedom and the inequality that results Jim Jones once told his followers that "God is socialism, and socialism is God." He said it just as Satan would have when offering a deal too good to be true. Jones offered his followers a socialist paradise but delivered a communist hell, in which he took everything they owned, enslaved them to the commune, and led 918 of them to slaughter. That's how his attempt at socialism ended. Image via Max Pixel. Since war is universally understood as a military engagement between two opposing nations or groups of nations in alliance with each other, few realize that the United States is already in a war -- a world war. Its not a shooting war like World War I and World War II, but the stakes are just as high and deadly. Waged by globalist elites and marketed under banners such as the Green New Deal, Build Back Better, and the Great Reset, this war is being waged by cabals and organizations both within and from outside our borders. In short, we face irregular and unrestricted warfare against the sovereignty of the United States -- the worlds oldest constitutional republic that has provided more freedom and opportunity to its citizens than any other government in the history of mankind. Once you understand the basic facts behind this total unrestricted war, everything begins to make sense. Unlike the physical territory and fronts of conventional war, the battlefield of this war is the mind and soul. The goal is to confuse and demoralize the American people -- and particularly patriots -- through ideological, spiritual, and psychological operations (psyops), and a range of other deceptions. Unrecognized by most, this war has been going on during the last century in different forms and against different actors. The primary targets of this war are the American peoples sense of identity and belonging -- their family orientation, their faith in God and appreciation for their country. The enemy battle plan has been to create division within America in every possible way: between children and their parents, between young and old, between races, between genders, and between heterosexuals and homosexuals. The recent explosion of a transgender movement may be a marker of nearing the end, for no civilization can survive when individuals turn upon themselves. The common thread of those who want to take America down is a secular globalist vision that supersedes and nullifies the sovereignty of the nation-state. For these elites, the United States and its constitution stands in their way and is their biggest obstacle. The first socialist totalitarian globalist regime was the Soviet communist system known as the USSR that was established in 1919 by Bolshevik revolutionaries Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, both of whom who were financed by wealthy capitalist businessmen in London, Frankfurt, and New York. After World War II, the second totalitarian state was established by Mao Zedong in 1949 as the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). In 1989, the USSR ended due to its failed socialist economic system, and the fifteen Soviet satellite countries, including Ukraine, regained their independence. The Communist Party of China (CCP) then took the baton of global communism, leaving behind a legacy of its bloody cultural revolution and the genocide of some sixty-five million of its own citizens. Learning from the failure of socialism in the USSR, the CCP adopted a modified market system in the early 1980s. Even though this market system was under control of the CCP, its incentives combined with the entrepreneurial culture in China catalyzed rapid economic growth that lifted a significant portion of the Chinese population out of poverty. More than any country, China has a unique war-fighting orientation that traces back to Fourth Century B.C. military philosopher-strategist, Sun Tzu, whose name means Grand Master. Chinese military and political decisionmakers still embrace Sun Tzus admonition to break the enemys resistance without fighting, and to exploit the normalcy bias by engaging the enemy with what they expect as it is what they are able to discern and it will confirm their projections and it will settle them into predicable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment -- that which they cannot anticipate. By the late 1980s and through the 1990s, the CCP let the world know that they were open for business, offering a huge market for foreign brand products and also a low-cost manufacturing platform. Chinese communists deemed this the best way for their countrys economy to catch up to the developed countries of the world. And so, the CCP created rules of engagement that included 51 percent ownership of all joint ventures established in China so as to assure control and guarantee access to technology. Through this, the Chinese gained access to American companies patents and designs. In addition, there has been and continues to be blatant lawbreaking and theft by the Chinese. Last month the U.S. Chamber of Commerces Global IP Centre (GIPC) reported that as much as 86% of the worlds counterfeit goods originate from China. While wooing American companies to offshore some or all of their manufacturing and assembly to China, the CCP was building and infiltrating channels in the United States at many levels. Those channels included universities and think tanks, social and cultural groups, Chinese-language media, Chinese cultural organizations -- such as Confucius Institutes, and WeChat, the Chinese social media and messaging app. Newsweek has identified about 600 Chinese groups operating in the U.S. that are all in regular touch with and guided by the CCP -- a larger-scale version of a pattern found in other countries around the world. Western business leaders (and politicians) naively assumed that trade and exchange would liberalize China, while improving their top and bottom lines. However, these assumptions have proven false in the last ten years. Under Xi Jinpings CCP rule since 2012, a rise of technocratic power and control has resulted in: extralegal detention of political dissidents and televised forced confessions. increased repression of journalists, political dissidents, and all independent religious groups deployment of tens of millions of trolls to maintain Chinese propaganda on international social media sites deployment of more than 300 million surveillance cameras in China with facial recognition. the installation of spyware on all Chinese smartphones control of Chinese citizen mobility and spending money through social credit scoring A military buildup that has given China the largest army and navy in the world Chinas neighbors and trade partners face many threats, but the fall of Taiwan to CCP control would change everything. Taiwan is the largest and most important manufacturer of semiconductor chips upon which the U.S. military and the entire world depends. The challenge from the CCP comes at a time when freedom and independence-loving people at home and abroad also face rising challenges from consortiums of other globalists, like the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Bilderbergers, two organizations headquartered in Europe with many members and extensive reach into countries around the world. Its no coincidence that the Covid-19 virus originating in China in late 2019 gave birth to one of the largest global psyops in peacetime history. That psyop, which was explicitly designed to promote fear started with the CCPs approval to release of images of total lockdowns in Wuhan, with apartment entry doors being welded shut, while bags of dead or dying pet dogs and cats piled up on sidewalks awaiting pickup and burial. Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and chairman, built on the COVID fear psyop, stating the Covid pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future." Among WEFs eight predictions for the world in 2030, we are told: You will own nothing. And you will be happy. Owning nothing is of course the Chinese communist model of control, and Klaus Schwab has cultivated relationships in China for the last forty years. In 2017 Schwab commented that President Xi's [WEF] attendance and speech were of tremendous historical significance, and they filled us with confidence for the future. Quoting President Xi's ideas of "a community with a shared future for mankind" and the "Chinese Dream," Schwab said that President Xi's speech was crucial for building an innovative, open, fair and inclusive society, and that the Chinese Dream is connected with the global dream. On December 10, 2018, the CCP awarded Klaus Schwab the China Reform Friendship Medal. Schwabs response: the WEF will continue to work with China to make greater contributions to building a harmonious society and a community with a shared future for mankind featuring peace, prosperity and mutual understanding. Even if we cannot know the extent of cooperation between the Xi Jinping and the CCP and Klaus Schwab and the WEF, they share a similar globalist totalitarian perspective. They see no role for private property and believe all citizens should be controlled through surveillance. In April 2022 Schwabs lead advisor Yuval Noah Harari cast the WEF vision of a constant monitoring and total biometric surveillance, under the skin. When we overlay the recruitment and infiltration by the WEF and the CCP in American affairs and institutions with the knowledge that we now have of Joe Biden familys receipt of $31 million in financial payments from the Chinese, we are confronted with national security risks of a unique dimension. The compromised nature of the Biden family is the most plausible explanation for President Bidens recent change in China policy: The February decision to end the U.S. China Initiative designed to protect U.S. national security against Chinese spying and countering national security threats, such as "identifying and prosecuting those engaged in trade secret theft, hacking, and economic espionage," as well as "protecting our critical infrastructure against external threats through foreign direct investment and supply chain compromises." The July decision by President Biden to sell a million barrels of oil from the United States' strategic reserve to a Chinese company in which Hunter Bidens private equity company held a $1.7 billion stake. In sum, the success in the infiltration and psyops of WEF and the CCP are widespread if poorly understood. A substantial course change for America is overdue. Lets start with taking a maxim or two out of the Sun Tzu playbook: get out of denial, study and know the enemy and use every means to subdue him without bloodshed. Scott S. Powell is senior fellow at Discovery Institute. His new book, Rediscovering America, has been #1 Amazon New Release in the history genre for eight weeks. Found here at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637581599. Reach him at scottp@discovery.org Image: Shawn Harquail In these violent times, a shooting event is often over before law enforcement arrives at the scene. As those with bad intentions search for soft targets, they often choose gun-free zones such as malls, as the site of their hoped-for mass casualty event. Sometimes, however, a law-abiding citizen breaks the rules taped to the entrance and becomes a hero by ending the shooting (and the shooter); a hero to most but, apparently, not to those on the Left. This exact scenario played on Sunday, July 17, 2022, when a 20-year-old man decided to shoot up a mall in Greenwood, Indiana. Emerging from a food court restroom, he got far enough to kill three people and injure at least two others before being taken down by an armed civilian bystander. The shooter, Jonathon Sapirman, was a troubled individual who quit a warehouse job recently and was evicted from his apartment. Although he had a juvenile record for fighting at school and had run away from home, he had no criminal history as an adult. Sapirman reportedly had two rifles and a handgun in his possession and about 100 rounds of ammunition, 24 of which were fired before he was shot dead by Elisjsha Dicken, a 22-year-old man who happened to be in the vicinity. The good Samaritan bystander, who had no prior law enforcement or military experience, is thought to have acted almost immediately and displayed surprising proficiency with a handgun, apparently first striking Sapirman at a range of 40 yards. As Dicken closed in on the shooter, he motioned other mall patrons towards exits behind him. Once Sapirman was down, Dicken turned himself in to mall security. He was handcuffed by local police and taken for questioning. Jim Ison, Greenwood police chief, wasnt reluctant to give credit to Dicken: On Behalf of the City of Greenwood, I am grateful for his quick action and heroism in this situation. Left-leaning pundits and gun control advocates, however, were quick to question and criticize the young man who may have saved dozens of lives. One anchor at a local CBS station tweeted: "The term, Good Samaritan came from a Bible passage of a man from Samaria who stopped on the side of the road to help a man who was injured and ignored. I cannot believe we live in a world where the term can equally apply to someone killing someone my God." Gun control advocate Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action chimed in: "I dont know who needs to hear this but when a 22-year-old illegally brings a loaded gun into a mall and kills a mass shooter armed with an AR-15 after he already killed three people and wounded others is not a ringing endorsement of our implementation of the Second Amendment." Another, comedian John Fugelsang, joined the Twitter storm, suggesting that Christ would not have approved of Dickens life-saving actions: "The Good Samaritan did not shoot anyone. Jesus was not a fan of killing for any reason, including self-defense. But if these ammosexuals had ever read the Bible, they couldn't support the GOP or NRA." Interesting to hear that Jesus is anti-Republican. Sunny Hostin, co-host of "The View," claimed that Elisjsha Dicken broke the law by carrying a gun into the Greenwood, Indiana mall. She probably doesnt know that mall rules are not actual laws. Left-leaning media outlets that didnt criticize the American hero gave precious little coverage to Dickens extraordinary valor. Search MSNBC and youll get exactly one result, a two-minute statement by the police chief. Youll hear even less from President Joe Biden, who failed to mention the lives saved by Dicken at all. Of course, both the administration and leftist media gave massive coverage to the tragic mass shooting that wasnt stopped at an Uvalde, Texas elementary school recently. Dickens actions arent unique. Active shooters have been neutralized and dozens of lives saved by armed bystanders in last few years in places like Fort Myers, Florida, Syracuse, N.Y., Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Lyman, South Carolina. Whenever theres a successful (from the shooters point of view) mass casualty event, a series of copycat incidents usually follow. It is often said that having armed citizenry doesnt prevent these from occurring. Its true that the allure of fifteen minutes of fame is hard to resist, so Ill agree to this point. However, you might also agree that the potential of making the death toll smaller is worth having responsible good guys with a gun around. Theres a strange paradox in the thinking of the Left regarding an armed citizenry and COVID vaccines. Think about it: COVID vaccines and boosters dont stop a COVID infection from occurring, but reduce its severity. Armed bystanders may not stop a mass shooting from occurring, but might reduce its severity. If the Left can push this line of reasoning so hard with COVID, why dont they do the same for armed citizens against active shooters? Joe Alton MD is the NY Times bestselling author of The Survival Medicine Handbook and founder of the medical preparedness website doomandbloom.net. Image: Alien Gear Holster Today in history, on July 22, 1456, the West scored one of its greatest victories over jihad and, in so doing, inaugurated the ringing of church bells at noon. Three years after conquering Constantinople, the Ottoman sultan, Muhammad II, at the head of over 100,000 Turks, marched toward the strategic fortress town of Belgrade, key to Western Europe, in the spring of 1456. Cognizant of all the death, destruction, and mind-boggling atrocities this massive Muslim march presaged memory of the sack of Constantinople was still fresh a great panic swept through the Danube region. Even Hungarian king Ladislaus V fled his capital to Vienna (on the pretext that he was going "hunting"). Only one stood his ground: John Hunyadi, the Transylvanian voivode who had long been a thorn in the Turks' side. Even as the king fled west, Hunyadi raced to the eastern frontier toward, not away from the Turkish army. He immediately manned the fortress of Belgrade with 6,000 veteran fighters at his own expense. Although he implored the higher nobles for aid, few were responsive. Meanwhile, the 70-year-old Franciscan friar, John Capistrano, went to southern Hungary, calling on the people to take the cross and defend their nation against Islam. His "burning zeal, soul-piercing eloquence, and heroic austerities" set tens of thousands of the lower classes aflame. Before long, a massive crusader force of some 40,000 peasants were following Capistrano. The world had turned upside-down. "Where is the French king," a contemporary document inquires, "who wants to call himself the Christian king? Where are the kings of England, Denmark, Norway, Sweden...? Unarmed peasants, blacksmiths, tailors, tradesmen are walking in front of the armies!" By late June, Muhammad's vast forces had reached and surrounded Belgrade. If it fell, all of Hungary and farther west would be exposed to and eventually inundated by the hordes of Asia. Muhammad ordered the heavy bombardment to begin on July 4. The crashing and careening cannon fire was so thunderously loud that it could be heard for a hundred miles around. Twelve days later, on July 16, massive breaches punctuated this once formidable fortress. It was then that Hunyadi's army appeared, floating down the Danube on makeshift vessels of war. Marching alongside them by land were Capistrano and his army. On seeing the puny Christian fleet nearing their professional galleons, many of which were fettered together by chains and formed a huge dam across the water, the Turks scoffed, even as they braced for the inevitable crash. On the signal loud cries of "Jesus! Jesus!" the Christian flotilla crashed into the chained Muslim boats. The Danube flowed with hot blood as a wild river battle took place for five hours. The massive linked chains of the Ottoman boats eventually burst asunder, and the Christian fleet made it to and reinforced Belgrade, which was at its final extremity. A spectacular start for the relief force, it was only a scratch to the vast Muslim army. On that same day, Ottoman cannons now living instruments of the sultan's wrath exploded in a barrage of fire that rocked Belgrade to its foundation. For another week, the cannons continued to thunder, until most of Belgrade's ramparts were leveled. Then, at the crack of dawn, on July 21, for miles around, "one could hear the ceaseless beat of the drums that announced the attack." Throngs of Muslims came rushing to the dilapidated fortress with cries of "Allah! Allah!" Once thousands of Turks had crowded in between the crumbling walls and the citadel, the signal was given: to the piercing sound of blasting horns, Hunyadi and his men came charging out of the citadel, even as throngs of hidden peasant crusaders appeared above the walls and behind the Turks. The Muslims were trapped between a rock and a hard place. According to one account: A terrible struggle ensued. The Turks, though taken at an advantage, were as ten to one and armed to the teeth, whilst most of their antagonists were scarcely armed at all. A hand-to-hand melee went on in every street, but the fight was fiercest on the narrow bridge leading from the citadel to the town, where Hunyady commanded in person[.] Despite being so wildly disadvantaged in numbers and arms, the Christians including Hunyadi, who fought in their midst like a common foot soldier held their own and managed to kill many the Turks. It was now just before dawn, July 22; the battle had raged for a day and night, and it was clear that the Christians, having reached the limits of human capacity and endurance, were on the verge of collapsing under the sheer numbers of their foes pouring in. High up on a watch tower, the 70-year-old Capistrano was seen waving the banner of the cross and imploring Heaven for aid. The Christians, now pushed back to the citadel and high places, began to rain down fire on the votaries of Islam. With all the combustibles they could gather wood, dried branches, anything that would burn the defenders "cast them down, mingled with burning pitch and sulphur, both upon the Turks who were in the ditches and upon those who were scaling the walls," writes a battle participant. After all the shrieks had died out and the smoke cleared, the rising sun slowly revealed the gory aftermath. All around Belgrade, inside and out, were the dead and dying bodies of countless Muslims charred beyond recognition. [T]he ditches and the whole space between the outer walls and the citadel were filled with their scorched and bleeding corpses. Thousands of them had perished there. The janissaries in particular had suffered so terribly that the survivors of them were thoroughly cowed, while the sultan's body-guard, which had led the attack, was well-nigh annihilated. So, after a twenty-hours' combat, the Christian host was able to breathe freely once more. And yet, in terms of actual casualties, this was nothing to the gargantuan Ottoman army that still surrounded Belgrade. Another assault was expected, and Hunyadi ordered everyone to remain at his post, on pain of death, "lest the glory of the day be turned into confusion." By late noon on July 22, however, an unauthorized skirmish between the crusaders and jihadists prompted the former to pour out of Belgrade and take the battle to the Turks. Seeing that the die had been cast, Hunyadi and his professional men-at-arms rushed to their aid. By 6 P.M., the entire Christian army was fighting outside the ruined walls. In this bedlam, even Sultan Muhammad was espied fighting. By now, however, the masses of Turks making up his army, who had set off expecting a relatively easy victory, had had enough. When the fiery Christians managed to capture and turn the blasts of several Ottoman cannons on their former besiegers, demoralization turned into panic, and the Turks, tens of thousands of them, fled, with Sultan Muhammad carried in their midst, "foaming at the mouth with impotent rage," even as some 50,000 other Turks lay dead before the ruined walls of Belgrade. It was arguably the worst defeat that Muhammad the Conqueror suffered in his long career of terrorizing Christians. And it is for this victory at Belgrade that church bells ring at noon a tradition started by Pope Calixtus III to mark the time when a small but devoted force of Christians defied a much larger force of Muslims intent on annihilating them. It's a tradition that continues to this day, including in older Protestant churches even if Christians of all denominations have forgotten or been shielded from its significance. This article was abstracted from Raymond Ibrahim's new book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood against Islam, which includes a full chapter on John Hunyadi. Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute. Image via Pixnio. In a July 20 vote, House Democrats voted down a GOP-led amendment that would have barred the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Energy from selling oil kept in the United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. That's right to hell with future emergencies and current record-high gasoline prices here in America; let's sell our oil to our biggest geopolitical adversary. That should tell you all you need to know about Democrats' priorities. They want to Make America Prostrate Again. Each and every one of the 219 House Democrats who voted to block the amendment should be thrown in jail for treason preferably exchanged for the January 6 protesters who are still being imprisoned for no valid reason. Democrats are determined to quickly "transition" the U.S. from fossil fuels to solar and wind-powered energy, etc., no matter the cost to Americans. They are equally determined to "transition" the U.S. from its founding principles and values of limited government of, by, and for the people; equal justice under the rule of law; and the recognition of inalienable individual rights granted by the Creator...to a deflated Marxist state ruled by a handful of elites and riven by intersectionality. No matter the cost to Americans. It's a good thing today's "Democrats" weren't in power during World War II. They might have voted to sell oil and military hardware to Japan and Germany. Were those of their ilk in the Continental Congress during the War for Independence, they probably would have blocked any motion to provide coats and boots to Washington's soldiers at Valley Forge. There is no sane reason for Democrats' refusal to utilize our own fossil fuels here at home...while they simultaneously approve the sale of it to rival nations who do not have nearly as strict pollution control standards. More mind-boggling still, in spite of all this, the Biden administration goes hat in hand to the likes of Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela to beg them to sell us their oil. So, to recap: We won't use our oil, but we will sell it to adversaries, and we will purchase oil from other countries for use back home. To say this is insane doesn't do it justice. It can only be viewed as an attack on our domestic fuel producers...and America herself. Image: lalabell68 via Pixabay, Pixabay License. John Dewey was an American philosopher, progressive, and a psychologist who was largely responsible for destroying education in America. In 1916 he founded the American Federation of Teachers. He was a pluperfect elitist who promoted social engineering to establish a new social order and believed this could be accomplished through education in American schools, where his ideology is now firmly entrenched. To most easily indoctrinate and manipulate children, he found a way to eliminate critical thought skills. Dewey writes: The purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one's full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good. (My Pedagogic Creed, 1897) The mere absorption of facts and truths is so exclusively an individual affair that it tends very naturally to pass into selfishness. There is no obvious social motive for the acquirement of mere learning, there is no clear social gain in success thereat. (The School and Society, 1899) Dewey's goal was not to inform students with what they needed to learn, but to tell them what to think. He believed that cooperation, sociology, and psychology provided all that is needed for a good life. His fraudulent vision was godless, without religion and real education, and thoroughly anti-family. Dewey's influence reverberates throughout American culture. He ridiculed the eternal verities such as honor, patriotism, faith. Regarding the teaching of young children, he instituted the "look-say" method, where children are taught a word over and over again until they memorize its shape, not the letters that make the shape. They are not taught the alphabet or to sound a word out or build it from letters. Why is this bothersome? For decades, it has been known that English is a phonetic language, but Dewey was expecting children to "acquire sight vocabularies of 50,000 words." That is not realistic without a computer in one's brain. His method failed upward. Dewey's ideas decimated reading skills to such a degree that in 1955, Dr. Rudolph Flesch published Why Johnny Can't Read. The problem endures to this day because of the acceptance of Dewey's ideas by the teachers of America. His progressive ideology was really social engineering designed to inject socialism into America. While his "look-say" method failed, his foray into socialism was successful. But there was a problem: few people in America wanted his changes. And yet, his influence can be seen everywhere. American educator Bruce Deitrick Price writes: John Dewey, the world-famous educator, was retained circa 1920 by the new Russian government to advise on the implementation of his progressive ideas throughout the USSR. Circa 1932, the communist government realized that Dewey's progressive education had created a generation of ignorant delinquents. The Communists in Russia banished Dewey's ideas from the country. Meanwhile, the communists et al in the United States celebrated Dewey and his policies. Dewey's unapologetic progressive indoctrination is still informing the radical left, whose members avoid serious education in favor of everything that dumbs down children. In his latest iteration, we have the Ibram Kendi/Nikole Hannah-Jones methods of dividing children into sexualized and racialized camps where one group is taught not mathematics, reading, and civics, nor how to write or think, but to hate the child next to him for being white, straight, or smart. It's about feelings, not knowledge. Children are not allowed to have a childhood of play and laughter and exploration. They are told what to think, what to do, how to act, and all of it with an angry tension that children should not be exposed to. American government schools are overrun with progressives teaching Dewey's ideas. The post-Dewey generations are so willing to tear down statues, eliminate patriotism, rewrite history, ridicule God, suppress dissent, cancel, and do violence. Nothing holds them back because nothing that should be carved in stone, is. Nothing is true, nothing is "good," nothing is sacred. And so, nothing is of value. Hate is taught to children who should be sharing toys and learning how to care about one another. Where they should be learning compromise, they are taught brute force. Where love should be, there is prejudice. Where knowledge should be, there is the gauzy, undisciplined world of unreality and lies, where boys can be girls and men can get pregnant and everything is rainbow-colored. Dewey, with his disdain for truth, honor, patriotism, and faith, is educating from the grave. Image: Florida Keys Public Libraries. Joseph Overton, the late political scientist who served as senior vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy until his death, developed a political spectrum theory known as the Overton Window. In describing it, the Center states: The Overton Window is a model for understanding how ideas in society change over time and influence politics. The core concept is that politicians are limited in what policy ideas they can support they generally only pursue policies that are widely accepted throughout society as legitimate policy options. These policies lie inside the Overton Window. The window in the model is not static it can migrate. What once was "unthinkable" and "radical" can easily become "sensible" and "popular" this shift displays "the slow evolution of societal values and norms." E-learning site Preply recently conducted a study, surveying over 1,000 people from the U.S., quizzing them on their reactions to a range of "social justice" words and phrases. Across the board, results were entirely predictable. Generally, Republicans took issue with Marxist language like "Critical Race Theory" and "white privilege," while Democrats did not. However, perhaps the most distressing result was that 55% of Democrats were not hostile to the term "minor-attracted persons" defined in the study as "individuals attracted to people who are minors or below the legal age of consent." Pedophilia was once "unthinkable" and "radical," but it now finds itself within the realm of "sensible" and "popular" due to the shifting nature of the Overton Window. Back in May 2020, British outlet The Daily Mail published the findings of an investigation into the world of pedophilia. According to the report: Britain's most notorious child-sex offenders are using mainstream websites such as YouTube, Twitter and Instagram to rebrand paedophilia [sic] as a harmless sexual preference[.] ... Hundreds of disturbing accounts are being set up every day which refer to both potential and prolific abusers as 'MAPs' Minor-attracted Persons to escape the 'stigma' attached to the word paedophile [sic]. These online predators "use cartoon avatars"; employ hashtag slogans like #MAPPride and #MAPPositivity; and, in many instances, tout their perverse proclivities by sharing the ages of the children to whom they find themselves most attracted. Some of the users detailed that their sexual appeal extends to two-year-olds. The current political and cultural climate are rife with examples of pedophilic propaganda. Everywhere you look, disintegrating institutions embrace the sexualization of American youth whether that's parents exposing their own children to grown men jiggling exposed prosthetic breasts, or school board directors offering sexual "education" at their "all ages sex toy shop." Overton's Window identifies that what is currently a sickening statistic of 55% will soon be higher. Just yesterday, the January 6 U.S. House Select Committee released footage of President Trump recording an address on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after protesters trespassed in the Capitol building. The footage that was first reported by The Washington Post contains outtakes as President Trump goes back and forth with his team, including Ivanka Trump, as they record his address. The article in the WaPo states that "over the course of an hour of trying to tape the message, Trump resisted holding the rioters to account, trying to call them patriots, and refused to say the election was over." In one outtake, Trump at one point interrupts himself to say he does not want to say "the election's over" while reading a script from a teleprompter. The script on the teleprompters reads: "But this election is now over. Congress has certified the results..." Trump responds: "I don't want to say the election's over. I just want to say Congress has certified the results without saying the election's over." Ivanka Trump is heard in the background drafting a new line for her father, including, "now, Congress has certified." In the final cut of the video, Trump said: "Congress has certified the results." In another outtake, Trump took issue with a section that condemned the rioters and responds as follows: "And to those who broke the law, you will pay. You do not represent our movement, you do not represent our country, and if you broke the law can't say that. I'm not gonna. I already said 'you will pay.'" The following are key portions of the WaPo piece that referred to the leak: The hearing will lean heavily into the idea that Trump's dereliction disqualifies him from holding office again. Trump has repeatedly signaled he intends to run for president in 2024. Among the possible recommendations, according to people with knowledge of those discussions passing a law implementing the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment, which could pave the way to attempting to bar Trump from office in the future. The goal of this Stalinist propaganda trial and every shady trick they play was, is, and always has been to prevent Trump from running for president again in 2024. This is a sequel to the Russia collusion probe, whose goal was to force Trump to quit the presidency. There are two aspects to the leak: first the act of leaking, and second, the contents of the leak. Let's look at the act of leaking itself. The leaking of the footage of Trump recording his address falls into the same level of violation as the leaking of the Supreme Court's draft documents, which happened in the run-up to the recent ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Every individual in a position of power, from presidents to Supreme Court justices, deserves to have a secure work environment where he can discuss ideas freely with his team. Recording a speech is a collaborative process among the speechwriters, the advisers, and the president. Anybody who has written articles or delivered speeches knows that texts frequently evolve. Authoring a text is not mathematics, where there is only one answer. The merit of a text is purely subjective. A text may seem perfect to one and deeply flawed to another. It is up to the speaker to decide what can be included in the final draft. The public has the right to judge a president on the basis of his public statements. The public is not entitled to know the thought or ideas or the portion of prose that was rejected as the speech was crafted. We will never, ever see footage and outtakes of Biden taping an address. The establishment will not do that to one of their own. Now let's focus on the content. Leaking works only when it reveals hypocrisy. If Trump had used pejorative epithets for his supporters or had talked about abandoning them, it would have been doubtlessly scandalous. But nothing of the kind occurred. Trump's utterances during the outtakes are consistent with his every public statement. Trump refused to concede defeat, for which he had good reason, just as he had stated in public. Trump stood by his supporters and even wanted to call them patriots. If anything, this footage makes Trump look good. It also reminds people of the good old days, when the U.S. had a president whose cognitive abilities were fully functional and who was truly in command. The last word was always his. The footage demonstrates President Trump's involvement in crafting his speeches. Contrast that with Joe Biden, who reads softly and listlessly off the teleprompter in lines written by others and is so unattuned that he even reads the instructions. We are living in times where immutable norms, which were once considered sacrosanct, are being violated before our eyes without much contemplation. Sadly, this is not the end of it. In the coming days, there will be more violations of norms as the Democrats head to the midterms, where they are likely to face certain defeat. The fact that Washington is trying so hard to prevent Trump from running for president again proves only one thing that he is not just the right man for the job, but the perfect man for the job. Image: Screen shot from shareable NBC News video via YouTube. Samsung will showcase the worlds first 3nm semiconductor chips next week. The company has reportedly scheduled a launch ceremony for Monday, July 25. The firm began mass production of the advanced semiconductors on June 30. Samsungs 3nm chips are based on the Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor architecture. Its a new chip architecture that brings performance and power improvements over the FinFET (Fin field-effect transistor) architecture that current solutions employ. It also allows for a smaller footprint of the processors. The Korean firm is supplying the initial production run of its 3nm solutions to a Chinese firm that makes processors for cryptocurrency mining. However, the company isnt counting on it as a long-term client because of the nature of the industry it is associated with. Samsung would be looking to get onboard some trustworthy clients, such as smartphone makers. Advertisement However, it is reportedly struggling with the yield rate of its 3nm chips. Most of the advanced chips the company manufactures dont meet the required quality. This prevents it from producing a large volume of chips in a short time, something smartphone makers usually demand. The Korean behemoth is now working on improving the yield rate (80 to 90 percent is said to be ideal) while simultaneously improving its chip tech. The company plans to begin the production of second-gen 3nm solutions early next year. Those may be for smartphones. TSMC, which has historically led Samsung in the contract manufacturing space, is also preparing to begin 3nm mass production later this year. But the company is sticking to the FinFET architecture for one more generation. It plans to move to GAAFET with 2nm chips in 2025. However, the Taiwanese companys chip tech has been historically superior to Samsungs. Its solutions usually deliver better overall performance and are more power-efficient than competing solutions from the Korean firm. TSMCs chips are also better in thermal management. So Samsung has its task cut out as it looks to close the gap with its arch-rival. Advertisement Samsung has yet to give its best to 3nm chips Samsung is manufacturing the first batch of its 3nm chips at its Hwaseong factory in South Korea. However, as the company scales up the production, it will likely get other factories on the job too. Perhaps the firm has yet to use its finest chip manufacturing equipment for 3nm solutions. The companys Pyeongtaek factory houses its best chip equipment, while the Hwaseong campus is mostly used for the development of manufacturing technologies (via). Its quite likely that 3nm production will begin in the Pyeongtaek factory once Samsung improves the yield rate. Perhaps the company will manufacture the second-gen solutions here. Time will tell whether the Korean firm can finally challenge TSMC in chip tech. (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 7 - President Sergio Mattarella said at the Italian school in the Zambian capital Lusaka Thursday that "Italy has a vocation to collaboration with all and the fact that this school welcomes young people from many nations indicates that culture and education have no borders, they make everyone grow. "I thanks the teachers for their so important work". Earlier Mattarella told Zambian counterpart Hakinde Hichilema that "I'm extremely happy to be in Lusaka: 30 years have gone by since the last visit by an Italian head of state in Zambia, and this visit expresses the desire to reaffirm our friendship and to develop and consolidate our collaboration". (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 22 - Italy is set to hold a general election on September 25 after President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament on Thursday following outgoing Premier Mario Draghi's resignation, with a coalition of right and centre-right parties tipped to win. The government of national unity headed by the former president of the European Central Bank (ECB) collapsed after a year and a half in power after failing to get the backing of three important parties, ex-premier Giuseppe Conte's 5-Star Movement (M5S), Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) and Matteo Salvini's League, in a confidence vote on Wednesday. The right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party led by Giorgia Meloni, the only major group not to back Draghi's government, is currently top of the opinion polls, with the support of around 23% of the electorate. The right-wing League is polling at around 13-14% and centre-right FI around 8%, which combined should give the right/centre-right a working majority in parliament if it translates into real votes at the ballot box. If the right/centre-right win and the FdI is the party to get most votes, Meloni would be in strong position to become Italy's first woman premier. The right's chances appear to be boosted by the problems faced on the other side of the political spectrum. The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the M5S, which has lost some of its anti-establishment credentials after being part of the last three governments, had been expected to run together at the next election. But this alliance has been thrown into doubt by the fact that M5S triggered the crisis that led to the collapse of Draghi's government by snubbing a confidence vote on a decree last week. The PD, which is a close second to FdI in the polls, stood by Draghi until the end. There are also several small centrist and left-wing parties polling under 5%, most of them well under this threshold. If the PD, the M5S, which is polling at only 10-11% after winning around a third of the vote at the 2018 general election, and these smaller parties do not agree a pact, their chances of stopping the right/centre right appear slim at the moment, according to political commentators. (ANSA). Moscow: Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Greece 'unfriendly' List updated by the Kremlin (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 22 - According to the Russian government's press service, Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia have been added to the list of countries that are hostile to Russia, the news agency TASS reported. "The government has updated the list of foreign states that commit unfriendly acts against Russian diplomatic and consular missions abroad. The list now also includes Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia," the statement said, TASS informed. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved FLORENCE - A group of climate protestors belonging to the 'Ultima Generazione' (Last Generation) group glued themselves to the glass that protects Sandro Botticelli 's Primavera (Spring) at the Uffizi's gallery in Florence on Friday. The group held up a banner reading 'Ultima Generazione No Gas No Carbone' - 'Last Generation, No Gas, No Coal'. The museum said no damage was done to the Renaissance masterpiece. Carabinieri police escorted three protestors, a man and two women who had paid tickets to enter the museum, off the premises. "Is it possible to see a spring as beautiful as this today?" Ultima Generazione said in a statement. "Fires, food crises and drought make it increasingly difficult. "We decided to use art to sound an alarm call: we are heading towards social and eco-climate collapse". This is the latest in a series of acts of civil disobedience that Ultima Generazione has staged to highlight the gravity of the climate crisis and demand action. These have included a recent campaign of blocking traffic on Rome's GRA motorway ring road, which triggered angry reactions from motorists, and chaining themselves to a parapet during a performance of Madama Butterfly at Torre del Lago, near Lucca. Firefighters had to intervene to free them. Civil-disobedience climate groups in other countries have been staging similar protests. Concerned citizens from the UK's Just Stop Oil (JSO) group, for example, glued themselves to John Constable's The Hay Wain at the National Gallery in London at the start of this month, reportedly causing minor damage. Ultima Generazione said Friday that they intend to return to museums in Florence, Venice, Milan and Rome soon for further protests. DAMASCUS - Eight people died in an air raid attributed to Israel which took place last night near the Syrian capital of Damascus. This was reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Syria, according to this source three of the victims were not of Syrian nationality. It is presumed they were either member of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Iran-linked armed movement or officers of the Iranian Pasdaran. The other persons killed were military of the Syrian government, among them an officer of the army in Damascus. The Israeli air raid took place near the military airport of Mezze, near Damascus. "The Israeli enemy conducted an air raid... coming from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan...The aggressor killed three soldiers and wounded seven", announced the Ministry of Defense in a press release. According to sources cited by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Israeli air force targeted an Iranian military drone plant which was completely destroyed. The drone manufacturing plant was located near the Shiite shrine of Sayida Zeinab, the destination for Shiite pilgrims from all over the world. The shrine however has been transformed by the Iranian Pasdaran into one of their strongholds in Syria. For the past few weeks the Lebanese Hezbollah have sent military drones from Lebanon in the direction of the Israeli territory, as a warning sign of a potential military offensive against the "Zionist enemy". During the course of the air raids - according to the sources - the building, housing intelligence officials of the Syrian aviation, one of the four main agencies for the oversight and repression by the Syrian government, was also destroyed at the Mezze airport. Rwandan government officials have accused critics of depicting Africa as a hell-hole which is poor, and full of disease with no opportunities. Yolande Makolo said the countrys deal with the UK is a way to give youngsters the chance to build a life and make it in the east African nation. Asked by reporters why some migrants living in Rwanda said they do not want to stay there, the governments spokeswoman said: We all live here. We dont think of living in Rwanda as a punishment or something bad. I dont see why anyone would. During the briefing on Friday she suggested some people think the streets are paved with gold in Europe, or in richer countries, claiming: Part of the reason is this narrative that is cast by different media that Africa is basically a hell-hole and that it is a terrible place to live, which isnt true. Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo (Victoria Jones/PA) People have their own reasons and dreams about where they want to go, she said, adding: I think this is partly affected or influenced by the kind of stories that cast Western countries as better than Africa, as Africa being a place that is poor and full of disease and no opportunities. And I think that is incorrect. There are some disadvantages, we have limited means, but we are working on it. This partnership that we have with the UK is one way to increase the number of opportunities for young Africans and people from around the world to live here and then make it here. Last month Ms Makolo described criticism of the plan to send migrants from the UK to Rwanda as insulting and claimed there is a narrative that Africa is a shithole, for want of a better word, adding: And its not true. At the time she said opponents were missing the bigger picture about the efforts being made to improve the standard of living in the country and offer better opportunities so they do not lose their young people to Europe as well as provide a safe haven for refugees. When the deal was announced in April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said thousands of migrants could be removed to Rwanda over the course of an initial five-year agreement. Reporters were told on Friday that the country has the capacity to accommodate 200 migrants at present but stands ready to scale up the operation quickly to meet the numbers arriving. Hope Hostel in Kigali, which sleeps 100, is ready to house migrants, and officials are in negotiations with other hotels in and around the capital city. There are also plans for infrastructure developments, they said. Doris Uwicyeza Picard, chief adviser to Rwandas justice minister, said: We are ready to accommodate as many (migrants) as the UK is willing to send. She stressed Rwanda is not a prison state and repeated assurances that authorities will not be able to stop migrants leaving the country if they wish giving rise to questions over whether some may try to make their way back to the UK again. The government will help people return to their country of origin, or another where they have a right to reside, if they choose, she said, adding: We do not want to create statelessness or a revolving door of migrants. How young is too young for children to be left home alone in the school holidays? (Getty Images) The summer holidays are undoubtedly a challenging time for parents, who have six, long weeks to entertain their children while also juggling work and childcare. For some carers the stress of it all could prompt a decision to leave children on their own, but the NSPCC has issued some advice urging mums and dads to think carefully before leaving kids home alone. In an open letter shared to News Letter, Joanne McDonnell, Service Head Helplines, NSPCC Northern Ireland has shared some expert insight about if and when it is safe for your child to be left home alone. The advice comes after the charity previously reported a rise in children being left home over the summer holidays. A 2019 report from the NSPCC revealed that the organisation received 5,737 calls and emails to its helpline in 2018-19 about the issue a 21% increase on the year before. The NSPCC says that it does generally see a rise in contacts to its helpline over the summer months with people concerned about children being left unsupervised. Read more: Quarter of parents think it's OK to leave 11-year-olds at home alone The NSPCC has issued to some guidance about leaving children home alone this summer. (Getty Images) It is likely the rising costs of childcare, particularly in the summer holidays, could be contributing to this rise in concern about children being left unsupervised. Recent figures reveal the average place at a holiday club now costs 145 per week, according to the Coram Family and Childcares 16th annual survey, which is more than twice what parents typically pay for after-school club in term time. Attending a holiday club is now 5% more expensive than it was in 2019, according to the research, and that comes as parents are also struggling with rising energy bills, food prices, fuel costs and more. So when can children legally be left alone? There are no UK laws dictating an age at which children can be left home alone meaning the decision is left solely in the hands of the parent or guardian. Government guidance encourages parents to use their judgement before leaving children alone or in a car. But the NSPCC advises that babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left unsupervised even for 15 minutes while you pop down the road. The charity adds that this applies not just to leaving them home alone but also in your car while you run into the shops. Watch: Duchess of Sussex has insisted that helping working mothers with childcare is "imperative" for business While there is no official law about the age a child is old enough to be left home alone, the NSPCC says it wouldn't recommend leaving a child under 12 years old home alone, particularly for longer periods of time. "Children in primary school aged 6-12 are usually too young to walk home from school alone, babysit or cook for themselves without adult supervision," the charity's online guidance states. "If you need to leave them home, it's worth considering leaving them at a friend's house, with family or finding some suitable childcare." The NSPCC also stresses that children under the age of 16 should not be left unsupervised overnight. Despite being somewhat of a grey area, the government website points out that parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health. Read more: Parents 'paying 22 for doctor's note' to allow children to use toilet during lessons What age can children officially be left on their own in the holidays? (Getty Images) How do you know if your child is mature enough to be left alone? The NSPCC recommends taking to your child as they get older about how they feel about being left home alone. "If they're worried, work out what parts of being home alone worry them," the site suggests. "Do they feel safe in the neighbourhood? Are they afraid of the dark?" The charity suggests talking about anything that is bothering your child and discussing a solution. Understanding why they dont feel comfortable will give you an idea of how to help or why they might not be ready to be left alone. "Its vital to talk to your child about how they feel about this situation and ask if they are worried about anything when being home alone and do they feel safe," McDonnell writes in her open letter to parents. "Regularly checking how they feel, can pinpoint any concerns and will give you an idea of how to help or why they might not be ready to be left alone. If they are happy to be home alone for a while, its always good to check in with them to make sure they feel safe." Read more: School lessons on vaginal and vulval health for 11-18-year-olds will tackle stigma As for knowing when is the right time to leave children on their own, it is often a matter of judgement. Leaving your child home alone can be a difficult decision as children mature at different ages there is no one size fits all answer, Louise Exton, manager at the NSPCC helpline, previously told Yahoo UK. "Parents are best placed to know what is right for their child so its vital there is flexibility for them to decide, but we would urge them to think carefully and use their common sense when deciding if their child could cope. For more guidance on when you should and shouldn't leave your child alone and tips on how to tackle the issue visit the NSPCC's web page on leaving kids home alone. Rail strikes are set to take place next week, causing misery for passengers. Who is going on strike? More than 40,000 workers at Network Rail (NR) and 14 train operating companies are set to strike in England in a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on Wednesday July 27, potentially crippling rail services across the country. Network Rail said a very limited timetable will be available across the country on the strike day (Ashlee Ruggels/PA) The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) has also announced a strike by its members at Avanti West Coast on the same day. NR pointed out that all train operators may be affected by the July 27 strike, whether they have an individual dispute with the RMT or not, as signallers control train movements across the entire country. The companies affected by the RMT strikes are: Network Rail, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains and GTR (including Gatwick Express). Will there be strikes on the London Underground? Transport for London (TfL) said while the industrial action does not involve its staff, varying degrees of disruption are expected on the District and Bakerloo Tube lines, London Overground, and the Elizabeth line, which all share some sections of track with Network Rail. Customers are being urged to check before they travel. Passengers should also expect some disruption on the morning of July 28, with a later start to services as signalling staff return to work. What are the strikes about? NR is introducing reforms. It comes as fewer passengers are travelling by train because of the pandemic, which has led to more people working from home. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch (Dominic Lipinski/PA) They say a two-year, 8% deal with a no-compulsory-redundancy guarantee and other benefits and extras was on the table but the RMT left the talks. Why is the union striking? The RMT said there has been no change or improvement in the pay offers it has received and said the threat of compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50% cuts to maintenance work had been raised. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said driver-only operations and the ransacking of members terms and conditions had also been put on the table by the train operating companies. Are any breakthroughs likely in this dispute? There is plenty of bad blood around as NR has accused the RMT of obstinacy and branded its action as a political campaign while the Department for Transport said the union is hell-bent on creating further misery for passengers across the UK. It added that the rail industry has to modernise and be brought into the 21st century for the benefit of passengers and staff. In turn Mr Lynch has said the RMTs members are more determined than ever to secure a decent pay rise, job security and good working conditions and they will not be bullied or cajoled. He added that the Government needs to stop its interference in the dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement. What will be the impact of the strike? The strike will affect passengers travelling for holidays or attending events such as the womens Euro 2022 semi-final in Milton Keynes on July 27, and the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham the following day. The Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games (Jacob King/PA) NR expects a very limited timetable will be available across the country on the strike day, with around 20% of services running and some parts of the country with no rail services. Special timetables are set to be published this Saturday but trains will start later and finish much earlier than usual. Passengers should expect disruption and only travel if necessary. Will there be more strikes after this week? Members of the drivers union Aslef at eight train operators across the country will go on strike on July 30. Further RMT strikes are also planned for August 18 and 20. Boris Johnson spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, telling the Ukrainian president that UK support will not waver regardless of who becomes the next prime minister. The Prime Minister also welcomed news of much-anticipated deal to get grain out of Ukraine, amid hopes that the agreement can avoid a global food crisis. In a call between the two leaders, Mr Johnson stressed the UKs ongoing determination to support the Ukrainian people and said that resolve will not waver, no matter who becomes the next UK prime minister. Grain being loaded into holds of a sea cargo vessel in Odessa. The agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN will allow exports to resume (Alamy/PA) A Downing Street spokeswoman said, President Zelensky thanked the PM for his staunch support for Ukraine, and for his kind words in his last address to Parliament. The Prime Minister outlined the recent steps the UK has taken to bolster Ukraines resistance, including training thousands of Ukrainian troops in the UK. The UK is working to expand this training effort, including through the involvement of international partners. President Zelensky said the military support being provided by the UK and others is making a real difference in the conflict. The Prime Minister welcomed todays announcement of a UN-brokered deal to get grain out of Ukraine via the Black Sea and end Russias blockade. Both the Prime Minister and President Zelensky stressed the need for the deal to be implemented in full by all parties. Russia and Ukraine on Friday signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations to clear the way for exporting millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertiliser. The moves end a stand-off that had threatened food security around the world. Mr Johnson, who has been a staunch supporter of the Ukrainian fight against Russia, also spoke with Mr Zelensky about plans to host Eurovision and the treatment of UK prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces. The leaders discussed their ongoing concern about the treatment of prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine, including those of British nationality. The Prime Minister thanked President Zelensky for his governments efforts to date to secure detainees freedom, the spokeswoman said. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the role President Zelensky has played and must continue to play in upholding a fair and proper judicial system in Ukraine. The Prime Minister and President Zelensky talked about the ongoing discussions about the hosting of Eurovision next year. The Prime Minister stressed that wherever Eurovision is held it must be an event which celebrates and honours the country and people of Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Friday also praised the efforts of Turkey and the UN to help reach the deal on grain, saying that Vladimir Putins barbaric invasion of Ukraine has meant some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world are at risk of having nothing to eat. It is vital that Ukrainian grain reaches international food markets, and we applaud Turkey and the UN Secretary General for their efforts to broker this agreement, she said. The UK and our allies have been pushing hard to reach this point. Now this agreement must be implemented, and we will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words. To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. British holidaymakers jetting off for the school summer break are likely to find the best prices in Bulgaria and Turkey. Sunny Beach, Bulgaria and Marmaris, Turkey are the joint-cheapest of 16 popular European resorts, according to Post Office Travel Moneys annual Family Holiday Report. The reports Beach Barometer, produced with travel company Tui, estimated a cost of around 86 for 12 common holiday expenses including a family meal, drinks, sun cream, insect repellent and beach items ranging from buckets and spades to lilos, ice-creams, and pedalo rides at the two destinations. Destinations in Bulgaria and Turkey have been revealed as the cheapest in Europe (PA/ Nick Ansell) The report suggests local prices have doubled in Marmaris compared with summer 2019 but the collapse of the Turkish lira since then has helped to reduce the impact. However, Britons can expect to pay almost 11% more than three years ago in Maramaris, compared with 8% at Sunny Beach. Despite the rises, costs at the two destinations were over 20% lower than in the cheapest Eurozone resort, Portugals Algarve, which came in at 108 for the 12 items. Funchal, Madeira was next cheapest at 125, followed by the Costa Del Sol, Spain at 127 and Corfu, Greece at 133. The most expensive was Ibiza, with a cost of roughly 186 on the barometer, followed by Puglia, Italy at around 185. However, prices have fallen in both Ibiza and Puglia since 2019, by 4.9% and 5.2% respectively. The biggest price increase was seen in Crete with a 37.7% rise in prices, now costing around around 161. The report shows prices have risen in three quarters of the 16 European destinations included as a result of higher resort charges for meals and drinks and sterlings fall in value. The average rise across those which saw increases was 13.3%. British tourists are suffering a recent tumble in the value of the pound, currently trading at 1.17 euros after reaching a 2022 high of 1.21 euros in April. Nick Boden, Head of Post Office Travel Money, which accounts for one-in-four UK foreign exchange transactions, said: Sterlings recent fall against European currencies and ongoing uncertainty about how it will perform in the coming weeks means that keeping a tight rein on resort spending will be crucial for families this summer to avoid busting the holiday budget. We found big price variations in the 16 destinations surveyed, particularly across 13 Eurozone resorts. This makes it doubly important for holidaymakers to do their homework and budget carefully to cover costs in the holiday resort they are visiting. We also found that prices can vary dramatically between resorts in the same country. In Greece, for example, barometer costs were 17% lower in Corfu than in Crete. The report also revealed that almost three-in-five (59%) families are planning trips abroad this year but over three-quarters (76%) of them bust their budget by almost 38% on their last holiday, spending 243 extra on the average budget of 644 they had set. NEW YORK (AP) America's top television networks on Thursday turned prime time over to a gripping account of former President Donald Trump's actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol with one prominent exception. The top-rated news network, Fox News Channel, stuck with its own lineup of commentators. Sean Hannity denounced the show trial elsewhere on TV just as he was featured in it, with the House's Jan. 6 committee examining his tweets to Trump administration figures. Hannity aired a soundless snippet of committee members entering the hearing room as part of a lengthy monologue condemning the proceedings. That was all Fox News Channel viewers saw of the hearing. It's really just a cheap, selectively edited political ad, Hannity told his viewers. Meanwhile, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN and MSNBC aired the second prime-time hearing, focusing on Trump's real-time response to the riot. The committee said it was the last hearing until September. This very much sounded like a closing argument, certainly of this chapter of their investigation, and it was profound, ABC News anchor David Muir said. About 20 million people watched the first prime-time hearing on June 9, the Nielsen Company said. Generally, reaching that big an audience in mid-July would be a long shot, as it is the least-watched television month of the year. Yet the seven daytime hearings have proven something of an oddity. Buoyed by strong word-of-mouth, the hearings grew in audience as they went along. CNN, for example, reached 1.5 million people for the second daytime hearing on June 16, and 2.6 million for the last one on June 12, Nielsen said. Fox's broadcast station in New York, which did not air last month's prime-time hearing, showed the Thursday night session. There's little interest at Fox News Channel, which televised the daytime hearings, although only up until the demarcation line of the network's popular show The Five. Ratings show that roughly half the network's audience flees when the hearings start, and return when they're over. That would be a much more serious problem in prime time, where Fox's audience is more than double what it is during the day. Fox News Channel's decision not to air the prime-time hearings is almost certainly a function of the demands of their audience and prime-time hosts, said Nicole Hemmer, an expert on conservative media and author of the upcoming book Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s. It creates an awkward situation when a host like Tucker Carlson tells his audience that the hearings are a debacle not worth their time, and then the network preempts his show to air them, Hemmer said. Sean Hannity told his viewers that the Jan. 6 hearing was "really just a cheap, selectively edited political ad." (AP) Carlson found plenty of things to talk about besides the hearing Thursday, including President Joe Biden's COVID-19 diagnosis, a meltdown by liberals over the U.S. Supreme Court's abortion decision, the failure of drug legalization, climate crazies and trans-affirming lessons in Los Angeles schools. Hannity's lead story was the grand finale of the Jan. 6 committee, although he didn't show it at least with the sound on. He brought on guests like GOP Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, who said that if the hearings have done anything, they've exonerated President Trump and the people supporting him. Talk show host Mark Levin told Hannity the U.S. Justice Department is corrupt because the Colbert 9 are roaming free. That's a reference to federal prosecutors' decision not to bring charges against nine people associated with CBS Late Show with Stephen Colbert who were arrested in a U.S. Capitol complex building last month. While Hannity was on the air, the Jan. 6 committee showed tweets that Hannity and other Fox News personalities had sent to Trump administration officials, warning that the Capitol riot was making the president look bad. In a closing statement, Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee's vice chair, noted that most of its case against Trump has been made by Republicans. She ridiculed the notion that the committee's findings would be much different if Republicans other than she and Rep. Adam Kinzinger were members. Do you really think that Bill Barr is such a delicate flower that he would wilt under cross-examination? she said. The Republicans watching Fox News Channel on Thursday night didn't hear her. Former Irish soldier to be sentenced for Islamic State membership A former Irish soldier found guilty of being a member of the so-called Islamic State (IS) is due to appear before a Dublin court on Friday for sentencing. Ex-Defence Forces member Lisa Smith, 40, was found guilty in May of membership of the IS terror group but was acquitted of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublins non-jury Special Criminal Court. Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country. The Co Louth woman had pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of IS and providing funds to benefit the group. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, 40, is due to be sentenced (Niall Carson/PA) She was granted bail ahead of sentencing. Smith, from Dundalk, was described in court earlier this month as an extremely vulnerable person who was treated like a servant by her late husband when in Syria. The details emerged during a sentencing hearing on July 11 as her barrister argued that the former soldier should receive a suspended sentence. During the hearing, barrister Michael OHiggins SC argued that the state of Ms Smiths marriage to a man, who the prosecution has claimed was a member of IS while in Syria, is a very relevant factor in mitigation. Mr OHiggins said that conditions endured by Ms Smith in a Syrian camp, combined with the strict bail conditions imposed on her for two-and-a-half years in Ireland, meant that a suspended sentence was warranted. The court heard that after leaving Baghuz, Ms Smith stayed at the Al Hawl camp from February to mid-April in an undercurrent of fear, with guards patrolling the area and dogs let out at night. Her barrister argued that if those two arguments are not accepted, there should be a sentence on the lower end, particularly considering Ms Smiths child and all of the very unusual circumstances. The verdict in the case was read out by Mr Justice Tony Hunt on May 30. In his judgment Justice Hunt, who sat as part of the three-judge court, acquitted her of the financing terrorism charge, saying it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that when she sent 800 euro to a man in 2015 it was specifically for the purpose of supporting the IS group. But the judge said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Smith took up membership of IS when she crossed the border into Syria in October 2015. He told the court that Ms Smiths online communications with various people showed that her eyes were wide open to the situation in the land to which she fervently wished to return. Justice Hunt said Ms Smith pledged allegiance to the organisation which al-Baghdadi headed up and that she knew the organisation was unlawful, and that it was not conventional or religious. A new ruling released Thursday, will allow clinics in Louisiana to continue providing abortions while lawsuits challenging the state's near total ban are resolved. Earlier this week, a group of protesters chanted against anti-abortion rights laws outside a Baton Rouge district court; "Not the church not the state, women will decide our fate." Inside, a judge considers what to do about a Louisiana trigger law that's triggering emotions statewide. Kellyann Bates participated in the abortion rights protest. "There's just so many things that are frustrating right now, that I feel are really out of my control but if we come together, we can change things," Bates said. Protesters armed with microphones and speakers outside that court nearly drowned out the state's Attorney General, Jeff Laundry during a press conference. "Those people that don't like it have two choices; they can go and try to change the law, but if they find themselves in the minority of ideas, they can pack their bags and go somewhere else," When the Supreme Court struck down Roe versus Wade in June, it was left for states to decide on abortion laws. In Louisiana, trigger laws were set to immediately ban most abortions. But a Shreveport clinic sued the state; and for the second time a Louisiana judge blocked the trigger law from taking effect, but no one knows for how long. Louisiana's Right to Life is one of many groups watching this case closely at the state's capitol. Sarah Zagorski is Louisiana's Right to Life communications director. "Louisiana's overwhelmingly pro-life and that was a no right to abortion can be found in our state constitution," Zagorski said. "I mean, I think this is just a delaying tactic by the abortion proponents, specifically hope medical group, to just continue abortion as long as they can with this TRO (temporary restraining order)," she continued. That state judge hasn't removed it. The clinic that started the lawsuit says there are so many abortion laws that its confusing what restrictions and penalties are in place. State Representative Mandie Landry is a big supporter of women's rights. "Overzealous legislators, they all have to have their name on some anti-abortion legislation," Landry said. She notes that lawmakers wrote bills in ways that make it hard to understand what law supersedes the next. "And what happened was so many of them have done that over the years, that so many of the laws they wrote conflict because the Louisiana legislature isn't necessarily known for being accurate all the time," she continued. Legal abortions can continue in Kentucky under a judges decision Friday blocking enforcement of two state laws that would ban abortions in most cases. In a ruling that read at times like a repudiation of the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision striking down a federal right to abortion under the longstanding Roe vs. Wade case, Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry said there are significant questions on whether Kentuckys anti-abortions laws are constitutional. Perry issued an injunction that will allow abortions to continue until a lawsuit is resolved in court. That could take months, though Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he would appeal the ruling, which could affect the status. Perry recognized the states argument that it has an interest in protecting what the law calls unborn human beings, but said women have a greater right to self-determination. The fundamental right for a woman to control her own body free from governmental interference outweighs a state interest in potential fetal life before viability, Perry wrote. Whether to have a child, Perry said, is a decision that has perhaps the greatest impact on a persons life and as such is best left to the individual to make, free from unnecessary governmental interference. Perry issued an injunction to prevent state officials from enforcing two laws intended to criminalize most abortions. One is called the trigger law, which would make it a crime to perform an abortion except in very limited situations in which a woman faces a risk of death or serious impairment from a pregnancy. The Kentucky legislature, dominated by Republicans, passed the law in 2019 to take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court ever struck down Roe vs. Wade. That happened June 24, ending nearly 50 years of legal abortion in the U.S. to the delight of evangelical Christians and others who had fought for decades to overturn the law. The other law at issue is the fetal heartbeat law. It bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is usually when a woman is about six weeks pregnant. Cameron argued to enforce the bans in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, but two abortion providers sued to try to maintain access to abortion in Kentucky. They are EMW Womens Surgical Center, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, and Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky. Both provide procedural abortions in Louisville. Perry issued a temporary restraining order June 30 to block the laws and then took testimony on whether to issue an injunction. In the order Friday, Perry said there is a substantial likelihood that the trigger ban and the heartbeat law violate the Kentucky Constitution. The trigger law arguably improperly delegated the legislatures authority to another body, the U.S. Supreme Court, and could be considered unconstitutionally vague over questions of when to begin enforcement, Perry said. As for the heartbeat law, referred to in the decision as the six week ban, Perry found a likelihood that it violates state constitutional rights to privacy, self-determination, equal protection for women and religious freedom. The law would create obligations for woman and expose them to potential restrictions and penalties that would not apply to men, Perry said. Perry said pregnancy is the only context in which a womans bodily autonomy is taken from her, noting that people cant be legally required to give blood, take part in a bone-marrow transplant or even donate organs after death without consent. This is a burden that falls directly, and only, on females. It is inescapable, therefore, that these laws discriminate on the basis of sex, Perry wrote. Perry also noted Kentuckys Constitution has been described as providing a greater right to privacy than that of the U.S., and the state has a long history of limiting governmental intrusion and overreach. The Six Week Ban flies directly in the face of that tradition, he said. As for religious freedom, Perry said Christians and Catholics believe that life begins at conception the idea of independent fetal personhood but other faiths have different views. That means the state laws aimed at limiting abortion impermissibly endorse the doctrine of a favored faith for preferred treatment, Perry said. Perry said history may undermine the argument that the state historically has been anti-abortion. Abortion with the consent of the mother before quickening when a pregnant woman can start to feel a baby move was legal in Kentucky in the 1800s, the judge said. Abortion providers applauded the decision. Once again, the courts have rightly stopped Attorney General Daniel Camerons relentless efforts to ban abortion, which would have devastating consequences for Kentuckians, the providers said in a statement. No one should be forced to carry a pregnancy against their will or flee the state to access essential health care. Cameron said the decision was disappointing. The judges suggestion that Kentuckys Constitution contains a right to abortion is not grounded in the text and history of our states governing document, Cameron said in a statement. We will continue our steadfast defense of these bipartisan laws that represent the Commonwealths commitment to the lives of the unborn. The Family Foundation decried the decision as judicial activism. Judge Perrys appalling action to issue a temporary injunction against enforcement of Kentuckys Human Life Protection Act is egregiously wrong and unjustifiable. Perry continues to blatantly disregard the Commonwealths pro-life laws, history, and the U.S. Supreme Court, the executive director, David Walls, said in a statement. The Kentucky Supreme Court must end this injunction immediately to ensure that the abortion industry stops killing children in the womb in violation of the law. Kentucky voters will decide this fall whether to approve an amendment declaring that the state Constitution does not include a right to abortion. Army soldiers keep watch near a barricade after an eviction of protesters from the presidential secretariat premise in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Friday. (Eranga Jayawardena / Associated Press) An ally of the Rajapaksa political family was appointed Friday as Sri Lanka's prime minister, hours after security forces cleared the main protest site occupied for months by demonstrators angry at the Rajapaksas over the country's economic collapse. New President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elected by lawmakers and sworn into office this week, appointed his school classmate Dinesh Gunawardena to succeed him as prime minister. Gunawardena is 73 and belongs to a prominent political family. Sri Lankans have taken to the streets for months demanding their leaders resign over an economic crisis that has left the island nations 22 million people short of essentials like medicine, food and fuel. The protests forced out President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week. His family has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the last two decades, but public outrage over the economic crisis forced several family members to leave ministry posts earlier in the crisis. Gunawardena 's appointment came several hours after security forces made several arrests and cleared a protest camp near the presidential palace in the capital, Colombo, where demonstrators have gathered for 104 days. Army and police personnel arrived in trucks and buses around midnight, removing tents and protest banners. They blocked off roads leading to the site and carried long poles. The security forces were witnessed beating up at least two journalists. The Bar Assn. of Sri Lanka, the main lawyers body in the country, also said at least two lawyers were assaulted when they went to the protest site to offer their counsel. Its statement Friday called for a halt to the unjustified and disproportionate actions of armed forces against civilians. On Monday, when he was then the acting president, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency that gave him broad authority to act in the interest of public security and order. Authorities have broad power to search premises and detain people, and Wickremesinghe can change or suspend any law. On Friday, he issued a notice under the state of emergency calling out the armed forces to maintain law and order nationwide. The emergency must be reviewed by Parliament regularly to decide whether to extend it or let it expire. Wickremesinghe, also 73, has wide experience in diplomatic and international affairs and has been overseeing bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. He said Monday those discussions were near a conclusion and talks on help from other countries had also progressed. He also said the government has taken steps to resolve shortages of fuel and cooking gas. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Even though hundreds of people were sent to prison for demonstrating against the government last year, Cubans continue taking to the streets, this time moved by the hours-long electricity blackouts that the government said wont stop anytime soon because of the poor state of the countrys electrical grid. Residents of Jaguey Grande, in Matanzas and the towns of Sagua la Grande and Caibarien, in the Villa Clara province, staged public demonstrations in the middle of blackouts on Thursday night, according to several videos published on social media. They banged pots and pans and chanted slogans like Long Live a Free Cuba and Patria y Vida. But many had one request: Bring the f---ing electricity back. At least in one town, the demonstrations worked: Electrical service was restored just minutes after the protest started, said Vilma Albuerne, a resident of Caibarien who live-streamed video of the protesters. She said residents quickly dispersed in the darkness after members of the governments special forces were sent to quell the protest. Her original video was deleted from her Facebook account on Friday afternoon. #UltimaHora. Se calento Jaguey Grande en Matanzas... el pueblo ya no aguanta mas!!#Cubaparalacalle pic.twitter.com/Abk05iYq8v Mag Jorge Castro (@mjorgec1994) July 22, 2022 The government is aware the situation is volatile, especially because Cubans face a whole range of everyday difficulties in getting food, medicine and essential goods. The high temperatures and a dengue fever epidemic make the lengthy blackouts particularly unbearable. Last week there was a similar protest during a blackout in Los Palacios, a town in the western provide of Pinar del Rio. As long as the blackouts continue and we continue to feel the inconvenience, the dissatisfaction will continue, and it will be difficult to change the states of opinion, the countrys leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel, said in June. But on Monday, the minister of energy and mining, Livan Arronte Cruz, plainly said the electrical cuts would continue because the grid is currently operating at 38% of capacity. The system is working with no reserves, and during peak hours the demand exceeds the generation capacity, he said on live television. A fire at a power station in the eastern province of Holguin early this month killed any hopes of avoiding blackouts in the area this summer. Officials said the accidental fire will put one of the plants generating units out of commission for more than a year. Domestic oil production covers only part of the islands demand for electricity, and the government has been relying on oil sent by Venezuela, a close political ally, to cover the rest. Cuba received about 66,400 barrels per day of crude oil, fuel oil and gasoline from Venezuela in June, according to data from Venezuelas state oil company, PDVSA, reviewed by Reuters. But Venezuelas own production problems have forced Cuban authorities to buy oil on the international market to cover the deficit. On Monday, the same day the energy minister was warning that power blackouts would not end, a Russian ship unloaded 700,000 barrels of fuel oil at a terminal in the port of Matanzas. While the shipment might ease some of the countrys most immediate needs, the Energy minister and other officials painted a dire picture of the dilapidated state of the electrical grid. The countrys power stations are 37 years old on average, significantly over the expected 25 years of service that is the current standard. Scheduled maintenance has been delayed for 16 stations. A backup system powered by diesel is operating at most at 44% capacity because of the lack of resources, the minister said. The backup system was part of Fidel Castros energy revolution during the mid-2000s. But the price of diesel fuel has skyrocketed, averaging $5.52 a gallon in the U.S. this week. And maintenance of the stations has lagged since 2017 because of a lack of funding, resulting in 339 units currently out of service because they require new parts, said Arles Luna Leiva, an official with Cubas Electric Union, the state electricity company. Electric transmission lines are in a critical state due to lack of maintenance and resources, said the companys director, Jorge Armando Cepero Hernandez. The officials said because of the lack of money there are no immediate solutions. The Russian government gave Cuba a $1.3 billion loan in 2015 to build four 200-megawatt units in two power stations, but the Cuban government has not explained what happened to the funds. A country on edge: Cubans share images of protests, police beatings and healthcare crisis Meanwhile, Cubans appear to have lost patience with official explanations. Enough is enough. Everybody to the streets, said a woman recording a protest in Jaguey Grande. Turn on the electricity now. Its abusive, and thats why they shut down the internet so the world cannot see what we are going through. Only 2% of CPAs are Black, according to the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. But a new partnership between the University of South Carolina and Benedict College aims to change that. Tracy Dunn, the dean of Benedict Colleges School of Business and Entrepreneurship, was approached by USCs Darla Moore School of Business in the spring of 2021 with the intention of forming a relationship between the two institutions. Out of this new relationship came the Masters of Accounting (MACC) Emerging Leaders Program, a direct pathway for Benedict College students to attend graduate school and earn their certified public accounting license. Dunn, a two-time graduate of the Moore School herself, couldnt be happier. I know the quality education they are going to receive and the opportunities that will exist for them, not only in the classroom with those top-notch faculty, but also outside of the classroom, said Dunn. Peter Brews, dean of the Moore School, has high hopes for the program. All our graduates leave very well prepared for the careers they hope to build, and we expect our MACC Emerging Leaders graduates will be no different, Brews said. The students apply to the Moore School like anyone else. However, the program provides something more academic and professional mentorship. This is something Tiara Dungy, the Moore Schools director of inclusive engagement for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said is essential in building networks that support the students growth and future success in the job market. Everyone needs a champion, Dungy said. The unique strength of the MACC Emerging Leaders Program is that it seamlessly incorporates building the social capital these students will need to stand out. Tuition for the students is fully subsidized, and each will receive an additional $5,000 stipend to assist with living expenses. Funding was secured from the accounting firm FORVIS and the USC Rising STARS Fellowship, an initiative that provides support for graduates of South Carolina HBCUs to pursue graduate education. In my experience, its quite unusual for a masters program in any of the business disciplines to offer such generous financial support, said Dunn. Without it, Im not so certain the students would have this opportunity. Dungy called such significant financial aid the only logical step in recognizing the students hard work. These students participating in the pathway program are stellar, and we are meeting them halfway and showing that we want to support their journey, Dungy said. Dunn called the partnership between USC and Benedict historic. It is the first of its kind between the universitys business school and an HBCU. Brews said it was only natural given the proximity of the two schools. As two of the oldest institutions for higher learning in South Carolina, as well as close community neighbors, it is vital that we demonstrate our values through institutional partnerships, Dungy said. Dungy said that these relational ties create opportunities for change. The more collaborative bonds we can build across the greater Columbia metropolitan area, the more innovation will follow, Dungy said. I see good things on the horizon, Dunn said. This is the start of something that could grow. The programs inaugural cohort consists of three Benedict accounting students: Heyveon Clemons, Angela Lalwani and Kenyon Gray. They will begin their studies this fall. We are so proud of them, Dunn said. Brews and Dunn said they hope to increase that number in the future. Clemons, who fell in love with accounting at Benedict, has always dreamed of owning his own business and now looks forward to earning his CPA license. Not everyone gets this opportunity, Clemons said. Its a blessing. While nervous about the challenges ahead maintaining his grades, encountering a new atmosphere and balancing school and personal life Clemons said he is excited and hopes to be a role model and to encourage other Black students to study accounting. FILE - Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, is led out a courthouse by military and civil police officers in Atalia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, June 15, 2022, after his arrest and that of his brother Amarildo, as a main suspect in the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira. Prosecutors presented their charges on July 21, 2022, outlining that two of the men Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima have confessed to the crime, while witness testimony indicates Oseney also participated, according to the statement. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros, File) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Public prosecutors have charged three individuals with the June murder of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in the remote western reaches of Brazil's Amazon rainforest, according to a statement. All are local riverine dwellers, and their motive was that Pereira asked Phillips to photograph them when they passed by in a boat, the statement said. The area is a hotspot for illegal fishing and poaching. Phillips and Pereira had met with Indigenous people near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia, and were traveling along the Itaquai River back to the city of Atalaia do Norte when they were attacked. Their disappearance generated intense international outcry and pressure for action and, with the help of local Indigenous people, authorities located their bodies hidden in the forest. Prosecutors presented their charges Thursday, outlining that two of the men Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima have confessed to the crime, while witness testimony indicates Oseney da Costa de Oliveira also participated, according to the statement. Pereira had previous confrontations with fishermen when seizing their catch and had received multiple threats. He carried a gun with him, and had left the federal Indigenous affairs agency in order to teach local Indigenous people how to patrol their land and gather geo-tagged photographic evidence of criminality. On the day they were murdered, Pereira was transporting such evidence to authorities in Atalaia do Norte, and he was shot three times. Phillips, who was conducting research for a book entitled How to Save the Amazon, was killed because only because of being with Bruno, in order to ensure impunity for the prior crime, the prosecutors' statement said. There has been speculation in the Brazilian press that their murder may have been ordered by the ringleader of an illegal fishing network. Police earlier this month arrested a fourth man when he presented false documents, believing he may have some involvement, but no charges have yet been filed. Karen Lynn Gaskill Baker was an early bird who always took care of others. Both qualities brought her to an ATM in the University City area last week where her life was taken in what police are calling a heinous act of violence. Baker, 48, left her Charlotte home early on Wednesday, July 13, to get some cash to help her father-in-law pay a bill, said her son, William McClure. Before the sun came up, she withdrew money from the Bank of America ATM on University City Boulevard, just across the street from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Police are still investigating what exactly happened next, but Baker was shot and killed in what appears to be a random robbery. McClure called the violence evil and senseless. So giving, selfless, is the biggest thing I would say to describe my mom, he said. Most of her life she spent most of her time making other people whole. Those people who robbed her, my mom would have given them money. She would have given them her last dollar if they needed it. READ MORE: CMPD releases photos of suspect, vehicle in womans shooting death in University City Baker was born on Dec. 8, 1973 in Vineland, New Jersey. When she was a toddler, her family moved to western North Carolina, where many of her relatives still live. She spent most of the rest of her life in Haywood County, visiting New Jersey in the summers. Friends and family describe her as always putting others needs before her own. She was always caring, always willing to help anybody out, always had her door open, it didnt matter who it was, said Bakers sister-in-law Jenny Gaskill. Karens always been there for me. Gaskill recalls fond memories of family trips when their kids were younger, saying that Bakers love for children was not limited to her own. All my kids loved her to death, Gaskill said. Any of the four of mine could always go to her, and my niece and my nephews. Baker had four kids three sons and a daughter and eventually added two step-children. She married Justin Baker in 2011, and four years ago moved to Charlotte with her husband to help take care of his father. But the move did not keep her from her three grandchildren: 7-year-old Harlan, 6-year-old Huxton, and 2-year-old Camila. Two or three times a month Baker would make the three-hour trip between Charlotte and Canton to see her grandkids, McClure said. They had plans next month to head down to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to continue a family tradition started a couple of years ago. That was her favorite place to be, at the beach, hearing the waves crashing, hearing the birds and feeling the still air at night, McClure said, adding that being with her grandchildren made it even better. They would run out to the ocean together, they would swim together, they would play with monster trucks in the sand together. McClure said his mother had recently decided that weekends and beach trips werent allowing enough time with family and was planning a change. My mom had plans to move back to Haywood County to be reunited full time with her children and grandchildren, and they took that chance from all of us, he said. Bakers murder comes amid a spate of gun violence in the Charlotte area. Hers was at least the 57th homicide in Mecklenburg County this year, according at a Charlotte Observer count, and there have been at least six more in the week since Baker was killed, including another homicide just blocks from where Baker was killed. So far in 2022, there have been 63 homicides, compared with 52 at this time last year, a 21% jump. Its heinous, it is disgusting, and it pains me to have to come up and stand here in front of people and talk about that. But we want to find justice, we want to find people that killed this poor woman, CMPD Maj. Brian Foley said at a news conference last week. On Thursday, CMPD released photos of the suspect in Bakers shooting. . Were hopeful that justice will be served, McClure said. A GoFundMe has been set up for Bakers grandchildren so that they may continue to feel their Nanas love as they grow up. Theyre just shattered without her, McClure said about his three kids. And of course its even harder as her son because I have to carry on and make sure my kids are OK and make sure they know theyre loved and make sure they know their Nana will always be with them. Charlie Crist and Nikki Fried faced off Thursday in the first and likely only televised debate between two candidates asking Florida Democrats to choose them in next months Aug. 23 primary as the partys nominee to take on Gov. Ron DeSantis in November. Crist, a congressman from St. Petersburg and a former Republican governor of Florida, has been consistently leading over Fried, the states elected agriculture commissioner, in most public polls of the race. The pre-taped South Florida debate aired by Telemundo 51 and NBC 6 was the only televised debate that Crist has agreed to a point that Fried noted at the start of her opening statement. The debate, which had few dramatic moments, took place as vote-by-mail ballots arrived at voters homes across the state. Here are the highlights: The Democratic primary isnt getting any friendlier The debate showed that Florida Democrats will have a hard time moving on from a primary that has turned more personal and divisive in the past few months. Fried at one point compared Crist to conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Crist called her desperate. Fried also, in criticizing DeSantis, said unfortunately so many of these policy initiatives that [DeSantis] is fighting on today were Charlies when he was a Republican. At one point, Crist put Fried on the spot to answer if she was willing to endorse him if she lost the primary, saying he would do so if he lost. Fried curved around the question. Instead, she said though Crist may agree on some policies, voters need to pick the person that can beat DeSantis and that the person who could do it was her. If we vote for Charlie, were going to see Ron DeSantis running for president because hell get another term, she said. Crist finally fires back at Fried Crist has long been known in politics for his soft manner and nice-guy charm. And for the majority of his more than year-long campaign, Crist has looked the other way at Frieds repeated attacks on his record and his character. He and his team have deflected questions and insisted the opponent theyre focused on is DeSantis. But on Thursday, Crist fired back at Fried throughout the debate, challenging her criticisms of him as desperation and her past donation to Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody. On the question of abortion, Fried pounced on Crist, criticizing his prior record on abortion access and said when women die here in the state of Florida due to new restrictions that it would be on Crist. Fried has constantly come after Crist for his record on abortion, and Crist has typically responded by affirming his support for abortion access over the years. But on Thursday, he addressed Fried in the most direct way yet, saying she was trying to muddy it up. And lets understand whats going on here, he said. Youre losing this campaign. Its time for desperation. And now its on full display all over the state of Florida. And Im sorry to see that. Ron DeSantis still the focus Even as the candidates debated each other, DeSantis still hung over the crowd as the biggest name in the room it was mentioned 36 times during the hour-long debate. Both painted him as being inflated with power and on the path toward the White House, and said he supports policies that have negatively impacted Floridas LGBTQ+ population, Black Floridians, the business community and more. And when asked by the debate moderator what the loss of each candidate could mean for the viability of the Democratic Party, both dismissed it saying challenging DeSantis was the most important thing. Fried said her parents told her she had an obligation to stand up against bullies, which motivated her run against DeSantis. I had no choice but to stand up and to make sure that he was a one-term governor, she said. Its supposed to be public service, and youre supposed to serve with a servants heart, Crist said. Ron DeSantis, make no mistake about it, is a politician who only cares about his own future. On questions about policies, both repeatedly brought things back to DeSantis whether it was the states property insurance crisis, his fight with Disney, his promotion of congressional maps that eliminated a Black-majority North Florida district and more. In their final remarks, though both candidates got a quick barb in at each other, they closed by looking toward not just Augusts election, but Novembers. Candidates made similar promises and focused on personal differences Like Fried and Crist at times themselves acknowledged, they agreed on points brought up over the course of the night. Both pointed to housing and affordability as a critical issue. They both agreed they would support a death sentence for the Parkland shooter, whose sentencing trial is currently underway. And they both agreed they are staunchly pro-choice. Crist, who said he would work closely with the Biden administration if elected, highlighted his experience in the governors mansion as his biggest strength and greatest difference from his opponent. Being governors a big job, he said. And it takes people who are ready to make big decisions. Ive done it. Ill do it again. We have to have a governor who will try to bring us together again instead of dividing Florida, like DeSantis has torn Florida apart. We need a governor who wants to care about the people of our state, not the people in Iowa or New Hampshire who are going to be voting in 2024 for the Republican nominee for president. Fried argued that her biggest contrast to Crist was their stances on abortion, an attack she has echoed throughout her campaign. When asked a question about abortion by the debate moderator, she said it was the greatest difference between myself, Charlie, and Ron. I have been pro-choice my entire life, Fried said. I have made sure that Ive stood on the side of women. Charlie cannot say the same thing. Mike Hernandez, a political analyst for Telemundo 51, told the Herald/Times that the debate featured few convincing shots from either candidate, which he said was not a point in favor of Fried. No knockout blows, which, if youre Nikki Fried, you need to draw a bigger contrast, Hernandez said. No big blows? Thursdays Democratic debate did not deliver any memorable zingers, and for the most part candidates let each other speak uninterrupted. But things were clearly tense ahead of the taping earlier in the day. As the candidates prepared to debate each other, Fried took to Twitter to complain that Crist was 30 minutes late to the Miramar studio (a claim that Crists campaign says is false). She added the delay was delayed because his fan was too loud. Cant make it up. Crists personal fan has come up during previous debates during his three decades of political life. Its a fixture of his stage appearances and emblematic of his reported hate of sweat. Another person in the studio during the taping confirmed to the Herald there were, in fact, some technical issues with Crists iconic fan interfering with the microphone. Lest it be the most important takeaway from the debate, Crists campaign countered the logistics of fan placement only took a minute and a half, at most. A single motorist crash in Gem County left a 73-year-old man dead, Idaho State Police said. At about 2:52 p.m. Thursday, the man was driving his 2020 Harley Davidson motorcycle northbound on the Sweet-Ola Highway around mile marker 3.5 when he failed to negotiate a curve and drove off the road, according to a news release from state police. He crossed a canal and stopped in a nearby pasture. The Sweet man, who was wearing a helmet, died from his injuries at the scene, state police said. Sweet is an unincorporated community northeast of Emmett. State police were investigating. If you enjoyed Immersive Van Gogh at Zona Rosa earlier this year, youre in for a treat. The same company that brought you the Van Gogh exhibit is bringing Immersive King Tut: Boy. King. Hero to Kansas City on Sept. 16. The exhibition will be shown on the second floor of The Grove building the same space as the Van Gogh traveling exhibit. Whats in the exhibit? Immersive King Tut will use stunning visuals to tell the story of Amduat, an important ancient Egyptian funerary text. Its thought to be the oldest known illustrated story depicted on the tombs of pharaohs. Modern video mapping and animations will tell the story of King Tuts passage into the afterlife as he escorts the sun through the underworld each night to rise again each morning. Since the discovery of his tomb a century ago, Tutankhamun or King Tut has transfixed the world, Corey Ross, Immersive King Tut producer, said in a statement. Over the past 100 years, the magnificent artifacts from his tomb have drawn millions of visitors eager to see first-hand the grandeur and splendor of Egypts most famous leader. Who is bringing Egypt to Kansas City? The exhibit is presented with help from the Egyptian Council for Tourism Affairs. Dr. Hazem Attiatalla said in a statement that the exhibit highlights one of the most important elements of ancient Egyptian civilization. Immersive King Tut will amaze the lovers of ancient Egyptian civilization, Dr. Attiatalla said. On behalf of the Egyptian tourism industry, we have given our full support to this show to not only highlight the magnificence of ancient Egypt, but to attract more tourist traffic to Egypt. Kansas City is one of seven cities that will host the exhibit. Denvers exhibit opened Friday and itll be in the following cities on these dates: Aug. 12: Toronto Aug. 19: Los Angeles Sept. 23: Dallas Sept. 30: Phoenix Oct. 14: Chicago Where do I get tickets? Tickets are on sale now and you can buy them here. Prices range from $30 to $40 and dates are open from Sept. 16 to Jan. 2, 2023. Every day, Americans use hundreds of millions of semiconductors. These small computers are used in seemingly everything, from smartphones, cars, televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators to aircraft, spacecraft, medical devices, and manufacturing equipment. The list of products, equipment, and devices that rely on semiconductors is nearly endless. Over the past half-century, the continual improvement in chip computing power has been the essential factor in the relentless march of technological advancement across industries, countries, and professions. Chips have improved our lives in immeasurable ways. Frank Jemley They are among the most vital components fueling the American economy, the worlds largest. They are equally vital to our economy and jobs here in Kentucky. Chips are used in every phase of manufacturing Kentuckys numerous world-class products. Kentucky manufacturers directly employ more than 260,000 Kentuckians, paying family-sustaining salaries averaging nearly $75,000 per year. But America has lost its dominance in chip manufacturing and must solve the crises that have resulted. Congress has a chance to begin restoring Americas critical chip production capability, grow American and Kentucky jobs, and protect the nations security by passing the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) Act that is now before the U.S. Senate. The Covid-19 pandemic created a chip shortage that continues to ripple through nearly every facet of the Kentucky and American economies. Manufacturing plants are being idled and supply chains stretched by months or more. The dominance of American industries and the security of their employees jobs are being endangered by the chip shortage short-term and the dwindling American share of global semiconductor manufacturing long-term. Americas chip-making industry is strong, but its market share has dropped considerably over the past 30 years, from 37 percent to 12 percent, as chip production has gradually drifted overseas, primarily to Asia. The economic realities of chip reliance, a chip shortage, and Americas diminished capacity to produce chips have collided. The solution begins with the bipartisan CHIPS Act the Senate started debating this week. Majorities of both parties in both chambers of Congress have already supported earlier versions of the bill that provides $52 billion to stimulate investment in the construction and upgrading of American chip manufacturing facilities into the next decade. Together with other measures, the legislation will start the process of fortifying Americas existing domestic manufacturing and provide a path to sustainable growth over the next several years. Fortunately, Kentucky has a strong leader and advocate in our corner on this issue, as we have had at so many junctures: Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Kentuckys senior senator has been a champion of American business and innovation throughout his nearly four decades in the Senate. He was one of 19 Senate Republicans to vote in favor of the original Senate bill that has now become the CHIPS Act. Kentuckys business leaders are grateful to Senator McConnell for his leadership on economic issues, and we need his leadership again now. Hundreds of thousands of Kentucky manufacturing jobs and millions of other American jobs depend over the long term on the restoration of a strong American semiconductor industry that is indispensable to our economy and security. Senator McConnell can lead that charge by ensuring that Congress sends the CHIPS Act without delay to the President for his signature. Frank Jemley III is the President and CEO of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. Man indicted in rape of Ohio girl who crossed state lines for abortion FILE PHOTO: Gerson Fuentes poses for a booking photograph at the Franklin County Corrections Center By Steve Gorman (Reuters) - An Ohio grand jury on Thursday returned a two-count indictment against the man accused of raping a girl who later traveled to Indiana to obtain an abortion because she was barred from terminating the pregnancy in her home state. The indictment also reveals that the girl was just 9 years old at the time she was assaulted, younger even than the 10 years of age widely reported at the time she sought an out-of-state abortion. Gerson Fuentes, 27, jailed since his July 12 arrest, was previously charged with rape in a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors in a case that stirred an uproar following the U.S. Supreme Court decision last month erasing a constitutional right to abortion. Ohio law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy - before many women are even aware they are expecting - and makes no exceptions for rape or incest. The Ohio ban went into effect hours after the Supreme Court's conservative majority struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision establishing a national right to an abortion and allowing each state to regulate the procedure as it sees fit. Fuentes is to be arraigned on the new charges next Monday. A police investigator testified at his previous arraignment last week that Fuentes had confessed to raping his victim at least twice, and that the girl underwent an abortion in neighboring Indiana on June 30. The indictment charges Fuentes with two counts of rape, according to a redacted copy of the document filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. It says the victim was 9 years old on both occasions but gives no details of the alleged encounters or of how the defendant and victim may have known one another. An electronic court docket shows Fuentes has yet to enter a plea and has no attorney of record. A grand jury indictment in such a case is largely a procedural matter that spares prosecutors the additional legal step of asking a judge to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial. Abortion rights advocates, and even U.S. President Joe Biden, have seized on the plight of the young rape victim as a talking point to demonstrate the real-life consequences of restricting abortion access. Opponents of abortion sought to raise doubts about the veracity of the story, first reported by the Indianapolis Star newspaper, until the suspect made his first court appearance on July 13. The Ohio girl was three days past the six-week limit when she left her home state to terminate her pregnancy in Indiana, where such abortions remain legal, though the Republican-controlled legislature there is soon expected to consider new restrictions. At least 26 states in all have either severely restricted abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling last month or are expected to do so in the coming weeks or months. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; editing by Diane Craft) AUKUS submarine collaboration risks nuclear proliferation: report Xinhua) 10:23, July 22, 2022 BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A new research report released by Chinese academic entities says the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine collaboration has set a dangerous precedent for the illegal transfer of weapons-grade nuclear materials and thus constitutes a blatant act of nuclear proliferation. The United States and Britain said in last September that they would support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under a newly formed trilateral security pact known as AUKUS. The report, titled "A Dangerous Conspiracy: The Nuclear Proliferation Risk of the Nuclear-powered Submarines Collaboration in the Context of AUKUS", was released Wednesday by the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association and the China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy. It is the first special report on AUKUS submarine collaboration published by Chinese academic entities. The report says the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine collaboration runs counter to the spirit of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and also undermines ASEAN countries' efforts to establish the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. In addition, it ferments potential risks and hazards in multiple aspects, such as nuclear security and arms race in nuclear submarines, with a profound negative impact on global strategic balance and stability, says the report. According to the report, though the AUKUS countries have been coy about the details of their nuclear-powered submarine collaboration, international arms-control experts have estimated that Australia's eight planned nuclear submarines will need a total of 1.6 to 2 tonnes of weapons-grade HEU, which would be sufficient to build as many as 64 to 80 nuclear weapons. "The United States and Britain are directly giving Australia tonnes of weapon-grade nuclear materials. This is without a doubt an act of nuclear proliferation," said Zhang Yan, president of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association. Australia, a non-nuclear-weapon state under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, openly accepted such a large quantity of weapons-grade nuclear materials. This is nothing short of "getting one foot across the nuclear threshold," Zhang added. After reviewing nearly 100 declassified nuclear files and related materials, the report finds that post-WWII Australian administrations were keen to develop nuclear weapons. In recent years, there have again been people in Australia arguing the case for nuclear possession, and the possibility of Australia seeking the development of nuclear weapons in the future may not be ruled out, it says. The report urges the United States, Britain and Australia to immediately revoke their wrong decisions, stop their dangerous acts, and faithfully fulfill their international obligations in non-proliferation. It also calls on the international community to take actions and urge the three countries to revoke their wrong decisions through multilateral platforms so as to jointly safeguard the integrity, authority and effectiveness of the global nuclear nonproliferation regime. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Before the Miami-Dade School Board voted Wednesday whether to adopt a sexual education textbook for middle and high school students, district officials warned that rejecting it could leave the district unable to meet state requirements. If these materials arent adopted and no other materials are adopted, we would not be able to certify that this unit of study was taught, Lourdes Diaz, chief academic officer, told the board before it voted 5-4 to reject the textbook. When we report on all of the required units of study, we would have to indicate that this one was not taught this year, referring to the 2022-23 school year. Each year, the district certifies that topics are taught. Districts are required to offer lessons on reproductive health or diseases, but parents are able to opt out. The boards vote effectively leaves the district without the required materials for at least four to eight months of the coming school year. READ MORE: Sex-ed textbook rejected by Miami school board after parents invoke Dont say gay bill Chairperson Perla Tabares Hantman, Marta Perez, Mari Tere Rojas, Lubby Navarro and Christi Fraga voted against the book. Many of them cited inappropriate content for students. Vice Chair Steve Gallon, along with Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, Lucia Baez-Geller and Luisa Santos voted to adopt the book. There is, however, an opportunity for the board to meet next years June 30 deadline to submit its requirements: If the district is able to adopt a textbook at some point during the course of the year, certain students would be able to receive the lessons in the middle or toward the end of the year, officials said. What happens next? Following the boards vote, the district may have to begin the review and adoption process again, which could take months, and its unclear when the new adoption process would commence. That process may require the district to convene a new instructional material review committee to review textbook options and make recommendations to district officials. The selection would also require the School Board to conduct a public hearing to invite public comment, provide public access to the materials and hold a separate public meeting to approve or adopt the materials under consideration, according to School Board policy. READ MORE: Gender identity. Birth control. Here are some objections to Miami-Dades sex-ed textbook For the upcoming school year, teachers would simply skip the unit of study until the materials are adopted. Prior to the vote, board member Santos said: As a board, instead of having an opt out, we will be opting out everyone in the following school year. Repercussions are unclear Currently, there are no sexual education materials in the district, as they were in the review and adoption process, Superintendent Jose Dotres said Wednesday. The district had hoped to approve the materials that were ultimately rejected, Diaz said. The district reported to the state that it did not meet the June 30 requirement, but it has not received any information back from the state. The Florida Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request Thursday inquiring about the possible consequences for the district failing to offer required instructional materials. The consequences are clearer for students, as the lessons are not a graduation requirement, officials said. READ MORE: Conservative moms flex their muscle in Florida at Tampa summit graced by DeSantis How we got here? In April, the School Board approved the sexual education book Comprehensive Health Skills, which comes with a version for middle school and one for high school classes and offers research-based health education with topics such as nutrition, physical activity and sexually transmitted diseases. The book would have addressed the districts units of study for Human Reproduction and Disease Education for grades six through 12, but came under attack by a group of parents, some of whom do not have children in Miami-Dade public schools. County Citizens Defending Freedom, formed in October, filed a petition that claimed the book wasnt age appropriate and violated the states newly enacted parental rights law. It made similar claims in Polk County. The petition, which included 278 signatures, triggered an independent review process by a hearing officer appointed by Dotres. At a hearing June 8, just a handful of petitioners raised their concerns. The officer recommended the School Board adopt the materials, but the board overrode that. His act of service has enabled hundreds of Gold Star children to attend college. But with a recent prestigious recognition, David Kim expects to help thousands more. Kim, 56, who lives in Miami Beach and New York, received the Veteran of the Year award during the annual Military Times Service Members of the Year award ceremony on July 12 for the support his organization, Children of Fallen Patriots, provides to kids who have lost a parent in the line of duty. So far, the nonprofit charity organization has provided scholarships to more than 2,300 military children, with seven students from South Florida schools, including the College of the Florida Keys, Florida International University and the University of Miami. Kim expects the recognition from the award to bring more awareness to his organization and help it reach out to the estimated 686 military students living in Florida who could benefit from his groups support. Kim and his wife, Cynthia, co-founded CFP in 2002 to honor parents sacrifice from all military branches. Our view is that their parents would have wanted them to achieve their dreams, Kim told the Miami Herald. We want to help them. The Veteran of the Year award was established in 2018 to recognize veterans who go above and beyond with their actions after service. Kim went into the Army after graduating from West Point in 1988. He was deployed in Panama in 1989 and left the service in 1991. The death of Sgt. William Delaney Gibbs during Operation Just Cause the invasion of Panama in December 1989 to capture Manuel Noriega was the catalyst that moved Kim to create CFP. It stuck with him, Kim said, because Gibbs, 21, was the only member of the battalion who was killed, leaving behind a young wife who was pregnant with their daughter. I just always had this thought in my mind of what was going to happen to that little girl and whos going to take care of her and the thousands of kids out there, Kim said. Combining his military experience and MBA from Harvard Business School, Kim said he conducted a classic case study to analyze and determine the markets needs. We decided on college scholarships first because its just the most powerful lever there is to improve someones life and their prospects in the future, he said. Although many military children receive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, notably through the Fry Scholarship and Dependents Education Assistance, CFP bridges the remaining gap for those students by providing up to $6,250 in scholarship assistance per academic year. CFP and David Kim stood out because he created a very high watermark for others to meet, said Kelly Facer, the Military Times senior vice president. Kim and CFP always say their work, unfortunately, will never be done, but they will continue to bring a little bit of comfort to military-connected families that have lost a parent. Since its creation, CFP has provided nearly $55 million in total support. Kim said that more than 1,200 students have graduated, some debt-free. It goes beyond that, said Hollister Petraeus, a member of CFPs Advisory Board. Theyre a friendly voice that tells these kids, We dont just give you money and walk away. We are invested in your success. And I think that emotional component is very important. Recipients are students under age 35 enrolled in any field of post-secondary education. The scholarship does not apply to graduate school, and no formal application is required to receive funds. However, the students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA. Kims wife, Cynthia, oversees the programs. Aside from college scholarships, CFP provides educational counseling and helps pay for SAT and ACT preparation courses and college application fees for high school students. CFP brings college students to career seminars hosted by their sponsors, where they can learn about unfamiliar career fields. CFP helps them secure summer internships and full-time job opportunities upon graduation. Of course, were not able to do that for everybody, but we certainly try to help as many as we can, Kim said. Bailey Donahue, one of the scholarship recipients, connected with CFP when she was 18 years old and a college freshman. She is the daughter of Army Maj. Michael Donahue, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2014. With the help of the organization, Donahue graduated debt free in 2020. Donahue later joined CFP as a scholarship administrator. I knew how much they impacted me personally, Donahue said. So I wanted to provide the same for other survivors. CFP estimates that approximately 25,000 kids lost a parent in the line of duty over the past 35 years. Out of the 25,000 Gold Star children, CFP has found 11,000 students, ranging from newborns to people in their 30s, Kim said. Thanks to collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other military organizations, CFP sometimes manages to identify children as soon as a new death occurs. Throughout the years, CFP has kept track of the children to help them apply for college when needed. Identifying all 25,000 is incredibly important to us because we want to be able to help them access other sources of aid for things that were not doing, but other charities are, Kim said. Kim said he runs CFP like a business. The organization received a four-star rating by Charity Navigator the highest rating a nonprofit organization can receive for its leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning. Data from the U.S. Department of Defense show the U.S suffered 4,418 total deaths during Operation Iraqi Freedom between March 2003 and August 2010 and 2,218 total casualties during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan between October 2001 and December 2014. Although the U.S. combat mission ended in 2014, a limited U.S. troop presence remained in Afghanistan until last August. The financial and emotional necessity is just now becoming apparent because the children of victims of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are getting old enough to go to college, Kim said. Training accidents, death by suicide and from illnesses will continue to create a need. The State of Florida has the third-largest veteran population in the nation, with more than 1,492,000 veteran residents, according to the 2021 Veterans Affairs report. These families can help CFP find more children. A deal was signed by Moscow and Kyiv Friday to allow for the safe export of grains and other food products from Ukraine as the world grapples with a mounting food crisis. "Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters. "The question has not been what is good for one side or the other. "The focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world," he continued. "And let there be no doubt this is an agreement for the world." United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) sit at the start of the signature ceremony of an initiative on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, in Istanbul, on July 22, 2022. Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images RUSSIA-INDUCED GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS PUSHES 49M TO 'BRINK' OF FAMINE, STARVATION: EXPERT WARNS Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations sealed an agreement that so that merchant ships can transport shipments through the Black Sea amid Russias deadly war in Ukraine. "Ladies and gentlemen, this agreement did not come easy," the UN chief said. Guterres did not detail the exact agreement, but said three Ukrainian ports, Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny, will be opened in the Black Sea to allow for "significant volumes" food exports. Preliminary talks suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree to a cease-fire to allow Ukrainian naval vessels to escort merchant ships. SENATORS URGE USAID TO HURRY UP AND DISTRIBUTE CONGRESSIONALLY APPROVED AID AMID GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS The Ukrainian naval vessels would be tasked with sweeping the waters for explosive mines a precaution made necessary after roughly 400 mines were launched in the Black Sea by Russian forces earlier this year. Moscow has also accused Kyiv of launching its own mines. Turkey, which has been instrumental in hosting the export negotiations, would be responsible for inspecting all ships to appease Russian concerns regarding arms smuggling. The UN would also establish an office in Istanbul to monitor the security situation. Guterres said the deal "will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine." "It will help stabilize global food prices which were already at record levels even before the war a true nightmare for developing countries," he added. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined Guterres at the signing ceremony and called on all parties to end the war in Ukraine. "We have been seeing from the very beginning that there will be no winner in this war," he said. "Not only the parties, but the whole world will suffer." United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) arrive for a signature ceremony of an initiative on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, in Istanbul, on July 22, 2022. Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images Erdogan said it is his "sincerest hope" that the treaty signed Friday will signal a "turning point" in the war. "The war will finally end at the negotiating table," he added in a call to Kyiv and Moscow to re-enter diplomatic talks. Victoria Nuland, U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the State Department, welcomed the news but said, "This came together because I think Russia ultimately felt the hot breath of global opprobrium." Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado Friday, she said "It's now incumbent on Russia to actually implement this deal." South Carolina students in certain grades will need additional vaccinations for the upcoming school year, health officials say. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has updated its annual immunization requirements for students to attend school in August. Those changes include additional vaccinations for students in 8th, 2nd and 10th grades, unless they have certain exemptions. None of these are new vaccines, but rather the existing requirement has been extended to additional grade levels. The changes include: 8th grade students are now required to get two doses of vaccine for varicella or chickenpox. A child with a positive history of the disease is considered immune and exempt from the requirement. 10th grade students are now required to get three doses of oral and/or inactivated polio vaccine with at least one dose received on or after the fourth birthday. 2nd grade students are now required to get two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine, with both doses received on or after the first birthday and separated by at least six months. But what about the COVID-19 vaccine? The DHEC will not require that students get the COVID-19 vaccine for the new school year. However, the department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommend everyone 5 years old and older receive their COVID-19 vaccination to protect themselves and others during the ongoing pandemic. Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to stay healthy and keep those around you healthy too. South Carolina state law requires a valid Certificate of Immunization or valid exemption. Children without a valid certificate or exemption will not be allowed to attend school. Failure to comply with this law may result in audits and or legal action. Vaccinations are an important part of a normal preventive health regimen, said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director. Keeping our children current on vaccinations for chicken pox, whooping cough, mumps and measles are why were able to safely send them to school settings with little risk of exposure to these vaccine-preventable diseases. Here are valid exemptions to vaccination under South Carolina law. Medical Exemption: The Medical Exemption section of the SC Certificate of Immunization should only be completed when a child has a permanent or temporary medical reason for exclusion from receipt of vaccine(s). The Medical Exemption section must be completed by a licensed physician or his or her authorized representative, such as a physicians assistant or advanced practice registered nurse. For temporary medical exemptions, an expiration date in the future should be documented when next immunizations are due. Religious Exemption: A religious exemption may be granted to any student whose parent or guardian signs the appropriate section of the South Carolina Certificate of Religious Exemption stating that one or more immunizations conflicts with their religious beliefs. The South Carolina Certificate of Religious Exemption can only be obtained from a DHEC health department. The parent or guardian must sign the DHEC form in the presence of a notary. Special Exemption: A SC Certificate of Special Exemption may be issued by the school to a student that has been unable to secure immunizations or documentation of immunizations already received. This exemption is only valid for 30 calendar days for the current enrollment and may be issued only once. Appointment slots typically fill up quickly in August, so now is the time to call your health care provider to schedule a well visit and make sure your child is up to date on required and recommended vaccinations. Appointments for certain vaccines, including for flu, pneumonia, and tetanus, can also be made at one of DHECs county health departments. Visit scdhec.gov/healthclinics or call DHECs Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 to make an appointment. Here are the rest of South Carolinas immunization requirements for the 2022-23 school year. Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis Grades 5-12 Four doses of any combination of DTP,DT,DTaP, Td, or Tdap vaccine with at least one dose received on or after the fourth birthday. Refer to the currently published ACIP Catch Up Schedule for guidance on recommendations for students who are behind. For children 7 years of age and older following a catch-up schedule, three doses may be acceptable. Tdap booster Grades 7-12 One dose of Tdap vaccine. This dose of Tdap may be included as one of the doses needed to meet the requirement for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis. To meet the school requirement for Tdap, the vaccine must be given on or after the childs 10th birthday. Polio Grades 5-10 Three doses of oral and or inactivated polio vaccine with at least one dose received on or after the fourth birthday. Polio Grades 11-12 Three doses of oral and or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) with at least one dose received on or after the fourth birthday or four four doses of oral and or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) before fourth birthday (if all doses separated by at least 4 weeks.) Follow CDC recommendations for students 18 years of age and older. Measles, mumps and rubella Grades 5-12 Two doses of MMR vaccine with both doses received on or after the first birthday and separated by at least four weeks. Hepatitis A Grades 5-2 Two doses of Hepatitis A vaccine with both doses received on or after the first birthday and separated by at least six months. Hepatitis B Grades 5-12 Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, with the third dose received after 24 weeks of age and at least 16 weeks after the first dose. Varicella Grades 5-8 Two doses of varicella vaccine with both doses received on or after the first birthday and separated by at least four weeks or a positive history of disease. Varicella Grades 9-12 Apparently theres only room in Lexington for one Two Keys after all. A lawyer for a group planning to reopen Two Keys Tavern in a new location sent a cease and desist letter to a rival planning to open a similarly named bar in the original South Limestone location. The original Two Keys Tavern, a legendary University of Kentucky campus-area bar, closed in 2020 after 66 years and filed for bankruptcy. But owner Seth Bennett retained the trademark on the name. Bennett and partners announced on Tuesday that they planned to open a new Two Keys Tavern a block away. On Friday, Bennetts attorneys sent a letter to Aaron Hill, who told the Herald-Leader that he planned to open Two Keys Taphouse at 333 S. Limestone, the original location of Two Keys Tavern. We consider the use of Two Keys and any interference to the brand to be a trademark infringement, Bennetts lawyer, Kevin Monsour, said in the letter. We hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist any use of our trademark that will likely cause misrepresentation and consumer confusion. The Two Keys Tavern was a UK legendary campus-area bar for 66 years on South Limestone before closing because of the COVID pandemic. Monsour said in the letter that if Hill fails to comply with the cease and desist of the Two Keys trademark, Bennett will sue. The cease and desist letter follows Tuesdays announcement that Two Keys Tavern will reopen this fall at 385 S. Limestone after filing for bankruptcy and closing in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and loss of revenue. According to a news release, Two Keys Tavern will open this fall with with multiple patios, a rooftop feature and an underground tap room with a hidden entrance that will open this winter. More than 9.1 million lawful permanent residents are eligible to apply for naturalization in the United States. And all of them can benefit from the help of the first eight citizenship ambassadors designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This new initiative aims to help immigrants become U.S. citizens through these ambassadors own experiences. All of them are community leaders, and immigrants. Myriam Mezadieu, director of operations for Catholic Legal Services of the Archdiocese of Miami, was named the first USCIS citizenship ambassador to South Florida. Some lawful permanent residents dont have access to or knowledge of the naturalization process, said Mezadieu, a Haitian-American immigrant with degrees in business law and international affairs. We will assist with outreach to more isolated communities and advise on best engagement strategies and messaging, helping to build trust between USCIS and their communities. Becoming one of the first USCIS citizenship ambassadors is a great honor, she said. I feel humbled because we have to explain that more than 200 years after our founding as a nation, naturalized citizens are still an important part of American democracy. Citizenship is the common thread that connects all Americans. The United States is a nation bound not by race or religion, but by the shared values of freedom, liberty and equality. We are excited to introduce Myriam Mezadieu as one of the #USCISAmbassadors. Myriam serves the Miami immigration community with her work through the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and remains committed to serving the under-privileged immigrant community of South Florida. pic.twitter.com/MnwavyVoyU USCIS (@USCIS) July 14, 2022 An inspirational immigrant story Like the other newly appointed ambassadors, Mezadieu helps and encourages immigrants to become citizens by sharing her personal story. I had no plans to become an American. September 11, 2001 changed all that. One thing I had in mind is to go back to Haiti after five years, confesses Mezadieu. In 1992, she joined the Catholic Legal Immigration Network in Miami and led the daily operation of Catholic Emergency Legal Aid for Haitians, a project started in 1991 to help Haitians with parole who were at the Guantanamo Naval Base after the coup in Haiti. I felt compelled to help newcomers and encouraged them to apply for U.S. citizenship as soon as they have become eligible, in three to five years, she says. In June 1994, Mezadieu co-founded G.W.L. Legal Project, later Catholic Charities Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami, Inc., one of the nations largest nonprofit immigration services, along with executive director Randy McGrorty, who asked and lectured Mezadieu on when she was going to become an American citizen after having lived in the US for a long time. It took me fourteen plus years to realize that the U.S. is my house, my home, and that Im not going anywhere. I filed my application on September 11, 2001. That day was a huge blow to the US. I realized that I had already been living the American Dream. I was so moved that it was the only way to show my support for this unique country, she said. After completing her application, Mezadieu traveled to Nigeria one week later. Upon returning, a U.S. customs immigration officer, welcomed me back to the country after looking at my residence card, standing up and saying, welcome home. Tears welled up to my eyes and the officer asked what was wrong. I told him that after more than 14 years I had decided to apply for citizenship, and that I had made the decision on September 11 He made an announcement and there was applause at the airport, she recounts with emotion. Citizenship events scheduled in Miami and South Florida As an ambassador, Mezadieu will continue to offer her help from the nonprofit agency Catholic Legal Services (CCLS). I encourage eligible people to apply for U.S. citizenship, spread the word about the many benefits of U.S. citizenship, and provide tools to become U.S. citizens, she said. During Constitution Week, Sept. 15-17, a large citizenship event is scheduled to take place in Miami, likely at Miami Dade Colleges Wolfson Campus. During the event, eligible lawful permanent residents have the opportunity to apply for citizenship. Several attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives, law interns, paralegals, and volunteers will be available to assist, said Mezadieu, who will participate in radio programs to promote citizenship events. There also are weekly outreach events to inform and help adults in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. And religious centers will offer education sessions every two weeks. Myriam Mezadieu, Chief Operating Officer of Catholic Charities Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. (CCLS) working at the Courthouse Plaza Building in Miami. Advantages of the U.S. citizenship One of her missions as ambassador, says Mezadieu, is to emphasize the advantages of U.S. citizenship through her personal experience as an immigrant. According to the ambassador, these are the most important: Right to vote: In most states, the right to vote in federal elections is restricted to U.S. citizens. Serve on a jury: Only U.S. citizens can serve on a federal jury. Travel: A U.S. passport without a visa to enter many countries, and access to assistance from the U.S. government abroad if needed. Bringing family members to the U.S.: U.S. citizens generally have priority in these cases. Obtain citizenship for children under 18: If you have a child abroad and you are a U.S. citizen, your child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. Apply for federal jobs: Certain jobs with government agencies require citizenship. Become an elected official: Only citizens can run for federal office, either the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, and also for most state and local offices. Maintain your residence: After being a citizen, no one can take away your residence in the U.S. Federal grants and scholarships: Available only to U.S. citizens. Government benefits: Some are available only to naturalized citizens. Myths and misconceptions Citizenship Ambassadors must also address myths and misconceptions. In Mezadieus experience, these are the most common: Fees: There are ways that can help reduce or eliminate costs, she explains. You can use low-cost or no-cost resources at nonprofit agencies such as Catholic Legal Services, which help preparing applications, legal support and other needs. You can request the exemption or reduction rate. Eighty percent of these requests are approved. Also, there is the option of using low-interest loans provided by nonprofit organizations. Number of times to apply for citizenship: There are no limits to the number of times you can apply for citizenship. Also, 9 out of 10 people are approved the first time. Language proficiency: Only a basic understanding of how to read, write and speak English is required. Marriage: Being married to a U.S. citizen does not automatically makes you a citizen. Permanent residents: Citizenship is different from permanent residency. Certain benefits are only for U.S. citizens. And after naturalization, immigrants on average earn 5% or more in wages. Dual Citizenship: U.S. law does not require a person to choose one citizenship or another; it depends on your country of origin. In 2021, 855,000 residents became U.S. citizens. And in fiscal year 2022, which ends Sept. 30, USCIS has welcomed 661,500 new U.S. citizens through June 15. The UNC Board of Governors has unanimously approved a $451,200 one-time payment for UNC System President Peter Hans. This incentive payment comes on top of his annual base salary of $400,000. When Hans was hired in 2020, he accepted a salary below his predecessors, but with the opportunity to get an incentive payment of up to $600,000 based on his performance, The News & Observer reported at the time. Hanss performance was measured through a compensation program based on specific quantitative and qualitative performance goals set by the Board of Governors, board Chairman Randy Ramsey said at a meeting Wednesday. In early June, the boards presidential assessment committee conducted an annual assessment and unanimously agreed the president continued to do an exceptional job, Ramsey said. Hans had a 70% effectiveness rate based on these metrics, Ramsey said. The vote on the payment was then brought to the board and approved Wednesday based on the committees recommendation. The Board will undertake the next assessment of the president next summer, Josh Ellis, UNC System spokesperson, wrote in an email to The N&O. President-elect Peter Hans embraces Board of Governors member Reginald Holley following their meeting on Friday, June 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Praise for Hans Ramsey did not return a phone message from The N&O, but at the meeting, he highlighted some of Hanss achievements. Those include having the system offer in-person campus instruction during the entire academic year despite COVID-19, and advocating in the General Assembly, which passed some of the most successful back-to-back state budgets weve ever seen for the UNC System, Ramsey said. Ramsey also highlighted Hanss initiatives such as Project Kitty Hawk, which looks to expand access to higher education for adult learners, and implementing a budget process that brought increased transparency to both the campus and system office budgets. Called an all-funds budget process, it is supposed to account for all revenue sources and set a plan for revenue and spending. Ellis shared summary reports of the major accomplishments of Hanss first and second year in office, which the presidential assessment committee reviewed. The reports highlight his leadership in the office and in the system, his implementation of safety preparedness measures, fiscal controls and oversight, as well as efforts to increase enrollment and retention, affordability and student health and mental health. Our goals around reducing student debt, improving on-time graduation, and keeping costs under control are all purposefully ambitious, and the University has made major progress in meeting them. Linking leadership pay to measurable performance helps ensure our continued progress on behalf of students and the state, he wrote. Critics of UNC System For Michael Behrent, president of the North Carolina conference of the American Association of University Professors, the payment is clearly excessive and unwarranted. Particularly at a time when faculty and staff morale is so low in the UNC system and in which there is such great concern about faculty salaries not keeping up with national standards. The AAUP is a nonprofit organization with chapters and members in colleges and universities across the country. I do not think that the UNC system is going in the right direction, said Behrent, who pointed out findings from an AAUP report released in April. The report described political interference undermining shared governance and academic freedom, as well as institutional racism. I am not interested in holding Peter as personally responsible for any of that, Behrent said. I would just note that this is happening under his watch. So I dont think that he has directed the university in the right way. Model for other universities? For Deb Aikat, a professor at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, Hanss hefty, performance-based bonus is an appropriate reward for his success in fulfilling the incentive-based contract and in line with his meeting 70% of performance metrics. In many ways, such performance-based bonus can, arguably, emerge as a model for other universities nationwide, Aikat wrote in an email to The N&O. Still, Aikat added in an interview, Hans hasnt made many major decisions, with the exception of a controversial change to how chancellors are chosen. Under that policy, the president can nominate chancellors for each of the UNC Systems universities for appointment by the Board of Governors. At this time, it is too early to say, in my humble opinion, Aikat said. For heavens sake, he hasnt completed his two years. Too early to judge, and I think he deserves credit for fulfilling the contract. Former President Margaret Spellings had a base salary of $775,000 but was granted a $90,000 incentive bonus in 2017 and another $95,000 bonus in 2018, before she quit later that same year and received a $500,000 separation package, as reported earlier by the N&O. Hanss immediate predecessor, interim system president Bill Roper, was paid a base salary of $775,000 and was eligible for a $77,500 annual retirement contribution, the possibility of up to $125,000 in an annual performance bonus, and a one-year research leave while paid $837,720, as reported earlier by the N&O. UNC Board of Governors chairman Randall Ramsey, left, shakes hands with Dr. William L. Roper, interim President of the UNC System, as Roper is recognized for his service on Friday, June 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Other public university systems also grant high salaries and incentives to high-ranking members. University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel in 2021 earned a base salary of $927,000. He received about a $1 million payout after being fired, The Center Square reported. Incoming University of Colorado President Todd Saliman was approved for a salary of $750,000, The Daily Camera reported. Incoming University of California System President Michael Drake was approved for an $890,000 base salary, CalMatters reported. Previously, Hans served as the ninth president of the North Carolina Community College System, as well as a board member and later the chair of the UNC BOG. He also served as senior policy advisor to three members of the U.S. Senate. Two Russian submarines have been tracked by a Royal Navy warship in the North Sea as training continues for the Ukrainian military by the UKs armed forces. British submarine hunter HMS Portland shadowed the submarines, cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk and Akula-class attack submarine Vepr, after they surfaced separately in the North Sea, north west of Bergen, Norway. A Navy spokesman said they were tracked as they made their underwater journey south along the Norwegian coast from the Arctic. He said: Portland and her specialist Merlin helicopter both equipped with cutting-edge sonars, sensors and torpedoes for submarine-hunting operations reported on the movements of the Russian Northern Fleet vessels. British submarine hunter HMS Portland (top) tracking Akula-class attack submarine Vepr in the North Sea, north west of Bergen, Norway (Ministry of Defence Crown copyright/PA) One of the RAFs new long-range maritime patrol aircraft, the P8 Poseidon, also worked closely with HMS Portland to hunt and track the submarines. Royal Navy sailors are currently training personnel from Ukraines navy in operating two Sandown-class minehunters which are set to be sold to Ukraine. Ukraines deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov met with UK armed forces minister James Heappey and parliamentarians in London before visiting soldiers and sailors training in Scotland. The ministers spoke with trainees and the Royal Navy instructors, observing them practising key skills at sea, such as weapon drills and damage control, while learning to operate the machinery on the vessels. Mr Heappey said: The intensity with which the Ukrainian soldiers and sailors are training is something to behold. They work with the focus of troops who know theyll be fighting in a war in just a few short weeks time. Delivering training that matches that intensity and focus is not straightforward. The Royal Navy and the British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience to make sure their new Ukrainian friends are sent into combat with the best chance of victory. The Sandown-class minehunters, which were introduced into the Royal Navy in the late 80s, specialise in finding and neutralising mines in deep waters. The programme is part of training being provided by 1,000 UK service personnel at military sites around the country aimed at preparing volunteer recruits with the skills for frontline combat. Saturday is expected to be even busier for those hoping to begin their summer getaway after holidaymakers and lorry drivers faced gridlocked roads around Dover. Bumper-to-bumper traffic, in six-hour queues, made its way towards the Port of Dover on Friday one of the busiest periods for foreign travel from the UK as most schools in England and Wales break up for summer. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the delays and queues are unacceptable, calling it an entirely avoidable situation. In a statement, she said: This awful situation should have been entirely avoidable and is unacceptable. We need action from France to build up capacity at the border to limit any further disruption for British tourists and to ensure this appalling situation is avoided in future. We will be working with the French authorities to find a solution. The chief executive of the Port of Dover said being let down by poor resourcing at the French border was immensely frustrating. Doug Bannister stopped short of guaranteeing the backlog would clear in the coming days, but pledged that officials are doing all they can to address issues. Pierre-Henri Dumont, Republican MP for Calais, said these problems at the port will reoccur because of Brexit. He told BBC News: This is an aftermath of Brexit. We have to run more checks than before. Mr Dumont also said the Port of Dover is too small and there are too few kiosks due to lack of space. Cars queue at the Port of Dover in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) A critical incident was declared by the Kent port due to the queues, with tourists urged to consider staying away. One lorry driver told the PA news agency that he had been queuing in his HGV in Dover since 6pm on Thursday, and was still waiting to cross the Channel after 10am on Friday morning. Ive been in something like this before, but this is the worst, he said. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: As the schools closed their doors fully yesterday, Saturday could prove busier still this weekend. Drivers should continue to expect disruption and delays on major holiday routes to the south-west, eastern coast and ports of Dover and Folkestone. While many have decided to go at the start of the summer holidays, between now and the beginning of September when schools return, each Friday and Saturday will be busy on our roads. This is because these are the main switchover days for holiday lets. Traffic jams leading to the ferry port in Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA) The Port of Dover attacked French authorities for woefully inadequate border control staffing, and local MP Natalie Elphicke claimed French border officers didnt turn up for work. The port said resources at the French border increased on Friday morning and traffic was slowly beginning to move, but it will take some time to clear the backlog. Apologising for the situation on Friday, Mr Bannister said they had been let down by French authorities. He told BBC News: To be let down in the way that we have with inadequate resources and slow processes through the border is just immensely frustrating. Weve shared in granular detail, on an hour-by-hour basis, the amount of traffic we were anticipating, so it was completely known what we needed to have in place at the French border. Traffic heading for the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel queue on the M20 near Folkestone (Gareth Fuller/PA) He said Saturday is also likely to be busy, adding it is just the start of a very busy summer for us. Asked whether he can reassure travellers planning a trip over the coming days that the backlog will ease, he said: I really wish I could were putting all the attention we possibly can do on ensuring there will be enough resources in place to manage this very busy first weekend of the summer. Passengers embarking on cross-Channel sailings from Dover must pass through French border checks before they can board a ferry. The port said in a statement that it had increased the number of border control booths by 50%. It went on: Regrettably, the PAF (police aux frontieres) resource has been insufficient and has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period. Resource at the French border overnight and early this morning has been woefully inadequate to meet our predicted demand as the summer getaway period commences. Our full statement: https://t.co/tnoCLNU9Ut pic.twitter.com/ZdUmYh1geF Port of Dover (@Port_of_Dover) July 22, 2022 On Friday evening, Ms Elphicke tweeted: Its critical that French border officials turn up for work tomorrow at the Port of Dover and that the passport controls are working at full capacity. Further significant delays are expected over the weekend. Passengers face long queues throughout the area (Gareth Fuller/PA) Ferry operator P&O Ferries told passengers to allow at least five hours to clear the approach roads and security checks. The ferry company said on Friday evening it expects Saturday to be just as busy. The AA said its latest data showed other ports, such as Portsmouth and Newhaven ferry ports, were running reasonably smoothly. The RAC said an estimated 18.8 million leisure trips are planned in the UK between Friday and Monday. That is the most since the company began tracking summer getaway numbers in 2014. Transport analytics company Inrix predicted the M25 Londons orbital motorway will see some of the worst jams due to the summer getaway, singling out the stretches between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing; Maple Cross and the M3; and the M23 to the M40. The A303 near Stonehenge in Wiltshire, the M4 between Cardiff and Newport in South Wales, and the M5 south of Bristol are likely to see queuing traffic. #PODover Please be aware that there is heavy traffic at border control.If you're booked to travel today please allow at least 5hrs to clear the approach roads and security checks. Rest assured ,if you miss your sailing,you'll be on the first available once at check-in P&O Ferries Updates (@POferriesupdate) July 22, 2022 Grant Shapps has said he is working closely with the French transport minister. The Transport Secretary tweeted: Theres been severe delays today at Dover & so Im working closely with my opposite number Clement Beaune to address the issues that caused tailbacks. I welcome his commitment that both Britain & France will work closely to minimise further disruption so people can get away quickly. On Friday evening, the French Embassy in the UK said French border checks in Dover are operating in full capacity, adding that the French authorities are cooperating closely with their British counterparts and all stakeholders responsible for the traffic in the Port of Dover to enable travellers to make their crossings under the best possible conditions. There were more electives There were better teachers There were less tests There were more exciting ways to learn Other Vote View Results YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Heavy gunfire was heard early on Friday at the main military base outside Mali's capital Bamako before easing after about an hour, Reuters reports. Three residents of the camp, who asked not be identified, said they believed the base at Kati, about 15 km (10 miles) outside Bamako, had been attacked by Islamist militants, who have been waging an insurgency in Mali for the past decade. The Kati base was the site of mutinies in 2012 and 2020 that led to successful coups, but the residents said the soldiers did not appear to be fighting among themselves. Reuters could not immediately verify the cause of the gunfire at Kati. Mali's military spokesman was not immediately available for comment and an official at the presidency declined to comment. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid will arrive in Armenia. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a respective decision about the expected visit. The decision is posted on e-gov.am. The delegation led by the UN General Assembly President will pay a three-day visit to Armenia on July 26. PM Pashinyan gave instructions to a number of agencies over the visit of the UN General Assembly President. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. On July 22, Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Ruben Rubinyan, received the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament David McAllister and the delegation headed by him, who arrived in Armenia on a regional visit. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, Eduard Aghajanyan, chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, and Arman Yeghoyan, chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on European Integration, were present at the meeting. Ruben Rubinyan presented the regional situation, presented the position of the Armenian side on the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. According to the Vice President of the National Assembly, the continuous provocative actions and maximalist statements of the Azerbaijani side are undermining the efforts aimed at establishing regional stability and peace. At the request of the guests, Ruben Rubinyan presented the developments in the process of normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations and the agreements reached during the last meeting. Opp. slammed the govt for the amendment to the Flag Code and destroying the livelihood of those who made the national flags from khadi The government has envisioned the Har Ghar Tiranga (tricolour at every home) exercise in the run up to the 75th anniversary of Indias independence. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: An appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the countrymen on Friday to hoist or display the national flag in their homes between August 13-15 to strengthen the Har Ghar Tiranga movement drew criticism from the Opposition, which alleged that the appeal was being made by a campaigner for the organisation which took 52 years to hoist the national flag in Nagpur. The Opposition also slammed the government for the recent amendment to the Flag Code and destroying the livelihood of those who made the national flags from khadi. The government has envisioned the Har Ghar Tiranga (tricolour at every home) exercise in the run up to the 75th anniversary of Indias independence. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said that the Har Ghar Tiranga movement will deepen "our connect with the tricolour and noted that it was on July 22 in 1947 that the national flag was adopted. "Today, we recall the monumental courage and efforts of all those who dreamt of a flag for free India when we were fighting colonial rule. We reiterate our commitment to fulfil their vision and build the India of their dreams, said Modi, adding that this year India is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The PM also posted details of official communications leading to the adoption of the tricolour as the national flag. He also posted a picture of the first tricolour unfurled by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. In a similar appeal, Union home minister Amit Shah said, With this campaign, the tricolour will be hoisted on about 20 crore houses across the country, which will work to further brighten the unbroken flame of patriotism in the minds of every citizen, especially the youth. Shah said people will be able to increase respect and attachment for the tricolour among the younger generation and tell them about the sacrifice of the heroes who fought for our freedom. He said the national flag not only unites every citizen but also strengthens the spirit of devotion towards the nation among the people. The Opposition, however, cried foul. Slamming the government, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, "Hypocrisy Zindabad! They are destroying the livelihood of those who made the national flags from Khadi, which Nehru ji described as the uniform of India's independence. He has been a campaigner for the organisation, which took 52 years to hoist the National Flag in Nagpur." Citing the recent amendment in the Flag Code, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in Hindi, "Modi Ji, the tricolour made of Khadi shows the self-reliance of the country and represents the livelihood of lakhs of people who are associated with it. I hope on this historic day you will listen to the Khadi flag manufacturers and take a sensitive decision on their demand." by Alessandra De Poli Driven by community of origin to return home to marry, Indians living abroad bring their wives back with them, but on different visas that deprive them of the same rights as their husbands. Abandoned after marriage, they often lose access to their children and their basic rights. In India, there is still no law obliging men to appear before a judge to answer for their abuse. New Delhi (AsiaNews) - There is an increasingly common form of abuse of women in South and South East Asia: abandonment after marriage. It is a phenomenon that has been known for some time, whereby a man of Indian origin but living abroad, after taking possession of his wife's dowry, divorces her, abandoning her in her country of origin and depriving her of her visa and the possibility of seeing her children. Tens of thousands of Indian women have suffered this kind of domestic violence in recent years. India is the country with one of the largest diasporas in the world, with nearly 32 million Indians living abroad who at some point, for cultural reasons related to their community of origin, return home in search of a wife. Some women are attracted by the idea of marrying a 'non-resident Indian' (NRI) who could offer them better opportunities for life abroad, but often what should be a fairytale ending turns into a nightmare. Abandonments often go hand in hand with other forms of domestic violence: Priya, a computer engineer who had followed her husband to California, was thrown out of the house with a broken arm after an argument. She had failed to report the abuse to the police because her husband threatened to commit suicide if she told anyone about it. Back in Pune, India, Priya became yet another victim of transnational abandonment: her husband had secretly prepared divorce papers and returned to the US alone. After a legal battle with her in-laws in India, Priya attempted reconciliation with her husband in California, but he wanted nothing more to do with her. Despite the great strides made in terms of gender equality, India's patriarchal culture encourages domestic abuse: a woman must submit to her husband's (and often her family of origin's) wishes, but once abandoned she is considered by Indian society to be 'damaged goods'. The payment of a dowry, made illegal in 1961, actually still takes place, but in more sophisticated ways, such as through the purchase of a house in which the newlyweds will then live. According to a survey conducted within a community of Indians living in America, more than half claimed to have been victims or aware of domestic abuse. Forty per cent of respondents said they stay in abusive relationships to keep up appearances or for fear of family retaliation or fear of losing money or access to their children. Meanwhile, Priya's visa, linked to her marital situation, is said to have expired after two months: in the United States, foreign workers, and especially Indians employed in the big Silicon Valley tech companies, reside in the country on H1B visas. Their health insurance, bank accounts, driver's licence and all the rest of the legal documents are tied to that visa and not to their spouse's, which prevents them from looking for a job, making Indian wives in Silicon Valley financially dependent on their husbands, even though they are often engineers or computer scientists themselves. With their visa, they risk deportation after the divorce. The Indian government claims to have received 6 thousand reports of abandonment cases between 2015 and 2019. Almost 3 thousand cases were recorded between 2017 and 2019 alone, but a 2013 study had estimated that there were at least 30 thousand abandoned women in India. The phenomenon has reached such proportions that it has become necessary to publish an information pamphlet on the legal rights that wives enjoy when marrying overseas men, and some Indian states have set up special police departments that settle cases related to divorces with NRIs. A 2020 bill provides for marriages to non-resident Indians to be registered in India as well, because it is precisely the lack of proof certifying the overseas union at home that prevents legal action from being taken. However, due to the pandemic, the legislation is still under discussion in Parliament. In 2019, the Indian government cancelled the passports of 33 non-resident Indians who had deserted their wives, but this is not enough: some women have lobbied for former husbands to be able to leave their wives. Pandemic, economic slowdown and related protests force him to come to terms with Premier Li Keqiang. 'Nationalist' trips to Hong Kong and Xinjiang to hide the problems of the economy. The profile of Xi's allies in the race for promotion is outlined. Beijing (AsiaNews) - An economic crisis and pandemic emergency, both followed by growing street protests: Xi Jinping appears increasingly in trouble, and increasingly obliged to come to terms with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) internal opposition ahead of its 20th Congress, to be held in the autumn. The president is seeking an unprecedented third term in power. However, his economic failures, especially over the past year, have revived Premier Li Keqiang, who is now leading day-to-day affairs to foster recovery. Several analysts note that Xi's speeches, his entourage and regime propaganda, have been stripped of references to his famous slogans, such as 'common prosperity', 'dual internal and external circulation' or economic 'self-sufficiency'. Sinologist Willy Lam points out in China Brief, that Premier Li is careful not to mention Xi's 'zero-covid' policy when outlining plans to try to save the economy and reach the annual growth target of 5.5%. Lam writes that in an attempt to get out of athis tight corner and hide the economy's problems, Xi has focused on his two recent visits to Hong Kong and Xinjiang, which have been covered extensively by the state media in an effort to downplay the country's disappointing economic performance. The supreme leader was the protagonist of a veritable 'nationalist' promo in the former British colony, marked in 2019-2020 by large pro-democracy demonstrations, and in the northwestern autonomous region, where Beijing is accused of repressing Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities of the Islamic faith. Nikkei Asia also frames Xi's recent double visit as a signalling which of his proteges might be on the promotion ramp. Among those who accompanied him, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the head of the National Commission for Minorities Pan Yue, the chairman of the National Commission for Reform and Development He Lifeng, and Ma Xingrui, secretary of the CCP in Xinjiang, have chances to enter the Party Politburo. Wang Xiaohong, recently appointed Minister of Public Security, and especially Ding Xuexiang, director of the Party's General Office are also in the running for promotion. Ding is a possible candidate for the Politburo Standing Committee, the regime's decision-making body. However, all of Xi's men will have to reckon with Li's faction (the Communist Youth), which could obtain important positions in a compromise move. More importantly, Lam explains, Xi risks being forced to change policy line, abandoning Maoist centralism for a more pro-market approach. Today's headlines: Suffocating heat wave hits China; The Philippines to step up patrols of the South China Sea; Israel will strip citizenship from those who commit acts of 'disloyalty'; Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian Congress, questioned on money laundering charges; Raging brawls in Russian supermarkets amid produce shortage. JAPAN The government has decided that a state funeral will be held on 27 September for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on 8 July. It is only the second time in the country's history that a funeral ceremony for a political leader will be organised by the authorities. The move has provoked protests from the opposition and part of the population. CHINA A heat wave with record temperatures has hit the whole country. Between today and tomorrow, the temperature in many areas will reach over 40 degrees Celsius. Concern for the national power grid, which has been put under pressure. PHILIPPINES Manila will strengthen its naval patrols in the South China Sea, accordiing to the new Defence Minister Jose Faustino, who said the country must defend its territorial integrity from Chinese incursions. ISRAEL The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that the government can revoke the citizenship of people who commit acts of 'disloyalty' to the state, including terrorism, espionage and treason. INDIA Investigators today questioned Sonia Gandhi, president of the (opposition) Congress, on a money laundering charge filed nine years ago by an MP from the BJP, the Hindu nationalist party of PM Narendra Modi. The Congress speaks of a 'political vendetta' by the prime minister. RUSSIA Because of the conflict in Ukraine, there are daily furious brawls in Russian supermarkets to obtain expiring products, which are sold at reduced prices. There is also talk of re-circulating ration cards for scarce foodstuffs. CENTRAL ASIA The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a joint declaration at the end of the 4th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian States in the Kazakh city of Cholpon-Ate. The three leaders pledged to maintain relations of 'friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation' to help the development of the entire region, especially in the face of 'new challenges and threats'. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan abstained from signing the document. Action by Russias Justice Ministry is a new blow for Russias Jewish community after its chief rabbi was forced to flee for not supporting the invasion of Ukraine. Reopened in the 1990s, the agency helped Jews emigrate to Israel. Since February, 10,000 have left the country. In Israel the Lapid government is sending a delegation warning that Russian Jews will not be held hostage. Moscow (AsiaNews/Agencies) Russias Justice Ministry has filed an application with the Moscow District Court asking for the "dissolution" of the Russian branch of the Jewish Agency (JA) for unspecified "violations of the law, Russian agency Ria Novosti reported. While the JA filed an appeal and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for 28 July, the case signals escalating tensions between the Russian government and the local Jewish community, especially since Moscow Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt was forced to leave the country three months ago for refusing to support Russias aggression against Ukraine. Founded in 1929 as the operative branch of the World Zionist Organisation (WZO), the Jewish Agency is the largest global Jewish organisation. By statute its task is ensure that every Jewish person feels an unbreakable bond to one another and to Israel no matter where they live in the world. The JA is best known as the main body promoting Aliyah, i.e. Jewish immigration to Israel. For this reason, the affair indirectly involves the Israeli government. In light of the situation, the Prime Ministers Office in Israel announced that an Israeli delegation would travel to Moscow next week to ensure the continued operations of the Jewish Agency in Russia. Some Israeli ministers have gone even further by expressly speaking of Russia's intimidation of Israel over its position on the war in Ukraine, which has shifted more and more towards Ukraine after an initial attempt at keeping a neutral line. To make matters even more delicate is the fact that Russia controls Syrian airspace, which Israeli planes regularly violate in order to strike at targets held by pro-Iranian groups. Russian Jews will not be held hostage by the war in Ukraine. The attempt to punish the Jewish Agency for Israels stance on the war is deplorable and offensive, said Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai in a statement. The Jewish Agency reopened its Moscow office 30 years ago and was instrumental in the immigration to Israel of more than a million Jews from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s. Since then, the flow of migrants out of Russia has declined but not stopped; in fact, it has picked up in recent months, fed by fears among Russias remaining Jews of anti-Semitism linked to the war in Ukraine. Since February more than 10,000 Russian Jews have left for Israel. Now the fear is that the attack against the Jewish Agency will make it harder to leave Russia. by Shafique Khokhar High Court sentenced the pastor on 13 July. Rights groups call on the court to review its decision, urges parliament to repeal laws criminalising conversions. Some fear extremists might exploit the legislation. Kathmandu (AsiaNews) Human rights groups are concerned about a decision by the Jumla High Court sentencing Rev Keshav Acharya, a Christian clergyman, to one year in prison for proselytising. Advocacy organisations call on the court to review its sentencing and urge the countrys parliament to repeal laws that violate the right to freedom of worship and criminalise religious conversion. Rev Keshav Acharya was first detained on 23 March 2020 on charges of spreading misinformation about COVID-19. He was later released on bail, but was arrested twice more for trying to convert Hindus. On 30 November 2021, the Dolpa District Court sentenced him to two years in prison, reduced to one by the High Court on 13 July. It is illegal and unethical to compel someone to change their faith by use of threat or coercion; however, Pastor Keshav Acharya did not resort to coercion to convert anyone to Christianity, said Joseph Jansen, chairman of Voice for Justice, an advocacy group, speaking to AsiaNews. "The pastor only exercised his right to freedom of religion and did not commit any offence, Jansen explained. It is regrettable that Nepal's anti-conversion laws are worded and enforced in such a way that they may also be applied as anti-blasphemy measures, he added. "The strict implementation of the anti-conversion law since 2019 has led to the arrest of members of religious minorities and could inspire Hindu extremists to attack Christians." Joel Voordewind, a former Member of the Dutch parliament for the Christian Union, explained that Nepal is a party to international treaties, including the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees citizens the freedom to choose their religion and to express their beliefs in worship, observance, practise and teaching. In his view, the provisions in Nepals constitution and criminal code are vague and contradictory, and have been misused for prosecution of actions carried out in the normal course of practising ones religion. In fact, Advancing religious freedom is a human rights obligation of states; however, the presence of Article 26 (3) of the Constitution of Nepal, and Section 158 of the National Penal (Code) Act, 2017 challenge the secular outlook of the country. For his part, Rev Keshav's lawyer, Indra Prasad Aryal, said that, "we are trying our best to raise our voices to achieve justice for the pastor and we hope that the court will soon set him free. by Steve Suwannarat After the pandemic, the city-state began to execute people again showing no clemency. A 64-year-old man convicted in 2017 of possession of 33 grams of heroin was the latest offender put to death. Dismissing any criticism, the government claims that the death penalty is a deterrent to drug trafficking. Singapore (AsiaNews) Nazeri Lajim, a Singaporean national, was executed today in the city-state after an appeals court rejected his plea for a stay of execution. Until the last moment, protesters asked for an act of clemency. The 64-year-old man was convicted in 2017 on drug trafficking charges after he was arrested in possession of 33 grams of heroin, which, according to the indictment, was enough to "feed the addiction of 400 abusers for a week. Lajims is the fifth execution in five months, following two years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge in executions confirms the harshness of Singapore's law, particularly towards drug offences, and the intransigence in its application. The age of the offender was an additional element for opposition by human rights groups. Similarly, the execution on 27 April of Malaysian Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, 13 years after his conviction, sparked intense pressure, from abroad as well, especially because of concerns that he was mentally disabled. Increasingly, Singaporeans are speaking out and taking action against the excessively repressive law. As in previous occasions, the Singapore government steadfastly defended the use of the death penalty. In a recent BBC interview, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam defended Singapores position, claiming there was clear evidence that it is a serious deterrent for would-be drug traffickers. EV Hyundai is diligently taking care of past, present, and future right now they had the world premiere (with full details) of Ioniq 6 aka the Electrified Streamliner complete with cool, unique NFTs. Then, the N Day 2022 event took care of both past and future with help from the RN22e and N Vision 74 technology demonstrators.But that is not all, as the rumor mill paints an even more excitingpicture, at least as far as Europe is concerned. Raising the stakes from the couple of Ioniqs it has today, the South Korean company will seek to add almost a dozen more electric vehicles in Europe by the end of the decade. And believe it or not, that includes an attack on the traditionally unprofitable city car segment. The affordable city car model is going to be fully electric, as per a recent report citing Hyundai Europes chief of marketing, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, who also thinks that the model will also take its sweet time before hitting the market probably to give more time to the profitable Ioniqs like the 5 and 6 to bring in the greenbacks. Alas, not everyone has enough patience to wait for Hyundais OEM timetable.Cue Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, is now seeking to paint in CGI the rumors about Hyundai's new EV city car. After previously dabbling with a virtual 2024 Hyundai Palisade EV pickup truck that looked like a Chevy Silverado EV was secretly designed somewhere in Asia, now the pixel master goes down to the smallest Ioniq extreme.Naturally, that means we are looking at an unofficial depiction of the potentially upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 1 a little EV successor to the rather bland Hyundai i10 that marries styling cues from both Ioniq 6 (the quirky front) and Ioniq 5 (the cool, pixelated rear). The idea is not bad at all , and the little Ioniq 1 does not even look as odd as the Ioniq 6 with that narrower front end that somehow fixes the proportional embarrassment of the real EV liftback However, unexpected is a relative term, only applying before you learn more about the Chevrolet Corvair Wagon that ended up towing this 4-ton behemoth. This is not just your casual 1961 Corvair , but a highly modified off-roader powered by an L59, 5.3L LS V-8, sending power to all wheels via a late 80s Turbo 400 transmission. The axles are nicked off of a 1990 Dodge diesel pick-up and feature a Detroit-style locker in the front and a Spicer limited-slip diff out back.The suspension is homemade, with semi-triangulated links, helping the huge Milestar Patagonia tires enjoy a massively impressive travel of around a foot. Apart from the suspension, this monster also benefits from a reinforced chassis and a really nice interior donated by an XJ Cherokee, bringing its curb weight to a substantial 5,460 pounds (2,477 kilograms).This masterpiece of American ingenuity and elbow grease is the work of Matts Off-Road Recovery. The Utah-based rescue specialists created this truly astounding vehicle as a heavier-duty alternative to their modified Jeep Cherokee rescue vehicle , as ludicrous as that sounds, although both were needed for this job.And what a mighty job it was. A Hummer H1 found itself stuck after the transmission broke when climbing down a rock ledge (not good when youre in a desert) and the stars of todays article got the call to rescue the legend. This operation was not an easy job, as not only did they have to tow over 8,000 pounds of steel, they had to do so over rocky terrain, while dodging obstacles. It was one of those obstacles that gave the rescue team an additional headache, causing one of the Humvees tires to pop right off the wheel.After having fixed that issue, the operation proceeded at a slow, yet smooth pace, and the Humvee was safely escorted out of that sticky situation. The owner ended up with an entertaining story, although were not so sure if hell be telling it to his friends anytime soon. Safety organizations around the world crash-test new vehicles to assess how safe they are in the case of an accident. But the Australians have bigger concerns about floodings , and so they will update the testing procedure with tests to demonstrate how easy it is for occupants to escape from a vehicle when it is submerged underwater. As far as we know, this is the first safety body that introduces such a test in their new car assessment program.According to the Australian government , Australia is the lowest continent in the world, with an average elevation of only 330 meters (1,083 feet). Large swaths of land are below sea level and prone to flooding , which explains Australians concerns. Starting next year, ANCAP will encourage carmakers to ensure passengers can escape a vehicle even after being submerged underwater for several minutes.According to New Zealand Autocar , ANCAP has developed a testing procedure to ensure that the car doors can be opened without battery power and the power windows remain functional for up to 10 minutes after submerging. This would be difficult, of course, so the agency is thinking of offering carmakers an easier route to assure passengers safety when the car is trapped in flood waters or a lake, river, or other water.When the car manufacturer cannot assure safe operation of the windows after submerging, they need to provide a method by which the occupants can open or break the side window to exit the vehicle. This method can be via a window-breaking tool supplied with the car, a pyrotechnic device, or a mechanical system. The procedure needs to be accurately described in the vehicles operating manual.The ANCAP testing procedures will also become stricter from 2023, making it harder for manufacturers to get the highest safety scores. Collision avoidance tests will gain prominence to help mitigate scenarios like cyclists crossing the path of a turning vehicle and cyclists approaching from behind when opening a vehicle door. SUV Well, if an all-new iteration of the king of the mid-size pickup truck U.S. market is being cooked up, the subsequent all-new generation of the equally iconic 4Runner sport utility vehicle should also be just around the corner, right? At least thats the unofficial opinion of Czech Republic-based virtual artist Rostislav Prokop, better known as rostislav_prokop on social media, who continues the dream ride periplus alongside HotCars The last time they worked together we were mesmerized at the sight of a modern Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XI revival that felt willing to take over from Subarus WRX STI. And, in the meantime, the news outlet also churned out a couple of digital pickup truck projects alongside Timothy Adry Emmanuel, the pixel master better known as adry53customs on social media a Baja-style murdered-out Tesla Cybertruck and an equally quirky Lambo truck with an El Camino-style Ute bed Now it is only natural for anidea to take over. But even if the entire gist of the project were to provide a possible glimpse into the looks of the all-new Toyota 4Runner iteration (its sixth), they just could not leave the TRD Pro version to rest. Nope, instead, they also had to make it a proper off-road monster, of course. And we cannot help but properly appreciate the effort.So, let us ogle freely at the sight of a dark-gray and menacing, lifted 2024 Toyota 4Runner new generation that looks ready for any overlanding adventures. Well, do take all the novel styling with a grain of salt. As for the rest of the changes (snorkel, roof rack, steps, meaty all-terrain tires, beefy beadlock wheels, and more), those should instead be taken for granted. After all, 4Runner fans are probably already checking up the aftermarket outlet parts catalogs. SUV Turning 16 usually means youre now allowed to start driving. Teenagers usually borrow their parents rides to practice and learn how to drive, but wealthier families treat their children to their first cars when they reach the legal age.This also applies to Chance Combs, Diddy s daughter. On July 20, Chance turned 16 and threw a big birthday bash, inviting her family and friends to a restaurant in Los Angeles, California. The sixteen-year-old wore a strapless, polka dot dress, had a double-tier white cake with butterfly figures on it, and had a night to remember.But what she wasnt expecting was to receive a car for her sweet sixteen! Her present was a silver Range Rover that had a red bow on its hood.Although she is just 16 years old, they decided to go for a luxurious crossoveras her first car. The video, shared by Chances brother, Christian Combs, doesnt give enough information on what trim they chose for Chances first car. However, it looks like they mightve gone for a Range Rover Velar.The Velar , introduced in 2017, offered several powertrains, using Jaguar Land Rovers Ingenium line with four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines, plus several six-cylinder options. All engines come mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel-drive, with power ranging from 178 horsepower (180 ps) to 542 horsepower (550 ps). Its unclear which option they chose for Chances first car.Diddy shares Chance with Sarah Chapman, who sat side by side during the party and seemed to be getting along great. She was born just five months after Diddys twins, Jessie and DLila Combs, whom he shares with the late Kim Porter. The Skyhawk was sadly retired from U.S. Marine and Navy service in the late 90s and early 2000s, but there are places all across America and around the world where people can go and get an up-close look at them. Of all those displays, we can't help but think the most fitting and beautiful is found in the little town of Oriskany in Central New York.Here, a derelict A4E Skyhawk plays the role of watchdog over the larger USS Oriskany Memorial Park . A small public playground, part-time museum, and war memorial dedicated to the men and women who served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. A vessel that the Skyhawk was intimately familiar with. The Skyhawk.So while we marvel at high-res photos of this stunning airplane, let's take a trip back in time to explore the story behind one of the Vietnam War's most iconic jets. The Douglas Skyhawk's history is irreversibly connected to that of its predecessor, the piston-engine powered A-1 Skyraider. Designed by Douglas engineer Ed Heinemann, the Skyraiders successor needed to be lightweight, jet-powered, and capable of carrying a wide array of ground ordinance into battle at high subsonic speeds.The end result was an airframe less than five US tons (4.5 metric tons) in weight and with a wingspan well under 30 feet (9.1 m). Such a design was especially enticing to the United States Navy and Marine Corps, who were still largely using older aircraft carriers of Second World War vintage. With antiquated hydraulic aircraft catapults, the lightweight Skyhawk was all too perfect for their purposes.With a single General Electric Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A turbojet cranking 8,500 lbf (38 kN) of thrust each in the A4E on display at Oriskany, the Skyhawk was the king of STOL jets before they were cool. Because most American World War II era carriers couldn't launch larger fighters like the F-4 Phantom II and A-7 Corsair, the Navy especially began to fall in love with the Skyhawk, which had its name changed from the A4D to the A-4 with the US Navy's new nomenclature in 1962.To save weight and money, early Skyhawks lacked a dedicated radar system. Not ideal for air-to-air combat. But then again, that didn't stop Douglass from fitting them with early variants of the Aim-9 Sidewinder infrared air-to-air missiles and twin Colt Mk12 20 mm cannons just in case a MiG decided to pull up into enemy airspace.The Skyhawk could also carry anywhere between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds (3,628.7 to 4,535.9 kg) of bombs under its wings between its older and newer variants. For some context, that's roughly the same as the maximum bomb load of a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber from World War II. If you're curious, yes, that also includes nuclear payloads. Platform upgrades added features like air-to-air refueling capabilities with the A-4B and its own dedicated radar with the A-4C.Suddenly, the Skyhawk was also a fearsomely capable night flyer on top of its other innate virtues of being a capable ground attack jet. All qualities that would be of great benefit to Skyhawk pilots over the skies of North Vietnam. No sooner was the first shots fired between North Vietnamese torpedo boats and US Navy Forces before President Lyndon B. Johnson called in the first airstrikes against North Vietnamese Naval assets on August 5th, 1964.Of course, the airplanes to make these first raids were none other than A4 Skyhawks carrying Rockeye-II Mark 20 Cluster Bombs, Mark 82 500 lb (226.8 kg) bombs, and armor penetrating 20mm cannon fire. It was the first in a series of thousands of sorties the Skyhawk would fly during the conflict. The type continued to serve with the U.S. Marine Corps until 1998 and with the Navy until 2007.Outside of American service, the Skyhawk served in armed forces across the globe in places like Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Kuwait, Indonesia, Brazil, and Israel. During Operation Desert Storm, the Skyhawk was one of the few Kuwaiti Air Force jets left in the sky after the initial invasion by Sadam Husein's Iraq. It was also the preferred target practice tool of TOP-GUN. The real thing, not the movie.So then, it makes sense why Skyhawks are still adored and on display around the world. This particular A4E here in Oriskany Memorial Park was a part of the same squadron aboard the USS Oriskany with which future Presidential candidate John McCain would serve with in Vietnam There are even a couple of Mark 82 unguided bombs mounted underneath each wing. Though, of course, this jet could carry a heck of a lot more than that load in a combat situation. It doesn't make the thing any less nice to look at.Check out more military airplane profiles and so much more right here on autoevolution. In 2009, together with NASA, Goodyear invented their Spring Tire, improving on the wire mesh tire that the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle had been using during space exploration. Now Goodyear joins Lockheed Martin in their quest to develop their next-generation Lunar Rover for NASAs Artemis program.Were developing this new generation of Lunar mobility vehicle to be available to NASA and for commercial companies and even other space agencies to support science and human exploration, said Kirk Shireman, vice president of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin.According to the company, only 5% of the Moons surface has been explored by the human race, while the next generation of space vehicles will use autonomous, self-driving systems for the remaining 95%.While the Apollo rovers were purposefully built for short-term use (only a few days and merely five miles within landing sites), the new Moon rover(s) will have to face more considerable challenges. Future missions will require traveling over longer distances, in harsh conditions, and over more extended periods of time, so Goodyears new tires will need to be up for the task.The Moons rugged terrain and temperature fluctuations of 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 Celsius) wont make things easy for the growing team. That said, the people working on this ambitious project have 50 years of space exploration to draw from.Ultimately, the companies are planning to commercialize Lunar mobility NASAs Artemis III project aiming to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon is planned for 2025. The companies are hoping to have their first new-gen rover ready in time to help NASA. The Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) variant of the popular Cessna Citation Longitude is ready to take to the sky, according to a recent Textron announcement. In addition to an impressive flight endurance of up to eight hours, the new Cessna MPA boasts a maximum range of 3,500 nautical miles (4,000 miles/6,482 km) and a top speed of 483 knots (556 mph/895 kph).What makes it a Special Missions aircraft is its suite of special features, meant to help with things such as surveillance tasks, fishery monitoring, border patrol, and search and rescue operations. This includes Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) sensor lift, Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) fairing, maritime radars, plus optional Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible lighting.The lightweight but durable tactical interior includes additional storage areas both in the forward and aft cabin for the support gear and special mission consoles that, according to the manufacturer, allow operators to process sensor data and stream information via datalink.Even if it switched from luxury business travel to complex maritime patrol operations, this new Cessna Citation Longitude still boasts a highly-comfortable cabin environment, suitable for long flights, featuring seven belted passenger seats, a refreshment center, and a lavatory. Plus, like the original version, the new Maritime Patrol variant claims the advantage of low operating costs.The Cessna Citation Longitude jet provides an excellent value for Special Mission operations due to its acquisition cost and operation cost combined with excellent speed, range and payload capacity, concluded Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales for Textron Aviation. Cessna Citation Longitude is also known for sporting the worlds quietest super-midsize cabin, with best-in-class legroom for comfortable long flights. Alas, there is one unit imported from France and clear of pesky U.S. Customs intrusion that may seek to change that. Dressed in Army Green over a black leather interior and with beefy looks that seem to make it ready for anything (including an unintentional off-road roll-over hence the protruding roll cage!), this Defender 130 pickup truck is now more American than its British parent ever imagined.Proudly tucked in the inventory of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Garage Kept Motors , it now has an LS swap on board a nasty little V8 secret that beats under the hood with the blunt force of a 2015 Chevy Camaro SS 6.2-liter V8 engine. The paintjob is also unique according to the description, and we can only say the semi-matte green shade bodes extremely well for the black details seen on a lot of exterior parts (including the bedliner).The Landy is just as serious inside, where it is all black vinyl leather business complete with a few hints that something is amiss. Those include the aftermarket instrument cluster with the odometer indicating a mere 40 miles (64 km) though we can all bet those are of the nasty TMU (total mileage unknown) variety. Plus, there is also an aftermarket center console with a modern shift lever for the automatic transmission, the black roll bar system, and whatnot.As for the rest of the highlights, those certainly include the beefy all-terrain tires, 6.2-liter LS V8 connected to a custom exhaust system with MagnaFlow muffler, and a functional Lo and Hi 4x4 range selector, among others. And last, but not least, comes the asking price the dealership wants no less than $119,900 to be parted with this rare whip! kW That car is a 1970 Ford Capri 3000 GT that has been sympathetically restored and, perhaps equally important, that comes straight out of Jamie Olivers personal collection. Unlike fellow Brit and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay , Jamie Oliver isnt a widely known car enthusiast and collector, but this Capri was one he was very fond of.So fond he was of it that he kept it in his garage even after it was used during the filming of the Channel 4 show Jamie and Jimmys Friday Night Feast, where it was used to drive the duo to RAF Wittering for an appearance . As you can see in the 2015 Facebook post available below, Oliver also gushed about the car on social media and kept it as it was, down to the Jamie and Jimmy window stickers.It is now for sale with Hilton & Moss , with technicians for the auction house declaring it a solid and quite rare example. Ford of Europe made some 1.9 million Capris during 1969-1986, but the facelifted 3000 GT was limited exclusively to the UK. Since it was meant as a sportier version, it replaced the smaller engine with the Essex V6, which developed 138 hp (103) and took it closer to the pledge made by Ford of Europe in marketing materials that Ford Capri [was] the car you always promised yourself.This example has been sympathetically restored by the owner before Oliver and has recently received a respray that replaced the Amber Gold Metallic with Ermine White. The interior is black leather, and, while everything is in solid condition, the vehicle does display the tell-tale signs of the passing of time which is what youd expect from a 1970 car, the auction house says.This is a fabulous opportunity to own a beautiful early 3000GT with recorded celebrity ownership that looks and drives great, the listing further reads. No wonder then that pricing details are available only on application. EV German media reports that Herbert Diesss departure has been pushed by the Porsche and Piech families. The official announcement speaks of Diesss decision to leave the company. However, discontent was brewing within the company for some time. Diess has made powerful enemies in his push to accelerate the companys electrification efforts. Following a clash with the labor union, Diesss future at Volkswagen has been put in the balance.Volkswagen AG today announced that its chairman of the executive board, Dr. Herbert Diess, will in agreement with the supervisory board resign from his position effective 1 September 2022, said Volkswagen in a statement.Starting the same day, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume will succeed Diess as the CEO of the Volkswagen Group. Blume will also continue his role as the head of the Porsche brand. This decision speaks volumes about Herbert Diesss unexpected departure. Blume will be assisted in his role by CFO Arno Antlitz, who will assume the position of the chief operating officer.For years now, Oliver Blume enjoys our explicit confidence. We are convinced he will continue the successful development of the Volkswagen group and forcefully implement the necessary measures, informed the same source.Unexpected as it may be, Herbert Diess departure was a long time in the making. His position significantly weakened last week after the problems at Volkswagens software arm Cariad threatened to derail the companys automated driving efforts.Volkswagen is pushing to beat Tesla as the worlds topmaker, catch up on software, and is close to launching an IPO for the Porsche sportscar brand. Blumes naming as the new CEO is presented as a generation change in the Volkswagen Group. FILE - Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares speaks to the crowd during an inaugural celebration, Jan. 15, 2022, in Richmond, Va. Some federal lawmakers urged Google last month to limit the appearance of anti-abortion pregnancy clinics in certain abortion-related search results. Now, 17 Republican attorneys general, including Miyares, are warning the company that doing so could invite legal action. Their letter Thursday, July 21, 2022, to the CEO of Google parent Alphabet Inc. criticizes the letter signed by 21 members of Congress, which points to the prominence of anti-abortion pregnancy clinics in searches for abortion services. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) The governments press office said Mourad Papazian, a co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), was detained at Yerevan airport and deported back to Paris on July 14 because of organizing an angry protest against Pashinians visit to France last year. In a statement, the office said that the ethnic Armenian protesters threw various objects at Pashinians motorcade when it drove through Paris on June 1, 2021. It described the incident as an attack on the prime minister. The statement also said that Papazian was expelled under an Armenian law that allows the authorities to impose entry bans on foreign nationals posing a serious threat to the countrys state security or public order. Papazian dismissed the explanation, saying that he did not organize or participate in that protest. This is a lie, he told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. Papazian is also a leading member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), a pan-Armenian party in opposition to Pashinians government. He insisted that he was barred from entering Armenia because of his political views and activities. Papazian argued that he visited Yerevan for at least four times after Pashinians June 2021 trip to Paris. Why did they not ban me from June 1, 2021 to July 13, 2022? he asked. Papazian reportedly participated in one of the daily antigovernment rallies launched by the Armenian opposition in Yerevan on May 1, 2022. Opposition leaders have condemned his expulsion. The CCAF, which is an umbrella structure uniting Frances leading Armenian organizations, denounced the travel ban on July 15 as an attack on democracy and brutal blow to the French-Armenian community. Pashinians office asserted on Friday that the Armenian authorities have no reservations about any participant of peaceful protests. 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 Mumbai-based news service dnaindia.com reported this week that the delegation came armed with a shopping list when it met with Indian officials last month. Citing an unnamed official, it said that drones figured prominently on the list. The online publication gave no other details of the talks. Nor did it say if any agreements were reached by the two sides. Armenias Defense Ministry on Friday declined to comment on the reported visit of its representatives to India or its broader interest in Indian military hardware. Visiting Yerevan earlier this month, a senior official from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said India and Armenia are discussing long-term military cooperation as part of their efforts to deepen their ties. The official, Sanjay Verma, spoke during a session of an Indian-Armenian intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, who co-chaired the session with Verma, listed defense and military-technical cooperation among the areas that are very promising for our countries. Mirzoyan held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in April on the sidelines of an international conference held in India. It was their third face-to-face meeting in eight months. Jaishankar visited Armenia last October. India sees Armenia not only as a friend but a good counterweight to Turkey whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly belligerent on the Kashmir issue and followed a number of policies inimical to India, wrote dnaindia.com. It noted that Indias arch-foe Pakistan is allied to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Pakistan strongly supported Azerbaijan during the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war over Nagorno-Karabakh. But it denied claims that Pakistani soldiers participated in the six-week war on the Azerbaijani side. By contrast, India has backed Karabakh peace efforts spearheaded by the United States, Russia and France. It has backed Armenia in an Armenian-Azerbaijani border dispute that broke out in May 2021. In a statement issued at the time, the Indian foreign ministry called on Baku to pull back forces immediately and cease any further provocation. Armenian military officials had already visited India in August 2018 to discuss possible arms deals. The Times of India daily reported at the time that they showed an interest in the Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems manufactured by an Indian defense company. In March 2020, six months before the outbreak of the Karabakh, Indian media reports claimed that Yerevan will pay $40 million to buy four Swathi weapon locating radars from their Indian manufacturer. The deal was never publicly confirmed by the Armenian military. You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) The BBC on Thursday apologized to the former nanny of Princes William and Harry over false and malicious claims made against her as part of a journalist's attempt to obtain an exclusive television interview with Princess Diana. Alexandra Pettifer, formerly known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, appeared at London's High Court Thursday for a public apology from the broadcaster over false claims that she had an affair with Prince Charles while working as his personal assistant in 1995. Her lawyer told the court the allegations caused serious personal consequences for all concerned. BBC director-general Tim Davie said the corporation has agreed to pay substantial damages to Pettifer. The broadcaster had failed to ask the tough questions about how the Diana interview was obtained, he added. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize publicly to her, to The Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives, Davie said in a statement. William and Harry have strongly criticized the BBC for its shortcomings after an investigation found that one of its journalists, Martin Bashir, used deceitful means to secure the explosive Diana interview in 1995. In the interview, a major scoop for Bashir, Diana famously said that there were three of us in this marriage referring to Prince Charles relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Her candid account of her failing marriage with Charles was watched by millions of people and sent shockwaves through the monarchy. Pettifer's lawyer, Louise Prince, said the former nanny hadn't known the source of the allegations against her over the past 25 years. But it now appeared likely that the claims arose as part of the BBC's efforts to procure the Diana interview, Prince said. The false claims including an allegation that Pettifer became pregnant with Charles' baby and had an abortion appeared to exploit prior false media speculation, the lawyer said. She said Diana confronted Pettifer about the allegation in late 1995, and told a member of the royal household that she had a hospital letter proving the abortion happened. As the allegation of an abortion was totally false, any such letter could only have been fabricated," Prince said. Davie said the broadcaster would never show the Diana interview again or license it to other broadcasters. Pettifer said after the hearing that she was disappointed legal action was needed. The BBC has already paid damages to Diana's former aide as well as a former BBC producer who was dismissed after he alerted editors to faked documents that Bashir used to gain access to Diana. German Expressionist cinema is known for its experimental nature. Strange camera angles and moody black and white images are the order of the day. It is this experimental nature that lends itself perfectly to the Boomtown Film Societys latest project. The group will screen the classic silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, at 7 p.m., July 23, in the Jefferson Theatre, with music composed by four different local composers; Caden Welborn, Robert Stringer, Fatih Baha Omeroglu and Isaiah Grande. The societys interim executive director Christopher Dombrosky said the idea stemmed from a request from the Jefferson Theatre for ideas for films to screen. Rather than just send a list of his favorite films, Dombrowsky sent a list of out-of-the-box ideas, one of which was to screen a silent film with new music by a local composer. But then I added that it would be even better to make it a showcase so that instead of just focusing on a single local musician, you could have a variety of them, he said. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari runs around 80 minutes, which gives each composer a 20-minute segment, Dombrowsky said. He said he knew musicians who had been looking to do film-related projects. Most of the projects that the Film Society does, and that just happen in general, are for directors, or actors, or possibly writers, he said. It's so rare for there to be something that focuses on people that want to make music for film. Most local filmmakers use stock production music or contemporary music from local bands or use no music at all, Dombrowsky said. It's only the last and most difficult option to say I'm going to find someone to compose and produce an original score for my film, he said. Take the few number of films that are being made and divide by that, and that's how few opportunities there are for local composers. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in 1920 and is considered to be one of early cinemas most influential films. It tells the story of a carnival hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders. It is a highly stylized film visually and everything is heightened and dreamlike, Dombrowsky said. You're hard pressed to find a straight line or a right angle in the film, and audibly we're providing something that's also a little bit different, he said. Hopefully, it matches that style. The four composers drew lots to choose the order. Welborn drew the first section of the film. He said he had seen the film and wanted to be able to set the tone. A freelance composer and audio engineer, Welborn has composed everything from indie pop to ambient to EDM, as well traditional film music with orchestra some and choir. Welborn also mixed the audio for the screening. So, he has heard all the compositions but has not watched the score with the film. I specifically did not want to spoil myself, he said. I listened to it all without pictures and I'm anxiously awaiting how that's going to look come the time. There is definitely a distinct difference between all the parts. It's been very unique hearing the various differences. They each have their own ways of making music, but it's interesting when it's all put towards one film. Robert Stringer, who performs under the name DJ Renigade, created the music for the films final section. Its where everything comes together for the movie, he said. My writing style is very high tension, very heavy handed, so, I was champing at the bit Yes, I want the end, I want the end, he said. I loved how it went out, everything together with the music and certain poignant moments they're all synched in together. It's truly been an awesome experience to do this. The four composers bring different skills to the project. Stringer is not classically trained in music theory but has developed his own style and style, he said. I hope people can realize that music is not an exact science, he said. Everybody has their own style and neither one is better nor worse than the other. But as a cohesive whole, (the film) exposes each our talents individually. And ultimately, the hope is that this gets out enough that others come looking for this in Southeast Texas and adds to a burgeoning film scene in here. Omeroglu, a native of Turkey, is a doctoral student at Lamar University focusing on human computer interactions and industrial engineering. His work draws heavily on sound design using ambient sound effects and noises to increase the emotion which fits well with the films third section. In the segment, see, there's the two big chasing in the movie, and there's a few really tension-building scenes I felt like that could go along with what I like to do, he said. Omeroglu, who tours under the name Echo Sycamore, said he finds more expression from different types of sounds instead of chord progressions or tempos. What inspires me is those unique sounds that are here in the songs, he said. It can be a little bit of a different instrument placed in a really wrong place or could be different noise effect distortion, reverb delay things like that inspire me a lot more than chord progressions or writing itself The fourth composer, Grande, joined the project as a late replacement, but said the time crunch made for an interesting challenge that molded his composition. He said his motivation is to chase a feeling and translate that musical journey to the person listening. This particular silent movie has some very interesting imagery and I enjoy the story, he said. So, having the opportunity to write part of the score has been very rewarding. The pieces have experimental elements to them and that, I hope, will add to the texture and shape of the overall experience. Welborn said he hopes viewers will be interested in the unexpected turns the music takes. When you throw a whole bunch of people of varying backgrounds and music production, you get a very wide variety of styles that come out of it, he said. I would love to see people go, Oh, you know what. I would love to see more of this type of a thing in film a branching out of what can be done, what's possible, what's looked at as film music that will be fantastic. The doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. screening and tickets are $5. A Q&A will follow the screening. The Jefferson Theatre is located at 345 Fannin St. in downtown Beaumont. Beaumont police are looking for more information about a Friday afternoon shooting at a northern Beaumont apartment complex that resulted in gunfire hitting a police car and entering a child's room. Officers from the Beaumont Police Department responded to a call around 1:15 a.m. at the Plymouth Village apartment complex, 5080 Helbig Rd. According to a City of Beaumont news release, shots were fired while two officers were standing near their police cars at the front of the complex. "The officers and residents in the area initially thought the gunshots were fireworks," the news release states. "Over twenty rounds were fired from at least two separate weapons from a wooded area across the railroad tracks." Several vehicles and buildings were hit by the gun shots, including a police car. One round entered a childs room in one of the apartments, the news release states. RELATED: Beaumont man accused of murder rejects plea deal "This incident is under investigation and Detectives are asking for the publics help," the news release states. "If you have information about this investigation, contact the Beaumont Police Department, 409-832-1234." Contact Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas by calling 409-833-8477, logging on to 833TIPS.com or using the P3 TIPS app. Crime Stoppers tips remain anonymous and may be eligible for cash reward. The complex in 2020 was the site of the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old Beaumont man. Tevin Moore was found dead with multiple gun shot wounds on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 2020, police said previously. The investigation allegedly revealed that Moore and another man got into a verbal fight before the shooting. Beaumont ISD is working to harden its campuses throughout the course of the 2022-23 school year and is implementing new procedures to keep students, staff and administration safe. New additions include adding vestibules to secondary campuses, installing systems that will require visitors to buzz in and speak to someone before entering a campus, transitioning 15 Public Safety Officers at elementary campuses from part-time to full-time and equipping the district police with active shooter response gear such as AR-15s, ballistic helmets, vests and shields and a battering ram, among other things. Just days before the end of the 2021-22 school year in May, a gunman in Uvalde shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary. As summer quickly comes to an end, the state legislature, school districts and communities across Texas have been looking for ways to prevent another deadly school event. Beaumont ISD has done the same. With less than one month before school begins on Aug. 10, district Superintendent Shannon Allen reiterated the safety protocols in place and procedures the district is looking to implement. "(We're) looking forward to a great school year but at the same time, we are not going to be afraid going into the school year," Allen said. "We're going to make certain we're doing everything that we can possibly do to keep our schools safe, to harden our schools." At the end of June, the Texas Education Agency released its list of Required School Safety Action Steps that districts had to undergo before the start of school -- the response to a direction by Gov. Greg Abbott to support security and safety in public schools, according to the agency's website. Some of the action steps required include reviewing and auditing safety procedures, conducting an exterior door safety audit -- meaning all exterior doors of campus facilities must be checked to see if they have functioning locks -- and ensuring all campus staff including substitute teachers are trained on safety protocols, among others. The protocols the district previously implemented and will continue to do are: Security screenings at all middle and high schools Clear and mesh backpacks for middle and high school students Safety drills Visitor access procedures All employees must wear BISD identification badges and visitors must have and wear visitor's passes/badges Threat assessment protocols Campus safety team monthly meetings required Additional action steps the district intends to implement are: Controlled access entry to harden secondary campuses including: Exterior framing Ballistic filming Exterior remote cameras and audio systems Additional fencing Extend 15 part-time Public Safety Officers to full-time for more security coverage at elementary schools Clear and mesh backpacks for all elementary students Camera upgrades for all facilities Train all campuses and teams on Navigate 360 All classroom doors will be locked during class time Enhancements expected to be made to district law enforcement are: Scheduled BISD police patrol rotation at elementary campuses Coordinate outside agency police patrol at elementary campuses Conduct active shooter and ALERT training with local law enforcement agencies Equip BISD police with active shooter response equipment such as AR-15s, ballistic helmets, vests and shield and a battering ram device Implement monthly campus safety report cards Increase elementary assigned Public Safety Officers' work hours to 8 instead of 4 hours on a 187-workday schedule Partner with neighboring community citizens and businesses around campuses to establish safety and public awareness At the regular meeting Thursday night, the board voted unanimously to transition the part-time Public Safety Officers to full-time. Allen said district staff is expecting to bring a quote for the cost of the new implementations to the board to review and vote on at August's board meeting. "These are some of the enhancements that we are wanting to put in place," Allen said. "We never share everything that we do. There are other things that are in place, but we don't share them publicly because our folks don't need to know everything we have in place." On Thursday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that the migratory monarch butterfly had "entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change," noting that, with the addition, the list now included a total of 147,517 species with 41,459 of these being "threatened with extinction." Todays Red List update highlights the fragility of natures wonders, such as the unique spectacle of monarch butterflies migrating across thousands of kilometres, Bruno Oberle, IUCN director general said in the press release. To preserve the rich diversity of nature we need effective, fairly governed protected and conserved areas, alongside decisive action to tackle climate change and restore ecosystems." The endangered migratory monarch butterfly is a monarch butterfly subspecies, the report states, explaining that the native population, "known for its migrations from Mexico and California in the winter to summer breeding grounds throughout the United States and Canada," had decreased between 22% to 72% in the last 10 years. Detailing a list of risks to these animals, the report makes note of both legal and illegal logging and deforestation, as well as pesticides and herbicides. "Climate change has significantly impacted the migratory monarch butterfly and is a fast-growing threat," a portion of the report states, adding that "drought limits the growth of milkweed and increases the frequency of catastrophic wildfires, temperature extremes trigger earlier migrations before milkweed is available, while severe weather has killed millions of butterflies." While eastern populations have decreased 84% between 1996 and 2014, western populations are at the "greatest risk of extinction," with a 99.9% decline between the 1980s and 2021, according to the report. In Texas, the monarch butterfly is the official state insect and the species is a predominant seasonal sight across the Lone Star State. Texas is located in the middle of two of the "principal breeding grounds," with the pollinators using two main "flyways" in the fall and spring, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This includes a 300-mile wide stretch of the state between Wichita Falls and Eagle Pass the animals navigate at the end of September and another on the Texas coast traversed around late October through the middle of November. JHVEPhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto "Early each March overwintering monarchs begin arriving from their overwintering grounds in Mexico," reads a portion of the TPWD resource. "Seeking emerging milkweeds, they move through Texas laying eggs before dying. Their offspring continue heading north, leaving most of Texas behind, the first of several new generations of monarchs that re-populate the eastern half of the United States and southern Canada." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate St. Louis has joined the growing list of Democrat-led cities seeking to help women gain abortion access, even in red states that have largely banned the procedure. Not long after Democratic Mayor Tishaura Jones on Thursday signed a measure providing $1 million for travel to abortion clinics in other states, Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued to stop what he called a "blatantly illegal move to spend Missourians hard-earned tax dollars on out-of-state abortions. The give-and-take is emblematic of city versus state battles playing out across the U.S. since June, when the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade prompted several states, including Missouri, to ban most abortion procedures. The Missouri law prohibits abortions except in a medical emergency. Democrat-led local government leaders in otherwise conservative states have fought back. Like St. Louis, the city of Cleveland plans to help with logistics costs. Mayor Justin Bibb announced this week that hes working with the City Council on legislation to create a $100,000 Reproductive Freedom Fund to help pay for travel and lodging for Cleveland residents and city employees seeking a legal abortion in another state. In Ohios capital on Friday, Columbus City Council members announced proposals including a $1 million Education and Access Fund to help cover costs for abortion access for city residents, including transportation, child care and lost wages, and to bolster community education regarding safe and legal reproductive health care choices. They plan to vote on the measure Monday. Days after the Supreme Court decision, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said the city would provide travel reimbursement for city employees who have to leave Ohio for abortions. The City Council in Kansas City, Missouri, approved a similar plan, also in June. Schmitt has threatened to sue Kansas City, too. City councils in places such as Austin, Texas, and Nashville have passed measures urging law enforcement not to prioritize abortion ban enforcement, and other cities are weighing similar proposals. In Louisiana, members of the State Bond Commission voted this week to withhold a $39 million non-cash line of credit for the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board power plant project as a way to send a message to city leaders who said they would not enforce the statewide abortion ban. Attorney General Jeff Landry had urged denial of the financing and said in a written statement that the commission forced elected officials in New Orleans to decide if they will enforce State law. The St. Louis law calls for using federal COVID-19 relief money for a Reproductive Equity Fund. The funding is part of a larger health care package that also offers postpartum support, lactation help, doula assistance and money for COVID-19 testing and vaccine incentives. Jones said during a news conference prior to signing the bill that she expected a lawsuit from Schmitt, who is seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in the Aug. 2 primary, and who has filed dozens of lawsuits ranging from efforts to halt mask mandates in schools to a suit against China over the coronavirus. I will not back down when our opponents threaten, bully or demean our city, especially the attorney general, whos more concerned about chasing clout than care, Jones said. Schmitt said in a news release that the St. Louis measure violates the state law that makes it unlawful for any public funds to be expended for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion, not necessary to save the life of the mother, or for the purpose of encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion not necessary to save her life. Missouri had just one abortion clinic at the time of the ban, a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis. Two abortion clinics operate in the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis, and two clinics operate in Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb. ___ Associated Press writers Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, and Geoff Mulvihill in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Two Southeast Texas companies have been fined for breaking state law. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Magna Properties, Ltd. were both fined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on June 20. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was fined nearly $10,000 for emissions releases and failing to report violations. The unauthorized emissions event occurred on June 12, 2021 and lasted six hours and two minutes, according to the Commission. During that time, nearly 11,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds were released from Natsyn Wastewater. A number of chemicals are considered VOCs. Generally, they can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, cause difficulty breathing and can cause cancer. RELATED: State fines Port Arthur refinery $10K for emissions The company "failed to submit an initial notification" within 24 hours of discovery of the July 12, 2021 event. The incident notification was due by 4:04 a.m. June 13, 2021. However, it was not submitted until 8:30 a.m. June 15, 2021. Magna Properties in Orange County was fined more than $20,000 for nine public drinking water violations. The events were investigated from December 15, 2020 through January 22, 2021 and the company received a notification of enforcement March 8, 2021. RELATED: Orange County refinery fined for public drinking water problems The violations include failure to annually inspect the facility's pressure tank, failure to monitor disinfectant remaining in water after the initial application and failure to obtain a sanitary control easement, which protects nearby water supply, according to the Commission. Magna Properties and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company are just two of 34 companies TCEQ fined for a total of $458,533 for violations of state environmental regulations. Credit: The Public Investment Fund Re: Dennis Wrights letter on Sunday criticizing U.S. Rep. Randy Webers guest column on energy independence. What Wright neglects to mention about economics as it relates to oil is when there is an oversupply and the price is way down, consumers benefit in all the ways we are hurting now because of high prices. It sounds like Wright felt sorry for oil companies who were having to pay to get rid of the oil but blames the greedy oil companies when prices are high. When prices were low, former President Trump wisely filled up our oil reserves, a national security measure. Biden withdrew a lot of our oil from the reserves allegedly to help reduce the price here and then sends it overseas to other countries including a lot to China, Russias ally, and Hunter Bidens partner in China. Biden deserves a lot more than his 10% cut for that brazen move. I have no problem with looking for and the using of clean energy in coordination with fossil fuels and nuclear energy. There are many examples where wind and solar energy are not dependable and European countries who have fallen for the green energy trap, the same destructive path Biden is trying to force us into, are facing starvation, lack of heating and cooling resulting in protests and riots which will put us all at the mercy of countries like China and Russia who could not care less about emissions. If Wright is mystified about how Congressman Weber got elected, he should be dumbfounded how President Biden got elected. But all he has to do is look in a mirror. Texas often seems too hot to let people flourish, let alone grapes. But its the fifth most prolific wine-producing state in the U.S., with many of those bottles coming from the Texas Hill Country. This massive territory, the countrys southernmost wine region, comprises more than nine million acres, making it the second largest AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the nation. The Hill Country is dotted with dozens of gorgeous estates, tiny tasting rooms and operations that fall somewhere in the middle. And while the area was originally settled by German immigrants who planted its first vines, most of the regions grape varietals today hail from France, Italy and Spain, with popular wines including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre and Viognier. The abundance of wines and places to drink them means you have plenty to do when making a trip to the Texas Hill Country. To give your ship a rudder, here are four newly opened wineries and tasting rooms worth checking out. Fredericksburg Slate Theory is not like most wineries youll find in the state. They use 100% Texas-grown fruit that comes either from their estate or local growers, and they experiment in small batches to produce unique wines embracing themes of art and psychology. The 2018 Insomniac is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Malbec and Souzao, while the 2017 Manic combines Cab Sav and Sangiovese. Both bottles feature skulls on the label, while others showcase Rorschach patterns, and the winerys name refers to English philosopher John Lockes tabula rasa or blank slate theory that everyone is born with an open, receptive mind. The tasting room is open seven days per week, so you can drop in to sample the goods and buy bottles. If youd like a closer look at the operation, make a reservation, which includes a 45-minute tour of the facility and a visit to the spacious underground wine cellar. A variety of Summer Revival Flat Brim wines. Summer Revival Dripping Springs Husband-and-wife duo Ian and Becky Atkins have bounced between El Paso and Portland, Oregon, over the years, operating restaurants in both cities and starting an urban winery in Portland called Flat Brim Wines. In May, they opened the doors to a Texas Hill Country tasting room in Dripping Springs that serves a rotating menu of wines made with minimal intervention techniques. That includes the local Summer Revival label, which features wines produced in Fredericksburg with 100% Texas grapes, like the Pinot Grigio Ramato, plus a selection of Flat Brim Wines made with 100% Oregon and Washington grapes. Swing by for a visit, and you can taste your way through the lineup, while also snacking on sandwiches, salads, cheese, cured meats and tinned fish. If you like what you taste, go home with a few bottles or sign up for the wine club to get cases shipped to your house. Fredericksburg Kalasi Cellars comes from husband-and-wife duo Greg and Nikhila Narra Davis. Every wine is made with 100% estate-grown grapes, either sourced from the owners High Plains-located Narra Vineyards, which covers 160 acres, or Kalasis 16-acre plot of land in Fredericksburg. The tasting room is open daily, and inside youll find a wraparound bar perfect for enjoying a glass or a flight, plus a vaulted ceiling and windows for days. Wines are grouped into two collections: Heritage and Reincarnation. The former includes Malbec, Merlot and Sangiovese, while the latter is composed of less common varietals and blends, like Sagrantino and Teroldego. Kalasi has one of the better food menus in town, with a sampling of Indian snacks, tikka masala flatbreads and samosas with mint chutney. If the weathers nice, take a plate and a glass outside to the covered patio, or claim a shaded Adirondack chair situated under an old pecan tree. When youre out there, keep your eyes open for the handful of sheep and the resident llama named Dalai. Texas AVA winemakers Randy Hester and Rae Wilson. Texas AVA Austin We like a good collaboration story, and Texas AVA is the rare tasting room shared by two wineries: C.L. Butaud and Wine For The People. Located on the western edge of Austin, the tasting room is run by Randy Hester of the former winery, who makes small lots of wines designated primarily for members and area restaurants, and Rae Wilson of the latter, who makes two labels: Dandy Rose and La Valentia. The shared space is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and features flights from each producer, as well as mixed flights highlighting pours from both. This article was featured in the InsideHook Texas newsletter. Sign up now for more from the Lone Star State. The post Texas Hill Country Is the Second-Largest U.S. Wine Region, So Drink Up appeared first on InsideHook. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Justin Broomhall Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Wayne Zartman Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Brandon Burks Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Its not every day you catch a 50-pound flathead catfish on rod and reel. The piscatorial giants are frequently caught by trotliners using live perch for bait or hand fishermen brave enough go rooting around in their spawning dens. Many rod and reel encounters with flatheads happen while the angler is targeting an entirely different species. Wayne Zartman of Bedford knows all about that deal. Zartman was enjoying an eventful white bass feeding spree at Lake Ray Roberts near Denton when he inadvertently crossed paths with a heavyweight flathead. His bait of choice was a 1/2-ounce slab spoon, a flat piece of lead painted chartreuse and white with a treble hook on the business end. The sand bass had been biting fairly well. Zartman said he had already landed about 30 fish when he felt the thump of another bite. He was bringing the fish towards the boat when something much larger gobbled it up, headed the opposite direction and peeled drag off his bait caster. What Zartman called an epic battle ensued. He figured he had hooked a big catfish, but said he didnt know for certain until about 10 minutes later when finally managed to work the fish to the surface. A flathead with a weight problem had decided to munch the 8-inch sandie for lunch. Much to my surprise, when I went to retrieve my lure from this beast, the two of the three treble hooks were in the sand bass' mouth and only one hook was in the catfish, Zartman recalled. I got the single hook out of the catfish's mouth with a simple twist of my pliers and then did the same with the sand bass. Zartman said the fat cat bottomed out a set of 50 pound scales. He worked the sand bass out the catfishs throat and his girlfriend took a few pictures. Both fish were released unharmed. Its definitely one of my favorite fishing memories for sure! Zartman said. Some anglers may have been tempted to keep the catfish, but it would have been illegal to do so. Thats because the flathead ate the sand bass, not Zartmans slab spoon. Both fish are labeled as sport fish in Texas, and it is illegal to use any sport fish as bait. Walter "Junior" Thomas of Alba knows the situation all too well. In 2010, Thomas was fishing for crappie at Lake Fork when he hooked a crappie on 1/16-ounce jig rigged on ultralight gear. Thomas was reeling the crappie to the boat when a big bass grabbed it and took off. The angler landed eventually landed both fish. The 15.69 pounder would have ranked among the Top 50 heaviest bass ever reported in Texas had it been caught on a lure or minnow instead of a crappie. Interestingly, Thomas was already aware the catch was not legal. The angler had caught and released two fish over 10 pounds the same way the month before. Thinking there was a chance he might catch a bigger one, he contacted TPWD's law enforcement headquarters to find out more. Robert Goodrich, TPWD's assistant chief of fisheries enforcement at the time, explained that it is not legal to retain any fish that is caught using game fish for bait, even if it is unintentional. "The bottom line is you can't use game fish for bait," Goodrich said. "It was ultimately a crappie that attracted that fish, not the artificial jig. A Fork Whopper Rohingya siblings fleeing violence hold one another as they cross the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, Nov. 1, 2017. Updated at 2:50 p.m. ET on 2022-07-22 The International Court of Justice on Friday rejected all of Myanmars objections to a case brought against it by Gambia, which accuses the Southeast Asian country of genocide against the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority. Myanmars military regime had lodged four preliminary objections claiming that the ICJ, based in The Hague, did not have jurisdiction and the West African country of Gambia did not have the standing to bring the case over mass killings and forced expulsions of Rohingya in 2016 and 2017, hundreds of thousands of whom fled to neighboring Bangladesh. The ruling, delivered at the Peace Palace in the Dutch city by Judge Joan E. Donoghue, the ICJ president, clears the way for the court to move on to the merits phase of the process and consider the factual evidence against Myanmar, a process that could take years. The court found that all signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention can and are obliged to act to prevent genocide, and that through its statements before the U.N. General Assembly in 2018 and 2019, Gambia had made clear to Myanmar its intention to bring a case to the ICJ based on the conclusion of a U.N. fact-finding mission into the allegations of genocide, Donoghue said. Myanmar could not have been unaware of the fact that The Gambia had expressed the view that it would champion an accountability mechanism for the alleged crimes against the Rohingya, the judge said. The military that overthrew Myanmars elected government in February 2021 is embroiled in fighting with pro-democracy paramilitaries across wide swathes of the country, and reports have emerged of troops torturing, raping and killing civilians. In the initial hearing of the case in 2019, Gambia said that from around October 2016 the Myanmar military and other Myanmar security forces began widespread and systematic clearance operations against the Rohingya group. The genocidal acts committed during these operations were intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group, in whole or in part, by the use of mass murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, as well as the systematic destruction by fire of their villages, often with inhabitants locked inside burning houses. From August 2017 onward, such genocidal acts continued with Myanmars resumption of clearance operations on a more massive and wider geographical scale. Thousands died in the raids in August 2017, when the military cleared and burned Rohingya communities in western Myanmar, killing, torturing and raping locals. The violent campaign forced more than 740,000 people to flee to squalid refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh. That exodus followed a 2016 crackdown that drove out more than 90,000 Rohingya from Rakhine. The Gambia has called on Myanmar to stop persecuting the Rohingya, punish those responsible for the genocide, offer reparations to the victims and provide guarantees that there would be no repeat of the crimes against the Rohingya. The Myanmar juntas delegation protested at a hearing on Feb. 25, saying the ICJ had no right to hear the case. It lodged four objections, all of which the ICJ rejected on Friday. Gambia Attorney Gen. Dawda Jallow (left photo) and Myanmars agent, Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing speak to reporters outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, July 22, 2022. [AP] Joy in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, the decision was greeted with joy by the displaced Rohingya community. Khin Mong, founder of the Rohingya Youth Association and a resident of the Unchiprang refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, told BenarNews that the ICJs ruling would benefit all oppressed ethnic groups in Myanmar, not just the Rohingya. InshaAllah, the Rohingyas will one day receive justice. I believe the international courts final decision will also be in our favor, he said. BenarNews also spoke to Abul Kalam, a Rohinyga refugee living at Camp Majhi in Jadimura, Teknaf. Until death, every Rohingya will seek justice for this genocide, he said. The Gambia has prepared the path for a fair trial for us. We are now more optimistic about it. Tun Khin, president of the U.K.-based Burma Rohingya Organization, who attended Fridays court proceeding, called the ICJ ruling good news for all citizens of Myanmar. The ICJ court proceeding will continue and justice will be served for all Rohingya, who have been victims of a genocide, he said. I believe the forthcoming court hearings will verify that the military has intentionally committed crimes against the Rohingya population, with genocidal intent. In a post on Twitter, Gambias Ministry of Justice welcomed the ruling, calling it a major win for The Gambia in its fight for Justice for the Rohyinga. Fridays ruling was also welcomed by the international human rights community. The ICJ decision opens the door toward an overdue reckoning with the Myanmar militarys murderous campaign against the Rohingya population, said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. By holding the military to account for its atrocities against the Rohingya, the World Court could provide the impetus for greater international action toward justice for all victims of the Myanmar security forces crimes. Matthew Smith, chief executive officer at Fortify Rights, called the ruling momentous. Jurisdiction in this case is settled, he said. The international community should immediately get behind The Gambia in this case and support other efforts across mechanisms to hold the Myanmar military to account for its horrific crimes against the people of Myanmar. Rohingya who spent four days in the open after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, carry their belongings after they were allowed to proceed toward a refugee camp, at Palong Khali, Bangladesh. Oct. 19, 2017. [AP] The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and was established in 1945 to settle disputes in accordance with international law through binding judgments with no right of appeal. The United States, meanwhile, has also accused Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared in March that Burmas military committed genocide and crimes against humanity with the intent to destroy predominantly Muslim Rohingya in 2017. The State Department said the military junta continues to oppress the Rohingya, putting 144,000 in internal displacement camps in Rakhine state by the end of last year. A State Department report last month noted that Rohingya also face travel restrictions within the country and the junta has made no effort to bring refugees back from Bangladesh. Myanmar, a country of 54 million people about the size of France, recognizes 135 official ethnic groups, with Burmans accounting for about 68 percent of the population. The Rohingya, whose ethnicity is not recognized by the government, have faced decades of discrimination in Myanmar and are effectively stateless, denied citizenship. Myanmar administrations have refused to call them Rohingya and instead use the term Bengali. The atrocities against the Rohingya were committed during the tenure of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who in December 2019 defended the military against allegations of genocide at the ICJ. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and one-time democracy icon now languishes in prison toppled by the same military in last years coup. In February, the National Unity Government (NUG), formed by former Myanmar lawmakers who operate as a shadow government in opposition to the military junta, said they accepted the authority of the ICJ to decide if the 2016-17 campaign against Rohingya constituted a genocide, and would withdraw all preliminary objections in the case. It is hard to predict how long this case could take to reach the final verdict. Most likely it could take several years, even a decade, said Aung Htoo, a Myanmar human rights lawyer and the principal at the countrys Federal Legal Academy. Abdur Rahman in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, contributed to this report which was produced mainly by Radio Free Asia, an online news service affiliated with BenarNews. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is warning in a new report that mass killings of civilians could occur in Indonesias restive Papua region in the next year to 18 months if current conditions deteriorate to a worst-case scenario. Although large-scale violence against civilians is not occurring yet in Papua, early warning signs are visible and warrant attention, says the report, titled Dont Abandon us: Preventing Mass Atrocities in Papua. The museums Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide published the 45-page report this month authored by an Indonesian, Made Supriatma, who conducted field research in the region at the far-eastern end of Indonesia. Indonesia ranks 27th on the list of countries with risks of mass atrocities. This report should be considered as an early warning, Supriatma told BenarNews. A combination of factors increasing rebel attacks, better coordination and organization of pro-independence civilian groups, and the ease of communication makes it plausible that the unrest could reach a new level in the next 12-18 months, the report said. If political and social unrest persist, and if it were to spread across the region, it is possible that the Indonesian government could determine that the scale or persistence of the protests would justify a more severe response, which could lead to large-scale killing of civilians, it said. The risks are rooted in factors such as past mass atrocities in Indonesia, the exclusion of indigenous Papuans from political decision-making, Jakartas failure to address their grievances and conflicts over the exploitation of the regions resources, according to the report. Other factors include Papuans resentment over Jakartas failure to hold accountable security personnel implicated in human rights abuses and conflict between indigenous Papuans and migrants from other parts of Indonesia over economic, political, religious, and ideological issues, it said. Under one scenario that the report envisions, pro-Jakarta Papuan militia, backed by the military and police, commit mass atrocities against pro-independence Papuans. But such a scenario depends on indigenous Papuan groups remaining divided into pro-Jakarta and pro-independence groups, it said. The other scenario involves Indonesian migrants and Indonesian security forces committing atrocities against indigenous Papuans, the study said. The report recommends that the government improve freedom of information and monitoring atrocity risks, manage conflicts through nonviolent means, and address local grievances and drivers of conflict. Supriatma said indigenous Papuans he spoke to as part of his research confirmed that real and perceived discrimination had fueled an us-against-them mentality between indigenous Papuans and Indonesians. Papua, on the western side of New Guinea Island, has been the scene of a low-level separatist insurgency since the mainly Melanesian region was incorporated into Indonesia in a United Nations-administered ballot in the late 1960s. In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua like Indonesia, a former Dutch colony and annexed the region. Only about 1,000 people voted in the U.N.-sponsored referendum in 1969 that locals and activists said was a sham, but the United Nations accepted the result, essentially endorsing Jakartas rule. Not based on facts An expert at the Indonesian presidential staff office, Theofransus Litaay, questioned the studys validity. Theres something wrong in the identification of research questions. The author extrapolated events in East Timor to his research, he said, referring to violence by pro-Jakarta militias before and after East Timors vote for independence from Indonesia in 1999. Its not based on the facts on the ground, he said, without elaborating. Gabriel Lele, a senior researcher with the Papuan Task Force at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said the report was based on limited data. It is true that there has been an escalation of violence, but the main perpetrators are the OPM [Free Papua Movement] and the victims have been civilians, soldiers and police, Gabriel told BenarNews. He said rebels had also attacked indigenous Papuans who did not support the pro-independence movement. Violence has intensified in Papua since 2018, when separatist rebels attacked workers who were building roads and bridges in Nduga regency, killing 20 people, including an Indonesian soldier. In the latest violence, suspected rebels gunned down 10 civilians, mostly non-indigenous Papuans, and wounded two others on July 16. A local rebel commander from the OPMs armed wing, Egianus Kogoya, claimed responsibility. We suspect they were spies, so we shot them dead on the spot, the Media Indonesia newspaper quoted him as saying on Monday. The attack in Nduga regency came a little more than two weeks after legislators voted to create three new provinces in Papua amid opposition from indigenous people and rebel groups. In March this year, insurgents killed eight workers who were repairing a telecommunications tower in Beoga, a district of Puncak regency. Arms trade Benny Giay, a member of the Papua Church Council, said Jakarta had not shown a desire to address racism against Papuans, who are ethnically Melanesian, and instead branded pro-independence groups terrorists. Authorities allow arms trade between armed groups and members of the TNI [military] and police, which perpetuates the violence and in the end can have fatal consequences for the indigenous people, Giay told BenarNews. The influx of migrants from other parts of Indonesia has created inter-communal tensions and conflicts over regional governance, analysts said. Indigenous people are concerned that a massive project to build a trans-Papua highway, as part of President Joko Jokowi Widodos drive to boost infrastructure, could lead to economic domination by outsiders and the presence of more troops, said Cahyo Pamungkas, a researcher from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The road will mainly benefit non-Papuans, and indigenous people will benefit little economically because they are not ready to be involved in the economic system that the government wants to build, Cahyo told BenarNews. Malaysia this week passed its first anti-sexual harassment bill, which calls for the setting up of a special tribunal to speedily adjudicate cases behind closed doors, a development that womens groups have been demanding for 30 years. The bill, which the upper house must pass and which the king must approve before it becomes law, protects women and men who report harassment, said the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, an NGO. Womens groups across Malaysia have lobbied for 30 years for this legislation. With the passing of the bill, victims can look forward to expeditious, affordable and accessible redress via the Tribunal on Anti-Sexual Harassment, it said in a statement issued with other human rights groups late Thursday. While applauding the legislatures commitment, the group said it wanted the government to ensure that victims are fully protected. It also hoped that the bill would not be misused by irresponsible parties to curtail human rights against marginalized groups or be used to impose moral policing on others. The whole intention of the legislation has always been to promote and protect the fundamental rights of all persons regardless of gender, race, religion or background, the joint action group said. Twenty-two lower house lawmakers debated the bill on Tuesday before it passed by voice vote on Wednesday. Under the legislation, a tribunal is to be set up to hear sexual harassment complaints. The first tribunal is to be in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor. It would have the right to issue awards and orders as members deem appropriate. Such actions could include ordering an accused person to make an open apology and in some cases to pay damages up to 250,000 ringgit (U.S. $56,000). The bill would also give panelists the ability to refer cases to a high court judge. Opposition lawmaker Hannah Yeoh said she wanted panel members to be picked from different religions and races to reflect Malaysias multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. This is because the sexual harassment issue is subjective. Because if one member said a certain way of dressing is sexy, if we do not have representatives from different religions and races, I am afraid that there will be an imbalanced definition, she said. Yeoh worked on a draft of the bill while serving as deputy minister of Women, Family and Community Development during the Pakatan Harapan government in 2018 before it collapsed. It is not a perfect bill, but this is needed to help victims, she said. I believe many have been waiting for years for this bill. Rina Harun, who serves as minister of Women, Family and Community Development under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said the bill addressed lawmakers concerns that sexual harassment violates human rights and is a form of violence and discrimination against its victims. The bill is a form of our commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CEDAW that we are part of since July 5, 1995, and also under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which declares all people are equal and rejects all kinds of discrimination including gender-based, she said. Five other laws Proponents said the bill will complement five laws on the books to deal with more serious sexual crimes. Rina said those laws are too broad to deal with sexual harassment cases because they require prosecutors to prove a defendant had ill intention in committing a crime. And it has to be proven that it was beyond a reasonable doubt. The judicial process is very long and there is no specific remedy for the victims, she said. The new tribunal, on the other hand, would allow the panel to decide on complaints based on the balance of probabilities and not beyond reasonable doubt. It does not allow lawyers or advocates to represent any of the parties in the hearing. In cases involving minors, adults can represent them in lodging a complaint. A decision must be made within 60 days of the hearing. The tribunal is open to all regardless of gender and nationality. Show of unison Awang Azman Awang Pawi, a political observer and analyst at University of Malaya, said the bill has received support from both opposition members and the government. He noted that its complexity had slowed passage. It needs to be covered in all angles and that is why it took a lot of time to be drafted. When Pakatan Harapan was in power, there was a draft but it did not get tabled in parliament because the government collapsed, he told BenarNews. There is plenty more that needs to be debated and there is still room for improvement, but because there is a lack of time and to not be seen as a delay tactic, the government and the opposition agreed to speed up its passage during this parliament session. MaryKay Carlson, the new U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, presents her credentials to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, July 22, 2022. The new American envoy to the Philippines assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday of Washingtons enduring support for its long-time defense treaty ally in Southeast Asia ally amid fresh territorial challenges from China. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson presented her credentials to the new Philippine leader at the Malacanang presidential palace here, less than 24 hours after she landed in Manila to take up the diplomatic post. I am deeply honored to work with the Philippine government led by President Marcos and our #FriendsPartnersAllies across this great country to further U.S.-Philippine ties, Carlson said via Twitter. For his part, Marcos said he looked forward to working with Carlson in continuing to strengthen our ties in the pursuit of common goals as well as building relationships between Filipinos and Americans. Carlsons tenure begins against the backdrop of China increasing its assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea. Philippine authorities had recently monitored Chinese ships entering into waters within Manilas exclusive economic zone, despite Beijings top diplomat saying during a recent visit to Manila that two-way ties promised to be moving into a golden era. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also praised the new Philippine president. Before taking office on June 30, Marcos promised he would assert a 2016 arbitration court ruling won by the Philippines against China over the South China Sea, an issue that his immediate predecessor was widely criticized and seen as weak in confronting. Marcos is to deliver his first state of the nation address before the Philippine Congress on Monday, during which he will lay down his policies for his six-year term. Marcos now is faced with the challenge of insisting that China follow the arbitral award, while also realizing that Beijing has emerged as an economic powerhouse that can rival the U.S., the countrys traditional military ally, analysts say. Marcos administration will either witness Chinas ascent to a global superpower status or the U.S. will maintain its dominance in the region, said Chester Cabalza, a political and defense analyst at International Development and Security Cooperation, a Manila think-tank. Cabalza noted that the Philippines will likely play a pivotal role in shepherding a maritime rules-based norm in the region because of the 2016 arbitral ruling that has also championed the worlds case for maritime order. However, he noted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whom Marcos predecessor Rodrigo Duterte called a close friend, has had an advantage over the U.S. these past six year when it comes to diplomacy in the South China Sea. Now, new envoy Carlsons familiarity with Asia she previously served in China and India will serve her well amid the intense U.S.-China rivalry in the region. Her post in the Philippines can determine the fate of Washingtons closeness with Manila, Cabalza said. The challenge lies in how the envoy sustains the appeal of the U.S. as the Philippines oldest treaty ally, he said, and also how Marcos Jr. will seize that opportunity to patch up differences with Washington. The Mutual Defense Treaty, signed by both countries in 1951, binds the two allies to aid each other in times if a foreign power attacks either country, and would allow the U.S. to use former American naval and air bases in the Philippines, a former American colony. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan (left) listens to Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha during a no-confidence debate at the parliament in Bangkok, July 19, 2022. No time to die, a pro-government Facebook page blared this week, as Thailands parliament prepared to debate Prayuth Chan-o-chas fitness for office, with a series of posts resembling posters for the James Bond film but featuring images of the current cabinet. Prayuth Agent 008 will not be killed, the post predicted with tongue-in-cheek humor to lighten the mood on the eve of a four-day censure debate against the prime minister and members of his cabinet. The former junta chief is expected to survive the fourth no-confidence vote in three years on Saturday, but polls and analysts say his political future is in doubt as the country heads to a general election that must take place in the next 10 months. If they wont die in the parliament, they will die in the election, said Chonlanan Srikaew, the leader of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, referring to Prayuth and 10 of his ministers. Eight years after he spearheaded a military coup, Prayuth, 68, a retired army chief, has remained the countrys leader but faces challenges to his power, including from within his coalition. During the week, he also fended off the oppositions accusations of corruption and economic mismanagement as he took part in parliamentary debating ahead of the no-confidence vote. While he courted their ongoing support earlier in July, Prayuth expressed his wish to serve a second elected term as he assured supporters that his economic programs would start bearing fruit in two years. Et tu, Prawit? But Prawit Wongsuwan, a deputy prime minister and head of the ruling Palang Pracharat Party, may want to replace Prayuth so that it stands a better chance of winning the next general election, which must take place no later than May 2023, according to political insiders. On the second day of the debate, Prawit was asked if he knew about the 2014 coup that toppled the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra. I did not stage the coup; this man did, he replied, pointing his finger at Prayuth, who sat next to him. The prime minister raised his hand and smiled. The remark drew laughter from some government lawmakers but opposition members kept mum. The prime minister was the only one involved in the coup. Not me, nor [Interior Minister] Gen. Anupong [Paochinda], Prawit claimed. I have to set this straight because I had no clue of the coup. Its rubbish to talk about the 3P alliance. Prayuth, Prawit and Anupong (Pok) are known in Thai politics as the 3Ps all former army chiefs who were involved in the coup. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha answers questions during a no-confidence debate at the Parliament in Bangkok, July 19, 2022. [Sakchai Lalit/AP] Since last year, Thai media have reported about the souring relationship among the three, especially between Prayuth and Prawit, who does not have any portfolio despite serving as deputy prime minister. In public, the two ex-generals maintain they have a good relationship. Only death shall make us three part, Prawit said last year after Prayuth faced his third no-confidence vote in September. Later, Prawits right-hand man, Thamanat Prompow, who served as secretary-general of the ruling party, was booted out after it emerged that he had allegedly tried to secure the no-confidence vote against Prayuth. Thammanat and 15 other MPs left the coalition this month, saying they would vote against Prayuth. Still, that may not be enough to oust Prayuth who has reached out to another Group of 16, a loose coalition of micro-parties with only one or two MPs, according to local media. Prayuth has lost some of his strength, said Thannapat Jarernpanit, a politics professor at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University. His popularity inside and outside the party is dipping, and the relationship among the coalition factions are volatile, he said. The opposition has taken the opportunity to attack Prayuth and his government as a complete failure, unable to tackle the countrys economy which was ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic as well as public health and public borrowing, among other issues. If Prayuth were the brand name of a product, that brand name would be rejected by the people, Chonlanan, a leading opposition politician, said on Tuesday, the first day of the parliament debate. He accused the prime minister of lacking leadership, being incompetent, abusing power and lacking moral legitimacy allegations Prayuth dismissed as an old script. Meanwhile, Prayuth defended his tenure, saying the economy was in ruins because of previous governments, adding that he helped the nations tourist industry recover and had provided financial assistance to the public during the pandemic. An image of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, mocked up with a James Bond theme, appeared on a pro-government Facebook page, July 18, 2022. [Priang News/Facebook] Prayuth is likely to survive on Saturday as no one has lost in the more than 40 no-confidence votes since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, according to Tulsathit Taptim, a political commentator on Thai PBS. Analysts noted that Prayuths coalition has 253 members more than the oppositions 224. Some ministers could lose their jobs after the vote and amid media reports that Prayuth likely will reshuffle his cabinet, analysts said. While opposition parties are unlikely to succeed in unseating the prime minister on Saturday, the debate likely will help them in the next election, said Piyapong Phimphaluk, a political researcher at Chiang Mai University. Threat from outside the party During the debate, a small group of protesters gathered in front of Parliament to put pressure on lawmakers ahead of the vote. They are part of the youth-led pro-democracy street protests that started in July 2020 and, at their peak, drew up to 20,000 who demanded Prayuths resignation and constitutional and monarchy reforms. While the demonstrations died down recently as the government charged more than 200 protest leaders with royal defamation and sedition charges, analysts said anti-government feelings remain. The movement was dispersed and suppressed through a combination of water cannon, legal instruments, intimidation and coercion but its discontents and grievances are simmering under the lid of repression, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University, wrote on Friday in the Bangkok Post. Thailand seems headed for an inevitable reckoning in the medium term. Anti-government protesters block the road as a part of their car mob demonstrations in Bangkok, Aug. 29, 2021. [Anuthep Cheysakron/AP] Ahead of the vote, Prayuth has performed poorly in recent public opinion polls. He finished fourth, with only 11.68 percent support of potential voters in the upcoming general election, according to a June survey by the Bangkok-based National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). In a March survey by the same institute, Prayuth finished third. Among the parties, opposition Pheu Thai was the top choice for 36 percent of respondents, the NIDA poll found last month, while Prayuths army-linked Palang Pracharat finished fourth with 7 percent votes. The unpopularity was evident when Prayuths chosen candidate lost the May election for Bangkok governor and his party won two of 50 seats in the metropolitan council. The election of the Bangkok governor has changed the value and priorities of political leaders dramatically, Thannapat told BenarNews. It could even force the ruling party to move Prayuth to other roles such as the strategist and not someone in the spotlight, to attract the voters. Prayuth also is likely to face a legal hurdle as opposition parties said they planned to file a petition to the Constitutional Court about him serving the maximum term of eight years. They allege that would end on Aug. 24 because he was appointed prime minister in 2014 by an unelected military-dominated legislature after the coup he led. Prayuths administration, meanwhile, said his term started in 2019 after the last general election. According to Thannapat, the Palang Pracharat Party, in the wake of its poor showing in the Bangkok polls and with a general election looming next year, will need someone on the national stage with a good profile, acceptable to wider society, and most importantly not an old, retired soldier. Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand, contributed to this report. When it comes to fashion and styling, Bollywood has traditionally been at the forefront of Indian cinema, whereas the South has played it safe, blending the modern and conservative looks both on and off the screen. However, exposure to international cinema and global platforms appears to have recently improved the fashion sensibilities of South stars. With more Southern Indian films appearing in global festivals and stars from the region appearing in international films, stylists and fashion designers are coming into their own. When it comes to international exposure, Dhanush stands out among South Indian film stars. The actors Instagram profile reveals a mix of conservative and stylish images, both of which he projects in his films. Dhanush has recently been seen wearing some dapper tuxedos while promoting his upcoming Hollywood film The Gray Man in the United States. In the company of the films directors, The Russo Brothers, he is also seen honouring his roots by wearing a white shirt and veshti with style. Dhanushs stylist, Kavya Sriram says, "Working with Dhanush Sir has been an absolute delight! Hes one of our finest and is constantly crossing borders and straddling between multiple industries so effortlessly, be it Kollywood, Tollywood, or Hollywood. Similarly even with his style, he pulls off everything with such ease. We like to keep it real and honest and stick to what reflects his identity the best. I feel honest self-representation and comfort are most important when it comes to styling someone and keeping it real goes a long way." Osman Abdul Razak, a celebrity designer and sartorial reformist who has travelled the world with his fashion statements, says, Because of the impact of social media, the South film industry has been adapting very quickly. The rise of Instagram and TikTok is to blame for the recent surge in styling and shift in fashion sensibilities. Even when they are not on screen, celebrities project themselves through their fashion sense. Anu Parthasarathy, a popular costume designer and stylist whose most recent release was DON for Sivakarthikeyan, emphasises the importance of understanding the occasion as well as the brands available in order to achieve the best effect. Its fun to experiment with different brands to find a style for a celebrity. Off-screen and for film characters are the two types of styling I do. In films, I dress the character according to the needs of the screenplay, not the stars, so there are rules to follow. However, stars nowadays place a high value on off-screen appearances at promotional events and award ceremonies. So, for this, I talk to them about how we can experiment with different trendy looks and accessories, Anu says. 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. Opening of China-built Peljesac Bridge takes China-Croatia cooperation to new levels: Chinese ambassador Xinhua) 10:40, July 22, 2022 ZAGREB, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Peljesac Bridge, due to open for traffic on July 26, is a prominent project for promoting Chinese equipment, technology and knowhow in the construction industry in Croatia and globally, and it will deepen the mutually beneficial relations between China and Croatia and the European Union, said Qi Qianjin, Chinese ambassador to Croatia, in an interview with Xinhua on Thursday. The project has been supported and followed with great interest and appreciation by the leaders of both China and Croatia, Qi said, praising Chinese enterprises that have overcome the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and completed the project on schedule. He called the Peljesac Bridge a symbol of the fruitful cooperation between China and Croatia within the framework of a broader cooperation scheme between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC Cooperation). Qi also saw the project, which is the largest infrastructure project undertaken so far by the Chinese side in Croatia, as a token of good cooperation between China and Europe. The project greatly contributed to economic growth in Croatia and more broadly in Europe, as it employed more than 250 local people continuously, while helping to cultivate engineering, technical and management skills, thus effectively driving the development of local enterprises and promoting the economic and social development of Croatia, Qi said. A total of 18 design and consulting enterprises and 45 construction companies in the EU, as well as 112 global equipment and material suppliers have participated in the project, Qi said, adding that Chinese enterprises strictly followed the relevant environmental protection regulations of the EU and Croatia to minimize the impact of the project on the surrounding environment. Qi said he had been aware of the worries of local oyster producers concerning the possible negative impact of the construction project on the quality and volume of oyster production at the nearby Ston Bay. However, thanks to the highest environmental protection standards observed throughout the project, no negative impact has been observed. On the contrary, the bridge has opened up new sales routes, Qi said. The opening of the new bridge is expected to further deepen the mutual political trust between China and Croatia, strengthen the alignment of the development strategies of the two sides, and expand cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade -- in summary, it will take the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Croatia to a new level, Qi said. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) The state was directed to file a status report on the facilities provided in the schools. (DC Image) HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday directed the state government to file a status report on various infrastructural provisions and appointment of teaching and non teaching staff etc., in all government-run schools across the state. The court issued notices to the principal secretary, school education, panchayat raj and rural department, principal secretary, municipal administration and the commissioner and director of school education, directing them to respond to the notices by September 23. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice S. Nanda was dealing with a PIL filed by B. Abhiram, a law student, by citing a newspaper article appeared in Deccan Chronicle on June 13, highlighting the pathetic conditions prevailing in government schools across the state. Petitioners counsel T. Swetcha, citing the news report, threw light on the deplorable conditions prevailing in government-run schools in tribal areas of Komaram Bheem Asifabad and other districts, and brought to the notice of the court about an important aspect covered in this article, a school which was functioning in a hut in Janduguda hamlet in Tiryani mandal of Asifabad district for the past 10 years. The hut belonged to a woman, Jekam Pochubai, who donated it for running the school. Reacting to it, the Chief Justice bench observed, The Right to Education is a fundamental right of the children of this country and the children who attend these government schools are mostly from the downtrodden classes. This court would like to know the facilities provided in all schools. The state was directed to file a status report on the facilities provided in these schools. However, the state counsel submitted to the court that the same issue was dealt with by the Supreme Court. Reacting to it, the bench observed, The Supreme Court already dealt with the same issue, which adjudicated and disposed the PIL long ago directing the states to provide all required facilities in government schools functioning in all the states, and directed to submit a status report in this regard by September 23. Vermont News & Media will host a debate with the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate today (Friday) at 1:30 p.m. at its Landmark Hill Drive offices. Candidates Isaac Evans-Frantz of Brattleboro, from left, Dr. Niki Thran of Warren and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, the incumbent, are vying for the national seat in Congress. The seat is being vacated by longtime legislator Sen. Patrick Leahy, whos stepping down. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez, pictured, endorsed Democratic candidate Beto ORourke for governor of Texas. In this Sept. 14, 2021, file photo, a health worker administers a dose of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at the Reading Area Community College in Reading, Pa. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming a Swedish study shows that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine changes recipients DNA. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. PITTSFIELD For more than six decades, General Dynamics has helped to arm submarines for warfare. A new quarter-billion-dollar contract ensures that work will continue, largely in Pittsfield, solidifying the companys local employment. The U.S. Department of Defense this month awarded a $272.9 million contract to General Dynamics Mission Systems. The six-year agreement, with the U.S. Navys Strategic Systems Programs office, will be used to develop, produce and install firing systems in the new Columbia and Dreadnought classes of submarines. The major defense contract is the second for the Pittsfield division, the company says. Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems, said the new contract, which runs through 2028, will provide support for submarines that are of strategic importance to our nation and our allies. General Dynamics has been supporting previous submarine programs for more than 65 years, he said in a statement. In 2017, General Dynamics landed a $5.1 billion design contract for the new Columbia submarines, according to the publication Defense News. The submarines are being designed by the companys Electric Boat division in Connecticut and Rhode Island. In addition to supporting the development of the submarines, the new contract will pay for work to upgrade strategic ballistic missile systems already in use on deployed submarines both in the U.S. and in the United Kingdom. Nearly 80 percent of the work will be performed in Pittsfield, the defense department said. The money awarded this month, according to the Pittsfield division, relates to work on behalf of the U.S. Navys second and third Columbia-class submarine and the third Dreadnought class submarine in the U.K. The defense department said that 79 percent of the work will be done in Pittsfield, followed by this breakdown of work elsewhere: Groton, Conn., 7 percent; Kings Bay, Ga., 4 percent; Bangor, Wash., 4 percent; in the U.K., 4 percent; and in Quonset Point, R.I., 2 percent. The Columbia class of submarines is costing the U.S. government roughly $110 billion for an initial order of vessels that are expected to be in service for 50 years. According to trade publications, the new class of submarine will be longer and heavier than the Ohio class it replaces, but carry fewer nuclear missiles. General Dynamics Mission Systems, based in Fairfax, Va., has about 13,000 employees around the world. General Dynamics as a whole has more than 100,000 works worldwide. It reported revenues of $38.5 billion in 2021. A spokesman for the Berkshire District Attorneys Office said late Wednesday that a statement will be released Thursday regarding a missing Pittsfield teen. Mayor Linda Tyer, who visited with the teens family at Silver Lake during Tuesdays search, said Wednesday evening that "we had some very sad news there today." Mary Anderson, 23, of Harvard, was found dead in Brattleboro, Vt., on Tuesday. Police on Thursday said she died of a gunshot wound and they are investigating her death as a homicide. Jim Shulman, a Pittsfield native living in Ohio, is the author of Berkshire Memories: A Baby Boomer Looks Back at Growing Up in Pittsfield. If you have a memory of a Berkshire baby-boom landmark, business or event youd like to share or read about, please write Jim at jesjmskali@aol.com. The team members inspected the damages caused to houses, roads, crops and other infrastructure. They also interacted with the affected people. (Photo: File/ By Arrangement) HYDERABAD: The seven-member Central team, which was on a two-day visit to the flood-affected districts in Telangana to assess the damage caused by recent heavy rains and subsequent floods, completed its proceedings on Friday. The seven members were divided into two teams. One team visited five flood-affected mandals in the Nizamabad district and the other team visited Bhupalapally and Mulug districts on Thursday. On Friday, the teams visited Bhadradri Kothagudem, Adilabad, Nirmal and Mancherial districts. Soon after their return to Hyderabad, the Central team members met Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and top officials. The Chief Secretary briefed them about the ground situation and submitted the estimates of the losses suffered by various departments. The team will submit a report to the Centre recommending financial assistance. The state government requested the Centre to provide Rs 1,000 crore as immediate assistance towards flood relief to the state. It sent a preliminary report to the Centre stating that Rs 1,400 crore loss was caused due to damages to roads, bridges, houses, check dams, cattle, crops etc. The inter-ministerial team headed by Sourav Rai toured Bhadrachalam and surrounding villages on Friday which were worst hit by floods in the Godavari river. Secretary for disaster management Rahul Bojja accompanied it. The team members inspected the damages caused to houses, roads, crops and other infrastructure. They also interacted with the affected people. The team also inspected a photo exhibition at the ITDA office arranged by Bhadradri Kothagudem district administration on the damages caused by the floods. Kothagudem collector D. Anudeep briefed the team about Rs 162 crore losses suffered in the district. The team also visited flood-hit areas in Nirmal district. It inspected Kadam dam, which received record inflows last week due to heavy rains in upstream areas. Nirmal collector Musharraf Ali Faruqui briefed the team on the damages caused by the floods in the district. Dalton Delan can be followed on Twitter @UnspinRoom. He has won Emmy, Peabody and duPont-Columbia awards for his work as a television producer. Navigating the meaning of statements from the Old Testament prophets can be difficult. Some sayings are obscure and vague, making them hard to understand. Others have such specific meanings to their time, it can be difficult to imagine how they could be relevant to believers today. Some verses are so famous they are ubiquitous. They have become part of common language, and their meaning is changed by out-of-context usage or misuse by non-believers. Centuries ago, the prophet Isaiah cried out, Here I am! Send me (Isaiah 6:8b). This famous response to the call of God has been worked into books, songs, and speeches ever since. Here, Isaiah modelled the response of a believer to the invitation of God to join Him in His work in the world, to spread the news of His love, justice, and coming kingdom; Isaiah in his day obeyed the call to be a prophet to the nation of Israel, and today those who have a relationship with the Lord are called to obey and follow the Great Commission, to tell the world about Jesus Christ. What Is the Context for Isaiah 6? Chapter 6 in the book of Isaiah is rich with historical information, theological insight, and awe-inspiring glimpses into what it looks like at the throne of God. It begins by sharing that the visions recorded were given the year King Uzziah died. His reign was somewhere around 783-742 BC, and he suffered from leprosy because of his disobedience of Gods law. Though he started out being a good king, he fell into sin and ruined his legacy. His sons ran the government because of his sickness. Theologians look back at Uzziah as a king who had great promise, but ultimately let his pride get the better of him, and he was not all he could have been, had he been more faithful to the Lord. The visions God sent to Isaiah at that time, and the call He was going to put out came on the heels of another disappointing ruler, though perhaps not its wickedest. The next section of the chapter details the visions God sent Isaiah at the beginning of his call to be Gods prophet. He showed Isaiah the great throne of the Lord, with the angels singing, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! (Isaiah 6:3b). As a result of seeing God enthroned in all His glory, Isaiah cried out for forgiveness of His sins, overwhelmed by the might and holiness of God and crushed beneath the weight of his own sin. God forgave Isaiah, and purged his lips with hot coals. This moment in the Old Testament is one where Isaiah was deemed cleansed not because of his own merit or sacrifice, but Gods mercy, foreshadowing the coming grace for all people through Jesus Christ. Isaiah Was Willing to Go, Wherever God Sent Him It is at this point in the passage that the lines are recorded, And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here I am! Send me. The Lord wanted to use someone to warn the people, to call them to repentance, and Isaiah volunteered to go be that person. It should be noted God could only use Isaiah after his sins were cleansed. The message God initially charged Isaiah with was, Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed (Isaiah 6:9b-10). The people of Israel and Judah were often in conflict with the Lord, rebelling against His laws and rejecting His love, so God sent Isaiah to declare their sins back to them, as well as the consequences. God told Isaiah to preach to the people, but knew they would not hear the truth. They would ignore him. In the second half of the prophecy, covered in verses 11-13, the Lord paints a bleak picture for Isaiah. It would take a long time, a lot of hardship and pain before the people of Israel would hear and repent. Isaiah was still willing to go share the word of God, knowing it would not be discerned in his lifetime. Despite the sad implications, God ends His message to the people with some hope; And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump (Isaiah 6:13). That holy seed is a reference to the coming Savior, Jesus Christ, who would also be called the Shoot of Jesse later in Isaiahs prophecies. No matter how small Israel became, no matter how disobedient, in that nation lay the hope for salvation. How Does This Statement, Here I Am, Send Me Apply Today? The Lord still has plans and purposes He wants to accomplish by sending each person out with Him. It helps people grow closer to Him, be more like Him, and have experiences that will have significance into eternity. Isaiah called people into repentance, and - according to church tradition - was martyred for following the Lord. When looking at how God wants to use Christians, Jesus issued a similar call as He ascended back to Heaven to be with the Father until His return; And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20). Just like Isaiah had to be cleansed of his sins before He could say, Here I am Lord, send me, a person must repent of their sins, and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. To be useful to the Lord, there must be a relationship. Isaiahs willingness to go and be obedient to whatever God asked him is an example for todays believers to follow. Isaiah agreed to go for the Lord before he knew what God was going to ask him to say. Likewise, Christians should be willing to obey the Great Commission, however God leads them to fulfill it, even if they are not sure what their specific assignment may be. Some people will be called to go to the ends of the earth to give the Gospel to unreached people groups. Others will be in the secular workplace, reaching their neighborhoods for Christ. Regardless of what assignment God wants to give His children, it is important, and the believer should embrace it, obey, and do it with love. Isaiah saw the many sins of Israel, but was called to preach Gods truth. Ultimately, he knew going into his assignment that he was not called to fix Israels problems, but point them to the mercy of the Lord and the hope of a coming Messiah. Today, Christians cannot fix every problem in their respective cultures and societies, as mans heart is desperately wicked. They can and should go out and share the good news that Jesus Christ came as the Messiah, died for everyones sins, rose from the grave, and now offers forgiveness and eternity in Heaven with him. Just like Isaiah responded with passion and obedience to Gods assignment for Him, Christians should answer to the Great Commission with the same fervent answer, Here I Am! Send me. Sources Sawyer, John F. Isaiah Vol. I. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1984. Wiersbe, Warren. The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Isaiah: Feeling Secure in the Arms of God. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2012. Wilmington, H.L. Wilmingtons Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981. Related articles What's So Important about Biblical Literacy? 4 Steps to Saying, Like Isaiah, Here Am I Lord Who Was Isaiah and Why Is He Important? Photo credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry. IDAHO FALLS - During the early morning hours of Thursday, July 21, 2022, officers with the Idaho Falls Police Department of deputies with the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office located a known fugitive who recently failed to return to Bonneville County Jail after a court order furlough. Officers and deputies engaged in a lengthy high-speed pursuit with the suspect, who was identified as 42-year-old Idaho Falls resident Peter Lewis, that ultimately ended in Madison County. According to police, the incident began around 2:45 a.m. Thursday morning when detectives from the IFPD and Bonneville County Special Investigations Unit located Lewis driving a blue Honda Civic. Detectives attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle by activating their emergency red and blue police lights and sirens, however, Lewis did not comply and began to drive recklessly at high speeds attempting to evade police. Lewis allegedly continued to flee and attempt to evade officers driving at speeds of 80 miles per hour (mph) in a 35-mph zone. Lewis led pursuing officers out of the city limits to Highway 26 traveling Northeast where he reached speeds of 100 mph in a 55-mph zone. Lewis turned off Hwy 26 onto North 95th East. A short time later, the Idaho Falls Police Officer leading the pursuit saw glass breaking on one of the vehicles windows and Lewis point a handgun out the drivers side window back towards the officer before firing multiple times. According to a release, officers and deputies did not return fire at any time during the incident. After continuing the pursuit through multiple counties at speeds well above the posted limits. Later on in the pursuit, the Idaho Falls Police Patrol vehicle was that leading the pursuit sustained significant damage after striking a deer that ran between the suspect vehicle and the patrol car. That patrol car was disabled and a new lead took control of the pursuit. Finally, at about 3:30 a.m. on trail 213 in the Hinckley Creek area of Madison County, the Honda Civic became high-centered on a trail and could not continue any further. Lewis then bailed from the vehicle and fled on foot into the densely wooded area. Officers and Deputies called out to Lewis instructing him to surrender and informing him that a Bonneville County Sheriffs Office K-9 may be released if he did not do so. Lewis responded to officers, stepped back into a visible area, and complied with officer commands. Lewis was taken into custody with no further incident. The entire pursuit lasted 51 minutes and traveled approximately 36 miles. 13 law enforcement officers were involved in various stages of the pursuit. In total, officers located 5 spent shell casings in Lewiss vehicle, further confirming that he had fired at pursuing officers during the pursuit. Fortunately, neither the suspect nor any law enforcement officers sustained injuries during the incident. Lewis, 42, was taken back to the Bonneville County Jail where he was booked for the following offenses: 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 Hyderabad: City-based artisans heaved a sigh of relief as the Telangana High Court did not issue an order restricting the use of plaster of Paris (PoP) in making idols of deities, for Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja, on the grounds that the state government has not issued a government order banning or prohibiting the same. The case pertains to a PIL filed by artisan bodies against guidelines issued by the central pollution control board, banning the use of PoP in idols. A division bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice S. Nanda, adjourning the case until September, when the legality of the CPCB guidelines would be assessed, however, stated that the Telangana government should issue a G.O. on alternative arrangements for immersing Ganesh idols made of PoP and other materials as opposed to Hussainsagar and other lakes by August 31, before the start of the Ganesh Chaturthi. The High Court cited guidelines of the Supreme Court not to allow immersion of PoP idols in lakes, and instructed the state to create baby ponds in advance for immersing such idols. The court also declined the state governments request to cap the height of idols at four feet, faulting the government for not issuing a circular or order by March, based on previous judgments of the High Court in the matter. The court directed the state government to peruse the guidelines issued by the West Bengal government for the immersion of Durga idols. In their arguments, the petitioners in the case Telangana Ganesh Murthi Kalakar Welfare Association of Dhoolpet, Lodh Kshatriya Sadar Panchayat and other individual artisans requested the court to declare the ban on PoP imposed by CPCB illegal, on the grounds of not having jurisdiction. Further, they asked the court to restrain pollution authorities, GHMC and police from interfering in the idol-making process. The CPCB issued the guidelines on the grounds that immersion of PoP idols would pose a threat to waterbodies as PoP does not dissolve in water. However, the petitioners countered that the PoP was not a pollutant and that gypsum minerals, which strengthen PoP, account for only one per cent of the substance compared to other materials like cement and those used in hospitals. Further, the petitioners counsel said that failure to provide immediate relief would affect the livelihood of artisans, who are dependent on the festive season. After the petitioners brought it to the notice of the court that the state has not issued orders so far, the court allowed them to use PoP in idols. The New York Festivals Advertising Awards has announced the 2022 Special Industry Award recipients. Each year, New York Festivals honours those companies whose multi-awarded campaigns have demonstrated innovation and creativity with NYFs Special Industry Awards. 2022s Industry Award winners are selected by the number of top-scoring entries that earn trophies within the competitions based on scores determined by New York Festivals in-person executive jury. Serviceplan Germany earned triple accolades for Agency of the Year, Independent Agency of the Year and Regional Agency of the Year/Europe. This industry honour is awarded to the non-networked agency that obtains the highest score for creative entries in all of New York Festivals Advertising Awards competitions across all mediums. Serviceplan Germany being named Agency of the Year, Independent Agency of the Year and Regional Agency Europe by New York Festivals 2022, makes this our most successful year at New York Festivals to date. It means a lot to continue to be recognised by the NYF Industry Awards: prestigious awards that are globally renowned for recognising creative work that pushes creative boundaries within the industry, said Alex Schill, global chief creative officer, Serviceplan Group VMLY&R earned Global Network of the Year. This honour is awarded to the advertising agency network that earns the highest score for entries in all mediums and produces the highest calibre of top-scoring creative work within the competition. Im so proud of the teams and the effort that has gone into all this amazing work over the past year. Earning 2022 Global Agency Network of the Year and Regional Agency of the Year for both North America and APAC from the New York Festivals is absolutely the icing on the cake. It takes passion and drive, and teams trusting and pushing each other. It also takes brave clients Im happy we work with so many and thank them because they share these honours with us, too, said Debbi Vandeven, global chief creative officer at VMLY&R WPP was honoured with the 2022 Holding Company of the Year Award. This honour recognises the holding company that earned the highest combined score for all entries in all mediums, calculated from all points earned by its networks and agencies. Spinneys Supermarket, the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation and AUMBC Hospital earned the honour of Global Brand of the Year for The Bread Exam created by McCann Paris. The life-saving campaign provided women with an option to share information about self-checking and avoid the cultural taboos that prevented Lebanese women from talking openly about their bodies by demonstrating the steps of a breast self-exam through the act of kneading and pressing dough. Regional Agency of the Year is a Special Industry Award that honours an advertising agency that earns the highest score for entries in all mediums within their region. 2022s Regional Agency of the Year Awards went to: VMLY&R India, Serviceplan Germany, Wunderman Thompson Argentina, Keko FZ LLC Dubai, VMLY&R North America. The 2022 Film Production Company of the Year is Iconoclast Germany, International feature film and commercial content group. Film Production Company of the Year is awarded to the film production company based on total points scored, regardless of whether entries were submitted by the production company, advertising agency or a third party. We were really lucky to get this once-in-a-decade chance. You are always excited when you receive a script with potential. Like everybody else we love parents anxiety turned upside down. How Serviceplans idea struck a very common chord in these late days of the pandemic created a tiny bit of heat though. If this film does not come out great it would be on us. Then we read Marcus Ibanezs treatment. He didnt just design stunning vignettes to illustrate the voice over. Most casually he created a film. A beautiful film spot on the contemporary anxiety of parents and their kids alike. And that was anything but luck. Thank you, Marcus! Thank you Serviceplan! Thank you so much, said Tim Augustin, Executive Producer, Iconoclast Germany To view the 2022 New York Festivals Advertising Awards winners gallery, go here. Surgical teams at select South African public hospitals in Cape Town are making use of the da Vinci Xi robot in complex urological, gynaecological and colorectal surgeries. Source: Reuters. South African surgeons Dr Tim Forgan and Dr Imraan Mia use a robot called DaVinci to perform delicate operations at the Tygerberg hospital in Cape Town. More recently, a surgical team led by Dr Tim Forgan used the da Vinci Xi robot to assist in removing a cancerous rectal tumour from a female patient at Tygerberg public hospital. The robot, which has four 'arms' and is controlled in real time by Forgan by means of an immersive 3D consul, is the most advanced surgical robot in Africa. It is one of only two such robots in use on the continent. The first operation, using the newly-acquired robot was performed at Tygerberg hospital in February, with dozens more successfully completed since then. South African-based, global social enterprise, Abalobi has unveiled a new convenience range of deli products. The new convenience deli range takes its place alongside Abalobi's traditional offering of fresh, whole 'Catch of the day' fish - and fish-related pantry products from the various communities including sea-lettuce salt, rollmops and bokkom biltong - all available for order via the app. Important to note is that small-scale fishing is extremely seasonal, with small boats only being able to venture out to sea when the conditions are good. Source: Supplied The new range of filleted or portioned 'Fish With A Story' is delivered vacuum-packed and blast-frozen for guaranteed freshness and includes the Cape Bream, Yellowtail, Carpenter and Southern Mullet (Harder). These products allow customers to support fishers along our coastlines by buying the deli products throughout the year or even stocking up ahead of a cold front. Serge Raemakers, founder and MD, says that while the brand remains committed to the concept of supplying whole fresh fish, the range of Fish With A Story deli products seeks to add an element of convenience to the responsible eating mix. Iain Campbell, head of Marketplace, adds that for many home cooks, the prospect of filleting and deboning a whole fish can be daunting, For those looking to eat responsibly without having to work on their knife skills, the new range allows Abalobi to remain true to its core ethos while minimising wastage and retaining the ultimate freshness of our excellent South African seafood. All offcuts are also used throughout ABALOBIs multi-channel marketplace and community initiatives. Campbell says that blast-freezing freezes fresh fish, on the day it is caught, is much faster than an ordinary home freezer, adding that the process locks in the key qualities and nutrients to ensure that when the product is defrosted, the fish appears like it was never frozen and the taste, texture, colour and nutritional make-up are uncompromised. Here we chat with Raemakers and Campbell to find out more about Abalobi's Fish With A Story'. Tell us about 'Fish With A Story' what inspired it? Raemakers: Fish With a Story is fully traceable, premium quality local seafood harvested by small-scale fishermen and women using low-impact, traditional fishing methods. This seafood is supplied directly to consumers via a fair and transparent digital marketplace and traceability technology powered by Abalobi. We are a social enterprise driven by a passionate and diverse team of scientists, small-scale fishers and fisheries experts among others. Our mission is to contribute towards thriving, equitable, climate change resilient and sustainable small-scale fishing communities globally, through the joint development of Technology For Good. What makes 'Fish With A Story' different? Raemakers: Many fisheries claim to offer sustainable or ethically sourced seafood but where is the proof? Fish With a Story is different thanks to the technology co-developed between Abalobi and the fishers themselves. Through our technology - essentially a suite of apps - we enable small-scale fishing communities to activate Community-Supported Fisheries (CSF) that promote fair market access, transparent supply chains, and broader food security. In South Africa, Fish With A Story represents the implementation of this CSF model. Campbell: The Fisher app allows fishers to accurately record and monitor all the catch data from their fishing expedition. Once processed, buyers can then order Fish with a Story via the Marketplace app, (seeing on their invoice breakdown that it is the fisher who receives the lions share of the profit) and scan the unique traceability QR code that comes with each order to discover what species your fish is, when, where and how it was caught and importantly who caught it! How is it helping small-scale fishing communities? In which ways. Campbell: By supporting Fish With A Story, consumers can contribute to the upliftment of coastal communities and participate in an ever-growing movement to rethink and develop a more sustainable food system. Our technologies and programmes poise small-scale fishers for social, economic and ecological sustainability. We believe in participatory fisheries rebuilding strategies that consider ocean life and livelihoods. Raemakers: More than R10m has flowed directly back into the fishing communities of the Western Cape in the past year alone. Financial security is on the increase for most of the fishing communities we support, but we also see a deep sense of pride that is returning - that the time, energy and passion traditional fishermen and women put into their jobs is not wasted - indeed it is deemed as truly valuable and crucially important when considering long term environmental and social sustainability in small scale fishing communities. Tell us about the QR scan on the packaging how does it work? Campbell:There are two QR codes on each packet of deli Fish with a Story - one takes you to our inspirational recipes page on the website where you can find the perfect way to cook your chosen fish, and the other takes you to the STORY behind your fish. Scan it to find out exactly where your particular species was caught, how, when, and by whom. The inclusion of this QR code is how we practice what we preach and truly bring the meaning of traceability to life. Where can we purchase the Fish With A Story deli products? Campbell: You can order directly from the app store (download the 'Abalobi Marketplace' app from the Apple App Store or Google Play) - Choose between fresh Catch of the Day (supply is dependent on current fishing conditions) or our new Deli convenience range of blast frozen filleted or portioned fish pieces. Delivery is within the Western Cape only currently, and direct to your door three times a week. Furthermore, we are working hard to increase national distribution by getting our deli products listed with retailers throughout the country watch this space! Faithful to Nature has introduced three-wheeler electric cargo vans to its express delivery offering in Cape Town, as it journeys towards its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral company. Source: Supplied Just two electric cargo vans have been added to the delivery fleet for the time being. The service will be trialled in Cape Town, servicing express deliveries (within three hours or less) to the Southern Suburbs, City Centre, and Atlantic Seaboard. If successful, the retailer will be looking to expand into Johannesburg from its Gauteng Warehouse. The online retailer of natural and sustainable products is among the first to launch these locally-made three-wheeler vans in partnership with Carbon Neutral Express. These cars, produced by MellowVans, emit no carbon emissions because they run on lithium batteries - not fossil fuels, which make economic and environmental sense considering most urban trips are around 5 km or less, according to Faithful to Nature. Source: Supplied Supporting other local, sustainable organisations Weve always been conscious of our deliveries carbon footprint, so when the opportunity arose to use electric vehicles, we were ready for it. We are excited to be using electric vehicles made in South Africa, as supporting local and sustainable organisations has always been at the forefront of what we do, says Paul Cook, CEO of Faithful to Nature. Not only will this reduce our carbon footprint, but it also means our customers will benefit from lower express delivery costs, which will decrease dramatically. Orders over R400 will cost only R40, and orders under R400 only R20. Its better for our planet and our customers, Cook continues. Faithful to Nature has taken several steps to improve its environmental impact in the last two years, including introducing carbon-neutral deliveries and 100% plastic-free shipping. Most recently, the business achieved the B Corp certification by being the first African retailer to be awarded this globally recognised certification. On this week's entertainment front there's explosive action in the cyber-tech thriller Hot Seat, a feast of films at the 43rd Durban International Film Festival, and Shakespeare's exhilarating Henry V. Hot Seat Director James Cullen Bressacks Hot Seat takes place in a setting too familiar for comfort, as characters reveal hidden secrets and navigate tough choices in order to survive the day. A regular day at work transforms into a thrilling, high-stakes puzzle with a ticking clock in the hypermodern cyber-tech action/thrill. Orlando Friar (Kevin Dillon) is a former hacker trying hard to turn his life around before it falls apart. When an anonymous caller tells him a bomb under his seat will explode unless he completes a series of impossible digital bank heists, what began as a mundane workday quickly swells into a suspenseful rollercoaster ride that will force Orlando right back into the kind of shady tech manoeuvres hes been trying desperately to leave behind. Orlando frantically works to extract himself from the situation without triggering a massive explosion, while behind the scenes, a bomb squad led by wise, veteran leader Wallace (Mel Gibson) gathers to diffuse the situation. Even though we are watching what we think are just regular people going through this extreme event, says actor Michael Welch, whats cool about this movie is that, throughout the journey, you learn that everyones got a secret. Everyones got something else going on that, throughout the course of this very intense process, ultimately gets revealed. Read more here. Henry V Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) plays the title role in a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeares thrilling study of nationalism, war and the psychology of power. Henry V is Shakespeares thrilling study of nationalism, war and the psychology of power - captured live from the Donmar Warehouse in London. Fresh to the throne, King Henry V launches England into a bloody war with France. When his campaign encounters resistance, this inexperienced new ruler must prove he is fit to guide a country into war. Directed by Max Webster (Life of Pi), this exciting modern production explores what it means to be English and our relationship to Europe, asking: do we ever get the leaders we deserve? On 23, 24, 27 and 28 July at Cinema Nouveau Bookings can be made here. 43rd Durban International Festival The 43rd Durban International Film Festival (Diff) offers a hybrid event with both online and live screenings, showcasing a programme of close to 200 feature films, documentaries and short films alongside an exciting community and student programme: Isiphethu. This years curatorial theme is Adaptation, Survival and Sustainability. Three feature films are exclusively shown in cinema: Nostalgia, directed by Mario Martone; Eiffel, directed by Martin Bourboulon and Notre-Dame on Fire, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Diff believes short films are a powerful medium for expression and contribute significantly to the film industry. As part of the programme, the festival offers almost 75 short films that are diverse but have a common thread of all being thought-provoking stories. The inaugural Isiphethu Student Film Festival, with the theme of migration, aims to develop young talent in the industry. The Festivals outreach programme will work with a range of organisations to take parts of the festival programme to community centres which include amongst others the Wushwini Arts Centre, Luthuli Museum, Ubuntu Nest and K-Cap. The pan-African documentary project Generation Africa will feature both cinema and virtual screenings from 21 to 31 July. Generation Africa is a collection of 25 films produced by Cape-own production company Steps and directed and produced by filmmakers from 16 African countries, featuring stories about migration. The virtual festival is free and the programme is available here. Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases here. We live in an age where technological advancements have revolutionised architecture from design to construction. Whether it is 3D printing models to prove design concepts, developing highly engineered materials fit for purpose or adopting modular building as the next step in efficiency, the built world around us is becoming more creative and flexible. Modern buildings need to meet a variety of criteria that were not concerns, historically: from stringent safety standards to environmental friendliness and low energy requirements, the key is not simply in design but in the application of new materials that meet these diverse needs. Eva-Lasts Lifespan hybrid aluminium architectural beams are an example of a highly engineered building material that meets all traditional norms while allowing for a diverse range of aesthetic applications. Featuring a specialised aluminium core for easier installation at height and which is resistant to biodegradation, UV exposure fading, corrosion, biological pests (such as termites, fungi and bacteria) and even the harshest weather, Lifespan provides the look of timber beams without the upkeep of wood or susceptibility to the elements of alternative metal options. Lifespans reinforced bamboo composite beam (Tri-extruded lightweight aluminium 6063-T5 core and cellulose-polymer composite cap), forms the basis of its extreme versatility and durability. With increased span capability, Lifespan is ideal for decorative architecture of all types, including pergolas, privacy screens, shutters, facades, gates, cladding and soffits. Shaun Erasmus, director: in-market technical support for Eva-Last, says the range of profiles - some weighing as little as 0.78kg per metre - makes Lifespan suitable for every application from lightweight non-structural features such as balusters and railing to decorative trussing and oversized pergolas. Lifespan posts can even be used to create durable vertical railing and showstopping outdoor features requiring a high degree of tensile strength. A benefit which is often unnoticed by casual observers is that Lifespans colour-matching end caps provide a finished look while protecting the hollow chambers of the aluminium core. Lifespan allows for greater design creativity than traditional materials like wood, and even where there are joins, no brackets are required, says Erasmus. The Lifespan range is available in the full Eva-Tech colour palette, offering classic and timeless natural colours in a matte finish to suit any design and colour scheme. Each colour evokes the essence of a particular timber application, in a neat, brushed finish that is both sleek and understated. Unlike the timber its external appearance imitates, Lifespan is an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to wooden beams, requiring none of the maintenance associated with wood and features flexural stability that far surpasses equivalent timber profiles at reduced mass and weight. (Modulus of rupture (MOR): 60.0 MPa; Modulus of elasticity (MOE): 1.1 GPa.) The manufacturing process includes the use of solar energy, further cementing it as a sustainable building product. Lifespans light weight construction prevents deflection, for aesthetic and structural benefits, and eliminates the need for timber sourced from old-growth trees that would be required to span similar distances. This durable stability means no warping or flexing associated with timber alternatives, as well as unprecedented longevity of performance. Lifespan remains reliably true to its original specified profile and features a warranty of 10 years in all outdoor environmental conditions, says Erasmus. Lifespans beautiful durability belies its safety credentials, with a high degree of fire resistance that far outstrip those of traditional timber products. The application possibilities of Lifespan are almost endless. We have seen creative implementation of Lifespan in applications as diverse as the unique facade of the Protea Hotel in Pretoria, a feature wall at the South African head office of Leroy Merlin and for screening and cladding at the University of Pretorias engineering department building. In every case Lifespan has met a structural need with aplomb and created a design style statement while doing so, Erasmus says. The deadlines to apply for universities overseas are less than four months away. Often, matrics who want to study abroad don't start thinking about their applications until the end of their final school year. But by then, it's too late. With universities like Harvard setting record-low acceptance rates in 2022, Grade 12's have no time to waste on getting started with their applications. Image source: Rabia Elif Aksoy 123RF.com When it comes to applying to study abroad, especially to competitive universities, you should ideally give your application at least an 18-month lead time. Matrics who are only getting started now can still apply but they havent left much room for error, says Rebecca Pretorius, country manager at Crimson Education, which specialises in assisting local students with the process of applying to the worlds top-ranked universities. More applications, fewer acceptances In addition to a tight timeline, local students need to consider the competitiveness of international universities and applicants. Around the world, application numbers are on the rise, while admissions rates are dropping every year. At Harvard, a record number of applicants applied for spots in the class of 2026, while the acceptance rate fell to 3.19% - the lowest since it was founded in 1636. To unpack international admissions for local matric students, Crimson Education hosted a free online event earlier this month with the aim of helping matrics on their application journey. As part of the event, they covered application deadlines, strategies for essay writing, preparing for standardised tests, and university and course selection. The event also outlined some of the most common mistakes made by local students when it comes to applying abroad. Students generally apply to too few schools, or to the wrong schools for their profile. Many top, competitive schools are missed, because students and families dont have the insight that domestic students do into the university landscape, the choices available to them, or even the how they stack up against other applicants in the areas that count including extracurriculars, subject choice, standardised test scores and more, says Pretorius. Getting help with the basics is the best place to start when it comes to getting started this late in the year. The application process to overseas universities is complex and time-consuming. While you can ask a friend, parent or teacher to check your personal statement, for example, they likely wont know how to evaluate your work to the standard of admissions officers at these top institutions. This is even more true for more nuanced parts of the admission process, such as declaring a major or applying for financial aid, says Pretorius. To give yourself the best chance of getting into your dream university, make sure you give yourself enough time and get the right support. Realistically, you only get one shot, so do it right the first time around, says Pretorius. Key international university application dates: You'll have seen the images spreading across the media; the "baggage mountains" accumulating at airports around the globe as passengers wait to be reunited with their delayed bags. The numbers reflect the industry's current difficulties in maintaining effective baggage management processes amid surging passenger traffic as we emerge from the pandemic. Source: Brian Jackson via 123RF Baggage mishandling: What do the numbers say? While mishandling still affects a relatively small proportion of all bags, Sitas 2022 Baggage IT Insights report reveals that more bags were mishandled in 2021 than in 2020. As the industrys recovery began in 2021, the global rate of mishandled bags per thousand passengers reached 4.35, up 24% from 2020. Our management system for mishandled baggage, WorldTracer, gave us an idea of how things are this year. The system recorded roughly three times more mishandled bag reports for January to March 2022 compared to the previous-year period. From April to June 2022, the system showed five times more mishandled bag reports than in the second quarter of 2021. May 2022 saw a similar number of mishandled bag reports to May 2019, before the pandemic. The number of reports in June 2022 slightly surpassed the figure for June 2019, even though passenger traffic had not yet caught up with pre-pandemic levels. This means that the rate of mishandled bags per passenger could be significantly higher for May to June 2022 compared to the same period in 2019. As the recovery of international passenger traffic accelerates, the rate could go up further because, historically, transfers from one flight to another account for most mishandling. The 2022 Baggage IT Insights research found that globally, the likelihood of mishandling a bag is about 4.7 times higher on international routes than on domestic routes. Technology is the answer Much of the challenge is down to staff shortages at airlines, airports, and ground handlers. They downsized to survive the pandemic, strongly impacting baggage management resources and expertise. In only a few months, theyve had to switch from survival mode to almost full-scale operations due to the swift recovery of passenger traffic over the summer. Some concentrated spikes in traffic have even surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Fast recruitment to meet the demand has proven difficult amid a tight labor market. How can industry stakeholders address this challenge, curb the baggage mishandling rate, and generate greater operational efficiencies? They must do more with less. The answer lies in smart technologies that automate key processes, allowing airports and airlines to reallocate the staff they have where they are most needed. Automation and digitalisation will enable the industry to better utilise its staffs expertise, keep passengers happy, and make strides in saving cost and time. Technology also provides the agility to scale operations up and down based on demand, a much-needed capability these days. A proactive approach to preventing mishandling An example of such a technology is Sita Bag Manager. The baggage management and reconciliation system tracks bags in real-time across the airport environment, capturing every bag loaded onto a plane, unit load device (ULD), or cart. Beyond simple barcode reading, the solution scans and evaluates the characteristics of each bag against the flight parameters to ensure bags are loaded onto the right plane. This proactive approach, for example, helps prevent bag mishandling before it happens. Most importantly, the solution tracks bags when theyre most likely to go astray during the transfer process. Customers whove implemented the baggage management process report a 20% reduction in the number of bags mishandled. Ground handling service provider dnata Singapore is among them. They integrated the solution with over 40 airline customers and Changi Airports baggage systems. With Bag Manager, airlines can provide passengers with more clarity on the location of their bags in real time, helping to alleviate concerns and reduce wait times at collection. The recently released 2022 Sita [[https://www.sita.aero/resources/surveys-reports/passenger-it-insights-2022/ Passenger IT Insights report found that passengers levels of positive emotions about baggage collection increased by 9% from 2016 to Q1 2022. In the same period, the rate of passengers receiving baggage updates at collection via their mobile devices rose from none to 29%. Using technology and making real-time information accessible seems to have a significant positive impact on passenger satisfaction. The solution can also be customised to help ensure swift aircraft turnaround and on-time performance, leading to time, cost, and energy savings. Offloading bags when a checked-in passenger fails to board the aircraft can cause flight delays. For this reason, Saudia implemented a never onto aircraft notification direct to staff devices in the manager application. This lets staff quickly identify whether a bag belongs to a boarded passenger, reducing on-stand time delays by up to 20 minutes. Empowering passengers while boosting efficiency To meet the urgent current demands, there are technologies available for faster implementation to help manage passenger inquiries efficiently while freeing up valuable agent resources. The Tracer Self Service, for example, gives power and autonomy back to passengers. They can file a missing bag report from their mobile device, avoiding long queues at baggage service counters or offices. Passengers can then track their bag from when it is recovered to when it is handed over to a courier and delivered to their door. When we trialled this service with Lufthansa, it proved popular: two-thirds of passengers opted to use the mobile-enabled solution instead of visiting a baggage counter. Not only is the solution convenient for passengers, but it can save airlines on average $10 for every mishandled bag reported by helping reduce the infrastructure needed to manage the reporting of delayed bags. The blow the pandemic has dealt to the industry is apparent now more than ever. But it's exciting to see demand for travel rebound after the prolonged period of disruption. Airlines, airports, and ground handlers can effectively navigate the recovery by embracing digitalization and smart technologies. We at Sita, a trusted partner to the industry, are confident they will succeed, and were here to help. The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has urged employers to pay contributions and declare their workers every month, as required by law, to avoid delays with benefit applications and payments. Image source: Hanna Kuprevich 123RF.com Speaking at an employer advocacy session held in Durban, UIF Provincial Support Director, Allan Ragavaloo, said the majority of normal benefit payments, including the special Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 Ters), were delayed due to the lack of up-to-date declarations by employers. If employers are 100% compliant with the funds legislation, as well as paying contributions and declaring their workers monthly, we would not experience significant delays with paying claims. The majority of the Covid-19 Ters payments were delayed due to the abundant lack of declarations by employers. If all employers had declared their workers to the UIF prior to the Covid-19 lockdowns, we would not have experienced delays with Covid-19 Ters payments, Ragavaloo said. Ragavaloo highlighted the error codes that impede Covid-19 Ters payments, which include incorrect identity and passport numbers, failed bank verifications, no declarations and salary discrepancies. I am encouraging employers to log into the Covid-19 Ters portal on uifecc.labour.gov.za/covid19, and if you have any errors, please look at the solutions on the system and rectify the errors so we can process and pay the claim, Ragavaloo said. He also stressed that employers who are aggrieved about their claims being rejected are entitled to follow the funds appeal process. UIFs Acting ICT Director, Viwe Gqoli, said the fund had a responsibility to pay all valid Covid-19 Ters claims that are currently on the system. However, Gqoli said the onus is on the employers to correct the errors because the fund is not permitted to implement corrections on their behalf. Employers urged to finalise claims Gqoli said the UIF is trying to close the Covid-19 Ters system and advised employers to finalise their claims. Currently, we do not have a backlog on new Covid-19 Ters applications in the system. Instead, we regularly re-run claims that are already in the system hoping that errors have been corrected, but we receive the same outcome of errors. Therefore, we suggest that you correct them before we close the system, Gqoli said. He also revealed that the UIF had disbursed R9.2bn through Covid-19 Ters and R15m for Workers Affected By Unrest (Wabu) in KwaZulu-Natal respectively, bringing relief to thousands of workers affected by Covid-19 lockdowns and the July 2021 unrest. Protect uFiling login details Meanwhile, Deputy Director: Fraud, Sibongiseni Mpanza stressed that employers must always safeguard their uFiling login details. Giving your uFiling credentials to third parties or other people is similar to people having your bank card and pin because they may commit fraud which could lead to your company being blacklisted by National Treasury, Mpanza warned. The next employer session will be held on 28 July 2022 at the Ascot Wedding and Conference Venue in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, from 9am. HYDERABAD: Heavy downpour lashed Hyderabad city on Friday, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt in many places, and forcing pedestrians and two-wheeler riders to run for cover. Low-lying areas were inundated causing major inconvenience to motorists. Office goers had to undergo a lot of hardship as roads witnessed chaos and confusions as the rains continued to lash since morning. The Wazu Khana wall within the historic Mekka Masjid adjoining Charminar collapsed due to rain. No one was injured. Trees were uprooted at many places and roads were waterlogged in various parts of the city. The police issued an advisory, urging people not to venture out immediately after the rainfall receded. Metro Rail commuters also faced inconvenience as online and offline ticketing facilities were shut for a few hours due to technical snag, caused by heavy rains. Passengers had to wait in long queues cursing the metro while some posted their grievances online. With India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy to moderate rainfall for the next two days, the city is on high alert. Busy roads turned into cesspools as manholes and storm water drains overflowed. There were severe traffic snarls at Hafeezpet, Masab Tank, Lakdi-ka-pool, Tolichowki, Mehdipatnam, Bachupally, Miyapur, Ramnagar, Shaikpet, Madhapur, Begumpet, Secunderabad, Nacharam, Srinagar Colony, Bowenpally, Maredpally, Begum Bazaar, Chilkalguda, Boudhanagar, Langerhouz, Nampally, Mozamjahi Market, Aramgarh bridge, Raj Bhavan Road, Khairatabad, Saroornagar, Kukatpally, Banjara Hills and several others areas. Houses in many low lying areas were submerged in the rainwater. Several colonies in Mohammad Guda, Prakashnagar, Abids, Hayathnagar, Ganganagar, Barkatpura, Hastinapuram, Shalivahana Nagar, Moosarambagh, Babu Jagjivan Ram Nagar, Srinagar Colony, Ashoknagar, Kavadiguda, Lower Tank Bund, Shivam Road, Raj Bhavan Road and others were submerged. The water level in these areas reached more than 5 feet causing severe inconvenience to the residents. Adarshnagar, near New MLA Quarters, the colonies inundated with knee-high water, and the same was the case with Talab Katta in the Old City. Rajendranagar, Attapur and many areas witnessed knee-high water, and the road below PVNR Expressway witnessed traffic snarls and bumper to bumper traffic. A four-hour traffic jam was reported between Nizampet and Bachupally stretch due to waterlogging. Lakhs of rupees worth fruits were washed away at Batasingaram fruit market. As many as 419 trees were uprooted and 1,456 water logging points were formed. Hussainsagar reached its full tank level (FTL) again and irrigation department officials released water from Kukatpally diversion and informed that they would release excess water through sluice gates if the rainfall continued. Hussainsagar, of which FTL is 513.41 metres, reached 513.18 metres as of 4:30 pm on Friday. Osmansagar and Himayatsagar received water from the catchment areas, As of 6 pm on Friday, two gates of one feet were opened at Osmansagar. Its FTL is 1,790 feet which is 3,900 tmcft of water, and now it is 1,786 feet (3,093 tmc ft). One gate of Himayatsagar was opened. Its FLT is 1,763.50 (2,970 tmcft) and the present level is 1,760. 40 (2,347 tmcft). The President hardly needs to be reminded that the protesters turned on his home too, which was vandalised as a largely peaceful aragalaya descended into its worst forms of protest as arson and looting. How he tackles the ongoing resistance to his ascent to the presidency will shape the immediate future. (Bloomberg) Six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe is a crafty political survivor who is now the choice of the members of the Sri Lankan Parliament as its executive President when the island nation is in the grip of its worst-ever economic crisis. Having twice been defeated when he ran for President with the people as the electorate, he finds himself in the hot seat. The beleaguered people who were opposed to him wanted him to resign as PM when he was appointed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last May and they want him to resign now as President. The old United National Party that he leads was decimated in the 2020 elections when it won a single seat and Ranil himself came into Parliament as a nominated member. It would be stretching things to say he can win the trust of the people. If the privation that the 22 million people of Sri Lanka have been experiencing in the wake of a collapse of foreign exchange payments system leading to a shortage of food, medicines and fuel gets any worse, the aragalaya (struggle) could turn against him. The one thing that is in Ranils favour is his experience in government, which could come in handy as IMF negotiators may feel comfortable enough dealing with a seasoned administrator. His conciliatory tone in addressing those he defeated in the three-way presidential poll, including Dullas Alahapperuma, who broke away from Rajapaksas SLPP to stand as the united candidate of the Opposition parties and Sajith Premadasa, who aspires to be Prime Minister, comes as a ray of hope. The President hardly needs to be reminded that the protesters turned on his home too, which was vandalised as a largely peaceful aragalaya descended into its worst forms of protest as arson and looting. How he tackles the ongoing resistance to his ascent to the presidency will shape the immediate future. His early diktats to the Army to do whatever was necessary to control the protesters was not seen as too promising even if it represented a normal enough course for an administration which must first restore law and order. Armed as he is with presidential powers under the 20th Amendment, Ranil is the one in charge even if it will be of great interest as to who he backs to be his Prime Minister. A national government might be better off with a figure from the Opposition to become PM but what the SLPP, which gave Ranil a majority of his 134 votes of 219 members of parliament, will dictate as the price of backing him is to be seen. However, Ranil will always be suspect in the peoples eyes as a caretaker of the combined Rajapaksa interests. As a pro-West figure who is expected to stay the farthest from Mahinda Rajapaksas disastrous pro-China policies, Ranil is a familiar figure to India whose aid of food, fuel and medicines will determine how quickly Sri Lanka can get nearer normality when it comes to meeting the everyday essentials of the people. Ranil might do well to remember he has been elected President by members of Parliament to steer the country out of a mess. The polemics and majoritarian politics of Sri Lanka can wait as the people need to be assured their basic necessities first. Car manufacturing giant Ford has struck deals with Australian miners, including BHP and Rio Tinto, to secure supplies of critical battery minerals to power its transition to electric vehicles. Mining giant BHP announced on Thursday it had signed an agreement with the US automaker to explore options to supply nickel from Western Australia for EV batteries. Ford aims to produce two million electric vehicles a year by 2026. Credit:David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Demand for nickel in batteries is estimated to grow four-fold over the next decade, in large part to support the worlds rising demand for electric vehicles, said BHP chief commercial officer Vandita Pant. Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto also announced a partnership with Ford for supplies of lithium, low-carbon aluminium and copper. Under the deal, Ford said it may become the foundation customer for Rios large Rincon lithium development in Argentina once it begins production in coming years. A shareholder advocacy group says gas and oil producer Woodside may have misled the West Australian environment regulator by overstating greenhouse gas emissions for its proposal to extend the North West Shelf project until 2070. But the company refutes the claim, which forms part of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibilitys appeal against the WA Environmental Protection Authoritys recommendation last month that the project go ahead. Woodside is seeking to continue operations of the North West Shelf project and Karratha Gas Plant until 2070. Credit:Krystle Wright The North West Shelf project, also known as the Karratha Gas Plant, is the countrys oldest liquified natural gas facility and one of the nations biggest polluters. It could put 4.3 billion tonnes of carbon in the air over the next 50 years if its extension is approved by WAs environment minister. The EPA believes the project can go ahead as long as it steadily reduces operating emissions by meeting five-yearly reduction targets. Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair comes out of Tihar Jail after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in all FIRs lodged against him in UP, in New Delhi. (PTI) Personal liberty is one of the most important rights the Indian Constitution guarantees its citizens but the nation has often found ingenious ways to circumvent the constitutional barrier and rob them of it. This is true especially when it wants to muzzle the voices of people whom it suspects to be asking uncomfortable questions. What is strange is that the efforts look very legal, too, on the face of it. The Supreme Court has just thwarted one such effort when it ordered the release of Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News. He was booked in one case in Delhi and six others in Uttar Pradesh over a 2018 tweet which some people felt hurt their religious sentiments. The apex court did not just grant the journalist bail but exposed the vicious circle governments had created to make sure that the man will be subjected to endless rounds of proceedings before diverse courts. The court found that the gravamen in all the FIRs is the same and that the State was weaponising the criminal law, as the journalists lawyer put it. The court did not lose sight of a state government setting up a special investigation team in order to investigate a case of religious sentiments being hurt and it ordered it be disbanded. The apex court has of late been very vocal about the constitutional guarantee to liberty and has been insisting on the State and its agencies to go by the law when they want to curtail it. It recently asked the government to consider introducing a bail act to streamline the process; and the Chief Justice himself was critical of keeping people under arrest without trial. In the latest order, the court has reminded the government that the existence of the power to arrest must be distinguished from the exercise of the power of arrest the exercise of the power of arrest must be pursued sparingly. It is now for the courts in the country to imbibe the grain of the order, weaponise the Constitution and stand between the citizen and a vindictive State machinery. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Del Kathryn Barton is sitting in her studio in Sydneys Paddington, surrounded by works she is preparing for an upcoming exhibition in Los Angeles. At her feet lies Frederick, her wriggly 21-week-old puppy, who is snoring in the sun. The studio is where the Archibald Prize-winning artist likes to retreat. Its in the neighbourhood where she has lived for 20 years and its where she has set her debut feature film, Blaze. Its a gut-knotting story about the aftermath of a sexual assault witnessed by a 12-year-old girl called Blaze. At the centre of the film is an astounding performance by Julia Savage, who turned 13 during the six-week shoot in 2020, and a 200-kilogram dragon called Zephyr, who is covered in Swarovski crystals, glitter, feathers and fabric. In terms of difficulty, its a reverse somersault in the pike position. What was she thinking? Clearly, I was not, she says, letting out a hearty laugh. Barton laughs loudly and a lot, whether thats through the nervousness of talking about the emotional upheaval of the film or through sheer relief shes pulled it off, Im not sure. Its probably both. Julia Savage stars as Blaze in artist Del Kathryn Bartons first feature film. Blaze is an intensely personal story for the 49-year-old. Not only because it is very recognisably her work (the colour palette that swings between deep blues and hot pinks, the big eyes on the animated version of Blaze, the giant moon, the six-breasted dragon), but because it is informed, in part, by the experiences of Barton and her co-writer, Huna Amweero. Advertisement My story is both the trauma of the witness and the trauma of being a victim, says Barton, who is careful to emphasise Blaze is a mash-up of many experiences, including cases researched for the story. But also it was an experience with someone else thats close to me. And she doesnt want to tell that story. So, its complicated in that way. She pauses to gather her thoughts. Firstly, Ill say, Im very strong, Ive done decades of inner work, she continues. I definitely felt ready to tell the story. But I hadnt predicted how triggered I would be unexpectedly at different times. So, thats been really hard, actually. [The trauma] never leaves you. Even that line at the end, when [the therapist] Blossom tells Blaze that she is not broken, was a hugely cathartic moment when we were writing it, shooting it and editing it. Ive sat with that for a long time since then, and almost come back to a place of saying, Im broken. Like, Im actually f---ing broken. I struggle with the word survivor but, for want of a better word, its been quite empowering for me just to own that as well. Because otherwise, youre almost putting on another bravado. Blaze is Bartons third film after two shorts, The Nightingale and the Rose and RED. Its a film she says is not for everyone. But the thing is, it should be. It should be for anyone who thinks sexual assault doesnt happen in their neighbourhood or for any parent who is trying to help guide their child through a life-altering event or emotions that are too big to contain. It is challenging, but it is filled with courage and the power of believing in your inner strength. Advertisement What was really important to me, was to tell this story in the world that I inhabit, says Barton. On one level, it was an aesthetic choice. I feel international audiences have a very limited exposure to, and therefore understanding, of the very varied landscapes here in Australia. So, for me, Paddington had real cinematic appeal. Its a place that I know very well. But most importantly, I feel far too often, and unjustly so, that these stories of domestic violence, sexual violence are sort of relegated to lower socio-economic suburbia. Thats a real fallacy and it creates this compartmentalised perception of this problem. Barton was galvanised to write the film after hearing a radio report that one woman in Australia is killed every week by her current or former partner. She felt strongly these stories were not being told on screen by women but also saw the opportunity to tell a story of a young womans loss of innocence and transition into adulthood. Barton on the set of Blaze with Julia Savage. Enter Samantha Jennings, who through her company Causeway Films had already produced Jennifer Kents award-winning films The Babadook and The Nightingale. She had this idea of a young girl, sort of on the cusp of womanhood, who witnesses something quite shocking and violent, says Jennings of Barton. And what that does to her transition into womanhood and how she could find her own way through [that experience] using her own inner imagination and inner voice. I found it really exciting, the idea of tackling often quite heartbreaking subject matter, but tackling that in a way that was beautiful and celebratory, and embracing the idea that people, and particularly young people, can find their own way of healing. Advertisement Finding a young actor who could hold the centre of such a confronting story, and who could match Simon Baker, who is devastating as Blazes father, and Yael Stone, who plays the victim Hannah, was not easy. However, Barton and Jennings were floored by the emotional maturity Savage brought to her audition and the role. At the risk of sounding like a full-blown hippie, she was just such a gift from the universe for this, says Barton. For Savage, the audition over Zoom gave her a glimpse of her future: she could see the early stages of Zephyr, the giant glittering dragon puppet, behind Barton. I got my NeverEnding Story moment, laughs Savage, who is now 14. To have the opportunity to be best friends with a dragon puppet, that is not what you go to work to do. But Im so grateful to be able to go to work and do that, like that is insane. Julia Savage plays a young girl whose dragon helps her deal with trauma. Credit:Tanja Bruckner I get chills thinking about it. Obviously, its an inanimate object, but when you hang out with a dragon, mostly every day of shooting, you get a sense of it being so real. And being able to just learn every crystal and every type of fabric on that dragon was just amazing. Advertisement Operated by five puppeteers, Zephyr is covered in a skin sewn over eight months by Barton and three assistants. He had his origins in a monumental work called Sing Blood-Wings Sing that Barton created for a 2017 survey at the National Gallery of Victoria. For that, Barton was inspired by her enduring love of the 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary song Puff the Magic Dragon.It deeply informed the narrative on a very simplistic level, says Barton. The idea that as we transition from childhood into adulthood, lets just make sure that our inner dragons dont retreat into their caves. Does Barton have her own inner dragon? Definitely, she says. I am my own Zephyr. Bartons painting Sing Blood-Wings Sing, which is part of the inspiration for Blaze. Credit:Courtesy of the artist When Savage auditioned, she had read the whole script and was aware of the heavy storyline. She worked with an intimacy co-ordinator on some scenes, and had her mother on hand throughout the shoot. Even the adult crew was given the ability to opt out of some scenes if they found the subject too confronting that day. Just taking it from scene to scene, moment to moment and being able to just do it one step one day at a time was really helpful, says Savage. Because there was a lot going on. One of the most moving parts of the film is the bond Blaze shares with her father, who is left bewildered at his inability to fix things for his daughter. That close relationship carried off-screen, too, with Baker providing much-needed reassurance to Savage. Advertisement Name one thing that you reckon is better than sex. Flying a helicopter over the Antarctic wilderness. POLITICS In 1983, you assisted former Greens leader Bob Brown with the Franklin River blockade in Tasmania. In 2016, you declared support for One Nations policies and expressed a willingness to advise Pauline Hanson. How do you square those two things? Well, thats too broad. I agreed with Pauline Hansons policy that our immigration should be at the long-term average of about 80,000 per year. I still do. Im very pro-immigration, but at rates that maintain a stable economy. Before the coronavirus, we were growing at such a rate that, if we continued, wed have 100 million people in Australia by the end of this century. Im sure thats not a sensible number for Australia. Loading Yet Hanson is a political figure who has been explicitly racist. Many saw your suggestions to lower immigration levels as xenophobic. How do you respond? Part of my policy, even before I spoke to Pauline Hanson, was that we should double our humanitarian intake from about 10,000 a year to 20,000. That was always part of my policy. And people know that Ive supported the Asylum Seekers Centre and that quite a bit of our philanthropy goes to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and places like that. Youve said youre not interested in throwing your hat into the political ring, but youre obviously passionate about these issues. Have you really weighed up the pros and cons of running for office? Ive never, ever thought that I would get into politics. Too frustrating. The Australian flag was such a big part of Dick Smith Foods branding. Are you a republican or monarchist? Peter FitzSimons is trying to get me to become a republican, but Im not one really. What Im scared of is this: if we become a republic similar to the United States, we could end up with someone like Donald Trump in charge. To me, there are so many other important things: being a republican or monarchist is way down the list. MONEY Your father was a salesman who worked as a bookstore manager, then started a business that failed when you were in your teens. How did that affect you? It had a big effect on me. Id been talking to all my friends at school about how my dad was starting his own printing business and how wonderful it was. For some reason, he didnt get any work, had a mental breakdown and ended up in debt. It was a terrible shock to me as well. My mum had to get a full-time job and I was as heartbroken as he was. How did an experience like that affect your perception of money and business? It made me very careful with money. At 24, you founded Dick Smith Car Radios, which became Dick Smith Electronics, with roughly $600. In the early 1980s, you sold the business for $25 million. How did you do that?By asking for advice and copying the success of others. I bought the cheapest air ticket around the world and looked at how they were selling electronic components in the US and in England, then came back to Australia and copied it. Everyone is good at something. I happened to find out that I was good at making money. Loading But by 2016, Dick Smith Electronics had collapsed. In 2018, you had to close Dick Smith Foods after revealing the business would be bankrupt within two years. How do you reflect on those chapters ending? Dick Smith Electronics the company I sold, which Woolworths ran and turned into a billion-dollar-a-year-turnover company did very well. But they made one basic mistake: they wanted eternal growth. And with Dick Smith Foods, we simply couldnt compete with companies like Aldi. We were making our peanut butter here, working with Australian farmers, when Aldi started importing peanut butter from Argentina. Define success for me outside of financial terms. Freedom to do what you want. diceytopics@goodweekend.com.au Ryan is telling me this in her campaign office, a chilly former bank building in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, nine days after she confounded political pundits by capturing 40 per cent of Kooyongs primary vote . (A staggering mobilisation in one election, says Monash University politics professor Paul Strangio.) Now, just down the road in Hawthorn East, Frydenberg is packing up his electorate office and Ryan is waiting to move in as the new MP for Kooyong, famously the seat of Liberal Party founder Robert Menzies. During the vapours attack, she called some friends and said: Oh, my god, I dont know what to do, I think theyre gonna pick me. And I need help. Because what if they pick me? Im going to have to leave my job. She also confessed to her husband, Rhinomed executive Peter Jordan, that she was likely to be chosen. Of course theyll pick you, said Jordan, because he, like everyone close to Ryan, knew she generally gets what she goes after. Then I suddenly thought, If they dont pick me, Ill be gutted. And that was the way I realised that I had to do it. Here she was, at 54, a top medical researcher, paediatric neurologist and professor at two universities, a sensible woman of science whose life work has been saving dying babies, seriously considering quitting to take down federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, one of Australias most well-connected and powerful politicians, someone whom everyone believed, not least himself, would one day be prime minister. But late last year she did have a massive attack of the vapours. This condition, distinct from the yips but on the same emotional trajectory, struck shortly after she applied to run as an independent for Kooyong, the well-to-do federal electorate in Melbournes eastern suburbs, in the 2022 federal election. It looked like the selection committee, a group of local residents, might actually choose her and suddenly, crushingly, the enormity of this arguably bonkers decision hit home. As you might expect, theres a fair bit of teal on Monique Ryans desk: a cowboy hat, a porcelain dove and a little figurine of a deer, all gifts from supporters. Nearby, on her office table, sits a bit of light reading: economist Ross Garnauts Superpower, a road map to Australias low-carbon future. And on the wall is a print by The Age artist Jim Pavlidis called Kicking Yips After Pollock, in which an AFL goal umpire flags a point after a failed goal attempt. The yips describe an athletes sudden loss of skill in a pivotal moment, making this an odd choice of artwork because if theres one thing Ryan has rarely experienced in life, its the yips. It was harder for Frydenberg to malign a doctor who has spent years looking after children with life-shortening and often fatal muscle and nerve diseases. When they go to Canberra next week for the new parliament, what sort of politicians will these non-politicians be? As Ryan waits to move into Frydenbergs electorate office, the nation is coming to terms with a new political landscape. A teal wave of grassroots optimism and hope for a new type of politics, for a different type of politician swept the independents to victory. Now they must deliver. How will Ryan and the other five new teals, plus the broader crossbench, organise themselves? If at all? Who might emerge as a leader figure? Without the balance of power in the lower house, how will they achieve for their electorates what they campaigned for? And will they in fact change politics for the better, as they so keenly desire? This is when I realise one of the many surprising things about Ryan: shes naughtily funny, something probably not evident in her serious, furrowed-brow media appearances. A few years ago she even did stand-up at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in a niche category showcasing scientists. (One of three times shed been so scared her legs shook. The other two: marrying Jordan and her campaign launch.) You can probably hear the sound of shredding from here, she jokes from her desk chair, wearing an appropriately Melbourne-in-late-autumn outfit of black R. M. Williams boots, black jeans and a black-and-white chevron-print suit jacket. Her glasses are perched atop her unelectable hair, as one early campaign adviser referred to her wayward dark curls. Ryan ponders whether Frydenberg will leave any handover materials. I think Ill be lucky to get more than a packet of prawns in the air-conditioning vent, she deadpans with her low-pitched voice. As a teenager, Peter Ryan hated his younger sister Monique. She hated him, too. The second and third eldest of seven kids to parents Maurice and Marguerite, the pair were locked in relentless competition over pretty much everything. It was not so much a fear of losing. It was a hatred of losing, says Peter, chief legal officer of Monash Health, Victorias largest public hospital network. He was dux at his Catholic boys school St Kevins College and got 398 out of a possible 410 on his Higher School Certificate. The following year, Ryan was made dux of her girls school, Loreto Mandeville Hall in Toorak, with a score of 406. She was the kind of person who would literally study all night then come along the next day and set the record for 100 metres at the school swimming carnival. Ive never known her to fail at anything. At the end of our interview, Ryan gives me a tour of the campaign office. I meet her campaign manager, retired political scientist Ann Capling, 63. Before Kooyong, Capling had never run a campaign but had written five books on the international political economy and the multilateral trade system. I also meet Ryans diary organiser and community co-ordinator, Julia Cutts, 40. Shes on a break from her job at the Burnet Institute, where shes an expert on malaria elimination in the Asia-Pacific. Ryan pauses to contemplate the imminent move into Frydenbergs electorate office. Were going to have to have a smoking ceremony. And probably an exorcism, she muses. And then a really big party. Facing up against Labors spokesperson on childcare, Amanda Rishworth, Ryan thought Braggs responses undercooked. I look at these sorts of people and maybe its an arrogance thing, but I think, Youre not that smart. Shouldnt you have been prepared for this? she says. Ryan has all the qualities that make the kids doctor from central casting: empathy, kindness, compassion. And dealing with the life and death of babies has given her an unflappable disposition. But she is also brutally and refreshingly honest, fiercely competitive and does not suffer fools. Four days before we meet, Ryan appeared on ABC TVs Q+A. She sat next to Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, who told a childcare worker in the audience that 20 or 30 years ago her profession was considered a bit of a hobby. The people I worked with would have been rolling around the floor laughing at me being called Bambi, she says. I aint no Bambi. She aint no puppet, either, which is how many, including Frydenberg, cast her: a puppet specifically of Simon Holmes a Court, Kooyong resident and convenor of Climate 200, the crowdfunding vehicle that boosted the teal campaigns. (At times during the campaign, Ryan, who thinks Holmes a Court is a really good person, asked him to cool it when he got into skirmishes with Liberals. I said, Its my campaign and I dont want you to f it up. ) In December last year, an unnamed political observer said in The Age that attacking a childrens doctor like Ryan would be like taking on Bambi (hence the deer figurine on her desk). Its certainly true that it was harder for Frydenberg to malign a doctor who has spent years looking after children with life-shortening and often fatal muscle and nerve diseases. But actually, in person, Ryan is nothing like Bambi. Growing up with six siblings gives you hard-won robustness, says Ryan. Were pretty hard on each other, but then if anyone else has a go at one of us, well fight that person to the death. This happened during a heated moment in the campaign, when Ryans eldest brother, Alan Ryan, a defence expert based in the United Arab Emirates, described Frydenberg in a tweet as a #poisonousshit and grubby little man. Ryan quickly distanced herself from the comments. I tore him [Alan] a new one, she says. He was, like, But he had a go at you! Ryan embracing her brother Peter on election night, remembering Peters son Hector, who died in 2017, hours after his VCE exams. Ryan was the first to their house at 3am that night and took Peter and his wife Cate to the Coroners Court to identify Hectors body. Credit:Joe Armao Ryan also has a twin sister. Her name is Anny Murray and she is nothing like Ryan in temperament, looks and life choices (more on that later). But they are best friends. Coming home from school Murray would chat up boys on the tram, while Ryan disciplined, academic could walk all the way home without lifting her head from a book. I cant remember ever thinking shed go into politics, but I always knew shed excel at whatever she did, says Murray. Maurice lost his job in his early 50s, and struggled to get work long-term after that. Says Peter: The economic impacts of the 1980s were very heavy on a generation of families, and that impacted both Monique and I. That experience [watching their father struggle to secure permanent work] drove us to some degree. The Ryan family lived in Caulfield North, Toorak and Hawthorn, suburbs in and around the Kooyong electorate. Maurice Ryan was a telecommunications sales manager, while his wife Marguerite, at first a housewife, went on to be a professional fundraiser. After visiting Africa she set up a successful charity, Women for Women in Africa, supporting the people of the Kibera slum in Kenya. Shes just quite an extraordinary woman, actually, says Ryan. One night, Peter set up a contest Ryan had no idea she was competing in. As she studied into the night, he tried to stay up later, waiting until the wee hours until finally her light went out. Triumphant, he went to bed. I got up about half an hour later and her light was back on. Shed gone to bed and recalled something she needed to write down. At that stage I knew I was just totally defeated. She and about 30 other progressive-minded Kooyong residents had formed Voices of Kooyong, based on the Voices for Indi movement that powered independent Cathy McGowans takeover of that Victorian Liberal-held seat in 2013. In September 2021, former Labor staffer and pollster Kos Samaras told the groups steering committee that he thought Kooyong winnable due to its changing demographics, with more young, educated professionals moving in and growing concern about climate change. One November night last year, after a hard day at the Royal Childrens Hospital, Monique Ryan walked into Hawthorn restaurant Osteria 20 for an unusual job interview. She actually looked like a cat dragged backwards through a hedge. It was hilarious, says Ann Capling, who wears canary-yellow framed glasses and is almost pocket-sized. (She kind of levitates when shes excited, says Ryan.) The Canadian-born Capling, a former deputy vice chancellor and provost at Perths Murdoch University, was the true engine of Kooyongs independent movement. She just put everything down and was there from the word go, which is her selflessness to a T, says Peter. So my debt to her is everlasting. As Peter and Monique grew older, they stopped fighting and became extremely close. Theres a picture taken by The Age on election night of the two embracing, Ryans head resting heavily on her brothers shoulder. Theyre sharing a moment thinking about Hector, Peters 18-year-old son who died in a car crash in 2017, hours after finishing his VCE exams. The night Hector died, Ryan was the first person at Peters house at 3am to console him. She later took him and his wife Cate to the Coroners Court to identify his body. Inspired, Capling asked former renewable energy executive Oliver Yates if she could use Kooyong Independents, the corporate entity hed kept going since unsuccessfully running against Frydenberg in 2019. It had a database of 600 people and the NationBuilder campaign software, which provides a website and facilitates donations. Yates agreed and in October 2021 Kooyong Independents set about raising money for full-page advertisements in The Age and The Australian Financial Review headlined: ARE YOU THE NEXT MEMBER FOR KOOYONG? Around the same time, writer Anna Sublet, one of Ryans dearest friends, saw a tweet about the ads and texted it to Ryan. When I ask Sublet why she thought Ryan would be interested in running as the Kooyong independent, she recalls a night at a bar a few years earlier when Ryan revealed a desire to move into federal politics. All of us thought [back then] that would be great Mons trip to Canberra! Were all coming! It was a bit of a laugh, but we knew that she was genuinely thinking how she could contribute. It took only four minutes from Sublets original text before Ryan replied with: Ok if you insist. But enormous life decisions arent born in minutes. A year before Sublets text, Ryan and her son, Patrick, then 12 years old, were watching A Life on Our Planet, David Attenboroughs witness statement about how humans and climate change were impacting the natural world. Patrick became upset. I could just see him thinking, Well, why dont you people sort this out? She agreed. She felt Australia could make an intelligent shift to renewables, with an economic upside. She was appalled at the $12 billion worth of fossil-fuel subsidies and the sway the industry seemed to have in Canberra. I just thought, Why arent these stupid people taking action on it? Her voice is thick with contempt. When she confessed her plan to the Royal Childrens Hospital, they asked her not to do it. They thought it was disruptive and I think some thought it was a vanity project. Bubbling alongside this was Ryans ongoing frustration with Australias health policy: government blame-shifting, the mishandling of COVID-19 and a lack of transparency in medical research funding. For two years, shed unsuccessfully lobbied then health minister Greg Hunt to establish newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy. Research had shown that if the condition was identified and treated at birth, about 80 babies a year would be able to live fuller lives; the health budget would also benefit. In the end, she says, it came down to, Someone needs to do this, I could do it, so I should do it. When she confessed her plan to the Royal Childrens Hospital where she was chief of the neurology department they asked her not to do it. They thought it was disruptive and I think some thought it was a vanity project, a complete waste of time. Ryans campaign manager, retired political scientist Ann Capling, on election night. In mid-November, at the Osteria 20 restaurant, Ryan met selection committee members Capling, Carolyn Ingvarson, founder of the influential local climate action group Lighter Footprints, and Simon Holmes a Court. (Holmes a Court, whose Climate 200 raised $13 million from 11,200 donors for the 23 teal candidates at this years federal election, is on record saying he wasnt involved in the preselections but he was at the meeting as a politically active resident of Kooyong, he says, not as the convenor of Climate 200.) Wed all looked at Moniques application and we thought she was politically very inexperienced, but she just gave us a little shiver, says Capling, who helped assess all 30 candidates for Kooyong. Ryan sat down and confessed she couldnt believe she was having the discussion. Then she looked at us and said, Of course, if I was selected as the candidate I would have to zhuzh myself up a bit, says Capling. She presented as a busy professional who was putting her job first, but she had enough self-awareness that if she was going to run for office, shed have to, like, do her hair. Impressed, they asked her to talk with several people, including Cathy McGowan, and to write a one-pager for them on how to win the election. Ive got no idea, was Ryans immediate thought. When Monique Ryan finished high school, her head was not filled with romantic notions of healing the sick. History was her great love. I would have happily been a historian or a journalist, she says. I wanted to be the next [Canberra press gallery veteran] Michelle Grattan when I was 16 and 17. In the end, she chose a double degree in medicine and arts at the University of Melbourne, partly because she had the marks to get in (finding herself overloaded, she dropped arts pretty quickly). Ryan actually disliked studying medicine and hated student hospital placements because you feel like a bump on a log half the time. In 1990, after her fifth year, she backpacked around Europe and decided to switch to law (her brothers, who had law degrees, advised that medicine and law would make her particularly attractive to law firms). To fund her law degree, she decided to finish her medical training, interning in emergency at Melbournes Austin Hospital. She loved it. When youre the person whos responsible, its actually really fun, she says. And, in the emergency department, when a child would come in everyone was scared of them. And their parents were scarier. But I would just gravitate towards them. Loading Dumping the law plan and choosing paediatrics, she did her first year of specialist training at the Royal Childrens Hospital in 1993. But in her first real taste of failure if you discount her 1990 loss on Sale of the Century, which only yielded her a skateboard and a cot (she came second, she says) Ryan was not picked to continue for a second year. She puts this down to too much fun seeing bands every night (Dave Graney, Ed Kuepper, Hoodoo Gurus). Luckily, Sydneys then-named Prince of Wales Childrens Hospital offered her a placement. I didnt want to go. I didnt know a soul [in Sydney]. I felt like Id failed. Several years later, when Ryan was studying for her paediatric exams, a junior consultant neurologist called Kathryn North gave a lecture about muscle diseases. Ryan approached her afterwards and said: I want your job. North laughed and told Ryan to contact her once shed passed the notoriously difficult exams. North, now director of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, became Ryans mentor and helped her secure a neurology training position at Sydneys Westmead and then, in 1999, a position at Boston Childrens Hospital, home to the worlds best paediatric neurology department. Soon she was publishing papers in respected journals and presenting them around the world. After 15 years, Ryans final clinic at the Royal Childrens Hospital. Credit:Courtesy of Monique Ryan Ryan specialised in two main muscle and nerve diseases in children: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, mostly affecting boys, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). When Ryan first began to specialise, Duchenne sufferers were diagnosed at around five years old and dead by their early 20s. Spinal muscular atrophy babies died before they were two. When I started doing this, almost everyone died, she says. It was a tough field in the 1990s, and only doctors who felt able to cope with high patient death rates would have chosen it. But while Ryan found the work difficult, it was also rewarding; a privilege, she says. If you know a child is going to die, its so important to look after them and the parents and all the staff around them, to be kind and caring. But also to be decisive. The parents remember how this is managed for the rest of their lives, so it is a great responsibility to do it properly. Just after Ryan returned in 2003 to Sydney as a consulting neurologist at the Childrens Hospital at Westmead, American researchers began to develop genetic and gene therapies for SMA, which afflicts one in 6000 babies. Over the next 15 years, Ryan became heavily involved in running clinical trials for the therapies in Melbourne and Sydney. Today no one knows how long the SMA babies will live for, but they havent lost one yet. And they can walk. Just to be a part of that, it was extraordinary, she says. Its a hard thing to walk away from, actually. (She cried on her last hospital day and still does when she thinks about leaving.) Senior neurologist Andrew Kornberg, who recruited Ryan back to Melbournes Royal Childrens Hospital in 2006, says: One of the best things I did as department head was getting Monique down here. Shes a go-getter, a great researcher, a great doctor and a caring professional. I didnt think I was ever going to find a life partner and I didnt want to be childless as well. When Kornberg did lure Ryan back to Melbourne, it was a heartbreaking decision. She had a close friend in Sydney dying of cancer. I did feel like I was abandoning her, says Ryan, suddenly in tears. But she was also 39, single and childless. Shed had phone calls with her sister Anny Murray a stay-at-home mother with seven children in which she confessed to wanting a family like her (perhaps with fewer babies) and Murray said she wanted to be free and travel like Ryan. For a long time I was single and sometimes lonely. There was no one there when I came home, says Ryan, of her life up to that point. And now, tick-tock, the fertility clock was running down. Ryan resolved to return to Melbourne and have a baby on her own. I didnt think I was ever going to find a life partner and I didnt want to be childless as well, she says. I thought, If Im going to have a baby by myself, I need to be around my family. But first, back in Melbourne, she threw a huge party with Anny for their 40ths and invited all the people she hadnt seen for 10 years, including a man shed worked with during university at the Arts Centre. Id always thought he was a special man. He was this bloke who Id had this thing for my whole adult life, who Id gone out with for about 10 minutes when we were about 20 or 21. This was Peter Jordan, and theyd had a few sliding-doors-bad-timing issues. Now a single father-of-two, he turned up at the party. A week later they had dinner. It was pretty kind of instant from that point, Jordan tells me on the phone. Six months later, Ryan was pregnant and within two years she was married with a baby and two stepchildren under eight. That took a bit of adjustment, she says with characteristic wry understatement. Ryan with husband Peter Jordan, stepchildren Campbell and Annabel, son Patrick and cavoodle Alfie. Credit:Eddie Jim The pair love AFL and barrack for Carlton. They even like the same music, but he draws the line at Ryans love of the Smiths and Morrissey. Jordan says theres an equalness to their relationship and that its easy. I love her confidence, her intelligence, he says. Both mention it isnt easy blending a family. Step-parenting is one of the hardest things Ive done, says Ryan, who describes Annabel, 21, and Campbell, 19, as lovely, lovely kids. Ive been very fortunate that Annabel and Campbell have always been really generous and accepting of me, and weve all managed to build a very loving, accepting family. On an afternoon in early June, Monique Ryans 10-year-old VW Golf is parked outside their Hawthorn home in a quiet street not far from her campaign office. Next to the Golf is Jordans 17-year-old Subaru wagon, bearing a Mon4Kooyong sticker. The Gooms, a term Ryan and team gave the Grumpy Obnoxious Old Men who would scowl or lecture her during the campaign (with their wives often winking at Ryan supportively behind their backs), regularly ask her why she doesnt drive an electric vehicle if she cares so much about climate change. I tell them I cant afford one, but Id love one, says Ryan. Then I say, Can you afford one? And they say, No. And I say, Exactly! Thats what Im talking about. We need to make them more affordable. Ryan answers the door and shows me past the original 1930s-style entrance, book-lined and dark, to the renovated, light-filled back, with its long kitchen bench, a wall of green cupboards and a calming view of a solid eucalypt trunk in the backyard. Alfie the cavoodle, a pandemic puppy, starts chewing my boot. Hes a behaviourally challenged dog, she says, apologetically. Ryan is just back from a quick trip to Canberra where, thrillingly, she visited Parliament Houses members-only area. I was like a kid on a school excursion! In her handbag on the bench is her current reading: Cathy Goes to Canberra, McGowans manifesto on getting elected and surviving politics. A guidebook of sorts. Loading Do you mind if I just chop up my chicken? she asks. Shes preparing a curry in the slow cooker while telling me about the first time she met Josh Frydenberg, an experience she found awkward, tense and stressful. It was at the Australian Electoral Commissions bingo-like draw that determines the order of names on the ballot paper. The stakes were high: in a tight contest like Kooyong, the number one spot can be the difference between winning and losing. Ryan describes Frydenberg turning up with his entourage. He comes in and basically takes over the room. And he says, Monique! We meet at last. Ryan, ever competitive, clocked that she was taller than him. I thought, Thats gotta be a win! After a long process, Ryans ball got top position. Frydenberg drew number seven. She watched the then treasurer, just in front of her, clenching his fists and turning redder as the ballot drew on. Then they all just wheeled out. Ryan alongside rival Josh Frydenberg at an early voting centre in mid-May. Credit:Elke Meitzel You can forgive Ryan for thinking politics seems like an extremely strange business. On a typical day in her previous life, shed be assessing sick children, reading academic papers and running a team of 45 people. Now here she was, watching a blindfolded official draw balls out of a bingo barrel in a process that could determine her fate for the next three years. Another bizarre experience was the early voting booth. This involved standing about a metre from Frydenberg for 11 days. She came to like her opponent less because he called her a fake independent, rarely used her name and referred to her as they yet felt for him. Its his lifes work. If I hadnt won it wouldve been galling, disappointing and sad, but I could have gone back to my previous life. He was only going to be the leader of the opposition on [the] Monday [after the election] or unemployed. What an extraordinary position to be in. I could see how stressed he was. [Frydenberg has since announced he is joining Goldman Sachs as a senior regional adviser for the Asia-Pacific.] There were certainly some steep learning curves on the path from woman of science to political candidate. Her launch speech in December was, in Caplings frank assessment, pretty pedestrian. Did Capling think theyd chosen the wrong candidate? Not at all! I just thought we chose an academic used to deadpan, untheatrical and unperformative delivery. And, we all thought, Look, shes just spent a career trying to be calm and reassuring to little kids. If I hadnt won it wouldve been galling, disappointing and sad, but I could have gone back to my previous life. He was only going to be the leader of the opposition or unemployed. What an extraordinary position to be in. I could see how stressed he was. Probably Ryans biggest blunder was made early on, when she failed to declare that shed been a Labor Party member between 2007 and 2010. Asked by The Age if she had any political experience, she answered, No, nothing. I am a complete cleanskin. That was a mistake, she says now. She joined when Kevin Rudd won, promising climate change action, then left three years later when he failed to tackle the issue. I never went to a meeting. I was never a political person. So I actually thought that I was a cleanskin. This was gold for Frydenberg, who said she had sought to conceal her political background from the media. Another little bit of gold, shared widely by Frydenberg, was when Ryans elderly mother-in-law told him that she would vote for him. The former treasurer, who declined to speak to Good Weekend for this article, criticised Ryan after she told talkback station 3AW that it was unreasonable to ask about the cost of her emissions reductions policies. He also thought Ryan had stepped outside her signed pledge to behave ethically and honestly when she called him the treasurer for NSW during their one town hall debate. A senior Liberal, who declined to go on the record, said Ryans campaign, while having transparency and integrity as central planks, was part of a non-transparent, co-ordinated attack on Frydenberg that included anti-Liberal groups such as Smart Voting, which ran the Chuck Them Out bin-sticker campaign (Smart Voting is headed by two employees of the Holmes a Court-linked Smart Energy Council). I dont think Ive ever heard of Smart Voting, says Ryan in response. I had no arrangements or help from any external organisations during the campaign except for Climate 200. When Ryans Active Hope mural, painted on a vacant pub wall, was removed by the buildings owners, Frydenberg accused Ryans campaign team of disgracefully damaging private property. (Climate 200s founding director Damien Hodgkinson, a friend of the buildings owner, had wrongly assumed it was all right to go ahead.) A flash protest at Kew Junction during the election campaign - along with a sole Frydenberg supporter. Credit:Aaron Smith Despite Ryans missteps, Frydenberg was fighting significant anti-Liberal sentiment in Kooyong, notably the deep unpopularity of Scott Morrison. Yet Frydenberg wasnt that popular, either: many were furious with him over his anti-lockdown stance during Melbournes extended COVID response. Shortly after the election, I met a Brunswick mum a senior public servant and lawyer who had signed up to Ryans campaign out of sheer rage over the former treasurers actions. After the election, political commentators agreed that Ryans campaign beat Frydenbergs on digital advertising, using data and social media, especially in reaching young people through TikTok. It also had, crucially, 2000 motivated volunteers who seemed to have a rollicking good time while knocking on 50,000 doors. But, says Capling, Ryan was her own secret weapon because she is absolutely fabulous with people. Ryan says she conducted a guerrilla movement of joining several book clubs and asking members to introduce her to their contacts. But, it turned out, many people already knew her across the electorate: as an active school mum, at the Hawthorn pool where she swims three times a week, at her hockey club. Shed also treated many peoples children and had a seemingly endless posse of siblings and cousins. Ryan walks me out to her front porch where we stand for a few minutes chatting. Hello, beautiful boy! she calls to Patrick, as the now 14-year-old arrives home, smartly besuited in his boys school uniform. Earlier this month, I catch Ryan on the phone. Shes flat: the previous week brought several reality checks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese cut the independents staff and, in response, she did a media interview in which she warned that a second wave of teals could go after Labor marginal MPs, such as Josh Burns in Macnamara and Michelle Ananda-Rajah in Higgins (she rang them to apologise). It wasnt factually untrue, but the context of what I said was absent and I came out sounding belligerent To be honest, I felt quite foolish. The staffing issue shone a light on the limited negotiating power the teals will have in a lower house in which the government doesnt need their votes. To get things done for her electorate and for her wider agenda of action on climate change, integrity and gender equity Ryan will need to be strategically savvy. This could prove difficult given, as Capling says, shes by nature not a political animal. Shes going to struggle for a while because she doesnt want to feel like shes playing political games. She wants to be authentic and honest. Ryan with her parents Marguerite and Maurice. Credit:Courtesy of Monique Ryan Says long-term Canberra watcher, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald associate editor Tony Wright: Ryan and the other teal independents are about to understand that parliamentary politics is about power, which can be brutal. But, he adds, Albanese is unlikely to underestimate the tide of womens votes that brought the independents to parliament and that the treasurer-slaying Ryan is clearly not to be taken lightly. There have been other reality checks, too: Ryan says the independents are sizing each other up, trying to figure out how things will work. There are some pretty strong personalities. A lot of alpha females. South Australian independent Rebekha Sharkie advised her that there were no friends in politics, only colleagues. Im not sure I can do that, Im not that sort of person. But I understand what she is trying to say, says Ryan. Loading Shes decided that health and the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be a policy focus. As a paediatric neurologist, she knew many families struggling to negotiate the NDIS. Shes trying to come to grips with how her absences in Canberra will affect her family, especially Patrick. Shes also grappling with the loss of anonymity in her electorate. Completely self-inflicted of course, she says. And the Gooms wont let up. They accost her daily in the supermarket, and even in her bathers after swimming, to explain why shes unqualified to be the MP for Kooyong. Meanwhile, Ryan is now ensconced in Frydenbergs old office. He left a couple of highlighter pens and a ruler, she says, but thankfully no prawns in the air-conditioning vent. Im still looking for the bottle of Veuve and the chocolates. Im sure theyre here somewhere. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. West Australian minister Alannah MacTiernan is facing calls to step down from her agriculture portfolio over comments that a foot and mouth disease outbreak would lower meat and dairy prices in the state. The countrys agricultural sector has been sounding the alarm over the potential for a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Australian livestock after the disease made its way to Indonesia in May. Bali cows at Sada Sari Cow Farm, Kubu Anyar Village - Kuta - during foot and mouth outbreak in Bali Credit:Amilia Rosa. Farming groups have warned an outbreak in Australia would be catastrophic to the industry and would mean empty supermarket shelves. On Friday, MacTiernan tried to temper the commentary, telling The West Australian milk and meat would still be available in the vent of an outbreak and that some would argue it would be cheaper because of a domestic oversupply. A trio of media outlets being sued for defamation by Ben Roberts-Smith have not proved the war veteran was complicit in the murder of Afghan prisoners, his barrister has told the Federal Court. The court is hearing closing submissions in the defamation suit brought by the decorated former soldier against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times. Roberts-Smith claims the newspapers wrongly accused him of war crimes in Afghanistan, bullying fellow soldiers, and an act of domestic violence against a former lover. Ben Roberts-Smith outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Monday. Credit:Kate Geraghty The media outlets are seeking to rely on a defence of truth but Arthur Moses, SC, acting for Roberts-Smith, told the court on Friday that the evidence in this case does not establish any of the grave allegations which have been propounded by the newspapers. Just because you say it doesnt make it true. Just because you believe it doesnt make it true, Moses said. Facts are stubborn things. Warning: This article contains an image of an Indigenous person who is deceased. A NSW coroner has supported the idea of Medicare becoming available to Aboriginal inmates on a trial basis after a 44-year-old man died in custody from a preventable ear infection. Douglas Mootijah Shillingsworth, a Budjiti and Murrawarri man, died at Sydneys Westmead Hospital in February 2018 after an otitis media middle ear infection spread to his brain, causing sepsis and neurological injury. Ruby Dykes (left) and Fleur Magic Dennis, family members of Douglas Mootijah Shillingsworth, hug outside court on Friday. Credit:Dean Sewell In findings on Friday, Deputy State Coroner Joan Baptie said Mootijahs death was preventable and there were missed opportunities over many years to address his recurring ear infections and hearing loss. The nose knows Cathy Wilcox (Letters, July 22) again makes a point that everyone should heed but she misses another reason for mask-wearing. In this miserable winter it keeps my nose warm. Peter Bourke, Rockdale Wilcoxs cartoon on how to get people to wear masks should be compulsory viewing. I sense my partners threat of no pudding would work for me, but the passive-aggressive No, no, no, dont worry about wearing it Ive had a good life approach would appeal to my compassionate self. Peter Singer, Arrawarra Headland The concert Hall Helen Pitt is right (Blame Askin and ABC, not an unsung hero, July 22). The hero is Peter Hall. After downplaying his significant contribution, a space in the house is singing out for his name. Ian Ferrier, Paddington What irony the unsung hero of the Opera House should be named Hall. The Peter Hall Playhouse sounds good idea to me. Adrian Connelly, Springwood This little piggy ... I had the same experience with supermarket bacon as your correspondent (Letters, July 22). Then I discovered locally grown and processed bacon at the local farmers market. Worth every cent. Ann Clydsdale, Bathurst Funding of schools should not be a postcode lottery Contributors to the Letters page will often point out, rightly, the inequity of funding between private and government schools, but there are also flaws in the funding that public schools receive (Public schools hit with $10 million shortfall, July 22). Having taught for many years in a south-west Sydney high school, where very few parents paid school fees and the P&C consisted of only three or four parents, I remember what it was like come budget time and the faculty I worked in was given a $1500 budget. To make ends meet, we would ask truck drivers for their used pallets and would strip them down to use the timber in the workshops. When I transferred to a school where most of the parents paid their fees and there was a sizeable and active P&C, the faculty budget was about $30,000. The income schools receive through fees varies greatly and is determined by the postcode of the school. More needs to be done to even out the playing field if all students are to be given equal opportunities at school. Peter Miniutti, Ashbury Since the first Gonski review in 2011, whatever has happened to the much-trumpeted needs-based model that, reasonably, called for targeted redistribution of resources and support to schools that need it most? Regarding the Gonski reforms to strive to achieve equality of opportunity for students, public schools hit with a $10 million shortfall is an instructive case of those who do not learn history are destined to repeat it. Steve Ngeow, Chatswood When public schools have a $10 million shortfall in funding it is newsworthy. When a private school spends $10 million on a new library, swimming pool or the block of land next door, it is also newsworthy. Am I seeing a problem here? Peter Cooper-Southam, Frenchs Forest Mothers day Credit:Edwina Pickles Bill Shorten has made a commonsense change that will satisfy most people, whether of faith or none (Shorten steps in over Medicare form, July 22). We all know what mothers do, we all have them and we all know they have a special place in our lives. Why diminish their role by changing the language to satisfy a small minority of people in the community who seem to want to throw away everything society has valued for centuries? Vivienne Parsons, Thornleigh Double distortion The drop in home ownership by young people is a disgrace caused by two problems (Young out in cold on ownership, July 22). First, tax advantages for investors over decades. The corollary claims of lack of supply are disingenuous nonsense by the usual suspects. Get the investors out of the market and their numbers say the supply will increase. The other problem is that politicians with multiple houses are probably against any change. They should be forced to divest all investment properties. John Macintosh, Merewether Rock of aged I wonder if there is something more to these farewell tours (Dont let the funds go down on Elton, July 22) that have become common for music artists than just a money-spinner for them. There could also be the well-established perception this type of music, since it came to prominence in the 1950s, has been primarily aimed at teenagers, and the artists had to be young as well. Perhaps some of these musicians think their fans will think less of them as artists if they announce just another tour, not realising its not unusual to see people in their 70s and even 80s attending rock concerts. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury Meat is murder Just imagine that youre born into a world where you will live the rest of your life in a cage, a concrete pen or a field with no water or shelter from the blazing sun or torrential rain, then when fat enough, youre carted off to be killed so you can be sold as a chunk of meat under plastic in a shop. But wait, before youve had much of a life, a disease or virus comes along, and youre killed early to contain the disease, and your lifeless body is chucked in a furnace or in a big ditch (Foot and mouth war plan primed, July 22). Livestock are living, breathing, feeling animals. Im pretty sure the impact of disease on the animals far outweighs the impact on the livestock breeders. Clare Raffan, Campsie Seems to me that this threat affects only the flesh-eaters among us. Tim Schroder, Gordon End male scourge Thank goodness the NSW government is considering criminalising coercive control as a means of offering prevention against intimate partner violence (Coercive control bill can help prevent violence, July 22). Women who suffer under such diabolical control from their male partners are, in too many cases, condemned to a life of fear and intimidation that can tragically end in death. But the sole burden for all of this should not be placed upon the courts. Society needs to make a serious moral commitment towards cultural change, whereby the scourge of coercive male entitlement is consigned to the dustbin of our evolutionary history. Vincent Zankin, Rivett (ACT) I find it hard to understand how we can legislate for love and respect in a relationship. If someone does not find love and respect, they have a problem. If a person does not have these qualities, the relationship is doomed. Bill McMahon, Lennox Head Good to go In response to your correspondents digital comment (Letters, July 22), I sincerely hope the Greens do turn the totally inadequate, into the good. Peggy Fisher, Killara Anxiety not is not part of Satans plan Im also a Sydney Anglican (Letters, July 22) and I had big problems with Scott Morrisons sermon. But it wasnt the issue of trusting or not trusting government that was my main problem, it was the bit about anxiety. The glib way he suggested people could be relieved of anxiety the oil of God, the ointment of God, comes in this situation and releases you horrified me. He also said these anxieties are Satans plan. I know of many Christians who deal with anxiety daily, who have not been released. Now some of them will be blaming themselves, that they havent trusted God and his oil and ointment enough, or worse, that they are living under the Devils plans. Jan Syme, Newington Your correspondents defence of the former Prime Ministers words doesnt help us much. He just quotes from the Bible and assumes that because Morrison said something similar it is all fine. It is not. If Morrison wanted to lecture us from a pulpit about how hopeless humans are, then he entered the wrong profession, and we would all have been better off if he had chosen the pulpit. Tony Sullivan, Adamstown Heights Postscript Credit:Alex Ellinghausen This weeks peak subject was Scott Morrison. Just when you thought the election was over and it was safe to go back into politics, there he was, preaching to the converted in Margaret Courts church, saying that he and his fellow worshippers dont trust in governments. This brought the expected great rush of emails, mocking and scorning the former prime minister and questioning why he was still in parliament and drawing a salary if he thought so little of the institution. A few people tried to defend him with reference to Psalm 146 (Put not your trust in princes), but they were overwhelmed by those not amused. The next most popular subject was the environment in various aspects, but especially once the State of the Environment report became public after being delayed for six months by the Coalition. The letter writers were furious about both the news and the perceived cover-up of the paper so it wasnt seen before the election. The surge back of COVID-19 brought in a daily growing number of letters about how this happened while governments looked the other way and, while writers were on the subject, why is there not a mask mandate? Support is strong for a mandate but also for the government to finally start fining people who refuse to wear masks, especially on public transport. On the subject of disease, there was also discussion about foot and mouth and ways of keeping it out. Writers remembered days of having shoes removed and disinfected and suggested that maybe it would just be easier for no one to come back from infected areas with their shoes and instead be given slippers to wear on the plane. Harriet Veitch, Acting letters editor A man has died in floodwaters west of Brisbane, and south-east Queenslanders are being warned to stay away from beaches this weekend as rainfall and hazardous surf continues to batter the state. Emergency services were called about 5.30am on Friday after people saw a vehicle swept into floodwaters along Brown Street in Nanango, about 200 kilometres west of Brisbane. Local flash flooding in Nanango, where a man died on Friday. Credit:Silvia Mulder, Facebook A search and rescue operation was launched about 8.15am. Police inspector Scott Stahlhut said the 47-year-old Nanango man was found dead near Sandy Creek Bridge. As her husband became more involved in Labor Party politics, eventually being elected as the Member for Maribyrnong in 1969, Shirley published poetry, reviews and short stories. She co-edited an anthology of anti-war poems and later a magazine for schools. She studied anthropology at Monash University, ran workshops for children and raised three of her own, Naomi, Deborah and Daniel. When Moss became minister for environment and conservation in the Whitlam government, Shirley helped him interview applicants for key roles in his new ministerial office. She was a better judge of character, Moss noted. The team they selected would work on game-changing legislation most notably the Environmental Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act. Shirley Cass made news in the 1970s when she spoke about the struggles of being the wife of a federal politician. Credit:Fairfax Media As Moss tried unsuccessfully to save Tasmanias Lake Pedder, and more successfully to protect Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef, Shirley also looked to the future of the planet. She said she had no doubt that the rape of the earth was tied up with greed and ignorance. She believed that childrens development was key to a better world. Children must be made aware of the environment as they are closer to nature than adults, she remarked in an interview for The Australian Jewish News. Shirley Cass, it reported, will be a valuable asset to her husband in his new position. There was no mention of what Moss political elevation might mean for his wifes career. The Whitlam years were heady and intense times, not without their challenges. Moss was often away from home in Canberra or wherever his portfolios and, later, shadow portfolios took him. In 1976 Shirley wrote that she regarded parliamentarians families as deprived families, deprived of the warmth and participation of one of their members, a comment that received scornful treatment in The Bulletin. The Canberra Times sought responses from other politicians wives, snidely reporting that most were not available for comment; they were either shopping or, perhaps, spending some valuable time with their husbands. It did, however, quote Kristine Klugman in support of Shirley. Politicians mucked up their wives lives, Klugman said. The wife was left to cope with the family and often a job as well. Moss would publicly acknowledge this when he retired from Parliament in 1983. Now, however, the same little bird is sleek and fit as well as furious, squawking and poking and banging with his surprisingly big feet. Hall puts the box down on the sand and manoeuvres inside it with a blue towel, watched by eight tourist kayakers who have washed up in the brisk afternoon breeze. Herded over by their instructor to see whats going on, they seem completely confused, but thrilled at the prospect of pausing their relentless paddling. Taronga Zoos Libby Hall with a fairy penguin: He has to show he can swim after prey or he cant be released. I am his personal trainer. Credit:Tim Bauer I first saw this bird some weeks ago, floating on its tummy in a pool while Hall chivvied it with a pole. Swim, damn you, swim! she had called, adding in an undertone, as if worried the penguin might hear her: Hes so lazy. He has to show he can swim after prey or he cant be released. I am his personal trainer. Prudence rolled slightly to one side and blew bubbles out of his sky-facing nostrils. Look at him! cried Hall. Bubbles! Hes getting so fat. Todays box contains a little or fairy penguin called Prudence, although Hall generally uses the male pronoun, perhaps because its difficult with juveniles (as with many young animals) to tell males and females apart. Prudence was found at Watsons Bay with a damaged flipper, and delivered to Taronga as are more than 1000 animals a year by a member of the public. On the way, we discuss the animals that Hall, rescue and rehabilitation co-ordinator at Sydneys Taronga Zoo, currently has in her care. The little echidna with the injured foot (eating everything in sight); the baby green turtle the size of a Cartier brooch rescued off Tamarama Beach (still pooing out plastic); the tawny frogmouth which fell off a fence in suburban Greenwich (catching and eating moths). But Janet the gannet (every gannet Hall treats, she names Janet How could you not?) died last night. She was just too underweight. Shed probably come from New Zealand, just a young bird. L ibby Hall is standing at the end of Collins Beach Road in the Sydney Harbour National Park. Shes dark-haired and capable-looking, and shes holding a large yellow box, from which issues a tiny thundering noise, as if shes captured a very small, enraged man. Hes jumping around like a loon, she calls as I approach. Watch out, hell bite. He keeps poking his beak out. An inch-long dark beak suddenly pops out of a ventilation hole, accompanied by a furious muttering. Getting a fresh grip on the handle, Hall turns and heads towards the beach. I first visit Taronga Zoos Sydney veterinary hospital in May. The small brick building, far to the right of the zoo entrance, has a teeming variousness. At 10am one morning, the senior veterinarian, Larry Vogelnest, a big shaven-head man in shorts and surgical scrubs, is inspecting a green sea turtle who has fishing line dangling from her mouth and wrapped around her left front flipper, slicing deep into the flesh. Next door, veterinary resident Jess Whinfield and nurse Liz McConnell anaesthetise a small rat in order to examine its skin condition. Out in the corridor, someone is organising someone else: The potoroo needs to go in, and the duck has to go down. There used to be 70 breeding pairs, now there are only 23. The dogs get them, and the foxes. Still. She raises her voice and smiles. Its always great when we release one. She wades into the foam at the waters edge. The little penguin goes suddenly still, straining forward. As Hall lets her go she slides into the water, a dark arrow flying through the blue, 20 or 30 metres in less than five seconds. A moment later a tiny, dark head pops from the waves. Getting her bearings, says Hall. The head ducks under. Prudence is gone. Yes, she is very cute, says Hall, shaking her hand and talking over the wind. Cute and feisty! Penguins need to be released into the water, and they are very faithful to their burrows. This is the last nesting colony on mainland Australia, right around that point. Last one. She points, and everyone nods. The little penguin goes suddenly still, straining forward. As Hall lets her go she slides into the water, a dark arrow flying through the blue, 20 or 30 metres in less than five seconds. Hall draws Prudence out of the box, and everyone gasps with surprise, then applauds. The little bird gleams in the sunlight: pale grey and petrol blue, bright eyes shining with rage. Shes 950 grams now, says Hall, suddenly switching genders, and shes quite a small bird; even a big adult would only be around one kilo. She was 650 grams when she arrived; her pantaloons were all baggy. Now the loose skin around her feet is sleek and firm. Prudence whips her head around and bites Hall. Remember those snails? says Whinfield, as the bag flips and rolls around the exam table like something from a Harry Potter movie. They kept prolapsing their mouth parts. But how do you anaesthetise a snail thats only the size of your pinky fingernail? They just kept racing around their container, producing bigger and bigger bubbles. Next door, Whinfield and McConnell are talking about snails as they wait for their rat to fall asleep. The rat, which theyve put into a bag to anaesthetise, is part of Tarongas food breeding program, but even those animals destined to be somebodys dinner receive attentive medical care. This turtle has already lost one back flipper, and the line on her front one is awful to look at, but its the tangle in her gut thats the real worry. If that can be removed, she may yet be saved. They dont do anything fast, these animals, says Vogelnest. They heal slowly, they die slowly. But Ive seen them come back from extraordinary injuries. Theyre incredibly tough. He organises sedation so he can take X-rays. Lets try to get a blood sample, he says. Turtle bodies, covered not only back but front, too, by an impermeable shell, are notoriously hard to access for treatment. Vogelnest takes blood from behind the animals head: dark brown, like a very old shiraz. Shes in quite good condition, says Male a promising sign, since turtles with line tangled in their intestines can no longer eat or evacuate, and die slowly over many months of infection and starvation. How do you anaesthetise a snail thats only the size of your pinky fingernail? They just kept racing around their container, producing bigger and bigger bubbles. Shes really been in the wars, says Vogelnest, looking at his turtle. She lies quietly on the table, the large dark eye facing me surprisingly focused and aware. Nurse Sarah Male gently covers her head with a towel, and after a moment she rests her chin down into the cloth. On the third side of the courtyard, other members of the 17-strong veterinary team mill in the tea room. Constructed in the 1970s, its now both outdated and overcrowded. Where did that mug come from? asks Vogelnest, following me in. You mustnt use the mugs that are hanging up. Someone might kill you. He is supposed to be asleep, Hall says, peering at him through the semi-darkness. The kestrel follows her movement minutely, eyes focused like the Terminator, looking less asleep than any animal in the history of the world. Australian native animals, perhaps surprisingly, are some of the most sensitive at Taronga small macropods like wallabies and potoroos, reptiles and birds. Speaking of which: across the courtyard from the treatment rooms, in the dimly lit intensive care unit (basically an old shed filled with plastic tubs and cardboard boxes), Libby Hall is monitoring her Cartier turtle, plus a baby ringtail possum with eyes like polished amber marbles, and a ridiculously elegant kestrel. These health checks are, in some cases, the only time the vets see zoo animals, because one of the criteria for keeping any species these days is that it must thrive in captivity. Giraffes, for instance, often dont require veterinary services from one year to the next. Theyre just extremely robust, says Vogelnest. And gorillas we hardly ever have to see a gorilla. Or an elephant. Theyre incredibly powerful animals, says Vogelnest, and very, very smart. You really dont want one waking up halfway through an exam. Because chimps have such a complex social structure, moreover, getting individuals anaesthetised and out of their enclosure in a way that doesnt freak out all the others is like organising the order of precedence for a state dinner at the Winter Palace. In another room, someone is discussing the upcoming chimp health checks. Like other animal groups in the zoo, Tarongas entire chimpanzee troop undergoes a regular medical, but this one is being planned like a military operation, and there seems to be a certain anxiety in the air. The first collection of live animals gathered together out of human interest, as opposed to human appetite, is thought to have been in Upper Egypt around 3500BC, and its safe to say such early menageries did not come equipped with high-tech veterinary facilities. Nor, when the first public zoos opened in the late 19th century, hot on the heels of newly formed zoological societies, did animal welfare feature highly amid the new scientific fervour for faunal knowledge. Pouring hot water into a permissible mug, I ask Vogelnest, who has worked here since 1990, what will be special about the new Sydney facility. Whats he really looking forward to? Well, thats easy, he says. There are 17 of us, and the new place will have more than one toilet. Itll be amazing. Enter one of Tarongas largest capital works projects in the zoos 120-year history: the building of two new wildlife veterinary hospitals one in Sydney and one at Taronga Western Plains zoo in Dubbo. Costing $80 million in total, and funded by private donations matched dollar for dollar by the NSW government, the zoo has so far raised $60 million . The Dubbo hospital is under construction, but the Sydney build is still in the planning phase. This seems true: vet Gabrielle Tobias and Jess Whinfield performed the worlds first-ever blood transfusion on a platypus not long ago; Vogelnest has been part of important recent work on koala pain management; and Taronga vets are consulted worldwide for their expertise about many species, both native and exotic. And yet, as Boyle puts it, Theres no denying they are not working in world-class buildings. Suitably demarcated mug storage, however, seems the least of their problems. Our vets are really world-class, explains Nick Boyle, director of welfare, conservation and science at the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, the overarching organisation that runs both Tarongas Sydney and Dubbo zoos. Animals were poached from the wild to fill zoos; kept in bare cages barely larger than their own bodies; treated appallingly by humans who were convinced that the bounty of the natural world was inexhaustible, and created especially for their own use. Hall holding an echidna with an injured foot. Credit:Tim Bauer Sydneys first zoo officially opened in 1884 in inner-city Moore Park (almost three decades after Melbourne Zoo), and moved to its current harbourside home in Mosman in 1916. These days, its regulated by numerous charters and provisions and legislative standards about animal welfare, overall purpose and future vision; it also has its own self-imposed codes of ethics and best-practice goals. But it still feels like a place with something to prove and in this, I think, it shares something with all contemporary zoos, all over the world: a constant need to justify its existence. Good zoos today are perpetually straining to both improve the future and find absolution from the past. Loading This is not a bad thing. Indeed, the harnessing of human guilt and ingenuity is probably what will save us all, to whatever extent we and the natural world we are so close to destroying can be saved. In the past decade alone, Taronga has revolutionised the enclosures of its chimpanzees, Sumatran tigers, regent honeyeaters and African savannah animals, and building is currently underway on a new $16 million habitat for Australian native animals. It is also engaging in increasingly ambitious projects to preserve biodiversity, shore up gene pools, and rescue and rewild endangered animals. Rewilding is a controversial but thrilling process, by which endangered or extinct-in-nature animals raised in zoos are reintroduced into wild habitats, in the hope that they might re-establish viable populations there. Taronga and Dubbo together have rewilded some 50,000 animals, including the Bellinger River snapping turtle, greater bilby, eastern quoll and corroboree frog, as well as every rescued animal capable of returning to its previous habitat. In this context, the vision for the new veterinary hospitals is bigger than simply protecting and maintaining the health of the two zoos 5500-odd captive animals. They will also carry the responsibility of being world-first, best-practice centres for Australian native wildlife. They must be not only veterinary hubs, but also research and rehabilitation settings for our most vulnerable species. Larry Vogelnest (right) and David Clarke, a specialist veterinary dentist, perform a dental check on Satu the Sumatran tiger. Credit:Paul Fahy/Taronga Zoo Zoos are sometimes described as modern-day Noahs arks, carrying endangered animals through the current deluge of man-made disaster towards, one hopes, a better future. In this metaphor, Tarongas new vet hospitals are being planned as nothing less than high-tech wheelhouses, from which Australian wildlife experts can chart a path away from catastrophe and towards salvation. And, you know, get some more toilets while theyre at it. Back in the old zoo building, theres little talk about biblical redemption: everyone is too busy. By the afternoon, I find myself in a hot minivan smelling strongly of turtle, as Vogelnest transports his patient 14 kilometres along the M2 motorway to the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH), where we have been offered the high-powered services of a CT scan, generally used on the pampered domestic animals of Sydney, to properly assess the fishing line in her gut. Vogelnest has already removed the horrible cutting line from around the turtles flipper, and the relief of this, and seeing the soothing antiseptic cream applied, plus the cheerful news that no major vessels or tendons seem to be damaged, has made me feel optimistic about her chances. Vogelnest is less sanguine. When you have a linear foreign body like fishing line thats fixed at one end, the rest of the intestine sort of concertinas up around it, he says. That can be really bad. This turtle, with fishing wire in its mouth and around a flipper, needs surgery to save its life. Credit:Amy Russell/Taronga Zoo We arrive at SASH to find the corridors crowded with vets and staff, full of concern and technical know-how. For all our horrors, I always find it comforting to watch humans care for animals: the only species, bar the odd heroic dog or dolphin, to expend altruistic energy and resources helping another. On the return journey, I ask Vogelnest whether he intends to operate. Shes been pooing, says nurse Sarah Male, taking up the role of turtle advocate. So that might suggest her bowel is patent [working]. Vogelnest seems less certain. These injuries, he begins, then says nothing for a moment. The thing is that you want so badly to save them. Especially ones like this suffering as the direct result of human activity. You feel an obligation to do absolutely everything you can. For those familiar with Taronga, the new vet hospital will be built on the site of the current reptile house. The reptiles and amphibians including that komodo dragon who lies on his rock assessing you as if you might be a delicious, albeit unusually tall, goat will move to a new enclosure down by the gorillas, and the site thus freed up for the hospital is stunningly beautiful. From the plans, it looks like the building will be beautiful, too: lots of Opera House curves and glass and textured walls. A baby ringtail possum. Credit: Tim Bauer However, the thing really worth looking at might not be the view or the architectural detailing, but a new, real-life animal hospital drama, tentatively entitled Real Vets in Action or Larry Tries to Save a Turtle, or even Jess Sedates a Rat. The day-to-day work of the vets, in other words, is about to be revealed to the public via huge glass viewing windows. There will be some restrictions the post-mortems of large animals, for instance but generally, all of the vets will be on show, all of the time. Loading We did some market research about what people want to see at zoos, explains Nick Boyle, and at the very top of the list was that they wanted to see what vets do. Consequently, almost all of the ground floor three new treatment rooms, a clinical pathology lab, a nutrition lab and a dedicated CT scanning room (no more roasting trips in the minivan) will be viewable to the outside world. Im sure Taronga CEO Cameron Kerr will watch the zoos rock stars receive their medical care dental treatment for Satu the Sumatran tiger, heart checks for Samaki the chimp with real attention. But Im also sure that what he really wants to see is not a puma on the treatment table, but a potoroo. Australian native animals are our animals, he tells me as we stand on the site of the new hospital. Theyre secretive, theyre small but theyre as extraordinary as anything on earth, and it is uniquely our responsibility to care for them. And yet, as a nation, we have very little understanding of them. Kerr is a slim, quietly spoken figure. Since taking over as CEO in 2009, he has pushed himself and his team to articulate a vision of wholesale conservation and preservation that occasionally seems to surprise even him. Today, Taronga funds a wildlife crime analyst in Malaysia; maintains the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health (one of only two registries of wildlife disease in the world); and oversees teams working from the Pacific islands to the western Congo to protect animal habitat, care for remnant wild populations, and set up sanctuaries for local species. Vogelnest tends to a koala, in a type of scene the public will soon be able to witness. Credit:Tim Bauer When it comes to our own indigenous creatures, Kerr believes we need to radically improve our knowledge, investment and care. We should be ashamed, he says unexpectedly. For so long, weve had no idea whats going on with our own animals. Take the platypus, for instance: an iconic animal in this country, yet we know hardly anything about it. And then, during the horrible drought in NSW, we began getting them delivered to us from dried-up riverbeds. And they kept coming and coming, and we just didnt have enough facilities to care for them. It was like a casualty department with ramping he looks horrified and shamefully, we could not take in all the animals that needed our help. We just did not have the capacity to care for them in that crisis. He pauses. I never want to be in that position again. Then came the koalas. We thought we knew a bit about them; we thought things were fine. And now we realise things are terrible, numbers are crashing, theyre in real danger. The fires showed us that nobody knew how to help. Not the ordinary people stripping off their blouses to try to save burnt animals, and not the vets either. As if such individual tragedies arent bad enough, we are now dealing with the aftermath of a universal catastrophe: the 2019-20 bushfires. The fires showed us that nobody knew how to help, says Kerr. Not the ordinary people, stripping off their blouses to try to save burnt animals and not the vets or the vet nurses, either. More than three billion animals were killed or displaced in those bushfires, and the thought that some of them might have been saved but werent preoccupies Kerr. We have more than 70 vets in NSW alone whove put their hands up and said, If I was brought wildlife in a crisis, I would be happy to treat it free of charge. But I dont have the skills. So we need centres of excellence literally teaching hospitals specialising in wildlife, so we can train up vets and vet nurses around the nation. Taronga has already begun this process: a free online course about wildlife first aid, developed in 2020 in just a fortnight for frontline fire workers, has been downloaded almost 5000 times and used in Greece, Turkey and California as well as Australia; the vet centre also runs a longer course, with some 400 current students, about the triage, first aid, treatment and care of wild Australian species. I attend one of these courses and talk to vets from Margaret River, Brisbane and Melbourne: several mention that its the only one they could find focused on wildlife. The new hospitals, says Kerr, will allow more training, of more people, more often. Theyre going to change the capacity of this nation. Vogelnest treats koalas rescued from bushfire zones in Monaro, NSW. Not only vets need training and if that means Vogelnest needs to wear a Madonna headset to explain what hes doing for Tarongas two million annual visitors, hes ready. Imagine having that poor turtle on the table with the microphone right there, he says. We can talk about fishing line to people watching outside, and they can see what its done to the animal people who might be going fishing that same weekend. Thats a powerful thing. Taronga currently saves some 80 turtles a year, which is a pretty good record almost two a week. In the new hospital, they expect to save far more. They did not save this one. After we return from SASH, Vogelnest operates on the turtle with the slashed flipper and quiet eyes for more than two hours. The PR sends me updates: They made an incision by one of the flippers on the underside of the turtle and were able to get access to the intestines they were able to remove chunks of fishing line but cant find where the top part is stuck Theyve gone in with an endoscope, too, but cant see anything. The next morning, another message arrives: Im really sorry to say the turtle had to be euthanised last night. Loading It was terrible, says Vogelnest when I see him next. We got rid of some of the line, but we could see from the CT the intestine was plicated [crumpled], and as we crept forward, the access got more and more difficult, and we got to the point we realised this was not something we were going to be able to fix. He sighs. Those animals what they have to go through to survive a few years. Most of them dont even make it off the beach after hatching, theyre grabbed by seagulls and sharks and god knows what. And then they suffer at every point from human activity: with line, with boat strikes, with plastic bags they think are jellyfish, with loss of habitat and nesting grounds. So for that female to make it that far nearly to breeding age and never have the chance to reproduce, its just devastating. Could he have saved her if the team had already been in the new hospital? I dont think so although, I shouldnt say that. If we had human-level laparoscopic equipment, maybe we could have removed the piece of damaged intestine and re-sewn it. But as it is, we dont have that kind of equipment or expertise. Jars filled with plastic waste that killed wild animals. Credit:Tim Bauer Its clear Vogelnest feels the loss of the turtle deeply; its also clear hes moved on to the next animal needing his care. Later in the day, I visit Libby Hall, who has already collected the fishing line from our turtles fin and intestine, and put it in a small yellow-lidded container, which joins endless other small yellow-lidded containers all over her office. I find it profoundly depressing each container represents an animal killed by something man has lost, or dropped, or simply thrown away yet neither she nor Vogelnest seem depressed by it. Or not to the point of inaction which, after all, is what matters. Loading If zoos today are modern-day arks, and their mission is to save both individual animals and entire species, we must have people to steer the ships: people who will not give up, even in the face of overwhelming odds. And we must give them the very best tools: CT scanners and state-of-the-art veterinary hospitals and many, many toilets. But we must also remember that it is the people themselves who do the saving. Were the only species on earth to have caused the mass extinction of other species, as completely as the asteroid ended the age of the dinosaurs. But were also the only species that can save a species. Before I leave Taronga, the same day I learn of the turtles death, I go over to the ICU, where Hall is now organising food for her patients. Can the new hospital really make a difference, I ask her. Will it be worth it? Itll be great, says Hall. Although, she grins: You have to watch these architects. Theyre forever putting a desk or a pot plant where youre going to be hosing poo away. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. Melbournes city council will for the first time query its approach to Australia Day on January 26, with Lord Mayor Sally Capp open to the idea of the council becoming involved in the movement to change the date. On Friday afternoon, the council posted to its website a request from Capp to City of Melbourne management to review its approach to January 26, including events, communications and community engagement. The councils bureaucrats have also been ordered to identify alternative options for council consideration. Invasion Day protesters in Melbourne on January 26 last year. Credit:Justin McManus Capp acknowledged that many people found the January 26 celebrations divisive and said the council was seeking ways to create unity in celebrating what it means to be Australian. As a council, we are working to advance reconciliation and strengthen ties between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people for the benefit of all Australians, Capp told The Age. The blob-tracking technology of gaming phenomenon Fortnite will combine with Indigenous knowledge in Melbourne to create what is believed to be a world first for museums in immersive First Peoples storytelling. Melbourne Museums new exhibition Tyama (pronounced Chah-muh) will enable audiences to activate and control large-scale multimedia projections revealing stories about Victorias nocturnal worlds. A scene from Tyama. Credit:Chris Hopkins Keerray Woorroong woman Dr Vicki Couzens, who collaborated on the project, said the exhibition would give visitors a chance to experience Indigenous ways of seeing, being and doing. The key suspect was underworld boss and convicted murderer George Marrogi. A day after the drive-bys, he murdered a man in an Officeworks carpark a crime for which he is serving a 32-year sentence. Marrogi was and remains a subject of state and federal police scrutiny, a purported major organised crime figure accused of running a drug empire from jail. Ofli knew enough of this to refuse a police request to be interviewed as a victim of the drive-bys. He feared retribution. But after police searched Oflis house looking for CCTV of the attacks, they found a small amount of the drug ice and arrested him for minor possession offences. Ofli has a relatively minor criminal record, including for possession. Senior Mongol bikie and jailed killer George Marrogi. What happened next is heavily disputed. Ofli says, having declined to give a statement about who was responsible for the drive-bys, he said little else, making it clear he feared the consequences if he co-operated with authorities. A short time later a policeman, without Oflis knowledge, created a confidential police document. It was headed offender debrief and described Ofli as an untested source whose information may be disseminated to other law enforcement and government regulatory bodies. An explosive document The document invites a perception that Ofli is a one-time informal police informer, a proposition he denies and fears could be tantamount to a death sentence in the underworld. It described how Ofli had talked openly in regards to Marrogis involvement in the drive-by shootings at his property and suggested the motive was that Ofli had called Marrogis brother a goose. According to the police file, Ofli had sent Marrogi a text message asking for $50,000 in return for not reporting the violent attack on his house. The debrief file also recorded that Ofli claimed George Marrogi was driving [a] silver Ford XR6 and that he believed firearms or drugs would be stored in the vehicle. When queried in regards to Marrogis possible drug use, Ofli stated that he [Marrogi] used to sell it but that he never used it, stating that hes mad enough without using any drugs. The document also states that Ofli briefly discussed the activities of two other underworld identities, a man who carried a pistol and a female drug dealer. Ofli denies he was at any point a police informer. The risks of letting the underworld believe a person is informing to police was highlighted by the 2004 murder of a formally registered informer, Terence Hodson. He was killed after his informer files were leaked to the underworld. A more recent scandal, the Lawyer X affair, involved the police failing to tell suspects in court cases that some of the evidence detectives had gained may have been derived after the accuseds own lawyer, Nicola Gobbo, had been turned into a secret registered police informer. Terence Hodson and his wife Christine in 2000. They were murdered in their Kew home in May 2004. Credit:Penny Stephens Both scandals led to sweeping reforms. Police now must subject a formally registered informer to an exhaustive process of vetting and identity obfuscation, while at the same time disclose extensive information about police activities to accused parties in trials. Multiple policing sources have confirmed to The Age that the reforms have drastically reduced the forces ability to quickly recruit and effectively manage human sources. They have also led to over-disclosure of police information to defence lawyers, police say. Its killing our ability to investigate serious crime, says one long-time organised crime investigator. It appears that because Ofli was not as he is at pains to repeat to anyone who asks a registered informer, he was subjected to far fewer handle with care precautions when his offender debrief file was first created without his knowledge. Then, some time over the past five years, police disclosed the file to Marrogis lawyers during a period in which the accused underworld boss faced three aborted murder trials. Disgraced barrister Nicola Gobbo. Credit:ABC If that got out ... Police have refused to explain to The Age why they did not redact Oflis name and identifying features from the file, as is commonly done when sensitive documents must be handed over in a court case. Instead, the force released a statement that stressed it does everything possible to comply with its disclosure obligations to the court and takes extremely seriously the requirement to carefully assess any public interest considerations and individual safety risks. Two senior former police who handled the Hodson affair and a senior official from the Lawyer X Royal Commission all reacted with shock when told of the failure to redact Oflis name from the file that was given to Marrogis lawyers in court. Loading One questioned whether the police belief that Ofli is himself part of the underworld may have informed, even subconsciously, their handling of the file. But, even criminals have rights, one senior investigator said. The consequence of this failure is clear. Over the past few years, the police file has circulated in the underworld after being located in Marrogis cell. Along the way, its been falsified to make it appear that Ofli has given police far more damning information about Marrogi and other organised criminals across the country. In September 2018, Ofli received the first of many phone calls accusing him of being a dog, and warning that all of Australia will soon have the paperwork. The threats, he says, havent stopped. Recently, he received a covert tape recording that captured a detective claiming police had sought to quarantine the file and telling an enemy of Ofli: I know you have copies. But if that got out in the community, Engin would be dead. The man responded by telling the policeman it is already out in the community. In response to the threats, Ofli has launched a paper war of attrition against police, writing complaints to Victorias information commissioner and to the police watchdog, IBAC. On December 17, 2020, police secretly paid Ofli $50,000 to settle a complaint that their negligence had placed a target on his head. Ofli was threatening to take them to court, which would have led to public scrutiny. The settlement payment means police do not have to admit liability or wrongdoing and Ofli cant talk about it. In response to questions from The Age, a police spokesman said in a statement: it is clearly not Victoria Polices intent for court ordered documents to be circulated beyond the intended group, or for materials to be falsified by third parties. Werner Reich was born in Berlin on October 1, 1927. His mother, Elly (Dux) Reich, was awarded the Iron Cross for her work as a nurse for Germany on the Eastern Front in World War I. His father, Wilhelm, was an engineer. The Reichs comfortable life was shattered in 1933 when the Nazis came to power and Wilhelm Reich was forced out of his job as an engineer because he was Jewish. They fled to Yugoslavia, where Wilhelm died of natural causes in Zagreb in 1940. When the Nazis invaded the country in 1941, Reichs mother sent him and his sister, Renate, into hiding with different families. Reich lived for about two years with a couple who were part of the resistance movement, until Gestapo agents arrested him. So began his life as a prisoner, including in a police station in Graz, Austria, where he looked out a window and spotted his mother in the prison yard. It was the last time he saw her before she was presumably murdered. At the Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic, one of his jobs was to exterminate vermin with the cyanide-based pesticide Zyklon B, which the Germans used in gas chambers. At Auschwitz, when he and other prisoners ran naked past Dr Josef Mengele, who would decide who was fit enough to work and who went to the gas chambers, they tried to appear robust enough to avoid being selected for death. We were running for our lives, Reich told The New York Times in a 2017 profile. We tried to look bigger, stronger. Wed smile, do anything under the sun to look for work. He survived Auschwitz, the death march in frigid conditions (frostbite led to the amputation of parts of the toes on his right foot) and a final few months of imprisonment in Mauthausen before US troops liberated the camp on May 5, 1945. He was 17. He weighed 29 kilograms. Reich returned to Yugoslavia and, after two years, fled to England, where he became a tool and diemaker and met his future wife, Eva Schiff. She was among the 669 Czech children, mostly Jews, who were rescued before the outbreak of World War II in 1939 by Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker, who used bribes, forgery and secret contacts with the Gestapo to bring the children to Britain by train and boat. He and Schiff married in England and emigrated to the US in 1955. After earning a bachelors degree at the City College of New York, he worked as an engineer at Nabisco and the Hills supermarket chain. Over the last 25 years, Reich spoke to schools, synagogues and other groups about his Holocaust experience. To students, he delivered an anti-bullying message. Loading He said good people did nothing, whether a friend or a country, David Reich said of his father in a phone interview. He said if you see someone bullied, stick up for them. Do something. In addition to David, Reich is survived by another son, Mikal, and four grandchildren. His wife died in 2016. His sister, Renate Romano, survived the Holocaust, immigrated to the US in 1948, and died in 1999. Levins card trick stayed with Reich the rest of his life. We loved anything that could take us away from Auschwitz for even a moment, that could take our minds off our memories and the horror around us, he said in the 2017 interview. In England, he immersed himself in magic. He bought a deck of cards, then some magic tricks and books, and still more tricks and books. Barbed wire in the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2005. Credit:AP Theres a very, very thin line between a hobby and insanity, he joked during his TEDx Talk. Reich never saw Levin after Auschwitz and did not know that he had also emigrated to the US, resumed his magic career and lived in Rego Park, Queens. Levin died in 1977, but Reich did not learn of the death until nearly 30 years later, when he read an article in The Linking Ring, the monthly magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, to which Reich belonged. Loading The Reverend William V. Rauscher, a retired Episcopal rector and magician, wrote the article and later collaborated with Reich on his autobiography, The Death Camp Magicians (2015), which also told Levins story. He was a fairly good magician, Rauscher said of Reich in a phone interview. Hed visit me, pull out some cards and coins and do tricks on the coffee table. He added, Other magicians thought he was fascinating because of his connection to Nivelli. Reich never forgot Levin, nor the gift of a simple card trick that provided a frightened boy with a momentary escape and a touch of humanity. A Perth Judge has put off the sentencing of a teenager who was involved in a plot to stab and kill her teacher due to concerns that Banksia Hill, Western Australias only youth detention facility, was in a state of crisis. The Willetton Senior High School student, who was 13 at the time of offending, appeared in Perth Childrens Court on Friday afternoon to be sentenced for intending to cause bodily harm to her Year 8 coordinator. The Willetton Senior High School student meant to be sentenced on Friday, but was instead remanded in custody. Credit:Holly Thompson But after hearing the facts, Judge Hylton Quail said he could not be certain the girl would have access to proper education, sport and recreation and a chance at rehabilitation should he decide to sentence her to a term of imprisonment. Banksia Hill has been a major source of controversy for the WA government this year as staffing woes resulted in detainees being held in their cells for extended periods of time. The head of the powerful Health Services Union (HSU) has trashed a union-led push to enshrine the right to work from home in enterprise agreements, saying it would damage the mental health of Australians and the economy, and discourage vaccination efforts. HSU national president Gerard Hayes sided with Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses stance that working from home was a decision for employers. HSU national president Gerard Hayes says a broad push to work from home risks the economy and peoples mental health. Credit:Edwina Pickles Hayes said the best health measure would be pushing for full vaccination to stop the seriously ill overwhelming the health system as opposed to just focusing on what some employers are saying is, lets all just go home. Weve embarked on this path, and we should be able to walk and chew gum, he said. Colombo: Sri Lankan security forces raided an anti-government protest camp in the commercial capital Colombo early on Friday, two protest organisers said, a sign that the countrys new president was cracking down a day after his swearing in. Media footage showed soldiers in riot gear and armed with assault rifles tearing down the camp, set up in April by protesters enraged with the countrys economic collapse that has caused severe shortages of fuel, food and medicines. A joint operation involving the military, police and police special forces was launched in the early hours to recover the presidential secretariat from the protesters as they have no legal right to hold it, police spokesperson Nalin Thalduwa said. Nine people, including two injured, have been arrested. And as Australians have returned to the Indonesian getaway in increasing numbers - there were 128,421 arrivals from Australia to Denpasar in June alone the worry is that a tourist could inadvertently take the disease home on their shoes or other items such as animal products, dealing a potential $80 billion blow to the economy. In Bali, as with the rest of Indonesia, authorities are aiming to stem the tide with a vaccination rollout rather than the mass culling that the United Kingdom undertook in 2001, where 6.5 million cows, sheep and pigs were slaughtered to combat a devastating outbreak there. A livestock truck being sprayed with disinfectant at Lembar port, West Lombok, in the province directly east of Bali. The provincial government reacted to the detection of foot and mouth on the island on July 1 by closing animal markets temporarily and restricting the transportation of cattle and other livestock between local government regencies. No animals or products susceptible to the disease from other provinces were being allowed into Bali either because of its status as this years G20 host, according to Professor Wiku Adisasmito, the spokesman for Indonesias newly formed foot and mouth taskforce. But amid a shortage of vaccines and personnel to administer them to Indonesias 18 million cattle and other livestock Australias northern neighbour faces a momentous challenge in getting the disease under control. The Indonesian and Bali government understand the need to revive tourism. They will do their best to try to tackle the outbreak but it wont be easy, said Wilantara, the hobby farmer and hotel owner in Kuta, whose 10 cattle were vaccinated soon after news broke that the virus had made it to Bali. In the culture here, how people in rural Bali keep cows next to their homes, it would be impossible to disinfect or keep their [farming] gear separate from their daily activities. It is simply not practical. For example, with the livestock lockdown and closing of the livestock market, there would be no way the local government can keep an eye on the individual sales, the individual slaughter and transactions between private owners. We dont have big farms with thousands of livestock. Many individuals own just one cow. Beringkit livestock market, the largest in Bali, has been closed during the foot and mouth outbreak. Credit:Amilia Rosa The bid to eradicate the disease in Bali has also been complicated by issues over the compensation being offered to farmers for slaughtering infected animals. Indonesia is undertaking conditional slaughtering rather than the UK approach because, like most developing countries, it is not in a position to compensate owners for their herds being wiped out. It means that infected animals are destroyed if there are only a few with foot and mouth in a particular location while others receive medication. As of Friday, 4649 have been put down across the country. Indonesia announced that farmers would be paid 10 million rupiah ($962) for each head of cattle slaughtered, but in Bali, farmers have reportedly held off having animals killed until they are sure they will get the money. Northern Bali farmer Kadek Ardika with the infected cow he is trying to have slaughtered. In Gerokgak, in northern Bali, livestock owner Kadek Ardika believed his 10 cattle were the first in his area to become infected, he suspected, from a young cow he bought from Celukan Bawang, where the main port in northern Bali is located. All 10 got sick and they have all recovered but one of them, he said. Its about eight months old now and its neck is not healing, its crooked. It was scheduled to be slaughtered today but when the men came they said it was too young and refused to do it. Its alive, its eating and drinking, but I am still trying to get it slaughtered, that way I can get some compensation for it. I heard the compensation may be paid in October. Im not sure if its true or not, but they said we will get it this year. In the same village, I Putu Wibawa operates a farming group with 20 members. They sold most of the few dozen cattle they owned to buyers in Jakarta in late June when Bali was still free of foot and mouth. Passengers arriving from Denpasar, in Bali on Thursday. Australia is worried a major outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Indonesia could spread here. Credit:Peter Rae The groups remaining two cows are healthy but with no help from the government, he said. We bought the medicine [to treat foot and mouth] ourselves. We disinfected our cows with our own money, he said. They knew there was an outbreak, they could have anticipated it and helped us with vaccines, medicine and disinfectants. If my cows were sick I would just take them to the slaughterhouse myself and try my luck there. As farmers seek financial relief, butchers in northern Bali were called in for a meeting with government representatives at a slaughterhouse this week and told to negotiate with cattle owners on prices for the meat from sick animals. Loading Meat from cattle with foot and mouth which is safe for humans to eat - is still permitted to be sold and processed on the island as long as it is cooked at a temperature of at least 70 degrees. The head, feet, internal organs and skin are not to be sold and must be buried or boiled for at least 30 minutes, according to a local government directive. Containers carrying the meat must also be soaked in detergent, bleach or vinegar. The highest price is 8 million rupiah but it is up to us to negotiate the prices according to the cows condition and size, said Haji Amir Mahfud, a butcher from Buleleng who was at the meeting. There is at least one theory as to how foot and mouth made its way into Indonesia. Local news outlet Kompas reported last week that the illegal purchase of 14 goats from Thailand by a trader in Wonosobo, Central Java, in February was believed to be the source of the virus re-entry. The goats were transferred by boats from Thailand, where foot and mouth is endemic, to the Indonesian province of Aceh and onto Sumatra and Java, according to the report. That has not been confirmed by the government of President Joko Widodo, whose Agriculture Ministry has said it is still investigating the origin of the outbreak. Vaccinated cattle at Made Purba Wilantaras farm at Kubu Anyar village in Kuta. Credit:Amilia Rosa For now, it has its hands very full trying to stamp it out. Leading the task is former military commander, Major General Suharyanto, who heads Indonesias National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and has also been fronting the countrys COVID taskforce. Now the chief of the foot and mouth response team, he met with Agriculture Minister Murray Watt in Jakarta last week and has assured Australia it should not be worried because Indonesia is seriously handling the disease. Loading He told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Indonesia hoped to reduce infections significantly over the next six months and had introduced biosecurity rules including the spraying of carpet at the entrances of airports with disinfectant and of vehicles travelling in and out of farms. At Denpasars Ngurah Rai Airport, however, there has been no change to protocols, according to general manager Hendy Heryudhitiawan. Until now, we have not or have not received additional protocol requests for preventing the spread of FMD, he said. Professor Peter Windsor, an expert in foot and mouth control at the University of Sydney who worked closely with the Philippines on its fight against the disease, is just back from Java and says a lack of public awareness in Indonesia is concerning. There are more posters about foot and mouth disease arriving in Sydney, at the airport, than there are in all of Indonesia at the moment, he said. He believes the scale of the problem in Indonesia is immense, and it could go on for years. Resources at the ground level are inadequate because they arent used to dealing with the level of biosecurity thats required to stop the disease spreading, he said. From what Ive gathered from talking to many people, theyre overwhelmed. Theyre not on top of it. Theyre actually a long way from it. Latest News Asset finance applications tumble But business loan demand up, says credit bureau Reserve Bank announces two key appointments One becomes head of international department, the other of the financial stability department National Australia Bank has announced changes to its NAB Tailored Home Loan offered through the broker channel, which are aimed at providing greater transparency for brokers. NAB customers will also be able to access better rates with large deposits or more equity in their property. Available from July 25, the refreshed tailored home loan introduces four new LVR pricing tiers for new standalone tailored home loans. NAB executive of broker distribution for NAB and Advantedge Phil Waugh (pictured) said NAB was excited to be able to offer more competitive rates to customers with lower LVRs through its tailored home loan. These can be used for owner-occupier and investor lending as well as construction, Waugh said. The tiered LVR offering through our tailored home loans builds on NABs commitment to bringing clarity, transparency and simplicity to home lending and makes it easier for brokers to support customers in achieving their homeownership dreams. The refreshed product focuses on lower fees for customers, which we know is important in the current market. Read more: SMEs are crying out for more workers NAB Four new LVR tiers will apply to any new standalone tailored home loan: Tier 1 60% or less Tier 2 60.01-70% Tier 3 70.01-80% Tier 4 80.01% or more Waugh said the four LVR tiers would be associated with each fixed-rate term for fixed-rate home loans. For example, a one-year fixed rate home loan will now have four tiers, as will the second and third-year terms, he said. Other features of the tailored home loan include access to a 100% offset account on variable loans and fee-free redraw of $500 or more on variable loans. Waugh said in addition to the existing features of no annual fee and a simple monthly fee of $8 per loan, NAB had also permanently removed the application fee, saving its customers $600 when they applied for their loan. Brokers can work with their customers to calculate their LVR before submitting a request through NABs Instant Pricing Tool, with the tiered rates available in both aggregator software and on the NAB Broker website, he said. Rates available for each type of loan will be more transparent and brokers will have the flexibility to choose between fixed and variable rate options, or to split their loan into portions. Read more: Aussies patient when it comes to homeownership NAB survey Waugh said NAB was the bank behind the broker. At NAB, we are committed to making it easier, simpler and faster to access our home loans products in this active, dynamic and resilient property market, he said. has offered to compensate affected by the government's decision to evict from staff colonies in Delhi and Mumbai. Employee unions have moved the to challenge the proposed eviction of personnel from staff colonies in Mumbai. The unions argue that the airlines letter asking to vacate office accommodation by July 26 amounts to a change in service terms. This, they said, is a violation of the Industrial Disputes Act. The company has offered reimbursement of expenses such as movement of household goods within 100 kilometers, brokerage for rent of up to one month with a maximum limit of Rs 30,000, expenses incurred towards admission of the affected staffs children in school of up to Rs 50,000 per child and reimbursements of hotel of stay of two nights by the family who is vacating the staff accommodation up to Rs 5,000. However, the compensation offer has found little support from employees who will be affected by the eviction. It is completely irresponsible and illegal on part of management to issue such a letter when the matter is being heard in court. The management is using all kinds of pressure tactics to force people to leave the colony, said George Abraham of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild. The government had asked employees of Air India, the former state carrier now owned by Tata Sons, to vacate the company-provided accommodations by July 26. The government's eviction notice had also warned that failure to vacate the accommodation will result in loss of retirement or service benefits and any other financial benefits. Further, you shall also be liable for action under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act 1971 and shall also be liable for strict disciplinary action as per the service regulation, it says. has two major housing colonies: at Vasant Vihar in Delhi and at Kalina in Mumbai. Almost 1,800 employees reside in the two places. Air India's real estate, including the housing colonies, were not part of the privatisation process and were transferred to a Special Purpose Vehicle-- Asset Holdings Limited (AIAHL). AIAHL plans to sell the properties to pay the debt it took over from Air Indias books in order to make the sale attractive. Air India had a total debt of Rs 61,562 crore as of August 31, 2021. Of this, the Tata Group took over Rs 15,300 crore and the remaining 75 per cent, or about Rs 46,000, was transferred to AIAHL. In October 2021, prior to the completion of Air Indias privatisation process, the airline had sought an undertaking from 1,600 employees residing in the Kalina and Vasant Vihar quarters that they would vacate the premises within six months of Air India's sale to the Tatas. The adage necessity is the mother of invention fits well for brand Amul, which is owned and marketed by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). During the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown, which lasted for several months from March 2020, the leading dairy cooperative brand ensured seamless supply of milk and milk products across its markets. At a time when other and beverage (F&B) brands took a hit during the lockdown, was on a product-launching spree. From immunity boosting milk in variants of turmeric, ginger and tulsi to Indian sweets like mohanthal, barfi, kaju katli and laddoo, made the most of the by launching around 33 products and variants then. Till date, has launched more than 100 products across dairy and non-dairy categories since Covid. The latest one is frozen french-fries produced by its member dairy Banass newly-commissioned potato processing plant. The dairy major is transforming into a full-fledged F&B and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) player. Amul launched a litany of diversified products such as flour, edible oils, bakery products, carbonated drinks, high protein beverages, chocolates, potato-based products, dairy-based frozen snacks, honey and even peanut spreads. Yet, for Amul, this is not a deviation from its core strengths, rather building on them. Primarily, most of the new product launches are milk based but to help double the income of our farmer members, non-dairy products have also been launched. They include honey, atta (flour), and potato-based products, among other things, said Jayen Mehta, chief operating officer (COO), Amul. According to Mehta, Amul is expanding its horizons into non-milk-based categories keeping its focus on doubling the income of the federations 3.6 million farmers. It procures around 28 million litres of milk per day from them. Keeping the milk business as the backbone, other categories are being inducted to help our own farmer members. Thus, we are heading towards becoming a well-rounded food and beverage company. The brand connection becomes stronger, both with the producer as well as the consumer, Mehta added. A dairy farmer member of Amul is encouraged to engage in as many ancillary farming activities with the assurance of Amuls brand and market. As such, Amul has a strong base of 3.6 million milk producers across 18,600 villages of Gujarat. These people are members of its dairy cooperatives. According to managing director (MD) R S Sodhi, the only expedited the dairy majors move to build its product portfolio in dairy and non-dairy packaged products. During the lockdown, consumers have been opting for packed foods and went for trustworthy brands. With all the launches, be it immunity-boosting milk variants or bakery products, we have stuck to our core values of offering quality and affordable products. Of course, milk continues to be our main focus, Sodhi had told Business Standard earlier. Amul has gone on to add roughly 20 new manufacturing plants. Total number of plants, pan Indian, now stands at 94. Its product-launching spree is set to continue even as Amul looks to add organic agriculture produce in more staples like atta, rice and pulses. It would also roll out high-protein products like protein shakes, protein water, protein chocolate, protein ice-cream and protein yogurt in the next few months. Also on cards are more milk packing plants across India to cater to the growing milk demand. Around 8-10 milk packaging stations of at least 100,000 units capacity each are getting added each year. The month-end will see Prime Minister launch GCMMFs latest expanded cheese production facility at Sabar Dairy. Elsewhere, Amul is putting up a new milk powder plant, UHT plant and five new ice-cream plants in the near future. Typically, Amul incurs a capital expenditure (capex) of Rs 800-1,000 crore annually for capacity expansion. The expansion plan is also being executed at the distribution level with Amul adding more distributors in towns less than 10,000 population. It is expanding its branch network to more than 78 branches across the country. We have also expanded our Amul parlour network to over 10,000 now. Amul distribution network and supply chain worked in an uninterrupted manner during the pandemic and that has made our business more lucrative, said Mehta. It is on the back of this expansion in terms of product portfolio manufacturing capacity and distribution that Amul is pegging a turnover of Rs 55,000 crore for FY23, up from Rs 46,481 crore in FY22. In a significant order, the has recognised as a well-known mark and issued substantive directions to curb bad actors engaging in fraudulent activities by registering dummy websites. SoftBank-backed said the court has directed domain name registrars to ensure that no other such fake website with the well-known mark Meesho is registered using their services. The order was issued in response to a suit filed by Fashnear Technologies Private Limited (Meesho) asking for a permanent injunction on rogue websites that were using Meeshos trademarks and/or copyright to defraud and dupe unsuspecting and gullible members of the general public. said the John Doe order is a substantial step towards curbing online and further safeguarding the interests and security of the customers. John Doe orders or Ashok Kumar orders are ex parte injunctions against unknown or anonymous offenders, and are used to safeguard the creator's intellectual property rights. The order states that infringing websites identified by Meesho to be blocked/suspended by all concerned Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) within 48 hours. The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have been directed to issue a blocking order for such infringing domain names. Further DNRs and ISPs are to ensure no other fake website/domain containing Meesho is registered and various banks are directed to immediately freeze accounts associated with impugned domains. In June this year, a similar order was issued by the in favour of Amazon Seller Services and its other restricting rogue websites using the Amazon and logo. It also restricted them from any deceptive variant which is identical to the original mark, noting that the activities of these sites are leading to financial loss to the innocent public. The high court said it was of the view that the plaintiffs, Amazon Seller Services Private Limited and its other have made out a prima facie case for grant of ex parte ad-interim injunction. The high court restrained rogue websites, its Facebook page by the name of 'Amazon Franchise,' their owners and all others acting on their behalf or anyone from using the mark 'Amazon', 'Amazon.in'. It restrained them from any deceptive variants which are similar to the plaintiffs' Amazon marks, in any manner, amounting to infringement of its trademarks, till the next date of hearing. Domino's Pizza India franchise will consider taking some of its business away from popular food delivery apps, and SoftBank-backed Swiggy, if their commissions rise further, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The disclosure was made by Jubilant FoodWorks, which runs the Domino's and Dunkin' Donuts chain in India, in a confidential filing with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) which is investigating alleged anti-competitive practices of and . Jubilant is India's largest food services company, with more than 1,600 branded restaurant outlets including 1,567 Domino's and 28 Dunkin outlets. The CCI ordered in April its probe into and after an Indian restaurant group alleged preferential treatment, exorbitant commissions and other anti-competitive practices. The food delivery apps deny any wrongdoing. After the CCI sought responses from Domino's India franchise and several other restaurants as part of its investigation, Jubilant sought more time to share data related to its online sales, but wrote to the watchdog expressing concerns over potentially higher commission of food-ordering platforms. "In case of an increase in commission rates, Jubilant will consider shifting more of its businesses from online restaurant platforms to the in-house ordering system," the company stated in its July 19 letter addressed to the CCI. Jubilant FoodWorks declined to comment, while the CCI and did not respond. Zomato, which is backed by China's Ant Group, said it had no plans in the pipeline to increase restaurant partner commissions at the top end. "No commercial decisions are unilaterally taken that may adversely impact our stakeholders." With the rising use of smartphones and attractive discounts on offer, food delivery platforms have become increasingly popular in India. Jubilant in February said Domino's app was installed 8.2 million times during the quarter to December 2021, and its "own app sales continued to grow faster than the aggregators". Jubilant's warning comes as Zomato and Swiggy face accusations by many restaurants in India that their alleged practices hurt their business. The CCI case was sparked by a complaint from the National Restaurant Association of India, which has more than 500,000 members, and alleges that commissions charged by Zomato and Swiggy in the 20% to 30% range were "unviable". A senior industry executive with direct knowledge said that Zomato's and Swiggy's commissions were a concern for Domino's and many other restaurants. "If commissions are increased further, they will lead to profit squeeze of businesses and will simply be passed on to consumers," said the executive, who declined to be named. Before the investigation was announced, Zomato told the CCI it negotiates and charges commissions from restaurants but they had no bearing on how listings appear on its app. Swiggy stated that its commissions were determined by factors such as a restaurant's popularity or the volume of orders, according to the watchdog's initial order. (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.) Olectra Greentech Ltd (OLECTRA) will supply 300 worth Rs 500 crore to State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC). The Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) group company, Evey Trans Private Ltd (EVEY), has received the Letter of Award (LoA) from TSRTC for supply of 300 to TSRTC, a statement said. According to the statement, the value of this order is approximately Rs 500 crore. EVEY shall procure these buses from Olectra Greentech Ltd, which shall be delivered over a period of 20 months. The order is to supply 300 under the FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) scheme of the government of India. These 300 e-buses will be supplied on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC)/OPEX model basis for 12 years. During the contract period, Olectra will undertake the maintenance of these buses. This transaction between OLECTRA and EVEY is to be considered related-party transactions and shall be on an arm's length basis. K V Pradeep, Chairman and Managing Director, Olectra Greentech Ltd, said, "We feel happy to receive another prestigious order. We are proud to serve the citizens with our state-of-the-art zero-emission buses. Our buses have already been serving in Hyderabad for the last three years and are successfully transferring the passengers to the airport. We will deliver the buses as per the schedule and will give the best commuting experience." Currently, EVEY and Olectra Greentech Ltd are operating electric buses in various State Transport Undertakings (STU) in the country, such as Pune (PMPML), Mumbai (BEST), Goa, Deharadun, Surat, Ahmedabad, Silvasa, and Nagpur. These 12-metre, low-floor, non-AC buses have a seating capacity of 35+wheel chair+D (Driver). The electronically-controlled air suspension ensures a comfortable ride. The buses are equipped with CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of the commuters, an emergency button and USB sockets for each seat. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery installed in the bus enables it to travel around 200 kilometres on a single charge at 80 per cent, based on traffic and passenger load conditions. The technologically advanced bus has a regenerative braking system which allows the bus to recover part of the kinetic energy lost in braking. The high-power DC charging system enables the battery to charge in less than 5 hours. Olectra Greentech was established in 2000 and pioneered the introduction of electric buses in India in 2015. It is also the largest manufacturer in India for silicone rubber/composite insulators for power transmission and distribution networks. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- In its effort to strengthen India's regional connectivity, Star Air, the vertical of Sanjay Ghodawat Group, announced the regional carrier has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for two Embraer E175 aircrafts with Nordic Capital (NAC), one of the largest Regional Aircraft Lessors in the world. The same was announced during a press event organized by Embraer at the Farnborough International Airshow, UK, in presence of senior officials from Embraer and Star Air. With unparalleled potential, India's regional sectors are one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Star Air is striving to establish a fleet of Embraer aircrafts that will improve regional connectivity. Offering the right capacity at affordable fares, Star Air pledges to support the growing demand across India as the airline prepares for the Ministry of Civil Aviation's plans to build 100 airports. Eager to welcome the E175 to the Indian skies, the E175 has no middle seats and provides best-in-class legroom with comfortable seating arrangement. With a flying range of 2,200 nautical miles, Star Air is set to fly longer, faster, and smoother. Currently operating in 18 destinations across India, the airline is all geared up to grow and expand its regional presence. "After witnessing a strong recovery in air travel, we are excited to partner with Embraer as we constantly aim at Connecting Real India and make travel accessible, reliable, and affordable. As the fastest-growing Indian regional airline, we are excited to touch new horizons and explore the skies with great vigor. The E175 aircraft will not only add flexibility and efficiency to our network but will also strengthen our customer relations as we provide them with an unparalleled flying experience," said Shrenik Ghodawat, Director - Star Air. As part of the statement, Star Air has also announced that pending the signing of the lease agreement, the airline is confident of starting E175 operations by November 2022. Currently, the airline operates scheduled flights using its 5 ERJ-145 to connect 18 Indian destinations that include Ahmedabad, Ajmer (Kishangarh), Bengaluru, Belagavi, Delhi (Hindon), Hubballi, Indore, Jodhpur, Kalaburagi, Mumbai, Nashik, Surat, Tirupati, Jamnagar, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Bhuj and Bidar. For more information, please visit www.starair.in Connect with Star Air on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About Sanjay Ghodawat Group Sanjay Ghodawat Group (SGG) is a prominent Indian business conglomerate that has a presence in various high-value business verticals. Aviation, Consumer Products, Education, Energy, Mining, Realty, Retail, and Textiles are some of its key business domains. SGG was founded in 1993 and since then it has witnessed impressive growth under the splendid stewardship of its Founder and Chairman- Mr. Sanjay Ghodawat. It has a strong base of millions of customers globally, an employee strength of over 10,000, and a student base of over 16,000. SGG is moving ahead with great vigour and bringing significant changes in people's lives with its wide range of high-quality products and services. Image: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864393/Star_Air_E175.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1734796/Star_Air_Logo. (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.) chair, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, has warned that the company might be forced to shut down Tata Steel's plants in the UK without a British government subsidy deal worth around 1.5 billion pounds. owns the UK's largest steelworks at Port Talbot in South Wales and employs around 8,000 people across all its operations in the country. Speaking to The Financial Times, the chief said the Mumbai-headquartered company had been in talks with the government over its decarbonisation plans and a deal would have to be struck by next year to save the country's steelworks. A transition to a greener steel plant is the intention that we have But this is only possible with financial help from the government, Chandrasekaran told the newspaper. We have been in discussions over the last two years and we should come to an agreement within 12 months. Without this, we will have to look at closures of sites, he said. Under decarbonisation plans, Tata plans to close two blast furnaces at Port Talbot, stop primary steelmaking and instead build two electric arc furnaces, The Financial Times said, referencing people familiar with the details. These furnaces recycle scrap steel and are less carbon intensive than blast furnaces. Building the electric arc furnaces and decommissioning the blast furnaces would cost around 3 billion pounds, with Tata seeking 1.5 billion pounds from the government, according to the report. Workers' unions have expressed deep worries over the threat of plant closures and called on the government to intervene to help what is seen as a vital industry. Steel plays a critical role in all areas of the UK economy and Tata is a valued steel producer and significant employer in the UK, a UK government spokesperson said. The Indian steel giant is one of Europe's leading steel producers, with steelmaking in the Netherlands and the UK, and manufacturing plants across Europe. The company's tube products are used across a broad range of industries, including construction, machinery fabrication, energy and automotive. Last month, said it has an ambition to produce net-zero steel by 2050 at the latest and to have reduced 30 per cent of CO2 emissions by 2030. The vast majority of that work will need to happen in South Wales, the company's largest operational site at Port Talbot. At the time, had said it is developing detailed plans for this transition to future steelmaking based on low CO2 technologies and is close to knowing which will best help achieve its ambitions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hours after African swine fever was reported from two farms in Wayanad in Kerala, the district authorities on Friday initiated steps to cull at least 300 pigs. Minister for Animal Husbandry J Chinchu Rani confirmed the infection in the state and directed the pig farms to strictly implement the biosecurity and waste disposal mechanism as part of the swine fever action plan. African swine fever has been reported from two farms in Mananthavady region of Kerala's Wayanad district. The disease was confirmed among pigs of the two farms after the samples were tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal. The state government today extended the ban on the inter-state sale and transportation of pigs and pork-related products. "The biosecurity and waste disposal mechanism in all pig farms should strictly implement the swine fever action plan as directed by the Union Government. Strict care should be maintained at all farms and concerned veterinary doctors of the region should be informed in case of any symptoms of unnatural deaths," Rani said in a Facebook post. The minister said a control room has been opened in Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, a senior Animal Husbandry official from the district told PTI that the infection was confirmed in two farms of Wayanad district. "As of now, there are no intimations regarding the infection anywhere else. At the first farm, 23 pigs are dead due to this disease. Soon, 300 pigs of the second farm will be culled," the official said. The culled pigs will be buried deep in the ground as per health protocol, the official said. When the issue was reported in the northeastern states, we had maintained strict vigil and the government had issued a ban on inter-state transport and sale of pigs and pork-related products, the official said. had earlier this month tightened bio-security measures following an alert from the Centre that African swine fever had been reported in Bihar and a few northeastern states. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), African swine fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of domestic pigs. It was first described in Kenya, East Africa, in 1921, and soon afterwards in South Africa and Angola, as a disease that killed settlers' pigs. Contact with warthogs was proven to be important in transmission of the virus. (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 Friday reserved its order on an appeal challenging the decision of its single judge dismissing the plea seeking information under the RTI law on the agenda of a collegium meeting in 2018 concerning the elevation of judges to the apex court. "We will pass an appropriate order," a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said after hearing submissions of the petitioner's counsel. The appeal was filed challenging the single judge's March 30 order by which it had dismissed a plea challenging the Central Information Commission's order rejecting an RTI appeal seeking the agenda of the collegium's meeting on December 12, 2018. The single judge had said that in the absence of any formal resolution being adopted and signed by the members of the collegium for the said meeting, the authorities rightly took the position that there was no material liable to be disclosed. Petitioner and activist Anjali Bhardwaj, in her petition filed in the high court through advocate Prashant Bhushan, challenged the CIC's December 16, 2021 order by which her second appeal was dismissed and urged to direct the authorities to disclose the available information sought under the February 26, 2019, RTI application. The petition said that on January 23, 2019, Justice Madan B Lokur, who was a part of the December 12, 2018 collegium meeting and retired on December 30, 2018, in an interview expressed his disappointment that the December 12, 2018 collegium resolution was not uploaded on the Supreme Court website. During the hearing, Bhushan argued that the issue was very important as it relates to transparency in the appointment of judges. "This makes a mockery of their own decision about transparency in appointment of judges which is necessary regarding resolutions of collegium apart from making a mockery. " Referring to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Bhushan submitted that every information which exists with a public authority has to be disclosed to the citizens unless it is exempted under section 8 of the Act. "The question is can the citizens be denied this information under the No exemption under section 8 of the Act applies to information about the decision taken by the collegium to recommend judges for the appointment. In both these grounds, the information commission and single judge erred in denying us this information," he added. The single judge had earlier stated that the collegium is a multi-member body whose decisions stand embodied in resolutions which alone represent the collective decision taken or the majoritarian view which prevailed and was adopted and in the present instance, since the issues which arose for discussion remained unresolved or in an inchoate state, no formal resolution came to be drawn up. The court had further said that the petitioner's submissions addressed in the backdrop of certain newspaper reports are noticed only to be rejected as such reports have no evidentiary value and it would be transgressing its limitations if cognisance were to be taken of such unsubstantiated and unverified reports. In the plea before the single judge, the petitioner had challenged the CIC's December 16, 2021 order by which Bhardwaj's second appeal was dismissed and had sought a direction to the authorities to disclose the available information sought for under the February 26, 2019, RTI application. The petition had said that on January 23, 2019, Justice Madan B Lokur, who was a part of the December 12, 2018 collegium meeting and retired on December 30, 2018, in an interview expressed his disappointment that the December 12, 2018 collegium resolution was not uploaded on the Supreme Court website. According to former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi's autobiography 'Justice for the Judge', the names of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, the then Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, and Justice Rajendra Menon, the then Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, had received the nod for the elevation to the Supreme Court in the collegium meeting on December 12, 2018. The matter allegedly got leaked after which the issue was kept in abeyance by Justice Gogoi till January 2019 because of winter break which started on December 15, 2018, the book said. In January 2019, a new collegium got constituted after the retirement of Justice Lokur. The new collegium, in its resolution on January 10, 2019, did not clear the names of Justice Nandrajog and Justice Menon for elevation to the Supreme Court, according to the book. The petition has not mentioned the names of any judges whose names were allegedly cleared. Initially, Bhardwaj had filed an RTI before the Supreme Court seeking copies of the agenda, decisions taken and resolutions passed in the December 12, 2018 meeting. However, the Supreme Court Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) refused to provide the information and while disposing of the appeal against the denial by the CPIO, the First Appellate Authority (FAA) held that in view of the subsequent collegium resolution of January 10, 2019, it was clear that though certain decisions were taken in the collegium meeting of December 12, 2018, the required consultations could not be completed and no resolution was formally passed. (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.) After got elected as the 15th President of India, Union Law and Justice Minister on Thursday said it is a big achievement for a tribal woman to get elected as the President of the country. The Union Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said because of Modi's thoughts and effort, this could happen. Speaking to ANI, Rijiju said, "It is a big achievement for a tribal woman to get elected as the President of the country. All tribal MPs and ministers came here to congratulate and expressed their happiness. I thank PM Modi as because of his thoughts and efforts, this happened." He further said that it is a big message to the country that a common woman can become the . "It's a big message to the country that a common woman can become the . It's a result of our commitment under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, "Rijiju said. The NDA's presidential candidate has been officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday. Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18. Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in Delhi. Soon after the completion of the third round of counting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda met Murmu at her residence in the capital and extended greetings for her victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her election as new President of the country and said she has emerged as a ray of hope for citizens, especially the poor, the marginalised and the downtrodden. President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his best wishes to Draupadi Murmu who will succeed him in the highest office of the country. Wishes poured in from the political fraternity across party lines on the victory of Murmu who will be India's first tribal president. Odisha's Rairangpur village, the native place of Droupadi Murmu erupted in celebrations in anticipation of Droupadi Murmu's victory. A large crowd gathered outside BJP headquarters in Delhi earlier to celebrate her victory. (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 has expressed concern over the continuing dry spell in the state, which is "taking a toll" on its farming practices. There is a 51-per cent this monsoon so far, and the state is heading towards an early season drought, experts and government officials said. The state, which is still reeling under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now staring at a drought-like situation. Farmers are not able plant seeds due to scanty rainfall. I am worried. The prediction of meteorological department is also not encouraging, Soren said. The CM was in Dumka on Thursday to inaugurate and lay foundation of 112 projects worth Rs 401 crore. has received 199.3 mm rainfall between June 1 and July 21 against the usual 403.4 mm during the period. The state has achieved a mere 11.76 per cent of the paddy target thus far, according to the data provided by the state agriculture department. Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh has held a virtual meeting of deputy commissioners to review the paddy- situation in the state. The minister asked all DCs to initiate the process of implementing the Jharkhand State Crop Relief scheme, under which farmers get insurance for crops damaged due to natural calamity. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi-bound (6e 2126) on Thursday reportedly grounded at Patna airport after a passenger claimed that he had a bomb in his bag. The bomb squad and police who were at the spot conducted an inspection after a man reportedly claimed a bomb was in his baggage. His bag was checked further but no bomb was found. The passenger has been detained and the plane is being checked further. All passengers were safely deboarded from the Delhi-bound (6e 2126) at Patna airport. Further details shall follow. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Friday issued an order prohibiting the flying of aerial objects like paragliders, hanggliders, and hot air balloons, ahead of celebrations. This order shall remain in force in the capital for a period of 26 days from Friday till August 16 for security reasons, officials said. According to the order, it has been reported that certain criminal, anti-social elements or terrorists inimical to India may pose a threat to the safety of the general public, dignitaries and vital installations by using sub-conventional aerial platforms like paragliders, paramotors, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs), microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small sized powered aircraft, or even by para-jumping from aircraft, among others. Therefore, the commissioner has prohibited the flying of such aerial platforms over the capital on the occasion of celebrations and doing so shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, the order said. "This order shall come into force from Friday and shall remain in force for a period of 26 days till August 16 (both days inclusive) unless withdrawn earlier," it added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prashant Jain, chief investment officer (CIO) of AMC, has reportedly called it quits. One of the early poster-boys of the mutual funds industry in India, Jain was responsible for overseeing Rs 4.21 trillion worth of assets under management (AUM), a Moneycontrol report stated. Jain was the only mutual-fund manager and served in the industry for 28 years. With his corpus crossing the Rs 1 trillion mark, in early July, Jain became the country's biggest equity fund manager. After completing his engineering degree from IIT Kanpur, Jain went on to pursue an MBA from IIM Bangalore. He started his career with SBI Caps and then moved to 20th Century . 20th Century was, in 1998, acquired by Zurich . Zurich MF was then taken over by Mutual Fund in 2003. Since then, Jain has been at . One of the biggest schemes, HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund, was managed by Jain. It has a corpus of over Rs 43,000 crore. Since 1994, it has returned an average of 17.87 per cent yearly. Jain's schemes, like HDFC Top 100 and HDFC Flexi-cap, have delivered an average of 18 per cent per annum since their inception. Jain's career, averaging a return of 28 per cent, has remained one of the most successful careers in India's mutual fund industry. However, his returns took a hit after 2015 due to more exposure to public sector banks. But by the end of his career at HDFC, Jain had bounced back and became the largest equity fund manager in the country as his value stocks started making a comeback post-pandemic. By signing an agreement with the visiting Namibian Deputy Prime Minister in Delhi, India inches closer to reintroduce around three Cheetahs in Madhya Pradeshs Kuno before Independence Day. Cheetah, the worlds fastest animal, is the only large carnivore that has gone extinct in the country. It is widely believed that the Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Korea, Madhya Pradesh, killed the last three recorded Cheetahs in India in 1947. The government declared the animal extinct in 1952. A 10-square-km enclosure has been readied in the to house six Cheetahs. Under the project it is expected that around 50 Cheetahs will be introduced in the wild over the next five years. It seeks to promote conservation and restoration of cheetah in their former range from which the species went extinct, said Union Minister of Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav on Twitter after a ceremony where an agreement called South Africa-Madhya Pradesh Cheetah translocation project was on Wednesday with the Namibian leader. Cheetahs in the subcontinent Divyabhanusinh Chavda, a wildlife conservationist and author of 'The End of a trail: The cheetah in India', says that the earliest historical references of cheetahs in the subcontinent are in classical Greek records of India from the geographer Strabo, about 200 years before the Common Era. The name cheetah comes from the Sanskrit word chitraka which means spotted. Cheetah coursing, i.e. breeding and training the animal for hunting, was a common practice in the Mughal times. Emperor Akbar and Jahangir are said to have housed thousands of cheetahs for this purpose. It was under the British that Cheetahs suffered irreversible loss of both their habitat and population due to the clearing of large forest areas for plantations and their hunting for trophies. Environmental historian Mahesh Rangarajan argues that the administrative policies of the British like bounty hunting of cheetah and considering them as vermin played a major role in its (cheetah) extermination in India. Earlier in 1970s, India tried reintroducing Asiatic cheetahs from Iran. However, there was a regime change in Iran following the 1979 Iranian revolution and the deal could not take place. The current plan to reintroduce Cheetah dates back to 2009, after a feasibility study conducted by the Union Environment Ministry and the Wildlife Trust of India found Kunho as the most suitable for the reintroduction. But the plan soon ran into hurdles as the (SC) stayed the order to reintroduce the cheetah in Kunho because the National Board for Wildlife had not been privy to the matter. The court said that priority should be given to the reintroduction of the Asiatic lion, which is only found in Gir in Gujrat. In January 2020, the SC approved Cheetahs reintroduction after a government plea. The project was hit again by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the same year. It was only after the dissipation of third wave of Covid-19 that the project was expedited. According to officials, plans for the Cheetah translocation to Kunho are in compliance with the International Union for Conservation of Natures guidelines, with focus on the forest site quality and prey density. The plan has received all the requisite certifications from the CITES, a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals, as well. What reintroducing Cheetah means Reintroduction refers to the attempt to re-establish a wild population of a species in a location where it used to occur. It is a form of conservation translocation, which also includes reinforcement of existing populations, or attempts to establish a species outside its indigenous range for conservation purposes. Reintroductions have been conducted for more than 100 years, but their scope and frequency have increased greatly in recent decades. India has had a successful history of reintroduction and translocation. Project Tiger has been one of the biggest successes in the conservation efforts in India. The country reported around 2,900 in 2018, which is double the number in 2006. India has also witnessed several successful reintroduction projects headed by wildlife enthusiasts. One example is the Bisalpur Rewilding Project in 2018. Helmed by royal Shweta Rathore, the project brought back over 150 of the endangered Indian antelope, apart from several other species of fauna and flora in and around the Jodhpur area. Similarly, in February 2011. an African-based safari company was at the forefront of the translocation of 19 gaur (Indian bison) at Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Over a decade, the gaur herd numbered more than 70. There have been numerous successful reintroduction projects across the globe. Golden lion tamarins in Brazil were thought as extinct until the 1970s, when 200 were discovered in the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil. Due to a successful conservation effort, the monkey has now been reintroduced to 17 forest fragments and 1200 or more now live in the wild. Similarly, due to excessive hunting and slaughter for the fur trade, the American Bison population came down to as few as 750 animals in the 1890s. Through conservation initiatives, re-introduction and population management the population has rebounded to around 350,000. Similarly, the reintroduction of grey wolves at Yellowstone over 21 years ago, helped successfully reverse the degraded ecosystem at the American national park. Despite the encouragement received by these remarkable stories of success, the reintroduction of Cheetah to India still faces challenges. One of them is that the African Cheetah will face is that of coexistence. Kunho National Park is already home to lions and leopards. Hence the plan to introduce cheetahs from Africa is poorly conceived as it ignores the fact that the spotted cat requires large areas to sustain itself. And in habitats already densely populated by humans and livestock, there is a chance of their elimination due to conflicts, says Ullas Karanth, wildlife biologist and director, Centre for Wildlife Studies. Genetic considerations also feature as one of the main challenges that species being introduced in new areas face. Reintroduced populations experience increased vulnerability to influences of drift, selection, and gene flow evolutionary processes due to their small sizes, and climatic and ecological differences between source and native habitats. In Maharashtra, a rewilded tigress was released [March 2021] but was killed by the local tigress. If the rewilded cat had been released in an area with lots of prey and no resident tigress, it would have survived. But that cant be done as the goal of rewilding is to augment the population, and so a tiger or tigress should be released only in a place where there are others, says AJT Johnsingh, wildlife biologist and author. Despite these challenges, only a few weeks remain before we could see the big cat prancing in the Indian wild. Wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers are both excited and hopeful to have a glimpse of the majestic big cat. India may send its first person into soon. Under the Gaganyaan Mission, the Indian Research Organisation (ISRO) will complete the first two trials of its human mission by the end of 2022, Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh told Parliament on Thursday. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Singh said the was developing indigenous capabilities towards space tourism by demonstrating human space flight capability to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Singh also said is pursuing international cooperation and relations with 61 countries in varied domains of space activities to boost space diplomacy. What is Gaganyaan? On August 15, 2018, Prime Minister announced the Gaganyaan Project to take Indians to space. With a total budget of Rs 9,100 crore, the project aims to develop the indigenous capability to undertake a human space flight mission to LEO. Singh also said that the two trials of the project are expected to be completed by the end of 2022. In the first trial, an unmanned flight will be sent into space. While in the second, a robot named Vyomitra will be sent to space. Later, in the third trial, 2 'Gaganauts' will be sent on the space flight. 'Gaganauts' is the name of four pilots sent to Russia for training. These four pilots will choose two astronauts to be sent into space. Push for private investment Singh also said that the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the regulator for private sector space players, also seeks to promote active participation of the private sector in carrying out end-to-end space activities, which includes space tourism as well. He added that the Department of Space is in the process of drafting a comprehensive, integrated Space Policy, which shall provide direction to the activities of the private Indian space industry. (With inputs from agencies) Security Adviser met his United Kingdom counterpart Stephen Lovegrove here on Thursday and discussed a wide range of subjects of bilateral and global significance, government sources said. They said the key points discussed included cooperation in cyber security, maritime and Indo-Pacific, regional security, and dealing with violent extremism. The focus was on specific and substantial outcomes to take the partnership forward in line with the vision of the India-UK Roadmap 2030, government sources said. Taking forward discussions between Prime Ministers Narendra and Boris Johnson, the NSAs also discussed forward-looking cooperation in the technology and defence sectors with a focus on key objectives of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the sources said. British High Commission said in a tweet the two NSAs discussed regional security and reiterated their commitment to transforming defence and security cooperation. "UK Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove met Security Advisor of India in Delhi. As a part of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, they discussed regional security reiterated their commitment to transform defence and security cooperation." UK National Security Adviser also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "UK National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove also met with External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar They held further discussions about the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the UK and India," the British High Commission 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.) After remaining closed for a day due to landslides and shooting stones at multiple locations, the Jammu- has opened for one way traffic, officials said on Friday. The priority is to clear the backlog of stranded vehicles and the Amarnath Yatra convoy. " - NHW single way road clear at Mehad, Ramban amid intermittent shooting stones, stranded vehicles and yatra convoys will be cleared 1st and Mughal road through. However, SSG road closed in view of maintenance and repair," and Kashmir Traffic police said. For the past two days traffic has been affected due to continuous landslides and shooting stones. The highway is the lifeline of the Kashmir valley and the main road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. Kashmir-bound trucks laden with essential supplies and other vehicles pass through the highway. --IANS zi/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.) is all set to launch its Tourism Policy 2021' in New Delhi on Saturday with a vision to revive and revamp the state's tourism sector, an official said. The new policy focuses on promotion of religious, eco, adventure, wellness, rural, and mining tourism, he said. It offers a host of incentives and subsidies to attract investors across the nation and abroad, an official release said. has truly embarked on a journey to establish itself as one of the premier tourist destinations in India, it said. Security, which is a pertinent issue for tourism to thrive in any state, will be ensured by positioning a Tourist Security Force, 24-hour helpline and a central control room, the release said. The new policy seeks to build upon a holistic approach, which takes into account rural tourism and the local economy, and at the same time, makes room for the modern and urban traveller, it said. The key focus area is to develop Parasnath, Madhuban and Itkhori as places of religious pilgrimage. Development of eco-circuits has also been proposed in the policy. A unique aspect of the policy is the focus on promotion of mining tourism, a concept which is gaining increasing traction nationally and internationally, the release said. Efforts will be made to promote various fairs and festivals, and give opportunities to the tourists to experience a slice of the rich cultural heritage of the state, it added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The cabinet on Friday gave its approval to the ' Employment Policy 2022-25', mandating industries either expanding or setting up new units in the state, to increase the number of jobs they provide. The policy cleared by the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is aimed at generating more employment in the state, especially to locals, with job opportunities dwindling. "There were specific guidelines on how various units should provide employment. Under the new policy, we have said that the number of jobs should be increased and locals should be employed. We have categorised industries," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, he said, for instance, if an industry is classified as medium scale, where the minimum employment is 20, on an agreement to create seven more jobs, the policy allows an additional investment of up to Rs 10 crore. "Similarly, if a unit plans on increasing working capital by Rs 50 crore, it has to create a minimum of 30-50 jobs, and for increasing investment up to Rs 100 crore, minimum 35 additional jobs should be created for locals," he added. Further, stating that the government has also increased the minimum job generation requirement of industries, Madhuswamy said for super mega units, they were earlier required to employ 750 and it has now been increased to 1,000. "Similarly for ultra mega units, which were earlier required to create a minimum of 400 jobs, will now have to generate 510. For mega units, it has been increased from 200 to 260 employees," he said adding that the minimum job requirement of large scale industry will now be 60 from 50 earlier, and for a medium-scale industry it is now 20 from 10-15 earlier. Stating that the industries' classifications have been made based on investments, the minister said, if the companies have to invest additionally, they will have to create extra jobs based on the criteria explained in the policy. The cabinet has also approved Rs 132 crore to provide a pair of black shoes and two sets of white socks to about 46.37 lakh school students studying in government schools. It has also decided to amend the guidelines for the release of inmates serving life imprisonment at various prisons across the state ahead of schedule. "It has been decided to leave those convicted under POCSO Act and multiple murder cases from the catagory," Madhuswamy said. The cabinet also reiterated its stand that the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee on eco-sensitive areas (ESAs) of the Western Ghats cannot be implemented and the state's opposition to it. Pointing out that the state has expressed its reservation against the report twice in the past, the minister said, "...the state government cannot accept the report and allow eviction of those living in the region. Our stand will be conveyed to the Union government...the CM takes a delegation to Delhi in the next few days." Among the other decisions taken are to acquire 240 acres of land to develop the Mysuru airport. The land will be handed over to Airports Authority of India and Rs 9.29 crore will be spent on it, Madhuswamy said, adding that it has also been decided to name Mysuru airport after the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar. (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.) Answering the question on the number of vacancies in the Indian judicial system, the Union Minister for Law and Justice told the Rajya Sabha that 72,062 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, 59,45,709 cases in High and 4,19,79,353 cases pending in the district and subordinate till July 1, 2022 as of July 1, 2022 Serial No Name of Courts Pending Cases 1. Supreme Court 72,062 2. High Courts 59,45,709 3. District and subordinate courts 4,19,79,353 Source: of India website and Judicial Data Grid(NJDG) The minister said the disposal of cases is the domain of the judiciary, and the government has no direct role in it. No time frame has been fixed for disposal of cases. It(disposal) depends on several factors, the minister said. Also Read | 50 mn cases pending in Indian courts, to go up if no action taken: Rijiju Addressing the issue of increasing the retirement age of judges in the apex and high courts, the minister said that there is no proposal to do so currently. The Constitution(114th Amendment) Bill was introduced in 2010 to increase the retirement age of judges to 65 years, but it was not taken up in the and lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha, he said. Earlier, the Attorney General for India, KK Venugopal, had also stressed the need to increase the retirement age of and judges. Talking about schemes for the judiciary, the minister said Rs 692.14 crore was spent on the centrally sponsored scheme for developing infrastructure facilities for the judiciary, including the scheme of operationalisation of Gram Nyayalayas for the year 2021-2022. Similarly, Rs 98.30 crore was spent on the eCourts project and Rs 39.96 crore on Access to Justice/DISHA in 2021-2022. However, the spending on research for justice delivery and legal reforms remained low, with only Rs 1.06 spent on it in 2020-2021, according to the data released by the minister. In 2021-2022, the total spending on legal schemes was Rs 17.5 crore more than in 2020-2021. Expenditure on Department scheme in last five years Scheme 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 Centrally sponsored scheme for the development of infrastructure facilities for judiciary including scheme for operationalisation of Gram Nyayalayas 629.21 658.00 990.00 599.00 692.14 e-Courts 374.11 282.76 179.26 179.31 98.30 Access to justice/DISHA 5.73 15.46 28.67 33.53 39.96 Action research for justice delivery and legal reforms 1.26 1.54 1.25 1.06 * *The scheme ceased to be a scheme component We need to spend more on judicial infrastructure. There have been cases reported where trial do not have staff or even the stationery for the courts to function. In the and High Courts, there are certainly resources to assist judges to research on judicial matters but the same cannot be said for trial court judges, Bharat Chugh, former judge and an advocate in the Supreme Court, said. Union Law Minister said no decision has been taken by the government to implement the Uniform Civil Code for now, as some writ petitions regarding the matter are pending in the apex court. Commenting on the proposal to set up regional branches of the apex court, the Minister said the of India had thrice recommended the establishment of regional branches of the in East, West, North, and South India. The matter was referred to the . However, the in a full court meeting decided not to consider the recommendation on February 18, 2010. Then, in 2016, it referred the issue to the Constitutional Bench. As things stand today, the matter is sub-judice. The Eleventh in its 125th Report titled The Supreme Court-A Fresh Look, submitted in 1988, reiterated the recommendations made by Tenth in its 95th Report for splitting the into two namely (i) Constitutional Court at Delhi and (ii) Court of appeal or Federal Court sitting in North, South, East, West and Central India. The Eighteenth Law Commission in its 229th Report had also suggested that a Constitutional Bench be set up at Delhi and four Cassation Benches be set up in the Northern region at Delhi, Southern region at Chennai/Hyderabad, Eastern region at Kolkata, and the Western region at Mumbai. The matter was referred to the Chief Justice of India, who informed that after consideration of the matter, the Full Court in its meeting held on February 18, 2010, found no justification for setting up benches of the Supreme Court outside Delhi. In 2016, the Supreme Court deemed it proper to refer the aforementioned issue to the Constitutional Bench for authoritative pronouncement. The matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court, the Minister said. The Minister had also informed the earlier that there was no plan to bring the All India Judicial Services exam as there was no consensus between the High Courts and the State governments on the issue. Taking a question on the corruption in the judiciary, the Law Minister explained that accountability in the higher judiciary is maintained through an in-house procedure adopted by the Supreme Court in its full court meeting held on May 7, 1997. "The issue of checking corruption in the judiciary is to be addressed by the judiciary itself, as it is an independent organ under the Indian Constitution," he stated. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) provides monetary support of Rs 6,000 per annum to farmers families in India. The amount is paid in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each. But to avail of these benefits, the family must present the required documents before the state . Under the Yojana, the responsibility of finding eligible families lies with the state . What are the documents required to avail benefits under The following information/ documents are required: Name, Age, Gender and Category (SC/ST) of the . Aadhaar Number [except in the case of farmers in Assam, Meghalaya and J&K In these States / UTs, the Aadhaar number shall be collected for those beneficiaries where it is available and for others alternate prescribed documents can be collected like Aadhaar Enrollment ID, Driving Licence, Voters' ID Card, NREGA Job Card, or any other identification documents issued by Central/State/UT Governments or their authorities, etc.) Bank Account Number and IFSC Code. A mobile number, though it is not mandatory, it is advised that when available it may be provided. How to check if all your documents are verified? Farmer families can check if their documents are verified by going through the beneficiary list. If your name finds mentioned in the list, you will receive the 12th installment. Here is how you can check your name on the PM KISAN beneficiary list: The on Friday allowed the Centre to continue with the security cover for industrialist and his family members in Mumbai. A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli allowed the appeal of the Central government challenging the Tripura High Court's direction on a PIL. A vacation bench, on June 29, had stayed the orders of the Tripura High Court on a PIL challenging the grant of security cover to the industrialist and his family members in Mumbai. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had said that the PIL petitioner (Bikash Saha ) in Tripura has nothing to do with the security of individuals provided in Mumbai. The Tripura High Court had on a PIL filed by one Bikash Saha passed two interim orders on May 31 and June 21 and directed the Central Government to place the original file maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding threat perception and assessment report of Ambani, his wife and children based on which security has been granted to them. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Friday is scheduled to hear a plea of the Centre against human right activist Nandita Haksar on whose petition the Manipur High Court had allowed seven members of the Rohingya community safe passage to Delhi to seek refugee status from the United Nations refugee agency. The top court had earlier stayed the order of the Manipur High Court permitting the seven Rohingyas to seek refugee status. It is also scheduled to hear a plea of leader seeking removal of barbed wire fence put up by the administration in his Jauhar University at Rampur after the apex court stayed the direction issued by the high court as a bail condition in a criminal case registered against him. A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud is scheduled to hear two bail pleas filed by Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scam case. On May 18, the apex court had sought responses from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on his bail pleas. The Rs 3,600-crore alleged scam relates to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland. A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana is also scheduled to hear a plea of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa challenging the order of the Karnataka High Court December 22, 2020, refusing him relief in a corruption case. The top court's bench headed by Chief Justice Ramana is scheduled to hear a plea of lawyer Ghanshyam Upadhyay seeking re-constitution of the inquiry commission to inquire into the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey. On August 19, 2020, the top court had dismissed a plea seeking scrapping of a three-member judicial commission, led by former apex court judge Justice B S Chauhan. Eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were ambushed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops shortly after midnight on July 3, 2020. Dubey was killed in an encounter in the morning of July 10, 2020 when a police vehicle carrying him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident and he tried to escape from the spot in Bhauti area, the police had 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.) With the addition of 165 positive cases, the infection tally in Maharashtra's district has increased to 7,33,112, a health official said on Friday. There are now 1,018 active cases in the district, he said. With the death of one patient during the day, the toll rose to 11,924, while the count of recoveries reached 7,21,106, the official added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fielded by NDA, Murmu got more than 70 per cent of the votes cast, and at least 20 opposition votes, winning the election by a massive margin, defeating common opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha (84). Apples three vendors in the country have hit the milestone of creating 30,000 new direct jobs since the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile devices kicked off. Read more on these in our top headlines. makes history, becomes India's first tribal President Fielded by NDA, Murmu got more than 70 per cent of the votes cast, and at least 20 opposition votes, winning the election by a massive margin, defeating common opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha (84) and winning voters in the electoral college with her charm, simplicity and determined conviction to protect tribal identity. Tribal chiefs from all over the country are planning to troop into Delhi to felicitate the new president when she takes oath on July 25, putting on display a new, different, iridescent India. Read more 43% of India Inc's foreign exchange revenue comes to IT companies Corporate India is more dependent than before on exporters of IT services such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, and Wipro for earning foreign exchange. Such companies account for nearly 43 per cent of the forex revenues of listed firms, up from 22 per cent a decade ago. The listed IT services companies earned nearly Rs 4.2 trillion through exports in FY22, up 15 per cent from the Rs 3.65 trillion a year earlier. Read more Apple's vendors create 30,000 new jobs under in India Apples three vendors in the country have hit the milestone of creating 30,000 new direct jobs since the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile devices kicked off in April 2021. Based on the governments estimate, Apples vendors, Foxconn Hon Hai, Wistron and Pegatron, are close to creating 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. Read more firms in talks with banks to raise funds for Rs 60K capex plan The companies are in talks with leading banks and equity investors to raise funds for their capital expenditure (capex) plan of worth Rs 60,000 crore in the current financial year. Led by Tata Motors, group companies, including Tata Power and Tata Steel, are planning to invest in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy. Read more Sunak's promises to keep: ex-chancellor's likely agenda if he becomes UK PM Rishi Sunak, the Conservative Party MP, is the top contender for the partys leadership, and thus to be the next Prime Minister of UK. Sunak, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Wednesday secured 137 party votes compared to the 113 for foreign secretary Liz Truss. The two will battle it out in the last stage of the contest to replace Boris Johnson as PM. Read more Prepping for tokenisation deadline, UPI transaction failures decline Last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the deadline for card tokenisation by another three months till September 30. The central bank decided against the July 1 deadline as the implementation was mired in problems, and not all payment players were ready with tokenisation. All companies would have to purge stored card information once tokenisation is implemented. Read more The is an important export market for Indian gems and jewellery, accounting for around 15 per cent or USD 5.8 billion in FY 2021-22, according to a top official of an industry body. Colin Shah, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said that India's plain gold jewellery exports to the jumped 63 per cent to 135.27 million in May and 59 per cent to USD 116.70 million in June this year on a year-on-year basis. I believe that the fruition of the Indo- CEPA will spur many more such opportunities for our traders to connect and network, as evidenced by the immediate spike in bilateral gem and jewellery trade, especially plain gold jewellery, post the trade agreement's enforcement on May 1 this year, Shah said, urging buyers from the UAE to visit the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) Premiere event next month in large numbers. Shah was speaking at an event organised by the GJEPC and the Indian embassy in the UAE, which was the first-ever IJEX BSM in conjunction with this year's IIJS Premiere roadshow on July 19 here. The event saw leading retailers from the UAE connecting with top gem and jewellery manufacturers from India. Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE, said the bilateral trade between India and the UAE was doing well. Last year it accounted for USD 73 billion and our goal is to achieve USD 100 billion in the next few years, but I am very confident that after the implementation of CEPA and the way things are going, we will achieve this target well before time, Ambassador Sudhir said. Omar Khan of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the recent agreement signed between India and the UAE was a significant achievement as far as it concerned both the countries. It is really going to give further traction to the trade between both countries. We have a very high, ambitious target to achieve a bilateral trade of USD 100 billion, and I am sure the gem and jewellery trade will contribute in a big way. Indian gems and jewellery and their craftsmanship is very popular here in UAE, Khan said. The platform India Jewellery Exposition Centre (IJEX), which was unveiled in March this year, enables GJEPC members to display goods and book orders throughout the year. The platform will organise exhibitions all 365-days of the year, promoting specific categories of "Made in India" gems and jewellery, divided into four seasons, each lasting three months. The first IJEX BSM was also an attempt to promote IJEX among the trade members in UAE. The IJEX centre will serve as a showroom cum marketing area for GJEPC Members who arrive here for business purpose, and act to expand trade opportunities in the Middle East Market, with special emphasis on Dubai, African and CIS Countries. GJEPC will organise the 38th edition of IIJS Premiere from August 4 to 8 this year in Mumbai, and it will witness more than 1790 exhibitors, showcasing a range of products including Gold and Gold CZ Studded Jewellery; Diamond, Gemstone and Other Studded Jewellery; Loose stones, CVD; Silver Jewellery, Artefacts and Gifting Items; Laboratories and Education; and Machinery and Allied, etc. The show will have an anticipated turnout of 40,000 plus business visitors from 800+ cities in India and 80 other countries. (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.) Parliamentary speakers of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Pakistan hail new "Asian century" Xinhua) 10:59, July 22, 2022 Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Trkiye Mustafa Sentop (C), Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova (L), and Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf pose for a photo at the Second Trilateral Meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Trkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, in Istanbul, Trkiye, on July 21, 2022. The new century is the "Asian century" filled with opportunities, said parliamentary speakers of Trkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan in a meeting here on Thursday. (Xinhua) ISTANBUL, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The new century is the "Asian century" filled with opportunities, said parliamentary speakers of Trkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan in a meeting here on Thursday. "World's geo-politics and economic centers are shifting towards Asia, and it's happening fast," said Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Trkiye Mustafa Sentop at the Second Trilateral Meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Trkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. "Without a doubt, the emergence of the New Silk Road will add a great haste to the development and rejuvenation of the region," Sentop said. "And in that project, our new initiative Middle (Transport) Corridor will be taking an important part through our new transport routes and energy transfer infrastructure investments," he added. The trilateral meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening comprehensive cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, especially in areas that would contribute to regional connectivity, transportation, trade, energy, relations between peoples, education, social and cultural exchange, and tourism. With most of its lands in Asia and parts in Europe, Trkiye has been investing heavily in the Middle Corridor initiative that would act as a bridge between China and Europe through railroads, with more efficient transfer than the northern land routes or the southern naval route of Suez Canal. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) The extension of government's flagship urban housing scheme, Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) Urban up to March 2024 is under consideration by the Ministry of Housing. In a written reply in on Thursday, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushal Kishore said: "A proposal seeking extension of the Mission up to March 2024, to complete all houses sanctioned under the scheme up to March 31, 2022 without changing the funding pattern and implementation methodology, is under consideration. Meanwhile, an interim extension of 6 months for all verticals except Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme has been granted." The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is implementing PMAY - Urban (PMAY-U) - 'Housing for All' Mission, since June 25, 2015 for giving Central assistance to States and Union Territories (UTs) for providing all-weather 'pucca' houses to all eligible urban beneficiaries. Based on the project proposals submitted by States/ UTs, a total of 122.69 lakh houses have been sanctioned during the Mission period till 31 March 2022. Against the sanctioned houses, 101.94 lakh have been grounded for construction; of which 61.15 lakh are completed or delivered to beneficiaries. Central assistance of Rs 2,03,427 crore has been approved; out of which Rs 1,20,130 crore has been released. --IANS kumar/pgh (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's sugar production may drop slightly to 35.5 mt in the 2022-23 marketing year, starting October, because of the diversion of towards ethanol manufacturing. Still, there would be almost an 8-mt surplus for exports, according to industry data. Production during the current 2021-22 sugar season is estimated to be almost 36 mt. Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) on Friday released its preliminary estimates for for the 2022-23 marketing year. said sugar output is expected at 36 mt in the current marketing year ending September. Domestic consumption next year is estimated to be around 27.5 mt, the association said. Net before considering diversion towards ethanol is estimated to be higher at almost 40 mt in 2022-23, against 39.4 mt in the current 2021-22 marketing year. estimates that the diversion of cane juice and B-molasses to ethanol shall cut by about 4.5 mt during the next marketing year. In the current 2021-22 marketing year, about 3.4 mt of diversion has been estimated. In May, the Centre capped at 10 mt for the current 2021-22 marketing year to maintain domestic availability and price stability. said that estimates have been made assuming normal rainfall and other optimum conditions during the remaining period. Based on the satellite images procured in the latter part of June 2022, ISMA said that total acreage under is estimated to be higher by 4 per cent to 5.82 million hectares in 2022-23. During the current ethanol supply year (December-November) until July 10, ISMA said, total contracted quantity of ethanol stood at 4.42 billion litre and of this, 3.62 billion litre was supplied from the . Of 3.62 billion litre, ethanol manufactured from juice and B-heavy molasses (BHM) stands at 3. 49 billion litre (0.79 billion litre from sugarcane juice and 2.70 billion litre from BHM), translating into a diversion of about 3.4 mt of sugar for . Delhi recorded 86.55 per cent pass percentage in Class 10 Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) exams this year, a steep decline from 98.19 per cent in 2021, according to official data. Delhi's pass percentage was 85.86 per cent in 2019 and 80.97 per cent in 2018. The CBSE on Friday announced Class 10 results, which showed that 94.40 per cent of students cleared the exam with girls outperforming boys by a margin of 1.41 per cent. In 2020 and 2021, the results were declared on the basis of a Tabulation Policy in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The exams this year were conducted in two terms. The CBSE has divided the country into 16 regions with Delhi having two -- Delhi East and Delhi West. Of the 16 CBSE regions, Delhi East and Delhi West were ranked at 14th and 15th position with pass percentages of 86.96 per cent and 85.94 per cent respectively below the Noida region, that was at the ninth spot with 96.08 per cent. The top three regions are Trivandrum (99.68 per cent), Bengaluru (99.22 per cent) and Chennai (98.97 per cent). In Delhi East and Delhi West regions, girls outshone boys. In Delhi East, 89.36 per cent of the girls passed as against 84.82 per cent of boys while in the Delhi West region, 87.57 per cent of girls cleared their exams as opposed to 84.52 per cent of boys. In Delhi East, 26,537 students were placed in compartment while in the west region 1,9133 candidates got compartment in their exams. This is the first time that the CBSE has announced both class 10 and 12 results on the same day. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan security forces on Friday removed a group of anti-government protesters, which continued to occupy the President's Secretariat here despite Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation as president, after veteran politician was sworn in as the country's new head of state. Anti-government protesters returned to Colombo on Wednesday after Parliament voted in six-time Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as the country's new president. They refused to accept Wickremesinghe, 73, as the new president, holding him partly responsible for the country's unprecedented economic and political crisis. Police and special task force personnel forced them out on Friday when less than 100 of them were present. The protesters had vacated the President and Prime Minister's residences and the Prime Minister's office earlier after capturing them on July 9, they were still occupying some rooms of the President's secretariat at the Galle Face. The protesters, who had been at the Secretariat's gate since April 9 when they started their anti-government protest which resulted in Rajapaksa's resignation as president last week, posted on social media on Thursday that they were planning to end their protest by 2 pm on Friday. There was a debate that we should respect the Constitution and stop this protest," said a spokesman of the group. However, the main protest group which blocked entry to the President's Office since April 9, said they would continue their struggle till Wickremesinghe resigned. Our victory would come only when we are able to form the people's Assembly," Lahiru Weerasekera, a group spokesman said. Wickremesinghe, who was sworn in as the eighth President of on Thursday, said last night that the occupation of government buildings was illegal, warning that legal action would be taken against their occupiers. The new president said he would extend support to the peaceful protesters but would be tough on those who try to promote violence under the guise of peaceful protests. Protesters set Wickremesinghe's personal residence on fire and occupied his office during protests last week. Wickremesinghe has made arrangements to swear in his cabinet on Friday at the Prime Minister's office. Such ceremonies usually take place in the Secretariat which was under the control of protesters since July 9 when Rajapaksa fled to Male before sending his resignation from Singapore last week. Rajapaksa was forced to flee the country when a popular uprising due to his mishandling of the economy dealt the final blow. After holding on since April despite the massive protests, Rajapaksa resigned in exile in Singapore. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Schools have been suspended and fuel has been limited to essential services. Patients are unable to travel to hospitals due to the fuel shortage and food prices are soaring. Trains have reduced in frequency, forcing travellers to squeeze into compartments and even sit precariously on top of them as they commute to work. In several major cities, including Colombo, hundreds are forced to stand in line for hours to buy fuel, sometimes clashing with police and the military as they wait. The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, announced in April that it was 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. (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 Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Friday that is ready to conduct a at any time it decides. Yoon was responding to a reporter's question about the US Department of Defence's assessment that the North has completed preparations to carry out a as early as within the month, Yonhap news agency reported. "We believe that not only at the end of this month, but ever since my inauguration, it's fully ready and able to do it whenever it decides," he told reporters as he arrived for work. --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.) As Dinesh Gunawardena took oath as Sri Lanka's 15th prime minister, its local media highlighted the background of his father Don Philip Rupasinghe Gunawardena who was at the centre of the anti-imperialist and anti-colonial campaign and had played a role in India's freedom struggle. During the senior leader's education abroad, his cosmopolitan political involvement pioneering as the most outstanding rebel among the students came to peak with his moving to UK. In London, the late senior Gunawardena met with freedom fighters, Jomo Kenyatta and Jawaharlal Nehru and also worked with Krishna Menon and Nehru for the Indian League, an anti-imperial organization. Philip Gunawardena got the opportunity of associating with personalities who later became renowned world leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Jayaprakash Narayan and Krishna Menon all from India, and Jomo Kenytta of Kenya, Jose Vasconcelos of Mexico and many others of fame and reputation from many parts of the world as contemporaries, reported Srilanka Guardian. In 1942, he fled to and participated in India's struggle for freedom, however, he was caught and imprisoned. Philip Gunawardena assumed the name Gurusamy and his wife, Kusuma, joined him there. Their oldest son Indika was born in . He was brought back to in 1943 and was sentenced there to a term of six months, reported Srilanka Guardian. Philip Gunawardena also provided the impetus to promote the Cooperative movement in and did it in the most innovative manner. He achieved extraordinary feet by setting up and introducing the Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society system (MPCSs). In March 2022, commemorated the 50th death anniversary of Philip Gunawardena. His name is written down in golden letters in the History of as he strived hard to see the progress in the country's future. Philip Gunawardena was born on 11th January 1901 as the fourth son in a family of 8 children, in the famous Boralugoda family of Don Jaccolis Rupasinghe Gunawardena and Dona Liyanora Gunesekera. The leader had his schooling starting from Awissawella and continued later in Prince of Wales College (Moratuwa), Ananda College (Colombo) before entering the University of Colombo. Without completing his higher education in Sri Lanka, he traveled to the United States to study Economics at the University of Illinois. He started the first leftist Political party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in 1935 with many of these colleagues which was a milestone in the rebellious movement against Imperialism and Colonialism. Philip has faced many political whirlwinds than any of the well-known political leaders in this country. The late venerable leader's son, Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the prime minister of Sri Lanka by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday along with 17 other cabinet ministers. Gunawardena, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, took his oath in the capital Colombo in the presence of other senior legislators. Dinesh Gunawardena's role in the Sri Lankan will be critical as the country's economy is currently facing its worst economic crisis since independence. The country is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country's failure to meet its debt obligations. As Sri Lanka scrambles to get back on track after the election of a new President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the people in the country -- who are facing severe economic hardship -- are still uncertain about the future. (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.) Rishi Sunak's personal wealth as a perceived barrier in his path to connecting with the wider British electorate suffering from post-pandemic economic turmoil is in focus among sections of the UK media on Friday. The 42-year-old former Chancellor, who is now facing off Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in the last stretch of the campaign to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister, has faced down similar jibes related to a so-called privileged upbringing and wife Akshata Murty's family wealth associated with her Infosys shares. On Thursday, Channel 4 News' aired an investigation entitled Rishi Sunak: Inside the Tory Leadership candidate's fortune', which questioned the Sunak camp's references to his humble and modest background and has been picked up by other publications on Friday. I think financially it was quite a huge commitment for us because the fees at Winchester [College] are double what you would pay if you went to the local school in Southampton. So, it was quite a large financial commitment, the report quoted Sunak's father, Yashvir, from a BBC interview from 2000. However, while the channel highlights the Sunak's camp's claims of him being a scholarship student to the prestigious private school, the former finance minister himself has declared that his time at Winchester was the outcome of his family's hard work and sacrifice. I had the privilege of going to an incredible school. But I wasn't a scholarship child. Every penny was paid for by my parents' sacrifice. I don't know if I can ever thank them enough. So, I learnt early on that family matters, he said in a speech at the UK-India Awards ceremony on July 1, during which he also shared his experiences of working at his mother Usha's family pharmacy in his birthplace of Southampton. The Channel 4 investigation also dug out land registry information to reveal that the prime ministerial hopeful started his property portfolio at the age of 21 with an interest-free loan from his parents to buy a GBP 210,000 one-bedroom flat in central London, which is today worth around GBP 750,000. It goes on to detail his American life, starting with a job at Goldman Sachs and then as a partner at an investment bank that was ultimately owned by a firm in the Cayman Islands, an offshore tax haven. Channel 4 said that Sunak did not deny that he received assets in tax havens and any assets he had were subject to US tax, which was paid in full. "There's no suggestion Mr Sunak did anything illegal," the Channel 4 report goes on to say. Records unearthed by the channel also show that, from about 2009, Sunak and wife Murty had been living in a luxury beach-front property in Santa Monica, California, which was listed for rent at USD 19,500 a month. Even if he wins over the Conservative membership to clinch the leadership and become Prime Minister, winning over the British public amid unprecedented economic turmoil may be a far tougher challenge, the channel's report concludes. The "Ready4Rishi" campaign team responded by reiterating the central message that Sunak stands for Tory values of hard work and aspiration. The statement said: Rishi is the product of a lot of hard work, kindness and sacrifice. His father was a GP [general practitioner] who worked and his mother was a pharmacist, and he used to help out on the weekends. They both worked all hours to ensure they could give their children the best education they could because they value that above all else. He is dedicated to this country because of the opportunity it gave to him, his parents and his grandparents who moved here for a better life. It comes as the latest YouGov survey of Conservative Party members showed his opponent, Liz Truss, extending her lead amongst those who would vote to decide the next 62 per cent to 38 per cent. The poll of 730 out of an estimated 160,000 Tory voters taken on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning highlights the scale of the challenge ahead for Sunak, who has enjoyed a comfortable winning streak with his party colleagues in the knock-out ballots so far. (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.) (SCO) Secretary-General Ambassador Zhang Ming is set to visit during which he will invite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to participate in the bloc's annual summit to be held in Uzbekistan on September 15-16, according to a media report on Friday. The SCO secretary general will head a delegation of top officials from the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing during the three-day visit, The News newspaper reported. Commenting on the visit, the Foreign Office said: The visit of the SCO Secretary-General will provide an opportunity for to engage with the SCO Secretariat while highlighting its perspective and priorities for making SCO mechanisms more effective in advancing shared regional security and economic goals. Zhang will hold meetings with the foreign minister and ministers of Commerce, Climate Change, Information Technology and Maritime Affairs. He will also speak at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) soon after his arrival. He will invite Prime Minister Sharif to participate in the SCO annual summit in Samarkand. The report also speculated about a possible 'chance meeting' between Prime Minister Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, is an eight-member economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional organisations. India and became its permanent members in 2017. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. (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 South Korean government has condemned on Friday for laying repeated claim to the easternmost islets of Dokdo in its annual defence white paper. "(The government) strongly protests against Japan's repetition of its sovereignty claim over Dokdo, clearly an integral part of the Korean territory in terms of history, geography and law, and urges it to immediately scrap it," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a statement. Such a move is of no help to efforts for building "future-oriented" bilateral relations, he added. It was issued shortly after Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi reported this year's document to the Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. It marked the 18th consecutive year for Tokyo to claim its sovereignty over Dokdo in the paper on the nation's security conditions and its responses. In Seoul, the Ministry summoned Makoto Hayashi, Minister for Political Affairs at the Japanese Embassy, to deliver a formal protest message to Tokyo, Yonhap news agency reported. In separate protest, Seoul's Defence Ministry called in Takao Nakashima, a defence attache at the embassy. The paper was published just days after Foreign Minister Park Jin visited Tokyo for talks with his local counterpart, demonstrating President Yoon Suk-yeol's commitment to a resolution to disputes over shared history, especially Japan's colonisation of Korea from 1910-45. The updated version carried largely similar descriptions on the territorial issue, a longtime sticking point in Seoul-Tokyo relations, with those of last year's one. But it added a position that cooperation between the neighbouring countries is getting more important amid grave regional security situations. Seoul has maintained its effective control of Dokdo with a small police detachment on the rocky islets in the East Sea. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British universities and a leading network of Indian students and professionals have hailed the "landmark" agreement between the UK and India to mutually recognise each other's qualifications, calling it a long-awaited achievement in bilateral ties that will enable significantly smoother movement of students between the two countries. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on Thursday as part of the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) agreed by Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi last year, means UK A-levels and their equivalents, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees will now be recognised in India. It will allow Indian students who graduate from British universities to apply for postgraduate qualifications, or embark on government careers that require university qualifications, when they return home. This is a landmark, historic agreement which has been many years in the making. Qualifications students receive will be recognised on both sides, making it easier for students to progress in education and move into jobs, said Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive, Universities UK (UUKi), which represents over 140 . The recognition of UK Masters' is a particularly important development. It means that Indian graduates of the UK's outstanding universities will receive formal recognition of their outstanding achievements and full access to jobs in the public sector in India, she said. The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK hailed the long-awaited move, which the students' group had been lobbying for over the years. This is truly a landmark, long-awaited and impactful achievement in UK-India relations, said NISAU UK chair Sanam Arora. It will enable significantly smoother movement of students between the two countries and broaden the nature and extent of joint collaborations between individual universities in the two countries. NISAU has been long campaigning for mutual recognition of qualifications and this agreement is, therefore, a most welcome development, she said. According to official statistics, in 2020-2021 the UK welcomed 84,555 Indian students to the UK and India is a popular destination for UK students to study abroad as part of the Turing Scheme education programme. The new MoU is expected to make even more appealing to Indian applicants and is likely to provide an economic boost, as the benefit to the UK of welcoming students from beyond the European Union (EU) is estimated to be around 109,000 pounds per person. already have a fantastic reputation around the globe. Now, we are delighted to deliver on our promise to unblock barriers to trade between our two nations and make UK even easier to access and more appealing to Indian students, said UK Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The pact is also seen as enhancing the potential for UK nationals to travel to India to study, allowing them more choice and broadening their academic and educational horizons, as well as opening the door for institutions to create courses that can be delivered in both countries. This agreement builds on our UK-India partnership and removes barriers so even more of the best and brightest students from India can study here, boosting our economy and enriching our campuses and communities, said UK Education Secretary James Cleverly. It creates more opportunities for UK students to study in India, and paves the way for our world-beating universities to deliver more degree programmes in one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic nations on earth, he said. Barbara Wickham OBE, Director India, British Council, said the agreement of the mutual recognition of academic qualifications is a significant moment of celebration in the India-UK education relationship. We are also delighted the agreement has been finalised during our ongoing India/UK Together Season of Culture our landmark programme that marks India's 75th anniversary and celebrates the deep connections between India and the UK, she said. The deal is one of three signed between India and the UK on Thursday implementing the ETP, including commitments to create a taskforce to provide opportunities for Indian nurses and nursing associates seeking to train and work in the UKs National Health Service (NHS) and to renew a commitment for mutual recognition of the Seafarers' Certificate of Competency. According to the UK Department for International Trade (DIT), trade between the UK and India is worth over 24 billion pounds, and the investment relationship supports over half a million jobs. It said the government has secured new access under the ETP to India's market which businesses estimate will unlock approximately 92 million pounds of additional UK exports every year in spirits, oats, pork products, and more. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has developed a new weapon that is comparable to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of the United States. The new weapon reportedly boasts a 500km range and has been developed to reach high-altitude targets like the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. The deveopment of the weapon comes amid the talks between India and China over issues over their border. Talks started last July 17 but there has been no significant development in resolving the problems thet two nations have. The Chinese military recently claimed that it had tested the precision attack capability of its new MLRS in a high-altitude zone, according to the state media network CCTV. China's Platform for Rocket Launch The People's Liberation Army used the PCL-191 MLRS, carried on a truck, to strike a target at a shooting range in the western desert of China from several kilometers, reported EurAsian Times. Both sides have greatly expanded their firepower near the border since their border issues started in 2020. A Chinese military aircraft flew perilously close to one of the flashpoints in the Eastern Ladakh area during the last week of June. Over the past week, the Chinese side also took part in hostile activities along the LAC in the Eastern Ladakh sector, flying extremely close to the LAC despite the confidence-building measures that restrict both sides from doing so, noted NDTV. Military analysts claim that the purpose of the most recent MLRS display was to show off the PLA's firepower and battle preparedness for any border situation. Chinese Rocket System a Threat to Opposing Forces During China's National Day parade in October 2019, the sophisticated new Chinese weapon--considered to be the HIMARS-like--was shown in front of the general public for the first time. Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency? According to the Chinese side, the precision-strike long-range MLRS was positioned along the Himalayan border with India in April 2021, as reported earlier by EurAsian Times. MLRS Type PCL191 is a mystery weapon exhibited for the first time in 2019 in Beijing, a challenger to the US HIMARS wheeled launcher. The system can reportedly carry two 750mm Fire Dragon 480 tactical ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500km or eight 370mm (1412 inch) rockets with a range of 350km,. According to Zhou Chenming--researcher with the Yuan Wang military science and technology think tank in Beijing--the rocket launch system's range has been increased to 500 km. He added that the system used Chinese electronics and radar systems and China's BeiDou satellite navigation system to fire at targets. Based on the official PLA Daily, the system was functional in April of last year by an artillery brigade of the Western Theatre Command in the Xinjiang military area. The brigade was deployed to a Himalayan region 5,200 meters (17,000 feet) above sea level and near the Indian border. The PLA's Eastern Theatre Command previously deployed the rocket system at Huzhou, Zhejiang province, and Xiamen, Fujian province, China's closest point to Taiwan, casting doubt on the security of the Taiwan Strait as well. For what it's worth, the new rocket system with the 500km attack range exceeds the United States' similar weapon. Related Article: Ukrainian Military Launches Hiroshima-Like Attacks Using US HIMARS in Kherson, Officials Claim @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A UK parliamentary panel on Friday warned the government against accepting a poor deal to rush things through simply to meet a deadline set for the completion of a free trade agreement (FTA) with India. The House of Commons Agreements Committee, in a report entitled UK-India free trade agreement: Scrutiny of the Government's Negotiating Objectives', questions the Diwali deadline set for the conclusion of the negotiations by outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his visit to India in April. The committee cautioned that could risk giving up a good deal for a fast one, by setting a time ambition over and above content. A growing economy, as well as a growing middle class and consumer market, make India an attractive trading partner for the UK. The UK government, however, must not accept a poor agreement simply to meet a deadline, said Baroness Dianne Hayter, chair of the committee. We have noted that the aspirations in the Negotiating Objectives are particularly challenging because some would require changes to India's own cultural and legal approach, which are unlikely to be achieved, or would take a long time, she said. We reiterate our recommendation that the government should publish a trade policy, showing how trade links into broader foreign policy, security, defence and other domestic objectives, as well as labour, women's and human rights, and the environment. This will enable trade policy to be understood in relation to other priorities and enable us to assess the impacts and trade-offs, she said. The cross-party committee claims that India's historically protectionist policies, different regulatory approaches and business practices would mean changes in domestic legislation, which could be a lengthy process to implement. It also references the practice in India of requiring businesses to make so-called facilitation payments, different administrative requirements at national and state level, a lengthy application process for business permits, a complex tax regime, low levels of contract enforcement and limited IP protections. The committee therefore questions the arbitrary Diwali deadline set for the conclusion of the negotiations, cautioning that the government could risk giving up a good deal for a fast one by setting a time ambition over and above content, it said. The committee notes that although the Boris Johnson-led government has emphasised that it intends to conclude an agreement that is comprehensive, it is unclear how comprehensive that agreement can be given India's challenging regulatory and business environment. Because the government's objectives do not take sufficient account of the Indian context, they can come across as overly ambitious or unrealistic, with some (for example on procurement) seeming particularly unattainable, the report warns. The committee has called on the government to publish a comprehensive trade policy that provides a framework within which all negotiations can be conducted. This is now expected to be taken up after the Parliament is back from its summer recess in September, by which time the UK is expected to have a new Prime Minister either former Chancellor Rishi Sunak or Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. While trade experts have indicated that the ambition for a UK-India FTA is unlikely to be affected by the leadership change at Downing Street, the Diwali deadline for its completion has had a question mark. I would much rather have a more comprehensive deal that takes slightly longer to complete. It's good to have a deadline, good to have that target to try and finish by Diwali. But it may not be the end of October but the end of December; my target is the end of this year, Confederation of British Industry President Lord Karan Bilimoria, who heads the UK-India Industry Taskforce as a joint commission to enhance cross-industry collaboration on the ongoing trade negotiations, said recently. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish officials say a deal on a UN plan to unblock the exports of Ukrainian grain amid the war and to allow Russia to grain and fertilisers will be signed Friday in . Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said that he, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and officials from Russia and Ukraine will oversee the signing ceremony. It did not provide further details. The grain agreement, critically important for global food security, will be signed in tomorrow under the auspices of President Erdogan and U.N. Secretary General Mr. Guterres together with Ukrainian and Russian delegations, Erdogan spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in a tweet. Guterres has been working on a plan that would enable Ukraine to millions of tons of grain stockpiles that have been stuck in Ukraine's Black Sea ports due to the war a move that could ease a global food crisis that has sent wheat and other grain prices soaring. At least 22 million tons of grain are stuck in Ukraine due to the war. Last week, the sides met in Istanbul, reaching a tentative agreement on the plan. The plant foresees joint controls of ships as they leave and arrive at Black Sea ports and a mechanism to ensure the safety of the transfer routes, Turkish officials said. A coordination center for the shipping of exports would be established in and would include U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres had arrived Thursday in Istanbul, which means we're moving ahead on the deal. U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, whom Guterres put in charge of the Ukraine side of the deal, and Rebeca Grynspan, head of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development who he put in charge of the Russian side of the deal, were also in Istanbul. We've been working around the clock with intense behind the scenes talks with countless moving parts, Haq said. With the growing global food crisis, Haq said if an agreement is reached we can potentially save hundreds of thousands, potentially millions of people, from having food be priced out of their reach. Russian and Ukrainian officials have blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports to allow safe shipping. Russia has also insisted on its right to check the incoming ships for weapons. Ukraine has sought guarantees that the Kremlin wouldn't use the safe corridors for grain shipments to attack Ukraine's key Black Sea port of Odesa. Ukrainian authorities have also accused Russia of stealing grain from its eastern regions to sell and deliberately shelling Ukrainian fields to set them on fire. The Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on the Turkish announcement. Dmitry Peskov said it was a question for the (Russian) military. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) in has been advanced by one month to September of the 2022-23 kharif marketing season following a request fro the state, Union Agriculture Minister said on Friday. Usually, the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) runs from October to September. On June 21, government had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to advance from October to September 2022. "The Government of India vide letter dated 18.07.2022 has approved for advancement of procurement period of paddy in by one month...," Tomar said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. The minister also said that Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) are announced well before the sowing season so that the farmers can take an informed decision for sowing a particular crop. (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 ramped up purchases of crude from Russias far east, a grade thats typically favored by Chinese oil refiners. Four vessels hauling Russian ESPO oil are making their way to India, with two tankers heading for Paradip port on the east coast, where a refinery operated by . is located, according to shipbrokers and data compiled by Bloomberg. That compares with three vessels in June and one in April, said Emma Li, an analyst at Vortexa in Singapore. State-owned Indian Oil didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The trade is typically not attractive to Indian buyers due to the long distance from the Russian loading port of Kozmino and because ESPO crude cargoes are usually transported in aframax vessels, which carry smaller volumes. However, the cheaper price compared with other grades from the Persian Gulf and West Africa are likely to have prompted the buying, according to traders. Cargoes of ESPO can be shipped to in around five days, and the nations refiners have been eagerly snapping up the cheap Russian barrels, which have displaced flows from other suppliers such as West Africa and Brazil. Crypto technology as a means of payment is logical extension of fintech companies but challenges lies on its usage as an asset class and an alternative to currency, Minister of State for Electronics and IT said on Thursday. Speaking on sidelines of Fintech Festival, Chandrasekhar said the whole world is grappling with the issue of crypto and has to come to an understanding on the ways and means to address it. "Crypto as a means of payment is logical extension of fintech but crypto as an asset class and crypto as a substitute for currency is an area with which all currencies of the world and all regulators of the world are struggling with. We will find our way with prudence, caution. We have completely clear objective as to who will do crypto in India. The government has said that RBI will do crypto the digital rupee as first measure and then we see how market evolves," Chandrasekhar said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the RBI has expressed concerns over cryptocurrencies noting that they should be prohibited as they can have destabilising effect on the monetary and fiscal stability. She said the RBI had registered its concern over the adverse effect of cryptocurrencies on the Indian economy. The RBI mentioned that cryptocurrencies are not a currency because every modern currency needs to be issued by the central bank or the government, she said. Further, she said, the value of fiat currencies is anchored by monetary policy and their status as legal tender. However, the value of cryptocurrencies rest solely on the speculations and expectations of high returns that are not well anchored, so it will have a destabilising effect on the monetary and fiscal stability of a country. On the other hand, The Reserve Bank of India is in the process of implementing the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in a phased manner for the wholesale and retail segments. The introduction of CBDC was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and necessary amendments to the relevant section of the RBI Act, 1934 has been made with the passage of the Finance Bill 2022, said Ajay Kumar Choudhary, Executive Director (Fintech), RBI. The passage of the bill has enabled the RBI to conduct a pilot and subsequent issuance of the CBDC. The CBDC is a digital or virtual currency but it is not comparable to the private virtual currencies or that have mushroomed over the last decade. Private virtual currencies do not represent any person's debt or liabilities as there is no issuer. India's official digital currency is likely to debut by early 2023, which will mirror any of the currently available private company-operated electronic wallets. The CBDC will be a sovereign-backed digital currency. (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.) Prashant Jain, the poster boy for the Rs 38-trillion domestic mutual fund (MF) industry, has quit HDFC Asset Management Company (AMC) after 19 years. He was serving as chief investment officer (CIO) at the countrys third-largest fund house, overseeing assets of more than Rs 4 trillion. Jain has decided to move on and has tendered his resignation, said in a stock exchange disclosure on Friday. Jain, an alumnus of and IIM Bangalore, has been replaced by Chirag Setalvad, who will be head of equities, and Shobhit Mehrotra, who will helm the fixed-income segment. Both will report to Navneet Munot, managing director and chief executive officer of the company. Munot joined 18 months ago following the retirement of Milind Barve, the fund houses long-serving chief. Rumours of Jains exit had been doing the rounds for the past two years, which he had always played down. The resignation comes at a time when Abrdn-backed is struggling to increase its market share and assets under management (AUM), weighing on the performance of its stock. In the past one year, HDFC AMC shares are down 34 per cent even as the benchmark Nifty50 index has gained 6 per cent. For the quarter-ended June 2022, HDFC AMCs average AUM stood at Rs 4.15 trillion, down 0.2 per cent compared to the same period last year. The fund house ceded its second position to ICICI Prudential MF, which saw its assets jump nearly 12 per cent to Rs 4.65 trillion for the period under consideration. The average AUM growth for the industry was 13.8 per cent. Jains legacy has helped his investors generate outsized returns over a long-term horizon. His largest fund HDFC Balanced Advantage (with a corpus of Rs 43,079 crore) has delivered annualised returns of 17.9 per cent since its inception in 1994. Meanwhile, HDFC Top 100 (Rs 19,910 crore) and HDFC Flexi Cap (Rs 26,511 crore) have given annualised returns of 18.8 per cent and 18.3 per cent since their inception in 1996 and 1995, respectively. Jains ability to deliver sustainable growth over a longer period gave him a cult status among investors and helped propel the growth of HDFC AMC. However, his value-oriented approach has weighed on his schemes performance over the last few years as the market preference shifted to high-growth stocks. His preference for public sector undertakings (PSUs), mainly banks, weighed on his schemes performance, often drawing investors ire. Over a 3-year and 5-year period, both HDFC Balanced Advantage and HDFC Top 100 have underperformed their benchmarks. Jain, with over three decades of fund management experience under his belt, joins a series of high-profile fund managers to quit the MF industry. Many of them have forayed into the alternative investment fund (AIF) and portfolio management service, which are largely targeted at ultra-rich investors. Rental properties are seeing high demand in major metros and many of them are getting rented out within six hours of posting advertisements online, according to a realty portal. The trend also comes amid many companies embracing both work from home as well as office post the coronavirus pandemic, it said in a report. Nobroker offers rental properties in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune. It claims to have over 1.8 crore registered users. The portal, which does not charge brokerage, gets over 2.5 lakh rental postings every month, its Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Amit Agarwal told PTI. Data available with the portal for the April-June period showed that properties are getting rented out within six hours of being listed on the Nobroker platform since April, led by Bengaluru, where the rental occupancy has grown five times from the pre-pandemic level. In the other five cities, the occupancy growth rate is three times since April, as per the data. When it comes to Bengaluru, the platform has seen 18,000 new rental properties being rented out in the tech city in less than 24 hours after being listed in April. The number of such deals was 7,000-8,000 for Chennai, 5,000 each for Pune and Hyderabad. Around 40 per cent of the deals were closed in less than 6 hours after posting of the rental advertisements, Agarwal said. As many companies still have a work from home policy in select residential in Bengaluru, there has been a massive demand for apartments in gated communities, the report said. Agarwal said high-demand societies are witnessing a 10-15 per cent uptick in rental value as well. Opening of schools and offices have had a dual effect in terms of pace at which tenants have returned to the metros. Nobroker, a unicorn, has received investments from marquee investors such as General Atlantic, Tiger Global, Elevation Capital, Moore Capital, Beenext and KTB Ventures. (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.) 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 The domestic equity barometers bounced back and marched towards the day's high in early afternoon trade. The Nifty traded above the 16,650 mark. IT shares witnessed some bit of profit booking after a four-day wining streak. At 12:23 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 229.93 points or 0.41% to 55,911.88. The Nifty 50 index added 76.65 points or 0.46% to 16,681.90. In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.10% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.14%. The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,716 shares rose and 1,444 shares fell. A total of 182 shares were unchanged. Economy: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 21 July 2022 said that the rate setting Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) meeting next month is rescheduled due to administrative exigencies. The MPC will now meet on August 3-5, from previously scheduled August 2-4, said the RBI. Politics: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Droupadi Murmu was elected the 15th President of India. She was declared elected on Thursday after four rounds of counting, posting an unassailable lead over her rival and the Opposition's candidate Yashwant Sinha, who conceded the election thereafter. The President-elect will take oath on July 25. Derivatives: The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, declined 0.96% to 16.70. The Nifty 28 July 2022 futures were trading at 16,567.50, at a premium of 2.45 points as compared with the spot at 16,565.05. The Nifty option chain for the 28 July 2022 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 71.1 lakh contracts at the 17,000 strike prices. Maximum Put OI of 73 lakh contracts was seen at 16,500 strike price. Buzzing Index: The Nifty IT index fell 1.14% to 28,020.95. The index had advanced 7.02% in the past four sessions. Mphasis (down 2.68%), Infosys (down 2.28%), Mindtree (down 1.27%), Tech Mahindra (down 0.96%) and HCL Technologies (down 0.85%) were the top index losers. Further, Larsen & Toubro Infotech (down 0.68%), Tata Consultancy Services (down 0.53%), Wipro (down 0.53%) declined. Coforge rose 0.18%. The IT firm's consolidated net profit declined 27.9% to Rs 149.7 crore despite a 5% increase in gross revenues to Rs 1,829.4 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q4 FY22. In dollar terms, the company's revenue for the quarter was $238.7 million, up 2.7% QoQ and up 19.5% YoY. In constant currency terms, the company's revenue has risen by 4.7% QoQ. The company has upgraded its annual revenue guidance to grow at least 20% in constant currency terms and reiterated its adjusted EBITDA margin guidance between 18.5% and 19.0% during the year. Cyient declined 2.71%. The company's consolidated net profit slipped 24.71% to Rs 116.10 crore while net sales rose 5.83% to Rs 1,250.10 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q4 FY22. The company's constant currency revenue growth stood at 4.4% QoQ and 15.8% YoY. The company expects revenue to grow in the range of 13% - 15% in FY23 in constant currency for the Group. EBIT Margin for the full year is expected to be in the range of 13% to 14%. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's foreign intelligence service chief believes that Russia is soon going to run out of steam in its war on Ukraine, arguing that it has lost its ability to spy in Europe "by half" following the expulsion of more than 400 Russian intelligence officers in the region. The head of MI6, Richard Moore, said that since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, European countries have expelled "north of 400 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover" across the bloc. Russia's War on Ukraine He noted that in the UK, this has led to a reduced ability of Moscow to do their business to spy in Europe by half. He added that there were a number of "illegals," or Russian spies operating under deep cover and masquerading as ordinary civilians, who have been exposed and arrested in recent months. The official noted he believes that Russia could be "about to run out of steam in Ukraine, saying that Moscow will find it even more challenging to supply manpower material in the next few weeks. Moore added that Russia would most likely have to pause in some way, which will give Ukrainians opportunities to strike back, as per CNN. The British official noted that Ukrainian morale was still high amid the war, noting that they have started to receive an increasing amount of weaponry from other nations. On the other hand, Russia has significantly failed in its initial objectives to take Kyiv and overthrow the government using "cannon fodder" for its offensives in eastern Ukraine. Read Also: CIA Chief Reveals How China Is Learning From Russia-Ukraine War for Taiwan Invasion Moore was also asked whether the war in Ukraine made Russia a "target-rich environment" for the UK and its allies to recruit potential assets. The official said that "it is our hope" that Russians in the intelligence and diplomatic services will "reflect on what they are witnessing in Ukraine" and decide to "strike back against the system." According to the New York Post, the head of Britain's overseas intelligence services acknowledged that Moscow was able to make gains in the Donbas and southern Ukraine. However, he warned that the Kremlin's troops were stretching their supply chain thin in their war against Ukraine. Cannon Fodder Moore noted that while the Russian troops have made some incremental progress over recent weeks and months, it is relatively tiny amounts. He added that those gains came with a price, as his service made a "conservative estimate" of 15,000 Russian soldiers being killed in action. The British official added that the individuals were not "middle-class kids from St. Petersburg or Moscow." They were poor kids from rural parts of Russia, noting that they were from blue-collar towns in Siberia and were disproportionately from ethnic minorities. While Moore assessed that Russia's war effort was struggling, he opposed the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was of the same state. He said that there was no evidence that the strongman is suffering from ill health. Moore noted that the conservative estimate of Russian troops lost in battle was similar to the 10 years they suffered in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Speaking a day earlier at a conference, CIA Director Bill Burns said there were maybe three times as many wounded, Yahoo News reported. Related Article: US Ramps Up Military Aid to Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky's First Lady Asks Washington for Weapons @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rashtriya Janata Dal state president Jagadanand Singh claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not ruling on the basis of good governance but by making the opposition weak to show it is stronger. Singh said that the government is framing opposition leaders through government agencies and marking them guilty but if they join the they get a clean chit. "They (BJP) involved Congress president Sonia Gandhi in an old case ( Herald). Similarly, the Supreme Court has admitted that Lalu Prasad Yadav has no money, still they are dragging in an old case. The leaders of the have become habitual of going against the Constitution of the country for political vendetta against opposition parties," Singh said. "They called people of the minority community rioters and held them guilty in the Gujarat riots," Singh said. "Due to the political vendetta against opposition leaders, a party like the Congress is consolidating its position in a number of states. It is trying to stand on its own feet and turning out to be a strong opposition party in the country," Singh said. "When it comes to caste based census, they claim that it creates differences in the society and when it comes to recruitment of Agniveers, they are demanding caste certificates. The idea is to remove them from the job after four years on the basis of caste," Singh said. --IANS ajk/bg (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.) Ahead of the general election, the opposition continues to be at the receiving end as shown by the Presidential poll, which was tilted to one side. The result is being studied by the since in over a dozen states opposition MLAs and MPs voted for Droupadi Murmu. As per sources over 100 MLAs cross-voted and more than a dozen opposition MPs voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu, the President-elect. As per the data, the Congress-led opposition got 20 votes despite having 45 votes in the Assam Assembly, in Bihar six MLAs cross-voted in favour of the NDA candidate as the strength of the ruling party is 127 but got 133 votes. Similarly in Chhattisgarh two Congress MLAs did not vote for Yashwant Sinha. However, it was not clear which MLAs voted for the NDA candidate. sources said that they will study the pattern of how many MLAs were impressed with Prime Minister's development and then take a view on it. However the party leaders claim that one-sided victory was very much expected. The major setback came from Gujarat where 10 MLAs voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu. The state goes to poll this year and the Congress has high stakes in the elections. In Madhya Pradesh, where the allegation of buying MLAs has been levelled by the Congress, around 15 to 16 MLAs of the party cross-voted, which is the major headache for Kamal Nath. In Maharashtra more than dozen non NDA MLAs voted for Murmu. She also secured votes in Kerala where there is no MLA to the surprise of the BJP. A total of 4,754 votes were cast for the Presidential election, the process of which concluded on Thursday with the declaration of result. The final tally showed that of the total votes cast, 4701 were valid and 53 were invalid. Droupadi Murmu, the NDA nominee who won the election to become the 15th President of India, bagged 2,824 first preference votes, the value of which stood at 6,76,803. The cut-off mark for victory was 5,28,491. Joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha managed 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. --IANS miz/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.) leader hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the party wants to tarnish the image of the "Gandhi family" and the " party". This comes after the Enforcement Directorate questioned interim chief in the Herald case on Thursday. The Congress leader said that the party has no issue with ED questioning Sonia Gandhi, the protest is against the intention of questioning. Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said, "We don't have any issue with the questioning of but we protest against the intention that's behind her questioning. wants to tarnish the image of the Gandhi family and Congress party that's why they're hatching such conspiracies. They (BJP) know Congress is the party of ideology. "And does not like the ideology of Congress that what they hatch the conspiracies and have one slogan that is Congress-free India," he said. The Congress leader said that the Congress party was in power for 54 years, will anybody believe that the party can commit a scam? "Congress was in power for 54 years. Will anybody in India believe that the party that was in power for 54 years will commit a scam of 90 crores that too by people like and Rahul Gandhi whose family members sacrificed their lives," he asked. He further said, "On the same day when the is proud of a tribal woman becoming India's President, they meted out injustice to a woman, who sacrificed PM post, in the name of questioning." Meanwhile, Delhi Police said that it has detained 349 Congress functionaries including 56 MPs after the leaders protested in the capital over ED summons to the Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi. At about 11 am, a large number of AICC workers started gathering at various locations i.e. RML Hospital, Akbar Road, Maulana Azad Road, Man Singh Road, Tolstoy Marg, etc. for the protest. The protestors were appropriately warned about the prohibitory order in force in the area and were requested to disperse. However, the protestors did not pay heed to the requests of the police and continued their unlawful assembly. Therefore, they were stopped and detained for violation of lawful directions. Senior Congress leaders including P Chidambaram, Ajay Maken, Manickam Tagore, KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhry, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Harish Rawat, Ashok Gehlot, K Suresh were among those detained. Congress workers in Nagpur were also detained in the wake of the protest. The protest by the Congress turned violent in Bengaluru as the Youth Congress workers allegedly set a car on fire, in front of ED office. Congress workers also stopped a train and blocked railway tracks at New Delhi's Shivaji Bridge railway station. Chandigarh Police also used water cannons to disperse Congress workers and leaders as they protested over the questioning. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said party MPs and CWC Members have courted mass arrest outside the party's central office in a show of collective solidarity with Sonia Gandhi.Congress leaders accused the government of misusing the probe agencies to target political opponents. (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 Congress district committees in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi on Friday held protests in Mangaluru and Brahmavar in Udupi to protest against the Enforcement Directorate's interrogation of party president . Addressing protesters here, former minister B Ramanath Rai said the BJP government at the Centre has hatched a political conspiracy against the opposition leaders and was misusing central agencies against them as part of their vendetta . Former MLC Ivan D'Souza, who also spoke, the party strongly condemns the ED action against . Madhu Bangarappa in his speech, alleged that the BJP is misusing power through ED, IT and CBI to wreak vengeance on opposition leaders. A protest rally was taken out by Congress workers from the clock tower to the office of the deputy commissioner. The rally was stopped by the police in front of the town hall. In Udupi, the party staged a massive protest at Brahmavar against the ED action against the Congress president. MLA U T Khader, who addressed the protesters, said was a leader who refused the opportunity to become the prime minister of the country. The ED action against her is part of BJP's dirty politics, he said. Former MLA Abhayachandra Jain said Congress has a rich pre-independence history. The efforts of the BJP, which was formed after the country got freedom, to make India Congress-free are doomed to fail, he said. Former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake alleged that the BJP is uprooting democracy in the country. The ruling party is also blatantly using religion to divide the people for narrow political gains, he charged. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Congress staged a protest for the second consecutive day Friday against the (ED) questioning of party president Sonia Gandhi and summoning her again in connection with the Herald case. Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar said several protesting Congress leaders and workers were detained and stopped by the Delhi Police. Party leaders and workers gathered near Aggarwal Dharamshala at Chhatarpur, holding banners and raising slogans against the Central government. Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar has accused the government of "misusing" Central agencies to "harass" Congress leaders. "The government has been using various agencies to harass and scare Congress leaders and workers, but we will not fear such tactics and bravely face any probe to expose the lies of the Centre. They (Centre) have hatched a conspiracy to torment the top leadership of the Congress party through the ED and CBI," he alleged. Kumar alleged, "The Central government's autocratic rule has been trying to crush the voices of dissent, but Congress leaders will not be cowed down by the high-handed actions of the ED. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been harassed and this is a violation of all the Constitutional and democratic norms." He further stated that Congress leaders have been fighting for the "truth", and to "protect the interest of the people". "The current government has changed the meaning of democracy to suit its vested interest. Free speech has been banned and those who speak against the Prime Minister and his government are harassed and arrested," he alleged. More than 70 Congress MPs were detained after they staged a protest on Thursday. The party had also alleged that the media was barred from entering the Congress headquarters during their protest. Sonia Gandhi, 75, was interrogated by the ED on Thursday for two hours. She has been summoned again by the Central agency for questioning on July 26 in connection with a money laundering probed linked to the Herald newspaper case. Similar protests were held when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quizzed by the ED in connection with the case last month. (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 Thursday said paperless proceedings will be conducted in the upcoming Assembly session. "Tablets will be seen in front of the MLAs during the proceedings," he added. Khattar said e-Vidhan Sabha or paperless proceedings will also prove useful from an environmental point of view. This system will make the Vidhan Sabha paperless saving paper and, therefore, the trees," he said while speaking at the launch of a two-day workshop on National e-Vidhan application (NeVA) organised by the Vidhan Sabha in Panchkula, an official statement here. The chief minister also said will soon get an additional assembly building. "The paper process will be completed soon. After the construction of the new building, the existing building of Haryana Vidhan Sabha will also remain and both the buildings will be functioning in their own way," he said. Khattar said the need for a new Vidhan Sabha building was felt due to space issues if the number of MLAs increases in the future. The Centre had recently announced land for setting up an additional building for Haryana assembly in Chandigarh. On e-Vidhan Sabha, Khattar said, "Today the whole world is moving towards digitalisation. The age of computer has simplified life. Computerisation is being done in all the departments. If we want to move with the times, then we have to use computers, tablets, laptops and be proficient in their use. He said his government has made many welfare schemes and facilities online. The Haryana government implemented the Parivar Pehchan Patra (family id) scheme, he said. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) officials will be meeting with the team of Haryana's PPP, Khattar said. "Uttar Pradesh has also announced to make PPP," he added. The Haryana assembly had earlier passed a bill aimed at creating a unique identification number for each family, while preparing a database enabling the families to access various government services. The chief minister said the government land records will be digitised. Speaking at the workshop, Haryana assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream to make the entire system of Vidhan Sabhas digital and paperless. "Haryana Vidhan Sabha has taken a step in this direction," he said. Gupta said E-Seva Kendra has been set up in Haryana assembly to help MLAs as the assembly proceedings will gradually go digital. Employees and officers are also taking training for e-assembly, 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.) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in has finally decided to take up the long-pending task of . According to party sources, the high command has taken a call on the issue, and the expansion is likely to be done by the first week of August. Former ministers -- K.S. Eshwarappa and Ramesh Jarkiholi who had resigned following serious allegations, are most likely to get cabinet berth, party sources said. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would visit Delhi on Sunday (July 24) and top leaders are expected to give green signal to the exercise of cabinet expansion, according to sources. The "aspirants" are demanding the expansion in the view of upcoming state assembly elections of 2023, which is less than 10 months away. Even as there was a wait for Rajya Sabha elections to get over, and some leaders were asking to wait until the elections of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the party has taken a call in this regard, say sources. There are 5 vacant cabinet berths in the state cabinet and the party is willing to accommodate 10 new faces. Though there were talks on complete overhaul of the cabinet, since assembly elections are nearing, the party leadership will settle with filling vacant cabinet posts. Former minister Eshwarappa who had resigned over the contractor suicide has now received a clean chit. Besides, Jarkiholi who had stepped down from his ministerial position over a sex CD scandal also received a clean chit from the Special Investigation Team. The BJP, looking forward to attain majority in the upcoming assembly elections and also repeat the feat similar to 2018 Lok Sabha elections of winning 25 MP seats out of 28 is likely to accommodate senior leaders, sources said. --IANS mka/pgh (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.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Thursday challenged the BJP government at the Centre, saying if it has courage it should install cameras and live telecast the questioning of Congress president by the in a . Addressing a protest organized by the Congress in front of the ED office in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, he accused the BJP of misusing central agencies against opposition parties. The ED questioned Gandhi in New Delhi for over two hours in a related to the Herald newspaper. She has been summoned again on July 25. The ED action against Gandhi invited strong reaction from the Congress which staged street protests across the country during which party leaders also courted arrest. Speaking in local language Chhattisgarhi, Baghel said, "They (ED) should install cameras in the room where they were questioning and share its links to all news channels or allow news channels' cameras inside the room. The country wants to know their questions and replies by Gandhi. If the BJP government at the Centre has courage, then let the ED put cameras at the place where is being questioned. Do you have that kind of courage? The country wants to know where scam has taken place (in the Herald case), Baghel asked. The Congress leader said the Modi government has been harassing a 75-year-old woman (Gandhi) who is in poor health by letting the ED summon her to its office. ED officials could have taken a written statement from the Congress president instead of calling her to the office, the CM said. He further asked Why don't ED officials take action against Chhattisgarh's former chief minister Raman Singh who faced allegations of corruption." State Congress chief Mohan Markam, party MLAs and senior leaders took part in the protest. (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 and other like-minded parties held a joint protest against the price rise and increase in the GST rates of essential commodities in the House complex even as Prime Minister held a meeting with senior ministers on Friday. The face-off with the government continued on the fifth day as the continued with its protests. No government business was conducted in both the Houses due to stiff on Thursday. The government decided not to go ahead with Bills as the opposition was absent. Meanwhile, Prime Minister held a meeting with the top ministers to discuss the government's strategy in . Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Pralhad Joshi, Anurag Singh Thakur, Kiren Rijiju and Piyush Goyal were present in the meeting. The started on Monday and since then the opposition has been pressing for discussion on the GST and price rise issue. Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh has given adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha on the issue of unemployment while in the Rajya Sabha too suspension of business has been given by the opposition. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said, "Yet again the Modi Sarkar refused an urgent debate in the Rajya Sabha on galloping price rise and senseless increase on GST rates on food items. House adjourned till 12 noon. The Opposition is united that we want debate on this critical issue impacting crores of Indians." (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.) Newly elected Independent Member of from Uttar Pradesh will repeat his oath as an MP on Friday after his earlier pledge was found to be not in order. It is learnt that Sibal, who took oath on Monday for a fresh term, will repeat it as first oath was not in order. On July 18, the first day of Monsoon Session, BJP Member from Karnataka Jaggesh had to take the oath for a second time as his oath was also not in order. Without naming Jaggesh, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu had said that while taking the oath, one should read the prescribed form and any deviation will make their oath invalid. After the oath by Sibal, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar is scheduled to move a motion to elect a member of the Coconut Development Board. Union minister V. Muraleedharan will make a statement regarding Government Business for the week commencing Monday, July 25. Statements regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in the Department-related Parliamentary Standing to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution will be made by Union minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey. Union minister Raosaheb Danve, Niranjan Jytoi, Anupriya Singh Patel, Shobha Karandlaje, Darshana Jardosh and Som Prakash will also lay papers related to their ministries. Besides, Arun Singh and Kirodi Lal Meena will lay on the table the Seventeenth Report of the Committee on Water Resources (2021-22) on the Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in its Twelfth Report (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on 'Flood Management in the Country including International Water Treaties in the field of Water Resource Management with Particular Reference to Treaty/Agreement entered into with AChina, Pakistan and Bhutan' Several Private Members' Bill will also tabled by the Members. --IANS ssb/shb/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former First Lady Melania Trump said Thursday that if she had known about the Capitol brawl last year she would have "immediately repudiated" it. Former President Donald Trump's wife stated to Fox News that on January 6, 2021, she was assisting with the documentation of architectural and aesthetic alterations she made to the White House during her four years in residence. Melania Trump Says She's Unaware of the Capitol Riot "As a result, I was uninformed of what was going on inside the US Capitol Building," Melania Trump told the newspaper. The former first lady spoke out as the House select committee probing the day's violence prepared a primetime hearing, promising to expose the 45th president's behavior as his supporters rampaged through the hallways of Congress. Melania Trump attacked her former press secretary and chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, who claimed the then-first lady declined to issue a statement denouncing the incident, in the same interview. Grisham tweeted the screenshotted exchange a day after former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Jan. 6 and made several shocking claims, including that Trump attempted to overpower his Secret Service detail and drive himself to the Capitol, according to New York times. Grisham worked on Trump's campaign and was sent to the East Wing shortly after his inauguration, only to be transferred to the West Wing to serve as White House press secretary from April 2020 to January 2021 - yet she never conducted a briefing. Grisham then returned to the East Wing as Melania Trump's chief of staff. Melania Trump then claimed that Grisham failed to inform her of the gravity of the incident. Read Also: Rishi Sunak Narrowly Leads Race To Replace Boris Johnson as Britain's Prime Minister Stephanie Grisham Shares Conversation With Melania Trump She stated that she had "always been very supportive of my former Chief of Staff, Stephanie Grisham." Grisham worked for Trump's campaign and was assigned to the East Wing shortly after his inauguration, only to be transferred to the West Wing to serve as White House press secretary from April 2020 to January 2021, but she never held a briefing. Grisham later rejoined the Trump administration as Melania Trump's chief of staff. Following the stunning testimony of former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson before a House panel, Grisham tweeted a snapshot of her text message interaction with Melania Trump. Hutchinson informed legislators that former President Trump hurled food when Attorney General Bill Barr publicly stated that there was no significant election fraud. She also claimed to have heard from Secret Service personnel that Trump rushed at his chauffeur after being told he wouldn't be traveling to the Capitol Building following the Ellipse rally on January 6. There had previously been no specific proof that Trump wanted to join his supporters on Capitol Hill. That evidence, Grisham claimed a day later on CNN, made her wonder if Melania Trump was aware of her husband's larger ambitions, which would explain why she declined to denounce the MAGA mob's activities, Daily Mail reported. Related Article: No More Donald Trump-like January 6 Attack? US Senate Group Proposes 2 Bills To Reform Election Laws @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. leader on Friday congratulated on her election as the President of India, and said his party expects her to uphold the constitutional values. "We welcome her victory and are happy that a tribal woman has assumed the top post. We supported her candidature. We expect her to uphold and protect the constitutional values," Raut, who is the party's chief spokesman, told PTI. Murmu, the candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Democratic Alliance (NDA), scripted history on Thursday by becoming India's first tribal president in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. Murmu, 64, won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind to become the country's 15th president. In the run-up to the election for the top post held on July 18, chief Uddhav Thackeray had announced his support for Murmu, days after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by him in the state collapsed. The Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress were constituents of the MVA dispensation. The Sena had parted ways with the BJP after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls following differences over sharing the chief minister's post, and later joined hands with the NCP and Congress. (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 Thursday thanked non-BJP MLAs in the state who voted for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate in the presidential poll. He said Murmu, a tribal and former Governor, got votes of MLAs of parties other than the BJP, which heads the NDA, in the state and congratulated her for getting elected to the country's top constitutional post. Murmu scripted history by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. Murmu, 64, won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind to become the country's 15th president. In the presidential poll, got votes of MLAs other than those of the BJP in the state. I heartily thank MLAs who have voted for as per their conscience, Chouhan said in a tweet in Hindi. Chouhan congratulated Murmu for getting elected as the President. On the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav (75 years) of the country's Independence and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is the nation's fortune that a sister coming from the tribal community was made the Presidential candidate and today she got elected to the nation's highest constitutional post, the CM said 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.) Rajya Sabha MP on Friday said that "vendetta has reached a new low" with the Enforcement Directorate's summoning of Congress leader for interrogation. He also said that all investigating agencies are now perceived as long arms of the government to harass leaders and tarnish reputations. The (ED) on Thursday questioned Congress chief Gandhi for over two hours in a money laundering case related to the Herald newspaper. The day was a show of strength for the party with street protests and leaders courting arrest across the country. "By the ED summoning for interrogation vendetta has reached a new low," said Sibal, a former Congress leader who quit the party recently and was elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fresh term as an independent. "All investigating agencies are now perceived as long arms of the government to harass leaders and tarnish reputations," 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.) Vice President on Friday visited Droupadi Murmu's temporary residence here and congratulated her on being elected as the 15th President of India. Visitors continued to stream in to meet Murmu and congratulate her on being elected to the top constitutional post. Vice President Naidu met Murmu and congratulated her on being elected as the 15th President of India, a tweet by his office said. The meeting lasted for 15 minutes, sources said. Murmu scripted history on Thursday by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. The 64-year-old won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind. (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.) Senior leader can never retire and the party will fight the 2023 assembly polls under his guidance, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday. Bommai's remarks come hours after Yediyurappa announced that he is vacating his Shikaripura constituency and will not contest the next election. Yediyurappa also said that his son and party's state vice-president B Y Vijayendra will contest the 2023 assembly polls from Shikaripura. The former chief minister's announcement seems to indicate the end of his electoral . "He never retires. Yediyurappa has never retired. In the next elections, his strength and guidance will be there," Bommai told reporters when asked under whose leadership the party will fight the next polls in the absence of Yediyurappa. He also mentioned that Yediyurappa is a "fatherly figure" and the central leaders know about that. The next assembly election in Karnataka is scheduled for May 2023. Bommai is in the national capital to attend the farewell dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for outgoing president Ram Nath Kovind. The Karnataka chief minister also called on President-elect Droupadi Murmu and congratulated her. (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.) LG VK Saxena recommended a probe into Kejriwal government's Excise Policy, 2021-22, over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses, officials said on Friday. The inquiry was recommended on Chief Secretary's report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, they said. Apart from this there were also "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" to provide post tender "undue benefits to liquor licensees", said the officials. The new Excise policy 2021-22 was implemented from November 17 last year under which retail licences were given to private bidders for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zones. Many liquor stores failed to open for being located in non-confirming areas of the city. Several such vends were sealed by the municipal corporations, they said. The BJP and Congress had vociferously opposed the policy and lodged complaint with the LG as well as central agencies for a probe into it. (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 of the end of the second quarter, overall outstanding nonperforming loans in Chinas commercial banking sector stood at 2.95 trillion yuan. Chinas banking regulator said its continuing to assess the risks of small and medium-sized banks and is vigorously promoting the disposal of nonperforming assets. Chinas small and medium-sized lenders disposed of 594.5 billion yuan ($87.9 billion) of bad loans in the first six months, an increase of 118.4 billion yuan from a year earlier, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) spokesperson Qi Xiang told a news conference Thursday. Guangzhous Nanhu Amusement Park is about to receive a major renovation. Southern Chinas first theme park is showing signs of its age since opening in 1985. The city government plans to invest about 500 million yuan in the park, which will be open 24 hours a day and feature esports venues and night markets Aug 16, 2022 04:26 PM Due to the energy crisis brought about by sanctions, several EU states oppose gas rationing to save energy. Three countries in the European Union have rejected a plan by Brussels to use 15% less energy to save. They disagree the reduction should be affected this winter, causing yet another rumple in the already divided bloc. Sanctions on Moscow Could Affect Bloc's Winter The "Save Gas for a Safe Winter" proposal, which the European Commission unveiled on Wednesday, calls for member states to curb gas consumption while switching to other energy sources, reported RT. If the commission's plan were to be followed, the EU authorities would have the power to declare a state of emergency and mandate the reduction. Every two months, all member states will be required to report on their progress towards the target of 15%. Spain rejected the severe action, said Energy Minister Teresa Ribera in a statement to the EU commission. She objected to its imposition since the commission shouldn't have pushed the sacrifice without first giving it an opportunity to be discussed, noted News Logic. Ribera says that Spain hasn't used as much energy as some other members. Her comment was probably directed at Berlin, echoing the claim made by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2009 that EU states in the Mediterranean were living beyond their means in the lead-up to the financial crisis, citing Anaeve. After deliberately canceling the Nord Stream 2 gas project and supporting EU sanctions against Moscow, Germany, which had relied significantly on Russian gas to power its economy, is now in danger of going bankrupt due to an energy crisis. Read also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? The next day, Greece openly opposed gas rationing, telling reporters on Thursday that Athens does not agree in general with the EU demand for a 15% reduction in gas usage, said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou. In its place, the administration presented our ideas to the EU. Greece's reliance on Russian natural gas amounts to 40%. Portugal also said no to the proposal, as stated by Energy Minister Joao Galamba on Thursday. Bloc Resorts To Gas Rationing Galamba noted that some countries, such as Germany, are now seeking assistance. In his argument, the lack of a pipeline connection between Portugal and the rest of Europe implies that any gas saved there cannot be used to make up for shortages elsewhere due to the bloc-wide rationing policy. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that officials in Italy, Poland, and Hungary have their doubts about the idea, in addition to Spain, Greece, and Portugal vocally opposing it. The resistance from Hungary is not surprising, given that during previous rounds of EU sanctions on Moscow, Budapest strongly opposed the banning of Russian oil and gas. Ursula von der Leyen, chairwoman of the European Commission, blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for using energy as a form of blackmail and claimed that the plan is ready for an energy crisis. Vladimir Putin called the US-derived sanctions mad and suicidal; the bloc leaders accepting it was more unbelievable. Joe Biden's direction is also questionable and unsound, but the gas will be pumped. The energy crisis among EU states is causing a proposed gas rationing opposed by Spain, Greece, and Portugal, complaining it was forced with no consultation. Related Article: EU Energy Crunch: German City Planners Consider Emergency Warm-Up Spaces for Gas Shortages @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The First Sea Lord stated that focused entirely on the bear risks overlooking the tiger and that the Ukraine war would have strengthened China. According to the World Bank, China's GDP is ten times that of Russia's, and China spent $293 billion on defense last year. In comparison to Russia, which he stated spent less than a fifth at $66 billion, their defense budget grew for the 27th straight year. Russia-Ukraine War Embolds China Admiral Sir Ben Key used a lecture to the Council on Geostrategic Strategy to emphasize how the conflict in Ukraine will strengthen China. While the world sees Russia as a clear and present danger, Sir Ben believes China is the long-term issue. It comes after Beijing dispatched a naval rescue team to the disputed Nansha Islands, commonly known as the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China has maintained that its military presence in the region is defensive and that it is there to preserve what it believes are its sovereign rights. According to a report on the relocation, it was a public service to the region to help local marine emergency and rescue operations, as well as oversee maritime traffic safety and ship pollution, Express reported. Meanwhile, Russia's conflict in Ukraine is a learning experience for China in determining how and when it must invade Taiwan, according to Bill Burns, the director of the US Central Investigation Agency. The director stated at the Aspen Security Forum in the Rocky Mountains that Moscow's incursion is altering Beijing's calculations, increasing the risks for Taipei. Bill Burns also cautioned that, given the present geopolitical scenario and Beijing's expanding dominance in Southeast Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping might launch an attack on Taiwan during a critical conference of the Communist Party members later this year. After learning of Xi Jinping's desire to seize control of Taiwan's self-proclaimed independence, the chairman of the intelligence agency stated that the "risks of such (an invasion of Taiwan) have gotten stronger." Bill Burns also felt that China had learned in the Russia-Ukraine war that if you don't get rapid, decisive triumphs with all the power, Beijing will "do everything one can to prop up the economy against prospective penalties." Burns, on the other hand, maintained that, while China has increased its energy imports from Russia, it is walking carefully to ensure that the relationship does not breach Western sanctions, according to Republic World. Read Also: US Ramps Up Military Aid to Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky's First Lady Asks Washington for Weapons US Accuses Russia, China of Enabling Human Trafficking Meanwhile, the US has lashed out at Russia and China, accusing them of facilitating human trafficking in a US Department of State yearly report on the topic. The 634-page paper, issued on Tuesday, covers human trafficking legislation worldwide, including those in the United States. Russia and China are named as two of the worst violators throughout the study. Russia is one of 11 nations identified as having a policy or practice of human trafficking, trafficking in government-funded programs, forced labor in government-affiliated medical services or other sectors, sexual enslavement in government camps, or the use or recruitment of juvenile soldiers." Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Yemen are also on the list. Russia was on the same list in the previous year's report. However, there was a greater emphasis this year on the invasion of Ukraine, putting Ukrainians susceptible to human trafficking, as per Al Jazeera via MSN. Related Article: Putin Says US Should Leave the Syrian People To Determine Their Own Destiny @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Turkish authorities announced that a deal has been reached with Russian officials to resume Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea despite the ongoing war between the European countries. The agreement is set to be signed on Friday in Istanbul by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The blocking of Ukrainian ports has resulted in a global shortage of Ukrainian grain, leaving millions at risk of hunger and starvation. Ukrainian Grain Exports The invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, sent food prices soaring, so the recently announced deal is crucial to many regions. There are roughly 20 million tons of grain that are stuck in silos in Odesa. In a statement, Ukraine's foreign ministry confirmed that another UN-led round of talks to unblock grain exports would take place in Turkey on Friday. They added that a document "may be signed" during the discussions. However, one Ukrainian MP close to the talks voiced caution over the deal, arguing that there is no agreement yet. Odesa MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said that they did not "trust Russians" at all and were discussing a final decision, as per BBC. On the other hand, the U.S. State Department welcomed the UN-brokered deal but noted that it was focusing on holding Russia accountable for implementing it. Spokesman Ned Price said, "We should never have been in this position in the first place. This was a deliberate decision on the part of the Russian Federation to weaponize food." Read Also: Russia "About To Run Out of Steam" in War, Ukraine Could Strike Back, Predicts UK Intel Chief Diplomats revealed parts of the plan, which include Ukrainian vessels guiding grain ships in and out through mined port waters; Russia agreeing to a truce while shipments move; and Turkey inspecting ships to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling. According to Reuters, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not confirm the agreement, he previously hinted that his nation's Black Sea ports could soon be unblocked. The official also said that they were expecting news for the state from Turkey by tomorrow regarding the unblocking of ports. Negotiations Between Parties The situation comes as Moscow continues to deny responsibility for worsening the food crisis worldwide, instead shifting the blame to the effects of Western sanctions for slowing its own food and fertilizer exports and Ukraine for mining its Black Sea ports. The United Nations and Turkey have been working to broker the deal for two months, with Guterres calling it a "package" deal. It would resume Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports and facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer shipments. On Thursday, Russia said that the latest round of European Union sanctions would have "devastating consequences" for security and parts of the global economy. In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the 27-nation bloc proposed to ease some earlier sanctions in an attempt to safeguard global food security. Furthermore, Moscow's deputy foreign minister, Andrei Rudenko, noted on Thursday that negotiations were proceeding "quite dynamically, and the parties are participating in them constructively." He added that he was hoping they would reach a consensus in the near future, the New York Times reported. Related Article: Nord Stream 1 Pipeline Resumes Gas Flow to Europe Despite Fears of Russian Shutdown @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Top officials of Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda meet at East African Community summit NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) on Thursday stressed the need for closer ties between the seven-member regional bloc to bolster trade and collective economic growth. Top officials of Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda met in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha for the first in-person EAC summit in three years. They underscored the importance of proper infrastructure to accelerate regional integration and development, while reaffirming their commitment to implement the EAC Common Market Protocol, read an EAC statement. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the EAC will never be able to achieve its targets until there is free movement of people and goods in the region. That is why infrastructure is critical if we are to achieve our objective of being a common market, he said. We are not adequately interlinked, and because we are not a common market, because we operate separately which is what some people want us to be we remain markets for other regions. Kenyatta stressed that value addition to national products was key, warning that without that the region would essentially be exporting jobs as is now the case, read the statement. - Somalia belongs to East Africa Somalias President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who attended the summit as a special guest, urged the EAC leaders to speed up his countrys membership process. Somalia belongs to East Africa. There is no one country among the seven countries sitting here that Somalia is not linked to by business, by community by any other means people from all these countries are helping Somalia get back on its own feet, he said. He praised the EAC for having many sacrifices for Somalia, which first applied to join the bloc in 2014. To repay that back, we need to be part of this community. Now Somalia is right at the corner, and we believe that we have great potential to contribute to this community, said Mohamud. Other leaders who attended the event were Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Burundis President Evariste Ndayishimiye, DR Congo Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde and South Sudans Foreign Affairs and International Relations Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin. Andrew Wasike/AA Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres attend the signing ceremony AA Images ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - JULY 22: Ukraine and Russia on Friday (July 22) signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations to resume Ukraines Black Sea grain exports as well as Russian grain and fertilizer, avoiding sitting at the same table and avoiding shaking hands. The Russian and Ukrainian Ministers did not sit at table at the same time to sign the deal. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed separate deals with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar during the Signature Ceremony of Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs Ukrainian Ports Document at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The deal will enable Ukraine to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to the war. The deal came after a general agreement reached between the parties on a UN-led plan during talks in Istanbul on July 13 to form a coordination center to carry out joint inspections at the entrance and exit of the harbors, and to ensure the safety of the routes. Internationally praised for its mediator role, Turkiye has coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments which are stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth month. AA/Istanbul Since former President Donald Trump proclaimed the 2020 election result "stolen," political analysts have predicted that he will compete for the presidency again. Florida governor Ron DeSantis, dubbed "Trump 2.0," has been mentioned as a possible 60th president, as have Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pompeo, all of whom served in Trump's cabinet. Polls now show Trump far ahead of his prospective rivals, but with more than two years until the next general election, the campaign for the Republican nomination remains wide open, according to The Week via MSN. Will Trump Run in 2024? Republicans are facing significant dangers when the Jan. 6 select committee reveals more facts about Trump's behavior during the Capitol attack, including sitting silently for hours as he watched the bloodshed unfold with his vice president and GOP senators in the building. Many feel that a Trump presidential declaration before November will hamper their party's chances to recapture the House majority and maybe retake the Senate. According to two House Republicans who asked anonymity to discuss internal dynamics, Trump friends have tried to persuade him not to announce before the elections, believing he would distract and dissuade voters by making the contest about himself rather than a referendum on the Biden administration. And Republican leaders have made it clear that Trump's focus on himself during the next three months will not go over well in Congress, Politico reported. Read Also: Italian PM Draghi Resigns Amid Country's Political Crisis; What Happens Next? Republican Party's Possible Presidential Candidates in 2024 Election Over the past year, the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus on Capitol Hill, has hosted a number of these 2024 candidates, including Pompeo, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and provided them with a platform to share their vision and build congressional alliances. The group has also met with Trump many times. Most recently, the board meets with former Vice President Mike Pence, who has hinted in numerous high-profile steps this week that he is seriously considering a presidential run in 2024 and seeking to create a footing in Trump's Trump-fatigued Republican Party. Throughout a closed-door meeting with the RSC on Wednesday, some members complimented Pence for his efforts on January 6 - when he supervised the certification of the 2020 election results - while others pushed him to run for president in 2024, according to participants. Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana, a Republican, said he hopes his brother chooses to run for president and will back him 100% if he does. When asked if Pence sounded like someone had their sights set on the White House, Johnson replied, "I think it's a very reasonable assumption that they have at least some desire." Banks has already stated that if Trump does not run in the next election cycle, he will back a prospective Pence 2024 candidacy. However, Banks, who has emerged as one of Trump's staunchest backers on Capitol Hill and may be hesitant of seeming too supportive of one of Trump's possible 2024 challengers, predicted on Wednesday that if Trump decides to run, he will clear the field and go on to win the White House. Others, on the other hand, may have a more difficult time picking sides in a crowded primary. Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast told CNN that if Trump declared a presidential candidacy right now, he would support him. He also said the same thing about DeSantis. Some Republicans avoided queries about 2024, claiming they were focused on the approaching midterm elections, as per CNN. Meanwhile, talk is rife over whether Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, a snappy populist frequently heralded as a more controlled Trump, may run for president this year. Before joining politics, the right-wing 43-year-old represented Florida's sixth congressional district in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018. He served in the US Navy and graduated from Harvard Law School. Nikki Haley, Trump's former governor of South Carolina and US ambassador to the United Nations, can't determine who she wants to be - the leader of a post-Trump GOP or a 'friend' to the president who sought to subvert democracy," Politico said. One thing is certain: she will run for president in 2024." In an interview published on July 16 by The Times, the 58-year-old, who served as Secretary of State from 2018 to 2021 under Donald Trump's administration, said he was ready to run against his former boss in 2024. Related Article: Melania Trump Blames Stephanie Grisham for Failing To Update Her About January 6 Attack, Ex-Chief of Staff Calls BS @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. At least 18 people were slain in a horrific slaughter in a Brazilian favela when 400 armed police attacked the slum, which was home to an organized crime ring. A local lady, an officer, and 16 gang members were killed in Complexo do Alemao during an hours-long gunfight in which police helicopters traded fire with the targets following a dawn raid. Rio De Janeiro Police Conduct Deadly Raid Officers were aided by eleven bulletproof cars and four helicopters as they attempted to apprehend the criminals who had looted vans carrying supplies for banks and other companies. Social media videos revealed fierce shootouts between criminals, as well as a police helicopter hovering low over the tiny, brick dwellings and barricades, lit on fire to prevent security personnel from passing through. In narco warfare news, a wild day of combat in Brazil today, as units from Sec. Forces attempted a raid vs Red Command insurgents in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, focused on fulfilling warrants vs leaders of the group after a police checkpoint part of the was attacked... pic.twitter.com/YnbqoNSMgB Carlos Manuel Pimentel (@cpimentel986) July 21, 2022 Residents waved white towels and sheets in surrender, but the carnage continued, with neighbors bringing the dead covered in blankets through the destitute streets. Authorities defended their officers' actions during the operation, claiming that units were violently attacked using military and guerilla techniques while accusing gang members of using citizens as human shields. According to authorities, the operation began in the morning and ended at approximately 4:00 pm local time on Thursday. About 400 cops were involved, including Rio's tactical police squad. As reported by Ronaldo Oliveira, an investigator with the Rio de Janeiro police department, officials would have preferred to apprehend suspects, but regrettably, they chose to shoot at our cops. In May, 22 individuals were slain, including a female bystander, in an early morning raid on the Vila Cruzeiro slum. This was about a year after Rio's worst police operation, in which 28 people were slain in the Jacarezinho slum. Locals denounced Thursday's police operation for using excessive force, as they had done in May. Activists have criticized government abuse during such anti-crime operations, including extrajudicial executions of suspects, which they claim frequently go unprosecuted. Read Also: Polio Virus Detected in New York, Health Officials Urge Residents To Get Vaccine Now Brazil's Supreme Court Established Conditions on Conducting Raids Rio de Janeiro police officers were set to start wearing body cameras this year, which some security experts say would help avoid some, but not all, cases of police brutality. It was unclear whether officers wore body cameras during the Complexo do Alemao operation. Brazil will also have presidential elections in October, with security a prominent topic of discussion and Bolsonaro running on a tough-on-crime posture. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of Brazil imposed a set of requirements on police raids in Rio's favelas to prevent police deaths and human rights violations. The court ordered that lethal force be used only when all other options have been tried and when it is imperative to protect life, Daily Mail reported. Rio state police often conduct lethal raids in the city's extensive slums. President Jair Bolsonaro favors police using harsh techniques to combat organized crime, saying gangsters should "die like cockroaches." Following the raid, residents could be seen loading injured persons into the backs of trucks to be transported to hospitals while police looked on. Police, according to Anacrim Human Rights Commission member Gilberto Santiago Lopes, declined to assist, as per Reuters via MSN. Social media videos depicted fierce shootouts between criminals as well as a police aircraft hovering low over the little, brick cottages. Rio de Janeiro police have utilized helicopters to shoot at targets, even in heavily populated residential areas, and footage shows rounds being fired at the aircraft from the slum. Residents can be heard appealing for peace and waving white cloths from their windows and roofs in another video posted by Voz da Comunidade, a community news site focusing on Rio's favelas, according to New India Express. Related Article: Maine Authorities Release Chilling Images of Missing Parents, 2-Year-Old Girl, Who Never Returned from Camping Trip @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After debuting its technology and its merits for everyday driving , Nissan Philippines has now revealed everything you need to know about i... To that end, Karen Toliver, only appointed as VP animation film in February of this year, is taking over as head of animation film and will report directly to Stuber. With Toliver taking over as head of animation film, Melissa Cobb will leave her role as VP animation film and instead stay on at Netflix as a producer. Cobb, who joined Netflix as head of kids and family in September, 2017, is largely credited as having led the charge in building Netflixs animation studio from the ground up. Early on, her team was able to attract a bevy of big-name industry talent to the studio with promises of unprecedented creative freedom. But the studios recent struggles and high-profile cancellations have been well documented, its original animation titles often outperformed by low-budget acquisitions, and it now looks as though Netflix is planning to move in another direction. Other executive changes include four-year Netflix Animation vet Gregg Taylor, VP of animation film, similarly shifting to a producer role at the company. Taylor helped build up the studios feature animation creative team and oversaw its animated film slate for the past several years, including productions such as the Oscar-nominated Klaus and the streamers current most popular film The Sea Beast. VP of animation production operations Bruce Daitch will leave Netflix as his role has been made redundant. He will, however, stick around for the next few months to help with the transition period. Traci Balthazor, VP of animation film production, and Mike Karafilis, director of animation series production, will handle production strategy and day-to-day operations for their respective teams, reporting to Amy Reinhard, VP of studio operations. Series animation at Netflix is not changing, and John Derderian will continue as VP animation series. The full Netflix leadership changes letter can be seen below: Amber Heard said Thursday that she will appeal the $10.35 million verdict she was forced to pay ex-husband Johnny Depp following a high-profile defamation lawsuit that exposed the inner workings of their unhappy marriage. Heard's attorneys filed an appeal notice in Fairfax County Circuit Court after a six-week trial that featured dramatic evidence from both Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Amber Heard Urges New Trial to Overturn Johnny Depp's Defamation Victory The petition informs the Virginia Court of Appeals that Heard plans to appeal the judgment, as well as any further orders made by the court, such as denying Heard's request to set aside the verdict and dismiss the lawsuit or order a new trial. Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for libel after an op-ed she published in The Washington Post in December 2018 characterizing herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. Depp's attorneys said the post defamed him even though it never referenced him by name. Heard filed counterclaims, claiming that Depp's previous lawyer defamed her by publicly dismissing her allegations of abuse as fake. The jury awarded Heard $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive penalties against Johnny Depp. Under a state cap, the punitive damages were lowered to $350,000. On her counterclaim, the jury awarded Heard $2 million. During the six-week trial, much of the testimony focused on Amber Heard's claims that Johnny Depp had physically and sexually abused her at least a dozen times. Depp insisted that he had never hit Heard and that she was the one who abused him, CBS News reported. The fresh lawsuit comes after trial Judge Penney Azcarate denied Heard's post-verdict motions, alleging Depp, 59, had failed to substantiate his allegations and that the incorrect juror had been placed in the case. Read Also: Stephen Curry Gives Boost to Free Brittney Griner Campaign at ESPYs; Megan Rapinoe "Puts Pressure" on Russia, US Johnny Depp Reacts to Amber Heard's Action Since her humiliating defeat, Heard has been seen shopping at TJ Maxx in the Hamptons, while Depp has been on tour in Europe with English musician Jeff Beck. Depp was recently sighted in Italy with a redhead French teacher who is assisting him in preparing for his upcoming film part, as per Fox News. Heard's recent legal action comes as no surprise. She has vowed to challenge the decision since the day it was handed. It is unclear how she plans to fund the appeal; she has stated that she cannot pay Depp's millions in damages. While her appeal is ongoing, she must post a bail of $10.3 million plus 6% interest, according to Virginia court regulations. In a statement, Depp's legal team stated that they are neither shocked nor alarmed by Heard's appeal. Heard's attorneys are anticipated to prepare a whole fresh appellate brief noting specific errors made by Azcarate during the trial or in post-trial motions. The Virginia Court of Appeal is located in Richmond; it is unclear if an appeal panel of judges will consider the case. Depp's brief in response stated that Heard's legal team failed to give adequate reasons for overturning the jury's finding or retrying the case and that her arguments were outlandish and verges into the ludicrous. Following the announcement of the appeal, some people turned to Twitter to criticize Heard, with one user even claiming, according to USA Today. it will never not be insane to me how amber heard is on audio saying i was hitting you/i cant promise i wont get physical again yet everyone casually chose to ignore & twist it because shes a woman. johnny would be OVER if he had said those things. talk about fairness. nina (@ninasdepp) July 21, 2022 Reminder this is Amber Heard a day after she claims Johnny Depp brutally assaulted her and broke her nose. One of the many reasons she lost the defamation case, and one of the reasons she'll lose any appeal. BTW, these were not allowed in the UK. pic.twitter.com/8ASfkUTbXC Femme (@FemCondition) July 22, 2022 @realamberheard please get help. It's clear you lied. It's clear you are the abuser. It's clear the court did not make mistakes. Take the loss. You deserve it. Try and make something good come of it. Andy Hill (@andyhill187) July 22, 2022 Related Article: Kanye West Pulls Out of Another Music Fest Despite Being Sued for $7 Million Over Unpaid Concert Costs, Accused for Not Returning Rare Clothing @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mighty Animation is one of Mexicos top independent animation studios and has partnered with global giants including Warner Bros. Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney, Nickelodeon, and Riot Games, to name just a few. Major titles which Mighty has worked on include a Rick and Morty ID for Adult Swim, Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures for Disney, and America the Motion Picture for Netflix. Pixelatl artistic director Christian Bermejo explained, For us it is really significant that Mighty is the creative partner because they are from Guadalajara and they have been with us throughout our journey. In fact, we published Julio Pachecos comic book years ago and Madelein Trevino won the #GirlPower open call that we do with Cartoon Network, which allowed her to create her pilot for Forgotten Forest, and the whole team has been connected to Pixelatl in some way. Cartoon Brew was able to speak briefly with Aqui te encuentras director Pacheco and Mighty Animation head of production Solorzano for the shorts debut. What does it mean for you to be able to make the official short film of the festival? Pacheco: It is an honor to be able to create something for the festival together with the Mighty team. I have a lot of love for the festival and its people. I have met many beautiful people and had incredible experiences at Pixelatl, and considered making this short an opportunity to create a sort of letter of thanks to the festival itself. What were your influences, both visually and in terms of the short story you manage to tell in just one minute? Pacheco: For this project, the way childrens books are told and illustrated has been a huge influence. Specifically, the work of Oliver Jeffers and Matthew Forsythe, whose illustrations are huge and full of fine detail that can be seen on each page. What else are you working on at Mighty right now? Solorzano: Weve got several projects were working on right now at Mighty, in both 2d and 3d. Some are for local clients in the region, others are intellectual properties with a global reach and for large studios, such as Disney and HBO, among others. We would love to be able to give more details since we are very excited about the opportunities we are having within the industry, in addition to the great work that our teams are delivering day by day, however we must maintain a certain discretion for now. We are looking forward to announcing more about these incredible projects and how our team has been able to contribute to them with their effort and talent. Ghibli Park is a park that represents the world of Studio Ghibli. With close consultation with the surrounding forest, it is being built on and within the grounds of Aichi Earth Expo Memorial Park (Moricoro Park). There are no big attractions or rides in Ghibli Park. Take a stroll, feel the wind, and discover the wonders. Immediately noticeable when looking at the map is the tremendous number of green spaces and winding paths that surround its attractions. Many of Hayao Miyazakis most popular films express a reverence for nature, and that spirit has clearly made its way into the construction of the park which is being built in an eco-friendly manner, limiting impact to the trees and surrounding environment. Phase One of Ghibli Park will open on November 1, with tickets to be sold via a lottery held August 10-22. Once inside the park, guests will be able to visit the Ghibli Warehouse, an indoor facility loaded with exhibits of Ghibli works. From robot soldiers to cat buses, the exhibits are curated to create a sense of wonder for the secrets of the studios work. Also included in Phase One is a replica of the Earth Shop from Whisper of the Heart and a previously-built replica of Satsuki and Meis house from My Neighbor Totoro. The latter is located in front of the parks Dondokodo Forest although only kids are allowed entry to the forest to maintain its magical spirit. Phase Two of Ghibli Park, Mononoke No Sato, will open in fall of 2023, with Phase Three, The Witch Valley exhibit, expected by the end of 2023. High resolution versions of the map, poster, and leaflet are available for download on the parks website. Photo: CTV News Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz is under fire after being accused of paying a teenage ballerina $75,000 for sex. The allegation was presented in a civil suit filed at the beginning of July in Nevada and came from a ballerina and her husband, Dusty and Mitchell Button in response to accusations they committed sexual offences against several young dancers. A counterclaim was filled on July 8th by The Button's maintaining they were in a consensual relationship with plaintiff Sage Humphries. The relationship was alleged to have begun when Humphries was 18. The Buttons claim they are victims of an attack with the goal of ruining their reputation. They also allege that Humphries was trafficked by her parents to older men, including Katz The allegations have yet to be proven in court. -With files from CTV Edmonton Photo: The Canadian Press Inuit elder Peter Irniq is pictured in Edmonton on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. It won't be easy for Irniq, a residential school survivor, to meet Pope Francis in Iqaluit next week. It won't be easy for Peter Irniq, a residential school survivor, to meet Pope Francis in Iqaluit next week. "It's going to be scary," said Irniq, who was abused by a nun at the age of 11 as a student at the school in Chesterfield Inlet in what is now Nunavut. "It's going to be awesome to see the Pope because he was made out to be the very authority of the Roman Catholic Church. A lot of things will be going through my mind." He'll welcome Pope Francis. But Irniq, on behalf of all Inuit who were taken to residential schools, will have a few things to say as part of the official delegation meeting the pontiff. "I'm going to say what happened to us." He doesn't mince words. He calls what happened kidnapping and rape. And a simple papal apology, no matter how heartfelt, isn't going to be enough. "His church is very rich. He should be providing money for loss of culture, loss of language." That's not all. Irniq, along with many other Inuit, believe the Catholic Church could do more to make priests who abused children in Inuit communities face justice. At least one former priest facing charges in Canada, Johannes Rivoire, remains in France. While many Inuit remain devout Christians and Catholics, the church has a fraught relationship with Arctic people. Between 1955 and 1969, at least 324 children were taken from their parents and sent to live at the Catholic-run Turquetil Hall while they attended Sir Joseph Bernier Day School in Chesterfield Inlet. As well, dozens of children were abused by priest missionaries in Inuit communities memories that are still so raw that when one priest finally faced trial in 2014, someone in one of his former communities burned down the local church. "It feels as though it happened yesterday," said Irniq. Irniq's voice tapers into silence when he describes a nun's crucifix swinging overhead as he was being abused in a bathtub. "I felt absolutely powerless." Irniq used the education he received at such great cost to fight that powerlessness. He became an Inuit leader, helped negotiate the Nunavut Land Claim and eventually became Nunavut's second commissioner. Today, he's a cultural teacher. He built the Inukshuk at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and has installed the Inuit symbols from Argentina to Juno Beach in France. But Irniq still wants an acknowledgment of what was done to him and so many others. Inuit were part of a delegation of Canadian Indigenous leaders who received an apology at the Vatican earlier this year. Hearing that apology in Iqaluit is more important, he said. "Rome is Rome. It's 4,000 miles away. Say it right here where it happened, where there was cultural genocide. Say it right here to survivors, our parents. It's going to make a difference." Pope Francis is scheduled to be in Iqaluit for four hours Friday. City officials say hotels are nearly sold out. Iqaluit has renamed one of its major roads for the visit. Federal Road, along which Francis will travel as he heads to Nakasuk School, is now called Sivumugiaq Street. In honour of survivors like Irniq, it means "moving forward." That's Irniq's hope for the Pope's visit not just for Inuit, but all Canadians. "It's a really hard topic to talk about, but it has to be said. It is also a part of Canadian history," he said. "It's going to be a monumental visit, not just for myself. (The Pope) coming right to the heart of the crux of the matter." The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help residential school survivors and their relatives suffering trauma invoked by the recall of past abuse. The number is 1-866-925-4419. Photo: The Canadian Press A makeshift memorial is laid out beside the Indian Head RCMP detachment in Indian Head, Sask., Sunday, June 13, 2021. The memorial is laid out for for Const. Shelby Patton who was killed while on duty in Wolseley, Sask. A man accused of killing a Saskatchewan RCMP officer during a traffic stop has been ordered to stand trial for first-degree murder. Alphonse Stanley Traverse, 42, of Winnipeg was originally charged with manslaughter in the June 12, 2021, death of Const. Shelby Patton. The charge was upgraded in November to first-degree murder. Judge Douglas Kovatch, at the end of a three-day preliminary hearing on Thursday, ruled there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial on the murder charge. Due to a publication ban, evidence at the hearing cannot be published. The judge ordered Traverse to stand trial before a judge and jury in Regina's Court of Queen's Bench. A trial date has yet to be scheduled. "While I am still mourning the loss of my son, there is some peace knowing Traverse will go to trial," Melanie Patton, the mother of Shelby Patton, said in a statement Thursday. RCMP have said 26-year-old Patton was hit by a vehicle in the town of Wolseley, east of Regina, after he stopped a suspected stolen truck. "This incident was a horrible tragedy, the effects of which will be long-lasting and severe. There's no question about that," Traverse's lawyer, Matthew Gould, said Thursday in a telephone interview from Winnipeg. Marlene Velma Louise Pagee, 43, of Winnipeg was also charged with manslaughter in the officer's death. However, the charge was changed to being an accessory after the fact of murder. Her next court appearance is set for July 28. Photo: The Canadian Press More than 50 million people across the East African region are expected to face acute food insecurity this year, a regional bloc said Friday, warning that some 300,000 in Somalia and South Sudan are projected to be under full-blown famine conditions. The assessment by Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, is one of the most dire yet as United Nations agencies, humanitarian groups and others continue to raise alarm over the region's food crisis that many say has been largely neglected as the international community focuses on the war in Ukraine. That assessment applies to seven member states of IGAD, from Djibouti to Uganda. Samantha Power, the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, is traveling in East Africa to spotlight the hunger crisis in the region. In Kenya's capital Nairobi on Friday, Power announced at least $255 million in drought-related humanitarian and development support to Kenya. She is expected to visit Ethiopia and Somalia, where some communities have suffered four consecutive failed rainy seasons. Power earlier in the week spoke of the need to prevent the global food crisis from becoming a catastrophe, announcing $1.2 billion in funding that includes immediate food assistance for people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. In addition to immediate humanitarian aid, the international community must sustain investment in global agriculture and undertake concerted diplomacy so that we mobilize more resources from donors, avoid export restrictions that can exacerbate the crisis, and lessen the burden on poor countries, Power said in a speech Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Aid groups and other watchdogs have been calling for more funds to be devoted to East Africa after the war in Ukraine grabbed the world's attention and money. Three million people face emergency and catastrophic levels of hunger, risking death," the International Rescue Committee said in a statement Tuesday, noting that "people have already started dying from starvation and the window to prevent mass deaths is rapidly closing." Even if the new U.S. funding is fulfilled, the humanitarian response plan for the region would be funded at 40% of the assessed need," the group warned. "After just over three months, the $1.9 billion appeal for the humanitarian response in Ukraine was 85% funded a demonstration of the capacity for resource mobilization when the political will exists." Power has criticized China for allegedly contributing just $3 million to the U.N. World Food Program this year, while the U.S. has given $3.9 billion this financial year. China and other nations must go above and beyond as we work to prevent famine, she said on Twitter. Somalia, a country that continues to grapple with armed conflict wrought by an Islamic extremist insurgency, is seen as particularly vulnerable. A weak humanitarian response to the 2010-12 drought was in part to blame as a quarter-million people died during famine conditions. Half of them were children. Somalis walk for days through parched landscapes to places like Mogadishu, the capital, in search of aid but find that there is little or nothing. The number of people going hungry in Somalia due to drought has nearly doubled since the start of the year, according to the IRC, which saw a 265% increase in admissions for children under 5 with severe malnutrition at just one clinic in Mogadishu between April and May. There is a risk of famine in eight areas of Somalia through September in the event of widespread crop and livestock production failures, spiraling food costs, and in the absence of scaled-up humanitarian assistance, the assessment by IGAD said. Photo: The Canadian Press Former White House strategist Steve Bannon. Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was convicted on Friday of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Bannon, 68, was convicted after a four-day trial in federal court on two counts: one for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committees subpoena. The jury of 8 men and 4 women deliberated just under three hours. He faces up to two years in federal prison when hes sentenced on Oct. 21. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail. David Schoen, one of Bannon's lawyers said outside the courthouse the verdict would not stand. "This is round one, Schoen said. You will see this case reversed on appeal But Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney in Washington, said in a statement, The subpoena to Stephen Bannon was not an invitation that could be rejected or ignored. Mr. Bannon had an obligation to appear before the House Select Committee to give testimony and provide documents. His refusal to do so was deliberate, and now a jury has found that he must pay the consequences. The committee sought Bannons testimony over his involvement in Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bannon had initially argued that his testimony was protected by Trumps claim of executive privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contend such a claim is dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Bannons lawyers tried to argue during the trial that he didnt refuse to cooperate and that the dates were in flux. They pointed to the fact that Bannon had reversed course shortly before the trial kicked off after Trump waived his objection and had offered to testify before the committee. In closing arguments Friday morning, both sides re-emphasized their primary positions from the trial. The prosecution maintained that Bannon willfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines, and the defense claimed Bannon believed those deadlines were flexible and subject to negotiation. Bannon was served with a subpoena on Sept. 23 last year ordering him to provide requested documents to the committee by Oct. 7 and appear in person by Oct. 14. Bannon was indicted in November on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, a month after the Justice Department received the House panels referral. Bannons attorney Evan Corcoran told jurors Friday in his closing arguments that those deadlines were mere placeholders while lawyers on each side negotiated terms. Corcoran said the committee rushed to judgment because it wanted to make an example of Steve Bannon. Corcoran also hinted that the governments main witness, Jan. 6 committee chief counsel Kristin Amerling, was personally biased. Amerling admitted on the stand that she is a lifelong Democrat and has been friends with one of the prosecutors for years. Corcoran also vaguely hinted that the signature of Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) looked different on the subpoena than on other letters but dropped that topic when the prosecution objected. Prosecutors focused on the series of letters exchanged between the Jan. 6 committee and Bannons lawyers. The correspondence shows Thompson immediately dismissing Bannons claim that he was exempted by Trumps claim of executive privilege and explicitly threatening Bannon with criminal prosecution. The defense wants to make this hard, difficult and confusing, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn in her closing statement. This is not difficult. This is not hard. There were only two witnesses because its as simple as it seems. The defense Thursday motioned for an acquittal, saying the prosecution had not proved its case. In making his motion for acquittal before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, Bannon attorney Evan Corcoran said that no reasonable juror could conclude that Mr. Bannon refused to comply. Once the motion was made the defense rested its case without putting on any witnesses, telling Nichols that Bannon saw no point in testifying since the judges previous rulings had gutted his planned avenues of defense. Among other things, Bannons team was barred from calling as witnesses House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or members of the House panel. David Schoen said Bannon understands that he would be barred from telling the true facts. Photo: Peak archive photo. Food-service workers who were previously contracted out in health-care facilities in the qathet region are returning as Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) employees. According to a media release from the provincial ministry of health, this comes after almost 20 years of these workers having their services contracted out to private companies. Bill 47 is important to health-service workers who work within our public health system and to the patients they care for, stated health minister Adrian Dix. This legislation ensures better working conditions, job security and equitable wages for workers whose contributions to our health-care system are undeniable. I sincerely thank VCH for their tremendous efforts in transitioning these food-service workers back in-house and for their commitment to improving quality of care for patients. The release stated that health authorities and Providence Health Care continue to repatriate workers under Bill 47, bringing an estimated 4,000 workers back into the public system. A total of 283 food-services workers in the coastal community of care at VCH are being repatriated on July 22, at the following local sites: Powell River General Hospital, Evergreen Care unit and Willingdon Creek Village. The release stated that work to bring health-care service workers back into the public system began in 2019 when the province brought Bill 47 (Health Sector Statutes Repeal Act) into force. Bill 47 repealed the Health and Social Services Delivery Improvement Act (Bill 29) and the Health Sector Partnerships Agreement Act (Bill 94), which had facilitated contracting out in the health sector and caused significant labour impacts, according to the release. Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Deal on Ukraine's grain exports to be signed to resolve food crisis Xinhua) 11:13, July 22, 2022 BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: An agreement to resume grain shipment from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea will be signed in Turkiye on Friday in a bid to resolve a global food crisis, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed on Thursday. "Tomorrow, we will take the first step in Istanbul towards the solution of the food crisis affecting the whole world, together with the UN secretary-general, the delegations of Russia and Ukraine," Cavusoglu tweeted. "We will continue our efforts to resolve the conflict," he said. - - - - Russia's aerospace forces hit a temporary deployment point of Ukrainian troops at a recreation center in Ukraine's Odessa region, killing over 600 fighters, among whom were 120 foreign mercenaries, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. The high-precision strike was launched on Saturday, said the ministry in a statement. Meanwhile, another strike on Sunday hit a temporary deployment point of a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces, located in the city of Nikolaev, killing over 320, it added. - - - - Ukraine's drone strikes, which target nuclear facilities (controlled by Russian army) in Ukraine, could provoke a nuclear catastrophe in all of Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Ukraine is continuing to conduct "provocations," which pose threats to nuclear facilities in the country, the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during her weekly briefing. "Ukraine's armed forces launched a drone attack on the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on July 18," Zakharova said. - - - - The European Union on Thursday imposed more sanctions on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine, including a ban on gold imports and the tightening of export controls on high-technology goods. The "reinforced, prolonged EU sanctions against the Kremlin send a strong signal to Moscow: we will keep the pressure high for as long as it takes," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has tweeted. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell described the additional sanctions as "another important step to curtail Russia's capacity to continue and finance its war of aggression against Ukraine." - - - - The conflict in Ukraine did not start with a Russian special military operation, but began several years earlier, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with France-Presse News Agency on Thursday. He noted that in 2015, after lengthy negotiations of the Normandy Format countries -- namely Ukraine, Germany, Russia and France -- in the capital of Belarus, the Minsk agreements on the ceasefire in Donbass were signed, adding that if the agreements had been fulfilled by the Ukrainian authorities, the conflict would not break out today. Lukashenko also recalled that before the start of the special operation, Russia had repeatedly asked the West to provide security guarantees, but got no positive answer. The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015, outline the steps needed to end the conflict between the Ukrainian government troops and local armed groups in Donbass. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Prince Harry has won his quest to sue the Home Office in the High Court over his security arrangements while in the UK. The Duke of Sussex is suing because he was refused permission to pay for police protection for himself and his family while traveling from North America. Earlier this month, the duke's attorneys requested Court Jonathan Swift to permit a full hearing so that a judge could examine the Home Office's decision. Judge Allows Prince Harry's UK Police Protection Case To Proceed The High Court judge indicated the lawsuit may go on in a decision issued on Friday, allowing permission for a judicial review of part of Prince Harry's claim. However, the court denied the duke's request for a reconsideration of several of his allegations, dealing a setback to his cause. He dismissed arguments advanced by Prince Harry's legal team that he should have known who was on the committee that made the protection decision and that he did not have the chance to remark on the "appropriacy" of the procedure and those engaged in the blocking. The duke's lawsuit concerns the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures' (RAVEC) decision on his security in February 2020, after being notified he would no longer be assigned the same degree of personal protective protection when visiting. The legal team for Prince Harry is attempting to argue that the security arrangements outlined in a letter from Ravec, their application, as well as his journey to the UK in June 2021, were illegal owing to procedural unfairness since he was not allowed to make informed submissions beforehand, according to Daily Mail. Prince Harry and former actress Meghan Markle married at Windsor Castle in 2019 but resigned as working royals the following year, claiming the British media's insufferable intrusions and discriminatory views. As per Prince Harry's attorneys, the prince is hesitant to transport the couple's children - Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1 - to his birthplace because it is unsafe. The Duke of Sussex wishes to be able to pay for security, claiming that his private security team in the United States lacks proper authority overseas and access to UK intelligence information. His lawyers also claim that a February 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, which removed his full royal security, was unreasonable because Prince Harry was not allowed to make informed representations beforehand. The British government says the decision was reasonable, and that paying privately for police protection is not possible, as per CBS News. Read Also: Why it is Smart to Invest in Bitcoin in 2022 What's Next With Prince Harry's Security Arrangements? Swift disagreed with one crucial argument expressed during the preliminary hearing on July 7: Harry should have been informed of who was on the RAVEC committee before their decision was made. The prince's lawyer, Shaheed Fatima, indicated that there were substantial conflicts between Prince Harry and several members of the committee, including the queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young. Young is said to have played a crucial part in arranging the Sussexes' withdrawal from working royal life in 2020, representing the queen, Prince Charles, and Prince William. The conclusion was that tensions between Harry and Young may have impacted the RAVEC decision-making. Swift stated in his finding opinion that "although the Claimant [Harry] may have had disputes with RAVEC committee members, there was no evidence to sustain a claim that any committee member approached judgments with a closed mind, or that any result was influenced by bias." He added that determining the matter is debatable at the permission stage and is not the same as analyzing the argument that will be prevailed in the final hearing. The RAVEC committee will have the opportunity to defend and provide evidence to back its judgments on the prince's security in the next phases, Newsweek via MSN reported. Related Article: Prince Charles Won't Be Investigated Over Acceptance of $3 Million "Cash for Honor" from Qatari Sheikh; Here's Why @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Secil launches Concrete Verdi Zero 22 July 2022 Secil has launched Concrete Verdi Zero, the first concrete with zero CO emissions in Portugal, an innovative and sustainable product that meets the objectives of achieving carbon neutrality in the cement industry by 2050 and the necessary decarbonisation of the construction sector. With the launch of Verdi Zero concrete, Secil takes a step forward in the construction of a more sustainable future, with buildings and infrastructures that are less carbon-intensive and have less impact on the environment, says Otmar Hubscher, CEO of the Secil Group, adding that the company follows the guidelines that have been established for the cement industry sector and is committed to reducing CO emissions associated with the value chain, developing a set of projects that affect the product, operation and transport. Verdi Zero Concrete is a less carbon-intensive concrete that promotes the circular economy through the incorporation of recycled waste. The remaining emissions will be offset through a carbon offset programme certified by Climate Impact Partners, having been awarded the CarbonNeutral Product seal. Reinforcing its commitment to combating climate change, the Secil Group joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), defining internal near-term emission reduction targets (2030). Published under You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close A settlement that would have allowed the Blue Light, 43 Station St., to keep its beer license was rejected by the Chattanooga Beer Board on Tuesday morning. To take effect, the agreement would have had to be accepted by the chancellor, the city, the mayor of Chattanooga, the Blue Light and the Chattanooga Beer Board. With the rejection, the case will be returned to the Chancery Court and decided by Judge Jeff Atherton. The bar, located in the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex, had six violations of the citys beer code after being open just four months. At the November Beer Board hearings, the severity of penalties increased as the number of violations were heard. The last two hearings were for the failure to report a disorder to the police, which received a penalty of a 30-day suspension with an option to pay a $1,000 fine. And the license was suspended for the final violation of operating a disorderly place. Both of those violations occurred on Halloween night,, Oct. 31, 2021. Those were the only two cases included in the mediation. The agreement that resulted included that the Chattanooga Police Department would have officers integrated into the security plan along with the licensed security personnel hired by the bar. The number of each would be specified. There would be no additional failures of reporting disorders and no other sales violations during the eight-month probation period that would end in March 2023. If there were any failures to comply to the conditions, all bets were off. The Blue Light would also have to pay $1,000 to the Beer Board and pay mediation fees. This arrangement was contingent upon approval from the Beer Board. Issues that the board members had with the mediated agreement included the fact that a pending seventh violation occurred on Jan. 22 that had never been heard by the Beer Board. This incident had the same charges as the violations on Oct. 31 for the failure to report a disorder by telephone and operating a disorderly place. If the mediation agreement had been accepted by the board, those charges would have been dismissed. Board member Vince Butler wanted verification that all employees in addition to the bar owners, Brian Joyce and Joseph Bruns, had received professional training in selling beer. And he wanted to add that requirement before giving approval. Board Member Tiffany Bell would like for the requirement relating to security to be more detailed, such as the number of guards and police and the name of the security company. Board Member Monica Kinsey said that clearer delineation of each property on Station Street was needed so each bar would know the exact areas they are responsible for outside their own buildings, such as the patios and the areas of the street. Station Street and the shared parking lots is a different situation than in a conventional bar or restaurant where the owner is responsible for the parking lot and property around their buildings. Mr. Butler also said he had reservations about how Brian Joyce handled the situation after the first hearing. The Beer Board was vilified by him and It doesnt seem he understands the gravity of the incidents and how they were handled. He needs to take it seriously, and he needs to take a look back and understand how he acted and what he was saying," said Mr. Butler. Mr. Joyce, who is a local radio personality, was not present Thursday morning. Two members of the public were given time to address the board regarding the Blue Light. Michael Alfano, owner of The Comedy Catch that is next door, said that in November he had told the Beer Board about a lot of disorders at the Blue Light on Halloween night. The disorders have continued and he said so has the attitude of the bar personnel, even after the action taken in November. He also cited a big, gray area for defining the responsibility of bar owners for the buildings and the street. He said that he had plenty of business while adhering to the rules but everybody has concerns about safety. But he said he does not feel like the alarm has been heard by the Blue Light. The current manager for Westbound Bar, Michael Hardin, told the board that Blue Light already has seven or eight security officers, the amount is not the problem, but he said they do not protect the public. He said people routinely jump over railings around the patio bypassing security at the door. After a shooting occurred in the parking lot in December, he said the shooter returned to Blue Light. Mr. Hardin said he told Brian Joyce the shooter was inside, but he did nothing. Thats their mentality, he said. Since the Blue Light opened, police calls have increased by 200 percent on Station Street, he said, The problem is that he doesnt know how to run the business. Mr. Hardin said all the violence has severely affected business in the district. He estimates a reduction of about 20 percent and that said Stir has lost the most customers. He urged the board to reject the mediation offer. After the vote to reject the proposal, with only Dan Mayfield and Tiffany Bell voting to accept it, and Tara Viland abstaining, the board moved forward with hearing the Jan. 22 violation over the objection of Blue Light attorney Scott Maucere. He said he felt ambushed. Your objection is noted but we will hear it anyway, said Board Chairman Bill Glascock. The Blue Light had received notice by way of the citation and by public notice when the agenda for the meeting was posted. On Jan. 22, a sexual assault of forceable fondling and a physical assault occurred inside the Blue Light. According to the police report, it started when a black male slapped a woman on the butt and she returned the slap. The man then punched her in the face and his sister then threw a drink in the victims face and also slapped her. The security present did not see the altercation when it started but the manager that night agreed to email surveillance video to the police. That was never done. The bar that night failed to notify the police that a disorder had occurred, which is a requirement of having a beer permit and the same reason that the bars beer license was suspended in November. It was the victim that made a call, not employees of the bar, it was stated. Attorney Mercere said it was his view that it never happened because there was no evidence present to support any of the allegations. Beer Inspector Sgt. Jason Wood told the board he had seen body camera video from the police officer at the scene. City Attorney Emily ODonnell said that a police report can be considered sworn testimony. The board chose to pass the hearing to the next meeting on Aug. 4 and asked for all parties involved to be present along with the police video. Chairman Glascock is stepping down and Thursday was his last meeting as a Beer Board member and chairman of the board. Monica Kinsey was chosen to follow him in the position of chairman and Vince Butler will serve as vice chairman. Cynthia Coleman was elected to be the secretary of the board. In at least two of his national best sellers, humorist Lewis Grizzard (LG) expresses his frustration over the operations of vending machines in our society. In a 1987 publication he complains that over the thirty or so years he had been feeding money into the callous contraptions that actually had worked only about 50 percent of the time. He did express a little appreciation for the fact that he would get his money back if the device delivered the wrong product for which he had inserted his coins. Lewis main irritation would occur not only when the machine failed to deliver his soft drink, candy bar or bag of peanuts that he intended to purchase but also when the ornery machine refused to return his money. His frustration over such injustice placed him in a mad state where my eyes bulged out, my hands began to shake, and I wanted to kill the machine. Adding to his aroused mental state was that there was often no one around to hear him vent his anger or outrage upon when he screamed at a stupid machine that had just ripped him off. An additional area that raised his blood pressure level would be when the operator of the premises where the unreliable mechanical thief was located denied any financial responsibility for the illegal confiscation of funds even if it was in a hotel or restaurant. The assistant manager or clerk on duty would reply after hearing LG complain in a loud voice about the loss of his hard-earned currency, Your blankity-blank machine has robbed me of my money. This exclamation would usually fall on the proverbial deaf ears of the employee of the premises who stated, We just lease the space to the vending company. After voicing his frustration and realizing that he would not get his money back the famous former resident of Moreland, Georgia proposed a course of action to get revenge against the next vending machine that took his money: (1)Kicking the machine to the point of repeatedly causing large dents in it, putting the device in a terrible stay of repair and completing his temper tantrum by cursing and using ugly names; (2)In a fit of violence, he would promptly go to his vehicle, get a lug wrench, and proceed to inflict additional punishment on the offender until glass flew, the content inside the machine-made awful crunching sounds, and nuts, bolts and screws rolled around on the floor and finally; (3)LG would commit the act of arson and set the thing on fire. In triumph he then took his clothes off and danced naked around the smoldering victim of his wrath and threw his hands wildly in the air while emitting primal screams. (Whether he would be admitted to a padded cell after putting this article to pen and ink is beyond the scope of this publication). Stay tuned for a second article released in 1983 describing the frustration of teenage males and the scams of vending machines being perpetrated upon them prior to a moonlight romantic rendezvous with their maiden of choice. * * * You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com) While on routine patrol in the Westside projects, police observed a brand new GMC Yukon (rental) parked with the flashers activated. The vehicle was run through NCIC and did not come back stolen. Police approached the car and observed a white female lying in the back seat. Police failed to wake her up by knocking on the windows, so police opened the unlocked door and woke her to make sure she was okay. The woman awoke, identified herself and said she believed she was in Oklahoma City. She then gave verbal consent to search the vehicle, which yielded no illegal items or activity. Police asked other preliminary medical questions, to which she was able to answer correctly, and then she denied EMS. She would finally report that she had drunk alcohol that night and decided to sleep it off in her vehicle, even though she did not know where she was. Due to the dangerous area and her vulnerability to crime, Police transported her to 1300 Carter St. and assisted her in getting a hotel room. * * * A woman on Olive Street told police she noticed a truck with a trailer driving by her house. She said the trailer was caught on a wire as it drove by and the wire was connected to a power line. She said the power line was pulled, causing damage to her gutter, since it was connected to it. She said she did not have an estimated value of the damage to the gutter at this time. * * * A woman on S. Orchard Knob Avenue called police and said she renewed her TN driver's license over a month ago and was expecting it to be delivered already, but she has not received it. * * * A woman from a business on Hickory Valley Road said they had sent a check to another business for $9,570, but that business had never received the check. She said it was discovered that the check had been altered to show it was payable to Joshua T. Rushing and cashed at a check-cashing store at 712 Harold Ave. S. in Lehigh Acres, Florida. * * * Police observed a stolen Honda Rebel motorcycle parked in the parking lot of a flea market at 4800 Rossville Blvd. Police observed a white male was sitting on the motorcycle. Police made contact and the man fled on foot. Police chased after him, but he got away. The man looped back and took off on the stolen motorcycle. * * * Police were called to the Police Service Center Annex at 3410 Amnicola Hwy. for a disorder. Police spoke with a man and woman who were in an argument over a rental car that was in an accident. The couple had come to the Police Service Center to get a police report and, when they stopped there, they started arguing about it and caused so much of a disorder it alerted people inside to call for an officer. This was only verbal and nothing physical. * * * A woman on Booth Road showed police video footage of an older black male in a red shirt (photo given to police) at around 4:19 p.m. stealing a package off her front porch. * * * A man on Karr Street told police that at approximately 5 p.m. he saw that he received an email that showed he placed a $667 order that he said he did not place. The man said he called the phone number provided in the email to get refunded. The man said the people that he spoke to were able to control his computer while he was on the phone with them. He said it appeared that they caused $50,000 to be deposited into his bank account. He said they then demanded that he go to his bank to return their money. He said he did not do it because his bank was closed. He said he was then told to call on the next business day at 8:30 a.m. to return their money. Police told the man that it sounded like a possible scam and urged him to verify what he was being told before calling or sending them money. * * * A man on Kings Point told police that three black males and one black female busted the window out of his truck (AL tag) and stole his Glock 19. Police entered the firearm as stolen into NCIC. The man's truck window is valued at approximately $500. There is no other suspect information. * * * A woman told police that while at the Majestic Car Wash, 6434 Lee Hwy., she placed her backpack with her medications in it and a pair of shoes on the ground outside her vehicle. She said as she drove away she realized that she left her property at the car wash and immediately returned to find that the shoes were there, but the backpack and its contents had been stolen. * * * A white female, possibly homeless, was reported hanging out on the property of Ridgedale Baptist Church, 1831 Hickory Valley Road, acting suspicious. Police spoke with the woman, who said she was homeless and needed a ride to the Community Kitchen. Police transported the woman to the Community Kitchen without incident. * * * An employee at Fleetpride, 2000 E 24th Street Place, told police that sometime overnight someone entered the fenced lot and cut two catalytic converters ($4,000) off of two of the work vans. There is no suspect information. * * * An employee of Boardwalk Storage, 115 Browns Ferry Road, told police she believed the a black male in a red sedan was living in his vehicle and making customers uneasy with his presence. Officers spoke with the man, who is homeless, however is employed in the area by Ruby Falls. The man was very cooperative and said he would relocate to a different area. Prior to leaving, the man was verbally trespassed by the property owner, and is aware of the violation should he return. * * * A woman on Viston Avenue told police that sometime overnight, someone entered her Jeep and stole a backpack ($400) containing a Lenova T14 Laptop ($2,000). There was no damage to her vehicle and no suspect information. * * * Loss prevention staff at the Walmart, 3550 Cummings Hwy., told police a black male and black female left the store with approximately $1,919 in miscellaneous merchandise after they scammed the clerk by inserting a cash card upside down and telling him to hit the cash button. Both of them left the store in what appeared to be a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Chevy Impala. There is no further information regarding leads, witnesses, or the suspects. The Civil War veteran William H. "Buck" Ford occupied one of the first homes built on Cameron Hill's Cedar Street. Ford, who was in the harness, saddle and buggy business for many years, was living there in the early 1880s when Cameron Hill was not very thickly populated. The three-story substantial brick house was on the downhill side of Cedar at 608. Around 1906, the house was enlarged with a matching portion at 606 Cedar. Ford, who lived in Chattanooga for 55 years and was a familiar face around town, was first the foreman for Shelton & Howard harness and saddles. He was also involved with Tittle-Dickey produce. W. Howard Tittle, who had married Ford's niece, lived in the 606 Cedar portion. Afterward, Ford went into partnership with L.G. Gillespie. Gillespie-Ford Company handled buggies as well as harnesses and saddles at 173 Market St. The location was just down Cameron Hill from the Ford home. Ford later worked with Fred Wallace's buggy company as well as the Globe Saddlery Works. He was active at Centenary Methodist Church. Buck Ford lived for many years on Cedar Street, but by 1930 he had moved in with his niece, Mrs. W.H. Tittle, at 2200 Union Ave. in Highland Park. In November of that year, he took a fall down her cellar steps and died a few hours later. M.L. Brown took over at 608 Cedar, renting to Curtis Smith and Leon Cooper. By 1941, W.H. Kistler held sway. His renters were Mrs. G.H. Douglas, Harry Frazier Jr. and J.A. Dearing. By 1955, with Urban Renewal looming, the 608 side was divided into four apartments and a basement. Occupants were J.E. Williams, J.B. Johnson, Miss Corrine Nixon, Mrs. E.B. Bailey and with Miss Helen Watts and Mrs. R.S. Bunch in the basement. M. Lee Brown, a carpenter, and his wife Maude took over the 608 side. Their renters included Curtis Smith and Leon Cooper. John Bogenshott, who ran the Stag Hotel on E. Eighth Street with A.W. Stanley, lived at 606 Cedar soon after it was completed. The Stag Hotel was "for men only." Jacob Steiner had moved into 606 Cedar by 1910. He was originally from Hungary and had come to the U.S. at an early age. He lived at Jackson, Ms. before coming to Chattanooga during the Boom times of 1887. He was a merchant and an active worker for Jewish welfare. Steiner was still on Cameron Hill - but at 416 W. Sixth St. - when he died in 1924. William G. Broome, the store manager for A&P Tea Co., lived at 606 Cedar during the 1930s and rented a section to Andrew Foster. By the start of World War I, Mrs. R.S. Allred was there along with Mrs. W.A. Wallace. A.E. Harris was on the second floor and W.D. Allred in the basement of the spacious house. This was about the time that Missouri "Zura" Douglas moved into 606 Cedar. A native of Bledsoe County, his wife also had an unusual name - Grady Wilson Humble. Zura was the son of John and Angeline Goins Douglas. Zura, who worked for the O.B. Andrews Co., earlier had lived at 514 Pine St. The Douglas couple lived there for many years and had many renters. In 1948, they were housing C.L. Chadwick, Mrs. R.H. Pelham, Miss Ollie Gray and Mrs. J.R. Long. In 1955, as the end for Cameron Hill approached, the renters were Mrs. K.L. Runyon, T.H. Payne, Raymond Payne, F.S. Sims and Clyde Tucker. Zura Douglas lived until 1977 when he was 78. Family members still have a photo of 606-608 Cedar St. in the snow. Hamilton County Health Department officials have issued an "alert the public to the continued rise in positive COVID cases in our community. Over the past week, Hamilton County averaged 135 new COVID cases per day and is currently classified as having a high community transmission level, according to the CDC. There now have been 1,185 COVID deaths in Hamilton County. Earlier this week there were nine COVID patients in ICU in Hamilton County. Officials said, "When a county has a high level of transmission, it is recommended that individuals wear masks while indoors in public places, regardless of vaccination status. To protect others, it is extremely important that if you experience or exhibit any symptoms to be tested quickly. Masking continues to be an important tool in slowing the spread of COVID. "Masks help slow the spread of illness by reducing the number of virus droplets that may come from someone by sneezing, coughing, singing, talking, or breathing. It is especially important to wear masks because ill individuals may not show symptoms (asymptomatic). Masks also help by reducing the inhalation or breathing in of these droplets by the person wearing the mask; therefore, the overall benefit of wearing masks comes from the combination of reducing the droplets that are spread and protection from breathing them in. "Additional COVID precautions are needed for people at high risk of severe illness, during this time of high community transmission. Because masks have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID, it is of utmost importance to wear masks around friends and loved ones who may be at high risk of severe illness or death from COVID infection. To learn if you or someone you know is considered high-risk, please click here. As always, it is important to follow the CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19." The Health Department continues to offer free, take-home COVID test kits at all of our facilities. To see where the Health Department is giving away free test kits, visit testing.hamiltontn.gov. Additional Information & Resources Masks must be worn inside all Hamilton County Health Department facilities. Call the Health Departments COVID-19 hotline at 423-209-8383 if you have questions about vaccinations, testing locations, or if you need isolation or quarantine guidance. NASA wants SpaceX to help reach space in another mission. The space agency recently announced it had awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX with a NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract to provide launch service for its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. NASA hopes that the Roman Space Telescope would shed light on the secrets and mysteries of dark energy, dark matter, and other astrophysics and planetary science topics that have baffled experts for years, per NASA. NASA SpaceX Roman Space Telescope Launch Services Contrat Details NASA mentioned in announcement it has contracted SpaceX to send its Nancy Gace Roman Space Telescope to space using one of its Falcon Heavy rockets from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the NLS II contract, NASA has paid SpaceX approximately $255 million, which is expected to cover the launch service and other mission-related costs. The contract is also an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, which is defined by the US General Services Administration as agreements that provide for an indefinite quantity of services for a fixed time. Using this definition, NASA may want SpaceX to send multiple Roman Space Telescopes to Earth's orbit in a specific period, though the space agency didn't specify when this period would end. The space agency has also set the space telescope's launch to Earth's L2 orbit sometime in October 2026. Although NASA didn't mention why it specifically wanted SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rockets to bring its Roman Space Telescope into space, a report from Space.com said that NASA wanted the rocket's ability to carry extra fuel. Read More: Are You Thinking of Withdrawing From a Defunct Crypto Platform? Here Are The Things You Should Know This extra fuel may yet prove useful to NASA's plans as it wants to have the space telescope to be flown to a distant orbit known as Lagrange 2 (L2), which is around 930,000 miles away from Earth. NASA's Roman Space Telescope won't be alone in that orbit - the James Webb Space Telescope also utilizes the L2 orbit to get the pictures it needs. Additionally, the Roman Space Telescope is the top-priority large space mission recommended by the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, making it critically important in the field of astronomy and science in general. Due to the orbit's distance and the mission's importance, NASA seems to feel that having extra fuel for the trip is critical for the Roman Space Telescope's success. NASA Nancy Grace Space Telescope Facts The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, formerly known as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, is a next-generation observatory that creates panoramas of the universe to reveal its secrets, according to NASA. The agency wants to use the space telescope to uncover secrets about dark energy and dark matter, planets outside our solar system, and various other astrophysics and planetary science topics. The space telescope's field of view enables the mission to create infrared images 200 times larger than what Hubble can produce while providing the same level of detail. Additionally, NASA stated that the Roman Space Telescope could act as an exoplanet scout for the James Webb Space Telescope to see in higher definition once it is commissioned and securely situated in Earth's L2 orbit. Related Article: SpaceX Successfully Launches, Lands Falcon 9 Rocket for the 13th Time Point Park, atop Lookout Mountain and a part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, is waiving the entrance fee on Thursday, Aug. 4, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Acts signing. The Act was signed into legislation to provide up to $1.9 billion a year over five years for needed maintenance on critical facilities and infrastructure in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and American Indian Schools. Revenue will be provided by energy development, to include royalties of $900 million per year from offshore oil and natural gas to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Mark this historical conservation legislation by visiting Point Park on this fee free day to indulge in the views of the Chattanooga Valley from 2,100 feet above, hike the Lookout Mountain Battlefield with 30-miles of trails, while learning the significance of this area during Americas Civil War in what became known as, The Battle Above the Clouds. During the day, park rangers will be available at the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center from the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions and provide information about the park and the Battles for Chattanooga. Additionally, ranger-led tours of Point Park, each lasting approximately 45-minutes, will be conducted at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. For those who like the mid-century modern style of architecture that began permeating Chattanooga and other cities after World War II, the old SunTrust/American National Bank building in Brainerd is a real gem. Featuring plenty of glass and unusual configurations typical of that style, as well as some more traditional granite trim, the structure at 3535 Brainerd Road near the intersection of Germantown Road has sparkled and caught an eye like a piece of silver deposited there. Those who dont regularly frequent Brainerd Road might not have realized that the building closed as a bank back in February. According to Shelley Miller, who works in corporate communications for Truist Bank, the move was made as part of the branch consolidation efforts following the recent merger of SunTrust and Truist. It had once been an American National Bank branch before the merger into what later became SunTrust. Regarding the future of the building, Ms. Miller said, We still have a lease with the building and are currently exploring options to sublease the space. At the same time its future is pondered -- with those interested in historic preservation hoping to see it preserved in a way that captures its architectural and historic integrity a definite end of an era came for another former American National Bank branch. The bank building at Ashland Terrace and Norcross Road, which once had its own mid-century glassy look before being updated into a stucco-style building that reflected more the 1980s and 90s era, has been knocked down to make way for a car wash. And for several days after the demolition began, the old vault has been visible, standing there like a lone soldier holding out in a fort. Regarding which style architecture fans admired in this building that had two entirely different looks over the years, that is now a moot point with its demolition. But these changes started me thinking about all the branches that were built by American National Bank in the days when it was a very popular local bank. I went to the Chattanooga Public Library and learned of several branches that had opened well before its mammoth downtown office had been constructed in 1968 to replace a smaller-but-classic-looking building. The bank as a financial institution dated to 1912 and over the years was headed by Scott Probasco Sr. and later the enthusiastic Scotty Probasco Jr. Such others as Sam Yarnell, John Wright, Bo Sudderth and others provided key administrative leadership, too. By about the early 1950s, American National had about four branch locations at 3223 Brainerd Road, 5022 Rossville Blvd., 61 N. Market St. near the Market Street Bridge, and 3734 St. Elmo Ave. While the North Market Street branch was replaced in recent years with a new residential facility as part of the boom of the North Shore and North Chattanooga, although a bank was put in the new building, the other three buildings are still there. I went and looked at them this week and the building at 5022 Rossville Blvd. is now vacant. It sits right on the Tennessee state line which was important because bank branches could not be located across state lines until 1997 and still has some closed drive-through window islands in the back. This branch, which opened on Nov. 12, 1947, also uniquely features a clock on the front. The original Brainerd location in what is considered the Olde Town of Brainerd is still there, although it has other uses. The now-closed St. Elmo branch building of American National opened on Dec. 15, 1949, perhaps earlier than it looks. It is still standing, although news about possible new developments there have been discussed in recent months in the paper, so its future is apparently questionable. It has plenty of windows on the sides and an old-style drive-through window on its west side. The recently closed Brainerd branch at 3535 Brainerd Road opened on Dec. 26, 1954, also perhaps a little earlier that one might guess, based on its look that seems to have early 1960s written all over it. It had been designed by Selmon T. Franklin and constructed by contractor John Martin, both of whom teamed up for many of the early American National Bank branch projects. The bank had eight teller cages on the first floor and a vault 9 feet by 30 feet. Uniquely on the second floor was an auditorium where civic groups or others could meet. I never realized that, and it would be interesting to learn how often that part was used over the years and what it looks like now. The indented brick layout was likely done for acoustics as well as of course visual enhancement. When the Brainerd branch opened when that part of town was about the most popular suburban area and would be for 20 more years or so, O.C. Bates drove in from Apison in a Model A Ford. John Bristow was the first branch manager. Among the other branches opened by the mid-1960s, the East Chattanooga branch opened in 1955 at 2205 Dodson Ave. across the street from where an original Golden Gallon drive through and a Sav-A-Lot/Red Food Store were built. Jones Digital Solutions was evidently at the site in recent years, and more investigation would be required to see if any of the old bank building is still there. The less visually attractive branch of American National Bank at Eighth and Lindsay streets opened in 1957 and was said to be the first bank in downtown Chattanooga to offer drive-through services. The building is still used for other purposes by other entities, and the former drive through area appears to have been bricked up for more office space. A Tiftonia/Lookout Valley branch opened at 101 Browns Ferry Road on Aug. 20, 1959. It has been changed over the years, but some of the original brick appears to be still there, based on photos. The recently razed Hixson branch opened on Oct. 1, 1959, and was no doubt built in connection with the popular Highland Plaza shopping center that opened about that time. The bank branch even used a trailer to do banking services before the structure was built. It featured plenty of glass, which likely made it more eye catching than the more modernized stucco-style look at least for lovers of mid-century architecture. As the mid-1960s arrived, an American National Bank branch had opened in the 7200 block of Lee Highway on the edge of East Brainerd, while the bank was expanding into the Soddy-Daisy area, too, with a double wide initially used there. Since America is run on a monetary system, countless bank branches and entirely new banks have continued to open and make loans. That is, even though the regular physical trips to a bank branch to deposit or cash a check are not as frequent for many people in this era of online banking and payment by credit card or other electronic manner. But the bank buildings over the years in Chattanooga and elsewhere have usually been built of high-quality construction and from the designs of top architects, and they are a great historical look into American architecture over the last 125-plus years. And many a lover of the mid-century modernism style of architecture might add that a great chapter was written in the 1950s with the opening of the Brainerd branch of the old American National Bank. * * * Jcshearer2@comcast.net Courtney High, who faces a possible death penalty after being accused in the murder of Bianca Horton before she could testify against a gang member, is seeking a new lawyer after his current counsel announced he was leaving his practice. Judge Tom Greenholtz on Friday approved Steven Moores request to withdraw from the high-profile case. High now has to find another lawyer who is death penalty certified. Id like to get you a lawyer who is death penalty certified before my term expires, said Judge Greenholtz. I dont think there are any in Chattanooga. Judge Greenholtz said he might ask the office of the Supreme Court tofind an attorney to handle his cases. High allegedly gave a list of lawyers he would like to work with, but all were unavailable or did not respond. High requested that he wanted a lawyer who would not be biased towards his religious views. Judge Greenholtz, who is moving up to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in September, moved Highs case to Aug. 12 for an update on his counsel. High was initially charged along with Andre Grier and Charles Shelton in the May 2016 slaying of Ms. Horton. Shelton died while at the workhouse in September of last year. He was 31. Ms. Horton had been set to testify against Cortez Sims in his murder trial and in the incident in which he shot her daughter Zoe.Ms. Horton was shot several times and her body was dumped on the side of the road. Democratic county mayor nominee Matt Adams on Friday called for the release of alleged emails between GOP contender Weston Wamp and the Lookouts. Mr. Wamp replied, Ive addressed this on multiple occasions, and I will say again that my skepticism about a new stadium is not personal with the Lookouts. But it now appears the Lookouts are conspiring with my Democratic opponent 13 days before an election. The Wamp campaign did not release any emails. Mr. Wamp has raised issues about the stadium project, which appears to be on track to be approved by the city and county prior to the Aug. 4 election. Mr. Adams said, "We have an opportunity to invest in our community in a way that we have not seen in many many years. The development of the Wheland Foundry site will bring revenue into our community that we otherwise would not see. In fact the site is currently only contributing roughly $20,000 to the county annually. "While I believe that there are details that need to be fleshed out they are not hindrances to the basic notion that developing this site will help our county. My investment in this project is one of a resident that understands the need for economic development and the benefits it brings to all residents. "There has been a lot of talk about transparency in the race for County Mayor, especially since we will see one of the largest transitions in county elected leadership in decades. Hardball Capital, the parent company of the Chattanooga Lookouts, had several communications between Weston Wamp and management of the Lookouts allegedly pertaining to Weston Wamp heading the stadium project. "I believe that it is in the interest of transparency for these documents to be released to the public immediately. As we are less than two weeks away from electing a new County Mayor, the public deserves to know the stakes at play." The July 27 application deadline is approaching for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 2022 Wildlife Management Area Big Game Quota Hunts, the regular elk hunts, youth elk hunts, and WMA youth hunts. The WMA hunting instruction sheet has locations and dates for each of the quota hunts along with drawing rules and regulations. Instruction sheets and applications can be obtained for the hunts at any TWRA license agent, TWRA regional office, or online at www.gooutdoorstennessee.com. Mailed applications will not be processed into the drawing system. Entries must be submitted before midnight (CDT) on July 27. There is no fee for current Annual Sportsman License holders, Lifetime Sportsman License holders, or seniors possessing a Type 167 Annual Senior Citizen Sportsman License. For all other applicants, there is a non-refundable $12 permit fee for each drawing entered. There is a $1 agent fee for applications made at a license agent. When applying at a license agent, hunters must remain at the location while the application is processed to verify the information is correct on the receipt. For applications made on the internet, there is a $2 internet usage fee. If entering multiple quota hunts, a person must pay the permit and agent fee(s) for each quota hunt application submitted. The WMA (elk hunts excluded) priority point system gives a priority point for each year a hunter participates (this year a maximum of 13 points) without being successfully drawn for a hunt. Applicants drawn for a hunt last year will start over with a priority of zero. After all the drawings are conducted, leftover permits will be sold on-line, on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning Aug. 24 at 8 a.m. (CDT). The states 14th gun elk hunt will be held Oct. 8-14 with seven individuals selected to participate. Six of the participants will be selected through a computer drawing conducted by the TWRA. The seventh participant will be the recipient of a permit that is donated to a Non-Governmental Organization, which is the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation. That permit will be issued in a raffle for the fourth year. New this year, Elk Quota Hunts applicants may select up to four hunt choices which is an increase from one choice in previous years. Applicants are still only eligible to be awarded one tag. Additionally, this will be the sixth year for an archery only hunt with seven permits. Elk archery hunt dates are Sept. 24-30. The Young Sportsman Hunt, where one tag is issued, is Oct. 1-7. Dr. Mike Hayes will deliver the commencement address at Lee Universitys summer ceremony on Saturday, July 30, at 10:30 a.m. in the Conn Center. "Commissioning and commencement are always exciting celebrations at Lee, said Lee President Dr. Mark L. Walker. Congratulations to all of our graduates! Our student speakers in our commissioning services always move us with their Lee stories, and Dr. Mike Hayes, our commencement speaker, is a gifted communicator that always inspires our students when he speaks. Both events should prove to be wonderful tributes to the accomplishments of our graduates and their families." Dr. Hayes, an alumnus of Lee, currently serves as Head of School at Worthington Christian School in Worthington, Ohio. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Hayes spent 27 years serving the Lee community in student life and student development. As vice president for student development, he oversaw campus ministries, campus security, counseling, the health clinic, new student orientation, racial and ethnic relations, residential life and housing, student care, and more. He received his Doctorate of Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in educational administration and policy studies and his Master of Education from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in counseling and industrial/organizational psychology. Lees summer commencement is one of three graduation ceremonies held each year at the university. Over 175 degrees are set to be conferred in the Saturday morning ceremony. The School of Musics Dr. Andrea Dismukes will perform at the ceremony. Prior to the Saturday commencement, a commissioning ceremony will be held Friday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m., also in the Conn Center. The is a special occasion for students and their families to reflect on student experiences at the university. During the event, there will be five student speakers who will share brief stories about their time at Lee, and special music will be provided by Amanda Phillips, a grad student in Lees School of Music. Each graduate will also be presented with a personalized Bible in a traditional walk across the Conn Center stage. A reception will follow the commissioning ceremony for all in attendance. A hooding ceremony for recipients of masters, education specialist, and doctoral degrees will take place Friday, July 29, at 4:30 p.m. For those who wish to view the events, live streaming will be available at http://livestream.com/leeu. The hooding, commissioning, and commencement ceremonies are ticketed events. For more information about commencement exercises, please contact the Academic Events Office at academicevents@leeuniversity.edu, 614-8117, or visit the website at https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/graduation-info/. Showbiz Cheat Sheet Film and Gaming & Comics Section Editor Katie Maloney attended the Crunchyroll panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 to get the inside scoop on what anime fans can expect through the end of the year and into 2023. Heres everything she learned. Every new anime this year according to Crunchyroll at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 The Devil is a Part-Timer! Season 2 The series is returning after a 10-year hiatus! The Devil is a Part-Timer! follows Satan who is attempting to conquer the world of Ente Isla. However, he must content with Hero Emilia who forces him to retreat through the gate that transports Satan to modern-day Tokyo, Japan. Fans can stream the series now on Crunchyroll. Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Battle for Sanctuary The series follows a group of young warriors, called Knights of the Zodiac, who are tasked with protecting the goddess Athena. One of these warriors is a young orphan named Seiya, who is destined to become the Pegasus Knight. Seiya must attempt to save Athenas life by ascending Sanctuary and defeating twelve legendary Gold Knights. That catch is he only has twelve hours to do it. Fans can find out if Seiya is success by streaming the series on Crunchyroll this Summer. To Your Eternity Season 2 To your eternity follows Fushi, an immortal being who takes on multiple forms in order to learn what its like to be truly human. During the series, Fushi takes the form of an abandoned white-haired village boy and his white wolf in order to stimulate as it learns what it is to be truly human. According to Crunchyroll at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, fans can stream To Your Eternity Season 2 this Fall. The Tale of Outcasts According to the panel hosts, Crunchyroll plans to simulcast the recently revealed anime adaptation of Makoto Hoshinos The Tale of Outcasts manga. Hoshinos manga made its debut in Shogakukans Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine in August 2019 and was featured through April 2021. Now its back in series form. Fans can stream the series on Crunchyroll soon. Parallel World Pharmacy The series follows Kanji Yakutani, a medical researcher who dies and reincarnates in another world as a Pharmacist of sorts. When he discovers the state of medical care in his new world, he decides to open a pharmacy and bring proper medicine to everyone who needs it. He also uses his secret ability to create and destroy matter to help his work. Fans can stream the first episode starting July 24. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 The series is coming soon to Crunchyroll. The series follows a 34-year-old underachiever who gets run over by a bus. Luckily, he gets a second chance when he is reincarnated as an infant. Now, Rudy is determined to live the life he previously took for granted. According to Crunchyroll at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, fans can stream the series soon. Every new anime coming to Crunchyroll in 2023 In/Spectre Season 2 In season 2 Saki-San is no longer a threat. But, Kuros older cousin Rikka Sakuragawa is still dangerous to the world. Luckily, Rikka has gone into hiding, so Kuro and Kotoko start solving a variety of supernatural mysteries. The series will be available to stream on Crunchyroll in January 2023. Solo Leveling Based on the popular webcomic of the same name, Solo Leveling follows Sung Jinwoo, who lives in a place where some humans have magical abilities. These humans are known as hunters, and they fight monsters in order to protect mankind. The series will premiere on Crunchyroll in 2023. Tomo-Chan Is a Girl! The rom-com series follows Tomo who has been best friends with Jun since they were little kids. But now that theyre in high school, Tomo has developed feelings for Jun and wants to be more than just friends. However, Jun sees Tomo as just one of the boys. Can Tomo win Juns affections? According to Crunchyroll at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, fans can stream the series in January 2023. RELATED: 10 Best Anime to Watch in Summer 2022 You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A Cheshire native is in Sierra Leone, training for a stint with the Peace Corps in hopes of fulfilling her plan to teach children in this rural area of southwest Africa. While her journey there has not been smooth, she remains optimistic that she can fulfill her mission. Anne Wnuck, a 2015 Cheshire High graduate, earned a degree in international development at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. In February 2020, she went to Nepal with the Peace Corps, to serve as an English education teacher for two years. Those plans were derailed by the pandemic, a public health crisis that initially wasnt fully understood by Peace Corps members in Nepal due to limited communication channels. Ultimately, the situation resulted in the Peace Corps evacuating more than 7,000 volunteers when the organization suspended all operations overseas in March 2020. Wnucks two-year mission ended just two months in. Ever since I was young, Ive had a great affinity for the Peace Corps and its mission, Wnuck said in an interview with The Cheshire Herald before her Nepal adventure. Its taken two years for Wnucks plans to get back on track, but her resolve never faltered. Her commitment to improving conditions in less advantaged areas of the world is currently taking shape with three months of training in Sierra Leone. Shell commence her work there in September. The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, currently lists Sierra Leone at a Level 2 travel advisory, meaning exercise increased caution due to crime and civil unrest. Wnuck says shes learning about the history of the area, including the connection it has to slavery in America and around the globe. Freetown and other areas were refuges for formerly enslaved peoples who migrated there in the 18th and 19th centuries. While English is the official language, Krio is the most widely spoken language, derived from Creole English common in parts of the American south. That history is just something that you cant ignore, nor should you, Wnuck said. The rural area where Wnuck will work may have limited electricity, as well as unreliable internet. She is concerned about how that might affect her work in the classroom. However, if theres one thing the Peace Corps teaches you, its to be flexible, she said. President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. Since then, according to the Peace Corps, nearly a quarter million volunteers have served in 143 countries. Overcoming a two-year pause on a plan that, even in the best of times, includes big challenges is no small feat. Keeping that commitment alive and following through is a testament to Wnucks determination. With her latest involvement, Wnuck may finally have a chance to make the contribution she envisioned. Getting your hands on the easier-on-the-pocket and palm-friendly Google Pixel 6A has gotten closer than you think, as preorders for the amazing handset beginning days before the phone's official launch. The $449 smartphone is set for release on Thursday, July 28. Preorders are also available for the new $199 Pixel Buds Pro, the tech giant's first wireless earbuds to include active noise cancellation and ship in multiple bright color options and will roll out on the same day as the Pixel 6A. You can preorder an unlocked Pixel 6A with 128GB of storage at the Google Store, Best Buy, and Amazon. Available colors are sage green, chalk white, or charcoal black. You can also trade in I an older Pixel phone, such as the Pixel 3A, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4A, for $300 at the Google Store, wherein you can also get a free pair of $99 Pixel Buds A earbuds. At Verizon: buying the Pixel 6A costs $50 more, but, in exchange, you'll have support for Verizon's 5G ultra-wideband support. You'll be charged monthly dues that start at $13.88 a month for 36 months. Pixel 6A, Remarkable Prospect Even With Lower Price Even with its low price, the Pixel 6A is a mouthwatering prospect with its 6.1-inch OLED screen, which is well suited to people having smaller hands or those who prefer a smaller phone. It has the same offerings as Google's flagship phones, including the Tensor processor. Also, its general design, which mixes the look of the Pixel 6 and the upcoming Pixel 7, and its Android software make it a fulfilling buy, especially with its relatively low price. Read Also: Google Pixel 6a Specs, Price, Release Date: Leak Hints Major Downgrade Amid Cheaper Price While the camera is something that couldn't match its pricier counterparts, it should still provide more exceptional photos than other phones of the same price. The Pixel 6A has two rear cameras, which are the main 12.2-megapixel camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens offering a 114-degree field of view. An 8-megapixel selfie cam is also available. It offers slightly better image quality than the Pixel 5a, thanks to the Tensor chip's more powerful image signal processor (ISP). It also provides almost all the same camera features on the Pixel 6, including Magic Eraser, Real Tone, Portrait Light, and Face Unblur. However, there remains a gap in image quality, especially in low light, where the Pixel 6a's old image sensor will show its limitations. Battery Life is Pixel 6A's Key Feature The only port on the Pixel 6a is a USB-C charging port at the bottom. You will also notice a minor physical change: it doesn't have wireless charging capabilities. While the Pixel 6 could be used on charging pads, Google felt the need not to include the feature on the Pixel 6A to keep up on its affordability. However, you won't need to charge it that often. A key feature of the Pixel 6A is battery life. Even with a slightly smaller battery, the Pixel 6a offers similar or slightly better battery life than the flagship Pixel 6. If you have those eagle eyes for relevant specs, the only disadvantage here is its 60Hz refresh rate on its display, which does not meet the 120Hz standard on a lot of midrange Android phones. Otherwise, it is quite difficult to differentiate the Pixel 6a from a Pixel 6, especially with their similar exterior architectures, having a big horizontal camera bar that acts as a barrier separating two shades of the phone's primary color on the rear. The hole-punch selfie cam is located at the top middle of the phone's screen, while an in-display fingerprint sensor, without a face unlock, is used to input your PIN code to access the phone and installed apps. On the other hand, a key feature of the Pixel Buds Pro is its ability to switch between devices automatically without altering settings or having to open menus. Just like Apple's AirPods that can switch between other Apple gadgets, such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Google's Buds Pro will be able to do the same across Android hardware. As noise-canceling is its prime feature, the Buds Pro will soon offer head-tracking spatial audio, which will arrive through a subsequent software update. Related Article: Google's Pixel 6a Reportedly Faster, More Reliable With Fingerprint Scanner Episcopal Church defers resolutions labeling Israel apartheid state to 2024 convention The Episcopal Church has deferred three resolutions labeling Israel an apartheid state until its next General Convention, scheduled to occur in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2024. The progressive mainline denomination held its 80th General Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, from July 8-11, having limited its attendance and agenda due to COVID-19 concerns. Out of over 400 resolutions proposed, the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops deferred 17 to the 2024 churchwide gathering. Three of the deferred agenda items were measures that labeled Israel an apartheid state, according to a report from Episcopal News Service published Tuesday. Pennsylvania Bishop Daniel Gutierrez, chair of the Social Justice and International Policy Committee, said there was a desire to give adequate time to debate the issue. "We wanted to give it the importance that it deserves and needs," Gutierrez said, as reported by ENS. He is optimistic that it will get that attention in 2024. The Episcopal Church has debated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at general conventions for years and previously entertained resolutions to divest from Israel. In 2012, then Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori denounced divestment campaigns against Israel, arguing that they were counterproductive and would "only end in punishing Palestinians economically." At the 79th General Convention in 2018, the House of Bishops rejected a divestment resolution that passed the House of Deputies earlier in the gathering. "Divestment will not move us one inch forward in the peace process," stated retired Bishop Ed Little of the Diocese of Northern Indiana at the 2018 gathering. "It will not bring an end to the occupation. It will not lead us to the solution that we all yearn for, which is two states living side by side in peace within secure borders." Although the Episcopal Church deferred its apartheid resolution until 2024, another mainline Protestant denomination passed a similar measure at their churchwide gathering this month. Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly delegates voted 266-116 to pass an overture saying Israel was an apartheid state due to its treatment of the Palestinian territories. The move was criticized by the Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Anti-Defamation League and Presbyterians for Middle East Peace, which felt that both sides were not presented during the debate on the resolution. "Nary a Jewish voice was heard at the GA, experts offering countering opinions were not allowed to speak, only a select few of the Louisville staff had standing," a statement from Presbyterians for Middle East Peace decried. Last July, the United Church of Christ passed a resolution at its 33rd General Synod accusing Israel of using an imperialistic theology to oppress the Palestinian Territories. The resolution also compared Israels actions in the Palestinian Territories to Jim Crow segregation in the United States and rejected the idea that Israel has a divine right to the land. The American Jewish Committee criticized the resolution, saying it demonizes Israel, fails to offer a credible path to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and undermines advances in Christian-Jewish relations. The resolutions come as Israel has been criticized by the United Nations and other international actors for allowing Jewish settlements in territories it controls in the West Bank and Gaza Strip captured in the Six-Day War of 1967. House Democrats block resolution condemning violence against churches, pro-life pregnancy centers Congressional Democrats have blocked a resolution that would have condemned the violence directed at churches and pro-life organizations by pro-abortion activists in recent months. On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., introduced House Resolution 1233, which would "[express] the sense of the House of Representatives condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches." The resolution noted that "since the May 2, 2022 leak of the Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, individuals professing anti-life views have targeted, destroyed, or vandalized numerous pro-life facilities, groups, and even churches to further their radical cause." The leaked Dobbs draft, published by Politico, indicated that a majority of Supreme Court justices were inclined to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The final Dobbsruling, released on June 24, ultimately reversed Roe and stated the Constitution doesn't confer a right to abortion. The resolution listed examples of the vandalism directed at churches and pro-life organizations before and afterDobbs. Johnson's resolution would have declared that the House "condemns recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches," "recognizes the sanctity of life and the important role pro-life facilities, groups, and churches play in supporting pregnant women, infants, and families." The resolution urged "the Biden Administration to use all appropriate law enforcement authorities to uphold public safety and to protect the rights of" such organizations. Johnson elaborated on the need for the resolution on the House floor as the House considered the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the Right to Contraception Act and the Respect for Marriage Act. "If the previous question is defeated, Republicans will amend the rule to immediately consider House Resolution 1233," Johnson vowed. FLOOR ALERT: @HouseDemocrats refused @HouseGOP requests to consider @RepMikeJohnsons resolution condemning the escalating violence & vandalism by radical left-wing activists on pro-life & religious organizations that care for pregnant women, infants & families. @GReschenthalerpic.twitter.com/3XoLARiXo7 House Rules Republicans (@RulesReps) July 19, 2022 The previous question was not defeated, as the House agreed to begin debate on the three pieces of legislation in a party-line vote. Later Tuesday, the House approved the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify same-sex marriage into federal law, accumulating support from all Democrats and 47 Republicans. The Twitter account for Republicans on the House Rules Committee shared a video of Johnson's speech on the House floor. "@HouseDemocrats refused @HouseGOP requests to consider @RepMikeJohnson's resolution condemning the escalating violence & vandalism by radical left-wing activists that care for pregnant women, infants & families," the House Rules Republicans tweeted. The push to pass the Right to Contraception Act and the Respect for Marriage Act, two of the three pieces of legislation House Democrats were seeking to begin debate on, suggests that the Dobbs ruling was very much on their minds. Progressive have feared that the Dobbs decision could pave the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider other landmark Supreme Court rulings championed by Democrats, specifically those legalizing contraception nationwide and requiring all 50 states to recognize same-sex marriages. In a concurring opinion in Dobbs, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the court should "reconsider" the aforementioned cases and determine "whether other constitutional provisions guarantee" the "rights" created by those decisions other than the "legal fiction" of "substantive due process." The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, insisted that this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right," adding, "Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion." Pro-abortion activists calling themselves Jane's Revenge have taken credit for multiple acts of vandalism against churches and pro-life organizations, recently declaring "open season" on such groups. Johnson believes inaction from the House puts churches, pro-life groups and Supreme Court justices at risk. He criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for only bringing a bill to increase security for Supreme Court justices up for a vote after police arrested a man who admitted he wanted to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh but turned himself over to authorities. The bill unanimously passed the U.S. Senate and ultimately passed the House overwhelmingly six days after the assassination attempt. "Radical leftists were emboldened by the inaction of this body in the aftermath of the leaked opinion," Johnson said. "When will this body stand up against the mob? When will we restore law and order?" Johnson claims that pro-choice elected officials have done the exact opposite. On multiple occasions since the release of the Dobbs decision, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has echoed the calls from Jane's Revenge, demanding that pro-life pregnancy centers be shut down. Most recently, Warren maintained that such organizations "are there to fool people who are looking for pregnancy termination help." "You should not be able to torture a pregnant person like that," she added. "We need to shut them down here in Massachusetts, and we need to shut them down all around the country." Many pro-life pregnancy centers are staffed by licensed medical professionals and provide things like pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, prenatal care, cancer screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Many also provide families with diapers, wipes, baby formula, baby food, clothing and other supplies. Heidi Matzke, the executive director of Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Sacramento, California, told the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that her clinic has recently spent up to $150,000 to improve security measures. "Our clinic is one of 3,000 pregnancy care centers across America," Matzke said. "Each year, hundreds of thousands come to our clinics looking for free medical care, emotional support and practical resources that will enable them to carry their pregnancies to term." House of Prayer schools allegedly bilked over $7 million from veterans for Bible study classes A nonprofit organization called the House of Prayer, a chain of schools that students branded as a cult, has been accused of recruiting veterans and active service members and then bilking them out of more than $7 million in GI Bill benefits and disability checks to pay for Bible classes that were not accredited. In testimony on GI Bill modernization before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday, William Hubbard, vice president for Veterans & Military Policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group focused on advancing higher education success for service members, veterans and their families, said the House of Prayer's abuse is proof that more oversight of the GI Bill program is needed. Irrespective of VAs efforts to modernize and improve the administration of education benefits, student veterans continue to face the threat of predatory actors in higher education, and in many cases with alarming consequences. Recently, the FBI conducted multiple raids across the country on a system of GI Bill-approved schools that are affiliated under the banner of House of Prayer, Hubbard noted in his testimony. These raids demonstrated the importance of remaining vigilant against harmful conduct, and of establishing much-needed minimum quality standards. In addition, over the course of the pandemic, the landscape of higher education has become dramatically less predictable; keeping a watchful eye for unscrupulous behaviors and low-quality programs is critical, he added. On June 23, the FBI raided at least six House of Prayer locations, including in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington state, Texas and California, but it was unclear if the raids were connected to any particular case. The organization is led by the elusive veteran Rony Denis and has 11 churches near U.S. military installations. House of Prayer allegedly used high-pressure tactics to recruit vulnerable veterans or active duty service members and exploited them for their government entitlements through programs such as the GI Bill, Military.com reported. In the meantime, Denis also reportedly enriched himself by building an untold real estate empire worth millions. Some of the former students who spoke to the publication were reportedly veterans or active-duty members when they were involved with the House of Prayer. Some sources "described having suicidal ideation or previous attempts, the publication said, adding that some were wounded in the post-9/11 wars or had previous trauma. The GI Bill benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, help qualifying Veterans and their family members get money to cover all or some of the costs for school or training. Arlen Bradeen, an Army veteran who ran the House of Prayer's Bible school from its inception in 2004 until he left the church in 2018, told Military.com how the organization exploited the GI Bill members' benefits once the Bible school was approved for the GI Bill in 2013. He recalled how the cost per semester for the Bible classes increased from an initial $300 to about $3,000. "It burns me because there were a lot of good people who burned their VA money at these schools," Bradeen said. "They used all their college money to donate to Denis' Rolls Royces." He said while the House of Prayer schools did not maintain the traditional course offerings available at other educational institutions, they used several tricks to ensure they could continue accessing the GI Bill benefits. He revealed that the organization would rename classes to maneuver around the VA requirement that federal dollars cannot be used for a student to repeat a course. He further noted that the classes were no different than a regular Sunday school session focused on different themes from the Bible. "We wanted all of them in there full time," Bradeen said. "So we would rename classes so they can retake the class." The Christian Post reached out to the House of Prayer for comment on the report Thursday but a response was not received by press time. The Rev. Jeff Derby, a spokesperson for the organization, told Military.com that their lawyers advised them not to make public statements on the situation. "We have been advised by our lawyers not to speak, make comments, or make statements to the media or anyone while the Bible Seminary is being investigated," Derby said in a statement to the publication. Bradeen said he was forced to leave his wife and family behind to escape the House of Prayer, lamenting the power Denis wielded over students and members. Military.com cited a message in which Denis told his followers that God had permitted him to kill them, but he chose not to out of love. "God gave me permission to kill everybody in here. But I won't because I love you," Denis reportedly preached during one Sunday service, according to Rosalie Wright, an Army veteran and mother of four who was talked into spending her GI Bill benefits at House of Prayer schools. Wright, who left the school without a degree or marketable skills after spending all her GI benefits on classes at House of Prayer, now cannot afford to study nursing. "I am still trying to get established, and it doesn't feel great," she told Military.com. "When I got two kids in high school, I feel I should be further along, and I could really use the GI Bill right now." Other students were also convinced to get low-cost VA home loans and then told to live in dorms so that House of Prayer could rent out those homes to generate revenue. Meanwhile, Denis acquired three multimillion-dollar homes in Georgia and Florida, Military.com said. It was noted that state approving agencies, or SAAs, which determine if educational institutions meet the requirements for GI Bill money, began cracking down on the House of Prayer earlier this year after Veterans Education Success complained of abuses. At present, no effective system exists to proactively prevent bad programs from being approved to begin with. The statutes governing program approval are seriously outdated, still referencing classes taught by radio, and they continue to allow a low standard of entry. We strongly believe that both veterans and taxpayers are entitled to a reasonable return on investment for the GI Bill, Hubbard told the subcommittee on Wednesday. Unfortunately, there are numerous examples of programs that cause serious harm to the veterans they intend to train and educate. The consequences of veterans getting stuck at bad programs includes: unrecoverable wasted time, burdensome debts, and personal reputational damage, he added. Despite showing poor results, many of these programs and schools continue to rake in millions of taxpayer dollars through the recruitment and exploitation of veterans and the abuse of their education benefits. Jewish couple rejected by Christian childrens home as foster trainees continue legal fight A Jewish couple has appealed a court decision rejecting their lawsuit against Tennessee after a state-supported Christian charity denied their foster parent application over religious differences. Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram are appealing a decision last month in which a court concluded that the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) was not guilty of discrimination. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which is representing the couple, announced on Thursday that it filed an appeal in the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Liz and Gabe Rutan-Ram were subjected to outrageous and unacceptable religious discrimination, said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. This young couple wanted to help a child in need only to be told that they couldnt get services from a taxpayer-funded agency because theyre the wrong religion. Everyone should be appalled by the treatment they received. Also represented in the litigation are four Tennessee residents who argue that, by virtue of being taxpayers, they have standing to sue over the actions of the publicly-funded Christian charity. In January, the Rutan-Rams sued the Tennessee DCS after the state-supported Holston United Methodist Home for Children denied them access to foster training programs because they were not Christian. Holston, which was founded in 1895 and is said to have helped over 8,000 children, receives reimbursement through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Title IV-E. Holston's CEO Bradley Williams sent The Christian Post a statement in January saying that "the caregivers we partner with [are] extensions of our ministry team serving children." "So from the very beginning, we seek to find alignment with them, and if we cannot do so, we try to help them find an agency that may be a better fit," he stated at the time. "Finding other agencies is not hard to do. In Tennessee, for example, there are six other agencies for each one faith-based provider." Last month, a three-judge panel of the Chancery Court in Davidson County ruled 2-1 to dismiss the lawsuit, finding in part that the couple's legal claims were moot since they were able to complete the programs and receive certification through DCS after being rejected by Holston. The majority also ruled that the couple's complaint was inapplicable because they had originally planned to foster a child from Florida, while Holston only handles in-state arrangements. "The contract the Department has with Holston provides funds only for services for children 'in the custody of the State of Tennessee.' Thus the services the Couple sought from Holston are not funded by the Department and therefore lack a causal connection to the alleged injury," read the majority opinion. Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle wrote an opinion that partially dissented from the panel majority, taking issue with the conclusion that the couple lacked "constitutional standing." "The foregoing law makes clear that the allegations in the Amended Complaint, such as the barriers the Couple faces now as foster parents and continue to face in obtaining the efficiencies and other benefits and advantages of working with private agencies, are sufficient to establish standing," read the dissent. Most voters 'dissatisfied' with how schools are teaching sexuality, gender identity, race: poll Voters in the United States are overwhelmingly "dissatisfied" with how public schools handle issues of race, sexual orientation and gender identity, according to a recent poll commissioned by a progressive teacher advocacy organization. Hart Research Associates conducted a poll in May of 1,758 likely voters in seven states considered battleground states in presidential elections. The survey had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points and was commissioned by the American Federation of Teachers. Surveyed voters for the report, which has recently been making the rounds, lived in the states of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. By a more than 2-1 margin, more respondents indicated that they were dissatisfied with the way students are taught about racial issues and the role of race in America (60%) than satisfied (27%). Similarly, 58% of participants told pollsters they were dissatisfied with the way students are taught about issues related to sexual preference and gender identity compared to just 23% who were satisfied. There was some indication that U.S. voters trust Republicans more on education issues than they do Democrats, albeit with some of the findings being within the margin of error. Thirty-nine percent of respondents indicated that they had more confidence in Republicans on education issues, while 38% asserted they had more confidence in Democrats. When asked who was more responsible for politicizing education, 33% said Democrats and liberals were more to blame, while 28% said Republicans and conservatives. Thirty-six percent held both parties equally responsible. Additionally, 59% of respondents said they disapprove of Joe Bidens job as president and 45% said they were more likely to vote for a Republican U.S. Senate candidate compared to 42% who saw themselves as more likely to vote Democrat. Among the states surveyed, all but Michigan have a U.S. Senate race this year. When listing major problems with education, 49% of respondents put Education has become too politicized in their top four issues, more so than any other issue. In second place was teacher shortages and lack of staff at 45%, followed by lack of support and respect for teachers at 40% and inappropriate teaching about issues like sexual orientation and gender fluidity at 38%. Thirty percent of those surveyed put concerns over parents not having enough say in their childrens education in their top four problems, and 27% included concerns over the teaching of Critical Race Theory in their top four. AFT President Randi Weingarten reacted to the poll in a speech last week before the unions 2022 Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. She maintained that it showed people were sick of education being politicized. While extremist politicians are trying to drive a wedge between parents and teachers by banning books, censoring curriculum and politicizing public education, were focused on investing in public schools and the essential knowledge and skills students need, said Weingarten. Were focused on accelerating learning, not just catching up. We are fighting for the conditions students need to thrive, like state-of-the-art buildings, with good ventilation, smaller class sizes and mental health resources." Corey DeAngelis of the American Federation for Children, a conservative school choice advocacy group, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he considered the findings bad news for unions like the AFT. The results of the union-commissioned poll show that likely voters in battleground states have more confidence in Republicans than Democrats on education, DeAngelis said. The results of the union poll also show that likely voters have much more confidence in teachers and parent organizations than teachers unions. Not a good look for union bosses like Randi Weingarten. Education figured prominently in last years Virginia gubernatorial election, when Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe proclaimed I dont think parents should be telling schools what they should teach during a debate with his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin won the election, with exit polling by CNN showing that voters who viewed education as the most important issue facing the state favored Youngkin over McAuliffe, 53% to 47%. Furthermore, 77% of voters who wanted parents to have a lot of say in what public schools teach supported Youngkin, while just 22% favored McAuliffe. Department of Defense cannot continue to ignore what's killing recruitment With all the problems our nation is now facing, a most serious threat to national security has developed under our noses: The catastrophic drop in military recruiting. Back in May, top Defense Department leaders told Congress this was the worst recruiting crisis since the start of the all-volunteer military half a century ago. According to a late July Army Times article: Defense Department officials have been sounding the alarm for months: the military is going to miss its enlisted recruiting goals this year.. As of late June, according to an Army spokesperson, the Army had only hit 40% of its recruiting goal of 55,400 new soldiers for fiscal year 2022. This comes after lowering the bar and softening a number of previous standards and throwing a great deal of money at incentivizing recruitment. None of the extreme measures appear to be working, and top leaders are expecting 2023 to be much worse. The DOD offers a multitude of reasons for the crisis. In particular, they place blame on economic issues and a smaller percentage of those able to serve. Though some of this is valid, it's not the leading cause. Defense Department leaders continue to stonewall facing the real elephant in the room: The perceived wokeness of top DOD leadership (and policies) by the conservative half of the country. Let me explain. First, polls show what recruiters all know: The number one factor bearing on whether an American will join the military is a close military family member (serving or a veteran). The same families continue to serve generation after generation. In my own case, my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all career Army officers. I served for over 30 years, and now, my own son has joined our tradition. This is not unusual, as it's the mainstay of military recruitment. Those military families are more conservative and disproportionately from rural and red states. Going back even three years ago, those families overwhelmingly encouraged their sons and daughters to join. Within the past couple of years, and particularly during the Biden administration, the support for the military among those families has cratered. According to a recent Reagan National Defense Survey, the percentage of Americans who have a lot of confidence and trust in the military plummeted from 70% to 45% in the past couple of years. The debacle of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal caused a catastrophic 11 percentage point drop. To give greater clarity on which demographic had lost the most confidence, the poll showed conservative loss of confidence was beyond what we have seen in American history. A Ronald Reagan Institute survey showed that in 2018 87% of Republican respondents said they had a great deal of confidence in the military. That number plummeted to only 53% by 2021, and it continues to plummet among conservatives. If you read replies to articles about the recruiting crisis in military-centric publications (with overwhelming veteran/retiree readers), you will see countless replies from veterans and retirees about wokeness deterring them from encouraging service. Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Chuck Devore, a former Reagan-era Defense official and former California legislator wrote: When you openly accuse the military of being rightwing and harboring white supremacists, insist on schooling them in transgender pronoun usage. you shouldnt be shocked that they dont want to enlist under a leadership they neither trust nor admire. Colonel Devore also provided this anecdote: To doublecheck that the economy wasnt the overriding reason why recruiting is failing, I spoke with a friend who leads a large police academy in Texas. He said the classes are full of new recruits (although in Chicago, Oregon, and Washington State, areas where police are under attack, things are different). Many of us thought military leaders would turn away from woke policies and concentrate on warfighting amid the Ukraine-Russia war. At the very least, we thought Defense Department leaders would feel compelled to respond to the perception of wokeness in terms of recruitment. Yet these DOD leaders appear to pretend it doesnt exist while the Department implodes. Ironically, even uber-Liberal publications like The Atlantic have recognized and reported on this issue: Where (Milley) deserves greater criticism is his congressional testimony from a few weeks ago.. he went on to connect racism to the attack on the Capitol: I want to understand white rage What is it that made thousands of people assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? The overriding duty of Department of Defense leadership is to provide national defense, and not push woke ideology. Fixing the recruiting crisis will require the courage to push back against ideologues in the administration by putting the Constitution first. We either return to a politically neutral military focused on winning wars, or we will see the military and national defense wither away. Sean Feucht identifies 4 key issues the Church must boldly address in secular culture Evangelist Sean Feucht has challenged the Church to address four key issues he believes are key to combating an increasingly secularized culture and lamented the lack of courage many church leaders exhibit in the face of social pressure. In an interview with The Christian Post, the 38-year-old worship leader reflected on some of the issues he believes pastors and church leaders must address boldly, starting with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. "I think that the church's response to the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, it was a horrible response," Feucht said. "I think people should have been celebrating and thank God that this 50-year prayer that we've been asking for, the reversing of this death decree, there should have been a whole lot more praise and a whole lot more thanks and a whole lot more pointing to God's faithfulness." Second, Feucht, a father of four, lamented that the Church "isn't really addressing" gender confusion and sexual identity. "We're allowing our kids to be sexualized by culture. We're not clearly defining what a man and what a woman is and the beauty of God's divine design." The former Bethel worship leader revealed that his recently-released song, "Imago Dei," was birthed out of a desire to show God's heart for both the unborn and His divine design for humanity. The chorus includes the lines, "Imago Dei, I'm fearfully and wonderfully made/ Imago Dei, there's glory in all You create." The Church also must address the family, Feucht said, adding: "The root of all of our issues in society, whether it's crime or whether it's corruption or even going back to the identity issues, a lot of it comes down to fatherlessness, and we are not we're not addressing that the root cause of the breakdown in society is the family." "Healthy families build healthy communities, which build healthy nations," he said. "God has a divine prescription for all of that." Finally, the Church needs to address repentance, Feucht said. "We're not really talking about repentance," he stressed. "We do altar calls all over America and we call out sin. We see people set free from their shame and their addiction, and America is addicted right now to opioids. Americans are addicted to drugs, to fentanyl, to prescription meds, and we need to start calling those people out. People want to get free. We got to remind them how they can do that." Feucht is no stranger to ruffling feathers. About two years ago, when California cracked down on church gatherings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he brought his "Let Us Worship" concerts to nearly 200 cities across the U.S. as a way for people to worship together. His decision to hold evangelistic events in defiance of public health orders during the pandemic made media headlines and elicited a broad spectrum of responses, from praise to scorn, as documented in the forthcoming film "Superspreader," releasing Sept. 29. And now, he's on a mission to bring boldness back into the Church, a topic he tackles in his latest book, Bold: Moving Forward in Faith, Not Fear. He contended that many church leaders fail to address complex issues due to a "secularization of the Church" and secular humanism that has crept into the Body of Christ. "We've become seeker-friendly; we don't want to ruffle feathers. We've become powerless. Our meetings and gatherings are more like Christian clubs and less like the ecclesia, which is the ruling body government," Feucht said. "We have to go back to the foundations of the Church. 'On this rock, on this Ecclesia, I will build my Church,' not on this cool Christian club that appeals to culture. We're allowing the Church to be defined by culture instead of the Church defining culture. We've really bought into a powerless gospel, and we're seeing the effects of it right now across America. We've got to get back to who the Church is and what it's called to be." The Bible, Feucht added, has an "answer for every controversial issue," from religious liberty to abortion. He challenged pastors and church leaders to address such topics from the pulpit, even if it means offending some listeners. "The Bible shows us clearly where to stand," he said. "And if we ever need truth tellers and Bible and people to speak the truth of God's word, it is right now. We've got to speak to the heart of the cultural issues because no point in Scripture do we see the disciples or Jesus saying, 'Well, actually, I don't want to talk about that because it's political. No, actually, because it's political, we should talk about it more we should bring a clear dividing line." Abolitionists, slaves and slaveholders: Whos who and whats what? A few days ago, Kamala Harris, the vice president of the United States, ventured forth to Atlantic City to deliver a major address to the 113th annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nations most historic and prestigious civil rights organization. What did she tell the NAACP? The vice president proclaimed that for the first time in generations, the Supreme Court took away a constitutional right, that had been recognized, from the people of America, from the women of America. Comparing the reversal of Roe v. Wade to the slavery issue, Vice President Harris proclaimed: We knowthat our country, has a history of claiming ownership over human bodies. She then stated: And today, extremistsare criminalizing doctors and punishing women for making health care decisions for themselvespersonal decisions that it is her right to make in consultation with her doctor, her pastor, her priest, her rabbi, her loved ones, not her government telling her what to do. These outrageous, inflammatory, and inaccurate remarks demand a response. First, it is ironic that the first black and first woman vice president would stand before the NAACP and proclaim her ringing endorsement for abortion, considering that black babies are aborted at three times the rate of white babies and abortion is the leading cause of death of blacks in America every year. It is also true that significantly more girls than boys are aborted annually because of prejudice against girls. Second, the historical allusion to slavery does apply, but in very different ways than the vice president evidently thinks it does. I am not sure Ms. Harris thought this historical analogy through to its proper conclusion before employing it. It is certainly true that the founding defect in the formation of the United States as a nation was their toleration of slavery, conceding the right of some human beings (whites) to hold other human beings (blacks) in bondage. Seven decades later we fought a Civil War (1861-1865) in which over 700,000 Americans died to end the scourge of slavery. They then amended the Constitution to grant citizenship to all who had been held in bondage, negating the Supreme Courts infamous Dred Scott decision (1857) which had declared slaves to be merely property. Now, it is the pro-abortion forces who are denying the humanity of unborn babies and are asserting that mothers should have the absolute and unrestricted right to kill their babies at will, like removing a tumor from their bodies, thus denying the individual personhood and humanity of their unborn sons and daughters. So, the analogy is apt, but the pro-abortionists are playing the rule of the slaveholders, the unborn babies are the slaves, and the pro-lifers are the abolitionists. As Mark Twain once observed, History seldom repeats itself, but it often rhymes. And by the way, where are the fathers of these children in the vice presidents litany of people the woman should consult with before deciding to kill her child? As pro-life laws are composed in the various states, paternal responsibility should be a part of the package. Men should, at the very least, be required to pay child support if the mother of his child decides to keep the baby he has fathered (DNA tests can now determine paternity with great precision). The days of irresponsible men using abortion as a loophole to avoid responsibility for bad behavior, and often the failure to keep the commitments they have made to the mothers of their children, should now be forever and everlastingly over. The reaction of the pro-abortion forces in America to the overturning of Roe illustrates vividly the extent to which their moral compasses have been demagnetized on this issue. They are taking the position the slaveholders took, that they owned other human beings and could dispose of them as they wished. We are correctly appalled that our ancestors could ever have accepted and condoned slavery and its dehumanization of our fellow human beings. I firmly believe that succeeding generations of Americans will find it difficult to comprehend that Americans ever embraced the culture of death of which abortion on demand is the poster child. The New York Times, front-page, top fold, on June 25, proclaimed, ROE OVERTURNED, followed by the subtitle, 6-to-3 Ruling Ends 50 Years of Federal Abortion Rights, followed by an editorial entitled, Half of America is Now Less Equal. What the Supreme Court did was restore democracy by taking the issue out of the hands of judges and returning it to the peoples elected representatives in each of the 50 states. As Justice Alito wrote in his majority opinion: We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overturned, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives. The extreme rage and reaction to the Supreme Courts rejection of Roe illustrate the tremendous task ahead for those who espouse the pro-life cause. What John Paul II called the Culture of Death has permeated deeply into the psyche of the American body politic. The philosophy of radical individual autonomy has enshrined self-absorption and self-worship (at the expense of others, including our unborn children) and severely morally destabilized our culture. The wholesale killing of 63 million unborn citizens since 1973 has desensitized us to the killing of babies and has cheapened human life in the subconscious of too many of our citizens. For example, since 1973s enshrinement of the wholesale killing of unborn babies, we have seen at least a thousand-fold increase in physical child abuse serious enough to require a physicians attention. Our societal view of human life has been coarsened and devalued. Increasing numbers of Americans, contrary to John Donne, believe every one of us is his or her own island and there is no whole. This increasing atomization of American society has led to drastic feelings of alienation. Pro-lifers should be under no allusion. The Supreme Courts Evans decision overturning Roe is perhaps best described by Winston Churchill in another context: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. As pro-lifers pass laws restricting abortion, the law will have a pedagogical impact. If it is illegal, a certain percentage of the population will obey the law whether they agree with it or not. Others will continue to flaunt or resist laws protecting human life. The pro-lifers goal must continue to be to save unborn babies and their mothers, and to eventually make abortion once again virtually unthinkable, as it once was in our society. Pro-lifers are where the abolitionists were at the end of the Civil War. It will be a long, hard struggle against the pro-abortionists to win the contest for hearts and minds on behalf of the unborn in the same way the abolitionists advocated for the full integration of the freed men and women into American society. And as we contend for the youngest and most vulnerable among us, I do not believe we can be successful unless and until we can reconnect children and childbearing with marriage. As late as 2000, 55% of Americans 25 to 34 years of age were married while 34% had never been married. Just 15 years later, by 2015, 40% of people in the same age group were married and 55% had never been married. The researchers conclusion was that young people had separated sex from marriage. I pray God will give us wisdom and strength and may we not weary in well-doing. The two European companies are looking to create sustainable batteries. Sweden's battery maker Northvolt is working with the Finnish-Swedish forestry company Stora Enso to develop batteries made of a forest byproduct. The companies announced the endeavor on Friday, saying they plan to create sustainable batteries by harnessing the potential of lignin-based hard carbon on an industrial scale. Bloomberg reported that the goal of both Northvolt and Stora Enso was to develop a battery with an anode that would be entirely sourced from European raw materials found in the Nordic forest to diminish environmental footprint and costs. Both companies have entered into a Joint Development Agreement for the endeavor. "We are exploring a new source of sustainable raw material and expanding the European battery value chain, while also developing a less expensive battery chemistry," Northvolt chief environmental officer Emma Nehrenheim explained. What is forest byproduct lignin? Lignin is defined by Britannica as a "complex oxygen-containing organic polymer that, with cellulose, forms the chief constituent of wood." This plant-derived polymer is found in the cell walls of dry-land plants and is one of Earth's biggest renewable sources of carbon. Lignin also makes up about 20% to 30% of trees. Stora Enso's lignin-based hard carbon, Lignode will be used in developing sustainable batteries, which cell design, production process development, and scale-up will be handled by Northvolt. Read Also: Baidu Unveils Its Newest Self-Driving Robotaxi, the Apollo RT6 EV Demand for Batteries Fueled by Rising of Electric Vehicles The skyrocketing gas prices fueled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine have forced consumers to turn to electric vehicles as a more affordable alternative. Shopping data from TrueCar Inc. reported by Forbes revealed that prospects looking up electric cars or EVs online increased to 280% in February versus a year ago. TrueCar Inc.'s lead industry analyst Nick Woolard remarked that it was the biggest year-over-year increase the company has ever seen. In addition, shopping for hybrid cars has also increased up to 83%. According to Reuters, German carmaker Volkswagen is also preparing for this shift to electric vehicles by investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Sweden's Northvolt. Volkswagen hopes to secure battery supply from the Swedish battery manufacturer for its electric vehicles. In a press release, Nehrenheim explained that the partnership between Northvolt and Stora Enso is set to not only explore a new source of sustainable raw material for EV batteries but also "[expand] the European battery value chain," while "creating a positive impact both on society and cost." Stora Enso's lignin-based Lignode will play a vital role in developing such sustainable batteries. In February, Northvolt purchased an old Swedish paper mill from Stora Enso to convert it into a cathode material factory by the end of 2024. The company hopes to establish an annual production capacity of more than 100-gigawatt hours. Meanwhile, Stora Enso's pilot plant for bio-based carbon materials is based in the Group's Sunila production site in Finland. Here, lignin has been industrially produced since 2015, producing an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes. Stora Enso has since grown into the world's largest kraft lignin producer. Related Article: Honda Wants To Launch 30 New EV Models Globally by 2030 - Here Are the Details British employer doubles down on firing Christian worker for publicizing beliefs on marriage A housing trust in England has doubled down on its decision to terminate a housing manager who voiced her belief in the biblical definition of marriage while campaigning for mayor of her local community. The LONDON & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q), which houses over 250,000 people, issued a statement this week in response to legal action filed by former employee Maureen Martin, who claims she was terminated this spring after voicing her beliefs on marriage in a leaflet during her campaign for mayor of Lewisham. In a statement shared on its website, L&Q claimed that several of its residents complained about Martin's leaflet. The trust maintains that it respects "individuals freedom to hold particular religious or other beliefs" but will "not tolerate it when these beliefs are manifested in a way that is derogatory or offensive to others." "L&Q therefore has a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination of any kind whether that be shown through actions or words in the workplace, made public on social media channels, or shared in other publicly available materials or forums," the statement reads. "This matter was investigated in accordance with L&Qs policies and procedures, and in line with equalities legislation and the ACAS code of practice, and the appropriate action taken. We have also engaged with our diversity networks during this case and are united in our commitment to a zero-tolerance approach. Maureen Martin, the 56-year-old ordained minister and president of the Christian Peoples Alliance, took legal action this week after she was dismissed by L&Q for gross misconduct after 13 years of service. The case is believed to be the first of its kind to see a political candidate sacked by their employer for their Christian beliefs, the CLC said in a statement, adding that lawyers will file a lawsuit on the grounds of discrimination, harassment, indirect discrimination and unfair dismissal. Martin, who also serves as president of the Christian Peoples Alliance (CPA), had outlined her political position on various issues in the leaflet, including marriage. Marriage: I pledge to cut through political correctness and simply state the truth that natural marriage between a man and a woman is the fundamental building block for a successful society, and the safest environment for raising children, read the election leaflet, just as the CPAs election manifesto says. Someone posted an image of the leaflet on Twitter, calling it against the law and hate speech. Three complaints followed, telling L&Qs chief executive that Martins beliefs should have no place at the company. The Christian candidate was described in the complaint as bigoted in need of anti-oppressive training. Martin was soon suspended, investigated, hindered from campaigning as part of the election and then dismissed for allegedly bringing L&Q into disrepute, breaching social media policy and failing to declare political interests. In a statement, the CPA, a political party formed in 1999, said Martin's beliefs on marriage are "what millions of people believe and is a belief that is protected in U.K. law." "Discriminated against for daring to follow the teachings of Christ, senior management at London & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q), one of the largest housing associations in England, took the disgraceful step of bowing to the Twitter mob under the guise of hate speech,'" the party's statement reads. "Its worth remembering that offense is part of a functioning society. This fine nation once stood on the pedestal of freedom of speech however, this unparalleled action seems to be a way for the LGBT cartel to dictate our thoughts and feelings. This can never be acceptable." "We simply cant have a nation that prosecutes citizens for speaking out against immoral behavior or for having a different opinion," the statement continues. "How did we fall so far?" Martin said she was "devastated" by the termination but "not surprised." It is telling that Lewisham council dismissed the same complaints against me because my political speech is protected," she said in a statement. I have a right to express my own Christian beliefs in my own private time and should not be required to self-censor valid beliefs on marriage, abortion and U.S. politics. Her dismissal letter said her views could be perceived to be discriminatory, hurtful and offensive views toward members of the LGBTQ+ community, non-traditional families, and abortion. In the legal action, Martins lawyers contend her dismissal was in breach of her right to political speech under Articles 9 and 10 of the ECHR and that her dismissal was outside the band of reasonable responses in all the circumstances of the case, CLC said. The lawyers will argue that L&Q maintained an entrenched position during disciplinary procedures and that the protected characteristic of sexual orientation took priority over that of religion or belief. Martin said she was disturbed by how Christian beliefs on marriage, which have been held and expressed for thousands of years, are being silenced and treated with such hostility and disdain. The message this is sending is if you want to engage politically and make a difference in your community, but if your views dont line up with the liberal agenda, you can potentially be fired from your job," she said. If my manifesto had been in support of same-sex marriage, would I have had the same response? L&Q was recently nominated for an award from the LGBT advocacy news outlet Pink News, CLC noted. Earlier this year, L&Q was named by LGBT advocacy group Stonewall to its top 100 employers list for the sixth time in nine years. Martin told The Daily Mail that she believes the desire of L&Q management to remain in good favor with the LGBT activist group Stonewall was a factor in her dismissal. L&Q are a woke organization," she was quoted as saying. The endorsement from Stonewall was important to L&Q. CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams said, We have never seen a case like this which sends a crushing message to anyone who believes in Christian marriage and wishes to express those beliefs at work or in public office. The LGBT ideology, he added, has captured institutions to such an extent that free speech and Christian freedoms have been intimidated into silenced. Youre done: Man attacks Rep. Lee Zeldin at New York gubernatorial campaign stop U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., the Republican nominee for New York governor, said he is safe following an attack by a man at a campaign stop Thursday night. Zeldin was speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8495 in the Town of Perinton on Thursday when a man holding an object in his hand rushed the stage and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the ground. Footage of the attack can be seen here. Zeldin confirmed on his official Twitter account Thursday night that both he and Alison Esposito, who is running for lieutenant governor of New York, were doing alright. Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evenings rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him, Zeldin tweeted. The attacker is in custody. Grateful for the attendees who stepped up quickly to assist and the law enforcement officers who quickly responded. Im as resolute as ever to do my part to make NY safe again. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office released a press release identifying the alleged attacker as 43-year-old David G. Jakubonis of nearby Fairport. The male had a weapon in his hand, swung it towards Zeldins neck, and told him, Youre done, the Sheriffs Office said, noting that the suspect was arraigned in Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance. Members of the audience and Rep. Zeldins campaign restrained the male until deputies arrived and took him into custody. There were no injuries. A motive has not yet been identified. New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul who is finishing out the term of former governor Andrew Cuomo who resigned last August due to numerous scandals is running against Zeldin and posted a statement on Twitter denouncing the attack. Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody, she tweeted. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible it has no place in New York. Some Republicans and conservatives, among them the New York Republican State Committee, claimed that Hochul was partly to blame due to what they described as her inflammatory rhetoric. Its not a coincidence that just hours earlier, Kathy Hochul fanned the flames of hate directing her supporters to his rally schedule, stated the NYRSC on Facebook. This is unacceptable conduct for anyone, let alone a sitting governor. Its not enough to condemn the attack, she must apologize and tone down her hateful rhetoric immediately. Pastor, youth advocate shot dead in driveway; 15-year-old charged with her murder A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after Rev. Autura Eason-Williams, the pastor of Capleville United Methodist Church in Tennessee, was gunned down during what police believe was a carjacking in the driveway of her Whitehaven home on Monday evening. She was 52. Friends and loved ones are still struggling to process the fatal shooting of the beloved church leader known for her work with young people and as district superintendent of the Metro District in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference of the denomination. Eason-Williams was identified as a victim after police officers responded to a shooting on Whitehaven Lane after 4 p.m. Monday, WREG reported. She succumbed to wounds suffered during the shooting at an area hospital. Memphis police have since charged a 15-year-old boy with first-degree murder, murder in the perpetration of a robbery, especially aggravated robbery, carjacking, and employment of a firearm during a dangerous felony. The boy was arrested Tuesday along with a 16-year-old accomplice. The 16-year-old was charged with theft of property valued between $2,500-$10,000. "Incidents like these should make everyone have sleepless nights," Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the Raines police precinct, Action News 5 reported. "It should make everyone have feelings of hurt and pain." The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference urged in a statement that anyone with "any information about where or with whom Autura may have been on that Monday between the hours of 2:30 and 4:30 p.m." to contact Sgt. Q. Smith with the Memphis Police at 901-636-3413. "It may be helpful for the police investigation," the statement noted. "We all are shocked and saddened by this senseless act." Jody Hill, president of Memphis Theological Seminary, said in a statement on Facebook that Eason-Williams was a graduate of the school and the seminary community is "devastated" by her death. "She was a wife, mother, and a devoted friend to many. She led Formation classes at MTS and Signposts groups for the Center for Faith and Imagination. We join so many of you in shock and pain. Autura was a real light and a well of deep care," Hill said. "Personally, I saw in her the spiritual gift of hospitality. Autura was eager to embrace all of God's children with a warm smile, gentle hug, or encouraging word. We grieve her loss and this senseless violence." David Perry, a field representative at the United Methodist Foundation for the Memphis and Tennessee Conferences, called Eason-Williams a "dear friend." He revealed in a Facebook post Wednesday that the Tennessee pastor was on a call with another colleague at the time of her death. "Even since Monday evening, I've been trying to process the tragic news of the murder of a dear friend and an esteemed colleague, Rev. Dr. Autura Eason-Williams, in her own driveway while talking with another pastor on her cell," Perry wrote. "Autura's presence and leadership in Methodist circles have been exemplary. Her leadership was outstanding as a pastor, as a Board Chair, and as a District Superintendent. Autura was strong in her convictions, but loving in the face of disagreement; gentle in her relationships and firm in her faith. Her presence and her faithful walk with Jesus made a difference for so many of us. Now, we share the shock and grief of the violence that ended her walk in this life." Perry said he is more troubled by the news that the suspect charged in the pastor's murder is a teenager. Perry suggested the murder is a sign that the Church has much work to do. "My pain over this tragic loss was compounded yesterday by the news that a 15 year old boy pulled the trigger. What an awful evidence of the increasing violence we see in our world! Only a few weeks before, the 19 year old son of another friend and exemplary Christian servant was shot and killed while driving down a main street of Jackson, apparently from a random gang-related act of violence," he said. "Regardless of our faith, our politics, our personal leanings, it becomes the responsibility of us all to combat the conditions that breed these kinds of senseless, reprehensible acts of violence," he argued. "Every one of us should be praying- for the victims, their families, and, yes, even the perpetrators of these crimes; however, we also should be praying that God will show us how to become agents of change, helping replace violence with kindness, hatred and prejudice with love, gangs with true fellowship, fear with hope, and despair with action. Love and justice require us to allow God to use us in these ways." Memphis Police Lt. Colonel James Kirkwood, who worked with Eason-Williams, says she was a dedicated youth advocate. "She was awesome," Kirkwood told Action News 5. "Her strongest advocation was for young people. She fought for young people. It was so important that young people have a chance." School board delays vote on opening Planned Parenthood at high school after parents protest Southern California's Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District announced this week that the school board has postponed a discussion and vote on a plan to open a Planned Parenthood clinic at John Glenn High School. The announcement came as over 100 people attended a meeting Monday where board members were scheduled to vote on the plan, WRC reports. A group of counter-protesters in favor of the Planned Parenthood clinic demonstrated across the street. The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. The school district's proposed contract with Planned Parenthood is available on the school district's website. Although Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion provider, it doesn't appear that abortions or hormone drugs for trans-identified students will be offered at the high school clinic. However, clinic staff may make referrals to other Planned Parenthood facilities "for services not offered" at the school. The proposed facility would be able to write prescriptions and dispense drugs related to reproductive health contraceptives, antibiotics and insert non-surgical long-acting reversible contraceptives, including IUDs. Physical examinations could also be conducted for sexually transmitted diseases. The proposal states that the clinic "will encourage students to involve their families in decision making" regarding reproductive health services. But it also states that minors can consent to those services without parental consent or notification under California law. The contract is intended to last five years, requiring board approval every five years to continue. "Families and taxpayers should be horrified that the Norwalk-La Mirada USD is considering a partnership with Planned Parenthood," Nicole Neily, the president and founder of Parents Defending Education, said in a statement to Fox News. Neily said called the move "appalling" and said the clinic will likely refer students for abortion and gender identity services. "Other Planned Parenthood clinics do provide gender-affirming hormone therapy, so there is a very real possibility students will be referred off-campus to receive this treatment again, with zero parental notification," she continued. "To add insult to injury, there is no way for parents to EVER obtain this information, as the contract asserts that all medical records are to be maintained by Planned Parenthood ('neither District staff nor a Student's parents or guardians may access the Student's medical records maintained by Provider without the written approval of the Student.')." Neily contends that parents not schools should have "primary decision-making authority," particularly when it comes to medical care. She believes the school board should be "ashamed" for considering such a contract and be "mindful of their significant legal exposure should it be ratified." In 2019, Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel of San Fernando Valley introduced Assembly Bill 624, the "Pupil and Student Health" bill. The legislation would require all middle schools, high schools, colleges, and even Christian schools to include the number of reproductive healthcare clinics on all school ID cards. Tony Perkins, president of the Christian conservative advocacy group Family Research Council, said the bill would require schools to promote the abortion industry. Gabriel called accusations that the bill was an effort to advertise for abortion providers "offensive, misleading, and flat out wrong." The assembly member was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and received a $4,400 campaign donation in June 2018. Last February, a Planned Parenthood employee spoke out against the corporation's practice of dispensing cross-sex hormones in an interview with journalist Abigail Shrier. The employee claimed she only saw them deny one patient cross-sex hormones. Helena Kerschner, a formerly trans-identifying woman, said in May that a nurse at Planned Parenthood prescribed her a high dosage of testosterone when she was 18 after an hour-long appointment and paying $200. As a result of taking the testosterone, Kerschner said that she started experiencing a "wide spectrum of emotions." She said transitioning did not ease the psychological issues and "definitely just derailed my life." As a society, have we reached 'peak woke'? Columnist David French recently expressed his hope that we have reached peak woke. He defined this as the peak (for now) of left-wing institutional intolerance and illiberalism regarding race, sex, and religion. I certainly hope he is right, since the alternative is hard to imagine. To be sure, many of us saw this craziness coming a long time ago, both in terms of intolerance and cultural madness. After all, in my 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America, I could already reference a June 2000 article in the Village Voice titled, Two Dads with a DifferenceNeither of Us Was Born Male. As one of the dads explained: We are transgendered men (female-to-male, or FTM). My boyfriend is the mother of my child. To repeat: that was back in 2000. And I could already reference an August 2001 article by Richard John Niehaus in First Things in which he wrote, The Transgender Revolution is the latest political cause being promoted by those of heightened consciousness. Columnist John Leo notes that San Francisco now pays for city employees who want sex-change operations, and a number of television shows are in the works portraying the joys of transgendered liberation. The Los Angeles Times had a sympathetic story on a husband and wife who are both having the operation. They will stay married, but the husband will become the wife and vice versa. To repeat: this was written back in 2001. On the other hand, the mainstreaming of this societal craziness is particularly shocking, especially when we think of the devastatingly destructive impact it has had on impressionable children. (For my recent article on this, see here.) How could so many people accept as normative something that is so very bizarre? (I say this with compassion for those who struggle with their gender identity while at the same time being convinced that hormone therapy and sex-change surgery are not the way to go.) A case in point is the concept that people are assigned a gender at birth as opposed to being born male or female. When I first came across this concept while doing research for the Queer Thing book, I actually found it laughable. Are you kidding? I thought to myself. Gender youre assigned at birth as if the doctor makes some arbitrary choice? Seriously? In the chapter titled Lavender Language, Gender Speak, and Queer Semantics: Toward An Omnisexual Society? I interacted with some definitions given to various LGBTQ+ terms. The definition of genderqueer was a term for people who feel that their gender identities [sic] or gender expression do not correspond to the gender assigned to them at birth, but who do not want to transition to the opposite gender. In response I wrote, Lets consider this carefully. First, the concept of having multiple gender identities is now acceptable (which means that you might consider yourself male and female and even something else, not biologically but psychologically). Second, it is now widely accepted in many GLBT circles that you are not born male or female but you are assigned a gender at birth (by society, through the medium of your parents and the doctors). There is even a regulation concerning this in the San Francisco Unified School Policy: Transgender students shall not be forced to use the locker room corresponding to their gender assigned at birth. Today, such concepts have been mainstreamed to the point that medical websites have adopted this terminology. For example, the Cleveland Clinic website notes that, While Afib can affect anyone, its more common among people of European descent. However, Black people who have Afib are more likely to have serious complications such as stroke or heart failure. People assigned female at birth (AFAB) are more commonly diagnosed than people assigned male at birth (AMAB). So, there are even acronyms for these terms now, AFAB and AMAB. (Im going to go out on a limb here and predict that these acronyms will not replace female and male in the long term.) Couple these acronyms with the discussion about Afib, and the whole thing almost sounds like an Abbott and Costello parody. Doctor, do I have Afib? First I need to know if youre an AFAB or an AMAB. This way I can tell you if youre an AFAB with Afib or an AMAB with Afib. But what if I dont have Afib? Then youre an AFAB without Afib or an AMAB without Afib. But first tell me if youre AFAB or AMAB and then well discuss Afib. Sarcasm aside, the very fact that doctors need to distinguish between AFAB and AMAB is because there is a difference between females and males, and that difference directly affects many health outcomes and treatments. Of course biology matters! But today, it is not just Justice Jackson who could not give a simple answer to the question, What is a woman? The World Health Organization has now weighed in, stating that there is no simple answer to the question. As I noted in a recent article, The WHO has an existing gender mainstreaming manual which argues that there are many genders existing on a spectrum from male to female. The organization now says that does not go far enough, however. (Quoting Fox News.) And it was a law professor from Berkeley who accused Sen. Josh Hawley of being transphobic when he dared to suggest that only women could get pregnant. All that to say that I certainly hope that David French is right and that we have reached peak woke, not just with gender issues, as addressed here, but in other areas as well. The alternative really is frightening. Why does the Left seem more committed to death than to life? Did you read in the news about the three mosques in the U.S. that were set on fire just the other weekend? Did you hear in the mainstream media about the scores of attacks, including some firebombings, of the Planned Parenthood facilities by pro-life extremists? Did you hear about the harassment of pro-abortion politicians and judges for their pro-choice stance? You didnt? Neither did I, because none of those things happened. But the mainstream media has for the most part ignored the multiple churches and pro-life facilities that have been attacked in one way or another by pro-abortion forces in the last several weeks. Indeed, if they had been mosques or abortion providers, we would hear over and over about all this. To add insult to injury, the loving services that the crisis pregnancy centers provide are being woefully distorted by many, including Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Senator Warren said recently: In Massachusetts right now, those crisis pregnancy centers that are there to fool people who are looking for pregnancy termination help outnumber true abortion clinics by three to one. We need to shut them down here in Massachusetts, and we need to shut them down all around the country. You should not be able to torture a pregnant person like that. Pregnancy centers torture women? How blind can these people be? The crisis pregnancy centers, now in the cross hairs of the left, provide loving alternatives to abortion. With no help from the government, they provide millions of dollars of services. By the way, these centers do this at no charge to the mothers they serve. Micaiah Bilger of lifenews.com reports that $266 million of free medical services and resources are provided per year by these pregnancy centers. The attack against pro-life churches and facilities was highlighted in the Capitol recently by Congressman Jim Jordan who read a litany of the dozens of attacks since the May 2 leak of the draft of the Dobbs decision. Yet the majority in the House of Representatives just voted against a measure to condemn these attacks. Recently I spoke on a radio segment with Jim Harden, the president of Compass Care, a ministry that helps women with crisis pregnancies. Their center in Buffalo (technically, Amherst), New York, was firebombed on June 7th, and he told me that the perpetrators were the pro-abortion terrorist group known as Janes Revenge. Theyve taken responsibility for scores of attacks on pro-life organizations since the leak of the Dobbs case. I asked Harden, isnt it illegal to firebomb any building say a candy factory, much less a charity providing loving services to those in need (although the Left doesnt view it as a charity)? He answered: An arson attack is just below murder in the criminal justice system because it carries too much potential damage and threat to life. He told our listeners that so far there have been no leads from the police or the FBI as to suspects. He said that friends in nearby offices were able to provide office space so that Compass Care could continue to serve the mothers in need. They did not miss a day serving, despite the firebombing. In a follow-up call this week, he told me there have now been, all over the nation, over 100 attacks where pro-life people gather, with no arrests to date. His organization is dedicated to rebuilding the facility, which had to be gutted, costing $300,000-$400,000. Crisis pregnancy centers are doing the Lords work, but today it is open season on them, thanks in part to the Marxist organization, Janes Revenge. Meanwhile, there has been ongoing harassment against pro-life justices of the Supreme Court. These were illegal acts when the pro-death party was trying to intimidate them to change their opinion. Now the left is even going after pro-life individuals at home. Writer Alicia Powe notes: An attorney who founded the Thomas More Society, a conservative Catholic law firm, was attacked as abortion activists threw smoke bombs and firecrackers at his house following the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade. The insurgents surrounded the home of pro-life lawyer Thomas Brejcha, in Evanston, Illinois. Ive interviewed Tom Brejcha through the years. He once said of the pro-life cause in general: This is a spiritual battle. This is not just a legal battle. And prayer is the ultimate resource. We need divine interventionThis is Gods work to protect the dignity and value of every human being. Is this the America the Left is bringing to us, where the full force of government is on the side of death? This is indeed a spiritual battle. Our founders said that our first right granted by the Creator is the right to life. But the left seems more committed to death than life. Canadian Catholic archdiocese sells 43 properties to pay sex abuse victims in settlement A Canadian court has approved the sale of 43 Catholic Church properties as part of a financial settlement with victims of sex abuse, with more sales expected to come later. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Johns, based in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, will sell the properties, including 13 church properties, after the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador approved the measure. The archdiocese directed The Christian Post to a report by Ernst & Young, a law firm that served as a court-appointed monitor for selling the properties. In its second report, the monitor noted that there were 42 sub-parcel sales of the properties to various entities, including the Basilica Heritage Foundation Inc., Rocky Hill Holdings Inc. and Emerald Atlantic Group Inc. Nineteen of the properties were listed as vacant land, with one going to the Nature Conservatory of Canada, while another went to St. Johns Independent School Inc. Notable properties on the list included the Basilica Cathedral and Pastoral Centre, St. Bonaventure's College and St. Bon's Forum, which will be historically preserved. Archbishop Peter Hundt explained in an open letter Saturday to the members of the archdiocese that the 42 parcel sales included the sale of 12 of our parish churches. Only a few of these proposed church sales are to buyers intending to have the building continue to be used as a Catholic church, wrote Hundt. Hundt also noted that the court-appointed monitors report was a proposed strategy to sell 19 properties that did not get acceptable bids, as well as the sale of 70 other properties located in Burin and Southern Avalon. Included in this list of properties are all the remaining parish churches, halls and rectories, he continued. This sale of churches and the corresponding amalgamation of parishes is a distressing and emotional process for all the people and clergy of the archdiocese. I am extremely grateful to all the clergy and parishioners, who are working hard to move forward this process by which we are seeking to meet our legal obligations to the victims of abuse and restructure our diocese in a positive and sustainable manner. Hundt concluded by asking the people of his archdiocese to pray for Gods healing grace for the victims of abuse and for the gifts of understanding, wisdom and patience for all of us as we continue to journey through this time of restructuring and change. A 43rd property, St. Paul's Parish, was later added to the initial total of 42 properties, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LAS VEGAS (AP) Limiting the size of new swimming pools in and around Las Vegas might save a drop in the proverbial bucket amid historic drought and climate change in the West. Officials are taking the plunge anyway, capping the size of new swimming pools at single-family residential homes to about the size of a three-car garage. Citing worries about dwindling drinking water allocations from the drying-up Lake Mead reservoir on the depleted Colorado River, officials in Clark County voted this week to limit the size of new swimming pools to 600 square feet (56 square meters) of surface area. Having a pool in Las Vegas is like having a second car. Its that common, said Kevin Kraft, owner of a family custom pool design company that has been in business since 1942. Clark County figures show there are about 200,000 residential swimming pools in the area of 2.4 million people. Another 1,300 are added annually. When youre in the desert and its 100 degrees outside on a regular basis, its part of life to have a pool," said Kraft, who derided the new regulations as more about optics than saving water. But Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson lamented before voting in favor of the cap Tuesday: If the trends continue and the lake continues to decline, then this may be one of the least of the tough decisions that well be making over the course of time. On Thursday, the Southern Nevada Water Authority voted unanimously to send the restriction to a vote by city councils in neighboring North Las Vegas and Henderson. Authority officials and an industry trade group, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, said they think the Las Vegas-area restriction is a first in the U.S. The estimated 3,000 glimmering commercial pools familiar to the 40 million tourists who visit Las Vegas resort hotels, motels and water parks annually, or live in apartments, will not be affected by the limit. Water use, abuse and scarcity have been hot topics during the scorching summer of 2022. Temperatures are projected to top 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) this week in Las Vegas, which averages a little more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rainfall per year. Television ads urging water conservation are as common as theories about the history behind sunken boats and bodies that have surfaced in the mud as the crucial Lake Mead reservoir behind Hoover Dam recedes. The lake providing about 90% of the Las Vegas water supply bears a telltale white mineral bathtub ring on steep lakeside cliffs showing the water line has dropped more than 170 feet (52 meters) since the reservoir was last full in 1983. Its now below 30% capacity, raising the possibility it could fall so low that Hoover Dam could be unable to generate hydropower or release water downstream. The Colorado River provides water for millions of acres of irrigation and more than 40 million people in tribes and cities in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Wyoming, Utah and Mexico. In the face of that, the penalty for building a pool bigger than allowed after Sept. 1 will be severe: Denial of water service. Builders of big swimming pools and spas for custom homes in far-flung neighborhoods complained the cap could cripple their companies, and that lap pools and diving boards may become a thing of the past. Its easy to show pictures of lavish swimming pools and say, 'Thats the problem why we have less water, Dustin Watters, whose family business, Watters Aquatech, started installing pools in 1985, told lawmakers Tuesday. The water authority general manager, John Entsminger, said 23,000 gallons (87,000 liters) evaporate annually from the average 470 square foot (43.7 square meter) Southern Nevada home swimming pool. About 75% of recently constructed pools were already under the proposed size limit, he said. The authority projects the pool size restriction will save 3.2 million gallons (12 million liters) of water the first year, increasing to 32 million gallons (121 million liters) by 2032, still just a fraction of the nearly 91 billion gallons (344 billion liters) the region draws from the lake per year. Kraft and others in the pool industry told lawmakers the estimated savings under the pool size cap of one-tenth of a gallon (0.4 liter) per person per day was insignificant. The water authority could impose fees on owners of large pools, he suggested, and use the money to hire more water restriction enforcement agents. The authority estimates that enhanced watering compliance could save 5.7 gallons (21.6 liters) per person per day. But water authority board member Cedric Crear, a Las Vegas City Council member, said the philosophy that you can pay your way out of it is not a sound strategy." The vote to limit home pool sizes is the latest step by the authority to promote robust water reuse and conservation. It already encourages the removal of front lawns, and in recent months expanded patrols to identify and fine violators of landscape watering restrictions. A new Nevada law that takes effect in 2027 bans non-functional or ornamental greenery at office parks, in street medians and entrances to housing developments. It excludes single-family homes, parks and golf courses. Those measures put Southern Nevada years ahead of places like Los Angeles, where the regional water supplier declared a water emergency in April and imposed a one-day-per-week outdoor watering schedule for 6 million customers. In Arizona, irrigation districts, water agencies, state entities and cities including Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tempe have said theyll find ways to use less water. Kraft, the owner of the pool design company, said Las Vegas-area officials didn't fully consider a study commissioned by the pool industry or other business recommendations. He predicted that multimillion-dollar home projects will be delayed or scrapped because of the new rule. The tone we got was that rich people shouldnt be able to have big pools, Kraft told The Associated Press. All this work that people do on these big custom homes is usually around the pool. The pool is a big part of the design of the project. ____ This version corrects the spelling of Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear's last name. America's great museums groan with the sculptures of Auguste Rodin, the French artist who, more powerfully than anyone since Michelangelo, dramatized our struggle with our physical, sexual natures. Plunging us deep into the mystery of mortality and into the bliss and torment of our erotic drives, Rodin's work suggests the countless ways in which instinctual life is clogged up by the brain. No wonder, you might say, that Rodin's rippling, tactile works have a large room to themselves at the National Gallery of Art or that they're strewn all over the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. You'll see them in abundance, too, at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and at Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center. And of course, Philadelphia has its own Rodin Museum, established just 10 years after the beloved Rodin Museum in Paris. But we shouldn't take Rodin's ubiquity in America for granted. It so easily could have gone the other way. This summer, Rodin is the subject of a major show at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass. The exhibition, "Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern," organized by visiting curator Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, focuses on the American reception of Rodin. During his lifetime (1840-1917) many of his works were considered too in-your-face, too sexed-up to speak about in polite American company. That early prudishness proved surprisingly resilient in the 20th century. When a leading Boston collector gave the MFA Boston a bronze of Rodin's "Iris, Messenger of the Gods" - a headless, one-armed female figure with her legs spread - the work was deemed unexhibitable, consigned to storage and later deaccessioned. That was in 1953, by which time Rodin's reputation in America was pretty much underwater after a couple of decades of neglect. So no one cared that a major museum, embarrassed by a dearth of fig leaves, was selling his works. But the very next year, New York's Museum of Modern Art was gifted a large bronze version of Rodin's "Monument to Balzac" in memory of the art dealer Curt Valentin. The museum's director, Alfred Barr, described the work - which Rodin himself had called "the result of my entire life" - as one of the greatest sculptures in the history of Western art. From that point on, everything began to change. Rodin finally came into focus as the genius and innovator that he was, an artist whose processes, strategies and expressive prowess linked him more with 20th-century sensibilities and methods than with the greats who preceded him. By 1981, his work was so popular that the National Gallery of Art's exhibition "Rodin Rediscovered" was mobbed. More than a million people saw the show, which had to be extended by three months. The Clark exhibition has all the greatest hits, with versions of "The Thinker," "Monument to Balzac," "The Prodigal Son," "Iris" and "The Kiss." There are works in bronze, marble, terracotta and plaster, and one remarkable mask of Rodin's lifelong partner, Rose Beuret, in pate de verre (a paste of ground glass brushed into a mold and then fired). The show also boasts a single sculpture by his student and lover, the formidable Camille Claudel, and dozens of Rodin's drawings, which in quantity (about 9,000) equal his sculptural production. These drawings - some of them made without looking at the page, others made with glue and scissors - are full of experimental zest and a propulsive, fluttery energy. As his career progressed, Rodin was less and less interested in the idea of "finish." He preferred to think his work was in a state of constant evolution. His figures' poses were potentially infinite and always in flux, like the rolling, non-hierarchic movements of a gesturing hand. He didn't try to conceal his processes. He left the seams of his plasters in place so they remained visible in subsequent bronze casts. In the case of his marble works, which were carved not by Rodin himself but by expert carvers copying his clay or plaster models, he insisted that large parts remain rough and formless, in the manner of late Michelangelo. Anticipating the strategy of assemblage that came to dominate sculpture in the 20th century, Rodin stockpiled work in his studio so he could recombine figures and amputate body parts to create new works as the whim suited him. He wanted to honor both the coming-into-being of his works, before they took on any "final form," and suggest their afterlife. The show's catalogue, with essays by (among others) Le Normand-Romain, Laure de Margerie, Christina Buley-Uribe and Veronique Mattiussi, is a trove of information. Le Normand-Romain reminds us that Rodin's American afterlife has often been tied to violence and mortality. In 1970, Vietnam War protesters used dynamite to blow up a version of "The Thinker" in Cleveland. And in 2001, many Rodin sculptures were found in the wreckage of New York's World Trade Center. (The financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald reportedly had a gallery on the 105th floor of the North Tower with about 300 of them.) In both cases, the broken and recovered fragments were not repaired but left as they were, just as one suspects Rodin would have wanted. When you look at the rippling musculature of a figure by Rodin - at the astonishing torso of "The Prodigal Son," for instance - you are looking not only at a rendering of human anatomy, but also at the traces of someone touching and shaping that anatomy. This is true for all sculptors who model figures, but it is especially true of Rodin, who wanted us to perceive his touch, to make it and the emotions it arouses synonymous with the sculpture. So his work (and this is particularly true of his bronzes and plasters) is always implying the intimate pressure of a second presence, someone other than the model. Rodin never visited America. But beginning in the 1890s, he seduced its art lovers - and not always just figuratively. He had help from a fascinating cast of fellow artists (some of them students and/or lovers), collectors, dancers and museum curators. The two key figures were Truman H. Bartlett, an American sculptor who published 10 influential articles on Rodin in a Boston magazine after interviewing the sculptor in Paris in 1887-1888, and Claire Coudert, the daughter of a New York lawyer of French background. Coudert, who was married to the Duc de Choiseul, met Rodin in London in 1904. The sculptor was about 25 years her senior but they became lovers in 1906. Coudert used her formidable social skills and extensive address book to promote Rodin's market in America, raising his prices and generally sharpening his image. When the relationship was over, her work had had its effect, and Rodin's reputation appeared secure. Other important figures who played their part included Loie Fuller, the actor and modern dance pioneer who organized Rodin exhibitions and acted for a while as his unofficial agent; the photographers Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen; the San Francisco sugar heiress and art collector Alma de Bretteville Spreckels; and the New Yorker Katherine Seney Simpson. Eugene Meyer, the future owner of The Washington Post, ordered a marble version of an 1888 model of "The Sphinx," a woman leaning forward with an upturned head. His wife, Agnes Ernst Meyer, a journalist who loved modern art, had met Rodin in 1909 while studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. They became friendly. There was genuine warmth between them, but she had to rebuff Rodin's advances more than once. "The Sphinx" was duly carved and sent to New York. It was waiting for the Meyers when they returned from their honeymoon. "I wish to send . . . greetings to all my friends in America," Rodin once wrote, "and to express my profound gratitude for their sympathetic appreciation of my art; it has been a great encouragement to me. I sincerely admire your young country, which possesses a veritable thirst for the beautiful, and which will in time grasp and comprehend all that is greatest in art." If you smell a bit of condescension here, you're no doubt right. French assumptions of cultural superiority can be insufferable. But Rodin was trying to remind those who found his work ugly, rough and uncomfortably explicit that there is more to great art than beauty, fluency and grace. He knew his work's continued good reception depended on people recognizing that great art might also be ugly, thwarted and blocked. - - - Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern Through Sept. 18 at the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass. clarkart.edu. Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal rejected the dispersal of unlisted securities charges by the SEC in a blog post. Coinbase Denied SEC Assertions Following allegations of fraud against a former employee, Coinbase denied assertions made by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it distributes unregistered securities. A former Coinbase product manager and two other people were charged on Thursday (July 21) with wire fraud in connection with a cryptocurrency insider trading conspiracy. This is the first instance of its sort. US authorities charged the defendants with coordinating a scheme to benefit from the Coinbase platform's listing of new coins before their official announcement. Nine of the 25 tokens allegedly exchanged in the scam, according to a second lawsuit the SEC filed were securities. In a blog post titled "Coinbase Does Not List Securities," published on July 21, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal refuted the accusations. It is a problematic issue that has confused authorities and cryptocurrency companies about whether particular cryptocurrencies could be regarded as securities. The SEC has also filed a lawsuit against Ripple, a blockchain company in San Francisco, alleging that the cryptocurrency XRP, which has a strong relationship, should be regarded as a security. Stringent disclosure and registration requirements are involved in listing securities, such as stock in a firm. In contrast, since cryptocurrencies are unregulated, they are not subject to the same amount of scrutiny. When it comes to its structure for listing tokens, Coinbase is acknowledged to be more cautious than some other exchanges. For instance, according to CoinGecko statistics, whereas Coinbase provides just over 200 currencies, both Binance and FTX offer more than 300 coins. However, Coinbase disputes the SEC's accusation of hosting unregulated securities on its platform. Read Also: TikTok's Auto-Captioning and Translation Features Allow you to Comprehend that Amazing Japanese Chef Ex-Coinbase Manager Ishan Wahi was Detained in US Insider Trading Case for Crypto Federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed the first prosecution for insider trading in virtual currency, accusing a former product manager of Coinbase Global Inc. of disclosing information to enable his brother and a friend to purchase tokens moments before they were posted on the exchange. Ishan Wahi was detained on Thursday (July 21) as a result of a thorough investigation conducted by the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ishan Wahi assisted in managing listings for a Coinbase business specializing in financial products. Additionally, Wahi was accused of breaking the SEC's anti-fraud regulations. Manhattan prosecutors began investigating exact Coinbase token investments in April. The investigation accelerated in mid-May when Wahi was banned from leaving the country. In accordance with the prosecution, Coinbase scheduled an interview with Wahi for May 16 in Seattle as part of its internal investigation into the suspicious trading activity. Wahi purchased a one-way ticket for an 11-hour journey to New Delhi the previous evening. The next day, 35 minutes before the interview, Wahi said he "had to leave home" Wahi sent his brother and Sameer Ramani images of Coinbase's security director's emails. Wahi was unable to board his aircraft because of the arrival of law enforcement officers at the airport. The government agreed to remote surveillance as part of Ishan Wahi's $1 million bail package guaranteed by his Robinhood account, prosecutors said in Seattle. Read Also: Former Coinbase Manager is Sued by the US Government in First Crypto Insider Trading Case Like many great things in the world, Taco Bell Quarterly started as a joke. Editor-in-chief M.M. Carrigan took to Twitter one day in 2019 to posit their idea of a literary magazine based on fast-food behemoth Taco Bell. "No hipster crap. I want sincerity and love," they wrote. "I'm a writer and being a writer is very hard and impossible, and I sort of had my failed literary ambitions pass me by or whatever," Carrigan said on a recent afternoon. "And one day I tweeted [it out], just because it was kind of a dumb idea. A few people liked the idea and at that point, it got nine likes." Better do this, they thought. When Carrigan put out a submission call, poems, stories and essays rolled in. They published the first issue of Taco Bell Quarterly in August 2019, and are now accepting submissions for the sixth issue of the online magazine. It's not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the purveyors of Crunchwrap Supremes, but should certainly be of interest to Taco Bell-loving Texans. TBQ has garnered a cult following in the literary community, perhaps as an answer to the pretension that often outshines the "sincerity and love" in writingor for those who are disappointed by a lack of Cheesy Gordita Crunch Combos in the latest Paris Review. Carrigan talked to us from their home in Maryland about how Taco Bell lets them live mas, the "narc-iest" fast food chains and the magazine's special "rejection tacos." Read "Spondylolisthesis, or why I eat Taco Bell" by KB Brookins, excerpted from Taco Bell Quarterly Volume 5. Chron: Why call it Taco Bell Quarterly? M.M. Carrigan: I've just always liked Taco Bell, and I've been inspired by how they co-opt everything and live mas. I think that's the first thing I thought, that I'm gonna live mas: Taco Bell. How much does a piece have to do with Taco Bell to be published in the magazine? It only needs one Taco Bell reference. That's the joke: Just shoehorn a Taco Bell reference in there, but whether you go maximalist Taco Bell or minimalist Taco Bell is really up to the author. I really love the cover of our last issue, by Denice Celley, a still-life portrait. We've published the Poet Laureate of Waffle House before. We've published writers that have gone on to be in the New Yorker. We have a lot of really cool writers with impressive resumes. Courtesy of M.M. Carrigan and Brooke Kolcow Have you ever heard directly from Taco Bell about using the name Taco Bell Quarterly? I heard from them early on. They follow us on Twitter. They don't sue us. They let us live mas. They reached out in the beginning to see if there was any potential to [collaborate], but no collaboration ever happened. I think they just wanted to look at me. And I wanted to look at them too. I asked them for a million dollars for literature, and I continue to do that. They have given us some free food coupons, and I've given them out to writers when they've received rejections. I give out rejection tacos. It was a thing to make people feel better: Screenshot me your latest rejection from wherever and I'll send you a taco. Who is your main audience with Taco Bell Quarterly, besides people looking for rejection tacos? Well, we're a literary magazine, so literary writers, whatever that means, but we want our audience to be anyone, we want writing to be accessible to a wide audience. And I think that's part of what we do, is that you can say: "What's it about? It's about Taco Bell." Everyone understands that right away. You often reference the Paris Review, as the bastion of pretentious literature. Do you see TBQ as the answer to that inaccessible literature space? Yeah. And in fact, we want to be the next Paris Review. They're the ultimate gatekeeper and we wanna take over the gate, climb the top of a gate, and ring a Taco Bell that I borrowed. They have not responded to the Taco Bell Quarterly, despite me calling them out in the press several times over the years. We want to challenge elitism in literature. I'm non-binary, and the No. 2 editor [Brooke Kolcow] is trans, so we also have a queer space. I think that Taco Bell is sort of a metaphor, in a way, to shoehorn that into the literary world and say: We're beautiful too. And we hope to represent a lot of different voices and publish a diverse range of writers. Joshua Blanchard What makes Taco Bell so universal that you can say, "this is about Taco Bell," and anyone can connect to it? I call them the ultimate co-opter because they're willing to co-opt a lot of different ideas. They sponsor musicians, they've given away free food to them, and they do scholarships. I guess all corporations do crap like that. But I think that I just didn't think they would sue me. I think that's the answer. Honestly, I was like, would Taco Bell really sue me? Probably not. They're Taco Bell, they live mas. Which fast food chains do you think would sue you? Wendy's. I don't know why. What are the "narc-iest" fast food joints in your opinion? That's a great question. Probably McDonald's. I used to work at McDonald's, and they used to go after their employees for stealing the Beanie Babies and stuff. They would go after 'em with these lawsuits. I worked there at that point and the managers would make us pat down before we left to make sure we didn't have them in our pockets. I'm not kidding. So yeah, I would not f--- with McDonald's, but I would f--- with Taco Bell. Since you've actually worked in a fast-food restaurant, have you taken any of that experience and applied it to running this literary magazine? It's funny because a lot of people think writers are writers, but there's no way I can be paid to be a writer. I've always had retail jobs. I've worked at McDonald's, I've worked at Yankee Candle. I've worked at a sporting goods store. All of that stuff makes you very hard because managers and customers make you a hardened person. And in order to run a literary magazine, it's hard work. What is your Taco Bell order? It's a Mexican Pizza. When they ripped it from my life cruelly, I walked around with my heart in my hands and would get, like, a bean burrito. This interview has been edited and condensed. ALTON Birth to Five Illinois early childhood grants are now available for communities. The program uses a collaborative process of stakeholders coming together to discuss issues in their community with "systems-thinking" approaches to identify early childhood issues, root causes and solutions, according to Birth to Five Illinois' Angela Hubbard, grants and relationships manager. According to Birth To Five, there are 23,371 children under 6 years old in Madison, Macoupin, Greene, Jersey and Calhoun counties. Tammy Wrobbel is the Birth to Five Regional Council Manager for Madison County. Keppen Clanton is Regional Council Manager for Calhoun, Greene, Jersey and Macoupin counties. Statewide $2.5 million in implementation grants are available for organizations already working on early child care to enhance early learning systems. The grant application deadline is Aug. 5. An early childhood collaboration is a formalized group working together to improve its local early childhood system. The grant is not meant for individual child care providers, homes or centers. For that, Illinois has a separate program, the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grants program, https://www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/strengthen-and-grow-child-care-grants not administered by Birth to Five Illinois. Hubbard said Birth to Five Illinois intends to achieve its goals by elevating voices of families and providers to improve early childhood programs. More than one early childhood collaboration can apply for grant money together; partnering is encouraged if the collaborations serve the same or overlapping geographic areas or populations. "Birth to Five Illinois seeks to drive funding into areas that have been historically overlooked by prioritizing communities with a high number of children living in poverty, households with limited English proficiency, and areas with a high Social Vulnerability Index, among other indicators," Hubbard said. The first phase of grant funding is closely tied to the state's focus on regaining and increasing enrollment in early childhood education and care programs and services which have seen a sizable enrollment decrease because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BTFEnglish. The anticipated maximum amount of a grant is $80,000; the average expected amount is $70,000. An additional $500,000 in Planning Grants to help groups develop new local collaborations is planned this fall. Applicants must provide matching funds: Year 1: 10% may be in-kind and/or cash Year 2 (if renewed): 20%, of which 10% may be in-kind Year 3 (if renewed): 25%, of which 5% may be in-kind. Existing local early childhood collaborations must use the grants on strategies to increase enrollment in programs and services. A selection panel will review and score submissions with grants prioritized toward collaborations serving young children living in poverty, children of color, households with limited English proficiency, areas of high social vulnerability and areas designated as high risk according to the Illinois Home Visiting: 2020 Statewide Needs Assessment Update Report to the Health Resources and Services Administration. The Social Vulnerability Index identifies areas that would have difficulty recovering from a major disaster, such as major flooding. It uses factors related to poverty, lack of access to transportation and crowded housing. Example of allowable expenses include but are not limited to staffing, coordinated intake and referral systems, mileage reimbursement for staff, convening stakeholders and translation. Applicant must be Grant Accountability and Transparency Act certified per Illinois Department of Human Services' requirements. They must be an established Illinois early childhood collaboration and a legal entity with a Unique Entity Identifier and the capacity to serve and implement state funds. They are not required to hold 501(c)(3) status. Ineligible are All Our Kids Network grantees and child care resource and referral agencies. Birth to Five's vision promotes a more equitable early childhood education and care system that is family and community voice centered and prioritized. It seeks to address the inequitable distribution of resources and services in Illinois and remove barriers to a child's success. BOISE, Idaho (AP) Both pilots of a firefighting helicopter that crashed in Idaho have died, the U.S. Forest Service said Friday. Mary Cernicek with the Salmon-Challis National Forest said Thomas Hayes, 41, of Post Falls, Idaho, and Jared Bird, 36, of Anchorage, Alaska, died from injuries they sustained when their CH-47D Series Chinook crashed in the Salmon River about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The pilots were employees of the Anchorage-based ROTAK Helicopter Services, which was contracted to help fight the Moose Fire burning about 21 miles (34 kilometers) north of Salmon. Both pilots were highly experienced and military veterans, Cernicek said. Emergency crews responding to the crash were able to extricate the men and transport them to medical facilities but they did not survive, she said. On its website, ROTAK said it confirmed the accident with heavy hearts and asked for prayers and privacy on behalf of the families involved. ROTAK Helicopter Services is working closely with all appropriate agencies and will issue a full statement as information is released, the company wrote. The Idaho crash comes less than a week after four first responders were killed in another helicopter crash in New Mexico. Authorities in New Mexico said the helicopter crew had wrapped up a firefighting mission and was heading home to Albuquerque when the helicopter came down at a high rate of speed, hitting the ground upright before toppling over. One of the four people killed in that crash managed to call 911 before succumbing to his injuries. Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered that flags be flown at half-staff in honor of Hayes and Bird. Little said the deaths were a tragedy that would be deeply felt by the families and the wildland firefighting community. Our brave firefighters face extremely challenging conditions head on to protect lives, property, and the land, Little said in a press release. Idahoans are praying for the loved ones and colleagues of these firefighters as we grieve this tremendous loss. Nearly 700 firefighters have been battling the Moose Fire in Idaho. The fire started on Sunday, and the National Interagency Fire Center said in an incident report Friday that nine helicopters were being used to support ground firefighting resources with water bucket drops. The fire was burning on about 37 square miles (96 square kilometers) on Friday and threatening several structures, and fire managers said the fire was expected to increase as hot, dry conditions continued in the region. A red flag warning was issued in the area because wind gusts were expected to reach up to 35 mph (56 kph). The helicopter wreckage was still in the Salmon River and National Transportation Safety Board investigators were en route to the scene, Cernicek said. That stretch of the river is popular with rafters and recreationists, and officials closed the area to recreational day trips. It remains open to people on multi-day river trips, Cernicek said. The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the crash and derailment last month of Amtrak's Southwest Chief 4 near Mendon, Missouri. Amtrak and BNSF Railway estimated damages to be about $4 million. Four people were killed on June 27 when the train hit a dump truck at the passive crossing. The train, traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago, carried 270 passengers and 12 crew members. Four people three passengers on the train and the driver of the dump truck were killed in the crash and derailment. The train was traveling at 87 mph when it hit a dump truck at the crossing. Future investigative activity will focus on the highway railroad grade crossing design specifications, railcar design, survival factors and passenger railcar crashworthiness. "The speed of the train when the horn blew, when it started blowing, which is about a quarter-mile out from the crossing, at that point was 89. At the time of impact, it was 87 mph. The speed at that crossing is 90 mph. That's the speed limit," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a briefing in the days following the derailment. The investigation focuses on the angle of the tracks, the incline of the crossing, and how much the truck driver could or could not see as he crossed into the train's path. That information has yet to be released in the NTSB's initial report. The truck, a 2007 Kenworth W900B dump truck, was hauling large pieces of rock from a quarry to a levee for an Army Corps of Engineers project at the time of the crash. "There is a lot resting on a driver to be able to see a train at these crossings, particularly when there's such a steep incline," Homendy said. The agency's preliminary report details facts on the crash. In the weeks and months ahead, the NTSB will provide more analysis of what happened. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) When he gave himself up to Russian forces in May at the pulverized Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, the wounded Ukrainian soldier could not say a proper goodbye to his slain friend, whose body had to be left behind with hundreds of other dead. The former prisoner of war, who goes by the name of David, finally got his chance Thursday at a Kyiv crematorium. Moving carefully on crutches after his left leg was amputated, David and other soldiers bade farewell to Ilya Honcharov, whose coffin was draped in the yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag. A sweet death in agony for you, they intoned. I will dissolve in you and live forever in you. David is one of the few POWs from the Azovstal siege that Russia has freed in an exchange. And the body of the 26-year-old Honcharov, among hundreds the two sides also have swapped even as they fight each other, is one of the very few that Ukrainian authorities have been able to identify. His brother recognized one of his tattoos. In the two months since the Azovstal's fighters surrendered, ending their dogged defense of the sprawling plant that became a symbol of Ukrainian tenacity in the war against Russia, few families and friends of those killed or captured have been able to find closure. Still unanswered are gnawing questions of how, where and when loved ones died. Some remains may never be recovered. If Ukrainian forces one day liberate Mariupol, some families hope to at least get handfuls of dirt from the city that was bombarded almost into oblivion. A killing field for thousands of civilians, the charred ruins are hallowed ground for families of soldiers killed trying to prevent the strategic city and its port from falling into Russian hands. More than 2,000 Azovstal defenders marched out of its twisted wreckage into Russian captivity in mid-May, ending the nearly three-month siege of Mariupol. Their families still don't know when or even whether they might come home. David was among 144 Ukrainian soldiers including 95 who fought in Mariupol that Russian forces turned over June 29 in a prisoner exchange. He's still not able to talk about his six weeks in captivity for fear of jeopardizing the release of other POWs and he did not want to be identified by his full name. But David spoke willingly about his friend Honcharov, who had been mangled by a mortar round that shattered bones in his arms and legs, and embedded shrapnel in his back. Honcharov had clung to life for hours through his pain, and his comrades dragged to cover in a basement after nightfall, moving through the plant's hellscape of twisted metal, overturned cars and shattered concrete. I dont know how he kept himself so brave. I could not stand such pain, David said. Honcharov died May 16, the day that marked the beginning of the end of the Mariupol siege. That was when Azovstal's remaining defenders started surrendering the last Ukrainian holdouts in the occupied city. They had largely exhausted their supplies and been told by commanders they had completed their mission of tying down and bleeding Russian forces for as long as possible. A fortunate few were flown out in low-flying helicopters before the surrender in a series of daring and sometimes deadly clandestine rescue missions. But more than 2,400 remained trapped and turned themselves over to Russian forces. They included David, who had part of his left leg blown off by an anti-tank missile hours before the May 16 surrender began. The survivors left behind hundreds of bodies Honcharov's among them. It was returned to Kyiv in one of six exchanges of remains. The swaps have included the bodies of more than 400 soldiers who fell in Mariupol, including at Azovstal. How many remain isn't known. I think we will never know the exact number, said Olena Tolkachova, who works with the Azov Regiment, one of the Ukrainian units that defended the steel mill. She heads the regiment's specialized service that arranges medical care for its wounded and funerals for its dead. It also fields endless calls from families asking for news of prisoners and whether remains have been identified. The last exchange was July 19. Each side gives the other 45 bodies, meeting and signing paperwork before going their separate ways. Bodies that Russian forces have turned over have been from a variety of Ukrainian units. Some body bags are marked "Azovstal or Mariupol, but most are simply labeled Ukrainian." DNA testing is needed to identify most of the remains. Just 2% to 3% are identified with personal belongings, soldiers' uniforms or distinguishing marks including tattoos, Tolkachova said. Bodies come without information about exactly where they were found. But Tolkachova and her colleagues who volunteer at the Kyiv morgue have learned that if there's sand on a body, then it most likely was buried on the shore near the Azovstal mill, which backs onto the Sea of Azov. We are working and will continue to work until our last hero is decently buried, until the last wounded person is healed and brought back to life, until every family is reunited with their children," Tolkachova said. The consequences of this war will be with us until the end of our lives. - Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine WASHINGTON - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington will ban the celebration of the old Latin Mass in parishes beginning this fall - a move meant to align the region with the pope's wishes on an issue dividing the church along ideological lines. In a decree published Friday, Cardinal Wilton Gregory mandated that beginning Sept. 21, Sunday Mass can be said using the old rite only at three non-parish churches. Priests who want to celebrate the Latin Mass have to request permission in writing and affirm the validity of the revisions implemented during the Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965. Parishes are the center of Catholics' faith lives - where they celebrate Mass every week, participate in ministries and celebrate sacraments, including weddings and funerals. Now the form of worship that some feel drawn to will be relegated to locations outside those central spaces. As a result, hundreds of Catholics who attend the Latin Mass at half a dozen parishes in one of the nation's most visible archdioceses will be forced to either find a new place to do so or worship differently. The change follows a ruling last year in which Pope Francis severely limited the use of the old rite, in a move he said was meant to increase global unity among the faithful. He suggested then that those who preferred the Latin Mass were using it to reinforce ideological divisions within the church. Gregory said Friday that he had not found that to be the case in the Washington region. "I have discovered that the majority of the faithful who participate in these liturgical celebrations in the Archdiocese of Washington are sincere, faith-filled and well-meaning," he wrote. "Likewise, the majority of priests who celebrate these liturgies are doing their very best to respond pastorally to the needs of the faithful." The new guidelines are an attempt to abide by Francis's ruling while continuing to provide for Catholics who find beauty and tradition in the old form of the Mass, Gregory said. Other dioceses have taken similar steps: The Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the nation's largest, placed limits on where the Latin Mass can be celebrated and requires priests who have been celebrating the old rite to request permission to continue to do so. Cincinnati's archdiocese relegated the Latin Mass to four non-parish locations. The Archdiocese of Denver allowed parishes that were already celebrating the old rite to continue to do so but said two seminaries would no longer train priests in the old Latin Mass. Some Washington-area Catholics view Gregory's decision as a slap in the face. Kenneth Wolfe, who has attended the Latin Mass in Washington for more than two decades, said the decision does nothing to bring together the region's faithful. "There can be no unity when the cardinal fires the first shot and everybody then is expected to drive from wherever they were, at a parish, to a location that's nowhere near them," he said before the decree was released. "It doesn't make any sense." Under the new rules, the Latin Mass - also known as the Tridentine Mass - can be celebrated only at the chapel at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Forest Glen, Md., the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America in Northeast Washington and St. Dominic Mission Church in Aquasco, Md. Masses on Christmas and Easter, as well as sacraments including weddings and baptisms, must also use the modern form. The new rules will be reevaluated in three years, Gregory wrote. The elimination of the Latin Mass from parishes could have financial ramifications. In a letter to Gregory in May, the Rev. Vincent De Rosa said his parish, Saint Mary Mother of God in the District's Chinatown neighborhood, would struggle to survive if its Latin Mass parishioners left and took their donations elsewhere. "To lose half our population overnight would put our finances at least $130K in the red, crush our volunteer base and seriously hamper our ability to proclaim Christ here," he wrote. Most Catholics attend the modern form of the Mass, which is celebrated in the local language. But a small number of traditionalists are intensely devoted to the Latin Mass, which was dominant before the 1960s. For some, celebrating the old rite is a form of protesting what they see as the church's liberalization since the Second Vatican Council and particularly during Francis's papacy. Others say they find the Latin Mass rich with tradition and are drawn to its history over more than a millennium. Gregory said he listened to the concerns of Catholics who attend the Latin Mass during listening sessions for the church's worldwide synod over the past several months and has asked archdiocesan offices to provide pastoral outreach to them. He noted that those Catholics can attend Masses in the modern rite that incorporate elements common to the Latin Mass, including Gregorian chant, incense and long periods of silence. That allowance is little comfort to Patrick Lally, who has attended the Latin Mass at Saint Mary Mother of God for more than three decades. To him, the old rite is not a form of protest, but a way of connecting to Catholicism's ancient tradition and finding spiritual fulfillment. "When I go to Latin Mass, I know that I'm celebrating the Mass that my grandparents celebrated, my great-grandparents celebrated and that my ancestors celebrated back into time immemorial," Lally said. "And I feel like I'm with them." Before the decree's publication, parishioners at Saint Mary mounted a long and passionate campaign to persuade Gregory to let the Latin Mass continue in parishes. They wrote letters, spoke in synodal listening sessions and invited the cardinal to visit their church. Gregory's staff replied that his schedule would not allow him to come, according to a copy of an email exchange viewed by The Washington Post. Lally vowed Friday to continue participating in ministries at his parish but said he plans to attend the old rite elsewhere - an arrangement that he expects to decrease the fullness of his worship. He said Gregory's decision comes as deeply unfortunate news to the region's Latin Mass community. "We're going through hell on this one," Lally said. "This is really tough." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas' top elections official violated the state's open records law when he had office computer software altered so that it could no longer produce data sought by a voting-rights advocate, the state Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The decision directed a trial court judge to order Secretary of State Scott Schwab to reverse the software change in the state's voter registration system so that it can again produce a statewide report on provisional ballots. Voters receive provisional ballots if they dont appear to be registered, fail to present required identification or try to vote at the wrong polling place. Their ballots are set aside to be reviewed later by local officials, who determine whether they will be counted. Davis Hammet is founder of the voting-rights group Loud Light, which helps voters fix issues that led them to cast provisional ballots so that their votes are counted. It also researches voting-rights issues and lobbies the Legislature. Hammet first sought the information after the 2018 general election, then again repeatedly in 2020. Schwab's office provided it free of charge until the fall of 2020, when Schwab had the vendor maintaining the voter registration system turn off the feature that produces the reports. The report feature may have been of no use to the Secretary but it was useful to Hammet and the public, Judge Stephen Hill wrote for the three-member appeals panel. And that is the point of open public records." Concerns from voting-rights advocates about how provisional and mail-in ballots are handled grew during the tenure of Schwab's predecessor, conservative Republican Kris Kobach, an advocate of strict voter ID laws. In 2016, Kansas threw out at least three times as many ballots as similarly sized states. A political outcry over hundreds of discarded mail-in ballots statewide in the 2018 primary when Kobach won the GOP nomination for governor by 343 votes led to a 2019 law requiring election officials to notify voters before their mail-in ballots are thrown out because of problems with signatures. While Hammet praised Friday's ruling and predicted it will help others seeking state documents, he said it was frustrating to have to go to court to get records that help his group pinpoint potential problems in how provisional ballots are handled. It helps us create better state laws, Hammet said. We were shut off from doing that. Schwab is running in the Aug. 2 Republican primary against a challenger from his right who promotes baseless election fraud theories and accuses Schwab of not being transparent. A Schwab spokesperson said in email that his office was reviewing the decision. The secretary of state argued in 2019 that provisional ballot reports contained confidential information and were not public records. Hammet sued him, and District Judge Teresa Watson in Shawnee County declared the reports public records. Schwab turned reports over to Hammet multiple times. The secretary of state had the voter registration system's software altered in September 2020. When Hammet requested another report about three weeks later, Schwab's office suggested he get the data from the vendor at a cost of $522. When Hammet sued Schwab again, Watson sided with Schwab and declared that the ability to produce the report was not a public record itself. But the Court of Appeals panel said the change didn't result from a software upgrade or malfunction and Schwab was choosing to conceal rather than reveal public records. While Schwab has discretion in running his office, the appeals panel said, Public officials must also respect the public policy formulated by the Legislature. ___ This story was updated to correct the spelling of Davis Hammets last name in three instances in which it had been misspelled Hammett. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna Despite calls from the states attorney general and health care advocates to hold a more formal hearing on a proposal to substantially increase rates on 2023 health plans, Connecticuts insurance department will proceed with its usual informational hearing, albeit in a new location. Attorney General William Tong had asked for a special hearing that would allow officials to collect evidence and scrupulously question insurers about their proposed increases. Officials would be able to cross-examine witnesses and present their own evidence in a public setting. Insurers who sell plans on and off Connecticuts Affordable Care Act Exchange have asked the state to authorize an average increase of 20.4% for individual health plans next year, and 14.8% for small group policies, alarming advocates who worry more people will go without coverage because they cant afford it. Tong described the special hearing as a litigation. We need to test what theyre saying and understand whats behind the numbers; put people under oath and ask them questions and really get to the bottom of this, he said at a press conference last week. I want to litigate this question, because the people of this state deserve nothing less than that. A spokesman for the insurance department described the usual hearing format as more transparent. By holding the public information hearing in the manner by which [the department] has done in the past and proposes to hold again for this year, the proceedings are more fully transparent than a [more formal hearing] as there are less restrictions or criteria placed on participation, the spokesman, Jim Carson, said. The usual process allows the public to make oral and written comments on the issue and permits state officials and legislators to testify and ask questions without having to petition for party and intervenor status, he said. A spokeswoman for Tong said he hopes to continue discussions with the insurance department about the possibility of a more formal hearing. At the request of lawmakers who expressed outrage over the proposed rate hikes, the insurance department will move the hearing from its usual location at a state office building in downtown Hartford to the Legislative Office Building to accommodate a larger expected crowd. A group of Republican legislators had called for a broader public hearing after the proposed rate increases were announced. Holding this hearing at the Capitol complex will enable the greatest level of public access in a facility that was built to foster public gathering, listening, expression, and advocacy, Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, and Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, wrote in a letter to Gov. Ned Lamont, Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais and legislative leaders. As lawmakers, we believe the state must do much more to make health care affordable, and that includes fully examining why these rate increases are occurring, how policy impacts rates, and pursuing - not dismissing - solutions. The Capitol complex and Legislative Office Building will allow for the most accessible public hearing. Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais agreed to move the hearing. Due to the anticipated size of the audience and public participation, this years hearing is expected to be held in August at the Legislative Office Building, he said in a reply letter to legislators. A date has not yet been set for the hearing. The public can make comments in person or virtually via Microsoft Teams. They can also submit written testimony. Anyone who wants to testify can sign up by sending an email to Cid.RateFilings@ct.gov with their name and testimony attached (including those who want to testify remotely). I am pleased that the insurance commissioner has heard our calls to move the hearing process to the Legislative Office Building to better accommodate the public making their voices heard, Kelly said. This is an important opportunity for the public to speak out against these rate increases We need a comprehensive dialogue about why health care remains unaffordable and inaccessible for far too many. State Health Care Advocate Ted Doolittle has said he hopes to ask detailed questions of the insurers to get answers on the underlying cost drivers. Why do you have to increase your price for a CT scan? Its the same machine, its the same people, its the same utilization. Why is the price going up? he said. Thats the kind of question I dont think a premium rate review is complete without answering. Three insurers are selling policies on the exchange: Anthem Health Plans, CTCare Benefits Inc., and ConnectiCare Insurance Company Inc. Anthem requested an average increase of 8.6% for individual policies that cover 27,698 people. The proposed changes range from a decrease of 1.8% to an increase of 16.1%, depending on the plan. The company also sought an average hike of 3.6% on small group policies that cover 19,271 residents. The suggested changes range from a decrease of 1.2% to an increase of 26.3%. CTCare Benefits asked for an average hike of 24.1% on individual plans that cover 75,003 people. Proposed changes range from an increase of 18.7% to 33.2%, depending on the policy. It also sought an average hike of 22.9% on small group plans that cover 3,476 residents (increases range from 20% to 28.9%). ConnectiCare Insurance Company, which only sells individual policies on the exchange, requested an average increase of 25.2% for plans that cover 8,782 people. Suggested hikes range from 17.1% to 32.2%. The insurance department will make a decision this fall on how much of an increase to grant - if any - for the various health plans. Open enrollment for 2023 health policies begins on Nov. 1. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Jihadi rebels have attacked Mali's Kati military base on the outskirts of the capital city Bamako, the ruling junta confirmed Friday. It's the first time Kati, Mali's largest military base, has been hit by extremist rebels in their more than 10-year insurgency in the West African country. Two vehicles loaded with explosives detonated at the camp at about 5 a.m., according to a statement issued by the military. The Malian Armed Forces vigorously repelled a terrorist attack on the Kati barracks, said the statement, which said that 7 attackers were killed and 8 arrested. The terrorists first blew up the vehicles at the entrance to the military camp, then shells were fired at the camp," said a military official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. Another group of the jihadis entered the camp on foot and began burning vehicles parked in the camp, and then the attackers stole two army vehicles, he said. Fridays attack on the Kati barracks base follows a coordinated series of insurgent attacks Thursday. In one of those incidents, the extremists attacked a police base in Kolokani, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Bamako and two Malian soldiers were killed, said the military in an earlier statement. The leader of Mali's ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita frequently stays at the Kati camp, where he launched the 2020 coup that brought him to power. Jihadi rebels linked to al Qaida and the Islamic State group have been gaining ground in their decade-long insurgency. Their attacks have mostly been in northern Mali but recently the extremists have moved into central Mali. This month they've moved closer to the capital. Last week gunmen attacked an army checkpoint about 60 kilometers (37 miles) outside Bamako, killing at least six people and wounding several others, officials said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they appear to be by the al-Qaida-linked group known as JNIM. The attacks show how the al-Qaida affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin continues to expand its operations outside its traditional strongholds in northern and central Mali, said Heni Nsaibia, a senior researcher at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. As in other Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger ... major cities including the capitals themselves, are increasingly surrounded by a steady spread of Islamist militancy that poses an ever-increasing risk and challenge to the security environment. Mali has struggled to contain the Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels took control of Malis northern cities but were then forced out with the help of a French-led military operation. The jihadis regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks in the northern and central regions on military targets, civilians and U.N. peacekeepers. The U.N. force has said more than 250 of its peacekeepers and personnel have died since 2013, making Mali the deadliest of the U.N.s dozen peacekeeping missions worldwide. Last week the United Nations mission in Mali announced that Egypt will suspend its participation in the peacekeeping force by mid-August, citing deadly attacks. Seven Egyptian peacekeepers have been killed in Mali so far this year, according to officials. Tensions have grown between Malis junta and the U.N. peacekeeping force. Earlier this month the government told the U.N. mission to suspend all flights to move its forces in the country. The government also detained 49 Ivorian soldiers who flew in to help with security for a company contracted by the U.N. mission. Separately, a European military force that helped fight extremists withdrew from Mali at the end of June. The French military, which spearheaded the Takuba task force, announced the end of its deployment in Mali. The move was tied to Frances decision earlier this year to withdraw troops from Mali after nine years helping Malian forces fight the extremists. The European force was composed of several hundred special forces troops from 10 countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. It aimed at training and protecting Malian combat forces. The exit of the European troops and tensions with the U.N. peacekeeping force come as Malis junta has grown closer to Russia with the Wagner Group, a private Russian mercenary force, sending fighters to Mali. The attacks this week were condemned by the U.N. special representative in Mali, El-Ghassim Wane. I offer my condolences to the government and people of Mali as well as to the families and loved ones of the fallen soldiers. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured, he said in statement Friday. The U.N. mission in Mali will continue to support and accompany the efforts of the Malian authorities aimed at restoring lasting peace and security, he said. SALMON, Idaho. (AP) A firefighting helicopter with two people aboard crashed Thursday afternoon in the Salmon River in Idaho, officials said. It is with heavy hearts that we confirm a CH-47D Series Chinook helicopter operated by ROTAK Helicopter Services with two pilots on board was involved in an accident in the area near Salmon, ROTAK Helicopter Services told EastIdahoNews.com. Emergency medical teams are responding to the scene. A promotional image from Mom's Touch / Courtesy of Mom's Touch By Anna J. Park While most of the major burger franchises in Korea are also currently up for sale in the M&A market, local chicken burger franchise Mom's Touch is drawing the most attention from potential buyers for its superior profitability. The local burger franchise business has been posting better operating profit rates than its main competitors the Korean operation units of McDonald's, Burger King and KFC which are all up for sale as well. According to financial industry officials, Friday, KL & Partners, the local private equity firm that acquired Mom's Touch in 2019, selected Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Thursday as its main M&A advisory firm for managing the sale of the franchise operation. The global investment bank's track record for successful M&A deals as well as its networking capacity to attract worldwide investors are said to be the key reasons behind the appointment. Planning to complete the sale process by the end of the year, KL& Partners aims to hold the bidding process sometime around October. The local private equity firm currently holds more than a 95 percent stake in Korea F&B Holdings, a special purpose company (SPC) set up during its 2019 takeover of Mom's Touch. After initially purchasing a 56.8 percent stake in Mom's Touch in late 2019, it increased its stake in the burger franchise to nearly 100 percent earlier this year, with additional stake purchases from minor shareholders during a voluntary delisting process of Mom's Touch from the Kosdaq market in May. Following the voluntary delisting, which aimed at minimizing external interferences, the franchise company has been focusing on expanding its business, while raising its corporate value. At the time of the 2019 deal, the corporate value of the burger franchise business was estimated at around 350 billion won ($267 million), with an annual operating profit of 27.2 billion won. The burger franchise's profitability has since been on a steep uptrend, with its annual operating profit soaring to 40.2 billion won as of the end of last year. This year's operating profit is expected to hit some 70 billion won, as the company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) for the first half of this year is expected to exceed 30 billion won. Market watchers expect that major private equity firms such as MBK Partners, Carlyle Group and Hahn & Company could be potential buyers of the franchise business, given their history of taking over other food and beverage brands. U.S.-based Yum Brands, the owner of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC, has also been mentioned as a potential buyer, as has Golden Gate, Vietnam's largest food & beverage brand. "While the annual revenue of Mom's Touch trails behind those of its competitors in the Korean market, such as McDonald's 867 billion won and Burger King's 678 billion won, the local brand has the highest operating profit margin. The company's profitability to generate cash as well as its number of branches, which is the highest among burger franchise brands nationwide, are obviously selling points," a market insider said. He added that the franchise's successful sale in the M&A market will be dependent on the firm's ability to persuade potential buyers of its additional growth potential and further improvement of its profitability. A far-right internet personality pleaded guilty Friday to joining the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, where he streamed live video that incriminated him and other rioters, according to a court filing. Anthime Gionet, known as Baked Alaska to his social media followers, faces a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is scheduled to sentence Gionet on Jan. 12, 2023. The judge had scheduled a March 2023 trial for Gionet after he balked at pleading guilty during an earlier hearing. Sullivan refused to accept a guilty plea by Anthime Gionet in May after he professed his innocence at the start of what was scheduled to be a plea agreement hearing. At the start of Friday's virtual hearing, defense attorney Zachary Thornley told the judge that a protester was outside Gionet's Florida home and was recording the proceedings over the telephone, a violation of court rules. Protesting what? the judge asked. I guess him as a person, Thornley replied. The judge instructed court staff to shut off the telephone line, preventing the public from hearing Gionet enter his guilty plea. Two of Gionet's lawyers didn't immediately respond to calls for comment after the hearing. After entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Gionet streamed live video that showed himself inside the building and repeatedly encouraging other rioters to stay there. Come in. Let's go. Come on in. Make yourself at home, Gionet told other rioters, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea. Gionet joined others in chanting, Patriots are in control! and Whose house? Our house! Before leaving, he profanely called a police officer an oathbreaker, the FBI said. Federal authorities have used Gionets video to prosecute other rioters, including three men from New York City. Antonio Ferrigno, Francis Connor and Anton Lunyk pleaded guilty in April to riot-related charges. Gionets livestream showed them in Sen. Jeff Merkleys office, according to court filings accompanying their plea agreements. Gionet worked at BuzzFeed before he used social media to build an online following in far-right political circles. Defense attorney Zachary Thornley said Gionet has long been a member of the press. His actions on the day many folks entered the Capitol were no less then he has always done. He filmed it. That is what he does, Thornley wrote in a court filing last year. Prosecutors disputed Gionets contention that he is a member of the news media. Gionet became known for posting videos in which he attempts to pull pranks or troll his targets. He also has a history of promoting far-right extremism. He was scheduled to speak at the white nationalist Unite the Right rally in 2017 before it erupted in violence on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia. Mainstream internet platforms, including Twitter, suspended Gionet's accounts before Jan. 6. At the Capitol, he was livestreaming video using a fringe service called DLive. Other Capitol riot defendants have claimed that they were acting as journalists, not insurrectionists. Infowars host Jonathan Owen Shroyer has asked a judge to throw out his riot charges. Shroyers lawyer argues the Justice Department is prosecuting him for his constitutionally protected rights to protest, speak freely and report the news. Prosecutors counter that the First Amendment doesnt protect Shroyers conduct at the Capitol. Gionet, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested in Houston less than two weeks after the riot. He moved from Arizona to Florida after his arrest. In January, Gionet was sentenced to 30 days in jail for misdemeanor convictions stemming from a December 2020 encounter in which authorities say he shot pepper spray at an employee at a bar in Scottsdale, Arizona. Gionet's plea agreement includes a provision allowing investigators to review any of his social media accounts for posts around the time of the Capitol riot. Thursday night's hearing by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was billed as a session that would describe in detail what President Donald Trump did not do during a day of violence and mayhem. More revealing - and damning - was what he did do. The hearing was a revelation of character, and no more so than the outtakes of a taping the day after the attack and after Congress had certified President Joe Biden's victory. Trump was in a dark place, according to the testimony, and his aides had prepared a script for him for a video message to the nation. As he read it, he scowled and stopped, rejecting the words he was to read. "I don't want to say the election's over," he said peevishly. Trump still won't say the 2020 election is over, nearly 19 months later. The odious legacy of that resistance continues to infect the Republican Party and the politics of the country. Election-denying has become a core belief of a broad swath of the Republican Party. Many Republicans will not acknowledge Biden's victory and choose to see the president as an illegitimate leader. Meanwhile, Trump continues to stir this mythology, never willing to let go of the fantasy that the election was stolen, content to continue to spread the lie that Biden's victory came only because of massive fraud - evidence for which does not exist. Thursday's hearing further revealed a president incapable of looking beyond himself, unable to see the damage both to the country and to his own legacy that was taking place at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. He was seemingly passive, yes, but he was also belligerent in his unwillingness to follow the advice of many of his most loyal aides, members of his family and outside allies. His performance was, as committee members said, a dereliction of duty and a violation of his oath to defend the Constitution. Whether it was a crime will be up to the Justice Department - and, if it gets that far, a jury. What did Trump do and not do on Jan. 6? He sat in his private dining room off the Oval Office for hours as the Capitol was overrun by armed rioters. He watched Fox News on television while ignoring the urgent discussions among his staff that he needed to say something, do something, to call off the attack. He did not call Vice President Mike Pence, who was in hiding at the Capitol and whose Secret Service detail had made calls to loved ones to say goodbye, fearful they might not survive the attacks. He did not call the Pentagon to order military support to put down the insurrection. He did not call the Department of Homeland Security. He did not seek any law enforcement support. Who did what the president should have done? Pence, according to the testimony presented. The vice president called the Pentagon and in no uncertain terms called for reinforcements to put down the attack. What Trump did do as the Capitol was being sacked, and as some rioters were chanting "Hang Mike Pence," was to send out a tweet at 2:24 p.m. condemning his own vice president as a coward for not blocking the certification process, saying Pence didn't have the courage to try to overturn the election. It is worth pausing on that. At a time when he could have sought to de-escalate the violence, he did the opposite, adding fuel to the fire raging at the Capitol that had been sparked by his own lies. There was no evidence that Trump called anyone to stop the violence that afternoon, but he did call Rudy Giuliani, his personal lawyer who was in the forefront of spreading wild conspiracy theories about the election. He called Giuliani later, too, and Giuliani was calling senators that evening, hoping to persuade someone to slow down the process of certification in a last desperate effort to overturn the election. Trump sat little more than a minute's walk from where he watched television to the White House briefing room, where television cameras are always at the ready to broadcast a presidential address to the nation. He could have made a statement that might have halted the violence. He did not do it, even as calls and tweets poured into the White House from allies pleading for him to do something. Instead, he resisted saying anything on camera for more than three hours. He also resisted using any mention of peace in a tweet aimed at the rioters until he was persuaded to do so by his daughter Ivanka. The evidence presented Thursday, as in previous hearings by the committee, was an as-told-by story from a galaxy of Republican officials: people who voted for Trump, worked for him and were personally invested in his success, but who - as Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., who co-led the hearing with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., put it - had reached a breaking point. When called to do so, they told the truth to the committee and the country. These were not political enemies or adversaries of the president but people who served him loyally. Trump has complained privately that he has had no defenders on the committee, but Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the committee vice chair, brushed aside the notion that the committee's work would fall apart if challenged. "Do you really think Bill Barr is such a delicate flower that he would wilt under cross-examination?" she asked. "Pat Cipollone? Eric Herschmann? Jeff Rosen? Richard Donoghue? Of course they aren't. None of our witnesses are." The work of the House committee is not finished. It continues to dig and take testimony. More hearings are promised and a full report will be issued. But the committee's principal contribution is already evident. The summer hearings have significantly added to the pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide whether to bring criminal charges against a former president for the first time in the nation's history. Garland said again last week that no one in this country is above the law. But getting to a decision of whether to indict remains perilous, what has been described as one of the most difficult and consequential decisions any attorney general has faced. The committee has produced a compelling narrative, with much new information and with Trump squarely in the middle. But its work has not been tested in legal terms, its evidence not subjected to cross-examination, its case not hindered by procedural challenges that a criminal case would bring. Whatever Garland decides - indictment or no indictment - will rile the country, which is already in flames over the former president's conduct in office. For the attorney general, there is no safe harbor. Indictment would not guarantee conviction, and conviction would not bring peace to the country, as satisfying as criminal charges would be to those who believe that the evidence against Trump is so convincing that they must be brought. No matter what the Justice Department does, the committee has produced a body of information beyond what many had questioned was possible. It has plowed ground that had been plowed before and unearthed new revelation after new revelation. Each hearing has delivered more than promised - and with that, the legacy of the Trump presidency has taken a beating. None of that has quieted the former president, who has indicated he is likely to run again in a 2024 revenge campaign. Just recently he was on the phone with Robin Vos, the Republican speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, again seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. Vos says that isn't possible, which matters little to Trump. The call reflects the mind-set of a man without contrition who cannot let go, and because of that, neither can many of his followers. It was that hold on people that caused the attack on the Capitol. Trump was the man who, as Cheney has said, summoned the mob and lit the flame. Because he won't let that go, the country continues to live with the consequences of that dark day in January 2021. At the close of the hearing, Cheney posed this question: "Can a president who is willing to make the choices Donald Trump made during the violence of January 6th ever be trusted with any position of authority in our great nation again?" The committee members, through these hearings, have shown their answer. In two years, the voters of this country, especially those who backed him in the past, could be asked to answer it for themselves. GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) Keystone RV plans to close two of its northern Indiana plants this fall, costing more than 300 workers their jobs. The company, which makes travel trailers, campers and other vehicles, said in a notice filed with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development that it will close two Goshen plants, known as Plant 41 and Plant 705, effective Sept.23. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Show More Show Less 3 of 3 MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) A 70-year-old Nevada man charged in the 1982 killing of a 5-year-old girl who disappeared while walking to her kindergarten class was extradited Friday to California, where he entered a not guilty plea during his arraignment, prosecutors said. Robert John Lanoue, who is a registered sex offender, was arrested earlier this month in Reno, Nevada, in the killing of Anne Pham after detectives say they solved the cold case using DNA evidence. DETROIT (AP) The Michigan Supreme Court signaled Friday that there will be no summer decision in a high-stakes dispute over whether people convicted of crimes can be ordered to pay to keep the lights on and cover other operating costs in local courts. The court heard arguments in April and subsequently asked the parties to file more briefs addressing certain issues. The law, which raises millions of dollars each year, expires Oct. 1, though theres a bill in the Legislature to extend it until fall 2025. In its latest order, the Supreme Court said it will hear more arguments on three points in the months ahead, including whether judges assessing costs creates a potential for bias. Critics argue that its unconstitutional for a judge to oversee a criminal case and also have power to order someone to pay a share of keeping the building clean and office supplies stocked. The simple fact is that courts are not a private enterprise. Criminal defendants are not a special class of citizens upon whom the expenses of state government should be levied, said the Detroit Justice Center, which represents low-income Detroit residents. The money goes to a courts local government, but only people convicted of crimes must pay, not others who use the courts. Nothing is deducted from the budget of prosecutors who lose cases. From 2018 through 2020, courts collected $108 million statewide, 75% of it in District Courts, which handle traffic tickets, drunken driving cases and other misdemeanors mostly committed by people who can least afford to pay. Costs can vary by community. Some judges dont order them. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez UNITED NATIONS (AP) Russia defended its veto of a U.N. resolution that would have extended humanitarian aid deliveries to 4.1 million Syrians in the rebel-held northwest from Turkey for a year, insisting that its demand for only a six-month extension was essential and accusing Western nations of using sly tactics and trying to govern the world. Russias deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky had to defend Moscows veto on July 8 of a resolution before the General Assembly for only the second time since the 193-member world body adopted a resolution on April 26 requiring any Security Council member that casts a veto to explain its reasoning during an assembly debate on the issue. Polyansky insisted that a resolution should be limited to six months, with a new resolution needed for another six months, in order to assess progress on Russias demands. He said these include stepped up aid deliveries across conflict lines within Syria, more early recovery programs in the country, greater transparency in aid operations, and stopping international terrorists from receiving aid deliveries. He accused Western supporters of a year-long extension of failing to make progress on cross-line aid deliveries and early recovery projects. These demands were included in last years resolution extending aid deliveries from Turkey for a year, he said. U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills shot back, accusing Russia of abusing its veto power for the 17th time on a Syria resolution, this time on a measure aimed at facilitating humanitarian help for millions of people suffering from 11 years of war. To avert a shutdown of aid deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing point in Turkey, the Security Council approved a six-month extension on July 11 but Mills stressed the consequences: A second resolution will be needed in January when humanitarian needs, which are now greater than they have ever been, will be greatest. That timeline risks leaving Syrians without blankets, without heating fuel, depriving them of a steady supply of basic food items during the coldest of months if the resolution confirming the second sixth-month extension is not adopted, he warned. Mills urged the international community to come together and firewall any further politicization of what is a purely humanitarian issue. Northwest Idlib is the last rebel-held bastion in Syria and a region where an al-Qaida-linked militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is the strongest. The U.N. said recently that the first 10 years of the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, killed more than 300,000 civilians, the highest official estimate of civilian casualties. Polyansky accused Western countries of supporting international terrorists who they trained and equipped to oust the legitimate Syrian authorities. By exercising its veto, he said, the Russian Federation once again protected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. He asked ambassadors representing their countries in the assembly chamber: Who will protect you if you allow yourselves to be dragged into other games? Who will shield you from transforming into yet another Ukraine, which became a mere pawn in the Wests geopolitical chess game against the Russian Federation, and claimed the lives of its citizens for the advancement of the interests of the U.S. and their NATO allies. European Union counselor Thibault Camelli, stressed that humanitarian actions in Syria must not be disrupted, targeted or politicized," pointing out to the assembly that the EU and its member states are the biggest aid donor to the country. Humanitarian needs in Syria have increased and will likely continue to increase, especially in light of the food crisis due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine," he said. Today, over 12 million Syrians are food insecure, relying on external food assistance for their survival." BEIRUT (AP) Lebanon's prime minister on Friday warned that the ruin of a massive grain silo risks total collapse due to an ongoing fire that's expanding amid the summer heat at the Beirut port where a devastating blast two years ago tore through the Mediterranean city. A fire in the structure has been smoldering for the past two weeks due to 800 tons of grain inside fermenting in the hot weather. The government said the fire expanded after flames reached nearby electrical cables. The fire and the dramatic sight of the smoldering, partially blackened silo is reviving memories and in some cases trauma for survivors of the gigantic explosion that tore through the port two years ago. Experts say part of the structure is leaning and in danger of tipping over. Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who oversees a caretaker government, ordered firefighters and civil defense volunteers to step back Friday for their safety. Civil Defense volunteer Youssef Mallah told The Associated Press that they are still at the port, but have been ordered to stay far from the silo. The August 2020 blast was caused by hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers, that had been improperly stored for years at the ports warehouse. The tall structure withstood the force, effectively shielding the western part of Beirut from the explosion that killed over 200 people, wounded more than 6,000 and badly damaged entire neighborhoods. The government said experts had warned that trying to put out the fire with water could worsen it due to humidity, but the Interior Minister on Thursday ordered firefighters to try to contain the fire with water anyway. Over the weekend, the Lebanese army sent a helicopter to try to douse the fire with water as well. Another minister warned last week that the situation at the port was tricky and complicated, and warned of a collapse. Emmanuel Durand, a French civil engineer who volunteered for the government-commissioned team of experts said the north block of the silo was on path for catastrophic failure and that a collapse was inevitable at this point. He told the AP the grain fire could not be extinguished by water, which actually fuels the process of fermentation and can make the silo tilt faster. Durand, who is based in Switzerland, has been monitoring the silo for two years via sensors, and sending warnings to the government. The silo that have been tilting at no more than 0.5 millimeters a day two weeks ago are now moving at cruise speed with 2 millimeters an hour, he said. Earlier this year, the Lebanese government moved to demolish the silo, but was forced to suspend the decision following protests from families of the blasts victims and survivors, who have yet to see justice served. They argue that the silo may contain evidence useful for a judicial probe. Some also say the silo should stand as a memorial for the tragic incident. The judicial probe revealed that range of government officials knew about the dangerous substance that had been stored at the port for years, but did not take meaningful action to remove it or dispose of it. No officials have been yet been convicted. Those implicated have lodged legal complaints against the judge leading the investigation. A rally organized by the Hezbollah group against the judge leading the probe turned deadly last year, with six people were killed and dozens wounded. CHICAGO (AP) Chicago police wounded two people during a shootout Friday morning in the Pilsen neighborhood on the citys Southwest Side. Two officers from the Major Accident Investigation Unit observed four people loitering in front of a closed store shortly before 7 a.m. and stopped to investigate, identifying themselves as police, the department said in a statement. One of the four in the group then displayed a handgun and an exchange of gunfire ensued in which a 23-year-old man sustained gunshot wounds and was transported to a hospital, the statement said. A passerby, a 36-year-old male, sustained a graze wound to the leg and was taken to a hospital for treatment, it said. Neither officer was struck by gunfire but both went to hospitals for observation, police said. Three people in the group were placed into custody but the shooter fled the scene and was at large. One of those wounded had gunshot wounds to his back and thigh, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. Residents of the area told WFLD-TV they heard about 10 shots fired. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it was investigating the shooting. So far this year, 36 Chicago police officers have been shot or shot at, spokesman Tom Ahern said. ISTANBUL - Russia and Ukraine agreed Friday to restart shipments of blockaded grain, in a step toward easing a global crisis that has exposed tens of millions of people, especially in Africa and the Middle East, to the threat of acute hunger, the U.N. secretary general announced. One of the two agreements signed in Istanbul, brokered by the United Nations and aided by Turkey, guarantees the safe passage of commercial ships from the Ukrainian port of Odessa and two other ports, which are currently cut off by a Russian naval blockade. A parallel agreement is supposed to facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer exports. The grain agreement is in force for a period of 120 days and is renewable, according to the text of the agreement posted on the Facebook page of Andrii Sybiha, the deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February, the two countries were among the world's top producers and exporters of grain, cooking oil and fertilizers. Last year, Ukraine accounted for 10% of global wheat exports, according to the United Nations. More than 20 million tons of grain have been stuck in Ukraine's Black Sea ports, causing worldwide shortages and fears of worsening hardship to come. In a sign of the sensitivities weighing on the deal, representatives from Russia and Ukraine did not sit together at the Istanbul ceremony, which was presided over by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We did not reach this point in an instant," said Erdogan, whose government maintains close ties with both Ukraine and Russia. He called the negotiations to reach an agreement "intense and arduous." For all the complexity involved in the negotiations, the grain agreement appeared to depend on goodwill that is in short supply, resting in large part on Russian assurances it would not attack merchant ships or port facilities involved in the initiative. Even so, officials expressed optimism. "Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea," Guterres said at a signing ceremony for the initiative. "A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief, in a world that needs it more than ever." "It will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine," he added. Sybiha called the initiative "an important step to avoid the global food crisis," in a message posted on Twitter. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Russian signatory, said Moscow would not exploit the deal for military gain. "Russia has assumed the obligations which are quite clearly spelled out in this document. We will not take advantage," he said in a speech on the state-owned Rossiya 24 television channel. He said he expected grain transport to begin "in the coming days." The agreements were the fruit of conversations Guterres had with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia in April to solve the spiraling food crisis. Turkey - which has tried to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow throughout the conflict and controls passage through the Bosporus, the entrance to the Black Sea - took an active mediating role. For months the discussions stumbled. Ukrainian diplomats complained that their security concerns were not being acknowledged, as Russia downplayed the scope of the global food crisis. Ship insurance underwriters had to be assured that vessels would not be attacked, struck by mines or face other hazards in an active war zone. The document spells out a complex regime that establishes safe channels through the Black Sea and inspections in Turkey to ensure that weapons are not sent to Ukraine. Despite early speculation, there is to be no large-scale demining of Ukraine's ports. Ukrainian pilots will guide commercial vessels from the ports. Minesweepers will be used as needed, officials said. There would be no military escorts of the ships, whose passage will be monitored from a coordination center in Istanbul staffed by representatives of the parties to the agreements. In addition to Odessa, the agreement covers shipments from the ports of Chernomorsk and Yuzhny, Guterres said. A parallel agreement is supposed to facilitate the export of grain and fertilizers from Russia, though its utility was unclear: Those commodities are not subject to U.S. or European Union sanctions. A U.N. official said they hoped it would help bring down soaring costs of fertilizers that could impact yields for the next harvest. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's president, said in a Twitter message posted Friday afternoon that Ukraine was not signing a direct agreement with Russia, but rather with Turkey and the United Nations. Russia would sign a "mirror" agreement, he said. And there would be "no presence" of Russian representatives in Ukrainian ports, he said. "In case of provocations," he added, there would be "an immediate military response." Throughout the process, negotiations were hampered by a lack of trust between the two parties, "opacity" at times about what was being discussed in Moscow and Kyiv and other bureaucratic hurdles, said Martin Griffiths, the U.N. undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. The talks continued until 6 p.m. Thursday, as parties wrangled over legal language. "I've done a lot of mediation in my career," he said. "This was probably about as intense as any." One sticking point was the presence of mines in Ukraine's ports. For a time, Western nations as well as Russia were insisting on demining the ports, which Kyiv objected to and which U.N. negotiators worried would take too much time. Russia dropped the demand about six weeks ago, Griffiths said. A month or so ago, he added, there was a "lightbulb" moment where insurance underwriters and shipping companies became convinced the plan was viable. The deal did not address Ukraine's complaints that Russia is selling stolen grain from occupied territories abroad, or change the posture of Russia's naval blockade off Ukraine's coast. "This doesn't stop the war, sadly," Griffiths said. The announcement comes as countries around the world and particularly in East Africa have been struggling to feed themselves. A group of seven East African nations, including Somalia and South Sudan said Friday that 50 million people in their countries are facing acute food insecurity this year while some 300,000 teeter on the edge of famine. Mercy Corps, the relief organization, said in a statement that while the agreement could help ease grain shortages, "this will not end or significantly alter the trajectory of the worsening global food crisis." "Unblocking Ukraine's ports will not reverse the damage war has wreaked on crops, agricultural land and agricultural transit routes in the country," the group said. "We must recognize that our global food systems were already failing and record numbers of people were edging toward poverty and hunger due to the economic pummeling of the COVID-19 crisis and the impacts of climate change." --- The Washington Post's Zeynep Karatas in Istanbul and Robyn Dixon in Riga, Latvia, contributed to this report. President Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday that North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time it decides. Yoon was responding to a reporter's question about the U.S. Department of Defense's assessment that the North has completed preparations to carry out a nuclear test as early as within the month. "We believe that not only at the end of this month, but ever since my inauguration, it's fully ready and able to do it whenever it decides," he told reporters as he arrived for work. (Yonhap) As Republican nominee For U.S. Senate, Themis Klarides is plainspoken, socially moderate, fiscally conservative and has the requisite experience and broad appeal to defeat Democratic incumbent Richard Blumenthal in November. But first, she must secure her partys nomination. Her main opponent in the race is Leora Levy. Ms. Levy, a longtime Republican contributor, is the embodiment of a one-dimensional candidate. She relies exclusively on repeating national talking points, while offering few if any original policy proposals and her depth of understanding on important issues appears shallow at best. Locally, Ms. Levy all but ignored her local municipal candidates last November and has a history of showing little or no interest in support for local candidates. On the campaign trail, Ms. Levy often refers to herself as a crusader for freedom and liberty. Her campaign rhetoric resembles a throwback to the McCarthy era of the 1950s. In her skewed worldview, Democrats are Communists and Republicans who disagree with her are RINOs, or at best, Leftist Democrats. She has publicly referred to Ms. Klarides as the next Liz Cheney and as un-American. One thing she is correct about, is that like Liz Cheney, Themis Klarides has experience, integrity, stands up for what is right and is a lifelong Republican. Ms. Levy has also, inexplicably embraced the local, far-right group Greenwich Patriots. This is the same group that compared the pandemic era in Connecticut to living in Nazi Germany, and has made references to the infamous Nazi Brown Shirts of that era. It is mind boggling that Ms. Levy, who is Jewish, would actually allow herself to be associated with a fringe group like this. Ms. Klarides has been consistent with regard to her positions on key issues. She has always advocated for fiscally responsible positions, and has been a longtime supporter of womens reproductive rights. Ms. Klarides is an advocate for effective gun control measures in Connecticut, while also being a longtime registered gun owner, herself. In sharp contrast, Ms. Levys positions have changed radically from pro-choice to aggressively pro-life and virulently anti-Trump to all-in pro-Trump. In 2016, she famously wrote in a Greenwich Time op-ed that then candidate Donald Trump has turned the Republican primary process into a circus for his own purposes and his own aggrandizement. He is vulgar, ill-mannered and disparages those whom he cannot intimidate. His modus operandi is to try to intimidate people then call them names and calumniate about them and then if those tactics do not work, to sue them. That is how he has run his businesses and that is how he is running his campaign. Shockingly, once President Trump nominated her to be Ambassador to Chile (a position the Senate never confirmed her for), Ms. Levy changed into a MAGA hat-wearing election denier, and defended him at every turn. But this past Monday, Ms. Levy pulled perhaps the most despicable move of the early campaign season. About half an hour after Ms. Klarides publicly announced the passing of her 90-year-old mother, the Levy campaign released blistering attack ads on Ms. Klarides, referring to her as a Democrat in disguise and proclaiming Ms. Levy as the only principled conservative in the race. This is beyond the pale and represents reprehensible behavior by a vacuous candidate. Is this the kind of candidate Connecticut Republicans want representing them in a general election for a seat in the U.S. Senate? I am a lifelong Republican one who enjoyed a successful term as chairman of the Greenwich Republican Party. I have great respect for the common sense of Connecticut Republicans, and I urge them to support Themis Klarides in the Aug. 9 Republican Primary. The alternative is a candidate who now worships at the altar of Donald Trump and supports his universally discredited election theories. Themis is a straight shooter who will stand for what is decent, honest and right. And she is the only candidate who can be trusted to provide pragmatic, moderate and principled Republican leadership that can deliver a Republican victory in November. Dan Quigley is former chair of the Greenwich Republican Town Party. Similar to last year, students are looking forward to getting back in the classroom, as opposed to the Zoom room. While wed love to tell you COVID-19 is so last year, unfortunately, new variants continue to emerge and wreak havoc on public health. While Texas schools cant mandate students wear masks, its still a good idea to grab some during your back-to-school haul if they make your kids feel safer and more protected. Likewise, handwashing and sanitization are encouraged by most Houston school districts, so add sanitizer gels, wipes, and sprays to your school supplies shopping list, but dont fret; weve found the best deals on all the back-to-school safety supplies so you can clean up without getting cleaned out! As far as kids PPE goes, these masks are the best in terms of cost 50-count packs come out to 20 cents per mask and the colors make them fun for kids to mix and match! If your child is one who plans to mask up, theyll be headed back to school in style with these 3-ply kids-sized protective face coverings. For a little more pizazz and at 26 cents per mask, scoop some of these dinosaur-print masks to mix things up. These fun and stylish kids refillable hand-sanitizer travel keychains are perfect for affixing to any backpack or lunchbox. Make sure little ones head back to school with everything they need to stay safe and healthy! If youve got older kids, they may prefer a more understated look weve got you covered there, too! As far as we can tell, there arent any restrictions on self-expression through school supplies that keep little ones safe! If your child is spirited, let them wear it loud and proud, with a hand sanitizer keychain to match! For kitten and unicorn lovers, check additional styles here! Youll need plenty of hand sanitizer to refill travel bottles and keychains, so industrial size is the way to go! Houston schools that do mention hand sanitizer requirements recommend having an ethyl alcohol content of 60% or higher, so these fit the bill, plus aloe will keep skin from drying out over time. If youre the type to donate school supplies to help out the whole class, were sure your teachers will be grateful for a bottle-or-ten of these! Just think: Field trips. Petting zoos. Finger-painting. Kids needed hand sanitizer before COVID-19; now they just need it more than ever! Be sure to send them back to school prepared to stay healthy, and if youre chaperoning the next class trip, dont forget to pack about 100 of these. If your little one is immunocompromised, or if they have a classmate who is, you might be wary of sending them back to school without all the best PPE available. These childrens face shields are an extra barrier of protection for everyone that only cost a few dollars each. Remember growing up how when you didnt feel good your mom would use the back of her hand to see if you were burning up? Those days are gone, friends. Houston schools are asking us all to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and while we agree mother knows best, thermometers are a sure-fire way to get an accurate read on body temps! Every runny nose, scratchy throat, and stuffy head sounds the same alarm in every parents mind: is it a cold, or is it COVID?! Youll be doing yourself, your kids, and their classmates a favor by stocking up on tests before the masses head back to school. As far as 2022 school supplies go, COVID-19 tests are still on the must-have list. And lastly, if your little one does develop coronavirus in the new school year, theyll likely need to quarantine, adding loneliness to being under the weather. Cheer them up with a get-well package! Yes, we know they have toys at home, but something about getting a package in the actual mail infuses extra TLC theyll really appreciate on those long and boring recovery days. Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Pamela Mahler is an E-Commerce Writer for Local Commerce at Hearst Newspapers. Email her at pamela.mahler@hearst.com. WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022 _____ EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Medford OR 142 PM PDT Fri Jul 22 2022 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures between 100 and 110 possible. * WHERE...West Side Valleys in southern Oregon and northern California. This includes the Rogue, Illinois, Applegate, Lower Klamath River, and Shasta Valleys. * WHEN...From Monday afternoon through Friday evening. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The hottest temperatures are forecast to occur in the Rogue Valley, Shasta Valley, and Lower Klamath River Valley near Happy Camp. * View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this situation. 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. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 24, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 403 PM EDT Fri Jul 22 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SATURDAY TO 8 PM EDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values of 95 to 100 on Saturday and Sunday. * WHERE...Portions of northern Connecticut, eastern, northeastern, southeastern and western Massachusetts and northern and southern Rhode Island. * WHEN...From 11 AM Saturday to 8 PM EDT Sunday. * 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Lubbock County in northwestern Texas... Northeastern Hockley County in northwestern Texas... Southwestern Hale County in northwestern Texas... Southeastern Lamb County in northwestern Texas... * Until 515 PM CDT. * At 444 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Anton, or 9 miles southeast of Littlefield, moving southeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Littlefield, Anton, Spade, Whitharral and Smyer. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY Flood Advisory National Weather Service Norman OK 1250 PM CDT Fri Jul 22 2022 ...FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A FLASH FLOOD WARNING... The threat of flooding continues and a Flash Flood Warning is now in effect. Please refer to that bulletin for more information. The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... East Central Knox County in northern Texas... * Until 345 PM CDT. * At 1250 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 3 and 4 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... mainly rural areas of East Central Knox County PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A man walks past TV monitors displaying a news program at an electronic shop in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 14, 2014, showing a North Korean newspaper with a photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un smiling, reportedly during his first public appearance in five weeks in Pyongyang, North Korea. AP-Yonhap South Korea plans to lift its decades-long ban on public access to North Korean television, newspapers and other media as part of its efforts to promote mutual understanding between the rivals, officials said Friday, despite animosities over the North's recent missile tests. Divided along the world's most heavily fortified border since 1948, the two Koreas prohibit their citizens from visiting each other's territory and exchanging phone calls, emails and letters, and they block access to each other's websites and TV stations. In a policy report to new President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it will gradually open the door for North Korean broadcasts, media and publications to try to boost mutual understanding, restore the Korean national identity and prepare for a future unification. Ministry officials said South Korea will start by allowing access to North Korean broadcasts to try to encourage North Korea to take similar steps. The ministry refused to provide further details, saying the plans are still being discussed with relevant authorities in South Korea. Jeon Young-sun, a research professor at Seoul's Konkuk University, said North Korea is unlikely to reciprocate because the flow of South Korean cultural and media content would pose "a really huge threat to" its authoritarian leadership. Ruled by three generations of the Kim family since its 1948 foundation, North Korea strictly restricts its citizens' access to outside information, though many defectors have said they watched smuggled South Korean TV programs while living in the North. In 2014, North Korean troops opened fire when South Korean activists launched balloons carrying USB sticks containing information about the outside world and leaflets critical of the Kim family toward North Korean territory. Relations between the two Koreas remain strained over North Korea's torrid run of missile tests this year. Yoon, a conservative, has said he would take a tougher stance on North Korean provocations, though he said he has "an audacious plan" to improve the North's economy if it abandons its nuclear weapons. Despite the North's likely reluctance to reciprocate, Jeon said South Korea needs to ease its ban on North Korean media because the restrictions have led to dependence on foreigners and other governments to gather North Korea-related information. Jeon said that has increased the danger of acquiring distorted information on North Korea. It wasn't clear how anti-North Korea activists in the South would react to the government's move. Jeon said there was little chance the move would promote pro-North Korean sentiments. South Korea, the world's 10th largest economy, is a global cultural powerhouse. Its nominal gross domestic product in 2019 was 54 times bigger than that of North Korea, according to South Korean estimates. Some observers say the ban must be lifted in a step-by-step process with discussions on what North Korean contents would be allowed first and how the access should be given to the South Korean public. While it's officially illegal to watch or read North Korean media in South Korea, authorities rarely crack down on experts, journalists and others using VPNs or proxy servers to access North Korean websites. A large number of North Korean movies, songs and other contents are also available on YouTube, which is accessible in South Korea. (AP) No, you must both be there in person in order to be eligible for spousal sponsorship. Does IRCC recognize virtual marriages? No, you must both be there in person in order to be eligible for spousal sponsorship. Does IRCC recognize virtual marriages? No, you must both be there in person in order to be eligible for spousal sponsorship. Does IRCC recognize virtual marriages? No, you must both be there in person in order to be eligible for spousal sponsorship. Julia Hornstein Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Since 2015, Canada has not recognized virtual marriages for family class sponsorship. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) states that if one or both parties are not physically present at the ceremony, we wont recognize the marriage. In order to physically present at a marriage ceremony, both parties must participate in the wedding ceremony in person. Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration You may only be exempt from this rule if you are in the Canadian Armed Forces. Your marriage may be recognized if: You could not be physically present for your marriage due to travel restrictions related to your service; The marriage took place outside of Canada and; It was registered in a country where marriage by proxy is legal. Proxy marriage is defined as a marriage where one or both of the participants are not physically present and are represented by another person at the solemnization of the marriage. The Canadian Government decided to prioritize the vulnerability of women in the immigration and forced marriage context in their decision not to recognize marriages by proxy. Bringing your spouse to Canada If you have gotten married virtually, it does not mean you are completely out of luck. You can instead sponsor your spouse under a common-law partnership, as long as you meet all eligibility criteria and have been living together for at least 12 consecutive months. In addition, if you have gotten married virtually and can prove your relationship is genuine, but your situation does not need the definition of common-law partner, humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations may be applied to overcome the rule. H&C is designed to provide flexibility and respond to vulnerable situations and facilitate family unity. In this case, significant compelling circumstances must exist, like the best interests of a child. If your spouse or partner is unable to apply from inside Canada or does not legally live in Canada at the time of the application, outland sponsorship is likely the only sponsorship option available. To be eligible to sponsor a spouse or partner under the Outland application category, the sponsor and the sponsored person must be in one of the following types of relationships: spouses, where you are legally married, and your marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction where it was registered and under Canadian law; common law, where you are cohabiting or have cohabited with your partner in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months; and conjugal partnership, where you have been in an ongoing and committed relationship for at least 12 months but due to significant factors beyond your control, such as an immigration barrier or marital status, you cannot live together. In addition, the sponsor and sponsored person must meet the following criteria: The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; The sponsor and the sponsored person must be at least 18 years of age; The sponsor must not have sponsored a spouse in Canada in the five years preceding the application; and The sponsor or sponsored person must not be in prison, charged with a serious offence or bankrupt. Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele A North Korean soldier takes a picture as he looks toward the south in the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, July 19. Reuters-Yonhap North Korea has warned that the United States and South Korea will face "unprecedented" security challenges if they don't stop their hostile military pressure campaign against the North, including joint military drills. North Korea views any regular U.S.-South Korean military training as an invasion rehearsal even though the allies have steadfastly said they have no intention of attacking the North. The latest warning came as Washington and Seoul prepare to expand their upcoming summertime training following the North's provocative run of missile tests this year. "Should the U.S. and its allies opt for military confrontation with us, they would be faced with unprecedented instability security-wise," Choe Jin, deputy director general of the Institute of Disarmament and Peace, a Foreign Ministry-run think tank, told Associated Press Television News in Pyongyang on Thursday. Choe said that Washington and Seoul's joint military drills this year are driving the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war. He accused U.S. and South Korean officials of plotting to discuss the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic assets during another joint drill set to begin next month. "The U.S. should keep in mind that it will be treated on a footing of equality when it threatens us with nukes," Choe said. He said Washington must abandon "its anachronistic and suicidal policy of hostility" toward North Korea or it will face "an undesirable consequence." The regular U.S.-South Korea military drills are a major source of animosity on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea often responding with missile tests or warlike rhetoric. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has filed a serious incident report with the Charity Commission after facing criticism over its publication of problematic images. The charity, also known as Doctors Without Borders, recently apologised for the decision to publish identifiable photographs of a 16-year-old girl who was the victim of rape in Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo. Its apology came after people took to social media to flag the images, and after a number of activists wrote to the charity in an open letter about the issue. The Charity Commission has now confirmed that MSF filed a serious incident report due to the criticism it faced but that it is currently satisfied the trustees are dealing with the issue. We can confirm that in line with our guidance, Medecins Sans Frontieres filed a serious incident report in May 2022 relating to criticism about its use of sensitive photography. We engaged with the charity and are satisfied with the trustees handling of this matter, it said. MSF said in a statement: We acknowledge that the publication of these images was a mistake, and we are sorry. We have removed these images and other sensitive photographs from the online article and are taking a series of actions to put better safeguards in place. It added: In the case of the victim in Ituri, she provided consent to the photographer and came forward to share her story, with the support of medical and psychological staff. As an orphan, she had no parent or guardian to support her. We recognise that we should have taken additional steps to protect this survivor's identity, considering her status as a minor. MSF reviewing guidelines In another recent statement, the directors of communications at MSF said the charity had been rightly challenged both internally and externally about the use of sensitive photography involving patients in our care. They added: As the global directors of communication for MSF, we want to thank those who have highlighted problematic images and questioned our practices. We welcome public attention to these important issues, which provides an opportunity for us to improve our policies and practices, their statement read. MSF said it is accelerating a full review of the MSF media archive, containing nearly 200,000 visual assets. This project, initiated in late 2021, is scheduled to be completed by December this year. It has also committed to undertaking a thorough review of content production guidelines and strengthening training and development for MSF content producers. sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, MADRID (AP) Europes spate of fierce wildfires abated somewhat Thursday amid cooler temperatures, with French firefighters starting to get the upper hand over two major blazes, Spain taming a fire that killed two people and no new outbreaks reported in Portugal. But a fire in Slovenia on the border with Italy kicked up strongly Thursday, forcing the evacuation of three villages. Spanish firefighters were tackling nine blazes, with two said to be especially dangerous in the northwestern Galicia region. Some of the 11,000 people evacuated because of the fires in Spain began returning home, and a major highway in the northwestern Zamora province reopened after two days. Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and a drought have worsened Spains wildfires this year. Thursdays highest temperature in Spain was forecast to be 32 C (90 F). In France, more than a week of round-the-clock battling against ferocious flames by more than 2,000 firefighters and up to 10 water-dropping planes was slowly winning out against two major wildfires in the tinder-dry pine forests in southwestern France. The Gironde regions fire service said both blazes, which had forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, were contained. Although firefighters in France were still tamping down hot spots that could reignite blazes, the fire service said it expects to have tamed the fires embers within days. Officials said they will probably be able to declare the fires completely extinguished within weeks. Officials in Slovenia, meanwhile, said the raging blaze in the southwestern Kras region was the biggest since the country became an independent nation in 1991. The fire is nowhere near its end, Srecko Sestan, head of Slovenias civil protection service, told the official STA news agency. The fire has engulfed 2,000 hectares (nearly 5,000 acres) and set off unexploded ordnance left over from World War I. More than 1,000 firefighters have been fighting the blaze, aided by the Slovenian army and police, as well as helicopters from Austria, Slovakia and Croatia. In Bosnia, a days-long fire in the southern Blidinje nature park prompted authorities to declare a natural disaster because of the danger it posed to a protected conservation area. About the photo: Jaume Almirall checks the damage at his swimming pool burnt during a wildfire near the town of El Pont de Vilomara, Spain, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Gallagher Bassett Appoints SVP for Construction Risks Gallagher Bassett has hired Greg Perruzzi to the newly created role of senior vice president construction vertical leader. Perruzzi will lead the international claims management providers construction claims and risk management services. He will report to the companys North America CEO, Mike Hessling. Gallagher Bassett, based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, said in a press release that Peruzzis experience is focused on casualty insurance programs and captives. He has worked for construction management and real estate development clients for more than 20 years, the company said. Prior to joining Gallagher Bassett, Perruzzi was a risk management vice president for a $2 billion construction management enterprise that included Hunter Roberts and Urban Atelier Group, the company said. Before then he was director of construction risk management for Related, where he was responsible for leading all insurance, claims and loss prevention for its national development pipeline. Perruzzi was directly responsible for executing risk management programs for Hudson Yards, which was the largest private development in North American history, Gallagher Bassett said. Perruzzi was also risk manager for Turner Construction, leading risk management for business operations in the Northeastern US and internationally. Perruzzi has a Bachelor of Science degree in physics with a minor in mathematics from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Allcat Promotes Carr to CEO Allcat Claims Service, an independent claims shop based in San Antonio, Texas, has promoted Sid Carr to chief executive officer. Carr has been president of Allocate since 2012. The former CEO, Bart Hutton, is transitioning to become the companys chairman. Allcat said the company has experienced unprecedented growth during Carrs tenure, including the addition of more than 400 desk adjusters who serve several marquee insurance companies. All cat has also formed a financial partnership with Trive Capital and Valendor Partners under Carrs leadership, the company said in a press release. Before joining Allcat, Carr was a vice president and principal at A.T. Kearney. He holds a bachelors degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Brush Country Hires Chief Revenue Officer Brush Country Claims, an independent adjusting firm based in Georgetown, Texas, has appointed Denis Connolly as chief revenue officer. Connolly will oversee the sales, marketing, customer-service and client relationships teams, Brush Country said in a press release. The company said Connolly brings a unique perspective, having worked for the last several years at two growing insurtech startups. That experience gave him deep insight into managing deal flow and the expansion of technology companies into new global markets, the company said. His experience and background aligns perfectly with Brush Country Claims and our vision for what insurtech in claims should be, states Troy Stewart, president and chief operating officer. We feel that Denis can align our strategic objectives with client needs in a way that allows Brush to pave the way in innovative claims solutions. Connolly formerly worked as vice president of sales and business development for Claimatic Intelligent Claims Management and PLNAR, as well as the senior director of strategy for Cox Media Group and business analyst for Goldman Sachs. He holds a bachelors degree in economics and finance from Trinity College Dublin and later received a distinction in strategy and executive leadership from Columbia University Business School in New York. In 2021, Floridas domestic property insurers spent more than $3 billion on legal defense costs and containment double the figure reported in 2016. Thats one jaw-dropping but not surprising takeaway from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulations recently posted Property Insurance Stability Report. The report also shows that Floridas share of homeowners claims litigation in the United States dropped slightly in 2021, from about 79% in 2020 to about 76% last year. And more than two dozen insurers have been placed under extra scrutiny due to financial issues, the report said. The study also put a spotlight on what insurers have said publicly and privately: The cost of reinsurance increased by 54% from 2019 to 2020, and 28% from 2020 to 2021. The analysis did not include 2022 reinsurance numbers theyre due out Aug. 1. But carriers have reported that costs spiked again this year, meaning the cost of reinsurance has more than doubled for many insurers in the last three years. The OIR report was mandated by Senate Bill 2D, passed during the special session of the Florida Legislature in May. The studies are due out each July and January to give a barometer reading on the states distressed property market. Industry experts said the 27-page report gives a good snapshot of the current crisis, but also leaves some questions unanswered. As four insurers have been deemed insolvent this year and 12 have stopped writing new business, insurance agents have had to work overtime to replace policies. We get asked all the time, Where is the business going?' said B.G. Murphy, director of government affairs for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents. And other than Citizens, we still cant answer that. Some carriers continue to decline to reveal policy and premium totals for OIRs reports, calling it trade secrets. But industry advocates said the data is important, and regulators should find a way to publish some type of breakdown of the numbers. The OIR market report also notes that Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-created insurer of last resort, in the first quarter of this year held more than 11% of the market, with some 541,000 policies, including those for homeowners and condominiums. But Citizens itself reported as many as 800,000 policies in force early this year and is on track to top 1.5 million policies in 2023 OIR officials were asked about the difference in the numbers but did not have time to respond by Thursday morning. The report also underscored what many insurance executives have said for months that profits have taken a beating. The industry in Florida as a whole showed almost $700 million in negative net income in 2021, significantly greater than the losses reported for the year before. Net underwriting losses, however, improved somewhat, to just under $1.2 billion. On loss reserve development, the report showed that, with a two-year look-back, 2020 claims for the industry were $676 million more than were originally estimated. These numbers reflect the high degree of uncertainty which exists in the property insurance market, which in turn impacts reinsurance capacity and reinsurance rates for insurers, the report noted. In the simplest of terms, the greater the uncertainty that exists on future claims, the more reinsurers will tend to hedge their willingness to offer capacity, and the capacity that is available will cost more as a result. This loss reserve development trend has continued since 2018. The 2022 legislation requires OIR to keep a better eye on shaky insurers, to give warning before insolvencies are imminent. The reports shows that the office has recently referred 27 insurers to its newly formed financial stability unit for enhanced monitoring. Those carriers, which were not named in the report, were flagged for several reasons, including failure to file financial reports, non-renewal of 10,000 or more policies, requests for large rate increases and other indicators of unsound financial condition. The analysis reported homeowner premiums by county for the first quarter of this year, but did not compare to previous years. It shows that Monroe County, home of vulnerable Key West, had the highest average annual premiums, at $6,729, followed by Miami-Dade, at $5,093. Palm Beach County and Broward County reported average premiums of $4,800. The OIR offered no new recommendations on fixing the problems in the Florida market. The report noted that OIR had made a number of suggestions in early 2021, some of which were implemented by 2021s Senate Bill 76 and 2022s Senate Bill 2D. In consideration of the recent 2022 Special Session on property insurance, OIR will continue to monitor trends and impacts from SB 76 and SB 2D and propose additional recommendations for the next Property Insurance Stability Unit report due January 1, 2023, the report concluded. The report also leaves one pressing question: Will Floridas legislators use this information and act on behalf of consumers and the health of the insurance marketplace? Murphy wrote in an FAIA blog Thursday. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Truckers protesting a state labor law have effectively shut down cargo operations at the Port of Oakland, it was announced Wednesday. The shutdown will further exacerbate the congestion of containers and port officials are urging operations at shipping terminals to resume, a port statement said. The protest that began Monday involves hundreds of independent big-rig truckers that have blocked the movement of cargo in and out of terminals at the port, which is one of the 10 busiest container ports in the country, according to its website. There was no immediate word on when the protest might end but its exacerbating supply-chain issues that already have led to cargo ship traffic jams at major ports and stockpiled goods on the dock. The protest comes as toymakers and other industries enter their peak season for imports as retailers stockpile goods for the fall holidays and back-to-school items. The truckers are protesting Assembly Bill 5, a gig economy law passed in 2019 that made it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees, who are entitled to minimum wage and benefits such as workers compensation, overtime and sick pay. A federal appeals court ruled last year that law applies to some 70,000 truck drivers who can be classified as employees of companies that hire them instead of independent contractors. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters called it a massive victory for exploited truckers. But the California Trucking Association, which sued over the law, had argued the law could make it harder for independent drivers who own their own trucks and operate on their own hours to make a living by forcing them to be classified as employees. The legal battle stalled enforcement of the law but last month the U.S. Supreme Court recently decided it wouldnt review the decision. Truckers are now asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to meet and discuss the issue. Meanwhile, theres been no word on when the state might begin enforcing the law, which is still being contested in lower courts. Messages seeking comment from the governors office and the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development werent immediately returned Wednesday evening. The director of the business and economic development office, Dee Dee Myers, emailed CNBC that its time to move forward, comply with the law and work together to create a fairer and more sustainable industry for all. Ports already have been struggling to handle container traffic, much of it from Asia. After the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in 2020, cargo traffic to ports slumped drastically. But then it recovered and has been booming since. We understand the frustration expressed by the protestors at California ports, Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan said in the port statement. But, prolonged stoppage of port operations in California for any reason will damage all the businesses operating at the ports and cause California ports to further suffer market share losses to competing ports. While the port handles many different types of cargo, it is an important distribution point for Californias agricultural products. The supply chain already is in crisis. This is a huge disruption, Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition told the Wall Street Journal. About the photo: Trucks line up to enter a Port of Oakland shipping terminal on Nov. 10, 2021, in Oakland, Calif. Truckers protesting a state labor law have effectively shut down cargo operations at the Port of Oakland, it was announced Wednesday, July 20, 2022. The protest that began Monday, July 18 involves hundreds of independent big-rig truckers that have blocked the movement of cargo in and out of terminals at the port, which is one of the 10 busiest container ports in the country. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) The South Korean government strongly condemned Japan on Friday for laying repeated claim to the easternmost islets of Dokdo in its annual defense white paper. "(The government) strongly protests against Japan's repetition of its sovereignty claim over Dokdo, clearly an integral part of the Korean territory in terms of history, geography and international law, and urges it to immediately scrap it," foreign ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a statement. Such a move is of no help to efforts for building "future-oriented" bilateral relations, he added. It was issued shortly after Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi reported this year's document to the Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. It marked the 18th consecutive year for Tokyo to claim its sovereignty over Dokdo in the paper on the nation's security conditions and its responses. In Seoul, the ministry summoned Makoto Hayashi, minister for political affairs at the Japanese Embassy, to deliver a formal protest message to Tokyo. The paper was published just days after Foreign Minister Park Jin visited Tokyo for talks with his local counterpart, demonstrating President Yoon Suk-yeol's commitment to a resolution to disputes over shared history, especially Japan's colonization of Korea from 1910-45. The updated version carried largely similar descriptions on the territorial issue, a longtime sticking point in Seoul-Tokyo relations, with those of last year's one. But it added a position that cooperation between the neighboring countries is getting more important amid grave regional security situations. Seoul has maintained its effective control of Dokdo with a small police detachment on the rocky islets in the East Sea. (Yonhap) Naval aviation brigade conducts air combat training exercise China Military Online) 11:22, July 22, 2022 A fighter jet attached to a naval aviation brigade under the PLA Eastern Theater Command takes off from the runway during an air combat training exercise on June 24, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhao Ningning) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) This photo taken July 17, shows the suspect in the rape and death of an Inha University female student walking out of the Incheon District Court after attending his arrest warrant hearing. Yonhap Police referred a university freshman accused of raping a schoolmate and causing her to fall to her death to the prosecution Friday for potential indictment with an additional charge of filming the rape scene, officials said. The 20-year-old suspect, a student of Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul, was detained by police last Friday hours after the victim was found dead apparently after a fall from a campus building. She was found lying naked on the ground at 3:49 a.m. reportedly with blood on her head, mouth and ears. The suspect allegedly drank together with her and others before he and the victim left the group, saying he would escort her back to school. Closed-circuit TV footage showed the suspect assisting her as they went inside the building at around 1:30 a.m. Police believe he raped the victim in the school building and caused her to fall to her death from the third floor before he threw away her clothes at a distant place and ran away from the scene. Investigations have shown she was left alone for over an hour after the fall and could have been saved if the suspect had immediately come to her help. Police said they could not charge the suspect with murder due to a lack of evidence. But they pressed an additional charge against him of filming the rape scene with his mobile phone, though only sound of the scene was recorded in the video, the officials said. During the previous police questioning, the suspect acknowledged the victim fell to her death but denied he pushed her off the building. He was referred to the prosecution for further investigation and indictment. (Yonhap) Whether capital punishment in Korea is unconstitutional is again under review by the Constitutional Court of Korea. Gettyimagesbank Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea argues Constitution guarantees one's basic right to preservation of life By Ko Dong-hwan Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court of Korea began another hearing over what could be the problem left unresolved for the longest time in the country's judiciary history: whether the death penalty, which was written into the Criminal Act of 1953, violates the Constitution. The latest hearing will be the third time for the Constitutional Court to review the constitutionality of the death penalty. It ruled in favor of maintaining capital punishment twice in previous hearings held in 1996 and 2010. This time, the case in question concerns a man who murdered his parents in 2018. Prosecutors demanded at the district court trial that the defendant be sentenced to death. He had appealed to the court that the punishment violates the Constitution, but the court dismissed his appeal. What ended up saving the man's life was the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) Committee for Peace and Justice. With his consent, the CBCK requested a hearing at the Constitutional Court in 2019 to claim that the penalty is unconstitutional. The CBCK provided Articles 10 and 37 of the Constitution in support of their claim: that the Constitution must guarantee one's basic right to the preservation of life, which should be reserved uncompromised; and that laws, though able to limit one's freedoms and rights in order to maintain civil order, must not violate basic human rights. "The death penalty considers criminals only as a means to keep social order, not as human beings that can express regret and improve themselves," the CBCK said. "There are no verified effects that it reduces the occurrence of serious crimes. Besides, if it turns out that a court was wrong [in its guilty verdict], an individual who was executed cannot be brought back, which clearly makes the death penalty unethical." Prosecutors countered, saying that the public benefit of justice being served through the use of capital punishment cannot be ignored either. They mentioned "retribution" as one of the death penalty's purposes which they say accounts for many criminal penalties and is supported by a majority of the public, over rehabilitation of convicted criminals to become better human beings. The 1996 ruling was in favor of maintaining the death penalty, with seven out of nine of the Constitutional Court judges declaring it constitutional. They said that if a dangerous criminal threatens public order, the country could decide which lives should be protected and which lives should not. They also said that if the penalty is later deemed unnecessary it could be ruled unconstitutional at that point. An enlisted soldier in Korea identified by the surname Lim, second from left, leaves a military court in Wonju, Gangwon Province, after being sentenced to death in February 2015 for shooting five other soldiers to death and injuring seven others at his camp a year before. Newsis The death penalty survived court review again in 2010, with five out of nine Constitutional Court judges declaring it constitutional. However, now, based on the rising trend of judges opposing it and the increasing number of countries abolishing it with over 70 percent having abolished it in law or practice, according to the Death Penalty Information Center there are now expectations that these previous decisions could be overturned. Even if capital punishment is ruled unconstitutional this time, there are questions about what to do with the convicted individuals who have already been sentenced to death. According to the Constitution, five out of the 59 convicted criminals currently on death row in Korea will be given a chance to appeal if the Constitutional Court ruling is in their favor. During a public hearing at the Constitutional Court in Seoul's Jongno District on July 14, some supporters of capital punishment worried that, based on the country's current judiciary system, there will no longer be legal measures to keep those five criminals behind bars if their death sentences are deemed unconstitutional. Meanwhile, those against the death penalty allayed such concerns by saying that the five people in question will likely be sentenced to life in prison as an alternative punishment. The conflicts around the death penalty will likely continue until the judges announce their verdict, which could take weeks, months or even possibly years. What are its purposes? Capital punishment and its abolition have been the subject of endless debates around the world for centuries. At first, one of its purposes was retribution an eye for an eye although the types of crimes for which it was a punishment, as well as how it was applied, varied greatly over the course of history and across societies. The debates took a fresh turn in the late 1700s when Italian jurist Cesare Beccaria condemned capital punishment in his 1767 treatise, "On Crimes and Punishment." Asserting the value of human life, he argued that there is no justification for the taking of life by the state and that executions are "neither a useful nor a necessary form of punishment." "Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997," a lawyer based in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. "If it hasn't been practiced in more than 20 years, practically speaking, it is considered abolished in that country." The lawyer, who is in favor of abolishing the death penalty, cited that more and more countries around the world are abolishing the punishment. Since 1976, more than 75 countries have abolished it for all crimes, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. In 2014, after the Daegu District Court sentenced a woman who beat her stepdaughter to death to 10 years in prison in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, protesters gathered in front of the court to demand the court sentence her to death. Newsis Weather Alert ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Grand Isle and northwestern Franklin Counties through 500 PM EDT... At 406 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Highgate Falls, moving northwest at 5 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... Franklin, Swanton, Swanton Village, Highgate Falls, Highgate, Sheldon, Lake Carmi State Park, St. Albans City, Fairfield, St. Albans Town, North Hero, Berkshire, Swanton Junction, Sheldon Junction, Highgate Center, Rock River Bay, North Sheldon, East Highgate, Martindale Point and Cheney Point. This includes Interstate 89 between mile markers 115 and 130. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. && MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN; MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH Colorado's Republican U.S. Senate nominee Joe O'Dea is pictured with President Joe Biden in a 30-second TV ad paid for by Democratic Colorado, a super PAC that spent $4 million airing ads in June 2022, during the state's Republican primary. The ad noted that O'Dea supported Biden's massive infrastructure bill and has a history of donating to Democratic candidates. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today! Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Gorge Social Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) 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. A nurse was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for dropping a newborn at a hospital in 2019, which resulted in permanent brain damage. The Busan District Court found the nurse, whose identity has been withheld, guilty of professional negligence resulting in the injuries of the 5-day-old female infant at the hospital's neonatal unit in the southern port city of Busan. Public outrage was stirred after surveillance camera footage showed the nurse physically abusing a total of 14 newborns, including the female infant, by shaking and grabbing them upside down and dropping them. The court also found the nurse guilty of child abuse. "Footage shows the defendant holding the newborn upside down, resulting in the baby falling on her back," the court said in the ruling, adding that evidence suggests the infant suffered injuries during the working hours of the nurse. The nurse, who was released on bail, was imprisoned following the ruling. The court also handed down a suspended sentence to a practical nurse and a fine of 30 million won ($23,000) to a doctor of the hospital. (Yonhap) 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 Call it artificial emotional intelligence the kind of artificial intelligence (AI) that can now detect the emotional state of a human user. Or can it? More importantly, should it? Most emotion AI is based on the basic emotions theory, which is that people universally feel six internal emotional states: happiness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sadness, and may convey these states through facial expression, body language and vocal intonation. In the post-pandemic, remote-work world, sales people are struggling to read the people theyre selling to over video calls. Wouldnt it be nice for the software to convey the emotional reaction on the other end of the call? Companies like Uniphore and Sybill are working on it. Uniphores Q for Sales application, for example, processes non-verbal cues and body language through video, and voice intonation and other data through audio, resulting in an emotion scorecard. Making human connections through computers Zoom itself is flirting with the idea. Zoom in April introduced a trial of Zoom IQ for Sales, which generates for meeting hosts transcripts of Zoom calls as well as sentiment analysis not in real time but after the meeting; The criticism was harsh. While some people love the idea of getting AI help with reading emotions, others hate the idea of having their emotional states judged and conveyed by machines. The question of whether emotion-detecting AI tools should be used is an important one that many industries and the public at large need to grapple with. Hiring could benefit from emotion AI, enabling interviewers to understand truthfulness, sincerity, and motivation. HR teams and hiring managers would love rank candidates on their willingness to learn and excitement about joining a company. In government and law enforcement, calls for emotion-detection AI are also rising. Border patrol agents and Homeland Security officials want the technology to catch smugglers and imposters. Law enforcement sees emotion AI as a tool in police interrogations. Emotion AI has applications in customer service, advertising assessment and even safe driving. Its only a matter of time before emotion AI shows up in everyday business applications, conveying to employees the feelings of others on calls and in business meetings, and offering ongoing mental health counseling at work. Why emotion AI makes people upset Unfortunately, the science of emotion detection is still something of a pseudoscience. The practical trouble with emotion detection AI, sometimes called affective computing, is simple: people arent so easy to read. Is that smile the result of happiness or embarrassment? Does that frown come from a deep inner feeling, or is it made ironically or in jest. Relying on AI to detect the emotional state of others can easily result in a false understanding. When applied to consequential tasks, like hiring or law enforcement, the AI can do more harm than good. Its also true that people routinely mask their emotional state, especially in in business and sales meetings. AI can detect facial expression, but not the thoughts and feelings behind them. Business people smile and nod and empathetically frown because its appropriate in social interactions, not because they are revealing their true feelings. Conversely, people might dig deep, find their inner Meryl Streep and feign emotion to get the job or lie to Homeland Security. In other words, the knowledge that emotion AI is being applied creates a perverse incentive to game the technology. That leads to the biggest quandry about emotion AI: is it ethical to use in business? Do people want their emotions to be read and judged by AI? In general, people in, say, a sales meeting, want to control the emotions they convey. If Im smiling and appear excited and tell you Im happy and excited about a product, service or initiative, I want you to believe that not bypass my intended communication and find out my real feelings without my permission. Sales people should be able to read the emotions prospects are trying to convey, not the emotions they want kept private. As we get closer to a fuller understanding of how emotional AI works, it looks increasingly like a privacy matter. People have the right to private emotions. And thats why I think Microsoft is emerging as a leader in the ethical application of emotion AI. How Microsoft gets it right Microsoft, which developed some pretty advanced emotion detection technologies, later terminated them as part of a revamping of its AI ethics policies. Its main tool, called Azure Face, could also estimate gender, age, and other attributes. Experts inside and outside the company have highlighted the lack of scientific consensus on the definition of emotions, the challenges in how inferences generalize across use cases, regions, and demographics, and the heightened privacy concerns around this type of capability, wrote Natasha Crampton, Microsofts Chief Responsible AI Officer, wrote in a blog post. Microsoft will continue to use emotion recognition technology in its accessibility app, called Seeing AI, for visually impaired users. And I think this is the right choice, too. Using AI to enable the visually impaired, or, say, people with autism where they may be debilitated by their struggle to read the emotions and reactions of others, is a great use for this technology. And I think it has an important role to play in the coming era of augmented reality glasses. Microsoft isnt the only organization driving the ethics of emotion AI. The AI Now Institute and the Brookings Institution advocate bans on many uses of emotion-detection AI. And more than 25 organizations demanded that Zoom end its plans to use emotion detection in the company's videoconferencing software. Still, some software companies are moving forward with these tools and theyre finding customers. For the most part, and for now, the use of emotion AI tools may be misguided, but mostly harmless, as long as everyone involved truly consents. But as the technology gets better, and face-interpreting, body-language reading technology approaches mind-reading and lie detection, it could have serious implications for business, government, and society. And, of course, theres another elephant in the living room: the field of affective computing also seeks to develop conversation AI that can simulate human emotion. And while some emotion simulation is necessary for realism, too much can delude users into believing AI is conscious or sentient. In fact, that belief is already happening at scale. In general, all this is part of a new phase in the evolution of AI and our relationship to the technology. While were learning that it can solve myriad problems, were also finding out it can create new ones. This screenshot shows the rectified Apple Map on iPad demarking the border between North Korea and China dividing Heaven Lake on Mount Paektu. Previously the international tech giant's map service included the high-altitude crater lake in Chinese territory, and Korean civic organization VANK held a campaign to correct this. Courtesy of VANK By Kwon Mee-yoo Apple has corrected its default map after Korean activists protested the big tech company for marking the entire Heaven Lake area of Mount Paektu area as Chinese territory, according to a nongovernmental organization, Friday. The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), a civic organization promoting a correct understanding of Korean culture and history, started its campaign on July 12 urging Apple to modify the map to correct the border's location which divides the high-altitude crater lake Mount Paektu between North Korea and China. The organization found that the map provided for all products of the global company, including iPhone, iPad and Mac laptops and desktops, described the lake as being entirely within the territory of China. Heaven Lake, known as "Cheonji" in Korea or "Tianchi" in Chinese, is located inside a caldera on top of the mountain. In 1962, North Korea and China negotiated a border treaty in which North Korea owns 54.5 percent of the mountain, while China owns 45.5 percent. The southeastern end of the lake belongs to North Korea and the northeastern part to China, and both countries operate tours to their respective sides of the lake. This screenshot provided by VANK shows the previous Apple Map on iPhone, left, with the border between North Korea and China in the lower-right corner, and the corrected version with the border crossing Heaven Lake. Courtesy of VANK VANK said Mount Paektu and Heaven Lake carry a highly significant meaning in Korea's history and initiated a campaign calling for Apple to rectify the map to be in line with other international and Korean map services such as Google Maps and Naver Map. "Mount Paektu is called the 'spiritual mountain' of Korea, and the lake being marked as Chinese territory must be corrected," the organization said in a statement. "Billions of people use the map integrated with Apple devices every day and we saw an urgent need to rectify it." According to the organization, Apple's map now indicates the correct border dividing Heaven Lake as of Thursday. VANK said it will launch another campaign to correct other services and maps inaccurately describing all of Mount Paektu as China's Mount Changbai. "China is promoting its Northeast Project to incorporate Korea's history of Gojoseon, Goguryeo and Balhae as Chinese history. We will publicize Korea's Gojoseon, Goguryeo and Balhae to counter China's campaign," the organization said. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup explains the details of the ministry's policy report to President Yoon Suk-yeol at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Friday. By Kwon Mee-yoo The Ministry of National Defense has vowed to strengthen its ability to fend off North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, announcing its plan to normalize combined drills between South Korea and the United States later this year. During the ministry's policy briefing to President Yoon Suk-yeol, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said South Korea will resume large-scale field training with the U.S., which have been canceled, delayed or downscaled since the North KoreaUnited States Singapore Summit in 2018. "Normalization of the exercises and training will strengthen the combined defense posture of South Korea and the U.S.," the ministry said in a statement. The summer allied training, slated for Aug. 22 through Sept. 1, will be called "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS), replacing the Ulchi Freedom Guardian training, which has been discontinued since 2018 by the previous Moon Jae-in administration as a measure following former U.S. President Donald Trump's promise to Pyongyang to suspend joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Both combined exercises in the first and second half of the year will accompany field maneuvers in addition to the computer simulation-based command post training that has been taking place in recent years. DENVER (AP) A Colorado man who had been charged in the presumed death of his missing wife has pleaded guilty to forgery for casting her 2020 election ballot for then-President Donald Trump. Barry Morphew pleaded guilty Thursday and was fined and assessed court costs of $600, The Denver Post reported. He avoids jail time as part of a plea agreement. Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother's Day in 2020 after she did not return from a bike ride near her home in the Salida area in southern Colorado. Barry Morphew, who pleaded for help finding his wife, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and other crimes in 2021, but prosecutors dropped the charges in April. That decision followed the judge's move to bar prosecutors from presenting most of their key witnesses during Morphews scheduled trial because they repeatedly failed to follow rules for turning over evidence in his favor. The evidence included DNA from an unknown male linked to sexual assault cases in other states, which was found in Suzanne Morphews SUV and raised the possibility of another suspect being involved. Suzanne Morphew's body has not been found. In the voter fraud case, investigators said Barry Morphew filled out his missing wife's ballot because he thought Trump could use the extra vote. Trump lost Colorado to President Joe Biden by 14 percentage points. Just because I wanted Trump to win. I just thought, give him another vote. I figured all these other guys are cheating, he told an FBI agent who confronted him about the ballot in April 2021, according to court documents. Trump has made repeated claims about fraud and rigged election results, but experts say there has been no evidence found of widespread fraud that would have changed the elections outcome. Morphew also told the agent he didn't know it was illegal to fill out a ballot on behalf of a spouse. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) A raid of Rio de Janeiros largest complex of favelas that left at least 18 people dead has sparked renewed complaints of excessive police violence and ignited debate over how to handle crime ahead of state and presidential elections. Rio authorities said 16 suspected criminals were killed in confrontations with police in Complexo do Alemao favela, or low-income community, along with a police officer and an woman. The raid targeted a criminal group that stole cars and robbed banks, and invaded nearby neighborhoods. Videos circulating on social media showed intense shootouts between criminals as well as a police helicopter flying low over the small, brick houses. Rios police have used helicopters to shoot at targets, even in densely populated residential areas, and video showed shots being fired from the favela at the aircraft. At the site of the raid, Associated Press reporters saw residents carrying about 10 bodies as bystanders shouted, We want peace! Its a massacre inside, which police are calling an operation, one woman told AP, speaking on the condition of anonymity because she feared reprisals from authorities. Theyre not letting us help (victims), she added, saying she saw one man arrested for attempting to do so. Ronaldo Oliveira, an investigator with Rios police force, said officials would have rather just made arrests of suspects "but unfortunately they chose to fire at our policemen. Rio state Gov. Claudio Castro, who is running for reelection in October, said on Twitter he lamented the police officers death. I will continue to fight crime with all my strength. We will not back down from the mission of guaranteeing peace and security to the people of our state, Castro said. In another tweet, Castro said his main rival in the elections, leftist Marcelo Freixo, defends criminals who attack police, such an important institution that makes us so proud. Freixo responded that the governor uses police to make politics. The governments strategy for tackling violence and organized crime, an approach that regularly sees deadly police operations, has come under criticism. A raid in Rios Vila Cruzeiro favela in May killed more than 20 people. Brazil will also hold presidential elections in October with security a key issue and President Jair Bolsonaro touting a tough-on-crime approach. ENOUGH of this genocidal policy, governor! Taliria Petrone, a federal lawmaker for Rio, said in response to the governors tweet. This failed public security policy leaves residents and police on the ground, en masse. Its no longer possible to keep piling up Black bodies and favela residents every day! Robert Muggah, co-founder of Igarape Institute, a Rio de Janeiro-based think tank focused on security, said Thursdays raid is a symptom of failed leadership and an institutional culture that condones excessive force. The killings resulting from large scale police operations is a grim reminder that militarized policing is not only ineffective, it is counterproductive, Muggah said in a text message, adding those raids generate extreme violence predominantly affecting low-income Black populations while also corroding the trust between residents and law enforcement. Alemao is a complex of 13 favelas in northern Rio, home to about 70,000 people. Nearly three-quarters of them at Black or biracial, according to a July 2020 study published by the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economical Analyses. Earlier this year, Brazils Supreme Court established a series of conditions for police to conduct raids in Rios favelas as a means to reduce police killings and human rights violations. The court ordered that lethal force be used only in situations in which all other means have been exhausted and when necessary to protect life. The ruling came in response to a raid on the Jacarezinho favela in 2021 that resulted in 28 people being killed. As was the case Thursday, an officer died during that raid, which some speculated at the time was the cause for subsequent abuse and summary executions. Thursdays operation began before dawn and finished around 4 p.m. local time, police said. Nearly 400 police officers were involved, including Rios tactical police unit, according to the police statement. In a video shared by Voz da Comunidade, a community news outlet focused on Rios favelas, residents can be seen calling for peace and waving white cloths from their windows and rooftops. Fabricio Oliveira, one of the coordinators of the police raid, said authorities fear that Friday could be another violent day at the Complexo do Alemao. Our experience has told us that after raids like these police are attacked in every way, Oliveira said. Human rights group Amnesty International said on Twitter that prosecutors must immediately investigate policemen involved in Thursdays raid. WHO WILL STOP Gov. Claudio Castro and his disastrous and rights violating public security policies in Rio de Janeiro, the non-profit said. Enough of so much brutality! THE FAVELA WANTS TO LIVE! ____ AP journalist Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report from Sao Paulo. HARTFORD On the campaign trail and in video clips plastered over social media, Gov. Ned Lamont has often framed his reelection fight against Republican Bob Stefanowski as a referendum over Connecticuts stringent gun-control laws that have been touted as a national model by advocates for more than a decade. In an exclusive sit-down with Hearst Connecticut Media last week, however, Lamont said that he is running not only to defend the states existing laws, but to propose a new range of regulations on so-called ghost guns, assault weapons and the carrying of firearms in public. If elected to a second term, the governor vowed to take a more aggressive approach to passing gun-control measures that were largely stripped from his anti-crime bill earlier this year, saying he would resurrect debates over policies that have rankled fellow Democrats in the past. I think our gun-safety laws would certainly be at risk, Lamont said of the potential for a Stefanowski win in November. And if I were reelected, Id go right back to the legislature and say There are too many of these illegal ghost guns on the street and I think at a minimum, I want them all registered. And by the way, I wouldnt mind a cop being able to ask somebody whos open carrying, Can you show me your license to do this? Stefanowski, who was supported by the National Rifle Association during his run against Lamont in 2018, has mostly tried to avoid the issue this time around by promising not to meddle with the states existing gun laws. Connecticut has the strongest gun laws in the entire country and thats the way they should stay, he said through a news release in May. In addition to proposing new laws, the governor signaled that he would push harder on Democrats to get behind his efforts. Lamont said that hesitation among members of his party particularly in southeastern Connecticut contributed to his gun measures being stripped from the anti-crime legislation earlier this year. Lamonts support for legislation allowing police to stop anyone openly carrying a handgun in order to request their permits cuts against the beliefs of some lawmakers from the states largest cities, who have, in the past, condemned that approach over concerns about racial profiling. When asked if he would be willing to get involved in a Democratic primary race to oppose a candidate hostile to his gun policies, Lamont initially said he would consider it before backing off that stance a short while later in the interview. Even the Democrats that are more forgiving on illegal guns than I am because of the slippery slope argument which I think is a false argument theyre really good on a lot of other issues, Lamont said. And they tend to be on the moderate side of the equation anyway, which is sort of where I am. A campaign spokesman later clarified the governor has a policy of not weighing in on Democratic primaries. In other areas, Lamont suggested that he would not shy away from taking aggressive action on gun control. When asked about the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision to strike down New Yorks pistol permit law, Lamont said the ruling signaled a shift in the courts approach to the 2nd Amendment that could threaten Connecticuts existing gun regulations. He added, however, the ruling would have little bearing on his approach to enacting new regulations on guns. I mean, you dont necessarily want to pass a law thats immediately taken to the courts, Lamont said. But maybe, I dont care. Maybe I just want to give it a go and challenge the system. Lamont inherited some of the most restrictive gun-control laws in the country when he took over the governors office in January 2019. A few years earlier, following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, state lawmakers ushered in universal background checks, large-capacity magazine bans and registration requirements that were touted as some of the nations most effective laws at preventing gun violence. Under Lamont, lawmakers updated the states red flag law from the 1990s and passed new legislation mandating safe storage of guns. Kerri Raissian, the director of the University of Connecticuts Gun Violence Prevention Research Interest Group, said that Connecticut has remained a leader in preventing gun violence as evidenced by the states low number of per-capita deaths caused by firearms even as some states have enacted their own restrictions and others have gone in the opposite direction by making it easier to purchase and carry weapons. Connecticut has continued to get more restrictive, while other states have gotten more permissive, Raissian said. Connecticut is adopting laws that research indicates work to reduce gun injury and death. Lamont began his reelection year with a straightforward message to Republican lawmakers hounding him over rising thefts and several high-profile arrests of suburban youths: Youre not tough on crime if youre weak on guns. Over the next several months, however, that message evolved as the governors ambitious package of gun-safety reforms ran into vocal opposition during public hearings, and Democrats and Republicans worked together to develop their own anti-crime bill that focused on increased policing, GPS monitoring of youths accused of repeated law-breaking and more uniform penalties for car thefts. Ultimately, the bipartisan package signed by Lamont included just one proposal on guns, requiring State Police to notify local officials if a resident fails a background check to purchase a firearm. After a gunman murdered 21 children and adults on May 24 at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Lamont returned his focus to guns frankly telling supporters in May that we could have done a better job in Connecticut. Still, speaking to Hearst at his campaigns offices in Hartford last week, Lamont defended the bipartisan legislation brokered with Republicans, saying they would have bolted from the deal had he insisted on leaving in the gun control measures. Crime is so politicized, I just thought having a strong bipartisan vote of support for the cops, criminal justice, judicial, and the wraparound services was worth it, Lamont said. Like Reagan said, Ill come back and fight another day for the other stuff. If he is reelected, Lamont said he does not expect to get another bipartisan nod of approval to tackle guns, noting that Republicans have increasingly focused on school security measures and arming teachers instead of enacting new regulations on gun ownership. If your only answer to guns is to put steel walls and steel doors in front of your libraries and churches and schools, youve lost the battle, Lamont said. Public safety has got to be a core fundamental right, people are playing games with it now. Seen is the construction site of an apartment building in Seoul, June 14. Yonhap By Baek Byung-yeul SK ecoplant, Daewoo E&C, Lotte E&C, DL E&C, Doosan E&C and other construction companies here saw 44 worker deaths at their construction sites in the April-June period, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Friday. The ministry released a list of the deaths that occurred on the construction sites of the country's top 100 construction companies, their subcontractors and government agencies in the second quarter. Among the 44 who died, nine people died at sites run by the top 100 construction companies. However, the number of deaths occurring at construction sites in the period was down five from 14 in the first quarter. Compared to 20 in the same period in 2021, the figure had decreased by 11. There were eight construction companies among the nation's top 100 construction companies that were included on the list of sites where workers have died. Two worker deaths occurred separately at two of SK ecoplant's construction sites, followed by one death each at construction sites run by Daewoo E&C, Lotte E&C, DL E&C, Doosan E&C, Halla, CJ Logistics Corporation and Kangsan Construction. In particular, the land ministry said that DL E&C had worker deaths on its construction sites for three consecutive quarters. The ministry added that it will take a look into the construction sites where accidents leading to worker fatalities occurred in the second quarter. It will do this by launching a special inspection of major construction companies and related subcontractors by September. The land ministry also conducted inspections of companies where deaths occurred in the first quarter. "We conducted an unannounced inspection of 133 sites of seven large-sized construction companies and six subcontractors in the first quarter of this year for three months from April to June. In particular, we expanded the inspection period and conducted a thorough inspection of the construction sites of Hyundai E&C, which had deaths for more than four consecutive quarters, and HDC Hyundai Development, which had major construction accidents," the ministry said, adding that a total of 245 insolvency cases were detected as a result. "The ministry plans to impose penalties and fines on companies that violated laws such as omitting quality tests or improperly conducting quality tests," the ministry added. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Daniel J. Palmer III had long been considered the key suspect in a brutal attack that left his sister comatose two years ago. But the case remained dormant until she awakened last month. Able to speak only a word at a time after coming out of a coma, Wanda Palmer identified her brother with whom she had a violent past as her attacker. Daniel Palmer was arrested on July 15. Less than a week later, he was dead, likely bringing a close to a highly unusual case in which the investigation was stalled by a lack of evidence. For now, there are two mysteries: a detainee's death, and an assault without a publicly disclosed motive. Daniel Palmer was pronounced dead Thursday at a Charleston hospital, a day after he was taken there following an evaluation by jail medical staff, the state Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Division of Corrections, said in a news release. The statement didn't indicate a cause of death and a spokeswoman for Department of Health and Human Resources, which oversees the state medical examiner's office, said state law only allows the agency to release autopsy information to relatives and law enforcement. Palmer, 55, of Cottageville, was uncooperative while in custody and during booking procedures at the South Central Regional Jail, where he was taken after being charged with the attempted murder and malicious wounding of his sister, the statement said. Wanda Palmer was in a coma in a nursing home for two years. She was found unconscious with serious head injuries at her home in Jackson County on June 10, 2020. Daniel Palmer had been identified as a suspect, but up until the time she emerged from the coma, investigators did not have enough evidence to file charges, court documents said. Due to a previous violent history between Wanda Palmer and her brother Daniel Palmer, investigators initially considered Daniel a suspect in the assault," according to a criminal complaint filed in Jackson County Magistrate Court. Investigators interviewed Daniel, who denied involvement in the attack, saying he had not been to his sister's home in days. Later, a witness told investigators he saw Daniel in the front doorway at Wanda Palmer's trailer on the night she was assaulted. On June 27, more than two years after the attack, a deputy received a call from a protective services worker who said she had started to speak single words and seemed to respond when questioned. On July 12, deputies drove to Genesis Healthcare in New Martinsville to speak with Wanda Palmer. Deputy Julia Bowen entered Wanda's room alone and began speaking with her, the complaint said. Bowen asked opened ended questions of Wanda. Wanda indicated (that) she recalled living in her trailer near her mother's place. She indicated that she recalled being hurt there. She made mention of her head. Wanda Palmer said the person who injured her was her brother and she identified him as Daniel. When asked during the interview the reason behind the assault, Wanda stated that he was mean, according to the complaint. Wanda Palmer appeared oriented to her situation. Her answers to questions were coherent and relevant. She asked for prayer." Daniel Palmer was being held on a $500,000 bond. He was so combative when he was arrested that it took hours to get him to cooperate with authorities for an arraignment, which required a magistrate to leave a courthouse and come to the Jackson County sheriffs office, WCHS-TV reported. Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger was out of his office and unavailable for comment Friday. NEW YORK (AP) The spread of monkeypox in the U.S. could represent the dawn of a new sexually transmitted disease, though some health officials say the virus that causes pimple-like bumps might yet be contained before it gets firmly established. Experts don't agree on the likely path of the disease, with some fearing that it is becoming so widespread that it is on the verge of becoming an entrenched STD like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV. But no one's really sure, and some say testing and vaccines can still stop the outbreak from taking root. So far, more than 2,800 U.S. cases have been reported as part of an international outbreak that emerged two months ago. About 99% have been men who reported having sex with other men, health officials say. Health officials are not sure how fast the virus has spread. They have only limited information about people who have been diagnosed, and they don't know how many infected people might be spreading it unknowingly. They also don't know how well vaccines and treatments are working. One impediment: Federal health officials do not have the authority to collect and connect data on who has been infected and who has been vaccinated. With such huge question marks, predictions about how big the U.S. outbreak will get this summer vary widely, from 13,000 to perhaps more than 10 times that number. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the government's response is growing stronger every day and vaccine supplies will soon surge. I think we still have an opportunity to contain this, Walensky told The Associated Press. Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals. It does not usually spread easily among people. But this year more than 15,000 cases have been reported in countries that historically dont see the disease. In the U.S. and Europe, the vast majority of infections have happened in men who have sex with men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus. It spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be transmitted through linens used by someone with monkeypox. Although it's been moving through the population like a sexually transmitted disease, officials have been watching for other types of spread that could expand the outbreak. There have been several cases like that: Officials on Friday said they were aware of two children with monkeypox in the U.S., and at least eight women. Symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and the bumps on parts of the body. The illness has been relatively mild in many men, and no one has died in the U.S. But people can be contagious for weeks, and the lesions can be extremely painful. When monkeypox emerged, there was reason to believe that public health officials could control it. The tell-tale bumps should have made infections easy to identify. And because the virus spreads through close personal contact, officials thought they could reliably trace its spread by interviewing infected people and asking who they had been intimate with. It didn't turn out to be that easy. With monkeypox so rare in the U.S., many infected men and their doctors may have attributed their rashes to some other cause. Contact tracing was often stymied by infected men who said they did not know the names of all the people they had sex with. Some reported having multiple sexual interactions with strangers. It didn't help that local health departments, already burdened with COVID-19 and scores of other diseases, now had to find the resources to do intensive contact-tracing work on monkeypox, too. Indeed, some local health officials have given up expecting much from contact tracing. There was another reason to be optimistic: The U.S. government already had a vaccine. The two-dose regimen called Jynneos was licensed in the U.S. in 2019 and recommended last year as a tool against monkeypox. When the outbreak was first identified in May, U.S. officials had only about 2,000 doses available. The government distributed them but limited the shots to people who were identified through public health investigations as being recently exposed to the virus. Late last month, as more doses became available, the CDC began recommending that shots be offered to those who realize on their own that they could have been infected. Demand has exceeded supply, with clinics in some cities rapidly running out of vaccine doses and health officials across the country saying said they don't have enough. That's changing, Walensky said. As of this week, the government has distributed more than 191,000 doses, and it has 160,000 more ready to send. As many as 780,000 doses will become available as early as next week. Once current demand is satisfied, the government will look at expanding vaccination efforts. The CDC believes that 1.5 million U.S. men are considered at high risk for the infection. Testing has also expanded. More than 70,000 people can be tested each week, far more than current demand, Walensky said. The government has also embarked on a campaign to educate doctors and gay and bisexual men about the disease, she added. Donal Bisanzio, a researcher at RTI International, believes U.S. health officials will be able to contain the outbreak before it becomes endemic. But he also said that won't be the end of it. New bursts of cases will probably emerge as Americans become infected by people in other countries where monkeypox keeps circulating. Walensky agrees that such a scenario is likely. If it's not contained all over the world, we are always at risk of having flare-ups from travelers, she said. Shawn Kiernan, of the Fairfax County Health Department in Virginia, noted that so far the outbreak is concentrated in one group of people men who have sex with men. Spread of the virus into heterosexual people would be a "tipping point that may occur before it's widely recognized, said Kiernan, chief of the department's communicable disease section. Spillover into heterosexuals is just a matter of time, said Dr. Edward Hook III, emeritus professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. If monkeypox becomes an endemic sexually transmitted disease, it will be yet another challenge for health departments and doctors already struggling to keep up with existing STDs. Such work has long been underfunded and understaffed, and a lot of it was simply put on hold during the pandemic. Kiernan said HIV and syphilis were prioritized, but work on common infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea amounted to counting cases and thats about it. For years, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis cases have been rising. By and large," Hook said, doctors "do a crummy job of taking sexual histories, of inquiring about and acknowledging their patients are sexual beings. ___ Associated Press writer Janie Har in San Francisco contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health & 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 SHELTON Police have charged three teens in connection with a fight at a Lazy Brook Road home that preceded the fatal stabbing of James McGrath at another house party in May. Shelton police said a 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys turned themselves in to police on warrants for their arrest. One of the 17-year-olds was charged with second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace, police said. He was released on $25,000 bond. Police said the two other teens were charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. Both were later released. Police said all three teens are due to appear in juvenile court on Aug. 3. In a statement released Thursday, Michael J. Rosnick, an attorney representing McGraths family, said they are pleased with the news of the additional arrests. I would also note that we are pleased with the progress of the Shelton Police Department. It continues with its exhaustive investigation to hold all those accountable who played a role in the tragic events that took place leading to the death of Jimmy McGrath, Rosnick said. Police said the arrests stem from a fight that occurred outside a home on Lazy Brook Road in Shelton that precipitated a second brawl on Laurel Glen Drive that left McGrath dead. During the earlier fight, police said the three teens charged Thursday assaulted a 16-year-old male victim. One juvenile assaulted the victim with a helmet, police said in a statement. That fight then led to another altercation that broke out at the home on Laurel Glen Drive. Police said the fight there is still an open investigation that is being conducted by the Shelton Detective Bureau. McGrath, a 17-year-old Fairfield College Preparatory School student, died after being stabbed during the fight at the Laurel Glen Drive home. Authorities have already charged 16-year-old Raul Eliah Valle with murder in McGraths death. The St. Joseph High School student was also charged with three counts of first-degree assault. Witnesses told police Valle was at another party on Lazy Brook Road that night with other students from St. Joseph High. During the party, students from Shelton High School arrived, leading to an altercation between the two groups of students. The Shelton High students left, with some going to the other party on Laurel Glen Drive. But the two groups continued bad-mouthing each other in a group chat, according to one witness quoted in the warrant for Valles arrest. Police believe Valle and others then drove to the party at the Laurel Glen Drive home. After they were told to leave, a fight ensued, during which McGrath was stabbed, according to the warrant. Three other teens were also stabbed during the brawl, according to the warrant. McGrath was taken to Bridgeport Hospital where he died about an hour later. Police arrested Valle and he was released on $2 million bond. He is subject to monitoring by an electronic ankle bracelet, and is confined to his home. NEW LONDON A 13-month-old who survived what police suspect was an attempted double-murder-suicide and arson is listed in stable condition, police said Friday. Our understanding at this time is that the baby is well, New London Police Chief Brian M. Wright said. Its a piece of good news coming out of the Wednesday-night rampage, during which authorities say a serviceman with the U.S. Navy bludgeoned his wife, Shelby Dodson, 23, with a hammer and set fires in their house including one intended to kill their baby before slashing his own neck. George Dodson, a nuclear-trained technician, was arrested on murder, arson and a half-dozen other charges and remains in custody under suicide watch at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in the Uncasville section of Montville. His bail was set at $3 million. People who know the family are reeling from the crime. Neighbors say theyve seen Shelby Dodson sitting with the baby on their front porch or out for a walk with him and her husband. A search of state records turns up no prior arrests or divorce proceedings for George Dodson, 23, who has lived in the state for about three years. The couple purchased the house on Sherman Street in September 2020. Its a quiet neighborhood, neighbor Elizabeth Tiger Maynard-White said Thursday. As she spoke, police were still working at the scene down the street, where a tarp covered the steps of the front porch on which she used to see mom and baby. My heart is still breaking, she said. Devon Lanier, of Calhoun, Ga., said the allegations against George Dodson dont come close to matching his memory of him. He had a class with Dodson when they were in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps together. As far as I can remember, he was a very nice and respectful guy, Lanier said. We had JROTC together. Same goes with the way he treated his now wife, we all had the same class and he was very caring of her so to even start to believe [how] any of this came to be is pretty crazy. According to Lt. Seth Koenig, a public affairs officer with the Submarine Readiness Squadron 32, Dodson is a 2nd class petty officer and nuclear-trained electronics technician. Despite his arrest, his status as an active-duty sailor is unlikely to change through the adjudication of charges against him in the civilian legal system, Koenig said. He said the U.S. Navy is cooperating with the police investigation. Certainly, the incident that happened in New London is incredibly tragic, Koenig said. We would not want to see that happen to anybody, anywhere, whether they are with the Navy or not. Dodson has been assigned to the USS Newport News nuclear attack submarine at the U.S. Submarine Base New London in Groton since June 2019, Koenig said. Koenig said he doesnt know where Dodson lived between June 2019 and September 2020, when he and his wife bought the Sherman Street house. Like many incoming sailors, Dodsons first assignment was Great Lakes, Ill., for recruit training. After that, he went to a couple of schools in Charleston, S.C., to train in submarines and nuclear propulsion, Koenig said. Dodson was briefly assigned to a command in Norfolk, Va., before he was assigned to New London, he said. Inherently demanding profession As an enlisted submarine warfare specialist, Dodson was in a highly specialized line of training, Koenig said. Asked if there is a lot of pressure involved, he said, military service is an inherently demanding profession. However, the U.S. Navy does its best to provide a work-life balance, he said, and offers counseling to members who need it or want it. Koenig said he couldnt say if Dodson had such therapy. Dodson received recognition for his accomplishments, Koenig said. He received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal, which he said is not an uncommon medal, and he qualified for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. He also received a National Defense Service Medal, Koenig said, which recognizes his years of service. While people tried to reconcile the contrasting pictures of George Dodson, police were documenting and gathering evidence at the Sherman Street house. After more than 17 hours at the scorched and bloody scene, police and fire investigators left the neighborhood of welcoming homes with front porches, children and hydrangeas late Thursday afternoon. Only six months have passed since New London police investigated a similar crime. In January, a man fatally shot his girlfriend on Granite Street and set the house on fire before turning the gun on himself, police said. Wright warned people to be on alert for signs of family violence. Its important to pay attention and be mindful of red flags and indicators, he said. As you can see from these two examples, things can go to extremes real quick. If you need help or just someone to talk to, visit CTSafeConnect.org or call or text 888-774-2900. Advocates available are available 24/7, according to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence . This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOULDER, Colo. (AP) The man charged with killing 10 people at a Boulder supermarket last year is still mentally incompetent to stand trial, 16 months after his arrest, according to findings from experts at the state mental hospital disclosed Thursday. The update about the mental health of Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 23, was disclosed during a court hearing. He is accused of opening fire outside and inside the King Soopers store on March 22, 2021 killing customers, workers and a police officer who tried to stop the carnage. Alissa surrendered after another officer shot and wounded him, officials have said. Court proceedings for Alissa had been on hold since December, when Judge Ingrid Bakke first ruled he was not competent to stand trial because he could not understand legal proceedings or work with his lawyers to defend himself. She sent him to the state mental hospital for treatment and he has been there ever since. Bakke ruled again in April that Alissa was still mentally incompetent. But she said at the time that experts at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo thought there was a substantial probability that Alissa could be restored to competency and remain competent by taking medication. The state hospital said in its latest report about Alissa that progress is being made in his treatmment, said District Attorney Michael Dougherty. Relatives of the shooting victims are understandably incredibly frustrated" with the delay in prosecuting Alissa, Dougherty said. Reports about his mental health evaluations have not been made public. But court documents that addressed one of them last year said he was provisionally diagnosed with an unspecified mental health condition limiting his ability to meaningfully converse with others. Competency is a different legal issue than a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, which involves whether someones mental health prevented them from understanding right from wrong at the time a crime was committed. Alissas lawyers have not commented about the allegations. He has not been asked yet to enter a plea. Killed in the attack were Rikki Olds, Denny Stong, Neven Stanisic, Tralona Bartkowiak, Teri Leiker, Suzanne Fountain, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters and Eric Talley, who rushed into the store with an initial team of police officers. Investigators have not made public information about why they believe Alissa allegedly launched the attack. He lived in the nearby suburb of Arvada, where authorities say he passed a background check to legally buy the Ruger AR-556 pistol six days before the attack that authorities said was used in the shooting Alissa is charged with murder in the deaths of the 10 people who died plus multiple attempted murder counts for endangering the lives of 26 other people 15 civilians and 11 law enforcement officers. Alissas mental health will next be the subject of another court hearing on Oct. 21, the judge said. Our democracy and our right to vote are under attack here in Connecticut and across the country. One only has to see news coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings and the tepid response of many to understand we are facing unprecedented challenges to the democratic process. I am running for secretary of the state because for me, this fight is personal and hits close to home. My father was a Vietnam veteran who grew up in Georgia during the 1940s and never really learned to read. My mother worked two jobs for most of her life, but didnt drive. For her, going to the Department of Motor Vehicles for an ID meant an hour bus ride and a long walk along the highway. When Republicans pass voter identification laws that make it harder to vote, it is people like my parents they are targeting. A recent New York Times poll shows that the relentless messaging that our voting systems are corrupted despite the lack of evidence have convinced many Republicans and those who dont know what to believe to doubt the legitimacy of elections. Meanwhile, Democrats, who are watching Republican minorities win political fights and are reeling from devastating decisions from the Supreme Court believe our democratic process needs an overhaul. I believe we can meet these challenges and emerge stronger through civic education, community engagement and expansion of voter rights. To ensure voters voices are heard, they must be inspired and empowered to vote. One way is providing materials, systems and procedures that meet them where they are. People learn in a variety of ways - online, in different languages and as members of a wide range of organizations and communities. As secretary of the state, I would create a YouTube channel that features multilingual videos explaining the process of voting and how to interact with elected bodies, as well as how to gain access to the ballot as a candidate for local, state and federal races. To educate and engage voters right where they live, I would create a Voting Rights Ambassadors program that uses volunteers to engage our communities in healthy and civil conversation around voting and voting rights. The program would also make educational toolkits available to a wide range of community organizations to do grassroots voter outreach. How can we expect voters to vote when there is no allowance for inclusive identification? I would recognize the identify of every voter by updating technology to allow special characters as simple as an accent mark, and a gender X (nonbinary) option to match forms provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles. We also must empower voters by providing greater access to voting, most importantly by passing the ballot initiative this fall to allow early voting. As a member of the General Assembly, I co-sponsored legislation to allow the issue to come to a vote this fall, and I will campaign to raise awareness in the coming months. In my role as a lawmaker, I am already meeting with front-line election workers to begin crafting enabling legislation. As secretary of the state, I would be a true partner in supporting early voting by ensuring every town has the ability to safely and securely manage early voting ballots. Connecticut can lead the nation in free, fair and accessible elections. In simple, thoughtful ways, we can set the standard for voting rights, civic education and engagement. This democracy belongs to all of us, and I am ready for the fight. Stephanie Thomas, a state representative serving Norwalk, Westport and Wilton, is the endorsed Democratic candidate for secretary of the state. Graduates of Samsung Software Academy For Youth (SSAFY) Eum Young-hyun, from left, Lee Ju-ho and Kim Dong-hwi poses in this photo provided by the company July 19. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Baek Byung-yeul Logo for Samsung Electronics / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics' efforts to foster local digital technology experts and entrepreneurs seem to be working, as graduates of the tech giant's software academy are setting up startups and establishing a new base for the country's digital industry, the company said Friday. Samsung said most of the graduates of its corporate social responsibility program Samsung Software Academy For Youth (SSAFY) aim for getting a job, but there are some who go on to found their own businesses. In 2018, the company kicked off the SSAFY as part of its efforts to expand the number of experts in the nation's digital technology sector. Lee Ju-ho, who was in the first batch of graduates of the SSAFY program, entered the academy to find his career path in the software sector after seeing a notice that Samsung would offer the software education program for free. He decided to start his own business during the graduation presentation of the SSAFY, in which teams compete against each other after completing 12 months of training. Lee and his team won the grand prize with their assignment that combined software and hardware technologies based on big data and artificial intelligence (AI) they studied at the academy. After graduating, Lee launched a drone-related startup with his university colleagues and supplied autonomous drones that disperse pesticides in rice paddies for the Rural Development Administration. "At that time, I was amazed that products I made by devoting myself for three to four months were recognized for their value of tens of millions of won," Lee said. He is now on his second challenge, as he recently became chief technology officer of a local startup providing a subscription service for various products such as nutritional supplements, water purifiers and cars. Eum Young-hyun, who was in the second graduating class of the SSAFY, decided to start a board game development company after building up his software skills at the academy. He started his first board game service ambitiously but it was not well-received by consumers. But, the second service was successful as he received various advice including legal counseling from a SSAFY instructor. "The process of getting advice was like a golden reinforcement class to me," he said. "The second season could develop further because I was not alone." Kim Dong-hwi got an opportunity to be in charge of renewing the website of a university hospital's laboratory just before completing the SSAFY's third run of the program. The website hosts hundreds of research papers and Kim divided categories into keywords and added various search functions. He said the project was successful according to positive feedback he received from the lab. Thanks to the better responses than expected, he decided to go one step further and co-founded Webon, a startup that develops websites and apps. As seen in these three cases, Samsung's software training program has been having positive impacts in the local digital technology industry, helping its graduates not only find jobs at prominent IT companies nationwide but also start their own businesses. Hyundai Motor's G80 car / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor By Kim Jae-heun Hyundai Motor beat out other global competitors to become the largest producer of top-ranked cars in the United States, in a consumer satisfaction survey conducted by J.D. Power, the company said, Friday. According to the American consumer research firm, seven vehicles of the Korean carmaker ranked first by grade in its 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study released recently. The survey was conducted on consumers who have purchased any brand of car after three months between November of last year and February of this year. The consumer research firm studied people's satisfaction with various aspects of their new cars, including interior and exterior design, driving performance, infotainment controls, safety and price. Each car received points from consumer satisfaction in different categories, out of a possible score of 1,000 points. Looking into specific brands, Hyundai Motor's Palisade topped the mid-to-large-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) category with 877 points, and its Santa Cruz ranked first in the mid-sized pickup vehicle category with 844 points. Kia Motors' Carnival, EV6 and K5 also scored the highest points in the classes of minivans with 857 points, small SUVs with 890 points and medium-sized sedans with 877 points, respectively. Hyundai Motor is the parent company of Kia Motors. Hyundai Motor's luxury brand, Genesis, saw its two vehicles G80 and GV70 top the categories of mid-to-large-sized premium sedans with 878 points and small premium SUVs with 890 points, respectively. Apart from Hyundai Motors, BMW Group, Stellantis and Nissan were tied for second place with their three vehicles ranking first in three different classes. The Korean carmaker said it is satisfied with the results, producing the best cars in the most competitive categories of mid-to-large-sized SUVs, minivans, and mid-to-large-sized premium cars in the U.S. auto market. "Having seven models top the lists of the most satisfying cars according to size class is a result of our efforts from the beginning stages of product development. In the future, the company will continue to produce cars that can be acknowledged for their value in both quality and marketability," a Hyundai Motor official said. Workers of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering watch police move around striking subcontract workers at the company's Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island, southeastern South Korea, July 22. Yonhap Subcontract workers at the Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard on the southeastern coast agreed to end their 51-day strike Friday, after labor and management struck a last-minute agreement on almost all contentious issues. About 120 unionized workers from DSME subcontractors had staged a sit-in at the global shipbuilder's Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island, about 470 kilometers southeast of Seoul, since June 2, demanding a 30 percent wage hike, and improved working and employment conditions. They had occupied an oil tanker under construction at the shipyard's main dock since June 22. The striking workers and their employers reached an agreement on a wage hike of 4.5 percent, payment of some special allowances and partial employment succession of workers from subcontractors that have closed their business, according to officials involved in the talks. The agreement was approved by 96 percent of the unionized workers in a vote later in the day. But the parties failed to produce an agreement on the withdrawal of a damages suit against strikers and the scope of criminal liability exemption for them and agreed to hold further negotiations. The management has reportedly vowed to seek damages from striking workers, citing a heavy operating loss, but labor has denounced such a move as retaliation against workers who lack sufficient financial resources. DSME estimates the aggregate operating loss from the prolonged strike to be more than 800 billion won ($608 million). The labor-management agreement came just before the shipyard begins its two-week summer holiday this weekend and the government takes steps to use police force to break up the protracted sit-in, which has dealt a heavy blow to the world's fourth-largest shipyard. Later Friday, the government said in a statement it will respond to illegal activities during the strike in accordance with the law and principles, hinting at the possibility of criminal action against the unionized workers. The shipmaker has filed a complaint against union leaders on charges of obstruction of business. The government also called on the companies' management and labor to work together to promptly normalize operations. Police requested arrest warrants for nine union members who participated in the strike, including those who occupied the tanker. "We plan to summon the workers after they recover their health sufficiently," a police official said. (Yonhap) Perhaps the most often quoted observation on the British class system is the line from the preface of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, adapted and made famous by the musical My Fair Lady: 'It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.' But although these words first appeared more than 100 years ago, never in all my longish life did I hear anyone seriously suggest discrimination on the basis of social class should be banned by law. That was until this week, when the British Psychological Society put forward the proposal that equality laws which already protect people from prejudice based on age, sex, race and no fewer than six other characteristics should be extended to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of snobbery. Such is the conclusion of a study by the society, which finds that children are at particular risk of being judged by teachers according to their accent, family background or parents' income. Working-class pupils are encouraged less often to contribute in lessons, claim the researchers, and they tend to get lower marks. What's more, they say, doctors discriminate against patients from lower socio-economic groups, blaming them for being too fat or suffering from asthma, while employees from poorer families tend to miss out on promotion at work. Sneer Says the report's lead author, Bridgette Rickett: 'In the UK, discrimination based on someone's social class or socio-economic status is immune from direct challenge, and for too long the damaging impacts of social class inequalities and discrimination have been ignored.' All I can advise Dr Rickett and her team is that they should be very careful what they wish for. This is because the 2010 Equality Act, which they hope to amend, works both ways. By this, I mean that the law gives young people quite as much right as the elderly to say they've suffered unfair discrimination on the grounds of their age. Indeed, this was the point Shaw (pictured) was making in his 1916 preface to Pygmalion: no matter which class they may have been born into, snobs of every variety think themselves better than people who belong to other socio-economic groups In the same way, people of every race, creed, sex and gender orientation including white male heterosexuals like me are as entitled as anyone to claim they are victims of any of the other various -isms proscribed by the Act. And snobbery, of course, works both ways, too. First, there's the sort meant by Dr Rickett, where snobs from privileged backgrounds look down their noses at those less fortunate than themselves. It's a most unattractive trait, I'm sure you'll agree. But we've all come across the inverted kind, too, under which some who are born into poor working-class families think, for that reason alone, they can sneer at people born with silver spoons and plums in their mouths. That's not very kind, either. Indeed, this was the point Shaw was making in his 1916 preface to Pygmalion: no matter which class they may have been born into aristocratic, middling or proletarian snobs of every variety think themselves better than people who belong to other socio-economic groups. Now, I'm the first to agree with Dr Rickett that it's wrong to treat people unfairly for no better reason than the circumstances of their birth, where they went to school, how they pronounce their vowels or whether they call that controversial piece of table-linen in the restaurant a serviette or a napkin. However, just as you'll find at least a few Old Etonians who believe they're superior beings because they don't drop their aitches, and daddy has money in the bank, so you'll find plenty of working-class people who think toffs and the comfortably-off middle classes are contemptible because of their social class. Speaking for myself, after a long career spent mixing with people from every walk of life, I can't remember meeting anyone who thought better of me because of my middle-class accent or the fact that in recent years, at least, I have been comfortably off. I've met plenty, on the other hand, who've called me a privileged prat or a public-school ponce, from the very instant I've opened my mouth. Even a couple of my sons seem to think there's something disreputable about the fact that at last I have money in the bank, after a lifetime's work. I ought to atone for it, they reckon, by giving even more to the government or, better still, by bunging them an occasional cheque. Privileged Now, I'm prepared to accept that there may be respectable reasons for people to look down on me my weaknesses for tobacco and alcohol spring to mind but I reckon that my public-school education and my hard-earned bank balance aren't among them. My point is that if the BPS gets its way, and social class becomes a protected characteristic under the Act, those who believe they've been treated unfairly because they speak with posh accents will be quite as entitled to sue as others who reckon they've been overlooked for promotion because they sound working-class. At a stroke, this would scupper the BBC's policy of rejecting applicants who speak what we used to call the Queen's English, in favour of others blessed with working-class, regional accents. For good measure, it would outlaw the avowed aim of many universities to accept a higher proportion of students from working-class backgrounds, in preference to better qualified middle-class applicants. Just as you'll find at least a few Old Etonians who believe they're superior beings because they don't drop their aitches, so you'll find plenty of working-class people who think toffs are contemptible because of their social class Now I come to think of it, such a law would also cause huge trouble for the trade union movement and the Corbynist wing of the Labour Party, whose very raison d'etre is to wage class war against the bourgeoisie and 'smash the rich' (by which, they mean anyone earning more than the average industrial wage). Of course, many readers will say that any such outcome would be highly desirable. I'm thinking particularly of those who have made huge sacrifices, as my parents did, in order to send their offspring to fee-paying schools. They must find it downright infuriating to see their young rejected on the grounds of their 'privileged' education. Under the BPS's proposal, they would surely be entitled to sue. But I can't help feeling that this is hardly what Dr Rickett and her team had in mind. Nor, if I'm to be honest, do I seriously believe it would be a good idea to add social class to the ever-lengthening list of characteristics protected by law. Abuse Much as I'd like to see the BBC, the universities and the Labour Left suffer for their jiggery-wokery, I reckon we already have quite enough legally banned -isms, -phobias and hate crimes to keep law courts and industrial tribunals busy for the rest of time. That's not to mention the extreme difficulty of defining social class in law. In Britain today, for example, you'll find many a plutocrat on the Labour benches in the Upper House who will proudly declare to his dying day, after a lifetime spent shuffling paper, that he's working-class through and through. But is that really the way to describe an ermine-clad millionaire? You see the problem. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that, in this age that elevates victimhood and condemns success, most of the contempt displayed by one class towards another springs from the class warriors of the Left. Listen to the abuse heaped on Rishi Sunak, for no better reason than that his parents sent him to one of the priciest schools in the land, and he went on to make and marry millions. Meanwhile, the inverted variety of snobbery is far more widespread than the supposed de haut en bas discrimination condemned by Dr Rickett. If you doubt me, look at the Conservative leadership contest and the way Liz Truss likes to boast that she went to a comprehensive, as though this were an essential qualification for a Prime Minister (while omitting to mention that the school in question was one of the best and most middle-class in the Leeds area). Or listen to the abuse heaped on Rishi Sunak, for no better reason than that his parents sent him to one of the priciest schools in the land, and he went on to make and marry millions. I can think of many good reasons for harbouring reservations about both candidates. But like most of us, what I want is a Prime Minister who can set the economy right, rid the streets of crime and keep the country safe from foreign attack. I don't know about you, but I don't give a damn whether the winner calls it a napkin or a serviette. In case you haven't got the message - lockdown three has arrived by stealth. Earlier this week, as temperatures soared towards 40 degrees, doomy weather wonks told us to stay inside and draw the curtains. We were told not to travel unless it was essential. The heat might have subsided, but our movements remain severely restricted. Were you planning a trip this summer to see family and friends? You might want to think again. Boris might have reluctantly bowed out, but some things (like Covid) just linger on, like that ancient packet of crisps you bought when a bit p**sed - only to discover they're blue cheese and chardonnay flavoured. In spite of Dumb Dom Raab going off message and telling us to 'enjoy' the sunshine, some of us are finding that simple pleasure very hard to achieve. A major traffic jam on the M25 on Wednesday caused by the Just Stop Oil demonstrations A specialist police climber removes a Just Stop Oil protester from the M25 on Wednesday If you're excited by the prospect of an hour loafing in the local park, alongside half eaten chicken bits and empty beer cans left over from the night before - 'enjoying' lovely summer weather is simple. Clear a space amongst the fag ends and dog poo, brush aside the fox s**t and used nappies, lay your towel down on the brown hessian (which is dead grass due to council cutbacks) - and you're good to go. But if you fancy a trip to the seaside, or (God forbid) a holiday abroad where the booze is cheaper, and the sea marginally less polluted than the Kent coast - please think again. Because a demonic combination of Network Rail, Border officials, environmental protestors and civil servants have all conspired together to make it virtually impossible to leave your neighbourhood. Yes, lockdown three has arrived, and the only benefit is that you don't have to wear a mask and can shout at the top of your voice as you drink to forget the financial mess we seem to be in. Before embarking on any excursion in the family car, it's best to check the websites of all major environmental protest groups to discover where they plan to attack (sorry, I mean protest) next. Ask any teenager for the latest information, because this mob continually re-group. Air passengers queue upon their arrival at London Heathrow Airport this morning Cars queue at the Port of Dover check-in in Kent this morning as the summer holidays begin Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain are so last year. This week, climate activists from a gang called Just Stop Oil blocked three sections of the M25, causing huge jams and nine-mile tailbacks. They even had the cheek to ask drivers not to use the motorway at all until the end of Friday as they are planning three days of blockages. Surely they are targeting the wrong people. Is it really the fault of motorists that the government doesn't have a joined-up strategy to reduce car usage, and has cancelled subsidies on electric vehicles? And Liz Truss - widely tipped as the next Prime Minister - has pledged to retreat on green taxes in her ruthless bid for power. Most people have reluctantly reduced their car journeys by half as fuel prices have soared following the war in Ukraine, even though they dipped by a few pence per litre this week. It's food or family trips for many. At this rate, the traditional British pastime of 'piling in the family car for a Sunday picnic on the beach' will be regarded as a quaint tradition from a bygone era, like eating jellied eels, playing hopscotch and picking blackberries by the side of the road. All part of my working-class childhood. Another tradition - sunbathing - has been rubbished as 'dangerous' by medics and weather experts alike. Exposing yourself to any sun has been rebranded as major health risk, along with swimming in a river or any open water. As a child, I regularly splashed about in the Thames at Walton - it must be a miracle (and the fact I attended a church school) that has seen me survive until 2022. Passengers wait at London Euston railway station on Wednesday amid major train disruption If you are planning to follow government advice, save the environment and use public transport for your getaway, think again. Because of the recent weather 'event' - a 'heat bomb' - the railway network has ground to a halt. Heading north to Manchester, York or (God forbid) Scotland could involve a day camping at Euston or King's Cross, waiting for that magic moment when the rail tracks stop buckling, overhead cables start to work again and someone rewires the plugs in the main signal box. And if there are any fires within a mile of a major railway line, you can be sure that a new hazard - smoke - will see your train shunted into a siding. Network Rail have announced a new taskforce to formulate plans for our train services to cope better with extreme temperatures. As it is, fog, leaves, rain and wind (normal ingredients in a typical British autumn or winter) all seem to bring things to a juddering halt year in and year out. Travel in Italy, Spain or France, and be amazed that their trains are clean, air conditioned and run in extreme heat. The overpaid executives at Network Rail earn way more than our Cabinet Ministers but seem incapable of bringing the system into the 20th century let alone the 21st. As a train ticket to go tramping in the Highlands or surfing in Cornwall will cost you as much as a plane ticket to Florida or New York, it's not surprising that a cheap flight to the beaches of the Med is so tempting. People queue outside the Passport Office collections door in London yesterday morning A member of staff speaks to people queuing outside the Passport Office in London yesterday That's if the civil servants in the Passport Office don't wreck your plans. If your passport has less than six months to run, or if you applied for a new one, forget about trying to holiday abroad. The backlog in passport applications has soared to an astonishing 550,000, with over 50,000 people waiting for more than TEN WEEKS. If the Passport Office was a car, it would be a three-wheeled Reliant. Something even Rodney Trotter would have rejected. The boss of the Passport Office told a committee of MP's this week that he made plans for a huge increase in applications a year ago - but still failed to explain the current mess. Some of his staff are still working from home and it emerged that the passport emergency hotline was closed this week, owing to hot weather. The company outsourced to run the service didn't bother to turn up to meet the MPs to explain why. Terry Thomas or Mr Pastry would probably do a better job than this mob - perhaps the contract was awarded because they met Matt Hancock or Dumb Dom at their local pub. If you do manage to escape lockdown three and the Tory leadership contest to enjoy some sun overseas, you might have trouble re-entering the UK. If you've got a new shiny blue Boris-approved British passport complete with chip technology which is supposed to facilitate an easy journey through border control, start crossing your fingers and praying. The new eGate machines hate the blue passports. I have been abroad three times with mine now, and every time the machine at immigration says NO. Each time I am ordered to join a queue and be interrogated to determine whether someone else with red hair and big teeth is posing as Janet Street-Porter, broadcaster and journalist. It might be easier to buy a lilo and float in via Hastings or Bognor. Dressing for work in sweltering weather can be pretty hellish for us men. I know, I know. You ladies have your uncomfortable bra straps and your bunion-squeezing high-heels. I admit none of these things sound much fun. But have you ever tried boarding the London Underground in 40c temperatures in a wool suit with a starched collar melting around your neck? Believe me, it's no picnic. Removing one's trousers after a long day in July can feel like peeling off a wetsuit. But has Brad Pitt finally found the answer to men's woes? The Hollywood actor sent the paparazzi into overdrive this week when he arrived at the Berlin premiere of his new film Bullet Train wearing shock horror! a skirt. Have you ever tried boarding the London Underground in 40c temperatures in a wool suit with a starched collar melting around your neck? Believe me, it's no picnic Hollywood actor Brad Pitt (pictured) sent the paparazzi into overdrive this week when he arrived at the Berlin premiere of his new film Bullet Train wearing shock horror! a skirt Asked to explain his sartorial choice for the evening, Pitt replied casually: 'I'm going to say, it's all about the breeze, the breeze is very nice... very, very nice.' TMI, Bradley! The khaki, Tarzanesque design, by modish couturier Haans Nicholas Mott, naturally caused a sensation. Not since David Beckham stepped out in a girly sarong have lavender-scented fashionistas erupted into such a frenzied tizzy. Not that men in skirts is anything new, mind you. In Ancient Greece and Rome, men exposed their legs as an expression of youthful virility. The Scots have been wearing kilts for centuries due to the freedom of movement it afforded them in battle. In our modern world, gendered fashion is supposedly dead, with everyone raiding the same dressing up box with merry abandon. Fashion giants Burberry, Gucci and Louis Vuitton have all sent models down the runway in skirts in recent years. Lewis Hamilton is rewriting the menswear rulebook with netted skirts and kilts. Libidinous pop star Harry Styles never seems to be out of one. So in the spirit of old-fashioned public interest journalism, the Mail's fashion department thought it'd be a fun wheeze for me to try one out, to see how the British public take to a man going about his business in a knee-length skirt. Mine was from designer Thom Browne and, although it also came in a dark colour much like hunky Brad's macho loincloth, the team insisted it was not available and got me one in a salmon pink/peach, instead. Do I believe them? I'm not sure. Walking down the High Street, I won't lie I felt a bit self-conscious. A couple of old dears out walking their dachshunds did a little double take. One builder sneaking in a crafty cigarette gave me a weary shake of the head The design was suitably male-friendly. Rather than having to yank the thing over your hips as a woman might, it fastened just as a pair of trouser would. Mr Browne's seamsters being such thoughtful types, they even included a flyhole in the design. And yes, before you ask undergarments were worn. This thing wasn't for keeps you know, and a gentleman can never be too careful if there is the slightest chance of an updraught, particularly when there are photographers around. Oh, and the skirt's cost? A trifling 1,600. Never let it be said that being a mould-breaking fashion pioneer is cheap. First thoughts as I emerged from the dressing room: 'Yuk!' My hairy legs dangling out of a skirt looked horrid. I felt like Rab C. Nesbitt in drag. 'Fabulous!' squealed the stylist. But they always say that, don't they? The acid test came when leaving the studio. After enduring a few titters from colleagues as I walked sorry, swept through the office, I decided to gauge the reaction on the not-so-mean streets of London's fashionable Kensington. Walking down the High Street, I won't lie I felt a bit self-conscious. A couple of old dears out walking their dachshunds did a little double take. One builder sneaking in a crafty cigarette gave me a weary shake of the head. Following those early embarrassments, no one really seemed to notice. Most barely gave me a second glance. But then, I suppose there isn't much we Londoners haven't seen down the years. We have our punks, our goths, our mods, our rockers. Seeing a man in a skirt really isn't all that crazy. After a while, I forgot I was even wearing it. Then a gust of wind would kick up, providing my legs with some welcome ventilation. As Pitt inferred, it produced a sensation which was not altogether unpleasant. Asked to explain his sartorial choice for the evening, Pitt replied casually: 'I'm going to say, it's all about the breeze, the breeze is very nice... very, very nice' At lunchtime, I headed off to Boisdale, a smart restaurant popular with the well-heeled residents of snooty Belgravia. I thought the staff might turn their snouts up at my outre garb. Not a bit of it. True professionals, they barely batted an eyelid as they showed me to my table. 'I love it!' said my waitress. As I sat down to peruse the bill of fare, things started to get properly uncomfortable. There may have been a nice breeze up there but, for the most part, I began realise how woefully impractical skirts are. I had to keep crossing my legs to protect my, ahem, modesty. I felt awkward, vulnerable and utterly ridiculous. I longed for the sanctity of my trousers, where I could manspread all I liked. Sorry Brad, this skirt thing isn't for me. I admit a kilt can sometimes give Scotsmen an air of mainly ruggedness. But skirts? On men? Well, they look absurd. Pitt feels confident the trend will catch on. Who knows, maybe he's right. Come the next heatwave, perhaps us men will be waxing our legs, slapping on the fake tan and taking to the streets in our latest skirts, complimenting one another on the neatness of our hems. For now though, I'll happily carry on perspiring into my sweaty suit, thank you very much. The ousting of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister by a minority of MPs is deeply anti-democratic. It defies the will of the country and the Conservative Party members who elected him. It amounts to a coup. I am ashamed that this can happen in Britain, the birthplace of modern democracy. If that's what politics has become, we're living in a nation I can barely recognise any longer. That's why this week I helped to launch a petition to give the Tory faithful a vote on whether to accept Boris's resignation. Already, 7,000 members have signed it with hundreds more every hour despite attempts by hackers to shut the website down. I don't want to see the PM as a candidate in the race to be the next party leader. I want the membership to vote on whether we accept his resignation in the first place. If we don't and I strongly expect that to be the case it will be revoked and Boris will continue in No 10. It's what the country demanded, by a colossal margin, at the general election in 2019. Under his leadership, the Conservatives won a landslide majority in the Commons of 80 seats, the widest margin since Margaret Thatcher's third victory in 1987. Boris Johnson delivers his resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street on July 7. His ousting was deeply anti-democratic, defying the will of the country and the Conservative Party members who elected him. It amounts to a coup, writes Lord Cruddas The Prime Minister Boris Johnson is comforted by his wife Carrie and their children after delivering his statement in Downing Street resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party Even more remarkable, the Tories took 43.6 per cent of the popular vote, the strongest showing for any party in 40 years, since Maggie first came to power. A swathe of former Labour strongholds fell, as 14million people across the country voted for Mr Johnson's Conservatives. He had been party leader for just five months, after nearly two-thirds of the 160,000 membership backed him over ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt. That is the most emphatic mandate possible. It is disgusting that a cabal of 30 to 40 plotters in Westminster can overturn it. The contempt this shows for ordinary Conservative members appals me. These people are stalwarts, serving the party for decade after decade one person with whom I work in the House of Lords is 92 and has been a member for around 70 years. People like that are both the backbone and the muscle of the Conservatives. They're the ones who go out in rain and snow to campaign at every election, who dig deep into their own pockets as well as devoting endless energy to fundraising activities. Their efforts are not merely being taken for granted. They are being ignored and disenfranchised. No wonder that the bulk of members are furious. The betrayal of Mr Johnson what he might call, with his relish of colourful language, a 'defenestration' was orchestrated by the 1922 Committee, a low-key but powerful collective of backbench MPs. Their plotting harks back to the 1960s and the era of 'men in grey suits' who quietly decided the nation's fate without reference to the voters. I thought we'd left that elitist, undemocratic system far in the past. Apparently I was wrong. Now the 1922 Committee is orchestrating the leadership battle between Sunak and Truss. That reeks of corruption. The very backbenchers who forced Boris out now oversee the election of his successor. Under Boris Johnson's leadership, the Conservatives won a landslide majority in the Commons of 80 seats, the widest margin since Margaret Thatcher's third victory in 1987 They shouldn't be allowed anywhere near it the conflict of interest is blatant. It's the 1922 Committee that is trying to block our petition. They say the Conservative Party rules forbid a Prime Minister to stand in the leadership contest after resigning. But we don't want him to run again. We want his resignation torn up. It's a totally different thing. And in any case, the party rulebook is clear: Article 17 says the board of the party has the right and freedom to override any other clause, if that is in Conservative interests including 'the resolution of any disputes within the party' and 'the replacement or removal from office' of any official. That's a clear-cut mandate: If the members refuse to accept Boris's resignation, the 1922 Committee can halt this Tory civil war right now. Our campaign is gathering speed. Over the next few days, we're going to exert maximum pressure, and I urge every Tory member to sign the petition. We're well-funded and ready to fight. I was expecting to donate 500,000 to the party coffers but that money will now cover the legal fees for this battle. It will also pay to keep our website up, despite the constant assaults by hackers. Since Tuesday, multiple 'denial of service' attacks have taken us offline for a total of 15 hours. That symbolises how democracy is being strangled in this country, and we won't give in. Somebody has to make a stand and resist political corruption. The will of the people must be paramount. If that goes, God help us all. Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch is a former Conservative Party Treasurer This is unthinkable, darling! Bruno Tonioli has left Strictly Come Dancing, but has he quit or was he voted off by the producers like a celebrity with a dodgy cha-cha-cha? 'There is no animosity, it was a mutual decision with both of us saying, "Listen, this is not going to work like it used to," insists the flamboyant Italian choreographer turned television judge, talking freely for the first time since his departure was announced in May. There is far more to it than that though, as we will find out. 'I just couldn't do the flying any more,' says the 66-year-old who criss-crossed time zones every week during the filming season for 14 years so that he could appear as a judge on both Strictly here and Dancing With The Stars in America. 'I don't know how I survived that schedule. To be honest, it's a miracle.' Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, 66, (pictured) is leaving Strictly Come Dancing. The choreographer said that he could no longer criss-cross between time zones Strictly would go on late into the night on a Saturday, and Bruno says he would make it home to his flat in Maida Vale around midnight then rise early the next morning to fly to Los Angeles, with meetings as soon as he landed. He'd work on Dancing With The Stars for a few days then take another flight back to London to prepare for that weekend's Strictly. 'Then I was back on the plane to America again on Sunday morning. For 11 weeks in a row!' Bruno leans back in his chair, sweeps the air with his hands and says, 'I have no idea what it did to my health, don't go there!' There is a cigarette in his hand, but Bruno insists he works out and is pretty fit and he does look trim in the tight blue jeans and stripey navy-and-white shirt he turns up in today. 'If someone turned up like this on Strictly I'd say, 'Looking like a deckchair today? Can I sit on you?' He laughs and undoes another button, so that the shirt is open almost to the navel. Bruno is showing off a hairless chest and a chestnut tan from a recent holiday in Sardinia, set off by a gold necklace and his closely cropped hair, which has been allowed to grow out as silvery white. There was a moment live on Strictly when I blanked. I didn't know where I was or what I was doing 'The schedule was insane,' he says, giving an alarming example of the damage the jet lag and exhaustion could do. 'There was a moment in the middle of a run when I blanked. I did not know where I was or what I was doing.' This happened during a live Strictly show and could have been a disaster. 'It only lasted a second, then I saw the audience looking at me and it all came back to me.' So how did he cope for so long? 'The jet-lag is pretty tough, but the shows give you such a charge of adrenaline. 'You just have to train yourself. You don't go out, you don't see anyone. You live like a monk.' He grimaces at the memory. 'Basically, you don't have a life.' Bruno with US judges Len Goodman and Carrie Ann Inaba on Dancing with the Stars in the US. He struggled with jetting between the UK and US Then he had to perform at both ends of the journey. 'I'm playing a character. My accent becomes stronger, the facial expressions and body movements become bigger.' THEDAY I MADE MICHAEL BOLTON CRY Michael Bolton with dance partner Chelsie Hightower Working in America means having to watch what you say, which can be tricky when you're criticising celebrity dancers. 'I did make Michael Bolton cry,' Bruno recalls. 'He still doesn't speak to me.' The singer demanded an apology after Bruno called his dance to Hound Dog the worst jive he'd seen in 11 seasons. 'He's upset, but it's just a joke. It's just showbiz.' He also upset country singer Billy Ray Cyrus back in 2007 when he called his foxtrot 'c***' and said he looked like 'a bear lost in a swamp' and 'deliciously awful'. Bruno laughs. 'I bet he's had worse,' he says. 'It was the daughter who was more upset. I said, 'Listen darling, I'm doing my job. We have a laugh here.' The daughter, of course, is superstar Miley Cyrus. 'You have to be careful though,' says Bruno. 'I mean, the world does change, but you still have to give artists the ability to express themselves. 'You need creativity. And sometimes creativity may upset people. We're getting a little bit too uptight.' Are there things he's said on Strictly in the past that he wouldn't say now? 'I remember I got into trouble at the BBC because someone was dancing to a song from The Sound Of Music and I said, ''The hills are alive with the sound of bull****.' It was funny, but darling, they were nearly fainting in the control box!' Advertisement He compares it to Steve Coogan playing Alan Partridge, an exaggeration of part of himself. 'You have to pump yourself up and keep it up for two hours. That's so hard when you have all the added stress of the travel.' Bruno was a success right from the start of Strictly in 2004. The unpredictable Italian with a glint in his eye would spring up out of his seat with charming enthusiasm and tell the formidable Ann Widdecombe that she danced like 'a Dalek in drag'. Or swoon at pop star Jay McGuiness's paso doble, declaring it the 'bull's b*******'. The producers told him off, but the audience laughed. He was just being Bruno. We loved him. So did viewers in the States when he started on Dancing With The Stars, as along with the laughs, he knows his stuff. Bruno was born in northern Italy to parents who had no idea how to cope with his homosexuality or his dreams of being a dancer, but he was plucked from obscurity one night in Milan in the 70s. The star of a French dance company stormed out, and the director spotted Bruno who resembled the lead so much he could have been his double. Could he dance? Of course, said the young self-trained performer, who learned the moves in a week and later recalled, 'It was like a Cinderella story.' Bruno danced his way to Paris then London, where he appeared in a music video for Elton John and films including Absolute Beginners. He became a choreographer and worked with David Bowie and Tina Turner before the Strictly producers came calling. 'Strictly changed my life, it was like being born again,' he says. 'I was a successful choreographer but this was like going back to the beginning as a performer. I loved it.' Working both sides of the Atlantic was possible until Covid, when Bruno stayed in his 2.5 million pad in Los Angeles a luxurious lockdown. 'People exaggerate,' he laughs. 'It's a nice house, but it's not like my friend Simon Cowell's place, with Rolls-Royces in the drive.' The BBC asked him to appear on Strictly by video link that first Covid season but it didn't really work. Covid restrictions meant Bruno was replaced temporarily for the 2021 season by the pro dancer and show favourite Anton Du Beke, who turned out to be a brilliant judge not nearly as prone to falling off his chair as Bruno, but full of dry humour and empathy for the dancers. 'He did a very good job because he made it his own. They had the biggest viewing figures. Huge. And I adored Rose.' The competition was won by deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis after she and partner Giovanni Pernice turned off the music to show what it was like for her. Anton was doing so well, so did Bruno feel any kind of jealousy or realise he would never get the seat back? 'You don't think like that,' he says. 'It's like James Bond, right? You have Sean Connery and Daniel Craig but they are both still Bond.' OK, but I'd still like to know whether the BBC looked at Anton's success and said, 'Sorry Bruno, we don't need you any more.' He frowns. 'No, we spoke. It was a very civilised conversation. Strictly Come Dancing would go on late into the night on a Saturday, and Bruno (pictured) says he would make it home to his flat in Maida Vale around midnight then rise early the next morning to fly to Los Angeles 'We looked into whether there was a way of making both shows work for me like before and it was a mutual decision. They said, 'It really is not feasible.' And I said, 'It really is not.' Travel chaos reigns these days. There are far fewer flights than there used to be, more delays and cancellations, not to mention strikes, baggage problems and queues at border control. 'It was hard work before, but now you could go hysterical. I wouldn't want to let someone down. 'Can you imagine? I'm stuck at Heathrow, they're waiting for me in America,' he says. 'Let's say I arrive a day late, the way things are these days you never know. 'No production company could take that risk. That's why they insure you to turn up.' Insurers would not like him playing Russian roulette with chaotic international travel. And he has new bosses now Dancing With The Stars has moved to a new platform, where it will be streamed live. Bruno danced his way to Paris then London, where he appeared in a music video for Elton John (pictured) and films including Absolute Beginners 'Disney+ is a huge deal. They're both huge, Disney and the BBC. They're both very expensive shows. 'You can't risk one of your players being absent. Let's say you're shooting a film and Hugh Jackman cost millions to hire and you say, 'Well, he may or may not turn up.' They'd say, 'What?' I doubt he's paid as much as Hugh, but presumably it's more than the 250,000 a season Bruno was reportedly earning from the BBC? 'I don't know how much I earn,' he says, surprisingly a thing only the rich can say. 'I'm not complaining. I'm a performer, not a businessman.' If it was a choice, why not choose this country? 'I'm under contract in America until 2024. I'm not under long-term contract like that with the BBC.' Ah, so he's tied to Dancing With The Stars and needs to be sure of turning up, but Strictly only hires season by season and has happened upon a great replacement. 'I felt, actually, that it would be a bit wrong if I went back. Anton did a very good job as a judge, he made it his own. They had the biggest viewing figures. Huge 'They have something going very well and they should stick to it. I can guarantee you, there is no animosity.' For the moment though, he is kicking back. 'When I'm not working, I don't do showbiz much. I go to the gym, see a play, have dinner. I am pretty normal. Reading about history is one of his pleasures. 'I've just been to Sardinia, first time I've been to Italy in years. 'Oh my God, the food, the weather, reading. Heaven.' Did it feel like going home? 'No, funnily enough, because I left in 1974. I have just one friend left in Italy, who I talk to once a year. All my family passed away.' I ask when Bruno became a British citizen, given that he's a national treasure, and am surprised to find out he isn't. 'I'm still Italian. I never had the time to change. You have to give your passport away and I'm always getting on a plane. I have my Italian passport.' So where's home? 'Both here and America,' he says. 'Britain gave me my career. Everybody wants to be in Hollywood. I got there quite late and I tell you, it's fantastic.' Americans have taken him to their hearts, as we did first. Now Dancing With The Stars has got him completely, but does that mean we've lost our beloved Bruno to America forever? 'No! I still have a home and friends here and I'm working on projects you will see soon. You have not seen the last of me!' Who'd have thought a sunny Australian soap opera centred around a suburban cul-de-sac on the other side of the world would become a British pop culture phenomenon? Originally scheduled as a bit of daytime light relief, Neighbours became one of the biggest TV successes of all time. At its peak it pulled in a staggering 20 million viewers, happily sitting alongside home-grown heavyweight soaps like Coronation Street and EastEnders and providing a breath of fresh air in late-80s Britain. It launched the careers of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan as well as Hollywood A-listers Margot Robbie and Guy Pearce but now it's coming to an end. Its last-ever episodes will air this Friday and promise to be an emotional affair as some of Neighbours' most famous faces drop by to say goodbye. Here we take a look at how a small Australian neighbourhood became such a huge cultural sensation... The final season cast. Australian soap opera Neighbours will air its final-ever episode this week. At its peak the soap pulled in a staggering 20 million viewers, and launched the careers of stars such as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan WHOLESOME BEGINNINGS The show was the brainchild of Australian TV mogul Reg Watson, who'd spent time in the UK working on Crossroads. He'd seen how hugely popular community-focused soaps like Coronation Street were, and created Neighbours with the UK market in mind. The idea was to show Australia in a new light. Instead of sandy beaches and the dry, sweltering outback, it would centre on a middleclass urban neighbourhood Ramsay Street in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Instead of bleak, kitchen-sink grittiness, there would be wholesome, uplifting family content. The People Next Door, No Through Road and One Way Street were toyed with as titles before Neighbours was eventually settled upon the catchy theme tune composed by Tony Hatch (some may remember him as the original tough judge on 70s talent show New Faces), who was also responsible for the music for Crossroads and Emmerdale. The first episode was broadcast on Monday 27 October 1986 on BBC1 after the lunchtime news and repeated the following morning. It instantly drew ratings of around four million from an audience largely made up of housewives and students. A TEATIME MASTERSTROKE Ratings hit a high in November 1988 when 19.6 million tuned in to watch the wedding of Charlene Mitchell (played by Kylie Minogue) and Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan) Ratings hit a high in November 1988 when 19.6 million tuned in to watch the wedding of Charlene Mitchell (played by Kylie Minogue) and Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan)A year after it first screened, the decision was taken to move the repeat to teatime, four hours after the lunchtime broadcast. Coming at the end of children's programmes and before the six o'clock news meant the episode was perfectly placed to capture school children off the back of kids' shows and adults coming in from work. It was to be a masterstroke. In his autobiography, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time, then BBC1 controller Michael Grade said the move came about after his teenage daughter remarked on how popular it was with her classmates. It wasn't long before Neighbours became firmly ensconced in the viewing habits of the nation, along with the main three home-grown soaps, regularly pulling in 14 million viewers. Ratings hit a high in November 1988 when 19.6 million tuned in to watch the wedding of Charlene Mitchell (played by Kylie Minogue) and Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan). To put that into perspective, that's two million more than watched Prince Harry marry Meghan Markle. Within two years Neighbours had become a cultural sensation. Girls copied Charlene's perm, boys wanted Scott's mullet, and kids everywhere mimicked the Aussie lingo and talked about 'wagging school' (playing truant) or told one another to 'rack off' (get lost). Neighbours was also widely held responsible for the antipodean 'upward inflection' the habit of making statements sound like questions) becoming part of our speech pattern. Not that everyone was delighted with it making such an impression on us. Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister, blamed the show for making us ignorant of her country's other cultural achievements. 'As proud as we are of Kylie and the crew, you just want to say, 'Yes, but can we talk about the rest of it?' The success of Neighbours paved the way for another Aussie soap, Home And Away, which began airing on ITV in 1989 and, although it never quite matched the popularity of Neighbours at its peak, it is still broadcast on Channel 5. STARS IN THE MAKING Eloise Mignon as Bridget Parker, Margot Robbie as Donna Freedman, Matthew Werkmeister as Zeke Kinski in 2008. Margot's new movie Barbie is due out next year As two of its most famous stars, Kylie and Jason both quit Neighbours in the late 80s to pursue hugely successful pop careers. In real life Kylie and Jason dated for three years but with tween audiences in mind, they did their best to hide it and appear young, free and single. Theirs weren't the only musical careers that came out of the soap. Holly Valance (who played Flick Scully and is now married to British property tycoon Nick Candy) had a string of hits, as did Natalie Imbruglia (Beth Brennan). Batting for the boys were beefy Craig McLachlan (Henry Ramsay) and Stefan Dennis, who played baddie Paul Robinson. When they weren't on Top Of The Pops you could find them on the cover of teen magazines like Smash Hits or Just 17. While Neighbours never took off in the US, that didn't stop the soap launching the careers of some of the biggest stars in Hollywood today. Chris Hemsworth, best known for playing Thor, appeared in one episode, while his brother Liam, known for the Hunger Games movies, was paraplegic Josh Taylor. Playing troubled teen Mike Young was Guy Pearce's first acting role. He stayed in the show for four years and is now a much-in-demand actor, seen recently opposite Kate Winslet in Mare Of Easttown. To date, Russell Crowe is the only former Neighbour to have won an Oscar. He played ex-con Kenny Larkin in four episodes before going on to win an Academy Award for Gladiator. But it can only be a matter of time before Margot Robbie, who played Donna Freedman for three years and is now one of the hottest properties in Hollywood, has an Oscar on her mantelpiece. She's previously been nominated for her roles in I, Tonya and Bombshell, and her Barbie movie is due out next year. PREPOSTEROUS PLOTS There was a bizarre episode with a sequence told from the point of view of Bouncer the Labrador, who had fallen in love with and wanted to marry Rosie, the collie next door The early appeal of Neighbours was that, unlike Coronation Street and EastEnders, it shied away from relentless gloom, offering a feast of blue skies and good-looking people who sorted out their differences over a barbie and an ice-cold beer. But as it grew in popularity, the storylines became dafter. Bouncer's Dream was a particularly low point a bizarre episode with a sequence told from the point of view of Bouncer the Labrador, who had fallen in love with and wanted to marry Rosie, the collie next door. Harold Bishop, the Ramsay Street busybody, supposedly died at sea only to reappear five years later calling himself Ted and suffering from amnesia. But perhaps the most memorably awful episode came in 2002 featuring teacher Susan Kennedy. When Susan slipped on some milk and banged her head, she woke up believing she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl. OFF-SCREEN SCANDALS Neighbours' scandals weren't limited to the screen. Last year the show launched an independent enquiry when a series of actors came forward to say they'd been subjected to racism on set by both cast and crew. AboriginalAustralian star Shareena Clanton, who had a minor role in 2021, was first to make the claim. Meyne Wyatt, who played Nate Kinski, came forward to say he had suffered the same experience, as did current star Sharon Johal who, for four years, has played the part of Dipi Rebecchi. British-born actress Nicola Charles, who played Sarah Beaumont, revealed that a producer had offered to pay for her to have a boob job and encouraged her to leak nude photos online to boost her profile. And Scott McGregor, who played detective Mark Brennan for ten years until 2020, ended up giving evidence in court for real in 2019 after he was glassed by a dancer in a strip club who claimed he'd verbally abused her. THE FINAL CURTAIN In 2007, in a 300 million deal, Neighbours was poached from the BBC by Channel 5, where it's been broadcast ever since until Friday's three-episode finale. Channel 5 shouldered much of the production costs and has decided it would rather invest in home-grown dramas. Without their money, the show's production company Fremantle can't afford to keep making it. As for those final episodes, it's no secret that some of the show's biggest stars will make a return as friends old and new gather to celebrate Toadie and Melanie's wedding. Guy Pearce revives his role as Mike Young and it's not long before the sparks are flying when he's reunited with his old crush Jane Harris. 'I'm an incredibly nostalgic person anyway, so I've always wanted to step back onto the show at some stage, and with the sad news the show is finishing it seemed like the appropriate time,' says Pearce. 'There are certain moments in your life that are real markers. Being cast in Neighbours, the confidence it gave me and what I learnt being on the show, were immeasurable benefits. 'I always feel super lucky to have got on the show when I did and as we know, it just took off.' A LAST WORD FROM KYLIE And how could Neighbours end without Charlene and Scott? They make the journey back to Erinsborough from Brisbane where they've been living happily ever after. 'It was emotional going back to the set and felt beautiful, actually, the fact that we could see each other,' says Kylie. 'I haven't seen some of these people in over 30 years. 'And, you know, life passes by and we've all gone through different stuff. So just to be face-toface and say, 'Wow, this is part of our history.' It was great.' Unlike some of its storylines, there will be no national amnesia once Neighbours is no more. It will always be remembered as a joyous dose of sunshine in our lives and as the theme tune said a good friend. Love Island rumbles on and many of the couples claim to be developing feelings for each other, despite only knowing each other for a little more than six weeks. With 50,000 in prize money at stake, it is safe to assume that not everyone is being 100 per cent honest about their intentions. So can their body language reveal whether their romances are burning hot or have little spark in them? That's the claim from one relationship expert, who has analysed their sleeping positions to reveal their true feelings towards each other. For example, Adam and Paige are the newest couple in the villa but are showing signs they could go the distance, according to Tina Wilson, founder of UK dating app Wingman. The couple sleep with their heads facing together and their arms draped over each other in an affectionate way, suggesting a 'caring and protective' relationship. Meanwhile Tasha and Andrew, one of the established pairs who have had a rocky road to becoming 'official boyfriend and girlfriend', are not as 'together' as they might want viewers to think. Tina added: 'They are clearly facing away from each other which could be a clue to their future as a couple, potentially realising they are better off as friends.' Here, she reveals what each couple's sleeping position says about their romance... Adam and Paige: Touching heads suggest closeness Adam and Paige are the villa's newest couple, yet in terms of their sleeping positions, they're seemingly showing all the signals to suggest that their relationship could go the distance. Their heads are facing towards each other which reflects their closeness as a new couple Tina noted that Paige is assertive and knows what she wants from a partner and doesn't have time to 'school' a man on how to behave in a relationship. Pictured, Paige and Adam They're the villa's newest couple, yet in terms of their sleeping positions, they're seemingly showing all the signals to suggest that their relationship could go the distance. The relationship expert said: 'They appear to be a solid couple right now even though it's only been a very short space of time. 'Paige clearly knows what she wants from a partner and wouldn't want to 'school' a potential lover on how to behave. 'Their heads are facing each other which shows their closeness as a new couple. Both their arms grace each other in affectionate ways - Adam has a protective arm around Paige which indicates he cares about her a lot. 'It is also common when you really like or love someone to be attracted to their scent and this strongly indicates Adam's emotional attachment to Paige because his nose directly sits on the top of her head. 'Paige is gently placing her head on Adam's shoulder which is a sign she trusts him. Her arm and hand on his chest is a big giveaway to her inner feelings for him as it's an intimate position to lie in. She can literally hear and feel his heartbeat.' Paige and Adam took their relationship to the next level on Thursday as they went exclusive with each other. Earlier in the episode, the hunk was picked for a date with newcomer Nathalia Campos, with Paige left fretting in the villa that she couldn't compare to the Brazilian bombshell. But the paramedic was left delighted when he later declared that he was '100% closed off to other girls' Returning to the villa following his date, the Newcastle native made his intentions clear to Paige, telling her: 'I hate the word exclusive, but like I want to use it as well, cause thats the way I feel right now.' Unable to contain her joy, Paige gushed: 'Really?! Like serious now?' To which her new beau replied: 'Im being deadly serious.' The couple then sealed their new relationship status with a passionate kiss. Tasha and Andrew: True feelings revealed by turned heads Tasha and Andrew are clearly facing away from each other which could be a clue to their future as a couple, potentially realising they are better off as friends, Tina said Tasha and Andrew are the only 'girlfriend and boyfriend' in the villa so far. But Tina claims their relationship is arguably the one most unlikely to last, according to their sleeping positions Tasha and Andrew are the only 'girlfriend and boyfriend' in the villa so far. But Tina claims their relationship is arguably the one most unlikely to last, according to their sleeping positions. Tina revealed: 'The couple appear close and like to be assured by one another's presence they are deliberately touching which shows they are fond of and comfortable with each other. 'But they are clearly facing away from each other which could be a clue to their future as a couple, potentially realising they are better off as friends. 'They are both independent characters and may come to the realisation there is no real spark and will go their separate ways in the near future.' They have experienced their fair share of drama whilst on the show - including both being coupled up to other people - but have been going from strength to strength recently. This week they've discussed moving in with each other as their romance continues to grow. Andrew told Tasha: 'I didn't think I'd come to Love Island, find a girlfriend and be in love with her.' Dami and Indiyah: Lying on top of each other means they need space This relationship might be a quick flash in the pan because Dami and Indiyah are literally on top of one another and look like they need air when they are going to sleep, Tina noted Dami and Indiyah, pictured, are rekindling their romance after both coupling up with other people during Casa Amor yet Tina warned that they might soon end up clashing Dami and Indiyah are rekindling their romance after both coupling up with other people during Casa Amor yet Tina warned that they might soon end up clashing again, if their sleeping arrangement is anything to go by. 'This relationship might be a quick flash in the pan because they are literally on top of one another and look like they need air,' said the expert. 'They may end up clashing after the honeymoon faze disappears. They don't look comfortable and at first the relationship may be intense but at some point, one party will break away as they might find the romance too much. 'Although at this moment in time they look like they like snuggling together and find comfort in being close to each other, this may however be a way of coping in the villa time will only tell.' Love Island fans were left howling when Thursday night's episode saw Indiyah mistakenly call her partner, Dami, Deji - for the second time now. Audiences also laughed as while the Londoner - in attempt to make her partner breakfast to apologise - was then embroiled into making eggs for Deji too. The slip-up happened when the pair were cuddled up in bed after a dramatic evening which saw four new bombshells enter the villa. Referencing new girl Nathalia Campos' quip at Dami's decision to recouple with Summer Botwe during Casa Amor, Indiyah, 23, whispered: 'She was like "oh poor Summer". 'If you felt that way with Summer, Deji - not Deji. 'I'm actually irritated, this is getting a bit too much now,' the Dublin-native replied. The flustered hotel waitress defended: 'Like I actually, I don't understand why that came out my mouth, I swear to god.' Ekin-Su and Davide: Leg positions invite more intimacy Ekin-Su and Davide have had a passionate relationship thus far and that's reflected in their steamy behaviour between the sheets, Tina noted, with Ekin-Su holding her partner's face for a kiss As the romance progresses further Ekin-Su and Davide need to be mindful to not let jealously affect them as they go out into the world and get attention from others, Tina warned They've had plenty of fiery arguments during their time on Love Island, yet if Ekin-Su and Davide ensure their jealousy doesn't get the better of them, then they could really make their partnership work, suggested Tina. 'This looks passionate and the steamiest of all couples. Ekin-Su's hand is embracing Davide's face and they are often intimately kissing one another,' she explained. 'The covers are partly off which show they have let go of their inhabitations, not caring who is looking. It feels completely natural for them, and they can't keep their hands off one another. 'Davide is lying in a spread-eagle position to encourage them both to intertwine more closely. They appear to be into each other and Ekin-Su is receptive to Davide's subtle advance as she is leaning in and touching him intensely. 'As the romance progresses further they need to be mindful to not let jealously affect them as they go out into the world and get attention from others.' But four new bombshells entering the Love Island villa on Wednesday left many seemingly secure couples rattled. Yet on Thursday viewers were reassured that fan favourites Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti haven't had their heads turned when the Turkish actress, 27, said her 'head, heart and soul' is with the Italian hunk. The Essex native was picked to go on a date by new boy Reece Ford despite saying she was 'closed off' when approached on his first night. But the model from Coventry, 23, had to endure yet another gentle rejection during the scenic picnic date. 'Look, I'll be very honest, OK,' she said. 'You are an attractive guy. However, my head, my heart, my soul is with someone right now.' 'Yeah, with Davide,' the new boy confirmed. Luca and Gemma: Reaching shows she wants more Gemma is yearning for connection and intimacy in the relationship because her positioning invites closeness and engagement, Tina noted after analysing their sleeping position Luca and Gemma, pictured, recently had some tension between them over what went on during Casa Amor but have decided to stay together Luca and Gemma recently had some tension between them over what went on during Casa Amor (with the former left seething after watching the latter have a chat with Billy Brown) - but the couple still appear to want to get to know one another more. Tina said: 'From their positions, Gemma is the one in control of this relationship. She knows it, so does Luca, but they clearly have something. 'Gemma is yearning for connection and intimacy in the relationship because her positioning invites closeness and engagement.' The expert continued: 'In the outside world, all rests on Gemmas familys opinion of Luca as she has made it clear she wont become official with him until her mum has given the approval - this is even though they have both already said they love each other. This shows Gemma is realistic and not quick to jump into relationships. 'I do believe what they have there is a genuine relationship potential but the pressures of being in the spot light, their locations and the temptation that brings, will be the real test.' Love island star Luca has been condemned for his treatment of love interest Gemma after the fishmonger had a heated outburst after watching a clip of her supposedly flirting with fellow islander Billy. It has been revealed that Luca's Twitter account has been deleted amid the backlash to his behaviour on the show. It is not clear if his family were the ones to delete the account or if it was removed. Luca's family took to Instagram Stories on his account to say they do not condone his behaviour towards partner Gemma. They say his behaviour is not reflective of the boy they 'know and love at home' but noted that his Love Island experience is an intense one. SHOPPING: Products featured in this article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, MailOnline will earn an affiliate commission. Whether you're after a casual dress to pair with trainers or are looking for something glam for a fancy occasion, Amazon has got a ton of styles worth shopping this summer. And according to shoppers, the GRECERELLE Women's Summer Midi Dress is 'affordable, comfortable and attractive', with one shopper calling it their 'go-to summer dress'. 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Available in sizes small to XXL, the GRECERELLE Women's Summer Midi Dress features elasticated cap sleeves and an elasticated waist for a comfortable fit. The dress falls to a mid-calf length and has a flouncy silhouette thanks to its tired design and flared hem. It's simplistic, elegant and fit for any occasion from beach holidays, city breaks and staycations. 'I'm a UK size 14 on top and 16 on bottom,' one shopper wrote. 'I ordered a size Large; it's so flattering. I got the green, but I'm going to order more in other colours. 'It's a thin, floaty material which hangs nicely and will be cool in the summer. It's good for pear shapes.' According to shoppers, the GRECERELLE Women's Summer Midi Dress is 'affordable, comfortable and attractive', with one shopper calling it their 'go-to summer dress' They added: 'There's a gentle elasticated waist just at my slimmest point and then skims over my chubby legs, so it's my perfect ever dress. Neckline not too high or low.' 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Back in the 1980s, several alleged victims claimed that a man named Lawrence King ran an underground club in Omaha, Nebraska, through which he, along with well-known politicians, businessmen, and media moguls, are said to have forced children as young as eight years old to have sex with them. In 1990, a Nebraska county grand jury concluded that the claims were a 'hoax,' and a federal grand jury later agreed that the allegations had no base. However, in 1993, a film crew flew to Omaha to shed further light on the shocking accusations, interviewing the alleged victims and others who were said to be involved as part of a documentary. The alleged victims told documentary makers that the government forced them into silence by threatening those who spoke out, using scare tactics, and even murder - with one of them even alleging that they killed his brother in an attempt to get him to stay quiet about the accusations. But days before the movie was supposed to premiere on the Discovery Channel, it got shut down with no explanation. Now it has finally been released and uploaded to Real Women/Real Stories' YouTube page - leaving many to wonder, was the prostitution ring real and did the government hide it, or was it really just an elaborate 'hoax' as the grand jury determined? A documentary has explored the horrific accusations made by numerous people who claimed they were flown around the US and abused by high-ranking officials when they were kids as part of an alleged 1988 prostitution ring. The leader is pictured Back in the 1980s, the alleged victims (one of whom is pictured) claimed that a man named Lawrence King ran an underground club in Omaha, Nebraska, through which he, along with politicians, forced children to have sex with them In 1990, a Nebraska county grand jury concluded that the claims were a 'hoax,' and a federal grand jury later agreed that the allegations had no base. King is pictured However, in 1993, a film crew flew to the state to look into it further, interviewing the alleged victims (two of whom are seen in the doc) and others who were said to be involved as part of a documentary on the matter The documentary, called Conspiracy of Silence, saw some of the supposed victims speak out about the alleged offenses perpetrated by King and his rich circle of powerful men, as well as the lengths federal investigators reportedly took to make sure that the scandal was never made public. The alleged victims told documentary makers that the government forced them into silence by threatening those who spoke out, using scare tactics, and even murder - with one of them even alleging that they killed his brother in an attempt to get him to stay quiet about the accusations. King is seen in the documentary Described as a story about 'evil in the heart of America' involving 'a coverup at the highest level,' the documentary explained how a film crew uncovered the 'vast operation' which 'provided children to the wealthy for molestation, drug trafficking, and blackmail.' The base for King's alleged network was a small 'people's bank' in Omaha, Nebraska, known as the Franklin Federal Credit Union, where he worked as a general manager. Through the bank, King allegedly 'courted the leaders of Omaha's wealthy business district,' the documentary stated, adding, 'Banks, industries, and charities placed millions of dollars in his hands.' He also grew close to the leaders of a nearby home for orphaned kids called Boys Town, which would reportedly send some of its children to work for him. Boys Town was started in 1917 as a shelter for young boys who were left with no family after World War I. By the 1990s, it was worth $500 million and had expanded immensely, owning its own school and church on the property - where 500 'homeless, abandoned, neglected, and abused' boys and girls lived. According to the doc, King would get close to the kids there after they came and worked for him at the bank, however, he would then reportedly prostitute them out to his wealthy friends, force them to have sex with himself and with others, and provide them with drugs. The base for King's alleged network was a small 'people's bank' in Omaha, Nebraska, known as the Franklin Federal Credit Union, where he worked as a general manager. King is seen in the doc He also grew close to the leaders of a nearby home for orphaned kids called Boys Town (pictured in the '90s), which would reportedly send some of its children to work for him King would then allegedly prostitute the kids out to his friends, force them to have sex with himself and with others, and provide them with drugs. Boys Town, which is still open, is seen recently 'He was also one of the most evil individuals in this country,' lawyer John DeCamp, who was working on the case at the time, said in the documentary. 'He was a dealer of children and a thief. He would use, compromise, and corrupt politicians one after another.' One boy, named Paul Bonacci, claimed that he became a victim of King's abuse at age eight. He said King would use him to 'lure' more boys into the program, and would force him to 'become friends with them' and invite them to his parties. He also said King used drugs to rope more children in. 'They would do the sexual acts and be provided with cocaine or whatever type of drug they wanted,' he explained. Washington lobbyist Craig Spence, department store billionaire Alan Baer, and celebrity columnist at the World Herald Newspaper Peter Citron were some of the men who were later named by victims as allegedly being involved. 'It's a web of intrigue, that starts in Nebraska and spreads out like a spider-web to Washington, D.C. - right up to steps of the nation's capital, right up to the steps of the White House,' DeCamp revealed. 'It involves some of the most respected and powerful and richest business men in this United States of America.' Bonacci claimed that Citron often forced him, as well as other victims, to have oral sex with him. He said: 'The kids he liked were mainly around the ages eight to 13. He liked to have oral sex with them. He did have some anal sex but he usually did that to older kids.' One boy, named Paul Bonacci (pictured), claimed he became a victim of King's abuse at age eight, and said King used him to befriend and 'lure' more boys into the program Washington lobbyist Craig Spence (left), and department store billionaire Alan Baer (right), were some of the men who were later named by victims as allegedly being involved Celebrity columnist at the World Herald Newspaper Peter Citron (seen in the World Herald) also reportedly forced victims brought to him by King to have oral and anal sex with him, the documentary reported He also said he was flown via King's private jet to Washington, D.C. to attend parties with King, Spence, and other 'prominent politicians,' where they would be given drugs and forced to perform sexual acts. Bonacci (pictured) claimed he was flown via King's private jet to Washington, D.C. to attend parties with King, Spence, and other 'prominent politicians,' where he said they would be given drugs and forced to perform sexual acts 'When they started off, they were straight political-type parties with no sex. And then when some of the politicians had left, the ones that had planned on engaging in some type of sexual activity, that would come after the party,' he stated. 'Some of the kids ... if they acted up or if they started freaking out because of the drugs that they were on, they would put them in a room [downstairs] that they couldnt get out of - they would lock them in.' He also said Spence would take him and others on 'midnight tours of the White House,' which he called 'a gift for the services that they were providing.' Another boy, named Troy Boner, said he was 17 when he was introduced to the prostitution ring, and he claimed he was often forced to have sex with Baer. 'Alan Baer was a sick f**k,' he said. 'He didn't care, he wanted sex. It was nasty, I don't even know if you can call it sex. 'He'd take it any way that he had to. He'd pay for it, but if he had to take it by force he would. 'Larry King was the same kind of sick f**k Alan Baer was but Larry King was more violent and more sure of himself. I'd see him f**k a 10-year-old boy in the a** until he bled. He'd push him down and go out and meet with decent people.' Another boy, named Troy Boner (pictured), said he was 17 when he was introduced to the prostitution ring, stating he once saw King 'f**k a 10-year-old boy in the a** until he bled' A woman named Alicia Owen (seen in the documentary) claimed she was tied up and forced to have sex with numerous men at age 15 Bonacci (seen recently) claimed that kids were locked in a room in the basement 'if they acted up or if they started freaking out' Boner said they would force things into his 'a**' including a 'huge squash.' He also recalled a time that they allegedly made a group of the boys to get naked and touch each other. And on some occasions, he said they also 'poked them with hot things.' 'At one party, they wanted to see how strong of a man we were, so they had us put our arms together and [King would] light cigarettes and drop them down on our arms and let it burn,' he added. 'And they filmed it, us burning.' Boner said King also made them do cocaine and heroine. And when he'd get high on drugs, he'd start questioning King - who would then 'beat the s**t out of him.' A woman named Alicia Owen alleged that she was tied up and forced to have sex with numerous men at age 15. 'If you didn't want to be involved you were threatened,' she said in the documentary. 'They said they'd sell me [to someone worse] or sell my family.' In 1988, during a routine checkup at Boys Town, Nebraska's state foster care review board became aware of the alleged abuse. However, a member of the board claimed in the documentary that their investigation was quickly shut down due to the prominence of those involved. 'Larry King's name was consistently present as someone that the youth were making allegations against,' Carol Stitt, a director at the foster care review board, shared. 'I handed that over to the authorities and nothing happened. The allegations were ignored. It was very clear that the case was not investigated and not pursued because of the alleged perpetrators.' Eventually, the IRS became suspicious of King and uncovered that he had stolen $40 million from Franklin Federal Credit Union, leading to his arrest. Carol Stitt (pictured), a director at Nebraska's state foster care review board, said she became aware of the abuse and reported it, but claimed her investigation was quickly shut down The IRS eventually uncovered that King (pictured) had stolen $40 million from Franklin Federal Credit Union, leading to his arrest In November 1988, Nebraska's state government set up its own investigation into the alleged sexual assault, which was led by a man named Loran Schmit (pictured) In November 1988, Nebraska's state government set up its own investigation into the alleged sexual assault, which was led by a man named Loran Schmit. However, as soon as he started to look into it, he claimed he started receiving anonymous phone calls and threats. Sitt, who worked at the foster care review board and was one of the original people to become aware of the alleged abuse, said she also got threatening messages, with one man telling her over the phone, 'If you speak, you won't live to regret it.' After gathering a lot of evidence, Schmit (seen in the doc) said he turned everything over to the FBI - however, he was taken aback when they allegedly didn't believe his findings Schmit didn't back down though, and he brought in two private investigators - Karen Ormiston and Gary Caradori. They started interviewing all of the supposed victims, and were horrified by what the children reportedly told them. 'They were telling us about prominent people in Omaha and elsewhere that were abusing children at parties,' Ormiston said. 'We were appalled. It was incredible, what these kids went through.' After gathering a lot of evidence, Schmit said he turned everything over to the FBI - however, he was taken aback when they allegedly didn't believe his findings. He said they questioned the validity of the victims, with Schmit explaining, 'I was very disappointed with the way the FBI and law enforcement treated the victims. 'They turned them into the offenders. Instead of taking the evidence that was delivered to them by the victims and interrogating the persons who the victims identified, they seemed to bear down and try to get the victims to change their story.' Boner recalled being brought in for further questioning by the FBI, and said he was warned that if he continued to share his story, he would be put in 'jail' for perjury. 'The FBI's attitude was, "No, this kind of stuff just doesn't happen,"' he explained. 'First interview [with the FBI], I realized they don't believe a word I say. Boner (pictured) recalled being brought in for further questioning by the FBI, and being warned that if he continued to share his story, he would be put in 'jail' for perjury Then, in 1990, when investigator Gary Caradori was on his way back to Nebraska from Chicago, his plane crashed - killing him and his eight-year-old son (pictured) His partner, Karen Ormiston (pictured), believed the FBI had something to do with the crash, explaining that his briefcase was missing from the wreckage 'They said, "It will not be believed and you'll be found guilty of perjury." They were saying, "You go on with this story and you're going to jail." Out of fear, I recanted my testimony.' Then, in 1990, when investigator Caradori was on his way back to Nebraska from Chicago, where he had reportedly uncovered more evidence regarding King's prostitution ring, his plane crashed - killing him and his eight-year-old son. The plane was said to have 'broken up' midflight, since pieces were found over a large area, but investigators could never figure out what made the aircraft fall apart. Boner later said he and the other victims had made up the whole story amid pressure from the FBI. One of the victims, Owen (pictured), was then arrested for perjury Ormiston, who believes the FBI had something to do with the crash, claimed that his briefcase was missing from the wreckage. She added: 'We'll never know what else was missing because I don't know what he had with him or what he did in Chicago, what information he was coming back with.' According to the documentary, FBI agents impounded all records of the investigation within 24 hours of the crash, and the incident terrified the rest of the people involved. 'The effect of Gary's crash on the investigation, I think it put an end to anybody else coming forward with information,' Ormiston said. Stitt also explained, 'That's when I was finished because I figured, if they murdered Gary and his son, there's nothing that would stop them.' Boner later told a jury that he and the other victims had made up the whole story, however, in the documentary, he claimed he only said that amid pressure from the FBI. In 1990, a county grand jury in Nebraska concluded that the 'lurid reports of child sex abuse, drug trafficking, pornography, and political intrigue' were a 'carefully crafted hoax,' the New York Times reported. The jury found that the claims had been 'scripted by a person or persons with considerable knowledge of the people and institutions of Omaha.' One of the victims, Owen, was then arrested for perjury, and Boner was set to be the state's star witness in the case. However, when he began to get cold feet about his involvement, his brother, Shawn, suddenly died in an 'inexplicable gun accident' - which Boner was convinced was a 'warning message' to him. In 1990, a county grand jury in Nebraska concluded that it was all a 'carefully crafted hoax.' Owen (pictured) was then found guilty in July 1991, and was sentenced to nine-25 years in jail. She spent four-and-a-half years in prison in the end 'Every victim-witness who stepped forward in any way, has either been killed, put in jail, terrified, or discredited,' lawyer John DeCamp (pictured), who worked the case, concluded 'They killed him somehow, professionally made something happen to shut me up,' Boner said in the documentary, with his mom, Loni, adding, 'The purpose of Shawn's death was to instill fear, and it worked.' In the end, Owen was convicted of perjury in July 1991, and was sentenced to nine-25 years in jail, however, she only spent four-and-a-half years in prison in the end. The narrator of the documentary pointed out that King was only given a 15-year sentence - 10 years less than her maximum sentence - for his fraud charges. In 2003, Boner walked into a New Mexico hospital screaming that someone was after him. He was admitted to the hospital and 'mildly sedated,' however, when nurses came to check on him the next morning, they found him dead and bleeding from the mouth. The documentary stated that investigator Ted Gunderson, who handled the case of his death, was denied an autopsy and was 'shut out of all information' by the government. 'No news stories on Boner's death were ever published, despite his previous front page fame and "notoriety" in the Franklin case,' the narrator of the documentary added. 'Obviously, the FBI was protecting something a lot more significant than a bunch of old pedo-sadists having improper relations with little boys,' DeCamp concluded. 'They were protecting some very prominent politicians, some very powerful and wealthy individuals associated with those politicians and the political system, up to and including the highest political people in this entire country. 'Every victim-witness who stepped forward in any way, or even was a potential witness that somebody heard about, has either been killed, put in jail under some theory or other, terrified or run out of the state, or discredited.' Meghan Markle is painted as explosive, unpredictable and manipulative in a scathing new biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Tom Bower, author of Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors, claims the Duchess of Sussex 'reduced people to tears with her passive aggressive tone' and demanded first-class flights and luxury accommodation for business trips prior to meeting Prince Harry. The author, who has admitted his sources were people who were not close to Meghan, quotes one business associate who described the then actress as 'one of the most unpleasant people he had ever dealt with'. A scathing new biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paints Meghan Markle as explosive and unpredictable. Pictured, Meghan in 2016, the year of the alleged London incident Bower told Good Morning Britain on Thursday: 'She made it pretty clear to all her friends and people who work for her not to talk to me, so it was quite an uphill struggle but I got enough people to speak to me, more than enough, I got about 80 people.' Asked how the book can be considered an unbiased account if the people interviewed already don't like Meghan, the author replied: 'Because I sifted through, I never put in stuff that isn't true and can't be checked.' The Duchess of Sussex has not commented on claims made in the book. Revenge, published today, recounts a visit to London in 2016 in which Meghan allegedly 'went ballistic' after being booked into a five-star hotel with a caged parrot on display. Meghan, then an actress on US legal drama Suits, was in the city to discuss a new book based on her popular lifestyle blog The Tig. It was said that her talent agency had arranged 'with difficulty' free accommodation for Meghan in a five-star hotel, in exchange for an appearance in the hotel's magazine and social media posts. Tom Bower, author of Revenge, claims the Duchess of Sussex 'reduced people to tears with her passive aggressive tone' and demanded first-class flights and luxury accommodation for business trips. Pictured, Meghan and Harry at the Invictus Games in April But en route to her room, the book claims Meghan passed a parrot in a cage and refused to stay. Meghan checked out of the hotel and the agency made a new reservation at the Soho Hotel. Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors by Tom Bower is published today Shortly afterwards Meghan is said to have joined her literary agent for a lunch meeting about proposed The Tig book, titled Think Beautiful. Bower writes: 'Over the previous months, many at the agency had become wary of their client. They thought Meghan's mood was unpredictable. 'Regularly she called the agency to demand they make reservations at restaurants or events in anticipation of her arrival in London. Inevitably, she would cancel or change her requirements.' Bower writes that Meghan proceeded to 'direct her venom' at the agent because she was unhappy with his decision to include a chapter about sexual attraction in her book. 'She seemed to delight in humiliating people,' the book continues. The literary agent reportedly described Meghan as 'one of the most unpleasant people we've ever dealt with'. A separate anecdote claims the then actress demanded first class flights and luxury accommodation after being booked on a film shoot in London in 2015. One of her co-stars on the film described Meghan as 'high-maintenance'. Meghan DID make Kate cry during bridesmaids dress row: Duchess 'burst into tears' after bride 'compared Charlotte to BFF Jessica Mulroney's daughter' and 'wouldn't change her dress to fit' bombshell biography claims By Harriet Johnston for MailOnline Kate Middleton 'burst into tears' after Meghan Markle 'compared Princess Charlotte unfavourably to her best friend Jessica Mulroney's daughter' during a bridesmaid fitting ahead of the royal wedding, a bombshell biography has claimed. In his new book Revenge, Tom Bower claims unnamed sources told him the Duchess of Cambridge, 40, and Duchess of Sussex, 40, disagreed over the length of Princess Charlotte's hemline and the fit of her dress, as well as whether the bridesmaids 'should wear tights' at the wedding. He also claimed Meghan's 'insistence' was 'supported' by her former BFF and mother of another bridesmaid Jessica Mulroney, adding: 'Some would say that Meghan compared Ivy favourably against Charlotte.' The alleged version of events are the latest in a long line of claims about the disagreement. Early reports in 2018 claimed Meghan who had made Kate cry during a row over bridesmaids' dresses. The Duchess of Sussex later disagreed in her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, claiming it was the other way around and adding: 'She (Kate) was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised. And she brought me flowers'. Meghan also said: 'It wasn't a confrontation, and I actually think it's I don't think it's fair to her to get into the details of that, because she apologised. 'What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do but that happened to me. 'And the people who were part of our wedding were going to our comms team and saying: 'I know this didn't happen. I don't have to tell them what actually happened'.' However in his book, Tom goes on to write unnamed sources told him the two continued to disagree. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, he acknowledged all his sources were people who dont like Meghan, confessing: 'She made it pretty clear to all her friends and people who work for her not to talk to me, so it was quite an uphill struggle but I got enough people to speak to me, more than enough, I got about 80 people.' However he insisted that the biography was unbiased, adding: 'I sifted through, I never put in stuff that isn't true and can't be checked.' Kate Middleton 'burst into tears' during a bridesmaid fitting ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding after a series of disagreements with the Duchess of Sussex, a royal biographer has claimed The Duchess of Cambridge with Princess Charlotte and other bridesmaids arriving at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan in May 2018 In the book, Bower also said Kate had been 'tired' following the birth of her son Prince Louis in the run-up to the wedding, adding she was 'irritated by complaints of Meghan bullying her staff.' He wrote that one staff member said the Duchess of Sussex showed 'little sympathy for those outside her circle.' Writing in the biography, Tom Bower said the Duchess of Cambridge was 'too fatigued to cope' with a disagreement over whether bridesmaids should wear tights, however ultimately felt they should in order to follow protocol. However he claimed: 'Meghan's insistence was supported by Jessica, the mother of Ivy.' The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their wedding in The Green Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, with (left-to-right): Back row: Jasper Dyer, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Doria Ragland, Prince William ; middle row: Brian Mulroney, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Rylan Litt, John Mulroney; Front row: Ivy Mulroney, Florence van Cutsem, Zalie Warren, Remi Litt The disagreement was then followed by a second argument 'about the length of Charlotte's hem - Kate felt it was too short and anyway did not fit.' However Bower claims the Duchess of Sussex 'wouldn't compromise' - and Kate became upset, feeling as though complaints by staff about Meghan's behaviour had been confirmed. Bridesmaid dress-gate! How reports of Kate and Meghan arguing ahead of wedding unfolded May 2018 - Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tie the knot in St George's Chapel in Windsor The bridesmaids, including Jessica Mulroney's daughter Ivy and Princess Charlotte, have bare legs November 2018 - The Telegraph's royal editor Camilla Tominey wrote she had 'spoken to two separate sources who claim Kate was left in tears following a bridesmaids dress fitting for Princess Charlotte'. May 2020 - Tatler reports the two argued over protocol around young bridesmaids' tights March 2021 - Meghan confirms there was a disagreement in her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview but says the Duchess of Cambridge actually made her cry. Royal expert Katie Nicholl says Kate 'never wanted' reports of a rift to come out in the press and has found the situation 'mortifying' Advertisement The infamous row with Prince William's wife made headlines around the world after a supposed falling out over dresses for the flower girls. Pictures from the wedding at St George's Chapel, Windsor, appear to show the six bridesmaids with bare legs, while photographs from Prince William and Kate's wedding in April 2011 show bridesmaids wearing tights. It was claimed in November 2018 that Meghan had reduced Kate to tears over Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid's dress. The Daily Telegraph reported that two sources said the Duchess of Cambridge was crying after a dress fitting with Charlotte. 'Kate had only just given birth to Prince Louis and was feeling quite emotional,' a source claimed. However Meghan would later claim in her interview with Oprah Winfrey that the Duchess of Cambridge made her cry. Oprah asked Meghan: 'Was there a situation where she (Kate) might have cried? Or she could have cried?' But the Duchess of Sussex replied: 'No, no. The reverse happened. 'And I don't say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding. 'And she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised. 'And she brought me flowers and a note, apologising. And she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, right, to just take accountability for it.' Meghan added that it was 'shocking' that the 'reverse of that would be out in the world'. She continued: 'A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining - yes, the issue was correct - about flower girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings. 'And I thought, in the context of everything else that was going on in those days leading to the wedding, that it didn't make sense to not be just doing whatever everyone else was doing, which was trying to be supportive, knowing what was going on with my dad and whatnot.' Tom Bower claims the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex disagreed over the length of Princess Charlotte's hemline and the fit of her dress, as well as whether the bridesmaids 'should wear tights' at the wedding Meghan also said: 'It wasn't a confrontation, and I actually think it's I don't think it's fair to her to get into the details of that, because she apologised. 'What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn't do but that happened to me. 'And the people who were part of our wedding were going to our comms team and saying: 'I know this didn't happen. I don't have to tell them what actually happened'.' Meghan also said reports she had reduced the Duchess of Cambridge to tears were a 'turning point. The Duchess said 'everyone in the institution knew that wasn't true' and she hoped Kate 'would have wanted that to be corrected', adding 'she is a good person'. Royal expert Katie Nicholl previously claimed Kate found the Oprah revelations 'mortifying'. Katie noted how you 'never hear' about the Duchess falling out with anyone because she is 'very careful with how she treats others.' However Meghan would later claim in her interview with Oprah Winfrey that the Duchess of Cambridge made her cry Speaking to OK! magazine, Katie explained: 'Kate has never wanted any suggestion of a rift with Meghan to come out in the press, so for this story to be circulating is very hard.' Katie added there are 'different versions' of the story and claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan know Kate is 'not in a position to respond'. 'From what I hear, there are different versions of the bridesmaid story, not just the one Meghan discussed,' the royal expert told the publication. 'Kate felt it was all sorted, so to have it brought up again was mortifying. Kate is not in a position to respond and Meghan and Harry know that. The royal expert went on to claim that Kate has been left 'saddened, disappointed and hurt' in the wake of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. Until she met Harry people hadnt heard of her: Biographer Tom Bower claims Meghan married Prince Harry to become famous - saying Suits wasnt that popular ByEllen Coughlan For Mailonline The author of a new bombshell royal biography today claimed Meghan married Prince Harry to become famous - saying 'Suits wasnt that popular'. Tom Bower, author of a new insider's account of the royal couple titled Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors, said the Duchess of Sussex 'thought the royal family would be like Hollywood.' Speaking to Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins on Good Morning Britain he claimed that once Meghan realised the royal family was 'lots of work and little reward', she didnt like it anymore. The author said: 'It's wrong to say she was a famous actress, she wasn't, she was a third rate actress, Suits was only watched by a million people.' During the interview, the author admitted that many of his sources were people who don't like Meghan because she'd warned her nearest and dearest her not to speak to him. The author of a new bombshell royal biography today claimed Meghan married Prince Harry to become famous - saying 'Suits wasnt that popular' (pictured on Suits in 2017) Tom Bower, author of a new insider's account of the royal couple titled Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors, said the Duchess of Sussex 'thought the royal family would be like Hollywood' (pictured, announcing their engagement in 2017) Host Ben said to Tom: 'She was a very famous actress. She had a high profile in Hollywood and Suits is a series that was streamed all over the world, so people knew who she was.' Tom disagreed with the host, referring to Meghan's cover story with Vanity Fair while she was dating Prince Harry. 'Well we wont argue but I disagree with you,' he said. 'The point is, until she met Harry, even Graydon Carter the editor of Vanity Fair who commissioned the article never heard of her and never heard of Suits. 'He was just told that anyone who marries Harry is going to be famous and she indeed was.' During the interview, the author admitted that many of his sources were people who don't like Meghan because she'd warned her nearest and dearest her not to speak to him 'She said to her father "I want to be famous, I want to walk down the red carpet" and marrying Harry she achieved exactly that ambition.' The biographer went on to say he believes the royal family tried very hard to accommodate Meghan and include her in the family. He claimed: 'People were very excited by the fact that there was a mixed race girl coming', adding: 'It was going to be a great development for the royal family.' However, he said 'it went wrong' and why it went wrong he said he has 'explained fully' in his new book. Tom claimed the Duchess had told her father she 'wanted to walk down red carpets' and marrying Harry allowed her to 'achieve that ambition' (pictured, at the Lion King premiere in London in 2019) 'Both sides are to blame but I believe the blame lies mostly with Meghan, who I don't think understood the monarchy,' he claimed. The author went on to admit he got a lot of his information for the book from people who don't like Meghan because she had warned the people closest to her not to speak to him. He said: 'She made it pretty clear to all her friends and people who work for her not to talk to me, so it was quite an uphill struggle but I got enough people to speak to me, more than enough, I got about 80 people.' To which Ben asked how the book is going to be an unbiased account if we know the people interviewed already don't like Meghan. The author said: 'Because I sifted through, I never put in stuff that isn't true and can't be checked. Speaking to Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins on Good Morning Britain, Tom claimed that once Meghan realised the royal family was 'lots of work and little reward', she didnt like it anymore (pictured, the Duke and Duchess earlier this week in New York) 'You know I have some admiration for Meghan she succeeded quite well in her life with her ambitions and I was able to balance it all.' The author said no lawsuits from the Royal couple's legal team have been issued yet, but Bower is no stranger to visiting court over his controversial biographies. Two unauthorised biographies of Robert Maxwell, father of convicted British convicted sex offender and former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, landed Bower in hot legal water but ultimately won the raft of cases thrown at him. The author has penned original accounts of business tycoons including Richard Branson, Conrad Black and Bernie Ecclestone but in his latest he has gone after the Sussexes. The book is scheduled for release on July 21. A July 15, photo shows U.S. President Joe Biden coughing as he speaks to the traveling press after taking part in a working session with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al Salam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. AFP-Yonhap President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and went into isolation with mild symptoms. White House officials went all-out to show that the 79-year-old U.S. leader could power through the virus and keep working because he was vaccinated and boosted. In a navy blazer and Oxford shirt, Biden recorded a video on a White House balcony to send the message that he would be fine and the country should stay calm and carry on. He recognizes the pandemic as a national trauma that has killed more than one million Americans and alarmed millions more, and his words in the video posted to Twitter were meant to be reassuring. ''I'm doing well, getting a lot of work done,'' Biden said, the faint sound of an ice cream truck jingling in the distance. ''And in the meantime, thanks for your concern. And keep the faith. It's going to be OK.'' Thursday demonstrated one of the inevitable risks awaiting a president who has insisted on trying to reconnect with the world and everyday Americans after a prolonged lockdown. It was a reminder that COVID-19, with its mutations and sub-strains, continues to be a threat; the White House also saw it as a chance to demonstrate progress in combating the disease. Administration officials reminded people that Biden's prognosis is strong because he's received every vaccine dose for which he's eligible, including two original shots and two boosters. He's also being treated with Paxlovid, an antiviral drug used to prevent more severe symptoms. White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters at a briefing that he spoke with Biden over the phone and the president ''sounded great.'' ''He had been working all morning,'' Jha said. ''He hadn't even been able to finish his breakfast because he had just been busy. I encouraged him to finish his breakfast.'' Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a letter that Biden had a runny nose and ''fatigue, with an occasional dry cough, which started yesterday evening.'' The president will isolate for five days and can return to his usual activities after a negative test, Jha said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the president's symptoms as ''very mild'' and said Biden had been in contact with staff members by phone and was participating in his planned meetings via phone and Zoom from the White House residence. Asked where Biden might have contracted the virus, Jean-Pierre said, ''I don't think that matters.'' She added that the White House was more focused on how Biden was feeling and would engage in contact tracing. The White House took steps to show that the president was busy working despite his diagnosis, with Biden tweeting out a picture of himself making calls from the Treaty Room of the White House. The president spoke by phone to lawmakers in Pennsylvania to apologize for having to cancel his planned trip Thursday to the city of Wilkes-Barre to promote his crime prevention plans. He also called South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn to wish him a happy birthday and congratulate him on receiving an award from the NAACP. A planned fundraiser in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Committee on Thursday was postponed, according to a party official. Dr. O'Connor wrote in his letter about the president's treatment plan: ''I anticipate that he will respond favorably'' to Paxlovid ''as most maximally protected patients do.'' White House chief of staff Ron Klain said in a letter to White House staff obtained by The Associated Press that ''all close contacts of the president'' will be informed of the positive test in keeping with standard protocol. First lady Jill Biden, speaking to reporters as she arrived for a school visit in Detroit, said she'd just gotten off the phone with her husband. ''He's doing fine,'' she said. ''He's feeling good.'' The first lady, who was wearing a mask, said she had tested negative earlier in the day. She planned to keep her full schedule in Michigan and Georgia on Thursday, while following masking and distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Michael LaRosa, her spokesperson. First lady Jill Biden walks to talk to the media about President Joe Biden testing positive for COVID-19, as she arrives to visit Schulze Academy, July 21, in Detroit. AP-Yonhap Meghan Markle brought a 'suitcases of clothes' and 'insisted' she could bring a Canadian photographer with her to Rwanda, an explosive biography has claimed. Writing in his new book Revenge, Tom Bower detailed how the Duchess of Sussex, 40, was invited on the trip in January 2016 by World Vision Canada to be part of a film to promote the charity's work building water wells in the African country. However Bower claims Meghan flew to Rwanda first class, was accompanied by fashion photographer Gabor Jurina and had her own hair and makeup artist. Brenda Surminski, a producer who had been due to film the trip, could no longer travel to Rwanda and a Canadian camera man joined the group instead. However Bower, who admits to speaking to people who were not close to Meghan for his book, claims that after filming with the children playing with a water tap, Meghan 'disappeared' with Jurina to take photographs with some of the youngsters. He penned: 'At the end, Surminski was puzzled. Celebrities using a desolate African village as the backdrop for a fashion shoot was 'mind-blowing.' The Duchess of Sussex hasn't commented on the claims in the book. Meghan Markle 'used a charity trip to Rwanda as a backdrop for a fashion shoot' after bringing 'suitcases of clothes' and 'insisting' she could bring a Canadian photographer with her, an explosive biography has claimed today According to Bower, the connection between the Duchess and the charity came through advertising agency KBS, after Matt Hassell, the creative director in Toronto, suggested she would be 'ideal' to promote WVC. He wrote that Surminski only spoke to Meghan for '30 minutes' before the actress agreed to promote the project building water wells in destitute villages. The film's producer Surminski could no longer travel to the country and instead, Meghan arrived with a team of World Vision marketing executives and a Canadian camera man. Bower wrote that after filming with the children playing with clean water, Meghan 'disappeared' with the fashion photographer. Writing in his new book Revenge, Tom Bower detailed how the Duchess of Sussex was invited on the trip in January 2016 by World Vision Canada to be part of a film to promote the charity's work building water wells in the African country He penned: 'For hours, Jurina photographed the perfectly coiffuered actress hugging, squeezing and smiling at village children.' Meanwhile he wrote Surminksi felt the Duchess was 'on a path with visions of something good happening at the end, but her destination was unknown.' Jurina would later post the fashion photographs on his website, with Bower noting how eight months later, they would be 'more valuable.' Writing on her website The Tig at the time, she discussed her time in Rwanda where she volunteered at a refugee camp. Bower claims Meghan flew to Rwanda first class and was accompanied by fashion photographer Gabor Jurina In the emotional piece Meghan said that she split her time between Hollywood and humanitarian work. Writing on her website she said: 'My life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist.' She continued: 'Ive never wanted to be a lady who lunches Ive always wanted to be a woman who works. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose.' Bower claimed Meghan changed outfits between 'poses' and brought a fashion photographer on the charity trip to Rwanda She added: 'Guiding my heart though the swinging pendulum from excess to lack of access is sometimes challenging.' Other bombshells from the book claim Meghan allegedly made the Duchess of Cambridge cry leading up to her wedding to Prince Harry in a row over bridesmaids dresses - a claim that Meghan has denied. Bower wrote that Kate Middleton 'burst into tears' after Meghan 'compared Princess Charlotte unfavourably to her best friend Jessica Mulroney's daughter'. The claims are the latest in a long line of disputed accounts over an alleged disagreement between Meghan and Kate over bridesmaids dresses. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey about the incident in an explosive interview last year, the Duchess of Sussex said: 'She (Kate) was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised. And she brought me flowers.' Appearing on Good Morning Britain to discuss his book, Bower said Meghan had warned those closest to her not to speak to him. He said: 'She made it pretty clear to all her friends and people who work for her not to talk to me, so it was quite an uphill struggle but I got enough people to speak to me, more than enough, I got about 80 people.' Presenter Ben Shephard asked how the story could be an unbiased account if the author had interviewed people who dislike the Duchess of Sussex. Bower responded: 'Because I sifted through, I never put in stuff that isn't true and can't be checked.' A good advert should stop you in your tracks, and that's certainly true of these head-turning designs. People from around the world have taken to social media to share snaps of the most ingenious advertising campaigns they have come across, with the best examples shared in a gallery on The Rocket Science. Big brands like McDonald's have plenty of money to spend on their outdoor displays and it shows: one clever roadside billboard featured a sundial that showed drivers what item to order from the menu at different times of day. Another from courier company DHL was simple but effective. The company replaced the billboard with a giant red and yellow delivery box to get their messaging across. Here, FEMAIL shares some of the other brilliant advertising campaigns... Driving into your next break! Austrian roadside restaurant chain Oldtimer came up with this clever idea to catch motorists' eyes as they drove down the motorway Don't look down! American insurance company Allstate came up with this daring - and dangerous - idea for capturing the attention of potential customers Drink up! This passerby had to stop to take a photo of a McDonald's coffee cup being filled on the corner of the street Sky is the limit! This clever advertisement for Coca-Cola made use of the crane on the roof Thinking outside the box! Drivers in Oakland, California, would surely have been impressed by DHL's 3D take on the traditional billboard As seen on screen! A Mumbai cinema came up with a seriously clever way to bring in audiences to The Day After Tomorrow - a 2004 film about a storm plunging the world into a new ice age It's the little things: Ogilvy France created these simple yet effective billboards to promote IBM's Smart Ideas for Smarter Cities campaign, showing how small design changes can make a big difference Tearing up the rulebook! The designers of this Indonesian billboard played on the idea of the toothpaste making teeth strong enough to rip the entire structure apart Child's play! A Canadian advert for Lego encouraged people to look up and admire the massive 3D clouds made from bricks 'hovering' over the street Time for a bite to eat? A McDonald's advertising campaign that ran in the US made use of the elements to create a mega sundial to draw in drivers I know the feeling! Ever feel like you're headache is so bad it's like a wrecking ball crashing into your skull? Well that's what US pain relief brand Tylenol is counting on with this billboard Attack of the mega muffins! Supermarket chain Bloom stood out in Charlotte, South Carolina, by making it appear as though cars had been crushed by giant baked goods Playful touch! A South Korean billboard added an interactive element by attaching a swing to the bottom of the chain wrapped around a policeman's bulging biceps Advertisement A glittering array of priceless jewels from the Queens personal collection will go on display together for the first time at Buckingham Palace from today. Among the 22 items are her iconic Diamond Diadem set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds and 169 freshwater pearls her favourite The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Queen Mary Dorset Bow Brooch and Indian-style diamond bangles, which have never been exhibited in public before. Platinum Jubilee: The Queens Accession celebrates the start of Her Majestys historic 70-year reign and centres on 24 official portraits of the Queen taken by legendary female photographer Dorothy Wilding. A glittering array of priceless jewels from the Queens personal collection will go on display together for the first time at Buckingham Palace from today. Among the 22 items are her iconic Diamond Diadem set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds and 169 freshwater pearls her favourite The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Queen Mary Dorset Bow Brooch and Indian-style diamond bangles, which have never been exhibited in public before. Platinum Jubilee: The Queens Accession celebrates the start of Her Majestys historic 70-year reign and centres on 24 official portraits of the Queen taken by legendary female photographer Dorothy Wilding. The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace (pictured on Her Majesty the Queen in 1951) is an astounding piece of jewellery that can only truly be appreciated close up. The ruler of the princely state was the owner of one of Indias greatest collections of jewellery . While he did not travel to the UK for the Queens wedding in 1947, he generously told her to choose a wedding gift from a selection at Cartier in London. She plumped for this necklace (made in around 1935), along with a matching tiara Presented by the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck to mark her wedding to George V in 1893, this tiara (pictured on the Queen on February 26, 1952) is one of the Queens favourite pieces. She still affectionately calls it Grannys Tiara and wore it during one of her first public appearances after the funeral of her father, George VI It takes its name from the committee of women who raised money to create it. Made of diamonds set in silver and gold, it was topped by 14 pearls but they were replaced with 13 brilliant-cut diamonds The Diamond Diadem was selected for official use on the first coins and postage stamps featuring the Queen. Pictured: The Queen wearing the diadem on April 15, 1952 Originally created for George IVs extravagant Coronation in 1821, it is set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds and 169 freshwater pearls. It was worn by the Queen on her journey to Westminster Abbey for her Coronation in 1953, as well as on her trips to and from the State Opening of Parliament since the first year of her reign Wildings original hand-finished prints, which are held in the Royal Collection, are shown alongside the specific items of jewellery worn in them by Her Majesty. In May 1937, Wilding became the first female official royal photographer when she was appointed to take the portraits following the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The then 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth featured in the photographs, along with her sister Princess Margaret, and the display at Buckingham Palace includes the embellished cream dress, purple robe and miniature gold coronet the young princess wore for her parents Coronation. Some 15 years later, in February 1952, Wilding was commissioned to take the first official photographs of the new Queen Elizabeth, just 20 days after she had acceded to the throne following her beloved fathers death. The series of photographs Wilding took during this session and a second two months later have become some of the most enduring images of the Queen, as they form the basis for the profiles and silhouettes we see on stamps and coins to this day. One of the most recognisable jewels is The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, a gift to the future Queen Mary on her marriage to the future George V in 1893. Queen Mary gave the tiara as a wedding present to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, in November 1947, along with her Dorset Bow Brooch and a pair of diamond bangles. The diamond-set Queen Mary Dorset Bow Brooch is a favourite of the Queen. The brooch was a gift from Dorset county to Queen Mary when she married King George V in 1893. She gave them to Elizabeth as a wedding present in 1947 Along with her grandmothers bangles, each set with 39 diamonds, the brooch has not been displayed in public before Many of the items of jewellery worn by the Queen for the portrait sittings hold deeply personal connections. They include a sapphire and diamond Cartier bracelet, given to her in 1944 by her father, George VI, as an 18th birthday gift, as well as her famous pearls. Seen up close for the first time, the impressive Nizam of Hyderabad necklace is a wonder. The ruler of the Indian province left instructions with Cartier in London that Princess Elizabeth should select a wedding gift herself and she plumped for this platinum necklace set with 300 diamonds. The crown she wore as a child: The 1937 coronet then-Princess Elizabeth wore as a child A trailblazer in a mans world, in May 1937 Dorothy Wilding became the first official female royal photographer when she was appointed to take the Coronation portraits of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and their daughters Princess Elizabeth, then 11, with Princess Margaret, wore a cream dress, purple robe by Ede & Ravenscroft and silver gilt coronet by Garrard & Co The Queen wore the necklace for her second sitting with Dorothy Wilding in April 1952. These photographs were chosen to form the basis of Her Majestys image on postage stamps from 1953 until 1971. The necklace has become something of a family favourite, and the Queen most recently loaned it to the Duchess of Cambridge. The Delhi Durbar necklace and earrings are part of a set of diamond and emerald jewellery made for Queen Mary for the Delhi Durbar celebration of George V as King Emperor of India in 1911 It incorporates nine emeralds, as well as the 8.8-carat Cullinan VII diamond pendant cut from the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, the largest ever found The necklace and earrings were inherited by the Queen in 1953, along with the Vladimir Tiara, which was made for Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia around 1874. Pictured: The Queen wearing the jewels in May 1956 The breathtaking display can be viewed by the public as part of the annual Summer Opening of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms, possible again for the first time since 2019. Caroline de Guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of The Queens Works of Art and curator of the display, told the Mail this was an unrivalled chance to see some of the most incredible jewels from the Queens personal collection. Its very rare that we would display Her Majestys personal possessions like this. We are very lucky indeed. Platinum Jubilee: The Queens Accession is open from today until October 2. Tickets are available from rct.uk. A nursing student who forgot to wear an SPF lip balm while on a week-long holiday in Portugal has revealed how her lip burned so badly it turned into a giant scab. Ellie Jean, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, went to Portugal for the Rolling Loud festival earlier this month and spent a week sunbathing. She applied sunscreen on her body but did not think to wear an SPF lip balm and just applied Vaseline instead. The 19-year-old says a painful burn appeared on her bottom lip that she mistook for a cold sore and so put some healing cream on it, hoping that would solve it, but the following day it continued to burn. Horrifying photos show how almost her entire bottom lip became covered in painful blisters and a large black scab. Ellie Jean, from Wigan, who didn't use SPF lip balm sunbathing for a week was left unable to leave home without a mask - as her lip burned so badly it turned into a giant scab (pictured) The beauty used sunscreen on her body but she did not think of wearing SPF lip balm and instead used Vaseline. Pictured, Ellie before her burnt lips The nursing student had gone to Portugal for the Rolling Loud festival, pictured, earlier this month and spent a week sunbathing Ellie believes her lip filler may have exacerbated the problem by stretching out the skin on her lips and making them more prone to burning. She has now vowed to never forget to use SPF lip balm again and is warning others to remember areas they are prone to forgetting when applying sun lotion. Vaseline owner Unilever confirmed their Lip Tins do not contain SPF and encouraged anyone in the sun to ensure they have adequate protection. Ellie said: 'I use Vaseline instead of lip gloss, I always have it on. Horrifying photos show how almost her entire bottom lip became covered in painful blisters and a large black scab 'I'd been sunbathing all the day before and then I woke up and I thought it was a cold sore at first because there was a lump. 'I put [a skin care] cream on it and then I wiped it off and went and sunbathed again. It was already blistered at that point but then it just got a lot worse. 'The next morning it was more prominent and it started drying and cracking. I just kept putting [skin healing] cream on it but it didn't really do anything. 'It felt like burning on my lip and whenever I tried to eat or move my mouth like to smile, all of it would crack and bleed and it was so painful. She has now vowed to never forget to use SPF lip balm again and is warning others to remember areas they are prone to forgetting when applying sun lotion Ellie said it felt like burning on her lip and whenever she tried to eat or move her mouth it would crack and bleed The 19-year-old says a painful burn appeared on her bottom lip that she mistook for a cold sore and so put some healing cream on it, hoping that would solve it. Pictured, Ellie's burn on July 10 (left) and the worsening burn three days later (right) 'I got home the day after and I put on cold sore cream still thinking it was a cold sore but I think it must have made it a lot worse. 'They were all bleeding and cracking and I literally wouldn't leave the house without a mask, it was horrible.' The nursing student got home from holiday on Sunday July 10 and after almost a week of using different creams to try and heal her lip, she was forced to go to her doctor on Friday July 15. Ellie claims the doctor said serious burns on lips are more common in people who have lip filler, leading her to believe her filler contributed to the problem by stretching and thinning the delicate skin. Ellie had lip fillers done last November and she wondered did that make the burning even worse Ellie said she uses Vaseline instead of lip gloss, so she always has it on and she had been sunbathing all week She was prescribed a week-long course of antibiotics which she is still taking and thankfully her lips are gradually healing. Ellie said: 'I thought the cold sore cream would sort it out but when I didn't I went to the doctor. I sent pictures to my GP and she replied and said 'that looks really painful, come in today. The nurse has been telling everyone to put sunscreen on their lips from now on after her horrific experience. Pictured, trying to soothe the burn 'She asked me if I have lip fillers and I do but I haven't had my lips done in a long time, since last November. 'She said it's definitely more common to get it with lip fillers so I was thinking it must be because it stretches the skin out. 'I'm still taking the antibiotics but the scab has come off now. When I stretch my lip I can see a bit of white still so I'm taking them until that clears.' The teen now vows to always use SPF on her lips and warns others to do the same as she recovers from the horrific burn. She hopes that the large scab won't leave a scar now that it has fallen off and her lip continues to heal. Ellie said: 'I know there's lip balms with SPF but I've never gone out of my way to buy one. I just thought it would be fine [using Vaseline only]. 'I can see a bit of scarring but the scab only came off the other day so I don't know if it's just because it's only just fell off. 'I've been telling everyone to put sunscreen on your lips. I definitely will be from now on.' A spokesperson for Unilever, who own Vaseline, said: 'Our Vaseline Lip Tins do not contain an SPF and we would advise anyone sunbathing to ensure they've got adequate protection. We hope Ellie recovers soon.' It's one of Hollywood's most popular spy franchises, so it's perhaps no surprise that Netflix's most costly film ever made, The Gray Man, has been inspired by the extremely successful Bond movies, according to critics. The new blockbuster, released today on the streaming site, is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Mark Greaney and follows CIA operative Court Gentry (played by Ryan Gosling), known by his codename, Sierra Six, as he battles it out against his former ally, Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo - the duo behind Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame - the story sees top agent Gentry uncover a dark secret within the agency, all while being hunted by his ex-colleague and a slew of international assassins. The Gray Man is the most expensive Netflix film ever made, with a budget of around $200million (166millon) - and boasts a star-studded cast, including former Bond girl Ana De Armas and Bridgerton's Rege-Jean Page, who's been tipped to become the next 007. And that's not the only similarities to the British spy franchise, with the film including 'some stunts that are as thrillingly extravagant as they are implausibly silly. The Bond producers might have to raise their game,' explained the Daily Mail's Brian Viner. The blockbuster itself even pokes fun at the likeness, with Gosling's lead character joking that he goes by the name Six because 007 was taken. The Gray Man, released today on the streaming site, is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Mark Greaney and follows CIA operative Court Gentry (played by Ryan Gosling (pictured)), known by his codename, Sierra Six, as he battles it out against his former ally, Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) The Gray Man is the most expensive Netflix film ever made, with a budget of around $200million (166millon) - and boasts a star-studded cast, including former Bond girl Ana De Armas (left) and Bridgerton's Rege-Jean Page (right), who's been tipped to become the next 007 And that's not the only similarities to the British spy franchise, with the film including 'some stunts that are as thrillingly extravagant as they are implausibly silly. The Bond producers might have to raise their game,' explained the Daily Mail's Brian Viner Netflix Inc and the movie's directors hope the big-budget, effects-filled thriller in the spirit of a James Bond adventure will launch the company's own long-running spy series. 'Whether it's exploring the events after the original Gray Man movie, or before, or where we choose to go, there's a lot of options in this universe,' Anthony Russo said. Speaking about the comparisons the movie has drawn with other spy films, such as James Bond and the Bourne franchise, Joe Russo told Elle: 'Well, this is a modern story. 'I think that Bond is about 60 years old at this point and Bournes about 20 years old, and this film is connected in a lot of ways to some issues that are going on in the world right now. 'The character is exceedingly existential, quite funny, and we just find that it fits our sense of humour. Its the kind of film that we feel would work well with todays audiences.' But Rege-Jean Page, hotly fancied as the next Bond himself and who plays CIA boss Denny Carmichael in the film, previously described The Gray Man as a blend between the James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo - the duo behind Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame - the story sees top agent Gentry uncover a dark secret within the agency, all while being hunted by his ex-colleague and a slew of international assassins. Pictured, Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen With a star-studded cast of Gosling (second from left), De Armas (second from right), Chris Evans (right), Rege-Jean Page (left) and Billy Bob Thornton, many are excited for its premiere He said: 'It's a global travel adventure, but with spies, explosions, guns, falling out of airplanes . . . there's nothing that isn't in this movie. 'It has this How is this dude still on his feet?! factor. It has that suave suits and sophistication, Bond factor. And it has that hyper-real, hyper-violent Bourne factor.' 'Mediocre' and 'bland': Movie critics slam The Gray Man in withering reviews A DailyDot reporter said Ryan Gosling's character, Sierra Six, has 'no personality,' and that 'the characterization is so bland, it saps the energy out of beloved movie stars.' The outlet also claimed the script is 'so formulaic it may as well be generated by an algorithm' and that the action scenes are 'disappointingly mediocre.' The New York Times was also quick to bash the film, writing in a review that it's made up of a 'barrage of bullets and one-liners.' It added that the audience isn't able 'to find its footing in the films large, expensive set pieces, which prevents the action from becoming truly thrilling.' Well-known movie critic Robert Ebert said the Russo brothers, who directed the flick, 'ran off' with Netflix's money without 'really caring what they delivered.' Ebert called the 'programmatically dull' movie 'a silly piece of popcorn entertainment that too often forgets that this kind of venture needs to be fun.' Collider also released furious fire against The Gray Man in its review, calling the movie 'mediocre' and slamming it for including 'too many supporting characters without much to do.' Collider said The Gray Man 'never gives the audience a reason to care about this mission or the characters.' It added that the 'big, dumb action film' is 'really just as simple as one man trying to kill another.' Advertisement Gosling's lead character is a former inmate sprung from prison by the CIA in exchange for servitude in a secret program. 'I've always wanted to make an action movie,' Gosling told Reuters. 'Action was my first love. It made me fall in love with movies in the first place. It took a minute to get there and find the right one.' The movie - which was filmed at seven locations around the world from Azerbaijan to Croatia and France - packs in nine major action sequences, including a lengthy gun battle in a public square in Prague. 'We wanted to be very ambitious with this movie,' director Anthony said. 'It is hard to shoot action. It's expensive to shoot action, and Netflix was up for this level of ambition.' 'It was real trial by fire for me having it be my first action film,' Gosling said. Chris Evans plays Gosling's nemesis, an assassin named Lloyd Hansen who was expelled from the CIA for excessive tactics. 'He's unapologetically himself,' Evans said of the character. 'I think most of us walk through the world measuring who we are based on who we think we're supposed to be, and Lloyd is unbound by those social norms.' Yet reaction for the film from critics has been mixed. The Times' Tom Shone said: 'Throw the Bourne, Bond, Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious franchises into a blender and keep your finger jammed on the button for the length of time it takes to make a banana smoothie and voila you might end up with a film like The Gray Man; youll forget it the moment you stop watching it.' However, numerous critics have ridiculed the thriller, with one calling it 'formulaic, bland, unoriginal, and disappointingly mediocre.' Another claimed the movie 'never gave the audience a reason to care about the mission or characters' and said it lost 'all tension and excitement' due to its 'absurd editing.' A third said they weren't 'able to name a memorable thing about it' a few days after watching it and that it was tough to recall even 'five characteristics of the hero.' A DailyDot reporter said Gosling's character had 'no personality,' and that she could tell the movie 'was going to be a slog within the first 90 seconds' - when it opened with Thornton's character delivering a long and boring speech. 'The characterization is so bland, it saps the energy out of beloved movie stars,' the outlet wrote in its review, adding that the script is 'so formulaic it may as well be generated by an algorithm.' Directed by the Russo Brothers (who were previously behind some of the Avengers movies), the filmis about a top CIA agent who uncovers a dark secret within the agency However, numerous critics have ridiculed the thriller, with one calling it 'formulaic, bland, unoriginal, and disappointingly mediocre' 'Movies like The Gray Man live or die on their action sequences,' it continued. 'Sure, the concept is unoriginal - a man on the run, some evil mercenaries, a kidnapped girl - but no one watches these movies for the plot. Were here for fight scenes and car chases which in this case are disappointingly mediocre.' DailyDot compared the flick to a 'cheap Jason Bourne rip-off,' which 'failed to elicit any sense of danger.' The New York Times was also quick to bash the film, writing in a review that it's made up of a 'barrage of bullets and one-liners.' 'The caffeinated cuts and pacing never allow the audience to find its footing in the films large, expensive set pieces, which prevents the action from becoming truly thrilling,' it wrote. Well-known movie critic Robert Ebert said the it felt like the Russos 'ran off' with Netflix's money without 'really caring what they delivered.' Despite the negative response from critics, some fans who got to see the movie during early screenings have come to its defence online 'People will watch The Gray Man by the millions. They just wont be able to name a memorable thing about it a few days later,' he said. While it received a low score of 53 per cent from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience gave the movie an 89 per cent. And despite the negative response from critics, some fans who got to see the flick during early screenings have come to its defence online. 'I loved The Gray Man. It was so good,' one fan wrote on Twitter. 'Chris did such an amazing job, I love watching him act. 'Ryan was amazing too ... Can't wait to watch on Netflix. If you can go see it at a theatre do it. Overall, I f****** loved it.' Another added: 'Just finished watching The Gray Man it was so so good! Definitely one of my favourites. Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas - my favourite trio. I need to rewatch the movie again.' The fifth series of The Crown will incorporate information that has recently surfaced about how The BBC secured an infamous Panorama interview with Princess Diana. The 1995 interview between Diana and BBC journalist Martin Bashir made global headlines as the princess spoke openly about her marriage to the Prince of Wales. A report by Lord Dyson published last year found Bashir used 'deceitful behaviour' - which The BBC then covered up - to win the Princess's trust and convince her to give the interview. As production gets underway on the new series of Netflix hit show The Crown, a source has confirmed the controversial way in which the interview was secured will be aired in scenes. The new series of The Crown will see Emma Corrin (pictured) replaced by Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana BBC journalist Martin Bashir was found to have used 'deceitful behaviour' to secure the interview with Princess Diana Alexandra Pettifer, better known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, a former nanny to the Duke of Cambridge, outside the High Court, central London, after the BBC agreed to pay her substantial damages over 'false and malicious' allegations about her used to obtain Martin Bashir's 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales A source said: 'Season five of The Crown will dramatise events surrounding the Panorama interview, given the pivotal part it played during the time period the new series covers. 'It will reflect what we now know about how the interview was obtained and how Diana was treated.' While speaking to Bashir in 1995, Diana famously said of her relationship with Prince Charles: 'There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded'. After the revelations into the 1995 interview were uncovered, Prince William called on the BBC never to air it again. On Thursday, the BBC agreed it would not broadcast any clips from Bashir's interview in future. Director-general Tim Davie said: 'Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained, I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again, nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters. Dominic West will take on the role of Prince Charles in series five of The Crown, taking over from Josh O'Connor who portrayed the Prince of Wales in the third and fourth series Elizabeth Debicki will be taking the role of Princess Diana from Emma Corrin in the new series of The Crown set for release in November 2022 Princess Diana revealed in a 1995 interview with BBC Panorama that there were 'three people' in her marriage to Prince Charles 'It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. 'I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.' The new series of The Crown, due to hit streaming service Netflix in November, will see Dominic West star as Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana. The Wire star West takes over the role of Charles from Josh O'Connor, while The Night Manager actress Debicki replaces Emma Corrin. Imelda Staunton will take over the role of the Queen from Olivia Colman, while Jonathan Pryce replaces Tobias Menzies as the Duke of Edinburgh and Lesley Manville will be Princess Margaret, following in the footsteps of Helena Bonham Carter. The Crown was due to end after the fifth series, but the show's creator and writer Peter Morgan later said it will be extended to include a sixth series. Diana died believing the affair was TRUE': Friend reveals how Princess of Wales 'burst into tears' over BBC's lies about Prince Charles' romance with nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke... and went to her grave never knowing the truth Princess Diana burst into tears when she repeated 'wholly baseless' and bogus smears by Martin Bashir that Prince Charles was having an affair with William and Harry's royal nanny, the Princess of Wales' friend revealed today. The BBC yesterday paid out around 200,000 to Tiggy Legge-Bourke before Tim Davie, the corporation's director-general, also made a humiliating apology to her as well as to the Prince of Wales and his sons. A formal statement, agreed by the former nanny and the BBC, said she was the victim of 'very serious and totally unfounded' allegations that she was having an affair with Charles that had resulted in an aborted pregnancy. These allegations, the statement said, had been 'fabricated' and a series of false claims had left the former nanny 'extremely upset and confused'. Tiggy Legge-Bourke with William, Harry and Charles at Zurich Airport in February 1994 Diana's former psychic Simone Simmons told The Sun: 'My heart goes out to Tiggy. I remember when Diana told me that she had it from the highest authority that Charles had an affair and Tiggy had a termination. 'Her face went beetroot and she burst into tears. Diana was very angry with Charles and told the boys not to speak to Tiggy. Diana died believing it was true. If she was around now she'd be dreadfully apologetic. But Bashir made her paranoid about everything and everyone. It was one of the biggest con tricks ever played'. The BBC yesterday paid out around 200,000 to a former royal nanny who was subjected to 'wholly baseless' smears by Martin Bashir. A court had heard that Miss Legge-Bourke suffered substantial damage and upset for 25 years as a result of 'false and malicious allegations'. Although he was not named at the hearing, the false claims are said to have been made by Bashir while working on a BBC Panorama interview with Princess Diana. The BBC apology to Tiggy Legge-Bourke in full 'Following publication of the Dyson Report last year we have been working with those who suffered as a result of the deceitful tactics used by the BBC in pursuit of its interview with Diana, Princess of Wales for the Panorama programme in 1995, including the matters that were mentioned in court in respect of Miss Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Mrs Alexandra Pettifer. 'The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to the Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives. 'It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly. Instead, as the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions. 'Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down. 'Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we licence it in whole or part to other broadcasters. 'It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.' Advertisement Miss Legge-Bourke said the 'false narrative' created by the programme had 'haunted' the Royal Family since it aired in 1995. Yesterday Earl Spencer again reiterated his call for criminal charges over the Princess Diana Panorama scandal - as the BBC issued a grovelling apology over the 'shocking' way Martin Bashir obtained the notorious interview. Corporation boss Tim Davie pledged to never show the programme again as a defamation case launched by former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke over smears made by the rogue reporter came to a close. The broadcaster agreed to pay her substantial damages in response to 'fabricated' allegations that she'd had an affair with the Prince of Wales while working as Charles' personal assistant in 1995. Mr Bashir is also said to have tricked Diana into believing the nanny had become pregnant by Charles by showing her a faked abortion 'receipt'. The princess' brother, Earl Spencer, has long called for criminal charges to be brought, but Scotland Yard said it would not launch an investigation after assessing Lord Dyson's report into the documentary. He launched a fresh call, as he said: 'While I'm delighted to see that another innocent victim of this appalling scandal is being vindicated, it's amazing to me that no criminal charges have been levelled against those responsible, yet.' Miss Legge-Bourke's solicitor Louise Prince had earlier told the court that the allegations caused 'serious personal consequences for all concerned'. Ms Prince said that Ms Legge-Bourke had not known the source of the allegations over the last 25 years, but that it was now likely that the 'false and malicious allegations arose as a result and in the context of BBC Panorama's efforts to procure an exclusive interview with Diana, Princess of Wales'. The corporation's director-general Mr Davie directed a public apology to Charles, William and Harry, as well as Miss Legge-Bourke herself 'for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives'. He agreed with comments previously made by the Duke of Cambridge that the BBC 'failed to ask the tough questions' and admitted it was 'a matter of great regret' that bosses 'did not get to the facts'. Mr Davie pledged to never show the Panorama programme again, or provide the rights to other broadcasters, adding: 'Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. Timeline of the Diana-Panorama scandal 1986: Martin Bashir joins BBC as news correspondent and works on programs including Songs of Praise, Public Eye and Panorama. November 1995: The famous interview with Princess Diana turns Mr Bashir into TV's hottest property. 1996: The Mail on Sunday reveals claims that Mr Bashir used faked bank documents to persuade Diana to talk. The BBC holds internal inquiry dismissed as a 'whitewash'. 1999: Moves to ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald. His scoops include interview with Stephen Lawrence suspects and documentary on Michael Jackson. May 2004: Quits to host ABC's Nightline in US. Suspended in 2008 after making 'Asian babes' remark at Asian American Journalists convention. 2010: Joins NBC News as an MSNBC anchor. He resigns in 2013 after controversial remarks about vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. 2016: BBC re-hires Mr Bashir as religious affairs correspondent. He is later promoted to religion editor. October 2020: Channel 4 documentary alleges there was 'elaborate plot' by Mr Bashir to trick Diana into talking. November 7: The Daily Mail reveals a shocking dossier held by Diana's brother Earl Spencer revealing alleged royal smears, lies and tricks that Mr Bashir used to land his interview. November 18: BBC orders six-month inquiry by former judge Lord Dyson. May 14, 2021: The BBC announces Mr Bashir has handed in his notice on health grounds. Advertisement 'We let her, the royal family and our audiences down.' However Mr Davie added that 'there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts'. In a statement on the independent report last year, the Met Police announced it was 'not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995'. 'Following the publication of Lord Dyson's report in May, specialist detectives assessed its contents and looked carefully at the law - once again obtaining independent legal advice from Treasury Counsel as well as consulting the Crown Prosecution Service,' the force said. 'As a result, the MPS has not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence and will therefore be taking no further action.' Miss Legge-Bourke said in a statement yesterday that the distress caused to the royal family, as well as the smears against herself, were 'a source of great upset to me'. Speaking after successfully settling her defamation claim, the former nanny said: 'I am disappointed that it needed legal action for the BBC to recognise the serious harm I have been subjected to. 'Sadly, I am one of many people whose lives have been scarred by the deceitful way in which the BBC Panorama was made and the BBC's subsequent failure to properly investigate the making of the programme. 'The distress caused to the royal family is a source of great upset to me. 'I know first-hand how much they were affected at the time, and how the programme and the false narrative it created have haunted the family in the years since. 'Especially because, still today, so much about the making of the programme is yet to be adequately explained.' Louise Prince of Harbottle & Lewis, on behalf of Alexandra Pettifer, who was known at the time as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, told the court that the former nanny was 'relieved that the BBC accepts that the allegations are completely untrue and without any foundation whatsoever. 'She is also pleased that the BBC has agreed to apologise unreservedly... in order to assist her in repairing the substantial harm it has caused her. 'The BBC has agreed to pay to her a substantial sum of damages... It has also agreed to pay her legal costs.' Miss Legge-Bourke (pictured with son Tom, left, leaving court yesterday) said the distress caused to the royal family, as well as the smears against herself, were 'a source of great upset to me' Earl Spencer again reiterated his call for criminal charges over the Princess Diana Panorama scandal William and Harry play on the River Gairn near Balmoral with their nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke in 1994 The ex-nanny of Prince William and Prince Harry (pictured in 2005) has received substantial damages from the BBC for being smeared by former rogue reporter Martin Bashir The court was told that the Dyson Investigation, commissioned by the broadcaster, had 'shed some light' on how the interview had been secured. The solicitor said that the 'totally unfounded' allegations 'appeared to exploit some prior false speculation in the media' about Ms Legge-Bourke and Charles. 'After Diana, Princess of Wales, became aware of the allegations in late 1995, she became upset with the claimant without apparent justification,' she added. Ms Prince said Ms Legge-Bourke 'holds the BBC liable for the serious impact the false and malicious allegations have had. 'Had the BBC not fallen short, the claimant and her family could have been spared 25 years of lies, suspicion and upset.' Jonathan Scherbel-Ball of lawyers 5RB on behalf of the BBC told the court: 'The BBC accepts that the allegations were wholly baseless, should never have been made, and that the BBC did not, at the time, adequately investigate serious concerns over the circumstances in which the BBC secured the Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales... 'The BBC is extremely sorry for the serious and prolonged harm caused to (Mrs Pettifer) and the historical investigative shortcoming. 'It is pleased that the parties have been able to resolve these issues amicably by joining in this statement in open court and by the BBC paying her substantial compensation and legal costs.' Prince William has previously vowed to continue his battle to uncover 'the truth' about how his mother came to be duped by Martin Bashir (pictured) William criticised the BBC in 2020 for its failings around his mother's Panorama interview which exacerbated her 'fear, paranoia and isolation' BBC boss Tim Davie issued a grovelling apology as the broadcaster agreed to pay damages Former BBC Panorama producer Mark Killick said: 'It's good news that this matter has finally been resolved, but the length of time it has taken for the BBC to apologise and pay damages is yet more proof that the BBC is dragging its feet when confronting the past. 'The BBC remains extremely reluctant to confront any issue that was not specifically covered by Lord Dyson, even if the truth is widely known, and its attitude is hardly likely to give confidence to whistle-blowers who today may want to speak truth to power. Who else has the BBC paid out to over the Martin Bashir scandal? A charity of the Royal Family's choice Last year the BBC agreed to pay 1.15million pound to a charity of the Royal Family's choice over the Bashir scandal. The figure was equal to the amount of money the corporation made by selling the global rights. The BBC agreed to make the donation after the Dyson Inquiry found the BBC 'fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency of its handling of Bashir'. Matt Weissler A graphic designer who said in 1996 that Bashir had asked him to forge bank documents to help earn Diana's trust. But rather than being met with respect, his career was turned upside down by BBC bosses, who blacklisted him from work with the corporation. It took until November 2020 for an inquiry to be established based on the Mail on Sunday's reporting. The BBC last year agreed a 750,000 payout for Weissler. Patrick Jephson Princess Diana's former private secretary has received 'substantial' damages over the scandal. The corporation also apologised 'unreservedly' to Mr Jephson. Bashir commissioned forged bank statements purporting to show how payments were made into the account of Jephson from intelligence services monitoring Diana's movements. The documents were used to convince Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, into introducing Bashir to the princess and later convince her into an interview. Mr Jephson said it was 'a relief' to 'finally to reach a conclusion to this painful episode' and added he will donate the money, believed to be around 100,000, to a children's hospice. Alan Waller Earl Spencer's former head of security, Alan Waller, whose bank statements were also forged on the orders of Bashir, had claimed he should get a payout. He said his named had been 'repeatedly dragged through the mud' by Bashir. But last year he told The Telegraph the BBC was not engaging in 'any meaningful way' over his 500,000 compensation claim. Advertisement 'Tim Davie, the current BBC director-general, deserves credit for the steps he has taken, but whether the BBC has done enough to prevent a scandal like this from happening again remains to be seen.' As well as false smears that she had an affair with Charles, it was also alleged that the Princess of Wales was tricked into granting her Panorama interview after Mr Bashir showed her a faked abortion 'receipt' for the nanny. Diana was said to have become convinced that the nanny had become pregnant by Charles and allegedly confronted her at a Christmas party, where she acidly remarked: 'So sorry to hear about the baby.' It was previously reported that Miss Legge-Bourke could be set for a financial settlement in line with that received by graphic artist Matt Wiessler. Insiders believe that such was the scale of Bashir's slurs about Miss Legge-Bourke Mr Wiessler, who was blacklisted after he raised concerns about Bashir's conduct on the 1995 interview, is thought to have received 500,000 as part of his agreement with the BBC. The artist had been asked by Bashir to mock up false bank statements. Elsewhere, earlier this year the BBC paid Diana's former private secretary Patrick Jephson 100,000. Commander Jephson donated in full his financial settlement from the BBC to charity, with money going to a children's hospice. Bashir was said to have used fake bank statements which appeared to show he had received payments from the intelligence services. The BBC also reportedly paid more than 1.5million to a charity selected by the Royal Family after the fallout from a report by Lord Dyson into the scandal. BBC director-general Tim Davie said: 'Following publication of the Dyson Report last year we have been working with those who suffered as a result of the deceitful tactics used by the BBC in pursuit of its interview with Diana, Princess of Wales for the Panorama programme in 1995, including the matters that were mentioned in court in respect of Miss Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Mrs Alexandra Pettifer. 'The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to the Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives. 'It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly. Instead, as the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions. 'Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down. 'Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we licence it in whole or part to other broadcasters. 'It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.' In a blistering attack last year, Prince William damned the corporation for deceiving his mother, ruining her life and helping to hasten her divorce. He said the BBC's failures had contributed to Diana's 'fear, paranoia and isolation' in her final years, and that the infamous 1995 Panorama interview made a 'major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse'. He said: 'It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others. 'This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events. 'In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. 'These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too.' Queen Letizia of Spain looked radiant and relaxed today as she held an audience at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. The royal, 49, greeted and spoke with a variety of guests, including representatives from the State Platform for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities. Looking typically stylish for the event, the mother-of-two donned a 389 Boss day dress with a simple line drawing pattern. Queen Letizia meets representatives from the State Platform for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities during an audience at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid Looking typically stylish for the event, the mother-of-two donned a 389 Boss day dress with a simple line drawing pattern for the outing today Stylish Letizia wore her brunette locks down, just brushing her shoulders, and opted for medium-sized hoop earrings and silver ring on her index finger Letizia poses with representatives from the State Platform for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Stylish Letizia also wore her brunette locks down, just brushing her shoulders, and opted for medium-sized hoop earrings and silver ring on her index finger. She matched the dress - which featured side pockets, a belt, and v neck collar to show off her tan - with wedge espadrilles to complete the summery look. The former journalist kept her make-up to a minimum, showing off her natural beauty while on stage. The Spanish queen accessorises the outfit with simple hoop earrings and ring and white espadrilles and smiled as she made her way inside The monarch, who is married to King Felipe of Spain, is regularly seen wearing stylish Boss outfits The stunning monarch is often seen wearing Boss or Hugo Boss outfits. Last month, she stunned in animal print as she recycled a Hugo Boss shirt dress for a meeting in Madrid. The Queen, who appeared alongside her husband King Felipe VI, recreated a look she debuted in a royal tour of Cuba in November 2019. She paired the 369 Hugo Boss dress with the same pair of fuchsia slingback heels which added a splash of colour to the monochrome look. Queen Letizia of Spain looked polished to perfection today as she joined her husband, King Felipe at the La Caixa' scholarship awards in Madrid The royal (pictured with her husband), 49, handed out postgraduate scholarships to 120 students at the ceremony, which will help them receive education at some of the most prestigious academic centres around the world Looking typically stylish for the event, the mother-of-two donned a black and white polka dot midi dress by Massimo Dutti, an affordable Spanish fashion brand, along side espadrilles wedges Wearing her brunette hair loose, her soft waves swept her shoulders and were tucked behind her ear to show a flash of her hooped earrings This week, the monarch was also spotted out in a Massimo Dutti dress, with Macarena shoes in black and CXC jewellery earrings as she handed out scholarships with her husband in Madrid. She previously wore her black and white spotted frock in July 2020 for a visit to the Principality of Asturias. The former broadcast journalist Letizia tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month after showing mild symptoms of the virus. Prior to testing positive for the virus, the royal had had a busy few weeks, welcoming world leaders to Madrid for the NATO summit. She also attended the presentation of the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards. A man in a long-distance relationship with his Filipino fiance has hit back at his best friend, who suggested the son they share might not be his. Shaun, 41, from Botley, Hampshire, appears on the first episode of the new series of 90 Day Fiance UK which will air on Discovery+ on Sunday 24 July. He has been with Christine, who lives in the Philippines with their five-year-old son Christian, since 2013 after the pair met online the previous year. Christine, 42, and Shaun, 41, have been in a long distance relationship for nearly 10 years after meeting online - but Shaun's friends have reservations about the pairing Shaun's friend Jimmy questioned if Shaun was the biological father of his son Christian Now they speak over video call every day while Christine, who has three children from a previous relationship, waits to move to the UK. In a clip released ahead of the first episode of the new series, which airs on Sunday 24 July, Shaun's best friend Jimmy expressed concern about the money Shaun sends to his fiance - and even suggests he is not the biological father of their son. Sitting down with Jimmy and another friend, Daniel, at the pub, cleaning manager Shaun said: 'I send [Christine] money once a month to help her out.' Elsewhere in the episode he explained he sends Christine 400 every month, which leaves him with 50-60 for himself. When Jimmy questioned this, Shaun replied he had to 'take a chance on love' and insisted sending Christine the money showed he loved her. Jimmy said: 'You've got to take it really careful.' Shaun hit back at Jimmy's accusations and insisted he does not need to take a DNA test to prove his son Christian is really his Shaun's son Christian (pictured as a newborn), whom Shaun has only met four times, lives in The Philippines with his mother Christine As the conversation became more heated Jimmy added: 'What we're doing is just looking out for you, Shaun. Just in case Christian isn't yours.' Hitting back Shaun said: 'I know he's my son. I don't need a DNA test. You can see the resemblance on him.' He went on to insist his fiance was not 'using' him for his money and said: 'Christine is the love of my life.' Despite being head-over-heels for Christine, 42, Shaun admits he is lonely living without her. He told the programme: 'When I come home from work, I usually say, "hello toaster, howre you doing?" or "hello kettle". And sometimes I jump in front of the mirror and say, "hey Shaun, howre you doing"?' He added he has only met his son Christian four times and is desperately trying to apply for Christine's visa so she can move to the UK. The 41-year-old cleaning manager from Hampshire is trying to get a visa for his fiance Christine to move to the UK Shaun has hit back at naysayers who are skeptical of his relationship and has said Christine is his 'Queen' Speaking about why he was drawn to Christine, Shaun said: 'We met in 2012 on social media; I clicked on her profile, and then when she accepted me as a friend we started corresponding back and forth. 'Then she started video chatting with me, I thought she was a good-looking girl and I thought how can a guy like this get a girl like that? 'I like her quirkiness, I like how she acts silly, you know. But its just the way she is, she doesnt care what people think of her. She just goes out and has fun. 'Thats what I love about her character, thats what I love about Christine. The Queen herself, my future Queen.' Despite being blissfully happy with Christine Shaun's friends and family have questioned the amount of cash he sends over to his fiance every month. Shaun said: 'When I started sending her money, my parents and all my friends started saying, "why are you sending her money"? 'But to be honest with you I dont really care, Im following my heart. Its my choice. So, you either be part of me in the circle, or youre not.' Shaun sends Christine 400 every single month, leaving him with 50-60 for himself Shaun hopes Christine will soon be able to come to the UK with Christian so the family can live together During the episode Shaun's mother explained why she was concerned. She said: 'The reason we worried about it is because you hear all these stories of people taking advantage of others. Sending money, sending money. 'We didnt know if her intentions were true, if she was serious about you or if there was another agenda.' Shaun stubbornly responded: 'Well, one its got nothing to do with you, and two, mind your own business. What the heart wants, the heart gets. Alright? I chose this path for me.' Another obstacle standing in the way of Shaun and Christine is that the mother-of-four is already married. Shaun said: 'Christine is still married. In the Philippines, theyve got a totally different rule. 'They dont believe in divorce; they believe in annulment and its costing far too much money.' On top of the money he sends to his fiance every month, Shaun is also saving up the cash to pay for Christine's annulment, which will cost around 5,000. Shaun said: 'I dont have the money, but I am going to be saving up for it and then we can get married. 'Yes, theyre still married, but they dont live with each other. I dont feel jealous about it, because I know she loves me, and I love her.' British-born Princess Claire of Belgium was captured on camera seemingly scolded her husband Prince Laurent during the National Day parade yesterday. Prince Laurent, 58, who is the younger brother of King Philippe, and is related to Queen Elizabeth, was filmed playing on his phone, yawning and even took a seat during the event. At one stage, Princess Claire, 48, who was born in Bath as Claire Coombs and who worked as a land surveyor, lent over to stop her husband from sitting down, apparently offering him a few stern words under breath. National Day marks the anniversary of the investiture of King Leopold I, the country's first monarch, in 1831. British-born Princess Claire of Belgium, 48, was captured on camera scolding her husband Prince Laurent, 58, during the National Day parade yesterday At one stage, Princess Claire lent over to stop her husband from sitting down, apparently offering him a few stern words under breath During a clip of the moment, Prince Laurent can be seen bending down to take a seat during the event. However his wife quickly lent across to stop him with a frown upon her face. The couple could then seen exchanging furious whispers with one another before Prince Laurent remained standing. Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of married in 2003 and have since gone on to have three children together, Princess Louise, and twins Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric. During a clip of the moment, Prince Laurent can be seen bending down to take a seat during the event (left). However his wife quickly lent across to stop him with a frown upon her face (right) The couple could then seen exchanging furious whispers with one another before Prince Laurent remained standing Prince Laurent's reputation for outspokenness that has earned him the nickname 'Belgium's Prince Phillip'. Meanwhile Princess Claire rarely appears in public with her husband, but occasionally supports him at environmental causes or animal charities. The royal is the leading patron of Brussels Choral Society, which sang at the religious part of her marriage ceremony, and is a member of the Board of Trustees at the British School of Brussles. Meanwhile she also often attends charitable and commemorative events hosted by the British Ambassador to Belgium. After exchanging a few words with Princess Claire, 58-year-old Prince Laurent remained standing In another moment during the parade yesterday, the royal appeared to be playing and chatting on his phone In March 2020, Prince Laurent claimed British-born Princess Claire has been 'seriously ill with a lingering illness'. He explained that when Princess Claire was diagnosed with the coronavirus in March, the family's main concern had been due to her already compromised immune system. As reported by Royal Central, the royal told Nieuwsblad: 'Her illness was discovered in an early stage. The treatment is now over. 'We can do nothing now but wait and hope she will be okay. I really hope it will be so.' During another moment, Prince Laurent shut his eyes (left), before he began playing on his mobile phone (right) It is unknown what the lingering illness British-born Princess Claire was diagnosed with. Prince Laurent had previously told media that someone in his family had started to feel tired, and tested positive to the virus, however he didn't confirm who it was. In an interview published, he told Le Soir Mag: 'We do not know how, but the coronavirus has entered our household. Staring at row upon row of bare shelves where baby formula should be, I was gripped by a now-familiar cocktail of emotions - frustration, dread, exhaustion, panic as I asked myself repeatedly how I was going to feed my five-month-old daughter. I broke down in tears in the middle of the aisle in a CVS in New Jersey, pushed to my limit by the sheer helplessness of navigating the acute baby formula supply chain crisis thats gripping America, leaving supermarket and pharmacy shelves bare and millions of new parents like me struggling to find enough produce to feed their children. I'm a working, first-time mom to my daughter Amelia. Leaving my child at day-care at such a young age is hard. Worrying what to feed her takes new motherhood to a new level of stress. Add to the equation that she, like so many other babies, requires a specific brand of lactose-free formula because her digestive system cannot tolerate lactose and, in this climate, it's a whole new stratosphere of anxiety. The happiest time of my life as mom to a new baby I dote on is tainted by the constant worry about feeding her - and the realization that our government has completely failed to get a grip on the issue. My fiance John and I spend countless hours trawling mommy groups and online marketplaces, stopping at supermarkets and pharmacy chains in hopes of some new stock on the shelves. In desperation, last week I paid $40 - almost double the retail cost - for two bottles of ready-feed that lasted us two days after trawling a website where people buy and sell formula for the only brand that doesnt make my daughter ill. Am I helping support an underground market in these goods that's making this issue worse? Probably. Do I care about that right now? No, I do not. I'm desperate. I'm doing what I need to do to feed my child and if that means relying on strangers social media help through posts they share offering swaps or information on where they've seen certain brands, email alerts, hours trawling the internet and spending a small fortune on an essential product, that's that we must do. We have a child to feed and this urgent situation doesnt feel like it's going to ease any time soon. My fiance John and I spend countless hours trawling mommy groups and online marketplaces, stopping at supermarkets and pharmacy chains in hopes of some new stock on the shelves to feed our five-month-old daughter, Amelia On Monday, the Biden administration announced its seventeenth Operation Fly Formula mission. Yes, you read that right the seventeenth. This latest drop - the equivalent of 802,446 8-ounce bottles of Nestle Health Science amino acid-based formula - arrived on two planes from Switzerland to JFK Airport in New York on July 21 and 22 before being distributed primarily to hospitals and home health care providers. That sounds like a lot of formula but heres the reality: By Sunday July 24, Biden's Operation Fly Formula will have transported the equivalent of more than 61million eight-ounce bottles to the US. American consumers usually buy the equivalent of 65million eight-ounce bottles a week. You can see the math doesnt add up. According to the market research firm IRI, which tracks inventory across 125,000 stores in the U.S, about 30 percent of powdered formula products were out of stock for the week ended July 3. That's less stock than in May when media coverage was at its peak. The variety of products on shelves has shrunk too. The most recently available data, from the week ending June 17, shows 22 percent of all formula is still out of stock in the U.S. It's a marginal improvement but I don't see a difference on the shelves. In New Jersey, where I live, and in New York, where I work, stock is down 30 percent and 29 percent respectively. Before this nightmare gripped our nation, my pantry was overflowing with Enfamil Nutramigen, a hypoallergenic formula for babies with a tolerance to cows' milk and the only formula my daughter can tolerate, but now my cupboards are just as bare as those store shelves. Amelia was colicky for the first six weeks after birth. She was gassy and cried for hours straight every day, and Nutramigen was the only formula that calmed her and her stomach. Over the past few months, it has been harder and harder to find, forcing us to test other brands that claim to be similar. Our experiment has been far from successful. Last week, a trial of a different lactose-free formula left Amelia constipated and screaming in discomfort and us, her parents, distraught that we had brought this on her. A visit to the pediatrician resulted in being told to give her prune juice and wait. One of the main responsibilities of a parent is to ensure your child is fed, which sounds like the easiest part of being a new mom, but not knowing if I will have food for my daughter two weeks from now makes me feel like I have failed her. That's an unacceptable reality facing so many American parents right now. The formula shortage started in February when Abbot Nutrition recalled three of its brands, Similac, Alimentum and EleCare, after babies contracted a bacterial infection. At least four were hospitalized; two died. It's awful to say but I thought nothing of the initial recall. Terrible, yes, but it didnt directly affect us in our newborn bubble so I thought we were fine. Nearly 98 percent of baby formula is manufactured domestically and Abbot is one of just four companies that control 90 percent of the US infant formula industry and when the firm's Michigan plant was shut down, so did the flow of formula to parents in America. By April, we were in a supply crisis. My five-month-old daughter Amelia requires a specific brand of lactose-free formula because her digestive system is unable to tolerate lactose The happiest time of my life as mom to a new baby I dote on is tainted by the constant worry about feeding her - and the realization that our government has completely failed to get a grip on the issue The first time I went to a store and was told they were out of Amelia's formula, I stood there, helpless, hopeless and crying. I called John in a panic. He trawled around stores too but had no luck. I could hear the emotion in his voice when he called to say he was coming home empty-handed. It's since become a familiar theme. Every day I ask: 'How can this be happening in America?' I feel forgotten by my country. This shortage has been happening for months affecting millions of parents in red and blue states from coast to coast - yet mine and others struggles feel like they just aren't important enough for those in power to have gotten a proper grip on. When President Biden announced his big import drive, he made a point of saying he was not briefed on the issue before it became a crisis in April - even though formula manufacturers insist they warned him about the looming shortages in February. The FDA temporarily eased its strict rules on importing foreign-made formula to allow the government imports and though the White House has invoked the Defense Production Act that allows it to intervene in private industries, but it feels very much like a case of too little, too late. The lack of help from our leaders has forced moms to rely on each other to feed our babies. We are flocking to websites and Facebook groups, asking strangers if theyve seen a specific formula or offering swaps. But, there is only so much formula to go around and it becomes a buying frenzy in the comments of Facebook posts. If you are not constantly monitoring the Facebook groups, you will lose out on the formula you need. It's dog-eat-dog out there. Millions of parents across America are met with empty shelves instead of supplies of formula. We are flocking to websites and Facebook groups, asking strangers if theyve seen a specific formula or offering swaps. Pictured are the shelves at my local CVS We might not have the government on our side, but mothers have formed support groups on social media to help each other What started as an effort to help each other has ended up a nightmare of stress and chaos. Some of the formula prices have also been marked up in price and often there's a shipping fee so prices are double the retail cost. Among the sites I've started to rely on is one that sends a notification with store locations that have a specific formula - but by the time I get to their website or to the store, it's already sold out. This is a time of desperation and uncertainty, but through this chaos I have found support in women I have never met and will probably never meet. On Tuesday I posted in a mom Facebook group hoping to find Amelia's formula. I knew it was a shot in the dark because if I can't find it, I figured no one else could. Another mother answered my prayers when she messaged me asking what type of formula I need, saying she has several cans of Nutramigen. My heart dropped when I saw that word appear in our chat. She graciously walked to the post office that was blocks away from her home and sent me four cans of formula, but she only took payment for two of them. I nearly cried tears of joy at work that day, because I can provide food for my daughter for at least the next four months. We might not have the government on our side, but us mothers have formed the largest support group in the nation to help each other get through this dark time. I also have family in different states who are searching every CVS, Walgreens, grocery store - if it sells formula, they are there looking. For weeks my family in Colorado, North Carolina and Pennsylvania left no stone unturned, but they all came back empty-handed. Recent data from IRI, as of July 17, shows a whopping 50 percent of formula is out of stock in Colorado, 38 percent in North Carolina and 33 percent in Pennsylvania. I have family in Ohio who recently found Amelia's formula, but the store limited the amount they'd sell in each transaction. They ended up only being able to send four bottles - about four days' worth of food. With an army of strangers and family scouring stores for formula, anyone would think we have this under control, but there actually must be formula in supply for this to be successful. The White House said in May that Reckitt and Gerber, two formula companies, planned to ramp up their efforts to increase production. The formula shortage began in February with the sudden closure of an Abbott nutrition plant in Michigan. The effect was almost immediate - and it has steadily worsened over the last six months Data shows the states that now have half or around two thirds of the formula they usually stock. The worst hit, per new data by IRI , is Arkansas. 'Both companies stated that they are operating 24/7 with Gerber, increasing the amount of their infant formula available to consumers by approximately 50 percent in March and April. Reckitt is supplying more than 30 percent more product year to date,' the White House said in a readout of the President's meeting. However, like Amelia, many babies can only tolerate a specific brand. Not all formulas are the same, even if they claim to be. Some might ask 'why don't you just breastfeed?' For some families that isn't a possibility. According to CDC data, by the age of six months only a quarter of babies in America are exclusively breastfed. For me, anyone asking that question doesn't understand the reality of being a working mom. I breastfed while on maternity leave but although I can pump and store milk at work, it's more complicated than it seems. To keep a regular supply of breastmilk, I'd need to pump every three hours, store it in a freezer then race it home in the summer heat. Not ideal and not easy. Both John and I work so our daughter spends the whole day at the best nursery in our town - and yes, if you're wondering, this costs more a month than our rent - so I'd need to pump several times through the day to send her to nursery with enough milk to keep her fed while we're apart. Like I said, it's more complicated than it seems so we made the move to formula thinking it would provide a more regular source of nutrition. You can imagine how we blame ourselves for this decision during the countless long nights we spend searching for formula online. We start around 9pm and by 3am, we are both exhausted, defeated and overcome with stress. So many of these nights ended with us both in tears. Never would we have ever imagined that as the parents of a five-month-old, we'd be sitting at our kitchen table in the dead of night formulating a strategy to ensure we have enough food for our baby girl. Hong Kong: Govt makes outreach jab appeal Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun and Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau hosted an online briefing today to appeal to residential care homes (RCHs) and healthcare organisations for their support for new outreach COVID-19 vaccination measures. Mr Sun noted that with the dedication and effort of various parties in arranging vaccination for RCH residents and stepping up explanations to ease concerns, the jab rates of the first and second doses among the residents have increased to about 93% and 87%. However, in view of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in RCHs alongside the persistently high level of community infection cases, in addition to the third-dose vaccination rate of care home residents standing at only 39%, it is necessary to speed up vaccination in RCHs. Prof Lo pointed out that there are 400,000 senior citizens aged 80 or above in Hong Kong. According to statistics of the fifth wave of the epidemic, the death rate of the unvaccinated in this age group after being infected with the virus is as high as 16.23%. But for those who have received three doses of a vaccine, the death rate can be reduced to 1%. The Government will launch a special programme with a target of not missing any resident who is ready to be vaccinated and getting them the jab as soon as possible, Prof Lo said. Noting that most residents who were infected in the fifth wave have recovered and are due for the third dose soon, both officials expected the RCHs and medical teams to press ahead with their close collaboration and arrange vaccination for residents. The Government's objective is to raise the second-dose vaccination rate to over 90% in August and provide the third dose to all suitable RCH residents by the end of September, with a view to increasing the third-dose vaccination rate to at least 50%. By then, including recovered residents who had received two doses, it is expected that more than 80% of RCH residents could fulfil the requirement under the third stage of the vaccine pass. Starting July 25, the Government will invite medical teams to visit their matched RCHs at least once a week for outreach vaccination service for six weeks. A special allowance will be provided to cover the additional manpower and transportation costs. The Department of Health also recruited additional medical teams to participate in the outreach service in order to further expedite the vaccination progress. For the minority of residents who remain unvaccinated due to objection on their part or from their relatives, the Government will continue to join hands with the medical teams and RCHs to enhance explanation and ease their concerns. This story has been published on: 2022-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. First Silk Road Global News Awards established to build communication bridge By Guan Kejiang, Jiao Xiang, Wang Yunsong, Wang Hailin (Global Times) 11:27, July 22, 2022 The judging committee meeting of the first Silk Road Global News Awards is held in Beijing on July 20, 2022. Photo: People's Daily The judging committee for the first Silk Road Global News Awards (SRGNA) met in Beijing Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by Fang Jiangshan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of People's Daily and China Director of the judging committee, with other members joining in person or through online means. The judging committee, consisting of 21 members, reviewed and confirmed the results of the award's second evaluation round. All results were confirmed by unanimous or near unanimous votes. The work "Kazakhstan Belt and Road Initiative: The road to somewhere" was among the 19 shortlisted works for the first Silk Road Global News Awards. Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute and head of Pakistan's "Friends of Silk Road" club, was listed as a finalist for the Special Contribution Award of the first Silk Road Global News Awards. The evaluation of the Awards thus entered the final review stage by the council of the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN). BRNN's close cooperation can be traced back to as early as 2019. On April 23, 2019, BRNN held its first council meeting, to which Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter. Xi expressed the hope that council members will carry forward the Silk Road spirit, strengthen communication and cooperation and do more work in promoting policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and closer people-to-people ties, to create a sound environment of public opinion for the building of Belt and Road and make the initiative benefit more people from Belt and Road countries. Encouraged and inspired, the first BRNN council decided to establish the SRGNA, which is the only international journalism award under the framework of the "Belt and Road" multilateral cooperation mechanism. Fang pointed out during the meeting that media is a significant force in guiding public opinion, enhancing people-to-people ties between countries and regions and telling stories of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Adhering to the principles of promoting peaceful cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win cooperation, SRGNA honors media colleagues and people from all walks of life who recognize, spread and interpret the cooperation concept and practice of jointly building BRI. The Awards aim to build a consensus in which everyone attaches great importance to the development and joint cooperation needed to promote the great undertaking that is building a community with a shared future for mankind, Fang said. Fang Jiangshan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of People's Daily and China Director of the Judging Committee for the First Silk Road Global News Awards Photo: People's Daily Based on this, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief raised four advocates, stressing that development is the eternal theme for mankind. He called on viewing issues from the perspective of development, understanding the trends shaping global development, giving full play to the important role of media in disseminating information, strengthening positive narratives in order to work together to promote global development. Fang also called on media personnel to demonstrate professionalism and actively convey the correct understanding of Belt and Road cooperation. "We should explain the concept, principle and method as well as the huge achievements of Belt and Road cooperation in a thorough way, and oppose any smear and disinformation on the cooperation," He said. Fang stressed that media should give full play to the role of the cultural exchanges. Through the broader communication dialogue, more diverse cultural exchanges, more close interaction, media personnel should strengthen understanding, and promote the values of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness. As a major project included in the List of Deliverables of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), the first SRGNA presented six awards: In-depth Reporting Award, Commentary Award, Press Photo Award, Press Video Award, Short Video Award on the Fight against COVID-19 and Special Contribution Award. Among them, the Short Video Award on the Fight against COVID-19 was a special addition based on the global anti-pandemic efforts of the past two years. As a pioneer, SRGNA follows an open and transparent selection process, giving full play to standardization, authority, openness and internationality. As the Awards were open to media organizations and individuals from countries and regions along Belt and Road, a total of 4,485 entries from 80 countries and regions were collected during the entry phase. It is a long-overdue initiative of great significance. It highlights the best among our journalists and also shines a spotlight on the Silk Road Initiative, said Moegamat Aneez Salie, Editor-in-Chief of South Africa's Independent Media (Pty) Ltd. "The BRNN does a great job in providing a counter-balance to the dominant Western news networks, which are often biased and give a distorted view. Through the BRNN we are able to receive news and views directly from the horse's mouth, so to speak, which has proved critical, especially with the COVID-19 issue," Salie said. The media's role is critical in providing the public with ethically produced content, to dispel fake news and to provide unbiased and ethical content, and thereby strengthen the Belt and Road, Salie said. "The SRGNA is groundbreaking," said Wu Minsu, Deputy Director of Faculty of Journalism and Communication of Communication University of China. Wu believes that the Awards bring together outstanding works from various countries and regions, reflecting the beautiful vision of different civilizations pursuing exchange and mutual understanding. In the future, the spillover effect of the Awards, which promotes communication, creation and dissemination through the award, will be further manifested, she said. The judging committee meeting of the first Silk Road Global News Awards is held in Beijing on July 20, 2022. Photo: People's Daily Closer ties with touching stories Among the works shortlisted for the Awards, there are many warm-hearted stories of support and dreams coming true. A shortlisted video report shows doctors and nurses concentrating on their work and sweating under protective clothes. In the video, people from different regions and backgrounds helped each other through thick and thin protective suits, which is a vivid interpretation of the concept of community with a shared future for mankind. Another video shows a panoramic picture of the China-Europe train crossing the continents. A driver was driving a freight train across Asia and Europe, carrying a wide range of goods to countries around the world. This is also a vivid epitome of the Belt and Road Initiative. As of early June 2022, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations under the Belt and Road Initiative. It has been fully proved that the BRI is an initiative for development, cooperation and openness. At a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, building the BRI together has opened up new space for global economic growth and made an important contribution to improving the well-being of the world's population, said Pavel Negoitsa, General Director of Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The BRNN has been doing a great job since its inception, and its importance has emerged a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is what news networks should be, to return the media to its role in awareness and educating citizens, said Samy El Kamhawy, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Egypt's Al-Ahram Newspaper. At Wednesday's meeting, Fang stressed to give full play to the advantages of the BRNN in multilingual and cross-platform communication. Cooperation could be deepened in video communication, joint interviews, program exchange so that the platform could develop bigger and wider. At present, 213 media outlets in 99 countries have become BRNN members, and the BRNN's website is now available in 10 languages, with an average of about 1,500 updated articles per month and more than 60,000 articles in total. Its influence continues to expand, and its broad representativeness, distinctive openness and pragmatic multilateralism are increasingly evident. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) An Australian man has revealed how he travelled all the way to New York to try a TiKTok famous burger. Adam Naaman from Sydney, flew to Brooklyn to buy an 'Ocky burger' from the Red Hook Food Corp, which has become a viral sensation on TiKTok. The 20-year-old student shared a clip of the sandwich including layers of meat, cheese, ramen and vegetables. Writing in the now-viral clip, Adam said the burger was '10 out of 10' and he'd recommend it. The sandwiches are the brainchild of Rahim Mohamed, a 32-year-old bodega manager, who became TikTok famous for whipping up wild sandwiches. He became particularly known for putting unusual items into his creations - including mozzarella sticks, Rice Krispies Treats, cotton candy, and pop-tarts. The humble shop has become a tourist attraction with Rahim making up to 100 sandwiches a week - on what he calls 'the Ocky Way'. An Australian man has revealed how he travelled all the way to New York to try a TiKTok famous burger The 20-year-old student shared a clip of the sandwich including layers of meat, cheese and vegetables The sandwiches are the brainchild of Rahim Mohamed, a 32-year-old bodega manager, who became TikTok famous for whipping up wild sandwiches. He became particularly known for putting unusual items into his creations - including mozzarella sticks, Rice Krispies Treats, cotton candy, and pop-tarts bacon, egg and cheese between two danishes with cotton candy and a classic breakfast sandwich with gummy worms. Speaking last year to the New York Post , Rahim explained that customers come in asking for wild concoctions including The name 'Ocky way' comes from Rahim's nickname, 'general Ock' which is an anglicised way to pronounce 'akhi' - an Arabic term of endearment meaning brother. Rahim, who moved to the US from Yemen in 1999, started running his family's bodega in 2007 and soon started whipping up his sandwiches. The name 'Ocky way' comes from Rahim's nickname, 'general Ock' which is an anglicised way to pronounce 'akhi' - an Arabic term of endearment meaning brother Rahim, who moved to the US from Yemen in 1999, started running his family's bodega in 2007 and soon started whipping up his sandwiches In June 2020, he started posting the recipes on Tiktok and Instagram. The sandwiches are certainly a hit with Adam's fans, with many sharing their excitement on TikTok. 'Bro I'd love to try one of his burgers ay they look so bomb,' said one. 'Did the same thing in January brother the man is a king,' added another. 'Bro living my dream,' commented a third. 'Going all the way to nyc to go to red hook love it,' joked a fourth. Danya Gamliel is a 4th generation psychic who specialises in love, fertility and money A high flying investment banker has revealed how she left her lucrative day job crunching numbers to get back to her 'witch' roots, and claims to help clients get rich by performing a 'ritual' when there's a new moon. Danya Gamliel, 34, found the instructions for the apparent money-making ceremony hidden in the pages of her grandmother's spell book during a desperate search for something that would help her land her dream job. The unusual ritual involves putting the seeds of three pomegranates into a bowl, lighting white and green candles for 'protection and abundance' and repeating a chant out loud. Speaking to FEMAIL, the 4th-generation psychic claimed it worked so well she does it every new moon to this day. 'I find the energy from this ritual is strongest in the first few days, and quite powerful for two weeks before it gets weaker,' she claimed. 'Usually people will notice some windfall within a day or two of the ceremony, some people have messaged me to say they have had new job offers or a huge lump sum dropped into their account.' The 34-year-old, pictured with her husband Kfir and their son, has been working as a psychic full time for two years Danya's grandmother gave her the ritual book along with a packet of cards she uses for divination (right) In the chant Danya 'calls for abundance and asks for it to be delivered without harm'. 'It is really important to call for abundance without harm, we don't want to hurt anyone,' she said. Poll Will you be trying the money making ritual this new moon? Yep! May as well! No, what a waste of fruit. Will you be trying the money making ritual this new moon? Yep! May as well! 156 votes No, what a waste of fruit. 95 votes Now share your opinion 'It will often be a note from the bank saying you paid too much for something or a bump in your salary,' she said. She claims the harm aspect of the chant would help stop any unwelcome source of extra cash, such as the death of a family member. 'When I first started finding bits and pieces I wondered whether it was coincidence, but after doing this for hundreds of people and seeing their results it is easy to see power at work,' she said. Danya said she never paid attention to her grandmother's spell book or her strong psychic abilities until she was desperate for work once she finished university. Before long, with the help of what she calls 'white magic', Danya had worked her way up the ladder, and was 'proud of her salary'. 'I was managing the assets of some of Australia's wealthiest families,' she said. Danya pictured here with at her wedding to Kfir About the financial abundance ritual and how to do it at home: This is a ritual for financial abundance Relevant for an increase in salary, sale or acquisition of an asset, extra funds to come through from miscellaneous sources and business growth. Ritual process: To be completed at the new moon 1 - Take seeds from three pomegranates and place them in a bowl. Surround them with salt and white tea-light candles for protection. 2 - Chant the following three times: 'I (name) have abundance, wealth and financial success - this comes easily to me, financial freedom, independence and empowerment are held within me and this is harmonious with all the other wishes and desires of my life. Protect me and ensure that I have love, health and happiness in alignment with my financial abundance and financial ambitions. Protect me and mine with love and light'. (this can be changed if you are doing the chant for others). 3 - Take the pomegranate seeds and scatter in a fertile park amongst the trees and plants. 4 - On the same day as you scatter the seeds return to close off the ritual by repeating the chant above again for each participant. This ceremony is completed with green and white tea candles. Green represents wealth and money while white represents harmony and protection. 5 - The ritual works quickly and the most lucrative days are within a week of its completion. Why pomegranate? They are an ancient fruit which represent abundance across many cultures and are often eaten by the very wealthy. Advertisement As a result it was a shock to many when she decided to quit her hard-earned, high-powered job to follow in the footsteps of her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She now offers advice and rituals for love, money and fertility. 'Money is the most measurable one - the one you can really find evidence on - it is more tangible,' she said. Danya plans to pass her multi-generational skills on, if her kids are interested in learning them. Danya works with love, money and fertility - and does her reading over email The psychic gets inundated with thankyou messages every time she completes a ritual She offers reading but says rituals are able to be applied to more than one person, making them more time effective. 'There is also more power in rituals for the collective,' she said. Danya only offers the abundance ritual every few months, however has revealed how to do it at home. She will be doing a ritual to help people find love next month and admits to trying it a few times before meeting her husband Kfir. The next new moon falls on July 28. Hearing your child complain about growing pains may feel like part and parcel of parenthood. But a study now suggests there's no such thing. Although a child's discomfort will likely be real, the centuries-old phrase appears to be nothing more than a misnomer. University of Sydney experts reviewed the existing literature behind the condition. Ninety-five per cent of the 150 papers analysed made no mention of growth when defining the ailment. The 'concerning' findings mean doctors should stop diagnosing children as having growing pains for now until more about the condition is known, the team said. Pain in the muscles and bones in children could have a range of other causes, they suggested. Around a third of children experience growing pains first mentioned in an 1823 medical book at some point in their life, according to studies. The NHS describes them as 'an aching or throbbing in both legs', which usually stops by the age of around 12. They are harmless but can be very painful. A University of Sydney study suggests growing pains may not really exist and could be a variety of other problems What are growing pains? Growing pains are common in children, mainly in the legs. They're harmless, but can be very painful. They usually stop by around age 12. Growing pains can come and go over months, even years. The pain is usually: An aching or throbbing in both legs In the muscles, not the joints In the evening or night-time (and goes away by morning) Growing pains are more common in active children and can come on after playing a lot of sports. They're also more common in children with flexible joints (double jointed). It's not clear what causes growing pains. They can run in families. They're not caused by growing and they're not a sign of anything serious. Source: NHS Advertisement Experts are unsure what causes them but know they can run in families, but the NHS already acknowledges that they are not actually down to growing. In extremely rare cases, aches dismissed by doctors as growing pains have actually been caused by serious illnesses, including cancer. Lead author Dr Mary OKeeffe, a musculoskeletal health expert, said: 'Thousands of kids are diagnosed with growing pains by their healthcare professional, but we were curious what does that diagnosis really mean?' The review, published in the medical journal Pediatrics, analysed 147 studies which mentioned growing pains. Only seven mentioned pain related to growth. More than 80 per cent of the studies did not mention a young persons age at the time 'growing pains' occurred. There was also no widespread agreement or a lack of detail on where the pain was located or when the pain happened. Half referenced 'growing pains' as being located in the lower limb, while just over a quarter reported it specifically in the knees. Forty-eight per cent of studies reported 'growing pains' happen during the evening or night and 42 per cent said it was recurring. Researchers said the range of definitions found across the literature suggested 'growing pains' may actual be a medical misnomer. Co-author Professor Steven Kamper, a spinal pain expert, said: 'What we found was a little concerning. 'There is no consistency in the literature on what "growing pains" means. 'The definitions were really variable, vague and often contradictory. Some studies suggested growing pains happened in the arms, or in the lower body. 'Some said it was about muscles while other studies said joints.' Older people who regularly evaluate their thoughts, feelings and behaviour may be less likely to develop Alzheimers disease, according to a study. Just ten minutes of self-reflection every day could lead to significantly better cognition and brain health, researchers found. While there is currently no cure for dementia, experts say that the findings could pave the way to one day reducing the risk of developing the condition through psychological treatment. A team led by University College London researchers analysed data from two clinical trials that involved 259 people around the age of 70. Participants answered questions about reflection, measuring how often they think and try to understand their thoughts and feelings. A new study found that 10 minutes a day of self-reflection helps improve cognition, memory and better brain health overall, which may help reduce the risk of dementia By taking the time to self-reflect older people may make themselves less likely to develop Alzheimers disease, researchers say The results, published in the journal Neurology, revealed people who engaged more in self-reflection had better memory, concentration and problem-solving abilities, as well as better brain health. Lead author Harriet Demnitz-King said: There is a growing body of evidence finding that positive psychological factors, such as purpose in life and conscientiousness, may reduce the risk of dementia. Anyone can engage in self-reflection and potentially increase how much they self-reflect, as it is not dependent on physical health or socioeconomic factors. Researchers said it is not clear why self-reflection may provide protective effects. However, it could be linked to feeling calmer and reducing stress levels in the body, or it could improve mental health. They suggest setting aside some time each day to reflect on work, relationships and social encounters kindly and without judgment could reduce the risk of dementia. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research at Alzheimers Society, said: If self-reflection does seem to have a positive effect on brain function, theres a chance one day we could reduce the risk of dementia with psychological treatments that help people build healthy thought patterns. The number of people living with dementia in the UK is set to rise to 1.6 million by 2040. Advertisement Covid death rates have reached pandemic highs in New Zealand as the country battles another havoc-inducing Omicron wave. Weekly virus fatalities hit 151 in the seven days ending July 16, compared to 115 in the worst week of the previous flare-up in March, according to Health Ministry data. It means the country's current mortality rate is twice as high as the UK's and four times higher than the US. In the latest 24 hours, all 26 Covid deaths occurred among over-60s the group known to be most vulnerable to the virus. Omicron sub-variant BA.5 is driving the current wave. Another 64,780 cases were confirmed last week, although authorities say the true figure will be much higher. Once held up as evidence that it is possible to suppress the virus, New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation allowed it to escape the wrath of the pandemic. Jacinda Ardern's Government dropped its zero-Covid policy, which saw the nation nicknamed a 'hermit kingdom', last year once the population was largely vaccinated, with eight in 10 people now double-jabbed. Since then, the virus has spread. Experts told MailOnline that previously low levels of infection in New Zealand due to strict Covid curbs is behind the high fatality rate now because the economically-crippling measures only delayed 'inevitable' infections that could have built-up immunity. Covid curbs introduced by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 2020 March 16: Mandatory self-isolation for all new arrivals, including New Zealanders into the country. March 19: All non-residents or citizens are banned from entering the country under an international border ban. March 25: Nationwide lockdown enforced, with only essential services allowed to open. At this stage, NZ has recorded 102 cases and 0 deaths. June 8: Ardern announces no new community transmissions within the past fortnight and says NZ has eliminated transmission of Covid. August-September: Auckland's 1.7million residents endure two months of lockdown measures after 4 new cases are initially recorded. 2021 February-March: Auckland re-enters lockdown as three new Covid cases are recorded in the community. August 17: All of New Zealand re-enters Level 4 lockdown measures for two weeks as one new community case is recorded. October: Traffic light system is created, barring unvaccinated residents from entering businesses, gyms and barbers in 'red' or 'amber' alert areas. December: The Government delays the planned reopening of its border in February due to the spreading Omicron variant. December 21: Length of stay for people in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities increased to 10 days. 2022 January: Public backlash as major events and sporting fixtures are capped at a maximum of 100 people under Covid Red Alert measures. January 18: Government postpones managed isolation and quarantine lottery due to increase in Covid cases. January: Ardern announced she had cancelled her own wedding after nine new Omicron cases were recorded. February: Government announces plan to open up country with New Zealanders and eligible travellers from Australia allowed to skip quarantine as long as they self-isolate for 10 days. March 2: Vaccinated travellers entering the country no longer have to self-isolate on arrival. May 2: UK travellers and those from other visa waiver countries allowed to enter country without self-isolating. July: Government brings back free masks, tests and expand antiviral medication and step up booster rollout amid new wave of infections and deaths. August: New Zealand government to loosen restrictions to allow all travellers to enter the country provided they are vaccinated and take two rapid antigen tests after arrival. Advertisement Data from Oxford University-backed research platform Our World in Data shows five people per million in New Zealand were dying with Covid every day in the week to July 21 up by a third from the previous high of 3.68 in March. For comparison, in the darkest days of the pandemic, similar rates in the UK and US sat closer to 19 and 10, respectively. However, both countries are now logging much lower death counts. The UK is recording two deaths per million people each day, despite up to one in 15 people being infected. Meanwhile, the US is suffering just one Covid fatality for every million people, a quarter of the scale seen in New Zealand. Until last year, New Zealand had been following a zero-Covid policy with the population largely remaining virus free due to harsh lockdown measures, aggressive contact tracing and border controls that trapped some of its own citizens outside of the country. Despite fierce criticism from some in the country over the restrictions, Ms Ardern, the nation's prime minister, has repeatedly defended the rules, saying they saved lives. But the Government finally acknowledged last October that it could no longer remain Covid-free. At the time, the country of 5million had logged fewer than 30 deaths. Most of the final virus-controlling restrictions, including limits on gatherings and vaccine mandates, were lifted at the start of the year. International travel rules were only eased at the start of May. But health authorities last week brought back free face masks and Covid tests in a bid to control the latest surge which has piled pressure on hospitals. Covid Response Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said there had been a 'significant' increase in cases since the start of the month weeks, with the biggest uptick among the vulnerable over-65s, causing a jump in hospitalisations. More people are being offered antiviral medicine to reduce their risk of becoming severely unwell and another booster campaign is being stepped up. It comes during New Zealand's winter, as the country experiences 'the worst flu season in recent memory' and health staff absences are on the rise, she said. Dr Verrall added: 'The tried and tested measures: wearing a high quality mask, strong vaccine and booster uptake, antivirals and testing are highly effective and will put us in the best position to get through what is one of the toughest winters we've faced.' Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert based at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline that New Zealand has 'done better than most countries that initially followed zero-Covid strategies' because this approach meant many people had good protection against severe illness and death when restrictions were lifted. But he noted that hybrid immunity being both vaccinated and having a previous infection seems to provide the best protection against severe disease and death. Until this month a rather larger proportion of people in New Zealand had had just two shots and no prior infection, compared to the UK where the vast majority are thought to have had Covid, Professor Hunter said. He added: 'I suspect that is contributing to the current death rate in New Zealand as being over twice that of the UK. 'In the first New Zealand wave, vaccine protection was still good but has now waned enough to increase fatality rates in the absence of the great majority of people having already recovered from Covid. 'It is possible also that BA.5 is more lethal than BA.1 and BA.2 but I don't think the evidence is definitive one way or the other on this.' Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University and former Government adviser, told MailOnline that experts have long said that it would be fairer to judge countries' responses two years on from the original outbreak. He said: 'New Zealand was able to prevent early waves of infection by rigid border controls while other countries developed and tested vaccines. 'However, in the end, the country has been unable to escape the fundamentals of Covid that the risk of death is strongly related to age, that vaccination mitigates but does not prevent infection, and that the way out of the pandemic lies through population immunity acquired by both vaccination and infection. 'New Zealand's policies may have displaced some deaths into other countries that developed vaccines but were really only delaying the inevitable deaths among their own population at a considerable cost to the economy.' But Dr Simon Clarke, an infectious disease expert based at the University of Reading, told MailOnline that New Zealand has high levels of protection against Covid. Some 80 per cent of people are double-jabbed, compared to 75 per cent in the UK and 67 per cent in the US. He said: 'Any population-wide immunity which could have been gained at the start of the pandemic, at the cost of a lot of deaths, would have dwindled away by now. We need a better understanding of the behaviour of the virus before we can reach conclusions.' A variant circulating in New Zealand may be less sensitive to vaccine immunity or the older population there may be in need of a booster, Dr Clarke added. New Zealand's Health Ministry data shows emergency departments, general practices and medical centres are under pressure. However, hospitalisation levels remain below those seen during the March peak. The Government is resisting pressure from some doctors to reinstate curbs on public gatherings or mandate the wearing of masks at schools. However, Education Ministry chief Iona Holsted said on Thursday the ministry had advised schools to enforce the wearing of masks as much as practicable when children returned from holidays next week. 'We understand that implementing mask policies can be a challenge but ask that you take action to strengthen your mask wearing policy as soon as possible,' she said. The data behind the most influential theory of what causes Alzheimer's disease may have been 'manipulated', a damning scientific probe has claimed. Experts fear the allegedly falsified results have misled research over the last 16 years, potentially wasting billions of pounds of funding. A six-month investigation by Science, considered one of the world's most respected research journals, uncovered 'shockingly blatant' tampering of results in the seminal 2006 University of Minnesota study. The paper pointed to a particular protein known as amyloid beta as the driving force behind Alzheimer's. It was the first substance in brain tissue ever identified that seemed to be behind the condition's memory-robbing effects. Published in rival journal Nature, the study became one of the most cited articles on Alzheimer's ever published. Around 1.3billion ($1.6billion) of funding for studies mentioning amyloids was spent by the US Government over the last year alone. It made up half of the country's total Alzheimer's research funding. But images from the study, which involved injecting mice with the protein, appear to be doctored to 'better fit a hypothesis', according to Dr Elisabeth Bik, a forensic image consultant who was asked to review the data. Charities today slammed the 'extremely serious' allegations. But they insisted the theory itself still stands because decades' worth of research has pinpointed other amyloid proteins as being to blame. Even if the original results were falsified, one top expert claimed 'we definitely would not need to throw the baby out with the bath water'. The most influential theory of what causes Alzheimer's disease that has prompted hundreds of trials may have been based on 'manipulated' data, it has emerged WHAT IS ALZHEIMER'S? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the sixth leading cause of death, and more than 1million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care Source: Alzheimer's Association Advertisement Dr Matthew Schrag, a neuroscientist at Vanderbilty University in Tennessee, was the first to uncover problems with the Nature study. He noticed anomalies in the original images, published by Dr Sylvain Lesne and his team, during another probe into an experimental Alzheimer's drug. They had 'the potential to mislead an entire field of research', Dr Schrag told the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Science, the publication of the AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science, conducted its own investigation to the research, finding 'strong support for Dr Schrag's suspicions'. Ms Bik told the journal: 'The obtained experimental results might not have been the desired results. 'That data might have been changed to... better fit a hypothesis.' German psychiatrist Aloiz Alzheimer first identified plaques in the brain in dementia patients in 1906. A study in the 1980s then suggested amyloid beta was behind the build-up. But hundreds of trials over the next 20 years, designed to finally find a therapy that targets the toxic accumulation of proteins in the brain, were unsuccessful. The theory had lost momentum until the landmark University of Minnesota paper in 2006, which became the basis of hundreds of studies since. Reviewing the pictures used to prove amyloid beta's effect on mice in the study, Dr Dennis Selkoe, a Harvard University neurologist, claimed 'there are certainly at least 12 or 15 images where I would agree there is no other explanation' than manipulation. Dr Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'These allegations are extremely serious. 'While we haven't seen all of the published findings that have been called into question, any allegation of scientific misconduct needs to be investigated and dealt with where appropriate. 'Researchers need to be able to have confidence in the findings of their peers, so they can continue to make progress for people affected by diseases like dementia.' She described the amyloid protein as being 'at the centre of the most influential theory of how Alzheimer's disease develops in the brain'. Dr Imarisio said: 'But the research that has been called into question is focused on a very specific type of amyloid. 'These allegations do not compromise the vast majority of knowledge built up during decades of research into the role of this protein in the disease.' Nature is investigating the concerns and will provide an editorial response at a later date. It said: 'In the meantime, readers are advised to use caution when using results reported therein.' The authors of the paper claim they 'still have faith' that amyloid beta plaques play a major role in Alzheimer's and defend their original findings. A University of Minnesota spokesman said: 'The university will follow its processes to review the questions any claims have raised. 'At this time, we have no further information to provide.' Dr Richard Oakley, associate research director at the Alzheimers Society, told The Times: 'There are many types of amyloid we know contribute to brain cell death in dementia. 'If whats suggested here ends up being true, we definitely would not need to throw the baby out with the bath water.' A man in California says he has been infected with COVID and monkeypox at the same time in the first known case in America. Mitcho Thompson, a cannabis salesman in Sebastopol, tested positive for the pandemic virus in late June after feeling 'wiped out'. Days later, red lesions erupted across his back, legs, arms and neck, which he said doctors diagnosed as monkeypox. Thompson was bedridden for weeks as trouble breathing and chills left him barely able to get up for water. Dr. Dean Winslow, an infectious diseases expert at Stanford University, said it was possible for someone to be infected by both viruses at once. He said Thompson had had 'incredibly bad luck'. It comes as America's monkeypox tally surges to 2,593 cases the second highest tally in the world, right behind Spain, which has 3,125 cases. Mitcho Thompson, a cannabis salesman in Sebastopol, says he has been infected with COVID and monkeypox at the same time. He is pictured above at home He tested positive for COVID in late June after feeling under the weather. But a few days later, lesions erupted across his back, legs, arms and neck, which doctors diagnosed as monkeypox Thompson who also has a pet cat revealed his diagnosis with both diseases during an interview with NBC Bay Area. He told the broadcaster: 'The COVID was first, and that's what made it really weird because I did not actually realize I had monkeypox until I started breaking out [in lesions]. 'The doctor was very certain that I have monkeypox and that I have both. US has 'opportunity' to contain monkeypox, CDC insists as case tally rises to second highest globally America still has the 'opportunity' to contain monkeypox, the director of the CDC has insisted as the cases tally rises to the second-highest in the world. Dr. Rochelle Walensky claimed in an interview today the Government's response is growing stronger every day. She added: 'I think we still have an opportunity to contain this.' But her comments come as the United States recorded another 270 infections, taking its tally to 2,593. This is the second-highest in the world, behind only Spain which has recorded more than 3,000. America's response to the outbreak has been slow from the outset, with the CDC taking weeks to get testing up and running. In the early days of the outbreak it was carrying out less than 100 a day. The federal government has also been slammed for failing to roll out vaccines quickly, which public health experts say would have helped to slow the spread of the virus. Advertisement 'That was the question, could I get them both at the same time, and he said "yes, yes, yes." ' Thompson said both viruses left him feeling 'really sick.' 'And the worst of it was honestly was just when I could barely get out of bed, and you could barely like get a drink of water.' A COVID infection triggers flu-like symptoms including a fever, cough, shortness of breath and muscle aches. A monkeypox infection also triggers these warning signs in the early stages, which then develop into a rash that spreads across the body. Thompson said he tested positive for COVID, however, ruling out the possibility that his flu-symptoms were just the result of monkeypox. It was not clear how Thompson caught monkeypox or COVID, or what treatments he had received. Health authorities are offering antivirals like Paxlovid to COVID patients to help fight their infection, and vaccines to those who test positive for monkeypox which they say can reduce symptoms. Asked whether it was possible to catch COVID and monkeypox at the same time, Winslow said: 'It's certainly not impossible for that to occur, it's just, you know, incredibly bad luck. 'But they are very different viruses. 'Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses that smallpox is. 'One of the small good things about monkeypox is it is really transmitted almost exclusively by very close contact and not necessarily sexual contact but certainly very close contact.' Monkeypox belongs to the orthopox family of viruses, which tend to trigger rashes in those they infect. On the other hand, COVID is part of the Coronaviruses family which get their name due to the spike proteins that surround them 'like a crown'. Another key difference is that COVID transmits primarily through droplets expelled into the air, whereas monkeypox only does this in very rare cases, when there is 'sustained' face-to-face contact. It came as the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) insisted America still had the 'opportunity' to contain monkeypox. Dr. Rochelle Walensky claimed in an interview Friday that the government's response is growing stronger every day. 'I think we still have an opportunity to contain this,' she said. But her comments came as the US cases tally rose to the second-highest globally, and after other experts warned the disease is likely now out of control. America's response to the outbreak has been slow from the outset, with the CDC taking weeks to get testing up and running. In the early days of the outbreak it was carrying out less than 100 a day. The federal government has also been slammed for failing to roll out vaccines quickly, which public health experts say would've helped slow the spread of the virus. Advertisement The BA.5 summer COVID-19 surge could already be nearing its end as both case and death figures are starting to contract after spiking over the first few weeks of July. America is currently averaging 426 Covid deaths per day, a 20 percent drop over the past week that quickly reverses a trend from earlier this month that saw mortality from the virus double from July 6 through July 13. Case figures are starting to recede as well, falling eight percent over the last week to 128,785 per day. These figures may be significant undercounts because of the high prevalence of at-home testing, asymptomatic and mild cases that often do not get recorded in official figures. The drop in cases come as some officials prepare to bring back Covid measures to deal with the BA.5 variant - with Los Angeles set to bring back its indoor mask mandate next week and San Diego schools requiring masks indoors during summer programming. The BA.5 variant is feared to be the most transmissible version of the virus to take hold in the U.S. yet by health officials. It is also immune-evasive and can get around protections a person may have from previous Covid infection. Experts believe that a person could be re-infected with BA.5 within weeks of recovering from a different version of the Omicron variant. This is a potentially worrying prospect that changes the understanding many have of the pandemic. BA.5 has quickly grown in its prevalence across America and now makes up nearly four of every five cases in the U.S. While is has caused cases to rise in recent weeks, experts are not panicking yet and believe the introduction of more Covid jabs could be what is needed to stop the spread. 'The good news here is our tools, our vaccines if you are up to date, if you've been vaccinated recently if you get treatments, those continue to work really well,' Dr Ashish Jha, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator told ABC's This Week on Sunday. 'This is an area of concern but we know how to manage this.' The BA.5 variant (dark green) now makes up 78% of Covid cases in the U.S., rapidly outpacing other forms of the virus. The previously dominant BA 2.12.1 strain (red) now makes up less than 10% of active cases, according to the CDC The BA.5 variant (dark green) makes up between 70% and 80% of sequenced COVID-19 infections in every single region of America He noted that people over the age of 50 - who suffer the most risk from the virus - should receive their fourth vaccine dose if they have not already. The shots, which are the second booster after the original two-dose regimen of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, were made available earlier this year in an effort to shore up protection for the most vulnerable to the virus. 'If you are 50 or over, if you have not gotten a shot this year in 2022, it is absolutely critical that you go and get one now it will offer a high degree of protection,' Jha said. America has no introduced a new shot into its arsenal as well. On Tuesday the CDC officials signed off on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization for the Novavax vaccine in all Americans 18 and older. The long-awaited shots are the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccines to hit the market in the U.S., though they may already be outdated. These jabs were formulated to combat the original Wuhan strain of the virus that stormed the world in early 2020. In the time since the virus has mutated to get around much of the protection from infection provided by vaccines tailored to that strain. While there is hope the Novavax shot will still be effective against the newer Omicron strains, the FDA has already made it clear it wants reformulated Covid jabs tailored to newer strains to be ready this fall. Some also doubt these shots will ever be needed. While newer strains of the virus can evade immunity against infection, vaccinated individuals are still believed to have strong protection against serious hospitalization or death. 'He said it's absolutely critical to get boosted if you are over 50. But that added protection is a weak augmentation of immunity against the current strain since the booster vaccine is being given is against the original Wuhan strain,' Dr Marty Makary, a public health expert at Johns Hopkins University, wrote to DailyMail.com. 'Importantly, once again, Dr Jha supporting the big Pharma narrative in denying the fact that natural immunity provides strong protection against severe disease.' 'Dr Jha is failing to remind people that Omicron poses no significant public health risk to the vast majority of Americans beyond that of common-cold like symptoms,' he added. As BA.5 has grown its pushed other variants to the fringes. The BA 2.12.1 variant that was dominant only a few weeks ago now makes up just nine percent of U.S. cases. The BA.2 'stealth' variant has almost entirely disappeared to this point. BA.4, which was discovered in South Africa around the same time as BA.5, makes up 13 percent of cases in the U.S., the CDC reports. The new dominant variant has spread across the country fairly evenly, making up between 70 to 80 percent of sequenced cases in every single region of America. Fear of the BA.5 variant pushed some officials to bizarrely reinstate mask orders in recent weeks. In San Diego, school officials published a letter last week announcing that masks will now be required for the remainder of summer programming. 'If your student is participating in summer school or other summer enrichment program, please send them to school or their program with a mask,' officials wrote. 'If they do not have one, masks will be provided. Students and staff will be required to wear their masks while indoors only.' The news has left many parents worrying that their children may once again have to wear masks in schools when the educational year restarts this August. 'The news that mask mandates are returning in LA and San Diego is extremely distressing. As the world moves on from COVID panic, California is moving backwards. Keeping children, the people least at risk and least likely to transmit the virus, masked is cruel and unscientific,' Kira Davis, a California mother who is running for school board in nearby Orange County, told DailyMail.com. 'This is merely an attempt to keep schools in a state of emergency and keep those pandemic dollars flowing. Parents and those who care about our students need to push their local school to immediately adopt resolutions resisting the return of these ridiculous mandates. Its clear now that in CA none of this ends until we demand it does. 'Parents in my district, which is sandwiched between LA and San Diego, are livid. Many have told me if our schools return to a mandate they will not be returning their children in the fall.' Makary notes that many of the masks people have at home are likely useless against the virus. Growing research shows that both cloth and surgical masks do not have the necessary fit or filtration to properly prevent spread of Covid. A online turtle is at the center of a salmonella outbreak that has caused more than a dozen illnesses and required five patients to be hospitalized, the CDC revealed Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted a notice tying MyTurtleStore.com to the 15 cases across 11 U.S. states. It says that turtles with shells less than four inches long - which are illegal to sell in the U.S. - sold on the website were found to be carrying the same strain of the bacteria that caused the infections. The CDC warns that small turtles are especially susceptible to carrying the dangerous bacteria, and warns against turtle ownership in households where one of the members may be at high risk from the disease. The CDC warns that small turtles are at the center of a 15 case outbreak of salmonella, with reptiles sold on MyTurtleStore.com believed to be the main culprits (file photo) 'Many people in this outbreak reported purchasing turtles with shells less than four inches long from online stores before getting sick,' the agency wrote in a notice. 'Three people in this outbreak purchased their turtles from a website called myturtlestore.com. The same strain of making people sick in this outbreak was also found on turtles purchased from myturtlestore.com.' The company did not reply to a DailyMail.com request for comment. The online shop sells turtles and turtle-related equipment. One prominent advertisement on the company's website lists a Baby Musk Turtle, which it says is 'Smaller That a U.S. Quarter!' 'CDC investigates many Salmonella outbreaks linked to pet reptiles. Among these outbreaks, tiny turtles have caused the most illnesses,' the agency writes. 'In fact, the sale of tiny pet turtles has been banned in the US since 1975 because of the number of illnesses they cause and the risk to children. 'Although any turtle can carry germs, tiny turtles are especially risky because children are more likely to handle them and get sick.' MyTurtleStore.com is advertising baby turtles it says are smaller than a U.S. quarter. Turtles with shells under four inches long are banned from sale in America over salmonella concerns No information about the companies physical address is available on its site. It only takes online orders. The CDC warns against using these types of websites, and instead for Americans to only purchase pets from pet stores or known, recognized, breeders. It has long warned that turtles can be a source of contamination in the home if not properly handled and cleaned. An informational video of the agency's website says that the reptiles can often be a source of salmonella - along with surfaces they have touched, its tank and the water it interacts with. It also recommends against kissing or snuggling with a turtle as it allows bacteria to easily transmit from the animal to a person. This is the second outbreak of the bacterial infection tied to pets. Last month, a salmonella outbreak that resulted in at least one death was linked to backyard chicken flocks. The CDC warns that people suffering diarrhea, a fever of 102, dehydration or vomiting should seek out medical attention for potential salmonella infection. Links between salmonella and chicken is commonly known. Many birds carry the bacteria, including poultry eaten safely by humans. The bacteria is killed at temperatures that chicken is cooked at, making it safe to eat. A polio patient in Upstate New York is likely the first person to catch the disease on American soil in more than 40 years, evidence suggests. The unnamed patient is a 20-year-old Hasidic Jewish man who lives with his parents and wife in Rockland County, a local publication and the Washington Post reports. He was discharged from hospital earlier this month after seeking care in June, but paralysis from the disease has left him struggling to walk although he can now stand. The man had not been vaccinated against the disease, with the three-dose course being more than 99 percent effective at preventing infections. There are no effective treatments against polio. Health sources speaking on condition of anonymity revealed to the Post Thursday he had traveled to Poland and Hungary earlier this year. But the Rockland Department of Health told DailyMail.com the man had not traveled within the infection window up to 21 days before symptoms appeared meaning he likely caught the virus on U.S. soil. The last time the virus spread on U.S. soil was 1979, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York officials announced Thursday that they had detected a case of polio in an unnamed man in Rockland County (red). They believe the case may have originated abroad This is the first case of polio detected in the U.S. since 2013. The once devastating virus has been nearly eradicated in much of the world after a successful vaccine campaign in the last 1900s (file photo) After hearing the case's travel history Dr Adam Ratner, the director of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone's Hassenfel Children's Hospital, told DailyMail.com this made it likely the patient caught the virus in the United States. But he pointed out that transmission windows were 'inexact', suggesting the patient may have been infected earlier but did not develop symptoms. Ratner said that in the 'best case' scenario the man would have been infected by someone who traveled to the U.S. after vaccination and was shedding the virus. But at the other end of the scale he warned the case may be a 'canary in a coal mine' for more widespread transmission in the community. Polio: Once the most feared disease in America that has now become a rarity Polio is a serious viral infection that used to be common all over the world. The virus lives in the throat and intestines for up to six weeks, with patients most infectious from seven to 10 days before and after the onset of symptoms. But it can spread to the spinal cord causing muscle weakness and paralysis. The virus is more common in infants and young children and occurs under conditions of poor hygiene. How deadly is it? Most people show no signs of infection at all but about one in 20 people have minor symptoms such as fever, muscle weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting. Around one in 50 patients develop severe muscle pain and stiffness in the neck and back. Less than one per cent of polio cases result in paralysis and one in 10 of those result in death. Of those who develop symptoms, these tend to appear three-to-21 days after infection and include: High temperature Sore throat Headache Abdominal pain Aching muscles Nausea and vomiting How does it spread? People can catch polio via droplets in the air when someone coughs or sneezes, or if they come into contacted with the feces of an infected person. This includes food, water, clothing or toys. Are there different strains? There are three strains of 'wild' polio, which has been largely eradicated throughout Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Types 2 and 3 were eliminated thanks to a global mass vaccine campaign, with the last cases detected in 1999 and 2012 respectively. The remaining, type 1, wild polio remains endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Wild polio has been eliminated in almost every country in the world thanks to vaccines. But the global rollout has spawned new types of strains known as vaccine-derived polioviruses. These are strains that were initially used in live vaccines but spilled out into the community and evolved to behave more like the wild version. Is polio still around in the U.S.? The last case of person-to-person transmission in the U.S. was in 1979, which was also marked the last wild polio case. But there have been several dozen cases of vaccine-derived polioviruses since, although they have been one-offs, with no onward transmission. Am I vaccinated against polio? Americans have been offered the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) since 2000. It is given as four doses, with the first jab at two months old. It is also administered at four, six to 18 months, and four to six years old. Uptake has fallen slightly but remains above 90 per cent nationally. There are concerns vaccine hesitancy has risen during the Covid crisis due to misinformation spread about jabs for that virus and school closures. Advertisement An investigation is underway to determine where and when the patient became infected with polio. Testing has revealed he was infected with a vaccine-derived strain. Several countries but not the United States are still using oral polio vaccines (OPV), which deploys a live form of the virus. In very rare cases the polio used in these jabs can 'revert' back to the more dangerous ancestral strain capable of triggering paralysis. Ratner said the risk of this was between one and two million per jab. Since 2000, the United States has only used the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) which does not pose this risk. Sources told the Washington Post the polio patient was initially diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis a serious neurological condition caused by inflammation to the spinal cord when he came to doctors in late June. But testing revealed he was infected with a type of polio that is only found in vaccines. New York Jewish Week reported that several sources had identified the patient as a Hasidic Jew. Asked today if it was possible the man caught the virus abroad, a spokeswoman for Rockland County Department of Health said this was not possible. 'The person did not travel outside the country during what would have been the transmission window,' they told DailyMail.com. 'Please remember that up to 95 percent of people infected have no symptoms which makes tracking down the transmission difficult.' Asked at a press conference yesterday whether the man caught the virus abroad, local commissioner Dr Patricia Ruppert said: 'They have no travel outside the country.' Hungary eradicated polio in 1969, and Poland in 1984. Neither country has recently reported a case of the virus. America has recorded several cases since it eradicated polio in 1979 including in 2013 but these have been linked to transmission abroad. Although the virus has been eliminated in the U.S. and much of the world thanks to vaccination, but remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In recent years numerous cases have also been detected in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In June, the UK also reported poliovirus in sewage samples suggesting the virus was circulating undetected in the country. On whether more cases would emerge in the U.S., Ruppert said: 'We only have the one case. Let's hope that's all we find.' Dr Yvonne Maldonado, a global health and infectious disease expert at Stanford University, told DailyMail.com that it is likely a person in the patient's community was infected with vaccine-induced polio. She speculates that it was infection via fecal-to-oral exposure - not through contaminated water. Maldonado notes that water-borne illness is rare in a nation as developed as the U.S. Polio is a viral infection which in serious cases can spread to the spinal cord, triggering paralysis. About one in ten people who suffer this die from the disease. Most who catch it do not display any symptoms of the virus, but one in four who are infected develop flu-like symptoms including a sore throat, fever and stomach pain. One in 25 will see their spinal cord infected, which will then lead to paralysis. Vaccination is the most effective way of avoiding the disease, as there are no effective treatments for people who catch it. Children are routinely offered a three-dose vaccination course in the United States, with the first jab given at two months and the last by the age of 18 months. They are also administered a booster shot between four to six years old, which is more than 99 percent effective at preventing infection. In recent years and amid Covid disruption, the U.S. has fallen behind in vaccinating against the disease. CDC data showed about 92.6 percent of Americans are fully-vaccinated against the virus by their second birthday, which is below the WHO recommended level of 95 percent to prevent an outbreak. Rockland County is operating a vaccination clinic today and on Monday so that people can start their vaccination courses or get caught up. It has been sent 300 doses by the Federal Government. Polio was once the most feared disease in the U.S., sparking panic that left parents afraid to let their children play outside and saw public health officials impose quarantines on homes and even whole towns where the disease was spotted. It was behind more than 15,000 paralyses every year, and hundreds of deaths. But in the mid-1950s the country began rolling out poliovirus vaccines to prevent the disease. By 1979, the United States declared the virus had been eliminated. Urging Americans to get vaccinated against polio yesterday, health Commissioner Dr Mary Bassett said: 'Based on what we know about this case, and polio in general, the Department of Health strongly recommends that unvaccinated individuals get vaccinated or boosted with FDA-approved IPV polio vaccine as soon as possible. 'The polio vaccine is safe and effective, protecting against this potentially debilitating disease, and it has been part of the backbone of required, routine childhood immunizations recommended by health officials and public health agencies nationwide.' A Dutch child under the age of ten has tested positive for monkeypox after a family holiday to Turkey - the first confirmed pediatric case as part of the current outbreak of the tropical virus. The unnamed youngster was taken to Emma Children's Hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in late June complaining of rashes. Doctors counted 20 lesions over his face, ear, forearms, thighs and back, but the patient did not have a fever or swollen lymph nodes. Within a week the virus in his body had dropped to non-detectable levels, and he made a full recovery. None of his close contacts tested positive for monkeypox. It is not clear how he became infected, but testing has ruled out it being down to sexual abuse. The family-of-five said they had no close contact with other guests while on holiday and put their own towels on chairs and loungers. His parents, one of his siblings and a friend who were all considered high-risk were vaccinated with the Jynneous jab, which is being used in America. The report comes as the United States confirms its first two cases of the tropical virus stateside, as confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The youngster who has not been named was taken to Emma Children's Hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in late June complaining of rashes (pictured is one of the first on his jaw) More than 20 rashes erupted over his body, they said Pictured above is one of the rashes that appeared on his arm Doctors at the Dutch hospital revealed the diagnosis Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance. Dr Marceline van Furth, who led the investigation, said they were publicizing the case to 'raise awareness... that monkeypox can develop in children'. They warned that children alongside older adults and pregnant women are more vulnerable to monkeypox, with about three percent dying form the infection. More than 16,000 cases have been detected globally in the current outbreak, mostly among gay or bisexual men who caught the disease through sexual contact. Experts fear the disease has likely already spilled over into other populations, but has not been detected yet because of a lack of testing. Monkeypox does not require sexual contact to spread, and is mainly transmitted via close physical contact or scabs that get stuck on towels or bedding. In rare cases it can also be passed on through the air. America has detected 2,500 cases in the current outbreak the second highest tally in the world behind only Spain with 3,000. The Netherlands has spotted 700, while Turkey has detected a single case. Timeline of monkeypox 1958: Monkeypox is discovered when an outbreak of pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. 1970: First human case of the disease is recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was later detected in a number of other central and western African countries. 2003: America's former largest monkeypox outbreak occurs. A total of 47 people are infected after having contact with pet prairie dogs that picked up the disease at a farm. July, 2021: Monkeypox case detected in the U.S. in a citizen who had recently returned from Nigeria. November, 2021: Monkeypox is detected in another U.S. resident who recently returned from Nigeria. May, 2022: A man in Massachusetts is diagnosed with monkeypox, becoming the first case in the current outbreak. There are now more than 2,000 cases nationwide. Advertisement The Dutch monkeypox patient first realized he was unwell shortly after returning from Turkey, when he noticed two small red skin lesions on his left cheek and jaw. His doctor initially diagnosed mild dermatomycosis medical term for a fungal infection and prescribed anti-fungal cream. But when more lesions appeared the medic feared he had impetigo a bacterial infection that causes lesions on the body and gave him antibiotics. When they continued to crop up over his ear, forearm, thighs and back the boy was referred to hospital with a suspected case of monkeypox with swabs at the hospital being positive. His parents and two siblings were then also tested for the virus, but all returned negative results. Dutch health authorities vaccinated both parents, one sibling and a friend who were deemed to be at 'high risk' of being infected. None later developed the virus. An investigation was launched to establish where the child caught the disease, but it was inconclusive. There was no evidence that the child had been near a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox before catching the disease. The parents also said they had taken care while on holiday to use their own towels and had not had close contact with other guests, limiting the risk of transmission. Analyses revealed the strain the boy caught was the same as the one circulating in Europe's current outbreak. In the paper, the medics wrote: 'As no plausible source could be identified, this leaves us with an open question regarding transmission. 'In the current outbreak, the predominant route of transmission is related to sexual activity in the community of men who have sex with men. 'However, other indirect transmission routes have been described, such as respiratory transmission through droplets or contaminated materials such as bedding and towels. 'Therefore, it is possible that the child was in close contact with an infectious person or contaminated object that was not recognized as such.' They said it typically takes about eight-and-a-half days for someone infected with monkeypox to start showing symptoms. But suggested it was likely longer up to 21 days for the boy because the route of transmission was different. He had traveled to Turkey three weeks before symptoms began to appear. His parents said the boy had chickenpox when he was five years old. HSBC has become the first foreign bank in China to house a unit of the country's Communist Party in its latest concession to Beijing. The London-based giant's investment banking arm in China HSBC Qianhai Securities recently established a committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Under Chinese company law, a business must allow a CCP committee to be set up by employees. Dialogue: Under Chinese company law, a business must allow a CCP committee to be set up by employees But other foreign banks operating in China, such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, have so far resisted due to the tensions in values between Beijing and the West. HSBC's divergence from its peers led to fresh accusations that the lender is 'kow-towing' to Beijing. Tory MP Bob Seely, who sits on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said HSBC's stance was 'very poor indeed'. He added: 'Clearly they are under political pressure to toe a CCP line, and I suspect that will become increasingly obvious. It's unethical and shows the way that China's regime uses an aggressive form of soft power to subvert freedom of speech. 'I worry that in the long run, this will corrode HSBC's business practices. It will undoubtedly damage its image and brand in the West.' Though HSBC is based in London, and its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange, it makes most of its money in Asia. The idea of placing CCP groups within companies is to give China's ruling party an insight into their operations, and some sway over what happens within a business. But HSBC denied that it, or the government in Beijing, had influenced the establishment of its CCP committee. A spokesman for the bank said: 'Employees of private firms in China are able to form a Party branch. These branches are common and can be set up by as few as three employees. 'It is important to note that management has no role in establishing such groups, they do not influence the direction of the business, and have no formal role in the day to day activities of the business. HSBC does not track the political affiliation of its employees.' It is not the first time that HSBC has drawn criticism from the West. In 2020, following the bank's support for the draconian National Security Law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing, then-US secretary of state Mike Pompeo blasted the business for its 'show of fealty' in the face of 'coercive bullying tactics'. MPs have been equally unimpressed. Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee accused HSBC of 'aiding and abetting one of the biggest crackdowns on democracy in the world'. HSBC's boss Noel Quinn has claimed the bank must follow the laws of the countries it operates in. The establishment of a CCP unit within the HSBC group comes after the lender boosted its ownership in HSBC Qianhai Securities from 51 per cent to 90 per cent, buying out more of the stake owned by its Chinese partner Qianhai Financial Holdings. One source told the Financial Times: 'It is significant in the sense of where [HSBC] is allocating its future. It is increasing its ties with an autocracy that clearly has views on how far it wants to reach into private companies. It is another brick in that wall.' Lloyd's of London insurer Beazley has raised its full year outlook thanks to an increase in cyber risk premiums. The revised forecast comes despite a fall in first-half profits, as the result of market volatility impacting its investment portfolio. Beazley, which specialises in marine, property, data breach and life insurance, said it now expects its combined ratio - a measure of an insurer's profitability - to be between 85 per cent and 90 per cent for 2022, surpassing analysts' forecasts. Lloyd's of London insurer Beazley has raised its full year outlook thanks to an increase in cyber risk premiums A level below 100 per cent indicates an underwriting profit and a lower percentage indicates higher earnings. Beazley shares were up more than 8.9 per cent early Friday off the back of the news. Beazley reported a first-half pretax profit of 18.4 million, down from 139.7 million the year before, due to hefty losses on its investment portfolio. The specialist insurer's performance was boosted by cyber premiums, which almost doubled to 395million from 230 million in the first half of 2021. 'Cyber premiums have increased so much because exposures have increased due to the rise of cyber criminality in the last four or five years,' Chief Executive Adrian Cox told Reuters in an interview. Demand has also risen as more companies see the need for protection from cyber attack, he said, while improvements to Beazley's ability to assess risk means its frequency of losses has reduced. While the insurer's capital levels have grown as income improved, Cox said Beazley was unlikely to pay special dividends in the near term, believing there would be opportunities to write new business instead. Beazley separately said on Thursday that Chairman David Roberts will step down from the board in the autumn of 2022 to become chair of the Court of the Bank of England. Looking ahead, Cox concluded in the firm's half-year report: 'As we reflect on the first half of 2022, no one can be in any doubt that we are in the middle of an uncertain and complex risk environment, where unpredictability is a dominant feature. 'In these circumstances it is our responsibility to do the right thing, supporting our clients to navigate through, offering them relevant insurance protection and capacity, matched by first-rate risk management and loss prevention strategies. 'Beazley will continue to deliver in line with our vision for the remainder of 2022 and beyond and I look forward to reporting a successful set of full year results to you in February 2023 where our current expectation is a combined ratio in the high 80s assuming an average claims experience for the second half of the year.' Elaine Burnett: 'Mum was a loving kind person. It was such a privilege to be her daughter' - her child Julie pays tribute after her mother's death aged 68 this month A grieving family have slammed the 'rip off' government after it wrongly denied a woman a state pension for two years, then slashed a promised lump sum after she died. Elaine Burnett died in hospital the day after the Government rang up to correct its error in refusing her a pension after she turned 66. Her husband Paul took the call because she was already seriously ill, and it came too late for her to learn she was owed thousands of pounds, or deal with the paperwork involved. Elaine could have received around 10,800 in total over the last two years of her life, if not for failures by both HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions. The taxman omitted 'home responsibilities protection' for bringing up children from her National Insurance records, then DWP staff brushed her off instead of investigating when she rang about her state pension in 2020. The DWP recently said HRP inaccuracies were the second largest reason for state pension underpayments. The admission follows a cascade of other errors, including a 1.5billion underpayment scandal discovered by former Pensions Minister Steve Webb and This is Money. >>>Were you refused a state pension? Find out what to do below Had she lived, Elaine would have been handed a 5,200 backpayment, and started receiving a slightly enhanced state pension - due to the delay - of around 110 a week. But since her death earlier this month, Paul has been told by the DWP it will now only award a three-month backpayment worth around 1,300. This is Money had initially flagged Elaine's case to the Government in mid-June, and has chased it up ever since. On hearing of her sad death, we immediately appealed to DWP officials to ensure her family receive a fair and swift payout. Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb says it is 'tragic and unacceptable' that Mrs Burnett never actually received the money she was entitled to, and he is demanding her grieving family get every penny of her missing payments over the past two years 'without further question'. Her daughter Julie Ritchie said after learning of the drastically reduced backpayment to her stepfather: 'Wow and wow, our government really does take the biscuit when it comes to ripping off old people. Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb: It is tragic and unacceptable that Mrs Burnett never actually received the money she was entitled to 'If they had done their job properly in the first place there would be no need for anything to be backdated. 'My poor mum never even knew she had got her pension. Hope they can sleep at night. Thank you so much for all your help and mum really would have been over the moon to get her pension.' Julie paid tribute to her late mother, a retired shop assistant who lived in Scotland, saying: 'Poor mum was a loving kind person. It was such a privilege to be her daughter.' She says the backpayment is 'measly' given the errors involved in her mother's case which meant she was denied a state pension for more than two years. And she says her stepfather supported her late mother financially during this time, including buying the medical equipment needed when she became ill. 'This is all so sad. DWP said they were backdating for a year. It should go to her husband Paul Burnett as he has been supporting her since she wasnt getting a pension,' Julie told us. 'She is due that money so I dont see why they wouldnt but we both know the Government rip off the wrong people. They said they were sending out paperwork and she would need to sign it, which obviously she cant now.' Julie, who notes there has been no apology to her family, adds: 'So very disappointing that our Government sees fit to treat people like this, more so the elderly.' She wants to tell her late mother's story now, as she feels sure Elaine would have wanted to alert other women to state pension errors, and if it helps one other person it will be worth publicising what happened to her. Julie and her mother had themselves contacted This is Money after seeing our recent story where Steve Webb raised the alarm about women turning 66 and wrongly receiving 'zero' state pension. The Government has since denied it is reviewing recent state pension rejections, despite an official telling Webb that it was implementing checks on 'all disallowances' of claims. Before her death, Elaine told us: 'I was shocked when they said I wasn't due a pension at all.' She recounted how she rang the DWP in 2020 to ask about her state pension, but a staff member said she was not entitled to anything and was not polite about it. Former Pensions Minister Ros Altmann: So many women seem to be losing out as a result of errors made by the DWP and it is almost always women During the call to the DWP, the staff member asked her mother if she had children, according to Julie. But she and her mother said there was no mention of HRP or making a claim for that. Meanwhile, This is Money understands that HMRC sent Elaine an HRP claim form in spring 2020. Julie has no recollection of this, though she cannot be certain whether it arrived because her mother was dangerously ill in hospital for a lengthy period that spring, and as it was during a lockdown period she didn't see all the paperwork that was received. During our investigation it emerged that Elaine's NI record wrongly had seven qualifying years, but when the HRP the taxman had missed off her record was added she had 19 years - well over the 10 needed to get a minimum state pension. >>>What is HRP? What is the married women's stamp? Find out how to check if you were underpaid below Webb, who is now a partner at pension consultant LCP and This is Money's pensions columnist, says: 'Like many women, Mrs Burnett spent many years bringing up her family and these years should have earned her credits towards her state pension. 'But a Government computer bungle meant these credits were missing from her record. 'When she first rang up in 2020 to ask why she was not getting a pension this error should have been picked up and a pension put in place immediately. 'Given that the DWP have admitted in their recent annual report that errors on credits for time bringing up a family are far from unique, there needs to be an urgent investigation to track down all such cases, as well as immediate justice for Mrs Burnetts family.' Labour's Shadow Pensions Minister, Matt Rodda, says: 'This Conservative Governments inability to deliver essential public services is leading to devastating consequences for ordinary people. 'It is a minimum requirement that the DWP pays everyone the correct state pension on time, and where it makes mistakes that they are rectified as quickly as possible. 'The tragic events highlighted in the report should never have been allowed to happen and ministers must work as quickly as possible to make sure they are not repeated.' Labour's Shadow Pensions Minister, Matt Rodda: The tragic events highlighted should never have been allowed to happen Former Pensions Minister and campaigner Ros Altmann says: 'So many women seem to be losing out as a result of errors made by the DWP and it is almost always women. 'There seems to have been insufficient attention to detail, despite the fact that the UK state pension is the most complex system in the world and it is vital that the rules are properly applied. 'HRP was there to protect women against losing pension rights when they were looking after their children and, yet, the errors have led to precisely those kinds of losses. 'Urgent action to understand why the errors were made and how to ensure they are rectified and do not recur is needed.' The Government expressed its sincere condolences to Mrs Burnett's family following her death. Meanwhile, a spokesperson said: 'This year we will spend over 110billion on the state pension and support over 12.5million pensioners. 'Our priority is ensuring everyone receives the financial support to which they are entitled and, where errors do occur, we are committed to fixing them.' Regarding HRP, a spokesperson said: 'We are investigating an issue with the historical recording of home responsibilities protection in a small number of National Insurance records, with work under way to identify those affected.' The Government's position is that different rules govern a claim for state pension in a persons own right and for inheriting someone elses. State pensions are calculated by the DWP, based on NI records kept by HMRC. What is HRP and why is it causing state pension errors? The now abolished 'home responsibilities protection' reduced the number of qualifying years needed for a basic state pension if someone stayed at home to care for children or a person who was sick or disabled. If you were a parent in this situation you needed to sign up for child benefit, as with the replacement system of National Insurance credits towards a state pension. In its annual report issued this month, the DWP said: 'The second largest reason for state pension underpayment is primarily attributable to historic periods of HRP not being recorded accurately on National Insurance records. 'Errors have occurred where periods of HRP were due but not accurately recorded on someones National Insurance record. 'State pension payments are calculated and administered by the Department, based on the National Insurance records supplied by HM Revenue and Customs. 'These errors may therefore have impacted an individuals state pension award.' The DWP added that it was supporting HMRC to understand more about the scale, potential causes and options to correct these cases. 'Investigations are complex, involving the use of tailored data reports. The potential numbers of people affected and estimates of cost are unlikely to be available until autumn 2022 at the earliest.' HMRC says at this stage it is aware of a very small number of errors affecting people who received child benefit between 1978 and 2010 and most people will not be affected. What is the married women's stamp A little-known rule means women who paid the 'married women's stamp' towards the state pension can still benefit from it now. Women retiring from April 2016 onwards get state pension payments based on their own National Insurance record not their husband's. But there is a special concession for those who paid the stamp for at least one year during the 35 years before they reached state pension age. You can claim 85.00 a week if still married or 141.85 if you are widowed or divorced, based on this year's rates. Are YOU being underpaid state pension, or were you turned down? What should you do People who have reached state pension age and are not already receiving a full basic pension of 141.85 a week might be able to add further qualifying years to their National Insurance record by claiming HRP. You can claim HRP by filling in the CF411 form here, but first check the following to see if it is worthwhile. - Did you register for and receive child benefit between 06/04/1978 and 05/04/2010? - Did your partner? It can be possible to swap when the 'wrong' parent claims child benefit. - Does your NI record NOT contain HRP for the period above, even though you qualified for it and did not accrue contributions through another route - check what counts as eligibility for HRP here and your NI record here. Note that if you paid the married womens reduced rate NI contributions (also known as the small stamp) during the same period you claimed child benefit, HRP cannot be used to increase your pension. Also, if you paid standard rate NI contributions and earned enough for it to be counted as a full year for pension purposes while claiming child benefit, HRP will not increase your pension. Contact details to query your NI record with HMRC are here. If you were refused a state pension or are receiving less than 141.85 per week and think there has been an error, you can also email This is Money at pensionquestions@thisismoney.co.uk. Please put DWP CLAIMS in the subject line and include: - Your date of birth - Your basic state pension figure, if any - this can be found on your annual statement - Whether you earned HRP or paid married women's stamp, and in which years as best as you can remember - Your phone number - this will only be used to follow up this issue, not used for marketing purposes. Please be aware that we cannot answer everyone. If you believe HMRC made an error with your HRP after checking the rules above, you can fill in the CF411 claim form. If you are concerned that you are being underpaid state pension, you can contact the DWP's Pension Service. A reputable building company from the United States that creates 'hobbit' homes of the future is furious and fighting to repair its reputation in Australia after a builder allegedly went rogue and defrauded heartbroken bushfire victims out of their life savings. Eco builder Green Magic Homes started in the US but has since expanded to 29 countries, building sustainable homes. The environmentally-friendly properties, that look like something straight out of Lord of the Rings, have been built all over the world including in the US, Norway and India. The tiny eco-friendly houses are designed to exist under layer of grass and soil. Built from a collection of prefabricated shells made from fibre-reinforced polymer, the quaint homes are entirely waterproof and designed to withstand strong winds and fire. The company was hoping for success in Australia but ever since June 20, when Fair Trading NSW announced it was ending Green Magic Homes' licence in Australia, the company has been fighting to get it back. One client spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her shocking treatment and the moment she was approached by an Aussie builder named Glenn Stevenson. Mr Stevenson, the alleged victim claims, promised an eco-friendly 'hobbit' home that would be built into the earth to keep it cool, with builders eventually laying moss across the roof to also regulate temperature. The clients, most of whom were grieving the loss of their possessions after the devastating bushfire season in early 2021, were also promised the homes would be completely fire-proof. Australians who lost their homes to bushfires claim they've also lost money to a man running a company that makes eco-friendly hobbit-style homes The homes have been built in nearly 30 countries around the world but have never been finished in Australia Sarah*, from southern NSW, said the wreckage of her home was still smouldering when she was approached by Mr Stevenson, who promised to rebuild everything from the ashes. Sarah said she paid Green Magic Homes Australia $535,000 - everything she had left - to build two hobbit-style homes on her property. Instead of the two homes, Sarah has been left with 'two holes in the ground' and nowhere to live. After failing to see any progress and getting 'suspicious', Sarah eventually asked for her money back. In documents seen by Daily Mail Australia, Sarah was paid back $130,000 of her money - but said she was left fearing the rest of the cash would not be returned. As of July 22, Sarah is still waiting for the remaining $405,000 to be returned. 'All his stories kept changing about where my shells (for the homes) are, that's when I realised I was just being d**ked about,' she said. 'All I've got is two big holes in the ground. 'The ashes (from the fires) were still hot when Glenn came down here. 'He stood with me in the ashes, gave me a handkerchief to wipe my tears away and told me not to worry and that all I have to do is turn the key in the lock... everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie.' One NSW resident said she paid more than $500,000 for two homes but was left with a pile of dirt instead (pictured, her building site) Glenn Stevenson (pictured) was using the American company's name but Green Magic Homes claims he was 'never contracted directly' to do it Sarah hopes that will have all of her money returned after the parent company became involved and started to contact alleged victims. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Green Magic Homes spokesperson Alexander Grieg said the company was still speaking with the NSW Fair Trading Commissioner and chief investigator to get its licence back and was 'working closely with those impacted'. 'Although Green Magic Homes in the United States is not responsible for Glenn Stevenson's activities and behaviour, our company has been devastated to learn about the Australians impacted by his actions and want to help those individuals move forward with their lives,' Mr Grieg said. 'Green Magic Homes is a reputable company run by idealists focused on improving people's lives through our innovative products. We work to serve and find injustice reprehensible so we are going to fix this situation. 'We are working with an Australian company who are going to rectify any wrong doings that have been made. In short we plan to complete the build for the couple in Verona and we plan to provide a full refund to the other people affected.' The tiny eco-friendly houses are designed to exist under layer of grass and soil and protect against the elements Green Magic Homes maintains it never agreed Mr Stevenson could use its name - or patented green modular construction system. 'Rather, he became involved with the global brand as a sub-distributor for regional distributors Green Magic Homes Australasia, led by established New Zealand eco-architect Alex Grieg,' the company said. Mr Stevenson denies all the allegations levelled against him and told Daily Mail Australia he was working to pay Sarah the rest of her money. He claimed the Australian arm of Green Magic Homes had to stop work on Sarah's two homes because she didn't want to go through council. 'I told her unless you go through the council you can't receive the home owners warranty insurance,' he said. 'We said "it's too hard, we're given you back your money".' Sarah said Glenn Stevenson arrived on her property while the ashes were 'still hot', promising to rebuild her a home Pictured is a burnt car that was left behind on Sarah's property from the fires in southern NSW Another couple who lost their home to the fires in Cobargo, in southern NSW, also allege they lost money to GMHA and have been left with a house that's just 40 per cent complete. Mr Stevenson said the delay of the Cobargo couple's home was due to Covid and weather factors but admitted it was being made 'a lot slower than we would have liked'. Mr Stevenson described the controversy surrounding his business as a 'storm in a teacup'. Construction stopped completely after the licence cancellation, with the couple now forced to live in a demountable. However Green Magic Homes in the US is already working to get another licenced builder to finish the project. 'They are correct in being disappointed that we didn't build the house quickly but there were things at hand,' Mr Stevenson said, pointing the finger at Covid lockdowns. The contractor licence for Green Magic Homes Australia was cancelled by NSW Fair Trading this month with the organisation warning Aussies against dealing with the company Mr Stevenson said there was only six weeks' worth of work left on the home which now wasn't possible because of the licence being cancelled. 'The team in the US are committed to social causes and one of their biggest concerns is that people in NSW do not realise we are there to help,' Green Magic Homes spokesperson Carlos Taminez said. 'We will work with licensed builders in Australia, teach them how to build the product and even provide homes at cost. 'Our concern about the victims of the situation is even more acute due to our personal and institutional passion for and dedication to ecological and social-impact projects.' The woman from southern NSW lost everything to the horror bushfire season in 2020 and 2021 NSW Fair Trading issued a stark warning to Australians considering contracting a home with Green Magic Homes Australia last month. At the time, Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos said consumers had paid large amounts to GMHA 'with their builds yet to be completed'. 'Green Magic Homes was found to have contracted to undertake work without appropriate insurance,' she said. 'At this point in the investigation, it appears that funds from customers may have been used for personal expenses including travel, groceries, restaurants, liquor stores, gambling, and accommodation. 'The director of the company at the time it was licensed failed to disclose prior convictions for fraud-related offences when applying for a contractor licence in 2021.' When Daily Mail Australia questioned Mr Stevenson about not disclosing his fraud convictions, he said he pleaded guilty to fraud after signing documents six years ago he says didn't know were dodgy. Mr Stevenson said he was given community service to complete and didn't think that meant he had to declare previous convictions because he didn't serve jail time. 'I didn't make any money out of it, as I understand it I have no criminal convictions,' he said. He also denied he'd been using customer's funds for personal expenses. Mr Stevenson said he wasn't earning a wage when the business started to get off the ground, and would use the company card for things such as groceries. 'I wasn't getting paid a wage, it wasn't like I was being paid and I was using the company account on personal expenses,' he said. Sarah's home was destroyed in the fires before she was approached by Glenn Stevenson According to the Green Magic Homes website there has been 18 homes built around the world and 239 under planning and permitting. In a list of completed projects, projects under construction and upcoming, there are none in Australia. The Green Magic Homes Australia Facebook page has been removed while the Australia-specific website only offers an email about inquiries into builders training. A recent employee shared on Facebook he had quit and was 'disgusted' with the company. 'Not only disgusted but also gutted for all the other people that have been effected by this,' they wrote. Another website also shows the plans for a development of Green Magic Home builds in Lismore dubbed Platypus Park. Ninety homes had been slated for the block of land but nothing has been done and the number listed to the site rings out. *Sarah is not her real name. A former minister pledged yesterday to give her severance pay to charity after it was revealed she will receive almost 17,000 for resigning. Michelle Donelan had been promoted from universities minister to education secretary for only 36 hours before she joined the Cabinet mutiny yesterday morning. The severance payment is worth three months of salary more than she would have received for resigning while in her more junior role. The 16,876.25 payment was revealed as part of an astonishing amount of severance cash - over 200k - thought to be owed by taxpayers to Tory ministers who resigned en masse in the rebellion against Boris Johnson. Under the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, MPs leaving office are entitled to a quarter of their annual ministerial salary in severance. Michelle Donelan (pictured) is in line to receive a severance pay out of nearly 17k, despite only holding the post of education secretary for 36 hours before throwing her weight behind the coup and resigning Responding on Twitter, Miss Donelan said: 'If this is the case I shall be donating it in full to a local charity.' She said later she had asked if there was a way to stop the payment ever coming to her but had not had an answer. More than 50 MPs have resigned from government or party roles since Tuesday night. Analysis carried out by the Liberal Democrats found that the payments to all ministers including Mr Johnson will add up to over 200,000. The Prime Minister is in line for 18,860. Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: 'Conservative MPs spent months defending Boris Johnson and failed to get rid of him when they had the chance... An analysis carried out by the Lib Dems has found that the severance payments to all mutinous ministers along with the pay out due to Boris Johnson after his resignation yesterday will add up to over 200k. Pictured: The Prime Minister makes his resignation statement outside Number 10 Downing Street 'Now Conservative infighting and sheer incompetence has cost the taxpayer yet more money during this cost of living crisis. 'Conservative ministers who resigned should do the decent thing and pass up their payoffs for the good of the country.' In the Commons, Labour's Rupa Huq asked Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis: 'Can he confirm they will be forfeiting their right to this, because we do not reward failure?' Mr Ellis replied: 'The matter she refers to is set in statute so it's a matter for the law, and that law would have been passed by this House.' Advertisement Jeremiah Heaton, a 44-year-old farmer from Virginia, made himself the King of North Sudan in 2015 when he staked claim to a patch of land in the desert between Sudan and Egypt. Now, he tells DailyMail.com about his plans very nearly came true Jeremiah Heaton, a 44-year-old farmer from Virginia, amused the world in 2015 by staking claim to a patch of land in between Sudan and Egypt so that his then seven-year-old daughter could become a real-life princess. The land was 795 square miles of empty desert named Bir Tawil, which he rebranded as the Kingdom of North Sudan. After scouring the internet for an empty kingdom for Emily, Heaton made the grueling trip to his new land and planted a green and gold flag. He posted a photo of the trip on Facebook to delight his friends and relaxed in the knowledge that he'd lived up to his promise to his daughter. Soon, his overindulgent parenting caught headlines around the world. He found himself inundated with offers from people who wanted to come and live in his new kingdom which is around the same size as Mauritius, but without electricity, water, roads or any other kind of infrastructure. Today, he remains the 'king' of the territory - despite never returning after his flag-planting visit - and is the subject of a documentary on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube. But speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Heaton revealed how his seemingly farfetched plan led him into conversations with Mike Flynn and a gaggle of Chinese investors who he ultimately reported to the FBI. He also told how left-wing media labeled him a modern-day colonizer because he was white, despite having support from Egypt and Sudan to launch an economy. There were early talks for a US airbase that would be used to launch terrorist drone strikes away from the prying eyes of Europe, promises of a solar farm to generate power that he could sell to neighboring African countries. He even spoke with Sudanese and Egyptian officials working together to build an economy - and country - seemingly out of thin air. Jeremiah Heaton, in 2015, planting his flag in Bir Tawil, an unoccupied and unclaimed 795-square mile patch of land in the middle of the desert between Sudan and Egypt Bir Tawil is a 795-square mile patch of land between Egypt and Sudan. It's around the same size as Mauritius but without electricity, water, roads or any other kind of infrastructure Despite his grand plans, he never intended to live there, nor does he care now if someone else wishes to make the country viable. 'I did not have any plans to live in a tent in the desert with my family. I was never going to move my family there and I don't have a death grip on Bir Tawil,' he said. 'Princess' Emily was seven when her father claimed the country in her honor. Now, she is 15 and mortified Heaton traveled to China then Bangkok seeking out partners to launch the project and turned down offers from 'thousands' of nomads who said they'd give him their life savings in exchange for citizenship. 'More than 15,000 people messaged, over the span of time, expressed some sort of interest. 'You would not believe the number of people who do not have a home. I had a strong, strong calling from the Kurdish community asking for citizenship in Bir Tawil, people from Palestine, a lot of displaced people from Israel. You have a lot of people without a home who are looking for one. 'But we never sold citizenships. Its unconscionable to me to do something like that.' In the end, none of it materialized. The only thing in Bir Tawil now are a few Sudanese gold-miners who he claims root through the land for goods to sell in their own markets every few weeks. Heaton remains in Virginia with his wife Kelly and three kids. Emily, now 15, couldn't care less about royal status. It's an extraordinary story of optimism that despite the world's sneering, almost made an ordinary man a king. After planting his flag in the desert in 2015, the world largely lost interest in Heaton's venture after an initial flurry of interest. But he privately received offers from Americans and others around the world who were desperate to live in his new kingdom. He told DailyMail.com that 15,000 people came forward volunteering to be part of the country's first population. Jeremiah in 'The King of North Sudan' - a documentary on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube. In the years that followed, he looked in to making the farfetched dream a reality. One of the more surprising signs of encouragement came from General Mike Flynn, Trump's disgraced former national security adviser. Heaton came across Flynn before he became involved in the Trump administration. They met at a conference in Washington DC and were introduced by a mutual friend, Heaton claims. Among those who gave Heaton encouragement was General Mike Flynn. They had several conversations about a US Airbase in Bir Tawil, but they all fell apart when Flynn was kicked out of Trump's White House 'After the conference, the host pulled Mike and I together aside and had a pretty in depth conversation. Mike was running a consultancy firm at the time, he was just getting his business started. Thats how the discussion occurred.' Their discussion that day and in subsequent emails and phone calls centered around the proposal of building a US airbase on Heaton's land. 'Africom is not in Africa it sits in Germany theres a need that exists for the US military to have a facility that allows them to operate without some of the conventional blowback that exists when theyre running attacks in the region. 'They have a base in Djibouti and its a shared commercial airport. 'Its a weird way to conduct business when youre running drone strikes against terrorists. 'Having an area where you can put an airfield like Bir Tawil where there no conflicting issues, from a strategic standpoint, it was interesting. 'Youll find a lot of people in the DOD who are visionaries, have big ideas, and this just happened to be something that from a planning standpoint had some legs to it. 'I was not totally off base in pursuing a conversation of how this region could be used for something.' When Trump took office and appointed Flynn to a senior position, Heaton became even more excited. 'Selling the idea and getting through the chain of command under Obama was not ever going to happen but with Trump there was a possibility that it could. I did think we have a shot here' 'Selling the idea and getting through the chain of command under Obama was not ever going to happen but with Trump there was a possibility that it could. I did think we have a shot here...wed already had the conversation with him months prior. It was an existing discussion. 'We felt once he got settled in, we could circle back to him and revisit the conversation.' But Flynn was fired after less than a month in office, killing Heaton's optimistic hopes of having the project bolstered by the Oval Office. Seeking a new partner, he ventured next to China. Ditching the plan for the air base, the next best thing - he thought - might be a solar farm that would generate energy he could sell to Sudan or Egypt and begin to establish an economy. The documentary trails Heaton as he travels to China to meet with the investors from the China Arab Peace Commission. Jeremiah meeting with Chinese investors in 2016 after his story made headlines around the world. Their plan was to build a solar farm in Bir Tawil where he would generate energy to sell to Egypt and Sudan Jeremiah in China with his would-be investors, toasting their plans for the kingdom with warm orange juice Jeremiah's negotiations with Thai and Chinese investors fell apart. In the end, he discovered that some of them planned to sell fake passports to his kingdom to unwitting Chinese defectors. He reported the fund to the FBI, and returned home to Virginia He appears in the film toasting his potential new business partners with warm orange juice and promising to name roads after them all in the new kingdom if their deal goes through. The documentary doesn't drill down on the details of why those negotiations stalled, but Heaton tells DailyMail.com the conversation simply lost momentum. 'The timing of the trip caused it to lose momentum. I was there two weeks before the Chinese New Year, theyre down for a month and a half before they come back online,' he said. During his time in China he toured a solar farm looking for inspiration to build one of his own. Ultimately, the commission didn't come through with any kind of investment and Heaton continued his quest, this time hopping to Thailand where he became embedded with a shadowy investment firm. To Jeremiah, the investors seemed legitimate. 'They wanted to be the exclusive development partner for the activities. They wanted to build the solar from, the city. Everything I received suggested they were legitimate. 'I wish I had kept the documents that they provided to me they rolled out blue prints, the whole thing had been surveyed. This was not anything that was just thrown together to impress me. This stuff, they had been working on it.' Before long, their real plan was exposed; the Ming Wei investors wanted to sell passports to disenchanted Chinese nationals desperate for a new country to claim. They wanted to rebrand it themselves as 'The Kingdom of New Legend' to make it more appealing to Asian nomads who they could flog passports to for $20,000. Jeremiah discovered the plan when one of the disgruntled 'investors' came clean in a fit of rage at his colleagues. Jeremiah reported the plan to the FBI and returned to America to his family in Virginia. Jeremiah's farm in Virginia. He and his family are now growing hemp - among other projects Jeremiah with his wife Kelly, their two sons and his daughter, Emily. He says he hopes the documentary will 'embarrass' the kids for years to come and that he has no regrets In total, he spent $50,000 trying to get the country off the ground, a small dent in the savings he acquired through mining, engineering and real estate projects. He doesn't regret it, but says he has no claim to the land now. 'It became a hobby. After the government of Sudan fell apart, I gave up working on it. If you look at the politics of Sudan, things have not settled down the point Id feel comfortable entering an agreement with the government. In Sudan.. things are not fully stable yet. If you take away the hokey-ness thats presented in hey, heres this rural guy who may or may not be able to do this anything in life is challenging. 'Everything we do is a challenge. Success is never guaranteed. One dynamic in me thats labelled as being a wide-eyed optimist I am not deterred by failure. I expect failure thats how you learn. 'There have been other people who came along, an Indian guy who never even went to Bir Tawil. A Russian guy went six months after me I see him as some guy trying to do the same thing that I want to do. He went and planted the Russian flag. 'But as far as having any death grip on Bir Tawil? I dont, its an empty patch of desert. Right now, its not front and center. The only thing thats happening is the documentary being released. It is a product of Hollywood, from a pool of film, for which you could extrapolate anything.' As for Princess Emily, she too has moved on. 'It was just a phase. It was cool for a year or two. She is a very well grounded teenager focused on school and trying to figure out where to go to college. Were blessed to have three wonderful children. Were very blessed to have children that are positively engaged in the world that they live in. 'I hope the documentary provides them with years of embarrassment!' A high-profile politician's attempt to refute claims of a health crisis in Australia's hospital system has spectacularly backfired. NSW Regional Health Minister Bronnie Taylor has spent the past two days locked in an escalating Twitter spat with Opposition leader Chris Minns. Mr Minns posted a compelling photo of a woman in a wheelchair lining up to be treated in a tent outside a NSW hospital emergency ward, rugged up against the freezing cold. Mrs Taylor fired back with her own tweet saying the tents were not overflow but for screening patients for Covid before they went inside, as was 'global standard', with photos of four overseas hospitals to prove it. However, three of the examples she used were of hospitals so overwhelmed with Covid patients they had no beds, and another was a queue for vaccines. Tents are a global standard in COVID screening & patient safety. It's false to suggest this is a failure of the health system. Here's a link to WHO guidelines: https://t.co/5wr5qxle1F Dont play politics with health, Chris. Be better. Happy to brief you on how the system works. https://t.co/jHwDDWqtYS pic.twitter.com/tNRnqKaGn4 Bronnie Taylor MLC (@bronnietaylor) July 19, 2022 NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns posted a photo of a woman in a wheelchair lining up to be treated in a tent outside a NSW hospital ER, rugged up against the freezing cold One showed huge tents set up by NATO outside Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg in April 2020 to increase its capacity by 1,200sqm with beds for 200 Covid patients. Another was a tent outside Cremona Hospital in Italy in March 2020, when the country's north was one of the worst-hit places in the world. More than 15 million people were in one of the harshest lockdowns of the entire pandemic and 463 already dead at the time. A third was a big white tent outside the Queen's Medical Center in West Oahu, Hawaii, in August 2021 after three times its ER capacity showed up at once - many sick with Covid. Finally, a wall of tents outside St Thomas' Hospital in London was to accommodate a huge line of people waiting to get Covid booster shots last December. A spokesman for Mrs Taylor admitted she should have used different photos to make her point, but said she was trying to explain that the tents at NSW hospitals were used for Covid screening, not to treat patients. One showed huge tents set up by NATO outside Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg in April 2020 to increase its capacity by 1,200sqm with beds for 200 Covid patients Another was a tent outside Cremona Hospital in Italy in March 2020, when the country's north was one of the worst-hit places in the world Mr Minns claimed the photo he posted showed the reality of NSW emergency departments was patients stuck outside in tents in winter. 'Not because of staff who are working through extraordinary conditions. But because we have a government who for over a decade has failed,' he wrote. 'Failed to listen to it's own workforce crying out for more support. And failed to invest in this critical area. 'Patients heading to hospital in their time of need deserve better. NSW deserves better.' Ms Taylor accused the opposition leader of 'playing politics' and insisted using tents was in line with World Health Organisation guidelines. 'Tents are a global standard in Covid screening and patient safety. It's false to suggest this is a failure of the health system,' she wrote. 'Don't play politics with health, Chris. Be better. Happy to brief you on how the system works.' Labor called Ms Taylor's tweet ironic as she was defending against a claim that NSW hospitals were in crisis using photos of hospitals that actually were in crisis. Finally, a wall of tents outside St Thomas' Hospital in London was to accommodate a huge line of people waiting to get Covid booster shots last December Mr Minns doubled down on Wednesday night by posting a video of himself outside Canterbury Hospital in southwest Sydney at 8.30pm, complaining the ED was overflowing. He pointed out tents in the background he claimed were being used as a makeshift waiting room as hospitals were too overworked from understaffing. 'There's a full emergency department behind me, as you can see the tent in the foreground with people waiting there to be triaged by the nurses,' he said. 'They tell me it's a full house inside this evening. Obviously this is an example of an overworked, very tough emergency department right now.' He added in the video caption: 'This is what it's like in NSW Hospitals right now. Four in 10 patients not being treated in time. And health workers run off their feet.' However, according to Ms Taylor, the hospital's ED at that time was not full, and the patients in the tents were being pre-screened for Covid before they moved inside for treatment. Ms Taylor slammed Mr Minns for both the photo of the woman in the wheelchair, and his video, demanding he apologise for misleading the public. 'Chris Minns is not only deliberately misleading the people of our state but undermining their confidence in our health system. As a nurse, I'm appalled,' she said. 'These screening tents are used at hospitals across the state, country and world. He would know this if he spent more than a few minutes for social snaps outside our hospitals.' Ms Taylor said there were 35 patients overall, including 10 patients in the waiting room and four symptomatic patients awaiting screening results in the tent, and no ambulances waiting to transfer patients. Almost 95 per cent of patients who arrived by ambulance were handed over to hospital staff within half an hour. The NSW Health target is 90 per cent. 'Overall, the timeliness of care provided to ED patients was excellent in challenging circumstances and a credit to all who work there,' she said. 'The Labor leader is showing both a lack of integrity and maturity in effectively attacking our hardworking NSW hospital workers who are trying to be innovative in service delivery to relieve the pressures on our hospital system. 'This is not the first time Mr Minns has done this, and it needs to stop. 'Patients, staff and the NSW community deserve better than this hypocrisy and political point-scoring from someone who has now clearly stamped himself as unworthy of leading the Labor party, let alone the state.' Medical workers claim there are chronic staff shortages at NSW hospitals and staged several walk outs and protests. The Blacktown and Westmead hospital emergency services nurses staged a walk-out on Monday morning after completing their shifts to protest a lack of safe nurse-to-patient ratios and 'severe understaffing' at the EDs. The rallies - not classified as strike action - were part of a continued effort by western Sydney nurses to fix understaffing they said led to 18-hour days and long shifts without breaks, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. The Blacktown and Westmead hospital emergency services nurses staged a walk-out on Monday morning after completing their shifts to protest a lack of safe nurse-to-patient ratios and 'severe understaffing' at the EDs NSW nurses union general secretary Brett Holmes said with flu and Covid presentations on the rise, the two EDs were regularly overwhelmed and 'urgent measures' had not been taken by authorities to help combat the issues. 'Gauging the level of frustration and despair it's quite possible that other branches will look at this and consider whether they need to to also take similar action,' Mr Holmes told AAP. 'There's no doubt that there's similar experiences and feelings across the rest of the health system, whether our members choose to follow the same pattern or do something different... I just have to wait and see.' The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association said 21 night duty nurses walked out at Blacktown hospital, while about 50 rallied at Westmead. The demonstration comes after about 60 ICU nurses rallied at Westmead hospital over staffing shortages in February. Premier Dominic Perrottet said flu season was putting extra strain on hospitals, admitting the health system nationwide was 'under enormous pressure'. 'It's been a very difficult time with Covid over the past few years... But we've invested record amounts to get people through this difficult time,' he said. He said his administration was working closely with the federal government 'to make sure we get better systems in place to put downward pressure on our public hospitals'. The rallies were part of a continued effort by western Sydney nurses to fix understaffing they said led to 18-hour days and long shifts without breaks, worsened by the pandemic The state government previously said it is aware of pressures on nurses and has met with the union to address their concerns. Mr Minns said the Perrottet Government failed to adequately staff hospitals, leading to one in 10 patients leaving EDs because of delays. 'This has now led to this situation where we have a crisis on our hands in hospitals right across NSW, especially in western Sydney,' he said. 'This is something that the government has refused to talk about.' Additional reporting by Australian Associated Press. A Missouri looter has been convicted of murdering retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn, who was shot dead in front of a pawn shop in 2020 during a night of violence and looting sparked by racial injustice protests. Stephan Cannon, 26, of Glasgow Village, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Dorn, 77, who was shot when he investigated alarms going off at a friend's pawn shop in St. Louis. Cannon was also found guilty of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and three counts of armed criminal action. He faces a mandatory term of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced September 13. Dorn was killed on June 2, 2020, when he approached Lee's Pawn & Jewelry in north St. Louis and fired off warning shots to stop looters who were ransacking the business. Cannon shot Dorn 10 times and the retired police officer's body was found on a the sidewalk in front of the pawn shop. His death was initially streamed on Facebook Live, but footage has since been deleted. His murder drew attention nationwide because it occurred amid protests across the country in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Stephan Cannon, 26, of Glasgow Village, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Dorn, 77, who was shot when he investigated alarms going off at a friend's pawn shop Retired police captain David Dorn, 77, was shot dead in front of a pawn shop in 2020 during a night of violence and looting sparked by racial injustice protests Police investigate the scene of a shooting at Lee's Pawn & Jewelry in St. Louis on June 2, 2020, after Dorn was found shot dead Across St. Louis that night, Dorn and four officers were shot, officers were pelted with rocks and fireworks, and 55 businesses were burglarized or damaged. Prosecutors argued that Cannon deliberated his actions when he walked to a corner near the pawn shop and fired 10 shots at Dorn. Fox 2 Now reported that Cannon was one of several people who were seen on surveillance footage after entering the pawn shop and stealing TVs. Court documents revealed that Cannon acknowledged that he was inside the pawn shop the night of Dorn's murder and that he cut his hair to change his appearance. A stolen TV was found inside Cannon's home and the serial number matched that of Lee's Pawn and Jewelry store. Cannon also admitted he became aware that his photograph being distributed after local authorities released CCTV footage from the pawns shop. Cannon's attorneys argued the state had not provided any physical evidence to link him to the shooting and based their case largely on testimony from an unreliable witness, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The lead prosecutor, Marvin Teer, told jurors Wednesday that Cannon deliberated before he shot 'a good man who dedicated his entire life to doing nothing but helping others.' The St. Louis Police Department released surveillance footage taken inside the store shortly after 2.30am, in which seven persons of interests are seen entering through the pawn shop's front door Cannon's lawyer, Brian Horneyer, said in his closing argument that police had 'tunnel vision' when they charged Cannon without any physical evidence. He also said the state's main witness, Mark Jackson, lied to police several times about the shooting and then made a deal to testify against Cannon. Cannon did not testify during the three-day trial. Dorn retired from St. Louis police in 2007 after 38 years and also served for six years as police chief in Moline Acres, a small town north of St. Louis. After Dorn's unexpected death, several community members were outraged. The Ethical Society of Police, which represents black officers in St. Louis, said in a news release that Dorn was 'the type of brother that would've given his life to save them if he had to'. One witness of the Facebook Live video which showed Dorn being shot said the incident had 'sickened' him. Marquaello Futrell wrote: 'The man just was shot and killed outside of Lee's Pawn and Jewelry has me sick to my stomach.' The St. Louis PD posted the video on Twitter, where they also stated they were offering a reward for those who had information on the men The store looks to have already been completely ransacked by the time the group arrived on the scene, with windows shattered, display cabinets emptied and trash discarded on the floor. He suggested eyewitnesses did not help Dorn after he was shot, adding: 'It's one thing to be a victim of a robbery/assault but to lie in you own blood pleading for help and no help comes other than people standing around on FB Live recording his death. All over social media. I'm upset and can't sleep!' Colonel John W. Hayden, Jr., a St. Louis police commissioner, called Dorn a 'fine captain.' 'Many of us, the other officers, looked up to him,' Hayden said. 'Was very well-liked, very pleasant. And his wife still works here. So a very sad time for our agency. We will honor him.' Tim Fitch, the former St. Louis County police chief called Dorn 'a true public servant', adding: 'Protecting & serving all the way to the end. None of us who knew you are surprised you went out fighting at Lee's Pawn this morning. God speed my friend.' President Trump tweeted his own tribute Tuesday evening, writing: 'Our highest respect to the family of David Dorn, a Great Police Captain from St. Louis, who was viciously shot and killed by despicable looters last night. We honor our police officers, perhaps more than ever before. Thank you!' State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, told the Post-Dispatch that he watched to Facebook Live post before it was removed. 'Very traumatized right now,' he said about an hour after the shooting occurred. 'Im hurting.' President Trump also shared his own tribute for Dorn on Twitter in 2020. 'Our highest respect to the family of David Dorn, a Great Police Captain from St. Louis, who was viciously shot and killed by despicable looters last night,' he wrote. 'We honor our police officers, perhaps more than ever before.' Australians can retire with a lot less than what the superannuation industry is recommending - if they are prepared to forgo a flashy new car and regular overseas holidays. Financial advice author Scott Pape, better known as the Barefoot Investor, has suggested $250,000 is enough to retire on. That is less than half the $535,000 the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) is recommending for someone receiving the aged pension at 67 from July 2023. Pape recently endorsed recommendations from Super Consumers Australia, which believes $258,000 is sufficient for an individual who has paid off their mortgage. Financial advice author Scott Pape, better known as the Barefoot Investor, has suggested $250,000 is enough to retire on Director Xavier O'Halloran said the figure, based on living off $38,000 a year, was designed to reflect someone maintaining an existing standard of living. Super savings recommendations for home owners SUPER CONSUMERS AUSTRALIA: $258,000 savings for an individual living off $38,000 a year for a 'medium' lifestyle They recommended $73,000 in savings for a 'low' $29,000 a year lifestyle The 'high' lavish lifestyle requires $743,000 savings, costing $51,000 a year For couples, the 'medium' recommendation was $352,000 to live off $56,000 a year The 'low' savings goal was $95,000 to live off $42,000 a year The 'high category' is $1.021million to live off $75,000 a year Advertisement 'You might be looking at not buying the flashiest new car off the lot,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'If that's what you were doing before, this is really reflecting how you maintain that standard of living.' The recommendation is also based on holidaying within Australia every year rather than going overseas. 'This is really reflecting what people are spending at the moment,' Mr O'Halloran said. But Mr O'Halloran, whose group works with consumer organisation CHOICE, said Australians still renting by retirement age would need to have a lot more saved up. A frugal individual who had paid off their home would need to have $73,000 saved up to survive on $29,000 a year. A renter, however, would need to have $140,000 in retirement savings to cope with unexpected cost of living increases. 'For renters, they're facing much higher levels of financial hardship and income poverty,' Mr O'Halloran said. 'The message overall is if you're not a home owner in retirement at the moment, your chances of facing financial stress are much higher. 'We're all concerned about the decreasing rates of home ownership and how it will continue to play out like it has been in younger generations, as more and more people head into retirement.' Director Xavier O'Halloran said their retirement savings recommendation, based on living off $38,000 a year, was designed to reflect someone maintaining an existing standard of living. 'You might be looking at not buying the flashiest new car off the lot' (pictured is the latest Land Rover Defender) How much super you should have by age 25: $31,000 30: $68,000 35: $112,000 40: $164,000 45: $219,000 50: $285,000 55: $360,000 60: $449,000 65: $535,000 Source: Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia based on ages as of 2020 Advertisement Pape said the ASFA recommendation of $535,000 for those receiving the pension at 67 - or $545,000 for those retiring a bit earlier - was unrealistic. That is based on an individual needing $46,494 a year to live on. 'For far too long the super industry has played to the millionaires in the members' stand,' Pape said. For couples, ASFA recommends a total of $640,000 to live off $65,445 a year. By comparison, Super Consumers Australia's medium recommendation for couples is $352,000, to live off $56,000 a year. Mr O'Halloran said financial counsellors he had spoken to were concerned about unachievable super savings goals. 'Presenting unrealistic targets to people - telling them they have to double their super overnight as they head towards retirement - isn't going to be helpful,' he said. Nonetheless, Super Consumers Australia is recommending $743,000 for individuals wishing to enjoy a more lavish lifestyle costing $51,000 a year, which would pay for an annual overseas holiday. For couples in the 'high' expenses category, it's $1.021million to live on $75,000 a year. 'For that category, I'd expect typically they would be taking regular holidays, they might have an overseas trip,' Mr O'Halloran said. 'If they were able to do that on that salary prior to retiring, they could expect to do it into retirement.' A model and professional dog-walker vanished from her home in her pyjamas and dressing gown - with her lover saying she left her phone and car behind. Shereen Kumar, 43, was last seen about 9pm on Wednesday leaving a property on Taylors Road, in Dural, an affluent semi-rural suburb in Sydney's north west. Family desperately searched for Ms Kumar but when their efforts proved fruitless they contacted police who launched an investigation. Her boyfriend Vincent Carlino told Daily Mail Australia she walked out of the house into the dark at 9pm at night, and hasn't been seen since. 'She left and didn't take her phone or the van,' he said. 'I'm extremely worried. Where is Shereen Kumar? The 43-year-old dogwalking businesswoman and model (pictured) disappeared after leaving a house in Sydney's northwest about 9pm on Wednesday She was last seen leaving home on Taylors Road (pictured) in Dural, an affluent semi-rural suburb in northwest Sydney 'I've told police all of the places I think she could be.' Mr Carlino and Ms Kumar took over as the franchises of the Hornsby Mad Dogs & Englishmen pet walking service in October last year. Court documents reveal police took out an application for an apprehended violence order on Mr Carlino's behalf two months later on December 15. It is understood the matter did not proceed in Blacktown Court on the day. The application was formally withdrawn in February. Ms Kumar has since become the Director of the Chatswood Mad Dogs and Englishmen franchise while Mr Carlino runs the Hornsby business. It is understood the couple were residing together at the time she went missing. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Carlino was in any way involved in Ms Kumar's disappearance. The couple's businesses appear to be booming with Ms Kumar just last week issuing a recruitment post for a 'hardworking, trustworthing and reliable' dog walker in a local group chat. 'We operate Monday to Friday with most walks conducted between 7.30am to 3pm,' the post reads. 'This role is perfect for individuals seeking flexibility or for those who require stable and long term employment.' Vincent Carlino said he is 'extremely worried' after his partner (pictured together) left home without her phone According to her social media profiles, Ms Kumar finished a degree at Western Sydney University in 2015 before launching her own HR business. She is also a model, frequently posing for Sydney photographers and gracing the pages of magazines, including French fashion publication Malvie and Amsterdam-based Selin Magazine. Earlier this month, she participated in a shoot for Australian creative group Hunter Creative, wearing a warrior-princess style costume and clutching a sword. Ms Kumar is described by police as being of Indian appearance, approximately 175cm tall, of slim build, with long black hair. She was last seen wearing white pyjamas, and a purple dressing gown. Anyone with information into Shereen's whereabouts is urged to contact Kuring-Gai Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The decades-long search for missing Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa has hit another dead end after the FBI found no evidence of his body during a search of land under a New Jersey bridge. Federal investigators conducted a dig under the Pulaski Skyway in early June after reports surfaced that Hoffa had been buried at a landfill site beneath the bridge. Frank Cappola, the son of the late mobster Paul Cappola Sr., claimed in 2019 that Hoffa had been murdered in 1975 after showing up to a mafia meeting in Detroit. Cappola alleged Hoffa's body was then taken back to New Jersey, where his father put him in a steel drum barrel - head first - and buried him. The FBI confirmed Thursday that 'nothing of evidentiary value was discovered' during last month's search and officials do not 'anticipate any additional activity at the site.' Federal investigators conducted a dig under the Pulaski Skyway in early June after reports surfaced that Hoffa had been buried at a landfill site beneath the bridge. The search site is pictured last November The decades-long search for missing Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa (pictured in July 1966) has hit another dead end after the FBI found no evidence of his body during a search of land under a New Jersey bridge WHO WAS TEAMSTERS BOSS JIMMY HOFFA? James 'Jimmy' Hoffa is recognized as one most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century. Hoffa, born in 1913 to a poor Indiana coal miner, became active in the labor scene at a young age. He organized a strike in Detroit at age 20 and remained an advocate for workers for the rest of his life. He served as president of the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957 until 1971. During his reign, many Teamsters leaders partnered with the Mafia, aiding in racketeering, extortion and embezzlement. Hoffa himself was convicted of bribery in 1967, after being the target of several government investigations, and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He remained in power while in jail and was released in 1971 after President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence. He disappeared in suburban Detroit in 1975 after what authorities believed was a meeting with reputed mobsters. Advertisement Special Agent Mara Schneider, a spokeswoman for the FBI field office Detroit, claims that although investigators did not find anything during the dig, the agency will 'continue to pursue any viable lead in our efforts to locate Mr. Hoffa.' She declined to comment further when asked for details about the excavation. Dan Moldea, a journalist who has written extensively about the Hoffa saga, said he was personally briefed by the FBI in a video conference call Thursday. 'I'm not thrilled with the result. ... My impression today was them breaking the bad news to me: Thanks for the tip, but this is over. That's my interpretation,' Moldea said. He added: 'They dug holes very, very deep.' The reporter claims the FBI and its contractors did not dig in the exact spot that he had recommended, claiming radar showed nothing suspicious below ground. 'I do think they missed this one spot,' he said. 'I think the body's there. We just can't find it.' The FBI reached out to Moldea last year after he published a detailed account from Frank Cappola, who was a teenager in the 1970s when he worked at the old PJP Landfill near the bridge. Cappola said his father, Paul Cappola, who also worked at the landfill, explained how Hoffa's body was delivered there in 1975, placed in a steel drum and buried with other barrels, bricks and dirt. Paul Cappola, worried that police might be watching, dug a hole on New Jersey state property, about 100 yards from the landfill, and subsequently moved the unmarked barrel there, according to Moldea. Frank Cappola spoke to Fox Nation and Moldea before he died in 2020 and signed a document attesting to his late father's story. The FBI confirmed Thursday that 'nothing of evidentiary value was discovered' during last month's search and officials do not 'anticipate any additional activity at the site.' The FBI says it will 'pursue any viable lead' into Hoffa's (pictured October 1961) disappearance Teamsters boss James R. Hoffa vanished in 1975 after arriving at a meeting with mafia bosses a Detroit restaurant DurCappola did not name Hoffa's killer, but Phillip Moscato Jr. - whose father was mobster Phillip 'Brother' Moscato Sr. - has previously claimed it was hitman Salvatore 'Sally Bugs' Briguglio who shot him. The Irishman, the fictionalized Netflix film about Hoffa's disappearance, depicted his killed as Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran, who was played by Robert De Niro. Moscato, who told Fox Nation that Cappola's claims about the location of Hoffa's body were accurate, reiterated that Sheeran was not the labor boss' killer. Hoffa was president of the 2.1 million-member Teamsters union from 1957-71, even keeping the title while in prison for trying to bribe jurors during a previous trial. He was released from prison in 1971 when President Richard Nixon shortened his sentence. It has long been speculated that Hoffa, who was 62, was killed by enemies because he was planning a Teamsters comeback. He was declared legally dead in 1982. Frank Cappola (left) claimed in November 2019 that Hoffa's body was buried at the landfill site and that it was his father Paul (right) who put him there. Cappola died in February 2020 Hoffa was last seen alive on July 30, 1975, eating at a restaurant in suburban Detroit where hes believed to have met a group of Mafiosos whom hed known for decades, in an effort to secure their support for his bid to return as the Teamsters president Hoffa left his home in his green Pontiac Grand Ville (above) and drove to the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Township. After he left, he disappeared Cappola said last January he had finally decided to come forward because most of the people involved were dead. He told Fox Nation that his father, who died in 2008, had always been haunted by his role in the killing. '[He] was very upset all his life over it, that he had to get put into that position. But you know, if you dont do it, then they do it to you. 'I think I am doing the right thing. My father said "I want this man to go home to his family. He needs to go back home." 'He was a great, good man and my father respected him,' he said. Hoffa intended to testify before the special U.S. Senate investigative panel, known as the Church Committee, about Mafia involvement in U.S.-backed plots to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro before his death. The Supreme Court is refusing to restore the Biden administration's immigration policy that limited who Homeland Security authorities could arrest and deport. The guidance, which was instituted in a memorandum last September, instructed officials to prioritize the deportation of illegal immigrants who pose the greatest national security or public safety risk. Last month, a Texas judge blocked the order, saying the directive was unlawful and the administration had overstepped its 'bounds set by Congress.' In its order Thursday, the high court left the policy frozen nationwide and instead set the case for oral arguments during the first week of December. The vote was 5-4, with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in saying they would have allowed the Biden administration to put in place the guidance. The order is the first public vote by Jackson since she joined the court June 30 following the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. The Supreme Court (justices shown together in group photo, taken in 2021, one year before Justice Stephen Breyer, pictured front row, second to the left, retired and was replaced by Ketanji Brown Jackson) is refusing to restore the Biden administration's immigration policy that limited who Homeland Security authorities could arrest and deport. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett (standing, on the back row, far right) and liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor (sitting in the front row, far right), Elena Kagan (standing in the back row, second from left) and Ketanji Brown Jackson (not pictured) voted in favor of the Biden administration putting the policy in place The order is the first public vote by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (right) since she joined the court. She is pictured with Justice John Roberts (left) after taking her oath of office on June 30 The justices were acting on the administration's emergency request to the court following conflicting decisions by federal appeals courts over the directive, which was issued by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last autumn. The guidance updated a Trump-era policy that removed people from the country illegally, regardless of criminal history or community ties. And instead instructed officials to pause deportation unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or 'egregious threats to public safety.' Mayorkas argued 'the fact an individual is a removable noncitizen' should not be the sole basis for immigration officers to take action against them. 'We will use our discretion and focus our enforcement resources in a more targeted way,' he wrote in a September memorandum instituting the directive. 'Justice and our country's well-being require it.' In its order Thursday, the high court left the policy frozen nationwide and instead set the case for oral arguments during the first week of December The federal appeals court in Cincinnati earlier this month overturned a district judge's order that put the policy on hold in a lawsuit filed by Arizona, Ohio and Montana. But in a separate suit filed by Texas and Louisiana, a federal judge in Texas ordered a nationwide halt to the guidance, and a federal appellate panel in New Orleans declined to step in. In their Supreme Court filing, Texas and Louisiana argued that the administration's guidance violates federal law that requires the detention of people who are in the U.S. illegally and who have been convicted of serious crimes. The states said they would face added costs of having to detain people the federal government might allow to remain free inside the United States, despite their criminal records. The judge's order amounted to a 'nationwide, judicially imposed overhaul of the Executive Branch's enforcement priorities,' Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in a court filing. Prelogar is the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer. The Biden-era immigration guidance updated a Trump-era policy that removed people from the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties. PICTURED: A woman with dehydration symptoms is helped by a Border Patrol agent as hundreds of migrants arrive at the US-Mexico border on July 14 The policy also instructed officials to pause deportation unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or 'egregious threats to public safety.' PICTURED: A sailboat carrying 150 migrants is intercepted by the US Coast Guard in Florida on Thursday The high court's refusal to reinstate the immigration policy comes less than a month after justices ruled in Biden's favor to end a Trump-era policy that allowed migrants to be sent back to Mexico to await immigration proceedings. The Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) was put in place by Trump to help quell the build-up of migrants at the border and throughout the country as they were released pending immigration hearings. Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, delivered the opinion taking the Biden administration's side. He was joined by all three liberal justices, as well as fellow conservative Brett Kavanuagh. The MPP was enacted in January 2019 after Trump reached a deal with the Mexican government to return migrants arriving through the border nation and seeking asylum in the U.S. Biden ended MPP in February 2021, but was immediately met with legal challenges. The high court's refusal to reinstate the immigration policy comes less than a month after justices ruled in Biden's favor to end a Trump-era policy that allowed migrants to be sent back to Mexico to await immigration proceedings. President Joe Biden is pictured on July 11 Lower courts ruled that the Biden administration violated federal law when he rescinded the policy. The Supreme Court, however, ruled on June 30 that the administration did not violate section 1225 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) with the recession of MPP. Homeland Security issued a memo on October 29, 2021, renewing its effort to end MPP after the administration was earlier in the year ordered by a federal judge to restart the program. That judge claimed the administration failed to follow proper regulatory procedures when rescinding the policy. The Supreme Court held the October memo had 'constituted final agency action' on the matter. Republicans immediately lashed out at the move, claiming an end to MPP will lead to an increase in illegal crossings, drug trafficking and deadly human smuggling. Ben Fordham has lashed out at an after school centre for teaching children as young as five about radical gender theory and sexuality. The 2GB host, who's also a dad of three, slammed staff for exposing students to the material at Roseville Kids Care, which operates at Roseville Primary School, on Sydney's upper north shore. A display has been set up inside the centre with the pride flag pinned to the wall next to complex gender theory terms such as 'Abrosexual', 'Transexual' and 'Neptunic'. Neptunic refers to an individual who is attracted to both Nonbinary and Female genders. Meanwhile, abrosexual refers to an individual whose sexuality is changing or fluid. For example, someone could be gay one day, then be asexual the next. Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify. Ben Fordham has lashed out at an after school centre for teaching children as young as five about radical gender theory and sexuality A display has been set up inside the centre with the pride flag pinned to the wall next to complex gender theory terms such as 'Abrosexual' and 'Neptunic' 'I know this: five-year-olds don't need to be learning about gender theory at after school care,' Fordham said on Friday. 'Do parents consent to this stuff? Are carers actually qualified to explain what it means to be pansexual or transgender? 'Is there any evidence that this stuff is age-appropriate? 'Once upon a time - these conversations happened in families. And yes, times have changed and they also happen in schools. It started in high school. Then primary school. Now its happening in the KIDS CLUB for kindergarten kids,' Fordham said. 'A quick look at their website says: Roseville Kids Care where kids can be kids They may want to practise what they preach. Fordham slammed the childcare centre after a father claimed staff had made a complaint to police when he confronted them about the material. 'I visited it and was shocked that there was a giant out-size pride flag, it was the biggest flag in the room, far bigger than the Australian flag,' he told Daily Telegraph. 'When I went in there was an entire wall describing different sexualities giving definitions of things like 'pansexual' and 'lesbian'.' Fordham argued there was no place for the material to be taught in a 'kid's club attended by Kindergarten kids'. 'I know that these are questions my kids are going to ask themselves or someone else one day, but NOT at the age of five,' he said. 'This stuff is plastered across the wall of a kids club!' Fordham slammed the childcare centre after a father claimed staff had made a complaint to police when he confronted them about the material The father said the childcare centre had lodged a complaint with local police before he received a call from the constable saying no offence would be recorded. The NSW Department of Education told Daily Mail Australia the material being taught to children was provided by an out-of-hours school care provider. The content has been taken from 'My Time, Our Place' - the national curriculum developed by Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority. Pauline O'Kane, who is the CEO of Network of Community Activities, which represents out of school hour care facilities, said the material helped to foster 'inclusive attitudes' among children. 'Do you shut the conversation off or do you educate and inform in a positive way so they feel like they can ask questions?' she said. 'I don't think we should curtail childrens' inquisitiveness, and I am sure this centre did this in a positive way.' Daily Mail Australia contacted Network of Community Activities for comment. A second Australian household have been rushed to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning after attempting to warm their house with a charcoal burner - laying bare the reality of the country's ongoing energy crisis. Emergency services attended a home in Adelaide's Bedford Park on Friday morning after four people woke up feeling faint and suffering from nosebleeds. They had been attempting to warm their home overnight using a cooker. All four showed signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Two women aged 28, a 24-year-old man and 31-year-old man were taken to Flinders Medical Centre just after 1:30am. South Australia Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they are currently in non life-threatening conditions. It comes after a family of six from Sydney's west were also hospitalised this week after using a burner to warm their granny flat. A household from Adelaide showed signs of carbon monoxide poisoning after trying to heat their house overnight with a charcoal burner. The incident follows another one in which a family of six were rushed to hospital in Sydney with carbon monoxide poisoning after attempting to heat their home with a portable BBQ (pictured) Paramedics were called to the Merrylands property early on Tuesday morning after an adult complained of a headache. After arriving they discovered four adults, two of whom were elderly, and two children in a serious condition after attempting to warm the home with a coal burner. The father, Najem Nawaseri, said he woke to his 13-year-old son Raeed vomiting before urgently calling triple-0 for assistance. 'When I woke up I was very dizzy and then I understood (what was going on), then I saw my young son vomiting and then I called triple-0,' Mr Nawaseri told the Telegraph. The Sydney family of six were taken to Westmead Hospital after paramedics said they were displaying symptoms of monoxide poisoning Emergency services found it difficult to communicate with the family due to a language barrier, however several members showed ambulance crews a picture of the BBQ which alerted them to the potential cause of the headache. They had turned on the charcoal burner to heat the property and fallen asleep, with the poisonous fumes filling the granny flat. Raeed said he was unaware the burner was responsible for the fumes but said he awoke feeling extremely well. 'I didn't realise it was this,' the youngster said as he pointed to the outdoor heater. 'It had no smell, it was just on but I was feeling very dizzy.' His father said it was a response to rising gas prices in Australia. '(It's) very expensive, the gas and everything,' Najem said. 'A lot of people's heaters do not work and they don't have enough money to pay.' All six were taken to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition to be monitored after breathing in the gas, while fire crews also attended the home to assess its safety. There have been several instances of people looking to use cookers or burners to heat homes due to skyrocketing prices of electricity in the winter months. A journalist who was told off by JFK's daughter Caroline during a press conference has fired back at claims that he spoke over a female colleague. Kennedy, 64, who is the daughter of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, landed in Sydney on Friday morning to take up her role as US ambassador to Australia - and wasted no time in hosting her first press conference with local journalists. During the event - which was meant to give Kennedy the chance to discuss what her new job will look like - the mother-of-three jokingly called out veteran 10 News journalist Hugh Riminton for interrupting female Seven News reporter Isabelle Mullen. 'Did you just talk over the woman?' Kennedy asked Riminton, before laughing, and continuing: 'Okay well she had started.' However, the seasoned journalist has now fired back at the allegation, sharing a video from the event on Twitter and insisting that he actually began speaking before Mullen. 'As it always wise, I sought a review from the Video Bunker, and it turns out I started talking first,' he wrote. Scroll down for the video As it always wise, I sought a review from the Video Bunker, and it turns out I started talking first. I had got out the words "It's been..." before my Channel 7 colleague began speaking. Press conferences - they're a game of centimetres sometimes. pic.twitter.com/cLaDUA1rJ1 Hugh Riminton (@hughriminton) July 22, 2022 The new US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, arrived in Sydney on Friday morning and held a press conference for local media - where she called out a male journalist for 'talking over' a female colleague 'I had got out the words "It's been..." before my Channel 7 colleague began speaking. Press conferences - they're a game of centimetres sometimes.' Kennedy was hit with a flurry of questions during her first Australian press conference; in typical fashion, journalists including Mullen and Riminton were frantically trying to speak over one another to get their query heard - with the male reporter trying to push on with his question until his female colleague was quiet. The ambassador then turned to face Mullen, who asked for Kennedy's thoughts on the current relationship between Australia and the Pacific. Kennedy is Australia's first US ambassador in 18 months after Donald Trump's ambassador Arthur Culvahouse left the position in early 2021 when the former president was voted out of office. She said that despite the position lying vacant, the Pacific remained an important relationship to the US. Kennedy (pictured with her mother Jacqueline Kennedy and father former president John F. Kennedy) is the US's first ambassador to Australia since Donald Trump left office 'Everybody is so excited about working together in the Quad and in the Pacific,' Ms Kennedy told reporters. 'China certainly has a big presence here in the region but our partnership is what I'll be focused on. There's a big agenda and I can't wait to get started.' She also spoke of the US's future role in managing instability in the Pacific region. 'It's certainly a big focus now. This is a critical area in the region,' she said. 'The US need to do more. We're putting our embassies back in, and the Peace Corps is coming and USAID is coming back. 'We haven't been there for a while but that's all tremendously positive. The US and Australia working together will make a big, big impact.' During a press conference, Ms Kennedy called out a male journalist for talking over female Seven News reporter Isabelle Mullen (above) Ms Kennedy said she hoped to strengthen the relationship between the US, Australia and the Pacific region Ms Kennedy, who previously worked as the US ambassador to Japan under former president Barack Obama, will formally present her credentials to the Governor-General on Monday. She is expected to be based in Canberra where she will work to build a strong relationship between the US and Australia. 'I know that our countries are the strongest of allies, and that our parents and grandparents fought side by side for more than 100 years,' she told reporters earlier this week, reflecting on the countries' joint war history. 'In 1943, my father's boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer. If not for the help of two Solomon Islanders and an Australian coast watcher, he and his crew would not have survived.' Ms Kennedy previously said she was excited to tackle issues like climate change and green energy in the Pacific region. Ms Kennedy (pictured with her mother and father) said she was excited to work with two countries that are the 'strongest of allies' and recalled how two Solomon Islanders and an Australian coast watcher rescued her father in 1943 'No one is more committed to advancing peace and stability, fighting climate change and increasing American economic engagement in the region than the Biden-Harris administration, and I'm proud to be a member of the team,' she said. 'I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong and the government to advance our shared democratic values, strengthen our commitment to a healthy, peaceful and prosperous Indo Pacific and advance the transition to a green energy world. 'This is a critical time in the history of our two countries.' Ms Kennedy was appointed to the ambassador position in May and was sworn in on June 10. A wealthy Minneapolis neighborhood crowdfunded $210,000 to pay the city's police department for extra officer patrols amid a skyrocketing crime surge. Extra patrols were dispatched to Lowry Hill, where more than 40 percent of residents earn six figures, after the community raised funds to pay cops $107 for each hour of overtime they worked. The community requested additional police presence after Minneapolis saw increased violence and criminal activity after an outcry over George Floyd's murder prompted the woke city council to cut $1 million from the police department. Despite the budget cut in 2020, the Minneapolis Police Department currently operates on a $196 million budget - about $3 million more than two years ago. The Minneapolis Safety Initiative, a resident-created nonprofit crowdfunding for additional police patrols, calls the program a 'temporary measure to address the current crime wave while MPD continues to rebuild to full staffing levels.' Residents are encouraged to donate $220 monthly, for six months, in order for the initiative to have its 'desired impact.' Resident in Lowry Hill (pictured), a wealthy Minneapolis neighborhood, paid the city's police department $210,000 for extra officer patrols amid a skyrocketing crime surge The Minneapolis Safety Initiative, a resident-created nonprofit crowdfunding for additional police patrols, raised funds to pay cops $107 hourly for additional presence in the community Lowry Hill secured a contract with the city earlier this year, allocating $210,000 to fund an extra police presence in the area from January 17 through December 31. Officials say the initiative - known as a buyback - will continue 'as long as there is a need for additional patrols and support from neighbors to deploy them.' The money provided through the Minneapolis Safety Initiative is used to cover officers' overtime pay for the requested patrols, MinnPost reported. It is unclear how frequently the additional patrols will take place, but the nonprofit's website alleges a $110 donation will buy one additional hour of police time. 'We ask that you plan to contribute for at least 6 months to give enough time to evaluate the initiatives impact,' the nonprofit's website states. 'To determine the appropriate program length, we will evaluate data and consult with program participants within 6 months of program start.' A similar program was launched in by the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association which is raising funds to have additional police presence in the Mill District downtown Residents began crowdfunding for additional patrols as the city experiences an 18.5 percent increase in overall crime A similar program was launched in by the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood, Association which is raising funds to have additional police presence in the Mill District downtown. That fundraiser, which is not an official agreement with the city, seeks to pay one off-duty cop to patrol the area Thursday to Sunday from 6pm to 10pm. The initiative would run until September 4, but it is unclear how successful the effort has been as the community has only raised $4,800 of its $30,000 goal. Residents began crowdfunding for additional patrols as the city experiences an 18.5 percent increase in overall crime, as well as a police officer shortage. Minneapolis police saw a large cop exodus in the last two years due to retirements, resignations and disability leaves following Floyd's death. The black man was killed on May 25 when then-cop Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck. The department had 564 active officers as of last month - still nearly 200 less than the charter-mandated 731, which was based on the city's census data. The community requested additional police presence after Minneapolis saw increased violence and criminal activity after outcry over George Floyd's murder prompted the woke city council to cut $1 million from the police department. Rioters are pictured in May 2020 The police department says the buyback program will help police target crime trends and hotspots. A protester is pictured in front of building set on fire during a demonstration in Minneapolis in May 2020 The police department says the buyback program will help police target crime trends and hotspots, but critics allege it's 'inequitable' to those in poorer communities. 'I dont believe safety should be measured or administered based on the economic tax bracket that youre in,' AJ Awed, an executive director of neighborhood group the Cedar Riverside Community Council, told MinnPost. 'When it comes to your safety, I dont think money should be an object but unfortunately that seems to be the reality of the situation.' Ward 1 Councilmember Elliott Payne echoed the concerns, saying: 'Im of the opinion that everyone whos a taxpayer should get equal service and Im not comfortable with wealthier neighborhoods pooling resources to get superior service.' 'I would rather see this be managed more equitably as part of a comprehensive staffing model that is driven by actual needs of neighborhoods, not necessarily just the resources of one neighborhood versus another.' Payne also slammed the department's 'consistent drumbeat of the staff shortage,' alleging it is 'really hard to hear' when officers have 'enough open capacity to do these additional patrols.' Critics allege the buyback initiatives are inequitable to those living in poorer communities. A Minneapolis home is pictured in July 2022 with a sign asking criminals not to target the property as 'children live in this house' Officers in riot gear fire tear gas in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Station as people gather to protest after a police officer shot and killed a black man in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 11, 2021 Minneapolis City Council pledged to 'end policing as we know it' in July 2020, amid calls from violent protesters to defund the police. The council cut $1.1 million from the city's policing budget with plans to reallocate the money to the city health department to fund civilian violence interrupters who would mediate conflicts. The council announced their pledge amid the Floyd-fueled protests, an apparent attempt to support angry residents, but have since admitted it 'created confusion in the community.' Councilor Andrew Johnson told The New York Times last year that the promise to end policing was meant 'in spirit.' Councilor Phillipe Cunningham argued the pledge's language was 'up for interpretation' and that soon after the promise was made, it became 'very clear that most [council members] had interpreted that language differently.' 'I think our pledge created confusion in the community and in our wards,' echoed council president Lisa Bender. Similarly, in November 2021, Minneapolis voters rejected a proposal to replace the city's police department with a new Department of Public Safety, an idea that supporters had hoped would bring radical change to policing in the city. Minneapolis City Council pledged to 'end policing as we know it' in July 2020, amid calls from violent protesters to defund the police. Demonstrators are pictured in May 2020 The council cut $1.1 million from its $193 million policing budget in 2020, but has since raised the budget to $196 million. Protesters are pictured outside the Minneapolis police 3rd Precinct building in May 2020 The proposal would have changed the city charter to remove a requirement to have a police department with a minimum number of officers. Supporters said a complete overhaul of policing was necessary to stop police violence. Opponents said the proposal had no concrete plan for how to move forward and warned it would leave some communities already affected by violence more vulnerable as crime is on the rise. Additionally, federal COVID-19 relief aid bolstered city officials' ability to slowly add money back into the police budget, after having trimmed it down in 2020. The budget, which was at $193 million at the time of the $1.1 million slashing, has now exceeded 2020 levels. Minneapolis police are currently operating on a roughly $196 million budget. Amelia Cruver, the city's budget director, told The Star Tribune several factors played into the increased police budget, including the officer shortage. 'We are always budgeting with an eye toward what our legal requirements are,' she said. 'We're funding the number of officers, as required.' The Minneapolis Police Department spent about $169.6 million last year, even though it was authorized for about $180 million. RIshi Sunak has vowed to push ahead with the privatisation of Channel 4 if he becomes prime minister. The sell-off plan, which is expected to raise more than 1billion, was put on hold after Boris Johnson's resignation. But Mr Sunak intends to go forward with what would be the biggest privatisation for a decade. Channel 4, which was founded by the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher in 1982, is earmarked to be sold next year. The broadcaster and its network of independent production firms, however, have long opposed privatisation. The former chancellor appeared with other four candidates on Channel 4 last Friday, July 15, for a live TV leadership debate hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy. From left to right: Channel 4 News' Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and Tory leadership contenders Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat 'Channel 4 is a crucial part of British broadcasting and supports our brilliant creative industries, but a lot has changed since the 1980s when it was set up to provide viewers with more choice,' said a spokesperson for Mr Sunak Ministers believe that Channel 4, which is home to The Great British Bake Off and Gogglebox, can only flourish if freed from the 'straitjacket' of government control. Under current rules, the broadcaster faces restrictions on the amount it can borrow so it faces a struggle against streaming giants with multi-billion-dollar budgets. It is publicly owned but funded through advertising with a non-profit remit to provide distinctive and challenging programming. Ministers have not ruled out a sale to a big US streaming service such as Netflix or Disney. Rishi Sunak intends to go forward with the privatisation of Channel 4, what would be the biggest privatisation for a decade, if he wins the Conservative leadership election Rishi Sunak tries to win over MPs who voted for Penny Mordaunt Penny Mordaunt leaves the Here East studios in London after the live television debate hosted by Channel 4 last Friday The former chancellor is scrambling to win over Tory MPs who supported Penny Mordaunt to boost his mandate, it can be revealed. Rishi Sunak wants to secure the public backing of more than half of Tory MPs. He topped the final ballot on Wednesday with 137 votes, but this was just 38 per cent of the total. Mr Sunak is hoping many of the 105 who backed trade minister Miss Mordaunt, now eliminated, will endorse him. Advertisement A spokesman for Mr Sunak's campaign said last night: 'Rishi will take forward Channel 4's privatisation. 'Channel 4 is a crucial part of British broadcasting and supports our brilliant creative industries, but a lot has changed since the 1980s when it was set up to provide viewers with more choice. 'Privatisation will help Channel 4 to thrive in an age where they are also competing with Netflix, Amazon, Apple and many more standing still is not an option.' The Prime Minister signed off on the sell-off plan in April following a consultation. Detailed proposals were due to be published earlier this month but are now on hold. Parliament had been expected to be asked to approve the plan in the autumn, with a sale potentially taking place in early 2023. Tory leadership candidates including Jeremy Hunt expressed doubts over the sell-off earlier in the contest before being eliminated. In May, Channel 4 bosses published their alternative strategy to privatisation with the objective of becoming 'northern-based'. The broadcaster also suggested it could be prepared to offload its 100million headquarters in London to help scupper a sale by the Government. In a 'commitment to levelling up', it would double the original target for 300 roles outside the capital by 2023 to 600 by 2025. Most staff could be based at a 'national HQ' in Leeds as well as at bases in Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. New prison wings for treating drug addicts will be created costing the taxpayer 120million after the government gave the green light to expand its existing rehabilitation programme. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said 18 new abstinence wings and 100 substance-free units will 'drive down reoffending' as they are rolled out by 2025. Prisoners will also continue to be drug tested and put under strict controls after they are released from jail. New 'problem-solving courts' will also direct drug and alcohol abusers to tackle their addiction head-on or face tough consequences, including time in jail where necessary. Illegal drug use costs the taxpayer nearly 22 billion each year, through the NHS, prison and police costs, the MoJ said. New prison wings for treating drug addicts will be created costing the taxpayer 120million after the government gave the green light to expand its existing rehabilitation programme Pictured: Shepton Mallett Prison in Somerset New 'problem-solving courts' will also direct drug and alcohol abusers to tackle their addiction head-on or face tough consequences, including time in jail where necessary. Pictured: The Old Bailey in London The MoJ said illegal drug use costs the taxpayer nearly 22 billion each year, including NHS, prison and police costs. It will see two types of programmes by 2025, one will see 100 'incentivised substance-free living units' (ISFL units) and the other will be 18 abstinence-led 'drug-recovery wings'. ISFLs are supportive wings for people who are actively engaging in substance misuse treatment and who are voluntarily drug tested on a regular basis, according to the Government. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: 'Drugs trap criminals in a destructive cycle of offending and prevents them from getting their lives back on track. 'Our plan will get offenders into rehab earlier, get them off all drugs permanently and support prisoners once they're released into the community. That will drive down reoffending, and make our streets safer.' Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, pictured on Tuesday leaving cabinet, said: 'Drugs trap criminals in a destructive cycle of offending and prevents them from getting their lives back on track.' Mr Raab previously told the Telegraph in March this year that tackling substance abuse in jails was one of his mission critical priorities. He said he wanted to expand abstinence wings, first started in 2011 and have as many incentives [to quit] as we can in prisons, including access to TVs, better kitchen facilities, gyms and almost certainly the right to work if prisoners go drug free. Mr Raab aims to promote recovery for addicted criminals rather than giving out the heroin substitute methadone, which left prisoners in a zombie comatose where they were unable to complete work. He told the newspaper: All of these things are linked. You are not going to get offenders doing courses or into work if they have got high-level dependency and addictions and methadone is highly, highly addictive. A special mail-order version of the Argos catalogue was launched last year which lets prisoners buy musical instruments to play in their cells. Options available via the catalogue published in the prisoners newspaper Inside Time is a 75 electronic drum kit, a Cassio keyboard at 85 and an acoustic guitar for 80. NYC Mayor Eric Adams mooted housing 3,000 illegal immigrants who've overwhelmed homeless shelters in hotels - and said he wants taxpayer cash from Joe Biden to do so. During a press conference on Thursday, Adams told a room of reporters that in order to house those who cross the border illegally: 'If we have to get hotel rooms, we get hotel rooms.' Adams also said 'our team has been in constant contact with the White House' and added that he wants the federal government to release funds in order 'to deal with this unprecedented surge' of migrants. According to reports, the city is struggling to cope with a recent influx in immigrants arriving in New York City from Latin America. Between May and July, the city has seen 3,000 people arrive. The mayor was asked by a reporter about his plans to rent hotel space for migrants. He said that it was the job of his administration to work to together to establish 'new locations' for those coming to New York. There are currently 48,000 housed in shelter around New York City. Adams described his city as being 'overburdened.' On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams told a room of reporters that in order to house those who cross the border illegally: 'If we have to get hotel rooms, we get hotel rooms' He said: 'This is a real burden on New Yorkers as were trying to do the right thing. We already have an overburdened shelter system. 'So now were talking about food, clothing, school. This is going to impact our schools because we do not turn away individuals because they are undocumented,' Adams continued. For the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, New York City offered free hotel stays and meals to those who tested positive for the virus in order to aid isolation. The program ended quietly in March 2022. A message on the program's website reads: 'This program is no longer accepting reservations. Traveling healthcare workers on contract are encouraged to talk to their employer about lodging alternatives.' In June 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that abandoned hotels across the city were going to be turned into permanent shelters for homeless people. Adams also admitted on Thursday that the city had violated state laws requiring any person who arrives with children in New York by 10:00 pm to be accommodated. The former NYPD officer said that in the Bronx, four families were forced to sleep on a floor at an intake center on Sunday. He also said: 'We should have done better. We violated the letter of the law.' Adams later added: 'This administration is made up of human beings. Human beings drop the ball sometimes.' Migrants are detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to request for asylum in El Paso Migrants from Haiti line up close to the southern border. Adams accused Republicans of sending migrants to New York on Thursday However, Adams did congratulate his administration on a 'job well done' in housing the migrants. He described New York as a city that is 'so humane.' Adams added: 'This is the best city for people who are seeking housing. Nowhere better than New York.' The director of refugee services for Catholic Charities New York Mario Russel told the Daily News that activists don't know why so many people are coming to the city. Russel said: 'What we dont know is who is giving them that directive. Is it something happening at the highest levels of the Department of Homeland Security? Is it happening at the local level, at the regional level?' At Thursday's press conference, Adams said that some of the immigrants came from Texas and Arizona. The mayor alluded to the Republican leaders of Texas and Arizona being 'cowards.' He said: 'Our country is home of the free, land of the brave. We do not become cowards and send people away who are looking for help.' Both Texas Governor Gregg Abott and Ohio Governor Doug Ducey have denied allegations that they have sent migrants to sanctuary states. Adams joked on Thursday: 'Now the people who are sending people away, they tell you they did something differently and automatically you believe them? I want you to treat me that way.' Following Thursday's comments, Abbott's spokesperson Renae Eze was quoted by the New York Post as saying: 'Mayor Adams should check with President Biden if his administration is the one dumping migrants in his city, as theyve been doing to Texas border towns for months.' In a statement following the briefing, the New York City Legal Aid Society said in a statement: 'The Mayor isnt speaking the whole truth.' The release continued: 'We spoke to eight families with children this morning who slept on the floor last night at the Citys shelter intake center in the Bronx, in addition to the four families, the Mayor acknowledged who had slept there Sunday night. It added: 'This humanitarian crisis shows no sign of abating anytime soon, regardless of how many press conferences the Mayor holds to conceal the reality.' Ukraine and Russia are set to sign a deal Friday to unblock grain exports and relieve a global food crisis, as a critical Russian gas pipeline to Europe reopened. But there was no respite in the conflict on the ground, with Russian artillery on Thursday pounding Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, already scarred by weeks of shelling. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due to arrive in Turkey on Thursday for the grain deal signing ceremony at Istanbul's lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait. A farmer collects harvest on a field around a crater left by a Russian rocket ten kilometres from the front line in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on July 4, 2022 Ukrainian service members fire a shell from a M777 Howitzer at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues A rescuer works at a school building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's invasion on Ukraine, in Kramatorsk, in Donetsk region, Ukraine July 21 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted that the agreement will be signed in Istanbul on Friday under the auspices of the Turkish leader, Guterres and Ukrainian and Russian delegations. The first major agreement between the warring sides since Russia's February invasion of its neighbour comes with global food prices soaring and people in some of the world's poorest countries facing starvation. The five-month war is being fought across one of Europe's most fertile regions by two of the world's biggest grain producers. Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault. Grain fields burn, on the outskirts of Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, July 21, 2022 Ukrainian farmers collect wheat at a field about 25 kilometers from the front line in the Chuhuiv region of Kharkiv area, Ukraine, 19 July 2022 amid the Russian invasion Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP that Kyiv's delegation would only accept solutions that guarantee the security of its southern regions, the position of its forces in the Black Sea and the safe export of its agricultural products. The United States welcomed the deal but urged Russia to implement it in good faith. 'We should never have been in this position in the first place,' said State Department spokesman Ned Price, accusing Russia of 'weaponising' food. In more good news for global markets, Russia on Thursday restored critical gas supplies to Europe through Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline after 10 days of maintenance. However, suspicion lingered that the Kremlin would trigger an energy crisis on the continent this winter. European Union states have accused Russia of squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over the war. Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, had feared that Moscow would not reopen the pipeline after the scheduled work and accused Moscow of using energy as a 'weapon'. A view shows an apartment in a residential building destroyed by a Russian artillery strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv A man rides his bicycle in front of the school 134 destroyed in a military attack, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues in Kharkiv The resumption of gas supplies came a day after the European Commission unveiled emergency measures to circumvent Russian energy 'blackmail'. Klaus Mueller, head of Germany's energy regulator, said that by late morning gas flows were on track to return to 40 percent of the pipeline's capacity - the same reduced level as before the maintenance work. Despite efforts within the bloc to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies, Moscow's closest EU ally, Hungary, announced Thursday it was seeking to increase gas deliveries from Russia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would 'consider' Budapest's request for more gas this year after his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto visited Moscow Thursday. A view shows pipes at the landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 1' gas pipeline in Germany a gas-fired power plant is pictured in Lingen, western Germany. The German government on July 20, 2022 accused Russia of using the absence of a turbine as a pretext to limit gas deliveries via a key pipeline due to go back online this week The news comes after prosecutors said three people had been killed and 23 more injured in a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv. 'The enemy is firing chaotically and brutally at the city. Stay in shelters!' regional governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on social media. In Kramatorsk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting, a school that Ukrainian officials said was being used as a food aid storage point was also struck. Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 and the war has left thousands dead, forced millions to flee their homes and raised fears of a nuclear disaster. Moscow accused Ukrainian forces Thursday of having fired on Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which is in Russian-controlled territory, and claimed a 'catastrophe' was avoided 'by luck'. Ukraine - without responding to the allegations - said Russia was storing heavy weapons and ammunition at the Zaporizhzhia plant and that any accident there could lead to a crisis worse than the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Some 15,000 Russians have died in the invasion, the US and British spy chiefs said, as they assessed that President Vladimir Putin was suffering far greater losses than expected. Richard Moore, the head of Britain's MI6 intelligence service, said Thursday that the 15,000 dead was 'probably a conservative estimate' and marked a 'very bloody nose' for Putin, who had expected quick victory. Buildings destroyed by military strikes are seen, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in northern Saltivka Buildings, houses and schools were destroyed by Russian missile attacks on the city of Kharkiv In an exclusive interview with AFP, Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman leader of Belarus and close Kremlin ally, meanwhile urged Moscow and Kyiv to relaunch negotiations to avoid a nuclear escalation. 'Further (ahead) lies the abyss of nuclear war. There's no need to go there,' said the leader of Belarus, which was used by Russian troops in February as a launching pad to attack Ukraine. Western powers have stepped up arms supplies to Ukraine but President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked for more and speedier deliveries. Britain became the latest country Thursday to announce it is re-upping military supplies with artillery, 'hundreds of drones and hundreds more anti-tank weapons' for Ukraine in the coming weeks. Russia has warned about arms supplies and said they mean Moscow will no longer be focused only on wresting control of the east Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, which have been partially controlled by pro-Moscow rebels for years. In its latest package of sanctions this week, the EU imposed an embargo on Russian gold imports and froze assets at Russia's largest bank. The bloc followed up Thursday with asset freezes and visa bans on 10 Syrians, accusing them of recruiting mercenaries to fight for Russia. Ukrainian servicemen shoot with SPG-9 recoilless gun during training in Kharkiv region After undergoing two tests the toddler was diagnosed with Covid and sent home When Wynta arrived at the hospital, doctors focused on performing Covid tests She fell off a kitchen stool and was vomiting and unable to recognise her mum Wynta, aged three, was sent home untreated from Gladstone Hospital on Sunday The mother of a three-year-old toddler who was denied treatment for a serious concussion because she tested positive for Covid has doubled down on her criticism of the hospital on breakfast television. Deborah Reeves appeared on the Today show on Friday to recall the traumatic experience of taking her daughter Wynta to Gladstone Hospital in central Queensland around midday on Sunday after she fell off a kitchen bar stool and forcefully hit her head. As Ms Reeves told Daily Mail Australia yesterday, upon arriving to hospital Wynta received no treatment for her head injury. Instead, the distressed toddler was forced to take two Covid tests. 'I was horrified. I thought we are here for a head injury, not Covid,' Ms Reeves told Today. Three-year-old Wynta (pictured the day after her fall) was sent home untreated from Gladstone Hospital after falling off a kitchen bar stool and suffering a concussion Wynta was first given a rapid antigen test, which came back negative, before senior doctors decided to perform a PCR test, which came back positive. After the second Covid test, Wynta was sent away from the hospital having received no specific treatment for her head injury. 'I'm so upset, I really feel that her head injury should have trumped a Covid test,' Ms Reeves said. 'She fell off a chair and got Covid. 'At no point did anyone look at my daughter's head injury. 'I am disgusted with the medical system. My daughter could have died and all they cared about was their positive Covid test.' Wynta (pictured in the ambulance) was taken via ambulance to the hospital vomiting and unable to recognise her mother but received no treatment and was sent home after a second Covid test returned a positive result Ms Reeves said she was not permitted by doctors to see her daughter's Covid test result, with the positive diagnosis later written on her discharge letter. While she did not dispute the result, Ms Reeves said she was frustrated she wasn't allowed to access the information. 'We weren't concerned about any other symptoms or Covid symptoms... it was just the fall, and when they left us by ourselves and said that we could come home, I stood there for 10 minutes and just thought, 'What do I do now?' Ms Reeves said on Today 'And then there was nobody around. I didn't see another nurse or another doctor. There was just nobody to be seen, and so I got our things and went home.' Ms Reeves said she was left speechless by the ordeal. 'They weren't interested in the head injury. I think we need to go back to treating the issues that need to be treated, not just panicking about Covid first and foremost,' she said. In little Wynta's discharge letter, obtained by Daily Mail Australia, hospital staff noted she suffered a head injury but said it was 'deemed unremarkable neurologically'. Wynta's discharge letter (above) acknowledges the toddler suffered a head injury and states she was diagnosed with Covid Gladstone Hospital executive director Monica Seth said she was 'happy to meet with Wynta's mother'. 'I cannot comment publicly on an individual case due to patient privacy. We are always looking to improve our service whenever possible and would be happy to meet with Wynta's mother to discuss her concerns, which can be arranged by contacting Gladstone Hospital's Patient Liaison Services,' Ms Seth said. 'Gladstone Hospital's Emergency Department is staffed appropriately.' Ms Reeves said she called 13HEALTH, a Queensland telephone health service, who said her daughter was likely concussed. She also followed up with the family's GP, who also agreed with the concussion diagnosis. Five days after the fall, Wynta is still lethargic and has bruising on her forehead. Wynta still has bruising on her forehead five days after her fall (above) but received no treatment at Gladstone Hospital after presenting with concussion symptoms Ms Reeves said she had her own run-in with Gladstone Hospital in 2020 when she suffered a bilateral pulmonary embolism - a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the lung. 'It's a bad hospital,' she said. 'They isolated me for 12 hours with no treatment while they waited for a Covid test result. 'I told them I'd already had three but they wouldn't listen. 'Something really needs to be done.' Gladstone Hospital has suffered a series of critical staff shortages in recent years with the region's 60,000 locals forced to travel more than an hour to Rockhampton to receive basic treatments like fracture plastering. On Monday, expectant mothers were warned Gladstone Hospital's maternity ward is on 'bypass', meaning women in labour will need to drive to Rockhampton to reach proper birth facilities. The bypass is the result of a shortage of obstetricians Advertisement The January 6 committee showed an image of former President Donald Trump standing in the Oval Office after the Ellipse rally on January 6 - before moving into the dining room where he watched the Capitol riot play out on TV for hours. Thursday night's primetime hearing was dedicated to the 187 minutes between Trump wrapping up his remarks on the Ellipse - where he goaded supporters to match on the Capitol - until his tepid video statement asking them to go home. Committee members noted how there were no photos of Trump as he sat watching Fox News Channel in the White House dining room for more than three hours, nor were there entries on an official call log of White House diary. What witnesses did tell committee members was that White House officials, including Ivanka Trump and Counsel Pat Cipollone, urged the president to make a statement to supporters to stop the attack. Inside the Capitol, members of Vice President Mike Pence's security detail were so worried about the escalating violence that they were making 'personal call's to 'say goodbye' to their families because they 'feared for their lives,' according to an unnamed official whose identity the committee kept secret. The January 6 committee showed an image of former President Donald Trump standing in the Oval Office after the Ellipse rally on January 6 - before he moved into the White House dining room for three-plus hours while supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol The January 6 committee showed the location of the White House dining room (center) versus the Oval Office (right) in the West Wing 'The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose so of course he didn't intervene,' said committee member, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger during Thursday night's hearing Witnesses Matthew Pottinger (left) and Sarah Matthews (right) prepare to testify Thursday night before the House select committee on January 6 Committee members, Democratic Reps. Elaine Luria (left) and Jamie Raskin (right), enter the hearing room for the January 6 committee's final primetime hearing of the summer The committee's vice chair, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney (center), chaired the final primetime hearing as Chairman Bennie Thompson participated remotely due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis Photographers surround witnesses Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews in advance of Thursday night's primetime January 6 committee hearing Chairman Bennie Thompson (left) participated in Thursday night's hearing virtually due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis Attendees watch as remarks made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are played during the January 6 committee's Thursday primetime hearing. McConnell blamed the Capitol attack on former President Donald Trump on the Senate floor in February 2021 'The members of the VP detail at this time were starting to fear for their own lives,' the official said. 'There was a lot of yelling, a lot of very personal calls over the radio. It was disturbing, I don't like talking about it.' 'There were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth ... for whatever the reason was on the ground, the VP detail thought this was going to get very ugly,' the official continued. The committee's witness, whose voice was masked, couldn't say for certain what the VP's detail was experiencing, but the tenor of their conversation indicated things were 'going to a whole other level soon.' 'The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose so of course he didn't intervene,' said committee member, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. 'President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home - he chose not to act.' Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria said that 'within 15 minutes of leaving the stage President Trump knew that the Capitol was besieged and under attack.' But committee witnesses testified that Trump never made calls to beef up a security response. Instead, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany testifed to the committee that Trump had asked her for a list of senators he could call, in an effort to have them contest the Electoral College count. The panel's two in-person witnesses Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews described what they witnessed on that day. Both Pottinger and Matthews resigned over Trump's conduct on January 6. Matthews explained how quickly Trump could have gotten to the White House press briefing room to call off the attack. 'It would take probably less than 60 seconds from the Oval Office dining room over to the press briefing room,' Matthews said. 'If the president had wanted to make a statement, and address the American people, he could have been on camera almost instantly,' she added. The panel used this as further proof that Trump didn't want to do anything to stop the riot. Later, Matthews testified that McEnany told her that Trump didn't want to tweet out anything that urged peace. 'And it wasn't until Ivanka Trump suggested the phrase "stay peaceful" that he finally agreed to it,' Matthews told the room. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, witnesses said, placed calls trying to get Trump to call off the riot. 'I got the sense that they were scared,' said Trump's on-in-law Jared Kushner in video testimony. 'I think he was scared, yes,' Kushner said, confirming he had received a call from the top GOP House leader. Former President Donald Trump eventually put out a video message at 4:17 p.m. that encouraged rioters to leave the Capitol. 'I know your pain. I know your hurt,' Trump also told members of the MAGA mob The committee showed outtakes and photos of President Donald Trump filming a video message on January 6 that went out at 4:17 p.m. President Donald Trump (left) looks at the video he filmed on January 6 encouraging his supporters to leave the U.S. Capitol, after watching the assault go on for hours An image of Trump walking into the residence at the conclusion of the day was also shared by the committee. Trump said nothing about the riot to a staffer, instead telling the individual, 'Mike Pence let me down,' before going upstairs Trump eventually did put out a video message - tweeting it out at 4:17 p.m. The committee showed outtakes of Trump filming the video, along with photos of him alongside aides making it. 'I know your pain. I know your hurt,' Trump tells his supporters in the footage shown to the committee. 'We had an election that was stolen from us,' Trump continues, falsely claiming it was a 'landslide.' Trump's lawyer Eric Herschmann testified to the committee that, 'People were emotionally drained by the time that video was done,' an eyebrow-raising comment as police officers still battled rioters on the other end of Pennsylvania avenue. Trump later sent out another tweet - at 6:01 p.m. 'These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!' Kinzinger remarked that Trump 'justified the violence as a natural response to the election.' 'He showed absolutely no remorse,' the Illinois Republican said. An image of Trump walking into the residence afterward was also shared by the committee. Trump said nothing about the riot to a staffer, instead telling the individual, 'Mike Pence let me down,' before going upstairs. The January 6 House select committee also shared outtakes of an address Trump made to the nation on January 7. 'I don't want to say the election is over,' Trump says in one of the clips. 'I just want to say Congress has certified the results without saying the election is over.' The former commander-in-chief is shown getting tongue-tied. 'Yesterday is a hard word for me,' he says at one point, with daughter Ivanka Trump heard outside the frame recommending he remove it. He also struggles to read the teleprompter. 'I can't see it very well,' he complains. He straightens his suit jacket and eventually makes this three-minute address. 'My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote,' he tells the camera. Former President Donald Trump is seen in outtakes of an address he made on January 7, 2021, condemning the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building by his supporters Witnesses also beefed up testimony given late last month by White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson recalled an impromptu meeting on January 6 after Trump returned to the White House after speaking at the Ellipse she had with former Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Ornato and Bobby Engel, the head of Trump's security detail. 'Did you hear what effing happened in the Beast?' she said Engel asked her. She was then told that Trump threw a fit when told he couldn't go to the Capitol Building. 'The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel, Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, "Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we're going back to the West Wing, we're not going to the Capitol,"' Hutchinson testified. At Thursday's hearing, D.C. Police Sgt. Mark Robinson said he recalled hearing that Trump was 'upset.' 'The only description I received was that the president was upset and was adament about going to the Capitol and there was a heated discussion about that,' Robinson said. Robinson told committee members he had been part of the presidential motorcade 'probably over 100 times' and had never heard of something like that happening before. He also said that he had heard about armed members of the MAGA mob. ' 'So there's always concern when there's a POTUS in the area,' he said. Rep. Elaine Luria, leading the questioning, then noted that the committee found out that the motorcade had been placed on standby for another 45 minutes to an hour as Trump was still insisting on going to the Capitol, even once back at the White House. Committee members also briefly shamed Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who infamously raised his fist in solidarity with the growing mob as he entered the Capitol Building. The January 6 panel showed footage from January 6 of Hawley, alongside other senators, having to escape from the rioters. Members of the audience laughed at the visual of seeing Hawley flee. Beavers are to be given legal protection, making it an offence to kill, harm or disturb them. Under new laws, the animals will be formally recognised as a native species in England, 400 years after they were hunted to extinction for their fur and meat. They have since reappeared due to illegal releases and official reintroduction in enclosures, and up to 800 are now thought to be living wild on our rivers. The legislation, which was announced by the Government yesterday and will come into force on October 1, also makes it illegal to damage beavers' breeding sites. It follows a similar move in Scotland in 2019, where offenders face up to two years in jail. Conservationists welcomed the move. Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, said: 'The widespread return of wild beavers can be a game changer for restoring lost wetlands, benefiting all kinds of wildlife, and also people by reducing the risk of flooding.' Under new laws, beavers will be formally recognised as a native species in England, 400 years after they were hunted to extinction for their fur and meat Beavers have reappeared in Britain due to illegal releases and official reintroduction in enclosures, and up to 800 are now thought to be living wild on our rivers He added: 'We're delighted to see the Government give beavers the vital protections they deserve. Bringing back wild beavers isn't just a dream, it is a critical part of addressing the climate and nature crises. 'It is important that guidance is now developed quickly to bring farmers and landowners on board with reintroductions of these brilliant animals, providing reassurance and, crucially, incentives to make space for beavers on their land.' Wildlife groups are awaiting a national beaver strategy, which it is hoped will pave the way for the licensed release of beavers into the wild in England, where it has local support and benefits for the landscape. There was confusion earlier in the week, when it seemed as if the legislation would not be laid before the summer recess of Parliament, but the Environment Department said it had now been put in place. Sandra King, Beaver Trust chief executive, said it was 'a huge relief for the restoration of beavers in England that the Government has seen sense and that this is going ahead as planned'. She said: 'We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Wildlife Trusts and other organisations to welcome these fantastic ecosystem engineers back to our land as soon as possible.' Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Beaver Trust restoration manager, added: 'Official recognition that the beaver has returned to Britain is key, though it is vital that a national strategy provides a platform for the continued restoration of this native species to ensure healthy and connected populations so that our wider society and landscapes benefit. 'The return of the beaver has captured public attention and imagination, though there are challenges to a smaller percentage of landowners which require support to encourage coexistence and implement mitigation as required.' The Government said the legislation establishes the legal mechanism to strictly manage the release of Eurasian beavers and their control after release. 'The return of the beaver has captured public attention and imagination, though there are challenges to a smaller percentage of landowners which require support to encourage coexistence and implement mitigation as required,' said Beaver Trust restoration manager Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer. Pictured: A young European beaver 'Beavers play important roles in making ecosystems functions properly, helping to store and slow the flow of water through the building of dams and creation of complex wetlands, which in turn can reduce the impact of both floods and droughts, thereby assisting with adaptation to climate change,' said Natural England chairman Tony Juniper Tony Juniper, chairman of government conservation agency Natural England, said: 'This is a significant moment for beaver recovery, as we see a return of this species to its natural places in England. 'Beavers play important roles in making ecosystems functions properly, helping to store and slow the flow of water through the building of dams and creation of complex wetlands, which in turn can reduce the impact of both floods and droughts, thereby assisting with adaptation to climate change. 'Those wetlands also catch carbon and aid the recovery of a wide range of other species. 'We are working closely with landowners, environmentalists and other stakeholders to develop practical guidance to ensure these wonderful animals are able to thrive in suitable habitats alongside people across England.' A 47-year-old Australian man has died in Bali after plummeting four storeys from his hotel room to the pool deck below. The man was reportedly seen 'staggering' into room 403 at Haven Hotel in Seminyak, Bali, before falling from his balcony to the pool deck at about 8pm on Wednesday, local time. Witness Sara Winata told CNN Indonesia she was on the hotel's pool deck when she heard shouting and people banging on fourth floor windows around 7.45pm. A 47-year-old Australian tourist died in Bali after falling four storeys from his hotel balcony to the pool deck below (pictured, Kuta nurses attempted to treat the man) She then ran and told hotel security guard Ahmad Sopy and together they went up to the fourth floor where they reportedly discovered the noise was coming from room 403. Ms Winata said the two of them were trying to get inside the room when they heard a loud noise from the pool deck below. She said her and Mr Sopy went back down to the pool deck where they found the 47-year-old Australian. Balconies at Haven Hotel in Seminyak, Bali, look out on the hotel's swimming pool and deck (above) 'The guest of room 403, or the victim, was lying unconscious. When she looked at the fourth floor, the witness did not see anyone,' Denpasar Police spokesperson First Inspector Ketut Sukad told CNN. A nurse from Kuta II Health Centre declared the tourist dead at the scene, reportedly having sustained serious head trauma and several broken bones. It is understood the man was booked to stay in the hotel from July 20 to July 25. Mr Sukadi said Kuta Police was investigating the man's death and have obtained CCTV footage of the man entering room 403. 'The CCTV footage showed the victim staggering into the hotel room number 403 alone,' he said. The 47-year-old Australian tourist was declared dead at the scene after falling four storeys from his hotel balcony to the pool deck below (above) and sustaining serious head trauma The news comes just weeks after Aussie tourist Joshua James Connell died after he fell 15m from his hotel's pool deck in Phuket, Thailand, and landed on a tin cafe roof. Mr Connell was seen balancing on the pool's fencing just moments before his fall. Seven in ten of the Met Police's 32,493 officers have not made one arrest over the last year, new 'jaw dropping' figures reveal. According to a Freedom of Information request, a total of 22,753 - seven out of 10 of its officers - did not apprehend a suspect from April 1 2021 to March 31 this year. While during the same period 30,265 officers - 93.1% of Scotland Yard's force - had less than five arrests, the Sun revealed. The Metropolitan Police, which is in special measures for the first time ever due to concerns about 'serious or critical shortcomings' following a wave of scandals including the Sarah Everard case, said arrests are usually made by its small team of emergency responders. The news comes after it was revealed yesterday that police forces in England and Wales have recorded the highest number of crimes in 20 years, driven by a sharp rise in offences including fraud, rape and violent attacks. A total of 70 per cent of the Met Police's 32,493 officers have not made one arrest over the last year, new 'jaw dropping' figures reveal. Pictured: New Scotland Yard in London David Spencer, Centre for Crime Prevention campaign group director, said: 'These [arrest] numbers are truly jaw-dropping and raise serious questions about what exactly most police officers are doing with their time and where the Met's priorities lie. 'It is time the Met got officers out from behind their desks and into communities where they fulfil their remit of deterring crime and keeping people safe.' Retired Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville said: 'In my time, I knew officers who could make five arrests in a few days, not in a year and these would be arrests of burglars, thieves and robbers, which the public want to see.' The Met told the Sun: 'Arrests are predominantly made by emergency response teams who are far fewer in number, which explains why arrests per total officer numbers might appear low.' After it was placed in special measures in June, acting commissioner Sir Stephen House - who took over from Dame Cressida Dick - will now be required to work with London Mayor Sadiq Khan to produce a remedial plan which the police inspectorate will assess. Top officers will then be required to meet regularly with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to ensure the required improvements are being made. It follows further scandals, including the failure to properly investigate serial killer Stephen Port and the revelation of racist WhatsApp messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross Police Station. Other calamities included the jailing of two officers for taking photos of the corpses of murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, and Operation Midland - the disastrous probe into fake claims of VIP paedophilia. The Met's scandal ravaged former commissioner, Cressida Dick, who stepped down in February after Sadiq Khan said he no longer had confidence in her The orange blocks in the graph represent lockdown restrictions, coinciding with falling crime A total of 6.3million crimes were recorded in the year to March 2022 4% higher than the previous all-time high of 6.1million in 2019/20, the ONS said yesterday. It is also up 16% on 2020/21, when crime levels were affected by Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. The figures, which have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show knife crime, theft and domestic abuse all increased in the 12 months to March. Police-recorded offences of fraud and computer misuse have risen 17%, from 828,364 in 2020/21 to 965,162 in 2021/22. Knife crime rose by 10% to 49,027 offences in the year to March, compared to 44,642 in the previous 12 months though this is below the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20, which saw 55,078 offences. Various types of police-recorded crime are now at their highest level since current records began in 2002/03, including the number of rape offences (70,330 in 2021/22), all sexual offences (194,683), stalking and harassment offences (722,574), and all violence against the person offences (2.1 million). There were 909,504 domestic abused-related offences recorded in 2021/22, up 8% on 2020/21 and up 12% on the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20. Some of this increase may reflect improvements seen in reporting over the last few years. Responding to the figures, Diana Fawcett, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: 'Record rises in crime levels are always worrying behind these statistics are real people, and being a victim of any crime can have a devastating and long lasting impact. 'Regardless of the reason for the increase, this huge rise in recorded crime coincides with victims across the country facing agonisingly long waits for trial. 'With the highest number of cases for 20 years coming into the criminal justice system, we need urgent action to address the backlog of cases, to ensure that those who've had the courage to report a crime get the justice they deserve.' British sex offenders were tracked going to refugee-laden Poland in the early weeks of war, seemingly to take advantage of the chaos unfolding on the border with Ukraine. The National Crime Agency (NCA) yesterday revealed ten convicted paedophiles travelled east in the first six weeks after Vladimir Putin's invasion, under the guise of providing assistance to refugees. All ten were interviewed by Polish authorities and removed from the country, said an NCA spokesman, adding: 'We have an international network that identifies these threats... we contact our partners and say you have a convicted sex offender on your patch.' As many as 5,000 unaccompanied children were displaced in the first weeks of the conflict. Now two thirds of Ukraine's children have been driven from their homes, according to UNICEF, with 200,000 forced into Russia where some are being put up for adoption. British sex offenders were tracked going to refugee-laden Poland in the early weeks of war amid reports that as many as 5,000 unaccompanied children were displaced in the first weeks of the conflict The NCA spokesman continued: 'It is no coincidence, I think, that somewhere in the region of ten known British child sex offenders travelled to Poland in the first six weeks after the invasion of Ukraine, allegedly to provide humanitarian assistance. 'Normally they're meant to have declared this [their conviction] as part of their entry. We find inevitably, they haven't. 'As far as I understand it, all ten were asked to leave, following an interview with Polish immigration and Polish law enforcement. So they're no longer in Poland.' Police have been told to stop investigating legitimate debate because of 'offence' as new guidance restricts officers from using 'non-crime hate incidents' for trivial matters. The national standards body issued guidance telling police officers to target real crimes and not online debates, in a move being hales as a victory for freedom of speech. Social debate must not be 'stigmatised simply because someone is offended', said a spokesperson. The groups expect a reduction in 'non-crime hate incidents', which are assessed on the basis of perceived hostility. Andy Cooke, Her Majestys chief inspector, said: 'Were not the thought police, we follow legislation and we follow the law, simple as that. Policing is busy enough dealing with the serious offences that are going on, busy enough trying to keep people safe' More than 120,000 people in the past five years were recorded by police for non-crime incidents - which can show up on enhanced DBS criminal checks - even though they do need meet the criminal threshold. The expansion of policing powers to be able to record such incidents sparked fears of them being used to intimidate those who had not broken any laws. The updated guidance prohibits police from recording such incidents if they are trivial or based on perception alone. There must now be evidence the incident is motivated by hostility before an incident can be recorded, according to the new guidance. The College of Policing said the police needed to focus on cutting crime and not 'get involved in debates on Twitter'. 'The public rightly expect the police to focus on cutting crime and bringing criminals to justice,' Andy Marsh, who has been ceo of the College of Policing since September 2021, told The Times. 'While we work to protect the most vulnerable in society, we also have a responsibility to protect freedom of speech. 'This updated guidance puts in place new safeguards to ensure people are able to engage in lawful debate without police interference. He added: 'In all types of crime it is important for the police to record incidents that could lead to, or be evidence of, criminality something that has been demanded by public inquiries such as the Macpherson report into the racist killing of Stephen Lawrence. A former officer, Harry Miller, succeeded in a challenge to police guidance over 'hate incidents' at the Court of Appeal 'The police regularly deal with complex incidents on social media. Our guidance is there to support officers responding to these incidents in accordance with the law, and not get involved in debates on Twitter.' Records should not be intrusive into the lives of others, steering clear of direct interference of involving in non-crime incidents. Andy Cooke, Her Majestys chief inspector, previous said 'were not the thought police' after his appointment in April. 'We follow legislation and we follow the law, simple as that,' he added. He spoke out amid controversy around some police forces treating issues such as misogyny and transphobia as hate crimes. In the year ending March 2021, there were 124,091 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. The news came after the Home Office revealed that police are solving the lowest proportion of crimes ever, with only six per cent of all crimes resulted in a charge in the year to September 2021. The figure is equivalent to only one in 17 offences being solved, with Cooke adding crime rates were now the worst in his 36-year career. A woman once described as Ghislaine Maxwells slave has sued the author of a major book about the Jeffrey Epstein case for defamation. Emmy Tayler claimed that Julie Brown libeled her in Perversion of Justice by falsely identifying her as a co-conspirator, aider and abettor, facilitator in Jeffrey Epsteins sexual abuse pyramid scheme. Tayler, 47, a British actress, sued Brown and publishers HarperCollins in federal court in Florida seeking more than $75,000 for the enormous and continuing distress, hurt, humiliation, and embarrassment she claims to have suffered. Brown is a Miami Herald journalist whose reporting on Epstein is widely-credited with bringing the child sex abuse scandal to light. However the lawsuit makes no mention of separate claims against Tayler in the past in other lawsuits. They include a description by Epstein victim Johanna Sjoberg that Ghislaine Maxwell referred to Tayler as her slave. During Ghislaine Maxwells trial one of her victims agreed that a woman called Emmy who was from the UK took part in group sexualized massages when she was a teenager. Emmy Tayler, pictured, is suing author Julie Brown for alleging she arranged Jeffrey Epstein's massage schedule. Tayler once worked as an assistant to Ghislaine Maxwell, and is said to have been described by Maxwell as her 'slave' Brown, pictured, is a reporter for the Miami Herald. She blew open the Epstein scandal, with her book Perversion of Justice now triggering a defamation lawsuit from Tayler Taylers lawsuit says that despite claiming Perversion of Justice was the product of serious investigative journalism it unfairly targeted Tayler. The lawsuit states: The book falsely stated that Plaintiff worked for and arranged Jeffrey Epsteins massage schedule in 2005 when he was a prolific pedophile who regularly sexually abused underage girls under the guise of paying them to receive massages. This defamatory statement therefore falsely paints Plaintiff as a co-conspirator and aider and abettor of Epstein who facilitated the pedophilia of a notorious child abuser. The lawsuit highlights a passage in the book in which a woman called Jane Doe describes how when she was 14 Tayler arranged Epsteins massage schedule at his Palm Beach mansion. The passage describes how Tayler took the woman up the stairs to the bathroom and unfolded a massage table before saying: Jeffrey will be right up. Epstein arrived and sexually assaulted Jane Doe, an experience she called disgusting in the book. Tayler claims that she did not live in Palm Beach at the time in question around 2005 and did not work as Epsteins assistant. Epstein victim Johanna Sjoberg, pictured, says she once heard Ghislaine Maxwell refer to Tayler as her 'slave' The lawsuit states that Tayler worked in London and New York as an assistant to Maxwell, not Epstein. Due to the claims in the book Taylers reputation has been gravely damaged and has suffered mental anguish, it is claimed. Tayler fears leaving her home in the UK and her insomnia has been severely aggravated and she has been forced to put in place additional security measures. The lawsuit states that HarperCollins has removed the offending passage from the electronic and audio iterations of the book but reinstated a sample with defamatory statements on its website. Tayler claims that the publisher and Brown published statements they claimed were facts but were intentionally false with a reckless disregard for the truth. Tayler's name has appeared a number of times in court cases related to the Epstein case and she appears on flight logs for his private jets. In a deposition for a defamation case brought by Virginia Roberts Prince Andrews accuser against Maxwell, Sjoberg gave a vivid account of an encounter with her. Epstein and Maxwell are pictured in an undated photo. He killed himself in jail in August 2019, while Maxwell was jailed for 18 years for child sex trafficking in June Sjoberg said: 'At that point, I met Emmy Taylor (sic), and she took me up to Jeffrey's bathroom and he was present. And her and I both massaged Jeffrey. She was showing me how to massage. 'And then... he got off the table, she got on the table. She took off her clothes, got on the table, and then he was showing me moves that he liked. And then I took my clothes off. They asked me to get on the table so I could feel it. Then they both massaged me'. Asked how Maxwell referred to Tayler, Sjoberg replied: 'She called her slave'. Tayler's attorneys told DailyMail.com that if Sjoberg's comments had been made outside a courtroom where they had legal privilege she would have sued for libel. During Maxwells trial Jane, one of her victims, also mentioned an Emmy from the UK. Maxwell, 60, was jailed for 20 years last month after being convicted of recruiting and trafficking underage girls for Epstein. She is currently in federal prison in Brooklyn, New York. DailyMail.com has reached out to HarperCollins for comment. As Federal prosecutors wrap up their investigation into Hunter Biden, a former Department of Justice official believes the president's son has landed a 'generous' plea deal to only admit minor charges. Lawyer Jim Trusty, former chief of the DOJ's Organized Crime Section, said reports that the investigation is coming to an end suggests that Hunter will be hit with minor tax charges and for making false statements when purchasing a handgun in 2018. He believed it was unlikely that Biden would face any charges involving the investigation into alleged money laundering and violation of lobbying laws that claimed Biden used his father for controversial business dealings overseas. 'We're not hearing the word 'conspiracy' and we are hearing and seeing an awful lot of drug addiction vignettes, so I think the 'critical phase' could be more about reaching a plea agreement designed to end the entire inquiry rather than seeing a fully investigated 'pay-to-play' scheme,' Trusty told the New York Post. A former Department of Justice official believes Hunter Biden has landed a 'generous' plea deal to only admit to minor tax and gun charges as the federal probe on his life concludes Investigators were reportedly looking into allegations that Hunter (left) used his father, President Joe Biden (right), to secure business deals and lobby overseas Hunter, pictured on July 7, is likely to be hit with minor tax charges and for making false statements when purchasing a handgun in 2018 Trusty said that a sweeping 'indictment' against Hunter would be unlikely and noted that the investigation must have been thorough given that it's gone on for four years. 'It does not take four years to put together a dinky gun case or many of the cases deemed 'tax cases,'' he added. Along with Trusty, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley and Detroit US Attorney Barbara McQuade disagreed with previous reports that suggested charges weren't being brought up due to the upcoming midterm elections. CNN previously reported some officials were concerned about DOJ guidelines which suggest avoiding updates in major, politically sensitive cases so close to the election. McQuade dismissed the notion, telling the Post: 'I do not think DOJ would hesitate to file charges against Hunter Biden if the evidence were sufficient just because of the upcoming midterm elections. 'There would be no reason to refrain from filing charges other than an absence of evidence.' Although he agreed with McQuade, Turley said he was concerned that the investigation would be closed despite President Joe Biden never being called to testify before a grand jury. It is not clear how the prosecutors would eliminate conspiracy charges or a wider array of wrongdoing without speaking to such key players, he told the Post. The federal investigation into Hunter Biden has reached a 'critical juncture' and investigators are weighing whether to charge the president's son Hunter (pictured with his father, President Joe Biden, at the White House's Fourth of July celebration) has not been charged with any crimes and has denied criminal wrongdoing The federal investigation had reached a 'critical juncture' and investigators are currently weighing whether to charge the president's son, according to a report on Wednesday night. The Department of Justice probe in Delaware has intensified in recent weeks over whether to bring charges on tax violations or making false statements on purchasing a gun, sources told CNN. Hunter would have been prohibited from buying a gun at the time because of his well-documented struggles with drug addiction. The GOP are seeking answers on whether the president knew about his son's foreign business dealings, even though he has constantly denied any knowledge. David Weiss, the US Attorney in Delaware, is leading the probe, which dates back to as early as 2018. President Biden kept in on after Trump left office to continue the investigation. Hunter has not been charged with any crimes and has denied criminal wrongdoing. The report also stated the president is not being investigated as part of the probe into his business activities. The FBI and IRS' criminal division are among the agencies who have been involved in moving the investigations, and there have also been discussions over whether his past drug abuse could weaken their case, CNN reported. Hunter could argue that he wasn't aware of his actions because he was high on drugs. The intense four-year probe revealed many alarming details about the president's son Among them was Hunter's drug use. Pictured: Hunter with a crack pipe in his mouth Earlier this summer, DailyMail.com revealed a 2018 voicemail recording from the junior Biden's hard drive stating the president did know about the dealings. Joe called Hunter on December 12, 2018, saying that he wanted to talk to him after reading a New York Times story about Hunter's dealings with the Chinese oil giant CEFC. Files on Hunter's abandoned laptop previously disclosed by DailyMail.com show that he struck a deal with the Chinese company worth millions of dollars after touting his family connections. The Times' 2018 story pointed out CEFC chairman Ye Jianming had been arrested in China and his top lieutenant, Patrick Ho, had been convicted in the US for bribing African officials to help Iran evade oil sanctions. It revealed that Ye had met with Hunter at a Miami hotel in 2017 to discuss 'a partnership to invest in American infrastructure and energy deals.' The Times reported that when Ho was arrested, he called Joe's brother Jim Biden who told the newspaper that he believed the call was meant for Hunter. The Gray Lady said it was 'unclear whether Hunter Biden struck any business deals with CEFC', not knowing at the time the depths of his connections with his Chinese business partners. After seeing the story online, Joe called Hunter and left a voicemail. 'Hey pal, it's Dad. It's 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance just give me a call. Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk to you,' he said. 'I thought the article released online, it's going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you're clear. And anyway if you get a chance give me a call, I love you.' A shattered mother of five desperately trying to rent a home near a hospital with her critically-ill son has been rejected more than 50 times. Little Oakly Biggers has multiple serious heart conditions and the battling 18-month old tot needs to be within an hour of his cardio team at Perth Children's Hospital. But mum Kirsty, 38, and her family live 800km away in Esperance, WA, and cannot find a rental home in Perth after repeatedly losing out in the competitive market. The single mother, Oakly, and three of his siblings have spent six months crammed into one tiny room in crisis accommodation in Perth, which she fears could kill her son. 'I just need a home for myself and my children - Oaklys life isnt forever,' the exhausted mum told Daily Mail Australia. 'Every day counts.' 'Every day with Oakly is precious - but I'm spending every spare moment driving around to find us somewhere to live when we could be playing or making memories.' Shattered mother of five Kirsty Biggers has been rejected more than 50 times as she desperately tries to rent a home for her critically-ill son Oakly to be near his hospital She added: 'If he gets the cold or flu, it could kill him - people come and go from our share home all the time and we have no control over it or if they are infected. 'He's had open heart surgery and has been hospitalised twice in the past month because he got the adenovirus and the flu and both of them were critical to his life. 'He's such a little fighter though, he's pulled through and doing better than expected - but we know we only have limited time with him and I just want to make it better.' Little Oakly Biggers has multiple serious heart conditions and the battling 18-month old tot needs to be within an hour of his cardio team at Perth Children's Hospital Oakley was born with complex congenital heart disease, transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, double outlet right ventricle, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, interrupted and leaking valves and polysplenia, which means he is seriously immunocompromised on top of his heart condition. The toddler is living on borrowed time and spent the first 11 months in hospital with his mother living alongside him while her parents looked after her other children, aged 19, 15, 14 and 8. Now most of the family has reunited in Perth while their eldest daughter remains working in Esperance, but they are still unable to find a rental home after a six-month search. 'He could need urgent medical attention at any time, so we made the decision to move 800km to be near the hospital,' said Ms Biggers, 38, who worked as a wool handler and horse trainer before Oakly's birth. 'I thought it would be easy considering I've owned my own house and I've had a very stable rental for seven years after that. 'But no-one wants to take a chance on a single mum with four kids. Most homes are snapped up before I even view them and I've just been rejected for the rest. 'I've just had no luck. I didn't think it would be too hard, but it's been very tiring and very draining. We may not have long with Oakly but this is how we are living. 'While we've still got Oakly, I just want him to know what it's like to have a real home.' Mum Kirsty moved her family 800km from their home in Esperance, WA, but cannot find a rental home in Perth after repeatedly losing out in the ultra-competitive market The family used to live in a three-bedroom home on a six-acre block in Esperance and owned horses but now they all sleep in one room and share two bunk beds. Ms Biggers is looking for another three bedroom home for about $400 a week but she said landlords are choosing cashed-up FIFO workers or dual income couples. Her friends and relatives have now set up a GoFundMe to help with the expense of looking after Oakly and finding the family a home. 'I just want something within 70km or an hour's drive of the hospital in Perth - that would be amazing,' she admitted. 'I've got a little warrior baby. I'm queen warrior. I do whatever it takes. We all do. We're team warriors. But it's definitely starting to get pretty hard. 'It would be a miracle if we could find a place. I just cry thinking about it. It would be a blessing which would change our life.' The U.S. Marine Corps will keep its new amphibious combat vehicle - a kind of seafaring tank - out of the water while it investigates why two of the vehicles ran into trouble off Southern California's coast this week amid high surf, military officials said Wednesday. No Marines or sailors were injured when one of the vehicles rolled onto its side Tuesday in waves that were unusually high because of a storm in the southern hemisphere. The other one became disabled when waves as high as 8-feet slammed the coastline. The mishaps prompted troops to leap out of the vehicles and make their way to shore at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego. The mishaps were first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune. The new vehicles were introduced to replace Vietnam War-era amphibious assault vehicles, one of which was involved in one of Marine Corps' deadliest training accidents of its kind two years ago off Southern California's coast. The U.S. Marine Corps will keep its new amphibious combat vehicle - a kind of seafaring tank - out of the water after two accidents. No sailors or marines were injured. The new vehicles were introduced to replace Vietnam War-era amphibious assault vehicles (pictured) Lt. Gen. David J. Furness, the deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for plans, policies, and operations, said the officials decided to halt waterborne operations involving the newer vehicles as a precaution while an investigation is underway. The Marine Corps will continue using the vehicles for land operations. 'This is the right thing to do,' Furness said in a statement. The effort will allow time to 'ensure our assault amphibian community remains ready to support our nation,' he added. In the July 30, 2020 amphibious vehicle accident, eight Marines and one sailor died when the vehicle sank rapidly in 385 feet (of water off San Clemente Island. Seven of the Marines were rescued. A Marine Corps investigation found that inadequate training, shabby maintenance and poor judgment by leaders led to the sinking. The Marines and sailor who drowned include Privates Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of California, Evan Bath, 19, of Wisconsin, and Lance Corporal Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Oregon who have been identified as the youngest of the victims. Their fellow Marines Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of California, Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Oregon, Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Texas, and Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of California, also died. One sailor, US Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of California, also died in the vehicle. In the July 30, 2020 amphibious vehicle accident, eight Marines and one sailor died when the vehicle sank rapidly in 385 feet (of water off San Clemente Island. Seven of the Marines were rescued The vehicle, nicknamed an 'amtrac' - short for amphibious tractor - was designed to be buoyant and had three water-tight hatches and two large troop hatches. The Marines use the vehicles to transport troops and equipment from Navy ships to land. The vehicles have been used since 1972 and continually refurbished. The accident was one of the deadliest involving such a vehicle. The Marines use the amphibious vehicles to transport troops and their equipment from Navy ships to land. The armored vehicles that have machine guns and grenade launchers look like tanks as they roll ashore for beach attacks, with Marines pouring out of them to take up positions. New York gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Lee Zeldin was nearly stabbed at a campaign rally on Thursday in Perinton, New York, a small town just outside of Rochester. The Republican was in the midst of a speech about bail reform at a VFW location as part of his 'United to Fire Hochul' campaign when he was confronted. Video from the scene shows the suspect enter the stage from slightly behind Zeldin, walk calmly up to him and eventually raise up his arm towards the candidate's neck. A group of Zeldin supporters quickly subdued the attacker before he inflicted any damage, and held him in place until authorities arrived to arrest the man. A weapon, which appeared to be a pair of brass knuckles with two blades affixed, was recovered from the scene. The weapon featured a cat's face with the words: 'Made in the USA' written across it. That blade was made from hard plastic, it has since emerged, although authorities said it is just as strong and sharp as a metal equivalent. The suspect has been named as David Jakubonis. The attacker was referred to as a 'an Iraq War veteran under the influence of alcohol,' reports Rochester First. In a tweet, Zeldin said: 'Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evenings rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.' The candidate was not wounded in the incident and returned to the stage after the suspect was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. The suspect seen entering the stage while Zeldin was in the midst of speech. He can be heard saying words to the effect of 'You're done' The suspect being taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. No charges have been announced The suspect's apparent weapon being handed over to authorities Prior to his arrest, Zeldin supporters are said to have held the attacker in place with zip-ties. The suspect reportedly said words to the effect of: 'Okay, you're done,' prior to launching his attack, according to WHEC. The man who took down Zeldin's would-be assailant initially was named as AMVETS national director Joe Chenelly. AMVETS is a non-partisan veterans advocacy group. Zeldin, a staunch ally of ex-President Donald Trump, is the Republican nominee to replace current New York governor Kathy Hochul. New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy said after the attack that current Gov. Kathy Hochul 'fanned the flames of hate' today by recently posting Zeldin's schedule online and apparently encouraging her supporters to attend. Zeldin appears during New York's Republican gubernatorial debate at the studios of Spectrum News NY1 on June 20, 2022, in New York Since 2015, Zeldin has represented New York's first district in Congress, representing Long Island's affluent Hamptons-area. He has been an opponent of New York's bail reform laws, eliminating cash bail for nonviolent and misdemeanor charges. His campaign said in a statement on Thursday: 'Congressman Zeldin, Alison Esposito and all members of Team Zeldin are safe following tonights attack. Far more must be done to make New York safe again. This is very much getting out of hand in this state. The message continued: 'Unfortunately, Congressman Zeldin is just the latest New Yorker whose life has been affected by the out of control crime and violence in New York. This needs to stop!' The suspect being wrestled the ground by a group of Zeldin supporters Gov. Hochul speaking at an event on the night that Zeldin was attacked in New York City where she was advocating for the city to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention Following the attack, New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy blamed the current governor for the attack saying: 'Its not a coincidence that just hours earlier, Kathy Hochul fanned the flames of hate by directing her supporters to his rally schedule. This is unacceptable conduct for anyone, let alone a sitting governor.' On her campaign website, Hochul's team pointed out Zeldin's event on July 21 telling her supporters: 'RSVP to hear about Zeldin's 'Election Integrity Task Force,' and his recent election fraud scandal in which his campaign photocopied over 11,000 duplicate signatures.' A week before the attack, the congressman was taken off of the Independent Party's ballot line in November's gubernatorial election after more than 12,500 of the signatures on his application were found to have been duplicates of real signatures. Following Thursday's incident, Governor Hochul said: 'Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible it has no place in New York.' According to his LinkedIn page, Joe Chenelly, the man who took down the attacker, is a candidate for the New York assembly in 2022 According to his LinkedIn page, the man who first took down the would-be attacker, Joe Chenelly, is a candidate for the New York state assembly in 2022. Chenelly is a long time advocate for veterans and has worked as a political advisor for former United States Senator Jim Webb's short-lived campaign for the presidency in 2016. Following Thursday's incident, his wife wrote on Facebook: 'Joe Chenelly is a hero.' New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola quickly condemned the attack in a statement saying: 'Attacks on political candidates, regardless of their viewpoints, are absolutely unacceptable.' She continued: 'This country was founded on the idea of freedom of speech. Political violence of this kind represents a dangerous shift away from the principles that this nation was built upon.' An incredible toddler has proved all of his doctors wrong after he walked just four days after waking up from a coma he'd been put in to survive being run over in his driveway. Happy little Fynn, 3, was playing with chalk on the driveway in front of his mum's Perth home when a car cut a corner and struck him in the first week of July. His mum, Amy Salter, witnessed her son get run down and raced to collect him outside the Innaloo address. He suffered skull fractures, 'head trauma' and was rushed to hospital in Perth, where he was placed in an induced coma. 'Every moment we are still hanging on and waiting,' Ms Salter, a 29-year-old single mum, said in a Facebook update posted from his bedside. 'Road trauma is massive, heavier than you can imagine. Nowhere becomes safe.' Fynn Salter, 3, was playing with chalk in the driveway in front of his mum's house when a car cut a corner (Pictured, Amy races to collect her stricken son) Fynn was released from hospital on Thursday after walking just four days after specialists told his mother it could be two months before he was back on his legs Friends started a GoFundMe page to help support Fynn and his mum. 'Amy is currently in and out of shock and is also being treated,' the page said. Then the good news started coming, Fynn came out of his coma and within days was defying doctors by walking again. 'We rejoice,' Ms Salter said, later describing her son's recovery as 'a miracle'. 'We rejoice,' Ms Salter said, later describing her son's recovery as 'a miracle' 'Road trauma is massive, heavier than you can imagine. Nowhere becomes safe,' said Ms Salter of her son's injuries Fynn was released from hospital on Thursday after walking just four days after specialists told his mother it could be two months before he was back on his legs. 'I thought that was it, he's gone,' Ms Salter told 9Newshttps://www.9news.com.au/ of her fears at the accident scene. 'I can't believe we've reached this day and we're gonna walk out with no wheelchair and no walking frame.' Ms Salter described her son's recovery as 'a miracle' Two weeks earlier Fynn was placed in an induced coma and his distressed mum later recounted what happened in a social media post, begging drivers to 'please, slow down'. 'I saw this car coming fast. He cut the corner. No slowing down. Didn't look,' she wrote. 'If he'd have just slowed and made a moment to look. I know he would have seen Fynn, as I had full line of sight with Fynn as he drew with chalk. Although Fynn was able to go home he will need ongoing treatment for hearing loss and for damage to his eyesight 'It wasn't worth rushing or cutting the corner. Stop for a moment. Please. Slow down and look!' Although Fynn was able to go home he will need ongoing treatment for hearing loss and for damage to his eyesight. On average more than 50 Australian children are hit by cars at or near home each year. The GoFundMe page raised more than $19,000 towards a $30,000 goal. The body of a man was found in a flooded creek near amid wild weather caused by a new east coast low. The man's body was found by police on Friday morning near Sandy Creek at Nanango, about two and a half hours northwest of Brisbane. 'We're working to formally identify who this person is,' Inspector Scott Stahlhut said. A man's body was found near Sandy Creek at Nanango amid ongoing southeast Queensland floods (pictured, Twin Gums Caravan Park in Nanango on Friday morning) 'We currently have officers from the dive squad who are en route to Nanango to assist with our inquiries.' The death follows the rescue of a number of people 'in quite a dangerous situation' on the roof of a car at nearby Kingaroy, Inspector Stahlhut said. An evacuation site has been set up at the local cultural centre and people have been moved from a low lying caravan park. Flash flooding is affecting the South Burnett region and drivers are being urged to stay off roads. Rainfall totals of more than 100mm have been reported in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with the town of Maleny among the hardest hit. Damaging winds averaging around 50km/h are possible in exposed parts of the coast and peak gusts may reach 110km/h on Fraser Island, also known as K'gari, forecasters say. A minor flood warning is in place for the Stanley River at Woodford, about an hour north of Brisbane. People have been warned to stay off the road with flash flooding is affecting the South Burnett region The low-pressure system is expected to move south on Friday and Saturday, and beaches have been closed on the Gold Coast due to the dangerous conditions. Across the border, wild weather has hit the NSW Northern Rivers district, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a severe warning for damaging surf north of Yamba on Friday night. Waves of more than five metres are possible before conditions begin easing on Saturday afternoon. 'Beach conditions in these areas could be dangerous and people should stay well away from the surf and surf exposed areas,' the bureau said. In Byron Bay, where thousands of music fans have gathered for the Splendour in the Grass festival, campers have faced long queues to access muddy fields. Festival-goers have reportedly waited 12 hours to enter the site as heavy rain hit, with some forced to sleep in vehicles. 'Due to ongoing weather conditions we can no longer accept any campers or vehicles including day parking at North Byron Parklands,' a message on the festival's Facebook page said on Friday. 'We thank you for your patience here and big shout out to our staff who are working around Mother Nature to get you in here safely. Please be kind and patient.' A cafe owner will challenge a fine he received for breaching Covid-19 rules after he was questioned by armed police in his shop. Sonny Barkho, who runs Cafe Cibo at Glebe in Sydney's inner west, said his business had been open for less than a week when he was hit with a Covid fine for confusion around whether or not he had a valid Covid safety plan. Barkho, 51, was working at his business on August 17, 2021, when two police officers walked in and asked for his Covid plan. He said when they walked in he panicked because they were strapped with guns, which he said reminded him of police in his native Iraq. Sonny Barko, who runs Cibo Cafe in Glebe (pictured) in Sydney's inner west, had been open for less than a week when they were hit with a $1000 fine for having an out-of-date Covid safety plan, something Mr Barkho disputes saying he was confused at the request by armed police Barkho told The Sydney Morning Herald he had filled out and lodged the safety plan but just simply didn't understand the officer's request. 'They said to me, 'You have to have a safety plan, like when you buy a car you have to register it with Service NSW; the same thing, you have to register your business with Service NSW,' he said. 'I was confused ... I thought to myself, 'Maybe there's a new rule coming out'.' Barkho went to Glebe police station and showed an officer an old safety plan to check whether it was the document the police had been asking for. He was later issued with a $1000 fine, with police citing the old expired document and suggesting he may never have had a Covid safety plan as reasons for the breach. In fact, Mr Barkho had a plan valid from the start of August 2021. Barkho said he sent his valid documentation to police in an attempt to have the fine withdrawn, but the commander of Leichhardt Police Area Command said the matter would be determined in court. He said he now may need to close the cafe for the hearing as he is struggling to cover his shift. 'If I did something wrong, I would have said to them, 'I'm wrong,' he said. A NSW Police spokesperson said police could not comment as the matter is before the court. Revenue NSW data showed police handed out more Covid fines in August 2021 than they did in the previous 17 months combined. NSW Police carried out Covid compliance checks on Mr Barkho's cafe, asking for his Covid safety plan. Mr Barkho (right) said the officers were carrying guns and he panicked as it reminded him of his native Iraq Advertisement The January 6 House select committee shared outtakes of an address former President Donald Trump made to the nation on January 7, still unable to publicly say he lost the election. 'I don't want to say the election is over,' Trump says in one of the clips. 'I just want to say Congress has certified the results without saying the election is over.' The former commander-in-chief is shown getting tongue-tied. 'Yesterday is a hard word for me,' he says at one point, with daughter Ivanka Trump heard outside the frame recommending he remove it. He also struggles to read the teleprompter. 'I can't see it very well,' he complains. He straightens his suit jacket and eventually makes his three-minute address. 'My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote,' he tells the camera. The outtakes were part of new exhibits shared with the public by the Democrat-led House select committee on January 6, which held its final hearing of the summer in primetime Thursday night. Former President Donald Trump is seen in outtakes of an address he made on January 7, 2021, condemning the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building by his supporters He straightens his jacket in one clip, while in another has trouble reading the teleprompter. He's heard telling Ivanka Trump that he has trouble with the word 'yesterday' 'I don't want to say the election is over,' Trump says in one of the clips. 'I just want to say Congress has certified the results without saying the election is over' The committee also showed an image of Trump standing in the Oval Office after the Ellipse rally on January 6 - before moving into the White House dining room where he would spend hours refusing to call off the attack. Thursday night's primetime hearing was dedicated to the 187 minutes between Trump wrapping up his remarks on the Ellipse - where he goaded supporters to match on the Capitol - until his tepid video statement asking them to go home. Committee members noted how there were no photos of Trump as he sat watching Fox News Channel in the White House dining room for more than three hours, nor were there entries on an official call log of White House diary. What witnesses did tell committee members was that White House officials, including Ivanka Trump and Counsel Pat Cipollone, urged the president to make a statement to supporters to stop the attack. Inside the Capitol, members of Vice President Mike Pence's security detail were so worried about the escalating violence that they were making 'personal call's to 'say goodbye' to their families because they 'feared for their lives,' according to an unnamed official whose identity the committee kept secret. The January 6 committee showed an image of former President Donald Trump standing in the Oval Office after the Ellipse rally on January 6 - before he moved into the White House dining room for three-plus hours while supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol The January 6 committee showed the location of the White House dining room (center) versus the Oval Office (right) in the West Wing 'The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose so of course he didn't intervene,' said committee member, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger during Thursday night's hearing Witnesses Matthew Pottinger (left) and Sarah Matthews (right) prepare to testify Thursday night before the House select committee on January 6 Committee members, Democratic Reps. Elaine Luria (left) and Jamie Raskin (right), enter the hearing room for the January 6 committee's final primetime hearing of the summer The committee's vice chair, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney (center), chaired the final primetime hearing as Chairman Bennie Thompson participated remotely due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis Photographers surround witnesses Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews in advance of Thursday night's primetime January 6 committee hearing Chairman Bennie Thompson (left) participated in Thursday night's hearing virtually due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis Attendees watch as remarks made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are played during the January 6 committee's Thursday primetime hearing. McConnell blamed the Capitol attack on former President Donald Trump on the Senate floor in February 2021 'The members of the VP detail at this time were starting to fear for their own lives,' the official said. 'There was a lot of yelling, a lot of very personal calls over the radio. It was disturbing, I don't like talking about it.' 'There were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth ... for whatever the reason was on the ground, the VP detail thought this was going to get very ugly,' the official continued. The committee's witness, whose voice was masked, couldn't say for certain what the VP's detail was experiencing, but the tenor of their conversation indicated things were 'going to a whole other level soon.' 'The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose so of course he didn't intervene,' said committee member, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. 'President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home - he chose not to act.' Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria said that 'within 15 minutes of leaving the stage President Trump knew that the Capitol was besieged and under attack.' But committee witnesses testified that Trump never made calls to beef up a security response. Instead, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany testifed to the committee that Trump had asked her for a list of senators he could call, in an effort to have them contest the Electoral College count. The panel's two in-person witnesses Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews described what they witnessed on that day. Both Pottinger and Matthews resigned over Trump's conduct on January 6. Matthews explained how quickly Trump could have gotten to the White House press briefing room to call off the attack. 'It would take probably less than 60 seconds from the Oval Office dining room over to the press briefing room,' Matthews said. 'If the president had wanted to make a statement, and address the American people, he could have been on camera almost instantly,' she added. The panel used this as further proof that Trump didn't want to do anything to stop the riot. Later, Matthews testified that McEnany told her that Trump didn't want to tweet out anything that urged peace. 'And it wasn't until Ivanka Trump suggested the phrase "stay peaceful" that he finally agreed to it,' Matthews told the room. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, witnesses said, placed calls trying to get Trump to call off the riot. 'I got the sense that they were scared,' said Trump's on-in-law Jared Kushner in video testimony. 'I think he was scared, yes,' Kushner said, confirming he had received a call from the top GOP House leader. Former President Donald Trump eventually put out a video message at 4:17 p.m. that encouraged rioters to leave the Capitol. 'I know your pain. I know your hurt,' Trump also told members of the MAGA mob The committee showed outtakes and photos of President Donald Trump filming a video message on January 6 that went out at 4:17 p.m. President Donald Trump (left) looks at the video he filmed on January 6 encouraging his supporters to leave the U.S. Capitol, after watching the assault go on for hours An image of Trump walking into the residence at the conclusion of the day was also shared by the committee. Trump said nothing about the riot to a staffer, instead telling the individual, 'Mike Pence let me down,' before going upstairs Trump eventually did put out a video message - tweeting it out at 4:17 p.m. The committee showed outtakes of Trump filming the video, along with photos of him alongside aides making it. 'I know your pain. I know your hurt,' Trump tells his supporters in the footage shown to the committee. 'We had an election that was stolen from us,' Trump continues, falsely claiming it was a 'landslide.' Trump's lawyer Eric Herschmann testified to the committee that, 'People were emotionally drained by the time that video was done,' an eyebrow-raising comment as police officers still battled rioters on the other end of Pennsylvania avenue. He later sent out another tweet - at 6:01 p.m. 'These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!' Kinzinger remarked that Trump 'justified the violence as a natural response to the election.' 'He showed absolutely no remorse,' the Illinois Republican said. An image of Trump walking into the residence afterward was also shared by the committee. Trump said nothing about the riot to a staffer, instead telling the individual, 'Mike Pence let me down,' before going upstairs. Witnesses also beefed up testimony given late last month by White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson recalled an impromptu meeting on January 6 after Trump returned to the White House after speaking at the Ellipse she had with former Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Ornato and Bobby Engel, the head of Trump's security detail. 'Did you hear what effing happened in the Beast?' she said Engel asked her. She was then told that Trump threw a fit when told he couldn't go to the Capitol Building. 'The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel, Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, "Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we're going back to the West Wing, we're not going to the Capitol,"' Hutchinson testified. At Thursday's hearing, D.C. Police Sgt. Mark Robinson said he recalled hearing that Trump was 'upset.' 'The only description I received was that the president was upset and was adament about going to the Capitol and there was a heated discussion about that,' Robinson said. Robinson told committee members he had been part of the presidential motorcade 'probably over 100 times' and had never heard of something like that happening before. He also said that he had heard about armed members of the MAGA mob. ' 'So there's always concern when there's a POTUS in the area,' he said. Rep. Elaine Luria, leading the questioning, then noted that the committee found out that the motorcade had been placed on standby for another 45 minutes to an hour as Trump was still insisting on going to the Capitol, even once back at the White House. Committee members also briefly shamed Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who infamously raised his fist in solidarity with the growing mob as he entered the Capitol Building. The January 6 panel showed footage from January 6 of Hawley, alongside other senators, having to escape from the rioters. Members of the audience laughed at the visual of seeing Hawley flee. A teenage boy unable to call for help was left alone on a bus for almost five hours after it returned to the depot and the driver failed to notice him. The bus was supposed to take the Year 7 boy, who is non-verbal because of a disability, from his home to Leeming Senior High School's education support centre in Perth's southern suburbs. But instead, the teen was abandoned by the driver and an aide, who took the bus back to a depot on Wednesday. The forgetful staff meant the boy sat It has been revealed the boy, who stayed in the bus between 9am and 1.40pm, has a non-verbal disability, so he would not have been able to call for help. The boy had water and his lunch with him during the time, 7News said and was only discovered when staff were preparing for the afternoon shift. He got medical treatment after he was found. The boy was left on the bus for more than five hours after the driver and an aide failed to notice him The Horizons West bus company operate the vehicles on behalf of the WA Public Transport Authority (PTA). Two employees were stood down while an investigation by the PTA gets underway into the botched errand. 'Leaving children unattended on school buses is a serious breach of contract and the PTA will not accept any excuse for failing to keep children safe, PTA spokesperson David Hynes. 'There are significant penalties for any contractor that fails to adhere to these standards. 'The safety and wellbeing of passengers and staff is our number one priority, and the PTA has strict rules regarding the operation of its school bus service. 'This includes the requirement for drivers to conduct a search of the bus at the end of each trip to ensure there are no children left on board.' The buses reportedly have alarms on them to ensure workers don't leave kids behind and drivers are prompted to walk through the bus to make sure. Mr Hynes said it was not known if the alarms were working at the time but the PTA should know by next week. It comes just months after a Queensland toddler was left in a childcare bus in Gracemere, before being rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The three-year-old girl stayed in the bus for more than five hours in 28C heat last May and was found semi-conscious. The girl was first given a five per cent chance of survival but has since made a full recovery. Two women were charged this month for allegedly leaving the child on the bus, despite her being the only passenger that was picked up on that round. Laughter erupted as January 6 committee was shown a video of Republican Josh Hawley running through the Capitol to flee rioters after he riled them up before the Capitol riots. Assembled lawmakers and witnesses guffawed loudly as the farcical clip was played at the hearing Wednesday evening during its final day of evidence. It showed a suited Hawley rushing gazelle-like out into a corridor on January 6, 2021, before disappearing down an escalator to safety. Hawley fled even though he'd helped stoke the crowd earlier the very same day. The January 6 committee shared an image of the Missouri pro-Trump senator outside the Capitol that day pumping his fist at the far-right rioters as he walked toward the joint Congress session to certify the vote. 'As you can see in this photo, he raised his fist in solidarity with the protesters already amassing at the security gates,' Virginia Representative Elaine Luria said on Thursday. She also said the committee had spoken to a Capitol Police officer about the moment, and she had told them it 'bothered her greatly' to see the politician 'riling up the crowd.' Scroll down for video Laughter erupted as the January 6 committee showed a video of Hawley springing through the Capitol to get away from the rioters as they breached the Capitol The committee were seen enjoying the farcical moment, which came just hours after Hawley himself stoked the assembled crowds He was also seen running down the stairs as others fled the Capitol Immediate reaction to the vid: pic.twitter.com/XAv4jc2tjr Dan Przygoda (@dprzygoda) July 22, 2022 Just hours before the insurrection, Senator Josh Hawley was seen holding up a fist in solidarity as they gathered near the Capitol 'It bothered her greatly because he was doing it in a safe space, protected by the officers and the barriers,' Luria said on Thursday. Hawley was one the Republicans who opposed certifying Biden as president, claiming voter fraud. Following the insurrection, Simon & Schuster dropped Hawley's then-upcoming book The Tyranny of Big Tech, citing it couldn't 'support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom.' Hawley said the decision was made by a 'woke mob' and defended his action as 'representing my constituents.' Hawley (pictured in 2021) was one the Republicans who opposed certifying Biden as president, claiming voter fraud A 'cocaine school' in a sleepy Australian town has been busted by police, with detectives alleging a Colombian kingpin was flown in to teach locals how to cook the drug. Officers raided the alleged production facility outside Durong, a Queensland town inland from the Sunshine Coast, on Thursday night. The group had the resources and know-how to produce hundreds of kilos of cocaine at the 600 square metre facility, police said. 'This syndicate was an unrelenting, well-resourced cartel that has gone to significant lengths to conceal themselves from Australian law enforcement,' Commander Kate Ferry said on Friday. '(The raid) sends a message that wherever you are, you are not beyond the reach of Australian Federal Police.' The alleged drug syndicate began its operations on May 18 when a dual Spanish-Colombian national, 48, came to Australia and paired up with a Colombian-born Sydney man, 38, to become the 'chemists' in the alleged operation, police said. Australian Federal Police arrested nine people allegedly running an Australian branch of a Colombian drug cartel (pictured, police arresting a 33-year-old man in Darwin believed to be the leader of the syndicate) Australian Federal Police arrested a total of nine people on Thursday night who they allege ran an Australian branch of a Colombian cocaine cartel (pictured, a map of operations) The two men allegedly intended to teach others how to extract cocaine from a mystery substance used to hide the drug during travel. Police allege the two men then travelled to southeast Queensland in late May to team up with a Gold Coast man, 30, to build a custom 'cocaine factory' in Durong. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were reportedly spent on the construction of the shed-like factory which police said indicated the cartel was confident would be in use for years. Police seized over $1million in cash from a 32-year-old Brisbane woman's home, the cash is believed to be the profits from the cocaine cartel (above) Police seized a 7.8.m boat (above) they believe was used to collect drugs dropped hundreds of kilometers off the NT's coast The operation was allegedly organised by a Darwin man, 33, who was accused of receiving instructions on how to conduct Australian operations from a Colombian group. Police also allege it was the Darwin man who was told about a shipment of cocaine smuggled into NSW which led to the mass arrests of his group. On Thursday night, police conducted an interstate coordinated arrest of the four men as well as six other people who were allegedly involved in smuggling cocaine from the Durong factory to Sydney. The first man to be arrested in the drug bust was a 38-year-old western Sydney man allegedly hiding 10kg of cocaine in two fridges (above) in the back of his ute Police made their first arrest at about 7pm when a western Sydney man, 38, (separate to the Colombian-born Sydney man) was caught with 10kg of cocaine in the back of his Volkswagen Amarok ute. The man allegedly attempted to hide the drugs in a pair of fridges while travelling back to Sydney from Brisbane but was surrounded by police when he pulled over at a service station in Newcastle. Meanwhile, police were also arresting a 31-year-old man and 32-year-old woman from separate addresses in Brisbane and a 35-year-old Gold Coast man. During a raid of the group's custom 'cocaine factory' they found plastic buckets containing cocaine hidden in an unknown substance (above) An aerial view of the alleged cocaine factory, located in the rural Queensland town of Durong, shows the shed-like structures where cocaine was allegedly extracted from an unknown substance The dual Spanish-Colombian national who allegedly flew to Australia to assist in the operation and Colombian-born Sydney man were also arrested at the Durong factory. Police allege the 31-year-old Brisbane man helped organise the Durong factory construction and partially paid for the operation using suspected criminal funds. A 33-year-old man was also arrested in Brisbane for allegedly collecting drugs from the Durong factory to give the man smuggling them to Sydney with the help of the 31-year old Brisbane man. More cocaine was allegedly found hidden in the 38-year-old courier's ute hidden under the car's bonnet More cocaine was found in the ute which was allegedly travelling from the factory to Sydney (pictured, the cocaine wrapped in black plastic) Officers arrested the suspected Darwin leader outside a gym as well as the Gold Coast man, who was also in the Northern Territory capital. Police raided several homes of the alleged criminal including the 32-year-old Brisbane woman's home in which they found over $1million in cash which is suspected to be the profits from the operation. The 33-year-old Darwin alleged leader's home was also raided with police seizing thousands of dollars in cash, electronic devices, steroids and a 7.8m boat. AFP photos of the rural Queensland custom cocaine factory located in Durong show what was inside the shed-like structure (above) The AFP believes the boat may have been used to collect drugs dropped hundreds of kilometres off the NT's coast. Police estimate the operation could have seen up to 700kgs of cocaine enter Australia if its bust had not been successful. 'This was a sophisticated, ambitious and ruthless organised crime group that could order the movement of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine with one phone call,' AFP Assistant Commissioner Eastern Command Kirsty Schofield said. Police seized a 7.8.m boat (above) they believe was used to collect ocean drug drops from a 33-year-old Darwin man's home 'This investigation has stopped a very large shipment from being passed on to multiple distributors and hitting Australian streets, and prevented millions of dollars from being pumped into the criminal economy.' Ms Schofield said Australia's high-demand for illegal drugs is what drives international drug gangs to set up shop here. 'Australia's high demand for illicit drugs and the prices Australians are willing to pay only encourage criminal syndicates to target Australia, and ultimately cause significant damage to vulnerable Australians and their families,' she said. The AFP is continuing to investigate the exact circumstances of how and when the cocaine was imported into Australia. Le gouvernement va presenter dans les prochains jours le Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 ou Finance Bill afin damender les divers lois afin de mettre les mesures au niveau legale. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to provide for the implementation of measures announced in Budget Speech 2022-2023. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires A black family told of their joy after a $75 million plot of beachfront land was returned to them by LA officials 98 years after it was seized from their ancestors. Video from Bruce's Beach handover ceremony Wednesday showed Anthony Bruce, holding the deed aloft after it was handed over by LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan. His great-great grandparents Willa and Charles Bruce bought the Manhattan Beach plot in 1912, only to have it improperly seized by the city in 1924 after a racist pressure campaign. Anthony said in a speech: 'It's surreal, and it's almost like being transported to the other side of the known universe.' He added: 'I want to remain level-headed about the entire thing. I want to make sure I don't lose focus as to what Charles and Willa's dream was. The dream was to just have an America where they could thrive and have their American business thrive.' He concluded: 'Without God, we would not be here today. And finally, thank you all. God bless.' The Bruces, bought the land in 1912 and built a resort for black families that became known as Bruce's Beach. The resort thrived despite racist pressure from neighbors, local government and an attack from the Ku Klux Klan in 1920. But in 1924, the family was forced out when the City of Manhattan Beach used eminent domain to seize the land under the pretense of turning it into a public park that was never built. Following the transfer, the family will lease the land back to the county at a cost of $413,000 per year. The piece of land is located at Highland Avenue and 26th Street. LA officials have the option to buy the land back for $20 million if the Bruces agree, although some critics say this is an undervaluation - and that the plot is actually worth $75 million. Anthony Bruce reacts while holding up the property deed of title to the Bruce family property With his wife Sandra Bruce at his side, Anthony Bruce speaks to the crowd, thanking them for their support The Los Angeles beachfront property 'Bruce's Beach's is being returned to the descendants of resort owners after it was taken from them due to racist policies Speaking to NBC Los Angeles, Derrick Bruce, the great-grandson of the original owners said: ' We are a family that was dispossessed. He continued: 'Anyone who knows how hard it is to become dispossessed, that in itself is a grave puncture, a grave wounding. That's what our family have gone through. A grave wounding.' Derrick continued: 'In a way, it does feel like justice. The hardship that our family went through, went through generations. It just echoed and reverberated without us knowing why.' County Supervisor Janice Hahn told the audience: 'Today, we are sending a message to every government in this nation confronted with this same challenge. This work is no longer unprecedented.' On June 28, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to return Bruce's Beach to its rightful owners. The move marked one of the biggest cases of land reparations in US history. The land is now owned by brothers Marcus and Derrick as well as Derrick's sons, Anthony and Michael. In a statement regarding the vote in June, County Chair Holly Mitchell said that the Bruce family were 'robbed of their property and generational wealth due to unjust laws and practices rooted in systemic racism.' The board heard that Anthony will maintain the property along with his father through an LLC that the family has formed. County Chair Holly Mitchell signs the transfer agreement on behalf of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors transferring ownership of the land to the Bruce family Michael Bruce (pictured left) and his brother Anthony (pictured right) are the great-great grandchildren of Willa and Charles Bruce, who stand to finally inherit their family's property after it was taken via eminent domain in 1924 Willa and Charles Bruce brought the property in 1912 during the early 20th century after moving from New Mexico with their son Harvey Artist Shelley Bruce paints a painting of the Bruce family during a ceremony transferring the ownership of Bruce's Beach to the descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce According to documents, the land will be leased back to the county for two years from the Bruce family. The family will received $413,000 in rent. After the two year lease is up, the Bruce family is free to do whatever they please with the land. The new motion also has a clause allowing the country to buy back the land from the Bruce family for $20 million. In February 2022, the Los Angeles Times quoted that the estimated price of the land parcels that belonged to the Bruce family were now worth an estimated $75 million. According to the motion, the $20 million price tag was 'confirmed by appraisals to be equivalent to or less than the fair market value.' Mitchell rejected the notion that the county was 'giving' the property to the family. She said: 'We are returning property that was erroneously, and based on fear and hate, taken from them.' The area of land in affluent Manhattan Beach on the outskirts of Los Angeles was a 'refuge for Black families who came from across the state when racist laws wouldnt allow for any other safe beach going options,' Mitchell said in her statement. While County Supervisor Janice Hahn said: 'We can't change the past and we will never be able to make up for the injustice that was done to Willa and Charles Bruce a century ago, but this is a start.' The county will lease the land from the Bruce family two years at a cost of $413,000 per year. The county also has the option to purchase the land for $20 million Anthony Bruce, the great great grandson of Willa and Charles Bruce is all smiles as Governor Gavin Newsom signs SB 796, a bill allowing the return Manhattan Beach land to descendants of its original owners Instead of continuing to run a thriving resort on prime beachfront land, they ended up as chefs serving other business owners for the remainder of their lives Hahn said in her statement that Tuesday's vote will give the Bruce family the chance 'to start rebuilding the generational wealth that was denied to them.' The plot currently serves as a grassy park and lifeguard training facility. Average property prices in Manhattan Beach run to $2.9 million, with the area sitting south of Santa Monica Bay. In September 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 796 into law. This removed any restrictions in returning the law of the board of supervisors voted to do so. Also that month the city of Manhattan Beach issued a statement acknowledging and condemning its city's actions from the early 20th century - but the statement stopped short of a formal apology. 'We offer this Acknowledgement and Condemnation as a foundational act for Manhattan Beach's next one hundred years,' a document approved by the council says. 'And the actions we will take together, to the best of our abilities, in deeds and in words, to reject prejudice and hate and promote respect and inclusion.' In signing Senate Bill 796, Newsom offered a formal apology to the Bruce family. He said: 'As governor of California, let me do what apparently Manhattan Beach is unwilling to do: I want to apologize to the Bruce family.' The governor added: 'What we're doing here today can be done and replicated anywhere else. There's an old adage: Once a mind is stretched, it never goes back to its original form.' Anthony Bruce, a security supervisor who lives in Florida, said his family had been tormented by the seizure of their rightful property for generations. Charles and Willa contested the eminent domain order and lost; the city paid them $14,500, and they left their beach and lost their business. Instead of continuing to run a thriving resort on prime beachfront land, they ended up as chefs serving other business owners for the remainder of their lives. Bruce's Beach was a popular destination for black families in the early 20th century who were looking to go on a vacation without the stress of racial tensions The resort featured a lodge, cafe, dance hall and dressing tents with bathing suits for rent Bruce's grandfather Bernard, born a few years after his family had been run out of town, was obsessed with what happened and lived his life 'extremely angry at the world,' he said. Bruce's father was unable to bear living in California and moved away from the state. 'I was five years old when my father told me that my great-great-grandparents' business on a beautiful stretch of Manhattan Beach had been taken away from them decades earlier,' wrote Bruce, in an op ed in The Los Angeles Times, published on Thursday. 'It was a shocking and disturbing revelation for me as a young boy.' 'When I was growing up, my father took us to Bruce's beach,' Anthony said in an April interview with BNC News. 'It wasn't called that back then, it was called another name and he said 'all this land is yours. I want you to know that this is your inheritance and you're going to have to fight for it. As it stands its not ours, but as it is its our legacy.'' The case was championed by Kavon Ward, an activist who learnt about the land's history and founded Justice for Bruce's Beach. 'This country always likes to say: 'You can make it. Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps,'' she said. 'These people were doing that, and they were building community and spreading the wealth within the community and enhancing other black people, and it was all stripped away.' Anthony Bruce said in the op ed: 'I'll never know if my family's business would have grown to rival that of Hilton or Marriott, both of which were founded around the same time as Bruce's Beach and grew from equally humble beginnings. 'I have plans to one day soon return to my family's land. When I go back to that stretch of Manhattan Beach, I won't think only of the injustice done to my ancestors. I'll also think of the progress our country has made.' Last September 2021, Newsom apologized for the generations of harm done to the Bruce family The property along the south shore of Santa Monica Bay encompasses two parcels purchased in 1912 by Willa and Charles Bruce, who built the first West Coast resort for black people at a time when segregation barred them from many beaches. It included a lodge, cafe, dance hall and dressing tents. The land lay unused for years, however, and was transferred to the state in 1948. In 1995, it was transferred to Los Angeles County for beach operations. It came with restrictions limiting the ability to sell or transfer the property, which could only be lifted through a new state law. The county's lifeguard training headquarters building sits there now, along a scenic beach walkway called The Strand that is lined with luxury homes overlooking the beach. In Manhattan Beach, an upscale Los Angeles seaside suburb, the population of 35,000 is more than 84 per cent white and 0.8 per cent black, the city website says. In 2021, the city council formally condemned the efforts of their early 20th century predecessors to displace the Bruces and several other Black families. Should the Bruce family decide to sell the property, Senate bill 796's wording would exempt them from a documentary transfer tax, and would shield profits made from the land's scale from taxation. 'Plans for the property... [are] personal and between us, the attorneys, and the County of Los Angeles,' said Duane Shepard, a cousin of the direct descendants of the property and a long-standing spokesman for the reacquisition of the beach. Melania Trump's former chief of staff refuted the former first lady's claim that she did not know about the deadly January 6 riot, calling it 'nonsense' and an attempt to distract from the Senate hearing. On Thursday, Melania said she was 'fulfilling' her official duties as first lady on January 6, 2021 and if she would have been 'fully informed' of the violence taking place by aide Stephanie Grisham at the Capitol she would have immediately denounced it. Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday, Grisham said it was nonsense for Melania to claim she was out of the loop over the riot at the Capitol that left five dead. 'I can dispute every single thing that she said today with emails, with texts, and also I sent her a text saying, 'Do you want to condemn violence?'' Grisham said. 'If she didn't know what I was talking about, why didn't she say 'What violence?' 'Instead she just said 'No.' It rings to me as not true. It's nonsense and it takes away from what's going to happen tonight. 'Everything she said seems to me like an attempt at distraction, actually, on behalf of her husband,' Grisham added, referencing former president Donald Trump. Melania Trump's former Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham (above) blasted the former First Lady's claims that she did not know about the January 6 Capitol riot Former First Lady Melania Trump (left ), photographed with former President Donald Trump (right), said she was 'fulfilling' her duties on January 6 and would have condemned the Capitol attack's violence if she had been properly informed Last month, Grisham shared a purported visual of her text message exhange with Melania Trump, in which she asks the first lady if she wants to tweet that there's 'no place for lawlessness & violence' and the first lady responds, 'no' Stephanie Grisham rebuts Melania Trump on CNN: I can dispute every single thing that she said today with emails, with texts. And also, I sent her a text saying, Do you want to condemn violence? If she didnt know what I was talking about, why didn't she say, What violence? pic.twitter.com/B33hk3lOZI Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) July 21, 2022 Grisham has cooperated with the committee's investigation and chimed in throughout the hearings. Last month she shared a visual of a text message exchange that purportedly showed Melania answering 'no' after Grisham asked if she wanted to say 'there is no place for lawlessness & violence' amid the attack. The former first lady spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of the final January 6 House select committee hearing, which will take place primetime Thursday night, and revolve around former President Donald Trump's inaction while the Capitol was being ransacked. Speaking of her own inaction during the riot, Melania blamed Grisham for allegedly keeping her in the dark, saying it amounted to a 'dereliction of duty.' Grisham previously said that Melania had been in the middle of a photoshoot - capturing the White House's rugs - during the January 6 Capitol attack. 'On January 6, 2021, I was fulfilling one of my duties as First Lady of the United States of America, and accordingly, I was unaware of what was simultaneously transpiring at the U.S. Capitol Building,' Melania told Fox News Digital on Thursday. 'As with all First Ladies who preceded me, it was my obligation to record the contents of the White House's historic rooms, including taking archival photographs of all the renovations,' she continued. She said with several months of advance planning she had assembled a group of 'photographers, archivists, and designers to work with me in the White House to ensure perfect execution.' 'As required, we scheduled January 6, 2021, to complete the work on behalf of our Nation,' she told Fox in a statement, adding 'this is a very significant undertaking and requires great care, attention to detail, and concentration - both in the planning and execution.' Melania then pushed that Grisham failed to make her aware of the severity of the attack. She said she had 'always been very supportive of my former Chief of Staff, Stephanie Grisham.' 'I stood behind Ms. Grisham after her failed stint as White House Press Secretary and welcomed her back to the East Wing,' the former first lady continued. Grisham said that Melania's claims were meant to distract from the final day of the January 6 hearings investigating the deadly riot The final January 6 hearing, which will take place primetime Thursday, will revolve around former President Donald Trump's inaction while the Capitol was being ransacked. Melania Trump was working on a photoshoot of White House rugs during the attack Grisham worked for the Trump campaign and was pulled into the East Wing shortly after inauguration, only to move to the West Wing to serve as White House press secretary from April 2020 to January 2021 - but never held a briefing. Grisham then moved back to the East Wing to serve as Melania's chief of staff. 'Ms. Grisham was not in the White Hosue on January 6, and her behavior in her role as Chief of Staff ultimately amounts to dereliction of duty,' Melania said, explaining that 'traditionally, the First Lady's Chief of Staff provides detailed briefings surrounding our Nation's important issues.' 'In fact, Ms. Grisham failed to provide insight and information into the events surrounding January 6 as she had abandoned her post in Washington, D.C.,' Melania continued. 'Shamefully, this behavior has only partially become public knowledge; yet was consistent for Ms. Grisham.' Melania articulated: 'I always condemn violence.' 'Had I been fully informed of all the details, naturally, I would have immediately denounced the violence that occurred at the Capitol Building,' she said. 'And while Ms. Grisham's behavior is disappointing, it is not surprising or an isolated incident.' 'This is not the first time a former staffer has tried to maintain relevancy and profit by using my name to create a false narrative,' the former first lady added. Grisham shared an image of her text message conversation with Melania on the heels of former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson's blockbuster testimony before the House panel. Hutchinson told lawmakers that former President Trump threw food when he found out Attorney General Bill Barr said publicly there was no widespread election fraud. She also said she heard from Secret Service officials that Trump had lunged at his driver when told he wouldn't be going to the Capitol Building after the rally on the Ellipse on January 6. Previously, there had been no explicit evidence that Trump had wanted to join his supporters on Capitol Hill. Melania, pictured on Wednesday with Trump, said she would 'always condemn violence' That testimony, Grisham said on CNN a day later, made her wonder if Melania knew of her husband's broader plans - which would explain why she refused to condemn the MAGA mob's actions. 'It just made me think she knew something,' said Grisham. 'It made me think she knew that perhaps her husband was going to try to be down there, she knew something ahead of time.' Grisham said she didn't know this for a fact. 'But, again, knowing her as well as I did at that point, it was so unlike her to not have condemned it that that was the moment it all kind of broke me - that's what I wrote in the book - and I resigned immediately afterward,' she said on CNN's New Day. Grisham said Hutchinson's testimony compelled her to release a visual of the text 'because it was a lot of context I thought.' 'And, again, knowing Melania like I did I was so disappointed and discouraged and sickened that she wouldn't stand up and just say simply there should be no violence,' Grisham said. Grisham had detailed this interaction with the then first lady in her book, I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House, explaining how it compelled her to leave. She wrote that she 'finally saw the doomed French queen. Dismissive. Defeated. Detached.' 'It broke me,' Grisham wrote. 'I took a breath and waited another minute. You learned to do that in the Trump White House: make sure you are grounded and not acting out of the moment. Then I resigned.' 'I sent her an email and cc-ed her senior adviser so I couldn't take it back or be talked out of it. I was done,' Grisham said. Alex Murdaugh's surviving son Buster, 26, has become a recluse and gained weight after his mother and younger brother were murdered - allegedly by his father. Two of Buster's friends, who were not identified, told People magazine that the heir to the Murdaugh estate hasn't been doing well since since the killings of his mother Maggie, 52, and his brother Paul, 22 at the family's hunting lodge in Colleton County, South Carolina, in June 2021. Buster's friends said he cleared his things out of the lodge after his relatives' death and has also never returned to the beach house his mother was staying at prior to her alleged murder. 'He's not doing well at all,' his University of South Carolina friend told the magazine. 'He really withdrew after everything happened. 'Before, he'd text immediately. His phone was surgically implanted in his hand or something, like you'd send a text 24/7 and he'd respond, and he loved to chat. Now he doesn't respond to most texts, or if he does, it's one or two words. He has really closed off and built walls around himself.' Buster Murdaugh (pictured in September 2021) is reportedly not doing well after the death of his brother and mother, who his father allegedly killed He was seen throwing out trash at the family's Edisto Island home in September in one the rare appearances he's made since his father's arrest Another childhood friend said the 26-year-old became the 'collateral damage' after his father alleged criminal actions blew up across the nation and Alex's only remaining child let himself go. According to the friend, Buster 'gained some weight, grew a beard' and 'doesn't make eye contact and he doesn't really engage like he used to.' 'He looks tired. He's aged like 10 years in the past year. He has bags under his eyes and he just looks miserable. It's just a shame,' he said. 'I think he's developed this attitude of "I'm gonna shut people out before they shut me out." His circle of friends got really small really fast.' Buster also hasn't given his friends any insights on whether or not he believes in his father's innocence or not, according to People magazine. Alex recently pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder. 'He doesn't really talk about it. I don't think he knows what to believe,' his childhood friend told the magazine. Alex, who is currently behind bars without bail, was last week charged with murdering the pair on the family's 1,770-acre estate in South Carolina, which Buster hasn't returned to since. The disgraced former lawyer has also been accused of more than 90 criminal charges, including for allegedly defrauding his housekeeper Gloria Satterfield's family of $4.3million in insurance settlement after she died in an accident on the family's property. That death - described as a 'slip-and-fall' incident - is now being re-investigated over fears Alex Murdaugh may have killed Satterfield too. He is said to have admitted to being a heavily-indebted drug addict. The home where Maggie and Paul were found at has recently sold for $3.9million. Thirteen months ago, Murdaugh told police he 'found' the bodies of his youngest son and wife by these kennels when he returned to the family's hunting estate around 10pm in June 2021. Two of his friends said the 26-year-old (far left, in 2020) has become recluse, rarely interacts with his friends, limited his circle to a small group of people, gained weight, and grew a beard. 'He looks tired. He's aged like 10 years in the past year,' his childhood friend said The outdoor dog kennels where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot dead in June 2021 can be seen for the first time in exclusive DailyMail.com photos Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were found shot dead on the grounds of the family home on June 7. Maggie was killed with an assault rifle, whereas Paul had been killed with a shotgun. Both were shot multiple times Audio from the 911 call indicated that Alex placed the call at 10.07pm that night and told the dispatcher in a high-pitched screech: 'I need the police and an ambulance immediately. My wife and child were just shot badly.' Paul was shot twice with a shotgun once in the head and once in the chest. Maggie had been shot multiple times with an assault rifle. Their gunshot wounds were believed to be consistent with 'execution-style' killings, reports said. According to several sources, Paul's body was found partially inside one of the kennels, while his mother's was several feet away, leading investigators to believe that she ran from her killer before being gunned down. At least two of her gunshot wounds were believed to have been inflicted while she was on the ground. The family has also been mixed up in other deaths, including Stephen Smith (left), who was found dead on the side of the road in 2015. Case notes revealed Buster had been mentioned in the investigation and Smith's mother said they had a 'fling.' Mallory Beach (right) also died on one of the Murdaugh's properties during a boat accident, where Paul was behind the wheel The family has also been mixed up at least deaths, including Alex's belated son Paul, who was accused of killing Mallory Beach in a boating accident in 2019. Paul was charged because he'd been drinking and was behaving 'belligerently' that night, but was eventually released on bond. He was awaiting trial for Beach's death at the time of his killing. Stephen Smith, who was gay, was found on dead on the side of the road after being involved in a hit-and-run accident in 2015. In case notes, obtained by DailyMail.com, revealed Paul's older brother Buster was named multiple times in the investigation. Police reportedly wanted to know more about his relationship with Stephen and the boy's mother said he had been having a 'fling.' The probe into Smith's death continues. Advertisement Dave Chappelle returned jubilantly to the stage in Minneapolis on Thursday night to blast the woke protesters trying to cancel him, joking to the crowd of fans: 'I'd respect them more if there was at least one black person!' DailyMail.com was at the sold-out show at the Varsity Theater to hear Chappelle rattle off jokes about cancel culture and his ongoing difficulty using pronouns. Chappelle, 48, said he found it confusing 'when the reproductive system is made out of words and semantics.' 'Comedy is just comedy,' Chappelle said when he took the stage to cheers, also noting that 50 years ago, George Carlin was arrested for performing his 'seven words you can't say on television' routine. Other targets of Chappelle's jokes included celebrities including Chris Rock, Will Smith, and Louis CK. Meanwhile, he interacted with the audience. In particular, he kept coming back to a teen boy in the audience who said he wanted to be a comedian. Chappelle advised him to stay away from trans jokes. Concluding his routine, Chappelle urged his fans to greet animosity with love. And despite a small number of protesters who petitioned the show, the fans walked away smiling. The protesters didn't stop fans from coming to the show, some coming in costumes including at least one dressed as Prince, a nod to one of Chappelle's most famous sketches. Scroll down for video Chappelle routinely avoids the spotlight before and after shows. He is shown leaving the Varsity Theater last night after delighting fans with a 90-minute performance We still love you, Dave! Chappelle fans flock to the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on Thursday night after a last-minute change in venue Fans filled out the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on Thursday night ahead of the show, one of two Chappelle played last night The fans far outnumbered the protesters at last night's show. Derek Torstenson, 26, carried a Pride fan and told people to 'go home'. 'I'm the new cop in town, b***h!' he screamed, but the crowd took little notice Here for a good time! The fans lining up outside the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on Thursday night to hear Chappelle's show The fans, who ranged in age, were undeterred by the fiasco that forced Chappelle to move the show at the last minute There were a small number of police officers at the venue - but it was a jovial atmosphere, with the crowd ignoring the few protesters who turned up Chris Ryan, 60, said he felt Dave Chapelle offers a unique perspective. 'I think he's a thoughtful and intelligent person,' Ryan said. 'And I think he speaks without fear.' 'Cancel culture has taken too big a position in our society,' Ryan said. 'I think that if we're not going to be divided, if we are going to be unified, we should be able to say what we want when we want, especially if it's not mean spirited, and I don't believe this work is mean spirited.' Maddy Russell, 27, came to the show with her mother, Wenn Townsend, 52. Maddy was too little to watch Chapelle's sketch comedy show on Comedy Central but has watched all the stand up comedy specials. Her mother, meanwhile, wrote a paper on Chapelle's sketch about being a blind racist who is black. I think he's a thoughtful and intelligent person. And I think he speaks without fear.' Chris Ryan, 60 'His jokes really seem intelligent and provoking,' Russell said. Russell doesn't feel offended by Chapelle's jokes. 'I took it more of a stab against white people,' she said. One particular recent joke that has caused controversy that refers to transness didn't bother Russell. 'I thought it was super funny,' she said. Her friend, who is LGBTQ, thought it was offensive and asked Russell to watch it again, which only confirmed her original reaction. Maddy Russell, 27, came to the show with her mother, Wenn Townsend, 52. Maddy was too little to watch Chapelle's sketch comedy show on Comedy Central but has watched all the stand up comedy specials. Her mother, meanwhile, wrote a paper on Chapelle's sketch about being a blind racist who is black. 'His jokes really seem intelligent and provoking,' Russell said Chris Ryan, 60, said he felt Dave Chapelle offers a unique perspective. 'I think he's a thoughtful and intelligent person. And I think he speaks without fear' Happy to be here: Eric Azmus told DailyMail.com: 'People are taking things out of context. I'm glad I'm in America: you're able to protest. but I'm also able to choose to go see it.' Michaela Kramer, 23, added: 'They are there as comedians, they are making jokes' As for Townsend, she thinks differing opinions are healthy. 'I'm glad they are protesting,' she said. Another fan, Erick Azmus, is in Minneapolis for a business trip, and heard about the show from a buddy at work. He's been a Chapelle fan for 12 years. He doesn't think much of the protesters. Low key, I want to taunt the protesters.... but I know I shouldn't Cynthia Valencia, 32 'People are taking things out of context,' he said. Still, he doesn't have feelings one way or the other about them. 'I'm glad I'm in America: you're able to protest. but I'm also able to choose to go see it.' Cynthia Valencia, 32, she's been a fan since she was 13. She doesn't think Chapelle hates trans people, nor does she. 'I don't mind them at all,' she said before the show. She wishes the protesters would have a sense of humor. 'Low key I want to taunt them but know I should not,' she said. Logan Traynor, 24, thought the show was 'electric,' and it didn't seem offensive. 'It's just comedy,' Traynor said. 'I see a sign back here. It says, 'F*** these Nazis.' I mean, I don't really remember reading the history books or seeing videos of Hitler telling jokes. I don't think that's very transferable. 'There's no, or they see parallels there.' 'They are there as comedians, they are making jokes,' said Logan Traynor, 23, who came to the show with Kramer. 'It's not personal jabs at anybody.' At the same time, Kramer said she understood the protesters need to protest. 'But it's weird coming out of a show where you just had a lot of fun laughing and having people scream at you.' Chappelle even went to speak to the protesters after the show,. Some of them shouted 'transphobes!' to the audience members exiting the theater. The fans were met with protests from a small number of LGBTQ activists who remain unhappy about Chappelle's jokes The small number of protesters outside Chappelle's show. He joked to the crowd that he would respect them more if their group included at least one person of color A protesters outside the Dave Chappelle show in Minneapolis on Thursday night. They were held back by barricades A protester holding a sign telling 'queerphobes' to 'go home' on Thursday night at the Minneapolis show First Avenue announced on Wednesday that it would no longer host the Dave Chappelle show after the Change.org petition Kenya Brooks, one of the protesters, went to an alley on the side of the theater in hopes of getting a picture with Chappelle. She said Chappelle had come out to talk with the protesters. One person, she recalled, told Chappelle his jokes were killing trans people, and were the reason for trans people getting shot. Chappelle's response, Brooks said, was to question whether jokes were really the cause of murder. 'Do you think my jokes caused the Buffalo shooter in New York and do those things?' Brooks recalled Chappelle saying. The superstar comedian's performance at the venue First Ave was called off due to a number of social media protests from staff and regular patrons. They were infuriated by his smash-hit Netflix comedy special The Closer, which some critics slammed as transphobic - although others hailed its bravery and wit. First Avenue subsequently published a groveling apology saying it was sorry for causing 'harm' to anyone offended. Despite the new venue at the Varsity Theater, a small protest followed Chappelle. Among them was Derek Torstenson, 26, who carried a fan and told people to 'go home'. Varsity, another theater in Minneapolis, quickly offered to host the show instead 'I'm the new cop in town, b***h!' he screamed. He told DailyMail.com that he heard about the performance cancelation on Wednesday night and then came to the new venue on Thursday to voice his dissent. 'I don't tolerate transphobic anything,' Torstenson said. 'If I worked here I would quit my job on the spot.' Torstenson had never heard of Dave Chapelle before learning of the controversy, but believes it's his right to practice First Amendment rights. 'I'm not doing anything dangerous,' he said. On his Facebook page, Torstenson lists his employer as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. His page is littered with photos of him protesting at various rallies such as abortion rights and gun reform. It is unclear if he is a trans man. The former star of 'Chappelle's Show' has been the target of trans rights protests since the airing of his 2021 Netflix special 'The Closer.' In the Netflix show, Chappelle said: 'Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact.' Those comments, among other remarks that the comedian has made since then, have been deemed as transphobic by activists. Chappelle's warm-up act on Thursday, Marshall Brandon, set the tone for the night mocking the protesters saying: 'That was the worst protest I've ever seen.' On the night of the show, Brandon posted a photo of him with Chappelle writing in the caption: 'Rocking with the greatest.' A Georgia school district was forced to apologize following outrage from parents after it approved a new logo for an elementary school that resembled the infamous Nazi eagle crest. The Cobb County School District said it halted the rollout of the new logo for the East Side Elementary School, which sits across from a synagogue, after complaints that it bore a striking similarity to the Nazi iconography, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Parents and members of the community immediately called for a change once the new logo was presented earlier this week, with local Rabbi and mother Amanda Flaks saying she was shocked that the design was approved in the first place. 'I thought, 'That looks off. That makes me uncomfortable,' she told WSB 2 of the moment she saw the new design. 'I came back to it a few times and I felt more and more uncomfortable and sick each time.' The Cobb County School District changed its new logo for the East Side Elementary School following complaints that it resembled Nazi iconography Parents and members of the community were quick to point out that the proposed logo (left) resembled the inafous Nazi eagle crest (right) The district said the eagle design was based off U.S. military symbols, primarily the U.S. Army colonel's eagle wings crest (above) Local Rabbi and mother Amanda Flaks refuted the district's claims and said that the error was clear and that the new logo needed to be changed The school district claimed it was not immediately aware of the similarities and had based the design off US army symbols. Parents, however, said the way the school's initials were positioned on the eagle silhouette looked much too similar to the Nazi eagle crest design than any design from the US military. The district said in a statement: 'We understand and strongly agree that similarities to Nazi symbolism are unacceptable. Although this design was based on the US Army colonel's eagle wings, stakeholder input has been and continues to be important to our schools.' Despite the school's claim, many parents said the problem with the logo was immediately clear and had no place in the elementary school. 'I don't want to see my kids wearing that on their shirt,' Mike Albuquerque, the father of two students who will attend the school next year, told AJC. 'Really it's a big oversight of the county and everyone involved in the process who reviewed that, to not call out the fact that this looks like Nazi iconography. Or maybe, who knows, somebody did call it out and it wasn't heard.' Stefanie Ollanove, a Jewish parent in the community, echoed the disbelief that such a logo would be proposed. 'I was shocked, I was stunned,' Ollanove told Fox 5. 'A first I thought it couldn't be our school.' 'I was very insulted by this,' she added. 'As a Jewish family in this school system, it took me aback.' Pictured: The East Side Elementary School, in Cobb County, Georgia The American Jewish Committee of Atlanta had also called out the district in a statement, saying: 'It is troubling that nobody in the Cobb County schools recognized why this logo would be problematic, especially for a school located across the street from a synagogue.' The group also noted that this was not the first controversy regarding Nazi symbolism in the school district. Last year, graffiti depicting swastikas were found in two of the district high school's during the Jewish high holidays, and earlier this year, middle school students were disciplined for sharing anti-Semitic imagery on social media. The incidents have led to a group posting tags across the Atlanta-metro area urging citizens to stand against anti-Semitism. 'This is not the first time Cobb County schools have been tone-deaf to anti-Semitism,' Dov Wilker, director of the AJC Atlanta, said in a statement about the new logo. 'Pretending that antisemitism doesn't exist won't make it go away. The children who attend Cobb County schools and their families deserve better.' Two thousand cruise ship passengers are stranded on what was meant to be their final day at sea in massive swells as wild weather continues to batter Australia's east coast. The Coral Princess cruise ship is 40km off Queensland's Sunshine Coast unable to dock in Brisbane due to the extreme conditions. It's the same cruise ship which had 120 Covid-infected passengers on board when the vessel docked in Sydney almost two weeks ago. Extraordinary footage from passengers on board shows the ship being rocked by 6.5metre waves and water spouting from the top deck pool towards the sky. 'Who wants to go surfing!' a passenger captioned his video. It's not known when the cruise ship will be able to dock. The Coral Princess cruise ship is currently stranded in 6.5metre waves off the Queensland coast and won't be able to dock in Brisbane until Saturday 'They've all been instructed just to float or drift, but the Coral Princess because it has passengers on board is unable to do that,' Caloundra Coast Guard Commander Roger Pearce told the ABC. 'So it's just motoring in circles at a very low speed so it keeps moving.' The passengers are on the final day of a seven-day voyage along the NSW and Queensland coasts which was scheduled to dock in Brisbane on Friday. Originally scheduled to dock at 7am, the cruise ship was still at sea nine hours later. A passenger wrote on Instagram on Thursday night that they had been warned the ship would dock no earlier than Friday lunchtime. A Princess Cruises spokesman confirmed the ship will remain at sea until at least Saturday. 'The Port of Brisbane is closed with the suspension of pilotage operations due to adverse weather conditions associated with the East Coast Low off Queensland,' the spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. 'The arrival in Brisbane of Coral Princess, which was scheduled to return today (Friday) after a 7-night cruise to Queensland ports, Airlie Beach, Cairns and Port Douglas, will be delayed 24 hours to tomorrow. 'However, confirmation of arrival details depends on the resumption of piloting services and the reopening of the port as conditions improve. 'Guests currently on board and those who were due to embark today for the next cruise are being updated regarding the ships late arrival and being assisted as fully as possible.' The spokesman added the Coral Princess is a luxury vessel and onboard services and amenities remain available to passengers. It comes two weeks after 120 passengers and staff were infected on the Coral Princess on a recent voyage from Port Douglas in Far North Queensland to Brisbane. The contagion on the vessel was the first since local cruises resumed in May after a two year shutdown. The outbreak led to Princess Cruises offering refunds to those booked on its next voyage before it departed from Brisbane to Sydney last week. 'Who wants to go surfing!' Coral Princess passenger Mark captioned his footage The vessel is a sister ship to the Ruby Princess that was linked to 28 deaths after an massive outbreak on board in 2020 which shut down Australia's cruise industry for two years. Gale force winds and rainfall have continued to batter the east coast, with the wet weather set to linger throughout the weekend. Six-metre waves have formed off the coast of Queensland with dangerous surf conditions stretching down to the Northern Rivers region in NSW on Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a gale force warning with 90km/hr winds to batter the state from Rockhampton to the Gold Coast. Gold Coast beaches have been closed while fishermen with boats have been told to stay home and avoid the waters until late Sunday. The Coral Princess is being rocked by massive waves on the final day of a week long voyage More downpours are on the way for south-east Queensland and the Northern Rivers region of NSW, with some areas to receive a month's worth of rain in a day. Brisbane is expected to receive up to 35mm - 5mm more than its average rainfall for July - while Maroochydore, on the Sunshine Coast, could get up to 60mm - 6mm less than its average monthly rainfall. A severe weather warning for damaging surf is also in place for the north coast of NSW from Tweed Heads to the north of Wooli. 2000 passengers were scheduled to dock 7am Friday but remained at sea nine hours later. Pictured is the letter issued to passengers on Thursday night A bookkeeper for champion Australian surfers Tyler, Owen and Michael Wright has been jailed after being convicted of stealing more than $1 million to fund her gambling addiction. Shane Maree Hatton, 54, had worked for the Wrights since 2011 , in that time making 700 transfers from her clients' accounts worth $1.5 million. She then spent the money on horse racing websites to feed her gambling habit. Shane Maree Hatton (pictured), 54, had worked for the Wrights since 2011 , in that time making 700 transfers from her clients' accounts worth $1.5 million to feed her gambling addiction Hatton was charged with 749 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception in April 2021 after being arrested in Vincentia, on the NSW south coast. The 54-year-old was a friend of the surfers' mother, Fiona Wright. She pleaded guilty to defrauding the family for over a decade while looking after their accounts. Hatton came clean in 2020 when Owen Wright dug into discrepancies in his accounts, questioning the bookkeeper. When she was questioned by the court as to why it took more than a decade to confess she replied, 'I had enough of living a double life'. 'The addiction had taken over. I didn't feel like I could stop,' she said. After she confessed, Hatton dug through 15 boxes of bank records, highlighting all of the transactions which were dishonest. She pleaded guilty to all charges and said she is sickened thinking about the damage she has caused. In a letter penned to the court, surfer Owen Wright said he accused his parents of stealing the missing money and said their relationship has never been the same since, all while suffering from a serious surfing injury. 'My relationships with my parents are still damaged because of the anger issues I had around this,' he said. Australian surfers Tyler Wright (left), Owen Wright (middle) and Michael Wright (right) had Shane Hatton as their bookkeeper for a decade 'I was still being stolen from while I could barely walk and while doctors were saying I would never work again... I wanted to retire but I couldn't financially and fought back... risking my life in the process,' the statement read. In Wollongong District Court on Thursday, Judge Andrew Haesler sentenced Hatton to five years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of three years. Hatton has already repaid $100,000 to the family but the court ordered her to pay a further $650,000, which is around half of what she stole. Tyler Wright is a two-time women's world surfing champion, while brother Owen won a bronze medal for Australia in men's surfing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. A woman who tried to suffocate her father in a nursing home after he asked her to end his life has started her five-year sentence for the moment of 'poor judgement'. Rebecca Burden put a cushion over her dad's face after he begged her to end his life in 2020. She will be eligible for parole in May next year after serving at least 10 months of her sentence. Burden said her 'lapse of judgment' came after her 68-year-old father - who had a brain injury and severe dementia - asked her to 'please just kill me'. Immediately after using all her weight to push the cushion on Steven Burden's face his now 47-year-old daughter told a nurse what she had done, a Brisbane court was told. Mr Burden survived, but when asked what occurred did not remember his daughter's visit. It was only from Burden's account that police were able to charge her with attempted murder, which she pleaded guilty to. Rebecca Louise Burden (pictured) claims she had a 'lapse in judgement' when she pushed the cushion onto her dad's face and was sentenced to five-years jail on Friday At the time she wanted to end her father's suffering because he was always so sad, she told police. Defence barrister Charlotte Smith said Burden, who has no criminal history, had 'quite tragic' personal circumstances and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Mr Burden's brain injury occurred in a car crash when he was driving to see his daughter on the one-year anniversary of the loss of her twins. Burden told the court she took full responsibility for her actions, sincerely regretted what transpired and understood the gravity of the charge. She read a statement to the court saying she loved her father implicitly, describing him as her best friend. She was excited to see her dad 'on that fateful day' for the first time in six months. 'During that time together there was a lapse of judgment on my part and it cost me dearly,' she added, saying she had not been allowed to see him since. Burden (pictured in white) faced a Brisbane court on Friday and was sentenced to five years in jail for attempting to murder of her dad For two years after Mr Burden suffered the brain injury in a car crash she had cared for him. But he went to live in the Regis Aged Care facility at Sandgate, north of Brisbane, late in 2019 after pushing her down some stairs, breaking her ribs. During their first contact visit on September 26, 2020 after the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions introduced six months earlier, Mr Burden was on his bed, begging his daughter to get him out, Burden told authorities. Burden was pushed down the stairs by her father, who was suffering from a traumatic brain injury, in 2019, leaving her with broken ribs She said she wasn't allowed to, with her father responding: 'Please just kill me. I don't want to be here anymore.' Burden stroked her father's forehead until his eyes closed, took a cushion off a chair and placed it over his face, prosecutor Katrina Overell said. Using all her weight Burden pushed with her arms and chest on the cushion for 25 to 30 seconds, stopping when Mr Burden kicked his legs. Burden suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was struggling herself when she grabbed the cushion Brisbane Supreme Court Justice Soraya Ryan had continued bail for Burden, after she pleaded guilty to attempted murder. She will be eligible for parole in May 22 next year. If you or anyone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636. Peter Dutton has demanded immediate action against foot and mouth disease, saying it is out of control and 'spreading like wildfire' in Indonesia. The Opposition Leader said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese must take control of the disease response and elevate the threat as a national security committee priority. 'There's a herd of about 65 million livestock in Indonesia at the moment, there are about 400,000 cattle that have been identified with the virus. They've got 3 million vaccines for the 65 million herd; it's across 22 provinces and it's spreading like wildfire,' Mr Dutton said. It comes after it was revealed that Australian travellers returning home from Bali will be forced to clean their shoes in strict new measures to stop an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Passengers arriving back from the holiday destination will either have to take their shoes off or walk over sanitation mats in special new biosecurity zones at airports. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured) said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese must take control of the disease response and elevate the threat as a national security committee priority Agriculture Minister Murray Watt (pictured) confirmed airports will implement tough new biosecurity measures in all international airports across the country to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease Mr Dutton, who received a briefing on the situation this week, said unlike other countries where foot-and-mouth disease has been detected, the Indonesian outbreaks were out of control. 'Given the significant two-way traffic between Bali and Perth and the rest of the country, through Jakarta, into Sydney, Melbourne this is a very significant issue,' he said. 'If it is detected in one cow, or one livestock, one sheep, or one pig here in Australia, the industry closes down overnight. There are no exports.' Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on Friday confirmed his department would implement tough new measures that will be applied to all passengers in a bid to protect the country's livestock. 'The difference with these new powers is that rather than having the ability to ask individual passengers to do certain things and relying on their agreement, these new powers if introduced, would apply to all passengers were circumstances required,' Mr Watt said. 'Our agriculture industry is at stake and it's vital we continue to work together to ensure Australia is foot and mouth disease free.' Mr Watts rejected calls to ban flights from Indonesia and dismissed criticism that the government wasn't acting fast enough to halt the spread. 'I think we have been bold, we are taking steps that have never been taken before. I have consistently said we will continue adding measures as required,' Mr Watt said. 'We will continue to fix the cracks in the wall, the biosecurity wall that was left by the previous government.' All Australian travellers returning home from Bali will be forced to clean their shoes or step over sanitation mats in designated airport response zones The mats contain a citric acid solution, designed to dislodge any dirt from the sole of shoes before covering them in acid. Other biosecurity measures include passenger declarations, profiling of all travellers entering from Indonesia, real-time risk assessments, questioning and shoe cleaning. The new biosecurity response zones, set up under section 365 of the federal Biosecurity Act, will be installed at all international airports and will allow officers 100 per cent risk profiling of travellers entering or returning from Indonesia. 'These powers have been available to the Australian government for the last seven years and they have never been used,' Mr Watt said. 'We would be the first government in Australian history to use these powers to direct all passengers to comply with biosecurity requirements.' Foot and mouth is a viral disease that causes lesions and lameness in livestock and is predicted to cause an $80 billion hit to the economy over ten years if it spreads to Australia Indonesia has been grappling with the spread of the foot and mouth disease which was recently detected in Bali (stock image), a popular holiday destination for Australians A $14 million biosecurity package was announced by the government last week for more frontline defences in airports and mail centres as well as support for Indonesia and neighbouring countries to combat the spread. Foot and mouth is a viral disease that causes lesions and lameness in livestock including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. An outbreak of foot and mouth disease would cripple Australia's agriculture section as a single local case would result in widespread animal culling and stop the movement of livestock. Indonesia has been grappling with the spread of the disease which was recently detected in Bali. If allowed to spread in Australia, the disease is predicted to cause an $80 billion hit to the economy over 10 years. Viral fragments of foot and mouth were detected in pork products at a Melbourne retailer on Wednesday. The products, believed to be imported from China, were detected in the Melbourne CBD as part of routine surveillance and have been seized. Australia remains free of the diseases as the live virus was not detected, but Mr Watt's reiterated the importance of biosecurity measures. That's despite Senator Watt admitting the biggest risk of importing the highly contagious virus into the country was via meat products - not by a traveller. Advertisement At least 18 people have been killed in a horror massacre in a Brazilian favela after 400 armed police raided the slum home to an organised crime group. A local woman, an officer and 16 gang members were among the dead in Complexo do Alemao after the hours-long shootout which saw police helicopters trading fire with the targets after a dawn raid. Officers were backed up by ten bulletproof vehicles and four helicopters as they tried to crack down on the criminal group that had robbed vehicles carrying cargo for banks and other businesses. Videos circulating on social media showed intense shootouts between criminals as well as a police helicopter flying low over the small, brick houses, and barricades set on fire to prevent the passage of security forces. Residents waved white towels and sheets in a signal to surrender but the slaughter continued, with locals carrying the bodies of the dead wrapped in blankets through the impoverished streets. Residents comfort a wounded man as he is placed in the back of a truck after a police operation that resulted in multiple deaths in a Brazilian favela A police officer desperately tries to remove tires set on fire by residents to protest the raid in the Complexo do Alemao favela Multiple deaths were reported during the raid that was targeting a criminal group in Rio largest complex of favelas, or low-income communities, that stole vehicles, cargo and banks A resident of the Complexo do Alemao favela gets down on her knees and pleads with the armed officers to stop the horrific violence A dead body is shrouded in a blanket and transported on a cart after the bloodshed which saw at least 18 people killed Bodies of dead men are seen covered with blankets after residents carried them to Complexo do Alemao's main street to be taken to a hospital Residents wave white flags in front of an armoured police vehicle as more than 400 officers swarmed the impoverished neighbourhood At the site of the raid, residents carried about 10 bodies as bystanders shouted, 'We want peace!' 'It's a massacre inside, which police are calling an operation,' one woman told AP, speaking on the condition of anonymity because she feared reprisals from authorities. 'They're not letting us help (victims),' she added, saying she saw one man arrested for attempting to do so. Law enforcement authorities defended their officers' conduct during the operation, saying that units had been 'violently attacked' with 'military and guerrilla' tactics, while accusing the alleged gang members of using civilians as human shields. Thursday's operation began before dawn and finished around 4 pm local time, police said. Nearly 400 police officers were involved, including Rio's tactical police unit, according to the police statement. Ronaldo Oliveira, an investigator with Rio's police force, said officials would have rather just made arrests of suspects 'but unfortunately they chose to fire at our policemen.' Thursday's operation began before dawn and finished around 4 pm local time, police said, and 400 police officers were involved, including Rio's tactical police unit Police use tear gas to disperse mototaxi service drivers protesting against their operation in the Complexo do Alemao favela A wounded man is carried on a wheelbarrow by local residents after the massacre on the streets of the low-income neighbourhood Law enforcement authorities defended their officers' conduct during the operation, saying that units had been 'violently attacked' Police spokesman Ivan Blaz said the operation's goal was to stop the 'expansionist policy' of criminal gangs in Complexo do Alemao. President Jair Bolsonaro lamented the death of the police officer, 38-year-old Bruno de Paula Costa, but did not mention any of the other people killed. 'He died after a clash with criminals,' the far-right leader said in a statement broadcast on social media. Colonel Rogerio Lobasso, the officer in charge of the operation, expressed his condolences over the 50-year-old woman's death, which he said is under investigation. Her boyfriend told news site G1 that police had shot her while they were stopped at a traffic light. 'They shot at the car. I just saw her collapse next to me. When I looked, she had a hole in her chest,' said Denilson Gloria. Police often carry out raids in Rio's slums in a bid to fight organized crime and drug trafficking. A woman who lived in the area, an officer and 16 gang members were among the dead in Complexo do Alemao after the deadly shootout Residents of the Complexo do Alemao favela carry the corpse of a dead man during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro yesterday Human rights group Amnesty International said on Twitter that prosecutors must immediately investigate policemen involved in Thursday's raid Officers were backed up by 10 bullet-proof vehicles and four helicopters as they tried to crack down on the criminal group At the site of the raid, residents carried about 10 bodies as bystanders shouted, 'We want peace!' Members of the Military Police carry out an operation against organised crime, at the Alemao favela, north of Rio de Janeiro Men and women hold up white towels and sheets to indicate their surrender to the encircling police forces In May, 22 people were killed, also including a female bystander, in an early morning raid of the Vila Cruzeiro favela. That came almost a year after Rio's deadliest police raid, in which 28 people were killed in the Jacarezinho slum. Like the raid in May, Thursday's police operation was criticized by locals for the use of overwhelming force. Activists have denounced official abuse during such anti-crime operations, including extrajudicial killings of suspects, which they say often goes unpunished. Rio police officers were due to begin wearing body cameras this year, which some security experts believe may help prevent some, but not all, problems of police abuse. It was not immediately clear whether police were wearing body cameras during the Complexo do Alemao raid. Brazil will also hold presidential elections in October with security a key issue and Bolsonaro touting a tough-on-crime approach. Elite bodies of the Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro and the Civil Police carried out an operation to combat criminal gangs Alemao is a complex of 13 favelas in northern Rio, home to about 70,000 people of mainly black or mixed race origins Activists have denounced official abuse during such anti-crime operations, including extrajudicial killings of suspects, which they say often goes unpunished Police often carry out raids in Rio's slums in a bid to fight organized crime and drug trafficking Robert Muggah, co-founder of Igarape Institute, a Rio de Janeiro-based think tank focused on security, said Thursday's raid is 'a symptom of failed leadership and an institutional culture that condones excessive force.' 'The killings resulting from large scale police operations is a grim reminder that militarized policing is not only ineffective, it is counterproductive,' Muggah said in a text message, adding those raids generate 'extreme violence predominantly affecting low-income Black populations while also corroding the trust between residents and law enforcement.' Alemao is a complex of 13 favelas in northern Rio, home to about 70,000 people. Nearly three-quarters of them at Black or biracial, according to a July 2020 study published by the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economical Analyses. Earlier this year, Brazil's Supreme Court established a series of conditions for police to conduct raids in Rio's favelas as a means to reduce police killings and human rights violations. The court ordered that lethal force be used only in situations in which all other means have been exhausted and when necessary to protect life. In a video shared by Voz da Comunidade, a community news outlet focused on Rio's favelas, residents can be seen calling for peace and waving white cloths from their windows and rooftops. Fabricio Oliveira, one of the coordinators of the police raid, said authorities fear that Friday could be another violent day at the Complexo do Alemao. 'Our experience has told us that after raids like these police are attacked in every way,' Oliveira said. Human rights group Amnesty International said on Twitter that prosecutors must immediately investigate policemen involved in Thursday's raid. 'WHO WILL STOP Gov. Claudio Castro and his disastrous and rights violating public security policies in Rio de Janeiro,' the non-profit said. 'Enough of so much brutality! THE FAVELA WANTS TO LIVE!' On July 20 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she and President Joe Biden are looking forward to welcoming African leaders to Washington, DC from December 13-15, 2022 for the United States-Africa Leaders Summit. She made this announcement on behalf of the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, co-hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa and the Kingdom of Morocco. Our Administrations goal, she shared, is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development across the continent, to expand capital flows, and to promote the vibrant spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that is so prevalent across Africa. Full remarks here. Hon. Dana Banks, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for the U.S-Africa Leaders Summit, highlighted the importance of engaging a wide range of African and U.S. stakeholders. The Presidents upcoming Summit reflects the breadth and depth of American partnerships with African governments, institutions, and citizenspartnerships based on dialogue that harness the ingenuity and creativity of our peoples. The Vice Presidents remarks marked four days of engagements by a U.S. delegation, organized by Prosper Africa, that included senior leadership from ten U.S. Government agencies and a group of U.S investors who manage over a trillion dollars in assets. Hon. Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), led the delegation where she reinforced the Biden-Harris Administrations whole-of-government commitment to increasing two-way trade and mobilizing investment in Africas fast-growing markets. She showcased MCCs newest $460 million Morocco Employability and Land Compact, which is part of the agencys commitment of $1.1 billion in Morocco. Hon. Enoh T. Ebong, Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), announced new commitments that will support the development of resilient healthcare systems and increase access to quality healthcare in Nigeria and across the continent, expand internet access in support of bridging the digital divide across Southern Africa, and support South Africas decarbonization efforts through the Just Energy Transition Partnership. Director Ebong announced USTDA funding for a feasibility study to develop Moroccos first smart grid, which will transform the power distribution infrastructure in Marrakech. Director Ebong also co-hosted a roundtable along with the Africa Investment Forum to spotlight women-led businesses and projects that are facilitating the deployment of U.S. solutions to Africas infrastructure in support of Prosper Africa. Travis Adkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), highlighted the central role of African small and medium-sized enterprises in fueling the continents economic growth and recovery. He reinforced USADFs core commitments to providing direct investments and technical assistance to African-owned and African-led enterprises and social entrepreneurs. He also engaged with African government officials to discuss the potential for partnerships, with a focus on USADFs priority programming areas of food security, youth employment, womens economic empowerment, and renewable energy. Throughout the event, a powerful group of U.S. investors forged new connections with African public and private sector leaders and participated in a series of pitch sessions focused on investment opportunities in resilient infrastructure. Joseph Boateng, Chief Investment Officer of Casey Family Programs, shared that Prosper Africa is working with institutional investors to help them overcome their misperceptions of the risks of investing in Africa by introducing investment opportunities and the tools available to mitigate their real risks These delegations highlight that capital can have transformative effects when put to work under the right conditions and aligned interests. Teaming up with our counterparts in Africa can be powerful in getting capital to where its needed while also generating strong returns. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Advertisement Police twice decided not to break into a flat where a medical secretary lay decomposing for two-and-a-half years and even mistakenly claimed she had been seen 'safe and well' despite having already been dead for at least 14 months by then, an inquest heard. Sheila Seleoane's housing association had also failed to connect the dots when she stopped paying rent, her gas was switched off and neighbours complained of a terrible smell emanating from her home in Peckham. The hearing at Southwark Coroners Court was told her rent payments stopped around the time she died, but Peabody was able to arrange for them to be taken from her Universal Credit benefits. The housing association also switched off Miss Seleoanes gas supply without making contact with Britain's 'forgotten' woman. The skeletal remains of Ms Seleoane were finally discovered by police in February this year after officers forced their way into her third floor flat in south London. The 61-year-old was identified by her dental records with police determining there were no suspicious circumstances to her death - which likely occurred in August 2019. A timeline of the tragic end to 'forgotten woman' Sheila Seleoane's life - and how she was failed by the police and her housing association Early 2019: Sheila Seleoane visits her GP and complains about breathing issues including being 'wheezy' and short of breath. She makes a follow-up appointment, but does not attend. April 2019: Ms Seleoane is seen for the last time by members of Peabody Housing. She lets them into her third floor flat for a routine gas inspection. August 2019: Ms Seleoane makes her last payment to Peabody Housing. Authorities it is around this time when Ms Seleoane dies. October 2019: Neighbours report a foul stench coming from Ms Seleoane's property. March 2020: After Ms Seleoane falls into arrears with her rent, Peabody's make an application to the Government to have her rent paid directly from her University credit - the application is accepted. June 2020: Officials attempt to gain entry to the flat to carry out a routine inspection, but receive no answer from Ms Seleoane. Her gas supply is cut off. October 2020: Following continuing complaints about a smell from Ms Seleoane's property, police make two visits. Peabody claim that they were told by officers that she was safe and well. February 2022: After more complaints from neighbours regarding a smell and the noise of banging windows from Ms Seleoane's property, police force entry. They find Ms Seleoane's skeletal remains on the sofa. Advertisement The inquest was told that police had called at the flat twice in October 2020 after concerns that she had not been seen for several months. Her letter box overflowed, and her unopened letters littered the entrance hall, yet the postman kept cramming them in regardless. Giving evidence yesterday, Detective Sergeant Scott Fisher said the first officer who called at the flat had not noticed 'a smell of death' and had no reason to force entry. A second officer who visited a week later on October 21 also came to the same conclusion and no further action was taken. And it also it also emerged that in the same month, a member of Metropolitan Police staff wrongly told Peabody Housing Association that Miss Seleoane had been seen and was safe and well. The case was then closed. DS Fisher was one of the first police officers on the scene when the Met finally broke in and told the inquest he found Ms Seleoane in what he described as the 'recovery position' lying on her side. He said her body was partially covered with the remains of blue pajamas bottoms and a white top. Giving evidence remotely he described the flat as being very tidy with no sign of forced entry. He said there was no visible sign of trauma to the skull or chest area. The landlords of Ms Seleoane failed to make contact with her despite cutting off her gas for non payment of rent, an inquest heard. Ms Seleoane, who was not married and whose estranged family live in South Africa, was found dead on her sofa in February 2022. Some residents of her block of flats - managed by Peabody Housing - claimed they had repeatedly reported a foul stench coming from her flat as far back as October 2019. After continued complaints by neighbours to the housing association about the smell and letters piling up outside the flat, police eventually conducted a welfare check. Wells Chomutare, director of neighbourhood at the Peabody Housing, told the inquest members of his staff last saw Ms Seleoane in April 2019 when she let them into her third floor flat for a routine gas inspection. However the coroner heard that when she failed to pay her rent and allow engineers into her flat her gas supply was cut off. The coroner said an independent report commissioned by Peabody had resulted in 37 recommendations in future contact with tenants. Sheila Seleoane's (pictured) skeletal remains were discovered in her one-bedroom flat in Peckham, South London, in February Harriet Harman, Labour MP for Camberwell and Peckham, has demanded a full investigation into why Peabody ignored repeated calls from neighbours who complained of a horrendous smell more than two years ago. Pictured: The Lord's Court flats where Ms Seleoane's body was discovered Also he said police had put in place new measures to make sure controllers are given more information when entering data on incidents. This followed a civilian controller telling Peabody in 2020 that she had been seen and was safe and well. The two officers who called at the flat did not have any suspicions and detect a foul smell. They both decided they did not have the power to force entry. Among the details to emerge at the inquest into the death of Ms Seleoane were that: The 61-year-old may have died in August 2019 - more than two years before her body was discovered in February 2022; She had visited the doctor in early 2019 where she had complained of wheezing and breathing difficulties and made a follow-up appointment - one she would never attend; Ms Seleoane had last been seen by Peabody Housing in April 2019 and that they had no contact with her after, despite her falling into arrears with her rent and her gas supply being cut off Peabody made an application to have the rent paid directly from her Universal Credit payments after she fell into arrears in 2019; Police twice visited the flat twice in October 2020, but Peabody claimed they were told by police that Ms Seleoane was safe and well; Peabody has made 37 recommendations about how they treat their clients in the wake of Ms Seleoane's death. The inquest heard how former medical secretary Ms Seleoane last paid her monthly rent in August 2019 and attempts by members of Peabody's rent team failed to contact her by email and phone. After she fell into arrears an application was made to have the rent paid directly from her Universal Credit payments. This was approved and from March 2020 the rent was paid each month to Peabody Housing - even though no one had made any contact with her. The inquest heard that in June 2020 officials had tried to gain entry to the flat to carry out a routine gas inspection. When no one responded at the third floor flat, Mr Chomutare said the gas supply was cut off. He said no further attempt was made to contact Ms Seleoane and he did not have the power to force entry to the flat. The inquest was told his office had received three reports that expressed concern for Ms Seleoane's welfare. One resident complained about mail building up at the flat and another about an open balcony door banging in the wind. Mr Chomutare said after police visited the flat twice in October 2020 they were told by police that Ms Seleoane was safe and well. The police attendance was noted in the logs kept by Peabody Housing who later launched an investigation into their handling of the failure to make any contact with their tenant. The inquest was told that contact with tenants had been affected by the lockdown rules imposed during the pandemic. Questioned by the coroner Dr Julian Morris about Peabody's failure to make any contact with their tenant Mr Chomutare said: 'We did not connect the dots to paint the picture of Ms Seleoane.' Southwark Coroner's Court was told that in the months before she died Ms Seleoane had visited her GP and complained about being 'wheezy' and short of breath. The court was told a follow-up appointment was made but Ms Seleoane did not keep the appointment. She had also visited Lewisham Hospital to undergo an MRI and colonoscopy in the months before her death, according to records read out at the inquest. The inquest was told Ms Seleoane had no contact with social services and no serious health issues in the months before her death. Despite promises to sensitively refurbish and re-let the flat in which her body was discovered, residents have reported that Peabody has not taken any action since Neighbours began complaining to the housing association landlord about a 'foul smell' in the building in October 2019 Neighbours say they complained about the smell for more than two years, as well as raising concerns about the number of unopened letters No one in the block can recall exactly when they last saw her striding purposefully to the bus stop or returning home with shopping. An ambulance is pictured outside the building Ash Fox, deputy chief executive of Peabody, wiped away tears as she said everyone at the housing group was devastated by the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms Seleoane. She told the inquest an independent investigation into why Ms Seleoane's body had been undiscovered for over two years had resulted in 37 recommendations to the way they deal with their tenants. 'It is clear from the investigation that processes were followed successfully, but perhaps there was an opportunity where the dots could have been joined up sooner and done more to raise the alarm,' she said. The housing executive said one of the recommendations was to make contact with all their tenants who have not been spoken to for a year. Staff would also look for changes in regular behaviour, such as the failure to pay rent. She said so far only nine people who rent homes from the housing group have not been spoken to while there are 25 others who have recently had their gas supply cut off. Ms Ash said it was now up to the Peabody to apply the 'human touch' as a social landlord. She wiped away tears as she was asked by the coroner the effect of the death had on staff. 'Everyone is devastated, she said. ' We recognise more could have been done.' The Peabody housing group sent a letter to all tenants in the block apologising for the missed opportunities in Ms Seleoane body being undiscovered for two and half years. Ian McDermott. CEO, of Peabody wrote: 'This is incredibly distressing, and we are so sorry we didnt support you enough. He said an independent report into their failings had identified what changes needed to be made. A report by Altair is being released recommending changes to the way the group interacts with their tenants. Before delivering his verdict the coroner said the cause of death was unascertained due to the decomposition of the body. Dr Julian Morris said the cause of death would remain open. The coroner did not make any recommendations that might prevent a similar incident from occurring again. The Peabody housing group sent a letter (pictured) to all tenants in the block apologising for the missed opportunities in Ms Seleoane body being undiscovered for two and half years. Ian McDermott. CEO, of Peabody wrote: 'This is incredibly distressing, and we are so sorry we didnt support you enough.' But he remarked that a body could lay undetected for over two years was 'difficult to fathom in 2022.' He said it was clear 'something went wrong' and there had been no real communication between the rent, gas and neighbourhood management team in attempting to speak with Ms Seleoane. The failure of Ms Seleoane to pay her rent after being a model tenant for five years and having her gas cut off failed to raise suspicion. However, Mr Morris added that the breakdown in communication did not in any way lead to Ms Seleoane death. He said:' I do not consider those inactions had any effect on Ms Seleoane clinical state or save her life as she was already dead.' The Coroner said an independent report commissioned by Peabody had resulted in 37 recommendations in future contact with tenants. How did a woman lie dead in her home for TWO AND A HALF YEARS without a single person noticing? Story of medical secretary, 61, with a smile for everyone is a wretched indictment of modern Britain By David Jones for the Daily Mail Nothing about the woman in Flat 16 betrayed the depths of her isolation. Even Sheila Seleoane's nearest neighbours were blind to the poignant truth: that this prim medical secretary didn't have a single friend or family member close enough to her to care for her welfare. On weekday mornings, when it seemed that she was heading off for work, she wished everyone she saw a cheery good day. In the evening, when she returned to her fourth-floor flat in the bustling South London community of Peckham, she was equally affable. 'She was always well put-together, and wore a smart black coat, black trousers and black court shoes, with her hair tied in a bun,' recalls a young professional woman who lived opposite Miss Seleoane. 'But I didn't really speak to her. It was more just, 'Hi' and 'Bye'.' Miss Seleoane was similarly detached from other residents of Lord's Court, a modern building containing 20 flats owned by the Peabody Housing, the affordable housing charity. On weekday mornings, when it seemed that she was heading off for work, she wished everyone she saw a cheery good day. In the evening, when she returned to her fourth-floor flat in the bustling South London community of Peckham, she was equally affable However, mother-of-three Lyesha Bent, who resides on the same corridor, says she wore gym clothes at weekends and, with her petite figure, looked younger than her 61 years. So everyone assumed her to have a busy career and social life. No one in the block can recall exactly when they last saw her striding purposefully to the bus stop or returning home with shopping. Some time in August 2019, though, Miss Seleoane vanished. For reasons pathologists are trying to establish, we now know that she had died presumably alone in her flat. Astonishingly, she lay undiscovered for two-and-a-half years until, on February 18 this year, police broke in to find her skeletal remains on the living-room sofa. Having failed to enter her flat, despite being alerted as early as 2019 to the possibility that harm might have befallen its occupant, they finally responded to a report that her balcony door was still swinging open, following Storm Eunice. Beside her body were some deflated pink party balloons, according to Ms Bent, who says she gleaned this puzzling detail from one of the officers who made the grim discovery. That this woman had been so shamefully forgotten is a damning indictment of the depersonalised, look-the-other-way attitude that pervades so many neighbourhoods in modern-day Britain. That her death went unnoticed for more than two years, when our every move is now monitored, whether by social media, CCTV, mobile phone cameras or other digital devices, almost defies belief. It says much about her isolation that, having spent a fortnight investigating this harrowing case, I haven't found anyone who knew her well, except for a few school friends who long ago lost touch with her. Her only known family member in this country, her estranged older brother Victor Seleoane, 64, who has a conviction for murder 41 years ago, was one of only two people to attend her funeral. One person I have traced is Miss Seleoane's half-sister, Julia Bella Brooms, who lives in South Africa. For reasons that will become clear, the two women never met. But they briefly corresponded after the death of their mother, in 1987, and Mrs Brooms, 72, became emotional, when, as sensitively as possible, I told her what had become of her sibling. 'This is too much. Awful. I don't understand how anyone could pass away and be left for so long,' she said, speaking through an interpreter in the Sesotho language. 'Where were Sheila's neighbours? Where were her work colleagues? People from the local municipality? Her landlord? This could never happen in South Africa. Here, when your neighbour isn't seen, even for one or two days, you go to check up on them. We live as a community.' Her plaintive questions are understandable. But more and more of us are now living alone. The number of Britons living on their own has increased by nearly ten per cent in a decade, it was revealed this week, with the Office for National Statistics reporting that 25.8 per cent of Londoners live alone. Miss Seleoane's death ought to have been obvious for all manner of reasons not least the nauseating stench that filled the fourth-floor hallway in the autumn of 2019, and throughout that winter. Her nearest neighbour, who asked not to be named, showed me a text from her mother saying the smell she described sounded like that of a 'dead person'. Neighbours became increasingly concerned when letters began to pile up in the letterbox There were countless more clues. Miss Seleoane had lived in her flat since 2014, and until August 2019, paid her 109 weekly rent by debit card. Yet by March 2020, she had fallen heavily into arrears, and the housing trust had begun legal action to recover the debt. She was summoned to Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court on March 18 by which time she would probably have been dead for about six months. Deeply concerned by this case, Miss Seleoane's local MP, Harriet Harman, has compiled a timeline of events. In it, Peabody states that from April, her rent was being covered by universal credit. The Department for Work and Pensions wouldn't comment on her individual case. But it explained that a landlord can apply for universal credit to be paid directly to them when the tenant defaults. As her bank account drained, Miss Seleoane must also have missed paying other bills, including those for her household utilities and perhaps her mobile phone. Southwark Council says her council tax payments stopped around the time of her death, but this wasn't considered unusual because many people default. It adds that debtors were not pursued in the usual way during the pandemic. In March 2019, Robert Heath Heating Ltd, an energy firm contracted by Peabody, made two attempts to check her gas supply. Finding no one at home, they taped notices to the door, warning that they would enter the flat forcibly if she didn't let them in by early April. If only this threat had been carried out, Miss Seleoane might have been spared the indignity of lying unburied for two more years. The company declined to comment. At one point, a team of decorators painted the exterior of Flat 16, failing to notice her body through the unlocked balcony window. Nor, it seems, were their suspicions aroused when her front door couldn't be opened to stop the wet paint sticking to the frame. When cleaners removed her doormat to mop the corridor, in autumn 2019, it was never put back. Didn't anyone think to ask why? This week, the mat was still propped against the flat's wall, alongside a withered bouquet and children's paintings left as a token of remembrance. As one neighbour remarked: 'Surely all this should have set alarm bells ringing?' The bare details of this story first emerged three weeks ago, soon after Miss Seleoane was found. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating the news, however, it soon slipped out of the headlines. Doubtless this came as a relief to the many people who, either through indifference or ineptitude, failed to inquire into her disappearance. By my assessment, the number of individuals and organisations who might have suspected something runs into double figures. However, surely the most culpable are Peabody and the Metropolitan Police. Named after its founder, a Victorian philanthropist, the housing trust provides 67,000 homes for 155,000 people in London and the South-East. Its grandiose mission statement claims it places community spirit at the heart of its values. 'We are able to tell the stories of our residents and customers and make sure their voices are heard,' its website proclaims. The trust should try telling that to the residents of Lord's Court, who lodged innumerable complaints about the sickening odour emanating from Miss Seleoane's flat many times, only to be fobbed off or ignored. Everybody on the fourth floor has asked to be moved to another building. Evelyn Odintru says her children, 12, 11, and three, are so frightened from living close to a corpse that they have nightmares. Though concerns were allegedly voiced as early as the winter of 2019, Peabody says nothing was logged in its records until the following June. The trust then claims it made repeated attempts to contact her but didn't have the legal right to enter the property. A full year passed before finally, in October 2020, the trust asked the Met Police to make a welfare check. According to Peabody's records, the police reported back that they had 'spoken to the resident and that she is safe and well'. Yes, you read that correctly. How could such a basic error have been made? Was there some miscommunication? Did an officer go to the wrong flat and speak to the wrong woman? These are among many questions to be addressed by the outside consultants tasked by Peabody with investigating this deeply distressing matter. Whatever the truth, Peabody says the police's reassurance led its staff to believe 'everything was fine' and on October 22, 2020, it closed the case. However, the trust's chief executive, Ian McDermott, admits it made mistakes. 'We are all devastated by what has happened. Quite rightly, everyone wants answers, and so do we,' he says. 'Clearly, looking back, the red flags were there. It should have been obvious to us that Sheila had either abandoned the property or something was very wrong. Even with the challenges of lockdowns, we should have done better.' The Met would only say it was aware of the trust's claims, and was 'working to establish what messages were relayed after officers attended this location.' But back to Sheila Seleoane. What do we know of this forsaken woman, and how should she be remembered? With the help of her school friends, distant relations, and public records, I've pieced together fragments of her story. It begins in post-war South Africa under the ever-tightening yoke of apartheid. In 1949, her mother, Adeline, gave birth to a girl called Bella, whose father is unknown. But when, five years later, she was offered the chance of a new life in England, she grasped the opportunity. Adeline was the nursemaid to the two daughters of a Dr Thomas Forrest, and when he took up an appointment in London, he asked her to accompany them. Passenger records from the mail ship Carnarvon Castle show that she made the 12-day voyage with the doctor, his wife Lillian, and their children, arriving at Southampton, in September, 1954. Three years later, by then living in Hornsey, North London, Adeline had given birth to a son, Victor Patrick Seleoane; and on January 9, 1961, Sheila was born. Their father is not named on their birth certificates, and it seems Adeline was unmarried. Accounts of his murder trial, at the Old Bailey in 1981, suggest Victor was an unsavoury character. Embroiled in a gangland dispute, he stabbed a man to death during a pub brawl, and though he claimed to have been defending a friend, who was being attacked with a knife, he was jailed for life. He was then 24. It is not known how long he served in prison but after his release the Department of Justice says he was jailed again, for burglary, and was freed five years ago. Since then, he, too, has vanished without trace. His last listed address, in 2014, was an unprepossessing flat, in Plaistow, East London. On the Lord's Court grapevine, it is rumoured that he and his sister fell out several years ago, but as her immediate next-of-kin, he is believed to have been contacted about her death. As the coroner will need to establish Miss Seleoane's identity beyond doubt, experts believe her brother could be asked to provide a DNA sample. Commendably, Miss Seleoane overcame her difficult beginnings. According to Valerie Meade Hussey, a friend from Woodberry Down Comprehensive School, North London, she was 'quiet at first', but a 'bubbly' character when she felt comfortable in people's company. They remained friends into their late teens, and enjoyed nights out together, but lost touch. They last bumped into each other shopping about 30 years ago. 'We chatted for a while and she seemed fine,' says Mrs Hussey. 'This is just so sad. Why was nobody there for her?' Perhaps Miss Seleoane chose the job of medical secretary because her mother worked for a doctor and in hospitals. At all events, in her 50s she was temping for a company called Lifeline Personnel. However, it says it has no payroll record of her after February 20, 2015. From that date, her life becomes a complete mystery. If she was working, as neighbours believe and her smart outfits suggest, who employed her and why weren't they concerned by her disappearance? If she wasn't, where and how did she pass her days? Though the police are describing her death as 'unexplained' but not suspicious, there is, of course, another unanswered question: how did she die? Ironically, it seems that the only person demanding to know the truth about what became of Sheila Seleoane is her half-sister Bella Brooms; someone she never met. She also wants her remains flown to South Africa and buried in the family plot with their mother. Then, at last, there would be people to care for the occupant of Flat 16. A woman Britain so shamefully forgot. Additional reporting by Tim Stewart and Stephanie Condron Some storks return to northern Europe after winter, but many have settled permanently in Spain It is safer for them to avoid crossing the sea to Africa, where many die as a result of the strong winds Experts estimate around 70 per cent of storks no longer migrate to Africa as a result of the new conditions But the abundant food in landfills and warmer weather mean growing numbers are opting to stay in Spain he long-legged birds have traditionally flown from across Europe to African pastures for the winter months Advertisement Hundreds of white storks dodge garbage trucks as they look for scraps of food among the mountains of multicoloured garbage bags at a sprawling landfill near Madrid. The long-legged birds have traditionally flown from across Europe to African pastures for the winter and returned in the spring. But the abundant food found in landfills combined with warmer weather are making growing numbers of storks skip this arduous journey and stay in Spain for the winter. 'For us they are part of the landscape,' said Carlos Pinto, a sanitation worker at a landfill in Pinto roughly 18 miles south of Madrid. The landfill receives between 200 tonnes and 300 tonnes of food waste per day and the storks head immediately to the zones 'where there is fresh garbage,' he added. The scene is repeated across Spain, with many storks opting to nest close to landfill sites where they live year-round. Hundreds of storks surround a truck at a landfill in the outskirts of Pinto near Madrid on July 14, 2022 What was only a stop over in their migration path has become the destination for these storks who find abundant food in the mammoth Spanish landfill A stork flies in Rivas Vaciamadrid near Madrid on May 24, 2022, clutching what appears to be a feather in its beak Truck drivers are forced to bowl through huge swathes of rubbish-covered land as the storks swirl about them A stork stands on its nest in front of the university of Alcala de Henares near Madrid on July 16, 2022 In Alcala de Henares, the birthplace of 'Don Quixote' author Miguel de Cervantes near Madrid, white storks have become a symbol of the town because they have become so numerous. 'Wherever you look, there are storks,' said Almudena Soriano, the town's veterinarian. Stork nests crown the Alcala's bell towers and the clattering sound they make with their long beaks can be heard throughout the town. In 1970 the town counted just ten stork nests. A census carried out in 2021 found 109 nests - a more than tenfold increase - that were home to up to 300 storks. Soriano estimates that 'about 70 percent of storks no longer migrate' to Africa, mainly because of the easily available food they can find in Spain in landfills. This allows them to avoid the dangerous crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar separating Spain from Morocco which measures just nine miles but is often battered by strong winds. 'Many die on the way. The adult storks who have already made the trip do not want to repeat the experience,' said Soriano. 'And since they move to find food, an open dump for them is an all-you-can-eat buffet. There is no need to leave anymore.' A 2020 census by SEO Birdlife found 36,217 white storks in Spain. Before, Spain was just a stop on the birds' annual migration to Africa but now a significant number of white storks spend the winter in the country, according to the NGO. This includes storks born in Spain as well as those that come from European nations further north like Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Some storks return to northern Europe after winter while others remain permanently in Spain. Younger storks still have the instinct to migrate to Africa but they make the trip without their parents, said SEO Birdlife ornithologist Blas Molina. Resting at the landfill allows the birds to avoid a dangerous crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar between the southern tip of Spain and northern Africa The distance between the southernmost tip of Spain and northern Africa is not the problem - the high winds can pose a significant danger to storks trying to power across Before, Spain was just a stop on the birds' annual migration to Africa but now a significant number of white storks spend the winter in the country Some storks return to northern Europe after winter while others remain permanently in Spain, as the landfill offers such a rich variety of sustenance and material with which to build nests The change in the stork's migratory habits is a clear example of the 'effects of human activity on biodiversity,' said SEO Birdlife ornithologist Blas Molina While the easy availability of food at landfills is the main reasons storks have stopped migrating, it is also 'probably due to tendency towards higher temperatures' caused by climate change, the NGO said in a recent report. Adult storks are staying 'a little bit further north' within the Iberian Peninsula whereas before they stopped off in the southeastern region of Extremadura and Andalusia in the south, said Molina. The change in the stork's migratory habits is a clear example of the 'effects of human activity on biodiversity,' he added. The municipality of Pinto is considering covering its landfill site to prevent storks from swallowing plastic and other potentially harmful items. If it does, the storks may leave. Alcala closed its landfill last year but set up giant feeding stations to ensure the storks had enough to eat and stayed in the town. The scheme appears to be working as the town's stork populations has held steady. The blade-wielding veteran who tried to stab New York gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Lee Zeldin at a campaign rally has been charged with attempted assault. David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, confronted the Republican when he was in the middle of a speech about bail reform in Perinton, New York, a small town outside Rochester, as part of his 'United to Fire Hochul' campaign. Jakubonis, reportedly an Iraq war veteran who was drunk at the time, screamed words to the effect of: 'Okay, you're done' just before launching his attack, according to WHEC. Video from the scene shows Jakubonis enter the stage from slightly behind Zeldin, walk calmly up to him and eventually raise up his arm towards the candidate's neck. A group of Zeldin supporters quickly subdued the attacker before he inflicted any damage, and held him in place until authorities arrived to arrest the man. A weapon, which appeared to be a pair of brass knuckles with two blades affixed, was recovered from the scene. The weapon featured a cat's face with the words: 'Made in the USA' written across it. That blade was made from hard plastic, it has since emerged, although authorities said it is just as strong and sharp as a metal equivalent. Jakubonis was arraigned at Perinton Town Court and charged with attempted assault in the second degree. He was released on his own recognizance. The suspect seen entering the stage while Zeldin was in the midst of speech. He can be heard saying words to the effect of 'You're done' David Jakubonis, 43, being taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. He has been charged with Attempted Assault in the Second Degree The suspect's apparent weapon being handed over to authorities In a tweet, Zeldin said: 'Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evenings rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.' The candidate was not wounded in the incident and returned to the stage after the suspect was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. Prior to Jakubonis' arrest, Zeldin supporters are said to have held the attacker in place with zip-ties. The man who took down Zeldin's would-be assailant initially was named as AMVETS national director Joe Chenelly. AMVETS is a non-partisan veterans advocacy group. Chenelly said that he spoke with Jakubonis and when he found out the suspect had served in Iraq, he vowed to get him help. Chenelly told the Rochester First: 'When he said he served in Iraq, I got down hands on my knees and said, "You know, we're going to get through whatever you've done here tonight. You're going to get better and focus on that. You can contact me after this thing is done".' He added: 'I was told not to engage with him right now. I think it's very important we obviously have a mental health crisis nationwide - not just with our veterans but we especially have it with our veterans.' Zeldin, a staunch ally of ex-President Donald Trump, is the Republican nominee to replace current New York governor Kathy Hochul. New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy said after the attack that current Gov. Kathy Hochul 'fanned the flames of hate' today by recently posting Zeldin's schedule online and apparently encouraging her supporters to attend. Zeldin appears during New York's Republican gubernatorial debate at the studios of Spectrum News NY1 on June 20, 2022, in New York Since 2015, Zeldin has represented New York's first district in Congress, representing Long Island's affluent Hamptons-area. He has been an opponent of New York's bail reform laws, eliminating cash bail for nonviolent and misdemeanor charges. His campaign said in a statement on Thursday: 'Congressman Zeldin, Alison Esposito and all members of Team Zeldin are safe following tonights attack. Far more must be done to make New York safe again. This is very much getting out of hand in this state. The message continued: 'Unfortunately, Congressman Zeldin is just the latest New Yorker whose life has been affected by the out of control crime and violence in New York. This needs to stop!' The suspect being wrestled the ground by a group of Zeldin supporters Gov. Hochul speaking at an event on the night that Zeldin was attacked in New York City where she was advocating for the city to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention Following the attack, New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy blamed the current governor for the attack saying: 'Its not a coincidence that just hours earlier, Kathy Hochul fanned the flames of hate by directing her supporters to his rally schedule. This is unacceptable conduct for anyone, let alone a sitting governor.' On her campaign website, Hochul's team pointed out Zeldin's event on July 21 telling her supporters: 'RSVP to hear about Zeldin's 'Election Integrity Task Force,' and his recent election fraud scandal in which his campaign photocopied over 11,000 duplicate signatures.' A week before the attack, the congressman was taken off of the Independent Party's ballot line in November's gubernatorial election after more than 12,500 of the signatures on his application were found to have been duplicates of real signatures. Following Thursday's incident, Governor Hochul said: 'Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible it has no place in New York.' According to his LinkedIn page, Joe Chenelly, the man who took down the attacker, is a candidate for the New York assembly in 2022 According to his LinkedIn page, the man who first took down the would-be attacker, Joe Chenelly, is a candidate for the New York state assembly in 2022. Chenelly is a long time advocate for veterans and has worked as a political advisor for former United States Senator Jim Webb's short-lived campaign for the presidency in 2016. Following Thursday's incident, his wife wrote on Facebook: 'Joe Chenelly is a hero.' New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola quickly condemned the attack in a statement saying: 'Attacks on political candidates, regardless of their viewpoints, are absolutely unacceptable.' She continued: 'This country was founded on the idea of freedom of speech. Political violence of this kind represents a dangerous shift away from the principles that this nation was built upon.' Allies of Boris Johnson are threatening to picket Tory leadership hustings with a 'battle bus' as part of a campaign designed to keep him in No10. Lord Cruddas, the billionaire party donor, is leading a push for Conservative members to be allowed to decide whether he steps down. It comes despite Mr Johnson - who was pictured leaving No10 with son Wilf today - stepping down earlier this month amid a mutiny by ministers following months of sleaze. More than 7,000 Tories - roughly 4 per cent of members - have signed a petition demanding a say over whether he actually leaves Downing Street as planned in September. And others are threatening to spoil their ballot papers or 'write in' Mr Johnson's name as a different sort of protest. Cruddas last night said that protests could greet Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak as they take part in a tour of 12 hustings in locations across the UK. Asked about a potential battle bus, he told the Telegraph: 'That's a possibility. People are angry, they want to protest and members want to protest.' Mr Johnson - who was pictured leaving No10 with son Wilf today - quit earlier this month amid a mutiny by ministers following months of sleaze Lord Cruddas, the millionaire party donor, is leading a push for Conservative members to be allowed to decide whether he can run again Thousands of Tories have signed a petition demanding a say over whether he actually leaves Downing Street as planned in September. The campaign is being led by Cruddas and the former Tory MEP and Ukip deputy leader David Campbell Bannerman. The petition to party co-chairman Andrew Stephenson asks for the Prime Minister to be put on the run-off ballot with Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. The appeal accuses the Tory MPs who removed him of having 'vested interest reasons and grievances to settle'. A poll of Mail+ readers yesterday put Mr Johnson far ahead of the final three candidates. He scored 53 per cent, ahead of Miss Truss on 19 per cent, Penny Mordaunt on 15 per cent and Mr Sunak on 13 per cent among 2,248 readers who voted. The petition to Mr Stephenson said: 'Back in 2019, Boris Johnson was elected by the membership to be our new leader. 'Now that choice has been changed without referral to the people that elected him. 'You cannot disenfranchise the membership from the whole process from the beginning as this is open to abuse by the parliamentary party who may have vested interest reasons and grievances to settle against our leader.' It adds: 'Morale amongst the membership is low and there is anger towards the parliamentary party. 'I demand Boris Johnson be added to the ballot as an option for the members to vote upon in the forthcoming election.' At his last PMQs on Wednesday, Mr Johnson dropped a hint he could attempt a political comeback, telling MPs his premiership had been 'mission largely accomplished, for now'. His very final words - in which he told MPs 'hasta la vista, baby' - were an apparent reference to Arnold Schwarzeneggers catchphrase from the film Terminator, which is also famous for the line 'I'll be back'. Mr Johnson told the Commons that his last three years as PM had been 'the greatest privilege of my life' as he listed his achievements in office, such as Brexit and British support for Ukraine against Russia's brutal invasion. 'Its true that I helped to get the biggest Tory majority for 40 years and a huge realignment in UK politics,' the PM said. 'We transformed our democracy and restored our national independence. 'Ive helped to get this country through a pandemic and help save another country from barbarism, and frankly thats enough to be going on with.' Asked later if Mr Johnson was already planning a political comeback - given his concluding remarks at PMQs - the PM's press secretary said: 'That was his way of saying farewell to his colleagues.' Partygate probe has become a witch hunt: Backlash as MPs shift goalposts so Boris could be kicked out of Commons even if he unintentionally misled colleagues The controversial Commons inquiry into Partygate has turned into a witch hunt against Boris Johnson after it introduced much stricter rules, allies of the PM said yesterday. Under the new terms of the probe, the Prime Minister could be booted out as an MP if he is found to have misled Parliament. And he can now be found in contempt for unintentionally misleading the Commons about lockdown-breaking gatherings in Downing Street even if there is no evidence he deliberately lied. Johnson supporters last night accused the privileges committee of unfairly moving the goalposts in order to make it easier for him to be punished. He has accepted he got things wrong and he has corrected the record, one source said. But he did not do so intentionally that has always been the bar, both for misleading parliament and for the ministerial code. It doesnt feel like he is getting a fair trial it feels more like a witch hunt. Under the new terms of the probe, the Prime Minister could be booted out as an MP if he is found to have misled Parliament. And he can now be found in contempt for unintentionally misleading the Commons about lockdown-breaking gatherings in Downing Street even if there is no evidence he deliberately lied The committee is being chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman (pictured) even though she branded the Prime Minister unspeakable and disgraceful for breaking Covid rules. The other MPs on the committee are Tories Andy Carter, Alberto Costa, Laura Farris and Sir Bernard Jenkin, along with Labours Yvonne Fovargue and the SNPs Allan Dorans. In a report published yesterday the committee vowed to continue with its probe even though Mr Johnson has agreed to leave No 10 when the next Tory leader is chosen The committee also considered whether, if Mr Johnson were to be found in contempt and then suspended from the House for at least ten sitting days, it should trigger a recall petition. That would mean that if at least 10 per cent of electors in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency demanded a by-election, Mr Johnson would then lose his seat as an MP although he could stand in the subsequent contest. Such moves usually follow reports by a different body, the standards committee. But Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle (pictured) agreed that the privileges committee was concerned with the conduct of MPs, so its findings would be subject to the Recall of MPs Act Tory MP Mark Jenkinson added: Its just another example of the vendetta being pursued against one of the most successful politicians of our time. But he warned: This could come back to bite them because the lower you set the bar, the easier it is to trip over it. They are messing about with convention and it sets a really dangerous precedent. The cross-party group of MPs was set up after the Metropolitan Police fined Mr Johnson for attending a celebration for his birthday in the Cabinet Room in June 2020. He attended for only nine minutes, and a birthday cake brought by an aide did not even leave its Tupperware box. The committee is investigating whether the PM misled the Commons when he insisted last year that the rules were followed at all times. It is being chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman even though she branded the Prime Minister unspeakable and disgraceful for breaking Covid rules. The other MPs on the committee are Tories Andy Carter, Alberto Costa, Laura Farris and Sir Bernard Jenkin, along with Labours Yvonne Fovargue and the SNPs Allan Dorans. In a report published yesterday the committee vowed to continue with its probe even though Mr Johnson has agreed to leave No 10 when the next Tory leader is chosen. It said: Since the House agreed the referral there have been political developments... and some have suggested that the committees inquiry is no longer necessary. Our inquiry, however, is into the question of whether the House was misled, and political developments are of no relevance to that. The House charged the committee with this task and we are obliged to continue with it. At a meeting this week the privileges committee agreed that it will seek out documents about the events in Downing Street and briefings given to Mr Johnson. The Prime Minister will then give oral evidence in a public session. Whistleblowers may be allowed to speak out in private. The committee will decide on the balance of probabilities if his conduct amounts to a contempt of the House and MPs will then have to vote on its conclusions and any sanctions. The cross-party group of MPs was set up after the Metropolitan Police fined Mr Johnson for attending a celebration for his birthday in the Cabinet Room in June 2020. He attended for only nine minutes, and a birthday cake brought by an aide did not even leave its Tupperware box. The committee is investigating whether the PM misled the Commons when he insisted last year that the rules were followed at all times It had been widely assumed that the committee would have to prove Mr Johnson had lied or knowingly misled the Commons. But they have now lowered the bar by ruling that his intentions are unnecessary. They agreed with an interpretation by Clerk of the Journals Eve Samson the Commons procedural adviser that it is for the committee and the House to determine whether a contempt has occurred and the intention of the contemnor is not relevant to making that decision. The committee also considered whether, if Mr Johnson were to be found in contempt and then suspended from the House for at least ten sitting days, it should trigger a recall petition. That would mean that if at least 10 per cent of electors in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency demanded a by-election, Mr Johnson would then lose his seat as an MP although he could stand in the subsequent contest. Such moves usually follow reports by a different body, the standards committee. But Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle agreed that the privileges committee was concerned with the conduct of MPs, so its findings would be subject to the Recall of MPs Act. CalPoly freshman Kristin Smart was last seen near her college dorm on Friday May 24, 1996 The mother of vanished college freshman Kristin Smart said her daughter fell victim to a spate of police failures in the wake of her disappearance from campus in 1996. Denise Smart said local police and staff at California Polytechnic State University had neglected to find Kristin, 19, forcing the Smart family to spend the past 25 years searching. Taking the stand at her daughter's murder trial, which began Monday, a tearful Denise said: 'I felt like the life of my daughter was of no value to anyone except her family. 'For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could', CBS Sacramento reported. Denise said she contacted police shortly after Kristin failed to call home on Sunday, May 26. Kristin's cheerful call home was a weekly ritual, she said. They didn't know that she had last been seen on Friday, May 24. Paul Flores, 45, is on trial in southern California. He is charged with Kristin's murder Mother Denise (centre) is pictured shortly after the disappearance alongside Kristin's father Stan (second from left), brother Matt (right) and sister Lindsey Smart Stewart (left). That day, Kristin sent her parents an excited voicemail claiming to have good news. They never found out what it was. Kristin Smart sent her parents an excited voicemail the day she went missing, claiming to have good news. Her family never found out what it was (Undated image released by the FBI) Worried Denise had days earlier called the college president, but was redirected to a residential advisor who refused to give any information about Kristin on 'privacy' grounds. A sheriff at the local San Luis Obispo Police Department then told Denise he had no jurisdiction over the college campus. Four days after her disappearance, police filed a missing persons report. Denise showed the courthouse the last letter she wrote to her daughter, dated May 5, in which she warned Kristin not to be financially imprudent. She advised her daughter to 'get back on track', adding: 'Buckle up, buttercup.' Denise told the court: 'I never would have thought it was my last letter to write to my daughter.' The college freshman was last seen walking back to her dorm by fellow student Paul Flores, now 45, who is being tried for her murder. Paul Flores, now 45, is charged with murder in the commission of a rape or attempted rape. His father, Ruben Flores, now 81, is charged with accessory after the fact Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle told the court Monday: 'While the entire community banded together to search for Kristin desperately, Paul and Ruben Flores did not join in' Judge Jennifer O'Keefe hears opening arguments on the first day of the trial: Monday July 18 His father Ruben, 81, is charged with being an accessory. The pair are accused of burying Kristin under the decking of their home after Paul allegedly killed Kristin. Smart was declared dead in 2002. But her body has never been found. Prosecutors claim the pair did not take part in the search for Smart 'while her corpse was decomposing under his deck.' Paul Flores' defense attorney Robert Sanger began his opening statement Monday afternoon by claiming that 'there is no evidence what happened to her,' and that she 'engaged in at-risk behavior.' Both father and son have pleaded not guilty in the case. There will be two juries deciding two verdicts: One for Paul Flores and one for Ruben Flores. The trial is expected to last until October. Paul and Kristin were both freshmen at Cal Poly in 1996 when she vanished. He was staying in Santa Maria Hall and she was in Muir Hall, which are 0.2miles apart - a four minute walk Paul Flores listens during opening statements in his murder trial on Monday in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas, Calif. He's accused of killing Kristin Smart in 1996 On the first day of the trial last Monday, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle told the court that evidence would be shown that would prove Smart was murdered by Paul Flores and that both he and Ruben Flores buried her under the elder Flores' deck, the San Luis Opispo Tribune reported. 'While the entire community banded together to search for Kristin desperately, Paul and Ruben Flores did not join in,' Peuvrelle added. 'You will hear Ruben Flores would tear down missing posters of Kristin tore down her smiling beautiful face called her a 'dirty sl**,' all while her corpse was decomposing underneath his deck.' Traces of human blood were discovered by investigators under the deck at Ruben Flores' Arroyo Grande residence. Prosecutors allege Smart's body was stashed there and moved Paul Flores, 45, was arrested in April 2021 for Smart's murder In February 2020, police executed a search warrant at Paul's San Pedro, California, home, and seized electronic devices containing homemade videos and rape porn, prosecutors say Searches were done in February and March 2020 as part of investigation into Smart's death Prosecutors say Paul Flores killed the 19-year-old during an attempted rape on May 25, 1996 in his dorm room at CalPoly, where both were first-year students. His father, now 81, allegedly helped bury the slain student behind his home in the nearby community of Arroyo Grande and later dug up the remains, moving them. Paul Flores had long been considered a suspect in the killing, but prosecutors only arrested him and his father in 2021 after the investigation was revived. San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson acknowledged missteps by detectives over the years and he credited a popular podcast about Smart's disappearance called 'Your Own Backyard' for helping unearth new information and inspiring witnesses to speak with investigators. Smart's remains have never been found and the mystery of how she vanished from the scenic campus tucked against a verdant coastal mountain range is likely to be central to the trial. Paul Flores is shown in an unrelated arrest photo from 1996, when he was 19. Behind lattice work beneath the deck of his large house on a dead end street off Tally Ho Road, archaeologists working for police in March 2021 found a soil disturbance about the size of a casket and the presence of human blood, prosecutors said. The blood was too degraded to extract a DNA sample. While a blood expert said it was human blood, the test used did not rule out the possibility it was from a ferret or ape, though court records said no remains of such an animal were found there. Attorney James Murphy Jr., who has sued the father and son on behalf of Smart's parents, scoffed at the idea that it was anything other than human blood. 'The size of the area in which the blood was found would make it a prehistoric ferret that would be in Jurassic Park,' Murphy said. 'When was the last time you drove down Tally Ho Road in Arroyo Grande and saw a primate?' The lawsuit Murphy filed against Ruben Flores alleged that 'under cover of darkness,' the father and unnamed accomplices moved the body four days after investigators searched his house in February 2020. Investigators didn't conduct their dig beneath the deck until more than a year later. Ruben Flores, father of Paul Flores, sits in court Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Paul Flores puts on a new N95 mask Aug. 3, 2021, at a preliminary hearing in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Kristin Smart disappeared during her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo more than 25 years ago On Monday, the prosecutor laid out evidence of the soil analysis from beneath the deck that shows a presence of blood and a recorded conversation between Paul Flores and his mother Susan Flores. During the call, the mother tells her son he needed to tell her where they can 'punch holes' in the 'Your Own Backyard' podcast because 'only you can.' The podcast, which launched in 2020, is credited with helping spark interest in the case. A British holidaymaker has been arrested after exposing himself in front of a teenage girl as he filmed her stripping down to a bikini at a hotel in Majorca. The 50-year-old was taken into custody by police in the tourist town of Peguera after the 17-year-old girl's mother spoke to another guest at their hotel who said she had seen the man behave identically towards another girl. Hotel staff called police who detained him when they arrived. Local reports on Thursday night said the unnamed Brit had been fined 960 euros (820) after admitting a crime of exhibitionism during a speedy trial at a court in the island capital Palma. The hotel in Peguera, a 15-minute drive from the party resort of Magaluf in the same municipality of Calvia, has not been named. The 50-year-old was taken into custody by police in the tourist town of Peguera (pictured) after exposing himself to a teenager at a hotel The Civil Guard this morning confirmed the arrest but a spokesman said he was unable to comment on the court hearing. The police spokesman said: 'We arrested a British man on Wednesday on suspicion of exposing himself to a minor at a hotel in Peguera.' A well-placed source said: 'Police were told he had been filming himself in front of a girl at the hotel with his genitals out of his swimming trunks.' No-one from the court in Palma was immediately available for comment. Police said the incident involving the teenager, whose nationality is not known, had happened two days before Wednesday's arrest. The girl told police she was stripping down to a bikini around the pool when she saw an older man a few feet away staring at her and touching his genitals with a mobile phone in his hand. The police spokesman said: 'We arrested a British man on Wednesday on suspicion of exposing himself to a minor at a hotel in Peguera' It was not immediately clear why there had been a 48-hour gap between the incident and the arrest, although a local report said the girl's mum called in police after speaking to another hotel guest who said she had seen the Brit repeat his pervert behaviour. The unnamed UK tourist is said to have flown home yesterday after his court appearance. It comes just days after a British tourist was arrested in the party resort of Magaluf a shrot drive from Peguera after a holidaymaker reported him to police for raping her. The woman alerted cops after meeting her alleged sex attacker during a drunken night out in the Majorcan resort town and blacking out in his hotel room. Local paper Ultima Hora said she woke up hours later to find the man 'on top of her'. The unnamed detainee was held after detectives went to the hotel where the pair ended up with a description the woman had given them of the rape suspect. A British tourist has been arrested in the party resort of Magaluf (pictured) after a UK holidaymaker reported him to police for raping her He was held in police custody before appearing in court where a judge agreed to release him pending an ongoing inquiry. Prosecutors did not demand that he be remanded in custody after he admitted to the judge he had sex with his female accuser but insisted it was consensual. The arrest is understood to have taken place on Sunday, while the behind-closed-doors court appearance unfolded on Monday. The hotel in question has not been named. Magaluf has long been renowned as a major party destination for people across Europe, particularly Brits. But its reputation has declined as authorities in Magaluf and all across Majorca have become increasingly fed up with the behaviour of British tourists visiting the island. Physical violence and drunken, loutish behaviour are commonplace, and the party resort has also seen a host of sexual assault claims come to light in recent years. A quadruple killer who slaughtered his family is now being hunted by police just days after he was released from prison. Ljube Velevski was released from jail eight days ago after serving more than 20 years behind bars for the murder of his wife and three children in their home south of Wollongong. Now, a police source has revealed that a warrant has been issued for Velevski, who is wanted for allegedly failing to comply with his obligations under the Child Protection Register. The register is responsible for monitoring offenders who commit sexual or violent offences against children. The Daily Telegraph understands police suspect Velevski has returned to the Illawarra, where he still has family. An arrest warrant issued for Ljube Velevski (pictured), 57, only days after he was released from jail for brutally slaughtering his partner Snezana, six-year-old daughter Zaklina and newborn twins Daniel and Dijana in their Wollongong house in 1994 Veleski brutally slaughtered his partner Snezana, six-year-old daughter Zaklina and newborn twins Daniel and Dijana in their Wollongong house in 1994. The 57-year-old was given a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars - but walked free from Junee Correctional Centre last Friday. A statement from the State Parole Authority confirmed he had not shown any remorse while behind bars or engaged in any rehabilitation. Velevski had seven days from his release from jail to report to his closest police station to be entered onto the register. His rights and responsibilities would have been explained to him by a specialist police officer. The CPR legislation dictates a person placed on the register must provide a range of information to police, including any aliases and their address. According to The Daily Telegraph, a police source confirmed Velevski (pictured) is wanted for allegedly failing to comply with his obligations under the Child Protection Register It also includes any employer details, any memberships to clubs or organisations that also allow child members, the registration of their vehicle, and all of their internet user names and email addresses. The police source said it would be alleged Velevski had failed to report within the required time frame. They stated: 'He had seven days to report and today is day eight.' Velevski claims his wife Snezana locked herself inside the bedroom and committed a murder-suicide On June 20, 1994, police found the bodies of Velevski's family with their throats cut open stacked on top of each other inside their home in Berkeley in the south of Wollongong. The father initially told police he had not seen his family since the previous night and that his wife had taken their children into a room and locked the door. Officers broke into the bedroom and found the bodies piled between a bed and cot. Velevski denied murdering them, claiming he had been asleep in his daughter's room for 17 hours straight prior to police finding their corpses. He was found guilty after an eight-week trial in 1997 - with a court sentencing him to 25 years jail for four counts of murder. Prosecutors believe he killed his family after his wife threatened to leave him. On June 20, 1994, police found the bodies of Velevski's family with their throats cut open stacked on top of each other inside their home in Wollongong's southern suburbs One of the key elements of the trial was proving it was Velevski who killed his family rather than his wife. Six forensic experts attended the crime scene, with three determining it was probable the father killed his family while two said it was his partner. Mendo Josifovski, his wife's brother, said the judge's decision was 'a joke' and 'too lenient' after sentencing him to 19 years without parole. Velevski attempted to overturn the conviction to the NSW Supreme Court in 1999 but it was dismissed. 'The conviction should be quashed the jury ought to have had a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused,' dissenting Justice David Kirby said at the time. 'There is, in my belief, a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted.' Wife Snezana (left) and six-year-old Zaklina (right) were brutally murdered by Velevski inside their Wollongong home in 1994 Newborn twins Daniel and Dijana also had their throats cut by their father - with prosecutors arguing he committed the murders after his wife threatened to leave them The court heard evidence that Snezana was suffering from postnatal depression and that her family had a history of mental issues, but her obstetrician said she was 'exactly the opposite' of that description. The case was then appealed to the High Court where it was also dismissed. On Thursday, NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said despite Velevski committing the 'worst imaginable' crime, he had served his time and there were no chances of an extended supervision order or a continued detention order. NSW State Parole Authority declined his parole in May, 2016 because he had 'not engaged in any programs to address his violent offending'. His wife's family were only informed by journalists that Velevski was set to walk free on Thursday. They said they weren't happy and had no idea where he may be living. A law graduate blew a kiss to supporters as she appeared in court charged with the murder of her fiance. Blaze Wallace, 27, is accused of killing 34-year-old Samuel Mayo. Wearing a grey sweatshirt and accompanied by two custody officers she only spoke from the secure dock to give her name, date of birth and address. The court read aloud the charge that she murdered Samuel Mayo, 34, in Lower Richmond Road, at the junction of Rosemary Lane on July 18. Nervous-looking Wallace asked to remain seated during the short hearing and she was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, July 26. Prosecutor Jordan Pratt did not address the court, nor did Wallaces defence representative. Magistrate Sara Brown told her: All we can do is remand you in custody to the Old Bailey to next Tuesday. If you are wondering why you are here it is because all cases start in the magistrates court. You will now go downstairs with the custody officers. Before leaving the dock Wallace blew a kiss to three supporters in the public gallery, two of whom were visibly emotional and distressed. Blaze Wallace, right, to appear in court charged with murdering Samuel Mayo, left, in Mortlake Blaze Wallace, right, 27, is accused of killing her 34-year-old fiance Samuel Mayo. on left Blaze Wallace, 27, is accused of killing her 34-year-old fiance Samuel Mayo in charge Police were called at around 10pm on Monday to reports of a man suffering a stab injury in Lower Richmond Road, Mortlake. He was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital but died around half an hour later. The woman was arrested near the scene. Police previously said the woman and the victim knew each other. Police were called on Monday night to reports of a man suffering a stab injury in Mortlake Wallace, of Richmond, is due to appear in custody at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Friday. Pro-Kremlin separatists in the Donbas have blocked access to Google, accusing the tech giant of promoting 'violence against Russians'. Rebel leader Denis Pushilin said the search engine was risking the lives of Putin's forces because of its apparent bias towards Ukraine. The head of the Donetsk People's Republic announced the decision on Telegram, a day after the neighbouring Lugansk People's Republic blocked the US site. Russian soldiers fire a 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled heavy mortar from their position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine today Pro-Kremlin separatists in the Donbas have blocked access to Google, accusing the tech giant of promoting 'violence against Russians' He said: 'Today, the West and Ukraine are exerting unprecedented pressure on the Republic and posing threats to both physical and psychological security. 'The purpose of this pressure is to intimidate the inhabitants of the Donetsk People's Republic, to break their spirit. 'We are sure that they will not succeed, because it is impossible to break the Russian spirit, but it is also impossible to remain inactive in such a situation.' The Donetsk and Lugansk separatist republics broke away from Kyiv in 2014 and an eight-year war with the Ukrainian army ensued. Information is tightly controlled by the pro-Russian statelets. Pushilin continued: 'The inhuman propaganda of Ukraine and the West has long crossed all boundaries. There is a real persecution of Russians, the imposition of lies and disinformation. Ukrainian service members fire a shell from a M777 Howitzer at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv 'At the forefront of information technology in this regard is the Google search engine, which openly, on the orders of its curators from the US government, promotes terrorism and violence against all Russians, and especially the population of Donbass. 'It didn't start yesterday. I think that this situation should no longer be put up with. We have decided to block Google on the territory of the DPR. 'This is what they do in any society with criminals: they are isolated from other people. If Google stops pursuing its criminal policy and returns to the mainstream of law, morality and common sense, there will be no obstacles for its work.' Russian troops seized full control of Ukraine's Lugansk region this summer, and have said they aim to capture the whole of the Donetsk region too. It is not the first time Putin and his allies have cracked down on the Western freedom of the internet in a bid to scrub out any references to the horrors being committed by their troops in Ukraine. Locals stand in front of a damaged school after a missile strike hit the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk On Wednesday, Russia's communications watchdog said it was taking steps to punish the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, for violating Russian law around the barbaric invasion. In a statement, Roskomnadzor said that Wikipedia still hosted 'prohibited materials, including fakes about the course of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine', and that search engines would be used to inform users that Wikimedia violated Russian law. Vice chair of the Russian parliament's committee on information policy Anton Gorelkin said that links to Wikipedia would be accompanied by a disclaimer warning users about legal violations by Wikimedia Foundation. Roskomnadzor said the measures would remain in place until Wikimedia Foundation becomes fully compliant with Russian law. The Wikimedia Foundation on June 13 appealed a Moscow court ruling, fining it 5 million roubles ($91,000) for refusing to remove what it termed disinformation from Russian-language Wikipedia articles on the Ukraine conflict, including 'The Russian Invasion of Ukraine', 'War Crimes during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine', and 'Massacre in Bucha'. Wikipedia, which says it offers 'the second draft of history', is written and edited by volunteers across more than 300 languages. With the shuttering of much of Russia's independent media after the invasion of Ukraine, Wikipedia became one of the last available sources of fact-checked information on the war available to Russians. Russia introduced sweeping new laws on sharing information about the conflict in Ukraine shortly after the Kremlin ordered tens of thousands of troops to deploy to the country on February 24. Narratives around the conflict, Europe's largest since 1945, are highly contested. Russia does not call what is happening a 'war' or an 'invasion', criminalising the use of either word, and instead framing it as a 'special military operation' to 'demilitarise and denazify' Ukraine. Ukraine and the West say that Russia's framing is a figleaf aimed at justifying an imperial-style war of aggression. Photos have emerged showing a trashed Bali hotel room moments after the Australian tourist staying there plunged to his death from its fourth-floor balcony. The 46-year-old, identified by local media by his initials DSJ, died on Wednesday at Haven Hotel in Seminyak, Bali, when he fell from his room's balcony onto a pool deck in front of resort guests. Witness Sara Winata told local news reporters she was relaxing on the deck by the hotel's pool when she heard 'blood-curdling' screams and banging on the glass from a room on the fourth floor. A 47-year-old Australian tourist died in Bali after falling four storeys from his hotel balcony to the pool deck below (pictured, Kuta nurses attempted to treat the man) Witnesses said they heard screaming, banging and loud noises coming from room 403 while at the pool deck below. Photos emerged of the trashed room showing upturned furniture, clothes and pillows scattered across the floor (pictured) She then ran and told hotel security guard Ahmad Sopy and together they went up to the fourth floor where they reportedly discovered the noise was coming from room 403. Ms Winata said the two of them were trying to get inside the room when they heard a loud noise from the pool deck below. 'The guest of room 403, or the victim, was lying unconscious. When she looked at the fourth floor, the witness did not see anyone,' Denpasar Police spokesperson First Inspector Ketut Sukad told CNN. A nurse from Kuta II Health Centre declared the tourist dead at the scene, reportedly having sustained serious head trauma and several broken bones. The hotel's security guard Mr Sopy said CCTV footage showed the man entering the hotel room alone but police have not confirmed if anyone else was in the room at the time of his death. 'The CCTV footage showed the victim staggering into the hotel room number 403 alone,' Mr Sopy said. Kuta police are investigating the commotion in room 403 and why it was left trashed with furniture upturned and clothes and pillows scattered across the floor. Balconies at Haven Hotel in Seminyak, Bali, look out on the hotel's swimming pool and deck (above) It is understood the man was booked to stay in the hotel from July 20 to July 25. The news comes just weeks after Aussie tourist Joshua James Connell died after he fell 15m from his hotel's pool deck in Phuket, Thailand, and landed on the roof of a cafe. Mr Connell was seen balancing on the pool's fencing just moments before his fall. Pas 90.00 mais 75.00 roupies que les menageres vont payer le litre dhuile comestible importe par la State Trading Corporation et qui a obtenu des subsides du gouvernement. Cabinet has agreed to the State Trading Corporation (STC) commercialising its own branded one-litre edible oil, as announced in Budget 2022-2023. It would be sold at a subsidised price of Rs75 per one-litre. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Advertisement With Boris Johnson finally conceding that he would have to leave office after mass resignations by members of his govermnent, he defended his record as Prime Minister in a barnstorming speech on Wednesday. But Mr Johnson gave a hint that he could attempt a comeback when he said 'mission largely accomplished - for now' during his final appearance at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. If he were to return to the country's highest office, he would be echoing his hero Sir Winston Churchill, who returned to Downing Street in 1951, after being turfed out of office at the 1945 election. Labour's Harold Wilson achieved the same feat when the loss of the 1970 election ended his first term, before he returned as PM in 1974 after winning more seats than Conservative leader Edward Heath. And former Conservative PM Stanley Baldwin served three terms as Prime Minister, with the first coming between 1923 and 1924 and the last from 1935 until 1937. However, neither Baldwin, Churchill nor Wilson, resigned as party leader during their time out of Downing Street and instead continued as Leader of the Opposition. For direct inspiration from the 20th century, Mr Johnson would have to look back to another Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay Macdonald, who made a comeback as PM despite losing his seat as an MP and being forced out as Labour leader. MacDonald served his first stint as Labour leader between 1911 and 1914 and then lost his seat in 1918, before returning to Parliament in 1922. He became Labour leader and then PM once again shortly afterwards. Going back to the 19th century, a host of Prime Ministers served more than one term, with the most notable ones being William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli. Gladstone served four separate stints as PM, with the final three coming after he had resigned as leader of his party and then made a comeback. With Boris Johnson finally conceding that he would have to leave office after mass resignations by members of his govermnent, he defended his record as Prime Minister in a barnstorming speech on Wednesday. But Mr Johnson gave a hint that he could attempt a comeback when he said 'mission largely accomplished - for now' during his final appearance at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons Mr Johnson said in his final Commons appearance as PM earlier this week: 'It is true that I helped to get the biggest Tory majority for 40 years and a huge realignment in UK politics. 'We have transformed our democracy and restored our national independence, as my right hon. Friend says. 'We have helpedI have helpedto get this country through a pandemic and helped save another country from barbarism. Frankly, that is enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplishedfor now.' He then signed off by saying 'hasta la vista, baby'. The words were an apparent reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger's catchphrase in the Terminator films, in which he also famously said: 'I'll be back'. Mr Johnson's final departing words provided further fuel to speculation that he may attempt to jump back into the political fray once again. Asked later if Mr Johnson was already planning a political comeback - given his concluding remarks at PMQs - the PM's press secretary said: 'That was his way of saying farewell to his colleagues.' After Mr Johnson announced that he intended to resign as Conservative leader and Prime Minister, claims emerged that he may attempt to run as a candidate in the party leadership election. If he were to return to the country's highest office, Mr Johnson would be echoing his hero Sir Winston Churchill, who returned to Downing Street in 1951, after being turfed out of office at the 1945 election. Above: Churchill during his first stint as PM Labour's Harold Wilson (pictured in 1974) achieved the same feat when the loss of the 1970 election ended his first term, before he returned as PM in 1974 after winning more seats than Conservative leader Edward Heath It prompted his spokesperson to insist that the claims were totally untrue. Journalist Petronella Wyatt, who had an affair with Mr Johnson when they both worked at the Spectator magazine, was among those who reported the claims. She said: 'A source at Number 10 tells me that Boris Johnson intends to stand down as Prime Minister on Monday, in order to run for the Tory leadership.' However, Conservative party rules would have prevented him from running even if he had wished to do so. Addressing the notion that he could make a comeback, political historian Tim Bale told The Guardian: 'I think you'd have to go back to the 19th century to see people going in and out [without remaining as party leader] 'Certainly in the 20th century you don't see people making comebacks in this way. 'It's not something that even Johnson's great hero [Churchill] has done.' Professor Bale conceded that a comeback was possible but unlikely, adding that his referral to the Commons privileges committee over the partygate scandal would be a huge obstacle. A report from the committee said on Thursday that Mr Johnson could be forced to face a byelection in his constituency of Uxbridge if he is found to have misled MPs. Former Conservative PM Stanley Baldwin (left) served three terms as Prime Minister, with the first coming between 1923 and 1924 and the last from 1935 until 1937. For direct inspiration from the 20th century, Mr Johnson would have to look back to another Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay Macdonald (right), who made a comeback as PM despite losing his seat as an MP and being forced out as Labour leader Mr Johnson's former chief aide Dominic Cummings said this week that the PM is supporting Foreign Secretary Liz Truss's leadership campaign because he thinks 'she'll blow and he can make a comeback'. Churchill became Prime Minister for the first time in May 1940, after Neville Chamberlain had been forced to resign. Although he then led Britain to victory in the Second World War and had enormous popular appeal throughout the country, Churchill's Conservative Party lost the 1945 election. The new Labour administration, led by his War Cabinet ally Clement Attlee, ushered in transformative changes that included the creation of the welfare state. However, Labour went on to lose the 1951 election, and so Churchill, who had remained as Conservative leader during more than five years in opposition, returned as PM. He remained in Downing Street for a further four years before a stroke he suffered in 1955 prompted him to resign for the second and final time in April of that year. Wilson first became PM in October 1964, and remained in post until June 1970, when Edward Heath's Conservatives won that year's election. The Labour politician remained leader of his party for four years and then returned to Downing Street in March 1974. However, he unexpectedly resigned midway through his second term, allowing James Callaghan to become PM in April 1976. Baldwin's first term as PM began in 1923 but only lasted until the following year, when he called an election and lost it to Labour. Labour's Ramsay Macdonald then entered Downing Street for the first time but was only PM for nine months before losing the 1924 election. Going back to the 19th century, a host of Prime Ministers served more than one term, with the most notable ones being William Gladstone (left) and Benjamin Disraeli (right). Gladstone served four separate stints as PM, with the final three coming after he had resigned as leader of his party and then made a comeback. Disraeli served two stints as PM Baldwin then served his second stint as PM, from 1924 until 1929 before he narrowly lost the 1929 election. Macdonald returned as PM and then lasted in office until 1935, before Baldwin again replaced him and won that year's election. Baldwin then served a final two years as PM before retiring in favour of Neville Chamberlain. The first of Gladstone's remarkable four stints as PM began in 1868 and lasted until 1874. Afterwards, he resigned as leader of the Liberal Party, but then returned and became PM again in 1880. His second stint in office came to an end five years later, in 1885. Gladstone's third period as PM lasted only five months, from February until July 1886. The veteran politician then served for his final stint in office between 1892 and 1894. He was aged 82 when he was appointed for the last time. Disraeli - a great rival to Gladstone - served as PM for the first time from February 1868 until December of that year. He then returned to Downing Street in February 1874, and served for just over six years before Gladstone's Liberals won the 1880 election. A care home boss who stole thousands of pounds earmarked for elderly residents was unmasked as a thief by her colleagues after they had to use their own pay packets to buy toiletries and clothing for victims. Joanne Whalen, 51, is feared to have pocketed up to 25,000 over a three year period at the expense of frail and confused old people - many of whom had dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The mother-of-three was found out after a care assistant on the minimum wage confided in a director at the Firs Hall Care Home in Failsworth near Oldham, Greater Manchester, that she and her colleagues had been using their own cash to buy bath products, clothing and cigarettes for penniless residents. One man who paid 21,966 pounds in cash to Whalen over the course of a year received legal letters warning him he was in arrears and that bailiffs had been summoned to reclaim goods from his home. He was only able to prove he had paid as he had kept receipts from the money he handed over. Joanne Whalen (pictured), 51, was condemned as 'despicable' by the judge as he sentenced her to 18 years in jail for stealing money from old and confused people - although she claimed she had just 'borrowed' the money to pay off massive debts she had accumulated At Minshull Street Crown Court, Whalen of Newton Heath, Manchester was branded 'despicable' by a judge who jailed her for 18 months after she admitted theft and fraud by abuse of position. The court heard the thefts began in 2017 after Whalen ended up in 45,000 worth of debt through mortgage arrears, council tax bills, credit cards and purchases through catalogues. Andrew McIntosh prosecuting said: 'One man Brian Rourke who was suffering Parkinson's and dementia was admitted to Firs Hall for care and a price for fees was agreed with his son Damon and money was paid to the defendant in cash on request. 'Around 200 was paid by Damien each week with some used to pay for haircuts for his father and he was given signed receipts.' 'But in 2019 Damon received a letter from debt collector demanding payment for money said to be owned to the care home. 'He contacted the the defendant who said it was administrative error and told him to ignore the letter but shortly afterwards he got a court letter demanding payment of the debt. 'He contacted her again. She said she knew about it and that she would sort it out. 'But Mr Rourke contacted a solicitor and provided receipts which were then sent to the defendant's employers. 'She was asked about the receipts but she then said had never met Damon Rourke and that the receipts were fabricated.' Mr McIntosh added: 'Residents of the home would have their own spending money which was used to buy toiletries cigarettes and clothing. 'The money was delivered to the care home manager where it was locked in a cabinet and the manager was expected to keep basic financial records as to what the money was being spent on. 'During the Covid crisis money was paid directly into the manager's account to avoid unnecessary visits and the company paid 2,800 into the defendant's bank account for two residents with money for other residents being paid in cash. 'She confirmed the money had been allocated to the residents but in April 2021 one of the directors went to the home to carry out an unannounced check and during that visit she spoke to the defendant who told her she did not have the keys to the safe. 'The directors said she would wait whilst the defendant got them from home but Whalen then said she could not get into the house as her son had the keys to the property. 'As the director was leaving she was approached by a staff member who asked to speak to her in private. 'Later they spoke and the staff member said she was worried about the residents as it appeared they didn't have any money and that she and other care assistants had been buying things out of their own money as they did not want the residents to go without. 'They would buy cigarettes and toiletries for those residents. 'The residents did not have money and had to rely on the kindness of care home staff who were out of pocket. 'These staff members were on minimum wage and not exactly flush.' Later Whalen approached the same care assistant and asked her to lend her money so she could put it in the safe to make it look as if money was there for the residents. The carer refused and Whalen mysteriously went missing when the director made a return visit to check the safe. The safe was forced open and just 90 of the expected 1,680 were found inside. The director tried to phone Whalen but she found her number was blocked and she wrote to her saying she was suspended. The Care Quality Commission subsequently conducted an inspection of the home. Whalen eventually contacted her employers to admit she had some of the residents' money in her account and she transferred 600 into the company account. When arrested at home she replied; 'I've paid it all back - what I had left I gave back.' She said later she had started to 'borrow' money earmarked for residents for over a year as she was in debt. Whalen denied using money for herself and insisted she had only taken a total of 1,680 pounds of which she had paid back 600. But in a statement Sarah Wooliscroft a director at the care home said: 'I'm very disappointed that the residents had been financially abused in this way by someone in a position of trust. 'I have seen at first hand the agitation and stress that has been caused to those people when they have come to Firs Hall to be looked after. 'I only hope the stress has not had a detrimental effect on their existing medical conditions. 'The staff have been misled and out of the kindness of their hearts have funded the purchase of residents' personal items.' Mr Rourke said: 'I thought I was doing the right thing by paying cash as it was requested by the manager of the care home but I did not one for second think it would be stolen and that I would get debt collectors after me when I have already paid. 'Luckily l I kept receipts as I am not sure how else I could have proved it.' The court heard no further action had been taken against Mr Rourke and the company had to shoulder the loss. Whalen who was fired from her job had no previous convictions. She will face a Proceeds of Crime hearing later. In mitigation her lawyer Andrew Marsh said: 'She understands she engaged in dishonest behaviour over a period of time when she was in a position of trust. 'The seriousness cannot be understated and she does not seek to hide from that.' Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Paul Hodgkinson told Whalen: 'You were supposed to be caring for the most vulnerable in our society and should have been involved in ensuring their safety and wellbeing but you did nothing of the sort - in fact you did the complete opposite. Residents at Firs Hall Care Home in Failsworth near Oldham, Greater Manchester, went without basic supplies like bath products and clothing due to Whalen's embezzlement of their funds 'It was despicable behaviour perpetrated by you. 'You have caused these people undoubted stress as a result of your entirely selfish actions. 'I should remind you these are elderly people suffering from conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and Parkinson's disease. 'Your colleagues who attempted to do the best they could to ensure a quality of life for those in their care...dipped into their own pockets to remedy the shortfall that your selfish actions had caused. 'You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. ' Advertisement Princess Diana burst into tears when she repeated 'wholly baseless' and bogus smears by Martin Bashir that Prince Charles was having an affair with William and Harry's royal nanny, the Princess of Wales' friend revealed today. The BBC yesterday paid out around 200,000 to Tiggy Legge-Bourke before Tim Davie, the corporation's director-general, also made a humiliating apology to her as well as to the Prince of Wales and his sons. A formal statement, agreed by the former nanny and the BBC, said she was the victim of 'very serious and totally unfounded' allegations that she was having an affair with Charles that had resulted in an aborted pregnancy. These allegations, the statement said, had been 'fabricated' and a series of false claims had left the former nanny 'extremely upset and confused'. Diana's former psychic Simone Simmons told The Sun: 'My heart goes out to Tiggy. I remember when Diana told me that she had it from the highest authority that Charles had an affair and Tiggy had a termination. 'Her face went beetroot and she burst into tears. Diana was very angry with Charles and told the boys not to speak to Tiggy. Diana died believing it was true. If she was around now she'd be dreadfully apologetic. But Bashir made her paranoid about everything and everyone. It was one of the biggest con tricks ever played'. The BBC yesterday paid out around 200,000 to a former royal nanny who was subjected to 'wholly baseless' smears by Martin Bashir. A court had heard that Miss Legge-Bourke suffered substantial damage and upset for 25 years as a result of 'false and malicious allegations'. Although he was not named at the hearing, the false claims are said to have been made by Bashir while working on a BBC Panorama interview with Princess Diana. Miss Legge-Bourke said the 'false narrative' created by the programme had 'haunted' the Royal Family since it aired in 1995. Princess Diana is believed to have cried when she repeated false claims are said to have been made by Martin Bashir while working on a BBC Panorama interview with Princess Diana. The damages are the result of false claims made by the journalist, used as part of his attempts to secure his 1995 interview with Princess Diana Alexandra Pettifer, better known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, a former nanny to the Duke of Cambridge, outside the High Court, central London, after the BBC agreed to pay her substantial damages over 'false and malicious' allegations about her used to obtain Martin Bashir's 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales Tiggy Legge-Bourke with William, Harry and Charles at Zurich Airport in February 1994 Yesterday Earl Spencer again reiterated his call for criminal charges over the Princess Diana Panorama scandal - as the BBC issued a grovelling apology over the 'shocking' way Martin Bashir obtained the notorious interview. Corporation boss Tim Davie pledged to never show the programme again as a defamation case launched by former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke over smears made by the rogue reporter came to a close. The BBC apology to Tiggy Legge-Bourke in full 'Following publication of the Dyson Report last year we have been working with those who suffered as a result of the deceitful tactics used by the BBC in pursuit of its interview with Diana, Princess of Wales for the Panorama programme in 1995, including the matters that were mentioned in court in respect of Miss Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Mrs Alexandra Pettifer. 'The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to the Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives. 'It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly. Instead, as the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions. 'Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down. 'Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we licence it in whole or part to other broadcasters. 'It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.' Advertisement The broadcaster agreed to pay her substantial damages in response to 'fabricated' allegations that she'd had an affair with the Prince of Wales while working as Charles' personal assistant in 1995. Mr Bashir is also said to have tricked Diana into believing the nanny had become pregnant by Charles by showing her a faked abortion 'receipt'. The princess' brother, Earl Spencer, has long called for criminal charges to be brought, but Scotland Yard said it would not launch an investigation after assessing Lord Dyson's report into the documentary. He launched a fresh call, as he said: 'While I'm delighted to see that another innocent victim of this appalling scandal is being vindicated, it's amazing to me that no criminal charges have been levelled against those responsible, yet.' Miss Legge-Bourke's solicitor Louise Prince had earlier told the court that the allegations caused 'serious personal consequences for all concerned'. Ms Prince said that Ms Legge-Bourke had not known the source of the allegations over the last 25 years, but that it was now likely that the 'false and malicious allegations arose as a result and in the context of BBC Panorama's efforts to procure an exclusive interview with Diana, Princess of Wales'. The corporation's director-general Mr Davie directed a public apology to Charles, William and Harry, as well as Miss Legge-Bourke herself 'for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives'. He agreed with comments previously made by the Duke of Cambridge that the BBC 'failed to ask the tough questions' and admitted it was 'a matter of great regret' that bosses 'did not get to the facts'. Mr Davie pledged to never show the Panorama programme again, or provide the rights to other broadcasters, adding: 'Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. 'We let her, the royal family and our audiences down.' However Mr Davie added that 'there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts'. In a statement on the independent report last year, the Met Police announced it was 'not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995'. Timeline of the Diana-Panorama scandal 1986: Martin Bashir joins BBC as news correspondent and works on programs including Songs of Praise, Public Eye and Panorama. November 1995: The famous interview with Princess Diana turns Mr Bashir into TV's hottest property. 1996: The Mail on Sunday reveals claims that Mr Bashir used faked bank documents to persuade Diana to talk. The BBC holds internal inquiry dismissed as a 'whitewash'. 1999: Moves to ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald. His scoops include interview with Stephen Lawrence suspects and documentary on Michael Jackson. May 2004: Quits to host ABC's Nightline in US. Suspended in 2008 after making 'Asian babes' remark at Asian American Journalists convention. 2010: Joins NBC News as an MSNBC anchor. He resigns in 2013 after controversial remarks about vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. 2016: BBC re-hires Mr Bashir as religious affairs correspondent. He is later promoted to religion editor. October 2020: Channel 4 documentary alleges there was 'elaborate plot' by Mr Bashir to trick Diana into talking. November 7: The Daily Mail reveals a shocking dossier held by Diana's brother Earl Spencer revealing alleged royal smears, lies and tricks that Mr Bashir used to land his interview. November 18: BBC orders six-month inquiry by former judge Lord Dyson. May 14, 2021: The BBC announces Mr Bashir has handed in his notice on health grounds. Advertisement 'Following the publication of Lord Dyson's report in May, specialist detectives assessed its contents and looked carefully at the law - once again obtaining independent legal advice from Treasury Counsel as well as consulting the Crown Prosecution Service,' the force said. 'As a result, the MPS has not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence and will therefore be taking no further action.' Miss Legge-Bourke said in a statement yesterday that the distress caused to the royal family, as well as the smears against herself, were 'a source of great upset to me'. Speaking after successfully settling her defamation claim, the former nanny said: 'I am disappointed that it needed legal action for the BBC to recognise the serious harm I have been subjected to. 'Sadly, I am one of many people whose lives have been scarred by the deceitful way in which the BBC Panorama was made and the BBC's subsequent failure to properly investigate the making of the programme. 'The distress caused to the royal family is a source of great upset to me. 'I know first-hand how much they were affected at the time, and how the programme and the false narrative it created have haunted the family in the years since. 'Especially because, still today, so much about the making of the programme is yet to be adequately explained.' Louise Prince of Harbottle & Lewis, on behalf of Alexandra Pettifer, who was known at the time as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, told the court that the former nanny was 'relieved that the BBC accepts that the allegations are completely untrue and without any foundation whatsoever. 'She is also pleased that the BBC has agreed to apologise unreservedly... in order to assist her in repairing the substantial harm it has caused her. 'The BBC has agreed to pay to her a substantial sum of damages... It has also agreed to pay her legal costs.' The court was told that the Dyson Investigation, commissioned by the broadcaster, had 'shed some light' on how the interview had been secured. The solicitor said that the 'totally unfounded' allegations 'appeared to exploit some prior false speculation in the media' about Ms Legge-Bourke and Charles. 'After Diana, Princess of Wales, became aware of the allegations in late 1995, she became upset with the claimant without apparent justification,' she added. Ms Prince said Ms Legge-Bourke 'holds the BBC liable for the serious impact the false and malicious allegations have had. 'Had the BBC not fallen short, the claimant and her family could have been spared 25 years of lies, suspicion and upset.' Jonathan Scherbel-Ball of lawyers 5RB on behalf of the BBC told the court: 'The BBC accepts that the allegations were wholly baseless, should never have been made, and that the BBC did not, at the time, adequately investigate serious concerns over the circumstances in which the BBC secured the Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales... 'The BBC is extremely sorry for the serious and prolonged harm caused to (Mrs Pettifer) and the historical investigative shortcoming. 'It is pleased that the parties have been able to resolve these issues amicably by joining in this statement in open court and by the BBC paying her substantial compensation and legal costs.' Former BBC Panorama producer Mark Killick said: 'It's good news that this matter has finally been resolved, but the length of time it has taken for the BBC to apologise and pay damages is yet more proof that the BBC is dragging its feet when confronting the past. 'The BBC remains extremely reluctant to confront any issue that was not specifically covered by Lord Dyson, even if the truth is widely known, and its attitude is hardly likely to give confidence to whistle-blowers who today may want to speak truth to power. 'Tim Davie, the current BBC director-general, deserves credit for the steps he has taken, but whether the BBC has done enough to prevent a scandal like this from happening again remains to be seen.' Miss Legge-Bourke (pictured with son Tom, left, leaving court yesterday) said the distress caused to the royal family, as well as the smears against herself, were 'a source of great upset to me' Earl Spencer again reiterated his call for criminal charges over the Princess Diana Panorama scandal William and Harry play on the River Gairn near Balmoral with their nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke in 1994 The ex-nanny of Prince William and Prince Harry (pictured in 2005) has received substantial damages from the BBC for being smeared by former rogue reporter Martin Bashir Prince William has previously vowed to continue his battle to uncover 'the truth' about how his mother came to be duped by Martin Bashir (pictured) William criticised the BBC in 2020 for its failings around his mother's Panorama interview which exacerbated her 'fear, paranoia and isolation' BBC boss Tim Davie issued a grovelling apology as the broadcaster agreed to pay damages Who else has the BBC paid out to over the Martin Bashir scandal? A charity of the Royal Family's choice Last year the BBC agreed to pay 1.15million pound to a charity of the Royal Family's choice over the Bashir scandal. The figure was equal to the amount of money the corporation made by selling the global rights. The BBC agreed to make the donation after the Dyson Inquiry found the BBC 'fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency of its handling of Bashir'. Matt Weissler A graphic designer who said in 1996 that Bashir had asked him to forge bank documents to help earn Diana's trust. But rather than being met with respect, his career was turned upside down by BBC bosses, who blacklisted him from work with the corporation. It took until November 2020 for an inquiry to be established based on the Mail on Sunday's reporting. The BBC last year agreed a 750,000 payout for Weissler. Patrick Jephson Princess Diana's former private secretary has received 'substantial' damages over the scandal. The corporation also apologised 'unreservedly' to Mr Jephson. Bashir commissioned forged bank statements purporting to show how payments were made into the account of Jephson from intelligence services monitoring Diana's movements. The documents were used to convince Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, into introducing Bashir to the princess and later convince her into an interview. Mr Jephson said it was 'a relief' to 'finally to reach a conclusion to this painful episode' and added he will donate the money, believed to be around 100,000, to a children's hospice. Alan Waller Earl Spencer's former head of security, Alan Waller, whose bank statements were also forged on the orders of Bashir, had claimed he should get a payout. He said his named had been 'repeatedly dragged through the mud' by Bashir. But last year he told The Telegraph the BBC was not engaging in 'any meaningful way' over his 500,000 compensation claim. Advertisement As well as false smears that she had an affair with Charles, it was also alleged that the Princess of Wales was tricked into granting her Panorama interview after Mr Bashir showed her a faked abortion 'receipt' for the nanny. Diana was said to have become convinced that the nanny had become pregnant by Charles and allegedly confronted her at a Christmas party, where she acidly remarked: 'So sorry to hear about the baby.' It was previously reported that Miss Legge-Bourke could be set for a financial settlement in line with that received by graphic artist Matt Wiessler. Insiders believe that such was the scale of Bashir's slurs about Miss Legge-Bourke Mr Wiessler, who was blacklisted after he raised concerns about Bashir's conduct on the 1995 interview, is thought to have received 500,000 as part of his agreement with the BBC. The artist had been asked by Bashir to mock up false bank statements. Elsewhere, earlier this year the BBC paid Diana's former private secretary Patrick Jephson 100,000. Commander Jephson donated in full his financial settlement from the BBC to charity, with money going to a children's hospice. Bashir was said to have used fake bank statements which appeared to show he had received payments from the intelligence services. The BBC also reportedly paid more than 1.5million to a charity selected by the Royal Family after the fallout from a report by Lord Dyson into the scandal. BBC director-general Tim Davie said: 'Following publication of the Dyson Report last year we have been working with those who suffered as a result of the deceitful tactics used by the BBC in pursuit of its interview with Diana, Princess of Wales for the Panorama programme in 1995, including the matters that were mentioned in court in respect of Miss Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Mrs Alexandra Pettifer. 'The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to the Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives. 'It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly. Instead, as the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions. 'Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down. 'Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we licence it in whole or part to other broadcasters. 'It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.' In a blistering attack last year, Prince William damned the corporation for deceiving his mother, ruining her life and helping to hasten her divorce. He said the BBC's failures had contributed to Diana's 'fear, paranoia and isolation' in her final years, and that the infamous 1995 Panorama interview made a 'major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse'. He said: 'It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others. 'This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events. 'In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. 'These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too.' The Duke of Sussex has won a bid to bring a High Court claim against the Home Office over his security arrangements while in the UK. Prince Harry is taking legal action over a decision not to allow him to pay for police protection for himself and his family when visiting from north America. In the first stage of the case earlier this month, the duke's lawyers asked Mr. Justice Swift to grant permission for a full hearing to have a judge review the Home Office's decision. In a judgment on Friday, the High Court judge said the case could proceed, granting permission for part of Harry's claim to have a judicial review. However, in a blow to the duke's case, the judge refused permission for some of his claims to have a review. He rejected arguments put forward by Harry's legal team that he should have been told who on the committee made the protection decision and that he did not have the opportunity to comment on the 'appropriateness' of the process and individuals involved in the blocking. The application for permission to apply for judicial review is allowed in part and refused in part,.' Swift said. The Duke of Sussex has won a bid to bring part of his High Court claim against the Home Office over his security arrangements while in the UK. Prince Harry is taking legal action over a decision not to allow him to pay for police protection for himself and his family when visiting from north America. Above: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pictured together in Brixton, south London, in 2018 The duke's challenge concerns the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) over his security, after being told he would no longer be given the 'same degree' of personal protective security when visiting. Harry's legal team are seeking to argue that the security arrangements set out in a letter from Ravec, and their application when he visited the UK in June 2021, were invalid due to 'procedural unfairness' because he was not given an opportunity to make 'informed representations beforehand'. Shaeed Fatima QC, for the duke, told the court earlier this month: 'He didn't know at that stage that the Royal Household was involved at all he was told it was an independent decision.' Lawyers for the Home Office say Ravec was entitled to reach the decision it did, which is that Harry's security arrangements will be considered on a 'case by case' basis, and argue that permission for a full judicial review should be refused. In the first stage of the case earlier this month, the duke's lawyers asked Mr Justice Swift to grant permission for a full hearing to have a judge review the Home Office's decision. Above: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Rotorua, New Zealand, in 2018 In a public judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Swift said the duke had brought the claim for judicial review on five grounds, four of which were 'arguable' and were granted permission, with some parts of the grounds removed. This means there will be a full High Court hearing to review the duke's claim. Harry was granted permission on the arguments including that Ravec's decisions were legally unreasonable, and that the duke should have been told about Ravec's policy before its decision in February 2020. Mr Justice Swift ruled that it can be argued the Duke of Sussex should have 'had the opportunity to make representations to Ravec' which was a point in one of the duke's grounds. He wrote in his judgment that within this ground, 'the only arguable matter that arises is whether the claimant should have had the opportunity to make representations direct to Ravec, including the opportunity to comment on other matters Ravec considered'. The judge added that the Home Office is 'yet to have the chance to address in evidence' the process by which Ravec took its decision and this 'should be considered at a final hearing'. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured) returned with their two children last month for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee after reportedly being given 'cast iron assurances' they would be protected by specialist police However, the judge denied permission for other parts of Harry's claim, including that he should have been told who the members of Ravec were and that he did not have the chance to discuss the 'appropriateness' of some people being involved in the committee. Mr Justice Swift said: 'In the course of submissions, it became apparent that, while the claimant may have had disagreements with persons who were Ravec committee members, there was no evidence at all to support a claim that any committee member had approached decisions with a closed mind... Ultimately it was accepted for the claimant that no such case was, or could be, advanced.' The duke's lawyers had also argued that Ravec's policy was applied in an 'overly rigid and inflexible manner', but the judge said this part of the claim could also not go ahead. Mr Justice Swift added: 'As all who are familiar with judicial review claims will know, a conclusion at the permission stage that a case is arguable is some distance from a conclusion that that the case will succeed at final hearing.' This is the heartwarming moment a starving polar bear whose tongue became caught inside a tin can was dramatically rescued. The female called Monetochka had sought human help after the sharp-edged condensed milk container got wedged to her tongue. A team of rescuers flew 2,125 miles from Moscow to reach the Arctic port of Dikson, one of the world's remotest settlements, after the bear seemingly pleaded with residents for help. Chief veterinarian of the Moscow Zoo Mikhail Alshinetsky tends to a sedated female polar bear whose tongue was stuck in a tin can Monetochka sleeps on the grass besides a pile of fish after it was finally freed from the can The starving polar bear approached homes in an Artic outpost for help after getting its tongue caught inside a tin can The video shows how the beast was sedated and then a vet used pliers to remove the tin A team of rescuers flew 2,125 miles from Moscow to reach the Arctic port of Dikson, one of the world's remotest settlements The video shows how the beast was sedated and then a vet used pliers to remove the tin. Mikhail Alshinetsky, chief vet of Moscow Zoo, said: 'It's a bear cub, female, about two years old. 'The tin got stuck and its lid clamped down on the tongue. 'The animal spent a few days with a tongue stuck, and the tongue became swollen. The bear was unable to drink or eat. 'We successfully sedated her, removed the tin, and gave antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications.' Mikhail Alshinetsky, chief vet of Moscow Zoo, said the female bear cub was around two years old and emaciated After the surgery to remove the can, the polar bear was seen walking and eating freely The bear was not able to eat or drink while the metal can was stuck in its mouth The emaciated bear was then successfully put in a cage and flown by helicopter some 50 miles into the tundra They left a huge supply of fish to help her recover from the starvation while she was unable to eat The emaciated bear was then successfully put in a cage and flown by helicopter some 50 miles into the tundra - far away from the homes where it had sought human help. They left a huge supply of fish to help her recover. 'We transported the animal to the tundra, and injected it again to wake her up,' Mr Alshinetsky said. Earlier a resident of Dikson had tried to remove the tin when the bear came close to his home. But the metal was wedged too deeply in the frightened beast's mouth. Experts say polar bears would never normally approach humans in this way. Russian environmental watchdog chief Svetlana Radionova said: 'The polar bear was found some 3km [1.9 miles] from Dikson airport. The wild animal pleaded for human help in Dikson, northern Russia, as it has been unable to eat after getting its tongue lodged in an empty can of condensed milk A team of vets arrived at the remote village after a 2,125 mile air and road journey plagued by bad weather and managed to sedate the female polar bear and remove the tin can. The sedated bear will be monitored for several days, and then returned to its natural habitat 'Vets managed to sedate her with the first shot, and removed the tin can. 'The bear is a young female, weighing between 80 and 90kg.' As it came close to people it was plainly scared while also sensing this was its only hope of survival. Svetlana Akulova, general director of Moscow Zoo, said 'We have prepared 50kg of fish for the bear to help its recovery.' Vets managed to sedate the polar bear with the first shot, and removed the tin can Dikson, with a population of 676, is one of the world's most northerly settlements, named after Swedish explorer Baron Oscar Dickson Before the vets arrived the animal was seen with its hind legs shaking from hunger and thirst. 'The bear got so exhausted with the can it was coming to us and sticking its tongue out,' said a resident. 'But it was impossible to help without traumatising the bear, so people gave up.' The suffering animal walked around the village in search of help. The beast probably found the tin can at a rubbish dump while scavenging for food. Dikson - population 676 - is one of the world's most northerly settlements, named after Swedish explorer Baron Oscar Dickson. Nornickel - a major Russian nickel and palladium mining and smelting company - funded the rescue and provided the transport. A British holidaymaker pushed her boyfriend to his death from their hotel balcony after a furious row in their bloodstained room, a court in Turkey has heard. Father-of-one Reece Pegram, 21, died instantly when he fell 100 feet onto a concrete yard from the five-star hotel in Side, Antalya, where he was staying with Mary Meyers Kayley, on the night of March 12. The court in Manavgat heard earlier this week that when police investigated the death they found bloodstains all over the couple's room. Hotel staff reported the pair had been drinking heavily hours before the incident. Scottish-born Kayley, 31, was said to be so drunk she had to be taken to her room by hotel staff, while court reports stated Pegram went to the hotel lobby around 8pm for booze but was refused service as he was already inebriated. Traces of cocaine were also found in Pegram's body during the post-mortem examination. Prosecutors told the trial that the couple had rowed furiously in the moments leading up to Pegram's death. But Kayley - facing 24 years behind bars for murder - denied killing her boyfriend when questioned by police in the wake of the incident. Victim Reece Pegram, 21, died instantly when he fell 100 feet onto a concrete yard from the five-star hotel in Side, where he was staying with Mary Meyers Kayley (pictured) on March 12 The father-of-one was found to have traces of cocaine in his system during the post mortem and had been drinking heavily the night of the incident The pair were holidaying in the beachside town of Side, in Antalya province, Turkey She claimed bloodstains in the room were from accidentally cutting her thumb while getting into the shower, while insisting bloodstains in the bed were from a sex session. She initially admitted to having an argument with Pegram after finding out he had cheated on her with an ex-girlfriend. But she later changed her version of events, claiming the cut on her hand was caused by a broken glass and that they had argued about drug use instead. Kayley told the court how she went to the bathroom following the blazing row, but when she reemerged, her boyfriend was no longer there. She said she then went to bed, with police arriving on the scene while she was asleep. Hayley told prosecutors that Pegram was a drug kingpin back in Britain in an apparent attempt to discredit him. Explaining that they went to get tattoos and play backgammon at the tattoo parlour, Kayley told the court: 'Reece is one of the important drug dealers in England. He asked if there was any place to buy drugs here.' She also claimed that, on the day before his death, he had threatened to throw himself off the balcony but she had managed to talk him out of it. '[Reece] wanted to commit suicide because he had psychological problems. I was in the shower at this time, I accidentally cut only my right thumb when I got into the shower,' Kayley said in a statement. 'When I got out of the shower, I saw the person laughing evilly to himself on the balcony and said he wanted to commit suicide, I blocked him. Meanwhile, the blood on my right thumb spattered the floor and walls of the room.' In Turkey, the minimum non-parole term for a life prisoner is 24 years (Side is pictured) In a bizarre legal move, she tried to get judges to throw out her original police statement on the grounds that her official interpreter had been unable to understand her Scottish accent. But the court rejected the claim, pointing out that she was using the same interpreter at the hearing. The court ordered the defendant to undergo a mental health assessment. Prosecutors believe Kayley killed her boyfriend out of jealousy and are requesting a life sentence. In Turkey, the minimum non-parole term for a life prisoner is 24 years. It is unclear when the second hearing will take place. Pegram's body was flown back to Newcastle following the post-mortem and cremated at a funeral ceremony with family on May 9. A stalker obsessed with Billie Piper has been banned from visiting an entire postcode after he harassed the actress by turning up at her home. Infatuated Philip Jerome, 44, must wear an electronic tag which will alert authorities if he enters her London postcode after his 'obsessive' behaviour left the star feeling unsafe in her home. The fanatic has posted cards through the 39-year-old's letterbox, bombarded her with creepy social media messages for a decade and has written her 18-page love letters. He broke his restraining order which Secret Diary of a Call Girl star Piper was forced to seek and didn't bother attending therapy which a court mandated. Now, Jerome has been given a stalking protection order which lasts until 2026. Philip Jerome, 44, has been banned from visiting an entire postcode in Camden for repeatedly stalking former Doctor Who star Billie Piper Billie Piper, 39, said at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court that she did 'not feel safe being at home' after Jerome had turned up at her door, penned her an 18-page love letter and written to her on social media Under the new order, Jerome has been banned from visiting an area covering the NW1 postcode in London and given an electronic tag for two years. At Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Hants, a judge imposed the order after Jerome breached the restraining order, wrote a letter 'explaining his fixation and obsession' and visited her home. Jerome was warned he could be jailed for five years if he breaches the order, which also prevents him from visiting areas surrounding NW1 in London. District Judge David Robinson said: 'I have agreed that you have carried out actions associated with stalking and that a stalking protection order is necessary. 'I am making a series of prohibitions and requirements... You mustn't do any of these things. 'The tag you will have to wear at all times. You must notify the police if you have changed your address, changed your name or your usernames. 'Failure to comply with these notification requirements may be an offence.' In 2018, Jerome appeared in court in London and admitted stalking and was handed a restraining order, having sent Piper letters, turned up to her home and posted cards through her letterbox. In February 2019, he appeared in court in Southampton, Hants, and admitted harassment by breaching the restraining order after he sent Piper an 18-page message when she didn't attend the previous court hearing. The hearing was told he sent a lengthy Facebook message of 'adoration' to the actress via her mother and sister after tracking them down on the social networking site. Then, six months later in 2019, he appeared at court in Southampton again after he failed to turn up to 'important' sessions with a psychologist which the court ordered him to attend to deal with his stalking. His latest case at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court was his fourth court appearance in as many years. At one previous court case, Piper said in a statement: 'The letter [he sent my mother and sister] indicates his disappointment at not seeing me at court [when he was handed his restraining order]. 'I do not feel safe being at home. I do not believe he would show up and hurt me; however, I don't know that for sure.' Hearings have previously been told police had uncovered a large collection of newspaper cuttings and pictures of Piper at Jerome's home. On social media, Jerome, from Winchester, Hants, has proudly posted old photos of him with the star at Comic-Con events and posts images of her complimenting her appearance. Under the new order, Jerome has been banned from visiting an area covering the NW1 postcode in London and given an electronic tag for two years Sharing one image of Piper on a red carpet, Jerome said: 'If you were the devil then just maybe. I think I'd sell my soul to you your hotness!!!' In September last year, Jerome tweeted Piper saying: 'Hope you have had a great 39th birthday and an equally great or better 40th birthday next year!!! 'I really hope you enjoy your 40s and beyond and still age like a fine wine and stay forever young!!! In my mind you will always be an eternal teenager!' Previously, a court heard Jerome 'clearly thinks there's a relationship between them'. At the latest hearing, it was said that Jerome also 'poses a risk associated with stalking to another person'. A former Irish soldier who became an ISIS jihadi bride in Syria has been jailed for 15 months. Lisa Smith, 40, who was described during the trial as a 'propaganda tool' for ISIS, was handed the sentence at the Special Criminal Court in Belfast today. Judge Tony Hunt said the mother of one, from Dundalk on Ireland's east coast, was a low risk for reoffending. But he said Smith, a Muslim convert, went to Syria with her 'eyes wide open' and had shown no remorse for her actions. Smith, who arrived at court wearing a black hijab, was convicted in May of belonging to the banned terror group between 2015 and 2019. She is the first person to be convicted in an Irish court of an Islamic terrorist offence committed abroad. Smith could have faced a maximum sentence of eight years for membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation. She left the Irish military in 2011 after converting to Islam four years earlier and travelled in 2015 on a one-way ticket to a IS-controlled region in Syria, where she married Sajid Aslam. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith who became an ISIS jihadi bride in Syria has been jailed for 15 months Smith, who left the military in 2011, who was described during the trial as a 'propaganda tool' for ISIS, was handed the sentence at the Special Criminal Court in Belfast today Judge Tony Hunt said Smith (pictured before she converted to Islam) was a low risk for reoffending but had shown no remorse for her actions in joining the proscribed terror group Judge Hunt rejected her lawyer's plea to impose a suspended sentence but heeded his call for a jail term at the lower end of the scale. Her legal team has asked the court to allow Smith to be released on bail, pending an appeal. Smith was acquitted by three judges on a separate charge of financing terrorism by sending 800 euros ($810) to aid medical treatment for a Syrian man in Turkey. During her nine-week trial, prosecutors outlined how Smith - who was a member of the Irish Defence Forces from 2001 to 2011 - travelled to IS territory in 2015 following a conversion to Islam. In 2012, she went on pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia and expressed a desire on an Islamic Facebook page to live under Sharia law and to die a martyr. The court was told that she bought a one-way ticket from Dublin to Turkey, crossed the border into Syria and lived in Raqqa, the capital of the self-styled IS caliphate. Smith, who arrived at court wearing a black hijab (pictured), was convicted in May of belonging to the banned terror group between 2015 and 2019 At the time, the hardline Islamists ruled over vast swathes of Syria and Iraq, attracting thousands of foreign fighters to their cause before the group's territorial defeat in the region. As IS lost ground to a US-led coalition on the battlefield and towns and cities under its sway fell, Smith was forced to flee Raqa and then Baghouz, their last remaining stronghold, before returning to Ireland. She was arrested on arrival at Dublin airport on December 1, 2019 with her young daughter. Smith (pictured outside court on March 30) was acquitted by three judges on a separate charge of financing terrorism by sending 800 euros ($810) to aid medical treatment for a Syrian man in Turkey Smith (pictured during an interview with ITV) was arrested on arrival at Dublin airport on December 1, 2019 with her young daughter During sentencing arguments, her lawyer Michael O'Higgins asked for her to be spared jail as she had already served a custodial sentence in Syrian camps. He referred to Smith's acute psychological state, after she was described in expert reports as 'damaged' and 'vulnerable', emphasising the 'appalling' conditions she had faced with her young child. The court heard that Smith was held in the notorious Al-Hawl and Ain Issa refugee camps in northern Syria while she waited to be sent home to Ireland. O'Higgins explained how IS members in the camps imposed cruel punishments on other refugees including, in some cases, setting their tents on fire and killing them in the process. The defence lawyer also asked the court to consider that Smith has lived with a 13-hour daily curfew as part of her bail conditions since 2019. Police officers in Pennsylvania were forced to shoot a man's 15-foot pet snake in the head after it wrapped itself around his throat and gave him a heart attack. Cops were called after the reptile violently attacked its owner, 28, in Fogelsville, southeastern Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon. Paramedics, firefighters and police arrived at 2.12pm after a chilling dispatch simply stated: '28-year-old male with a snake wrapped around his neck.' Responders could scarcely believe what they saw, according to Upper Macungie Township lieutenant Peter Nickischer. He said: 'I heard part of that dispatch go out, and I had actually reached out to the chief and said: "What was that dispatch?" Upper Macungie Township police Lt Peter Nickischer said the officer 'did what he had to do' 'I think one of the officers described it as a scene from a horror movie and that's probably the most appropriate way to describe it', he told 6ABC. At first cops tried to cut the snake off the man's neck with a knife. But struggling to do so - and running out of time - an officer stepped back and shot it through the head. Lieutenant Nickischer added: 'Quite literally, the officer looked into the room and the snake was looking up at him. I mean, it was a face-to-face The officer just did what he had to do. 'It was a very dire situation for this person. 'They had to be very careful as far as protecting themselves. Getting too close, you know, trying to go hands-on with this reptile, was not a smart decision.' The man's home in Upper Macungie Township, PA, where the snake violently attacked him Another of the 28-year-old's snakes is pictured slithering around near the upstairs window He explained that the snake's midriff was coiled tightly around the man's throat. But its head was just far enough away that it could be shot without threat to the owner. After it died on impact with a single shot, responders dragged the snake away from the man and paramedics began conducting CPR. Lt Nickischer added: 'At that point the snake started to slither away but, as you can imagine, it's a very large snake, so it's still spread out into the hallway of this home.' The man is now recovering in hospital, though his current condition is unknown. He also owns numerous other snakes, neighbors confirmed. One was filmed slithering around by an upstairs window. It is unclear why the 15ft reptile turned on him. The terrifying incident comes after a python nursery raid saw searchers find two 17ft-long females, 23 eggs and dozens of hatchlings on a Florida nature reserve. The snakes came to Florida as pets, but owners discarded them into the wild, where they began to multiply and grow to great lengths. Le leader du Rassemblment Mauricien a envoye trois questions sur les quatre quil est autorise pour la 22e seance parlementaire de 2022. PQ 1 To ask the Hon Prime Minister. Whether as regards to the survey conducted on the Submarine Cable landing station at Baie de Jacobet by a foreign technical team on Friday the 15th of April, he will state : (a) The composition of the team (b]Their names Their professsional qualifications and expertise (d) whether they belong to an official agency or to a private company (e) The length of their stay in Mauritius And (f) whether they submitted any report after the survey ? PQ 2 To ask the Honourable Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development- Whether as regards to the link road between La Vigie and the West of the country, he can inform the House (a)the date when the first section between La Vigie and La Marie will be completed, and (b) when the two other segments, that is between La Marie and Beaux Songes and the last one to the West will be implemented? PQ 3 To ask the Minister of Health and Wellness- Whether as regards to the Molnupiravir tablets purchased last year, he can inform the House as to the stock available ? Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires A father-of-two who kidnapped a woman he met on a dating site before beating and raping her 18 times in a five-day reign of terror has been jailed for 22 years. Robert Wilson, 35, was sentenced at Victoria's County Court on Friday after he previously pleaded guilty to the sickening attacks on the 39-year-old woman. The woman - who is just 45kg compared to Wilson's 105kg frame - met him through dating app Badoo before she was locked inside a bedroom at his house at Darley in Melbourne's northwestern suburbs from March 25 to 29 in 2019. The court heard the room was rigged so that the moment she stepped outside the bedroom door into a hallway an alarm would be triggered to notify the father-of-two. Wilson told the woman if she tried to run away from his home, he would kill her, deport her or turn her into a 'money-making machine' by inviting men around to have sex with her. On Friday, Wilson was sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison by County Court Judge Fiona Todd. Robert Wilson (pictured), 35, sentenced to 22 years in jail after he handcuffed, bashed and raped a woman 18 times that he met on a dating app in 2019 The woman (pictured) was humiliated and beaten until her face was so swollen she could no longer see The father, who will be a registered sex offender for life, must serve at least 16 years before he is eligible for parole. Wilson was discussing plans to move in with the woman just days before he locked her inside his home and held her prisoner. Five days of horror followed for the woman, who was raped 18 times and beaten until her face was so swollen she could no longer see. Wilson's Darley property was surrounded by metal shutters and an electric fence, with security cameras tracking her every move. During the attacks, he beat her with a metal bar, held a speargun to her head, strangled her and asked her 'do you want to die?' He forced her to transfer him money and deleted her phone and Facebook contacts. When friends noticed the woman was missing, he manipulated them and forced her to film videos to send to them. After four days, he decided to drive his victim interstate. Along the way, he directed her in a chilling video that he would later send to her friends. Wilson (pictured) beat her with a metal bar, held a speargun to her head, strangled her, forced her to engage in sex and asked her 'do you want to die?' He told her to nod or shake her head in response to questions including if she felt safe with him, whether he had been hitting her and if she wanted to stay with him. They made it to Adelaide and then drove back to his home, where he raped her again. He released her after five days, on March 29. He drove her to her house and demanded incriminating Facebook posts by her friends be deleted and that she not tell anyone what had happened. Wilson pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, three counts of rape, theft and intentionally causing injury. Wilson (pictured) pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, three counts of rape, theft and intentionally causing injury Wilson (pictured), who will be a registered sex offender for life, must serve at least 16 years before he is eligible for parole Wilson's offending was 'grossly horrific', Judge Todd said. She wanted to ensure his sentence reflected the gravity of the attacks and the seriousness of intimate partner violence. 'This was boundless cruelty,' she said. 'Rape is fundamentally an act of violence, which occurred in this case within a broader range of other violent and degrading acts. 'The episode of driving into the night in your car must have been particularly terrifying, and the return to your house on the Friday morning particularly devastating.' She said the offending had a catastrophic impact on the victim, who cannot contemplate ever being in another relationship with a man. 'She was paralysed with fear much of the time you harmed her, but her will to survive was strong,' Judge Todd said, reading the victim impact statement. 'She said she feels different now, thinks that she will never be normal again.' It took two months for the woman's facial swelling to subside from the beatings and she still suffers nightmares from the ordeal. Judge Todd praised the victim's 'herculean' efforts in describing the attacks to her friends, police, the courts and for enduring days of cross-examination. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) The EU today launched fresh legal action against Britain as part of the ongoing feud over Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland. The European Commission this morning announced it had begun four new 'infringement procedures' against the UK for 'not complying' with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Brussels' latest move comes on top of the bloc's recent decision to relaunch earlier legal action it began over the Protocol in March last year. It had previously put this on hold while talks between the two sides continued. In today's action, the EU directly blamed Boris Johnson's bid to override key parts of the Protocol through new laws at Westminster. But the Government hit back at Brussels and warned a legal battle would be 'in nobodys interest'. Tory leadership contender Rishi Sunak - who is currently vying with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to replace Mr Johnson as Prime Minister - also condemned the EU's 'petty' action and accused the bloc of trying to 'infringe on our sovereign rights'. The EU directly blamed Boris Johnson's bid to override key parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol through new laws at Westminster The European Commission this morning announced it had begun four new 'infringement procedures' against the UK for 'not complying' with the Protocol The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is being pushed through Parliament by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, one of Mr Johnson's possible sucessors as PM The Prime Minister's unveiling of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill - which is being pushed through Parliament by Ms Truss - had seen the EU warn of legal action as well as raise the threat of a bitter UK-EU trade row. Following through on their threat of fresh legal action today, the European Commission said in a statement: 'Despite repeated calls by the European Parliament, the 27 EU member states and the European Commission to implement the Protocol, the UK Government has failed to do so. 'In a spirit of constructive cooperation, the Commission refrained from launching certain infringement procedures for over a year to create the space to look for joint solutions with the UK. 'However, the UK's unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussion since last February and the continued passage of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill through the UK Parliament go directly against this spirit.' The Protocol was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. But the Government has blamed the EU's rigid implementation of the agreement for causing significant trade disruption between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Problems blamed on the Protocol have also collapsed power-sharing in Northern Ireland, with the DUP refusing to join a new Stormont executive until issues are resolved. In the new legal action, the EU accused Britain of failing to introduce proper checks on goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. Brussels also claimed Britain was failing to implement EU rules on VAT in Northern Ireland, failing to implement general EU rules on excise duties, and failing to implement EU rules on excise duties on alcohol. The European Commission warned the UK to take 'swift remedial actions' to comply with the terms of the Protocol. It has given the UK two months to reply to legal letters and warned it 'stands ready to take further measures'. A Government spokesperson said: 'It is disappointing that the EU has chosen to bring forward further legal action, particularly on goods leaving Northern Ireland for Great Britain which self-evidently present no risk to the EU single market. 'A legal dispute is in nobodys interest and will not fix the problems facing the people and businesses of Northern Ireland. 'The EU is left no worse off as a result of the proposals we have made in the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. 'We will review the EUs arguments and respond in due course.' The EU was also condemned by Mr Sunak. A spokesperson for the ex-Chancellor's leadership campaign said: 'The European Commission is interfering with our sovereign right to control our own e-commerce rules and set our own taxes. 'As a believer in Brexit from the beginning, Rishi has been clear that he would continue with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill until and unless the EU says it is willing to come to the table to renegotiate the contents of the Protocol. 'Based on what we have seen today, the Commission is committed to taking petty and unwelcome steps that infringe on our sovereign rights, rather than addressing the real issues around the Protocol.' Last month, Mr Johnson defended the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill as a means of taking 'relatively trivial' steps to improve trade and reduce bureaucracy. The EU's new legal action has come as a surprise as it was thought Brussels would wait to see who replaced the PM out of Mr Sunak and Ms Truss. Only on Thursday, Ireland's foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney had said the EU was waiting to see what the approach of the next PM would be before deciding its next move over the Protocol. 'I think there is a sense in Brussels now that they want to wait for a new Prime Minister to be in office in No 10 Downing Street,' he said. Ms Truss, in her role as Foreign Secretary, has been leading talks with the EU over the Protocol but is said to have grown frustrated with the 'computer says no' attitude of Brussels during negotiations. She is viewed as being among the keenest members of Mr Johnson's Cabinet for pushing ahead with unilateral action through the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. But Mr Sunak, while he was still in Government, was claimed to have expressed concerns about the impact of the action on wider trade relations with the EU. The Bill passed through the House of Commons this week but is set to face stiff opposition in the House of Lords when peers return to Parliament after the summer recess. Former PM Theresa May has led condemnation of the Bill in the Commons as 'illegal' in international law. EU law professor Catherine Barnard, the deputy director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, said the European Commission was clearly 'upping the ante' with the fresh legal action. She noted the EU was focusing on 'quite technical issues' and is yet to bring legal proceedings for a breach of the duty of good faith by the UK Government's unveiling of the Bill. 'This does feel like they are now looking out for every breach and will now go after them rather than taking a more pragmatic approach to go after the bigger breaches', she said. 'It's quite clear it's an escalation.' The disgraced mayor of Waynesburg and two other 911 workers are charged in the alleged cover up of the death of a Pennsylvania grandma who was refused an ambulance when she fell ill and died a day later of internal bleeding. Mayor Gregory Leathers, Richard Policz and Robert 'Jeffrey' Rhodes were charged with tampering with public records, tampering with or fabricating evidence and obstruction on Monday, the Greene County District Attorney's office told DailyMail.com on Friday. On Thursday, all three men turned themselves into the authorities and were arraigned in local court with Magistrate Judge Lee Watson. After their arraignment, each made bond, which was set at $25,000. Gregory Leathers, the disgraced mayor of Waynesburg, is charged in the alleged cover up of the death of a Pennsylvania grandma who was refused an ambulance According to the criminal complaint obtained by DailyMail.com, Greg Leathers, Richard Policz (center) and Richard 'Jeffrey' Rhodes (pictured right) are accused of concealing the existence of 'binders' containing standard operating procedures or training documents This 2020 photo provided by Kelly Titchenell shows her mother, Diania Kronk, 54. Kronk died a day after a 911 dispatch refused to send an ambulance to her house On July 1, 2020 Diania Kronk, 54, was in need of emergency care and an ambulance, but one never arrived to take her to hospital. She died a day later. A family member made the grisly discovery when they arrived at Kronk's Sycamore, Penn., home. An autopsy later revealed she died from internal bleeding. 'Everybody's trusting [Leathers] in Waynesburg and look what he did, covered up my mother's death,' said Kelly Titchenell, 38, Kronk's daughter who had called 911 the day before her death. 'I am relieved that my mother's going to get justice and hopefully everybody else they've wronged in Greene County.' According to the criminal complaint obtained by DailyMail.com, Leathers, Policz and Rhodes are accused of concealing the existence of 'binders' containing standard operating procedures or training documents. The three conspired to 'knowingly and purposefully conceal, withhold, omit, obstruct or pervert the release of documents' to investigators, the criminal complaint alleges. The District Attorney's Office confirmed with DailyMail.com that Leathers is the current mayor of Waynesburg. The trio's next preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 2. At the time of the 2020 incident, Leathers was the acting EMA Director of the Greene County Emergency Management. Policz is the current EMA director and Rhodes the 911 coordinator. In June, 911 operator Leon 'Lee' Price, 50, of Waynesburg, surrendered to the authorities and was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Kronk's death. In June, 911 operator Leon 'Lee' Price, 50, of Waynesburg, surrendered to the authorities and was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Kronk's death. The charges were based on Prices reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance Kronk would actually go to the hospital. Price was also charged with reckless endangerment, official oppression and obstruction, after he questioned Titchenell repeatedly during the four-minute call about whether Kronk would agree to be taken for treatment. Price was arraigned on June 29 in local court in Greene Court with Magistrate Glenn Bates. He made bond at $15,000, the District Attorney's office told DailyMail.com. 'I believe in my heart that my mother would still be alive if he would have sent an ambulance,' Kronk's daughter said, The Washington Post reported. She added: 'It shouldn't have been his decision. He should have sent an ambulance and let the professionals decide if she should go to the hospital or not.' Greene County District Attorney David Russo said a whistleblower came forward saying not all of the information was provided to them, CBS News Pittsburg reported. A Greene County, Penn., detective last week filed charges against 911 operator Leon 'Lee' Price, 50, of Waynesburg, in the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54, based on Price's reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance that Kronk would actually go to the hospital. An autopsy revealed Kronk died of internal bleeding. Her daughter, Kelly Titchenell (above) claimed she had been drinking a lot prior to her death 'Initially, we had filed search warrants to gain information in the Kronk investigation,' Russo said. 'We issued three more search warrants - one was on 911 to get the remaining information that we were told that was provided there. The other two were issued on the county,' Russo said, in part, the news outlet reported. 'We are just trying to get to the bottom of it. We had a woman that died which initiated the investigation. It's our responsibility to try to get to all the information to get to the bottom of why that occurred.' A civil lawsuit previously filed by Kronk's family alleges he [Price] dismissed sending an ambulance to the stricken grandma as 'a waste of resources' as she died from internal bleeding, 11 News reported. The lawsuit filed last month also accuses Price of 'callous refusal of public emergency medical services.' In the emergency call made by Kronk's daughter, she said: 'She's going to die.' Price then replied: 'How far are you away from the house?' Titchenell answered: 'I'll be there in 10 minutes.' Price replied: 'OK, how about calling us back to make sure she's willing to go before we send resources out there in case she says no.' Despite all three ambulances being available for dispatch, Price was reluctant to send help - insisting Tichenell go to her mom's home and ask her if she would go to the hospital about a half-hour away from her Sycamore home. The district attorney's office hasn't commented on why Price didn't dispatch an ambulance, and it's unclear if this was related to discussion over whether she had been drinking prior to her medical episode. In the 911 recording, Titchenell told Price she was heading to her mom's house with her children from their home in Mather, claiming her mom wasn't thinking clearly. Despite desperate pleas from Titchenell for an ambulance to be sent, Price continuously insisted he would send an ambulance but then added 'we really need to make sure she's willing to go.' 'Shes going to go, shes going to go,' Titchenell said. 'Cause if not, shes going to die, theres nothing else.' When Price again asked if Kronk would in fact go, Titchenell replied: 'OK, well, can we just try?' After Titchenell told Price she was about 10 minutes from her mother's home, Price asked if she would call 911 back once she made sure Kronk was willing to go in an ambulance. 'Im sorry,' Titchenell said, and Price replied: 'No, dont be sorry, maam. Just call me when you get out there, OK?' Titchenell arrived at her mom's house and found her nude on the front porch and talking incoherently - claiming she was fine. Lack of service in the rural area prevented Titchenell from calling 911. She also claimed her uncle was going to go check up on Kronk later that evening and that calling 911 would be pointless. 'This is unheard of, to me. I mean, theyll send an ambulance for anything,' Titchenell said. 'And here I am telling this guy that my moms going to die. Its, like, her death, and she doesnt get an ambulance.' Her brother found their mother dead the next day. Lawrence E. Bolind Jr., who represents Titchenell, said. 'It has to be very clear throughout the entire state, that when you call it's not going to be conditioned on somebody on the other end of the phone saying there's going to be a service provided or not,' Lawrence E. Bolind Jr, who represents Titchenell, said. 'What we're trying to do here is make this never happen to somebody else.' Meanwhile, a lawyer for the county and 911 supervisors, Marie Milie Jones, said her clients will defend the lawsuit and don't find themselves liable for Kronk's death. Jones said there are 'personal matters that are ongoing' regarding Price, but she didn't elaborate on the comment. 'Im not going to comment on the details of her circumstances.' 'It's unfortunate that this woman had died. Certainly, from a personal standpoint, that's very difficult,' she said. Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo, said he is investigating whether there are policies that say the countys 911 dispatchers are allowed to refuse services to callers. 'We all deserve equal protections, and we all deserve access to medical services, Russo said. 'I have a major concern as to the safety of the community in regards to this.' Emergency dispatchers denying to send help is rare but has happened, according to an Illinois lawyer, John Kelly. Prior to her death, Kronk had been drinking heavily for weeks and noticed she was 'turning yellow', Tichenell told Price. An autopsy of Kronk's body determined she died of internal bleeding 'My mom did not deserve this. I am shocked. They all need to be held accountable,' Titchenell said, CBS Pittsburg reported. 'I am going to fight to the end. We will get justice for my mom.' Former President Donald Trump went on a rant on his Truth Social social media network in the aftermath of Thursday's primetime January 6 hearing. 'Why haven't the Unselects asked for Secret Service corroboration of the so-called "choke hold?"' asked Trump. 'Because they know the answer, and don't like it. A Kangaroo Court!' The former president was referring to testimony from ex-Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who said during a hearing last month that she heard Trump had tried to grab the steering wheel when his detail refused to take him to the Capitol Building on January 6. A portion of her story was corroborated by a D.C. police witness Thursday night. Trump also went after the committee's Vice Chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, who chaired the primetime hearing after Chairman Bennie Thompson got a positive case of COVID. 'Liz Cheney is a sanctimonious loser,' Trump wrote. 'The Great State of Wyoming is wise to her. Why not show the tapes, or interview, those that, with evidence, challenge the election?' Former President Donald Trump (left), photographed alongside Melania Trump (right) at his first wife Ivana Trump's funeral Wednesday, went on a rant on his Truth Social social media network in the aftermath of Thursday's primetime January 6 hearing Trump asked why the committee didn't introduce more evidence shoring up testimony given in late June by former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson Trump also called the committee's Vice Chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, a 'sanctimonious loser.' She chaired Thursday night's primetime hearing after Chair Bennie Thompson got COVID Trump continued to push a false narrative that he had approved National Guard troops to protect the Capitol in advance of the assault, but his authorization was rejected by Democratic leadership He also lambasted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's, whose dressing down of Trump on the Senate floor was played during the hearing. 'I had an election Rigged and Stolen from me, and our Country. The USA is going to Hell. Am I supposed to be happy?' Trump also said early Friday He also lambasted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's, whose dressing down of Trump on the Senate floor was played during the hearing. 'Is this the same Mitch McConnel who was losing big in Kentucky, and came to the White House to BEG me for an Endorsement and help?' Trump asked. 'Without me he would have lost in a landslide. A disloyal sleaze bag!' While Trump continued to peddle the so-called 'big lie,' he also continued to push a false narrative that he had approved National Guard troops to protect the Capitol in advance of the assault, but his authorization was rejected by Democratic leadership. 'It's Nancy Pelosi's fault, she turned down the troops!' Trump wrote early Friday morning. 'Perhaps she was disengaged - maybe looking for her husband!' Trump adding, likely referencing Paul Pelosi's recent DUI charge. Committee members made clear during the Thursday night hearing that Trump never requested additional security help be sent to the Capitol in hours between his speech on the Ellipse and when he videotaped a message to followers asking them to go home. 'I had an election Rigged and Stolen from me, and our Country. The USA is going to Hell. Am I supposed to be happy?' Trump also said early Friday. The hearing kicked off with the committee showing an image of Trump, with his coat on, standing in the Oval Office after returning from the Ellipse rally on January 6 - before moving into the dining room where he watched the Capitol riot play out for hours on television. The hearing was dedicated to the 187 minutes between Trump wrapping up his remarks on the Ellipse - where he goaded supporters to match on the Capitol - until his tepid video statement asking them to go home. Committee members noted how there were no photos of Trump as he sat watching Fox News Channel in the White House dining room for more than three hours, nor were there entries on an official call log of White House diary. What witnesses did tell committee members was that White House officials, including Ivanka Trump and Counsel Pat Cipollone, urged the president to make a statement to supporters to stop the attack. Inside the Capitol, members of Vice President Mike Pence's security detail were so worried about the escalating violence that they were making 'personal call's to 'say goodbye' to their families because they 'feared for their lives,' according to an unnamed official whose identity the committee kept secret. 'The members of the VP detail at this time were starting to fear for their own lives,' the official said. 'There was a lot of yelling, a lot of very personal calls over the radio. It was disturbing, I don't like talking about it.' 'There were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth ... for whatever the reason was on the ground, the VP detail thought this was going to get very ugly,' the official continued. The committee's witness, whose voice was masked, couldn't say for certain what the VP's detail was experiencing, but the tenor of their conversation indicated things were 'going to a whole other level soon.' 'The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose so of course he didn't intervene,' said committee member, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. 'President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home - he chose not to act.' The January 6 committee showed an image of former President Donald Trump standing in the Oval Office after the Ellipse rally on January 6 - before he moved into the White House dining room for three-plus hours while supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol The January 6 committee showed the location of the White House dining room (center) versus the Oval Office (right) in the West Wing 'The mob was accomplishing President Trump's purpose so of course he didn't intervene,' said committee member, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger during Thursday night's hearing Witnesses Matthew Pottinger (left) and Sarah Matthews (right) prepare to testify Thursday night before the House select committee on January 6 Committee members, Democratic Reps. Elaine Luria (left) and Jamie Raskin (right), enter the hearing room for the January 6 committee's final primetime hearing of the summer The committee's vice chair, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney (center), chaired the final primetime hearing as Chairman Bennie Thompson participated remotely due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis Photographers surround witnesses Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews in advance of Thursday night's primetime January 6 committee hearing Chairman Bennie Thompson (left) participated in Thursday night's hearing virtually due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis Attendees watch as remarks made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are played during the January 6 committee's Thursday primetime hearing. McConnell blamed the Capitol attack on former President Donald Trump on the Senate floor in February 2021 Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria said that 'within 15 minutes of leaving the stage President Trump knew that the Capitol was besieged and under attack.' But committee witnesses testified that Trump never made calls to beef up a security response. For example, former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone answered in the negative when asked if he was aware of Trump making calls to the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security or Attorney General. When the Pentagon called the White House to coordinate a response to the attack, Luria said that Cipollone took the call instead of Trump. Instead, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany testifed to the committee that Trump had asked her for a list of senators he could call, in an effort to have them contest the Electoral College count. The panel's two in-person witnesses Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews described what they witnessed on that day. Both Pottinger and Matthews resigned over Trump's conduct on January 6. Trump later went after Matthews on Truth Social. Matthews explained how quickly Trump could have gotten to the White House press briefing room to call off the attack. 'It would take probably less than 60 seconds from the Oval Office dining room over to the press briefing room,' Matthews said. 'If the president had wanted to make a statement, and address the American people, he could have been on camera almost instantly,' she added. The panel used this as further proof that Trump didn't want to do anything to stop the riot. Later, Matthews testified that McEnany told her that Trump didn't want to tweet out anything that urged peace. 'And it wasn't until Ivanka Trump suggested the phrase "stay peaceful" that he finally agreed to it,' Matthews told the room. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, witnesses said, placed calls trying to get Trump to call off the riot. 'I got the sense that they were scared,' said Trump's on-in-law Jared Kushner in video testimony. 'I think he was scared, yes,' Kushner said, confirming he had received a call from the top GOP House leader. Former President Donald Trump eventually put out a video message at 4:17 p.m. that encouraged rioters to leave the Capitol. 'I know your pain. I know your hurt,' Trump also told members of the MAGA mob The committee showed outtakes and photos of President Donald Trump filming a video message on January 6 that went out at 4:17 p.m. President Donald Trump (left) looks at the video he filmed on January 6 encouraging his supporters to leave the U.S. Capitol, after watching the assault go on for hours An image of Trump walking into the residence at the conclusion of the day was also shared by the committee. Trump said nothing about the riot to a staffer, instead telling the individual, 'Mike Pence let me down,' before going upstairs Trump eventually did put out a video message - tweeting it out at 4:17 p.m. The committee showed outtakes of Trump filming the video, along with photos of him alongside aides making it. 'I know your pain. I know your hurt,' Trump tells his supporters in the footage shown to the committee. 'We had an election that was stolen from us,' Trump continues, falsely claiming it was a 'landslide.' Trump's lawyer Eric Herschmann testified to the committee that, 'People were emotionally drained by the time that video was done,' an eyebrow-raising comment as police officers still battled rioters on the other end of Pennsylvania avenue. Trump later sent out another tweet - at 6:01 p.m. 'These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!' Kinzinger remarked that Trump 'justified the violence as a natural response to the election.' 'He showed absolutely no remorse,' the Illinois Republican said. An image of Trump walking into the residence afterward was also shared by the committee. Trump said nothing about the riot to a staffer, instead telling the individual, 'Mike Pence let me down,' before going upstairs. The January 6 House select committee also shared outtakes of an address Trump made to the nation on January 7. 'I don't want to say the election is over,' Trump says in one of the clips. 'I just want to say Congress has certified the results without saying the election is over.' The former commander-in-chief is shown getting tongue-tied. 'Yesterday is a hard word for me,' he says at one point, with daughter Ivanka Trump heard outside the frame recommending he remove it. He also struggles to read the teleprompter. 'I can't see it very well,' he complains. He straightens his suit jacket and eventually makes this three-minute address. 'My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote,' he tells the camera. Former President Donald Trump is seen in outtakes of an address he made on January 7, 2021, condemning the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building by his supporters Witnesses also beefed up testimony given late last month by Hutchinson. Hutchinson recalled an impromptu meeting on January 6 after Trump returned to the White House after speaking at the Ellipse she had with former Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Ornato and Bobby Engel, the head of Trump's security detail. 'Did you hear what effing happened in the Beast?' she said Engel asked her. She was then told that Trump threw a fit when told he couldn't go to the Capitol Building. 'The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel, Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, "Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we're going back to the West Wing, we're not going to the Capitol,"' Hutchinson testified. At Thursday's hearing, D.C. Police Sgt. Mark Robinson said he recalled hearing that Trump was 'upset.' 'The only description I received was that the president was upset and was adament about going to the Capitol and there was a heated discussion about that,' Robinson said. Robinson told committee members he had been part of the presidential motorcade 'probably over 100 times' and had never heard of something like that happening before. He also said that he had heard about armed members of the MAGA mob. ' 'So there's always concern when there's a POTUS in the area,' he said. Rep. Elaine Luria, leading the questioning, then noted that the committee found out that the motorcade had been placed on standby for another 45 minutes to an hour as Trump was still insisting on going to the Capitol, even once back at the White House. Committee members also briefly shamed Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who infamously raised his fist in solidarity with the growing mob as he entered the Capitol Building. The January 6 panel showed footage from January 6 of Hawley, alongside other senators, having to escape from the rioters. Members of the audience laughed at the visual of seeing Hawley flee. A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a house fire killed a mum-of-four - believed to have been sparked by an e-scooter battery. Rebecca Downes, 44, died in the early hours of July 6 after a fire engulfed her home in Blackpool, Lancs. She was rushed to the town's Victoria Hospital after escaping from the top floor of the three-storey terraced house with her family but sadly died from her injuries. Her partner, aged in his 50s, was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital where police said he remained in a 'serious but stable condition'. Three of Rebecca's children - aged 26, 13 and 16 - were also taken to hospital with 'less serious injuries', Lancashire Police said. The force initially said the fire was not being treated as suspicious. But a spokesman said a man has now been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and remained in custody for questioning. Rebecca Downes, 44, died in early hours of July 6 after fire engulfed her Blackpool home fire broke out at a three-storey terraced home in Hill Street, at around 12.50am on July 6 The spokesman added that a joint investigation between police and the fire service has indicated the most likely cause of the killer blaze was a battery on an e-scooter. Detective Chief Inspector Lee Wilson said: 'My thoughts first and foremost remain with the loved ones of the woman who very sadly lost her life in this fire. 'While we have made an arrest our enquiries are still at a really early stage and may take some considerable time. 'We continue to work closely with our colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and I would appeal for anyone with any information to get in touch.' Mark Hutton, of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said fires involving lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and bikes were becoming more common. He urged people to take care as they tend to start and grow very quickly. A woman in her 40s was treated at the scene before being taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where she was pronounced dead He added: 'As with all rechargeable electrical goods, there are some simple steps that can be taken to help reduce the risk of fire. 'E-bikes and e-scooters should only be purchased from reputable retailers and should always be used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. 'Always charge batteries whilst you are awake using the charger supplied with the product and do so in a place that is well away from your escape routes.' A GoFundMe to help raise money for Rebecca's children has been set up by her family who say they are in 'complete total shock'. Rebecca's cousin Siobhan McDonagh said: 'Her children have not only lost their mum but their home, belongings and all the lovely memories they gathered in their home. 'Let's raise enough money to support and secure her children at this tragic time. 'Becky was known for her generosity and she cooked for the homeless on occasions and opened her door for everyone. 'Becky didn't have much herself but this was never an issue when she was helping others. 'The most important gift in life for her was always to show love, care and kindness to all. 'Let's now return the favour to her four children at this difficult time.' Visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-to-support-beckys-children to donate to the fund. A funeral director has been arrested after four 'maggot-ridden' bodies were found strewn on pallets at a self-storage unit in Wembley, north-west London. Police arrested the 50-year-old man on suspicion of keeping the decaying corpses in non-refrigerated conditions. An funeral industry insider told The Mirror that the man had been running a bare bones business and lacked his own premises, instead attempting to rent facilities around London on an ad hoc basis. They said: 'It's absolutely horrendous and very distressing for the families. The same insider claimed that the bodies were 'maggot ridden' after an extended period spent in hot weather conditions. Met Police officers were despatched last Friday morning to the funeral director's self-storage unit in Water Road, Wembley (pictured) Met Police officers were despatched last Friday morning to the funeral director's self-storage unit in Water Road, Wembley. A spokesperson for the police force said: 'Four bodies were recovered at the premises, which did not have specialist equipment installed. 'Urgent enquiries were conducted to establish the identity of the deceased and to notify affected families. 'All of the deceased were elderly. The deaths have not been treated as being suspicious.' The arrested man has been released on bail to a date in early August. The bodies have been passed to Co-op Funeralcare, according to The Mirror. The 50-year-old funeral director has been released on bail until August while further investigations take place Met detectives from the Specialist Crime branch are leading enquiries. Det Supt Barry Loader of the Mets North West BCU said: 'I know these will be concerning developments for local people, and in particular those directly affected by what has happened. 'Through the hard work and commitment of colleagues from Specialist Crime, all of the deceased have been identified, their families have been informed and subsequently the bodies returned to the families following consultation with HM Coroner. 'The Met has provided dedicated family liaison officers to those affected. 'I would encourage anyone with concerns to speak with their local Safer Neighbourhoods officers or to call the Met on 101.' Three men have been found dead in a suspected murder-suicide in a small town in regional Victoria. Emergency services were called to Kirkstall, near Warrnambool at around 10.20am on Friday morning where they found two men, who are yet to be identified, with gunshot wounds. The two men died at the scene despite paramedics efforts to save them. It is believed the pair were shot and then mowed down by a vehicle. Police said a third man, believed to be the gunman, was found dead at a property nearby shortly after the shooting. It's believed two men have died after being shot and mowed down by a car on the side of the road in Kirkstall, 75km south-west of Melbourne (pictured, emergency services on Kirkstall-Koroit Road, Kirkstall) Police said a third man, believed to be the gunman, was found dead at a property nearby on Chamberlain Street shortly after the shooting (pictured, emergency services on Kirkstall-Koroit Road) Police remain tight-tipped about the incident during the early stage of inquiries. 'Both men, who are yet to be formally identified, died at the scene,' a police statement read. 'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined. More information will be provided when known.' A witness who lives nearby told 9News she heard at least two gunshots before hearing a vehicle speed off. 'The exact circumstances surrounding the deaths are yet to be determined at this stage, however detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter,' Victoria Police said in a statement. Police are urging anyone with information or dashcam footage to contact crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online. Kirkstall is a small town 275km south west of Melbourne with a population of less than 400 residents. Advertisement Dramatic photographs today revealed the moment a Royal Navy warship tracked two Russian submarines in the North Sea. UK submarine hunter HMS Portland shadowed the submarines - cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk and Akula-class attack submarine Vepr - after they surfaced separately in the sea north west of Bergen, Norway. The Royal Navy said the Type 23 frigate tracked the submarines on Saturday, July 16 and Tuesday, July 19 as they made their underwater journey south along the Norwegian coast from the Arctic. The 180-crew British vessel, backed by a P8 Poseidon 'spy plane' bristling with sensors and a specialist submarine-hunting Merlin helicopter, tracked the Russian duo until Nato and Baltic forces took over duties. The Russian submarines then continued to St Petersburg for Russian Navy Day celebrations which are due to take take place in just over a week's time on Sunday, July 31. Asked whether the Russian submarines were detected underwater too or only after they surfaced, a Royal Navy spokesman told MailOnline: 'I can confirm HMS Portland was on watch as they made their underwater journey and shadowing when they surfaced. Therefore they were tracking throughout.' News of the latest flashpoint comes just one day after Britain revealed it had provided more than 2billion of arms to war-torn Ukraine including anti-tank missiles and night-vision goggles, and plans to send hundreds of drones and anti-tank weapons in the coming weeks to help fend off Russian president Vladimir Putin's war of aggression. The Ministry of Defence issued this photograph today of British submarine hunter HMS Portland (top) tracking Russian cruise missile submarine Severodvinsk (bottom) in the North Sea, north west of Bergen in Norway, earlier this month UK submarine hunter HMS Portland (top) is seen tracking Russian attack submarine Vepr in the North Sea earlier this month HMS Portland is pictured dropping anchor in Oslo this week after tracking the movements of the two Russian submarines A close-up view tweeted by the UK embassy in Oslo today of HMS Portland dropping anchor in the city this week Where the Royal Navy's HMS Portland tracked Russian submarines Vepr and Severodvinsk The Navy said in a statement: 'Portland and her specialist Merlin helicopter - both equipped with cutting-edge sonars, sensors and torpedoes for submarine-hunting operations - reported on the movements of the Russian Northern Fleet vessels. 'One of the RAF's new long-range maritime patrol aircraft, the P8 Poseidon, also worked closely with HMS Portland to hunt and track the submarines.' Out of their depth? How the three vessels compare head to head HMS PORTLAND Speed: 28 knots (32mph) Range: 7,500 nautical miles Crew: 180 Weapons: 32 Sea Ceptor anti-air missiles, 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, 4.5in naval gun, two 30mm guns, two Miniguns SEVERODVINSK Speed: 20 knots (23mph) on surface, 35 knots (40mph) submerged Range: Unlimited Crew: 90 Weapons: Kalibr cruise missiles VEPR Speed: 24 knots (28mph) Range: Unlimited Crew: 62 Weapons: Torpedoes. Kalibr missiles Advertisement The operation comes soon after HMS Portland took part in a major NATO submarine-hunting exercise, which is a large joint operation that the Navy said 'proved to be the ideal prelude for this type of live operation'. HMS Portland's commanding officer Commander Tim Leeder said: 'Our success on operations marks the culmination of many months of specialist training and exercises. 'Critically, the cohesiveness of Royal Navy, RAF and our allies capabilities ensures that we are capable of conducting and sustaining these types of anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic. 'It is testament to my sailors' dedication and professionalism, alongside that of our allies, that we are able to conduct this strategically crucial role.' The Royal Navy made the announcement of the shadowing at 12pm today, and the British Embassy in Oslo then tweeted two pictures of HMS Portland in the city at around 2.30pm, saying: 'Great to have HMS Portland in Oslo on a short-notice visit following a busy time at sea #UKandNorway #WeAreNATO.' Royal Navy sailors are currently training personnel from Ukraine's navy in operating two Sandown-class minehunters which are set to be sold to Ukraine. Ukraine's deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov met with UK armed forces minister James Heappey and parliamentarians in London before visiting soldiers and sailors training in Scotland. The ministers spoke with trainees and the Royal Navy instructors, observing them practising key skills at sea, such as weapon drills and damage control, while learning to operate the machinery on the vessels. Mr Heappey said: 'The intensity with which the Ukrainian soldiers and sailors are training is something to behold. They work with the focus of troops who know they'll be fighting in a war in just a few short weeks' time. 'Delivering training that matches that intensity and focus is not straightforward. Type 23 frigate HMS Portland (file picture) tracked the two Russian submarines in the North Sea earlier this month British submarine hunter HMS Portland (file picture) was 'on watch' as the Russian submarines travelled underwater 'The Royal Navy and the British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience to make sure their new Ukrainian friends are sent into combat with the best chance of victory.' The British Embassy in Oslo tweeted two pictures of HMS Portland today, saying it was 'great to have' the ship there The Sandown-class minehunters, which were introduced into the Royal Navy in the late 80s, specialise in finding and neutralising mines in deep waters. The programme is part of training being provided by 1,000 UK service personnel at military sites around the country aimed at preparing volunteer recruits with the skills for frontline combat. Each course will last several weeks and will give volunteer recruits with limited military experience the skills to be effective in frontline combat. Based on the UK's basic soldier training, the course covers weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict. Mr Havrylov said: 'I saw the brotherhood of Ukrainian and British soldiers working together to achieve a common goal - strengthening the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army. 'We are very grateful to the Government and people of the United Kingdom for their invaluable contribution to Ukraine's success in repelling the Russian aggressors.' The UK has provided military equipment to Ukraine and has launched a scheme to train 10,000 Ukrainian personnel. An RAF long-range maritime patrol aircraft, the P8 Poseidon (file image), also worked with HMS Portland on the operation HMS Portland and her specialist Merlin helicopter (file picture) reported on the movements of the Russian vessels Yesterday, the head of MI6 said Russian President Vladimir Putin had suffered an 'epic fail' in Ukraine and his forces may have to 'pause' in the coming weeks. Richard Moore, the chief of the UK Secret Intelligence Service, said the war was 'obviously not over' but the Russian invaders may be starting 'to run out of steam'. With winter coming and the pressure on gas supplies, 'we are in for a tough time', according to Mr Moore, who believes a Ukrainian fightback could spread benefits across Europe. Mr Moore also said there is no evidence that Mr Putin is suffering from serious ill health and that going into the invasion 'the reality of what they were about to encounter was just not being briefed up' to the Russian leader. The British arms giving Putin a bloody nose: How UK has helped Ukraine with 2.3BN of military aid from anti-tank missiles to tanks and night vision goggles Britain will send hundreds of drones and anti-tank weapons and scores of artillery guns to Ukraine More than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns and 36 L119 105mm artillery guns will be arriving shortly In excess of 1,600 anti-tank weapons and hundreds of loitering aerial munitions will also be sent MoD says weaponry will help bolster Ukraine's ability to defend against the Russian invasion By JACK WRIGHT FOR MAILONLINE Boris Johnson's Government has provided more than 2billion of arms to wartorn Ukraine including anti-tank missiles and night-vision goggles, and plans to send hundreds of drones and anti-tank weapons in the coming weeks to help the European democracy fend off Putin's war of aggression. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace yesterday laid bare the scale of Britain's military aid to Volodymyr Zelensky's administration since the Russian invasion on February 24. The British Ministry of Defence revealed it has sent Kyiv more than 6,900 anti-tank missiles, 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 5,000 night-vision goggles, 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles and six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers. It plans to bolster Ukraine's existing Soviet-era artillery with more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns, 36 L119 105mm artillery guns, and in excess of 1,600 anti-tank weapons and hundreds of loitering aerial munitions in the coming weeks, the MoD added. The Defence Secretary said in a statement: 'The scale and range of equipment we are providing demonstrates the strength of our resolve. Together with our international partners, we will ensure Ukraine has the tools to defend their country from Putin's illegal invasion.' The war looks set to be taking a drastic new turn after Putin's attack dog Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Moscow's war aims now go beyond the Kremlin-backed Donbas region in the east and include Kherson and neighbouring Zaporizhzhia in the south. The Ministry of Defence revealed it has sent Kyiv more than 6,900 anti-tank missiles, 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 5,000 night-vision goggles, 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles and six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers. It plans to bolster Ukraine's existing Soviet-era artillery with more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns, 36 L119 105mm artillery guns, and in excess of 1,600 anti-tank weapons and hundreds of loitering aerial munitions in the coming weeks Firefighters extinguish fire of a damaged school building following shelling in the town of Kramatorsk yesterday Boris Johnson's Government has flooded Ukraine with arms since Putin invaded the country in February In the nearly five months since Putin's men invaded Ukraine, 1,700 tanks have been destroyed by Ukrainian forces who have been able to inflict heavy losses on the Russian army thanks to advanced Western weaponry and tactics. REVEALED: Britain's military aid to Ukraine since Putin's February 24 invasion in numbers Since Putin's February 24 invasion: More than 6,900 anti-tank missiles (including more than 5,000 NLAW, as well as Javelin, Brimstone, and other anti-tank weapons); Multiple Launch Rocket Systems; 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles Six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers as well as hundreds of Starstreak missiles; Maritime Brimstone; More than 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, as well as anti-structure munitions and 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosive; Communications equipment; Electronic warfare equipment; More than 82,000 helmets, 8,450 sets of body armour, medical supplies and more than 5,000 night-vision devices. Military aid to Ukraine in 'coming weeks': More than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns; Thirty-six L119 105mm artillery guns and ammunition; More than 50,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine's soviet era artillery; At least 1,600 more anti-tank weapons; Unmanned aerial systems (including 100s loitering aerial munitions); Counter-battery radar systems; Medical equipment. Advertisement Ukrainian armed forces said yesterday they had killed 111 Russian soldiers in the south and east over the past day, as comments from Russia's foreign minister showed the Kremlin's goals had grown during the five-month war. Russia classifies military deaths as state secrets even in times of peace and has not updated its official casualty figures frequently during the war. Russian troops shelled cities across eastern and southern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said, and hit two schools as Putin's forces carried out limited ground operations in preparation for a wider offensive. The Ukrainian military reported heavy and sometimes fatal Russian shelling in the east and south of the country amid what its said were largely failed attempts by Russian ground forces to advance in the eastern Donetsk region. Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russian missile strikes had destroyed two schools in the cities of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka and had also hit the city of Bakhmut but there was no information yet on casualties. Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians and uses high precision weapons to degrade Ukrainian military targets, but the war has flattened cities, particularly in Russian-speaking areas in the east and southeast of Ukraine. The mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, in his Telegram channel said that one of the most densely populated areas of the city was being shelled and asked people not to leave shelters. Oleh Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said two people had been killed and 19 wounded, four of them seriously. Vitaly Kim, governor of the southern Mykolaiv region, said the region had been targeted with seven S-300 missiles. One person had been wounded, he said, and infrastructure, energy facilities and storage facilities damaged. Multiple blasts were also heard in the Russian-controlled southern region of Kherson overnight and into Thursday, Russian news agency TASS reported. CIA Director William Burns said on Wednesday that the United States estimated that Russian casualties in Ukraine had so far reached around 15,000 killed and perhaps 45,000 wounded and that Ukraine has suffered what he called significant losses too. Scotching persistent speculation that Putin may be suffering from health problems, Burns also said that the Kremlin chief was healthy as far as he knew. British military intelligence said on Thursday that Russian forces were likely closing in on Ukraine's second biggest power plant at Vuhlehirska, 50 km (31 miles) north-east of Donetsk. 'Russia is prioritising the capture of critical national infrastructure, such as power plants,' the ministry, which supports Ukrainian forces, said in a regular bulletin. Firefighters extinguish fire of a damaged school building following shelling in the town of Kramatorsk yesterday Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after a military intervention by pro-Russian separatists and Russian Armed Forces. That was followed by a controversial Crimea-wide referendum, illegal under the Ukrainian and Crimean constitutions, whose official results showed over 90% support for reunification It said taking the power plant, a Soviet-era coal-fired facility, was also probably part of Russia's attempt to regain momentum as it tried to advance towards the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. It comes as Russian gas began flowing to Europe via a major pipeline after a pause - but the gas flow was expected to fall well short of full capacity and the outlook was uncertain. The resumption of gas flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany ended a nerve-jangling 10 days for Europe in which politicians expressed concern Russia might not restart them at a time when alternative energy supplies are tight and prices high. The pipeline has traditionally carried more than one third of Russia's gas exports to Europe but was operating at only 40% of its capacity after Kremlin-controlled Gazprom cut gas exports in a row over the repair of a turbine. European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused Russia of trying to blackmail Europe by using energy as a weapon, something Moscow, which is unable to swiftly redirect all of its gas to other markets, has denied. read more Moscow has criticised EU and US sanctions on Russia over its February 24 invasion of Ukraine and military help to Kyiv, saying it had to undertake what it calls a 'special military operation' to prevent NATO using Ukraine to threaten Russia. President Joe Biden's COVID-19 symptoms 'have improved,' according to a letter the White House released mid-morning Friday provided by Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. O'Connor reported that Biden completed his first full day of the antiviral Paxlovid, after testing positive for COVID-19 on both an antigen and PCR test Thursday morning. 'He did mount a temperature yesterday evening to 99.4 degrees, which responded favorably to acetaminophen (TYLENOL),' the letter said. O'Connor said Biden's symptoms continued to be a runny nose, fatigue - and now a 'loose' cough. 'His voice is deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal, on room air,' the doctor added. The White House doctor said Biden would continue Paxlovid, which would be supplemented with oral hydration, acetaminophen and an albuterol inhaler, which is used by asthmatics. Prior to the release of the doctor's letter, the White House released another photo of Biden working from the residence - this time he was wearing a mask. The image shows the president on Thursday signing the FORMULA Act, a bill that temporarily removes tariffs from imported baby formula. Afterward, a similar picture of Biden from Friday was shared via Twitter. 'President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team,' the tweet said. The White House released a new photo of President Joe Biden Friday morning as he works from the residence after testing positive for COVID-19. The new image shows Biden, in a mask, signing the FORMULA Act sometime Thursday Another image shared early Friday afternoon shows President Joe Biden working from the residence Friday. 'President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team,' a tweet said President Joe Biden's COVID-19 symptoms 'have improved,' according to a letter the White House released mid-morning Friday provided by Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping contacted Biden to wish him a 'speedy recovery,' Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. 'I would like to express my deep sympathies to you and wish you a speedy recovery,' Xi said, according to AFP. On Wednesday, Biden said he planned to speak with the Chinese leader within the next 10 days, but wouldn't reveal if he had made a decision on whether to keep or end Trump-era Chinese tariffs. Xi's message was the first contact between the two leaders in four months, as the relationship has deteriorated over Taiwan, Ukraine and other issues. Biden and Xi - who have known each other for decades - held a video call on March 18, with Biden warning Xi not to help Russia invade Ukraine. Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang lashed out over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly planning to visit Taiwan next month. A visit by Pelosi would 'severely undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces,' Zhao said. 'If the U.S. were to insist on going down the wrong path, China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,' the spokesman added. COVID-19 originated in China and Biden initially pushed U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the pandemic, however the effort has seemingly stalled. Chinese state media said that Chinese President Xi Jinping reached out to Biden Friday to with his a 'speedy recovery' after the American president's COVID diagnosis White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha (right) was doing the rounds on the morning shows Friday, saying on CNN that Biden was 'doing just fine' and 'the symptoms were basically the same On Friday morning, White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha was doing the rounds on the morning shows, saying he had last spoken to Biden's medical team around 10 p.m. Thursday night. He said on CNN that Biden was 'doing just fine' and 'the symptoms were basically the same.' On ABC's Good Morning America, Jha pushed back that Biden's age could make fighting the virus more problematic. 'He is about as well-protected for this virus as possible,' Jha answered, pointing to the four COVID vaccine shots the president has had, on top of his prescription for the antiviral, Paxlovid. Jha will again be on hand at Friday afternoon's White House press briefing. The White House has so far resisted putting O'Connor in front of the press. The office of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded staff reveal the interception of an asylum seeker boat on election day, a report has found. The bombshell Department of Home Affairs report found senior government officials were pressured by Mr Morrison's staff to release a statement about the interception before the operation had finished. Home Affairs Department Secretary Michael Pezzullo said public servants, Australian Border Force and Defence Force members refused to release a statement to the media while the events were unfolding. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) demanded a statement be released about the interception of an illegal vessel from Sri Lanka while the events were unfolding 'The detailed chronology of events indicates there was pressure placed on officials to release a public statement regarding the interception of SIEV (illegal entry vessel) 915 prior to the conclusion of the operational activity,' Mr Pezzullo said. 'The pressure was exacerbated by the direction to draft and publish the statement within 15 minutes.' Commonwealth caretaker conventions The Commonwealth government enters into a caretaker period ahead of each election. The caretaker conventions come into effect when the House of Representatives is dissolved. Caretaker conventions are rules that formalise the rights of the opposition as a potential future government, and restrain the government from exploiting the advantages of incumbency in an election. The caretaker conventions acknowledge that, in the absence of the House of Representatives, there is no body of review for decisions made by the Executive. Advertisement The department secretary explained it was 'for the responsible minister' to assess the public interest in making the announcement and that the caretaker convention did not have the force of the law. The report found a journalist asked Mr Morrison about the interception of a vessel entering Australia from Sri Lanka despite officials refusing to share it on Border Force newsroom, social media or send it directly to journalists. 'The information may have made its way to the journalist separate to, and before, the ABF newsroom announcement,' Mr Pezzullo said. According to the report, at 11.09am on May 21 Mr Pezzullo warned the interception would create a political issue. 'Keep an eye out for any chatter on social media or worse, any leaks to the media,' Mr Pezzullo said. 'It could become a very late election issue.' 'The release once cleared is to be posted to our news and media site no more and no less,' Mr Pezzullo said. At 11:59am the Minister for Home Affairs' office requested a statement be emailed to selected journalists and said 'the Prime Minister wants a statement' but Mr Pezzullo refused. A bombshell text message exchange with the Morrison government then ensued. 'Is it live? PM is speaking,' the text message from the Minister of Home Affairs' Office (MHAO) read. 'I'm refreshing,' read a reply from the department. 'So are we. What on earth is the issue?' MHAO wrote. 'It always takes a few mins to go live I have no idea how it works but we can't influence it. We are calling IT,' the department replied. 'A lot of people are furious,' MHAO responded. 'Nothing we can do. Legitimately nothing. So my sincere apologies,' the department wrote. Within half an hour, preparations were made to brief the Opposition. The statement was finished and loaded to the department's website at 1pm but was not published till 1.09pm. A report into the political stunt found a journalist asked Mr Morrison about the interception before an official statement was issued. Mr Morrison answered the question in his final press conference on election day: 'I've been here to stop this boat' (pictured) Mr Morrison's final press conference was held at 1.03pm and a journalist questioned him about the vessel three minutes later - before the statement was available on the department website. 'I can simply say this. I've been here to stop this boat, but in order for me to be there to stop those that may come from here, you need to vote Liberal and Nationals today,' the then-prime minister said in the press conference. It wasn't until 2.26pm that the opposition was briefed. At 3.03pm the Liberal Party shared the interception via SMS and Twitter: 'BREAKING Aust Border Force has intercepted an illegal boat trying to reach Aus. Keep our borders secure by voting Liberal today.' The report found officials were unaware that the Liberal Party were planning to share the interception to thousands of voters by SMS and Twitter. 'BREAKING Aust Border Force has intercepted an illegal boat trying to reach Aus. Keep our borders secure by voting Liberal today,' the Liberal Party shared at 3.03pm. Labor's Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said it was the first time the Australian government had compromised a military-led operation. 'The former government had a duty to protect Australia. Instead, they sabotaged the protocols that protect Operation Sovereign Borders for political gain,' Ms O'Neil said. 'Their actions undermined the integrity of this complex operation, making it more difficult and dangerous. 'The profound compromise of a military-led operation is without precedent in Australia's history. 'It was disgraceful, shameful, and characteristic of a national government which frequently pursued political interests above the national interest.' The report headed by Home Affairs Department Secretary Michael Pezzullo (pictured, centre) revealed detailed chronology of events which indicated government officials were pressured to release an official statement Mr Pezzullo suggested revisions into the provisions of the caretaker convention - the caretaker conventions do not detract from ministerial authority, and officials are obliged at all times to follow lawful directions. And sensitive information that is potentially politically significant should not be released publicly during the caretaker period unless a threat to life exists or some other urgency concerning public safety and security is involved. The vessel of asylum seekers was intercepted near Christmas Island and later returned to Sri Lanka. A Russian dancer has revealed her terror at being thrown in a bug-infested detention cell for three days as punishment for twerking in public. Yana 'Cat' Sloeva, 21, has won popular support over what is seen as an excessive use of the law by Vladimir Putin's police force. Videos showed her performing at the Yeltsin Centre - named after former president Boris Yeltsin - in her home city of Yekaterinburg with the message 'So what?' emblazoned across her buttocks. She was not near a church or other religious site which are subject to tough legal controls in Russia, but police detained her at the scene and she was later sentenced to three days in jail. Dance teacher Yana said: 'It was a little unusual, but I didn't get a single bad reaction, everyone clapped and supported me. 'It's like street musicians or street dancers. All my private parts were covered. I'm not a prostitute it's just a dance. 'I am a very modest person in life - it is better to be liberated in this way than in some other way, by taking drugs, for example. 'My parents, friends and others support me My ass hasn't hurt anyone yet!' Twerk dancer Yana 'Cat' Sloeva, 21, was sentenced to three days behind bars for 'violating public order' in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The message on her buttocks reads: 'So what?' Dance teacher Yana said: 'It's like street musicians or street dancers. All my private parts were covered. I'm not a prostitute it's just a dance. I am a very modest person in life - it is better to be liberated in this way than in some other way, by taking drugs, for example' Yana is pictured while being processed at a municipal detention centre Yana, who was held in a temporary detention centre at the city's interior ministry office, said: 'I was in a cell - with four walls, under video surveillance, without a phone, without civilisation. 'Just four walls and bugs crawling all over you. I don't want anyone to be in such a place, it's scary.' Meanwhile, police chief Valery Gorelykh said it was the decision of a court to remove the street dancer from public view and lock her up - without explaining how or when such a decision was made. 'The girl was punished for petty hooliganism,' he said. 'She realised that she had crossed the line of decency, and repented of what she had done. Maybe it will stop other lovers of candid dancing from doing such things. Smart people should learn from the mistakes of others.' Gorelykh said he would not tolerate dancers 'flashing their intimate parts'. 'There has been no anarchy in our region, there is not, and will not be. All such activities will be severely suppressed by the police.' But Yana won backing from former presidential candidate and outspoken Putin foe Ksenia Sobchak, Russia's leading female opposition politician. She demanded: 'Is the Yeltsin Centre a religious facility or what? Why can't you dance in shorts in front of it? 'Why is twerking by a beautiful girl called anarchy? Does the official representative of the police in the Sverdlovsk region, Valery Gorelykh, drink in the morning before giving comments?' Police chief Valery Gorelykh said it was the decision of a court to remove Yana (pictured) from public view and lock her up Legal expert Sergei Kolosovsky said the law was being wrongly used against her, and a snap poll showed 52 percent believing the punishment was harsh, though 28 percent said she should have faced a fine Yana won backing from former presidential candidate and outspoken Putin foe Ksenia Sobchak (pictured), Russia's leading female opposition politician Sobchak went on to accuse the authorities of 'really going mad', and many others also criticised the actions of the overly-strict police. Legal expert Sergei Kolosovsky said the law was being wrongly used against her, and a snap poll showed 52 percent believing the punishment was harsh, though 28 percent said she should have faced a fine. But some conservative citizens took to social media to express support for the authorities' decision. One comment read: 'Such moves should be done in bed with her husband. 'She will be happy and her husband will be delighted, but not in front of people, including children and [people of] various faiths.' Another critic said: 'A decent girl will not behave like that.' A heartbroken widow is suing a crime-scene clean up company after it allegedly posted videos of her husbands suicide scene on social media which were then seen by their horrified children. US Army Maj Thomas Syers killed himself in the home he shared with his wife, Michelle Lynn Syers, and two children. She claims her family only became aware of the footage after her traumatized children watched it on the Spaulding Decons TikTok. Syers has lodged the lawsuit in Florida, seeking at least $30,000 in damages from the company, who she hired in 2020 after her husband's death, according to The Daily Beast. In court documents she claims Spalding Decon posted videos of the suicide scene to social media, including TikTok, but didnt ask for permission to record them. Spaulding Decon, based in Tampa, say it specializes in quick, efficient, and affordable decontamination services, with the company operating in 18 states. The company frequently posts gruesome videos of their work to TikTok and YouTube and has more than 830,000 followers. US Army Maj Thomas Syers took his own life in the home he shared with his wife, Michelle Lynn Syers, and two children. He leaves behind four step-children and a grandchild Cleaning company Spaulding Decon operate in 18 states and claim in videos posted to their TikTok that they have to get consent from the families to post any footage or images In an online obituary Thomas was described as a true patriot who was awarded the Bronze Star twice, working in Colombia, Iraq and Afghanistan In a video posted online the company claims that they have to get consent from the families to post any footage or images. Spalding Decon has hundreds of videos posted across their social media accounts with millions of views, showing that they specialize in crime scene, drug lab and hoarding clean-ups. This conduct by Defendant was so outrageous in character and so extreme in degree that it is considered atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community, Syers' lawsuit reads. Court documents don't detail the exact contents of the footage, but they state that both the inside and the outside of the Syers home was clearly identifiable. It also states that Syers children had never seen what happened to their father before, and after witnessing the footage they required medical treatment for their mental and emotional distress. A spokeswoman for Spaulding Deacon told DailyMail.com they were unable to comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings. Syers has lodged the lawsuit in Florida, seeking at least $30,000 in damages from the company, who she hired in 2020 after her husbands death In an online obituary, Thomas was described as a true patriot who was awarded the Bronze Star twice. He was deployed on a number of occasions and worked in Columbia, Iraq and Afghanistan before marrying his wife in 2006. Tommy leaves behind his wife of 16 years, twin son and daughter, four step-children and one grandchild. Posting a tribute to the military man online, one of his step-children wrote: 'To the best bonus dad there was. You will be missed greatly. I will forever cherish your stories, your lame dad jokes and your advice. You were such a huge part of my life. 'When I lost my dad you filled a hole in my heart that I didnt think could be filled and I will forever be thankful for that. 'Watch over mom and the twins they need you. Love you forever!' A Coldstream Guard was left desperately grabbing hold of his bearskin hat and rifle as he nearly fell over in front of tourists while marching towards Buckingham Palace. The soldier spectacularly saved himself from falling on his face after tripping during the traditional Changing of the Guard this morning. The trooper was taking part in the ceremony in central London and was part of a group of soldiers marching between the regimental barracks and the Queen's official residence. The moment was caught on camera by onlookers, with video showing him falling out of formation as he tripped, before regaining his balance and falling back into line. Many people in the crowd, which had turned out to witness the daily ceremony, cheered as they saw him narrowly avoid hitting the deck. The soldier was caught on camera tripping as members of the Coldstream Guards entered the road during the parade He displayed quick reflexes to grab his bearskin hat as it fell off his head and keep hold of his rifle One witness, Chas Bharat, said: I had been watching them lining up and preparing to march for about 10 minutes. They were quite meticulous while waiting and marched in time as the drummer and bugler began to play. But as they exited the gate to turn towards the palace, the soldier almost went flying. It was almost theatrical. He fell forwards and had to shuffle his steps quickly to stay on his feet. He managed to straighten up and grab his rifle and his bearskin which had come off by the strap. He was able to stop himself heading face first to the ground and quickly moved back into formation with his fellow soldiers It was quiet funny as he had to the classic and fall back into line as if nothing had happened. People around me were laughing, but we also felt sorry for him. I hope he doesnt get a dressing down from his regiment leaders. We all fall over from time to time. Elena Larison, a tourist who is visiting from Copenhagen in Denmark, said it was 'a shame that that happened to him'. They obviously practice a lot with marching and keeping their uniforms pristine,' she said. But it was a funny moment. Im sure hell have a laugh when he sees the video too. He managed to step back into line and joined the rest of his Coldstream guard soldiers and marched to Buckingham Palace. The Coldstream Guards have been known to keel over in extreme heat from time to time as they are required to keep their Canadian bearskins on at all times while on duty. The bearskins are 18 inches long and weigh 1.5 pounds and can be burdensome in extreme temperatures. They are made from the fur of Canadian black bears, with one bear providing for one cap much to the chagrin of animal rights activists. Coldstream Guards wear hats made of Canadian black bearskin at all times, as well as carrying their rifles. Pictured are members of the guards marching on Buckingham Palace grounds in May this year It is reported that the cost of a cap is around 650, but each cap can last for 80 years. The Coldstream Guards are members of the army and receive 30 weeks of training, two weeks more than the regular infantry. The extra weeks are devoted to drill and ceremonial protocol. Members of the unit have defended monarchs for more than 350 years, beginning after Charles II took the throne after the English Restoration in 1660. Guardsmen are meant to stay at their posts and in formation, and this can lead to dramatic scenes, with some even trampling over people who get in their way instead of going around them. In extreme situations they can raise their rifle as a 'final warning' if someone is being disruptive or getting in the way, after which they are allowed to detain the person in question. If a person obstructs their path the Guardsmen will shout: 'Make way for the Queen's Guard.' President Joe Biden condemned the attack on US Rep. Lee Zeldin after he was ambushed by a man wearing a veterans hat at a New York campaign rally on Thursday. 'I condemn the attack on Congressman Zeldin in the strongest terms,' Biden wrote in a statement. 'As I've said before violence has absolutely no place in our society or our politics. He continued, 'I am especially grateful for the courage of those who immediately intervened, and that he is unharmed and was able to continue his speech. I also want to thank the law enforcement officers who quickly took action and are investigating this attack that defies our fundamental democratic values.' Zeldin recalled the attack during a Friday press conference as his attacker walked free hours after being arrested. 'The first thing I saw was that he was wearing a hat that says he was a veteran and the way that I'm wired when I see somebody wearing a hat that is a veteran - my guard couldn't possibly be more dropped,' Zeldin said at a Friday press conference. 'But at the same exact time. I noticed he had a weapon in his hand and it had two holes where he had two fingers through the holes. It had two - a sharp dagger like edges on it - and he was telling me "you're done.'" David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, confronted the Republican, who was giving a speech on bail reform, in Perinton, New York, a small town outside Rochester, as part of his 'United to Fire Hochul' campaign. Jakubonis, thought to be an Iraq war veteran, was drunk when he launched his attack, according to WHEC-TV. 'When he lifted up his hand and he was lunging for my throat area, the first thought was to grab onto his wrist and just to hold it because there were so many people around that I would expect there to be help - quickly - and that's what happened,' Zeldin said. 'All security for all events for the remainder the campaign will be ramped up. That's something that started this morning.' He later added, 'Absolutely we're going to continue the rallies.' David Jakubonis attacked gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin during his bail reform speech on Thursday. Jakubonis was arrested and released hours later under the state's lenient bail laws Jakubonis was arrested and charged with attempted assault in the second degree. He was released within hours, just as Zeldin predicted he would. Zeldin's prediction was a clear reference to New York's shoddy bail reform laws, which doesn't require cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felony charges, allowing criminals who haven't been convicted of a crime to go free. The first thing I will do after Im sworn into office. Is to remove a district attorney who refuses to enforce the law,' Zeldin said on Friday while anticipating his win in the upcoming November election. The press conference was briefly paused after an unidentified person collapsed while standing nearby Zeldin. Bystanders rushed to help the person before the conference resumed. An unidentified person collapsed during Zeldin's press conference on Friday morning. Zeldin briefly paused while others rushed to help Zeldin proceeded minutes later to continue discussing his stance on cashless bail with reporters. 'If you are the strongest advocate of cashless bail, under the argument that somebody shouldn't be stuck in prison solely because they can't afford $100 bail or whatever the best example would be used.' 'If you look at the attacker from last night, I'm told he was intoxicated. I'm told that he had mental health issues... there's a part of processing and arrest where people who need help are given the information and advice, sometimes appointments [on] where to go about your drug addiction, where to go about your mental health challenges.' Zeldin added, 'My first foremost concern about cashless bail and the need to overhaul it is dangerousness. The judges should have discretion to wait dangerousness. It's about the victim.' He further explained that cashless bail was a disservice to Jakubonis because by law he was rushed to be released rather than receiving mental health assistance. 'Where's the help for him in that process,' Zeldin said. 'It's anti-criminal in a way where that person that you're advocating for to try to get them out, didn't get the help that they would have otherwise gotten if they had stayed there and worked with these professionals in the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.' The state Senate claims the reform hasn't led to fewer people behind bars and has contributed to increased crime. Jakubonis was released hours after the attack without bail. Zeldin predicted he would be quickly released under New York policies that eliminated cashless bail for some offenses Zeldin said releasing Jakubonis without allowing him to receive the mental health care he needs was a mistake Zeldin further slammed Gov. Kathy Hochul for her light approach to crime and support of cashless bail while releasing 'murderers' and 'rapist.' 'We need the governor right now to be advocating for this because it's the right thing to do for public safety, for security, for rising crime, to back the blue, to make sure that we're defending our correctional officers who are now because assaulted.' He continued, 'For our victims families where they're having to read about parole boards releasing cop killers and murderers and rapists without the victim and victim's family being able to weigh in with their position.' 'All this is being met right now with silence by the governor, she's wrong for doing it,' Zeldin said. Zeldin further proposed implementing a law that includes protection against judges who insist letting out those who need to be kept behind bars. Zeldin slammed New York Governor Kathy Hochul for remaining silent amid rising crime and the release of dangerous criminals. Hochul is pictured speaking at an event on the night that Zeldin was attacked in New York City where she was advocating for the city to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention Jakubonis being released without bail sparked outrage from some political figures. 'The guy who tried to stab Lee Zeldin in New York tonight has already been released from police custody,' Desi Cuellar, congressional candidate wrote on Twitter. 'New York has truly become a sick place run by criminals!' Cuellar added, 'Stop whatever you're doing. A man tried to murder Lee Zeldin onstage last night. Call it what it is. He went up with a weapon and tried to stab him. That man was taken into police custody TO BE PROCESSED. He's already been released AND DID NOT HAVE TO PAY BAIL!' Radio host Larry O'Connor subtly slammed New York policies. 'The State of New York immediately releasing @leezeldin's attacker with no-cash bail is the best argument for electing Lee Zeldin that Lee Zeldin could have made,' O'Connor wrote on Twitter. Video from the scene shows Jakubonis enter the stage from slightly behind Zeldin, walk calmly up to him and eventually raise his arm toward the candidate's neck. A group of Zeldin supporters quickly subdued the attacker before he inflicted any damage and held him in place until authorities arrived to arrest the man. A weapon, which appeared to be a pair of brass knuckles with two blades affixed, was recovered from the scene. The weapon featured a cat's face with the words: 'Made in the USA' written across it. That blade appears to have been made from hard plastic, it has since emerged, although authorities said it is just as strong and sharp as a metal equivalent. Jakubonis was arraigned at Perinton Town Court and charged with attempted assault in the second degree. He was released on his own recognizance. The suspect seen entering the stage while Zeldin was speaking. He can be heard saying: You're done' David Jakubonis, 43, being taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. He has been charged with attempted assault in the second degree The suspect's alleged weapon was handed over to authorities 'Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evenings rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him,' Zeldin tweeted. The candidate wasn't injured and returned to the stage after the suspect was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. Before Jakubonis was arrested, Zeldin supporters are said to have subdued him with zip-ties. The man who took down Zeldin's would-be assailant initially was named as AMVETS national director Joe Chenelly. AMVETS is a non-partisan veterans advocacy group. Chenelly said that he spoke with Jakubonis and when he found out the suspect had served in Iraq, he vowed to get him help. Chenelly told the Rochester First: 'When he said he served in Iraq, I got down hands on my knees and said, "You know, we're going to get through whatever you've done here tonight. You're going to get better and focus on that. You can contact me after this thing is done".' He added: 'I was told not to engage with him right now. I think it's very important we obviously have a mental health crisis nationwide - not just with our veterans but we especially have it with our veterans.' Zeldin, a staunch ally of ex-President Donald Trump, is the Republican nominee to replace current New York governor Kathy Hochul. New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy said after the attack that current Gov. Kathy Hochul 'fanned the flames of hate' today by recently posting Zeldin's schedule online and apparently encouraging her supporters to attend. Zeldin appears during New York's Republican gubernatorial debate at the studios of Spectrum News NY1 on June 20, 2022, in New York Since 2015, Zeldin has represented New York's first district in Congress, representing Long Island's affluent Hamptons-area. He has been an opponent of New York's bail reform laws, eliminating cash bail for nonviolent and misdemeanor charges. His campaign said in a statement on Thursday: 'Congressman Zeldin, Alison Esposito and all members of Team Zeldin are safe following tonights attack. Far more must be done to make New York safe again. This is very much getting out of hand in this state. The message continued: 'Unfortunately, Congressman Zeldin is just the latest New Yorker whose life has been affected by the out of control crime and violence in New York. This needs to stop!' The suspect being wrestled the ground by a group of Zeldin supporters Following the attack, New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy blamed the current governor for the attack saying: 'Its not a coincidence that just hours earlier, Kathy Hochul fanned the flames of hate by directing her supporters to his rally schedule. This is unacceptable conduct for anyone, let alone a sitting governor.' On her campaign website, Hochul's team pointed out Zeldin's event on July 21 telling her supporters: 'RSVP to hear about Zeldin's 'Election Integrity Task Force,' and his recent election fraud scandal in which his campaign photocopied over 11,000 duplicate signatures.' A week before the attack, the congressman was taken off of the Independent Party's ballot line in November's gubernatorial election after more than 12,500 of the signatures on his application were found to have been duplicates of real signatures. Following Thursday's incident, Governor Hochul said: 'Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible it has no place in New York.' According to his LinkedIn page, Joe Chenelly, the man who took down the attacker, is a candidate for the New York assembly in 2022 According to his LinkedIn page, the man who first took down the would-be attacker, Joe Chenelly, is a candidate for the New York state assembly in 2022. Chenelly is a long time advocate for veterans and has worked as a political advisor for former United States Senator Jim Webb's short-lived campaign for the presidency in 2016. Following Thursday's incident, his wife wrote on Facebook: 'Joe Chenelly is a hero.' New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola quickly condemned the attack in a statement saying: 'Attacks on political candidates, regardless of their viewpoints, are absolutely unacceptable.' She continued: 'This country was founded on the idea of freedom of speech. Political violence of this kind represents a dangerous shift away from the principles that this nation was built upon.' Migrant children have allegedly been found working at a Hyundai supplier in Alabama after police launched a probe into the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl who ran away with a 21-year-old plant employee. SMART Alabama in Luverne, an automotive parts manufacturer that has supplied parts for Hyundai since 2003, reportedly fired multiple underage workers - some as young as 12 - as publicity around the missing girl's case heated up. A former employee alleged that as many as 50 underage workers were employed across various shifts when he was working at the plant. The accusations date back to a February Amber Alert regarding Eidy Aracely Tzi Coc, who had briefly disappeared from her family's home in the town of Enterprise alongside 21-year-old Alvaro Cucul. Coc and her two brothers, aged 12 and 15, all worked at the plant earlier this year and weren't going to school, according to people familiar with the situation. Pedro Tzi, Eidy's father, confirmed that his children had worked there in an interview. Tzi contacted Enterprise police on February 3 after she didn't come home and police issued an amber alert. They also launched a manhunt for Cucul, another Guatemalan migrant and SMART worker around that time with whom Tzi believed she might be. Using cell phone geolocation data, police located Cucul and the girl in a parking lot in Athens, Georgia the same day she was reported missing. The girl told officers that Cucul was a friend and that they had traveled the nearly 300-mile journey to look for more work. Cucul was arrested and later deported. After the disappearance generated local news coverage, SMART allegedly dismissed a number of underage workers, according to two former employees and other locals familiar with the plant. The sources said the police attention raised fears that authorities could soon crack down on other underage workers. The accusations of child labor date back to an Amber Alert for Eidy Aracely Tzi Coc who disappeared with a 21-year-old plant employee Alvaro Cucul, 21, reportedly absconded with the young teen back in February this year Since then, the plant has faced further accusations of child labor infractions from the police, Coc's family and at least eight former and current employees at the factory. SMART Alabama LLC, listed by Hyundai in corporate filings as a majority-owned unit, supplies parts for some of the most popular cars and SUVs built by the automaker in Montgomery, its flagship U.S. assembly plant. Hyundai didn't respond to phone calls or emails from reporters seeking comment. Tzi's children, who have now enrolled for the upcoming school term, were among a larger cohort of underage workers who found jobs at the Hyundai-owned supplier over the past few years, according to interviews with a dozen former and current plant employees and labor recruiters. He said he regrets that his children had gone to work. The family needed any income it could get at the time but is now trying to move on. Tzi added: 'All that is over now. The kids aren't working and in fall they will be in school.' Several of these minors, authorities said, have ignored schooling in order to work long shifts at the plant, a sprawling facility with a documented history of health and safety violations, including amputation hazards. Police in Enterprise, about 45 miles from the plant, don't have jurisdiction to investigate possible labor-law violations at the factory. Instead, the force notified the state attorney general's office after the incident, Detective James Sanders said. Mike Lewis, a spokesperson at the Alabama attorney general's office, declined to comment. It's unclear whether the office or other investigators have contacted SMART or Hyundai about possible violations. It has not yet been confirmed how many children worked at the factory, what they were paid and what the terms of their employment were. One former worker at SMART, an adult migrant who left for another auto industry job last year, claimed there were around 50 underage workers between the different plant shifts, adding that he knew some of them personally. Another former adult worker at SMART, a U.S. citizen who also left the plant last year, alleged she worked alongside about a dozen minors on her shift. A U.S. flag flies above a welcome sign, in Luverne, Alabama As many as 50 migrant children as young as 12 have been used as child labor at an Alabama plant that sells parts to Hyundai's assembly line Another former employee, Tabatha Moultry, 39, worked on SMART's assembly line for several years through 2019. Moultry claimed the plant had high turnover and increasingly relied on migrant workers to keep up with intense production demands. She said she remembered working with one migrant girl who 'looked 11 or 12 years old.' The girl would come to work with her mother, Moultry said. When Moultry asked her real age, the girl said she was 13. Moultry added: 'She was way too young to be working in that plant, or any plant'. David Michaels, for Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, called the allegations an outrage. Michaels said: '[Consumers] should know that these cars are being built, at least in part, by workers who are children and need to be in school rather than risking life and limb because their families are desperate for income'. SMART, in a statement, said it follows federal, state and local laws and 'denies any allegation that it knowingly employed anyone who is ineligible for employment.' The company said it relies on temporary work agencies to fill jobs and expects 'these agencies to follow the law in recruiting, hiring, and placing workers on its premises.' SMART didn't answer specific questions about the workers cited in this story or on-the-job scenes they and other people familiar with the factory described. Many of the minors at the plant were hired through recruitment agencies, according to current and former SMART workers and local labor recruiters. Although staffing firms help fill industrial jobs nationwide, they have often been criticized by labor advocates because they enable large employers to outsource responsibility for checking the eligibility of employees to work. Alabama and federal laws limit minors under age 18 from working in metal stamping and pressing operations such as SMART, where proximity to dangerous machinery can put them at risk. Alabama law also requires children 17 and under to be enrolled in school. In late 2020, SMART wrote a letter to U.S. consular officials in Mexico seeking a visa for a Mexican worker. The letter, written by SMART General Manager Gary Sport and reviewed by Reuters, said the plant was 'severely lacking in labor' and that Hyundai 'will not tolerate such shortcomings.' Earlier this year, attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit against SMART and several staffing firms who help supply workers with U.S. visas. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on behalf of a group of about 40 Mexican workers, alleges some employees, hired as engineers, were ordered to work menial jobs instead. SMART in court documents called allegations in the suit 'baseless' and 'meritless.' Donald Trump has plans to purge the so-called 'deep state' beyond what any president has done before if he runs for and wins the presidency in 2024 and as many as 50,000 government workers could find themselves on the chopping block. The former president, if elected again, would move in with a plan being drawn up now to 'drain the swamp' and cut tens of thousands of civil servants from what are typically apolitical roles, according to an Axios report. He would clean house of mid-level staffers at the Pentagon, Justice Department, State Department and beyond and bring in thoroughly vetted candidates who were found to be more closely aligned with his 'America First' agenda. After interviews with over a dozen Trump-world insiders the outlet's investigation found that Trump is planning to use an executive order called 'Schedule F,' which he issued in October 2020 and Biden later rescinded. The order would reclassify tens of thousands of civil servants who were deemed to have some influence over policy as 'Schedule F' employees, which would strip them of their employment protections. New presidents typically replace about 4,000 political appointees to align agencies with their new agenda, but below them are a mass of federal workers who have strong employment protections and typically continue in their role from one administration to the next. The Trump official who came up with the Schedule F order said it could apply to as many as 50,000 of the some-two million federal workers. Other Trump allies say the figure will not be nearly that high because firing a smaller segment of anti-Trump 'bad apples' would be enough to trigger 'behavior change.' Doing so could strip mid-level government staffers of any sense of job stability and set a new precedent forcing future new presidents to seek out and install their own loyalists throughout the bureaucracy. Russ Vought, the former head of Trump's Office of Management and Budget, is reportedly working on plans to make the security clearance process less onerous so that more government workers could be made political appointees. 'We are consciously bringing on the toughest and most courageous fighters with the know-how and credibility to crush the deep state,' Vought told Axios. Donald Trump has plans to purge the so-called 'deep state' beyond what any president has done before if he runs for and wins the presidency in 2024 and as many as 50,000 government workers could find themselves on the chopping block While Trump and many of his former top aides and allies are no longer on speaking terms, the former president is relying on a close cadre of still-trusted former advisors who are working with conservative organizations to line up talent. It's also thought that for top jobs, Trump will bring in only those who most actively supported his 2020 election fraud claims. Jeffrey Clark, a controversial lawyer who advocated for a plan to contest the election results and now finds himself in the crosshairs of the Jan. 6 committee and the FBI, is thought to be in line for attorney general. Sources close to the former president said that Ric Grenell has a decent shot at a secretary of State nomination. As acting director of national intelligence, Grenell was one of Trump's favorite officials toward the end, as he worked to declassify material from the Trump-Russia investigation. Grenell, who now works on Newsmax, said on the network earlier this year: 'I'm not going to stop until we prosecute [Trump's former FBI director] Jim Comey.' Kash Patel, the chief of staff to Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller at the time of the attack on the Capitol, would likely be in line for a top national security job at the White House. If he could make it through a Senate confirmation, he could even be appointed CIA or FBI director, according to Trump allies. Patel was a key author behind former Rep. Devin Nunes' memo accusing the Department of Justice and FBI of abusing surveillance laws in a politically motivated effort to take down Trump. The former president, if elected again, would move in with a plan being drawn up now to 'drain the swamp' and cut tens of thousands of civil servants from what are typically apolitical roles Former Trump officials still in his orbit who are working on developing personnel, policy and legal plans for a potential future presidency include Vought, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former advisor Stephen Miller, Ed Corrigan, Wesley Denton, Brooke Rollins, James Sherk, Andrew Kloster and Troup Hemenway. Others who remain close and could be in contention for another White House role include Dan Scavino, John McEntee, Richard Grenell, Kash Patel, Robert O'Brien, David Bernhardt, John Ratcliffe, Peter Navarro and Pam Bondi. Girl Guides has sparked a trans row after publishing an interview with the parents of a child who began 'living as a girl' from the age of five. The largest organisation for girls in Britain boasted of its 'trans inclusive' credentials as it told the story of 'Rainbow', one of its newest 'Brownies', in its summer magazine. In the article, available online, parents Jane and Mike - not their real names - explain that when their child was born, they 'assumed she was a boy', before she began 'identifying more with female characters, toys and books when she was 18 months old.' The article was shared on Twitter, where it divided opinion. Maya Forstater, director of the Sex Matters group that has been supported by the author JK Rowling, refused to recognise the child as a girl. She said: 'This from Girlguiding is such dangerous, reality-defying nonsense. A feminine little boy who likes to wear dresses may well grow up to be a gay man. He is not a girl. Maya Forstater, director of the Sex Matters group that has been supported by the author JK Rowling, refused to recognise the child as a girl as she criticised the article on Twitter Girlguiding chiefs previously advised staff to learn a glossary of words such as 'aromantic', 'demisexual' and 'agender'and to encourage girls to learn the glossary in a task called the 'vocabulary extravaganza' Pictured: Girl Guides logo 'The idea that a five-year-old knows their 'true gender' and should be socially transitioned and affirmed as being the opposite sex is extreme gender ideology, not cautious care.' Some followers of Ms Forstater agreed with her, branding the piece 'madness', 'dangerous' and 'bizarre.' Others were more supportive, however, as one wrote: 'Thank you for drawing my attention to this WONDERFUL trans-inclusive article on the Girl Guiding website. 'I'm so PLEASED that @Girlguiding continue to be supportive of trans youth, and ignore the bigots and haters.' The mother in the article said 'Rainbow' had been 'begging me to buy a dress to wear in public', which she initially refused, before finally agreeing because 'at least with the dress on, she could get back to being a kid'. 'Jane' added: 'My child had always talked about the differences between boys and girls but her questions accelerated as she got older. One day she said to us in a quiet voice: 'My real name is Rainbow.' The article said Rainbow's 'journey' happened during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The article was shared on Twitter, where it divided opinion. Maya Forstater branded it 'dangerous, reality-defying nonsense' 'When she went back to school after lockdown, she returned as her true gender, female,' it read. The article had some advice for parents who may come across 'Rainbow' or other trans children at Girl Guides - now called Girlguiding - telling them to simply 'correct' themselves if they get it wrong. Jane and Mike said: 'Using wrong pronouns might feel like a terrible thing to happen, but the important thing is to correct yourself and keep going. If you see them as a girl, then using the right pronouns should happen naturally. 'Trans girls feel like girls and should be treated as such - as our daughter has said, they are the same on the inside, where it counts. 'And if other parents ask questions, it's important to remember that transgender members deserve privacy in the same way everyone else does.' A Girlguiding spokesman said: 'Girlguiding is an inclusive organisation which empowers members to find their voice and discover the best in themselves. 'We're proud to be trans-inclusive, and our trans-inclusive equality and diversity policy is grounded in the Equality Act 2010. Sir John Hayes, of the Common Sense group of MPs, said parents 'don't expect (children) to be indoctrinated with a lot of woke claptrap' 'We want to ensure that all members receive a great guiding experience and members are regularly invited to write for our guiding magazine to articulate their positive experience of Girlguiding.' It comes after Girlguiding chiefs were accused earlier this month of promoting 'woke claptrap' after advising leaders to learn almost 100 terms linked to gender and sexual identity. Britain's biggest girls' group advised staff to learn a glossary of words such as 'aromantic', 'demisexual' and 'agender', saying 'it might be worth printing it off... so you can reference it' with children. The glossary also includes 'pansexual' 'attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions' and 'constellation', the structure of polyamorous relationships. The guidance, first reported by the Sunday Express, encourages girls to learn the glossary in a task called the 'vocabulary extravaganza'. Sir John Hayes, of the Common Sense group of MPs, said parents 'don't expect (children) to be indoctrinated with a lot of woke claptrap'. The Daily Mail previously reported on the story of bus driver Monica Sulley, 58, who reportedly became a guiding Commissioner in July last year, overseeing Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. Feminist campaigners delved into her background and unearthed a picture on her Instagram page showing her in a black bondage-style short dress with high heels and wielding a whip. The picture of her posing in a corridor was captioned: 'Now behave yourselves or Mistress will have to punish you #mistress'. Girlguiding bosses said Sulley stepped down following an investigation into allegations of a breach of conduct. It comes after the Daily Mail previously revealed the Scout Association sold a 1.50 'trans fun' badge for children as young as four, alongside 'bisexual fun', 'lesbian fun' and 'pride fun' options. A spokesman for Girlguiding said at the time that it believed children should 'know the importance of embracing different identities'. The guidance says: 'There are so many identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community, the idea of talking about it... might feel overwhelming. 'We've put together some simple advice, explained lots of terms and suggested activities that you can do with any section.' Campaigners delved into Monica Sulley's background and unearthed a picture on her Instagram page showing her in a black bondage-style short dress with high heels and wielding a whip Stephanie Davies-Arai, founder of Transgender Trend, was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to children in the Queen's Birthday Honours list The leaders are also advised to 'explore gender' with girls by using a controversial 'genderbread person' graphic, modelled on a gingerbread figure, which appears to show anatomical sex along a spectrum from zero to 'female-ness' and 'male-ness' at the other end. The graphic has also been used in presentations for civil servants. Stephanie Davies-Arai, founder of campaign group Transgender Trend, said the Genderbread graphic 'presents a belief, an ideology around gender that is not scientifically based', adding that it presents biological sex 'around the subjective qualities of male-ness and female-ness rather than the objective material reality that it is'. But Professor Monica Grady, a space scientist and the chancellor of Liverpool Hope university, told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme that Guides 'should be encouraged to understand' issues around gender identity. A New Jersey woman who cooked up a fake sob story with a homeless man to swindle hundreds of thousands of dollars on GoFundMe was sentenced to one year in prison on Thursday. Katelyn McLure, 32, will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay restitution for the money she and her boyfriend, Mark DAmico, stole using the phony fundraiser. McLure and DAmico hatched the plot in 2018, when they falsely claimed a homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt, gave her his last $20 when she ran out of gas in the middle of the night. In reality, the trio had actually met a month earlier than was claimed at a casino in Philadelphia which McClure and D'Amico frequented and where Bobbitt was known to hang around outside. Together they devised a plan that motivated 14,000 people to donate approximately $400,000 by asking them to 'pay it forward' on a GoFundMe for Bobbitt. Kate McClure, 32, was sentenced to a year behind bars after she defrauded thousands of people out of almost $400,000 after making up a fake sob story involving homeless man Johnny Bobbitt McLure is seen here in 2019 with her lawyer in Burlington County Courthouse after being charged with theft by deception. She was sentenced to one year behind bars and still faces state charges D'Amico plead guilty in 2019 to one count of misappropriating entrusted funds after he splashed the ill-gotten gains with McLure on casino trips and cars Liars: Bobbitt, D'Amico and McClure are pictured posing in front of the gas station they claimed was where Bobbitt spent his last $20 to buy McClure gas in 2017 for a newspaper article about their viral GoFundMe campaign. In reality, they had known each other for a month before, after meeting at a casino The scheme collapsed when Bobbitt sued the couple, claiming the couple only shared around $75,000 with him and blew the cash on luxury items, a BMW and casino trips among other things. Of the $400,000 they raised and $360,000 they netted after GoFundMe fees, there is not a single dollar left. D'Amico accepted a plea deal in Burlington County in 2019 and now faces five years behind bars, while Bobbitt was ordered to enter a drug rehabilitation program. All three also face state charges next month, which may mean more jailtime for the trio. In November 2017, McClure created the GoFundMe campaign claiming to have just met Bobbitt and returned to repay him for saving her when she was stranded. An hour later, according to prosecutors, she texted a friend admitting it was a lie. Mark D'Amico, left, and Johnny Bobbitt conspired with McLure to set up a fraudulent GoFundMe for Bobbitt, but the plan unraveled when Bobbitt said he did not receive his fair share McClure and her boyfriend used this photograph to promote their campaign. They said they went back to find Bobbitt to return the money he had given her. An hour after posting it online, McClure texted a friend to say she had 'made up the gas stuff' to 'make people feel bad' 'OK so wait, the gas part is completely made up but the guy isn't,' McLure said to her friend at the time. WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? TOTAL: $403,000 GOFUNDME FEES: $40,000 CASINO CASH WITHDRAWALS: $89,000 CASINO CHARGES: $20,000 + BOBBITT'S SHARE: $75,000 REPAYING FAMILY DEBT: $9,000 BMW, LOUIS VUITTON BAGS, VACATIONS, JEWELRY AND MISC SPENDING: $174,000 REMAINDER: $0 Advertisement 'I had to make something up so people would feel bad so shoosh about the made up stuff,' she said in one of 60,000 text messages that were reviewed as part of the investigation. The story began to fell apart in August 2018 after Bobbitt complained to a newspaper that the couple 'stole' the money and left him to return to the streets. D'Amico and McClure hit back claiming that he could not be trusted with it because he was a drug addict. But their conflicting statements about how much they had and when it was all spent raised red flags. Prosecutors then reviewed transactions and found that not only had the couple blown all the money, as has been suspected for months, but their story was fraudulent from the beginning and Bobbitt, who had been seen as their victim, was complicit. 'The paying it forward story that drove this fundraiser might seem too good to be true. Unfortunately it was. The entire campaign was predicated on a lie,' they said. 'She did not run out of gas at an I-95 off ramp and he did not spend his last $20 to help her. 'D'Amico, McClure and Bobbitt conspired to pass off a fake, feel good story that would compel donors to contribute to their cause and it worked in a very big way but it was fictitious and illegal and there are consequences,' Scott Coffina, Burlington County Prosecutor, said at a press conference in 2018. The lie: This was the original post made by McClure on GoFundMe that went round the world, garnering thousands of views Prosecutors condemned the trio's 'media blitz' which fueled donations. More than 14,000 people contributed to the account from all over the world He explained how they met a month earlier. 'Johnny Bobbitt used to hang out near an underpass and this off ramp happens to be near a Sugarhouse casino and they frequented it and they ran into him on their trips there, befriended him, gave him $10, some coffee or some food,' Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. Initially, they set out to raise $10,000 and claimed it would be used to get Bobbitt off the streets. But the donations poured in as the three of them promoted it and soon the total was at $403,000. In August they appeared on Megyn Kelly Today claiming they had done nothing wrong and were happy with their version of events. They told the show they had $150,000 left but they in fact only had $10,000 D'Amico, above during their trip to Nevada, was confident he could shop around a book about their experience called No Good Deed after Bobbitt made the dispute over the money public 'This was an irresistibly heartwarming tale and the trio's international media blitz to promote the campaign convinced more than 14,000 donors to contribute a total of $403,000 to help Johnny Bobbitt,' Coffina said. McClure and D'Amico were overcome with greed and rather than give Bobbitt even half of the money, they withheld it and spent it on themselves. 'By his own estimate, Bobbitt received approximately $75,000 of the money. 'But he wanted his fair share of the take and initiated legal action in August 2018 when his confederates refused to turn it over,' Coffina said. 'By that point though, the money was long gone.' At least $9,000 was spent on repaying family debt. An astonishing $89,000 was attributed to cash withdrawals in or near casinos, and an additional $20,000 was spent on cards in the casinos. There were also Louis Vuitton handbags, a BMW and trips including one to to Las Vegas. When Bobbitt complained about the frivolous spending, they insisted they had done no wrong. They even went on Megyn Kelly Today, the now-cancelled NBC morning show, and insisted they were trying to do the right thing. D'Amico stated unequivocally that they still had $150,000 of the money and that they had no, as was accused, spent it lavishly on themselves. But in a March 2018 text message to her boyfriend, McClure 'lamented that the pair had less than $10,000 remaining but D'Amico wasn't worried,' Coffina said. 'He was certain that the payday from the book deal he was planning would dwarf the GoFundMe money,' he added. The book would be called No Good Deed. Prosecutors said that while they were grateful to Bobbitt for his military service and sympathized with his plight as a homeless drug addict, he was complicit in the lie. It is not yet known if they set up terms to dictate who would pocket what when they made up the story. When Bobbitt took action against the couple, he may not have known that all the money was gone, Coffina said. He also did not understand that bringing their story back into the public eye would put them all at risk of being found out. It was their dispute over the money which triggered the investigation, Coffina said. Asked if they would have gotten away with it if they had not begun fighting, he said: 'They very well might have.' 'Johnny Bobbitt deserves our appreciation for his service to our country and our sympathy... but it is imperative to keep in mind that he was fully complicit. 'He posed in front of a gas station for a photograph that he did not buy gas from,' Coffina said. He went on: 'I can't imagine what was in Johnny Bobbitt's mind. 'Maybe he just didn't appreciate that even the lawsuit would bring out this, he may not have known that all the money was squandered when he brought the lawsuit. Prosecutors said they were grateful to Bobbitt for his military service and sympathized with his drug addiction and homelessness. They questioned whether he understood the full extent of the scam but said he was complicit. Bobbitt is pictured in August when he complained that the couple were keeping the money from him (right) and (left) years ago 'All three of them had an interest in the story being fake not being revealed.' Some of McClure's friends and family pieced together that they had been dishonest, he said, but none are believed to have come forward despite some of them benefiting from it. They do not face charges. 'They became aware over time. It's asking a lot of a mother to come forward and turn in her daughter. 'When the initial distributions were made, D'Amico and McClure did repay some family members money that was owed to them,' he said. The total was $9,000. Even as their story started to fall apart earlier this year, McClure and D'Amico tried their luck. 'Giving him all that money, it's never going to happen. I'll burn it in front of him,' D'Amico said in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer that year. During an interview with Megyn Kelly, they said they spent $200,000 on him in total and that $150,000 was left. In that interview, D'Amico said GoFundMe took $50,000. When asked for an exact figure of how much was left, they said they could not give one because the money was still being held in the account they used for themselves. Coffina said he hoped the shocking story would not stop others from donating to genuine good causes in the future. 'This type of case can damage the psyche of the public. It can make generous people skeptical and a little more hesitant to help someone else in need. 'I urge you not to let this happen,' he said. Rwanda blasted critics of its deal to take thousands of Channel migrants from Britain today - and revealed the UK has stumped up 120million to fund the scheme before even one person has arrived in Africa. A senior official lashed out at people opposed to the scheme, saying they were unfairly casting the continent as a 'hellhole' and a 'terrible place to live'. Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the government of Paul Kigame, made the claim as she revealed that Rwanda currently only has capacity to take in 200 people. She confirmed it has received the entire initial payment for the agreement signed in April, based on it accepting thousands of people over five years. The first deportation flight was grounded in June after a series of legal challenges and another attempt is yet to scheduled. Last month Downing Street conceded that some cash had been paid but refused to say how much or when this had happened, saying the information was 'confidential'. Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the government of Paul Kigame, made the claim as she revealed that Rwanda currently only has capacity to take in 200 people. The Hope Hostel in Kigali is ready to welcome the migrants from United Kingdom, whenever they arrive. But no other facilities are yet ready. But Ms Makolo told reporters today: 'When you pull back and look at this with a wider lens, part of the reason people think they should be living in Europe or richer countries is they think the streets are paved with gold. 'Part of the reason is this narrative that is cast by different media that Africa is a hellhole, it's presented as a terrible place to live, which is untrue.' Several asylum seekers, the Public and Commercial Services union and charities Care4Calais, Detention Action and Asylum Aid are challenging the legality of the Home Office policy, with the next court hearings due in September and October. The ongoing court cases have raised the prospect that a flight may not be attempted again until the winter. Some migrants issued with Rwanda removal directions have already been released from immigration detention because, as yet, another flight has not been lined up. Earlier this week the Commons Home Affairs Committee found there is 'no evidence' that the policy is acting as a deterrent. Since Home Secretary Priti Patel signed the deal, more than 1,000 migrants have crossed the Channel. When asked by reporters how much money had already been paid by the UK, Ms Makolo said: 'There was an initial transfer of 120 million. This has already been paid and we are already using the funds to prepare.' Rwanda remains 'committed' to the partnership, she added. Earlier this week, a High Court hearing revealed the Foreign Office advised the UK Government against sending asylum seekers to the east African nation and the country had been accused of recruiting refugees for military conflicts. Ms Makolo said: 'It is wrong to accuse us of that sort of thing. What we do is offer people a home and safety here. 'We do not get involved in recruitments for whatever armed movements. Once the refugees are here, they're under our care and the care of UNHCR (the UN's refugee agency). So that is incorrect information. And we want to challenge that because it's not true.' Assertions from the former UK High Commissioner to Rwanda were 'based on wrong information', she added. Ms Picard said they had already been in touch with the UK to 'correct the record' on the statements made, adding: 'We want to ensure the country's asylum process is understood by the court as being on par with international standards of asylum processing and refugee protection'. Ms Makolo expressed 'surprise' at critical comments from the UNHCR about the scheme, saying they had never raised concerns with the government directly. 'We've had a very good working relationship with the UNHCR for decades', she added, while Ms Picard said the agency's comments were 'based on limited understanding of our asylum process'. A House Democrat representing the Tampa-area accused Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of 'indoctrinating' public school students with the GOP's agenda as he readies to tout his accomplishments before an audience of young Republican voters on Friday. It comes as her own colleagues in Washington struggle with projections that suggest Republicans could take the Congressional majority in November's midterm elections. Rep. Kathy Castor told reporters on a press call ahead of DeSantis' speech that he's 'trying to indoctrinate kids in Putin-style civics lessons,' a direct jab at the governor's self-proclaimed status as a champion of parents. She went blasted the state leader as 'wildly out of touch' and dismissed his upcoming Friday night speech as 'misinformation.' DeSantis is yet again raising 2024 rumors with a planned speech at the Student Action Summit held by right-wing group Turning Point USA - where former President Donald Trump is slated to speak just a day later. 'It's going to be interesting to watch them duel in their personal political self-interest here this weekend,' said Castor, whose district the multi-day event is held in. Meanwhile, her colleagues in the House are fighting an uphill battle to hold onto their slim majority in November's midterm elections - all while grappling with President Joe Biden's abysmal approval ratings. A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from just this week has Biden's approval at just 36 percent, a new low with less than six months until Election Day. Democrat Florida Rep. Kathy Castor (left) blasted Florida's GOP Governor Ron DeSantis as 'extreme' ahead of his appearance at the Turning Point USA student summit happening in her district this weekend It comes as the DNC mounts a campaign against Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit, a large gathering of young Republican voters from across the country But during Friday's call, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison would not say whether the party should be concerned with its leader's unpopularity headed into the races. When asked by DailyMail.com about Biden's low poll numbers, Harrison instead pointed to more evenly-spread generic ballot polls that show both parties within points of one another. He did concede that analysts don't hold high hopes for Democrats, particularly during a midterm year halfway through a president's term, but added: 'I also know that history and the prognosticators in 2020 said that Democrats have never won runoff elections in Georgia - well hell, we won two. So you know, we can make our own history.' 'We have the right type of candidates, actually sane people, who believe in freedom and not this extremism coming from the Republican Party,' Harrison said. The Democrats hosted a media call ahead of the weekend's Turning Point USA summit where they tore into it as a gathering of 'extreme' Republicans. Hundreds of millennial and Gen Z Republicans are descending on Tampa for the Friday through Sunday event. In addition to DeSantis and Trump the event has attracted other potential GOP 2024 hopefuls like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. Meanwhile Democrats are grappling with President Joe Biden's low popularity going into the midterm elections Donald Trump Jr., Rep. Lauren Boebert and former Trump Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is speaking as well. Former Trump Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is also slated to appear, after her videotaped testimony to the House select committee investigating January 6 was played at the panel's explosive Capitol riot hearings. 'Turning Point USA is an extremist group. Theyre known for misinformation theyre known for promoting election fraud misinformation, theyre known for promoting COVID-19 misinformation,' Castor said on Friday morning. Referencing a now-deleted tweet in which founder Charlie Kirk said he 'sent' over 80 buses full of Trump supporters to the Capitol ahead of the insurrection, she added: 'They promoted the January 6 rally.' 'Young people should not be fooled as this group tries to reach out to college campuses and beyond to recruit member,' the Florida Democrat added. The DNC unveiled a new ad campaign on Friday morning to target the summit's biggest speakers. 'Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and the Republicans making their pilgrimage to Turning Point USA are another reminder for Americans how wildly out of touch Republicans extreme MAGA agenda is,' DNC spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement. A mobile billboard is driving through the streets of Tampa bashing Republicans' views on abortion and taxes as well as linking them all to Trump's alleged plan to overturn the 2020 election. China urges US stop making groundless accusations against China (People's Daily App) 13:46, July 22, 2022 China on Thursday urged the US to stop making groundless accusations against China. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to US top national security officials' reported warning about "the continuing threat of election interference from abroad, including China, Russia and Iran." "China is committed to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and never meddles in foreign elections," Wang said. "We urge the US to stop judging others according to its own practices, stop making groundless accusations against China, and focus instead on taking care of the US's own problems," Wang added. (Subtitles by Zhang Jian; Story compiled by Zhang Wanyi) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) The fugitive son of a police sergeant is still being hunted three days after a court ordered his arrest over an assault. Despite holding a warrant for his immediate detention, police have been unable to find 20-year-old Max Coopey who skipped bail and failed to appear in court on an assault charge on Tuesday. Coopey, who hit the headlines in August 2018 when an Audi car which he was driving while high on cannabis mowed down and killed two men in Sunninghill, Berks. Families of the men who died, John Shackley and Jason Imi, were angry that Crown prosecutors ruled against charging Coopey with causing the deaths, instead prosecuting him for driving while using cannabis. On Tuesday, Coopey had been ordered to appear before Wimbledon Magistrates Court to answer a charge of common assault on an alleged victim named in the indictment as Paul Storey. Max Coopey, 20, who escaped prosecution for killing two men in a drug-drive crash in 2018, is being hunted by police three days after a court ordered his arrest over an assault charge The assault was alleged to have happened last December at Kingston-on-Thames Hospital in Surrey. Coopey, who was living with his Metropolitan Police sergeant father Russel Coopey and his former Met policewoman mother, Catherine, in Ascot, Berks., was arrested following the alleged assault at the hospital on December 17. He was later granted bail to appear at Wimbledon Court on Tuesday. The presiding magistrate was told by the court clerk that Coopey had failed to surrender to his bail and therefore ordered that an immediate warrant for his arrest be issued. The court heard that warning letters telling Coopey that he needed to appear at court for an 11am hearing on Tuesday had been sent to two separate addresses. 'The bench is content to agree that a warrant not backed for bail should be issued.' Fugitive Max Coopey was living with his Metropolitan Police sergeant father Russel Coopey (pictured) and his former Met policewoman mother, Catherine, in Ascot, Berks. It was expected that officers from Thames Valley Police would go to the Coopey familys 1 million home in The Burlings, Ascot, Berks. However, a spokesman for the Wimbledon court said today that Coopey had still not been found and arrested. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley clapped back after being made fun of for running from the MAGA mob on January 6 after infamously egging them on with a fist raised in solidarity. On Friday, Hawley shared a link to where supporters could buy a $20 coffee mug depicting Hawley outside the U.S. Capitol that day. 'Josh Hawley - Show-Me Strong,' the mug reads. Hawley tweeted out an image of the mug with a kiss emoji. Laugher erupted inside the committee room Thursday night when a video was shown of the Missouri senator running through the Capitol to flee rioters after he riled them up before the January 6 attack. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley clapped back after being made fun of for running from the MAGA mob on January 6 after infamously egging them on with a fist raise. On Friday, Hawley shared a link to where supporters could buy a $20 coffee mug depicting Hawley outside the U.S. Capitol that day Laughter erupted as the January 6 committee showed a video of Hawley springing through the Capitol to get away from the rioters as they breached the Capitol Just hours before the insurrection, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley was seen holding up a fist in solidarity as pro-Trump crowds gathered near the U.S. Capitol Assembled lawmakers and witnesses guffawed loudly as the farcical clip was played at the hearing, the final one of the summer. The clip showed a suited Hawley rushing gazelle-like through the hallways of the Capitol Building and down the steps into the basement where a subway shuffles lawmakers, staff and press to Senate office buildings. Hawley fled even though he memorably raised his fist in support of the gathering pro-MAGA crowd outside the Capitol earlier in the day. 'As you can see in this photo, he raised his fist in solidarity with the protesters already amassing at the security gates,' Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria said Thursday night. She also said the committee had spoken to a Capitol Police officer about the moment who said it 'bothered her greatly' to see a politician 'riling up the crowd.' Audience members were seen laughing when the video of Hawley dashing down halls in the U.S. Capitol was shown He was also seen running down the stairs as others fled the Capitol Immediate reaction to the vid: pic.twitter.com/XAv4jc2tjr Dan Przygoda (@dprzygoda) July 22, 2022 On Friday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of the committee's Republican members recalled how Hawley was one of the first Republicans to volunteer to object to the election results during the January 6 session Later Kinzinger added: 'Lit the fuse, and ran away from the explosion' 'It bothered her greatly because he was doing it in a safe space, protected by the officers and the barriers,' Luria explained. Hawley was one of the first Republicans who said he would publicly object to certifying election results on January 6. On Friday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of the committee's Republican members, pointed that out. 'Worth remembering: Josh Hawley was the first senator to say he would object to the electoral college, causing a cascade of Ted Cruz-es. There would not have been as much oxygen to trumps coup plan without Fistpump McRunpants,' Kinzinger said. Kinzinger then added: 'Lit the fuse, and ran away from the explosion,' sharing the two images. Following the insurrection, Simon & Schuster dropped Hawley's then-upcoming book The Tyranny of Big Tech, citing it couldn't 'support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom.' Hawley said the decision was made by a 'woke mob' and defended his action as 'representing my constituents.' Hawley (pictured in 2021) was one the Republicans who opposed certifying Biden as president, claiming voter fraud A Washington woman has been awarded $10.2 million by a federal court in Miami after she was forced into a closet and raped by a Carnival Cruise crew member. Her attacker, Fredy Anggara, has never even been arrested for the assault, which took place on Dec. 2, 2018. The woman, who was 21 at the time of the assault, had been travelling on the Carnival Miracle boat with a friend and her family on a round trip from Tampa, Florida, stopping at Grand Cayman, Isla Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. A jury in the District Court for the Southern District of Florida found Carnival liable for damages to the plaintiff for false imprisonment and rape by a crew member. Court records show Carnival was also found to not be negligent and that Anggara didn't intentionally inflict emotional distress on the woman, referred to as Jane Doe. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Jane Doe said: The jury did not just validate me, but they validated other sexual assault survivors. That makes me so grateful. Doe, from Washington, filed a complaint against Carnival Cruise Line in November 2019, almost a year after the incident took place. The complaint didn't name Anggara, who is from Indonesia, as a defendant in the lawsuit, with the incident taking place on the last night of the cruise. Fredy Anggara, pictured, was never arrested or charged over the incident on the boat. The victim was interviewed by the FBI who did not take matters further Footage released during discovery shows Anggara following Jane Doe on the deck of the ship before he forced her into a storage closet and raped her Carnival Cruise Line have said they'll appeal the decision by a jury to award the woman $10.2 million dollars after she was raped by a crew member on board the ship After dining with a friend and two other passengers, Doe, who was on her first cruise, reportedly became highly intoxicated, according to her attorney Daniel Courtney. Court documents show Doe also slipped and hit her head on the ships pool deck shortly before she encountered Anggara, who was 27 at the time of the assault. She went up a stairwell, Anggara followed and lured her into a maintenance closet, where he proceeded to rape her while keeping the door locked. He unlocked the door after the incident, with Doe running to her room before being followed by her attacker asking her to let him into her room. She refused, gaining access to her room, and bursting into tears while telling her friend what occurred before they reported the incident. Doe then started hyperventilating but managed to locate other employees of Carnival Cruise to report the incident. Staff on board the ship took her to the medical facility where she was treated with a rape kit and given medication to fight any diseases she may have been subjected to during the assault. Court documents claim she was then subjected to humiliation as she was forced to walk through other passengers wearing just a T-shirt as she was not provided fresh clothes. Anggara told Carnival in a written statement that Doe chose to go inside the closet and engage in sexual relations with him. Following the assault FBI agents came aboard the ship and interviewed Jane Doe, who gave a statement while being recorded by Carnival. Carnival Cruise Line claim the incident between Doe and Anggara was consensual and confirmed they plan to appeal the courts decision. They added that Anggara was fired immediately, as the company has a zero-tolerance policy for crew having a relationship with a guest. 'The jury specifically did not find Carnival in any way negligent,' the company said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'The crewmember admitted that he had a consensual sexual encounter with the guest which is consistent with an investigation by the FBI that concluded the encounter was consensual. Daniel Courtney, who represents Jane Doe, said he was 'grateful' his client was able to experience a fair trial. She had been on her first cruise trip with a friend and family when she was attacked Court documents claim that after seeking medical attention, Jane Doe was subjected to humiliation, and was forced to walk through other passengers wearing just a T-shirt as she was not provided with fresh clothes 'Carnival denied the allegations based on its investigation and that of law enforcement and continues to believe that the encounter was consensual. 'Prior to the start of trial, the court made a pre-trial ruling in which it found that the crewmember falsely imprisoned the guest in a room where the consensual act took place, based on the lack of evidence from the crewmember to contradict the plaintiffs assertions. 'The safety and security of Carnival guests is paramount. Carnival intends to appeal this decision and is disappointed with the jurys verdict which it believes was the result of confusion over the pre-trial ruling of false imprisonment.' Daniel Courtney, who represents Jane Doe, claims that the FBI told his client that the matter was 'he said, she said' despite Anggara admitting to 'penetration' He said: I am so grateful my client was able to experience a well-run, orderly, and fair trial, despite Carnivals best efforts to poison the jury with inappropriate comments throughout the proceedings. We fully expect Carnival to appeal as they have never done the right thing when it comes to my brave client.' Courtney added that Anggara wasn't arrested after the incident took place and it's unclear where he is currently. Prior to the trial the court found that Doe had already proven her false imprisonment claim. In an opinion, the court ruled: There is no evidence that the jury could rely on to reject Does undisputed recollection that at some point inside the closet Mr. Anggara did not let her exit the closet after she sought to do so. For that period of time, Plaintiffs claim for false imprisonment has been established as a matter of law. The FBI did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment on the incident. Fresh from baiting Governor Ron DeSantis with political adverts in Florida, now California's Democratic leader Gavin Newsom is running full-page newspaper ads in Texas on abortion and guns. The cheeky campaign will fuel speculation that Newsom is laying down his 2024 credentials as a presidential candidate who is prepared to take the fight to Republican culture warriors. And in an interview to coincide with the launch he criticized other members of his party for playing softball with opponents. The new slate of ads will run will run in the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle and El Paso Times. They target Governor Greg Abbott, who recently said abortion was costing the lives of children in Texas. It changes his line to say instead that gun violence is responsible for killing children in California. 'If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives. If Governor Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, we urge him to follow Californias lead,' the ad reads. It comes after Newsom sparked 2024 speculation with a $105,000 ad buy on Fox News hitting DeSantis, before last week criticizing Democratic timidity in Washington last week. California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) is now going after his Texas counterpart Greg Abbott with full-page newspaper adverts about abortion and gun violence Newsom's ads are slated to run in the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle and El Paso Times. He told NBC News that Democrats had to get tougher in the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning nationwide abortion rights. 'I think Democrats have been playing a little soft,' he said. Taking the moral high ground could only take the party so far, he added. 'Its absolutely true that Id much rather follow, "When they go low, we go high," he said, in reference to the philosophy of former first lady Michelle Obama. 'But I also think we'd be completely missing the moment were living in. The door's open. 'Its now fair play. The Supreme Court left the door open.' To that end, Newsom is due on Friday to sign into law a gun control law that is modeled on the Texas abortion law by allowing citizens to sue anyone who makes or sells banned weapons. His Florida ad already had Newsom sounding like a national player. 'I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight - or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom,' he said in the July 4th ad, which has the feel of a political campaign spot. The following week he was in the nation's capital to meet with First Lady Jill Biden at the White House. Newsom attracted national attention when he bought airtime for TV ads slamming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Fox News. It triggered speculation he was preparing for a 2024 run He said the two spoke 'all things education' including 'what's going on in many of those red states.' He also collected an award from the Education Commission of the States. The award comes 'in recognition of its coordinated approach to educating all students from preschool to postsecondary, with explicit attention toward whole-child supports and services, as well as its historic financial investments to ensure educational equity,' according to the group. The state is on the way to achieving universal pre-K by 2025. Newsom, 54, used the platform to blast GOP attacks on Critical Race Theory, at a time when some Demcrats are calling on Biden to more forcefully confront his critics. 'What's happening now--banning books? Suppressing speech? The other-ing of our students, teachers, parents? It's alarming,' he said. He also said President Biden should run for reelection. It comes on a trip where he planned to meet administration officials with plans to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris in DC on Friday. Newsom met privately with first lady Jill Biden, pictured at Tuesday's White House congressional picnic President Joe Biden slammed a reporter who asked about a poll that said Democrats would prefer another nominee in 2024 Newsom has gotten in political scraps with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a leading challenger to former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination The trip came while President Biden was out of the country on a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia and a day after Biden tore into a reporter who brought up a New York Times / Sienna College poll that showed two-thirds of Democrats want someone else as the party nominee. 'You guys are all the same' he said, telling his questioner to 'read the polls, read the polls. They want me to run.' He cited a different poll question showing 92 per cent of Democrats would vote for him. The poll also showed him narrowly beating former President Donald Trump. 'Read the polls. Read the polls, Jack. You guys are all the same,' said Biden. 'A majority of Democrats say the don't want you to run in 2024,' the reporter countered. Biden shot back: '92 percent said I did, they'd vote for me.' In his Independence Day ad, Newsom went straight at DeSantis and national party leaders. Republican leaders are 'making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors,' he said in he ad. An Uber Eats delivery driver, who was riding his motorbike, is luckily to be alive after he was shoved off a bridge during a a road rage fight in central Mexico. Footage shows a man and woman, who had left their car to argue with the delivery app worker, named only as Guillermo, 26, who was still wearing his motorbike helmet. The video of the incident, which took place on a bridge in Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico, last Wednesday, showed the woman pushing Guillermo. He responds by punching the male motorist, and the two begin tussling and fighting before the delivery driver was suddenly pushed over the guard rail. A man identified as Guillermo (right), who works doing deliveries under the Uber Eats, was involved in a fight with a driver (center in the white shirt) and the motorist's female companion (rear center) on a span of a bridge in Cuautitlan Izcalli, State of Mexico, last Wednesday. The incident ended with Guillermo punching the driver, who reacted by pushing him over a metal guard rail. Guillermo was rushed to a hospital and diagnosed with a broken leg The driver returned to his vehicle and drove away after he pushed an Uber Eats worker, identified as Guillermo, over a bridge guard rail in State of Mexico, Mexico, last Wednesday The pusher stands and stares over the barrier, looking down at where Guillermo fell for a moment, before quickly slamming his trunk closed and driving away. The Attorney General's Office for the State of Mexico became aware of the incident after watching the video on social media and took over the investigation. It did not say what provoked the violent confrontation. The Attorney General's Office for the State of Mexico did not say what provoked the road rage spat that left Guillermo (left) with a fractured left leg after he was pushed over a bridge guard rail by a driver (right) The driver (right) paused and looked over the bridge guard rail after pushing an Uber Eats delivery man, identified as Guillermo, during a road rage incident in the central Mexican municipality of Cuautitlan Izcalli Guillermo was rushed via ambulance to a hospital in the municipality of Naucalpan, where doctors treated him for the fractured left leg. Agents with the prosecutor's office visited Guillermo at his home in the city of Coacalco and are expected to meet with him soon to take a statement, provided that he is in a better medical state. The driver who pushed him had still not been located by the authorities as of Friday. A 'compulsive' stalker who has had a three-decade 'fixation' with former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis has told a jury he would still write letters to her if he was freed from prison. Edward Vines is alleged to have attempted to breach a restraining order in relation to Ms Maitlis eight times between May 2020 and December 2021, expressing his 'unrequited love' for her. Nottingham Crown Court heard the 52-year-old has 'systematically and with increasing frequency' tried to breach orders imposed in 2002 and 2009, but all his letters were intercepted by staff at HMP Nottingham. A jury of seven women and five men were first told of six alleged offences which were the subject of an aborted trial in October last year, including letters in which Vines told Ms Maitlis he would 'continue to brood and to write letters in prison'. Giving evidence at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, Vines - who met Ms Maitlis while they were both studying at Cambridge University - told jurors: 'The problem derives from a young man being profoundly in love with a woman... not saying in the 1990s... that I love you.' Edward Vines (pictured) is alleged to have attempted to breach a restraining order in relation to Ms Maitlis eight times between May 2020 and December 2021, expressing his 'unrequited love' for her Vines met former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis (pictured) while they were both studying at Cambridge University Vines said he 'cannot heal' because of the restraining order, but claimed he never intended the letters to reach Ms Maitlis or her mother as he knew they would be intercepted by prison staff. The defendant told the court he wanted a jury to see the letters 'so that they can hear my views and that Emily owes me an apology'. The jury of seven women and five men previously heard that Vines has had a three-decade 'fixation' with the journalist, and wrote two further letters to her and her mother after a previous six-count trial was aborted. Ms Maitlis interviewed the Duke of York in 2020, which led to Andrew stepping back from official public duties after criticism over his unsympathetic tone and lack of remorse about his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Before answering questions from prosecutor Ian Way, Vines presented his own case, saying: 'I know that very strict measures are in place for letters getting out. 'As I sit in my cell in Nottingham Prison, I know that no letter is going to reach Emily any more than one will reach the moon.' In his cross-examination, Mr Way asked Vines: 'You understand that you are prohibited from contacting Emily Maitlis and Marion Maitlis?' 'I do,' the defendant replied. Nottingham Crown Court (pictured) heard the 52-year-old has 'systematically and with increasing frequency' tried to breach orders imposed in 2002 and 2009, but all his letters were intercepted by staff at HMP Nottingham 'So explain to the jury, please, what the purpose is of writing the letters,' Mr Way said. The defendant responded: 'One thing is what happened between me and Emily at university all those years ago. 'Also, she won't speak to me unless a jury says she should talk to me. 'Nobody else will listen, nobody would take my side and I believe that 12 members of the public might.' Explaining why he believed he had a reasonable excuse to breach his restraining order, Vines told jurors: 'So I could persuade a jury... that Emily is in the wrong and that Emily has maligned me.' He continued: 'If I was at liberty, I would send these letters. 'Now, if I am harassing them, they (the police) have not discussed that with me. Vines, pictured, denies writing eight letters to journalist Emily Maitlis while in prison serving a prison sentence for breaching an order preventing him from contacting the former BBC star 'Police are like wild dogs with me, trying to kill me over my attempts to contact Emily Maitlis.' Mr Way then asked: 'It is all about you speaking to Emily Maitlis, isn't it?' Vines replied: 'It is about speaking to Emily, yes.' 'Which the order prohibits you from doing,' Mr Way added. 'Unless I have a reasonable excuse,' Vines answered. 'Emily doesn't want to speak to you, does she?' 'I don't know Emily's state of mind.' Mr Way continued: 'What motivates you, Mr Vines, is your insatiable desire that you have to speak with Emily. That's behind everything you do, isn't it?' Vines responded: 'I think the problem derives from a young man being profoundly in love with a woman from university and not saying in the 1990s, when she met me, that I love you. 'That's the reason for my ongoing hurt that I suffer. I can't heal because you have got the restraining order.' Vines denies all eight charges. The trial continues. A Mississippi police chief has been fired from the force after he was recorded using racist and homophobic slurs as well as bragging about how many people he had killed. Sam Dobbins was head of police in Lexington, Mississippi, the Board of Aldermen chose to remove him on Wednesday after the recording surfaced, which catches Dobbins saying 'I shot that n***** 19 times.' Dobbins was recorded in conversation with Robert Lee Hooker, a former Lexington police officer who quit the force last week after complaining of a toxic work environment. Hooker, who is black, is heard discussing hurtful comments Dobbins made in the presence of Hooker, though Dobbins seems unremorseful. Sam Dobbins was fired as police chief of Lexington, Mississippi after a former police officer recorded him spewing racist and homophobic slurs Robert Lee Hooker rejoined the Lexington police force to help bring accountability after he experienced a toxic work environment there. He recorded police chief Dobbins bragging about killing people and saying racist slurs, which eventually got him fired 'Well, if youre looking for an apology after I gave you an apology back then, youre barking up the wrong tree,' Dobbins can be heard saying in a recording obtained by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. 'If you gonna let some words bother you, maybe this aint the place for you,' he continued. 'I didnt mean anything personal by it when I said what I said.' Dobbins says in the recording that he made the comment to silence Hooker, saying 'I'm just trying to get you to shut up.' Hooker continues to explain why he was hurt by the comment, which finally elicits an apology from Dobbins, but not before he tries to get Hooker to apologize too. 'Are you sorry? You walked out on me yesterday,' Dobbins asked Hooker, and Hooker responded he left because he was upset. Hooker quit the force only days after originally joining due to the comments made, but rejoined the force to help bring accountability. Dobbins claimed he would be the only person to protect Hooker 'in the streets,' and said 'theres going to be one man fighting for you. Thats going to be me. Dont ruin that. He then goes on to admit he killed 13 people while working as a police officer, claiming each kill was 'justified' and that he 'went hard.' Dobbins then brags further about his supposed feats as an officer and said he 'saved 67 kids in a school' from a black man. 'I shot that n***** 119 times,' he said. 'The vehicle was shot 319 times, but he was hit 119 times by me.' When Dobbins was approached by MCIR about the recording he said he was unaware of it. On his casual mentioning of people he'd killed, Dobbins said that was 'something we don't discuss, period.' He also denied using the slurs and said he 'doesn't talk like that.' Mississippi law states a conversation can be recorded without other participants consenting. While the recording eventually doomed Dobbins' policing career in the town, the vote to sack him only passed by one vote after two board members voted against the motion to fire him. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party said Wednesday that they have repeatedly asked elected officials to address 'police misconduct and abuse of power.' In the Facebook post, the Party said they 'personally met with Mayor Robin McCrory on multiple occasions about the unlawful and unethical behavior as well as addressing the Mayor and Board of Aldermen at their regular meeting.' 'It is shameful and appalling that this situation has reached this moment because of the inactions of elected officials,' they continued. Cardell Wright, president of the Party, held a press conference after the board vote and told the Daily Beast that Dobbins has had a 'strained' relationship with the black community since taking office in 2021. While the town is small with a population of approximately 2,000, Wright said 80% of the town residents are black. He says Dobbins had an 'issue' with the black community and they quickly started reporting harassment, abuse and mass arrests of activists. Hooker said he decided to obtain the recording because he 'just got to the point where youre not doing the people right, youre not doing right.' 'Let me expose you for what you are, who you are,' he continued, according to WLBT. Wright confirmed that Hooker is 'relieved that he was able to do his part in standing up for the Black community in Lexington.' Claire Foy's 'delusional' stalker has today been ordered to stay away from The Crown actress for five years after he sent her thousands of emails and knocked on her door. Jason Penrose, 39, sent her an email claiming to be a director wanting her to star in his next film before sending over 1,000 explicit emails including one referring to the actress being raped and brutalised. Emails were also sent to Ms Foy's publicist, Emma Jackson and Ms Foy's sister. Ms Foy, 38, who played a young Queen Elizabeth II in the first two series of the hit Netflix show, was terrorised by Jason Penrose, 39, in November and December last year. Penrose, who gave his address as Highgate Mental Health Centre, was accompanied by NHS workers at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London today, July 22, where the full stalking protection order (SPO) was granted. Foy, who starred in the Crown (pictured), was referenced in emails allegedly sent by Penrose to her agent and publicist which contained explicit content Penrose allegedly showed up at Claire Foy's home on December 17 last year - at which point the actress called the police reporting he was outside and ringing on her doorbell constantly She was horrified when American Penrose turned up at her home on 17 December last year and repeatedly rang her doorbell. Ms Foy called the police, who arrested Penrose. The actress played the Queen in the first two series of the Netflix's hit show and has won a Golden Globe, two Emmy Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She was granted an interim Stalking Protection Order earlier this year, but despite the order Penrose sent her another letter and a parcel from mental hospital where he was being treated. Ella Crine, prosecuting, told Highbury Magistrate's Court: 'The position of the police is that they wanted an order in indefinite terms. 'They've now asked for an order for five years in order to seek agreement with the respondent and allow this matter to proceed. 'Obviously there are great concerns on behalf of the complainant, due to the nature of the communications. 'It has affected her daily life.' Penrose is currently detained at Highgate Mental Health Centre, but this has caused concerns because it is located in the 'exclusion area' of the Protection Order. Moira Macfarlane, for Penrose, said: 'At the moment he cannot leave hospital because of the terms of the interim order. 'He is, at the moment, fit to leave hospital but, because the order is in place and where the hospital is, he cannot travel outside of it. 'He is now fit for release. I'm told the only reason he's in hospital is because of this order preventing him from leaving there.' Ms Crine said: 'Camden have been saying, though we doubt it, that they are unable to transfer him into any other borough or mental health NHS Trust facility because he has no locus to be anywhere else having not been resident in the UK. 'He was sectioned in Camden because he was arrested at the home of Ms Foy. 'We have found ourselves in the slightly complicated circumstance of trying to find a way to assist Camden NHS in finding him accommodation and being able to discharge him at some point, whilst also trying to protect the complainant in this case who has obviously gone through a deeply frightening experience.' The Crown star Claire Foy (pictured) called police after alleged stalker Jason Penrose, 38, who sent emails about her being raped, repeatedly rang the doorbell at her home, the court heard Ms Macfarlane said Penrose insists he 'is no risk and no danger to any of the parties named' and criticised the police for the two year delay in bringing the matter to court. She also corrected reports that Penrose himself had threatened to rape Ms Foy, claiming he had simply 'commented' that someone else might. Penrose was said to have sent Ms Jackson explicit emails, writing about 'wanting her to be his girlfriend', according to court papers. One email read: 'If they f*** raped Claire in the a** and bruised her inner thighs, she could get lots of cheap magazine covers or a hundred-dollar f***dates in Europe.' In another, on November 2, he allegedly said: 'I'm sorry I think Claire('s) policy should be not talking about any personal stuff in media and only creative business.' Ms Jackson forwarded the emails to Ms Foy's agent, who had also received messages but had blocked the account. Imposing a five year Stalking Protection Order, District Judge Michael Oliver said: 'I am sure, based on the evidence, that Mr Penrose has carried out acts associated with stalking. 'Thousands of emails were sent to Ms Foy and, one on occasion, Mr Penrose attended at her home address and there are other incidences of stalking as well. 'I am also sure that Mr Penrose poses a risk associated with stalking and there is evidence...that, since the interim order was made on the 7 February, a letter was sent on 17 February whilst he was in hospital and a parcel sent on 25 February. 'I am satisfied that an order is necessary. 'It appears that Mr Penrose has been receiving treatment and imminently will be well enough to be discharged from hospital. 'It appears that the reason for the conduct was a delusional belief Mr Penrose had about Ms Foy. 'I have also taken into account the profound effect this conduct has had on Ms Foy, and indeed Ms Jackson. 'An order is clearly necessary and proportionate to protect them. 'It appears that Mr Penrose is well enough to understand the terms of any order. 'He admitted sending the emails and attending at the address. 'This was sustained and repeated conduct and it appears the trigger of it was a delusional belief. 'It's good Mr Penrose has received treatment and the medical evidence suggests that may result in desisting from this conduct, however Ms Foy and Ms Jackson are entitled to protection from further acts of stalking. 'I am satisfied, on the facts of this case that it is proportionate to impose an order for a period of five years.' Imposing a five year Stalking Protection Order at Highbury Magistrates Court, District Judge Michael Oliver said: 'I am sure, based on the evidence, that Mr Penrose has carried out acts associated with stalking. It appears that the reason for the conduct was a delusional belief Mr Penrose had about Ms Foy Addressing Penrose directly, Judge Oliver said: 'In very broad terms, you are to have nothing whatsoever to do with Ms Foy or Ms Jackson. 'You cannot contact either of them, directly or indirectly. 'You're not permitted to enter the exclusion zone, except for [underground travel, Kings Cross train station, and legal and medical appointments]. 'You must not go anywhere where you know or suspect either of those ladies to be...You steer well clear.' Penrose is also required to notify police within three days should he acquire any device capable of internet connection, open a social media account, or get a new phone number. The police will be allowed 'reasonable access' to check he has not breached any terms of his order using these devices. Penrose, wearing a white shirt, black jeans and his hair in a ponytail, spoke only to confirm his understanding of these terms. The CPS have not yet decided whether to bring criminal charges against Penrose, insisting they wait until they know the specifics of this order. Ms Macfarlane said she thought 'charges are likely coming' and complained the defence were unable to 'test the evidence fully at the moment'. Penrose was returned to Highgate Mental Health Centre, subject to the prohibitions in the order. The White House is pushing back on criticism from journalists questioning why President Joe Biden's doctor isn't addressing the press while the president has COVID-19. 'We are fully committed to transparency here. You're going to hear every day from Dr. O'Connor through written communication,' said White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha on CNN Friday morning. Jha added 'we're all in pretty constant contact speaking to each other.' 'I'll be speaking to the president every day. That combination means that the American people will have a very full, complete picture of how the president is doing,' he said. CNN's John Berman then asked Jha to confirm that there were no plans to have Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, speak directly to the press. 'You know, Dr. O'Connor is going to be sharing his information,' Jha answered, adding the public could expect to hear from him and Biden's top medical expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. 'So I think you're going to hear from a variety of us.' CNN's John Berman (left) asked White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha (right) why Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, wasn't speaking publicly about President Joe Biden's COVID condition Instead, O'Connor has been sending out letters documenting Biden's COVID case to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who has then passed them along to the public Jha said that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical adviser, would also be speaking publicly about Biden's COVID-19 diagnosis During Thursday's White House briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was told by longtime White House correspondent George Condon of the National Journal that the Biden administration was going against precedent by not having Biden's doctor directly address the room. 'Neither of you has seen the president today,' Condon told Jean-Pierre and Jha. 'Neither of you is treating the president.' 'The question is: When will Dr. O'Connor come out? Because to just put out a statement and shield him from questions would be the least [amount of] transparency of any White House in 50 years on a presidential illness,' the reporter said. Jean-Pierre reacted with a 'wow.' 'I wholeheartedly disagree on your last statement. Wholeheartedly disagree on your last statement,' she answered. 'So, we are doing this very differently - very differently than, I would argue, than the last administration. And I am happy to have that conversation with you,' she added. During former President Donald Trump's hospitalization for COVID in October 2020, then Physician to the President Dr. Sean Conley did brief reporters outside Walter Reed. Conley, however, presented Trump's condition in better light than White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to reporters just moments later. Meadows, who tried to go 'on-background' with journalists - meaning he wouldn't be identified by name - even though he was photograhed talking to them, said Trump went through a 'very concerning' period the day after testing positive, and faced a 'critical' next two days in his COVID fight. 'We're still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery,' Meadows said. Conley also refused to answer a number of questions, including whether Trump needed supplemental oxygen, and how high the Republican president's fever ran. Trump caught COVID before vaccines were rolled out. His age and weight put him at higher risk for severe disease. Trump was treated with remdesivir and Regeneron's experimental antibody treatment. In February 2021, The New York Times released an investigation that found that Trump had been far sicker from COVID than the White House let on. Meadows' book also revealed the Trump tested positive for COVID prior to his first debate against Biden - which was two days before the White House announced a positive test. Later, Meadows said he believed that early positive test was a false positive. Advertisement Former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon tore into the 'gutless' members of the 'show trial' January 6 committee for not appearing at his trial after a jury found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress in a misdemeanor charge Friday after less than three hours of deliberation. Bannon thanked the judge and jury, but said he only had one disappointment after he was found guilty: 'The gutless members of that show trial J6 committee didn't have the guts to come down here and testify in open court.' Bannon added that he may have 'lost the battle' but he had not 'lost the war.' 'I stand with Trump and the Constitution,' he added. The former Trump advisor now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days incarceration and up to two years behind bars. He could also face a fine of up to $1,000. A sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21. Jan. 6 committee leaders Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney said in a statement after the verdict: 'The conviction of Steve Bannon is a victory for the rule of law and an important affirmation of the Select Committees work. As the prosecutor stated, Steve Bannon "chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law." Just as there must be accountability for all those responsible for the events of January 6th, anyone who obstructs our investigation into these matters should face consequences. No one is above the law.' The jury came to the conclusion after prosecutors and defense wrapped up their closing arguments Friday. The trial lasted one week and featured only two witnesses. Bannon is the first figure to be found guilty of contempt of Congress since Attorney General Richard Kleindienst and Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy were convicted in 1974. Another Trump adviser, Peter Navarro, has been charged with contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena and stands trial in November. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former social media director Dan Scavino were referred by the House for contempt of Congress, but the DOJ declined to mount a prosecution. The verdict came one day after the Jan. 6 committee that he rebuffed played a clip of him saying that Trump planned to declare victory in 2020 no matter what the results were. Former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon tore into the 'gutless' members of the 'show trial' Jan. 6 committee for not appearing at his trial after a jury found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress in a misdemeanor charge Friday after less than three hours of deliberation Bannon thanked the judge and jury, but said he only had one disappointment after he was found guilty: 'The gutless members of that show trial J6 committee didn't have the guts to come down here and testify in open court' Bannon, a former Trump advisor, now faces at least 30 days and up to one year behind bars Bannon's legal team seemed confident the decision would be reversed, with attorney David Schoen saying they have a 'bulletproof appeal.' 'You will see this case reversed on appeal,' Schoen said. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors told the jury that ignoring a congressional subpoena is like ignoring a parking ticket. DOJ prosecutor Molly Gaston said that with a parking ticket, there are two options: show up to court and try to fight it or pay it. 'What he doesn't get to do is ignore the order to pay it,' Gaston said, noting that if you don't pay a ticket or show up for a subpoena, there are consequences. She argued that Bannon's excuse that he thought he was barred from testifying due to former President Trump asserting executive privilege did not carry weight. Gaston said that Bannon made an 'intentional' choice not to cooperate and cited quotes Bannon made to DailyMail.com in December when he said he would not be cooperating with the Jan. 6 committee subpoena for testimony. 'I stand with Trump and the Constitution,' Bannon said at the time. 'His belief that he had an excuse not to comply does not matter, that is not a defense to contempt,' she said. 'He has contempt for our system of government and he does not think he needs to play by its rules.' 'The defendant chose defiance, find him guilty,' Gaston told jurors. The defense, meanwhile, accused the case of being politically motivated and accused a witness brought in by the prosecution of political bias. Bannon attorney Evan Corcoran first tried to poke holes in the case itself, saying that the subpoena may not have been signed by Jan. 6 committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson himself. He said the signature on the subpoena looks sloppier than Thompson's signature on other documents, and may not be 'legitimate.' The verdict came one day after the Jan. 6 committee that he rebuffed played a clip of him saying that Trump planned to declare victory in 2020 no matter what the results were Corcoran then moved to the potential bias of DOJ witness, Kristin Amerling, a House Select Committee staffer who worked on the subpoena and the committee's responses to Bannon. Corcoran pointed out that Amerling had been in a bookclub with one of the DOJ's prosecutors. 'That would make you question whether they're impartial...and that's a reasonable doubt,' Corcoran told the jury. He then again hit home on what he was the alleged political bias of the trial. 'We come to our political views honestly ... no one should ... face a criminal prosecution ... based on politics,' he said. 'Politics can play no role.' Bannon's legal team rested its case on Thursday after the former Donald Trump adviser refused to testify in his own defense for criminal contempt of Congress charges. As he left a Washington, DC court on the summer afternoon, Bannon told reporters that he had testified more than any other Trump aide when factoring time spent speaking to investigators who looked at Russia's potential links to the Trump 2016 campaign and efforts to influence the election. He parted ways with the press with the message, 'One last thing: I stand with Trump and the Constitution.' Bannon's lawyers called no witnesses on his behalf, and District Judge Carl Nichols dismissed the 14 men and women who make up the jury a short while later. One female juror was dismissed due to a noncontagious medical issue, according to the Washington Post. That means Friday will bring closing arguments, jury instruction and deliberations - and potentially a speedy verdict. He'd previously promised to make his criminal trial the 'misdemeanor from hell' for the Justice Department. 'Of any person in the Trump administration, Stephen K. Bannon has testified, what, 30 hours in front of the Mueller commission, I think 20 hours in front of Schiff in the House Intelligence commission- House Intelligence Committee,' Bannon told reporters Thursday. Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's former adviser, ranted at reporters after refusing to take the stand in his own defense against contempt of Congress charges Bannon pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of criminal contempt. He was indicted for failing to comply with a subpoena from the House January 6 committee Closing arguments will be on Friday, followed by jury deliberations - meaning what Bannon promised would be the 'misdemeanor from hell' for the government could wrap after a five-day trial 'I think over 50 hours of testimony. Every time, the exact same way...every time, every single time, more than anybody else in the Trump administration...Stephen K. Bannon testified.' Attorney David Schoen told Nichols that no defense would be presented to the jury after the jury spent two days hearing from the House January 6 committee's general counsel, Kristin Amerling as well as an FBI agent. 'You are not intending to put on any evidence to the jury?' Nichols asked, according to the Daily Beast. Schoen replied, 'Correct. We're not putting on a defense case.' The right-wing activist and podcast host is on trial for two misdemeanor counts of criminal contempt because he defied the committee's subpoena in fall 2021. Lawmakers wanted to obtain documents from Bannon as well as hear about Trump's alleged efforts to stay in power despite losing the 2020 presidential election. Both of the prosecution's witnesses testified that Bannon did not turn over the requested documents nor did he hand over the documents requested. Bannon's lawyers attempted to pin them on who exactly was responsible for sending his subpoena in an apparent effort to accuse Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson of political motivations. Evan Corcoran, another member of Bannon's legal team, had asked the jury during his opening argument: 'Is this piece of evidence affected by politics?' It comes after Bannon abruptly reversed-course and offered to sit for a public hearing in front of the committee His lawyers claimed it did not represent a change of heart but rather was the result of Trump waiving executive privilege over Bannon's testimony And the defense has insisted that Bannon never willfully ignored the subpoena. After 10 months of appearing to ignore the January 6 committee's order, Bannon abruptly reversed-course earlier this month and offered to sit for a public hearing via a letter from his attorney. He cited a message from Trump where the ex-president waived executive privilege he previously claimed over Bannon's testimony. But prosecutors dismissed Trump's letter out of hand as an attempt to deflect accountability. Nichols gave Bannon's defense a potential boost on Wednesday when he allowed the executive privilege letter to be entered into the record as evidence. It came after the judge shot down several of Bannon's potential defenses last week and rejected his request to delay the trial, prompting his exasperated attorneys to question what was the point of putting up a defense at all. Bannon had been present at the Willard Hotel the night of January 5 into January 6, when Trump's allies formed a 'war room' to hatch a legal strategy to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory the next day. He's believed to have spoken with Trump by phone personally that night. This shocking footage shows how a man shoved an autistic boy in a dustbin as a 'joke' before violently assaulting his brother who had come to his rescue. Doorbell security camara footage showed Jordan Scott, 24, throw Maverick Bond, then eight, into a blue waste bin, before facing off against his 19-year-old sibling Jason Clemance. The clips show how Scott swinging punches at Mr Clemance on his own doorstep as the dispute escalated between the two families. Distressing photos taken by mother, Rachel Clemance, showed Mr Clemance was left with cuts and bruises across his face and body following the attack. Earlier this week, Scott pleaded guilty to assaulting both Maverick and Jason at Blackburn Magistrates' Court. This is the moment Jordan Scott, 24, throws eight-year-old Maverick Bond, into a bin in Blackburn, Lancashire before facing off against Maverick's brother Jordan, 19 Maverick's mother Rachel Clemance said her son, pictured, who has been traumatised It was accepted Scott didn't know Maverick had autism during the assault in Blackburn, Lancashire, on August 14, last year, and put him in the bin as a poor taste 'joke'. But magistrates sentenced Scott to a 12-month community order, 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay compensation to his victims. Speaking after the hearing, Rachel Clemance said the punishment Scott received did not reflect the trauma that her family had gone through. She said: 'My sons were already suffering because of other things that have happened in their lives, which people in the street knew about, including Jordan Scott. 'So putting my eight-year-old in a bin, who is such a beautiful soul, brought all the past memories back, and he couldn't understand why someone could do that to a person that wouldn't hurt a fly. 'He still has nightmares now. Jordan Scott is just a down-right bully. 'Jason did nothing to deserve that attack. He's only ever been hit once before, and my boys aren't fighters. 'I so wish I had brought them up that way, to defend themselves from men like Jordan Scott.' Rachel explained that thuggish Scott was only brought to justice following the quick-thinking actions of her other son, Codi, who was 12 at the time of the attack. She said: 'On that night, Codi, my other son, he kept opening and shutting the door so we could get it on the camera. 'That's what he did every time he felt unsafe. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't fair the fact all the kids in the street saw it.' Rachel said she has been forced to leave area now as Maverick had refused to go out and play unless she was watching over him. She said: 'He was getting bullied by some of the kids, and the bullying got worse, so he felt intimidated. 'He still goes on about it to this day - he was getting hit, they would taunt him. 'He is such a loving-natured child, and I'm not just saying that because he's my son, he would help anyone. 'It kills me every day that this happened to my boys - my children. Now we have such amazing neighbours and live in a lovely area. 'I'm just upset that we had all this evidence from the doorbell camera, and it didn't make a bit of difference with his sentencing - it's sickening. 'I'm heartbroken at the sentence he received as bullies like him deserve more, but now the truth is out there, I just want to get on trying to build mine and my children's lives.' Scott was told to pay 50 compensation to each of the assault victims, a 95 victim surcharge and 120 costs. The United States is sending another $270 million in military aid to Ukraine, the White House announced on Friday, including $100 million for 580 tactical drones. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for Strategic Communications, also confirmed that the U.S. was considering sending warplanes to President Volodymyr Zelensky - a move that the White House previously ruled out as a potential escalation of the conflict. 'The president has been clear that we're going to continue to support the government of Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes,' he said. The new package will include hundreds of Phoenix Ghost drones. Officials have been reluctant to describe their capabilities, but they are believed to be single use, 'suicide' drones that deliver an explosive payload by crashing into their targets. No pictures have been released. Kirby told reporters that it would bring total assistance to Ukraine to $8.2 billion since President Joe Biden took office. The White House announced on Friday it was sending four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine as part of a $270 million package of military aid National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the package, signed by President Joe Biden on Friday, including 580 Phoenix Ghost drones 'This package includes four more HIMARS - High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems -which the Ukrainians have been using very effectively,' he said. 'And it also includes additional ammunition for those HIMARS as well as 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition to go along with the howitzers that the Ukrainians are still using as well as other anti-armor systems, vehicles.' The weapons reflect the reality of Ukraine's long range war. The two sides are trading long-range artillery as well as rockets and missiles in what has become an aerial war of attrition. And Kirby confirmed that the U.S. was now considering sending warplanes, although he said it was not something that would happen quickly. '[The Department of Defense] is making some preliminary explorations into the feasibility of potentially providing fighter aircraft to the Ukrainians,' he said. 'But it's not going to be something that they're going to be able to execute immediately or even in the short term, because integrating and operating any kind of aircraft especially advanced fighter aircraft - you know, with complex sensors and systems and weapons capabilities - that's a difficult endeavour.' He characterized discussions as 'exploratory thinking.' Earlier this week, the nation's top military figure dismissed Russian claims that its forces have destroyed sophisticated missile systems sent to Ukraine by the United States. The US has promised to supply 20 HIMARS systems in total, was well as ammunition Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Wednesday denied Russian claims that they had destroyed four HIMARS launch systems Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, used a Pentagon press conference to say the HIMARS artillery systems were proving an effective weapon in Ukrainian hands. 'To date, those systems have not been eliminated by the Russians,' he said on Wednesday. 'And I knock on wood every time I say something like that. And they're being very effective at using them, employing precision weapons against targets.' The issue, he continued, was not so much the mobile launch systems, but rather the difficulty in keeping the Ukrainians supplied with sufficient ammunition to keep up the fight. In so doing, he contradicted Russian officials who claimed that they had destroyed as many as four of the launchers. Milley said the U.S. has so far sent 12 HIMARS to Ukraine of the more than 20 promised. In addition, 200 Ukrainians have been trained in how to use a weapon that can fire rockets at targets up to 50 miles away. He added that Ukraine had successfully used them to hit key command and control centers. 'These strikes are steadily degrading the Russian ability to supply their troops, command and control of their forces, and carry out their illegal war of aggression,' he told reporters. 'The fact that the Ukrainians were able to quickly deploy these systems speaks highly of their ability, their ingenuity, their artillery ability, their gunner capability, their determination, and their will to fight.' His words come as the U.S. is considering sending warplanes to Ukraine and as the United Kingdom's spy chief said Russia was soon was likely to 'run out of steam in the coming weeks, as it ran low on weapons and personnel. In the meantime, however, Moscow has kept up its claims that is winning the war. Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, claimed Moscow had destroyed four HIMARS launchers since July 4 plus a transport-loading vehicle. 'Of these, two launchers were eliminated near the settlement of Malotaranovka, another HIMARS and a transport-loading vehicle - in the Krasnoarmeysk region, and a fourth launcher - on the eastern outskirts of Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic,' he said. Meanwhile, there was progress in one aspect of the conflict. Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement on Friday to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports. The deal eases hopes that a global food crisis can be avoided. It followed two months of talks brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to tackle rising food prices around the world. At the same time, Richard Moore, the head of Britain's MI6 intelligence service, said Ukraine would likely soon have a chance to strike back hard as Russia paused its offensive to resupply and rebuild. Russia was likely to 'run out of steam,' amid shortages of materiel and manpower. 'They will have to pause in some way,' he said at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday during a rare public appearance. He also put Russian losses at about 15,000 troops, in what he said was a 'conservative estimate.' And he said Ukrainian morale was high. Also, at Aspen, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the U.S. was open to the idea of sending warplanes. The U.S. Air Force is considering providing A-10 Warthogs (pictured) to Ukraine to conduct air assaults in its war with Russia Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall didn't rule out sending the retiring A-10s to Kyiv despite shooting down the idea in March, but said it's' largely up to Ukraine' to decide what aircraft it wants. Pictured: Kendall speaks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Wednesday 'We'll be open to discussions with them about what their requirements are and how we might be able to satisfy them,' the Air Force head said during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Wednesday. Kendall appeared along with Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown Jr. during the Security Forum this week. General Brown also said that the U.S. has a responsibility to help train Ukrainian pilots on how to fly the different aircraft should they provide it to their forces. The U.S. Air Force is looking to retire its A-10 Warthogs and many have suggested that they be sent to Ukraine to help in air assaults in the war with Russia. But Kendall said it's 'largely up to Ukraine' to decide what aircraft it wants. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has repeatedly said he needs more advanced fighter jets such as F-15s and F-16s. Both Kendall and Brown's comments came a week after the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act. In the lower chamber's version of the bill, the U.S. would provide $100 million to train Ukrainian pilots to fly U.S. aircraft. Kendall has previously shot down suggestions the U.S. could send A-10s to Ukraine, but in Aspen he did not shut down the idea entirely. 'There are a number of international opportunities that are possible there,' Kendall said, adding: 'Older U.S. systems are a possibility.' Brown told Reuters in an interview on the way to the Aspen Security Forum that the U.S. and its allies are considering different ideas for creating a long-term program to train Ukrainian pilots and modernize its air force. He added during his remarks in Colorado on Wednesday that Ukraine's success in fighting Russia since war broke out there earlier this year is a sign of the benefits of the cooperation between the U.S. and Ukrainian militaries. This is the moment a fisherman tried out his drone for the very first time before it was suddenly destroyed by an alligator in a river in central Brazil. Luciano Souza, 47, told Brazilian news outlet G1 had paid almost $1,300 for his gadget in 2020 and had planned to use it last year on his annual friends fishing trip, which was unfortunately postponed because he had contracted COVID-19. The Rio de Janeiro resident was excited as he finally got to test the aerial vehicle last Friday across the Javaes River in the state of Tocantins. He got a quick beginner's lesson on how to operate the drone and guided it several feet over the river when he spotted the large reptiles. 'The alligator went up very high. I had no reaction at the time,' Souza said. 'He was very fast. Only those who saw it have an idea.' Drone footage recorded by Brazilian fishing enthusiast Luciano Souza captured a large alligator jumping out from under the Javaes River in the state of Tocantins before it grabbed the 47-year-old's drone that he was using to document a friend's fishing outing last Friday Luciano Souza told Brazilian news outlet G1 that he had purchased the drone for almost $1,300 two years ago and had planned to use it last year for the first time on a friends fishing trip before he contracted the coronavirus. The Rio de Janeiro resident decided to use it last week and lost it when an alligator jumped out of the Javaes River in the state of Tocantins and snatched the drone as it was in mid-flight Souza was a bit more curious about the alligators and decided to fly the drone back to record them a bit more. The amazing video footage shows the alligator sticking its head slightly over the water and set its eyes on the drone. A couple of seconds eclipsed before the gator jumped out of the river snatched the drone while it was in mid-flight. 'When he went up, he smashed the drone and made a noise. You can see that it stopped filming in his mouth, when it hit it was very fast,' Souza said. 'I couldn't believe it happened. He went up almost two meters (two feet and a half). I didn't react, but it's ok.' Luciano recalled being curious about the alligators he had spotted and decided to fly his drone back to the spot where they were swimming before one of the gators jumped out about 'six and half feet' in the air and grabbed the drone The alligators stares down Luciano Souza's drone before it jumped out of the river and snatched it away The drone's camera capture the manned aircrafts last moments before it was devoured by an alligator in the Javaes River in Tocantins, Brazil Souza and his fishing buddies were able to chase down the alligator, but were unable to get the mangled drone back because it was still in its mouth. He's considering purchasing a new drone for his future fishing outings. 'I'm going to try to buy another one, run after another (alligator),' he said. Boris Johnson told Volodymyr Zelensky today that British support will 'not waver' regardless of who becomes the next prime minister. The Prime Minister also welcomed news of a much-anticipated deal to get grain out of Ukraine, amid hopes that the agreement can avoid a global food crisis. In a call between the two leaders, Mr Johnson 'stressed the UK's ongoing determination to support the Ukrainian people and said that resolve will not waver, no matter who becomes the next UK prime minister'. In a call to Volodymyr Zelensky (right) today, Boris Johnson (left) stressed the UK's 'ongoing determination to support the Ukrainian people', adding that 'resolve will not waver, no matter who becomes the next UK prime minister' Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, walking side-by-side prior to talks during his second visit to Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's invasion in June Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements today with Turkey and the United Nations to clear the way to export millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertiliser. Pictured: Wheat grains in a storage facility on a farm near Izmail, in the Odessa region of Ukraine A Downing Street spokeswoman said, 'President Zelensky thanked the PM for his staunch support for Ukraine, and for his kind words in his last address to Parliament. 'The Prime Minister outlined the recent steps the UK has taken to bolster Ukraine's resistance, including training thousands of Ukrainian troops in the UK. 'The UK is working to expand this training effort, including through the involvement of international partners. President Zelensky said the military support being provided by the UK and others is making a real difference in the conflict. 'The Prime Minister welcomed today's announcement of a UN-brokered deal to get grain out of Ukraine via the Black Sea and end Russia's blockade. Both the Prime Minister and President Zelensky stressed the need for the deal to be implemented in full by all parties.' Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements today with Turkey and the United Nations to clear the way to export millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertiliser. The moves end a stand-off that had threatened food security around the globe. Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements today with Turkey and the United Nations to clear the way to export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertiliser Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, sit as Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (top left) and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar (top right) exchange documents during a signing ceremony at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul today Farmers harvest a wheat field in the Ukrainian Kharkiv region on July 19, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine Liz Truss (pictured) said Putin's 'barbaric invasion' has led to some of the world's poorest people with nothing to eat Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss applauded the deal, saying Putin's 'barbaric invasion' has led to some of the world's poorest people with nothing to eat. A Downing Street spokeswoman said, 'President Zelensky thanked the PM for his staunch support for Ukraine, and for his kind words in his last address to Parliament. The UK has provided 2billion of arms to Ukraine including anti-tank missiles and night-vision goggles, and plans to send hundreds of drones and anti-tank weapons in the coming weeks. The British Ministry of Defence has sent Kyiv more than 6,900 anti-tank missiles, 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 5,000 night-vision goggles, 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles and six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers. The MoD plans to bolster the firepower of Ukraine's existing Soviet-era artillery with more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns, 36 L119 105mm artillery guns, and in excess of 1,600 anti-tank weapons and hundreds of loitering aerial munitions. Firefighters extinguishing fire of a damaged school building following shelling in the town of Kramatorsk yesterday, July 21 The Ministry of Defence revealed it has sent Kyiv more than 6,900 anti-tank missiles, 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 5,000 night-vision goggles, 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles and six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers. It plans to bolster Ukraine's existing Soviet-era artillery with more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns, 36 L119 105mm artillery guns, and in excess of 1,600 anti-tank weapons and hundreds of loitering aerial munitions in the coming weeks REVEALED: Britain's military aid to Ukraine since Putin's February 24 invasion in numbers Since Putin's February 24 invasion: More than 6,900 anti-tank missiles (including more than 5,000 NLAW, as well as Javelin, Brimstone, and other anti-tank weapons) Multiple Launch Rocket Systems 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles Six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers as well as hundreds of Starstreak missiles Maritime Brimstone More than 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, as well as anti-structure munitions and 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosive Communications equipment Electronic warfare equipment More than 82,000 helmets, 8,450 sets of body armour, medical supplies and more than 5,000 night-vision devices Military aid to Ukraine in 'coming weeks': More than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns Thirty-six L119 105mm artillery guns and ammunition More than 50,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine's soviet era artillery At least 1,600 more anti-tank weapons Unmanned aerial systems (including 100s loitering aerial munitions) Counter-battery radar systems Medical equipment Advertisement Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: 'The scale and range of equipment we are providing demonstrates the strength of our resolve. 'Together with our international partners, we will ensure Ukraine has the tools to defend their country from Putin's illegal invasion.' Mr Johnson also spoke with Mr Zelensky today about plans to host Eurovision and the treatment of UK prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces. 'The leaders discussed their ongoing concern about the treatment of prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine, including those of British nationality. 'The Prime Minister thanked President Zelensky for his government's efforts to date to secure detainees' freedom,' the spokeswoman said. 'The Prime Minister paid tribute to the role President Zelensky has played and must continue to play in upholding a fair and proper judicial system in Ukraine. 'The Prime Minister and President Zelensky talked about the ongoing discussions about the hosting of Eurovision next year. The Prime Minister stressed that wherever Eurovision is held it must be an event which celebrates and honours the country and people of Ukraine.' Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is currently running against former Chancellor Rishi Sunak to replace Boris Johnson, also praised the efforts of Turkey and the UN in helping reach the deal, saying that Vladimir Putin's 'barbaric invasion of Ukraine has meant some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world are at risk of having nothing to eat'. She added: 'It is vital that Ukrainian grain reaches international food markets, and we applaud Turkey and the UN Secretary General for their efforts to broker this agreement. 'The UK and our allies have been pushing hard to reach this point. 'Now this agreement must be implemented, and we will be watching to ensure Russia's actions match its words. 'To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine.' A failed Democratic candidate for Congress who has the backing of the national Black Lives Matter organization faces wire fraud charges for inappropriately using campaign and party funds after admitting to a gambling addiction. Karen Carter Peterson, 52, is a former State Senator from Louisiana and longtime chair of the state's Democratic Party who came in second place in the Democratic primary to represent the state's 2nd District in Washington. She was the only candidate for federal office BLM endorsed in this election cycle, spending more than $100,000 in independent expenditures on her failed campaign through their political action committee, according to Fox News. Things have spiraled for Peterson since losing the primary. In April, she resigned from her state senate seat and admitted to being a gambling addict. In July, she was charged with wire fraud for using campaign donations on personal expenses. She signed a plea deal admitting to taking money from campaign and party coffers to four individuals and four companies who would then allegedly cash the check and give Peterson the money, the Louisiana Illuminator reported. Peterson would then take the money and either gamble or use it for other personal expenses, along the way filing what the Department of Justice called 'false and misleading' campaign finance reports. Karen Carter Peterson, 52, is a former State Senator from Louisiana and longtime chair of the state's Democratic Party who came in second place in the Democratic primary to represent the state's 2nd District in Washington She was the only candidate for federal office BLM endorsed, spending more than $100,000 on her failed campaign through their political action committee She confirmed this in a Twitter thread released last week, calling the admission 'an important step in my life-long recovery as I continue to address my gambling addiction'. Peterson added: 'I sincerely apologize for the impact from my compulsive behavior resulting from this addiction'. She also claimed to have fully repaid all of the funds and is 'fully cooperative' with the DOJ investigation. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest Peterson could face up to 20 years and $250,000 in fines when sentenced on August 1. Peterson lost to the eventual winner of the general election, Troy Carter during a special election to replace now-White House advisor Cedric Richmond and did not challenge him in his re-election bid for a full term earlier this year. Things have spiraled for Peterson since losing the primary. In April, she resigned from her state senate seat and admitted to being a gambling addict. In July, she was charged with wire fraud for using campaign donations on personal expenses She did gain several high profile endorsements. In addition to BLM, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, as well as left-wing Congressmembers Pramila Jayapal, Mark Pocan, and Jaime Raskin all endorsed her. The Black Lives Matter PAC is a BLM Global Network Foundation-affiliated committee. It's another example of the national Black Lives Matter organization's spending coming into question. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation in mid-May released a 63-page Form 990, covering the fiscal year from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, at which point the group had $42 million in net assets. This is BLM foundation's first public accounting of its finances since incorporating in 2017. The tax filing shows that nearly $6 million was spent on a Los Angeles-area compound. The Studio City property, which includes a home with six bedrooms and bathrooms, a swimming pool, a soundstage and office space, was intended as a campus for a black artists fellowship and is currently used for that purpose, the board member said. Co-founder Patrisse Cullors, who resigned last year after it was revealed she amassed a $3.2 million property portfolio, has used the property twice for personal reasons - once for a Biden inauguration party, and another time for her son's birthday. She paid $390 for its use, according to tax filings. The filings also show that Cullors used charity funds to pay her friends and family large sums for various 'consulting' services, as well as charter a private flight. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is still worth tens of millions of dollars, despite spending more than $37 million on grants, real estate, consultants, and other expenses, according to tax documents filed with the IRS. Black Lives Matter spent millions on luxury properties in Los Angeles and in Toronto - including a $6.3 million 10,000-square-foot property in Canada that was purchased as part of a $8M 'out of country grant'. On Tuesday, the organization released its tax filings, which showed that it had $42M in assets. Its co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, stepped down last year after it was revealed she amassed a $3.2M property portfolio The Toronto mansion was purchased with funds that came from an $8M BLMGNF grant Black Lives Matter spent $6M on a mansion in Studio City, California That investment is expected to become an endowment to ensure the foundation's work continues in the future, organizers say. The BLM movement first emerged in 2013, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. But it was the 2014 death of Michael Brown at the hands of police in Ferguson, Missouri, that made the slogan 'Black lives matter' a rallying cry for progressives and a favorite target of derision for conservatives. The foundation ended its last fiscal year - from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 - with nearly $42 million in net assets. It had an operating budget of about $4 million, according to a board member. THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF BLM CO-FOUNFER PATRISSE CULLORS WHO GOT PAID BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors received $120,000 for 'consulting fees' and reimbursed BLM $73,523 for a charter flight. She denies taking money from BLM for personal matters and says all purchases - including a lavish $6mm LA home - were legitimate. The father of Cullors' child, Damon Turner, was paid nearly $970,000 to help 'produce live events' Her brother, Paul Cullors, received more than $840,000 for providing security services to the foundation. Fellow BLM director Shalomyah Bowers was paid more than $2.1 million for providing operational support. Advertisement As a fledgling nonprofit, it had been under the fiscal sponsorship of a well-established charity, and wasnt required to publicly disclose its financials until it became an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit in December 2020. The tax filing suggests the organization is still finding its footing: It currently has no executive director or in-house staff. Nonprofit experts told the AP that the BLM foundation seems to be operating like a scrappy organization with far fewer resources, although some say black-led charities face unfair scrutiny in an overwhelmingly white and wealthy philanthropic landscape. The tax filings released revealed that BLM paid a company owned by Damon Turner, the father of co-founder Patrisse Cullors' child, nearly $970,000 to help 'produce live events' and provide other 'creative services.' The co-founder's brother, Paul Cullors, received more than $840,000 for providing security services to the foundation. Leaders have attempted to justify the expense by saying the foundation's protection could not be entrusted to former police professionals who typically run security firms because the BLM movement is known for vehemently protesting law enforcement organizations. Last year, when Cullors revealed the windfall of donations, local chapter organizers and families of police brutality victims reacted angrily. Until then, the foundation had not been transparent with the most devoted BLM organizers, many of whom accused Cullors of shutting them out of decisions about how financial resources would be allocated. The foundation will launch a 'transparency and accountability center' on its website to make its financial documents available for public inspection, Bowers said. The entire staff of a small North Carolina police department has suddenly resigned, citing a 'hostile' work environment created by the towns newly elected manager. The mass exodus transpired Wednesday, and saw five cops, including the force's chief of 20 years, hand in resignation letters to the town manager and city council. The maneuver left the town of Kenly, home to about 2,000 residents, with just three part-time officers to man the waning force. Even before the resignations, the department had been short-staffed, down from a norm of eight officers to five, the cops said - one of several complaints aired in the letter. They were joined by two town clerks who also accused the new manager, a progressive black woman who unsuccessfully sued her previous employer for gender and racial discrimination. Those accusations came after she had been terminated, and her suit was subsequently dismissed. The manager, Justine Jones, was hired last month - nearly eight years after her firing - an acquisition the town touted in a press release at the time. Kenly Police Chief Josh Gibson, however, did not share such enthusiasm Wednesday, when he and the six other city workers penned strongly worded letters to Jones giving their two-week notices. Kenly Police Chief Josh Gibson and four other officers who comprise the five-man North Carolina police force resigned on Wednesday, citing a 'hostile' work environment created by the towns newly elected manager. Gibson said he would consider returning if the official - a black woman who unsuccessfully sued her last employer over gender and race discrimination Gibson shared his plans to leave the force on Facebook, revealing he and his four officers and two two clerks had resigned. He said that he did not know what was in store next for him after he leaves his longtime post in early August 'In my 21 years at the Kenly Police Department we have seen ups and downs,' Gibson wrote, addressing the note to both Jones and the town's city council. 'But, especially in the last three years, we have made substantial progress that we had hoped to continue.' He went on: 'However, due to the hostile work environment now present in the Town of Kenly, I do not believe progress is possible. 'I am thankful to this community for having me as the longest running chief in Johnston County. I will truly miss them.' Shortly after sending the note, Gibson shared his plans to leave the force on Facebook, saying that he did not know what was in store next for him after he leaves his longtime post in early August. 'I have put in my 2 weeks notice along with the whole police dept. with the town of Kenly after 21 years of service,' he wrote. 'The new manager has created an environment I do not feel we can perform our duties and services to the community. I do not know what is next for me. I am letting the lord lead the way.' 'I have loved this community,' he continued, 'It has become family and one of my greatest honors to serve. God bless you all.' New manager Justine Jones, a progressive black woman who sued her previous employer for gender and racial discrimination, was hired last month. Those accusations came after she had been terminated, and her suit was subsequently dismissed. This is her first city job since The post saw Gibson tag county clerks Christy Thomas and Sharon Evans, who said in their letters that were leaving their respective posts because they cannot work with the stress that Jones brings. Neither the clerks nor the five officers specified what stress or hostility they were referring to, but Gibson did tell ABC11 that he was frustrated that the department was understaffed and that it added to the officers' and workers' stress. He said: 'It was just a lot of stress on a lot of us trying to maintain and keep coverage. 'This is heartbreaking. The community has always been so tremendously so supportive of us.' All five officers wrote they were fed up with the 'hostile' work environment created by Jones The other officers, Austin Hills, Jason Tedder, G.W. Strong, Darren K. Pate, all echoed their superior's statements, saying they were fed up with the work environment created by Jones since her taking office less than two months ago. Gibson has said he would consider returning to the police force if Jones was removed from her position. Jones, when contacted by a local outlet, declined to comment on the schism - which took the town's close-knit citizens by complete surprise - saying she was 'not at liberty to talk because of a personnel matter.' Jones, a middle-aged black woman, sued her previous employer - Richland County, South Carolina - for gender and racial discrimination after her firing. The suit says she worked as manager of research and was an assistant director. During her tenure with the county, she alleged 'hostile' treatment by and retaliation for reporting bad behavior by other city workers and that she was not paid fairly and was treated differently due to illness. The suit did not specify what illness she was referring to. The maneuver left the town of Kenly, home to about 2,000 residents, with just three part-time officers to man the waning force Jones was fired on March 30, 2015 - months before the suit was filed - and the lawsuit was dismissed later that year. Court records do not reveal on what grounds the case was dismissed. Jones was selected by the Kenly town council after a 'nationwide search' of 30 candidates, officials said in a press release last month. She's worked in public service for the past 16 years, all in local governments, in Minnesota, Virginia, South Carolina, and now North Carolina. After being fired from her job in Richland County she worked at her own consulting company before being enlisted for her current position early last month. Kenly is a small town - roughly 45 miles from Raleigh - that is roughly 55 percent white, with the rest of the 2,400 residents being predominantly black. The community is small and subsequently close, with citizens all knowing each other and each other's business. Kenly is a small town - roughly 45 miles from Raleigh - that is roughly 55 percent white, with the rest of the 2,400 residents being predominantly black However, in this instance, the sudden rift in the the town's leadership has left the 2,400 Kenly residents at a loss. Chip Hewett, the towns attorney, said in an interview with The N&O that the resignation of Gibson, Thomas and Evans was 'unexpected.' 'We dont know very much about it,' Hewett said. 'It was surprising as to what happened and really the magnitude of the resignation.' The cops are poised to leave their post on August 2. Jones has yet to comment on the police department's actions. Criminal gangs are trying to intercept Western weapons supplies sent to Ukraine amid fears they will be sold on the black market, the Daily Mail can reveal. British anti-tank rockets are among an estimated 7billion of military aid to have flooded the country during recent months to help repel Russias invasion. Only the higher-grade systems are tracked, prompting police to fear gangs, and even terrorists, could exploit the lack of oversight which has seen equipment disappear. A security source yesterday claimed Eastern European gang members are entering Ukraine from Poland, paying cash for weapons and slipping back into the EU. Only the higher-grade systems are tracked, prompting police to fear gangs, and even terrorists, could exploit the lack of oversight which has seen equipment disappear. Ukrainian soldiers are pictured above in April Night vision goggles and body armour are also being snapped up, with EU law enforcement agency Europol calling for more checks. A spokesman said: The war has caused a proliferation of firearms and explosives. Initially the Ukrainians kept records of weapons, but this was abandoned as the war progressed. Now there are no records. Russia has posted videos on social media supposedly showing Syria-based fighters with Western anti-tank weapons. UK defence sources claim the clips are fake but the scenario is considered realistic. Other clips uploaded anonymously to pro-Russian accounts apparently show anti-tank missile casings during black market sales in Ukraine. An anti-tank weapon is pictured above being shown by the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces in Kyiv. A security source yesterday claimed Eastern European gang members are entering Ukraine from Poland, paying cash for weapons and slipping back into the EU But the recordings are said to lack credibility as no geolocation tags or time-stamps are attached to the film. A security source said: It is easy to pose with the cases which missiles come in. It looks impressive but theyd need to steal the command launch unit and codes. Ukrainian government adviser Yuriy Sak said Kyiv was working hard to allay Western fears, with all movements of weaponry closely monitored by ourselves and our international partners. The UKs Ministry of Defence said it has protections in place. A spokesman said: We conduct a rigorous assessment of the risks ... and ensure an end-user agreement is signed by the armed forces of Ukraine. Jeff Bezos' girlfriend Lauren Sanchez has donated $1 million to a non-profit that assists migrant children, following the Amazon founder's push to burnish his own philanthropic credentials after he was accused of stinginess. Charity group This Is About Humanity announced the donation on Thursday, saying the funds would support its efforts to provide services to migrant children at the US-Mexico border. Sanchez, 52, is a former television news anchor and founder of an aerial film production company, and has a net worth reportedly estimated at around $30 million. She is also divorced from multimillionaire business executive Patrick Whitesell, the chairman of media agency Endeavor, which owns the UFC and Miss Universe. Jeff Bezos' girlfriend Lauren Sanchez has donated $1 million to a non-profit that assists migrant children in Mexico as they make their way to the US border Sanchez is seen on a recent visit to Tijuana where she toured the service centers run by charity group This Is About Humanity, which focuses on separated and reunited migrant families Bezos and Sanchez pose together in Paris for an Instagram post on Friday This Is Humanity, which focuses on family separations and reunifications at the border, said that Sanchez had been a longtime supporter, and helped fund several of its service centers in Tijuana. 'At any given time, thousands of people are seeking safety and the border of the U.S. and Mexico,' Sanchez said in a statement. 'Many of those people are children and teens that are still growing and learning. It should be clear to all that no matter where you were born, you deserve the right to a playful, educational, and enriching childhood,' she added. Elsa Marie Collins, co-founder of This is About Humanity, said the group was 'honored' to receive the donation from Sanchez. Sanchez's donation, which was announced in a slick press release complete with photos of her visiting migrant children in Tijuana, came as her boyfriend Bezos pushes to improve his philanthropic image. Bezos faced withering criticism in recent years over the relative paucity of his charity donations compared to other billionaires. Bezos faced withering criticism in recent years over the relative paucity of his charity donations compared to other billionaires, and to his own ex-wife, seen with him above Following his divorce from MacKenzie Scott in 2019, Scott far outpaced Bezos in philanthropy, even though her fortune after the split was much smaller. Bezos accelerated his giving dramatically in 2021 by announcing $1 billion in donations, the most he had given away in a year since Amazon went public in 1997. It was enough to land him on the Forbes list of the 25 most philanthropic billionaires for last year -- though with only $2.4 billion in lifetime donations, he still trails far behind Scott's $12.5 billion in giving, according to the magazine. Topping last year's ranking was Warren Buffet with $46.1 billion in lifetime giving. So far this year, Bezos has donated at least another of $118 million worth of Amazon shares to an unidentified charity, regulatory filings show. One of his major philanthropic focuses has been the Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion initiative focused on combating climate change. Last year Scott re-married to Seattle high school chemistry teacher Dan Jewett, who joined her in the Giving Pledge vowing to donate most of their fortune to charity Sanchez's ex-husband Patrick Whitesell also found new love last year, when he married Australian actress Pia Miller Sanchez also serves as vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, a sign of her growing involvement in her boyfriend's philanthropy. Bezos has at times been ranked as the richest man in the world, but on Friday his net worth stood at $148 billion, placing him in second behind Elon Musk, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. Scott was ranked 39 on the list with a fortune of $30.9 billion. Last year she re-married to Seattle high school chemistry teacher Dan Jewett, news the couple announced when he joined in her pledge to give away most of their wealth. Sanchez's ex-husband Whitesell also found new love last year, when he married Australian actress Pia Miller. A suspected domestic abuser murdered his wife, her 13 year-old son and her mom before killing himself two weeks after the woman's application for an order of protection against him was denied. Bo Eugene Savage shot spouse Tirany Savage, as well as Tirany's son Dayton Cowdrey and Tirany's mother Kim Lynette Ebright, 58, in Roscommon County, Michigan, on July 10. After Savage killed all his family members, he turned the gun on himself and died of a self-inflicted gunshot. On June 7, three days before her death, Tirany, a registered nurse, had filed for divorce. Judge Troy Daniel reportedly denied an order of protection Tirany requested stating that she could obtain a restraining order in divorce court, the document said, NBC News reported. An order of protection tells one person what they cannot do to another, and what contact is and is now allowed. Tirany called 911 twice, twice in late June, telling dispatchers at the Roscommon County Central Dispatch, that Savage was verbally threatening her, the news outlet reported. A picture of Bo and Tirany Savage during what appeared to be happier times. In his denial, Judge Troy Daniel wrote that Tirany Savage could request a restraining order in divorce court, the document said. She filed for divorce on July 7 Tirany Savage, 35, (pictured left) was fatally shot along with her son, Dayton Cowdrey, 13, (pictured right) and mother Kim Lynette Ebright, 58, on July 10 by her estranged husband, Bo Eugene Savage Tirany's 58-year-old mother, Kim Lynette Ebright was also killed in the July 10 murder-suicide During her cries for help to the dispatch center, which manages the county's 911 and police dispatch, she told them that she had requested for an order of protection two days prior. The following day, Tirany called 911 again alleging her husband was home and 'slamming stuff around,' according to the county's central dispatch, the news outlet reported. In the protection orders she claimed her husband had bought a gun, repeatedly threatened suicide and refused to leave the family's home in Houghton Lake. When he recently purchased a gun Tirany feared for the welfare of her teenage son (Savage's stepson) and her own safety. In her request for protection order, she wrote about Savage's erratic behavior: 'He has mental health issues [he quit taking his meds] and recently purchased a firearm and that is concerning to me,' Tirany wrote 'He keeps saying he is going to blow his brains out and I do not want my safety or my sons safety in jeopardy.' Two weeks later, all four members of the family were dead in an apparent murder-suicide. Roscommon County Undersheriff Ben Lowe said on Thursday that a deputy spoke to Tirany by phone on June 26, but not at her home because she was not there. The next day, a deputy went back to the home and separated the estranged couple for the day, Lowe said. At that time, Bo Savage took some items out of the house. After killing his wife, mother-in-law and stepson, Savage turned the gun on himself with a self-inflicted gunshot, officials said Lowe said that during the calls Tirany made to the authorities in June, there was no record of a complaint of a physical assault. The sheriff's office response, said Lowe, was waiting to see whether a protection order would be issued 'because there had been no assault,' according to reports. This wasn't the first time before her death that Tirany had reported Savage to police. In October 2018, after he had attempted suicide, according to a sheriff's office report of the incident, NBC News reported. The sheriff's office told NBC News that on Oct. 11, 2018, deputies responded to the couple's home on a call for a suicide attempt. During the manic episode, Savage appeared to be 'yelling and breaking things' Tirany had told authorities. He also appeared to be highly intoxicated and wanted to go to hospital, and was evaluated, a report said. The July 10 murder-suicide took place at a home on Lake Houghton, located roughly 115 miles north of Lansing, MI. Deputies from the Roscommon Township were dispatched to the home around 3:30 am when they made the grim discovery. Three days before the grisly murder-suicide took place Tirany had filed a protection order. In the complaint she claimed that Savage frequently harassed her, threatened suicide and refused to leave the home they shared. When he recently purchased a gun she feared for the welfare of her teenage son and her own safety. 'He has mental health issues [he quit taking his meds] and recently purchased a firearm & that is concerning to me,' she s He keeps saying he is going to blow his brains out & I do not want my safety or my sons safety in jeopardy.' On two separate occasions, only days apart, June 24 and June 26, Savage claimed that husband had bought a gun, repeatedly threatened suicide and refused to leave their home located in Houghton Lake, Michigan. She spoke of his erratic behavior and the abuse she endured and the fear for her safety and her child's safety. Her request was denied three days later, nearly two weeks before the family was killed. In his denial, Judge Troy Daniel wrote that Tirany Savage could request a restraining order in divorce court, the document said. She filed for divorce on July 7. The protection order that was filed June 24 in Michigan's 34th Circuit Court Tirany spoke of his erratic behavior and the abuse she endured and the fear for her safety and her child's safety Nancy Gallagher, Tirany's divorce lawyer said Tirany had been a domestic violence survivor and that before she met Savage she had been in previous abusive relationship, NBC News reported. She mentioned that Savage's behavior grew more dangerous as Tirany tried to leave him. President Joe Biden apologized for his frog-like voice as he addressed reporters and his economic staff from COVID isolation Friday afternoon. 'Well thanks, let me start by apologizing - my voice - I'm feeling much better than I sound,' the president said at the top of his remarks, his vocal range noticably deeper. Biden then outlined how gas prices have fallen for more than 30 days. When it was economist Cecilia Rouse's turn to speak, Biden could be heard loudly coughing in the background. He gave a thumbs up to reporters who asked him how he was feeling as journalists were told to exit the room. 'I feel much better than I sound,' Biden said again. Biden's press pool was with his economic team assembled in the South Court Auditorium, while the president was kept away from them in the residence in the upstairs of the White House. At the briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had been very 'active' on Friday. 'The president said he is still putting in eight-plus hours of work a day,' Jean-Pierre said. 'And that he wants to remind Americans to get vaccinated.' White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters 'the president is doing better.' 'He slept well last night. He ate his breakfast and lunch. He showed me his plate,' Jha said to laughs. 'I didn't ask about the menu, but I did see an empty plate with crumbs and I have some guesses about what was there. Didn't ask.' 'I did ask him about his appetite. He joked that his one regret was his appetite didn't change,' Jha continued. 'He was, he is, in a very good mood,' the COVID coordinator added. President Joe Biden spoke virtually to his economic advisers and journalists who were gathered in the South Court Auditorium on Friday and gave a thumbs up to reporters when asked how he was feeling after contracting COVID-19 'Let me start by apologizing - my voice - I'm feeling much better than I sound,' the president said at the top of his remarks, his vocal range noticably deeper The president was heard loudly coughing as economic adviser Cecilia Rouse spoke about gas prices at an event on Friday At Friday's briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (right) said, 'The president said he is still putting in eight-plus hours of work a day.' She was joined by COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha (left) in the briefing room Biden's symptoms 'have improved,' according to a letter the White House released mid-morning Friday provided by Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. O'Connor reported that Biden completed his first full day of the antiviral Paxlovid, after testing positive for COVID-19 on both an antigen and PCR test Thursday morning. 'He did mount a temperature yesterday evening to 99.4 degrees, which responded favorably to acetaminophen (TYLENOL),' the letter said. O'Connor said Biden's symptoms continued to be a runny nose, fatigue - and now a 'loose' cough. 'His voice is deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal, on room air,' the doctor added. The White House doctor said Biden would continue Paxlovid, which would be supplemented with oral hydration, acetaminophen and an albuterol inhaler, which is used by asthmatics. Prior to the release of the doctor's letter, the White House released another photo of Biden working from the residence - this time he was wearing a mask. The image shows the president on Thursday signing the FORMULA Act, a bill that temporarily removes tariffs from imported baby formula. Afterward, a similar picture of Biden from Friday was shared via Twitter. 'President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team,' the tweet said. The White House released a new photo of President Joe Biden Friday morning as he works from the residence after testing positive for COVID-19. The new image shows Biden, in a mask, signing the FORMULA Act sometime Thursday Another image shared early Friday afternoon shows President Joe Biden working from the residence Friday. 'President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team,' a tweet said President Joe Biden's COVID-19 symptoms 'have improved,' according to a letter the White House released mid-morning Friday provided by Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping contacted Biden to wish him a 'speedy recovery,' Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. 'I would like to express my deep sympathies to you and wish you a speedy recovery,' Xi said, according to AFP. On Wednesday, Biden said he planned to speak with the Chinese leader within the next 10 days, but wouldn't reveal if he had made a decision on whether to keep or end Trump-era Chinese tariffs. Xi's message was the first contact between the two leaders in four months, as the relationship has deteriorated over Taiwan, Ukraine and other issues. Biden and Xi - who have known each other for decades - held a video call on March 18, with Biden warning Xi not to help Russia invade Ukraine. Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang lashed out over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly planning to visit Taiwan next month. A visit by Pelosi would 'severely undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces,' Zhao said. 'If the U.S. were to insist on going down the wrong path, China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,' the spokesman added. COVID-19 originated in China and Biden initially pushed U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the pandemic, however the effort has seemingly stalled. Chinese state media said that Chinese President Xi Jinping reached out to Biden Friday to with his a 'speedy recovery' after the American president's COVID diagnosis White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha (right) was doing the rounds on the morning shows Friday, saying on CNN that Biden was 'doing just fine' and 'the symptoms were basically the same On Friday morning, Jha was doing the rounds on the morning shows, saying he had last spoken to Biden's medical team around 10 p.m. Thursday night. He said on CNN that Biden was 'doing just fine' and 'the symptoms were basically the same.' On ABC's Good Morning America, Jha pushed back that Biden's age could make fighting the virus more problematic. 'He is about as well-protected for this virus as possible,' Jha answered, pointing to the four COVID vaccine shots the president has had, on top of his prescription for the antiviral, Paxlovid. Jha will again be on hand at Friday afternoon's White House press briefing. The White House has so far resisted putting O'Connor in front of the press. When builders renovating a house discovered a collection of letters detailing the dramatic last moments of a Second World War RAF airman under floorboards, they began a quest to reunite them with his family. After having no luck finding relatives of Sergeant Norman Tinsley, a radio operator who died on a bombing mission just months before the end of the conflict, they handed the documents to a local historian who enlisted the Daily Mails help. We have now been able to hand over the crumpled manilla envelope, stuffed with more than 30 telegrams, handwritten letters of condolence and photographs, to the airmans astonished relatives more than 70 years after his heroic death. Traced: Great nieces Sandra and Gillian The communications begin with a telegram from RAF North Killingholme in Lincolnshire dated Bury 2 Feb 45 which states: N. Tinsley is reported missing from operations and closes No information should be given to the press. Over the course of a series of letters and official documents written to 20-year-old Sgt Tinsleys parents, George and Emma, at their home in Bury, Greater Manchester, the fate of their son and his terrifying last moments are revealed. One letter from the Air Ministry, two months after he disappeared, explains how Sgt Tinsley had been among the crew of a Lancaster bomber involved in a mid-air collision with another aircraft over France as they flew back from a mission to Ludwigshafen, near Heidelberg, western Germany, on the night of February 1, 1945. Heroic: Sergeant Norman Tinsley Copies of letters regarding the death of Norman Tinsley from Bury who was killed in action in WW11 The correspondence states: Sgt Tinsley gathered with the others at the rear escape hatch when the order was given to abandon aircraft... At 5,000 feet the captain received no response on the intercom and, believing that all his crew had gone, managed, with some difficulty, to leave by the front escape hatch. As there has been no trace of your son and Sgt [Andy] James it is presumed they crashed with the aircraft. The other five members of crew baled out safely and are unable to suggest any reason why these two should have remained behind. The envelope also includes handwritten notes to Sgt Tinsleys parents from his airforce pals, best friend and other relatives. Sandra Colls (L) and her sister, Gillian Carter (R) are the great nieces of Norman Tinsley The sisters have been reunited with pictures and letters relating to Norman Tinsley RAF airman killed in action in WWII A letter, from Sgt Tinsleys leader at 550 Squadron, reveals that the airman was on his sixth operational mission against the enemy when he died and was a popular and efficient and skilful wireless operator who would be greatly missed. After receiving the letters, the Mails experts discovered that Sgt Tinsleys mother had a brother, Joseph, whose two granddaughters, Sandra Colls, 62, and her sister Gillian Carter, 69, still live near Bury and we were delighted to hand over the lost letters to them. The women remembered his sister Nora, who died in 2011 aged 79, but they had no idea of her brothers sacrifice. Mrs Carter said: Its just such a surprise to find all this out after all these years. Its so poignant. It really brings it home, these young lads gave everything for us. Sandra Burke, 79, whose late builder husband Brian found the letters, said: When I started to read them, they touched my heart. I was two when my brother Ernest was killed fighting in Germany. He was the same age as Norman. Im chuffed that the Daily Mail have found his family, its made my day. Advertisement Three people were killed by a 23-year-old who then turned the gun on himself at an Iowa campground early Friday morning. Officers with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation found three people dead at a Maquoketa Caves State Park campground in Maquoteka, Iowa when they responded to reports of a shooting. Officials initially said 23-year-old Anthony Orlando Sherwin, of Nebraska, appeared to be missing from the camp, but they later found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound just west of the park grounds. It is unclear if Sherwin had any connection to the victims, who have yet to be identified by police. Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, of Nebraska, found dead from a supposed self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police believe Sherwin shot three other campers to death at a Maquoketa Caves State Park campground Nearby Camp Shalom, a Christian summer camp for children, was evacuated and parents were notified as pick-up point was established for campers. All campers have been accounted for. Iowa DCI said that were no further threats to the public but the park will remain closed until further notice. Iowa governor Kim Reynolds released a statement Friday where she said she was 'horrified' by the shooting and 'devastated by the loss of three innocent lives.' 'As we grieve this unimaginable tragedy, Kevin and I pray for the victims family members and the law enforcement officers who responded to the scene. We ask Iowans to do the same,' she said. Maquoketa Caves State Park is about an hour east of Cedar Rapids and sprawls over approximately 370 acres of land. It is described as a 'popular destination for picnickers and hikers' by Iowa's Department of Natural Resources. Iowa DCI said that were no further threats to the public but the park will remain closed until further notice but an investigation remains underway Emergency personnel block an entrance to the Maquoketa Caves State Park as police investigate a shooting that left several people dead, Friday, July 22, 2022, in Maquoketa, Iowa Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was convicted Friday of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. A jury found Bannon, 68, guilty of two misdemeanor counts for refusing to provide testimony or documents to the House of Representatives select committee. He faces up to two years in federal prison when he's sentenced on Oct. 21. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $100,000. The verdict by the jury of eight men and four women, after less than three hours of deliberations, marked the first successful prosecution for contempt of Congress since 1974, when a judge found G. Gordon Liddy, a conspirator in the Watergate scandal that prompted President Richard Nixon's resignation, guilty. His conviction ends a chapter for a stunning rise and fall for a man who seemingly came out of nowhere to lead Donald Trump to the presidency. The famed flame-thrower was Trump's campaign manager in the final stages of the 2016 election, having risen from his role at Breitbart to become one of the most influential right-wing voices. Bannon joined Trump in the White House but fell out with him in spectacular fashion and turned on Trump and, in particular, his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was convicted Friday of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot A jury found Bannon, 68, guilty of two misdemeanor counts for refusing to provide testimony or documents to the House of Representatives select committee Steve Bannon, pictured with Trump in the White House in January 2017, was convicted Friday of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot Bannon is pictured walking out of court in New York on August 20 after his arrest He was forced out and roamed Europe trying to set up a right-wing political movement across the continent, before returning to the US where in August he was arrested for allegedly attempting to defraud Trump supporters who donated to a crowdfunded effort to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The former investment banker was arrested on August 20, 2020 on a $28 million yacht, owned by a fugitive Chinese billionaire. Bannon was the campaign CEO for its last 88 days after the ousting of Paul Manafort - who became a convicted felon himself. He was pardoned by Trump on the eve of the president's departure from the White House as a remarkable reward for loyally insisting that the election was stolen. The Virginia-born strategist, who worked alongside Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager, encouraged Trump to go after his primary opponents, clash with Republican Party elites, and launch tirades against China and global trade. Bannon was seen as being a driving force behind attempts to frame a populist appeal to 'forgotten' Americans. He had informally advised Trump before jumping on board from the conservative Breitbart website, which was backed by billionaire Rebekah Mercer. He became, in the White House, Trump's Chief Strategist, with a West Wing office close to the Oval Office. Bannon clashed with many within the White House - in particular Jared Kushner (right) Bannon dismissed Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, as 'globalists' and openly mocked them Bannon for a while had the ear of the president, but made the fatal mistake of clashing with the other power center: Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who Bannon sneeringly named Javanka. He fought internecine battles and sometimes forged unexpected partnerships with Trump's first chief of staff, Reince Preibus, during chaotic early days of the Trump administration. But after it was revealed he had been cooperating with Michael Wolff in his scathing Trump takedown, Fire and Fury, the president fired him, in August 2017. Not only had Bannon consented to on-record interviews, he took aim at Trump family members, including Donald Trump Jr. He called the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting about dirt on Hillary Clinton that was attended by Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Kushner 'treasonous' and 'unpatriotic.' He predicted of authorities: 'They're going to crack Don Jr. like an egg.' Wolff reported in 2018 that Bannon told investigators: 'Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad s**t, and I happen to think it's all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.' Bannon, pictured in the White House in January 2017, made many enemies within the team Trump in characteristic fashion distanced himself with Bannon after throwing him overboard. 'Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency' Trump said at the time. 'When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.' After he was out at the White House, Bannon was subpoenaed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators who were probing Trump campaign contacts with Russians. He reportedly met with them for 20 hours, speaking on multiple occasions, and his assessments are reflected in the Mueller report. The former Goldman Sachs banker is worth an estimated $48 million, according to White House financial disclosures made in 2017. He has enjoyed an eye-catchingly varied career, including a stint during the early 1990s as boss of the Biosphere 2 experiment, which locked scientists way in a greenhouse for two years to see if they could become self-sufficient. He lost his lucrative backing from Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, after the publication of Fire and Fury. He also lost his job at Breitbart, which pushed him to seek new horizons. From his base at an 800-year-old monastery outside of Rome, Bannon travelled to Paris, telling the far-right Front National that 'history is on our side and will bring us victory'. Former U.S. President Donald Trump's White House chief strategist Steve Bannon speaks as he departs after he was found guilty during his trial on contempt of Congress charges for his refusal to cooperate with the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack Bannon for a while had the ear of the president, but made the fatal mistake of clashing with the other power center: Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who Bannon sneeringly named Javanka Italy was unimpressed, and last year, Italy's Culture Ministry, which owns the mountaintop monastery, withdrew a 19-year lease, citing violations of contractual obligations. In May that ruling was overturned, allowing work on the Dignitatis Humanae Institute think-tank to continue. More recently Bannon has retained some of his power as an influential Trump world voice, appearing frequently on television and running a podcast where Trump aides are guests. There have been persistent reports of regular contact between the two men, but no known in person meetings. Trump - who fell out with the former Breitbart editor in spectacular fashion, dismissing him in August 2017 as washed-up 'Sloppy Steve' - tried to distance himself from Bannon, saying: 'I haven't been dealing with him for a very long period of time.' Bannon was the eighth close Trump associate to be arrested or convicted of a crime, a list that also includes former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Bannon helped make confronting China a centerpiece of Trump's 2016 campaign, a posture the president has continued into his tenure in office. Another key tenet of that election was building a wall on the southern border that Trump said Mexico not the U.S. government would pay for. Bannon began scheming to start a new U.S. political party that he planned to call the 'National Union Party' - the temporary name Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party had adopted in 1864 to attract War Democrats and Unionists - imagining that he could unite disaffected populists on both ends of the political spectrum and make his own run at the White House. A doctor has been accused of plotting with a wealthy Nigerian senator and his wife to traffic a homeless man into the UK to harvest a kidney for their daughter, a court heard today. Obinna Obeta, 50, from Southwark, south London, is charged under the Modern Slavery Act with arranging the travel of a 21-year-old man with a view to him being exploited between August last year and this May. A second charge alleges he conspired with 60-year-old Ike Ekweremadu - a barrister and former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate - to arrange or facilitate the travel of the man with a view to him being exploited, namely organ harvesting. It is alleged Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a district senator and lawyer, and his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, brought the 21-year-old man from Nigeria to the UK. Prosecutors claim they planned to have his kidney removed so it could be given to their daughter. It is alleged Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a district senator and lawyer, (right) and his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, (left) brought the 21-year-old man from Nigeria to the UK The Ekweremadus allegedly treated him as a slave before he escaped and went to Staines police station in Surrey. Pictured: Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a People's Democratic Party politician in Nigeria The couple were arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 21 after arriving on a flight from Turkey and appeared at the Old Bailey today for a bail hearing. Pictured right: Ike Ekweremad The man is said to have refused to consent to the procedure after undergoing tests at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north-west London. The Ekweremadus allegedly treated him as a slave before he escaped and went to Staines police station in Surrey. The couple were arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 21 after arriving on a flight from Turkey and appeared at the Old Bailey today for a bail hearing. The couple deny wrongdoing or that there was a criminal conspiracy, and claim no exploitation occurred. Obeta, of Hillbeck Close, Southwark, southeast London, appeared at Bexley Magistrates' Court on 13 July. He was charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation and conspiring together with Ike Ekweremadu to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation. Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said previously that the case involved 'exploitation and the harvesting of an organ.' Prosecutors claim the couple (pictured( planned to have his kidney removed so it could be given to their daughter He said: 'The case began on 5 May 2022 when the complainant presented himself at Staines Police Station and claimed he had been transported to this country for the purpose of his kidney being removed. 'He arrived on 20th February 2022 and was taken to Royal Free Hospital where tests were conducted. 'For the purpose he was there he did not consent to the taking of his kidney. 'He returned to the house he was staying and his treatment changed dramatically. 'He described being treated effectively as a slave.' The victim allegedly escaped the address and was homeless for three days before he turned up at Staines Police Station. Ike and Beatrice were arrested in the UK on 21 June after flying in to Heathrow from Turkey. Martin Hicks, QC, defending Ike, has said: 'We deny that there was any exploitation or any intent to do so. 'The argument will be factual denial.' All three defendants, who are in custody, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on August 4. The mom of an 18-year-old Native American woman 'trafficked and brainwashed' by Ezra Miller has accused Warner Brothers of 'putting profits before morals' for not firing the actor from his lead role in upcoming $200million blockbuster The Flash. Sara Jumping Eagle blasted the movie giant as she and lawyer husband Chase Iron Eyes continue their battle to get 'missing' daughter Tokata 'to a safe place' and away from the scandal-hit actor's 'influence'. The desperately worried parents are pressing ahead with a court bid for a protective order against Miller, in which they allege the star 'groomed' their activist daughter before plying her with hard drugs, assaulting her and controlling her life. Since the action was launched against the 29-year-old actor who identifies as non-binary and uses they/their pronouns in June, a catalogue of other troubling incidents with other women has been revealed. Tokata Iron Eyes' mother Sara Jumping Eagle has accused Warner Brothers of 'putting profits before morals' for not firing Ezra Miller from his lead role in The Flash. Mother and daughter are pictured together Ezra Miller, 29, has been accused of 'grooming' and 'brainwashing' Tokata Iron Eyes, 18, who is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. They are pictured together in a car Miller, a non-binary actor, played The Flash in the DC Cinematic Universe. He's pictured in character on a poster for the 2017 movie Justice League These include choking one outside a bar in Iceland and menacing another in Berlin, who called police on Miller. They were also arrested twice in Hawaii earlier this year, for second-degree assault and disorderly conduct and harassment. Jumping Eagle, a pediatrician who graduated from Stanford Medical School, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that the star has a defined pattern of disturbing behavior against women that studio bosses have taken too long to recognize. 'We want to speak to Warner Brothers about Ezra, and we want to hold them accountable,' she said. 'I know that initially they may not have been aware of Ezra's issues,' Jumping Eagle said. 'However, if they are aware that one of the people they employ is assaulting people and this person is having significant issues that are causing harm to others, but they are willing to ignore that to continue with the production of the film, then it's obvious they are putting profit over what is the morally right thing to do.' Miller has been reportedly dropped from further super-hero DC Universe projects due to the escalating controversies surrounding them. But there is no word they will lose his role in The Flash, which is due out next year and also stars Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. Does Warner Brothers want a legacy wherein they have profited from a person who is a perpetrator?' Jumping Eagle continued. Warner Brothers is potentially also taking advantage of someone such as Ezra with mental issues and substance abuse issues. The anguished mother, using an affectionate family term for her daughter, also told DailyMail.com: Id also like to say directly to Tokata, I miss you bingbong. Warner Brother did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Jumping Eagle, 50, told DailyMail.com that she and her husband still have 'no idea' where Tokata is after last seeing her in a harrowing street encounter in Santa Monica, California, on May 29, when she fled with Miller. But they are convinced Tokata is still heavily under the influence of the star. A July 12 hearing of their petition for a protection order at Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court in North Dakota ruled it can continue, but further details cannot be made public because of its sensitive family nature. The parents' lawsuit was filed in June. And in the paperwork previously published by DailyMail.com, the couple allege Miller is 'currently physically and emotionally abusing Tokata Iron Eyes (18), psychologically manipulating, physically intimidating and endangering' her safety and welfare. This is 'while perpetuating intimate partner violence upon' their daughter 'after having groomed Tokata since 2016 when she was 12 years old.' They also alleged Miller 'uses violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata.' Miller is also accused in the legal papers of trying to sleep in the same bed as Tokata on a trip to London when she was 14, and eventually had sex with her earlier this year to 'cure' his self-confessed 'sex addiction'. Tokata's mother Sara tweeted about the alleged abuse her daughter is facing at the hands of Ezra Miller Tokata's parents have lodged legal papers in Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court in North Dakota, against the actor. She's pictured with her dad Chase Miller identifies as non-binary and queer and uses the pronouns they/them. Court papers say they used the same pronouns for Tokata Tokata has called her mother to demand her parents stop the court action Tokata, who has said on social media that she does not have a phone, has now called her mother to demand her parents stop the court action, DailyMail.com can reveal. 'She called to tell us to stop moving forward with the court proceedings,' said Jumping Eagle. 'She was mad at us about the case and wanted us to stop. Since the action was launched against the 29-year-old actor in June, a catalogue of other troubling incidents with other women has been revealed 'And then when I told her we weren't going to stop, especially regarding the fact that Ezra Miller assaulted Tokata that Ezra needs to be held accountable for continuing to hurt people Tokata became very upset. 'The conversation lasted about five minutes. She wasn't crying, it was cussing at me, calling me names, you can f*** off, that kind of thing. She was shouting. She was mainly talking to her father at first and I chimed in. 'I did tell her that we love her, that we care and that we are concerned about her safety. But also that Ezra continues to hurt people. 'It was an upsetting call to me. At the time I was thinking, this isn't my child talking to me, this isn't how my child has ever talked to me before. Tokata's never cussed at me or talked to me in that manner.' Tokata has attacked her parents on social media. One post on Instagram read: 'There are countless murdered and missing indigenous peoples. I am not one of them. #mmiwgt2s is a real and ongoing crisis therefore I wish to recognize the severity of misinformation about my life and experience,' she added referring to a movement called Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn and Girls, 2Spirit. However, Jumping Eagle told DailyMail.com: 'When Tokata posted something saying she is not missing, as far as we are concerned she is missing. 'My response is that while she is still under the control of someone who is manipulating and coercing and that and she has not been in close contact with her close friends or family then she is still missing. 'We don't know her whereabouts. Her closest friends don't know her whereabouts. Ezra Miller does.' Jumping Eagle accepts Tokata is an adult. However, she says the Violence Against Women Act and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women factors are a central part of the concern over her daughter and the relationship with Miller. 'When you look at trafficking, there are many elements of this that fit this and also fits an MMIW. The fact that Ezra kept moving her all over the place and there was intimate partner violence. 'This is so complex, there are so many layers to this, it is not straightforward. 'If you are seeing somebody you love that has been assaulted and has been coerced and threatened and drugged you cannot stand by and do nothing. This is why we are still pursuing and trying whatever we can to get Tokata to safety. And out of the influence of a person who has their own issues.' She continued: 'There are reasons Tokata is still defending Ezra, despite the fact that Ezra assaulted Tokata and has done all these heinous things to Tokata, which several people witnessed. 'This is clearly intimate partner violence. He was telling Tokata when Tokata can bathe, not to wear make-up, dumping things on Tokata's head, shaming her in front of other people and then influencing what Tokata's identity is. 'Ezra is demonizing Tokata's family, and this is also what manipulators do. They convince the person to make claims about their family that are not true. Tokata has attacked her parents on social media. One post on Instagram read: 'There are countless murdered and missing indigenous peoples. I am not one of them. #mmiwgt2s is a real and ongoing crisis therefore I wish to recognize the severity of misinformation about my life and experience' Tokata met the Flash star when she was just 12 years old and her parents accuse the actor of 'grooming' their daughter. She's pictured in 2018 (left) and now The star 'established contact with Tokata Iron Eyes while helping the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during a movement to stop an underground oil pipeline. Tokata, her father and Ezra are pictured in December 2021 when the actor came to visit 'This is all part of the pattern that has occurred up to now that has affected Tokata's mind and sense of being. Ezra had Tokata convinced that I am an FBI agent for example. 'I know that those are questions from the general public that, OK what's the big deal, she's 18, she wants to go party, why are we doing this? 'But we believe if Tokata was being independent and functional and just had to learn some life lessons, that's one thing. But if there is somebody interfering with Tokata's abilities to be independent and safe, then that's where we come in. We're not going to just watch someone assault and hurt our daughter.' The parents claim in the lawsuit that the actor plied their daughter with drugs including LSD and disrupted her Massachusetts private schooling to such an extent that she dropped out from Bard College at Simon's Rock in December. When they flew to Miller's home in Stamford, Vermont, in January to retrieve Tokata, they allegedly found bruises on her body and she no longer had a driver license, car keys or a bank card. And when the teenager was returned to her parents' home, she fled again to New York to reunite with Miller and they were allegedly traveling together to Vermont, Hawaii and Los Angeles for a period. The couple also alleged in the June filing that Miller 'uses violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata'. Miller first met the young activist in 2016. The court papers say they 'established contact with Tokata Iron Eyes under the pretense' of helping the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during a movement to stop an underground oil pipeline.' Miller would likely have been filming Justice League at the time, where one of the sets was located in Illinois. Tokata in a picture she posted to Instagram He took 'an immediate and apparently innocent liking' to Tokata and 'began to formulate relations,' the papers continue. The star flew her with other Standing Rock tribal members to London to tour the Harry Potter movie studio in December 2017 when they 'attempted to sleep in the same bed at Tokata, who was 14 years old at the time. Miller was 25 years old at the time,' her parents' lawsuit alleges. Miller had appeared in the 2016 Potter spin-off movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 'Ezra was prevented from sleeping in the same bed with Tokata at that time by a chaperone who can attest to this as the witness lives on the Standing Rock reservation Tokata's parents learned of this episode in June 2022,' the lawsuit continued. Miller also obsessed about the KKK because they believed the hate group had burned down a friend's house in North Carolina, the papers continue. The actor 'transported an unknown supply of firearms and ammunition from Vermont to North Carolina for a potential confrontation with the KKK. 'Tokata is compelled to go along and she is subjected to heightened anxiety, impending violence, firearms, drugs use and overbearing fear of this armed situation. To this day Tokata is paranoid about the KKK surveilling them, tracking them and generally being a target of the KKK.' After the parents pair flew to Vermont in January, they got their 'incapacitated' daughter back home to North Dakota. 'Tokata did not have and did not know the whereabouts of her bank card, driver license, Standing Rock tribal identification, passport, most of her clothing, car keys and any other items needed for her to navigate life on her own,' says the filing. Tokata spent 'the next three weeks detoxifying from whatever drugs were used with Ezra Miller during the preceding time frame, at the very least cannabis, alcohol, LSD,' the parents say. 'It wasn't until ten days went by that Tokata's parents felt Tokata would be able to function in some capacity on her own.' Tokata is pictured standing next to Leonardo DiCaprio during the People's Climate March in 2017 Tokata is a well-known activist, pictured here with Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in September 2019 Tokata's parents got her replacement ID. But in February the teenager reunited with Miller after telling them she was going to stay with a friend in Brooklyn, New York. The pair were then spotted in Los Angeles that month before heading to Hawaii where they stayed in March and April and Miller caused more controversy. 'There's evidence that Miller was the subject of 10 different calls to Hawaii law enforcement,' the papers allege. Eventually the pair return to Miller's Vermont home, where Bennington County Sheriff's Department attempted to serve an order for substance abuse evaluation on Tokata, instigated by her father. Deputies make three unsuccessful attempts to serve the notice in May. On the first, Miller 'lies to law enforcement and falsely states' the teenager is not at his home, the lawsuit says. During that time, two 'former friends' of Miller saw them 'using threats of violence, extreme yelling and aggressive outbursts' at Tokata, the lawsuit alleges. 'Ezra Miller aggressively got in her face calling her a 'b****' and asking her 'what are you putting make up on for you f***ing b****; Ezra also called Tokata a 'thieving b****', 'c*** b****'.' The papers also allege Miller told Tokata they had a sex addiction and they eventually 'convinced' her to have sex with them in January this year to help 'cure' it. They continue: 'Ezra's behavior shows a pattern of sexually predatory behavior.' Tokata dismissed her parents concerns in a post on social media, writing: 'I'd like to make a statement to acknowledge the tragedy that is the narrative of the general public and the assumptions made on my behalf by my family and friends regarding my stability and otherwise' However, Tokata forcefully dismissed her parents' concerns in another social media post on June 6, writing: 'I'd like to make a statement to acknowledge the tragedy that is the narrative of the general public and the assumptions made on my behalf by my family and friends regarding my stability and otherwise. 'I dropped out of bard five months ago, my friend and comrade William passed shortly thereafter, my mind was incredibly impacted and I've needed space and time for the processing of grief. 'My comrade Ezra Miller for the entirety of the aforementioned era has only provided loving support and invaluable protection throughout this period of loss.' And on June 16, she displays a screen grab of a text which says there are 'blood obligations that cannot be avoided except to your detriment and spiritual degradation, you'll see that we're her to help you, do not play with medicine'. Tokata writes next to it: 'This is the way my parents have threatened me, in attempts to manipulate my movements and assert their narrative to the public. Using ceremony and native religious teachings to guilt me into returning to their dysfunctional household. This is not what our medicine is for. Ezra is innocent.' Taking your clothes off would seem to be an essential part of your job if you work as a stripper. But in an extraordinary ruling, those employed in the industry in Scotland have been told they can stay on in their jobs as long as they cover up. Around 100 dancers in Edinburgh have been left facing unemployment after the council used new powers to shut down all four strip clubs in the Scottish capital. Mandy Watt, deputy leader of the Labour-run City of Edinburgh Council, says the adult venues can remain open as long as the women dance with their clothes on, saying: 'They are not helpful for the view society has of women and their place in the world. I want to see women being treated with respect. In protest, the United Sex Workers organisation has raised 20,000 to fight the decision under equality laws. But Mandy Watt, deputy leader of the Labour-run City of Edinburgh Council, says the adult venues can remain open as long as the women dance with their clothes on. She said: I understand concerns about people losing jobs but the venues could apply to stay open. All they need to do is not insist on women dancing naked. They dont need to do that to operate. I wouldnt go to these venues to meet them because that would be inappropriate for a councillor. I believe the ban was the right decision because these clubs disempower women. They are not helpful for the view society has of women and their place in the world. I want to see women being treated with respect. But Georgie, a dancer from Edinburgh, said: I say this to feminists such as Mandy Watt... work is work and stripping is real work. Many people do labour for the sole purpose of being able to pay rent and buy food. Stripping is no different. I ask Mandy and the SWERFS [sex worker exclusionary radical feminists] to directly find me an equal and matched opportunity. A job with the same flexibility and pay, the same autonomy and freedom, she said. Something that I can live off comfortably with a 12 hour work week. Something that is not for a trans-national corporation, profiteering off others labour and adding to climate change. Around 100 dancers in Edinburgh face unemployment after the council shut down all four strip clubs in the Scottish capital Because until she ensures that every single dancer that will be affected by the loss of Edinburghs strip clubs, has this same equal and matched opportunity for work, in an industry of their choosing, she is doing nothing but pushing women into poverty and taking away their freedom of choice. She may believe she is doing the right thing, but she is at best misguided and at worst using personal bias and morality to speak over the lived experience of women. The citys council voted to set the maximum number of SEVs to zero, which are defined as places with live performances for profit and for the sole purpose of sexual stimulation of the audience. Councillors rejected plans to set the limit of SEVs at four, which would mean the existing clubs could continue operating but no new clubs could open. If the venues legal action against the proposals is unsuccessful, it could spell the end of Edinburghs pubic triangle. Nicola Sturgeons government classified stripping as a form of violence against women and girls and allowed Scottish councils to set a minimum number of SEVs. Miss Sturgeon supported councils in banning the clubs, saying that the dignity and treatment of women must be respected. Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District officials reportedly canceled a special school board meeting to consider whether to terminate chief Pete Arredondo after he held officers back for an hour while the school shooter gunned down 19 students an two teachers. 'In conformity with due process requirements, and at the request of his attorney, the meeting to consider the termination of Chief Arredondo will be held at a later date which has yet to be determined,' the district said in a statement obtained by CNN. Arredondo had been widely-expected to be dismissed following Saturday's meeting. It is unclear if Friday's statements about due process will strengthen any claim he makes about unfair dismissal. Arredondo remains on unpaid administration leave after he stood by while shooter Salvador Ramos, 18, killed 21 people on May 24. Parents and members of the community have continued to demand the board fire Arredondo after it was discovering the police chief didn't quickly respond while the shooting unfolded. He was placed on administrative leave last month. Uvalde Police Chief Pete Arredondo was placed on administrative leave in June over his botched leadership during the Robb Elementary School massacre that left 19 students and two teachers dead on May 24. Pictured: Uvalde directing officers while speaking with the gunman The Texas House investigative committee released a preliminary report on Sunday where officials found 'multiple systemic failures' and poor leadership by law enforcement Community members and state police officials alike have sharply criticized the leadership of Arredondo. Michael Brown, an Uvalde community member who has a child that was enrolled at Robb Elementary, is seen holding signs calling for police accountability on Sunday Arredondo was placed on administrative leave last month following the backlash The latest call for his termination comes after the Texas House investigative committee released a preliminary report on Sunday, where officials found 'multiple systemic failures' and poor leadership by law enforcement the day of the shooting. A minute-by-minute break down of how cops waited outside class while kids called 911 after gunman walked through door that had been propped open by a teacher 11.28am: Gunman crashes truck, gets out of car with AR-15. He is seen by witnesses in a funeral home next to the school who tell 911 they see a man with a gun walking towards the school 11.31: Gunman is now in the parking lot of the school hiding in between vehicles, shooting at the building 11.32: School resource officer who arrives in a patrol car after hearing 911 call about truck crash drives past the shooter 11.33: Gunman enters the school and begins shooting into room 111/room 112. He shoots more than 100 rounds 11.35: Three police officers enter the same propped-open door as the suspect from the Uvalde PD. They were later followed by another four, making total of seven officers on scene. Three initial officers went directly to the door and got grazing wounds from him while the door was closed. They hang back 11.37: Another 16 rounds fired inside the classroom by the gunman 11.51: Police sergeant and USB agents arrive 12.03: Officers continue to arrive in the hallway. As many as 19 officers in that hallway at that time. At the same time, a girl from inside the classroom calls 911 and whispers that she is in room 112 12.10pm: The same girl calls back and advises 'there are multiple dead' 12.13pm: The same girl calls again 12.16pm: The same girl calls 911 for the fourth time in 13 minutes asking for help 12.15pm: BORTAC (SWAT) members arrive with shields 12.16pm: The same unidentified girl calls 911 and says there are '8-9 students alive' in classroom 112 12.19pm: A different child from classroom 111 calls. She hangs up when another student tells her to in order to be quiet 12.21pm: Gunman fires again 12.26pm: One of the girls who previously called 911 calls back again. She says the shooter has just 'shot at the door' 12.43pm: The girl on that girl is still on the line. She says 'please send the police now' 12.50pm: Police finally breach the door using keys from the janitor and kill gunman 12.51pm Officers start moving children out of the room Advertisement Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin released body camera footage from the mass shooting on Sunday, days after an 82 minute video of the shooting was posted online by the Austin American Statesman and KVUE. The video documents the apparent confusion Uvalde cops faced on May 24 when Ramos entered a classroom inside the Robb Elementary School and began firing. Officers were told that day by Arredondo that the situation had changed from an active shooter situation to one of a barricaded suspect - forcing them to act with more caution even as Ramos continued to fire. Arredondo's decision came despite several students and teachers making desperate calls for help as the gunfire raged on. The newly released video also showed that Arredondo tried to speak with Ramos several times from the school hallway. During his initial attempts at communication, Arredondo seemed unaware that Ramos had barricaded himself in a classroom with students. 'Let me know if there's any kids in there or anything,' Arredondo pleaded. 'This could be peaceful.' The officer, met with no response, continued: 'Can you tell me your name, anything that can help please?' But, Ramos did not answer. Minutes later, a 911 dispatcher alerted police that a student had called, revealing children and teachers were trapped with the gunman. Six minutes later, Arredondo is seen trying to open the door to a nearby classroom with a set of keys, but fails to do so. He passes the keys off to another officer who does make entry into the room. Additional officers, who are more heavily armored, arrive on scene, but little action appears to be taken. Then, another round of shots are fired, prompting Arredondo yet again to plead with the shooter. 'Can you hear me sir?' he asked. 'Sir, if you can hear me, please put your firearm down, sir. We don't want anybody else hurt.' Someone is heard saying 'I know, I know' and another officer says: 'That's what we're doing, we're trying to get him out.' It was still at least another 30 minutes before police entered the classroom where Ramos was barricaded and killed him. The footage comes amid the release of a 77-page report by the Texas House of Representatives, which holds state and federal cops largely responsible for the Uvalde school massacre. The House probe marked the most exhaustive attempt so far to determine why it took more than an hour for police and other officers to confront and kill Ramos. The report blasted 'system failures and egregious poor decision making' by nearly all those in power during the attack, noting how 376 law enforcement officers rushed to the school in a chaotic scene marked by a lack of clear leadership and sufficient urgency. 'Other than the attacker, the Committee did not find any 'villains' in the course of its investigation,' the report stated. 'Instead, we found systemic failures and egregious poor decision making.' Arredondo is seen trying to open the door to a nearby classroom with a set of keys, but fails to do so. He passes the keys off to another officer who does make entry into the room Minutes later, another round of shots are fired, prompting Arredondo yet again to plead with the shooter: 'Can you hear me sir? Sir, if you can hear me, please put your firearm down, sir. We don't want anybody else hurt' It was still at least another 30 minutes before police entered the classroom where Ramos had barricaded himself and killed him Tina Quintanilla-Taylor raises her hand and voice as she tries to ask a question of the Texas House investigative committee at a news conference after they released its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School on Sunday 'The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life as injured victims waited over an hour for help, and the attacker continued to sporadically fire his weapon.' It also claimed the 149 US Border Patrol agents and 91 state police on the scene should have helped with the 'unfolding chaos.' 'There was an overall lackadaisical approach by law enforcement at the scene,' the report read. 'For many, that was because they were given and relied upon inaccurate information. For others, they had enough information to know better.' The bottom line, the report found, is that 'law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety.' Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said in an emailed statement that the city had placed Lieutenant Mariano Pargas, who was the acting city policy chief on the day of the shooting, on administrative leave. State police officials have sharply criticized the leadership of Arredondo, the police chief of the school district's six-man police force, who state police have said was in control of the scene. But the report noted that hundreds of officers from agencies that were better trained and better equipped than the school's police force badly failed, too. 'Despite an obvious atmosphere of chaos, the ranking officers of other responding agencies did not approach (Arredondo) or anyone else perceived to be in command to point out the lack of and need for a command post, or to offer that specific assistance,' the report stated. 'These local officials were not the only ones expected to supply the leadership needed during this tragedy.' 'Hundreds of responders from numerous law enforcement agencies - many of whom were better trained and better equipped than the school district police - quickly arrived on the scene.' Salvador Ramos, 18, (pictured) shot and killed 19 students and two teachers while cops held back for over an hour during the Uvalde massacre on May 24 'In this crisis, no responder seized the initiative to establish an incident command post,' the report said. 'Despite an obvious atmosphere of chaos, the ranking officers of other responding agencies did not approach the Uvalde CISD chief of police or anyone else perceived to be in command to point out the lack of and need for a command post, or to offer that specific assistance.' The report also found that the Robb Elementary School failed to adhere to a number of basic safety protocols, which included a lack of keys leading to teachers regularly leaving doors unlocked or propping them open. Door and lock maintenance did not receive adequate attention from the school district, the report noted, pointing out that though the lock in one of the rooms where the shooting took place was known to be unreliable, it was not repaired. 'In particular the locking mechanism to Room 111 was widely known to be faulty, yet it was not repaired,' the report said. 'The problem with locking the door had been reported to school administration, yet no one placed a written work order for a repair.' Unreliable Wi-Fi in parts of the school also led to poor use of an app intended to notify the school of a lockdown in the event of an emergency. Teachers also often responded without urgency to lockdown notifications on the app because they were desensitized by its overuse in situations involving nearby border patrol activity. Robb Elementary is located about an hour from the US-Mexico border, and teachers would often be notified about illegal migrants who were being pursued by border patrol in the area. There were 47 'lockdown' events at the school between May and February, 90 percent of which concerned border patrol activity. Arredondo, met with no response continued: 'Can you tell me your name, anything that can help please?' But, Ramos did not answer Arredondo told Ramos 'this could be peaceful' and asked him to 'please pout your firearm down' as he continued to fire shots into the classroom Additionally, the report revealed that Ramos provided a number of warning signs that he was dangerous, but that nobody did anything to address them. In one incident, Ramos sent someone a message on Instagram on April 2 saying 'Are you still gonna remember me in 50 something days?' 'Probably not' the person responded. 'Hmm alright we'll see in May,' Ramos said back. He was also obsessed with gore and violent sex online, posting videos of suicides and beheadings, and harassing women who he played video games with. He was also fired from his job at a Whataburger after threatening a female coworker. Despite his violent behavior, no red flags were raised about Ramos and he was never reported to authorities. Two children have tested positive for monkeypox in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Friday. One is a toddler from California; the other is in an infant who is not a U.S. resident and was 'transiting through' Washington D.C. Neither had contact with each other. Health officials said both children were 'doing well', but warned children under the age of eight are at high risk of severe monkeypox. It is thought both children likely caught the virus from 'household contacts'. Dr Rochelle Walensky said the children both had contact with gay or bisexual men the community where most cases are being detected in the current outbreak. It was not clear when they caught the virus, or what symptoms they suffered. They are receiving the antiviral TPOXX, which can help stop an infection in its tracks by interfering with the virus's maturation. They are the first cases among children to be detected in America. There are currently more than 2,500 cases of monkeypox in the U.S. the second biggest outbreak in the world behind only Spain with 3,000. A boy under 10 years old tested positive for the virus in the Netherlands in June, as was revealed this week. The Dutch child suffered more than 20 red lesions on his face, forearms and thighs but had no fever or swollen lymph nodes with the infection mostly clearing within a week. Two children have tested positive for monkeypox in the United States since the outbreak began, it was revealed today Revealing the infections at a virtual event for the Washington Post, Walensky said: 'We have seen now two cases that have occurred in children. 'Both of these are traced back to individuals who come from the men-who-have-sex-with-men community, the gay men's community.' She added that these cases have been on the whole 'adjacent to the community most at risk'. Timeline of monkeypox in the United States 1958: Monkeypox is discovered when an outbreak of pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. 1970: First human case of the disease is recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was later detected in a number of other central and western African countries. 2003: America's former largest monkeypox outbreak occurs. A total of 47 people are infected after having contact with pet prairie dogs that picked up the disease at a farm. July, 2021: Monkeypox case detected in the U.S. in a citizen who had recently returned from Nigeria. November, 2021: Monkeypox is detected in another U.S. resident who recently returned from Nigeria. May, 2022: A man in Massachusetts is diagnosed with monkeypox, becoming the first case in the current outbreak. There are now more than 2,000 cases nationwide. Advertisement In a press release, the agency said: 'CDC and public health authorities are still investigating how the children became infected. 'While both children have monkeypox symptoms, they are in good health.' They added: 'Monkeypox spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, which in the case of children could include hugging, cuddling, feeding, as well as through shared items such as towels, bedding, cups and utensils.' Last week the CDC said it was only aware of monkeypox infections among adults, mostly in gay or bisexual men. Until now monkeypox infections have been almost exclusively among gay or bisexual men. But a top expert warned last week the virus had likely already spread to other groups, but that this was yet to be detected due to a lack of testing. The World Health Organization warns that children as well as older people and pregnant women are more at risk from monkeypox. Scientific studies suggest that between three and ten percent of children infected with monkeypox die from the disease, depending on the strain they catch. In the Dutch case, doctors said they counted 20 lesions on the face, ear, forearms, thighs and back of the child but that he did not suffer a fever or swollen lymph nodes. Within a week the virus in his body had dropped to non-detectable levels, they added. It was not clear how he became infected, although doctors said he likely had contact with an infected person or contaminated object that 'was not recognized'. Monkeypox primarily spreads through close physical contact or towels or bedsheets that have also been used by a patient. In rare cases, it can also be transmitted through the air. The CDC has been repeatedly slammed for its response to the virus, with testing initially being slow to get off the ground masking the spread of the virus. There have also been problems rolling out the vaccine, with New York City at the epicenter of the crisis having to delay second doses for patients because too few jabs have been supplied. Dutch child under-10 is infected with monkeypox after family holiday in Turkey - suffers 20 lesions all over body but no fever By Luke Andrews for DailyMail.com A Dutch child under the age of ten has tested positive for monkeypox after a family holiday to Turkey - the first confirmed pediatric case as part of the current outbreak of the tropical virus. The unnamed youngster was taken to Emma Children's Hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in late June complaining of rashes. Doctors counted 20 lesions over his face, ear, forearms, thighs and back, but the patient did not have a fever or swollen lymph nodes. Within a week the virus in his body had dropped to non-detectable levels, and he made a full recovery. None of his close contacts tested positive for monkeypox. It is not clear how he became infected, but testing has ruled out it being down to sexual abuse. The family-of-five said they had no close contact with other guests while on holiday and put their own towels on chairs and loungers. His parents, one of his siblings and a friend who were all considered high-risk were vaccinated with the Jynneous jab, which is being used in America. The report comes as the United States confirms its first two cases of the tropical virus stateside, as confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The youngster who has not been named was taken to Emma Children's Hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in late June complaining of rashes (pictured is one of the first on his jaw) More than 20 rashes erupted over his body, they said Pictured above is one of the rashes that appeared on his arm Doctors at the Dutch hospital revealed the diagnosis Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance. Dr Marceline van Furth, who led the investigation, said they were publicizing the case to 'raise awareness... that monkeypox can develop in children'. They warned that children alongside older adults and pregnant women are more vulnerable to monkeypox, with about three percent dying form the infection. Californian man says he caught COVID AND monkeypox at the same time A man in California says he has been infected with COVID and monkeypox at the same time in the first known case in America. Mitcho Thompson, a cannabis salesman in Sebastopol, tested positive for the pandemic virus in late June after feeling 'wiped out'. Days later, red lesions erupted across his back, legs, arms and neck, which he said doctors diagnosed as monkeypox. Thompson was bedridden for weeks as trouble breathing and chills left him barely able to get up for water. Dr. Dean Winslow, an infectious diseases expert at Stanford University, said it was possible for someone to be infected by both viruses at once. He said Thompson had had 'incredibly bad luck'. It comes as America's monkeypox tally surges to 2,593 cases the second highest tally in the world, right behind Spain, which has 3,125 cases. Advertisement More than 16,000 cases have been detected globally in the current outbreak, mostly among gay or bisexual men who caught the disease through sexual contact. Experts fear the disease has likely already spilled over into other populations, but has not been detected yet because of a lack of testing. Monkeypox does not require sexual contact to spread, and is mainly transmitted via close physical contact or scabs that get stuck on towels or bedding. In rare cases it can also be passed on through the air. America has detected 2,500 cases in the current outbreak the second highest tally in the world behind only Spain with 3,000. The Netherlands has spotted 700, while Turkey has detected a single case. The Dutch monkeypox patient first realized he was unwell shortly after returning from Turkey, when he noticed two small red skin lesions on his left cheek and jaw. His doctor initially diagnosed mild dermatomycosis medical term for a fungal infection and prescribed anti-fungal cream. But when more lesions appeared the medic feared he had impetigo a bacterial infection that causes lesions on the body and gave him antibiotics. When they continued to crop up over his ear, forearm, thighs and back the boy was referred to hospital with a suspected case of monkeypox with swabs at the hospital being positive. His parents and two siblings were then also tested for the virus, but all returned negative results. Dutch health authorities vaccinated both parents, one sibling and a friend who were deemed to be at 'high risk' of being infected. None later developed the virus. An investigation was launched to establish where the child caught the disease, but it was inconclusive. There was no evidence that the child had been near a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox before catching the disease. The parents also said they had taken care while on holiday to use their own towels and had not had close contact with other guests, limiting the risk of transmission. Analyses revealed the strain the boy caught was the same as the one circulating in Europe's current outbreak. In the paper, the medics wrote: 'As no plausible source could be identified, this leaves us with an open question regarding transmission. 'In the current outbreak, the predominant route of transmission is related to sexual activity in the community of men who have sex with men. 'However, other indirect transmission routes have been described, such as respiratory transmission through droplets or contaminated materials such as bedding and towels. 'Therefore, it is possible that the child was in close contact with an infectious person or contaminated object that was not recognized as such.' They said it typically takes about eight-and-a-half days for someone infected with monkeypox to start showing symptoms. But suggested it was likely longer up to 21 days for the boy because the route of transmission was different. He had traveled to Turkey three weeks before symptoms began to appear. His parents said the boy had chickenpox when he was five years old. Senior Tories have fought back against the Partygate 'witch hunt' of Boris Johnson with a motion calling for the Commons inquiry to be scrapped. MPs including former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the probe by the privileges committee was 'unnecessary' after the Prime Minister's resignation and should be 'discontinued'. They have tabled a motion in Parliament. Mr Johnson's allies claim the inquiry has moved to stricter terms, which could lead to him being booted out as an MP if he is found to have misled Parliament. That applies even if he unintentionally misled the House. MPs including former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) said the probe by the privileges committee into Boris Johnson was 'unnecessary' after the Prime Minister's resignation and should be 'discontinued' 'I believe these proceedings should be discontinued. There is also a strong case for the chair Harriet Harman (pictured) to recuse herself,' said Tory MP Bill Cash. Pictured: Labour MP Harriet Harman giving a speech on the Human Rights Act at Labour Party HQ in 2015 The inquiry was sparked after the Metropolitan Police investigation into lockdown gatherings in Downing Street during Covid. Mr Johnson was fined for attending what was considered to be a birthday party in the Cabinet Room in June 2020. If the group of seven MPs on the committee finds that he was in contempt, he could be suspended from Parliament. If the punishment is more than ten days' suspension, he is open to recall, which could lead to a by-election in his west London constituency. Boris Johnson's allies claim the inquiry has moved to stricter terms, which could lead to him being booted out as an MP if he is found to have misled Parliament Tory MP David Jones (pictured) called the probe 'an affront to natural justice' But Mr Johnson's supporters say the committee had 'moved the goalposts' and labelled the probe a 'witch hunt against one of the most successful politicians of our time'. The motion from backers of the PM, laid before the Commons on Thursday, 'expresses concern with the publication of the report by the privileges committee' and 'notes the divergence from the established convention'. The inquiry is 'now unnecessary and should be rescinded', it said, imploring 'the proceedings of the privileges committee be discontinued'. Sir Bill Cash, a Conservative MP since 1984, who tabled the motion, said: 'It is really quite extraordinary and unacceptable. What they've done is inconsistent with the general law of Parliament. 'I believe these proceedings should be discontinued. There is also a strong case for the chair Harriet Harman to recuse herself.' Tory MP David Jones said: 'It is an affront to natural justice. The committee is saying that if you make an innocent mistake you can be found in contempt.' A further Tory MP said: 'I think you've got a bunch of MPs who can't stand Boris, even on the Tory side. They want to get him one way or another.' Mr Johnson has already apologised for 'unintentionally' misleading Parliament, and corrected the record to say lockdown rules were breached. But the privileges committee said they have been advised by the Clerk of the Journals, who is in charge of parliamentary procedure, that 'intention is not necessary for a contempt to be committed'. It is really quite extraordinary and unacceptable. What they've done is inconsistent with the general law of Parliament,' said Sir Bill Cash (pictured), a Conservative MP since 1984, who tabled the motion Questions have been raised over the independence of the committee as its chairman, former Blairite minister Miss Harman, has repeatedly said Mr Johnson misled the Commons. The veteran Labour MP re-posted a blog by former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell which said the PM and Rishi Sunak 'broke their own emergency laws. They lied. Repeatedly. They trashed the ministerial code.' The committee has also been criticised for the fervour of its investigation. It requested a visit to No 10 to see the site of the parties, in what one Johnson ally compared to a jury investigating a crime scene. It has also asked for email invites, No 10 entry logs, Mr Johnson's diaries and WhatsApp messages. The inquiry comes against a backdrop of growing unrest among the Tory grassroots that MPs have removed a proven vote-winner in Mr Johnson. Yesterday the number of Conservative Tory members signing a petition demanding a vote on the Prime Minister's removal reached 7,000 or 5 per cent of the total membership. A spokesperson for the Committee of Privileges said: The report from the Committee of Privileges and the Clerk of the Journals paper sets out the background on the matter of contempt compiled by the Houses most senior advisers on procedure and law, taking full account of precedent. The paper includes all relevant quotations from Erskine May, the authoritative book on parliamentary law and practice. There has been no change in the rules. The report is also in line with advice from distinguished former Appeals Court Judge Sir Ernest Ryder. Senior Tories have hammered Rishi Sunak for allowing billions of pounds to be lost in fraud and error from Covid schemes. The ex-chancellor has been forced to defend his pandemic record just as he attempts to portray himself as the careful steward of the publics finances. His critics are determined to make his handling of the crisis a key issue as Conservative members prepare to vote on whether they want Mr Sunak or Liz Truss to replace Boris Johnson. The ex-chancellor has been forced to defend his pandemic record just as he attempts to portray himself as the careful steward of the publics finances This week Mr Sunak said it was reasonable for taxes to rise because everyone knows weve spent a fortune during Covid Another 4billion was expected to be lost to fraudsters from the furlough scheme and the Eat Out To Help Out restaurant subsidy This week Mr Sunak said it was reasonable for taxes to rise because everyone knows weve spent a fortune during Covid. But leading Tories labelled his spray and pay approach to coronavirus handouts as shamefully negligent, and accused Mr Sunak of talking a good game, which is not matched by delivery. Did his video breach rules? Rishi Sunak may have breached parliamentary guidelines by filming a leadership campaign video in a meeting room on the estate. The ex-chancellor filmed a celebratory speech in the Thatcher Room after making the final two in Wednesdays ballot. Mr Sunak can be seen speaking in front of a Ready for Rishi poster in a room full of supporters. But a parliamentary handbook for members says committee and meeting rooms can be booked only for purposes connected to [their] parliamentary duties. A contravention may breach the Members Code of Conduct, which could lead to sanctions, including a suspension. Advertisement As much as a tenth of the 376billion Covid bill was squandered by the Treasury to fraud, waste or loss potentially costing each Briton 559. This included loans worth up to 17billion granted under the bounce back loan scheme which will never be repaid. Of this 3.5billion was lost to organised criminals, fraudsters and error, according to the latest estimates. Another 4billion was expected to be lost to fraudsters from the furlough scheme and the Eat Out To Help Out restaurant subsidy. The losses have led critics to question Mr Sunaks record at the Treasury. Lord Agnew, who resigned over its failure to tackle fraud, told the Daily Mail: Rishi Sunak has set out his stall as a careful steward of the nations finances but key questions remain unanswered about how the Government is tackling the appalling levels of fraud in the Covid schemes. Mr Sunak has repeatedly blocked the publication of the performance dashboard which could save the taxpayer hundreds of millions, if not billions, of pounds. He talks a good game, but on the ground the delivery doesnt match it. It is a cruel irony that at a time when we should be diverting resources to assist in the cost of living crisis, taxpayers money is being wasted on this scale. Another senior Tory said: It is shamefully negligent that no basic safeguards were put in place when these loans were made. Billions were carelessly shovelled out of the door... Efforts at retrieving the money have been lacklustre to say the least. And now were paying the highest taxes since the 1940s to fund all this. Its just staggering. A third Tory said: Clearly Rishi Sunak adopted a spray and pay policy and we could all see on the ground that there was something amiss. To a degree you can understand why in a national emergency you just want to get money out the door. But it is still true that billions of pounds have been defrauded by individuals and also by organised crime. The buck has to stop at the Treasury and Mr Sunak. After Liz does Maggie, Rishi does a Dave... We've already seen Liz Truss wearing attire reminiscent of Margaret Thatcher. And now with rolled up sleeves and an open collar it appears Rishi Sunak is attempting to draw comparisons with another Tory prime minister: David Cameron. Former chancellor Mr Sunak was pictured on the campaign trail in Sevenoaks, Kent, yesterday, striking a remarkably similar pose to Mr Cameron who regularly made a conscious effort not to dress too formally. Both politicians attended elite private schools, but Mr Sunak may want the comparisons to end there as he tries to appeal to the Tory Right. With rolled up sleeves and an open collar it appears Rishi Sunak is attempting to draw comparisons with another Tory prime minister: David Cameron Advertisement A senior Tory said: Clearly Rishi Sunak adopted a spray and pay policy and we could all see on the ground that there was something amiss. To a degree you can understand why in a national emergency you just want to get money out the door. But it is still true that billions of pounds have been defrauded by individuals and also by organised crime. The buck has to stop at the Treasury and Mr Sunak' During a TV debate last Sunday, leadership rival Kemi Badenoch claimed that Mr Sunak had ignored her concerns that support schemes were vulnerable to fraud while she was a junior minister at the Treasury Mr Sunak replied: That is absolutely not right. We have taken tackling fraud incredibly seriously and set up all the systems in place to recover money from fraudsters... At this point dozens of arrests have already happened, and billions have been recovered During a TV debate last Sunday, leadership rival Kemi Badenoch claimed that Mr Sunak had ignored her concerns that support schemes were vulnerable to fraud while she was a junior minister at the Treasury. He replied: That is absolutely not right. We have taken tackling fraud incredibly seriously and set up all the systems in place to recover money from fraudsters... At this point dozens of arrests have already happened, and billions have been recovered. Adding that he was proud of his record, he said that the new estimates for fraud on the bounce back loan scheme have been reduced by a third. The Government declined to comment. Tesla's Full Self Driving Beta has traveled 35 million miles - collecting a gigantic amount of data that will further improve its capabilities - with most of those miles having been driven in the past seven months. 'We have now deployed our FSD Beta with City Streets driving capability to over 100,000 owners - theyre very happy with the capability of the system and well continue to improve it every week,' CEO Elon Musk said during Tesla's earnings call this week. 'Weve now driven over 35 million miles with FSD Beta.' Scroll down for video Tesla revealed during its second quarter earnings call this week that Full Self Driving Beta has driven 35 million miles in total since it was launched, with most of those coming in the past seven months Tesla plans to continue expanding FSD Beta to more owners in the coming months. Pictured above, an employee drives a Tesla Model S hands-free on a highway in Amsterdam 'Thats more autonomous miles than any company were aware of, I think probably more than it might be more than any all other companies combined. So and that mileage is growing exponentially.' Alphabet's Waymo, in contrast, revealed in August 2021 that its autonomous vehicles had driven 20 million miles since 2009 - a 12 year time frame. The electric carmaker also shared figures that showed the cumulative miles were under 5 million from October 2020, when the first FSD Beta trials launched, to November 2021. In the same way that the more people use Google Search, the better it performs, as more and more drivers use FSD Beta, the software will improve exponentially. 'And we are expecting sorry, our Giga Texas (pictured above) to exceed the 1,000 vehicle per week milestone, hopefully in the next few months,' Musk said during the earnings call A blog for Canadian Tesla drivers predicts that the company might hit 100 million cumulative miles by the end of this year. The tech mogul also addressed concerns about the FSD Beta effort that were raised when Andrej Kaparthy announced he was leaving the company last week. 'Well, since Andrej was writing all the code by himself, naturally, things have come to a grinding halt,' Musk joked. 'But weve got a team of about 120 people in our software AI group that are extremely talented. And I think we will have Im highly confident we will solve full self-driving and it still seems to be this year. 'It does seem as though we are converging on solving full self-driving this year.' During the earnings call, Musk shared updates on the company's production goals, which have been challenged by Covid-related supply chain chaos. 'We reduced body welding robot count by 70 percent per unit of capacity in Austin and Berlin,' Musk explained. Pictured above is Gigafactory Texas 'We achieved an important milestone of 1,000 cars a week in June,' he said, referring to the firm's factory in Berlin, Germany. 'And we are expecting sorry, our Giga Texas to exceed the 1,000 vehicle per week milestone, hopefully in the next few months.' Tesla, which makes most of the parts for its vehicles in-house, is also turning its attention to ramping up its manufacturing process. 'Weve made a lot of advancements in manufacturing processes,' Musk said on the earnings call. 'As we now show in the shareholder deck, thanks to our the large castings, we make the worlds largest castings. 'We reduced body welding robot count by 70 percent per unit of capacity in Austin and Berlin. 'So thats, call it, roughly a body shop that is roughly 3 times smaller than would normally be the case. 'And I should say its also lighter, cheaper and has superior noise vibration harshness. So, its good on every level. 'But this journey is not over. We will bring another level of simplicity and manufacturing improvements with Cybertruck and future products that we are not quite ready to talk about now, but I think will be very exciting to unveil in the future.' They were once one of Britain's most common mammals. But pine martens became critically endangered after being trapped for their fur and shot for sport. Now they could be reintroduced to the South West of England after a 140-year absence. Conservation groups including the National Trust hope the nocturnal animals could be released as early as autumn 2024. Pine martens became critically endangered after being trapped for their fur and shot for sport but could now be reintroduced to the South West of England after a 140-year absence Conservation groups including the National Trust hope the nocturnal animals could be released as early as autumn 2024 They are working with Exmoor and Dartmoor park authorities to identify two sites. Pine martens, which are related to otters and ferrets, were limited to the Scottish Highlands and small pockets of the North and Wales by the beginning of the 20th century. But a study last year found that the South West was ripe for a reintroduction programme. Sarah Bryan, of Exmoor National Park Authority, welcomed the prospect of the 'charismatic creatures' returning. 'We're pleased to be looking at the possibility of making these charismatic creatures part of Exmoor's rich natural heritage once again,' the chief executive said. 'The next step will be to talk with local people and those with direct experience of pine martens to determine if reintroduction is right for Exmoor and, if so, how we can work together to design a successful reintroduction programme.' The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is now in discussions with residents, farmers, landowners and other land users to assess the impact of the plans on the environment and surrounding businesses. The study published last year found that the south-west of England was ripe for a reintroduction programme, despite not having the same large blocks of forest as Scotland and Wales. It found that the region's low density of major roads coupled with a network of woodlands and wooded valleys, often connected by river catchment areas, would provide enough habitat for pine martens to thrive. Pine martens are omnivores, feeding on whatever is available at the time of year including voles, rabbits, fungi, berries and small birds - helping to keep the woodland ecosystem in balance. Recent research has also found that they may boost efforts to save the native red squirrel by hunting their more abundant grey rivals. 'We're pleased to be looking at the possibility of making these charismatic creatures part of Exmoor's rich natural heritage once again,' Sarah Bryan, of Exmoor National Park Authority said. Pictured: An Exmoor pony at Wimbleball Lake in Exmoor National Park Pine martens are omnivores, feeding on whatever is available at the time of year including voles, rabbits, fungi, berries and small birds - helping to keep the woodland ecosystem in balance Ed Parr Ferris, conservation manager with the Devon Wildlife Trust, said: 'As communities rightly seek to plant more woodlands to address carbon and climate, it is vital we also bring back the wildlife and wild processes that make those woodlands alive and functioning properly. 'This can bring challenges and sometimes requires changes to how we live alongside nature, and so we want to work with all those affected over the next 18 months to understand how to do that sustainably - for pine martens, other wildlife and people.' Last week, a report by the Environment Agency set out the near catastrophic pressures faced by UK wildlife in the face of habitat loss and global warming. Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with 41 per cent of native fauna and flora species decreasing in abundance since 1970, with 15 per cent facing extinction. Astronomers have devised a new way to 'see' through the fog of the early universe so they can detect light from the very first stars and galaxies. Observing the birth of these objects has long been a goal of scientists because it will help explain how the universe evolved from the emptiness after the Big Bang to the complex cosmos we observe today, 13.8 billion years later. It is something the new James Webb Space Telescope is tasked with doing, as well as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). But while Webb looks at wavelengths in infrared, the Earth-based next-generation SKA telescope due to be completed by the end of the decade will study the early universe through radio waves. For current radio telescopes, the challenge is to detect the cosmological signal of stars through thick hydrogen clouds, which block the view because they absorb light really well. The distortion from other radio signals can also get in the way, which is considered to be one of the extreme challenges facing modern radio cosmology. For example, the distant galaxy signals astronomers are trying to detect is around 100,000 times weaker than those originating in our own galaxy. But researchers led by the University of Cambridge have now developed a new methodology, using maths, which will allow them to see through the primordial clouds and other sky noise signals. Birth of the cosmos: Astronomers have developed a new way to 'see' through the fog of the early universe so they can detect light from the very first stars and galaxies. This artist's impression depicts the emergence of stars in the early universe Their idea, which was part of the REACH experiment in South Africa (pictured), will allow scientists to observe early stars through their interaction with light-blocking hydrogen clouds WHAT IS THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM? The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of frequencies covering the spectrum of radiation. It covers wavelengths from thousands of miles to a fraction of the size of an atomic nucleus. Bands of electromagnetic waves are: Gamma radiation X-ray radiation Ultraviolet radiation Visible light Infrared radiation Microwave radiation Radio waves Of the most famous current and forthcoming telescopes, James Webb looks at the universe in the infrared, Hubble in ultraviolet or visible light and the next-generation Square Kilometre Array will study radio waves. Advertisement It will therefore allow them to avoid the detrimental effect of the distortions introduced by the radio telescope. Their idea, which was part of the REACH (Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen) experiment, will allow astronomers to observe the earliest stars through their interaction with the hydrogen clouds, in the same way we would infer a landscape by looking at shadows in the fog. The hope is that it will improve the quality and reliability of observations from radio telescopes looking at this unexplored key time in the development of the universe. The first observations from REACH are expected later this year. 'At the time when the first stars formed, the universe was mostly empty and composed mostly of hydrogen and helium,' said lead study author Dr Eloy de Lera Acedo, from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory. He added: 'Because of gravity, the elements eventually came together and the conditions were right for nuclear fusion, which is what formed the first stars. 'But they were surrounded by clouds of so-called neutral hydrogen, which absorb light really well, so it's hard to detect or observe the light behind the clouds directly.' In 2018, another research group published a result that hinted at a possible detection of this earliest light, but astronomers have been unable to repeat this leading them to believe that the original result may have been due to interference from the telescope being used. 'The original result would require new physics to explain it, due to the temperature of the hydrogen gas, which should be much cooler than our current understanding of the universe would allow,' said Dr de Lera Acedo. Pictured is an aerial view of the observing site in the REACH Karoo radio reserve, South Africa The Square Kilometre Array telescope (pictured) is set to explore the evolution of the early universe when it becomes operational later this decade. It will study this through radio waves 'Alternatively, an unexplained higher temperature of the background radiation typically assumed to be the well-known Cosmic Microwave Background could be the cause.' He added: 'If we can confirm that the signal found in that earlier experiment really was from the first stars, the implications would be huge.' In order to study this period in the universe's development, often referred to as the Cosmic Dawn, astronomers use the 21-centimetre line an electromagnetic radiation signature from hydrogen in the early universe. They look for a radio signal that measures the contrast between the radiation from the hydrogen and the radiation behind the hydrogen fog. The methodology developed by Dr de Lera Acedo and his colleagues uses Bayesian statistics to detect a cosmological signal in the presence of interference from the telescope and general noise from the sky, so that the signals can be separated. The new James Webb Space Telescope is also tasked with doing this but looks at wavelengths in infrared To do this, state-of-the-art techniques and technologies from different fields have been required. The SKA telescope's construction is currently being finalised at the Karoo radio reserve in South Africa, a location chosen for its excellent conditions for radio observations of the sky. It is far away from human-made radio frequency interference, for example television and FM radio signals. The Big Bang and very early times of the universe are well understood epochs, thanks to studies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation. But the time of formation of the first light in the cosmos is a fundamental missing piece in the puzzle of the history of the universe. The new study has been published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Asteroids lurking between Earth and the sun but hidden by our star's glare may help to shed light on the history of the solar system, a scientist believes. Astronomer Scott Sheppard, from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC, says the discoveries of near-Earth objects (NEOs) are only just beginning. This is because telescopes tend to look away from our planet so they can avoid the glare of the sun; however, new surveys peering in the other direction are revealing more NEOs including never-before-seen asteroids. Sheppard and other experts say finding and tracking these space rocks could be vital in helping improve our understanding of planet formation and the solar system's history. 'New telescopic surveys are braving the sun's glare and searching for asteroids toward the sun during twilight,' Sheppard wrote in a column in the latest Science journal. 'These surveys have found many previously undiscovered asteroids interior to Earth.' Asteroids lurking between Earth and the sun but hidden by our star's glare may help to shed light on the history of the solar system, a scientist believes (stock image) What is a 'potentially hazardous' asteroid? A potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) is an asteroid whose orbit comes nearer than 0.05AU (about 7.5 million km) to the Earth. It also is at least 100 metres (300 feet) in diameter. The International Astronomical Union claims there are around 1,500 potential hazardous asteroids. Although these are not a risk to Earth as of yet, asteroid this large have the potential to cause devastation if they were to land on our planet, especially in highly-populated areas. It is believed one hits Earth once every 200-300 years. Advertisement The discoveries include the first asteroid with an orbit interior to Venus named 'Aylo'chaxnim 2020 AV2 and the asteroid that currently has the shortest-known orbital period around the sun, which is called 2021 PH27. Modelling had predicted that these space rocks should exist but now telescopes are actually beginning to confirm their presence. Among the observatories are the Zwicky Transient Facility camera in California and the National Science Foundation's Blanco 4-metre telescope in Chile. There are more than 26,000 near-Earth asteroids, according to NASA, although only about 10,000 of them are larger than 450ft (140m) in size. They are categorised based on their position in our solar system for example, Atiras orbit interior to Earth and Vatiras interior to Venus. In 2026, the US space agency's Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope (NEO Surveyor) is due to launch to help detect more of these asteroids. It will be positioned between the Earth and sun to better spot space rocks that right now cannot be seen because of their positions in space. According to NASA-funded experts, some asteroids can 'sneak up' on us thanks to a quirk of the Earth's rotation that makes them seem like they are barely moving making them hard to detect. The scientists investigated how telescopes nearly missed a 328-ft-wide asteroid that came within 43,500 miles of Earth back in 2019. The space rock, dubbed '2019 OK', was the first object of its size to get that close to our planet since 1908 but it was only spotted 24 hours before its closest approach. The reason, the team determined, is because it was moving towards us in such a way that its motion across the night sky was counteracted by the Earth's spin. Thus to early warning systems like Pan-STARRS1 at Hawaii's Haleakala Observatory 2019 OK looked stationary, so did not set off the automated detection software. In fact, the experts said, up to half of asteroids approaching Earth from a danger zone east of 'opposition' likely undergo periods of such apparent slow motion. This means that half of these asteroids could presently also be difficult to detect and computerised telescopes will need to be updated to take account of the effect. Scientists think that most NEOs are asteroids that have been dislodged from the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, Sheppard believes there might also be stable inner reservoirs of NEOs that replace asteroids that spin out into the wider solar system, crash into a planet, or get obliterated by the sun. Asteroids are categorised based on their position in our solar system. For example, Atiras orbit interior to Earth and Vatiras interior to Venus (pictured above) Scientists know that the numbers of NEOs have been steady over the last few billion years having observed craters on planets and moons but the fact they have such unstable orbits and unpredictable movements caused by the sun suggests they are being replenished in some way. 'The movement depends on the asteroid's rotation, size, albedo, and distance from the sun,' Sheppard wrote. 'The smaller an asteroid is and the more sunlight it absorbs, the larger its movement.' The discovery of NEOs should help scientists to understand more about their movement, and how their numbers have managed to stay steady over such long periods of time. Experts believe that around 90 per cent of the so-called 'planet killer' NEOs those just over half a mile (1km) or more across have already been found. 'The last few unknown 1-km NEOs likely have orbits close to the sun or high inclinations, which keep them away from the fields of the main NEO surveys,' Sheppard added. The perspective was published in Science. People who are overly confident in their own knowledge are more likely to have anti-scientific views, a new study shows. Experts surveyed thousands of people about their views on hot scientific topics, like climate change, Covid, vaccination, homeopathy and genetically modified foods. They found that people who disagree most with the scientific consensus on these subjects know less, but they think they know more. The academics warn that overconfidence makes us less likely to change our minds about a subject, even when we're presented with overwhelming scientific evidence. Consequences of 'anti-consensus views' on these topics are 'dire', the team say, and include property destruction, malnutrition, disease, financial hardship and death. The researchers surveyed people about their views on 'anti-consensus' scientific subjects those that are generally divisive in the modern day, such as Covid and vaccinations. Pictured are anti-vaccine activists protesting in Albany, New York, June 14, 2020 The new study was led by Professor Nicholas Light, a behavioural scientist at at Portland State University's School of Business in Oregon. SUBJECTS WITH 'ANTI-CONSENSUS' VIEWS - Climate change - Nuclear power - Genetically modified foods - The Big Bang - Evolution - Vaccination - Homeopathic medicine - Covid Advertisement 'Essentially, the people who are most extreme in their opposition to the consensus are the most overconfident in their knowledge,' he explained. 'There may be a problem of overconfidence getting in the way of learning, because if people think they know a lot, they have minimal motivation to learn more.' One problem may be that people consider their own views as more important than scientific truth, either consciously or subconsciously. So to reeducate them may require some initial steps to reduce their own overconfidence. 'People with more extreme anti-scientific attitudes might first need to learn about their relative ignorance on the issues before being taught specifics of established scientific knowledge,' Professor Light said. 'The challenge then becomes finding appropriate ways to convince anti-consensus individuals that they probably aren't as knowledgeable as they think they are.' Humans are constantly striving to better understand the world, but this often requires a willingness to amend or abandon previous truths, according to the team. For example, in 1543, Polish mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus presented the theory that Earth, along with the other planets, rotates around the Sun. The theory was radical at the time because most people believed that Earth was the centre of the universe. Since then, scientific evidence on various subjects has been so consistent, overwhelming or clear that a scientific consensus has formed, but some subjects create 'anti-consensus views'. Polish mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus (depicted here) presented the theory that Earth, along with the other planets, rotates around the Sun For example, there are sizable gaps in agreement between scientists and the public on whether genetically modified foods are safe to eat, humans have evolved over time, or climate change is due to human activity. For the study, Professor Light and colleagues surveyed 5,618 people, all US citizens or students attending US universities. Respondents were asked to assess their own knowledge, and confidence in their own knowledge. As an example, participants were asked about their willingness to receive a Covid vaccination, and their knowledge of how such a vaccine would work. In general, as people's attitudes on an issue got further from scientific consensus, their assessments of their own knowledge of that issue increased, but their actual knowledge decreased, they team found. For example, the less an individual agreed with the Covid vaccine, the more they thought they knew about it, but their factual knowledge was more likely to be lower. Overall, the team found people who are most extreme in their opposition to the consensus are the most overconfident in their knowledge when it comes to five of the eight subjects. 'Our findings suggest that this pattern is fairly general,' said Professor Light. 'However, we did not find them for climate change, evolution, or the big bang theory.' As people's subjective knowledge (assessments of their own knowledge) increases, so does their opposition to the scientific consensus, researchers found. Here are four of the eight issues. These four issues all demonstrated the link between opposition to the consensus and being overconfident in their knowledge The degree to which attitudes on an issue are tied up with political or religious identities could affect whether the pattern exists. 'For climate change, for example, attitudes in line with science tend to be held by liberals, whereas for an issue like genetically modified foods, liberals and conservatives tend to be fairly split in their support or opposition,' Professor Light said. 'It could be that when we know our in-groups feel strongly about an issue, we don't think much about our knowledge of the issue.' In their paper, published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers warn of the 'dire' consequences 'anti-consensus views' could potentially have. For example, death and disease could occur from refusing to get a vaccine or having a reliance on homeopathic remedies, while refusing genetically modified (GM) foods could lead to malnutrition. Since the first widespread commercialisation of GM food in the 1990s, there has been no evidence of ill effects linked to the consumption of any approved GM crop, the Royal Society points out. Anyone who regularly travels on London's Tube network in the summer will no doubt have spent some time baking on the Bakerloo line, or perspiring on the Piccadilly. But passengers travelling on the so-called 'deep' Tube network could soon be treated to a breath of fresh air while they are waiting on platforms. Transport for London (TfL) has started trialling a new 'state-of-the-art' cooling panel on a disused platform at Holborn station, to test its suitability for reducing temperatures on the Bakerloo, Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines. The panel works by circulating cold water around pipework within a curved metal structure to chill it. This structure then cools the air around it, which is blown out through gaps in the panel's structure using an industrial-sized fan. TfL claims the cooling panel could provide cooler air to passengers waiting on platforms, as well as mitigating potential temperature increases associated with running an increased number of trains on the Piccadilly line, as part of the line's future capacity upgrade. In recent tests on a prototype cooling panel in a lab environment, an air temperature reduction of 10 to 15C (18 to 27F) in the vicinity of the panel was achieved. TfL is now keen to see if this can be replicated on the disused platform at Holborn, which mimics the live environment that these panels would operate in. The trial comes as the UK experienced its hottest day on record earlier this week, with temperatures hitting 40.2C (104.4F) at London Heathrow Airport on Tuesday. The panel works by circulating cold water around pipework within a curved metal structure to chill it. This structure then cools the air around it, which is blown out through gaps in the panel's structure using an industrial-sized fan. TfL has started trialling the cooling panel on a disused platform at Holborn station, to test its suitability for reducing temperatures on the Bakerloo, Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines How is the cooling panel different from conventional air conditioning? Due to the restraints of the deep tube platforms, conventional air conditioning would not be effective. This is because conventional air conditioning works by removing the heat from an environment and releasing it outside. Due to the depth of the platforms, there is no way to release this heat, other than onto neighbouring platforms of tunnels. To avoid this heat causing problems elsewhere on the network, instead of taking excess heat from the platforms, cooled water is used to pump cold water through the panels. Station air is then blown through these panels and is cooled by the water temperature. Advertisement 'This innovative trial is taking place as we are experiencing record high temperatures,' said Paul Judge, TfL's Project Director for the Piccadilly Line Upgrade. 'This new technology could play an important role in ensuring we are doing everything we can to protect TfL's network against future temperature increases, helping to keep staff and customers safe and comfortable.' In the past it has been challenging to lower temperatures on the deep Tube lines, as traditional cooling systems have proved prohibitively expensive and difficult to install within the 120-year-old tunnels and stations. The aim of the new cooling panels is to significantly out-perform the existing Platform Air Handling Units, which are currently installed at some stations on the deep Tube network. Initial results show that the new cooling panels are much better equipped to operate in the unique conditions of the deep Tube environment, according to TfL. If the trial on the disused platform at Holborn is successful, the next step would be for TfL to test the panel at Knightsbridge station, which is open to customers. The panels could then potentially be introduced at four additional stations on the Piccadilly line Green Park, Holborn, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. The Piccadilly line was chosen for this trial as when new, air-conditioned trains with walk-through carriages are introduced to the line from 2025, the current fleet will be gradually withdrawn from service and the frequency of trains in peak hours will rise from 24 to 27 trains per hour from mid-2027. This is one train every 135 seconds at the busiest times, and represents a 23 per cent increase in peak service capacity. TfL hopes to eventually re-signal the entire line, meaning it could increase train frequencies on the Piccadilly line to 33 and then 36 trains per hour. It is at this point that additional cooling at five Piccadilly line stations would be necessary, according to TfL's modelling. 'The cooling panel project is supporting the Piccadilly Line Upgrade, which will see new state-of-the-art trains with more space, air-conditioning, walk-through carriages and improved accessibility running at greater frequencies on the line,' said Mr Judge. 'By seeking innovative solutions to cool platforms on the deep Tube network, we will be able to support future Piccadilly line train frequency increases with the possibility that the technology could be used on other Underground lines.' In recent tests on a prototype cooling panel in a lab environment, an air temperature reduction of 10 to 15C (18 to 27F) in the vicinity of the panel was achieved. TfL is now keen to see if this can be replicated on the disused platform at Holborn, which mimics the live environment that these panels would operate in. What cooling is there currently on the Tube? There are currently 192 air-conditioned Tube trains covering 40 per cent of the Underground network and there are enhanced tunnel ventilation systems on both the Victoria and Jubilee lines. All London Overground and Elizabeth line trains are air-conditioned. On older parts of the Tube network which have fewer ventilation shafts, TfL has introduced a range of station cooling systems including industrial-sized fans and chiller units to pump in cold air. Advertisement TfL emphasised that these plans are all dependent on it securing long-term funding from the Government. The trial is part of the Government's TIES Living Lab programme, a collaboration of 25 partners focusing on 10 infrastructure, data research and digital demonstrator projects, of which the cooling panels are one. The cooling panel project, which has been designed by TfL and developed by SRC Infrastructure, was 70 per cent funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK. However, progressing the trial at other locations is ultimately subject to TfL having sufficient long-term capital funding available. Officials have until 28 July to hash out a new funding agreement with the Department for Transport, following a second short-term extension to the existing bailout earlier this month. If no further investment is provided, only projects already underway or those required to be compliant with safety and other statutory regulations will continue meaning no new investment by TfL at all in the transport network. This would mean that while the new Piccadilly line trains, which are currently on order, will be honoured, any new order for Bakerloo and Central line trains to replace the ageing fleet would be delayed by a further 10 years until at least 2040. There are currently 192 air-conditioned Tube trains covering 40 per cent of the Underground network and there are enhanced tunnel ventilation systems on both the Victoria and Jubilee lines. All London Overground and Elizabeth line trains are air-conditioned. On older parts of the Tube network which have fewer ventilation shafts, TfL has introduced a range of station cooling systems including industrial-sized fans and chiller units to pump in cold air. It may have been Britain's hottest day in history this week, but researchers warn such 40C temperatures won't be out of the ordinary within the next three decades. A new study suggests that extreme heatwaves will increase by more than 30 per cent over the coming years, after being fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities. Tuesday was the hottest day ever recorded in the UK, with the mercury surpassing 40.3C (104F). But it serves as an early preview of what climate forecasters believe will be typical summer weather by 2050. A new study, which analysed atmospheric circulation patterns and greenhouse gases, looked at data from just over a year ago when nearly 1,500 people died as average temperatures in the US and Canada more than doubled. Warning: A new study suggests extreme heatwaves will increase by more than 30 per cent in the next three decades. The shading in the image above represents surface air temperature anomalies, while the green vector denotes the jetstream. Two blue vectors show a heatwave that hit the US last year was linked to anomalous circulations in the North Pacific and the Arctic BILLIONS MORE WILL NEED ACCESS TO AIR CONDITIONING AS EXTREME HEAT RISES As extreme heatwaves ravage the US, Europe and Africa, killing thousands, scientists warn that the worst is still to come. With countries continuing to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, experts warn that this summer's sweltering temperatures may seem mild in 30 years. Air conditioning, a technology many take for granted in the world's wealthiest nations, is a life-saving tool during extreme heatwaves. However, only about 8 per cent of the 2.8 billion people living in the hottest and often poorest parts of the world currently have it in their homes. In a recent paper, a team of researchers from the Harvard modelled the future demand for air conditioning as days with extreme heat increase globally. They found a massive gap between current air conditioning capacity and what will be needed by 2050 to save lives, especially in low-income and developing countries. The researchers estimated that, on average, at least 70 per cent of the population in several countries will require air conditioning by 2050 if the rate of emissions continues to increase, with that number even higher in equatorial countries like India and Indonesia. Even if the world meets the emissions thresholds laid out in the Paris Climate Accords which it's not on track to do an average of 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the population in many of the world's warmest countries will still require air conditioning. Advertisement Co-author Dr Chunzai Wang, of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, said: 'An extraordinary and unprecedented heatwave swept western North America in late June of 2021. 'It resulted in hundreds of deaths and a massive die off of sea creatures off the coast as well as horrific wildfires. 'In this paper, we studied the physical processes of internal variability, such as atmospheric circulation patterns, and external forcing, such as anthropogenic (manmade) greenhouse gases.' Computer simulations found that greenhouse gases are the main reason for increased temperatures, which the research team said would keep rising and lead to more frequent and extreme heatwaves in the future. Atmospheric circulation patterns, meanwhile, describe how air flows and influences surface temperatures around the planet. Both can change based on natural warming from the sun, intrinsic atmospheric processes and Earth's rotation. These configurations are responsible for daily weather, as well as long-term patterns comprising climate. Using observational data and climate models, the researchers identified three specific ocean temperature phenomena during the 2021 heatwave. They are known as the North Pacific, the Arctic-Pacific Canada, and the North America patterns. Dr Wang said: 'The North Pacific pattern and the Arctic-Pacific Canada pattern co-occurred with the development and mature phases of the heatwave, whereas the North America pattern coincided with the decaying and eastward movements of the heatwave. 'This suggests the heatwave originated from the North Pacific and the Arctic, while the North America pattern ushered the heatwave out.' The findings may also explain the UK's current heatwave, the researchers said. However, the three atmospheric circulation patterns have overlapped before without triggering an extreme heatwave. Dr Wang added: 'We found it is likely global warming associated with greenhouse gases influences these three atmospheric circulation pattern variabilities, which, in turn, led to a more extreme heatwave event. Temperatures of more than 40C hit England on Tuesday - the hottest day in Britain's history Firefighters attended a blaze on Dartford Marshes in Kent after temperatures reached 40C for the first time on record 'If appropriate measures are not taken, the occurrence probability of extreme heatwaves will increase and further impact the ecological balance, as well as sustainable social and economic development.' The 40C (104F) landmark was reached for the first time in the UK, at Heathrow airport. The previous record, of 38.7C in 2019, fell when 39.1C was recorded at Charlwood in Surrey. Then 40.2C was reported at Heathrow at 12.50pm, before 40.3 (104.5F) was registered at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Tuesday's soaring temperatures came after the hottest night on record. The highest minimum temperature in a 24-hour period was recorded in Kenley, south London, of 25.8C in the 24 hours to 10am. Transport secretary Grant Shapps admitted it would take decades to make road and rail infrastructure resilient enough to cope. Meanwhile, wildfires have swept across Europe and the US, where more than a third of the country is under heat warnings. The research has been published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. Advertisement The halls of New Yorks Sothebys auction house are roaming with dinosaurs, filled with meteorites and showcasing items that have been to the moon and back for its annual Geek Week that is auctioning off hundreds of science-themed objects. Attendees can bid on the pen Buzz Aldrin used to ignite the failed engines on the Eagle lander during the Apollo 11 mission, a raptors killing foot claw and a piece of the lunar surface that broke off during an asteroid impact. There is also a gorgeous tourbillon up for auction that was worn on the wrist of a civilian astronaut who launched into space this past April and soared around the International Space Station. This years Geek Week has four categories: Natural History; Buzz Aldrin: American Icon; Jacob & Co. Astronomia Bucherer BLUE; and Meteorites. Online bidding opened on July 20 and the live auction is set to be held on July 28. Scroll down for video Sotheby's auction house is hosting is annual Geek Week and this year's auction includes items from Buzz Aldrin's personal collection, including this pen The Natural History category contains a trove of fossilized dinosaur remains, including a stegosaurus tail spike dating back 150 million years. The tail spike measures more than 17 inches long and still shows the nutrient foramina and canals that once supported blood flow of the dinosaur. There is also a dakotaraptors killing claw that it used to slash at large herbivore dinosaurs when it roamed the Earth 66 million years ago. This dinosaur was lightly-built and sported feathers all over its body. There is a Natural History category that includes fossilized dinosaur remains. Pictured (left) is a stegosaurus tail spike that dates back 150 million years and (right) is a claw that belonged to a feathered dinosaur The claw was discovered at the Hell Creek Formation in Garfield County, Montana. Also included is a 66-million-year-old triceratops skull estimated to sell for up to $35,000 and a 50,000-year-old extinct American lion skull that could see up to $600,000 at auction, along with the skull of a saber-toothed 'tiger' that still features its long, sharp teeth. The main event of the Natural History group is a complete gorgosaurus skeleton that could fetch up to $8 million. The highest bid as of Friday is $3.5 million. The fossilized dinosaur, which is a relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex, measures 9.5 feet tall and 22 feet long. There is an entire section of Geek Week dedicated to the second man to walk on the moon. Other dinosaurs are featured at the auction, such as this massive triceratops skull that could fetch up to $35,000 Also listed in the Natural History category is a 50,000-year-old extinct American lion skull The auction is being held online for the first seven days and will finish off on July 28 in person. Pictured is the skull of a saber-toothed 'tiger' that still features its long, sharp teeth Aldrin is auctioning off his personal items from the Apollo mission. Many people may have seen news about his iconic white inflight jacket up for sale, but what may have gone unnoticed is a silver, felt tip pen. The pen has a dent in its body from Aldrin using it to replace a broken circuit breaker in order to ignite the engines of the Eagle moon lander. The engines gave out and if were not activated, Aldrin and Neil Armstrong would not have been able to get off the moon. In an act of desperation, Aldrin quickly took control of the situation and shoved the pen where the broken circuit was. The main event of the Natural History group is a complete gorgosaurus skeleton that could fetch up to $8 million. The highest bid as of Friday is $3.5 million Houston says, Hooray, we got a live circuit! Aldrin explained while speaking with his daughter Jan years after the mission had happened. The pen could be sold for up to $2 million it currently has a bid of $700,000. Also from Aldrins personal collection is the custom-made earpiece he wore during the Apollo 11 mission. The object is more than three inches long and was molded to perfectly fit inside Aldrins ear, allowing him to hear from Mission Control in Texas while he was in space. And the earpiece could fetch up to $12,000. Another interesting piece is Aldrin's Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to him by President Richard Nixon on August 13, 1969, which could see up to an estimated $30,000 bid. News of Buzz Aldrin's inflight jacket being sold made headlines earleir this week. Aldrin wore the white coverall while on his mission to the moon The pen, however, has a much more interesting story. Aldrin used it to replace a broken circuit breaker in order to ignite the engines of the Eagle moon lander Also in Aldrin's personal collection is the earpiece he wore in space. This allowed him to communicate with Mission Control in Texas while he soared to the moon Another interesting piece is Aldrin's Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to him by President Richard Nixon on August 13, 1969, which could see up to an estimated $30,000 bid Another space-themed category includes pieces from meteorites that fell from the heavens and onto our planet. One being a slice from the Allende meteorite, which came to Earth on February 8, 1969. A meteorite shower shot through the sky as a fireball and descended towards the southern Chihuahuan village of Pueblito de Allende, Mexico, while dropping pieces of itself along the way. The slice, according to scientists, contains particles that were created during the explosion of a super nova prior to the formation of our solar system making it the oldest matter to ever be held by human hands. Then there is the stunning slice of the Imilac Pallasite, complete with vibrant yellow and orange colored gems. The pallasites are a type of stony-iron meteorite. Another space-themed category includes pieces from meteorites that fell from the heavens and onto our planet. One being a slice from the Allende meteorite, which came to Earth on February 8, 1969. This meteorite contains particles that are deemed to be the oldest matter ever to be held - they formed 4.5 billion years ago Then there is the stunning slice of the Imilac Pallasite, complete with vibrant yellow and orange colored gems There is also a meteorite that took a piece of the moon with it when it hit the lunar surface and then crossed orbits with out planet Imilac was found in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile in 1822 and is believed to be 4.5 billion years old. Sothebys is estimating a bidder will pay up to $5,000 to showcase the exquisite piece in their home. And while one bidder will take home an item brought to the moon by Aldrin, another could actually own a piece of the lunar surface. A sample of a chunk of the moon ejected into an Earth-crossing orbit following an asteroid impact on the lunar surface is could sell for up to $85,000. The final category of Geek Week, Jacob & Co., Bucherer BLUE, does not include artifacts, but a single watch that is the first tourbillon to ever go to space. The Astronomia Tourbillos face has background that looks like the darkness of the final frontier glowing with thousands of stars. The final category of Geek Week, Jacob & Co., Bucherer BLUE, does not include artifacts, but a single watch that is the first tourbillon to ever go to space One of the watches hands is designed as Earth and the other is a twinkling crystal. The tourbillon launched on the wrist of Eytan Stibbe, who traveled aboard Axiom Spaces four-person, civilian mission to the International Space Station. The Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer BLUE spent 17 days one-hour and 37 minutes in space, as the space crew orbited the Earth 273 times at an altitude of 250 miles at nearly 17,500 mph, traveling over 7 million miles in total. Sothebys has not provided an estimated bid for the timepiece, but the highest bid as of Friday is $130,000. Scientists have found a great paradox in nature clean air is enhancing global warming, while pollution keeps our planet cool. A team of international researchers determined current pollution rates are 30 percent lower than in 2000, but warming from carbon dioxide emissions have increased by up to 50 percent. Pollution particles, like sulfate or nitrate, are known for reflective properties and are typically found in exhaust. The team, in a desperate move, suggests turning to aerosols once more, but by using a controversial type of geoengineering to do so. This method, called solar engineering, entails launching sulfate particles into the stratosphere that would in turn create a reflective haze around the globe, Science.org reports. The study, led by Leipzig University, brings good news for human health these particles are linked to millions of deaths each year but is grim for what the future holds for humanity. Scroll down for video While pollution has dropped by 20% since 2000, warming from carbon emissions have increased The team found that ocean heat has experienced a rise since 2000, which again they said is due to the world adopting policies that reduce the use of aerosols. Johannes Quaas, a climate scientist at Leipzig University and lead author of the study, told Science.org that the study was conducted using instruments on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, both of which collect data on Earth's atmosphere. These device also gather intelligence on the radiation coming in and coming out of Earth, allowing the study to understand the increase in infrared heat trapped by greenhouse gases. And another instrument on the satellites showed a decline in reflective light coming from Earth. Scientists used NASA's Terra and Aqua (pictured) satellites to study the atmosphere and found there is less haze because the air is cleaner. Less haze means more radiation is entering All of this data allowed the team to analyze haze in the atmosphere, which led them to determine the haze over North America, Europe and East Asia cleared dramatically from 2000 to 2019. Venkatachalam Ramaswamy, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, told Science.org that there could be only one explanation for this - the air is cleaner. 'It's very hard to find alternate reasons for this,' he said. The results sparked the idea of putting pollution particles back into the atmosphere, which in turn would reflect solar radiation back to space and ultimately limit or reverse human-causing climate change. The team, in a desperate move, suggests turning to aerosols once more, but by using the controversial geoengineering to do so. This method has been proposed by the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, which is funded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates This method has been proposed by the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, which is funded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. This initial $3 million test would use a high-altitude scientific balloon to raise around four pounds of calcium carbonate dust the size of a bag of flour into the atmosphere 12 miles above the desert of New Mexico. This would seed a tube-shaped area of sky half a mile long and 100 yards in diameter. For the ensuing 24 hours, the balloon would be steered by propellers back through this artificial cloud, its onboard sensors monitoring both the dust's sun-reflecting abilities and its effects on the thin surrounding air. SCoPEx is, however, on hold, amid fears that it could trigger a disastrous series of chain reactions, creating climate havoc in the form of serious droughts and hurricanes, and bring death to millions of people around the world. Sadio Mane has reportedly rejected claims of ill-feeling towards his ex-Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah, after beating the Egyptian to the 2022 African Player of the Year award. The Senegalese winger left Anfield to join Bayern Munich for 35million last month, ending a six-year spell at the Merseyside club. Mane was keen to quash any lingering rumours of a rivalry with Salah ahead of his new chapter in Germany, claiming that the 'media always try to aggravate things', according to reports. Sadio Mane has silenced talk of a feud with former Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah The Bayern Munich forward was awarded with the 2022 African Player of the Year on Thursday The new Bayern star spoke to Goal ahead the Confederation of African Awards on Thursday. 'People sometimes say there's a rivalry between me and [Salah], but you know I don't see myself having a rivalry with any player to be honest,' he said. 'We have good relations, we text each other. I think the media always try to [aggravate] things.' The Senegal star was furious when Salah decided not to pass to him against Burnley in 2019 Speculation of the Liverpool duo's feud ignited in August 2019, after Mane unleashed his frustration towards Salah in a fiery bust-up during a 3-0 win against Burnley. The spat was brought about when the Egyptian chose to shoot on goal rather than pass to Mane in a better position to score. Furious with the decision, the Senegal star vented towards Salah and made several angry gestures before Jurgen Klopp swiftly substituted him. Mane was swiftly substituted by Jurgen Klopp after starting an on-pitch spat with the Egyptian The winger watched on for the rest of the match as Liverpool went on to win 3-0 at Turf Moor Mane was eager to reassure fans that he has always had 'good relationships' with team-mates, ahead of his fresh stint in the Bundesliga. 'You know I don't just have [relationships] with one player, but with every player I've played with in the world,' the ex-Liverpool star said. 'You can ask whoever you want in the club, or wherever I go. I have good relationships with all players.' Lisa Wilkinson has filed her first dispatch as de facto U.S. correspondent for The Project, after fleeing to Los Angeles amid the fallout of her disastrous Logie Awards speech that delayed a high-profile rape trial. Wilkinson recorded a gushing interview with American attorney and women's rights activist Gloria Allred, who is known for representing women in high-profile sexual misconduct cases against the likes of Bill Cosby, R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein. Speaking on a porch overlooking the ocean, the like-minded feminists discussed various topics on Thursday's show, including the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and Allred's advocacy for victims during the #MeToo movement. Lisa Wilkinson has filed her first dispatch as de facto U.S. correspondent for The Project, after fleeing to LA amid the fallout of her disastrous Logies speech that delayed a high-profile trial Wilkinson couldn't hide her admiration for Allred, who famously represented Jane Roe (real name Norma McCorvey), the woman at the centre of the landmark Roe v. Wade case that legalised abortion across the United States in 1973. This decision was overruled by the Supreme Court on June 24, and individual states now have the power to set their own abortion laws, which has resulted in abortion being outlawed in many parts of the country. Allred told a rapt Wilkinson her mantra on the issue has always been: 'Abortion must be safe, it must be legal, it must be affordable, and it must be available.' Wilkinson recorded a gushing interview with American attorney and women's rights activist Gloria Allred (pictured), who is known for representing women in high-profile sexual misconduct cases against the likes of Bill Cosby, R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein Steering the conversation towards her representation of women in #MeToo cases, the lawyer said: 'I feel very blessed and very privileged to do my part to help to empower women and girls, and support them as they tell their truth, either in a court of law or in the court of public opinion, or both.' The interview was on-brand for 62-year-old Wilkinson, who has positioned herself as a high-profile advocate for women's rights. But her advocacy-tinged journalism landed her in hot water last month when she spoke of an upcoming court case while accepting an award at the Logies. Wilkinson's advocacy-tinged journalism landed her in hot water last month when she spoke of an upcoming court case while accepting an award at the Logies on June 19 (pictured) The rape trial in question, originally scheduled for June 27, was delayed until October as a result. An ACT Supreme Court judge ruled Wilkinson's speech had 'obliterated' the line between allegation and a finding of guilt. Wilkinson is expected to be called as a witness at the trial as she had interviewed the accuser on The Project before charges were laid. In the aftermath of her disastrous speech, Wilkinson was taken off the air and is not expected to return to the live panel until next month. During her absence, she will file stories for The Project from the United States, with her interview with Allred being her first official dispatch. Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson's boyfriend Dralin Carswell, 21, was reportedly arrested and accused of statutory rape in 2019, before beginning his relationship with the reality star, 16. Dralin was arrested on May 29, 2019 and originally charged with statutory rape, according to police and court documents obtained by The Sun. The alleged victim was not Alana, and the incident appears to have occurred before they began their relationship, the publication notes. Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson's boyfriend Dralin Carswell, 21, was reportedly arrested and accused of statutory rape in 2019, before beginning his relationship with the reality star, 16; Carswell pictured with Honey Boo Boo in an Instagram post shared April 2022 The alleged victim was brought into the police department by her mother, who claimed Dralin, then age 18, climbed into her daughter's window and had sex with the minor, then age 15, according to The Sun, citing the police report. The officer wrote in the report that they interviewed the minor. 'I asked the daughter if it was consensual, and she stated "Yes."' The minor also informed the officer that 'her plan with Carswell was for him to come to the house and while there they had consensual unprotected sex in her bedroom,' The Sun reports. Police were then allegedly told by Dralin that the minor 'was his girlfriend and they had talked about him coming to her house... but he did not actually go to the house,' according to the site. Dralin claimed to police that he had been at his friend's house all day and night. Alana and Dralin have now been dating for over a year and her family has approved of him despite their age difference But, when the friends Dralin claimed he was with were interviewed by police, two of them informed investigators they dropped Dralin off at the 15-year-old's home and picked him up over an hour later, reports The Sun. The friends then allegedly informed police that when they picked him back up, Dralin 'was scared and told them to drive fast' as the minor's 'mama had caught him inside the house.' Initially, Dralin was charged with statutory rape but 'ultimately completed a pretrial diversion program that resulted in the dismissal of a claim for making a false statement to law enforcement', according to The Sun. Dralin agreed to complete the terms of the program in exchange for a dismissal during a pretrial diversion hearing in June 2021, according to The Sun. While many have expressed outrage of the pair's four-year age gap, Alana and Dralin live in Georgia where the age of consent is 16; pictured in a photo posted September 2021 During the hearing, the assistance district attorney said Dralin 'was charged with statutory rape, misdemeanor grade' but 'Based on the evidence we didn't feel like we could prove the statutory rape but could prove making a false statement,' according to The Sun. The assistant district attorney also said, 'This is the first time Mr. Carswell has been in trouble. He is here today before the court representing himself. So the recommendation was a pretrial diversion in that situation. 'I've spoken to the mother of the 15-year-old and she's in agreement with the recommendation which is Mr. Carswell successfully complete this pretrial status and then his case will be dismissed. 'The conditions are $100 administrative cost. He's to consume no alcohol, controlled substances or intoxicants not prescribed by a physician. He's to complete a certified addiction evaluation and complete any recommendations. Submit to drug and alcohol screens at his expense. Perform 20 hours of community service. He's to have no contact with [the minor] and he's to attend and complete the moral recognition class program through JAG probation.' In September 2021, The Sun claimed that she was 'attached at the hip' with Carswell Dralin fulfilled all the requirements and his case was dismissed on December 13, 2021, The Sun reports. DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative of the family for comment. Alana and Dralin have now been dating for over a year and her family has approved of him despite their age difference. While many have expressed outrage of the pair's four-year age gap, Alana and Dralin live in Georgia where the age of consent is 16. In September 2021, The Sun claimed that she was 'attached at the hip' with Carswell. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carswell attended a Nashville technical school but now lives near in Georgia near Alana and her sister Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Shannon, 22, the site reported. While he was 'quiet at first' around her loved ones, a source told the outlet that Carswell is 'like one of the family now' and is 'as fun and crazy as the rest of them.' 'Dralin and Alana hang out together all the time,' the insider added of the duo, who went Facebook official in March 2021. As Alana saves up for her first car, her car fanatic beau has generously let her drive his Chevrolet Camaro, which he considers 'his baby.' In Georgia, 16 is the youngest age a person can give his or her lawful consent to sexual activities. He has been a resident of Ramsay Street for 27 years. And Neighbours star Ryan Moloney, known for playing Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi since 1995, has now revealed why he stayed on the soap opera for so long. He never quit to try and make it in Hollywood, despite seeing many of his co-stars, including Margot Robbie, go on to bigger and better things. Neighbours star Ryan Moloney (pictured), known for playing Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi since 1995, has revealed why he stayed on the soap opera for so long The 42-year-old fan favourite told TV Tonight he stayed put because he realised how lucky he was as an actor to have a steady gig like Neighbours. He also saw many cast members leave the show to pursue other opportunities, only to regret their decision later when things didn't work out. 'They always leave and then they go, "Oh, man, I wish I could come back,"' Ryan said. Ryan (right, with co-star Madeleine West) never quit to try and make it in Hollywood, despite seeing many of his co-stars, including Margot Robbie, go on to bigger and better things 'I always thought, "If this was one of your mates who had this job and they said they wanted to leave, what would you be telling them?" [You'd say,] "Why? What are you doing? Just stay! It's one of the best jobs in the world."' Some of Australia's most famous stars got their start on Neighbours, including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth and Margot Robbie. But many actors never reached the same heights after leaving Ramsay Street. The 42-year-old fan favourite told TV Tonight he stayed put because he realised how lucky he was to have a steady gig like Neighbours. He also saw many cast members leave the show to pursue other opportunities, only to regret their decision later when things didn't work out Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi became one of Neighbours' most popular and long-running characters. While he started out as a troubled teenager, Toadie eventually became a lawyer and a beloved member of the Erinsborough community. Ryan, who joined the cast at age 15, shares two children with wife Alison Hayward. Pat Benatar is taking stand against gun violence in the U.S., most notably mass shootings, by eliminating arguably her most famous song from her setlist. In a new interview with USA Today, the rocker revealed she won't be playing Hit Me With You Best Shot while on tour as a form of protest and respect to the victims and their families. 'We're not doing Hit Me With Your Best Shot and fans are having a heart attack and I'm like, I'm sorry, in deference to the victims of the families of these mass shootings, I'm not singing it,' she told the publication, adding, 'I tell them, if you want to hear the song, go home and listen to it.' Taking a stand: Pat Benatar, 69, announced she's not singing her hit song Hit Me With You Best Shot while on tour this summer as a form of protest and respect to victims of mass shootings; the rocker is seen playing live in Indiana in June 2022 Released as a single off of her second studio album, Crimes of Passion (1980), the song went on to become Benatar's first Top 10 hit in the U.S. While the lyrics talk about a man who is a heart-breaker and a potential love interest who challenges him to 'take your best shot', Benatar's protest seems to be mainly focused on the lines in the catchy chorus. 'Hit me with your best shot - Why don't you hit me with your best shot - Hit me with your best shot - Fire away,' she defiantly sings in three parts of the song. '[The title] is tongue in cheek, but you have to draw the line. I can't say those words out loud with a smile on my face, I just can't," Benatar, 69, explained. 'I'm not going to go on stage and soap box I go to my legislators but that's my small contribution to protesting. I'm not going to sing it. Tough.' Bonafide hit: Released as a single off of her second studio album, Crimes of Passion (1980), Hit Me With Your Best Shot went on to become Benatar's first Top 10 hit in the U.S. Despite it being just over six months into the calendar year of 2022, there have already been 356 mass shootings in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. Overall, 24,551 people have been killed by gun violence this year. Several of those victims were gunned down during recent mass shootings that made headlines across the country, and the world, which includes the seven killed during a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois and the 19 children and two teachers killed during the rampage at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee moved a bill banning assault weapons forward, but at this point it's unclear whether the legislation has enough support to pass a floor vote. While the lyrics talk about a man who is a heart-breaker, Benatar's protest seems to be mainly focused on the lines of the catchy chorus: 'Hit me with your best shot - Why don't you hit me with your best shot - Hit me with your best shot - Fire away': Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo are pictured playing live in London, England in October 1980 The Assault Weapons Ban of 2021, sponsored by Rhode Island Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, was advanced in a 25-18 vote, despite every Republican present voting no, as reported by The Hill. It's the first markup of the assault weapons ban since 1994. In a statement, Cicilline said the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was associated with a 25 percent drop in gun massacres and a 40 percent drop in fatalities. So far a date for a vote on the House floor has not been set. Benatar and her husband Neil Neil Giraldo are currently on tour through the rest of the summer that ends with a show in Las Vegas on September 23. Invincible, a jukebox musical reimagining of Romeo and Juliet that she and Giraldo have long had in the works, is set to premiere at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles on November 22, and runs through December 17, as reported by Playbill. Also in November, Benatar will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Beyonce revealed the tracklist for her upcoming seventh studio album Renaissance this Wednesday, just over a week ahead of its release. And one day later Apple Music put Renaissance up for pre-order - unveiling the full list of composer credits, including a dazzling array of famous names. The 40-year-old pop star has enlisted the help of such artists as Drake, Pharrell Williams, The-Dream, Skrillex - and none other than her own husband Jay-Z. Esteemed company: Beyonce's star-studded list of collaborators on Renaissance was revealed on Thursday when the composer list for the album went public the thrill of it all: Excited Beyonce fans took to sharing the composer list on Twitter after it surfaced via Apple Music Another one of the names involved is 070 Shake, who is mainly known for her work on several songs with Kanye West. At the moment it remains to be seen how many of these artists have delivered feature vocals on the tracks and how many were involved solely behind the scenes. Beyonce will drop the full album next Friday, July 29, but took the opportunity this week to tease fans with the names of all 16 songs. Break My Soul, the only single she has released from the album so far, will be the sixth song on the final tracklist. Longtime couple: One of the composers is none other than Beyonce's own husband Jay-Z, whom she is pictured with at the China-themed Met Gala in 2015 Sizzling heartthrob: Drake, who is pictured attending the London premiere of Top Boy in September 2019, is also on the composer list Side by side: So is Pharrell Williams, with whom she is pictured at the London premiere of Disney's photorealistic remake of The Lion King in 2019 Cover art: Beyonce revealed the tracklist for her upcoming seventh studio album Renaissance this Wednesday, just over a week ahead of its release In the offing: The 40-year-old will drop the full album next Friday, July 29, but took the opportunity this week to tease fans with the names of all 16 songs The album will begin with a number called I'm That Girl and then continue with Cozy, Alien Superstar, Cuff It and Energy. After Break My Soul, fans who want to listen to the album all the way through will hear the songs Church Girl and Plastic Off The Sofa. Then will come Virgo's Groove - which appears to be a nod to Beyonce herself, as she was born September 4 and so her zodiac sign is Virgo. The star sign-inspired song is followed by numbers with such fun titles as Move, Heated, Thique and All Up In Your Mind. Riding high: Beyonce took to her Instagram Story on Thursday to tease the upcoming release Interesting: She showed off the vinyl art work with latex gloves on Record scratch: The actual record is shown Two-faced: The album artwork features half-portraits of the megastar Highly-anticipated: The back of the 'act 1' vinyl record was shown Beyonce then appears to be delivering another one of her political songs, as the 14th track on the album is called America Has A Problem. After that, the jet-setting superstar will offer up what looks to be a medley of songs called Pure/Honey, before closing out the album with Summer Renaissance. Fans who swing by her website can pay just $12.98 to pre-order the CD, which comes with a 28-page photo booklet, a mini poster and a four-panel softpak. There are also a number of different box set editions of the album on Beyonce's website, but all of them are sold out at present. Remember when: Renaissance will be her first solo studio album since her smash hit Lemonade from 2016, in which she famously confronted the questions around her marriage Plugging the album: 'With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,' she dished last year She previously remarked that she hopes the album will be a rejuvenating form of escape for people after the turbulence of 2020. 'With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,' she dished last year. 'I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible,' she said in last year's September Icon issue of Harper's Bazaar. 'Ive been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies,' she noted. Wonderful: 'I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible,' said Beyonce, who is pictured at the BET Awards in 2020 'Still, theres nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!' she assured her public. She released her record's lead single this year on June 20, and then 10 days later she unveiled the evocative cover of the album. The art features Beyonce flashing the flesh and showcasing her famous curves in a skimpy silver bikini as she rides a sci-fi horse. Swank: 'Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare,' she told the September issue of Harper's Bazaar last year Her steed appears to be made of glass or some other transparent material, and filled with some kind of dazzling astral configuration. Renaissance will be the first solo studio album she has released since her smash hit Lemonade from 2016, in which she famously confronted the questions around her marriage to Jay-Z and his fidelity. Since Lemonade, she has put out a collaborative album with Jay-Z, a live album and a pair of soundtrack-related companion pieces for Disney's photorealistic remake of The Lion King, in which she voiced the love interest Nala. Beauty and the Geek star Mike has set the record straight after rumours surfaced he was only putting on a geeky persona for TV. His nerd credentials were questioned earlier this week after a photo of him looking handsome and confident at a Halloween party last year resurfaced on social media. The image led some fans to question if he really was the socially awkward 'Batman fanatic' he claimed to be on camera. Beauty and the Geek star Mike has set the record straight after rumours surfaced he was only putting on a geeky persona for TV. His nerd credentials were questioned earlier this week after this photo of him at a Halloween party last year resurfaced on social media Mike addressed the rumours on Thursday, saying he takes it as a compliment whenever someone accuses him of being an actor or 'fake geek'. '[The rumour] literally is the biggest compliment, I was so happy to hear that,' the 20-year-old told Who magazine. He went on to reveal why he looked so good in the photo, in which he posed in a Ghostbusters costume sporting a much shorter beard. 'I was sweating so much. I'm in Queensland, and I'm in that big Ghostbusters costume so the beard looks a lot shorter in the photo,' he said. 'That actually is just because I'm so drenched in sweat.' The image led some fans to question if he really was the socially awkward 'Batman fanatic' he claimed to be on Beauty and the Geek Viewers have questioned the legitimacy of some of the geeks on the new season of Beauty and the Geek, which is hosted by Sophie Monk. 'My favourite thing about Beauty and the Geek is working out which Geeks are actually actors,' one person tweeted. 'You can see that some of the Geeks are good looking just change the hair and shave the beard,' another added. Viewers have questioned the legitimacy of some of the geeks on the new season of Beauty and the Geek. (Pictured: Mike after his makeover on Wednesday's episode) 'Meh something seems off to me how they present the geeks. I'm sure they're lovely guys but it is all editing anyways,' a third commented. 'Is this Beauty and the Geek or guys I would lust after on Smith Street?' another wrote, alongside a series of photos of the 'geeks' from the show. One person wrote: 'It's fun enjoying the wholesomeness of BATG until you remember it's the same network that produces MAFS.' During the show's premiere, 25-year-old 'geek' Michael displayed longer hair and a long beard - but in photos taken last year, he had a shorter haircut and stubble. During the show's premiere, 25-year-old 'geek' Michael displayed longer hair and a long beard (left) - but in photos taken last year, he had a shorter haircut and stubble (right) Alexander, 27, also looked different in photos shared on Instagram just months before the show's premiere. The 'bookworm' has a fuller beard and longer hair on the program, compared to his well-groomed look from May. Beauty and the Geek continues Sunday at 8:00pm on Channel Nine Alexander, 27, also looked different in photos months before the premiere. He had a fuller beard and longer hair on the show (left), compared to his well-groomed look from May (right) She welcomed her second child just three weeks ago. And Jessica Shears looked sensational as she donned a stylish black satin crop top and jeans at Faye Winter's X New Look launch party in London on Thursday. The former Love Island star, 29, who is also mother to son Presley, two, welcomed her second son with husband Dom Lever, 31, last month. Wow: Jessica Shears looked sensational as she donned a stylish black satin crop top and jeans at Faye Winter's X New Look launch party in London on Thursday The beauty upped her glamour by elevating her frame in a pair of black pointed toe heels. She styled her brunette tresses poker straight as they cascaded past her shoulders from an off centre parting. Jessica beamed donning a radiant palette of makeup as she posed alongside TV star Vicky Pattison. Dazzling: Love Island star Liberty Poole was also in attendance and sizzled in a turquoise co-ord as she strutted her stuff to her former co-star's party Former Geordie Shore star Vicky cut a stylish figure in a blue floral crop top which she teamed with dark blue jeans. The reality star opted for a pair of maroon platform heels and tucked her dark locks behind her ears out of her face. Love Island star Liberty Poole sizzled in a turquoise co-ord as she strutted her stuff to her former co-star's party. Stunning: The beauty upped her glamour by elevating her frame in a pair of black pointed toe heels alongside reality star Vicky Pattison (left) Glam: She styled her brunette tresses poker straight as they cascaded past her shoulders from an off centre parting Sweet: The former Love Island star, 29, who is also mother to son Presley, two, welcomed her second son with husband Dom Lever, 31, last month The Dancing On Ice star, 22, posed up a storm in the shimmering halter neck crop top and matching mini skirt which she flashed her toned legs through a large side split. Liberty tuned up the heat wearing a pair of silver dazzling heels and carried her belongings in a matching shoulder bag. The blonde beauty styled her long tresses straight from a centre parting and opted for a glamorous palette of makeup including a pink lipstick and fluttering lashes. Sensational: Dancing On Ice star Liberty, 22, posed up a storm in the shimmering halter neck crop top and matching mini skirt which she flashed her toned legs through a large side split Amazing: Former Geordie Shore star Vicky cut a stylish figure in a blue flowery crop top which she teamed with dark blue jeans High spirits: The reality star opted for a pair of maroon platform heels and tucked her dark locks behind her ears out of her face Girls night: Liberty was spotted entering the lavish London restaurant with Love Islander's Sharon Gaffka and Joanne Chimonides Making an entrance: The former Love Island star headed to the event hand in hand as they beamed for cameras Fun times: Liberty and Joanne took to their social media accounts to document the glam evening She was spotted entering the lavish London restaurant with Love Island's Sharon Gaffka and Joanne Chimonides. Sharon stood out from the crowd in an eye catching yellow dress which featured a plunging neckline. She opted for a strappy pair of black heels and coordinated her handbag to her shoes. Vibrant: Sharon stood out from the crowd in an eye catching yellow dress which featured a plunging neckline Looking good: Joanne wowed as she went braless under an oversized black blazer which she teamed with a matching mini skirt She styled her dark tresses in loose waves and rocked a glam palette of makeup - a dark smoky eyeshadow, fluttering lashes and a pink lipstick. Meanwhile Joanne wowed as she went braless under an oversized black blazer which she teamed with a matching mini skirt. The reality star flashed a strappy top underneath the number and styled her blonde tresses straight as they cascaded past her shoulders. Summer vibes: Candice Brown, 37, swept her dark tresses up in a chic do as she carried a bouquet of sunflowers to the event Colourful: The winner of the seventh series of The Great British Bake Off put on an eye catching display in a colourful pair of trousers and a matching shirt which she tied at the front She elevated her slim physique in a pair of white towering heels and carried her personal belongings in a matching handbag. Candice Brown, 37, put on an eye catching display in a colourful pair of trousers and a matching shirt which she left unbottoned and tied at the front. The winner of the seventh series of The Great British Bake Off swept her dark tresses up in a chic do as she carried a bouquet of sunflowers to the event. Fashionista: The host for the evening Faye Winter looked sensational in a cream bodysuit and ripped blue denim shorts Amazing: Faye pouted for cameras and held up a peace sign as she sat down for dinner at her party Beamed: The ITV2 reality star, who has launched a new clothing collection with New Look, added a stylish cream blazer to the ensemble as she joined boyfriend Teddy Soares at the bash Loved-up: She carried her personal belongings in a coordinated handbag and styled her blonde tresses in luxurious waves Candice donned a pair of beige heels and added an extra pop of colour with her bright blue manicure. The host for the evening Faye Winter looked sensational in a cream bodysuit and ripped blue denim shorts. The ITV2 reality star, who has launched a new clothing collection with New Look, added a stylish cream blazer to the ensemble as she strutted her stuff in matching pointed toe heels. Romantic: The beauty looked more loved up than ever as she put on a romantic display with boyfriend Teddy Dapper: Teddy dressed smart in a pair of dark striped trousers which he teamed with a plain white T-shirt and black trainers Big night: Vicky showed off the lavish dining area where guests enjoyed a meal and drinks to celebrate Faye's 'stunning new edit' Hugs all around: Faye and Vicky were seen wrapping their arms around one another in excitement She carried her personal belongings in a coordinated handbag and styled her blonde tresses in luxurious waves. The beauty looked more loved up than ever as she put on a romantic display with boyfriend Teddy Soares. The couple, who met on the 2021 series of Love Island, were seen kissing and gazing into one another's eyes as they celebrated Faye's launch. Teddy dressed smart in a pair of dark striped trousers which he teamed with a plain white T-shirt and black trainers. Faye was spotted posing up a storm with several guests on Instagram before standing up at the table to make a speech. Fashionistas: Jessica and Faye pouted for selfies as they showcased their glowing makeup on Instagram Launch night: Faye (top right) was spotted posing up a storm with several guests on Instagram (pictured with Vicky top left, Candice bottom left and Sharon bottom right) He has changed his appearance over the years after undergoing several makeovers. And Jack Vidgen unveiled a shock new look on Thursday as he left a hotel in Sydney. The Australia's Got Talent star, 25, revealed his shorter, darker blond hair as headed to an event in a bright ensemble. Jack Vidgen unveiled his shock new look as he lit up a cigarette in a flaming red Camilla outfit outside hotel in Sydney Jack stood out in a flaming red floral Camilla modified womenswear outfit valued at almost $1500. It appeared Jack had some alterations done to his shirt - which seems to be a shorter version. The reality star was holding a cigarette in his hand as he met up with a friend out the front. The reality star was holding a cigarette in his hand as he met up with a friend out the front Meanwhile, Jack is lucky to be alive after suffering a drug overdose last year. The Voice star now attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and is determined to stay sober, he revealed on Carla From Bankstown's OMG Bro podcast this month. 'I have had a history with substance abuse. I think that's definitely stemming from trauma,' said Jack, who spent six weeks in a Sydney rehabilitation facility in 2020. Jack stood out in a flaming red floral Camilla womenswear outfit valued at almost $1500 Meanwhile, Jack is lucky to be alive after suffering a drug overdose last year. The Voice star now attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and is determined to stay sober, he revealed on Carla From Bankstown's OMG Bro podcast this month Jack became emotional as he recalled the moment his substance abuse spiralled out of control after a six-month period of sobriety in 2021. 'I essentially overdosed and am very lucky I didn't die,' he admitted. 'When I wrote [my 2021 single] Goodbye, it was when I decided to go sober. That was last year, and since then I was sober for about six months and then I did start drinking again.' The Voice star now attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and is determined to stay sober, he revealed on Carla From Bankstown's (right) OMG Bro podcast Jack continued: 'And then it did get a bit hectic again. I've never been an alcoholic, but it always starts there [with alcohol] for me and it doesn't end there. 'Maybe not always, but the chaos builds up.' Jack has returned to a life of sobriety since his life-threatening overdose, and now attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings regularly. 'When I wrote [my 2021 single] Goodbye, it was when I decided to go sober. This was last year, and since then I was sober for about six months and then I did start drinking again,' he said 'Just to be really real with you, I do go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings. I do things like that because I find it helps me in like a disciplinary way,' he said. 'Just to have something that I can go to and it reminds you of where things can get, and hearing people's stories and sharing where you're at. I find it really powerful.' He later spoke of his determination to leave his drug abuse in the past. 'I'm sober now. I don't know whether I'll be sober from alcohol forever, I still haven't decided that - or whether I want that. But I know for now, I just need to be sober. I want clarity in my life. I want peace,' he said. Jack became emotional as he recalled the moment his substance abuse spiralled out of control after a six-month period of sobriety in 2021 'I want to live authentically and I'm just finding at the moment being sober from alcohol and everything else is what needs to happen right now at least. Its a day-by-day thing.' Jack was admitted to a rehabilitation facility for substance abuse in August 2020. He was treated for six weeks at the South Pacific Private clinic in Curl Curl, northern Sydney, The Daily Telegraph reported at the time. 'Just to be really real with you, I do go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings. I do things like that because I find it helps me in like a disciplinary way,' he said 'Jack has lived in the public eye for literally a decade now and it hasn't always been easy,' a source said in December 2020. 'He has faced numerous setbacks but has shown a determination still to not just come through as an artist but to use his life experience as inspiration for his music.' Jack rose to fame as a baby-faced teenager on Australia's Got Talent in 2011. Jack was admitted to a Sydney rehabilitation facility for substance abuse in August 2020 After winning the show, Jack released two successful albums, even reaching No. 3 in the ARIA charts with his single Yes I Am. After parting ways with record label Sony Music Australia in 2014, he tried his luck in Los Angeles for a year before returning to Sydney. He mostly stayed out of the spotlight until appearing as a contestant on The Voice in 2019, which relaunched his career. Bangers And Cash: Restoring Classics Rating: The Supervet: Noel Fitzpatrick Rating: Round the corner from me in Bristol, 20 years ago, a graffiti by Banksy appeared overnight on a wall beside a Chinese takeaway. No one took much notice. Banksy was a local phenomenon, not a global art celebrity back then. The painting showed a child about to pop a bag of crisps behind a sniper with a rifle. One day, someone painted over it. Banksys work can sell for half a million quid. That artwork now might be worth more than the shop. Yikes. I had that same feeling when a 1965 Mini Cooper S came up on Bangers And Cash: Restoring Classics (Yesterday). To call it a decrepit wreck would be generous. That Mini was barely still a car. The shell was just a packet of rust; the interior was stuffed with decades of rotting rubbish. Part of the fun of Bangers And Cash is trying to spot the bargains, and this twist on the format raises the stakes (pictured auctioneer Derek Mathewson) But all the parts, including the engine and the dashboard instruments, were original. Apparently, thats what counts. Though most people might assume theyd have to pay to get it towed to the scrap yard, this rare but disintegrating automobile sold at auction... for 18,000. My insides turned to ice. Like so many people, my first car was a Mini a 1965 Mini 850, in fact, almost as old as me. Though it had a top speed on motorways of 55mph, I loved driving it, bombing about the Cotswolds lanes as a cub reporter. But when it started leaking carbon monoxide from the exhaust, which meant that I had to keep the windows down to avoid passing out, I sold it. I think the trade-in value was a couple of hundred pounds. A quick online search shows a mid-1960s basic Mini now fetches 28,000. If only Id possessed the foresight to bung mine under a tarpaulin in a field and leave it for 40 years. The same thought must have occurred to the Bangers And Cash production team, because the camera crew that has been filming auctions at Mathewsons in Thornton Dale, North Yorkshire, since 2018 has decided to get in on the act. They bought a couple of restoration projects including a 1990 two-litre Vauxhall Astra GTE, with the goal of doing them up and turning a profit. Part of the fun of Bangers And Cash is trying to spot the bargains, and this twist on the format raises the stakes. The Astra was a mess, with sun-bleached paint and carpets so grotty they renamed it the Vauxhall Ashtray. But auctioneer Derek Mathewson urged the team along, promising that when the car was back to factory condition, theyll be listening to Duran Duran all day long. Save a prayer for the producers. They sold the Astra at a 5,000 loss. Noel Fitzpatricks restorations were going much better as The Supervet (C4) returned Noel Fitzpatricks restorations were going much better as The Supervet (C4) returned. He was performing a double hip replacement on a young Shepadoodle, a cross between an Alsatian and a poodle. Noels shaggy curls make him look like a Vetadoodle, but his scruffiness belies his incredible dexterity as an animal surgeon. He performed a minute and precise operation on a police dog, German Shepherd Trigger, removing fragments of splintered vertebrae from its spine. The Supervet is about the owners as much as their poorly pets, and dog handler Rob was in knots of worry: Hes my best pal, he fretted, a real big softie. Trigger made a full recovery, and proved no softie on a training exercise as he tracked Noel down through woods and held him at bay, barking and snarling. But when the vet produced a rubber ring, Trigger became his playful friend again. Theres a top tip for burglars: always carry a dog toy. Michelle Gellar has been tapped to star in and executive produce Paramount+'s upcoming Teen Wolf offshoot series Wolf Pack, according to Deadline. Dressed in a black leather ensemble, the actress broke the news to fans when she crashed a panel for the streamer's upcoming Teen Wolf: The Movie at 2022 Comic-Con in San Diego on Thursday. Teen Wolf: The Movie writer/executive producer Jeff Davis and stars Tyler Posey and Tyler Hoechlin were on the stage at the time Gellar made her surprise announcement. Breaking news: Sarah Michelle Gellar, 45, surprised Comic-Con fans in San Diego on Thursday and announced she will star in the Teen Wolf offshoot series Wolf Pack Written and produced by Davis, who's also the creator of Criminal Minds, the upcoming Wolf Pack series is based on the book series by Edo Van Belkom. The supernatural drama 'centers on two teenagers, Everett and Blake (Armani Jackson and Bella Shepard), whose lives are changed forever when a wildfire awakens a terrifying supernatural creature.' Gellar, 45, will be playing arson Investigator Kristin Ramsey, 'a highly regarded arson investigator who's tasked with finding the person who started the wildfire.' But as the story unfolds there are signs that the blaze may have also led to the reawakening of a supernatural predator terrorizing Los Angeles. Room buzzing: Wolf Pack writer and producer Jeff Davis was stage when Gellar's casting was announced during the panel for Paramount+'s upcoming Teen Wolf: The Movie at 2022 Comic-Con at the at San Diego Convention Center Beaming; Gellar was all smiles after announcing the news of her casting in Wolf Pack, which also includes serving double duty as executive producer Promo mode: Actor Tyler Hoechlin was also on stage for the Teen Wolf: The Movie panel when Gellar broke the news of her role in Wolf Pack Along with Gellar, Jackson and Shepard, the cast also includes Chloe Rose Robertson as Luna and Tyler Lawrence Gray as Harlan. Gellar is popular with many within the Comic-Con contingent, due to her wildly popular role as Buffy Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The supernatural drama series had a run of seven seasons, premiering in March 1997 on The WB and concluding in May 2003 on UPN. Gellar is also known to most fans for her role in the slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), the teen romantic drama Cruel Intentions (1999), the supernatural horror film The Grudge (2004), and its sequel The Grudge II (2006), and the sitcom The Crazy Ones (2013-2014). Lady in black: The Buffy The Vampire star showed off her fab figure in a black skirt, that appeared to be leather, a matching jacket and heels Red carpet moment: Gellar also snuggled up next to Davis during the photo op for the panel Show of support: Teen Wolf: The Movie stars Tyler Posey and Tyler Hoechlin and writer/executive producer Jeff Davis were on the stage at the time Gellar made her surprise announcement about Wolf Pack; they also joined together for a few photos behind-the-scenes Gellar played up the drama surrounding her casting announcement in Wolf Pack by taking to her Instagram page and posting a photo of herself decked out in her black leather skirt and jacket combo. 'All dressed up but where should I go?!?' she joked in the caption. Her ensemble and overall look also included a white fitted top, black heels and her blonde tresses styled long and flowing past her shoulders with a part on the left. Davis and Gellar will be executive producing alongside Joe Genier and Mike Elliott of Capital Arts and Jason Ensler. Wolf Pack is scheduled to premiere later this year in the U.S. and internationally where the streaming service is available. The Iconic Series Teen Wolf is available only on Stan in Australia. Australian actor Michael Caton slammed down the phone when a producer for The Kyle and Jackie O Show tried to call him on Thursday. 'Intern Pete' Deppeler called Caton directly, after failing to reach him via a representative, to offer a right of reply after KIIS FM host Jackie 'O' Henderson said on air that day he had been rude to her ex-husband at a party two decades ago. Deppeler explained on Friday how the 79-year-old star of The Castle and Packed to the Rafters exploded at him as soon as he introduced himself. Australian actor Michael Caton slammed down the phone when a producer for The Kyle and Jackie O Show tried to call him on Thursday. (Pictured: Jackie 'O' Henderson) The producer, who did not record the conversation, recalled how he introduced himself by saying: 'Hi, Michael. It's Intern Pete from The Kyle and Jackie O Show...' Caton did not even let Deppeler finish his sentence before getting angry and yelling, 'No! Not you lot!' then hanging up. The Sullivans star was perhaps still annoyed at Deppeler after he confused him with the American actor Michael Keaton during a red carpet interview four years ago. Another gripe may have been Henderson claiming on air on Thursday that Caton had been rude to her ex 'Ugly Phil' O'Neil in the late '90s. 'Intern Pete' Deppeler called Caton (pictured in LA in 2016), after failing to reach him via a representative, to offer a right of reply after KIIS FM host Jackie 'O' Henderson said on air that day he had been rude to her ex-husband at a party two decades ago Deppeler explained on Friday how the 79-year-old star of The Castle and Packed to the Rafters exploded at him as soon as he introduced himself. (Pictured: Kyle Sandilands) The alleged run-in took place at the Australian People's Choice Awards after-party more than 20 years ago when Henderson and O'Neil were still married. 'We loved The Castle. At the after-party, Phil goes and buys a bottle of red wine and takes it over to Michael Caton,' Henderson recounted. 'He says, "Mate, I just love you and what you do, and I wanted to give you this bottle of wine." [Caton] said, "No thanks." So Phil just walked back with the bottle of wine.' 'I think he actually said worse than that, if I'm honest. A polite way of saying, "Go away."' Caton (right) was perhaps annoyed after Henderson (left) claimed on air on Thursday he had been rude to her ex 'Ugly Phil' O'Neil more than 20 years ago The alleged run-in took place at the Australian People's Choice Awards after-party in the late '90s when Henderson (left) and O'Neil (right) were still married Caton starred as Darryl Kerrigan in the Australian film The Castle, which was released in 1997 Henderson said O'Neil returned looking dejected, and told her: "Oh, wow that was embarrassing.' She then warned listeners: 'It's really hard to go up to a celebrity that you love, because you're nervous and you hope they're going to be nice to you. 'You hear horror stories they're not all lovely.' Daily Mail Australia contacted Caton's management for comment but did not receive a response. Zoey Deutch learns it's not always best to get what you wish for in the first trailer for Searchlight Pictures' Not Okay. The 27-year-old actress plays Danni Sanders, a young woman desperate to become known for something... which happens when she fakes being sent to Paris for a writer's conference... just before a deadly terror attack. Sanders then becomes an international sensation for seemingly surviving the attack - despite never having set foot in Paris - as her influencer career takes off on a lie. Trailer: Zoey Deutch learns it's not always best to get what you wish for in the first trailer for Searchlight Pictures' Not Okay Lies: Sanders then becomes an international sensation for seemingly surviving the attack - despite never having set foot in Paris - as her influencer career takes off on a lie The trailer begins with Danni talking with her boss, who says she read the article Danni sent her. 'Don't you feel it comes off a little tone-deaf? Offensive, even?' the boss asks as Danni says she thinks she doesn't, 'take me seriously as a writer.' 'That's because you're not a writer. You're a photo editor,' the boss plainly states as Danni leaves the office, saying in voice over, 'Have you ever wanted to be noticed so badly you didn't even care what it was for?' Boss: The trailer begins with Danni talking with her boss, who says she read the article Danni sent her Tone-deaf: 'Don't you feel it comes off a little tone-deaf? Offensive, even?' the boss asks as Danni says she thinks she doesn't, 'take me seriously as a writer' Writer: 'That's because you're not a writer. You're a photo editor,' the boss plainly states as Danni leaves the office, saying in voice over, 'Have you ever wanted to be noticed so badly you didn't even care what it was for?' The trailer shows shots of her Instagram account, revealing a whopping 52 followers, while she's seen meeting Colin (Dylan O'Brien) from her office... though he clearly doesn't recognize her. A man from across the street tells Colin he loves his videos, as his Instagram is revealed to have 274K followers, as he tells the fan, 'Thanks, B!' Colin asks Danni what she does, and she tells him she's a writer and she's, 'trying to develop my work by travelling,' though he's clearly not interested. Colin: The trailer shows shots of her Instagram account, revealing a whopping 52 followers, while she's seen meeting Colin (Dylan O'Brien) from her office... though he clearly doesn't recognize her Travel: Colin asks Danni what she does, and she tells him she's a writer and she's, 'trying to develop my work by travelling,' though he's clearly not interested 'I'm going to Paris for it,' she adds, which gets Colin's attention, telling her to 'get lots of pics.' She gets home to her apartment and creates a makeshift greenscreen, transporting herself to Paris through the magic of Photoshop. She even tells her mom that she's been invited to Paris and starts posting a flurry of photos, which ultimately leads to Colin finally following her, as she ends her night elated. Paris: 'I'm going to Paris for it,' she adds, which gets Colin's attention, telling her to 'get lots of pics' Magic: She gets home to her apartment and creates a makeshift greenscreen, transporting herself to Paris through the magic of Photoshop Following: She even tells her mom that she's been invited to Paris and starts posting a flurry of photos, which ultimately leads to Colin finally following her, as she ends her night elated The next morning, though, her world comes crashing down, after her phone starts blowing up and she learns there was several terrorist attacks in Paris that morning. The news reporter says that, 'dozens were left dead and many more injured, as her Instagram starts blowing up. 'Oh f**k,' she says, as she fakes her 'return' at the airport and she finds herself a star in the making, as she reunites with Colin, who says he's glad she's not dead. News: The next morning, though, her world comes crashing down, after her phone starts blowing up and she learns there was several terrorist attacks in Paris that morning Feed: The news reporter says that, 'dozens were left dead and many more injured, as her Instagram starts blowing up Airport: Oh f**k,' she says, as she fakes her 'return' at the airport and she finds herself a star in the making, as she reunites with Colin, who says he's glad she's not dead She returns to work and finds everybody clapping for her as she finds herself having fans at a club. She also goes to a recovery group full of survivors and meets Rowan (Mia Isaac), though she doesn't feel like sharing much. Rowan tells her that its okay if she's not okay and the, 'internet likes to turn victims into villains.' Clap: She returns to work and finds everybody clapping for her as she finds herself having fans at a club Mia: She also goes to a recovery group full of survivors and meets Rowan (Mia Isaac), though she doesn't feel like sharing much The trailer winds down with her boss saying they need to talk, and people on the internet seemingly catching on to her ruse. She's being called a sociopath and a fraud, as Danni looks into the camera and says, 'Be careful what you f***ing wish for,' as the trailer comes to an end. Not Okay, written and directed by Quinn Shephard, will be released only on the Hulu streaming service on July 29. Careful: She's being called a sociopath and a fraud, as Danni looks into the camera and says, 'Be careful what you f***ing wish for,' as the trailer comes to an end Kourtney Kardashian denied her son Mason, 12, is on social media and slammed an 'ultra creepy' account she accused of 'relentlessly pretending' to be him. A social media account claiming to be Mason has been making allegations about the Kardashian-Jenner family, including that Kourtney's younger half-sister Kylie Jenner is on the verge of marrying her rapper boyfriend Travis Scott. However Kourtney, 43, posted to both her Twitter and her Insta Stories this Thursday to assure her public that the account is not Mason. Mother and child: Kourtney Kardashian denied her son Mason, 12, is on social media and slammed an 'ultra creepy' account she accused of 'relentlessly pretending' to be him 'Hello everyone, hope it is a beautiful Thursday,' Kourtney wrote. 'After months and months of thinking you would all know that is NOT Mason on these fake accounts, some of you dont. So I will spell it out clearly : that is NOT Mason on these fake social media accounts talking about our family.' She added: 'To any and all "news" outlets who use that false account as a source, you know better. Stop using it for the benefit of your slow news day please and thank you. And to the person relentlessly pretending to be Mason, ultra ultra ultra creepy.' Over the course of her Insta Stories, she also posted a selfie clip with hair and makeup that left her looking nearly unrecognizable. Her exaggerated cosmetics included blood-red lipstick to punctuate her pout, and she wore her locks with schoolgirl fringe and a long ponytail. Making her side known: However Kourtney, 43, posted to both her Twitter and her Insta Stories this Thursday to assure her public that the account is not Mason Wow: Over the course of her Insta Stories, she also posted a selfie clip with hair and makeup that left her looking nearly unrecognizable When you got it: The busty bombshell was wearing a nude tube top that allowed her to flash a bit of her enviably sculpted midriff to her 191 million followers The busty bombshell was wearing a nude tube top that allowed her to flash a bit of her enviably sculpted midriff to her 191 million followers. Kourtney shares her three children - Mason, 12, Penelope, 10, and Reign, seven - with her sizzling ex-fiance Scott Disick. Scott and Kourtney were first introduced in 2006 at the Mexican home of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis and embarked on an on-off romance until 2015. Since then Kourtney has married the heavily tattooed drummer Travis Barker and Scott has cavorted with teenage girls like Sofia Richie and Amelia Hamlin. Details: A social media account claiming to be Mason claimed Kourtney's younger half-sister Kylie Jenner (right) is on the verge of marrying her rapper boyfriend Travis Scott (left) So done: Kourtney wrote exasperatedly: 'After months and months of thinking you would all know that is NOT Mason on these fake accounts, some of you dont' Throughout their various other relationships, Scott and Kourtney have managed to remain amicable co-parents to their children. Her latest posts come two years after Kourtney revealed that she and Scott had made Mason delete his Instagram page. Mason, who was then just 10 years old, had joined the platform without his parents' permission and begun chatting with his followers on Instagram Live. However the next day Kourtney revealed during an Instagram Live that she and Scott decided he was too young for social media. Family matters: Kourtney shares her three children - Mason, 12, Penelope, 10, and Reign, seven - with her sizzling ex-fiance Scott Disick The way they were: Scott and Kourtney were first introduced in 2006 and embarked on an on-off romance until 2015, the year they are pictured at the Chateau Marmont She confirmed that Mason 'didn't ask us' to get an Instagram and shared that 'I did delete it because Scott and I just felt like he isn't - he's 10!' The Poosh founder shared that as far has her children were concerned 'I think there's an age limit for Instagram. I think it's 13.' Kourtney explained: 'I think on Instagram the thing that really worries me with kids is comments. People can be so mean.' Side by side: Since then Kourtney has married the heavily tattooed drummer Travis Barker, whom she is pictured with at this year's Met Gala Former American Pickers star Frank Fritz has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke. The 56-year-old reality star has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, it was revealed by his former American Pickers co-star Mike Wolfe. While no specifics were given about his condition, Wolfe asked fans of the History Channel series to 'keep him in your hearts and thoughts.' Hospital: Former American Pickers star Frank Fritz has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke Fritz and Wolfe had starred on American Pickers since it debuted in 2010, though fans were surprised last July when it was announced he was leaving the show. Wolfe hasn't spoken about Fritz's departure since then, though he acknowledged there has been much speculation about their friendship since then in an Instagram message on Thursday afternoon, which featured a smiling photo of Fritz. 'I have been very private in the past year in regards to Franks life and the journey hes been on,' Wolfe began. Leaving: Fritz and Wolfe had starred on American Pickers since it debuted in 2010, though fans were surprised last July when it was announced he was leaving the show 'There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Franks friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend,' he added. 'Frank has suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. Please keep him in your hearts and thoughts,' Wolfe said, before concluding with a direct message to Fritz. 'Frank I pray more than anything that you make it through this okay. I love you buddy,' Wolfe concluded. Opinion: 'There has been lots of opinions in regards to mine and Franks friendship and the show but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend,' he added American Pickers debuted on History Channel in 2010, following Wolfe, Fritz and their co-worker Danielle Colby-Cushman, who run an antique store in Iowa. Wolfe and Fritz are seen travelling the country, in search of all sorts of collectibles from collectors of all kind. It was revealed last June that Fritz was leaving the show, as a culmination of many health problems, including a back surgery and suffering from Crohn's Disease. Debut: American Pickers debuted on History Channel in 2010, following Wolfe, Fritz and their co-worker Danielle Colby-Cushman, who run an antique store in Iowa Wolfe released a statement that said Fritz, 'is like a brother to me,' adding he will, 'pray for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.' Fritz, however, painted a much different picture in an interview with The Sun. 'Mikes statement was bullshit, somebody wrote it out for him. We never were friends in grade school. I dont believe in ten years hes said five nice things to me, you know? Unless he was cutting somebody else down and we were both laughing,' Fritz said. Kim Kardashian attempted to keep a low profile in a black zip-up hoodie after visiting her longtime cosmetic dermatologist Simon Ourian at the Epione skin care clinic. Following her pampering session on Thursday, the reality star, 42, stepped out of the doctor's office looking fresh-faced under a pair of black sunglasses as she sipped an iced coffee. While walking back to her car alongside a security guard, who guided her into the passenger seat, the mother-of-four's platinum blonde bob looked bouncy and full. Self-care: Kim Kardashian attempted to keep a low profile in a black zip-up hoodie after visiting her longtime cosmetic dermatologist Simon Ourian at the Epione skin care clinic The older sister of Kylie Jenner showcased her sun-kissed glow, which she acquired from her recent trip to Far North Queensland to visit her beau Pete Davidson over the weekend. Olivia Pierson, who appeared on the reality series WAGS between 2015 to 2017, was also spotted at the skin care clinic as well as her cousin, Natalie Halcro. The duo are both friends with Kardashian, and Pierson even made an appearance on the June 9 episode of The Kardashians as they vacationed in Dominican Republic. Radiant: Following her pampering session on Thursday, the reality star, 42, stepped out of the doctor's office looking fresh-faced under a pair of black sunglasses as she sipped an iced coffee Glamorous: While walking back to her car alongside a security guard, who guided her into the passenger seat, the mother-of-four's platinum blonde bob looked bouncy and full Kardashian's latest sighting comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed that the SKIMS founder's elite security team worked around the clock to ensure she stayed under the radar after she touched down in Cairns on Saturday morning on her private jet. Sources close to Kim have revealed she 'didn't want anyone knowing she was in Australia' and went to her best efforts to ensure she wasn't photographed. 'This is the one per cent of time that she doesn't want to have to worry about getting glammed up and just wants to switch off,' they said. Pals: Olivia Pierson, who appeared on the reality series WAGS between 2015 to 2017, was also spotted at the skin care clinic as well as her cousin, Natalie Halcro The source added: 'She's just here to spend time with Pete and has no plans on leaving the hotel. It's a very low-key trip and she doesn't want to be bothered.' 'Kim is happy to say "hi" to you if you bump into her, but she definitely doesn't want to get her photograph taken on this trip.' Kim was originally set to meet Davidson at the Silky Oaks Lodge in Mossman, but is said to have relocated to the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas for extra privacy. Before checking in hotel employees were asked to sign NDAs with the production company working on Pete's new film. Blossoming romance: Kardashian's latest sighting comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed that the SKIMS founder's elite security team worked around the clock to ensure she stayed under the radar after she touched down in Cairns on Saturday morning on her private jet Resort employees were also instructed not to ask the Hollywood stars for selfies or autographs and not to post anything to their social media accounts. On the rare trips Kim did make out of Port Douglas, Kim used decoy cars to avoid detection and would enter and leave through the hotel's loading dock not accessible to resort guests. Kim was chauffeured around in a very unglamorous 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Wagon, valued at around AUD $42,990 (USD $29,650). The car, which features tinted windows, was parked nearby to Kim's private villa at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas, on Tuesday, and was splattered in mud and dirt. Davidson has been in Cairns to film the comedy Wizards! with Orlando Bloom. Sources close to Kim tell Daily Mail Australia that Kim 'didn't want anyone knowing she was in Australia' and went to her best efforts to ensure that she wasn't photographed Her security detail are even further downgraded, riding in 2020 Kia Carnival Wagons, valued at AUD $47,480 (USD $32,718). The American star 'wasn't pleased' with the car choice but happily 'settled' because of the limited amount of cars available to rent in Cairns, a source told Daily Mail Australia. She was hoping for a tinted black Mercedes Benz van but nothing was available. Should any eagle eyed paparazzo catch onto the car Kim was traveling in her security detail would drive slow through the towns narrow roads, and circle roundabouts several times to avoid people following her. Kim and Pete needed a vehicle that was able to get them over steep hills and though the jungle to Pete's film set in Cape Tribulation, Far North Queensland. Kim began dating Pete after divorcing Kanye and guest hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live in October 2021 Davidson has been in Cairns to film the comedy Wizards! with Orlando Bloom. 'It's a short visit but she's really excited to go,' a source told DailyMail.com this week. 'They've both been so busy with work commitments so this is a much needed break and they are looking forward to time together,' the insider added. The loved-up duo have been apart for four weeks, as he's been filming a new project with Orlando Bloom. RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under queens Art Simone and Maxi Shield are some of the main attractions at this year's Sexpo in Brisbane. The entertainers will take turns hosting the main stage during the exhibition, which begins at 4pm on Friday and runs until 8pm on Sunday at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre. Art, 29, told Daily Mail Australia she had 'lots of great things [planned] like the amateur strip competition, photo opportunities, and I'm performing as well.' RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under queens Art Simone and Maxi Shield (pictured) have revealed the wild antics they will be getting up to during Sexpo in Brisbane 'I'll be doing some very excellent, world-class drag performances for the audiences there as well, and just general tomfoolery,' Art explained. Meanwhile, Maxi, 48, will be doing something special for drag fans and followers, inspired by the reality star's stint on ABC's You Can't Ask That drag episode in 2018. 'It's such a fabulous show but I've transferred it to Sexpo because there are so many questions that people have of a drag queen,' Maxi said. The entertainers will take turns hosting the main stage during the exhibition, which begins at 4pm on Friday and runs until 8pm on Sunday at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre. (Pictured: Art Simone, left, with RuPaul judge Rhys Nicholson, right) 'I'm going to be hosting You Can't Ask That: All the Questions You Need to Know About a Drag Queen,' Maxi added. Maxi went on to say she expected people to be rude in the Q&A format, joking 'they let me down' because they often aren't. Neither of the reality stars revealed much about their thoughts on the new breed of queens unveiled for season two of Down Under, except to wish them the best. Art, 29, told Daily Mail Australia they had 'lots of great things [planned] like the amateur strip competition, photo opportunities, and I'm performing as well' Art said: 'It doesn't matter what I think because it depends on what happens on the day. 'We know Drag Race likes to have lots of twists and turns. I got to experience one of those very famously,' Art continued, referring to the star's comeback to the show after being told to 'sashay away' in the second week following the Snatch Game. When asked about their behind-the-scenes experiences during season one, Art said it was surreal to see RuPaul in the flesh doing every day things, like using her phone to go on Instagram, after thinking of her as a 'superstar floating around everywhere'. Maxi spoke about the struggles of filming the series in the midst of the pandemic, saying they had spent 'close to 20 days [in quarantine] before there was even cameras rolling'. Watch the new season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under on July 30 only on Stan. Meanwhile, Maxi, 48, will be doing something special for drag fans and followers, inspired by her stint on ABC's You Can't Ask That drag episode in 2018. 'I'm going to be hosting You Can't Ask That: All the Questions You Need to Know About a Drag Queen,' she said ' Taiwanese Mandopop king Jay Chou drew a huge crowd in Sydney on Wednesday when he visited Machi Machi bubble tea store. The 43-year-old looked as confident as ever in a slick unzipped yellow jacket and black shirt as he threw up the peace sign to the roaring crowd. Onlookers went wild at the prospect of seeing the Mandopop king in the flesh, with hundreds of fans pulling out their smartphones to record the encounter. Taiwanese Mandopop king Jay Chou (pictured) drew a huge crowd in Sydney on Wednesday when he visited Machi Machi bubble tea store Chou simply nodded and posed for a few photos before escaping into the excited crowd. The pop idol has endorsed Machi Machi since it was founded in 2018 and has said it is his favourite place to grab a drink. The brand was even named after his 28-year-old wife Hannah's Pomeranian dog Machi. Onlookers went wild at the prospect of seeing the Mandopop king in the flesh He is one of the biggest stars Taiwan has ever produced, even being nicknamed the 'New King of Asian Pop'. Chou is often credited with reviving the Mandarin music scene and is known for his blend of traditional Chinese instrumentation with hip hop and R&B. The Mandopop star even branched into acting by stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes to play Kato in the 2011 Green Hornet movie, a role Lee originally played on TV in the 60s. Hundreds of fans pulled out their smartphones to record the encounter He married Taiwanese-Australian actress Hannah Quinlivan, who was raised in New South Wales, in a fairytale wedding in 2015. The couple share three children together, daughters Hathaway and Jacinda and son Romeo. He will be returning to Australia for a one-off performance at the Sydney Showgrounds on March 4 next year. The acting world is in mourning on Thursday, with news that Taurean Blacque has passed away. The actor, best known for playing Detective Neal Washington in the hit NBC crime drama series Hill Street Blues, passed in Atlanta at 82. Blacque had been battling briefly with an undisclosed illness at the time of his passing, with his family announcing the news to Deadline. The actor was born Herbert Middleton Jr. on May 10, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey, honing his craft at the New Federal Theatre in New York City. R.I.P.: The acting world is in mourning on Thursday, with news that Taurean Blacque has passed away He started his career with several guest-starring roles, starting with What's Happening in 1976. He would go on to guest star in Snip, Sanford and Son, Wonderbug, The Krofft Supershow, The Tony Randall Show, Charlie's Angels, The Bob Newhart Show and Good Times. Blacque made his feature film debut in the 1978 film House Calls, which he followed up as a lawyer in the 1979 sequel Rocky II. The actor would continue to work steadily with film roles in Beyond Death's Door and The Hunter and TV roles in The Love Boat before landing the role of Detective Neal Washington in NBC's Hill Street Blues. Neal: The actor would continue to work steadily with film roles in Beyond Death's Door and The Hunter and TV roles in The Love Boat before landing the role of Detective Neal Washington in NBC's Hill Street Blues He was one of a handful of the show's stars to remain on the show for its entire seven-season run, earning an Emmy nomination in 1982 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. After Hill Street Blues went off the air, he starred in movies DeepStar Six and Oliver & Company before starring in the soap opera Generations. He played Henry Marshall in just over 100 episodes of the series, though after he wrapped on that show, he worked more sparingly throughout the 1990s. He guest-starred in True Colors, In the Heat of the Night and Dream On, and films such as Fled Emmy nominee: He was one of a handful of the show's stars to remain on the show for its entire seven-season run, earning an Emmy nomination in 1982 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Blacque moved on to play Detective Wheeler in the TV series Savannah, appearing throughout most of of the two-season run. He worked even sparingly throughout the 2000s with Nowhere Road, Step Off and his final role in a 2018 episode of Kevin (Probably) Saves the World. The longtime Atlanta resident also performed frequently at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, and he's survived by 12 children, 18 grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. Amid all praise and critical acclaim for the new Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic, Elvis, Priscilla Presley finds herself defending her ex-husband against the longstanding narrative that he was racist. Elvis Presley is depicted as being deeply moved by the civil rights movement and the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film, which stars Austin Butler in the title role. There's also a budding friendship between the Jailhouse Rock star and blues great B.B. King. In an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored this week, Priscilla tried to set the record straight by stating Elvis 'was not a racist'. In Elvis' defense: In an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored this week, Priscilla Presley tried to set the record straight by stating Elvis 'was not a racist' 'He had never been a racist,' the Naked Gun actress, 77, continued, adding, 'He had friends, black friends, friends from all over.' She went on to reveal that Love Me Tender star had an affinity for Black culture growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi. 'He loved their music, he loved their style. He loved being around Black musicians,' she explained. She also noted he had longstanding friendships with icons such as Fats Domino and Sammy Davis Jr. Her take: 'He loved their music, he loved their style. He loved being around Black musicians,' Elvis' ex-wife declared to Morgan in the interview The Elvis biopic depicts a budding friendship between the Jailhouse Rock star and blues great B.B. King; the two musicians are seen together in 1956 'He loved, loved being around Blacks and loved being around anyone, actually,' she added. 'He was not prejudiced in any way. He was not racist in any way.' Morgan also wondered whether the Heartbreak Hotel crooner would be able to 'survive this weird cancel culture that we now have to endure.' 'He wouldn't believe it. I don't believe it. I don't think any of us believe in what's going on right now. We've never been through anything like this, and it's pretty much global,' she said. 'Us as a country, it's baffling. It's truly baffling. For the first time I'm worried about my future, and my children and grandchildren as well. It's very unpredictable and Elvis would probably go to the president, like he did with Nixon, put his foot down and ask, "What's going on?"' Open minded: 'He loved, loved being around Blacks and loved being around anyone, actually,' Priscilla added. 'He was not prejudiced in any way. He was not racist in any way'; the couple are pictured on their wedding day in May 1967 In the lead up to the release of the Elvis movie on June 24, Priscilla, her daughter Lisa Marie Presley, and Elvis's granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, all gave their support for the biopic. In fact, Priscilla and Lisa Marie both revealed that they got emotional watching Butler inhabit Elvis and his many mannerisms like how he talked, walked, even his temper. As of July 20, the film has grossed $110.9 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $79.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $190.7 million. The film's take: Elvis Presley is depicted as being deeply moved by the civil rights movement and the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film, which stars Austin Butler in the title role Kath & Kim is returning for a new television special. But fans hoping for a reboot of the sitcom may be disappointed, with a new report from the Herald Sun claiming on Saturday that the special will feature just ten minutes of new footage. There will be a 'best of' countdown featuring celebrity guests, as well as unseen 'clips from the vault'. Kath & Kim is returning for a new television special. But fans hoping for a reboot of the sitcom may be disappointed, as the special will feature just ten minutes of new footage. The cast is pictured Gina Riley and Jane Turner will appear in the new footage, while other cast members, Magda Szubanski, Glenn Robbins and Peter Rowsthorn, will also appear, discussing their favourite scenes. Mason Cox, Sonia Kruger and Celia Pacquola are also set to star in the special. 'The Kath And Kim project filming in Melbourne is a clip show. There is no deep storyline, no new episode,' an alleged insider shared. Gina Riley and Jane Turner (both pictured) will appear in the new footage, while other cast members, Magda Szubanski, Glenn Robbins and Peter Rowsthorn, will also appear, discussing their favourite scenes The Daily Telegraph earlier claimed that the beloved Australian sitcom is planning a special 'celebrating the much loved characters' and 'memorable moments'. The special, which does not yet have an airdate, is a different project to the reboot of the series that was rumoured earlier this year. The show, which aired from 2002 to 2007 and starred Jane Turner and Gina Riley, will make a return next year, according to Woman's Day. 'The Kath And Kim project filming in Melbourne is a clip show. There is no deep storyline, no new episode' an alleged insider told The Herald Sun on Friday The Melbourne home that was used as the central location for the series has been visited by crew members in recent weeks, neighbours say. 'It was unimaginable neighbours could keep TV's biggest secret under wraps much longer,' a source told the magazine. The Kath & Kim special is already in pre-production and is expected to air on a streaming platform, not a free-to-air TV channel. Kath & Kim aired on the ABC from 2002 to 2005, and on Channel Seven in 2007. In addition there will 'best of' countdown featuring celebrity guests, as well as unseen 'clips from the vault' Mason Cox, Sonia Kruger (pictured) and Celia Pacquola are also set to star in the special It comes after actress Magda Szubanski, who played Sharon Strzelecki, said in May last year a reboot was off the table. 'I think it should be off the table... It holds such a special place in people's memories,' the comedian told The Kyle and Jackie O Show. 'If we did a live show, which was a 'best of' or something like that, that's different. 'But to actually try and do a whole new series, I think you can never capture that magic again.' Hayley Vernon was recently crowned Australia's Best New Porn Star at The Adult Industry Choice Awards. So it's no surprise that the former Married At First Sight bride was one of the star attractions at Brisbane Sexpo on Friday. The 34-year-old left little to the imagination as she swanned around the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in nothing more than nude lingerie and high heels. Former Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon was one of the main attractions at Brisbane Sexpo on Friday The brunette beauty styled her hair sleek and straight and wore bright red lipstick. She flaunted her curves for photographers at the event, turning around to give onlookers a glimpse of her derriere in G-string panties and suspender stockings. The stunner was positioned inside her own booth, where she signed raunchy photos of herself and promoted her popular OnlyFans account. She later linked up with fellow Married At First Sight bride Mishel Karen, who has also swapped reality TV for porn. The 34-year-old left little to the imagination as she swanned around the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in nothing more than nude lingerie and high heels The stunner was positioned inside her own booth, where she signed raunchy photos of herself and promoted her popular OnlyFans account Hayley recently revealed in a documentary by The Wash that she'd made more than $1.3million doing hardcore porn on OnlyFans in just two years. 'Can you imagine that opening my legs has got me this far?' she said. Before becoming one of the country's most successful adult entertainers, Hayley was hooked on crystal meth and had to steal food from Coles and Woolworths to survive. She flaunted her curves for photographers at the event, turning around to give onlookers a glimpse of her derriere in G-string panties and suspender stockings 'I was an ice addict for the biggest part of my adult life. The way in which my life is today, I could never, ever have imagined,' she said. 'I have to pinch myself some days - most days, actually.' Hayley won Best Newcomer at the The Adult Industry Choice Awards in May. The bombshell doesn't hold back on OnlyFans, doing everything from threesomes to X-rated scenes with other women. 'People can see me do boy-girl content, girl-girl content, male-male-male content there's pretty much nothing that I don't do,' she boasted. She has been soaking up the sun on a lavish yacht during a family getaway with her four-year-old son Santiago and her husband Jose Baston in Marbella. And Eva Longoria looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out with Santiago and Jose as she signed an honour book at the town hall on Friday. The American actress, 47, flaunted her incredible figure in a clinging white collared dress with a cinched tie waist, which she teamed with beige wedged sandals. Beauty: Eva Longoria looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out with son Santiago and husband Jose Baston as she signed an honour book at the town hall on Friday She let her outfit do all the talking as she kept her accessories simple with a gold watch, while she shielded her eyes from the sunshine with black sunglasses. Eva accentuated her natural good looks with a lashings of mascara and a slick of lipstick, while she sported gold hoop earrings. She styled her dark tresses loosely in glamorous waves as she walked through Marbella old town with her son Santiago and her husband Jose Baston. Santiago appeared to be having a great time as he was seen grinning and flashing the peace sign as he walked with his mother. Couple: She styled her dark tresses loosely in glamorous waves as she walked through Marbella old town with Jose Glam: The American actress, 47, flaunted her incredible figure in a clinging white collared dress with a cinched tie waist, which she teamed with beige wedged sandals Sweet: Eva Longoria looked effortlessly chic as she walked hand-in-hand with her four-year-old son Santiago as she signed an honour book at the town hall on Friday Looking good: She let her outfit do all the talking as she kept her accessories simple with a gold watch, while she shielded her eyes from the sunshine with black sunglasses Big fan of your work: Eva ensured she stayed cool as she took a stroll in Marbella on Friday Balmy weather: Eva shielded her eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses and fanned herself and tried on wide-brimmed sunhats during her outing Family: In December 2017, Jose and Eva confirmed they were expecting their first child and in June 2018 they welcomed their first child who they named Santiago Enrique Baston Eva's husband Jose, 54, cut a dapper figure in white trousers and a sand-coloured shirt, which he teamed with a pair of beige loafers. The Mexican businessman shielded his eyes with aviator sunglasses and styled his brunette locks in a slicked-back style. The couple appeared to be as smitten as ever as Jose walked with his arm wrapped around his wife, who he married back in 2016. During the sun-soaked outing, Eva stopped off at the town hall to sign the honour book, writing a message thanking Marbella for the 'beautiful memories'. Peace off: Santiago had a message for onlookers during his appearance with mum Eva Smart: Eva's husband Jose, 54, cut a dapper figure in white trousers and a sand-coloured shirt, which he teamed with a pair of beige loafers In good company: Eva was accompanied by friends and family during the outing on Friday Adorable: Santiago appeared to be having a great time as he was seen grinning as his mother picked him up Fun times: Eva was joined by her family as she visited the local council in Marbella So close: Mother and son were inseparable as they took in the view of Marbella's Old Town Signing a page of the book, she penned: 'Thank you for all the beautiful memories over the last 15 years! We have so much more work to do together.' The producer also wrote 'besos', meaning 'kisses' in Spanish, and left her lip print on the page. The family have been soaking up the sun during a fun-filled Marbella holiday, where they have relaxed on a lavish yacht and explored the sights. On Sunday, Eva showcased her incredible physique as she soaked up the sun on a lavish boat in the city with her family and friends. Smiles: Waving out of the window, she beamed alongside Maria Bravo and Alina Peralta Sunhat: Eva beamed a wide smile as she tried on a chic straw hat in a small shop in the town Summery: Eva kept cool by waving a polka-dot red fan in front of her face as she explored Marbella's old town All smiles: Eva looked incredibly stylish in her white ensemble as she soaked up the sun on the holiday Nailed it: Shielding from the sun, Eva looked effortlessly chic while making her way through the Mallorcan street Picture stop? She and Anna appeared to stop for a selfie as they both peered into a phone Dapper: Mexican businessman Joe shielded his eyes with aviator sunglasses and styled his brunette locks in a slicked-back style as he walked with his wife and son Cute: The sweet family walked hand-in-hand through Marbella, as Jose took the lead In a row: They kept the tight-knit appearance while making their way through, walking in a row Mummy's boy: Santiago was cradled by his doting mother as they visited Marbella's Old Town The former Desperate Housewives star sizzled in a pair of pink bikini bottoms which she teamed with a grey sweatshirt with the word 'tequila' printed on the front. She was in her element as she looked out to sea wearing a dark pair of sunglasses as the sun beamed behind her. Eva left her long brunette tresses loose as they cascaded down her back blowing in the wind. She captioned the post: 'En el mar la vida es mas sabrosa,' which in English means: 'The sea life is tastier'. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared a snap of her son Santiago, who she shares with husband Jose Baston. Adorable: Eva was joined by her friend, who lovingly picked up Santiago during the outing Signing: During the sun-soaked outing, Eva stopped off at the town hall to sign the honour book, writing a message thanking Marbella for the 'beautiful memories' Duties: The producer also wrote 'besos', meaning 'kisses' in Spanish, and left her lip print on the page alongside her message 'Thank you': Signing a page of the book, she penned: 'Thank you for all the beautiful memories over the last 15 years! We have so much more work to do together' The model also shared several videos as the group enjoyed a Spanish meal including two kinds of paella and several fish dishes as she documented their holiday. Eva wed her third husband, Televisa executive Jose in May 2016, in a ceremony attended by her close pals Victoria and David Beckham. The couple initially met on a December 2015 blind date arranged by a mutual friend in Mexico City, with Eva revealing her future husband had no idea who she was. In December 2017, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child and in June 2018 they welcomed their first child who they named Santiago Enrique Baston. Cuddles: As Eva held Santiago in her arms, the tot give cuddled into his mother Dad's turn: Jose then took a turn to hold Santiago as he took in the surroundings Stunning: It comes after Eva showcased her incredible physique as she soaked up the sun on a lavish boat in Marbella, Spain, with her family and friends on Sunday Yum! The actress also shared several videos as the group enjoyed a Spanish meal including two kinds of paella and several fish dishes Santiago is the first child for Eva, but the fifth for Jose, who was previously married to Mexican actress Natalia Esperon. When asked in a 2019 interview what the secret is to her happy marriage, Eva explained that she and her husband have respect for each other, and support each other's goals and dreams. The star said: 'When I was younger it was so much about what I needed to accomplish. 'I've accomplished so much already that I can really sit back now and enjoy the success and continue to dream bigger with a partner.' Former Married At First Sight star Mishel Karen has taken Australia's adult industry by storm over the last year. And the 51-year-old was certainly hard to miss as she strutted her stuff at Brisbane Sexpo on Friday. The glamorous grandmother confidently entered the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in fishnet stockings and a leather bondage corset. MAFS bride-turned-porn star Mishel Karen was hard to miss as she strutted her stuff at Brisbane Sexpo on Friday She cycled through a series of provocative poses against the media wall before heading to her own booth to sign autographs for fans. Mishel then turned the heat up by participating in a raunchy fashion show in front of hundreds of Sexpo attendees. The mum of two left little to the imagination in a lacy babydoll dress that revealed her incredible curves for all to see. She also donned a slinky black robe and matching high heels, with absolutely nothing on underneath. The 51-year-old donned fishnet stockings and a leather bondage corset to the event The OnlyFans gran posed on a kitchen bench top in her fishnet stockings Speaking to Daily Mail Australia from the event, Mishel revealed that she's made 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' in just over a year doing porn on OnlyFans. 'I've never been as financially stable as I am now,' she shared. 'I've never really had a lot of money and this is okay money and it just actually helps life. It just makes life easier.' Mishel cycled through a series of provocative poses against the media wall The Married At First Sight star was all smiles as she posed for photos in her booth Despite performing outrageous sex acts online, Mishel said that her family, including her two kids, are fully supportive of her lucrative career. 'My kids are really supportive,' she gushed. 'You can't really tell me what to do anyway.' She added: 'I just do what I want to do. So even if they didn't like it, they know that telling me wouldn't really matter.' Mishel looked right at home as she posed up a storm inside her booth and greeted fans The voluptuous grandmother posed confidently against the media wall at Sexpo Mishel, who welcomed her first grandchild last year, said she doesn't worry about her grandchildren growing up and seeing her porn. 'By the time my grandson grows up I hope that sex and sexuality is way more open and these sorts of things don't matter,' she explained. 'It's just part of life, so I'm not really concerned about it... I don't really think about it that much.' It comes after Mishel was trolled on social media earlier this week after she announced her Sexpo gig. Mishel then turned the heat up by participating in a raunchy fashion show in front of hundreds of Sexpo attendees The flimsy robe struggled to contain the 51-year-old's cleavage After sharing a video on Instagram of herself in red lingerie to promote the appearance, she was told to 'act her age' by some of her furious followers who had been supporting her based off of her stint on Married At First Sight. 'This is embarrassing. Act your age. You're not only a mother but a grandmother too,' commented one. 'Is this a trashy joke?' asked another, while a third wrote: 'Love the fact you feel comfortable with your body but personally don't think Sexpo does you any favours.' The outrageous reality star waved to her loyal fans in the crowd as she strutted down the runway The mum of two left little to the imagination in a lacy babydoll dress that revealed her incredible curves for all to see Mishel twirled around in the lacy lingerie, giving onlookers a glimpse of her derriere Despite the backlash, the former reality star also received a flood of positive comments supporting her move into the porn industry. 'You are looking absolutely amazing,' gushed one, while another wrote: 'OMG you are so beautiful and sexy Mishel.' She recently participated in a 12-person group sex act with both men and women for OnlyFans. Mishel was joined by fellow Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon (left) The pair shared a laugh and a giggle together as they joined forces for a photoshoot Promoting the pornographic scene on social media, the glamorous grandma teased at the time: 'I have been so so naughty.' The wild scene featured five men and seven women, including Mishel. Her double-digit group sex act isn't the first time she's pushed the envelope. Back in March, she filmed a lesbian threesome with a middle-aged woman and an amateur porn star. Despite performing outrageous sex acts online, Mishel said that her family, including her two kids, are fully supportive of her lucrative career At the time, Mishel was raking in upwards of $20,000 a month performing hardcore scenes on the subscription-based site. She also sells her used socks and panties through OnlyFans and performs bizarre custom requests for fans. Mishel shot to fame on the seventh season of Married At First Sight back in 2020. Advertisement Nicola Peltz added fuel to rumors of an Insta-feud with Victoria Beckham by pointedly posting an image of her husband Brooklyn's 'Peltz' tattoo - just 20 minutes after DailyMail.com called out speculation of a social media froideur between the model and her mother-in-law Nicola Peltz Beckham is a young woman who is fond of making passionate declarations of love. On Thursday night the 27-year-old posted a picture on her Instagram Story of her husband Brooklyn's chest focusing on the word 'Peltz', which he has inscribed in a huge cursive tattoo across it. A cherub with an arrow sits underneath. The message seems clear: this man belongs to me, and my family. Brooklyn, 23, who is the oldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, made the unusual step of taking Nicola's family name when he married; the couple have both changed their names to become Peltz Beckhams. However, this tattoo was done in February, ahead of the lovebirds' mega-wedding, which took place in April at the Peltz family's Palm Beach mansion, and two months before Brooklyn officially became a Peltz Beckham. 'I'm so happy you're a Peltz @brooklynbeckham,' Nicola wrote while sharing the original image of the inking. She shared the picture again just 20 minutes after DailyMail.com published a story asking why she so seldom likes any posts made by her Beckham in-laws. Needless to say, the timing of the model's latest post showcasing the tattoo appears particularly pointed. Could it be a not very subtle hint about a family rift? Certainly, it will only stoke talk of an Insta-feud. As first reported here on Thursday evening, she almost never likes posts from Victoria, and Victoria barely likes posts from her. Speculation about chilling relations between Nicola, 27, and Victoria (pictured right together in July 2020), 48, emerged after it was revealed that Posh Spice has failed to 'like' any of the model's Instagram posts for almost two months - including images of Brooklyn and his wife (pictured left together) on their honeymoon The fashion world is now rife with speculation of a perceived Instagram froideur between the two women It can be revealed that it is nearly two months since Posh last liked one of Nicola's posts on May 26 - and she hasn't liked any of the images that the younger woman has shared from her honeymoon with Brooklyn. Nicola meanwhile hasn't liked Posh posts about her 29th Vogue magazine cover, about her wedding anniversary with David, or even about Harper's 11th birthday. She also didn't like a post wishing David a happy Father's Day despite the fact that the post featured her husband Brooklyn. The model did however like one recent post shared by fashion designer Victoria five days ago, which featured a series of photos of the Beckhams' youngest child, daughter Harper, posing in front of a mirror. Still, the chilling Instagram relationship between Nicola and Victoria is in marked contrast to the once-loving online connection that used to exist between them, which was gushing to say the least. Last summer, in the three months between the start of June and the end of August, Victoria liked 20 of Nicola's posts, exclaiming on August 29: 'Kisses! We love you!' In that same period, Nicola liked 25 of Victoria's posts everything from her prospective mother-in-law's fashion collection being featured in Vogue Korea to her eye pencils. Victoria hasn't liked any of Nicola's Instagram posts since May 26, when she offered her online approval of a Dior campaign posted by the model (pictured) However Posh has failed to like several milestone posts, including images of Brooklyn and Nicola's honeymoon However, since Nicola and Brooklyn tied the knot, a chill appears to have set in as far as the two women's social media interactions. In fact, in the three months since the couple said 'I do' in a lavish ceremony, which was attended by the entire Beckham family, Nicola has liked only five posts out of 131 put up on Instagram by Victoria. And in that same period, Victoria has liked only six out of 35 posted by Nicola. Questions have been asked about the Beckhams' apparent exclusion from the honeymoon, too. It turns out the Nicola and Brooklyn were on honeymoon with the Peltz family, comprising father Nelson, mother Claudia and at least one of her brothers, on a yacht off the coast of Italy. At the same time the Beckhams were on a smaller yacht in a party which included sons Cruz and Romeo and daughter Harper. I'm told that although both parties were aboard yachts off the coast of Italy at the same time, they didn't meet because they weren't in the same place at once. Nicola has also failed to interact with several major posts shared by Victoria - including this image that the designer uploaded in celebration of her 25th wedding anniversary with David Nor did the model like Posh's posts shared in honor of Harper's 11th birthday (left) or her 29th Vogue cover (right) However Posh and Becks did see Brooklyn and Nicola for a dinner in Venice during the Beckhams' anniversary getaway earlier this month, so relations must be friendly enough in real life. All of which begs the question of what on earth is going on online and why. Perhaps Brooklyn is just taking his cue from the advice he was given by Nicola's 'man of honor', her brother Brad Peltz, at the wedding. 'Rule number one: Happy wife, happy life,' he said. 'Rule number two: Don't f*** up rule number one.' However this is not the first time that there have been rumors of a rift between Nicola and another member of the extended Beckham clan; prior to the speculation over her cooling relations with Victoria, reports surfaced suggesting that there was tension between the model and Mia Regan, the ex-girlfriend of the Beckhams' youngest son, Romeo. It was claimed Victoria was planning to hold a clear-the-air girls' lunch between her son Brooklyns new wife and Romeos then-model girlfriend, whom he split from earlier this month. Louis Tomlinson is currently in Australia to perform as part of his world tour, which was delayed for two years due to Covid. On Friday night, the former One Direction star rocked the stage at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. The 30-year-old kept things cool, donning a yellow T-shirt with a graphic print across the front. Louis Tomlinson (pictured) is currently in Australia to perform as part of his world tour, which was delayed for two years due to Covid He paired the top with black skinny jeans and Adidas sneakers, cutting a casually chic figure. Louis put in an energetic performance as he rocked through his biggest hits as a solo artist. The pop star first announced delays to the tour in 2020 before announcing new 2022 dates after his rescheduled 2021 tour wasn't able to go ahead. On Friday night, the former One Direction star rocked the stage at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion The 30-year-old kept things cool, donning a yellow T-shirt with a graphic print across the front He paired the top with black skinny jeans and Adidas sneakers, cutting a casually chic figure He wrote on Instagram when announcing his new tour dates in May last year: 'I can't wait to see you all soon, it's going to be special.' Louis has five dates in Australia, performing in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth this month. It comes after Louis took a swipe at The Project hosts Peter Helliar and Carrie Bickmore when they referred to Liam Payne's recent interview about his time in One Direction during an appearance on the show on Wednesday. Louis put in an energetic performance as he rocked through his biggest hits as a solo artist The pop star first announced delays to the tour in 2020 before announcing new 2022 dates after his rescheduled 2021 tour wasn't able to go ahead He wrote on Instagram when announcing his new tour dates in May last year: 'I can't wait to see you all soon, it's going to be special' Louis has five dates in Australia, performing in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth this month Liam hit the headlines when he appeared on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast last month when he discussed his strained relationships within the group and other infamous moments. During Louis' appearance on Channel 10's The Project this week, Peter asked Louis if there was any 'beef' with the other boys, prompting the star to accuse the hosts of trying to stir things up. Peter asked: 'There's been a bit of 1D beef recently thanks to Liam who's been speaking out about the band a little bit. When you look back on your experience about the band, how do you feel about your experience of those days?' Louis is known for his solo hits such as Just Hold On and Back to You His recent album, Walls, was released in 2020 A suspicious Louis replied: 'Oh, so the fishing's begun already! Yeah, I see what you're doing. No, listen, I'm immensely proud, as I know Liam is, I'm immensely proud of those days, obviously. 'It was an incredible thing to do, especially at such a young age and I have amazing memories, amazing memories.' Pushing Louis further, Carrie asked if he ever gets fed up that he's still linked to One Direction despite their split in 2016. It comes after Louis took a swipe at The Project hosts Peter Helliar and Carrie Bickmore when they referred to Liam Payne's recent interview about his time in One Direction during an appearance on the show on Wednesday. Pictured on The Project Liam (pictured) hit the headlines when he appeared on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast last month when he discussed his strained relationships within the group She asked: 'Louis, when you say, "Aw, the fishing's begun," I imagine it is so annoying having to answer retrospective questions like that. Do you want to talk about that time in your life to the media versus how much you never have to want to talk about it again?' Louis responded: 'I'm more than happy to talk about it in every interview. It's something I'm immensely proud of, as I'd already said, it's just when you mentioned the beef before, it sounded like you were getting ready to stir some s**t up, that's all I'm saying.' Peter chimed in: 'No, I'm not a s**t stirrer Louis, do I look like a s**t stirrer?' The Dog House Australia has become a surprise hit for Channel 10. The heartwarming show, narrated by Dr Chris Brown, sees rescue dogs placed in their 'forever homes'. The series won primetime ratings on Thursday, pulling in an impressive 433,000 metro viewers, reports TV Blackbox. The Dog House Australia has become a surprise hit for Channel Ten. The heartwarming show sees rescue dogs placed in their 'forever homes'. Pictured is host Dr Chris Brown It also won the key demographic of audiences aged 16-39. Over the seven day totals, the show rose 11 percent this week to a comfortable 570,000 metro viewers. It comes as the series searches for new cast members for its 2023 season, with casting now open. The series won primetime ratings on Thursday, pulling in an impressive 433,000 metro viewers, reports TV Blackbox. Over the seven day totals, it rose 11 percent this week to a comfortable 570,000 metro viewers The show is described by 10 as a 'heart-warming television series that sees wonderful rescue dogs placed in a new 'fur-ever home'. The Dog House Australia, which works with the Animal Welfare League NSW, is now seeking families and animal lovers who are looking to adopt a rescue dog. Applications are open via a special website and are open to people of all backgrounds. The show is described by Ten as a 'heart-warming television series that sees wonderful rescue dogs placed in a new 'fur-ever home'. Pictured is a star of the show The program is based on the popular UK show The Dog House, which also offers an insight into how homeless dogs are matched with the perfect new owner. 'If the last 12 months have taught us anything, it's that the pure joy, companionship and Zoom call cameos a furry family member can bring us is priceless,' Dr Chris Brown said in a statement published by TV Blackbox. 'So I can't wait to help bring the stories of brave rescue doggos as they embark on the most important journey of their lives; into their forever homes. Prepare to let your love for these dogs off the leash.' She was one of the biggest movie stars in the 1950s thanks to her role as the blonde bombshell opposite James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's classic film Vertigo. And now Kim Novak has talked about how she has turned to painting to cope with grief. The 89-year-old actress is still mourning the loss of her husband of 44 years, Robert Malloy, in 2020 but Kim feels closer to her late spouse when she is painting. Blonde bombshell: She was one of the biggest movie stars in the 1950s thanks to her role as the blonde bombshell opposite James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's classic Vertigo Hard to cope: And now Kim Novak has talked about how she has turned to painting to cope with grief; seen here circa 1970 with Malloy Kim married her second husband Malloy, an equine veterinarian whom she referred to as her 'soul mate', in 1976, and the pair remained together until his death last November. She told Closer Weekly US: 'I find my art is very prolific since my husband passed. I have a sense of him looking over my shoulder and watching me with that little smile on his face. 'Painting a picture of him felt like we could still communicate in a warm and intimate way. It made me feel less lonely. 'You have to be patient. Don't be afraid to let those emotions out and then let go.' While dealing with her grief has been difficult, Kim also admitted the practicalities of being a widow, such as being solely responsible for her business affairs, have also been an adjustment. Longtime love: Kim married her second husband Malloy, an equine veterinarian, in 1976, and the pair remained together until his death last November Sad loss: Seen with her husband Robert Malloy in 2013 The artist: Novak poses with her painting at a photo call during the Febiofest Prague International Film Festival in 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic She said: 'I learned how little I knew and did not fully appreciate just how hard my husband had to work. I never had to deal with business before, but now I have to do it all. Sometimes it's hard to keep from feeling sorry for myself.' But the Vertigo actress is grateful for the time she had with her second husband Robert. She said: 'I had been married once before [to her Moll Flanders co-star Richard Johnson] but it just didn't suit me being married to an actor. 'My love of animals and Bob's love of animals that bonded us. Bob also had a wonderful sense of humour.' Two years ago she talked Hollywood with People as she plugged her book Kim Novak: Her Art and Life. 'I had to leave to survive,' she told the outlet. 'I lost a sense of who I truly was and what I stood for. 'I fought all the time back in Hollywood to keep my identity so you do whatever you have to do to hold on to who you are and what you stand for,' Kim also said. She did not enjoy being the sex kitten: Seen in the 1964 film Of Human Bondage And fight she did, in a time when it was even more difficult for a woman to be heard in Hollywood than it is today. One of the actress-turned-painter's first points of contention at the time was her name. 'I was both dazzled and disturbed to see me being packaged as a Hollywood sex symbol,' Novak writes in the introduction to her new book. 'However, I did win my fight over identity. I wouldn't allow [then-Columbia Pictures chief] Harry Cohn to take my bohemian roots away by denying me my family name. Novak. I stood my ground and won my first major battle,' the star, born Marilyn Pauline Novak, continued. Novak burst onto the scene in Hollywood in the early '50s, in films such as 1954's Phffft opposite Jack Lemmon, Picnic the following year with William Holden, and 1957's Pal Joey with Frank Sinatra. Connection: Another scene from 1958's Vertigo, opposite James Stewart: 'I was both dazzled and disturbed to see me being packaged as a Hollywood sex symbol,' Novak wrote of the time But it was two films with Hollywood megastar Jimmy Stewart in 1958 Bell Book and Candle and especially Vertigo that would make Kim a household name. 'There was constant pressure to be seen and not heard,' she wrote, 'especially if you had a pretty face. 'In Hollywood a lot of people assume who you are, because of the character you play, but also just because of who they expect you to be, how they expect you to dress,' she said. 'I kept feeling like I was going deeper and deeper, lost in almost like a quicksand, where it's swallowing you up, your own personality, and I'd started to wonder who I am,' Novak explained. 'I realized I needed to save myself.' And that was why the retired actress famously left Tinseltown and drove north, eventually moving to the Pacific coast of Oregon. 'I needed the Pacific Ocean to inspire me, the animals, the beauty,' the Chicago native said. 'I wanted to live a normal life and a life with animals.' Unforgettable: But it was two films with Hollywood megastar Jimmy Stewart in 1958 Bell Book and Candle and especially Vertigo that would make Kim a household name Kissy with this star: The two had palpable chemistry together In the time since, Kim said she'd been approached numerous times to write a 'tell-all' about her time in Hollywood, but she declined. 'I've never done one of those tell-all books that they wanted me to do for so long, and I thought this is the kind of book I'd like to do,' she said of her new art book. 'Actually, I had written my autobiography and it was almost complete but I had a house fire and the house burned down and I made no copies. I just couldn't go through it again because I had spent so much time. But it was okay because it was a catharsis just to do it. 'I'm so glad I didn't do the tell-all book, where you write all about your love life,' Kim later added. 'That wasn't who I was. This book tells who I am.' The octogenarian screen siren keeps dogs, cats and horses where she lives. 'I've been influenced a lot by Hitchcock in my work because he did mysteries and at first glance, I want my painting to be a mystery,' Kim said of her art; seen here with Hitch circa 1956 'I don't feel 87,' she told People. 'I don't keep tract of the time. If I did, I'd be an old lady and I'm not an old lady. I'm still riding my horse. I stay as healthy as I can.' Looking back on her time in Hollywood, it isn't all bad, as she remains proud of some of her films as well as working with the inimitable Stewart 'He didn't let Hollywood change who he was,' Novak reflected. 'People can remember me in movies but I want them to see me as an artist,' she also shared. 'What's great about painting is, you become the director too. No one's telling you how to do it. You get to direct the whole thing. 'I've been influenced a lot by Hitchcock in my work because he did mysteries and at first glance, I want my painting to be a mystery,' she added. 'This is who I am. I want people to see I was not just a movie star.' Advertisement Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's children Emme and Seraphina joined their parents on their Paris honeymoon on Friday. Jennifer, 52, and Ben, 49, have been relaxing in the French capital since tying the knot over the weekend in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony. And the newlyweds have been accompanied on their getaway by Jennifer's child Emme, 14, and Ben's two children Violet, 16, and Seraphina, 13. Newlyweds: Jennifer and Ben Affleck have been relaxing in the French capital since tying the knot over the weekend in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony Emme, who Jennifer shares with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, wore blue jeans and a white graphic T-shirt underneath a corduroy grey jacket. The teenager, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, also sported a pair of purple Dr. Martens boots and wore a pair of round-rimmed glasses. Jennifer last month introduced her Emme to stage using 'they/them' pronouns as they duetted at the Las Vegas Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala. Friends: And Emme and Seraphina proved they are the best of friends as they walked side by side while accompanying their parents' around the fashionable Marais district on Friday Family: The newlyweds have been joined on their getaway by Jennifer's kid Emme, 14, and Ben's two children Violet, 16, and 13-year-old Seraphina Meanwhile on Friday, Seraphina - who is one of three kids Ben shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner - wore blue jeans, a navy collared jumper and black Dr. Marten shoes. Ben's eldest child Violet, 16, has also been seen with the newlyweds throughout their Parisian honeymoon. For the family day out, Jennifer, also known as JLo, looked effortlessly glamorous in a $2,500 white Oscar de la Renta sundress embellished with yellow and orange floral patterns. Day out: Emme, who Jennifer shares with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, wore blue jeans and a white graphic T-shirt underneath a corduroy grey jacket Sweet: Seraphina and Emme were seen behind Ben and Jennifer as they all spent quality time together She completed her summery ensemble with a pair of brown strapped sandals and kept her essentials in a bright red handbag as she explored the city. The 'Jenny From The Block' hitmaker accentuated her striking features with a glamorous make-up palette, including a touch of lipstick and lashings of mascara. She styled her golden tresses in an elegant up-do with loose strands effortlessly framing her face, while she also carried a pair of white flip-flops with her. Meanwhile, Ben cut a sophisticated figure in navy trousers and a smart powder blue shirt, which he styled with a pair of white trainers. Style: Emme, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, also sported a pair of purple Dr. Martens boots and wore a pair of round-rimmed glasses Exploring: Seraphina - who is one of three kids Ben shares with Jennifer Garner - wore blue jeans, a navy collared jumper and black Dr. Marten shoes Ben shares three children - Violet, Seraphina and Samuel, 10 - with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, who he married in 2005. They announced their split after 10 years of marriage in 2015 and have remained close in as they co-parent their children. Jennifer, meanwhile, shares twins Emme and Max, 14, with her ex-husband Marc Anthony. Both Jennifer and Ben's children spent Saturday evening witnessing their father tie the knot with Lopez in Sin City. It comes after their wedding minister declared he has no doubt about the couple's love for each other. Music: Both of the teenagers were plugged into white headphones as they joined alongside their newly married parents Chic: For the family day out, Jennifer, also known as JLo, looked effortlessly glamorous in a 2,145 white Oscar de la Renta sundress embellished with yellow and orange floral patterns 'I've done probably 10,000 weddings now, and by this point in my life I get a feel of couples I can really tell it was real,' Ryan Wolfe, who performed the Las Vegas wedding ceremony on Saturday, told People. Wolfe also predicted that the dynamic duo are in it for the long haul: 'After seeing them and the love they have for each other, I 100 percent believe they will last.' Revealing the news of her wedding, Lopez wrote in her newsletter: 'Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a license with four other couples, all making the same journey to the wedding capital of the world. 'We barely made it to the little white wedding chapel by midnight. They graciously stayed open late a few minutes, let us take pictures in a pink Cadillac convertible, evidently once used by the king himself (but if we wanted Elvis himself to show, that cost extra and he was in bed).' Lopez also revealed she wore a dress from an old movie, while Affleck wore a jacket from his closet for the ceremony. No doubt! Jennifer Lopez, 52, and Ben Affleck's, 49, wedding minister, Ryan Wolfe, has no doubt about the couple's love for each other saying it was 'real and evident' She said: 'We read our own vows in the little chapel and gave one another the rings we'll wear for the rest of our lives. In the end it was the best possible wedding we could have imagined.' 'They will make it. I believe they found their soulmates. I really do believe they're meant for each other,' he continued. 'You can see the love they had for each other. They definitely truly care and love each other,' he added. Wolfe further described the nuptials, which took place at A Little White Wedding Chapel: 'It was emotional; it was an emotional moment they shared with one another. It was real and evident for sure.' On Saturday, Affleck and Lopez tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas wedding ceremony, with their kids attending the nuptials. Forever may it last: Wolfe also predicted that the dynamic duo are in it for the long haul, saying, 'After seeing them and the love they have for each other, I 100 percent believe they will last' The chart-topping star also signed the letter using the name 'Jennifer Lynn Affleck.' Their wedding came nearly 20 years after the couple called off their engagement due to 'excessive media attention.' At the time, they had hired decoy brides to appear in various locations to dupe the paparazzi. This time around the pair slipped away with their kids for an intimate ceremony. 'They both thought it was a fun and casual way to tie the knot,' an insider revealed about their low-key nuptials. Mr. and Mrs: JLo shared details of their special day and signed the statement from 'Mrs. Jennifer Lynn Affleck' ITV's This Morning is set to welcome an array of new presenters for the summer as regulars Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary all take a break from their duties. And Friday morning's edition of the show saw Alison, 47, and Dermot, 49, say their goodbyes as they hosted their last show until September. The pair played a sweet montage of all of the best moments from the year past on the daytime show. Summer break: Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary said their goodbyes to This Morning on Friday as they pause hosting their duties for a summer break Joined by a swarm of cast members from London's Mamma Mia The Party, the duo celebrated their last show outside of the White City Television Studio in a setup inspired by the movie franchise. Saying farewell, Alison told the camera: 'Thank you so much for your company. Thank you so much for watching the show, it's been absolutely amazing. We thought we'd leave you with some beautiful moments that we've loved from the show with us and Phillip and Holly.' 'We'll see you in September, have a great summer,' cut in Dermot - before Alison shouts 'bye' as they throw their hands in the air. Month off: The pair said their goodbyes as they hosted their last show until September Mamma Mia! Joined by a swarm of cast members from London's Mamma Mia The Party, they celebrated their last show outside of the White City Television Studio in a setup inspired by the movie franchise Gratitude: Saying farewell, Alison told the camera: 'Thank you so much for your company. Thank you so much for watching the show, it's been absolutely amazing' The screen then cut to the montage, which began with a clip from September of Phillip and Holly in the Delorean time machine from Back To The Future. As they went 'back in time' with the selection of clips, a graphic reading 'Back to the first day of the series' appeared. During the show, Alison and Dermot chatted with Loose Women's Kaye Adams to find out what was coming up on the show - as she exclaimed how much she would miss the duo. Bye for now: 'We'll see you in September, have a great summer,' cut in Dermot - before Alison shouts 'bye' as they throw their hands in the air Back to the... start of the series: The screen then cut to the montage of clips, which began with a clip from September of Phillip and Holly in the Delorean time machine from Back To The Future Pretending to cry as the camera came onto her, Kaye wiped her cheeks with tissues before declaring 'I'm gonna miss you two'. The Scottish native left Alison and Dermot in stitches with the bit, before shaking herself off and continuing with the actual segment. This Morning has been presented by the duo for the last two weeks, following Holly and Phillip's summer departure. And now their continuous stint has come to an end, with Ruth Langsford, Josie Gibson, Rochelle Humes, Vernon Kay, Rylan Clark, Craig Doyle, Mollie King, and Andi Peters all ready to step in for the summer. Holly and Phillip are set to return on September 5, with Alison and Dermot set to return to their Friday gig on the show. This Morning airs every day at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub. Talk show host Chelsea Handler and comedian Jo Koy shocked their fans when they announced their split this week. And on Thursday the 51-year-old funny man told TMZ that they are 'still great friends' and have nothing but 'love' for each other as they take a 'break' after one year of dating. But when the actor was asked who did the breaking up, Koy did not want to answer the question as all he offered was, 'That's private!' No bad words: Talk show host Chelsea Handler and comedian Jo Koy shocked their fans when they announced their split this week. And on Thursday the 51-year-old funny man told TMZ that they are 'still great friends' and have nothing but 'love' for each other as they take a 'break' after one year of dating. Seen in 2021 Jo started out very friendly when the site caught up with him at an airport. 'Everything's good you know, we're taking a break, we're great friends we've always been great friends the love is still there,' shared the artist. 'All love that's all.' Koy also hinted that they are still talking but he is wants to focus on his new film Easter Sunday. 'I am just going to concentrate on this movie right now, I can't wait for this thing to hit August 5th,' shared the star. Not dishing: But when the actor was asked who did the breaking up, Koy did not want to answer the question as all he offered was, 'That's private!' Seen in 2021 That was when he was asked who wanted the split. Jo simply said, 'That's private.' He seemed to tense up a bit at the remark. Earlier this week Handler addressed her split from Koy. While on Wednesday's episode of the podcast, We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, the 47-year-old blonde said the breakup has been 'painful.' 'I've changed so much and my love was so big that it just blew me open. And as painful as the ending of something like that is, I'm so well-versed in therapy and understanding that every door shutting is a new beginning and I do believe it,' she said. Ouch! Handler said on Wednesday's episode of the podcast, We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, that the split has been 'painful.' Seen in April in Las Vegas 'I'm okay. I feel, you know, optimistic about the future now,' added the pal of Jennifer Aniston. And the talk show star hinted that she might get back together with Koy one day. 'I still believe that my person is coming, whether that is Jo Koy at a certain time or if it's not, I accept that. I love him and he's in his own path,' she explained. So far she has had a lot of ups and downs. 'It's been an emotional rollercoaster,' she noted. Video: The Chelsea Lately star posted a hilarious video on Monday that was supposed to be shared to mark their first anniversary as a couple, but it announced their split 'One day you think you're killing it and then next day you're not killing it.' And she admits that the two split because things were jut 'not working.' 'I think that when you have the grounding and the courage to say that something isn't working, you're saying a lot more than that to the whole world,' she said. 'You're inviting in things that are going to be workable and more suited to your needs and what you're available for.' 'I'm not going to abandon myself,' Handler added. 'I have to choose myself.' Breakup: The talk show host made the announcement in a heartfelt post on Instagram Monday. It was also funny as he touched her chest with a plastic hand Her pals have been helping her cope with the pain. 'In therapy, out of therapy, with my girlfriends, with all my support systems knowing that when you're in pain, sit with it. Not to go away and take an edible even though I've always loved edibles,' she joked. 'Not to try to numb your pain.' She also noted that all the social media PDAs were not her thing, they were his. 'It's nice to compromise, it's nice to show your love publicly. That was something I was never able to do for anybody but I believe Jo needed that,' she said. The split was announced by video on Instagram. Full of love: On Thursday Handler shared a video where she said, 'Love is love and joy is joy' as she thanked her Instagram followers for all their support during her split from Koy The Chelsea Handler: Evolution star wrote, 'It is with a heavy heart to announce that we have decided together that it is best for us to take a break from our relationship right now.' The post went on to thank their fans for supporting the relationship. The Chelsea Lately show host had only kind words for her new ex. 'This man blew my heart open with love and because of him, my life experience has changed forever. To be loved and adored by @jokoy has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. He renewed my faith in men, in love, in being 100% who I am, and I've never been more optimistic for the future.' The Life Will Be the Death of Me author continued, 'This is not an ending. It's another beginning, and it's a comfort to know that I am still loved and love this man the way the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sun. YOUR PERSON IS COMING.' She also encouraged her 4.6 million followers to buy tickets to her former beau's upcoming film, Easter Sunday, which opens August 5. The pair met almost two decades ago through a mutual friend which resulted in Jo was a frequent guest on the E! show, Chelsea Lately. They were spotted last September at a Los Angeles Dodger's game and went Instagram official shortly after. Ben Affleck's ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow expressed her joy after the Argo actor tied the knot with Jennifer Lopez in a surprise Las Vegas wedding last Saturday. On Thursday, the 49-year-old actress conducted a Q&A on her Instagram Story and responded to a follower who asked her, 'How do you feel about Ben and JLo?' The beauty said, 'Love!!! So romantic!!! Very happy for them.' This comes 24 years after JLo slammed Paltrow in a 1998 Movieline magazine article where she said she did not know what movies the blonde had done, adding she was only famous for dating Brad Pitt. Supportive: Ben Affleck's ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow expressed her joy after the Argo actor tied the knot with Jennifer Lopez in a surprise Las Vegas wedding last Saturday 'Love!!! So romantic!!! Very happy for them,' the Academy Award winner gushed after a follower asked her how she felt about the couple. Seen in July 2022 When asked about Gwyneth, Lopez said to Movieline, 'Tell me what she's been in? I swear to God, I don't remember anything she was in. 'Some people get hot by association. I heard more about her and Brad Pitt than I ever heard about her work.' But Gwyneth seems to have forgiven Jennifer. Another fan asked The Politician star if she was happy, to which she responded with a sweet image of herself and her husband Brad Falchuk, 51, walking across a yard with their arms around each other. Gwyneth and Ben, 49, dated from 1997 to 2000. While they were dating, the performers co-starred in Shakespeare In Love and Bounce. The Deep Water actor went on to date Lopez after they met on the set of their 2002 film Gigli. Happy: Another fan asked The Politician star if she was happy, to which she responded with a sweet image of herself and her husband Brad Falchuk, 51, walking across a yard with their arms around each other Former flames: Gwyneth and Ben, 49, dated from 1997 to 2000. Seen in 1999 At the time, their romance was heavily publicized, earning them the nickname 'Bennifer.' The two became engaged in 2002 but ended their relationship in 2004. In 2005, he married his Daredevil costar Jennifer Garner, 50, with whom he shares three children: Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 10. Ben and Jennifer announced that they had decided to split in 2017 and their divorce was finalized in 2018. Love on set: The Tender Bar actor went on to date Lopez after they met on the set of their 2002 film Gigli. Pictured in 2002 After his divorce, the two-time Academy Award winner was romantically linked to Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus and his Deep Water costar Ana De Armas. However, he rekindled his relationship with JLo in July 2021 after 15 years apart. Before tying the knot with Falchuk in 2018, Gwyneth was married to Coldplay frontman from 2003 to 2016. They share daughter Apple, 18, and son Moses, 16. Exes: In 2005, he married his Daredevil costar Jennifer Garner, 50, with whom he shares three children: Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 10. Seen in 2013 This was not the first time that the Goop founder has shown her support for Ben and JLo's on-again romance. Last September, she left a positive comment on photos posted of the couple after they made their red carpet debut at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. 'Okay, this is cute,' Gwyneth wrote on photos of the two packing on the PDA that were shared by JLo's stylist Mariel Haenn. Back together: Beb rekindled his relationship with JLo in July 2021 after 15 years apart. Seen in 2021 Meanwhile, Ben and JLo have been enjoying their honeymoon in Paris after their surprise nuptials. The newlyweds have been accompanied on their getaway by Jennifer's child Emme, 14, and Ben's two children Violet, 16, and 13-year-old Seraphina. The On the Floor hitmaker shares twins Emme and Max with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, 53. Both Jennifer and Ben's children spent Saturday evening witnessing their father tie the knot with Lopez in Sin City. It comes after their wedding minister declared he has no doubt about the couple's love for each other. 'I've done probably 10,000 weddings now, and by this point in my life I get a feel of couples I can really tell it was real,' Ryan Wolfe, who performed the Las Vegas wedding ceremony on Saturday, told People. Wolfe also predicted that the dynamic duo are in it for the long haul: 'After seeing them and the love they have for each other, I 100 percent believe they will last.' No doubt! Jennifer Lopez, 52, and Ben Affleck's, 49, wedding minister, Ryan Wolfe, has no doubt about the couple's love for each other saying it was 'real and evident' Revealing the news of her wedding, Lopez wrote in her newsletter: 'Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a license with four other couples, all making the same journey to the wedding capital of the world. 'We barely made it to the little white wedding chapel by midnight. They graciously stayed open late a few minutes, let us take pictures in a pink Cadillac convertible, evidently once used by the king himself (but if we wanted Elvis himself to show, that cost extra and he was in bed).' Lopez also revealed she wore a dress from an old movie, while Affleck wore a jacket from his closet for the ceremony. The chart-topping star also signed the letter using the name 'Jennifer Lynn Affleck'. Forever may it last: Wolfe also predicted that the dynamic duo are in it for the long haul, saying, 'After seeing them and the love they have for each other, I 100 percent believe they will last' She said: 'We read our own vows in the little chapel and gave one another the rings we'll wear for the rest of our lives. In the end it was the best possible wedding we could have imagined.' 'They will make it. I believe they found their soulmates. I really do believe they're meant for each other,' Wolfe said. 'You can see the love they had for each other. They definitely truly care and love each other,' he added. Wolfe further described the nuptials, which took place at A Little White Wedding Chapel: 'It was emotional; it was an emotional moment they shared with one another. It was real and evident for sure.' Zac Efron delighted High School Musical fans everywhere by returning to the school where his hit movie series was filmed. Efron, 34, Instagrammed a photo of himself walking in front of Salt Lake High School East with his fist raised into the air on Friday. 'Don't you... Forget about me,' he captioned the photo, along with a fist bump emoji. Go wildcats! Zac Efron has returned to the school where he filmed the hit Disney film High School Musical Actor Bart Johnson, who played Coach Jack Bolton in the series, commented on the photo: 'Warms coaches ole heart to see this. Welcome home, son. WHAT TEAM!?' The post comes just weeks after his former High School Musical costar Vanessa Hudgens shared a video of herself in front of the same institution. The video was set to the song she and Efron sing in HSM, Breaking Free, and saw Vanessa walking in front of the building before flashing two peace signs and a smile for the camera. 'Do you remember in kindergarten how you'd meet a kid and know nothing about them, then 10 seconds later you're playing like you're best friends because you didn't have to be anything but yourself?' she wrote in the caption. Efron and Hudgens played Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, two students auditioning for the school musical, in the hit 2006 Disney movie High School Musical. High school hit! Efron and Hudgens played Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, two students auditioning for the school musical, in the hit 2006 Disney movie High School Musical Aww: Bart Johnson, the actor who played Coach Jack Bolton in the series, said the photo warmed his 'ole heart' The roles catapulted them to fame, and two sequels and a spin-off came from the film, including High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. A television series inspired by the series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, debuted in 2019 and will soon be returning for a third season. In May, Zac said he would be interested in returning for a fourth High School Musical film. She's back! Vanessa Hudgens shared video of her in front of the high school several weeks ago Class act! The video was set to the song she and Efron sing in HSM, Breaking Free, and saw Vanessa walking in front of the building before flashing two peace signs and a smile for the camera When Efron was asked by E! if he would be interested in returning to the franchise, he noted that he would be happy to reunite with his castmates. 'Of course. Seriously, having the opportunity in any form to go back and work with that team would be so amazing,' he said. The Firestarter actor expressed that he would jump at the chance to revive the hit franchise. 'Yeah, my heart's still there so that would be incredible, I hope it happens,' he said. Development on a fourth movie in the franchise took place in 2016, although its production appears to have stalled. Kate Hudson cut a casual figure as she stepped out with film producer David Bernad in London on Friday. The actress, 43, wore a loose white blouse which she left open at the collar to create a plunging neckline. She wore a pair of comfortable blue denim jeans and some colourful Nike trainers. Stepping out: Kate Hudson, 43, cut a casual figure as she stepped out with film producer David Bernad in London on Friday The Hollywood star shielded her eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses and accessorised with some gold necklaces. She was seen walking alongside David who dressed casually in all black attire. The cinematic professional wore a T-shirt and jeans and a matching pair of trainers. Keeping it casual: The actress wore a loose white blouse which she left open at the collar to create a plunging neckline He slung a navy blue sweatshirt over her his shoulder and chatted to Kate as they walked. Kate was then seen climbing into a black cab before she was driven off through the streets of the UK capital. It comes after Kate gave fans an inside look at her her family break in Rome, Italy earlier this month. Fashion focus: She wore a pair of comfortable blue denim jeans and some colourful Nike trainers In the detail: The Hollywood star shielded her eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses and accessorised with some gold necklaces The actress, 43, posted snaps of her getaway to her Instagram account, including several of her with daughter Rani Rose, three. The first snap of the collage showed Kate holding hands with her daughter as she clutched a blue fan. She looked stunning in a flowing blue patterned dress with cut-outs showing off a hint of her svelte waist. Relaxed: She was seen walking alongside David who dressed casually in all black attire, with the cinematic professional wore a T-shirt and jeans and a matching pair of trainers So long: Kate said goodbye to another of her friends before making her way off to enjoy the rest of her day Hugging it out: The pal wore a brown shirt along with a pair of navy blue trousers and some beige shoes Embrace: David gave Kate a kiss on the cheek before he set off through the streets of the UK capital Friendly pat: David was seen patting Kate on the shoulder as she walked away from her friend this week In another snap, Kate feasted on a plate of pasta with her little one by her side. The actress had several noodles hanging out of her mouth as she gazed at her little girl. Not pictured in any of the photos was Kate's fiance, Danny Fujikawa. They welcomed daughter Rani in 2018. Taxi! Kate flagged down a London black cab before climbing inside after her meeting with her friends Her chariot awaits: Kate was then seen climbing into a black cab before she was driven off through the streets of the UK capital Kate is also mother to 11-year-old Bingham Hawn Bellamy, who she shares with Muse musican Matt Bellamy, and Ryder Robinson, 18, who she welcomed in 2004 with rock band The Black Crowe's Chris Robinson. The Almost Famous actress headed to Rome in celebration of Haute-Couture Fashion Week, as she and Danny were snapped looking chic at the city's Valentino show earlier this month. But squeezing in holiday time too, she headed for a yacht day as well - as she was snapped in Positano with her fiance and mother Goldie Hawn. Ciao bella! It comes after Kate posted snaps of her Roman getaway to her Instagram account, including several of her with daughter Rani Rose, three Amanda Holden sent temperatures soaring on Friday as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a green bikini for her latest Instagram snap. The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, looked incredible in the tiny green two-piece as she kicked back on a boat for a sunbathing session amid her family break to Sicily. Amanda was clearly making the most of her downtime as she lay across the seats and stretched out her legs while topping up her tan. Wow: Amanda Holden sent temperatures soaring on Friday as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a green bikini for her latest Instagram snap Ensuring she had no unsightly tan lines, the star had undone her bikini straps so as to brown her back evenly. Accessorising her holiday look, the radio presenter added a green headband and rounded shades, with Amanda sweeping her locks into a messy bun. She captioned her snap with the Italian phrase: 'Veni Vidi Amavi', which translates to 'I came, I saw, I loved.' Just hours before, the TV personality shared a fun clip to her Instagram grid larking around with her lookalike daughter Hollie, ten. Animated: Just hours before, the TV personality shared a fun clip to her Instagram grid larking around with her lookalike daughter Hollie, ten Nice! The presenter showed off her impressive strength as she pulled off a perfect handstand before pulling a series of other goofy poses Amanda showed off her impressive strength as she pulled off a perfect handstand before pulling a series of other goofy poses. In other parts of clip that was set to a funky beat, Hollie perched on Amanda's back and held her arms out to act of out flying through the air. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Amanda every inch the proud mother as she beamed alongside her family for an Instagram snap. The TV personality posed alongside her lookalike daughters, Lexi, 16, and Hollie, 10, and her husband Chris Hughes in a snap taken as they enjoy a family getaway in the sunshine. The Heart radio presenter seemed to be enjoying a lavish getaway with her family as she styled her blonde tresses in beach waves. 'Team photo': Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Amanda every inch the proud mother as she beamed alongside her family for an Instagram snap Amanda opted for a chic white tassel V-neck dress as she layered two gold necklaces to complete the look. She added a pop of colour to the number with a vibrant red manicure and kept her locks pushed back out of her face with her sunglasses on her head. Meanwhile husband Chris coordinated with his beau in a loose white shirt as he styled his dark tresses framing his face. The couple's oldest daughter Lexi wore in a cream tie front crop shirt, with her long blonde tresses poker straight from a centre parting and accessorised with a pair of hoop earrings. Family time: The Heart radio presenter seemed to be enjoying a lavish getaway with her family as she styled her blonde tresses in beach waves Her sister Hollie stood out from the crowd in a vibrant pink number which she matched her bold lipstick to. Amanda captioned the snaps: 'Team photo'. Several famous faces took to the comment section of the post including Ruth Langford who penned: 'What a beautiful family'. Vicky Pattison also left some sweet words, 'The genetics is this picture,' and Amanda's co-host Ashley Roberts added, 'What a quad'. Kourtney Kardashian called her husband Travis Barker 'the most thoughtful person I know' on her Insta Stories on Thursday. The Kardashians star, 43, had just received three dozen purple and white tulips from her new rock star spouse as she worked on a photo shoot in Los Angeles. It has been just over two months since the lovebirds tied the knot in Italy in front of their friends and family. Sweet gift: Kourtney Kardashian called her husband Travis Barker 'the most thoughtful person I know' on her Insta Stories on Thursday His lady love: The Kardashians star, 43, had just received three dozen purple and white tulips from her new rock star spouse as she worked on a photo shoot in Los Angeles Kourtney shared a photo of the flowers on her Insta Stories with writing over the image. She wrote, 'Most thoughtful person I know' as she added a link to his name and a sweet blushing emoji. A lit candle was next to the flowers. At the shoot Kourtney was modeling spray painted shirt with a metal ring belt and ripped jeans for a hard rock theme. Side by side: Kourtney pictured with the drummer at this year's Met Gala She also posted a selfie clip with hair and makeup that left her looking nearly unrecognizable. Her exaggerated cosmetics included blood-red lipstick to punctuate her pout, and she wore her locks with schoolgirl fringe and a long ponytail. The busty bombshell was wearing a nude tube top that allowed her to flash a bit of her enviably sculpted midriff to her 191 million followers. Another look from the same shoot: Here she had on a black wig with bangs and a tube top Also on Thursday she denied her son Mason, 12, is on social media and slammed an 'ultra creepy' account she accused of 'relentlessly pretending' to be him. A social media account claiming to be Mason has been making allegations about the Kardashian-Jenner family, including that Kourtney's younger half-sister Kylie Jenner is on the verge of marrying her rapper boyfriend Travis Scott. However Kourtney posted to both her Twitter and her Insta Stories this Thursday to assure her public that the account is not Mason. Mother and child: Kardashian denied her son Mason, 12, is on social media and slammed an 'ultra creepy' account she accused of 'relentlessly pretending' to be him 'Hello everyone, hope it is a beautiful Thursday,' Kourtney wrote. 'After months and months of thinking you would all know that is NOT Mason on these fake accounts, some of you dont. So I will spell it out clearly : that is NOT Mason on these fake social media accounts talking about our family.' She added: 'To any and all "news" outlets who use that false account as a source, you know better. Stop using it for the benefit of your slow news day please and thank you. And to the person relentlessly pretending to be Mason, ultra ultra ultra creepy.' Kourtney shares her three children - Mason, 12, Penelope, 10, and Reign, seven - with her sizzling ex-fiance Scott Disick. Scott and Kourtney were first introduced in 2006 at the Mexican home of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis and embarked on an on-off romance until 2015. Since then Kourtney has married the heavily tattooed drummer Barker. Details: A social media account claiming to be Mason claimed Kourtney's younger half-sister Kylie Jenner (right) is on the verge of marrying her rapper boyfriend Travis Scott (left) Throughout their various other relationships, Scott and Kourtney have managed to remain amicable co-parents to their children. Her latest posts come two years after Kourtney revealed that she and Scott had made Mason delete his Instagram page. Mason, who was then just 10 years old, had joined the platform without his parents' permission and begun chatting with his followers on Instagram Live. However the next day Kourtney revealed during an Instagram Live that she and Scott decided he was too young for social media. Family matters: Kourtney shares her three children - Mason, 12, Penelope, 10, and Reign, seven - with her sizzling ex-fiance Scott Disick She confirmed that Mason 'didn't ask us' to get an Instagram and shared that 'I did delete it because Scott and I just felt like he isn't - he's 10!' The Poosh founder shared that as far has her children were concerned 'I think there's an age limit for Instagram. I think it's 13.' Kourtney explained: 'I think on Instagram the thing that really worries me with kids is comments. People can be so mean.' She joined the cast of The Real Housewives Of Miami earlier this year. And Nicole Martin put on a show-stopping display as she soaked up the sunshine on Thursday. The 37-year-old put her svelte body on display in a sexy bikini that tied around her waist. Beach babe! Nicole Martin put on a show-stopping display as she soaked up the sunshine in Miami on Thursday The string bikini showcased her assets along her her flat tummy and toned legs. She relaxed by the sea with white wide-brim hat shielding her from the sunrays and a pair of sunnies propped over her stunning eyes. Her gorgeous complexion was all glammed up with a smoky coat of eye shadow and dash of blush. The reality star was the picture of relaxation as she walked along the shore with her shades in hand. Fun in the sun! She relaxed by the sea with white wide-brim hat shielding her from the sunrays and a pair of sunnies propped over her stunning eyes She appeared to be admiring her scenic surroundings as she walked at a leisurely pace by the waves. Nicole was among three newcomers joining season four of The Real Housewives Of Miami late last year. She was joined by Guerdy Abraira and Julia Lemigova. The former Bravo series is finally made its return after eight years off the air in December 2021. They're back! The former Bravo series is finally made its return after eight years off the air in December 2021 A few veterans of RHOM also made their return, including Alexia Echevarria, Larsa Pippen, and Lisa Hochstein. Nicole isn't the first doctor in the Real Housewives franchise as she joins Tiffany Moon, who is also an anesthesiologist, and Real Housewives of Orange County newcomer Jennifer Armstrong. Earlier this year, Nicole announced her engagement to her long-time love Anthony Lopez. He put a ring on it! Martin announced her engagement to Anthony Lopez earlier this year At the time, the Real Housewives Of Miami newcomer said the proposal was a 'total surprise' on New Year's Eve. 'We've talked about marriage before. I think we both knew it would happen one day. I just didn't know that day was coming so soon,' the mom-of-one said in an interview with People. The trial lawyer popped the question while the couple was on a family vacation with their son, Greyson, in Aspen. 'It was simple and private, and nothing short of perfect. It was early morning on New Year's Eve and we just woke up. We were cuddling in bed, watching the sun start to rise and glisten on the snow,' Nicole shared Nicole and Anthony have been together for seven years, when fate brought them together when they were separately visiting Las Vegas in 2015. Jillian Michaels has married fiancee DeShanna Marie Minuto in a private ceremony which took place in Namibia. The 48-year-old fitness celebrity and the fashion designer, 37, recently tied the knot in the southwest African country according to People magazine on Friday. Jillian told the weekly that she told her new wife: 'Deshanna Marie Michaels it's an honor and an adventure saying I do to you. Finding you... my person... and eloping in Africa together has been one of the most magical and transformative chapters of my life.' Happily ever after: Jillian Michaels has married fiancee DeShanna Marie Minuto in a private ceremony which took place in Namibia according to People on Friday The lovers - who have been romantically linked since late 2018 - actually got married at a Miami courthouse on July 11 before traveling to Namibia for the intimate ceremony according to the publication. Jillian continued by saying: 'A special thank you to Susan Neva at Alluring Africa, the team at Wilderness Safari, and the Himba people for helping us commemorate our union in style. 'We will treasure these experiences for the rest of our lives.' Jillian and DeShanna have been documenting their epic wedding trip on social media as they enjoyed riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in the desert and even danced with the locals. Jillian told the weekly that she told her new wife: 'Deshanna Marie Michaels it's an honor and an adventure saying I do to you. Finding you... my person... and eloping in Africa together has been one of the most magical and transformative chapters of my life' Bond: Jillian and DeShanna have been documenting their epic wedding trip on social media as they enjoyed riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in the desert It's a celebration! They even danced with the locals Jillian thanked 'the Himba people for helping us commemorate our union in style. We will treasure these experiences for the rest of our lives' Just us: The couple smiled for a selfie They also have plans to have an official wedding celebration in Venice, Italy next year on June 23, 2023. The happy couple announced their engagement back in November. The popular personal trainer proposed with a stunning seven-carat diamond engagement ring, and shared a few loved-up snaps to Instagram on the morning of November 21. Blessed: Jillian announced her engagement to longtime love DeShanna back in November '1153 days... here's to thousands more. She said "yes,"' Michaels captioned a sweet selfie with her new fiancee. DeShanna held up her hand to show off the incredible sparkler for a black-and-white snap shared to her own account in a photo simply captioned 'YES!' The fitness enthusiast reportedly popped the question to her girlfriend of three years on Saturday morning with an 'emerald cut diamond featuring two single carat, trapezoid diamonds on each side,' according to PEOPLE. Bride-to-be: DeShanna, 36, held up her hand to show off the incredible sparkler for a black-and-white snap shared to her own account in a photo simply captioned 'YES!' Her bauble was crafted by family friends in Miami. 'DeShanna is "all the things" beautiful, smart, funny, creative, quirky, passionate ... I could run down the list of adjectives. Those characteristics obviously attract you to someone. But it's the quality of their character that makes you think "Thank God for this person laying next to me' every night when you fall asleep,"' Michaels said. 'It's easy to stay together when everything is going great, but when real life sets in and things get messy, challenging, scary, and even downright ugly that's when the truth reveals itself. Bliss: The fitness enthusiast reportedly popped the question to her girlfriend of three years on Saturday morning with an 'emerald cut diamond featuring two single carat, trapezoid diamonds on each side' 'And this woman has revealed herself to be strong beyond measure, wise beyond her years, and loving beyond my wildest dreams. I am so grateful to officially call her mine.' Michaels was previously engaged to Heidi Rhoades, a relationship which ended in 2018 after a nine-year romance. Their domestic partnership didn't legally end until 2020, though, as they battled in court for joint custody of their two children. 'DeShanna is "all the things" beautiful, smart, funny, creative, quirky, passionate ... I could run down the list of adjectives. Those characteristics obviously attract you to someone,' Michaels said They adopted their first child, daughter Lukensia, now 12, from Haiti ate age two in 2012 The now former couple welcomed a second bundle of joy the same month when Heidi gave birth to their son Phoenix, now ten. Michaels agreed to pay Heidi $2.4million as an advance in child support and pays an additional $2,000 per month, in addition to the kids' schooling, clothing and extracurricular activities. The end: Michaels was previously engaged to Heidi Rhoades, a relationship which ended in 2018 after a nine-year romance as their domestic partnership was dissolved in 2020; the former couple pictured in 2016 Gemma Collins looked simply fabulous as she attended the The Malibu Courtside Confessions event at Brixton Jamm, South London on Friday. The former TOWIE star, 41, opted for a summery display in an orange dress with a white lace overlay, with the outfit highlighting her recent weight loss. Gemma was in her element at the fun-filled bash as she happily sipped on a fruity Malibu cocktail while mingling with other reality star favourites. Peace and love: Gemma Collins looked simply fabulous as she attended the The Malibu Courtside Confessions event at Brixton Jamm, South London on Friday The self-proclaimed diva teamed her dress with pretty embellished sandals, while storing her day's essentials in a white, YSL crossbody bag. Gemma's blonde locks were swept into a chic, braided style, while she added a further touch of glam with coral-toned make-up. The event saw the rum brand host an immersive courtroom experience, in which guests are invited to stand before an all-singing all-dancing judge and jury and share the 'guilty pleasures' that make them happy. Fabulous: The former TOWIE star, 41, opted for a summery display in an orange dress with a white lace overlay, with the outfit highlighting her recent weight loss Gemma of course got involved in the action, confessing that her 'guilty pleasure' is 'Having a fresh pair of knickers on 365 days a year'. The event, dubbed a 'no-judgement zone', also saw a performance from the London Gospel Choir, a selection of DJs, pizzas, a Malibu salon and of course, plenty of cocktails. Joining Gemma at the bash were former EastEnders star Danny-Boy Hatchard and his girlfriend Kerry Scouler, Too Hot To Handle's Kori Sampson and recently evicted Love Islander Josh Le Grove. What fun: Gemma was in her element at the fun-filled bash as she happily sipped on a fruity Malibu cocktail while mingling with other reality star favourites Details: The self-proclaimed diva teamed her dress with pretty embellished sandals, while storing her day's essentials in a white, YSL crossbody bag Lovely: Gemma's blonde locks were swept into a chic, braided style, while she added a further touch of glam with coral-toned make-up Fun times: Gemma of course got involved in the action, confessing that her 'guilty pleasure' is 'Having a fresh pair of knickers on 365 days a year' Married At First Sight's Amy Christophers looked fabulous in a floral mini dress, while model Cali White stood out in a plunging pink satin blouse tucked into patterned trousers. It comes after Gemma likened herself to former fitness guru Jane Fonda as she enjoyed an outdoor workout on Thursday. The TV personality donned a pair of skintight navy leggings with a lobster print as she squatted and danced around in an Instagram video. Couple: Joining Gemma at the bash were former EastEnders star Danny-Boy Hatchard and his girlfriend Kerry Scouler Looking good: The actor cut a casual figure in a white and blue T-shirt paired with grey jeans, while Kerry wowed in a red mini dress and a black leather jacket Close: The couple held hands as they strolled during their rare public appearance Look who it is: Married At First Sight's Amy Christophers looked fabulous in a floral mini dress Gorgeous: The reality star accessorised her look with pink platform heels and a purple envelope clutch, while Cali White (R) also opted for the pink look Hard to miss: The model stood out in a plunging pink satin blouse tucked into patterned trousers Here come the boys: Recently evicted Love Islander Josh Le Grove (L) was in great spirits at the bash, while Kori Sampson struck a pose for the camera Drink up: The TV personality clutched on to a refreshing cocktail at Malibu's immersive event The media personality styled her platinum locks into loose waves for the video as she did star jumps and encouraged her followers to get involved. After working up a sweat, Gemma wiped her brow and said: 'Working out, yes guys. Jane Fonda's got nothing on the GC'. Jane Fonda released her own exercise video called Jane Fonda's Workout in 1982 which became the top-selling VHS tape for six years. Inspiration: It comes after Gemma likened herself to former fitness guru Jane Fonda as she enjoyed an outdoor workout on Thursday She released several more exercise videos over the years and was credited with sparking a boom in women's exercise classes. The video comes after Gemma declared herself an 'international superstar' who is on 'another level' compared to her former TOWIE co-stars in a rant on Monday. The star, who first appeared on the reality show in 2011, says she has 'moved on' with her career and her success should be celebrated. Health guru: Jane Fonda released her own exercise video called Jane Fonda's Workout in 1982 which became the top-selling VHS tape for six years Workout: The former TOWIE star donned a pair of skintight navy leggings with a lobster print as she squatted and danced around in an Instagram video Gemma, also known as the GC, was first spotted on TV screens selling a car to Kirk Norcross in the reality show before later quitting eight years later in 2019. She told The Mirror: 'I'm like an international superstar. I'm not being funny, my life has moved on. I love them all and wish them all well [the cast], but I'm in a different league now, hun. 'I've worked really hard and I'm in a different category now. I don't mean it flash or be stuck up, what I mean is you can't let your past define your future. I've come a long way and we should celebrate success.' A HARARE trio landed in the dock facing 43 counts of card-cloning and money laundering charges worth over $30 million. Atherton Moyo, Fungai Samuriwo and Dennis Mutekede appeared before Harare magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka. The court heard that between 2020, and 2022, the trio joined forces and formed a notorious syndicate in debit card cloning. They were allegedly operating in and around Zimbabwe targeting victims who would be shopping in supermarkets. Upon identifying their victims, the court heard, one of them would record a video of them while transacting. The video would target capturing the last four digits on the victims debit cards and their PIN numbers. Once these details were successfully captured, he would forward them to his accomplices, who would be in the car park, outside the shop. They would then log into their computer, connected to a card cloning device, and create a duplicate debit card. Once the card was cloned, they would approach illegal money changers on the streets and swipe to buy US dollars, or buy bulk groceries in wholesale shops, for resale purposes. They would then share the proceeds among themselves. After sharing the money, they would acquire movable and immovable properties. One of the victims is Tafadzwa Bvekerwa, who is a Steward Bank card holder and he bought a gas heater in Electrosales Avondale branch. Later on the same day, he received text messages that he had transacted $1 132 500 despite having his debit card on him and having not done that transaction. Investigations revealed that he had been followed by Samuriwo, who recorded a video of Bvekerwa, as he was doing the transaction. They allegedly used the same modus operandi and stole over $30 million. Lancelot Mutsokoti appeared for the State. H Metro CHINESE chrome miner Afrochine has underscored that it has no intentions to start operations in Mavuradonha due to what it cited as toxic media attention against the entity and perceived anti-investor sentiments. The company, which also mines chrome in Selous, holds vast claims of chrome in Mavuradonha. Mavuradonha, a natural habitat of wildlife, has been the epicentre of squabbles between environmentalists and mining entities angling to invest in the area where Afrochine holds abundant chrome claims. Responding to some of the questions asked by the Independent, Afrochine project manager Wilfred Motsi dispelled reports that government had banned all mining activities in Muzarabani Wilderness. Let us start by clarifying that the ban you mention here is non-existent and continued reference to it may have been a result of misleading reports by some sections of the media in July 2020 that reported discussions of a stakeholder meeting as effecting to a government ban on mining activities in the area, he said. I indeed there was a ban, it would have been communicated through proper government channels and gazette. To the extent that this did not take place, the alleged ban which unfortunately the media continue to peddle is non-existent. Motsi said Afrochine had no plans for now to start mining in Mavuradonha. Afrochine got its claims for chrome mining in the area but we have never utilised them and have no intention of carrying out mining activities in the area for now due to a number of factors, not least the toxic media attention and anti-investor sentiment that the area continues to receive which would discourage any potential business, he said. On the ground, we understand that there are some illegal miners, some of the black local consortia and some white, and these activities would actually constitute a prejudice on our legitimate claims. Motsi cast blame on tourism and wildlife players for spearheading the campaign to prohibit mining activities in the area, which lies within the resource-rich Great Dyke belt in Zimbabwe. We are also not lost to the fact that there are other economic interests in the area, namely, the wildlife and tourism cohort whose players have been seeking to push out miners and mining activities irrespective of the fact that these economic activities are legitimate and could exist side by side in the wisdom of government and economic planners, Motsi said. In the wisdom of economic planners, we can imagine that there is no one economic activity that is holier than the other. They all contribute to the GDP of the Mashonaland Central Province as per the devolution agenda, as well as the national development. The company distanced itself from all illegal mining activities in Mavuradonha, highlighting that it is a legitimate and law-abiding corporate citizen of Zimbabwe. We have not broken any laws and government has not revoked any of our rights and entitlements related to our investments, including mining claims, the Afrochine project manager said. Motsi said there was need to strengthen law enforcement, monitoring protocols and prosecutorial support for the protection of the environment and local communities. On the other hand, we would like to categorically state that, illegal mining and economic crimes often go hand-in-hand, as well as bring negative environmental impacts, including deforestation, land degradation and pollution, he said. We are of the firm view that it would be beneficial if government licences only reputable companies, consider international companies or large scale listed companies that have international reputation to protect. Destructive mining must be stopped. We need to preserve the environment for future generations. It is also critical to note that illegal mining is also a poverty-driven activity and alternative forms of control should be in place. Reputable mining companies have the experience and know how, they are operating with safer processes, Motsi said. Zimbabwe Independent HYDERABAD: A technical study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, (IIT-H) has clearly indicated that the impact of the Polavaram dam in Andhra Pradesh on surface water levels in Bhadrachalam town in the event of Godavari floods is as small as two-centimetre increase. The study, Backwater Effect Due to Polavaram Dam Project under Different Return Periods, carried out by research scholars C.R. Amarnath and T. Shashidhar, was funded by the Telangana state government. The findings of the study were in sharp contrast with the claims of transport minister Puvvada Ajay that the Polavaram dam backwaters had a severe impact on Bhadrachalam town, the inundation of which in the recent floods was more because of high water levels at the cofferdam in Andhra Pradesh. Ajay also kicked up an inter-state political controversy demanding that the seven mandals in erstwhile Khammam district which were transferred to Andhra Pradesh should be given back to Telangana state. According to the study, given the discharge of 36 lakh cusecs, the highest level of flood recorded in the history of the Godavari, the water level in Bhadrachalam in steady state condition after constructing the Polavaram dam would be 57.02 metres against 57 metres without the dam. Similarly, if the discharge went up to 50 lakh cusecs, which the Polavaram dam was re-designed to withstand, the water level in Bhadrachalam would be 61.79 metres post completion of Polavaram dam against 61.77 metres without the dam. The study pointed out that the water levels in Bhadrachalam in unsteady conditions would be 59.84 metres if the dam gates kept closed even after the discharge level reached 36 lakh cusecs. The study said the level would be 59.52 metres if there was no dam which in other words the increase in water level the dam might be forcing, that too with all gates closed, will be 20 cm. The question of closing gates at 36 lakh cusecs discharge will not arise at all for the simple reason that the very safety of the dam will be in danger, a senior irrigation official admitted. Another irrigation expert who played a crucial role in the Polavaram dam, on condition of anonymity, said inundation of Bhadrachalam was a regular phenomenon during floods even before the cofferdam was built in AP. The backwater effect would be felt when the discharge levels cross 10 lakh cusecs. Once the discharge level is high in the upstream, the dam will be depleted to that extent and will be refilled with the receding floodwaters. The dam will never be kept at full reservoir level in case of floods, he said, adding that the backwater effect on Bhadrachalam was also due to congestion of the river cross section at Papikondalu. The IIT-H study gave utmost importance to the maintenance of dam gates, the failure of which it warned, would endanger Bhadrachalam and surrounding areas. Regular and periodic maintenance of the gates of the Polavaram dam is a must for the safety of upstream areas. Dam gates should be well operated, keeping in mind the inflows and submergence that would be caused by improper closing/opening of the gate walls, the study pointed out. It also stressed the need for construction of levees and dredging of riverbeds to reduce the water surface elevation. VIJAYAWADA: Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed on Friday that the Centre has received a proposal from the Andhra Pradesh Government to shift the state High Court from Amaravati to Kurnool. He stated this in reply to a query raised by YSRCP MPs Kotagiri Sridhar and Chinta Anuradha in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The YSR Congress government is continuing its efforts to implement the Three Capitals formula under its distributed development policy. Minister Rijiju said the shifting of the high court to Kurnool can be taken by the state government in consultation with the high court. All the administrative expenses of the high court should be borne by the state government. Once the state government and the high court arrives at a decision, the proposal can be forwarded to the Centre for its approval, the minister said. Minister Rijiju said the Union government did not receive details of the proposal from the state government on shifting of the HC to Kurnool. The Jagan government had proposed Kurnool as the Judicial Capital of AP under the Three Capitals concept in January 2020. It proposed Visakhapatnam as Administrative Capital and Amaravati as Legislative Capital. There, however, is opposition from the Amaravati farmers and political parties against Three Capitals formula. Many petitions were filed in the APHC and during the hearing of the cases, the AP government withdrew the bills relating to Three Capitals. Later the HC, in its verdict, directed the state government to develop Amaravati as APs capital. Now, the fresh plea from the state government to the Centre for the setting up of the high court in Kurnool meant the Jagan-led dispensation will stick to its formula to have three capitals. IMD Amaravati, has issued a warning, forecasting heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and south coastal AP for four days from Saturday. (Photo: AFP) Visakhapatnam: The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Amaravati, has issued a warning, forecasting heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and south coastal AP for four days from Saturday. The report said thunderstorms accompanied with lightning were likely at isolated places over coastal AP and Rayalaseema. Sagili Karunasagar, scientist of IMD Amaravati said the monsoon trough at mean sea level now passes through Ganganagar, Rohtak, Gwalior, Sidhi, Ambikapur, Sambalpur, Balasore and thence south-eastwards to East Central Bay of Bengal and extends up to 0.9km above mean sea level. The cyclonic circulation over Jharkhand and neighbourhood now lay over north Odisha and neighbourhood and extends up to 5.8km above mean sea level, tilting southwestwards with height. During the last 24 hours, Amaravati received the highest rainfall of 63mm followed by Nandigama 41mm. Temperature also dropped in many places in Andhra Pradesh by 4 to 7 degree Celsius. Bapatla registered a drop of 7 degrees C and recorded a minimum temperature of 27.4 degrees. According to assistant professor at Chest Hospital Dr Nalini Ghanate, patients are not adequately counselled about allergies being a long-term problem and about the treatment process. Representational image/Pixabay Hyderabad: Many doctors feel that there is a lack of awareness among people on the chronic nature of allergies, on what can cause them and on how to go about addressing them. According to assistant professor at Chest Hospital Dr Nalini Ghanate, patients are not adequately counselled about allergies being a long-term problem and about the treatment process. Dr Ghanate operates the allergy clinic at the hospital, the only such government clinic in the state, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The problem with allergies is that like hypertension and diabetes, they can only be controlled. If they are not, they will become severe and the treatment will involve higher doses. Most allergy patients need longer medication. We explain to them that they have to make multiple visits to keep the allergies under control, she said. Dr Ghanate said another misconception patients have is a tendency to relate allergies only to itching, whereas it can affect nose, chest and even skin. There is definitely a lack of awareness on what all can be allergens, and everything is attributed to food, she said. Meanwhile, there has been a rise in the number of patients (80 to 100 per week) visiting the allergy clinic in the past two weeks. She attributes this to the change in weather. Dr Ghanate said the rise was mainly fuelled by asthmatic patients having flare-ups and asthma attacks. It happens with change of weather and could be because of pollen load or viral infections, she said. The most common cases received at the clinic pertain to bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis (running nose and sneezing). Sanjay charged that the Chief Minister had been pushing the state into bankruptcy for the past eight years. By arrangement HYDERABAD: Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay launched the partys Janam Gosa, BJP Bharosa bike rally in Siddipet, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Raos and Health Minister Harish Raos home turf, accusing the ruling TRS government of failing to deliver on promises made to the Telangana state, while asserting that if voted to power, his party will bring development back on track. The BJP must come to power in the state for Telangana to return to the path of development, implement welfare schemes for the needy, or ensure timely payment of salaries for employees, Bandi said after formally launching the bike rally in Siddipet on Thursday. Sanjay charged that the Chief Minister had been pushing the state into bankruptcy for the past eight years. The government is unable to pay government employees on time. Apart from failing to pay salaries on time, the TRS government has placed a Rs 1.20 lakh loan burden on every person in Telangana, remarked Sanjay. Further, the BJP state president stated that the 10-day bike rallies being held across the state are intended to reassure people that the BJP will support them during these difficult times. Sanjay mocked the Chief Minister, claiming that he is the only Chief Minister who has ruled the state without visiting the Secretariat for the last eight years. Amid the controversy over Arvind Kejriwal's proposed Singapore visit, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi Friday referred to a May 2021 tweet by the Delhi Chief Minister about a "Singapore strain" of coronavirus to claim he had tried to create a "rift" between the two friendly nations. Delhi LG VK Saxena has rejected files on Kejriwal's proposed visit for the World Cities Summit in the first week of August, saying attending the conference of mayors would not befit his stature as chief minister. Kejriwal had Wednesday asserted he will go ahead with the visit by seeking "political clearance" from the Ministry of External Affairs. Asked about the controversy, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi told a press conference here Friday Kejriwal had tweeted about a COVID-19 variant from the Singapore saying it was dangerous for children. Also read: After Delhi L-G rejection, Kejriwal seeks MEA nod to attend Singapore Summit The Singapore government had slammed Kejriwal saying politicians should stick to the facts and that their is no Singapore variant, she said, reading out of a note. "This is the history of the man. This is how he tweeted (about) Singapore in the past. This is how he tried to create a rift between India and Singapore which is a friendly nation," she said. On May 18 last year, Kejriwal had in a tweet in Hindi called for cancelling all air services with Singapore with immediate effect saying a new strain of coronavirus found in that country could cause a third wave in India. "The new form of coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis," Kejriwal had said in a tweet in Hindi. Following the Singapore foreign ministry's reaction regretting the "unfounded assertions" by Kejriwal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said the Delhi chief minister does not speak for India. The Vice Presidential election has unravelled the Opposition unity once again as Trinamool Congress on Thursday made a surprise announcement not to vote for joint candidate Margaret Alva by abstaining from the voting after accusing its partners of not consulting them, a charge rubbished by its allies. This comes even after parties like JMM, which broke ranks during the Presidential election, returned to the Opposition stable to support Alva against NDA's Jagdeep Dhankar, former West Bengal Governor. This would mean that Alva could get only 198 votes against 234 the Opposition can otherwise garner though NDA and its friendly parties have already pledged Dhankar over 500 votes. Opposition sources rubbished Trinamool charges that Trinamool Congress was not consulted, saying that Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke to party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee twice on the polls. Mamata told Sonia that she does not have any candidate in her mind and would support a joint candidate proposed by the Opposition, they said. Sources said Mamata also conveyed this to NCP chief Sharad Pawar who spoke to her on the issue. However she did not come on line when the leaders telephoned her from the Opposition meeting to know her mind. Pawar had then told the meeting that she had earlier suggested PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's name but it did not move forward. Trinamool has said that they will not support Dhankar, with whom Mamata Banerjee led government was at loggerheads, too. Incidentally, Mamata had met Dhankar in Darjeeling when Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswas Sarma was also present, which Opposition leaders are now pointing out. Trinamool sources have rejected any deal with the BJP, saying it has decided not to vote for Dhankar also. Announcing Alva's candidature, Pawar had exuded confidence that both Mamata and Arvind Kejriwal would vote for Alva. Earlier, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata had said that she could have supported Droupadi Murmu if the government had approached the Opposition in advance, remarks that were seen as an attempt to keep substantial Santhal votes in the state with her party. Now it is to be seen whether AAP also will follow the Trinamool Congress route. It had announced support for Opposition's Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha at the last minute. With hybrid militancy posing a new challenge to security agencies in recent months, Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh Friday said that it was a strategic move by Pakistan to shield the criminals. But, he said, so far the neighbouring country has failed to provide cover to the terrorists involved in killings. Hybrid-terrorism is a well-planned strategic move of Pakistan where they want crime to be committed and criminal to go scot-free. In this type of faceless terrorism, hybrid terrorists kill people including civilians and policemen then go underground in a bid to give impression that they have done nothing, the police chief told reporters after inaugurating a Womens Police Station in south Kashmirs Anantnag district. Also Read: 118 civilians killed since August 2019 in Jammu and Kashmir; 21 of them Hindus Singh, however, asserted that hybrid militancy was destined to fail as the police network was very strong to counter it. The police have busted and exposed all such underground modules who were involved in the killings of civilians and policemen, he said. The word hybrid first emerged after militants believed to be affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), killed two non-Muslim teachers inside the premises of a government school in Srinagar on October 7. According to police, hybrid militants are not listed as militants, but radicalized and trained enough to carry out terror attacks and then slip back into routine life. As most of them are teenagers and highly motivated, they do not cross the border for arms training nor do they go underground to commit violent acts. The J&K police chief said the impression that the police was only conducting anti-insurgency operations was wrong and the fact remains that social crimes were also being dealt with. Since terrorism has affected one and all in Kashmir, it looks like that police was focusing on handling terrorists only, he said. Singh added that the setting up of a womens police station was a move to bridge the gap between police and women. We will upgrade women police stations across Kashmir to provide breathing space to women. Such stations will also help deal with crimes against women to a large extent, he added. Y-20 large transport aircraft excels at aid delivery to foreign countries, shows Chinas duty of care as a major country By Guo Yuandan, Liu Xuanzun, Long Deyong, and Zhang Wenlong (Global Times) 14:19, July 22, 2022 Members of the military medical team to assist Hubei board a Y-20 aircraft in Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport on February 17, 2020. Photo: Long Deyong In the honor room of a regiment attached to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Central Theater Command Air Force, a trail map marked with red flags is particularly eye-catching: Tonga, Russia, South Korea... Those are cross-border air routes showing that the airmen of the regiment have piloted the large Y-20 transport aircraft throughout the world. These trails are a sign of the Air Force's hard work, and they also demonstrate China's active contribution to building a community with a shared future for mankind with practical actions. Pilots with the regiment told the Global Times in a recent interview that China's development means the growth of a force for world peace. For Y-20 pilots, the most exciting moment is the next flight mission, especially those to unfamiliar territories. When the task is completed, there is not only a sense of honor, but also the pride of having the support of a strong motherland. Two Y-20 aircraft affiliated with a regiment attached to the PLA Central Theater Command Air Force arrive in Nuku'alofa, Tonga to deliver disaster relief supplies on January 28, 2022. Photo: Ding Zengyi Y-20's epoch-defining significance The Y-20 is China's first large, independently developed, multi-purpose transport aircraft. It can perform long-distance air transport tasks of all kinds of goods and personnel under complex weather conditions. In January 2013, Air Force test pilots successfully carried out the maiden flight of the Y-20. On July 6, 2016, the Y-20 was officially commissioned into the Air Force, marking a key step in the Air Force's strategic delivery capabilities. Zhou Han, the leader of the Second Flight Detachment, likes this "flexible fat girl" very much. Whether it is takeoff, landing, subject training, or carrying out missions, the Y-20 gives him a feel of reliability. "The Y-20 subverts the design concept of traditional aircraft. The performance of the aircraft is closer to an actual combat model. It implements tactical maneuvers and completes tactical actions more smoothly on command." "The most obvious and intuitive change of the Y-20 is that it is easier to operate. In the past, instruments on the operating panels of older transport aircraft were of the mechanical pointer-type. The pilots needed to dynamically monitor all kinds of data. Now, the Y-20 adopts a fly-by-wire operating system. It has greater advantages than previous aircraft in terms of aerodynamic design, combat effectiveness, and flight control." Zhou said. Co-pilot Xia Xiong, who has a flight experience of 1,500 hours, has previously piloted different types of transport aircraft such as the Y-8. Xia said that, compared with previous aircraft he had piloted, the Y-20 marks a historic turning point. "The Y-20 is very intelligent and offers a very high degree of automation. From design to concept to the cockpit environment, it is at the world's top tier." As the key equipment to realize the strategic transformation of the PLA Air Force and improve its strategic delivery capability, the commissioning of the Y-20 has set higher requirements for pilots. This means that the pilot must not only pilot the aircraft, but also comprehensively manage all of the plane's resources. "The Y-20 only has a crew of two compared with larger crews on older aircraft, which means that the pilots must undertake multiple roles such as piloting, navigating, and communication. This requires us to have a broader range of knowledge and thoroughly understand the aircraft's structure and how it works, and truly realize the integration of man and machine," Xia said. Li Yan, the commander of the regiment, said that the deployment of the Y-20 has built an emotional bond between China and the people of the world, and has become a window through which the outside world can understand China and a calling card to showcase the image of the Chinese armed forces. Ni Ming, the political commissar of the regiment, said that since the commissioning of the Y-20, the trails made by the aircraft have "covered more than 190 airfields, civilian or military, in 19 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The contrails of the Y-20 show China's duty of care as a major country." A Y-20 aircraft affiliated with a regiment attached to the PLA Central Theater Command Air Force releases flares during a training exercise. Photo: Zhang Meng One after another Strategic delivery capability is an important part of a country's rapid response capability and an important indicator of a country's national defense strength. Large military transport aircraft are the core pieces of equipment for realizing long-range and rapid strategic delivery of a military. Since the Y-20 arrived in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province on February 13, 2020 transporting a military medical team and supplies to assist the province in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, marking the aircraft's participation in a military operation other than war for the first time, the Y-20 has maintained a high workload, creating and breaking records one after another, as its strategic delivery capability has been fully tested. On April 24, 2020, the Chinese military dispatched the Y-20 to provide emergency assistance to the armed forces of Pakistan with nucleic acid testing kits, personal protective suits, and other epidemic prevention and control supplies. This is the first time that the Y-20 has performed a mission abroad. The first is just the beginning. Next, the Y-20 made frequent appearances on the world stage and became China's latest calling card highlighting the country's commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities and obligations as a major power. According to publicly available reports, in just the first half of 2022, the Y-20 carried out numerous overseas missions. Especially in late January, a formation of Y-20s made a round-trip flight of 20,000 kilometers to Tonga to transport food, water purifiers, tents, and other relief supplies after the island country in the South Pacific was hit by an volcanic eruption and a subsequent tsunami. In mid-February, the Y-20 arrived in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, loaded with testing reagents, oxygen generators, and other anti-epidemic materials. The most recent trip was in late June, when several Y-20s arrived at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan with relief supplies including tents, towels, and foldable beds to assist the Afghan people after an earthquake. To Zhou, going overseas to carry out transportation tasks is now routine, and each mission strengthens the pilot's technical ability and mental acuity. But for the aircraft, every overseas mission is a test, and the long-distance flight in unfamiliar airspaces and unexpected weather conditions can better test the equipment. "We completely trust our equipment, but we are also well prepared for all kinds of emergencies," Zhou said. Consecutive missions have demonstrated the excellent performance of the Y-20. In late January this year, Zhou and his colleagues piloted two Y-20s during the Tonga mission. After a flight of more than 10,000 kilometers, they crossed the equator and arrived in Tonga, an island country in the South Pacific, to deliver humanitarian relief supplies. This is the Y-20's farthest delivery mission thus far. Zhou said, "We did a lot of planning in advance. The climate in the Pacific Ocean is complex and dynamic, and we have made corresponding plans for various climatic conditions to accurately calculate the fuel consumption for long-term flights. At that time, there were aftershocks and sporadic volcanic eruptions in Tonga from time to time. The volcanic ash had a certain level of impact on the aircraft as well. We also prepared measures in case of an emergency." Xia participated in the Pakistan mission for the first time to deliver anti-epidemic supplies. This was also his first overseas mission after switching to flying the Y-20. "Domestic and international media outlets have paid great attention to this mission." However, what impressed Xia was that compared with previous missions, he was not only a pilot, but also an English liaison officer, which was also a first. Xia and all other pilots had practiced their English intensively, which provides them with the fluency to communicate in the language while on overseas missions. Challenges of overseas missions Zhou and Xia's experiences as well as those of their colleagues resonate with the public, but to them, these missions are nothing out of ordinary. Whether it is flying to Pakistan or Tonga, the flight skills required are the same with no deviations. Every overseas mission requires careful planning and overcoming of all kinds of challenges. When receiving a mission to fly overseas, a lot of preparations must first be done, including the preparation of data related to the designated airport, the setting and planning of the flight routes, the prediction of the weather conditions during the flight, and setting of measures for various emergencies. A particularly special point of focus is the need for the pilot to understand the customs and religious beliefs of the destination country. Zhou said, "Our every move represents not only the image of the Chinese armed forces, but also China's national image. Therefore, we must start from the most minute of details, show good comportment, and convey the vision of peace." Despite all the challenges, the pilots feel that all their hard work and collective efforts are worth it when they successfully deliver relief supplies to other countries. "When flying and touching down abroad the Y-20 with 'Chinese Air Force' painted on the fuselage in a foreign country and I see welcoming crowd with the Chinese flag fluttering in the wind, I am very satisfied, not only am I personally elated, but I also strongly realize that the motherland is our most powerful support," Zhou recalled. Since 2020, air mechanic Kong Jianzhao and his colleagues have flown more than 30 sorties with the Y-20 to 10 overseas airports in 9 countries including Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar to deliver anti-epidemic materials, proactively contributing to global epidemic prevention and control. Kong was deeply impressed by many comments from foreign media outlets. "China's military might is not merely a show of force, but it is the capacity for helping the weak; not for war, but for peace." "China's development marks the growing force for world peace." "With China, we are not alone." (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Released: July 22, 2022 Delaware County Council has issued a Declaration of Heat Emergency on July 22 due to the ongoing heat wave affecting the region. Temperatures are forecasted to remain in the 90s with high humidity for the next several days. Seniors, young children, or anyone with heart and lung conditions are advised to limit exposure outdoors. Please take the time to identify and check in on any at-risk or elderly loved ones and neighbors. During periods of prolonged heat, the elderly and people with chronic health conditions are usually the first to be affected by the heat. The following are some preventative tips that can help residents cope with extreme heat: Dress appropriately by wearing lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Stay indoors in air-conditioned areas as much as possible. If you do not have air conditioning, you can seek relief for some part of the day at a local senior center, a mall, a library, and a movie theater, or visit family who have air conditioning. If using a fan to keep cool, a window should be kept open to allow the hot air to escape. Keep blinds and curtains drawn and spend as much time as possible on the first floor of the home. Protect skin and eyes by using sunscreen and wearing a wide-brimmed hat or sunglasses when outdoors. Drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty, to prevent dehydration. Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages. Take cool baths or showers. Cool water temperature cools your body 25 times faster than cool air. If the following signs are experienced, you should call a doctor or seek medical help immediately: fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, dry skin, rapid heartbeat, and cramps. As we experience the heat wave over the next few days, Council reminds residents of the County's Heat Plan, which includes additional tips and resources offered by the County to help vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly, stay safe during the summer season. The Heat Plan is available on the COSA website at delcopa.gov/heatplan. Seniors over the age of 60 are reminded that they are eligible to receive no-cost box fans by calling COSA at (610) 490-1300 during normal business hours, Mon.-Fri. from 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m., or through their local senior center. During this heat wave, seniors can also contact the Countys Health Department Wellness Line this Sat. and Sun., from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., at (484) 276-2100, to request a free box fan. Residents who received LIHEAP funding over the winter are eligible to contact Community Action Agency of Delaware County (CAADC) by phone at (610) 521-8770 to request an air conditioner or fan. CAADC may also provide assistance with repairs to central air conditioning systems. During extreme heat, individuals experiencing homelessness are at particular risk. If you see someone in need of shelter, please contact the Delaware County Human Services Outreach Team at (267) 671-4357. The Countys 24-hour Emergency Heat Information Line is now active at (610) 872-1558 and will remain available to residents throughout the summer. The information line provides heat safety tips and reminders and emergency information. Note that residents should call 911 in the event of an emergency. An exhibition is to be staged next month to celebrate the life, influence, work and legacy of the late Bishop of Derry, Edward Daly. A Man For All Seasons will pay tribute to the wide and varied contribution he made to peace and reconciliation in Ireland, to Derry and its diocese as well as the search for justice and to healing the differences that divides the North. The exhibition, being supported by Derry and Strabane District Council. will be staged in St. Eugenes Cathedral Hall, Infirmary Road, close to St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 August. The son of shopkeepers Tom and Susan Daly (nee Flood), Edward Kevin Daly was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, but raised in Belleek, in the adjacent county of Fermanagh the eldest of six siblings. After attending St Columb's College in Derry as a boarder, he spent six years studying towards ordination to the priesthood at the Irish College in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Derry in Belleek on March 16, 1957. His first appointment was as a curate in Castlederg in County Tyrone, ahead of being appointed a curate in St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry in 1962. The then Fr Daly waving a blood-stained which handkerchief as the fatally wounded Jackie Duddy is carried from the Bogside during Bloody Sunday He left briefly in the 1970s to serve as a religious advisor to RTE in Dublin but spent the majority of his career in Derry. During his time in the city, he took part in the civil rights marches and had first-hand experience of the Battle of the Bogside in 1969. The then Fr Daly came to worldwide prominence after the Bloody Sunday murders on January 30, 1972 when, after being close to one of those shot dead, Jackie Duddy - to whom he administered the Last Rites - a photographic image of him waving a blood-stained handkerchief as the fatally-wounded 17-year-old was carried from the Bogside was flashed across the globe. Commenting on the killing, he said: the talented amateur boxer was 'a young fella who was posing no threat to anybody being shot dead unjustifiably. He constantly kept a photograph of Jackie given to him by his family on his desk. Prior to Bloody Sunday, he was sympathetic to the 'old" IR,A' of which his father was a member, but the events of Bloody Sunday left him of the opinion that 'violence is completely unacceptable as a means to a political end,' which led to a tension with the Provisional IRA throughout his career. In 1973, he worked with RTE in Dublin as a religious adviser for several months, appearing on numerous television programmes and contributing to many television documentaries on religious and Northern Ireland affairs. Bishop Daly was awarded the Freedom of the City by Derry City Council in 2015 along with his long-time friend, Dr James Mehaffey, the retired Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, from Mayor Brenda Stevenson. He was appointed Bishop of Derry in 1974 - at the age of 40 becoming the youngest bishop in Ireland. His tenure was marked by conflict with the IRA over that organisation's use of violence to advance its political cause for a united Ireland and he and IRA spokesmen repeatedly exchanged words via the local press. The Catholic bishops of Ireland discussed the possibility of excommunicating IRA members several times during his tenure, often in the aftermath of a particularly bloody attack, though no decision was ever reached. He was always reluctant to excommunicate and used the motto 'better to communicate than excommunicate,' for which he was severely criticised by the British tabloid press, but he was outspoken in his opposition to violence by both sides. He introduced a ban on paramilitary trappings at Catholic funerals and in 1976 organised a protest march through Derry city centre in a response to an increase in sectarian murders, at which he was joined by almost all the clergy in the city and led by his Protestant counterpart, an event which was unprecedented in the city's history. Throughout his career and particularly his tenure as Bishop of Derry, he took a keen interest in the criminal justice system, seeking to attend to the needs of prisoners, internees and victims of miscarriages of justice including the Birmingham Six (who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, and whose convictions were quashed in 1991). The scene in the grounds of St Eugene's Cathedral as Bishop Edward is carrying to his final resting place. Along with the then Catholic Primate of all Ireland, Tomas O Fiaich, he lobbied the British Government in 1977 against its decision to revoke Special Category Status (political prisoner status) from IRA prisoners and subsequently their treatment as criminals. When the issue culminated in a hunger strike in 1981 which resulted in the deaths of ten prisoners in the Long Kesh prison, he lobbied the European Commission on Human Rights to intervene. In 1979, he was involved in planning a visit by Pope John Paul II to Armagh, scheduled for September and which had won the approval of the British Government, but the visit was cancelled in the wake of the IRA's assassination of Lord Mountbatten and the Warrenpoint ambush (in which 18 British soldiers were killed), both on 27 August 1979. The visit was transferred to Drogheda, in the same archdiocese but across the border in the Republic, where the Pope appealed to the IRA to give up armed resistance. While he was always willing to attend to the religious needs of IRA members, he refused to engage in any formal meeting until 1992, when John Hume, the leader of Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), who was attempting to negotiate a truce with the IRA, and with whom he was close friends, convinced him to meet Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. He later remarked that he shared much common ground with the two, particularly Derry man McGuinness. Despite the tension between Catholics and Protestants, Daly maintained a personal friendship with James Mehaffey, the Anglican (Protestant) Bishop of Derry and Raphoe from the latter's appointment in 1980. Among many joint projects they co-founded two charities with the intent to promote community healing in Derry after years of sectarian violence. He retired from his position as Bishop of Derry in October 1993, after suffering a stroke. He was succeeded by Bishop Seamus Hegarty and in retirement took up the post of chaplain at Foyle Hospice. Former SDLP leader and Nobel laureate John Hume and his wife Pat with their dear friend and former Bishop of Derry Edward Daly. He and Bishop Mehaffey were awarded the Freedom of the City in 2015. Then Mayor, Brenda Stevenson, said the joint award was in recognition of the two bishops' efforts towards peace and community cohesion. Bishop Daly passed in Altnagelvin Hospital on August 8, 2016, at the age of 82, having been admitted after a fall several weeks previously - he had also been diagnosed with cancer. Among those who paid tribute was President Michael D Higgins and his predecessor Mary McAleese as well as the leaders of various religious denominations. Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of All Ireland, described Bishop Daly as having 'literally spent himself in the service of others' and said he would remembered as 'a fearless peace- builder.' The bells of the Cathedral tolled for one hour on the morning of Daly's death while many local people visited the church where is remains laid in state. His coffin was sealed at midday on August 11 and buried after Requiem Mass in the grounds of St Eugene's Cathedral alongside his predecessor, Bishop Neil Farren. The family of the late Bishop Daly accompany his remains to St Eugene's Cathedral. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics) The funeral, conducted by the incumbent Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown, was attended by multiple religious and political leaders from across Ireland and retired leaders from throughout Bishop Daly's career. A message from Pope Francis was read out at the beginning of the service. Hundreds of members of the public listened to the funeral service in the Cathedral grounds and surrounding streets. Many of those present wept openly as his coffin was greeted with applause as it was carried out of the Cathedral for burial. Northern Irelands air ambulance service has been used 3,000 times since it was officially launched in 2017. The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), which operates for 12 hours every day throughout the year, is marking its fifth anniversary on Friday. It is operated by a partnership between the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland charity. Its first high-profile callout saw Conor McMullan, then 11, taken to hospital with a serious head fracture after an accident on his family farm. He went on to make a full recovery, and recently said he will always be grateful for the service. Of the 3,080 missions completed, almost a quarter were for serious road crashes, 22% for medical emergencies, 19% for falls, 10% for agricultural accidents and workplace incidents, 8% for sport and leisure, 4% for deliberate self harm and 3% for drowning and burns. NIAS medical director Dr Nigel Ruddell thanked all those involved with the service. In those five years the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland charity have worked together to ensure that, on over 3,000 occasions, patients have benefited from the highest levels of clinical care provided by the doctor and paramedic team, he said. Every call is received in ambulance control with NIAS paramedics dispatched to the scene but, on an average of twice a day, the charity air ambulance is tasked to the incident in support of their road ambulance colleagues. Today provides me with an opportunity to thank all those involved in the delivery of the service, including NIAS control staff, NIAS operational staff, the medics in the HEMS team and the pilot, without whose expertise many of these calls could not be reached. Air Ambulance Northern Ireland is responsible for charity governance and helicopter operations and has two aircraft based just outside Lisburn. Charity chairman Dr Gerard OHare said as well as the clinical provision provided by NIAS, it takes 2 million each year in fundraising to sustain the HEMS, and costs are rising. Yet with the continued support of the public we can be there for the next five years, and beyond, to help save lives in Northern Ireland, he said. The charity is encouraging donations to be made in support of the service at www.airambulanceni.org Belfast is on the verge of a public health emergency after a spate of deaths among the most vulnerable, an SDLP councillor said. There have been 15 deaths of the most vulnerable in the capital recently. Paul McCusker has been working with the homeless for 10 years and said he has never seen as much despair and devastation on the streets. He called an emergency meeting on Friday between the council, Stormont departments and statutory agencies to discuss the recent increase in deaths among those impacted by homelessness and addiction. Its a city in crisis and its coming to a stage where were going to have to call a public health emergency (because) so many people are dying in a very short space of time, he told the BBC. Something needs to be done to step in to prevent more deaths and protect the most vulnerable in the city. A march and demonstration is set for Belfast on Saturday afternoon to call for action from the Government. It is organised by The Peoples Kitchen and homeless charities, backed by trade union Unite. They said the death of a young woman took the recent number of homeless deaths to 15. In a statement, Belfast City Council said Lord Mayor Tina Black hosted a meeting between councillors and representatives from the PSNI, Housing Executive, Belfast Trust, Department of Health, Department for Communities, Department of Justice and the Public Health Agency to discuss the situation. We have witnessed tragic deaths on the streets of Belfast & cities across Ireland Mayor of Belfast, @CllrBlack, brought together parties & organisations to plan actions to support people Belfast can be a beacon of hope & compassion, delivering real change for vulnerable people pic.twitter.com/OdBp87xAFV Belfast Sinn Fein (@belfastsinnfein) July 22, 2022 Ms Black said the council will continue to act as a city convenor to support the ongoing work of Stormont departments and statutory agencies to find solutions to address the complex issues associated with addiction and homelessness, and to end long-term homelessness in the city. At todays meeting, the council and elected members reaffirmed their commitment to support the work of the relevant bodies in justice, health and communities to help those who are vulnerable and in need of support, she said. Unite regional co-ordinating officer Susan Fitzgerald has urged participation in Saturdays march. Our union is encouraging others to join this march to demand action on homelessness, she said. So far this year, there have been 15 deaths of homeless people on our streets; that toll is an indictment of Stormont. It is disgusting that in our society so many are brutalised by poverty, addiction and abuse and then just left to fend for themselves with little or no support. Fundamentally, we need to tackle the root cause of homelessness. We need public housing and fully funded, expanded NHS-run addiction and counselling services. Right now, we need immediate action. Stormont must act and deliver supported accommodation for all homeless people; in particular that they make good on the promise to vulnerable women who have been left with no options since the closure of Regina Coeli House. Motorola Razr 2022 and the Moto X30 Pro are now confirmed to launch on August 2 in China. The third generation of Razr clamshell phones is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 while the Moto X30 Pro is slated to be the first phone with a 200MP main camera system. Motorola has posted a teaser on Weibo which reveals the launch date and time for China but theres no word on the global launch yet. Meanwhile, Samsung is also set to unveil the Flip 4 clamshell phone on August 10, likely alongside the Fold 4 foldable. Motorola Razr 2022 and Moto X30 Pro specs and features The Motorola Razr 2022 is expected to feature a 120Hz refresh rate display along with three cameras on the back. These are rumoured to be a 50MP main camera, a wide-angle sensor and a macro camera along with a 32MP selfie camera. The cover display is expected to be bigger on the Razr 2022 and it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and will be paired with upto 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. As for the Moto X30 Pro, it has been leaked previously as the Motorola Frontier and is rumoured to feature a whopping 200MP main camera. It features a 6.6-inch display and will likely be powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Its also expected to support 125W fast charging, a first for any Motorola phone. Well know more about the Moto Razr 2022 and the Moto X30 Pro as we near the launch date which is on August 2. Telecom operators are preparing to launch 5G services in India. By the end of this year, customers should be able to avail 5G services from telecom providers like Jio, Airtel, and Vi if everything goes according to schedule. On the other hand, BSNL has not yet begun offering 4G services. To provide native 4G and 5G services to the general public, the state-owned telecom operator recently received government assistance and is working closely with Tata Consultancy Services. According to a recent report, BSNL intends to roll out 4G services across the country of India in the next 24 months. According to a recent Economic Times report, the Tata Group subsidiary Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which demonstrated the fourth generation, or 4G, proof-of-concept successfully, is working with the government-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on network planning, technical, and commercial aspects. BSNL's 4G service coming soon TCS is all set to wrap up discussions with BSNL on a number of deployment-related and business-related prospects. Before the year is out, the company already has plans in place to deliver the first batch of equipment. Multiple testing phases have been conducted, including integration with their existing network and systems. The process reportedly went without a hitch. TCS and BSNL are working together to complete the 4G deployment in the upcoming 18 to 24 months. A spokesperson has stated that the company is already working on it and has the 5G NSA core and radios in the likely bands ready for final testing. If the rumours are true, the government was thinking of allowing BSNL to order equipment for up to 100,000 additional sites in addition to the 12,400 that were initially offered. During its trial 4G run in India, BSNL was able to provide download speeds of up to 20Mbps. Subscriber content preview By KEN SWEET, MICHAEL CASEY and ALEX VEIGA The Associated Press NEW YORK Kyle Tomcak was looking for a home for his in-laws in the suburbs around Denver, something priced close to $450,000. Tomcak became dispirited as he lost out to investors fronting cash offers $100,000 over the asking price. Then mortgage rates ballooned, putting his price range out of reach. . . . Droupadi Murmu elected President of India Droupadi Murmu, the 64-year-old tribal leader from Odisha, scripted history on Thursday, becoming the first tribal woman to be elected President of India, and the first person born after Independence to be elected to the highest office of the country. The second woman to be elected Indias First Citizen, Murmu will be sworn in as the 15th President of India on 25 July. NDAs presidential nominee, Droupadi Murmu defeated her rival, opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, by a margin of 947 votes, bagging 64.03 per cent of the electoral college votes against Sinhas share of 35.97 per cent. Murmu got the maximum votes from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, while Sinha gained votes in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Counting of votes in the presidential polls began in Parliament House at 11 am on Thursday and returning officer P C Mody declared Droupadi Murmu the victor after 9.30 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Droupadi Murmu on being elected as President of India. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said; "India scripts history. At a time when 1.3 billion Indians are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a daughter of India hailing from a tribal community born in a remote part of eastern India has been elected our President! Congratulations to Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji on this feat." Born on 20 June 1958 to a Santhal family in Uperbeda village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, Murmu was the first girl in her village to go to college. Before beginning her career in politics, Murmu was a teacher at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre in Rairangpur. She then went on to work as a junior assistant in the irrigation and power department of the Odisha government. She started her political career winning the election to the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat as a BJP councillor in 1997. In 2000, she was first elected to the Odisha assembly and went on to become a minister of state (independent charge) for commerce and industry and the minister for fisheries and animal resources development in the BJD-BJP coalition government, thereafter. In 2004, she won a second term in the state assembly. As transport minister of Odisha, she was credited with having set up transport offices in all 58 subdivisions of the state. After the 2005, Murmu was outside the Odisha cabinet. She also lost the 2009 and 2014 assembly polls. Between 2009 and 2014, she also lost three of her closest family members her eldest son Laxman Murmu in 2009, her younger son Sippun Murmu in 2013, and then her husband Shyam Charan Murmu in 2014. Her mother and brother also passed away during this time. In 2015, Murmu was appointed Governor of Jharkhand and stayed in the post till 2021. She was the first woman governor of the state. As a Santhal leader and an inspirational figure for her community and for women in general. When the BJP government passed the Chota Nagpur Tenancy and Santhal Parganas Tenancy laws in the Jharkhand assembly, Murmu withheld her assent, after tribals opposed it over fears that it would curtail their land rights. Murmu is a deeply religious person and a keen practitioner of the meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris, a movement she embraced after the tragic loss of her husband, two sons, mother and brother. She is fluent in Santhali and Odia languages, and is an excellent orator. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for being a member of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group. The 40-year-old ex-Defence Forces member was found guilty in May of IS membership but was cleared of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublins Special Criminal Court. She was granted bail ahead of sentencing. Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country. She had pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of IS and providing funds to benefit the group. Passing sentence on Friday, presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt said Smith, from Co Louth, had aligned herself to a foreign terrorist organisation, which he described as serious for an Irish citizen. He acknowledged that the evidence showed she had followed rather than led, adding: She may have been easily led but then displayed characteristics of resilience the rejection of her family, travelling to Syria and remaining there to the bitter end. He said the judges in the case had taken into consideration Smiths previous good character and the fact that she had made a positive contribution to society during her military service. The judge added that she had had a tough time in Syria but that it was a foreseeable consequence of joining IS. He said the three-judge, non-jury court had accepted that Smith had suffered from domestic violence during her marriage in Syria, but there has since been a dramatic change in her life. Shes now a mother in care of a young child, he told the court. The judge said he is satisfied that she is not likely to reoffend and that her focus is now on her daughter. Describing the trial as novel, he added: There is no basis that she is a source of present danger. He said the judges had accepted that life in the Syrian camps was arduous and the equivalent of being in prison, and that they had given a substantial discount off Smiths sentence because of this. The maximum sentence for the offence is eight years. Smith, from Dundalk, was described in court earlier this month as an extremely vulnerable person who was treated like a servant by her late husband when in Syria. The details emerged during a sentencing hearing on July 11 as her barrister argued that she should receive a suspended sentence. Michael OHiggins SC told the court that the state of Smiths marriage to a man, who the prosecution has claimed was a member of IS, while in Syria was a very relevant factor in mitigation. Mr OHiggins said the conditions endured by Smith in a Syrian camp, combined with the strict bail conditions imposed on her for two-and-a-half years in Ireland, meant that a suspended sentence was warranted. The court heard that, after leaving Baghuz, Ms Smith stayed at the Al Hawl camp from February to mid-April in an undercurrent of fear, with guards patrolling the area and dogs let out at night. Her barrister said that if those two arguments were not accepted, there should be a sentence at the lower end, particularly considering Smiths child and all of the very unusual circumstances. The verdict in the case was read out by Mr Justice Hunt on May 30. In his judgment, he acquitted her of the financing terrorism charge, saying it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that when she sent 800 euro to a man in 2015 it was specifically for the purpose of supporting the IS group. But he said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Smith took up membership of IS when she crossed the border into Syria in October 2015. The judge told the court that Smiths online communications with various people showed that her eyes were wide open to the situation in the land to which she fervently wished to return. He added that she had pledged allegiance to the organisation which al-Baghdadi led, and that she knew the organisation was unlawful, and that it was not conventional or religious. AIB said it will scrap plans to make 70 of its 170 branches cashless after members of the public, various organisations and politicians criticised the plan. Notes, coins, cheques, foreign exchange and bank drafts would have been unavailable at the branches from the autumn, and cash machines outside would have been removed. There was sharp criticism of AIBs plan, with politicians pointing out the bank took almost 21 billion euros of taxpayers money and is 60% owned by the state. On Thursday, Irish premier Micheal Martin asked bosses to reconsider. In a statement to the PA news agency, AIB said it decided not to proceed with the proposed changes to its bank services because of the customer and public unease that this has caused. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe welcomed the announcement, saying banks have a key role in maintaining the flow of cash through the economy and ensuring appropriate access to retail banking services for all in society, including the vulnerable. I note the significant public reaction to AIBs announcement earlier this week and I welcome the banks decision not to proceed with the proposed changes to customer services in certain branches. We have seen many changes to our banking sector in recent years, driven by factors including advances in technology and changing consumer demand. It is against that background that I launched the retail banking review to assess how the sector can be best positioned to meet current and future customer needs. I look forward to receiving the recommendations of the review later in the year. Earlier on Friday, Minister of State Ossian Smyth said the withdrawal of cash, cheque and cash machine services from 70 branches across the country was an opportunity. I want to see strong community banking across Ireland. Whether thats done through credit unions, post offices or community banking, Mr Smyth told RTEs Morning Ireland programme. I think this is an opportunity for the post office and the credit unions. An Post had said its 920 post offices would continue to offer the services, six days a week, that AIB had intended to withdraw. This includes cash, foreign exchange and cheque services. In a statement on Friday, AIB said: In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of digital banking services and a decline in branch visits and cash usage. In AIBs case, there are 2.9 million daily digital interactions, compared with 35,000 customer branch visits. There has been a 36% decline in cash withdrawals from ATMs and a 50% fall in cheque usage over the past five years. AIB has also seen a fall of almost 50% in branch over-the-counter teller transactions, while mobile and online payments have increased by 85% in that same timeframe. It was in the context of this evolving banking environment and the opportunity to enhance its long-standing relationship with An Post that AIB took the decision to remove cash services from 70 of its branches. The bank continues to retain its 170-strong branch network in its entirety and will also continue to offer banking services through its relationship with at An Post at its 920 post offices nationwide. Green Party Spokesperson for Social Protection, Marc O Cathasaigh welcomed the reversal. This was a wrong-headed decision from the start, he said. Communities and small towns rely heavily on these services, and the decision to move to cashless branches would have impacted older people and small businesses in particular. This flies in the face of AIBs marketing and branding about Backing Brave cash is the life-blood of many small businesses, and closing cash services would have turned the screw on retail outlets trying to keep their businesses afloat. The Taoiseach has described visiting a Singapore site where his uncle was held as a prisoner of war during the Second World War as an emotional experience. Micheal Martin toured Changi Chapel and Museum on Friday on the final day of his four-day official visit to Singapore and Japan. Glad to get the opportunity to visit Changi Museum today, where my uncle Philip spent a number of years as a prisoner of war after the fall of Singapore. pic.twitter.com/VAUWFlPLvF Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) July 22, 2022 The museum tells the story of the prisoners of war and civilians interned in Changi prison camp during the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945. Mr Martins uncle, Philip Martin, served in the British Military. He was captured by the Japanese army 1942 and imprisoned for three years until the camp was liberated in 1945. His name is listed in the museum. Speaking during his visit, Mr Martin said: I was very pleased to get the opportunity to come to Changi to the site of the prison where my uncle Philip spent a number of years here after the fall of Singapore. He was a prisoner of war. We were told a number of stories about how cruel and traumatic it was and how much weight they lost and so on, and all of that. But to actually be here and see his name on the screen is quite an emotional experience. More than 83,000 people, including soldiers and civilian men, women and children, were held captive in the prison. The building has since been recreated as a visitor centre. Changi Museum visit, Singapore pic.twitter.com/vtNtfqjwMh Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) July 22, 2022 Later, the Taoiseach met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the city-state. Mr Martin said he received a warm welcome from the Prime Minister and described the meeting as positive. The two leaders discussed economic, cultural and political relations, and opportunities, between Singapore and Ireland. They also had an exchange on Singapores death penalty and LGBT rights. In a post on social media, Mr Martin said: We discussed the great potential in the relationship between our two nations, and also Russias invasion of Ukraine, regional issues in Asia, EU-UK relations and climate change. A good meeting with Irish Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD today. We talked about domestic & global developments, including the war in Ukraine & its impact on global energy markets, & addressed areas for further cooperation. LHL https://t.co/MhRNRDoepP pic.twitter.com/xMUi8AGXAY leehsienloong (@leehsienloong) July 22, 2022 The Taoiseach also attended a business lunch hosted by State agencies including Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Bord Bia. It was the first visit by a Taoiseach to Singapore since 2014. Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier who travelled to Syria to join Isis in 2014, has been jailed for 15 months by the Special Criminal Court. She is the first person to be convicted in an Irish court of an Islamic terrorist offence committed abroad. Smith, dressed in a hijab, turned her back on the body of the court and could be seen wiping away tears when the sentence was revealed. Mr Justice Tony Hunt also refused to release her on bail. Her lawyers asked for her to be released as they prepare an appeal against her conviction. During a previous hearing they had asked the court not to send Smith to jail and to consider a wholly suspended sentence. Mr Justice Hunt did not suspend any portion of the sentence and noted that while Smith is a low risk for re-offending, she was persistent and determined in her efforts to travel to Syria and join Isis and has shown no remorse for her actions. The maximum sentence for membership of a terrorist group is eight years in prison. Mr Justice Hunt said the court had to give Smith the benefit of the doubt and said there is no evidence that she did more than ally herself with Isis. He set her offence at the lower end of the scale but noted that "it is nonetheless serious" for an Irish citizen to take up allegiance with a terrorist organisation and persist with it. He said there was evidence that she followed rather than led but she also knew the nature of the terrorist organisation and considered its objectives. He added that "she may have been easily led by circumstances and other people" but she had also shown resilience and determination to join and remain with Isis "to the bitter end". She had rejected her family and one of her husbands, who refused to swear allegiance to Isis, and had aligned herself with terrorists such as John Georgelas, an American Isis fighter and propagandist who was killed during fighting in Syria. Having set the headline sentence at two years and six months, Mr Justice Hunt said mitigating factors include her previous good character and her positive contribution to society through her military service. He said she had a difficult time in Syria before being brought back to Ireland in December 2019 but added that this was a "foreseeable consequence of her choice to attach herself to Isis". Mr Justice Hunt also noted that she suffered domestic violence from the man she married while in Syria in 2015 and that the birth of her daughter has created a significant change in her personal circumstances. He said she has been of good behaviour since returning to Ireland and there is no suggestion that she is a source of present or future danger. He added: "In future her focus will be her daughter, therefore the likelihood of re-offending is low." Her time in Syria was "arduous", he said, and he noted that her lawyers had argued that she should be given credit for the time she spent in refugee camps and for the time she has spent under curfew in Ireland since she was released on bail in early 2020. But the judge found that her crime warrants a prison term to underline the seriousness of the offence and to deter others from offering concrete support to dangerous organisations. Considering all factors, he reduced the headline sentence by 50 per cent, to 15 months. Her sentence was backdated by one month to take into account time she spent in custody following her arrest in December 2019. Michael O'Higgins SC, for Smith, asked the court to release his client on bail pending an appeal but Mr Justice Hunt said there was no basis for a bail application and the matter is now in the hands of the Court of Appeal. Smith (40) from Dundalk, Co Louth had pleaded not (NOT) guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She was convicted by the three-judge, non-jury court of membership of Isis following a trial earlier this year. She accepted that she travelled to Isis-controlled Syria in 2014 but denied that she had ever joined Isis or any other group. She said she believed she had a religious obligation to live inside the Islamic State created by terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Mr Justice Hunt, delivering the court's verdict, said that she went to Syria with her "eyes wide open" having watched videos of Isis atrocities and having taken part in online discussions about Isis with jihadis from Germany, Australia, America and parts of the Middle East. He said that her journey to Syria was in itself an act of allegiance and pointed to evidence that she swore an oath of allegiance to al-Baghdadi and that she urged her former husband to do the same and divorced him when he refused. A Dundalk woman found guilty of being a member of Islamic State (IS) is due to appear before a Dublin court today for sentencing. Ex-Defence Forces member Lisa Smith, 40, was found guilty in May of membership of the IS terror group but was acquitted of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublins non-jury Special Criminal Court. Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country. She had pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of IS and providing funds to benefit the group. She was granted bail ahead of sentencing. Smith, from Dundalk, was described in court earlier this month as an extremely vulnerable person who was treated like a servant by her late husband when in Syria. The details emerged during a sentencing hearing on July 11 as her barrister argued that the former soldier should receive a suspended sentence. During the hearing, barrister Michael OHiggins SC argued that the state of Ms Smiths marriage to a man, who the prosecution has claimed was a member of IS while in Syria, is a very relevant factor in mitigation. Mr OHiggins said that conditions endured by Ms Smith in a Syrian camp, combined with the strict bail conditions imposed on her for two-and-a-half years in Ireland, meant that a suspended sentence was warranted. The court heard that after leaving Baghuz, Ms Smith stayed at the Al Hawl camp from February to mid-April in an undercurrent of fear, with guards patrolling the area and dogs let out at night. Her barrister argued that if those two arguments are not accepted, there should be a sentence on the lower end, particularly considering Ms Smiths child and all of the very unusual circumstances. The verdict in the case was read out by Mr Justice Tony Hunt on May 30. In his judgment Justice Hunt, who sat as part of the three-judge court, acquitted her of the financing terrorism charge, saying it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that when she sent 800 euro to a man in 2015 it was specifically for the purpose of supporting the IS group. But the judge said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Smith took up membership of IS when she crossed the border into Syria in October 2015. He told the court that Ms Smiths online communications with various people showed that her eyes were wide open to the situation in the land to which she fervently wished to return. Justice Hunt said Ms Smith pledged allegiance to the organisation which al-Baghdadi headed up and that she knew the organisation was unlawful, and that it was not conventional or religious. Councillors voted to make a variation to the Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 at July's meeting with just three of the members present, Paula Butterly, Bernadette Conlon and Dolores Minogue voting against the measure. Councillors were given a presentation by Joanna Kelly, Senior Planner at Louth County Council and were told that the housing allocation within the development plan had to be amended to take into account new housing and population projections as well as to align the plan with the Affordable Housing Act 2021 passed in the Dail last year. The new figures revised down the housing allocation in Louth during the term of the plan from 8278 to 6524 with Ms. Kelly stressing that the council had no control over the figure and that the figures are given by the government. Broken down by area the new housing allocation for Dundalk was 2447 down from 2606; Drogheda was 2447 down from 3043; Ardee was 584 down to 440. Similarly, the housing allocation for each area in Louth was revised down with the exception of Carlingford and Termonfeckin which saw increases. Ms. Kelly stated that: It is not envisaged that the revised figures will inhibit population or economic growth in Drogheda or Dundalk or the wider county for that matter. Cllr Michelle Hall noted that various bodies had questioned why the numbers for Drogheda had been reduced. My concern is that Drogheda has the largest housing crisis in the county where we have the most people on the social housing waiting list, up to 12 years compared to 5 in Ardee and maybe 7 in Dundalk, and by reducing the allocation are we compounding the problem. Councillor John Sheridan asked if, given that there was no change to the zoning if the numbers represented a cap on the number of houses that could be built. Ms. Kelly reponded by saying the figures were not caps but were targets going on to say: I can understand why there would be some concern when people see the numbers being reduced, but we're still a long way off realising the figures that we have, even the reduced figures that we have in terms of completions some I'm not concerned in that regard. Chief Executive Joan Martin further commented that if the only alternative would have been to leave higher figures in Dundalk and Drogheda which would have meant making all of the reduction in the smaller towns and villages and given we have 75% of the allocation in Dundalk and Drogheda it really wasn't a feasible option to go down that road and it wouldn't be an option that would be favoured by a lot of councillors either. She said that there was currently a huge number of sites open around the county particularly in north Drogheda and the Dundalk area and that she had no concerns about the council working towards the target populations set out in Ireland 2040, and that even achieving the current numbers as they were given the current pressures on the construction sector would be a big achievement. She went on to say that the variation was taking place because we are required to do it, because we weren't in a position to do it when we were doing the County Development Plan and that we made a commitment to carry out the variation within six months and that is what we are doing, but there's no impact on any part of the county in terms of the ability to continue to deliver houses and grant planning permissions in accordance with the development plan, there is no challenge to the county on foot of any of these changes. The variation was carried by 20 votes to 3. Creative Spark in Dundalk has received 5000 in funding for to support the SEEK art festival as part of a new round of funding announced by the Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media today. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has today announced a funding allocation of 122,045 for 34 events to support Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools taking place around Ireland in 2022. The scheme is designed to assist local cultural events which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events such as those supported by Failte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. Closing date for applications was the 22nd April 2022. Funding was allocated following a competitive applications process, with a maximum grant of 5,000 available. Commenting on the funding, Minister Catherine Martin said: "I am very pleased to support the Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools scheme this year. Culture and arts add hugely to our lives and to our community. "These projects make a very important contribution to the development and promotion of Ireland's cultural tourism offering, to the benefit of both the domestic and foreign tourist. I send my congratulations and best wishes to the organisers and I hope that the attendees enjoy the events. SEEK is an arts, heritage and culture festival aimed at attracting some of the worlds best outdoor muralists and urban artists to Dundalk. Up to US$ 50 million financing to QNB Finansbank for on-lending to small and medium-sized women-led companies EBRD to focus on promoting inclusive growth and resilience of Turkeys economy Funds are part of the Turkey Women in Business Programme II backed by the EU and Turkey The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a loan of up to US$ 50 million to QNB Finansbank, for on-lending to women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Turkey under the EBRDs flagship Women in Business programme. The financing aims to strengthen the role of women-led SMEs in the Turkish economy and to promote inclusive sustainable growth. The Women in Business programme is supported by a risk-sharing mechanism through the Turkish Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF) and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. The European Union (EU) is also providing grants to fund the technical consultancy that will help QNB Finansbank to develop more products and services dedicated to women-led businesses. The new investment is part of the 600 million in financing dedicated to Turkish women entrepreneurs announced by EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso last year. Since 2014 the programme has helped more than 20,000 women entrepreneurs in Turkey to reach their full potential by providing them with credit lines, as well as advisory support, training, mentoring and access to business networks. Phase II of the Women in Business programme in Turkey will put an even greater emphasis on the most under-served Turkish women entrepreneurs especially those based outside major Turkish commercial centres. Supporting women-led businesses is one of the Banks priorities across its regions. Higher participation of women in the economy and closing gender gaps are expected to increase Turkeys overall prosperity. The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Turkey. To date, the Bank has invested almost 16 billion through 375 projects in various sectors of the countrys economy, with 94 per cent of those investments in the private sector. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. Mars the company that owns Skittles invites its customers to taste the rainbow when they tear open a package and pour some of the multi-colored candies into their mouths. However, what theyre really tasting is titanium dioxide (TiO2). Now, a class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of California Thursday argues that the coloring chemical is a known toxin that renders Skittles unfit for human consumption, as USA TODAY reported. Based on Defendants omissions, a reasonable consumer would expect that the Product can be safely purchased and consumed as marketed and sold, the lawsuit read, as USA TODAY reported. However, the Products are not safe and pose a significant health risk to unsuspecting consumers. TiO2 was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food in 1966, according to the Los Angeles Times. The U.S. agency still maintains that its safe to use as food coloring as long as no more than one percent of the weight of the food in question is added. However, the story is different across the Atlantic. In May of 2021, the European Food Safety Authority said there was enough research to suggest the chemical was not safe to eat. This is because it has been linked to genotoxicity the ability to damage a persons DNA and therefore cause cancer. In response, the European Commision has moved to ban the chemical in food by August of this year, according to The Washington Post. TiO2 represents a common discrepancy between U.S. and EU regulators, as the latter often move to ban potentially harmful food additives earlier, The Guardian pointed out. The US often waits until the harm is done and the EU tries to prevent it to a certain extent. It often seems the US favors the market over protection, European Environmental Bureau chemical manager Tatiana Santos told The Guardian. However, the California lawsuit contends that Mars should take some responsibility for its own ingredients. The instigator of the suit is San Leandro resident Jenile Thames, according to The Washington Post. Thames said that he would not have purchased Skittles if he had known they contained TiO2, according to Today. The suit seeks damages for fraud and other violations of Californias consumer protection laws. Defendant relies on the ingredient list which is provided in miniscule print on the back of the Products, the reading of which is made even more challenging by the lack of contrast in color between the font and packaging, the lawsuit says, as Today reported. The suit also argues that Mars doesnt need to use TiO2 since the company has stopped using it in France, where it is banned, according to Today. Furthermore, candies like Swedish Fish, Nerds and Sour Patch Kids achieve a brilliant color without the chemical. The company, for its part, maintained that it is abiding by U.S. law. While we do not comment on pending litigation, our use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations, a company spokesperson told Today. However, the lawsuit pointed out that Mars promised to phase out the chemical in 2016 but has yet to follow through, suggesting it is aware of the health concerns surrounding the ingredient. Defendant has flouted its own promise to consumers, the lawsuit says, as The Washington Post reported. More than six years later, Defendant continues to sell the Products with [titanium dioxide] unbeknownst to reasonable consumers who purchase the Products. The Secret Service may face serious legal repercussions over deleted text messages relating to the January 6th, 2021 Capitol attack. NBC News sources said the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has opened a criminal investigation into the deletion of texts from the days surrounding the riot. The Secret Service has been ordered to stop its own internal probes, according to a copy of a letter DHS Deputy Inspector General Gladys Ayala sent to the agency. In a statement, the Secret Service acknowledged receiving Ayala's letter. It promised a "thorough legal review" to ensure it was "fully cooperative" with all oversight. Word of the deleted texts came last week, when the Inspector General's office said that Secret Service texts from January 5th and 6th had been deleted as part of a "device replacement program." Agents were supposed to back up their messages before the migration, but it's not clear that happened. While the Secret Service told the House's January 6th committee that it was "currently unaware" of any lost messages, CNN reported, it also acknowledged that it was still trying to recover messages. The service hasn't provided more than a single message thread in response to a House committee subpoena. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on It's not yet clear if the messages are recoverable, and there isn't any known evidence of malicious intent. Whatever the circumstances, there's a chance the Secret Service could face significant charges. House committee leaders Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson warned that the service might have violated the Federal Records Act by failing to keep the messages. At the least, the investigation highlights the challenges and importance of preserving data in modern government a botched migration could impact crucial proceedings. A 65-year-old man named Michael Williams spent almost a year in jail over the shooting of a man inside his car before prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss his case due to insufficient evidence. Now, the MacArthur Justice Center has sued the city of Chicago for using ShotSpotter, which it calls an "unreliable" gunshot detection technology, as critical evidence in charging him with first-degree murder. The human rights advocate group out of Northwestern University accuses the city's cops of relying on the technology and failing to pursue other leads in the investigation. Williams was arrested in 2021 over the death of Safarian Herring, a young man from the neighborhood, who asked him for a ride in the middle of unrest over police brutality in May that year. According to an AP report from March, the key piece of evidence used for his arrest was a clip of noiseless security video showing a car driving through an intersection. That's coupled with a loud bang picked up by ShotSpotter's network of surveillance microphones. ShotSpotter uses a large network of audio sensors distributed through a specific area to pick up the sound of gunfire. The sensors work with each other to triangulate the shot's location, so perpetrators can't hide behind walls or other structures to mask their crime. However, a study conducted by the MacArthur Justice Center in 2021 found that 89 percent of the alerts the system sends law enforcement turn up no evidence of any gun-related crime. "In less than two years, there were more than 40,000 dead-end ShotSpotter deployments," the report said. The group also pointed out that ShotSpotter alerts "should only be used for initial investigative purposes." San Francisco's surveillance technology policy (PDF), for instance, states that its police department must only use ShotSpotter information to find shell casing evidence on the scene and to further analyze the incident. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on The lawsuit accuses Chicago's police department of failing to pursue other leads in investigating Williams, including reports that the victim was shot earlier at a bus stop. Authorities never established what's supposed to be Williams' motive, didn't find a firearm or any kind of physical evidence that proves that Williams shot Herring, the group said. On its website, ShotSpotter posted a response to "false claims" about its technology, calling reports about its inaccuracy "absolutely false." The company claims its technology has a 97 percent accuracy rate, including a 0.5 percent false positive rate, and says those numbers were independently confirmed by Edgeworth Analytics, a data science firm in Washington, D.C. It also answers the part of the lawsuit that criticizes Chicago's decision to place most of it sensors in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods, which could lead to potentially dangerous clashes with the police. ShotSpotter said it's a false narrative that its coverage areas are biased and racially discriminatory and that it works with clients to determine coverage areas based on historical gunfire and homicide data . As AP reports, the lawsuit is seeking class-action status for any Chicago resident who was stopped because of a ShotSpotter alert. The MacArthur Justice Center is also seeking damages from the city for the mental anguish and loss of income Williams had experienced throughout the whole ordeal, as well as for the legal fees he incurred. Further, the group is asking the court to ban the technology's use in the city altogether. Twitter has today announced its results for the second-quarter of 2022, saying that it has seen a sharp rise in the number of regular users. In the last three months, Monetizable Daily Active Users (mDAU) climbed from 39.6 million to 41.5 million, while global reach leapt from 189.4 million in April to 196.3 million today. Unfortunately, those increasing user figures did not see a boost in the companys bottom line, and revenue was $1.18 billion, which is slightly down both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter. Worse still for a company bringing in that much revenue is that costs and expenses for the period equalled $1.52 billion, with extra pain coming from both the costs of dealing with Elon Musks purchase of Twitter and paying severance for all of the workers its been laying off as part of its cost-cutting drive. All in all, the company posted a net loss of $270 million, much of which it attributes to both the looming recession and the uncertainty around the proposed takeover. Back in April, as part of its first quarter financial release, Twitter revealed that it had historically miscounted its user figures. Between 2019 and 2021, the company had counted users with multiple accounts as multiple people, adding up to two million users to the figures. This, while not a catastrophic admission, did serve to highlight that Twitters slow growth was even slower than people believed. At the time, the company also said that it had earned $1.20 billion in revenue, $1.11 billion of which was produced through advertising, while the average monetizable daily user figures hit 39.6 million in the US and 189.4 million in the rest of the world. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on While this was going on, Twitter had also been targeted as an acquisition vehicle for Elon Musk, and the deal has dominated much of the news cycle ever since. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO pledged to buy the company at a very high valuation, and signed a binding agreement that opted to waive much of the due diligence often necessary in deals like this. Not long after, however, Musk decided either on his own, or influenced by Teslas dwindling stock price to try and pull out of the deal, claiming that Twitter had misrepresented how many automated accounts were on the platform. Unfortunately for Musk, contract law is often funny about letting people walk away from deals they signed promising to waive the necessary due diligence. Twitter has since sued the figure in order to either force him to buy, or to pay a significant sum to make the whole thing go away. The Delaware Court of Chancery rejected Musks request to hold a trial in 2023, and accepted Twitters plea to expedite the matter. Consequently, the pair will square off for a five-day courtroom showdown in October. Twitter has said, once again, that it believes Musks purported termination is invalid and wrongful, and that the proposed merger deal remains in effect. The US and UK have signed a Data Access Agreement that will allow law enforcement agencies in each country to request user internet data from the other, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and UK Home Office said in a joint press release. The agreement was created in 2019 as the CLOUD Act to allow the nations to fight serious crimes including terrorism, child abuse and cybercrime. "The Data Access Agreement will allow information and evidence that is held by service providers within each of our nations and relates to the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of serious crime to be accessed more quickly than ever before," the DoJ wrote. "This will help, for example, our law enforcement agencies gain more effective access to the evidence they need to bring offenders to justice, including terrorists and child abuse offenders, thereby preventing further victimization." First hatched in 2017, the plan came about because crime fighting agencies in each country were hamstrung by laws that made it difficult to obtain overseas data from ISPs and companies like Google and Facebook. The aim was to create a bilateral agreement to remove some of those roadblocks and still "maintain rigorous privacy protections for citizens," the UK Home Office said at the time. Australia also joined the CLOUD Act late last year. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Both agencies promise to "maintain the strong oversight and protections that our citizens enjoy," and not compromise or erode human rights. When the law was originally drafted, however, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called it "a dangerous expansion of police snooping on cross-border data." Volkswagen is shaking up its leadership. The automaker has announced that group chairman Herbert Diess will leave at the end of August. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume will take over the role (while preserving his existing position) as of September 1st. The company didn't explain Diess' exit, but said the move was the result of a "mutual agreement." Diess has a somewhat mixed track record. He replaced former chief Martin Winterkorn as the Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal unfolded in 2015, and was meant to help VW move past a dark chapter in its history. In 2019, though, German prosecutors charged Diess with stock manipulation for allegedly delaying reports on the cheating to minimize the impact on company shares. Diess' attorney contended that the executive joined VW too late to understand the ramifications of the scandal, but the allegations still tarnished the leader's reputation. At the same time, there's little doubt that Diess oversaw an important moment in VW's history. He helped the company start its transition to EVs and self-driving cars. He also prepared for declining car ownership by fostering mobility services. Much of VW's business still depends on conventional combustion engine vehicles, but it now expects EVs to represent half of its sales by 2030. If the Dieselgate-era VW was clinging to the past, Diess' company was bracing itself for the future. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Don't expect a radical change under Blume. The new chairman will "press ahead" with the transformation that largely began under Diess, according to VW. Blume may serve as a custodian in that regard, but that won't necessarily be a problem if the company continues to expand and improve its EV lineup. The Social Sciences in a Global Age: Decoding Knowledge Politics by Dipankar Sinha, Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2022; pp xxiv + 173, `695. The relevance of social sciences in the wider world of action, one beyond the academy and its sphere of knowledge production, has been the subject of long-standing debates among social scientists. Dipankar Sinhas new book revisits these extensive debates that have taken place in the last few decades, and does so with the purpose of locating social sciences within the context of neo-liberalism and its configuration of academia, knowledge production and expression. In addition, the book seeks to delineate some of the lineages of the global Norths hegemony in knowledge production in institutional academic settings in the non-West as well as the elusive search for alternate templates in these parts. The books foremost contribution is in bringing together a wide range of writing and thinking about the development and career of social sciences in institutional academia and the fields relationship to the wider world. In fact, the bibliography gathered together here can offer an excellent starting point for those interested in thinking and reading critical literature on social sciences as a field. A Neo-liberal Academia? The author takes great pains throughout the book to point out that neo-liberalism operates in ways that curb dissent and critical thinking. He argues that neo-liberalism does so by generating public discourse that terms social sciences irrelevant as well as by making funding and jobs in institutional academia scarce. It also turns the university into yet another entity in the marketplace rather than being an institution in society and what is expected is a production of experts rather than scholars, entrepreneurs rather than citizens (p 49). While neo-liberalism is largely presented as an external force shaping academia in that it acts as a restrictive force, it is the phenomenon of depoliticisation under neo-liberalism that the author introduces, which opens up productive channels to think about neo-liberalism as an intimate phenomenon that shapes how one exists, in this case in the academia; the author terms this concertive control. Some of the modalities the author delineates are as follows: with criticality and resistance to dominant power structures penalised under the regime of neo-liberal academia, the author argues that academics have retreated into producing ivory tower scholarship because it is safe. Further, with time accelerated and ideas commodified in the neo-liberal regime, the pressure is on academics to be competitive and perform in ways that can be measured, and is yet another way to remain apolitical. Finally, the insecurity of ones tenure in institutional academiaa product of neo-liberalisms ways to hold individuals as permanently temporary in their worksustains hierarchies between tenured and non-tenured scholars, forcing the latter into patterns of loyalty and even servitude of senior scholars. It is in these ways and more that the author uses both his scholarly interests and his status as an insider to foreground the insidious workings of neo-liberal academia. Having said that, while the author engages with a great deal of scholarship on the workings of neo-liberalism broadly, it would have been worthwhile if some of the connections between neo-liberalism and academia had been explored succinctly and directly. Relevance of Social Sciences On the question of relevancea key concern in the bookthe author is convinced that relevance is the lifeblood of academic streams and disciplinary pursuits. This, he claims, was further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when social scientists were relegated to a secondary position. Social sciences now face, he argues, a mixed dose of indifference, suspicion and contempt about its value and the foundation of social sciences is being shaken like never before. Whether this is as new a phenomenon as the author suggests (but does not elaborate on) may be debatable but the question of relevance can be reliably said to have haunted social science academics for decades. By looking at the social sciences through the prism of neo-liberalism, the author offers useful insights into the current state of academia, particularly social scientists withdrawal from the hustle-bustle of the world. One particular way in which academics perpetuate their irrelevance, according to the author, is their preoccupation with methodology at the cost of being responsive to the concerns of the world. Citing the debates around the evolution and current state of political science in the United States, the author suggests that the methodological wars, such as over quantitative versus qualitative methods, have rendered the discipline invisible and irrelevant. Another mode of this perpetuation of irrelevance, the author argues, has been the hierarchy between research and teaching, with the latter being considered routinised and pedestrian as compared to the possibilities of professional mobility, dynamism and challenge that accrues to the former (p 83). These hierarchies have also meant that the latest research in disciplines does not always find their way into teaching. These divisions have led to a divorce between teaching and research, which, the author laments, means that the discipline will have fewer researchers to serve its cause in the future (p 87). Yet, the framing of social sciences as relevant or irrelevant could itself have been subject to more rigorous scrutiny, given that such a framing subscribes to neo-liberalisms imperatives. For instance, while the author argues that neo-liberalism demands that academia produce experts rather than critical thinkers, a dominant strand of neo-liberal discourse also argues that being experts is the only way for social scientists to remain relevant. While the author rightly points to the university as yet another entity in the marketplace within a neo-liberal regime, he fails to take into account the simultaneous, if not related, entry of historically marginalised communities into social science academia and their forceful articulation of academia as exclusionary in terms of gender, caste, class, and race. Paying attention to these articulations as ways in which the status-quoist social science academia is forced to confront its irrelevance and elitism could open up possibilities of thinking of the question of relevance, as one not dictated solely by neo-liberal imperatives but also by ideas of social justice and equality. Even more so, the relationship between entry of members from marginalised communities and the neo-liberalism of academia could have been fruitfully explored through the question of relevance. The book operates on the assumption that the category of social sciences is self-evident and requires no elaboration. While the term may have salience in the wider public discourse, a look at the internal division of social science academia into disciplines raises the question of whether social sciences exists in practice as a category or if there exists only disciplines whose boundaries of inquiries are policed by their disciplinary practitioners. Such questions of the internal organisation of social sciences are important for they call into question whether academics who self-identify only as historians, geographers, economists, among others can come together to document, analyse, and critique the question of the relevance of social sciences as a whole. While the author divides social sciences into core disciplines (economics, political sciences, sociology, anthropology, history, geography, and psychology) and sub-disciplines (cultural studies, human rights studies, peace and conflict studies, gender studies, development studies, media and communication studies), it is not clear why the latter are termed sub-disciplines (as if they are subsets of, or maybe ranked lower than core disciplines?) It is also not clear what is core about core disciplines given the various interdisciplinary influences regarding methodologies and subjects of inquiries that each of these disciplines have been subject to over the last few decades. Finally, tracing the rise of interdisciplinarity in the social sciences would have been useful particularly to the questions of neo-liberalisms configuration of academia and the relevance of social sciences that the book is concerned with. Interdisciplinarity is touted as making social sciences relevant to dealing with the burning questions of the world but is also conferred some radical potential as working against the parcelling of knowledge into disciplinary silos. Given the larger context of neo-liberalism, some engagement with discourses that celebrate, disparage, or remain agnostic to interdisciplinarity could have further nuanced the story of relevance that the book has tried to chart. Is There a Global Social Sciences? The scope of the book is vast in that it casts its net wide to look at social sciences across the world. There are two chapters towards the end which talk about social sciences in the non-Western countries/regions and India. The brief overview of social sciences in these chapters does little justice to the ways in which social scientists in these regions may or may not have participated in the politics of their regions or challenged the Western hegemony. The final chapter titled Sampling India offers very useful summaries of the Indian states engagement with higher education and the (lack of) attention it has accorded the social sciences. The author remains beholden to categories of developed and developing countries but the relevance of such categorisation in a discussion of social sciences remains unremarked upon. If the premise is that developing and developed countries are differentially incorporated or are at different stages in their incorporation into the neo-liberal project, then an elaboration of the relationship between development of a country and incorporation of its academia into neo-liberalism would have served to clarify matters. Similarly, global age and global times are also used interchangeably but the author does not elaborate upon what is global about the age or times that he refers to and their relevance to a discussion on the social sciences. Particularly since he steadfastly holds onto the distinction between developing and developing countries and argues that the Western hegemonic control of knowledge production continues unchallenged; whether global times brings to play a flattening/overturning/perpetuation of existing power relations could have helped to think through the specificity of this age that seems important to the conceptualisations attempted in the book. This Land Is Mine, I Am Not of This Land: CAANRC and the Manufacture of Statelessness edited by Harsh Mander and Navsharan Singh, New Delhi: Speaking Tiger, 2021; pp 421, `499. The rightward shift in Indian politics has long been a subject of discussion in academia. For a very long time, the discussion was confined to the sphere of economic policies. Occasional and regional assertions of communal and sectarian groups, most often identified with a particular version of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), were dismissed as reactive outbursts. With the victory of Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 and 2019 general elections, the point of right wings reactive nature is no more convincing. It is obvious that the BJP government has an agenda of transforming the Indian society by using its hegemonic electoral presence in the country. The nature of the transformation is obviously regressive which goes fundamentally against the constitutional morality visualised by the founders of independent India. The BJP government in the centre has, through the choice of its policies, proved that it is waging a counter-revolution against the idea of India which emerged as hegemonic during the national movement. The book under review asserts that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) passed in Parliament in 2019 along with the proposed National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) are, till now, the most far-reaching assaults on countrys secular polity. It provides the readers with a toolkit to resist the move. However, this reviewer believes that some of the fundamental aspects of the toolkit need thorough revisions. Resistance Text While the insistence on the CAANRC (National Register of Citizens) was not the first time that the BJP government threatened the countrys secular fabric, it remains the most fundamental assault till date on the same. The book under review collects some pointed and timely interventions resisting that assault. The book, apart from providing detailed narrative of the policy and its implications, using the examples from Assam, provides ample reasoning for the readers to choose a side. It is an important call for a united front in solidarity with the victims of narrow, religion-based nationalism and to stand up and defend the countrys secular ethos. The book edited by Harsh Mander and Navsharan Singh has contributions from some of the most well-known academics of our times in the countryNeera Chandhoke, Anupama Roy, Niraja Gopal Jayal, Ashutosh Varshney, among others. It is a comprehensive examination of the BJP-led governments attempts to redefine Indias citizenship laws and presents a varied and detailed analysis of both expressed and subtle intents behind the policy intervention. The speculations about what would happen to the rest of India if the NRC was implemented, are based on the reasoned examinations of the experiences from Assam. Going through the pages one can easily understand the anxieties which led millions of Indians from across its vast territory to come to the streets and oppose the CAANRCs nationwide implementation in 201920. Though to a limited extent, the book also adds to the growing literature on the rise of right-wing nationalisms fuelled by the question of refugees and migrants across the world. Secularism: From Basic Principle to a Drama In a liberal democracy, change in the majority brings changes in the fundamental principles of nation-building. Several chapters in the voluminous book contain thorough discussions around the theoretical aspects of citizenship with some invoking debates in Indias constituent assembly on the matter. These authors try to understand the motive behind the post-independence leaderships rejection of narrow religion-based criteria of providing citizenship rights to people living in India despite the trauma of partition. As is rightly pointed out, it would be a mistake to think that there was a consensus among the post-independence leadership in India on the issue of secularism. Articles 5 and 6 of the Indian Constitution were adopted after a long debate and despite objections raised by members such as P S Deshmukh and others. The majority in the Constituent Assembly was able to withstand the strong polarisation caused by the post-partition violence and opted for a secular citizenship in the country. It was a deliberate and well-thought-out move and not a mistake that needs to be corrected as has been hinted by the RSS/BJP-led government today. The gradual changes brought by Indias citizenship laws since the commencement of the Constitution are definitive indications of the loss of the liberal values and the majoritys rightward shifts. The constitutional amendments carried out particularly in the context of historical circumstances created due to the Assam accords in the 1980s and the RSS-dominated first National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 2003 did pave the way for compromises in constitutional values. These were indicators towards the future where having absolute majority, they would force their narrow-sectarian understanding on Indian citizenship. The change in the fate of secularism from being a basic principle of the Constitution to a drama, as claimed by Prime Minister Modi in several of his speeches (Bhattacharya 2019), was a gradual process which corresponded to the ideological shifts in Indian polity. Though it was not the mandate of this particular book, it would have been interesting if it had attempted to provide some kind of explanation for the rightward shift in Indian polity which made the BJP strong enough to establish the narrative of historical mistakes around secularism, legitimising, for a majority of the electorate, its divisive and regressive agenda. Troubles of Nationalism It has been established by now that the NRC process in Assam was technically flawed. Several articles in the book, through the testimonies of victims and pointing out legal lacunas, the bureaucratic bypassing of basic rules convincingly argue the same. However, it is also well-accepted that flaws in a process undertaken at such a large scale are inevitable. The real question is, was it avoidable? Unfortunately, there seems to be a consensus on its necessity. Surprisingly, even Mander and Singh, albeit sans its political agenda, agree that the process was required (p 231). They also believe that Assamese subnationalism was not communal (p 331) and sovereign governments should have the right to identify those who have illegally entered the borders and act against them (p 287). It does not occur to the authors that nationalism of any kind, at one level or the other, is based on the idea of exclusion. Except, perhaps the anti-colonial movements based on the idea of self-determination, most other forms of nationalisms strongly wish to narrow down to some basis and devise tools and ways to find out others who are not welcome. Assamese sub-nationalism is no exception. The fear and, in some cases, hatred towards others, has been motivating millions in Assam to support even a clearly self-inflicting process. The majority of those who lost their lands, had meagre savings and suffered prolonged mental trauma during the NRC process found it necessary to churn out the infiltrators. Almost a million people are still uncertain about their status after the final NRC list was published in August 2019. The suffering of Assamese is not over yet. Calling the 2019 list flawed, the current BJP government wants the people to go through the trauma again. Most importantly, millions are willing to go through the pain once again in order to establish their patriotism and their loyalties to Assamese nationalism. Those who want to avoid obvious traumas are scared to record it so that they are not seen as infiltrators and Bangladeshis. Manders belief that the Assamese nationalism is not communal can easily be contested on the basis of how one defines communal or how the question of miya and Bangladeshi are dealt with. If he takes the opposition to the CAA as some sort of proof of secularism in Assamese nationalism, he fails to see how the majority still voted for the BJP which brought the law, and those who opposed its implementation in the state were relegated to the margins as rightly pointed by Singh in the afterword of the book (p 404). Statelessness, Exploitation, and Refugees The 0.9 million people in Assam were in limbo after the publication of the final list of the NRC. Since Bangladesh or no other nation had any role in the process and most probably will never accept people who are proved to be non-citizens in India, it was rightly speculated that if the process is undertaken, millions will be stateless. After the BJP promising the citizenship to Hindus, what would be the fate of the rest? It will be logistically impossible and legally absurd to put all these people in so-called detention centres. Will that amount to ethnic cleansing? Will it leave millions to be exploited in whatever ways possible by the authorities and private players? Does this replicate the United States (US) migration crisis where millions of Latinos face similar situation? Unlike in the US where there is a relative prospect of a betterment in existing conditions which pulls hundreds of thousands every year legally or otherwise, India does not offer such hope. Though the book does not dwell into it, it is increasingly becoming clear that Bangladeshi migrants is a myth (BBC 2020). Still, millions are in danger of losing all their legal rights and whatever little they possess and are set to be pushed back to worst economic and social status with little or no opportunities. This is what the RSS has been campaigning and Indian corporate houses are eyeing for decades. The cheap labour may help them compete with other producers elsewhere in the world as it did in various European countries after the wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan. In the context of CAANRIC and its possible repercussions, as some writers have rightly pointed out in the book, there is a need of a real refugee-related legislation in the country. This may create clarity about the status of millions living as such in the country for decades. The present arbitrary and racial policies towards the refugees in the country, where some are welcome and some are not, puts a great question mark on Indias claims to be a leading democracy in the world. However, the real question in the present circumstance would be, what kind of refugee law will the BJP-led government enact? Given its complete disregard to the existing international laws related to refugees and lack of deference to the values of democracy, its subjective preferences based on the religion, it is not wise to press this government to enact a law that will have long-term implications. This is a very difficult situation for the human rights defenders in the country. But at least there is an acknowledgement of such a dilemma thanks to the CAANRC movement in the country. Critical Reflections The greatest problem with the book is its approach. The trust in legal regimes which is highly compromised now defeats the purpose of the book. While expressing consent to the need of the NRC as mentioned above the authors confuse the readers. By hoping that any process of exclusion such as the NRC can be lawful, transparent, free from bias, just and in the end, humane (p 287), they show some level of naivety or perhaps hopelessness. A law, even if one does not agree with John Austins empiricist approach, is at the end nothing but an aggregate of rules set by men. Laws are made to institutionalise realities, existing or manufactured. Hence, the real fight against the CAANRC cannot be a mere legal one fought within the permitted sphere of courts. It cannot be based on the expected benevolence of the ruling dispensation appealing to their humanity. The defeat of anti-Aadhaar movement should provide a lesson to those who are opposed to the NRIC. It is a fight to delegitimise the process and those realities created to justify it. It needs to question the fundamental premise of nationalism and the idea that people can be illegal based on some documents. Once the people are convinced that this is a legal process, they will not resist it as we have seen in Assam and in the case of Aadhaar nationwide. The peoples movement the world over is under threat due to the rise of right-wing and regional chauvinism. The refugees are unwelcome almost everywhere due to the economic problems used or misused by the cultural right for justifying its bigotry. It has successfully established Latinos as job snatchers in the US and Syrian refugees as aliens in Europe. In Turkey, which has a long history of cultural and political exchanges with Syria, the Syrian refugees are now considered as polluting and corrupting. Most of these countries are signatories to the United Nations (UN) refugee convention and numerous other legal provisions for the protection of human rights. Can we still say the fight for the right of refugees is merely a legal one? The authors should worry about the situation when the NRIC would be a legal process as was in Assam, done under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The legal institutions in India as in any other country provide legitimacy to the exclusionary principle which sees citizenship rights as a privilege not to be squandered among all. The resistance should seek to push for the maximum and establish the legitimacy of universalism. Apart from too much emphasis on the legality aspect, the book also fails to provide an explanation as to why the issue is raised the way it is raised and how it is a part of the larger understanding of nationalism propagated by the BJPRSS. None of the 40-odd articles in the book try to explore the issue from a political economy aspect and therefore fail to explain the popular support behind the move. The most critical aspect of the entire agitation against the CAANRC was a polarisation among the masses. The reader fails to understand why the ruling establishment in India was able to successfully polarise people. Is it solely due to the hatred towards Muslims as was seen during the Delhi riots? If so, why the issue of taking away the jobs becomes so significant and why the leaders in the RSSBJP repeatedly raise the issue of countrys economic health while pushing for their agenda? References BBC (2020): India and Bangladesh: Migration Claims Fact Check, 21 February, viewed on 20 January 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51575565. Bhattacharya, Anirvan (2019): The Secular Forces Have Abandoned Secularism, Wire, 9 June, viewed on 20 January, https://thewire.in/politics/congress-bjp-secularism. Chatterji, Angana P, Thomas Blom Hansen and Christophe Jaffrelot (2019): Majoritarian: How Hindu Nationalism Is Changing India, New Delhi: Harper Collins. Governance by Stealth: The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Making of the Indian State by Subrata K Mitra, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2021; pp xxv + 476, price not indicated. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is virtually a shadow government within the Indian government. It is an official entity like none other, with national reach. This is not by accident as Subrata K Mitra narrates with rare elegance. As a former head of Heidelberg Universitys South Asia Institute, he brings a strong dose of Germanic thoroughness. His 20-year research enhances the books depth and perspicacity. This is an important work: 450 pages of text, 390 pages of narrative, and almost 60 pages of extracts from important home ministry documents, a vital source that brings to life the theme. The books title is explained in the preface. Stealth refers to the art of maintaining public order with the minimum use of force and finding ways to enhance stateness to minimise the resistance to public order (p xix). Home is Indias national order keeper par excellence. Its complex organisation, nation-wide reach and control over the tasks of intelligence gathering, police, and the civil service are testimony to its salience in Indias domestic politics, internal security, union-state relations, and administration Stealthy governance seeks to conflate popular representation and order-keeping It entails tracking the forces inimical to political order, understanding their motivation, and coping with them through diplomacy, negotiation, accommodation, and when all else fails, a swift stroke of the hammer. (p 7) Mitra adds: This liminal space between legality and legitimacy is where the Home Ministry belongs (p 80). The MHAs origin is traced to a no- name department of the East India Company set up in 1748 (p 65). It gained power from the outset, transiting to a home department in 1843. It transmuted itself into one of the most powerful agencies of the new independent government under the charge of Vallabhbhai PatelIndias first home minister. Post independence, the MHA became a national order-keeper. It may be surprising that compared with a cluster of 11 major and small countries around the world, rich and poor, India has the lowest prison incarceration rate per 1,00,000 of populationjust 33; Germany is next with 75; and others are in the hundreds. But sadly, within this, the unsentenced are the highest as a percentage (p 11). Faced with policy choices, Indian officialdom looks to satisficing (a word the author takes from Herbert A Simon, a management expert). When a solution cannot be determined because of a lack of information on all alternatives, the goal is to meet the minimum expectations (p 31). My 35 years in an Indian public service suggest this as an apt description for Indian governance. The 12 chapters in this book are built around four themes. The first consists of Chapter 2 that examines the manner in which the East India Company practised its colonial rule, providing the foundation on which both British India and the postcolonial Indian state built further. The second cluster (Chapters 37) looks at the colonial era and then gets to the major transformation of 194750 when the Constitution of India took shape. This was the time of norm creation and innovation as also a three-year period of collaborative competition between Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Patel. Two other chapters look at the end of one-party domination that came in 1977 after the post-Emergency elections and a subsequent steady decline in stature of the home ministry. The third cluster (Chapters 810) looks at the three entities on which the MHA depends, namely institutions, processes, and agencies that together allow the MHA to sustain orderly and democratic rule. The final cluster (Chapters 11 and 12) looks at limitations of the model of governance by stealth through the optic of the performance of the home ministry during the national emergency of 197577 and other crises. Let us examine each cluster in detail. Mitra notes three limitations: first, the work is selective, not providing a chronological history. Second, it focuses on the union government, with only a few examples of regional politics, like the secessionist movements in the North East and the Tamil separatism. Third, the 30-year rule for secret files declassification limited his access to classified papers. Colonial Period and Post-independence Reshaping In the first cluster, Chapter 2 looks, in broad brush strokes, at how at the transfer of power, colonial rules were transmuted into Indian governance norms. The arguments presented in this book predate the cacophony, chaos, and confusion that dominates todays public culture, thanks to the ubiquitous smartphone and the endless output of the social media. (The index has no entry for social media.) A 10-page segment titled What Holds Together needs to be read in the original. It is well-argued, but is perhaps too sophisticated. It does not quite take into account a subcontinent-wide system that is chaotic and much too diverse to be classified into neat boxes (pp 5059). For instance, the last of these seven points is: Fire power of the democratic state. Is it now excessive? Should it be dialled back? In the second cluster (Chapters 3 to 7), Mitra gets to historical detail and identifies three successive strands in the colonial theory of the governance of India. Perhaps this analysis is too gentle. Even during the utilitarian or liberal phase, say with its apogee around 1840, the key British objectives were to deny any real historical or cultural personality to India and to treat it as tabula rasa, without any authentic heritage of its own. And in the post-1857 third phase, strong British thinking was to deny that India had any capacity for self-rule even while a faint-hearted, gradual transition to parliamentary reform went on. Another deeper problem with Mitras analysis is that it makes no mention of the rapacity and thoroughness with which Britain plundered India, not only through one-sided trade deals that benefited only the British East India Company and its successor after 1857 but also that plunder went into the 20th century. In 1932, low agriculture product prices (partly a consequence to the Great Depression 1929 plus colonial price management) forced the Indian peasants to sell some of their traditional hoards of gold to Britains delight. Another striking point (Chapter 3) is how the MHA (organigram on p 82) gives the home secretary full command over the entire ministry. (It resembles the Ministry of External Affairs where the foreign secretary is supreme.) That is unlike the finance ministry where now six departments function in a quasi-autonomous fashion. Mitra stresses that the home governance is limited to the Prime Minister, the home minister, and the home secretary. We take for granted the 1947 transfer of power. But there is no example of the entire top surveillance force of a colony whose main target was the countrys independence movement, transforming itself overnight into a loyal institution, at the service of those very individuals. How did things fare later on? Mitra details the slow decline in the quality of the home ministers. During Indira Gandhis Emergency of 197577, the governance by diktat replaced stealth and the equation between the civil service and political leaders evolved unfavourably in terms of governance quality. The civil service also lapsed into bad habits, driven by the lure of post-retirement appointments. Yet, a core of values has survived a mix of idealism and loyalty to the notion of service. This paradox is linked with the enduring, sterling role of the Union Public Service Commission. Two sets of quotations are hilarious (both from T S R Subramanians book (Journeys through Babudom and Netaland: Governance in India), a dialogue between an unnamed minister and the Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief secretary and UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadavs speech to the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers (pp 11922). Chapters 5, 6, and 7 examine the reshaping of the public services and how the MHA set the mould in a manner where the genie of Hindu nationalism was kept inside the bottle of the nation state (p 132). Patel was the guiding force in establishing both the salience of the MHA and in moderating Hindu nationalism during that foundational phase (Chapter 6). Another crucial action was the system of circulation of civil servantsnotably of the IAS, the Police Service, and the Forest Servicebetween the union and the states. Today, this is a matter of contention, especially with states ruled by parties other than the one at the union. This civil service circulation is at the core of Indias cohesive governance. Mitra views the rising tide of political unrest after 1974 as the prelude to the Emergency declared on 25 June 1975. And after the March 1977 elections, the MHA was equally prompt in its actions revoking the legacy of the Emergency. Remarkably, despite the switch back to democracy, the draconian MISA lived on (p 211).1 Mitras seven-page account of the events of the 1984, the MHAs nadir, is a painful reading (pp 21623). He sets the stage briefly with the June 1984 army action at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Prime Minister Indira Gandhis October 30 assassination, and the ensuing four days of riots, particularly in Delhi. He relies mainly on the language of the Ranganath Misra Commission report of February 1987 and the Nanavati Commission report of 2005, describing the horrors of those cascading failures of national governance and their impact on the MHA. Managing Contentious Issues In the third cluster, the author circles back to consider in depth three sets of issues: the manner in which the MHA deals with contentious issues between states as also involving states and the centre, the handling of religious disputes, and the legacy of the Emergency. Chapters 8, 9, and 10 look to the institutions, processes, and agencies that hold the Indian state together. What has prevented India from Balkanisation and lapse into autocracy? Why is the standard response of unity in diversity inadequate? This issue gets to the very heart of an enduring India, not only since independence but also over the millennia. Mitra examines control over the public space. This includes banal examples like the regulation of public holidays and actions that prevent the emergence of subnational movements, facing clamour over regional autonomy. Consider the successful negotiations with dissident movements through discreet actions. Censorship is another mechanism handled by the state governments but coordinated by the MHA. Chapter 8 examines the key role of the MHA on issues between states with regional boundary issues and engaging with insurgents, particularly in the North East, with varying degrees of success. The reorganisation of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Militia in 1962 is studied in depth, demonstrating the MHAs focus on the long term. The MHA beavers away at integration, sometimes using the centrestate civil service network to push the boundaries of what can be done in situations where different parties rule the states and the centre. This is an elegant overarching construct that we sometimes miss out when looking at quotidian affairs. Chapter 9 looks at the governance of the sacred, religion and language. From the outset, Nehru and his colleagues faced the advocates of the Hindu religion and the Hindi language and those who wanted seculardemocraticsocialistleft solutions. One example: the Devaswom Board composed of elected leaders and civil servants; they filled the institutional blank between the colonial structure and the private sphere (p 259). That was necessary given Hinduisms lack of a central ecclesiastical entity. Religion is not formally the MHA mandate, but it still manages to guide the state through this minefield. Mitras subtle message is that we should look beyond the events of communalism to understand how an Indian collective identity is managed. A contemporary example is of the word, martyr, applied to fallen soldiers that has religion-linked connotations. The MHA explained to Parliament in 2022 that it prefers to call them fallen heroes, laid down their lives, killed in action, supreme sacrifice for the nation, armed force braves, bravehearts. This exemplifies ingrained caution over religious language. Chapter 10 looks at the MHAs firepower, tabulating the paramilitary security forces at its command (pp 28889). It is the monopoly instrument for the legitimate use of violence. The book documents the 1961 Liberation of Goa. During the foundational decade, an elite consensus permitted blending force with principles. But subsequently that understanding went missing at times, both in high politics and among the general public. In the final cluster, the author logically takes us back, in Chapter 11, to the 197577 Emergency and its deleterious impact on domestic governance. An emergency is a liminal space between orderly rule and anarchy (p 330). He notes that no conspicuous punishment was given to those responsible for the Emergency or its excesses. He believes that a majority of civil servants remained true to their creed. This added to the resilience of this system, filtered out political excesses, and kept a semblance of ordinary rule (p 335). The author closely examines three events in this penultimate chapterthe demolition of Babri mosque in December 1992, the insurgency in Kashmir between 1988 and 2019, and the Maoist movement covering the years 2005 to 2019. Using published data and public reports, each is analysed dispassionately. His conclusion was that without elite consensus, it becomes difficult to move forward. He examines the different commissions of enquiry, their recommendations, and the action taken. Mitra concludes that the coping capacity of the state is broadly adequate. In Conclusion Chapter 13, the conclusion, reverts to the core theme: the MHAs institutional longevity, its radical transformation at independence, and its exalted status where it is also a creator of the state. Some telling phrases are used, namely the dynamic equilibrium of the Indian state; holding the state without explicitly contravening the norms of federalism; how disconnectedness followed the split in the Congress party; and how its capacity shrank after 1975. Home is part of the resilience story of Indias democracy (pp 37274). The final pages address home and Hindutva: stealth is necessary for political order, but is it sufficient? The author wonders that 30 years from now it will be interesting to see, from the inside, how the abbreviation of Kashmirs special status, citizenship laws, and farm laws were handled. He asks, can collective mindsets of the stakeholdersessentially the leaders, officials, and voterspermit a return to governance by stealth? The method of presenting select original documents takes the reader to the authors sources. It is effective, again indicative of deep research. An important omission is how modern information and communications technology has had an impact on the MHA and complexified the stealthy governance challenge. We now see in the application of foreign currency regulations on societal organisations, including think tanks, a more bare-knuckle approach to governance. The United States Chief Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr said that I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. This is Mitras achievement. He works through the hugely complex narrative of Indias domestic governance with fluid grace. But this erudition is not in your face. Each conclusion is backed by analysis, all packaged in a digestible form. His footnotes are more reader-friendly than what we often see, given academias penchant for endnotes usually tucked away at the books very end. Only an octopus can tackle that with ease. In sum, this book is an important work that will endure as a comprehensive study of a vital institution. It is a rich addition to the literature on Indian governance. Note 1 Maintenance of Internal Security Act of 1971, amended with tougher provisions in 1975. With respect to the independence of the judiciary, there is a tendency to conflate the independence of the institution with that of the individual in the institution. An independent judiciary requires not only systems and norms designed to prevent interference but also individuals prepared to uphold such independence at great cost. One such individual was Justice Syed Mahmood who served in the Allahabad High Court during British Rule. When speaking of judicial courage, members of the legal fraternity generally point to Justice H R Khanna, the former judge of the Supreme Court of India who penned a brave dissent in the ADM Jabalpur casea dissent that cost him his chance of becoming the Chief Justice of India (Diwan 2008; Narrain 2022). The New York Times (1976), at that time, famously said, If India ever finds its way back to the freedom and democracy that were proud hallmarks of its first 18 years as an independent nation, someone will surely erect a monument to Justice H R Khanna of the Supreme Court. Years after the Emergency was lifted and India found its way to a measure of freedom and democracy, we still await that monument to Justice Khanna. (I am discounting the rather terrible portrait of his that hangs in courtroom 1 of the Supreme Court of India.) Justice Khanna is particularly appreciated for sticking to his stand on rights and the rule of law even though it went against the government of the day which had just imposed an Emergency, suspending fundamental rights. He seems to have been aware even prior to his dissenting opinion becoming public that he was going to pay a price for it (Khanna 1985). Nonetheless, he took the position that he did in the context of the ADM Jabalpur case (ADM Jabalpur v Shivakant Shukla 1976). Judicial courage is at the heart of what constitutes judicial independence. It is a willingness to stick to principles and act in the interests of the institution, the Constitution, and the public even when it might result in adverse consequences. While institutions and systems in the Constitution can, to some extent, prevent institutional interference in the work of a judge, they will be rendered irrelevant if judges themselves do not show a modicum of personal independence and courage in taking the positions that they should take. The recent weeks have seen an unusual but welcome assertion of judicial independence and display of judicial courage. Justice H P Sandesh of the Karnataka High Court made a startling observation in open court that he had been indirectly threatened with transfer for having taken on the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) in charge of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Karnataka. Justice Sandesh had made harsh observations about the conduct and investigations of the ACB in several corruption cases that had come before him. What was perhaps most startling about his revelation was the fact that the indirect threat of transfer came from a fellow sitting judge of the Karnataka High Court (Ambarish 2022). Justice Sandesh was not content with just stating this in open court. He even recorded it, in an order, as well spelling out exactly the circumstances and nature of the threat he received (Sarda 2022). As on date, the ADGP and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer indicted, both have approached the Supreme Court through a special leave petition and the directions seeking their service records, B Summary Reports have been stayed (Rajagopal 2022). Justice Sandeshs experience also highlights that the pressure can come from within the institution to conform. It is not just the political executive that wants the judiciary to conform but there may be an eager willingness within the judiciary to do so and ensure conformity with the executives desires. Even as judges look to favour the union government to get favourable post-retirement positions and the collegium watches silently as the centre discards established law and procedure in the appointment process (Kumar 2022), it is refreshing to see at least one judge refusing to go with the tide. Showing judicial courage by going against the tide is one of the themes of a recent book authored by Mohammad Nasir and Samreen Ahmed about the first great dissenter of the Indian judiciaryJustice Syed Mahmood (Nasir and Ahmed 2022). Indias First Dissenting Judge While hes been nearly forgotten outside of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Mahmood was a remarkable individual, not just because of the times he lived in but because of his achievements. He was the first native Indian judge on the bench of the Allahabad High Court during British rule. Along with his father, Syed Ahmed Khan, he co-founded the institution that is now known as the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He was one of the rare Indians in those times to have obtained a foreign degree from Cambridge University and called to the Bar from Lincolns Inn (Nasir and Ahmed 2022). In the book, the authors cover both his contribution to the development of what is now the AMU and his six years as a judge of the Allahabad High Court. His contribution to the setting up and nurturing of AMU in its early days is a must-read for anyone thinking about the state of education in India today. His judgments, even the dissenting ones, continue to be cited with favour by the Supreme Court as recently as 2020 (Raghunath v Radha Mohan). However, for the purposes of this column, I will focus only on his dissents and the cause of his eventual resignation from the high court, only six years into his term. While Justice Mahmoods dissents cover several areas of law, one of the most important here is perhaps Queen Empress v Pohpi and Others ([1891] ILR 13 Allahabad 171) given its implications on criminal justice. In this case, Justice Mahmood, in a powerful dissent, read into the then Code of Criminal Procedure, the right to be heard by an advocate in a criminal appeal before the high court. While the majority of the bench held that when an accused or their lawyer did not appear in court for appeal hearing, the court was justified in proceeding with the matter without them. Justice Mahmood relied on the basic principles of natural justice to hold that a provision could not be interpreted as to deny a prisoner their right of being heard in appeal. His position is now the law, as it stands, showing the far-sightedness of his thinking. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his dissents did not go down well with the establishment, not least of all, the Chief Justice of Allahabad, John Edge. He was on the bench when Mahmood dissented in the Queen Express case and after his dissent stopped assigning criminal cases to him (Nasir and Ahmed 2022: 114). The Chief Justices unhappiness with Justice Mahmood ranged from his personal habits (alcoholism and smoking) all the way to interfering unnecessarily in the administration of the high court (Nasir and Ahmed 2022: 8788). Justice Mahmood did not back down. He alleged that Edges attitude to running the court was monarchical and did not treat fellow judges with the respect they deserved (Nasir and Ahmed 2022: 8992). In responding to the allegations relating to personal habits and laziness, Justice Mahmood responded with a chart outlining the number of hours of work that he had put in as a high court judge and how he was better than others with a comparable term on the bench. Needless to say, this did not soothe any tempers, and though he planned to litigate against Chief Justice Edges accusations against him, Justice Mahmood preferred to resign. This, he believed, was the only way to assert his dignity and independence in the face of what he perceived as tyranny within the judiciary. In his resignation letter, he states that he would rather not continue being a judge in a set-up where ones career depends on the frowns and smiles of the Chief Justice (Nasir and Ahmed 2022: 100). Conclusions Nasir and Ahmeds book on Justice Mahmood draws a neat line between his dissents and his eventual falling out with Chief Justice Edge. While the questions that arose before the Allahabad High Court in those days were not the kinds of constitutional and political questions that arise today, they were nonetheless important questions of civil liberties. While the Constitution undoubtedly expanded upon the civil liberties that Indians enjoy, even the earliest versions of the Code of Criminal Procedure guaranteed certain civil liberties to Indians and remedy against their violation. Justice Mahmood, in his own way, and wherever possible, expanded the scope of such civil liberties and his dissents have, in fact, become law through subsequent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure. Even as discussions about the independence of the judiciary continue, it is helpful to remember that as much as systems are designed to prevent structural interference in the working of the judiciary, they will fail if a judge lacks the independence of spirit and personal attributes necessary to function in an independent manner. The examples of Justice Mahmood, Justice Khanna and, now, Justice Sandesh show that even as systems fail and conformism prevails, a streak of independence and integrity has run through the judiciary in India no matter what the surrounding circumstances are. References Ambarish, B (2022): Karnataka HC Judge Receives Transfer Threat for Remark against ACB Official, Deccan Herald, 4 July, viewed on 20 July 2022, https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-hc-judge-receives-transfer-threat-for-remark-against-acb-official-1123779.html. Diwan, Anil (2008): A Profile in Judicial Courage, Hindu, 7 March, viewed on 20 July 2022, https://indialawyers.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/a-profile-in-judicial-courage/. Khanna, Hans Raj (1985): Neither Roses Nor Thorns, Lucknow: Eastern Book Company. Kumar, Alok Prasanna (2022): Appointing High Court JudgesII, Economic & Political Weekly, Vol 57, No 8, pp 1012. Narrain, Arvind (2022): The Contemporary Relevance of Internal Emergency 197577, Leaflet, 25 June, viewed on 20 July 2022, https://theleaflet.in/the-contemporary-relevance-of-internal-emergency-1975-77/. Nasir, M and Ahmed S (2022): Syed Mahmood: Colonial Indias Dissenting Judge, New Delhi: Bloomsbury India. New York Times (1976): Fading Hope in India, 30 April, viewed on 12 July 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/30/archives/fading-hope-in-india.html?. Rajagopal, Krishnadas (2022): Supreme Court Stays orders by Karnataka HC against ACB in Bail Plea Hearing, Calls Them Unconnected, Irrelevant, Hindu, 18 July, viewed on 20 July 2022, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-stays-orders-passed-by-karnataka-hc-judge-against-acb-in-bail-plea-hearing-calls-it-unconnected-irrelevant/article65653632.ece. Sarda, Kanu (2022): Karnataka Judge Records Transfer Threats over Remarks against ACB in Official Order, India Today, 13 July, viewed on 20 July 2022, https://www.indiatoday.in/law/story/karnataka-judge-records-transfer-threats-over-remarks-against-acb-in-official-order-1974905-2022-07-13. Cases CITED ADM Jabalpur v Shivakant Shukla (1976): 2 SCC 521. Queen Empress v Pohpi and Others (1891): ILR 13 Allahabad 171. Raghunath v Radha Mohan (2020): SCC Online SC 828. C. Valenciana Tres heridos graves por quemaduras y al menos 8 leves en el incidente del tren afectado por el incendio de Bejis MIDLAND, Texas In the heart of the countrys most productive oil basin, Jeff Sparks family company, Discovery Operating, is behind on completing six wells. But were drilling right now, Im hoping to get finished on this horizontal pad by the end of the week, Sparks said while answering calls at the Midland office of the 30-person company his dad started in 1973. And then we will get lined up and frac it. Discovery Operating, like other producers in the Permian Basin, has more work than it can handle as rising demand for oil has pushed crude prices to over $120 a barrel this year. In the past, such soaring crude prices turned Midland into a temporary boomtown: Wildcatters move in to search for oil, snapping up houses and apartments, and the town becomes flush with new wealth. When the inevitable bust slashes oil prices, companies cut workers and families move out. The current boom, according to longtime residents, Midland officials and companies in the region, is more muted, with incremental advancements in drilling technology and the worlds appetite for oil driving long-term investments. And that, experts say, could lead to more stability in rural communities accustomed to dramatic boom and bust cycles. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer More efficient at getting more oil The Permian Basin is set to boost daily output this year by 1 million barrels to an average of 5.6 million barrels, according to Norwegian firm Rystad Energy, making it the worlds third-largest producer behind Russia and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, analysts say, companies are more efficient at drilling for that oil than theyve ever been. Operators are able to drill deeper, more productive wells, with a smaller workforce. More so, companies have driven down the cost of fracking. Economists say when fracking first became feasible, drillers could break even with oil at about $80 a barrel. Today that number is closer to $40. Thats the case for oil major Chevron the San Ramon, Calif. based company holds more than two million acres of land in the Permian Basin. On a recent afternoon just outside Midland, a Chevron drilling operator sat in an air conditioned booth on the rigs platform, each hand on a control as if the drill outside were a video game. On either side of him, two screens flashed data related to the well. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The information on his screens, he said, is transmitted to a control center some 500 miles away in Houston, where the oil giant monitors all its active rigs. Its a game changer, said Ryder Booth, leader of Chevrons Houston-based Mid-Continent business unit working in Midland. Having a central location means fewer people are needed on drill sites, plus information gathered from one rig can be quickly shared with other sites, he said. If one rig learns how to do something, to drill five feet longer in 30 less minutes, Booth said, that's passed to all of the rigs. It's built into the system. Workers on the Chevron drilling site said, in general, drilling projects that used to take 30 days are often wrapped up within two weeks. TEXAS OIL SURGE: Permian Basin oil production predicted to outpace most oil-producing nations this year In the past there was also a need for workers, called wildcatters, to explore for new oil reserves. Nowadays, after decades of geological studies in the Permian by both company and government scientists, drillers know where the oil is, said economist Ray Perryman, who runs a consulting firm and has worked on economic analysis for the oil industry since the 1980s. Theres really almost no such thing as a wildcatter now, said Perryman. I mean, you know where the oil is at this point in time. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates at least 46 billion barrels of oil exist under the Permians ground, according to a 2018 report, the most recent for the region. Additionally, Perryman said hydraulic fracturing technology allows Permian producers to reach hard-to-recover oil. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer These fracked wells, you get a whole lot at first, then it drops off really quickly, Perryman said. But theres plenty more below that. So you have to go in and refrack it, so to speak, and so theres an ongoing employment base that wasnt here before. Companies dont just need crews to drill and then frack the well initially, Perryman said, but will continue to need crews to go back to the well, frack it, and extract more oil. So while crews are getting smaller, workers are needed to return to projects - and Perryman said thats enticing companies to invest more in the community in hopes of attracting a more steady workforce with skills specific to oil and gas extraction. Schools and health care Some locals said the oil and gas industry needs to invest in education and health care in the region, especially now that the Permian is expected to produce oil and need workers for years to come. Enter the Permian Strategic Partnership in 2019, a group of around 17 energy companies working with local governments and foundations in an effort to steer investment into the community. These companies all have the exact same things in common, and that is the need for a talented workforce, said Tracee Bentley, head of the Partnership. None of them are able to fully get the workforce that they need. Traditionally oil and gas jobs have been focused on manual labor, but as more technology is adopted in the oil patch companies are hungry for workers with digital expertise. Bentley said thats a problem in the Permian, which despite being home to a couple of colleges and universities, still lacks many workforce training opportunities. On top of that, Bentley said companies realize they need to help make the region more attractive for families, which means improving things like the areas hospitals and schools. The Partnership is still young, but since its formation it has invested more than $100 million to develop health care resources, attract and train teachers, and provide ongoing training to the Permians workforce. Bentley expects investments to speed up as many companies refocus their efforts in the region. Fossil fuels are here forever Underscoring the feeling in Midland that this boom is different is a commonly held belief that not only will the world need oil and gas for decades to come, but that conditions are right for the Permian to continue being one of the major producers of that oil. The International Energy Agencys most recent outlook predicts a 47 percent surge in energy demand within the next three decades. While renewable energy sources are expected to become a larger part of the worlds energy mix, many in Midland say oil and gas will continue to be a significant fuel source well past 2050, and the Permian is the best area to produce that oil and gas. Fossil fuels are here forever, said Midland County Judge Terry Johnson, who also owns oil field services company Tco Field Services. And the Permian Basin, he said, is poised to help meet the worlds energy needs for decades to come. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Johnson said that also means the area will continue to experience the up-and-down cycles of the oil and gas industry. With fewer transient workers and more long-term investments in the region making the 2022 up cycle feel different from previous ones, it could mean fewer families fleeing the area when prices inevitably go down - and Johnson said prices will go down again, its just unclear when. Anybody says I know whats going to happen for the next 12 months, they dont know what theyre talking about, because nobody knows, Johnson said. Im here to tell you, Ive been through four or five, boom-bust cycles, and well have another bust. Kyra.Buckley@chron.com Near the end of a more than five-hour hearing in Christopher Chris Pettits bankruptcy case, his lawyer depicted the disgraced ex-attorneys financial situation as dire. Mr. Pettit cant stand on the corner with a tin cup, Michael Colvard, Pettits counsel, told Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta on Thursday in a downtown San Antonio courthouse. We need to have some money. The judge asked Pettit, 55, how much money he had. I think probably 140 bucks, Pettit replied. Gargotta, calling his decision draconian, ruled thats what Pettit will have to live on until Monday when Pettit, the Chapter 11 trustee overseeing assets in the bankruptcy and their lawyers are slated to return to court for a third day. The trustee wants Pettit held in contempt for withdrawing at least $125,000 from his retirement accounts after filing for bankruptcy June 1. He sought bankruptcy protection for himself and his shuttered law firm after facing numerous lawsuits alleging he stole millions of dollars from his clients. On ExpressNews.com: Ex-clients question former attorney Christopher Pettit, but get few answers Trustee Eric Terry asserts the retirement funds are assets of the bankruptcy estate and not available to Pettit until theres a determination otherwise. Colvard claims the funds the only money he says Pettit has belong to his client and are not subject to distribution to creditors. Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Wanting an allowance Lawyers will present closing arguments on the civil contempt motion Monday. Even if Pettit is held in contempt, he will have the opportunity to clear himself of the finding. The hearing began Wednesday, marking the first time Pettit has appeared in public since the allegations were reported. Gargotta also will address whether Pettit can access funds for temporary living expenses until an expedited hearing on his personal budget can be held. The trustee and some creditors oppose Pettit tapping his retirement accounts any further. The accounts held more than $700,000 at the time of the bankruptcy. A court exhibit shows Pettit has spent more than $260,000 since filing for bankruptcy. Last week, the judge allowed Pettit to have $3,500 for a weeks worth of living expenses. Pettit expended more than $4,700, according to a lawyer for the trustee. Colvard said Pettit was just asking for an allowance, a request that irked Caroline Small, a lawyer for two creditors. Respectfully, this is not like a kid asking for an allowance, she said. This is a kid who stole money from his parents sock drawer, spent it all at Disney World and is now coming back and asking for more. Gargotta signaled he would allow Pettit some money next week. Its really difficult to expect someone to live not withstanding your feelings without having some access to cash, the judge said to those opposed to giving Pettit money. Frankly, it just doesnt work. Pettit has proposed a budget of more than $9,400 a month, or about $113,000 a year. Gargotta indicated he may have a hearing on the budget request late next week. Looking for work In the meantime, Gargotta told Pettit, he can get a job. If Pettit lands work, the judge said, he might be more inclined to let him have a little bit of money until you get on your feet. Pettit testified that he has been job hunting, applying to at least 20 places, including art galleries, car dealerships, department stores and a couple of universities to teach paralegal courses. Hes hoping any job he gets pays in excess of $100,000 a year, but he acknowledged some of the positions he applied for pay less than his proposed budget. He interviewed for a job at Club Orlando in Florida, described online as a gay sauna, but said he never asked what it paid. At that point, I was looking for anything, Pettit said, adding that hes not heard whether he got the job. Pettit had been a practicing attorney for more than three decades, specializing in estate planning and personal injury cases. But he also handled family law matters, trusts, probate cases and tax preparation, and he provided financial planning. All of that imploded in the past couple of months, with Pettit surrendering his law license and seeking bankruptcy. He listed $40.5 million in assets and $112.2 million in debts. 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: Ex-San Antonio attorney Chris Pettit spent nearly $252,000 in the 40 days after filing bankruptcy He remains undecided whether he intends to live in San Antonio, where he owns a house in a gated community on Champions Run in Stone Oak, or Florida, where an entity he is sole member of owns a mansion in Disney Worlds Golden Oak community. Pettit has been paying the mortgage on the mansion but says its owned by a company for the benefit of his 10-year-old sons trust. Pettit had been living in the Florida mansion since mid-May before returning to San Antonio this week. He had been staying in a hotel because of security concerns arising from the trustee having a key to the Champions Run house, Colvard said, citing the recent death of Pettits brother, Charles. The judge told Pettit he can return to the house. Thursdays court hearing was contentious at times, with Terry, the Chapter 11 trustee, taking the witness stand to say hes gotten selective cooperation from Pettit. Colvard said his client has been cooperative. The parties and their attorneys were scheduled to meet Friday to share information the trustee has been seeking, including logins to bank accounts. Sin Reposo Terry testified that the sale of real estate by Pettit to Sin Reposo LLC less than two months before the bankruptcy was definitely a fraudulent transfer that was schemed up by the two parties and others. The real estate included a few of Pettits law office buildings, a Canyon Lake home and a condominium in Port Aransas. On ExpressNews.com: Ex-San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit sold multiple properties to same buyer before massive bankruptcy Pettit received about $3 million from Sin Reposo in return for about $10 million worth of properties, he said, adding that he has a right of redemption to reacquire the properties. Proceeds from the transfers were used to pay a $13.8 million settlement to a doctor who accused him of fraud. Sin Reposo is headed by Garrett Glass, the chief financial officer and a director of EF EnergyFunders Ventures, an oil and gas investment company that trades on a Canadian stock exchange. Pettit also served on the EnergyFunders board until he stepped down in May, when his legal problems became public. pdanner@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate If youre looking for rare manuscripts and historic books, you expect to find them in at places like the British Museum or the Library of Congress. But smaller libraries around the world often hold a variety of such treasures squirreled away beyond the stacks. We checked with several San Antonio libraries and found several notable books. One has an anatomically correct and for its time shocking depiction of human anatomy and physiology, another reproductions of Mexican paintings and hieroglyphics collected from around the world, and one has a book described as the most beautiful one in existence. While most of these books are literally priceless in other words, they cant be priced because a market doesnt really exist for them the good news is, you dont always have to be a scholar to see them. Unless otherwise noted, the following books can be seen by anyone with an appointment. San Antonio Public Library Early King James Bible Year: 1611 Where: Central Library, 600 Soledad St.reet, 210-207-2559 This is one of the first peoples Bibles printed after Englands King James authorized a new translation in 1603. The Central Librarys copy is also one of fewer than 200 existing so-called Great He Bibles because of an error in Ruth 3:15, which reads, He went into the citie. The text is referring to Ruth and should read, She went . The error was corrected in later editions. This copy found its way to the United States during World War II when a London book dealer, fearing more air raids following the London Blitz, sold it and other items to San Antonio dealer Frank Rosengren in 1942. Three years later, Rosengren sold it to the San Antonio Public Library. While the librarys copy is in very good condition, its missing a title page and a final leaf, so it cannot be considered complete. Our Lady of the Lake A Book of Hours Year: circa 1400s Where: Sueltenfuss Library, Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 SW 24th St., 210-528-7138 This illuminated manuscript meaning its all hand-drawn and mostly in gold leaf contains psalms and devotionals that priests and literate believers such as nobles would have used during daily prayers. It has several full-color illustrations and is believed to have been produced in the northern French city of Rouen and brought to the United States prior to 1937. It was donated to the school in 1950, and the book is in good condition, with only minor scuff marks on the bound leather cover. University of the Incarnate Word Antiquities of Mexico: Comprising Fac-Similes of Ancient Mexican Paintings and Hieroglyphics Year: 1830-49 Where: Mabee Library, University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, 210-829-3837 Known as the Kingsborough Collection, this nine-volume set of Mexican art was written by Edward King Kingsborough, the Viscount of Mexico who undertook the massive task of visiting museums around the world to collect reproductions of Mexican art. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio areas independent bookstores get a lifeline from new online retailer Bookshop Once owned by philanthropist George Brackenridge, the set is one of only 49 Kingsboroughs in libraries worldwide. Few are as distinctive as UIWs, in which all the color illustrations are hand-tinted. In 1991, the San Antonio Museum of Art included several volumes in its groundbreaking exhibition, Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries. It was last appraised at $130,000. The book is available only to scholars, but it has been digitized by the Smithsonian Library at library.si.edu/digital-library/author/kingsborough-edward-king-viscount. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On the Structure of the Human Body) Year: 1543 Where: P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, 210-450-8260 Published by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), this was the first anatomical description of the human body based on actual autopsies that, with the churchs permission, were performed on executed criminals. The book helped revolutionize the practice of medicine by disproving many of the prevailing beliefs about human anatomy and physiology. This edition contains handwritten notations and has been censored in several spots, including on such sensitive topics for the time as the connection between the soul and the brain. The book was donated to the Bexar County Medical Library, which gave it to UTs Medical Historical Library in 1970. The book is in very good condition, other than some holes on several pages caused by the acid in the ink used by censors used. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer St. Johns Bible Year: 2011 Where: St. Louis Hall, St. Marys University, 1 Camino Santa Maria, 210-842-4092 The newest title in this group, the St. Johns Bible was handwritten and drawn by a team of artists led by renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson, a senior scribe to the queen of England. On ExpressNews.com: New book celebrates the most overlooked, everyday buildings in and around San Antonio The original seven-volume set has 1,160 pages and took 11 years to complete. This copy is one of only 299 full-size reproductions that were produced. When it was donated to St. Marys University in 2013, the full set cost $150,000. Individual volumes are displayed on a rotating basis in the lobby of St. Louis Hall. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer The Vinegar Bible Year: 1717 Where: John Peace Library, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, 210-458-5505 This 1,296-page version of the King James Bible is commonly referred to as the Vinegar Bible because of the chapter heading in Luke 20 that erroneously reads The parable of the vinegar rather than vineyard. It is one of only two copies of this flawed edition in U.S. libraries; the other is at Yale. The edition includes apocrypha, or noncanon, works not usually contained in the Hebrew Bible, including the books of Judith, Esther and Tobit. Donated to the school in 1975 by a collector of biblical history, the books binding is in good condition, although the 300-year-old leather cover flakes when handled. Trinity University The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer Year: 1896 Where: Coates Library, Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, 210-999-7355 Often called the most beautiful book in existence, only about 400 copies were printed of this compilation, which includes The Canterbury Tales and other works by the writer known as the father of English literature. Also known as the Kelmscott Chaucer, for the name of the press where it was printed, the 556-page volume is a magnificent work of art, with 87 wood-cut illustrations and exquisitely detailed borders. It was printed on handmade linen paper using ink specially obtained from Germany. Donated to the library in 1983, this edition was re-bound in the 1960s or 70s and is in excellent condition. National Archive of the Marianist Province of the United States The Works of Tacitus Year: 1633 Where: National Archive of the Marianist Province of the United States, 3141 Culebra Road, St. Marys University, 210-436-3329 Published in Venice, the book is a collection of the works of Publius Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 56-120), widely considered the greatest Roman historian to write in the Latin language. Measuring only 6-by-3 inches and almost 900 pages in length, including notes and an index, the handmade book has a vellum cover and shows signs of damage from worms, although the hand-sewn binding is in good shape and the printing remains clear. The book was donated to the archive several years ago, but its provenance before that is unknown. rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini Almost 40 years later, the death of a Bexar County Sheriff's deputy remains unsolved. On June 29, 1985, San Antonio police responded to reports of a crash in the area of W. Martin and Santa Rosa streets near Children's Hospital in downtown. When officers arrived, they found a car in the San Pedro Creek, and in the driver's seat was a 21-year-old deputy named Adrian Aguilar, who was unconscious and bleeding from the mouth, according to police. On ExpressNews.com: McManus: Man in critical condition, officer hospitalized after shootout while fleeing San Antonio police Aguilar died the next day at a local hospital. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's office said Aguilar died from a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. According to authorities, Aguilar was headed to the county jail after guarding a prisoner at University Hospital. He was driving his personal vehicle and was in his uniform. Officials believe he was shot through the passenger side window. Authorities have never found any witnesses, but the case remains open. Anyone with any information should contact the sheriff's office at 210-335-6000. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net Bexar County District Attorney's Office A San Antonio man was convicted and sentenced Wednesday on charges that he sexually abused a child for two years, the Bexar County District Attorney said in a news release. David Oscar Saldivar, 37, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the continuous sexual abuse of a child in the 399th District Court. The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board has delayed a meeting to discuss firing its police chief, Pete Arredondo. The board was to consider firing him at a special meeting Saturday, but the district said Friday it was canceled at the request of Arredondos attorney. The district placed Arredondo on leave in June after Texas Department of Public Safety director Steven McCraw blamed him for the slow and chaotic law enforcement response to the May 24 shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. In conformity with due process requirements, and at the request of his attorney, the meeting to consider the termination of Chief Arredondo will be held at a later date which has yet to be determined, the districts communication director, Anne Marie Espinoza, wrote in email. Arredondos attorney and Espinoza did not return phone calls on Friday afternoon, but the delay contained the first suggestion that Arredondo or his lawyer planned to attend a hearing on Superintendent Hal Harrells recommendation that the chief be fired. Such a hearing had been on Saturdays agenda. The email also contained the first mention by the district that Arredondo was not being paid while on administrative leave. School officials have declined to comment any aspect of his employment status and have been hammered for weeks by an angry public with demands that the chief be fired. Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press As the incident commander at the scene, Arredondo waited for more than an hour, McCraw said, to get more equipment and a key, before Border Patrol agents finally entered a pair of classrooms to confront and kill the gunman, Salvador Ramos, 18. A House committee report released Sunday also faulted the commanders of other police agencies who had officers at the scene, and painted a picture of a school district that did not take security seriously, leaving exterior doors to Robb Elementary unlocked. In response, the city of Uvalde, the DPS and the Border Patrol said they would review the actions of their officers and leadership at the scene. The Texas Education Agency said this week, however, that it is not investigating the school district. The release of the report, and videos showing hundreds of officers milling in school hallways while victims were still dying and children and another teacher lay wounded or playing dead under the gaze of the gunman, infuriated local residents. Most recently, at a board meeting earlier this week, scores of residents doubled down on the school district, demanding that the superintendent, the Robb Elementary principal and the districts communications director all lose their jobs. Fierce Madres, a group of mothers in the community advocating for justice for the children who died, later said waiting for Saturdays scheduled meeting for a possible dismissal of Arredondo would give him too much time to resign. They hoped for swifter action to fire him and want criminal charges brought against him, said Angela Villescaz, the organizations founder. I am disappointed, Villescaz said Friday of the canceled meeting. We are glad to hear in the interim he wont be getting paid. Tom Garcia, a grandparent of four children who attend Uvalde CISD schools, said he was surprised at the delay, because of the anger in the community. It is not a good thing, he said. But on the other side, there are some very big decisions to be made. claire.bryan@express-news.net Josey Garcia, the Democratic nominee for the Texas House District 124 seat, says she was reminded last week how petty and personal San Antonio politics can be, even when its in Dallas. As Garcia tells it, she and her husband were walking back to the Omni Dallas Hotel at around 9:30 p.m. Friday from the Democratic Partys state convention next door when she encountered Michelle Barrientes Vela, the indicted former Bexar County constable, her husband and some of her supporters outside the front lobby. An altercation ensued. Her campaign manager, Pharoah Clark, ended up testifying about it Thursday on behalf of a Bexar County District Attorneys Office attempt to have a judge impose a bond on Barrientes Vela. The judge rejected the DAs motion but ordered the former constable to stay away from both Garcia and Clark. Vela is awaiting trial on a charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and three counts of official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor, the latter for allegedly shaking down a family for cash in a San Antonio park in 2018. Garcia said a build-up of animosity between her and Barrientes Vela had occurred gradually, likely stemming from Garcias support for the reelection bids of the DA, Joe Gonzales, and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, and from other conflicting allegiances among local Democrats street-level politics. On ExpressNews.com: Allegation of political threat to judge clouds case against ex-constable The two women met this year to clear the air, but in recent months, Garcia said, she had heard one of Barrientes Velas allies was going around town slandering me. Outside the Dallas hotel, Barrientes Vela confronted Clark, a San Antonio police accountability activist, in a hostile, super-aggressive manner, Garcia said. There might have been some chest-bumping, a finger in someones face, perhaps profanity, she said. Not unheard of at political conventions, where some loyalists lose their cool. I was caught completely off guard. It was over in just minutes, Garcia said. But Pharaoh said he was calling 911. My husband is a Purple Heart veteran. I served in Iraq. We got in a hyper state of fight or flight and the Dallas police did arrive. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio judge wont handle case of ex-constable shaking down family Officers spoke to all the parties and decided to do nothing, said Barrientes Velas attorney, Jason Goss, who was in court with her Thursday when the Dallas dust-up was brought up by a prosecutor. The district attorneys office wanted 226th District Judge Velia Meza to set a $20,000 bond on Barrientes Vela. The often-delayed trial currently is set for Aug. 22. But Meza rebuffed the prosecutor and said there was no evidence Barrientes Vela assaulted anyone. She ordered the former constable not to have any contact with Clark or Garcia, not leave Bexar County without the judges permission and not use alcohol or drugs. Goss called it a standard requirement in such cases. We think this is just another attempt by people who dont like our client to taint the jury before she goes to trial, Goss said. Barrientes Vela was released on a court summons, he said, a process allowing the judge to require her presence in court whenever the judge wishes. We categorically deny everything, Goss said. She wasnt inebriated. She didnt touch anybody. The Dallas police didnt arrest her or file anything. This is all political. Staff writer Elizabeth Zavala contributed to thie report. bselcraig@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Testifying in hopes of a lenient sentence, convicted killer David James Estrada Jr. sobbed and wiped tears from his face Friday as he described his effort to scare his ex-wife by swerving his pickup in front of her, only to lose traction and run over her. I said to myself, Im going to drive and pull up on the curb in front of her, tell her to get in (the truck) and lets go home, Estrada told juors who had deliberated for nine hours to find him guilty of murder the day before. The jury came back much faster Friday, taking an hour and 20 minutes to recommend 15 years in prison for killing Dominga Irene Pesqueda Estrada, 33. State District Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl passed the sentence. It was lenient because he is considered a repeat offender, Estradas range of possible punishment was 15 to 99 years or life in prison. The defendant had testified he and Minga, as she was called, had been drinking with friends, and listed all the drinks they had that evening. They had an argument and she got out of the pickup, Estrada said he could not recall what it was about. Estrada began to drive next to her in the 7400 block of Spur Valley Street on the Southwest Side. When my truck hit the curb, I lost the traction, he said through sobs. The truck went in a way I didnt think it was going to go. On ExpressNews.com: At ex-husbands murder trial, relatives of victim see video of woman hit by pickup in San Antonio Moments after they left their friends house around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 5, 2020, Minga got out of the pickup and began to walk toward her sisters house, which was minutes away. Surveillance video taken from a residence on Spur Valley captured David Estradas pickup accelerate toward Minga, jump the curb and run over her. An ambulance arrived quickly. Minga Pesqueda Estrada suffered blunt-force trauma injuries to her lower body, and a large gash on the back of one of her knees almost severed the limb. Estrada said he attempted to stop the bleeding before she was taken to University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:15 a.m. He struggled as he was shown photographs of he and his ex-wife in happier times. He cried as defense attorney Alex Scharff asked him to tell the jury about their relationship. They met at the Poteet Strawberry Festival when he was 16 and she was 19. It was like love at first sight, he said. Id never experienced that. It was different. She was the only one with a car, so she would drive to Poteet from San Antonio to see him. They lost contact for a few years, reconnected, and she stuck with him, he said, even when he was sent to prison, where they got married. They had their ups and downs, he said, but they loved each other. The victims oldest sister, Christie Balderas, said she had raised Minga from the time she was 10, when their mother died. The light sentence was not justice for someone she loved like a daughter, Balderas said. She was the baby, Balderas said. In emotional and mostly inaudible impact statements, the victims sisters and friends told Estrada he took away someone special, and someone who loved him more than he deserved. She was your ride-or-die. There will be no forgiveness from us, one said. Prosecutors declined comment on the sentence. One of them, Oscar Pena had hammered Estrada on cross-examination for being able to remember how many drinks he and Minga had the night she was killed, but not what they argued about. Earlier Friday, Pena and fellow prosecutor Kristen Mulliner introduced documents that showed Estradas criminal record, which includes burglary and theft misdemeanor offenses. He also has a felony conviction from 2010 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. They displayed photos of the numerous tattoos that David Estrada, known as James, has on his body that indicate his membership in the Tango Orejon gang, specific to San Antonio. Scharff and fellow defense attorney Adrian Flores argued unsuccessfully to keep that information from the jury, stating that the offenses were more than 10 years old. They said Estrada was no longer in the gang. In their closing arguments, Scharff and Flores said their client, who sobbed and cried through most of the trial, is remorseful, and asked the panel to consider 15 years. He absolutely killed her, Scharff told the panel. If he could turn back time, James would have made a completely different decision. ezavala@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man is in critical condition and an officer wounded after a shootout Thursday evening at an intersection north of downtown. Identified as Elijaih Clemente Gonzales, 23, he is facing a charge of attempted capital murder of a police officer. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the incident began after 6:30 p.m. when a woman told police that her boyfriend Gonzales had threatened to shoot up the place, referring to her home. Fortunately, the officer got there before he did, McManus said. He said the officer was driving to her house when he encountered Gonzales three blocks west of the intersection of Culebra Road and Interstate 10 West. Gonzales saw the officer and drove away. When he reached the Culebra and I-10 intersection, however, he crashed into two vehicles, the chief said. He then allegedly tried to carjack a person driving a red Grand Marquise at the base of the on-ramp of I-10 heading into downtown. As the officer approached in his patrol car, Gonzales shot him, striking him once in the forearm, McManus said. Express Briefing: Get the morning headlines in your inbox The officer returned fire, striking the man three times once in the torso and twice in the leg. The police chief did not identify the officer, who has worked in the department for five years and will be placed on administrative duty. Both were taken to an area hospital. As of Friday, Gonzales was in critical condition while the officer was stable. No one else was injured in the shootout. McManus said Gonzales had six outstanding arrest warrants including for telephone harassment, burglary and being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Gonzales was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a count of attempted capital murder of a police officer, and for the warrants. His bail totaled more than $1,615,000. Affidavits supporting Gonzales arrest detail at least three previous incidents in which he was accused of assault of a pregnant person, violation of a protective order and burglary assault all involving the same woman. jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Planned Parenthood South Texas board of directors has named Laura Terrill to be its next CEO, the organization announced Friday. She will replace longtime CEO Jeffrey Hons, who retired July 1. Terrill is joining the South Texas affiliate after working for Planned Parenthood of Montana, where she was vice president of external affairs for the last six years. She was previously executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, the Oregon counterpart to Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. She has also served in government positions, including as chief of staff for the Oregon secretary of state. Founded in 1939, Planned Parenthood South Texas is a major provider of sexual and reproductive health care with centers in San Antonio, Brownsville and Harlingen that serve more than 25,000 people each year. On ExpressNews.com: Supreme Courts abortion decision condemned, celebrated in San Antonio Its services include birth control, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, gender-affirming hormone therapy, fertility assistance, primary care and more. Laura brings impressive experience and background in reproductive health and rights. She is also an effective communicator, a thoughtful advocate for reproductive rights and a dynamic and creative leader, said Merritt Clements, board chair of Planned Parenthood South Texas. Were excited to have her lead the next chapter of PPSTs work in the communities we serve. Terrill will take the reins on Aug. 1, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June by the U.S. Supreme Court. That 1973 landmark decision constitutionally protected the right to abortion. Since then, Texas politicians have used pre-Roe era laws to ban all abortion in the state. This fight is not over, Terrill said in a statement. I look forward to working together with partners across South Texas to eliminate barriers to essential health care, including abortion. Together, we will ensure every member of our community thrives no matter who they love, where they live, their country of origin or their income. Our communities deserve nothing less. laura.garcia@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The most important San Antonio-based Air Force unit youve never heard of changed commanders Thursday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Kennedy took over leadership of the 16th Air Force, or Air Forces Cyber, from Lt. Gen. Timothy D. Haugh in a ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The 16th launched in 2019 when the Air Force merged oversight of its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission with its cyber headquarters. The new organization, focused on information warfare, consolidated the services ISR, cyber, electronic warfare and information operations capabilities. That sounds complicated, and it is, especially when trying to break away from old ways of thinking and technologies amid ever-increasing competition with China and Russia, and countless other threats. On ExpressNews.com: Space Force takes flight, bolstered by some bold life lessons Beside launching a new organization, the challenge for Haugh, according to one of his bosses, Gen. Mark D. Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, was to change the Air Forces culture and focus from the physical to cognitive, kinetic to nonkinetic, episodic combat to enduring competition and to get us truly, genuinely out of analog into becoming a digital service. Headquartered at Lacklands Security Hill and Port San Antonio, nearly everything the 16th does is classified, one reason we dont hear about it much. Everything that goes on in the United States Air Force is touched by San Antonio every day from a computer and network perspective, Haugh told me. The 16th has more than 49,000 people and 128 locations around the globe. Haughs charge was to pull together these disparate but related capabilities that include U-2 spy planes, the National Airborne Operations Center, cyber operations, signals intelligence, RQ-4 unmanned aircraft, targeting, analysis, weather, communications and nuclear treaty compliance. On ExpressNews.com: An Air Force senior general just got candid about mental health in the military He will assume the deputy commander role at U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md. Hes proud of the 16ths accomplishments during his three-year tenure that included a pandemic, election security concerns, Russian aggression and supporting the Space Force. COVID, he said, was the biggest challenge as the 16th helped the Air Force go from 10,000 teleworkers to about 300,000 nearly overnight. They were innovating finding new ways to stay connected with their airmen and their families, he said. The 16th also helped secure the 2020 election from foreign interference. We dedicate resources to it every day, Haugh said. Intelligence and cyber people rarely talk specifics. Instead, they cite concepts that trigger the imagination: integrate, generate insights, compete, create dilemmas for adversaries, desired effects. Information warfare is always happening, and its forms are boundless. Say we know our adversaries sensitive info (or not). We can let them know we know (or not). We can let others know we know (or not). We can let them know well let others know (or not). Or we can always save the info until we need it (or not). At the same time, we must protect our own information. The war in Ukraine exemplifies how entities use info. The 16th has supported the U.S. campaign of disclosure revealing others plans or secrets against Russia and others. On ExpressNews.com: DOD bombshell a clear warning to Russia The ability to expose adversaries in a way that allows others to also become aware is a powerful concept, he said. The exposure in and of itself isnt something that produces an outcome that deters an adversary, but it does impose costs. Haugh has built on collaborations with NSA Texas, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Port San Antonio and industry during his tenure. For Jim Perschbach, Port San Antonio president and chief executive, the standup of the 16th and Haughs tenure represents a larger recognition of the importance of the information domain to national security. There is that growing sense that this is the new frontier, the new area that we really need to be protecting, said Perschbach. Were absolutely going to miss the guy, but its great for the nation, particularly since hes somebody with the subject matter expertise. Haugh leaves an organization constantly working, quietly and in the background, to help keep our nation secure. He said he sleeps well because of the skills of those on his team, and that should help all of us rest easy. brandon.lingle@express-news.net UVALDE Father and daughter stood side by side last Sunday afternoon, taking in this grand mural. So vibrant, joyful and strong. Just like their beloved Eva Mireles. Purple, orange, pink and yellow flowers grow in front of mountains, accented with sparkling hints of bling. Mireles bright smile is framed by her open arms holding two flags: Always Strong and Crossfit symbols of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy. Father and daughter studied the 18-by-30-foot mural of Mireles, a wife, mother, sister, friend and Robb Elementary School teacher. A lover of CrossFit. A hiker. A victim of gun violence. A hero. The father, Ruben Ruiz Jr., is one of the five Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officers who responded to the shooting. He is the officer who lost his wife, the desperate husband who was ready to enter the classroom with his gun, but instead was ushered out of the school's hall. Now Playing: Uvaldes unrelenting grief was palpable on Sunday in the shadow of a beautiful mural for teacher Eva Mireles. Video: Abigail Im Multimedia Producer, Nancy M Preyor Johnson, Monte Bach Express News Their daughter, Adalynn Addy Ruiz, 23, is their only child. Mireles called her Nanis. Their nightmare this small, rural towns nightmare began nearly two months ago when an 18-year-old murdered 19 children, Mireles, and her co-teacher and friend, Irma Garcia with an assault rifle. Both teachers died trying to save their students. Ruben and Addy Ruiz stood at the mural last Sunday afternoon, nearly two months after the Robb Elementary mass shooting on the same day a Texas House committee released the most complete telling to date of the May 24 massacre. The report outlined, in fine detail, layers of failure in Uvalde nonchalance about school security, including unlocked school doors, missed opportunities to stop a troubled boy from turning into a mass shooter and a chaotic, botched police response that has set this community on fire. On ExpressNews.com: Victims families furious after horrific details surface in new report on Robb Elementary shooting Ruben and Addy were less than a half mile away from the civic center where the House committee released the report to victims families. But their focus wasnt on the report or the outrage and strife that is roiling this community. No, on this Sunday, they focused on this vibrant mural, as Tejano and Latin pop rock music filled the air and they spent time with the people who knew Mireles best and loved her most. The mural adorns the side of the St. Henry De Osso Family Project building, where volunteers once tutored some of the Robb Elementary children who were killed. More than 20 of Mireles closest family and friends sat under a tent for hours in the oppressive summer heat to watch the artists complete the mural. They listened to Mireles favorite music and shared cups of melon. Some helped. Paint brushes in their hands, they did their best to make the painting beautiful just like their Eva Mireles. This scene is what Express-News photojournalist Sam Owens and I first saw when we visited the mural just after the committee meeting. Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Artists Sandra Gonzalez, left, and Silvy Ochoa work on a portrait mural honoring Robb Elementary teacher Eva Mireles. On the right, Eva Mireles daughter Adalynn Ruiz, 23, helps paints flowers on the bottom of a mural honoring her mother on the side of the St. Henry De Osso Family Project building in Uvalde. (Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News) Artists Sandra Gonzalez, left, and Silvy Ochoa work on a portrait mural honoring Robb Elementary teacher Eva Mireles. On the right, Eva Mireles daughter Adalynn Ruiz, 23, helps paints flowers on the bottom of a mural honoring her mother on the side of the St. Henry De Osso Family Project building in Uvalde. (Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News) Its beautiful, Ruben said. Its perfect, Addy said. She said she could feel her mothers presence, especially when one of her mothers favorite songs, Marco Antonio Solis Si No Te Hubieras Ido, (If You Hadnt Left) played. Tears filled their eyes. I miss you more than ever, and I dont know what to do, the song begins. Never forget The Healing Uvalde mural project, which will include murals to honor each of the 21 victims, plus two additional murals that local children will help paint, isnt complete. The project originated with Abel Ortiz, a Uvalde artist and Southwest Junior College art professor. The day after the tragedy, Ortiz heard Felix Rubio, a deputy with the Uvalde County Sheriffs Office, say he didnt want the death of his 10-year-old daughter, Alexandria Lexi Rubio, to be in vain. We will celebrate these lives every day, throughout town, down the alleys, in the barrio and in our hearts, Ortiz said. I had to take action to help heal the community and make sure these beautiful souls names and their faces are never forgotten. The murals are a collaborative work of art and love. Monica Maldonado, founder of MAS Cultura, an Austin-based Latino arts nonprofit, is helping manage the effort. She set up a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $15,000 over several weeks. George Meza, an art collector, was also instrumental in organizing the project. Erika DeLaRosa at San Anto Cultural Arts, a community-based arts nonprofit, reached out to Texas volunteers. The project should be completed by the end of August. Sandra Gonzalez, an art teacher with Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, said she worked on the mural of Eva for five days, with the help of assistants and volunteers. At one point, they worked until 5:30 a.m. I was really devastated when I heard the news, especially being a teacher and it being the last week of school, she said. It really broke me. The grief in Uvalde is so deep, its impossible to imagine healing. Feeling her presence And yet, each mural brings some solace to families suffering a life-shattering loss. She would have loved it, Ruben said. She ran through here all the time, Addy said. So its a good spot. We would ride our bikes through here. Addy works out at the gym near the mural, so she will see it every day, feeling her moms presence. This is my favorite picture of her, she said, referring to the photo used for the mural. The photo was also on the front of Rubens black T-shirt, the words In loving memory of hanging above Mireles smiling face. Below, her date of birth March 17, 1978 and date of death May 24, 2022. The same image was tattooed on Addys forearm. The photo was taken in November 2016 when Mireles, an avid hiker, had reached the Top of Texas Guadalupe Peak. Having ascended 8,751 feet, she held two American flags, one in each hand. A triumphant smile spread across her face. Her sister, Maggie Mireles Thomas, told me Mireles hiked the peak several times. Her final hike there was May 15, 2021. On her lifes journey, there were other hikes, like a visit to Yosemite in 2021. On the weekend the family gathered at the mural, Mireles had planned to climb up the Stairway to Heaven at the Manitou Incline in Colorado with her best friend Angela Velasquez. Velasquez still made the trip. For Mireles and Velasquez, hiking the hard climb, the time to reflect, the sweet reward of an amazing view grounded and energized them. They kept a to-do list of peaks to fulfill. Each step, Velasquez thought of Mireles. Breathless, weeping for her friend throughout the 2,000-foot climb, Velasquez held Mireles photo high in the air at the summit. Eva, you made it, Eva! she called to heaven. Always remembered I have come to Uvalde several times since the shooting, but each visit feels like a first as the story continues and the grief deepens. I was nervous speaking with Addy and Ruben, unsure of what to say. I was heavy with heartbreak for their family and Uvalde. I talked too much. On ExpressNews.com: My whole body aches for her: A Uvalde High School senior graduates without her little sister. I told Addy her social media posts about her mom often made me cry. I cry, too, Ruben said.. In a note to her mother, posted on Twitter the day after the shooting, Addy called her mom her twin, her best friend, her hero. She thanked her mom for being an inspiration, for raising her to be so strong. She wrote about how her mom was a teacher during the day and a hardworking CrossFitter in the afternoon. I want to hug you one last time and I want to feel the calluses on your hands . . . I want you to come back to me mom. I miss you more than words can explain, she wrote. My heart will forever be broken. On July 2, she tagged her mom in a Facebook post, having celebrated her 23rd birthday at her mothers grave. Standing at the mural, Addy and her boyfriends mom, Sue Ellen Vera, told me more about that birthday celebration. How it came about. How Addy felt her mother was with her. It was a birthday tradition to have lunch with her mom. On this birthday, Addy bought Wendys chicken nuggets and headed to the cemetery. She had planned to sit on a towel at her mothers grave, but once there, she was met with a surprise. A Happy Birthday sign. Balloons. Cake. Gifts. Photos of her with her mom. Homemade posters featured motherly messages. Dont worry about your chicken. Its perfect, a reference to how Addy often asked her mom for cooking advice. Promise to talk to me everyday at 4:30 and I promise Ill listen, an acknowledgment of Addys daily afternoon phone call with her mom. There were letters to guide her with each step. Drink with me, because her mom was the life of every party. There was a bottle of wine one glass with Addys name and another labeled Mom. Please sit on my couch with Kane, who was Mireles beloved dog. Theres CrossFit in Heaven. Im keeping my calluses rough, just for you. Keep living for both of us and continue to make me proud like you always have. Happy Birthday, Princess. Vera, who planned the picnic, prayed for Mireles to guide her, saying, Tell us what to write. Tell us what to do. Addy also had prayed to her mother. The day before, I was talking to her, telling her, Please be with me, please show your presence on my birthday. I want to feel you, Addy said. Its like she told them exactly what to do. It was perfect. Addy often writes and talks to her mom. Mom, I miss you everyday, especially today, Addy wrote on Facebook on her birthday. This pain will never end, but it brings me peace knowing you are everywhere I go. You are home. I will live every day of my life for you. Momma, thank you for shining extra bright for me today. See you when I see you, I miss you Momma. On ExpressNews.com: Preyor-Johnson: In Uvalde, a stepgrandfather grieves Uvaldes unrelenting grief was palpable on Sunday in the shadow of the beautiful mural. I told Addy and Ruben that I had just come from the contentious Texas House committee meeting. I mentioned the damning report and the upcoming Uvalde school board meeting, which proved to be as combative as expected. They nodded, blankly. They were clear they only wanted to talk about Mireles and the mural. I told them that I couldnt imagine something like this happening in my childhood small town of Mathis or to my loved ones. We take it a day at a time, you know? Its all we can do, Ruben said. Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Addy has said she never imagined her moms beautiful face would be seen by so many people for the wrong reason. But we remember her, and honor her, for the right reasons. Eva Mireles name, her smiling face and open arms, her spirit and love, will endure in this mural, and beyond. Healing isnt possible for Mireles family, or any of the other families. These murals wont take away their pain. But they will be a reminder of how the beloved victims who represented all that was right in our world lived their lives. Due to incorrect information received from the Uvalde mural projects founder, this column has been updated to correct errors. George Meza, an art collector, is not a Cheech Marin Center board member. Also, it took several weeks to raise the first $15,000 of the GoFundMe campaign. Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net You have likely seen the news stories about rising criminal activity across our nation, as well as in San Antonio. Criminal justice and crime are complex and nuanced subjects, but for residents of a community experiencing high volumes of criminal activity, the only answer they want is the one that will make it stop. Over the past several months, many of our neighbors have expressed concerns about their safety. They are worried about being attacked while going on walks in their neighborhood, about being mugged while shopping and, worst of all, they are worried it will continue to get worse. For months, researchers across the country have investigated this trend and have found no single cause. They have pointed to major unemployment, defunding of police budgets, inadequate police presence and lack of prosecution as causes for increased crime. Here in San Antonio, I believe lack of prosecution of certain offenses and setting bail too low are the biggest culprits. Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales recently expanded the list of crimes that qualify under the cite-and-release program to include those that cause damage and incur costs to victims. The original list included misdemeanor theft and theft of services but now also includes graffiti. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio city leaders address crime in North Side forum I am concerned with the optics this creates for people intent on committing criminal activity in our city. I am even more concerned for the victims of these crimes. If criminals do not think there are consequences for their actions, they will not hesitate to perpetrate crimes. Soft prosecution, dismissed cases and dropped charges are some of the reasons that criminals who normally would be hesitant to commit a crime are emboldened to act. One of the purported benefits of cite-and-release is that it saves money on booking charges of low level offenses. The latest figures show a savings of $3.8 million between July 2019 and December 2021. While I typically support policies that save money for taxpayers, in this instance I am more concerned about the cost of crime to victims. One study found that cost to be $2.9 billion in San Antonio. The cost of crime is substantially greater than the savings from the cite-and-release program. I am curious to know how many of these crimes are caused by repeat offenders. We have data that show repeat offenders being arrested up to six times and still being released to commit additional crimes. I am struggling to see how this is working. I am also concerned magistrate judges in Bexar County are setting bail extremely low on potentially dangerous individuals. Setting the amount of bail is complex, but do magistrate judges have all the necessary information from the district attorneys office to make the best decisions on bail? There seems to be a lot of finger-pointing going on, and this does not give me, or others, confidence. More should be done to protect the public. Many people in the community have asked what can be done to reverse these trends, and I have urged them to contact the district attorneys office and ask about the policies they have in place. Voting for officials you believe represent your beliefs on public safety is also critical. I understand there is not one solution to change this projection. There will be those who disagree and argue that petty nonviolent crimes only hurt those who get prosecuted; however, there is fiscal and social harm associated with nonviolent crimes such as graffiti, theft and property damage. Aside from the monetary losses, a sense of safety is lost when incidents like this occur. We all deserve to live in a safe city and to enjoy the benefits and beauty that San Antonio has to offer. City Councilman Clayton Perry represents District 10. Air Serbia plans to expand its network over the coming months with the launch of several new routes, as well as the resumption of destinations previously served by the carrier. In addition to Tianjin in China, which is to launch in October, and Chicago, which is set to commence in April of next year, the carrier is also set to return to Cairo in the spring of 2023 and is negotiating flights to Ohrid from June of next year, among others. The airlines return to the Middle East is also expected to be announced, after it suspended operations to Tel Aviv and Beirut in March 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and shelved plans to introduce flights to Amman this summer. Air Serbia, the Agency for the Promotion and Support of Tourism in Macedonia, and the Serbian Ministry for Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, have held talks over the airlines potential resumption of flights between Belgrade and Ohrid next year. During the meeting, which was attended by the Serbian carriers General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Bosko Rupic, the three sides discussed the possibility of the airline maintaining a two weekly service between the two cities over the summer months. The proposal is being supported through the Open Balkans initiative of which both Serbia and Macedonia are a part of. The head of the Agency for the Promotion and Support of Tourism in Macedonia, Ljupco Janevski, said, We have seen excellent statistical indicators, showing the projected growth in the number of Serbian tourists by 500% this year. During the first quarter of 2022, the number of tourists from Serbia visiting Ohrid grew 100%. Furthermore, the number of overnight stays has grown significantly as well. He added, Regional cooperation is a prerequisite for the development of the tourism industry, and with the Open Balkans initiative, where boarders are being removed, we now have a market of fifteen million domestic tourists. Air Serbia launched a seasonal three weekly service between Belgrade and Ohrid in 2016, following a three-year hiatus. In 2017, operations were increased to four weekly. However, by 2018 the flights were discontinued amid a wide-ranging push to cut costs and rationalise its network. Back then, the airline primarily relied on transfer passengers to sustain its Ohrid service, with special fares targeting the Macedonian diaspora in Australia, many of which hail from the Ohrid region. However, the termination of Air Serbia's Abu Dhabi flights in 2017, which served as a feeder from Australia, significantly affected loads on the Ohrid route. The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, confirmed this week that Air Serbia plans to return to Cairo from May 2023, although he hoped "it will be in March or even a bit earlier" following talks with the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in Belgrade this week. The Egyptian Embassy in Belgrade has made no secrete that it has been in talks with Air Serbia over the airline's return to Cairo. "We are in constant contact with Air Serbia, so we can look into overcoming the challenges of the pandemic and restore nonstop flights. We have conducted and facilitated numerous meetings in the aviation sector, with the aim of further expanding the network of flights and routes between the two countries. We look forward to positive results in this regard, the Embassy said recently. Air Serbia maintained services to the Egyptian capital until the outbreak of Covid-19. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A new case of highly-pathogenic bird flu has been confirmed in commercial poultry on a Devon farm, with all affected by the disease to be culled. Avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype was confirmed on Thursday (21 July) at a premises near near Dartington, South Hams. The latest discovery makes it England's 104th 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 commercial poultry, Defra said in an online update. A cull has been ordered. A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone has also been enacted around the site. Defra said: "The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) remains in force across Great Britain until further notice, with only the housing measures component being lifted. "This means, while birds are allowed to range outside, if you keep birds you must continue to take effective and precautionary biosecurity measures until further notice." Defra added: "While the risk levels have reduced infection may still be present in the environment." It comes as a major research consortium convened last month to help combat this winter's outbreak of avian flu, which has been the largest and longest ever in the UK. 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 was 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." The NFU has criticised the government for setting out 'no clear management plan' for farmers after announcing 'last minute' legislation which gives legal protection to beavers. The legislation, which comes into effect from 1 October, means it will be illegal to kill or harm beavers in England as they will be formally recognised as native wildlife. The government said the law change would establish the legal mechanism to 'strictly manage' the release of the animals and their control after release. It builds on the programme of work started in 2014, including a five-year trial to investigate the effects of wild-living populations of beavers on the River Otter. In 2020, Defra published the evaluation of the results of that trial, and the government then launched a consultation which closed in November 2021 on its proposed management approach. The government said further details on the management regime would be published 'in due course', despite rising concern within the farming industry. The NFU and other industry bodies say beaver activity can undermine riverbanks and impede farmland drainage, making fields too waterlogged for cropping or grazing. More work must to be done to understand the implications for farmers, the industry says, and for the government to ensure that all potential impacts are carefully considered. Responding to the new legislation, NFU President Minette Batters said it was 'unacceptable' that the government had pushed it through before summer recess. She criticised the government for unveiling "absolutely no detail and vague platitudes" on the beaver management plan. With the impact beavers can have on agricultural land, a clear management plan following consultation with farmers was the least the government should have created before introducing this legislation. Farmers will be rightly asking why the government is introducing this last-minute legislation in the same week that it couldnt find parliamentary time to scrutinise the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement." She added: "It is imperative that Defra now brings plans forward to manage beavers and their potential impact as soon as possible. Environmental groups have largely welcomed the legislation, but the Wildlife Trusts called for "sensible management guidance and incentives for landowners". Craig Bennett, chief executive of the charity said: It is important that guidance is now developed quickly to bring farmers on board with reintroductions, providing reassurance and, crucially, incentives to make space for beavers on their land." Northern Irish sheep farmers are being given the chance to travel to Isle of Islay in Scotland to learn about on-farm trial work looking at fluke detection and targeted treatments. The farms are practising a targeted array of testing each autumn which includes blood testing first grazing youngstock in the flock, Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture (DAERA) says. This to identify when the fluke challenge begins on each trial farm, followed by the use of copro-antigen testing and fluke egg detection to work out when treatments are required. The trial has also used efficacy checks to monitor for triclabendazole resistance on farms. Applications have now opened for one member or employee of a Northern Irish farm business that has 150 breeding ewes or more to visit the farms in Scotland. Ten places are available on this first trip, DAERA says, and these will be allocated with preference given to those who meet the flock size criteria and financially benchmark. The department said: "Faecal Egg Counting (FEC) has become more popular as routine husbandry in NI sheep flocks in recent years, with test results used mainly to determine the requirement for worm and fluke treatments. "The trial outlined above has taken this practise to a more in depth level which allows farmers to identify when the fluke challenge begins on farm each year. "[The farms use] young stock which have never been exposed to fluke previously in their lives, potentially delaying the need for fluke dosing in the earlier autumn months and allowing for greater efficiency in the autumn flock management. "The subsequent copro-antigen and fluke detection tests allow farmers to identify the point at which the sheep flock has ingested fluke and the cycle has begun and allows for targeted treatment." DAERA added: "All of which lends itself to responsible use of anthelmintics and helps to reduce the issue of resistance on farms which is becoming more prevalent." The tour will include visits to four sheep farms over two days. The first day will be spent with two of the Islay trials farms participating in the fluke trial, Cornabus Farm and an RSPB upland farm. The second day will be spent with two large scale sheep flocks, including a visit to the Islay Estate farm before returning home to Ballycastle that evening. A feedback and discussion session will take place over dinner on the first evening. This study tour is part of the Farm Innovation Visits Scheme which is being delivered by DAERAs College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). Applications close on 5 August 2022 at 4.00pm. Farmers need to make health and safety more of a priority to prevent serious accidents and injuries as the industry continues to have the highest rate of work-related deaths. This was the message from the managing director of a leading UK insurance broker after figures show that, despite the number of fatalities falling in the space of a year, agriculture continues to have the poorest safety record. Responding to figures from the Health and Safety Executive to coincide with the start of Farm Safety Week, Paul Graham, of H&H Insurance Brokers said more safety protocols needed to be implemented on the farm to prevent farmers losing their lives. There were 25 deaths on farms in the UK in the past year compared to 41 the previous year. "You could say there has been some improvements made," Mr Graham said. However, one death is one too many and we need to get the message out there that making health and safety on the farm a priority could make all the difference." Due to the nature of their business, farmers are more exposed to the risk of serious injury or death as they work with large machinery and tractors, for example, as well as being exposed to livestock and chemicals too. Farmers work long hours outdoors all-year-round and often alone on jobs and there are obvious risks linked with tiredness and fatigue. Because of this, Mr Graham said farmers must implement more stringent health and safety policies at work and take the risks around their workplace seriously to protect themselves, their families and members of the public. The figures released by the HSE on Monday (18 July) highlighted that of the 25 deaths in agriculture, three were members of the public - including a nine-year-old child. The data was released just two days after the tragic death of a three-year-old boy who died following a collision with a tractor on a farm in Bury, Greater Manchester, last Saturday. Deaths in agriculture accounted for a total of 18% of all workplace fatal injuries in Great Britain, even though the industry only employs one percent of the working population. The 10th annual Farm Safety Week, run by the Farm Safety Foundation, aims to raise awareness of the injury risks faced by farmers and how they can reduce these hazards. Mr Graham said farmers should place as much importance on these issues as they would any other aspect of running a farm. "Farmers need to know of their obligations to ensure all employees are kept safe and that all machines are safe, well maintained and insured," he added. We recommend all farmers develop a risk management system and we can help ensure the burden of setting that up is taken away from farmers who are already incredibly busy. Farm leaders have raised deep concerns after the first post-Brexit trade agreement passed through parliament without proper scrutiny. The Australian-UK trade deal has gone through its scrutiny phase without MPs having a chance to have their say on behalf of constituents. The free trade agreement now moves to ratification by ministers in the autumn, despite multiple pledges that there would be a debate first. Since day one, farming groups have warned that the sector would be sacrificed for greater national economic gains elsewhere. The governments own departmental advice also concluded that the Australia deal would cause a 94m hit to the farming industry. The National Sheep Association (NSA) said it was 'highly disappointing' to see the deal pass parliamentary scrutiny, and it could also 'damage public trust'. The body had submitted a detailed response to the trade deal, highlighting the differences, issues and poor opportunity it would provide for UK producers. NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker said: "It is desperately disappointing [the government] is prepared to risk our sector being damaged just at a time when food security is finally recognised as being important. There are still too many decision makers whose solution to food security is to simply be wealthy enough, and have enough trade agreements, to feed ourselves from around the world." He added: "The conflicting views of different government departments on the subject of farming, food, and trade has still not been resolved. "The decision not to allow proper scrutiny will undermine even further the confidence of farmers in the governments trade policy. In October 2021 the then International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, who is now a contender for prime minister, said the deal would go through a scrutiny process. The International Trade Committee would scrutinise and produce a report to parliament, with a debate taking place, she explained. There was also going to be an opportunity to block trade deals that were contested. The commitment was to have a full 21 days to scrutinise the final text. But Mr Stocker said the government had "betrayed the farming industry". It is extremely disappointing, especially considering this is an FTA that already puts British farming in a precarious position, and in particular sheepmeat producers. "The new deals with Australia and New Zealand combined give the theoretic possibility of these countries supplying the UKs total sheepmeat consumption," he said. Asia continues to bein the first half (H1) of 2022 as it purchased goods worth $239.45 billion, which represents a year-on-year increase of 16.1 per cent. The amount also accounts for 64.5 per cent of the countrys total export revenue, according to data released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC). In June, Vietnams total trade turnover was valued at $65.07 billion, which is an increase of 2.4 per cent or $1.53 billion more than the previous month. Vietnams trade with the Americas reached $79.72 billion (up 20 per cent), followed by Europe with $39.07 billion (up 9.7 per cent), Oceania nearly $9 billion (up 35.1 per cent), and Africa with $4.08 billion (down 0.3 per cent), as per the GDVC. From January to June, Vietnams export revenue was $371.32 billion, which was up by 16.4 per cent or $52.32 billion against the same period last year. The country had a trade surplus of $743 million. The FDI sector, in particular, earned $255.83 billion from exports, which indicated a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent, equivalent to $35.26 billion against the same period the previous year. Asia continues to be Vietnam's biggest export market in the first half (H1) of 2022 as it purchased goods worth $239.45 billion, which represents a year-on-year increase of 16.1 per cent. The amount also accounts for 64.5 per cent of the country's total export revenue, according to data released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC).# Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB) Profile: Sri Lanka's newly appointed Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena Xinhua) 14:44, July 22, 2022 COLOMBO, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Veteran politician Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed as Sri Lankan prime minister by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday. Gunawardena, 73, is the current leader of the House of Parliament. In 1983, Gunawardena was elected the member of parliament. Having served as the minister of transport from 2000 to 2001, he was appointed minister of urban development and water supply and deputy minister of education in 2004. He also served as the minister of water supply and drainage, minister of foreign affairs, minister of education, and minister of public administration. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Indias trade of apparel and textile products with China is following the trend of overall trade with the neighbouring country. Indias trade deficit with China continues to widen in current fiscal 2022-23, similar to 2021-22. Indias imports from China are increasing but exports are quite lower and declining which is causing higher trade deficit. In the financial year 2021-22, Indias trade deficit with China was recorded at $72.9 billion, up nearly $29 billion from FY21s figure of $44 billion, according to data from the ministry of commerce. In May 2022, India exported goods worth $1.6 billion to China, over 25 per cent lower than the $2.1 billion in May 2021. On the other hand, Indias imports recorded a growth of 5.47 per cent in May 2022 compared to the same month last year. India's trade of apparel and textile products with China is following the trend of overall trade with the neighbouring country. India's trade deficit with China continues to widen in current fiscal 2022-23, similar to 2021-22. India's imports from China are increasing but exports are quite lower and declining which is causing higher trade deficit.# Likewise, for the April and May combined, Indias exports to China fell nearly 31 per cent from $4.4 billion in the same months of 2021 to $3 billion in 2022. On the other hand, imports grew 12.75 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021. For the second straight year, India and China may cross a total trade figure of $100 billion. In 2021-22, the total trade volume between the two neighbours stood at $115 billion, according to the figures from Indias ministry of commerce and Chinas General Administration of Customs. A similar trend can be seen in Indias apparel and home textiles trade with China. Indias apparel imports from China registered continuous increase since February 2022 and reached at $87.901 million in May 2022, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro. On annual basis, the import was 1145.475 million in 2021, 838.195 in 2020 and 1026.676 million in 2019. It shows apparel import dipped during COVID-19 and military confrontation in 2020. But it jumped in the following year. The import stood at 349.103 million in first five months of 2022. Indias home textile imports from China stood at $36.109 million in May 2022, up from $24.756 million of April. The import was $20.047 million in March 2022, $16.675 million in February 2022, and $36.742 million in January 2022. The import of home textiles from China was $356.734 million in 2021, $327.791 million in 2020 and $485.444 million in 2019. The import stood at $134.331 million in January-May 2022, as per TexPro. However, Indias export of apparel and home textiles was very meagre compared to import. Apparel export was $7.673 million in May 2022 which was declining since March 2022 when the export was $13.387 million. Annually, the export was $104.553 million in 2021, $94.398 million in 2020 and $151.246 million in 2019. India has exported apparel worth $50.774 million in first five months of this year. Indias home textile export to China stood at $3.191 million in May 2022, up from $2.958 million of April but down from March 2022s figure of $4.364 million. Home textiles export to China was $48.884 million in 2021, $65.345 million in 2020 and $44.351 million in 2019. The export was $17.234 million in January-May 2022. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Content available on OTT platforms has now become a popular alternative for audiences who are on the watch out for good content with promising storylines. When it comes to options available on such streaming platforms, web series have gained ground lately. Directors and writers now have a powerful tool to delve deeper into their characters lives and explore various aspects due to the increased screen time. With the onset of web series gaining popularity, binge-watching has also become a trending concept. As a result, popular actors are now diving into the alternative that is made available in the form of web series. Case in point: Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Quantico and Lisa Kudrow in Web Therapy. This is a trend that will continue to follow as various prominent actors continue to sign web series. We strongly believe that web series allow the audience to form a stronger connection with the characters. One tends to develop emotions of relatability, empathy, or even absolute despise for the characters they are watching on-screen. Web series have also proven to put the spotlight on actors who are not in the mainstream yet. Various talented actors have gotten a platform to showcase their talent in web series that have been an impetus to their acting careers. To name a few actors who have gained widespread recognition from their web-series, we are looking at Asa Butterfield who starred in Sex Education, Alexa Demie who starred in Euphoria, and Ursula Corbero who starred in Money Heist. Filmfare compiles a list of international web series that have broken boundaries with their mind-bending storylines and powerful characters. Our choices are based on series that became instant hits and still resonate in the memory of the viewers. These are web series to watch if you havent already. Euphoria Euphoria is a series that follows a group of teenagers and a series of events in their lives that centers around drug abuse, sobriety, self-harm, identity crisis, family, love, and sex. The series is created by Sam Levinson and is loosely based upon an Israeli miniseries of the same name. The concept of Euphoria was also based upon Levinsons anxiety, depression, and drug addiction as a teen. The series has become a big hit, especially among teens for its honest portrayal of drug addiction. It became a big hit also because of its cinematography, plot, and score. The series stars Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi among others who have received rave reviews and multiple accolades for their on-screen performance. The reviews also mention that the series is visually stunning and that it grounds itself in stark reality. Zendaya has also won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award for being the Best Actress in a Drama Series. Sex Education Sex Education is one of the most progressive shows on television, which delicately handles the topic of intimacy. The series created by Laurie Nunn revolves around a high school where the students are going through a wide range of issues, especially related to their sex lives. The series answers questions that need to be addressed, especially for the youth for whom education on the subject is very limited. The series is based in the fictional village of Moordale, in modern-day Britain. It revolves around the life of Otis, a high-school student who gives his peers great advice when it comes to sex. Even though the teenager doesnt have much experience in lovemaking himself, he draws inspiration from his mother who is a therapist. As Otis analyses teenage sexuality, he comes to realize that it is extremely important for teenagers to have access to therapy. The cast includes Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Mackey playing pivotal roles. The coming-of-age comedy-drama has won various accolades which include BAFTA Awards and National Television Awards. Money Heist Money Heist is one of the most popular crime dramas on an OTT platform. The Spanish series created by Alex Pina was the most-watched non-English-language series at the time of its release. The series was originally intended to have two seasons, but due to its immense popularity, the show was renewed for five seasons. The story revolves around The Professor who hires eight people to carry out a highly ambitious heist at the Royal Mint of Spain. The series however progresses to explore the emotional dynamics of love and friendship. Some critics also argued that Money Heist was an allegory of rebellions against capitalism, especially since it was set after the financial crisis in Spain. The series stars Ursula Corbero, Alvaro Morte, Itziar Ituno, Pedro Alonso, Jaime Lorente, and Alba Flores among others who play pivotal roles in the series. The series received many accolades that include the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series at the 46th International Emmy Awards. Also Read :- 10 Hollywood Mystery Movies To Satisfy The Detective In You The Squid Game Squid Game is a South Korean thriller that takes you through a rollercoaster ride with every passing frame. The series is created and directed by Hwang Dong-Hyuk who feared that the storyline was too difficult to understand and bizarre. When he met production groups to sell the movie, he was told that the script was too grotesque and unrealistic. He would then go on to put the script aside for the next ten years. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Hwang looked back on his script and felt that the survival stories were fitting in the current scenario and the audience would find them intriguing and realistic. The story highlights the life of individuals who are under massive debts and in similar financial troubles. A game is hosted where these individuals are promised huge sums of money if they succeed at a series of childrens games. The story becomes gripping as we find out that individuals who lose are killed immediately. The series was titled the most-watched show on an OTT platform within a brief four weeks of its release. It was not only a commercial success, but it also received critical acclaim. The cast who played a pivotal role in the series included HoYeon Jung, Wi Ha-Joon, and Lee Jung-Jae. The Crown The television series The Crown is a historical drama that captures the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It rounds up the most pivotal moments during the reign of the Queen, such as Queen Elizabeth ascending the throne, the Suez Crisis, Prince Charless marriage to Lady Diana, and other such events. The show is created by Peter Morgan who developed the story from his stage play The Audience and his 2006 drama movie The Queen. It sums up the reign of the Queen, right from her wedding in 1947 to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh until the 21st century. Even though the series centers around the Queen, it also highlights other characters of historical significance such as Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, and Edward Heath. The family members of the Queen, namely Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, and Lady Diana Spencer are among others who essay pivotal roles in the series. The series has received numerous accolades because of its brilliant portrayal. The show received sixty-three nominations for the first four seasons, out of which it won twenty-one awards. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 21, 2022) - C21 Investments Inc. (CSE: CXXI) (OTCQX: CXXIF) ("C21" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis company, is providing a default status report in accordance with the alternative information guidelines set out in National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). As previously announced on May 30, 2022 (the "Announcement"), the Company applied for a management cease trade order ("MCTO") from the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC") due to an expected delay in filing of the audited consolidated financial statement for the year ended January 31, 2022, annual management's discussion and analysis for the same period and management certifications of annual filings (collectively, the "Annual Filings") beyond the deadline of May 31, 2022 prescribed by Canadian securities laws. The MCTO was granted by the BCSC on June 1, 2022. The MCTO prohibits the Company's management from trading in the securities of the Company until such time as the Annual Filings are filed. The MCTO does not affect the ability of any other shareholders of the Company to trade securities of the Company. C21 advises that there has been no change to the unaudited operational results (Sales, cost of sales, gross profit, expenses, income from operations) reported in the June 9, 2022 news release. C21 and its auditors continue to work diligently toward completing the Annual Filings as soon as possible. The ongoing auditor review is primarily addressing non-operational derivative accounting and certain other non-cash items for restatement of previous periods. Upon completion of the auditor's internal review process, the Annual Filings will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The Company confirms that since the date of the Announcement: (i) there has been no material change to the information set out in the Announcement that has not been generally disclosed; (ii) the Company is satisfying and confirms that it intends to continue to satisfy the provisions of the "alternative information guidelines" under NP 12-203 and issue bi-weekly default status reports for so long as the delay in filing the Annual Filings is continuing, each of which will be issued in the form of a news release; (iii) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203; (iv) the Company is not subject to any insolvency proceedings; and (v) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. Update on Interim Financials As a result of the delay in filing the Annual Filings, the Company also announces that the filing of its unaudited interim financial statements for the three-months ended April 30, 2022, the management's discussion and analysis for the same period and management certifications of interim filings (collectively, the "Interim Filings"), has been delayed beyond the filing deadline of June 29, 2022. The Company is working to complete the Interim Filings as soon as possible and expects the Interim Filings to be filed following the Company's filing of the Annual Filings. For further inquiries, please contact: Investor contact: Investor Relations info@cxxi.ca +1 833 289-2994 Company contact: Michael Kidd Chief Financial Officer and Director Michael.Kidd@cxxi.ca About C21 Investments Inc. C21 Investments is a vertically integrated cannabis company that cultivates, processes, and distributes quality cannabis and hemp-derived consumer products in the United States. The Company is focused on value creation through the disciplined acquisition and integration of core retail, manufacturing, and distribution assets in strategic markets, leveraging industry-leading retail revenues with high-growth potential multi-market branded consumer packaged goods. The Company owns Silver State Relief and Silver State Cultivation in Nevada, including legacy Oregon brands Phantom Farms, Hood Oil and Eco Firma Farms. These brands produce and distribute a broad range of THC and CBD products from cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, cannabis oil, vaporizer cartridges and edibles. Based in Vancouver, Canada, additional information on C21 Investments can be found at www.sedar.com and www.cxxi.ca. Cautionary Statement: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. 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. Forward looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's continued ability to satisfy the information guidelines set out in NP 12-203, the duration of the MCTO and the completion and anticipated timing of the Company making the Annual Filings and Interim Filings. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, without limitation, information based on the current state of the Annual Filings and Interim Filings; the Company's belief that its external auditor will complete its audit and release its audit opinion in a timely manner that will allow the Company to file the Annual Filings; that the unaudited financial statements prepared by management of the Company will not differ materially from audited financial statements once available; and the ability of the Company's management to execute its business strategy, objectives and plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties arising from any delay in filing the Annual Filings and Interim Filings; the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of NP 12-203; the revocation of the MCTO and replacement with a cease trade order; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131605 TERRAOIL SWISS AG / Key word(s): AGMEGM TERRAOIL SWISS AG: Terraoil Announces Results of Shareholders' Meeting 22.07.2022 / 07:05 Terraoil Announces Results of Shareholders' Meeting Shareholders Show Strong Support for Resolutions of Extraordinary General Meeting Steinhausen, Switzerland, July 22, 2022 - Terraoil Swiss AG, an energy company with a strong focus on the Mediterranean is pleased to announce that the extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting was held as scheduled on July 21, 2022 in the Company's offices in Steinhausen, Switzerland. The agenda items included the approval of a&o kreston audit ag as the company's auditor for 2020 and 2021 and the relocation of the company's registered address to Steinhausen, Zug, Switzerland. Both agenda items were approved by over 99% of the votes cast. Chief Executive Officer, Peter Krempin commented: "We are pleased that an overwhelming majority of the shareholders of Terraoil continue to support the company and we are positioned to complete the audits and advance our business plan. The audits will commence immediately and when they are completed, we will be able to hold the Annual General Meetings for 2020 and 2021 and provide shareholders with an in-person update on the many developments of Terraoil." If you are an Terraoil shareholder and would like additional information, contact Peter Krempin either via email investors@terraoil.swiss or by telephone at +41 71 544 01 20. About Terraoil Swiss AG Terraoil is an international energy company with a focus to identify and rapidly advance business opportunities in the upstream oil and gas and renewable energy sectors in the Mediterranean region. https://terraoil.swiss Terraoil forward-looking statements This media release serves informational purposes and constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation or an advertisement to buy any shares of Terraoil Swiss AG in any jurisdiction. This media release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Article 35 et seqq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services. In addition, investors should seek advice from their bank or their financial adviser. This media release and the information contained therein are not being issued for the purpose of selling shares in the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the European Economic Area and must not be distributed within or to such countries or via publications with a general circulation in such countries. This media release contains forward-looking statements such as projections, forecasts, and estimates. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those anticipated in this media release. Readers should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this media release are based on the views and assumptions of Terraoil Swiss AG as of this date and Terraoil Swiss AG does not assume any obligation to update or revise this media release. End of Media Release HELSINKI (dpa-AFX) - Stora Enso (SEOAY.PK), a Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer, reported that its second quarter profit attributable to owners of the parent rose to 303 million euros or 0.38 euros per share from 206 million euros or 0.26 euros per share last year. Earnings per share, excluding fair valuations, was 0.42 euros compared to 0.27 euros last year. Sales for the second quarter increased 18% to 3.05 billion euros from 2.59 billion euros in the previous year. Sales, excluding Paper, increased 21%. The company said its full year 2022 guidance remains unchanged from the updated guidance communicated in June 2022. On 13 June, Stora Enso raised its guidance for the full year 2022 operational EBIT due to sustained strong market conditions. Stora Enso's full-year 2022 operational EBIT is estimated to be higher than last year's operational EBIT of 1.53 billion euros. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com 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. Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares 22 July 2022 REDDE NORTHGATE PLC ("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company") Transaction in Own Shares Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 21 July 2022 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury: Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 50,000 Weighted average purchase price paid : 372.7814 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 376 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 368 pence per share Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 6,516,189 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 239,575,234, which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme. Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions (all of 21 July 2022) Number of shares purchased Transaction price (GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 1163 373.00 08:27:45 00060140633TRLO0 LSE 784 373.00 08:27:45 00060140632TRLO0 LSE 2213 372.50 08:27:45 00060140634TRLO0 LSE 1976 372.00 08:29:31 00060140748TRLO0 LSE 527 370.00 08:42:23 00060141635TRLO0 LSE 700 370.00 08:42:23 00060141634TRLO0 LSE 700 370.00 08:42:23 00060141633TRLO0 LSE 2146 368.50 09:20:49 00060144128TRLO0 LSE 1847 368.00 09:27:35 00060144486TRLO0 LSE 701 369.00 09:41:36 00060145506TRLO0 LSE 1318 369.00 09:41:36 00060145507TRLO0 LSE 1919 371.50 10:17:19 00060147632TRLO0 LSE 28 374.00 11:37:53 00060151688TRLO0 LSE 3455 375.00 11:42:21 00060151932TRLO0 LSE 1818 375.00 11:45:00 00060152097TRLO0 LSE 434 375.00 11:45:00 00060152096TRLO0 LSE 315 375.00 12:16:44 00060153389TRLO0 LSE 59 375.00 12:16:53 00060153393TRLO0 LSE 787 376.00 12:53:41 00060154615TRLO0 LSE 1877 376.00 12:53:41 00060154621TRLO0 LSE 179 376.00 12:53:41 00060154620TRLO0 LSE 1023 376.00 12:53:41 00060154619TRLO0 LSE 2082 376.00 12:53:41 00060154624TRLO0 LSE 2033 376.00 13:27:09 00060156128TRLO0 LSE 1513 375.00 13:53:09 00060156957TRLO0 LSE 780 375.00 13:53:09 00060156956TRLO0 LSE 827 373.00 14:16:57 00060157888TRLO0 LSE 330 373.00 14:16:57 00060157887TRLO0 LSE 503 373.00 14:16:57 00060157886TRLO0 LSE 420 372.50 14:30:38 00060158836TRLO0 LSE 63 372.50 14:30:38 00060158835TRLO0 LSE 404 372.50 14:30:38 00060158834TRLO0 LSE 700 372.50 14:30:38 00060158833TRLO0 LSE 707 372.00 14:34:23 00060159073TRLO0 LSE 40 372.00 14:34:23 00060159072TRLO0 LSE 50 372.00 14:34:23 00060159071TRLO0 LSE 169 372.00 14:34:23 00060159070TRLO0 LSE 1048 372.00 14:34:23 00060159069TRLO0 LSE 1344 371.50 14:45:15 00060159948TRLO0 LSE 507 371.50 14:45:15 00060159947TRLO0 LSE 1533 371.50 15:13:50 00060162226TRLO0 LSE 413 371.50 15:13:50 00060162225TRLO0 LSE 700 372.00 15:25:55 00060163134TRLO0 LSE 161 371.50 15:25:55 00060163135TRLO0 LSE 114 371.00 15:30:47 00060163518TRLO0 LSE 785 371.00 15:31:14 00060163549TRLO0 LSE 488 371.00 15:33:29 00060163709TRLO0 LSE 1711 372.50 15:49:06 00060165236TRLO0 LSE 290 372.50 15:49:06 00060165235TRLO0 LSE 700 373.50 15:57:18 00060165980TRLO0 LSE 593 373.50 15:57:18 00060165979TRLO0 LSE 92 373.50 15:57:18 00060165978TRLO0 LSE 132 373.50 15:57:18 00060165977TRLO0 LSE 324 373.50 15:57:18 00060165976TRLO0 LSE 521 373.00 16:05:13 00060166608TRLO0 LSE 700 373.00 16:05:13 00060166607TRLO0 LSE 512 372.50 16:06:01 00060166682TRLO0 LSE 716 372.50 16:06:01 00060166681TRLO0 LSE 26 372.00 16:10:23 00060167092TRLO0 LSE Notes This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6. For further information contact: Buchanan David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Tilly Abraham +44 (0) 207 466 5000 Notes to Editors: Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales. The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden. Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals. Further information please visit the Company's website: www.reddenorthgate.com HONG KONG, July 22, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - The US MSB (Money Services Business) license is a financial license provided by FinCEN, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Bureau of the US Treasury Department. FinCEN publishes MSB, which stands for Money Services Business. MSB is the starting point for blockchain payment firms. The accomplishment of USMining Group in acquiring a US MSB license is important positive news for investors.Since its inception, USMining Group has attracted the attention of the blockchain industry. USMining Group thinks that blockchain technology requires practical applications as well as public involvement. It is vital to decrease the barrier to blockchain investment. USMining Group was able to acquire the public's trust in a short amount of time, and the US MSB license became the key to market development.The USMining Group team claims that "Previously, we primarily provided system development and maintenance assistance to enterprises and huge financial institutions. Because of the emergence of blockchain in recent years, the firm has opted to pursue a broader end-user market. Ideally, it would be feasible to make money, develop communities, amass traffic, form consensus, and eventually build a blockchain ecosystem using USMining Group's technology."About USMining GroupUSMiningGroup, created in 2016, is a cloud mining equipment sharing platform located in the United States. USMiningGroup is a pioneer in the realm of ASICs, or specialized devices, and it develops Cryptomining equipment under the Bitminer name. As a result, it is considered one of the greatest Crypto cloud mining sites.This company also works with two of the world's largest cryptocurrency mining pools, Bitpool and BTC.com. USMiningGroup saves customers the trouble of obtaining and maintaining their own mining equipment. By acquiring a contract, users may mine digital currencies and earn money.Media ContactBrand: USMining GroupE-Mail: info@USmininggroup.comWebsite: https://usmininggroup.comSOURCE: USMining GroupCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Oslo, 22 July 2022 - Adevinta ASA has signed an agreement for the sale of Gumtree South Africa, one of Africa's largest investors in technology, media, telecommunications and financial services. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Gumtree SA's operations were classified as discontinued operations and the impact on the Group's financials is considered immaterial. Gumtree SAwas launched in 2004, and is one of South Africa's 10 largest locally published sites. The online classifieds platform helps millions of users and customers buy and sell second-hand goods daily and holds solid leadership positions in the competitive South African market. Rolv Erik Ryssdal, CEO Adevinta, said: "As part of Adevinta's strategic review process, we continue to focus our investment capacity on five European Core Markets (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain), and we have made every effort to find the ideal buyer, not only to continue to invest in Gumtree SA, but to ensure the continuity of the operations for the employees involved. We are particularly pleased that Impresa Capital, a successful entrepreneurial based business with various technology driven investments, will be able to continue developing and growing the business, while also identifying interesting long-term synergy potential. Adevinta will continue to support Gumtree SA and its employees throughout this transition, to ensure continuity for the business and its users. We wish them every success in the future." Sean Bergsma, Ignition Group CEO said: "We are delighted to bring Gumtree SA back to its home roots in South Africa, and to expand on the Gumtree platform with new products and services that will benefit Gumtree customers, both consumers and businesses alike. The accelerated growth of Gumtree on the African continent will see new jobs being created and the technology developed further using local South African talent. Exciting times ahead for all stakeholders." -end- Media contacts Melodie Laroche Corporate Communications T: +33 Edelman Smithfield John Kiely/ Latika Shah/ Olivia Adebo T: +44 About Adevinta Adevinta is a leading online classifieds specialist, operating digital marketplaces in 14 countries. The company provides technology-based services to connect buyers with sellers and to facilitate transactions, from real estate to motors, and consumer goods. Adevinta's portfolio spans more than 40 digital brands, covering one billion people and attracting approximately three billion average monthly visits. Leading brands include top-ranked leboncoin in France, Germany's leading classifieds sites mobile.de and eBay Kleinanzeigen, Marktplaats in the Netherlands, fotocasa and InfoJobs in Spain, Subito in Italy, and 50% of fast-growing OLX Brasil. Adevinta employs around 8,100 people committed to supporting users and customers daily. Find out more at Adevinta.com. *** This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act As ongoing research published in the National Library of Medicine indicates that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can efficiently treat symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, Bell Family Chiropractic releases a new report to raise awareness about HBOT. Knoxville, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - Bell Family Chiropractic, a clinic located in Knoxville, has released a new report on hyperbaric oxygen therapy - a new treatment for early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Knoxville Early-Onset Alzheimer's HBOT Report Launch By Bell Family Chiropractic To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/131086_01ebe377d4a3a87f_001full.jpg More details can be found at https://bellfamilychiro.com/alternative-alzheimers-treatment-hbot-knoxville The new report is released as an educational resource to help those suffering from Alzheimer's better understand HBOT and its potential benefits. The latest resource cites an article published in Physics World, which states that HBOT could "provide the means to slow progression, or prevent development of Alzheimer's disease." The studies conducted on test mice have shown that this treatment was able to reduce the volume of amyloid plaques - clumps of protein - which are one of the main indicators of Alzheimer's. Bell Family Chiropractic points to further research studies which suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could, in certain cases, prevent the formation of amyloid plaques by improving blood flow to the brain. According to these studies, HBOT helps to clear pre-existing amyloid plaque, improving cognitive ability in early-onset Alzheimer's patients. The new report was released to explain the potential benefits of this new treatment, which can include improved spatial recognition memory and contextual memory. It explains that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can allow patients to breathe air that is above atmospheric pressure (1.3 ATA). The increased pressure pushes more oxygen into the red blood cells, which triggers the body to enter a healing state. Bell Family Chiropractic is one of the few alternative wellness clinics in the state that offers this new treatment. Led by Dr. Ryan Bell, the clinic believes that chiropractic care extends beyond neck and low back pain. It also can be used for the treatment of the entire body, including Alzheimer's. Dr. Bell said, "We had a patient in their early 50s who had a history of Alzheimer's in their family and was finally able to remember their pickle ball score after 6 visits. They played every week and couldn't remember the score. They knew they were being helped with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy when they could remember the score." Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://bellfamilychiro.com/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-knoxville Contact Info: Name: Ryan Bell Email: Send Email Organization: Bell Family Chiropractic Address: 111 Sherlake Lane Suite 101, Knoxville, TN 37922, United States Phone: +1-865-383-7730 Website: https://bellfamilychiro.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131086 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The following are some of the companies that reported second-quarter financial results and provided a pipeline update on Thursday. 1. Quest Diagnostics Boosts FY22 Outlook Quest Diagnostics Inc. (DGX), which reported a decline in second-quarter earnings and revenue, has raised its outlook for the full year. Net income attributable to the company plunged to $234 million or $1.96 per share in the second quarter of 2022 from $631 million or $4.96 per share in the year-ago quarter. On an adjusted basis net income for the second quarter of 2022 was $281 million or $2.36 per share compared to $405 million or $3.18 per share in the year-ago period. Net revenue for Q2, 2022 declined to $2.45 billion, and this includes base business revenue of $2.09 billion and COVID-19 testing revenue of $355 million. Net revenue was $2.55 billion in Q2, 2021 and this includes base business revenue of $2.04 billion and COVID-19 testing revenue of $511 million. Looking ahead to full year 2022, the company has raised its earnings and revenue outlook. Earnings per share for the year are now expected to be in a range of $8.24 to $8.64, up from its prior outlook range of $7.88 to $8.38. Adjusted EPS is now anticipated to range between $9.55 and $9.95, up from its previous forecast range of $9.00 to $9.50. EPS was $15.55 and adjusted EPS was $14.24 in full-year 2021. Net revenue forecast for the year has been boosted to a range of $9.50 billion to $9.75 billion from the previous range of $9.2 billion to $9.5 billion. Net revenue was $10.79 billion in 2021. The consensus estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters for full-year 2022 is $9.33 per share for earnings and $9.42 billion for revenue. DGX closed Thursday's trading at $134.63, down 0.16%. 2. Danaher's Q2 Revenue Up 7.5% Danaher Corp. (DHR) has reported a 12% increase in its adjusted EPS and 7.5% growth in revenue for the second quarter ended July 1, 2022. Net earnings from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2022 declined to $1.68 billion or $2.25 per share from $1.69 billion or $2.28 per share in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, non GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations increased to $2.76 in Q2, 2022 from $2.46 in Q2, 2021. Revenues increased 7.5% to $7.8 billion in the second quarter of 2022 from $7.2 billion in the second quarter of 2021. On a non GAAP basis, excluding the impact of COVID-19 related testing, the company's base business core sales growth was 8% for the second quarter of 2022. For the third quarter 2022, the company anticipates that non-GAAP base business core revenue growth will be in the high-single digit percent range. The non-GAAP base business core revenue growth was 10% in the third quarter of 2021. Looking ahead to full year 2022, non-GAAP base business core revenue growth is expected to be in the high-single digit percent range. The non-GAAP base business core revenue growth was 11.5% in full year 2021. DHR closed Thursday's trading at $279.23, up 9.07%. 3. IQVIA Expects 4% to 5% Revenue Growth In Q3 IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV) has delivered another quarter of strong operational and financial performance, beatings analysts' estimates. For the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, GAAP net income climbed to $256 million or $1.34 per share from $175 million or $0.90 per share in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, net income was $466 million or $2.44 per share in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $416 million or $2.13 per share in the year-ago quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting earnings of $2.38 per share for Q2, 2022. The company's revenue for Q2, 2022 improved to $3.54 billion from $3.44 billion in Q2, 2021, well above the analysts' consensus estimate of $3.48 billion. For the third quarter of 2022, the company expects adjusted EPS to be between $2.34 and $2.42, and revenue to be between $3.52 billion and $3.57 billion. The consensus analysts' estimate is $2.48 for earnings and $3.61 billion for revenue for Q3, 2022. The adjusted EPS was $2.17 and revenue was $3.39 billion in the third quarter of 2021. IQV closed Thursday's trading at $225.63, up 2.28%. 4. Intuitive Surgical's Q2 EPS, Revenue Miss Estimates Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG), the maker of the da Vinci surgical and Ion endoluminal systems, has reported a lower-than-expected earnings and revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022. On a GAAP basis, net income attributable to the company was $308 million or $0.85 per share in the second quarter of 2022 compared with $517 million or $1.42 per share in the second quarter of 2021. On a non-GAAP basis, the net income attributable to Intuitive was $415 million or $1.14 per share in the second quarter of 2022 compared with $475 million or $1.30 per share in the year-ago quarter. Revenue for the second quarter of 2022 increased to $1.52 billion from $1.46 billion in the second quarter of 2021. The company attributed the 4% increase in revenue to growth in da Vinci procedure volume, partially offset by a decline in system placements. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting the company to earn $1.19 per share on revenue of $1.56 billion for Q2, 2022. ISRG closed Thursday's trading at $224.75, up 2.52%. 5. NeuroMetrix' Quell To Transition to New Prescription Fibromyalgia Indication In Q4 NeuroMetrix Inc. (NURO), which received FDA de novo authorization for its Quell neuromodulation device as an aid for reducing the symptoms of fibromyalgia in adults with high pain sensitivity in May of this year, is planning to initiate the Quell Fibromyalgia commercial program with a limited launch planned for next quarter. The company has two more commercial products - DPNCheck, a diagnostic device that provides rapid, point-of-care detection of peripheral neuropathies, and ADVANCE, a diagnostic device that provides automated, in-office nerve conduction studies for the evaluation of focal neuropathies. For the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, DPNCheck domestic sales were the largest component of revenue, registering 20.3% growth over the year-ago quarter. The Quell over-the-counter business declined by 50% in Q2, 2022 due to a planned decrease in promotion spending in anticipation of transitioning to the new prescription fibromyalgia indication next quarter. The total revenue for the second quarter of 2022 declined to $2.1 million from $2.2 million in the prior year comparable quarter. NURO closed Thursday's trading at $3.67, down 4.92%. 6. Plus Therapeutics To Present Full Data Update on ReSPECT-GBM Study In Sep. Plus Therapeutics Inc. (PSTV), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing targeted radiotherapeutics for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers, has a couple of events to watch in the coming months. The lead drug candidate is 186RNL, under a phase I/IIa dose escalation clinical trial in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, dubbed ReSPECT-GBM. A full data update on the ReSPECT-GBM clinical trial is scheduled to be presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology Meeting in Paris France, September 9-13, 2022. 186RNL is also being studied in a phase I/IIa dose escalation trial in patients with leptomeningeal metastases, dubbed ReSPECT-LM. Enrollment of Cohort 1 of the trial has been completed and the company is planning to move ahead with Cohort 2. Next in the pipeline is 188 RNL-BAM, a novel radiotherapy in development for solid organ cancers. The company is on track to complete IND enabling preclinical studies for this compound next quarter. The company ended June 30, 2022 with cash of $18.1 million. PSTV closed Thursday's trading at $0.51, up 3.41%. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX PLUS THERAPEUTICS-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de DGAP Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement on Progress of A-Share Repurchase through Centralized Bidding Transactions 22.07.2022 / 09:40 Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG Announcement on Progress of A-Share Repurchase through Centralized Bidding Transactions Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 22 July 2022 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) yesterday published a mandatory announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and applicable PRC laws in relation to the Progress of A-Share Repurchase through Centralized Bidding Transactions. The announcement is fully available at: https://smart-home.haier.com/en/dggg/P020220722436026211932.pdf?appdesc=Announcement%20on%20the%20Progress%20of%20A-Share%20Repurchase%20through%20Centralized%20Bidding%20Transactions IR Contact: Haier Smart Home Hong Kong T: +852 2169 0000 Email: ir@haier.hk Press Contact: CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Sara Pinto Sven Pauly pi@crossalliance.de T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35 About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. 22.07.2022 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Cafeyn, Europe's leading news platform, and The Telegraph, a major UK multimedia news brand, have signed a unique partnership to integrate some of The Telegraph's content into the platform, offering Cafeyn customers a new source of quality content for news and current affairs. LONDON, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Telegraph is an award-winning multimedia news brand that has been synonymous with quality, authority and credibility for more than 165 years. The Telegraph delivers quality, trusted, award-winning journalism, 24 hours a day and across all its platforms, covering a broad range of areas from news, politics and business, to sport, lifestyle and opinion. With this partnership, Cafeyn once again confirms its commitment to democratising access to information by delivering quality news to a wide audience. To achieve this goal, Cafeyn seeks to develop new content formats and strategic partnerships with key players in the media ecosystem, such as The Telegraph. This partnership supports Cafeyn in its goal of continuously aggregating new sources and providing customers with a best-in-class information experience, as well as responding to the customer need for an increasingly diverse offer that maintains a high level of quality. The Cafeyn editorial team will select 3 articles from The Telegraph per day (21 per week) to feature on the platform. Cafeyn will also make content from The Telegraph available in the form of audio articles, allowing customers to listen to professionally-narrated stories on the go. The Telegraph's news content is already available on the Cafeyn website as well as on the iOS and Android apps for all subscribed users. Charlotte Varnham, Publisher Relationship Manager at Cafeyn said: "Widening our portfolio of high quality journalism is top priority for Cafeyn and we are delighted to be able to welcome such a prestigious brand as The Telegraph to Cafeyn, which will be very popular with our readers across the UK and globally. It's a pleasure to be working with TMG media on this exciting partnership and adding more news content to our offering." Lucy Bailey, Director, Content & Platform Partnerships, Telegraph Media Group said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Cafeyn to bring a selection of the Telegraph's award winning journalism to their platform to reach new readers." About Cafeyn The Cafeyn Group is Europe's leading press platform, offering unlimited access to national and international content in a variety of formats and on all devices. Cafeyn has more than 2.5 million users in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Luxembourg, Italy, Canada, Ireland and the USA. The Group has also established collaborations with over 500 publishers and content providers worldwide, providing access to nearly 3,000 newspapers, magazines, news feeds and other pure player content brands such as Business Week, Time Magazine, The Guardian, Paris Match, Liberation, Elle, de Volkskrant and Suddeutsche Zeitung. Since 2006, the company has experienced strong growth, both organically and through acquisitions of companies such as miLibris (FR), Blendle (NL) and more recently Kidjo (US). It has offices in Paris, London, Tangier, Montreal and Utrecht and employs over 200 people. In addition to its BtoC business, the service is distributed through multiple long-term partnerships with Albert Heijn, Bouygues Telecom, Canal+, Cdiscount, Free, O2, SFR, Tango, Telus, Three and Vodafone. The platform is considered best in class (>4.5* on average) and is continuously adding new features such as audio and collections to provide the best user experience. For more information, visit cafeyn.co . Contact - PLEAD - paola.grondin-duboscq@plead.fr Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864168/Cafeyn_Logo.jpg STOCKHOLM, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The acquisition of Stanley Security is now completed and is consolidated into Securitas as of July 22, 2022. Securitas will present the strategy of the new Group as well as new financial targets on August 24, 2022. On December 8, 2021, Securitas announced it had signed an agreement to acquire the Electronic Security Solutions business from Stanley Black & Decker Inc. ("Stanley Security") for a purchase price of MUSD 3 200 on a debt and cash free basis. The acquisition is expected to create compelling sales growth and be immediately operating margin accretive to the Group. We anticipate significant commercial opportunities and innovation potential with over 500 000 existing, as well as new, clients in the attractive BUSD 70 electronic security market. We will create a leading platform to accelerate growth and synergies and expect substantial operating margin improvement over time. All regulatory conditions were approved as communicated on July 14 and the transaction has been completed today. "This transformational acquisition makes us a strong provider of tech-enabled security solutions and a leading partner to our clients on a global scale. With our combined client proposition and our strong sales structure, we expect to deliver higher, more profitable growth than before. Going forward, approximately 50 percent of our profit contribution will be generated through high-margin technology and solutions sales. We are extremely pleased that the acquisition now is formally completed, and I want to welcome all of Stanley Security's clients and employees into the Securitas Group," says Magnus Ahlqvist, President and CEO of Securitas. The acquisition is financed by a bridge facility, which Securitas plans to refinance by a mix of long-term debt financing and a rights issue which we expect to launch in September. The rights issue will amount to the SEK equivalent of MUSD 915 as previously communicated. On August 24 at 2.00 p.m. to approximately 4.00 p.m. (CEST) Securitas will arrange a webcast with a presentation of the strategy of the new Group as well as new financial targets for the Group going forward. A separate invitation will be sent out closer to the event. IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release and the information herein is not for publication, release or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, India, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore or any other state or jurisdiction in which publication, release or distribution would be unlawful or where such action would require additional prospectuses, filings or other measures in addition to those required under Swedish law. The press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or issue, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or acquire, or subscribe for, any of the securities mentioned herein (collectively, the "Securities") or any other financial instruments in Securitas. Any offer in respect of any of the Securities will only be made through the prospectus that Securitas expects to publish in due course. Offers will not be made to, and application forms will not be approved from, subscribers (including shareholders), or persons acting on behalf of subscribers, in any jurisdiction where applications for such subscription would contravene applicable laws or regulations, or would require additional prospectuses, filings, or other measures in addition to those required under Swedish law. Measures in violation of the restrictions may constitute a breach of relevant securities laws. The securities mentioned in this press release have not been registered and will not be registered under any applicable securities law in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, India, South Africa, Hong Kong or Singapore and may, with certain exceptions, not be offered or sold within, or on behalf of a person or for the benefit of a person who is registered in, these countries. The Company has not made an offer to the public in to subscribe for or acquire the securities mentioned in this press release other than in Sweden. None of the securities referred to herein have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction in the United States, and may not be offered, pledged, sold, delivered or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with applicable other securities laws. There will not be any public offering of any of the securities in the United States. In the EEA Member States, with the exception of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway, (each such EEA Member State, a "Relevant State"), this press release and the information contained herein are intended only for and directed to qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. The securities mentioned in this press release are not intended to be offered to the public in any Relevant State and are only available to qualified investors except in accordance with exceptions in the Prospectus Regulation. Persons in any Relevant State who are not qualified investors should not take any actions based on this press release, nor rely on it. In the United Kingdom, this press release is directed only at, and communicated only to, persons who are qualified investors within the meaning of article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (2017/1129) who are (i) persons who fall within the definition of "investment professional" in article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), or (ii) persons who fall within article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (all such persons referred to in (i), (ii) and (iii) above together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). This press release must not be acted on or relied on by persons in the UK who are not Relevant Persons. This announcement does not constitute an investment recommendation. The price and value of securities and any income from them can go down as well as up and you could lose your entire investment. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Information in this announcement cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect Securitas AB (publ)'s current view of future events as well as financial and operational development. Words such as "intend", "assess", "expect", "may", "plan", "estimate" and other expressions involving indications or predictions regarding future development or trends, not based on historical facts, identify forward-looking statements and reflect Securitas AB (publ)'s beliefs and expectations and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual events and performance to differ materially from any expected future events or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. The information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice and, except as required by applicable law, Securitas AB (publ) does not assume any responsibility or obligation to update publicly or review any of the forward-looking statements contained in it and nor does it intend to. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. As a result of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual future events or otherwise. Further information: Micaela Sjokvist, Vice President, Investor Relations; +46 76 116 7443, micaela.sjokvist@securitas.com Media: Helena Andreas, SVP, Communications & People; +46 (0)10?470 30 20; press@securitas.com ABOUT SECURITAS Securitas is a leading intelligent security solutions partner. Our guarding, electronic security, fire and safety, and risk management solutions enable more than 150,000 clients to see a different world. We are present in 47 markets and our innovative, data-driven approach makes us a trusted partner to many of the world's best-known companies. Our 345,000 employees live our values of integrity, vigilance and helpfulness, and our purpose is to help make your world a safer place. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/securitas/r/securitas-has-completed-the-acquisition-of-stanley-security,c3604381 The following files are available for download: MUNICH, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The BMW Group celebrated its corporate headquarters as an internationally renowned architectural icon today with over 200 international guests in attendance. The keynote speech by Pritzker Prize winner Francis Kere and the appearance by Nihal Saad, Chief of Cabinet of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, made the ceremony a special event. In addition to the performance by star tenor Jonas Kaufmann the festivities concluded with a special highlight: With twelve vertical dancers, the US dance project BANDALOOP transformed the BMW Headquarters into a stage in its German premiere. The ensemble created a weightless synthesis for an interplay of architecture and dance. Along with music by Ben Juodvalkis, the facade dancers presented "Momentum Curve", an exclusive performance as a tribute to the unique architecture. The BMW Group Headquarters, with its suspended construction, is one of the most innovative engineering buildings of the post-war period. In the process, upper floors were first manufactured on the ground, then moved upwards hydraulically on the massive "tower shaft" made of reinforced concrete and completed in several segments. In August 1972, the BMW Group Headquarters was completed. Designed by Austrian architect Professor Karl Schwanzer, the administrative building has since become an icon with global appeal for Munich and the company. The innovative power of Schwanzer's design stands for the BMW Group then as now, making the company headquarters a beacon of sustainable mobility for tomorrow. It is not only a symbol of economic success but also stands for international exchange, peace and interculturalism. Today, the "built communication" implemented by Schwanzer points the way to a new era of electrification, digitalization, and circularity. Further information: BMW PressClub Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) Prof. Dr Thomas Girst Head of BMW Group Cultural Engagement Telephone: +49 89 382 24753 Email: thomas.girst@bmwgroup.com SHANGHAI, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A major platform for international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchanges and open cooperation, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) has been held successfully for four consecutive years and is widely regarded as an international public good and the multilateral trading system, as well as a pivotal carrier for building an open world economy and a community with a shared future for mankind. Since its inception in 2018, the CIIE has been growing in scale and influence. The area of its business exhibition increased from 270,000 square meters in 2018 to 366,000 square meters in 2021. Exhibitors at the past four CIIEs launched more than 1,500 new products, technologies and services and clinched tentative deals worth over $270 billion. As the CIIE enters its fifth year, multinational exhibitors have continued to express hope in participating in this year's edition in November. At an online ceremony held recently, more than 30 heavyweight companies and institutions signed agreements to attend the fifth CIIE, demonstrating their optimism about the Chinese market. Marc-Antoine Jamet, secretary general of LVMH, hailed China as a vibrant, huge and growing market and a major source of inspiration for the group at the ceremony. He added holding the CIIE as scheduled against the backdrop of COVID-19 showcases China's confidence and its bright economic prospects. Among the contracted enterprises were not only firms with longstanding ties to China and the CIIE like LVMH, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Marubeni but also newcomers such as Gilead Science, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. So far, more than 80 percent of the planned business exhibition area has been reserved and more than 260 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders will attend the expo. Many countries have confirmed their participation in the country exhibition, while a new World Openness Report and World Openness Index will be released at the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, a major part of the expo. With so many showing their interest, space will be filling up fast. Be sure to sign up for the fifth edition before time runs out! Click here to register: https://www.ciie.org/exhibition/f/book/register?locale=en. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864544/5th_CIIE.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1077995/CIIE_Logo.jpg Contact: Nie Qingxin Tel.: 0086-21-67008870/67008988 SHANGHAI, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The inauguration ceremony of Shanghai Electric New Energy Development Co., Ltd . was held on July 15, marking the accelerated expansion and growth of Shanghai Electric's green, low-carbon business. During the ceremony, Shanghai Electric Group announced its renewable energy roadmap alongside agreements with five partners to jointly develop renewable energy projects, in addition to establishing strategic partnerships with over ten financial institutions and industry partners to build a financial ecosystem for the renewable energy sector. Shanghai Electric, a leading global integrated manufacturer of high-end equipment, has been building new comprehensive power systems and a complete solution for futuristic zero-carbon industrial parks in a move to take the lead in helping the Chinese government achieve its de-carbonization goals. The Chinese government's carbon peak and carbon neutral policies, also known as the dual carbon goals, is a systemic change that is expected to have a broad and profound impact on both the economy and the whole of society while building a zero carbon society. As a response to China's 14th Five-Year Plan, the company has developed a roadmap that focuses on the development of wind, solar, hydrogen and storage energy projects, alongside industrial intelligence, high-end medical equipment, and other new businesses. The establishment of the renewable energy entity is a vital step in the right direction. The new company has received a total investment of RMB 3 billion, including RMB 2 billion from Shanghai Electric Group and RMB 1 billion from Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group each, and is aimed to become the most integrated and innovative provider of renewable energy projects and full lifecycle services. With the domestic market as the initial area of expansion and an eye on expanding into international markets, Shanghai Electric New Energy Development will be committed to building a full lifecycle service platform for a renewable energy future by developing wind, solar, storage, thermal and hydrogen energy projects, as well as expanding the source-grid-load-storage integrated business. Based on the platform, the firm plans to create integrated solutions centered around system optimization, streamlined equipment, and intelligent control systems, providing strong support to the quality-driven development of Shanghai Electric Group's renewable energy business. In the future, Shanghai Electric intends to focus on promoting industrial intelligence and the application of technologies while facilitating interactions between the energy and the industrial internet. Furthermore, the company plans to advance sustainable industrial development globally through the use of technologies by collaborating with government-owned parks, business customers, venture capital firms, technology partners and financial institutions, with the ultimate goal of creating a better world for all. Fengxian District Party Committee secretary, Li Zheng, and Shanghai Electric Group's Party Committee secretary and chairman, Leng Weiqing, both delivered speeches at the inauguration ceremony and welcomed the start of the new business. In attendance were several government officials and top management executives, including Fengxian District Party Committee deputy secretary and mayor, Yuan Quan; Shanghai Electric's Party Committee deputy secretary and president, Liu Ping; Bank of China Shanghai Branch general manger, Zhang Shouchuan; Shanghai Guosheng Group's Party Committee secretary and chairman and Shanghai Guosheng Capital Management chairman, Shou Weiguang; Shanghai Electric Power Construction's Party Committee secretary and chairman, Jiang Lindi; and China Merchants Bank executive VP and Shanghai Branch general manager, Shi Shunhua. In addition, other executives from Shanghai Electric Group and major financial institutions, including banks, and securities firms and trust companies, as well as several journalists were also part of the ceremony. About Shanghai Electric Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited (SEHK: 2727, SSE: 601727) is a world-class high-end equipment manufacturer, focusing on smart energy, intelligent manufacturing and smart infrastructure to provide green and intelligent industrial-grade system solutions. It has a global presence in industries such as new energy, efficient clean energy, industrial automation, medical devices and environmental protection. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864439/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864440/image_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1800747/logo_new_Logo.jpg LONDON, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage, the multi-asset trading platform for retail and professional traders, today announces the launch of its new social trading product, V Social. V Social is a professional 'social network' that allows traders to auto-copy signals, execute trades, chat and analyse performance. Beginner traders have the opportunity to subscribe to and copy the signals of expert traders, who in return benefit from increased status and a portion of profits. Vantage hopes the new solution, built using the proprietary technology of Pelican Trading, will attract new market entrants to its platform, expanding their customer base and increasing overall trading activity. Shunyu Li, Head of Sales and Marketing at Vantage, comments: "Social and copy trading is booming across the financial industry, with features like commenting, resharing and liking posts rendering it intuitive for an influx of next-gen, digital native traders. It's also beginning to be embraced by more established traders looking for their next trade idea. We're thrilled to be now able to offer social trading capabilities to new and existing clients in partnership with such an esteemed and established brand as Pelican." David Shayer, UK CEO of Vantage, adds: "Following our rebranding last year, Vantage was the fastest growing broker in the UK. Wanting to keep up that momentum, we identified that the thousands of young, ambitious traders newly entering the space post-pandemic represented a huge opportunity. We have long believed that the trading world should be more accessible - not just for experienced traders - and were thrilled to discover a like-minded partner in Pelican. We are now able to offer existing, new and soon-to-be clients a user-friendly, all-in-one platform on which they can execute traders, copy and learn from some of the world's best investors, and contribute to a growing community of energised, innovative traders." About Vantage Vantage is a global, multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading CFDs on Forex, Commodities, Indices, and Shares. With more than 10 years of market experience. Vantage now has over 1,000 employees/personnel across more than 30 global offices. Vantage is more than a broker. It provides a trusted trading ecosystem and a faster and simpler trading platform that enables clients to take advantage of trading opportunities. Be empowered to better capitalise on winning market opportunities when you trade smarter @vantage. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Shares of Delivery Hero SE (DHER.DE, DLVHF.OB) were gaining more than 16 percent in the morning trading in Germany after the online delivery service reported Friday higher Gross Merchandise Value or GMV and revenues in the second quarter. Looking ahead, the company trimmed GMV and revenue forecast for fiscal 2022. For the second quarter, Delivery Hero's GMV increased 18 percent from last year to 9.9 billion euros. Total Segment Revenue grew 38 percent to 2.1 billion euros. The company improved the preliminary adjusted EBITDA/GMV margin by 1.0 percentage points to -1.4 percent in the quarter. Further, Delivery Hero updated fiscal 2022 guidance, excluding Glovo, expecting a GMV of 41 billion euros to 43 billion euros, down from previously expected 44 billion euros to 45 billion euros. The company raised EBITDA/GMV margin outlook to -0.9 percent to -1.0 percent, compared to previously expected 11.0 percent to -1.2 percent. The Company now expects to reach a Total Segment Revenue of 9.0 billion euros to 9.5 billion euros, down from previous view of 9.5 billion euros to 10.5 billion euros. Including Glovo, the company expects to reach a GMV of 44.7 billion euros to 46.9 billion euros, a Total Segment Revenue of 9.8 billion euros to 10.4 billion euros, and an adjusted EBITDA/GMV margin of -1.5 percent to -1.6 percent in fiscal 2022, on a pro-forma basis. Furthermore, Delivery Hero confirms its guidance that the Platform business is expected to generate a positive adjusted EBITDA for the full-year 2022, implying that the Platform business will be profitable in H2 2022. In Germany, Delivery Hero shares were 48.02 euros, up 16.13 percent. 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. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were seeing modest gains on Friday despite Snap Inc posting disappointing second-quarter results and the latest PMI survey data suggesting slowing growth in the Eurozone. Elsewhere, U.K. retail sales fell less than expected in June. Social media group Twitter is due to release its quarterly update later in the day. The pan European Stoxx 600 was up 0.6 percent at 426.83 after rising 0.4 percent on Thursday. The German DAX gained 0.4 percent, France's CAC 40 index rose half a percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was up 0.3 percent. Aluminum-maker Norsk Hydro surged almost 6 percent on share buyback news. Danske Bank lost 2.5 percent. The Danish lender said it won't pay 2021 dividends tied to second-quarter results, as discussions with authorities to end a money laundering scandal are still underway. Schindler fell 5 percent after the Swiss elevator and escalator manufacturer cut its 2022 revenue guidance, citing China market contraction and COVID-related restrictions. Delivery Hero SE shares jumped 12.8 percent. The German online delivery service reported higher Gross Merchandise Value and revenues in the second quarter. British insurer Beazley jumped nearly 10 percent after raising its full-year profitability outlook. Ceconomy shares plummeted 24 percent after the owner of retail chains Saturn and Media Markt slashed its outlook for full-year results. MTU Aero Engines gained 2 percent. The engine maker has won contracts totaling almost $600 million at the Farnborough International Air Show. 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. TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited (a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 57985) (The "Company") LEI Number: 549300P9Q5O2B3RDNF78 22 JULY 2022 RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held today, all Resolutions set out in the Annual General Meeting Notice sent to Shareholders dated 30 June 2022 were duly passed. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 14,693,350 5,261 21,389 17,772 2 14,695,929 5,261 18,551 18,031 3 14,655,707 5,261 41,796 35,008 4 14,659,031 5,261 62,511 10,969 5 13,944,506 5,261 756,015 31,990 6 13,972,094 5,261 720,404 40,013 7 14,640,016 5,261 52,482 40,013 8 14,566,684 5,261 121,239 44,588 9 14,619,581 5,261 97,128 15,802 10 14,607,652 5,261 109,057 15,802 11 14,629,339 5,261 82,814 20,358 12 14,558,873 5,261 71,247 102,391 Special Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 13 14,615,125 5,261 18,678 98,708 14 14,676,361 5,261 46,142 10,008 Extraordinary Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 15 14,542,004 5,261 120,828 69,679 16 14,034,303 5,261 628,529 69,679 Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. The Special Resolutions were as follows: Special Resolution 13 THAT the terms of the proposed quarterly tender facility that, among other things, permits the Company to acquire its issued share capital from tendering shareholders, subject to certain restrictions (the "Facility"), the terms and conditions of which constituting the contract of such Facility (the "Agreement") are set out in the Notice of Quarterly Tenders reproduced in the circular in respect of the Company dated 30 June 2022 (the "Circular"), are hereby approved and authorised pursuant to section 314(2) of the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, as amended (the "Law") and the Company's authority to effect the Facility on the terms of the Agreement pursuant to this resolution shall expire on the earlier of the date falling 12 months from the date of this resolution or the date of the Company's next annual general meeting. Special Resolution 14 TO authorise the Company, in accordance with section 315 of the Law to make market acquisitions (as defined in the Law) of its own shares of 1 pence each (either for retention as treasury shares for future re-issue, resale or transfer or cancellation) provided that: a. the maximum number of Ordinary Shares authorised to be purchased is 14.99 per cent. of the aggregate Ordinary Shares (excluding treasury shares in issue) on the date on which this resolution is passed; b. the minimum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for an Ordinary Share shall be 0.01 per Ordinary Share; c. the maximum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for an Ordinary Share shall be the higher of (i) 105 per cent. of the average of the middle market quotations (as derived from the Daily Official List) for the Ordinary Shares for the five business days immediately preceding the date of acquisition and (ii) the higher of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the trading venue on which the purchase is carried out; and d. unless previously varied, revoked or renewed, the authority hereby conferred shall expire on 31 December 2022 or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2022, save that the Company may, prior to such expiry, enter into a contract to acquire Ordinary Shares under such authority and may make an acquisition of Ordinary Shares pursuant to any such contract. Extraordinary Resolution 15 THAT the Directors of the Company be and they are hereby generally empowered, to allot and issue, to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert and make offers or agreements to allot and issue equity securities (as defined in Article 6.1 of the Articles) for cash as if the pre-emption rights contained in the Articles in respect of such equity securities did not apply to any such allotment and issuance, provided that this power shall be limited so that it: a. expires at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution or on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted and issued after such expiry and the Directors may allot and issue equity securities in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired; and b. shall be limited to the allotment and issuance of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value of 209,963.00 being approximately 10 per cent. of the nominal value of the issued share capital of the Company, as at 29 June 2022, and representing 20,996,351 Ordinary Shares. Extraordinary Resolution 16 THAT conditional on extraordinary resolution 14 above having been passed, the Directors of the Company be and they are hereby generally empowered, in addition to and without prejudice to the power granted by extraordinary resolution 14 above, to allot and issue, to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert and make offers or agreements to allot and issue equity securities (as detailed in Article 6.1 of the Articles) for cash as if the pre-emption rights contained in the Articles in respect of such equity securities did not apply to any such allotment and issuance, provided that this power shall be limited so that it: a. expires at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution or on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted and issued after such expiry and the Directors may allot and issue equity securities in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired; and b. shall be limited to the allotment and issuance of additional equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value of 209,963.00 being approximately 10 per cent. of the nominal value of the issued share capital of the Company, as at 29 June 2022, and representing 20,996,351 Ordinary Shares. Enquiries: Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 END WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil extended losses on Friday amid demand worries and concerns over returning energy supply from Libya and Russia. Benchmark Brent crude futures fell half a percent to $103.31 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were down 0.8 percent at $95.61. Recession worries were back on investors' radar after social media company Snap Plc missed on the top and bottom lines in its second-quarter earnings report and said it plans to 'substantially' slow its rate of hiring as well as the rate of operating expense growth. Investors were also reacting to signs of lackluster U.S. gasoline demand and expanding stockpiles. Data released earlier this week showed that U.S. gasoline demand had dropped nearly 8 percent from a year earlier in the midst of the peak summer driving season. Libya resumed oil exports and Russia began sending natural gas to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline, helping ease supply concerns. 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. Company implements strategy to enhance margins and reach profitability through acquisitions Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, is pleased to announce that the Company has commenced a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of convertible debenture units (the "Debenture Units") at $1,000 per Debenture Unit for total gross proceeds of up to C$2,500,000. Each Debenture Unit will consist of: (i) C$1,000 principal amount of 10% unsecured convertible debenture of the Company (each, a "Debenture") with a maturity date of 48 months from the date of issuance, subject any forced conversion in certain circumstances; and (ii) 500 common share purchase warrants (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holders thereof to acquire one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.40 per Warrant Share for 24 months from the date of issuance. The Warrants will be subject to an accelerated expiry if, anytime following the date of issuance, the weighted average daily trading price of the common shares of the Company on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") is or exceeds C$0.50 for any 10 consecutive trading days, in which the holder may, at the Company's election, be given notice, by way of a news release, that the Warrants will expire 30 days following the date of such notice. Subject to approval from the TSXV, the Debentures will be convertible at the holder's option into common shares (the "Debenture Shares") at a conversion price of $0.285 per Debenture Share. The Company may pay finder's fees on some portion of the gross proceeds of the Offering to certain arm's length parties who assist the Company in introducing subscribers to the Offering. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about August 5, 2022 (the "Closing Date") and is subject to regulatory approvals, including approval of the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the TSXV. The Company will use commercial reasonable efforts to obtain the necessary approvals to list the Debenture Shares and Warrant Shares on the TSXV. The net proceeds received by the Company from the Offering will be used for Plurilock's acquisition pipeline and for general corporate purposes. Plurilock intends to complete several accretive acquisitions that generate cash flow, improve gross margins and provide the opportunity for unlocking revenue and cost synergies while bolstering its zero-trust technology portfolio. Acquisition Targets CloudCodes Software Private Limited As previously announced on October 21, 2021, the Company entered into definitive asset purchase agreements to acquire certain assets of CloudCodes, a leading cloud access security broker (CASB) based in India with a global customer base of over 130 clients. The acquisition of CloudCodes will enable Plurilock to enter the growing CASB sector and gain a larger footprint in the international cybersecurity market, and offer CloudCodes' unique CASB solution as part of its zero trust product suite. This acquisition is expected to drive the Company's sales growth, improve the overall margin profile of Plurilock and be a source of competitive talent. Acquisition Pipeline Plurilock continues to execute non-binding Letters of Intent with a pipeline of North American cybersecurity solutions providers, which collectively have an extensive client network of end customers within the United States and Canada and strong adjusted EBITDA profiles. As a result, the Company expects the potential acquisitions to increase Plurilock's overall revenue and margins and enable the Company to expand its distribution channels and capitalize on new cross-selling opportunities for its high-margin proprietary products. "Our goals are to accelerate our revenue growth, enhance our gross margins and strengthen our zero-trust technology infrastructure, and enhance our footprint geographically," said Ian L. Paterson, CEO of Plurilock. "Since going public, we have sought out attractive acquisition targets that will provide us with tier one cybersecurity customers that we can cross-sell our proprietary solutions to. The Offering will allow us to execute our M&A strategy with a goal of enhancing overall margins and driving towards profitability." The Debenture Units will be offered and sold to "accredited investors" resident in all provinces and territories of Canada subject to compliance with applicable securities regulatory requirements and pursuant to private placement exemptions as set out in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions and/or in jurisdictions other than Canada, including the United States, in accordance with all applicable laws, provided that no prospectus, registration statement or similar document is required to be filed in such jurisdiction. The Debenture Units, the Debentures, the Debenture Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, or the securities laws of any state of the United States and will be subject to restrictions on resale in Canada for a period of four months plus one day from the applicable Closing Date, in addition to any applicable restricted period under United States securities laws. About Plurilock Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer ian@plurilock.com 416.800.1566 Roland Sartorius Chief Financial Officer roland.sartorius@plurilock.com Prit Singh Investor Relations prit.singh@plurilock.com 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131620 SEI Healthcare has recently announced the successful release of an educational program & interactive webinar on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) Lewes, Delaware--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - SEI Healthcare, a global, professional Independent Medical Education organization, has announced the successful release of an educational program and interactive webinar on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), titled "Paradigm Shifts in AATD and Impact on Patient Management". This program included the development of four patient case simulations on a live interactive webinar, which was attended by over 1900 healthcare professionals (HCPs). The full program, including the on-demand webinar, will remain available as enduring content on HowITreat.MD. Paradigm Shifts in AATD and Impact on Patient Management To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/131625_98cc6d071440c865_001full.jpg This educational program was developed with the assistance of: Professor Felix Herth (Department of Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany) Professor Daiana Stolz (Department of Pneumology, University of Freiburg Medical Center, Germany). Professor Dave Singh (Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, United Kingdom). Supported by CSL Behring, this HowITreat.MD educational program focuses on the early diagnosis and management of AATD in different patient groups, in the context of current best available evidence and clinical practice guidelines. This program aims to educate HCPs on how to approach a variety of clinical scenarios within AATD, covering a number of key topics, such as: Etiology of AATD-associated lung and liver disease Role of genetic and environmental factors in AATD Unmet medical needs of patients with AATD. AATD screening Clinical presentations of patients with AATD Diagnostic approach in patients with suspected AATD AATD genotypes and their impact on diagnosis and management Currently available therapies for the management of AATD Prof. Felix Herth says, "AATD is a rare and often forgotten disease. Every guideline recommends testing all COPD patients, but in reality it doesn't happen and patients don't receive augmentation therapy for years. This program aims to help HCPs understand whom to test and how to proceed in terms of identifying relevant patients for testing, recognizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of AATD, and describing the disease and all treatment-related issues." Prof. Daiana Stolz says, "This is a highly appreciated compact and informative webinar focusing on what physicians need to know about alpha-1-antitypsin deficiency - the most common hereditary disorder in adults. The cased-based format highlights important knowledge and answers common questions around clinical presentation, screening and augmentation therapy. Worth checking out!" Prof. Dave Singh says, "Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency is an under-recognised cause of COPD, and perhaps some clinicians are unsure about the optimal clinical management. This project highlights common clinical cases, showing valuable concepts that I am sure will help improve management." "It was a pleasure working with Professors Herth, Stolz and Singh in this project. They are clearly experts in their field and have great pooled knowledge on AATD, which translated into the creation of an educational program of outstanding quality covering a wide range of clinical scenarios, from pediatric to elderly patients," stated Dr. Rita Aresta, Medical Lead at SEI Healthcare. Further details about this educational program can be found at: https://workshop.howitreat.md/ "An educational project on this topic has proven to be of extreme importance. SEI Healthcare has the pleasure to continue developing educational projects bringing forth strategic insights to optimise outcomes," says Leana Ribeiro, Global Accounts Manager for SEI Healthcare. About SEI Healthcare Established in 2007, SEI Healthcare is a global professional organization specializing in Independent Medical Education. With a dedicated commitment to bringing medical education to the forefront of innovation on a global scale. SEI Healthcare: visit https://sei-healthcare.com For educational solutions, visit: https://howitreat.md and https://ime.md/ Contact Info: Name: Samantha Harrison Email: info@sei-healthcare.com Organization: SEI Healthcare Address: Mailing Address 16192 Coastal Highway Lewes, Lewes, Delaware 19958, United States Website: https://howitreat.md/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131625 CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The euro was lower against its major rivals in the European session on Friday, following a data showing a contraction in business activity in Germany and the euro area, sparking fears about an economic downturn in the currency bloc. Flash survey data from S&P Global showed that Eurozone private sector activity contracted in July as output and new orders fell to their lowest levels since February 2021. The flash composite output index declined to a 17-month low of 49.4 in July from 52.0 in June. Economists had forecast a score of 51. The services PMI dropped to a 15-month low of 50.6 in July from 53 in June. The expected reading was 52. The manufacturing PMI also shrank to a 25-month low of 49.6 in July from 52.1 in June. The index was forecast to fall to 51. Separate data showed that German private sector activity deteriorated more-than-expected in July, and logged the worst performance for over two years amid weaker domestic and export demand. The flash composite output index dropped to a 25-month low of 48.0 in July from 51.3 in June. The index was forecast to fall to 50.1. The services Purchasing Managers' Index fell to a seven-month low of 49.2 in July from 52.4 in the prior month. The score was forecast to fall to 51.2. The manufacturing PMI also decreased to a 25-month low of 49.2 in July from 52.0 in June. The expected score was 50.6. The euro weakened to a 4-day low of 139.39 against the yen and a 9-day low of 0.9811 against the franc, down from its early highs of 140.69 and 0.9886, respectively. The currency is likely to face support around 136.00 against the yen and 0.97 against the franc. The euro touched 3-day lows of 1.0130 against the greenback and 0.8487 against the pound, falling from its previous highs of 1.0231 and 0.8527, respectively. The euro may locate support around 0.985 against the greenback and 0.83 against the pound. Retreating from its prior highs of 1.6392 against the kiwi and 1.4769 against the aussie, the euro dipped to 2-1/2-month lows of 1.6269 and 1.4667, respectively. The euro is seen finding support around 1.60 against the kiwi and 1.43 against the aussie. The euro fell to 1.3052 against the loonie, its lowest level in eight days. If the euro slides further, 1.29 is possibly seen as its next support level. Looking ahead, Canada retail sales for May will be featured in the New York session. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Teclistamab is the first T-cell redirecting bispecific antibody to receive a positive CHMP opinion for adults with RRMM and highlights Janssen's commitment to innovation in multiple myeloma The opinion is based on the MajesTEC-1 study where teclistamab induced durable responses that deepened over time in patients with heavily pretreated RRMM1 The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson announced today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for TECVAYLI (teclistamab) as monotherapy for adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), who have received at least three prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 antibody and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. Teclistamab is an off-the-shelf, T-cell redirecting bispecific antibody. It targets both B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a marker found on multiple myeloma cells, and CD3, on T-cells.1 CMA is the approval of a medicine that addresses unmet medical needs of patients based on less comprehensive data than normally required, where the benefit of immediate availability of the medicine outweighs the risk, and the applicant is able to provide comprehensive clinical data in the future.2 While newer treatment options have nearly doubled survival outcomes for patients living with multiple myeloma over the past few decades, it remains an incurable disease.3 Nearly all patients will relapse and require subsequent therapy.4 Generally, efficacy outcomes decrease with each line of therapy, and patients face poor prognoses.5 In December 2021, the EMA granted accelerated assessment for teclistamab. Accelerated assessment reduces the timeframe for the CHMP to review a marketing authorisation application (MAA) and is granted when a medicinal product is of major interest for public health and therapeutic innovation.6 "We endeavour to deliver our robust multiple myeloma pipeline of diverse mechanisms and targets with the aim of improving outcomes for patients," said Peter Lebowitz, M.D., Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Janssen Research Development, LLC. "Teclistamab is testament to this approach. If adopted by the European Commission, the approval could be the first worldwide for teclistamab, as the first T-cell redirecting bispecific antibody for the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma." This CHMP recommendation is based on positive results from the multicohort, open-label, Phase 1/2 MajesTEC-1 study (NCT03145181 and NCT04557098), evaluating the safety and efficacy of teclistamab in adults with RRMM.7,8 The latest findings from the study were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 Annual Meeting and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.1 Teclistamab resulted in deep and durable responses in patients with triple-class exposed multiple myeloma (n=165). With a median follow-up of approximately 14 months (14.1), the overall response rate was 63 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 55.2-70.4), with 39.4 percent having a complete response (CR) or better.1 Almost half (46 percent) of patients who achieved a CR or better were minimal residual disease (MRD) negative (10-5).1 Adverse events (AEs) were consistent with this patient population and toxicities consistent with T-cell redirection were mostly Grade 1/2.1 The most common AEs were cytokine release syndrome (72.1 percent; 0.6 percent Grade 3, no Grade 4) and neutropenia (70.9 percent; 64.2 percent Grade 3 or 4).1 Infections were frequent (76.4 percent; 44.8 percent Grade 3 or 4).1 The overall incidence of neurotoxic events was low (24 patients; 14.5 percent) and five patients (three percent) had immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome.1 There were five treatment-related deaths, and dose reductions and discontinuations due to AEs were infrequent.1 "Our ambition to eliminate multiple myeloma is stronger today than ever before. We aim to reach this goal by investing in cutting-edge innovations that address individual patient needs and offer healthcare professionals options they have not had before," said Edmond Chan MBChB M.D. (Res), Senior Director EMEA Therapeutic Area Lead Haematology, Janssen-Cilag Limited. "Today's recommendation from the CHMP marks exciting progress in this journey, and we look forward to working with health authorities to make teclistamab available to patients across the region, as soon as possible." ENDS# About Teclistamab Teclistamab is an investigational, fully humanised, T-cell redirecting, IgG4 bispecific antibody targeting both BCMA and CD3, on T-cells.1 BCMA is expressed at high levels on multiple myeloma cells.9,10,11 Teclistamab redirects CD3-positive T-cells to BCMA-expressing myeloma cells to induce killing of tumour cells.12 Teclistamab is currently being evaluated in several monotherapy and combination studies.13,14,15,16,17 In January 2021 and June 2021, teclistamab received a PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) designation by the EMA and Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the U.S. FDA, respectively. PRIME offers enhanced interaction and early dialogue to optimise drug development plans and speed up evaluation of cutting-edge, scientific advances that target a high unmet medical need.18 The FDA grants BTD to expedite the development and regulatory review of an investigational medicine that is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition based on preliminary clinical evidence that demonstrates the drug may have substantial improvement in at least one clinically significant endpoint over available therapy.19 In December 2021, Janssen Research Development, LLC submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA seeking approval of teclistamab for the treatment of patients with RRMM; the MAA was submitted to the EMA for teclistamab approval in January 2022. About Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow.20 In multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells change and grow out of control.20 In Europe, more than 50,900 people were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020, and more than 32,500 patients died.21 While some patients with multiple myeloma initially have no symptoms, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms, which can include bone fracture or pain, low red blood cell counts, tiredness, high calcium levels or kidney failure.22 About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular, Metabolism Retina; Immunology; Infectious Diseases Vaccines; Neuroscience; Oncology; and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at www.janssen.com/emea. Follow us at www.twitter.com/janssenEMEA for our latest news. Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen-Cilag Limited and Janssen Research Development, LLC are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development and the potential benefits and treatment impact of teclistamab. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialise, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen Research Development, LLC or any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behaviour and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. 1 Moreau P et al. Teclistamab in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma [e-pub before print]. Available at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2203478. Last accessed: July 2022. 2 Conditional marketing authorisation. The European Medicines Agency. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/marketing-authorisation/conditional-marketing-authorisation. Last accessed: July 2022. 3 Padala SA et al. Epidemiology, Staging, and Management of Multiple Myeloma. Med Sci (Basel). 2021;9(1):3. 4 Rajkumar SV, Kumar S. Multiple myeloma current treatment algorithms. Blood Cancer J. 2020;10(9):94. 5 Yong K et al. Multiple myeloma: patient outcomes in real-world practice. Br J Haematol. 2016;175(2):252-264. 6 EMA. Accelerated Assessment. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/marketing-authorisation/accelerated-assessment. Last accessed: July 2022. 7 ClinicalTrials.gov. Dose Escalation Study of Teclistamab, a Humanized BCMA*CD3 Bispecific Antibody, in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (MajesTEC-1). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03145181. Last accessed: July 2022. 8 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Teclistamab, in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (MajesTEC-1). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04557098. Last accessed: July 2022. 9 Labrijn AF et al. Efficient generation of stable bispecific IgG1 by controlled Fab-arm exchange. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013;110(13):5145-50. 10 Frerichs KA et al. Preclinical Activity of JNJ-7957, a Novel BCMACD3 Bispecific Antibody for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma, Is Potentiated by Daratumumab. Clin Cancer Res. 2020;26(9):2203-2215. 11 Cancer Research Institute. Adoptive Cell Therapy: TIL, TCR, CAR T, AND NK Cell Therapies. Available at: https://www.cancerresearch.org/immunotherapy/treatment-types/adoptive-cell-therapy. Last accessed: July 2022. 12 Usmani SZ, et al. Teclistamab, a B-cell maturation antigen CD3 bispecific antibody, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MajesTEC-1): a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 1 study. Lancet. 2021;398(10301):665-674. 13 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Teclistamab, in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04557098. Last accessed: June 2022. 14 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of the Combination of Talquetamab and Teclistamab in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04586426. Last accessed: July 2022. 15 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Subcutaneous Daratumumab Regimens in Combination With Bispecific T Cell Redirection Antibodies for the Treatment of Participants With Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04108195. Last accessed: July 2022. 16 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Teclistamab With Other Anticancer Therapies in Participants With Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04722146. Last accessed: July 2022. 17 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Teclistamab in Combination With Daratumumab Subcutaneously (SC) (TecDara) Versus Daratumumab SC, Pomalidomide, and Dexamethasone (DPd) or Daratumumab SC, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone (DVd) in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (MajesTEC-3). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05083169. Last accessed: July 2022. 18 European Medicines Agency. PRIME Factsheet. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/research-development/prime-priority-medicines. Last accessed: July 2022. 19 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions." Available at: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM358301.pdf. Last accessed: July 2022. 20 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Multiple myeloma: introduction. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/multiple-myeloma/introduction Last accessed: July 2022. 21 GLOBOCAN 2020. Cancer Today Population Factsheets: Europe Region. Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/908-europe-fact-sheets.pdf. Last accessed: July 2022. 22 American Cancer Society. Multiple myeloma: early detection, diagnosis and staging. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8740.00.pdf. Last accessed: July 2022. CP-327688 July 2022 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220721005725/en/ Contacts: Media Inquiries: Jenni Mildon Phone: +44 7920 418 552 Email: jmildon@its.jnj.com Investor Relations: Raychel Kruper Phone: +1 732-524-6164 Email: rkruper@its.jnj.com 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. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, NEW ZEALAND OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BREACH ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. COPL Signs Financing to Close the Cuda Acquisition ahead of procuring a Reserve Based Loan Facility LONDON, UK and CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited ("COPL" or the "Company") (CSE:XOP)(LSE:COPL), an international oil and gas exploration, production and development company with production and development operations focused in Converse and Natrona Counties, Wyoming, USA, is pleased to announce (the "Announcement"): The Company has signed Purchase Agreements for the issue of two series of convertible bonds with an aggregate principal amount of US$25.2 million (the "Principal Amount"): $12.6 million maturing in 2024 and $12.6 million maturing in 2025 (collectively, the "Convertible"). The Convertible is anchored by a long term, UK based institutional shareholder (the "Lead Investor") and other institutional investors (all investors collectively, "Bondholders"). This instrument replaces the previous bridge loan, announced on 19 April 2022 and is structured to accommodate the implementation of a planned Reserve Based Loan ("RBL") facility. The Convertible is initially unsecured and permits the Company to structure new senior debt. A 'tap feature' to increase the Convertible allows COPL to draw further development funds, should it require, with the aim of increasing production or for future drilling plans, subject to mutual agreement with the Lead Investor. Subscription Proceeds of $19.7 million from the Convertible will be used to finance the cash component of the acquisition of the Cuda Energy LLC ("Cuda") assets (the "Cuda Acquisition") which will lead from Q3-2022 to an increase in the Company's share of oil production from certain of its Wyoming assets. With a bankrupt partner removed from the Wyoming Assets and, those working interests owned by COPL America, the Company believes, it is now optimally positioned for management to achieve its near-term objective of finalising a RBL agreement to refinance its debt structure during 2022. COPL believes this instrument offers superior terms for the Company to pursue its corporate objectives for 2022, by providing: A longer average maturity of 30 months, with options for COPL to repay in cash or in COPL common shares. Flexibility through optional redemption by the Company to call the instrument if certain conditions are met. A structure deliberately designed to support COPL and senior lenders with the implementation of an RBL agreement. The Lead Investor and COPL have agreed to a 'tap feature' whereby they can mutually agree funding for development and drilling at COPL's Wyoming Assets, in a structure that fits with a RBL or senior debt. The Company has also agreed to a moratorium on equity issuances for 90 days from the Issue Date, whilst the Company works to conclude its objective of senior debt refinancing and, not to issue further convertible securities whilst the Bonds are outstanding. The Conversion Price was set at 5% premium to the 5-day volume weighted average price prior to signing a binding term sheet agreeing terms in principle with the Investor on 6 July 2022. Cuda Acquisition COPL's affiliate, COPL America Inc., intends to close the Cuda Acquisition simultaneously with the closing of the Convertible on 25 July 2022. On closing the Cuda Acquisition: COPL America will become the majority owner of its Wyoming Assets with operated interests of 85 - 100% across three oil producing Units in Wyoming, USA. COPL will, from Q3-2022, report increased share of oil production reflecting majority interest in its Wyoming Assets, which will benefit COPL America from exposure to 'unhedged' oil production. Closing the Cuda Acquisition will remove a bankrupt working interest partner that has constrained COPL America's financial resources and limited the pace of development since COPL America acquired its Wyoming Assets in March 2021. As at 31 May 2022, the Cuda Receivable owed to COPL America had decreased to $1.95 million. Convertible Terms Terms not defined in this Announcement have the meaning given to them in the Convertible. The key terms of the Convertible are as follows: US$25.2 million aggregate Principal Amount between two series of bonds of $12.6 million Principal Amount each, denominated at US$200,000 per bond (one "Bond"). 24 months maturity for one series and 36 months maturity for the other series (each, a "Maturity Date"), expected to be issued on 25 July 2022 ("Issue Date"). 13.0% interest per annum in cash. Interest will accrue and increase by 0.75% each 3-months until COPL gives notice to the Bondholders that it shall henceforth pay all interest coupons in cash ("Cash Payment Notice"). Interest will decrease by 2.0% per annum, and no further quarterly increases will apply from such time as the Company provides a notice that it will henceforth pay interest and make whole payments in cash. Issue Price: 78% of Principal Amount. Maturity Redemption Amount: 119% of the Principal Amount and all accrued but unpaid interest. Bondholder Early Redemption: 119% of the Principal Amount, all accrued but unpaid interest and the relevant make whole upon certain events including fundamental change of control or event of default. Issuer Early Redemption: 114% of the Principal Amount, all accrued but unpaid interest and the relevant make whole in the period from 6-months after the Issue Date to and including the first anniversary of the Issue Date (and thereafter, at 109%), subject to the Parity Value of the Principal Amount of each bond having exceeded US$260,000. Conversion price of 16.75p, being a 5% premium to the 5-day volume weighted average price of COPL's common shares on LSE prior to signing binding terms with the Investor. The Conversion Price is US$0.2001 based on 1.19480 GBP/USD FX rate as of 4pm London, UK on 21 July 2022. The Conversion Price will be reset to 13.25p (US$0.1583 based on the aforementioned FX rate) if, among other things, an RBL is not secured five months from the Issue Date, or on the twelfth month anniversary of the issue date of the Convertible. Unless previously converted or redeemed, each Bond will be redeemed in cash by payment of the Maturity Redemption Amount on the Maturity Date. Warrants expiring 30 months from the Issue Date shall be issued to the Bondholders, providing for the right to acquire an aggregate number of 54,792,590 COPL common shares. Each Warrant is exercisable at 16.75p. General terms for the Bonds and Warrants include standard features of EMEA convertible market including anti-dilution, change of control, short-selling restrictions and customary closing conditions precedent. Arthur Millholland, President & CEO, commented: "We are pleased to have the support of our largest shareholder who approached COPL with an objective of improving COPL's capital structure on closing of the Cuda Acquisition and, the Convertible provides COPL with the cash required to close the Cuda Acquisition. "COPL plans an active work program for the remainder of 2022 including optimization and facility work at the Barron Flats Shannon Unit, recompletions at the Cole Creek Unit and drilling two horizontal wells at the Barron Flats Deep Unit to target the significant oil discovery COPL has made in the Frontier Formation, 1 and 2 sands. COPL America has well design in hand, and is procuring long lead items to commence drilling at the Deep Unit in Q4 this year." Ryan Gaffney, CFO, commented further: "The Cuda Acquisition is a positive step towards COPL America's refinancing process as it provides majority ownership of our Wyoming Assets and increases our bankable borrowing base which should make it easier to achieve a larger refinancing later this year. We are pleased with our shareholders' support to provide a longer-term Convertible with well-defined conversion parameters. Moreover, this Convertible provides a capital structure that is flexible and will fit alongside the planned Reserve Based Loan for our Wyoming Assets. We are now in prime position to progress term sheet negotiations with banks and look forward to updating shareholders on bank re-financing terms as soon as possible this quarter." About the Company: COPL is an international oil and gas exploration, development and production company actively pursuing opportunities in the United States with operations in Converse County Wyoming, and in sub-Saharan Africa through its ShoreCan joint venture company in Nigeria, and independently in other countries. The Company's Wyoming operations are one of the most environmentally responsible with minimal gas flaring and methane emissions combined with electricity sourced from a neighbouring wind farm to power production facilities. For further information, please contact: Mr. Arthur Millholland, President & CEO Mr. Ryan Gaffney, CFO Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited Tel: + 1 (403) 262 5441 Cathy Hume CHF Investor Relations Tel: +1 (416) 868 1079 ext. 251 Email: cathy@chfir.com Charles Goodwin Yellow Jersey PR Limited Tel: +44 (0) 77 4778 8221 Email: copl@yellowjerseypr.com Peter Krens Equity Capital Markets, Tennyson Securities Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9033 Alex Wood & Keith Dowsing Joint Broker Alternative Resource Capital AW: +44 (0) 7559 910872 KD: +44 (0) 7559 910873 Andrew Chubb / Neil Passmore Advisors/Joint Brokers Hannam & Partners +44 (0) 20 7907 8500 The Common Shares are listed under the symbol "XOP" on the CSE and under the symbol "COPL" on the London Stock Exchange. Market Abuse Regulation disclosure The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information pursuant to Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended ("MAR") encompassing information relating to the Placing described above, and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR. In addition, market soundings (as defined in MAR) were taken in respect of the Placing with the result that certain persons became aware of inside information (as defined in MAR), as permitted by MAR. This inside information is set out in this Announcement. Therefore, upon publication of this announcement, those persons that received such inside information in a market sounding are no longer in possession of such inside information relating to the Company and its securities. Caution regarding forward looking statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "initial, "scheduled", "can", "will", "prior to", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "should", "forecast", "future", "continue", "may", "expect", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, but not limited to, the ability to raise the necessary funding for operations, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. 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 since the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties most of which are beyond the control of Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd. For example, the uncertainty of reserve estimates the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, cost overruns, health and safety issues, political and environmental risks, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, changes in legislation affecting the oil and gas industry could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and Canadian Overseas Petroleum undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Hannam & Partners, which is a member of the London Stock Exchange, is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA and is acting as joint broker and sole financial adviser in connection with the Placing. Tennyson Securities, which is a member of the London Stock Exchange, is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA and is acting as joint broker in connection with the Placing. Each of Hannam & Partners and Tennyson Securities are acting exclusively for the Company in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and for no-one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing any advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or matter referred to herein. This announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of the Company. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by either Hannam & Partners (apart from the responsibilities or liabilities that may be imposed by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, or the regulatory regime established thereunder) or the Company or by any of their respective affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/709469/COPL-Signs-Financing-to-Close-Cuda-Acquisition MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - A deal that would pave the way for resuming Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea is set to be signed Friday, Turkey says. An agreement to allow the safe transportation of Ukrainian grain shipments has been reached in talks between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, Turkey's communications directorate said in a statement. The deal will be signed in Istanbul at 4:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. ET), with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as parties to it, according to the statement. However, the UN and Ukraine authorities have sounded cautious about the fate of the deal. The deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, Farhan Haq, told reporters that the UN is 'hopeful' and will wait to 'see what happens' when talks resume on Friday. Oleksiy Honcharenko, a Ukrainian MP who has access to the talks, told BBC that no agreement has been reached yet, and they don't trust Russians at all. 'So let us wait till tomorrow for a final decision and that there will not be some pushbacks from Russians and last-minute changes. I keep fingers crossed tomorrow we'll have a deal and Russia will really respect it.' Oleh Nikolenko, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman, says the Ukrainian delegation will support only those decisions that will guarantee the security of the southern regions of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strongholds in the Black Sea, and the safe export of Ukrainian agricultural products to other countries. Meanwhile, wheat prices fell by 2 percent with a potential deal in sight, the Financial Times reported. Russian blockade of Black Sea ports that prevented supply of grains to global market and reduced production prospects in Ukraine because of the war had led to steep increase in wheat and other grains' prices. Ukraine is the world's major supplier of corn and wheat. Asian, African developing countries are the major importers of Ukrainian grains, mainly wheat. But the country's Black Sea ports, through which majority of the grains are exported, are blockaded by Russia. It includes the crucial hub of Odesa. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. (CSE: MLKM) ("Mayo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a Private Placement ('Offering') totalling up to $200,000 in gross proceeds to be completed on or about August 18, 2022 ('the Closing Date') consisting of flow through units @ $0.15 per unit and common share units @ $0.12 per unit. The full details of the Offering are set forth in the attached Term sheet ('Schedule A'). Dr, Vern Rampton, President & CEO of the Company, said, "As announced in our press release of July 15, 2022 we continue to make excellent progress on our exploration at our Carlin-Roop Silver Project in the Keno Hill Silver District and see an opportunity to add to our portfolio through further exploration at our primary Anderson Davidson gold property and highly prospective Trail Minto property which lies in proximity to Banyan Gold's Aur-Mac property in the Tombstone Plutonic Belt." In other corporate news, the Company announced the award of a total of 3,990,000 incentive options exercisable @ $0.15 each to corporate officers, directors, contractors and advisors. The options are valid for 5 years, vest in three equal annual tranches beginning on Aug 1, 2022 and are subject to the approval of all regulatory authorities. The Company had no options outstanding prior to the approval of the current options by the board of directors. - 30 - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES For additional information contact: Vern Rampton, President & CEO; vrampton@mayolakeminerals.com Tyrell Sutherland, M.Sc., P. Geo., VP Exploration; tsutherland@mayolakeminerals.com Darrell Munro, BB.A, LL.B Corporate Administrator; dmunro@mayolakeminerals.com About Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. Mayo is actively engaged in the exploration and development of five precious metal projects in the Tombstone Plutonic Belt of the Tintina Gold Province. The properties cover 232 square kilometres in the Yukon's Mayo Mining District and lie within the traditional territory of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation. The Company is presently focusing on its flagship Carlin-Roop silver project lying within the Keno Hill Silver District. The eastern sector of the Silver District has recently been the site of numerous silver discoveries by Metallic Minerals and the Mayo. Two active mines; Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine and Alexco Resources' Keno Silver mines also lie near-by Mayo's properties in the Mayo Mining district. Cautionary statement: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected. There can be no guarantee that Mayo Lake will be able to obtain a public listing as scheduled in this document. Mayo Lake undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Schedule 'A' TERM SHEET COMMON SHARE AND FLOW THROUGH SHARE UNITS Offering Any combination of Common Share Units and Flow Through Share Units up to $200,000. Closing Date: On or about August 18, 2022 or such other date determined by the Corporation. Resale Restrictions: The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period in Canada of four (4) months and one day after the Closing Date. Purchasers should consult their legal advisors in this regard. Securities held by residents in the United States will bear a legend regarding re-sale into the United States, which will be removed on request to the Corporation. Unit Offering The Company shall offer Units (the "CS Units") at a price of $0.12 per Unit (the "CS Unit Offering"). Each CS Unit will be comprised of one common share (a "Common Share") and one-half Common Share purchase warrant ("CS Warrant"). Each whole CS Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.18 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the closing date. In the event of multiple closings, the day of the final closing will be the Closing Date of record. Flow Through Offering The Company shall offer Flow-Through Units (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.15 per FT Unit (the "FT Unit Offering"). Each FT Unit will be comprised of one flow-through share in the capital of the Company (a "FT Share") and one-half purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.20 for a period of 36 months from the closing date. Each FT Share will be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act"). Finders Fees Finders that source investment in the Offerings may earn a cash commission of up to 7% of the gross proceeds raised by such Finder and warrants ("Finder Warrants") valid for three years entitling the Finder to purchase that number of Common Shares at $0.12 per share equal to 7% of the number of Units sold by such Finder. Use of Proceeds: The net proceeds received by the Corporation from the sale will be applied as follows: CS Unit funds will be primarily used to cover working capital, property acquisitions and general operating costs; Flow Through Unit funds will be used for eligible exploration expenditures qualifying as "CEE" under the Tax Act and applicable regulations, on the Company's exploration properties in the Yukon. Offering Jurisdictions: The Common Shares will be offered for sale to purchasers in: (i) all of the provinces and territories of Canada pursuant to available prospectus exemptions; (ii) the United States on a private placement basis only under Regulation D, Rule 144A or other available U.S. registration exemptions and (iii) jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States, in accordance with all applicable laws provided that no prospectus, registration statement or similar document is required to be filed in such jurisdiction and the Corporation does not thereafter become subject to continuous disclosure obligations in such jurisdictions. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131570 We are very excited to have secured the backing of Dale Ventures to help support our company's goal of promoting the increased use of sustainable forms of transport - James Dunneis excited to announce its latest investment in the Australian tech start-up company Metro 1 Travel and Technology Pty Ltd, the operator of a top-tier website www.rail.onlinethat allows customers across the globe to book affordable, convenient rail travel with ease. Led by CEO Dale W. Wood, Dale Venturesrecently invested AU$2,500,000 to acquire a 20 percent stake in the company. At www.rail.online, customers in Europe, Australia, and throughout the world can search for terrific deals on train tickets, knowing they'll find the best prices and knowledgeable customer service staff all in one place. Rail Online offers quick and simple refunds, giving travelers peace of mind when they book each and every time. "The travel market has been waiting for a service like Rail Online since the advent of e-ticketing in the rail sector, and this desire is only bolstered by pent-up demand related to the pandemic," Dale W. Wood said. "Digital ticketing is poised for major innovation, and James, Lachlan, and Kew are ahead of their time. I am thrilled to be able to support their venture as they move toward making cheap, climate-conscious rail travel a reality for millions." Rail.Onlineis more than just a booking site - it's a travel companion and comparison platform that makes international adventures all the more achievable. From European rail passes to point-to-point tickets across the United Kingdom, planning a trip is a faster and more affordable experience when using Rail Online. With every search, customers can see all available options for a train ticket and compare prices, amenities, and experiences, as well as receive an easy-to-understand breakdown of when and how often their ticket can be used. Founded by James Dunne, Lachlan McCallum, and Kew Muthalif, Rail Online has already caught the eye of industry leader SilverRail who signed a contract with the company in 2021. Cameron Jones, Chief Strategy Officer at SilverRail, said, "We've been impressed with the founding team that Rail Online has brought to the table. Our companies share a genuine passion for the sector, and we look forward to working with them as they grow." "We want to make it as easy and affordable as possible for people to compare, plan and book their next rail adventure," James Dunne said."SilverRail has helped us create a platform that offers a seamless booking experience with competitive prices and the ability to self-manage any changes or refunds. With the rapid advancement of digital ticketing in the rail sector, it's time for a new player, and we're it." The recent investment by Dale Ventures will allow Rail Online to expand further across Europe and into North America. "We are very excited to have secured the backing of Dale Ventures to help support our company's goal of promoting the increased use of sustainable forms of transport," James Dunnesaid. "With a focus on brilliant technology and customer experience, our mission is to become the world's most valued and frequently used travel app for rail and public transport." About Dale Ventures Dale Venturesis a personal investment holding group founded by serial investor Dale W. Wood. The company partners with management teams to provide the significant strategic and analytic resources needed to build and grow remarkable companies. Dale Ventures has adopted a consultative approach that harnesses the power of innovative teams to generate groundbreaking ideas, tactics, and strategies that drive growth and build long-term value. For more information about Dale Wood and his projects, please visit www.Dale.com and Facebook.com/DaleVentures. Media Contact Dale Ventures FZE contact.ae@dale.com Jumeirah Lake Towers Cluster I; Platinum Tower 12th Floor; Suite # 1207 Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai, United Arab Emirates Related Images Image 1: Dale Ventures acquires 20 percent stake in train booking site Rail Online Dale Ventures acquires 20 percent stake in train booking site Rail Online This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Social media giant Twitter, Inc. (TWTR) reported Friday a net loss for the second quarter compared to a profit last year, hurt by a decline in revenues and a surge in costs and expenses. The results also missed analysts' expectations. For the second quarter, San Francisco, California-based Twitter reported a net loss of $270.01 million or $0.35 per share, compared to net income of $65.6 million or $0.08 per share in the prior-year quarter. Excluding items, adjusted net loss for the quarter were $0.08 per share, compared to adjusted net income of $0.20 per share in the year-ago quarter. On average, 16 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $0.14 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Revenues for the quarter declined 1 percent to $1.18 billion from $1.19 billion in the same quarter last year. Revenues increased 2 percent on a constant currency basis. Analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $1.32 billion for the quarter. The revenues decline reflected advertising industry headwinds associated with the macroenvironment as well as uncertainty related to the pending acquisition of Twitter by an affiliate of Elon Musk. When excluding MoPub and MoPub Acquire, year-over-year growth was 3 percent. Advertising revenues grew 2 percent to $1.08 billion from last year, while subscription and other revenue declined 27 percent to $101 million year-over-year. Average monetizable daily active users (mDAU) for the quarter grew 16.6 percent to 237.8 million from last year, driven by ongoing product improvements and global conversation around current events. Average US mDAU grew 14.7 percent to 41.5 million from last year, and average international mDAU were 196.3 million for the quarter, up 17.0 percent from last year. Costs and expenses surged 31 percent to $1.52 billion, driven by about $33 million in costs related to the pending acquisition of Twitter and $19 million in severance-related costs. Twitter has filed a lawsuit against billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk related to the termination of the $44 billion acquisition deal. The trial is set to start in October. In late April, Twitter agreed to accept Musk's offer for $54.20 per share in cash to become a privately held company. However, in May, Musk put the Twitter acquisition on hold, demanding further information about spam and fake accounts. Later, Musk's legal team said earlier this month it is backing off from the deal as the social media company has not complied with its contractual obligations, and did not provide relevant business information. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX TWITTER-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Most significant headroom expected in emerging economies SINGAPORE, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global derivatives exchange - Bitget, is pleased to release a joint report with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Foresight Ventures. Bitget's first in-depth industrial report 'What Does the Future Hold for Crypto Exchanges', dives into the competitive landscape of crypto exchanges, unveils substantial development trends in crypto trading markets, its role on enabling the Web3 economy and shares insights on how to navigate the crypto space during a bear market. This report offers an intensive study on the developing environment for crypto exchanges from different lenses, such as a thriving derivative market, momentum of rapid trading volume growth, regulation impacts and innovative applications. The report also brings a forward-looking view on the end-state competitive landscape, as well as perspectives on growth avenues for crypto exchanges. Commenting on the report, Managing Director of Bitget, Gracy Chen said, "This report shines light on the recent developments of the crypto market, with keen insights revolving around crypto exchanges and the future paths of winning operations. We continue to witness tremendous enthusiasm from investors despite such market conditions. According to the findings of the report, crypto trading volume still has large headroom to grow, while LATAM and APAC remain the two most attractive regions for global players to expand into, due to higher market potential and progressive crypto regulations. This is the same view echoing our developing strategy, as these two regions are among those of our primary focus. Meanwhile, we will continue to enhance our products with creativity and innovation, boost adoption of crypto trading and social trading, with the vision to increase financial independence for the rest of the world." Managing Director and Senior Partner of BCG, Tjun Tang said, "Despite the recent market disruption, we believe the market has opportunities for growth ahead. Crypto exchanges play a key role in the Web3 ecosystem by providing access, liquidity, and infrastructure. With competition intensifying, crypto exchanges must adapt to the dynamic market situation and transform their strategy to beat the competition. In this report, we offer perspectives on the future of Web3 adoption, emerging high potential markets, and the crypto exchange competitive landscape and future end-state. We highlight unique growth opportunities that crypto exchanges can explore: strengthening and scaling core offerings; expanding into adjacent products and offerings; developing innovative business models; and leading the way in bringing Web3 solutions to traditional industries." For more information on the report, please refer to the executive summary below or view the full report here. (https://bit.ly/3RSBDDC). About Bitget Established in 2018, Bitget is one of the world's leading cryptocurrency exchanges with a core focus on social trading. Currently serving over two million users in more than 50 countries around the world, Bitget accelerated its mission to promote decentralised finance with a 600-strong workforce representing over 38 nationalities. About Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we help clients with total transformation-inspiring complex change, enabling organisations to grow, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact. For media queries, please contact: Andrea Leung andrea.leung@bitget.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864708/BCG_Bitget_Foresight.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - At the National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit, the Biden Administration announced a number of actions to develop a National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy in coordination with other elements of the Executive Office of the President (EOP) as well as Federal departments and agencies, with input from key public and private stakeholders. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh announced a 120-day Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint that they are leading with support from other Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Education, the Office of Personnel Management, and others. This initiative is aimed at providing individuals with the opportunity to receive the training and mentorship they need to begin a career in the cyber workforce. Director of the Domestic Policy Council Susan E. Rice announced efforts to strengthen the K-12 system to more effectively prepare students for job opportunities in cybersecurity. In addition, a number of organizations, including IT giants, have made significant commitments in connection with the Summit. Accenture committed to create access to new roles in cybersecurity, cloud, and other technical areas through its apprenticeship and upskilling programs. This is part of the Fortune Global 500 company's broader goal in the U.S. to fill 20 percent of entry-level roles from its apprenticeship program. Additionally, Accenture will train its 700,000+-strong workforce through its award-winning interactive security awareness courses next year. The Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies will offer an executive education program to provide critical understanding of cyber issues to industry executives, boards of directors, Congressional staffers, government officials, and military and intelligence officers. Classes will begin this Fall. Cisco has committed to train an additional 200,000 students in the U.S. over the next three years with leading networking and cybersecurity skills. CompTIA, in partnership with ConnectWise, will run a nationwide pilot program to fill critical cybersecurity roles for managed services providers. The Council on Competitiveness National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers is launching two new working groups this fall to address how to advance and optimize cyber infrastructures of the future. Dakota State University will use its $90 million cyber-research initiative fund to double the annual number of graduates of The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences over the next 5 years, launch a statewide Governor's Cyber Academy accessible to all high school students, and build and operate an applied research laboratory facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Linux Foundation (LF) has offered free training under the Developing Secure Software training program. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de All amounts are in US dollars unless stated otherwise BROSSARD, QC / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / G Mining Ventures Corp. ("GMIN" or the "Corporation") (TSXV:GMIN) (OTCQX:GMINF) is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of $98.5 million (the "First Tranche"). Pursuant to the First Tranche, the Corporation issued 160,062,500 GMIN common shares at a price of C$0.80 per share, to the following investors: 82,875,000 common shares to La Mancha Investments S.a r.l. (" La Mancha ") ") 44,687,500 common shares to Franco-Nevada Corporation (" Franco-Nevada ") ") 32,500,000 common shares to Eldorado Gold Corporation ("Eldorado Gold") La Mancha, Franco-Nevada and Eldorado Gold now hold 19.8%, 10.7% and 19.0% of GMIN's outstanding common shares, respectively. All of the common shares sold pursuant to the First Tranche are subject to a hold period which will expire on November 23, 2022 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Additionally, pursuant to the previously announced $75.0 million Term Loan facility, Franco-Nevada has been issued 11.5 million common share purchase warrants (the " Warrants "). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Corporation at an exercise price of C$1.90 per common share until July 21, 2027. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration clause whereby if the volume-weighted average trading price of GMIN common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") is C$3.00 or greater for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days, GMIN has the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to 30 days from the date of delivery of a notice by GMIN to Franco-Nevada announcing the accelerated exercise period. The Warrants have a cashless exercise mechanism to enable Franco-Nevada to avoid its holdings from exceeding 9.9% of GMIN's common shares outstanding at the time of exercise. The Warrants are subject to a hold period which will expire on November 23, 2022 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. "). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Corporation at an exercise price of C$1.90 per common share until July 21, 2027. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration clause whereby if the volume-weighted average trading price of GMIN common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") is C$3.00 or greater for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days, GMIN has the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to 30 days from the date of delivery of a notice by GMIN to Franco-Nevada announcing the accelerated exercise period. The Warrants have a cashless exercise mechanism to enable Franco-Nevada to avoid its holdings from exceeding 9.9% of GMIN's common shares outstanding at the time of exercise. The Warrants are subject to a hold period which will expire on November 23, 2022 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. GMIN now has 48,969,770 warrants outstanding with a weighted average life of 2.82 years. The second tranche of the Offering, which will consist of the issuance to La Mancha of a further 29,004,265 GMIN common shares at a price of C$0.80 per share, and which will be subject to a majority approval of the disinterested GMIN shareholders pursuant to the policies of the TSXV, is expected to close in Q3-2022. Following the closing of the second tranche of the Offering, La Mancha, Franco-Nevada and Eldorado Gold will hold 25.0%, 9.9% and 17.7% of GMIN's outstanding common shares, respectively. About G Mining Ventures Corp. G Mining Ventures Corp. (TSXV:GMIN) (OTCQX:GMINF) is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal projects, to capitalize on the value uplift from successful mine development. GMIN is well-positioned to grow into the next mid-tier precious metals producer by leveraging strong access to capital and proven development expertise. GMIN is currently anchored by its flagship Tocantinzinho Project in mining friendly and prospective Para State, Brazil. 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. Additional Information For further information on GMIN, please visit the website at www.gminingventures.com or contact: Jessie Liu-Ernsting Director, Investor Relations and Communications 647.728.4176 info@gminingventures.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation: Those related to the Project financing, such as: the closing of the second tranche of its private placement in Q3-2022; and the approval of the disinterested GMIN shareholders therefor. And, more generally, the contents of the above section entitled "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions include, without limitation, those underlying the items listed on the above section entitled "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that, notably but without limitation, the Corporation will (i) close the second tranche of its private placement as outlined in this press release, (ii) make a positive construction decision regarding the Project in 2022 or ever, (iii) bring the Project into commercial production or (iv) become an intermediate gold producer, as future events could differ materially from what is currently anticipated by the Corporation. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in the Corporation's other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the relevant sections of the Corporation's (i) Annual Information Form dated June 3, 2022, for the financial year ended December 31, 2021, and (ii) Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. SOURCE: G Mining Ventures Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/709488/G-Mining-Ventures-Announces-Closing-of-First-Tranche-of-Private-Placement-Financing XYZ Teknoloji, a blockchain-focused FinTech company, receives investment from Avalanche Foundation's fund Blizzard to accelerate traditional finance by embracing the digital asset economy San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - XYZ Teknoloji has closed an investment from Blizzard Fund to accelerate the adoption of digital assets and DeFi by the traditional finance industry in July 2022. Blizzard is a $200M+ fund accelerating development, growth and innovation across the Avalanche ecosystem, and is composed of contributions from the Avalanche Foundation, Ava Labs, Polychain Capital, Dragonfly Capital, CMS Holdings and Republic Capital, amongst others. XYZ Teknoloji receives investment from Avalanche Foundation's fund Blizzard To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8552/131640_f9a96ba9a438c953_001full.jpg XYZ Teknoloji is a FinTech/Regtech company founded by Kazim Rifat Ozyilmaz and Emre Corak in 2018. It focuses on developing products that address the gap between the traditional financial industry and the emerging blockchain economy. XYZ Teknoloji is already working with the top two banks and major brokerage firms in Turkey with its equity and debt-based crowdfunding platform product. With this investment, XYZ Teknoloji will launch its digital asset custody, trade, and DeFi access infrastructure targeting traditional financial institutions. XYZ Teknoloji Co-Founder, Kazim Rifat Ozyilmaz, states: "We will not only be a technology provider for democratizing access to the blockchain economy but also a licensed player in multiple geographies." The initial expansion plans include Turkey, the MENA region, and Switzerland. With the increasing trend of regulating digital assets throughout the world, XYZ Teknoloji will enable access to the blockchain economy, even to the users of traditional financial actors with its compliant infrastructure. Contact: Aysegul Sensoy - aysegul.sensoy@xyzteknoloji.com ----- About Blizzard Fund Blizzard is a $200M+ fund accelerating development, growth and innovation across the Avalanche ecosystem, and is composed of contributions from the Avalanche Foundation, Ava Labs, Polychain Capital, Dragonfly Capital, CMS Holdings, Republic Capital, amongst others. Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/blizzardfund Medium: https://medium.com/avalancheavax/avalanche-foundation-launches-fund-worth-over-200m-dedicated-to-supporting-ecosystem-development-799b34304f0e About XYZ Teknoloji XYZ Teknoloji is a FinTech company from Istanbul with a focus on developing products that address the gap between the traditional financial industry and the emerging blockchain economy. Previously, XYZ Teknoloji developed a compliant equity and debt-based crowdfunding platform for major banks and brokerage firms. XYZ Teknoloji is launching its compliant digital asset custody, trade, and DeFi access infrastructure targeting traditional financial institutions in multiple jurisdictions including Turkey, MENA and Switzerland. Website: https://xyzteknoloji.com Founders: Kazim Rifat Ozyilmaz: www.linkedin.com/in/kazimozyilmaz Emre Corak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emrecorak/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131640 CHICAGO, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paints & Coatings Market size is projected to grow from USD 184 Billion in 2021 to USD 212 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 2.9%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growing demand for Paints & Coatings due to the boost in environmental regulations for VOC-free coatings. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=156661838 Browse in-depth TOC on "Paints & Coatings Market" 535 - Tables 65 - Figures 439 - Pages Drivers: Environmental regulations boosting the demand for VOC-free coatings New rules and regulations such as the Eco-product Certification Scheme (ECS) are set by the European Commission and other Federal government agencies. These regulations ensure a green and sustainable environment with minimum or zero harmful VOC emissions. Also, the regulations on lead control in household and Paints & Coatings were implemented in 2016, after the Quality Council of India (QCI), Pollution Control Board Authorities, and the National Referral Centre for Lead Projects in India (NRCLPI) strongly recommended to the Government of India (GOI) to fix lead content below 90 ppm for all decorative and household paints. These regulations encourage Paints & Coatings manufacturers to invest in bio-based raw materials within paints & coatings, making the Paints & Coatings more eco-friendly. In addition, government regulations in the US and Western Europe, especially concerning air pollution, will continue to drive the adoption of new, low-polluting coating technologies. Restraints: Requirement of more drying time for waterborne coatings There is more time required for drying and curing of waterborne coatings than that of the solventborne coatings. In addition, waterborne coatings have excellent flow properties that change with humidity, affecting the coating application. During high humidity, water does not easily evaporate, resulting in poor cure and a decrease in performance. Waterborne coatings are also sensitive to freezing conditions. Many waterborne coatings are not usable after freezing. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=156661838 Opportunities: Increasing applications of fluoropolymers in the building & construction industry In the building & construction industry, fluoropolymers such as polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) are used in both industrial as well as architectural coatings. PVDF is used especially in architectural applications, where both excellent appearance and substrate protection have to be maintained for a long period. PVDF is the most preferred fluoropolymer since it has enough solvency in ester and ketone solvents and the same can be formulated into solvent dispersion coatings. Challenges: Stringent and regulatory policies With the increasing number of regulatory policies adopted by various governments, paints & coatings producers have to constantly improve their processes to comply with the new policies. Products that fail to meet the legal requirements are not allowed in the countries that have strict environmental regulations, especially in Western Europe and North America. Unfortunately, some legislators continue to limit emission values based only on the concentration of VOC in the exhaust gasses. This can lead to approval for high mass emissions from processes which require high airflows as against low mass emissions, which need only very low airflows. The concentration approach also ignores the reduced atmospheric emissions when low-VOC coatings are used. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=156661838 Asia Pacific is the largest Paints & Coatings market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific encompasses a diverse range of economies with different levels of economic development and multiple industries. The development of the market is mainly attributed to the high economic growth rate followed by heavy investment across industries, such as automotive, consumer goods & appliances, building & construction, and furniture. Key players are expanding their pa ints and coatings production in Asia Pacific, especially in China and India. The advantages of shifting production to the region are the low cost of production and the ability to better cater to the emerging local markets. The key players profiled in the Paints & Coatings market report are AkzoNobel N.V. (Netherlands), PPG Industries (US), Sherwin-Williams (US), RPM International (US), and Nippon Paint (Japan). Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports& Consulting 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: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/paint-coating-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/paint-coating.asp Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1864627/PAINT_COATINGS_MARKET.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - The Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) presents Sinting Fest from August 26-28, 2022. This free community event will celebrate Caribbean culture both locally and from around the Diaspora with food, fashion, music, and dance. Performers at the event will include Da'ville, Kairo McLean, Michie Mee, Jay Douglas, Rayzalution, and many more. The event will also host a beat-box battle (Beat Out the Riddim), Dancing in de Street (hosted by choreographer and dance teacher Martin Samuels), and the Sinting Fest Fashion Parade (featuring designs from Beni Boo Styles, Philian Fashions, and Gustave Shop). Additional activities include a Black business expo, children's activities, cooking demonstrations from top Caribbean chefs, and a variety of local vendors. The three-day festival is aimed at revitalizing the Little Jamaica neighborhood while sustaining the culture and businesses on Eglinton West. Sinting Fest is part of a three-year initiative funded by a $1 million grant from the federal government to support and publicize the vibrant culture of the Little Jamaica neighborhood. With the support of organizations such as the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), the businesses of Eglinton West are recovering from the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing street improvements that have interfered with local commerce over the past few years. At the same time, the Little Jamaica initiative and events play an important role in preserving and celebrating cultural diversity in the city of Toronto and Canada as a whole. "The Sinting Fest is an important event for the Black community and Toronto as a whole," states Nadine Spencer, CEO of the BBPA. "Not only will this weekend help bring awareness and support to the Little Jamaica community, but it will also help encourage diversity and an inclusive, multi-cultural ethos in our city. We look forward to celebrating in West Eglinton in August!" "It is now time to welcome Toronto back to Eglinton Avenue" says event coordinator Sandra Whiting, "this is the cultural hub of reggae music; of Caribbean cuisine and of Caribbean culture in TO. This is a great opportunity to share it all with the rest of Toronto. We look forward to seeing all those who love our city; all those who love and appreciate our culture to show up to eat, dance, party and enjoy the culture in Little Jamaica, on Eglinton West". For more information on the Sinting Fest on Eglinton Avenue West, visit our website thelittlejamaica.com/events. Sinting Fest Cannot view this image? Visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8467/131679_siingting-fest-logo-2022-400x321.png About the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA): Founded in 1982, the BBPA is a charitable organization whose mission is to advance Canada's Black community by facilitating the delivery of programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education, and economic development. In addition to supporting the Little Jamaica initiative, the BBPA presents the Annual Harry Jerome Awards, the BBPA National Scholarships, the National Black Business Convention (NBBPC), and workshops and programs at the BBPA Centre of Excellence. For more information, please visit the BBPA online at www.bbpa.org, call 416-504-4097, or email communications@bbpa.org. -30- Media Contact: Nadine Spencer CEO, Black Business and Professional Association nadine@bbpa.org 416-315-0697 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131679 Carlsbad, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - Independence Square Advisors is announcing their commitment to providing smarter wealth management solutions to clients to help them align their goals and concerns. The new wealth management solutions include the usage of cutting-edge strategies such as the Academic Allocation Model pioneered by the Yale University Endowment, portfolio protection, proactive tax planning, and research from LPL wealth advisors, like Brenton Stransky, are able to provide access to unique investment ideas and solutions that many clients have never heard of from their current advisors. "I was inspired to enact this change with Independence Square Advisors from a 2022 survey by Fidelity Investments that revealed that up to 81% of people all over the world admitted to setting up plans and drawing up resolutions to improve their financial situation in 2022. While the desire for self-advancement is laudable, studies have shown that the majority of people who set these goals will ultimately abandon their goals before the end of January," Brenton Stransky mentioned. At the same time, the University of Michigan Sentiment June survey shows that these same consumers are the most pessimistic since polling began in the late 1940s. ISA also releases a special Quarterly Market Commentary through which Brenton and ISA share their concise thoughts on the economy and markets for free. Individuals and businesses interested in this development can reach out to Independence Square Advisors via the contact info below. About Independence Square Advisors Independence Square Advisors is a registered financial advisory firm with offices outside of Philadelphia, PA, and San Diego, CA. The company is made up of a team of 25 advisors and works with LPL (one of America's largest independent Broker/Dealer with over 20,000 advisors and $1.1B under management as of 3/31/22) to provide its clients with thousands of investment options. Contact Info Brenton Stransky brenton.stransky@gmail.com https://indsquare.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenton-stransky-1b6a537/ Source: "Final Results for June 2022" Survey of Consumers, University of Michigan "2022 Financial Resolutions Study" Fidelity Investments. https://www.lpl.com/about-Us/our-financial-strength/corporate-snapshot.html Brenton Stransky is a Registered Representative with, and securities are offered through, LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Independence Square Holdings, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Independence Square Holdings, LLC and Independence Square Advisors are separate entities from LPL Financial. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131703 MACON, GA / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / Ben F. Windham P.C., Macon, GA Personal Injury Attorney, was chosen by Super Lawyers as one of their top lawyers of 2022. Ben F. Windham, P.C. is proud to announce that Founding Partner, Mr. Ben Windham, has been selected to the 2022 Georgia Super Lawyers list. This year marks the fourth consecutive year that Mr. Windham has been named to the prestigious list. Super Lawyers, a Thompson Reuters company, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. "I consider it quite an honor to be named to the esteemed Super Lawyers list for the fourth time," says Windham. "Our firm is dedicated to provide high-quality legal representation, and this recognition is a true reflection of our passion for our work in personal injury law. We are committed to achieving the best possible outcome for our clients and consider it a privilege to advocate for victims who have suffered as a result of another party's negligent actions." Super Lawyers selects only 5% of practicing attorneys on an annual basis using a patented multiphase selection process that includes research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. To choose their winning attorneys, Super Lawyers evaluates candidates' verdicts and settlements, experience, bar involvement, honors and awards, pro bono and community service, and other qualifications on an annual, state-by-state basis. Their mission is to create a credible and comprehensive list of exceptional attorneys that can be used as a resource for lawyers and consumers searching for legal counsel. The yearly list results in featuring profiles of attorneys across the nation who exhibit excellence in their practice areas. To be selected to theSuper Lawyers list speaks volumes about the reputation attorneys have cultivated among their peers, as well as their professional achievements and exemplary ethical conduct. Super Lawyers does not permit attorneys to pay to be on the list, and no purchase of any product is required for inclusion on Super Lawyers. The process is entirely objective and results in a list that the public can use with confidence to find truly exceptional lawyers in their area. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com . About Ben F. Windham, P.C.: Lawyers at Ben F. Windham, P.C., serve personal injury clients throughout Macon and all counties in Georgia. They specialize in seeking justice for individuals who have been injured by the negligence of others and litigate against all insurance companies providing tenacious and honest representation. Their approach is hands-on and much different from the high-volume TV and billboard lawyers. Clients of Ben F. Windham, P.C. work directly with an attorney during all phases of their case. At Ben F. Windham, P.C. expect a collaborative team with an entrepreneurial mindset determined to meet and exceed their client's expectations each step of the way towards obtaining justice. To learn more about top-rated personal injury lawyer of Macon, GA , Ben F. Windham P.C. Trial Attorneys, or for a free case evaluation please visit https://windhamlaw.com or call 833-236-9467. Ben F. Windham P.C. Address: 461 3rd St Ste 3, Macon, GA 31201 Contact Name: Ben Windham Website: https://windhamlaw.com Email: Ben@windhamlaw.com Phone: 833.236.9467 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1833BENWINS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bewindham/ SOURCE: Ben F. Windham P.C. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/709544/Personal-Injury-Lawyer-Macon-GA-Ben-Windham-Named-to-Super-Lawyers-2022-List Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE: 18H) (the "Company" or "PreveCeutical"), announces that it has entered into a $3 million credit facility agreement with the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chair, Stephen Van Deventer, and the Company's former President and director, Kimberly Van Deventer (collectively, the "Lenders"). Effective July 18, 2022, the Company entered into a convertible credit facility agreement with the Lenders in the aggregate principal amount of $3 million (the "Agreement") with a simple annual interest of 10%, and any outstanding principal and accrued interest being convertible into fully paid and non-assessable common shares in the capital of the Company at a conversion price of $0.025 per share in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Lenders have consolidated certain outstanding principal and accrued interest for existing credit facilities with the Company, and have transferred an aggregate of $2,448,785.75 to the Agreement. These credit facilities agreements were terminated effective July 18, 2022. The Lenders have also transferred certain short-term advances totalling $105,307.15 and amounts payable to Lenders in the amount of $346,055.82 to the Agreement. Advances by the Lenders to the Company for the principal balance available under the Agreement will be used by the Company for product development, general corporate, and working capital purposes. As the Lenders are current and/or former directors and executive officers of the Company (collectively, the "Related Parties"), the Agreement constitutes a related party transaction pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company relied on Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements, respectively, of MI 61-101, as, neither the fair market value of the Agreement, nor the fair market value of the consideration for the Agreement, as applicable, exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization. About PreveCeutical PreveCeutical is a health sciences company that develops innovative options for preventive and curative therapies utilizing organic and nature identical products. The Company aims to be a leader in the preventive health sciences sector. With the completion of three of its research programs, the Company is actively working on the development, clinical trials, and commercialization of its products. It has filed a number of provisional patent applications to protect the intellectual property from its research programs. For more information about PreveCeutical, please visit our website www.PreveCeutical.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. On behalf of the Board of Directors of PreveCeutical Stephen Van Deventer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Stephen Van Deventer: +1 604 306 9669 Or Investor Relations ir@preveceutical.com Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future, including, without limitation, the continued research interests of PreveCeutical, PreveCeutical's anticipated business plans, and its prospects of success in executing its proposed plans. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "will", "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "schedules", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential", "proposes" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions regarding PreveCeutical, including expected growth, results of operations, including PreveCeutical's research and development activities, performance, industry trends, growth opportunities, that PreveCeutical will be granted requisite expedited approvals by world health, retain and attract qualified research personnel and obtain and/or maintain the necessary intellectual property rights needed to carry out future business activities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including, risks and uncertainties relating to: complexities and delays in connection with research and development activities and the actual results of research and development activities; the ability of PreveCeutical to, among other things, protect its respective intellectual property, obtain any required governmental, regulatory or stock exchange approvals, permits, consents or authorizations required, including Canadian Securities Exchange acceptance of any planned future activities and obtaining expedited requisite approvals from world health agencies; and the ability of PreveCeutical to commercialize products, pursue business partnerships, complete their research programs as planned, and obtain the financing required to carry out their planned future activities. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry may also adversely affect the future results or performance of PreveCeutical. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, PreveCeutical assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Although PreveCeutical believes that the statements, beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that those statements, beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Readers should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to other periodic reports provided by PreveCeutical from time-to-time. These reports and PreveCeutical's filings are available at www.sedar.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE or CNSX Markets), its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE), nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Any link in this press release to external information or other resources is provided for reference only, and such information or resources might change from time to time, and may include forward-looking statements as described above, and are subject to the above disclaimers under this heading forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly, are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131711 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Aqualung has recalled about 16,400 i330R Scuba Diving Computers due to injury and drowning hazards. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recalled diving computers can fail to adjust to the user's altitude and display incorrect calculations for sea level dive times at altitudes exceeding 3,000 feet, posing injury (decompression sickness) and drowning hazards. The company said it received one report of an incident in which the dive computer failed, displaying incorrect calculation. No injuries have been reported. Aualung has asked its customer to stop using the recalled Aqualung i330R SCUBA Diving Computers and contact Aqua Lung to arrange for a free repair. Consumers can download a software update through the DiverLog+ application or bring their recalled dive computer to their dealer or local dive center to have the software update installed. The recalled product was sold at Dive stores nationwide from May 2021 through March 2022 for between $400 and $600. The recall involves Aqualung i330R SCUBA Diving Computers. The wrist device is black and has a bright color display and two-button interface. The model number and device number of the recalled product can be found on CPSC's website. 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. Ambienta SGR SpA, a Pan European asset manager entirely focused on environmental sustainability, announce the final close of its fourth Private Equity fund, at 1.55 Billion. The fund attracted capital commitments from global leading investors including pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, banks, endowments, foundations, funds of funds and family offices. Approximately 55% of the investor support came from EU countries, 20% from other European countries, and the rest from US, Canada, South America and Asia. Led by Nino Tronchetti Provera, Founder and Managing Partner, and Mauro Roversi, Founding Partner and CIO of Ambienta Private Equity, Ambienta is a European environmental sustainability investor across private and public markets. Operating out of Milan, London, Paris and Munich, the firm manages around 3.0 billion in assets with a focus on investing in private and public companies driven by environmental megatrends and whose products or services improve Resource Efficiency or Pollution Control. In private equity, Ambienta has completed 53 investments to date and in public equity markets. FinSMEs 22/07/2022 Contentsquare, a Paris, France-based digital experience analytics company, closed a $600m growth funding round. This round, which brings total funding to $1.4 billion, included: $400 million in Series F equity led by Sixth Street Growth, which joins new and existing investors Bpifrance, Canaan, Eurazeo, Highland Europe, KKR, LionTree, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock; and $200 million in debt financing, which includes contributions from BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Societe Generale. Sixth Street Managing Director Benjamin Johnston will be joining Contentsquares board of directors. The company, whose valuation reached $5.6 billion, will use the capital to scale investments in innovation, both organically and through M&A, support long-term growth in key markets, expand to new territories and deliver greater impact in areas where it can really make a difference, including digital accessibility, privacy & sustainability. Led by Jonathan Cherki, CEO and Founder, Contentsquare provides an AI-powered platform that delivers rich and contextual insight into customer behaviors, feelings and intent at every touchpoint in their journey enabling businesses to build empathy and create lasting impact. More than 1000 brands use its AI-powered engine to surface critical insights that provide businesses of all sizes and across all industries the power to create more human digital experiences, and drive greater business growth. Its insights power the customer experience on over 1 million websites worldwide. FinSMEs 21/07/2022 Covey, a NYC-based analyst-owned community created to find and reward the worlds next top money managers, closed a $2.5M seed funding round. The round was led by Social Leverage and Portage Ventures with participation from Cue Ball and BoxOne. The company intends to use the funds to continue building its platform, with an emphasis on its token launching this fall and copy trading launching in 2023, and expanding the engineering team, with plans to almost double its size by the end of the year. Founded by Brooker Belcourt, Covey aims to empower anyone to create wealth by finding, rewarding, and training the next top investment managers from any backgroundthat anyone can copy, so everyone can win. For the past year, Covey hosted over a hundred anonymized analysts on the blockchain-enabled platform, tracking their simulated stock picks on its leaderboard, with the users that have the best performing portfolios receiving monetary rewards. Going forward, the company will reward the best ideas with tokens, recognizing the members contributing the most to the community. Soon, Covey will award the top 10% of analysts with the opportunity to publish their investment ideas to users, who can then implement the analysts strategies for themselves through the platform. Covey was an established investor who spent the last 7 years managing investments for Citadel, a Tiger Management Seeded Fund, and Coatue. Brooker built Covey as a personal tool to simulate and track his own portfolio strategies, but soon realized Covey could be a ubiquitous tool for the future of active management. FinSMEs 22/07/2022 Luxembourg-based FORTY51 Ventures raised USD43M in the first close FORTY51 Ventures I. FORTY51 Ventures is anchored by a strong institutional investor syndicate with Stable Asset Management, as well as the Fischli Family. Seasoned Biotech entrepreneurs and private individuals also participated in the first close of the fund. FORTY51s core strategy focuses on company formation and early stage investments in Biotech with geographic emphasis on Switzerland, France and Germany. FORTY51 Ventures will lead or co-lead early rounds (Seed and Series A) of its portfolio which will include both academic and Pharma spin-outs. In addition, the firm announced its first investment in Mosanna Therapeutics, a newly created company that pursues the development of a small molecule developed by Sanofi S.A. (Paris, France) to address patients needs suffering from metabolic obstructive sleep apnea. The fund is advised by a complementary founding team of three industry veterans, Sara Nunez-Garcia, Sascha Oliver Bucher and Tamas Schweighoffer, who bring a deep network and decades of drug development, transactions and venture expertise. In addition, Peter van Vlasselaer, Bill Symonds, Jonathan Knowles, Hans Schikan and Darren Ji will support the firm as Industry advisors who will lend deep expertise to the growing family of entrepreneurs. Alan S. Roemer will advise the fund as Strategic Partner in the US. FinSMEs 21/07/2022 On Friday, June 24, 2022, Americans lost a piece of their freedom. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, returning regulation of abortion to the states and territories. For 50 years, women have had the right to choose to end a pregnancy. The loss of bodily autonomy creates health equity issues for people across the country, especially for people of color, low-income people, disabled people and youth. The loss of the right to abortion affects trans and nonbinary people as well. Choosing to get an abortion is a deeply personal decision. Some people get an abortion as a result of a miscarriage, a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, other health conditions or rape. Others choose an abortion because they dont have the financial capacity or bandwidth to carry a pregnancy or to add another child to their family. Others have deep personal convictions against abortions, and have the right to choose not to have one. As a county commissioner, I am also a member of the Benton County Board of Health. I believe that abortion is health care whether chosen to protect maternal physical health and mental health, or the long-term health and well-being of the family. Access to health care was already heavily dependent on the state you live in, and the Dobbs decision increases that disparity, especially for those who can bear children. I believe in a guaranteed right for all U.S. citizens to the liberty and freedom to choose when, where and with whom to have children. The Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Act of 2017 (HB 3391) expanded access to abortion services to Oregonians, by requiring abortion services to be covered by health insurance. Abortion access remains legal and safe in Benton County and across Oregon, but ease of access and travel distances greatly vary. Even though unrestricted abortion access is currently guaranteed in Oregon law, its future depends on us and our future votes in state and federal elections. A Pennsylvania Republican has already introduced a bill in Congress (HR 705) that would make abortion illegal everywhere in the United States. The loss of individual bodily autonomy is a serious breach of our civil rights. It may be easy for some people to say that it will just be an inconvenience, requiring more vigilant use of birth control or abstinence. But the originalist philosophy argued by the Supreme Court majority with respect to the 14th Amendment to the Constitution also undermines our full suite of civil rights, including marriage rights and the right to use contraception. This is a very slippery slope, and if we the people do not act to protect our democracy and its promise of an ever more perfect union, we risk waking up one day in an authoritarian state. New York, July 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 20 Bahais in Shiraz, Tehran, Yazd and Bojnourd, have been arrested, jailed or subjected to home searches and business closures since the beginning of July. Last month 44 Bahais were arrested, arraigned or imprisoned, suggesting an escalating crisis in the Iranian governments systematic campaign against the countrys largest non-Muslim religious minority, and the Bahai International Community (BIC) believes that this months cases now confirm the crisis. The Bahais have experienced continuous persecution for their beliefs over the last 44 years, said Bani Dugal, the BICs Principal Representative to the United Nations. But the present acceleration is beyond troubling: dozens of Bahais have been arrested or tried or jailed over the last few weeks and there is no end in sight. The warnings that we have been issuing for many months are now coming to pass. Irans government must immediately honor its human rights obligations, and their responsibilities to all Iranians, by ceasing this persecution without delay. In Yazd, on 20 July, it was reported that Mr Nematollah Shadpour, Mr Nima Shadpour and Mr Shafigh Eslami, were arrested after being summoned to the judicial authorities and taken to an unknown place. The homes and places of business of the three were searched and some personal belongings were confiscated. In Shiraz, on 19 July, it was reported that Ms Niloufar Hoseini, Ms Bahiyyeh Manavipour [Moeinipour], Mr Misagh Manavipour, Ms Alhan Hashemi and Ms Hanan Hashemi were arrested by the security forces and taken to an unknown place. Agents also searched their homes. The sister of Misagh Manavipour was also summoned by the authorities. In Tehran, on 16 July, Mrs Haleh Gholami was sent to Evin Prison to serve a two-year prison term after appearing at the Judgment Enforcement Unit of the Evin Prosecutors Office. Mrs. Gholami had previously been sentenced to two years in prison under tazir law at the discretion of the judge by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on the charges of activity against national security of the country. The sentence had been appealed but upheld by Branch 26 of the Court of Appeal of Tehran Province. In Bojnourd, on 13 July, three Bahais, Mrs Sholeh Shahidi and her two sons Mr Faran Sanaie and Mr Shayan Sanaie were arrested, and their relatives have heard nothing of their whereabouts or situation for almost a week. Agents searched the homes of these Bahais and some belongings, including religious books, laptops and phones, were confiscated. A fourth Bahais home in Bojnourd was also searched and religious books were seized. Six Bahai-owned businesses in Tehran and Karaj were shut down and sealed by the authorities for no apparent reason. And in recent weeks Bahais in Arak have been told by the authorities that they are no longer permitted to bury their dead in the citys Bahai cemetery. The BIC also reported last month that some of the Shiraz arrests and sentences which have condemned 26 people to a combined total of 85 years in prison would separate children from their parents. Many of the Iranian governments recent attacks have focused with persistent severity on Bahais living in Shiraz including several from the past month. The Bahai Faith began in Shiraz, with the declaration in 1844 by the Bab, one of the founders of the religion, said Ms Dugal. Persecuting Bahais there strikes at the very heart of Bahai history and identity: indeed one of the first acts of the Islamic Republic in 1979 was to destroy the historic home of the Bab in Shiraz. The Iranian authorities may be using the significance of Shiraz to send a brutal message to the Bahai community. But whatever their reasons, in Shiraz and across Iran, the government must stop persecuting Bahais. History will catch up. Sydney, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies: ioneer Ltd (ASX:INR, OTC:GSCCF) has sealed a binding offtake agreement with the Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) to supply lithium from its lithium-boron operations in Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada. Click here Magnis Energy Technologies Ltd (ASX:MNS, OTCQX:MNSEF) has advanced the Imperium3 New York (iM3NY) lithium-ion battery plant to 84% completion, achieved alongside joint venture and technology partner Charge CCCV LLC (C4V) which is joint major shareholder of iM3NY with Magnis. Click here Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) will welcome James Moses and Brett Smith as non-executive directors of the company following the retirement of non-executive director Dr Mark Elliot. Click here Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd today announced the appointment of several new personnel to senior management positions, including ex-WeSure CEO Alan Lau as chief business officer, and former Animoca chief resource officer Minh Do as co-chief operating officer, along with other senior engagements. Click here Eastern Metals Ltd (ASX:EMS) has kicked off a diamond drilling program for copper at its flagship asset, the Home of Bullion Mine in the Northern Territory. Click here Okapi Resources Ltd (ASX:OKR) has completed the first two diamond drill holes at its Enmore Gold Project in New South Wales, with both the holes intersecting encouraging lithologies. Click here About Proactive Proactive is a unique tech-enabled platform providing companies globally with a comprehensive investor engagement solution across their business lifecycle. With six offices on three continents, Proactive works with innovative growth companies quoted on the worlds major stock exchanges, helping executives to engage intelligently with investors. In 2020, Proactive featured in 809 million search results, our content was viewed over 165 million times and our readers spent over 10 million hours on our websites. Proactive has produced over 300,000 articles and 20,000 executive interviews since it was established in 2006. For more information on how Proactive can help you make a difference, email us at action@proactiveinvestors.com English French Paris, July 22, 2022 Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a leader in business solutions for meaningful customer connections through digital and physical channels, announces the first contracts signed with international carriers to use its new smart parcel locker network in the UK. Since the announcement end of June of the roll out of the large network of Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers available to all carriers and retailers in the UK, global parcel delivery expert DPD UK confirmed it was the first major partner committing to utilize Quadients network to add more choice and convenience for its customers with parcel locker delivery. Quadients ambition is to implement the solution at 500 locations by the end of 2022, and 5,000 locations in the coming years. With the technical integration with DPD UK complete, DPD customers will start using Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers in the UK this month. Following on from this first partnership, a second large international carrier has also committed to access Quadients Parcel Pending locker network. The signing of an additional carrier reinforces the strategic importance and attractiveness of a smart locker network for the automation of last-mile delivery in the worlds third largest e-commerce market. Quadient expects to announce additional partnerships with carriers, as well as retailers, in the coming months. Geoffrey Godet, Chief Executive Officer of Quadient, commented: The adoption by two major international carriers, just a few weeks after the start of the roll-out of our smart locker UK network, demonstrates the relevance of an open and agnostic approach and validates our strategy as the best way forward to address the challenges of growing e-commerce markets. With the network implementation already well under way, and new lockers installed every day, we trust that the adoption by new players as well as consumers will be accelerating in the coming months. About Quadient Quadient is the driving force behind the worlds most meaningful customer experiences. By focusing on three key solution areas, Intelligent Communication Automation, Parcel Locker Solutions and Mail-Related Solutions, Quadient helps simplify the connection between people and what matters. Quadient supports hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide in their quest to create relevant, personalized connections and achieve customer experience excellence. Quadient is listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and is part of the SBF 120, CAC Mid 60 and EnterNext Tech 40 indices. For more information about Quadient, visit https://invest.quadient.com/en-US. Contacts Catherine Hubert-Dorel, Quadient +33 (0)1 45 36 30 56 c.hubert-dorel@quadient.com financial-communication@quadient.com Caroline Baude, Quadient +33 (0)1 45 36 31 82 c.baude@quadient.com OPRG Financial Isabelle Laurent / Fabrice Baron +33 (0)1 53 32 61 51 /+33 (0)1 53 32 61 27 isabelle.laurent@oprgfinancial.fr fabrice.baron@oprgfinancial.fr Attachment English French Solutions 30, a long-term partner of Orange, has been awarded a new multi-year contract by Orange Poland to provide installation and maintenance services for copper and FTTH network in the entire Warsaw zone. As such, Solutions 30 will operate in the Warsaw zone as of November 1st, 2022. The Warsaw zone presents the biggest business potential in Poland, as it is the most densely populated area of the country. This multi-year contract is a key milestone in the development of Solutions 30 in Poland and confirms the relevance of its strategy, which is gaining momentum in new fields and new geographies with significant potential. Wojciech Pomykaa, CEO of Solutions 30 Poland, stated: We entered the Polish market in 2019 and have grown successfully through mergers and acquisitions as well as keeping customers KPI as our number one priority at all times. We would like to extend our thanks to Orange Poland for their continued trust into Solutions 30. This contract, which broadens our relationship to maintain existing clients installations and support deployment of fiber-based broadband internet, a strategic business, is a recognition of the constant commitment of our teams to Orange. I am convinced that the quality of the collaboration between Orange Poland and Solutions 30 will open new areas of cooperation in the future. About Solutions 30 SE The Solutions 30 group is the European leader in solutions for new technologies. Its mission is to make the technological developments that are transforming our daily lives accessible to everyone, individuals, and businesses alike. Yesterday, it was computers and the Internet. Today, its digital technology. Tomorrow, it will be technologies that make the world even more interconnected in real time. With more than 50 million call-outs carried out since it was founded and a network of more than 15,000 local technicians, Solutions 30 currently covers all of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Iberian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, and Poland. The share capital of Solutions 30 SE consists of 107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions 30 SE is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN FR0013379484- code S30). Indexes: MSCI Europe ex-UK Small Cap | SBF 120 | CAC Mid 60 | NEXT 150 | CAC Technology | CAC PME. Visit our website to learn more: www.solutions30.com Contact Individual Shareholders: Investor Relations - Tel: +33 1 86 86 00 63 | shareholders@solutions30.com Analysts/Investors: Nathalie Boumendil - Tel: +33 6 85 82 41 95 - nathalie.boumendil@solutions30.com Press - Image 7: Leslie Jung - Tel: +44 7818 641803 - ljung@image7.fr Charlotte Le Barbier - Tel: +33 6 78 37 27 60 - clebarbier@image7.fr Attachment Pune, India, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global protective face mask market size stood at USD 23.70 billion in 2021. The market will grow from USD 10.76 billion in 2022 to USD 19.85 billion by 2029 at 9.1% CAGR during the forecast period. Fortune Business Insights has deep-dived these inputs in its latest research report titled, Protective Face Mask Market, 2022-2029. According to the analysis, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has become highly sought-after following the rising COVID-19 infection and hospitalization. The healthcare sector has exhibited stellar demand for protective masks. The burgeoning geriatric population has further encouraged leading companies to expand their penetration. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/protective-face-mask-market-103292 Major Players Profiled in the Report: 3M (U.S.) Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.) COFRA S.r.l. (Italy) Uvex Group (Germany) MSA (U.S.) DuPont (U.S.) Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (U.S.) Cardinal Health (U.S.) Medicom (Canada) Ansell Ltd. (Australia) Alpha ProTech (Canada) Moldex-Metric (U.S) Protective Industrial Products, Inc. (U.S.) RZ Mask (U.S.) Makrite (Taiwan) SHIGEMATSU WORKS CO., LTD. (Japan) Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany) Mallcom (India) Limited (India) Delta Plus Group (France) COVID-19 Impact Widening Demand-Supply Gap Challenged Stakeholders With construction and mining sectors witnessing major disruptions, the demand for PPE dipped globally. Postponement of manufacturing plants or temporary shutdown of operations did not augur well for the business outlook. Moreover, the ban on exports of respirators sent shockwaves globally. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), around 80 countries banned the export of respirators during the pandemic as a temporary measure to overcome severe shortages. Meanwhile, exponential demand in the healthcare sector across emerging and advanced economies encouraged production. Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/protective-face-mask-market-103292 Report Scope & Segmentation Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 23.70 Billion Revenue forecast in 2029 USD 19.85 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 9.1% 2022-2029 Base Year 2021 Historic Years 2018 - 2020 Forecast Years 2022- 2029 Segments Covered By Product, By Usage, By End-use Industry Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2029 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered Unites States, Canada, Mexico, Unites Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Number of Companies Covered 3M (U.S.), Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), COFRA S.r.l. (Italy), Uvex Group (Germany), MSA (U.S.), DuPont (U.S.), Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (U.S.), Cardinal Health (U.S.), Medicom (Canada), Ansell Ltd. (Australia), Alpha ProTech (Canada), Moldex-Metric (U.S), Protective Industrial Products, Inc. (U.S.), RZ Mask (U.S.), Makrite (Taiwan), SHIGEMATSU, WORKS CO., LTD. (Japan), Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Mallcom (India) Limited (India), Delta Plus Group (France) 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. Segments Medical Face Masks to Gain Ground to Prevent Microorganism Cross-Contamination Based on product, the market is segmented into respirator, medical face mask, and others. The medical face mask segment is sub-segmented into N-95 respirators, surgical & procedure, and others. The medical face mask segment will grow with an increased need to prevent microorganism cross-contamination. Disposable Face Masks to Remain Dominant due to Surge in Hospital-acquired Infection In terms of usage, the market is segregated into reusable and disposable. Stakeholders expect the disposable face masks to account for a significant share of the global market in the wake of surging cases of hospital-acquired infections. Healthcare to Exhibit Stellar Demand with Rising COVID-19 Infection With respect to the end-use industry, the market is classified into oil & gas, healthcare, construction, mining, manufacturing, and others. The healthcare segment will witness considerable growth on the back of the pervasive COVID-19 pandemic and an increased need to maintain workplace health. Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/protective-face-mask-market-103292 Report Coverage The report offers a comprehensive perspective of the market size, share, revenue, and volume. Quantitative and qualitative assessments have provided a holistic view of the market. The primary interviews validate assumptions, findings, and the prevailing business scenarios. The report also includes secondary resources such as annual reports, press releases, white papers, and journals. Drivers and Restraints Bullish Demand for N-95 Respirators Fueled Innovations The protective face mask market growth will be pronounced due to strong demand for N-95 respirators across developed and developing economies. Healthcare respirators have become sought-after to contain the spread of COVID-19. An N95 respirator can apparently flush out 95% of very small particles, encouraging end-users to seek the product. General and medical professionals will continue to seek surgical N95 for COVID-19 infection protection. Manufacturers will continue to emphasize the production of protective face mask across healthcare facilities. However, fluctuation in the prices of protective face masks could challenge leading companies gearing to boost their portfolios. Regional Insights North America to Witness Investment Galore with Rising Personal Hygiene Awareness Industry participants expect North America to account for a considerable share of the global market, largely due to the soaring number of COVID-19 cases and expanding customer base. North America market size was valued at USD 9.24 billion in 2021 and will witness a similar trend owing to heightened awareness of personal hygiene. Prominently, the healthcare and mining sectors could be the major recipients of PPE across the U.S. and Canada. The Asia Pacific protective face mask market share will be pronounced due to rising demand from oil & gas, healthcare, and mining sectors. With the Asia Pacific gaining prominence as one of the leading suppliers of face masks, stakeholders could further their penetration across China, India, and Australia. Industry players expect N-95 respirators to gain ground to boost hygiene. The Europe market forecast will be strong on the back of robust government policies to encourage personal hygiene. For instance, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and other European countries had made it mandatory to wear face masks in public transport following the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevailing trends suggest leading companies will inject funds into the landscape to boost their footprint. Competitive Landscape Leading Players Invest in Collaboration to Bolster Footprint Prominent players could inject funds into mergers & acquisitions, product rollouts, technological advancements, and R&D activities. Besides, major companies could invest in innovations and product offerings in the ensuing period. Check Discount: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/check-discount/protective-face-mask-market-103292 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Market Trends Key Insights Key Emerging Trends Key Industry Developments Acquisition, New Product Launch, Collaboration, etc. Latest Technological Advancement Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Value Chain Analysis SWOT Analysis Qualitative Insights Impact of COVID-19 on Global Protective Face Mask Market Supply Chain Challenges Steps taken by Government/Companies to overcome this impact Potential opportunities due to COVID-19 outbreak Global Protective Face Mask Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2018-2029 Key Findings / Summary By Product (Value) Medical Face Mask Surgical & Procedure N-95 Respirators Others Respirators Others By Usage (Value) Disposable Reusable By End-use Industry (Value) Healthcare Oil & Gas Mining Construction Manufacturing Others TOC Continued! Key Industry Development May 2021: Kimberly-Clark Professional reportedly announced the donation of more than 1 million face masks and cleaning products to help U.S. public schools. Speak to Our Expert: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/protective-face-mask-market-103292 Read Related Insights: Disposable Respirator Market Size, Share & Regional Forecast, 2021-2028 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market Size, Share & Regional Forecast, 2022-2029 Europe Protective Face Mask Market Size, Share & Country Forecast, 2020-2027 About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Address: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.9th Floor, Icon Tower, Baner Mahalunge Road, Baner, Pune-411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com MELBOURNE, Australia, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AI-powered cyber GRC company 6clicks today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has included the company in its 2022 Emerging Vendors list in the Security category. This annual list recognizes the fast-rising technology vendors that have exhibited a commitment to driving positive change and continuous growth in the IT channel by delivering innovative, cutting-edge solutions. The technology vendors featured on CRN's 2022 Emerging Vendors - all six years old or younger - are bringing a fresh approach to solving the IT challenges facing customers today, enabling their partners to deliver unique solutions that will ensure the IT channel's continued success. The companies to feature on this year's Emerging Vendors list were selected across nine different categories: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Tools, Application Development/DevOps, Big Data, Security, Networking & Unified Communications, Data Center & Systems, Storage, Cloud and Edge Computing/Internet of Things. "As part of our 2022 Emerging Vendors list, CRN recognizes technology vendors that are transforming the IT channel by providing revolutionary and innovative products that help customers manage ever-evolving IT demands," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "As a trusted industry resource, CRN's Emerging Vendors list gives solution providers insight into the latest ground-breaking IT channel technologies." "We're honoured to receive this recognition from the most prestigious channel champion in the world, The Channel Company," said Anthony Stevens, CEO of 6clicks. "This acknowledgement is especially significant as VARs embrace our mission to deliver a cloud-based turnkey cyber GRC platform with its unique Hub & Spoke architecture designed for enterprises, advisors and MSPs." The CRN 2022 Emerging Vendors list is featured in the August 2022 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.crn.com/emergingvendors. About 6clicks 6clicks is an AI-powered, cyber GRC platform founded in Australia, now with operations in the U.S. and U.K. The company was founded in 2019 in the face of increasing regulation across all sectors, the need for businesses to manage risk better, and a wake of high-profile hacks making cyber security for businesses paramount. Hailey, a breakthrough AI engine, powers 6clicks to automate compliance mapping and policy gap analysis. 6clicks also includes a massive content library including standards and frameworks like ISO 27001 and 27002, NIST CSF, SOC2, PCI-DSS, along with control sets, risk and issue libraries, incident response playbooks and assessment templates. In addition, the 6clicks Hub & Spoke architecture makes it fast and easy to deploy for enterprises, advisors and MSPs. 6clicks was founded by Anthony Stevens, former Partner & Chief Digital Officer at KPMG, along with Louis Strauss and Andrew Robinson. The 6clicks executive team also includes Michelle Torrey-Teunissen (CRO), Dr. Heather Buker (CTO) and Adam Tutchener (CFO). Connect with 6clicks at www.6clicks.com and follow us on LinkedIn. For more information about 6clicks, visit the media kit: https://www.6clicks.com/media-kit or email media@6clicks.com. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by nearly 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Related Images Image 1: 6clicks Global Executive Team AI-powered GRC SaaS platform This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dallas, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dickeys Barbecue Pit is continuing to expand its global footprint as the worlds largest barbecue concept introduced its slow-smoked meats and savory southern sides to more BBQ foodies in Pakistan! Now more and more BBQ lovers can enjoy Dickeys Barbecue Pit menu filled with Texas-style barbecue, right in their hometown without having to travel to the Lone Star State. Be sure to make a BBQ pit stop to Dickeys new Pakistan location for some good mood food, available for carryout, curbside pickup and delivery! The Texas-style BBQ brand celebrated the grand opening of the second Pakistan location in Lahores Packages Mall on July 18. The new restaurant marks the second Dickeys in Lahore as part of a Master agreement with Mazhar Zaidi to develop multiple stores throughout the region. Zaidi expects to open 20 Dickeys restaurants total in just 10 years and is targeting further development in all major Pakistani cities such as Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi. He boasts a successful track record at international development organizations with a franchise opportunity of launching eight Subway stores in North Pakistan. There are several top-ranking international food franchises operating and doing very well in Pakistan, but none of them offer anything like Dickeys Legit. Texas. Barbecue., Zaidi said. Eating meat frequently is part of Pakistani culture, so Dickeys one-of-a-kind, slow-smoked barbecue fulfills a need, and the brand can stand out as a market leader. Our first Dickeys restaurant was a huge success, and were proud to open another and serve the best barbecue around to more Pakistanis. To learn more about Dickeys, follow Dickeys Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickeys Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the worlds largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by the Dickey family. For the past 80 years, Dickeys Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests in 44 states Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickeys, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickeys proudly believes theres no shortcut to true barbecue and its why our name isnt BBQ. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers eight slow-smoked meats and 12 wholesome sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. Dickeys Barbecue has 550 locations across the United States and eight other countries. Dickeys was named to Newsweeks 2022 Americas Favorite Restaurant Chains list and USA Today 2021 readers choice awards. Dickeys won first place on Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, been named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur and named to Hospitality Technologys Industry Heroes list. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the countrys 50 most influential women in foodservice in Nations Restaurant News, was recognized by Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list and honored by Dallas Business Journal. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and QSR Magazine. Dickeys Barbecue is part of Dickeys Restaurant Brands which has more than 700 restaurants nationwide including brands Wing Boss, Trailer Birds, Big Deal Burger and bbqathome.com. DRB is led by CEO Roland Dickey Jr. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com. # # # Attachment BANGOR, MAINE, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Husson University Online announced today that it has launched two new career-focused certificate programs that provide specialized knowledge beneficial to those working in psychology and business. Students can now earn a certificate in animal assisted therapy from Husson University Online. Interactions between humans and animals have proven to have a number of therapeutic benefits, said Dr. David Rogers, the director of online and distance education at Husson. According to the University of California, Los Angeles Health (UCLA Health), the simple act of petting animals lowers anxiety and helps people relax. This certificate program can teach students how to facilitate effective humananimal interactions - a beneficial skill set that can enhance the health of patients with anxiety and the careers of mental health professionals everywhere. Individuals who complete this online certificate program will be able to analyze the physiological and mental health benefits of the human-animal bond. Students will also learn to interpret the ethical and beneficial aspects of animal-assisted therapies. In addition, theyll gain a stronger understanding of what comprises safe and effective therapeutic sessions between animals and people. To learn more about Husson University Onlines certificate program in animal assisted therapy, visit https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/undergraduate-certificate-in-animal-assisted-therapy. Husson University Online is also launching a new certificate program in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). "The United States has a long history of diversity and we are now embracing that diversity more fully, said Sarah Dyer, an instructor and diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at Husson University. To embrace our diversity we have to cultivate inclusive and equitable environments. Creating inclusive and equitable environments requires introspection and communication. At Husson, we will teach you how to do that." For companies to be successful moving forward, individuals and organizations will need to create a more inclusive work environment that embraces diverse individuals and helps them develop, organize and implement change, she said. Those interested in making this new workplace orientation possible will find Husson University Onlines new certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion to be valuable. This undergraduate certificate program will provide current and future professionals with practical tools they can use to integrate DEI topics into their organization. After completing this online certificate program, students will have the skills they need to identify the components that make equity, diversity and inclusion advantageous for organizational cultures. Students will also be able to purposefully cultivate an inclusive environment within their organizations and evaluate the legal and ethical standards that apply to DEI leadership practices. Additional details about Husson University Onlines certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion and a link to an online application can be found at https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/undergraduate-certificate-in-diversity-equity-inclusion. Online certificate programs have a number of unique educational advantages for busy professionals, said Dr. Amy Arnett, Husson Universitys associate provost for online and distance education. Studying online provides current and future professionals with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge from the comfort of their own homes, if they so choose. Online students also find it easier to balance their professional and personal obligations because they can choose to study at a time thats convenient for them. Its a perfect way for people to enhance their professional skill sets while maintaining some work life balance. To assist students in their educational journey, Husson University has instituted a one-stop advisor system. As part of this system, students are assigned a personal advisor from the moment they enroll. These advisors can help students with every part of the online education process including billing, financial aid and academic support. At Husson University Online, were dedicated to student success, continued Arnett. Putting students first is a philosophy thats integrated into every Husson course, including our online offerings. Husson University Online offers career-focused certificate and degree programs for business, nursing, public health, psychology, technology and more. They are dedicated to providing students with the education they need to achieve their personal and professional goals. Ninety-six percent of Husson students are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation. Husson students and graduates also receive lifelong job placement support at no charge. One of the best things about getting an education at Husson is that is has one of the lowest tuition rates in New England. In addition to being affordable, Husson University Online is regionally and professionally accredited. This combination of affordability and quality makes Husson an exceptional value. To learn more about online certificates, bachelors and masters programs through Husson University Online, visit https://online.husson.edu. For more than 120 years, Husson University has shown its adaptability and strength in delivering educational programs that prepare future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent a superior value in higher education. The hallmarks of a Husson education include advanced knowledge delivered through quality educational programs in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. According to a recent analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu. Attachments United States, Rockville MD, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per a recent report published by Fact.MR, the global Chlor-alkali market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2032. During the said forecast period, the industry is likely to yield a dollar opportunity worth US$ 88.5 Billion in 2022, expected to close at a valuation of US$ 150 Billion. The increasing emphasis on the sustainable manufacturing process and increasing applications of Chlor-alkali derivatives act the prominent drivers across the globe. From 2015 to 2021, the market for Chlor-Alkali grew at a CAGR of 5.3%, closing at a value of US$ 150 Billion. As of 2022, the industry is likely to reach US$ 88.5 Billion. Prospects heightened after the augmenting applications of water treatment across the globe. For Critical Insights on Chlor-Alkali Market, Request a Sample Report https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=4672 Manufacturers are all set to adopt the PFAS-coated (Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) membrane technology in the upcoming future and avoid the usage of Chlor-alkali in chemical & other end-use industries to reduce the adverse effects on the environment. Global Chemical Industry Spurs the Adoption of Chlor-Alkali Process Chlor-alkali by-products: sodium hydroxide, chlorine, and soda ash are instrumental in generating necessary raw material for the bulk chemical industry. These chemicals are extensively used across plastic, alumina, paper & pulp, and other major industries. According to the European Chemical Industry Council, the output of the global chemical industry grew by 3% in 2021 and 2% by 2022. Furthermore, it is estimated that sales in 2019 were valued at US$ 4.1 billion, with sales expected to peak at nearly US$ 7.5 trillion by 2032. Attributed to these figures, demand for the Chlor-alkali process to generate useful chemicals is bound to rise significantly. Increased Emphasis on Sustainable Manufacturing to Rev up Sales of Chlor-Alkali Fact.MRs recent analysis reveals that North America is expected to possess nearly 35% of the market share through 2032. The Chlor-Alkali market evaluates nearly US$17 Billion in 2022 and is estimated to yield a dollar opportunity of US$ 26 Billion through 2032, following a CAGR of 4.3%. Manufacturing technology has strategically shifted from the diaphragm and mercury cell system to the membrane cell process globally, owing to increasing mercury pollution levels. Hence, industries are transitioning towards more sustainable manufacturing practices, spurring demand for Chlor-alkali derivatives. In addition, the presence of chemical industries in the U.S is driving the growth of Chlor-alkali in the region. Thus, new and modern facilities will drive higher utilization and increase profitability. To learn more about Chlor-Alkali Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=4672 Key Segments Covered in the Chlor-Alkali Industry Survey Chlor-Alkali by Product Chlorine-based Chlor-Alkali Caustic Soda-based Chlor Alkali Soda Ash-based Chlor-Alkali Chlor-Alkali by Application Chlor-Alkali for Glass Manufacturing Chlor-Alkali for Vinyl Production Chlor-Alkali for Organic Chemical Production Chlor-Alkali for Inorganic Chemicals Production Chlor-Alkali for Pulp & Paper Production Chlor-Alkali for Chlorinated Intermediates Chlor-Alkali for Water Treatment Chlor-Alkali for Other Applications Chlor-Alkali by Region North America Chlor-Alkali Market Latin America Chlor-Alkali Market Europe Chlor-Alkali Market Asia Pacific Chlor-Alkali Market Middle East & Africa Chlor-Alkali Market Competitive Landscape The global market for Chlor-Alkali is characterized by the presence of multiple vendors, aiming to offer extensive consulting and integration services to clients. Additionally, enterprises are seeking out, specialized service providers, offering solutions tailor-made to suit their business objectives. In addition, the vendors are likely to leverage up-gradation and product differentiation to gain an edge over other competitors in the market. In March 2021, AGC Inc. passed a resolution to integrate and reorganize its 3 consolidated subsidiary companies, AGC Chemicals (Thailand) Co., Ltd, Vinythai Public Company Limited, and AGC Chemicals Vietnam Co., Ltd, and to form a new company that will promote the business development of Chlor-alkali products and services in Thailand and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam markets, with target completion by the first half of 2022 In Oct 2019, Borregaard invested 207 million Norwegian kroner in a chloralkali plant at the Sarpsborg site in Norway; the project aims at modernizing existing equipment and is expected to near completion in 2022. Get Customization on Chlor-Alkali Market Report for Specific Research Solutions https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=4672 Key players in the Chlor-Alkali Market Formosa Plastics Corporation Solvay SA AGC Inc. Dow Inc. Tronox Limited Tata Chemicals Limited Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical Co. Ltd. Axiall Chemicals BorsodChem Olin Corporation Key Takeaways from Chlor-Alkali Market Study Global Chlor-Alkali market to flourish 2.6x from 2022-2032 Chlorine-based Chlor-Alkali to be a top-selling category, capturing more than 50% market and flourishing at a 5.3% CAGR until 2032 By application, Chlor-Alkali for the vinyl production to expand at a CAGR of 5.1% U.S to emerge as an opportunistic Chlor-Alkali market, documenting a 4.3% CAGR China to be the most opportunistic market, expected to be valued at US$ 26 Billion in 2032 Fact.MRs Domain Expertise in Chemicals and Materials Division Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned chemicals and materials 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 million-plus data points, the team has analysed the chemicals and materials division across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services. Explore More Chemical and Materials Industry Reports: Diisononyl Phthalate (DINP) Market- Size of the global diisononyl phthalate (DINP) market in 2022 stands at US$ 2.93 billion and is projected to reach US$ 4.61 billion by the end of 2032. This new research by Fact.MR suggests that the demand for diisononyl phthalate will exhibit a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2032. Synthetic Gypsum Market- The global synthetic gypsum market stands at US$ 1.56 Bn in 2022, and is forecast to climb to a valuation of US$ 2.17 Bn by 2032, registering a CAGR of 3.4% from 2022 to 2032. Flat Glass Market- The global flat glass market was valued at US$ 274 Bn in 2021, and is expected to gain a significant position in the market with a steady CAGR rate of 4.5% during the forecast period, 2022- 2032. With this rate, this industry is projected to reach a market size of worth US$ 445 Bn by 2032. Cryogenic Ethylene Market- Worldwide consumption of cryogenic ethylene is estimated at US$ 4.78 Bn in 2022. Detailed industry analysis has revealed that, the global cryogenic ethylene market is forecast to reach a valuation of US$ 11.53 Bn by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 9.2% during 2022-2032. Abrasives Market- The global abrasives market was valued at US$ 54.03 Bn in 2020. Consumption of abrasives is expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.5% to reach a market valuation of US$ 97.7 Bn by the end of 2031. Biodiesel Market- The global biodiesel market reached a valuation of US$ 90.4 Bn in 2020. Demand for biodiesel is slated to rise at a CAGR of 6.9% to reach US$ 187.6 Bn by the end of 2031. Agricultural Fumigants Market- The global Agricultural Fumigants Market is estimated at US$ 1 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 1.4 Bn by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 2.8% through the forecast period of 2022-2032. Anticoagulant Rodenticides Market- The global Anticoagulant rodenticides Market is estimated at US$ 720.4 Mn in 2022 and is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 1.4 Bn by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 3.3% through the forecast period of 2022-2032. Flock Adhesives Market- The global Flock Adhesive market is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 4.6 Bn by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 5.5% through the forecast period of 2022-2032. Demulsifiers Market- Demulsifiers Market Value is projected to reach US$ 3.25 Bn by 2032-end, increasing at a CAGR of around 3.4% over the decade. Global demand for demulsifiers increased year-on-year (YoY) at 1.7% in 2021 to reach a market valuation of US$ 2.28 Bn at the end of 2021. 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 PITTSBURGH, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chinmaya Mission Pittsburgh (CMP) is proud to announce the opening ceremony of their newest center and temple - Chinmaya Amarnath, from August 17 to 20. The new location is conveniently located in Adams Township near Rt. 228 (358 Mars Valencia Rd. Mars, PA 16046). This new center will serve as a Hindu temple and a spiritual institute, focusing on imparting values to children K-12 and families. During the three and half day event, you can enjoy several Vedic rituals, including the presence of a cow, chanting of sacred hymns, prayers and oblations dedicated to different deities, idol installations, and many more once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The new property is located on nine acres with the facility spanning 20,000 sq. ft. Inside consists of an auditorium, classrooms, temple, dining area, and library, just to name a few of the many exciting amenities. The new center will also continue its flagship program of K-12 spiritual education, along with spiritual workshops, camps, discourses, and retreats that are open to everyone. With their new location, CMP looks forward to continuing and expanding their service-oriented, community-driven activities. Some of these efforts include food drives, coat drives, blood donation initiatives, supplying medical kits to individuals in need, in addition to other worthwhile activities. This will be CMP's second center in the Pittsburgh area, adding to their existing temple in Monroeville. CMP is a non-profit organization operating under the worldwide umbrella organization called 'Chinmaya Mission', which has centers all around the world. More details about the center, opening ceremony schedule and sponsorship opportunities can be viewed at www.cmpittsburgh.org. Related Images Image 1: Grand Opening Chinmaya Amarnath Chinmaya Amarnath - August 17 to 20, 2022 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment LAGUNA HILLS, California, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terracon, a leading provider of environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services, has named Lori Cathcart director of corporate sustainability. Cathcart is responsible for developing and implementing internal corporate sustainability strategies, policies, and procedures including stakeholder engagement, materiality assessments, risk analysis, and reporting. Over the past several years, Terracon has brought increased focus and intentionality to becoming a more sustainable organization, both internally and through the services we provide our clients, Cathcart said. Im excited to be contributing to this important effort. Cathcart joined Terracon in 2017 as environmental assistant service line director for Terracons western operating group. She has more than 30 years of environmental and operational leadership experience, focused on program development and execution, employee stewardship, client advocacy, and service line growth. About Terracon Terracon is an employee-owned multidiscipline consulting firm comprised of more than 5,500 curious minds focused on solving engineering and technical challenges from more than 175 locations nationwide. Explore with us by visiting terracon.com. Attachment Phoenix, AZ, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A partnership of Nicola Wealth Real Estate (NWRE) and ViaWest Group (ViaWest) has acquired a shovel ready 20.78 acre industrial development site in the Mesa Gateway submarket of Phoenix, AZ and a 12.45 acre development site in the North Las Vegas submarket of Las Vegas, NV. Both sites are an expansion of NWREs build to hold industrial development strategy and partnership with ViaWest. Mesa Gateway is a quickly emerging submarket in the Southeast Valley of metro Phoenix. NWRE and ViaWest were attracted to the opportunity given its shovel ready, speed to market status, and the buildings multi-tenant design to accommodate mid-bay industrial users. Jackie Orcutt and her team at CBRE brokered the transaction and will be leasing the 335,068 sf three-building project which has been named Advanced Industrial Center. Construction has commenced and a groundbreaking ceremony will take place July 26, 2022. In the Northern Las Vegas submarket, the partnership has acquired an infill site capable of accommodating a 219,480 sf building upon securing entitlements and permits. Las Vegas has one of the lowest industrial vacancy rates in the western US and a limited number of well-located land sites remain. The land assemblage was sourced off market and will provide a single modern industrial building with frontage on Las Vegas Boulevard in close proximity to Interstate 15, Harry Reid International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. Were excited to add these two well located, modern industrial projects to our existing asset base in Phoenix and Las Vegas. In addition to growing our portfolio, we look forward to executing these developments with a high-quality partner such as ViaWest, states Matthew Schaeffers, Director of Acquisitions at Nicola Wealth Real Estate. Steven Schwarz, Founding Partner of ViaWest, adds, We truly value our relationship with NWRE and are ecstatic about these two new projects. Both will be first-class facilities to accommodate the needs of todays industrial users and will meet the strong tenant demand in these markets. NWRE is concentrated on growing in major US markets such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas / Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Seattle with a focus on acquiring income-producing properties, executing build-to-own development and value-add strategies. To learn more about the Nicola Wealth Real Estate funds, visit realestate.nicolawealth.com About Nicola Wealth Real Estate Nicola Wealth Real Estate (NWRE) is the in-house real estate team of Nicola Wealth, a premier Canadian financial planning and investment firm with $12.1 billion (CAD) of assets under management (AUM). NWRE has an experienced and innovative team that sources and asset-manages a growing portfolio of properties in major markets across North America spanning a diversified range of asset classes which include industrial, multi-family rental apartment, office, self-storage, retail and seniors housing. The current NWRE portfolio now exceeds $8.0 billion gross asset value. About ViaWest Property Group Established in 2003, ViaWest Group is a Phoenix-based, full-service commercial real estate investment, development, and property management firm. ViaWest Group is one of the fastest growing real estate investment companies in the Southwestern U.S. with over $2.5 billion in deals since inception, 8+ million SF owned and managed, with offices in Phoenix and Denver. ViaWest Group is currently seeking to acquire and develop office, industrial, and multi-family buildings and land parcels in the Southwestern U.S. Visit our website www.viawestgroup.com or contact Mikele Keiffer at (602) 957-8300 x116. Attachment SEATTLE, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (the Trust) received a gift of 44,548,156 Common Shares of Canadian National Railway Company (CN). The shares are part of the $20 billion pledge to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations endowment recently announced by William H. Gates III. Following the gift, the Trust owns 54,826,786 Common Shares, representing 7.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Immediately prior to the receipt of the gift, the Trust had owned 10,278,630 Common Shares, representing approximately 1.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Mr. Gates and Melinda French Gates are co-Trustees of the Trust. As such, they may each be deemed to beneficially own the Common Shares held by the Trust, but neither Mr. Gates nor Ms. French Gates has an economic interest in the Common Shares owned by the Trust. Ms. French Gates currently separately owns 15,328,169 Common Shares, which when combined with the Common Shares held by the Trust following the gift represents aggregate beneficial ownership of 70,154,955 Common Shares, or 10.1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Immediately prior to receipt of the gift by the Trust, Ms. French Gates and the Trust collectively beneficially owned 25,606,799 Common Shares, representing 3.7% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Each of Ms. French Gates and the Trust hold their respective Common Shares for investment purposes. Ms. French Gates or the Trust may increase or decrease their ownership of securities of CN depending upon future market conditions or for portfolio-management purposes. CNs head office is located at 935 de La Gauchetiere Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3B 2M9. The business address for Ms. French Gates is 500 5th Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA. The issuance of this news release is not an admission that any person or entity named in this release owns or controls any described securities or is a joint actor with any other named person or entity. New York, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Solder Materials Market by Type, Product, Process, End-Use Industry and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06309038/?utm_source=GNW Solder bar melted into solder pots can be a faster, more automated method of soldering than hand-soldering with solder wire.Solder pots that have a pump creating a wave are called wave solder machines, solder fountains, or selective solder machines. Solder bar is used in various applications, including high-tech electronics and printed circuit boards. Automotive to be the second-largest segment during the forecast period. Soldering materials are used for armatures, radiators, wire harnesses, car electrical systems and other parts required in the automotive industry.Strong alloys are commonly used in this industry. Soldering materials are not only used in new vehicle assembly but are also used in the repair and rework of damaged electronic components in vehicles. Europe to be the second-largest market for solder materials Emerging Europe is the second-largest market for solder materials, accounting for a share of 16.8%, in terms of value, in 2021. Henkel (Germany) is the leader of solder materials in the European region, as well as globally. The European automotive sector is proposing a plan comprising 25 actions to support a strong recovery of the sector and the economy of the region. As part of the action plan, the sector calls for coordinated vehicle-renewal schemes for all vehicle types and categories across the EU. This action is intended to boost private and business demand, support economic recovery across the board as well as accelerate the rejuvenation of the vehicle fleet on Europes roads. This study has been validated through primaries conducted with various industry experts worldwide. These primary sources have been divided into 3 categories, namely by company, by designation, and by region. By Department- Sales/Marketing 46.7%, Production 30%, CXOs 23.3% By Designation- Managers 55.7%, CXOs 23.3%, Executives 21% By Region- North America- 30%, Europe- 23%, Asia Pacific- 27%, and Rest of World - 20% The solder materials market comprises major manufacturers, The key players in the solder materials market are Element Solutions, Inc. (US), Lucas Milhaupt Inc. (US), Qualitek International Inc. (US), Fusion Inc. (US), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Senju Metal Industries Co. Ltd. (Japan), Koki Company Limited (Japan), Indium Corporation (US), and others. The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of these key players in the solder materials market, with their company profiles, and key market strategies. Research Coverage: The report covers the solder materials market based on type (With lead, lead-free), product (wire, bar, paste, flux, others) process (Wave/reflow, screen printing, laser, robotic) End-Use Industry (consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, building, Others), and region.The report also provides a comprehensive review of market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in the solder materials market. The report also covers qualitative aspects in addition to the quantitative aspects of these markets. Key Benefits of Buying the Report: The report will help the leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the sub-segments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to better position their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06309038/?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. __________________________ SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Steve Fleming, president and chief executive officer of River City Bank (the Bank), announced that the Bank's board of directors has approved, in connection with the Bank's recently reported net income of $8.9 million or $5.98 diluted earnings per share for the quarter ending June 30, 2022, a cash dividend of $0.33 per common share to shareholders of record as of August 2, 2022, and payable on August 16, 2022. ABOUT RIVER CITY BANK: Named one of Sacramento Business Journal's "50 Fastest Growing Companies" for each of the past five years, River City Bank is the Sacramento region's premier business bank with assets of almost $3.8 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer and commercial real estate sectors. With tailored, executive-level service and a long term investment grade credit rating from Standard & Poor's, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally-owned and managed bank in the Sacramento region with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and a presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit www.rivercitybank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Media Contact: Amber Holwell, River City Bank, via email at amber.holwell@rivercitybank.com or via phone at (916) 567-2600. # # # Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Bozeman, MT, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bridger Aerospace Group, LLC (Bridger) has partnered with Pretoria Engineering (Pretoria) to develop a virtual reality aerial firefighting training program. Aerial Firefighting pilots are required to fly in complex environments; however, replicating training for those conditions is impossible outside of flying on a fire. Bridger will offer its pilots a virtual training environment to better prepare for flight in challenging wildfire conditions and terrain. Founded in 1994, Pretoria specializes in custom aircraft simulator design. In 2019, Pretoria launched its flagship project, Sim Your Plane. The program links a virtual reality headset and customized sensor kits to flight controls, converting personal aircraft into realistic flight simulators. Pretoria is a great partner for Bridger. Like us, they are a young, ambitious company trying to elevate the future of aviation training, said Rob Dewar, VP of Flight Operations at Bridger Aerospace. Pretoria is creating digital versions of Bridgers fleet, allowing pilots to train in a realistic environment. They are designing the plug-in for X-Plane 12 that will integrate Bridgers aircraft and the ability to fly aerial firefighting missions. Once it is released, X-Plane 12 will be the most realistic flight simulator engine ever made, said Dewar. We are working directly with the developers of X-Plane as alpha testers, fine-tuning the physics and control of the aircraft on the water. The unconventional mission requirements and weather features associated with aerial firefighting create various challenges when attempting to simulate realistic flight characteristics. To design the most accurate environment, Pretoria is working directly with Bridger pilots to replicate flight characteristics in the aerial firefighting mission. Bridger and Pretoria will use a mixed reality environment with pass-through technology to integrate the flight environment and the physical world. With mixed reality technology, crews can merge their real world with their virtual world, said Dewar. For example, when pilots need to make a note on their kneeboard, they can see their hands, pen, notebook, and handwritten notes through the VR headset. Traditional VR hardware doesnt offer this real-world integration, making mixed reality a game changer for aviation training. With its multi-user capability, Bridgers portable training simulators will allow pilots across the globe to interact virtually and train together. Simulator capabilities will enable individuals in separate locations to pilot and co-pilot the same aircraft virtually. Pilots can also re-fly previous missions or train for current wildfires, replicating the fire landscape and behavior. The multiplayer plug-in will allow crews to practice communication protocols from home using a portable training station. With a Bridger instructor, two or more individuals can train in the same environment simultaneously. The technology can handle both local and online multiplayer, and any number of aircraft and crew positions can be added to the training environment. Pretoria is designing the wildfire landscape with adjustable features such as fire size, wind direction, speed of growth, intensity, and smoke behavior. Customizable fire scenarios will portray real-life conditions, and the instructor can manipulate wildfires for training purposes. Our fire model uses the same formula that the United States Forest Service (USFS) uses to predict how fires will spread, said Dewar. We can use real-world historical information to design an incident or create custom fires. Additionally, we can use past data and several custom variables to predict how a fire will spread. Instead of using the traditional classroom or sandbox instruction, Bridger is building a new, innovative approach to training aerial firefighters. This new method will be a critical advancement for the industry. By offering virtual teaching methods for aerial firefighting, pilots will be immersed in a wildfire environment that will help prepare them to fly safer and more effectively. Bridger Aerospace is an aerial firefighting company based in Belgrade, Montana. The company invests in technologies providing critical fire data to support front-line firefighters and offers a complete solution for aerial wildland firefighting with its Air Attack, Super Scooper, and UAV aircraft. The company is committed to improving collaborations, strategies, and technologies to protect human life, property, and habitat. Bridger Aerospace serves federal, state, and municipal government entities and other public and private organizations and clients. Attachments Not for dissemination in the United States of America. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Loan Agreement Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. ("Premier" or the "Company") (TSXV: PDH) announces that it has entered into a loan agreement dated July 8, 2022 with MPIC Fund I, LP ("MPIC") for a secured loan in the principal amount of up to USD$100,000 (the "Loan"). The Loan matures on July 8, 2023 and bears interest at a rate of 6% per annum. The Loan is secured with all of the present and after-acquired property of the Company and ranks equally in priority with all of the loans previously made to the Company by MPIC. The Loan will be used for working capital (including for Premiers partially owned subsidiaries, Purposely Platform Inc. and MyCare MedTech Inc.) and may be used to acquire an additional interest in MyCare MedTech Inc., a telehealth company. The Company is not issuing any securities, or paying any bonus, commission or finder's fees on the Loan. The Loan is repayable at any time without penalty. Purposely Platform Inc. and MyCare MedTech Inc. are generating revenue, and the Company expects to shortly receive re-payment of funds from such entities, allowing it to partially repay some of the funds owed to MPIC. Related party transaction disclosure As MPIC is a control person of Premier, the Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Loan has been determined to be exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval based on sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101. Premier does not have securities listed or quoted on any of the specified markets listed in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101. Premier is relying on the exemption from minority shareholder approval in 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101 as the loan was obtained by Premier from MPIC on reasonable commercial terms that are not less advantageous to Premier than if the loan had been obtained from a person dealing at arms length with Premier. Further, the loan is not convertible, directly or indirectly, into equity or voting securities of Premier or a subsidiary entity of the issuer, or otherwise participating in nature, or repayable as to principal or interest, directly or indirectly, in equity or voting securities of Premier or a subsidiary entity of the issuer. The Loan is subject to review and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. Amended Loan Agreements Premier entered into a certain loan agreement with MPIC on June 28, 2021 with a principal amount of US$95,000. The loan was supposed to mature on June 28, 2022. MPIC and Premier agreed to extend the maturity date to June 28, 2023. Premier entered into a certain loan agreement with MPIC on July 22, 2021 with a principal amount of US$80,000. The loan was supposed to mature on July 22, 2022. MPIC and Premier agreed to extend the maturity date to July 21, 2023. About Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. participates in diversified industries through its acquisitions of securities and/or assets of public and private entities which it believes have potential for significant returns. It may act as a holding company (either directly or through a subsidiary) and may participate in management of subsidiary entities to varying degrees. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Sanjeev Parsad" Sanjeev Parsad President, CEO and Director Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any offering made will be pursuant to available prospectus exemptions and restricted to persons to whom the securities may be sold in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions, and by persons permitted to sell the securities in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions. Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Not for dissemination in the United States of America. Legal Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are indicated expectations or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding loan terms including maturity date, that PDH will repay the loan from MPIC as disclosed in the news release, and that the net proceeds of the Loan will be used as stated in this news release. Factors that could cause actual results to be materially different include but are not limited to the following: that any revenue which PDH makes indirectly via its operating subsidiaries will be insufficient to repay the loans to MPIC, that its operating subsidiaries will not generate revenue, or will retain such revenue, that the terms and conditions of the various loans may be amended, that the management or board of PDH may use its revenue or other the funds for other purposes, that the capital raised will be insufficient capital to accomplish our intentions and capital alone may not be sufficient for us to grow our business, that the issuer's financial position will not improve, will stay the same or will decline further, that the timing of receipt of anticipated revenues or returns may be delayed, that its ongoing expenses including general and administrative expenses will increase, and that complications or unforeseen obstacles from COVID-19 or other factors may negatively impact Premier. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. It is not our policy to update forward looking statements. LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that it has received its third reorder for TAAT from its distributor for the United Kingdom, Green Global Earth (GGE). This purchase will be the second order shipped to the U.K. containing the Version III (V3) advanced formulation of Beyond Tobacco; the nicotine-free and tobacco-free base material of TAAT. It will also be the first U.K. shipment containing the menthol-flavoured version of TAAT, which is to be sold in the United Kingdom under the name TAAT Green. The Company plans to dispatch this shipment in approximately September 2022. GGE will support TAAT through its retail distribution network along with consumer engagement platforms to build awareness and trial among adult smokers. In the United Kingdom, TAAT will be able to leverage its distinctive packaging and capitalize on the environmental pressures faced by traditional tobacco companies as well as other alternative product companies that have come under increased regulatory pressure. Of note, TAAT has received full authorization to commercialize its product in the U.K. from the National Health Service. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/35522426-6588-4184-80bd-731c5aeaf678 Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. TAAT Chief Executive Officer Michael Saxon commented, From my international experience in the tobacco industry, I know how complex launches in new jurisdictions can be and we are excited to build upon the initial success of TAAT, to which this third reorder from GGE is a testament. The U.K. market is highly strategic for us because of the countrys leadership in the harm reduction conversation, and we are committed to making the U.K. a strong-hold for TAAT in Europe. We look forward to continuing to work with GGE, with an objective of bringing TAAT to even more adult smokers in 2022 and beyond. GGE Chief Executive Officer John Hilton commented, We have seen first-hand the product improvements from the first iteration of Beyond Tobacco to the latest formulation, and we are excited to put our full support behind TAAT V3. With other competitive products being removed from the market for compliance reasons, we believe reorders of TAAT such as the one to be shipped in September will allow us to expand to new geographies and major retailers across the United Kingdom. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. Michael Saxon Michael Saxon, CEO and Director For further information, please contact: TAAT Investor Relations 1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872) investor@taatglobal.com THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER. About TAAT Global Alternatives Inc. TAAT develops, manufactures, and distributes alternative products in categories such as tobacco, hemp, kratom, and other emerging CPG segments. Its flagship product is a nicotine-free/tobacco-free combustible with a patent-pending base material formulation, sold in several thousand U.S. stores. With over CAD $80 million in overall gross revenue annually, TAATs facilities include an operations centre in Nevada, as well as a distribution centre and multiple convenience stores in Ohio. For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the anticipated performance of TAAT in the tobacco industry, in addition to the following: Successful fulfillment of the reorder of TAAT from GGE, anticipated continued performance of TAAT in the United Kingdom, potential launches of TAAT in other international markets in the future. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; (iii) changes to the regulatory landscape applicable to the Company's business; and (iv) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees. Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms Chicago, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest research report by Arizton, the Brazil elevator and escalator market will grow at a CAGR of 6%. The demand for passenger elevators is attributable to the high dependence of people on them to commute between levels in high-rise buildings. Passenger elevators offer high efficiency, and they are usually noise-free and create minimal vibrations. Alike hydraulic elevators, passenger elevators can carry heavy loads. These elevators are designed to be installed in dwelling houses, administrative and residential buildings, hotels, banks, and offices. Brazil Elevator and Escalator Market Report Scope REPORT ATTRIBUTES DETAILS Market Size by New Installations (2028) 18.6 thousand Units Market Size by New Installations (2021) 12.3 thousand Units CAGR (2021-2028) 6% Market Size by Installed Base (2028) 6,49,255 Units Market Size by Modernization (2028) USD 1745.3 Million Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022-2027 Market Segmentation by Carraige Type Passenger and Freight Market Segmentation by Capacity 2-15 Persons, 16-24 Persons, 25-33 Persons, and 34 Persons and Above Market Segmentation by End-User Commercial, Residential, Industrial, and Others Market Segmentation by Type Hydraulic and Pneumatic, Machine Room Traction, Machine Room Less Traction, and Others Click Here to Download the Free Sample Report Increasing aged population in Brazil will boost the adoption of residential elevators in buildings The use of elevators in the residential sector has increased due to the country's growing elderly population and their need for accessibility. The lack of elevators in homes with elderly residents has an impact on their quality of life. Reserva Alta Vista is a $50 million residential complex under construction in Jundia, So Paulo, and Nex One Alto da Boa Vista is a $30 million residential construction project on 0.27 hectares of land in Santo Amaro, So Paulo. Both projects are scheduled to be finished in 2023. This in turn, will create more demand for elevators and escalator in Brazil. Key Highlights Brazil Elevator and Escalator market by new installations is growing at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period (2022-2028). Because of rapid urbanisation, with approximately 85 percent of the population residing in urban areas, and various socioeconomic development projects in the pipeline, the elevator and escalator market in Brazil is expanding. during the forecast period (2022-2028). Because of rapid urbanisation, with approximately 85 percent of the population residing in urban areas, and various socioeconomic development projects in the pipeline, the elevator and escalator market in Brazil is expanding. Elevator Expo is a key event for the vertical transport industry in Latin America. The 8th Edition of the Expo Elevador 2023 is going to be held in Brazil. This event targets professionals, engineers, architects in the industry (focusing on service provider companies), and students. This interactive platform will bring together companies across the globe that might invest and expand in the country. In August 2020, the federal government of Brazil launched the Casa Verde E Amarela Program (Green and Yellow House program) to provide and facilitate access to decent housing and meet the deficits of housing across the country. Between 2019 and 2022, 1.25 million housing units were delivered across the country, providing housing access to 5 million people. According to EDGE buildings and forecast by the IFC, the overall green building penetration in Brazil is more than 20% . The focus of certification schemes is to specifically improve the residential sector followed by the commercial market. and forecast by the IFC, the overall green building penetration in Brazil is more than . The focus of certification schemes is to specifically improve the residential sector followed by the commercial market. By 2025, the MCTI or EMBRAPII network will receive an investment of $12 million from government incentives, of which $3.5 million will be devoted to AI applications in the automotive and agro sectors. The adoption of cutting-edge technologies into diverse industries is the major goal and the sector will be supported by approximately 17 R&D facilities with complete technological expertise and infrastructure in fields including ML, big data, IoT, and big data. The EU-MECOUSUR agreement will eliminate high custom charges in export sectors (cars and parts, machinery, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals). This will provide services and setting up a business presence in Mecousur. Supporting small and medium-sized companies will provide opportunity for European elevator companies to expand their business in Brazil. International companies in the elevator and escalator account for 90% of market share in Brazil. The key players include Otis, Schindler, and TKE, Hitachi, Hyundai Elevator, and Fujitec. Market Segmentation Type Hydraulic and Pneumatic Machine Room Traction Machine Room Less Traction Others carriage Type Passenger Freight Person 2-15 16-24 25-33 34 and Above End-User Commercial Residential Industrial Others WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS REPORT? This report is among the few in the market that offers outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of: Volume (Unit sales) Type Application Value (USD) Type Application Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in Brazil countries major projects and investments, dynamics, and market share. Examples of the latest technologies. Get presentation-ready format and easy-to-interpret data. Enable decision-makers to make informed and profitable choices Gain expert quantitative and qualitative analysis on value/volume growth projections of the Brazilian construction equipment market share Complete supply chain analysis Get COVID-19 impact analysis of the market Company Profile of 6 key vendors and 6 other prominent vendors Intuitive Elevator Technologies To create ease and improve the commuting experience, manufacturers developed user-friendly elevator technologies. For example, for instance, Destination Control Lift (DCL) Systems can make an elevator ride a great experience. From the efficiency of split elevator banks to grouping elevators based on floor destination, this system fosters maximum usability, achieving the users' goals in nearly half the time than a traditional elevator system. Intuitive elevator systems include smart grouping and destination-based models with current aesthetics. Commuters are organised based on their floor or zone preferences using smart grouping technology. For instance, travelers travelling to the same destination are only assigned to elevators serving that set of floors or zones. This provides in faster and more organized service. For instance, in a 50-story structure, smart grouping can save overall transit time by 40% when compared to traditional methods. Key Vendors OTIS Schindler TK Elevator Hitachi Hyundai Elevator Fujitec Other Prominent Vendors Wittur GMV Elevator Vega Lifts Schmersal Draka Elevator Giovenzana Explore our industrial machinery 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 Chinese scientists find gene boosting grain yield Xinhua) 15:04, July 22, 2022 BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have found a gene in crops such as rice and wheat, which can improve the efficiency of photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization and significantly boost grain yield. Scientists believe the discovery could provide a potential solution for increasing agricultural productivity and efficient utilization of resources, and contribute to human food security. The discovery made by a team led by researchers with the Institute of Crop Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) was published online Friday (Beijing Time) in the academic journal, Science. Zhou Wenbin, leader of the research team, said a substantial increase in crop yield has been achieved since the 1960s through the breeding of new varieties and the improvement of cultivation and management technologies. However, in recent years, the per unit area yield of crops has increased slowly. "We need to find new methods to coordinate the further improvement of crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency," said Zhou. Scientists have found that maize has a much higher yield than rice and wheat mainly due to their different photosynthetic pathways. The research team examined 118 transcription factors associated with photosynthesis in maize and analyzed the related genes in rice with similar sequences. At last, they identified the key gene, OsDREB1C, that responds to both light and low nitrogen conditions, and thus they found the gene modulates both photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization. The researchers enhanced the expression of the OsDREB1C gene in two rice varieties through genetic engineering technology. And they conducted field trials at three different sites in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Sanya in northern, eastern, and southern China, representing very different environmental conditions, from 2018 to 2022. The results showed that the yield of the two rice varieties increased by more than 30 percent. Their growth duration was also shortened. In the experiment on a wheat variety, they found the OsDREB1C gene can increase its yield by more than 17 percent, and shorten its growth duration by three to six days, showing that this gene has the function of increasing yield and shortening the growth period of different crops. Wan Jianmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the discovery provides a potentially valuable gene for crop variety improvement. Yang Weicai, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said the discovery of this gene undoubtedly has important scientific value and application prospects, providing an important genetic resource for cultivating crop varieties with a higher yield, higher nitrogen utilization efficiency, and early maturity. This innovative research has provided a new approach for achieving a substantial increase in crop production and efficient utilization of resources. It is expected to be applied to rice, wheat, and other crops and vegetables in the future, which is of great significance in promoting sustainable and intensive agricultural production, said experts. Qian Qian, head of the Institute of Crop Sciences under CAAS and also an academician of CAS, said the team will deepen their research on the key gene's function and mechanism in main grain crops such as rice, wheat, corn, and soybean in the future for the development of new varieties. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Airbus has joined the worlds largest clean hydrogen infrastructure investment fund, managed by Hy24a joint venture between Ardian, a private investment house and FiveTHydrogen, an investment manager specialising in clean hydrogen investments. Hy24s investment fund will provide financial capital to back credible, large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure projects world-wide. Airbus involvement assures its commitment to the scaling up of a global hydrogen economy, a prerequisite for the successful entry-into-service of its zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035. The 100% electric A110 E-ternite prototype had its world premiere at the French Formula 1 Grand Prix. A rolling laboratory, the A110 E-ternite is an open-top car which maintains Alpines agility with a lightness unequalled for an electric car in this segment. The design goal was to electrify the A110 and to match the performance, balance and agility of the Alpine A110 combustion engine car while capitalizing on the Group's strengths, experience and technologies. As a Renault Group brand, it was natural for this new project, to look first at the parts and technologies already available in-house. The battery modules are identical to those of the 100% electric Megane E-Tech. However, to achieve optimum weight distribution and to accommodate the twelve battery modules, it was necessary to design specific battery casings for the A110 and to adapt the internal architecture. Four modules were therefore placed at the front and eight at the rear. To meet this challenge, the engineers allowed themselves to position these modules in the space in a atypical fashion. Despite the addition of these twelve modules, the total weight of the Alpine A110 E-ternite remains particularly light with an increase of only 258 kg, thanks to a contained mass for the battery pack (392 kg). Gearbox. In order to get away from the 0 to 100km/h / top speed trade-off and the constant quest for electric storage that requires large batteries, an innovative gearbox was added to the Groups standard motor. No gearbox available in-house allowed the Alpine engineers to meet the brief requirements of this A110 E-ternite. The desire was to find a smooth and efficient gearbox without torque breakage, but also light and compact. A gearbox was studied in-house, with the Alpine gearbox supplier, in double clutch version (DCT) with an electronic control, as on the A110 combustion engine, but with clutches dimensioned to pass high torques. The double clutch solution makes it possible to avoid a break in torque while remaining compact and light. Electronic system. For the electronic system, the Alpine team mixed two electronic equipment architectures separated by ten years. This innovation provides new opportunities for architecture simplification or continuous improvement throughout the product as it enabled the features of the combustion engine AS1 to be kept while adding new features from the EV sector, as well as others such as the Overtake feature or the possibility of enabling communication between two batteries. A single ECU was installed to ensure communication between the two systems. This innovation brings new opportunities for simplifying architectures or for continuous improvement throughout the product life cycle. Technical Specifications Ford announced a series of initiatives for sourcing battery capacity and raw materials that light a clear path to reach its targeted annual run rate of 600,000 electric vehicles by late 2023 and more than 2 million by the end of 2026. The company detailed its global vehicle portfolio plans supporting these production goals as part of its Ford+ plan. Ford expects a compound annual growth rate for EVs to exceed 90% through 2026, more than double forecasted global industry growth. Ford plans to invest more than $50 billion in EVs through 2026, targeting total company adjusted EBIT margins of 10% and 8% EBIT margins for EVs by 2026. As Ford creates a new EV supply chain that upholds its commitments to sustainability and human rights, the company continues to plan for more than half its global production to be EVs by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality globally no later than 2050. Ford plans to reach a 600,000 global EV run rate by late 2023 with the following EVs: 270,000 Mustang Mach-Es for North America, Europe and China 150,000 F-150 Lightnings for North America 150,000 Transit EVs for North America and Europe 30,000 units of an all-new SUV for Europe, the run rate of which will significantly ramp in 2024 Ford is adding lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry to its portfolio, alongside its existing nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) chemistry. This creates even more capacity for high-demand products and provides customers many years of operation with minimal range loss. It also reduces the reliance on scarce critical minerals such as nickel and, at current costs, brings a 10 to 15% bill of material savings for Ford versus NCM batteries. The company confirmed it has secured 100% of the annual battery cell capacity needed60 gigawatt hours (GWh)to support this 600,000 EV run rate by working with leading battery companies around the globe. Ford announced that Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) will provide full LFP battery packs for Mustang Mach-E models for North America starting next year as well as F-150 Lightnings in early 2024. Fords EV architecture flexibility allows efficient incorporation of CATLs prismatic LFP cell-to-pack technology, delivering incremental capacity quickly to scale and meet customer demand. Ford also is leveraging its long-standing connection with LG Energy Solution (LGES) and its strategic relationship with SK On to meet its battery capacity target for late 2023. Long-time supplier LGES has scaled quickly and doubled its capacity at its Wroclaw, Poland, facility to support incremental NCM cell production for Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit models. Plus, SK On has installed capacity to support the scaling of Fords high-volume F-150 Lightning and E-Transits through late 2023scaling NCM cell production beyond earlier-planned levels from its Atlanta facility and providing new battery cell capacity from its Hungary operation. Driving to more than 2 million EVs by late 2026. Ford is building on agreements tied to its 600,000 run rate milestone and is taking them even further. The company now has sourced approximately 70% of the battery cell capacity it needs to support an annual global run rate of more than 2 million EVs by late 2026. Ford and CATLthe worlds largest battery producerhave signed a separate non-binding MOU to explore a cooperation for supplying batteries in Fords markets across China, Europe and North America. Ford also announced it plans to localize and use 40 GWh of LFP capacity in North America starting in 2026. The company intends to use this additional capacity to complement three previously announced battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee that are part of the BlueOval SK joint venture between Ford and SK On, which was officially formed last week. Ford has signed an additional MOU with SK On as well as Koc Holdings to create a joint venture in Turkey for expanded battery capacity there. To support its joint ventures, Ford is direct-sourcing battery cell raw materials as well. Today, the company announced it is working with major mining collaborators and has sourced most of the nickel needed through 2026 and beyond. Ford has signed non-binding MOUs with: Vale Canada Ltd.: To explore potential opportunities across the EV value chain. PT Vale Indonesia and Huayou Cobalt: For exploring a three-way nickel processing project and, separately, an off-take agreement with Huayou that collectively will provide Ford with rights to the equivalent of 84 kilotons per annum (ktpa) of nickel. BHP: For nickel supply from BHPs Nickel West operations in Australia. The targeted multi-year agreement could start as early as 2025 and may involve additional commodities over time. Ford also has locked several key lithium contracts. Beyond the recently announced key asset in Western Australia secured through Liontown Resources, Ford also has signed a non-binding MOU with Rio Tinto, exploring a significant lithium off-take agreement from its Rincon project in Argentina. This is part of a multi-metal MOU that leverages the scale of Fords aluminum business and includes a potential opportunity on copper. Ford also continues working to localize processing of key battery materials in North America. To that end, the company is announcing: The US Department of Energy has selected General Fusion for two new funding awards through the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program. The awards will advance Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) technology for use in commercial fusion power plants through collaboration with the Savannah River National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In MTF, a magnetized plasma target formed into a liquid metal flux conserver (liner) is rapidly compressed to fusion conditions. At peak compression a fast burst of fusion is created. General Fusion and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), a leading laboratory for tritium process research, will collaborate to advance tritium production within the companys fusion machine. General Fusions fusion technology uses a proprietary lead-lithium liquid metal wall. The liquid metal wall surrounds the fusion plasma and is designed with a low start-up tritium fuel requirement and an advantageous breeding ratio to produce sufficient quantities of tritium fuel to sustain the fusion process. Through this partnership with SRNL, General Fusion will model its tritium fuel cycle and the total inventory of tritium required for its future commercial power plant. General Fusion and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will expand their existing research partnership to enhance open plasma modeling tools and enable a powerful approach to efficient modelling of General Fusions fusion machine. Tapping into the laboratorys supercomputing capabilities, this work will enable high-fidelity study of General Fusions planned Fusion Demonstration Plant, the worlds first power-plant-relevant, large-scale Magnetized Target Fusion prototype. With this project, we are enabling the direct calculation of kinetic orbits of particles using the worlds fastest supercomputers, Summit and Frontier, here at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). Were working with General Fusion to provide expertise on GPU porting and performance on the OLCF systems. Development work will further benefit the larger fusion community by enabling new capabilities in the open-source code. Mark Berrill, Principal Investigator, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Under previous INFUSE funding partnerships, General Fusion developed computer models and performed physical tests in collaboration with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which provided important insights into the development of the companys Fusion Demonstration Plant. Resources The Green River Fire Department took part in the funeral procession of former Fire Chief George Nomis to honor his years of service. Retired and acting members of the department were involved in the procession, with retired firefighters riding on a historic fire truck. Photo courtesy of Steve Core A new slate of officers for the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County Board of Trustees were elected July 6. Barbara Sowada was elected board president, a seat previously held by Taylor Jones. "Thank you to everybody," Sowada said. "I especially thank Taylor for the past three years as president. I know how he has donated a tremendous amount of time. There have been some serious things to come before the board; he makes it look so easy." Jones described the last three years as interesting and rewarding, saying "we've come through strong in all we've faced." He thanked everyone at the hospital, "the people who really do the work." The MHSC Board of Trustees also includes Vice President Jones; Treasurer Ed Tardoni; Secretary Kandi Pendleton; and Trustee Marty Kelsey, who was reappointed to the board June 21 by the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners. The board typically meets on the first Wednesday of every month in the hospital classrooms, via Zoom or unless otherwise posted. Board meetings are open to the public. Agendas, packets and minutes are posted at sweetwatermemorial.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California punched back Friday against two recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law and urged other states to follow suit. He acted one month after conservative justices overturned the constitutional right to abortion and undermined gun control laws in states including California. Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50-caliber rifles. Were sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement," he said. Its time to put them on the defense. You cannot sell, you cannot manufacture, you cannot transfer these illegal weapons of war and mass destruction in the state of California. And if you do, there are 40 million people that can collect $10,000 from you, and attorney fees, for engaging in that illegal activity. Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsom's request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but California's law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Courts support for the Texas law was a terrible decision, Newsom said. However, if they're going to use this framework to put women's lives at risk, we're going to use it to save people's lives here in the state of California. Newsom also placed $30,000 worth of full-page advertisements in three Texas newspapers Friday criticizing what he said is Gov. Greg Abbotts hypocrisy on gun safety. The ads parrot a comment by Abbott about children's right to life but substitute gun violence where he said abortion. Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze responded. It's a similar tactic to the television ad that Newsom, a Democrat running for reelection, recently aired in Florida targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis. Newsom again denied presidential aspirations Friday even while stoking that speculation. I cant take whats happening in this country," Newsom said in explaining the ads. Cant take the assault on liberty and freedom, cant take the rhetoric, cant take the ... bullying, the zest for demonization of these governors, not just Abbott, DeSantis, but many of these other governors. An unusual combination of gun owner advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized Newsom for creating what they said amounts to a bounty system to encourage such lawsuits. The ACLU called California's law an attack on the constitution for deliberately trying to sidestep judicial review by empowering enforcement by citizens and not governments, and for undermining due process rights. Its all about these two big issues that are facing us. And you cant have a double standard. You cant have one standard for guns and another standard for womens reproductive health. Its not right, Democratic state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, who carried the bill, said in an interview. Gun control advocacy organizations Moms Demand Action and affiliated Students Demand Action backed the bill's potential to combat untraceable ghost guns. Newsom signed the bill at Santa Monica College, where five victims were killed in 2013 by a gunman using such a gun. The new law will make it easier for victims of ghost gun violence like myself to help enforce our laws, said Mia Tretta, who was shot in Santa Clarita during a 2019 attack at Saugus High School. She is now an incoming senior and a volunteer with Students Demand Action. Newsom grew emotional as Tretta introduced him. He later said he couldn't help but recall her optimism as he visited her in the hospital after an attack that he said personalized the danger for him as the father of a pre-teen daughter himself. Aside from the merits of the bill, opponents say it is written to discourage any legal challenges to California's myriad gun regulations by requiring plaintiffs or lawyers to pay attorneys' fees if they lose the lawsuit. That portion of the law is intended to make it impossible to file a Second Amendment challenge to an unconstitutional gun control law. That is itself unconstitutional, said Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Newsom acted a day after he signed eight other gun laws among numerous measures adding to California's already strict regulations. They encourage the safe storage of firearms and limit gun making including with a 3D printer. Others bar gun sales on state property, boost inspections of gun dealers, limit dealer fees, and add child and elder abuse to the list of crimes that block gun ownership. The governor recently signed another bill patterned after a New York law that empowers anyone who suffered harm to sue gun makers or dealers who fail to follow precautions under a firearm industry standard of conduct. He further criticized the high court and conservative Republicans in a video message after he signed two earlier gun bills into law, one also addressing ghost guns and the other barring marketing firearms to minors. California and New York also are scrambling to update their laws regulating the concealed carrying of firearms after the nation's high court ruled that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called lawmakers there back into a special session to approve changes that take effect Sept. 1, including requiring gun owners to allow an examination of their social media accounts. California legislators expect to act in August on concealed carry restrictions. ___ Associated Press Writer Paul Weber contributed to this story from Austin, Texas. The Bank of Hawaii Hagatna branch shown Jan. 25, 2022. Bank of Hawaii is accepting applications for the I Kinometi Para I Kumunidat I Isla-ta Small Business Revitalization and Development Grant. The Guam Police Department has identified the two men found dead in Yigo after a reported shooting and police are looking for a person of interest. Auditors questioned the government of Guams spending of federal funds last fiscal year, according to an audit released this week by the Office of Public Accountability. The total amount flagged by independent auditors Deloitte & Touche was $41.7 million, primarily over failure to enforce eligibility requirements for unemployment payments or proper monitoring over millions of dollars provided to government agencies. The total amount of questioned costs in fiscal 2019 was just $1.1 million, and fiscal 2020 saw just $1.3 million questioned, a release from the OPA accompanying the audit stated. Federal funding spent by GovGuam ballooned to just over $1 billion last fiscal year, more than double the $377.8 million spent pre-COVID-19 pandemic in fiscal 2019. PUA Senators had a chance to question Director of Administration Ed Birn on the expenditures during the emergency session on Wednesday. According to Birn, about half of the questioned costs were related to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. The audit findings show some $23.3 million in PUA expenditures were flagged over award eligibility concerns. Either they have to collect it from the recipients, Birn said of the PUA payments, or we, in the extreme circumstances, may or may not have to return it. But the issue wasnt unique to Guam, and forgiveness for PUA overpayments had been continually extended since the program closed last September, with the latest extension on Aug. 1. You can look at the program in other states, and I think its highly, extremely unlikely that the majority of that, if any, will be returned to the federal government, Birn said. Expenditures Besides PUA payments, the biggest GovGuam expenditures questioned by auditors were: $4.2 million in Coronavirus Relief Fund money flagged over noncompliance with monitoring requirements for the government agency awarded the money. $7.4 million in American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds questioned over monitoring compliance. $1.2 million in Education Stabilization Funding provided to PBS Guam, questioned for monitoring compliance. $1.8 million in Presidential Declared Disaster Assistance to Individuals and Households, for failure enforce monitoring over eligibility requirements. Public Auditor Benjamin Cruz, also present during the Wednesday session, told lawmakers he was unsure whether GovGuam would end up having to repay the remainder of the money. I do know that after I saw the single audit, I already spoke to my management and weve decided that as soon as we issue the performance audits that were currently working on, for the remainder of the year, we will have to look at these programs that had issues, said Cruz. Deloitte & Touche identified about 20 material weaknesses and 9 significant deficiencies in accounting controls for some 15 major federal programs administered by GovGuam in fiscal 2021. That amount is up from the 18 findings in fiscal 2020. Outdated system OPA in its release also repeated a concern from previous years that GovGuams financial management is outdated and overdue for a replacement. The Department of Administrations Division of Accounts could not facilitate a timely and periodic closing of the accounting system and generate financial information, which continues to affect the timely completion of the financial audit. GovGuam has been working on procuring a replacement accounting system since early 2021, the release stated. Birn earlier this week told the PDN that his agency was being shown a possible replacement for the old AS400 system used by the government. Food trucks, family-friendly games and other attractions drew crowds to the Fandanna Friday festival at Ypao Beach as the islands Liberation celebration continued into its second day. Friday was a bonus holiday for government of Guam workers and the activities allowed people to get outdoors and spend time with family. Im glad that the festivities are coming back, said Clifford Short, of Dededo. Now we can get the grands out instead of being stuck in the house. John Aguon, a familiar face at festivals and cultural events, set up his tent and offered free carabao rides to everyone. For children or anybody that rides the carabao, its a lifetime experience, said Aguon, who has been providing carabao rides since 1994. Michelle Sardoma, from Sinajana, handed out free balloons to children from a booth called Rochelles Animal Balloons. Im excited just to even get out of the house, Sardoma said. I personally havent been out of the house since COVID. Food is a big part of any celebration and the food trucks at Fandanna Friday offered a wide selection for festival-goers. Im excited for the food, said Jenifer Salas of Yigo. They have these like fried tacos, and you dip them in like a sauce, and its really good. Salas said she enjoyed the booths and activities, but would have liked to have seen more things representing CHamoru culture. I love the carabao ride over there. Im glad they brought that and still have that here, she said. I would love to see the CHamoru weaving here and the CHamoru huts. While enjoying the festival, Liz Brown of Yigo shared her thoughts on the plan to revamp the park. In June, the Guam Visitors Bureau outlined a proposal to spend $50 million in American Rescue Plan funds to develop the Gov. Joseph F. Flores Beach Park at Ypao into the I Tano I Famaguon Smart Park a technological theme park designed to showcase the islands cultural heritage. Brown was not happy about it. To upgrade it? And where does it leave us and what is the plan for it? she said. The saying is, why fix it if it is not broken. With the closure of the court on Thursday and Friday, the earliest a verdict can come in the trial for a suruhanu facing criminal sexual conduct charges is Monday. Jurors began deliberation in determining whether Frank Ko San Nicolas, a suruhanu and former Port Authority of Guam police officer, is guilty of criminal sexual conduct charges connected to an incident in May 2020. Throughout the month-long trial, jurors heard San Nicolas met with a woman at Tanguisson Beach before later taking her to a cave to connect with the ancestors. The woman testified the two meditated in the cave before San Nicolas started putting coconut oil on her and massaging her while she was naked. She testified San Nicolas sexually assaulted her after telling him she did not want to be penetrated. Assistant Attorney General Richelle Canto in closing arguments asked the jury to return a guilty verdict because the woman unequivocally expressed her lack of consent for sex. Nuru massage San Nicolas attorney, Joaquin Jay Arriola, however, said the jury is left with answering one question when determining if his client is guilty or not: Did she agree to a nuru massage in the cave? A nuru massage Arriola explained, is not just any massage but involves individuals rubbing their bodies together with oil that usually ends in a sexual act. Arriola then said when the woman testified, she did agree to a nuru massage. Following the closing arguments that ended on Tuesday, jurors returned on Wednesday to receive instructions and begin their deliberation. They will resume deliberation on Monday. San Nicolas is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct as a second-degree felony and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct as misdemeanors. San Nicolas was found not guilty of similar charges in December 2021. Cultural demonstrations at Sagan Kotturan CHamoru on Friday included lessons and a contest in the ancient art of slinging stones. Weve been trying to reignite and advance stone slinging through sport, said Roman Dela Cruz, spokesman for Acho Marianas. Dela Cruz is passionate about growing and developing stone slinging, and has worked overtime to make it possible. Finally in 2017, we found out there was an international tournament in Mallorca. We never had any experience with target slinging before, but then after seeing the experience, learning the rules, we brought back that rule set to Guam. Once the rules were in place, the slinging community grew even more. At Sagan Kotturan, there are target boards and netting in place for stone slingers to practice. On Friday, the cultural center also had other activities, such as weaving lessons and traditional oven cooking using the hotnu. Emerging But slinging is emerging into its own, with community and school competitions regularly being held during CHamoru cultural festivities. The idea of making stone slinging an interscholastic sport for Guam has been discussed, and some say that is a way for the sport to grow. However, instead of only being offered to athletes within schools, some believe that it should be offered to everyone. Keep it within the CHamoru studies, keep it within the festivities of CHamoru activities that we have every month so that everybody can be involved, not just certain people or certain athletes, said Dym San Nicolas-Diaz. San Nicolas-Diaz shared how the youth are getting involved with learning how to sling from the teachers who share the stone slinging lessons. Stone slingers gather at the center on occasion for lessons. Dela Cruz said anyone can come by to try slinging at the center. Haiti - News : Zapping... Arms trafficking : Ms. Lovenie Louis Jean arrested Thursday, July 21, following several hours of spinning, Ms. Lovenie Louis Jean actively sought by the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) was arrested by agents of the Office for the Fight against Drug Trafficking (BLTS) on the airport road as part of the investigation carried out at the National Port Authority (APN) on international arms and ammunition trafficking on July 14 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37154-haiti-flash-seizure-of-weapons-and-ammunition-imported-under-cover-of-the-franchise-of-the-episcopal-church-of-haiti.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37210-haiti-flash-new-seizure-of-weapons-and-ammunition-in-port-de-paix.html Dr. Marie Greta Lataillade Roy, released Dr. Marie Greta Lataillade Roy, mother of the former Minister of Health, Marie Greta Roy Clement kidnapped on Friday July 8, 2022 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37113-haiti-news-zapping.html was freed by her captors against ransom (as well as her driver) The "Grefen" market threatened by armed individuals Thursday morning, heavily armed individuals invaded the "Grefen" public market specializing in the sale of livestock and agricultural products, located in Fort Jacques in the commune of Petion-ville. The presence of these individuals caused great panic among the population, who reported that sporadic automatic weapon fire was heard in the area for several hours. These individuals wanted to take control of the "Grefen" market. Entrepreneur Dumond released 8 days after his death was announced On Wednesday July 20, the entrepreneur Rony Dumond kidnapped on June 13, whom the kidnappers said he killed https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37185-haiti-news-zapping.html was finally released safe and sound. Modernization of the Port of Cap-Haitien A delegation led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-Haiti) met with Yvrose Pierre, Mayor of Cap-Haitien and port authorities to discuss how the United States, through USAID, can support Haiti's need to modernize the Port of Cap-Haitien. New Consul of Haiti in Paris The Consulate General of Haiti in Paris informs that the Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in France James Samuel R. Jules (a career diplomat) has been designated as responsible for the Consulate General of Haiti in Paris by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He replaces Consul Richardson Etienne, who was in charge of current affairs. HL/ HaitiLibre THE swan population in Henley has fallen due to disease and attacks by predators. No birds were found between Hambleden Lock and Mill Meadows in Henley during this years swan-upping ceremony, which takes place along an 80-mile stretch of the River Thames over five days every July. David Barber, the Queens swan marker, led the event as it passed through the town on Wednesday. He said: Were short of cygnets. Its taken a toll from bird flu thats been spreading. We have lost breeding pairs so there are fewer cygnets and there is also a problem with predators. Its rather distressing. This years event followed a similar format as in previous years with the exception of removing broods from the water due to a continued outbreak of avian influenza. It does not normally affect birds in the summer months but this year continues to be found within the bird population in the UK. Nada Jankovic, assistant to David Barber, said: We do not wish to transmit this disease between swan families in different locations on the River Thames and to this end cygnet and parent bird numbers and locations will be recorded in order to assess the impact of the disease on the Thames swan population without recourse to making any catches. Any injured cygnets or swans will be removed from the water for treatment in accordance with government biosecurity and hygiene guidelines for the handling of swans. The birds have been owned by the Crown since the 12th century and the census is carried out every year to check numbers and ensure they are in a healthy condition. Last year, it was reported that the swan population in Henley was fit, healthy and thriving. Mr Barber, who lives in Henley and was leading for the 29th year, was accompanied by representatives of the Crown and the Vintners and Dyers Livery Companies, all of whom travelled down the Thames in traditional wooden rowing skiffs. The group was also accompanied by representatives from the Swan Support charity. They arrived at Hambleden Lock from Hurley at about noon where dozens of spectators had their cameras out to take photos, before moving off again at 12.45pm. They waited at the lock for all parties to be prepared for the next journey upstream towards Henley. There were accompanying motorboats and there were also steamboats and leisure cruisers where passengers gathered on balconies to watch the royal happenings. There were no stops made in the journey to Leander Club, the next stop-off point, which took about half an hour. Once the boats were docked, there were Year 6 pupils from Sacred Heart Primary School waiting for the three swan markers, with feathers in their hats, to talk to them about swan upping, on their last day of school. Mr Barber, dressed in red and gold, spoke of the history of the event as the children sat crossed-legged close to the royal regatta boat tents. Jerry McCarthy, of Dyers Livery, who had a navy and gold blazer on, spoke about problems that arise for swans and what they need to check for. He showed them some fishing hooks that had been removed from the wing of a swan in Hurley and said if they ever saw any left in and around the river, to carefully throw it away using a tissue. Paul Prentice, of the Crown and the Vintners, in a navy and white blazer, explained how the birds are caught and checked. Two orphaned cygnets, with their feet tied up, were then presented to the children and pupil Jake Meredith was given the task to lift a fishing scale attached to a pouch for one of the birds while Freddie Bertioli-Smith and Isabella Lloyd read out the weight. They had to quickly be taken away to be put back in water as it was too hot for them to be out. Mr Barber then showed the class how they tied up the legs securely without harming the swans and handed out strings for them to practise on each other. After quizzing the children, he handed a certificate from Buckingham Palace to the head boy and head girl, Charlie Dix and Grace Vickers. This years ceremony began on Tuesday at Eton Bridge in the morning ending at Marlow Lock in the evening. On Wednesday, there were seven docking points from Marlow to Sonning Bridge and the event ended on Thursday at about 5.15pm at Moulsford. 91-year-old librarian brings books, knowledge to villagers in remote mountains of SW Chinas Yunnan People's Daily Online) 16:02, July 22, 2022 Ma Dejing works in the Qiluo Library in Qiluo neighborhood, Tengchong city, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Photo/Hu Changjiao) For many years, a rural library in Tengchong city, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province has maintained the tradition of inviting retirees in the locality to help offer library services. Ma Dejing, born in 1931, became a volunteer at the Qiluo Library in 1987 after she retired from being a volunteer teacher at schools located in remote mountains in the province. Ma also helped build the library with money collected through fundraising, while at the same time taking up various duties such as purchasing and arranging books, assigning documentation numbers for them, putting them on shelves and lending services. I have two homes. The first one is the old apartment in which I have lived for 60 years, and the second one is the library, said the 91-year-old, who has volunteered at the library for 35 years. Ma Dejings father, Ma Shoushan, was a founder of the Qiluo Library, which was established under the influence of Chinas New Culture Movement that started in 1919. Ma has many happy memories of the library as a young girl. During that time, the library made a lot of facilities available for the readers, such as a pedal accordion, a mimeographing machine, specimens of animals and plants, and other items, said Ma. Between 1951 and 1987, Ma was a volunteer teacher at schools located in remote mountains in Yunnan. She tutored students who had fallen behind academically, and bought books and school supplies for some underprivileged students with her own money. After she retired in 1987, Ma became a volunteer librarian in the Qiluo Library. At that time, the library was in urgent need of expansion as it was unable to house the increasing number of books and due to the fact that it was unable to meet the local villagers' reading needs. To raise funds for the librarys reconstruction, Ma wrote and printed over 500 letters and sent them to relevant departments and personnel who were concerned about the librarys development. Soon after that, she received cash donations and books from various parties. With the cash donations, the construction of the new library was quickly launched. The local villagers also did their best to support the library by making cash donations, helping with the construction, and donating their own books. One day, a grandma donated 0.88 yuan ($0.13) she had earned by selling vegetables earlier that day, Ma recalled, adding that Ive written down all these heartwarming stories so that future generations can see how much importance the local people have attached to reading. At present, the library is home to over 30,000 books and receives more than 6,000 readers annually. According to estimates, more than 70 retirees have worked as volunteer librarians since the library was rebuilt in 1990. During her time working at the library, Ma was always the first one to get to work. In addition to arranging the books and cleaning the reading rooms, she also meticulously tended the flowers and grass in the courtyard of the library. The local villagers all attributed the pleasant environment provided by the library to Mas diligent efforts. To improve the librarys inefficient catalogue system, Ma learned how to manage books at a library in the county seat. She then applied the knowledge she had gained to efficiently categorize books at her library. After the books were rearranged and put on shelves, borrowing a book became more convenient for local villagers and students. In the past, people in rural areas encountered difficulties when they wanted to buy or borrow books from a library and find a place to read books. Here at the Qiluo Library, the local villagers can read a rich variety of books and newspapers, said Ma. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang,a professional with more than 15 years of hospitality wellness experience, has been named spa manager at Alma Resort's Le Spa. Born and bred in nearby Nha Trang, Hang joins the 30-hectare resort's Le Spa after five years as the spa manager at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach Nha Trang's Akoya Spa. Upon graduating from Khanh Hoa College with a major in hotel and restaurant management, she began her hospitality career in 2006 as a receptionist at Nha Trang's Ngoc Dung hotel. In 2007 Hang became a qualified masseuse at Khanh Hoa Medical College and worked as a spa therapist at Six Senses Hideaway Resort Ninh Van Bay for almost four years. From 2011 until 2017 Hang was a spa therapist and spa trainer at Six Senses Spa at Missoni Hotel, later renamed Symphony Style Hotel, in Kuwait. She returned to Khanh Hoa province in 2017 as the spa manager at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach Nha Trang, situated next door to Alma, and from 2019 to 2021 was also the spa director overseeing the Akoya Spas at 14 Vinpearl properties across Vietnam. Hang has won various awards throughout her career including 'Best Spa Manager' across the Vinpearl Group. Jenn McCarthy is the senior director of Industry Marketing, and is responsible for our global marketing campaigns to raise awareness of Expedia Group Media Solutions. With nearly 20 years of experience, she leads the communications, content, design and brand functions to share our exclusive data, research, insights and customer success stories with the industry. Before joining Expedia Group Media Solutions in 2015, Jenn led agency teams focused on technology PR for Microsoft at Waggener Edstrom (WE). Prior to that, she managed teams at leading PR agencies in New York, working with Nokia and Kodak. Jenn is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound, and lives in Seattle with her family. More than just looking attractive to the eye, design is about creating an emotion, an experience, a sense of place, comfort and safety. Every feature, every color, texture, light, has a subtle influence on the subconscious, signaling to diners the kind of experience to expect and creating a sense of connection with that space. At Accor, we create experiences that play with the senses. Today, design projects play a key role putting our bars and restaurants center-stage, creating an individual story and experience through the right design, for locals and travelers alike. The Groups approach, with some of the most current names in design, is to create local, sensory, generous experiences, think one-of-a-kind designs rooted in their culture, show kitchens or food market-style eateries. Here discover some of the design concepts making our dining experiences come alive. Winestone, Mercure Katowice Centrum Photo by Accor Putting environmental performance into every step Winestone, Mercure Katowice Centrum (Poland) By improving environmental performance from A to Z, a restaurant design ethos rooted in sustainability creates a do-good, positive connection with guests. From its bar made of recycled glass bottles, to vintage bicycles or lamps upcycled from the regions coal mining past, at the Winestone Mercure Katowice Centrum, environmental considerations guide every stage. The hotel itself, prioritizing traceable materials like FSC-certified wood throughout, received the PLGBC Green Building Award for sustainable real estate development. By meeting the eye with a look that clearly considers environmental cost, the Winstone restaurant creates a sense of caring connection for guests as they dine on dishes created to minimize waste, with no plastic in sight. Library Bar, Fairmont Royal York Photo by Accor Designed to drink to the past Library Bar, Fairmont Royal York (Canada) A sense of place meets time travel in the Fairmont Royal Yorks Library Bar. Symbolic of Accors ambition to root Food & Beverage experiences in their own unique culture, designer Ken Lam, of Navigate Design, recreates the vibe of the roaring 1920s when this Toronto institution was already welcoming in thirsty travelers - think pops of color, opulent textures of leather, velvet, and fringe. The bars new cocktail series, inspired by world travels, encourages people to truly get away from it all, in this literary hideaway for locals and travelers. Katsuya by Starck, SLS South Beach Photo by Accor The artful pairing of designer names with master chefs Featuring the dynamic pairing of master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi and design impresario Philippe Starck, Katsuya at SLS South Beach is truly a feast for the senses. Bold, yet restrained; cozy, yet ultra-modern; understated, yet comfortable - the interiors evoke a sleek and sultry bento-box, accompanied by warm woods and gleaming white signature tables. Oversized backlit photographs featuring Japanese iconography grace the walls, adding a whimsical visual note to the dining experience. Through collaboration with renowned designer Philippe Starck Katsuyas aesthetic merges the aspirational with the approachable, creating a trendy but friendly atmosphere for our guests. Rose, Novotel Paris Porte de Versailles Photo by Accor The ambiance of Provence in Paris Rose, Novotel Paris Porte de Versailles (France) After a day pacing the nearby Paris Versailles exhibition halls, where else but a trip to the south of France? Designed to offer an experience Parisians wont easily find elsewhere in their city, every feature at the Rose restaurant at Novotel Paris is intended to recall the airy ambiance of a second home in Provence. The combination of the Roses light-filled interior, featuring bamboo shades amid splashes of greenery, recreates the perfect Mediterranean-style backdrop to enhance the flavors from that region from prawns flambeed with pastis or Provence-inspired cocktails. Rooted in the culture of Provence, yet located in Paris, the Rose is designed to signal that feeling of a Mediterranean escape, while in the French capital itself. Yon|Ocean House, V Villas Phuket MGallery Photo by Accor Creating a sensory experience in-tune with the surroundings Yon|Ocean House, V Villas Phuket MGallery (Thailand) Set above the ocean, Yon|Ocean House is an example of design that takes its cues from its unparalleled location to immerse diners in the nature that surrounds the restaurant. Here the sea, sun and nearby natural pearl farm inspire Yon|Ocean Houses organic colorway, with wood, plus pearl motifs handcrafted in metal. While its expansive terraces are surrounded by tropical plants and water features, and naturally provide ocean vistas for a visual and sensory experience before the food, a culinary journey across Asia, has even begun to be served. The Pump House Sydney, Novotel Sydney Darling Square Photo by Accor Tapping local talent while honoring heritage The Pumphouse Sydney, Novotel Sydney Darling Square (Australia) One of Sydney's first microbreweries, in the former beating heart of Darling Harbour, the Pumphouse Sydney celebrates the harbors heyday with its mix of industrial design, a timber bar, for instance, amid high-craft touches, such as statement lamp shades by Australian artist Lance Corlett. With a rotating selection of Australias finest beers (plus bespoke wines) Sydneys Pump House transforms the craft beer experience, into one that celebrates its past, while being totally current. Open to a sense of community Chill Bar, ibis Styles Krakow Centrum (Poland) A completely new common space, designed like stepping into one of Krakows intimate, vibrant cafes, the new Chill Bar concept at ibis Styles, is a cafe destined to become a hybrid spot for the community all hours of the day. The idea behind the new concept is to create a multifunctional place that changes during the day, from a relaxing spot for morning coffee to a place for a glass of craft beer or regional wine by evening. The arrangement of the space in an open style emphasizes the sense of community, creating welcoming atmospheres for all - whatever peoples needs working, meeting, enjoying a meal or simply taking time out in the city. The luxury of choice between interaction or privacy Kokoni, Raffles Shenzhen Photo by Accor Kokoni, Raffles Shenzhen (China) With interactive cooking spaces or a choice of five private rooms, Kokoni at Raffles Shenzhen offers its high dining approach to Japanese cuisine in the modern and sleek setting of diners wishes, the element of choice youd expect from this ultra-luxury brand. The entire restaurant is designed around the central interactive cooking space and imagined as the very epitome of modern, clean architecture. From handmade origami swans on each table, to pop art on the wall, or white lotus flowers floating in the spaces water features - every detail is considered - the height of luxury design. At Accor, our bars and restaurants are center-stage with each experience curated to the last design detail to inspire even those from afar to visit. Nonprofits that aid formerly incarcerated people are eligible for $30,000 in funding under a new round of grants from the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Each year, the foundations Next Gen Giving Circle members collectively decide on one focus area in the region. After soliciting grant applications and performing site visits, they select one or more organizations to support. Program leaders said they opted to focus on formerly incarcerated people this year because of the hurdles faced by them and the organizations that support them. This focus was compelling to members of the Giving Circle when factoring in the many barriers faced by returning citizens, including proper access to education, limited job opportunities, and access to mental health services, said Allison Hale, senior philanthropic adviser at the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Related: Donations soared after George Floyds murder so why can't many groups find funding? Nonprofits that support formerly incarcerated people have for years said that its difficult to find consistent funding for their work because of stigmas about their clients, or because they have less access to the large donor pools that more established charities rely on for funding each year. While some prison-focused nonprofits have seen upticks in giving in the wake of national attention to racial justice, the inconsistent funding has made it difficult to budget and plan long-term. For example, after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 galvanized international attention on criminal justice and racial inequality initiatives, donations soared to many small, local grassroots charities that work on such issues. In the month after Floyds death, corporate donations to social justice causes surged to 51 percent of all charitable contributions, according to Benevity, a Canadian company that monitors corporate giving. But those funding streams dried up quickly, plummeting to just 5 percent by the end of 2020. Applications can be filed at www.ghcf.org through Aug. 12. robert.downen@chron.com Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - A soldier was killed and seven suspected terrorists neutralized early Friday in an attack against the military camp of Kati, near Bamako, the Malian capital, official sources said A version of this first appeared in the Tomlinson's Take newsletter, which answers readers' questions and features exclusive takes from Chris Tomlinson on money, politics and life in Texas. Sign up here. I can only lament how far Texas has fallen. I remember former Gov. Rick Perry was never prouder than when he appeared on CNBC to talk about how Texas had won the title of Top State for Business. The cable business news network crowned Texas in 2008, 2010, and 2012. We came in second in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 through 2016, and in 2018 and 2019. My colleague Erica Grieder has a nice piece about it. But under Gov. Greg Abbott in the last few years, Texas has dropped to 4th in 2021 and 5th in 2022. Who won this year? North Carolina. Here's why: The Tar Heel State has always been a contender, CNBC wrote. What made the difference this year? For one thing, state leaders keep managing to put aside their very deep political divisions to boost business and the economy. In Austin, its anything but. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have taken demagoguery to new levels. Detailing their disagreements with moderate Republicans and Democrats is not enough; they attack their opponents character, patriotism and morality. CNBC editors called out Abbott specifically for Texass increasingly bloated regulatory regime, the largest percentage of people without health insurance, no anti-discrimination law for nondisabled residents, and that Texas is one of the most difficult states to vote in. Let me add to that anti-business friendly list. Banning abortion within state lines is not enough, Texas GOP leaders want to prosecute companies that pay for employees to seek care in other states. Some have even proposed going after Texans if they obtain an abortion in another state and return home. More than 60 percent of young women say abortion bans will significantly influence where they choose to live, according to a poll by the Axios news organization and the Generation Lab, a polling firm specializing in young people. More than half of young men said it would influence them. Texas laws that curtail civil rights will further repel businesses, especially when competition for skilled workers is intense. And, lastly, more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies, the largest employers in the country, prohibit discrimination or mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ activist group. Two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies offer transgender-inclusive health insurance, while Abbott, Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton seek to prosecute parents who provide their transgender children with appropriate care. Texass political leaders may appeal to the most conservative political activists, but their policies are out of step with American society and the business community. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this column stated Abbott was elected in 2020, he's been in office since 2015. Tomlinson, named 2021 Columnist of the Year by the Texas Association of Managing Editors, writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas. Sign up for his new newsletter here. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas needs to step up its support for community colleges and technical schools to build a pool of skilled workers and maintain a competitive workforce, according to a new report from statewide and local business development groups. The report, released Thursday, focused on a shortfall or workers able to fill so-called middle-skill jobs, which require some post-secondary education, but not a four-year college degree. About 54 percent of the states jobs are considered middle-skill, but only 45 percent of Texas workers are trained for such jobs, from medical technicians to paralegals to aircraft mechanics to electricians. The report called on the state to spend more to shore up a creaky community college and technical school system that can provide this training. Over the past 40 years, the states share of funding for community colleges just $2.2 billion in this biennium plunged to 26 percent from 68 percent, putting more of a burden on students, many of whom say rising tuition has forced them to drop out, according to the report. On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County community colleges report enrollment drops during pandemic In addition, the report found, inequities persist in access to community colleges for historically underserved populations, including rural Texans and older students, while collaboration among the states 50 community college districts is limited by a lack of state leadership. Texas community college finance system does not adequately focus on and drive outcomes, which are critical to ensuring that our state can sustain our current and future workforce, economy, and quality of life, the report said. Community colleges and technical schools have a critical role to play in closing the resulting skills gap, the report said. It recommended that state provide more direct support to community colleges in the form of grants, for example as well as enlisting the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to facilitate coordination between community college districts. Investment in our community college network is critical to our future economic success, equipping the next generation of Texans with the skills needed to compete in a rapidly evolving business environment, said Bob Harvey, CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, a business-financed economic development group. In addition to the Greater Houston Partnership, other groups signing the report, which was submitted to the Texas Commission on Community College Finance, included the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, and Texas 2036, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on the states future infrastructure, health care and workforce. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas has slipped in a best for business ranking. Should we be worried? The report comes as labor shortages across industries have left employers scrambling to fill jobs and hold onto workers and putting extra emphasis on the availability of workers in decisions over where to do business. In May, Texas had nearly 1 million job openings, far more than the roughly 600,000 unemployed workers, according to the Labor Department. The state unemployment rate was 4.2 percent. CNBC added extra weight to the workforce category in its annual Top States for Business rankings, released last week which ranked Texas fifth in the nation. Texas earned an A+ in this category, with a healthy labor-force participation rate and domestic migration bringing plenty of workers to the stateeven as partisan politics propelled the state to an F rating in the quality-of-life category. State officials have long seen a need to bolster Texass skilled workforce. A strategic plan for higher education released last year sets a goal of 60 percent Texans of ages 25-64 holding postsecondary credentialsa degree or certificate by 2030, up from 48 percent today. Texas ranks 38th among states in educational attainment of adults aged 25-34. Even with the significant progress weve achieved in postsecondary access, completion, and innovation, and despite having one of the longest sustained economic expansions in American history, the report said. Texas is facing a pronounced decline in workforce competitiveness due in large part to a lack of postsecondary attainment among working aged adults. erica.grieder@chron.com More than half a million acres of Gulf of Mexico waters some 24 miles off the coast of Galveston could be dotted by wind turbines after federal officials on Wednesday said they are considering leasing the area for energy projects. The proposed wind energy area covers 546,645 acres larger than the city of Houston and could produce enough electricity to power about 2.3 million homes, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said. A second proposal about 64 miles off the coast of Lake Charles, La., would cover 188,023 acres and could produce power for 799,000 homes, officials said. The wind energy area proposal is still just a draft, the bureau said. Visitors to its website can comment on the plans, and the bureau will hold online public meetings Aug. 9 and 11 to discuss the proposals. Once the final wind energy area or areas have been identified, the next step is to propose a lease sale for public comment either later this year or early next year, said John Filostrat, a spokesman for BOEMs Gulf of Mexico office. The bureau said state officials and wind developers would determine if electricity generated in the areas boundaries would flow to the Texas power grid or the neighboring East Coast grid system. The Coast Guard would determine if commercial or recreational boats including commercial fishing and shrimping operations could enter the waters near the wind turbines, bureau officials said, adding that they have held several meetings with fishing groups and associations this year. READ MORE: The Biden Administration wants to open the Gulf for offshore wind power. Is Texas ready? As a result, they said they have already carved out parcels from the lease area to leave bare for shrimping operations to continue. The announcement is part of a Biden administration initiative to help develop 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind generation by 2030, a jaw-dropping increase from the 42 megawatts of electricity produced by the only two offshore wind farms in operation nationwide. Those projects, off the coasts of Virginia and Rhode Island, are in state waters; there are no projects in federal waters. Another 15 projects are in the permitting phase, and eight states have set goals to procure a combined 39,298 megawatts from offshore operations by 2040, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. One megawatt is enough to power about 200 homes on a hot summer day. Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, said developing wind farms off the coast of Texas has been a long time coming. A previous effort to build 50 wind turbines 10 miles off of Texas in 2007 fell apart due to economic concerns, but comments in a request for information issued by the bureau showed that developers have a renewed interest in developing here, he said. The biggest benefit of offshore wind is lowering carbon emissions by allowing us to stop to using oil and gas as much, Metzger said. Were already seeing some of the worst impacts global warming right now with record heat, wildfires and hurricanes. We know it will only get worse if we dont act. Requesting comment for draft leases is part of the first of four stages of developing offshore wind. The second stage is selling the leases and doing more detailed environmental impact studies; the third is site assessments; and the fourth is construction and operation. It can take about 10 years from the first stage before wind turbines are operational. Plans for offshore wind developments in the Gulf lag behind those along the East Coast. Leases for offshore wind are already for sale in North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. RELATED: With developers clamoring for leases, offshore wind lining up as America's next big energy boom Wind power along the Gulf Coast tends to be strongest south of Corpus Christi, tapering off by the time it reaches Florida, according to a bureau study. Even so, the Gulf of Mexico has a leg up on the competition, said Josh Kaplowitz, vice president of offshore wind for the American Clean Power Association. The region is home to an entire supply chain dedicated to offshore energy and a trained workforce. Already, he said, a massive wind turbine installation vessel is being built in Brownsville. The Gulf of Mexico has a head start, and we should be leveraging that, he said. Wind turbine technology is getting better. Theyre getting larger, and as they get larger they can be built in a more economical way at lower wind speeds. One issue more pressing for Gulf turbines than those in other offshore areas is the potential for strong hurricanes. Kaplowitz said the turbines off Rhode Island and those designed for off the coast of North Carolina have been engineered to withstand hurricane-force winds. He said those built off the Texas coast would likely be designed to withstand winds of the strongest storms projected to hit that part of the coast. Offshore wind turbines have yet to be tested in such a ferocious storm, Andy Swift, associate director of education with Texas Techs National Wind Institute, told the Chronicle in October. Turbines onshore have suffered catastrophic damage in tornadoes, he said, requiring companies to take out large insurance policies on them. That could also be the case in the Gulf, he said. The storm issue its a big one. I think people are looking at building more hurricane-resistant turbines as much as they can to stand against the high winds continually buffering of equipment, with waves and winds gusting against it, Swift said in October. I think thats a challenge for offshore. If the offshore wind power flows into Electric Reliability Council of Texas, it could help the grid meet the record-breaking and growing demand the nonprofit grid operator has seen in recent months. For a moment Wednesday afternoon, demand surpassed 80,000 megawatts for the first time. Some state officials, including ERCOT interim CEO Brad Jones and Gov. Greg Abbott, have blamed low output from the states onshore wind fleet for tight grid conditions this summer, although it has long been known that wind blows less on hot summer days and is usually strongest during winters and in the evenings. Offshore wind, however, performs much better during the middle of hot days. Ed Hirs, an energy fellow with the University of Houston, said having more power generation close to large population centers helps decrease congestion on transmission lines and can help reduce the price of electricity locally. This doesnt negate the need for backup generators, he said. Is it a great thing to build? Absolutely. It adds a resource we desperately need. But if the weather doesnt cooperate all the time, ERCOT or the host grid is going to have to have some sort of standby generation capacity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Annie Mulligan/Contributor Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Karen Warren, Staff / Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less Two Houston noted landmarks - Eldorado Ballroom and Buffalo Soldiers National Museum - are among 33 sites across the nation to receive $3 million in grants dedicated to preserving Black culture. The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund made the announcement Thursday. The fund, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is the largest national source dedicated to preserving African American historic sites. Since its inception in 2017, it has funded 160 places, an investment totaling more than $12 million. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It turns out the third time really was a charm for Robert and Venissa Stanfield. The couple had applied for a home in Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery Countys Cedar Creek community twice before. The third time they were finally accepted. On Friday morning, they shared their journey and the dedication of their new home with Habitat volunteers, volunteers from The John Cooper School and from The Fitness Project. The dedication also marked a first for the local Habitat chapter. Volunteers were able to put in an Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design shower for Robert who uses a wheelchair. On YourConroeNews.com: Land donation expands Habitat community to Magnolia area Robert is retired from the oilfield and Venissa has worked in hospital housekeeping and home healthcare. The Habitat staff calls them the true definition of a power couple with tremendous tenacity. They are unstoppable in sickness and in health and together they make the best of their lives, according to the staff. They are fortunate to have a strong support system with seven children and 13 grandchildren spread from Wisconsin to Houston. A friend of theirs moved into a Habitat home, so they thought theyd try for their own. Since 1989, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County has worked with the loving hands of volunteers and donors to improve the lives of families and individuals through affordable homeownership. The new homeowners put in sweat equity hours and work alongside volunteers to complete their new home. The construction of their two-bedroom, one-bathroom home began roughly 10 months ago. The Stanfields pastor read a statement written by the couple for the dedication that praised the support of their church and the work of the volunteers and the Habitat staff for making their dream of homeownership come true. On YourConroeNews.com: Habitat launches deconstruction service Its been a long haul and were just so grateful, Venissa said. Fitness Project Conroe and The John Cooper School partnered with the local Habitat chapter to build Fitness Projects first new home and John Coopers 22nd home in the community, respectively. Fitness Project Conroe first partnered with Habitat during the pandemic. Now almost two years into building the partnership the company has given over $65,000 in organization contributions and just completed their first home build. Bryan Murphy, CEO of The Fitness Project, was inspired to serve the community from a trip he and his wife took to Guatemala. I thought of myself as a good guy and thought we do good things in the community. When my wife started started talking about this mission trip to Guatemala, I thought Thats a horrible idea. I didnt have the courage to say it but I thought it, he said. Visiting the South American country brought about a major life change for him. Their first time in Guatemala they visited an orphanage with 500 children. He thought about their basic needs. It recalibrated everything, he said. After being with Golds Gym for 25 years, he launched The Fitness Project with the idea that helping people shouldnt just be inside a club or gym. On YourConroeNews.com: John Cooper School completes 20th Habitat home This shift lead me to ask how could we use our business platform to make a difference in the community, he said. Fitness Project was created to support a persons own fitness project while also supporting projects in the community. He said The Stanfields courage and tenacity to push forward is encouraging to all who had gathered during the build. Dr. Stephen Popp, headmaster at The John Cooper School, said their school staff and students are particularly proud of the 22 homes they have completed in the Cedar Creek community. What we know is that when were building, were taking a house and turning it in a home and those homes become filled with vibrant people who in neighborhoods like this become neighbors and those neighbors inspire robust and brilliant communities, Popp said. We are privileged to get to know you (The Stanfields) and wish you all the best. The couple will move into their new home in about a month. Once settled, the couple looks forward to enjoying all the things they love about Conroe like the fish from Vernons Kuntry Katfish, barbecue from McKenzies Barbeque & Burgers and classic rock shows at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. To support Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, visit https://habitatmctx.org/. shernandez@hcnonline.com BANGOR, Maine (AP) Senators from Maine and Delaware want to establish a national mercury monitoring program to try to safeguard human health from the neurotoxin. Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Sen. Tom Carper introduced the proposal. Collins said she was motivated to propose it because some lands and water bodies in her state have higher mercury pollution levels than the nation at large. CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) Most abortions will become illegal in Wyoming on Wednesday after Gov. Mark Gordon gave the go-ahead Friday under a new state law. The law bans abortions except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mothers life or health, not including psychological conditions. The Wyoming Legislature approved the ban and Gordon signed it into law in March in anticipation that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade. That happened June 24, kicking off a review by Attorney General Bridget Hill to make sure Wyoming's law conforms to the Supreme Court ruling. Gordon certified the law to the Secretary of State's Office after Hill completed her almost four-week review Thursday. I believe that the decision to regulate abortion is properly left to the states, Gordon said in a statement. As a pro-life governor, my focus will continue to be on ensuring we are doing all we can to support Wyoming mothers, children and families. Wyoming currently allows abortions until a fetus can survive outside its mothers body, generally around 23 weeks. Wyoming has no abortion clinics but the procedure still occurs in other medical settings, with 98 in the state reported to the Wyoming Department of Health in 2021, up from 91 in 2020. The abortion ban will have an immediate and devastating effect on those in Wyoming who can become pregnant, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement. Thanks to Wyomings trigger law, Wyomingites will have fewer rights than people in other states. A persons health, not politics, should guide important health care decisions, including the decision to have an abortion, said Libby Skarin, ACLU of Wyoming campaigns director. Organizers of a planned womens health and abortion clinic in Casper have said they might contest the state abortion ban in court. An arson attack in May delayed the clinic's expected mid-June opening. Melissa Aguilar/Houston Chronicle A 75-year-old man from Houston died on a hiking trail in Big Bend National Park on Thursday, according to the National Parks Service. The man was found at 7:45 p.m. Thursday about a half mile from the starting point of Chimney Trails, a 5-mile long trail in the western part of the park, according to a press release. Courtesy An 11-year-old girl reported missing from her Missouri City home was found on Friday night, according to the FBI. Imani Stephens was first reported missing on Friday morning, after she was seen leaving her home in the 3700 block of Dry Creek around 1:45 a.m. The family of a man killed by a Harris County sergeant during an arrest earlier this month is livid after seeing the body camera footage of the shooting, their attorney said. The video was released to the public Friday after calls for transparency. The video, which the family saw Thursday, shows Sgt. Garrett Hardin pursuing Roderick Brooks on July 8 in Westfield and the altercation that led to the 47-year-old being shot in the back of the neck. Hardin shot Brooks after he grabbed the sergeants Taser, the video shows, but the family and their lawyer contend that he was defending himself against an unjustified and unnecessary use of force. Video released to the public includes commentary from Chief Mike Lee and 9-1-1 calls that led to the incident. Sadiyah Evangelista, the family's lawyer, said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and other staff showed the family the footage, but alleges it was tampered with and portrayed a slanted version of what happened. She compared it to a professional documentary. What was shown to them was a doctored video that was so slanted in the direction of the department that it could not have possibly been justice to the family. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Sheriff's office officials could not be reached for further comment. Voicemail was left with the office's media relations. Lee said in the video body cameras are worn at chest level and show a perspective from a limited line of sight. "The angle of the camera prohibits viewers from seeing everything the deputy saw and experienced," Lee said. 'PULVERIZED WITH PUNCHES': Family of man killed by Harris County sergeant alleges police brutality The incident began with a call to police from a Dollar General on the 2000 block of Cypress Creek Parkway, where Brooks had allegedly shoplifted household goods, Evangelista said in a July 12 news conference. In the 9-1-1 call released along with the body camera footage, an employee from the discount store said Brooks pushed her as he fled the shopping center. A man who spotted Brooks told the dispatcher he changed clothes after leaving the store with the shoplifted goods. Hardin, a 20-year employee of the sheriffs office, spotted Brooks at a nearby gas station and began chasing him in his cruiser before jumping out of the vehicle without putting it in park and running, the video shows. Dashboard footage showed the car rolling backward as Hardin ran towards Brooks. he was chased before being shocked by a Taser and tackled to the ground by Hardin. Why are you tasing me? Brooks asks before saying please get off of me, man. Hardin repeatedly punched Brooks after he jumped on his back, Evangelista said witnesses told her, although it was not clear in the released footage. The sergeant left his already-deployed Taser on the ground and Brooks appeared to grab it before letting it go and picking it up again. Assistant Chief Mike Lee, the commentator in the video, said the Taser can be heard activated in the video. Quit, Hardin said. Im going to shoot you. Put that down. STRING OF SHOOTINGS: Man killed in second fatal shooting by Harris Co. sheriff's deputies in five days While Hardin was on the 47-year-olds back, the video shows, he pushed Brooks head down and put the muzzle of his handgun around the back of his neck. He shoots one shot, and Roderick is gone, Evangelista said. Hardin calls for emergency medical services before the video cuts out. The family was eventually shown raw footage of the shooting after demanding to see an unedited version, but Evangelista said it differed from what they were shown. (The unedited footage) was totally different from what they had pieced together in this edited version, Evangelista said. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Brooks death drew sharp rebukes from community activists and his family, who said he was the victim of racism and police brutality. For the city and the state to allow this type of racism, Ive never seen anything like this, Demetria Brooks Glaze, Brooks older sister, previously said. My brother was treated worse than an animal. Deric Muhammad, a local activist, said July 12 that he believes that Roderick Brooks was a victim of racist policing. courtesy photo The shooting remains under investigation by the Harris County Sheriffs Office Homicide Division, Sheriffs Office Internal Affairs, and the Harris County District Attorneys Office, a statement read. A grand jury will determine whether charges will be filed, although a date has not been set. "Our understanding of the incident may change as this additional evidence collected, analyzed and reviewed," Lee said in the video. "We also do not draw any conclusions about whether the deputy acted in accordance with our policies and the law." Hardin has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcomes of the investigations. In 2011, a grand jury declined to indict Hardin after he shot a man who was threatening to hurt himself and had pointed a gun at him. 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 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Beaumont man this week was charged with capital murder over a fatal February shooting at a southeast Houston apartment complex, according to the Houston Police Department Nathan Nichols, 30, was arrested in Beaumont on Monday, according to police. Nichols is accused of shooting and killed Kendall Lee, 47, of Houston, during a Feb. 21 break-in at an apartment complex at 2060 Allen Genoa Road, police said. Lee lived at the apartment with a roommate, who witnessed the break-in and shooting, according to a police complaint. The roommate said on the night of the shooting, two men held him at gunpoint and forced him to take them to the apartment, according to the complaint. The men knew there were drugs inside the apartment, according to the complaint. Lee tried to stop the men from entering the apartment. He was shot through the door, according to the complaint. The men entered the apartment took some of the drug and left, according to the complaint. Lee died at the scene, police said. There was a security camera in the apartment, but the witness said he didn't know who the two men were. In March, the Beaumont Police Department contacted Houston detectives after a bullet found at Beaumont murder investigation was linked to Lee's shooting. Beaumont police released video from the Houston shooting in June. The same day, a woman who knew Nichols called his police and identified him as one of the people in the video, according to the complaint. No others arrests have been announced in connection to Lee's death. Nichols' bond was set at $1 million on the capital murder charge, according the Jefferson County jail records. He was also being held on a parole violation. He was in custody at the Jefferson County Jail on Thursday, police said. A woman who was shot and injured early Friday walked to a nearby gas station in Greater Greenspoint to flag down help, according to authorities. The woman went to Swift gas station at 1177 Greens Road near West Hardy, where workers called authorities, Houston Police Department Lt. Ronnie Wilkens said. Houston firefighters took her to a local hospital where she is expected to survive. Witnesses said the woman, described in her 40s, showed up to the gas station around 12:45 a.m. and told employees she had gotten into an SUV with a random man for a ride, Wilkens said. When she attempted to get out of the vehicle, the man shot her. TRENDING: Houston doctors warn Texas heat creates dangerous situation for those taking blood pressure medicine Investigators were attempting to confirm how many times she was shot, where she was coming from and where she was picked up at, according to Wilkens. "She has two wounds but we are not sure the trajectory of the round or how it happened," he said. Anyone with information on the incident should contact Crime Stopper's anonymous tip line at (713) 222-8477. No other information is available at this time. THE NEWS YOU NEED: Sign up for free newsletters and get the best of the Houston Chronicle delivered to your inbox Joel.Umanzor@Chron.com People cruising out of Galveston and other U.S. ports can no longer use a government website to check if their ships have recently COVID-19 had outbreaks on board. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week ended a program that publicly reported COVID cases on dozens of cruise ships and used a color-coded system to report the level of transmission on board the ships. 2022 RANKING: The Port of Galveston ranks among the top 50 cargo ports in the U.S. The CDC on Monday said it would "continue to publish guidance to help cruise ships continue to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers, crew and communities going forward." The agency recommended that travelers contact cruise lines directly about outbreaks on The decision to end the program comes as a new variant of COVID-19 is surging in Houston and other parts of the country. The color-coded system was established in July 2021, as the cruise industry was returning to business after a 15-month shutdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak. For more than a year, the industry was under a no-sail order, because federal officials judged the risk of COVID spreading in the close quarters of a cruise ship to be to great to be allowed. Some of the earliest major breakouts of COVID-19 were connected to cruise ships. No major outbreaks were ever connected to the Port of Galveston. However, at least one passenger died of COVID-19 after boarding a cruise ship without reporting her symptoms. Galveston also hosted a quarantine ship to hold infected crew members during the early days of the restart. Public reporting of COVID cases was initially required as a condition of the restart. The reporting program was made voluntary in January, although major cruise companies continued to report cases to the government. Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruises, the two cruise companies currently operating out of the Port of Galveston, still require most adults to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to board their vessels. Port of Galveston officials said they expected the further loosening of restrictions around cruises to lead to more people sailing out of Galveston. PHOTOS: Inside Royal Caribbean's $125M cruise terminal in Galveston Cruises out of Galveston haven't been run at fully capacity since the restart last summer, officials said. That began to change in May, according to a report given to the Port of Galveston's Wharves Board of Trustees in June. Through May 31, 127 cruises had sailed out of the Port of Galveston, carrying more than 673,000 passengers. The passenger count was about 50,000 passengers below what port trustees had forecasted at the beginning of the year, according to the report Galveston is Texas' only cruise port. Before the pandemic, the port raised most of its revenue from cruises and others cruise-related businesses, such as parking. In 2019, more than 1 million cruise passengers sailed out of the Port of Galveston. Just 225,000 people sailed out of the port before the 2020 shut down. About 565,000 people sailed out of Galveston in 2021. The port reported a net operating income of $12.2 million in 2019 and a net operating loss of $824,000 in 2020. The port generated about $3.3 million in operating income in 2021. john.ferguson@chron.com UPDATE: Houston and Harris County have expanded the eligibility for monkeypox vaccines to certain groups considered to be at higher risk of getting the virus. Call 832-927-0707 (Harris County) or 832-393-4220 (Houston) for more information. As monkeypox spreads in Houston and Texas, public health officials are reserving vaccines for people who have been exposed to a confirmed case. The city of Houston has distributed only about 140 shots for the virus so far, although it received 5,024 doses on Friday. The vaccines are in short supply nationwide and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has not yet recommended them for broader populations considered at risk of contracting the virus. The virus has spread predominantly among men who have sex with men, and people seeking the vaccine before an exposure have come up mostly empty-handed in Texas. Other cities, like New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have higher documented case counts and received larger vaccine shipments. They are offering shots to men who have sex with men and meet other criteria without the requirement for an exposure, although they still do not have enough doses to meet the demand. Each of those cities has administered thousands of vaccines. On HoustonChronicle.com: What is monkeypox and how is it spread? Things to know about the arrival of the disease in Houston. Mayor Sylvester Turners office said he has communicated the need for greater vaccine supplies with federal and state partners. Dr. David Persse, the citys health authority, said there is a chance Houston can broaden its criteria for who gets a shot now that a new shipment has arrived, but that will be up to the CDC. Were living by their rules at this point, Persse said. His counterpart at the county, Dr. Ericka Brown, said she does not think expanding the criteria is necessary yet in the unincorporated part of Harris County, given its low counts for lab-confirmed cases. There have been 25 in Houston and four in the rest of Harris County, although those numbers likely represent undercounts, according to Persse. Harris County will get about 30 percent of the vaccine shipment heading for Houston. Monkeypox is a virus endemic in West Africa, but it has been spreading unusually in Europe and America this year. The cases have been most prominent among men who have sex with men, and public health officials have emphasized that the risk to the broader public is low. Transmission usually requires prolonged skin-to-skin contact, although monkeypox also can spread through respiratory droplets in lengthy face-to-face contacts, or via materials such as bedsheets or blankets that have picked up the virus. Symptoms include a rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, head and muscle aches, and fatigue. The rash which often has presented around the genitals in recent cases usually begins within one to three days of a fever, although some only experience a rash. Some patients also have experienced debilitating pain, which has caused some hospitalizations in New York. The incubation window usually is within two weeks of exposure but can extend to three weeks. The disease rarely is fatal, according to the CDC. There also have been asymptomatic cases, but the current understanding is that people do not spread the virus unless they are symptomatic. You have to have a lesion to transmit the virus, said Dr. Satish Mocherla, an infectious disease expert at Legacy Community Health. Theoretically, it could transmit by droplets... but that has not been seen so far. Mostly, it has been skin-to-skin contact. Texas currently has 183 confirmed monkeypox cases, including 89 in the broader Dallas area and 51 in the Houston region. The virus has been more prevalent in New York City (639 cases), Los Angeles (120 cases) and Chicago (nearly 200). There have been no local hospitalizations, and no deaths nationwide. For gay and bisexual men in Houston, access to the vaccine before encountering a potentially painful and disruptive illness has been frustratingly elusive. Advocates also have complained about a lack of accessible information. The city has started pushing messages about the virus on social media and added it to its public health hotline, 832-393-4220. Harris County has its own monkeypox hotline, as well, at 832-927-0707. It is definitely upsetting that two-plus years into a public health crisis we already have missteps with a second one, said Austin Davis Ruiz, spokesman for the Montrose Center, which offers health and social services for Houstons LGBTQ community. It seems we should have learned something from the COVID pandemic, in terms of making tests accessible, getting vaccines out to the general public and spreading awareness. The primary monkeypox vaccine, known as Jynneos, is administered in two doses about a month apart. It can be used preemptively and also can help an individual avoid illness or limit symptoms if it is given within about four days of an exposure. Supplies are short nationwide. A second vaccine, ACAM2000, is in more ample supply but can cause more side effects. The federal government has been distributing Jynneos shots from the national stockpile, which Persse said was maintained in case of a smallpox attack. Texas has access to about 20,000 doses of the vaccine, about a quarter of which were reserved for Houston and Harris County. State health officials say they have enough to meet the current demand, but that only counts people who have had a known exposure to a confirmed case. Our case count is genuinely low, said Brown, the health authority for Harris County. Because Texas does not have a high case count, our need is not as high as other states. Persse said the current process requires an exposure to someone with a positive test in order to get a shot. Houston opened a mobile clinic on Fannin Street on July 10, near a location that had been visited by someone with an active infection. The unknown nature of the exposure in that case meant the city was able to offer vaccines more broadly then, and not just to people with confirmed encounters. There are no plans for another distribution of that kind, though. The city is reserving second doses for people who got their shots there. That was the only mobile clinic so far and future ones would be dependent on epidemiological need and vaccine availability, said Porfirio Villarreal, a spokesman for the citys Health Department. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Hundreds of thousands of bats living in a damaged Texas Department of Criminal Justice warehouse will get a little more time before their fate is decided. A temporary stay, if you will. Agency officials have agreed to pause their plans to demolish the remainder of the animals decrepit, brick home, which faces the unit where death row prisoners are executed. Residents rallied to the bats defense, concerned for the animals and themselves. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Workers drew attention to the issue earlier this year, when they started tearing down part of the building where they said no bats were living. They planned to destroy the rest after the migratory colony of Mexican free-tailed bats luxuriated for one last summer in their longtime home. BAT BACKGROUND: Texas wants to demolish an old warehouse. They just need to figure out what to do with 750,000 bats first. But organizers came to the flying mammals aid. Huntsville City Council Member Daiquiri Beebe helped start the Huntsville Bat Society, planning happy hours and protests. She wanted to avoid the scenario of homeless bats looking for new places to sleep in the city and troubling her constituents. She knew she had to show officials people cared. And there was Tommy Hoke, an engineering consultant, who parked his truck by the warehouse every Sunday when he went to church. He couldnt face the guilt of letting the bats home be torn down without doing something, so he dug into the research, contacted experts and started another Facebook group. Help! Save The Bats in Huntsville!! he called it, not wanting to lose time trying to dream up something more clever. Hoke thought they ought to build an artificial bat cave, perhaps at Huntsville State Park, where the bats could live. The state prison leadership in past years flubbed an effort to relocate the bats into eight massive bat houses put up on stilts across the street from the warehouse. Officials planned to re-work the alternate structures, but the stakes were high. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer More from Emily Foxhall: This old Texas warehouse, a summer home to 750,000 Mexican free-tailed bats, is being torn down Residents argued the bats needed protecting, as a tourist attraction and an environmental benefit. Bats spiraling out at dusk from under bridges in Austin and Houston draw a crowd. Why couldnt theirs? Beebe encouraged people to reach out to state Rep. Ernest Bailes. Then this week the bat fans heard the news they had won some time, for now. TDCJ in a statement Thursday said it planned to take time to involve community members and advocates in trying to develop a shared plan. The statement said there was no specific timetable, but we do know that the warehouse has significant structural issues and an equitable solution must be found before there is a total collapse. Emily Foxhall Beebe felt relieved. Hoke was thrilled to tell his kids about the extra time. He told them: It looks like weve really got a chance to do something here. emily.foxhall@chron.com twitter.com/emfoxhall The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board has delayed a meeting to discuss firing its police chief, Pete Arredondo. The board was to consider firing him at a special meeting Saturday, but the district said Friday it was canceled at the request of Arredondos attorney. The district placed Arredondo on leave in June after Texas Department of Public Safety director Steven McCraw blamed him for the slow and chaotic law enforcement response to the May 24 shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. In conformity with due process requirements, and at the request of his attorney, the meeting to consider the termination of Chief Arredondo will be held at a later date which has yet to be determined, the districts communication director, Anne Marie Espinoza, wrote in email. ANGRY CONFRONTATION: Uvalde shooter's mom caught in heated exchange with victim's family Arredondos attorney and Espinoza did not return phone calls on Friday afternoon, but the delay contained the first suggestion that Arredondo or his lawyer planned to attend a hearing on Superintendent Hal Harrells recommendation that the chief be fired. Such a hearing had been on Saturdays agenda. The email also contained the first mention by the district that Arredondo was not being paid while on administrative leave. School officials have declined to comment any aspect of his employment status and have been hammered for weeks by an angry public with demands that the chief be fired. Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press As the incident commander at the scene, Arredondo waited for more than an hour, McCraw said, to get more equipment and a key, before Border Patrol agents finally entered a pair of classrooms to confront and kill the gunman, Salvador Ramos, 18. A House committee report released Sunday also faulted the commanders of other police agencies who had officers at the scene, and painted a picture of a school district that did not take security seriously, leaving exterior doors to Robb Elementary unlocked. In response, the city of Uvalde, the DPS and the Border Patrol said they would review the actions of their officers and leadership at the scene. The Texas Education Agency said this week, however, that it is not investigating the school district. The release of the report, and videos showing hundreds of officers milling in school hallways while victims were still dying and children and another teacher lay wounded or playing dead under the gaze of the gunman, infuriated local residents. Most recently, at a board meeting earlier this week, scores of residents doubled down on the school district, demanding that the superintendent, the Robb Elementary principal and the districts communications director all lose their jobs. Fierce Madres, a group of mothers in the community advocating for justice for the children who died, later said waiting for Saturdays scheduled meeting for a possible dismissal of Arredondo would give him too much time to resign. They hoped for more swift action to fire him and want criminal charges brought against him, said Angela Villescaz, the organizations founder. On Friday, Villescaz said she was pleased to hear Arredondo wont be getting paid. claire.bryan@express-news.net A fiery exchange between family members of one of the children killed in the Uvalde mass shooting and the gunman's mother was captured on video by Telemundo. According to reports, the Spanish-language TV station caught the encounter after a community meeting in Uvalde on Tuesday night. The video shows the gunman's mother, Adriana Martinez, crossing paths with the family of 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, one of the 19 children who were killed in the May 24 massacre. UVALDE REPORT: Acting police chief placed on leave after report shows 'lackadaisical' response to Uvalde massacre According to Telemundo, Martinez was walking down a road when a black SUV with family members of Amerie's inside pulled up alongside her. They then exit the vehicle and confront her. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer The individuals could be heard asking Martinez for what reasons her son had to kill the children and two teachers. "You're the last person to judge me," Martinez shouted to the group as she called 911. "'Im sorry. You have no right to judge my son! No, you don't. No, you don't! No! May God forgive, y'all." In an interview shortly after the shooting, Martinez told Spanish-language outlet Televisa that her son had his reasons for carrying out the mass shooting. During the confrontation on Tuesday, she said her son "was a coward." "You dont think I dont know that? I know," she could be heard saying. "You dont think Im carrying all that with me? ... I know, and Im sorry. Amerie's family told Martinez that she shared just as much blame as her son for his actions on that day. "He killed 21 people because he was pissed off at you? Because you destroyed him? What reason did he have?" one woman could be heard yelling in the Telemundo video. Billy Calzada, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Another woman in the group told Martinez it was her fault for not calling the police despite knowing her son had mental health issues and had purchased the weapons. Shes not innocent. She raised him like that. She knew how he was. She knew he had guns. Shes not innocent, Amerie's grandmother Dana Mendiola told Telemundo in Spanish. A SOBERING NUMBER: 376 officers were on the scene in Uvalde as they waited to confront gunman For several minutes, the grieving family follows Martinez down the street, intensifying the screaming as Martinez walks away crying, and saying, "I'm sorry." Soon after, Uvalde police show up and escort Martinez away from the area. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A hundred people waited in their cars along Elgin Street in Third Ward to graciously accept a free tank of gas from none other than Houston rap icon Trae Tha Truth on Friday. The gas giveaway was part of Trae Day Weekend, the rapper's annual citywide celebration and philanthropy weekend that includes celebrity sports games, community service projects and back-to-school giveaways. MORE: Which rappers mention Houston most in their lyrics? Here's what the data shows. The free gas giveaway started at noon. Trae partnered with the owner of the Chevron gas station and other community organizations to pump $50 worth of gas into 100 participants' gas tanks. "I'm always about giving back to the community," Trae told the Chronicle. "Right now, times are hard and it's only right for us to do something that is really going to count for them." Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Unleaded gas cost $3.99 a gallon while the community organizers and Trae's entourage pumped gas. The owner of the gas station, Jeff Ali, said participants could get any type of gas they wanted. Ali inherited the store from his dad, who ran it for almost 40 years. Ali has also known Trae for about 15 years, he said, and this is the second year in a row they have done the gas giveaway. Last year, when gas was cheaper, they gave away gas to almost 300 cars. "It started last year but I think it's something I want to turn into a tradition," Ali said. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Angela Ervin, with a car full of kids, was one of the first people in line to get gas. "Man, this is a blessing," Ervin said. "I've always said that if I came into money, my thing would be to help people that are less fortunate. This came right on time for me." After the gas giveaway, Trae is going to give away ice cream and water to people experiencing homelessness at the corner of Chartres and Congress. For more information on Trae Day events, go to angelbynature.com. ryan.nickerson@houstonchronicle.com While Democrat Beto ORourke campaigns through West Texas trying to make inroads into traditionally conservative cities like Lubbock and Amarillo, Gov. Greg Abbott is providing a little counterprogramming. At almost the same time ORourke was at a rally in Lubbock telling a crowd of 1,000 people that Abbott was neglecting them, Abbott called television station KLBK to do an exclusive interview with the anchors where he vowed to be back in Lubbock often. IN-DEPTH: Democrats gain steam in Texas, Florida, Georgia governors races despite red wave forecasts Im in West Texas a lot myself, Abbott told anchors Matt Tell and Terri Furman on Thursday night. Youre going to see a whole lot of me between now and the election time. Just a few miles from the television station, ORourke was at a rally blasting Abbott for ignoring the needs of Lubbock and the surrounding areas. ORourke blamed Abbott for increasing energy bills, property taxes the closure of rural hospitals in the region. This guy has left you high and dry, ORourke said. Hes taking you for granted. He thinks your votes are in the bank. Abbott reminded the TV anchors that he was just in Amarillo for the opening of a new Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine. Abbott has also touted his efforts last year to bring Leprino Foods Co. to Lubbock, creating 600 jobs in the region. The early skirmish between the candidates comes with Election Day in less than four months, and the first mail-in voting starting in two months. Abbott is seeking a third term as governor. ORourke, a former congressman from El Paso, is seeking to become the first Democratic governor in Texas since 1994. ORourke is at the start of a 49-day tour of the state, spending the first four days in West Texas. ORourke has a tough sell in Lubbock, where Abbott won 68 percent of the vote in 2018 during his last re-election campaign. But some in the crowd said the mood in Texas has their side fired up, even in rural areas, and attracting more interest than usual for a midterm election. People are so hungry for change, said Rose Wilson, a 94-year-old Democrat from Lubbock, who said ORourkes visit to the region shows he is listening to everyone in Texas. jeremy.wallace@chron.com WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 1107 PM PDT Thu Jul 21 2022 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FRIDAY... * WHAT...High risk of heat related illness for much of the general population in the Las Vegas Valley and Pahrump. Very high risk of heat illness expected for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Colorado River Valley. * WHERE...In Nevada, lower elevations of Clark County and Southern Nye County including Las Vegas, Boulder City, Indian Springs, Pahrump, and Searchlight. In California, Cadiz Basin including Vidal Junction. In Arizona, Bullhead City, Kingman, Mohave Valley, Dolan Springs, Golden Valley, and Wikieup. * WHEN...Through 8 PM Friday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows will struggle to fall below 85 degrees. This, compounded with above-average afternoon temperatures will pose a significant risk for heat- related illness. 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 21, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 312 PM EDT Thu Jul 21 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 100. * WHERE...Portions of northern Connecticut, central, eastern, northeastern, southeastern and western Massachusetts and northern and southern Rhode Island. * WHEN...Until 8 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. CT . CONNECTICUT COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE FAIRFIELD HARTFORD LITCHFIELD MIDDLESEX NEW HAVEN NEW LONDON TOLLAND WINDHAM _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather 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. 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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. About This Property RESORT PROPERTY ... Opulent ... One with NatureClothing optional ... Covered front porch .. enjoy the rocking chairs or the swing with summer breeze and ice cold drink Architect Designed ... pristine 2010 Log Home showcases the finest craftsmanship and materials.... radiant (floor) heating on all levels. 3,250 sqft incl unfinished basement originally designed as x-tra bedroom/ huge family room with radiant heat and French doors to Bluestone Patio (owner decided to remove French doors and house his collectable vintage auto). Great Room w/25' high ceilings opens to oversized loft designed to have been second master bedroom ... Chef's kitchen w/ bar center island , vegetable sink and preparation area ... formal dining area.... amazing spacious walk in pantry ... Guest Land Details Community Details Acres Apx: 5.00 Parking Type: Garaged & Off-Street Region: Outside Berkshire New York Elem School: Taconic Hills High School: Taconic Hills Exterior Details Interior Details Color: natural log Style: Log Construction: Log Exterior: Log Water: Well Sewer: Private Underground Oil Tank: No Views: Pastoral Garage: Heated,Insulated,Under Total Rooms: 7 Total Full Baths: 2 Fuel: Propane Hot Water: Propane Electric: 200 Amp,Circuit Breaker Floor: Wood Lead Paint: No Heat/Cool: Hot Water,Radiant Appliances Incl: Cooktop,Dishwasher,Dryer,Energy Star Rated Dishwasher,Energy Star Rated Dryer,Energy Star Rated Refrigerator,Energy Star Rated Stove/Oven,Energy Star Rated Washer,Microwave,Range Hood,Range/Stove,Refrigerator,Washer Search More Properties With these Features Deciduous Shade Trees Deck Exterior Lighting Hot Tub Outdoor Landscaped Porch Cable Avail Granite Counter High Speed Wiring Skylight(s) Vaulted Ceilings Williamstown DIRE Committee Members Question Review of Its Purpose WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Members of the town's diversity committee Monday pushed back against an effort by the Select Board to evaluate and, perhaps, recast the scope of work for the 2-year-old advisory committee. Select Board Chair Hugh Daley began that effort with a joint meeting of his board with the Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee on June 23 with an agenda that included, "Discussion of DIRE Committee purpose, process, personnel and performance." "We are trying to make progress on the issues confronted by the DIRE Committee," Daley said in introducing the topic at the June 23 joint meeting. "In my belief, one way to frame that is we first need to determine our purpose. We need to determine, 'What are we going to do?' Then we've got to say, 'How are we going to do it?' And then we should say, 'Who should do it?' "It's a distilling process that brings us to, hopefully, a place where we can have what I call concrete, material benefits for the people of Williamstown." Daley characterized that session as the first of "many meetings" and, in subsequent discussions, has expressed a hesitancy to appoint applicants to fill vacant seats on the DIRE Committee until that "distilling process" plays out. In its first meeting since the joint session with the Select Board, the DIRE Committee discussed its members' thoughts about a potential reset for the panel. "I just didn't know what was going on with this meeting," Shana Dixon said of the joint session. "I felt like it was trying to pull apart something that I didn't feel was broken. I just feel like it could have been more organized, and I didn't have to be there because somebody already had a dialogue of what they wanted to hear and what they were giving out. "I felt it was a very one-sided meeting. I just felt it was a waste of my time, to be frank about it." Dixon attended the June 23 meeting along with DIRE Committee members Andi Bryant and Andrew Art. Randal Fippinger, who fills the Select Board seat on the DIRE Committee, also attended along with three other members of the Select Board: Daley, Andrew Hogeland and Jeffrey Johnson, who served on the first iteration of the DIRE Committee. Art concurred with Dixon's assessment. "An assertion was made [at the June 23 meeting] that the role of DIRE or the charge of DIRE was somehow unclear," Art said. "I don't find the charge to DIRE unclear. It's a written document . It provides specific actions for DIRE, which is to make specific, actionable recommendations to the town after hearing from a broad array of groups and people. "I see the charge to DIRE as very clear. It's written out. The scope of the issues is somewhat non-defined, but the charge itself, what it is we're supposed to produce is, to me, clear." Several people at Monday's meeting said they felt the diversity panel was being singled out in a manner that does not apply to other town boards and committees. Resident Janice Loux, a frequent participant in DIRE Committee meetings from the floor, called the Select Board's current review "suspect." "Why is the DIRE Committee the only one being subjected to this kind of review?" Loux asked. "Why is the addition of new members scrutinized in the way it is, and people from other committees are automatically renewed year after year? Some have been renewed for 20 years. "I find the whole thing problematic. The DIRE Committee moved difficult questions forward in this town, and now it seems we're going to start moving backward on it." According to Dixon, Monday was not the first time a community member on the outside of the process has questioned the review. "One thing that happened during the joint meeting was I got some messages from Facebook and other formats basically saying, 'Why question the DIRE Committee, and I never see this done to other committees?' " Dixon said. "People in the community are wondering why we were picked apart trying to figure out how to fix something that wasn't broken. That wasn't just my thought. I also got community input during the meeting." Several of the committees appointed by the Select Board, including the Zoning Board of Appeals, Community Preservation Committee and Affordable Housing Trust, have duties and powers that are defined in Massachusetts General Law. The Select Board created the DIRE Committee in the summer of 2020 as an advisory committee to the Select Board. Art recognized that the Select Board has the prerogative to change the scope of work for an advisory panel it created. But he expressed concern that some sort of change was pre-determined before the June 23 meeting. "It's the Select Board's purview to change the charge of DIRE if they want to do that," Art said. "But there was this elaborate process [defined at the June 23 meeting] to get to where they already knew they wanted to go." Dixon picked up on that point. "When you sit down to do this Power Point that asks all these questions, and you already have all the answers, why the hell am I there?" she said. "So you can tell me what the answer is already? Or are you really asking me the question? Because there's a distinct difference." DIRE co-Chair Noah Smalls, who was unable to attend the June 23 meeting, expressed his own concerns about the process that began that night. "I wonder how the Select Board is evaluating the input coming in," Smalls said. "What were the questions going out and to who? The way those questions are worded and how they're presented greatly impacts the responses and what the data ends up being. I wonder if that part of the process couldn't be more collaborative with the DIRE Committee. "My second point is that DIRE, from what I can see, exists to fill a void that is not being met by any of the town committees, specifically the Select Board. And that is kind of a historical thing that's been present. It didn't just become a thing that was present in 2020, but it's a thing. And it's a thing nationally that continues to need to be dealt with." The committee Monday did not decide on any next steps or whether or how it would continue to engage the Select Board on the process that began last month. It did decide to take steps to inform and get to know Town Manager Robert Menicocci, who began his service to the town on July 1. Art suggested, and his colleagues agreed, that a delegation from the DIRE Committee should meet with Menicocci to bring him up to speed on the committee's activities and its past recommendations to town government. After that meeting, Art suggested that Menicocci should be invited to brief the committee. "To hear his view of the third-party, independent reviews done of both the Police Department and the policies and procedures of the town," Art said. "To hear what his takeaways are from those deliverables prepared by outside advisors and to hear what his priorities are in terms of implementing any follow-up actions to either of those initiatives." In other business, Fippinger volunteered to help coordinate a conversation between Menicocci and the Mount Greylock Regional School's Gender Sexuality Alliance about a public art project that the student group has proposed. Williamstown DIRE Committee Charge by iBerkshires.com on Scribd Adams Government Review Committee Debates Town Meeting, Finance Committee ADAMS, Mass. The General Government Review Committee officially began its review of the town's charter on Wednesday, as members debated the structure of the annual town meeting and the Finance Committee. Community Paradigm Associates consultant Bernard Lynch led the group through discussions after showing a work plan at the committee's last meeting. When discussing town meeting, the group debated the number of town meeting members, the merit of representative town meeting, precincts and the length of the moderator's term. The group at large was generally unsure how many members town meeting should have. Currently, there are 10 vacancies among the 150 available seats, and several more were vacant before the May town election. Committee member Virginia Duval said Adams has a similar number of registered voters as when representative town meeting began in Adams in 1937, at around 6,200. She said if they lower the number of town meeting members, it should not be by many. "Probably of all the topics that are on here, this is the one I feel strongest about ... I think an issue that we should look at is communicating to people that there's openings," she said. Member Leah Thompson thinks there would be more competition for town meeting seats if there were fewer available. "I guess I'm interested to know what a healthy, functioning town meeting looks like," she said. "Is it one that changes? One that young people become a part of?" Duval also noted language in the charter that references a chair of a precinct, who would be responsible, she said, for filling town meeting member vacancies and ensuring members attend. She and others on the committee said having a chair and precinct meetings could help town meeting participation. "That's something that I think, generally speaking, no one knows about," she said. "And so I think, if it's going to remain there, then we ought to communicate it to people, and we ought to do it." The committee also discussed whether the town should even continue with representative town meeting. Lynch said representative town meeting is becoming increasingly uncommon in the state. "The last town to move to a representative town meeting was the town of Chelmsford, where I was when it happened in 1989 with their charter," he said. "Since then, no community has gone to representative town meeting." The group created a list of benefits of representative town meeting compared to an open town meeting, and were largely in favor of keeping it. Committee member George Haddad said an open town meeting risks a small group of people having too much power. "A well organized group could be in the minority but could be very powerful in an open town meeting," he said. "And could drive the issue, that maybe the entire town is not in favor of, and it's going to get passed." Chair Donald Sommer said those who want an open town meeting could also become town meeting members if they want to get involved with the town. The group was also generally favorable to having more than just one annual town meeting. Town Administrator Jay Green said multiple town meetings could help town employees more easily plan throughout the year. On the Finance Committee, most of the group felt it was too big and should be smaller. Adams is one of only a few communities in the state with a finance committee of its size. Finance Committee Chair and committee member Carol Cushenette said, despite the committee working well recently, she feels there are too many members. "It's hard to get all 15 of them all the time ... We have a really pretty good Finance Committee right now," she said. "The composition of the Finance Committee, I think, is good. It's a really good blend of young and older people that have been there and some newer people. If it wasn't that, it's hard to get 15 interested, engaged people." Lynch noted that none of these discussions are final and the group can and likely will have to continue debating some topics at future meetings. "Again, nothing is carved in stone," he said. "We can always revisit this if we decide." SVHC announced the organization had reached $24 million of its $25 million goal at a press conference on Thursday. SVHC Asks for Community Help Reaching $25 Million Vision 2020 Goal BENNINGTON, Vt. Southwestern Vermont Health Care has officially raised $24 million as part of its $25 million goal for its Vision 2020 campaign, with plans to fund the last $1 million with community help. "We are asking the members of our community to lend their support to invest in a new generation of care. The goal is $1 million, and we hope to raise this amount in 6 months," said David Newell, co-chair of the Vision 2020 Public Phase Committee. "Were on the cusp of a new and exciting future for the hospital and everyone in the tri-state area who turns to SVHC for care." The announcement came at a press conference on Thursday. Money raised for the campaign will go toward the new Kendall Emergency Department, which will be double the size of the current space, and the Hoyt-Hunter Cancer Center, which will have double the number of exam and infusion rooms. SVHC President and CEO Thomas A. Dee said the current Emergency Department, the oldest such facility in the state, is taking on double the number of patients each year as was intended. "Our region requires modernized facilities to support the top notch care our exceptional clinicians provide," he said . "The improvements we are making will have a positive impact on the lives of each person in the community and continue to for generations. We are forever grateful for everyones support." Andrew King, the other co-chair of the Vision 2020 Public Phase Committee, spoke to the importance of community contributions, no matter the size. "Every dollar makes a difference. No donation is too small," he said. "The most important thing is to do what you can to help us build a hospital that keeps pace with the care needs of everyone growing families, aging adults, our sickest, our most vulnerable All of us." Funding up to this point has primarily come from donations over the last four years, including nearly 300 gifts from private donations and grants. "We would not be at this stage of the campaign without the generous support of Nancy and Don Kendall, the Hunter Family, the Hoyt Family, Pamela and Richard Ader, Jackie and Tony Marro, Lucinda Thomson and many more members of our regional community and SVHC volunteer leaders," said Tommy Harmon, trustee and chair of the foundation's Vision 2020 Steering Committee. "We are deeply indebted to all of our donors for their faith in our organization and their ability to see the need for facilities that match our clinicians uncompromising level of care they provide to our patients." For more information, visit svhealthcare.org/Vision2020. Taliban officials threatened and forced Australian journalist Lynne ODonnell to publicly retract several articles during the journalists visit to Afghanistan on July 19. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the harassment of the journalist and urges the Taliban regime to immediately cease their attacks on media freedoms. Australian Journalist Lynne O'Donnell was arrested by the Taliban and forced to publicly retract some of her reports about Afghanistan. Credit: Lynne O'Donnell's Newsletter. Australian journalist Lynne ODonnell arrived in Afghanistan on July 16 for a week long reporting trip and on July 17, Taliban intelligence agents summoned the journalist for questioning by the General Directorate of Intelligence. Reporting in Afghanistan for about two decades, ODonnell was the former bureau chief in Kabul for The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, and is currently a columnist for Foreign Policy magazine. Taliban intelligence agents detained ODonnell for four hours on July 19, claiming that she had broken laws and offended Afghan culture in three to four articles published in 2021. The articles included accusations of Taliban officials forcefully marrying teenage girls and using them as sex slaves and reports about LGBTQ+ people in Afghanistan. The journalist was threatened with prison and forced to post a public retraction of the articles on Twitter. This was a premediated attempt at character assassination and afront to Afghan culture , ODonnells forced Twitter post read. These stories were written without any solid proof or basis. ODonnell was ordered to reveal her sources and all their details as well as any notes, photos, video recordings, and video. The journalist also said she was made to record a video stating that she had not been coerced. Tweet an apology or go to jail, said Taliban intelligence. Whatever it takes: They dictated. I tweeted, ODonnell said. Taliban Foreign Minister Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that the journalist was denied permission to report in the country due to her support for armed resistance against the regime and falsification of reports. After being released by Taliban agents, ODonnell left Afghanistan for Pakistan on July 20. The IFJ said: Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan media has experienced an onslaught of media rights violations including, arbitrary arrests, draconian laws and harassment. This is a clear example of the violation of journalists' rights that are taking place in hundreds of cases in Afghanistan. The IFJ condemns the harassment of journalist Lynne ODonnell and calls for the Taliban to immediately halt the intimidation and attacks on foreign and local media workers. Three men attempted to intimidate a journalist at his house in Tamiang Layang, Central Kalimantan, on July 17, allegedly for his coverage of sexual harassment by a local official. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia, to condemn the intimidation of the journalist and demand the authorities conduct an investigation. A protester holds a sign to raise awareness of the importance of the safety of journalists in Indonesia. Credit: AJI Indonesia On July 17, three men visited the residence of Agustinus Bole Malo, a journalist for local online media Borneonews.com. According to Agustinus wife, they looked through the windows and attempted to find the journalist, before leaving upon determining he was not at home. Agustinus had recently published several articles regarding the sexual harassment of a female university student allegedly by the head of the Social Department for Empowering Villagers in East Barito, when the student applied for financial assistance under the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP) program. Agustinus has filed a report on the intimidation of his family to the sub-district police of East Barito. Many local journalists in Indonesia have faced intimidation and harassment while in the field or following their coverage, from a range of perpetrators including the public order agency (Satpol PP), police, local agency officers and other individuals. Since the beginning of June, the IFJ has documented at least five incidents of harassment against journalists in Indonesia. On June 29, local journalists Adhe Junaedi Sholat, associated with Radar Sulbar, and Abdul Rahman, a reporter for Tribunsulbar.com, were harassed while covering the coordination meeting of the taskforce agrarian reform in Mamuju, West Sulawesi. AJI said: AJI condemns the intimidation against Agustinus. All parties must remember that journalists work for public interests and must respect journalistic works and press freedom. AJI also urges local authorities to investigate the terror against journalists thoroughly. The IFJ said: Journalists and media workers in Indonesia must be able to report safely and securely, without fear of harassment. The IFJ calls on the local authorities to bring the perpetrators behind the intimidation of journalist Agustinus Bole Malo to justice." Sri Lankan security forces carried out a violent raid on the Galle Face protest site in Colombo on July 22, attacking and detaining journalists and unarmed protestors. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Sri Lankan affiliates, the Free Media Movement (FMM), the Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions (FMETU) and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), strongly condemn the brutal attacks on the media and call on the new Sri Lankan government to end its assault on press freedom. Police special task force personnel stand guard as demonstrators take part in a protest march against Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe towards the Presidential secretariat office, in Colombo on July 22, 2022. Credit: Arun Sankar / AFP In the early morning of July 22, thousands of military and police personnel entered the Gota Go Gama protest site at Galle Face, equipped with riot gear. According to St John Ambulance volunteers at the site, more than 50 people were injured, with three sent to hospital after the attack. Three Xposure journalists, Rasika Gunawardena, Sabir Mohammed and Chaturanga Pradeep Kumara, were obstructed from entering the area to report by a group of Air Force officers on guard near the Kollupitiya intersection. The soldiers struck Gunawardena on the head with a club and attempted to forcibly remove Mohammed's phone. Despite stating their identities and asking the officers not to interfere with their work as journalists, they continued to be beaten with sticks. In a separate incident, video journalist Chaturanga Pradeep Kumar was arrested by another group of officers, with his whereabouts currently unknown. According to the FMM, Kasun Kumarage, of the Sri Lanka Press Institute, and BBC journalist Jareen Samuel were also arrested and attacked respectively. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka issued a statement condemning the use of force against protestors and journalists and called for an immediate inquiry into the incidents. On July 20, Sri Lankas former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected by legislators as Sri Lankas new president, after beleaguered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced his resignation on July 11. The resignation followed the storming of the presidential residence in Colombo by protestors on July 9. Dinesh Gunawardena, an ally of the Rajapaksa political family and a former schoolmate of Wickremesinghe, was appointed as Sri Lankas prime minister. The South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) called for the protection of the media under the new government, expressing grave concern at the imposition of a state of emergency on July 18, which could pave the way for a serious curbing of fundamental freedoms, including Freedom of Expression. Since the mass anti-government protests began on April 9, the government has heavily suppressed the media and several media workers have been harassed, including the physical assault of at least eight journalists on July 9. The FMM said: FMM strongly deplores these heinous acts of violence and demands the authorities to release those arrested unlawfully. Such brutal attacks on journalists and protestors are a violation of the peoples right to information and to protest. The essence of media freedom is the peoples right to information. The FMETU said: FMETU strongly condemns the horrible attack by thousands of armed security forces on the peaceful protestors who were staying at the Galle Face struggle ground the last night. FMETU appeals to national and international media organizations, trade union movements, and civil society to intervene immediately to stop these undemocratic actions of the new president of Sri Lanka and government and to establish democracy in the country. The SLWJA said: SLWJA strongly insist that we do all possible intervention nationally and internationally against this suppression of the media by the government and not to touch the right of the people to know information. The IFJ said: The violent and unprovoked attacks against journalists and protestors at the Galle Face site are abhorrent breaches of democracy and press freedom. The human rights violations committed on the first day of Ranil Wickremesinghes presidency set a dangerous precedent for Sri Lankas social and political stability under the new government, with a blatant disregard for the media and the right to freedom of expression. The IFJ calls for an immediate investigation into the attacks so that those responsible can be held accountable. At around 3.28 PM, Jammu and Kashmir Bank was trading at Rs28.60 up by Rs0.55 or 1.96% from its previous closing of Rs28.05 on the BSE. EbixCash appoints the Jammu & Kashmir Bank's entire 1,000-branch network as a sub-agent to facilitate international remittance services for its Ria Money transfer business. EbixCash is a tech-enabled digital provider in the B2C, B2B, and financial technology arenas.The company intends to roll out the Money Transfer functionality on August 15, 2022, coinciding with Indias 75th Independence Day celebrations.Ria Money Transfer, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide, Inc., is the world's second-largest consumer remittance company. EbixCash, a subsidiary of Ebix, Inc., is the market leader in India for international remittances on the basis of gross transactional value. With 851 branches in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, J&K Bank is the largest bank in the Kashmir, Jammu, and Ladakh regions.The J&K Bank and EbixCash signed the agreement on July 20, 2022, at a formal ceremony in Srinagar, Kashmir.T.C. Guruprasad, Director EbixCash, Syed Rais Maqbool, General Manager - J&K Bank, and Emil Ruban, Ria Financials Managing Director & Country Manager of Indian Operations, graced the ceremony with their presence."This collaboration of J&K Bank - a dominant, strategic player in the region - with a premier market player like EbixCash will go a long way in helping Non-Resident Indians of J&K descent - especially those based in Gulf countries, US, Europe, and Canada; to send remittances to their loved ones in J&K and Ladakh region," said J&K Bank General Manager Syed Rais Maqbool.EbixCash is a subsidiary of Ebix, Inc., with a "phygital" strategy that combines over 650,000 physical agent distribution outlets throughout India and Southeast Asia as of December 31, 2021. It has an Omni-channel online digital platform that has products and services ranging from pre-paid gift cards, domestic and international money remittance, foreign exchange (Forex), travel services, utility payments, and technologies across insurance, bus information systems, lending, and wealth management in over 75 countries. Sharika Enterprises Limited has signed a Consultancy Service Agreement with LS Cable & System, South Korea for promoting and offering New Cable technologies and solutions - HVDC Cable to Indian Customers.LS Cable & System Ltd. Korea, one of the leading global manufacturer of Cable & accessories up to 500KV Voltage grade. As a part of this agreement, LSCNS has secured HVDC underground Cable for establishment of +320KV, 1X1000 MW VSC based HVDC Scheme in Mumbai of Adani Electricity Mumbai Infra Limited (AEMIL). The company will provide support in various stages of project deliverables that includes Marketing & Promotion, Project management & coordination, HVDC Power system solution, Subcontract works. It further added, "For major bulk Power Evacuation & Transmission projects in India, the scope of this agreement will move further to more similar business opportunities in near time as it is not only limited to this project. Depending upon the progress of such projects in India, this agreement is expected to generate consultancy revenue to the time of Rs3-4 crore per annum over a period of next 3-5 years. At around 11:22 AM, Sharika Enterprises was trading at Rs11.51 per share higher by 9.93% on the BSE. Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda is all set to be seen in a never-seen-before avatar in the upcoming movie 'Swatantra Veer Savarkar'. The actor was spotted at the grand premiere of Russo Brothers' film The Gray Man, which stars Hollywood actors Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Indian actor Dhanush in the lead roles. At the premiere of Dhanush's latest movie, Sarabjit actor Randeep Hooda spoke about his transformation journey for his upcoming biopic Swatantra Veer Savarkar. The actor said that he has lost fifteen kilos and is working towards shedding ten more from his body to get into the skin of the main character for the upcoming biopic 'Swatantra Veer Savarkar'. Web Screen Grab "I have lost 14-16 kilos till now for Veer Savarkar and I am planning to lose 10 more kilos for the same," Randeep said. Reports suggest that during the event, the actor met producers Russo Brothers, who collaborated with him in his debut Hollywood movie 'Extraction' featuring Chris Hemsworth in 2020. He also reunited with his 'Kick' co-star Jacqueline Fernandes and Dhanush at the red carpet event. Sharing a picture of himself with the Russo Brothers' from the event, Randeep Hooda posted on Instagram, "Lovely meeting @therussobrothers and @dhanushkraja last night .. heres wishing them a thumping success for the adrenaline pumping #TheGrayMan .. catch it !!" Speaking of Russo Brothers' latest film The Gray Man, Randeep Hooda said that he found the trailer quite fantastic. "The trailer of 'The Gray Man' was fantastic and I am sure the Russo's have made a great film. I have always had admiration for their work and I am really looking forward to it," the 45-year-old Bollywood actor said. Meanwhile, Randeep Hooda starrer Swatantra Veer Savarkar is being helmed by Mahesh Manjrekar, who is known to have directed the critically acclaimed 1999 movie Vaastav: The Reality. The film Swatantra Veer Savarkar focuses on Savarkar, who is called a freedom fighter by many but criticised for his communal ideology. In real life Savarkar was also arrested in connection with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. However, as no evidence was found against him, Savarkar was acquitted in the case. (For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.) Alarm bells are ringing for Indonesia, its neighbours in Southeast Asia, and Australia as thousands of cattle in that region are covered in blisters from the extremely contagious foot-and-mouth disease. The virus discovered in two provinces in May has now affected thousands of animals in numerous provinces, including Bali, a well-known tourist destination. theindiansun Indonesia is currently taking action to stop the disease's spread. Australia has provided help in an effort to keep the disease and its negative economic and environmental effects from spreading beyond its borders. The virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease affects pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, and other animals with cloven hooves. The illness can make animals ill with fever, decreased appetite, excessive drooling, blisters, and other signs, while fatality rates are normally low. NCA The illness was once widespread, but it has now disappeared from parts of western Europe and North America. Although there have been frequent outbreaks in other parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Thailand, Indonesia had been clear of the disease since 1986. Although the current outbreak is mostly affecting dairy and beef cattle, it is possible that it will spread to other susceptible species. The virus can swiftly infect entire herds and spreads easily through contact and airborne transmission. People can transfer the disease through objects such as footwear, clothing, tyres from vehicles, farming equipment, and more that have come into touch with the virus. According to Michael Ward, chair of the Veterinary Public Health & Food Safety at the University of Sydney, humans can potentially carry the virus in their noses for brief periods of time and infect animals. However, this is thought to be extremely rare. The virus can also be carried and spread by animal products like meat and hides as well as by feed for livestock. By the first week of July, the foot-and-mouth disease had infected more than 300,000 animals in Indonesia. Why is it a cause of concern? The virus can be extremely challenging to eradicate once an outbreak occurs because of how quickly it is propagated. Sick animals restrict people's access to food in less developed nations. The disease has an impact on the livestock trade and allied industries in middle-income and affluent countries. One study noted the harm to governments and farmers, estimating that foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks can cost billions of dollars. AFP Australia has voiced special concern about the spread from Indonesia because it is now free of foot and mouth disease. There have been documented occurrences of the illness on the famed Australian tourist destination of Bali. The disease cannot be spread to humans. Hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is brought on by a separate virus and primarily affects young children, is sometimes mistaken for foot-and-mouth disease. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, humans cannot contract animal diseases and vice-versa. What actions are being taken to control the outbreak? In order to stop the outbreak, Indonesia is using animal testing, vaccination, treatment, and conditional slaughter. The Ministry of Agriculture began a livestock vaccination programme in the middle of June, giving priority to doses for healthy animals at high risk of contracting an infection, such as those at crowded locations like livestock breeding facilities, neighbourhood dairy farms, cooperative dairy farms, and farms for beef cattle. skynews The Indonesian government's response to the latest outbreak has received financial and vaccination support from the Australian government. The immunisation initiative will probably concentrate on aiding small-holder agriculture, which makes up 90% of Indonesia's livestock business. In Australia, the government made the announcement that it will place disinfectant mats at airports to collect possibly contaminated soil from travellers' shoes. Added biosecurity measures, such as sniffer dogs, were also promised by government representatives for people returning from abroad. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Over 13 lakh vehicles, including 8,64,557 two- wheelers and 4,67,311 passenger cars were recalled in 2021-22 in the country due to safety defects, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari informed the house that vehicle recalls in India rose to a three-year high in the previous financial year. BCCL Vehicles recalled due to safety issues While more than 3.39 lakh vehicles (two-wheelers and passenger cars) were recalled in 2020-21, the number of vehicles recalled in 2019-20 stood at 2.14 lakh, he said. In the current financial year, he said that 1,60,025 two-wheelers and 25,142 passenger cars were recalled till July 15. The minister pointed out that Section 110 A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is related to the recall of motor vehicles. "It empowers the central government to direct a manufacturer to recall motor vehicles of a particular type or its variants, if a defect in that particular type of motor vehicle may cause harm to the environment or to the driver or occupants of such motor vehicle or other road users," he added. Global NCAP New star rating for vehicles Last month, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification that sets regulations for Bharat New Car Assessment Programme under which star ratings will be issued for automobiles based on their level of protection. Bharat New Car Assessment Programme rating will provide consumers with an indication of the level of protection offered to occupants by evaluating the vehicle in the areas of (a) Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) (b) Child Occupant Protection (COP) and (c) Safety Assist Technologies (SAT). The vehicle shall be assigned a star rating from one to five stars, based on scoring against various tests undertaken as per the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. What is Bharat New Car Assessment Programme The new rule is applicable on Type Approved motor vehicles of category M1 [motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver's seat] with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 Tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country, in accordance with the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-197, as amended from time to time. Global NCAP "The standard is aligned with global benchmarks: it is beyond minimum regulatory requirements," the ministry said. The testing of vehicles for this programme will be carried out at testing agencies, with the necessary infrastructure, it added. As per the notification issued on Saturday, Bharat NCAP will be rolled out from April 1, 2023. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Astronomers have developed a novel technique to "see through" the fog of early universe and eventually see the very first stars and galaxies. Researchers from the University of Cambridge developed a methodology to observe stars and galaxies through clouds of hydrogen. These stars existed in the universe about 378,000 years after the Big Bang. NASA Why earliest stars matter For astronomers, observing the earliest galaxies and stars (right after the Big Bang) has always been a priority, for it might help them understand how universe came into being, and how it evolved from emptiness into a home for galaxies, planets, stars, and more today. Scientists' methodology to see through ancient clouds and other signals is part of the REACH (Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen) experiment. In essence, the experiment will help astronomers observe the earliest stars based on their interactions with hydrogen clouds. A press release compared it to inferring "a landscape by looking at shadows in the fog." NASA Also read: Five New Images By James Webb Space Telescope Show Distant Universe In Unreal Detail "At the time when the first stars formed, the universe was mostly empty and composed mostly of hydrogen and helium," Dr. Eloy de Lera Acedo from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory, and the paper's lead author was quoted by Phys.org. He added, "Because of gravity, the elements eventually came together and the conditions were right for nuclear fusion, which is what formed the first stars. But they were surrounded by clouds of so-called neutral hydrogen, which absorb light really well, so it's hard to detect or observe the light behind the clouds directly." iStock Studying early universe To study this period of universe, called "Cosmic Dawn," astronomers study the 21-centimetre line - "an electromagnetic radiation signature from hydrogen in the early universe." Scientists look for a radio signal that is able to measure the contrast between radiation from the hydrogen and radiation behind the hydrogen fog. NASA Also read: Astronomers Assess The Structure Of The Universe By Linking 64 Telescopes Astronomers have been unable to figure out where the first light came from in the universe. Once that mystery is solved, we might be able to find the source of all activity in the universe. What do you think about such studies that aim to understand the universe? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. References Staff, S. X. (2022f, July 21). Astronomers develop novel way to see the first stars through the fog of the early universe. Phys.Org. According to an official from the trust that oversees the temple, an 80-year-old doctor from Hyderabad donated a gold crown worth Rs. 33 lakh to the Saibaba Temple in Shirdi, Maharashtra. The crown, weighing 707 g, is studded with 35 g of American diamonds, said Bhagyashri Banayat, the chief executive officer of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. Representational Image Speaking to reporters, Doctor Manda Ramkrishna, who donated the ornament, said he had visited Shirdi with his wife in 1992. At the time, a temple priest had shown them a crown of Saibaba and urged them to donate a similar one. holidayfy "As I did not have the required money for the crown then, I had told my wife that we would donate a gold crown to Saibaba," he said. Unfortunately, Manda Ramkrishna's wife was not there to see her husband fulfilling his promise as she died years ago. "After retirement, I continued my practice in America for 15 years and using the money earned there, I have now offered the gold crown at Saibaba's feet," he said. Manda Ramkrishna held a photograph of his wife while donating the crown at the temple, one of the richest shrines in the country, located in the Ahmednagar district. In March 2022, a family donated land worth Rs 2.5 cr to build the world's largest Hindu temple in Bihar. A Muslim family in Bihar had donated Rs 2.5 crore in the land to construct the world's largest Hindu temple, the Virat Ramayan Mandir, in the Kaithwalia area of the state's East Champaran district, setting an example of communal harmony in India. Acharya Kishore Kunal, chief of the Patna-based Mahavir Mandir Trust, that has undertaken the project, said that Ishtiyaq Ahmad Khan, who has donated the land, is a businessman from East Champaran based in Guwahati. (With inputs from PTI) (For more trending stories, click here.) Two Indian brothers, 32 year old Ishan Wahi and 26 year old Nikhil Wahi, along with their Indian-American friend, 33 year old Sameer Ramani, have been charged in the US in the first ever cryptocurrency insider trading scheme. They have allegedly made illicit profits totalling to approximately $1.5 million, as per PTI report. The two brothers are citizens of India and were residing in Seattle, while their friend Sameer Ramani resides in Houston. indiatimes Yesterday, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams and Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI Michael J. Driscoll announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging the Wahi brothers and Mr Ramani with wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to commit insider trading in cryptocurrency assets. They reportedly did so by using confidential Coinbase information about which crypto assets were scheduled to be listed on Coinbase's exchanges. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also announced insider trading charges against the two brothers and their friend. The Wahi brothers were arrested yesterday morning in Seattle and will be presented in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The SEC complaint said that the friend Mr Ramani is believed to currently be in India. He and Ishan Wahi had attended the University of Texas at Austin at the same time and remain close friends, the report mentioned. shutterstock Prosecutors said the three men have been charged in the first ever cryptocurrency insider trading tipping scheme. They made illegal trades in at least 25 different crypto assets and realised illicit gains totalling approximately $1.5 million. Ishan Wahi is charged with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy and two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Similarly, Nikhil Wahi and Mr Ramani are charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud, each of which, again, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. For the uninitiated, insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities based on material, non-public information about the company, i.e. insider information. It's usually done with the aim of earning profits, and is an illegal practice in many countries. Also Read: India's Biggest Crypto Ponzi Scam? How The GainBitcoin Fraud Is Turning Out To Be In Trillions What The United States Attorney Of New York Said As per PTI report, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said "Today's charges are a further reminder that Web3 is not a law-free zone. Just last month, I announced the first ever insider trading case involving NFTs, and today I announce the first ever insider trading case involving cryptocurrency markets. Our message with these charges is clear: fraud is fraud, whether it occurs on the blockchain or on Wall Street. And the Southern District of New York will continue to be relentless in bringing fraudsters to justice, wherever we may find them." For the latest and interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here. As the economic and political crisis hit nation of Sri Lanka battles to get back on track following the election of a new President, many people in the country are still uncertain about the future. Amid this uncertainty, Sri Lankans from across the country are lining up at the passport office in Colombo to get a new passport or get their old one renewed, as a desperate step to get out of the crisis hit island country, as per ANI report. According to the Sri Lanka administration, 27,900 people went outside in search of jobs in the month of June this year. kapruka The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Promotion (SLBFEP) informed that 9,854 people have gone abroad for jobs through the licensed foreign employment agency. It also details out how more than 1.5 lakh people have left the country since January this year. The total amount of 1,56,179 (people) who have gone abroad for jobs from January to the first week of July this year. 100,767 self-route and 55,411 people have also gone abroad through the licensed foreign employment agency, the bureau said, as per ANI report. SLBFEP further added that most Sri Lankans prefer to go to Gulf countries. Others move to countries like South Korea and Japan. Kuwait has the highest number of people who have gone abroad for jobs since January, that amount is 39,216. 36229 for Qatar, 26,098 for Saudi Arabia, 3,219 for South Korea, 2,576 for Japan have departed for jobs, the foreign employment bureau mentioned. Since January 2022, 46,992 have gone for professional jobs and 49,923 people have gone abroad for jobs, while 38,871 have gone for domestic jobs abroad, the bureaus data read. The island nation of around 22 million people has been in the grip of unprecedented economic turmoil. It has left millions of people struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essential items in the country. AP Also Read: China's 'Debt-Trap Diplomacy' Believed To Be Behind Sri Lanka Crisis, Claims Report Lack Of Jobs & Necessities There is no food, no fuel and no money in the country. What will we do and how we will survive? Im here to get my passport and go to Qatar for a job. People are here for this only, a person who was waiting in the queue, told ANI. Another person who was there to renew his passport said: I came here for my passport renewal so I can seek a job abroad. I have family and I do not have a source of earning here in my country. For the latest and interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here IaaS (infrastructure as a service) is a type of cloud computing that offers virtualized compute, storage, and networking wrapped together as a self-service platform upon which customers can deploy and run applications with minimal fuss. The household names of cloud computingAWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloudare IaaS providers. All three maintain giant data centers around the world that include tons of physical servers, storage systems, and networking equipment under a virtualization layer that enables cloud customers to allocate those resources in a highly automated manner. Key to the value of IaaS is the ability to provision and scale up virtualized resources on demand for any workload. Organizations that use IaaS can self-provision infrastructure services and pay for them on a per-use basis. Fees are typically paid by the hour, week, or month, depending on the service contract. In some cases, providers charge clients for infrastructure services based on the amount of virtual machine (VM) capacity theyre using over time. Atop that virtualized infrastructure, the leading IaaS clouds have cultivated vast ecosystems of services, from globally distributed relational databases to data warehouses to machine learning libraries to IoT management solutions. Today, a frequent motivation to choose an IaaS provider is to gain access to new, innovative technology that would be difficult to spin up on premises. Some of these advanced services are developed and delivered by the provider, while others are proffered by third-party tenants on the IaaS platformagain, on a per-use basis. IaaS vs. PaaS vs. SaaS IaaS is one of three main types of cloud services, along with software-as-a-service (SaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). Like PaaS and SaaS, IaaS offers access to its services across a public connection thats typically the internet. But IaaS alone provides full access to the underlying virtualized resources, plus an expansive selection of cloud software and services on top. Most IaaS providers now provide some form of PaaS, a cloud-based offering that delivers platforms to clients enabling them to develop, run, and manage business applications without the need to build and maintain the platform elements such software development processes typically require. But some providers (such as Heroku) still deliver PaaS alone. SaaS, by contrast, is a software distribution model. SaaS providers develop and maintain applications that are available to customers over the internet on a subscription or pay-per-use basis. Typically, the user interfaces for those applications are browser-based. The vast majority of enterprise applications today are either available in a SaaS version or are exclusively SaaS-based. True cloud computingbe it IaaS, PaaS, or SaaSis multitenanted. This means multiple clients share the cloud providers software and physical data center resources, but each customers data is kept separate and secure, accessible only by that customer. Multitenancy is both highly efficient and scalable, enabling cloud computings generally low costs. Nonetheless, all major IaaS providers also offer single-tenancythat is, infrastructure exclusive to a single customeras an option. Regulatory issues or stringent security policies typically drive this choice, which can double costs. Single-tenant offerings resemble traditional hosting services, where a third-party provider essentially rents dedicated space in its data center. But single-tenant IaaS also offers cloud-specific capabilities such as quick scalability and access to a wide range of services that hosting companies seldom provide. Top IaaS providers According to Synergy Research Group, $44 billion was spent on IaaS and PaaS (the latter commonly offered as an IaaS service) in the first quarter of 2022. People frequently refer to the big three cloud providers, but in terms of market share, its more like the big two and everyone else. AWS Launched in 2006, Amazon Web Services was the first commercial IaaS cloud to appear on the scene. The first AWS service was S3, a cloud storage offering; EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) debuted shortly thereafter. From the beginning, AWS was conceived of as a have it your way platform, where developers could assemble and deploy applications using their preferred databases, orchestration options, libraries, and so on. To this day, that positioning has given AWS the largest ecosystem of services for customers to mix and match, not to mention the largest market share. Microsoft Azure Initially launched as a Microsoft .NET PaaS, Azure was soon reworked into a full IaaS cloud that today rivals AWS in its breadth of serviceswhile offering special support for Microsoft technologies. With its gigantic business software customer base, Microsoft has the advantage of being able to bundle Azure services with Microsoft SaaS applications and licensed software, which has helped establish Azure as a strong and growing No. 2 in market share. Integration with on-premises Microsoft systems and a heartfelt embrace of open source software have been key assets as well. Google Cloud Platform As the titan of search, Google has the largest compute infrastructure in the world, so it was only natural for the company to open and expand those vast data center resources to offer IaaS to customers. Arguably, Google has also developed the most innovative cloud technologyit led the way in the initial spec for Linux containers and established the open source Kubernetes project, which together have ushered in the cloud native era. But Googles IaaS technologies and services tend to have a steeper learning curve, with fewer third-party services on offer. Though gaining in market share, Google Cloud Platform remains a relatively distant third. Alibaba Cloud Like Amazon, Alibaba is a giant e-commerce marketplace that also provides IaaSand differentiates itself with an abundance of mainly third-party cloud services. Chinas largest cloud, Alibaba also develops its own technology, notably sophisticated AI and machine learning solutions, as well as high-performance database tech that can accommodate huge spikes in demand. Alibabas steady increase in market share is largely localized to East Asia, subject to the constraints of Chinas Great Firewall. IBM Cloud When IBM acquired the independent IaaS provider SoftLayer in 2013, it looked as if Big Blue had a shot at becoming one of the top IaaS players in the industry. Around the same time, IBM launched its well-regarded Bluemix PaaS and began offering a line of Watson cloud services. But the pieces never really came together as a cloud ecosystem that could compete with the front runners, leading to a decline in IaaS market share. Instead, IBM has primarily become a purveyor of hybrid cloud solutions, augmented by the companys 2018 acquisition of Red Hat. Related video: What is the cloud-native approach? In this 60-second video, learn how the cloud-native approach is changing the way enterprises structure their technologies, from Craig McLuckie, founder and CEO of Heptio, and one of the inventors of open-source system Kubernetes. IaaS business benefits Among the main business benefits of IaaSjust as in other cloud offeringsis that it enables a level of agility not possible with traditional IT infrastructures that rely on on-premises data centers. IaaS platforms provide access to highly scalable IT resources that can be adjusted as demand for capacity changes. This makes the IaaS model ideal for companies that experience temporarily high workloads, such as what many retailers face during the holiday shopping season. Its also well suited to small and mid-size businesses that expect to see growth in demand on a steady basis. Companies today are looking to be more flexible to better compete with web-based businesses that can make changes on the fly. Increased business agility and scalability are among the key business drivers to IaaS. So is cost savings. By shifting IT infrastructure to the cloud, you can save on capital and operating expenditures. By paying for computing capacity only as its needed, you can reduce the costs of underutilized resources. You can also decrease IT hardware maintenance costs because of the decreased reliance on in-house data center hardware. Cloud-monitoring tools and a cloud-savvy cost model can help you identify hidden costs and wasted spending and avoid spiraling IaaS bills. Keep in mind, though, that cost savings may not be realized if you simply migrate applications from the data center to the cloud without refactoring them. Make sure your applications and other systems use cloud resources efficiently. In the metered world of IaaS, you pay for wasteful usage at the same price as effective usage. One other benefit of IaaS is flexibility in terms of location. Organizations can access IaaS offerings from virtually any place where there is access to the internet. Theres also the advantage of availability. Because cloud providers rely on multiple facilities, there is no single point of failure. They also distribute their facilities to reduce latency based on where the customer location is. IaaS use cases Today, if you ask what customers use IaaS for, expect answers as wide-ranging as business computing itself. In case study after case study, we encounter companies whove moved the bulk of their operations to the cloud. Generally, that means they now use SaaS applications instead of licensed on-prem applications, and theyve moved their proprietary software and systems from the data center to an IaaS provider (or two or three). So while its worthwhile to know about the most popular cloud services offered by IaaS platformsdata warehouses, disaster recovery solutions, serverless computing platforms, and so onthe point is that IaaS clouds are intended to be platforms on which you can build pretty much anything. Those applications can be aggregated in broad groups, as Gartner did in a recent report: Digital business: With nearly every business affected by digital disruption, digital business needs account for a majority of workloads in IaaS. Digital business use cases include digital marketing, e-commerce, customer resource management, software-as-a-service, data services, and internet of things (IoT) applications. With nearly every business affected by digital disruption, digital business needs account for a majority of workloads in IaaS. Digital business use cases include digital marketing, e-commerce, customer resource management, software-as-a-service, data services, and internet of things (IoT) applications. Agile projects: Many organizations have launched IT projects that theyre executing in an agile fashion. Rapid application development, prototyping, experiments, and other projects that require agility, flexibility, and the ability to meet urgent infrastructure needs are often executed on IaaS. Many organizations have launched IT projects that theyre executing in an agile fashion. Rapid application development, prototyping, experiments, and other projects that require agility, flexibility, and the ability to meet urgent infrastructure needs are often executed on IaaS. Data center substitution: At many organizations, IaaS is gradually replacing or supplementing traditional, on-premises data center infrastructure. In these cases, IaaS is typically used similarly to an organizations internal virtualization environment, and companies generally begin with development environments or less-critical production applications, then gradually expand their use of IaaS to host critical applications as they gain more experience and trust. At many organizations, IaaS is gradually replacing or supplementing traditional, on-premises data center infrastructure. In these cases, IaaS is typically used similarly to an organizations internal virtualization environment, and companies generally begin with development environments or less-critical production applications, then gradually expand their use of IaaS to host critical applications as they gain more experience and trust. Batch computing: This is the least common need for IaaS, Gartner says. In these cases, IaaS serves as a substitute for traditional high-performance or grid computing. Possible applications include rendering, video encoding, genetic sequencing, modeling and simulation, numerical analysis, and data analytics. The point is that IaaS has become the default platform for building and running modern business systems intended for either customers or employees. The scalability, automation, and orchestration capabilities available in the IaaS clouds, plus the thousands of services offered by providers, enable the kind of agility that could only be dreamed of before the cloud era. Private and hybrid cloud IaaS For years cloud pundits have debated whether theres really such a thing as the private cloud in IaaS formthat is, on premises, in the customers data center. After all, one of the biggest benefits of IaaS is that it relieves the burden of procuring, provisioning, and maintaining physical infrastructure. If you have to do it yourself, is it really IaaS? Thats a valid question, particularly if youve simply deployed the full stack of server virtualization and software-defined infrastructure management on top of physical servers, storage systems, and network switches. Once such a system has been set up, it may appear cloud-like to developers and business stakeholders, but theres typically considerable maintenance going on behind the scenesand scaling up overall capacity ultimately means buying and provisioning new hardware. The US accounted for a high proportion of global natural disaster losses in 2021, at roughly $145 billion, of which $85 billion were insured. Events of note included Hurricane Ida, which caused losses of $65 billion, of which approximately $36 billion were insured; the Texas deep freeze, with losses of $30 billion, half of which were insured; and a series of violent storms and tornadoes across several states in the central and southeastern US. Climate research increasingly confirms that extreme weather has become more likely. As climate change continues to affect weather patterns and cause more natural disasters and severe weather events, Munich Re US has identified an educational need for insurers, brokers, regulators, businesses, and communities to understand the widening insurance protection gap and the scope of potential losses due to climate change. Insurers and brokers need to recognize the lack of stationarity" and constant evolution in climate risk, which means that events of the past cannot be used to predict risk in the future, according to Raghuveer Vinukollu (pictured), SVP, climate resilience and solutions lead at Munich Re US. With the frequency and severity of natural disasters and severe weather events increasing, the (re)insurance industry must try to understand climate risk and the impacts it has on loss costs and portfolio management, said Vinukollu. We have to develop affordable and sustainable insurance solutions and manage the risks through effective mitigation, which includes working with other stakeholders [regulators, businesses, and communities] to make our infrastructure, land-use management, and building codes more resilient. Read next: The risks associated with a changing climate Munich Re US has been researching climate risk since the 1970s and has been a pioneer in utilizing meteorologists to best understand climate and weather risk. Vinukollu said the role of reinsurers is to look into the future to determine possible loss trends, and to work with insurers and brokers to figure out potential solutions. To achieve this, many reinsurers have developed modeling and data analysis tools to assess the impacts of climate risk on physical assets and to build single risk/portfolio analytics that would create intelligence around the impacts of chronic climate risks. Munich Re US, for example, has developed a Location Risk Intelligence Tool, which enables customers to identify, assess, and factor climate risks into their underwriting and decision-making. As a reinsurer, Munich Re US is a risk taker. Were constantly looking into the future, saying: How are we going to manage the emerging risks ahead of us and how can we help our brokers and clients do the same?There are a lot of models in the marketplace, but Munich Re has been focused on climate risk since the 1970s. We have our own data sets, including loss data, which is incredibly powerful, said Vinukollu . We can use that knowledge to educate insureds on the importance of mitigation, and regulators (and communities) on the impacts of climate change. Munich Re US has been engaging in community-based climate risk mitigation and recovery projects, with the aim of boosting overall climate resiliency and sustainability. For example, the reinsurer has been working with the town of Paradise in California, which was almost entirely destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire, to help them build back better and secure affordable and sustainable insurance solutions for the future. Watch now: Learn more about Munich Re US community-based mitigation efforts The firm is also working actively with flood-exposed communities to help them mitigate flood risk and reduce the insurance protection gap. Furthermore, Munich Re US is actively engaged with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) to develop better building standards across the US with more resilience to the perils of wind, severe convective storms, and wildfires. We need to change our behaviors because these natural disasters and extreme weather events will continue to happen in the future. As we rebuild communities after a disaster, we need to think about resilience and risk reduction. This is where public-private partnerships and community-based solutions are going to be important, Vinukollu told Insurance Business. Were educating communities and showing them the impact of risk mitigation on their risk transfer [insurance] over time, so they see the benefit cost analysis. That really makes a significant difference. In addition to leading the charge around climate risk mitigation, Munich Re US is also focused on developing insurance solutions to close the climate risk protection gap. For example, Munich Re US offers affordable white-label flood insurance products for homeowners and business owners in low-to-moderate risk areas. Vinukollu commented: Were very proud to say we are really addressing the protection gap there with more than 75,000 homeowners insured for flood, who did not have flood insurance before. Munich Re US is also well ahead of the curve in developing sustainable solutions for the renewable and clean energy sector, according to Vinukollu. He said: Were investing in green technology, and were providing performance warranties for batteries, solar panels, and so on. As well as developing regular indemnity solutions, were also working on derivative parametric covers for perils like wind. Theres lots going on. Learn more about Munich Re US climate risk solution at https://www.munichre.com/us-non-life/en/solutions/reinsurance/products/climate-risk.html Matt Gelotti has been named managing director and growth leader, natural resources, CRB North America. Gelotti previously served as business development leader at Aons Houston office. Chris Mulvey joins the company as managing director and head of client management, natural resources, CRB North America. Mulvey previously served as enterprise client leader for the natural resources space in Aons Houston office. Clayton Corbett has been appointed senior director and global client advocate, natural resources, CRB North America. Corbett previously served as senior vice president and client executive for Marshs specialty practice. William Hoke joins WtW as senior director and producer, natural resources, CRB North America. Hoke joins the company from USI, where he served as a producer in natural resources. This investment is aligned with our broader strategy to position WTW as the best risk advisor and broker based on industry specialty and technical expertise, said Mike Liss, WTW head of corporate risk and broking, North America. This expanded team demonstrates our long-term commitment to both the Houston market and the wider natural resources sector. We are excited to welcome each of them to our team in early August. Read next: WTW bolsters climate risk services with latest acquisition WTWs current North American natural resources leader, Keith Mattheesen, will serve as senior strategic advisor, global natural resources. He will support Helander during the onboarding and transition and remain a key member of both the North American and global leadership teams. We are delighted to welcome this expanded team to WTW and excited to make this investment in our North American natural resources business, said Graham Knight, global head of natural resources. They are well-respected industry professionals whose experience and skill sets complement our existing talent pool across the energy, power, mining and alternative energy sectors. Attracting experienced and market-leading talent underpins our growth objectives and enhances our industry insights across the globe. Knight also praised Mattheesens performance as North American natural resources head. Keiths leadership has been superb over the past few challenging years, and his support of the expanded team will drive momentum and build success, he said. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Two police unions in Boston want to roll back limits on when they can use tear gas, pepper spray and other less-than-lethal crowd control methods, which the City Council implemented last year. The two unions are asking a judge to rule on whether the City Council ordinance is valid and enforceable, and also on the validity of an independent board to probe allegations of police misconduct created in January. The Boston Police Superior Officers Federation and the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society filed the suit Monday in Suffolk County Superior Court. The ordinance came about after Boston police were criticized for some of their crowd control measures during a June 2020 protest, amid nationwide demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The unions say the use-of-force rules are based on politics and put public safety at risk. By eliminating our officers ability to use less than lethal force, City Council themselves are forcing escalation of incidents with their irresponsible and poorly researched policies, the unions said in a statement. The ordinance puts limits on but does not eliminate the use of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and beanbag rounds by law enforcement agents operating in Boston. Instead, under the ordinance, an on-scene police supervisor of the rank of deputy superintendent or higher must personally witness ongoing violence or property destruction and determine there are no reasonable methods of de-escalation that could succeed. The same supervisor must give two separate warnings at least two minutes apart announcing the group must disperse, saying which weapon will be used and ensuring the group has a way to exit. Mayor Michelle Wu, City Council President Ed Flynn and Boston Police Department Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long are named as defendants. A spokesperson for the mayor said the city had no comment. Wu last week named a new police commissioner, but hes not taking over until next month. The police unions suit also asks the court to rule on the validity of the citys Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, which was created in December 2020 and allows citizens with complaints against police officers to appeal to an oversight panel, even if the police departments own internal affairs unit determines the complaint is unfounded. The lawsuit contends that under state law, city law enforcement policy decisions rest with the commissioner, and there are legal precedents for courts declaring city council-imposed rules to be invalid. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Law Enforcement New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! A federal judge in Pennsylvania has declined to approve a settlement between gunmaker Remington Arms and a parent of a child injured when his grandfathers gun allegedly misfired without the trigger being pulled. U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane found that the sealed settlement proposal lacks sufficient information for the court to determine either the fairness of the deal for the grandchild or the reasonableness of the 40% fee for the attorney. The judge also questioned whether continuing the preliminary sealing of the proposed settlement is in the public interest. The minor grandchilds claims have been separated from the plaintiffs original product liability complaint, which alleges that the rifle discharged on its ownwithout a trigger pulldue to a design, manufacturing, or other defect. The defendants won an order severing the mothers claims on behalf of her child from the grandfathers so that they could assert a contribution claim against the grandfather, which they did. Remington has denied the underlying product liability allegations that the gun fired without the pull of its trigger. On December 1, 2018, plaintiff David Farence claims that a bullet discharged from his rifle and struck and seriously injured his minor grandchild. Farence and the childs mother, Jessica Olinick, sued in July 2020. On July 8, 2022, Olinick asked the judge to approve a settlement for her injured child, a proposal she declared is in her childs best interests. But Judge Kane declined to approve it, finding that Olinicks proposal is deficient because it fails to provide a complete picture of the scope of the childs injuries and the reasons Olinick believes the proposed settlement is fair. The judge pointed out that the only facts indicated in Olinicks sealed motion are that the child sustained a bullet wound, spent three days in the hospital, underwent surgery to clean and close the wound, as well as three additional out-patient procedures to drain the wound, and required six months healing time. The court noted that the motion does not speak to the full extent of both past and future injuries alleged by Olinicknamely, the allegations of mental and physical pain and suffering, permanent disability, disfigurement, loss of established course of life, emotional and mental distress, and other general and special damages. Nor, the judge added, does the motion state the reasons Olinick believes the proposed settlement is fair. The judge noted that Dauphin County, where the case is based, employs a presumptive attorney fee of 25% of the gross settlement amount whereas the lawyer for Olinick seeks to collect 40%. Because the 40% contingency fee exceeds Dauphin Countys lodestar fee, the court must determine whether counsel has made a sufficient showing as to why the additional 15% fee is fair and reasonable, Judge Kane wrote. The court said that while the plaintiff and her counsel are in the best position to evaluate the settlement, and that their judgments are entitled to considerable weight, the court must make an independent evaluation with regard to the fairness of the settlement value to the minor. The judge ordered the parties to submit a justification for continuing to seal the proposal when submitting a revised settlement proposal. Remington filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after selling off its profitable business in a series of transactions involving Sporting Goods Properties and its parent DuPont. Topics Legislation Gun Liability Lloyds of London insurer Beazley on Friday reported first-half profits fell on hits to its investment portfolio from market volatility, but raised its full-year profitability guidance on an increase in cyber risk premiums. Beazley, a major cyber insurer, said it now expects its combined ratio a measure of an insurers profitability to be between 85% and 90% for 2022, much better than analysts forecasts of a figure of around 90%. A level below 100% indicates an underwriting profit and a lower percentage indicates higher earnings. Beazley reported a first-half pretax profit of $22 million, down from $167 million the year before, due to hefty losses on its investment portfolio. The specialist insurer said cyber premiums almost doubled to $473 million from $267 million in the first half of 2021. Cyber premiums have increased so much because exposures have increased due to the rise of cyber criminality in the last four or five years, Chief Executive Adrian Cox told Reuters in an interview. Demand has also risen as more companies see the need for protection from cyber attack, he said, while improvements to Beazleys ability to assess risk means its frequency of losses has fallen. While the insurers capital levels have grown as income improved, Cox said Beazley was unlikely to pay special dividends in the near term, believing there would be opportunities to write new business instead. Beazley separately said on Thursday that Chairman David Roberts will step down from the board in the autumn of 2022 to become chair of the Court of the Bank of England. (Reporting by Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru and Lawrence White in London; editing by John Stonestreet) Topics Trends Cyber Profit Loss Pricing Trends Damage from large wildfires in Europe has jumped dramatically, with a 75% increase in the amount of land burned in the latest year, according to analysis by Chaucer, the specialty re/insurer, which warns that modeling for wildfire risk in Europe lags behind United States and Canada. In 2020, 787,130 hectares of land (or 2 million acres) were burnt across 35 European countries, up from 450,250 hectares (1.1 million acres) in 2019. (Chaucer defined large wildfires as more than 30 hectares). While much attention has been paid to the impact of climate change on wildfires in North America, Chaucer warns that European wildfires also have been increasing in frequency and severity as a result of climate change and urbanization. Higher temperatures have increased the risk of fires starting on the continent, while drought-like conditions from dry soil are also making it easier for wildfires to spread rapidly, the insurer continued. The abandonment of traditional agriculture in Mediterranean countries has contributed to a build-up of vegetation, resulting in increased size and severity of fires. Further, Europe is a densely populated continent, which increases the potential for material losses to property. Chaucer said forest management practices have not kept up with these trends, which has made efforts to suppress wildfires considerably less effective, leading to more damage. Less Advanced Models Chaucer says modeling capabilities of wildfire risk in Southern Europe are less advanced when compared to the U.S. and Canada. As a result, re/insurance companies must rely on internal methods to assess risk rather than probabilistic hazard models. However, the industry has started to see some broker-led initiatives and solutions, Chaucer noted. As wildfires have only recently been considered a material peril, the modeling used to predict behavior is not as developed as that of other natural catastrophes, such as hurricanes, the company explained. The high number of variables that influence wildfire behavior, such as weather patterns, fuel, property characteristics, topography (orientation towards the sun and land gradient, for example), also make patterns difficult to predict. The countries that saw the largest increases in amount of land burnt in the past year include Bosnia & Herzegovina (246%); Croatia (130%); Italy (36%) and Greece (34%). A single fire in Bosnia and Herzegovina resulted in over 8,000 hectares being burnt. The significant increase in land destroyed by wildfires is creating a challenge for the industry, commented Ellen Gyandzhuntseva, head of Exposure Management at Chaucer. Climate change and shifting demographic patterns are making wildfires more dangerous. Until modelling becomes more sophisticated, and the risk is better understood, wildfire risk in Europe will be difficult to adequately price, she added. Wildfires have only become a major priority as a peril relatively recently. However, given the increase in frequency and severity, losses are beginning to mount. We have already seen some re/insurers begin to limit their exposure as a result, Gyandzhuntseva said. Source: Chaucer Photograph: Firefighters try to extinguish the flames at Ellinika village on Evia island, about 176 kilometers (110 miles) north of Athens, Greece, on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. Firefighters and residents battled this massive forest fire on Greeces second largest island, fighting to save what they can from flames that decimated vast tracts of pristine forest, destroyed homes and businesses and sent thousands fleeing. Photo credit: AP Photo/Petros Karadjias. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Europe New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Bosses and workers rarely agree on what matters when it comes to the future of work. But theres division even within the c-suite, particularly regarding the disparate treatment remote and in-office workers can face. Younger executives cited those inequities as their top concern around flexible work arrangements, but the same issue ranked dead last among their older counterparts, according to the Future Forum, a research consortium backed by Slack Technologies Inc. The group of about 100 older executives, most of whom were in their 50s, said coordination of hybrid-work schedules was their top concern, followed by productivity and learning. The 400 or so younger execs also fretted about scheduling, along with culture. The research exposes a generational divide in which executives closer to retirement age, whove spent decades in offices and prefer to manage workers they can see in person, differ from younger managers in their 30s and 40s, who are generally more accepting of hybrid arrangements and keen to make sure they benefit everyone. Previous Future Forum surveys have found that women and minority workers are more likely than other groups to want to work from home, adding to fears that the push to return to offices could exacerbate existing workplace inequalities. Its troubling, said Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the Future Forum research, which surveys more than 10,000 white-collar workers quarterly. The risk we run is that the older generation of executives is missing the fact that their diversity and inclusion goals and their future of work plans are tied together. Workers have been coming back into offices in recent months, but the mass migration that many expected last year hasnt happened. Significant numbers of white-collar employees have continued working from home while struggling with childcare, the grind of commuting and worries about rising COVID-19 cases. Office occupancy in 10 of the largest U.S. business districts has been stuck below 50% for the entire year, according to building-security firm Kastle Systems, and bosses are loath to push workers back in a tight labor market. Still, recession fears and a rash of hiring slowdowns everywhere from Apple Inc. to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. could provide bosses with more leverage to nudge workers back. While that push and pull plays out, organizations need to put time and effort into crafting their flexible-work policies, which usually involve a good bit of trial and error. The mismatch in expectations between the freedom employees crave and the amount of in-office time senior leaders want is the biggest challenge in adopting more flexible work models, according to research from the HR Policy Association, which represents employers. But the gap between what workers want and what their employers are mandating continues to shrink, according to ongoing research from academics led by Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University. For example, companies juggling remote and in-office workers often try to maintain a level playing field by insisting that if one employee has to dial into a meeting, then everyone does. Teams that work together frequently agree on which days they will all be in the office for more collaborative projects, and which times can be reserved for focused individual work. Still, the phenomenon of proximity bias, whereby those who come into the office get ahead, persists. Just being seen in the office can affect performance evaluations, promotions and job security, research from professors at the University of California, Davis and North Carolina University has found. JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief Jamie Dimon is among the many Baby Boomer-generation executives whove argued that remote work is no substitute for the spontaneous idea generation that results from bumping into colleagues at the coffee machine. Under-represented groups, though, want flexibility in both where and when they work, said Sheela Subramanian, a Slack executive and co-founder of the Future Forum. Slack, which makes virtual collaboration software, benefits from a remote workforce. Photograph: A woman works at an Apple Inc. laptop computer on a dining room table in this arranged photograph taken in Bern, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Photo credit: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! WTW Appoints 5 to North American Natural Resources Team Insurance broker WTW announced a significant investment in its North American Natural Resources business with the appointment of five industry leaders. Based in Houston, the new team members will bring expertise to focus on this globally important industry, with a sub-sector focus on oil and gas, power generation, mining, and alternative energy, said WTW. Bill Helander, the new head of Natural Resources North America, Houston Corporate Risk & Broking, and managing director, joins WTW from Marsh, where he served as the specialty leader for the Natural Resources sector. Helander joined Marsh as part of its acquisition of JLT in 2019 and brings strong industry relationships and experience to lead the practice. WTW has also appointed Matt Gelotti as growth leader, Natural Resources, North America, and managing director. As a former business development leader with Aons Houston office, Gelotti brings a wealth of industry experience to WTW, and will focus on the expansion of this valuable industry segment. Joining WTW as managing director and head of Client Management, Natural Resources, North America is Chris Mulvey. Formerly serving as Enterprise Client Leader for the Natural Resources space in Aons Houston office, Mulvey brings a strategic mindset focused on helping deliver superior value and service to clients. WTW has also appointed Clayton Corbett as senior director and global client advocate, Natural Resources, North America. Previously serving as senior vice president and client executive with Marshs Specialty practice, Corbett brings experience creating tailored insurance and advisory solutions to global Natural Resources clients. In addition, William Hoke has joined WTW as senior director and producer, Natural Resources, North America. Also based in Houston with the broader team, Hoke joins WTW from USI, where he served as a producer in Natural Resources. This investment is aligned with our broader strategy to position WTW as the best risk adviser and broker based on industry specialty and technical expertise, commented Mike Liss, head of Corporate Risk & Broking, North America, WTW. This expanded team demonstrates our long-term commitment to both the Houston market and the wider natural resources sector. We are excited to welcome each of them to our team in early August. WTWs current North American Natural Resources leader, Keith Mattheessen, will serve as senior strategic adviser, Global Natural Resources. He will support Helander through the onboarding and transition with the expanded team and will remain a key member of both the North American and Global Leadership teams. We are delighted to welcome this expanded team to WTW team and excited to make this investment in our North American Natural Resources business. They are well-respected industry professionals whose experience and skillsets complement our existing talent pool across the energy, power, mining and alternative energy sectors. Attracting experienced and market-leading talent underpins our growth objectives and enhances our industry insights across the globe, said Graham Knight, global head of Natural Resources, WTW. *** Markel Promotes Pasik for Commercial Casualty Markel Corp. announced that Tim Pasik has been appointed managing director, Commercial Casualty Product Lines leader for Markel Specialtys insurance operations. In his new role, Pasik will provide oversight for Markel Specialtys commercial primary and excess retail and wholesale product lines. Pasik joined Markel in 2014 and most recently served as managing director, Commercial Excess Casualty, Wholesale. He has nearly 40 years of insurance industry experience and has successfully developed underwriting guidelines, established rating parameters, and set authorities for field underwriters. Pasik will report to Rodrigues and is based in Markels New York City office. Topics Commercial Lines Willis Towers Watson Casualty * The past decade has turned into opportunities and transformation for foreign enterprises in China, with profound changes taking place in foreign investment in terms of amount, structure, and degree of participation. * Foreign investment has flown into new areas in the Chinese economy, which is following the guidance of a new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared growth. * New opportunities have also come from China's efforts to promote high-level opening-up, which has not only encouraged the flow of goods and production factors but also steadily expanded institutional opening-up based on rules, regulations, management, and standards. BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- In January 1999, Starbucks entered the Chinese mainland market by opening its first store in the China World Trade Center, Beijing's most popular commercial center. But with a latte priced at around 20 yuan (about 2.4 U.S. dollars back then) and the average monthly salary of Beijing residents just surpassing 1,000 yuan, coffee was a niche market at that time. It took several years for the U.S. coffee chain to get traction in the Chinese market. Since 2010, China has risen to become the largest overseas market for Starbucks. Over the past decade, the number of Starbucks stores jumped by about 9 times to over 5,700 across the country. "We are a witness of China's fast and steady urbanization," Leo Tsoi, chief executive officer of Starbucks China, told Xinhua. He described the company's past decade of development in China as "faster, broader, and deeper." Apart from metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai, Starbucks China has opened more stores in smaller cities and townships and aims for 6,000 stores by the end of this year, according to Tsoi. Starbucks' story is a telling example of how the past decade turned into opportunities and transformation for foreign enterprises in China, during which profound changes have taken place in foreign investment in terms of amount, structure, and degree of participation. Despite the rising deglobalization trend and protectionism, in 2021, China's actual use of foreign direct investment (FDI) reached 1.15 trillion yuan (about 170 billion U.S. dollars), ranking second in the world, up 62.9 percent from 2012. In the same period, global FDI only grew around 27 percent to 1.65 trillion U.S. dollars, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The strong increase has proven unnecessary the worries that China would lose its appeal to foreign investors after it abolished preferential policies for foreign firms over a decade ago. In addition to advantages in labor and costs, the country's steady development and huge market potential have kept drawing investment inbound. From 2012 to 2021, China's GDP grew from 53.9 trillion yuan to 114.4 trillion yuan. Its per capita disposable income reached 32,189 yuan in 2020, more than double the level in 2010, official data showed. The country is now the world's second-largest consumer market, boasting a middle-income group of over 400 million people. "Thanks to the continued openness and rapid growth of the Chinese economy, and rising spending power among Chinese consumers, China has become our largest and fastest growing overseas market," Tsoi said. Staff members work at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, east China, June 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) PARTICIPANTS IN HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT Along with scale expansion, China's pursuit of a new development pattern in recent years, which focused on improving the quality of growth and unleashing new development impetus, has also transformed the landscape of foreign investment. Foreign investment has flown into new areas in the Chinese economy, which is following the guidance of a new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared growth. In the manufacturing sector, a key economic driver, multinationals have been moving up the value chain in their China investments over the years. China's high-tech manufacturing sector used 12.06 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investment in 2021, or 35.8 percent of the total foreign investment used in the manufacturing sector, said a report released by a research institute under the Ministry of Commerce. This represented a rise of 6.3 percentage points in proportion from the 2017 level, when 9.89 billion dollars of foreign investment were used in the high-tech manufacturing sector, according to the report. Li Jing, partner of climate change and sustainability services of Ernst & Young (EY) Greater China, said under China's carbon peaking and neutrality goals, she is optimistic about sectors related to ESG (environmental, social, and governance), climate change and green finance in the Chinese market. To grasp the opportunities, according to Li, the global consulting firm has established an ESG management committee in China to promote not only its own practice of sustainable development, but also to provide green development and low carbon transformation solutions for companies. In the view of Yin Zheng, executive vice president of Schneider Electric and president of Schneider Electric China, the appeal of the Chinese market comes not only from the super large scale but also from the complete industrial chain, favorable innovation environment, and talent resources. China is the only country in the world with all industrial categories listed in the United Nations industrial classification. On the innovation front, the country rose to 12th on the Global Innovation Index 2021, up from the 34th in 2012, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. In Shanghai alone, as of the end of May this year, multinational companies have set up 848 regional headquarters and 512 foreign-invested R&D centers. In 2020, the Starbucks China Coffee Innovation Park broke ground in east China's Jiangsu Province to strengthen coffee roasting and supply chain management in the country. The nearly 1.1-billion-yuan project is Starbucks' largest manufacturing investment internationally. Upon completion, coffee beans from worldwide will be processed, roasted, packaged, and distributed in China, according to the company. China has become one of Schneider Electric's largest R&D bases around the globe, according to Yin. Currently, there are over 1,800 engineers on the company's R&D team in China, an increase of nearly 30 percent over the past three years. "China is one of the most competitive and innovative markets in the world. Maintaining a leading position in the Chinese market helps us better succeed globally," Yin told Xinhua. An employee works at Schneider Electric Low Voltage (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Ran) CAPITALIZING ON HIGH-LEVEL OPENING-UP For foreign investors, new opportunities also came from China's efforts to promote high-level opening-up, which has not only encouraged the flow of goods and production factors but also steadily expanded institutional opening-up based on rules, regulations, management, and standards. In 2013, China set up its first pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, the testbed of new economic policies. After five rounds of expansion, China now has 21 such zones. The country has kept shortening the negative list for foreign investment and put into force laws and regulations, including the Foreign Investment Law, to protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors. China's business environment is also improving, with its ease of doing business ranking ascending to 31 from 91 in 2012, according to a World Bank report. In 2018, China removed restrictions on foreign investment in new energy vehicles. Shortly afterward, Tesla established China's first wholly foreign-owned car manufacturing enterprise in Shanghai, which started construction in early 2019 and delivered its first batch of made-in-China vehicles within a year. Behind the rapid speed was the institutional innovation of the Shanghai FTZ. According to authorities of the Lingang new area of the Shanghai FTZ, the efficient approval processes are being replicated for all investment projects in the new area. In the first half of this year, the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory exported 97,182 vehicles to the overseas market, more than double the level a year ago despite the resurgence of COVID-19. Electric cars produced by U.S. automaker Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory are loaded onto a cargo ship at Nangang port in Shanghai, east China, May 11, 2022. (Xinhua) China's unwavering opening-up efforts have also kept foreign enterprises optimistic despite the near-term headwinds from the pandemic. The American Chamber of Commerce in China said in a recent white paper that about two-thirds of the companies surveyed listed China as one of the world's top three investment destinations, and about 83 percent of them said that they did not consider moving production or procurement outside China. "China is one of the world's most dynamic and innovative markets. We have huge aspirations for Starbucks China in the next decade," said Tsoi. (Video reporters: Xiao Yichen, Fu Min, Wu Feizuo, Feng Yuanyuan, Guo Xinhui, Wang Pu, Wang Xiunan, Guo Peiran; video editors: Zhou Sa'ang, Cao Ying) New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! RLI Corp. has been hiring teams of property insurance professionals as the specialty insurer embraces opportunity in the southeastern U.S. market that others are fleeing, executives said Thursday during a second-quarter earnings conference call. For the second quarter, RLI reported an 80.2 combined ratio and a 17% jump in premiums across the three segments in which it participates overall casualty, property and surety. In addition, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Klobnak put the spotlight on property, where the carriers gross premiums soared by 48% for both the quarter and year-to-date, and combined ratios hovered in the mid-60s for both periods. For the property segment, attractive market conditions drove an 8% positive rate change for the quarter, Klobnak said. The headline continues to be the hard market conditions within the Southeast property market, she added. Admitted markets are absent, and the E&S competitors who remain continue to offer lower limits than historical levels, she reported. Several markets announced a renewed focus in this area, but we have not encountered any activity to date, she said, also reporting that RLI achieved a 24% rate increase on hurricane exposure in the quarter, and that the carriers underwriters continued to tighten terms and conditions and risk selection criteria. Disruption and uncertainty create opportunities for those who do not waiver from their proven discerning approach, said Craig Kliethermes, RLIs president and chief executive officer, at a different point during the earnings call. Amid reports elsewhere of less available property reinsurance capacity for the Southeast, RLI was able to buy $150 million of additional all-peril catastrophe reinsurance limit at May 1, bringing its coverage limit for hurricane risk up to $625 million excess of $25 million, Klobnak told investment analysts. Although she said that the growth in RLIs property exposures slowed toward the end of the quarter as we work to optimize the use of our new capacity, she also said RLI has been hiring to support the growth in all property product groups, including E&S property, marine and Hawaii homeowners. Growth isnt coming at the expense of discipline, she stressed. In all areas, we are mindful of increased valuations to ensure we are collecting adequate premium for the exposure. Our terms and conditions are customized to incentivize the insured to disclose appropriate valuations. While two other insurers reported property-catastrophe loss amounts that impacted their second-quarter results in recent days $746 million pretax at multiline Travelers, and $1.1 billion pretax at personal lines insurer Allstate Klobnak said it was a quiet first half from a catastrophe perspective for RLI. RLIs property combined ratios came in around 65 and 66 for the second quarter and first half, respectively. Were entering the second half of the year in a position of strength and expect to meet any new challenges with the same hallmark discipline we have maintained through previous market cycles, Klobnak said, completing her remarks on the property book. One analyst pressed the COO to explain how RLI has been able to acquire underwriters with deep experience in the Southeast property markets where other teams that are supposedly capable have failed in the past, and also to explain how the company has been able to acquire reinsurance on a cost-effective basis another big obstacle for participants in the Southeast property insurance market. We have hired some people in that region and elsewhere. When we focus on people, were looking at both underwriting and claim expertise. Its not one-sided. You have to think about both sides of the equation, Klobnak responded. With the change in appetite of different competitors pulling back in this space, there are people looking for jobs people who want to write property. Those people are coming from other companies, [but] what we try to do is to show them the RLI approach, which is differentWe arm our underwriters with a lot of information and tools. We provide a lot of oversight, ensuring they pay attention to the terms, conditions and exposure details. And then we marry them up with claims people who will provide feedback on whats actually happening with each claim that gets adjusted what issues are coming up and how might we address them from either underwriting or some other perspective to make sure that were covering what we want to and [insureds are] paying the amount that makes sense. As to the reinsurance question, Klobnak said RLIs results, and the transparency of results, over the long term make it deserving of differentiation. In particular, explaining the transparency aspect, she said that RLI, which has been in the property market since the early 1980s, had a track record for estimating catastrophe losses without loss creep developing in future years. Nowadays youre hearing people talking about Ida or different losses where the original estimate was something and now the estimate is larger. Focusing on this years 48% jump in property premiums, another analyst asked for more information on RLIs catastrophe exposure profile. Noting that the $25 million hurricane retention has been in place since hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, she highlighted the carriers consistent net appetite for 15-plus years. As we think about our catastrophe exposure, were looking at a marketplace where this is as good as it gets. And for RLI, when there is a market where you can do what you need to to cover the exposure and support your brokers and your insuredsthis is the time to write the business. A lot of our competitors have pulled back or have gotten out and are missing out on the opportunity. So were there. She added, Theres more business than we can handle. Our brokers have a lot of business coming in, and we try to get to as much as we can, highlighting the need for more capacity. We obviously pay attention to how much surplus we have, how much reinsurance we buy and what were comfortable with from an earning standpoint as well. And thats why we decided to buy the additional reinsurance limit. From a net perspective, were maintaining about the same exposure that we have in the past. Were just taking advantage of the market, bringing in more premium, actually getting a higher return on the exposure, but ending up with a similar net risk profile. Responding to the question of why else RLI didnt experience the magnitude of weather-related losses that are denting the earnings pictures of other carriers in the second quarter, Klobnak explained that RLIs exposure is countrywide, including Hawaii and along the coastlines, but it doesnt have a large footprint in the habitation space in the middle of the country where other carriers are exposed to frequent convective storm losses. The habitation space has been underpriced for well over a decade, she said, adding that another factor setting RLI apart is that it writes much of its property business on a named-peril basis hurricane only, or earthquake only, without covering other perils. Beyond Property Klobnak also talked about RLIs results and the market dynamics in the surety and casualty segments. For surety, RLI posted a 73 combined ratio in the quarter, with 13% top-line growth. Growth was driven by RLIs commercial surety group, where the carrier also added staff and is attracting new business. and relationships. In contract surety, she said RLIs contractors still have a healthy project pipeline with a backlog of public works projects but that projects are costing more as labor and materials costs rise. There has been turmoil in both commercial and contract surety in the industry with several competitors experiencing increased loss activity and underwriter turnover. Were closely monitoring the financial health of our principals as we navigate the changing economic conditions, she said. For casualty, where RLI recorded an 88 second-quarter combined ratio with 5% premium growth, Klobnak attributed a growth slowdown to the Executive Products group, where RLI began exiting cyber and reps and warranties insurance lines last year, and where brokers are pushing for rate decreases for public company directors and officers cover after several years of significant rate hikes. A growing part of the casualty book for RLI is transportation, where rates jumped 9 percent and premium climbed 13%, Most of the remaining products in the casualty segment demonstrated growth. Competition in this market has heightened, especially in the truck and public product, she said. Competitors in the transportation space seem to have a very short memory regarding loss potential in wheels-based business, she observed. In spite of $56 million in underwriting income across all three segments combined, RLI recorded a small bottom-line loss of $2.2 million, or 5 cents per share, for the quarter. While investment income rose 11%, and realized investment gains were $13 million in the quarter, unrealized losses on equity securities of $101 million, impacted overall results. Topics Trends Property Market A $6.3 million settlement has been reached in a lawsuit that claimed smoke from an underground fire at a dumping site in northwest Arkansas harmed nearby residents. An attorney in the case confirmed the settlement, which involves 85 households with 150 people, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Wednesday. A jury trial had been set to begin in the case next month in Benton County Circuit Court. An underground fire burned at the dump site in Bella Vista, located 164 miles (263.93 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, for month before the Bella Vista Property Owners Association hired firms to put it out. City firefighters discovered the fire in late July 2018. The association operated the dump from 2003 to 2016 on land leased from Blue Mountain Storage. By the time the fire was found burning underground, Browns Tree Service had purchased the land. The fire was put out in June 2019. The lawsuit had sought compensation for the harm residents said they suffered from the smoke and noxious fumes. Attorney Sach Oliver told the newspaper that the association is paying $4.8 million of the settlement, with Browns Tree Service paying $1 million and Blue Mountain Storage settling for $500,000. A third party will be hired to oversee the division of the settlement. Topics Training Development Arkansas The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers Compensation (DWC) is accepting public comments on revisions to two forms: DWC Form-046, Request to Accelerate Impairment Income Benefits. This form is necessary to allow injured employees with a hardship a way to request an acceleration of weekly impairment income benefits. DWC Form-047, Request to Advance Benefits. This form is necessary to allow injured employees with a financial hardship a way to request an advance of benefits. The revised forms are not a formal rule proposal under the Administrative Procedures Act. DWC will not treat comments as formal public comments. However, DWC will consider any substantive comment before the revised forms are adopted. The proposed forms are on the TDI website. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Floridas top insurance regulators and the Florida Association of Insurance Agents on Thursday blasted the Demotech financial rating firm after the organization reportedly notified 17 insurers that they will soon be downgraded. Demotech President Joe Petrelli said Thursday evening that the Florida insurance commissioner, the states chief financial officer and the FAIA had misconstrued his firms plans in their strongly worded missives that were released Thursday. The OIR letter, the CFOs letter and the FAIA press release are all inaccurate, Petrelli told the Insurance Journal. He declined further comment and declined to name the 17 troubled insurers, but promised to provide a fuller explanation by Monday. Demotech began rating Florida insurers in the 1990s, after powerful Hurricane Andrew hit the states southern end in 1992, causing billions of dollars in damages. The storm resulted in several carriers becoming insolvent and some national carriers, which are rated by larger rating firms, fled the state. Now, Demotech has become the dominant rating system for most Florida insurers. It has carriers over a barrel and is using questionable methodology in its analyses, FAIA and regulators charged. After 25 years, Demotech virtually holds a monopoly on issuing financial strength ratings to Florida domestic carriers while being largely unknown/unnecessary in other parts of the country, FAIA President Kyle Ulrich wrote Thursday in a blog article titled, Is it time for Florida to turn the page on Demotech? It is abundantly clear that Floridas property market has been held hostage by unscrupulous trial lawyers, public adjusters, and contractors for years, Ulrich argued. Now, the actions of one rating company could add to the list. The controversy flared this week after FAIA said it had obtained copies of letters from Demotech to the 17 property insurers, notifying them that their financial strength rating will be downgraded next week, from A Exceptional to S Substantial or M Moderate. Downgrades are never good news and in some cases have preceded insolvencies or rehabilitation proceedings for insurers. The S rating suggests the carriers still have substantial reserves, Petrelli has said. But its not enough for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the quasi-governmental secondary lenders that back the majority of residential mortgages in the United States. Without Fannies and Freddies blessings, millions of Florida homeowners insured by those 17 carriers could be required to obtain expensive force-placed policies, CFO Jimmy Patronis said in his letters to the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and to the heads of the lending corporations. He urged them to rethink the lenders reliance on Demotech insurance ratings. If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac de-authorize a sizeable percentage of Floridas insurers based on the dubious ratings of one company, it would create financial chaos for millions of Floridians, Patronis wrote. Some 115,000 Florida insurance agents also could be exposed to litigation risks, and may not have adequate coverage under their errors and omissions policies, Patronis and Ulrich said. Insurance Commissioner David Altmaiers letter to Petrelli, dated Thursday, charged that Demotech has failed to adhere to its own standards in determining the financial ratings. The office has noted several discrepancies between these recent decisions and the rating methodology posted on Demotechs website, Altmaier wrote. Ohio-based Demotech has previously indicated that targeted carriers can appeal and provide further financial information and perhaps obtain additional capital. But insurers have told OIR that Demotech is now unwilling to consider additional information and access to capital infusions, the commissioners letter said. The timing and the tenor of the agents and regulators outrage surprised some in the Florida insurance industry. Petrelli had suggested in May that several carriers could be downgraded this year, thanks in part to the continued costs of fraudulent roof claims and excessive claims litigation. He also sent open letters to Floridas governor and others, noting that legislation approved in May had not gone far enough to help some companies. Perhaps it was the sheer number of insurance companies that could be in trouble that set off the alarm bells this week. Ulrich declined to comment other than the sentiments included in his blog post. Others in the industry have warned for months that many insurers are in trouble, especially after reinsurance prices rose by as much as 50% for some companies. Four carriers have been deemed insolvent so far this year and 12 have stopped writing new business. Everyone knew this was coming, one industry source said Thursday. The Office of Insurance Regulation, in fact, recently released a market stability report that indicated that 27 insurers more than half of the active carriers in Florida have been placed on a watch list. Due to several factors that suggest the companies are facing financial difficulties, the OIR referred the companies to its newly created insurer stability unit for enhanced monitoring, as required by recent legislation. Still, the FAIA said a new approach is needed. Is now the time for insurers, lawmakers, and regulators to look for a more stable and predictable alternative to Demotech? Ulrich asked. Topics Florida New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! An environmental group took the first step Wednesday toward filing suit over plans by Alabama Power Co. to leave millions of pounds of coal ash near a riverside within the vast Mobile-Tensaw Delta, which activists say could be devastated by a spill. The Virginia-based Southern Environmental Law Center sent the utility notice of its intent to sue on behalf of Mobile Baykeeper, an environmental advocacy organization. Baykeeper wants regulators to force the company to take additional steps to protect against a spill of ash, a waste product from burning coal, at the site of its Plant Barry near the Mobile River. Such notices are required under the law before a lawsuit can be filed. Mobile Baykeeper contends the ash pond contains 21 million pounds (9.5 million kilograms) of coal ash that is polluting groundwater and could wipe out the lush, biologically diverse region should it be breached by heavy flooding, a hurricane or some other disaster. The companys plan for the coal ash jeopardizes so much of what makes coastal Alabama special, Cade Kistler of Mobile Baykeeper said in a statement. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is one of the worlds most important resources, and is vulnerable to increasing floods, severe hurricanes, and rising water levels. Leaving millions of tons of coal ash on the banks of the Mobile River is a disaster waiting to happen, said Kistler. Alabama Power spokeswoman Beth Thomas said the utility had no comment. Plant Barry opened in 1965 about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Mobile. With federal regulators imposing tougher rules on storing coal ash, the company has been working for several years to close the roughly 600-acre (243-hectare) pond by drying it out, moving material to a smaller site nearby and covering it with a liner. The company contends moving the material farther away would pose a hazard in itself. Environmentalists contend the plan doesnt meet regulations and could result in contamination of the sprawling delta wilderness area north of the port city. Utilities in other states are acting to prevent coal ash spills like one that happened in Tennessee in 2008 and Virginia in 2014, they said. Alabama is an outlier when it comes to leaving toxic coal ash in place, Barry Brock, director of Southern Environmental Law Centers Alabama office, said in a statement. This coal ash should be safely stored in a lined facility away from the rivers edge and out of the groundwater or recycled into cement and concrete, as is being done in other Southeastern states. Photo: Part of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta (AP Photo/Melissa Nelson Gabriel) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Pollution Alabama The Los Angeles Police Department will pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit by a legally blind man who said he was beaten, strapped to a hospital gurney and nearly suffocated during an arrest three years ago, attorneys said. The civil lawsuit filed by Michael Moore alleged unlawful seizure, excessive force, battery and negligence. Moore was arrested in February 2019 when he called police to his home in South Los Angeles after he said he was attacked by a family friend. Moore, who has a history of mental illness, was taken to a hospital where he was secured to a gurney and an LAPD officer held a towel over his mouth and nose until he passed out, the lawsuit alleged. The incident was captured on body camera footage from another officer. Moore, who was 62 at the time, was arrested because officers misperceived the effects of his disabilities as criminal activity, the court filing said. To prevent police violence in the future is to impose penalties for such violence in the past, Matthew Strugar, one of Moores attorneys, said in a statement announcing the settlement. The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately comment on the agreement. Moore was charged with assaulting a peace officer and resisting, and spent more than four months in jail awaiting a trial before a jury acquitted him in July 2019 of all charges. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits California The city of Portland has paid $55,000 to two independent journalists who alleged excessive force by Portland police during a 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstration. An investigation after their lawsuit was filed determined the city risked being found liable, so the City Council opted for an emergency ordinance to avoid a jury trial, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The money for the settlement, which compensates the reporters for injuries, will come from the citys Insurance and Claims Fund. Cory Elia and Lesley McLam were contributing to Village Portland and KBOO Community Radio when they were arrested while live-streaming a protest. After police deployed tear gas into the crowd, Elia was forced to the ground by at least four officers and McLam, who was trying to take Elias phone and press pass for him, was tackled by police, according to the lawsuit. In the suit, Elia said he suffered breathing difficulty from heightened asthma symptoms because of teargas, a head injury, and other maladies. Elia said in a statement that he filed the lawsuit because the suppressive tactics used by the police to silence journalists is not only a violation of the First Amendment, but an attack on the publics right to be informed of the injustices happening in their own community at the hands of those who are sworn to `protect and serve. The lawsuit filed in July 2020 demanded $1 million from the city. It named two John Doe officers as defendants, as well as officers John Bartlett and Michelle Petty. Portland paid $335,000 in 2021 to settle protest-related lawsuits involving police, according to city records. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Oregon News Global market trend 2024-2028 Will extreme heat warnings in effect in 28 STATES affect the market for building cooling tower by Newsintegra927 Will extreme heat warnings in effect in 28 STATES affect the market for building cooling tower ? As Biden refuses to declare a climate emergency, 100 million Americans are enduring searing temperatures The National Weather Service is warning that extreme heat will affect more than 100 million people in the United States this week, with temperatures reaching triple digits in some states and temperature records breaking in many parts of the country. "Temperatures will continue to be above normal across much of the United States through the weekend, with a significant portion of the population remaining under heat-related advisories and warnings," the agency said. Heat warnings and advisories have been issued for 28 states, with central and southern states bearing the brunt of the heat. Emergency medical services in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reported an increase in heat-related emergency calls this year. The city's Emergency Medical Services Authority says it has received nearly 250 calls this year, which usually don't go through until later in the summer. "It's very concerning," the department's Adam Parka told CNN. "Especially because the number of patients being transported suggests that some of those calls were heatstroke, which can be fatal." In the northeast, temperatures held steady above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), and city leaders warned residents to limit outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day. Philadelphia declared a "heat health emergency" on Thursday and set up a "hotline" number for residents experiencing the heat. Boston opened community centers and swimming pools as a place for residents to cool off. "It is clear that climate change is a threat to our health," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said on Wednesday. "I urge everyone to remain calm and safe, and check on your neighbors this week." In Phoenix, the hottest city in the United States, an extreme heat warning was issued Thursday and Friday. Temperatures are expected to reach 113F (45C) on Thursday afternoon and 115F (46C) on Friday afternoon. Heat warnings are issued only when temperatures are above average for the year, and in Phoenix in July, that meant temperatures above 112F. So far this year, the city has broken or equal four daytime highs and nine nighttime lows. The effects of heat are cumulative and bodies only begin to recover when temperatures drop below 80F. The heat wave that swept Europe and Asia this summer will become more intense and prolonged if the climate emergency is not addressed, climate scientists have warned. A study published in May showed that human influence on climate has made certain heat waves in South Asia 30 times more likely. Speaking on the climate crisis in Somerset, Mass., On Wednesday, Joe Biden said global heating was an "emergency," but stopped short of declaring a national emergency, as activists wanted the president to do. Such a statement would allow Biden to block crude oil imports or direct the military to engage in renewable energy production. The White House said a formal emergency declaration was "still under discussion". "It's a clear and present danger, literally," Biden said. "There is a real threat to the health of our citizens and communities." The global cooling tower market is estimated at 2.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach us $2.6 billion by 2026, with a COMPOUND annual growth rate of 4.5%. Growing demand in emerging markets, stringent environmental regulations, increased DEPLOYMENT of HVACR and technological advances are driving demand for building cooling tower cooling towers. Global cooling tower market introduction Cooling towers are heat exchange devices in which water and air are in direct contact to lower the temperature of water. When water and air meet, a small amount of water evaporates, creating a cooling effect. There are various types of cooling towers and not all of them are suitable for use in the end-use industry. Each project is different and requires a specific cooling tower. A recent trend is to use hePA filters in cooling towers instead of traditional sand filters. Growth in the end-use industry is a key factor expected to drive demand for cooling towers during the forecast period. The same goes for building cooling tower . The market for building cooling tower is also expected to grow due to developments in the HVAC, power generation and oil and gas industries. Europe is already the industrialized continent with the most power plants. Cooling towers have been installed in Europe for years. In addition to the shrinkage of new cooling towers, Europe is also seeing a need to replace them. All these factors make Europe the largest cooling tower market in the world. Like Europe, North America is highly industrialized, and demand for new cooling towers and replacement towers will rise. North America is the world's second largest cooling tower market. The Asia-pacific region is the fastest growing market for cooling towers. The building cooling tower market development changes The construction of new power plants fueled by coal (thermal power plant) and natural gas is increasing all over the world, oil, biofuels, waste, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, tidal and so on. This development, together with increased capital expenditure in the oil and gas sector, is driving the number of oil RIGS worldwide and are the two main factors likely to drive growth in the building cooling tower market during the forecast period. building cooling tower are said to be the most prominent type by far. Evaporative cooling towers are expected to occupy the largest market share during the forecast period, followed by dry and hybrid cooling towers. Dry cooling tower is mainly used in places lacking water. As they do not use water and are cost-effective, dry cooling towers are expected to provide profitable opportunities for cooling tower suppliers and manufacturers during the forecast period. Hybrid cooling towers are also growing in popularity because they help reduce heat plumes and reduce the amount of fresh water consumed by factories. As a result, the market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. Regional outlook of global cooling tower market Germany is the largest market for cooling towers in Europe, followed by Italy. In Europe, five countries - Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Poland - account for two-thirds of the cooling tower market. Germany is one of The largest manufacturing powers in Europe, leading to increased demand for cooling towers in the country. In Europe, new demand for cooling towers and replacement of existing cooling towers is driving the market as it matures. Among the rest of Europe, Poland's building cooling tower market recorded double-digit growth of around 25.0%. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to show high growth rates for global building cooling tower . China has the largest number of coal-fired, gas-fired and nuclear power plants among asia-pacific countries. It also has the largest hVAC market in the region. All these factors make China a major cooling tower market in the region. In addition, growing industrial growth is driving demand for cooling towers in India. In Japan, in addition to the need for new cooling towers, there is also a large need to replace cooling towers. The rest of Asia Pacific consists of a variety of smaller cooling tower markets. Impact of COVID-19 on the global cooling tower market Power generation is one of the important consumers of cooling towers, as it requires energy saving, increased efficiency and strengthening of pipes, machinery, tanks and boilers. Most electricity consumption is in the industrial sector, followed by the residential, commercial and service sectors. Demand in the sector declined by about 2.5% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The decline was attributable to lower consumption in the industrial and commercial sectors. Businesses have been forced to close because of government-sponsored lockdowns, social distancing measures and restricted supply chains. However, demand is normalising again, helped by a recovery in economic activity across countries. As a result of the pandemic, demand in the oil and gas industry has dropped significantly. The oil and gas industry has been weak for the past few years as oil prices fell sharply and accelerated from mid-2014. The industry experienced additional shocks in 2019-2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drop in demand caused by the global lockdown have forced major refiners to shut down their operations. Market drivers for building cooling tower Drivers: Increased DEPLOYMENT of HVACR and increased industrial activity The modest growth of the global commercial construction industry, along with accelerated modernization and urbanization in emerging economies, is driving demand for cooling towers. The increased deployment of HVACR is further driving market growth due to increased government investment in building cooling tower industries. Cooling towers are widely used as part of building HVACR systems through which excess heat from the cooler is treated. As a result, the surge in demand for this HVACR equipment in construction and industrial applications is expected to drive the global cooling tower market. Factors such as climate change and technological innovation have driven the adoption of building cooling tower . Changeable and unpredictable weather conditions caused by global warming have also increased the need for cooling towers. Processional Cooling Machinery Manufacturer building cooling tower supplier Wuxi Master Cooling Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a professional manufacturer of water cooling towers and related equipments including cooling tower, chiller, evaporative condenser, water treatment and other accessory parts. Master Cooling products are widely used in electric power, chemical industrial, metallurgy, cooling, light industrial, civil facilities and other fields. We have an excellent scientific research and development team whom onstantly design new products always more efficient and more innovative in order to meet the different needs from different customers. We also have excellent after-sales service team. If you have any questions about the building cooling tower, please feel free to contact us. Send an email to: lilian-mst@hotmail.com Inquery us Products Global Zinc Oxide, Zinc Oxide Overview, Zinc Oxide Application, Zinc Oxide Suppliers, Zinc Oxide Price market trend 2022-2027 Introduction of Zinc Oxide by Newsintegra927 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently called on India and other countries to support sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine incident. At The Raisina Dialogue forum, von der Leyen said, "We earnestly appeal to all members of the international community to support our efforts to achieve lasting peace." Von der Leyen says countries around the world that have been suffering from the virus for two years must now deal with higher food, energy, and fertilizer prices. What is happening in Ukraine will not only determine the future of Europe, but also have profound implications for the rest of the world. Because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the prices of many other commodities like the Zinc Oxide, Zinc Oxide Overview, Zinc Oxide Application, Zinc Oxide Suppliers, Zinc Oxide Price are expected to continue to rise in the future. Overview of Zinc Oxide ZnO Powder Zinc oxide ZnO powder is a famous white pigment, commonly known as zinc white. It has the advantage that it does not turn black in the presence of H2S gas because ZnS is also white. On heating, ZnO gradually changed from white and pale yellow to lemon yellow. After cooling, the yellow color will gradually disappear. Using this property, it can be mixed into paints or added to thermometers to make color-changing paints or thermometers. Because ZnO has astringency and certain bactericidal ability, it is often used as ointment in medicine. ZnO can also be used as a catalyst. Zinc oxide ZnO is used as an additive in many materials and products, including cosmetics, food supplements, rubber, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, coatings, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, food, batteries, Ferrite, flame retardant and most importantly, tape. Physical properties of zinc oxide powder Appearance and Properties: White powder or hexagonal crystal. Odorless, tasteless, no sand. It turns yellow when heated, turns white again after cooling, and sublimates when heated to 1800C. The hiding power is half that of titanium dioxide and zinc sulfide. The tinting strength is twice that of basic lead carbonate. Solubility: soluble in acid, concentrated alkali hydroxide, ammonia and ammonium salt solution, insoluble in water and ethanol. Chemical properties of zinc oxide powder Zinc oxide powder is a famous white pigment, commonly known as zinc white. Its advantage is that it will not turn black when encountering H2S gas, because ZnS is also white. On heating, the ZnO gradually changed from white to pale yellow to lemon yellow. The yellow color will disappear as it cools. Using this property, it can be mixed into paints or added to thermometers to make color-changing paints or color-changing thermometers. Because ZnO has astringency and certain bactericidal ability, it is often used as ointment in medicine. ZnO can also be used as a catalyst. Application of zinc oxide ZnO powder 1. Zinc oxide ZnO is mainly used as a reinforcing agent and activator in the rubber or cable industry, as a colorant and filler for white glue, and as a vulcanizing agent in neoprene. 2. Zinc oxide ZnO for fine desulfurization of feed gas in chemical fertilizer industry 3. Zinc oxide ZnO is mainly used as white pigment, rubber vulcanization activator, organic synthesis catalyst, desulfurizer, for electrostatic copying, pharmaceuticals, etc. 4. Zinc oxide ZnO is used for desulfurization of synthetic ammonia, petroleum and natural gas chemical raw materials 5. Zinc oxide ZnO is used as a matrix for analytical reagents, reference reagents, fluorescent agents and photosensitive materials 6. Zinc oxide ZnO is used for electrostatic wet copying, dry transfer printing, laser fax communication, electronic computer electrostatic recording, electrostatic plate making documents 7. Zinc oxide ZnO is used in plastic industry, sunscreen cosmetics, special ceramic products, special functional coatings and textile hygiene processing. 8. Zinc oxide ZnO is widely used in the deep desulfurization and purification process of industrial raw materials such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen production. 9. Zinc oxide is used as an astringent, used to make ointments or plasters 10. Zinc oxide ZnO is used as a white pigment for printing and dyeing, papermaking, matches and pharmaceutical industries. In the rubber industry, it is used as a vulcanization activator, reinforcing agent and colorant for natural rubber, synthetic rubber and latex. It is also used in the manufacture of chrome yellow zinc, zinc acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc chloride and other pigments. In addition, it is also used in the manufacture of electronic laser materials, phosphors, feed additives, catalysts, magnetic materials, and as zinc supplements in feed processing. Zinc oxide ZnO powder price Zinc oxide The price of zinc oxide powder will change randomly with the production cost of zinc oxide powder, transportation cost, international situation, market supply and demand and other factors. Tanki New Materials Co.,Ltd aims to help various 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 Zinc Oxide Zinc Oxide Powder, please feel free to send an inquiry to get the latest price of Zinc Oxide Zinc Oxide Powder. Zinc Oxide ZnO Powder Supplier As a global zinc oxide ZnO powder supplier, 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), high-purity target materials, functional ceramics and structural devices, and provides OEM services. Zinc Oxide ZnO powder Properties Other Names Oxozinc, Zinc White, Zinc monoxide, Zinci Oxydum, Flowers of zinc, Zincoid, Amalox, Ziradryl, Zincum, Oxydatum, Emanay zinc oxide, zinc, oxo-, Zinci Oxicum, Ketozinc, Nogenol, Permanent White CAS No. 1314-23-4 Compound Formula ZnO Molecular Weight 81.37 Appearance White Powder Melting Point 1,975 C (3,587 F) Solubility in water N/A Density 5600 kg/m3 Purity 99.50% Particle Size 20nm-200nm Boling point 2,360 C (4,280 F) Specific Heat N/A Thermal Conductivity N/A Thermal Expansion N/A Young's Modulus N/A Exact Mass 79.9241 g/mol Monoisotopic Mass 79.924061 Da Zinc Oxide ZnO powder Health & Safety Information Safety Warning Warning Hazard Statements N/A Flashing point N/A Hazard Codes H410 Risk Codes N/A Safety Statements N/A RTECS Number ZH4810000 Transport Information UN 3077 9 / PGIII WGK Germany 2 The Free Trade Agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has come into force on. The UAE is the gateway to the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, said Subramaniam, a senior official at India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The agreement will help boost bilateral trade in goods from $60 billion a year now to $100 billion a year within five years. On 18 February 2022, India and the United Arab Emirates signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. With the entry into force of the agreement, 90 percent of Indian goods and 65 percent of UAE goods will enjoy tariff-free market access. Apart from its FTA with the UAE, India is also pursuing FTAs with Australia, the UK, Canada, Israel, the European Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Influenced by international situations, the supply and prices of many Zinc Oxide, Zinc Oxide Overview, Zinc Oxide Application, Zinc Oxide Suppliers, Zinc Oxide Price are still very uncertain. Inquery us Comment by UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on raid on Sri Lanka protest camp We are alarmed by the unnecessary use of force reportedly employed by Sri Lankas security forces to break up a protest camp near presidential offices in Colombo only hours before the protesters indicated that it was due to be dismantled. We condemn the reports of beatings of protesters, journalists and lawyers. In the early hours of Friday, when most of the protesters were sleeping, an estimated 2,000 security personnel, including police and military, stormed the area and tore down their tents. The security forces allegedly beat protesters and at least 48 people were injured. Protesters were not allowed to leave the protest site for several hours and those who were injured could not receive medical attention. It was reported that security forces attacked journalists and lawyers, especially those trying to record the events or carrying cameras or phones, and at least two were arrested. At least four journalists were beaten and assaulted by the security forces. Two have been hospitalized. Property belonging to the protesters, including tents, IT equipment and kitchen items were destroyed or confiscated. According to the Bar Association, two lawyers were assaulted by the security forces. Journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders have a right to monitor and report on the demonstrations and therefore should be protected in the exercise of these functions and not obstructed in any way. The use of force against peaceful protesters runs contrary to international law, and we urge authorities to immediately halt the use of such force. Under applicable international law, gatherings can only be dispersed in exceptional cases, with use of force as a last resort where absolutely necessary and proportionate to the lawful objective sought. We have concerns that the raid on the camp sends a chilling message to peaceful protesters, including elsewhere in the country. Everyone has the right to peacefully demonstrate and to publicly express their frustration over the economic and political crisis, and the effect that it is having on their livelihoods and their families wellbeing. Sri Lankas economic and political crises cannot be resolved by force. Only through broad consultations and dialogue, can Sri Lankans start rebuilding trust with the support of the international community. We hope the new President and his government will address impunity to bring genuine structural and institutional reforms for the benefit of all Sri Lankans. Hey dude, so Im from the richest family in Ballintemple, measured by the number of times I had to use a bank draft to buy a pair of designer sunglasses. So myself and my man Bryan with a y are due to fly out to Mallorca this weekend we booked the row behind us and in front of us as well, so we dont have to sit near people who pronounce it Majorka. There will be none of them in the resort, for sure its so exclusive, you cant pronounce it unless you went to private school. Theres just one problem I have a touch of Covid. Its a really chilled strain of Covid just to be clear, I feel a bit light-headed but in an enjoyable kind of way. I told Bryan with a y and he was like, dude, stay in Cork if you like, thats just more trust fund babes in the queue for Bryan with a y. So, like, no, ya feel me? I havent spent the last two years cooped up in Ireland with trainee mechanics from Athlone just so that Bryan with a y can get a clear run at some of the most thoughtful hot babes in Europe. Im here going Ed, you belong in Mallorca dude, surrounded by people who never have to make their own lunch just get on that plane and say nothing. Anything wrong with that? Ed, Ballintemple. Sorry, I cant deal with this. I still get itchy when I think about catching something off someone in Mallorca. Cmere, whats the story with getting a separate weather forecast for Cork on RTE? Like, its bad enough that we have to watch the backward langballs from Limerick and Kerry enjoying Croke Park on successive Sundays but then they make us watch the rest of the country enjoying a heatwave while were down here with a lily-livered 23 degrees. I was watching the news with Budgie during the week, and it was all these gobshites in Dublin with 99s melting out of the cone, and down over their hands. Budgie was shouting, Ye need to eat it faster than that, ye gomies, which I felt was missing the point. I said, Budgie, this is anti-Cork propaganda from RTE, goading us for our half-arsed heatwave down south while theyre total Bahamas up in Dublin come on like, we pay our TV license as well! He said whats a TV license, so I gave up. But I have a point, dont I? Can you ring RTE there, and ask them to give Cork its own weather forecast? Dowcha Donie, Blackpool. RTE is a bit Dublin-centric in fairness. I rang them there and this young one with a south county Dublin accent answered the phone. I said, why dont ye have a weather forecast for Cork? She said, I toe-dally think its not even in Ireland babes, but Ill check with my boss, who is also my brother. Hello, its Rosealeen here in Ballydesmond. Its summer festival time here again in north Cork and no, I wouldnt advise anyone to make a day out of it at Queen of the Silage in Knocknagree. But there is one blasted festival that exists to mock the good women of north Cork, and that is a beauty festival in Scartaglin called Scart for Skirt. The awkward truth for people like myself, is that most of the slack-jawed gobshite men up here are foolish for the women of Scartaglin. Never mind that said women have a prenup to make sure that any children will play for Kerry instead of Cork the only men available in north Cork are the ones who failed to find a wife in Scartaglin. Well, bad cess to that anyway I said to Berna the other night, its time we held a beauty contest in the town to advertise our wares. Things can move quickly when Berna is on the old Aperol Spritz, and by God isnt there a beauty festival on the cards for downtown Ballydesmond this coming Sunday, before the match. What do you think we should call it? Rosealeen, Ballydesmond. I rang my friend Straight Talking Sandra and said, give me a word to describe a beauty festival in north Cork. She said, brief. Its getting vicious on our WhatsApp group, Douglas Road Stunners Whose Kids Jump Off the Poshest Pier in Cork. Fifi_200QuidBirkenstock started it all with an Instagram post of her kids jumping off a pier in Ballycotton. East Cork, we all said to her, and the last I heard shes moving to Bishopstown in total disgrace. Shiv_AmazingCheekBones said she knows this amazing place just before Schull, totes off the grid, you go down there and its wall-2-wall Cork royalty, Range Rovers up the yazoo. Were all begging her for the address but shes like back off bee-atches, Im hardly going to hand over the hottest spot in west Cork to a fellow Douglas Road Stunner. I know youre from Ballinlough Audrey, but surely you know someone who knows someone, I really have to find that pier. Jenni, Douglas Road. I rang the Posh Cousin and asked would Cork royalty mind if a Douglas type turned up at their pier? She said not at all, theyre always looking for someone else to look after their kids. People eligible for a once-in-a-generation scheme for undocumented migrants in Ireland have been urged to apply before next weeks deadline. Approximately 7,000 applications have been made to the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme since it opened in January. The once-off scheme, which closes to new applications on July 31, gives long-term undocumented people without current permission to remain in Ireland the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market, and begin their path to citizenship. Successful applicants would have the chance to be able to work and get paid at least the minimum wage, get a driving licence, be permitted to visit home, and return to Ireland. Really proud to publish this timely report. Many thanks to all who contributed to this research! @EMNIreland @Emma_M_Quinn @ESRIDublin https://t.co/VfexIV4Xz8 Michal Polakowski (@MichalPolakows1) May 24, 2022 Estimates suggested that as many as 17,000 could be eligible under the scheme, which was open to both individuals and families. It costs 550 for an individual application and 700 for a family. Just 1,300 have seen their applications granted so far. None of the applications assessed so far were deemed unsuccessful or invalid. Between this strand of the scheme and those for those engaged in the direct provision system, 2,300 applications have been approved. A study published by the ESRI in May suggested that the scheme could significantly reduce the number of undocumented migrants living in Ireland. However, that same study said that significant challenges would remain despite this policy, both for the undocumented who dont avail of the scheme and those who will be undocumented in the future. Study co-author Micha Polakowski said: The Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme presents an important opportunity for undocumented migrants to join Irish society, to live and work here legally, and to access services. However, undocumented stays are likely to continue in the future," he said. "Going forward, it is important that all efforts are made to avoid people falling into this vulnerable situation. "Also, in cases where a migrants residence becomes undocumented, care should be taken to ensure they are not afraid to access basic services. A former Irish soldier found guilty of being a member of the so-called Islamic State (IS) is due to appear before a Dublin court on Friday for sentencing. Ex-Defence Forces member Lisa Smith, 40, was found guilty in May of membership of the IS terror group but was acquitted of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country. The Co Louth woman had pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of IS and providing funds to benefit the group. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, 40, is due to be sentenced (Niall Carson/PA) She was granted bail ahead of sentencing. Smith, from Dundalk, was described in court earlier this month as an extremely vulnerable person who was treated like a servant by her late husband when in Syria. The details emerged during a sentencing hearing on July 11 as her barrister argued that the former soldier should receive a suspended sentence. During the hearing, barrister Michael OHiggins SC argued that the state of Ms Smiths marriage to a man, who the prosecution has claimed was a member of IS while in Syria, is a very relevant factor in mitigation. Mr OHiggins said that conditions endured by Ms Smith in a Syrian camp, combined with the strict bail conditions imposed on her for two-and-a-half years in Ireland, meant that a suspended sentence was warranted. The court heard that after leaving Baghuz, Ms Smith stayed at the Al Hawl camp from February to mid-April in an undercurrent of fear, with guards patrolling the area and dogs let out at night. Her barrister argued that if those two arguments are not accepted, there should be a sentence on the lower end, particularly considering Ms Smiths child and all of the very unusual circumstances. The verdict in the case was read out by Mr Justice Tony Hunt on May 30. In his judgment Justice Hunt, who sat as part of the three-judge court, acquitted her of the financing terrorism charge, saying it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that when she sent 800 to a man in 2015 it was specifically for the purpose of supporting the IS group. But the judge said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Smith took up membership of IS when she crossed the border into Syria in October 2015. He told the court that Ms Smiths online communications with various people showed that her eyes were wide open to the situation in the land to which she fervently wished to return. Justice Hunt said Ms Smith pledged allegiance to the organisation which al-Baghdadi headed up and that she knew the organisation was unlawful, and that it was not conventional or religious. A former Dublin minor hurler who was caught in possession of 2.7 million worth of cocaine and cannabis in 2014 has been jailed for nine years. Patrick Casey (35) fled the country after he managed to evade gardai in the wake of a high-speed chase eight years ago, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Friday. Just over 700,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine was found in his car, while just under 2 million worth of the same drugs was seized when gardai raided his home in Raheny, Sergeant James Muldowney told John Moher BL, prosecuting. Casey, with an address at The Cornmill Apartments, Distillery Road, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply at Marigold Ave, Darndale and Tonlegee Road, Raheny on March 7, 2014. He has eight previous convictions, including a drug-dealing conviction for which he was jailed when he was 20. Dean Kelly SC, defending, told the court that his client was an underage hurler and footballer and played for the Dublin minor hurling team as a teenager, but that a drug habit ended his sporting career. After he fled to the UK in the wake of this incident in 2014, Casey weaned himself off drugs and started a new life, working full-time and becoming a father to two children. Mr Kelly said Casey was in fear of a certain individual who was murdered in 2020 and that he then felt safe to return to Ireland. He was arrested in July 2021 and has been in custody since. Today's sentencing Sentencing him on Friday, Judge Martin Nolan said it was clear Casey was involved in transporting and distributing a huge amount of drugs. The judge noted Casey had a prior conviction for drug-dealing. He noted that although Casey fled the jurisdiction, he also rehabilitated himself while in London and started a new life. He is capable of reform and he has abilities, the judge said. He handed down a sentence of nine years. Sgt Muldowney told the sentence hearing that in 2014, gardai were carrying out a drugs operation in the Coolock area and Casey was put under surveillance. On the day in question, he was observed putting black bags into the boot of his car and driving off. When pursued by gardai, Casey initially pulled over but then accelerated away from the scene. The chase ended when he crashed into a wall. Casey then fled the scene, managing to evade gardai and he left the country. Mr Kelly told the court that his client had a troubled childhood and an abusive father, but managed to do well in school and sport until he started taking drugs as a teenager. He was jailed for eight years in 2007 for a drugs-related offence, although this was later reduced by the Court of Appeal to five years with the final two years suspended, the court heard. Defence counsel said prison had a devastating effect on Casey and he emerged from jail with a drug addiction. After he fled to London, he went off drugs cold turkey and managed to turn his life around, the court heard. Since his return to Ireland in 2020 he has been involved in his local GAA club, the court heard. Mr Kelly handed in a number of testimonials to the court, including one from the club, which described him as being a committed and honest member of the team. President Michael D Higgins should reject the Governments electoral reform bill, which is in breach of EU law, Sinn Fein has said. Commenting on the Irish Examiner story that the EU Commission has concluded that major parts of the bill are not compliant with existing rules, Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin said Housing Minister Darragh OBrien has placed the president in an invidious position. With the legislation due to be signed into law in the coming days, Mr O Broin said on Thursday that the bill, which was guillotined by the Government and which was subject to a significant number of last-minute changes, was defective and needs to be rejected. I am very conscious of not telling the president what to do, but I would be urging him to send this bill back to the Oireachtas for further work in light of the serious failings in the bill, he said. Mr O Broin said there were potentially more concerns to be raised by Europe as another section of the bill, part 5, includes harsher regulations about political misinformation than the ones already found to be in breach of EU laws. The Taoiseach has denied a shortened Dail debate led to an EU rebuke of the Electoral Reform Bill. The bill, which seeks to overhaul rules around Irish elections and advertising among other things, was voted through last week in a guillotined debate. However, the European Commission has found three sections of the bill relating to political advertising are not compliant with Articles 14 and 15 of the EUs ecommerce directive. Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin: 'I am very conscious of not telling the president what to do, but I would be urging him to send this bill back to the Oireachtas for further work in light of the serious failings in the bill.' Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie Speaking in Singapore, Micheal Martin said he did not believe the shortening of the debate played a part in the commission's opinion. "It wasn't overlooked because the European Union has been drawing up its own codes of practice and standards in relation to this. "This is protecting our democracy as we have seen in other democracies. How the whole social media revolution, how the manipulation of data utilisation, data analytics, algorithms and so on, can affect referendums can affect elections. "It is challenging, a balance has to be arrived at but there is a mechanism whereby consultation has to take place with the European Commission. That consultation will take place." Mr Martin said the Government would outline its position ahead of the August 5 deadline but he is confident the Government was in compliance with EU law. "We will engage with the EU as we have to with all legislation, particularly legislation that may affect the market, for example. In some instances, we have to engage with the European Union. And we believe issues can be resolved." In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, a spokesperson for President Higgins said the president, when considering any piece of legislation before, him gives careful consideration to his constitutional duties. Article 26.1.1. of Bunreacht na hEireann states: "The President may, after consultation with the Council of State, refer any Bill to which this Article applies to the Supreme Court for a decision on the question as to whether such Bill or any specified provision or provisions of such Bills is or are repugnant to this Constitution or to any provision thereof." In response, a spokeswoman for Mr O'Brien told the Irish Examiner that the relevant sections of the Act will only be commenced in tandem with EU law. She said there is continued engagement with the EU Commission in relation to the legislation and that "will continue over the coming weeks." Consultation periods are ongoing on Parts 4 and 5 of the bill with Europe. "This provides an opportunity for stakeholders and the European Commission to provide comments or observations on the relevant provisions in the Bill. Any comments or observations arising from consultation process can be considered in advance of the commencements of Parts 4 and 5," the department said. In response, a spokeswoman for Mr O'Brien told the Irish Examiner that the relevant sections of the Act will only be commenced in tandem with EU law. She said there is continued engagement with the EU Commission in relation to the legislation and that "will continue over the coming weeks." Consultation periods are ongoing on Parts 4 and 5 of the bill with Europe. "This provides an opportunity for stakeholders and the European Commission to provide comments or observations on the relevant provisions in the Bill. Any comments or observations arising from consultation process can be considered in advance of the commencements of Parts 4 and 5," the department said. The European Commission found parts of the Governments Electoral Reform Bill rammed through the Oireachtas last week, were incompatible with European law directives on online advertising. Mr OBrien has been criticised by the opposition for the grossly irresponsible manner in which the legislation was guillotined last week, even though the commission issued its judgment on July 5. The Government has until August 5 to respond to this detailed opinion and is obliged to inform the commission of the action it intends to take to rectify this situation. Should the Irish Government not comply or should the draft text be adopted without account being taken of the above objections, the commission may commence proceedings, the judgment stated. Commentary ASEAN Envoy Dreams of Suu Kyis Nonviolence as Path to Peace in Myanmar Myanmar's regime chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (center) shakes hands with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (left), ASEANs special envoy to Myanmar, in Naypyitaw on June 30, 2022. / AFP It is deeply disappointing to see that seven months into his tenure as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)s Special Envoy for post-coup, conflict-ridden Myanmar, and after two visits, Prak Sokhonn still fails to grasp the reality of the situation in the country whose political crisis he is tasked with mediating. His naivety was thrown into stark relief in an interview with Channel News Asia in which he said he hoped to use the influence of Myanmars detained popular leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to end the violence in the country, which has been devastated by the impacts of last years military coup. Since the military takeover, the Southeast Asian country has slipped into a situation that some UN experts are already describing as a civil war. The regime is holding Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose influence the envoy wants to use, in solitary confinement in a prison, and has so far killed more than 2,000 people simply for rejecting military rule in their country. Backed by popular support, anti-regime armed resistance has mushroomed into a rebellion on a scale the country has not seen since its independence in 1948, and which has managed to inflict impressive casualties on the junta. In the interview, Prak Sokhonn said he would ask Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her views on how her political influence could be used to create a political process and political dialogue that could lead to peace and reconciliation. Another point would be to ask her how her principle of nonviolence could influence all the armed factions in order to stop violence, he said. The envoy has been to the country twice, and denied permission by the junta to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi both times, so it seems he is putting the cart before the horse. He said he would travel to the country for a third time in September and, if he is able to meet her, would seek to use her influence to end the violence. Aware of the Nobel Laureates advocacy of non-violent tactics against the countrys previous military regimes, as well as her unwavering popular support and continued status as the leader of a democratically elected governmenther ouster and detention by the junta notwithstandingthe envoy appears to have decided this is the best approach, believing that a majority of Myanmar will listen when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speaks. Prak Sokhonn seems to assume that Daw Aung Suu Kyi would not approve of the ongoing bloody armed resistance against the regime because it is not in line with her peaceful principles, and he may believe he can persuade Myanmars popular leader to come out and say to the countrys nearly 100,000 resistance fighters, most of whom are in their 20s, OK. Thats enough boys and girls. Drop your guns and go back home. Its time to talk! If that is really what you think will happen, Prak Sokhonn, then you are daydreaming. As shown by their effusive celebrations of her 76th birthday recently, many resistance fightersmost of whom who are young enough to be her grandchildrenstill have the highest respect for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But that doesnt mean that they would follow an instruction from her, in the current context, to lay down their arms. They are determined to get rid of the regime for the sake of their lives and their country, whatever the cost, while she is locked up by the junta. More importantly, their determination to topple the regime by any means is fully backed by the majority of Myanmars people across the country. As someone who has always respected the peoples wishes, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wouldnt dare to defy the popular will. If she did, she would be signing her political death warrant. Furthermore, it should be noted that the resistance movement has been raging for more than a year. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been aware of it since her days in house arrest last year. But she has kept tightlipped about the issue. Her silence has left regime leader Min Aung Hlaing jittery; he even said in December that she could keep up to date about the ongoing political situation, including the establishment of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) and the violence that has wracked the country, from her legal team, adding, She has a chance to comment on the unfolding issues via her lawyers. The NUG, which was formed by ousted elected lawmakers and their ethnic allies to challenge the regimes legitimacy at home and abroad, appointed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as its State Counselor. , Given that the resistance fighters, known collectively as the Peoples Defense Force (PDF), are under the NUGs command, the ASEAN envoy may see the State Counselors position within the shadow government as a reason to believe that any order from her would be implemented. Sadly for Prak Sokhonn, the NUG gave its blessing to the PDFs operations from the outset, urging the people to revolt against the rule of the military terrorists led by Min Aung Hlaing in every corner of the country last September. Nearly one year on, the resistance remains unwavering and the NUG said it wont reverse course. Its evident that the ASEAN envoy is taking his cues from the junta. During his second trip to Myanmar earlier this month, he was told by the junta that they would engage in peace talks only when the resistance groups show they have no intention to destroy the junta-run government and must not have any intention to replace the government. He told CNA, I said [to the regime], well, at least the door is open. Conditions can be negotiated at a later stage, adding that what we have achieved so far is already encouraging. For Myanmars people, who have already endured more than one year of brutal military rule, the conditions set by the regime are anything but encouraging, and serve only ensure the maintenance of the military dictatorship. So, the conditions relayed by the envoy are merely sick jokes to the Myanmar people, who remain determined to rid the country of military rule, whatever it takes. So far, all Prak Sokhonn has achieved is to relay the juntas one-sided conditions to the world, while trying to persuade the resistance to give up. Given the juntas ongoing atrocities, including extrajudicial killings and using airstrikes against civilians, as well as torching their properties, it appears the Cambodian deputy prime minister has made little progress in getting the regime to halt these tactics. Perhaps he fears that putting pressure on the regime would threaten his countrys economic interests in Myanmar. Recently, Cambodia asked Myanmar to look into stepping up purchases of some of the Kingdoms most important agricultural products. Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak made the request at a meeting with Myanmar Ambassador to Cambodia Thit Linn Ohn at the ministry last week. The Phnom Penh Post reported that Pan Sorasak recommended Myanmar mull over the prospect of buying more Cambodian mangoes, dried bananas, avocados, cashew nuts, sweet potatoes, chillies, sesame seeds, palm sugar and longan and rambutanall of which are locally available in Myanmar. Cambodias approach to mediating peaceaccepting everything the regime says while trying to make some extra cash selling it chillies and other goods already abundant in Myanmaris nothing if not unique. All in all, envoy Prak Sokhonn has proved to be a good listener to the regime while remaining deaf to popular sentiment and utterly failing to grasp the reality on the ground in Myanmar. The humanitarian assistance he has been trying to deliver remains a distant dream for tens of thousands of people displaced by the regimes raids and its tactic of burning villages in anti-regime strongholds. His plan to use Daw Aung San Suu Kyis influence to stop resistance fighting is an utter fantasy. If the aim of his forthcoming trip is only to listen to what the junta says, he would be better off not wasting his time. It would be more beneficial to spend his time brainstorming creative ways to sell more dried bananas to the regime. Burma Myanmars Rohingya Genocide Case Can Proceed, Top UN Court Rules Rohingya refugees who were stranded after leaving Myanmar walk towards the Balukhali refugee camp after crossing the border in Bangladesh's Ukhia district on November 3, 2017. / AFP THE HAGUE, NetherlandsThe UNs highest court ruled on Friday that a landmark case accusing military-ruled Myanmar of genocide against minority Rohingya Muslims can go ahead. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague threw out all of Myanmars objections to a case filed by the west African nation of Gambia in 2019. The decision paves the way for full hearings at the court on allegations over majority-Buddhist Myanmars bloody 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya. ICJ president Joan Donoghue said the tribunal finds that it has jurisdiction to entertain the application filed by the republic of the Gambia, and that the said application is admissible. Hundreds of thousands of minority Rohingya fled the Southeast Asian country during the operation five years ago, bringing with them harrowing reports of murder, rape and arson. Around 850,000 Rohingya are languishing in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh while another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmars southwestern Rakhine state. Myanmar was originally represented at the ICJ by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but she was ousted as civilian leader in a coup last year and is now in detention. Mainly-Muslim Gambia filed the case in November 2019 alleging that Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Myanmars arguments rejected Myanmar had argued on several grounds that the court had no jurisdiction in the matter, and should dismiss the case while it is still in its preliminary stages. But judges unanimously rejected Myanmars argument that Gambia was acting as a proxy of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the case. Only states, and not organizations, are allowed to file cases at the ICJ, which has ruled on disputes between countries since just after World War II. They also unanimously dismissed Myanmars assertions that Gambia could not file the case because it was not a direct party to the alleged genocide, and that Myanmar had opted out of a relevant part of the genocide convention. Finally they threw out by 15-1 Myanmars claim that there was no formal dispute at the time Gambia filed the case, and that the court therefore had no jurisdiction. It could however take years for full hearings and a final judgment in the case. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared in March that the Myanmar militarys violence against the Rohingya amounted to genocide. The International Criminal Court, a war crimes tribunal based in The Hague, has also launched an investigation into the violence against the Rohingya. Burma Rakhine Civilians Rounded Up After Arakan Army Attacks Myanmar Junta Myanmars junta troops on patrol at the Bangladesh border in Maungdaw in 2016. / The Irrawaddy Myanmars regime has been arresting civilians and searching villages in Maungdaw on the Bangladesh border in Rakhine State, following an Arakan Army (AA) attack this week, according to residents. The regime suffered heavy casualties and 14 border police were captured in the fighting on Monday in Maungdaw. The regime has since detained four residents, including a village administrator. Villagers are panicking since the administrator was detained. Some have fled for fear that they might be wrongly arrested. Roads are virtually deserted in northern Maungdaw, a resident told The Irrawaddy. On Thursday, residents fled as junta troops searched houses in Thinbaw Hla village. Villagers in northern Maungdaw dare not go to their farms and into forests where they look for produce to make a living, said Maungdaw residents. U Maung Ohn, a former Rakhine State parliament lawmaker from Maungdaw, said: Villagers now stay in groups where they think are safe. On Wednesday in a pre-dawn raid, troops arrested three Kyein Chaung villagers, including the administrator, about 10km from where Mondays clash took place, said their relatives. On the same day, the Thinbaw Hla administrator U Maung Sein Tun and Tharyargon village head U Ba Thein were summoned to meet junta forces. U Maung Sein Tun returned home in the evening but relatives have lost contact with U Ba Thein. In a statement on Thursday, the AA accused the regime of imprisoning residents on trumped-up charges. Regime checkpoints on roads and at jetties check peoples phones to justify arrests, the AA said. Troops search houses and seize devices to look for anything related to the AA, for anti-regime social media posts and to inspect photos and videos, said the AA statement. The AA told residents to avoid unnecessary travel and regularly clear their phones. Burma Resistance Ambushes Kill or Injure Nearly 100 Soldiers in Myanmar Anti-Regime Strongholds Resistance fighters from Myohla People's Defense Force in Kachin State. / Myohla PDF Numerous Myanmar junta troops were reportedly killed or injured in fighting in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kachin and Shan states on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday afternoon, Myohla Peoples Defense Force (PDF) in Kachin State ambushed infantry troops from Battalion 601 in Shwegu Township, according to the resistance group and the Kachin media. The group claimed to have killed or injured around 30 soldiers while a PDF leader was killed. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports. A resistance fighter told the media that the regime suffered heavy losses in its ambush. Regime forces faced ambushes and attacks in Kale and Sagaing townships in Sagaing Region on Thursday and Friday. On Friday morning, PDFs raided a rural junta camp in Sagaing Township, said Zero Guerrilla Force from Myingyan Township in Mandalay Region that took part in the raid. After over two hours of fighting, nine soldiers and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members were killed, the group claimed. Ko Aung Ko Zin, 24, a PDF marksman who had killed more than 140 regime troops in previous ambushes and clashes, was killed on Friday, the group said. In eight hours of fighting in Kale Township on Thursday, 10 regime soldiers, including an army captain, were killed, according to resistance groups. Ranger Kalay Defense Force, which was involved in the attack, said one of its fighters killed a regime solider in the fighting. Kale PDF, which coordinated the ambush, said soldiers burned their comrades dead bodies after the resistance groups retreated without suffering any casualties. On Thursday, around 30 regime soldiers were killed or injured when PDFs used four cluster mines to ambush several hundred troops at Salin in Minbu Township, Magwe Region. After sustaining heavy casualties, the troops retreated and the PDFs warned residents to be aware of revenge raids. Three regime soldiers were killed and a PDF member suffered minor injuries on Wednesday morning when the same group of around 400 troops raided a PDF camp in Minbu Township. Afterward, troops also raided villages and residents fled their homes. On Thursday morning, around 10 junta soldiers were killed when PDFs used landmines to ambush an estimated 100 troops traveling to raid villages in the south of Pauk Township, Magwe Region, said the Young Revolution Front, which was involved in the ambush. On Thursday evening Pekon PDF and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force raided a junta camp on a hill in Pekon Township, southern Shan State. During an hour of fighting, nine regime soldiers were killed or injured and no resistance fighters were hurt, said Pekon PDF. Resistance fighters retreated amid junta shelling from Pekon town, which led to villagers leaving their homes, the group said. Regime forces are facing daily attacks and ambushes from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations across the country. Guest Column Myanmar Militarys Long History of Electoral Fraud A voter in Yangon shows off her ink-stained finger revealing that she has just voted in the November 2020 general election. / The Irrawaddy If Myanmars military dictator, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is to be believed, elections will possibly be held sometime next year. After overthrowing a democratically elected government and, according to United Nations data, killing at least 1,500 pro-democracy demonstrators and activists and detaining and arresting almost another 8,800, as well as forcing over a million people to become both internal and external refugees, it would be hard for anyone to take such assurances seriously. The only takers would be some of Myanmars partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), which in any case is a ten-member bloc mostly made up of undemocratic regimes. To get a better understanding of what the Senior General and his cohorts are up to, it would also be useful to examine Myanmars electoral history since the military first seized power in a coup in 1962. For the first twelve years, Myanmar was ruled by a Revolutionary Council made up of senior army officers. Then, in December 1973, a referendum was held on a new constitution. However, the voting hardly met any acceptable, democratic standard. There were two boxes in the polling booths, a white one for the yes-votes and a black for the no-votes. The two boxes were hidden behind a screen, but placed in different corners of the polling booth and there was a 15-20cm wide gap between the ground and the screen, so officials could easily see how people voted. Even so, some voters managed to cast their ballots in the no-box but, hardly surprisingly, the authorities announced that 90.19 per cent had approved the new constitution and it was promulgated on January 3, 1974. Elections were held in January and February 1974 but, according to the new constitution, Myanmar had become a one-party state so all 451 contested seats were won by the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) with an officially declared 94.61 per cent turnout. The number of members of the Pyithu Hluttaw, or the legislative Peoples Assembly, fluctuated somewhat, so that the BSPP won 464 of 464 contested seats in 1978, 475 out of 475 in 1981 and 489 out of 489 in 1985. Elections were also supposed to have taken place in parts of the country which were not even controlled by the government, but held by various armed rebel movements. Then came the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, which was brutally crushed and led to the formation of a new junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). But, to the surprise of many, the one-party system was abolished and then junta chief General Saw Maung promised to hold what he termed free and fair elections. The BSPP had been transformed into a new pro-military entity, the National Unity Party (NUP), and the generals probably overestimated its importance and popularity. I remember meeting Ye Htut, a SLORC information officer, in January 1989 and he told me that you foreigners believe that the NLD has widespread popular support. They may have some followers in urban areas, but in the countryside, the people support us. The NLD, or the National League for Democracy, was formed after the August-September 1988 uprising and soon became the main force for a restoration of the democracy that Myanmar had enjoyed prior to the 1962 coup. Robert Taylor, a Western academic and well-known defender of successive authoritarian Myanmar regimes, expressed the same view in a lengthy article in the March 1990 issue of Current History: Many observers feel that it (the NUP) will do well in the election. The argument at the time was that the NLD may be strong in urban areas, whereas in the countryside people would vote for the devil they know. Elections were held on May 27, 1990 and it was a landslide victory for the NLD. It captured 392 of 485 contested seats, in urban as well as rural areas, while the NUP got a mere 10 seats. It may be argued that the NUP, after all, got a bit over 20 per cent of the popular vote, but only a tiny fraction of the seats because Myanmar elections are not proportional. But no matter how one looks at it, the NUP was routed and the military had to create an entirely new political platform, that, in 1993, became the Union Solidarity and Development Association, which was renamed the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in 2010. But, in 1990, the wrong party had won so the rules had to change. On July 27, two months after the election, the SLORC issued Announcement 1/90 declaring that only the junta has the right to legislative power and that the representatives elected by the people would merely be responsible for drafting a new constitution for a future democratic state. Within days of the announcement, Myanmars military intelligence service which is more of secret police force than an actual intelligence service launched a massive campaign against elected NLD MPs. By the end of the year, 65 had been arrested, nearly a dozen had fled to neighboring countries such as Thailand and India, and many resigned voluntarily. The elected Pyithu Hluttaw was never convened. Instead, about 100 of the 485 MPs elected were to sit in a National Convention together with 600 other, non-elected representatives who had been handpicked by the military to draft a new constitution. Eighteen years later, in April 2008, that task was eventually completed and a referendum was held. As expected by most serious observers of the political scene in Myanmar, it turned out to be blatantly fraudulent. The ruling junta, now renamed the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), announced that the constitution had been approved by 92.4 per cent of voters, claiming a 99 per cent turnout in the regions where voting had taken place. However, in some constituencies, it was reported that more than 100 per cent of voters had approved of the new constitution which had to be corrected to give the new constitution at least a semblance of credibility. After the referendum, a general election followed in November 2010, which, again, every serious observer agrees was also rigged. The USDP won a landslide victory, capturing a solid majority in both the upper and lower houses of the new parliament. In addition, a quarter of all seats in both chambers were reserved for the military, and thus not even elected. A new civilian government was formed consisting mainly of military officers who had replaced their uniforms with civilian clothes. The new president, U Thein Sein, a former general, had previously served as a military-appointed prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and as first secretary of the SPDC. U Thein Seins government did, however, order the release of political prisoners and allowed parties, including the NLD, to operate openly. Press censorship was lifted and new civil society organizations were formed. The notion that Myanmar was going through a transition to a civilian-based system of government became widespread, at least among foreign observers. The U Thein Sein government also initiated a peace process whereby the countrys ethnic armed organizations were invited to talks with the new government and the military. As a result, U Thein Sein was hailed in the Western media as Myanmars Gorbachev leading the country toward a better future. That impression was strengthened when the NLD won a landslide victory in the November 2015 election capturing 255 of 330 contested seats in the Lower House and 135 of 168 contested seats in the Upper House. The USDP won only 30 and 11 seats respectively. In addition, 56 seats in the Upper House and 110 in the Lower were appointed by the military. The military accepted the outcome of the 2015 election and the NLD was allowed to form a new government but only after the old dictator and SPDC Chairman, Senior General Than Shwe, had intervened and sent not an army officer but his non-political and popular-music loving grandson, Nay Shwe Thway Aung, better known as Phoe La Pyae, as his personal intermediary. The NLD scored another, even bigger, victory in November 2020, winning 258 seats in the Upper House and 138 in the Lower. Once again, the USDP suffered a humiliating defeat, winning just 26 seats in the Upper House and 7 in the Lower. A second NLD victory was more than the military could accept, and the generals began talking about voter fraud while international and domestic poll watchers insisted that the 2020 election was largely free and fair. The NLD was about to form a second government when the military stepped in on February 1 last year and arrested the entire cabinet, including President U Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. What has happened since then is well documented. Myanmar has entered a new era of its decades-long civil war. Now armed ethnic Bamar groups, as well as ethnic minority rebels, are fighting military regime troops, and the new junta, the State Administration Council (SAC), has unleashed an almost unprecedented reign of terror across the country to prove its point, that the 2020 election was marred with fraud contrary to what everybody else has been saying. Only a complete fool can believe that the SAC, under present circumstances and with past experiences of elections in Myanmar fresh in the memory, would hold free and fair elections and, if they were free and fair, honor the result. Myanmar has reached a point of no return from which there is no easy way out. After the introduction of a number of liberalizations after 2010 it would be wrong to call them reforms because no organic changes were made to the 2008 constitution which guaranteed the militarys supreme powers the general public appeared to be prepared to forgive and forget what atrocities the generals had committed in the past. But not this time. The military has gone too far, and will never be forgiven for the pain and suffering it has inflicted on the people and the country. The generals may also be acutely aware of this and realize that they are either in power or they are in prison, or worse. Fear is the glue that keeps the military together and that is why they cant give up their stranglehold on the nation. They are not going to change. It would also be foolish to expect, as some foreign governments seem to do, ASEAN to act as some kind of mediator in the conflict. Apart from being a bloc of predominantly undemocratic nations, ASEANs two guiding principles, non-interference and consensus, would prevent it from taking any affirmative action when it comes to the internal affairs of a member country. And then there is the constructive-engagement-lobby consisting of mostly Western academics and self-proclaimed peacemakers, who naively believe that Myanmars generals would listen to their advice. They will remain what they always have been: court jesters who are a source of amusement rather than inspiration. Myanmar is well on its way to becoming a failed state and that is the fault of the military which seized power in 1962 and never let go of it. The end result may be what the generals say they fear the most: disintegration of the Union. And that would have far-reaching consequences for the entire South and Southeast Asian region. Sri Lankas new president should be able to finish negotiations with the IMF, but protesters will likely demand more. by Akhil Bery For over one hundred days, Sri Lankans have been protesting in the streets while the country faces its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. The crisis has long been in the making; successive governments have failed to enact policies that insert Sri Lanka into the global supply chain, instead opting for protectionist measures. This has exacerbated the twin deficit problem in which Sri Lanka faces both a budget deficit and a current account deficit. At the same time, Sri Lankas debt obligations have expanded as politicians invest in infrastructure projects, including a number of commercially unviable vanity projects. Sri Lanka has raised this funding from both international investors, who account for about 37 percent of the countrys overall debt profile, and bilateral creditors such as China and Japan. China is Sri Lankas largest bilateral creditor, accounting for about 10.8 percent of Sri Lankas overall debt. These debt obligations are a major reason why Sri Lanka is facing this current crisis. Debt has long been a problem that former President Gotabaya Gota Rajapaksa never addressed. Instead, he enacted a series of policies that worsened the situation. When he came to power in 2019, Gota Rajapaksa implemented a value-added tax cut and an income tax cut despite warnings from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not to do so. According to the IMF, in 2020, these tax cuts cost Sri Lanka over 2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in lost revenue, hurting its ability to pay its debt. The other ill-timed policy was the implementation of a ban on the import of non-organic fertilizers without preparing farmers for the change. Within six months, rice production dropped by approximately 20 percent, forcing the government to import about $450 million worth of rice and putting further pressure on foreign exchange reserves. When combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a significant drop in tourism, and Russias invasion of Ukraine, which increased oil and commodity prices, these two policies pushed Sri Lanka to default in May 2022. Facing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, as well as power cuts lasting up to thirteen hours per day, ordinary Sri Lankan citizens took to the streets to demand that the government resign. After protests briefly turned violent in May, Prime Minister Mahinda RajapaksaGota Rajapaksas brotherand his cabinet resigned. Gota Rajapaksa stayed in office until finally fleeing the country and emailing his resignation from Singapore on July 14. Now, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has stepped in as acting president, and Parliament is set to vote on a new president on July 20 to complete the rest of Gota Rajapaksas term. At the time of writing, there are several viable candidates, but Wickremesinghe is favored to win as he retains the backing of the Rajapaksas party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Sri Lanka needs political stability to ensure that negotiations with the IMF conclude quickly, which will unlock additional bilateral and multilateral financing. According to Wickremesinghe, the country requires an estimated $6 billion in additional financing this year, which will only arrive if an IMF program is in place. A new government is likely to finish negotiations with the IMF. However protesters are unlikely to be mollified, especially if Wickremesinghe, who is widely unpopular despite SLPPs support, is elected president. In the last election, Wickremesinghe lost his long-time seat in Colombo and had to be nominated to enter Parliament via the national list, which is based on the partys percentage of the national vote, rather than a direct election. Protesters also accuse Wickremesinghe of protecting the Rajapaksas and failing to prosecute them for alleged corruption and other crimes. The incoming government has a delicate geopolitical dynamic to navigate. Throughout the crisis, India has emerged as Sri Lankas best friend, championing the countrys case at the IMF and providing about $4 billion in assistance. The Indian government also created a task force to determine how else it can help. In contrast, China, which had strong ties with the Rajapaksas and benefited from numerous policy decisions under them, has not provided the debt relief Sri Lanka desperately needs. Though Sri Lanka has negotiated with China on debt restructuring, Chinese officials are unlikely to agree to Sri Lankas terms because they prefer refinancing loans and fear it would set a precedent for other countries facing similar debt issues. Ultimately, Sri Lankas economic situation will not improve any time soon. Even if the new government is able to conclude negotiations with the IMF, it will take time for the money to be dispersed. In the meanwhile, Sri Lanka will have to either pay its external creditors or pay for essential goods. Compounding the challenge, protesters are unlikely to see the government as legitimate, which could hamper the ability to implement sensitive economic reforms. Continued protests could pave the way for elections later this year or next year. Akhil Bery is the Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute, where his research focuses on the U.S.-India relationship and developments in South Asia more broadly. Businesses across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) continue to be targeted by cybercriminals as technology advances and attacks become increasingly sophisticated, according to security company Fortinet. And Fortinet says that Australia saw one cybercrime report every eight minutes in 2020-21, equating to a 13 per cent increase on the previous year (1), while New Zealand saw a 15 per cent increase in cyber incidents in the same period (2). However, technological advancements arent the only thing driving increased cybercrime across the ANZ region. The exploitation of vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and threats arising from conflict in eastern Europe also present challenges to local businesses, among other potential threats. Corne Mare, chief information security officer (CISO), Australia, Fortinet, said, On the surface level, the pandemic is one example of cybercriminals exploiting real challenges and vulnerabilities for their own personal gain. There have also been instances of supply chain issues, food supply challenges, and refugee crises being exploited by cybercriminals looking to cause disruption to businesses. Cyberterrorism also continues to be a major threat to businesses and governments across ANZ, and this has only increased due to the changing geopolitical landscape. Glenn Maiden, director of threat intelligence, Australia and New Zealand, Fortinet, said, While cybercriminals are becoming more creative with their approaches, the risk to businesses from the likes of ransomware, for example, goes beyond mere disruption. The biggest risk is data access and exposure, further driving the need for leaders to bring security into the very base levels of the organisation. Theres never a guarantee that cybercriminals will safeguard data once its accessed, even if ransoms are paid, so its essential that business leaders invest in greater data protection at every level. Corne Mare said, The diversity of attacks is just one piece of the puzzle. One of the biggest challenges thats come to the fore is how entrepreneurial cybercriminals have become, as evidenced in their ability to exploit almost anything without a second thought. Cybercriminal syndicates are increasingly acting like any business would; they share skills to take advantage of exploits and hire specialists based on specific capabilities, with some threat actors working for a multitude of criminal networks. The existence of new threats is not the only cause for concern in the region. Businesses increasingly need to be able to adapt to the changing nature of cyberattacks and educate their employees on how to identify potential exploits, beyond the more traditional attack approaches such as phishing scams or infected files. Glenn Maiden said, While new threats are constantly emerging, the style of attack is also evolving and cybercriminals are weaponising vulnerabilities and exploits with increasing speed, which should be cause for concern among businesses. One of the most concerning developments in cybercrime is the sophistication of attacks, with both the technology and attackers behind it growing progressively more insidious alongside changing motivations. Cybercriminals have moved on from unsophisticated spray-and-pray or share-and-click approaches. Theyve become more targeted, more direct, and more well-versed at moving through organisations. Its especially important for businesses to recognise this shift in approach and adapt both their cybersecurity approaches and their staff cybersecurity education and training to better address and protect against changing attacks. Corne Mare said, Theres a risk of organisations becoming complacent in the wake of continued cyberattacks, especially as the question is no longer an if but when organisations will be attacked. While theres now a level of normality around cyberthreats, the risks start to include the potential for wilful blindness or risk fatigue in terms of cybersecurity. For example, business leaders may be tired of hearing about ransomware, but that doesnt mean it will disappear. As cybercriminals continue to increase their sophistication of attacks; organisations need to double down on the security basics or risk their own complacency also becoming a significant threat. To counteract this, business leaders need to increasingly give cybersecurity a seat at the boardroom table and invest in zero trust strategies from a business perspective, instead of only a technology viewpoint. Beyond strengthening an organisations security posture and better educating employees around maintaining good cybersecurity hygiene, more also needs to be done on an enterprise and government level to protect ANZ businesses from cyberthreats. Corne Mare said, As cybercriminals evolve, often joining forces to share exploits, business and government need to equally engage in information sharing to help better protect organisations and data from cyberattacks. Enterprises need to collaborate more freely and engage in open communication; ultimately, its big technology that can contribute to the safety and security of individuals and their data, and more needs to be done to reinforce this. Glenn Maiden said, As with physical security, theres an increasing need for a collective, global coalition to be established that will help businesses and governments to better manage security and safety in the digital sphere. Without this, cyberattackers will continue to evolve and threaten businesses. And, as society becomes increasingly connected and attackers become more sophisticated in their approaches, the impacts of future attacks could be devastating. References: (1) https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/reports-and-statistics/acsc-annual-cyber-threat-report-2020-21 (2) https://www.ncsc.govt.nz/newsroom/ncsc-cyber-threat-report-shows-rise-in-malicious-attacks-on-new-zealand/ Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 84F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Sunshine and some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 107F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. The UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) report published on June 29 is a litany of crimes committed over years across Libya by multiple actors including some linked to the State as well as armed groups. Some of the violations identified include direct attacks on civilians during the conduct of hostilities, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence, torture, violations of fundamental freedoms, persecution and violations against journalists, human rights defenders, civil society, minorities, internally displaced persons and violations of the rights of women and children, says the FFM. The report also points to continuing serious crimes against migrants in both legal and illegal detention facilities. It says the Mission also gathered further evidence providing reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity, particularly enslavement, torture, and rape, continue to be committed against migrants in Libya. Widespread impunity The FFM was set up in 2020 at the request of the Libyan government. But Libyan authorities have so far done little to prosecute international crimes. What you have on the ground is the willingness of some judges to do something, Nidal Jurdi, the FFMs Libya coordinator and head of Secretariat, told Justice Info. The ones we met showed enthusiasm and willingness, saying they want to see rule of law and accountability in Libya. But are they able to do it? Many of them said no, we are afraid for our lives, for our families. Militias still control large parts of the country, while there are rival governments in the capital Tripoli and in the east. You may see cases of crimes amounting to war crimes being prosecuted in the west related to the east, or in the eastern region related to the west, says Jurdi. But if you're talking about accountability and prosecution in the fullest sense, that is missing. We hope to encourage it. He points out that international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) are not enshrined in Libyas Penal Code, but can be prosecuted as ordinary crimes. ICC missing in action? The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been seized of the situation in Libya since 2011. Libya is not a State party to the ICC, but the situation was referred by the UN Security Council in the wake of a brutal crackdown on protesting civilians by the government at the time under Muammar Gaddafi. It has issued five arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity: in 2011 against the former dictator himself (withdrawn in November the same year following his death), his son Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi (still at large) and Gaddafis former intelligence chief Abdullah Al-Senussi (case closed in 2014 when the Court declared it inadmissible on grounds of national proceedings against the suspect); then against Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled (arrest warrant issued under seal in 2013 and made public in 2017, suspect still at large), and in 2017 against Mahmoud Al-Werfalli (withdrawn in June 2022 following his death). So of these five cases, only two remain and neither of the suspects have been arrested. Lawyer Celine Bardet, founder of the NGO We Are Not Weapons of War, has been working with Libyan victims for more than a decade. She thinks any impact the ICC may have had in Libya remains largely symbolic. Unfortunately it has even been counter-productive, Bardet told Justice Info, because back in 2011 it raised a lot of hopes. But from 2011 to 2022 there have been no concrete results. New strategy She also thinks the ICC has been lacking a clear strategy on Libya. Fatou Bensouda [former ICC prosecutor] said it was a priority for her, but I feel great frustration at the ICCs work on Libya. Bardet says that as well as lack of resources, ICC investigators did not go to Libya and for a long time did not even have Arabic speaking investigators. That is a big problem, she continues, because victims of serious crimes such as torture need to have trust and do not want interpreters when talking to the ICC. After taking office last year, current ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced a new ICC strategy on Libya, and his Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan went late June to Tripoli in furtherance of the renewed action strategy of the Office of the Prosecutor in relation to the Situation in Libya, according to an ICC press release. It says that the new strategy announced by Khan in April this year emphasises the allocation of additional resources, increased engagement with those impacted by alleged crimes in Libya and more effective cooperation with Libyan authorities in support of accountability efforts at the national level, in line with the principle of complementarity. If there is a change, so much the better, says Bardet. But I no longer expect anything of the ICC on Libya. ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan visited Libya in late June to implement a "new strategy". ICC-CPI Whats next? We continue working on identifying responsibilities, says Jurdi of the FFM. This means at the end of the day that accountability should take place. Information on possible suspects is kept confidential, but could the FFM share it with courts in Libya or elsewhere for possible future prosecutions? Our mandate does not allow for that, he told Justice Info. But our mandate says at the end of the day we will submit all this evidence to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The OHCHR could possibly seek permission from the UN Human Rights Council to disclose some of it to third parties when the time is right, he said. The FFMs mandate has been extended to March 2023, but will then end at the request of the Libyan government. The Libyans do not want to extend, they want to take custody of the process, says Jurdi. We said good, but as long as you follow up on our recommendations. There has been little sign of that so far. Finding a political solution towards an elected unified government is key to restoring security and implementing reforms to ensure accountability, says Jurdi. This was supposed to happen under the 2020 Libyan Political Agreement. But the country remains divided and UN-supervised elections due to take place in December last year have been postponed indefinitely. In the meantime, Bardet thinks one road towards justice for victims could be universal jurisdiction. For example, her organization brought a complaint in France in 2018 against warlord Khalifa Haftar on behalf of victims, after Hafter went to Paris for medical treatment. This is under investigation by the office of the French prosecutor, although Haftars whereabouts are currently unclear. The UN's highest court ruled on Friday that a landmark case accusing military-ruled Myanmar of genocide against minority Rohingya Muslims can go ahead. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague threw out all of Myanmar's objections to a case filed by the west African nation of Gambia in 2019. The decision paves the way for full hearings at the court on allegations over majority-Buddhist Myanmar's bloody 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya. ICJ president Joan Donoghue said the tribunal "finds that it has jurisdiction... to entertain the application filed by the republic of the Gambia, and that the said application is admissible". Hundreds of thousands of minority Rohingya fled the southeast Asian country during the operation five years ago, bringing with them harrowing reports of murder, rape and arson. Around 850,000 Rohingya are languishing in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh while another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar's southwestern Rakhine state. Myanmar was originally represented at the ICJ by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, but she was ousted as civilian leader in a coup last year and is now in detention. Mainly-Muslim Gambia filed the case in November 2019 alleging that Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. - Myanmar's arguments rejected - Myanmar had argued on several grounds that the court had no jurisdiction in the matter, and should dismiss the case while it is still in its preliminary stages. But judges unanimously rejected Myanmar's argument that Gambia was acting as a "proxy" of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in the case. Only states, and not organisations, are allowed to file cases at the ICJ, which has ruled on disputes between countries since just after World War II. They also unanimously dismissed Myanmar's assertions that Gambia could not file the case because it was not a direct party to the alleged genocide, and that Myanmar had opted out of a relevant part of the genocide convention. Finally they threw out by 15-1 Myanmar's claim that there was no formal dispute at the time Gambia filed the case, and that the court therefore had no jurisdiction. It could however take years for full hearings and a final judgment in the case. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared in March that the Myanmar military's violence against the Rohingya amounted to genocide. The International Criminal Court, a war crimes tribunal based in The Hague, has also launched an investigation into the violence against the Rohingya. Russia invaded Ukraine early on February 24, sparking the worst conflict in Europe in decades. As the two powers sign a deal to resume grain shipments across the Black Sea, we look back at nearly five months of war that have killed tens of thousands of civilians. - Invasion - Russian President Vladimir Putin announces on February 24 a "special military operation" to "demilitarise" and "de-Nazify" the former Soviet state and protect Russian speakers there. A full-scale invasion starts with air and missile strikes on several cities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledges to stay in Kyiv to lead the resistance. - Massive sanctions - Two days later the West adopts unprecedented sanctions against Russia and offers Ukraine military aid. Air spaces are closed to Russian aircraft and Russia is kicked out of sporting and cultural events. - Nuclear threat - Putin on February 27 puts Russia's nuclear forces on high alert, in an apparent warning to the West not to intervene. - First talks - During the first peace talks a day later, Russia demands recognition of its sovereignty over Crimea, the "demilitarisation" and "de-Nazification" of Ukraine and a guarantee Ukraine will never join NATO. Ukraine demands a complete Russian withdrawal. - Kherson falls - Russian troops attack Ukraine's south coast, seeking to link up territory held by pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine with the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula. On March 3, Kherson becomes the first southern city to fall. - Mariupol theatre razed - Russia strikes a Mariupol theatre on March 16, killing an estimated 300 people sheltering inside. Moscow blames the attack on Ukraine's nationalist Azov battalion. - Horror in Bucha - A month into fighting, Russia withdraws from northern Ukraine, announcing it will focus on conquering the eastern industrial Donbas region. On April 2 and 3, Ukrainians find dozens of corpses of civilians scattered on the street or buried in shallow graves in the Kyiv suburb Bucha, which Russian forces had occupied. Moscow dismisses accusations of war crimes, saying the images of the bodies are fakes. - 'Genocide' - US President Joe Biden on April 12 accuses Russia of "genocide". - Flagship sinks - On April 14 Ukrainian missiles hit and sink Russia's missile cruiser Moskva in the Black Sea, a major setback for Moscow. - $40 billion in US aid - US lawmakers on May 11 back a huge $40-billion package of military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. - Battle for Mariupol ends - Russia declares on May 21 that it is in full control of the southern port city after Ukraine ordered troops holding out for weeks in the Azovstal steelworks to lay down their arms. Nearly 2,500 soldiers surrender and are taken prisoner by Russia. - EU bans most Russian oil - EU leaders overcome resistance from Hungary to agree on May 30 to halt most Russian oil imports by the end of the year. The deal allows landlocked countries such as Hungary to continue receiving Russian oil by pipeline. - EU grants Ukraine candidate status - EU leaders on June 23 accept Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova as candidates for EU membership. On June 29, NATO leaders invite Finland and Sweden to join, reversing decades of the nordic countries' military non-alignment. - Russia looks beyond east - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announces on July 20 that the Kremlin's military aims in Ukraine are no longer focused "only" on the country's east. - Grain deal - Kyiv and Moscow on July 22 sign a deal in Istanbul to unblock grain exports across the Black Sea and relieve a global food crisis. A Kenyan court on Friday found three police officers and an informer guilty of murdering a human rights lawyer, his client and their driver, six years after the killings triggered angry protests. The bodies of lawyer Willie Kimani -- who had criticised police abuse -- as well as his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri were found wrapped in sacks and dumped in a river outside Nairobi in June 2016. The torture and killing of the three men sparked fury in Kenya, where many people fear the police. On Friday, high court judge Jessie Lessit ruled that three officers as well as a police informer were guilty of murder. A fourth policeman was acquitted. "I am satisfied that there was no other reasonable hypothesis that can be made on the basis of the evidence before me except that of guilt," she said. Kimani was defending a motorbike taxi driver who accused policeman Fredrick Leliman of shooting him for no reason at a traffic stop in 2015. Leliman was among the three officers found guilty in Friday's verdict. The charge carries a maximum penalty of death. The sentencing will be announced on September 3, the International Justice Mission (IJM), the global legal aid group which Kimani worked for, told AFP. When authorities found his body, Kimani's wrists were bound with rope, three of his fingers had been chopped off and his eyes appeared to have been gouged out. - Hit squads - Police in Kenya have been accused in the past of running hit squads targeting those -- including activists and lawyers -- investigating alleged rights abuses by police. "Willie, Joseph and Josephat met their untimely death while courageously pursuing justice and seeking accountability for excessive use of force by our law enforcement agents," IJM's country director Benson Shamala said. "This important decision will send a strong message to rogue police officers who abuse their powers that they will be held accountable under the law." The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) also hailed the verdict. "It should serve not only as a relief to the relatives, friends and colleagues of the deceased persons, but (also as) a deterrent to law enforcement officers who use their power to infringe on the rights of citizens", the police watchdog said. Kenya's parliament established the IPOA in 2011 to provide civilian scrutiny of a powerful institution also reputed to be among the country's most corrupt. Only a handful of officers have been convicted as a result of IPOA investigations, even though the watchdog has examined more than 6,000 cases of alleged police misconduct, according to data covering the period from its inception to June 2020. Activists largely defend the IPOA's record, saying police often frustrate inquiries by refusing to cooperate. Besides Goo Kyo Hwan being a versatile actor, scoring achievements and awards left and right, he is also the boyfriend of director Yi Ok Seop. The couple has been in a relationship for over nine years. The actor has been open to discussing his relationship with a longtime girlfriend. Goo Kyo Hwan's Relationship: From Colleagues to Lovers? There's no denying that Goo Kyo Hwan is one of the most passionate actors in Kdramaland. Apart from flawlessly portraying his characters-whether its villain or protagonist, the 39-year-old star could surely deliver, impressing viewers with his acting skills. On top of it, he is also a screenwriter and director. Goo Kyo Hwan helmed several short films, including "Where Is My DVD?" and "Welcome to My Home" in 2013, as well as "Love Docu" and "Now Playing" in 2015. Interestingly, Goo Kyo Hwan's girlfriend has the same interest as the actor since both work in the same industry. As mentioned, Yi Ok Seop is a director, and one of her most remarkable projects was the 2014 short film "A Dangerous Woman," which marked her first project with Goo Kyo Hwan. Who is Goo Kyo Hwan's Girlfriend? The 35-year-old director graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts and the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). According to Korean Film, Yi Ok Seop made her debut as a director in 2010 with the short film "Please, Find My Mom." Her debut feature was the 2019 movie "Maggie" which stars Goo Kyo Hwan, Moon So Ri, and Lee Joo Young. Interestingly, it is the 14th film project officially supported by the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea. It won the Citizen Critics' Award at the Busan International Film Festival, Audience Award, and the Grand Prix at Osaka Asian Film Festival. Goo Kyo Hwan Publicly Confessed his Love to director Yi Ok Seop The actor is loud and proud about his longtime relationship and does not shy away from confessing his love to director Yi Ok Seop. According to an outlet, during his appearance at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for the premiere of the film "Love Villain," directed by Yi Ok Seop, Goo Kyo Hwan made the audience's hearts flutter as he talked about his relationship. The host asked him about his "secret to maintaining your love for one person for a long time?" The actor simply described himself as someone who is "passionate" about love. "When I am passionately in love, it's hard to say 'I love you no matter what, but one thing is for sure, I still like and love her so much," he said, referring to none other than his girlfriend of 9 years. Besides the heartfelt answer, the actor was reportedly looking straight at the director, which made the crowd swoon over his sweetness. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Goo Kyo Hwan Reveals Funny Side of 'Monstrous' Co-Star Shin Hyun Bin KDramastars owns this article. Written by Geca Wills Former SS501 member and actor Kim Hyun Joong surprised many with the announcement that he and his non-showbiz wife are expecting their first baby. Kim Hyun Joong, Wife Expecting First Child On July 21, Kim Hyun Joong's agency Henetia announced to the public that the actor's wife is pregnant. The statement said, "Kim Hyun Joong is now waiting for a new life, with caution, gratitude, and excitement. The "Boys Over Flowers" actor's agency added, "Since it is a news related to privacy, we politely ask you to refrain from excessive interest or speculations in consideration of the position of Mr. Kim Hyun Joong's wife to the general public." This is the second big announcement of the Korean star this 2022. In February this year, the "Playful Kiss" lead star made a special announcement in one of his online concerts that he is getting married to his longtime and non-celebrity girlfriend. Now, the actor has shared the good news that he will finally become a father soon. Congratulations to the couple! What's Next for Kim Hyun Joong? Since the Korean star is no longer active in acting, Kim Hyun Joong will continue to pursue his passion for producing music and performing on stage with his band. Apart from that, the heartthrob releases other video content on his official YouTube channel, which now has more than one million subscribers. It is also the platform where Kim Hyun Joong mostly showcases live performances. In addition, the "Inspiring Generation" actor is active on Instagram. Most of his latest whereabouts are shared through the photo-sharing app. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Kim Hyun Joong Confesses the Reason He Remains Inactive in K-Dramas Among the "Boys Over Flowers" cast members, Kim Hyung Joong was the second star to publicly announce his marriage following the drama's lead actress Go Hye Sun. Kim Hyun Joong's Past Career Journey Kim Hyun Joong rose to stardom in 2009, it was after he starred in "Boys Over Flowers," the Korean hit remake of the Japanese series of "Hana Yori Dango." He played the role of Yoon Ji Ho. Since then, he received love calls from different companies for his performance in the show. However, he was embroiled in a physical assault controversy with his ex-girlfriend, which was a big blow to his career and almost gave up. He won the case against the false accusation of his ex-partner and cleared his image, but it was a little too late. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Korean Stars Who Lost Their Fame: Yoon Eun Hye, Kim Hyun Joong, More What are your thoughts about Kim Hyun Joong's announcement? Tell 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. Seems like every K-drama fan is into the trend because of the ongoing Netflix series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." Even Korean celebrities like Cha Eun Woo are no exception to this! Keep on scrolling to know what Cha Eun Woo did. Cha Eun Woo Proves He's 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Fan After Doing THIS In his recent fan signing event in Seoul, Cha Eun Woo went viral after he did the popular BFF gesture in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." It happened when one of his fans did the "Woo to the Young to the Woo" before him. The fan and the crowd were surprised when Eun Woo suddenly responded with its counterpart "Dong to the Geu to the Rami." He finished it with dubstep, which is also the highlight of the gesture. a fan do the 'woo to the young to the woo' and #ChaEunWoo replied with 'dong to the geu to the rami' #ExtraordinaryAttorneyWoo is a whole cultural reset pic.twitter.com/dJL06wOaJ1 daisy han (@kdramadaisy) July 20, 2022 His response made it online and the public shared their enthusiasm about the idol-actor's interaction with the fan. Watch Cha Eun Woo's adorable interaction with his fans in this thread! Cha Eun Woo was not the only Korean star who showcased interest in the trending ENA drama. Recently, SNSD member and actress YoonA shared on her Instagram Story some clips where she was also doing the greeting of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" characters Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin) and Dong Geu Rami (Joo Hyun Young). The "Big Mouth" actress also did the gesture, alongside a celebrity friend and one of the drama's cast members Joo Hyun Young. Cha Eun Woo Fan Meeting in Asia Kicks Off This July Meanwhile, the "True Beauty" star's fan meetings in Asia are finally ready to kick off this July 23. The ASTRO member will head to Indonesia as the first stop of his in-person meet-and-greet following his last session in three years. Cha Eun Woo then will tour to Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and Korea. It has been said that the actor's sessions with fans include games, special performances, and other fun activities. Apart from solo fan events, the "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" lead star also has new projects to come this year until the first half of 2023. First, Eun Woo will make his small screen comeback with the horror-thriller series "Island" and his big screen return with "Decibel." He is also in talks to join "Tomorrow" actor Lee Soo Hyuk and actress Han So Hee as the new faces of Kakao Page. The majority of the fans voted these three as the most appealing stars today. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Soo Hyuk, Han So Hee & Cha Eun Woo to Reportedly Star in New Project What are your thoughts about Cha Eun Woo's recent fan interaction? Tell 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. Ahn Hyo Seop talks about his acting journey as he graced Esquire Korea's latest issue. The South Korean heartthrob spoke about the growth of his career in the publication's August 2022 issue. Keep on reading for all the details. Ahn Hyo Seop Stuns in Esquire Korea's August Issue The 27-year-old Korean-Canadian actor never fails to amuse fans with his eye-catching visuals, striking poses, and striking looks in the publication's latest issue. Ahn Hyo Seop looked straight out of a runway with his elegantly stylish looks, donning ensembles from Louis Vuitton. During his shoot with Esquire Korea, the actor also discussed his on-screen experience, working with various projects since he made his acting debut in 2016. Ahn Hyo Seop Reveals His Most Remarkable K-drama From supporting actor, Ahn Hyo Seop managed to become one of the most in-demand actors of his generation. The 27-year-old star has a long list of impressive K-dramas under his belt, including his recent series with Kim Se Jeong, "A Business Proposal," "Lovers of the Red Sky," and more. Interestingly, it was the SBS K-drama "Dr. Romantic 2," which he described as the most "meaningful" project because it fueled his passion for acting. He tells Esquire Korea that the 2020 medical K-drama is "really the best work" for the actor, adding, "All works have their own meaning, but while doing 'Dr. Romantic 2,' I became convinced that acting is the right path for me." Moreover, he also lauded his co-stars, especially senior actor Han Seok Kyu. They played the eccentric yet passionate doctor Kim Sa Bu also known as Teacher Kim, by the Doldam Hospital staff. Ahn Hyo Seop revealed that he learned much just by watching Han Seo Kyu. "He didn't teach me how to act. He showed me how to act, and that action completely convinced me," he said, adding, " He didn't say, "Do this, do that, do that," but I just learned from watching him." "Dr. Romantic" is among the most successful medical series in the history of K-drama, scoring double-digit viewership ratings per episode. Initially released in 2016, the series was renewed for a second season and premiered in 2017, with Ahn Hyo Seop and Lee Sung Kyung as lead stars. Of course, several characters reprised their roles, including Teacher Kim alongside Chief nurse Oh Myung Shim (Jin Kyung,) Dr. Nam Do Il (Byun Woo Min), Nurse Park Eun Tak (Kim Min Jae), and more. Interestingly, the SBS medical K-drama will return for a season with Han Seo Kyu and Ahn Hyo Seop as lead stars. According to reports, the "Dr. Romantic 3" release date is slated for Winter 2022, but no confirmations yet regarding the official premiere. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 Fun Facts You Might Not Know About 'A Business Proposal' Star Ahn Hyo Seop KDramastars owns this article. Written by Geca Wills Ever since its release, ENA's court drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has dominated the Hallyu scene with its promising story. Because of this, the drama received public interest and great reviews. It also recorded stable viewership ratings. With its latest episode, the series continues to flourish and receives its highest rating yet. 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Receives Highest Double Digit Rating Park Eun Bin, Kang Tae Oh and Kang Ki Young's "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" closes its first half on a positive note in terms of viewership ratings! "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" episode 8, which aired on Thursday, July 21, recorded a nationwide rating of 13.1%. The drama broke its own record and scored a new personal best which is 1.5% higher than its previous episode. ENA's court drama successfully secured its rank at the top of most watched Wednesday and Thursday drama among other cable channels like "Eve" and "Jinxed At First." "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" peaked at 15% during its broadcast, and the production unit believes that the drama will be able to record higher viewership ratings with its upcoming episodes. What Went Down in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Episode 8 In episode 8, the Hanbada lawyers successfully defended the plaintiff from the construction companies that were eager to exploit their land. Hanbada was also able to defeat Taesan, their biggest rival in the industry. Unbeknownst to everyone, Hanbada lawyer Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin) is the only daughter of Taesan CEO Tae Su Mi (Jin Kyung). In "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" episode 8, Woo Young Woo confronts her own mother about what she did in the past. While Tae Su Mi cries her heart out, Woo Young Woo politely declines her mother's offer to work with her and chooses to stay at the Hanbada law firm. At the end of the episode, Woo Young Woo sorts out her feelings and confesses to Lee Jun Ho (Kang Tae Oh), who feels the same way. 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' To Focus on 'Whale Couple' Love Line With the immense support fans give to the "Whale Couple" or "WooHo," the director guarantees to quench their thirst with more romantic moments! The director of the series, Yoo In Shik, promises to meet the public with exciting moments and unconventional dates of Woo Young Woo and Lee Jun Ho, apart from the entertaining criminal cases that they take up each episode. In particular, the drama will also focus on Woo Young Woo's relationship with her family that was kept under wraps. Don't miss "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00 p.m. KST on Netflix! KDramastars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. A dispute over American customs officers' legal protections has kept Nexus enrolment centres closed in Canada more than three months after they reopened south of the border due in part to a clash over U.S. agents' right to bear arms on Canadian soil. A motorist scans a Nexus card as another speaks with a Canada Border Services Agency officer at a primary inspection booth at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday February 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Tonights prime-time finale by the Jan. 6 committee will be focused on Donald Trump himself and what he was doing or not doing while violence raged on Capitol Hill. Violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-John Minchillo : Tributes have been paid to the late Kieran Crotty, Freeman of Kilkenny City who served for over twenty years as a TD for the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency. Kieran Crotty passed away earlier today. He is survived by his wife Margaret, son Pat and daughters, Angela, Hillary, Margaret and Mary and brothers Pat, Bernard, Fr. Jim and Michael and his sisters Patricia and Nuala. Kieran Crotty represented Fine Gael and served for over twenty years as TD. He was first elected to the 19th Dail at the 1969 General Election, succeeding his father, Patrick Crotty who was a TD for the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency from 1948 to 1959. He was re-elected six times at the 1973, 1977,1981, 1982 and 1987 general elections. During this time he also served as Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Part from 1977 to 1987. [The late Kieran Crotty pictured at the 1982 general election] Kieran Crotty was elected to Kilkenny Corporation on June 28, 1967 where he served as a member under 1968 until 1998 when he retired from politics. During this time as councillor, Kieran Crotty was elected Mayor of Kilkenny for six terms. Kieran Crotty was also elected to Kilkenny County Council on June 26, 1967 and served for 32 years until June 1999, During his time as a county councillor he also served as Cathaoirleach from June 1981 to June 1982. Mayor of Kilkenny and nephew of Kieran Crotty, Cllr David Fitzgerald said that his late uncle was 'a giant of local politics' and was 'hugely popular because he was hugely connected to the people and was consistently available to people'. "He was a man of the people and he was all about public service. He didn't like accolades or awards, for him he was just doing his job," said the Mayor who also remembered 'a wonderful uncle and friend'. "I was so proud that he was there for the election of Mayor. It is hard to believe that it was only five weeks ago." The Mayor also paid tribute for the trojan work Kieran Crotty did in promoting and attracting tourism and business to Kilkenny. Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick paid tribute to Mr Crotty and described him as 'a public representative who transcended all parties' and who 'made a huge contribution to Kilkenny'. The monthly meeting of Kilkenny County Council, which was due to be held this afternoon, has been adjourned as a mark of respect. Kieran Crotty was a founder member of the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful Committee and the work of the committee contributed to the many awards achieved by Kilkenny in the National Tidy Towns competition, including achieving overall National Tidy Town awards in 1985 and 2014. Kieran Crotty was awarded Freeman of Kilkenny City in 2015. [Kieran Crotty pictured with his brothers and sisters in 2015 when he was made Freeman of Kilkenny City] President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, Brian Keyes also paid tribute to the late Mr Crotty. "On behalf of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, I extend our sincere condolences to the Crotty family on the death of Kieran. He was held in the utmost esteem by the Kilkenny business community. The family bakery is remembered fondly by generations of Kilkenny people. "He was always for Kilkenny's best interests, and served the community as a councillor and TD for decades. He has received many deserved honours over the years, including Freeman of the City and will always be remembered as a champion of Kilkenny city and county. We extend in particular our sympathies to his wife Margaret, his son Pat, a former President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and daughters Mary, Margaret, Angela and Hilary." Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 56F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 56F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. The train was traveling at 89 miles per hour when the emergency brake system initiated, and the NTSB previously said the train's speed at impact was 87 miles per hour. The report estimates damage of about $4 million. The Senate is on track to move to final passage as soon as next week on a long-awaited bill aimed at boosting US semiconductor production in a bid to increase American competitiveness. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Springfield News-Leader. President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden take a look around Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, under the guidance of Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, May 20. Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo Despite a change in government, Korea still finds itself in a tricky situation over how to balance its military alliance with the United States and its economic relationship with China, as Washington pushes to form an anti-Beijing chip alliance. Since taking office in May, President Yoon Suk-yeol has shown signs of coming closer to the U.S., a drastic shift from his predecessor Moon Jae-in's so-called "balanced diplomacy" between the two countries. But the latest development is posing a challenge for Korea, the world's semiconductor powerhouse, because China is its biggest client and the possible ramifications could affect the entire economy in consideration of its portion in the nation's exports. Even Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho said that Korea should be cautious in deciding whether to join the chip alliance due to possible fallout, Wednesday. According to media reports, the U.S. government has asked the Korean government to respond to its invitation by the end of August to participate in the envisaged strategic alliance of four global chip powerhouses that also includes Japan and Taiwan, also known as the Chip 4 or Fab 4, a platform apparently aimed at countering China's growing influence in global supply chains. The U.S. proposal comes as the chip industry has emerged as a key sector of bilateral cooperation between the allies, as highlighted by U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to a Samsung Electronics chip plant as the first stop on his trip to Korea in May. In addition, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stressed, Tuesday, the importance of "friend-shoring" or the practice of bolstering U.S. trade ties with trusted partners, while avoiding partnerships with countries unfairly using their market advantages, which Yellen said include China. In response to the reports, China strongly criticized the U.S. for engaging in "coercive diplomacy" and seeking to forcibly relocate industries and push for decoupling. "Its actions are undermining international trade rules and splitting the global market. In a highly integrated global economy, what the U.S. has done is against the trend of the times and highly unpopular. These moves will eventually end in failure," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, Tuesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian / AP-Yonhap "We hope relevant parties will stay objective and fair, approach issues in light of their own long-term interests and the market principles of fairness and equity, and do more that is conducive to stabilizing the global chip industrial and supply chains." The Global Times, China's state-run media outlet, even called Korea's possible participation "commercial suicide," Thursday, urging Seoul to say no to the U.S. "The Korean government and related companies can judge only with common sense that participating in this event not only brings no incremental benefits, but puts them under the risk of damaging major interests," it said. "Statistics shows that Korea's semiconductor exports reached $128 billion (168 trillion won) last year, and those to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong accounted for 60 percent. Decoupling with such a large market is of no difference from commercial suicide. The U.S. is now handing Korea a knife and forcing it to do so." After seeing the Chinese responses, the president told Foreign Minister Park Jin during a ministry policy briefing that the government should try to ensure there are no misunderstandings regarding Korea's participation in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework or its possible participation in the Chip 4. The foreign minister also said these moves were not intended to exclude certain countries but things that need to be considered in the process of expanding Korea's national interests. "While the U.S.-China rivalry has been showing signs of turning into a zero-sum game, deciding whether to join the chip alliance is a really complicated issue even for the Yoon administration, which supports the U.S.' Indo-Pacific strategy against China while seeking to build a bilateral relationship of mutual respect with Beijing," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University. However, Park said there should be consideration of the possible ramifications if Korea does not the chip alliance. "The previous strategic ambiguity between the U.S. and China meant we would not suffer a loss or pay a cost while benefiting from them, but that era has ended and now we are facing a situation in which that we have to put up with a loss or shoulder expenses," he said. Park said Japan is seeking to take advantage of the envisaged alliance to revive its declining chip sector, which could be a possible threat to the Korean chip industry. "Should Korea not join the alliance, Japan would try to fill our absence, and in consideration of that, we will be in a position to accept the U.S. invitation," the professor added. By Rushan Ziatdinov Rainwater has been collected for centuries to be used to irrigate the land. Nowadays, the use of rainwater reduces the depreciation costs of pumping and purification equipment and lowers personal expenses. But can rain be used to generate electricity like the sun or the wind, for example? This is a good question. Scientists and engineers have already found answers. As of now, "rain energy" and "energy of rain" phrases are found in the titles, abstracts or keywords of 81 Scopus indexed documents, 28 of which were published in the last five years. Rain has potential as an energy source and an alternative way of generating electricity. Harvesting the energy of rain provides a lot of advantages. First and foremost, rainwater energy harvesting helps lessen the wide and ever-pressing need for water. Additionally, it lessens the demand that withstands imported water. It is also an efficient way to develop both the quantity and quality of groundwater. As a sustainable energy source, rain energy harvesting can be useful in providing an alternate way of generating electricity. It is beneficial, in that it acts as an alternative energy source, particularly in preventing electricity shortages in communities and cities, especially in places where the rainy season is long. In a 2016 article written on the Engadget multilingual technology blog, rain which is known to be a solar energy cell's sworn enemy was cast as an alternative and advantage. Engadget reports that Chinese scientists have proposed a solar cell with a graphene layer that is as thick as an atom. This solar cell is specifically designed to collect energy from raindrops, allowing it to be used in misty or stormy conditions. The graphene allows for the captivity of water, which then translates it into a natural capacitor. The performance of a piezoelectric energy harvester was tested on actual rain in a 2017 study published in Elsevier's Energy journal. In the study, three real rain events were used as the basis for energy harvesting. Throughout the study, rain parameters including the rain rate, rainfall depth and drop size distribution were observed. Among the three rain events, 0.34 was the largest record for added mass coefficient. Using this figure as a basis, it can be said that the modal mass of the water layer is 34 percent lower than the piezoelectric beam's modal mass. The results of the research suggest instances of low energy because of low rain activity. The researchers suggest coming up with an efficient energy storage system for the rain impact energy harvester. Engadget released an article in 2020 that showed the effective translation of rainwater into energy, after several different potentials by different groups. This article demonstrates the design combination of an aluminum electrode and an indium tin oxide electrode along with polytetrafluoroethylene, which has a "quasi-permanent" electric charge. Each raindrop that falls on the combined surface acts as a bridge for two electrodes, resulting in a closed-loop circuit, which is necessary for letting go of charges that are contained. Engadget also mentions that this particular technology helps keep collected rainfall. A continuous raindrop allows for charge accumulation, which then results in a saturation point. In a 2020 article on Discovery Channel's official website, one particular method makes use of polytetrafluoroethylene film with an indium tin oxide electrode and an aluminum electrode, which then act as a bridge when the raindrops hit the device, fabricating an electrical system that is a closed-loop. This method is capable of garnering twice as much energy and twice as much efficient work with gigantic amounts of water, compared to traditional ones. Through this method, raindrops generate kinetic energy that is then converted to electrical energy. The power generated from the given method can give energy to about 100 small LED light bulbs, as described by Wang Zhong Lin, the chief scientist and director of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In a 2021 research work published in Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing journal, a piezoelectric collection-based rain energy harvester was created and proposed by Wang. This particular rain energy harvester uses a structure that is funnel-shaped in collecting rainwater, which is then put in a tank that is self-releasing because of its huge surface. The differences from the typical rain energy harvesters can be witnessed through the capacity of a self-release tank to let go of rainwater on its own even with the absence of external monitoring and active control during the times that the tank is filled with rainwater. Rain energy harvesting is promising, but consideration for the actual amount of raindrop energy has to be given. Water droplet energy is indeed small, therefore people weren't aware that it might be harvested before, reports an article by Wanghuai Xu et al. that was published in the Nature journal in 2020. But as the Internet of Things expands quickly, the demand for distributed sensors and energy sources grows as a result of the rise of smart devices. According to Statista, there was a nationwide average of 1,591.2 millimeters of precipitation in South Korea in 2020. What if some of this rain was turned into energy? Wouldn't that be possible for a technologically advanced country like South Korea? Rain energy harvesting devices, although still not commonly known and used, can be an alternative and can open the door to a renewable energy source that is not only innovative but sustainable. Rushan Ziatdinov (ziatdinov.rushan@gmail.com) is a professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Keimyung University, Daegu. In 2010-2011, he was a postdoc in the College of Engineering at Seoul National University. Angola, IN (46703) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. 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. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Happy Birthday to Epik High's "all-rounder" leader, Tablo! As a small gift to fans, we've compiled fun facts about the idol that we should also commemorate! Quick Facts About Epik High Tablo Real Name: Daniel Armand Lee (English Name), Lee Seon Woong (Korean Name) Stage Name: Tablo Nickname: Supreme T. Birthday: July 22, 1980 Age: 42 years old Nationality: South Korean, Canadian Height: 172 cm Weight: 62 kg Tablo's Early Life: Dual Citizenship, Birth Name, More Born in Seoul, Tablo's birth name is Daniel Armand Lee (Lee Seon Woong). Right after her mother gave birth to him, his family moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he lived for three years before returning to Korea. Due to his father's job, his family moved from country to country, including Switzerland, and Hong Kong, until they immigrated to Canada when he was eight. He got dual citizenship when he was 12, making him a South Korean-Canadian. Due to this, he was also exempted from serving in the Korean military service. Epik High Tablo's Family: Parents, Wife, Daughter In 2009, Tablo married his current wife, Kang Hye Jung, a famous South Korean actress. A year after, they were blessed with a daughter named Haru. In 2013, Tablo, his daughter, and wife made their public appearance as a family after joining the reality-variety show "Return of Superman." Fans worldwide deeply loved the father-daughter tandem, but unfortunately, they left the show in 2015. In regards to his family, Tablo had a father (Lee Gwang Boo), a mother (Kim Gook Ae), and an older brother and sister. Story of How Tablo Chose His Stage Name In a broadcast, the hip-hop artist revealed an anecdote about his stage name, "Tablo." He belatedly found out his name was derived from the French word, "Tableau," which means "a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or history." In particular, Tablo revealed that he didn't intentionally select the stage name because it was suggested by his friend and his friend's girlfriend. Initially, his friend suggested Pablo, referencing Pablo Picasso but he didn't like it. Just then, his friend's girlfriend suggested that he should go with Tablo and that's how his stage name was created. Tablo's Net Worth 2022, Educational Background Although Tablo is a well-known figure, he remained private about his real assets and earnings. Based on his properties and income released in public, Tablo's current net worth is $1 to $5 million. Regarding his educational background, Tablo is one of the genius idols in K-pop, with an IQ of 160. Aside from being bilingual, he also graduated from Standford University. In less than four years, he completed his Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Master's degree in Creative Writing. With this background, he released his first best-seller book in Korea titled "Pieces of You." For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson VIVIZ has revealed the reason K-pop groups and soloists promote for only two weeks on Korean music shows. Curious about the reason why? Keep on reading to know what the members said. VIVIZ Reveals Why K-pop Idols Only Promote on Korean Music Shows for Only Two Weeks For every debut or comeback, one of the ways K-pop groups and soloists promote their song or album is through music programs. Mnet's "M Countdown," SBS's "Inkigayo," MBC's "Show! Music Core," and KBS's "Music Bank" are just some of them in South Korea. Usually, it only takes two weeks for any K-pop artist to appear and perform on Korean music shows. Many fans might be wondering why. ALSO READ: VIVIZ Eunha Becomes Hot Topic for Wearing THIS Outfit Luckily, VIVIZ revealed the reason behind it in the latest episode of "Yongjin's Health Center," where Lee Yongjin and former "Street Woman Fighter" contestant Gabee act as the main hosts. On July 21, episode 8 of "Yongjin's Health Center" was released, and the VIVIZ members- SinB, Eunha, and Umji- appeared as guests. Lee Yongjin began the discussion by asking, "Whose greed is it to release an album right away after 'Queendom'?" SinB candidly replied, "It's the company's greed," making everyone burst into laughter. Yongjin then asked the girls to introduce their new album. However, they couldn't. Why? Because their management company had not yet provided an introduction script for the album! Lee jokingly told them they would wait for 20 minutes and asked the group to return to their agency to get a script. Umji introduced VIVIZ's new song instead. She said, "It's a summer track called 'LOVEADE.' It's not like a super summer vibe. It's something like, oh~ summer~ vibe." The trio later showed the choreography for the chorus of "LOVEADE" and revealed that the main point is the heart shape made by the two fingers in the middle. After the performance, Lee Yongjin asked the group how long they planned to perform their new track, and VIVIZ replied that it would take them two weeks. Yongjin followed up by asking why K-pop groups/soloists promote on music shows for just two weeks. In response, VIVIZ Eunha revealed, "It costs a lot [of money]." SinB added, "The costume fee costs a lot too." YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: VIVIZ Reveals Other Group Names They Considered Using for Their New Start Lee then asked, "Why can't you perform with just one costume? Why do you need to change it every time?" Eunha and Umji replied that they also wondered why. After knowing the reason, Yongjin realized that it's best to be an entertainer rather than an idol, as he can wear the same clothes repeatedly. For example, their outfit for "Yongjin's Health Center." Meanwhile, "Yongjin's Health Center" releases new episode every Thursday on YouTube. VIVIZ Makes First Comeback With New Mini Album "Summer Vibe" In related news, VIVIZ dropped their first comeback album, "Summer Vibe," on July 6. The mini-album contains the funk retro-pop-based dance song "LOVEADE" and five other tracks. In "LOVEADE," the trio compares a couple's love to a refreshing beverage. After its release, the song debuted on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart at No. 47. The track also ranked within the top 10 of iTunes Song charts in various regions, such as Vietnam, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Malaysia, and more. "Summer Vibe" also entered the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart at No. 5. It also landed on the No. 1 spot on iTunes Album charts in different countries, including the Philippines, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, as of July 8. For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article Written by Maria Scott ITZY is now the K-pop girl group with the third-highest first week album sales on the Hanteo Chart in history, thanks to their new mini-album "CHECKMATE." Continue reading to know many copies the EP sold in its first seven days. ITZY Becomes K-pop Girl Group With 3rd Highest First Week Album Sales in Hanteo History On July 15, ITZY dropped their highly-anticipated mini-album "CHECKMATE," which contains the title song "SNEAKERS" and its English version, along with five B-side tracks. Now, according to this tweet, "CHECKMATE" sold a total of 472,395 copies from July 15 to 21- marking the K-pop girl group's highest first-week album sales in their career. It nearly doubled the quintet's previous first-week sales record of 259,705 copies set by their first studio album "CRAZY IN LOVE" in September of last year. Notably, it took the mini-album just two days to break ITZY's personal record for first-week sales. The EP sold 251,059 copies on Day 1, and 25,450 copies units on Day 2, totaling more than 275,000 copies. In addition to setting a new record for ITZY, "CHECKMATE" has also now attained the third-highest first-week album sales of any K-pop girl group in Hanteo history. The mini-album has surpassed Red Velvet's "The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm," which sold 443,922 copies from March 21 to 27. Moreover, ITZY now becomes the only fourth K-pop female group to ever sell 400,000 copies in the first week, following BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, and aespa. To date, the other girl group albums that sold the most copies in its first week are aespa's "Girls" (with 1.12 million copies), BLACKPINK's "THE ALBUM" (with 689,066 copies), and IZ*ONE's "Oneiric Diary" (with 389,334 copies). Furthermore, ITZY's "CHECKMATE" entered the top 100 highest first-week sales of all K-pop albums at No. 49, taking the spot from Stray Kids' "Christmas EveL," which sold 471,312 copies. Congratulations to ITZY on their new historic achievement! ITZY's 'CHECKMATE,' 'SNEAKERS' Enter Latest Circle Charts In other news, ITZY's "CHECKMATE" is revealed to be the No. 1 best-selling album during the week of July 10 to 16. The mini-album sold a total of 700,000 copies in South Korea in just two days since its release on July 15. Remarkably, "CHECKMATE" is the only album to surpass half a million copies during the said week. The EP also debuted at No. 1 on the Circle Retail Album Chart with 278,645 copies sold. The album's title song "SNEAKERS" made it to various Circle Charts as well. The track ranked 106th on the digital chart with 3,454,258 digital points. "SNEAKERS" also entered the streaming chart at No. 197, and the download chart at No. 16. The B-side songs from "CHECKMATE" debuted on the download chart as well, with "RACER" sitting at No. 74, "WHAT I WANT" at No. 75, "DOMINO" at No. 77, "Free Fall" at No. 81, "365" at No. 86, and "SNEAKERS" (English Version) at no. 106. ITZY's "SNEAKERS" even made it to the BGM chart at No. 68. Finally, ITZY rose to No. 30 on the latest Circle Social Chart after ranking 38th in the previous week. They are the sixth highest-charting fourth-generation girl group on the social chart, following aespa, IVE, (G)I-DLE, LE SSERAFIM, and Secret Number. For more K-pop news, follow and subscribe to KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article Written by Maria Scott If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit The man who was killed Wednesday, July 20, in a traffic crash outside Burlington has been identified as 38-year-old Bruce Wardell Jr. of the Burlington area, according to the Walworth County Medical Examiners Office. The crash occurred in the Town of Spring Prairie at approximately 9 a.m. where Highway 11 meets Highway JS at the start of the Burlington bypass. Officials from the Lyons Township Fire Department were the first emergency responders on the scene. Fire department officials said CPR was in progress. When representatives from the fire department arrived, they noticed two vehicles with extensive damage. Mutual aid was requested for the City of Lake Geneva paramedics, City of Burlington ambulance, Rochester ambulance and Flight for Life. One accident victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other patients were transported to area hospitals. Representatives from the Lyons Township Fire Department said they appreciate the mutual aid companies that assisted with the incident. Based on recent information from the Walworth County Sheriffs Office, this was the ninth traffic-related fatality for 2022. New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI/PNN): As the Central Government has expressed concern about the impact of e-commerce giants on small retailers in the country, Freedeem has gone above and beyond to strengthen India's retail ecosystem with its first-of-its-kind digital platform. "When compared to brick and mortar businesses, online shopping apps and websites provided two major benefits to customers: one, they received their products at their doorstep, and two, they could easily avail good discounts. As a result, more and more people began to buy online, and shopkeepers and store owners began to suffer," says Shaudhan Desai, Founder & CEO of Freedeem. Also Read | Union Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister @byadavbjp Meets Alok Sharma ( Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. Governments worldwide are concerned about the influence of large online retailers, not just in India. The rise of online shopping had a significant impact on brick-and-mortar businesses, causing a gradual decline. As they continued to lose market share, the pandemic struck and snuffed out their sales. Freedeem, which began with a handful of associate businesses in 2018, now has over 3,000 strong business ecosystems spread across four cities and two states: Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara in Gujarat and Kolkata in West Bengal. Also Read | Online Fraud in Mumbai: 46-Year-Old Man Tries to Order Wine Online, Loses Rs 2.8 Lakh. "Any virtual platform could potentially sell a product, but only a local business could potentially sell an experience," Desai observed. "When you buy a shirt, you only have an image online from which to make a purchase decision, whereas, in a brick and mortar system, you can touch and feel the shirt, try it, experience it, and then buy it." This observation, combined with the willingness of local businesses to offer comparable discounts, sparked the idea for Freedeem. "We wanted to create an app that bridged the gap, so we combined the best of both worlds, online and offline, to create a digital platform where people can search for good deals digitally, then go to the store and buy physically," he explained. Freedeem has over 7 lakh customers who use the app to find and purchase unbeatable deals. As of June 2022, Freedeem customers had taken advantage of over 3.5 lakh deals, with an average of 10,000 deals each month. Spinzza, a roulette game that helps customers win premium pizza deals in their city, was introduced by Freedeem. Over 1.25 lakh people have taken advantage of such pizza deals, assisting countless pizzerias in all four cities in gaining new customers. "We are now preparing to establish our presence in more cities across India, expanding the ecosystem and eventually assisting local businesses to thrive," Desai said. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 22 (PTI) African swine fever has been reported from two farms at Mananthavady in Kerala's Wayanad district, officials said on Friday. The disease was confirmed among pigs of two farms in the district after the samples were tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: 16-Year-Old Molested by Lawyer, Accused Sentenced to Three Years Rigorous Imprisonment. An official from the Animal Husbandry Department told PTI that the samples were sent for testing after pigs at one of the farms died en masse. "Now the test result has confirmed the infection. Directions have been issued to cull 300 pigs of the second farm," the official said. Also Read | Facebook Launches New Home & Feed Tabs on Its App. The Department said steps are being taken to prevent the disease from being spread. The state had earlier this month tightened bio-security measures following an alert from the Centre that African swine fever has been reported in Bihar and a few northeastern states. African swine fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease affecting domestic pigs.PTI RRT TGB (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, Jul 22 (PTI) Ajmer dargah cleric Gohar Chisti, who was arrested in connection with a provocative speech, was sent to a 14-day judicial custody by a court here on Friday. He was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Ajanta Agrawal at her residence. Also Read | No Data on Number of Anganwadi Workers Who Died Due to COVID-19: Govt Tells Lok Sabha. She remanded him into a judicial custody for 14 days, Dargah police station SHO Dalveer Singh said. Chisti was shifted to a high-security jail of Ajmer. Also Read | Lions Appear Aggressive: Plea Filed in SC Against National Emblem Atop Central Vista. Meanwhile, police claimed said Chisti had no links with the killing of a tailor in Udaipur. "As per investigation so far and interrogation of Gohar Chisti, he has no connection with the Udaipur incident or with any suspicious organisation. Also, no suspicious financial transaction was found," ASP Vikas Sangwan said. A tailor was brutally murdered in Udaipur on June 28 by cleaver-wielding two men over a controversial social media post. The accused shot the crime on mobile and also made a video later to claim responsibility of the murder, saying he was beheaded for insulting Islam. In the video, they raised the slogan "gustakhi-e-nabi ki ek hi saza, sar tan se juda sar tan se juda". Prior to this gruesome incident which shocked the nation and created communal tension in the state, Gohar Chisti and others had shouted this slogan while delivering a provocative speech at the main gate of the Ajmer dargah, shortly before a rally of the Muslim community against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on June 17. Chishti was caught in Hyderabad on Thursday last week and had been under police custody since July 15. (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], July 22 (ANI): After Droupadi Murmu got elected as the 15th President of India, Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said it is a big achievement for a tribal woman to get elected as the President of the country. The Union Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said because of Modi's thoughts and effort, this could happen. Also Read | Dalai Lama Congratulates Droupadi Murmu for Being Elected As 15th President of India. Speaking to ANI, Rijiju said, "It is a big achievement for a tribal woman to get elected as the President of the country. All tribal MPs and ministers came here to congratulate Droupadi Murmu and expressed their happiness. I thank PM Modi as because of his thoughts and efforts, this happened." He further said that it is a big message to the country that a common woman can become the President of India. Also Read | Supreme Court Says Denying Unmarried Woman Right to Safe Abortion Violates Her Personal Autonomy and Freedom. "It's a big message to the country that a common woman can become the President of India. It's a result of our commitment under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, "Rijiju said. The NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu has been officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday. Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18. Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in Delhi. Soon after the completion of the third round of counting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda met Murmu at her residence in the national capital and extended greetings for her victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her election as new President of the country and said she has emerged as a ray of hope for citizens, especially the poor, the marginalised and the downtrodden. President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his best wishes to Draupadi Murmu who will succeed him in the highest office of the country. Wishes poured in from the political fraternity across party lines on the victory of Murmu who will be India's first tribal president. Odisha's Rairangpur village, the native place of Droupadi Murmu erupted in celebrations in anticipation of Droupadi Murmu's victory. A large crowd gathered outside BJP headquarters in Delhi earlier to celebrate her victory. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kamareddy (Telangana) [India], July 22 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party's Telangana unit on Friday alleged that the K Chandrashekar Rao-led state government is "blocking" the BJP's programmes "with the help of the police" and accused TRS leaders of "attacking" BJP workers. "The ruling party is stopping the BJP activities everywhere with the help of the police. The current 'Palle Gosha- BJP Bharosa' programme of the state BJP has appointed one senior member for each constituency in Telangana to know the problems of the people and assure them of BJP's support. The leaders are required to stay in the constituencies for ten days and know the problems of the people to work on them. Vivek Venkataswamy, National Executive Committee Member and ex-MP, who is in charge of Jukkal constituency of Kamareddy district, was stopped by the police on his way to Burgul village," said the statement by the BJP. Also Read | Bihar Court Sentences Three to Life Imprisonment for Gang-Raping Minor Girl. Alleging that the TRS workers "removed" all BJP flags, it said that they started a "commotion by attacking" Venkataswamy and his team. "He was detained by the police without being allowed to enter the village explaining the cooperation of the police towards the TRS party," the statement said. Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Youth Beaten to Death for Rs 600 in Begusarai. Venkatswamy, claiming a "huge support" of the people of the state, said that they will make sure the Chief Minister "steps down" from the post. According to the statement, state BJP president, Bandi Sanjay has condemned the arrest of Vivek Venkataswamy. National BJP leaders also condemned Vivek's arrest. Party workers protested in the districts against the arrest of the BJP National Executive Committee Member. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ranchi, Jul 22 (PTI) Three air-conditioned emergency rescue vans were flagged off by chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) PM Prasad at its headquarters here on Friday. The vans with a sitting capacity of seven persons are equipped with all the necessary apparatus, including a fire extinguisher and gas protector. It has 18 breathing instruments along with two reviving apparatus, an official statement said. Also Read | Akasa Air to Begin Services From August 7; Check Routes, Timings And Fare Details Here. Two vans will be deployed at the Mines Rescue Station in Ramgarh and one at Rescue Rooms-with-Refresher Training Facility in Churi Underground Mines at North Karanpura area in Chatra district. Prasad said safety in operations is of utmost priority to the company. Also Read | 68th National Film Awards Winners List: Suriya and Ajay Devgn Joint Winners of Best Actor Award, Aparna Balamurali Wins Best Actress; Check Out Complete List of Winners. Earlier in the day, Akanksha Kumari was felicitated for becoming the first woman in the country to be trained in mines rescue and recovery work, the statement said. She is also the first woman mining engineer of Coal India Limited to work in underground mines, 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) New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) The data of students going abroad to pursue MBBS is not maintained centrally, the government informed Parliament on Friday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said a student who has acquired foreign medical qualification from a medical institute abroad is required to qualify in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) before applying for registration to practise medicine in India. Also Read | 68th National Film Awards Winners List: Suriya and Ajay Devgn Joint Winners of Best Actor Award, Aparna Balamurali Wins Best Actress; Check Out Complete List of Winners. She said clause 8(iv) of the Medical Institution Regulation, 2002 says any Indian citizen or overseas citizen of India intending to obtain primary medical qualification from a medical institution outside India on or after May 2018 shall have to mandatorily qualify in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to the MBBS course. "The result of the NEET shall deem to be treated as the eligibility certificate for such persons and no separate permission is required from the NMC (National Medical Commission). Therefore, data of students going abroad to pursue MBBS is not maintained centrally," the minister said. Also Read | Amazon Prime Day Sale 2022: Best Deals on Apple, OnePlus & Other Smartphones. She was responding to a question on whether the Centre has the data of the medical students studying abroad and whether there is any eligibility test for the medical students who have studied abroad to practise in India. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Panaji, Jul 22 (PTI) Election for the post of Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly will be held on Friday, and the fight is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Joshua De Souza and the Congress's woman MLA Delialah Lobo. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: 16-Year-Old Molested by Lawyer, Accused Sentenced to Three Years Rigorous Imprisonment. The Congress, which has fielded Lobo - its only woman legislator in the state - has admitted that the opposition camp does not have enough strength to win the election, but maintained that "anything can happen during voting". Also Read | Facebook Launches New Home & Feed Tabs on Its App. The monsoon session of the state assembly, which began last week, will conclude on Friday. De Souza, who represents Mapusa assembly constituency, filed his nomination papers on Thursday and thanked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for giving him an opportunity. "Honoured by the opportunity given by the Hon'ble #ChiefMinister of #Goa Dr Pramod Sawant ji for nominating my name for the post of #DeputySpeaker of #GoaLegislativeAssembly," he said. He also thanked other BJP leaders, including the party's state unit chief Sadanand Tanavade. Congress MLA Carlose Alvares Ferreira said the party has fielded Delialah Lobo for the post. Admitting that the opposition parties do not have sufficient numbers to win the election for the post of deputy speaker, Ferreira said, "Anything can happen during voting." In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the ruling BJP has 20 MLAs, and it enjoys the support of five others - two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independents. The Congress had won 11 seats in the assembly polls held in February this year. The Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) had won one seat each, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had bagged two seats. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday met COP26 President Alok Sharma and stressed the need for effective and timely delivery of finance and technology support to developing countries to combat climate change. Yadav expressed his appreciation for the leadership of COP26 president and his continued engagement with all stakeholders for the successful conclusion of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Glasgow. Also Read | 3rd Round of Foreign Office Consultations B/w India & Ghana Held in Delhi Today Both Latest Tweet by ANI. The two leaders discussed how India and the UK can continue working together to deliver the Glasgow Climate Pact, which asks governments to strengthen emission reduction plans in 2022 to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures. "Yadav stressed that the current pace and scale of climate finance and technology support from developed countries do not match the global aspirations to combat climate change. He emphasised the need for up-scaling the delivery and targets of implementation support including finance and technologies," a Union Environment Ministry statement said. Also Read | 68th National Film Awards Winners List: Suriya and Ajay Devgn Joint Winners of Best Actor Award, Aparna Balamurali Wins Best Actress; Check Out Complete List of Winners. "Emphasised on the need for effective and timely delivery of climate finance and technology transfer to support developing countries for accelerated implementation of Paris Agreement and climate commitments," the minister tweeted. He emphasised the need for continued momentum of climate action and delivery of commitments for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. In the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries agreed to hold "the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius". The minister reiterated India's commitments to the ambitious targets announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including the ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil energy. He thanked the UK for joining India in launching the "One Sun One World One Grid" (OSOWOG) initiative at COP26. Sharma was also apprised of the call of PM Modi at COP26 to the world community to embrace the LiFE mantra - Lifestyle for Environment -- as mass movement on sustainable lifestyles to accelerate climate action and to bridge the gaps in global climate resilient transition. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hisar (Haryana) [India], July 22 (ANI): The last rites of the Haryana DSP who was mowed down by a truck in Nuh were performed in Hisar district on Thursday. DSP Surendra Singh Bishnoi was mowed down by a truck at a site where he was probing illegal mining in Nuh in Haryana on July 19. Also Read | Dalai Lama Congratulates Droupadi Murmu for Being Elected As 15th President of India. The main accused was arrested on Wednesday in the killing of DSP. The accused was identified as Shabir alias Mittar hailing from Tauru, Haryana. A person was arrested after an encounter with Haryana Police in connection with the case. Also Read | Supreme Court Says Denying Unmarried Woman Right to Safe Abortion Violates Her Personal Autonomy and Freedom. The accused was arrested from the hills of Ganghora, the hill station area of Bharatpur (Rajasthan) where he was hiding after the killing of the DSP. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of Surendra Singh Bishnoi and said the culprits will not be spared. He said strict action will be taken against the mining mafia in the state."We will control the mining mafia in the state and the culprits will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them," he said. Khattar said police posts will be created near mining areas and the destination of mining vehicles and their equipment will also be fixed. The Chief Minister said that the state government will provide a job to one of the family members of the deceased police officer. The Chief Minister said the DSP performed his duty with bravery and the dumper truck involved in the incident has been identified. Senior Haryana Police officers had rushed to the spot. Haryana Mining Minister Mool Chand Sharma also said that "strict action" will be taken against the guilty. Later on Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to examine the issue related to the killing of DSP. Earlier, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij also said that the state government will conduct a judicial inquiry in connection with the killing of the DSP. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) The COVID-19 case trajectory in some states is witnessing an upward trend since May but hospitalisation and death rates are low which can be attributed to immunisation efforts across India, the Lok Sabha was told Friday. Such "waxing and waning course of infection trajectory are not unusual for pandemics due to novel pathogens", said Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar in reply to whether the government has conducted any study to find out the reasons for such a rise in cases. Also Read | Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister @nstomar Inaugurated a Two-day Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. A number of factors, including unexposed and immunocompromised population, change in virus characteristics and waning immunity, tend to contribute to such phenomenon, she said. "The current surge is associated with a lower rate of hospitalisation and deaths, which may be attributed to considerable efforts made towards COVID-19 immunization across the country," Pawar said in her written reply. Also Read | Akasa Air to Begin Services From August 7; Check Routes, Timings And Fare Details Here. As of July 19, 2022, a total of 200.34 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to beneficiaries above 12 years of age. To reach out to the unvaccinated population, a communication strategy has been framed which is implemented by all states and Union Territories to raise awareness about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and address complacency, vaccine hesitancy as well as sustain vaccine confidence, Pawar said. The Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 Campaign is implemented across the country from June 1 to July 31 to vaccinate those aged 60 and above due for the second dose and eligible for precaution dose through a door-to-door campaign. The Union Health Ministry provides requisite support to states to enhance their preparedness and response capacities against COVID-19, Pawar said. To better prepare India against public health emergencies, the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission has been launched with a Rs 64,180 crore outlay to enhance the capacity of primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities and institutes, she said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): A day after the Trinamool Congress announced it would abstain from voting in the upcoming vice presidential election, Opposition candidate Margaret Alva on Friday termed the party's move as 'disappointing' and said it "isn't the time for whataboutery, ego or anger". Taking to Twitter, the Opposition V-P candidate wrote, "The TMC's decision to abstain from voting in the VP election is disappointing. This isn't the time for 'whataboutery', ego or anger. This is the time for courage, leadership & unity. I believe, @MamataOfficial, who is the epitome of courage, will stand with the opposition." Also Read | PTET Result 2022: Rajasthan PTET Results Declared At ptetraj2022.org; Here's How to Check. Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll. "TMC will abstain in the upcoming VP polls as it was decided in the meeting. TMC will not support NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar for the Vice President election nor will it support Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the election," said Abhishek Banerjee. Also Read | Pindi Girl Is Home! Reena Verma, 90-Year Old Pune Woman Warmly Welcomed to Ancestral Home in Pakistans Rawalpindi, Heartwarming Video Goes Viral. "We know how Jagdeep Dhankhar was when he was the West Bengal Governor. He attacked the people of Bengal and the Chief Minister in different ways. Hence we will not go with the NDA candidate at any cost," he said. According to the TMC MP, the Opposition without consulting the TMC decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate. "The candidates were announced by the Opposition without consulting TMC which has 35 MPs," he added. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said the opposition should work unitedly."We want that the opposition should work unitedly. We will try to find the reason behind this sudden decision by TMC," said Kharge. "We had proposed some names and those were in consultation. But the name was decided without our consultation. However, the Opposition unity does not depend on the yardstick of elections of President or Vice President. Alva has a very good equation with Mamata Banerjee but the personal equation does not matter," added the TMC General Secretary. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of having a pact with BJP and of trying to avoid any kind of enmity with the ruling party. Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury alleged, "West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is a Vice Presidential candidate, he often used to have a spat with the Chief Minister. A few days ago, Governor called Mamata Banerjee in Darjeeling and they had a meeting along with Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma at the Darjeeling Governor's House. The next day he was announced as Vice Presidential candidate, which means there was a Darjeeling pact among them." He further alleged that Mamata Banerjee, Hemanta Biswa Sarma and the Governor had an agreement that if she helps them then it will be good for them and that is why Yashwant Sinha, who was Mamata's candidate and did not get any help. "Mamata Banerjee did not participate in the all-party meeting. When all the parties were signing the joint statement, even at that time the TMC party of Bengal was absent and did not sign. This means that she does not want enmity with BJP and I am saying this from my own experience," said Chowdhury. On the allegation of TMC that the Opposition without consulting the party decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate, the Congress leader said, "Margaret Alva's name was declared after consulting Mamata Banerjee. Yet today Mamata wants to abstain from voting. It means instead of voting for Margaret Alva, she wants that Dhankhar wins the poll with the maximum number of votes. That's why I am saying that this is a Darjeeling pact." Dhankhar will face Opposition candidate and veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Margaret Alva in the August 6 Vice Presidential election. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, Jul 22 (PTI) The Kargil Vijay Diwas motorcycle rally, flagged off from the National War Memorial in Delhi to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers in the Kargil War, reached here on Friday. The riders laid a wreath at the Chinar War Memorial at Badami Bagh Cantonment here to pay obeisance to the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice in the highest tradition of the Indian Army, Srinagar-based PRO Defence Col Emron Musavi said. Also Read | Lions Appear Aggressive: Plea Filed in SC Against National Emblem Atop Central Vista. The members also visited the Chinar Museum, he said. The rally was flagged off by Lt Gen B S Raju, Vice Chief of Army Staff, on July 18 from the National War Memorial in New Delhi to commemorate the saga of bravery and sacrifice of the gallant soldiers of the Indian Army in the Kargil War, Col Musavi said. Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Enraged by Daughter's Love Marriage, Man Hires Shooters to Kill Son-in-Law in Patna; Arrested. He said the rally is travelling along two axis -- Delhi-Srinagar-Zojila-Kargil-Dras, and Delhi-Chandigarh-Rohtang-Leh-Dras. The first group reached Udhampur on July 20 via Ambala and Pathankot and arrived in Srinagar on Friday. It will reach the Kargil War Memorial on July 26, he said. Lt Gen A D S Aujla, GOC of Chinar Corps, conveyed his best wishes to the rally for its remaining journey, the PRO said. The GOC in his message to the youth of the Kashmir Valley urged them to draw inspiration from the sacrifice of the brave soldiers and scale new heights through self-belief and passion, he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, Jul 22 (PTI) The Karnataka cabinet on Friday gave its approval to the 'Karnataka Employment Policy 2022-25', mandating industries either expanding or setting up new units in the state, to increase the number of jobs they provide. Also Read | No Data on Number of Anganwadi Workers Who Died Due to COVID-19: Govt Tells Lok Sabha. The policy cleared by the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is aimed at generating more employment in the state, especially to locals, with job opportunities dwindling. Also Read | Lions Appear Aggressive: Plea Filed in SC Against National Emblem Atop Central Vista. "There were specific guidelines on how various units should provide employment. Under the new policy, we have said that the number of jobs should be increased and locals should be employed. We have categorised industries," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, he said, for instance, if an industry is classified as medium scale, where the minimum employment is 20, on an agreement to create seven more jobs, the policy allows an additional investment of up to Rs 10 crore. "Similarly, if a unit plans on increasing working capital by Rs 50 crore, it has to create a minimum of 30-50 jobs, and for increasing investment up to Rs 100 crore, minimum 35 additional jobs should be created for locals," he added. Further, stating that the government has also increased the minimum job generation requirement of industries, Madhuswamy said for super mega units, they were earlier required to employ 750 and it has now been increased to 1,000. "Similarly for ultra mega units, which were earlier required to create a minimum of 400 jobs, will now have to generate 510. For mega units, it has been increased from 200 to 260 employees," he said adding that the minimum job requirement of large scale industry will now be 60 from 50 earlier, and for a medium-scale industry it is now 20 from 10-15 earlier. Stating that the industries' classifications have been made based on investments, the minister said, if the companies have to invest additionally, they will have to create extra jobs based on the criteria explained in the policy. The cabinet has also approved Rs 132 crore to provide a pair of black shoes and two sets of white socks to about 46.37 lakh school students studying in government schools. It has also decided to amend the guidelines for the release of inmates serving life imprisonment at various prisons across the state ahead of schedule. "It has been decided to leave those convicted under POCSO Act and multiple murder cases from the catagory," Madhuswamy said. The cabinet also reiterated its stand that the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee on eco-sensitive areas (ESAs) of the Western Ghats cannot be implemented and the state's opposition to it. Pointing out that the state has expressed its reservation against the report twice in the past, the minister said, "...the state government cannot accept the report and allow eviction of those living in the region. Our stand will be conveyed to the Union government...the CM takes a delegation to Delhi in the next few days." Among the other decisions taken are to acquire 240 acres of land to develop the Mysuru airport. The land will be handed over to Airports Authority of India and Rs 9.29 crore will be spent on it, Madhuswamy said, adding that it has also been decided to name Mysuru airport after the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar. (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], July 22 (ANI): Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 which aims to provide a regulatory framework for India's research activities in the Antarctic and protect the Antarctic ecosystem. The Bill was moved by Union Minister of Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh. The Bill is intended at having India's own national measures for protecting the Antarctic environment as also the dependent and associated ecosystem. It also aims to implement the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Also Read | Bihar Court Sentences Three to Life Imprisonment for Gang-Raping Minor Girl. Speaking about the Bill, Singh said, "The main aim is to ensure de-militarization of the region along with getting it rid of mining or illegal activities. It also aims that there should not be any nuclear test/explosion in the region. The bill is in pursuant to India's accession to Antarctic Treaty, the Protocol on Environment Protection (Madrid Protocol) to the Antarctic Treaty and to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: Two Held for Raping Four-Year-Old Minor Girl in Sawai Madhopur. Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the Bill provides a harmonious policy and regulatory framework for India's Antarctic activities through well-established legal mechanisms and will help in efficient and elective operations of the Indian Antarctic Programme. It will also facilitate India's interest and pro-active involvement in the management of growing Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries resources in Antarctic waters. It will also help in increased the international visibility, and credibility of India in Polar governance leading to international collaboration and cooperation in scientific and logistics fields. Dr Jitendra Singh also elaborated that the continuing and growing presence of Indian scientists in Antarctica in the research stations with concurrent commitment to Antarctic studies and protection of fragile Antarctic ecosystem warrants the adoption of domestic legislation on Antarctica consistent with its obligations as a member of Antarctic Treaty System. The enforcement of such laws will confer jurisdiction on the courts of India to deal with any dispute or crimes committed in parts of Antarctica. Legislation of such a kind will bind the citizens to the policies of the Antarctic treaty system. This will also be useful in building credibility and enhance the status of the Country globally. The Bill was introduced in Parliament during the Budget session. The Bill also proposed to set-up Indian Antarctic Authority (IAA) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which shall be the apex decision making authority and shall facilitate programmes and activities permitted under the Bill. It shall provide a stable, transparent and accountable process for the sponsorship and supervision of Antarctic research and expeditions; ensure the protection and preservation of the Antarctic environment; and shall ensure compliance by Indian citizens engaged in the Antarctic programs and activities with relevant rules and internationally agreed standards. According to the Ministry of Earth Science, India today has two operational research stations in Antarctica named Maitri (Commissioned in 1989) and Bharati (Commissioned in 2012). India has successfully launched 40 annual scientific expeditions to Antarctica till date. With Himadri station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic, India now belongs to the elite group of nations that have multiple research stations within the Polar Regions. The Antarctic Treaty was signed at Washington DC on December 1, 1959 and was initially signed by 12 countries. Since then, 42 other countries have acceded to the Treaty. A total of fifty-four State Parties to the Treaty, twenty-nine countries have the status of Consultative Party with a right to vote in the Antarctic Consultative Meetings and 25 countries are Non-Consultative Parties having no right to vote. India signed the Antarctic Treaty on the 19th August, 1983 and received consultative status on September 12. 1983. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources was signed at Canberra on the May 20, 1980, inter alia, for the protection and preservation of the Antarctic environment and, in particular, for the preservation and conservation of marine living resources in Antarctica. India ratified the Convention on June 17, 1985 and is a member of the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources under that Convention. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed at Madrid on October 4, 1991, inter alia, to strengthen the Antarctic Treaty system and for the development of a comprehensive regime for the protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems. India signed the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty on January 14, 1998. Antarctica lies south of 60 n South Latitude, which is a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science and should not become the scene or object of any international discord. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) A standing parliamentary committee has rapped flood-prone states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for not taking any initiative to enact the model bill for flood plain zoning despite witnessing huge losses of human lives, cattle and properties during deluge. The standing committee on water resources, tabled in Lok Sabha, said only Manipur, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir had enacted legislation, though delineation and demarcation of flood plains are yet to be undertaken. Also Read | No Data on Number of Anganwadi Workers Who Died Due to COVID-19: Govt Tells Lok Sabha. Flood-plain zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods of different magnitude or frequencies and probability levels, and specify the types of permissible developments in these zones, so that whenever floods actually occur, the damage can be minimised. The model bill for flood plain zoning provides for flood plain zoning authority to be constituted by state governments with a governing body under the chairmanship of the chief minister which will delineate flood plain zones and other measures for keeping flood plains encroachment free. Also Read | Lions Appear Aggressive: Plea Filed in SC Against National Emblem Atop Central Vista. The committee noted that despite its benefits, floodplain zoning has not been earmarked/ demarcated in India and a model draft bill for flood plain zoning legislation was also circulated by the Union government to all the states. "However, only the states of Manipur, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir had enacted legislation, though delineation and demarcation of flood plains is yet to be undertaken. Further, Major flood prone States viz Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha etc have not taken initiative to enact any legislation with regard to flood plain zoning," the panel said. The committee said it is "dismayed" to find that the action taken reply of the department is silent as to whether or not the major flood prone States viz Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha etc have taken any initiative/steps for enactment of the Model Bill for Flood Plain Zoning, as these States are witnessing huge losses in terms of human lives, cattle and properties, whenever the flood strikes. The Committee are of view that merely issuing directions to states will not yield desired outcomes, unless protracted and vigorous efforts are made by the Department to persuade and goad the States for enactment of the Model Bill. They, therefore, reiterated their recommendation that the Union Government should make renewed and concerted efforts for persuading the State Governments for enactment of the Model Bill on Flood Plain Zoning and where necessary, States may consider suitably modifying the Model bill and dovetail / customize it taking into account the socio-economic realities of the States "The Committee were therefore of the opinion that the Model Bill must be suitably modified taking into account the socio-political and economic realities of the regions in which it is to be implemented. Further, the Ministry of Jal Shakti should also consider providing financial assistance to those States that are willing to implement floodplain zoning," it said. The committee further said are not satisfied with the reply of the government as it merely states that the draft River Basin Management Bill, 2018 has been circulated among all states/Union territories and related Union ministries for comments/ suggestions and is presently in public domain and does not mention about the concrete steps that have been taken by the department to persuade the states to enact this important bill. "The committee are of the view that given the importance of setting up river basin authority for each river basin of the country in order to ensure integrated operation of reservoirs, the committee reiterate their recommendation and urge upon the department to make concerted efforts to persuade states for enactment of the River Basin Management Bill," it said. On floods in Assam, the committee expressed its deep anguish over the damage of property worth crore of rupees and loss of lives every year by the devastating floods in the state as well as the northeastern region every year. The committee noted that the fury of floods in Assam and the northeastern region in the long term can be tackled by building storage reservoirs on rivers and their tributaries with adequate provisioning for flood cushion, integrated reservoir operation, interlinking of rivers etc. However, these measures have many constraints such as topographic, geological, geographical, environmental, submergence, interstate and international issues. Taking cognisance of the aforesaid facts, the committee said it believes that preparing and operating these long-term initiatives in a stand-alone manner may be difficult for individual states. "Therefore, for integrated use of water resources, there is a need to move from the conventional, fragmented and localised approach to a comprehensive river basin approach. In order to provide coordinated river basin development including comprehensive flood control, it is necessary to set up river basin organisations, which would effectively provide immediate, short-term and long-term solutions in addition to the overall development of river basin," it said. The committee, therefore, recommended that Ministry of Jal Shakti take concrete measures on priority basis to enact the River Basin Management Authority for holistic management of water resources of each river basin. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) The Election Commission will on Friday issue a 'certificate of election' to NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu who has emerged victorious in the presidential poll. The certificate is issued after the returning officer hands over the result to the poll panel. It will be signed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey. Also Read | Dalai Lama Congratulates Droupadi Murmu for Being Elected As 15th President of India. The certificate will then be sent to the Union Home Secretary who will read it out at the oath-taking ceremony of the 15th President of India which is likely to take place at the historic Central Hall of Parliament House on July 25. The term of incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24. Also Read | Supreme Court Says Denying Unmarried Woman Right to Safe Abortion Violates Her Personal Autonomy and Freedom. Droupadi Murmu scripted history on Thursday by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. Murmu, 64, won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind to become the country's 15th president. After the end of the counting process that continued for more than 10 hours, returning officer P C Mody declared Murmu as the winner and said that she got 6,76,803 votes against Sinha's 3,80,177 votes. She will be the first President to be born after Independence and the youngest to occupy the top post. She is also the second woman to become the President after Pratibha Patil. (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], July 22 (ANI): The Congress said on Thursday that allegations that Enforcement Directorate stopped questioning party chief Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case as she requested to leave because she is suffering from COVID-19 are baseless. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Sonia Gandhi was questioned for two-three hours and was allowed to leave by ED officials as they didn't have anything else to ask. Also Read | Dalai Lama Congratulates Droupadi Murmu for Being Elected As 15th President of India. "On this, the Congress president replied that they can ask her as many questions as they want," he said. "The allegations that ED stopped investigation as Sonia Gandhi requested to leave because she is suffering from COVID-19 are baseless. The interrogation ended because ED didn't have anything to ask. Sonia Gandhi said, she'll be present at ED office whenever they want," he added. Also Read | Supreme Court Says Denying Unmarried Woman Right to Safe Abortion Violates Her Personal Autonomy and Freedom. Ramesh said that Sonia Gandhi told the officials that she is prepared to stay till 8-9 pm and did not make any request that questioning should be stopped. ED had earlier questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the case for five days. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said it is wrong to summon two members of the same family over and over again, that too in connection with the same case. "As for the arrest of people, it is not like they disrupted the law-and-order situation. Besides, we have the right to agitate," he said. The Congress held protests in different parts of the country on Thursday over ED summons to Sonia Gandhi. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, Jul 22 (PTI) With the addition of 165 coronavirus positive cases, the infection tally in Maharashtra's Thane district has increased to 7,33,112, a health official said on Friday. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: 16-Year-Old Molested by Lawyer, Accused Sentenced to Three Years Rigorous Imprisonment. There are now 1,018 active cases in the district, he said. Also Read | Facebook Launches New Home & Feed Tabs on Its App. With the death of one patient during the day, the toll rose to 11,924, while the count of recoveries reached 7,21,106, 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) Noida, Jul 22 (PTI) Police deployed on Kanwar Yatra duty in Gautam Buddh Nagar have distributed helmets and national flags to the pilgrims returning from Haridwar on two-wheelers, officials here said. The police in Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh, have already set up a control room in Noida to facilitate the movement of Kanwars through the city. Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Youth Beaten to Death for Rs 600 in Begusarai. "In the month of Shravan, Shiva devotees have started bringing Ganga water from Haridwar. In view of this, all preparations have been completed by Gautam Budh Nagar Police, arrangements for all Kanwar routes have been ensured," a police spokesperson said. "In view of the traffic rules, helmets were provided by the police officers and police station in-charges and tricolor flags were presented to the devotees riding on two wheelers (on Thursday)," the spokesperson said. Also Read | Meta Opposes CCI Probe in Delhi High Court, Says Facebook Can't Be Investigated Due to WhatsApp. Police Commissioner Alok Singh and other senior officers are constantly inspecting the Kanwar routes and also taking stock of the arrangements made at the camps for the pilgrims, the official added. Police personnel were also instructed to immediately help the devotees in case of any problems, the spokesperson said. Police personnel were also directed to take strict and immediate action against any miscreant who tried to disrupt law and order, according to the official. During the Kanwar Yatra, devotees of Lord 'Shiva', especially in north India, walk on foot to Haridwar, Gaumukh, etc in Uttarakhand to fetch the water of Ganga river in the auspicious Hindu month of 'Shravan'. The holy water is then offered to the god. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday said that "vendetta politics has reached a new low" with the Enforcement Directorate's summoning of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for interrogation. He also said that all investigating agencies are now perceived as long arms of the government to harass leaders and tarnish reputations. Also Read | #WATCH | Posters & Banners at the Gujarat Congress Pradesh Committees Office in Latest Tweet by ANI. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday questioned Congress chief Gandhi for over two hours in a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. The day was a show of strength for the party with street protests and leaders courting arrest across the country. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: 16-Year-Old Molested by Lawyer, Accused Sentenced to Three Years Rigorous Imprisonment. "By the ED summoning Sonia Gandhi for interrogation vendetta politics has reached a new low," said Sibal, a former Congress leader who quit the party recently and was elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fresh term as an independent. "All investigating agencies are now perceived as long arms of the government to harass leaders and tarnish reputations," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday visited Droupadi Murmu's temporary residence here and congratulated her on being elected as the 15th President of India. Visitors continued to stream in to meet Murmu and congratulate her on being elected to the top constitutional post. Also Read | National Flag Adoption Day 2022 in India: 10 Interesting Facts To Know About Tricolour, National Flag of India. Vice President Naidu met Murmu and congratulated her on being elected as the 15th President of India, a tweet by his office said. The meeting lasted for 15 minutes, sources said. Also Read | Amazon Prime Day Sale 2022 To Begin at Midnight, Check Top Deals Here. Murmu scripted history on Thursday by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. The 64-year-old won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday said law enforcement agencies are investigating to find the reason about a "media report that a child has killed his mother based on PUBG that he has been playing". In a written replies to the Rajya Sabha, he also said there are reports and grievances of banned apps appearing in new avatars using similar-sounding names have been forwarded to the home ministry for examination. Also Read | Reliance Net Profit Jumps 46% to Rs 17,955 Crore in First Quarter of 2022-23 Fiscal Year. The Minister of State for Electronics and IT also told the Rajya Sabha that gaming app PUBG was banned by MEITY in 2020 and is not available in the country. He was responding to a query on whether crimes are being committed on influence of PUBG. Also Read | Akasa Air to Begin Services From August 7; Check Routes, Timings And Fare Details Here. "There was a media report that a child has killed his mother based on PUBG that he has been playing. This is a matter of investigation by LEAs (Law Enforcement Agencies) to find the reason. But, the PUBG gaming app was blocked by MeitY in the year 2020 and the PUBG game is not available in India since then," Chandrasekhar said in a written reply. According to him, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has received various reports and grievances received conveying that apps that were blocked are appearing with new avatars by using similar sounding names or rebranded with the same functionality and all such reports have been forwarded to the home ministry for examination. To a question on the government order to remove mobile applications and reason for removing apps from 2020, Chandrasekhar said the government's objectives are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet for its users. In a separate written reply, he said the government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The rules provide for removal of apps, if an app is considered unlawful under the extant law, through playstore or appstore as and when requested by an appropriate government or its authorised agency, he added. The minister also said that MEITY does not keep any details of removal of mobile applications under IT Rules, 2021. (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, Jul 22 (PTI) Reliance Retail on Friday reported over two-fold jump in pre-tax profit at Rs 3,897 crore for June 2022 quarter, led by higher contribution from fashion & lifestyle and consumer electronics business. The retail arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) said it had posted a pre-tax profit or EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation) of Rs 1,390 crore in the April-June quarter of FY21. Also Read | Reliance Net Profit Jumps 46% to Rs 17,955 Crore in First Quarter of 2022-23 Fiscal Year. Its revenue from operations of the organised retail segment was up 53.67 per cent to Rs 51,582 crore in the latest June quarter, from Rs 33,566 crore in the year-ago period. Gross revenue, which includes the value of sales and services, was up 51.90 per cent to Rs 58,554 crore in the three months ended June 2022. It was at Rs 38,547 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Also Read | Akasa Air to Begin Services From August 7; Check Routes, Timings And Fare Details Here. "Reliance Retail delivered a strong performance with its best-ever quarterly revenues in a macro environment that remained challenging," said RIL in its earnings statement. The business posted an operating EBITDA of Rs 3,897 crore (USD 493 million), up 180.35 per cent year-on-year with a 350-bps (basis points) improvement in the margin at 7.6 per cent compared to 4.1 per cent in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, said RIL. "This was led by higher contribution from fashion & lifestyle and consumer electronics and growing operating leverage with strong LFL growth over last year across consumption baskets," it said In the April-June quarter, Reliance Retail added 792 stores to seize the large market opportunity in the country by expanding its presence across geographies. "With 792 store openings in the quarter, the spread of 15,866 stores with an area of 45.5 million square feet covers all corners of the country," it said. As of June 30, 2022, Reliance Retail was operating on 45.5 million sq ft, which was 31.88 per cent higher than the corresponding quarter. It was operating 34.5 million sq ft in the April-June quarter of FY22. "The business continues to bolster its supply chain capabilities with the addition of 79 warehousing and fulfilment locations measuring 3.3 million sq ft of space added during the quarter," 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) Beirut [Lebanon], July 22 (ANI/Xinhua): Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude the aid agreement with the crisis-ridden country, saying Lebanon has been adopting the needed structural reforms. The Lebanese president made the remarks during his meeting in Beirut with Pierre Duquesne, French presidential envoy for coordinating international support to Lebanon, said a presidential statement. Also Read | Myanmar Dengue Fever: Over 7,000 Cases With 31 Deaths, Deputy Health Minister Aye Tun Raise Awareness Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases. Aoun said he hoped that Lebanon can form a new government dutiful in unifying the exchange rate, following up on the "forensic audits" into the financial sector, and dealing with banks' losses fairly. "This would restore confidence in Lebanon and motivate international institutions to support the country," he said. Also Read | Rishi Sunak Vows To Work 'Night and Day' in Campaign To Become UK Prime Minister. Duquesne, for his part, said France will encourage donor countries and international institutions to support Lebanon's infrastructure to foster job opportunities and curb immigration. Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis in the past years and needs quick legislation in the parliament to facilitate the government's recovery plan. (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) Columbus, Jul 21 (AP) A grand jury in Ohio has indicted the man accused of raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl who travelled to Indiana for an abortion that became a flashpoint in the national debate over access to the procedure. The 27-year-old defendant is charged with two felony counts of rape in an indictment filed Thursday in county court in Columbus. Also Read | Myanmar Dengue Fever: Over 7,000 Cases With 31 Deaths, Deputy Health Minister Aye Tun Raise Awareness Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases. The case drew national attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child had to go to Indiana because Ohio banned abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat after the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Before the criminal case against the suspect was revealed, Ohio's Republican attorney general and a GOP congressman from the state were among conservatives who publicly questioned whether the story about the girl was true. Democratic President Joe Biden highlighted the girl's case at the signing of an executive order aimed at protecting access to abortion. Also Read | Rishi Sunak Vows To Work 'Night and Day' in Campaign To Become UK Prime Minister. Court records listed no attorney for the rape suspect after the indictment. His arraignment is scheduled for Monday. Initial court records didn't specify whether or how the suspect knew the girl, and authorities haven't provided comment or additional details in response to requests about that. The Associated Press generally doesn't identify victims of sexual assault and, for now, is not naming the suspect to avoid inadvertently identifying the girl.(AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], July 22 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz has been re-elected as Chief Minister of Punjab province after Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari rejected the votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. As the vote counting in the crucial session of Punjab provincial assembly began, Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari ruled that PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi's votes will not be counted in the election of the Punjab Chief Minister in light of party head Chaudhry Shujaat's letter, the Dawn reported. Also Read | Tata Group Chief Natarajan Chandrasekaran Warns of UK Steel Plant Closures Without British Govt Subsidy Deal. According to Mazari, the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q, Pervaiz Elahi received 186 votes, while Hamza Shehbaz got 179 votes. However, 10 votes of the PML-Q leader were cancelled by Deputy Speaker, reducing his vote count to 176. Before announcing the result, Mazari read Shujaat's letter out loud. "As party head of Pakistan Muslim League, I have issued directions to all my provincial members to cast their votes in favour of Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif," Mazari quoted Hussain as saying, the Dawn reported. Also Read | Pindi Girl Is Home! Reena Verma, 90-Year Old Pune Woman Warmly Welcomed to Ancestral Home in Pakistans Rawalpindi, Heartwarming Video Goes Viral. "As per this letter, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court, all the 10 votes cast by PML-Q leaders have been rejected," Mazari ruled. The 10 members whose votes were not counted included Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Shuja Nawaz, Muhammad Abdullah Warraich, Parvez Elahi, Muhammad Rizwan, Sajjad Sajid Ahmed Khan, Ehsanullah Chaudhry, Muhammad Afzal, Bismah Chaudhry, and Khadija Umar. PTI MPA Raja Basharat countered the ruling saying that the law states that the parliamentary party could issue instructions to party members. He pointed out that the party chief was not authorized to give such instructions if the parliamentary party had decided to vote for a certain candidate. He also read the order of the Supreme Court. "The head of the parliamentary party is Parvez Elahi," he said. However, the Deputy Speaker said that the matter had been clarified by the Supreme Court, subsequently proroguing the session, the Dawn reported. As the voting for the Chief Minister (CM) Punjab election began, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain refused to vote for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidate Pervaiz Elahi. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain excused himself from voting for Pervaiz Elahi, the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q. It was learnt that Shujaat gave a clear message to Moonis Elahi, ARY News reported. The crucial session of the Punjab provincial assembly for the election of the Chief Minister commenced on Friday after a three-hour delay. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Fayyazul Hassan Chohan claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) was busy with 'technical manipulation', which caused the delay in the commencement of the session. The assembly session presided over by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari began with the recitation of the Quran and its translation, the Dawn reported. Taking the chair, Mazari said that on April 16, elections for the chief minister of Punjab were held for the first time during which PML-N leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had not received any vote. "While 197 votes were cast for Hamza Shehbaz. But after the Supreme Court's order on Article-63A, 25 votes were removed," he said. "Hamza had 172 votes, highlighting that none of the members could clinch 186 votes -- required to become the leader of the house. Hence another round of voting under Article 130 (4) of the Constitution and rules and procedures of the assembly is being held," Mazari added. After the procedure was announced, Mazari asked MPAs supporting Elahi and Hamza to gather on opposite sides. At the outset of the session, PML-N's Raja Sagheer, who had won Rawalpindi's PP-7 seat during the recently-held Punjab by-elections, was administered his oath. Separately, a PML-N MPA raised a point of order. He claimed that PTI leader Zain Qureshi was both a provincial assembly and National Assembly member and couldn't cast his vote. The deputy speaker Mazari ruled that under Article 223(4) of the Constitution, a member ceased to be an MNA after he became an MPA and allowed Qureshi to cast his vote, the Dawn reported. Meanwhile, the ruling party also raised an objection against the vote of PTI MPA Shabbir Gujjar, saying that he had a case pending in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). PTI's Raja Basharat came to Gujjar's rescue and revealed that the ECP had granted the later permission to vote. Deputy Speaker Mazari turned down the objection. Following the delay in the commencement of the session, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to say that, the "unnecessary delay" in the session was a "violation of the Supreme Court's orders". "We have told our lawyers to prepare for contempt proceedings," he tweeted, adding that in a while, a petition would be filed in the apex court. PTI leader Babar Awan said the Supreme Court had ordered that the assembly session be conducted at 4 pm "today, and not tomorrow". "This is a contempt of court." Besides, the Lahore High Court barred police from entering the assembly, which was requested by deputy speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari over the violence he endured during the April 16 election. Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir pronounced the verdict on PTI lawmaker Sibtain Khan's petition, ruling that the can police enter only when the situation goes bad, the Dawn reported. Meanwhile, before the session commenced, the Pakistan government also appointed a new provincial police chief, Rao Sardar Ali Khan replacing Faisal Shahkar. Notably, Imran Khan-led PTI on Sunday made a "clean sweep" in the crucial Punjab assembly by-pollin Punjab bypolls. PTI grabbed 15 of the total 20 seats while PML-N won four seats and the remaining one seat went to an independent candidate. It was a massive win for PTI in the by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats. PTI candidates secured victory in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, and Khushab provincial assembly seats while the party took the lead by a clear majority in 15 constituencies of the province. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], July 22 (ANI): Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews before the House select committee investigating January 6 riot at the US Capitol testified that then President Donald Trump had the ability to make a statement from the White House press briefing room "almost instantly" if he wanted to. "It would take probably less than 60 seconds from the Oval Office dining room over to the press briefing room," Matthews said before the committee hearing. Also Read | Myanmar Dengue Fever: Over 7,000 Cases With 31 Deaths, Deputy Health Minister Aye Tun Raise Awareness Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases. "For folks that might not know, the press briefing room is the room you see the White House press secretary do briefings from with the podium and blue backdrop. There is a camera that is on in there at all times. So, if the President had wanted to make a statement and address the American people, he could have been on camera almost instantly," she said. Matthews previously served as deputy White House press secretary until resigning shortly after Jan. 6, 2021, as per CNN. Also Read | Rishi Sunak Vows To Work 'Night and Day' in Campaign To Become UK Prime Minister. The committee said that a national security official who worked in the Trump administration testified since the panel's last hearing that the White House was aware of reports of weapons in the crowd on the morning of January 6. The US House committee will hold additional hearings in September this year, said committee Vice-Chair Liz Cheney on Thursday (local time). The committee focused on an account of activities inside the White House during a 187-minute period following former President Donald Trump's speech to his supporters that day at the Ellipse. The panel has said it plans to portray Trump as failing to respond to the attack, a decision that committee member Representative Elaine Luria (D., Va.), who will help lead Thursday's hearing, called a "dereliction of duty." Over a year ago, a group of Trump supporters entered the US Capitol to protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results from several US states that Trump claimed were fraudulent. US authorities have arrested more than 725 individuals in nearly all 50 states for criminal offences relating to the riot. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) San Francisco: With an aim to fund its plans to build electric vehicles (EVs), popular automaker Ford is likely planning to cut up to 8,000 jobs over the coming weeks, media reports said. According to Bloomberg, the layoffs would occur at its Ford Blue unit, recently created to develop vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE), and would affect other salaried positions in the company. Ford, VW-Backed Argo AI Startup Lays Off 150 Employees. The bulk of cuts are expected to occur in the US, the report said. In March, CEO Jim Farley restructured the company, dividing it into the Ford Blue and Model E divisions, with the latter dedicated to electric cars and pickups like the Mach E and F150 Lightning. As part of that, he announced plans to cut $3 billion in costs by 2026, intending to transform Ford Blue into "the profit and cash engine" for the entire company. "As part of this, we have laid out clear targets to lower our cost structure to ensure we are lean and fully competitive with the best in the industry," Ford's CCO Mark Truby was quoted as saying by Bloomberg in a statement. Ford currently employs around 31,000 salaried US workers, as per the report. In March, the automaker announced plans to boost electric vehicle spending to $50 billion and plan to build two million EVs by 2026. The company sold just 27,140 EVs stateside last year, but got a significant 76.6 percent boost last month as shipping commenced for the F-150 Lightning. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2022 09:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The #Lucknow property of gangster Vikas Dubey, the main accused in the massacre of eight policemen in the Bikru village in July 2020 in Kanpur, has been seized. The police have taken this action in the case under the Gangster Act registered against him. pic.twitter.com/2uIM7WndLX IANS (@ians_india) July 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.) At least 18 persons were put to death during a police raid targeting a crime group at the Almao favelas in the Brazil's Rio de Janeiro. The raid aimed to trace and arrest the gang members who planned to enter other favelas on Thursday for vehicle thefts. According to news agencies, amongst the deceased were a law enforcement officer and a woman who lived in the raided region. The deadly killings by Rio's police were executed via helicopters to shoot at targets, even in densely populated residential areas. Check Video Here; Warning: Graphic Content (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.) Rishi Sunak has emerged as one of the top candidates for the post of UK PM, to replace Boris Johnson. Sunak has been a member of the Conservative Party for Richmond (Yorks) since 2015. Rishi Sunak's parents were originally from Punjab. Rishi Sunak comes from a Punjabi Hindu family. His father's name is Yashveer Sunak and mother's name is Usha Sunak. The Sunak family had shifted to the UK long ago. After graduating, he worked for Goldman Sachs and later as a partner at the hedge fund firms The Children's Investment Fund Management and Theleme Partners. UK Ministers Ask PM Boris Johnson To Sack Chancellor Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak is the son-in-law of Narayan Murthy, the co-founder of Indian software company Infosys. His wife Akshata Murthy is the daughter of Narayana Murthy. Rishi and Akshata have two daughters. Both were married in the year 2009. Sunak worked for the investment bank Goldman Sachs as an analyst between 2001 and 2004. UK PM Race: Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss Final Candidates in Race to Prime Minister of UK Rishi Sunak co-founded a 1-billion-pound global investment firm and specialised in investing in small British businesses before his entry into politics. The MP for Richmond in Yorkshire first entered the UK Parliament in 2015 and has quickly risen up the Tory party ranks. As the first Chancellor of the Exchequer of Indian heritage, Sunak made history in February 2020 when he was appointed to the most important UK Cabinet post. Barely in office, Sunak faced the coronavirus pandemic as the first significant endurance test, but it also allowed him to establish a profile. Sunak, on July 5, 2022, resigned from his post along with minister Sajid Javid, expressing a lack of confidence in Johnson's leadership. Later that week, Sunak announced his prime ministerial bid, and is currently at the top in the race within the Conservative party. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2022 04:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). SNAP benefits 2022 is a federal program that has certain criteria that state residents need to meet to be considered eligible to receive the payments. SNAP benefits requirements depend on the state residents live. Some of the requirements include resource and income limits, which are updated annually, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website. Aside from income and resource limits, there is a work requirement that applicants must meet to be eligible for SNAP, with some special groups that may not be subject to the requirements. Meanwhile, you are not eligible for SNAP benefits if an institution gives you most of your meals, with an exception for elderly persons and disabled persons. READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits 2022 Update: Can You Use Your EBT Card for Online Payments? SNAP Benefits Income Limits Go Banking Rates reported that the USDA looks at both gross income and net income when it comes to applicants' income eligibility. Applying households must meet both the gross and net income limits, or they will not be qualified for SNAP and cannot receive the benefits. Applicants may be considered "categorically eligible" for SNAP if all members of their household receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, or other general assistance. The current income eligibility for SNAP benefits is applied to 48 states and the District of Columbia that apply for SNAP between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022. Meanwhile, SNAP gross and net income limits can be different in Alaska and Hawaii as they have higher thresholds. A household size of one should have a gross monthly income of $1,396 and a net monthly income of $1,074. For a household size of two, it should be $1,888 and$1,452 for gross monthly income and net monthly income, respectively. Meanwhile, gross monthly income should be $2,379, and net monthly income should be $1,830 for a family of three. For each additional member, gross monthly income should be an extra $492 and an extra $379 for net monthly income. Meanwhile, students who want to apply for SNAP benefits have a different requirement to be eligible. Students attending a college, university, trade, or technical school more than half-time are not eligible for SNAP payments unless they meet an exception. SNAP Benefits Payments Recipients can access their SNAP benefits through Electronic Benefits Transfer, which is an electronic system that allows SNAP recipients to pay for food using their benefits. Participants can shop at a SNAP-authorized retail store, wherein they can use their SNAP EBT account. Their accounts are debited to reimburse the store for food that was bought from them. The electronic system is currently being used in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam, as stated by USDA on their site. Since June 2004, EBT has been used to issue the SNAP benefits payments. Meanwhile, the government has issued Pandemic EBT to children who would have received free or reduced-price school meals if the pandemic did not close schools and daycare facilities. It was established through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which hands out benefits similar to SNAP. READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022 Update: $301.8 Million Texas Payments Confirmed for July 2022 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: SNAP Benefits Requirement - from KVEO Vice President Kamala Harris was in close contact with President Joe Biden, who was reported to test positive n COVID-19 on Thursday, a White House official confirmed. Despite testing positive for COVID, the official underscored that Biden, who is experiencing mild symptoms, is expected to fulfill his duties as president in isolation. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre said that the president has been in contact with the members of the White House by phone on Thursday morning, per the Independent. Jean-Pierre noted that Biden will participate in his planned meetings at the White House through Zoom and his phone from his residence. "Consistent with White House protocol for positive COVID cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative," Jean-Pierre highlighted. READ NEXT: Bipartisan Gun Bill Passed; Legal Experts Weigh In on Pros and Cons Amid Mass Shootings in US VP Kamala Harris COVID-19 Status On Thursday afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris' press secretary, Kirsten Allen, said that the official tested negative for COVID-19. Allen noted that Harris was with Biden on Tuesday. This morning, Vice President Harris tested negative for COVID-19. She was last with the President on Tuesday. She spoke to the President by phone this morning. The schedule will continue as planned. The Vice President will remain masked following the advice of the WH medical team Kirsten Allen (@KirstenAllen46) July 21, 2022 Harris' press secretary added that the vice president spoke with Biden on the phone on Thursday this morning. The agenda of their phone call was not mentioned by Allen. However, Harris' press secretary noted that the vice president's schedule will push through as planned. Allen then emphasized that the vice president will remain masked in accordance with the advice of the White House medical team. It was not the first time that Harris was exposed to the COVID-19 virus. In April, the vice president tested positive for the disease, following her week-long trip to California. Harris confirmed on a tweet during that time that she had no symptoms. However, she still underwent isolation and followed the CDC guidelines. She also underscored that she was thankful for being vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Joe Biden COVID-19: President Says He's 'Doing Well' After Testing Positive President Joe Biden on Thursday took to Twitter to announce that he is "doing well" despite testing positive for COVID -19. The president uploaded a video of himself addressing his recent health status, emphasizing that he is double vaccinated and double boosted for the disease. "I'm doing well, getting a lot of work done. Going to continue to get it done," Biden noted. He then concluded his video by urging everyone to keep their faith, contending that "it's going to be okay." White House COVID coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said that the president was tried with a runny nose and a dry cough. He added that Biden went to sleep feeling fine and tested positive on Thursday morning. Biden is reportedly taking Paxlovid, an oral antiviral pill that was granted with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last December for anyone over the age of 12 and who is at high risk for severe disease. Meanwhile, First Lady Jill Biden has confirmed that she has tested negative for COVID-19. READ NEXT: Joe Biden Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is the 46th President of the United States? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: President Biden Tests Positive For Covid-19 - From MSNBC New NASA images taken from the agency's satellite showed the current situation of Lake Mead, featuring a shocking drop in water level in the reservoir. According to The Guardian, the photo from NASA showed a view of how the water level in Lake Mead changed over the past 22 years. New NASA Satellite images of Lake Mead since 2000. Now at 27% capacity#climate pic.twitter.com/gtPTxb2ovk Cal Perry (@CalNBC) July 21, 2022 FOX 61 reported that the photos were taken by NASA's geographical monitoring satellites, known as Landsat 7 ad Landsat 8. Three NASA images were shared on Thursday, including the first one that was taken in July 2000. The third one was reportedly taken on July 3, 2022. The first photo showed a healthy water basin near the Overton Arm of the reservoir. However, the latest photo showed a massive decline in Lake Mead's water, revealing some parts of land that were previously submerged by water. The northern portion of the lake, including the Virgin River, also appeared to be completely dried up. According to NASA, the water levels of Lake Mead are currently at their lowest point since it was filled in 1937. As of July 18, it stands at just 27% of its capacity. READ NEXT: First Water Shortage on Colorado River Declared Amid Historic Drought; Cutbacks to Hammer Arizona Farmers Lake Mead: Bodies Found as Water in the Reservoir Diminishes As the water from Lake Mead decreases, several bodies were found in the reservoir that supplies water to roughly 25 million people in the West. On May 9, the National Park Service reported that a witness found skeletal human remains in the Calville Bay Area of Lake Mead. No further details were mentioned after the remains' discovery. On a separate occasion, National Park Service rangers also found a barrel with skeletal remains in an area near Hemenway Harbor on May 1. Boaters were reportedly docking their vehicle when they heard a scream from a woman. They then saw the body with a belt visible inside a barrel that was lodged in the mud. Lt. Ray Spencer previously claimed that the remains belonged to a man who was likely shot and killed sometime between the mid-70s and the early 80s. The timeline released by the officer was based on the shoes worn by the remains. Aside from skeletal remains, reports also noted that a World War II-era boat was also pulled out from Lake Mead earlier in July. Lake Mead Lake Mead is known to be a reservoir of Hoover Dam and one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. The said body of water is located on the Arizona-Nevada border, 25 miles east of Las Vegas. The water from Lake Mead is known to come from the Colorado River. The entire system is now at 35%. According to Britannica, extended drought and increasing water demand brought by population growth caused an unprecedented decrease in lake levels. With the main reservoirs along the Colorado River reaching low levels, the federal government called on states that rely on the basin to impose measures to cut water use. READ NEXT: Joe Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19; Is 'Close Contact' VP Kamala Harris Infected? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: NASA Releases New Lake Mead Satellite Images, Shows Dramatic Water Loss Since 2000 - From 8 News NOW Las Vegas A Rio de Janeiro police raid in Alemao favelas resulted in the death of at least 18 people on Thursday, according to the spokesperson for the state's military police. ABC News Go reported that residents were carrying about 10 bodies as bystanders shouted, "we want peace," while residents noted that those who tried to help the injured were threatened to be arrested. One woman said that police were calling it an operation, but it was a "massacre inside." She added that they were also not allowed to help. Ivan Blas, the spokesperson for the state's military police, said at a press conference that the death toll for the police raid in Alemao favelas is still being counted. The force earlier said that an officer was killed, adding that the police raid was targeting a criminal group responsible for stolen vehicles and cargo. The criminal group was claimed to be in Complexo do Alemao. It was reported to have robbed banks as well as invaded close neighborhoods. READ NEXT: Brazil: U.N. Experts Call for Urgent Reforms Against Police Brutality Following Killings of 23 Brazilians in Raids Police Raid in Alemao Favelas Associated Press News noted that videos posted on social media show fire exchanges between criminals as well as a police helicopter flying low on the favelas. Rio police have used helicopters to shoot at targets while criminals were shooting from their favelas at the aircraft. The police spokesperson noted that some of the criminals wore uniforms to disguise themselves as police officers. Ronaldo Oliveira, an investigator of Rio's police, said that they would rather the suspects not reacted, adding that they could have arrested 15 or 14 of them. Oliveira said that the suspects chose to fire at their police force. Rio de Janeiro Gov. Claudio Castro shared his sentiments regarding the police officer's death and vowed to continue to fight crime. "We will not back down from the mission of ensuring peace and security for the people of our state," Castro tweeted in Portuguese. Taliria Petrone, a federal lawmaker for Rio, responded to the governor's tweet, calling for the halt of the "genocidal policy." She added that the failed public security police leaves residents and police on the ground en masse. Rio de Janeiro Police The United Nations Human Rights Office has strongly expressed its criticisms against the police raid in Rio de Janeiro amid allegations of abuse and extrajudicial executions. A raid in Rio's Vila Cruzeiro favela in May have seen the death of more than 20 people, as reported by BBC News. It was considered the deadliest police operation in the city's history. Residents claimed that police killed people who wanted to surrender and entered homes without a warrant. Meanwhile, police have denied those claims, saying that officers have engaged in self-defense. One of the city's largest slums, Jacarezinho, had 200 heavily armed police officers for its police operation with an armored helicopter with a sniper. The area is reported to be dominated by Comando Vermelho or Red Command, Brazil's largest criminal organization. One resident said that there were boys who were cornered in the house and wanted to surrender. However, the police killed them, with some of the suspects killed in front of the witnesses. The U.N. human rights office then called for an independent investigation of police operations in Brazil. READ MORE: Brazil: Human Remains Found in Area Where British Journalist and Brazilian Indigenous Expert Were Last Seen This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Brazil: At least 22 killed in latest police raid on Rio favela | Latest English News | WION News - from WION The Nicaraguan government under president Daniel Ortega has become infamous for its crackdown on opposition parties and their members. However, they are also going after independent media, forcing many journalists to flee the country, much like the opposition leaders currently in exile. La Prensa, one of the country's leading newspapers, has reported that its staff has been forced to flee the country. They are now reporting from outside abroad, according to an article on their official website. Staff members who have fled the country include journalists, editors, photographers, and other personnel. They fled the country because they feared for their safety and freedom. Nicaraguan Authorities Arrested Two La Prensa Employees After Report on Expulsion of Nuns Earlier this month, Nicaraguan authorities arrested two of the newspaper's employees. This came after La Prensa reported on the expulsion of nuns from Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity order. This would be the latest action by the Nicaraguan government against the newspaper, following their raid into the offices of La Prensa last August. During the raid, they also arrested the newspaper's general manager, Juan Lorenzo Holmann Chamorro, who remains jailed to this day. His two cousins, fellow journalists Cristiana Chamorro and Pedro Joaquin Chamorro Barrios, are under arrest. Carlos Fernando Chamorro, another of Juan Lorenzo Holmann Chamorro's cousins, fled the country and is now in exile. The government seized his offices for the independent news site Confidencial in December 2018. The Associated Press noted that Cristiana, Pedro Joaquin, and Carlos Fernando are all siblings. They are the children of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro and the former director of La Prensa, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro Cardenal. Their father was assassinated in 1978. According to the Associated Press, Daniel Ortega's government has now shut down over 1,000 civil society organizations and went after independent news outlets. Ortega's administration is pursuing any organization it deems a threat, and independent news organizations which have published scathing articles against him are one of them. The forced exile of La Prensa staff had gotten plenty of criticism directed at the Ortega administration. READ MORE: Nicaragua Police Have Taken Over 5 Opposition-Held Towns Ahead of Elections Daniel Ortega's Media Crackdown intensified in 2018 According to Amnesty International, "Nicaragua has become a grim example of how quickly press freedom can be eroded, with journalists threatened, criminalized, and attacked for doing their jobs." The crackdown on the media, as well as members of the opposition, started after massive street protests erupted in April 2018. The Ortega government violently suppressed these protests immediately. However, following the protests, the suppression intensified. Journalists reported that they repeatedly get followed and harassed by paramilitary elements. One of the most well-known attacks was on reporter angel Gahona in April 2018. He was the director of the local news program El Meridiano and was live-streaming when he was shot. His killing is still unsolved. Earlier this month, government forces occupied and deposed many municipal mayors who were part of the opposition party. Now, all municipal mayors either belong to Ortega's party or are allied with them. The government deemed the opposition party known as Citizens Alliance for Liberty Party (CXL) as illegal, and its leader, Kitty Monterrey, is in exile. The Ortega government also revoked her citizenship. READ MORE: Chile President Gabriel Boric Receives New Constitution's Draft | What's in It? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Returned: Inside Nicaragua's repressive regime - The San Diego Union-Tribune The brutal death of a mom in Mexico prompted demonstrations in front of a police station on Thursday. She was reportedly set on fire. According to France 24, dozens of women gathered at the police station in Zapopan after Luz Raquel Padilla, 35, met her demise in the hands of four people in Jalisco state. The demonstrators in the police station accused the authorities of inaction and indifference. Among the protester was the Insurgent Women's Network, composed of caregivers for people with special needs. Guadalupe Ortega, a 62-year-old member of the group, demanded justice for Padilla and her son, who is an autistic child. Padilla is part of the group. Ortega noted that authorities in Mexico should be "more sensitive" to women like Padilla and the grieving relatives. UN Women Mexico issued a statement following Padilla's gruesome death. "We condemn the murder of #care activist Luz Raquel Padilla in #Jalisco, as well as any form of violence against people who defend women's human rights and fight against gender-based violence," the group tweeted. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also commented on Padilla's brutal death, claiming that her demise reflected a "loss of values" promoted before he took office. The president added that it was a "dehumanizing" scenario that "produces hatred, grudges and frustration." READ NEXT: Mexico Van Crash Kills 3 Migrants, Injures 12 Mexico Mom Set On Fire Luz Raquel Padilla was doused in alcohol by three men and a woman and set alight on Saturday, suffering burns on 90 percent of her body, according to authorities. Prosecutor Luis Joaquin Mendez said witnesses had described the four suspects launching the attack against Padilla in a park in Zapopan, BBC reported. The suspects fled the scene while Padilla was brought to a hospital, where she died on Tuesday. According to reports, Padilla also experienced abuse from her ex-partner, and her autistic child is 11 years old. Mendez said Padilla's neighbor, Sergio Ismael "N," was arrested for making threats, causing injuries, and crimes against a person's dignity in connection with previous incidents. Prosecutors said he had not been charged with femicide yet as witnesses said he was not present at the time of the attack. In May, Luz Raquel Padilla complained about her neighbor's threats and vandalizing of the walls of the building where they lived with messages including "I'm going to burn you alive." The Mexican mom also complained about the man's behavior, such as listening to loud music, which she claimed had affected her son's health. Mendez said investigators were following all leads, and Padilla's son was being taken care of by his aunt and grandmother. Femicide in Mexico The murder of a woman or a female is considered femicide when one of the several criteria is met. These criteria include sexual violence before the victim's death, a trusting or sentimental relationship with the suspect, or the victim's body displayed in public. According to Vision of Humanity, the cases of femicide in Mexico have risen significantly in recent years. In 2021 alone, 1,004 died of femicide. This number marked a 135% increase in cases from 427 victims in 2015. READ MORE: Joe Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19; Is 'Close Contact' VP Kamala Harris Infected? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: What Are 'Femicides' and Why Are They on the Rise Across Mexico? - From CBS 8 San Diego Angry parents are fuming at the San Diego Unified School District Board for reinstating its mask mandate. The high emotions came days after the "No Mask, No School" policy was enacted on Monday. According to reports, indoor masking is now required for all San Diego Unified School District schools and offices until the end of summer school amid a recent rise in cases of COVID-19. But these parents are going the extra mile as they are now gunning for the San Diego school board positions in an effort to overturn these mandates. San Diego School Board Mask Mandate After lifting it last April, the San Diego Unified School District Board is reinstating its mask mandate. KBPS reported that the reinstated mandate applies to all students, teachers, and staffers attending summer schools and enrichment programs for the next two weeks. San Diego School Board president Sharon Whitehurst-Payne said any child who will be entering the school without wearing the mandated mask would not be allowed entry. "They can opt not to return to the regular school, but to go to the school... via Zoom," Whitehurst-Payne noted. In a letter announced publicly, the school board highlighted that they would continue to monitor data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to check if there would be policy changes. However, it is not only San Diego City that is strengthening its COVID-19 safety guidelines. Democratic-led cities like New York City, Chicago, and D.C. are also re-enforcing guidelines like home quarantine and indoor masking. The mandate, however, angers a mob of parents from San Diego city. READ NEXT: COVID-19 Warning: Top Health Officials Raises Alarm on Omicron BA.5 [Symptoms, Resistance, and Treatment] Parents 'Fuming' Over San Diego School Board Mask Mandate Parents of San Diego City students have voiced their concerns over the district's reinstatement of the No Mask, No School policy, Fox News reported. According to parents, the alternative option for students who would not comply with the "unscientific" mandate is "completely unacceptable." "It is completely atrocious and hypocritical for our elected officials in the school board to be requiring kids to be wearing masks while simultaneously the weekend before, there was an LGBT parade with 300,000 people [unmasked]," Melissa Grace, mom of a 13-year-old, told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday. Another mother even questioned the effectiveness of using regular masks on indoor venues, alleging that she overheard a school board member expressing interest in giving out N95 masks. "The school board doesn't have the legal authority to mandate something that hasn't even been mandated by the state of California and the health department. So we actually believe the legal course is the direction to go," Karin De Jauregui, a mother, also told "Fox & Friends." Because of these sentiments, mothers all over the state are now empowered to run for school board seats in an effort to change these guidelines. Anti-Mask Parents Gunning For School Board Seats Sharon McKeeman, a Carlsbad parent who organized the organization Let Them Breathe, publicly denounced the San Diego City mask mandate earlier this week. In her press conference on Monday, McKeeman announced that she was running for Carlsbad Unified's School Board in sub-district 1, and she urged other parents to "step up" and claim spots on their local school boards. "Instead of just talking to the school board... be the school board," she noted. The organization emerged victorious in overturning San Diego Unified's student COVID vaccine mandate last December 2021. For Let Them Breathe, instead of preventing the coronavirus from spreading in classrooms, they said it harms children's social and academic development by adding difficulty in communication. READ MORE: Joe Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19; Is 'Close Contact' VP Kamala Harris Infected? WATCH: After New Mask Mandate, Parents Slam San Diego Schools For "Not Putting Students First" - From GOP War Room The January 6 committee resumed with its eighth public hearing on Thursday, revealing plenty of details about what happened on that fateful day when pro-Donald Trump rioters staged an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The hearing mainly focused on what the former president was doing while the insurrection was happening. The panel also looked at what was happening around him. January 6 Hearing Day 8 Highlights: Focusing on Donald Trump's Inaction Specifically, the January 6 committee focused on the 197 minutes between Donald Trump's speech to finally tweeting something to encourage the rioters to go home. Donald Trump's Failure to Act as His Followers Rioted As he went back to the White House, Donald Trump was glued to the TV and watched as the violence at the U.S. Capitol unfolded. The committee showed that Trump did not only fail to act but chose not to do anything. According to CNN, several witnesses who were inside the White House and had first-hand knowledge of what was happening testified that the former president did not place a single phone call to law enforcement or national security officials. The panel also revealed that interviews with senior law enforcement, military leaders, D.C. local government officials, and former Vice President Mike Pence's staff showed that they did not hear anything from the president as the attack unfolded. The committee said that this inaction is tantamount to dereliction of duty. Donald Trump Did Not Want to Call for Peace, and Only Act After Ivanka Trump Convinced Him To During the testimony by former White House press aide Sarah Matthews, she revealed that Donald Trump resisted calling for peace. The former president attacked Mike Pence with a tweet on January 6, fueling many of the rioters. Matthews then went to her boss, then-press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, and urged her to tell Trump that he needed to condemn the violence. The former press secretary then left to ask Trump to calm things down, only to hear from him that he had sent a tweet, but it did not call for peace. She then told Matthews in a "hushed tone" that Trump did not "want to include any sort of mention of peace in that tweet." It was not until Ivanka Trump suggested that her father tweet out the phrase "stay peaceful" that he finally agreed, according to NBC News. READ NEXT: January 6 Hearings: Steve Bannon Willing to Testify Before Panel White House Lawyer Said White House Staff Wanted the Rioters to Go Home, But Donald Trump Did Not The panel also showed testimony from Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone. He said that White House staff wanted the rioters to leave the Capitol and go home. However, the former Trump lawyer suggested that the former president did not want them to. Many of Trump's aides were reportedly appalled by his actions, as they believed he was pouring more "gasoline on the fire" with his condemnation of Mike Pence. According to the Associated Press, two of his aides resigned on the spot. In her testimony before the panel, Sarah Matthews said that January 6 was one of the darkest days in the history of the United States. However, she added that Trump was treating it as a celebratory occasion. " "So it just further cemented my decision to resign," she noted. Witnesses Corroborate Heated Exchange Between Donald Trump and His Secret Service Detail One of the biggest bombshells from previous hearings on January 6 was Donald Trump's confrontations with the Secret Service detail tasked with protecting him. At one point, the former president even tried taking the wheel from an agent driving the presidential vehicle. During the eighth hearing, more witnesses corroborated that the story was true. The panel presented two witnesses who confirmed the story of the heated exchange. One was a White House aide with national security responsibilities, while the second witness was former DC Police Sgt. Mark Robinson, who was assigned to the former president's motorcade on January 6. Robinson said Trump was upset and was adamant about going to the Capitol. He then noted that Trump had a "heated discussion" with secret service agents, who were also adamant about not letting him go to the Capitol. Josh Hawley Ran Away From the Mob He Helped Incite While the panel mostly focused on what Donald Trump was doing on that fateful day, they also showed footage of what Senator Josh Hawley was up to. Hawley reportedly showed support to the rioters with a fist pump and helped rile them up. But the panel also showed footage of him running away from the same mob he helped incite. The footage elicited a burst of laughter from the crowd. Public Hearings on January 6 Will Resume in September Finally, the committee announced they will take a break from the public hearings over the summer. However, that does not mean they will not be working. Rep. Liz Cheney said they will spend the month of August gathering more evidence before convening in September. READ MORE: January 6 Hearings: Former Aide Says Donald Trump Tried to Join the Crowd, Grab the Steering Wheel From Secret Service Agent This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Sen. Josh Hawley Running on January 6th - From C-SPAN A Mexican stepmom accused of killing her millionaire husband and stepchildren in Mexico City after she was removed from a will was apprehended after three years on the run. According to Daily Mail, Berenice Alanis was arrested on Wednesday at a hotel in Mexico's resort town of Acapulco. A local news network reported that a hotel guest alerted the police after the person recognized the suspect's face from wanted posters. The guest reportedly recorded Alanis' movements on a phone before calling the authorities. Reports said the Mexican stepmom was removed from her millionaire husband's will in 2018 over an alleged affair with her stepson and a colleague. READ NEXT: Mexico: Maya Train Project, Linking Archeological Sites to Beach Towns, Faces Another Legal Setback After Judge Ordered Suspension of Construction Motives of Mexican Stepmom Alias 'Black Widow' Berenice Alanis, dubbed the "Black Widow by the local press, allegedly orchestrated the murder of her 51-year-old husband Jacobo Quesada and her stepchildren Jacobo Quesada Jr., 25, and Patricia Quesada, 24, on April 5, 2019. The Mexican stepmom was arrested a few days after the triple murder, but a judge released her. Noticieros Televisa reported the judge determined that the Prosecutor's Office in Gustavo A. Madero municipality in Mexico City had held her incorrectly. Thus, her detention was reportedly illegal, which led to her release. Authorities said revenge and money were likely the motives for the crime committed by the Mexican stepmom. They said the businessman took Alanis out of his will after discovering that she had been unfaithful. Her millionaire husband reportedly sought an end to their relationship in late 2018 after he found out that she was cheating on him and sleeping with Jacobo Quesada Jr. and an employee at the gym he owned. Jacobo Quesada met Alanis in 2003 when he hired her to be part of the cleaning crew at the gym. He then left his wife Patricia Arellano to marry Alanis. It was not clear when they started dating and when he left his wife. The businessman and his children had reportedly made the Mexican stepmom a part of their family. He even took her on vacation in New York, where they went shopping and attended a game of the New York Yankees. Mexican Stepmom Hired Assassins to Kill Millionaire Husband and His Children in Mexico City Authorities said Berenice Alanis hired assassins who walked into the gym owned by her millionaire husband in Mexico City and executed him along with his son and daughter. According to Diario de Yucatan, Jacobo Quesada was with his children inside an office at the gym when Alanis came to exercise. The Mexican stepmom reportedly asked the front desk attendant to help her with a workout routine. Two gunmen walked through the entrance, headed toward the office, and shot the family. Investigators started to probe Alanis' activities after she took her husband's fleet of luxury vehicles, including two Corvettes, and changed the name of all titles before she sold them in 2019. In December 2019, a judge approved a warrant for her arrest after prosecutors presented evidence that the Mexican stepmom had plotted the murder because she was removed from the will of her husband, who reportedly had a 20 million Mexican pesos (US$969,000) fortune. Infobae reported that Jacobo Quezada was a businessman from Hidalgo who owned several buildings, businesses, and a car collection. While evading capture, Alanis was reportedly seen in Queretaro, Hidalgo, Guerrero, and Puebla in Mexico and Las Vegas in the U.S. READ MORE: Mexico: 9th Mexican Journalist Killed This Year Found Wrapped in Black Bag on Sinaloa Road This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: The Black Widow: The Case of Berenice Alanis in Mexico- From No Dormiras Mas 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. The green light is switched on in Emo where its all systems go for the first ever Forest Fest in the Laois village. Campsites opened at 1pm on Friday, July 22 with the gates open at 4pm and the honours of opening the festival goes to Greenshine at 5.30pm followed by Harvest - the Neil Young Tribute at 6.15pm and you wont want to miss either of them There is a full bar and food court service at Forest Fest all weekend. Payment is by cash or card. (But be aware theres no ATM or phone charging points on site, so come prepared). On Saturday and Sunday, the gates open at 12 midday with concerts continuing up until midnight. We are showing the All Ireland Final on the Big Screen and fold up canvas camping chairs are permitted. Theres a shuttle bus service operating right throughout the weekend, operated by the reliable local company Martleys Buses to get everyone safely to and from the festival. Theres also a taxi rank set down. Promoter Philip Meagher is looking forward to welcomed a big crowd to Laois. "Were delighted you can join us and thank you for buying your tickets for the first ever Forest Fest. We want you to have a ball, a memorable weekend of fun and festivities to the soundtrack of the summer and over 50 acts on stage," he said. Mr Meagher appealed to concert goers to remember that they are they are the guest of the local community which is nestled in woods and a heritage location. "We are also conscious that we are hosting Forest Fest in Emo village adjacent to the Coillte forestry and the beautiful national heritage site, Emo Court. Our festival site is adjacent to the local school and is a community facility. Our campsites are on local farmland. "We ask all our visitors to respect the local community, its residents, properties, and the landscape. Please adhere to our Leave No Trace policy as these farmlands must return to use next week without any danger to livestock or machinery. Use the bins and skips provided. No littering please," he said. MORE BELOW MAP and STAGE TIMES Mr Meagher asks people to please always adhere to the advice and direction of our event management team. He also asked that for convenience and to avoid delays on arrival please have your tickets either printed out with bar code available or downloaded onto your phone - not just the email - and this will assist your ticket verification and wristband access to the festival grounds. "We will continue to support you with regular updates and information on our social media platforms throughout the weekend for your enjoyment. "Take care and have a fantastic Forest Fest weekend in Emo village," concluded the promoter. The map and stage times for all the acts are up on www.forestfest.ie for you to view or download. A school bus driver in Laois has asked for a telegraph pole to be moved, because it is causing repeat collisions with his bus. The pole is in Upper Ballyfin, and the problem with it was highlighted by Cllr Seamus McDonald, at the July meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District. "The pole is on the edge of the road, it has been struck several times by a school bus. The driver has contacted me. The sooner the better that this pole is moved in," Cllr McDonald said. He tabled a motion requesting Laois County Council to remove the "dangerous telegraph pole", which he said is at O'Loughlin's house. A second and potentially serious road safety issue was highlighted by Cllr McDonald at the same location. He has asked the council to repair a damaged bridge. "This bridge is cracked underneath for quite a while. It is deteriorating rapidly," he said. In reply, acting senior area engineer James Dowling said that a bridge inspection will be carried out, as well as an examination of the pole. "We will have to liaise with Eircom or ESB," he said. Cllr Paddy Bracken seconded the motion. Laois Integration Network today announced that a Zero Cost Shop named Siopa Failte for Ukrainian people living in Laois, will close due to the need for the help provided decreasing. The shop which opened in April this year is set to close on on Saturday, July 30. When it was operational at the Old XtraVision shop on Bull Lane it contained items kindly donated by the people of Laois and all were available free of charge to the Ukraine refugee community living in Laois. While the shop will cease to operate for its original purpose, the Network says will now be open to the public and customers can purchase whatever they wish and donate whatever they can in an honesty box located in the shop. They say the shop is also open now to local charities and charity shops, who can avail of stock for their services. Karen McHugh, Chairperson of Laois Integration Network said that she and all the LIN Committee and volunteers who worked in the shop are, on the one hand sad to see it close but also happy that the need for the shop has reduced over the last few weeks as Ukrainian refugees living in Laois no longer need this free assistance. "The members of Laois Integration committee and volunteers in the shop have worked so hard since April in ensuring a welcome for all Ukrainian refugees arriving to Laois. We have, however noticed over the past few weeks that the numbers coming into the shop has reduced significantly. "This is due to Ukrainians receiving financial assistance or jobs as well as a reduction in numbers coming to Laois, therefore our shop is no longer needed. Additionally, the shop was kindly donated to us for free from Laois businessman Ger Mulhall for three months. "We are so grateful to Ger Mulhall, owner of Supervalu in Portlaoise, for his kindness and generosity, and we recognise that this is a business premises. It is however, with a heavy heart that we are closing, as we have not only provided clothes, food, bikes and baby equipment, etc.. for Ukrainian refugees, but we have also developed deep friendships and relationships. Our shop might be closing but our work will continue. "We hope to continue this social interaction and any help we can provide, once we find a suitable drop-in service in Portlaoise over the coming weeks. We sincerely thank all those who volunteered in the shop over the last few months. Finally, we are so grateful for the donations given to us by the Laois Community, all of which have made such a difference to the Ukrainian refugees, commented Ms McHugh. Laois Integration Network committee want to acknowledge the help of many who have helped with their work in welcoming Ukrainian refugees to Laois. These include: Ger Mulhall, from Supervalu, for donating one of his buildings to enable us to open the shop All those who volunteered in the shop Local Laois Community for their food, clothes and monetary donations. Community Gardai in Portlaoise for transport and support Portlaoise Party Supplies for providing complimentary balloons at the official launch SOSAD for being able to store donations in their premises before moving to the old Xtra Vision shop. Shaws, Penneys and Carraig Donn clothing shops in Portlaoise for donating clothes rails Portlaoise Parish Centre and Sparrow Insurances for covering the insurance costs. The Rainbow Castle Creche, Esker Hills Portlaoise for collection and storage of items Portlaoise WOSP, Polish Language School and Portlaoise and POLaois Community (Polish community group) The Mens Shed for making and delivering tables for the shop The Lions Club for donation of vouchers for new arrivals Race Right Cycles for the work in checking and repairing donated bikes Halfords for carrying out safety check on donated bikes Martleys for supporting with outing and school trips Browns Fruit & Veg Shop for accepting donations when shop was closed and the friendships developed PR Designs for designing our shop logo for free Laois Partnership for their ongoing presence at the shop to translate, interpret, advise and signposts to services and their ongoing efforts to aid the families to integrate with Laois' community. Laois County Council for ongoing support of LIN and the Zero Cost Shop Laois Volunteer Centre for support with volunteer recruitment and ongoing support The entire Laois Ukrainian Inter Agency Forum for their support and coordinated response to support Ukrainians who now call Laois home Youth Work Laois members for their help with setting up the shop The Zero-Cost Shop is now open to the public during the following times until Saturday 30th July: Mondays from 4.00-6.00pm Wednesdays from 4.00-6.00pm Saturdays from 12.00-4.00pm Karen McHugh, Chairperson of Laois Integration Network concluded by saying that social and helpful interaction will continue with Ukrainian refugees and anyone who wishes to help with donations can do so through the LIN Credit Union account. Donations can be made directly to Laois Integration Network Credit Union account. Account Name: Laois Integration Network; IBAN: IE62POCO99211710968699 BIC: POCOIE21 Laois Integration Network (LIN) is a community organisation in Laois that promotes cultural diversity and effective integration throughout the County of Laois. It was established in February 2016, initially under the auspices of Doras Syrian Resettlement Project and since June 2016 as a separate entity comprising local voluntary and statutory organisations as well as individuals from Irish and migrant and diverse communities throughout Laois. Bishop Denis Nulty with members of the African Catholic Family Kildare Dioscese. Pictures: Aishling Conway The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Most Rev Denis Nulty, led recent celebrations to mark the silver jubilee of the Church of the Irish Martyrs, better known as Ballycane church, in Naas. The priests of the parish, including Fr Liam Morgan PP, participated in a concelebrated ceremony at the church on June 12. This church dedicated to the Irish Martyrs was blessed and opened in Ballycane, on the east side of the town in 1997. Historian Liam Kenny, formerly of the Leinster Leader, recalled that architect Eamonnn Hedderman, who had a strong record of innovative design in church building, had spoken during the planning stage of a building which would have some of the characteristics of a tent a place of shelter, welcome and assembly. Whether that image translates into the solid brick building that emerged is a matter of individual perception but certainly the characteristics and welcome and gathering were appreciated by the parishioners from the opening day and have remained ever since attracting a loyal and consistent congregation, noted Liam. All human life has passed through its portals there are happy occasions like Holy Communion and Confirmation and sad times like a funeral mass the sadness being leavened by the brightness streaming in from the roof light. He observed that a much anticipated annual service is the Taize reflection at Easter on the night of Good Friday, the culmination of an ecumenical procession from the historic St Davids church in the town centre a gesture that links the oldest and the newest in terms of church building in Naas. Apart from its purposes as a place of sanctuary and a place of worship, the provision of a meeting rooms, provided for in the planning of the structure is a very fine example of forward planning. These rooms are sought after by a diversity of groups seeking to rent them for meetings and classes. Described as synodal in design, the church offers those attending services a comprehensive view of the altar and officiating priests no matter where within the building they sit. One of the martyrs to whom the church is dedicated is a 17th century Naas Dominican Friar Fr Peter OHiggins, who was executed in Dublin on 23 March, 1642. This was despite the pleas of William Pilsworth, the Protestant Rector of Donadea, who was about to be hanged at the hands of rebel soldiers and whose life had been saved by the intervention of Fr OHiggins the previous year. Prior to his execution he was given the choice of renouncing his faith to avoid his fate, but he refused. But the church also remembers another 21 men and women who have been canonised or beatified for dying for the Catholic faith between 1537 and 1681 in Ireland. The canonisation of Oliver Plunkett by Pope Paul VI in1975 was a huge news event in Ireland at that time. The recognition also brought an awareness of the others who died for the faith in the 16th and 17th centuries, when the persecution of Catholics took place, after King Henry VIII was excommunicated. A woman who was the victim of an alleged hatchet attack on her Naas home told a local court hearing that she has been threatened by one of those charged in connection with the incident. Brothers David McDonagh, 35, whose address was given as 6 Clonmullen Lane, Edenderry and Christopher McDonagh, 27, whose address was given as 16A Stonebridge Park, Rochfortbridge, County Westmeath are charged with criminal damage at 94 Hazelmere, Naas on January 14 last. Sgt Jim Kelly told a previous court hearing that a car was damaged in the incident and it will be alleged that both males had a hatchet. He added that there was a feud between the parties and he applied for an adjournment. A previous hearing was also told that the cost of the damage was estimated at 1,500 and the incident happened in broad daylight between 2pm and 2.15pm. It was also told that neither man was in County Kildare that day. A car entered the Hazelmere estate and three males got out of the vehicle and they went either side of the car and attacked it with hatchets. Windows in the house were also broken. On July 20 at Naas District Court an allegation was made that David McDonagh had threatened to burn down the home of Linda Connors at Hazelmere, Naas. Detective Garda Christine Brady claimed that David McDonagh was on bail. The court heard that one of the bail conditions was that he have no contact with the injured party. Gda Brady said the woman is in court to say she had contact from David McDonagh. She said the woman was contacted by him on July 12 ona number of occasions before 2pm. The woman answered two of the calls and it was claimed that threats were made to burn her out and that her fathers home would be burned out. Under cross examination the garda agreed that the calls were made from a private number and that the defendant had abided by other bail conditions. The woman told the court she lives in Hazelmere with her husband and three children and on July 12 seh had eight missed calls. She claimed that she knew David McDonaghs voice because he was married to her sister and he was shouting. She told Judge Michele Finan that the threat was to burn her house and her fathers house. She said she answered the phone four times. The court also heard that this issue still remains an allegation and nobody had seized the defendants phone to see if it correlated with calls made to the injured partys phone. Judge Finan said she was satisfied to revoke bail and remanded David McDonagh in custody to July 27. Christopher McDonagh was remanded on continuing bail to the same date. Read more Kildare news Theres a scene in the 2007 award winning film No Country for Old Men which has two police officers surveying a multiple murder scene. One turns to the other and says Its a mess, aint it Sheriff. He replies If it aint, itll do till the mess gets here. If the delay in opening Naas Shopping Centre isnt a mess itll do till Its twenty two years since Kildare County Council sold a town centre park to make way for the shopping centre and 13 years since the completed building was due to open to the public. There is no indication when it will open or what form it will take - in other words whether it will be a retail centre, like Whitewater shopping centre in Newbridge, in the middle of a town where the population is exploding. The alternative scenario may be a so-called mixed development in this case with residential accommodation in the form of apartments and some medical enterprises, including a drive-thru pharmacy. The latter was a proposal put forward by Ger Roche of the Roche Group, the current owners of the site and the Vista Centre on Ballymore Road. This was the tentative proposal put forward by Mr Roche after buying the premises. Its not known how much was paid for the derelict building. It went for sale on the insurrection of NAMA with a guide price of 4.6m - a fraction of the estimated construction cost of 40m. Thats a loss for the taxpayer and ratepayer to pay, along with the associated administrative and security costs. Not to mention the loss to Kildare County Council resulting from losing the car park and development levies - though it did get some houses at the back of the centre. Its likely that it was sold for less than the guide price because NAMA were surely keen to see it offloaded and, apparently, there were few if any other genuinely interested parties. Since then there have been moves towards reopening the two now closed pubs on the main street - the Five Lamps and the Forge Inn - but as yet they remain stalled. The mooted pub openings coupled with the failed bid by the Roche Group to create a new entrance from the main street suggest that the plan may be to redevelop the site in stages - rather than a comprehensive plan covering the entire premises. As reported in the Leinster Leader, Mr Roche was none too pleased when his plan was turned down - principally because Kildare County Council is legally bound to protect old structures with a heritage value and the Bank of Ireland premises is one of these. This decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala with a decision due by October 24. In the meantime another potential difficulty has arisen. Replying to a question by Cllr Colm Kenny, KCC said that road improvement works at the back of the centre (near Naas CBS) will have to be built by the developer. If this is to proceed as per the original permission granted to the original developer, Marshalsea, it will come at some cost. It involved a new entrance at the Sarah Flood pub site down Corbans Lane to where the route meets the NSC back entrance. Further on, it is also envisaged work there will be work on Friary Road and a possible removal of the old railway bridge, which is the highest point on that road. All of this will need to be done to facilitate traffic visiting and leaving the centre as well as taking into account the needs of Naas CBS and the boys primary school. The schools have a combined enrolment of getting on for 1,600 boys - and the primary school is itself to be knocked and rebuilt as a two storey school with 16 classrooms. Theres but one certainty here. The centre will no more open for Christmas 2022 than it did for Christmas 2009. Read more Kildare news A former Irish soldier found guilty of being a member of the so-called Islamic State (IS) is due to appear before a Dublin court on Friday for sentencing. Ex-Defence Forces member Lisa Smith, 40, was found guilty in May of membership of the IS terror group but was acquitted of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublins non-jury Special Criminal Court. Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country. The Co Louth woman had pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of IS and providing funds to benefit the group. She was granted bail ahead of sentencing. Smith, from Dundalk, was described in court earlier this month as an extremely vulnerable person who was treated like a servant by her late husband when in Syria. The details emerged during a sentencing hearing on July 11 as her barrister argued that the former soldier should receive a suspended sentence. During the hearing, barrister Michael OHiggins SC argued that the state of Ms Smiths marriage to a man, who the prosecution has claimed was a member of IS while in Syria, is a very relevant factor in mitigation. Mr OHiggins said that conditions endured by Ms Smith in a Syrian camp, combined with the strict bail conditions imposed on her for two-and-a-half years in Ireland, meant that a suspended sentence was warranted. The court heard that after leaving Baghuz, Ms Smith stayed at the Al Hawl camp from February to mid-April in an undercurrent of fear, with guards patrolling the area and dogs let out at night. Her barrister argued that if those two arguments are not accepted, there should be a sentence on the lower end, particularly considering Ms Smiths child and all of the very unusual circumstances. The verdict in the case was read out by Mr Justice Tony Hunt on May 30. In his judgment Justice Hunt, who sat as part of the three-judge court, acquitted her of the financing terrorism charge, saying it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that when she sent 800 euro to a man in 2015 it was specifically for the purpose of supporting the IS group. But the judge said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Smith took up membership of IS when she crossed the border into Syria in October 2015. He told the court that Ms Smiths online communications with various people showed that her eyes were wide open to the situation in the land to which she fervently wished to return. Justice Hunt said Ms Smith pledged allegiance to the organisation which al-Baghdadi headed up and that she knew the organisation was unlawful, and that it was not conventional or religious. Public concerns about agrochemicals are growing as their impact on health and the environment become better known. In Europe, these legitimate concerns have led to the establishment of certain safeguards that still remain woefully insufficient. The European Union (EU) has banned the use of the most dangerous pesticides on its soil since the early 2000s. But the restrictions apply only to local use, with the EU turning a blind eye to the production of these products on its territory for export to the rest of the world. These pesticides are so toxic that they are highly effective in destroying living organisms that harm crops. But they were withdrawn from the European market precisely because the harms they can cause to humans were deemed unacceptable. Read more Subscribers only Sri Lanka's organic revolution hits farmers hard Atrazine, for example, was banned in Europe in 2004 for being an endocrine disruptor and persisting in water. Eighteen years later, this herbicide is still detected in our drinking water and continues to be massively produced in Europe to be sold worldwide. An ecological and social disaster According to an investigation conducted by the Swiss NGO Public Eye, agrochemical giants exported more than 80,000 tons of pesticides banned in Europe in 2018 alone. And 90% of these products came from factories located in the Old Continent: the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, and Spain. Read more Subscribers only Pesticides are a divisive issue in French presidential race The EU's position is ethically unsustainable because Europe presents itself internationally as an entity concerned with ecology. However, the EU does nothing to bring its industries to stop producing obsolete and toxic chemicals. NGOs keep reminding us that dangerous pesticides are highly profitable for chemical companies, which continue to sell products introduced several decades ago, such as paraquat and atrazine (created in the 1960s). Read more Subscribers only 'The agricultural Green Deal will not happen' We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback In Brazil, an agricultural powerhouse, these products are causing an ecological and social disaster worthy of concern, as they are always spread by planes with bare minimum protection. The government of Jair Bolsonaro has lifted restrictions again and put 1,682 new pesticides on the Brazilian market. In this case, "new" does not mean modern and less toxic, because, to date, Brazil is using "at least 756 pesticides, derived from 120 active principles or molecules that were all banned in the EU in the 2000s yet are still produced by European firms," said chemist Sonia Hess, who works with the University of Santa Catarina. In Brazil's agricultural regions, scientists have sometimes risked their lives fighting to show the effects of these substances on public health and the environment. You have 46.08% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Damages following an Israeli strike at the Damascus International Airport, on June 12, 2022. - / AFP An Israeli strike killed three Syrian soldiers and wounded seven others near Damascus early Friday, the Syrian defense ministry said. "The Israeli enemy carried out an air strike... from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan... The aggression killed three soldiers and wounded seven others," it said in a statement released on Friday, adding Syrian air forces had intercepted some of the missiles launched by the Israeli army. Later that day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor declared that three more people had been killed, and ten people were wounded in total. The monitor, which relies on a wide network of sources within Syria, announced the Israeli strikes targeted an airforce intelligence facility, warehouses used as weapons depots by Iran and Hezbollah, as well as a high-ranking officer's office near the Mezzeh military airport destroying an Iranian weapons depot. Last month, Israeli strikes on Damascus International Airport rendered its runways unusable for weeks. Israel, active "neutral" participant in the Syrian civil war Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against its neighbor, targeting government troops as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters. While Israel rarely comments on individual strikes, it has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of them, while proclaiming a position of strict neutrality. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback The Israeli military says the strikes are necessary to prevent its arch-foe Iran from gaining a foothold on its doorstep. The Syrian war has now killed nearly half a million people and forced about half of the country's population from their homes. Le Monde with AFP LIMERICK City and County Council has warned there are almost 40 burial ground structures in need of attention to arrest their decline. Director of service for planning, placemaking and environment Nuala Gallagher told members at the July meeting of the council that a survey carried out as part of its burial ground strategy identified nine structures in need of urgent attention, and a further 27 classed as fairly urgent. The local authoritys blueprint recommends that a programme of detailed condition surveying, vegetation control and consolidation needs to be established across the county. This will require a significant stream of funding for a period of years. Larger projects may be multi-annual, but there could be capacity to bundle smaller projects and address them within one financial year, she said. It came as Independent councillor Eddie Ryan saw a motion passed calling on the council to increase the operation and maintenance budget for cemeteries to 100,000-per-year to provide adequate repair and maintenance. He said: The local authority has a responsibility for burial grounds. Previously, the council funded the main part of the conservation costs with matched funding from department grants. This could be the sum of 40,000 per annum. In recent years, this dedicated sum has been reduced to 15,000 which does not have the potential to advance a scheme, but only to top up on a successful grant application. Councillor Ryan agreed there is an urgent need to tackle these structures from a health-and-safety point of view. The churches, we cant touch them, knock them. But they have stones falling off them. It needs to be funded, and 15,000 is not cutting it. 100,000 is a minimum, and thats without the regular maintenance budgets for this or ancient structures, he said. The motion was seconded by fellow Independent councillor Jerome Scanlan. In a written response, Ms Gallagher said the council needs to be provided with matched funding to start a programme of works which would deal with the most urgent issues arising from graveyards more quickly. A MAGNIFICENT wooden sculpture has been commissioned at the front of a Limerick school to celebrate Ignatius 500. The sculpture, which is located at Crescent College Comprehensive in Dooradoyle, celebrates the 500th anniversary of the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola's conversion to the church after his wounding due to a cannonball strike on the battlements in Pamplona, Spain in 1521. In celebrating this anniversary school principal Diarmuid Mullins said that he hopes this project will acknowledge the cannonball moment at which Ignatius changed the course of his life and also set about dramatic change with the formation of the Jesuits. Throughout the world there are around 800 schools set up by the Jesuits, Crescent College being one of them. Brendan Iunn a teacher at Crescent College commented: If not for Ignatius' cannonball moment, we wouldn't have hundreds of Jesuit schools, universities or organisations that all serve to make the world a greater place. The sculpture made out of a tree that stood in the same spot is the work of chainsaw sculptor Will Fogarty from Hospital, County Limerick. The piece is part of a new development of the area at the front of the school which sees the old trees that once stood tall being reimagined as they must be removed for health and safety reasons. There will be a formal unveiling when the school community returns in late August and Id like to acknowledge the support of the schools Past Pupils Union in supporting this project. This last sculpture will start a celebration of Crescents 50 years at its site in Dooradoyle, Mr Mullins added. THE SWISS company Acrotec has announced the acquisition of the Limerick-based precision engineering company Takumi. The multi-million euro deal was finalised earlier this week and follows Acrotec's acquisition of Team-Metal in Singapore last April. Founded in 1998, Takumi is recognized as a leading CNC precision engineering company. It currently employs 120 people at its facility at Raheen Industrial Estate on the outskirts of the city. The company manufactures precision parts for highly-regulated industries such as medical devices, aerospace, semiconductor and pharmaceutical and its products include orthopaedic implants and instruments, as well as a range of cardiovascular support systems and assembly aids. "Culture is an essential cornerstone of any successful business. Acrotec's values, such as its entrepreneurial spirit, respect, integrity and independence, are a perfect fit for Takumi, commented Donal Galligan, CEO of Takumi. "Our own values of expertise, competence, forward thinking, agility and focus will go a long way in supporting Acrotec's principles. This is an exciting new step in Takumi's history and so we look forward to joining the Acrotec family," he added. Proud to announce Takumi have joined @AcrotecGroup Read more here: https://t.co/O79CydhdIQ Takumi (@TakumiPrecision) July 22, 2022 Ireland is home to more than 300 companies in the medical technology sector and many of Takumi's medical technology customers are US multinationals with European headquarters near Takumi in Limerick and the wider Mid West. This geo-strategic positioning was a key factor in our decision, commented Francois Billig, CEO of the Acrotec Group. This Irish region plays the role of an industrial bridge between Europe and the United States in the MedTech field and Takumi has a solid reputation and industrial expertise that attracted us. This is great news for Acrotec and I would like to thank Takumi's management for their confidence and enthusiasm in joining us. Gerry Reynolds, chairman and founder of Takumi, added: "I am very excited about this next step in the Takumi journey. I am confident that Takumi will thrive and grow as part of the Acrotec family of companies. Our culture will be maintained and we will continue to create value for our customers and shareholders while ensuring that Takumi remains a rewarding and fulfilling place to work." A MAN who posed as a roofer and defrauded an elderly woman of over 30,000 under the pretence of fixing her roof has been jailed for four and a half years. Patrick O'Brien, aged 39, of Hillview Drive, Abbeyfeale, County Limerick pleaded guilty to four counts of deception at various locations in Dublin in February 2019. Garda David Hoare told Edward Doocey BL, prosecuting, that between January and March 2019, O'Brien, along with two other men, defrauded the elderly victim of a total of 30,590 while pretending to replace her roof and chimney and install solar panels. The court heard the three men called to the 72-year-old woman's Dublin home in January 2019 and told her they had noticed problems with her roof. The woman allowed them to climb on to her roof to inspect it and when they came down, they told her she needed work done. The men did not let the woman climb the ladder up to the roof herself and instead showed her a photograph on their phone of birds nesting in a roof, which they pretended was hers. The woman agreed to get work done and was driven to her bank in town, where she took out 2,500 and gave it to O'Brien. Over the next couple of months, the woman continued to take out money for the men and give it to O'Brien, who was described as the money collector. The deception eventually came to an end when a bank worker became concerned about the regular withdrawals and asked the woman what she was taking money out for. The woman was advised not to give the men any more money, but when she told O'Brien this, she was driven to another bank branch. When this bank also refused to give out any more money, O'Brien took the woman to an ATM and got her to hand over more cash. The woman became concerned that no work was being done on the roof and went to gardai. She never got any of her money back, Garda Hoare said. O'Brien was identified on CCTV footage and arrested in May 2020. He has over 70 previous convictions and is currently serving a sentence for a similar deception offence, the court heard. Defence counsel, David Fleming BL, said O'Brien wished to apologise to his victim. He is doing well in custody and has retrained as a chef, the court heard. Imposing sentencing this Friday, Judge Martin Nolan said it was a particularly low crime. He said O'Brien took advantage of a vulnerable woman and deceived her into handing over more than 30,000. ONE OF Limerick's most famous and visibly stunning archaeological sites will feature on prime time television this Friday night. Lough Gur, which is situated in the east of the county, is famous for its many historical artefacts that have been found throughout the local region. In a short promo ahead of tonight's Nationwide programme on RTE One, Lough Gur visitor manager Kate Harrold spoke to Anne Cassin about the need to create a heritage centre at the site. From where we stand here would you believe, there are over 2,000 monuments within a 5km radius so back in 1981 thats why this visitor centre was established because we had so many visitors coming here to Lough Gur wanting to know more about the history and archaeology, Ms Harrold said. The Nationwide special will have a look at all the Lough Gur area has to offer, from incredible picturesque scenery to the famous Grange Stone Circle, located close to the lake and is the largest of its kind in Ireland. The most famous artefact found on the site of Lough Gur was a bronze Yetholm-type shield dated back to 1200-800 BC. A replica of the shield is on display at the visitor centre but the official one is located in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin and is only one of many artefacts discovered dated back to the Bronze Age. Nationwide will be broadcast at 7pm this Friday on RTE One. It can also be watched on the RTE Player. Four out five permanent member nations of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have extended their support to India's candidature for a permanent seat in the top world body, the government informed on Friday. "Four out of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have bilaterally expressed official affirmations of support for India's candidature to a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council," said minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan in response to a question in Lok Sabha. Muraleedharan stated that the government has accorded the "highest priority" to getting permanent membership for India in an expanded UNSC. "Towards this end, the government has undertaken various initiatives aimed at building international support for India. The matter is consistently taken up during bilateral and multilateral meetings at all levels, including at the highest levels," he said. China is the only country which has not yet supported India's bid to become a member of the UNSC. The minister also said that India has been consistently taking up the issue of reform of the UNSC. He referred to comments by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson last year following India-China consultations on the UNSC. Muraleedharan said the spokesperson, responding to a question, said that China supports UNSC reforms in a manner that increases the authority and efficacy of the body and increases the representation and voice of developing countries so that the small and medium-sized countries have a greater opportunity to participate in the decision making process. An Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) process of the UN has been working on various aspects of the reform, including categories of membership, issues relating to the veto power and regional representation. "The process of UNSC reforms is being presently discussed under the IGN framework of the UN General Assembly, where India along with like-minded countries have been pushing for text-based negotiations to commence on an urgent basis," Muraleedharan said. He said India is also working alongside other reform-oriented countries through its membership in G-4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and the L.69 Group (a cross regional group of countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America). At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the UN. The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality. India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Japan are strong contenders for permanent membership of the UNSC which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. With inputs from agencies. An atom is best visualized as a tight, dense nucleus surrounded by buzzing, orbiting electrons. This picture immediately leads to a question: How do electrons keep whirling around the nucleus without ever slowing down? This was a burning question in the early 20th century, and a search for the answer ultimately led to the development of quantum mechanics itself. In the early 20th century, after countless experiments, physicists were just beginning to put together a coherent picture of the atom . They realized that each atom had a dense, heavy, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a cloud of tiny, negatively charged electrons. With that general picture in mind, their next step was to create a more detailed model. Related: Weird 'gravitational molecules' could orbit black holes like electrons swirling around atoms In the earliest attempts at this model, scientists took their inspiration from the solar system , which has a dense "nucleus" (the sun ) surrounded by a "cloud" of smaller particles (the planets). But this model introduced two significant problems. For one, a charged particle that accelerates emits electromagnetic radiation . And because electrons are charged particles and they accelerate during their orbits, they should emit radiation. This emission would cause the electrons to lose energy and quickly spiral in and collide with the nucleus, according to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (opens in new tab). In the early 1900s physicists estimated that such an inward spiral would take less than one-trillionth of a second, or a picosecond. Since atoms obviously live longer than a picosecond, this wasn't going to work. A second, more subtle issue had to do with the nature of the radiation. Scientists have known that atoms emit radiation, but they do so at very discrete, specific frequencies. An orbiting electron, if it followed this solar system model, would instead emit all sorts of wavelengths, contrary to observations. The quantum fix Famed Danish physicist Niels Bohr was the first person to propose a solution to this issue. In 1913, he suggested that electrons in an atom couldn't just have any orbit they wanted. Instead, they had to be locked into orbits at very specific distances from the nucleus, according to the Nobel Prize citation entry for his subsequent award (opens in new tab). In addition, he proposed that there was a minimum distance an electron could reach and that it could move no closer to the nucleus. He didn't just pull these ideas out of a hat. A little over a decade before, German physicist Max Planck had proposed that the emission of radiation might be "quantized," meaning an object could only absorb or emit radiation in discrete chunks, and not have any value it wanted, according to the HyperPhysics reference page at Georgia State University (opens in new tab). But the smallest size of these discrete chunks was a constant, which came to be known as Planck's constant. Prior to this, scientists thought such emissions were continuous, meaning particles could radiate at any frequency. Planck's constant has the same units as angular momentum, or the momentum of an object moving in a circle. So Bohr imported this idea to electrons orbiting a nucleus, saying that the smallest possible orbit of an electron would equal the angular momentum of exactly one Planck constant. Higher orbits could have twice that value, or three times, or any other integer multiple of the Planck constant, but never any fraction of it (so not 1.3 or 2.6 and so forth). Planck's constant written out. (Image credit: ragsac via Getty Images) It would take the full development of quantum mechanics to understand why electrons had such a minimum orbit and clearly defined higher orbits. Electrons, like all matter particles, behave as both particles and waves. While we might imagine an electron as a tiny planet orbiting the nucleus, we can just as easily imagine it as a wave wrapping around that nucleus. Waves in a confined space have to obey special rules. They can't just have any wavelength; they must be made out of standing waves that fit inside the space. It's just like when someone plays a musical instrument: If you pin down the ends of a guitar string, for example, only certain wavelengths will fit, giving you the separate notes. Similarly, the electron wave around a nucleus has to fit, and the nearest orbit for an electron to a nucleus is given by the first standing wave of that electron. Future developments in quantum mechanics would continue to refine this picture, but the basic point remains: An electron can't get any closer to a nucleus because its quantum mechanical nature won't let it take up any less space. Adding up the energies But there's a completely different way to examine the situation that doesn't rely on quantum mechanics at all: Just look at all the energies involved. An electron orbiting a nucleus is electrically attracted to the nucleus; it's always being pulled closer. But the electron also has kinetic energy, which works to send the electron flying away. For a stable atom, these two are in balance. In fact, the total energy of an electron in orbit, which is a combination of its kinetic and potential energies , is negative. That means you have to add energy to the atom if you want to remove the electron. It's the same situation with the planets in orbit around the sun: To remove a planet from the solar system, you'd have to add energy to the system. One way to view this situation is to imagine an electron "falling" toward a nucleus, attracted by its opposite electric charge. But because of the rules of quantum mechanics, it can't ever reach the nucleus. So it gets stuck, forever orbiting. But this scenario is allowed by physics, because the total energy of the system is negative, meaning it's stable and bound together, forming a long-lasting atom. Originally published on Live Science on Jan. 21, 2011 and rewritten on June 22, 2022. If you ever took a trip to the beach as a child, it's possible you will have been encouraged to hold a shell to your ear so you can "hear" the ocean. But why is it possible to hear sounds resembling the sea inside a shell? Are we somehow listening to noises from the shell's past, or is it something more easily explained? "It isn't the sound of the sea," Trevor Cox, a professor of acoustic engineering at the University of Salford in the United Kingdom, told Live Science in an email. "But, as you're holding a seashell to your ear , it makes sense that people would think it might be." So, if it isn't the sound of the sea you're hearing, what exactly is it? "You are hearing ambient or background noise that has been increased in amplitude by the physical properties of the seashell," said Andrew King, director of the University of Oxford's Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and head of the Oxford Auditory Neuroscience Group. Related: Why are there so many giants in the deep sea? King explained that the "hard, curved surfaces" inside shells reflect soundwaves, causing the waves to "bounce around" inside the shell. Consequently, the shell "acts as a resonator, boosting certain sound frequencies, so that they are louder than they would be without the seashell placed next to your ear," King told Live Science in an email. The frequencies you hear will depend on the size and shape of the seashell. If the seashell has an irregular shape, it will likely resonate at multiple frequencies, King said. "The seashell is like a wind instrument," Cox said. "It has a set of resonant frequencies where the air inside the shell will vibrate more strongly. Hold the shell to your ear, and it is those frequencies in the ambient sound that get amplified. Because the sound changes, your brain pays attention to it." According to both Cox and King, you don't actually need a seashell to hear a sound that replicates that of the ocean; you can get a similar experience at home simply by using a cup or bowl. "The same effect is produced by placing other objects or even, to a small extent, your cupped hand next to your ear," King said. "What you will hear is, again, determined by the size and shape of the object." However, King noted that "background noise must be present" for anything to be heard. "You won't hear anything in a completely soundproofed room," King said. Cox agreed. "If I go into Salford University's anechoic chamber, which is a completely silent room, I'd hear nothing, because there is no ambient sound," Cox said. An anechoic chamber is a room specifically designed to achieve complete silence by preventing "the reflection of sound from the room boundaries," according to the University of Southampton (opens in new tab). These rooms, according to a 2018 CNN report (opens in new tab), are so quiet that, after a short period of time, an inhabitant would be able to hear their heartbeat and also their bones grinding or creaking, and would eventually lose their balance "because the absolute lack of reverberation sabotages your spatial awareness." So, it is essential for background noise to be present to hear sounds within seashells, but this does raise a question: Given that the sound you hear when listening to a seashell is simply amplified background noise, when listening to a shell while beside the sea, are you actually hearing the sound of the sea? "If you use a seashell at a beach, the ambient sound being altered by the shell is the sound of the sea. So, I guess you are listening to the sea indirectly," Cox said. Originally published on Live Science on Feb. 16, 2011 and rewritten on July 22, 2022. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ISTANBUL (AP) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The U.N. plan will enable Ukraine one of the world's key breadbaskets to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russia's invasion. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families," said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, Guterres said. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all, he told the envoys. Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Erdogan hoped it would be a new turning point that will revive hopes for peace. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. Im not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal, Kuleba told The Associated Press. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But Im very cautious because I have no trust in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Kuleba's concerns in his nightly video address, saying, It is clear to everyone that there may be some provocations on the part of Russia, some attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust the UN. The European Union and the U.K. immediately welcomed the news. This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russias aggression against Ukraine, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss applauded Turkey and the U.N. for brokering the agreement. We will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words," Truss said. "To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. African leaders, whose countries import food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia, also welcomed the deal, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it has taken much too long. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities such as wheat and barley have soared during the war. Although international sanctions against Russia did not target food exports, the war has disrupted shipments of Russian products because shipping and insurance companies did not want to deal with Russia. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, opens a path for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement, obtained by the AP, says a U.N.-led joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships arrivals and departures. Inspectors representing all parties at the Bosporus in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure no weapons or soldiers are on board. Under the deal, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, and the parties agree not to attack vessels and port facilities involved in the initiative. If demining is required to make the shipping lanes safe, a minesweeper from another country could clear the approaches to Ukrainian ports. The sides will monitor the movement of ships remotely and no military ships. aircraft or drones will be allowed to approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance the center sets. The agreement will remain in effect for 120 days and can be extended automatically. Guterres believes grain shipments could start within the next two weeks, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A senior U.N. official said Ukraine needs about 10 days to prepare the ports and needs time to identify and be clear about those safe corridors. The aim is to export 5 million tons of grains per month to empty Ukraine's silos in time for this year's harvest. Zelenskyy said nearly 20 million tons of grain will be exported initially, then some of the current harvest. Guterres first raised the critical need to restart the supply of Ukraines agricultural production and Russias grain and fertilizer to world markets in late April during meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then proposed a deal because of fears that the war could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Peter Meyer, head of grain and oilseed analytics at S&P Global Platts, said the deal does not "mean that the global supply crisis is over. Traders anticipated a deal for the past several weeks, he said, so its effect might already have shown up in grain prices. And the agreement only covers the 2021 crop. Theres still considerable uncertainty about Ukrainian production this year and even next, Meyer said. Before the agreements, Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports, insisted on checking incoming ships for weapons and lifting restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Ukraine argued that Russia's port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any safe sea shipments impossible. It sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack Odesa and accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately setting Ukrainian fields on fire. Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of stolen grain in the negotiations. It was part of a deal: Kyiv doesnt raise the issue of stolen grain and Moscow doesnt insist on checking Ukrainian ships. Kyiv and Moscow were forced to make a deal and compromise, he said. The deal was also important for Russia's geopolitical relations, the analyst noted. Russia decided not to fuel a new crisis in Africa and provoke a hunger and government changes there, Sidenko said. The African Union had asked Putin to quickly ease the crisis with grain supplies." __ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Erika Kinetz in Kyiv, Ukraine, Raf Casert in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Click here to read the full article. Its the end of an era, podcast network Exactly Right tweeted in May 2022. Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad is going off the air. The tweet set off dismayed speculation among the true crime community, and rightly so: The podcast, which launched in 2019, was a popular powerhouse of the genre, featuring Paul Holes, the now-retired detective who helped crack the Golden State Killer case, and Billy Jensen, who helped finish the 2018 bestseller, Ill Be Gone in the Dark, that detailed the hunt for the serial killer, after author Michelle McNamara died in 2016. McNamara struck a match when she teamed up with armchair sleuths and real detectives to track down the killer, who turned out to be retired cop Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. The Murder Squad ignited that fire, and aimed to become the first truly collaborative true-crime show and unite citizen sleuths with experts to solve cold cases. It worked, to an extent the hosts claim to have helped crack at least one cold case so it was a shock when the podcast was unceremoniously discontinued. The show ran for three seasons, after all, and both hosts had new books on the horizon and tens of thousands of fans on social media commenting on and liking every photo and tweet. Exactly Right, the podcasting company founded by hosts of the mega-popular My Favorite Murder, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, offered only the end of an era tweet as the public statement about the decision and did not respond to Rolling Stones requests for comment. The company limited replies to the tweet, but that didnt stop the networks fans from demanding answers. As one social media user put it: Time to step up and be honest because the rumors going around are about to get ahead of this. And they did. In June, two podcasters released episodes going public with allegations of sexual misconduct against Jensen. One of those podcasters claimed that Jensen had slapped her during an otherwise consensual encounter something Jensen has denied both publicly on his website and to Rolling Stone. The true crime podcasts Subreddit exploded with a so-called mega thread to discuss Jensen. Paul Haynes, who had also worked on McNamaras book, posted lengthy diatribes about Jensen that landed him a cease-and-desist from Jensens lawyers. Soon true-crime social media was in convulsions over the allegations and people were choosing sides. Taken by themselves, some of these allegations show embarrassing behavior in my private life, Jensen tells Rolling Stone. However, when these moments are presented inaccurately, all together, and without context, the result is to not only mischaracterize each of the individual events, but also fundamentally misrepresent who I am and have been as a person. Jensen alleges that Jenn Tisdale, the podcaster who claimed he slapped her, has enlisted her friends including Haynes, who Jensen claims harbors a professional grudge as part of an organized effort. to collect negative stories and criticisms about me to share to the public wholesale. Both Haynes and Tisdale strongly dispute this characterization. I was not acting in tandem or collaboration with anyone else, Haynes tells Rolling Stone. The number of stories of which I was aware increased significantly as women I didnt know began reaching out to me to share their own experiences with [Jensen], and as other women posted their stories anonymously on Reddit and Facebook groups. This was no coordinated smear campaign. Jensen further claims that Tisdale only made allegations against him because he rejected her advances; on his website, he has shared flirtatious texts she sent before and after their alleged encounter. Tisdale, however, denies this. Its my understanding that Billy sort of framed it as Id been scorned, she says. Like I had a crush. No, I did not. I never had romantic feelings for Billy. Tisdale says that she decided to speak about the alleged slap on her podcast after she heard about allegations following a 2021 party that ultimately led to Jensens removal from his podcast. In response to Jensens allegations of a smear campaign, Tisdale insists that she and others are coming together to find solace and comfort which is not a coordinated effort to spread negative information about him. According to five sources who spoke with Rolling Stone, Jensen has a history of touching women inappropriately. Two podcasters tell Rolling Stone Jensen made inappropriate physical contact with them, including touching or grabbing them without consent. This alleged behavior seems to have come to light after an Exactly Right Halloween party in 2021, which led to a workplace investigation and the eventual end of the Murder Squad. In response to a detailed list of questions from Rolling Stone, Jensen apologized for some of his alleged behavior, denied other parts of it, and told the magazine he has a drinking problem, coupled with mental health issues, and has entered rehab to address them both. While I understand some might be cynical of my seeking treatment, I needed to not only address my alcohol use, but my mental health as well, he says. The only thing I can do now is keep working the program to be and stay accountable, make direct amends where appropriate, and treat my underlying issues so that I stay on the forward path. Images courtesy of Terra Newell and Celene Calderon-Olsen Images courtesy of Terra Newell and Celene Calderon-Olsen Podcaster Alvin Williams attended Exactly Rights Halloween party in mid-October 2021 as the plus-one of his friend, an employee of the network, whom he declined to name. The woman in question did not respond to Rolling Stones requests for an interview and her attorney, reached for comment, declined to discuss the matter. Williams, the second podcaster to go public, first shared his account of that evenings events on his show, Affirmative Murder. He recalls that Jensen appeared drunk and that, at one point during the party, his friend approached him and told him that Jensen had just grabbed her buttocks. In a sworn statement Williams gave to his friends lawyer in April 2022, which Rolling Stone reviewed, he said his friend reached out to him again a couple months after the party to talk about the alleged incident. [She] told me Billy grabbed her after he came up behind her, and that she felt extremely violated by this, Williams said in the sworn statement. I felt [she] was hurt, and deeply affected by this incident. Jensen confirmed to Rolling Stone that he was indeed the subject of a workplace investigation regarding the party. According to Jensen, a lawyer from Exactly Right contacted him not long after the party and connected him with an investigator, who said they received complaints from three people saying that my hugs and embraces had been over the line, he says. One person had said I hugged them for too long and talked too closely to them; one said I put my arm around them multiple times; and one said I touched their behind during an embrace. After the investigation was concluded, Jensen says he was told he had acted inappropriately and the podcast was then discontinued. When I was informed of the complaints, I was shocked, embarrassed, and hated to hear that I had made others feel uncomfortable, Jensen tells Rolling Stone. The behavior described to me sounded obnoxious, with me making a spectacle of myself and being too familiar with people. To all of this, I want to make clear that I was unaware I had done anything untoward, and it certainly wasnt intentional I would never want to make others feel uncomfortable in any way, and I am deeply sorry. Jensen isnt new to the true crime community; he got his start in the Nineties as a reporter on Long Island, and went on to cover crime for alt-weeklies and magazines, including Rolling Stone. In 2016, he joined a vast community of web detectives who have been increasingly lauded for contributing to the resolution of major cases. Since the popularity of true crime podcasts began to soar, families of victims have begun putting their trust in amateur investigators and podcasters who they believe can help reinvigorate cases that may have languished in obscurity. In 2019, CBCs investigative podcast, Finding Cleo, uncovered what happened to a missing indigenous girl, Cleopatra Semaganis Nicotine, highlighting the plight of her community. Last year, the family of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old who was murdered by her fiance on a cross-country van trip, thanked social-media sleuths for helping the case gain national attention. Following the success of Ill Be Gone in the Dark, Jensen a lanky, self-described goth who towers over six feet tall in his signature black leather jacket built a career as a media personality and a brooding crusader for justice. Hes appeared on Discovery ID shows, co-hosted the true crime podcast The First Degree, written books, started the Murder Squad with Holes, and has been greeted by screaming fans at increasingly popular true-crime conventions. Hes also been profiled by this publication. Now, it all seems to be crashing down. Terra Newell claims to Rolling Stone that Jensen acted inappropriately toward her on more than one occasion after she was a guest on a June 5, 2019 episode of The First Degree. Newell is perhaps the most well-known survivor in modern true crime. In the story of Dirty John (the first crime saga to run the media gamut from newspaper series to podcast to documentary to scripted series), she was the unlikely hero who, in 2016, stabbed her mothers scam-artist husband to death in self-defense when he attacked her in a California parking garage. Newell says the first alleged inappropriate incident followed a signing for Jensens book Chase Darkness With Me on Aug. 13, 2019, in Los Angeles. Jensen, his First Degree co-hosts, Newell, and Newells friend Rachael OBrien went to a bar after the event. Newell says she was intoxicated so some of the details are hazy, but claims that, after his co-hosts left, Jensen began acting aggressively flirtatious with her and talking about his open marriage, an arrangement well known among his friends and acquaintances. (He has also posted publicly about it on his website in response to recent allegations.) [He was] grabbing the back of my neck. He was grabbing my thigh. He was grabbing me all over the place, Newell claims. OBrien, watching the alleged touching, asked her friend if she was OK, then excused herself. OBrien confirmed Newells account to Rolling Stone and says she left the gathering because she was uncomfortable with the way Jensen was acting toward Newell. After the rest of the party left, Newell says Jensen tried to talk her into getting a hotel room. He also said something about how he would go down on [his co-worker], she says. He was telling me about how good he was at going down on women. They never got a room, however. Newell says Jensen kissed her right before she got into her Uber. OBrien says Newell told her about the conversation and the kiss when Newell came to her house later that night. Terra is an incredibly smart girl and very sweet, she says. I think thats what made me most disgusted by him, is that he knows shes a victim of trauma to the scariest degree. So if youre a dude thats advocating for women, how about dont go after the most vulnerable? At the time, though, Newell stood up for Jensen, and encouraged OBrien to move forward with a podcast episode shed recorded with him. I was just trying to make excuses for his behavior, Newell says. I thought this was all my fault. Newell next saw Jensen at a true-crime meetup event at the L.A. bar Idle Hour on Oct. 18, 2019. Im actually dating someone at this time so any flirty behavior with him is absolutely not OK, Newell recalls. With the man she was dating on the way, she alleges Jensen once again began making advances on her. He was grabbing my legs that night, grabbing my thighs, grabbing me by the back of the neck, she recalls. During this time a lot of people saw this and then it became a rumor that he may have had a relationship with me. Nicholas Karlin/Karlin Villondo Photography Nicholas Karlin/Karlin Villondo Photography At the time of these interactions, Newell says she dismissed Jensens behavior but reassessed it after the Exactly Right employee allegations came out. To be honest, I was friends with Billy for a while until this stuff started coming out, she says. And then I realized I was just another girl that got groped by Billy Jensen. Jensen tells Rolling Stone that he understood it to be a mutual flirtation and mutual kiss between him and Newell, noting that the two maintained a friendship for three years after the alleged incidents. I have incredible respect for [Newell] as a person, Jensen says. She is a survivor, but that was not the context of our relationship I saw her as a peer in the true-crime space. As for her account of his language at the bar that evening in L.A., Jensen said hearing it makes me ashamed and I have previously apologized to her for over-the-top comments. Terra actually suggested to me in May that I go to rehab, which I am doing currently. Celene Beth Calderon-Olsen, a podcast host and victim advocate who has spoken openly about surviving rape, also alleges that Jensen acted inappropriately toward her in 2019. After the two bonded online over their mutual disappointment in a Netflix Ted Bundy documentary, Jensen and Calderon-Olsen met up on Nov. 8, 2019, in Washington, D.C., at the Death Becomes Us true crime and pop culture festival. According to Calderon-Olsen, a group of festival participants were socializing in the bar of the Watergate Hotel, where they were staying for the event. I remember walking in and Billy immediately grabbed me and started hugging me to the point where it was a little too long, she says. It was just kind of jarring because I actually had [seen] him an hour or two prior to this, and he didnt have that same interaction. It was almost a different person when I saw him at the bar. Everyone was drinking that night, Calderon-Olsen says, including her, adding that Jensen seemed particularly intoxicated. At one point in the evening, Calderon-Olsen says she was talking with another man while Jensen stood behind her, when she felt him touch her head. I felt [Jensens] hand just grab and smack, basically, the back of my head, Calderon-Olsen says. She says he then took hold of her head in his hand. Then I could feel him running his fingers through my hair, she says. It was this weird moment, almost being sandwiched between the two [men]. Former police officer and criminal behaviorist Sarah Cailean, a friend of Calderon-Olsens who was also in attendance, recalls seeing Jensen touching Calderon-Olsens hair. It was very awkward, she says. It wasnt like he brushed past her. It was very obvious and pronounced, this sort of petting, stroking her hair. Her face was every bit as shocked and embarrassed as mine was. Calderon-Olsen says she had expected better from Jensen. Hes well aware that Im a survivor, she says. Hes very familiar that Ive been outspoken about my rape. So again, to have somebody who is supposed to be well-versed in survivors and victim sensitivity, those boundaries were crossed. Jensen, for his part, claims Calderon-Olsen is part of the organized effort to spread negative stories about him, a claim she denies and calls irresponsible, saying she only came out in support of his accuser at Exactly Right. Jensen says he has no recollection of this moment as [Calderon-Olsen] describes it, other than that it was a friendly hug. I did not smack or grab the back of her head. Saying that Calderon-Olsen never voiced any objection to him, Jensen says that he only found out about this allegation when he received a request for comment from Rolling Stone. As proof that he, Calderon-Olsen and Cailean continued to be friends as normal after the alleged incident, Jensen points to tweets Calderon-Olsen and Cailean tagged him and others in after the Death Becomes Us event. (Thank you for a lovely time looking forward to when we are all in one city again!, reads Calderon-Olsens tweet. What a fantastic night, reads Caileans). Two other sources allege that there had been whispers about Jensen in the true crime community well before Murder Squad was cancelled and allegations of Jensens inappropriate touching came to light. A former friend of Jensens, who says she had a falling out with him over reporting decisions he made in one of his podcasts, says that Jensen has long been known as a missing stair as in, something you warn newcomers about so they dont trip. In various communities, there are people who are missing stairs. People who a whisper network will warn you about, she says. So, regarding Billy, there have been whispers for a long time, but he was just a drunk guy that hit on your friends. In the past two months, the community appears to be distancing itself from Jensen. The First Degree hosts told Rolling Stone hes no longer part of the podcast. And the release of his upcoming book, Killers Amidst Killers: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under the Cloak of Americas Opioid Epidemic, which had been scheduled for publication this summer, has been indefinitely delayed. And of course theres the end of the Murder Squad. Since the shows ending, sources Rolling Stone spoke with say they have begun to re-examine their relationships with Jensen. Calderon-Olsen, the podcaster who bonded with Jensen over the Bundy documentary, hasnt seen him since the alleged hair-touching incident in November 2019, but says they communicated a few times since then: once in December of that year, he let her know hed mentioned a Bundy project she was working on in an interview he did. I felt honored at the time he would do something like that for me, even though I was still stewing over what had just happened a few weeks prior, she says. Another time he sent condolences after her close friend died. Again, all these signs pointing to, he was a good guy. She also says she reached out to him with a professional request on behalf of a production company she worked for, and acknowledges she tagged him in some social media posts. As the pandemic descended in 2020, they lost touch. Newell says she cut ties with Jensen at the beginning of June when Jensen was in the process of helping her with a book she was working on. She had seen rumors circulating online about his behavior at the Halloween party, which made her rethink her interactions with him in the past, which she says she hadnt quite yet processed. That was really when it clicked for me that this behavior is not OK, Newell says. Newell says she used to drink heavily in social situations and has since stopped, following her experience with Jensen. This whole Billy thing coaxed me into one hundred percent not drinking anymore, she says. Because it has really been traumatic. Click here to read the full article. Netflix has officially announced that it has boarded Copenhagen Cowboy, a poetic neon-noir series by Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish filmmaker of the Pusher trilogy, Drive and The Neon Demon. Copenhagen Cowboy is a thrill-inducing series set in six episodes about a young heroine, Miu (Angela Bundalovic) who travels through Copenhagens criminal underworld. The six-episode drama filmed in Denmark. Production has now wrapped. The show will launch globally on Netflix later this year. With Copenhagen Cowboy, I am returning to my past to shape my future by creating a series, an expansion of my constantly evolving alter-egos, now in the form of my young heroine, Miu, said Refn. The filmmaker also spoke highly about his collaboration with Netflix, saying that itd been an absolutely wonderful experience on all levels. I not only perceive them as my partners with many future adventures to come, but also as my friends. The new term has been born: Netflix Winding Refn, quipped the helmer. Jenny Stjernstromer Bjork, director Nordic Original Series at Netflix, said he considered Refn to be one of Denmarks most acclaimed filmmakers. With this new series, Bjork said Netflix was bringing him back to Denmark to produce a local Danish show after more than 15 years abroad. Nicolas is a creative force and is such a fascinating and unpredictable filmmaker. We cant wait to bring Copenhagen Cowboy to the world, continued Bjork. The series stars Angela Bundalovic, Lola Corfixen and Zlatko Buric. Additional cast includes Andreas Lykke Jrgensen, Jason Hendil-Forssell, Li Ii Zhang, Dragana Milutinovic, Mikael Bertelsen and Mads Brugger among others. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A stolen vehicle was recovered recently at a ranch. The US Border Patrol stated that the Webb County Sheriff's Office asked for assistance from the Freer Border Patrol Station locating a vehicle after an attempted traffic stop on July 20. Upon investigation, the agencies discovered a damaged ranch fence, which led them to the abandoned vehicle. The WCSO and USBP inspected the area and discovered nine individuals illegally in the country hiding in the brush. The vehicle's registration check revealed it was previously reported stolen out of Laredo. Franc Zhurda/AP TIRANA, Albania (AP) Former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Friday that the United Kingdom has barred him from entering the country, citing his involvement with organized crime and corruption. The British Embassy in Tirana tweeted Thursday that the U.K. has taken disruptive action against several Albanian individuals with ties to criminality and corruption." The embassy did not name the people targeted. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A Kentucky judge granted an injunction on Friday that prevents the state's near-total ban on abortions from taking effect, meaning the state's two clinics can continue providing abortions, for now. Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry's ruling says there is a substantial likelihood that Kentucky's new abortion law violates "the rights to privacy and self-determination protected by Kentucky's constitution. The injunction issued in Louisville allows the state's only two clinics to continue providing abortions while the case is litigated. Kentuckys trigger law was meant to ban abortions as soon as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, but Perry issued a restraining order in June blocking the ban. His ruling means that of the 13 states with trigger bans, five are in effect. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican running for governor, said he was disappointed by the ruling and will appeal it to the state appeals court. The judges suggestion that Kentuckys constitution contains a right to abortion is not grounded in the text and history of our states governing document, Cameron said in a prepared statement. We will continue our steadfast defense of these bipartisan laws that represent the Commonwealths commitment to the lives of the unborn. Kentuckys trigger law contains a narrow exception allowing a physician to perform an abortion if necessary to prevent the death or permanent injury of the pregnant woman. Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has denounced that law as extremist, noting it lacks exceptions for rape and incest. Thirteen states created trigger bans, and of those, at least five are currently in effect: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Five are not due to take effect yet: Idaho, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. The remaining three in Kentucky, Louisiana and Utah are not in effect because of litigation. In all, about half the U.S. states are likely to have bans or deep restrictions in place as a result of the Supreme Court ruling. Perry, the Kentucky judge, held a hearing on July 6 to listen to arguments on the injunction. A doctor who performs abortions at one of the clinics cited statistics she said showed that pregnancy can be more dangerous to the health of a mother than abortion. Perry also wrote in his ruling that the trigger ban is an arguably unconstitutional delegation of authority, since it depended on another jurisdictional body the U.S. Supreme Court. Kentuckians are set to vote in November on a constitutional amendment that would ensure there are no state constitutional protections for abortion. In Louisiana, another state with a court-contested trigger ban, a state judge on Thursday blocked enforcement of its abortion ban. On Friday, state officials asked the same judge to suspend his own ruling while they pursue an appeal. Judge Donald Johnson's preliminary injunction meant clinics in Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans could provide abortions while the lawsuit continues. ___ This story corrects the reason that Texas' trigger ban has not taken effect yet in paragraph 8. __ Associated Press writers Kevin McGill contributed from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Geoff Mulvihill from Philadelphia. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Laredo Independent School District conducted an active shooter drill at D.D. Hachar Elementary School where LISD police officers acted in defense of the school and children in preparation for any intrusion by an intruder with terrorist intent. The drill was held around 10:30 a.m. LISD policies acted to protect the facility with their trained protocol. After moments of carrying out their strategic action inside the facilities, the officers concluded the drill by capturing the intruder. The drill did not have students present, however, it was planned to take place some of these dynamics but with children on place in the next months. From my perspective the officers did very well, they did what they supposed to do, LISD Police Chief Dorien Hale said. Safety Preparedness is an essential part of the full emergency plan. The objective here is to prepare us to be able to respond and to protect our students and themselves in the event of active shooter or any emergency event. Hale added than the instructions given are part of the three P phases: preparation, practice and process. We follow three steps the P phases: preparation, through classroom instruction; practice, on how to respond to any hypothetical instruction; and then after its over we process, we go over and review the responses that the staff members have experienced during this practice. She added that the Uvalde shooting back on May 24 was an eyeopener for all enforcement agencies. It was very tragic and devastating situation. I went to Uvalde to pay my respects; we can only hope to learn from any mistake that may have occurred to avoid any tragedy in the future, Hale said. Its unfortunate what happened in Uvalde, and we dont want to be caught out of guard. I want the community to know we are getting ready and we are preparing, and thats going to be consistent. Oscar Perez, Executive Director for School Safety, echoed Hale and added that it is important prepare since theres no time or place set for incidents to occur. The Uvalde shooting is an example that tragedies can occur anywhere. All of us we have to be ready. Its our responsibility to take the safety of our students and of all our employees into account to make sure it does not happen, he said. The drill is part of all the preparations that we need to ensure for the safety of our students and employees, and we take our responsibilities seriously enough that we need to practice these drills and standard response protocols. Perez added that many trainings are coming up for staff and teachers as well as for students, all of this in order to practice and be prepared. As Sames Auto Arena would be involved as a location for children to be taken as a refugee in case of an attack, it is also being planned to do a drill with school members in the location. Perez stated that the importance of having these practices and drills is to be ready to respond based on the practice and training, as well as he suggested parents to check their backpacks and let their children know that they should respond to their teachers and police guidance. We are preparing and training our students and staff and implementing several features to make sure everything is in order, he said. Another implementation to prevent any incident is the action see something? Say something! where they ask anyone to contact an administrator, adult or teacher in case someone suspects that something is not well, they can report it, and someone will immediately respond. I want to thank our LISD police department and our board of trustees for their full support, and making sure all our officers are prepared to respond to any crisis and of course our campus leadership and teachers and students as well, Perez said. More active shooter drills were conducted this week at other LISD campuses such as in Ligarde Elementary School and Farias Elementary School on Thursday. These drills are for training purposes only, so it is asked to the community to not be alarmed. karol.garcia@lmtonline.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Emergency workers recovered three bodies from a school hit by a Russian strike in eastern Ukraine, officials said Friday, one of a string of attacks on the nation. The casualties in the city of Kramatorsk followed a barrage Thursday on a densely populated area of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, that killed at least three people and wounded 23. In the most significant agreement involving the warring parties so far, Russian and Ukrainian officials signed deals with the U.N. and Turkey to avert a global food crisis by clearing the way for the shipment of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain and some Russian exports of grain and fertilizer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address the deals offer a chance to prevent a global catastrophe a famine that could lead to political chaos in many countries of the world, in particular in the countries that help us. Yet the war that has blocked those grain shipments for almost five months did not abate. Russia this week reiterated its plans to seize territories beyond eastern Ukraine, where the Russian military has been trying to conquer the Donbas region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. The Ukrainian president's office said that in one Donbas city, Kramatorsk, Russian shelling destroyed a school and damaged 85 residential buildings. Ukraine's state emergencies agency said rescuers found three bodies in the ruins of the school, which was hit Thursday. Russian strikes on schools and hospitals are very painful and reflect its true goal of reducing peaceful cities to ruins, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said in televised remarks, repeating his call for residents to evacuate. Russia gave a different account of the attack. Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday's strike killed more than 300 Ukrainian troops using Kramatorsk's School No. 23 as their base. He said another strike destroyed a munitions depot in the southern city of Mykolaiv. Konashenkov also said Russian forces destroyed four U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems between July 5-20. The U.S. said it has supplied 12 of the multiple-rocket launchers to Ukraine. The claims could not be independently verified. A senior U.S. defense official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity in line with department rules, said Thursday that Russia had not yet taken out a single HIMARS but was likely to get lucky and do so at some point. The U.S. announced Friday that as part of a new $270 million security assistance package, it will deliver four more HIMARS to Ukraine. The package will allow Kyiv to acquire up to 580 Phoenix Ghost drones, about 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and more guided rockets known as GMLRS. Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-made rocket launchers and tactical drones to hold at bay Russias larger and more heavily equipped forces. The Ukrainian military has used HIMARS, which have a higher range and better precision compared with similar Soviet-era systems in the Russian and Ukrainian inventory, to strike Russian munitions depots and other key targets. In the Dnipro region of central Ukraine, three schools were destroyed in the latest Russian strikes, Ukrainian authorities said. Seven Russian missiles hit the small town of Apostolove, wounding 18 residents. The regional governor, Valentyn Reznichenko, decried the senseless attack. "There are no military goals behind it, and this shelling could only be explained by their desire to keep people on edge and sow panic and fear, Reznichenko said. In other developments Friday: The British Defense Ministry said it believes that Russia is experiencing critical shortages of dedicated ground-attack missiles and therefore has increased its use of air-defense missiles in secondary ground attack mode. The ministry said Russia has almost certainly deployed S-300 and S-400 strategic air defense systems designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles at long range, and that there is a high chance of them missing their intended targets and causing civilian casualties. The senior U.S. defense official said the fight for Donetsk is likely to last through the summer, with Russia achieving slow gains at high cost. The official said Russia is launching tens of thousands artillery rounds per day but has used a lot of smarter munitions and cant keep it up forever. A city council member in Russias third-largest city was charged with disseminating false information about Russias armed forces and could face up to three years in prison if convicted. The criminal case against Novosibirsk council member Helga Pirogova was opened Friday, according to Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti. Investigators found that she published deliberately false information under the guise of a reliable message containing data on the use of the Russian Armed Forces, the report said, without giving further details. The independent Latvia-based news outlet Meduza said the investigation began after a tweet by Pirogova criticizing luxurious funerals for Russians killed in Ukraine. ___ Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine UPDATE: Officials have discovered the motive for the June 12 shooting that killed 72-year-old Cecil Scoffield in his home. According to the police report, Jamaal White opened fire on a moving vehicle driven by someone he believes attempted to burglarize him. White stated that he saw a person attempt to get into his car without permission before getting in a separate vehicle and leaving. Police say White shot at the car, but it went through Scoffield's window screen and hit him. White is facing several charges including criminal homicide. PREVIOUS STORY: Chattanooga police say an arrest has been made in one of the Crime Stoppers cases featured by Local 3 News. Crime Stoppers: Chattanooga man killed in his own home by stray gunfire We have reward cash for anyone with information about who is responsible for killing Cecil Scoffield. Police say 22-year-old Jamaal White is facing several charges including criminal homicide in connection to the death of 72-year-old Cecil Scoffield on the night of June 12. Police say Scoffield was killed by stray gunfire as he sat in the living room of his home on Citico Avenue. Investigators say the victim was not the intended target of White. Police said in June that a woman was also shot during the incident. The unidentified woman told police she was with a friend when the gunfire erupted. White is in the Gwinnett County jail awaiting extradition to Chattanooga. Stay with the Local 3 News app for any updates to this story. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 09: U.S. first lady Melania Trump meets with teen age children to discuss the dangers of youth vaping at the White House October 09, 2019 in Washington, DC. During the listening session, the first lady asked the teens about how they started and quit using e-cigarettes and about the ease of being able to buy vaping products. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., left, listens as Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, on July 12. 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. Four existing Group Water Schemes have made inquiries to Longford County Council about the possibility of connecting up to the Irish Water system. The inquiries came to light as members of Longford County Council heard details of the Rural Water Multi-Annual Programme 2022-2025. Suzanne Duffy, Environmental Officer with Longford County Council made a presentation on the programme at the July meeting of the local authority. The presentation followed on from a meeting of the County Rural Water Monitoring Committee last May. Cllr Seamus Butler, Cllr Paul Ross and Cllr Garry Murtagh represent the local authority on that committee. Ms Duffy gave background to the current programme, which covers two existing GWS; Clonmore Kilmore and Fostra. Under that programme Clonmore Kilmore were allocated 172,000 while Fostra were allocated 49,000. Spending has been delayed under that programme because of Covid restrictions and issues with tenders and construction. In March 2022 the Department requested an options report. We are in discussion with the Department, and we will bring the details of those negotiations back to the Rural Water Monitoring Committee once we get a decision on that, Ms Duffy told members. The presentation focused on the forthcoming programme, covering 2022-2025. The Department has asked us to engage with GWS on this. There are seven measures for consideration, similar to the previous scheme, Ms Duffy stated. The focus of the water quality parameters includes: source protection, public health compliance, upgrading of treatment facilities, water conservation network upgrading. Other areas include transition over the public water sector and innovation and research. Ms Duffy said there have already been a number of expressions of interest in the forthcoming programme. We have bids in from four group water schemes for the 2022-25 programme. They have put in a pre-connection inquiry to Irish Water. That's essentially to establish the feasibility of a connection to the Irish Water network. We have already one from an existing GWS. It has been open for a while but the closing date is July 29, 2022. It's for capital works only, not for operational or maintenance works. Others, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause By Long Island Published: July 21 2022 The New York Marine Rescue Center is pleased to announce that they will be hosting the 2022 Paddle Battle LI Event on Saturday, July 30th along the Peconic River The New York Marine Rescue Center is pleased to announce that they will be hosting the 2022 Paddle Battle LI Event on Saturday, July 30th along the Peconic River in Riverhead, NY. Its a race to save the Sea Turtles! This family friendly event includes a 2.5-mile amateur race and a 5-mile competitive race course. First place medals will be offered to winners in each category, for each class and distance. We also have our Casual Paddle! This is not a race its just a great way for family and friends to get together and paddle casually on the beautiful Peconic River! All proceeds will go directly to the NY Marine Rescue Center, a not-for-profit 501c3 to help them save the Sea Turtles! Registration starts at 7:30am on the Peconic Waterfront Entry fees are $75.00/pp before June 1 st , $85/pp from June 2 nd until July 11 th before the race day, or $95.00 on the event day. Rental canoes and kayaks are available for $35.00. Life vests are required; all participants must wear their own PFD (personal floatation device) during the race. Complete pre-registration details are at PaddleBattleLI.com or find us on Facebook (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- DP Eurasia NV - Amsterdam-based master franchisee of Domino's Pizza brand in Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan and Georgia - Says in first half it continued strong business momentum despite the unprecedented challenges in regions. For six months to June 30, posts group system sales TRY1.7 billion, up 65% from TRY1.1 billion last year. Looking ahaed, expects store openings momentum in Turkey to continue in second half. ---------- Zephyr Energy PLC - oil & gas exploration and development in US Rocky Mountains - Says is aiming to boost reserves with State 16-2LN-CC well test by end of September an is to begin three well drilling programme in second half. First quarter revenue from the portfolio totalled USD11.5 million, generated from an average of 1,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day at an average sales price of USD90.11 per barrel. ---------- MP Evans Group PLC - producer of Indonesian palm oil - For six months to June 30, crude palm oil production falls to 160,800 tonnes from 161,400 the year before and palm kernels production rises to 35,100 tonnes from 34,700 tonnes. Notes purchases of independent crop were deliberately restricted in May and June as a result of the temporary export ban in Indonesia, resulting in a small reduction in purchases from outside suppliers in the first half. Overall, says total crop processed was similar to that achieved in the first half of 2021. Production of crude palm oil in the first half of 2022 was also similar to the same period of 2021, whilst there was a small increase in kernel production ---------- East Imperial PLC - London-based premium mixers maker - Sees record performance in June following a half of strong sales and operational progress in key markets. For six months to June 30, sells 95,780 cases globally across 28 markets, resulting in revenue moving 32% higher compared to the same period in 2021, driven by both the addition of new customers and strong demand from the existing base. ---------- Journeo PLC - Leicestershire, England-based transport system services - Wins GBP600,000 purchase order for the supply and support of passenger information display systems for a City Centre bus station upgrade within a Northern Transport Partnership. Expects revenue of around GBP400,000 will be delivered during financial year from purchase order. ---------- LBG Media PLC - Manchester-based digital media and youth content publisher, also known as LADbible - Says it continued to perform well both financially and operationally in the first half of the year, despite challenging macro environment. For six months to June 30, revenue up 8% to GBP24.8 million, up from GBP23.0 million. "Indirect revenues have seen an improving trend towards the end of the first half into early trading in the second half, driven by an increase in revenues per view. This is expected to continue into a seasonally stronger second half. Activity in the Direct revenue segment has been supported by significant marketing in the first half which has led to a healthy pipeline of prospects as we enter the second half of the year," it says. ---------- PensionBee Group PLC - London-based pension management app - Reports strong customer growth in first half. For six months to June 30, invested customers rose 72% to 159,000 from 92,000 last year and registered customer base was 897,000, up from 538,000. Assets under administration at June 30 stood at GBP2.68 billion compared with GBP2 billion for the first half of 2021. Looking ahead, it expects 2022 revenue in a range of GBP17 million to GBP20 million, up from GBP12.8 million in 2021. ---------- Shanta Gold Ltd - Guernsey-based east Africa-focused gold producer, developer and explorer - For second quarter to June 30, posts gold production of 17,527 ounces, up from 11,408oz in first quarter, exceeding target. June gold production level of 7,538oz is the highest monthly production level achieved in over 12 months, it adds. ---------- Baker Steel Resources Trust Ltd - Guernsey-incorporated firm investing in equities, loans or related instruments of natural resources companies - Along with other shareholders of Bilboes Gold Ltd, agrees to sell the mining and exploration company to Caledonia Mining PLC for 5.1 million Caledonia shares and a 1% net smelter royalty on Bilboes' gold project in Zimbabwe. Baker Steel will receive 800,000 Caledonia shares for its 24% shareholding in Bilboes. ---------- Hummingbird Resources PLC - gold production, development and exploration focused on West Africa - Says second quarter production increased 29% from to 20,013 ounces of gold from 15,548oz in the first quarter. Looking ahead, maintains 2022 guidance of 87,000oz to 97,000oz of gold. ---------- Oilex Ltd - Perth-based developer of natural gas assets - Says it has all outstanding equipment needed for re-fraccing operation at Cambay C-77H in India. ---------- Tirupati Graphite PLC - London-based company specialising in graphite and graphene - Says it is on track to increase its primary flake graphite production capacity in Madagascar to 30ktpa by September, which will make it one of the few significant producers of the critical mineral outside China. ---------- Xtract Resources PLC - London-based mining company focused on Africa and Australia - Mining contractor Mutapa Mining & Processing Lda says first gold has been poured at the Fair Bride hard-rock gold mining asset in Mozambique. "The production was started with the introduction of low-grade ore to commission all parts of the processing circuit. The company will make a further announcement as and when the plant moves into regular production," Xtract adds. ---------- Brandshield Systems PLC - London-based cybersecurity solutions provider - Announces results of partnership with Sandbox. Over 2 month period, neutralised 120 phishing sites and 58 fake social media accounts impersonating the metaverse platform, allowing Sandbox's economy to operate securely whilst safeguarding metaverse players from critical online threats. ---------- By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- Braveheart Investment Group PLC - Barnsley, South Yorkshire-based investor in small- and medium-sized businesses - Notes its portfolio company Paraytec is in the final setup stage for its clinical study at the Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. Expects recruitment to start in the next two weeks. In the first phase of the study, up to 100 participants, 50 of whom are positive for Covid-19 and 50 are negative, will provide swab samples for analysis by Paraytec's CX300 instrument. ---------- Upland Resources Ltd - London-based oil and gas company - Says its subsidiary Upland Saouaf signed a farm-out agreement with Pennpetro Energy PLC through Pennpetro's subsidiary Nobel Petroleum USA Inc. Agrees to let NPUSA farm-in into Upland's Saouaf permit area in Tunisia. NPUSA will farm in for an 80% working interest and assume operatorship, subject to the approval of Tunisian state oil company Enterprise Tunisienne d'Activites Petrolieres. The permit is held in a joint venture with ETAP. ---------- Pennpetro Energy PLC - oil and gas company focused on the Gonzales oil field in Texas, US - Notes farm-in agreement between Upland Resources' subsidiary Upland Saouaf and its subsidiary NPUSA. "We are excited to finalize our partnership with Upland in their Tunisian venture with the execution of this farm-in," Chief Executive Tom Evans says. "The Sauoaf permit area hosts 10 gas prospects and leads with up to 15.2 trillion cubic feet gross potential in multiple targets. The risked resource, independently audited by highly respected third-party engineers, is 420 billion cubic feet of gas plus 1.6 million barrels of oil equivalent net to Pennpetro. The Pyrite prospect offers an opportunity to open up an exciting new play in the area." ---------- PYX Resources Ltd - Sydney-based zircon producer - Increases its production volumes and starts producing rutile and ilmenite by-products at its mine during the first half of 2022. Says Mineral Sands production more than doubled in the period. Records sales volume growth of 19%, year-on-year. Premium zircon prices rise 92% year-on-year to USD2,749 per tonne during the first half. "We are optimistic about the second half of the year and remain well placed to deliver on our strategic plan and benefit from the strength and continued rise of the Mineral Sands prices," Chief Executive Oliver Hasler says. ---------- Oriole Resources PLC - mineral explorer in Senegal and Cameroon - Dispatches a total of 1,742 soil samples from the eastern central license package in Cameroon for analysis. Expects results in the third quarter of this year. Dispatches 238 core samples from the recently completed phase four diamond drilling programme from its Bibemi gold projects in Cameroon for analysis. ---------- Base Resources Ltd - mineral sands developer with assets in Kenya and Madagascar - Achieves its production guidance for the year ended June 30. Posts record sales revenue of USD91.3 million, supported a good revenue to cost of sales ratio. Guides for rutile production of 62,000 tonnes to 73,000 tonnes in financial 2023. Expects ilmenite production of 260,000 tonnes to 310,000 tonnes. Anticipates zircon production of 22,000 tonnes to 27,000 tonnes. ---------- By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Manchester, VT (05254) Today Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Protection against severe COVID-19 with two doses of the Pfizer-Bio Ntech and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines remained high for up to 6 months after the second doses, new research examining NHS health record data from more than seven million adults found. Reassuringly, a University of Bristol-led study published on July 20 in the journal BMJ found protection in older adults over 65 and medically vulnerable adults. Researchers at Bristol Medical School, UK looked at how quickly vaccine effectiveness wanes in adults without SARS-CoV-2 infection and who received the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) COVID-19 vaccine compared to unvaccinated individuals. COVID-19 Vaccines' Effectiveness Studied Using linked practitioners, hospital and COVID-19 records on 1,951,866 and 3,219,349 adults who had received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines, respectively and 2,422,980 unvaccinated adults, researchers were able to provide a clearer picture of vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospital admission, COVID-19 death and positive SARS-CoV-2 test. WAYNESBURG, Pa. (AP) Authorities have filed charges against three more people in the case of a Pennsylvania 911 operator accused of failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding about a day later. According to a criminal complaint, the three men were charged Monday with tampering with public records, tampering with or fabricating evidence and obstruction. Connecticut has not seen as dramatic a COVID-19 spike due to the BA.5 subvariant as many other states, official numbers show, though cases, test positivity rate and hospitalizations all remain higher than during previous pandemic summers. As of Thursday, Connecticut has averaged 614 daily COVID-19 cases over the past week, likely a fraction of the true total, with a positivity rate of 10.6 percent. The state currently has 312 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, most at a given time since early June. Additionally, Connecticut has recorded eight COVID-linked deaths over the past week, bringing its total during the pandemic to 11,093. Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital, said the states COVID-19 metrics appear to have plateaued at a stable, high level. Whereas many states have seen sharp increases in case counts and hospitalizations in recent weeks, Connecticuts uptick has been more gradual. I would have thought wed be rising faster than we are, at least in comparison to other regions around the country, and were not, Roberts said. Although the level is still high enough that I think we should proceed cautiously. Nationally, cases have reached their highest level since February, as the BA.5 subvariant, with its ability to evade vaccine and natural immunity, has increasingly taken hold. According to the New York Times, 26 different states have seen cases increase at least 20 percent over the past 14 days, and nearly as many have seen hospitalizations increase just as sharply. Connecticut, despite having far more transmission than this time last year, has recorded the fifth fewest recent cases per capita, according to the Times. So why hasnt Connecticut experienced the same spike other states have seen, even as BA.5 has become dominant in recent weeks? Roberts says it may owe to the fact that Connecticut endured a substantial uptick this spring driven by the BA.2 subvariant, leaving some of the population with antibodies from a relatively close relative of BA.5. We had a decent BA.2 spike in mid-May and then were also a pretty vaccinated population as a state, he said. I also like to think that Connecticuters take more precautions than others. Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare, said the explanation is likely multi-factorial and noted Connecticuts high vaccination rate relative to other states and the fact that summer in the Northeast is (at least typically) more conducive to outdoor gatherings than in other parts of the country. Roberts also noted that, relative to prior points during the pandemic, it is difficult to assess the true level of COVID-19 transmission in Connecticut and elsewhere, due to the popularity of at-home tests whose results are never reported to the state. The big flaw in these numbers is that they dont capture at-home testing, Roberts said. I know of at least two friends who were positive this week and did not get PCR tests they got rapid tests so theyre not included in the numbers. Roberts said he hopes Connecticut has avoided the worst-case scenario when it comes to BA.5, while Wu said hed guess the numbers will continue to increase but not truly spike. Still, with COVID-19 cases relatively high, experts suggest masking in indoor spaces and avoiding crowded gathering, particularly for those who are elderly or immunocompromised. They also encourage vaccination and booster shots for those eligible. As of Thursday, only 5 percent of children age 0-4 have received at least one vaccine shot, despite that group having been eligible for more than a month. As for whats next, Wu said he fears the BA.2.75 subvariant, which hasnt been detected in Connecticut but has begun to spread elsewhere, will prolong the current uptick, ahead of what could be a difficult fall and winter. Numbers are going to rise, theyre going to continue rise slowly, depending on other variants, and then well finally have a decrease, except this decrease is going to be a lot more short-lived, Wu predicted. Then well hit the fall ... and thats when well actually see a spike. alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com CVS Health is asking pharmacists in some states to verify that a few of the prescriptions they provide will not be used end a pregnancy. A spokesman said Thursday that the drugstore chain recently started doing this for methotrexate and misoprostol, two drugs used in medication abortions but also to treat other conditions. Spokesman Mike DeAngelis said the policy started the first week in July in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas. The drugstore chains request comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states. Elise Amendola/AP DeAngelis said state laws that restrict the dispensing of medications used for abortions have forced the company to start the validations. He noted that some of the laws come with criminal penalties. The drugstore chain, which is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is asking care providers to help by including their diagnosis on the prescriptions. DeAngelis said CVS Health will still fill prescriptions for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, which grow outside the womb and are not viable. We will continue to focus on delivering care to our patients while complying with state laws and federal guidance that continues to evolve, DeAngelis said in an email. The Supreme Court decision has put pharmacies in the middle of an intense national debate. Earlier this month, the Biden administration warned pharmacies not to discriminate against women over the prescriptions they seek. The administration noted that examples of discrimination could include a pharmacy that refuses to fill a prescription of misoprostol prescribed to help deal with a severe stomach ulcer. Methotrexate also is used to treat several types of cancers as well as rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic. ___ Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thpmurphy SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) The owner of a large industrial site on the Georgia coast said Thursday that it has ended a longstanding agreement to sell the property to a county government whose officials worked for years on a plan to build a launch pad for commercial rockets there. Opponents who fear the proposed Spaceport Camden would pose serious safety and environmental risks hailed the development as a potential deal breaker for the project, which Camden County officials have spent a decade and more than $10 million pursuing. County officials, meanwhile, insisted they still have a binding contract to purchase the site. Union Carbide Corporation owns 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) in the county where commissioners have pursued the spaceport for launching satellites into orbit. The county government in 2015 entered into an option agreement with the company to buy the land once the county obtained a spaceport operator license from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA awarded the license in December. But before county commissioners could close on the land, opponents forced a referendum on the project by gathering more than 3,500 petition signatures. The project was put to a vote in March, and 72% cast ballots to block the deal. In a statement Thursday, Union Carbide noted that Camden County voters had repudiated the land purchase. As a result, there is no longer an Option Agreement in existence between the County and UCC, and UCC does not intend to convey the property to the County pursuant to the prior Option Agreement, said the statement, emailed to The Associated Press by Union Carbide spokesman Tomm Sprick. Steve Howard, Camden County's government administrator, provided a statement from the county's lawyers insisting the deal isn't over. Union Carbide most certainly has a contract with Camden," the statement said. "The County has indicated that it is ready, willing and able to close. We expect Union Carbide to honor its contractual commitments. Howard has led the spaceport project, saying it would bring economic growth not just from rocket launches, but also by attracting related industries and tourists to the community of 55,000 people on the Georgia-Florida line. Opponents say building the spaceport on an industrial plot formerly used to manufacture pesticides and munitions would pose potential hazards that outweigh any economic benefits. Critics, including the National Park Service, have said rockets exploding soon after launch could rain fiery debris onto Little Cumberland Island, which has about 40 private homes, and neighboring Cumberland Island, a federally protected wilderness visited by about 60,000 tourists each year. Megan Desrosiers, president of the coastal Georgia conservation group One Hundred Miles, called the end of the land purchase agreement a huge deal. "If Union Carbide doesnt sell the property to Camden County, then theres no site for a spaceport, said Desrosiers, whose group helped organize the petition drive that forced the referendum. The big loss at the polls in March didn't stop county officials from pursuing the project. Commissioners in April voted unanimously to notify Union Carbide that they planned to move forward with the land purchase. The company said at the time it was evaluating the agreement. Meanwhile, county officials are trying to have the referendum declared invalid by the Georgia Supreme Court. Their legal appeal argues that Georgia's constitution doesnt allow voters to veto government projects such as the spaceport. The court is scheduled to hear the case Aug. 23. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) Clashes between competing militias in Libya's capital on Friday killed at least 13 people, despite calls for calm after violence first broke out the previous night, a spokesman for Tripolis emergency services said. It was the latest escalation to threaten the relative peace after nearly a decade of civil war in Libya, where two rival sets of authorities are locked in a political stalemate. The divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent months, but most have been over in a matter of hours. According to Osama Ali, the emergency services spokesman, among those killed since the fighting started late Thursday were three civilians from the area and a 12-year-old child. He also said 30 people had been wounded. Earlier in the day, one of Libyas rival governments had called on militias to stop the fighting, which forced hundreds of people to flee the area. The Libyan Presidential Council, based in Tripoli, said all forces involved in the clashes should go back to their bases immediately. Malek Merset, another emergency spokesman, said 200 people had already fled the area, some of them who were attending a wedding. He called for the firing to stop so more could leave. The clashes spread to other areas of the city. The Mitiga airport, Tripolis only working airport, announced that it was closing out of concern for passenger safety. The U.N. mission to the country also called on all parties involved to exercise restraint. Libya has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by various well-armed militias and foreign governments. The Mediterranean nation has been in a state of upheaval since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The cause of the fighting was unclear. However, there were indications it was part of the ongoing power struggle between militias backing the country's rival administrations. Videos shared on social media showed local militia forces deploying and heavy fire being exchanged across the night sky. The countrys plan to transition to an elected government fell through after an interim administration based in Tripoli, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, failed to hold elections last year. Dbeibah was meant to share executive power with The Presidential Council in Tripoli until an elected government could take over. The postponement drove aground yearslong U.N.-led attempts to usher in a more democratic future and bring the countrys war to an end. Dbeibah has refused to step down since then, raising questions over his mandate. In response, the countrys east-based lawmakers have elected a rival prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, a powerful former interior minister who is now operating a separate administration out of the city of Sirte. An attempt in May by Basghagha to install his government in Tripoli also ended in clashes that killed one, after which he withdrew. Luther Turmelle / Hearst Connecticut Media Most of Connecticut had its power back on Friday morning following thunderstorms that passed through Connecticut Thursday afternoon. As of 6 a.m., Eversource reported just 35 outages statewide, including 15 outages in Plymouth and 13 in Kent. United Illuminating reported no outages in its coverage area. BERNALILLO, N.M. (AP) Triple digit temperatures and a fickle monsoon season have combined with decades of persistent drought to put one of North America's longest rivers in its most precarious situation yet. Islands of sand and gravel and patches of cracked mud are taking over where the Rio Grande once flowed. It's a scene not unlike other hot, dry spots around the western U.S. where rivers and reservoirs have been shrinking due to climate change and continued demand. Local and federal water managers on Thursday warned that more stretches of the beleaguered Rio Grande will be drying up in the coming days in the Albuquerque area, leaving endangered silvery minnows stranded in whatever puddles remain. The threat of having the river dry this far north has been present the last few summers due to ongoing drought, officials with the Bureau of Reclamation and one of the largest irrigation districts on the river said. But, this could be the year that residents in New Mexico's most populated region get to witness the effects of climate change on a grander scale. Its not uncommon to have parts of the Rio Grande go dry in its more southern reaches, but not in Albuquerque. Like a monument, the river courses through the city, flanked by a forest of cottonwood and willow trees. It's one of the few ribbons of green to cut through the arid state, providing water for crops and communities. This is almost the sole source of water in the central part of New Mexico and were not trying to save it just for the fish, said Andy Dean, a federal biologist. Its our job as the Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent the extinction of this animal, but this water is also for everybody in the valley. Were trying to save it for everybody and if the fish is that piece that helps us do that, then thats what we have to use." The Bureau of Reclamation will be releasing what little supplemental water it has left in upstream reservoirs along the Rio Grande. Over the last 20 years, the agency has leased about 700,000 acre-feet or 228 billion gallons of water to supplement flows through the middle Rio Grande for endangered and threatened species. Biologists arent sure this latest release will be enough to make a difference for the endangered minnow. Crews already have been rescuing stranded minnows in the San Acacia and Isleta areas and will continue as the river dries. So far, they've been lucky to net about 50 fish a day, but Dean said those numbers are just a fraction of what has been rescued in past years. It doesnt look like theres a lot of minnows out there currently. Our population monitoring is reflecting that as well, he said. Dean said scooping up minnows in Albuquerque will be new territory for the crew as they have never had to do such work that far north. With a series of dams and interstate water-sharing agreements governing the Rio Grande's flows, local, state and federal officials have been successful in previous years reaching resolutions that allow for extra water to be leased and released so that flows could be boosted in times of need. This year is different. New Mexico has been unable to store any extra runoff in upstream reservoirs because it owes Texas water as part of an interstate compact. With the outstanding debt and no water in the bank, New Mexico has nothing other than the hope of rain to recharge the system during the monsoon season. Jason Casuga, the chief engineer for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which serves farmers throughout the Middle Rio Grande Valley, said it should serve as a wake- up call for the public and water management agencies. Theres a lot of infrastructure on this river that was built for a purpose and that was during a period of time when water was plentiful," he said. "Im hoping thats the silver lining that comes out of this, that people start re-envisioning the way we can use that existing infrastructure. Congressional legislation would be needed in some cases. In others, it would require agreements with federal water and wildlife agencies that would allow for more flexibility. The longer this drought stays around, I think people are going to recognize weve got to find balance, Casuga said. The irrigation district and state officials have been pushing more farmers to participate in voluntary fallowing programs. Farmers would leave their fields unplanted for a season in order to save water and increase what flows across the border to Texas as a way to chip away at the debt. She was found in the basement of an abandoned party house stabbed to death on a chilly October night in 2016. On Wednesday, Cati Blauvelts estranged husband John was arrested in Medford, Oregon, in connection with her death. Her mother Pam Piver of Simpsonville said at a news conference Thursday the years had been unbearable. You do lose hope, she said. But getting the news of Blauvelts arrest was the most amazing phone call Ive ever gotten, Piver said. U.S. Marshals and Medford police followed a lead provided by a cold case team from the agencys headquarters, the Marshals office said in a news release. Blauvelt met his future wife at a sub shop next door to where he worked as a recruiter for the U.S. Army. Her family members told Unsolved Mysteries they were suspicious of him. He was 27, six years older than she was, and he was married. But the then Cati Boyter thought he was good looking and he was in the military, just as many of her family members were. She decided to join the Army but spent a brief time in boot camp before a previously undiagnosed spinal problem caused pain in her legs. Once she returned home after a medical discharge, it wasnt long before her family learned she and John had gone to the justice of the peace to be married. They moved into a four-bedroom home in Fountain Inn, where John staged parties for teenagers, providing them with drugs and alcohol, her family told Unsolved Mysteries. The parents of one of the teens called police and Blauvelt was arrested for domestic violence relating to an incident with his wife in which he held a gun to her head, and contributing the delinquency of a minor. Cati moved home and got her dream job at PetSmart in Simpsonville. That was the last place she was seen, Oct. 24, 2016. Once it became known she was missing her friends and family spent hour upon hour looking for her. It was two friends who found her body shortly after midnight Oct. 26, hidden under lumber in the rundown house in the woods just off Main Street in Simpsonville. Blauvelt was an immediate suspect, interviewed twice by Simpsonville Police. But before they could get a warrant he was gone, on the run with the 17-year-old whose parents called police about the party months earlier. Police tracked him across the country, deep South to West Coast. The teen called her family in December 2016 from Eugene, Oregon and said Blauvelt had abandoned her. He hadnt been heard from since until Wednesday. He is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Blauvelt was classified by the Army as a deserter. In early 2022, the Marshals cold and complex case investigative team, composed of various USMS components, began investigating. A contingent of law enforcement agencies, including the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, Simpsonville detectives, the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, tracked Blauvelt to Medford, Oregon. Investigators there, working with the Medford Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, located Blauvelt, who had assumed the alias Ben Klein, and took him into custody without incident, the Marshals Office said in a news release. Blauvelt is being held in Jackson County Jail pending extradition to South Carolina 2022 The State. Visit thestate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The top U.S. Air Force general in the Middle East warned on Thursday that Iran-backed militias could resume attacks in the region against the United States and its allies as tensions rise assaults that could lead to a new Mideast escalation. Speaking to journalists before stepping into his new role at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and across the region, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich also expressed fears over Russian and Chinese influence taking hold as superpowers vie for economic and military influence in the Middle East. For instance, he said, recent U.S. intelligence that Iran is preparing to send Russia armed and unarmed drones to use in its war on Ukraine is not a surprise but its concerning. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Grynkewich, who had served as director of operations at Central Command in Tampa, Florida, thousands of miles from the baking desert outside of Doha, Qatar's capital, spoke as regional tensions remain high over Irans rapidly expanding nuclear program and talks to revive Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers at a deadlock. Were in this position where were not under attack constantly, but we do see planning for attacks ongoing, Grynkewich said. Something will occur that unleashes that planning and that preparation against us. Iran tested a satellite-carrying rocket last month, prompting the White House to threaten more sanctions on Tehran to prevent it from accelerating its advanced ballistic missile program. And last week, as President Joe Biden toured the region, Iran unveiled armed drones on its warships in the Persian Gulf. Tehran has rapidly grown its stockpile of near-weapons-grade nuclear fuel in recent months, spreading fears about an escalation. It also has spun more advanced centrifuges prohibited under the landmark atomic accord, which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. Everyone in the region is very concerned, Grynkewich said. Still in recent weeks, he said, U.S. forces have seen a reduction in targeted attacks across the region, as a tenuous cease-fire between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led military coalition continues in Yemen and as an ongoing government formation process in Baghdad keeps Iran-backed militias in limbo, waiting for the political chaos to settle before they strike. Were in a bit of a period of stasis," Grynkewich said. As other threats subside, the U.S. has sharpened its focus on containing and countering Russian and Chinese influence in the region, Grynkewich said, noting that Russia is seeking to maintain the leverage it gained from years of military intervention in the region, such as in Syria where it helped save President Bashar Assads government and turned the tide of the war in his favor. Grynkewich said an apparent reversal of the military relationship between Russia and Iran with Moscow potentially interested in procuring drones from a traditional buyer of its own military equipment shows a bit more of a relationship than wed like them to have, given the context of everything going on in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tehran on a rare trip abroad and won staunch support from Iran for the war that has plunged the Kremlin deeper into confrontation with the West. Meanwhile, China's significant economic inroads in the region have raised concerns about the country's plans to secure those interests either through arms sales or other means," Grynkewich said. In China, many Gulf Arab states have found an investor that won't lecture them about human rights concerns. Despite appearances to the contrary after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the U.S. isn't quitting the region, Grynkewich insisted, a case Biden made repeatedly on his Mideast tour last week. With tens of thousands of American forces stationed across the Arabian Peninsula and some still in Iraq, as well as America's superior military power, Grynkewich said, the U.S. is trying to convince its allies that, "if you partner with us, youre getting to get a relationship thats much more deep and meaningful. A soldier at Fort Carson, Colorado, was excited to arrive at his new duty station last year with his family. But the soldier soon knew something was wrong. "Right away, my wife and both my kids started getting just constantly sick," the noncommissioned officer told Military.com on the condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to talk to the press. "My wife is pregnant, and she was sick for about a month and a half straight." He smelled something rotten and moldy in the house, and found the crawl space flooded with standing water that appeared to have been there a long time. His wife was eventually rushed to the emergency room after running a high fever and having difficulty breathing. Read Next: First Active-Duty Service Member Sentenced for Jan. 6 Hit with Lengthy Prison Time "The baby was our biggest concern," he said. "We shouldn't be subjected to the grueling environment we have to go through [in the Army] and then come to a mold-infested home." His wife recovered after they moved to temporary housing, and the baby appears to be healthy. But most of their furniture and other belongings are laced with a moldy smell and will likely need to be replaced, potentially costing the family thousands of dollars. Mold in military housing isn't new, having haunted bases for decades. Despite repeated vows from military officials and privatized housing contractors to make sure troops don't have to endure health hazards in their homes, unsafe conditions persist. Photo taken at Fort Stewart shows a build-up of mold near a vent. (Submitted photo) Congress is poised to try several approaches to fix the issue through the annual defense policy bill, but it's unclear whether those changes will bring about solutions or become just another note in the ongoing crisis. That the issues remain isn't a surprise to lawmakers, after an April Senate investigation found that one of the biggest companies running military housing, Balfour Beatty Communities, continued to ignore residents' concerns about hazardous living conditions even after pleading guilty last year to defrauding the Army, Air Force and Navy by manipulating maintenance records to obtain performance bonuses. The Fort Carson soldier's home is managed by Balfour Beatty, which runs more than 43,000 military homes and has been at the center of an ongoing scandal of poorly kept and sometimes dangerous housing for troops and their families. Balfour Beatty did not immediately respond to a request to comment about the soldier's accusations. "We're not perfect. We've never testified that we are a perfect organization," Richard Taylor, the Dallas-based company's president of facility operation, told lawmakers at a hearing on the housing conditions in April. Exposure to moldy environments can cause numerous health issues ranging from a stuffy nose, wheezing and itchiness to fever and difficulty breathing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those with underlying respiratory issues or who are immune compromised are susceptible to fungal infections and other severe reactions. Photo taken at Fort Stewart shows a build-up of mold near a ceiling vent. (Submitted photo) There are also preliminary studies from the CDC suggesting that mold exposure can cause memory loss and lethargy, but more research is needed. Young children's exposure to mold could lead to asthma development. But it isn't just military housing. Barracks, which typically house unmarried junior enlisted, have also been plagued with unsanitary conditions for years. Soldiers are often tasked to maintain the barracks themselves, including dealing with mold despite having no formal training, those interviewed told Military.com. The 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Stewart, Georgia, has barracks two soldiers described as unlivable, with dirty floors and sinks and what appears to be mold on the ceilings and vents, based on videos and photos reviewed by Military.com. "[I] feel the Army is putting soldiers effectively in conditions that would be unacceptable in any other environment," one soldier stationed at Fort Stewart told Military.com, on the condition of anonymity. A spokesperson for Fort Stewart did not respond ahead of publication to a request for comment about whether the installation is planning any major renovations or cleaning efforts. Mold and other poor housing conditions are one of the largest concerns across the force and a leading cause for veterans and their families to recommend against joining the military, according to results of a survey of military families released last week. Those findings come amid a major recruiting crisis faced by most of the services due to a confluence of issues such as greater scrutiny of a potential recruit's medical background and outdated marketing tactics. In a memo Wednesday, top Army leaders painted a grim picture of the difficulty in filling the ranks with little optimism for near-term fixes, saying the force's overall size will decrease by about 14,000 by the end of next year. The Army in recent years have begun renovating many of its Cold War-era barracks and outright building new ones such as new facilities at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Fort Bliss, Texas. But those efforts go only so far, and some lawmakers are looking toward better oversight over barracks and family housing. Both the House and Senate versions of the annual defense policy bill have multiple provisions aimed at improving living conditions, addressing health concerns and cracking down on negligent landlords. After a series of 2018 Reuters articles exposed systemic issues with privatized military housing such as mold, rodent infestations and shoddy repairs, Congress tried to tackle the issue in 2019 by requiring the Pentagon to issue an 18-point tenant bill of rights aimed at providing families with more negotiating power with the private companies. But lawmakers continue to be frustrated at the lack of progress in fixing housing. Among the proposals being pushed this year, the version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, passed last week by the House would create a registry of troops and their family members who have health issues caused by unsafe housing conditions. As part of creating the registry, the Pentagon would also have to give health screenings to troops and families who lived in unsafe housing. The idea for a registry comes after the Defense Department inspector general in April finished an audit of medical conditions of residents in privatized military housing. The audit has not been publicly released because it contains "controlled unclassified information," a designation critics say is often abused to conceal embarrassing information. The version of the NDAA passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee in June, the full text of which was released this week, would require the Pentagon to enact the recommendations in the inspector general's audit by March 2023. According to a report accompanying the Senate NDAA, those recommendations included ensuring the Army and Air Force fully list their inventories of privatized housing units in the military's housing management system, implement a tool to track health and safety hazards in that system, and upload current and former resident information. Both the Senate and House versions of the NDAA would also require landlords to disclose the presence of mold in a housing unit before a lease is signed. The House bill would also create a "Military Housing Feedback Tool" for service members and their spouses to rate and compare areas such as safety, the timeliness of maintenance services and the responsiveness of management. Meanwhile, the Senate bill would designate the assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment as the "Chief Housing Officer," as well as create a "Military Housing Readiness Council" to monitor compliance with laws such as the tenant bill of rights and recommend other policies to improve living conditions. The full Senate must still pass its bill, and then the House and Senate have to reconcile the two bills before anything becomes law. "It just feels like a slap in the face," the Fort Stewart soldier told Military.com on the condition of anonymity. "We outspend every other country on the military. Where is all the money going?" -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: 'I Don't Think I Could Do 20 Years of This': Military Families Still Struggling with Mold at Privatized Housing Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said the B-21 Raider stealth bomber will finally be revealed to the public later this year, unveiling an aircraft that has been shrouded in secrecy since the program began in 2014. Rounds, the only elected official in a classified visit July 15 to the B-21 Raider production facility in Palmdale, California, said the project is also on track for a first flight in 2023. "While much of the information I received on my visit is classified, I am pleased to report the B-21 is on time and on budget," Rounds said in a Tuesday press release from his office. "The public can expect the B-21 to be revealed later this year." Read Next: Air Force Testing Autonomous Control on Transport Planes amid Pilot Shortage To date, the public has seen only realistic artist renderings of the next-generation stealth bomber, but a spokesman for Rounds' said an image of the B-21 itself should be coming soon. Last year, the U.S. Air Force released a rendering of the B-21, showing the long-range stealth bomber taking off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, where it will someday be tested before taking on worldwide operations. Ellsworth Air Force Base, just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota, was selected last summer as the first installation to receive the aircraft. "The B-21 is one of the most advanced aircraft to ever be developed," Rounds said. "We are getting closer to bringing this state-of-the-art platform home to Ellsworth Air Force Base." The B-21 is being manufactured by Virginia-based Northrop Grumman. Budget documents show that producing the B-21 will cost around $20 billion through 2027. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., spoke on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, saying he's aware that six B-21s are being developed and stressing the need for Congress to pass the annual defense spending bill because it also includes construction projects for Ellsworth to support the aircraft's mission. The South Dakota Republican is pushing for more resources, overall, to accommodate an influx of service members who will come to the area along with the new B-21. "I worked to include in this year's NDAA an extension of an authority for the secretary of defense to adjust Basic Allowance for Housing rates if an installation is experiencing a sudden increase in the number of service members assigned there," Thune said. "This will help ensure that families at Ellsworth and elsewhere will have the resources they need to secure appropriate accommodations." Thune added that "as many as 250 people per year, including 100 dependents" could be moving to the Rapid City area to support the B-21. -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Air Force Releases a New Peek at the Stealthy B-21 Raider This week in the military, news broke that the Department of Veterans Affairs is contemplating providing abortions to veterans after the Supreme Court reveresed Roe v. Wade; the first active-duty service member to be sentenced for their involvement in the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, an Army combat engineer, was given a three-and-a-half-year prison term; a senior noncommissioned officer was killed during a lightning strike at Fort Gordon, Georgia; the Air Force is testing robot pilots to "man" transport planes amid the service's pilot shortage. U.S. Marines launch a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during the 2022 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. (Cpl. Patrick King/Marine Corps) Related: Ukraine Releases Footage of HIMARS in Action A U.S. Marine Corps recruit "enjoys" a meal, ready-to-eat (MRE) at Camp Pendleton, California, during "the Crucible" a boot camp graduation requirement. (Lance Cpl. Cristian G. Torres/Marine Corps) Related: How Tabasco Sauce Fought in Every American Conflict Since World War II Two MC-130J Commando II aircraft fly over the North Sea while one is refueled mid-flight. (Staff Sgt. Kevin Long/Air Force) Related: MC-130J Commando II An M1A2 Abrams rank fires its main gun during a demonstration at Fort Stewart, Georgia. (Staff Sgt. Justin McClarran/Army) Related: Marine Corps Grounds Its New Landing Craft After 2 Are Disabled in Big Waves During Exercise A CMV-22B Osprey takes off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class David Rowe/Navy) Related: 5 Marines Dead in Osprey Crash, Second Fatal Incident for the Aircraft This Year Australian Army soldiers return to shore after training with U.S. Marines at Bellows Beach, Hawaii, as part of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. (Cpl. Dillon Anderson/Royal New Zealand Air Force) Related: Why the Star of Our Flag Means Death Was De-cruited from the New Zealand Army -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Gary Anderson lectures on Red Teaming and Alternative Analysis at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs and was a special adviser to the deputy secretary of defense during the George W. Bush administration. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Many military observers analyzing the Russo-Ukrainian War believe that Russia is reaching a culminating moment in its current eastern offensive. A recent Washington Post article cites experts who believe that Russian industry cannot sustain for much longer the production of artillery ammunition to adequately support the war of attrition that its army is waging. This comes at a time when western reinforcement in artillery and rockets is beginning to come to the aid of beleaguered Ukrainian forces. Other observers cite problems of recruiting and retention in Russian ranks. All of this seems to point to an eventual Russian operational pause that would certainly give Kyiv's forces a respite or perhaps an opportunity to counterattack and regain lost ground. It is certain that the Russians have expended massive effort for relatively minuscule strategic gains. All that analysis provides signs of hope for the Ukrainians, but it is also a time of great potential peril because nothing is more dangerous than a wounded or cornered animal. Depending on how bad the political situation becomes in Moscow, the Russians may resort to a risky, high-payoff adventure and attempt to seize Kyiv again. Military history is replete with such gambles. During World War I in 1918, Germany was running out of soldiers, material and national will as the United States began pouring men and equipment into the allied ranks, replacing the Russians who had quit in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution. The German General Staff made a desperate gamble with a surprise offensive using new infiltration tactics to shatter the front line. Led by highly trained shock troops, the German effort came close to breaking the French and British armies, but the heroic efforts by fresh U.S. Marines and soldiers at places like Belleau Wood finally blunted the German push short of Paris. In addition, much of the German momentum was stalled by an inability to supply advancing shock troops. In many cases, discipline broke down as near-starving German troops feasted on captured French and British rations. Similarly, the Germans again seemed on the ropes in December 1944 with the allies advancing from the west and east and German cities being blasted from the air. Many American commanders believed the war would be over by Christmas. However, German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler decided to take a desperate gamble and ordered an armored attack at a weak point in the difficult terrain of the Ardennes mountains. The Germans hoped to compensate for lack of fuel by overrunning allied supply depots to plunder needed gas. The surprise was nearly complete. Only gallant stands by units such as the American 101st Airborne Division thwarted the Nazi advance until Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army could restore the lines. The situation was similar in the Pacific where the Japanese were being strangled by an effective submarine campaign that blocked critical fuel from Southeast Asia, and American ship production was overwhelming the Japanese Navy. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's invasion of the Philippines would have meant the end of Tokyo's imperial ambitions. In a desperate move, the Japanese planned a brilliant counterattack designed to defeat the Philippine invasion. A fleet of Japan's remaining aircraft carriers feinted toward Leyte Gulf nearly devoid of planes because the Japanese were short of trained carrier pilots. This was a ruse to draw the American carriers under Adm. William Halsey Jr. away from the landing beaches. Meanwhile, a surface action group centered around the Yamato -- the world's most formidable battleship -- would strike from another direction to destroy the landing force. The deception worked, and Halsey took the bait. The beaches were defended only by a light force of destroyers, destroyer escorts, and escort (Jeep) aircraft carriers. Only the heroic efforts of those light American ships saved the day. In an action that became known as the "last stand of the Tin Can Sailors," the valiant American seamen bluffed the superior Japanese force into retreat. One destroyer escort, the Samuel B. Roberts, single-handedly disabled a Japanese cruiser and then attacked the Yamato at close range before being sunk (the wreckage of the Roberts was recently located in 22,000 feet of water). If any of these three desperate counterattacks had succeeded, the effect on the Allies' morale might have been devastating. The Ukrainian military should take note. The Russian attempt at a coup de main to decapitate Ukrainian leadership by capturing Kyiv in February failed. Since then, the Russian main effort has shifted east, but if that effort totally bogs down, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Moscow might try another lightning thrust at the Ukrainian capital from the northern back door leading to Kyiv. If even partially successful, such an effort could have a crippling effect on Ukrainian and western morale. It might not win the war, but it would certainly prolong it. The Russians have shown that they are capable of learning from military experience. They are analyzing the failures of airborne and other special operations efforts in the initial stages of the conflict, as well as their inability to conduct rapid armored combined arms operations in their initial advance on Kyiv. The Ukrainians would be well advised not to discount another try on their capital. This is not to suggest such a Russian course of action is likely, but the best way to guard against strategic surprise is to be ready for it. Complacency caused the Americans to be surprised in the Ardennes and at Leyte Gulf. Keeping the armed forces and civilians around Kyiv prepared and vigilant without causing panic will be a challenge, but it is also prudent. However, each historical case cited here was the last gasp of a desperate foe. There is hope in that. The Mets are exploring the market for a number of bats as they look to upgrade over what has been a generally unproductive tandem of Dominic Smith and J.D. Davis at designated hitter, reports Andy Martino of SNY. Nationals sluggers Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz, Colorados C.J. Cron and Baltimores Trey Mancini (as previously reported) are among the names in play. Metsmerizeds Michael Mayer reported this week that the Mets have also had talks with the Pirates about left-handed-hitting Daniel Vogelbach, who is signed to a highly affordable $1MM contract with a $1.5MM option for the 2023 season. FanSideds Robert Murray hears the same, though Murray notes that there are multiple teams inquiring about Vogelbachs availability (as is surely the case with the Mets other reported targets). Martino describes conversations with the Pirates regarding Vogelbach as active. The 29-year-old Vogelbach would surely be viewed as a platoon option in Queens, as hes never hit lefties well and has again posted an inept .141/.267/.156 batting line against them. However, hes crushed righties to the tune of a .260/.365/.532 batting line, swatting a dozen homers, nine doubles and a triple in just 203 trips to the plate when holding the platoon advantage this year. Vogelbachs has long been a productive hitter against righties, and hes not all that far removed from a smashing a career-high 30 homers with the 2019 Mariners. Theres some appeal to Vogelbach beyond the strong platoon work and next years affordable club option, too. He entered the year with three-plus years of Major League service time, meaning that even after a club exercises next years option which seems likely, whether its the Pirates, Mets or another trade partner hes still controllable through the 2024 season. Vogelbach would be arbitration-eligible in the 2023-24 offseason before reaching free agency in the 2024-25 offseason. The 29-year-old Bell is hitting .311/.390/.504 with 13 home runs this season, striking out at a career-low 13.5% and drawing walks at a hearty 10.7% pace. Hes earning $10MM this season, and while the Nationals might be wary of sending long-term pieces to the division-rival Mets (e.g. Juan Soto), Bell is a free agent at the end of the year, which probably eliminates any such concerns from Washingtons vantage point. Its a similar story for the 42-year-old Cruz, whos earning $15MM this season and has a mutual option for the 2023 campaign. Those are rarely exercised by both parties, however, and players with mutual options are generally considered rentals for this reason. Cruz got out to an awful start in 2022 but has produced a solid .283/.362/.425 batting line in his past 247 plate appearances. Hes only homered six times in that span, showing a decidedly uncharacteristic lack of power, but Cruz has still been a productive hitter if youre willing to set aside a slow start to the year. As for Cron, its understandable that the Mets would harbor interest, but a deal seems unlikely to come together. Although the Rockies are 19 games out of the NL West lead and six and a half games back of the NLs third Wild Card spot, the organization has opted not to deal what look to be on-paper trade candidates for years now. Ownership in Denver steadfastly believes the foundation of a contending club is in place, as evidenced by the glut of extensions doled out over the past year (as well as the surprising signing of Kris Bryant to a seven-year deal). One need look no further than last years deadline to see that Cron isnt likely to be moved. The Rockies were in this position a year ago, when Cron was playing on a cheap one-year deal and looked like a slam-dunk candidate to be flipped to a contender. The Rockies instead kept him and inked Cron to a two-year, $14.5MM extension. To their credit, Cron has been overwhelming bargain, hitting .298/.350/.552 with 21 homers this year. Thats outstanding production, but if the Rox balked at moving him a year ago when he was a free-agent-to-be, it only stands to reason that theyd be further dissuaded from trading him now (even though the contract likely makes him more appealing to potential suitors). General manager Bill Schmidt said just last week that he does not expect to be a major seller this summer. Any of the names listed here would likely serve as an upgrade over the combined .219/.300/.368 batting line that Mets designated hitters have put together this season. That production includes 90 very productive plate appearances by Pete Alonso as DH, which only underscores how rough the non-Alonso DH options have been at Citi Field this season. As for what would happen with the current DH options the Mets have in-house, it somewhat unsurprisingly seems as though a change of scenery may be in the fold. Smith was just placed on the injured list due to an ankle sprain but could return by the middle of next week. The Cubs and Red Sox are among the teams to have talked to the Mets about a potential trade. Martino writes that the Mets are working to trade Smith, adding that Davis could be moved as well. Smith has struggled in 2021-22 after a hugely productive 2019-20 showing, while Davis power numbers have tumbled this year despite eye-popping exit velocity and hard-hit numbers. Both are controllable for two years beyond the current campaign, which might make them appealing to a club thats not a current contender but can afford to give Smith or Davis consistent playing time while showing a bit more patience than the Mets have the luxury of doing in a competitive setting atop the NL East. Dancehall act, Shatta Wale is back in his element saying he will beat his friend and artiste manager, Idris Yusif, better known as Deportee like his own child. This is contained in a response to an allegation that he abandoned Deportee and two other accomplices in his fake gunshot case. Deportee, a few days ago had come out to drop a bombshell that after they were arrested with the musician over his fake gunshot incident, he got himself bail and left them behind. He alleged that Shatta Wale only settled his bail, leaving him to his fate. You know we went to prison together. He got himself bailed, but without usthese are the things, I dont want to speak. Maybe with time, we will speak. I know it is a bombshell and it will go out there and it is going to escalate a whole lot of things, he said in an interview on Time With The Stars with Larry Bozzlz. But Shatta in a reaction said Deportee should shut up else he would not only beat him up but will get him arrested for attempting to rape his (Shatta) secretary. When we went to Kumasi, you went to force my Secretary in the bathroom because you wanted to rape her. She wanted to report you to the Police. If you fool I will let her go and you will go back to jail, he threatened Deportee. Deportee, do I owe you money? Is your money with me? You can't afford to pay this small amount of money for your bail but you are out there writing nonsense. You better stop what you are doing, coward! Shatta fumed. If I give you money you don't tell people that I do this or that. See let me tell you, bring my GHC30,000, the car and the land otherwise you won't have it easy. Someone will think that I am mad. ..if you say you are a gangster don't call the policeI am in town. Come meet me in town and be fooling like that I will beat you like you are my child, he added. In 2021 an Accra Circuit court remanded Shatta, Deportee and two others into prison custody and later granted bail to the tune of GH100,000 each for the publication of false information that claimed Shatta had been shot. It is that incident that is today bringing issues between them. 22.07.2022 LISTEN Talented Ghanaian musician, Denis Nana Dwamena better known as KiDi has recalled how he was once suspended while in Senior High School (SHS). The Accra Academy alumni revealed that while in school he went to town with some other friends to look for girls, which led to his suspension. Speaking in a video recorded by Pulse Ghana available to Modernghana News, he said though they were 40 in number only 8 of them were reported to the school authority. "I was in a boys' school, Accra Academy. We used to go to fun fairs in the girls' schools and all. I went for one that I eventually got suspended. I was sad because so many of us went. We were about 30 to 40 but whoever went to snitch, snitched on eight people, he recounted. According to the "Touch It" hitmaker, he initially thought he had escaped the punishment because the names he saw excluded his name, only for him to realize a friend had added it to the list. God being so good I wasn't part of the eight but if you look on the paper, they had written eight names with a blue pen. "A colleague used a different pen to write my name at the end. This was embarrassing for me since they asked us to bring our mums to school to sign suspension letters and stuff," he said. KiDi revealed that the situation worsened when the Head Master mistook his young-looking mother as his sibling and yelled at the already angry mother. "You know my mum is so young and my mum walked into the headmaster's office and he got extra angry. I asked you to bring your mum not your siblings. My mum was angry already and this man was already making it worse, it was terrible," he shared. Efia Odo, Ghanaian actress and model 22.07.2022 LISTEN Ghanaian actress and model, Andrea Owusu, widely known as Efia Odo, appears to have run away to the United States in the face of the economic hardships in the country. Efia Odo, who used to be a leading member of the #Fix the Country Movement, has made it known that she is not planning on returning to the country anytime soon. While engaging her fans via Twitter on Thursday, July 21, the video vixen asserted that there was nothing in Ghana for her to come back to. This comes after a fan asked; When are you coming back to Ghana. In her reply, she said; Nothing in gh for me to come back to. Efia Odo was a U.S.-based assistant nurse who relocated to Ghana a few years back to focus on acting. According to her, she was sent to the States to join her mother at the age of 5. She returned a few years ago and was spotted in the limelight for the first time at the birthday party of Ghanaian songstress Sista Afia. 22.07.2022 LISTEN The death of former President John Evans Atta Mills remains a shock to many Ghanaians, including big wigs in his political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). In a Facebook post commemorating the Asomdwenhene's 78th birthday, the National Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress, H.E. Alhaji Said Sinare, was quoted as saying death was too quick to lay its icy hands on the former President. "Death snatched you too early, but we don't have that eviscerate to question your creator, therefore on this wonderful day of yours, prof, I wish you nothing but the best," part of his tweet and Facebook post read. H.E Alhaji Sinare noted that July 24, 2012, would forever remain a shocking and dark day in Ghana's political history as the Ghanaian people still mourn the death of the law professor-turned-leader. He said apart from being the death date of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, the day was also the first time in Ghana's political history that a sitting President had died in office. Mr. Sinare also mentioned that the late President Mills stood for peace, honesty and sincerity values he sees in former President John Dramani Mahama and believes he will continue to build on to achieve the country's development goals when given the nod again in 2024. Former President John Atta Mills died from an illness at age 68. Mr. Benjamin Oduro-Bosompem, CEO of Switch Up Ghana 22.07.2022 LISTEN According to a Ghana Tourism Authority presentation on Ghanas Tourism Potential presented by Architect Ekow Sampson, Acting Deputy CEO in charge of Operations at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Tourism is a key economic driver in Ghana which generates foreign exchange earnings, creates jobs and wealth as well as stimulates other sectors of the economy. The document further states that, tourism is currently the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earnings estimated at 2.2million dollars in 2015 with arrivals of 1.2million dollars. The sector contributes approximately 4.8% to the countrys GDP. In 2015, the industry employed an estimated 393,000 people directly and indirectly within various sectors of the industry with its principal market generators as the USA, Germany, France, Netherlands, and Ghanaians in the diaspora as well as other African countries such as Nigeria, Togo, Cote DIvoire and also South Africa. Currently, Ghana makes close to 3.8 billion dollars with about a 7.94% contribution to the GDP of the country. Ghanas tourism industry thrives on the back of five types of tourism products, which are; Ecotourism, Cultural tourism, historical tourism, pleasure tourism and conference/business tourism, with over 355,108 international tourists arriving in the country in 2020 (a pandemic year alone), it stands to reason that, tourism in the past, present and future is one of the major economic transformation drivers for the growth of the country. In as much as the country has seen a number of successes from focusing on the tourism industry after the diversification of the Ghanaian economy in 1985 which shifted focus on over-reliance on traditional commodities such as gold, timber and cocoa. This policy directive was borne out of the unique and over abounding natural, cultural and historical resources which were identified then as competitive and sustainable, hence saw the setting up of the Ministry of Tourism in 1993 to champion the policy directive and has since then seen some significant growth. It however important that, immense and more diversified policy directives are solely attended to the sector as long as Ghana desires to grow on a tangent of production and localizing our economy. A country currently with its economic recessions and the recent decision for an IMF bailout must resort to enhancing the resource allocations, policy decisions, and pragmatic legislative and executive decisions to make the tourism sector of the country the first contributor to the countrys GDP. It is important for Policymakers to give credence and place value on creating local or domestic opportunities for economic growth, and the enhancement of the tourism sector is one of the significant aspects of a domestic opportunity to warrant economic growth. It is against this background that, Switch Up Ghana Limited makes a clarion call on all Ghanaians to wake up to the new experience in the tourism sector. Switch Up Ghana Limited as a tourism and hospitality hub is solely a firm believer in the potential of Ghana to strive in the international market. The hub believes that with its new initiative of the Switch Up Experience website, it endeavors to bring tourism and hospitality to the doorstep of Ghanaians, tourists and the diasporic community. The website will have every bit of information a tourist in Ghana and outside Ghana desires prior to accessing any tourist attraction or any facility in the country. Many policy makers and individuals have encouraged the influence of the private sector in the development of the country. In fact, from the adage, The private sector is the engine of growth, it is necessary that, Switch Up Ghana Limited be encouraged to continue its work as well as be promoted by Ghanaians. Mr. Benjamin Oduro-Bosompem, the CEO of Switch Up Ghana Limited speaking in an exclusive interview indicates that the vision he had was to see Ghana being projected again as the beacon of hospitality and tourism. He believes, Ghana needs to switch up to a new experience where tourism becomes the major contributor and revenue generation indication. I decided to pursue this vision because of the impact it would have on the country in terms of revenue generation, youth employment and restore hope to Ghanaians whove lost trust in the economy, Switch up believes in Ghana and so I do, he added. He continued, "If there should be anything that should be encouraged by all well-meaning Ghanaians, it should be this new experience hitting the tourism sector of the country through Switch Up Ghana Limited. Its an opportunity to return every tourist who left Ghana due to COVID, but this time, in a grand-digitalised; stress-free manner to ensure that Ghana continues to be the beacon of hope and the destination to the continent of Africa. Arise, Ghana, lets make this work. Together! We can!! Yes, We Can!!!" The Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) on Friday 15th July, 2022 marked the World Youth Skills Day 2022 at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Accra, Tema. In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. Since then, World Youth Skills Day has provided a unique opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers and workers organizations, policy-makers and development partners. World Youth Skills Day 2022 takes place amid concerted efforts toward socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that are interconnected with challenges such as climate change, conflict, persisting poverty, rising inequality, rapid technological change, demographic transition and others. The keynote speaker for the event, Hon. Gifty Twum Ampofo, Deputy Minister for Education, TVET in her address indicated that celebrating days like this sends a message to young people: that the government and the Ministry of Education understand the challenges the youth are facing, particularly in the rural areas in Ghana. By the same token, young people need to use these opportunities to hold both the government and its ministries and agencies accountable for the progress (or lack thereof) of youth policies. World Youth Skills Day is a chance for young people like you to come together and become part of the change that we want and expect to see. Director General of CTVET, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah also said, Government has massively invested in TVET over the last five years. The upgrading and modernization of all the erstwhile 34 National Vocational and Technical Institutes (NVTIs), Head Office together with 10 Regional Offices, 5 apprenticeship offices across the country, and the Opportunity Industrialization Center in Accra comprising of the Construction, Rehabilitation and Equipping of Laboratories, Workshops, additional Classrooms, Hostels, Administrative Offices supported with some 123 million euros is set to be completed in July 2022. Also, two (2) New Foundries and machining centers, one in CSIR (Accra) and the other at KNUST, Kumasi will be completed this year. The World Youth Skills Day was celebrated under the theme Unlocking the full potential of the Ghanaian youth through Technical and Vocational Educational and Training. As part of the activities for the celebration, there was an exhibition by the Don Bosco Technical Institute for visitors to see what the school had to offer as well as a panel discussion to address pertinent challenges facing the youth on the day. The panellists were made up of Ing. Peter Antwi Boasiako (Deputy Director General of CTVET), Mr. Nelson Owusu Ansah (Deputy CEO, National Youth Authority), Mr, Samuel Amegayibor (Chairperson, Sector Skills Bodies) and Mr. Ahmed Akusie Osei (GNUTS National President). The Africa Schools Sanitation Foundation (ASSF) on Thursday, handed over its first renovated urinal to Tutu Methodist Junior High School (JHS) in the Eastern Region, at a short but colourful ceremony. Before the renovation works, the school's urinal was in a bad shape that it became unfit for use by the students. The renovation which cost thousands of Ghana cedis covered, roofing, painting, fixing of doors and urinal equipment among others. Both teachers and students could not hide their joy when executives of ASSF handed over the fully renovated facility to the school. The President of the foundation Mr Osei Tutu expressed delight at the feat chalked and revealed more of such works would be done in the coming days. He appealed to the school's authority to keep an eye on the facility to ensure its longevity. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the foundation Mr Kwabena Antwi Boasiako, appealed to communities, individuals and organisations to assist them in providing decent urinal and toilet facilities to needy public schools in the country. He averred that government alone cannot carry the burden of providing hygienic urinal and toilet facilities in public schools, therefore, it was about time the citizenry got involved. The CEO stressed that with the needed support the foundation could help to eradicate unsanitary conditions in public schools. Mr Boasiako revealed that less than 10,000 public schools in the country currently have urinal and toilet facilities, noting that most of them are even in bad shape. This according to him, is a major contributor to the high incidence of disease outbreaks in schools. ASSF is apolitical, non-ethnic and religious organisation committed to providing decent and hygienic environment for public schools in Africa, particularly, Ghana through citizenship mobilisation. As part of activities marking one year of existence, Ghanaian law firm, Franklyn and Partners, commemorated its first anniversary with inmates of the Teshie Childrens Home near Accra on Friday. The law firm, as part of the celebrations, donated assorted provisions and toiletries including Nutsnax biscuits, milo, carnation milk and St. Louis sugar cubes. The rest are Cindy rice, Ocean Sardine, Voltic Water as well as toilet rolls. The Managing Partner of the Law firm, Kwame Nyampong Esq., observed that his outfit decided to celebrate their first year in existence with less privileged children in the home in order to put smiles on the faces of the inmates. "We made this donation to invite the kids to partake in our celebration and also to bring joy to their faces," he stated. Lawyer Nyampong expressed optimism that the relationship that has been established will not be a one-off engagement. "We also hope and desire that very soon we will come again to celebrate or contribute to their welfare," he added. The Administrator for the Teshie Childrens Home, Moses Lamptey, expressed the appreciation and gratitude of his institution to the philanthropists for the kind gesture. He said, "Together with the children and caretakers of this orphanage, we say a very big thank you to the law firm for this wonderful donation." Franklyn and Partners firm is an immensely vibrant and diverse full-service corporate and commercial law firm located in the capital, Accra. It has expertise in legal due diligence, oil and gas, minerals and mining, as well as transport and aviation issues. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Alexander Afenyo-Markin 22.07.2022 LISTEN Member of Parliament for Effutu and Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been described as an angel by Dr. George Kwame Prah, Medical Director Central Regional hospital. According to the Medical Officer, the MP among many others have been blessing to the Central Regional Health Directorate through their benevolent interventions. Speaking at the 10th Anniversary of the Winneba Trauma and Specialised Hospital on Thursday, Dr George Kwame Prah, Medical Director, Central Regional hospital in Effutu was of the view that, angels are not purposely in Heaven but rather they are people among us who always step in to help whenever the need arises. "I call the MP and other people who keep supporting the health sector as angels, because they come in to alleviate hard times and challenges and that qualifies them as angels" Dr. Prah stressed. He, however, pledged that his outfit would continue to put in more efforts to ensure health care delivery in the whole of Central region is improved as expected. Lawyer Afenyo-Markin since becoming a lawmaker in Effutu has supported the health sector to ensure his constituents have quality service delivery, as he was the facilitator for the construction of the hospital ten years ago. He has constructed some health centres and also assisted health facilities with equipment to help provide the people with quality health care delivery. Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, has asked politicians to exhibit humility and avoid the arrogance of power. He charged politicians to use the late President Atta Mills humility and respectful lifestyle as an example. Speaking on the Accra-based GTV on Thursday, July 21 monitored by Modernghana News, he expressed his admiration for the qualities of the late President, particularly his refusal to engage in politics of insult at the time. His whole demeanour, just look at his demeanour. You know when somebody is a humble person, you can see in his body language and the tone of his speech. "Atta Mills did not speak like a king. His humility was spectacular, he recalled. Sheik Shaibu added that One of the things I love which is a problem to us now and one of his major concerns post his election was what he himself called politics of insult and he was so concerned about this. He expressed concern about how toxicity and insults have dominated modern politics. "Today in our politics if you are not ferocious, if you don't sound toxic, if you cannot run down a personality, if you cannot attack, you will not catch the attention of even the potential president," he said. However, he believes that politicians can use appropriate language and tone in their criticism without being rude. He stated that he would not support such behaviour. I will never support any young man who for whatever reason is a politician and he sounds very indecent in his language. You can criticize, but criticise with moderation. That's what I want to see", he stated. 22.07.2022 LISTEN Madam Anne-Sophie Ave, the French Ambassador to Ghana, has expressed concerns about the mass exodus of the youth in Africa in search of better-paid jobs. Many Ghanaians, especially the youths, in search of what they term 'greener pastures' use unapproved routes and means to migrate to the Western world. Modernghana News monitored Miss Anne Sophie-Ave's interview on the Accra-based 3FMs sunrise show on Wednesday, July 20, where she reminds illegal migrants about the risk involved. To her, there is nothing like greener pastures anywhere indicating that "but your success depends on how hard you strive in life, regardless of where you are." She added, "I don't think there are greener pastures in France or Europe. Unless you have a job already or a company that will hire you because you have a specific skill that is required." The diplomat emphasized that travelling to France or any European country without qualifications or expertise, as well as without relatives, is extremely dangerous. "Going to France illegally like pretending you're a tourist and trying to immigrate is going to make your life miserable," she said. Belgian MPs have voted to ratify a fiercely criticised treaty allowing prisoner exchanges with Iran, potentially opening the way for an Iranian diplomat jailed on terrorism charges to return home. After two days of rowdy debate, the Belgian parliament voted on Wednesday by 79 to 41 to support the agreement. The treaty had already won approval from a parliamentary commission on 6 July. It was based on a proposal first submitted on 29 June. Critics of the deal, both Belgians and members of an exiled Iranian opposition movement, say Belgium is backing down in the face of what is in effect hostage-taking by Tehran. But Prime Minister Alexander de Croo's government argues it is the only route possible to free a Belgian already held in Iran, the jailed aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele. Vandecasteele had lived in Iran from 2015, working as country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council and then for Relief International, before returning to Belgium last year. He returned to Tehran under a tourist visa in February, was seized several days later and taken to Iran's infamous Evin prison, where he was held in solitary confinement. But Vandecasteele's release would imply that Belgium may release Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi who was last year sentenced to 20 years over a bomb plot. The Belgian opposition alleged the agreement with Tehran was "tailor made" to permit Assadi's release, and Iranian exiles have mounted street protests and a ferocious lobbying campaign. The 50-year-old was found guilty of orchestrating a terrorist project that was foiled at the eleventh hour in June 2018, when Belgian officers arrested a Belgian-Iranian couple carrying explosives. The pair was travelling to France to target the annual gathering near Paris of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition of opponents of the Tehran regime. The NCRI is not without controversy. It is the political arm of the Mujaheddin-e-Khalk, originally founded in 1965 as an anti-Shah group that then went on fighting against the Ayatollah regime and was exiled in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Saddam helped them to take up heavy arms against Tehran during the 1979-1989 Iran-Iraq war. Part of the group fled to Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, where its leader, the charismatic Maryam Rajavi, lives with hundreds of exiles in a guarded compound. Another group was transported to Albania in 2016, after US troops left Iraq. In 2018, French, Belgian, German and Austrian authorities, allegedly helped by Israel's secret service, thwarted a plot to bomb the yearly NCRI gathering in the Villepinte convention centre just north of Paris. Assadi, who worked at Iran's embassy in Austria, was accused of being the mastermind of the plot. At the time, a court in Antwerp ruled that even if Assadi had diplomatic cover in Austria, he had no immunity in Belgium and was subsequently arrested and tried. Tehran has reacted furiously, demanding that Belgium recognise Assadi's diplomatic status and release him. Earlier this month, presenting the treaty "on the transfer of sentenced persons" to MEPs, Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne tried to decouple the text from the Assadi case. But he admitted that as soon as the "so-called diplomat" was arrested, Belgium's "interests" and its 200 nationals in Iran became targets of potential reprisals. "From day one, we have felt pressure from Iran and the security situation of our interests has deteriorated systematically," Van Quickenborne said. 'Form of ransom' That pressure came to a peak on February 24, when 41-year-old aid worker Vandecasteele was detained in Tehran by Iranian authorities, apparently without charge. On March 11, less than three weeks after his arrest, which was not immediately made public, Belgium signed the prisoner exchange treaty with Iran triggering claims it was ceding to "odious blackmail". "Iran is a rogue state, but we don't choose who we talk to", and freeing Vandecasteele is "our priority", Van Quickenborne insisted on Tuesday after long hours of debate in parliament. On Wednesday, he warned MPs that any of the 200 Belgians still in Iran "could be next to be locked up" and stressed that Belgian intelligence thinks rejecting the treaty would increase the threat. De Croo, who reacted with anger when criticised by opposition MPs for paying "a form of ransom", demanded: "What do you tell his family, that we are going to let him rot in his cell?" "Belgium does not abandon its citizens," he declared. In a video message on 11 July, Vandecasteele's family urged authorities to "do everything" to secure his release, stressing his deteriorating physical and mental health after five months in jail. Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, appointed last week, insisted that the government had done everything it could to demand the aid worker's release through diplomatic channels. "We could raise our voices more, but we'd be screaming into the desert," she said. (With newswires) 22.07.2022 LISTEN The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak is appealing to the President to direct the immediate release of funds to pay off the debt owed the National Food Buffer Stock Company. The Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei-Adutwum on Wednesday revealed that government owes Buffer Stock an amount of GH340 million. The government's indebtedness to the company and other factors has occasioned a shortage of food items in some high schools in the country. Addressing the media, Dr. Clement Apaak said it is shocking that despite the approval of over GH2 billion this year for the Free SHS programme, government still owes the company. How come we have allocated and approved GH2.3 billion to finance the Free SHS policy for 2022 and yet government is unable to pay buffer stock food supply. We are demanding that the President instructs the Finance Ministry to release the monies we approved, so the buffer stock suppliers can be paid in full. By Citi Newsroom 22.07.2022 LISTEN Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams, has called for the dismissal of the Ashanti Regional Director of Urban Roads over a clash that occurred between the Police and students of the Islamic Senior High School weeks ago. Mr. Adams, who is also a member of Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee, said the Director failed to heed students' calls for the construction of speed ramps, compelling them to resort to protests to drum home their demands. He indicated that students would not have protested if the speed ramps were constructed. The committee has recommended some sanctions against the Head of Urban Roads, who is responsible for the area. About ten different letters have been sent to these bodies to act, but they did not act, he indicated on Eyewitness News. Mr. Adams further said the committee's fact-finding mission had raised some questions about the credibility of the Police Service's version of events on the day. We found what the students said much more credible than what was said by the Police. He believes a bipartisan probe into the disturbances will provide more information on what really transpired and the circumstances leading to the clash. Either the committee is given enough powers to do further investigation, a bipartisan committee is established, or a special ad-hoc committee is established to investigate this issue. ---citinewsroom 22.07.2022 LISTEN Members of Parliament in the Ashanti Region are demanding an urgent meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over what they call the lack of development in the region. The Ashanti Caucus says the region is lagging behind in the areas of infrastructure and other amenities after years of voting for the NPP. Chairman of the Ashanti Caucus, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi says Ashanti Region needs urgent attention. The roads within Kwabre East are very bad and there are constituencies like Manso Adobea, Nkwanta, Bantama, Kwadaso Asante Akyem North and South. So virtually, all the constituencies have some concerns over are roads. According to Mr. Anyimadu Antwi, the Ashanti MPs believe that if road projects in the region are completed, constituents' trust in the government will increase. He added that the leadership of the Ashanti Caucus will also raise other issues of concern such as electricity extension in the region in due time. This comes on the back of an attack on the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu earlier this week by residents of Suame over the poor road network in the area. ---Citi Newsroom By 2023, every item of clothing sold in France will require a label detailing its precise climate impact with a similar rule expected for the rest of the European Union by 2026. The French Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe) is currently testing 11 proposals on ways to collect and compare data and what the resulting label might look like to consumers using 500 real-life items of clothing. They are seeking to gather information on the origins of raw materials in clothing, what dyes were used, how far products travelled, and whether factories used solar energy or coal. "The message of the law is clear it will become obligatory, so brands need to prepare, to make their products traceable, to organise the automatic collection of data," Erwan Autret, one of the coordinators at Ademe, told French news agency AFP. "Some say the models are too simple, some say they're too complicated, but it's a sign of the maturity of the debate that no one questions the need for these calculations anymore." Transparency Statistics are difficult to verify, but the UN says the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of global carbon emissions, as well as a significant portion of water consumption and waste. Campaigners say clothing labels can be a key part of the solution. "It will force brands to be more transparent and informed...to collect data and create long-term relationships with their suppliers all things they're not used to doing," said Victoire Satto, of The Good Goods, a media agency focused on sustainable fashion. "Right now it seems infinitely complex," she added. "But we've seen it applied in other industries such as medical supplies." Technical advances A recent presentation by Premiere Vision, a Paris-based textiles conference, highlighted many new processes including non-toxic leather tanning, dyes drawn from fruits and waste and even biodegradable underwear that can be thrown on the compost. But the key to sustainability is using the right fabric for the right garment, said Ariane Bigot, Premiere Vision's deputy head of fashion. That means synthetic and oil-based fabrics will still have a place, she said: "A strong synthetic with a very long lifespan might be right for some uses, such as an over-garment that needs little washing." The French agency is due to collate the results of its testing phase by next spring before handing the results to lawmakers. While many welcome the labels, activists say this should only be part of a wider crackdown on the fashion industry. "It's really good to put an emphasis on life-cycle analysis but we need to do something about it beyond just labels," said Valeria Botta, of the Environmental Coalition on Standards. "The focus should be on setting clear rules on product design to ban the worst products from the market, ban the destruction of returned and unsold goods, and set production limits," she told AFP. "Consumers should not have to fight to find a sustainable option that should be the default." (with newswires) Advocacy group, Think Progress Ghana has urged the government to be transparent during its engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since the start of the month, the government has been engaging the Fund for support to deal with the economic challenges facing the country. At the end of the fact-finding meetings by the team from IMF recently, Think Progress Ghana is calling on the government to update the citizenry. In a press release, the advocacy group stresses that it is important government informs Ghanaians about the general public debts situation including sovereign guarantees. Full disclosure of current state of the economy may attract support for the government. We believe provision of relevant information to the public is part of transparent governance. Information coming from IMF painted bad financial situation anchored on mismanagement and general disregard for debt management and fiscal prudence, parts of a press release from Think Progress Ghana have said. Among other things, Think Progress Ghana wants full disclosure on the total energy sector indebtedness, the status of public sector pensions, the status of Ghanas international reserves, and the assessment of debt restructuring and balance of payment position. Read the full press release below: The Technical Advisor to the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Tiah Abdul-Kabiru Mahama has said the Akufo-Addo government has accepted the blame for the current state of the economy. This follows Ghana's decision to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout to shore up the sinking economy that has brought unbearable hardship to Ghanaians. The Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, explaining this during a lecture, blamed the causes of the challenges on the covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and the erstwhile Mahama-led NDC administration. But the Vice Presidents technical advisor, Dr. Tia, speaking in an interview on the Accra-based JoyNews AM Show, monitored by Modernghana News today, July 22, stated the government has accepted the responsibility for the mess. Government has taken responsibility for the economic challenges, he noted. He further explained, The Vice Presidents speech was not intended to insinuate they are not taking responsibility for it but to explain to Ghanaians what actually brought the hardships. A survey conducted by Bloomberg recently placed Ghana second on the list of most indebted countries in the world. 22.07.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has expressed shock at the findings of a survey that ranks the service amongst the most corrupt public institutions in the country. Speaking to TV3 in an interview, the Head of Public Affairs of the GIS Supt Michael Amoako-Atta said although the service will not say its personnel are saints, it finds the findings from the survey problematic. Let me say, as a service, we havent really gotten the details of the full report and how they arrived at the conclusions that they have made. Secondly, the information we have now is from what the media is saying. Honestly, I was monitoring one of the media houses and they themselves were saying that they were surprised at the position of the Immigration Service. One question they asked was, what service did we provide that the ordinary Ghanaian will come to our premises to engage in? We handle permits and visas for non-Ghanaians. If my information is right, the respondent to this survey were basically Ghanaians and Ghanaians do not come to us to apply for resident permits or visas, but it is non-Ghanaians. So it is a bit surprising to us as an institution that Immigration will be placed second on the corruption index. We are not saying the service is full of saints, Supt. Michael Amoako-Atta explained. From the report of a survey by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Ghana Immigration Service has been ranked second most corrupt public institution. The service is second to the Ghana Police Service which has been ranked as the most corrupt public institution in the country. Kyiv and Moscow are set to sign a deal Friday in Istanbul to unblock grain exports and relieve a global food crisis, even as Russian forces launch deadly artillery barrages over east Ukraine. The first major accord between the warring sides -- brokered with the UN and Turkey -- was expected while Russian forces battered Ukraine's southern coast and left several dead in the industrial Donbas. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin announced the accord would be signed at the lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Turkish leader. But the news drew scepticism from Ukrainian farmers under pressure in the war-battered south to shift stores from rapidly-filling silos and with local prices tanking. Russian invasion of Ukraine. By (AFP) "It gives some hope but you can't believe what the Russians say," said Mykola Zaverukha, a farmer with some 13,000 tonnes of grain waiting for export. "Russia is unreliable, they have shown themselves to be year after year," he told AFP in the southern Mykolaiv region. Despite hopes for a breakthrough, Russian forces pursued a relentless shelling campaign in the eastern Donetsk region, which has been the focus of Russia's campaign in recent months. "Five killed and 10 wounded in the region in the last 24 hours," the Ukrainian presidency announced Friday. In the Donetsk village of Chasiv Yar, which was hit by a strike on July 10 which killed more than 45 people, a 64-year-old woman gathered apricots near the wreckage. A crane lifts part of an unexploded missile from a a wheat field in UKraine's Mykolaiv region, as a deal is due to be signed tounblock grain exports. By STR (Ukrainian State Emergency Service/AFP) "There is nothing anymore. The officials have left. We have to fend for ourselves to stay alive," said Lyudmila, who only gave her first name. In the south, Ukraine said Russian forces were shelling villages along the frontline in the Kherson area, where Kyiv's army is trying to claw back Moscow-occupied territory. 'Weaponising food' The five-month war is being fought across one of Europe's most fertile regions by two of the world's biggest grain producers. Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault. Russian forces are pursing a brutish artillery campaign in east Ukraine as Moscow says its military aims are expanding. By Igor TKACHEV (AFP) Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP late Thursday that Kyiv would only accept solutions that guarantee the security of its southern regions, the position of its forces in the Black Sea and the safe export of agricultural products. Under the terms of the elusive accord, Ukraine would export grain through the Black Sea ports of Odessa, Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk, with the hope of expanding the offering over time, a Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov told reporters Thursday. The United States welcomed the deal but urged Russia to implement it in good faith. "We should never have been in this position in the first place," said State Department spokesman Ned Price, accusing Russia of "weaponising" food. Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports. By BULENT KILIC (AFP) The parties were convening in Istanbul one day after Russia's restart of the Nord Stream gas pipeline eased concerns in Europe of a permanent shut off after 10 days of repairs. Yet even the resumption of 40 percent of supplies would be insufficient to ward off energy shortages in Europe this winter, experts warned. Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 and the war has left thousands dead and forced millions to flee their homes but the military toll on both sides has remained speculative at best. Some 15,000 Russians have died in the invasion, US and British spy chiefs said, as they assessed that President Vladimir Putin was suffering far greater losses than expected. Britain became the latest country Thursday to announce it is re-upping military supplies with Ukraine artillery, "hundreds of drones and hundreds more anti-tank weapons" for Ukraine in the coming weeks. But Russia has warned about Western arms deliveries and said they mean Moscow's military aims are expanding beyond the eastern war-battered Donbas. burs-jbr/bp A corruption survey conducted by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently has placed the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) as the second most corrupt public institution in the country, after the Ghana Police Service (GPS). In response to this, the Head of Public Affairs of the GIS, Supt Michael Amoako-Atta, expressed shock at the survey results. Speaking in an interview with the Accra-based TV3, he said the service only deals with foreigners by way of providing services such as resident permits or visas. He noted that the survey only targeted Ghanaian citizens, hence the results is not a true reflection of the situation on the ground. "If my information is right, the respondent to this survey were basically Ghanaians and Ghanaians do not come to us to apply for resident permits or visas, but it is non Ghanaians. So it is a bit surprising to us as an institution that Immigration will be placed second on the corruption index. We are not saying the service is full of saints, he clarified. He adds "Let me say, as a service, we haven't really gotten the details of the full report and how they arrived at the conclusions that they have made. Secondly, the information we have now is from what the media is saying. "Honestly, I was monitoring one of the media houses and they themselves were saying that they were surprised at the position of the Immigration Service. One question they asked was, what service did we provide that the ordinary Ghanaian will come to our premises to engage in? We handle permits and visas for non-Ghanaians. Board Chairman of the JEA Mills Memorial Heritage, Mr. Alex Segbefia has expressed displeasure over the impasse between the family of the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills and Samuel Koku Anyidoho. The brother of the late president, Mr. Sammy Atta-Mills, and the Founder and President of the Atta Mills Institute in the past week have dominated the headlines after clashing over the alleged desecration of the grave of the late John Evans Atta Mills. Faulting Samuel Koku Anyidoho for failing to inform the family of the late president, Alex Segbefia insists his approach to renovate the resting place of the former president was wrong. Describing the Koku Anyidoho as too emotional, the board chair of JEA Mills Memorial Heritage said he should have consulted the family of late Prof. J.E Mills. Koku is emotional...no matter what you say, you will not know how he will react, Mr. Alex Segbefia said during an engagement on the GTV Breakfast Show on Friday. Paying tribute to the formal president, Alex Segbefia said Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills was indeed a man of peace. "Prof Mills is not for anyone...He is for Ghana. His love was so big it covered the whole of Ghana. He had a very high IQ and said things that will make you burst out. He was really a man of peace, the board chair of JEA Mills Memorial Heritage noted. According to Mr. Alex Segbefia, there will be another lecture to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing of the late former President. RECENTLY, I joined two eminent Resource Persons for a workshop at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) to discuss the subject Constitutional Manipulation of Term Limits By Incumbent Governments In West Africa And Its Implications For Human Security. The high-calibre participants of about fifty were drawn from governmental institutions, CSOs and the private sector. After my presentation, a participant asked me, General, what has Ghana gained from coups since 1966-1979/1981? This question immediately reminded me of my running-battle with Nana. Nana With his long association with military officers, Nana has been unrelenting in his demand that, I write to educate Ghanaians out of the colonial-narrative of the military being an unenlightened institution dedicated to terrorising civilians, a view unfortunately, reinforced by the actions of a few soldiers, and the history of atrocities during coup-d'etats/revolutions. He opines an educational drive led by the Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) is necessary as most civilians know very little about the military. So, when unexpectedly, my old-man also suggested I write about the advantages/disadvantages of military rule in Ghana, I requested him to give me some benefits from 1966-1979/1981. Again, I asked if violently overthrowing a democratically elected government in a coup-d'etat could be justified/sanitised by any advantages. Conceding that violence is wrong, his counter-attack was, how about when presidents perpetuate themselves by amending the Constitution into a democratic dictatorship? Prof Samuel Huntington The renowned Harvard professor Samuel Huntington, in his book The Soldier and the State, states that, The modern officer corps is a professional body, and the modern officer a professional man. He explains that using the three criteria in determining what a profession is, viz expertise, responsibility and corporate-ness, the military meets all. Firstly, the military has expertise in managing violence. Secondly, in terms of social responsibility, financial remuneration is not the primary aim of the military. Thirdly, the military has standards for admission/competencies required to be exhibited. A distinction is made between disciplined officers, and undisciplined amateurs in uniform who engage in violence, including coup-d'etats! Individual-Gain Contrary to what most Ghanaians think, unlike Myanmar or Pakistan, the military as an institution in Ghana, does not stage coups. It is individuals in the military who stage coups for their personal benefit, and drag the institution into politics! The impression therefore, that the military is a coup-making machine is wrong/unfortunate! A disciplined officer knows his role in the military is to defend the state, and not to rule. Indeed, nothing stops a serving officer from resigning to pursue a political career. Using the military as a short-cut to political power is indefensible! The state/politicians must also recognise/respect the military an important merit-based institution, as happens in civilised countries, capable of self-regulation, and must not meddle in its running. 1966 24th February, 1966 is a significant date in Ghana's history. Co-incidentally, on 24th February, 2022, on the 56th anniversary of Ghana's coup, Russia invaded Ukraine. Declassified documents, thirty years after the event, indicated an external power's complicity in the overthrow of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on 24 February, 1966. Feeding on Osagyefo's penchant for showmanship/grand projects, he was lured to go to Viet-Nam to broker peace in the US-Viet-Nam war. Once Osagyefo was out of Ghana, Col (later Gen) E.K. Kotoka, Commander 2 Infantry Brigade, Kumasi and his Brigade-Major, Major A.A. Afrifa (later Gen), staged Ghana's first coup-d'etat on 24 February, 1966. In the bloody coup, the Army Commander, Major-General Charles Mohammed Barwah, was killed together with soldiers guarding him. 1967 On 17th April, 1967, soldiers from the 2 Recce Squadron, Ho, staged an unsuccessful counter-coup in Accra during which Gen Kotoka was killed. The leaders of the coup Lt S.B. Arthur and Lt Moses Yeboah were executed by firing squad while 2/Lt Osei-Poku was sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment. 1972 Following his 13th January, 1972 bloodless coup which overthrew Dr. Busia's Second-Republic, Lt Col (later Gen) Acheampong has been credited with infrastructural development like the Kpong Dam, El Wak Stadium and Dansoman Estates, etc. 'Operation Feed Yourself' which saw Ghana as a net exporter of rice is touted a great achievement. The fact still remains that he overthrew a democratically elected government. 1979/1981 The 4th June, 1979/31st December, 1981 coup/revolution and the aftermath, have been the bloodiest in Ghana's history with the clarion call let the blood flow! Generals were executed, judges were murdered and ordinary people were killed. Collateral/psychological damage and dislocation to families remain incalculable. While some are ambivalent about 1979 because the coup overthrew a military regime and was only soldiers killing themselves, 31st December, 1981 was the overthrow of a democratically elected government of President Hilla Limann's 3rd Republic. In any case, did the killings in 1979/1981 stop corruption? As the questioner asked, what has Ghana gained from coups? Summary For any Ghanaian who has not seen or been at the receiving end of a coup-d'etat, the last wish should be for one! In the idealistic world of theory where no weapons are fired, violence can be glamourised/fantasised as an academic exercise. The reality is that, once violence starts, it knows no bounds. Somehow, there is restraint/fear in talking about the 1979/1981 violent coup/revolution whose legacy of indiscipline, impunity, intolerance, disrespect and corruption have become our national ethos. Beneficiaries therefore flaunt their gain shamelessly. So long as infrastructure like airports, roads, institutions, etc, remain named after coup-makers, what message is being sent to the younger generation of Ghanaians? In England, nothing is named after the 1648 prototype coup-maker and executioner of King Charles 1, Oliver Cromwell. And politicians, why don't you demonstrate integrity, and also stop using the military as an employment avenue for unqualified family and friends, devaluing the institution, such that the thought of it, as a coup-making-machine doesn't occur to any adventurous Ghanaian? Leadership, lead! BY Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) [email protected] Residents of Krachi in the Krachi West municipality of the Oti region are unhappy about the erratic power supply in the area. On Friday, residents took to the streets of Krachi to demonstrate against the Northern Electricity Department (NED) of the Volta River Authority (VRA) in the Municipality. The aggrieved residents argued that they cannot endure the negative impact of the continuous unstable power supply any longer. Many say due to the unreliable power supply in the municipality, their businesses are collapsing. They say in the past six months, they have been deprived of a stable power supply. The protesters from various communities in the Municipality dressed in red while holding up placards to express their displeasure. The demonstration started from Gyanekrom, GBC Krachi Radio junction, as protesters marched through the town to the lakeside and ended the demonstration at the Municipal Assembly office where they presented their petition to the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Emmanuel Kajal Jalula. Among other things, the residents are demanding sub-stations to be set up in the Municipality to help solve the erratic power supply problem. A Kenyan court on Friday found three police officers and an informer guilty of murdering a human rights lawyer, his client and their driver, six years after the killings triggered angry protests. The bodies of lawyer Willie Kimani -- who had criticised police abuse -- as well as his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri were found wrapped in sacks and dumped in a river outside Nairobi in June 2016. The torture and killing of the three men sparked fury in Kenya, where many people fear the police. On Friday, high court judge Jessie Lessit ruled that three officers as well as a police informer were guilty of murder. A fourth policeman was acquitted. "I am satisfied that there was no other reasonable hypothesis that can be made on the basis of the evidence before me except that of guilt," she said. Kimani was defending a motorbike taxi driver who accused policeman Fredrick Leliman of shooting him for no reason at a traffic stop in 2015. Leliman was among the three officers found guilty in Friday's verdict. The charge carries a maximum penalty of death. Sentencing will be announced at a later date. When authorities found his body, Kimani's wrists were bound with rope, three of his fingers had been chopped off and his eyes appeared to have been gouged out. Police in Kenya have been accused in the past of running hit squads targeting those -- including activists and lawyers -- investigating alleged rights abuses by police. "We hope that this judgement is a step towards police accountability," the non-profit Kenya Human Rights Commission said on Twitter. Kenya's parliament established the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) in 2011 to provide civilian scrutiny of a powerful institution whose reputation also ranks among the country's most corrupt. Only a handful of officers have been convicted as a result of IPOA investigations, even though the watchdog has examined more than 6,000 cases of police misconduct, according to data covering the period from its inception to June 2020. Activists largely defend IPOA's record, saying police often frustrate inquiries by refusing to cooperate. Ukraine said Friday it would only sign an agreement to unblock its grain exports with Turkey and the United Nations, shunning Russia, as delegations gathered in Istanbul to relieve a global food crisis. Moscow and Kyiv are expected later Friday to decide a mechanism to allow Ukraine to export its stockpiling grain even as Russian forces launch deadly artillery barrages over east Ukraine. But Ukraine presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak excluded a deal directly with Russia, saying Kyiv and Moscow would arrive at "mirror" accords. "We sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN and undertake obligations to them. Russia signs a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN," he wrote on Twitter. He cautioned that Russian breaches of the deal and incursions around Ukraine's ports would be met with "an immediate military response". The first major accord between the warring sides -- brokered with the UN and Turkey -- was expected while Russian forces battered Ukraine's southern coast and left several dead in the industrial Donbas. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin announced the accord would be signed at the lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Turkish leader. Deal offers 'some hope' But the deal drew scepticism from Ukrainian farmers under pressure in the war-battered south to shift stores from rapidly-filling silos and with local prices tanking. Russian invasion of Ukraine. By (AFP) "It gives some hope but you can't believe what the Russians say," said Mykola Zaverukha, a farmer with some 13,000 tonnes of grain waiting for export. "Russia is unreliable, they have shown themselves to be year after year," he told AFP in the southern Mykolaiv region. The Kremlin said meanwhile it was "very important" the parties arrived at an understanding. "It is very important to unblock supplies of fertilisers, foodstuffs and grain to the world markets," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Despite hopes for a breakthrough, Russian forces pursued a relentless shelling campaign in the eastern Donetsk region, which has been the focus of Russia's campaign in recent months. "Five killed and 10 wounded in the region in the last 24 hours," the Ukrainian presidency announced Friday. In the Donetsk village of Chasiv Yar, which was hit by a strike on July 10 that killed more than 45 people, a 64-year-old woman gathered apricots near the wreckage. The war is being fought across one of Europe's most fertile regions by two of the world's biggest grain producers. By STR (Ukrainian State Emergency Service/AFP) "There is nothing anymore. The officials have left. We have to fend for ourselves to stay alive," said Lyudmila, who only gave her first name. In the south, Ukraine said Russian forces were shelling villages along the frontline in the Kherson area, where Kyiv's army is trying to claw back Moscow-occupied territory. 'Weaponising food' The five-month war is being fought across one of Europe's most fertile regions by two of the world's biggest grain producers. Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault. Russian forces are pursuing a brutish artillery campaign in east Ukraine as Moscow says its military aims are expanding. By Igor TKACHEV (AFP) Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP late Thursday that Kyiv would only accept solutions that guarantee the security of its southern regions, the position of its forces in the Black Sea and the safe export of agricultural products. Under the terms of the elusive accord, Ukraine would export grain through the Black Sea ports of Odessa, Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk, with the hope of expanding the offering over time, a Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov told reporters Thursday. The United States welcomed the deal but urged Russia to implement it in good faith. "We should never have been in this position in the first place," said State Department spokesman Ned Price, accusing Russia of "weaponising" food. Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports. By BULENT KILIC (AFP) The parties were convening in Istanbul one day after Russia's restart of the Nord Stream gas pipeline eased concerns in Europe of a permanent shut off after 10 days of repairs. Yet even the resumption of 40 percent of supplies would be insufficient to ward off energy shortages in Europe this winter, experts warned. Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 and the war has left thousands dead and forced millions to flee their homes but the military toll on both sides has remained speculative at best. Some 15,000 Russians have died in the invasion, US and British spy chiefs said, as they assessed that President Vladimir Putin was suffering far greater losses than expected. Britain became the latest country Thursday to announce it is re-upping military supplies with Ukraine artillery, "hundreds of drones and hundreds more anti-tank weapons" for Ukraine in the coming weeks. But Russia has warned about Western arms deliveries and said they mean Moscow's military aims are expanding beyond the eastern war-battered Donbas. burs-jbr/raz Ghana's government run to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic bailout to shore up the sinking economy that has brought unbearable hardship to Ghanaians. The situation has been so unbearable to an extent that a survey conducted by Bloomberg recently placed Ghana second on the list of most indebted countries in the world. In the face of this, the Accra-based Asaase radio engaged some traders in Accra today, Friday, July 22, in a program dubbed "Ghana And The Economy." During the programme, which was monitored by Modernghana News via the stations Twitter account, the traders called on the government to introduce effective policies which could solve the economic woes. They also called on the government to solve the challenges faced by the free SHS policy and also explain the IMF program effectively to Ghanaians. I sell foodstuffs but times are hard. We plead with the government to do something about the hardship in the country. We beg! The free SHS is going through some challenges so government should also address them, a trader known as Blackie said. Another trader said, If we say one district, one factory, why can't we produce things and also export and make money? A trader known as Kwame Owusu suggested There are people who keep misinforming others about the IMF programme and I think something has to be done about it. 22.07.2022 LISTEN The Member of Parliament for Dormaa East, Paul Apraku Twum Barimah, says he is leaving no stone unturned in fully harnessing the tourism potential in his constituency to create jobs for people as well as increase the countrys investment in the tourism sector. To this end, he has expressed his commitment to develop untapped tourism attractions in the constituency to make the district a tourism hub in the Bono Region. We are working hard to increase tourism in the Dormaa East District, he stated, explaining that in the next 10 years, if the measures put in place succeeded, Wamfie, the district capital would become a preferred tourist destination in the region and the country as a whole. Mr Twum Barimah told our correspondent in an interview that investing in the tourism industry would help generate more revenue for the much-needed development of the communities. Wamfie will be a place of action, we want to move the centre of the action from Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital to Wamfie to make the district a shining star, he stated. IMF Mr Twum Barimah explained that the government opted for International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout because there was a revenue shortfall and needed a little support to pay the country's loans or debts. He said the decision to go for an IMF bailout did not mean that the country's economy was in a bad state or the government performed or managed the countrys economy poorly. The legislator again explained that the governments decision to go to IMF was in the interest of Ghanaians, as it would help bring relief to Ghanaians, particularly civil servants. He assured the public that the government would negotiate a good deal with the IMF team and ensure that the negotiation would protect jobs and government flagship programmes, particularly the Free Senior High School policy. On recent labour union agitations, Mr Twum Barimah said the various labour unions' call on the government for Cost of Living Allowances (COLA), was a good call because they deserved it due to the recent high cost of living. Mr Twum Barimah said the government did not want Ghanaians to suffer the recent hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. That is why the government had agreed on the 15 per cent and also decided to go to IMF for advice on how to put in place measures to bring relief to Ghanaians, because of the COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, he explained. NPP delegates conference On the just-ended NPP delegates conference, he called on the newly elected national executives to work in unity and told each other in teamwork to enable the party to 'break the eight.' In addition, Mr Twum Barimah challenged them to help unite the party supporters, who might have been disunited after the internal elections and discharge their duties to boost delegates and the party's confidence in them. He congratulated all the winners of the contest, especially the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim for winning the contest after five attempts. Mr Twum Barimah said they should be reminded that their victory was for the party and not for the individual contestants and expressed confidence that the newly elected executives were capable of working to 'break the eight.' He explained that the team elected during the conference was a solid one, as there were youth and experienced politicians among the team, who are full of energy and experience to 'break the eight.' These are people we need at this time to change the narrative of the NPP and Im sure that they would not disappoint the party, Mr Twum Barimah stated. 22.07.2022 LISTEN President Nana Akufo-Addo has launched the Office of the Registrar of Companies in Accra on Friday, July 22, 2022. Delivering the keynote address at the event, President Akufo-Addo expressed satisfaction at the milestone. After a 15-year wait, the office of the Registrar of companies is finally ready to take charge of the administration and the registration of companies. It is a moment of considerable satisfaction for me because I had the pleasure of consenting to the long-awaited Ghana Company Act, 2019. The Act separated the Office of the Registrar of companies from the Registrar Generals Department, taking up solely the duties of company registration and advisory services. And thankfully we are here. He stressed that the creation of the Office of the Registrar of Companies does not make the Registrar Generals Department redundant. With the appointment of the first Registrar of Companies, who happens to be female, the new Registrar General will be appointed to carry on his duties. The President further noted that the new office will soon move to a new place within the University of Ghana premises. I have been informed that the office space is too small and unfit for purpose. With the assistance of the Attorney-General, 2 acres of land have been acquired within the premises of the University of Ghana for the construction of a new office building. The Registrar of Companies will carry out his duties in this office space. President Akufo-Addo further urged all stakeholders to support the Registrar of Companies to deliver excellent services and improve the processes of doing business in Ghana. Registrar of Companies Registrars of Companies (ROC) appointed under Section 609 of the Companies Act covering the various States and Union Territories are vested with the primary duty of registering companies and LLPs floated in the respective states and the Union Territories and ensuring that such companies and LLPs comply with statutory requirements under the Act. These offices function as a registry of records, relating to the companies registered with them, which are available for inspection by members of the public on payment of the prescribed fee. The Central Government exercises administrative control over these offices through the respective Regional Directors. Under the old Companies Law, the RGD was responsible for the registration of companies, partnerships, business names, marriages, adoptions, and property rights among others, which overburdened it to deliver quality services. However, with the hive-off, the RGD will now focus on all other duties and leave anything related to business operations for the Registrar of Companies to handle. The new Act also requires the two registries to retain internally generated funds to carry out their operations. By Citi Newsroom The Republic of Togo has opened a Consulate General in Dakhla, marking its firm support for the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara and its territorial integrity. The inauguration ceremony was chaired by Togo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad, Robert Dussey, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita. With this new inauguration, the number of consulates opened in the southern provinces is increased to 26 (14 in Dakhla and 12 in Laayoune). The opening of the Consulate follows initial discussions with Morocco to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. In the previous discussions, Togos Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Robert Dussey reiterated his countrys support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and for the Autonomy Plan which constitutes the one and only credible and realistic solution to the resolution of this dispute. In a joint statement issued after the meeting of the two Ministers, Mr. Dussey hailed the efforts of the United Nations Organization as an exclusive framework for achieving a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the dispute over the Sahara. The Togolese Foreign Affairs Minister further expressed Togos support for the search for a lasting solution that preserves the territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Morocco, under the exclusive guidance of the United Nations and in compliance with decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union of July 2018. Mr. Bourita, on his part, welcomed the participation of Togo in the Ministerial Conference to support the Autonomy Initiative under the Sovereignty of Morocco. The two officials insisted on complying with the standards and procedures within the organs of the African Union and reaffirmed the relevance of decision 693 of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, which consecrated the exclusivity of the UN as a framework for the search for a solution to the regional conflict around the Moroccan Sahara. A Hohoe Circuit Court has deferred the sentencing of 18-year-old Tumenyo Charles, a farmer and 35-year-old Afo Larry, an auto sprayer to July 27 while they remain in police custody till the adjourned date. The decision by the Court is to enable Tumenyo to assist the police to arrest one Desmond, his accomplice who is at large and help retrieve the rest of the stolen items from the new residence of the Hohoe High Court Judge. Tumenyo pleaded not guilty with explanation on counts of conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful entry, causing unlawful damage and stealing but was unable to raise reasonable doubt as to his culpability. Afo who also pleaded not guilty with explanation on a count of dishonestly receiving failed to raise reasonable doubt as to his culpability to the Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Ebenezer Arthur, told the Court that on July 12, this year, the Police had information that the newly built residence of the High Court Judge at Hohoe bungalow was broken into by thieves who made away with some items. He said Police proceeded to the place and saw the door to the room broken into and items stolen were 50-inches Nasco television, a double door Nasco fridge, a queen size mattress, two double bed mattresses, 2.0 HP air-condition, sink basin, sanitary ware, microwave and cables used for wiring the house. Chief Inspector Arthur said intelligence led to the arrest of Tumenyo at his hideout at Hohoe Gborxome and he admitted that he and his accomplice, Desmond who is on the run, went to the residence and stole the items. He said Tumenyo said they sold the items to Afo at Hohoe Zongo, and he led the Police to Afo's house, where he was arrested, and the items retrieved from his room. Chief Inspector Arthur said Tumenyo and Afo admitted their offences in their investigation cautioned statements adding that efforts were underway to arrest Desmond. GNA Eric Adrah, a 45-year-old farmer has been sentenced to seven years in prison for unlawfully cultivating a marijuana Adrah was handed a five-year imprisonment sentence and a fined of GH24,000 however his failure to pay the fine attracted additional two years default sentence after he pleaded guilty to the charge. He was arrested on June 14, this year at Dodi-Asuboe in the Kadjebi District of the Oti region for cultivating a narcotic plant on two-acre farmland. The Court presided over by Mr Alfred Kwabena Asiedu granted an order for the destruction of the farm while sentencing Adrah. Meanwhile, briefing the Ghana News Agency, Mr Jeffen Siberi, the Oti Regional Commander of the Narcotics Control Commission, said the destruction would serve as a warning to people engaged in such activities and called for a stop to such acts since anyone found culpable will face the law. Mr Siberi expressed gratitude to the police for putting together resources to make the operation a success and assured of future collaborations to fight illicit drug activities in the region. GNA Operators at the English Channel port of Dover on Friday accused French border officials of "ruining the start to the summer getaway", blaming understaffing for hours-long queues. Bosses at Dover port -- a key gateway to mainland Europe -- declared a "critical incident" and urged travellers to reconsider their holiday plans as ferry companies warned of delays of at least six hours. "Woefully inadequate French border resource ruins start to the summer getaway," the port said in a statement. "Despite the Port of Dover ... preparing over several months for the busy summer period, we are deeply frustrated that the resources at the French border overnight and early this morning has been woefully inadequate." Passengers need to go through border checks carried out by French officials in Dover before they can board a ferry to cross to northern France. But the port said French staffing "has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period". Most English schools start the summer holiday this week, making it one of the busiest periods for cross-Channel trips. Motoring organisation the RAC said this weekend was expected to be the busiest summer getaway since it began tracking numbers in 2014, with an estimated 18.8 million leisure trips expected between Friday and Monday. Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister told BBC radio: "We've got a critical incident under way. I would consider holding off heading for the port at this point in time until more is known." He later said the situation had "improved since the early hours and the traffic is beginning to move through". But he admitted he did not know how long it would take to clear the backlog. Heavy traffic Aerial footage of the port showed around eight lanes of slow-moving traffic backed up for about 300 metres, while other images posted online showed cars queued back into the town of Dover and long lines of lorries on a nearby motorway. "Please be aware that there is heavy traffic at border control in the port of Dover," P&O Ferries told passengers. "If you are booked to travel today please allow at least six hours to clear all security checks." Twitter users complained that there was total gridlock while waiting to board the ferries. "I'm booked onto 8am ferry from Dover and it's total gridlock. Moved 50 metres per hour," wrote one. "At this rate it'll be 34 hours before I get to the port!" Dover and its surrounding roads have previously been a bottleneck for delays since Britain left the European Union, its single market and customs union. The queues have been blamed on increased checks and additional paperwork for freight traffic. Local MP Natalie Elphicke said there had been "weeks of preparation", much of it with French counterparts, for the beginning of the tourist season. "Despite all this, French border officers didn't turn up for work at the passport controls as needed. This has caused massive delays," she said. "More French officers are reported to be arriving." (With AFP) The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah of overseeing administrative abuses since assuming the top role. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday, July 22, NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia insisted that the Chief Justice has proven he has no courage to deliver his mandate as expected by the Constitution. According to him, if things do not change under the tenure of Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah, he will go down in history as the worst Ghana Chief Justice in the Fourth Republic. the Honourable Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah, is likely to go down in history as the worst Chief Justice of Ghana since the Inception of the 4th Republic, Johnson Asiedu Nketia told journalists at the NDC press conference. The NDC scribe explained, His [Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah] reign as Chief Justice has been characterized by unimaginable administrative abuses. These abuses are thrown into sharp relief when the conduct of the current Chief Justice is measured against the professionalism and conduct of former Chief Justices. Among the many concerns raised, the NDC says it is worried the arrangements made after the setting up of divisions of the High Court in Accra such as the Criminal Division, Land Division, the Human Rights Division, and the Commercial Division are not being respected. Concerned about how cases are now assigned to courts without the consideration of the specialty of the various court, the NDC says it is sometimes left to wonder how certain assignments of cases to particular judges are made. After citing a number of blunders witnessed under the tenure of Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah, the NDC is calling on the Judicial Council to institute an internal inquiry to ascertain the reasons for these blunders and appropriate recommendations made to the Chief Justice to forestall their recurrence until appropriate legislation, such as a Judicial Proceedings Bill, is passed by Parliament to regulate the writing of judgments by our courts. The NDC will also petition Parliament for the Judiciary Committee of the House to conduct a public inquiry into the reasons for the blunders committed by the Supreme Court in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition and other cases with the view to proposing appropriate remedial legislation, Johnson Asiedu Nketia disclosed. Mr Samuel Atta Mills, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) and younger brother of late President John Evans Atta Mills is asking Ghanaians to allow the soul of his late brother rest in peace. Instead of poking their nose into what led to the former President's death, he urge Ghanaians to focus on his achievements. Irrespective of whose OX is gored, he made it clear that how the late President died is none of anybody's business. I hope and wish that Ghanaians would focus on what he did, instead of how he died, because it is none of anybody's business, Mr Mills made the remarks on the floor of Parliament in his contribution to a statement by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the MP for North Tongu in honour of the late President as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of his demise. He said in the House, Mr Speaker, today is my brother's birthday, and when it comes to his achievements, I think I will allow other people to talk about it. The conversation about what led to the death of the late former President resurfaced when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the founder of the Atta Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho was accused of tampering with the grave of the late President at Asomdwe Park, Accra. Mr Samuel Atta Mills alleged that the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) and the Atta Mills Institute led by Mr Koku Anyidoho desecrated the tomb of the late President. A group calling itself Atta Mills Institute that the family doesnt even recognise, and Coastal Development Authority, have gone to break the grave of President John Evans Atta Mills". "They have removed the tomb, and they claim that they are rebuilding it, the late Presidents brother told the Parliamentary press corps. The brother of the late President described the action by the group as culturally offensive. "My question is that: why will you touch someones grave without the familys permission?" "We have traditions. Now that they have touched someones grave, is the body still in there? What did you put in that grave? What kind of rituals did you perform over there? Why will you go and touch the grave without informing us? Who has the body now? Coastal Development Authority under whose authority did you do this? Why do you always make us go through grief every time?" he asked. "And you allow that Koku Anyidoho, that buffoon working with Atta Mills Institute, so-called, to go and touch this grave without informing our family head. This is a former president. Why will the government allow this to happen?" Mr Mills' description of Koku Anyidoho as a buffoon provoked matters. Koku Anyidoho in equal volley challenged Samuel Atta Mills to disclose the autopsy of the late President if he is man enough. Mr. Anyidoho said he might be compelled to reveal some secrets about Mr Mills if he dares him. In a statement on Anyidohos Twitter page spotted by Modernghana News, he alleged that Mr Mills has never celebrated his brother (Prof. John Fiifi Atta Mills) since his death. I am happy that Sammy Atta-Mills has opened the can of worms that I have been trying very hard not to open, he wrote. Anyidoho added, Sammy Atta-Mills has never celebrated his brother; he wants me to tell the story of his wickedness towards his brother? Sammy Atta-Mills says I am a buffoon? I see! Let him produce the autopsy report of the late President Atta-Mills. Sammy Atta-Mills should tell us, what killed his brother. He says, his brother died in his hands: he should tell us how his brother died. Late President Mills was born on 21st July 1944 at Tarkwa in the Western Region and died on July 24th, 2012, in Accra; thus, he is the first Ghanaian President to die in office. General Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia 22.07.2022 LISTEN The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed displeasure over developments within Ghana's Judiciary under the leadership of Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday, July 22, NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia said the NDC is worried over recent blunders and abuses of the Supreme Court. He told journalists that if things do not change, Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah will go down as the worst Chief Justice in the history of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. the Honourable Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah, is likely to go down in history as the worst Chief Justice of Ghana since the Inception of the 4th Republic, Johnson Asiedu Nketia told journalists at the NDC press conference. The NDC scribe further explained, His [Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah] reign as Chief Justice has been characterized by unimaginable administrative abuses. These abuses are thrown into sharp relief when the conduct of the current Chief Justice is measured against the professionalism and conduct of former Chief Justices. Stressing that the NDC is committed to Ghana's democracy and the promotion of the Rule of Law, Johnson Asiedu Nketia indicated that the party wants the Judicial Council to institute an internal inquiry into the blunders. We, therefore, call on the Judicial Council to institute an internal inquiry to ascertain the reasons for these blunders and appropriate recommendations made to the Chief Justice to forestall their recurrence until appropriate legislation, such as a Judicial Proceedings Bill, is passed by Parliament to regulate the writing of judgments by our courts, Johnson Asiedu Nketia shared. He continued, The NDC will also petition Parliament for the Judiciary Committee of the House to conduct a public inquiry into the reasons for the blunders committed by the Supreme Court in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition and other cases with the view to proposing appropriate remedial legislation. The Rotary Club of Accra-Osu Re on Thursday, 14th July 2022 sworn in newly elected executives and inducted two new members into the association at its handing over and induction ceremony, held at the Midindi hotel in Accra-Cantonment. During the ceremony to end the 2021-2022 Rotary year, Rotarian Joshua Quayson, now immediate past president handed over to the new leadership. The newly sworn-in Rotarian president of the Club, Mr. Rockson Dutenya, a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene practitioner with 18 years of local and international NGO experience admonishes the inductees to uphold what Rotary stands for and ensure to let their acts depict true Rotarians. He further urged the inductees to use the wide network of professionals in the club and sister clubs to improve themselves to collectively impact society. He reads a citation, saying, "the members of this club have invited you to join them because they believe you to be a worthy representative of your vocation. In electing you into service, we are doing more than taking you into our fellowship, were making you trusty with us of the ideals of Rotary. Knowing you to be a Rotarian, the world would therefore judge Rotary by your conduct." The two inductees namely Rotarian Mary Takyiwaa Danso and Rotarian Lambert Worlanyo Donkor would be charged with the responsibility of holding active membership of the club and also helping in catering services and media relations. As a norm in Rotary, every member is expected to perform his or her role in the club and community service. Committees of the club will allow the newly inducted Rotarians to serve. Also present at the ceremony were Assistant Governor Mawuse Nyahe (AG of Rotary club of Accra-Osu Re and member of Accra Ring Road Central Club), Assistant Governor Naana Agyemang-Mensah (Rotary Club of Accra-Airport), Assistant Governor Charles Boakye (Rotary Club of Accra-Labone). They all took turns presenting some citations and rotary pins to newly elected executives and the inductees. 22.07.2022 LISTEN Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA) Pius Enam Hadzide is hopeful Ghanas economy will emerge stronger than ever after going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial bailout. Ghana and the IMF have commenced negotiations for a bailout program to assist out of the countrys economic challenges due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7, Pius Enam Hadzide said the Fund has put underlying systems for Ghana to bounce back. With enhanced fiscal discipline and structural reforms to restore debt sustainability and growth, we should emerge stronger than we have with the previous 17 IMF programs. But it will take hard work and difficult decisions. With great pride and personal pleasure. Its a day when the neglect of many decades comes to an eventual end. Its a beginning to lay the foundations of strengthened institutions to take up the challenges of time with an able and apt workforce," he stated. On external factors of Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he believes Ghana must have in place measures since there is no end in sight to the global shocks. The major lesson of the last two years is that we have to be more self-reliant as a country. It is important that we take decisions that will inure to the benefit of the country regardless of whether we are going to the IMF for a program or not," he stated. President of the Northern Region chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr. Abdul Majeed Yakubu has charged duty bearers to view journalists as partners of development. He urges them to avoid treating journalists as riff-raff. In an interview with Nurudeen Ibrahim, a journalist in the Northern Region after visiting some state institutions, Mr. Abdul Majeed said, journalists, are critical thinkers who have perfect ideas and suggestions to fast track development. Duty bearers should stop treating journalists as riff-raff or those who don't know they're left from right, but rather take us serious, he stated. Touching on the Association two days working visit, he expressed satisfaction stating that all their engagement was refreshing and cordial. According to him, the Association has planned to train journalists in the Savannah, North East and the Greater Northern Region to help build capacities, these he believed would increase professionalism, but was quick to task media owners to also offer in-house training for their personnel. We want to ensure that, the reportage of journalists in this part of the country are balanced, accurate and fact checked before it's broadcast into the public domain, he assures. According to him, some Heads of the Institutions are unhappy about the bad reportage they receive from some journalists, which the Association will work to avert in the near future. The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu in a brief address at his office urged the Ghana Journalists Association to educate their members to always double-check their facts before broadcasting news items to the public. According to him, some journalists have damaged the reputation of several people in society. The Executives namely, Mr. Yakubu Abdul Majid, Mr. Albert Futukpor, Miss Diana Ngon and Mr. Nelson Adanuti Nyadror were sworn into office by the supervisory Judge of the Tamale High Court, His Lordship Richard Mac Kogyapwah on Friday July, 2022. Some of the Institutions they visited included the offices of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Northern Region Police Headquarters, Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Lands Commission, Road Safety Authority and the office of the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu. The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwah, has said his outfit is ever ready to contribute to a review of the Free Senior High School policy. Once education is not only for the GES and Ministry of Education, it will be played into the bigger discussion for all of us to make our contributions, he said. Prof Amankwah said the GES will start with the smaller parts of the policy and that there have been discussions on the unit cost analysis of education. We will do unit cost analysis, especially for the Free SHS, he said on Joy News' Upfront. Prof Amankwah added that: When we have done that, and we have all added our inputs into it, then we can all come back and say the total cost for educating someone in the free SHS, is this or that. He said this is necessary so that, at the end of the day, we can all agree that this is the amount that we believe that government should bear. The Free SHS policy is under scrutiny because of problems with feeding and to an extent infrastructural challenges. These issues have led some schools to consider shutting down because they struggle to feed their students. High schools have struggled with a shortage of food items because of funding and supply constraints. Though major policy restructuring is expected under the Free SHS policy, the IMF's Resident Representative to Ghana, Dr Albert Touna-Mama, indicated that the policy will not be cancelled. But Dr. Touna-Mama acknowledged concerns about the efficiency of the policy and said there need to be conversations about how to make it more sustainable. ---citinewsroom Youth in Afforestation workers under the Ministry of Land Natural Resources are threatening to strike if government fails to pay their six-month allowance by the end of July. The forestry workers are also threatening to boycott the government program dubbed: "Green Street" which is expected to be launched next week. Addressing a press conference today, Friday, 22 July 2022, in the Ashanti Region, the National President of the group, Mr Asare Clement said the government promised to pay the allowance before June but did not fulfil the promise. He said, "the youth in afforestation is going through many difficulties and hardships all because of the unpaid allowance". Mr. Asare, therefore, called on the government to pay the allowance before the ultimatum they have given else they will strike Source: Classfmonline.com 22.07.2022 LISTEN The Sales Manager who failed to account for GHS28,000 as sales in a company in Accra, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Collins Mensah, aged 30, is said to have failed to account for GHS28,000.00 from Okoampah Ernest Asare's Company Limited, dealers of mattress and plastic products, and he could not give reasons for the loss. Charged with fraudulent breach of trust, Mensah pleaded guilty to the offence. The Court, after taking Mensah's plea, gave him some time to pay back the money to the complainant before the next adjourned date. When the case was called, the court found out that Mensah had not been able to pay the money and when asked, he did not give reasons for his nonpayment of the amount. The Court presided over by Mr Sam Bright Acquah, therefore, convicted and sentenced him to three years imprisonment. The case as narrated by Inspector Daniel Danku, the Prosecutor, is that the complainant, Okoampah Ernest Asare Company Limited, deals in Ashfoam and plastic products. The company was represented by Thomas Dasitey, who is the accounts clerk of the company. The prosecution said the accused person was the sales manager of the Teshie Tsuibleoo branch of the company. Inspector Danku said on June 26,2022, Mr Dasitey on his routine stock-taking, discovered that there were inconsistencies in the records of the sales. The prosecution said Mr Dasitey questioned Mensah on the findings but did not receive any reasonable response from him. Prosecution said preliminary observation of the accounts established that about GHS 28,000.00 could not be accounted for. Inspector Danku said with the consent of the CEO of the Company, Mr Dasitey reported the matter to the police and Mensah was arrested. During investigation, the accused person admitted that he took the money out of the sales, amounting to GHS28,000.00 but could not tell what he used it for. GNA There is unlikely to be consensus on what Jose Eduardo dos Santos , Angola's former longtime president who died earlier this month in Barcelona, Spain, will represent in the memory of Angolans. While he has been credited for steering his country through a decades long civil war , his rule was marred by authoritarianism, high levels of corruption, and the securitisation of the state. Critics were not tolerated and inequality marred attempts at post-conflict reconstruction. The failure to significantly diversify the country's economy beyond its heavy reliance on oil has continued to haunt his successor, Joao Lourenco . Dos Santos was not a man known for his speeches or for intense public engagement. The most common way that he was encountered was through his face being on the country's banknotes, an ironic reminder of the wealth he seemed to personally control . Outside election cycles, Dos Santos was a withdrawn president. He stayed in his presidential homes, trusting only a small group of advisers and preferring to give verbal instructions rather than written ones. Angolans generally only saw him in the media and occasionally at official events if they were allowed to be present. His silence allowed people to project their beliefs onto him, rather than ever be sure of an insight into his own thoughts. It was precisely this distanced silence, therefore, which produced his aura of power and the cult of personality that surrounded him. Absent but omnipresent Dos Santos came to power in September 1979 at the age of 37 . He quickly came to inhabit his presidential position, side-lining many of the original prominent leaders of the governing People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( MPLA ), while installing his own people in positions of power. His understanding of the workings of state institutions, presidential power and financial flows became apparent as the MPLA found itself increasingly unable to counteract its own president, causing frictions between party and leader. Oil funds were used to ensure the viability of the MPLA's war effort against the rebel movement Unita through the purchase of weapons and food. They also became a means of disbursing patronage and favours , tying the elite to the president's whims. The fear of losing access to financial support in a country where to be poor meant having almost nothing acted as the ultimate threat for the elites. By the end of the country's civil war in 2002 , decisively won by the MPLA led by Dos Santos, the presidency had almost rendered other decision-making structures irrelevant. The new 2010 constitution further embedded presidential powers. These had been informally accumulated during the 1980s and strengthened in the 1990s. This included the elimination of the position of prime minister as head of the government . Dos Santos inspired loyalty and fear. A number of factors made this possible. These included his long stay in power (1979 to 2017) as well as the creation of a parallel security state answerable almost exclusively to him. People were wary of phones being tapped, of acquaintances working for intelligence services, and the internet being monitored. This fear created a relationship to the presidency in which it was understood as socially remote from ordinary Angolans; but seemingly omnipresent due to the belief in the office's capacity to collect information about the most banal of everyday actions and statements. These beliefs often seemed to be realised in the late days of Dos Santos's rule when activist circles were infiltrated. This led to arrests and show trials of those questioning state policies and the political system. One of the long-term legacies of his rule is a paranoid and authoritarian political system. It does little to serve the needs of the majority and centres too much power in the presidency. Attempts at opening up the political space and producing an engaged civil society were dampened if not openly crushed . Despite leading the country into its most-prolonged period of peace since 1961, when the insurrection against Portuguese colonial rule began , Dos Santos's style of rule was detrimental to the growth of a vibrant democracy. Criticism was treated as a threat. Security forces were readily used to harass critics and opposition. Oil dependence, corruption and inequality Dos Santos's economic legacy, more than his political one, attracted the most attention abroad. During his final years and his retirement in 2017, the accumulation of wealth by his family, especially his eldest child, Isabel dos Santos , generated significant criticism from Angolans and foreigners. His children's actions were viewed by many as symbolic of the broader scourge of corruption that had come to characterise Angola's political economy. This, under the pretence of building a national bourgeoisie. At the heart of Dos Santos's power and Angola's wealth stood oil. While many understood the country's continued reliance on oil during the civil war period (1975-2002), Dos Santos' inability to encourage significant diversification of the economy during the decade long post-conflict oil boom was perhaps one of his greatest failures. If poverty was already extreme for many Angolans, the failed promises of the oil boom only made the period that followed worse. With the crash of oil in 2015 , the country has experienced austerity, rising unemployment and worsening social conditions. This situation could have been alleviated if more focus had been placed on building alternatives to the oil industry. Legacy unclear Dos Santos died five years after leaving office in self-imposed exile, abandoned by his previous political allies, especially those belonging to his own generation of the anti-colonial struggle. His body is now in litigation in a Spanish court and is the subject of a close dispute between different wings of his family and the Angolan state. President Joao Lourenco decreed seven days of national mourning and insists on holding a state funeral. Dos Santos's children have accepted to bury him in Angola, but only after the 2022 election as they seek to leverage the political significance that his body symbolises. The dispute is evidence of the power Dos Santos's wielded in life and now in death. On the eve of the Angola's August 24 elections , his funeral would be a means for Lourenco to gain electoral advantage and redeem himself in the face of public criticism for the attacks carried out against Dos Santos and his children. For Lourenco and the hard-core of the MPLA, Dos Santos' body is a political asset with the potential to appease internal divisions, negotiate with his children, and calm popular dissatisfaction with Lourenco's and the party's performance since 2017 . Amid the political dispute over the body and general elections, Dos Santos's political legacy will continue to divide Angolans immensely for a long time. Claudia Gastrow has previously received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Research Council of Norway, and the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. Gilson Lazaro receives funding from the Norwegian Embassy programme for research. By Claudia Gastrow, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Johannesburg And Gilson Lazaro, Research associate, Catholic University of Angola Many Ghanaians are outraged on social media after the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Finance apologised for providing the House with inaccurate figures on Ghana's foreign reserves, which influenced the approval of the $750 million Afrexim bank loan. Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng, Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi West, explained that the act was not intentional. He claims it was an "unfortunate oversight." During today's sitting (July 22), he clarified that the Bank of Ghana's (BOG) foreign reserves fell from $9.7 billion to to $7.63 billion, rather than the $3 billion earlier reported to the House on Tuesday, July 19. "We reported that the international reserves of the Bank of Ghana had declined from US$9 billion to US$3billion. Mr Speaker, this was an error, it was an unfortunate oversight. "According to the Bank of Ghana, the Gross International Reserves of the country was US$9.70 billion at the close of December 2021. "This declined to US7.68billion at the close of June 2022," the Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee clarified. Modernghana News sighted reactions from some Ghanaians in a video shared on Twitter. Check some of the reactions: People aren't just angry just to be angry for nothing. They're angry because a tiny group of people they have voted into power to make things better than it was are not doing as expected. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Another wrote: Criminals in suits. This is a serious problem. It's obvious they planned it. It's a shame they keep lying on figures to stay relevant, another also added. Check the replies below: The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) says after a 12-year investigation, it has uncovered that road crashes are mostly caused by fatigue driving and speeding. The investigation was conducted into 19 major crashes on some highways in the country that had claimed 345 deaths. This was revealed during a meeting with transport heads of commercial transport operators on compliance audit report and presentation of road crashes investigation findings. "47 per cent of the drivers were sleeping momentarily as a result of fatigue driving, 37 per cent were involved in wrongful overtaking and faulty manoeuvres whilst speeding," the findings revealed. " 12 per cent of the crashes was due to speeding and loss of control and 4 per cent was due to road environment," the investigations revealed. Some of the memorable accidents are the Dawa accident that claimed 20 lives in 2010, the Kintampo Waterfall head-on-collision that claimed 63 lives in 2016 and Kintampo Amoma Nkwanta where two buses collided, and one got burnt, resulting 60 deaths in 2019. The Dompoase accident in 2020 claiming 34 lives, the Akumadan accident in 2021 with six deaths and Asuboi accident where a bus crashed into a fallen container claiming 11 lives amongst others were investigated. Whilst 15 out of 19 crashes (79 per cent) had occurred at night between 2000 hours and 0500 hours, 14 out of 19 crashes (74 per cent) were head-on-collision and partial side swipes. Also, 14 out of 19 (74 per cent) of the incidences occured when at-fault-drivers veered off their lane and crossed over onto the other lane led to collision. The findings also indicated that 14 out of the 38 (37 per cent) drivers involved in the 19 investigated crashes survived. It was revealed that 42 per cent of the crashes occured on the N10 highway which begins at Kumasi and travels north to Burkina Faso and 26 per cent happened on N6 highway which also starts from Accra through Nkawkaw to Kumasi. Whereas 21 per cent occured on the Takoradi-Accra section of N1 highway, 11 per cent occured on the Tema-Aflao section of the N1 highway. "79 per cent of the investigated crashes occured in the Eastern, Ashanti, Bono and Central Regions whilst the 21 per cent occured in the Savannah, Volta and Great Accra Regions," the findings revealed. The NRSA had therefore called for a national policy on night driving and a national campaign on fatigue driving, wrongful overtaking and speeding. It also demanded swift action of strictly regulating operations of the transport industry where standards and systems such as co-driving or relay driving system, speeding, driving hours, mandatory stops, journey planning, tracking system and seatbelt usage would be in place. The Authority also called for the dualisation of highways as a long-term solution with a partial dualisation as a short-term measure. GNA The Ministry of Education has rubbished claims that there is an ongoing review of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy. The flagship programme of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been implemented since 2017 in fulfillment of a promise made prior to the 2016 general elections. Speaking to Joy News in an interview, Prof. Kwabena Opoku Amankwah who is the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) indicated that the cost components of the policy are under review. we can do the analysis and then come up and say that, ok, to give Raymond quality education, it will cost this much. Within that cost, these are the items in the cost. Then we will all put it out there and say this item, we can make do of it, and it will not affect quality, this item, I think we can get parents to pay, Prof. Kwabena Opoku Amankwah shared. Reacting to that claim, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng has insisted that no review is ongoing. The Ministrys attention has been drawn to some publications making the rounds which suggest an ongoing review of the Free SHS policy by the GES. According to the story, the said review is to determine how much parents can pay so far as the policy is concerned. For purposes of clarity, the Free SHS policy is not under the purported review, a post on the Facebook page of Kwasi Kwarteng reads. 22.07.2022 LISTEN Many Ghanaians are outraged on social media after the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Finance apologised for providing the House with inaccurate figures on Ghana's foreign reserves, which influenced the approval of the $750 million Afrexim bank loan. Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng, Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi West, explained that the act was not intentional. He claims it was an "unfortunate oversight." During today's sitting (July 22), he clarified that the Bank of Ghana's (BOG) foreign reserves fell from $9.7 billion to $7.63 billion, rather than the $3 billion earlier reported to the House on Tuesday, July 19. "We reported that the international reserves of the Bank of Ghana had declined from US$9 billion to US$3billion. Mr Speaker, this was an error, it was an unfortunate oversight. "According to the Bank of Ghana, the Gross International Reserves of the country was US$9.70 billion at the close of December 2021. "This declined to US7.68billion at the close of June 2022," the Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee clarified. US-based ASX lithium developer Ioneer [ASX:INR] has signed a binding lithium offtake agreement with giant automaker Ford. Like other lithium stocks, INR has been hit hard in 2022 as the hot story of 2021 cooled this year. INR is down 35% year-to-date, although it has gained in recent weeks, up 30% in the past month. Ford has been on a deal-making spree aiming to secure critical battery tech materials for its EV push, announcing recent deals with Rio Tinto [ASX:RIO] and Liontown Resources [ASX:LTR]. Source: Tradingview.com Ioneers binding offtake with Ford Lithium-boron developer Ioneer, based in the US, has announced a binding lithium offtake with automaker Ford. Under the agreement, INR will supply Ford with lithium carbonate from its Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron project in Nevada. Ioneer will deliver 7,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate to Ford over five years, commencing from 2025. The deal represents about 35% of Ioneers planned annual output in the first five years of production at Rhyolite. The lithium company expects around 20,600 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually, as well as 174,400 tonnes boric acid during Rhyolite Ridges estimated 26-years of mine life. INRs position in the EV race INRs Executive Chairman James Calaway commented on the Ford offtake: The agreement with Ford is a significant milestone for ioneer, highlighting the mature state of the Rhyolite Ridge project development and its ideal position to serve the U.S. supply chain with domestic battery materials. Partnering with a recognised world-class automaker that exemplifies the spirit of American innovation is a testament to the quality of our lithium carbonate, and our commitment to the highest environmental standards and sustainability practices. Ioneer is expected to release its Final Investment Decision around June next year. Ford will also be expected to give final product approval by September this year. On the INR offtake, Fords senior executive Lisa Drake said: We look forward to developing this new relationship with ioneer. Helping unlock lithium in the U.S. will help us support localized production of battery cells going forward and, ultimately, support our efforts to deliver EVs for millions of customers. As the lithium-ion battery market really ramps up, vehicle manufacturers are madly securing supply chain deals. The EV market is set to expand, especially on the back of government initiatives and funding programs designed to support the production of battery metal minerals. For instance, Joe Biden has publicly campaigned the need to boost production in the US, offering loans to assist companies. And the EU is set on scrapping higher-emission vehicle sales entirely by 2035. But our energy expert Selva Freigedo says that despite global efforts to transition to EVs, the industry faces a supply crunch, and the EV battery tech materials race may be entering a new type of frenzy. Selva has recently released a comprehensive report on the EV battery tech sector. Access Selvas battery tech metals report here, for free. Regards, Kiryll Prakapenka, For Money Morning On Thursday, ASX graphite producer Syrah Resources [ASX:SYR] released its June Quarter results. Then on Friday, Syrah followed up with a memorandum of understanding between it and giant automaker Ford and SK On. Ford has embarked on a deal-making spree to shore up critical metals for its EV push, announcing recent deals with the likes of Rio Tinto [ASX:RIO] and Liontown Resources [ASX:LTR]. And on Friday, Ford also entered a binding lithium offtake agreement with lithium developer Ioneer for lithium carbonate at INRs Nevada lithium-boron project. SYR shares have struggled recently, down 25% year-to-date: www.TradingView.com Syrahs MOU With Ford The company announced it has entered a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Ford Motor Company and SK On Ltd for an offtake of natural graphite active anode material (AAM) this morning. The three companies have entered the MoU to evaluate a strategic arrangement, including the supply of natural graphite to BlueOval Fords joint venture with SK On via SYRs vertically integrated AAM facility in Louisiana. BlueOval aims to supply lithium-ion batteries for Fords EVs. Syrah said that under the MoU, Ford and SK On will test and qualify Syrahs active anode material and aim to finalise a binding offtake agreement by the end of the year. If a binding deal is reached, an offtake commencement date is expected to be no later than 2028. Developments at Syrahs Vidalia graphite project continue with construction planned for completion by next year. Syrah is developing Vidalia as a vertically integrated natural graphite AAM supply alternative for USA battery supply chains with construction of a 11.25ktpa AAM facility expected to be completed in the June 2023 quarter and start of production targeted in the September 2023 quarter. Ways to play the great EV battery race The EV market is set to reach unprecedented highs by 2030, with 26.8-million-units expected in sales by then. Governments have been making moves to increase their nations production to boot, funding programs which support battery metal mineral production for their respective economies. Joe Biden is publicly campaigning battery metal production ramp-ups in the US, offering loans to assist companies in making production headway. The EU has set targets to scrap higher-emission vehicle sales by 2035, and Australia has been tailing China, determined to shake the countrys monopoly on the market. But our energy expert Selva Freigedo says that lithium-ion battery mineral supplies face an impending crunch. She has found three metals at the forefront as global shortages could be set to push prices even higher. Find out more about Three Ways to Play the Great EV Battery Race here. July 22, 2022 U.S. Attempts To Make China An Enemy Require A Lot Of Fantasy The U.S. weapon industry needs U.S. enemies. Without those it is hard to justify an ever growing war budget. The most lucrative enemy, besides Russia, is of course China. But there is a problem. China has no interest in being a U.S. enemy and certainly not in being THE enemy. In its view that only takes away resources that are better used elsewhere. That is the reason why China avoids talks with the U.S. about military and strategic issues. CIA columnist David Ignatius thus laments: China wants to reduce misunderstanding with the U.S. It could start by talking. ASPEN, Colo. Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang assured a foreign policy gathering here this week that Beijing wants to reduce misunderstanding and miscalculation with the United States. If thats true, why does China continue to resist a U.S. proposal to discuss strategic stability between the two increasingly competitive countries? What have talks about 'strategic stability' to do with reducing misunderstanding and miscalculation? The later can be achieved in very simple low level talks between ambassadors or politicians. There is nothing 'strategic' needed about them. President Biden said on Wednesday, before his covid-19 diagnosis was announced, that he expects to talk with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the next 10 days, and a senior administration official said the presidents agenda will include a renewed emphasis on the risks in the relationship, and the need to establish better communications. But, so far, the official said of the Chinese, they havent taken us up on a U.S. proposal for the stability talks. The Chinese do not see and do not want instability so there is no need to talk about it. What they sees is a U.S. trick that would make it possible to designate China as an 'enemy'. Ignatius' next paragraph demonstrates that: This difficulty in developing a Sino-U.S. dialogue about strategic issues has frustrated the Biden administration. An important lesson of the Cold War was that nuclear-armed superpowers must communicate to avoid dangerous mistakes. But China has resisted arms-control talks even as it expands its nuclear arsenal, and as a result, it hasnt learned a common language for crisis management in the way the Soviet Union did. China is not in a Cold war with the U.S. It does not see itself as a U.S. enemy. There is no reason then to talk in Cold war language: Biden first proposed the talks in a virtual summit with Xi last November, saying the two countries needed common-sense guardrails to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict, according to a White House statement at the time. Items on the agenda for such talks would include expansion of a 1998 agreement for avoiding maritime incidents, measures to avert dangerous military activities, and plans for a hotline and other crisis communication measures, the administration official said. If there were more agreements over incidents and military activities would the U.S. be more or less aggressive in its action against China? Why does the U.S. want a hotline and crisis communication? Would they not help the U.S. in provoking more incidents than it dares to do without them? Rather than embracing what former Australian prime minister and China scholar Kevin Rudd calls managed strategic competition in a new Foreign Affairs article, Beijing insists the United States should return to its old policies of supportive engagement, which facilitated Chinas rise. Like nearly every other Chinese diplomat Ive encountered over the past decade, Qin often repeated the phrase win-win cooperation, which China sees as a cure-all for its increasingly testy relationship with Washington. What is bad with a 'win-win cooperation'? Why replace that with 'strategic competition'? China wants to have it both ways as a superpower: flexing its muscles without being seen as a bully. Xi has been explicit in his Made in China 2025 plans for dominance of major technologies. But China has difficulty in recognizing the relationship [with the United States] as competitive, the senior administration official said. Instead, it responds to criticism from the U.S. and Asian regional powers with a wounded tone, as though to say, Who, us? Lots of countries have lots of plans to have dominance in major technologies. The Netherlands (and German) have such a dominance in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, needed to make modern computer chips, as well as in several other fields. Other countries, France, South Korea, Japan, Russia, the U.S., have other industry sectors in which they are globally dominant. That is just the normal way of global capitalism in which countries seek to do their best not in all fields but in those in which they are better. Framing a strong and sustainable U.S.-China policy remains the Biden administrations biggest long-term challenge, despite the current preoccupation with the war in Ukraine. Beijing is the only competitor that could genuinely challenge the United States militarily, officials believe. But Ukraine has complicated U.S.-China policy for both sides. Now we come to the point. How please could China genuinely challenge the United States militarily? By invading Mexico and Canada or with a big landing force that threatens Los Angeles and New York? Why would China want do that? Xi was surprised that the Biden administration, which the Chinese expected would be weak and ineffective abroad, has been able to rally global support for Ukraine. But despite Xis wariness of incurring sanctions, he remains firmly aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the senior administration official said. Hopes that the war might encourage a break between Beijing and Moscow were misplaced. Ignatius has forgotten to take his meds. The 'global support' is the NATO, EU and the 5-eyes spying cooperation. Those are some 34 countries out of the 193 UN member states. Why did anyone expect that China would not take the neutral stand that the majority has taken? Those who did should be send back to school to learn a bit about rationality. Enough with that blubber. Ignatius, like many other people in the Washington DC bubble, does not understand China and makes no effort to learn about it. These people just mirror what they think the U.S. would do and project that on a country that thinks in very different terms. Another example of these 'thinkers' is Elbridge Colby: Elbridge Colbys The Strategy of Denial offers a blueprint for containing and combating Chinas rise in order to preserve American freedom, prosperity, and securityemphasis on security. The argument turns on a very specific vision of Chinas plans, which Colby does not attempt to link to actual Chinese policy or strategy for achieving hegemony in East Asia. The resulting prescriptions, although theyve been lauded by some, are fatally flawed. Colby, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development from 2017 to 2018, believes that China could pursue a focused and sequential strategy of threatened or executed wars against isolated coalition members, starting with Taiwan. He fears Beijing would do this in such a way that does not trigger a regional war but culminates in Chinese hegemony in Asia. To prevent this, Colby believes the United States must pursue a strategy of denial to preserve U.S. dominance in Asia. The problem is that there is no evidence that there is an actual 'Chinese policy or strategy for achieving hegemony in East Asia'. Colby provides no sources that claim such. He made up the 'threat' because he things that is what the U.S. would do if it were China. The most glaring flaw is that Colby works off what he thinks Chinas strategy should be, not the evidence about what it actually is. This is a particularly bad approach to analysis, because it makes mirroring or speculation easier to smuggle into predictions of adversary behavior. A good defense strategy requires an understanding of how the expected adversary plans to fight. Yet he does not engage with Chinese military doctrine, Chinese strategic thought, or the robust debate in the United States about Chinese strategy and ambitions. Instead, he argues that because of uncertainty about Chinas strategy, the United States should simply focus on Chinas best strategy for winning Asia. In Colbys words, a states best strategy does not ultimately depend on what the states leaders think it is because it relates to objective reality. In consequence of his 'garbage in' process Colby's output is likewise garbage. Building a response according to an adversarys best strategy also makes you much more likely to miss what that adversary is actually doing. Colby defends his approach of strategizing based on Chinas best strategy by claiming that Defeating a bad strategy is easier and less costly than defeating a good one. Therefore, if the United States prepares for Chinas best strategy, any real Chinese strategy should be even easier to handle. In reality, the defense posture and investments needed to defeat an adversarys best strategy might be significantly different from those needed to defeat an adversarys second-best strategy. Colby's book is not about strategy but about spending as much money on a U.S. position of aggression towards China as possible: Colby proposes that an American-led coalition impose a strategy of denial on China, blocking Chinas ability to traverse the 80 miles of the Taiwan Strait. How to put the bell on the cat? Defending forces operating from a distributed, resilient force posture and across all the war-fighting domains might use a variety of methods to blunt the Chinese invasion in the air and seas surrounding Taiwan. The US and its allies might seek to disable or destroy Chinese transport ships and aircraft before they left Chinese ports or airstrips. The defenders might also try to obstruct key ports; neutralize key elements of Chinese command and control And once Chinese forces entered the Strait, US and defending forces could use a variety of methods to disable or destroy Chinese transport ships and aircraft. Colby leaves what means we might employ here to the imagination. Like the first reviewer of Colby's book this one also criticizes his factless starting position: It isnt so much that Colby gives the wrong answers. He fails to ask pertinent questions about Chinese intent and technological capability. Instead, he gives us a pastiche of generalities that obscure rather than clarify the strategic issues at hand. In brief, Colby depicts China as an expansionist power eager to absorb territory, citing alleged Chinese designs on the Philippines and Taiwan on a half-dozen occasions as if Chinas interest in the Philippines were equivalent to its interest in Taiwan. Garbage input producing garbage output topped with militaristic fantasies do not create a good strategy. The problem is that in the next republican administration Colby will likely have another high Pentagon position. That makes such dumb thinking a danger for the world. Posted by b on July 22, 2022 at 15:59 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page RTHK: Ukraine and Russia sign grain deal Kyiv and Moscow on Friday penned a landmark agreement with Turkey and the United Nations Friday to unblock Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports after a Russian blockade raised fears of a global food crisis. In their first major deal after nearly five months of fighting, Russian and Ukrainian delegations signed individual agreements with Ankara and the UN in the wake of several rounds of laborious negotiations. Ukraine had warned ahead of the signing that any Russian "provocations" around its encircled Black Sea ports would be met with a swift military response and refused to pen the same papers as Moscow. "Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea -- a beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at the signing ceremony in the lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait. The deal agreed through UN and Turkish mediation establishes safe corridors along which Ukrainian ships can come in and out of three designated Black Sea ports in and around Odessa. And both sides also pledged not to attack ships on the way in or out. "It will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine," Guterres said. The five-month war, which has displaced millions and left thousands dead, is being fought across one of Europe's most fertile regions by two of the world's biggest grain producers. Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault. "Today's Istanbul agreement is a step in the right direction. We call for its swift implementation," tweeted the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- a key player in the negotiations who has good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv -- said he hoped the deal would "hopefully revive the path to peace". UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss congratulated Turkey and UN for brokering the deal but cautioned "we will be watching to ensure Russia's actions match its words". Earlier, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak explained the two sides would sign "mirror" agreements. "We sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN and undertake obligations to them. Russia signs a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN," he said on social media. He warned that Russian breaches of the deal and incursions around Ukraine's ports would be met with "an immediate military response". Diplomats expect grain to start fully flowing for the first time since Russia's invasion of its Western-backed neighbour by the middle of August. Still, news of the deal earlier drew scepticism from Ukrainian farmers under pressure in the war-battered south where storage facilities are rapidly filling and local prices for grain tanking. "It gives some hope but you can't believe what the Russians say," said Mykola Zaverukha, a farmer with some 13,000 tonnes of grain waiting for export. "Russia is unreliable, they have shown themselves to be year after year," he told AFP in the southern Mykolaiv region. The Kremlin said earlier it was hoped the parties would arrive at an understanding. "It is very important to unblock supplies of fertilisers, foodstuffs and grain to the world markets," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday morning. US State Department spokesman Ned Price welcomed news of the deal on Thursday but said "we should never have been in this position in the first place," and accused Russia of "weaponising" food. The landmark signing in Istanbul however brought little relief across Ukraine's sprawling frontline and Russian forces were pursuing a relentless shelling campaign in the eastern Donetsk region. The presidency said five people had been killed and twice as many injured in Russian attacks on the industrial region -- the centre of recent fighting -- the previous day. In the Donetsk village of Chasiv Yar, which was hit by a strike on July 10 that killed more than 45 people, a 64-year-old woman gathered apricots near the wreckage. "There is nothing anymore. The officials have left. We have to fend for ourselves to stay alive," said Lyudmila, who only gave her first name. In the south, Ukraine said Russian forces were shelling villages along the frontline in the Kherson area, where Kyiv's army is trying to claw back Moscow-occupied territory. The parties were convening in Istanbul one day after Russia's restart of the Nord Stream gas pipeline eased concerns in Europe of a permanent shut off after 10 days of repairs. Yet even the resumption of 40 percent of supplies would be insufficient to ward off energy shortages in Europe this winter, experts warned. The military toll on both sides has remained speculative at best since Russia invaded on February 24. Some 15,000 Russians have died in the invasion, US and British spy chiefs said, as they assessed that President Vladimir Putin was suffering far greater losses than expected. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-07-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. As China has struggled in the last 18 months, Indian equities have been on a winning run. But more recently they've come back to Earth. The two emerging superpowers are often pitted against each other in the battle for investor capital, although both are likely to be dominant economies in the next decade and beyond. In reality, Emerging Market investors in funds that mimic the benchmark are likely to have a bit of both, with a heavier weighting towards China. Still, specialist China and India funds are popular with investors keen to direct more direct exposure. Weve recently featured some potential reasons for buying back into China, from its undervalued tech stocks to its role as a hedge against a US recession. Now lets turn to the arguments in favour of India in its great rivalry with China, from the lens of an India investing expert. India Has Outperformed 2021 was a standout year for Morningstar India with a total return of 30%. Over 10 years the index has posted trailing annualised returns of 10%, over five years this has been 7.43%, and over three years, 10.71%. While Morningstar China had a strong 2020 as it was first out of the blocks during the pandemic (rising 31% before losing 21.1% in 2021) over 10 years the index has posted annualised returns of 5.67%, 1.58% over five years and -1.15% over three years. While India has outperformed over these periods, a look at the individual years performance is not clear cut: investors wanting a "when China underperforms, India outperforms" headline may be disappointed. India had great years in 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2020, while China did well in 2012, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Professional EM managers often reallocate capital to better performing countries, but for private investors this is expensive and an attempt to time the markets. Who could have predicted that China, the source of the Covid outbreak in 2020, would be the best performing global stock market that year? Government influence is weaker than you think Compared with China and Russia, India is a country where the government has a relatively small stake in commerce, points out Ayush Abhijeet, associate director of investments at White Oak Capital, and adviser to the Ashoka India Equity Investment Trust. In emerging markets, the battle between the state and the private sector is often not a level playing field, but Western companies like Vodafone have successfully sued the government and won. "Key to the rule of law is property rights and the enforceability of property rights," he adds. Security experts in the U.S. and the U.K. have recently stepped up warnings about Chinese espionage, both government and corporate. Chinas effective overnight nationalisation of online education firms, following on from high-level intervention in the Ant Financial IPO, have alarmed some foreign investors. Chinas manufacturing edge may be waning Abhijeet says India essentially skipped one of the key stages of industrial development, moving forward in a quantum leap from agrarian to urban service economy. In that period, China became the factory of the world. As a result, India is retracing its steps to build up its manufacturing capabilities, for example in generic pharmaceuticals. In parallel, Chinese labour costs have soared and Abhijeet estimates these as four times the price of labour in India. The south Asian country is "doing it better, faster, cheaper" than China, he says. Coupled with Indias strong tradition of IP protection, this is a compelling argument for companies wanting to "rebuild" their supply chains by diversifying them, Abhijeet says. India isnt a one-sector market Many EM markets have strong sector bias, which can work in their favour (and vice versa) when global trends are supportive. For instance, technology was one of the big winners during lockdown, and Chinas Tencent and Alibaba rode the wave of that rebound. Recently, oil producing countries have put 2020 behind them and posted strong gains: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are among the rare stock markets in positive territory this year. Financial companies have a heavy weight in Indias benchmark because of HDFC, ICICI, Bajaj, but information technology, energy, consumer staples, healthcare are also well represented. As such, "India has a very heterogenous set of investable opportunities," Abhijeet says. The Fourth of July has come and gone, but Bill Martin is an old-fashioned patriot with abiding love for God and country. In fact, hed like his legacy to be two-fold: I tried to live by the Boy Scout Law and as a common man. He was shaped by a two-generation family in San Antonio. His father served in the Texas Cavalry during World War I and in France during World War II. His two-step brothers served in World War II as well. A Boy Scout, Bill worked as his fathers apprentice in his cabinet shop and at his pharmacy before attending what was then Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. Fast forward to today where he works as a relief bailiff at the Midland County Courthouse after two lengthy, disparate careers. His servant heart has affected everything he does. Originally, with his degree in industrial arts, he went to work for Dover Elevators in San Antonio, taught scuba diving and was Scoutmaster for Troop 10. In 1977, he was transferred to Midland and became Dover Bill, a one-person office. In 1979, Bill undertook paramedic training to hedge his bets against unemployment. After 32 years with Dover, he retired, attended the peace officer academy, and spent 11 years as a tactical paramedic on Midland Countys SWAT team. Bill served in the Coast Guard Reserves, where his group was responsible for port security, law enforcement, firefighting and small boating safety. His active duty was two weeks at Lake Amistad. Summer vacations took him to Galveston, where he berthed aboard the restored bark Elissa, a tall ship docked there and maintained in sailing condition by people like him, an all-volunteer crew. New hobbies consumed his extra time, such as participating with the Greenwood Fire Department, as ground team leader for the Civil Air Patrol, medical team leader for Rock the Desert and as an in-demand wooden cross and Christmas ornament carver. Bill bought a spacious workshop which came with a house, storage building and guest cottage. That allowed him to move most of his fathers woodworking tools and saws to Midland. His previous projects had consisted of cedar-lined hope chests for a few friends. A swinging baby cradle followed until the pastor at St. Lukes United Methodist Church asked him to carve small crosses for their annual confirmands. This was followed by a request from someone in The Parables Sunday School Class to craft a unique piece for its annual ornament exchange Bill says that as soon as one Christmas party ends, hes already thinking about the ornament design for the next year. I might work on it in the back of my head for six months, and sometimes it [the execution] works, and sometimes it doesnt, he admits. Primarily using a wood lathe, (a table saw, drill press, and thickness planer also help), Bill turns out stunning pieces of about 3-6 inches in height. Various types of wood are inlaid for contrast and beauty. Hes recently added a small light to some, and no two ornaments are identical for his fellow class members. Its a sought-after item at each years Christmas party because several members still dont have one. Bills love for his church commenced the first week he was in town and has grown over 45 years. Hes often a substitute Sunday School teacher, and has researched and presented a wide variety of thought-provoking lessons for The Parables. Some topics have been Islam and other books not included in the Bible. He credits former class teachers, the late Dr. Sam Macferran and Bob Easter, with helping him think about the Bible analytically rather than just emotionally. Reflecting upon his formal careers, volunteer service to others and exceptional woodworking talents, Bill explains that he had more time to devote because, I wasnt blessed with a wife and kids. He describes himself by quoting Johnny Cash, Im a flag waving, patriotic nephew of my Uncle Sam. Keeping Good Co. Facebook page Midland resident Brandy Bell will be featured in a new television program titled "Keeping Good Co." The show is based on a small farm in Midland and highlights West Texas and the importance of community in the area, according to a series press release. Keeping Good Co. Facebook page Each episode is set to feature a "mix" of acts of kindness and inspirational stories from across the region while sharing craft ideas, travel clips, gardening, cooking and baking tips and more, the release states. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP UVALDE, Texas (AP) Uvalde school officials on Friday canceled a meeting to decide the future of embattled district Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who was facing the possibility of becoming the first officer to be fired over the slow law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School massacre. Arredondo's job was set to be discussed in an abruptly called school board meeting that was scheduled for Saturday. But in a statement Friday, the district said it had canceled the meeting at the request of Arredondo's attorney and because of due process requirements. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea has warned that the United States and South Korea will face unprecedented security challenges if they dont stop their hostile military pressure campaign against the North, including joint military drills. North Korea views any regular U.S.-South Korean military training as an invasion rehearsal even though the allies have steadfastly said they have no intention of attacking the North. The latest warning came as Washington and Seoul prepare to expand their upcoming summertime training following the Norths provocative run of missile tests this year. Should the U.S. and its allies opt for military confrontation with us, they would be faced with unprecedented instability security-wise, Choe Jin, deputy director general of the Institute of Disarmament and Peace, a Foreign Ministry-run think tank, told Associated Press Television News in Pyongyang on Thursday. Choe said that Washington and Seouls joint military drills this year are driving the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war. He accused U.S. and South Korean officials of plotting to discuss the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic assets during another joint drill set to begin next month. The U.S. should keep in mind that it will be treated on a footing of equality when it threatens us with nukes, Choe said. He said Washington must abandon its anachronistic and suicidal policy of hostility toward North Korea or it will face an undesirable consequence. The regular U.S.-South Korea military drills are a major source of animosity on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea often responding with missile tests or warlike rhetoric. In May, U.S. President Joe Biden and new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said after their summit that they would consider expanded joint military exercises to deter North Korean nuclear threats. Biden also reaffirmed the American extended deterrence commitment to South Korea, a reference to a full range of U.S. defense capabilities including nuclear ones. Their announcement reflected a change in direction from that of their predecessors. Former U.S. President Donald Trump complained about the cost of the U.S.-South Korean military drills, while former South Korean President Moon Jae-in faced criticism that his dovish engagement policy only helped North Korea buy time to perfect its weapons technology. Yoon accused Moon of tilting toward North Korea and away from the United States. The U.S. and South Korean militaries havent officially announced details about their summertime drills including exactly when they would start. But South Korean defense officials said the drills would involve field training for the first time since 2018 along with the existing computer-simulated tabletop exercises. In recent years, the South Korean and U.S. militaries have cancelled or downsized some of their regular exercises due to concerns about COVID-19 and to support now-stalled U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear program in return for economic and political benefits. The United States has called on North Korea to resume the dormant diplomacy without any preconditions, but North Korea has countered it wont return to talks unless the United States first drops its hostile policies against it, in an apparent reference to its military drills with South Korea and the economic sanctions. This year, North Korea has test-launched a slew of ballistic missiles including nuclear-capable ones designed to attack both the U.S. mainland and South Korea in violation of U.N. resolutions banning such tests. Observers say North Korea wants to be recognized as a nuclear state and win sanctions relief. Choe repeated North Korea's previous position that its missile tests are legitimate exercises of its sovereign right to defend the country. He called the recent U.S. and South Korean missile tests double-standards. North Korea hasnt yet conducted its widely expected nuclear test, which would be the first of its kind in five years. Seoul officials say an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and opposition from China, its most important ally and biggest aid provider, are likely the reasons why North Korea hasnt carried out the bomb test. On Friday, Yoon told reporters that North Korea remains ready to conduct a nuclear test and that South Korea also has measures ready to cope with it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korea plans to lift its decadeslong ban on public access to North Korean television, newspapers and other publications as part of its efforts to promote mutual understanding between the rivals, officials said Friday, despite animosities over the North's recent missile tests. Divided along the worlds most heavily fortified border since 1948, the two Koreas prohibit their citizens from visiting each others territory and exchanging phone calls, emails and letters, and they block access to each others websites and TV stations. In a policy report to new President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, South Koreas Unification Ministry said it will gradually open the door for North Korean broadcasts, media and publications to try to boost mutual understanding, restore the Korean national identity and prepare for a future unification. Ministry officials said South Korea will start by allowing access to North Korean broadcasts to try to encourage North Korea to take similar steps. The ministry refused to provide further details, saying the plans are still being discussed with relevant authorities in South Korea. Jeon Young-sun, a research professor at Seouls Konkuk University, said North Korea is unlikely to reciprocate because the flow of South Korean cultural and media content would pose a really huge threat to its authoritarian leadership. Ruled by three generations of the Kim family since its 1948 foundation, North Korea strictly restricts its citizens access to outside information, though many defectors have said they watched smuggled South Korean TV programs while living in the North. In 2014, North Korean troops opened fire when South Korean activists launched balloons carrying USB sticks containing information about the outside world and leaflets critical of the Kim family toward North Korean territory. Relations between the two Koreas remain strained over North Koreas torrid run of missile tests this year. Yoon, a conservative, has said he would take a tougher stance on North Korean provocations, though he said he has an audacious plan to improve the North's economy if it abandons its nuclear weapons. Despite the Norths likely reluctance to reciprocate, Jeon said South Korea needs to ease its ban on North Korean media because the restrictions have led to dependence on foreigners and other governments to gather North Korea-related information. Jeon said that has increased the danger of acquiring distorted information on North Korea. It wasnt clear how anti-North Korea activists in the South would react to the government's move. Jeon said there was little chance the move would promote pro-North Korean sentiments. South Korea, the worlds 10th-largest economy, is a global cultural powerhouse. Its nominal gross domestic product in 2019 was 54 times bigger than that of North Korea, according to South Korean estimates. Some observers say the ban must be lifted in a step-by-step process with discussions on what North Korean contents would be allowed first and how the access should be given to the South Korean public. While South Korean authorities block access to North Korean government websites and other media, they rarely crack down on experts, journalists and others using virtual private networks or proxy servers to access them. A large number of North Korean movies, songs and other contents are also available on YouTube, which is accessible in South Korea. TIRANA, Albania (AP) Iranian dissidents in Albania on Friday said they had canceled a summit following warnings from local authorities of a possible terrorist threat. Some 3,000 Iranian dissidents from the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, best known as MEK, live at Ashraf 3 camp in Manez, 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Albanias capital, Tirana. They had planned to hold at their camp the Free Iran World Summit July 23-24 with the participation of U.S. senators and congressmen and other former personalities from Western countries to call on the Biden administration to adopt a decisive policy against the Tehran regime. A statement from the camp said the summit was postponed until further notice upon recommendations by the Albanian government, for security reasons, and due to terrorist threats and conspiracies. Albanian authorities did not respond to questions on the threat. The U.S. Embassy in Tirana warned its citizens that it was aware of a potential threat targeting the Free Iran World Summit calling on its citizens to avoid this event. Shahin Gobadi, the Iranians' spokesman based in Paris, also mentioned the plot to bomb the grand gathering of Free Iran on June 30, 2018, in Paris by one of its active diplomats, Assadollah Assadi. Last year Assadi was convicted to 20 years in prison in Belgium of masterminding a thwarted bomb attack against the MEK exiled Iranian opposition group in France. The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq began as a Marxist group opposing the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It supported the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but soon had a falling out with Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and turned against his clerical government, carrying out a series of assassinations and bombings in the Islamic Republic. The MEK later fled into Iraq and backed dictator Saddam Hussein during his bloody eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s, leading many people in Iran to oppose the group. Although now largely based in Albania, the group claims to operate a network inside Iran. Australian Radio Body Fills New Head of Research Role John Musgrove, currently Head of Insights and Research at broadcaster Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has been appointed in the new role of Head of Research for industry body Commercial Radio Australia. Musgrove has headed up research at SCA for eighteen years, prior to which he worked in research at Nielsen Media and in radio sales and general management at local station groups in Brisbane and Adelaide. In his new role he will oversee the development and delivery of industry-wide radio and audio research and monitoring programs, including the new GFK Radio 360 measurement program, and the new research initiative underway with Amplified Intelligence. He reports directly to CRA CEO Ford Ennals, who comments: 'Listener research and insights are at the heart of the commercial radio and audio business and it's a brilliant coup to have attracted someone with John's stature and experience to the role. John is hugely well respected and liked across the radio industry for his breadth of research experience and knowledge and I know that this appointment will be welcomed by the research and sales team of all the radio groups'. Musgrove will start in the role on August 8th, and will continue to provide some consulting services for SCA. Web site: www.commercialradio.com.au . This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MASKWACIS, Alberta (AP) To this day, Flo Buffalo doesnt drink milk not since two nuns force-fed her the sour milk she had refused at the Catholic-run Ermineskin Indian Residential School for Indigenous children that she attended in the 1960s. Holding out her right hand, she showed how she has never been able to fully straighten it out since a nun severely beat her with a stick. The nuns, they were real mean, Buffalo said. With international attention focusing on the former school in the prairie town of Maskwacis as Pope Francis visits Monday to apologize for abuses in a system designed to sever Native children from their tribal, family and religious bonds, Indigenous Canadians such as Buffalo are voicing a range of skepticism, wariness and hope. Buffalo, a member of the Samson Cree First Nation in central Alberta, doesnt often talk about her two years at the school. But ahead of the pontiff's visit, she sat down to relate her experiences to Associated Press journalists and a small group of teen girls who are learning about the traumatic legacy of the schools. Speaking in the council chambers of the Montana First Nation, a neighboring Cree tribe where she now works, Buffalo recalled that the nuns, who were white, beat the girls when they spoke in their native Cree instead of English. At the same time, Buffalo, 67, said she often defied the nuns. I scared the hell out of them, because I wouldn't put up with their ... she said, completing the sentence with a mischievous chuckle. Buffalo still considers herself Catholic. But she's not going to attend Monday's event with Francis she doesn't want to deal with the crowds, and the ones she holds responsible are the nuns who abused her and never offered an apology while they were alive. It shouldnt be him apologizing, Buffalo said. It should be them. When Mavis Moberly heard the pope was coming, the news triggered some of the trauma she carries from her years at a residential school in northern Alberta. But after tears, prayers and a traditional smudging ceremony, a purification rite with scented plants, she found herself looking forward to hearing the pope's apology. Maybe its going to help me to heal and to have a little bit more inner peace," she said after last Sunday's Mass at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, a Catholic parish in Edmonton oriented to Indigenous people and culture. The papal apology is years, if not generations, in the making. From the 19th century into much of the 20th, Canada's government collaborated with Catholic and Protestant churches to run residential schools in an education system in name only, designed to weaken tribal identities and Indigenous resistance to land grabs, according to a 2015 report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It identified 139 schools, the majority Catholic-run, where about 150,000 students were sent. Children were abused, physically and sexually, the report said, adding that schools were unsanitary and unsafe facilities where thousands of children died of disease, fire and other causes. For decades, various Catholic and Protestant church groups have offered apologies, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 expressed his personal anguish. But the painful history took on new urgency last year when surveys of former schools with ground-penetrating radar found evidence of hundreds of unmarked graves. Pope Francis met with a Canadian Indigenous delegation this spring and apologized for the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church involved with the schools. He also heeded survivors' calls to make an apology on Canadian soil, leading to Monday's event where thousands of attendees are expected. Today, the Ermineskin residential school has largely been torn down. In its place stands a newer set of school buildings, run by four Cree nations in and around Maskwacis. A large tipi in front of the secondary school demonstrates how educators are promoting pride in the once-suppressed Indigenous culture. Rose Pipestem, a member of the Montana First Nation who is also a survivor of the Ermineskin school, said she will try to see the pope. But like Buffalo, she believes the perpetrators should have apologized. Im going to go see him," she said, sitting in the council chambers near a line of photos of past Montana chiefs. "Im not mad at him. Pipestem doesnt have conscious memories of abuse at the school, where she lived from age 3 after her mother died. But a classmate told her years later that a nun had beaten her until she bled because she wasnt doing her work on the blackboard fast enough. It just shocked me, she said through tears. Pipestem did not file a claim for compensation because she cant recall the incident. But she knows there was abuse at the school. Im always grateful Im still around, she said. I think it kind of made me stronger. She reached a point where I didnt believe in the Catholic religion. Why did they allow all these things to happen? Other survivors have found spiritual solace in Catholicism. On Sunday, worshipers crowded into Sacred Heart for the rededication of the sanctuary after a fire. The newly restored space features large wooden beams in the shape of a tipi over the altar and evocative images of Jesus and his followers portrayed with Indigenous features. Drummers accompanied a procession into the church, followed by a multicultural mix of musical styles and a liturgy in English and Cree. This church has been a part of my healing journey, said Moberly, who has been attending for many years. She said that as a young adult, still traumatized by her school experiences, she rejected the Catholic faith for a time, turned to drinking and made poor choices. But when she became a grandmother, she resolved to change her ways and set a strong example for others. It wasnt an easy task, she said. There was many tears. Church elder Fernie Marty, 73, said Francis' visit will not only bring reconciliation but encourage what he calls reconcili-action. We all play a part in making sure that those kinds of atrocities never happen again on Canadian soil, Marty said. Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith said the pope's visit sends a message not only with words but with action, since he's coming to Canada even as he has canceled other trips due to health problems. This is showing ... how important it is for him to demonstrate personally his personal closeness to the Indigenous peoples, Smith said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A federal judge on Friday sided with two former Minneapolis police officers who were convicted of violating George Floyd's civil rights, ruling that the guidelines for their sentences will be calculated in a way that could mean substantially less prison time for them. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson handed J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao a victory when he ruled that the complex formulas for calculating their sentences will use the crime of involuntary manslaughter, rather than murder, as a starting point. Magnuson will sentence the men in back-to-back hearings Wednesday. Kueng, Thao and their colleague, Thomas Lane, were convicted in February of violating Floyds rights by depriving him of medical care as the 46-year-old Black man was pinned under then-Officer Derek Chauvins knee for 9 minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he couldnt breathe. Kueng and Thao were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin in the killing, which was recorded on video by a bystander and sparked worldwide protests as part of a reckoning over racial injustice. While Chauvin pinned down Floyds neck, Kueng held Floyds back, Lane held his feet and Thao kept bystanders back. Chauvin, who pleaded guilty to one count of violating Floyds rights, got a federal sentence of 21 years. Lane was sentenced Thursday to 2 . Prosecutors have requested that Magnuson sentence Keung and Thao to less time than Chauvin, but substantially" more than Lane. They have not made specific recommendations. Thaos attorney is asking his client be sentenced to two years in prison, while Kuengs attorney has filed his request under seal. A hearing was held Friday to address the complex formulas used to calculate a persons offense level, which then is used to set a guideline range for sentencing that federal judges are not bound to follow but typically do. All four former officers were convicted of federal civil rights violations, which carry their own offense level, but their crimes are cross-referenced with another offense in this case murder or involuntary manslaughter which creates the baseline for calculating a guideline sentence. Different elements are then added or subtracted to come up with a final sentencing range. Over prosecutors' objections, Magnuson ruled that involuntary manslaughter should be used as a starting point for Kueng and Thao. The facts of this case do not amount to second-degree murder under federal law, Magnuson wrote. Defendants Kueng and Thao each made a tragic misdiagnosis in their assessment of Mr. Floyd." He added that both men genuinely thought Floyd was suffering from a drug overdose and excited delirium a disputed condition in which someone is said to have extraordinary strength. The result of Magnuson's ruling means that the starting point for calculating the men's sentence will be much lower with a range starting as low as 2 1/4 years in prison, compared with a range starting at 19 1/2 years if the offense were to be cross-referenced with murder, according to a table of U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines. But the calculations don't stop there. Magnuson also ruled that this baseline level should be increased because the officers acted under color of law," bringing the guideline range to somewhere between 4 1/4 years to 5 1/4 years in prison. Still, that also might not be the final landing point, as Magnuson is expected to rule on other factors that could impact the formula next week. Kueng, who is Black, and Thao, who is Hmong American, remain free on bond pending their sentencing. They are also charged with state counts of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. They have turned down plea deals in that case and are scheduled to stand trial on those charges on Oct. 24. Lane, who is white, pleaded guilty to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and is still awaiting sentencing in that case. He was allowed to remain free on bond after his federal sentencing, but must report to a yet-to-be-determined federal prison in October. Chauvin, who is white, was also convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in state court and is serving a 22 1/2-year state sentence. His federal and state sentences are being served simultaneously. Online records show he's still at the state's maximum security prison, but he's expected to be moved into federal custody. ___ Find APs full coverage of the killing of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd Heat-ing up: Michael Mann writes sequel-prequel Heat 2 View Photo NEW YORK (AP) Decades after the release of Michael Manns Heat, the classic crime thriller has endured in the minds of fans, critics, peers and the director himself. He had so much left to say. Theres always the sense of being shortchanged, Mann said during a Zoom interview from his apartment in Modena, Italy, where he is currently working on Ferrari, starring Adam Driver as the race car driver-auto magnate. I love doing the research and building these characters out very, very completely, and rooting the actor into a whole life. The movie is a splinter, its just a very narrow slice of a complete life. Mann has finally rounded out the story from his 1995 movie. He has brought back the lethal, calculating criminal Neil McCauley, played by Robert De Niro; the swaggering detective Vincent Hanna, played by Al Pacino; and such supporting characters as Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) and Nate (Jon Voight). He does hope to make another Heat movie, but he has chosen to introduce his new narrative through words only, the novel Heat 2. Written with the award-winning crime novelist Meg Gardiner and scheduled to come out Aug. 9, the 480-page Heat 2 is a sequel and prequel, looking back to the late 1980s and ahead to the 21st century, expanding the world of McCauley and Hanna and Shiherlis among others, adding new characters and moving the action everywhere from Los Angeles to Paraguay and Asia. Mann had never attempted a novel before and finally tried in part for a similar reason he takes on a given film: To see if he can. In some ways, he approached the book as if planning a movie production. He began with a basic story he likes to know in advance how the plot turns out and built the narrative outward, over time and space. For his novel, he speaks of creating momentum that is almost cinematic, a symphony driving to a closing clash. Heat 2 permitted him to explore and digress in ways he wouldnt attempt on screen. He makes a point of knowing everyones inner and outer lives. McCauley, for instance, he sees as a longtime outsider, institutionalized in his early teens. He sees him as very intelligent, with a really strong ego and very little self esteem. An ideal criminal. He goes to violence, immediately, zero to 60, Mann explains. Heat, among the most celebrated movies never to receive an Oscar nomination, has a base of obsessive admirers. After a special screening in June at the Tribeca Film Festival, audience members shouted lines from the movie during a panel discussion with Pacino and De Niro. Mann say fans often come up to him and quote from the famous coffee shop conversation between McCauley and Hanna, the first time Pacino and De Niro had ever shared screen time (They had previously appeared in separate time periods in The Godfather, Part II). Heat 2 is a departure for Mann, and from novels in recent years by other filmmakers, among them Werner Herzog, Brian De Palma and David Cronenberg. While Herzogs The Twilight World and De Palmas Are Snakes Necessary? are original stories, Mann is doing a kind of reversal, taking characters created for the screen and adapting them to the page. Instead of finding it a distraction to think of Pacino when hes describing Hanna, he welcomes the merger of actor and character. Theyre fused. Its a fusion. Theyre one and the same, he says. Vincent Hanna is Al Pacino and Al Pacino is Vincent Hanna. Neil McCauley in 1988 is Bobby (De Niro) seven years younger. Since I made the movie and sought Al Pacino and De Niro and Val Kilmer, you bet thats who these people are. Gardiner joined Mann at the suggestion of their mutual literary agent, Shane Salerno. Known for her Evan Delaney novels, she is a Heat fan and a partisan for Manns film in the many discussions she has had with fellow writers over whether Goodfellas, The Godfather or Heat is their favorite crime movie. For Heat 2, she helped Mann with the books structure and otherwise proved a sounding board and close collaborator, the two eventually writing alternating chapters. Their time together she lives in Austin, Texas, he is based in Los Angeles in some ways mirrored the belated face-off between Pacino and De Niro, who despite being co-stars only meet midway in the 170 minute picture. We began working together in the depths of Covid, she says. We didnt get a chance to meet for a year. It was all long phone calls, and long emails back and forth. Mann, 79, has been working in film and television since the 1970s, whether writing episodes for Starsky and Hutch, serving as executive producer of the show Miami Vice or directing The Insider, Manhunter and Public Enemies. He is a Chicago native who says his take on the world a certain kind of cynical worldview, I guess was shaped by his experiences as the son of grocers in the inner city. Citing The French Connection and its director, William Friedkin, as favorites, he jokes that filmmakers like himself and Friedkin who grew up in Chicago itself end up making crime stories, while those from the suburbs (such as the late John Hughes) prefer comedies. Heat 2 is the first of three planned novels (one of which may be related to Heat), and an ambitious literary beginning for a man who had never attempted a work of fiction before. He majored in English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with thoughts of becoming a teacher, but decided that would be really immensely boring. Asked to cite literary influences, he mentions John le Carre, but otherwise says he doesnt read crime fiction. Instead, he looks to primary sources, the various killers, crooks, law enforcers and government agents he has met and befriended and whose stories he adapted for Heat, Thief and other films. Critics and fellow directors have praised him for his complex narratives and gifts for pacing and atmosphere: Christopher Nolan has cited Heat as inspiration for his acclaimed Batman movie The Dark Knight. But some of Manns favorite feedback has come from those primary sources. He smiles when asked what some of the real-life models for his characters have said upon seeing his films. Ive been offered alternative careers, he says. By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer UN court rejects Myanmar claims, will hear Rohingya case View Photo THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Judges at the United Nations highest court on Friday dismissed preliminary objections by Myanmar to a case alleging the Southeast Asian nation is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority. The decision establishing the International Court of Justices jurisdiction sets the stage for hearings airing evidence of atrocities against the Rohingya that human rights groups and a U.N. probe say breach the 1948 Genocide Convention. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the violent repression of the Rohingya population in Myanmar, which formerly was known as Burma, amounts to genocide. Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, welcomed the decision, saying 600,000 Rohingya are still facing genocide, while one million people in Bangladesh camps, they are waiting for a hope for justice. The African nation of Gambia filed the case in 2019 amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom fled to neighboring Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces in 2017. It argued that both Gambia and Myanmar were parties to the 1948 convention and that all signatories hade a duty to ensure it was enforced. Judges at the court agreed. Reading a summary of the decision, the courts president, U.S. Judge Joan E. Donoghue, said: Any state party to the Genocide Convention may invoke the responsibility of another state party including through the institution of proceedings before the court. A small group of pro-Rohingya protesters gathered outside the courts headquarters, the Peace Palace, ahead of the decision with a banner reading: Speed up delivering justice to Rohingya. The genocide survivors cant wait for generations. One protester stamped on a large photograph of Myanmars military government leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The court rejected arguments raised at hearings in February by lawyers representing Myanmar that the case should be tossed out because the world court only rules in disputes between states and the Rohingya complaint was brought by Gambia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The judges also dismissed Myanmars claim that Gambia could not file the case as it was not directly linked to the events in Myanmar and that a legal dispute did not exist between the two countries before the case was filed. Myanmars representative, Ko Ko Hlaing, the military governments minister for international cooperation, said his nation will try our utmost to defend our country and to protect our national interest. Gambias attorney general and justice minister, Dawda Jallow, said: We are very pleased that justice has been done. The Netherlands and Canada have backed Gambia, saying in 2020 that the country took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar and upholding this pledge. Canada and the Netherlands consider it our obligation to support these efforts which are of concern to all of humanity. However, the court ruled Friday that it would not be appropriate to send the two countries copies of documents and legal arguments filed in the case. Myanmars military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 in the aftermath of an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of Rohingya homes. In 2019, lawyers representing Gambia at the ICJ outlined their allegations of genocide by showing judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos of the military campaign. That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years. The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities. Prosecutors at the ICC are investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh. By MIKE CORDER Associated Press A beacon of hope: Ukraine, Russia sign grain export deal View Photo ISTANBUL (AP) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The U.N. plan will enable Ukraine one of the worlds key breadbaskets to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russias invasion. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families, said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, Guterres said. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all, he told the envoys. Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Erdogan hoped it would be a new turning point that will revive hopes for peace. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. Im not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal, Kuleba told The Associated Press. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But Im very cautious because I have no trust in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Kulebas concerns in his nightly video address, saying, It is clear to everyone that there may be some provocations on the part of Russia, some attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust the UN. The European Union and the U.K. immediately welcomed the news. This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russias aggression against Ukraine, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss applauded Turkey and the U.N. for brokering the agreement. We will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words, Truss said. To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. African leaders, whose countries import food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia, also welcomed the deal, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it has taken much too long. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities such as wheat and barley have soared during the war. Although international sanctions against Russia did not target food exports, the war has disrupted shipments of Russian products because shipping and insurance companies did not want to deal with Russia. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, opens a path for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement, obtained by the AP, says a U.N.-led joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships arrivals and departures. Inspectors representing all parties at the Bosporus in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure no weapons or soldiers are on board. Under the deal, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, and the parties agree not to attack vessels and port facilities involved in the initiative. If demining is required to make the shipping lanes safe, a minesweeper from another country could clear the approaches to Ukrainian ports. The sides will monitor the movement of ships remotely and no military ships. aircraft or drones will be allowed to approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance the center sets. The agreement will remain in effect for 120 days and can be extended automatically. Guterres believes grain shipments could start within the next two weeks, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A senior U.N. official said Ukraine needs about 10 days to prepare the ports and needs time to identify and be clear about those safe corridors. The aim is to export 5 million tons of grains per month to empty Ukraines silos in time for this years harvest. Zelenskyy said nearly 20 million tons of grain will be exported initially, then some of the current harvest. Guterres first raised the critical need to restart the supply of Ukraines agricultural production and Russias grain and fertilizer to world markets in late April during meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then proposed a deal because of fears that the war could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Peter Meyer, head of grain and oilseed analytics at S&P Global Platts, said the deal does not mean that the global supply crisis is over. Traders anticipated a deal for the past several weeks, he said, so its effect might already have shown up in grain prices. And the agreement only covers the 2021 crop. Theres still considerable uncertainty about Ukrainian production this year and even next, Meyer said. Before the agreements, Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports, insisted on checking incoming ships for weapons and lifting restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Ukraine argued that Russias port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any safe sea shipments impossible. It sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack Odesa and accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately setting Ukrainian fields on fire. Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of stolen grain in the negotiations. It was part of a deal: Kyiv doesnt raise the issue of stolen grain and Moscow doesnt insist on checking Ukrainian ships. Kyiv and Moscow were forced to make a deal and compromise, he said. The deal was also important for Russias geopolitical relations, the analyst noted. Russia decided not to fuel a new crisis in Africa and provoke a hunger and government changes there, Sidenko said. The African Union had asked Putin to quickly ease the crisis with grain supplies. __ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Erika Kinetz in Kyiv, Ukraine, Raf Casert in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By AYSE WIETING and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press UK blames France as travelers face hours-long port delays View Photo LONDON (AP) Truck drivers and Britons heading off on holiday by ferry faced hours-long waits at the port of Dover on Friday, with authorities blaming French officials for the chaos a claim France denied. Dover authorities said a lack of French border officials was leading to waits of up to six hours for border checks at the English Channel port, with queues of tourist and freight traffic snarling roads for miles (kilometers). Millions of people in Britain are trying to begin vacations this weekend the start of the summer school holidays and face disruptions by road, sea, rail and air. U.K. port authorities said that, despite months of work between the two nations to prepare for peak travel season, the number of French border police has been insufficient and has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period. Since Britain left the European Union in 2020, U.K. travelers face stricter border checks when traveling to the continent. At Dover they are performed on the English side of the channel by French staff. Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said the port had declared a critical incident. Weve been badly let down this morning by the French border, he said. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the situation should have been entirely avoidable and is unacceptable. We need action from France to build up capacity at the border to limit any further disruption for British tourists and to ensure this appalling situation is avoided in future, said Truss, who is running to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and Britains next prime minister. We will be working with the French authorities to find a solution. France denied that its border officials were unprepared. Georges-Francois Leclerc, the top official for the Hauts-de-France region, said an unforeseen technical incident in the Channel Tunnel prevented some Dover border booths from being staffed as planned Friday morning but insisted the problem was resolved after about 75 minutes. By Friday afternoon, port authorities said more French staff had arrived and traffic is slowly beginning to move, but it will take some time to clear the backlog. The French Embassy in London said on Twitter that French border checks in Dover are operating in full capacity, and French and British officials were cooperating closely to get people moving. Turkish truck driver Muhammet Turker said he began queuing in his rig at Dover on Thursday evening and was still waiting 16 hours later. Ive been in something like this before, but this is the worst, he said. The problems follow days of travel disruptions on Britains railways after a heat wave brought record-smashing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures to the U.K., buckling rails and starting fires. Rail workers also plan more walkouts next week in a dispute over pay and conditions. Air travel has also been hit by disruptions, in Britain and around the world, as airlines and airports struggle to cope with the return of mass travel following two years of pandemic restrictions. By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press CDC's Covid Community Levels by county reported on July 22 View Photo Tuolumne County Public Health reports the death of a man and a woman both in their 70s and a woman in her 80s due to Covid. There is a current total of 189 residents of Tuolumne who have passed away due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began with 41 reported this year. There are 210 new lab-confirmed community cases and 41 Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) inmate cases, with 13 hospitalizations from Saturday, July 16th to today, Friday, July 22nd. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports 66 active cases at SCC. There are 200 known active community cases down from 252. The newly reported Covid-19 community cases this week include 21 cases age 17 and younger and 97 cases age 60 or older. The new Covid cases demographics: 8 girls and 7 boys age 0 to 11, 2 girls and 4 boys age 12 to 17, 11 women, 12 men and 1 other age 18 to 29, 24 women, 18 men and 2 others in their 30s, 11 women and 10 men in their 40s, 14 women and 7 men in their 50s, 10 women and 21 men in their 60s, 20 women and 11 men in their 70s, 9 women and 4 men in their 80s, and 3 women and 1 man age 90 or older. The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County decreased to 51.5 from 55.4 per 100,000 population. A total of 258 more are counted as released from isolation, in all 12,493 have been released from isolation. The 7-day test positivity rate is 21.7% up from 21.4%. Protect yourself and those around you from COVID-19: Get vaccinated; contact your healthcare provider or pharmacy about flu vaccine Wear a mask in public, especially indoors Stay home when sick! Keep your distance and avoid crowds when possible Wash hands and clean surfaces frequently Monkeypox Tuolumne Public health states there are 434 probable and confirmed cases in California, (up 184 from last week) none so far in Tuolumne County. The risk to the general public is considered low at this time. While California is working to increase the amount of vaccine available, current availability is extremely limited. Tuolumne County does not have vaccine available at this time. For more information, including about preventing monkeypox, go here. Calaveras Public Health updates weekly on Tuesdays. They report the death of a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s from COVID-19. There are 97 new lab-confirmed cases from July 13th to the 19th. The number of cases is down from 103 new lab-confirmed cases among residents the week before. They report 89 active cases, last week there were 61 active cases and two deaths. There is a current total of 131 residents of Calaveras who have passed away due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began with 37 reported this year. There is one active Covid hospitalization to report. Calaveras is back to the highest (orange) Community Covid Level after two weeks at the lower medium level. Tuolumne has been at the High Community Level since June 24th. Take a look back at the levels a month ago here. The majority of counties in the state are at the highest Community level determined by the CDC based on higher of the new hospital admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. Community Transmission remains at the highest level in all but Mono county. COVID-19 Testing If you test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19 Isolation instructions (click here) To make an appointment for testing at the testing site visit: https://lhi.care/covidtesting The Mother Lode testing is open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with closures for meal breaks between 11 am 12 pm and 4 pm to 5 pm. The State testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds launched Test to Treat operations as detailed here. At-home test kits can be ordered for free at https://www.covid.gov/tests. Families with school-age children may obtain free kits by contacting the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office. A limited number of free at-home kits are available at the Public Health Department (note, as a healthcare facility, masks are required at all times in our lobby). At-home test kits are also available for purchase at pharmacies. Testing sites at other locations near the area can be found by visiting: https://myturn.ca.gov/testing.html COVID-19 Vaccine children aged 6 months to 5 years are now eligible for COVID vaccination. The Tuolumne Public Health team has added vaccinations for this age group to our clinic schedule beginning next week or families can check with their childs healthcare provider. Appointments for June 27, June 29, or July 1 at the health department on Cedar Road in Sonora are available at myturn.ca.gov. For more information click here: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-and-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-children More information about Covid Vaccine booster shots can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html. Appointments in Tuolumne and Calaveras can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255 or through local pharmacies, more details are here. County Date New In the Hospital Est. Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador 7/11 to 7/18 76 7 2,471 6,647 (78) Calaveras 7/13 to 7/19 97 0 3,401 8,036 (131) Mariposa 7/15 to 7/21 54 2 2,065 3,855 (36) Mono 7/15 to 7/22 0 N/A 1,135 3,081 (9) Tuolumne 7/9 to 7/15 251 13 7,424 15,709 (189) Colors indicate CDC Community Level: Green-low, Yellow-medium, Orange-high Sacramento, CA The state of Californias Fair Political Practices Commission voted Thursday to start allowing candidates for local and state offices to accept donations of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Candidates must immediately convert the digital currencies into US dollars, and cannot hold onto it like an investment. The donations must also use a registered cryptocurrency processor that will collect the name and information of the donor. California had previously not allowed cryptocurrency donations to candidates as they do not rely on banks, and instead are recorded digitally through blockchain technology. Candidates for federal office, like US Senate, Congress and President, are already allowed to accept cryptocurrency donations. Californias new rules take effect in 60 days. A new Libyan force emerges, accused of abusing migrants View Photo CAIRO (AP) The Moroccan man had been stopped before at sea in his multiple attempts to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe. But his most recent time was different. The Libyan force that intercepted the boat full of some 50 migrants was more brutal. The armed men beat and humiliated the migrants, he recalled. They were then taken to a detention facility where for months and weeks they were severely beaten, abused and tortured. He said he was repeatedly beaten with rifle butts and whipped with rubber hoses. Badges on their uniform showed the affiliation of the gunmen, he said: the Stabilization Support Authority. The SSA, an umbrella group of militias, has risen to become one of the main forces carrying out Libyas European Union-aided effort to stop migrants from crossing to European shores. Though migrants have long been brutalized in Libya, rights groups and former detainees say the abuse is taking on a more organized and dangerous nature under this feared new body. And officials say it also is benefiting from EU support. The SSA has come to rival in strength the official anti-migrant agencies like the coast guard and navy. But unlike them, it reports directly to Libyas Tripoli-based presidential council and is not subject to EU and U.N. scrutiny intended to prevent rights abuses. More than a dozen migrants interviewed by the Associated Press told of how they were brutalized by the SSA while being held in its detention facility in the town of Maya on Tripolis western outskirts. The migrants, fearing retaliation, spoke on condition of anonymity or that they be identified only by their first names. They were all trying to get out of Libya. All I want is to leave this hell, said Rabei, a 32-year-old Egyptian from a Nile Delta province, describing his feelings before his release earlier this year. He described repeatedly seeing guards beat migrants into unconsciousness, then drag them away. He doesnt know whether any of them are still alive. The Stabilization Support Authority did not respond calls and messages from the AP seeking comment. Previously, the group and the Tripoli-based government dismissed allegations of abuses against migrants in statements following a report by the rights group Amnesty International. Hundreds of thousands of migrants from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East move through Libya trying to reach Europe. For years, Libyan militias have been notorious for involvement in human trafficking and for detaining migrants, abusing them and extorting money from them. Most notorious is the SSAs detention center, set up in a complex that was once a state-run factory in the town of Maya. U.N. agencies and other groups working on migrants have no access to the site, according to spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration, Safa Msehli. Up to 1,800 migrants have been held there since its creation, Libya Crimes Watch estimates. Women and children among the detainees are held in a separate part of the prison, the group said. Libya Crimes Watch and Amnesty International separately documented rampant abuses at Maya prison, including torture, rape, forced labor and forced prostitution, as well as severe overcrowding and lack of food and water. Ramadan, an Egyptian recently released from Maya, recalled how one young Moroccan was severely beaten after being caught trying to escape. For a week, he was left in the cell, bleeding and his wounds festering as other migrants pleaded with guards to take him to a hospital. Finally, the guards dragged him away. He was still alive. We dont know what happened to him, Ramadan said. Torn by civil war since 2011, Libya is divided between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by international patrons and innumerable armed militias on the ground. In a bid to stem the flow of migrants, the European Union has given the government in Tripoli more than $500 million since 2015. The funds are intended to beef up Libyas coast guard, reinforce Libyas southern border and improve conditions for migrants in detention centers run by the Interior Ministry. The EU and the U.N. are supposed to monitor the detention facilities to ensure migrants are properly treated. In reality, abuses have been rampant. The SSA is not subject even to that nominal level of monitoring. It was created in January 2021 and recognized by the Tripoli-based government of the time, which mandated it to carry out a number of security tasks including preventing illegal migration. It is led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, an infamous warlord known as Gheniwa who is accused by Amnesty International of war crimes and other serious rights violations over the past decade. It is still funded by the Tripoli government, now headed by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, one of Libyas two rival administrations claiming to govern. In 2021, the government allocated the equivalent of around $9 million for the alliance. It has also given the SSA ad hoc payments, most recently one in February amounting to the equivalent of $28 million, according to government officials and Amnesty International. A former head of the coast guard said the SSA indirectly draws money from the funds given by the European Union. He and other officials spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. EU officials did not respond the AP requests for comment on the SSA. The groups operations are intermingled with the coast guard, officials from the navy and coast guard said. In the western town of Zawiya, for example, the coast guard unit virtually belongs to them. Its a separate unit in name only, one navy official said. SSA vessels are maintained by the navy, which benefits from the EU funds, another naval official said. He said that the SSA has also become involved in the continual coordination between Libyan naval authorities and the European border agency, Frontex. In several cases, its fighters have shot and killed migrants at sea during interceptions of boats. Two Egyptian migrants died earlier this year in Maya prison, according to migrants and activists. A report by U.N. experts documented torture and abuse at the Maya prison and said at least three people were abused to death as of December 2021. The report said the prisons chief, Mohamed al-Kabouti, was personally involved in beating detainees. They keep beating you for hours, with anything they have clubs, rifle butts, iron bars. Or a few of them just keep hammering at you with kicks and punches and rifle butts, recalled Rabei, the Egyptian migrant, who was held for three months until he could pay around $650 in ransom. Eventually you just wish you were dead from all the beating. El-Sayed, a Moroccan once held at Maya, described how he was repeatedly tortured and beaten with plastic hoses and electricity wires. The guards forced him to call his family to send money to secure his release. His relatives eventually scraped together 1,100 euros to buy his freedom. If you have money, you can secure your life, if you dont you will stay forever, he said. By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press Trump, Pence campaign for rivals in Ariz. governors race View Photo PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) Former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence, held rival campaign events in Arizona on Friday, turning the governors race into a broader referendum on the Republican Partys future. Trump and Pence both talked up the successes of their administration and hammered President Joe Biden, but neither directly addressed the other or the growing rift between them. Pence, who this week added his name to a growing list of GOP establishment figures endorsing housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson, offered only an oblique critique of the Republicans still pushing the lie that Trump lost because of fraud. If you elect Robson, Pence said, you can send a deafening message heard all across America that the Republican Party is the party of the future. He was more direct later on Twitter: Some people want this election to be about the past, but elections are always about the future. Democrats would love nothing more than for Republicans to take our eye off the ball and focus on days gone by. Robson says the 2020 elections werent fair, accusing liberal judges of changing the rules late in the cycle and the media and big tech of suppressing conservative voices. But she has stopped short of saying Trump lost because of fraud. Her main rival, former television anchor Kari Lake, has embraced Trumps election lies along with his combative approach to his political enemies and the media. No one understands better than Kari how to fight back against the fake news media and the radical left, Trump said Friday evening during his own rally in Prescott Valley, one of the most conservative areas of Arizona. Trump took aim at two Arizona Republicans who refused to go along with his efforts to remain in office after losing to Biden. He said state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified last month to the House Jan. 6 committee, participated against the Republican Party. He said Gov. Doug Ducey has failed to secure the border with Mexico. Robson is a lawyer and housing developer who is locking up support from mainstream GOP figures growing increasingly comfortable with breaking from Trump. In addition to Pence, her supporters include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey, who famously silenced a call from Trump while certifying Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 presidential victory in Arizona. Telegenic and already well-known from her decades anchoring the evening news in Phoenix, Lake has energized Trumps most ardent supporters in Arizona. But she faces a potentially close contest with Robson, whose familys vast fortune has allowed her to vastly outspend Lake with early voting underway. As your governor I want to bring those America First Trump policies here to Arizona Lake said. Were going to secure that border. We are going to restore honesty and faith in our elections. Pence highlighted Lakes past support for Barack Obamas presidential campaign and a not my president meme the then-news anchor posted as Trump prepared for his 2017 inauguration. You need a governor thats supported every conservative cause from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, Pence said of Robson, who worked in the Reagan administration and raised money for Trumps campaign along with her husband, housing developer Ed Robson, one of Arizonas wealthiest residents. Robson has also donated to Democrats. Robson, Pence and Ducey also discussed border security during a second event in Tucson at the headquarters for the Border Patrol union, which staunchly supported Trump but broke with him and endorsed Robson. Securing the border takes two things: resources and will power, Robson said. President Trump and Vice President Pence already showed that it can be done. Trump and Pence have occasionally taken different sides in primaries this year, but this is the first time that they will have appeared in the same state on the same day to rally for their preferred candidates. The split-screen moment marks a more confrontational phase in their relationship as they both consider running for president in 2024. It also comes just a day after the House Jan. 6 committee revealed new details about the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that fractured the relationship between the two men. The committee recounted how Trump refused to call off the mob attacking the Capitol as Pence, just feet away from rioters, was whisked to safety. The committee played audio from an unidentified White House security official who said Pences Secret Service agents started to fear for their own lives at the Capitol and left messages for their loved ones in case they didnt survive. Shortly afterward, at 2:24 p.m. on Jan, 6, 2021, Trump tweeted that Pence didnt have the courage to block or delay the election results as Congress was certifying Bidens victory. Mike Pence let me down, an unidentified White House employee testified Trump telling him at the end of the day on Jan. 6. Trump did not talk about Pence Friday night, but did push back against earlier testimony by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who said she saw a White House valet cleaning up a mess after an angry Trump smashed a plate and the remains of his lunch on a wall. They have me throwing food, Trump said. I dont throw food in the White House. I dont throw food anywhere. I eat the food. Trump and Pence will again cross paths next week as the former president returns to the nations capital for the first time since leaving the White House. The Arizona primary is among Trumps last opportunities to settle scores and install allies to lead states that may prove decisive if he decides to run again in 2024. Trump and Pence were also at odds in the primary for Georgia governor, where the Pence-backed incumbent Brian Kemp easily defeated former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who had Trumps support. Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold whose move toward the center accelerated during Trumps presidency, was central Trumps push to remain in power despite his loss. Trump pressed state officials to block the certification of Bidens victory and, when he failed, his allies in Congress objected to counting the states 11 electoral votes. Since the election, Trump supporters have recounted ballots and analyzed vote-counting machines in an attempt to prove something was amiss. Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. Trumps allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed. ___ 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 By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press New California gun control law mimics Texas abortion measure View Photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California punched back Friday against two recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law and urged other states to follow suit. He acted one month after conservative justices overturned the constitutional right to abortion and undermined gun control laws in states including California. Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50-caliber rifles. Were sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement, he said. Its time to put them on the defense. You cannot sell, you cannot manufacture, you cannot transfer these illegal weapons of war and mass destruction in the state of California. And if you do, there are 40 million people that can collect $10,000 from you, and attorney fees, for engaging in that illegal activity. Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsoms request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but Californias law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Courts support for the Texas law was a terrible decision, Newsom said. However, if theyre going to use this framework to put womens lives at risk, were going to use it to save peoples lives here in the state of California. Newsom also placed $30,000 worth of full-page advertisements in three Texas newspapers Friday criticizing what he said is Gov. Greg Abbotts hypocrisy on gun safety. The ads parrot a comment by Abbott about childrens right to life but substitute gun violence where he said abortion. Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze responded. Its a similar tactic to the television ad that Newsom, a Democrat running for reelection, recently aired in Florida targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis. Newsom again denied presidential aspirations Friday even while stoking that speculation. I cant take whats happening in this country, Newsom said in explaining the ads. Cant take the assault on liberty and freedom, cant take the rhetoric, cant take the bullying, the zest for demonization of these governors, not just Abbott, DeSantis, but many of these other governors. An unusual combination of gun owner advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized Newsom for creating what they said amounts to a bounty system to encourage such lawsuits. The ACLU called Californias law an attack on the constitution for deliberately trying to sidestep judicial review by empowering enforcement by citizens and not governments, and for undermining due process rights. Its all about these two big issues that are facing us. And you cant have a double standard. You cant have one standard for guns and another standard for womens reproductive health. Its not right, Democratic state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, who carried the bill, said in an interview. Gun control advocacy organizations Moms Demand Action and affiliated Students Demand Action backed the bills potential to combat untraceable ghost guns. Newsom signed the bill at Santa Monica College, where five victims were killed in 2013 by a gunman using such a gun. The new law will make it easier for victims of ghost gun violence like myself to help enforce our laws, said Mia Tretta, who was shot in Santa Clarita during a 2019 attack at Saugus High School. She is now an incoming senior and a volunteer with Students Demand Action. Newsom grew emotional as Tretta introduced him. He later said he couldnt help but recall her optimism as he visited her in the hospital after an attack that he said personalized the danger for him as the father of a pre-teen daughter himself. Aside from the merits of the bill, opponents say it is written to discourage any legal challenges to Californias myriad gun regulations by requiring plaintiffs or lawyers to pay attorneys fees if they lose the lawsuit. That portion of the law is intended to make it impossible to file a Second Amendment challenge to an unconstitutional gun control law. That is itself unconstitutional, said Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Newsom acted a day after he signed eight other gun laws among numerous measures adding to Californias already strict regulations. They encourage the safe storage of firearms and limit gun making including with a 3D printer. Others bar gun sales on state property, boost inspections of gun dealers, limit dealer fees, and add child and elder abuse to the list of crimes that block gun ownership. The governor recently signed another bill patterned after a New York law that empowers anyone who suffered harm to sue gun makers or dealers who fail to follow precautions under a firearm industry standard of conduct. He further criticized the high court and conservative Republicans in a video message after he signed two earlier gun bills into law, one also addressing ghost guns and the other barring marketing firearms to minors. California and New York also are scrambling to update their laws regulating the concealed carrying of firearms after the nations high court ruled that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called lawmakers there back into a special session to approve changes that take effect Sept. 1, including requiring gun owners to allow an examination of their social media accounts. California legislators expect to act in August on concealed carry restrictions. ___ Associated Press Writer Paul Weber contributed to this story from Austin, Texas. By DON THOMPSON Associated Press chrispecoraro/Getty Images/iStockphoto Texas simultaneously ranks as one of the best states for business and one of the worst places to live in the U.S., according to a ranking from CNBC. The Lone Star State is the fifth best place for business in the country, but it is the second worst place to live in, the ranking shows. CNBC ranked each state on 88 different metrics across 10 categories with each category carrying a different weight in the ranking. The workforce category, which includes the concentration of STEM workers, workers with college degrees, employees with associates degrees and people with industry-recognized certificates, carried the most weight, representing 16% of the total score. The workforce metric was Texas best performing category with the state ranking second nationwide. ISTANBUL (AP) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The U.N. plan will enable Ukraine one of the world's key breadbaskets to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russia's invasion. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families," said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, Guterres said. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all, he told the envoys. Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Erdogan hoped it would be a new turning point that will revive hopes for peace. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. Im not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal, Kuleba told The Associated Press. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But Im very cautious because I have no trust in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Kuleba's concerns in his nightly video address, saying, It is clear to everyone that there may be some provocations on the part of Russia, some attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust the UN. The European Union and the U.K. immediately welcomed the news. This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russias aggression against Ukraine, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss applauded Turkey and the U.N. for brokering the agreement. We will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words," Truss said. "To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. African leaders, whose countries import food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia, also welcomed the deal, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it has taken much too long. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities such as wheat and barley have soared during the war. Although international sanctions against Russia did not target food exports, the war has disrupted shipments of Russian products because shipping and insurance companies did not want to deal with Russia. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, opens a path for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement, obtained by the AP, says a U.N.-led joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships arrivals and departures. Inspectors representing all parties at the Bosporus in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure no weapons or soldiers are on board. Under the deal, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, and the parties agree not to attack vessels and port facilities involved in the initiative. If demining is required to make the shipping lanes safe, a minesweeper from another country could clear the approaches to Ukrainian ports. The sides will monitor the movement of ships remotely and no military ships. aircraft or drones will be allowed to approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance the center sets. The agreement will remain in effect for 120 days and can be extended automatically. Guterres believes grain shipments could start within the next two weeks, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A senior U.N. official said Ukraine needs about 10 days to prepare the ports and needs time to identify and be clear about those safe corridors. The aim is to export 5 million tons of grains per month to empty Ukraine's silos in time for this year's harvest. Zelenskyy said nearly 20 million tons of grain will be exported initially, then some of the current harvest. Guterres first raised the critical need to restart the supply of Ukraines agricultural production and Russias grain and fertilizer to world markets in late April during meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then proposed a deal because of fears that the war could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Peter Meyer, head of grain and oilseed analytics at S&P Global Platts, said the deal does not "mean that the global supply crisis is over. Traders anticipated a deal for the past several weeks, he said, so its effect might already have shown up in grain prices. And the agreement only covers the 2021 crop. Theres still considerable uncertainty about Ukrainian production this year and even next, Meyer said. Before the agreements, Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports, insisted on checking incoming ships for weapons and lifting restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Ukraine argued that Russia's port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any safe sea shipments impossible. It sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack Odesa and accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately setting Ukrainian fields on fire. Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of stolen grain in the negotiations. It was part of a deal: Kyiv doesnt raise the issue of stolen grain and Moscow doesnt insist on checking Ukrainian ships. Kyiv and Moscow were forced to make a deal and compromise, he said. The deal was also important for Russia's geopolitical relations, the analyst noted. Russia decided not to fuel a new crisis in Africa and provoke a hunger and government changes there, Sidenko said. The African Union had asked Putin to quickly ease the crisis with grain supplies." __ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Erika Kinetz in Kyiv, Ukraine, Raf Casert in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) A North Carolina police officer responding to a reported kidnapping from a day care shot and killed the suspect as he struck an officer with a car, authorities said. The city of Gastonia said police responded to a kidnapping call around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday after the man picked up two children without permission and left in a vehicle. Police found the children inside a home and located the suspect with the help of a vehicle description, according to a police spokesman. WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 21, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Litchfield County in northern Connecticut... * Until 330 PM EDT. * At 225 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Woodbury Center, or near Southbury, moving east at 55 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Oakville, Woodbury Center, Watertown, Woodbury, Allentown, Minortown, Hotchkissville, Pequabuck, Hancock, Tolles, Pomeraug, North Woodbury, Terryville Station and Delano Field. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Please report hail size...damaging winds and reports of trees down to the National Weather Service by email at Alb.Stormreport@noaa.gov... On Facebook at www.facebook.com/nwsalbany or twitter @nwsalbany _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Amanda Edwards/Getty Images A trip to Texas wouldn't be complete without stops at the Alamo and Buc-ee's and B.J. Novak, who is starring in the new movie Vengeance (his directorial debut) made sure he pinned those visits to the itinerary during his stint in the state to promote the new film. Novak, who previously starred in and spent some time writing for NBC's hit series The Office, plays Ben Manalowitz in the movie about a New Yorker traveling across the country to West Texas to investigate the death of a woman he had been dating. Ashlee Struchen/Sweetest Snaps Photography A Corpus Christi photographer went viral on TikTok for combining all of Texas' favorite things for a baby photoshoot: H-E-B, conchas, and Selena Quintanilla. Ashlee Struchen took cute photos of her small client named Juliet last week. Struchen, 33, told MySA that she thought of including H-E-B conchas for her baby shoots a few years ago. She has done three so far, including the one with Juliet. Struchen said she loves to incorporate bright, fresh, and bold colors into her sessions, which is why she went the concha route. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Former sports superstar Bo Jackson helped pay for the funerals of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the Uvalde school massacre in May, revealing himself as one of the previously anonymous donors who covered costs for families after one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history. Jackson, whose rare success in both the NFL and Major League Baseball made him one of the greatest and most marketable athletes of the 1980s and 1990s, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he felt compelled to support the victims' families after the loss of so many children. I dont know if its because Im getting old, said Jackson, a father of three and a grandfather as he nears 60. Its just not right for parents to bury their kids. Its just not right. I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened. Jackson said he felt a personal connection to the city he's driven through many times. Uvalde has been a regular stop for a bite to eat or groceries before a long drive farther west to visit a friend's ranch on hunting trips. It was his familiarity with the feel of Uvalde's Main Street, leafy town square and the people he'd met on those stops that touched his heart when the news broke on May 24th of the shooting at Robb Elementary. Law enforcement has been heavily criticized for taking more than an hour to enter the classroom where the 18-year-old gunman carried out the attack, and a Texas House investigative report laid blame on the school district, saying a lax safety culture, spotty alert system and unlocked doors also contributed. Three days later, Jackson and a close friend flew to Uvalde, briefly met with Gov. Greg Abbott and presented a check for $170,000 with an offer to pay for all funeral expenses. Abbott announced it as an anonymous donation during a May 27 news conference about aid the state was giving victims. We didnt want media, he said. No one knew we were there. And though Jackson suggested he hasn't kept it a secret, he hadn't spoken publicly about what moved him to make the trip to Uvalde and the donation until this week. Uvalde is a town that sticks in your mind. Just the name, Jackson said. I dont know a soul there. It just touched me." Jackson declined to name the friend who went with him and also contributed to the donation. Other fundraising efforts have since raised millions to assist families, and local funeral homes said they wouldn't charge families for services. But Jackson's donation was an early point of light for the grieving families. Abbott's office said Jackson's money was quickly directed to cover funeral costs" through OneStar, a nonprofit created to further volunteerism and community service in Texas, including Uvalde relief efforts. The true spirit of our nation is Americans lifting up one another in times of need and hardship, Abbott said. In a truly selfless act, Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims' families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved. Jackson said he followed news coverage of the funerals, but he declined to say if he has been in direct contact with any of the families. The day of the shooting, Jackson tweeted, America ... lets please stop all the nonsense. Please pray for all victims. If you hear something, say something. We arent supposed to bury our children. Im praying for all of the families around the country who have lost loved ones to senseless shootings. This cannot continue. When asked to elaborate on the This cannot continue," though, Jackson declined, saying only that he wrote what he meant. I dont want to turn this into anything (but) what it is. I was just trying (with the donation) to put a little sunshine in someones cloud, a very dark cloud, Jackson said. But he also noted the regularity of mass shootings in the country. The last thing you want to hear is theres an active shooter in your childs school," he said. Its happening everywhere now. Uvalde wasn't Jackson's first large-scale act of philanthropy. He hosts an annual bike ride in his home state of Alabama to raise money for disaster relief funds, an effort started after tornadoes killed nearly 250 people. The Uvalde donation was his first in response to a mass shooting. Its the children. ... Its the children. ... Its the children," Jackson said, pausing before each repetition to gather himself. "If it doesnt bother you, somethings wrong with you. ___ Find more of the AP's coverage of the Uvalde shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting A Texas man was found dead on a trail at Big Bend National Park, according to a news release from the National Park Service on Friday, July 22. The hiker was a 75-year-old man from Houston. On Thursday, July 21, Big Bend National Park's Communications Center received notice of a fatality along the Chimneys Trail. Rangers responded and found the man deceased approximately half a mile from the trailhead. There was no obvious cause of death, according to the release. The Chimneys Trail is a moderately-difficult, 5-mile round trip hike to a series of prominent volcanic formations in the western desert of the park. "Big Bend National Park staff and partners are saddened by this loss," Deputy Superintendent David Elkowitz stated in the release. "Our entire park family extends sincere condolences to the hiker's family and friends." Summer temperatures in Big Bend are extreme, according to officials. Temperatures over most of the park surpass 100 degrees by late morning and increase to exceedingly dangerous levels until long after sunset. On Thursday afternoon, the temperatures along the Chimneys Trail exceeded 104 degrees. Park Rangers wish to remind all visitors to be aware of the dangers of extreme heat. Hikers should be prepared to carry and drink one gallon of water per day, and to plan on being off desert trails by noon. Big Bend National Park is more than 1,250 square miles, or about the size of Rhode Island. The park includes the Chisos Mountains, the southernmost range in the continental U.S., and a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images California Gov. Gavin Newsom is coming after Greg Abbott by running full-page ads in Republican Texas newspapers to troll the Texas governor. According to NBC News, the ads are to highlight California's new gun law and to call out the restrictive abortion law in the Lone Star State. "If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives. If Governor Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, we urge him to follow California's lead," the ad, which was first shared with NBC News, reads. Every morning at 10:30, Animal Care Services releases a list of dogs and cats set to be euthanized. Multiple times in recent weeks San Antonio Pets Alive (SAPA), the rescue partner of the shelter, has declared a "code red" emergency signaling there are more than 25 animals on the list. Once the record is released, SAPA has about two hours to find homes for the animals to save them from being killed. In recent months, the urgency has increased. Alexis Moore, SAPA spokeswoman, says the group is "swamped" with puppies and kittens. Courtesy, San Antonio Pets Alive "There's been a weekly code red in the last couple months," she adds. "There has been more than one code red each week,which is not what we've typically seen in recent years." Minutes after Moore spoke with MySA, SAPA issued yet another code red. This time, a total of 28 dogs were included on the euthanasia list prepared by ACS. SAPA is urging San Antonio families to help by opening their homes to foster animals or adopt. Requirements for foster families include being able to provide a safe, welcoming environment for the dog or cat where the animal can mature enough to receive its vaccines, be spayed or neutered, and transition into home life. SAPA provides the supplies, medication, and care. Courtesy, San Antonio Pets Alive Those interested in adopting the pets, who are all up to date on vaccines, microchipped, and have been spayed and neutered, can search the available animals online here. Moore says the amount of homeless animals is a result of pet-owners not spaying or neutering their animals. She says their frequent intake of mothers and puppies is a clear sign of that. Thanks to help from the Bissell Pet Foundation, San Antonians can bring a new friend home and help SAPA for a lower price. From now until the end of the month, adoption fees are $25 for cats and dogs (excluding ambassador animals). Ken Branca A 2-year-old child and a woman in her 20s were shot in a drive-by shooting in front of a house near the AT&T Center in San Antonio, according to the San Antonio Police Department. The shooting occurred just after 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 22 in the 800 block of Timilo Dr., near AT&T Center Parkway and Gember Road. According to the San Antonio police, a group of people were gathered in front of a house after a funeral when a black Jeep Cherokee drove down Gembler Road and fired shots into the crowd. Mercosurs refusal to host Zelensky at its 60th Summit is yet further confirmation of Latin Americas largely neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict. The US is beginning to get worried. On Wednesday (July 20) the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was denied the opportunity to give a speech at the 60th Summit of Presidents of Mercosur being held this week. Zelensky had asked Paraguayan president Mario Abdo, the host of this years summit, to let him address the South American trade bloc, which comprises the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The blocs members failed to reach agreement on Zelenskys request, said Paraguays deputy foreign minister Raul Cano. Zelensky has already addressed a number of national parliaments, including the UKs House of Commons, the US Congress and the Australian parliament, since the war began. He has also spoken via video link at regional and international forums such as NATO, the G7, the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, the African Union and even the Cannes Film Festival. Opposition Most Likely from Brazil and Argentina But he was not welcome at Mercosur. Although Cano declined to disclose which states rejected Zelenskys attendance at the event, it is not hard to guess their identity. After all, neither Brazil nor Argentina were willing to sign a February 25 Organization of American States (OAS) resolution condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine while the other two Mercosur members, Uruguay and Paraguay, did. Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro was in Moscow meeting Putin just days before Russias invasion began. In the last month he has received assurances from Putin that Brazil would continue to receive Russian-produced fertilizers while he himself has pledged that Brazil will buy as much diesel from Russia as it can, despite international sanctions against Moscow. Argentinas President Alberto Fernandez was also in Russia in early February, where he held discussions with Putin about the possibility of Russia extending a loan to Argentina. Most Latin American countries have tried to strike a neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They include the regions two heavyweight economies, Brazil and Mexico, which together account for roughly 60% of the regions GDP. While both countries voted to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine at the March 2 emergency meeting of the United Nations, they have lambasted the US-NATO-led push to isolate Russia from the global economy. Both countries are currently non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Brazilian diplomats already tried to lever their position on the Security Council to soften the language of a council resolution condemning the actions of Russias President Vladimir Putin. On Monday, Bolsonaro had a phone call with Zelensky, as the Brazilian Report reveals: In a tweet, Mr. Zelensky said he informed Mr. Bolsonaro about the situation on the front. [I] discussed the importance of resuming Ukraines grain exports to prevent a global food crisis provoked by Russia. I call on all partners to join the sanctions against the aggressor. The Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry published a Twitter thread about the talk between Presidents Zelensky and Bolsonaro, but no official communique. The ministry did not publicly touch on the subject of grain exports but focused on humanitarian assistance to Ukranian refugees. The president conveyed the solidarity of the Brazilian people and deeply regretted the human and material losses caused by the conflict. Brazil has been granting humanitarian visas to people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, the tweet adds. Brazil, which holds the presidency of the UN Security Council in July, aims, during its mandate, to promote dialogue, to contribute to the end of the conflict. Brazil will remain in a position of concerning the conflict, the message continued. Mexico has also refused to fall into line despite concerted pressure from its direct neighbor to the north and largest trading partner. As I reported for NC, in late March a handful of Mexican congressmen and women belonging to the ruling coalition parties Morena, PT and PRI created a pro-Russian group in Mexicos Congress. The guest of honor to the event was Russias ambassador to Mexico, Viktor Koronelli, who described the group s formation as a sign of support, of friendship, of solidarity in these complicated times in which my country is not just facing a special military operation in Ukraine, but a tremendous media war. Rank Hypocrisy Predictably, the event elicited a stinging rebuke from Washington. The US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar even went so far as to instruct select members of Mexicos lower house of Congress that Mexico, a supposedly sovereign nation, cannot ever be close to Russia. As I wrote on March 29, the hypocrisy stinks: U.S. and its European allies have consistently argued that Russia has absolutely no right to try to determine what happens within the borders of its sovereign neighbor Ukraine, even as tons of weapons poured into the country from NATO Member States such as Poland and the Czech Republic. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador response was to underscore Mexicos long-held position of neutrality on international conflict: We need to send them telegrams informing them that Mexico is not a colony of any foreign country; Mexico is a free, independent, sovereign country. We are not a colony of Russia, China or the United States We are not going to Moscow to spy on anyone, nor are we going to Beijing to spy on what they are doing in China, nor are we going to Washington, not even to Los Angeles. We dont do that sort of thingWe are not going to participate either for or against [this war], it is a position of neutrality of ours, which has to do with Mexicos foreign policy. Two of Latin Americas most respected dignitaries, Brazils former (and quite possibly) future President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Pope Francis, have also spoken out against the Wests oft-ignored role in facilitating and fomenting the war in Ukraine. The pontiff accused NATO of barking at Russias door. Lula went even further, blaming not only the US and the EU for precipitating the war but also Zelensky himself: He did want war. If he didnt want war, he would have negotiated a little more. Thats it. I criticized Putin when I was in Mexico City [in March], saying that it was a mistake to invade. But I dont think anyone is trying to help create peace. People are stimulating hate against Putin. That wont solve things! We need to reach an agreement. But people are encouraging [the war]. You are encouraging this guy [Zelensky], and then he thinks he is the cherry on your cake. We should be having a serious conversation: OK, you were a nice comedian. But let us not make war for you to show up on TV. And we should say to Putin: You have a lot of weapons, but you dont need to use them on Ukraine. Lets talk! Naturally, this sort of talk did not go down well in Kiev. Ukraines senior presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, described Lulas word as Russian attempts to distort the truth. It is also striking that both Bolsonaro and Lula, who have wildly different political ideologies, divergent foreign policy priorities and are fierce political enemies, have resolutely refused to endorse the US-EUs ratcheting economic sanctions against Russia or NATOs escalating of tensions in Ukraine. One obvious reason for this is that Brazils huge agricultural industry is heavily dependent on Russian fertilizers. Also, Brazil and most other Latin American countries are eager to protect their trade ties with China and Russia as well as the West. They also see their close commercial, diplomatic and in some cases (such as Venezuela and Nicaragua) security ties with China and Russia as a vital counterbalance against US and European interests in the region. Washington Pivots Back to Latin America For its part, Washington is growing increasingly concerned about the growing influence of Russia and China in its own direct neighborhood and is very quickly pivoting back to Latin America. As I said in my last article, the Pentagon appears to be leading the way, which is not a good sign. Speaking this week at the Aspen Security Forum, the Commander of US Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, had the following to say about Latin America: This region is so rich in resources. Its off the chart rich. And they have a lot to be proud of and our competitors and adversaries also know how rich in resources this region is. Sixty percent of the worlds lithium is in the region, you have heavy crude, you have light sweet crude, you have rare earth elements, you have the Amazon, which is called the lungs of the world. You have 31% of the worlds fresh water in this region. And there our adversaries are taking advantage of this region every single day, right in our neighborhood. And I just look at what happens in this region in terms of security [and it] impacts our security and national security in the homeland and the United States. Moves are also being made on the Hill. In the past few days U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, D-NJ, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., both descendants of Cuban immigrants, were also able to get their bill to bolster bilateral and multilateral security cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as disrupt and counter illicit narcotics trafficking through the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio introduced the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act with Menendez, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as a co-sponsor in February. The bill seeks to counter what the senators perceive as the harmful and malign influence in Latin America of China and Russia, contending that the destabilizing role of authoritarian governments in Beijing and Moscow represent unique threats to U.S. national security interests as well as the regions welfare. It is imperative for the United States to be strategic and proactive in strengthening security partnerships with democracies throughout the Americas, Menendez added. This bill recognizes the geopolitical significance of Latin America. As AP reported in February, the bill, if approved, would require the Secretaries of State and Defense to jointly submit within 180 days a strategy to enhance diplomatic engagement and security assistance in the Western Hemisphere on issues ranging from drug trafficking to transnational crime. Concrete steps would include increasing military training exercises with partner nations and efforts to improve their capacity to conduct disaster relief operations. At the same time, Russia, China and Iran, together with 10 other allied countries, are preparing to participate in a series of war games this August in Venezuela, a country that is currently negotiating reestablishing economic ties with Washington after five years of brutal sanctions. Meanwhile, Venezuelas ties with fellow US-sanctioned Russia, Iran and Cuba have never been closer. In a recent report the Center for a Secure Free Society (SFS), a Washington-based think tank, described the military exercises as a strategic movement that seeks to preposition military assets deployed in Latin America and the Caribbean. The text features an apt quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the end of the unipolar world, saying that in Washington they have not yet realized that new powerful centers have formed and are making themselves known more and more loudly. Not the way Now make me do it supporters ought to act. (Is the man at the desk this guy?) In a recent Twitter thread, Adam Jentleson, a former top Harry Reid staffer, takes the Democratic Party ecosystem and in particular its big-budget lefty orgs to task for their share of the problem we face today. That share is large, since they largely abandoned their progressive-advocacy roles in 2009 and later, when Democrats had a real chance to make big structural change and spent time instead standing in awe of Obama, to paraphrase the above cartoon. For example, Democrats didnt codify Roe into law when they could, when the controlled both Houses of Congress and the presidency; now the task seems impossible, when theyre likely to control none of that. For the magnitude of the Democrats opportunity in 2009, see this by Dave Johnson at Seeing the Forest. That year was, in retrospect, their one shot, and they blew it badly. But as Jentleson notes, it wasnt just the White House that blew it, or the Democratic Congress. It was almost everyone with power in the Party orbit. Jentlesons thread text follows below, lightly edited for clarity. All emphasis is mine. As we pore over the forensics of how we got here, the message from those who controlled the Dem party for the last 30 years or so has been that Republicans had a long-term plan, so what was Biden supposed to do? That begs the question: What were you doing that whole time? 1/ Note his address to you, the ecosystem that he says controlled the Dem party for the last 30 years. Keep the word controlled in mind as you ponder the implications of this piece. One area of focus should be the progressive advocacy space. A multi-multi million dollar industry, many big orgs in this space were founded long ago with the mission of countering conservatives structural advantages in the halls of power. Did they do a good job? Lets see. 2/ Today, these orgs are being raked over the coals for being too consumed with woke infighting to be effective. Maybe, I dont know, but its beside the point. Pull back: they had their chance, failed, and the moment passed. Everything else is recriminations. So what was that chance? 3/ The chance was 2009. Obama came into office with the most dominant electoral college win in more than 20 years. Dems held 257 (!) seats in the House + 60 in the Senate. If the mission of progressive orgs was to correct structural imbalances, this was the moment of opportunity.4/ Then he discusses Obama. President Obama was filibuster-reform curious. Maybe more he ran as an outsider, after all. So when he stepped into the Oval, did he encounter a multi-million dollar advocacy industry demanding that he reform the filibuster to reduce conservatives structural power? Lol no. 5/ This thread is about the multi-multi-million dollar progressive advocacy space. Maybe Obama wouldve encountered professional, well-funded, cross-coalitional demands for structural reform and opted against them. The problem is, he never encountered them in the first place. 6/ This is quite forgiving of Obama, since it presumes he was convincible when he entered office. Here is Barack Obama in 2006, a full two years before Yes We Can sold the country on his love for the non-wealthy: This piece describes the Hamilton Project, a creature of Robert Rubin, Roger Altman and Peter Orszag, whom Obama thanks personally in his speech at the Projects inauguration. (Interesting that they chose Obama as their inaugural speaker, since his star had only started to rise in 2006. He was, remember, just a freshman senator at that point. Had he been marked for marketing already by this group? I suspect the answer is yes; it certainly anticipates his successful Wall Street fundraising in the following two years.) Obama calls the people in the room, all neoliberals, innovative. Then he adds, Our country owes a great debt to a number of the people who are in this room because they helped put us on a pathway of prosperity were still enjoying. Would he be talking about the neoliberal prosperity were enjoying even to this day? Or rather the prosperity that Obama, Rubin, Altman, Orszag, and a few thousands of their wealthy friends are enjoying? There are other atrocities in the speech as well. Its short, so Ill leave you to find them for yourself. Back to Jentleson: Its a question of how to wield power. You had one shot, So what did you do? Instead of demanding the structural reforms that the progressive advocacy world supposedly existed to counter, it decided to cheerlead whatever the administration did. Access uber alles. 7/ The entire point of advocacy orgs is to provide additional insight behind what the WH can glean. Trust me, the money they burn on advocating WH priorities is virtually worthless. This thread is asking: if big lefty advocacy orgs cant see down the field, whats the point of them? Another major point. Though Jentleson doesnt name them, the organization he might mean include CAP (a very neoliberal outfit), national NARAL, the national Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, WWF (which Ive written about here), Planned Parenthood Action Fund (the national PAC), and so on. Planned Parenthood and national NARAL, for example, didnt hold Obamas feet to the fire after he reinstated the Stupak Amendment into the ACA as part of his signing statement, yet they exist solely to protect womens health and rights. They also did this. And the national Sierra Club has done things like this. And none of this touches the massive, dismal future of climate change regulation. Jentleson says, regarding the motivation of these orgs, Access uber alles. I would add that tribal loyalties trump policy as well. (When our side screws you, its ok. Nothing is allowed to damage our side.) His next point is also important: Theres a real accounting to be had here. As someone who worked in the progressive advocacy space at the time, the overwhelming vibe was to back the administration. Look I get the reflex. But these were multi-million-dollar orgs whose *entire purpose* was to have the long view. Part of that 30 year plan was destroying any established group that advocated or organized Dem voters. Camille LaGuire (@camillelaguire) July 17, 2022 The thing is, the intellectual heft for structural reforms was already there. Folks like @mattyglesias and @ezraklein had been advocating for [it] for years. Republicans had laid the basis for it [structural reform] in laws journals and Senate speeches. Did the lefty space push [structural reform]? Lol no. The professional lefty space, by which I mean the big orgs, [see likely list above] faced a choice: advocate for structural reforms at a time when Dems had the votes to enact them, or become meek cheerleaders behind whatever Democratic leaders wanted to do. It chose the latter. And heres the thing And Jentleson notes the contradictions the lefty orgs (i.e. liberal in the professional sense) dont exist to pass legislation. They exist to influence the administration and bend the policy curve toward progressive action: These big-budget lefty orgs were set up to exert elite influence, not to command grassroots pressure or provide air cover via TV ads. They dont have chapters in swing states etc. So the idea that they played any meaningful role in passing the priorities of the Obama admin is BS. They cant justify a cheerleading-only role with presences only in blue states. And yes, there is an accounting, and that comes now, with the end of Roe and the perhaps-fatal weakening of the EPA and the rest of the regulatory state. Jentleson closes with an answer to a Twitter question: How much of this was informed by an (inaccurate) view that there had been a massive realignment in 2008 and Dems would hold a near permanent majority (i.e., theyd be winning Indiana at the Presidential level for decades to come.) as long as too much change didnt scare people? Aditya Sood (@adityasood) July 17, 2022 This [question above] is a good Q, but it gets back to my main point. Im talking about multi-million-dollar orgs founded for the exact purpose of countering conservatives structural advantages. If they couldnt read exit polls more accurately than your average Joe, what was the point of them? Whats the point to them? Yet he has already answered this question, earlier in the thread: Access uber alles. I would add to that answer career-building, list-building and fundraising. These orgs exist, among their other goals, just to exist and to further the careers of their leaders. They dont exist to risk being tossed out of what Jane Hamsher famously called the Democratic veal pen, even if that violates their stated mission. The problem, fixing the Democratic Party, is larger than most people think. Its not enough to reform its leadership, to reform the Party as currently led. Most of the Partys big-dollar ecosystem exists to keep it just as it is, to make sure the Party stays as currently led. If the Partys ecosystem isnt reformed or replaced, nothing meaningful will change, and newer leaders will fight an uphill battle against the Partys own big supporters. By the way, if I were inclined to peel away support in favor of an actual progressive party, Id start with labor. Its members are perpetually screwed by the Party-as-is, and the rank-and-file seem to know it. Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war both real fog and stage fog in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked. And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders. Yves P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies: Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please dont do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them. * * * Greatest Migration on Earth Happens under Darkness Every Day Scientific American Was Tricia the elephant happy? Experts on the ethics of keeping such big, roaming creatures in captivity The Conversation An Economy of Overfed Middlemen Matt Stoller, BIG Amazon to Buy One Medical Network of Health Clinics in Healthcare Expansion WSJ Dont let the airlines fool you. Regulate their cancellations and high fares. USA Today Climate Yves here. This post is instructive, but not in a good way. Keep in mind that despite the scary spectacle of New York City hospitals overloaded with Covid patients in March 2020, that was not the fault of the city but the result of Andrew Cuomos protracted and successful campaign to reduce the number of hospital beds city-wide. NYC distributed masks for free at subway stations and continues to provide free Covid tests (there are many stations). In other words, NYC is meaningfully above the low average you see for public health measures in the US. The fact that it is having trouble getting enough monkeypox vaccines despite being a big hot spot and therefore having to ration them is not a good sign. This post also has some useful general information about monkeypox. By Shantel Destra and Candace Pedraza. Originally published on July 21, 2022 at THE CITY Workers sign in patients waiting to get a monkeypox vaccine at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic, July 11, 2022. Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY The rollout of the monkeypox vaccine in New York City has been riddled with technical difficulties, communication issues and a major shortage of doses. When the first 1,000 doses arrived at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic in early June, appointments were filled almost immediately. The people who booked them waited for hours in long lines at the clinic as the demand for the vaccine far exceeded the supply. In early July, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that 6,000 new doses of the vaccine had arrived only to pause bookings because of appointment portal glitches. Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan tweeted an apology for the tech mess-up, and said the city would do better in the days and weeks ahead. More appointments opened on July 15, this time through the citys own vaccine appointment portal, Vax4NYC.gov. The change comes after the previously contracted site, MedRite, experienced major problems. New Yorkers can also now text the word MONKEYPOX to 692692 to receive updates on vaccine appointment availability, or book a vaccine appointment by calling 877-VAX-4NYC. As of July 18, a total of 616 people have tested positive for monkeypox in New York City. This is a significant jump from the previous week, when there were a total of 223 reported cases. New York City currently has the highest number of monkeypox cases in the country, health department officials said at a July 11 town hall on the outbreak. State and city health officials have urged the federal government to send more vaccine doses. State and city health officials have urged the federal government to send more vaccine doses, including in a letter Mayor Eric Adams sent to President Biden on July 11. To cope with the shortage, the health department said on July 15 that it would prioritize just first doses of the vaccines until we receive adequate vaccine supply. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine would ideally be given in two shots, four weeks apart. With all the confusion, you may be wondering about the specifics of the contagious viral disease, whos at risk, how concerned you should be and how to access the vaccine. Were here to help. Heres a guide on what to know about the monkeypox outbreak: What Is Monkeypox? Monkeypox isnt new. It was first discovered in the 1970s, according to the World Health Organization and since then, cases have primarily been linked to international travel to places where the disease is common, including central and west Africa. The cause of the disease which is part of the orthopoxvirus family along with smallpox is unknown. The CDC has identified fever, headache, chills, and swollen lymph nodes as symptoms of monkeypox. Those infected are also known to have pimple-like rashes that may appear on the face, hands, feet, and inside of the mouth. The infection can last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. How Does Monkeypox Spread? Monkeypox can spread through direct contact with infected skin, bodily fluids, and intimate physical contact as outlined by the CDC. The disease can also spread through indirect contact with fabric such as bedding, clothing, and linen that has been on infected areas of the skin. During the citys July 18 town hall, health commissioner Vasan said that we still dont know if monkeypox can be spread by saliva, semen or vaginal fluids, or if infected people who are asymptomatic can spread it. Many health experts who spoke with THE CITY said the diseases spread is a cause for concern. Any number of health experts will tell you they could see the writing on the wall to know that increased community spread was going to happen, said Christian Grov, professor at CUNY School of Public Health. That spread, in turn, is an opportunity for the disease to become better adapted to humans, and transmit more efficiently, said Stephen Morse, a Professor of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Medical Center. These numbers are usually the tip of the iceberg, said Wafaa El-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health. In all likelihood there are probably more people that are infected who havent been tested. Experts told THE CITY that more vaccine doses are needed, with El-Sadr adding that theres a pressing need to inform the public about the ways the disease is transmitted and its symptoms. We cannot allow complacency from people thinking its just a few hundred cases, she said. Whos Most At Risk? The CDC has identified gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men as making up a high number of cases, based on early data. A July 18 health advisory from the city health department said that 99% of cases were among men who have sex with men (MSM). Vasan said at the July 11 town hall that there is nothing intrinsic about the disease that makes it a bigger risk for those men, but rather that this current outbreak happens to be concentrated at the moment and that started this way amongst social networks and sexual networks of gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with other men. Experts who spoke with THE CITY agree that having a targeted approach to vaccinate groups presently at a higher risk for contracting monkeypox may slow the spread of the disease. According to El-Sadr, the city health department should think creatively in expanding vaccine distribution to sexual health clinics and other locations across the city, building off of lessons learned from the COVID-19 vaccination efforts. You cant expect people to go to you. Youve got to meet people where they are, she said. Where Can I Get the Monkeypox Vaccine? As of the second week of July, monkeypox vaccines in New York City are being offered by appointment from the health department to people who meet all of the following criteria: Gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men and/or transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people. Those who are 18 years or older. Those who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days, the health department said. The vaccine is also being offered to people whove been informed by the health department that theyve been in contact with someone with monkeypox. A new round of vaccine appointments will open on July 22 at 6 p.m., the city health department announced. To schedule an appointment, visit the NYC Department of Health website or call 877-VAX-4NYC. Be warned, however: the website has repeatedly gone down as its been overwhelmed by traffic. As of July 13, the city health department said monkeypox vaccines will be available at the following locations: Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic, 303 Ninth Ave. in Manhattan Central Harlem Sexual Health Clinic, 2238 Fifth Ave. in Manhattan Corona Sexual Health Clinic, 34-33 Junction Blvd. in Queens An additional location, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Vanderbilt on Staten Island, will be open on multiple days of the week soon. Two Vaccines Whats the Difference? There are two types of vaccines used to treat monkeypox: JYNNEOS and ACAM2000. JYNNEOS is the vaccine that is being made available by the city. It is approved by the FDA for prevention of monkeypox for people over 18 years old and is typically administered in two doses, four weeks apart. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose. However, as mentioned previously, New York City shifted to a single-dose strategy in mid-July to cope with a supply shortage. The monkeypox vaccines, which are more commonly used to protect against smallpox, have been found to be very effective according to the CDC. Even if you have contracted monkeypox, the vaccine is still effective in preventing more severe symptoms. The second vaccine sometimes used to treat monkeypox, known as ACAM2000, carries risks for pregnant and immunocompromised people, has serious side effects and requires multiple needle jabs, according to reporting by The Atlantic. Why Are There So Few Vaccines Available? The JYNNEOS vaccine is made by a small company in Denmark with a manufacturing facility that has been shut down since last August, The New York Times previously reported. In late June, The White House released an outbreak response to distribute an initial 56,000 vaccines immediately to jurisdictions with the highest number of cases and population at risk, with 1.5 million vaccine doses following over the next few months. On June 30, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that 8,165 doses would soon become available in New York State. Just over a week later, the citys health department announced the 6,000 vaccines. At the town hall on July 11, Vasan and New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett and Vasan referred to New York City as the epicenter for monkeypox and complained that New York was not receiving an adequate supply of doses from Washington. Weve gotten an allocation of 14% [of national vaccines] with 27% of the cases, said Dr. Bassett. But whatever these numbers are, there has not been enough vaccines. Its clear that more vaccines are needed. THE CITY will update this story as more information becomes available. Yves here. I am in no position to forecast what might become of Sri Lanka. But it is true that longstanding leaders/ruling dynasties that suddenly lose power have many high level retainers and hanger-ons. If they are not purged, they will scheme for the return of the old regime. By Rashmee Roshan Lall, who writes on international affairs. She has lived and worked in eight countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, Haiti and Tunisia, has a PhD, blogs at www.rashmee.com and is on Twitter @rashmeerl. Originally published at openDemocracy Sri Lankas dramatic demonstration of people power forcing a despised president to flee the country has rekindled memories of a similar peaceful uprising on another island nation, the Philippines. But thoughts are also turning to the sobering denouement of that public protest in Manila nearly 40 years ago. In Sri Lanka, as with the Philippines in 1986, a largely non-violent uprising has driven out a leader whose family had wielded power for a couple of decades. In both countries, the world watched as crowds surged into the opulent presidential palace, gawping at the luxury amid which their leader lived. As with the Marcos political dynasty in the Philippines, Sri Lankas Rajapaksas are accused of enriching themselves at the expense of their country. And now, some supporters of Sri Lankas former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family are hoping the parallels with the Philippines go even further. Tharaka Balasuriya, a minister in Rajapaksas government and a member of parliament belonging to Rajapaksas Sri Lanka Freedom Party, recently told the BBC: We saw what happened in the Philippines, Marcoss son has returned to power So at some time, someone from the Rajapaksa family could come back to power. So I would never say neverI wouldnt bet against it. Balasuriya is referring to the success of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the former dictator, who was sworn in as the Philippines 17th president last month, in a remarkable reversal of the disgrace that had dogged the familys name. In May, Marcos Jr, who goes by the nickname Bongbong, won a landslide election victory, with his political allies also securing control of the other legislative chambers. Some analysts agree that there are profound and occasionally troubling similarities between Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Jayadeva Uyangoda, a political scientist at the University of Colombo, told openDemocracy that there are some similarities in what happened in the Philippines in 1986, even though the Philippines under Marcos was a much more repressive dictatorship, with open support from America. Sri Lanka, he added, is a peculiar case of autocracy of an executive authoritarianism under a so-called executive president, yet with institutions of democracy (elected Parliament, a multi-party system, free and fair elections, relatively untainted judiciary and media) functioning side by side. The current situation in Sri Lanka seems exactly like the Philippines, Ashok Swain, professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, told openDemocracy. Swain, who has long focussed on the Tamil insurgency in Sri Lanka and the poisonous brand of majoritarian Sinhalese politics brought in by the Rajapaksa family, says it is sensible to be cautious about future developments. For the time being, the revolution has been successful, thats all one can say right now for Sri Lanka. Remember, [in the Philippines] the son [of dictator Marcos] is back. So, all one can say is, the Rajapaksas are gone for now. He added that the Marcos familys stunning political rehabilitation must surely offer hope and possibly even a template for action to fallen autocratic dynasties everywhere, not least in Sri Lanka. The reference is to the Marcos familys refusal to abandon the Philippines politics for too long after the uprising. Bongbong Marcos, for instance, returned to frontline politics in the family stronghold of Ilocos Norte after his fathers death in exile in Hawaii in 1989. Even his mother, Imelda, the former first lady who is infamous for her 3,000-pair shoe collection, twice ran unsuccessfully for president in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the Marcos era has been inaccurately portrayed on social media channels as a period of economic growth and glorious certainty. The country has been described by a senior Facebook executive, global politics and government outreach director Katie Harbath, as patient zero in the global disinformation epidemic. In Sri Lanka, the myth-making about the Rajapaksas may have already begun. Balasuriya has questioned whether the current economic crisis is the result of the Rajapaksa familys alleged dishonesty. Instead, he said, Rajapaksa could perhaps be blamed for no more than a series of unfortunate policy decisions such as cutting taxes. Days after Rajapaksas 14 July resignation, his party praised him for ending terrorism, saluted his service as a war hero and blamed the complex challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic for the worst economic crisis in the country since independence in 1948. The party has also lauded him for stepping down as president, stating that the relinquishment of political power is rarer than anything else. There are signs, too, that the Rajapaksas will not easily give up on their place in public life. The former presidents resignation letter, which was read out in Sri Lankas parliament on Saturday, struck a defiant rather than despairing note and hinted at a possible return. I served my motherland to the best of my ability, and I will continue to do so in the future, he said. A return to the political arena was also hinted at by Namal Rajapaksa, the former presidents nephew and son of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the presidents older brother, during a recent interview. He described his familys current predicament as a temporary setback. Namal, whose father Mahinda resigned as prime minister in May, having also served as president from 2005 to 2015, added: This is a rough patch, so face it and move forward. Some Sri Lankans say that the Rajapaksas may even be helped in the short term by newly elected president Ranil Wickremesinghe, to whom Gotabaya controversially bequeathed the responsibilities of his office when he fled the country. The Rajapaksas party, which has the largest number of seats in the legislature, backed Wickremesinghe as its candidate. But for now, Sri Lankas politically powerful house of Rajapaksa has undoubtedly been humbled. Just as the Philippines bloodless revolution was once seen as the worlds bright spot, Sri Lankans restraint and resolve in dealing with allegedly corrupt and populist leaders are being praised. Even so, for many Sri Lankans, there may be a lingering fear that the Philippines will serve as a model for another son rise in the east. 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 On Friday, Metro Nashville filed a motion for a temporary injunction that would pause implementation of the states Education Savings Account program. After being narrowly passed by the state legislature and held up in court for years, the ESA program received the green light last week when the Davidson County Chancery Court lifted a previous injunction. With less than three weeks until Metro Nashville Public Schools return, the state is seeking to implement the program for the coming school year despite uncertainties and developing procedures. Through the ESA program, eligible families in Nashville and Memphis will receive vouchers with values of approximately $8,192 to put toward private schooling. In its first year, the state will fund ESAs for 5,000 families. The money, which comes from state funds, can be used for private school tuition and other education-related costs. Eligible families include those who live in Memphis and Nashville and make not more than twice the federal income eligibility guidelines for free lunch. In the nine days since the injunction was lifted, the TDOE has updated its website's ESA information and the governor has announced his intention to move forward, releasing a list of more than 40 private schools that are willing to enroll students through the ESA program. Sixteen schools from Nashville are on the list most of them with a religious affiliation including Father Ryan High School, Benton Hall Academy and Holy Rosary Academy, along with St. John Vianney Catholic School in Sumner County. These schools are still pending approval from the state. Though students must live in Davidson County or Shelby County to be eligible in the program, they can attend approved private schools in other counties through the program. Many details still need to be worked out. Even though Gov. Bill Lee has been pushing for the ESA program for years, the state was not able to work on it while it was being litigated. The department has both an intent to [enroll] and an intent to participate posted on the ESA portion of our website, says TDOE representative Brian Blackley. That is there to determine what the need and/or the demand is among both schools that are interested in participating and among parents who are interested in their children participating. Once we determine the scale of that need, we will move forward with putting together a timeline of implementation on how we're going to do this. But right now, we are working hand in hand with the governor's team, and our first steps are to determine what the need and demand are so that we can move forward with whatever those next steps may be, dictated by that demand. As reported by The Tennessean, the state is seeking to roll out the program in half the time a TDOE rep said it would take back in 2020. Scene contributor Betsy Phillips also reminded folks that private school students, including those enrolled in the ESA program, forfeit their rights to a free appropriate public education, as well as their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. We are very concerned that the State of Tennessee is rushing to implement a voucher scheme with very few details or infrastructure in place for a school year that starts in about three weeks, says MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted. The rush to implement will have consequences for our students and our operations. We have already set our budget for this school year and cannot afford to have millions of dollars redirected to private schools. Plus, weve assigned teachers and staff to particular schools based on our projected enrollment. Immediate implementation of the ESA program has the potential to disrupt those plans. We are still hopeful that the courts will stop this law from going into effect based on issues not previously decided by the Supreme Court. Logistically, MNPS operates with a student-based budgeting model," he continues. "Principals develop budgets based on enrollment projections. After the start of the school year, budgets are revised based on actual enrollment taken through ADM counts. If enrollment is lower than projected, principals may have to reduce staff or non-personnel expenses because of the decline. (Natural News) The administration of President Joe Biden is using the so-called climate crisis to end American prosperity. Biden recently announced new executive steps his administration will be taking to combat climate change on Wednesday, July 20, following the defeat of his climate agenda in Congress. Since Congress is not acting as it should this is an emergency and I will look at it that way, said Biden. As president, Ill use my executive powers to combat the climate crisis in the absence of executive action. (Related: Sabotage Joe fake president threatens to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY and invoke destructive executive orders to shut down Americas entire energy infrastructure.) The presidents executive initiatives include providing $2.3 billion in taxpayer dollars to fund a program that helps communities prepare for disasters by expanding flood control measures and retrofitting buildings. This program will also leverage its funding to help low-income families cover heating and cooling costs. Biden is also directing the Department of the Interior to propose setting up new offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. He claimed that this plan could power more than three million homes once completed and help the administration reach its goal of deploying 30 gigawatts worth of offshore wind farms by the end of the decade. Furthermore, Biden ordered Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to advance offshore wind farm developments in the mid- and southern Atlantic Coast and Floridas Gulf Coast. Biden is fulfilling his campaign promise to slash American greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. He is turning to executive fiat following the defeat of his climate agenda in Congress by moderate Democrats, including West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who recently announced that he will not support any major climate provisions in the reconciliation bill. Without the support of moderate Democrats like Manchin, any climate provisions in bills that do not need a filibuster-proof majority to pass in the Senate are dead in the water. Bidens climate alarmism a ploy to make people give up their prosperity Theyre actually speaking a different language, said Owen Shroyer during an episode of War Room on InfoWars. They say climate change, they mean the end of human prosperity. They say they want to end man-made climate change, the translation is end individual prosperity.' Shroyer noted that while many, if not all, the people tuning into InfoWars understand this, a lot of other people still believe in the lies and the propaganda. You could shut it all down tomorrow. You could shut every power plant off, you could close every coal mine, you could [stop] every combustion engine vehicle, stop every plane, and guess what? The temperature tomorrow isnt gonna go down a single degree. Not a single degree. And that extreme heat? It aint going anywhere either, said Shroyer. The idea is to trick you into thinking that would be the case so that you would voluntarily enter slavery, voluntarily turn it all off, voluntarily die. Learn more about the actions being taken against the so-called climate change at GreenTyranny.news. Watch this clip from War Room on InfoWars as host Owen Shroyer talks about what the Democratic Party doesnt want Americans to know about so-called climate change and extreme weather. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: World Economic Forum claims economic crisis is an opportunity to transition to green energy. Texans urged to conserve energy as state wind farms CANT produce enough power to meet demand. Cities in California are BANNING construction of new gas stations. Collapse continues: Environmentalists sue Biden regime to block 3,500 oil and gas permit applications for drilling on federal lands. White House hires WEF climate extremist and Hunter Biden think tank employee as new supply chain advisor. Sources include: Brighteon.com CNBC.com (Natural News) Former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx called for draconian lockdowns to curb the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). However, she was caught violating the same lockdowns she advocated a glaring hypocrisy. Even if [Dr.] Anthony Fauci had been the front man for the media, it was Birx who was the main influence in the White House behind the nationwide lockdowns, said libertarian writer James A. Tucker in a July 16 piece for the Brownstone Institute. He added that the lockdowns did not stop or control the pathogen, but instead caused immense suffering and [continued] to roil and wreck the world. According to Tucker, Birx handled the really crucial task of convincing former President Donald Trump to approve the lockdowns at Faucis behest. Trump yielded to Birxs suggestions, with the lockdowns that commenced on March 12 and hit their zenith four days later on March 16. This 15 days to flatten the curve, Tucker said, turned into two years. She actually tricked [Trump] into believing that locking down a whole population of people was somehow magically going to make a virus, to which everyone would inevitably be exposed somehow, vanish as a threat. Tucker quoted passages from Birxs book Silent Invasion, which served as the former officials admission that she deceived the Trump administration into approving the draconian lockdowns. We had to make these [lockdowns] palatable to the administration by avoiding the obvious appearance of a full Italian lockdown. At the same time, we needed the measures to be effective at slowing the spread, which meant matching as closely as possible what Italy had done. At this point, I wasnt about to use the words lockdown or shutdown. If I had uttered either of those in early March, after being at the White House only one week, the political, nonmedical members of the task force would have dismissed me as too alarmist, too doom-and-gloom, too reliant on feelings and not facts. They would have campaigned to lock me down and shut me up. Birx called to restrict gatherings but went to one Days before Thanksgiving 2020, Birx warned the public to assume [theyre] infected and called to restrict gatherings to their immediate households. What happened next, however, shined a light on her hypocrisy. Birx traveled to her property in Delawares Fenwick Island accompanied by three generations of her family from two households, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Dec. 21, 2020. She then met with other family members for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Birxs visit to the Delaware house directly contradicted her earlier call to restrict gatherings. (Related: Top coronavirus task force official flouts own travel advice.) Following questions from the AP about her visit, Birx acknowledged in a statement that she did visit Fenwick Island. She, however, insisted that her visit centered on the winterization of the property before a potential sale. I did not go to Delaware for the purpose of celebrating Thanksgiving, she noted, adding that her family shared a meal together during the visit. Birx also reiterated that family members who accompanied her to the First State were part of her immediate household, even though she acknowledged that they live in two different homes. My daughter hasnt left that house in 10 months, [and] my parents have been isolated for 10 months. Theyve become deeply depressed as Im sure many elderly have as theyve not been able to see their sons [and] granddaughters. My parents have not been able to see their surviving son for over a year. These are all very difficult things, she said in defense of her decision. Despite claims of retirement following the Thanksgiving fiasco, Birx left the White House in January 2021 when incumbent President Joe Biden took over. It was significant that she would not and could not comply with her own dictates, even as her fellow citizens were being hunted down for the same infractions against public health,' Tucker ultimately remarked. Watch Dr. Deborah Birx admitting to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan that claims of the COVID-19 vaccine being effective were based on hope. This video is from The Willow channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Dr. Atlas memoir blasts Birx, Redfield, Fauci for dismissing covid science. Deborah Birx hid covid info from Trump, altered CDC guidelines without approval. Vaccine mandates were predicated on hope rather than science, admits Deborah Birx. Dr. Scott Atlas slams supposed experts who shaped the Trump administrations COVID-19 pandemic response. Sources include: SHTFPlan.com Brownstone.org APNews.com BBC.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Scott Schara, whose 19-year-old daughter Grace died while in the hospital for Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, said do not resuscitate (DNR) orders concealed the governments mass genocide agenda. The bereaved father made this assertion on the July 20 episode of the Brighteon.TV program The Dr. Ardis Show. He recounted to chiropractor Dr. Bryan Ardis the last moments which led to Graces death. Thanks to the help of a medical malpractice nurse and requests for missing pages of his daughters medical records, Scott found a smoking gun. According to Scott, the doctor in charge of Grace issued a DNR order at 10:56 a.m. on the day she died. Eight minutes later, she was administered 14 times the original amount of the sedative Precedex. Grace was ultimately given a combination of three medicines Precedex, lorazepam and morphine within a span of 29 minutes. One of the attorneys who reviewed the situation said that they believe the Precedex [alone] would have taken Grace out. So they had to have the DNR in place, without consulting her family, to cover [their] tracks, Scott divulged. The package insert of the sedative listed respiratory failure and hypoxemia low oxygen levels in the blood as adverse reactions associated with infusions done longer than 24 hours. Under pertinent laws, DNR orders must be discussed with the family and consented to in writing which did not happen in Graces case. A bracelet signifying that a patient is not to be revived is also required. However, she was not given this indicator. Graces death certificate stated that acute respiratory failure with hypoxemia was the immediate cause of her death. It also listed COVID-19 as the second cause of her death which, according to her father, was done so [the hospitals] can get their $30,000 bonus for taking her out. (Related: Scott Schara: Hospital homicide via COVID treatments part of a GENOCIDAL agenda.) The hospitals are simply a conduit for doing the governments business, Scott said. Once you get admitted, you lose control of your choices and if you fit their criteria to take you out, you dont have a chance. Graces death was premeditated murder Ardis said he has been warning the public since May 2020 that the true intention for the plandemic was mass genocide. Its going to be like the concentration camps in Germany during World War II, said the chiropractor and program host. They are actually going to take people away from their families, isolate [them] and experiment on them with drugs as they did during the Holocaust. Theyre going to mass murder people they dont want on this planet. The Brighteon.TV host cited a 2011 document that outlined this mass murder agenda. It stated that globalists plan to decimate population in the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia. Graces father shared specific instances leading to Graces death that bolstered his argument of premeditated murder. The instances only made sense after he probed deeper into what happened. Scotts other daughter Jessica, who was Graces patient advocate, was escorted away by an armed guard three days before Grace died. He himself was kicked out for turning off the alarms in Graces room as she could not sleep at night. Moreover, he was told that nurses at the prior three shifts did not want him in the room. Ardis guest encouraged anybody who lost a loved one to hospital homicide to obtain the pertinent records, in case they get to open up an opportunity to take legal action. Make sure you get all the records. Youve got to have the records to be able to get justice, he said. Visit HospitalHomicide.com for more stories about the role of COVID-19 hospital treatments in the genocide agenda. Watch the full July 20 episode of The Dr. Ardis Show featuring Scott Schara below. Catch new episodes of the program every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Hospital homicide: Wisconsin medical facility REFUSED to revive patient despite instructions to do so. Grieving father reveals how hospital COVID protocols led to maltreatment and death of his disabled daughter. Dr. Jane Ruby: Nurses that stayed in hospitals allowed COVID death protocol to remain Brighteon.TV. Father forced to leave hospital, witness daughters death on FaceTime all due to outrageous covid restrictions. Sources include: Brighteon.com Finance.Yahoo.com LifeSiteNews.com (Natural News) A lesbian TikTok user posted Saturday that she would not have fought for gay rights if she knew that it would lead to grooming children. (Article by Joseph Summers republished from LifeSiteNews.com) The user, who identifies herself as Carol, uploaded the video claiming that it would be an unpopular opinion. Here it is, the most unpopular opinion Ill ever do, the video begins. If I would have understood when I was younger that fighting for my rights as a lesbian would mean allowing children to drag shows, attaching child molesters to our community, and allowing children to change their sex before they even know what their favorite color is, I would have never done it. Never. This is the heartbreaking reality of what the woke activists have done to our community with their push to sexualize & indoctrinate children. So many of us feel this way. Had we known this is what our fight for equality would have led to, we wouldnt have fought for it at all ? pic.twitter.com/TRm1CbKlH3 Gays Against Groomers (@againstgroomers) July 17, 2022 The video was reposted to Twitter by the LGBT group Gays Against Groomers. This is the heartbreaking reality of what the woke activists have done to our community with their push to sexualize & indoctrinate children, the group tweeted. So many of us feel this way. Had we known this is what our fight for equality would have led to, we wouldnt have fought for it at all. The original video has over 12,000 likes on TikTok at the time of this writing. Reaction to the video has been positive. One commenter on TikTok said, God bless you!! Thank you for speaking up for our kids!! A commenter on Twitter posted, This makes my heart sad. Over three decades ago I predicted this would come to bear, although I really hoped it wouldnt. Always the fringe that brings on the hatred of those in the middle. The term groomer has come to prominence in recent months after leftist reaction to Floridas Parental Rights in Education law was met by proponents use of the phrase Okay, groomer. The law went into effect earlier this month. The Disney Company denounced the law after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it, saying it would work to overturn the bill. DeSantis removed Disneys special district status for its parks in Orlando as a result. Meanwhile, a video surfaced of Disney executives admitting that they sought to push LGBT messages in its content. The term has also been used by parental rights activists to describe drag shows aimed at children. Last month, a drag show in Dallas featured a performer with a history of prostitution, drug use and possession. The performer invited children to the stage during the event. In California, Democratic homosexual state Rep. Scott Wiener proposed making drag shows a mandatory part of K-12 curriculum as a reaction to the proposed Texas law. DeSantis eliminated the statute of limitations for adults subjecting children to sexually charged performances last month. The Twitter account Libs of TikTok has also exposed grooming conducted by teachers in schools. Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com (Natural News) The publicly-funded NPR news outlet launched a disinformation reporting team on Friday, but the outlets constant hypocrisy was quickly exposed. (Article by Michael Robison republished from TheGatewayPundit.com) Users across Twitter wasted no time chiming in on the consistent string of disinformation shared by the news outlet, leaving them with barely a shred of dignity. Users pointed out multiple moments of disinformation related to Hunter Bidens laptop, Kyle Rittenhouse, and more. Casey Morrell of NPR announced the team on Twitter, saying, some great company news: were launching a disinformation team. some great company news: were launching a disinformation team https://t.co/LWzxt5yIjL casey morell (@csymrl) July 15, 2022 Twitter erupted with responses immediately. Much of the commentary centered around the Hunter Biden laptop story first reported by the NY Post, which NPR called a waste of time. We dont want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we dont want to waste the listeners and readers time on stories that are just pure distractions, Sanders said of the New York Posts report of Hunter Bidens laptop. Why havent you seen any stories from NPR about the NY Posts Hunter Biden story? Read more in this weeks newsletter?? https://t.co/CJesPgmGvopic.twitter.com/jAi7PnpbZf NPR Public Editor (@NPRpubliceditor) October 22, 2020 Gregg Re, a producer for Tucker Carlson, replied to the news, saying, Does your managing editor still think the hunter Biden laptop is not a real story? Does your managing editor still think the hunter Biden laptop is not a real story? pic.twitter.com/4f6BdtMAWC Gregg Re (@gregg_re) July 16, 2022 Journalist Kyle Becker said, Edit your own stupid website for disinformation first, then you can worry about policing the entire Internet. Plus, taxpayers dont fund your Woke nonsense to infringe on the First Amendment. When the adults are back in charge, expect to answer tough questions. The response from John Levine, a reporter for NY Post, drew lots of attention. His response was simple, Hey lets start with this one! some great company news: were launching a disinformation team https://t.co/LWzxt5yIjL casey morell (@csymrl) July 15, 2022 One user, a former journalist pointed out that NPR had spread lies about the Kyle Rittenhouse shooting during the Black Lives Matter riots in Wisconsin. He posted their own words calling Trumps claim that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense was made without evidence. some great company news: were launching a disinformation team https://t.co/LWzxt5yIjL casey morell (@csymrl) July 15, 2022 Congresswoman Lauren Boebert weighed in on the news from NPR. She said, NPR just announced the creation of a DISINFORMATION TEAM. NPR deliberately covered up the Hunter Biden laptop story by labeling it a DISTRACTION. NPRs first target needs to be itself. NPR just announced the creation of a DISINFORMATION TEAM. NPR deliberately covered up the Hunter Biden laptop story by labeling it a DISTRACTION. NPRs first target needs to be itself. Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) July 17, 2022 One user on Twitter said, Defund NPR, not the police. Defund NPR, not the police. Ray Maddalone (@GlowplugvRay) July 17, 2022 One government-funded agency shuts down its disinformation board, another sets one up, joked Heritage communications John Cooper. One government-funded agency shuts down its disinformation board, another sets one up. https://t.co/y1f1daTVLZ John Cooper (@thejcoop) July 17, 2022 Press Secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Christina Pushaw, said, NPR disinformation reporter reacts to thousands of people sharing false and misleading NPR headlines: Dont apologize for lying. Dont issue corrections. Just ignore it until it goes away. NPR disinformation reporter reacts to thousands of people sharing false and misleading NPR headlines: Dont apologize for lying. Dont issue corrections. Just ignore it until it goes away. ????? https://t.co/qu56ZSCw25 Christina Pushaw ? ?? (@ChristinaPushaw) July 17, 2022 Pushaw went on to point out NPRs false reporting related to COVID and an incident with multiple Florida officials. NPR has not offered response to the public backlash of its new team, which has received the same welcome as Nina Jankowicz and the failed disinformation board created by the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com (Natural News) For Jeff Nyquist, communism is not an ideology never was, never will be. A lot of people think Communism, Marxism-Leninism is an ideology, its not. Its a science of how to take power, how to do a revolution. In the end, its a science of why the revolution is inevitable and how and why they are going to do it. And that is different than an ideology because they dont believe and see that their belief system is the truth, Nyquist told Dr. Steve Hotze during the July 18 episode of The Dr. Hotze Report on Brighteon.TV. According to Nyquist, communisms basic principle is all about power and how to take, seize and hold it forever. The author of the book Origin of the Fourth World War added that communists are experimenting on people like guinea pigs. The communists can change, create new versions, put new twists and hide and use different terminology in their beliefs, Nyquist said. In other words, communism is flexible. Hotze said a communist movement is taking over the entire world and the United States is the key obstructing factor. But he warned that it has already hit America, infiltrating the American government, churches, educational systems and businesses. Americans need to wake up and see these people for what they are, Hotze said. Nyquist, a blogger who has written articles for several outlets, pointed out that communists believe that humans are communists by nature because prehistoric people lived in hunter-gathering communist societies. He also noted that communists believe in the dialectical cycle, where the haves overthrow the have nots. They dont believe that their system is an ideology. They believe Marxism-Leninism is a science. And its the science of how to help the revolution, how to give birth to the revolution, how to lead it and then guide the process. And so once the revolution happens and socialism is in control of the entire planet, they evolve towards communism, Nyquist explained. Communism rejects all biblical principles According to Hotze, communism rejects all the principles of the Bible. It is a satanic movement whose philosophy is demonic because it rejects God, he said. He added that anyone who buys into this corrupt system is really buying into a satanic system that opposes God and the Bible. Unfortunately, many Americans have bought into it. Nyquist said the communists used subversion and infiltration to weaken morality and corrupt the American political, police, security and medical systems. He mentioned that the homosexual and feminist movements were led by people who have communist affiliations. The author and journalist also revealed that the program of the Communist Party USA, which is called the Road to Socialism, is being followed by the Democratic Party. (Related: The Democratic party has become radicalized into the party of communism, violence and anti-America.) Nyquist said the program has declared that the enemies are the Christians, the ultra-right wingers and the people who believe in the Constitution. It is really shocking to know that the Democratic candidates talking points during the 2020 election were all found in the program of the Communist Party USA, he said. Hotze concluded: The Democrat Party is now a Communist Party and they are a bunch of dirty communists whose one goal is to destroy America. Follow Communism.news for more news about the communist takeover happening in America. Watch the July 18 episode of The Dr. Hotze Report below. Catch new episodes of The Dr. Hotze Report every Monday and Saturday at 5-6 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Communist China struggles to maintain influence in the United States Dr. Hotze on Brighteon.TV. Americans must fight back against the deadly virus of communism and the cult of liberalism. The White House wont admit Cubans oppose communism because the Biden regime LOVES Communism. Communism: The DEADLIEST VIRUS in the world spreads across America. Alex Newman tells Dr. Peter Breggin: Global elites have driven the spread of communism around the world Brighteon.TV. Sources include: Brighteon.com JRNyquist.blog (Natural News) In a mad rush to unleash another round of mystery vaccine injections from Big Pharma, the powers that be are once again using children as an excuse to drive fear and hysteria over so-called monkeypox. In the United Kingdom, public health officials claim that children will become infected with the gay disease in large numbers by the end of the year unless taxpayers fund a massive purchase of jabs to halt the spread. As many as 200,000 injection doses are needed, they claim throughout the media, in order to keep monkeypox from spreading. This is four times the 50,000 injection doses that are currently on order (Related: Monkeypox got its start in Europe at a massive LGBT perversion festival). Some 2,000 cases of monkeypox are said to exist in Great Britain. And officials claim that number is doubling every two weeks, particularly among men who engage in homosexual behavior with other men. Children have zero risk of monkeypox unless they are engaging in illegal sexual activity with adult men, it would seem. And yet public health authorities insist that they have to get jabbed as soon as possible in order to flatten the curve and stop another plandemic from appearing. The majority of cases in the UK and in America have been identified with gay men, one report explains. Many members of the LGBTQ community are concerned that these statistics will lead to the stigmatization of the virus and prevent those at risk or suffering from monkeypox from seeking out the medical treatment that they need. Deborah Birx says gay men dancing at a bar can spread monkeypox Former Trump administration Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) task force adviser Deborah Birx has already chimed in on the matter, warning that men who are caught dancing at gay bars could be at risk of infection. This goes against what the government was saying last week about how monkeypox only spreads through sexual behavior meaning it is a sexually transmitted disease. The narrative is already changing to suit whatever agenda is afoot with this thing. Since the fearmongering campaign over monkeypox appears to be stalling, the powers that be are already pulling a think of the children! move by pretending as though children are at risk of monkeypox unless everyone gets injected with the new vaccine. Fake news reports are already circulating about children magically contracting monkeypox at school, which supposedly resulted in one child having to be sent home after having contact with a monkeypox case, whatever that means. Parents were advised to refrain from hugging or coming into close contact with their children, one report explained, suggesting that this is another plandemic 2.0 manifesting in real-time. As a result, the vaccinations are now being extended to the young population as well as to adults. Hopefully, enough Westerners are wide enough awake from the COVID scam to see the monkeypox scam for what it is. And, hopefully, they reject all the fearmongering over vaccines, avoiding hugging, and other such nonsense. Really? A virus that is affecting only men, and only a certain class of men, is a danger to children. Thats what governments are going with? wrote a commenter at Euro Weekly News. Look at the lines for the vaccine in NYC. No kids or women. Its all men who are part of or fool with others in the alphabet community. Another wrote that this is clearly another round of bull excrement that people need to recognize for what it is. They are still trying to kill you, wrote another about how the goal with each of these plandemics is depopulation, not saving lives. The latest monkeypox-related news can be found at Outbreak.news. Sources for this article include: EuroWeeklyNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) One of the basic tenets of modern medicine is the right to informed consent, but all that seemed to go out the window as COVID-19 took hold around the world and vaccine companies saw huge opportunities to profit. Its now safe to say the disease has been completely exploited, and its effects can be felt in nearly every aspect of daily life, whether you have personally contracted the virus or not. Theres been widespread deception by governments, public health officers, social media platforms and the mass media, and people have lost freedoms at every turn for not complying with masking and vaccine mandates or simply voicing their opinions about the situation. This is the topic of a new feature film documentary called Uninformed Consent, and this weekend marks its live exclusive global premiere. Canadas Librti Social Media Network will be hosting the premiere on their uncensored live streaming platform on Saturday. The film promises an in-depth look at the narrative surrounding COVID-19. It explores not only who is controlling it but also how it has been used to inject nearly everyone on Earth with a new, untested technology. Its a sobering look at the destruction of human rights, not only on a grander scale but at a more personal level through the story of one persons devastating loss a story that far too many people can relate to these days. The film also features commentary from doctors and scientists who were brave enough to take a stance and speak out against Big Pharma and other elites who are profiting from the global vaccine mandates. It was produced by Matador Films Todd Harris in collaboration with the group Vaccine Choice Canada, whose mission is to help families make informed decisions about their immunity. The films trailer begins with a quote from Mark Twain: Its much easier to fool people than it is to convince them theyve been fooled. Its a sentiment that resonates far too much for anyone who has ever tried to convince a loved one that the dangers of these vaccines are real. The film also tackles the attacks on free speech that have been seen on social media platforms as a result of vaccine mandates. Accusations of misinformation have been lobbed at anyone who dares to speak out about negative effects, even if they experienced them personally, and the situation has been used as an excuse for widespread censorship. Early reviews of the film are overwhelmingly positive, with Amanda Forbes of Childrens Health Defense noting: Uninformed Consent is the most scientific and factual TRUTH to come out of Canada in the last 3 years. If you are a parent, this should be on the TOP of your viewing list. It is TRULY an eye opener. Everyone needs to see this film! Sherry Strong of Childrens Health Defense Canada said: This is the most powerful documentary of the covid era. On Saturday, July 23, at 4pm PT/ 7pm ET, you can join the films producers and creators, along with the doctors behind the film, in a special event on Librti. Interested viewers can reserve their seats for the limited live streaming of the premiere by following the link on Librtis page. True informed consent over COVID-19 vaccines could have saved countless lives According to data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), more than 12,000 deaths linked to the vaccine have been reported so far in the U.S. alone However, the system is known for lagging behind real time and only accounts for a small fraction of the true number of cases, due in no small part to the fact that not everyone makes the connection between deaths and the jab. Of course, 12,000 is already 12,000 too many, but the real number is likely far, far higher. How many lives could have been saved if the principle of informed consent had been adhered to, with people being honestly informed of the dangers of the vaccine and given the freedom to choose whether or not to take on the risks without fear of losing their jobs, families or freedoms? Sources for this article include: LibrtiPremiere.com VAERS.HHS.gov (Natural News) A cardiovascular surgeon at Okamura Memorial Hospitals Center for Varicose Veins (Japan) authored a study published in the Virology Journal that reiterates the fact that Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines are an immune destroyer. Kenji Yamamoto, commenting on another recent study published in the journal The Lancet, says that eight months after receiving two doses of a Fauci Flu shot, a fully vaccinated persons immune system is lower than that of an unvaccinated person. Getting boosted with a so-called booster shot will not help, either. The European Medicines Agency (EMA), doing something that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would never do, says that boosting only further damages the immune system and is not a smart, or even scientific, approach. The decrease in immunity can be caused by several factors such as N1-methylpseudouridine, the spike protein, lipid nanoparticles, antibody-dependent enhancement, and the original antigenic stimulus, Yamamoto writes. These clinical alterations may explain the association reported between COVID-19 vaccination and shingles. (Related: Covid injections also cause AIDS.) Covid jab spike proteins do not immediately decay following injection Some doctors are taking a different approach with their patients, urging them to avoid certain medications that, when combined with the shots, can increase their risk of causing harm. These include limiting the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including acetaminophen to maintain deep body temperature, appropriate use of antibiotics, smoking cessation, stress control, and limiting the use of lipid emulsions, including propofol, which may cause perioperative immunosuppression, Yamamoto explains. Those with pre-existing health conditions should also avoid getting injected, despite claims from government agencies that the immunocompromised should be first in line for the shots. Another thing The Lancet study revealed is the fact that the spike proteins in covid injections do not immediately decay as claimed. These spike proteins present on exosomes and circulate throughout the body for at least four months. In addition, Yamamoto further explains, in vivo studies have shown that lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) accumulate in the liver, spleen, adrenal glands, and ovaries, and that LNP-encapsulated mRNA is highly inflammatory. Newly generated antibodies of the spike protein damage the cells and tissues that are primed to produce spike proteins, and vascular endothelial cells are damaged by spike proteins in the bloodstream; this may damage the immune system organs such as the adrenal gland. The risk of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is also pronounced post-injection, particularly because infection-enhancing antibodies attenuate the impact of neutralizing antibodies, the job of which is to prevent infection. Put a different way, covid injection contents damage the bodys ability to prevent infection, which is the opposite of what is desired and supposedly accomplished by getting vaccinated. The original antigenic sin, that is, the residual immune memory of the Wuhan-type vaccine may prevent the vaccine from being sufficiently effective against variant strains, Yamamoto adds. These mechanisms may also be involved in the exacerbation of COVID-19. Yamamoto further unpacks the shingles link to the jabs, as well as vaccine-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (VAIDS). Since December 2021, besides COVID-19, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okamura Memorial Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan (hereinafter referred to as the institute) has encountered cases of infections that are difficult to control, he writes. For example, there were several cases of suspected infections due to inflammation after open-heart surgery, which could not be controlled even after several weeks of use of multiple antibiotics. The patients showed signs of being immunocompromised, and there were a few deaths. The risk of infection may increase. In conclusion, the booster shot program absolutely needs to stop, unless people want to further degrade their already strained and damaged immune systems because of the first two injections. The latest news about Fauci Flu shots can be found at Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov NaturalNews.com (Natural News) President Joe Biden has tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) despite being fully vaccinated and twice boosted against the disease. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the development in a July 21 statement. She said the 79-year-old president is experiencing very mild symptoms and will isolate himself for the time being. [Biden] will continue to carry out all of his duties fully and work in isolation until he tests negative. Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work. According to Jean-Pierre, Biden returned a negative COVID-19 test result on July 19, two days before he contracted the pathogen. Given his advanced age, the president falls under the at-risk group in terms of developing severe illness. She continued that the former vice president under the Obama administration had been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone, and will join planned meeting via phone and Zoom. The White House will also provide daily updates about Bidens status, added Jean-Pierre. Per standard protocol for any positive case at the White House, the White House Medical Unit will inform all close contacts of the president including any members of Congress and any members of the press who interacted with [him]. Bidens positive COVID-19 result followed that of White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, who caught the virus in June. A June 15 statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirmed Faucis illness, stating that a rapid antigen test he took returned a positive result. Just like Biden, the 81-year-old Fauci had mild symptoms even though he was fully vaccinated and boosted twice. (Related: Shroyer: Quadruple-vaxxed Fauci LIED about COVID vaccines protecting people from infection.) The NIH statement added that the infectious disease expert had not been in close contact with Biden or other senior officials before testing positive. Government officials prove the vaccines do not work at all Biden and Fauci are just two examples of prominent government officials who proved that the COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective in preventing infection. Despite receiving four vaccine doses, the two officials of advanced age still caught COVID-19. Two members of the legislative branch, both part of the Democratic Party, also contracted SARS-CoV-2 following their vaccination. Back in April, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi contracted COVID-19 after attending events where she was in close proximity to vaccinated colleagues. Her deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill confirmed the test result on social media. After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic. The speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, [and] encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and [tested] regularly, Hammill wrote on April 7. Prior to this, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tested positive for COVID-19 in January. She was fully vaccinated and boosted, having received her booster dose during the 2021 fall season. According to a statement from her office at the time, Ocasio-Cortez was experiencing symptoms and recovering at home. The congresswoman also called on Americans to get their boosters and follow public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Head over to BadMedicine.news for more stories about government officials catching COVID-19 despite multiple vaccine doses. Watch this Italian doctor showing that most COVID-positive patients are vaccinated. This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Sens. Warren, Booker and Crow all parrot SCRIPTED response upon testing positive for covid after triple vaccinations are they parroting the same MEMO? Speaker Pelosi now COVID-positive after being in close proximity to Joe Biden and other VAXXED Dems. Fully vaccinated and boosted Trudeau AGAIN tests positive for COVID-19. AOC tests positive for covid despite being vaccinated and boosted. Why it matters that Fauci got COVID-19. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com WhiteHouse.gov NIH.gov CBSNews.com ZeroHedge.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) President Joe Biden and his globalist allies in the federal government are intentionally sabotaging the American oil industry to bring about the collapse of the U.S. energy grid. Following the defeat of Bidens climate agenda in Congress, the president has decided to instead resort to executive powers to get his alarmist climate agenda acted. (Related: Biden is using the climate crisis to end American prosperity.) Climate change is literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world, claimed Biden during a speech on Wednesday, July 20, announcing his executive climate program. The health of our citizens and our communities is at stake. So, we have to act. Bidens climate programs will cost American taxpayers over $2.3 billion. The money will be redirected from the existing budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The plan includes $385 million to help states fund the purchase and installation of air conditioning units in homes and community cooling centers. Funding has also been redirected to programs that help communities prepare for disasters by expanding flood control and retrofitting buildings and helping families pay for heating and cooling costs. The president has also ordered the Department of the Interior to expand the creation of wind and solar power generation, including advancing proposals for new offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico, Floridas Gulf Coast and the mid- and southern Atlantic Coast. Biden wants to build over 30 gigawatts worth of offshore wind farms by 2030. Bidens climate program will dismantle the oil industry and destroy the energy grid During an interview with Alex Jones on InfoWars, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger noted how Bidens destruction of the American oil industry is deliberate and calculated. This is deliberate, he said. Joe Biden cant blame Russia for this when Biden is signing the executive orders and declaring a climate emergency. The ramifications of this are going to be mass starvation, food scarcity on a level weve never seen before, destitution, layoffs, homelessness and, on top of that, theyre just going to try to print money to push money into peoples hands, said Adams. Furthermore, Adams also noted that the so-called transition to a green energy grid is just an excuse to destroy American power generation infrastructure. Its not a transition, its an extermination because the green energy infrastructure does not exist. Its not ready, said Adams. They dont have high-density power storage systems in order to store excess wind power or solar power. He noted that wind and solar power are both used as it is generated, and other technologies that could create enough energy to meet demand, including hot and cold fusion technology and low-energy nuclear reactions, have been suppressed. Its being suppressed because they dont want a solution, said Adams. Theyre halting the energy that works, which is oil and fossil fuels, and then theyre saying, Were all going to be green while we starve to death and while your economy collapses and while theres mass homelessness and social unrest and uprisings and riots and government collapse all across the world. Thats what theyre saying. Watch this video from InfoWars as Alex Jones interviews Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, about the globalist conspiracy to end the American oil industry and bring about the collapse of the energy grid. This video is from the Oldyotis Home Page channel on Brighteon.com. More related articles: Sabotage Joe fake president threatens to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY and invoke destructive executive orders to shut down Americas entire energy infrastructure. Biden intentionally destroying U.S. economy and sabotaging the American energy sector. Biden regime BLOCKS new Atlantic and Pacific oil drilling operations, which will send fuel prices even higher. Biden admin preventing Americas second-largest LNG plant from restarting operations. Collapse continues: Environmentalists sue Biden regime to block 3,500 oil and gas permit applications for drilling on federal lands. Sources include: Brighteon.com BBC.com CNBC.com (Natural News) The longer they remain in control of our government, the closer Democrats move our country toward a full-blown dictatorship, as evidenced by a provision added to the annual Pentagon spending bill by a top Democrat. The provision, offered by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), head of the House Intelligence Committee, and approved by the Democrat majority, effectively removes all congressional oversight of many U.S. military operations on American soil. According to USSA News, the amendment was first offered in 2020 after then-President Donald Trump threatened to deploy active-duty U.S. troops throughout the country to quell Black Lives Matter violence and rioting. While the House passed the amendment, it was eliminated during House-Senate reconciliation negotiations regarding the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). But now, Republicans claim that Schiff wants the measure added to the current NDAA so as to prevent proper congressional oversight of military operations on U.S. soil they are certain will be directed mostly at their conservative, Trump-supporting voters, under the false guise of combatting domestic terrorism. USSA News further speculates: If signed into law, the amendment could impact the resolution of the Jan. 6th hearings and Republicans planned investigation into the Biden Administrations mishandling of the migrant crisis at the southern border. This un-American amendment will fundamentally and irreparably erode Congress constitutional oversight responsibility, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) argued. Democrats led by Adam Schiff are attempting to cover up for the national security crises of the weakest commander in chief in U.S. history. Im very concerned about it, and Republicans need to fight back against it in the House and Senate to make sure it doesnt pass, noted Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).Democrats know we are going to take back the majority and are already trying to tie our hands when we do. But Lauren French, a spokeswoman for Schiff, claimed that Republicans were mischaracterizing the amendment, but given that Schiff is one of the most prolific liars in Congress having pushed the falsehood that Trump is a Moscow stooge who stole the 2016 election her words are practically meaningless. The measure prevents presidents, of any party, from unlawfully using our nations armed forces in a domestic law enforcement capacity against Americans exercising their constitutionally protected rights, said French. This is something both parties should supportThis amendment deters violations of the law by prohibiting the use of unlawfully obtained evidence by the government in a court or other legal proceeding. Schiffs amendment also gained support from the Brennan Center for Justice, which said it would establish clear consequences to deter the government from unlawfully deploying the U.S. military during certain domestic situations while also preventing the suppression of evidence during such incidents, USSA News noted further. The outlet adds an assessment of its own regarding the amendment. This is an irrational development. Congressional oversight is an integral part of the checks and balances system that keeps a government balanced. Reducing oversight means that presidential power could go unchecked, the sites analysis said. And while we certainly do not want to encourage military deployment during law enforcement situations, removing oversight is just plain stupid. In reality, deploying the military domestically is only constitutional under very limited circumstances. The president is the commander-in-chief and has the authority to order such deployments again, under very limited circumstances including instances of invasion and rebellion and would still retain control over those forces. But congressional oversight is also key to ensuring that presidents do not engage in Executive Branch overreach, and frankly, with Barack Obama essentially running the Biden regime in a third term, the last thing any American should want is a far-left potential dictator with unfettered power to go after political opponents using the full force of the U.S. military. Schiff cant be trusted. Republicans are exactly right to be wary. Sources include: USSANews.com Congress.gov (Natural News) An upcoming documentary focusing on Infowars founder Alex Jones, called Alexs War, has already been censored by several Big Tech platforms. (Article by Cindy Harper republished from ReclaimTheNet.org) The documentarys producer Alex Lee Moyer talked to UnHerd News Florence Reed about the censorship. She said that Google refused to allow her team to run ads to promote the film. The company ignored calls and permanently banned the producer from buying ad spaces. A screenshot shared with UnHeard News revealed that TikTok removed the films trailer because it violated policies on hateful behavior. Meta-owned Facebook told the films crew that the trailer could not be advertised because it contained inauthentic behavior or violations of our Advertising Policies and Community Guidelines. Instagram banned the films production company Play Nice from advertising the documentary. Its one thing to deplatform Alex Jones, but should we deplatform anyone from even discussing Alex Jones? Lee Moyer asked Reed. But the producer noted that despite the censorship, the film is #2 on the movie pre-order category on iTunes (it is second only to the blockbuster movie Top Gun: Maverick). Despite all these efforts, theres obviously a massive demand for people who want to see content thats culturally relevant and authentic, she said. The film will debut on July 23. Read more at: ReclaimTheNet.org (Natural News) There is still a chance that the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) pipeline from Russia to Germany will be turned back on once a key component that was under repair makes its way from Canada back to Russia via Germany. If that happens, though, gas flows will be massively reduced. Pre-repairs, NS1 was delivering about 40 percent of total gas capacity. If it comes back online in the future, volume could be reduced to just 20 percent and that is assuming NS1 ever comes back online at all, which some believe is just a pipe dream. Work on NS1 is supposed to end on July 21 followed by the pipeline being restarted. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen. A prolonged outage could lead to an even greater energy crisis, prompting governments to ration energy, hurting industry and sending the country into recession even faster, reports explain. In a statement after his visit to Tehran, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Gazprom, NS1s state-owned operator, may drastically cut flows amid an ongoing force majeure situation that is showing no signs of easing up anytime soon. According to Putin, another turbine needs to go in for maintenance on July 26, which means another extended period of time in which the NS1 pipeline will be forced to remain barely functional or possibly completely offline indefinitely. Russias narrative conflicts with the EUs whos telling the truth? Russia says it cut delivery flows to 40 percent even before the current maintenance due to sanctions that prevented the return of the first turbine, which has been in the possessions of Siemens in Canada. Canada is no longer doing business with Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, and has said, consequently, that it will not ship the turbine back to Russia. Instead, Canada is aiming for a loophole that will allow it to send the turbine to Germany, which will then send it to Russia. European officials have dismissed the turbine explanation as a pretext for Moscow to try and wreak economic havoc on the continent, reports explain about the conflicting narratives. As the European Union (EU) comes to the realization that the ongoing conflict could mean lights out for Europe this winter, politicians there are scrambling to come up with alternatives. They are also discussing the possibility of having to ration the use of gas this winter, which will send the EU economy to a grinding halt. Proposed guidelines would require public buildings to lower the thermostat come wintertime, and to raise it now during the hot summer season. Gazproms force majeure, by the way, is not necessarily a guarantee that NS1 will remain offline, though many believe this to be the case. Only time will tell how the cookie crumbles on this one. Russia more than likely does not want to be deprived of gas revenues, which is why some say NS1 will come back online in some capacity. Others suspect that NS1 will stay offline as part of a strategic move by Russia to cripple its Western enemies, who do not want to play ball with its special operation in Ukraine. The recent Gazprom force majeure (FM) declaration retroactively refers to realized export cuts (the NS1 cuts) over the past month, and does not reflect any new changes to gas flows, reports Zero Hedge. We see it as an effort by the company not to be seen as liable for the supply cuts to long-term customers observed since mid-June. We do not see this FM claim as particularly relevant to our NS1 flow expectations going forward. The latest news about the European energy crisis can be found at FuelSupply.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The latest surveillance report from New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has shown that people are 37 times more likely to be hospitalized with Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) if they are vaccinated than if they are not. Attempting to conceal the glaring fact, the NSW Ministry of Health (NSW Health) stated in the respiratory surveillance report summary of the epidemiological week ending July 9 that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective in preventing the severe impacts of infections with the virus. It also noted that over 95 percent of people aged 16 and over in NSW have received two doses of the vaccine, while more than 68 percent of the eligible for a third dose have already received it. With such high vaccination coverage in the community, a greater proportion of people admitted to hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19 are now vaccinated with two or three doses, the report added. The Expose slammed NSW Health for trying to conceal the truth. It follows, as there is no more severe impact than hospitalization and death, their statement that the experimental injections are very effective in preventing severe impacts is also a lie, the news website pointed out. Joel Smalley, a pro bono COVID data analyst who examined the report deeper, wrote in his newsletter: The data doesnt lie. NSW Health data shows that in the last seven weeks, you are 37 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 if you are vaccinated than if you are not. (Related: Australia experiencing a pandemic of the fully vaccinated as cases surge among double-jabbed and boosted population.) The unvaccinated are not dying at a higher rate either. Smalley noted that the risk multiplier is 0.94. In other words, there is a six percent relative reduction in death in the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated, a far cry from the 95 percent reduction originally claimed due to the fraudulent mis-categorization of the data, he said. According to the NSW Health report, 45 were aged-care residents and only six were aged under 65 of the 95 deaths in the last week. All six had a record of significant underlying health conditions that increase the risk of severe disease from COVID-19, four were triple-vaccinated and the other two were fully vaccinated. Australias success story headed for a sad ending Australia was once cited as exemplary in how it dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, the country was compared favorably to the U.S. for having similar demographics, but much lower death rates. Back in 2020, the public lamented that if the U.S. government had the same COVID death rate as Australia, about 900,000 lives would have been saved. Australias death rate was only one-tenth of Americas, putting the nation of 25 million people (with around 7,500 deaths) near the top of global rankings in the protection of life against COVID-19. But now the countrys success story is headed for a sad ending. Last week, hospitals across the country are reaching record levels as numerous patients are being admitted with COVID-19. The highest number of COVID hospitalizations as of July 14 was recorded in Western Australia, whereas, Queensland is also expected to exceed its January peak in the next days. In South Australia, admissions are nearing the January omicron peak, while NSW has more than 2,000 COVID patients last week for the first time since February. All these happened after the vast majority of Australians got vaccinated. Visit VaccineDamage.news for more news related to the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Watch the below video that talks about the pandemic of the vaccinated. This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Global pandemic of the vaccinated gets worse as more people take deadly shots. Government report: Almost 70 percent of recent COVID deaths, hospitalizations in Canada were among VAXXED people. Data: Canada and Israel are suffering from a pandemic of the fully vaccinated. New #BareShelvesBiden images show how fast things are going downhill The pandemic of the vaccinated is decimating the supply chain down. Sources include: Expose-News.com Health.NSW.gov.au Metatron.Substack.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Pastor Todd Coconato knows a true believer of God when he sees one. An authentic believer, a real believer, is a person that exudes the fruit of the Spirit, because the Bible says you know them by their fruit, Coconato said during the July 17 episode of the Todd Coconato Ministries on Brighteon.TV. The speaker and evangelist said God gives believers a way to be known for their fruit by speaking the truth. Coconato, a licensed and ordained minister, noted that people these days are living in a highly charged environment and that the enemies will use it to accuse the believers of wrongdoing. He cited as an example the constant arguments in social media. Christians must be able to understand and discern the times and be a watchman that allows people to know the truth, he said. We are the ones that are holding the line as the Body of Christ. We have to call whats evil, evil. We got to call whats good, good. Others out there in the world, theyre doing the opposite. They are calling whats good, evil and whats evil, good. He lamented the fact that the Church has stopped leading the way for decades now, leaving a vacuum that allowed a small minority to steer the narrative and move people away from biblical morality and common sense. The Church has to be the one that sets the standard and the tone, said Coconato, who is also the faith advisor and president of the Religious Liberties Coalition. Christian believers must lead people to God Just like pastors and ministers, true believers must lead people to God. Coconato said the visible fruits of the Spirit that the Holy Bible speaks about are the characteristics and traits Christians should show and exude. Every Christian is continually maturing toward Christs likeness, he said. The Word of God helps believers to understand how the Holy Spirit guides them. The Word of God, according to Coconato, is a living manual for every believer. Its something that if were going through a tough situation, if were going through a trial, if were going through a test whatever it is, the Bible is the bread of light. Its going to help you, its going to encourage you, Coconato explained. Coconato said Christians should also be able to look at things from other peoples perspectives. The words we speak can be powerful and there is life and death in the power of the tongue, he said. The conference, church and faith-based event speaker mentioned that Christian believers must be wary of the words they speak because people are watching their lives and example. He added that believers in Christ, especially those in leadership positions, must have a higher standard and avoid the appearance of evil. Christians must do their best to exude the fruit of the Spirit, Coconato said. The evangelist and minister noted that the spirit of the antichrist is on the rise with people getting spiritually attacked by their loved ones. (Related: Another sign of the times: Christian persecution is increasing all around the world.) Coconato also said believers who are speaking the truth are going to be called a hatemonger. This is why Christians should train themselves to overcome the flesh or sinful nature, especially when they want to use hurtful words to other people. He reminded believers that they must be led by the Holy Spirit aside from being wise and exuding the Spirits fruit. (Natural News) The recent batch of Pfizer documents released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed that an unusually high number of participants withdrew from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine clinical trials. The participants who backed out of the 2020 trials did so due to adverse events stemming from the experimental shot. Released on July 1, the said documents revealed the full extent of this issue. These 3,611 pages of documents were part of a larger document stash ordered for release under an expedited Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The FOIA request was filed in August 2021 by Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency (PHMPT). The July 1 documents mentioned that all trial participants received either one or two 30-microgram doses of Pfizers BNT162b2 vaccine. This same vaccine candidate was granted emergency use authorization in December 2020. According to Childrens Health Defense, Pfizer conducted its vaccine trials in four countries the U.S., Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. Many vaccine trial participants backed out after experiencing serious adverse events, while others withdrew over seemingly minor adverse events. A larger proportion of the minor adverse reactions were determined to be related to the shot, while some serious adverse reactions were deemed not related to the vaccine. The document listed down 34 participants who withdrew from the vaccine trials. Two of them experienced serious adverse events deemed related to the vaccination. A 56-year-old woman received her first vaccine dose on Aug. 11, 2020, but backed out the next day after reporting an abnormally fast heart rate and skin itching. She did not have any history of cardiac issues or other health conditions. The investigator in charge of the vaccine trial wrote that there was a reasonable possibility that the pruritus and tachycardia were related to the study intervention. Another participant, a 61-year old woman, received her first dose on Sept. 25, 2020. She subsequently experienced unilateral deafness on Oct. 14, 2020 and withdrew the following day. Her deafness lasted until Oct. 23, 2020, and the investigator mentioned a reasonable possibility of it being linked to the vaccine. Pfizer vaccine worsened pre-existing conditions some participants had In other instances, some participants backed out after their pre-existing medical conditions became worse than before. Despite this, the investigator overseeing the trials deemed the adverse reactions as unrelated to the vaccine a finding seconded by Pfizer. A 56-year-old woman who received her first and only dose on Aug. 12, 2020 withdrew 11 days later on Aug. 23, 2020 because of worsening coronary artery disease. She listed coronary artery disease, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels in the body as her medical conditions. However, the investigator attributed her worsened condition to either hypertensive cardiovascular disease or arteriosclerotic heart disease instead of the vaccine. A 46-year-old woman injected with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 21, 2020, backed out on Aug. 28, 2020 after her brain cancer spread throughout her entire body. The investigator dismissed the idea of her condition being worsened by the vaccine. Instead, it had been related to secondary disease from lung adenocarcinoma which she was diagnosed with back in July 2019. (Related: Idaho doctor warns about COVID-19 vaccines causing spike in cancer diagnoses.) A 50-year-old woman received Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 26, 2020. She listed several ongoing medical conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and diabetic neuropathy. The woman developed a diabetic foot ulcer on Sept. 14, 2020 leading to her forced withdrawal two days later on Sept. 16, 2020. Again, the investigator dismissed the possibility of the vaccine having to do with the womans foot ulcer, saying there was no reasonable possibility for it. The dangers of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine would not come to light had PHMPT not filed its FOIA request. Originally, Pfizer and the FDA argued that the FOIA request filed by the group could take 75 years to accomplish. But this failed to convince U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, who ordered the two entities to comply with the request at the soonest. The court recognizes the unduly burdensome challenges that this FOIA request may present to the FDA. [However,] the court concludes that this FOIA request is of paramount public importance [and] that the expeditious completion of plaintiffs request is not only practicable, but necessary, Pittman wrote in his Jan. 6 decision. BigPharmaNews.com has more stories about Pfizers clinical trials for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Watch this news report about a woman left paralyzed hours after getting injected with the Pfizer vaccine. This video is from the Freedom Warrior channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: FDA should need only 12 weeks to release Pfizer data, not 75 years, plaintiff calculates. Documents show Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine causes autoimmune disease and VAED. Pfizer, FDA know the COVID vaccine is dangerous, but they push it anyway. Court REJECTS FDA request to hide Pfizer data for 75 years. Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com ChildrensHealthDefense.org LifeSiteNews.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) In effect, the West wants to deprive its people once and for all of the opportunity to critically analyse the flow of news and replace it with monochrome propaganda coverage They are doing this under the obvious influence of self-hypnosis in their exclusiveness and permissiveness, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russias Foreign Ministry, said in a powerful briefing on 14 July 2022. (Article by Rhoda Wilson republished from Expose-News.com) She also gave updates on Donbass and Ukraine; challenged a US State Department report titled To vilify Ukraine, the Kremlin resorts to Antisemitic as fake propaganda; challenged Western countries requesting reparations from Russia (see paragraph below); highlighted an Anti-Fake section on the Foreign Ministry website that had been amended (see paragraph below); addressed the demolition of the monument to Soviet soldiers in Klaipeda and attempts of the collective West to cancel Russian culture; and, more. Below are extracts from Zakharovas briefing: Aftermath of military operations of the United States and its European allies Western countries continue to circulate statements about the need to collect some kind of reparations from Russia and expropriate in other words, misappropriate Russian public and private assets abroad. Sometimes they add for rebuilding Ukraine. And sometimes you just need to take everything away and rob once again. In this context, the Russian Foreign Ministry has prepared visual information materials on the consequences of the military adventures of the United States and its European allies over the past couple of decades. Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 14, 2022, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Amendments in the Anti-Fake section on the Foreign Ministrys website The Anti-Fake section existed on the Foreign Ministry website for a long time. We cited examples of publications demonstrating how different media publish fake reports. We also provided materials rebutting these fakes. We launched this section in 2017 The situation changed drastically after February 2022. As Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, a hybrid war was declared on us (this happened long ago but now it has entered its active phase). This was more obvious than ever before in the information space. It looked like information terrorism. It was impossible to analyse every publication We didnt update this section because there were so many fakes that we couldnt cope with analysing them. Today, we will carry at 3 pm (Moscow time) a number of reviews of the foreign media publications that replicated incorrect information in our Press Service section. Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 14, 2022, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation In an article, Clandestine, who simply self describes as an Astute Observer 11B, highlights a section of Zakharovas briefing regarding Western corporate media and internet services: Online chronicles of reprisals against Russian media and journalists by Western countries and internet companies. By Clandestine I have been scouring the Russian Embassy in the USA official website for juicy information and I stumbled across a briefing from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, on 14 July 2022. It has some VERY interesting comments pertaining to the Western Governments and Big Tech, and their hypocritical attempts to suppress inconvenient media reports, specifically those coming from Russia and Independent Journalists. But I want to focus on one passage in particular, see below: Online chronicles of reprisals against Russian media and journalists by Western countries and internet companies For several years, we have been compelled to write regularly about the Wests efforts to suppress Russian and undesirable to the authorities Russian language media that were preventing the political elites of the advanced democracies from manipulating public opinion in their countries as they saw fit. However, it is difficult to find a name for what happened and continues to happen almost every day since February 24 of this year simply for lack of any historical analogy. The closest definition that occurs to us in an attempt to describe this notion would be mediacide based on ethnic origin and political conviction. In other words, this is an attempt to destroy the very notion of media pluralism through the totalitarian cleansing of ones information space, including the digital space, from all alternative views on global events. This primarily concerns all Russian, Russian-language and Russia-affiliated media without exception. An entire arsenal of reprisals and restrictions is used against their distributors at the same time. The main enemies include Russian journalists, military correspondents, editors-in-chief and bloggers that provide not only a one-sided, Western interpretation of events but also alternative reports. The leaders of public opinion are in the same category. In effect, the West wants to deprive its people once and for all of the opportunity to critically analyse the flow of news and replace it with monochrome propaganda coverage. In the process, they continue to talk about the intransient value of freedom of speech. This is not just the expression of model hypocrisy typical of the rhetoric from a neo-liberal political class. They are doing this under the obvious influence of self-hypnosis in their exclusiveness and permissiveness. We do not see any point in arguing with these pseudo proponents of freedom of speech with their obvious signs of personality disorder. We will start publishing chronicles of the most striking facts of reprisal and harassment of the Russian media and journalists on the Foreign Ministry website that have occurred since the recognition of the independence of the DPR and the LPR and the start of the special military operation to defend Donbass. It is impossible to mention everything every time. This material will be accessible to all those who are not indifferent to the status of freedom of speech in the world. We want to explain in practical terms what mediacide as regards Russian and Russian-language media and journalists means. We will regularly update this information because we realise that there will be many reasons for doing so in the near future. This exorbitant hype in harassing the Russian media will not abate. Why? Because the Western regimes have taken a course towards the complete cleansing of the media space from everything that does not fit in into their vision of the world. Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 14, 2022, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Wow that was powerful. Essentially the Russian Government are saying that the West are a bunch of hypocritical Orwellian Neo-Liberal Fascists committing MEDIACIDE and forcefully monopolising the narrative on global events via totalitarian measures, to push monochrome propaganda, while simultaneously parading as the shining beacon of Freedom of Speech. Zakharova also calls out US Internet companies and Big Tech, due to their willing subordination, aiding the suppression of Russian and independent narratives via censorship and Western blackouts on media. Bending the knee and assisting in State sponsored Fascism. She goes on to say that Russia sees no value in any diplomacy with these entities due to their striking hypocrisy and signs of personality disorder. Calling out the liberal-globalists for not following the same rules they so harshly impose on others. Rules for thee, not for me. Its (D)ifferent. And the most important sentence is the last one, Western regimes have taken a course towards the complete cleansing of the media space from everything that does not fit in into their vision of the world. I could not have said it any better myself. The sacred freedoms protected by the US Constitution have been completely disregarded and trampled on by the Liberal-Globalist entities who manipulate all American and Western life, aka, the Deep State. This perversion of the Constitution and crimes perpetrated on humanity cannot and WILL NOT go unpunished. A great reckoning is coming, one way or another. Let us pray that the Constitution holds firm, and the forces of Good triumph over the blasphemous evil that has infiltrated our midst. The above is extracted from the article: Russian Foreign Ministry Accuses US and Big Tech of Mediacide. Read the full article HERE. Read more at: Expose-News.com (Natural News) The worlds most poop-smeared city is losing control of the monkeypox virus, which is reportedly spreading uncontrolled among its homosexual population. San Franciscos Department of Public Health (DPH) tweeted that after running out of vaccines for monkeypox, it had to close down its walk-in clinic for the rest of the week. Other clinics throughout the city face a similar situation and are now urgently asking for more doses. Some 1,700 residents of the city have gotten jabbed for monkeypox so far, but this is not enough, according to state Sen. Scot Wiener, a Democrat, to keep the gay disease from harming San Franciscos very large and very loud LGBT population. We need an enormous amount of additional vaccine doses, and we need it immediately, Wiener announced, noting that a failure to control this outbreak will hurt gay people. The federal governments failures are threatening to deeply harm our community, he added. Once we move past this emergency, we need accountability for these failures failures that put peoples lives and health in jeopardy. Bill De Blasio wants Biden to invoke Defense Production Act to fast track more vaccines to wage war on monkeypox Not to be outdone in latching onto and pushing the new monkeypox narrative, former Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, another bastion of LGBT perversion, issued a plea to the federal government to ramp up production of monkeypox injections. In an attempt to launch his own Operation Warp Speed of sorts for this new gay disease, de Blasio actually went so far as to call on the Biden regime to invoke the Defense Production Act to fill the need for vaccines in the U.S. There really is no time to waste in a crisis like this, and there is so much that federal and city officials can do right now to get control of this crisis, said de Blasio, who last month officially announced plans to run for New Yorks 10th Congressional District. The Biden regime already announced plans to distribute up to 144,000 more doses of the Jynneos jab for monkeypox to handle a recent spike in cases in some of the gayer enclaves of America. We shall see if these demons are able to scare enough Americans into fearing monkeypox the same way they were propagandized into fearing the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). It is obvious the powers that be want another plandemic of some sort so they can force more vaccines, and possibly lockdowns and business closures, on people. Another round of tyranny, in other words, appears to be in the works. The monkeypox has had a clumsy rollout, wrote a commenter at Natural News about how this particular false flag does not really have the same traction as the last one. The public has been told that the pox only affects homosexuals. If this narrative is not adjusted quickly so that the public believes that everyone is at risk (not just homosexuals) then media outlets will have to drop this monkeypox idiocy. Another suggested that the only people getting monkeypox are those who took the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) clot shots, though there is no confirmable data to prove this as of yet. Someone else speculated that what some people who claim to have monkeypox are actually displaying is a different disease, perhaps secondary syphilis or adult shingles due to vaccination. There are probably a lot of snake oil-pushing homosexuals at the CDC so they have to plead the fifth on the true origin of vaccine-induced monkeypox, wrote another. The latest news about monkeypoxs spread can be found at Outbreak.news. Sources include: NaturalNews.com TheHill.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The Office for National Statistics (ONS), a government agency in England, published data on deaths by vaccination status in England just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was set to resign, so the mainstream (fake news) media there could run cover. For every 100,000 kids aged 10 to 14 who were FULLY VACCINATED in England, over 40 died from Covid-19. Thats a negative effectiveness rate against death of minus 13,633 percent among the triple-vaxxed kids and early teens, but thats not all. The ONS failed to publish the death rate for children under 10 years young, obviously because that was most likely even MORE shocking. Englands government health agencies stopped publishing vax status because death rates were skyrocketing for fully vaccinated teens and kids Theres no more obvious realm of data cherry picking than that of vaccine-induced injuries and vaccine-induced deaths. This has never been more evident than right now with the COVID-19 death stabs, also known as protein prion injections or mRNA. Weve seen this data and clinical trial manipulation and censoring with polio jabs, MMR records, seasonal (mercury-laced) flu shots, and now the deadly clot shots for the Fauci Flu. Did you know that more Americans have died from seasonal influenza (the flu) AFTER getting vaccinated for it, than deaths from Ebola? The flu shot also blinds and paralyzes some of its victims, and caused more deaths than any other vaccine until wait for it the COVID jabs. Now the vaccine industrial complex in England and the USA are running mass cover for all the deaths caused by the Wuhan clot shots, especially now that teens and children are getting injected with billions of toxic, virus-mimicking prions that cause cardiovascular events (myocarditis, heart attacks and strokes), severe allergic reactions, AIDS and ADE. Whenever government agencies are all but forced to release negative information about vaccine-induced injuries and vaccine-induced deaths, they coordinate with the mass media on the timing so the naive populace will only pay attention to some other smoke and mirror news that has nothing to do with it. COVID-19 jabs are now proven by data to be unsafe, ineffective, dangerous and deadly This was the case in England as the MSM flooded the news with reports of Boris Johnson resigning while they released statistics on children and teens dying in droves (from COVID-19 or just the jabs themselves) after getting injected with experimental clot shots that have never been proven safe or effective. These new reports, in fact, prove just the opposite, that COVID-19 jabs are unsafe, ineffective, dangerous and deadly. Seek the truth by viewing the data and science-backed research, especially when it comes to vaccines. Even though Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson engage in nefarious activities, research and botch their own clinical trials, the truth is coming out about their vaccine-induced injuries and vaccine-induced deaths from the Fauci Flu stabs. Everyone is at risk from dying from Covid-19 vaccines, whether you are a senior citizen, parent, young adult athlete, military member, celebrity, teen, child, toddler, baby, or fetus in your mommys belly. Beware of those lethal jabs, that have NEVER been proven safe and effective, as its all been on big population reduction con. Stay tuned to truth media, independent news, and Natural Health News for more information thats released about COVID-19 death stabs causing carnage around the world. Never trust the CDC, FDA or WHO. They want everyone sick and dying, and the medicine they recommend is the vehicle for all of that. Bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on experimental vaccines that cause blood clots, myocarditis and severe, chronic inflammation. Sources for this article include: Expose-news.com NaturalNews.com TruthWiki.org (Natural News) Ukraines Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Tuesday, July 19, publicly offered Ukraine as the venue to test North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) weapons against Russia in a live webcast conversation with John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center. Ukraine is essentially a testing ground for the advanced weaponry the United States and its allies are sending to the country, he said, adding that the country is interested in testing modern systems in the fight against the enemy and encouraged arms manufacturers to test the new products in Ukraine. Many weapons are now getting tested in the field in the real conditions of the battle against the Russian Army, which has plenty of modern systems of its own. According to Reznikov, Ukraine is employing Western weapons like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems or HIMARS, Polish Krab 155mm artillery systems and shoulder-fired air-defense missiles and anti-tank guided missiles against the Russians. He said the country is also collecting information on the performance and effectiveness of these weapons and other systems, and sharing the data with both weapons manufacturers and the nations that donated them to Ukraine. Some kinds of different equipment are starting in our battlefield, the Ukrainian military head said. For example, the Polish Krab artillery systems. It is a really organic unit, but they are distinct in this Russian-Ukrainian war. So, I think for our partners in Poland, in the U.S., France or Germany, it is a good chance to test the equipment. So, give us the tools. We will finish the job, and you will have all the new information. Powerful nations using these kinds of conflicts to test military equipment in real-world scenarios are nothing new. The U.S. military demonstrated precision-guided munitions to the world in the 1990-1991 Gulf War, while the Nazi Germany exploited the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s to test its newly developed tanks and aircraft. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have also seen new technologies and tactics. Russia also used Syrias civil war as a proving ground and weapons demonstration arena for export opportunities. War in Ukraine highly beneficial to U.S. armaments makers Most analysts commented that the war in Ukraine has been highly beneficial to U.S. armaments makers, who are making a huge amount of money by sending munitions into the war zone and refilling NATO stockpiles. (Related: Russia continues gaining ground in Ukraine as US, NATO pour in weapons to prolong the inevitable.) Also, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly asked for more advanced arms than it has been receiving, including F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. But Ukrainian pilots would need to be trained to fly U.S. aircraft. The House approved the National Defense Authorization Act that would appropriate a good $100 million to be spent for that purpose. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger told Defense News he has been in touch with Kyiv on the matter and he added that the $100 million for training as an amendment to the defense authorization bill will facilitate an eventual shift of Ukraines military hardware away from Soviet-era technology. What we want to do is obviously send a message to authorize the process, Kinzinger said. There is no doubt to me that when this war ends, Ukraine is going to have to be outfitted with western military equipment. The Biden administration has been wary to allow sensitive U.S. technology to fall into Russian hands on the battlefield and has worried about Moscows response should Ukrainian forces use high-end American equipment to attack Russian territory. But Kinzinger said the Ukrainians can be trusted with the equipment. Theyve been clear and they have shown this with the weapons they have. They are not trying to start a war with Russia inside of Russia, said Kinzinger. They just want to defend their homeland. He noted the U.S. military is ready to start training Ukrainian pilots at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi and possibly in Texas. It would take about three months to train the pilots to fly the fighter jets at a basic level. The Senate is not expected to vote on its version of the defense authorization bill until September at the earliest, then both chambers must agree on compromise legislation in the conference committee. Should Kinzingers amendment gets approved at the conference, the U.S. could be training Ukrainian pilots in the country as early as next year. Analysts could not help but criticize the Biden administration for spending much on the war, despite the worsening financial situation of the country. Visit WWIII.news for more news related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Watch the below video that talks about Ukraine being the testing ground for western weapons. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Proxy war: Ukraine bombs Russian arms depot using US missiles. Miami police try, fail to explain how its legal for their department to ship guns to Ukraine. Putin: If the US gives missiles to Ukraine, Russia will strike new targets. ARMING CRIMINALS: American weapons sent to Ukraine are ending up for sale on dark web. Russia deploys unknown munition in Ukraine, baffling western military experts. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com AtlanticCouncil.org TheDrive.com DefenseNews.com Amendments-Rules.House.gov Brighteon.com Does the astounding biodiversity of the Philippines have anything to do with the ice ages' increasing and declining sea levels? Scientists have long theorized that the Philippines' unusual geology, shifting ocean levels, and the separation and reunification of species groups periodically on islands formed a "species pump" that promoted remarkable variety. The concept of diversification is known as the Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex (PAIC) model. But up until now, there hasn't been any concrete evidence linking speciation booms to the particular dates that sea levels increased and decreased throughout the world. Bayesian method and new statistical analysis of genomic data from geckos According to co-author Rafe Brown, curator-in-charge of the herpetology division of the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum at KU, the Philippines is a remote archipelago with more than 7,100 islands today, but this number may have been as low as six or seven giant islands during the Pleistocene. Many of the smaller islands present today made up the combined landmasses; when the sea level dropped, dry ground joined them, and the excess water was trapped in glaciers. This type of land fragmentation and fusion, which occurred over the course of the previous 4 million years while sea levels varied regularly, is thought to have set the setting for a unique evolutionary process that may have sparked concurrent clusters or bursts of speciation in unrelated species. The scientists examined DNA samples of Philippine geckos as well as other species in the Philippines, where biologists at KU's Biodiversity Institute have been conducting fieldwork for decades. Even with today's technology and the ability of scientists to characterize variation across the genome, however, the development of strong statistical approaches capable of handling genome-scale data is still catching up. This is especially true in difficult cases, like the task of estimating the past times that species formed using genetic data collected from populations that are still alive today. The model's precise predictions have been evaluated much more thoroughly, objectively, and statistically during the past 25 years using actual data from wild populations, which has been a significant advancement in Philippine biogeography. For certain animals and plants, the predictions held true. However, in other cases, the same predictions were repeatedly disproven when checked against actual data using sophisticated statistical techniques. "When we looked at corollaries of the PAIC model in particular genera or clusters of closely related species in many of our own research at KU, we were astonished to see that the ice ages time frame wasn't even connected to much of the species diversity we observe today," said co-author Rafe Brown, curator-in-charge of the herpetology division of the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum at KU, as per ScienceDaily. Cameron Siler, a co-author from the University of Oklahoma, and Jamie Oaks, the lead author from Auburn University, were both graduate students at KU that Brown supervised. They were joined by co-author Perry Wood Jr., now at the University of Michigan, who had previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Oaks and Brown at KU and Auburn. In the past, researchers focusing on specific animals or plants have endorsed the general idea, but others have expressed skepticism because it didn't seem to hold true in other species they studied. For two centuries, naturalists who studied species distributions in the Philippines have discussed, debated, and written numerous about the ideas underneath modern species pump theory or, in the Philippines, prognostications now making up the "PAIC Paradigm." Also Read: Experts Document a Gecko's Violent Behavior to Immobilize Scorpions as Prey Evolution of geckos Scientists from Oregon State University and the National History Museum of London have dated the oldest fossilized gecko to be 100 million years old, as per Pets on Mom. The oldest reptiles emerged during the Carboniferous Period, which is 300-350 million years ago. Reptiles have a common ancestry. Hylonomus, which the Journal of Geological Society dates to be 315 million years old, is the oldest reptile fossil known to science. When geckos first developed their characteristic climbing feet is unclear. The gecko's feet and tail were partially visible in the 100 million-year-old fossil stated above, and the setae, or microscopic hairlike structures on the foot, were still visible. Defense mechanisms like chameleon skills and the leaf-tailed gecko, which is well known for its tail that resembles a dried leaf, are other adaptations that may be observed in present species that suggest a divergence from their early progenitor. The Global Gecko Association estimates that there are about 2,000 species of geckos now recognized, divided into five subfamilies. One of the biggest differences among geckos is their color, with certain species being able to blend in with their environment. One noteworthy difference is that certain females, like mourning geckos, are capable of reproducing on their own. Related article: Geckos Act like Springs, Researchers Say Mountain glaciers are at risk as the persistent heat wave in Europe and across the Northern Hemisphere continues to manifests. Glaciologists claim that the scorching heat could result in the further collapse of these natural structures, which are threatened even further by climate change and global warming. Northern Hemisphere Extreme Heat On July 3, prior to the ongoing European heatwave, the Marmolada Glacier in Italy sustained a relatively small crack on its surface before burying and killing 11 people. The victims in the Italian Alps were a part of a group of over a dozen hikers when the mountain glacier avalanche. Experts and local authorities attribute the snow landslide, consisting of icy rocks, to be triggered by warming temperatures and snow droughts. While the natural disaster seemed isolated at that time, it highlights the effect of heat waves on Earth's Northern Hemisphere, notably in North America and Europe. Currently, the long-held speculations are being confirmed after glaciologists have started tracking a new crack, with a size of about 650 feet long and over 100 feet wide, according to Inside Climate News. The unique finding of the crack stems from the fact it is also situated at the Marmolada Glacier, but on a different part of the mountain snow. In addition, the discovery also reportedly intensifies concerns of unprecedented threats as climate change and global warming continues to heat up the planet. Also Read: Artificial Material Developed to Reduce Glacial Ice Melt in Mountain Areas: New Study Climate Change: Glacier Ice Melt For many years, various studies and reports have shown that the ongoing climate crisis is capable of changing weather patterns, increase and prolong extreme weather events, and aggravate storms. It is for this reason, that glaciologists warn that further mountain glacier collapses are possible, if not, imminent in the future. This is likely certain unless significant actions are taken including those measures stipulated by the 2015 Paris Agreement spearheaded by the United Nations. European Heat Waves For over a week, heat wave-triggered wildfires have ravaged several countries in Europe, especially France. In France, persistent wildfires in the southwestern region forced the evacuation of 30,000 people from their homes and use temporary emergency shelters set up for evacuees. In the popular tourist French region of Gironde, firefighters are scrambling to contain the massive fires which already destroyed nearly 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land area since July 12, according to the BBC. Similar blazes were reported in Greece, Portugal, and Spain, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. The widespread heat dome also affected parts of North Africa, even as far as Morocco where heat warnings are in place until Sunday, July 24. Such extreme weather event is likely to continue in the coming days and even weeks. Heat Related Deaths Multiple media reports, including the BBC and ABC News, indicate more than 1,000 people died from heat-related factors in Spain and Portugal in recent days. In Spain, at least 510 heat-related deaths were recorded July 10 and July 18. In Portugal, 659 related fatalities were recorded between July 7 and July 17. Related Article: Extreme Weather Envelops Europe as Heat Wave Grips the UK and Wildfires Engulf France and Portugal General view of the Cordillera Escalera mountains natural reserve in Tarapoto, northeastern Peru, on July 10, 2022. - Unique species of endemic frogs of captivating beauty, mammals and birds are among the main tourist attractions of the conservation area of the Escalera Mountains, a protected natural zone between the Andes and the forest of eastern Peru. (Photo : Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP via Getty Images) Continental surface is seeping through into planet's center below the Andes ranges in South America. Furthermore, this has already been going on for millions of years, resulting in unmistakable rippling and outer layer patterns that researchers have found via simulation and experiments. This could aid in identifying inner seismic processes on some neighboring worlds that lack continental plates, including such Mars and Venus. Dripping of Earth's Crust Lithospheric leaking is a phenomenon that has just lately been discovered on Earth, this occurs when the rocky layer reaches a specific degree, it begins to solidify and seep deeper into the earth. It's similar to an extraordinary pitch fall, yet the production and discharge of earth's crust dips has impacts on the planet's outer medium, Science Alert reported. Because of its great thickness, it trickled the same as icy molasses further into the terrestrial core and is probably accountable for two significant seismic activity in the Central Andes, changing the town's underlying terrain by hundreds of kilometers and crushing and straining the underlying layer directly. Researchers matched simulation findings that was shown in the journal of Communications Earth & Environment to geomagnetic and morphological investigations undertaken in the Central Andes, notably in the Arizaro Basin. experts devised experimental research in which they built replicas of the Earth's surface and upper layers in order to examine what occurs on the ground when the layer begins to leak. Moreover, researchers have also seen earth's crust shrinkage with wrinkles in the simulation and basin-like depressive episodes on the ground, so experts were certain that a leak is most probably the origin of the reported Andes displacements. In the same manner, crustal reduction in the heart of the Arizaro Basin is well recorded by bending and small projection fissures, yet the region is not confined by established convergent zone boundary, suggesting a rather more restricted geomorphologic activity is happening. While University of Toronto geologist Russell Pysklywec suggested as a potential propose lithosphere loss to explain for extensive, non-subduction associated bending moment and plateau development. Also read: World War II Boat Emerges as Waters at Lake Mead Declines What is Under Andres Mountains? In an separate interview Julia Andersen, a geologist doctoral candidate and editor in chief at the University of Toronto in Canada explained that specialists have proven that a disturbance on the slope of a region of the Andes Alps has barraged down a huge section of the earth's crust underneath. Since researchers have just lately learned to grasp continental crust leaking, the ground reaction to the phenomenon is not well defined. According to experts from Annual Reviews the phenomenon was more like building and demolishing seismic canyon chains in a playground while drifting on a mimicked lake of lava. A convergent boundary produced the highland entirely, when the border of one continental plates slips under the margin of the plane next to it. Nevertheless, findings demonstrate that the building of the Central Andes happened in bursts during the Cretaceous period, the Earth's present chronological age, beginning roughly 66 million years ago. The studies further demonstrated how lithospheric leaking may alter the Earth's crust in diverse manners. Earlier study had shown that lithospheric leaking was at work, but the scientists needed additional conclusive proof. In the higher mantle material, a dripping "seed" was placed. All whilst, a sensor monitored the complete experience, taking high-resolution photographs each moment or so to record the crust's stress and strain, as per Science Direct. Related article: Collapse of the Ancient Maya Blamed on Drought and Shifts in Climate A vulture stands on a fish at Atafona beach, Atafona neighborhood, in Sao Joao da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 7, 2022. - Vultures roam the sand in the Brazilian resort town of Atafona amid the ruins of the latest houses destroyed by the sea, whose relentless rise has turned the local coastline into an apocalyptic landscape. (Photo : Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images) For more than a century, evolutionary biologists assumed that a specimen unearthed in South Australia was a strong grave eagle (Taphaetus lacertosus). Nevertheless, fresh study has made known its actual classification system: it's a vulture, and it's the nation's first. Ancient Fossil of Vulture The predatory vulture Cryptogyps lacertosus which means powerful concealed vulture, existed approximately 500 and 50,000 years ago, according to the fossils. It's an 'Old World' eagle, and comparable species may still be seen presently - but not in Australia, as per Science Alert. The categorization demonstrates how diversified the megafauna as well as various species were in this portion of the planet throughout the Pleistocene epoch, which lasted around 2.5 million years and concluded approximately 11,700 years ago. While as per Flinders University paleontologist Ellen Mather interview with The Guardian, researchers examined the archaeological evidence to birds of flight from throughout the entire globe, and then it seemed evident pretty quickly that this bird really wasn't specialized to being a predator, and so was not a falcon or an eagle. When researchers positioned Cryptogyps in a phylogenetic ladder, this validated their beliefs that the bird was a vulture, and that experts are extremely thrilled to officially report on this genus. The initial phase of the relic saga begins in 1901, with the finding of a piece of a wing periosteum nearby the Kalamurina Estate on the Warburton Stream in South Australia. It was quickly identified as from an ancient cousin of the wedge-tailed eagle. Scientists as well as those behind this current discovery as shown in Eurekalert report, have recently begun to doubt the categorization of the fossil currently recognized as C. lacertosus. It has been proposed that Old World vultures lived in Australia throughout the Pleistocene epoch, and that this specimen could represent one of them. The finding of additional remains from the Wellington Caves in New South Wales and Leaena's Breath Cave in Western Australia's Nullabor Plains aided the investigators in proving it. These vultures might have flown with wedge-tailed eagles and stares intently on very huge creatures, like the pleistocene marsupial herbivore Diprotodon and marsupial lion Thylacoleo. Also read: New Study Reveals Secret Tool to Elephant Trunk's Versatility The Only Vulture Ever Discovered in Australia In his interview Flinders University paleontologist Trevor Worthy explained that the finding answers a question of what transpired to several megafaunal remains when the country didn't host vultures. Researchers certainly know they were here; they were hiding in the shadows. Some other key finding from the research addressing C. acertosus the variety of birds of prey in Australia was far larger before than it is now. Vultures have an important part in enhancing corpse deterioration and decreasing transmission of pathogens, yet there are no longer any in Australia. The scientists claim that the vultures' extinction might have shifted the environmental integrity, as other buzzards started to play the similar function - but not in the identical manner. If C. lacertosus as per Science Times behaved like its contemporary cousins, it might have been usual for numerous of the species to feast on the same cadaver. This would have given it a market advantage over other creatures. Currently, experts are used to seeing a wedge-tailed eagle nibbling at a kangaroo corpse along the highway. Thousands of years ago, a totally different bird - among the most folks generally connect with the African grasslands - would have occupied the job of carrion eater, The Conversation posted. Related article: Evolutionary Scientists Demonstrated the Unique Capabilities of Paper Wasps To Learn and Make Social Distinctions Scientists are on alert after Greenland last week witnessed one of its worst ice melts in recorded history. Approximately billion of tons of water each day were lost in the prolonged in the Northwest coast of Greenland. Reports indicate the amount of water from the ice melt is enough to put West Virginia, United States, under a foot of water. The natural event came as warm temperatures enveloped the country and a heat wave is prevailing in multiple regions across the Earth's Northern Hemisphere, including Europe and the United Kingdom. The extreme heat over the continent for more than a week had yield to wildfires in some countries like Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Mountain glaciers under the hemisphere have also been reported to be at risk of melting amid the continentwide heat dome. In this context, Greenland is also at risk renewed risk of the extreme weather event and could cause a cascade of disaster since the island country contains a vast deposit of frozen water enclosed in its melting glaciers. In recent years, climate change through ocean warming has threatened the Greenland ice sheet, as part of the rapid melting of the Arctic waters and other parts of the world, as seen in previous studies and reports. The natural hazards brought by the climatic factors are not only confined to environmental repercussions but also a threat animal in the Arctic and their natural habitats. Greenland's Melting Glacier Greenland's ice melt was triggered by several days of "unusually warm weather" in the northern part of the country. This resulted in rapid melting as evident by incidents of river meltwater rushing into the ocean. Above average temperatures were recorded for this time of the year, with 60 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal, scientists told CNN. Between July 15 and July 17 alone, 6 billion tons of water were lost due to the ice melt in the nation. Scientists claim that natural event is not normal, even if climate change has already taken a toll to some of the world local or regional weather and climate. Also Read: Artificial Material Developed to Reduce Glacial Ice Melt in Mountain Areas: New Study Climate Crisis: Global Sea Level Rise The melting glaciers of Greenland are one of the main contributors of the global sea level rise in the context of the ongoing climate crisis. An improved understanding of the impact of ocean warming to glaciers could be used by communities worldwide in the future. This can enable them to be more well-prepared when it comes to potential flooding and other related disasters, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which also user its satellite to monitor the ice loss. Since 1880, the global sea level has risen by eight to nine inches (21 to 24 centimeters). This is according to an April 2022 report of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which also acknowledged that the rate of sea level rise is accelerating more than double each year. Related Article: Landslides Can Influence Glacier Melting and Glacier Movement: New Study An invasive insect known as the emerald ash borer has arrived in the state of Oregon, sparking fears that it would annihilate the population of the ash trees, local authorities confirmed. The arrival of the so-called invasive green beetle is part of its westward march from the eastern and western United States, where it has already killed millions of trees. Amid the looming threat, local authorities are making preparations to at least protect the Oregon ash and other tree species from the invasive beetle, which is reportedly unstoppable at this time as claimed by authorities. As a result, reports indicated slowing down their advancement to allow more time to prepare is the only viable option at this time. The deadly pest arrived in the Pacific Northwest state three years after forest scientists in the U.S. West Coast launched an initiative to gather almost 1 million seeds of the Oregon ash. The tree species is known as an ecologically valuable tree found from Southern California to the Canadian province of British Columbia. Plant conservationists have expressed their concern of the impending botanical disaster, even as part of a nearly 20-year fight against the emerald ash borer, an Asian species first found in Detroit in 2002. Since then, the invasive insect has been continuously reported. Invasive Insect Arrives According to an article posted on Science, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the arrival of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Oregon last week, and asserted it likely has been there already for up to five years. The latest discovery surpassed previous records of the green beetle's first appearance to be as far as Boulder, Colorado. As a result, this is the first time the insects have a presence west of the Rocky Mountains. Forest managers fear for the future of the Oregon ash, and at least eight other ash tree species found only in western North America. Also Read: Biological Pest Control Saved Coconut Farmers in Asia Billions of Dollars Ash Trees Leigh Greenwood, a forest specialist from the Nature Conservancy, said that once the emerald ash borer shows up, one cannot get rid of it. However, by implementing measures such as limiting firewood movement and other ash material, affected states can buy some time to be prepared, as cited by Science. The Oregon ash is a member of the tree olive family (Oleaceae). It is one of the 16 ash species across the US, and is the only ash member native to the Pacific Northwest, according to the Oregon Wood Innovation Center of the Oregon State University. Amidst the growing challenge faced by Oregon, various propositions have emerged, such as the continued collection of other endemic ash species that are only found in the Southwest US. Still, reports indicated that these solutions are not easy since some species are rare and grow in remote locations, according to Tim Thibault, a curator at the Huntington, as cited by Science. The emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle first discovered in southeastern Michigan, near Detroit, during the summer of 2002. In recent years, the beetle had not only spread across the US but also in several provinces of Canada such as Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Related Article: Pest Control: Restoring Natural Plant Defenses Champaign, IL (61820) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, describe a different way to build a COVID-19 vaccine, one that would, in theory, remain effective against new and emerging variants and could be taken as a pill, by inhalation or other delivery methods. Their findings publish in the July 21, 2022 online issue of PLOS Pathogens. The research involved building plasmids genetically altered to contain bits of genetic material specifically intended to target a vulnerability in the SARS-CoV-2 virus's spike protein, a portion of the virus critical to binding and infecting cells. Plasmids are small, circular DNA molecules from bacteria that are physically separate from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They can be used by scientists to transfer genetic material from one cell to another, after which the introduced genetic material can replicate in the receiving cell. The approach, said senior author Maurizio Zanetti, MD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and head of the Laboratory of Immunology at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, points to the possibility of a more durable, and more broadly effective, COVID-19 vaccine. The details are complicated, but the fundamentals are simple. They are based on well-known and proven principles and methods." Maurizio Zanetti, MD, professor of medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, such as those by Pfizer and Moderna, are the result of decades of previous research and development. The pandemic added new urgency, focus and resources. These vaccines promised a faster way to people, though not without significant challenges, such as the need of an ultralow temperature cold chain. The resulting mRNA vaccines have fundamentally altered the course of the pandemic, dramatically mitigating the severity of disease, hospitalizations and deaths. But notably, said Zanetti, they do little at blocking transmission of the virus. Case rates still rise and fall with the emergence of viral variants. "The goal at the beginning wasn't to stop the disease," said Zanetti. "It was to mitigate the consequences, to reduce COVID's severity and outcomes. The vaccines have done that. Vaccinated persons tend not to get as sick. They don't require hospitalization as often. Death rates are down. All of this has greatly reduced pressures on health systems and society, which is a good thing." But the ever-evolving nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has revealed that the vaccines' efficacy varies, depending upon variant, often diminishing. The Alpha variant, for example, proved more contagious than the "wild-type" strain that originated in Wuhan, China. The Delta variant was more transmissible than Alpha and Omicron more than Delta. Though the vaccines continue to provide substantial protection against severe disease, the antibodies they induce are consistently less powerful at neutralizing the virus, thus the increased transmission. SARS-CoV-2 continues to be an unrelenting global public health threat. Zanetti said the newest work emphasizes "quality over quantity," seeking the induction of antibodies preferentially blocking virus binding to its cell receptor and transmission. This results in a more focused antibody response with the vaccine. "In the early days of COVID vaccine development, it was about generating a broad, robust immune response," Zanetti said. "But it was a scattered approach. The vaccines response targeted many epitopes (parts of the virus that the host's immune system recognizes) and it resulted in an immune response that was largely noise. Most of the resulting antibodies produced didn't affect the virus's ability to infect." "The new research narrows the focus to a part of the viral spike specifically involved in the virus's ability to infect that appears to be evolutionarily conserved," said co-senior author Aaron F. Carlin, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UC San Diego Health. In other words, the site doesn't change with new variants, and represents a persisting site of vulnerability and a reliable vaccine target. How it works Zanetti and colleagues built plasmids containing immunogens -; molecules that cause B lymphocytes to create antibodies -; that were specifically designed to display a knob of the spike protein that is part of the receptor binding motif or RBM. Specifically, these were amino acid residues that act like keys to unlock the cell door. The keys and lock don't change. B lymphocytes are part of the immune system. They are prodigious producers of antibodies created to respond and protect against specific antigens or unwanted substances in the body, such as viruses. The average B lymphocyte can spit out 1,000 antibody molecules per second, an incredibly robust production if it is the right antibody for the job. Zanetti and colleagues cloned the selected spike protein amino acids into a plasmid DNA so that, when injected into the spleen of mice, the introduced immunogen molecules would provoke the production of neutralizing antibodies specifically tuned to the targeted nob on the RBM of the virus protein spike. The researchers then tested their approach on mice with variants of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain (Beta, Delta and Omicron) and found that the immune response was similar across all variants. "We were a bit lucky in picking our target on the spike," said Zanetti, "though it was also the result of experience and intuition. I've been doing this for 30 years. Earlier experiments by others had suggested this might be a 'supersite.' I followed my instincts." Zanetti said translating these findings into a vaccine suitable for clinical trials will be "an uphill battle." There is much invested in current approaches, and it's a considerable leap from mouse studies to human clinical trials. But the promise of a consistently effective and easy to administer vaccine is irresistible. "DNA is very stable. The new ideas for delivery include a pill that survives the digestive system and releases the plasmid DNA to be picked up by B lymphocytes that seem to possess an ancestral property for taking up plasmid DNA. Alternatively, the DNA can be formulated for delivery to the upper airways by suitable formulation for inhalation. Many other researchers and I have investigated and pursued this basic idea before in other ways. It's time to try it with COVID." Young women and girls' time spent in unpaid household work contributes to the gender pay gap, according to new research from the Universities of East Anglia (UEA), Birmingham and Brunel. The research shows women's later employment participation is affected by taking on the weight of this care burden in childhood, thus adding to existing inequality gaps in the study countries. The study, 'The contribution of girls' longer hours in unpaid work to gender gaps in early adult employment: Evidence from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam', is published today in the journal Feminist Economics. The research team examined data from the Young Lives project, a longitudinal cohort study of childhood poverty following the lives of 12,000 children from India, Ethiopia, Peru and Vietnam. The India sample data is from the states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Following the lives of children from the age of 8 to 22, the research team analyzed employment participation in any paid work and any sector (including agriculture), type of employment and wages. According to UNICEF, girls spend 40 per cent more time on household chores than boys. Unequal shares of household care work are highly consequential for girls and linked to wider inequalities such as access to piped water, which shapes the amount of necessary work. The amount and nature of household work influences girls' school participation, reduces their time for study and can thus constrain their future employment opportunities. Policy to address gender inequality in paid work needs to take into account unpaid work in childhood, said Dr Nicholas Vasilakos, of UEA. Investing in youth employment is central to development agendas and would help countries meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of decent work for all by 2030. Unequal participation in household work starts at a young age, widening differences over time suggest gendered trajectories." Dr Nicholas Vasilakos, Associate Professor of Sustainable Business Economics and Public Policy, UEA's Norwich Business School Prof Fiona Carmichael, Professor of Labour Economics at Birmingham Business School, said: "Longer hours of unpaid household work that reduces girls' time for study may therefore limit their future lives by constraining employment opportunities. "This confirms that the care burden to women of their greater share of household work starts back in childhood." At age 22, there was already a gender gap in employment participation (85.72 per cent of men versus 70.64 per cent of women). Moreover, women's hourly wage of US$1.46/hour is significantly less (p=0.001) than men's US$1.77/hour. Household work is negatively related to job quality both type of jobs and earnings said Dr Christian Darko, a Lecturer in Applied Business and Labour Economics at the University of Birmingham. Prof Shireen Kanji, Professor of Human Resource Management at Brunel University London, said: "It seems that in comparison to men, women's employment is likely to be driven to a greater extent by lack of choice or by need, and is characterised by fewer opportunities for well-paid, higher-quality employment." However, the study did find that girls whose parents have higher aspirations for them at age 12 have better chances of higher-paid employment at age 22. As the BA.5 omicron variant continues to spread, health experts are increasingly preparing for a future in which such COVID-19 variants emerge, surge and recede similar to seasonal flu. An important part of staying on top of these changes will be the ability to quickly monitor the virus at a "population scale," an effort that will require accurate and ultra-fast testing. To help meet this challenge, researchers from the School of Science at IUPUI are developing a new biosensor with the potential to achieve the speed and efficiency required for the future of COVID-19 testing. The work was recently reported in Applied Materials & Interfaces, a journal of the American Chemical Society. It is led by Rajesh Sardar, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology in the School of Science, and Adrianna Masterson, a graduate student in Sardar's lab at the time of the study. Everyone is chasing high-throughput testing; this type of high-speed analysis is essential to the future of the fight against COVID-19. There are many advantages to our technology in particular: It's fast, efficient, accurate and unprecedentedly sensitive." Rajesh Sardar, professor of chemistry and chemical biology, IU School of Science In terms of speed, the COVID-19 test from Sardar's lab can currently analyze samples from 96 individuals in under three hours, he said. In terms of efficiency, the system requires only 10 microliters of blood. By comparison, a typical blood panel order by a primary-care physician collects 10 milliliters of blood -- over 1,000 times more. The sensor also works with other sample types, such as saliva, Sardar said. But the study was conducted using blood since it's the most complex bodily fluid and therefore the best indicator of a sensor's accuracy. All test samples were obtained from the Indiana Biobank, which provided 216 blood samples: 141 samples from patients with COVID-19 and 75 healthy control samples. Based upon a blind analysis, IUPUI researchers found their biosensor's accuracy rate was 100 percent and its specificity rate was 90 percent. In other words, the sensor never reported a false negative and only reported a false positive in 1 out of 10 samples. For the purposes of public safety, Sardar said, the absence of false negatives is more important than false positives, because a person with a false negative may unknowingly infect others, whereas a person with a false positive is not a danger. Additionally, Sardar said the sensor was found to be highly accurate at measuring the body's COVID-19 antibody concentration. This is because it detects not only the virus's spike protein but also the proteins created by the body to protect against the virus -- immunoglobin G, or IgG. He also said the ability to measure COVID-19 antibodies is significant because many COVI9-19 antibody tests currently approved under the FDA's emergency use authorization don't provide specific antibody counts, despite the fact that this number indicates the strength of a person's immunity to infection. "Accurately measuring patients' immunity levels will be critical to protecting against COVID-19 going forward," Sardar said. "This can be seen clearly in our current state of affairs, as variants like omicron -- and, most recently, BA.5 -- are infecting even fully vaccinated and boosted individuals." To achieve its results, Sardar's lab's biosensor uses chemically synthesized gold triangular nanoprisms, which provide a uniquely powerful optical response to even minuscule amounts of IgG. It also means the sensor can detect antibodies in the earliest stages of infection. The work, which began in the early days of the pandemic, builds upon initial promising results published in June 2021. Next, Sardar aims to further refine the technology, with a goal of eventually being able to process 384 samples in less than an hour -- or 5,000 samples per day, if used in a larger testing center. "This research is about preparing for the future," said Sardar, who is also a researcher with the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The H1N1 strain of the flu is nearly 100 years old. I expect the coronavirus will also be with us a long time. Looking ahead, we need to come up with ways to measure many people's infections, or risks of infection, quickly, easily and efficiently in order to stay one step ahead of the virus." This work was supported in part by the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Science though a grant from the Indiana CTSI. An old, brick house in Charleston's Wagener Terrace district stands out from its gentrified neighbors in several ways: It's 14,000 square feet, built to accommodate around 30 people, and was constructed 90 years ago to provide shelter for pregnant girls. It still does just that. Pregnant teenagers with few options, often escaping dangerous living situations, come here to stay, give birth at a nearby hospital, and then return to the home to learn how to raise an infant. In recent years, these girls have been as young as 12. They are often victims of sexual abuse. The building is a vestige of a different era, and the nonprofit home's mission harkens back to an earlier time, too, when sex outside marriage was more stigmatized and access to birth control and abortion were hard to come by. Charleston has changed in dramatic ways this past century, but the house run by the Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina essentially serves the same purpose one that may prove increasingly necessary in the post-Roe v. Wade South. Across the region, the recent Supreme Court ruling on abortion could lead to higher numbers of pregnancies among teenagers and may very well affect the demand for maternity homes like the one in Charleston. Relatively few such maternity homes remain in the United States. As contraception and abortion became widely available during the second half of the 20th century, the demand for these homes declined alongside the teen birth rate, said Ann Fessler, who wrote the 2006 book "The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade." In South Carolina alone, more than 3,800 girls ages 10 to 17 gave birth in 1990, according to records kept by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. By 2020, that number had dropped to 784. But that downward trend will likely reverse in the wake of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision last month. Hundreds of girls and women under age 20 received abortions in South Carolina in 2020. It stands to reason the number of infants born to teenage mothers in the state will grow if the procedure becomes illegal a decision under consideration by the South Carolina Legislature. The Supreme Court ruling raises many questions. Cheryl O'Donnell, executive director of the Florence Crittenton organization in Charleston, doesn't yet have answers. "Do we anticipate a surge in the number of people seeking our assistance?" asked O'Donnell. "And who do we think are going to be the people seeking our assistance?" "In South Carolina, we are the only maternity group home that serves young women under the age of 18," she added. "When you start looking at minors, were the only resource for them, and we serve the entire state. But obviously, we are only one building." These days, the house isn't usually full. It can accommodate 31 clients, but on a recent afternoon in Charleston, O'Donnell said only eight teenagers were living under the Florence Crittenton roof girls ranging in age from 15 to 18. An 18-year-old living there, she said, was soon expecting her second child. In Greenville County, South Carolina, the St. Clare's Home, run by the Roman Catholic Church, can house up to six women and their infants. But it's not currently full, either. Nevertheless, both maternity homes are making plans to expand residential services to other parts of the state. "There are women out there lots of women who are not able to support themselves or their children," said Valerie Baronkin, executive director of St. Clare's Home. "We are there to be able to help those moms." These homes may be outliers now, but maternity homes used to be much more common. "At the high point, there were about 200 maternity homes across the country," said Fessler. The vast majority of them were run by three organizations: Florence Crittenton, the Salvation Army, and Catholic Charities. And they mostly served white women. In fact, following World War II, when these homes proliferated, relatively few offered any services for Black teenagers. The Charleston home traces its roots to 1897 when a young woman tried to kill herself by jumping into the Cooper River. The woman survived, and the incident prompted a group of volunteers to open their homes to single, pregnant women and mothers in need. The St. Margaret Street location, which opened in 1932, was modeled after the first Florence Crittenton home in New York City. That facility was founded in 1883 by Charles Crittenton, a businessman and evangelist who named it after his daughter who died of scarlet fever at age 4. It was established to serve "fallen women and wayward girls." Times have obviously changed since then. That's why Fessler, for one, doesn't anticipate the demand for these homes will grow dramatically even as some states, particularly in the South, move to outlaw abortion. "In the '50s,'60s, and early '70s, the shame associated with single pregnancy was intense," Fessler said. "Women and girls were hidden away so no one knew they were pregnant and so they could give birth, surrender their child, and then return home with a cover story about taking care of a sick aunt. It was largely a middle-class white phenomenon." That isn't the case anymore. Today, 70% of the young women who move into the Florence Crittenton house in Charleston are Black. They typically aren't seeking refuge from stigma, and they rarely give their babies up for adoption. In fact, since O'Donnell arrived three years ago, that hasn't happened once, she said. More often like Amauree Goss, who was 18 and pregnant when she came to live at Florence Crittenton these teenagers simply need a safe place to stay. At the time, she had been living with her father in Charleston but wasn't receiving much support from him. The home they shared was infested with bedbugs. Goss was attending high school and working part time at Krispy Kreme, walking so much between home and work and school that she nearly went into preterm labor. During her second trimester, she was required to undergo an emergency procedure to temporarily stitch her cervix closed. That's when a former foster parent recommended the Florence Crittenton home. "It was perfect timing," said Goss, now 21. "I almost lost my son." She gave birth and left the maternity home when her son was 2 months old. The Florence Crittenton home in Charleston allows mothers to stay with their infants up to two years after the birth of their children. Teenagers who are pregnant are much more likely to experience homelessness than other teenagers, O'Donnell said. "They are bouncing from couch to couch in their or their friends' homes, or they're living in cars, or they're living in some other place that is not habitable." About five years ago, the South Carolina Department of Social Services abruptly cut more than $300,000 in annual funding from the Charleston home, threatening its roughly $1 million annual budget. That money was restored a year later. The state legislature earmarked an additional $500,000 for the home this budget year. That money will be used, in part, to expand access to housing for pregnant teens across the state. The Florence Crittenton organization in Charleston doesn't take an official stance on abortion, but the home will require more space to accommodate a potential influx of clients. "In the event that there is a huge surge in need, we are licensed to be able to accept 31 individuals, but it would require doubling people and their children up," O'Donnell said. "Thats really not the type of environment we want to be able to provide them." A first-of-its-kind sprayable coating that can prevent the surface spread of infection from bacteria and viruses - including COVID-19 - over a sustained period has been developed by a team of Australian researchers. Described in the journal Advanced Science, the spray works two ways: repelling viruses and bacteria through an air-filled barrier, and killing pathogens through microscopic materials if the layer becomes damaged or submerged for extended periods. The spray uses a combination of plastics strong enough to be considered an alternative to bullet-proof glass. The coating provides a reliable alternative to standard disinfectants, which are becoming less effective and require regular reapplication, and is the only permanent surface layer proven to protect surfaces from contamination by viruses. It is safer than existing alternatives to disinfectant, with no harmful side effects and more stable potency unlike the next most promising non-disinfectant agent that kills bacteria, silver nanoparticles. The authors said the coating could be applied to surfaces in public settings such as lift buttons, stair rails, surfaces in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and restaurants, to prevent the spread of common viruses and bacteria. Co-lead author University of Sydney's School of Biomedical Engineering Professor Antonio Tricoli and Director of the University of Melbourne's Graeme Clark Institute, Professor David Nisbet said the spread of viral and bacterial pathogens through contact with surfaces is a leading cause of infection worldwide. Surface contamination also plays a major role in the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. "Without a barrier, viruses such as coronaviruses can stay on surfaces and remain infectious for up to a week. Other viruses such as reoviruses, which can cause colds or diarrhea, for instance, can remain on surfaces for several weeks, causing large outbreaks in health and aged care facilities," Professor Tricoli said. Like a lotus leaf, the surface spray creates a coating that repels water. Because the pathogens like to be in water, they remain trapped in the droplets and the surface is protected from contamination. If this mechanism fails, a secondary burst of ions is triggered by carefully designed nanomaterials dispersed in the coating." Professor Antonio Tricoli, University of Sydney's School of Biomedical Engineering The spray was developed over a five-year collaboration by the multi-university research team and was funded in part by Australian Research Council and NHMRC grants. The team tested the mechanical stability and surface energy of the coating. They also tested its ability to resist contamination from bacteria and viruses by subjecting it to high concentrations of both. The samples were submerged for extended periods of time and the sprayed surfaces were deliberately damaged to test the spray's resilience against their contamination. "We have identified the mechanical processes underpinning how the spray works and quantified its effectiveness in different environments," Professor Nisbet said. "For this study, we tested metal surfaces. However, in the past we have shown the spray can be applied to any surface, for example, blotting paper, plastic, bricks, tiles, glass and metal. Our coating successfully prevented up to 99.85 per cent and 99.94 per cent of the bacteria strain growth. We also saw an 11-fold reduction in virus contamination." The spray is applied in the same manner as spray paint, although smaller quantities are needed. "The coating has been engineered through a simple and scalable technique with a careful choice of materials to provide ultra-durability. We also believe our explanation of the mechanism behind the antimicrobial and antiviral effects could significantly advance research in antipathogen technologies that could see affordable manufacture of an effective surface spray to protect people from viruses and bacteria," Professor Nisbet said. The researchers have established a start-up company to progress the technology and make the spray available commercially, potentially within three years. The annual death rate of children under five years old could double to about 38,000 by 2049 compared with the decade 2005-2014, without cuts to rising carbon emissions, a study estimates. The study published in Environmental Research Letters this month (4 July) predicts that keeping temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius through to 2050 as targeted by the Paris Agreement on climate change could prevent about 6,000 heat-related child deaths in Africa. Researchers analyzed under-five population data from WorldPop and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network, and national data on death rates of children under five from UNICEF for the years 1995-2020. Using different climate change scenarios, they estimated the number of child deaths through to 2050. Heat-related child mortality in Africa rose to 11,000 deaths annually between 1995 and 2004, of which 5,000 were linked to the negative impacts of climate change, the study showed. In the 2011-2020-decade, heat-related deaths swelled from 8,000 to 19,000 per year, the study revealed. The researchers say the increase may have undermined gains made in other areas of child health and dented global development progress. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals seek to end preventable deaths of children under five and reduce under-five mortality to "at least as low as 25 deaths per 1,000 live births" by 2030. "Our results suggest that if climate change is not kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, rising temperatures would make meeting the SDG target increasingly difficult," the study says. John Marsham, a co-author of the study and professor of atmospheric science at Leeds University in northern England, tells SciDev.Net that climate change impacts, caused by human activities and population growth, outweigh results gained from improved healthcare and sanitation measures. "Our results highlight the urgent need for health policy to focus on heat-related child mortality, as our results show it is a serious present-day issue, which will only become more pressing as the climate warms," Marsham says. He adds that the estimates of future heat-related mortality include the assumption of significant population growth projected for Africa and declines in overall child mortality due to health improvements. The way out Bernard Onyango, director of population, environment and development for the BUILD project at the African Institute for Development Policy in Kenya, says that the evidence from this research "brings to the fore the health impacts of climate change". Without action to slow the rise in global temperature as a result of climate change, thousands of African children's lives will be lost annually from heat-related deaths, he adds. Onyango calls for urgent efforts at national, regional and global levels to avert these deaths. "African countries have to prioritize health in their climate change action plans, which is not the case at the moment," he tells SciDev.Net. "Policymakers need to care about the study because of cost to human health, and to come up with strategies to avert the loss of human life as a result of climate change." Teo Namata, acting programme manager for water, sanitation and hygiene at Amref Health Africa in Uganda, adds that the continent needs strong policies against non-climate resilience practices such as tree-cutting and bush-burning, and wetland and forest encroachments, with heavy penalties against offenders. But Namata urges more research to explore how extreme heat affects children's health, and identify interventions that can effectively manage and mitigate heat impacts on vulnerable populations. Price E. Dickson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, has received a $407,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the genetic and genomic mechanisms driving the relationship between social reward and cocaine addiction. During the two-year R21 grant, Dickson and his research team will study the genetic and genomic mechanisms driving social reward and the preference for a social reward over a drug reward. Social rewards refer to the reinforcing social stimuli that individuals experience during interactions with others. A strong drive to seek out social interactions rather than drugs of abuse may confer addiction resistance, whereas the absence of this drive may result in addiction vulnerability, Dickson explains. "Despite the importance of social rewards in addiction, the genetic mechanisms underlying variation in the preference for a social reward over a drug reward have been unexplored," Dickson said. "Because the mouse genome is very similar to the human genome, genetic studies using mice can provide valuable information about the genetics underlying human addiction." To model the vast genetic diversity in humans, the team will use mice from the Collaborative Cross mouse panel, which contains almost all of the genetic diversity present in both wild and laboratory mice. To identify the genetic mechanisms underlying the preference for social interactions rather than addictive drugs, individual Collaborative Cross mice will have the choice to intravenously self-administer cocaine or to briefly interact with another mouse. Single-cell RNA sequencing will then be used to identify genetic signatures associated with these preferences in the reward circuitry of the brain. "The successful completion of this project will provide a foundation for future deep characterization of identified genetic mechanisms driving the preference for a social reward over a drug reward in mice and contribute to the development of novel, more effective addiction treatments, Dickson said." Since joining Marshall's faculty in 2020, Dickson has authored or co-authored four publications in academic journals and four presentations at scientific conferences. He is a recipient of a 2020 K99/R00 program grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to further his research on the genetic relationship between stress and addiction. Dickson joined the School of Medicine faculty in June 2020, following seven years of postdoctoral research at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. The grant (1R21DA054929-01A1) was announced July 12 by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). (Newser) Update: New Jersey woman Katelyn McClure has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for her role in a 2017 GoFundMe scam. McClure, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution, the Department of Justice says. The 32-year-old could face more prison time when she is sentenced on state charges next month. Prosecutors say McClure and then-boyfriend Mark D'Amico made up a story about homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt giving her his last $20 when she ran out of gas, but the scheme fell apart when Bobbitt sued for some of the money 14,000 people donated after the story went viral, the AP reports. In April, D'Amico was sentenced to 27 months on federal charges. The DoJ says Bobbitt, who was sentenced to probation on state charges, is awaiting sentencing on a federal charge. Our story from April 15, 2019 follows: A New Jersey woman who hoodwinked GoFundMe donors with a fake story about helping a homeless vet faces up to four years in state prison after pleading guilty for a second time. Katelyn McClure, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge of wire fraud last month, pleaded guilty in a New Jersey court Monday to a charge of second-degree theft by deception, NJ.com reports. McClure, 29, told Burlington Superior Court that she and then-boyfriend Mark D'Amico concocted a story about homeless man Johnny Bobbitt giving her his last $20 to buy gas, CBS reports. They received more than $400,000 on GoFundMe after the story went viral. D'Amico faces state charges of conspiracy and theft by deception over $75,000 and both McClure and Bobbitt are expected to testify against him later this year. The state recommended she serve four years in prison, though her lawyer, James Gerrow, told reporters he hopes judges will show compassion when she is sentenced in June. He said D'Amico had orchestrated the scam and her motive was to help Bobbitt, "not to enrich herself or anybody else," CNN reports. She will also be sentenced in federal court in June, and the sentences will run concurrently. Bobbitt, 36, avoided prison time at a hearing in a state drug court Friday. He received a five-year special sentence that will require him to submit to drug treatment and testing and eventually get a job. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge last month, and has yet to be sentenced. (The scheme fell apart after Bobbitt accused McClure and D'Amico of withholding money.) (Newser) Glassdoor is a website where users can look for future jobs, as well as post reviews about companies they've worked for to help others determine if a company might be a desirable employer or one to avoid. What allows reviewers to be as brutally honest as possible is the fact that the reviews are anonymouswhich is why a ruling last week by a US court has some nervous about just how anonymous they really are. Per the Guardian, the decision handed down on July 11 by Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse of the Northern District of California mandates that Glassdoor must provide the name, or names, of those who wrote "six scathing reviews" of New Zealand toymaker Zuru, labeling the company's management "incompetent" and the workplace culture "toxic." Zuru insists the claims are false and now wants to file a defamation lawsuit in New Zealand, where the company was founded. Tse agreed in his ruling that the reviews made Zuru "sound like a horrible place to work," and that it's New Zealand's more rigid defamation standards that should be adhered to in this case, as that's where the complainant(s) ostensibly worked. "Glassdoor wants to safeguard anonymous speech on its website. Zuru wants to protect its reputation. Both interests can't simultaneously be accommodated," Tse writes, ultimately siding with Zuru, which claims it has had to "expend money, time, and resources in combatting the negative publicity [and] negative perception" that grew out of the bad reviews. Fortune notes that as Glassdoor's Zuru entry currently stands as of Friday afternoon, the reviews for the company are mostly of the thumbs-up variety, though there are some negative reviews. An alert also appears in the middle of the page. "This employer has taken legal action against reviewers and/or Glassdoor for the reviews that have appeared on this profile," the warning notes. "Please exercise your best judgment when evaluating this employer." Glassdoorwhich notes in its FAQ that it will "object to and resist subpoenas we receive" regarding user IDisn't the only site that leans on anonymous reviews like this: Google, Reddit, and Yelp are among those who similarly incorporate them "as a central part of their model," notes the Guardian. (Read more Glassdoor stories.) (Newser) On the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley famously made a fistan apparent show of solidaritytoward protesters outside the Capitol. The gesture "riled up" the crowd, a Capitol Police officer told the Jan. 6 House panel, per NBC News. In fact, barriers outside the building were soon breached, leading to a flood of people descending on the Capitol. At Thursday night's hearing, the panel played video of Hawley later running to safety within the Capitol after the mob entered the building, notes the Hill. "The committee room burst into laughter at the sight of Hawley sprinting out of danger in the Capitol after riling up the crowd himself earlier in the day," writes Carl Hulse in the New York Times. (Read more Jan. 6 hearings stories.) We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy (Newser) A Minnesota man says his wife had a strangeand embarrassingexperience at a Walgreens earlier this month when she tried to buy condoms because she had left her birth control pills at home. Nathan Pentz tweeted that when his wife, Jess, was at the checkout of the Hayward store, the cashier informed her that he couldn't sell her condoms because of his faith, NBC reports. The cashier "proceeded to embarrass me in front of other customers because of my reproductive choices," the couple said in a customer service complaint to the chain. Walgreens acknowledged that the incident occurred but said the employee did not violate company policy. "Our policies are designed to ensure we meet the needs of our patients and customers while respecting the religious and moral beliefs of our team members," a spokesperson said. In "rare" instances "when a team member has a moral or religious conviction about completing a transaction, they are required to refer the customer to another employee or manager on duty who will complete the transaction, which is what occurred in this instance," the spokesperson said. Other Walgreens customers have reported similar issues, including TikTok user Abigail Martin, who said in a recent video that a worker wearing two crosses told her she couldn't refill her birth control prescription, USA Today reports. She says that when she called Walgreens, a reprentative told her, "I know exactly who youre talking about and weve been having this problem for the last two weeks." After her story went viral, there were calls to boycott Walgreens. Pentz, meanwhile, has decided to get a vasectomy, the State reports. (Read more birth control stories.) (Newser) Rep. Lee Zeldin, current congressman as well as GOP candidate for governor of New York, was attacked while campaigning in Perinton, outside Rochester, Thursday night. As Zeldin gave a speech about bail reform at a VFW, a man came through the crowd, got onto the stage, pulled a knife, and lunged toward Zeldin, police say. Zeldin says he grabbed the man's wrist and held him back. Then AMVETS National Director Joe Chenelly and other bystanders subdued him and took his knife, Rochester First reports. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office took him into custody, and identified him as an Iraq war veteran who was allegedly intoxicated at the time. The GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, Alison Esposito, was among those who assisted in detaining the suspect, the New York Post reports; neither she nor Zeldin were injured. Zeldin returned to the stage following the incident. "When he said he served in Iraq, I got down hands on my knees and said, You know, were going to get through whatever youve done here tonight, and told him, Youre going to get better and focus on that, and said, You can contact me after this thing is done, Chenelly said. I was told not to engage with him right now. I think its very important we obviously have a mental health crisis nationwidenot just with our veterans but we especially have it with our veterans. Zeldin's own statement included a line that took a slightly different turn: "Im as resolute as ever to do my part to make New York safe again," it concluded. "This suspect will likely be right back out on the street immediately. And a statement from his team said, "Far more must be done to make New York safe again. This is very much getting out of hand in this state. Unfortunately, Congressman Zeldin is just the latest New Yorker whose life has been affected by the out-of-control crime and violence in New York. This needs to stop! Thankfully, we still have exceptional men and women in law enforcement answering the call to protect our streets." (Read more Lee Zeldin stories.) (Newser) It's Prince George's ninth birthday and while a party at Chuck E. Cheese probably isn't on the cards for the young British royal, the occasion has been marked by the release of a new official photograph. The photo released Thursday shows the prince smiling on a beach and Kensington Palace says it was taken by his mother Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, CNN reports. A palace spokesman said the family was "delighted" to share the image, which was taken "while on holiday in the UK earlier this month." Big changes are ahead for George and his younger siblings, 7-year-old Princess Charlotte and 4-year-old Prince Louis, the Telegraph reports. The family is moving from the London palace to another royal property. Adelaide Cottage is on the vast Windsor estate in Berkshire, a short walk from Windsor Castle, where the children will be able to visit Queen Elizabeth II, their 96-year-old great-grandmother. George is currently third in line to the throne, behind grandfather Prince Charles and his father, Prince William. (Read more Prince George stories.) (Newser) A Michigan woman suing a man for standing her up on a date appeared at a virtual court hearing this week that turned into a shouting match. It "plays like the greatest 10-minute soap opera," TMZ reports. The Zoom hearing began with Judge Herman Marable Jr. asking defendant Richard Jordan if he would be representing himself. "To be honest with you, sir, I thought this was just going to be thrown out," he responded, per Fox News. "We had a dateone dateand now Im being sued for $10,000." The judge told Jordan that he'd need to file a motion to dismiss the suit. QaShontae Short, who has a long history of filing lawsuits, then interjected, claiming Jordan lied in his response to the suit. "If he responds and his response is a lie, it's perjury, then my documents would prove its a lie," yelled Short, who sued Jordan for intentional infliction of emotional distress, noting the date had occurred on her late mothers birthday, per USA Today. "No, no, no, no, no," Marable replied, before asking if Short knew what perjury means. He also told her she should have filed the case in a circuit court, not 67th District Court of Genesee County. He tried to explain that perjury requires a false statement made under oath, but Short kept talking. "Bottom line is you said it was a criminal offense so I will send this to circuit court," she said. "Are we done here?" Marable said no. "I don't see anything in the complaint that says he made some false statement under oath," he said. Shortwho TMZ reports looked to be "conducting her business inside an airport, for all to hear"continued shouting. "Do not do that. Do not insult my intelligence, as if I dont understand what perjury means," she said. She again claimed the judge had determined the case was criminal, while he denied he had made any such statement. Unable to get her to stop talking, Marable ordered her mic to be muted. He again stated that circuit court had jurisdiction over the case and ultimately made the required transfer. USA Today notes Short should have a thorough handle on the court system by now, considering she's "filed at least a dozen suits in both court jurisdictions over the past two decades." (Read more lawsuit stories.) (Newser) A bizarre case out of West Virginia has taken another turn. A 55-year-old man accused of trying to kill his sisterby her, after she woke from a two-year comahas died in custody, reports the AP. Daniel Palmer of Cottageville died at a Charleston hospital on Thursday, one day after being brought there from the South Central Regional Jail. The cause of death hasn't been revealed, nor have any details about the medical problems that caused his transfer to the hospital in the first place. "His overall health wasn't a strong suit to begin with, so this doesn't come as a complete shock," Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger tells MetroNews. The case made national headlines when sister Wanda Palmer regained consciousness in Junetwo years after suffering serious head injuries in an attackand identified her brother as the assailant. Police had suspected him previously, but they didn't have enough evidence to charge him until his sister spoke up. Palmer was described as combative and uncooperative during his booking and at the jail itself. His sister continues her recovery in a long-term care facility. (Read more coma stories.) (Newser) Update: The victims of a fatal shooting Friday in a Iowa state park were a Cedar Falls couple and their 6-year-old daughter, officials said, in what appears to have been a random attack. The bodies of Tyler Schmidt, 42; his wife, Sarah Schmidt, 42; and their daughter, Lula, were found in their tent, the AP reports. Mayor Rob Green, who said he was a neighbor of the family's, posted on Facebook that the couple's 9-year-old son, Arlo, "survived the attack, and is safe." Police haven't found that the gunman had any interaction with the family before opening fire. "We don't know what led up to this," an official said Saturday. A GoFundMe page for the boy says, "Arlo is a strong boy, surrounded by family and friends who are supporting him as best we can." Our original story from Friday follows: Three people were killed in a shooting at a state park in eastern Iowa Friday morning, and the suspect is also dead, police said. Officers responded to reports of three homicides at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground before 6:30am, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement, per the Quad-City Times. Mike Krapfl, special agent in charge, said they found three people dead at the scene, but he did not specify how they died and has not released their identities, per the AP. Nor did authorities discuss a motive. Krapfl said officers searching the campground later found the body of a 23-year-old Nebraska man who had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The campground was evacuated in the wake of the shooting. A children's summer camp on the site called Camp Shalom said in a Facebook post that parents had been notified and that it had established a pickup site for campers. Camp Shalom officials said they have accounted for all campers. Krapfl said that the park remains closed but that there is no longer a threat to the public. (Read more fatal shooting stories.) (Newser) A federal jury convicted longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon of contempt of Congress on Friday, reports the AP. The jury deliberated for just under three hours in finding Bannon guilty of defying a subpoena last fall from the Jan. 6 House panel. He was found guilty of two countsrefusing to appear for a deposition and refusing to hand over requested documents. Politico reports that he is likely to appeal. Prison? It's possible the 68-year-old might end up in federal prison, though the Washington Post notes that nobody has been incarcerated for contempt of Congress in more than 50 years. Still, each of the offenses carries a minimum penalty of 30 days in prison, and Bannon faces up to two years in all. Sentencing is Oct. 21. It's possible the 68-year-old might end up in federal prison, though the Washington Post notes that nobody has been incarcerated for contempt of Congress in more than 50 years. Still, each of the offenses carries a minimum penalty of 30 days in prison, and Bannon faces up to two years in all. Sentencing is Oct. 21. Quick trial: Bannon had promised to use his trial as a cudgel against the Biden administration and to go "medieval" on his political foes. But the judge in the case short-circuited that plan by rejecting many of his defense team's strategies. The trial lasted only four days. After the verdict was read, Bannon appeared to be chatting "lightheartedly" with his defense team, notes the Post. Prosecution: This case is not complicated, but it is important, Assistant US Attorney Molly Gaston told jurors in her closing arguments Friday. The defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law. Prosecutors say Bannon was closely involved in the planning for the Jan. 6 protest that resulted in the riot at the Capitol. He is the closest ally of Trump's to be found guilty of a related crime. This case is not complicated, but it is important, Assistant US Attorney Molly Gaston told jurors in her closing arguments Friday. The defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law. Prosecutors say Bannon was closely involved in the planning for the Jan. 6 protest that resulted in the riot at the Capitol. He is the closest ally of Trump's to be found guilty of a related crime. Defense: Among other things, Bannon's attorneys tried to make the case that Bannon didn't defy the committee because he believed the deadlines involved "were in flux" and still under negotiation, per the AP. Among other things, Bannon's attorneys tried to make the case that Bannon didn't defy the committee because he believed the deadlines involved "were in flux" and still under negotiation, per the AP. Timing: The New York Times notes that the conviction comes one day after the Jan. 6 House panel played video of Bannon saying that Trump planned to declare victory over Joe Biden in the 2020 election, no matter the results. (Read more Steve Bannon stories.) (Newser) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grainas well as some Russian grain and fertilizeracross the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The UN plan will enable Ukraineone of the world's key breadbasketsto export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russia's invasion. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it "a beacon of hope" for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. "A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families," said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria, and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. "I'm not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal," Kuleba told the AP. "I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But I'm very cautious because I have no trust in Russia." The agreement says a joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships' arrivals and departures. The center will be headed by a UN official. Inspection teams with representatives from all parties in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure there are no weapons or soldiers on board. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The popular Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, will perform at the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS 2022) for the first time in its ten year history, announced the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry. The announcement to perform at the Bahrain show was made at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, where the UK Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East, Air Marshal Sammy Sampson met with the Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Mohammed bin Thamer AlKaabi. BIAS, under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa AlKhalifa, is held every two years and is scheduled to take place this year from November 9-11 and the Sakhir Airbase. His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty the King and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee of BIAS said: We are very pleased to welcome the Red Arrows to our airshow this year, which marks ten years of success in bringing some of the top global players and flying teams to Bahrain. This is yet another successful outcome of Bahrains long-standing relationship with the UK. BIAS is organised by the Bahrain Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications and the Royal Bahraini Air Force, and builds on long established relationships with key partner countries. Specifically, the UK Royal Air Force and the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) have enjoyed decades of military cooperation, with the BDF playing an active role in BIAS, assisting with the military delegations programme. UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, said: The Red Arrows represent the RAFs commitment to excellence the dedication of the team's pilots and ground crews ensure they perform world class displays. The UK has enjoyed a long and prosperous partnership with Bahrain. Both nations benefit from these strong links and this Red Arrows tour represents the UKs commitment to maintaining these links. The Red Arrows will be taking part in a Gulf tour in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, following completion of the teams busy domestic season and will use the opportunity of their presence at BIAS to also carry out a series of displays, flypasts and ground events elsewhere while in the region. In addition to the air displays, the team will also conduct a series of ground events including business seminars and sessions aimed at inspiring young people by using the Red Arrows to highlight the importance of science technology, engineering and maths. The displays and associated ground engagements are an opportunity to further develop the longstanding diplomatic, military and trade relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom. Speaking about the announcement, Mohammed bin Thamer AlKaabi, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications said: The air displays at Bahrain International Airshow are one of its main features which we strive to expand on so we are thrilled to announce that we are hosting one of the worlds premier aerobatic display teams at BIAS and which I am certain will add significant value to our flying display programme. Air Marshal Sammy Sampson, said: It is with great pleasure that I can announce that the Red Arrows will be in Bahrain later this year. The Bahrainis are a vital partner for UK Defence and I am sure that the Red Arrows will put on a spectacular show there as well as carrying out inspirational ground activity. Over the last 10 years, the Bahrain International Airshow has established itself as a leading event for aviation with more than 50,000 trade visitors expected in 2022 and some 215 military and civilian delegations in attendance between November 9th and 11th. For more information about BIAS, please visit Bahrain International Airshows website , or follow us on Instagram @bahraininternationalairshow For more information on the Red Arrows and the tour: follow @redarrows on Twitter, or visit the RAF Red Arrows website. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A man caught at the Bahrain International Airport in a smuggling attempt with capsules containing drugs in his stomach received life in prison. The High Criminal Court also slapped the man, an Asian national, with a BD5,000 fine and ordered his deportation after completing jail terms. Court files say airport doctors retrieved 116 capsules stuffed with heroin from his stomach after police took the suspect, who acted suspiciously, for an x-ray examination. Police said they removed him to the red lane after he appeared nervous when confronted by airport police. The man, however, was in denial about carrying anything illegal and "hence we decided to take him for a medical examination," the officers told the court. "We had also checked his luggage and didn't find anything suspicious." However, during an x-ray examination, doctors spotted several capsules in his stomach. Doctors then gave him laxatives to force him to pass the capsules out. The laxatives, which make the bowel squeeze more strongly, finally helped out 116 capsules, which the man admitted to swallowing before boarding the flight to Bahrain. When asked, the suspect told investigators that he was planning to sell those capsules in the Kingdom. The defendant will be deported after completing his jail term. Recently, Daily Tribune reported a similar case in which airport police caught three men with 275 capsules of Shabu and Heroin, which they confessed to having swallowed before boarding a plane to Bahrain. In another incident, a Bahrain court sentenced a man to five years in jail for smuggling more than 100 drug capsules in his stomach. Police caught him also at the Bahrain International Airport. Smuggling drugs abroad on passenger planes by swallowing small bags of drugs is a common and dangerous practice among smugglers. Reports have also emerged of people dying from cocaine bags rupturing inside their bodies. For 15 years, a hospital in southern Japan has been the only place in the country where a child can be anonymously and safely abandoned. Jikei hospital in the Kumamoto region also offers a 24-hour pregnancy support hotline and Japans only confidential birth programme. Expectant mums are offered health checks and other support, and they are encouraged to provide confidential information that could help a child learn about their origins later in life. The Catholic-run hospital opened its baby hatch in 2007, modelled on a German scheme. Such facilities have been banned in some countries including Britain. The United Nations has criticised baby hatches for violating a childs right to eventually discover who their parents are. WASHINGTON (AP) The House Jan. 6 committee closed out its set of summer hearings with its most detailed focus yet on the investigations main target: former President Donald Trump. The panel on Thursday examined Trumps actions on Jan. 6, 2021, as hundreds of his supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol, guiding viewers minute-by-minute through the deadly afternoon to show how long it took for the former president to call off the rioters. The panel focused on 187 minutes that day, between the end of Trumps speech calling for supporters to march to the Capitol at 1:10 p.m. and a video he released at 4:17 p.m. telling the rioters they were very special but they had to go home. Trump was the only person in the world who could call off the mob, but he refused to do so for several hours, said the committees chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, who participated in the hearing remotely due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. He could not be moved. THE WHITE HOUSE DINING ROOM The panel emphasized where Trump was as the violence unfolded in a White House dining room, sitting at the head of the table, watching the violent breach of the Capitol on Fox News. He retreated to the dining room at 1:25 p.m., according to Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., one of two members who led the hearing. That was after some rioters had already breached barriers around the Capitol and after Trump had been told about the violence within 15 minutes of returning to the White House. Fox News was showing live shots of the rioters pushing past police, Luria said, showing excerpts of the coverage. In video testimony played at the hearing, former White House aides talked about their frantic efforts to get the president to tell his supporters to turn around. Pat Cipollone, Trumps top White House lawyer, told the panel that multiple aides including Trumps daughter, Ivanka Trump advised the president to say something. People need to be told" to leave, Cipollone recalled telling the president, urging Trump to make a public announcement. Fast. Trump could not be moved, Thompson said, to rise from his dining room table and walk the few steps down the White House hallway into the press briefing room where cameras were anxiously and desperately waiting to carry his message to the armed and violent mob savagely beating and killing law enforcement officers. NO CALLS FOR HELP As he sat in the White House, Trump made no efforts to call for increased law enforcement assistance at the Capitol. Witnesses confirmed that Trump did not call the defense secretary, the homeland security secretary or the attorney general. The committee played audio of Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reacting with surprise to the former presidents reaction to the attack. Youre the commander-in-chief. Youve got an assault going on on the Capitol of the United States of America. And theres Nothing? No call? Nothing Zero? Milley said. As Trump declined to call for help, Vice President Mike Pence was hiding in the Capitol, just feet away from rioters who were about to breach the Senate chamber. The committee played audio from an unidentified White House security official who said Pences Secret Service agents started to fear for their own lives at the Capitol and called family members in case they didnt survive. Shortly afterward, at 2:24 p.m., Trump tweeted that Pence didnt have the courage to block or delay the election results as Congress was certifying Joe Bidens presidential victory. "He put a target on his own vice presidents back, said Luria. FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDES Matt Pottinger, who was Trumps deputy national security adviser at the time, and Sarah Matthews, then the deputy press secretary, testified at the hearing. Both resigned from their White House jobs immediately after the insurrection. Both Pottinger and Matthews told the committee of their disgust at Trumps tweet about Pence. Pottinger said he was disturbed and worried to see that the president was attacking Vice President Pence for doing his constitutional duty, which he said was the opposite of what we needed at that moment. That was the moment I decided I was going to resign, Pottinger said. Matthews said the tweet was essentially him giving the green light to those people, and said Trumps supporters truly latch on to every word and every tweet. She also described a debate within the press office about whether the violence should be condemned and her frustration that such a debate was even happening, and that they were debating the politics of a tweet. Matthews said she pointed to the television. Do you think it looks like we are effing winning? Because I dont think it does, she said. DESPERATE TEXTS The committee showed some of the texts that were sent to Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, as White House aides tried to get the president to act. Meadows turned the texts over to the panel before he stopped cooperating. This is one you go to the mattresses on, Donald Trump Jr., the presidents son, texted Meadows. They will try to f--- his entire legacy on this if it gets worse. Mark, he needs to stop this, now, texted Mick Mulvaney, Meadows former GOP House colleague and the former director of the Office of Management and Budget. Hey Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home, texted Fox News Channel host Laura Ingraham. FINALLY, A VIDEO MESSAGE As some of the worst of the fighting at the Capitol was still underway, and had been going on for hours, Trump put out the video at 4:17 p.m. The committee showed video of Trump filming the statement, and a copy of the script that he ignored. I am asking you to leave the Capitol Hill region NOW and go home in a peaceful way, the script said. But the president did not actually say that, instead repeating baseless claims of voter fraud without condemning the violence. So go home. We love you. Youre very special, Trump ended up saying. I know how you feel. In video testimony, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner said he got there as the filming ended, and I think he was basically retiring for the day. The committee showed video from the Capitol siege at that exact moment rioters trying to violently push through the main doors, battering officers who had been fighting for hours. Police radio traffic relayed, Another officer unconscious. THE NEXT DAY The committee showed never-before-seen outtakes of a speech prepared for Trump on Jan. 7 in which he was supposed to say the election was over. But he bristled at that line, telling a roomful of supporters, I dont want to say the election is over. In the outtakes, Trump was visibly angry at one point hitting his hand on the podium as he worked through the prepared remarks, with his daughter Ivanka and others heard chiming in with suggestions. In the final video, Trump condemns the violence and says: Congress has certified the results, and new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. 'WE HAVE CONSIDERABLY MORE TO DO' At the beginning of the hearing, Thompson and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the committees Republican vice chair, announced that the panel would reconvene in September to continue laying out their findings. Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued and the dam has begun to break, Cheney said of the committees probe. We have considerably more to do. We have far more evidence to share with the American people and more to gather. ___ Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker, Jill Colvin, Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Freking, Chris Megerian and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report. __ Follow APs coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. Even before voting, it was clear that former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu would be the next President of India and the first tribal woman to hold the position. Because the Indian presidential election is indirect, it cannot be used to gauge public sentiment ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Cross-voting in states in favour of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is what makes this years election politically significant. Cross-voting in states such as Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Goa has revealed the flimsiness of the Oppositions united front narrative against the BJP two years before the General Elections. Even before the big fight, some states will hold Assembly elections in the next two years, and the voting patterns seen in presidential elections should worry opposition parties. Murmu became Indias first tribal President after defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in a one-sided election. The NDA candidate won by a landslide, receiving more than 64 percent of valid votes to succeed Ram Nath Kovind as Indias 15th President. According to reports, approximately 125 MLAs from various state assemblies voted in Murmus favour. The counting of votes also indicates that the former Jharkhand governor benefited from cross-voting from 17 MPs. After the end of vote-counting on Thursday, Droupadi Murmu, the NDAs presidential candidate was formally sworn in as nations 15th president. However, Yashwant Sinha earned 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177, while Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803. 4,809 MPs and MLAs participated in the voting that was conducted on July 18. President-elect Droupadi Murmu received the certificate at her house in Delhi from PC Mody, Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha and Returning Officer for the 2022 Presidential Election. The results of the presidential election were announced with 4754 votes cast, of which 4701 were legitimate and 53 were invalid. The required number of votes (for a candidate to win the presidency) was 5,28,491. #DroupadiMurmu won 2824 first-preference votes, totaling 6,76,803 votes stated Mody. He further added Yashwant Sinha received 1,877 first preference votes, worth 3,80,177. Because #DroupadiMurmu received more first preference votes than was required, I, the returning officer, proclaim that she has been elected to the position of President of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda visited Murmu at her home in the capital city shortly after the third round of counting was finished and offered their congratulations on her victory. Following the leaders protests in capital over the ED summons to the Congress interim chairwoman Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Police said on Thursday that it had detained 349 Congress officials, including 56 MPs. To preserve public order in the region, a total of 349 officials or employees of the Congress party, including 56 Honble MPs, were held from various locations under section 65 DP Act. All of them have since been freed after completing the requisite requirements. The appropriate competent authority has been notified of the custody of the honourable MPs and MLAs stated Delhi Special Commissioner of Police Sagar Preet Hooda. Enforcement Directorate demanded a personal presence from Sonia Gandhi. According to information obtained from a number of sources, INC members may stage protests in support of their party leader in this respect. Large gatherings along Akbar Road in New Delhi are not authorised due to prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code that are in effect in the region of New Delhi District, according to a letter given to the events organizer, the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Additionally, they were advised that only AICC office officials or personnel would be allowed inside the office following proper identification by AICC volunteers stated police officials. To prevent any adverse incidents, a sufficient law and order setup was made in the New Delhi District. Around 11 am, several AICC employees began congregating for the protest at numerous sites, including RML Hospital, Akbar Road, Maulana Azad Road, Man Singh Road, and Tolstoy Marg. The protesters were given the proper information on the prohibitory order in place in the area and asked to disperse. Police demands were ignored by the demonstrators, who persisted in their illegal gathering. They were thus stopped and imprisoned for disobeying legal instructions. Among those held were senior Congress figures P Chidambaram, Ajay Maken, Manickam Tagore, KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhry, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Harish Rawat, Ashok Gehlot, and K Suresh. Following the rally, Congress workers in Nagpur were also detained. In Bengaluru, the Congress protest descended into violence after a vehicle was allegedly set on fire in front of the ED office by members of the Youth Congress. At New Delhis Shivaji Bridge train station, Congress members also stopped a train and blocked railroad tracks. In order to disperse Congress members and leaders who were protesting the questioning, Chandigarh Police also deployed water cannons. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said that in an act of mass solidarity with Sonia Gandhi, party MPs and CWC Members had threatened mass arrest outside the partys headquarters. Congressmen said that the administration had abused its investigative powers to smear political rivals. Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister of Rajasthan, who is also in Delhi, criticised the investigation and claimed that because Sonia Gandhi is older than 70, ED should have gone to her home to interrogate her. They are suspending the dharna, the demonstration, for the first time in the country, he remarked. Party leader Sachin Pilot accused the government of misusing its agencies. In a democracy, we have the right to demonstrate, but that freedom is also being curtailed, he claimed. After being held in New Police Line, Kingsway Camp, all MPs and Congress leaders were ultimately freed. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday urged people to participate in the Har Ghar Tiranga movement by flying the tricolour from August 13 to 15. In the run-up to Indias 75th anniversary of independence, the government has planned the Har Ghar Tiranga (tricolour at every home) exercise. Shah said in a series of Hindi tweets that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the campaign during the Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav. The tricolour will be hoisted on approximately 20 crore houses across the country as part of this campaign, which will work to further brighten the unbroken flame of patriotism in the minds of every citizen, especially the youth, he said. I urge everyone to participate in this campaign by flying the tricolour from August 13 to 15, using the hashtag #HarGharTiranga, he wrote. The home minister stated that by doing so, people will be able to increase respect and attachment to the tricolour among the younger generation, as well as tell them about the sacrifices of the heroes who fought for freedom. Armed security guards had erected barriers outside Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo when a huge group of protesters confronted them. The armed troops were stationed outside Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in an effort to disperse protesters who were demonstrating against the countrys newly elected president, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Security forces allegedly attacked the anti-government demonstration camp in the capital early on Friday, according to protesters. We are once again being attacked by Ranil Wickremesinghe, who wants to destroy us, but we will never give up. We want to rid our nation of such divisive politics, claimed a protester in the midst of a military onslaught. Armed security forces are tearing down protestor tents in front of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat. The people of Sri Lanka, who are now experiencing great economic hardship, are still unsure about the countrys future as it struggles to get back on track following the election of a new President. In the midst of this uncertainty, Sri Lankans from all across the nation are lined up at the passport office in Colombo to obtain new passports or have their current ones reissued in an effort to leave the conflict-torn nation. Earlier on Thursday, Wickremesinghe took the oath of office as president of Sri Lanka in front of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. In a vote held in Parliament on Wednesday, he was chosen to serve as president. Following the departure of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as president last week amid significant economic crisis in the nation, Wickremesinghe garnered 134 votes during the voting on Wednesday. After enraged demonstrators invaded his palace during the extraordinary economic crisis, Rajapaksa fled to another country. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the former president of Sri Lanka, left island nation to Maldives before taking a flight to Singapore last week after his official mansion in Colombo was assaulted by tens of thousands of enraged demonstrators. When Rajapaksa left the country, he offered to resign. Due to a scarcity of essential manufacturing inputs, a currency devaluation of 80% since March 2022, a lack of foreign reserves, and the nations failure to pay its international debt commitments, Sri Lankas economy is preparing for a rapid contraction. Due to gasoline scarcity, hundreds of Sri Lankans continue to wait in line at gas stations every day. Additionally, many people are switching from driving automobiles and motorbikes to riding bicycles for everyday transportation. Globe Pequot, a Connecticut independent book publisher, has officially returned to its roots in downtown Essex. Governor Ned Lamont joined other community members in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 18 to celebrate the opening of its new headquarters on 64 South Main. St in Essex. Globe Pequot, previously based in Guilford, is the largest publisher of regional interest books in the country and currently publishes about 600 news titles annually, Jessica Kastner, Globe Pequots publicity manager, said. Recent titles include "The Best Hits on Route 66: 100 Essential Stops on the Mother Road" and "The Legendary Toad's Place: Stories from New Haven's Famed Music Venue." Its really amazing, the growth that weve seen even through 2020. We consider ourselves really lucky. I think thats a credit to the dedication [of our staff], she said. Kastner said Lamont applauded Globe Pequots success at the ceremony and stressed the importance of small independent businesses. State Rep. Christine Palm, D-Chester, also attended the ceremony, she said. Kastner said the lease at the companys Guilford headquarters was expiring and Jed Lyons, the publishers current owner, wanted the company to return to Essex. At the new headquarters, the company is planning to expand its pool of 47 employees and acquire new titles, she said. The New England publisher was based in Essex between 1967 and 1970 when it moved into the historic Pratt Village Smithy, a repurposed blacksmith shop founded in 1678 by William Pratt. Robert Wilkerson bought the company in 1970, known as Pequot Press at the time, and moved it to Chester. It was founded in 1947 by Williams Haynes, who owned Stonington Printing Co. The company originally published Connecticut town histories and genealogies under the name Pequot Press. Wilkerson sold the company to The Boston Globe in 1981 and the newspaper's officials named its new book publishing subsidiary Globe Pequot Press, Shana Capozza, a spokeswoman for Globe Pequot said in a previous interview. A subsidiary of McCaw Cellular Communications of Kirkland, Wash. bought Globe Pequot Press from the newspaper in 1988, and it was later owned by AT&T, Morris Communications and Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, which changed the name of the Connecticut subsidiary to Globe Pequot. The Essex office officially opened on June 27, she said. The new headquarters, two office buildings with 7,000 square feet between them, had previously been leased to Morgan Stanley for a decade. The company has about 30,000 previously published titles and annual sales of close to $30 million, Kastner said. Its imprints include Flacon Guides, Lyons Press, Prometheus Books, Stackpole Books, Backbeat Book and Applause Books. NEW YORK (AP) Decades after the release of Michael Manns Heat, the classic crime thriller has endured in the minds of fans, critics, peers and the director himself. He had so much left to say. There's always the sense of being shortchanged, Mann said during a Zoom interview from his apartment in Modena, Italy, where he is currently working on Ferrari," starring Adam Driver as the race car driver-auto magnate. I love doing the research and building these characters out very, very completely, and rooting the actor into a whole life. ... The movie is a splinter, it's just a very narrow slice of a complete life." Mann has finally rounded out the story from his 1995 movie. He has brought back the lethal, calculating criminal Neil McCauley, played by Robert De Niro; the swaggering detective Vincent Hanna, played by Al Pacino; and such supporting characters as Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) and Nate (Jon Voight). He does hope to make another Heat movie, but he has chosen to introduce his new narrative through words only, the novel Heat 2." Written with the award-winning crime novelist Meg Gardiner and scheduled to come out Aug. 9, the 480-page Heat 2 is a sequel and prequel, looking back to the late 1980s and ahead to the 21st century, expanding the world of McCauley and Hanna and Shiherlis among others, adding new characters and moving the action everywhere from Los Angeles to Paraguay and Asia. Mann had never attempted a novel before and finally tried in part for a similar reason he takes on a given film: To see if he can. In some ways, he approached the book as if planning a movie production. He began with a basic story he likes to know in advance how the plot turns out and built the narrative outward, over time and space. For his novel, he speaks of creating momentum that is almost cinematic, a symphony driving to a closing clash. Heat 2 permitted him to explore and digress in ways he wouldn't attempt on screen. He makes a point of knowing everyone's inner and outer lives. McCauley, for instance, he sees as a longtime outsider, institutionalized in his early teens. He sees him as very intelligent, with a really strong ego and very little self esteem. An ideal criminal. He goes to violence, immediately, zero to 60, Mann explains. Heat, among the most celebrated movies never to receive an Oscar nomination, has a base of obsessive admirers. After a special screening in June at the Tribeca Film Festival, audience members shouted lines from the movie during a panel discussion with Pacino and De Niro. Mann say fans often come up to him and quote from the famous coffee shop conversation between McCauley and Hanna, the first time Pacino and De Niro had ever shared screen time (They had previously appeared in separate time periods in The Godfather, Part II). Heat 2 is a departure for Mann, and from novels in recent years by other filmmakers, among them Werner Herzog, Brian De Palma and David Cronenberg. While Herzogs The Twilight World and De Palmas Are Snakes Necessary? are original stories, Mann is doing a kind of reversal, taking characters created for the screen and adapting them to the page. Instead of finding it a distraction to think of Pacino when hes describing Hanna, he welcomes the merger of actor and character. They're fused. It's a fusion. They're one and the same, he says. Vincent Hanna is Al Pacino and Al Pacino is Vincent Hanna. Neil McCauley in 1988 is Bobby (De Niro) seven years younger. ... Since I made the movie and sought Al Pacino and De Niro and Val Kilmer, you bet that's who these people are. Gardiner joined Mann at the suggestion of their mutual literary agent, Shane Salerno. Known for her Evan Delaney novels, she is a Heat fan and a partisan for Manns film in the many discussions she has had with fellow writers over whether Goodfellas, The Godfather or Heat is their favorite crime movie. For Heat 2, she helped Mann with the books structure and otherwise proved a sounding board and close collaborator, the two eventually writing alternating chapters. Their time together she lives in Austin, Texas, he is based in Los Angeles in some ways mirrored the belated face-off between Pacino and De Niro, who despite being co-stars only meet midway in the 170 minute picture. We began working together in the depths of Covid, she says. We didn't get a chance to meet for a year. It was all long phone calls, and long emails back and forth. Mann, 79, has been working in film and television since the 1970s, whether writing episodes for Starsky and Hutch, serving as executive producer of the show Miami Vice or directing The Insider," Manhunter and Public Enemies. He is a Chicago native who says his take on the world a certain kind of cynical worldview, I guess was shaped by his experiences as the son of grocers in the inner city. Citing The French Connection and its director, William Friedkin, as favorites, he jokes that filmmakers like himself and Friedkin who grew up in Chicago itself end up making crime stories, while those from the suburbs (such as the late John Hughes) prefer comedies. Heat 2 is the first of three planned novels (one of which may be related to Heat), and an ambitious literary beginning for a man who had never attempted a work of fiction before. He majored in English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with thoughts of becoming a teacher, but decided that would be really immensely boring. Asked to cite literary influences, he mentions John le Carre, but otherwise says he doesn't read crime fiction. Instead, he looks to primary sources, the various killers, crooks, law enforcers and government agents he has met and befriended and whose stories he adapted for Heat, Thief and other films. Critics and fellow directors have praised him for his complex narratives and gifts for pacing and atmosphere: Christopher Nolan has cited Heat as inspiration for his acclaimed Batman movie The Dark Knight. But some of Mann's favorite feedback has come from those primary sources. He smiles when asked what some of the real-life models for his characters have said upon seeing his films. Ive been offered alternative careers, he says. Connecticut State Police / Contributed Photo A North Haven man was charged Wednesday morning after he allegedly shot pellets at another driver while traveling north on Interstate 91, according to State Police. Troopers received a call from the victim driver at around 10 a.m. The caller said they had been hit in the face several times, but were not injured. The caller provided a description of the suspect and said he was in a gray Toyota Prius, state police said in a news release Thursday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate To some, the purpose of jewelry is to put the final touches on an outfit, but to ENID&CO., it is to make customers feel confident, according to owner Amanda Enid Davis. The Norwalk jewelry brand sells handmade pieces inspired by the vibrant and colorful culture of Puerto Rico, Davis native land. Contributed by ENID&CO. She does a good job making herself feel like shes back in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico playing music by Cultura Profetica while brainstorming, creating and shipping out orders for her jewelry line. She creates the jewelry in her colorful office at home in Norwalk. Nothing makes me happier than my roots and being a woman, said Davis. Thats where the inspiration comes from. Davis co-founded the brand with her mom, Lydia Enid Rodriguez, with whom she shares a middle name and thats where ENID&CO. comes from. Contributed by ENID&CO. We are both very artsy and love doing things together. One day, I looked at her and said mom lets do this and she was 100 percent in it, said Davis. Joining this journey with my daughter gives me the opportunity to create and to support her dream in starting a business, Rodriguez said in Spanish. The mother-daughter duo love earrings and said that it is the one accessory that puts it all together. Davis recalls going to Puerto Rico and seeing the women wear bright, big and dangly earrings. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media I have loved earrings and jewelry for as long as I can remember and Puerto Rican earrings always stuck out to me. They were different and unique, Davis said. Each item is handcrafted with mucho amor, risas y un chin de sazon, which translates to a lot of love, smiles and a bit of sazon," a Puerto Rican spice or how they say a little bit of flavor on the island. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Amanda Enid Davis putting together ENID&CO.'s "Aguacero" earrings. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst CT Media Group Amanda Enid Davis putting together ENID&CO.'s "Aguacero" earrings. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst CT Media Group During the process of creating their new design "Aguacero," Davis asks Alexa to play Cultura Profetica to get her mind to her happy place. She then hums and sings the words out loud while attaching the blue rain drops and cloud pieces together with glue and hoops. Davis then let the pieces sit in her oven to harden. Most of ENID&CO.'s materials are purchased from Davis favorite beach shop located in Viejo San Juan. Davis said she tries to visit la isla del encanto two times a year to stock up on raffia, rattan, brass, charms, beads, pearls and more. It has come to the point that the shop will close for me because they know I am going to shop until I drop, she said. I go in and fall in love with it all. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media For the Boriken collection from ENID&CO., Davis and Rodriguez made earrings out of Sculpey Clay mixed with sand from Marbella Beach in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. They are designed to look like Puerto Ricos famous landmark, El Morro. Each order is put together in a square box and the earrings or necklaces are wrapped in tissue paper with a Spanish phrase such as, fuerte (strong), poderosa (powerful), chula (beautiful woman), brava (brave) and more. The earrings are placed in a holder meant to portray the "everyday" woman. We design for the everyday person, not just one type, Davis said. Our brand is for all ages, sizes, ethnicities and social classes. We want them to feel confident in their skin, she said. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Jailene Cuevas / Hearst Connecticut Media Amanda Enid Davis shipping out an ENID&CO order. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst CT Media Group Amanda Enid Davis shipping out an ENID&CO order. Jailene Cuevas / Hearst CT Media Group Davis said she has shipped orders all over the state and in the country and hopes to start shipping to Australia soon as one customer from overseas asked. Sometimes she and her mom get so many orders of a certain item they have make them on the fly. When brainstorming the next design or collaboration, ENID&CO. wants to make sure women feel sexy, confident, and good said Davis. From the name, design and to the way it is marketed, every piece has a story behind it. Many of the products names come from Puerto Rican culture, phrases or songs. The mujer collection, for example, was created to be an inclusive representation of all body shapes, colors and sizes with the goal of making every woman feel seen, represented and celebrated. Influencers from Tik Tok like @LingandLamb and @Shawtysin and Instagram have worn ENID&CO. on their platforms. And Davis even used @Shawtysin as one of her models. Ive even seen anchors in Puerto Rico and on ESPN wear my earrings on air and its a surreal moment, Davis said. ENID&CO. was also part of Yahoos In The Know back in September 2021, which brought together four Latinx beauty and style entrepreneurs to discuss building their brands with ties back to their culture and community. Davis said the conversation empowered attendees with valuable insights into building their brand and creating meaningful impact within their communities. ENID&CO. isnt just jewelry, its an experience and we hope our pieces inspire women, she said. We want our customers to explore a never ending palette of color and have the confidence to dance salsa, drink a pina colada under the perfect sunset because they deserve it. NEWTOWN Alex Jones favorite Texas lawyer will be allowed to sit at his defense table during the Sandy Hook defamation awards trial in Connecticut in September, as long as the out-of-state attorney doesnt actively try the case. The reason: the same attorney, Andino Reynal of Houston, will be busy defending Jones in separate Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits next week and again in September in Texas a fact that state Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis does not like much. Attorney Reynal is not required to attend jury selection or trial on a daily basis (in Connecticut), Bellis ruled this week. While Attorney Reynal may sit at counsel table on the days he is attending jury selection or trial, he may not present evidence, examine witnesses, or argue matters to the court. Instead, the judge ruled, Jones case in Connecticut will be managed and presented by New Haven attorney Norm Pattis. If it sounds unusual to admit an out-of-state attorney who cannot devote himself full time to the case in question on the condition that he not take too active a part in the defense, it is. Bellis at a pretrial conference earlier this month said she had never permitted such a thing but would keep an open mind on the strength of Pattis argument that he needed Reynal to present Jones best defense. Pattis explained to the judge that Jones had lost trust in him and as a result, Pattis needed the access to Jones that Reynal enjoys. There has been some turbulence in my relationship with (Jones) and there has been a rearrangement of counsel where Reynal is playing the role that I hitherto played, Pattis told Bellis in mid-July. Given the intricacies of this case, we need (Reynal). Bellis ruling to admit Reynal came with a further condition: The unavailability of attorney Reynal shall not be used as a basis for a motion for continuance. Translation: Pattis agrees not to argue that because Reynal wont be available for the entire Connecticut case, its grounds to ask for postponement since Jones is being deprived of his counsel of choice. Pattis decision comes as the parents of a boy slain in the Sandy Hook massacre prepare for a jury trial on Tuesday in Texas to determine how much Jones will pay them in compensatory and punitive damages for defaming them last year. Jones called the 2012 massacre of 26 first-graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was convicted Friday of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Committee leaders called the verdict a victory for the rule of law. Bannon, 68, was convicted after a four-day trial in federal court on two counts: one for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committees subpoena. The jury of 8 men and 4 women deliberated just under three hours. He faces up to two years in federal prison when hes sentenced on Oct. 21. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail. David Schoen, one of Bannon's lawyers said outside the courthouse the verdict would not stand. "This is round one, Schoen said. You will see this case reversed on appeal. Likewise, Bannon himself said, "We may have lost the battle here today; were not going to lose this war. He thanked the jurors for their service and said he had only one disappointment "and that is the gutless members of that show trial committee, the J-6 committee didnt have the guts to come down here and testify. Prosecutors were just as firm on the other side of the verdict. The subpoena to Stephen Bannon was not an invitation that could be rejected or ignored," Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney in Washington, said in a statement. "Mr. Bannon had an obligation to appear before the House Select Committee to give testimony and provide documents. His refusal to do so was deliberate, and now a jury has found that he must pay the consequences. The committee sought Bannons testimony over his involvement in Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bannon had initially argued that his testimony was protected by Trumps claim of executive privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contend such a claim is dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Bannons lawyers tried to argue during the trial that he didnt refuse to cooperate and that the dates were in flux. They pointed to the fact that Bannon had reversed course shortly before the trial kicked off after Trump waived his objection and had offered to testify before the committee. In closing arguments Friday morning, both sides re-emphasized their primary positions from the trial. The prosecution maintained that Bannon willfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines, and the defense claimed Bannon believed those deadlines were flexible and subject to negotiation. Bannon was served with a subpoena on Sept. 23 last year ordering him to provide requested documents to the committee by Oct. 7 and appear in person by Oct. 14. Bannon was indicted in November on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, a month after the Justice Department received the House panels referral. Bannons attorney Evan Corcoran told jurors Friday in his closing arguments that those deadlines were mere placeholders while lawyers on each side negotiated terms. Corcoran said the committee rushed to judgment because it wanted to make an example of Steve Bannon. Corcoran also hinted that the governments main witness, Jan. 6 committee chief counsel Kristin Amerling, was personally biased. Amerling acknowledged on the stand that she is a lifelong Democrat and has been friends with one of the prosecutors for years. Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., was a particular target for Bannon and his defense team. His name was brought up multiple times during the trial, although U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols had warned the defense not to claim in court that the committee itself was politically biased. Bannon harshly criticized Thompson by name in his daily statements outside the courthouse, at one point implying that Thompson's COVID-19 diagnosis last week was faked to avoid pressure to appear. Thompson and committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., hailed the verdict in a statement, calling it a victory for the rule of law and an important affirmation of the Select Committees work." "Just as there must be accountability for all those responsible for the events of January 6th, anyone who obstructs our investigation into these matters should face consequences," they said. No one is above the law. Prosecutors focused on the series of letters exchanged between the Jan. 6 committee and Bannons lawyers. The correspondence shows Thompson immediately dismissing Bannons claim that he was exempted by Trumps claim of executive privilege and explicitly threatening Bannon with criminal prosecution. The defense wants to make this hard, difficult and confusing, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn in her closing statement. This is not difficult. This is not hard. There were only two witnesses because its as simple as it seems. The defense Thursday motioned for an acquittal, saying the prosecution had not proved its case. In making his motion for acquittal before Judge Nichols, Bannon attorney Corcoran said that no reasonable juror could conclude that Mr. Bannon refused to comply. Once the motion was made the defense rested its case without putting on any witnesses, telling Nichols that Bannon saw no point in testifying since the judges previous rulings had gutted his planned avenues of defense. Among other things, Bannons team was barred from claiming Bannon believed he was shielded by executive privilege or calling as witnesses House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or members of the House panel. ____ Associated Press reporters Michael Balsamo and Gary Fields contributed to this report. Follow APs coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The sheriff in Kansas' most populous county says he took it for granted that local elections ran smoothly until former President Donald Trump lost there in 2020. Now he's assigned detectives to investigate what he claims is election fraud, even though there has been no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines in 2020. Calvin Hayden in Johnson County, which covers suburban Kansas City, isn't the only sheriff in the U.S. to try to carve out a bigger role for their office in investigating elections. Promoters of baseless conspiracy theories that the last presidential election was stolen from Trump are pushing a dubious theory that county sheriffs can access voting machines and intervene in how elections are run and also have virtually unchecked power in their counties. Voting-rights advocates and election experts said any attempts by law enforcement to interfere in elections would be alarming and an extension of the threat posed by the continued circulation of Trump's lies about the 2020 election. What we have seen time and again is that those who support the Big Lie find conduits to groups of people who they think can help perpetuate this conspiracy theory and erode confidence in elections and potentially cast doubt on them going forward, said David Levine, a former election official who is now a fellow with the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a nonpartisan institute with staff in Washington and Brussels whose mission involves combatting efforts to undermine democratic institutions. To be sure, law enforcement can play an important role in elections by sharing intelligence, protecting election workers and equipment, and investigating potential election crimes. But that is typically done after election administrators request the help. Hayden appeared at the FreedomFest in Las Vegas earlier this month, held by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, although his office said he is not a member of the group. Onstage with him were sheriffs Dar Leaf of Barry County in southwest Michigan and Chris Schmaling of Racine County in Wisconsin, south of Milwaukee. Both say they are investigating election fraud claims, and both accuse state officials of violating election laws. Weve been educating ourselves about elections, Hayden told the gathering. I've sent my detectives through Ive got a cyber guy. I sent him through to start evaluating whats going on with the machines. Hayden, a Republican, did not elaborate and declined to be interviewed this week, citing what he said was his ongoing investigation. State and local election officials in Kansas said his office has not gained access to voting machines, and other Johnson County officials said there are no indications of any problems with the 2020 elections there. The constitutional sheriffs' group declares on its website that a sheriff's power in a county is greater than that of any other official and "even supersedes the powers of the President. Leaf filed a lawsuit in June against Michigan's attorney general and secretary of state, accusing them of trying to stifle his investigation. He said a sheriff has no superiors in his county. The constitutional sheriffs movement has gained visibility in recent years, as some sheriffs including Hayden resisted enforcing mask or vaccination requirements during the coronavirus pandemic. All of a sudden, its like the lights went on. Its the sheriffs, said Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of the election-conspiracy group True the Vote, speaking as part of a panel at the recent constitutional sheriffs gathering in Las Vegas. Thats who can do these investigations. Thats who we can trust. It's not clear how many sheriffs are part of the movement, though the national group's founder, Richard Mack, said last year that about 300 of the nation's 3,000 sheriffs were members, according to The Washington Post. Mack did not respond this week to telephone and email requests for an interview. Its like a lot of these theories it legally has no basis whatsoever, said Stephen McAllister, the top federal prosecutor for Kansas during most of the Trump administration. They are subject to state law. They are certainly subject to federal law. They are not sort of supreme little kings within their counties, whether they think so or not. Hayden said in a public statement that since the fall of 2021, he has received more than 200 tips alleging fraud in local elections. He said his department has a legal obligation to investigate any criminal claim. But a memo from Peg Trent, Johnson County's chief legal counsel, suggested Hayden went further in a July 5 meeting with her and county election officials. Trent said Hayden questioned the use of ballot drop boxes at libraries, called for limiting the hours they would be available and offered to have his staff pick up the ballots. She said his staff also asked to have a deputy in the room as ballots are counted. As we discussed, my concern is that these requests give the appearance that the Sheriff's office is attempting to interfere with an election, she wrote in the July 7 memo, sent to Hayden, county commissioners and the county manager. Hayden issued a statement that he would whole-heartedly disagree with her account of the meeting. There is no evidence to support Trumps claims of a stolen election in 2020 or to suggest widespread fraud or tampering with voting machines or ballot drop boxes. Dozens of legal claims made by Trump and his allies after the election were rejected by judges, including ones appointed by Trump. With the exception of a tiny handful of individual cases of voter fraud around the country, there is absolutely no reason to suspect that a crime was committed in 2020 with regard to the election, said David Becker, a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney and election law expert who now leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research. But false claims have sowed doubt among many Republican voters, triggered death threats to election officials and led to a host of new voting restrictions in GOP-controlled states. Trump allies have sought access to voting equipment and turned the normally routine process of certifying election results contentious. The danger of anyone embracing a conspiracy theory is the loss of confidence in election results, said Chris Harvey, the former state elections director in Georgia. Its an added danger if its law enforcement. Their job is to enforce laws and maintain order. If they are seen as not having confidence in whats going on, its just going to further trickle down into society. Harvey is part of a new group bringing together election officials and law enforcement. The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections is comprised of 32 current and former election and law enforcement officials, with a goal of build stronger relationships and providing training. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, the state's top election official, said Hayden has not contacted his office as part of his investigation. Schwab has repeatedly said he is confident that state elections ran well in 2020. I think overwhelmingly people trust the election system," he said. Hayden said during the Las Vegas gathering that his concerns about election fraud were piqued after Democrat Joe Biden carried Johnson County in the 2020 presidential election because the county had consistently voted Republican for more than a century. But that argument made by election conspiracy promoters ignores that Democrats have carried Johnson County multiple times in governor's races during that time, including in Laura Kelly's winning campaign in 2018. Republicans maintain their traditional advantage in voter registration there, but Johnson County is more Democratic than it was 30 years ago. Johnson County going for Biden well, thats not an anomaly," said Davis Hammet, leader of the Kansas voting-rights group Loud Light. That happened in suburban counties all across the country. ___ Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York also contributed. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) The state of Georgia and local governments are giving $1.8 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to Hyundai Motor Group in exchange for the automaker building its first U.S. plant dedicated to electric vehicles near Savannah, according to the signed agreement disclosed Friday. The deal calls for Hyundai to invest $5.5 billion in its Georgia plant and hire 8,100 workers. It's the largest economic development deal in the state's history and comes just months after Georgia closed another major deal with electric vehicle maker Rivian to build a factory in the state. "Not only do these generational projects solidify our spot at the vanguard of the EV transition, but they also ensure that thousands of Georgians across the state will benefit from the jobs of the future," Pat Wilson, the state's economic development commissioner, said in a statement. Hyundai executives and Gov. Brian Kemp announced the deal in May with a champagne toast at the project's sprawling 2,900 acre (1,170 hectare) site in Bryan County, west of Savannah. Hyundai plans to start construction on the plant next year and begin producing up to 300,000 vehicles per year in 2025. The new factory also will produce vehicle batteries. But officials declined to reveal what incentives the automaker had been promised until after the agreement was signed. The package disclosed Friday is worth roughly $300 million more than incentives promised to Rivian. It amounts to Georgia and four counties in the Savannah area giving Hyundai about $228,000 per job created. Georgia officials insist it's a worthwhile investment. Wilson said Hyundai's payroll at the new plant is expected to reach $4.7 billion over 10 years. Parts suppliers are expected to create thousands of additional jobs in the state. The $1.8 billion in incentives is easily the largest subsidy package a U.S. state has ever promised for an automotive plant, said Greg LeRoy, executive director Good Jobs First, a group skeptical of subsidies to private companies. That's inherently super-risky, LeRoy said, because you're betting a huge amount on one company and one facility. Local governments are giving Hyundai more than $472 million in property tax breaks, though Hyundai will pay more than $357 million in lieu of taxes over a 26-year period starting in 2023. The company will also receive more than $212 million in state income tax credits, at $5,250 per job over five years. If Hyundai didnt owe that much state corporate income tax, Georgia would instead give the company personal income taxes collected from Hyundai workers. The state and local governments spent $86 million to purchase the plant site. And the state will spend $200 million on road construction and improvements, plus $50 million more to help fund construction, machinery and equipment. Sales tax exemptions on construction materials and machinery expenses are estimated to cost $396 million. Georgia officials say the deal requires Hyundai to pay back a portion of the incentives if the company falls below 80% of promised investment or employment. Kia, another subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Group, got more than $450 million in incentives for its plant in West Point, southwest of Atlanta. Georgia has promised SK Innovation $300 million in incentives for a $2.6 billion, 2,600-worker battery plant that the Korean company is building northeast of Atlanta. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, said Friday he wasn't immediately alarmed when a stranger joined him onstage during a campaign rally because the man wore a hat indicating that, like Zeldin, he'd served in the military. Then Zeldin noticed the man was clutching a pointed weapon, headed straight toward the congressmans neck. Youre done, the man said. At that moment, Zeldin said, "regardless of whatevers on your hat, this was not a normal situation and there needed to be action taken, recounting the Thursday evening attack in western New York. Zeldin grabbed the man's wrist, and the two tussled to the ground as other people jumped in to help. The episode left Zeldin with a minor scrape. Photos of the pointed object used in the attack suggest it's a cat-shaped keychain meant to be worn on the knuckles for self defense. The man, identified as 43-year-old David Jakubonis, has been charged with attempted assault for attacking Zeldin as he addressed a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the town of Perinton, outside Rochester. The attacker had climbed onto the low stage as the congressman addressed a crowd of dozens, flanked by bales of hay and American flags. Zeldin is seeking to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul this November, and has focused his campaign on calling for a crackdown on crime. An Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, he has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015. But he faces an uphill battle against Hochul. Hell need to persuade independent voters which outnumber Republicans in the state as well as Democrats in order to win the general election. He is a staunch ally former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results, both of which are not expected to help him in the blue state. In a statement, Hochul condemned the attack and said she was relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured. President Joe Biden also denounced the incident and said it defies our fundamental democratic values. As Ive said before, violence has absolutely no place in our society or our politics. I am especially grateful for the courage of those who immediately intervened, and that he is unharmed and was able to continue his speech, the president said in a statement. Jakubonis, 43, was charged with attempted assault in the second degree, arraigned and then released, a Monroe County sheriffs spokesperson said. Its not clear whether he has an attorney who can speak for him. A message seeking comment was left at a number listed for Jakubonis. Jakubonis is an Army veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a medical laboratory technician. Zeldin said Friday at an event in Syracuse that he was grateful for everyone who jumped in to help. Jacob Murphy, a spokesperson for Zeldin's congressional office, said that Zeldin had a minor scrape from the incident. He said Zeldin had private security for the Thursday event but would start having increased security. New York Republican State Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy called on Hochul to issue a security detail for Zeldin to protect him on the campaign trail. Hochuls press secretary Avi Small referred questions about providing Zeldin with a security detail to New York State Police. State Police spokesman Beau Duffy said the agency contacted the Zeldin campaign on Friday and was discussing his security. Zeldin and fellow Republicans pointed to Jakubonis release by a Perinton Town Court judge as an example of the need to reform New York's bail laws, something he's called on Hochul to toughen. A 2019 bail reform law in New York eliminated pretrial incarceration for people accused of most nonviolent offenses. The law gives judges the option to set bail in nearly all cases involving violent felonies, but has exceptions for certain attempted felonies like attempted assault. Judges must also consider someones ability to pay bail, and weigh imposing other conditions like travel restrictions, electronic monitoring or limits on weapons possessions. Amid calls from Republicans and some Democrats to toughen the law, Hochul this year signed a measure to allow someone to be held on bail for hate crimes and additional gun offenses, and give judges more discretion in deciding bail if a person is facing multiple charges. Judges who set bail must also weigh factors like an individuals history of using guns, whether they are accused of causing serious harm and if they violated an order of protection. Perinton Town Court senior clerk Betsy Wager said under the state law, The judge had no choice but to release him on his own recognizance. Its up to law enforcement to decide whether to charge someone with a crime that could lead to a judge holding them behind bars. A representative at the Monroe County district attorney's office said Friday that the sheriffs office had filed the criminal complaint for the second-degree attempted assault charge. Hochul's office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on whether she's considering more changes to the state's bail laws. ___ Associated Press reporters Marina Villeneuve in Albany, Karen Matthews in New York, Chris Megerian in Washington and news researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) Former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence, held rival campaign events in Arizona on Friday, turning the governor's race into a broader referendum on the Republican Party's future. Trump and Pence both talked up the successes of their administration and hammered President Joe Biden, but neither directly addressed the other or the growing rift between them. Pence, who this week added his name to a growing list of GOP establishment figures endorsing housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson, offered only an oblique critique of the Republicans still pushing the lie that Trump lost because of fraud. If you elect Robson, Pence said, you can send a deafening message heard all across America that the Republican Party is the party of the future. He was more direct later on Twitter: Some people want this election to be about the past, but elections are always about the future. Democrats would love nothing more than for Republicans to take our eye off the ball and focus on days gone by. Robson says the 2020 elections weren't fair," accusing liberal judges of changing the rules late in the cycle and the media and big tech of suppressing conservative voices. But she has stopped short of saying Trump lost because of fraud. Her main rival, former television anchor Kari Lake, has embraced Trumps election lies along with his combative approach to his political enemies and the media. No one understands better than Kari how to fight back against the fake news media and the radical left, Trump said Friday evening during his own rally in Prescott Valley, one of the most conservative areas of Arizona. Trump took aim at two Arizona Republicans who refused to go along with his efforts to remain in office after losing to Biden. He said state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified last month to the House Jan. 6 committee, "participated against the Republican Party. He said Gov. Doug Ducey has failed to secure the border with Mexico. Robson is a lawyer and housing developer who is locking up support from mainstream GOP figures growing increasingly comfortable with breaking from Trump. In addition to Pence, her supporters include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey, who famously silenced a call from Trump while certifying Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 presidential victory in Arizona. Telegenic and already well-known from her decades anchoring the evening news in Phoenix, Lake has energized Trump's most ardent supporters in Arizona. But she faces a potentially close contest with Robson, whose family's vast fortune has allowed her to vastly outspend Lake with early voting underway. As your governor I want to bring those America First Trump policies here to Arizona Lake said. Were going to secure that border. We are going to restore honesty and faith in our elections. Pence highlighted Lake's past support for Barack Obama's presidential campaign and a not my president meme the then-news anchor posted as Trump prepared for his 2017 inauguration. You need a governor thats supported every conservative cause from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, Pence said of Robson, who worked in the Reagan administration and raised money for Trump's campaign along with her husband, housing developer Ed Robson, one of Arizona's wealthiest residents. Robson has also donated to Democrats. Robson, Pence and Ducey also discussed border security during a second event in Tucson at the headquarters for the Border Patrol union, which staunchly supported Trump but broke with him and endorsed Robson. Securing the border takes two things: resources and will power, Robson said. President Trump and Vice President Pence already showed that it can be done. Trump and Pence have occasionally taken different sides in primaries this year, but this is the first time that they will have appeared in the same state on the same day to rally for their preferred candidates. The split-screen moment marks a more confrontational phase in their relationship as they both consider running for president in 2024. It also comes just a day after the House Jan. 6 committee revealed new details about the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that fractured the relationship between the two men. The committee recounted how Trump refused to call off the mob attacking the Capitol as Pence, just feet away from rioters, was whisked to safety. The committee played audio from an unidentified White House security official who said Pences Secret Service agents started to fear for their own lives at the Capitol and left messages for their loved ones in case they didn't survive. Shortly afterward, at 2:24 p.m. on Jan, 6, 2021, Trump tweeted that Pence didnt have the courage to block or delay the election results as Congress was certifying Bidens victory. Mike Pence let me down, an unidentified White House employee testified Trump telling him at the end of the day on Jan. 6. Trump did not talk about Pence Friday night, but did push back against earlier testimony by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who said she saw a White House valet cleaning up a mess after an angry Trump smashed a plate and the remains of his lunch on a wall. They have me throwing food, Trump said. I dont throw food in the White House. I dont throw food anywhere. I eat the food. Trump and Pence will again cross paths next week as the former president returns to the nations capital for the first time since leaving the White House. The Arizona primary is among Trumps last opportunities to settle scores and install allies to lead states that may prove decisive if he decides to run again in 2024. Trump and Pence were also at odds in the primary for Georgia governor, where the Pence-backed incumbent Brian Kemp easily defeated former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who had Trumps support. Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold whose move toward the center accelerated during Trump's presidency, was central Trump's push to remain in power despite his loss. Trump pressed state officials to block the certification of Biden's victory and, when he failed, his allies in Congress objected to counting the state's 11 electoral votes. Since the election, Trump supporters have recounted ballots and analyzed vote-counting machines in an attempt to prove something was amiss. Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. Trump's allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed. ___ 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 LONDON (AP) Truck drivers and Britons heading off on holiday by ferry faced hours-long waits at the port of Dover on Friday, with authorities blaming French officials for the chaos a claim France denied. Dover authorities said a lack of French border officials was leading to waits of up to six hours for border checks at the English Channel port, with queues of tourist and freight traffic snarling roads for miles (kilometers). Millions of people in Britain are trying to begin vacations this weekend the start of the summer school holidays and face disruptions by road, sea, rail and air. U.K. port authorities said that, despite months of work between the two nations to prepare for peak travel season, the number of French border police has been insufficient and has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period. Since Britain left the European Union in 2020, U.K. travelers face stricter border checks when traveling to the continent. At Dover they are performed on the English side of the channel by French staff. Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said the port had declared a critical incident." Weve been badly let down this morning by the French border," he said. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the situation should have been entirely avoidable and is unacceptable. We need action from France to build up capacity at the border to limit any further disruption for British tourists and to ensure this appalling situation is avoided in future," said Truss, who is running to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and Britain's next prime minister. "We will be working with the French authorities to find a solution. France denied that its border officials were unprepared. Georges-Francois Leclerc, the top official for the Hauts-de-France region, said an unforeseen technical incident in the Channel Tunnel prevented some Dover border booths from being staffed as planned Friday morning but insisted the problem was resolved after about 75 minutes. By Friday afternoon, port authorities said more French staff had arrived and traffic is slowly beginning to move, but it will take some time to clear the backlog. The French Embassy in London said on Twitter that French border checks in Dover are operating in full capacity, and French and British officials were cooperating closely to get people moving. Turkish truck driver Muhammet Turker said he began queuing in his rig at Dover on Thursday evening and was still waiting 16 hours later. Ive been in something like this before, but this is the worst," he said. The problems follow days of travel disruptions on Britains railways after a heat wave brought record-smashing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures to the U.K., buckling rails and starting fires. Rail workers also plan more walkouts next week in a dispute over pay and conditions. Air travel has also been hit by disruptions, in Britain and around the world, as airlines and airports struggle to cope with the return of mass travel following two years of pandemic restrictions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WEST HAVEN A former mayoral candidate said he plans on appealing to the Connecticut Supreme Court after a judge denied his motion to reargue a case in Superior Court regarding the results of the 2021 West Haven municipal election. Barry Lee Cohen, a former Republican 10th District city councilman who lost the mayoral race to incumbent Democratic Mayor Nancy Rossi by 32 votes according to the certified results, had filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy by which city election officials received, collected and counted absentee ballots on Election Day shortly after a recanvass. Superior Court Judge Robin Wilson issued her initial opinion that there had been substantial violations of election statutes, but nevertheless determined that the results of the election should stand, as there had not been enough votes in question to raise doubts that Rossis margin was large enough to win. Cohen sought to reargue the case, a move Wilson rejected Thursday. The Superior Courts ruling not to reconsider all or a part of its decision is unfortunate. We continue to remain confident that we have the facts and the law on our side. Therefore, I requested my legal team to move forward with an appeal to the CT Supreme Court, Cohen said in an emailed statement. Cohens counsel argued in the motion to reargue the case that Wilson had not applied a consistent standard when reviewing the violations of election statutes. Cohens attorney Vincent Marino told the Register earlier this month that, following Wilsons logic in her opinion, more than nine ballots should have been in question potentially including all ballots that were submitted in a dropbox because of apparent divergence from Secretary of the State guidance. The people of West Haven deserve much better than the egregious performance exhibited by election officials throughout this last election cycle, Cohen said in a statement. In her Thursday decision to deny the motion to reargue the case, Wilson said Cohen has not presented any binding law or inconsistencies in the decision that would necessitate the granting of this motion, and that he was attempting to take a second bite of the apple. Cohen on Thursday, however, said he respectfully disagreed with that perception. As clearly detailed in our reconsideration motion, the court overlooked essential testimony and materials presented during the trial that should have a controlling effect on the final judgment, Cohen said in a statement later Thursday. Additionally, the Courts decision contains inconsistencies in the treatment of absentee ballots, thereby creating inequity in the electoral process. Rossi said she felt it was unfortunate that Cohen stated his intention to appeal. He had his day, she said. By the time he gets done he can almost run again. City Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan said Friday that he had no comment and would refer to the judges ruling. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON (AP) The White House announced Friday that the U.S. is sending an additional $270 million in security assistance to Ukraine, a package that will include additional medium range rocket systems and tactical drones. The latest tranche brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $8.2 billion, and is being paid for through $40 billion in economic and security aid f or Ukraine approved. by Congress in May. The new package includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS and will allow Kyiv to acquire up to 580 Phoenix Ghost drones, both crucial weapon systems that have allowed the Ukrainians to stay in the fight despite Russian artillery supremacy, according to John Kirby, the White House National Security Councils coordinator for strategic communications. The latest assistance also includes some 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and additional ammunition for the HIMARS. The president has been clear that were going to continue to support the government of Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes, Kirby said. Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-made rocket launchers and tactical drones to destroy dozens of Russian targets and hold at bay Russias larger and more heavily equipped forces. Russia can fire far more ammunition but has sustained huge losses of troops and equipment as Ukrainian forces have been equipped with precision weaponry from the U.S. and other Western allies. CIA Director William Burns on Wednesday said the U.S. estimates roughly 15,000 Russian forces have been killed. That death toll would be equivalent to the Soviet Union's military losses in its 1980s war in Afghanistan, which lasted nearly a decade. To try to equalize the conflict, Ukraine has made ample use of Western-supplied technologies as it defends its eastern lines. Ukraine has long sought more HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and also can be quickly moved before Russia can target them. On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reportedly used a HIMARS to hit a strategic bridge in the Russia-occupied southern region of Kherson. One military expert told The Associated Press that the systems have hardly had any rest during the day or at night. U.S. authorities also are providing Ukraine with more guided rockets known as GMLRS. The Pentagon continues to rule out sending longer-range rockets that Ukraine could potentially use to strike deep into Russian territory. That's a nod to the U.S. trying to manage the risk of Russia instigating a broader war. The U.S. has already sent 12 truck-mounted HIMARS to Ukraine. The United Kingdom has also provided three launchers of a different kind with GMLRS rockets as well. Both sides in the war have made ample use of drones. The U.S. had previously committed to sending 121 Phoenix Ghosts to Ukraine. Pentagon officials have not fully disclosed the capabilities of those drones, which were developed by the U.S. Air Force and produced by Aevex Aerospace, which describes itself as a leader in full-spectrum airborne intelligence solutions. The latest batch of Ghosts is expected to arrive starting in August. The drones have onboard cameras and can be used to attack targets. Speaking to reporters Friday, a senior U.S. defense official declined to say how the Ghost is used but said Ukraine had integrated drones into its battlefield approach to great effect. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under rules set by the Pentagon. The U.S. disclosed earlier this month that it believes Russia is planning to obtain several hundred drones from Iran. Iranian drones have previously penetrated Saudi and Emirati air defense systems in the Middle East that were supplied by the U.S. Biden administration officials have tried to publicly discourage Iran from moving forward with the transfer. The White House released satellite imagery that indicates Russian officials twice visited Iran in June or July for a showcase of weapons-capable drones it is looking to acquire. WASHINGTON (AP) COVID-19 symptoms left President Joe Biden with a raspy voice and cough as he met Friday via videoconference with his top economic team. But the president tried to strike a reassuring tone, declaring, I feel much better than I sound. Later Friday, White House officials told reporters that Biden was working more than eight hours a day. His appetite hadnt diminished with Biden showing off an empty plate with some crumbs when speaking with his advisers and he signed bills into law and took part in his daily intelligence briefings, albeit via phone. Hes still doing the job of the president, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. That does not end. It was all part of a diligently choreographed effort by the administration to depict a commander-in-chief who had not relinquished his day job, despite testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday and being sent into isolation at the White House residence. As he beamed into a virtual meeting from the Treaty Room, Biden took off a mask and sipped water as he began discussing the decline in gas prices in recent weeks. Reporters were allowed to view a few minutes of the proceedings and, when they asked how Biden was feeling, he flashed a thumbs up although he was audibly hoarse and coughed a handful of times. The presidents doctors said his mild COVID symptoms were improving and he was responding well to treatment, as the White House worked to portray the image of a president still on the job despite his illness. Biden received his presidential daily security briefing via a secured phone call while, separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping wished Biden a speedy recovery. Biden had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday, but that went down with Tylenol, according to a new note from Dr. Kevin OConnor, the presidents personal physician. Biden also used an inhaler a few times but hasn't experienced shortness of breath. The president completed his first full day of Paxlovid, the antiviral therapy treatment meant to reduce the severity of COVID, and Bidens primary symptoms were a runny nose, fatigue and a loose cough. Other metrics, such as pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were normal, OConnor said, although the White House did not release specific figures and did not commit to doing so. The president right now feels well enough to continue working, and he has continued to work at a brisk pace, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters. Jha said Biden will remain in isolation in the White House living quarters for five days and then be tested anew. He plans to return to in-person work once he tests negative. As he works in isolation, the number of aides around Biden has been reduced to a very, very small footprint, Jean-Pierre said including a videographer and photographer who captured the images of Biden in the residence. Once Biden tested positive Thursday after more than two years of successfully dodging the virus the White House sprang into action, aiming to dispel any notion of a crisis and to turn his diagnosis into what Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain said he hoped would be a teachable moment. The White House released a photo Friday of Biden, masked and tieless, in the Treaty Room of the president's residence, on the phone with his national security advisers. After the economic team meeting, he participated in a separate discussion with senior White House advisers to discuss legislative priorities. Jha said his hoarse voice might actually be a sign that he is improving rather than the alternative. Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre said 17 people were determined to have been in close contact with Biden when he might have been contagious, including members of his senior staff and at least one member of Congress. None have tested positive so far, she said. One of Bidens close contacts was first lady Jill Biden. Her spokesman Michael LaRosa said she tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday morning in Wilmington, Delaware, and hasnt shown any symptoms. LaRosa said shes spoken to the president multiple times as he remains in isolation. Another close contact was Vice President Kamala Harris, who participated in a National Urban League luncheon Friday and was spotted hugging participants, although during the event, she was seated more than six feet from others. She was masked as she headed onto the stage but took it off during the luncheon. The administration is trying to shift the narrative from a health scare to a display of Biden as the personification of the idea that most Americans can get COVID and recover without too much suffering and disruption if theyve gotten their shots and taken other important steps to protect themselves. Jha said, This virus is going to be with us forever, as he echoed Bidens message that Americans get vaccinated and boosted. The overall message was crafted to alleviate voters concerns about Bidens health at 79, hes the oldest person ever to be president. Jha said Friday that it'll likely take until next week for sequencing to determine which variant of the virus Biden contracted. Omicrons highly contagious BA.5 substrain is responsible for 78% of new COVID-19 infections reported in the U.S. last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest data released Tuesday. Jean-Pierre has repeatedly bristled at suggestions the Biden administration wasnt being much more forthcoming with information about the presidents illness than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president contracted COVID-19 in the fall of 2020, before vaccines were available, and was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three nights. Still, the White House has declined to make OConnor directly available to reporters, despite repeated requests. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Bar Car Band will perform at the Weston Historical Society from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 as part of the historical societys Music at the Barn Outdoor Concert Series. The concerts are held at historical society, located at 104 Weston Road in Weston. Purchase concert tickets at https://www.westonhistoricalsociety.org, or at the door. For members, it costs $15 per person and $50 for families, which includes two adults and two children. Non-member tickets are $20 per person and $60 per family. Joes Food Truck will sell picnic food. The Historical Societys parking lot is accessed from the High Acre Road in Weston. The concert will be moved indoors if it rains. Visit http://www.thebarcarband.com to learn more information about the band. Back-to-school supply drive underway The Westport Domestic Violence Task Force is holding a back-to-school supply drive through Tuesday to benefit residents of the two Domestic Violence Crisis Center safe houses in the area and community clients. The items in need are: New backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons, new and unused lunch boxes, and graphing calculators. The donations can be left in the collection bin in the lobby of the Westport Police Department, at 50 Jesup Road. The center supports individuals on their journey to safety, and advocates for individuals experiencing abuse in personal relationships. All victim services are free and confidential. Any person, or any person that they know, who is need of assistance can receive help via the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence 24 hour and CT Safe Connect hotline at 1-888-774-2900. Visit https://www.dvccct.org for more information. Pequot Library summer book sale returns The Pequot Librarys summer book sale has returned and will have a selection of more than 100,000 items in more than 60 categories. The event starts at 9 a.m. Friday and runs through Tuesday at the library, 720 Pequot Ave. in Southport. Items will be available in large tents on the librarys great lawn and in the librarys auditorium and reading room. Admission is free. All sale proceeds support the librarys annual programs and resources for adults and children, which serve more than 60,000 patrons a year. The event will feature two author appearances. Gabi Coatsworth, the local author of Loves Journey, is selling and signing copies of her book from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Ridgefield-based author Chris Belden will be present from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. His novel, Shriver has been made into a movie starring Kate Hudson, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon and Zach Braff. There will be a princess and pirate costume contest for children from 11 a.m. 3 p.m. on Sunday. Participants will receive a free book. A Proof Pizza truck will be there from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first two days. The library continues its tradition of offering $100 vouchers to public school teachers from New Haven and Bridgeport to stock their classroom shelves. The library is launching a pilot program for teachers from select schools in Ansonia, Derby, Norwalk and Stratford. Theyre handed out on a first come, first served basis, with a limit of 350 participants. Visit https://www.pequotlibrary.org for more information, such as hours and pricing. Primaries set for next month The Republican and Democratic primaries will be held Aug. 9. Voting is between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. All polling locations are the same for every Westport voter as they would be for a general election. Visit the town clerks website to find your polling location. Absentee ballot applications are already available through the Town Clerks office and the drop box is available at the rear of Town Hall for receiving applications and absentee ballots. Visit the town clerk's website for more information on absentee ballots. Only voters enrolled in a party can vote in that partys primary. The deadline for changing from one party to another to vote in the primary has already passed. However, an unaffiliated voter may select one of the major parties up to noon the day before the primary. If you are unsure of your party status, you can look up your voter registration on the Secretary of the State's website. Applications to register by mail must be postmarked by at least five days before a primary or a person can apply online or in-person until noon on Aug. 8. There is no election day registration for primaries so all electors must be properly registered before the day of the primaries. Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations to enable the export of millions of tons of grains needed... Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations to enable the export of millions of tons of grains needed across the world. The agreement was reached on Friday, according to The Washington Post. The deal hopes to restart grain exports from Ukraines Black Sea ports that have been blocked since Russias invasion and ease the ravaging global food crisis. Sergei Shoigu, Russian defence minister and Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukrainian infrastructure minister, signed separate deals with Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general and Hulusi Akar, the Turkish defence minister. The ceremony was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever, Guterres said at the signing ceremony while addressing the Russian and Ukrainian representatives. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all. The landmark agreement comes after five months of conflict between both countries. Both countries are among the worlds top exporters of agricultural products. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. The deal follows a tentative agreement reached last week by Ukrainian and Russian military delegations on a UN plan that would allow Russia to export its grain and fertilisers. The deal will enable Ukraine to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products stuck in Black Sea ports due to the war. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, would open a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. It would bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine. It will help stabilise global food prices, which were already at record levels even before the war a true nightmare for developing countries, Guterres added. From high oil prices to soaring food prices, low-income economies have been mostly affected by the cascading effects of the conflict. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has urged the federal government to live up to his statutory responsibility ... Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has urged the federal government to live up to his statutory responsibility and avert socio-economic incidents that bring extreme shock and stress to the national population. Obi made the call in a series of tweets on Thursday while reacting to the recent collapse of the national grid. It was reported that the national grid crashed to zero megawatts for the umpteenth time on Wednesday after it developed a fault. A similar collapse occurred on June 12 and 20 days after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) activated a partial contract order for the Nigerian electricity market to guarantee 5,000MW and at least 4,000MW. The grid went blank for the fifth time in 2022 at about 12 noon on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Thursday said restoration of the national grid is almost completed following its collapse on Wednesday. Reacting to the development, Obi wrote on Twitter: Reports that the national power grid has collapsed for the 6th time in 7 months is alarming. Once again, many Nigerians have been left groping around in darkness without electricity. Such negative parameters are not only benchmarks for governance failure but a compelling catalyst for a leadership change. Moreover, in a nation where many go to bed hungry, and national bakers going on strike is indicative of the high-stress level in both the productive realm of our economy and quality of life. Also, for bread, one of the basic and affordable daily sustenance of the average Nigerian, to become unavailable translates to a national crisis. Government must live up to its statutory responsibilities to avert socio-economic incidents that induce extreme shock and stress on the national population. The Police Command in Enugu State has foiled an attempt by armed hoodlums to attack Igbo-Eze North Police Division headquarters within the N... The Police Command in Enugu State has foiled an attempt by armed hoodlums to attack Igbo-Eze North Police Division headquarters within the Nsukka axis of the state. This is contained in a statement issued by the Commands Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on Friday in Enugu. Ndukwe said police operatives foiled the attack at about 6pm. on July 21. He said, Police operatives of the Command foiled an attack on Igbo-Eze North Police Division by armed and hooded criminal elements. The criminal elements came in their numbers, operating in black-coloured Hilux van and Toyota Highlander vehicles. The hoodlums shot sporadically at the station, with the police operatives returning fire, forcing them, many of whom are suspected to have sustained gunshot wounds, to escape. The police spokesman noted that the police did not record any casualties in the encounter. The general public and owners of medical facilities in the state have been enjoined to report any person(s) with gunshot injuries to the nearest police station, he added. A federal high court sitting in Abuja has refused to throw out a suit seeking to compel Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), to ... A federal high court sitting in Abuja has refused to throw out a suit seeking to compel Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), to commence a perjury trial against Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Ruling on an ex parte application on Thursday, Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, granted permission to the Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, a civil society organisation (CSO), to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the IGP to prefer charges against Tinubu for having allegedly lied on oath. According to the judge, the suit filed by the CSO has merit. In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1058/2022 and filed on July 4, the CSO, claimed that Tinubu lied under oath when he tendered his credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1999. Tinubu contested the Lagos governorship seat at the time. The group said the IGP is empowered by the constitution and police act to probe criminal allegations levelled against anyone. The CSO had prayed the court for an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to comply with sections 31 and 32 of the police act and section 3 of the criminal justice act, 2015 in respect of alleged crime laid out in complaint of the applicant encapsulated in the letter of June 16, 2022, received by the respondents on the same date and titled: Demand for Criminal Prosecution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu under Sections 191, 192 and 463 of the criminal code act, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, consequent upon the findings of the Lagos State House of Assembly ad hoc Committee, 1999. The CSO, in the suit, said according to section 32(1) of the police act, any suspect is meant to be arrested and tried in court. The group also said it was compelled to file the suit because two letters it wrote to the IGP where it called for the prosecution of Tinubu were allegedly ignored. No fewer than fifty persons have allegedly been kidnapped by armed terrorists in Kuchi, Munya local government area, Niger State. It was gat... No fewer than fifty persons have allegedly been kidnapped by armed terrorists in Kuchi, Munya local government area, Niger State. It was gathered that the terrorists in their large numbers invaded the town at about 2am on Friday and abducted a mass of people. It was learnt that terrorists stormed the town while it was raining and instantly launched a house-to-house operation and assembled their victims for onward movement to their enclave. Our correspondent gathered that the terrorists alongside their captives are reportedly trapped on their journey at a nearby Dangunu River, which has overflown its banks due to the heavy downpour. Confirming the incident, Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki, Co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths of Niger State said the gunmen invaded the community at about 2am while it was raining. He said although there is no report of casualties, the estimated number of people kidnapped is put at about fifty (50). Reinforcement is immediately needed at the moment to fiercely engage them at their exit route where they are currently stranded. Mobilize able-bodied vigilantes to the scene for a gunfire encounter! Kokki then called on the authorities concerned in the state should swing into action and do the needful. Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Emmanuel Bagna Umar has confirmed the kidnap, saying security agencies have responded to the call from residents of the area. Also, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PRO, Wasiu Abiodun who confirmed the kidnap said armed bandits and terrorists attacked Kuchi village via Sarkin-Pawa, Munya LGA and abducted nine persons. He said the Police tactical teams and vigilante men have been drafted to the area and are currently trailing the hoodlums to the rescue the victims. Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said clerics that attended the unveiling of Bola Tinubus running mate, Kashim Shettima are not fake. MURIC Di... Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said clerics that attended the unveiling of Bola Tinubus running mate, Kashim Shettima are not fake. MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola issued a statement on Friday in reaction to the dissociation by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Akintola said despite the brouhaha over the Muslim-Muslim ticket, many bishops and pastors attended the event. MURIC accused the Christian leadership of shying away from reality and living in self-denial. Going by the findings, it is now very clear that leaders of CAN have distanced themselves from reality, it said. How low can a religious body descend? What does CAN stand to gain by deceiving its followers? MURIC also listed some of those it maintained are genuine clergymen that graced the APC event. Akintola said Bishop Kamoru is a real cleric from Peace Chapel, Mararaba, in Nasarawa State. A picture has emerged where he was seen conducting a wedding in the church. Some members have come up to say that they knew him personally. Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, of Gboko Catholic Diocese, Benue State, is also the APC Governorship candidate. Pastor Prince Ugokwe, also confirmed that he is a real pastor and not fake, the Islamic group added. MURIC noted that CAN is not to be trusted for CAN disowning but knowledgeable bishops and pastors. This shows that a caucus within the leadership of CAN has unleashed tyranny of the oligarchy on Christendom in Nigeria, the statement added. Ugo Ugokwe, an APC member and one of the clerics, responded to critics in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Opinion: What the war on the school-front spells for Americas nationalism and domestic security Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Back in 1982, New Orleans artist Robert Tannen created a model of Jackson Square, with knee-high replicas of St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Cabildo, the Pontalba apartments, a stretch of the Mississippi River levee and, of course, the equestrian statue of namesake Andrew Jackson. For years and years, the smooth, simplified, scaled-down buildings were part of the art collection of the Pan American Life (insurance) Center on Poydras Street. The miniature, minimalist Jackson Square rested on a carpet on the 11th floor of the office building, near a smoking lounge and a display of potted plants. Now, the handsome, somewhat ghostly 10-by-12-foot model is on display on the third floor of the Historic New Orleans Collection museum, 520 Royal St., just three blocks from the real Jackson Square. But, compared with the real Jackson Square, the models missing something. Jackson! Old Hickory, the seventh president of the United States, whose heroic figure seated atop a rearing horse is a universal symbol of the City That Care Forgot, is exiled a few paces away from the rest of the model, in a Plexiglas case atop a pedestal. Tiny Jackson has a view of the rest of the model, but hes not part of it. Why? The man on the horse Andrew Jackson is a problem. Sure, the charismatic general saved America from invasion in 1814 by gathering a heroic, hodgepodge army that as Johnny Horton taught us fought the bloody British in the town of New Orleans. Repulsing the pesky redcoats a few miles downriver helped put Jackson in the White House in 1829. In 1856, it also put him on the back of that bronze horse in the midst of New Orleans old town square. ROBERT TANNEN'S 'JACKSON SQUARE' WHEN: Open TuesdaySaturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Through August 28. WHERE: The Historic New Orleans Collections 520 Royal St. location. ADMISSION: Free. MORE INFO: hnoc.org Jackson was among the saints of American history to many. But to others, he was an unforgivable devil. Jackson was a slave owner and the architect of the brutal government program that evicted Native Americans from their ancestral lands. These days, wed describe the forced exodus of indigenous people the Trail of Tears as an exercise in ethnic cleansing or even geographic genocide. Guests to the exhibit at the HNOC are invited to write their views on colorful Post-It notes arrayed on the back wall. More than one mentioned Jacksons villainy. Tear down monuments to racists, reads one sticky note, echoing the sentiment that led to the removal of Confederate monuments across New Orleans and the nation in recent years. Decapitate the Jackson statue again, reads another, referring to a legendary beheading of the statue in 1934, when some kids unscrewed Old Hickorys noggin and let it fall to the sidewalk below. Coney Island baby Tannen, now 85, hails from Coney Island, New York, originally, but has lived in New Orleans for 50 years. Hes an urban planner, who first came down to the Gulf Coast to help with post-Hurricane Camille recovery work. Hes also an artist. Over the past half-century, Tannen has established himself as the Vito Corleone of New Orleans conceptualism, the godfather of audacious sculptures made of anything from a taxidermy swordfish to a full-sized lifeboat to inner tubes to cinder blocks to broken washing machines. Tannen had his Lilliputian Jackson Square fabricated by a local sheet-metal shop. The elegant sculpture was his tribute to the historic site, which he considers a world-class public space. When he was new to New Orleans, he said, he liked to go there, eat a muffuletta and soak up the splendor of the architecture and history. Every neighborhood should have a home base like Jackson Square, he said. Tannen said he was aware of Andrew Jacksons knotty role in American history. The Trail of Tears, he said was horrendous. But he included the miniature monument to Jackson with pigeons cheekily perched on his head and the head of his steed in his sculpture of the square for the simple reason that the 126-year-old statue was a central part of the actual site. Swiping Andrew Jackson Tannen said the little aluminum sculpture of Jackson was always removable, which, he said, reflects the changing nature of the square itself. That location, he said, had a long history even before the Jackson monument was plopped on its plinth. The location had been the site of Native American trading, a parade ground for colonial armies, and the site of public executions, before it ever became Jackson Square. Because the square has changed over the past 300 years, Tannen said, it will probably change in the future. If the monument was eventually removed, the square would do just fine without Jackson, he said. Political implications aside, Tannen said that when the sculpture went on display at the Pan American Life Center, he hoped that the Jackson statue wouldnt be displayed with the rest, for fear that it might be stolen. Its small enough and light enough that it could easily have been spirited away. Tannen said that, as he remembers, the small artwork was displayed in the center of the square at first, but later removed. A photograph of the installation from the mid-1980s indicates that Jackson was absent by that time. No political statement? But he wasnt lost. When the building changed hands a few years back, Tannens sculpture went up for auction. Thanks to a donor, it found a new home at The Historic New Orleans Collection. Obviously, Jackson was still part of the tout ensemble. Historic New Orleans Collection Chief Curator Jason Wiese said there was no political statement intended when the museum decided to sequester the mini Jackson monument away from the rest of the shrunken square. Wiese said he feared theft, just like Tannen feared theft four decades ago. There was no way to secure it to the floor, he said of the small sculpture. The museum put Jackson in a box, just to keep that element from walking. Though, who knows, it might have been possible to screw little Jacksons protective Plexiglass box to the floor as easily as it was to secure it to a pedestal. In any case, Wiese said, nobodys complained about the separation so far. Let them eat history In honor of the July 15 opening reception to the exhibit, and Tannens 85th birthday, Bywater Bakery produced a very authentic chocolate and vanilla cake replica of the artwork. As the crowd nibbled away at the cake Cathedral and colonial government buildings, something Tannen said about the square, and the whole city for that matter, came to mind. Its hard to imagine that anyplace will survive forever, he said. Note: Thank you, thank you to the New Orleans Public Library reference desk, for digging up the 1934 newspaper story about the Andrew Jackson statue's decapitation. ******************** ROBERT TANNEN'S 'JACKSON SQUARE' WHEN: Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Through Aug. 28. WHERE: The Historic New Orleans Collection, 520 Royal St. ADMISSION: Free MORE INFO: hnoc.org +16 Slave Trails high-tech art display marks where some slaves were sold in French Quarter Artist Marcus Browns Slavery Trails sculptures dont exist in the real world. But if you stand beneath the oaks on Esplanade Avenue on the +6 Mysterious 1837 painting of enslaved teen goes on display at the Ogden You read all about it in the newspaper last fall. Now you can lay eyes on the painting called Belizaire and the Frey Children in person, at This week City Council members JP Morrell and Helena Moreno introduced an ordinance to curb non-essential travel by the citys top officials in an effort to use the councils power of the purse to keep the mayor and council members at home while the city navigates a series of escalating crises. The ordinance is an unfortunate but necessary step. We hope the council passes it swiftly. By targeting non-essential trips via a $1,000 limit on travel expenditures, the proposed ordinance doesnt preclude city officials from making important trips, provided they find a way to pay for it. There are many reasons why mayors should travel. Flying to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress and federal policymakers for funding or other needs is a key part of any big-city mayors job. Travel to other communities, including those overseas, can provide valuable insights into how they handle problems New Orleans faces. And it presents opportunities to broker deals for new investment and job creation. When things are fine here at home, such trips dont generate much attention, negative or otherwise. In such times, even the occasional brand ambassador trip to a music festival or ceremonial sister city agreement garners little note. But, as we noted earlier this month, when the citys infrastructure lies in shambles, broken traffic lights turn major intersections into bumper-car arenas, the murder rate spikes and vast swaths of the city find themselves under water after moderate summer rainstorms, the bar for leaving town rises astronomically. As Gambit's Sarah Ravits reported, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and her aides have taken at least nine trips this year. These trips have cost $80,000 most of it on taxpayers dime. That figure doesnt include the cost of back-to-back trips to Europe in the past month to sign sister city agreements and to attend music festivals in Switzerland and on the French Riviera. The mayors office says her European trips helped promote the citys brand and encourage tourism. Mayor Cantrell believes it's important to continue to forge and formalize these international partnerships to facilitate a greater sense of understanding and cooperation between continents, her spokesperson told Gambit. Thats a stretch. Even if our roads were paved, our flood mitigation system state-of-the-art and operating at peak condition and crime near an all-time low, that argument would be hard to swallow. Travelers the world over already know New Orleans reputation as the birthplace of jazz and one of the worlds greatest cultural destinations. With so many crises facing our city and the ever-present danger of hurricanes this time of year it strains credulity to say signing a symbolic agreement with the posh city of Antibes Juan-les-Pins will benefit the citizens of New Orleans. Let us be clear: Our leaders being absent from town during a crisis is always a problem. It was in 2017 when then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu opted to stay in Aspen, Colorado, as intense thunderstorms inundated parts of the city. Landrieu was rightly criticized for that. Cantrell likewise deserves criticism for her recent spate of junkets and the proposed fiscal guard rails going forward. A Metairie man facing trial for allegedly shooting at a Kenner police officer during a traffic stop was charged with second-degree murder Thursday in a superseding indictment, and is now accused of killing a witness in that case. Hassan Norris, 23, already faces several other charges, including attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, aggravated flight from an officer, drug possession and a gun violation, all stemming from the 2019 traffic stop. But authorities say that while he was out on bond for that case, Norris shot and killed Byron Nicholas, 24, on Feb. 21, 2022. Nicholas was an acquaintance who was listed as a witness in the attempted murder investigation, according to court records. Traffic stop In the 2019 case, Norris is accused of leading a Kenner police officer on a brief chase after fleeing from a traffic stop on West Esplanade Avenue on Aug. 5, 2019. The chase ended near the 6200 block of Riverside Drive, where Norris lived, authorities said. While running from his abandoned vehicle, Norris shot at and missed the police officer, according to investigators. He managed to escape arrest, despite a three-hour search of the sprawling apartment complex. NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +2 Man charged with shooting at Kenner police officer skipped his trial, killed witness in case: JPSO A defendant accused of shooting at a Kenner police officer during a traffic stop skipped his attempted murder trial and later gunned down a wi Norris' girlfriends, Sandra Fugate, 23, and Shanay Robinson, 30, are accused of helping him elude authorities and make his way to Jackson, Tennessee, were he was taken into custody six days later, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Bond release Norris was first charged with aggravated assault with a firearm before the charge was upgraded to attempted murder, according to court records. He was released from jail on a $60,000 bond in the case on July 15, 2020. Though he had attended all previous court appearances, Norris didn't show up for his Oct. 18, 2021, trial in the traffic stop shooting, court records said. Norris was still wanted for missing court when authorities say he fatally shot Nicholas. The homicide occurred in the same Riverside Drive apartment complex into which Norris had fled after the traffic stop. After Thursday's indictment, Norris' bail was set at $1.75 million. He was being held Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. CVS Health is asking pharmacists in some states to verify that a few of the prescriptions they provide will not be used end a pregnancy. A spokesman said Thursday that the drugstore chain recently started doing this for methotrexate and misoprostol, two drugs used in medication abortions but also to treat other conditions. Related: Who gets abortions in Louisiana? It might be different than you think. Spokesman Mike DeAngelis said the policy started the first week in July in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma and Texas. The drugstore chains request comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states. DeAngelis said state laws that restrict the dispensing of medications used for abortions have forced the company to start the validations. He noted that some of the laws come with criminal penalties. The drugstore chain, which is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is asking care providers to help by including their diagnosis on the prescriptions. Related: Louisiana doctor prescribed medication, and Walgreens pharmacist refused to fill it, affidavit says NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up DeAngelis said CVS Health will still fill prescriptions for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, which grow outside the womb and are not viable. We will continue to focus on delivering care to our patients while complying with state laws and federal guidance that continues to evolve, DeAngelis said in an email. The Supreme Court decision has put pharmacies in the middle of an intense national debate. Earlier this month, the Biden administration warned pharmacies not to discriminate against women over the prescriptions they seek. The administration noted that examples of discrimination could include a pharmacy that refuses to fill a prescription of misoprostol prescribed to help deal with a severe stomach ulcer. Methotrexate also is used to treat several types of cancers as well as rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic. +12 Who gets abortions in Louisiana? It might be different than you think. Last week, when abortion clinics in Louisiana reopened during what is likely a temporary reprieve from the states abortion ban, women rushed The Republican Party of Arizona (RPAZ) will offer up to two $50,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone suspected of vote-buying in the statewide primary on Aug. 2. There is historical precedent of vote-buying fraud, which ultimately led to secret ballot laws. Unfortunately, the movement towards mass mail-in voting completely undoes secret ballot reform, the RPAZ said in a July 20 letter. Mail-in ballots are not secretonce a person has a ballot in their home, they can easily show it to anyone, including bad actors. The letter says the act of vote-buying happens when someone completes a mail-in ballot in front of a vote-buyer. If the voter then gives the buyer the completed ballot and signed ballot return envelope, the party considers that vote-buying. And it can take many formsincluding an offer of money, goods, or services in exchange for votes. Transparency International, a global coalition against corruption, says vote-buying signifies a systemic lack of political integrity that weakens the trust citizens have in their elected representatives and limits their ability to speak up freely and safely against corruption. Election integrity is of paramount importance. We know from the movie 2,000 Mules by Dinesh DSouza that there was significant ballot trafficking during the 2020 presidential election. We suspect that the primary source of the trafficked ballots was vote-buying, the Republican letter added. The party specifically desires information or evidence of Arizona state election law violations that lead to a conviction before Dec. 31, 2022. It asks people to contact VoteBuyingReward@azgop.org. to learn more about, or report, vote-buying. The RPAZ did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times requesting comment. Arizona Rep. Mark Finchem, a Republican and a candidate for Arizona secretary of state, said he supports offering rewards that help to ferret out voter fraud in Arizona. I fully support the move to offer a reward for the criminal act of buying ballots, Finchem told The Epoch Times. That behavior is illegal under Arizona Revise Statutes and should be punished. Much like many crime tip lines, this is another means for people who want legal, legitimate, and secure elections to help make them so. Arizona has prosecuted at least nine cases of voter fraud following the 2020 election. Two Arizona women recently were found guilty of ballot harvesting, a practice once used by both parties to boost voter turnout. Guillermina Fuentes, 66, the former mayor of San Luis, Arizona, and Alma Juarez, pleaded guilty to felony ballot abuse stemming from an illegal ballot collection operation in the 2020 primary. Their sentencing will take place on Sept. 1. A Republican-sponsored bill to make ballot drop boxes illegal failed in Arizonas Senate in May. From The Epoch Times The White House tries to clarify after President Joe Biden suggests he has cancer due to the oil industry, as the president takes climate issues into his own hands. How does a global minimum tax on corporations sound? Over a hundred countries support the plan, including the Biden administration. But some House Republicans and one European nation oppose it. A political crisis and economic woes have emerged in Italy. The prime minister resigns and the government is falling apart. What steps is Italys president going to take? Northwest Health-Porter adopted new national guidelines for cardiac imaging meant to enhance care for adult patients with chest pain. The more comprehensive guidelines developed by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association are meant to make it easier for physicians to assess and diagnose cases of acute and stable chest pain for patients who visit the energy room or a doctor's office. The evidence-based recommendations provide a roadmap for evaluating patients with coronary artery disease, risk factors like age or other health conditons. These long-awaited guidelines provide the most up-to-date recommendations for assessing and diagnosing chest pain in individuals who seek treatment at Northwest Health, said Chris Atherton, regional director of cardiology services at Northwest Health-Porter. The new guidelines recommend the highest priority for Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography, a non-invasive test that determines potential treatments and interventions. It rules out obstructive diseases, allows for quicker discharges from the hospital and prevents long waits in the emergency rooms. It helps doctors determine appropriate medical and lifestyle therapies, so they can be started earlier in life. Northwest Health cardiologists Andrew Putnam, Jay Shah and Stella Kyung are certified to read and assess the test results. "For patients who are experiencing chest pain, and have a history of extensive coronary disease or are at the highest risk of CAD events, the ACC/AHA guidelines recommend an Invasive Coronary Angiography," Northwest Health Marketing and Communications Manager Karen Keltner said. "In this case, a small incision is made in the wrist or groin, and a catheter is directed toward the heart. An injected dye through the catheter allows physicians to better see an individuals blood vessels on x-ray images and whether there are any restrictions in blood flow to the heart." For more information, visit NWHealthIN.com. A study published last week evaluating strategies for reducing traffic congestion and improving safety on Interstate 80/94 presents several methods for achieving those goals, including modifications to interchanges and implementation of ramp metering, shoulder running and other measures. The Planning and Environmental Linkages study serves as an entry point to a full study of the costs, benefits and environmental and social impacts for the 80/94 FlexRoad project. Were hoping to increase mobility and safety out there, Indiana Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Matt Deitchley told members of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission at their Thursday meeting. Were very excited about it. The corridor studied in the I-80/94 Borman Expressway PEL Study runs from the Interstate 65 interchange in Lake County on the east to Illinois 394 in Cook County on the west. The stretch includes 10 interchanges and averages 204,000 vehicles daily at the state line and 158,000 at I-65, according to the study. Trucks comprise up to 31% of the daily traffic and up to 25% of peak-hour traffic. Sixty percent of westbound and 44% of eastbound traffic in the afternoon peak-period constitutes through trips, passing along the entire length of the corridor. Traffic volumes throughout the corridor are forecast to increase by up to 18% during peak periods by 2040, according to the study. And more than half of the corridor fall into the "high crash frequency" or "high crash severity" categories. study area.png Indiana and Illinois are studying strategies to improve traffic flow along this stretch of Interstate 80/94. Strategies The study discusses eight strategies it says would meet the purpose and needs of congestion relief and improved safety. It groups the following strategies into four alternatives, ranging from a base package adopting the first four strategies to an all options alternative encompassing all eight. The four alternatives estimated costs range from $82.4 million to $139.3 million. Interchange modifications The study identifies a traffic bottleneck especially familiar to evening eastbound commuters the short stretch that includes the exits to southbound Broadway and to Interstate 65. That bottleneck would limit the effectiveness of any of the other strategies that might be pursued, the study says, and it proposes modification to ramp and shoulder use and addition of an inside lane near the I-65 exit. 94-bway-65.png This graphic shows the current eastbound Interstate 80/94 interchanges at Broadway and Interstate 65, top, and potential changes to help allev Sign enhancements The study suggests addition of warning signs on the approach to the left lane merge at the eastern end of the study area at I-65. Cantilever overhead signs at one mile, one-half mile and at the taper point would make the traffic merger more efficient than the current small, roadside signage, it argues. The study also argues for the use of interchange sequence signs along the corridor. They could improve traffic operations in both directions by potentially reducing lane changing as well as achieving better lane utilization. Eight signs in each direction of travel would provide advance notice to drivers of the next three or four cross streets/interchanges, including their distance. Dynamic shoulder lanes Use of shoulders as traffic lanes, or hard shoulder running, could be used to alleviate congestion during peak periods on weekdays and potentially on Sundays, the study says, and also could be used in response to accidents or other incidents during non-peak periods. Electronic overhead signs would indicate when shoulders are open to traffic. The inside shoulder would have a 45 mph speed limit, the study recommends. dynamic shoulder.png Signs indicate a highway shoulder is open to traffic. Event management The event management strategy involves employing strategies to make maintenance and operational activities more efficient. They potentially include providing an incentive to towing operators to arrive on scenes within a specific amount of time, enhancing the Hoosier Helper program and various technology-related information sharing and traffic management systems. Ramp metering Ramp meters are traffic signals on entrance ramps that regulate the entry of vehicles to the highway. Vehicles traveling from an adjacent arterial roadway would access the on-ramp and stop at the ramp meter traffic signal and then be individually released onto the freeway mainline, the study explains. Use of adaptive ramp metering would control the traffic lights according to actual traffic or an adaptive algorithm, as opposed to a fixed time rate. The PEL study recommends ramp meters at Calumet Avenue, Indianapolis Boulevard, Kennedy Avenue, Cline Avenue, Burr Street, Grant Street and Broadway. ramp metering.png Traffic lights regulate entry to an interstate highway. Variable speed limits This strategy would adjust speed limits based on real-time traffic, roadway incidents, events, work zones, and/or weather conditions, the study says. The speed limits can be enforceable or advisory. The goal is to reduce speed limits in or before areas of congestion in an effort to smooth out traffic flow and reduce the risk of collisions. The speed limits would be announced on overhead gantry signs. variable speed limits.png Signs indicate a reduced speed limit as traffic approaches a congested area. Dynamic lane control Dynamic lane control involves closing or opening individual traffic lanes to support needed maintenance and incident management. Lane closures and openings would be announced by overhead gantry lane control signals in an effort to promote safety. dynamic lane control.png Dynamic lane control signs are shown. Queue warnings Signs would alert motorists that queues or significant slowdowns have developed ahead, thus improving traffic safety by reducing the potential for rear-end crashes or other secondary incidents. The study anticipates at least one sign between each interchange. The warning signs could be located at the edge of overhead gantry signs that would be used in other strategies. queue warning.png Signs warn traffic to slow. Next steps The PEL Study Report was approved by the Federal Highway Administration In April and was published by INDOT last week. The next step for the transportation agencies will be selecting a preferred option from among the alternatives. alternatives.png This graphic details alternatives a new study proposes to alleviate congestion and improve safety on Interstate 80/94. Beyond those alternatives, the PEL study also includes preliminary reviews of social and environmental impacts. Further study in those areas would be part of the National Environmental Protection Act process required of major projects accepting federal funding. With completion of the PEL process, it is anticipated that INDOT and IDOT will initiate the NEPA and preliminary engineering processes to continue the evaluation of the build alternatives, according to the study. The NEPA process could be completed this year, with construction beginning in 2023 and lasting one to two years, the study concludes. For more information on the project, visit www.indianaflexroad.com. Blood transfusions saved the life of Florencio Garza many times, something his family has never forgotten. Its us today, but tomorrow it could be you, said his wife of 46 years, Olivia F. Garza. Her husband suffered from heart problems for more than 20 years, stemming from rheumatic fever as a child. He had two heart-valve replacements and numerous blood transfusions leading up to his death on Sept. 26, 2020. The former Hammond resident would have turned 68 on July 28, a day that will again be celebrated not with a party, but with a blood drive in his honor. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, the second annual Florencio Garza Memorial Blood Drive will take place at Northgate Church in Hammond to mark the life and birthday of Garza. He was an amazing man, father, grandfather and friend to many, said Cynthia Rangel, Garzas daughter. We wanted to keep his memory alive, and one way to do that was to do something my dad would do. Give back. We thought, lets host a blood drive just like someone else did, not knowing they were donating to my dad, she said. Garzas family has partnered with the American Red Cross hoping to exceed the 73 donors they had at last years blood drive. Each donor can help save more than one life, according to the organization. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets. Roughly 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day. The American Red Cross, which supplies 40% of the nations blood and blood components, has to ration its distributions of blood because only around 3% of age-eligible people donate blood each year. Wed always call our dad Superman so this is a way for people to be superheroes. Donating blood to save lives, said Francisca Huizar, Garzas other daughter. He is survived by five children, 26 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Garza, who worked at Inland Steel for many years until his illness, was one of the five founding families of Northgate Church in the Hessville section of Hammond. He was an elder and minister of the church, Rangel said. The support of the church has given the Garza family a place to host this event annually. We had 73 donors last year. We are looking to exceed that number this year, Rangel said. We grilled chicken, baked potatoes, and sides for everyone that showed up whether they donated blood or not. We also had over 65 raffle prizes. Some of this years prizes for donors will include an Albanese candy basket, movie tickets and fishing poles, because Garza loved to fish. First Choice Market has also donated a $100 gift card to be raffled off. We want to help save lives like someone out there did for my dad unknowingly, Rangel said. We want to keep his memory alive by making sure there is blood for those who need it. After last years blood drive, the American Red Cross sent Garzas family an impact statement informing them that the donations helped a 6-year-old girl suffering from stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma who had to receive over 40 red blood cell transfusions. We just want people to come and have a good time with us and remember my dad on his birthday, Rangel said. His birthday party is a blood drive. Jerry Davich Jerrys career began in 1995 as a political cartoonist/columnist with The Times of NWI, writing thousands of columns and stories through narrative storytelling, or shining a light on societys darkest corners, or provoking unpopular conversations. Follow Jerry Davich 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 I expected Mr. Pierogi to greet me at his front door with a bottle of beer, a grilled bratwurst, a meaty high-five, and a song-and-dance routine. Matt Valuckis welcomed me into his Hobart home with a polite handshake, an offer of coffee, and a scrapbook of memories about his doughy, fun-lovin alter ego. For 25 years, he has been portraying the beloved costumed character who serves as the face of the annual Pierogi Fest in downtown Whiting. This years fest, from July 29 to 31, comes with a surprising public announcement: Valuckis is resigning as Mr. Pierogi. Yep, its true. Call it retirement. Call it a needed reprieve. Call it going out with a dollop of class and a keg of chutzpah. Next weekend will be his last fest as Mr. P. Its the perfect time to step down as Mr. Pierogi, Valuckis told me while sorting through a scrapbook stuffed with reheated memories of his earlier days. I started this when I was 21, with all the time and energy in the world. Im 46 now, with other responsibilities and two sons who are 6 and 3. Its time. He paused to smile at one of the old photos in the scrapbook, posing with strangers who have since become friends. Mr. Pierogi has taken thousands of such photos, capturing the essence of this wacky, lovable festival that put Whiting on the map in our hearts. After 25 years of doing this, I want to start enjoying the fest with my boys, Valuckis said. I want to be on the other side of it. His wife, KeriAnne, president of the Mr. Pierogi Fan Club and his handler in public, nodded in agreement. Its time to move on, she said. Theyve been a couple for 17 years, married for 14. They go together like a cheese pierogi and a frying pan. Shes 100% Polish. Hes 100% ham. When we first met and he told me hes Mr. Pierogi, I laughed so hard I fell on the floor, she said. What kind of idiot dresses up like a pierogi in public in the middle of summer? Well, it turns out he is my idiot. Yeah, Im her idiot, Valuckis said with a shrug. Once upon a time, the couples idyllic plan was to pass down the iconic Mr. Pierogi role onto their oldest son. Maybe someday, who knows. Wackier things have happened in Valuckis delicious life. In 1997, he wasnt even supposed to be the guy in the Mr. Pierogi suit. He was offered the gig only after the original Mr. Pierogi, John Milch, had a schedule conflict. As a 21-year-old guy without much else on his agenda, Valuckis agreed to walk around the fledgling event and spin some tunes as a deejay. The official backstory is much spicier. Almost 30 years ago, Mr. Pierogis wife left him for Mr. Keilbasa, for what many think are obvious reasons. Mr. Pierogi went into deep depression, couldnt get out of his frying pan, and simmered in buttery despair. I was not in a good place, he tells fest-goers every year. The city of Whiting, being the upstanding eastern European town it is, came to his rescue by throwing a party in his honor. They jokingly called it Pierogi Fest and the rest is his-story. I have the mind of a 12-year-old boy. That kind of makes me perfect to wear the suit, Valuckis writes on Mr. Pierogis Facebook page, @mrpierogi. Hes been posting a 25-day countdown to the fest, each post with a freshly sauteed aspect of his role as Mr. P., including his interactions with Miss Packzi, Halupki Guy, the Busicias, and the Pieroguettes, the girls whove been around since the beginning as Mr. Pierogi's entourage. Miss Sauerkraut, Miss Plum, Miss Cheese and Miss Potato, to name-drop a few. Thank you all for letting me into your lives, Mr. Pierogi told his fans. We have made so many friends through this festival, Valuckis told me. This is what I want to celebrate for Mr. Pierogis 25th anniversary next weekend. Hes expecting a raucous sendoff, starting Thursday night with a performance by Mr. Pierogi and the Doughboys at Bulldog Brewing Co. in Whiting, followed by another gig Saturday at the same venue. It will be nothing like his early days as Mr. P. When I first started out, I could walk up and down 119th Street for an hour and nobody would stop me to talk or for a photo, Valuckis recalled. That changed with every passing festival. Mr. Pierogi has been on the cover of Womens World, appeared on Wild Chicago and The Travel Channel, among countless other media appearances. Valuckis also has officiated weddings as Mr. Pierogi, and has donned five different costumes through the years. His wife takes between 2,000 and 3,000 photos of Mr. Pierogi with fest-goers every year. The pictures are one of the neatest parts about the gig, Valuckis said. Some guests want to recreate photos taken years ago. Others proudly show him photos from 15 or 20 years ago of their children with Mr. Pierogi. They take it seriously and it rocks, he said. These days, he cant even sneak away to use the bathroom without his wife-handler. At last years fest, he suffered heat stroke, twice. She escorted him to a "refrigerated" building for a few minutes. Its insane, Valuckis said. Ill share more excerpts from our conservation on my Facebook page and in a column next week after I join Mr. Pierogi on his popular float in the Pierogi Fest parade. Watch a video of Valuckis in his own words at NWI.com. I have loved every aspect of being Mr. Pierogi. Its been a blast," he said. "But I want to make new memories with my sons at a festival that Ive loved for so long. GARY Following a press conference held by Mayor Jerome Prince in Gary Wednesday concerning Gary's partnership with Indiana State Police, common council members expressed their concern about not being invited. "The Public Safety Committee is chaired by Councilman Ron Brewer Sr. and includes 4th District Council member Tai Adkins and myself," Gary Common Council president William Godwin said in a statement. "Not only were we not invited, but not one single member of the Council. If this is how the Mayor and the Indiana State Police intend to conduct business, then this partnership is dead on arrival from my perspective." Godwin said the common council will focus on real and meaningful results to improve public safety, with community input and inclusive representation. "Shame on Mayor Princes administration for yet another slap in the face to the Citys legislative body, which will be absolutely essential for the types of reforms proposed by the Indiana State Police, Godwin said. Michael Gonzalez, communications director for the city of Gary, said he was sorry he did not inform the Common Council of the event in a timely manner. "Mayor Prince's top priority is public safety. As the head of the executive branch, he'll continue to focus the city's resources on making Gary a great place to live, work and play. The Mayor also respects the Council members' rights to their own opinions," Gonzalez said in a statement. VALPARAISO Porter resident Elon Howe was found guilty of rape and incest Thursday after a second trial on charges he assaulted an intellectually disabled family member three years ago. Howe, 58, opted not to take the witness stand Thursday morning to testify on his own behalf. He revealed his decision to the judge shortly after Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Harry Peterson ended the presentation of evidence against him. Defense attorney Mark Chargualaf did not present any evidence on behalf of Howe before closing arguments in this week's trial were conducted. Chargualaf did ask the judge for a directed verdict, arguing prosecutors did not provide enough evidence to prove the charges of rape and incest against his client. Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer denied the request, leaving Howe's fate with the jury. This was the second time the case had gone to trial, with last month's effort ending in a mistrial after it was learned a piece of evidence had mistakenly been presented to jurors. Jurors in the first trial watched as Howe told a detective during a videotaped interview how he attempted to have sexual intercourse with the intellectually disabled family member. While describing how the adult woman "liked attention," Howe took blame for his actions. "I'm the bad person," he told Porter police Detective Sgt. Tawni Komisarcik during the July 29, 2019, interview. Komisarcik had testified that her department was alerted to the accusations against Howe on July 10, 2019, and went to the local Fairhaven Baptist Church where the pastor told them a church member had been told of the abuse by the alleged victim. The church member told police the alleged victim was helping out with day care at the church on July 7, 2019, when she mentioned she was Howe's "belated birthday present," court documents state. It was at that point that she described the sex acts and the pain they caused her. "He stated that she (his wife) has not been giving him attention," police said of Howe. "Howe did not deny the allegations and said that he would try to be a better (family member)." Komisarcik said the alleged victim's responses reminded her of a 5-year-old child. DeBoer ruled earlier that the woman, who reportedly has an IQ of 48, which places her in the severely intellectually disabled range, was not competent to testify during the trial. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17. CROWN POINT Lake Criminal Court jurors convicted a man late Friday of one felony count linked to a fatal shooting in 2019 in Hammond and found his wife guilty of misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident, but they deadlocked on the man's remaining charges and acquitted his wife of four felony counts alleging she drove recklessly. Vincent L. Thomas, 34, was convicted of criminal recklessness, a level 5 felony, for shooting into a Chevrolet Monte Carlo occupied by four recent high school graduates July 4, 2019, as the Monte Carlo attempted to merge into Thomas' wife's lane on 165th Street in Hammond. Jorge E. Roman, 18, a front seat passenger in the Monte Carlo, was shot in the chest and died instantly. The driver of the Monte Carlo survived a gunshot wound to his neck. The jury deadlocked on Thomas' remaining charges, including one count of reckless homicide, a level 5 felony, and three additional counts of criminal recklessness. Thomas' wife, Tamia J. Hinton, 37, was found not guilty of four counts of criminal recklessness but convicted of misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident. The driver of the Monte Carlo bumped into a Kia driven by Hinton before veering off the road and crashing into a porch at 165th Street and Blaine Avenue. Hinton and Thomas continued on to Chicago to watch fireworks at Navy Pier and didn't call 911 or stop to report the confrontation to police, according to trial testimony. Jurors deliberated for about eight hours Wednesday before Judge Salvador Vasquez released them for the night. They returned Thursday to deliberate approximately 12 more hours before returning verdicts. Neither Thomas nor Hinton testified on their own behalf. Defense attorney Scott King said his clients were scared for their lives, because they thought the people in the Monte Carlo were chasing them and attempting to cut them off. During an earlier confrontation at the intersection of Calumet Avenue and 165th Street, Hinton drove around the Monte Carlo after the driver failed to accelerate at a green light and Thomas yelled, "Wake up!" according to testimony. King alleged the driver of the Monte Carlo was embarrassed and was being egged on by a backseat passenger, who wanted him to cut off Hinton. "By God, they were going to show them," said King, who represented Hinton and Thomas along with partner Lakeisha Murdaugh. Despite the state's theory that one bullet traveled through the driver's neck into Roman's body, Dr. Zhou Wang, a forensic pathologist for the Lake County coroner's office, testified Wednesday he didn't believe that's what happened. The wound on Roman's chest was smooth, and there was no indication the bullet slowed before striking him, Wang said. Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Keith Anderson said the driver of the Monte Carlo was inexperienced and had had his license for only 10 days. All Hinton had to do was hit the brakes and allow the teen to merge into her lane, but she instead sped up and drove into an oncoming lane of traffic to pass him as Thomas shot into the teens' car, Anderson said. Thomas and Hinton's sentencing was set for Sept. 2. The speed ranges allow for areas in the green that are slower and areas in the pink that are faster, but Keith said the majority of Gary is actually under 25 Mbps. The gap in internet speed can largely be attributed to a lack of investment from internet providers. The majority of Gary homes are wired with cable instead of fiber and most of the city does not have the correct infrastructure required for fiber, Keith said. Over the winter, the Gary City Council approved the allocation of $5 million towards the digital equity initiative. The money came from the $80.3 million Gary was awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The city is currently looking to partner with internet service providers on a widescale broadband infrastructure project. On July 14 Keith posted a Request for Qualifications. According to the request, the city is seeking partners that can provide affordable wireless access of 100 Mbps or higher, to every residential or business location in Gary by the end of 2026. Ideally, citywide internet speeds would be 100 Mbps to 1 gigabit per second or Gbps. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 12. The digital equity project also includes providing free Wi-Fi in six city parks by the end of September. The selected parks include Glen Ryan, Brunswick, Tolleston, Reed, Glen Park Optimist Club Ball Park and Roosevelt. During a Tuesday night meeting, City Councilman Ron Brewer, D-At-Large, said the parks should be renovated before Wi-Fi is added. Brewer said many of the city's parks are not currently "operational." GARY At the end of April, it was announced that Indiana State Police would be evaluating and working alongside the Gary Police Department. Now some three months later, several changes are underway. As part of the partnership, ISP Major Jerry Williams has been working out of the Gary Police Department. With Williams and Superintendent Douglas Carter at the helm, ISP has taken a holistic look at Gary PD, reviewing standard operating procedures, training tactics and what tangible resources the department needs. "I am pleased to report that the efforts to do so (restructure the department and improve overall policing tactics) are going well and that were are certainly poised for greater opportunities in the future," Mayor Jerome Prince said during a Thursday afternoon news conference. When the partnership was first announced, the plan was to have Williams work out of the Gary Police Department for 90 to 120 days, with the potential for an extension. Almost 90 days later, Carter said ISP "is not even going to talk about an exit strategy yet." However when ISP does begin to leave the city, Carter said the agency will "phase our way out over time." The main focus areas being addressed by ISP are Gary PD's Human Resource protocol, evidence and property management and de-escalation tactics. Carter said a team of lawyers is currently working to rewrite "the vast majority" of the Gary Police Department's policies. Once finalized, the new policies will be discussed with both the Civil Service Commission and the Police Commission. "There have been a lot of things that have been generational within the Gary PD, as with other agencies all over the state, the state police included, that need perpetual review," Carter said. "Policies, procedures, ordinances, rules, all of those have to be kept up over time, and there's been a lapse." Williams said they hope to expand Gary PD's current HR "platform" and strengthen HR's partnership with the mayor's office and the Common Council. Establishing a clear process for internal investigations and officer complaints is another change that will be made through updated department policies. Carter also said that the way the police department handles evidence and property "needs some attention and is going to get some attention." New technology is currently being instituted which will help track evidence from the moment it is collected. Training will be another big area for growth within the Gary Police Department. When Carter began his law enforcement career almost 40 years ago, training relied heavily on watching instructors and taking quizzes. However on May 25, 2020, when George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, law enforcement was "forever changed in America," Carter said. ISP training now focuses on de-escalation tactics that are taught using hands-on, scenario-based education. Carter said repetitive, hands-on training will be implemented in the Gary Police Department. "The things law enforcement deals with on a day-to-day basis is not normal," Carter said. During the Thursday afternoon news conference, Williams also gave an update on the nationwide search for a new police chief. Formerly deputy chief, Brian Evans has been filling in as interim chief for the past two years. Evans took over when Chief Richard Ligon resigned after just six months on the job. The city has had a high turnover of police chiefs; Ligon was Gary's 11th since 2006. Evans will remain in the role until a replacement is selected, and former Chief Garnett Watson will chair the search committee. Williams said that since going live last Friday, the police chief job posting already has 24 applicants. The application will close Aug. 14. A series of interviews will be conducted before Prince makes the final selection. Though the exact form has yet to be decided, Williams said the interview process will include some public involvement. While ISP works with the Gary Police Department to institute internal changes, Carter is looking to bring in outside partnerships. He said he is committed to going after the state and federal grants to aid the department. Gary PD needs updated vehicles, uniforms and, most importantly, technology Carter said. Carter has also spoken with Gov. Eric Holcomb about the partnership. "I spoke with Governor Holcomb today, and he said, 'A stronger Gary is a stronger Indiana, and a stronger Indiana is a stronger Gary.'" The end goal of the partnership is to increase the feeling of security in the city. Carter said a strong police department will improve quality of life and help encourage economic development. "I really believe, with all of my being, that if people feel safe in this city, everything else comes," Carter said. MICHIGAN CITY City Council President Angie Deuitch promised actions to address crime in coming months. Were going to make some hard decisions, she promised, to address an uptick in crime. We dont want you here if youre going to commit crimes, Deuitch, D-At-large, said. Neighborhoods are suffering. Businesses will leave if crime isnt reduced. We need to throw everything at it. The council is considering the installation of license-plate readers at major entrances to the city. Once they see these cameras, maybe theyll stay out, she said. Deuitch also stressed the need to prosecute suspected criminals to the fullest extent. Councilman Paul Przybylinski, D-2nd, expressed his fears about the situation at Mikropor America, which was the scene of a major fire last weekend. Mikropor manufactures very high-tech air filtration equipment and pays a very good wage, Przybylinski said. Hes worried that Mikropor might consider leaving Michigan City. The fire, which Deputy Fire Chief Michael Jasnieski called the largest fire weve seen in 20, 30 years, was just the latest in a string of incidents at the plant. Less than three weeks ago, the plant saw about $350,000 worth of goods destroyed during a break-in, Przybylinski said. The site manager had to raise holy Cain to get the police department to go out there and assign a detective, he said. Przybylinski said he met with Mayor Duane Parry between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Parry said he would set up a meeting with Police Chief Dion Campbell after the first of the year. That meeting hasnt happened yet, Przybylinski said. We have a real issue out there in the community with violent crime, he said. Im fed up. Przybylinski said when one of his cars was stolen, his brother had to beg to get police to look at a neighbors surveillance-camera footage. By the time police did so a week later, the video was already erased. Im just totally beside myself, he said. Przybylinski criticized the mayor for walking out of the council meeting when it was time for public comments. Resident Marco Oddo expressed disgust with enforcement issues. When I first bought this house, it was a derelict, he said. Oddo fixed it up. Last November, there was a break-in at his property. Not only was he trespassing, not only was he breaking and entering, but he also had grand theft auto on this thing for removing a car from the garage, Oddo said. Police are still looking for the person. Oddo also expressed concerns about code enforcement. Hes a general contractor, he said, but no longer able to do his own plumbing work on his own property. Resident Ernie Hollihan complained about trash strewn throughout the city. Do we not have a vector control anymore? Resident Tommy Kulavik urged enforcement of the graffiti ordinance, saying rail cars outside Michigan City Generating Station have been tagged by two street gangs. Mr. Cox won his race on Tuesday by double digits. He became the latest Republican primary winner to demonstrate both the power of the partys far-right base in selecting G.O.P. nominees and the establishment wings inability to halt Democratic meddling in primaries. On Wednesday, Mr. Cox who wrote on Twitter during the Capitol riot that Vice President Mike Pence was a traitor dismissed the idea that he had been propped up by Democrats. They supported his primary bid in the belief that he cannot win the general election in Maryland, which Mr. Trump lost by 33 points in 2020. The Democrats didnt win this race, Mr. Cox said in an interview on Fox & Friends, the morning program watched regularly by Mr. Trump. The arguments of my opponent were replayed over and over again, smearing me. The chief antagonist of Mr. Coxs campaign was less any future Democratic opponent or even Ms. Schulz than it was Mr. Hogan, who won two terms as governor of an overwhelmingly Democratic state by focusing on Marylands economy while avoiding thorny social issues. The joint study helped start Mr. Bessens career as an academic. His research has focused mainly on the economics of innovation and the broad impact of technology. The title of his book, The New Goliaths: How Corporations Use Software to Dominate Industries, Kill Innovation, and Undermine Regulation (Yale University Press), suggests a strident critic. But his past research has also come down on the side of technology. In 2015, amid rising concerns that automation was a job killer, Mr. Bessen published a paper that examined the impact of computer automation on 317 occupations from 1980 through 2013. His summary conclusion: Employment grows significantly faster in occupations that use computers more. Mr. Bessen himself is an entrepreneurial outsider to the field of economics. He has forged an unorthodox career in academia, rising to prominence gradually over the years, one intriguing research project at a time. He has become respected in economic circles without a Ph.D. Jims not a professionally trained economist, so he has an original take, said Mr. Maskin, his former college roommate, who won a Nobel Prize in economics in 2007. Thats played to his advantage and to the professions advantage. Blending data analysis with narrative case studies is the hallmark of Mr. Bessens research. He is a business historian and a fluid writer. His book contains accounts of the evolving use of software in many industries, including autos, banking, retailing, insurance, garbage hauling, logistics and trucking. Mr. Bessens observations about increasing market concentration, rising inequality, and slowing innovation and productivity echo those of other researchers. Most of those studies, though, are high-level economic research. He really went on at some length about his papers and thanking me for various ways that I had helped him and so forth, she said. I didnt realize until later that this was a farewell conversation. Ms. Schiffs informal duties extended far beyond maintaining and organizing the library archives. She helped scholars with research, served as essay adviser to students, gave talks, taught classes, and ferreted out the history of Yales and New Havens historical figures and buildings all while keeping up with technology as the tools of archiving advanced from microfiche to digital record-keeping. Judith Ann Schiff was born on Nov. 26, 1937, in Manhattan to Harry and Lucille Schiff. When she was young the family moved to New Haven, where she grew up, graduating from Hillhouse High School. Yale loomed over her childhood. It was a place of some mystery, she told Hartford Magazine in 2016. You perceived huge bastions, these Gothic buildings that seemed to continue on and on. Until I began to work at Yale, I didnt realize that they were separate buildings, that it wasnt just one big castle. She couldnt attend Yale, which was not fully coeducational at the time. But she returned to New Haven after earning a bachelors degree in history at Barnard College in New York in 1959 and took a job at the Cowles Foundation, a Yale research institute. In the summer of 1975, shortly after Mr. Hoffas disappearance, Paul Cappola was working at the former PJP Landfill beneath the Pulaski Skyway alongside his son, Frank Cappola, who later said he recalled some men driving up and having a heated exchange with his father out of earshot. Years later, in 2008, the elder Cappola, in grave health, told his son what had happened that day: The visitors said Mr. Hoffas remains were being delivered to the landfill, and that he was to bury the body. They pointed out exactly where it should go. But later, when the body arrived, Paul Cappola secretly changed the burial location in the dead of night, he told his son. He believed the landfill, long associated with organized crime, was under surveillance, so he picked a spot off the property but nearby. My father, who didnt trust anybody, decided to dig a second hole with a company excavator and to place Hoffa in that location, Frank Cappola would later write in a sworn statement. In conversation, Janania frequently mentions community, something hes constantly looking for and looking to preserve. He cherishes his current neighborhood in part for its Black and brown residents. (I can go days here speaking Spanish, he says.) He remains close to his family in Honduras, even employing his sister, Yazmin, remotely as part of Rosalilas management team. The sisal he used for the Flower Craft project came from his mother, also named Yazmin, who gathered it from the countryside of San Pedro Sula. He hopes to one day open another studio in Honduras, so that he can use botanicals grown on his familys land for more of his designs. As he continues to expand his practice, however, Janania remains focused on the beauty of details, and hes eager to share his wisdom with others. If someone wants to spruce up their place for a dinner party but cant afford one of his arrangements, not to worry. You can create fun, beautiful things with flowers from the bodega, he says, recommending carnations. Theyre looked down upon, but theyre such a strong flower. They stick around for, like, a whole three weeks. He also suggests the classic bud vase, which can create the illusion of abundance on a smaller scale. When filling it, one might try to channel Jananias spirit rather than mimic his designs. Im interested in seeing the similarities in things, between whats human and whats animal and whats botanical, he says. I like to connect the dots and create something that people can feel. Arison (who plays the preteen Amir as well throughout) reads to the illiterate Hassan, though not without mocking him for it. He lets Hassan take the fall when they get in trouble. Yet Hassan faithfully partners with Amir in a competitive game where kite owners maneuver and use coated or sharpened strings to cut their competitors out of the sky; runners chase and catch the fallen kites as a prize. When Amir fails to stop an act of violence against Hassan, the boys friendship is irreparably damaged. Hassan never truly leaves Amir, though; he carries the guilt to America, to which he and Baba escape after Russias invasion of Afghanistan ushers in the vicious regime of the Taliban. After finding love and a successful career, Amir eventually returns to his homeland to redeem himself from his past transgressions. The Kite Runner was first staged in 2007 at San Jose State University, and went on to play throughout England, eventually on the West End. For the Broadway engagement, producers turned to Arison, an Off Broadway regular who had a supporting role for nearly a decade on NBCs The Blacklist. Under Giles Crofts direction, Arisons Broadway debut proves spotty. He recites his opening lines with the stiffness of a child delivering a book report, and never totally eases into the role. A lawyer representing Ms. Williss office, Anna Green Cross, pointed out that the fund-raiser was very clearly identified in a flier as pertaining to a runoff election in the Democratic primary, not the general election matchup against Mr. Jones. But the judge was clearly troubled by it. The optics are horrific, he said, adding that it created at least an appearance problem. If we are at a cocktail party and people are asking, Do you think that this is a fair and balanced approach to things? he said, and continued, Well, how do you explain this? He also expressed concern that the district attorney, as the legal adviser to the grand jury, was on national media almost nightly talking about this investigation. Criticism aside, efforts to remove prosecutors have been tried, unsuccessfully, in other Trump-related cases. Late last year, lawyers for Mr. Trump filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt an inquiry by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, arguing that her public criticism of Mr. Trump had violated several of his constitutional rights, including those to free speech and due process. That suit was dismissed in May. Judge McBurney told a lawyer for several of the pro-Trump electors, Holly Pierson, youre not asking, I hope, that we have to have a Republican district attorney investigate this, because thats the only way it will be fair? Ms. Pierson said she was not. The legal maneuvers come as Ms. Williss investigation has been intensifying and has emerged as the inquiry that puts Mr. Trump and some of his allies in perhaps the most immediate criminal jeopardy. Members of Pences Secret Service Detail Feared for Their Lives Testimony from a White House security official, who had access to what Secret Service agents in the Capitol protecting Vice President Mike Pence were saying to each other over their radios, showed how agents feared for their lives as protesters drew near. The committee declined to identify the official and masked the officials voice. There was a lot of yelling, the official told the committee. A lot of very personal calls over the radio, so it was disturbing. I dont like talking about it, but there were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth. It was getting for whatever the reason was on the ground the V.P. detail thought that this was about to get very ugly. The official said Secret Service agents were running out of options and theyre getting nervous and that it sounded like we came very close to either Service having to use lethal options or worse. The image of Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, raising his fist in solidarity with a crowd of Trump supporters outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 became an iconic symbol of how he and members of his party had made common cause with members of the mob that ultimately stormed the building. On Thursday night, the congressional committee investigating the attack offered the public another indelible image of Mr. Hawley this time, of the senator legging it out of the Capitol as it was invaded by the same people he had cheered on hours before. A never-before-seen pair of surveillance videos released by the panel which drew hearty laughter from spectators inside the hearing room instantly tore across the internet, with users overlaying various soundtracks, such as the theme songs to the movie Chariots of Fire and The Benny Hill Show, and Kate Bushs Running Up That Hill. For Matthew Pottinger, a former journalist and White House aide testifying before the House committee on Thursday, the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was the last straw. Mr. Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser to Mr. Trump, was at the White House as the riot played out. After watching the violence unfold and observing how Mr. Trump handled the events Mr. Pottinger tendered his resignation. His account of how the events of Jan. 6 unfolded inside the West Wing is expected to be central to the committees effort to document Mr. Trumps unwillingness to call off his supporters and quell the violence. Hours before the Jan. 6 committee hearing held a hearing focused on the actions of former President Donald J. Trump and his closest associates that day, former first lady Melania Trump told Fox News she had no knowledge of the assault on the Capitol as it unfolded. On January 6, 2021, I was fulfilling one of my duties as first lady of the United States of America, and accordingly, I was unaware of what was simultaneously transpiring at the U.S. Capitol Building, Ms. Trump said in the interview posted on Fox Newss digital platforms. Ms. Trump went on to say that she spent the day completing her official obligations to record the contents of the White Houses historic rooms. This included, she said, overseeing a team of photographers and archivists who were gathering archival images of the renovations she and Mr. Trump had done at the White House during his term. The bills were announced on the eve of a prime-time hearing by the House committee investigating the events surrounding the Jan. 6 attack, including Mr. Trumps multilayered effort to invalidate his defeat. They also came as an investigation intensified into efforts by Mr. Trump and his allies to have Georgias presidential election results reversed. A Georgia judge has ordered Rudolph W. Giuliani, who spearheaded a push to overturn election results on behalf of Mr. Trump, to appear before a special grand jury in Atlanta next month. The legislative effort in the Senate began in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack, which unfolded as Congress met for the traditionally routine counting of the electoral ballots that is the last official confirmation of the presidential election results before the inauguration. In the run-up to the riot, Mr. Trump tried unsuccessfully to persuade Vice President Mike Pence who presided over the session in his capacity as president of the Senate to unilaterally block the tally, citing false claims of election fraud. The new legislation focuses on the handling of electoral votes and does not incorporate wider voting protections sought by Democrats after some states instituted new laws seen as making it more difficult for people to vote following Democratic victories in 2020. Senate Republicans have previously blocked those voting measures. Though there may be disagreement on specific provisions, there is widespread sentiment in Congress that some steps need to be taken to bolster the Electoral Count Act, which Mr. Manchin said on Wednesday had been weaponized on Jan. 6. How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process. The backers of the legislation were optimistic that they could win passage this year, viewing that time frame as their best opportunity given the prospect that Republicans, many of whom backed challenges to electoral votes for Joseph R. Biden Jr., could control the House next year. The Electoral Count Act does need to be fixed, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, told reporters on Tuesday. He said that Ms. Collins had kept him apprised of the bipartisan negotiations and that he was sympathetic to the aims of those working on the legislation. President Bidens Covid diagnosis on Thursday and what his doctor described as mild symptoms underscored the significant progress that has been made in fighting the coronavirus in the 21 months since his predecessor was infected. The White House first revealed that former President Trump was sick with the virus in the early hours of Oct. 2, 2020, when vaccines were not yet available and Mr. Trump was regularly mocking precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing. At the time, Mr. Trumps aides said he was doing well and downplayed the severity of his condition, saying he was feeling good. But the truth was very different. Reporting later revealed that Mr. Trumps blood oxygen levels had fallen steeply before he was taken by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from the White House, and that aides were worried that he would need to be put on a ventilator and would not be able to walk to the helicopter. If sitting causes pain, take movement and stretching breaks An hour or so into every car or plane ride, the side of my back starts aching, and thats in part because bodies arent meant to stay stationary. Movement is essential to keep blood flowing to your muscles and joints to help prevent stiffness and pain, Ms. Louw explained. Ideally, youll want to stand up and walk around at least once every hour if youre feeling pain, Dr. Kennedy advised. If you have trouble remembering to do this, set a timer or drink lots of water so you need frequent bathroom breaks, he suggested. (Dr. Venesy said she prefers aisle seats so she can get up regularly.) As for how to sit, Ms. Louw said that sitting upright, or with a slight recline, is generally the best position for the spine. Dr. Venesy added that rolling up a sweatshirt or fleece and resting it behind your lower back could also provide pain-relieving lumbar support. Stretching can also be useful. One good stretch to do while sitting is a spine twist, where you put both hands on one leg and gently twist your upper body in the same direction, then repeat on the other side, Dr. Venesy said. A good seated stretch for the low back and hips is a figure four stretch, where you rest your right heel on your left knee and lean forward, and vice versa, she added. Dr. Kennedy said that it may feel good to stand up and do a slight back bend, too. (If youre in pain from standing for a long time, the opposite could ease your pain leaning into a forward fold, he said.) If you experience leg cramps while sitting, try pumping your ankles alternately pointing and then flexing your feet with your knees bent and extended, Ms. Louw suggested. Prevent neck pain by reading or watching tablets at eye level and using a neck pillow If youre anything like me, you look down a lot during flights or as a car passenger at your phone, a tablet or a book. But this position can cause neck pain, Dr. Kennedy said. Its far better to bring things closer to eye level. Some airplanes now have devices that allow you to hang your phone or tablet on the back of the seat in front of you, he said, and you can also buy accessories that will do this for you (or even fashion one out of a sickness bag). If you think youll doze off in the plane or car, you may also want to invest in a neck pillow. Dr. Kennedy prefers designs that are thinner in the back than on the sides, because they dont pitch the head forward too much when you lean against the seat. Russias decision to restart the flow of natural gas through a vital pipeline on Thursday brought a moment of relief to Germany, which uses the fuel to power its most important industries and heat half its homes. But it is unlikely to be much more than that. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has made clear that he intends to use his countrys energy exports as a cudgel, and even a weapon, to punish and divide European leaders loosening or tightening the taps as it suits him and his war aims in Ukraine. He is counting on that uncertainty to impose heavy economic and political costs on European leaders. Those elected officials are under growing pressure to bring down energy prices and avoid gas rationing that might force factories and government buildings to close and require people to lower thermostats in winter. Leaders in some nations, like Spain and Greece, are already chafing at a European Union plan to have every member country cut its gas use, arguing that they are already much less reliant on Russia than Germany. As Russias foreign minister made clear that Moscows territorial ambitions extend beyond Ukraines eastern territories, the United States said on Wednesday that it would send four more advanced multiple-rocket launch vehicles to Ukraine. The rocket launchers, which can unleash salvos that rival the devastating effect of an airstrike from a jet loaded with precision-guided bombs, are part of a raft of new longer-range weapons that the United States has been providing to the outgunned Ukrainian military. They underline Washingtons resolve to help counter Russian military might and President Vladimir V. Putins goal of subjugating Ukraine, a sovereign country. But with Russia until recently making incremental but steady gains on the battlefield and with Ukraines Western allies struggling to keep up with Ukraines seemingly insatiable appetite for weapons, Ukraine faces an uphill struggle to gain battlefield parity. And there are disagreements between Ukrainian and American officials over what that would take. Poison Soluble previously featured in a 2018 joint exhibition in Paris by Lebel and Attia; the two are friends. It is by far the most shocking work in this Berlin Biennale. But Lebel is involved in another piece in the show, a half-century older: the Large Collective Antifascist Painting from 1960, created with five other European artists in response to the torture of the Algerian activist Djamila Boupacha by French soldiers, which became a cause celebre. The painting is a somewhat garish period piece, violent in its own way. The historical line between the two Lebel pieces is perhaps this Biennales least productive vector except as an object lesson in how a certain European and masculine mode of antiracist and anticolonial art, though forged in real political battles, lost its way and lapsed into exploitation. Outside Poison Soluble, a warning sign advises that the work depicts intense violence, but without stating the topic. Its instruction that people who have experienced racial trauma or abuse should not enter feels paternalistic and exclusionary. Fortunately, this Biennale operates in multiple registers. Though the show overall resonates closely with Attias preoccupations as an artist, he was seconded by a cosmopolitan curatorial team of five women Ana Teixeira Pinto, Do Tuong Linh, Marie Helene Pereira, Noam Segal and Rasha Salti and its a relief when their combined efforts open space for the poetic. This is notable at the other location of the Akademie der Kunste, in the western Hansaviertel district, where the exhibition takes on an environmental orientation while remaining animated by social and imperial history. An affecting installation by Sammy Baloji includes tropical plants in a small hothouse of the kind that traders used to ship specimens to Europe; a speaker softly plays drumming and singing by a Congolese veteran of the Belgian Army in World War I who was captured by the Germans and forced to take part in their ethnographic recordings. Nearby, exquisite drawings by Temitayo Ogunbiyi depict okra, water leaf and other vegetables in Nigerian cuisine, along with recipes. So self-effacing is Spearss style that the somber drone at the beginning of this new piece emerges without pause from the ensembles tuning, as if by accident. The overall effect is of a smoothly unfurling carpet reminiscent of Philip Glass in its unhurried yet wrenching harmonic progressions atop which voices soar. And soar, and soar. The agonies and pleasures of Castor and Patience, running through July 30 at the Corbett Theater at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, are like those of a less densely orchestrated Puccini. As in Tosca, La Boheme or Madama Butterfly, unabashedly, even shamelessly effusive vocal lines draw us poignantly close to characters in a rending situation: here, a Black family riven by disagreement over whether to sell part of a precious plot of land. Precious, because purchased with hard-won freedom. The action takes place on an unnamed island off the coast of the American South that was settled by former slaves after the Civil War. Among their descendants, Castor left and moved north with his parents; his cousin, Patience, stayed put with hers. Decades later, both are adults with children of their own. It is 2008, and Castor like so many people in the years leading up to the Great Recession has borrowed far beyond his means. The only way he sees out of financial ruin is to return to the island and sell part of his inherited stake, likely to a white buyer intent on building seaside condos; that is an outcome that the tradition-minded Patience cannot abide. Every new summer TV series has to fight to get attention. The Jan. 6 hearings had more challenges than most. There was public exhaustion and media jadedness over a story thats been in the news for a year and a half. There was the MAGA echo chamber that has primed a huge chunk of America to reject, sight unseen, any accusation against former President Donald J. Trump. Above all, the hearings, which aired a capstone prime-time session on Thursday night a midseason finale, if you will had to compete with our expectations of what constitutes a successful TV hearing. Not every congressional inquest can be the Army-McCarthy hearings, in which the lawyer Joseph Welch asked the Red Scare-monger Senator Joseph McCarthy, Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? He chose not to act. Same review he got for Home Alone 2, Stephen Colbert said on Thursdays live edition of Late Night. He did not call them from a box. He did not call while watching Fox. He did not help out Uncle Sam. His brain is made of eggs and ham. But, in his defense, it is possible he forgot the number for 9-1-1. STEPHEN COLBERT, on news that Trump didnt reach out to any security officials on Jan. 6 Yes, he is a stain on our history and thanks to these hearings, we know that stain is ketchup. STEPHEN COLBERT, referring to Representative Adam Kinzingers referring to Trumps inaction as a stain on our history So, all in all, it was a long night almost three hours but it wasnt nearly as long as the 187 minutes where the former president did nothing to stop an ongoing insurrection that he created and then watched it all in glee as it played out on TV. Lets just hope some of his followers were watching this tonight. STEPHEN COLBERT THE DIGITAL REPUBLIC: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century, by Jamie Susskind Anyone who lived through the dot-com boom of the late 1990s remembers the cyber-utopianism of the early days. I felt it myself as a young journalist traversing Silicon Valley to report on the new world being born. I wrote a book about eBay, based on interviews with its visionary founder, Pierre Omidyar. In keeping with the heady spirit of the times, I gave the book, which stressed eBays ability to be a force for global economic opportunity, the idealistic title The Perfect Store. Many of those early dreams about the internets potential came true. The list of positive changes the digital age ushered in is endless: online libraries available to people around the world, smartphone GPS that has made getting lost a thing of the past, telemedicine and a whole lot more. The snake, however, was always lurking in this online Eden, and the fall came quickly. Now, when we think of the internet we are as likely to focus on its dark side: identity theft and cyberstalking; proliferation of fake news and vitriol that is eroding American democracy; and the damage social media is doing to the fragile psyches of young people. A museum in Rio de Janeiro draws in water from a nearby bay for cooling. Similarly, but at a bigger scale, Torontos downtown core has a cooling system that uses cool lake water to absorb heat from city buildings. A hospital in rural Bangladesh uses courtyards and canals to create a cooling microclimate. Architects in Singapore, the air conditioning capital of Southeast Asia, are angling buildings in ways that allow wind to flow through city blocks and using vertical gardens to cool high-end hotels and office buildings. And then, theres paint. Researchers are competing to develop white paint that reflects nearly all sunlight. The ones in use now still absorb around 15 percent of sunlight and the heat that comes with it. Efforts to cool city neighborhoods arent always immediately popular. In Paris, a plan to cool the area around the Eiffel Tower is facing fierce opposition because it means knocking down trees, as my colleague Constant Meheut wrote. Now more than ever, energy-saving innovations are needed. The Toronto cooling system saves enough electricity to power a town of 25,000 through a year, while the Rio museums cooling system consumes 50 percent less energy than a conventional one. In fact, a recent United Nations report estimates that a global, coordinated effort to make cooling more sustainable and efficient could avoid eight years worth of global emissions, based on 2018 levels, over four decades. Make air-conditioners better The Rocky Mountain Institute, a research group whose Colorado-based office generates more energy than it consumes, runs a competition to spur innovations in cooling. The two companies that won last year, Daikin and Gree, developed air-conditioners that use much less energy. Why doesnt every company do that? Electricity standards dont require it yet, explained Iain Campbell, a cooling expert at the Rocky Mountain Institute, . Plus, its more expensive upfront. The prototypes developed by the two companies were two to three times pricier, Campbell said. But over 10 years, using these machines would cost you half, he added. They would simply use less electricity. You can only tell people that the world is going to end so many times, he said in a 2017 interview on Carolina Journal Radio, and when they notice the sun keeps rising, they tend to discount these predictions. Patrick Joseph Michaels was born on Feb. 15, 1950, in Berwyn, Ill., to Joseph and Cecelia Michaels. Before earning his Ph.D., he received degrees in biology and plant ecology at the University of Chicago. He became Virginias climatologist in 1980, a position that carried with it teaching duties at the University of Virginia and brought him a lot of questions that had nothing to do with climate change. As he told The Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Va., in 1991, an insurance company might call wanting to know if the ground was really frozen on the date that a customer claimed she slipped on ice, or whether it was really raining on the date of a particular car accident. Ive testified before Congress four times, been before courts more than 20 times and answered about 20 calls per day from people who want to know what the weather was on a particular day, he said. Dr. Michaels began speaking out on environmental matters more than 40 years ago. He was concerned, he said, that alarmism would lead to hastily formulated policies and programs that would do more harm than good. Our policy should be commensurate with the state of our scientific knowledge, he told the House energy and power subcommittee in 1989. In 2008, he started The Watch Press, a website covering independent watchmaking. Both he and Mr. Spitz are now members of the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve Academy, a group of experts who propose and vote on nominees for the organizations annual awards, widely considered the Oscars of the watch world. Mr. Spitz said he came from a family of watchmakers and that watches are in my blood. He recalled sitting on the lap of his grandfather, a watch restorer, when he was 8 and lifting the back off a Patek Philippe. After tiring of the touring life, he quit Anthrax to study watchmaking at the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking in New York City and later at the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program, known as Wostep, graduating in 1998. He said he worked as the head of watch complications (meaning functions other than displaying time) at Chopard North and South America and later at Leviev, a Swiss maker of jewelry and watches. I am a master of complications, he said. I work on some of the most complicated mechanics ever created. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Spitz returned to Anthrax for a reunion tour but then went back to his workshop. He likes to compare the disciplines of music and watchmaking. You have to have the highest level of O.C.D., he said referring to obsessive-compulsive disorder, to be able to practice that riff for 20 hours a day and still be defeated. Months later suddenly you have it! Its exactly the same with micromechanical mechanisms. Its pretty cool to be a rock star, but being a watchmaker is badass cool! In his Texas workshop, Mr. Spitz has built a collection of restored vintage watchmaking equipment and top-of-the-line technology to allow him to make every component of his mechanical watches. He said he had worked for five years on his J11.13 prototype, which, in the United States, would be the first ground-up caliber in over a century which features the worlds first miniaturized titanium single impulse, zero draw oil-less escapement. The Passenger Rent or buy it on Vudu Blasco (Ramiro Blas), a former bullfighter, drives a van that shuttles folks around Spain. Hes a boor who doesnt like feminists, and that doesnt sit well with his three passengers one fateful day: Mariela (Cecilia Suarez), a religious woman who has cancer, and Lidia (Cristina Alcazar), whos taking her grouchy teenage daughter, Marta (Paula Gallego), to live with Lidias ex-husband. But Blascos macho drivel is the least of the groups worries. As night falls, they come across a gurgling organism that spits a teeny worm into Martas finger, and not long after, Blasco plows his van into a disfigured woman standing in the road. As he transports her to the hospital, she spews a translucent goo that turns Mariela into a snarling killer ghoul. From there, its a slugfest between humans and evil ooze. This dark horror-comedy, from the Spanish directing duo Raul Cerezo and Fernando Gonzalez Gomez, is more than a stomach-churning infection film. Its also a surprisingly touching look at how people, especially parents and their kids, forgive one another when trauma is a parasite with sticky fingers. I dont know how much the sloppy-gooey makeup effects cost, but the directors got their moneys worth. Muybridge is the guiding spirit of Nope, in which the siblings, along with an electronics-store employee (Brandon Perea) and a cinematographer (Michael Wincott), try to snap a photo of an elusive extraterrestrial presence. Theyre attempting to capture an impossible shot, with a subject that, like Muybridges horses, is too fast to pin down. And since the U.F.O. scrambles all the electricity in its path, they have to innovate with analog technology, as Muybridge did. (Muybridge was also a chronicler of the American West.) But the actual development of Muybridges experiments and the question of whether the riders identity is truly unknown is complicated. In a preface to his book Animals in Motion, Muybridge recalled that his experiments in photographing movement began in 1872, when he sought to answer the question of whether, at any point in a horses stride, all four feet simultaneously left the ground. By his own account, he was able to capture silhouettes of four airborne feet with more or less ordinary photographic equipment at a racetrack in Sacramento. But the effort ignited his desire to make something more cinematic, as we would now think of it: images photographed in rapid succession at defined intervals of time, the better to understand animal movement generally. In the late 1870s, in Palo Alto, Calif., on the farm of the states former governor (and future senator and university founder) Leland Stanford, Muybridge conducted further experiments, developing a system in which carefully arrayed cameras were connected to wires that a horses travels along a track could trip. (During the intervening years, Muybridge would stand trial for the murder of his wifes lover and be acquitted on the grounds that it was justifiable homicide but lets leave that for a future Peele film.) On the first morning of the weeks enervating heat wave, Gale Brewer, who represents much of Manhattans West Side in the City Council, was canvassing a stretch of upper Broadway, conducting a stealth experiment. For months now, she has been on a tear about the proliferation of mini-warehouses arriving in residential neighborhoods, committing sins against the citys already precarious streetscape, and now she was on a mission to prove that they were violating the law. Dark stores, as they are known in the dystopian lingo of e-commerce, cache the groceries and other products brought to you by instant delivery services that have recently exploded in cities around the world. Whatever their relationship to the law, they stand, most disconcertingly, in opposition to the civic covenant that promises access and fluidity as the hallmark of public space, not Fritos and White Claw left at your door in 15 minutes. In New York, all but the smallest warehouses are permitted only in parts of the city zoned for manufacturing. When they appear on ordinary streets, they have to let people shop in them, and even though the city made the rules very clear to the industry in a bulletin issued last month, Ms. Brewer suspected many were not following along. So she felt a certain vindication when she arrived at a facility operated by Gorillas on Broadway and 102nd Street and was sent on her way. I said, Can I walk around? and they said, No, order on the app, she told me. The law professors say that the current climate makes it all the more important to illuminate prosecutorial wrongdoing. Mr. Medwed, who teaches at Northeastern University in Massachusetts, cited Mr. Boudins recall and the opposition faced by Los Angeless district attorney, George Gascon, also facing a recall effort. Mr. Medwed said more conservative crime control elements are afoot, that could result in renewed pressure on prosecutors to win convictions. Thats all the more reason for there to be greater transparency and greater accountability, Mr. Medwed said. One of the cases highlighted by the professors dates back to the winter of 1991, when a man named Andre Hatchett was arrested by the police a week after the discovery of a murdered woman. Only one witness Jerry Williams, who had been arrested in an unrelated burglary identified Mr. Hatchett as the perpetrator, after having initially identified another man. The prosecutor, Nicholas Fengos, did not alert Mr. Hatchetts lawyer to the conflicting identifications. Mr. Fengos also did not take issue with an inconsistency between what Mr. Williams had told investigators that he used crack cocaine on the day of the homicide and what he told the jury, which was that he had never used the drug. Despite those and other improbabilities in Mr. Williamss account of the murder, Mr. Fengos went forward with the prosecution and won a conviction. Mr. Hatchett spent nearly 25 years in prison before the Kings County district attorneys office, after reviewing his case, recommended that a court strike the conviction. Mr. Hatchett later won a wrongful conviction lawsuit for $12 million. You get used to it, said Rubin Green, 84, who lives near where Officer Mazurkiewicz was killed. Weve been dealing with this, losing people and it aint stopping. The shooting was the first time a Rochester officer had been killed while on the job since 2014, when Officer Daryl Pierson was shot while chasing a suspect on foot. He was struck by a bullet about one block away from where police said Officer Mazurkiewicz, 54, was attacked. Authorities said Mr. Vickers was detained within an hour of the shooting on Thursday after canvassing officers noticed that someone had entered a vacant house near the site of the attack. Mr. Vickers was found in the homes second-floor crawl space, Captain Umbrino said. Isabel Rosa, who works for the anti-violence group Rise Up Rochester, said that gun violence had rippled through the lives of most longtime residents, no matter how far removed they were from the weapons. The shooting of the officers Thursday offered the latest example: A 15-year-old girl was struck when three bullets flew into her home, the police said. A round grazed her as she dove for cover, but she did not face life-threatening injuries, the police said. I dont think theres anybody who can say they dont know someone or that it hasnt happened in their neighborhood, Ms. Rosa said. Such vaccines have not been administered in the United States since 2000, suggesting that the virus may have originated in a location outside of the U.S. where O.P.V. is administered, according to county officials. The oral vaccine is safe, but people who are unvaccinated can become infected if vaccine-derived virus is circulating in a community. County officials said the strain in question could be spread by those who come in contact with stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an infected person. The person exhibited symptoms about a month ago, according to Rockland Countys health commissioner, who said on Thursday that the patient had suffered from weakness and paralysis. Mr. Backenson noted that only a tiny percentage of cases would develop into severe paralysis but that many of those infected with the polio virus would remain asymptomatic, which could make it difficult to detect to what degree the disease had spread. Thats probably the biggest concern: You may have a lot of people out there who may never have severe paralytic polio but could potentially be spreading it to others, he said. Thats the reason for the urgency. What we consider before using anonymous sources. How do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process. On Friday, Rockland County officials said that the person did not travel outside the country during what would have been the transmission window, adding that up to 95 percent of people infected have no symptoms, which makes tracking down the transmission difficult. Adams seems to emphasize crime. He races to crime scenes. How has that raised the perception that the city is unsafe and isnt that perception at odds with crime statistics? Violent crime has increased during the pandemic, and it is still higher than it was in 2019. But shootings and murders are down this year, and crime is nowhere near where it was 30 years ago. Adams talks about crime almost every day and about the omnipresence of guns, and I think that has contributed to the perception that the city is unsafe. The mayor has also received criticism from progressive Black leaders who argue that the tactics hes using to combat crime are too aggressive. How has his fixation on crime complicated his push to bring the city out of the pandemic and get workers back to their desks? The mayor is telling us to get out of our pajamas and to go back to the office and to the subway, but he also said he felt unsafe on the subway because there were too many homeless people and a feeling of disorder. And hes urging people to go back to bars and restaurants and to enjoy the citys nightlife. But people need to feel safe to embrace those activities. Hasnt Adams been somewhat inconsistent on the coronavirus? At times. He says the city is leading the nation in our pandemic response, and he started a first-in-the-nation program to provide the antiviral Paxlovid at mobile testing sites. As for Congress, the bill makes clear that the vice president has only a ministerial role in the counting of electors and raises the bar for objections, from only one member in each chamber of Congress, to one-fifth of all members in both the House and Senate. I dont know whether the bill can actually pass the Senate, but it is a good bill. It blocks many of the most immediate threats to presidential elections and closes most avenues for postelection subversion under the current system. At the same time, it should be said that the reason that any of this is possible the reason Trump had a path to overturning the results of the election in the first place is the antidemocratic aspect of the current system. Even with the provisions of this bill in place, the Electoral College provides any number of opportunities for mischief. The fact that an entire national election can turn on a few thousand votes in a handful of states is a powerful incentive to restrict the votes of your opponents and meddle with the process all the way down to the precinct level. The fact that the loser of the national popular vote can become the winner of a national election is an additional incentive to subvert the voting process and impede access to the ballot box. And the fact that a legislature could, before the election itself, simply allocate electors to the candidate of its choice without any input from the public is an ongoing and ever-present threat to electoral democracy. ROME If this is to end in fire, then we should all burn together. These ominous words arent from an apocalyptic poem: Theyre from a politicians memoir. Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, opened her 2021 book with this strange call to arms, eschewing the more prosaic style favored by most politicians. But then Ms. Meloni, whose party carries the symbol adopted by defeated lieutenants of the Mussolini regime and describes itself as post-fascist, is hardly a mainstream political figure. At least, she didnt use to be. Yet just two months after Ms. Meloni published her best-selling memoir, her party topped national opinion polls for the first time. Since then, it has continued to boast over 20 percent support and has provided the only major opposition to Mario Draghis technocratic coalition. On Wednesday, in a sudden turn of events, the government collapsed. Early elections, due in the fall, could open the way for the Brothers of Italy to become the first far-right party to lead a major eurozone economy. For Europe and the country, it would be a truly seismic event. It would also mark a remarkable rise for a party that in 2018 secured just 4 percent of the vote. At its heart is Ms. Meloni, who skillfully blends fears of civilizational decline with folksy anecdotes about her relationships with her family, God and Italy itself. Conversant with pop culture and fond of referring to J.R.R. Tolkien the line in her memoir, from an Ed Sheeran song on the soundtrack of a film in the Hobbit series, combines the two Ms. Meloni presents herself as an unusually down-to-earth politician. To the Editor: Re Witnesses Detail Trumps Refusal to Stop Jan. 6 Mob (front page, July 22): Along with the entire world, I have watched as the House select committee has proffered evidence in support of the contention that Donald Trump, then the president of the United States, engineered and incited a mob to attack the Capitol in an attempt to stay in power. Aside from the concerns shared by so many others, my greatest concern was echoed by Representative Liz Cheney in her closing remarks: Is it possible, given the enormous weight of the public evidence against this man, that he will yet be able to declare his candidacy for another run at the presidency? What does it say to the nation when an average citizen can be picked up and held by the police on the basis of an accusation, but a former president can publicly flout the laws of the country and continue enjoying political influence? ezra klein Im Ezra Klein. This is The Ezra Klein Show. Before we begin, the researcher position is closed. Were going to go through the applications, and if you applied and thank you so much if you did youll hear from us within the next few weeks. OK. But today, let me just begin with a question. How are you? How are you right now? Its so rote, right? I know the answer to that. Im fine. Im OK. Pretty good. Thats typically my answer if its true or not. Someone asked me a version of that question recently, and before I answered they said, stop to sit for a moment. Really how are you? I was almost mad at them for that. I dont want to have to actually feel how I was in that moment or think about what it meant. A lot of people arent great right now. In America theres a death by suicide about every 11 minutes. About half of those people receive no mental health care whatsoever before taking their own life. Almost a fifth of American adults now have a prescription for a drug that is treating a mental health issue. It seems almost stranger right now to feel well than to not. Mental health in this society, in this economy? And so theres this weird tension here. More people are being treated for mental health issues than ever, but outcomes are not getting better. We have a crisis of mental illness, but we also have a crisis in mental health care. And Tom Insel should know. He was a director of the National Institute of Mental Health for 13 years. He was a Special Advisor on Mental Health Care to Governor Gavin Newsom in California to the point where he got called Californias Mental Health Czar. But his new book, Healing, is about how badly were failing at mental health care and how much more we could do with what we already have, what we already know. He writes, quote, The mental health problem is medical, but the solutions are not just medical. Theyre social, environmental, and political. So what are they? As always, my email if you have guest suggestions, feedback, recommendations for things we should read, or hear, or see, ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. Tom Insel, welcome to the show. thomas insel Great to be here. Thanks for having me. ezra klein So lets start here. What do you think the prevalence of mental health issues in the country is right now? thomas insel If you use the government statistics that we have, the epidemiology says that one in five people has a form of mental illness. I dont think thats a helpful number because a lot of that is spider phobias and more minor issues that probably dont really impair the way people function. But if you ask how many people have serious mental illness that is mental illness defined by some kind of disability, schizophrenia, bipolar illness, severe depression, PTSD its about 1 in 20. Thats a fairly large number, and thats for adults. When you look at kids, the numbers are a little bit higher. So these are more common than we might think, and its probably fair to say, as I say in the book, that every family is dealing with mental illness now or soon will, that there are really only two kinds of families, those dealing with this and those who arent dealing with it yet. ezra klein And is that number stable? Is it changing over time? thomas insel Well, thats an interesting question, Ezra. It turns out that, when you look at the adult numbers, its really in spite of the sense that we have a crisis going on, the prevalence hasnt changed that much. The prevalence of schizophrenia and bipolar illness is about what its been for decades. There is an increase in depression and anxiety in adolescents and in people under the age of 24. Those numbers are going up. They start going up about 2005, 2007, and theyve continued to climb. And of course, the pandemic has pushed them up considerably more. But this is a useful question because we need to think about the crisis not so much as a crisis of prevalence or what epidemiologists would call incidence, which is the change in prevalence over time. Its really a crisis of care. So serious mental illness about 14.2 million people in the United States affected. That number has gone up a little bit, not much, over time, and yet our ability to help them recover has gone down, not up. ezra klein Before we go to the crisis of care question, I do want to hone in on that issue of at least apparently rising mental illness and just suffering among adolescents. So we do seem to see a rise in depression and anxiety. And when I began seeing that data, my first instinct was to say that we have made it more socially acceptable to report. I think were much more open with anxiety and depression than we once were. But were also seeing more suicide attempts. Were seeing more self-harm. Were seeing data from emergency rooms, functionally. That makes me pretty convinced something real is happening there. So how do you understand that rise? thomas insel It may not be one thing. I think you can have multiple factors feeding into this. And part of it is that there is, if you will, less stigma amongst young people to talk about these issues. Increasingly this has become part of the culture, and its part of what they do want to talk about. I was doing an event in Los Angeles earlier this year, and I asked a group of young people, is this something you can talk about with your friends? And they said, oh, absolutely. Its all we talk about. We just cant talk about it with our parents. So there is a generational change there, which I think is part of this effect. But lets be clear. There is really something else going on, that more kids are actually not only just coming for help but needing help in a serious way. It shows up mostly in the data that we have from emergency room visits for eating disorders, clearly up during the pandemic, strikingly up. These are disorders that affect adolescents across the board. The other place where I think were seeing continued increases are more in the sort of social anxiety syndromes for boys, which is up. And I must say, I was just looking at some data from Crisis Text Line, which is this terrific online service nonprofit, and 50 percent of their crisis calls or crisis text requests out of 1.2 million last year 50 percent were from young people who identified as L.G.B.T.Q. So that population in particular is struggling in a way that we need to start to really understand more deeply. ezra klein And theres an actual rise in suicide more broadly across the United States. Something that you write in the book which I found very striking is that suicide numbers in the United States have been going up when in many of our peer nations theyve been going down. thomas insel Overall the numbers are from about 2000 to now, suicides gone up. Suicide mortality has gone up about 30 percent in the United States. Globally its down about 18 percent at least in Western nations, so the U.S., as well talk about, is exceptional in a number of ways. And thats one of them. We really have not seen the suicide rate going down until the last couple of years, oddly enough. During the pandemic the numbers have going down slightly. Its not clear yet whether that is a real decrease that will be sustained, and its not in all populations. The numbers actually have gone up for young people of color during the pandemic. ezra klein Is mental illness contagious? thomas insel It is not contagious, and we should probably take a moment to talk about what is mental illness and what is mental health. And third bucket is one his mental health care because those are three very different things. So mental illness, as well talk about it here, is a set of disorders recognized by kind of a consensus definition of symptoms. And all of those disorders share a few things. Theyre all about subjective experience of suffering in some deep way. Broadly, theyre anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and then theres sort of attentional disorders like A.D.H.D. There are a few others, but that captures a large part of what were talking about in the mental illness category. And I do like the term mental illness. I think thats a useful construct, although not everybody agrees. Mental health what is that? Well, Freud defined mental health as the ability to love and to work. I dont know if thats the right definition. We argue about where the continuum is, how you measure that. But whats interesting to me is that Freuds original definition doesnt talk about happiness, doesnt talk about success. It just fundamentally keeps it simple. And he talks about it as an ability or a capacity, which is kind of an interesting way to go after it. I think theres some validity to that. And I think that one of the ways in which our conversations about mental health, and health in general have been, Ill just say, biased or kind of off target is that if you and I start talking about health of any sort, pretty quickly well be talking about health care. And yet if you look at the data that increasingly is beginning to come out of many sources, its clear that health care predicts a very limited part of health outcomes. Health itself, the outcomes in health and this is true for mental health as well are much more about where you live, who you live with, how you live and much less about how many clinic visits you have, how many medications youre on, how many surgical procedures youve had. All of that may be part of it, and I think many people would say its 10 percent to 15 percent. But its a really interesting discussion, I think, that we need to have as a nation to understand health as something different than health care. ezra klein So this is very much a favored topic of mine, but I want to put a pin in it because you went off of something Im interested in a little too quickly. Id asked you about whether or not mental illness is contagious, and the reason I did is that, on the one hand, depression isnt contagious in the way Covid is. You dont sneeze on somebody and they get depression. But we do seem to know that at least certain terrible things that I think of as related to mental illness are contagious. We know that suicide can be contagious if people see more presentations of it, if it becomes more normalized in society. We know that certain kinds of violence are contagious. And something Ive wondered about, particularly seeing the rise in anxiety and depression among adolescents and eating disorders, is whether or not we should understand that as a kind of contagion. Theres one way of saying, were either looking at a policy failure or a set of social conditions that have become, I guess, anxietyogenic, for lack of a better term. And I suspect thats true. I tend to be a believer that, among other things, social media is creating a lot of anxiety but that these things can also create their own momentum. And so you said pretty quickly that its not, so do you think that way of looking at it is wrong? thomas insel Lets take a case example because it was curious to me about why eating disorders would have gone up as much as they have during the pandemic. You could imagine a lot of things going up, but why that? And Ive gone to a number of experts to ask them that question, and I dont know that anybody has a definitive answer, I think. When were looking at pandemic effects, were still collecting data and still trying to understand whats driving what. But there are two answers that I was really intrigued by. One was an academic who said, kids with eating disorders are very stress-sensitive. Theyre like the canaries in the coal mine. And so when you have stress increasing in the population, youre going to see it more there than anywhere else. Theyre going to carry the social stress, and theyll play that out in the way that they lose weight and the way that they handle themselves. The second explanation which I thought wasnt competitive but was kind of interesting was that somebody who said that during the pandemic kids were spending much, much more time on social media. And social media, while it may not cause eating disorders, is absolutely an accelerant. Theres lots of sites that girls can go to and not just girls, but where they can find out how to lose more weight more quickly. And so one of the concerns is that what weve seen during this time is simply people getting much sicker much faster than what had been happening before the pandemic, which is why so much of this shows up in the E.R. data rather than in other kinds of prevalence data. ezra klein One thing this, I think, brings us back to is something you were beginning to touch on a few minutes ago, which is the fairly low proportion of health outcomes and mental health outcomes that can be attributed directly to health care and to mental health care. You say in the book that health care itself explains only about 10 percent of health outcomes. The same is true for mental health. Ive looked at this data lot over the years. I wrote a piece years ago when I was at The American Prospect called Health Care, not Wealth Care, and the point is that a tremendous amount of our political conversation about health care and health is actually just about health insurance. Its just about how well pay for the health treatments people get, not about the things that drive their health. One thing that I have found when I try to dig into that data is its pretty quick for people to tell you what happens in a hospital, mental or otherwise, is a small proportion of what drives health outcomes. But when you say, OK, well, how do you break down the rest of it, the disagreement gets really sharp really fast. So we know that its not primarily what happens in doctors office, but how you understand what is happening in the broader society does become important. So on the mental health side, when you say we have a crisis of care, when you say we have begun failing to create the conditions for people to thrive mentally, how do you begin to layer in the causes? thomas insel Yeah, well, thats kind of why I wrote the book. On the one hand, weve made so much progress. We actually have come to understand an awful lot more about these disorders, and we have really good treatments, medications, psychological treatments, rehabilitative care. We know what to do, and those things work, right? So when you talk to providers, as I did, most of them say, yeah, were doing better than ever, and yet when one looks at the population data, its going all the wrong ways. Youve got more suicides, as we mentioned. Weve got more morbidity, more disability. You have more people with mental illness incarcerated, more of them homeless. So how did those two things add up? And thats really what drove me to try to work on this. What it comes down to is kind of just what you were saying, Ezra, that, in a sense, the problem is medical, but the solutions are social. Theyre relational. Theyre environmental. Theyre political. Theres a bunch of other things in play here that dont get captured by the way we measure health care as just a medical problem. ezra klein Compare society today and 50 years ago. Socially, is this a better or worse society for peoples mental health or, if you think this is a separate question, for people with mental illness? thomas insel Its a separate question. Ill take the second one first. Im old enough to remember what it was like for people with mental illness in 1972. Thats when I was in training, so I have a pretty good sense of what that was like. Thats when I decided to go into this field. And I decided that because it was pretty exciting. It really was a moment in which you could see a transformation in care. There were two things happening. One was the innovation in medications. We suddenly had medicines that worked pretty well. They werent great. They had terrible side effects. But they did acutely help people to reduce psychotic symptoms, to reduce depression. And lithium, which we had then, was a pretty good medication, probably still the best medication we have for bipolar disorder. That was one piece of it. The other piece was more to your question. We had a national commitment, as President Kennedy said in 1963, to ensure, in his words, that people with mental illness would no longer be alien to our affections or apart from the caring of our communities. That was his commitment. October 31, 1963, one of the last bills that he signed before he was assassinated three weeks later was the Community Mental Health Act. And what that did was to put the federal government in the drivers seat in a way that said, for people with mental illness there will be a federally-funded clinic within what they called a catchment area, within reachable area for where you live that will provide not just medication but therapy and social support, will work with families and where you will find people who will help you to recover. And that was really the commitment of the Community Mental Health Act starting in 63, and then when you add in Medicaid, Medicare, S.S.I., all these other things that happened in the 1960s through the Johnson administration, yeah, it was a somewhat better world for people with mental illness. There was what we then called a safety net. There was housing. There was the opportunity to get the kind of care that helped people to recover actually, its interesting because we had fewer assets then. We had fewer of the therapies we use today, fewer of the medications. But I felt in the beginning of my career and I was not alone that we were doing pretty well by the people we saw, and we saw them get better. And by the way, it was not just that the care was more comprehensive. It was more continuous. We were accountable to make sure that people got better. Today for people with mental illness what they find is generally a very fragmented system. There is no one accountable. Theres no one whos there for the whole journey. And many of the things that made up that safety net, the housing support, the institutional support, a lot of the things that people could rely on in the 1970s theyre gone. They may come back, but theyre not there now. The federal government, which had made that commitment by Kennedy, really checked out in 1980 and didnt come back into this game until 2018, 2019. And the amazing thing is just in the last two or three years, partly through the pandemic, weve seen a new, massive federal commitment to people with mental illness, something we havent seen since the 1960s. Its funny that people dont talk about this. They dont know much about it. Probably the most consequential bill for people with mental illness, particularly those with serious mental illness, was the bipartisan Safer Communities Act that was passed three weeks ago as the gun bill, oddly enough. Im not sure what thats going to do for gun safety, but it will do a lot for people with serious mental illness. Its a massive new ezra klein What will it do for them? thomas insel Well, theres a massive new commitment to something called the Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers, and when you put this together with the money thats already been committed to that program, its over $10 billion that will be establishing clinics around the country very much like what Kennedy envisioned in 1960, again, whole-person care, comprehensive care with the idea that many of the things that we are critical for recovery, whether thats from substance abuse or from mental illnesses like schizophrenia, will be paid for and will be provided in a way that will be more continuous and more comprehensive. So its a new day and a really interesting question is whether this time around the federal governments commitment because it is a little bit like deja vu all over again. But will we learn from the mistakes made in the 60s and 70s? Can we do this better? Can we do it in a way that will be sustained this time? And can we actually begin to change population health? Can we actually begin to see suicide and disability come down? ezra klein Id like to there are a lot of places I want to go on that, but I do want to spend a little bit more time in that story that you went over a little quickly there. So Kennedy makes his commitment, and then you say a lot of mistakes get made in the 60s and 70s, and then you say something changes in the 80s. Tell a little bit more of that because I think it is under-explained how a lot of our mental health care infrastructure has not traveled along the same path of a lot of our other safety net infrastructure most things have gotten bigger that the government does, not always been true here exactly. So what happens in the 60s, 70s and 80s? thomas insel Yeah, its an old story and one thats it does bear deep study, I think, at this point because were about to go into another period like we were in then. So the history of mental health care was largely before 1963 was the story of the state asylums what was called the moral treatment. In the early 19th century, in this country as well as in Europe, people with mental illness were incarcerated. They were put into jails and usually kept in chains. And Dorothea Dix in this country and others in France and in England decided that was immoral, that these are people that had a health problem, and they called for creating hospitals which became the state institutions in the United States, the state hospital system. And from 1850 until, really, the almost 1950 period state hospitals were built and expanded, often in rural areas away from the cities where people would go for when they were in crisis they might go for a few weeks but often would go for months and often stay for years. When Kennedy decided that something needed to be done about this and in his words he said, this has been tolerated for way too long. He pointed out that we had 600,000 people with mental illness in these institutions, and the average length of stay was 10 years. Kind of hard to believe that today, but thats where we were in 1963. He was able to say because of the advent of Thorazine that we could now get people out of the hospital and help them in the community. That was the vision. And that was what that community mental health system was set up to do, but it didnt. And it didnt for a bunch of reasons, but if you look now at the data that weve got from those years, whats really clear is that only about 10 percent of the people seen in the community health centers were people who had been in state hospitals. Many of those people I think Kennedys original idea was that they would leave the hospitals and go back to their families. They didnt have families, many of them, and many of them ended up in single-room-occupancy hotels, some of them in nursing homes, some of them in other facilities. The federal government said, were not going to pay for any kind of institutional care except in nursing facilities, but we will pay for community care. And thats where the money was going. But the community facilities themselves, federally-funded, were actually more interested in treating people who were looking for psychoanalytic psychotherapy and not necessarily people who had been for 10 years kept in a state institution. And thats what they did. It was great for the clinicians, for the providers but not really great for the people who needed the most significant care. By the way, that wasnt true everywhere. I worked in one of those places in the 1970s where we actually took very good care of people with serious mental illness and we worked really closely with the remaining state hospital. All of that ended in 1980 when Reagan said, why are we doing this? Weve got an economic challenge here. The government shouldnt be spending $10 billion a year on what is really the responsibility of the states. So it was like your classic hot-potato game. It went from the states to the federal government, federal government back to the states. States in the 1980s said, we dont have this money anymore. Weve closed our state hospitals. Were not going to rebuild them. Were not going to reopen them. We dont have the money for these clinics. Maybe the counties can take this? So they tried to pass it off to counties. And that tension continued for, really, the last 40 years with the federal government basically saying, well, whatever the states do well match it with Medicaid, so well help there. The original community mental health centers were converted to block grants, and theres an agency called the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration or SAMHSA, which actually administers those block grants. But the numbers never went up very much. The entire SAMHSA budget up until three years ago was about $3 billion with about a third of that going to people with serious mental illness. So its been a very limited federal commitment. ezra klein I was stunned by a number you have in the book. Since the 1950s, theres been about a 95 percent decrease per person in the number of psychiatric beds that are considered public beds, so hospital beds for people without private insurance or their own wealth to pay for them. Now, other kinds of beds opened up elsewhere, but thats a really tremendous drop in a very important kind of public health infrastructure. thomas insel Yeah, we went from 600,000 to about 34,000 beds in the state hospital system. And as I say in the book, what happened was that the jails and prisons became our default mental health institutions, so essentially those old state hospitals became like jails and prisons. So we just did a strange flip-flop on this. [MUSIC] ezra klein My bias going into the book was that we have quite poor treatment for most mental illnesses, much worse than what we have for other kinds of illness. And you argue throughout that thats not true. Why? thomas insel Because its not true. We actually have good treatments. Im not here saying that a medication is a cure for any of these mental illnesses or that psychotherapy works in all cases, but the combination of medication, psychotherapy, but most of all, recovery services, the kinds of the things that we often call them enhanced care management, but teams that go out and actually proactively engage people, build trust, ensure that people get to a clubhouse where they can spend the day and get job training, get help getting back to school These things like these sorts of teams, these sorts of clubhouses, job training, which is called supported employment or supportive housing these are massively successful and massively helpful. The people who run clubhouses and ezra klein What is a clubhouse? thomas insel A clubhouse is a place where someone with a serious mental illness can spend the day. And they get meals. They get help on how to find a job. Now they can get training for a job in some clubhouses. Some clubhouses provide health care as well. Its a sort of sanctuary for people. I like to say they provide people, place and purpose social support. They provide a healthy environment, and they help people to kind of get back on their feet. But my point, Ezra and this is really one of the pieces that I keep wanting to come back to is that in a country thats spending $3.8 trillion for health care, clubhouses stay open with bake sales and philanthropic dollars that they can get from willing donors. We dont pay for any of that. All those recovery services, which I would argue are the most effective for helping people with mental illness, especially serious mental illness theyre not paid for through health care dollars. And even much psychotherapy ends up being out of pocket. I dont see how thats fair. ezra klein I certainly agree that its not fair, but I do want to pick at this because the book has a very complicated relationship with treatment where sometimes the orientation of it is, theres much more capacity here than you realize, much more effectiveness than you realize. And sometimes you read things like this in the book, quote, When it comes to mental illness, there are more people getting more treatment than ever, yet death and disability continue to rise. How can more treatment be associated with worse outcomes? And I think that gets to what a lot of people see when they look at this. It seems like many more people are on mental on drugs to treat mental illness. Many more people are in therapy than ever before. Theres much less stigma around it. There is still stigma but less than there was at other times. And yet, you know, you were one of the leading mental health policymakers in the country, and youre sitting here writing a book about how the system is broken. Talk to me about that, more treatment, worse outcomes. And at the same time youre saying treatment is actually pretty good. thomas insel Yeah, so on the face of it it doesnt make sense right. This is really what the meat of the book is about. Its trying to explain that paradox. And you have to hold a couple of things in your head at the same time. One is that while the treatments are effective, theyre effective and given in the right way, the right dose, the right time to the right person. And were not very good at that. So theres what Ill call a general quality problem. And thats not only true for medication. Its true for psychotherapy. We do have therapies that work, that are effective, but very few people are trained to do the ones that we have the best scientific evidence for. Thats not true, by the way, in cancer therapy. Its not true in cardiovascular medicine. But in mental health, the vast majority of people who are in practice are people who have minimal training in the very things that are most effective. ezra klein Be very specific here. You had a daughter you write about that you have a daughter you write about this in the book who struggled seriously with an eating disorder. If youre a random family, this begins to affect your family, you try to get help. You go to a therapist. You ask your local pediatrician. What are you likely to get, and what is the treatment youre saying we actually know works and is hard to get? thomas insel So most medications are provided by primary care, so if youre going to go to a pediatrician, you may get medication without therapy. If you do go for therapy, youre likely to get therapy that is more generic. A lot of it today would there are going to be lots of different names for this, but fundamentally what people are going to do is sit with your daughter and ask questions about trauma, ask questions about history, maybe about self-esteem. There may be attempts to engage on how someone feels about where they are in their life, which is fine. We know there is a treatment, particularly for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, called family-based therapy, which was developed at Stanford but also in the U.K. Thats not what you get with talk therapy thats not focused. It doesnt have an evidence base. So Im a huge proponent of psychotherapy, but it has to be psychotherapy that actually involves those kind of skills learning that has a kind of scientific basis to it with people trained to do it in the way that works. Just like you would for any surgical procedure, its got to be done well. ezra klein There are two things that strike me about this, and Ill try to do my part in stigma reduction and say that Ive been looking for a therapist lately. Its been a rough year for a bunch of different reasons. And Im somebody whos covered health care professionally for a lot of my career primarily, not mental health care but somewhat. Im somebody who talks to mental health experts on my show. I have you on. Ive had Bessel van der Kolk, and Jud Brewer, and others on. And Im always struck when I go looking for my own care that, on the one hand, it is hard to know what the modalities that have the evidence base for the things I might need. thomas insel How do you look? Tell me how you look. ezra klein I literally just my friend has a good therapist, and I ask for some referrals. And then I get some referrals, and I begin looking at them. And then this gets to the second point where its very hard to the quality of mental health professionals. So if you have a serious illness, I think the way people can, on the margin, try to figure out the quality of care providers and its not perfect, but its the reputation of institutions. If youre in the Bay Area and you have something pretty complicated, U.C.S.F. is known to be a very good institution, and youre going to be able to find really good people there, not to say there arent people there who arent as good, but its a good bet. Theres nothing really like that in mental health care, at least not at the individual therapeutic level, and so youre really just flying blind at an unbelievable degree. So you dont really what people are doing, what theyre really trained in. Most people dont know what has an evidence base behind it, and you dont know how to tell the people youre looking at are any good at what theyre saying they know how to do. Its a completely crazy I dont exactly want to call it a market. But given the importance of this, I think it is worth dwelling for a minute on actually how hard it is to make a choice, and then these choices are being made under duress and sometimes by people whose faculties are limited by a mental crisis. Its just a kind of crazy way to operate. thomas insel There are some options. So some people use Psychology Today, which has a pretty good website. For people with serious mental illness, families can check in with the local NAMI chapter because NAMI is a really good resource. ezra klein What is NAMI? thomas insel National Alliance for Mental Illness, very much a family-run organization, advocacy organization, but its a really helpful one for family-to-family support. So if youre just getting into this, youll find somebody whos been through it. I call them involuntary experts, and they can be very helpful. But thats really if you have a 19-year-old whos suddenly manic or psychotic. Thats where that tends to be most useful, I think. When youre looking for your own care, like the way were talking about, Ezra, it really is a bit of trial and error, and the reality is sometimes it is a matter of calling up somebody else whos willing to tell you who theyve seen and getting their best recommendations, not perfect. ezra klein But I want to zoom out on this to get back to the point you were making, which is that it is a unnerving fact about our mental health care system that if the account you give here is right and I have no reason to believe it isnt that we actually do have quite effective treatments for quite a lot of things or at least treatments that compare in effectiveness to treatments we have for other kinds of physical ailments, it is very hard to know and you cannot simply trust that when you go in to see a mental health professional they are trained in the right treatments. thomas insel Bingo, right. A lot of people will say that the problem is access, that we dont have the number of providers, the wait times are too long, theres no one within network, all of which could be true. I think the bigger problem is quality. I gave a talk at U.C.S.F. recently, and I talked about this very point, that its really important to get somebody who knows how to do the right kind of therapy. And somebody wrote to me later, and he said, look at the data. Look at the studies that have been done. Most of them show that the therapist is more important than the therapy when you look at overall outcomes. A good point, and I think you want to make sure you cover both bases. You want to make sure youve got somebody whos trained to do the things that work that are often skill-based and youve got somebody who you can have a rapport and a sense of trust with, really important part of this. ezra klein Let me ask you about the other side of it. So for most of my life I think the dominant metaphor for mental illness and it was meant literally, not just as metaphor has been this idea of chemical imbalance. So I grew up with the kind of vague understanding that people with severe depression have an imbalance of, say, serotonin in their brains. And you write about how thats changing and that newer research is starting to understand particularly severe mental illnesses to the extent they have a physical signature. Its more like an arrhythmia of the brain, a problem of communication. Can you talk through that a bit? thomas insel Well, look, these are all metaphors, and they are constructs that we develop that are largely based on what we understand at the time. So when I got into the field, it wasnt chemical imbalance. It was a hydraulic model. It was all about psychic energy, and maybe thats because we were still in that world of thinking about motors, and the automotive age, and building stuff like that. I think it really was the advent of tools for the whole explosion of biochemistry and biology and chemistry and beginning to be able to measure chemicals that led to huge advances in the 60s, 70s and 80s in medicine. And in the area of mental health, partly because of the apparent effectiveness of medications, people began saying, well, whatever it is the medications do, that must have been fixing whatever the fundamental problem was. And so medications increased serotonin, so this must have been a serotonin deficiency, which is its such an incredibly impoverished view of how the brain works. And thinking of it as a large chemical soup does, I think, a tremendous injustice. But it did fit in with the zeitgeist of how we were thinking in the 70s, 80s and 90s. And of course, in the computer age were much more thinking about circuits and trying to understand how do things connect and wheres the microprocessor leading to. So this is an era where we talk about connectivity, and we talk about whats in the brain, what areas talk to what areas and how does that happen. Is that a better metaphor? I dont know. ezra klein Well, my understanding, though, from your book tell me if this is wrong is that were not just talking about metaphors. Im always a little skeptical of imaging research thomas insel Good. You should be. ezra klein because over time, imaging research I dont think we understand what it says. But your argument there is that a lot of the research is showing in imaging that you can begin to see connectivity problems. thomas insel You can see really good connectivity problems in C. elegans and in drosophila, and maybe even in mice where we have the tools. But make no mistake about this human imaging is of value when you have hundreds or thousands of patients. For the individual patient, theres a very limited value in what were doing. Unless theres a structural lesion in the brain, very limited value to fM.R.I., or M.R.I., or even the CT scans. None of that really is telling us something thats clinically actionable today, nor does it explain the difference between the brain of somebody who has major depressive disorder and somebody who doesnt. ezra klein So your view here its actually helpful for me to hear you say this is that one shouldnt take this research too seriously. thomas insel Its evolving. I think its at an early stage. I dont think ezra klein Thats a long way of saying yes. thomas insel Yes, thats a long way. Touche. Look, I think its fascinating, and there are some wonderful kinds of studies. But as somebody who works in my own career much more at a cellular level, its really hard for me to read these papers about area A talking to area B, are the two of them being in synchrony, and thinking that is actually how the brain works. Because when you actually study the brain in experimental animals and you look at how activity relates to behavior, its incredibly complicated. And every time youre looking at communication of area A to area B, you discover that there are recursive fibers that are causing just as much communication from B to A. So getting directionality and understanding how the brain works, very hard to do with the kind of fM.R.I. we do today. ezra klein But in a way, this answer, I think, gets at both a core story youre trying to tell in the book or argument youre making in it and, as far as I understand it, the core metanarrative of your own career, that you ran the main funder of mental health scientific research in this country. And as I read you now, I think youre telling people, were not going to solve this through a pill. There isnt some breakthrough study were finally going to conduct and then were going to know how to cure schizophrenia, that we are going to need to put together services, treatments we already have in a quite different way than we have in order to make progress and build more social infrastructure. It feels to me like you have moved a little bit away from believing that this is a scientific problem and I guess towards believing its a social and a social coordination problem. Is that a reasonable way to put it? thomas insel I think it is. The origin narrative for the book was I think I say this at the very beginning giving a talk about all the advances we had made at the N.I.M.H. through our funding with everything from stem cells, to cellular imaging, to spectacular work on autism and somebody getting up at the back of the room and saying, man, you just dont get it. I have a son with schizophrenia. Hes been hospitalized about four times. Hes made two suicide attempts. Listen, our house is on fire, and youre talking about the chemistry of the paint. And I did see that as a wake up call. Now, let me be really clear. I think the chemistry of the paint is super important, and I wouldnt for a moment want to slow down the science thats trying to give us better treatments. What Im arguing for is the urgency of this problem in this moment means weve got to use the things that have come out of previous research and make sure were doing them. So to your point, yeah, thinking about how we connect the dots and how we create through what some people would call implementation and how do we deliver on what we already know that, to me, seems to be a much more urgent question. By the way, I think its a really hopeful one because it says, we can do so much better with what we know right now. ezra klein OK, but then why dont we? And let me pick up here on a story that lurks in your book and that, to me, did not have a satisfying resolution. So you run the big scientific funding agency, and then Gavin Newsom, the governor of California appears occasionally in the book as a kind of heroic figure. When he becomes governor, he reaches out to you, makes you mental health czar, says, look, when I was mayor of S.F., we needed to do so much more on mental health than we did and mental illness than we did, and I dont plan to make that mistake again. And you talk about traveling up and down California, trying to understand our system. A lot of the stories are from there. So you had a willing governor. You had you, literally, the guy in front of me, writing this book in the drivers seat as a policymaker. California is a big, rich state, big budget surplus. Certainly my understanding is that our mental health system isnt fixed. So why not? thomas insel Yeah, its a fair and painful question. Ill say the fair question and painful answer. This is much harder to do than I had even realized, and when he asked me to be czar I said, I wont be czar, but I will be your sherpa. Ill carry the water for a while and try to understand whats working and what isnt. And what I learned pretty quickly was its a very fragmented system. Even in a state as wealthy as California and maybe its partly because of the wealth. In our state, mental health care is distributed across 58 counties. None of them really work together, and theres no coherence. Theres no one at the top who says, hey, gang, this is what were all working towards. Look, we are going to pull out all the stops and spend whatever it takes to reduce suicide or to make sure, as the governor said, that any young person that has a first episode of psychosis will never have a second episode. Were going to commit to that. Or another place weve been talking about is that any young person with mental illness will graduate from high school. Weve got to make sure that they get that far. Those are all things we could do and should do, but there is no coherence. Theres no way to bring everybody in line yet. What I think and Im no longer involved in this project ezra klein But wait. Hold on a second. thomas insel Yeah? ezra klein Because what do you mean by that? Gavin Newsom is a dictator. But these counties they dont want suicides. They dont want a lot of kids having psychotic breaks. Were sitting here in San Francisco. San Francisco is rich. Its a very, very rich place, unbelievably, unfathomably, disgustingly rich. It has a mayor who would really, really benefit politically from the streets not being so filled with mental illness and drug use. It has quite a bit of internal medical expertise, U.C.S.F. system. You live not far from here. Youre in the East Bay. Youre not in the county here. But they could call you. Im sure youd come over the bridge and help out. If they wanted to and presumably they do can they do it? What is the thing? thomas insel Yeah, actually, that is a really good question that I was asking two or three years ago. And youre not going to this, Ezra, but theres a really good answer, which is, its happening. Its happening in a really interesting way. Now, I may be proven wrong in three or four years, but California has done three things right. But the three things that they have done which are remarkable is, one, they have changed what they do with their Medicaid money. Medicaid is the largest payer for mental health services in the United States. But it largely pays for medication, clinic visits, and crisis care. California set up something that said, thats not really working for us. We want to pay for a lot of things that have not been within health care before. We want our mental health professionals to be able to write a prescription for food or for housing. And amazingly, C.M.S. thats the federal agency that oversees Medicaid provided an approval for that waiver, which allows us, through a project called CalAIM that is actually just beginning now to transform the kind of care that is supported and the kind of people who will be giving that care. So all of a sudden, its not just a matter of how much money there is, but how that money gets used begins to change. Number two was that the governor felt strongly that when we had a bit of a surplus during last year that we needed to go upstream from the crisis care system we have today, which is really the way it has been built out. And he wanted to focus on youth mental health, and he put together a package called the Youth and Child Behavioral Health Initiative, $4.4 billion. And its to not only build out school mental health in a new way but to rethink what we mean by mental healthy care for kids so that you dont need a diagnosis to get services so that you can begin with whats called dyadic care. You begin working with new families long before theres a problem because these are families at risk. You create a way that any pediatrician can get an immediate consult from a mental health professional, a child psychiatrist. Theres a whole range of issues. The one thats right now very current is putting out a portal so that families will know what all the services are, and they can start to solve for that fragmentation themselves because theyll have the information at their fingertips. Theres one-third, I think, piece to the secret sauce here, and that actually starts tomorrow. So this is when were recording this its July 15. July 16, 2022 is a very important day in California or not in California but in the nation. Its the beginning of whats called the 988 Program. So a huge problem that weve had for people with mental illness broadly is that when theres a crisis its usually addressed by police with guns, and if there isnt a terrible interaction there, they may either take you to jail or to a medical surgical emergency room. Almost no part of that is optimal, so what a 988 does is its a new number that one calls and there will also be a way to text to the same source as opposed to 911. So this becomes kind of the catalyst for really transforming how we do mental health crisis response 988 its not like 911 where you have a dispatcher whos going to send out fire or police. Its really a telehealth support line where the person may stay on with you for 40, 50, 60 minutes, and they may call you back the next day. We know that when this is done well about 90 percent of calls are handled right there, but in those that cant be handled, instead of cops with guns youll have a van with a nurse, a peer, a social worker who can show up and help to try to solve the problem on site. If that cant be done, you dont go to jail. You dont go to a medical surgical E.R. Youll go to a psych drop-off for whats called a Crisis Stabilization Unit. So theres more to this, but its a whole continuum of someone to call, someone to come, someplace to go. ezra klein And thats rolling out across California? thomas insel Its rolling out across the nation tomorrow. Now, the good news is that the federal government has laid this down as a mandate. We were saying before how its been a hot potato between federal, state, and county. This is like the first sign that the federal government is coming back in, saying, enough, enough already. Were tired of seeing the fact that people with serious mental illness are 16 times more likely to be shot by police than anybody else. Thats just not right. We can do better. So the federal government has said that July 16, 2022, every jurisdiction has to have a 988 number for mental health crisis. Are we ready? Absolutely not. ezra klein Yeah, I was going to say, I dont thomas insel No one even knows about this, right. ezra klein Not only does nobody know about it, but as somebody who knows the budgets of a bunch of these places reasonably well, I dont believe that weve created a gigantic new mental health response infrastructure. thomas insel In San Francisco we are doing it. We have pieces of it. So the vans are there. The stabilization units are being stood up. Theres a whole bunch of this thats happening. But to be clear ezra klein Nationwide, I mean. thomas insel Nationwide, this is the beginning. So tomorrow marks the beginning of a new era. It took us two or three decades to get 911 to work, and thats just a dispatch number. This is going to require its going to require some time. But having the federal mandate and having people now beginning to fixate on, OK, were going to have to transform the system, that what weve been doing is not good for anybody I think its a really hopeful moment. [MUSIC] ezra klein One thing I worry about our conversation here is whether or not it reflects a problem youve pointed out elsewhere, which is the tendency to immediately focus on policy and response for crisis, right? If 10 percent of mental health outcomes are what happens in the mental health hospital or care providing point, you want to be, as Newsom, I guess, has said, quite a bit upstream from that. And you talked about this a lot in the book as being around people, place and purpose, and so I want to make sure before we end that we do talk a bit about that. And Id like to start with people. Before we turned on the mics, you and I were talking a little bit about social isolation, whether or not our society has evolved in a way that has eroded community, that has led to unusually small families and less support than weve seen for people at most times in human history. What is the context in which the people layer, the social layer, of mental health plays out now? And how do we need to understand that as a contributor or a possible solution to the problems people have? thomas insel Im going to play psychiatrist and throw that question back at you because I know youve been thinking about that personally and been thinking about it a lot. Id love to sort of draw you out on this, Ezra. I know youve been interested in the power of social connection and where weve failed as a society to do that. So let me ask you to unpack this a little bit more. What are you thinking when youre asking that question? ezra klein We are running an experiment on our society in which we have made people much more mobile, in which family size has gotten a lot smaller, in which this is not true for everybody, obviously, but it is true for a lot of people in which, when people are young, they move often away from their social support networks at a time when they need a minimum of support. We often seem to me to be optimized for peoples 20s. You move somewhere. Youre pursuing a job. Again, thats not what everybody does. But then, as your life changes and you need support, you have children, you have health problems, you age, you have mental health problems, all the things that make us interdependent on others, our lives are in places where we dont have a lot of support for that. And our families are much smaller, and what we can ask of each other is somewhat less. So you talk a lot throughout the book about isolation as a cause here, but you say that social isolation is the most under-discussed dimension of serious mental illness that there is. And I was thinking about that for this because when you think about whether or not weve created a society that is poorly set up for mental illness, we have all these policy solutions were talking about. But one way in which the past might have been better is that there was simply more kin. There was simply more community. There was simply more people who knew you. And so Im trying to draw you out a little bit on this question because there are things policy can do, but it cant do all this. And weve used the word family a bunch of times, but around the edges. Weve used the word families, people who are out seeking care and help from policymakers. But families are the people who deal with this for the most part. Families are the places where people with illness go back when theyre out of the mental hospital or wherever. So the actual question of how this gets dealt with in a real way seems to me to be much more located in the family and the community than a lot of policy making makes it sound. thomas insel Yes and no. Im going to push back a little bit with this idea that policy doesnt help us to create family and community because I think it absolutely could and should. And this is another area of American exceptionalism, where we have not committed to that in this country. Its not a value for this country, never has been. And that shows up particularly now. Vivek Murthy, whos the surgeon general, is a good friend hes done, I think, a terrific job in pointing this issue out around this sort of disconnection we all have. In an era where everybody is online and connected more than ever supposedly, theres a greater sense of loneliness, which is different than being alone but a sense of loneliness. And youre right. In the book I talk about how that is a feature of mental illness, which is one of the most disabling and difficult. And when you talk to people who recover they almost always start by telling you about a person who had their back, someone who they trusted who gave them hope. And so in putting my vision about how to fix this problem together, I came up with those three Ps. It wasnt my idea. It was the idea of a very wise street psychiatrist in L.A. who also was running the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, Jonathan Sherin who said, its really people, place and purpose. If you provide those, people will, in fact, recover. So the first part of that, that social support, is, I think, entirely critical, and its a great place to start. And it could come from family. It could come from a peer whos been down this road. It could come from a neighbor. There are all sorts of ways to make that happen. And to build it into policy, it starts with things like having parental leave. Its not in our value system, and I do think theres a policy issue here that we ought to bring front and center. Its one of the reasons why I said, the problem here is medical, but the solutions are social, theyre environmental. But theyre also political. We need to actually get on top of this and say, hey, we care about community. We care about family. We care about making sure that people are not lonely, and we will build pieces into place to make sure that happens. Thats where I mentioned the clubhouse, which is just one example of what we can do to make sure that happens. ezra klein But, listen, Im a policy person. I want to believe everything can be solved through policy. thomas insel And I thought you were. I was sure you ezra klein And I am 100 percent on board with paid parental leave, paid mental health leave. Everything you could think of here I would functionally support. But I dont totally thomas insel And theres a but. Heres the but. ezra klein Yes. but I dont totally want to let this off the hook. I want to ask you, as somebody whos begun thinking about mental illness from a social perspective. We have built a lonelier society. We just have. Weve built this we have a society thats evolving towards smaller families. Does this create a harder context in which mental health crises play out? Is there something different about having a member of a family where there are 35 people in that family within a 25 mile radius with a serious mental health issue and having a member of a family where there are five people in that family within a 25-mile radius? That was true for my family growing up. Thank God we didnt have a serious mental health issue, but I mean isnt that different? thomas insel Well, you bet. Families matter. Theyre important. And its not the number of people but having a person who has your back, whos there in the middle of the night, whos there to tell you sometimes what you dont want to hear but is there in a way that you can trust and you can listen to. Its really been interesting to me Ive been collecting recovery stories, and not in all cases but in most cases people will start talking pretty quickly about their family and who helped them. The unfortunate piece, as youre pointing out, is not everybody has that privilege, and that is really to go back to your point, Ezra, I think thats the issue is that weve become atomized, right? We just dont have that kind of inborn connectivity that you might find in the developing world much more often. ezra klein And this seems to me always to be a place where theres a particular viciousness to mental illness. Vivek and I have actually had this conversation about loneliness. One of the parts of his book and his work that is really affected me in the way I think about it is the way that loneliness changes peoples social nature. It makes them more wary. It makes them more snappish. It makes them because it activates a sense of threat at an almost biological level. It also makes people a little harder to help, and that is so much truer for mental illness. I mean, people who are very depressed, who are schizophrenic, who are psychotic, who struggle a lot with anxiety you write about this. It often ends up isolating them. And so that then creates the conditions for those conditions to worsen. Im curious, not here on the policy-level but on the human-level, how you tell people who do have somebody with severe mental illness around them to maintain that connection without feeling sometimes like theyre drowning themselves. thomas insel Yeah, so obviously this has been a contentious piece of the history of mental health care because for many, many years families were considered part of the problem, not part of the solution, and theyve been kept out. And sometimes they still are. And one of the ways in which NAMI, that advocacy organization, can be so helpful and has been helpful is to engage them and to make sure that they do advocate for being part of the solution because they are critical. And they will be. When I was writing the book, it was one of the kind of inconvenient truths that just kept coming up over and over again, that what became really clear to me was that families are really critical. So let me turn this around a little bit because I think your focus on the loneliness, and the despair that comes with that, and that sense of futility is really, for me, an invitation to say, it doesnt have to be that way, that we can provide a lot of support here. So this isnt like having to come up with an mRNA vaccine. This is coming up with an individual maybe somebody whos had a similar experience who wants to be helpful, wants to pass it forward and can actually make a huge difference. This isnt incredibly expensive. Its not incredibly high-tech. Its not really a mystery. You dont need stem cell biology to do this. You simply need to be willing to engage people who care and help them to reach out to someone who has been really struggling. We have this whole new peer movement, which I think is going to transform the way care is provided. Im actually in the middle of standing up a company thats actually trying to scale this so that well have a chance to see how all of those recovery services not only work at scale but they actually save money for the health care system. They reduce the amount of incarceration. They reduce a lot of the other problems that were seeing downstream simply because a lot of what we do is simply provide social support to people whove become very isolated and are kind of locked in to their own paranoid, grandiose, psychotic world that is not where they need to be. ezra klein Let me end by asking you to tell a story that I found very stirring on this. Can you talk about Geel? thomas insel Yeah, the actual pronunciation, I think, if I get it right Im not good at this. This is a town in Belgium called Geel. Its like in the back of your throat where you have to say this. But its this small town thats been around since I think the 12th century, and there was a myth about a murder that took place there that was really horrendous and a shrine that was developed for the saint who died defending her purity. In the I think it was the 13th, 14th, 15th centuries families began bringing their ill children to this shrine, and there were enough of them that as the town grew the families would sometimes leave the kids there. And the young people would stay behind, often people with serious mental illness, with schizophrenia or something like that. And they ended up being taken in by the community as what ultimately became a kind of adult foster system. So they would work on the farm. They would essentially be part of the family. And this has gone on now for hundreds of years, and its this beautiful story about a different approach to approach that really is about inclusion and acceptance. By the way, its different than where Im coming from and where a lot of advocates are now, which is saying we need recovery. They dont really say people need to recover. They just say people need to be accepted, and they can contribute. That really is a story that we do need to hear, that theres a different way because what we do here is we incarcerate people. We let them become homeless, and we do as little as possible to help them recover. ezra klein I think thats a good place to end. Always our final question what are the three books you would recommend to the audience? thomas insel All right, well, lets do three books that are relevant to this conversation. One that came out I think this past year Roy Richards Grinkers book called Nobodys Normal. Grinker is an iconic name in mental health, and hes written this incredibly interesting book about stigma and what do we mean when we talk about mental illness, what are the borders, what are the boundaries, and how do we think about that. A lot of it is an anthropologist eye on the world of mental health. I think for the story about the history of whats happened in mental health care, the role of the federal government, you cant do better than E. Fuller Torreys book called American Psychosis, which is really the story of what went wrong with the Community Mental Health Act and the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Then, I think, for families who want to read about just the challenge here, Pete Earleys book Petes a Washington Post journalist who wrote a book called Crazy to describe what he went through with his own son and trying to get care and how he had to tell people that his son was violent in order to get him into the care system. He had to lie about that. So I think it was just an extraordinary indictment of where the system is. Petes been a fantastic advocate in this whole area, and I think that book, for any family thats been through that, reminds you that youre not alone. ezra klein Tom Insel, your new book is called Healing. Thank you very much. thomas insel Thanks for having me. ezra klein From Katonah, N.Y., Ms. Dawson, 30, graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she received a bachelors degree in psychology. She is now a senior director at Jennifer Bett Communications in Manhattan, where her work focuses on publicity for start-up companies. Mr. Ogorzalek, 37, is from Schaumburg, Ill., and graduated from Marquette University with a bachelors degree in English literature. Now an independent assistant director in film and television, he is currently working on the production of the television series Hightown, which is filming its third season. His past credits include the TV series Orange is the New Black and Severance, and the film In the Heights. In January 2018, the couple moved in together, into an apartment in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Two years later, after the pandemic set in, they spent much of their time holed up in that apartment making pasta from scratch, relearning how to paint and doing needlepoint. The couple also adopted a rescue dog named Abbott during that period and, soon after, started discussing marriage. Abbott was where the conversations about family really started to come into play, Ms. Dawson said. We had started our own little family, and it was time to make it official. In February 2021, they left Brooklyn for their current home in the NoHo section of Manhattan. Though Mr. Ogorzalek was hard-pressed to be convinced to leave his favorite borough, Ms. Dawson said, he did it for me to live in her favorite Manhattan neighborhood. That December, the pair went to Mexico, where they spent a month backpacking in Chiapas and Oaxaca. By the end of the trip, Mr. Kickingstone was ready to take the next step with Ms. Sage. She, however, felt conflicted. Ive always been a bit of a love skeptic, Ms. Sage said. Very few relationships of the people in my life have been long-lasting, except for my grandparents. In February 2014, Ms. Sage, a graduate of Mills College in Oakland, Calif., moved back to that city to attend a manicuring program at the International College of Cosmetology. When Mr. Kickingstone broached the subject of moving there himself, she at first was skittish, telling him she didnt want to be the only reason for his move. He assured her she wasnt. I wanted to be around more people of color and radical queer people, Mr. Kickingstone recalled telling Ms. Sage. That April he moved to Oakland, into a house with nine roommates one of whom was Ms. Sage, who found out he was moving in when other housemates told her Mr. Kickingstone was their preferred candidate. (He applied for the room via Craigslist not knowing it was in the house where she lived.) Three months later, ahead of construction on the property, Mr. Kickingstone moved out and into another house. He had a color Xerox machine the size of a refrigerator in his apartment, on which he would enlarge images of rock stars and newspaper headlines until they became distorted before reproducing them with paint on canvas. His bedroom twinkled Day-Glo blue under black lighting (one of his favorite sayings was Does it glow? recalled Jamie Boud, his longtime assistant). He had a number of eccentricities that were both exasperating and endearing to his friends: He served his guests Bloody Marys in measuring cups he didnt own glasses wrote phone numbers and addresses on his arm with a felt marker he kept in his pocket, and often drew on his friends shoes. Watching him draw was like when you see a Japanese artist doing calligraphy with a brush, Ms. Harry said. It had that flow and the beauty of the movement. One of my favorite things to do was just to sit and watch Steve sit down and casually doodle on a piece of paper. His use of Velcro, Day-Glo colors, mirrored sequins and high-tech fabrics was ahead of his time, helping propel his designs into the pages of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. Dave Clark, the architect of Amazons logistics expansion, announced last month that he was leaving before a successor was named. John Felton, a transportation executive, replaced Mr. Clark as the chief executive of Amazons retail and operations business. Two of the companys most senior Black executives, who were Mr. Feltons peers, also departed. Mr. Jassy announced Mr. Carneys departure in an email to his senior leadership team, praising him for his many significant accomplishments on behalf of Amazons customers and employees, for helping us build a strong set of capabilities in public policy and P.R.. The New York Times obtained the email. Everything about my time at Amazon has exceeded my expectations, Mr. Carney said in an email to his team on Friday, which was also obtained by The Times. He did not provide a comment when contacted on Thursday. Amazon faces more regulatory threats from governments around the world now than at any time in its history. The Federal Trade Commission, led by an Amazon critic, Lina Khan, is conducting a broad investigation into whether the companys practices broke antitrust law. Lawmakers may also vote this year on legislation that would stop Amazon from favoring its own products, like batteries and trash bags, over those sold by competitors in its online marketplace. Twitter is embroiled in a grueling legal fight with Elon Musk as he tries to back out of a $44 billion acquisition of the company. It has slowed its hiring as it grapples with a flagging economy. Its stock price has slumped. On Friday, Twitter revealed the toll from those challenges. In an earnings report, the company said the uncertainty caused by Mr. Musk had hurt its business, alongside macroeconomic troubles. Twitters quarterly revenue declined for the first time since 2020 as it struggled to be a destination for advertisers and swung to a net loss. The lackluster earnings report ramps up the blame game that has erupted between Twitter and Mr. Musk, who swooped in and exposed the companys lack of business and financial prospects as he has gone back and forth over buying the social media service. Mr. Musk, who also leads the electric carmaker Tesla, had agreed to buy Twitter in April and said he would take it private. He privately told investors that he could quintuple the companys revenue by 2028 and expand it to 931 million users that same year. But Green warned that it was unclear how many short-term rentals were actually previously leased to local residents. Many short-term rentals listed on sites like Airbnb may have always been vacation rentals, but werent as easily accessible or centralized before the emergence of these online platforms, he said. Others could be locals making some extra cash by renting out a room in their home or, when theyre out of town, the entire space. Banning home-sharing services could actually prevent some people from being able to afford living in some places, Green told me. In reality, restrictions on short-term rentals are often less about creating affordable housing and more about preserving the culture of cities, experts say. People dont want their residential streets lined with visitors cars or tourists changing the vibe of their neighborhoods. In Stinson Beach, one of the communities in Marin where new Airbnbs are now banned, locals worry about the transition of a once hippieish, beachy town into more of an exclusive seaside playground, The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported. Indeed, the very communities that are strictly limiting short-term rentals are often the same ones that dont want to create more housing in their communities, experts say. If their primary concern was affordability for renters, theres a solution to that: build more housing, said Michael Manville, an associate professor of urban planning at the U.C.L.A. Luskin School of Public Affairs. Two pilots died on Thursday after a helicopter crashed in Idaho while helping to fight a wildfire, the authorities said. It was the second such fatal crash involving helicopters responding to wildfires in less than a week. The two people on board, Thomas Hayes, 41, of Post Falls, Idaho, and Jared Bird, 36, of Anchorage, Alaska, were decorated military veterans and experienced pilots who worked for ROTAK Helicopter Services, said Traci Zimmerlee, a district ranger with the Lowman Ranger District in Lowman, Idaho. Our firefighting community is close, so this hits us hard, she said. It was the latest in a string of fatalities among helicopters providing wildfire-response assistance: On Saturday, four men had been killed while returning to Albuquerque in a helicopter after responding to a wildfire in New Mexico. And last month, the pilot of a helicopter working at a wildfire in Alaska was killed in a crash, The Anchorage Daily News reported. MAQUOKETA, Iowa A couple and their 6-year-old daughter were found shot to death, while their 9-year-old son survived, on Friday morning at a campground at Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa, and the suspect in the killings was later found dead about a mile away with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the authorities said. The Iowa Department of Public Safety identified the man as Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, and said they believed he was from Nebraska. The department said there was no further threat to the public and that the park would be closed until further notice. Mike Krapfl, a special agent with the departments Division of Criminal Investigation, said that Mr. Sherwin was not staying with the victims. Mitch Mortvedt, an assistant director with the division, said that investigators did not believe that there was a relationship between the victims and Mr. Sherwin. But the congressional response, limited by a powerful gun lobby and deep partisan polarization, has been a far cry from the comprehensive solutions that many gun violence researchers feel are needed. And the conservative 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court has signaled an inclination to not only preserve, but also further expand gun rights. That has left states led by Democrats to seek their own solutions. The search has extended beyond gun violence policies as the courts rulings have upended reproductive rights and placed L.G.B.T.Q. protections and other civil liberties at risk. Increasingly, the charge from the left has been led by Mr. Newsom, who has had political capital to spare since last year, when he crushed a Republican-led recall. Dan Schnur, a former Republican strategist who now teaches political science at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley, said that the governors motives were easy to deduce: Mr. Newsom believes his California way is a success, and using a national platform to call out Republicans helps rally constituents across the many media markets in his own immense state. Also, Mr. Schnur said, He is running for president. Mr. Newsom has said that he has subzero interest in the White House. But just being seen as a player on the national stage serves him, even if he never runs, Mr. Schnur said. Mario Cuomo played that game for years. Californias gun laws are among Americas strictest, helping the state deliver one of the nations lowest rates of gun deaths. In 2020, the states rate of firearm mortality was about 40 percent lower than the national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Public Policy Institute of California has determined that Californians are about 25 percent less likely to die in mass shootings, compared with residents of other states. WASHINGTON One after another, President Biden hugged and kissed them. At a packed ceremony in the East Room of the White House on July 7, Mr. Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, on 16 Americans, some in their 80s or 90s. After reaching around to hang the medal on their necks, the president embraced most of them, shook hands with a few and gave three a smooch on the cheek. It is highly unlikely that Mr. Biden who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday became infected with the coronavirus during that event. But the fact that the celebration happened at all underscores how much the White House has dropped most of the extraordinary measures it once employed to protect the commander in chief from a disease that has killed more than one million Americans. In the early days, Mr. Biden was a president in a bubble, governing the country mostly by Zoom inside the Oval Office. He rarely traveled. He held few in-person meetings. And most of the ceremonial trappings of the office like the medal ceremony were canceled or postponed, victims of the lockdowns that were deemed necessary to stop the spread. The presidents coronavirus symptoms have improved and Mr. Biden will continue to take the antiviral treatment Paxlovid, according to the White House physician. President Biden had a temperature of 99.4 degrees late Thursday evening after testing positive for the coronavirus earlier in the day, according to the White House physician, who said on Friday that the presidents symptoms had improved after his first full day of taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid. The physician, Dr. Kevin OConnor, wrote in a letter released on Friday that Mr. Biden was still experiencing a runny nose and fatigue, and that he had an occasional nonproductive, now loose cough. Dr. OConnor added that Mr. Bidens temperature had responded favorably to Tylenol. His voice is deeper this morning, Dr. OConnor wrote. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal, on room air. The deeper tone in Mr. Bidens voice was noticeable on Friday, when the president streamed into a briefing on declining gas prices with his economic advisers. In his first public live remarks since testing positive, Mr. Biden cleared his throat multiple times during his remarks and could be heard coughing as other officials spoke. Mr. Biden gave a thumbs up when asked by the reporters how he was feeling. Its great to see the president doing better, Dr. Ashish Jha, the coordinator for the administrations Covid response, at a White House briefing on Friday afternoon. Hes doing better because hes vaccinated, hes boosted, hes getting treatment. But Mr. Jha also used the opportunity to issue the United States a warning: When people are vaccinated and boosted they tend to have far less severe illness. This virus is going to be with us forever. During the briefing, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the White House medical unit had identified 17 people as being in close contact with Mr. Biden, including members of his senior staff. None of the 17 had tested positive as of Friday. Mr. Jha said the 99.4 degree temperature on Thursday was the highest Mr. Biden experienced in the last 24 hours, although not one he would characterize as an elevated temperature. In his letter, Dr. OConnor indicated that he did not feel that the presidents temperature of 99.4 was normal until after it responded to Tylenol. He did mount a temperature yesterday evening to 99.4F, which responded favorably to acetaminophen (Tylenol), Dr. OConnor wrote. His temperature has remained normal since then. Dr. OConnor included the temperature in the letter, Dr. Jha said, because doctors often routinely report a patients highest temperature in the last 24 hours. Certainly not a fever, Mr. Jha said. said. All of his vital signs heat rate, blood pressure, temperature have all been in the normal range every time hes had them checked, he said. Earlier on Friday, the White House referred to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that states a person is considered to have a fever when he or she has a measured temperature of 100.4 degrees or feels warm to touch. Mr. Jha said he was unaware what Mr. Bidens temperature was Friday morning. It has remained in the normal range, Mr. Jha said. The bottom line is the presidents doing better, his vitals are normal, you all saw him, his appetite is good, hes doing pretty well. Mr. Jha said the chances Mr. Biden gets a serious complications have been dramatically reduced by building up his immunity and taking anti-viral drugs. The White House has not yet made Dr. OConnor available to take questions from the press. Ms. Jean-Pierre said she felt making his letters public were is enough and making Dr. Jha available was sufficient. Mr. Bates said that Dr. OConnor did not prescribe the Tylenol for the temperature, but rather for Mr. Bidens discomfort. But Mr. Bates declined to say what discomfort the president was experiencing. Officials have said he does not have a sore throat and have not indicated he has other aches and pains. The president will continue taking his course of Paxlovid, Dr. OConnor added, as well as Tylenol. He will use his albuterol inhaler as needed. While he is on Paxlovid, Mr. Biden will not take two regular medications a blood thinner and a pill to reduce cholesterol Dr. OConnor wrote, adding that it is reasonable to add low dose aspirin as an alternative type of blood thinner. Dr. Jha said Thursday at a White House briefing that pausing the two medications while Mr. Biden was on the antiviral treatment was a very standard, common thing that we do when we give people Paxlovid. The letter came after Dr. Jha said Friday morning that Mr. Biden had been feeling just fine late Thursday night, with a dry cough and a runny nose as his only symptoms. Dr. Jha said on NBCs Today show that members of Mr. Bidens staff had talked with the president around 10 p.m. Thursday night. His words were, Im feeling just fine, Dr. Jha said. No change in symptoms. Again, the sort of dry cough, the runny nose, those are his two main things that he was feeling yesterday. The White House has in the past taken extraordinary measures to protect the president, though in recent months, Mr. Biden has resumed a more normal presidential schedule. On the Today show, Dr. Jha said that the president was being closely monitored for any signs that his symptoms might be getting worse, including the possibility of any effect on his lungs, which can be one of the more dangerous complications of a coronavirus infection because Covid is primarily a respiratory disease. So far, Dr. Jha said, there were no such signs. His personal physician is also consulting with infectious disease experts around the country, all part of the plan of what we were always planning on doing if the president got infected, Dr. Jha said. And so he gets very regular check-ins and, of course, hes meeting with people all day, by phone and by Zoom and so theres lots of eyes on him. Dr. Jha also downplayed the risks that the president could develop so-called long Covid, where symptoms persist for weeks, months or longer. He used a question about that possibility to tout the importance of vaccination. If you think about, you know, the proportion of people who end up having significant long-term symptoms, its very small and cut substantially if youve been vaccinated and boosted, which this president has, he said. The first lady, Jill Biden, who was considered a close contact of the president, tested negative on Friday, said Michael LaRosa, her spokesman. Vice President Kamala Harris was also considered a close contact of Mr. Biden as of Thursday, Kirsten Allen, spokeswoman for her office, said on Friday, adding that Ms. Harris tested negative on Friday morning and was experiencing no symptoms. Both the first lady and vice president have received two boosters. The C.D.C. defines a close contact as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a total of at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. Some do and some dont. There are also Republican strategists and even some Stop the Steal activists who will complain (though rarely on the record) that the pursuit of the most baroque and obviously conspiracist claims about the election have given a bad name to what they argue would have otherwise been more credible arguments in particular challenges to the legality of the expansions of absentee voting provisions and infrastructure in response to the pandemic in 2020 in some key states, which are generally thought to have helped Joe Biden. Those challenges have found success in the courts in only one state, Wisconsin, and no one has demonstrated that the expansions in question led to meaningful fraud (a point that even the conservative law firm that brought the Wisconsin lawsuit has made). But they do exist on a spectrum with the legal battles over voting rights that have played out between Republicans and Democrats and civil rights groups for years the battles that William Barr, Trumps former attorney general, is reportedly joining now and dont rely on proving a vast conspiracy of voting-machine manufacturers or finding bamboo fibers on ballots. The grass-roots activists who are most intensely engaged in the project of overturning the 2020 election, however, are often very invested in the voting machine conspiracies and a range of other unproven or debunked claims. So are the figures who have invested the most money in the cause, like Mike Lindell, the MyPillow chief executive, and Patrick Byrne, the former Overstock.com chief executive. And of course, so is Trump, who personally directed his Justice Department officials to run down some of the most out-there claims, and who has continued to repeat them since. One takeaway from your story is that Trump has used this fantasy of a stolen election to solidify his hold over G.O.P. base voters. Yet its also driven many Republican elites and college-educated voters away. Help us assess the political costs and benefits. The mayor, who is Black, added that he had prioritized the needs of communities of color that are historically under-resourced and underserved. The Justice Departments investigation was prompted by a complaint from Lone Star Legal Aid, which has monitored resident complaints in Houstons northeast section. The area has become a dumping ground for household furniture, mattresses, tires, medical waste, trash, dead bodies and vandalized A.T.M. machines, Ms. Clarke said. Amy Catherine Dinn, the managing attorney for the legal aid groups environmental justice division, said, This is all part of the citys legacy of environmental racism, but that problem has gotten worse as the city has grown and these neighborhoods have been deprived of the resources that wealthier white neighborhoods receive. Ms. Dinn said neighborhood residents had carefully documented hundreds of incidents of illegal dumping in the residential streets around a local garbage dump. They have registered their complaints through the citys 311 system, only to wait months for help while similar problems have been addressed far more quickly in more affluent neighborhoods, she said. This is not a one-off problem, she added. The city has basically allowed this community to be used as a landfill. The environmental disparities described by the Justice Department on Friday are woven into the citys urban fabric, a patchwork of commercial and residential buildings. Houston has some of the nations least restrictive zoning laws; as a result, many of the citys petroleum processing facilities, petrochemical plants, dumps and transportation lots have been placed alongside low-income or working-class residential neighborhoods. Comprehensive, compellingly scripted and packed with details, the eight hearings of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack have laid out a powerful account of President Donald J. Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The select committee assembled a mass of evidence and testimony provided in large part by Mr. Trumps aides and other Republicans not only for the judgment of history but for the purpose of two more immediate and related goals that the panels leaders highlighted during the hearing on Thursday night. One, as Representative Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican who is the panels vice chair, said explicitly, is to convince voters that Mr. Trump, who has made clear he is likely to run for president in 2024, should be disqualified from holding the office again. Ever since Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, was charged last month with trespassing and other crimes connected to the storming of the Capitol, he has openly embraced his status as a Jan. 6 defendant. On Friday, Mr. Kelley again leaned on a part of his biography that many candidates might have run from: He put a post on his official Facebook page demanding that all the J6 prisoners be released from federal custody. Every American should be outraged, wrote Mr. Kelley, who is not in custody as he awaits his trial. Remember, you could be next for any reason big government doesnt approve of. The husband of a Colorado woman who has been missing for more than two years pleaded guilty on Thursday to casting her mail-in ballot for Donald J. Trump during the 2020 election, telling F.B.I. agents, I figured all these other guys are cheating. The man, Barry Morphew, 54, was given a sentence of one year of supervised probation but avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of forgery, a felony, in district court in Chaffee County, according to court records. The outcome in the voter fraud case marked the latest twist in the mystery of what happened to Suzanne Morphew, who disappeared in May 2020 after going for a bike ride near her home in Salida, Colo. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said this week that it was looking into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of a Black man by police officers who kicked in the door of a home he ran into and used a Taser and baton as they tried to take him into custody an episode partially captured on video. The man, Brandon Calloway, 25, was arrested on Saturday night in Oakland, Tenn., about 35 miles northeast of Memphis, after he failed to stop at a stop sign and then sped away, according to a police affidavit. Officers tried to stop him and followed Mr. Calloway to a home, where they kicked in the front door and then used the Taser and baton to get Mr. Calloway to comply with the officers commands, the affidavit said. Mr. Calloway faces several charges, including evading arrest, disorderly conduct, failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding, according to the affidavit and his lawyer, Andre Wharton. Mr. Calloway received medical treatment before being booked, Mr. Wharton said, and was later released on bail. The two women who were injured were found near each other on the ground floor, trapped under the tree, Chief Carrillo said. One of them was sitting in a recliner. To avoid injuring them further, the authorities extricated them from under the tree by cutting out the floor beneath them and lowering them into netting installed in the basement, Chief Carrillo said. The tree fell around 5:28 p.m. Thursday evening as a strong storm, which included lightning, swept through the Birmingham area with heavy rain and winds of up to 70 miles an hour, according to the National Weather Service, which urged people to stay off the roads. More than 50,000 people were without power on Thursday night, according to an outage map. Chief Carrillo said that the storm dumped a lot of rain on Birmingham in a short amount of time, which led to flooding. Residents of the house where the tree fell in the west Birmingham neighborhood of College Hills heard a large boom that they took to be lightning hitting the tree, Chief Carrillo said. That is when five of the 10 people inside the home managed to escape. Mr. Arredondo has been on unpaid suspension since late June and resigned a seat he recently won on the City Council. The superintendents recommendation to fire him came less than a week after a Texas House committee released a damning report that blamed the chief and hundreds of other responding officers for systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making. In the weeks since the shooting in May, Uvalde residents have packed City Council and school board meetings to demand answers. Much of that anger has been directed at Chief Arredondo, who under the school districts mass shooting protocol was supposed to lead the response. He has said that he was not in charge, but the legislative committee said the overall response was hindered by chaos and misinformation. Instead of speedily entering a pair of connected classrooms where the gunman was holed up, the committee found, police officers searched for shields, backup and keys for a classroom door that was ultimately found to be unlocked. The state investigators concluded that some of the victims died on their way to the hospital. It is plausible that some victims could have survived if they had not had to wait 73 additional minutes for rescue, the report said. Chief Arredondo told the committee that he might have acted to breach the classroom sooner had he known there were still victims alive inside. We probably would have rallied a little more, to say, OK, someone is in there, he said. In a letter addressed to the city when he vacated his council seat, Chief Arredondo said that stepping away was in the best interest of the community and that he had decided to do so in order to minimize further distractions. He said the mayor, Council and city staff members must continue to move forward to unite our community, once again. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. After Shari Berkowitz was injured during a live dance performance onstage, doctors told the actress that one wrong move could leave her paralyzed for life. She had suffered three herniated discs in her neck, with one bulging into her spinal column. Months of physical therapy got her out of the danger zone, and then she discovered Pilates. Though excellent doctors and physical therapists got her through the initial healing, she said Pilates gave her strength and confidence in my ability to move the confidence that I could move again, she said. The workout led to her full recovery and inspired her to become a Pilates instructor and studio owner herself. Pilates was so transformative for me, when I see a client start to develop that same physical and emotional strength, she said, its extremely satisfying. A second coup followed in May 2021, and after the new military junta refused to organize democratic elections, the Economic Community of West African States imposed sanctions that further crippled the countrys economy. The regional organization lifted the sanctions this month after the junta proposed a February 2024 deadline for the next elections. For months, Col. Assimi Goita, Malis leader, and his government have touted the rise in power of the military, vowing to secure the countrys center, where Islamist militants have spread since 2015. But the violence now seems to be ratcheting up. On Thursday, assailants carried out complex and simultaneous raids targeting another camp, various military posts and personnel in six locations across Mali, the armed forces said in a previous statement. All of the attacks were contained, the statement added. While the attacks multiply, French troops which once numbered more than 5,000 in the region, most of them in Mali have been packing up their bases and preparing to withdraw from the country altogether, moving the bulk of their operations across the border to Niger. The last French soldiers are expected to leave their biggest base, in Gao, a city in northern Mali, in mid-August. Criticism of France, the former colonial power, has increased sharply in Mali in recent years, and the withdrawal is popular with many in the West African country. Some also want the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, or Minusma, which has more than 15,000 personnel, to leave. Yerewolo, a civil society group that organized demonstrations demanding Frances departure, has now turned its sights on the peacekeeping mission, which it describes as an occupying force. Going after his predecessor could be a political gamble for Mr. Yoon. When Mr. Moon left office in May, his approval ratings were higher than Mr. Yoons are this month. Mr. Yoon, who won the election by a razor-thin margin, has recently seen his approval ratings dip to around 33 percent amid deepening anxiety over rising consumer prices and a host of scandals involving his cabinet appointees, his presidential staff and his wife, Kim Keon-hee. This month the president denied a political motive, saying that inquiries into past governments have been routine in South Korea. Since taking office, Mr. Yoon has forged ahead with reversing some of Mr. Moons key policies. He has ordered his government to start building nuclear power plants, throwing out Mr. Moons plan to phase out nuclear energy. He is working to reduce real-estate taxes Mr. Moon introduced to contain housing prices. His government has also moved to mend ties with Japan that had frayed under the previous administration. The aggressive effort to undo Mr. Moons policies could fuel domestic tensions at a time when South Korea desperately needs bipartisan support to manage a cooling economy and to help Washington contain North Korean threats. A less divided South Korea could also be a more effective ally to the United States, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international relations at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. But paths to domestic unity are narrowing. Along with that of the two North Korean men, Mr. Yoon is also drawing attention to a case from 2020, when a South Korean fisheries official disappeared from his ship and was later found in North Korean waters. South Korea accused the North of killing the official and burning his body at sea. It said at the time that the official, Lee Dae-joon, was trying to defect. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Security forces on Friday raided the protest camp at the heart of the uprising that toppled Sri Lankas president, breaking down tents and cordoning off large stretches of the area before dawn, in a move that could set off further unrest as the bankrupt nation seeks stability. The protesters, many of whom were sleeping, were caught by surprise. Hundreds of police and army personnel closed off the roads leading to the protest site outside the presidential offices in Colombo, and then began clearing a wide radius around it. The police said in a statement that they had detained nine protesters, two of whom were taken to a hospital after sustaining minor injuries. It was his fourth novel since he started writing a decade ago, following his move from Senegal to France. I started to write because of solitude, he recalled, and there was also the experience of immigration, and all the little problems that immigration exposes. The oldest of seven brothers, Mr. Sarr grew up in Diourbel, a small and dusty city in the center of Senegal, not far from Touba, the center of the dominant Sufi Muslim brotherhood called the Mourides. Family life was rooted in the tradition of the Mourides and the culture of his ethnic group, the Serer. He learned to speak Serer at home, and, then later, Wolof, Senegals main language, around the neighborhood. At home, in keeping with the Serers matriarchal tradition, his mother and grandmother would tell him tales about the family and the wider world, often in the courtyard where a mat was laid out in the evenings. This oral tradition infuses his novel, in which critical truths are revealed through the narration of a woman called the Mother Spider. French, he learned in the private Catholic school he attended in Diourbel, though he regularly heard it at home from his father, a medical doctor, who would send his son to bookstores. His father, a subscriber to several newspapers, regularly tasked his son with writing press summaries of the news, random events or what the president went to inaugurate that day, Mr. Sarr said. I was born in an environment that encouraged me from a very young age to seek words and books, Mr. Sarr recalled. But there was no library at home where I found an existing collection of books. Instead, there were books that were bought for me or given to me when I asked for them. ROME Just over a month ago, Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy boarded an overnight train with the leaders of France and Germany bound for Kyiv. During the 10-hour trip, they joked about how the French president had the nicest accommodations. But, more important, they asserted their resolute support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The pictures of the men tucked in a cabin around a wooden conference table evoked a clubby style of crisis management reminiscent of World War II. The mere fact that Mr. Draghi had a seat at that table reflected how, by the force of his stature and credibility, he had made his country one saddled by debt and persistent political instability an equal partner with Europes most important powers. Critical to that success was not only his economic bona fides as the former president of the European Central Bank, but also his unflinching recognition that Russias war presented an existential challenge to Europe and its values. All of that has now been thrown into jeopardy since a multi-flanked populist rebellion, motivated by an opportunistic power grab, stunningly torpedoed Mr. Draghis government this week. Snap elections have been called for September, with polls showing that an alliance dominated by hard-right nationalists and populists is heavily favored to run Italy come the fall. BRUSSELS There are many moving parts to the grain deal Russia and Ukraine reached, which officials didnt think was even possible until mid-June, not least because the war is continuing and trust between the parties is extremely low. Heres what to know about the grain problem, and how it might now be addressed. Why was Ukrainian grain stuck inside the country? After Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, it deployed warships along Ukraines Black Sea coast. Ukraine mined those waters to deter a Russian naval attack. That meant that the ports used to export Ukrainian grain were blocked for commercial shipping. Russia also pilfered grain stocks, mined grain fields so that they couldnt be harvested and destroyed grain storage facilities. The United Nations said on Thursday that its secretary general, Antonio Guterres, had landed in Istanbul as part of his effort to ensure full global access to Ukraines food product and Russian food fertilizer. The situation remains a little bit fluid, so I cant really say when something will be signed, said the United Nations deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, earlier on Thursday. But as you can see from the fact that he is traveling to Istanbul, we are moving ahead with this. Last week, after meeting in Istanbul with negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey, Mr. Guterres told reporters that a deal was technically done and that he would interrupt his vacation and travel to Istanbul for the signing of it. Until now, one of the major hurdles to an agreement were the mines Ukraine had placed in its ports on the Black Sea Coast to deter Russias warships. In late June, Mr. Guterres outlined the primary elements of a deal proposed by the United Nations and Turkey that would solve that problem. TEL AVIV Two terrorist attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Buenos Aires in the 1990s that killed scores of people were carried out by a secret Hezbollah unit whose operatives, contrary to widespread claims, were not abetted knowingly by Argentine citizens or aided by Iran on the ground, according to an investigation by the Mossad, Israels secret service. The internal Mossad study, the written findings of which were shared with The New York Times, provide a detailed account of how the attacks were planned including how material for the explosives was smuggled into Argentina in shampoo bottles and chocolate boxes. While Mossad stresses that Israeli intelligence still believes that Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah, approved and funded the attacks and supplied training and equipment, the findings counter longstanding assertions by Israel, Argentina and the United States that Tehran had an operational role on the ground. They also countered suspicions in Argentina that local officials and citizens there had been complicit. Ghana announced the countrys first outbreak of Marburg virus disease after two people who were not related and had contracted the virus died on June 27 and 28. Nearly a month later, on July 25, the wife and son of one of those patients also had Marburg virus disease and the child had died, the Ghana Health Service announced on July 28. Word of a new outbreak of a lethal disease caused by viral infections added to the concerns of a public weary from battling the coronavirus pandemic, and recently alarmed by the spread of monkeypox and a new case of polio. Doctors and public health experts in the country immediately started searching for anyone who had been exposed and investigating the cause of the spread in an effort to contain infection. MEXICO CITY Mexico Citys street stalls were not, until recently, aiming for subtlety. Their walls were covered with primary colors, loudly announcing their specialties. Tortas Mexican sandwiches werent just tortas. They were gigantic tortas, hot tortas, delicious tortas, and super tortas. Juices could be super, delicious and curative. Amanda Bailey Amanda Bailey, senior advisor to the Black Economic Alliance, has joined Invariant to work with clients to develop CEO and C-suite engagement activities to ensure their outreach resonates with target audiences. The BEA is a non-partisan coalition of business leaders and advocates pushing for economic development and prosperity for Black communities. Earlier, Bailey was lead fundraiser for VP Kamala Harris presidential run and House Speaker Nancy Pelosis campaign. She also devised strategy for Congresswoman Karen Bass run for mayor of Los Angeles and Citigroup Global vice-chair Ray McGuire's campaign for NYC mayor. Heather Podesta, Invariant CEO, said Bailey will help our CEOs and business leaders break through the noise in Washington and around the country. NC Wine and Grape Council Wants PR Partner Mon., Aug. 15, 2022 The North Carolina Wine and Grape Council is looking for a firm to run a campaign aimed at changing the culture and knowledge surrounding wine produced in the state. Woke companies take a nap on abortion rights. Only eight percent of companies surveyed by The Conference Board issued public statements following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Thats a sharp contrast to the majority of companies that have made public comments during the past two years on racial inequity (61 percent), LGBTQ rights (44 percent), COVID-related topics (40 percent) and gender equality (39 percent). Thirty-one percent of the nearly 300 polled companies have no plans to respond to Roe v. Wade. They apparently want to move on. Thirty-eight percent have addressed the womens reproductive rights issue internally and another 13 percent plan to do so. Ten percent of companies remain on the fence, unsure how they will deal with the demise of Roe v. Wade. They are unsure how they will deal with the issue. The Post Office delivers good PR news Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a guy who typically doesnt generate much positive PR, earned praise on July 20 for a pledge to electrify at least 40 percent of its delivery fleet. That reversed a boneheaded decision made earlier this year. USPS received a lot of heat in February when it announced a plan to buy 165K vehicles from Oshkosh Defense, of which only 10 percent were to be electric. That move triggered lawsuits from 16 states, Natural Resources Defense Council, United Auto Workers and Earthjustice that charged the gas-guzzling vehicles would have a damaging ecological impact. The original $11.3B plan for gas-powered trucks that get only 8.6 mpg was out of step with the spirit of the federal governments goal to electrify its entire fleet by 2035. USPS now says due to its improved financial condition, route optimization and network refinements 50 percent of its new vehicles will run on batteries. Al Gores Climate Reality Project credits the thousands of letters sent to the USPS to protest the original gas-guzzling purchase for nudging DeJoy into doing the right thing. Britt Carmon, NRDCs federal clean vehicles senior advocate, said the USPS finally got the message that cleaner vehicles are a win all around. Investing in more electric vehicles will deliver cost savings for the postal services, cleaner air for communities across the nation, and lower emissions for all of us, he said. Earthjustices senior attorney Adrian Martinez said the Post Offices revised buying plan should only be the beginning. The entire postal fleet needs to be electrified to deliver clean air in every neighborhood in the country and avoid volatile gas prices, he said. The fight continues for an electrified postal delivery fleet. You made a good start, Louie. Take a bow. Will Nike, New Balance or adidas win the race to sign Missouri Senator Josh Hawley as a corporate spokesperson? The guy is a natural. Fleet-of-foot Josh was last seen on a video running for his life from the Senate chamber to escape the Capitol Hill rioters. The millions of Americans who tuned in to the July 22 prime time Jan. 6 committee hearings saw the image of the cowardly scampering Hawley, who earlier that day fist-pumped the rioters to rile them up. The audience in the hearing room howled with laughter at the sight of the galloping Hawley. The Hawley campaign uses the tough guy fist-pump image on Show Me Strong fundraising mugs, coolers and t-shirts. Will the campaign now hawk merchandise with an image of Hawley sprinting from the insurrectionists? Show Me Shameless. A councillor this week pointed out that it is clear to him that Offaly is gradually being transformed into 'the windfarm capital of Ireland'. Cllr Noel Cribbin said he was very frustrated to hear of major new companies coming to neighbouring counties but no similar announcements for Offaly. Diageo are going to open a new 200 million Euro plant in Newbridge, commented Cllr Cribbin. Newbridge is only 18 miles from Edenderry. Therefore, it's massively frustrating and annoying to see such a major project as this happening just down the road, whereas Offaly is only getting peanuts in comparison. The optics are obvious to me. The truth of the matter is obvious to me. Offaly is the hole in the doughnut. We're getting nothing while the surrounding counties are getting massive announcements. The likes of Newbridge has masses of employment already. It doesn't need anymore employment. Edenderry, on the other hand, does. When you look around Offaly you see a lot of windfarms going up or getting the go-ahead to go up but not much else is happening. It looks like central government has decided we are going to be the hole in the doughnut but we are also going to be the windfarm capital of Ireland. That is all we are getting. Within a ten mile radius of Edenderry we are going to have six windfarms, and not one extra job. It is very, very disappointing. Cllr Danny Owens agreed with Cllr Cribbin, pointing out that the crux of the matter was the lack of jobs being created. Cllr Eamon Dooley said he'd heard a figure that 80% of Bord na Mona workers had been made redundant in order to satisfy the decarbonisation programme. He said the enormous loss of jobs in Offaly has nowhere near been counterbalanced. Cllr John Clendennen agreed with Cllr Cribbin. In the last few months there have been a number of massive announcements, but all in the counties surrounding Offaly, none in Offaly. For example, Mullingar is going to get Ireland's largest film studio. It is obvious that Offaly is being ignored. It is very hurtful that we are being ignored by central government and the governmental agencies. Cllr Clendennen pointed out that 20% of Offaly's land is owned by the State, and yet there is no plan to do something major with any of that, apart from bog rewetting. He called for a meeting with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. It is time that the IDA and Enterprise Ireland explained to us why major investment is not coming to Offaly. Why are we being overlooked? Cllr Declan Harvey said Just Transition looks great on paper but it's still not delivering for the county. The proposed retrofitting programme also looks great, but very few houses have been retrofitted so far in the county. The reason being that it is just too expensive for the ordinary Joe Soap. The ordinary, hardworking person can't stretch to it in his budget. It needs to be more realistic, so it gives people a chance to get involved. The disconnect in planners' minds between aspiration and reality is very frustrating. Cllr Dooley said he would love to know the exact figures of jobs created since the Just Transition programme began in 2018. I don't see any new jobs around my area in Ferbane. It's obvious that there's a lot of spin going on. I know a lot of people in my locality who are out of work because of the government's decarbonisation programme. A member of the Council executive told the meeting the important Territorial Plan (which is part of the Just Transition Programme) has been finalised by the relevant governmental department and is now on the Cabinet's agenda. Once approved by the Cabinet, he said, it will be sent to the European Commission. The idea behind the Territorial Plan is that no region is left behind or unduly suffers because of the fight against Climate Change and the decarbonisation policy. Cllr Neil Feighery pointed out that, since 2019, the County Councillors have been getting an update about the Just Transition programme at every monthly County Council meeting. Cllr Feighery said they shouldn't overlook the positive stuff happening. I was out at Mountlucas today, at the announcement of the new construction apprenticeship programme. It was a great morning. It was a massive, very important announcement. It's a direct result of the Just Transition programme. It's a very impressive set-up out at Mountlucas. I was at the recent Jobs Fair in Tullamore Court Hotel which was a massive success. 500 jobs were available at the fair. Therefore it's simply incorrect to say nothing is happening except for the creation of wind farms. We also shouldn't forget our many wonderful indigenous businesses. Cllr Ken Smollen said the reality is that most people in Offaly are running a mile from retrofitting because it's too costly. He said people would love to have their homes retrofitted but they can't afford it. That's why so many are still talking about solid fuel, about cutting turf. A lot of them would rather not be cutting turf, because it's such hard work, but they have no choice. We councillors are doing all we can do for the county," commented Cllr Dooley, "but we are not getting the support we need from central government and their agencies. When you look behind the spin the decline in rural areas is noticeable. In Ferbane, for example, there used to be nine pubs. Now there's only three. We also lost James Hamilton's Ford dealership business. I could go on. Cllr Mark Hackett said retrofitting was more cost effective and positive than the councillors were letting on. Retrofitting is a very viable and important option, he remarked. It's not as expensive as some councillors are saying. There are substantial grants in place to assist people. And once you have retrofitted your house you will start recouping your costs. Tullamore-based Lumcloon Energy, the energy storage pioneers, and their partner Hanwha Energy, have announced that they will support the newly established Irish Bee Foundation (IBF) in realising their ambition to develop a state-of-the-art research, education, and visitor centre in Lumcloon. The IBF, in conjunction with the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations (FIBKA), is delighted to announce the generous support of Lumcloon Energy, who have provided the site for the Centre of Excellence. National head offices for the IBF will be included in this development. The grounds will incorporate training apiaries and auxiliary amenities to facilitate education and public awareness programmes undertaken within the Foundation's Centre of Excellence. Nigel Reams, Managing Director of Lumcloon Energy said "Our primary focus is enhancing the resilience of the electricity system as it decarbonises and transitions to renewables. We are delighted to contribute to this initiative by the FIBKA, the results of which will support pollination and the security of our food supply". Seungbin Park of Hanwha Energy Corporation Ireland added The population of bees has been rapidly declining in recent years due to climate change and other factors. We support this Centre of Excellence as it will help to increase the bee population and encourage pollination, which supports the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants that absorb carbon. Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen said, I was delighted to introduce FIBKA to Lumcloon Energy and welcome their generous support for this ambitious proposal. The Centre of Excellence will enable important research and education and will complement the very popular Lough Boora Parklands nearby. I am hopeful that it will yield positive results and reduce the threat of extinction to our native bee species and ultimately bring environmental and economic benefits. Paul OBrien, Irish Bee Foundation remarked, we are delighted with this support shown by the local community. The plan, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, allows Ukrainian ports to restart grain exports. A monthslong Russian blockade has pushed prices higher and threatened global food shortages. The White House on Thursday honored law enforcement in the fight against fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, as it warned of a dynamic threat from compound substances. Rick Scott accused Republicans and Biden of wanting to give away billions in tax dollars to big tech companies in the White House's computer chip manufacturing bill. Government ministers were faced with a series of challenging questions at Parliament on a wide variety of subjects this week, including mental health challenges, New Zealand's history curriculum, and the troubles caused by rising... Republican New York Gubernatorial Candidate Lee Zeldin was attacked while speaking at an event during a campaign stop in Perinton. The suspect tussled with the lawmaker before he was pulled away and later taken into police custody. Russia is looting steel bound for the UK and the European Union, the head of Ukraines largest steel company has said. Newsy 27 Jul 2022 Watch VideoThe week before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Missouri's Josh Hawley became the first Republican senator.. Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Swiss private equity firm LGT Capital Partners has closed its third co-investment fund - Crown Co-investment Opportunities III (CCO III) - on $2.0 billion, beating its initial target size of $1.5 billion. The firm's predecessor co-investment fund CCO II closed on $1.3 billion in 2019. The focus of the investment strategy is on buyouts in North America, Europe and opportunistically Asia-Pacific. "Co-investments have increasingly become a component of diversified private market portfolios. By investing in CCO III, investors get direct access to high quality transactions well-diversified by sector, manager, geographic region and vintage year. At the same time, they can draw on our dedicated resources and years of experience to execute transactions thoroughly and efficiently," said Wolfgang Muller, a Partner at LGT Capital Partners. The fund close comes one month after LGT closed its fifth Asia Pacific fund-of-funds on $1.65 billion. LGT makes control and non-control investments as well as co-investments in Asia Pacific. LGT also closed a new impact fund on $500 million last month beating its $350 million target. That fund will invest in impactful companies across three core impact themes: climate action, inclusive growth and healthcare. The fund focuses on co-investments alongside leading conventional and impact managers. In addition to rigorous investment due diligence, these opportunities are subject to an in-depth im...................... To view our full article Click here Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Ambienta SGR, a European asset manager entirely focused on environmental sustainability, has raced to a 1.55bn ($1.58bn) hard cap final close for its fourth flagship private equity fund focused on environment-positive businesses. The sustainability-focused private equity house said in a press release that the fundraising attracted significantly more interest from investors than Ambienta could accommodate from the very start of the fundraising and closed on exactly the date set at the outset. Ambienta IV is the largest European Private Equity fund ever raised solely focused on companies that enable positive environmental change in their respective sectors, said the company. According to the release, the fund attracted capital commitments from global leading investors including pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, banks, endowments, foundations, funds of funds, and family offices. Approximately 55% of the investor support came from EU countries, 20% from other European countries, and the rest from the US, Canada, South America, and Asia. Notably, the fund received strong support from its existing LP base, with re-up demand over 100% of prior commitments. Nino Tronchetti Provera, Founder and Managing Partner of Ambienta said: "Environmental trends represent the biggest revolution the global economy has ever experienced, which will reshape every single industry for decades ahead. I want to thank all the ...................... To view our full article Click here The Church in Africa is in need of paths of missionary, ecological conversion, peace, reconciliation and transformation of the whole world, Pope Francis said in a video message to the participants in the second Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society and Pastoral Life, taking place at the University of East Africa in Nairobi, from 19 to 22 July. The following is the English text of the Holy Fathers message, which was published on Tuesday, 19 July. Sisters, Brothers of the Pan-African Catholic Theological and Pastoral Network: I am delighted to hear about this meeting at the Catholic University of East Africa in Nairobi. I know that you are meeting for the II Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society and Pastoral Life. It is a sign of hope that theologians, laity, priests, men and women religious, bishops have taken the initiative to walk together. Coming together to discern what God is telling us today, not only to meet challenging needs with certainty, but also to make African dreams come true (social, cultural, ecological and ecclesial dreams) is already a sign of an outgoing African Church. Continue your efforts. In my visits to Africa, I have always been impressed by the faith and resilience of these peoples. As I commented during my trip to the Central African Republic in 2015, Africa always surprises us. Bring out the best of you in these reflections so that the result will be a surprise, so that that African creation that surprises us all can be born. Because Africa is poetry. The wisdom of the African ancestors reminds us for this important call that mountains never meet, but people do. Let us continue on. Together. Accompanying one another, helping one another, and growing together. May a wisdom theology, as you propose, be the good news of mercy for the poor and nourish people and communities in their struggle for life, peace and hope. May the Holy Spirit inspire you may paths emerge from this congress that the Church needs: paths of missionary, ecological conversion, peace, reconciliation and transformation of the whole world. And I bless you all. God bless us all. May the Virgin be with us. And please dont forget to pray for me. Thank you. Do not be afraid to walk together, overcoming divisions and mistrust, united in fraternity, in the direction that Jesus indicates in the Gospel, Pope Francis said in a message sent Friday, 15 July, to the people of the Dominican Republic, for the Jubilee Year of Altagracia, which marks the 100th anniversary of the coronation of the image of Our Lady of Altagracia, patron of the Caribbean country. Among the various initiatives proposed are numerous Marian pilgrimages and the consecration of families and institutions to the Virgin Mary on the 21st of every month. The concluding celebrations will be held at the shrine of Altagracia on 15 August and will be presided over by Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, on the Popes behalf. The following is a translation of the Holy Fathers message. I greet with affection the brothers and sisters of the beloved Dominican Republic, who are preparing to celebrate, with love and gratitude, the centenary of the canonical coronation of Our Lady of Altagracia, Mother and Protectress of your people. This Marian devotion, so deeply felt by you, is a sign of the Christian roots that characterise and give life to your land. Therefore, I urge you not to lose heart in your witness of faith, to nurture and strengthen, through the example and intercession of the Virgin Mary, your love for Jesus and for the Church. In this event, so important for the Dominican nation, I wished to send as my representative Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, whom I have also asked to place the filial homage of the Pope, symbolised by the golden rose, at the feet of our Mother of Altagracia. God gives us in the Virgin a sign of his closeness and of the infinite tenderness with which he cares for us. The loving gaze of the Mother contemplating the Child who sleeps trustfully on her lap is an invitation for us to learn to see, through her eyes, Jesus present in our neighbours, and to remember that we are part of the same human family called to live together in fraternity and solidarity. The Virgin of Altagracia has been for the Dominican people a source of unity in difficult moments, a sure hand that supports them in the setbacks that arise in their daily lives. With her protection and shelter, she urges us to care for and keep burning the flame of hope that our elders bequeathed to us in faith, and to pass it on to others with humility, trusting in the Lords grace. Dear Dominican brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to walk together, overcoming divisions and mistrust, united in fraternity, in the direction that Jesus indicates in the Gospel. Do not hesitate to seek Gods will in simplicity, for he is a Father of tenderness who embraces all and never abandons us. Trust that his divine light transforms hearts and leads them to an encounter with him and with their brothers and sisters; and have faith that the power of the Holy Spirit impels you to carry out with joy and constancy works of love and goodness for those who need them most. May Jesus bless you and Our Lady of Altagracia protect and accompany you. And please do not forget to pray for me. Fraternally yours, Rome, Saint John Lateran, 15 July 2022 Francis MECOSTA COUNTY A two-vehicle crash Monday on Northland Drive south of Big Rapids sent several passengers to the hospital. About 8:15 p.m. Monday, July 18, deputies with the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office responded to a two-vehicle injury accident on Northland Drive at 12 Mile Road in Big Rapids Township. According to a news release, an investigation found an 18-year-old female from Stanwood was traveling eastbound on 12 Mile Road. She allegedly "disregarded the stop sign at Northland Drive, subsequently hitting a northbound on Northland Drive being driven by a 37-year-old male from Big Rapids." An adult female and a 10-year-old male, passengers in the northbound vehicle, were transported to Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital for minor injuries. A 16-year-old female passenger in the eastbound vehicle was transported to Spectrum Health Big Rapids Campus for minor injuries. BLOTTER Deputies with the Mecosta County Sheriffs Office responded to the following calls July 18-21. All calls may not be reported. All suspects are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MONDAY, JULY 18 Deputies responded to three car-deer crashes, one car crash without injury, and one traffic stop with a misdemeanor summons issued. A larceny was reported in the 14000 block of 220th. An unknown person was caught stealing scrap from behind Quality Car Care. Witnesses describe him as a 6-foot, 280 pound black male driving a light blue Ford Focus with a new blue plate. Last seen driving on Woodward into Big Rapids. A report of breaking and entering was made in the 10000 block of 19 Mile. An Amish residence was broken into when they were at church. Three guns, a bow, a spotting scope, cash, and binoculars were taken. A civil complaint was made in the 8000 block of 6 Mile Road in Morton Township. A tree service company allegedly ran over the complainant's mailbox accidentally. The complainant wanted it reported in case they didn't fix it for him. A trespassing complaint was made in the 15000 block of Waldron Way in Big Rapids Township. A male reportedly was playing violin in the Meijer parking lot. Meijer wanted him trespassed from the property. Deputies executed a felony warrant arrest for witness intimidation in the 23000 block of 7 Mile Road in Mecosta Township. The subject was lodged at the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office jail. A civil complaint was made in the 100 block of North Sheridan in Wheatland Township. Complainant reported that someone allegedly egged their house the previous night. Suspect is believed to be an 11-year-old female, but she denied doing it. A larceny was reported in the 4000 block of 12 Mile Road in Wheatland Township. Complainant reported that on the night of July 17, he was at the Canadian Lakes boat dock near west Royal and Buchanan, and someone had stolen a tool bag from his vehicle. A traffic stop near 15 Mile Road and 110th Avenue in Martiny Township for defective equipment led to a male being arrested for a child support warrant and being issued a citation for driving with his license suspended. Eckerts towed his vehicle. TUESDAY, JULY 20 Deputies responded to one car crash without injury. Deputies responded to the 10000 block of Pierce Road in Morton Township. Canadian Lakes Security needed a report reference on suspects cutting the lock on gate to boat ramp off Belle Isle Drive. Suspects drove a truck and trailer down to the boat launch and had stolen six kayaks and a paddle boat. Incident occurred at about 1:15 a.m. Deputies responded to the 15000 block of 16 Mile Road in Rodney, Colfax Township. A male reported that another male allegedly had pushed him inside the house they were working on. The complainant said he called his boss and quit because he was not going to deal with the other male worker. Complainant said he was driving eastbound on 180th and the other male traveling westbound. The other male then allegedly proceeded to come head-on with the complainant's truck, hitting his driver side mirror and causing him to go into the ditch. The other male left the scene and was found at his mother's house where he was arrested and transported to the jail without incident. Deputies responded to the 11000 block of 187th Avenue, Mecosta Township, and recovered a stolen Harley Davidson jacket. Jacket was returned to victim. Deputies responded to a residence in the 300 block of South Sheridan, Wheatland Township where a 17-year-old runaway male from Tennessee was located. He was transported to the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office, and court petition placed him in Isabella County Non Secure Detention Home. A civil dispute was reported in the 1000 block of 4 Mile Road in Millbrook Township. A female reported being upset with her niece for allegedly leaving her notes on windshield of her vehicle. An assault with a deadly weapon was reported at about 7:20 p.m. near Jefferson Road at U.S. 131 overpass. According to a news release, a female driver was allegedly shot at with a firearm by an unknown male driver that she previously had passed on Jefferson Road. The next day, deputies found the suspect, a 55-year-old male from Cedar Springs, and his vehicle at the park-and-ride near U.S. 131, exit 104, Cedar Springs. Deputies arrested him without incident, and he was arraigned Thursday on multiple felony counts. Deputies responded to Hunters Creek Trailer Park in Morton Township. Two males said a third male allegedly threatened them after they drove past the males residence. The third male alleged that the two are always driving up and down the road at a high rate of speed, spinning out and doing donuts. The two claimed they were learning how to drive a stick shift. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 Deputies responded to two car-deer crashes and two car crashes without injury. Fremont police recovered $520 worth of stolen merchandise from Lowes in Big Rapids. Known female and male suspects had stolen merchandise from Lowes yesterday. Larceny of a catalytic converter from the Jefferson Road Park 'n' Ride was reported. Larceny of two catalytic converters from 8 Mile Park 'n' Ride was reported. A report of disorderly conduct was made in the 19000 block of 230th Avenue, Big Rapids. A female reported that another female was being disorderly and just wanted her to leave. The disorderly female left prior to deputies' arrival. A civil dispute was reported in the 14000 block of Northland Drive. A male reported having issues with his roommate. Both parties were advised to separate and sober up. THURSDAY, JULY 21 Deputies responded to one car crash without injury. A male walked in to the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office to report that he had checks written out of his checkbook allegedly by a female suspect/roommate/protected person. Case is under investigation. An altercation was reported on 5 Mile Road and Northland Drive. A male subject reportedly got into road rage incident with female. The male allegedly cut the female off, and both got out the vehicle. Female allegedly pushed him away, and the male subject allegedly slapped female and drove away. Unknown who the male subject is, got a license plate of the vehicle. An 18 year old driver failed to stop due to no registration plate on the vehicle, no insurance, and no drivers license. He was cited for all three, and the vehicle was towed by Eckets. A female, reportedly with dementia, was found wandering around Canadian Lakes. She said she did not want to be at the residence since her husband was drinking. Adult Protective Services was notified A traffic stop was initiated near 11 Mile Road and 90th Avenue for a vehicle traveling left of center and almost hitting patrol car head-on. The 73-year-old driver was arrested for operating while intoxicate, high blood alcohol count. Car was towed by HUFFS. Dave Sovereen, 43, owns Mercury Telecom, located on Ashman Street across from Krogers in Midland. He has 15 employees. They provide internet and telephone service for businesses. They have high-speed internet and phone systems where they provide new phones and service for a fixed monthly fee. Sovereen said three-fourths of their business in based in Wisconsin. They have an office in Manitowoc. Sovereen and his partner, Marcelo Flores, have been together for 21 years. Flores, a hair stylist, owns Marcelos Salon. They have twin seven-year-old boys, Carter and Valentino. Sovereen moved to Midland from Port St. Lucie, Florida as a high school junior. Hes a graduate of H.H. Dow High School and he attended Northwood University. How long have you owned your business? I opened in 1996 when I graduated from high school. We were on Wackerly, then moved to the Pizza Sams building, and then about 10 years ago, we moved to our current location. We first provided dial up service. What inspired you to own this business? I worked at the Midland Daily News back in 1995. Hearst was requiring all their newspapers to become internet providers. I got hired as a co-op out of high school, so I got to build and the run their first internet service, MDN Netlink. Also did that for the Huron Daily Tribune. I was involved in computers and modems. There was the Bulletin Board System (BBS), with messages boards, online gaming. I had been doing that since I was 11 after we got our first computer and modem. I started a BBS as a hobby. I had some background in the internet. Then I wanted to start my own internet service. What makes this area a great place to own a business? Midlands been really good to us. Good to our seven-year-old boys. Good schools. What are some ways your business is active in the local community? We donate to a lot of different organizations. I just joined the Midland Rotary Club. What are some of your interests and hobbies? I like the outdoors. Im a runner. Like to camp, swim, bike, and hike. Final thoughts to share with the community? Id like to thank our customers, some whove been with us for over 20 years, and our employees who take such good care of them. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Parenting that long chain of decisions that hopefully leads to a well-rounded adult was always a little less stressful for Laura Guerra because her husband, Rigo, was 100% in it for their daughter, Emilia. But Rigo died from COVID-19 on Christmas Eve in 2020, alone in a hospital room while Guerra watched helplessly from the other side of a window. Since then, left to raise their now 2-year-old daughter mostly by herself, Guerra's mind hasn't stopped racing. Im constantly thinking, she said. Every decision that I make, if I make the wrong decision, shes going to suffer for it. And that scares the hell out of me. Now, California is using some of its record-setting budget surplus to help ease Guerras mind, and those of others like her. Last month, California became the first state to commit to setting up trust funds for children who lost a parent or caregiver to the pandemic. The money $100 million in total will go to into interest-bearing accounts for children from low-income families who have lost a parent to COVID and to kids who are in the states foster care system. State lawmakers havent decided how much money each child will get, but one early proposal would give younger kids $4,000 and older kids $8,000. That would be enough to provide funding for about 16,000 kids, who could spend the money once they become adults. As a mom, this gives me a little bit of that security back, said Guerra, who has been advocating for the trust funds as a member of the advocacy group COVID Survivors for Change. I dont want her to continue to be a victim of this virus forever. The first U.S. savings bonds were introduced in the 1930s to raise money for the government and give ordinary Americans an opportunity to invest. Those bonds were nicknamed baby bonds, because parents would often buy them for their children. These modern-day baby bonds are different in that, instead of being purchased by parents, the government gives the money to children from low-income families for free. Advocates have held up the idea as a way to help close the racial wealth gap between white and minority families, who were largely excluded from the federal wealth-building programs during the Great Depression. Hillary Clinton briefly included a baby bonds proposal in her 2008 presidential campaign platform, and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker introduced a national baby bonds bill in Congress that has yet to pass. The Washington D.C. City Council passed a baby bond program in 2021, committing to give low-income children $500 plus another $1,000 each year that their parents remain below a certain income level. Last year, Connecticut was the first state to approve a statewide baby bonds program although it hasn't been funded yet. The idea is similar to guaranteed income programs that give cash to low-income people each month with no restrictions on how they can use it. California has several such programs at the local level, modeled after high-profile demonstration project in Stockton that launched three years ago. While guaranteed income programs are about helping people with short-term expenses, baby bonds are about the future. Children could not touch the money until they reach adulthood. During that time, the money would grow by collecting interest payments from a bank. How much money they children will get depends on how long the account grows. For younger children, advocates hope they will have between $20,000 and $40,000 once they become adults. Income and wealth are different things, said Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton who is now an advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom and founder of the advocacy group End Poverty in California. People should have the wherewithal to pay their bills today but the next generation shouldnt have to live paycheck to paycheck. California's baby bonds program is the latest in a surge of new spending aimed at combating poverty. Since 2018, California has spent $13 billion on an array of new laws and policy changes that have lifted an estimated 300,000 children out of poverty, according to a report released earlier this year by Grace, a California-based nonprofit. That spending includes a $1,000 tax credit for low income families with young children, a universal school meals program, college savings accounts for low-income kids and a commitment to send every 4-year-old to kindergarten for free. The group hopes California's baby bonds program is just a first step. Its goal is to eventually have the state give trust funds to every child in the state born into a low income family. The goal has always been, How do we help best set up low income children for their future?' said Shimica Gaskins, president and CEO of Grace. We had really relied on educational pathways, but also know that cash and cash assistance and opportunity are equally important. It's not clear if the Legislature would expand the program to include all children from low-income families. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Democrat from Berkeley and chair of the Senate Budget Committee, said lawmakers will closely watch the COVID survivor bond program to see how it works. The great irony of California especially, but the nation as a whole, is we have such wealth but its so concentrated, Skinner said. Whatever we can do that can address that income inequality is essential to do. The state treasurers office will manage the money in interest-bearing accounts. Once the recipients become adults, they can spend the money however they want. But advocates hope theyll use it for things like a down payment for a house, college tuition or a car. Guerra said she doesn't know how her daughter would use the money once she's old enough to spend it. I do whatever I can to steer her in the right direction and to make her a good human being, right? she said. For now, she's focused on making sure her daughter, Emilia, remembers her father. So far, her efforts appear to be working. Emilia Guerra sees her daddy everywhere. He's in the picture frames on the walls of her room. He's on the screen of her mother's phone. And he's in the recesses of her 2-year-old mind, showing his face to her in scattered moments across her bustling life. Randomly, we will be sitting somewhere and she says, Hi Daddy! Guerra said. I do tell her that mommy can't see daddy. But maybe she can. GLEN ROSE, Texas (AP) Fire crews worked to extend and strengthen fire lines Friday as diminished winds and higher humidity slowed the advance of North Texas wildfires, officials said. The biggest blaze, the Chalk Mountain Fire, did not spread significantly after it blackened 10 1/2 square miles (27 square kilometers) of land, the Southern Area Blue, Type I Incident Management Team said in a statement. Although it was only 10% contained, crews were making progress clearing a fire line along the northern head of the blaze to link the eastern and western flanks, where fire lines were complete, team officials said. But drought has left the brush tinder dry and highly flammable in the area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Fort Worth. Crews on Friday continued to mop up small fires along the eastern and western flanks while strengthening and improving the fire lines. The fire has destroyed 16 homes, Somervell County Judge David Chambers said. He renewed a disaster declaration Friday, citing the need for extraordinary fire prevention measures and the potential need for evacuation. Little to no fire active remains of the 457-acre (185-hectare) Possum Kingdon Lake fire about 70 miles (112 kilometers) west of Fort Worth, according to a team statement. However, elevated potential for fire activity is present as fuels surrounding the fires perimeter remain extremely dry and at an increased risk of ignition, according to the Friday statement. Firefighters will remain diligent as the probability of ignition remains high, as does the potential for extreme fire behavior if activity increases. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was assaulted by a man who apparently tried to stab him at an upstate event Thursday but the congressman escaped serious injury. Im OK, Zeldin said in a statement. Fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him. Zeldins campaign said the attacker was taken into custody and the congressman continued his speech. He is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul this November. The attacker climbed onto a low stage where the congressman spoke to a crowd of dozens outside Rochester, flanked by bales of hay and American flags. A video posted on Twitter shows the two falling to the ground as other people try to intervene. Among those who helped to subdue the attacker was Zeldins running mate, former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito, said state GOP Chair Nick Langworthy. Langworthy told The Associated Press that he didn't have any details on the attacker or his weapon but exchanged text messages with Zeldin afterward while the congressman was speaking to police. He is fine. Hes not seriously injured. Its just a chaotic scene there, Langworthy said. He said Zeldin had just a little scrape but it wasnt what anyone would consider an injury. In a statement, Hochul condemned the attack and said she was relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. Deputy Brendan Hurley, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office spokesperson, gave a statement to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that said the office is aware of an incident at the speech of gubernatorial candidate Zeldin this evening. A suspect is in custody and Major Crimes is investigating. Messages seeking information from the Monroe County District Attorneys Office were not immediately returned, and phone messages were left with the countys emergency dispatch. Langworthy called on Hochul to issue a security detail for Zeldin to protect him on the campaign trail. This could have gone a lot worse. This could have really ended in a horrible way tonight and this is unacceptable, he said. Hochuls press secretary Avi Small referred questions about providing Zeldin with a security detail to New York state police. Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015, is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. He has focused his campaign on fighting crime but faces an uphill battle against Hochul. He'll need to persuade independent voters which outnumber Republicans in the state as well as Democrats in order to win the general election. Democrats are expected to focus on Zeldins vocal defense of Trump during both of his impeachments and objection to the election results. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANISTEE Manistee has a new health center where people who are underinsured, uninsured or on Medicaid can see a doctor for a small fee. On Parkdale Avenue near to Burger King, a slew of people could be seen on a small lot, celebrating the opening of the clinic run by Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc. Of the people in attendance at the ribbon cutting, there were several local politicians, including state Sen. Curt VanderWall, Manistee County Board of Commissioners Chair Jeff Dontz and a representative of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow's office. The clinic will offer behavioral health, mental health and traditional medical services. See more photos Find more photos of the grand opening of the Northwest Michigan Health Services medical clinic online with this story at manisteenews.com See More Collapse Lori Bell, director of operations for Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc., noted the importance of this clinic. "The biggest importance of this clinic is finally being here in Manistee. To help the community, we see uninsured and underinsured patients. We have mental health and primary care here along with community health workers to assist with Medicaid insurance applications. We're super excited to finally have our own building and being able to help this community. I'm from Manistee, so it is kind of close to my heart that we finally have this to help the patients in this community," Bell said. Larry Van Sickle, chairman of the board of directors for Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc., emphasized the clinic's ability to serve low-income people and how it makes healthcare less difficult to obtain. "... It makes healthcare available to low-income people (and) is also available for those that have insurance. But they serve patients here with a sliding fee. So, depending on your income, for 20 or 30 bucks, you can get a procedure ...," Van Sickle said. The main provider at the Manistee clinic is Faith Kelley, family nurse practitioner. She spoke about her desire to serve the community. "Its a big deal. I always wanted to work in primary care, (to work in) rural health and I want to be able to provide access to the community around me to help provide the primary care access to the population in the community around here," Kelley said. Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc is a nonprofit and federally qualified health center that has locations in Manistee, Benzonia, Ludington, Traverse City and Shelby. It also has a mobile clinic and two school school-based clinics one in Manistee at Manistee Middle High School at 525 12th St. and the other in Mason County at Mason County Central Middle School in Scottville. The new Manistee clinic is located at 148 W. Parkdale Ave. and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The clinic has three patient exam rooms, a wheelchair-accessible ramp and is open for both in-person and telehealth visits. However, it is not available for walk-ins; appointments can be made by calling during office hours. To schedule an appointment call 231-398-2258. More information on the clinic can be found at the organization's website nmhsi.org/locations/manistee. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOKYO (AP) Japan warned of escalating national security threats stemming from Russias war on Ukraine and Chinas tensions with Taiwan in an annual defense paper issued Friday, as Japan tries to bolster its military capability and spending. The annual defense white paper, approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas Cabinet on Friday, highlights the need for Japans military buildup to address security concerns and seeks to gain public support for a stronger military and increased budget, which Kishidas governing party aims to double in coming years. The report comes months ahead of a revision to Japans national security strategy that is expected to include a pre-emptive strike capability, which critics say would go beyond the limitations of Japans pacifist constitution. China, Russia and North Korea top Japans security concerns in the 500-page report. Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, in a statement in the report, said the Indo-Pacific region is at the center of international strategic competition. The report calls Russia's war on Ukraine a serious violation of international law and raises "concerns that the effects of such unilateral changes to the status quo by force may extend to the Indo-Pacific region. Strategic competition between states has intensified amid a changing global power balance and is further complicated by factors such as China's broad and rapid military buildup," the report said. The paper doubled its contents on Taiwan from a previous edition last year. It raised concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact on Asia, possibly setting a precedent for what may happen between China and Taiwan. The report noted growing tension between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, as the U.S. continues to send warships through the Taiwan Strait and sell arms to Taipei, while Chinese warplanes have increasingly entered Taiwanese airspace. China claims self-governing Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. Tokyo is also concerned about China's relentless unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion near the Japanese-controlled East China Sea island it calls Senkaku, which Beijing also claims and calls the Diaoyu. China aims to build a world-class military and has been ramping up the fusion of military and civilian resources, the report said. In a new chapter devoted to Russias war on Ukraine, the report said that Russia's international isolation and fatigue from the war may increase the importance of Moscow's political and military cooperation with China. The report said military cooperation between the two countries should be closely watched because it could have a direct impact on Japans security. China and Russia are stepping up joint operations and exercises involving their warships and military aircraft around Japan, while Beijing is threatening to use force over Taiwan and escalating regional tensions, Kishi said. Beijing criticized the Japanese defense paper, saying it exaggerated China's military threat and interfered with China's internal policy with Taiwan, and repeated its claim over the disputed East China Sea islands. We urge Japan to stop hyping the security threats in its neighborhoods to justify its own military buildup, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. The report comes as Kishida's government pledges to bolster Japan's military capability and budget under a revised national security strategy and basic defense guidelines that are planned for release later this year. Kishida's governing Liberal Democratic Party has called for doubling Japan's military spending to 2% of its GDP, in line with the NATO standard, to about 10 trillion yen ($72.6 billion) over the next five years. Recent media surveys showed the majority of the Japanese public support increased defense spending and deterence, including possessing pre-emptive strike capability. ___ AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report. Tens of thousands are expected to vote in Midland for highly-contested midterm primary races. On Aug. 2, elections for party nominations and a handful of ballot proposals will be voted on by Midland County residents, many of whom will be voting absentee. The State House of Representatives and State Senate candidates in particular have garnered a lot of attention from state-level political analysts. Midland County Deputy Clerk John Keefer said the clerks office has seen a sharp rise in interest with absentee ballots from the 2020 August elections. As of July 20, there were about 8,250 absentee ballots requested countywide, with about 2,250 returned two weeks before the election. That is compared to 3,539 requested and over 3,000 returned in August of 2020, he said. Keefer speculates the COVID-19 pandemic is the reason for this interest in off-site voting. He thinks that after people utilized the option in 2020, many people saw the benefits to voting absentee, such as being able to have time to research candidates. He also expects a large turnout overall for the election upwards of around 30,000 votes this August compared to 22,000 in the last August election. Keefer also reminded voters that in Michigan primary elections, voters cannot not "split the ticket" they must choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. They cannot vote between parties. What I think happened is people have taken a greater interest in our electoral process, Keefer said. In doing so, a lot of people along the way realized, Oh, it's not all about November. There is this primary that happens. Voter turnout is expected to be high this year for the primary election due to two highly competitive races that are receiving statewide attention. Zach Gorchow, executive editor and publisher for Michigan political news service Gongwer, said the GOP race between Midland County Clerk Ann Manary and Bill G. Schuette in the new 95th state representative district will likely come down to name recognition and crossover votes. Whether Manary can win over the Republican juggernaut will depend on how her name recognition and reputation as clerk stack up to the Schuette name. Some Democratic voters may also vote in the GOP primary to support Manary for her pro-choice view. Schuette has said he is pro-life, even in cases of rape and incest. Gorchow said the issue of abortion could play an important role in the race, adding that Schuette has been endorsed by the group Right to Life, and it would surprise him if a candidate without that endorsement prevailed in Midland County. When asked if a more moderate candidate like Manary has a place in the modern GOP party, Gorchow said this race will decide that, adding that Midland does not vote as heavily Republican as it used to. If there is anybody who could find a way to do it, I would say it is her because of how long she has been elected in Midland County, Gorchow said. She is someone that voters presumably are familiar with, very comfortable with and voted for multiple times. "But in general, no, there is not room for someone like that in most districts. The State Senate primary has been tumultuous, particularly between current 98th District representative Annette Glenn and former Dow executive Christian Velasquez. At first glance, Gorchow said Glenn has the edge in this race due to her recognizable name, being the only woman in the race and is an aggressive campaigner. The Glenn name could either hurt or help her, Gorchow said. While she has a passionate voter base that she can mobilize to vote in these elections, she and her husband, Gary, are polarizing political figures for their take-no-prisoners style of campaigning. They also have made enemies with the LGBTQ+ community and the major state utilities, Consumers Energy and DTE. She also might turn off independent voters in the primary. While he may not be as well known, Gorchow said Midland voters may prefer the establishment-type candidate in Velasquez. He might be a better grab at nabbing independent voters in the general election against Democratic candidate, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Gorchow said. However, if the Glenn crowd find him an unacceptable candidate, that might hurt him in the general election. For information about all the races and ballot proposals that will appear on the Aug. 2 ballot visit ourmidland.com and read the "2022 Primary Election Voter Guide." Members of the Huron County Sheriffs Office as well as the Harbor Beach and Port Austin fire departments used the choppy waters off Caseville County Park Beach on Thursday night to conduct joint water rescue training. Sheriff Kelly Hanson said in a press release that the rough water and windy conditions more closely resembled conditions first responders face when conducting actual rescues. CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) A woman who admitted her role in a scam that raised $400,000 using a fake story about a homeless man received a one-year prison sentence in federal court Thursday. Katelyn McClure was also ordered to make restitution and serve three years' supervised release. The 32-year-old Bordentown, New Jersey resident is scheduled to be sentenced on state charges next month and could receive more prison time. A message was left Thursday with an attorney representing McClure. McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark DAmico, fabricated the story about homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr. giving McClure $20 when she ran out of gas on a Philadelphia highway in 2017. In truth, state and federal prosecutors said, the group had met near a Philadelphia casino in October 2017 shortly before they told their story. They publicized the story through local and national media interviews and created a GoFundMe account that more than 14,000 people donated to, thinking the money was to help Bobbitt, according to prosecutors. Law enforcement began investigating after Bobbitt sued the couple, accusing them of not giving him the money. The federal criminal complaint alleged all of the money raised in the campaign was spent by March 2018, with large chunks spent by McClure and DAmico on a recreational vehicle, a BMW and trips to casinos in Las Vegas and New Jersey. D'Amico, described as the group's ringleader, pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced in April to 27 months in prison. He was also ordered to make restitution and is scheduled for sentencing on separate state charges next month. Bobbitt was sentenced to five years probation on state charges in 2019 and faces sentencing next month on federal charges. "The List" is PAPER's definitive roundup of the biggest fashion and art news, launches, capsules and collaborations of the month. Scroll through, below, to see July's newest arrivals. Tiffany Atrium: New Social Impact Platform See on Instagram On Wednesday, Tiffany & Co. announced a new social impact platform called Atrium, whose mission is to create a more diverse and inclusive jewelry industry by advancing opportunities for historically underrepresented communities. The jeweler marked the launch by commissioning a new artwork from Baltimore-raised artist Derrick Adams called I Shine, You Shine, We Shine which the Tiffany Atrium logo is derived from. It will be auctioned by online art marketplace Artsy July 27 - August 10, with 100% of proceeds benefiting The Last Resort Artist Retreat. Bernard James Summer 2022 Family Portraits Photography: Cesar Buitrago The next group featured in Bernard James' ongoing Family Portraits series includes designers Christopher John Rogers and Aisling Camps, photographer Quil Lemons and stylists Becky Akinyode and Matthew Henson. Each subject works in the fashion, music, arts and media fields and is a close friend of the jewelry designer. This year's theme is "talent behind talent" and focuses on industry tastemakers who work behind the scenes. Austin James Smith x Planet i Courtesy of Planet i Mixed media artist, jewelry designer and NYC nightlife fixture Austin James Smith, known via his social media handle Empty Pools, teamed up with eyewear brand Planet i to create the Spinal Sunglasses, an archive motif from Austin James Smith's Splice collection. It comes in three colors Shadow, Sport, and Sunrise and contrasts with reciprocal white, gold and black spinal design of the temple sides. Available now at austinjamessmith.com and planeti.world SKIMS Swim Campaign With Bella Poarch, Paris Jackson and Madison Bailey Photography: Cobrasnake/ Courtesy of SKIMS So far, the swim campaigns for SKIMS have had its founder Kim Kardashian front and center, including the most recent one where she channeled an '80s bombshell for its metallics line. But for its latest swim ads, the shapewear brand enlisted a trio of next-gen muses: Paris Jackson, Bella Poarch and Madison Bailey, all of whom star in the LA pool party-inspired campaign shot by alternative party photographer Cobrasnake. The new swim collection is available starting July 28 at SKIMS.com Brandon Blackwood Launches First Men's Bag Courtesy of Brandon Blackwood Brandon Blackwood has added another bag to his accessories range: the Jordanis Trunk, their first bag designed for men. The boxy style is made of smooth black leather and comes with zipper pockets and an adjustable strap. Available now at BrandonBlackwood.com Armani Exchange Gets the SmileyWorld Treatment Courtesy of Armani Exchange SmileyWorld's iconic yellow smiling symbol is all over Armani Exchange's new feel-good capsule collection, part of the SmileyWorld's 50th anniversary celebrations (the company has teamed up with everyone from Moschino to Dior to Loewe). For this collab, Armani Exchanged swapped the eyes with its signature A|X logo, and they also referenced Giorgio Armani's recognizable glasses and smile for the other emoji. Available now at ArmaniExchange.com ASHYA x t.a. New York Campaign photographer: Myesha Evon Gardner ASHYA's Shema Slingback, the street-style It-bag that launched exclusively with t.a. New York in 2020 in a bold, red shade, is being released in another exclusive color with the fashion-favorite luxury concept store. The bag, the second collaboration between ASHYA co-founders Ashley Cimone/Moya Annece and t.a.'s Telsha Anderson, now comes in a brushed vegetable-tanned leather style named Trilogy while keeping its signature ring handle and compact, travel-friendly shape. Available now at shop-ta.com Mr. Porter x Throwing Fits Courtesy of Mr. Porter James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman, founders of menswear podcast Throwing Fits (its tagline is "two grown dirtbags just tryna navigate the male zeitgeist"), have collaborated with Mr. Porter on a new capsule collection featuring 13 brands and over 70 pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories, all handpicked by the duo. There's also an edit of exclusive Throwing Fits merchandise. "Whether we've earned this privilege or it's simply karmic justice for a lifetime spent shopping and thinking more about men's clothing than anyone else on the planet is up to interpretation," the pair said of the partnership. "Either way, consider the bucket list checked. Finally garnering the respect of our friends and loved ones is just icing on the cake. Available now at Mr. Porter.com Tommy Hilfiger Is Returning to NYFW After Three Years NYFW just got a big boost this season. Tommy Hilfiger will show its next see-now-buy-now collection on September 11 in New York City, its first show during New York Fashion Week in three years. It will also be live-streamed on Roblox with avatars dress in virtual pieces from the collection. "This season is all about the collision of my favorite archival inspirations with new live event concepts and virtual worlds," Hilfiger said. "Its the perfect expression of what we stand for as we pay homage to our roots with a return to NYFW." Anyone Can Attend Diesel's Next Runway Show For the first time, Diesel is opening its upcoming Spring 2023 show to the public, inviting fashion enthusiasts, students, friends, and fans of the brand to attend. Registration to attend the live show in Milan is on a first come, first serve basis starting September 1 at Diesel.com. Opening Ceremony Launches Collaboration With LUAR Courtesy of Opening Ceremony New Luar bags just dropped! Well, in new colors anyway. The brand's popular It-bag, the Ana Mini, seen on everyone from Dua Lipa to Troye Sivan, is releasing two exclusive new colorways thanks to a collaboration with Opening Ceremony ini tobacco pony hair-effect leather and black-and-cream snakeskin-embossed vegan leather. There's also a sweatshirt with artwork from Bony Ramirez's Feeding a Child of the Ocean." The collab is part of OC's 20th anniversary celebrations, which have included collabs with designer Peter Do and punk-rock band The Linda Lindas. Luar's Raul Lopez and OC's designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim go way back, when the retailer first stocked Hood by Air (which Lopez co-founded) and then Luar. When I started to take my first steps as a designer, OC was the first store to believe in me and support me, Lopez said. OC will forever be family to me.'' Available starting July 12 at OpeningCeremony.com and Farfetch.com Acne Studios Musubi Bag Campaign by Talia Chetrit Photography: Talia Chetrit/ Courtesy of Acne Studios Acne Studios tapped New York-based photographer Talia Chetrit, known for her still lifes and nude portraiture, to shoot a new campaign for their Musubi bag. She shot the bags on male dancers bodies which she chose because they resembled the figurative qualities in the bags. Eckhaus Latta Launches Shoe Collection Courtesy of Eckhaus Latta/ Thomas McCarthy Eckhaus Latta's first footwear collection, first seen on the brand's Fall 2022 runway, is here and features a mix of silhouettes (all made in Portugal), heel shapes and colors including the Mike boot and Zoe clog. The range builds upon previous collaborations with UGG and Camper Available now at EckhausLatta.com, Farfetch and Nordstrom Givenchy Launches 101 Dalmations Capsule Courtesy of Givenchy Photo: (Photo : The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill) A deftly written story with a unique and thoroughly fun plot perfect for children (8+) to read independently, read with a parent or teacher, or as a read-to-me book that will be a delight for parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone in need of a magical, fantasy adventure tale. KidSense Review says: Overall: Five Stars (based on aggregated evaluation of reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles) Age Appropriate: 8+ Educational Value: Modest. Use of storytelling and writing principles terminologies. Complementary materials for educators related to creative writing. Positive Messages: Strong. Positive Role Models: Strong. Diverse Representations: Positive. Very strong female representation. Race is not mentioned specifically in the writing, although illustrations highlight a diverse cast Violence & Scariness: Medium. Age appropriate, but levels similar to early Harry Potter or Narnia. Sex, Romance & Nudity: None. Language: No instances of cursing or strong language. Drinking, Drugs, & Smoking: None What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that THE PENNYMORES AND THE CURSE OF THE INVISIBLE QUILL is the first book in Eric Koester's proposed Pennymores series about siblings who learn they have abilities to write magic and must go on a quest to save their sibling who is being unwritten. The novel respects kids' intelligence and motivates them to tackle its greater length and complexity, solve the mysteries, explore imaginative worlds, and understand a complex world. It has some scary stuff for sensitive readers: a drowning, a canyon troll, discussions of fire that leads to loss of life, and the use of weapons to threaten. There's moderate diversity beyond the Pennymore family, including numerous students of color (based on the illustrations). Women have prominent roles in the story, including non-gender normative roles of invention and heads of secret societies. The story began as a bedtime story with Koester and his daughters (the namesakes of the Pennymore siblings), offering a unique origin to the story. The website for the book series offers videos and background information on the book. How Educators & Teachers Are Using in the Classroom Well-written, age-appropriate writing for readers looking for series similar to those below. We spoke to multiple educators teaching at the middle-grade levels in Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin using the book in their classrooms. They noted the book's emphasis on writing, storytelling, story arcs, and story building as excellent complements to instruction for creative writing. They also praised the book's strong female leads. Similarly, as educators and teachers have utilized Percy Jackson in their classrooms to complement instruction on Greek Mythology, the book can offer a unique complement for creative writing or storytelling units. The author offers a website for teachers and educators - Pennymores.com - that includes a series of resources and materials for kid-writers. Koester (a Georgetown University professor) used the tools with his daughters to invent the characters and story. Downloadable templates, videos, and materials make it easy for a teacher to build on the book in their curriculum. What's the Story? In THE PENNYMORES AND THE CURSE OF THE INVISIBLE QUILL, Parker Pennymore and her sisters Quinn and Parker awaken to find her brother Riley missing. For a year, the kingdom and their parents are convinced he was kidnapped by their former caretaker Lady Julie and choose to reintroduce magic writing to the kingdom to protect it, a practice that combats hundreds of years where all writing has been banned. Parker Pennymore starts a secret writing society with her best friend bent on teaching more children to write with the hope of one-day finding her brother. Her decision to run away to find her brother sets off a chain of events that leads Parker, her siblings, and another boy on a quest throughout the magical realms of Fonde. We discover that the children have a complex family history and have skills as magic writers themselves, which they must harness to stop the rise of Dagamar, the most powerful evil wizard in Fonde. KidSense Peer and Comparable Books or Series include... Harry Potter series Narnia series The Hobbit series Percy Jackson series The Land of Stories series The School of Good & Evil series Is It Any Good? The book has already earned rave reviews from New York Weekly, Artist Weekly, LA Weekly, and the Latin Post (among others), describing it as one of the best middle-grade fantasy debuts since Harry Potter. It offers a unique and inventive magic system - where magic is cast by writing with a quill rather than a wand - and a stunning world of villains that sets up the remainder of the series. The book offers the fun, thrilling world of magic that both young and old fantasy readers will love as Parker and her sister Aven explore a library that has come alive, featuring books that fly and bookshelves that rearrange into mazes, underground cities built by Dwarves featuring unique tunnels and invention systems, and a world of anthropomorphic animals. We learn unique elements of this magic system, including etching on a Serif (the magic writer) fingernails to point spells at both people or objects. Readers will want to grab their quill and explore the world of Everly and Fonde immediately. But it's not all fun with magical hijinks and adventure. The Pennymore family finds itself at the center of an incredible conflict posed to rip their kingdom apart. The Ravagers and their leader Dagamar have a deep and unknown relationship with the Pennymore parents, while leaders in the kingdom fighting to ban writing forever look to attack the children hoping to use writing for more innocuous reasons. As Parker, Quinn, Aven, and the Plumes uncover a plan to harness incredible power and unleash the Silent Darkness on the world, the story's complexity truly comes alive. Readers will enjoy the twists, danger, and kid magic writer heroics that drive the final action. What Parents & Teachers Can Discuss Photo: (Photo : EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images) A California woman posing as a new nurse was charged with kidnapping after she tried to steal a newborn baby at the Riverside University Health System - Medical Center. Jesenea Miron, 23, allegedly entered one patient's room on Thursday, Jul 14, and told the family she was the new nurse who was going to see to the care of their baby. A hospital staff, however, was able to confront her and informed hospital security of the potential abduction. Miron left the room without the baby and escaped arrest before the police arrived. It was unclear whether she had a specific target or picked the baby randomly. The mother and the child were not harmed following the incident, according to NBC Los Angeles. Read Also: California Mom Faces Charge for Performing Exorcism on 3-Year-Old Daughter Police track down Jesenea Miron Authorities, however, were able to track down Miron at her home on Weber Street in Moreno Valley. The investigators said there were other items of "evidentiary value" inside her house. Reports stated that there were sonograms of two other pregnant women from different hospitals. At the police station, Miron told the investigators that it was "easy" to steal a baby by posing as a nurse. The police are still trying to determine how Miron managed to pull her pretense without raising any alarm bells. Riverside University Health System- Medical Center issued a statement to reiterate that they have "multiple layers of security" to protect the patients and the staff. Hospital management is also reviewing and reinforcing its security protocols to determine how Miron was able to gain access to the patient's room and talk to the family. Miron is currently booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center. According to CNN, she has entered a plea of not guilty while the judge has set her bail at $1 million. Public tips that can shed light on this attempted kidnapping are welcome via the Riverside County Sheriff's Department at 951-776-1099 or the Moreno Valley Sheriff's Station at 951-486-6700. Woman posing as a baby photographer attempted to take mom's child Meanwhile, the Pierce County Police in Washington arrested Juliette Parker, 38, who posed as a photographer to steal a woman's baby. According to BuzzFeed News, Parker offered her services for free in a parenting group on Facebook because she needed to establish a portfolio. The "photographer" visited the home of the family two times to take photos and get to know the mom and her baby. On her third visit, she brought cupcakes laced with drugs, causing the mom to vomit and feel drowsy. The mom asked the photographer to leave as she was not feeling well. At the hospital, the mom was told she had traces of GHB, a type of date rape drug, in her system. Later, she realized her house keys were missing, and Parker denied taking anything when she asked. Suspecting that something was off, the mom reported Parker to the police. After finding cause for a kidnapping plan for baby girls, the police arrested the fake photographer. Parker's 16-year-old daughter confessed to the police that her mom wanted a baby girl and had a specific plan to carry out a kidnapping. Parker has been out on bail since the pandemic. Her trial has been delayed due to COVID-19. Related Article: Baby Brandon Cuellar Rescued, Suspects Arrested in San Jose 3-Month-Old Kidnapping Photo: (Photo : Ichigo121212 from Pixabay ) Louisiana's governor offered a controversial solution this week following a slew of alarming headlines about mismanagement, violence, and frequent escapes from the state's juvenile lockups by temporarily moving teens in these facilities to the notorious Angola prison for adults, according to WDSU. This caused outrage among youth advocates, lawyers, and experts in juvenile corrections, who said the governor's decision tramples modern principles of juvenile justice and could also lead to violations of federal law. Glenn Holt, a former top official in Louisiana's juvenile justice system who now serves as the deputy director of Arkansas' juvenile justice agency, did not mince any words about the decision, labeling it as disgusting. Edwards stresses that move to Angola is temporary He told NBC News that moving kids to an adult maximum security prison campus, where you send adults to die, is the worst juvenile justice policy decision ever made. Governor John Bel Edwards announced the decision on Tuesday, July 19, after a series of chaotic fights, breakouts, and injuries at the Bridge City Center for Youth near New Orleans. These include an alleged carjacking by an escaped teen on Sunday, July 17, during which a man was shot. Residents in the surrounding community say they are now living in fear and have called for the juvenile facility to be shut down immediately. Edwards, a Democrat, stressed at a news conference that the Angola move is temporary, aimed at reducing the population at the troubled Bridge City Center until more secure youth facilities can be built or renovated in Louisiana. He added, however, that the state has too many teens in its care to consider closing Bridge City entirely. Edwards said he understands that this is not the perfect or the ideal plan, but he believes that the situation demands an immediate response, and this is the best option they currently have to ensure the safety of the youth, the staff, and the community. Read Also: Jake Wightman Wins 1500m World Championship Gold Medal with Dad Geoff in the Commentary Box Federal law requires juveniles to be separated from adult prisoners According to the governor, roughly 25 teens will be housed in a building near the entrance of the massive Angola prison as soon as next month, after some renovations. The said building will be staffed and overseen by the state's Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) employees. Edwards said the teens would not have contact with adult inmates, and they will continue to receive all of the services they currently receive through OJJ, including education. Federal law requires that juveniles be separated from adult prisoners, by both sight and sound, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. The goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate the youths so they can return to their communities and not punish them. Angola's 18,000 acres make it one of the world's largest prison campuses. It has enough space between buildings, but advocates and experts questioned whether the state of Louisiana would be able to keep youths separate from adult prisoners. Related Article: New York Times Writer's Cheerful Obituary for Mother has People Crying and Laughing Photo: (Photo : JAVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images) State health officials announced that a resident from New York had tested positive for polio, the highly contagious viral disease that can cause paralysis, muscle weakness, and even death, on Thursday, July 21. According to the New York State Department of Health, the person who tested positive for the disease lives in Rockland County, located about 30 miles north of Manhattan. The last known case of polio recorded in the United States was in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Rockland County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health are urging healthcare providers to be on the lookout for additional polio cases, according to NBC News. Health departments urge the public to get vaccinated against polio The two health departments also said that people who are not vaccinated against polio should get vaccinated, and those at risk of exposure to the viral disease should get a booster. Rockland County is hosting vaccine clinics in the coming days in response to the positive test in the area. County Executive Ed Day appealed to the public, saying that many people may be too young to remember polio, but when he was growing up, this disease struck fear in families, including his own. He added the fact that polio is still around decades after the vaccine was created shows just how relentless the disease is. Day asked parents living in the county to do the right thing for their child and the greater good of their community and have their child vaccinated now. The New York State Department of Health said that the type of polio that the Rockland County resident has indicated a transmission chain from an individual who received the oral polio vaccine. The oral vaccine has not been used in the United States since 2000, indicating that the polio virus might have originated from somewhere outside the country, according to NPR. Read Also: California Mom Dies in Car Crash While Driving Two Daughters to Dance Competition Polio threat is real as the virus is highly contagious Polio cases were cut drastically in the 1950s and 1960s after the development of the vaccine. The virus typically enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the fecal matter of an infected person, according to the New York State Department of Health. The health department added that respiratory and oral-to-oral transmission through saliva might also occur. Polio is very contagious, and a person can spread the dreaded virus even if they do not have symptoms, which can take up to 30 days to appear, according to Mayo Clinic. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said that vaccines had protected their health against old and new viruses for decades. He added that the urgency of safe and effective vaccines has always been here, and they need New Yorkers to protect themselves against completely preventable viruses like polio. Related Article: Desperate Mothers Searching for Formula Due to Nationwide Shortage Scammed on Social Media 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 While Apples CEO Tim Cook wasn't fully onboard having a team of Washington lobbyists a decade ago, times have changed as Apple is in now the middle of one of its biggest attacks from the antitrust bodies in the U.S. and Europe. Cook has become one of the countrys most politically active tech CEOs in recent years as Apple struggles to fend off antitrust legislation gaining traction in Congress. The company is ramping up its lobbying spending and hiring well-connected former congressional aides. And its cozying up to powerful Washington figures, often deploying Cook to make Apples arguments directly to lawmakers. The antitrust measure, which could come to a vote in the Senate before its August recess, would bar tech giants from using their platforms to undermine rivals. One provision seeks to break Apples stranglehold on its App Store and could cost the company billions of dollars. Apple is spending more than ever on federal lobbying. It reported a record $4.6 million in the first half of this year, $1.5 million more than its first-half figure a year ago. Though Apple disclosed Wednesday that its second-quarter lobbying expenses dipped to $1.9 million, the $2.7 million it spent in the first quarter was about 85% higher than the same period last year. Since the beginning of 2021, Apple has registered three new lobbying shops with ties to key lawmakers in the antitrust fight. Its also pulling lobbyists directly from the Capitols corridors, bringing in-house a former aide to Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat leading the fight against Apple and other tech behemoths. Apple disclosures show that its roster of in-house and outside lobbyists has increased by more than 50%, to 65 from 43, since 2015. Even so, the total number of lobbyists employed by the iPhone maker is lower than that of other major tech companies Washington operations, some of which have dozens more. And while the company famously doesnt have a political action committee to make candidate or party donations, the personal campaign contributions of some of its Washington executives have increased. Apple has been able to get by on goodwill and a light-touch approach for more than a decade, said Matt Kent, who advocates for tougher antitrust laws for Public Citizen, the left-leaning consumer-rights group in Washington. The heightened Washington presence is a testament to how big of a threat Apple faces, Kent said. Matt Kent, who advocates for tougher antitrust laws for Public Citizen, the left-leaning consumer-rights group in Washington stated that Its significant when a principal from a large company, not to mention one of the biggest companies in the world, comes to a lawmaker and makes the case directly to them. Lawmakers understand what that means. Apples approach is working to some degree. The latest version of the Senate antitrust measure, the American Choice and Innovation Act, would make it easier for companies to defend any allegedly anti-competitive practice by arguing that it was reasonably tailored to protect user privacy. Apple lobbyists pushed hard for that change with the support of senators including Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff. In a rare speech in Washington in April, Cook said: Here in Washington and elsewhere, policymakers are taking steps in the name of competition that would force Apple to let apps on the iPhone that circumvent the App Store. That means data-hungry companies will be able to avoid our privacy rules and once again track our users against their will. It would also potentially give bad actors a way around the comprehensive security protections we've put in place putting them in direct contact with our users. For more on this, read the full Bloomberg report. Back in May, Patently Apple posted a report titled The Showtime series titled 'Super Pumped' illustrates the depths that a developer will go to get around Apple's Privacy Policies. The report covered specific incidents where Uber's IT team worked around Apples privacy rules with extreme deception. You could read the full report here. So when I read about Apples competitors and their representatives claiming that Apple is overblowing concerns over privacy and security, I laugh. Once I saw what Uber did to temporarily get around Apples privacy rules, its easy to realize that other unscrupulous companies are in wait ready to break all of Apple's privacy and security rules for the sake of profit, and damn their users. To protect the interests of European companies like Spotify, the EU antitrust commission will eventually force Apple to make changes over the next year or two. Though for now, the fight is in the U.S. where Apple needs a victory so that it could act as a legal foundation to challenge Europes attack on the App Store in 2023. Apples hard lobbying might be able to ensure there isnt enough votes in the Senate to pass the antitrust bill from Senator Amy Klobuchar next month. Thats the goal for now, and it looks like Apple just might win that battle. Boosting women's participation in the workforce and giving them more leadership opportunities would boost the economic potential of South Korea and the United States, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a group of women entrepreneurs in Seoul. Women represented a "huge untapped resource" for both the United States and South Korea, Yellen, the first woman to head the U.S. Treasury, told the women in remarks prepared for delivery during a lunch at a vegan restaurant in Seoul. The comments come as the Biden administration is fighting to salvage key parts of its domestic agenda, including a funding boost for child care and universal preschool aimed at increasing the participation of women in the workforce. President Joe Biden had hoped to pass major legislation that would have included such funding along with initiatives to combat climate change and raise taxes on big corporations, but has been stymied by the opposition of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, whose vote is critical in the evenly split Senate. Yellen told Reuters late on Monday that increasing access to paid leave and child care remained a priority for the Biden administration, adding: "We're not throwing in the towel on any of it." In her meetings, Yellen noted that South Korean women are among the most educated in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development countries but hold just 20% of management roles in South Korea. They are also more likely to be irregular workers and earn 31% less than men on average, the highest gap in the OECD, data from the organisation shows. The International Monetary Fund estimates that closing the gender gap in labour force participation could boost South Korea's real gross domestic product by 2035 by more than 7%. "Women should be given the ability to stay in the workforce," Yellen said, adding that many Korean women faced pressure to stay home and raise families. Women everywhere were also held back from rising to senior jobs in public service and the private sector - even in advanced economies such as the United States. A Treasury official said the conversation focused on the challenges of moving ahead in the tech sector while balancing careers and families, a theme echoed during a subsequent meeting Yellen held with women economists from the Bank of Korea. Jenna Lee, founder and chief executive of AIM, South Korea's first robo adviser, welcomed the chance to meet Yellen. "The challenges women face are much more pronounced in the finance and tech sector," she told Reuters. "We are fully aware of the fact that we are setting an example for the next generation to come." In her meeting with Bank of Korea economists, Yellen shared her own experiences in the male-dominated profession of economics, and said she was ultimately able to juggle both a family and career because she married a man who "strongly believed in a fair division of labor in our household". She said she had worked for years to expand the relatively low number of women who studied economics in the United States and pushed to increase the "disappointingly low" number of women in senior roles at the Federal Reserve when she was there. The economists presented Yellen with a plaque that said her legacy had inspired them to "learn more, do more, and become more". 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 The European Union will amend its sanctions on Moscow on Wednesday by allowing the unfreezing of some funds of top Russian banks that may be required to ease bottlenecks in the global trade of food and fertilisers, a draft document showed. The move comes amid criticism from African leaders about the negative impact of the sanctions on the trade, which may have exacerbated shortages chiefly caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its blockading of ports in the Black Sea. Under the changed regulation, which is expected to be adopted by EU envoys on Wednesday, EU nations will be able to unfreeze previously blocked economic resources owned by top Russian lenders VTB (VTBR.MM), Sovcombank, Novikombank, Otkritie FC Bank, VEB, Promsvyazbank and Bank Rossiya, the document said. Separately, under new sanctions to be adopted on Wednesday, Sberbank (SBER.MM), Russia's largest bank, will also become subject to the freezing of its assets, with the exception of resources needed for food trade, an EU official told Reuters. The draft document said money could be released "after having determined that such funds or economic resources are necessary for the purchase, import or transport of agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers". Under the revised sanctions, the EU also plans to facilitate exports of food from Russian ports, which traders had stopped servicing after EU sanctions despite the measures explicitly exempting food exports, an official said. read more The EU has so far denied its sanctions affected food trade. The EU, along with the United States, Britain and others, imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Russia calls its actions a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and the West say Moscow is waging an unprovoked war of aggression. 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 Absa Bank Ghana led the way at the 11th Marketing World Awards with five significant awards, in demonstration of the bank's leadership in marketing communications and CSR in the banking sector. The bank won the Advertising Campaign of the Year with its Africanacity commercial, Best CSR Support for Education (National Science & Maths Quiz) and Marketing Team of the Year. The bank's Director of Corporate Communications and External Relations, Nana Essilfuah Boison, was also awarded Marketing Thought-leader in Ghana and one of the Top 50 Marketing Leaders in Africa. The two awards highlight Essilfuah's credibility and achievements as a leading Senior Marketing and Corporate Communications Executive in the sub-region. The Marketing World Awards, held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, awarded several corporate organisations across the private and public sectors in Ghana in various categories. Commenting on the awards, Marketing and Corporate Relations Director at Absa Bank, Nana Essilfuah Boison said: "These are exciting times for Absa as a new brand in Ghana. Despite only two years of launching our new image, we have worked hard to entrench the brand in the minds of our customers, clients and key external stakeholders. We are determined to continue fashioning out unique ways to bring the possibilities of our customers to life. These awards are a signal to us to keep going without resting on our laurels. We dedicate these awards to the Absa Ghana Board, Country Management Committee (CMC), led by our Managing Director, Abena Osei-Poku, our employees and other stakeholders for their continuous support and loyalty." Absa Bank Ghana is currently the most profitable bank in Ghana with a Profit before tax (PBT) of GHS1.1 billion, the first time a bank in Ghana has recorded that figure in PBT. This was contained in the banks 2021 results which was published in March 2022. The financial performance demonstrated a concerted effort by the Bank to grow and maintain an efficient and resilient organisation, support its customers and clients while investing in relevant parts of the business to ensure sustainable growth. 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 Today, Boost Technology, a retailer-first e-commerce platform, was announced as one of eight global winners of Strive Communitys inaugural round of its Innovation Fund. Boost Technology, a company working with retail entrepreneurs across Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, will receive a grant of US$125,000 towards their work trialling a new service (Project IKE) that combines data analysis, behavioural science and conversational commerce to provide small retailers with customer insights making them more resilient. Boost Technology celebrates the opportunity presented by the Innovation Fund grant, enabling it to trial Project IKE in Nigeria before replicating it in Ghana and South Africa. Koye Oyeyinka, Co-Founder and CCO of Boost Technology, said, Strive Community's support will allow Boost to design and test a new digital service that empowers micro and small convenience retailers with business insights. The prize will allow us to extend our R&D capacity and accelerate the launch of retailer-facing features to power the growth of our small business users. Small businesses, like the ones being supported by Boost Technologys innovations, are essential agents of inclusive growth, with estimates indicating that 70% of total employment worldwide are provided by small economic units. This is even more prevalent in low-income countries, with around 90% of employment stemming from businesses with under 10 employees[1]. Boost Technology, alongside the seven other awardees, is transforming how small businesses operate and are supported in a world that is rapidly digitizing. The inaugural round of the Innovation Fund awarded seven other innovative, digital, data-first projects from around the globe, totalling $1 million in grants. The other innovative ideas being supported by the Innovation Fund include creating virtual reality experiences to upskill small businesses in Brazils favelas, building positive money habits for individuals and small-businesses, and streamlining access to credit for small-businesses. Strive Community is a global program launched by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, in partnership with Caribou Digital. The program is focused on strengthening the resilience of small businesses and supporting their growth. The Innovation Fund was established to spark truly innovative, digital, and data-first solutions that will boost small businesses efforts to go digital. Digital technologies are rapidly transforming the way businesses interact with their customers, with their employees, and with a global marketplace, said Shamina Singh, President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. These Innovation Fund grantees are all introducing creative solutions that have potential to not only ease the challenges of digitization for small businesses, but unlock its promise, enabling them to grow and thrive. The two winning organisations from across Africa, which were chosen from more than 650 applicants globally, are as follows: Novek, Kenya o An Internet-of-Things enabled dispensing machine for powder-based goods, to reduce stock outs, increase sales by dispensing in quantities customers can afford, and eliminate single-use packaging Boost Technology Ltd, South Africa, Nigeria o Trialling a new service that combines data analysis, behavioural science and conversational commerce to empower small retailers with insights to make them more resilient. The other winners hail from Latin America and South East Asia, and are as follows: Flourish FI, Brazil o Using behavioral insights, open banking data combined with tried & tested game-mechanics to drive improved financial management and financial decision-making by small business owners. XR Global, Brazil o Testing the potential of virtual reality (VR) to upskill small businesses, by bringing learners into immersive experiences. Open Contracting Partnership, USA/Colombia o Creating a marketplace that leverages open data about government contract awards to seamlessly connect small businesses winning contracts with financial institutions who can offer them credit. FUNDES & Argidius, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Colombia o Connecting traditional merchants to the most appropriate digitization tools by creating a marketplace. ChatGenie, Philippines o Building new features that reduce friction in the sales process for small businesses selling via social commerce. The solution also enables management of multiple social commerce channels within a single app. Boost Capital, Cambodia o Scaling up smartphone enabled loans and financial education, and jumpstarting the creation of a virtuous cycle in which businesses which engage in digital financial education are rewarded with better access to financial services. Small businesses can learn more about the Strive Community, funding, and partnership opportunities by visiting www.strivecommunity.org and signing up to receive email updates. 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 At least 200 investors, companies, entrepreneurs would have the opportunity to visit The Netherlands to discuss business opportunities from 28th to 30th September 2022 at this years Netherland-Ghana Business fair; themed: Our Digital Future: Ghana beyond 2022. The venue for the fair is The Netherlands (The Hague), with its special guest of honor being the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, who will be delivering a keynote address on; digitalization and its prospects for foreign investors, and businesses. There will be, workshops, matchmaking and visitation to some companies and networking cocktails on various days of the Fair. This years objective is to bridge the gap between Dutch investors and businesses and Ghanaian Businesses as well as provide an opportunity to know more about the changing trends in ecommerce, digitalization, data censoring and knowing the latest products and services in the business-technology industry. Representatives of authorities from both countries will have the opportunity to discuss Netherland-Ghana partnerships, Trade and Investments. Opportunities for both business to government and business to business meetings and matchings will take place during the period. The annual event of Netherlands-Ghana Business Fair will be carried out under the auspices of AfroEuro Foundation in collaboration with the Embassy of Ghana in the Netherlands, Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) and Association of Ghana Industries (AGI). Its goal is to create an atmosphere of partnerships and networks for many investors bilaterally and globally from the Netherlands. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the last two years events were held virtually through an online conference with delegates from Ghana and Netherlands via zoom. Notwithstanding the challenges, this years event will be held again in The Netherlands to host attendance of participants, stakeholders, and partners. The event seeks to target Dutch, Ghanaian businessmen and investors who are looking for expansion opportunities, knowledge partners, suppliers and buyers.. The Ghana trade delegation will comprise companies, business leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals and experts from various sectors (Agriculture, Housing and Real Estate Development, Digital (ICT), Water management, Sustainable businesses, Waste management, Made in Ghana goods Etc.) Ghana which is home to the administrative headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), gateway to West Africa and largely Sub-Sahara Africa, has great value and opportunities to offer Dutch Investors and companies which would lead to successful partnerships and further deepening the economic cooperation between Ghana and The Netherlands. All interested participants, individuals and prospective business owners and companies who wish to take part in The Netherlands-Ghana Business Fair 2022 are cordially invited and welcome to register online www.forumbizgh.com or call +233(0)20-960-3093 or email: [email protected] for registration details, participation and further clarification. Upplause Consulting is the representative agency in Ghana coordinating the registration and selection processes. 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 Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged universities in the country to adopt smart and digital technologies to facilitate teaching and learning and compete favourably with peers across the world. He noted that the world, over the last decade, had entered into a digital era, one which dictated almost every aspect of human life. Universities must, therefore, adopt these technologies to create the required learning environment to enhance delivery. Former President Mahama said this in a recorded speech at the launch of the 50th Anniversary of the Department of Communication Studies (DCS), University of Ghana, in Accra, of which he is an Alumnus. The anniversary is to, among other things, celebrate successes chalked over the past five decades by the Department as well as restructure to deliver quality communication training to meet current trends. It was on the theme: 50 Years of Excellence in Communication Scholarship and Training: Reimagining the Field in a Digital Era. Mr Mahama noted that digital communication had enhanced education delivery with online learning reaching a far expansive population beyond the confines of a physical classroom while encouraging inter and intra-institutional exchange of library materials, facilitating easy teaching, learning and research. In this respect, I look forward to seeing a future where all our traditional universities can fully embrace smart, digital technology and adapt an immersive learning technology to stimulate the required learning environment scenario to facilitate teaching and learning, he said. In our time here in this school, video, voice and data stood independently of each other with minimal interface. From a previously analogue world in which we existed and we were taught, we have over the last few decades entered a digital era, one that dictates almost every aspect of our way of life. He commended Management, staff and students of the DCS, as well as the entire University, for their contributions toward molding the school into a world-class institute. Mr Mahama urged the Department to build on the gains made for present and future generations to leapfrog to higher heights and pledged to support the ICT programme of the University with computers. Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, the Deputy Minister of Information, applauded the Department of Communication Studies for its enormous contribution to the information sector. She assured it of the Ministry's continued support to enhance its research work. 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 Catfish production increased by 276.92 percent in the Eastern Region from 2018 to 2021 after the Fisheries Commission assisted producers with new technologies, extension services and training. Mr Francis Barnes, the Eastern Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency, said in 2018 the Commission recorded about 60 catfish farmers who produced a combined total of 836.91 metric tons. However, by 2021, the number of catfish farmers in the region had more than doubled to 128, raising production to 3,151.91 metric tonnes. Mr Barnes linked the increased production levels to a slew of activities and sustained assistance provided by the Commission to catfish farmers and farmers in general who expressed an interest in catfish production. Among the support measures, he listed included provision of extension services, training in catfish hatchery management, promotion of and use of circular tarpaulin tanks, which were more effective for use than concrete tanks; and the provision of feed to farmers. He stated that catfish farmers were trained on how to treat three major diseases: water mould, a fungal disease, motile Aeromonas, a bacterial disease, and indigestion, a nutritional disease that affected fingerlings and was discovered by the commission after farmers reported abnormal activity in their farms. Mr Barnes advised that for every 1000 litres of water, 70 pieces of catfish fingerlings should be stocked in to reduce high mortality rates as fish compete for oxygen in the water when crowded. He said the new measures introduced have minimised the difficulties catfish farmers used to face, such as travelling long distances to obtain feed, stressing that "they used to travel to Accra and Akosombo areas to buy feed." However, the Fisheries Commission collaborated with Raana Fish Feed to provide feed to the Commission so that catfish farmers could easily access it. Despite the region's significant gains in catfish production, Mr. Barnes observed that the market for catfish consumption was low in the region because approximately 80 percent of buyers came from Accra and other regions. Again, he observed that some catfish hatchery operators had chosen to give an overdose of antibiotics to fingerlings when they [farmers] observed abnormal behaviours without consulting any fish veterinarian. "The use of unauthorised antibiotics on catfish that behave abnormally will have negative health implications for consumers and the environment," he said. He also stated that the Commission had discovered an unauthorised source of catfish hatchery that sold unapproved fingerlings to farmers, resulting in low catfish production. As a result, he advised catfish farmers to avoid using antibiotics and instead consult fish veterinarians when they observed abnormal behaviour in the fish, and to rely on the commission to direct them to hatcheries that produced good fingerlings that could grow well. Mr. Barnes also urged the people of the Eastern Region to buy catfish from farmers there because the region was poised to further increase catfish production and was also ready to meet market demand. The Fisheries Commission is the implementing agency of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in Ghana, responsible for all fisheries development and management, including monitoring, controlling, and surveillance, as well as evaluating and compliance. 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 Founder and Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong together with some prominent members of his family on Thursday, July 21, 2022, called on former President John Agyekum Kufuor. The visit, which came off at the Peduase residence of former President Kufuor at Aburi in the Eastern Region, was to officially extend an invitation to him for the funeral and burial of the late father of Dr. Siaw Agyepong, Opanyin Samuel Kwame Agyepong. Obomeng Aduana Abusuapanyin Barima Osei Berko, who led the delegation of bereaved family members of Dr. Siaw Agyepong, thanked former President Kufuor for sympathising with them during the one week observation of Opanyin Agyepong. Not long ago, we respectfully came to inform His Excellency about the passing of our fatherOpanyin Samuel Agyepong. But in spite of your busy schedule, you delegated somebody to represent you at the one week ceremony of our late father. We are truly grateful to you, Your Excellency, he expressed. He said the family met after the one week observation to agree on the date for the burial and funeral of Opanyin Agyepong. And so we are here to formally inform you of the funeral arrangements, and also officially invite you to the funeral ceremony, the leader of the delegation said. According to Abusuapanyin Osei Berko, the funeral of the late father of Dr. Siaw Agyepong will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at the forecourt of the State House, Accra. And in the afternoon on the same day the family will accompany the mortal remains of Opanyin Agyepong to Kwahu for interment, stating that "the funeral will then continue at the forecourt of the State House from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm, he added. He continued that on Sunday, September 11, 2022, a thanksgiving service will be held in memory of Opanyin Agyepong at the Teshie Nungua Estate branch of the Church of Pentecost, noting that this was where the late Opanyin Agyepong attended church while he was alive. That same Sunday, after church we will continue with the funeral at his residence at Teshie Nungua Estates, Abusuapanyin Osei Berko informed former President Kufuor. On his part, former President Kufuor thanked the delegation for the respect accorded him especially by the chiefs of Obo and family members of Dr. Siaw Agyepong. He commended Dr. Siaw Agyepong for his relentless contributions towards the progress of Ghana, stressing that his name has become a household name amongst children, youth and aged of this country. Former President Kufuor said by dint of hard work, Dr. Siaw Agyepongs services have reached other African countries. He assured the delegation that God willing on 10th September, the date for the funeral, he will try and attend to commiserate with the family of Dr. Siaw Agyepong. He also asked for Gods blessings for Dr. Siaw Agyepong and wished him the best in all his endeaavours. 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 Miss Niamatu Sumaila, a teenager of the Basissan Basic School in the Sissala East Municipality has been found dead under a tree after she reportedly went missing a few days ago. Alhaji Pio Sumaila Yakubu, the Paramount Chief of the Banu Traditional Area reported the incident to the Tumu Police. A search team was dispatched to the community where she was found dead under a small tree at Kpari near Basissan. Dr. Charles Agyekum Woode, the Medical Director at the Tumu Municipal hospital who visited the scene with the Police and members of the community, discovered the girl lying under a tree, which was later identified by the father, Mr Braimah Chiraseh. Dr Agyekum Woode said although no marks of violence were found on the body an autopsy would be conducted on the deceased and a report submitted in due course of the highly decomposed body. which was later released to the family for burial. According to Mr Seidu Hudu, Assembly member for the Banu Electoral Area, who narrated the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said, "Niamatu Sumaila closed from school on Tuesday, 5th July, 2022. She prepared some rice for the family and left for the bush to look for some vegetables known in the local dialect as foga. He said the parents of the deceased returned from the farm at about 1900 hours and were told that she had gone to the bush to harvest some vegetables. The search team walked around and saw a spot where she struggled with her murderer (s) and her panties and waist beads found torn and thrown around, kept her under shrubs, naked with only her shirt on, and then covered her with some leaves, the assembly member said. The death of the schoolgirl adds to another gruesome murder of a gold dealer, Mr Zakaria Borsuwie Luri (Zak Sissala) who was killed on 2nd April 2022 by suspected armed robbers in the same Banu Paramountcy of which the Police are yet to find the culprits. Meanwhile, a Police post established in Banu with a barrier to maintain security in the area had been abandoned, with the Police citing the absence of structures and logistics in the town which is about 50km from Tumu. 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 Inlaks, the foremost ICT infrastructure, and systems integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa and Temenos have reimplemented the Temenos Transact R21 for National Investment Bank (NIB) Ghana in a bid to enhance digital growth. The Temenos Transact is a core banking system that allows banks to scale up using cloud platforms and infrastructure to offer personalized customer products for efficiency. The platform will reimagine customer engagement and the efficient delivery of consistent, and seamless experiences across multiple channels. The reimplementation which has enabled a relationship extension between Temenos, and National Investment Bank (NIB) Ghana will also support the banks effort in providing financial advisory and technical support to the Ghanaian Market. The upgrade will also reposition the bank and contribute to its rebranding approach. Commenting on the impact of the Temenos Transact implementation for National Investment Bank, Executive Director of Inlaks, Femi Muraino, said: Temenos has been a formidable partner to Inlaks over the years. Through this reimplementation, we continue to drive impact for institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Temenos Transact is one of the most effective for digital growth among banks. This effort will impact overall system performance and provide leverage for an improved experience for customers in driving growth for the bank across the region. The implementation is the first R21 delivery in West Africa and is expected to boost NIBs corporate and retail growth. It will further Improve System Security and provide a stronger base for NIBs digital banking agenda and upgrade functionally for user experience. Also speaking, Managing Director, National Investment Bank, Ghana, Samuel Sarpong said: Our priority at NIB is to support customers with essential banking services for growth. With the T24 transact, our customers can have an improved banking experience across our various options and offerings. We are proud to have engaged Inlaks and Temenos in our reimplementation framework to create value and impact. The Temenos Transact is the most used digital core banking solution across the world providing an extensive set of banking functionalities that enables an impactful customer experience. About Inlaks Inlaks is a leading systems integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa. With operations in Nigeria, Ghana, East Africa and other Sub-Saharan African regions, the company partners with leading OEMs in the technology industry to provide world-class information technology solutions that exceed the needs of its customers. Over the years, Inlaks has built a reputation as the foremost ICT and Infrastructure Solutions Provider, helping customers effectively seize new market and service opportunities. With an impressive customer base that includes six Central Banks in West Africa, 18 of the 24 banks in Nigeria, and other major customers in the West African region, Inlaks has become the dominant Information Technology Company in Africa. Inlaks' customers cut across various segments including Banking, Telecommunication, Oil/Gas, Power, Utilities, and the Distribution sectors of the economy. For more information, please visit www.inlaks.com 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 NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has refuted claims that he campaigned against John Boadu who recently lost his position as the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). "I never asked delegates to vote against John. I can never and will never do that," he stated. Speaking in an interview on Neat FM's 'Me Man Nti' programme, the MP disclosed how his constituents were campaigning against John Boadu and he had to intervene. "My constituents were campaigning against John and I fought with them several times. I told them that even if you dont like him, you dont have to campaign against him," he said. "I decided not to support anyone openly . . . I never asked members to vote against John and Ill never do that. Theres a saying that if a man saves your life, youre indebted to him for the rest of your life . . . John Boadu was asked to fire me because I was resisting Anas, and he said he will never do it so how can I do that to him, but every advice I needed to give him I did," he added. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Bono regional Deputy Communications Officer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), Eric Adjei, has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene and stop people from denigrating the legacy of the late President Prof. Evans John Atta Mills. According to him, the attitude of the Coastal Development Authority smacks of total disrespect to the family of the former President and the Ghanaian people at large. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that he blames nobody but President Akufo-Addo, who has turned death ears to this issue since its development. He has decided neither to comment nor issue statements to stop some miscreants from disrespecting the late President Mills because he condones the act. He said the preposterous attitude of the Coastal Development Authority is a total disrespect to the family of former President John Evans Atta Mills and the Ghanaian people at large. He added that President Akufo-Addo should tell us whether he will be happy if a non family member destroys the tomb of his Uncle J.B Danquah or his father Edward Akufo-Addo in the name of renovation without the consent of the family. "The disrespect to former President Mills(late) is sickening and we in the NDC cannot watch miscreant people like Koku Anyidoho hide behind loyalty and connive with President Akufo-Addo to continue disrespecting former President Mills in this unpleasant manner. According to him President Akufo-Addo, "should boldly come out to condemn this nonsensical attack dimming the reputation of the late President if infact he is not in support of this stupidity. Ghanaians want to see him respect Late President Mills the same way he respects JB Danquah." Watch video below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Governance Lecturer at the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has made a solemn appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to minimize his borrowing. Dr. Otchere-Ankrah expressed concerns over the culture of borrowing by the government stating how it burdens the nation, especially when the government isn't able to pay back. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, he cautioned the President saying, "it's not a good thing to hear. It is not a proud moment to say that you are a Ghanaian that when we are looking for people who borrow and don't pay back, Ghana is second on the list. Is this an achievement? It's so sad". Listen to his full submissions below: 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 Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta a few days ago told Parliament that all outstanding funds for Planting for Food and Jobs for 2021 had been released. The minister who was responding to a question about the issue of Financial Clearance to MOFA to clear the large debt owed partners and suppliers, revealed that his ministry has already released money to clear outstanding debts. 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 GHC 485.90 million for payment under PFJ programme. An amount of GHC 278.57 million has subsequently been released to MOFA, Ken Ofori-Atta said on the floor of Parliament. Suppliers of Fertiliser Unhappy But Fertilizers Suppliers under government's flagship Planting for Food and Jobs programme dared the Financial Minister to be clear with his presentation over payment of money to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for some outstanding debts. They expressed reservations over his presentations especially, the sector Minister's claim that an amount of 278.57 million has been released to the MoFA. these owed partners and suppliers insist for over a year now they have not received payment and some payment are even in arrears since 2020 from the implementing ministry. Finance Minister Misquoted Addressing this contentious issue, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto in a one-on-one interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' said the Finance Minister was misquoted and that the money rather went to the Controller and Accountant General. "The Minister was misquoted. It is not true that the funds were released to the Ministry of Agriculture. It was released to the Controller and Accountant General to release to MoFA but that's not the money we've received. There was a misquotation; the Minister should have been quoted as saying the amount of money has been released to the Controller and Accountant General because we don't receive money directly from the Ministry of Finance. We get it upon his instruction to the Controller," he pointed out. The failure of the government to pay fertilizer suppliers has made the majority of these contractors face bankruptcy forcing their banks to chase them for their monies. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. is disappointed in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration as he believes they have failed in making Ghana better. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Mr. Pratt ascribed Ghana's current situation to bad decisions by the incumbent government. Raising concerns about how the government has mismanaged the economy, Mr. Pratt said, "our brother Ken Ofori-Atta went to Parliament. When he was going to Parliament, I didn't tell him to go; I wasn't there. The figures he presented to Parliament were not written by me. It was his own figures . . . When he went there, he said due to COVID, we acquired money and we got GHC 19 billion for COVID-related expenses and the 19 billion we got for COVID-related expenses, the money we used to directly address the COVID was 12 billion". He continued that Ken Ofori-Atta was asked "after spending 12 billion out of the 19 billion, what did you use the 7 billion for?" and "he replied they used it for other areas. So, if we get 19 billion for COVID and spend 12 billion to remain 7 billion, how does COVID become a problem to you. It means you even had benefits from the COVID". He continued; "When you check total government expenditure, it is close to 300 billion for the two years. COVID expenditure for the period is less than 10% of total government expenditure. So, with our current situation, COVID does not explain it." To Mr. Pratt, Ghana's "current situation is worse than the HIPC situation". "Go and check your figures on HIPC. The time we were going to HIPC, we were spending 67% of total export revenue on debt servicing. That was HIPC. Today, what is the total national income that is bigger than export revenue? IFS has revealed that, when you take our total national revenue including our royalties, taxes and so forth, 128 percent are spent on public sector emoluments and debt servicing," he explained. 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 Farmer Oleksandr Zhuravsky checks the wheat in a field in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Russian hostilities in Ukraine are preventing grain from leaving the "breadbasket of the world" and making food more expensive across the globe, threatening to worsen shortages, hunger and political instability in developing countries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Efrem Lukatsky Libyan army forces and vehicles are stationed in a street in the countrys capital of Tripoli on Friday, July 22 2022. One of Libyas rival governments on Friday called on militias to stop fighting, after clashes broke out in the countrys capital, Tripoli overnight, killing at least one civilian and forcing around 200 people to flee the area. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad) A mural depicting Dave carving and inscribing a pot is on display in downtown Edgefield. A meeting will be held July 26 for anyone interested in forming a chapter of the African American Heritage Commission in Edgefield County. WASHINGTON Minutes before U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace cast one of the few Republican votes in favor of a bill to federally protect access to birth control, she grabbed a roll of white duct tape, her navy blazer and a black Sharpie marker. If her colleagues could wear messages on their COVID masks, Mace reasoned, then why couldn't she do this? She cut the white tape into three near-horizontal strips and affixed each of the pieces to the back of her $29 jacket from H&M. "My state is banning exceptions," her handwritten message declared, capitalizing the word 'exceptions' for emphasis. "Protect contraception," it continued, with the word 'contraception' scrawled in all-caps. Mace, R-Charleston, was one of eight Republicans who joined House Democrats in voting for a bill July 21 protecting the right to purchase and use contraception without government restriction. The bill explicitly allows the use of "any device or medication used to prevent pregnancy." Listed examples include oral contraceptives, injections, implants, such as intrauterine devices, as well as emergency contraceptives, which can prevent pregnancy several days after unprotected sex. The final vote was 228 to 195, with two Republicans voting present and six GOP members not voting at all. Democrats launched the bill after an opinion last month from conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the court could go further after overturning federal abortion rights. In his concurring opinion supporting the end of Roe v. Wade, Thomas said that the court should now review other precedents, including married couples' use of contraceptives in 1965, along with rulings that affirmed the rights of same-sex marriage in 2015 and same-sex intimate relationships in 2003. While Thomas did not specify a 1972 decision that legalized the use of contraceptives by unmarried people, Democrats say they consider that at risk, as well. Republicans have accused Democrats of manufacturing a crisis, saying there is no serious effort underway to erase the right to use contraceptives. During the floor vote, Mace was the only lawmaker who sought to make a political statement via tape and jacket. "For me, this was articulating policy," Mace told The Post and Courier. "This isn't a publicity stunt. This is very real." She confirmed she was able to enter the House chamber, where there are strict rules of decorum and a dress code, to cast her vote. Mace, who identifies as a "pro-life," said she worries that her Republican colleagues are getting swept up in pushing for abortion restrictions. She said the reversal of Roe v. Wade has been "too much of a hot topic to talk about and throw around as a bomb for fundraising" without pausing to think about the impact these restrictions will have on women and families. "You've got to get to the root of the problem, and nobody at the federal level or even the state level is addressing it," Mace said. "And if you are going to ban abortions, you need to ensure that every woman has access to contraception." Post-Roe, South Carolina lawmakers recently proposed legislation that would ban abortion with no exception for rape or incest but allow the procedure only to save the mothers life or prevent a serious, lifelong health problem. Mace called the actions of her home state lawmakers "disappointing." "To see them turn their back on what was already decided by the Legislature, and to feel emboldened that they can ban those exceptions is wrong," Mace said. But she also praised South Carolina and its governor for signing a law earlier this year that allows women over 18 to buy birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives without a prescription. After photos of Mace's political fashion statement began circulating on social media, some users suggested Mace was engaging in a political stunt. Democrat Annie Andrews, who is running against Mace to represent South Carolina's coastal 1st Congressional District, responded with a political fashion statement of her own. In a photo posted to Twitter, Andrews had a message taped to the back of her short-sleeved navy shirt. Echoing Mace's design choice, Andrews' response was also broken up into three strips of tape. "Don't play games w/ women's healthcare," the message said. "Codify Roe" Katie Arrington, whom Mace defeated in the June Republican primary, was also among the critics. "Be a stateswoman, not a billboard," Arrington tweeted, before saying Republicans need more representatives like U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who voted against the measure. Mace's vote marked the second time in three days that she has broken rank with her party. Earlier this week, Mace was one of 47 House Republicans who voted with Democrats to federally protect same-sex and interracial marriage. While the House bill would enshrine the right to contraception as a law, it faces an uphill climb getting through the Senate. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low near 70F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low near 70F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. GEORGETOWN A developers request for approval of a 51-lot single family subdivision on McDonald Road was denied July 21 after residents expressed their concerns about flooding and traffic to the Georgetown County Planning Commission. The subdivision was before the commission for site review approval, which was recommended by the county planning staff. However, the commissioners voted to deny approval of the project. "The motion to approve failed by a 3 to 4 vote," County Planner Holly Richardson said July 22. "I'm not sure what that means for the subdivision, I will have to have a conversation with our attorney and look at the regulations." Richardson said she will also need to have a procedural discussion with her staff. Subdivisions do not go before the County Council for approval, Richardson said, they are under the purview of the County Planning Commission. Any appeal of the commission's decision will have to be handled in Circuit Court. "In rezoning requests and planned developments, which are also rezonings, those are decided by the council," Richardson said. "It is only major subdivisions that come before the commission, those with 10 lots or more," she added. "We haven't had one come before them for a while." Richardson said she thought the commissioners were taking into account the comments they heard from the public during the July 21 meeting. One of the residents commenting during the meeting was Grady Cooper. Theyre going to put a pond behind my back yard, Cooper told the commissioners during the public hearing, and its going to raise mosquitoes. Cooper said the drainage ditch behind his property is overgrown and would likely not support more drainage. It is barely draining what it is supposed to drain now. He noted that the area is in a flood plain, and that he has to carry annual flood insurance on his property. Cooper also said there are eagles nesting behind his property, and suggested it could be against the law to disturb the nests. The request for a site review of the proposed Kingsbury subdivision was submitted by Clint Richardson of Beverly Homes. The 26.14-acre subdivision would be located on the southwest side of McDonald Road along Moury Drive in Georgetown. Resident Canuto Abruntilla agreed with Cooper. Another resident I know has seen eagles nesting back there, he said. Abruntilla said he was concerned with the increase in traffic the proposed subdivision would bring, especially to the intersection between Moury Drive and McDonald Road, which is near the McDonald Elementary School. Theres just one way in and and one way out, he said, and with the school there, it seems like the increase in traffic would be a nightmare. Abruntilla also expressed concern for pedestrians, especially children, walking along McDonald Road and Moury Drive if the subdivision traffic were to become a reality. Resident Terry Reed said he was not against development, but he was concerned that flooding issues in the area had not been addressed yet. Our roads are deteriorating and our homes have been flooded out, Reed said. Now we feel brushed aside, ignored. Resident Dedrick Bonds said he had presented to the Georgetown County Council in the past a basket of mud boots his family had to wear due to the flooding in his yard. We have to wear them just to get back and forth from the house, he said. Likewise, Bonds said residents have been before the county council due to the poor road conditions. I invite you to travel to McDonald Road, and see the traffic there, even without school being in session, he said. If you add 250 homes there, it does not bode well. Calls and emails to Beverly Homes of Conway were not returned. In other business, the Georgetown County Planning Commission also approved an amendment to the Georgetown County Zoning Map to create a Solar Energy Facility Floating District on a 2,061.4 acre parcel on Saints Delight Road in Georgetown County, and bordered by Wild Horse Road and Walker Road in Georgetown. The solar field is being built by Silicon Ranch Corporation for Santee Cooper and will be the largest field of its kind in the state. The board voted 5-0 to approve the request, with Commissioners Robert Davis and Zach Grate abstaining. GEORGETOWN By a 6-1 vote, the Georgetown City Council decided July 21 to uphold the denial of the Broadstep juvenile behavioral health facility's city business license on the basis of nuisance. The Raleigh-based Broadstep touts itself as providing "first-class behavioral health and supportive living services" on its website, and a Broadstep official described the Georgetown facility's resident juveniles as extremely vulnerable and survivors of abuse of all types. However, the Georgetown Police Department requested denial of Broadstep's license renewal based on the facility's volume of calls for service. Deputy Chief Nelson Brown told Georgetown Times that the department received about 150 calls for service to Broadstep resulting in about 70 incident reports since the facility opened in 2020. Brown said the calls ranged from assaults, disturbances, fights, runaways and a sexual assault that occurred among the juveniles, not involving the adult staff. Witnesses for Broadstep included company president and CEO Lynn Mason, who said the stories of survivorship that can be heard from the juveniles such as the ones living at the Georgetown facility are the reason she took her position with the company in the first place. At one point in the hearing, as city council members questioned Mason, councilman Jonathan Angner asked her if all of Broadstep's approximately 500 facilities were run "as bad as the Georgetown facility." Broadstep attorney Lewis Gossett told Georgetown Times that Broadstep intends to appeal the council's decision to circuit court. Broadstep is facing other litigation surrounding its Georgetown facility in which Gossett is not involved. In January, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of a juvenile who stayed at the facility and allegedly had their arm broken by a staff member. Georgetown city attorney Elise Crosby had no comment following the hearing. CHARLESTON An old, brick house in Charlestons Wagener Terrace district stands out from its gentrified neighbors in several ways: Its 14,000 square feet, built to accommodate around 30 people and was constructed 90 years ago to provide shelter for pregnant girls. It still does just that. Pregnant teenagers with few options, often escaping dangerous living situations, come here to stay, give birth at a nearby hospital and then return to the home to learn how to raise an infant. In recent years, these girls have been as young as 12. They are often victims of sexual abuse. The building is a vestige of a different era, and the nonprofit homes mission harkens back to an earlier time, too, when sex outside marriage was more stigmatized and access to birth control and abortion were hard to come by. Charleston has changed in dramatic ways this past century, but the house run by the Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina essentially serves the same purpose one that may prove increasingly necessary in the post-Roe v. Wade South. Across the region, the recent Supreme Court ruling on abortion could lead to higher numbers of pregnancies among teenagers and may very well affect the demand for maternity homes like the one in Charleston. Relatively few such maternity homes remain in the United States. As contraception and abortion became widely available during the second half of the 20th century, the demand for these homes declined alongside the teen birth rate, said Ann Fessler, who wrote the 2006 book The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade. In South Carolina alone, more than 3,800 girls ages 10 to 17 gave birth in 1990, according to records kept by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. By 2020, that number had dropped to 784. But that downward trend will likely reverse in the wake of the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision last month. Hundreds of girls and women under age 20 received abortions in South Carolina in 2020. It stands to reason the number of infants born to teenage mothers in the state will grow if the procedure becomes illegal a decision under consideration by the South Carolina Legislature. The Supreme Court ruling raises many questions. Cheryl ODonnell, executive director of the Florence Crittenton organization in Charleston, doesnt yet have answers. Do we anticipate a surge in the number of people seeking our assistance? asked ODonnell. And who do we think are going to be the people seeking our assistance? In South Carolina, we are the only maternity group home that serves young women under the age of 18, she added. When you start looking at minors, we're the only resource for them, and we serve the entire state. But obviously, we are only one building. These days, the house isnt usually full. It can accommodate 31 clients, but on a recent afternoon in Charleston, ODonnell said only eight teenagers were living under the Florence Crittenton roof girls ranging in age from 15 to 18. An 18-year-old living there, she said, was soon expecting her second child. In Greenville County, the St. Clares Home, run by the Roman Catholic Church, can house up to six women and their infants. But its not currently full, either. Nevertheless, both maternity homes are making plans to expand residential services to other parts of the state. There are women out there lots of women who are not able to support themselves or their children, said Valerie Baronkin, executive director of St. Clares Home. We are there to be able to help those moms. These homes may be outliers now, but maternity homes used to be much more common. At the high point, there were about 200 maternity homes across the country, said Fessler. The vast majority of them were run by three organizations: Florence Crittenton, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. And they mostly served White women. In fact, following World War II, when these homes proliferated, relatively few offered any services for Black teenagers. The Charleston home traces its roots to 1897 when a young woman tried to kill herself by jumping into the Cooper River. The woman survived, and the incident prompted a group of volunteers to open their homes to single, pregnant women and mothers in need. The St. Margaret Street location, which opened in 1932, was modeled after the first Florence Crittenton home in New York City. That facility was founded in 1883 by Charles Crittenton, a businessman and evangelist who named it after his daughter who died of scarlet fever at age 4. It was established to serve fallen women and wayward girls. Times have obviously changed since then. Thats why Fessler, for one, doesnt anticipate the demand for these homes will grow dramatically even as some states, particularly in the South, move to outlaw abortion. In the 50s, 60s, and early 70s, the shame associated with single pregnancy was intense, Fessler said. Women and girls were hidden away so no one knew they were pregnant and so they could give birth, surrender their child and then return home with a cover story about taking care of a sick aunt. It was largely a middle-class White phenomenon. That isnt the case anymore. Today, 70 percent of the young women who move into the Florence Crittenton house in Charleston are Black. They typically arent seeking refuge from stigma, and they rarely give their babies up for adoption. In fact, since ODonnell arrived three years ago, that hasnt happened once, she said. More often like Amauree Goss, who was 18 and pregnant when she came to live at Florence Crittenton these teenagers simply need a safe place to stay. At the time, she had been living with her father in Charleston but wasnt receiving much support from him. The home they shared was infested with bedbugs. Goss was attending high school and working part time at Krispy Kreme, walking so much between home and work and school that she nearly went into preterm labor. During her second trimester, she was required to undergo an emergency procedure to temporarily stitch her cervix closed. Thats when a former foster parent recommended the Florence Crittenton home. It was perfect timing, said Goss, now 21. I almost lost my son. She gave birth and left the maternity home when her son was 2 months old. The Florence Crittenton home in Charleston allows mothers to stay with their infants up to two years after the birth of their children. Teenagers who are pregnant are much more likely to experience homelessness than other teenagers, ODonnell said. They are bouncing from couch to couch in their or their friends homes, or theyre living in cars, or theyre living in some other place that is not habitable. About five years ago, the South Carolina Department of Social Services abruptly cut more than $300,000 in annual funding from the Charleston home, threatening its roughly $1 million annual budget. That money was restored a year later. The state legislature earmarked an additional $500,000 for the home this budget year. That money will be used, in part, to expand access to housing for pregnant teens across the state. The Florence Crittenton organization in Charleston doesnt take an official stance on abortion, but the home will require more space to accommodate a potential influx of clients. In the event that there is a huge surge in need, we are licensed to be able to accept 31 individuals, but it would require doubling people and their children up, ODonnell said. That's really not the type of environment we want to be able to provide them. Summerville, SC (29483) Today Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Authorities identified the man killed earlier this week after plummeting approximately 100 feet into a cargo ship's smokestack as 63-year-old Claudio Munoz Bustos. North Charleston police and firefighters responded around 8:45 p.m. July 17 for reports of an industrial accident at Detyens Shipyard on Drydock Avenue. Munoz Bustos was working unharnessed inside the vessel's smokestack when the small platform that supported him broke, causing him to fall into the ship's bowels, according to a police report. Employees told first responders they lost sight of Munoz Bustos and he had stopped responding to their shouts. Fire rescue crews determined the man fell about 100 feet into the ship's engine room, according to a fire report. The team nixed a plan to rappel into the smokestack, instead opting to cut a hole into the pipe's side. The man was found inside and confirmed dead by paramedics. Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal said Munoz Bustos, a Mexican national, died from blunt-force injuries. He was the fourth person to die at Detyens Shipyards in the past four years three of them from falls. After a 34-year-old man died in January 2020 from a four-story fall from the top deck of a ship, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued three citations to Detyens Shipyards, chastising the business for failing to use fall protection equipment or retrain employees working in high places. OSHA has cited Detyens Shipyards 21 times for serious workplace safety violations in the past 10 years, according to the agency's data. The company paid $110,000 in fines during that period. The deaths come even as America's shipyards have been growing safer, though the businesses remains more hazardous than the average private employer. The injury rate for workers at private shipbuilding and repairing facilities fell from almost 6 reported cases per 100 full-time workers in 2014 to four cases in 2020, agency data shows. The national injury rate in 2020 for private industry employers was 2.2 reported cases per 100 full-time workers. Fifty people died at private shipbuilding and repair facilities between 2011 and 2019, according to agency data. Detyens Shipyards is the largest commercial shipyard on the East Coast, according to its website. Founded 60 years ago by Bill Detyens, the family-owned company provides repair work for commercial and military vessels. A woman who answered the company's phone said July 20 the death was under investigation and more information would be available at a later date. Another woman said the same thing July 22, adding she did not know when the information would be available. OSHA is investigating Munoz Bustos' death. FLORENCE Amid a nationwide trend of removing monuments honoring people with ties to the Confederacy, a South Carolina county council wants to put one on display. Florence County leaders voted 5-4 along mostly partisan lines on July 21 to display a statue of William W. Harllee, the lieutenant governor when South Carolina seceded ahead of the Civil War, on grounds of the county museum. The decision came four years after the museum board rejected displaying the bronze statue and the city of Florence backed out of the project. "It's a poke in the eye of the community," said state Rep. Terry Alexander, D-Florence, who called it "a bad move" and "an insult." Statue supporters said they want to honor Harllee, who founded the county named after his daughter that is 80 miles east of Columbia. "This guy (Harllee) formed the reason the town is here," Council member Kent Caudle, a Republican, said. "I don't think that has anything to do with racism." The statue stirred debate over what historical monuments are appropriate at a time when racial social justice has become a hot-button issue. Communities across the country have removed monuments tied to historical figures with racially questionable pasts. They have not left South Carolina because of a law called the Heritage Act, which requires legislative approval to remove historical monuments and names. The act is rarely used with the last vote coming in 2015 to remove the Confederate flag from the S.C. Statehouse grounds after the Charleston church mass shooting. The disagreements over Harllee center around interpreting his life's work. Some see him as Florence's founder, a railroad president, a state legislator and a lieutenant governor. Others see how he participated in the state secession convention, raised the Pee Dee Legion as a brigade for Confederate service during the Civil War and served as state finance director during the war. Historian Will Bolt at Francis Marion University in Florence called the decision to honor Harllee "surprising" and a move that goes against the current trend to remove Confederate monuments and ignore figures with Confederate ties. He called Harllee's legacy a "mixed-bag." About five years ago, family members and others supporting Harllee asked Israeli sculptor Alexander Palkovich, who then operated a studio in Florence, to create the piece. Palkovich said the scene depicts him standing with his daughter on a train track and Harllee saying, "This place shall be called Florence." But when the statue was finished in 2018, the museum board rejected it after Harllee's past became a matter of debate. The monument has remained out of sight with supporters unable to find anyone to give them a piece of private land to display the statue. "I thought it was dead," County Council member Jason Springs said. Then the statue appeared on the council agenda this week. Springs said he didn't understand the timing. The council adopted a resolution on July 21 that the sculpture "shall be exhibited in an appropriate location" on museum grounds, saying it "needs a place of exhibition." Caudle, a Republican, said the timing makes sense because "it's been far too long." The action seemed to take museum staff by surprise. Spokesman Tim Busher said he was "unaware" a couple of hours after the vote. No date was announced for putting the statue on museum grounds. Palkovich, who has created many other Florence-area works, said he was "proud and honored" by the decision, which "will make Florence a better place." County Council member Al Bradley said he initially backed creating the sculpture and supported funding it and other works by Palkovich. When Bradley became more aware of Harllee's history, that position changed. Bradley, a Democrat and one of just two Black council members, voted against exhibiting the sculpture, also casting a proxy vote for Waymon Mumford, a fellow Democrat and the council's only other Black member. "Right now, with what's going on in the country, putting it up on government property is not a good move," Bradley said. Two White council members, Springs, a Democrat, and Roger Poston, a Republican, also voted against displaying the statue. All five votes to display the statue came from White Republicans. Springs said he doesn't think the sculpture belongs on public grounds. Bradley said his objections were tied to Harllee's legacy. "I'm not sure what the (community) reaction is going to be," he said. "A lot of people don't know about the slavery part. When that comes out, there could be a backlash." State Rep. Wendell Gilliard said he has alerted law enforcement officials to threats he received after announcing plans to pre-file a bill that would ban military-style weapons in South Carolina. The Charleston Democrat announced the proposal, which he said would outlaw the future sales of such weapons, at a July 20 press conference. Gilliard told The Post and Courier at the event his bill would also require current owners to surrender the semi-automatic weapons, including the popular AR-15s. Gilliard said he and others who attended the press conference began receiving phone calls and messages on social media threatening them. One caller allegedly told him: "I hope you're packed, because you won't be able to leave as soon as you're thinking." He said he spoke with Chief Mark Keel of State Law Enforcement Division about the messages. He promised his family he would take all threats seriously given the number of militia groups active in the state. SLED spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich confirmed Keel spoke with Gilliard, but an investigation has not been opened into the threats at this time. Merrill Towns Chapman, the state director of Brady: United Against Gun Violence, said July 21 she was unaware that the representative's suggested legislation would require owners to surrender their guns since he did not announce that publicly. She said her organization supported a ban on sales, but a requirement to surrender already purchased weapons went too far. She has also received threatening emails and social media messages, including one threat to put bullets in her throat, Towns Chapman said. She planned to send the messages to authorities. Towns Chapman said the vast majority of Americans support a ban on military-style weapons, which have been the favored weapon of gunmen in several mass shootings in recent years. Federal agents arrested a woman and two teens who fled to Mexico after killing a man at an apartment complex in Nexton, authorities say. Jennifer Mae Todus, 34, and two boys, ages 14 and 16, are charged with murder in the July 8 shooting of Caleb Mitchell, Berkeley County sheriff's Cpl. Carli Drayton said. Mitchell, 20, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the neck around 8 p.m. outside The Isaac apartments off North Creek Drive. A GoFundMe page created to cover Mitchell's funeral expenses identified the Summerville man as a 2020 graduate of Cane Bay High School. The Sheriff's Office asked July 12 for the public's help finding Todus, who authorities described as armed and "extremely dangerous." Deputy Chief Jeremy Baker said the woman and two boys were arrested July 15 in Mexico with help from U.S. marshals. The teens are in the custody of the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, Baker said, while Todus is fighting extradition from Harris County, Texas. They were identified as suspects in the homicide based on information from witnesses, he said. Our detectives worked endlessly, around the clock, to piece together the evidence to bring the suspects to justice, Sheriff Duane Lewis said. Goose Creek, SC (29445) Today Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. COLUMBIA Early voting proved popular in the June primaries and runoffs as more than 125,000 South Carolinians cast their ballots ahead of the formal turnout day. Early voters made up 16 percent of the nearly 800,000 ballots cast, the state Election Commission said in a July 22 news release. The S.C. Legislature this year passed legislation allowing early voting with no excuse. In previous cycles, voters had to provide a reason to vote ahead of the formal election day, such as work or being out of town. Those sorts of requirements were dropped. For the 2022 General Election in November, there will be two additional days of early voting, meaning both of the Saturdays before Election Day will be available, as well. Polls will be open an extra hour then, from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. You may have read the news this week that the Iranian regime announced the capacity to build nuclear weapons. I tracked down the story in English-language regime mouthpiece Tehran Times. The story described the announcement as a strong warning shot, although it added the proviso that the regime has no intentions of using that capability (at this time). The story advises us to read carefully: Kamal Kharrazi is usually reticent and cagey about Irans foreign policy. He rarely speaks to the press. And when he speaks, he chooses his words carefully and in a measured way. Thats why his recent remarks that Iran is now a nuclear threshold state should be read carefully. So read this carefully: In an interview with Al Jazeera, Kharrazi, who is the head of Irans Strategic Council on Foreign Relations (SCFR), said Iran does have the technical capability to build a nuclear weapon and that it is virtually a nuclear threshold state with nuclear deterrence. That they [the West] speak of Iran getting closer to being a nuclear threshold state, [is nothing new]. It should be said that Iran is a [nuclear] threshold state and this is not clandestine. Iran is capable of building a nuclear bomb. But it has no intention of doing so, he said, according to a readout of the interview put out by the SCFR website. Kharrazi then explained why Iran does not intend to build such a weapon. Nuclear weapon runs counter to Irans beliefs and its security exigencies. The mere possession of nuclear technology and the capability of building a bomb is a deterrent, he said. The story interprets Kharrazis remarks as a warning shot across the Wests bow that Iran is not without options if they keep threatening it and stonewalling in the nuclear talks. Iran has said it is willing to reach a fair solution to the nuclear issue but the West failed to reciprocate Irans goodwill. Reading carefully, as instructed, I take that as a threat. Reading carefully, as instructed, I also note that Kharrazi made no mention of the fatuous fatwa that President Obama cited in April 2015 when he was selling the JCPOA. The White House transcript of Obamas remarks is here (Irans Supreme Leader has issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons). Seeking to save face among its American friends, the regime added a postscript via AFP in the July 20 story Iran says fatwa against building nuclear weapons unchanged after bomb comment. According to AFP, Tehran gave assurances Wednesday that its nuclear policy was unchanged and that it still adhered to a fatwa banning weapons of mass destruction, after an Iranian official said the country was able to make atomic bombs. While cited by the AFP, the fatwa has never been sighted. MEMRI has now posted an appendix on the nonexistence of the fatwa. The appendix to this MEMRI story compiles MEMRI reports on the issue of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameneis fatwa banning nuclear weapons which does not exist[.] Ruthie Blum comments further in the Jerusalem Post column Irans fabricated fatwa excuse. Last night Congressman and Republican candidate for Governor of New York Lee Zeldin was on stage, giving a speech at a campaign stop in upstate New York, when a man climbed onto the stage and attacked Zeldin with some kind of bladed weapon. Zeldin defended himself and bystanders wrestled the attacker to the ground. Zeldin was unhurt and later resumed his speech. The assailant was identified as 43-year-old David Jakubonis. Not much is known about Jakubonis at this point. He has been described as an Iraq war veteran, but that may be only because of the hat he was wearing. It seems reasonable to assume that he is a Democrat, although he might just be a nut, and some observers said he looked as though he could be intoxicated. But (via InstaPundit) Andy Ngo points out that Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul has been viciously smearing Zeldin as a dangerous far-right extremist, and implying, among other things, that he wants to ban contraceptives. Moreover, just hours before the attack on Zeldin, Hochul emailed her supporters, sending them Zeldins campaign schedule and encouraging them to RSVP to attend the far-right extremist Big Lie Lees events. It is common for Democrats to smear Republican opponents as dangerous extremists, traitors, and so on. Of course most Democrats wont respond to such rhetoric by trying to assassinate Republicans, but are borderline personalities like James Hodgkinson, or the guy who wanted to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and perhaps David Jakubonis, motivated not only by the Democrats over-the-top rhetoric, but also by their condoning of violence in what they deem a righteous cause, like the George Floyd riots and pro-abortion riots and harassment of Republican judges and politicians? Ive been saying it for a while now, and will say it again: one of these days, someone is going to get seriously hurt. Following gas cuts by Russia, the European Union is looking to Nigeria as an alternative to augment its gas needs. The Deputy Director-General of the European Commissions Department of Energy, Matthew Baldwin, said Friday Europe is in a tight spot in relation to gas following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and instability in our gas market, the threat perhaps to cut off supply altogether. Mr Baldwin, who visited Abuja, told journalists that the EU is looking to increase Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports from Nigeria to above the current levels. Nigeria currently supplies 14 per cent of the EUs gas imports, while 60 per cent of the entire shipments of LNG from Nigeria goes to Europe, he said. We want to expand what is currently at 14 per cent share of total LNG import from Nigeria, we want that to go up, he said. Mr Baldwin said that the gas relationship between Nigeria and the EU comes with extraordinary potentials with the latter determined to deliver on them. The EU earlier this week launched a gas demand reduction plan, which encourages EU member states to reduce demand by 15 per cent. Gas is a vital transition fuel that we will need in the European Union in our pipes all the way through 2045 and beyond there are ways we could work with you to improve the cleanliness of that gas through technologies, Mr Baldwin said. He added that the EU wants to expand their short term deliveries from Nigeria LNG but at the moment, the capacity, the utilisation rate of Nigeria LNG is too low. He said the focus for this week is to see if the commission could look at ways of working with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. According to Mr Baldwin, his mission to Nigeria is one of fact finding, adding that the EU will help Nigeria deliver on its ambitious energy transition plan. Both parties will meet again in August for further discussions. While visiting Nigeria, he met with the Minister of Power, Minister of State for Petroleum, Minister of Finance amongst others. Mr Baldwin also visited the Nigeria LNG. Some police officers who covered the Osun State governorship election have accused the authorities of withholding their allowances. The police officers said they catered for their needs by themselves while they were on duty during the election because the authorities promised to reimburse them immediately after the election. One of the officers, who spoke with journalists on behalf of the others, accused unnamed senior officers of the force of withholding their entitlements for the election. Most of us are already protesting this cheating within ourselves, said the officer who declined to say his name to avoid victimisation. We ought to have been paid our allowances the moment we were deployed to secure the governorship election in Osun State but those who were supposed to pay us said we should wait till Sunday when the election would have ended. Its about five days after the election was held, about 40 per cent of the Osun Police Command workforce have not received their allowances. We feel that its an act of injustice for some of our superior officers to have received their allowances while they are hoarding our own. We need this money because we worked for it under stressful circumstances. It will demoralise us to see that after working for the peaceful conduct of the election, some people feel they can enjoy our sweat, the officer said. The aggrieved police officers called on the Federal Government to probe the refusal of the police authorities to pay their entitlements for the election coverage. We, the aggrieved police officers, want President Buhari to probe the non-payment of election allowances in the July 16 Osun gubernatorial election. Police react The Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Olawale Olokode, said he is not aware the officers entitlements were being withheld. He said top officers who led the election security team may be able to react to the issue because he did not participate in the excercise. READ ALSO: Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force PRO, said in a statement that the delay in payment of the officers entitlements was caused by their banks. Mr Adejobi said contrary to the claims of the officer who spoke to journalists, some of those who were deployed for the Osun election started receiving their entitlements before the election began. With regards to the payment of allowances of Police Officers who participated in the Osun State Gubernatorial Election duty, it is pertinent to emphasize that officers scheduled for the duty had their account details forwarded to the Police Accounts and Budget (PAB) office at the Force Headquarters where payments were prepared and disbursed accordingly, the statement read. The said payment of allowances to cover the election duty was disbursed directly into individual accounts from the PAB Office and not through any State Police Command. As such, individuals started receiving payment alerts even before the commencement of the election. The police spokesperson said all the complaints with regards to the officers entitlements had been addressed internally and every officer captured for the election duty has been paid. This situation is noveau as it has not been experienced in the previous Anambra and Ekiti gubernatorial elections. It is fully the banks fault and not that of the Force. Officers affected were communicated via SMS and internal memo as to the situation. Continuous complaint on this particular delay in payments which has been addressed amounts to impatience and indiscipline on the part of the affected officers. The reports and the news on non-payment of election allowances as widely publicised is misleading and unfounded, and should be disregarded. On Wednesday evening, gunmen attacked Gatakawa, a community in Kankara Local Government Area in Katsina State killing five police personnel and three civilian residents of the village. The Katsina State Police Command spokesperson, Gambo Isa, confirmed the incident to journalists on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, a source, who asked not to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES that after the attack on the community, the terrorists pursued some residents who had fled into the bush. He said the community was deserted after the attack. They killed three of our elderly people in the area because they couldnt run away from the bandits. They shot them dead, he said. He said several residents were wounded during the attack and an unspecified number of domestic animals rustled. We cant say how many people have been wounded or even dead because most of us have not returned to the community but I was told that some of our people are in the hospital in Kankara town. Several people have not seen relatives and parents, he said. He said one of the police officers killed was a mobile police officer in the area. Meanwhile, the police spokesperson, Mr Isa, said the slain police officers were on special duty in the state. Mr Isa, who said the command had launched an investigation into the killing, said the police officers were posted to the state from neighbouring Kano State. He said more than 300 gunmen attacked the community with assault weapons. The terrorists were over three hundred (300) and they were fully armed. The five policemen are from Kano State and they were on special duty at Gatikawa. The terrorists attacked them at 6.45 p.m. The terrorists also killed three civilians. An investigation is already in progress over the matter by the Katsina State Police Command to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident, he said. Terror gangs have disrupted the lives of thousands of people. They have killed hundreds of farmers and have stopped even more from growing crops. They have also targeted students, abducting them from their schools. These incessant attacks on communities in the North-west of the country have led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the history of the country with thousands of people either killed or displaced. In 2015, an anonymous whistleblower calling themself John Doe contacted the Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and leaked more than 2.6 terabytes of secret data to two reporters, including millions of internal emails. They originated from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, one of the most important service providers in the global business of offshore firms. Following the revelations, which came to be known as the Panama Papers and were published under the auspices of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Icelands Prime Minister Sigmundur Davi Gunnlaugsson and Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign from their posts, as did others. The leak sparked massive protests in London, Reykjavik and elsewhere and it triggered the launch of thousands of investigations worldwide. Stricter rules have applied in the world of shell companies ever since. Governments managed to recover more than $1.3 1 billion in lost tax revenues. So far, John Doe has only spoken out publicly on one occasion, in the form of a manifesto published four weeks after the Panama Papers emerged. In it, the source called on policymakers to take action to combat global inequality. Since then, there have been books, podcasts and documentaries about the leak, and even a Hollywood movie starring Meryl Streep. But the whistleblower has remained silent. John Doe recently contacted the two former SZ journalists, who now work for DER SPIEGEL. To ensure anonymity, our interview with the source was conducted over an internet connection and encrypted using software that spoke the whistleblowers answers. The interview, which took place in the presence of a witness, has been shortened for readability, lightly edited and, as is standard practice in German journalism, submitted to the interview subject for authorization prior to publication. How are you doing? Are you safe? I am safe, to the best of my knowledge. We live in a perilous world, and that weighs on me sometimes. But overall, I am doing quite well, and I consider myself very fortunate. You stayed silent for six years. Havent you been tempted to reveal that it was you who made the secret offshore dealings of heads of states and heads of governments, drug cartels and criminals public? I have often wrestled, as I think many people do, with issues of being credited for my work. Fame was never part of the equation. At that stage, the only concern was staying alive long enough for someone to tell the story. Making the decision to compile the data available to me at Mossack Fonseca took days and felt like looking down the barrel of a loaded gun, but ultimately, I had to do it. You reached out to the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, which initiated a collaboration of more than 400 journalists, coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). When you reached out to us, what did you have in mind? When I contacted you, I had absolutely no idea what would happen or if you would even respond. I corresponded with many journalists who were uninterested, including at the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Wikileaks, for its part, did not even bother answering when I reached out to them later on. The global team started to publish the Panama Papers on April 3, 2016. What was that day like for you? I recall it being like most Sundays. I met some friends for a meal and was stunned to learn that Edward Snowden had supercharged interest by discussing the project on Twitter. The NSA-whistleblower, who now lives in exile in Russia, had somehow found out about the investigation and tweeted even before we had published about the biggest leak in the history of data journalism I remember seeing the posts fly by on social media by the thousands. It was like nothing I had ever seen. A literal information explosion. The people I was with were talking about it as soon as they heard. I did my best to act the way anyone else hearing about it for the first time would have. Many experts compare the Panama Papers with Watergate. The most important Watergate source was Associate FBI Director Mark Felt, who went under the name Deep Throat and finally revealed his identity 33 years after Watergate I have thought about Mark Felt from time to time and the types of risks he faced. My risk profile looks a bit different than his. I may have to wait until Im on my death bed. Why is that? The Panama Papers involve so many different transnational criminal organizations, some of them with links to governments, that its difficult to imagine how it could ever be safe to identify myself. Felt primarily had to worry about Richard Nixon and his cronies, and Nixon resigned just a little more than two years after the break-in, rendering him powerless. Even in 50 years, its likely some of the groups I worry about will still be with us. Did you tell anyone at all about your role in the Panama Papers? After the news broke, I told only a few of the people I care about most. So, you have remained silent now for six years. Why do you want to speak up now? There have been several occasions over the past six years where I have been tempted to speak up. At each one of those points, it has seemed like the world was careening closer and closer toward catastrophe, and so the need to attempt to intervene has always seemed increasingly urgent. At the same time, however, I have had to balance a few factors. What exactly are you referring to? First, of course, is my own physical safety, and that of my family. And second is the fact that the world is a big place with a cacophony of voices all trying to get their point across. I wanted my words to carry meaning, not to get lost before the next Donald Trump tweet. In 2016, I wrote (Eds: in a manifesto) of my fear based on what I was witnessing, that severe instability could be just around the corner. I am afraid that instability has finally arrived. What kind of instability do you mean? The rise of fascism and authoritarianism globally, from China to Russia to Brazil to the Philippines, but especially now in the United States. America has made some terrible blunders in its history, but it has served as a balancing force against the absolute worst regimes when needed most. That balance has functionally ceased to exist. Tax havens seem to be of crucial importance for strongmen in autocratic regimes. Putin is more of a threat to the United States than Hitler ever was, and shell companies are his best friend. Shell companies funding the Russian military are what kill innocent civilians in Ukraine as Putins missiles target shopping centers. Shell companies masking Chinese conglomerates are what kill underage cobalt miners in the Congo. Shell companies make these horrors and more possible by removing accountability from society. But without accountability, society cannot function. The Panama Papers seem to be more relevant than ever due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. For example, one of the oldest and closest friends of Vladimir Putin, the cellist Sergei Roldugin, got sanctioned at the end of February. The main reason for that has been found in the Panama Papers, which showed that Roldugin seems to have acted as a proxy for his powerful friend and owns billions a least on paper. Are you pleased about that twist of events? I was glad to see Roldugin sanctioned. I think its brilliant. Do you fear Russia might seek revenge? Its a risk that I live with, given that the Russian government has expressed the fact that it wants me dead. Before Russia Todays media presence was curtailed due to Russias attack against Ukraine, it aired a two-part Panama Papers docudrama featuring a John Doe character who suffered a torture-induced head injury during the opening credits, after which a cartoon boat sailed through the pool of his blood, as though it were the Panama Canal. However bizarre and tacky, it was not subtle. We have seen others with connections to offshore accounts and tax justice resort to murder, as with the tragedies involving Daphne Caruana Galizia and Jan Kuciak. Their deaths affected me deeply, and I call upon the European Union to deliver justice for Daphne and Jan and their families. And to deliver rule of law in Malta, one of Mossack Fonsecas former jurisdictions. In 2017, the German Federal Police got a ton of documents from Mossack Fonseca, also from an anonymous source. Yes, that was me. From the beginning, I was willing to work with government authorities because it seemed quite clear to me that there needed to be prosecutions for the crimes described in the Panama Papers. More than any other, the German government assured me that it would keep me and my family safe; and after some time, we were able to work out an arrangement that seemed fair. Unfortunately, the German government violated its agreement soon after, and from my vantage point, put my safety at risk. Regrettably, I would not recommend that others trust the assurances of the German state. According to media reports, you were rewarded with 5 million euros. Why are you unhappy with the German Federal Police? There were three major problems. First, once the German Federal Police had the data, I was essentially left on my own to defend myself with no protection of any sort. I felt this was unwise as the threat to my safety did not diminish at all, and, if anything, increased. Not long after, there was an FSB-linked murder in Berlin in broad daylight. That could have been me. Second, the German government did not actually honour the financial arrangement that we agreed to. That caused additional problems that jeopardized my safety. Third, the German Federal Police have repeatedly turned down the opportunity to analyse more data about the offshore world beyond the Panama Papers, which is frankly shocking. So, you dont think the German authorities did enough to keep you safe? I want to be fair to them. They did offer some small degree of protection, but this is a type of situation where it only takes one mistake to yield a disastrous and irreversible result. For a number of reasons, I was not comfortable with their overall approach, especially as time went on. If the German government had truly appreciated the importance of the Panama Papers, I am confident that it would have been handled much differently. What exactly did you want from the BKA? Witness protection? A new identity? Or more money? I can only say, that they have not honoured the financial arrangements we agreed to. German police have shared Mossack Fonseca data with dozens of countries but they limited it to data about citizens of the country in question. According to this logic, data about oligarchs could only be shared with Russian authorities, unless there are criminal investigations in other countries an absurd situation, especially given that these men have recently been sanctioned in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Unfortunately, neither the governments of Germany nor the United States have expressed much interest in the Panama Papers. Instead, they are focused on yachts. Frankly, yachts do not matter very much, beyond symbolic value. Offshore companies and trusts matter. Sanctions are one important tool but there are others. For example, the United States could raid some of the offshore incorporators offices on American soil to send the signal that this type of activity is no longer acceptable. It would be easy for them to do. But it hasnt happened. The Russian elite routinely hides ownership of luxury homes, yachts, jets and other assets through complex offshore arrangements. How can this be stopped? I think the Western world viewed Vladimir Putin as a nuisance for a long time, but one that they could control with economic incentives. Obviously, that has not worked. It would take a truly extraordinary effort, a kind of modern-day Manhattan Project, where the goal would be the untangling of the enigmas of the offshore world. Certainly, the computational capacity to do this exists. The question is whether the political will does. So far, I have not seen much evidence. Why do you think we havent seen a major Russian whistleblower yet? Even given some requisite amount of bravery, it also takes a certain degree of freedom to become a whistleblower. Someone has to be there to listen and there must be at least some desire to make change. Apart from the fact that Putin murders and imprisons the brave, its very hard to find that kind of freedom in a place like Russia. Edward Snowden is trapped in Russia. Even though he criticizes Putins government as being corrupt, he cannot leave the country because he would face trial in the U.S. Snowden is just one puzzle piece in an information war Russia has been waging against the United States for most of the past century. If the American intelligence community has evidence against him, it should lay it out for all to see. If they do not, President Biden should pardon him and welcome him home. Its really that simple. How satisfied are you with the impact of the leak? I am astounded with the outcome of the Panama Papers. What ICIJ accomplished was unprecedented, and I am extremely pleased, and even proud, that major reforms have taken place as a result of the Panama Papers. The fact that there have been subsequent journalistic collaborations of similar scale is also a real triumph. Sadly, it is still not enough. I never thought that releasing one law firms data would solve global corruption full stop, let alone change human nature. Politicians must act. We need publicly accessible corporate registries in every jurisdiction from the British Virgin Islands to Anguilla to the Seychelles to Labuan to Delaware. Now. And if you hear resistance, that sound you hear is the sound of a politician who must be sacked. Since 2016, thousands of Panama Papers stories have been published. Are there any you think the world still needs to see? There are so many untold stories. One that comes to mind is a trust with yellow paper checks that was likely set up for a drug cartel by a Colombian consulting firm, in which a large American Bank appears to have allowed direct use of its correspondent bank account with a bank in Panama. Payees names were typed on these checks with a typewriter. To call this arrangement unusual would be an understatement they might as well have issued checks made out of actual red flags. Edward Snowden once mentioned your case as being the best-case scenario for a whistleblower: You created big impact and are still unknown and free. Is that also how you see your role? I count myself as incredibly lucky that everything has worked out as well as it has, even if nothing is perfect. Remaining unknown has had the obvious benefit of keeping me relatively safe, but there has been a cost as well, which is that I have not been able to keep the issue in the public eye the way that Edward Snowden did regarding the NSA wiretapping revelations. Of course, he paid with his freedom to some degree. There are always tradeoffs. What has your leak taught you about whistleblowing? I would say the most important thing is that my example shows that it is possible, although perhaps rare, to make a major difference and still maintain a good life. But it takes a lot of work and a lot of luck to stay one step ahead. Is there anything you would recommend to potential whistleblowers? Telling the truth about sensitive matters is never easy. I would say that an underappreciated factor is just how difficult it is to keep a level head. Whether you are talking to journalists or government authorities, be prepared for everything to move very slowly. Its important to just breathe and find other things to think about from time to time. If you could turn back time, would you blow the whistle again? In a heartbeat. International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) brought the amazing Panama-Papers-team together. Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has dismissed the efforts and ambition of his opponent from the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi. Mr Obi, he said, made a mistake by leaving the PDP and stands very little chance of winning the presidential election in 2023. Atiku stated this during an interview with Arise TV on Friday. Mr Obi, who is the flag bearer of the LP, was also a presidential aspirant on PDPs platform before he dumped the party. He left PDP three days to the its presidential primary, citing developments in the party as his reason for leaving. Unfortunately, recent developments within our party makes it impossible for me to continue participating and making constructive contributions, he said in a letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu. The former Anambra State governor was Atikus running mate in the 2019 presidential election. Support for Mr Obi, as LP candidate in the 2023 poll, has been loud and dominated by Nigerian youth especially on the social media. They have tagged themselves OBIdients. He also recently unveiled Yusuf Baba-Ahmed as his running mate. Hope for a miracle In his interview, Atiku dismissed the large following that the former governor has amassed, noting that they were nowhere to be found during the just concluded Osun State gubernatorial election. He also dismissed fears that activities of the LP would hurt the votes of the PDP at the presidential polls. I really dont expect the Labour Party to take much votes from the PDP as people are speculating. They have no structure at all levels, with no governor, and lawmakers. It will take a miracle for Labour Party with no structure in the grassroots to win the election. They had said through the social media they have one million votes in Osun State but how many votes do they have in real life? In the northern part of the country, about 90 per cent of people dont have access to the social media. Most of the electorate are not on social media, he said. Atiku also said Mr Obi did not consult him before leaving the PDP. He only informed me three days after he announced for Labour Party. Atiku is among many Nigerians who have criticised the OBIdient movement for being overly confident and having no structure in the grassroots. Sam Amadi, a political analyst, had said while Atiku is right to dismiss the efforts of Mr Obi (being a presidential candidate talking about an opponent), he noted that the votes of the Labour Party at the poll might hurt the chances of the PDP in some states. He, however, said with the support for Mr Obi, what to expect is the Obama effect where the new set of voters are dominated by the youth who are determined to vote for a change. He added that while it may not be possible now, it could work in the future. Among other things, Mr Obi has promised to revive the nations economy, if elected president in 2023. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, ordered the remand of a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, over alleged N109 billion fraud charges. This was after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arraigned Mr Idris alongside three others Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited. They all pleaded not guilty to the 14 charges when read to them during the hearing before the trial judge, O A. Adeyemi-Ajayi. Earlier before the defendants took their plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asked the judge to grant the prosecution leave to prefer a criminal charge under section 109 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) (ACJA) against them. The judge, Ms Adeyemi-Ajayi, granted the application as prayed by the prosecution. Then a court official read out the 14 counts, which the defendants denied. Request for bail After the pleas of the defendants were taken, Mr Idris lawyer, Chris Uche, also a senior advocate, made an oral application for the bail of his client. However, Mr Jacobs opposed oral bail application, insisting that it must be done in writing. But Mr Uche pleaded for the release of his client pending the filing of a written application for his bail. He urged the court to consider that the defendants had been on administrative bail granted him by the EFCC. Since there is no complaint that they have breached any of the conditions, they should be allowed to continue on that bail, Mr Uche said. In a ruling, the judge held that the court is not a puppet to dance to the rhythm of public opinion. In the interest of justice for all, they are remanded in prison custody, Ms Adeyemi-Ajayi said. The suit was adjourned until July 27 for the hearing of the defendants bail application. Backstory PREMIUM TIMES reported in May how Mr Idris was apprehended in Kano, following his refusal to honour EFCCs invitation concerning alleged fraud investigation. Subsequently, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, informed Mr Idris of his suspension, in a letter dated May 18. His suspension is without pay, Mrs Ahmeds letter stated. The suspension, Mrs Ahmed said, was in line with Public Service Rules to give room for proper and unhindered investigation. This paper reported in June how the anti-graft agency confiscated multi-billion naira assets linked to Mr Idris suspected proceeds of crime. Charges Count one of the charges filed against Mr Idris and others reads, That you, Ahmed Idris, between February and December, 2021 at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation, accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 ( Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo), which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing States in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section. Count eight reads, That you, Ahmed Idris, while being the Accountant General of the Federation, and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation, between February and November 2021, at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990. Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said the committee set up to choose a running mate for him, did not recommend the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. The committee, rather recommended three candidates and there was no record of voting, he said. He made this statement in an interview with Arise TV. His comments contradicts the words of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who chaired the panel. Shortly after Mr Atiku emerged the presidential candidate of the PDP, the party set up a 17-member panel to help him pick a suitable running mate at his request. The Ortom-led panel had deliberated and considered three Southern governors, namely Mr Wike, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State. There were reports that the panel, through a vote, settled for and recommended Mr Wike as the vice-presidential candidate. But Mr Atiku would go ahead to name Mr Okowa as his running mate a move which angered Mr Wikes camp and Mr Ortom. READ ALSO: At the unveiling, Mr Atiku had said he chose Mr Okowa because he is someone who understands the challenges the country is facing and is ready to start work from day one. He had also described Mr Okowa as one who is presidential and could work in his absence. This has cause a crisis in the party, with speculations that Mr Wike, feeling betrayed, could work against the party in the 2023 polls. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Rivers State governor ignored all attempts by Mr Atiku to meet with him. Many members of the party, including Mr Ortom, have asked Mr Atiku to reconcile with Mr Wike. In another interview, Mr Ortom had even said Mr Atiku owes the committee an explanation and an apology for going against their recommendation. Ortoms words not fact While Atiku described Mr Wike as a brilliant, courageous and tenacious person with a future, he said the latter was not rejected as speculated. He also said he has been trying to reach Wike and dismissed reports that he ignored the panels recommendations. The committee deliberated. But there was no vote and they recommended three names for me to choose because they know it is my prerogative. Ortom chaired the panel and he knows. What Ortom said was inaccurate. There was no record of any vote. While he maintained that he is still reaching out to Mr Wike, the presidential hopeful assured that the crisis in the party will be resolved soon. The Abakaliki Division of the Federal High Court, on Friday, struck out a suit by Governor David Umahi seeking to be recognized as the Ebonyi South Senatorial District candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC). The court held that the APC erred in conducting another primary without including the name of the runner-up in the first primary after the winner of the first primary withdrew from the race. The governor, through his counsel, Roy Umahi, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and asked the court to compel the commission to recognize the governor as the authentic candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial District. But Princess Agom-Eze, who came second in the first primary, on Tuesday, approached the court and urged it not to recognize Governor Umahi as the APC candidate. Mr Umahis counsel argued that the governor should be recognized as the senatorial candidate by INEC after the initial winner had withdrawn and another primary conducted. Austin Umahi (the governors younger brother), was the winner of the May 28 primary. When the first primary was held, the governor was still seeking to be the APC presidential candidate. After losing the APC presidential ticket, the governor returned to Ebonyi. His brother withdrew from the race and the second primary election was conducted on June 9 which was reportedly won by the governor unopposed. When INEC published the names of senatorial candidates in the state, it left that of Ebonyi South Senatorial District vacant. On Friday, the court disagreed with the governors submissions. Justice Fatun Riman ruled that INEC was right in rejecting the governors name as candidate of the party. It held that APC cannot conduct a valid second primary without including the name of Mrs Agom-Eze who placed second in the first primary. The court further urged the party to conduct another primary election within 14 days. Reacting, Governor Umahi accused Mrs Agom-Eze of misleading the judge. He made the accusation in a statement by his Special Assistant on Strategy, Chuks Oko. The judge was misled by Ann Agom Eze who lied on oath that she never withdrew from the contest. With this false information and the misleading of the learned judge, the pronouncement of the court was that there should be a rerun election within fourteen days where all the parties should participate. Ann Agom Eze and her PDP collaborators are ignorant of the wordings of section 115 of the electoral law they are quoting as the governor was never a candidate in any two elections as they are oblivious of the difference between a candidate and an aspirant. INEC has yet to react to the ruling as of the time of this report. A former Director of State Security Services (SSS), Mike Ejiofor, has faulted the plan by the federal government to ban the use of motorcycles across the country. Mr Ejiofor stated this on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, told journalists after the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) at the State House on Thursday that the government was considering a ban on motorcycles and mining activities to curb insecurity in the country. Placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities will cut the supply of logistics to the terrorists, Mr Malami said. The terrorist groups in the North-east and some other parts of the country reportedly carry out their operations using motorcycles. Although he acknowledged that the ban is a mere proposition, Mr Ejiofor argued that such a decision will have negative socio-economic implications for the people. So, if you ban the use of motorbikes in such areas (areas prone to terrorist attacks) one can understand it but if you put a blanket or overall ban in the country, I think its going to cause a lot of socio-economic problems, he said. He, however, said if the government must go ahead with the plan, it must provide alternative means of transportation or risk an increase in crime rate across the country. On the proposed ban on mining activities, he commended the federal government for establishing the link between illegal mining and operations of bandits in states like Zamfara. Mr Ejiofor said mining, which should be undertaken exclusively by the federal government, is now being carried out by illegal miners and has therefore become a breeding ground for the enemies of the state. He said the government was aware of illegal mining but did not take action to halt it. Theres no way the federal government, with its intelligence, will tell me that it is not aware of all those illegal mining sites. But the question is, what action is going to be taken by the government?, the retired SSS director said. The police in Lagos have arrested five operatives of a fake Corporate Affair Corporation (CAC) centre in the Alausa area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the operation was made possible on Thursday after a tip-off. Following a tip-off, painstaking background check and verification, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have busted a fake Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) centre in Jobi Fele Way, Alausa Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, the statement read. Five suspects manning the centre were equally arrested for forgery and impersonating CAC officials. Those arrested include Gloria Ukaegbu aged 28, Omolere Kayode aged 30, Taiwo Ajayi aged 34, Nwachukwu Brenda aged 27 and Oluwatomisin Adebisi aged 25. The police said that the operation was led by Olayinka Egbeyemi, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) commander. Mr Hundeyin said they recovered several forged CAC documents, a Toyota Sienna and a Toyota Matrix used by the impersonators for their activities. Preliminary investigation reveals that the syndicate has swindled over hundreds of people through fake CAC registrations, he said. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc has directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti for further investigations and eventual prosecution. Yezidu Abdullahi, 22, who allegedly slit the throat of a motorcyclist, causing his death, was on Friday docked at an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos. The defendant who appeared on a two-count charge of murder and stealing also allegedly robbed another of his motorcycle at knifepoint. On the charge of murder, his plea was not taken. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the second charge of stealing. The prosecutor, Julius Babatope, told the court that the accused had committed the offences on June 30, in the Agbowa area of the state. The prosecutor alleged that the accused had used his knife to slit the throat of one Hassan Sanni, now deceased, after robbing him of his motorcycle which he later converted to his own before being caught. The defendant had posed as a passenger and had boarded the motorcycle of the deceased, on reaching a particular spot, he pulled out his knife and slit the throat of the rider and absconded with his motorcycle, he said. Mr Abdullahi had also allegedly robbed Adeyemi Femi, with a knife, of his Bajaj motorcycle valued at N365,000. The alleged offences contravene Sections 223 and 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Section 223 prescribes the death sentence for convicts while 297 stipulates a three-year jail term. The magistrate, M. Ajayi, ordered the remand of the defendant at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility, pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and adjourned the case until September 19 for advice. (NAN) Fifteen out of 18 political parties in Nigeria are jostling for the governorship seat of Lagos State, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. NAN reports that this was contained in details of candidates and political parties contesting the number one seat in the state, published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Friday. The political parties contesting the Lagos governorship election in 2023 are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party (A), African Action Congress (AAC), and African Democratic Congress (ADC). Also contesting are the African Democratic Party (ADP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Young Progressive Party (YPP). Others are the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Boot Party (BP). NAN correspondent who monitored the publication at the INEC office observed that 396 candidates of different parties would also be contesting for the 40 seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Section 29 of the Electoral Act provided that the publication must be made by INEC within seven days of receipt of the form from political parties at the constituency where the candidate intended to contest the election. The publication, on Friday, indicated that 16 out of the 18 political parties would participate in the state house of assembly election in 2023. NAN, however, reports that only APC, PDP, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and ADP fielded candidates for all the 40 seats in the state parliament. Political parties that fielded candidates in at least 10 of the 40 state constituencies for the house of assembly election were: AA (38), AAC (20), ADC (37), BP (34), and SDP (36). The statistics showed that APP and NRM fielded candidates in nine state constituencies each while YPP, PRP, Accord and APM fielded candidates in five, four, three and one state constituencies respectively. Meanwhile, Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) did not have governorship candidates in the publication. Similarly, APGA and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) did not have candidates for the state house of assembly elections. Speaking to NAN on the development, Kemi Oyedotun, INECs Acting Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Lagos State, said the list of political parties and the particulars of candidates participating in the house of assembly election had been published in the Local Government Offices of INEC in the various constituencies. Mrs Oyedotun urged eligible residents to turn out in large numbers to get registered in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) before the expiration on July 31. She said the commission had included weekends in all the registration centres to capture as many as possible before the deadline. According to her, registered voters who are yet to pick up their old and new Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) should try to do so across INEC LGA offices before it would be too late. NAN reports that INEC on Friday published the personal particulars of candidates nominated by their political parties for the 2023 governorship and state assembly elections in all the constituencies nationwide. The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, had appealed to citizens and aspirants to seize the opportunity to scrutinise the particulars of the candidates and seek judicial remedy for any observed violation of the law as provided in Section 29 of the Electoral Act 2022. (NAN) The pan-Yoruba Socio-cultural association, Afenifere, Ondo State chapter, has urged the National Assembly to reject the National Water Resources Bill, which was represented on June 29. The bill was presented for first reading by the Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli. The bill, which was introduced and rejected by the lawmakers during the 8th Assembly following public outcry, was reintroduced in the current 9th National Assembly in 2020 but faced adverse reaction from Nigerians, forcing the National Assembly to step it down. Afenifere, in a statement issued at the end of its Caucus meeting on Friday in Akure by Remi Olayiwola, the Publicity Secretary, said the reintroduction of the bill was an insult to Nigerians from all geopolitical divides. The association urged all the traditional rulers and political leaders from the state to work relentlessly against the bill. For the umpteenth time, a bill tagged the National Water Resources Bill, seeking to take over all inter-state rivers, and hydrological territory in all parts of the country has been tabled before the House of Representatives. Here is a Bill that had on two occasions in the 8th and 9th Assemblies failed to stand the test of time. Why should there be the desperation to bring the same Bill back to the House? It is simply another unholy way to enslave the people of this country, Afenifere stated. On the implication of the Water Resources Bill on the people, the association noted that states of the federation stand the risk of losing their identities and rights to the Federal Government. According to the association, while the majority of the people are requesting more decentralisation of government, the bill is seeking more responsibilities for the Federal Government. Afenifere noted that the National Water Resources Bill would have negative consequences and was a cunny actions being cleverly foisted on the nation, which must be resisted by well-meaning Nigerians. It stated that if the Federal Government had embarked on a restructuring of the country as canvassed by the leadership of Afenifere over the years, the re-introduction of the Water bill would not have been necessary. (NAN) The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), has urged his colleagues to use the long recess to study the new water resources bill. Mr Soli, who raised a point of order during plenary on Thursday, said the bill has been re-gazetted as instructed by the House and copies will be shared to members. He assured members that the bill will not be rushed through and members can use the long holiday to get opinions of constituents on the legislation. Background The bill, which was introduced in the 8th Assembly, caused outrage then as some Nigerians interpreted the proposed law as a power grab by the federal government. Prominent Nigerians who spoke against it included Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Human Rightts lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State. The bill was again introduced as an executive bill and passed in 2020. However, the decision on the bill was rescinded by the House two months after a motion was moved by Ben Mzondu (PDP, Benue). Mr Mzondu faulted the process of reconsidering the bill, noting that it was not properly passed. On June 29, the bill was reintroduced by Mr Soli, who promised that it is a reviewed version with input from state governors. We will not be hasty to pass the bill Mr Soli assured his colleagues that he will not be part of any shenanigan that will put any community in Nigeria at disadvantage. I just want to inform the members now that the bill has been re-gazetted. Now Im calling on the clerk to please ensure that the bill goes to every member because of the importance of the bill and I call on my colleagues to please kindly take time and read that bill, and subject that bill to a third party. You have time now to subject that bill back home during our holidays. We will not take that bill in a haste. We will give every member the opportunity to look at that bill from clause one to the 154 clauses. Honestly, sincerely and I am talking on my honour and given the responsibility as the chairman of the Committee on Water Resources. I will not be party to any shenanigans, or any legislation that will impact negatively to any community in the us country. Retaining petrol subsidy will cost Nigeria nearly N7 trillion in 2023, the Nigerian government has said. The government disclosed this in its draft fiscal strategy paper for 2023 through 2025, presented by the Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning, Zainab Ahmed. The cost of making petrol cheaper for Nigerians has continued to rise for a country that produces crude oil but imports refined products. It is expected to reach N6.72 trillion next year if not scrapped, the finance ministry said. The government presented two scenarios in its fiscal paper, one involving the continuation of petrol subsidy payment and another assuming partial payment until subsidy is phased out in 2023. Scenario 1 the Business-as-Usual scenario: This assumes that the subsidy on PMS, estimated at N6.72 trillion for the full year 2023, will remain and be fully provided for, the document says. Scenario 2 the Reform scenario: This assumes that petrol subsidy will remain up to mid-2023 based on the 18-month extension announced in early 2021, in which case only N3.36 trillion will be provided for. Additionally, there will be tighter enforcement of the performance management framework for GOEs that will significantly increase operating surplus/dividend remittances in 2023. Petrol subsidy is billed to consume N4 trillion in 2022, a major cost for a country running a total annual budget of over N17 trillion, and projected revenue of N10 trillion. The cost of subsidy shot up recently as oil prices surge globally over the Russian war in Ukraine. The government had in January suspended its planned removal of subsidy after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) threatened to embark on mass protests. Mrs Ahmed at the time announced that the government would spend N3 trillion on subsidies in 2022. On 7 April, President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the National Assembly to make adjustments to the 2022 budget to raise the amount to N4 trillion after fuel prices rose in the international market. One of the clergymen who attended the unveiling of Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC, has reacted to the controversy that trailed their attendance. In a video posted on social media,, Igbokwe Prince, the senior pastor at Yoke Breaker Prophetic Ministry, Abuja, said they attended the event held at Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre on Wednesday, because of their respect for the position of the party on Muslim-Muslim ticket. He said most of the clergymen at the event had backed Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary of Christian Pilgrims Commission, as vice presidential candidate of the APC, but that when that option failed, they had to respect the decision of the APC on same faith ticket. Mr Prince said Christians should accept that APC took the decision to win the election. He warned that religion should not be mixed with his politics. Christian communities and Christian organisations I dont think they are political parties. What the party (APC) has done is in the best interest of the party because every political party wants to win an election. We protested severally, we supported Rev Yakubu Pam, a Christian, the Executive Secretary of the Christian Pilgrimage Board, to be fielded as a running mate, the party decided what is best for them to win the election. When you bring religion inside a political party, it will definitely not augur well not give them the edge to win an election, he said. Controversy PREMIUM TIMES reported how some men in cassocks on Wednesday attended the unveiling of Mr Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC. The presence of the cassock-wearing participants suggested some Christian leaders are in support of APCs Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in spite of opposition by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). CAN has since disowned the men, saying they were impostors hired by the APC to fake a Christian-community support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. However, the Tinubu Campaign Organisation, in a statement, debunked the claim of hiring the clergymen. Mr Tinubu had on July 10, in Daura, Katsina State, named Mr Shettima, a former Borno State governor and serving senator, as his running mate. Criticism continues to trail the decision of the party on the choice of Mr Shettima as running mate. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Friday said he assumes former president Olusegun Obasanjo has thrown his weight behind him for the 2023 general election. Atiku said this while responding to questions on Arise TV. He was Nigerias vice president between 1999 and 2007 when Mr Obasanjo was the president. Speaking on the rumoured animosity between the former President and himself, Atiku said he has been in touch with Mr Obasanjo even after emerging the partys flagbearer. He promised to continue building on the former presidents legacies if he emerges president. Speaking on the need for Mr Obasanjos support in the actualisation of his ambition, Atiku said, Why will I not need his support? He was my former boss. Of course, I will need his support. I assume I have it. The emergence of Atiku, a northerner, as the PDPs presidential candidate elicited controversy within the PDP, with some party chieftains insisting the ticket ought to have been zoned to the south. The former vice presidents decision to pick Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Rivers State as his running mate, further angered some party members who believed Nyesom Wike, the Rivers governor, was a better choice. In his interview with Arise TV, Atiku noted that he was already reaching out to the Rivers state governor, adding that all grievances in the party will soon be sorted by the party leaders. READ ALSO: We are talking to his(Wike) governor colleagues.I am very optimistic we are going to resolve our internal crisis and move on. Explaining how he picked his running mate, Atiku said, The committee that was set up at my own instance deliberated. There was no vote, and they recommended three names, because they knew it was my prerogative to pick anyone of the three. So, there was actually no vote. If anyone said they voted, Its not true. He, Governor Ortom himself, chaired that committee. He knew there was no vote taken, and I have the report of that committee. The committee recommended three people and I picked one. I did not go out of that recommendation. So, I think people should be fair to me and should also state the fact. Atiku, who described Mr Wike as an influential politician, was, however, silent on allegation of whether he promised to choose Mr Wike as his running mate of not. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for nearly five months now to protest the Nigerian governments failure to implement the agreements it entered with the union. University campuses have been deserted, as lecturers continue to shun the classrooms. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), a student body, has staged protests, at different times, asking the government and ASUU to find a common ground and reopen universities in the country. ASUU and the government are yet to reach a deal despite a series of meetings. Life has not been rosy for many of the lecturers who have not been receiving their salaries. PREMIUM TIMES spoke recently with lecturers in some universities in Nigeria to find out what they have been doing with their time while their schools remained shut down. Chidiebere Nwachukwu: (University of Nigeria, Nsukka). The strike has been hard on both students and the lecturers and even the entire university community. Everybody has been complaining about the impact of the strike. On our part as academics, it has also been very difficult. There are situations where both the husband and the wife are lecturers and so the family has no other means of livelihood apart from their salaries. Imagine the stress they have been going through to find food for their families. READ ALSO: But beyond that, the strike has afforded some of us the opportunity to carry out some research work. So, we have not been idle. I have used the last five months to engage in intellectual and academic exercises like research. Research has actually taken a lot of my time just like other lecturers. It has been a good time for us to invest in research, so that we can publish (them) in the hope that the published works will impact society, especially in making policies. In addition to research, we have also spent time writing books. Kingsley Izuogu: (Abia State University, Uturu): Well, for me, I have never relented. Even though I dont go for lectures, I have been doing my writing jobs. Within this period, I have sent well over six articles to international journals. And right now, I am working on a textbook which I entitled, Marketing Communication. So, I am not resting. But then, the financial aspect of it is excruciating, because if there was any notice, one would have said let me save for the rainy day. So, nobody thought that this industrial action would have lingered long. We felt, perhaps, given that the country was nearing an electioneering period, that they would have used that opportunity to settle on time. But we didnt know we were dealing with deaf and dumb. Edith U. Ohaja: (University of Nigeria, Nsukka) Ive been quite busy during this strike. I had some studies that were put on hold due to massive workload while students were in school. By Gods grace, Ive completed some and submitted them to the targeted journals. Ive been able to revise a few that have received favourable reviews and Ive sent them back to the journals for publication. So far, Ive got several new titles in my portfolio since the strike began. When school resumes and the cycle of teaching and marking scripts commences again, theres little time left daily to attend to ones research efforts, without which advancement as an academic is impossible. I also update my website (edithohaja.com) and social media pages, particularly on Facebook, with faith and inspirational posts, concise socio-political commentary and creative writing. Above all, I have ample time to think and pray. Our country is at a crossroads and we all need to be engaged one way or another in seeing to its rescue. Obiorah Edogor: (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State) I must say that the strike action embarked upon by lecturers is necessary to press home some urgent demands. But it goes with consequences and part of the consequences is that our major source of income has been stopped. So, personally, the way I cope (with it) is that when the strike started, I started engaging myself in some other things. You know I cannot take full-time employment elsewhere now. So, with my colleagues and friends and then the contacts I have, I do some professional communication consultancies, either writing for payment or speaking at occasions. From such, I get paid. And then, I am using this period to equally do my personal research work. I think the strike period is not a total waste for me. But I must say that I miss my students. I am not happy that our universities are closed. Faith Azubuike: (Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State) We have been depending on God to survive. I am trying to develop myself. Just self-development to learn some things that I need to learn. There are some academic stuff that I compiled during this period of ASUU strike. Like writing research and searching for funding bodies. Also reading books in my field to improve myself. K. C. Ubaku: (Imo State University, Owerri). For us lecturers, anytime we embark on strike, it is not usually easy. Someone like myself, it has not been easy with me. Although the government of Imo State is trying to make sure that our monthly remuneration is paid. They have not defaulted in that area, but staying indoors is not really easy. It has been very boring to all the lecturers here in Imo State University. Our experience here is different from those in federal universities. Within this period of the ASUU strike, I have been using the time to engage in research to the best of my ability. Outside the lecturing job, I dont have any other work I am doing. But some lecturers have been able to engage in businesses. So, for me, I have not really been doing anything that will improve my economic state. I have been conducting research. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the decision of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pick a Muslim presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate for the 2023 election. He wondered why the APC would decide to toe that line in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation like Nigeria. Atiku said this in an interview with Arise TV on Friday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, on July 10 announced Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno State and serving senator, as his running mate. Both Messrs Tinubu and Shettima are Muslims. He explained that his choice of Mr Shettima does not mean that he is insensitive to the religious concerns of many people. He said he chose the former Borno governor as his running mate because he believes he is the man who can help bring the best governance to all Nigerians. However, Mr Tinubus decision to appoint a fellow Muslim as his running mate has generated mixed reactions across the country. READ ALSO: Many Nigerians and organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), had warned political parties against having presidential tickets in which the candidate and the running mate are of the same religion. Issue with Tinubu On his part, Atiku said a Muslim/Muslim ticket has been his fundamental issue with Asiwaju from years ago even before the APC was formed. He also recalled how he opposed a Muslim/Muslim ticket when President Muhammadu Buhari emerged the APC flag bearer in 2015. I dont believe it is right for a country like Nigeria that is multi-ethnic and multi-religious. There should be a balance, he said. Atiku also said even though the APC vice-presidential candidate is from the North-east as himself, he (Atiku) stands a better chance of winning the election in that region. While he maintained that Mr Tinubu is his friend, he said they will always have political differences. Condemnations, applause Days after Mr Shettima was announced as Mr Tinubus running mate, some Christian political leaders in the APC rejected the partys decision to field the former Borno governor as the partys vice-presidential candidate. They described it as a display of crass insensitivity to the complexity of modern Nigeria and the entire Church. They said it is also a betrayal of the advocates of unity and peaceful co-existence with the Muslims including notable Imams who had forewarned the party and the candidate from traveling that treacherous route. Similarly, a former Secretary General of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, condemned the partys decision, describing it as satanic and an avenue for failure in 2023. Some prominent members of the APC, including the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege as well as lawmakers of the APC North-east caucus have hailed Mr Shettimas choice. They described it as an excellent choice. Both the partys National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu and President Muhammadu Buhari have since declared their support for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket. The party believes it is the best way to secure victory at the polls in 2023. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has asked Nigerians to disregard the controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Wase made the call on Thursday while receiving members of the Asiwaju Pact With Citizens Campaign Organisation, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at the National Assembly on Friday. The decision of the ruling party to field Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from the South-west and Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from North-east, has dominated discourse in the political arena in the last few weeks. Those who believe that Mr Tinubu should have picked a Christian running mate have vehemently opposed the choice of Mr Shettima. Even within the APC, Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal, Elisha Abbo, a senator from Adamawa, have both openly condemned it, while Daniel Bwala and Nollywood star, Kenneth Okonkwo, have resigned from the party in protest. Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been very vocal in its opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket. Same faith tickets have worked in NASS Wase While speaking on the same faith ticket, Mr Wase said the Senate has had David Mark, a Christian from North-central and Ike Ekweremadu, a Christian from South-east in charge of the Senate for eight years without rancour. Mr Wase said in the 9th House, he and the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, are both Muslims and there has not been any record of religious intolerance. We have had a Christian/Christian Senate President and Deputy Senate President for eight good years in the National Assembly. READ ALSO: We have a Muslim/Muslim ticket in the House of Representatives, as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, I dont know how many people we have converted so far if it is about religion, he said. The deputy speaker added that those at the forefront of criticising the Muslim-Muslim ticket are seeking an easy way to power. He said it is not about sentiment and emotion, but competence and capacity to deliver dividends of democracy to power. Mr Wase said none of the other candidates has the record and pedigree of the former Lagos State governor, adding that several ministers serving in the current federal administration are disciples of Mr Tinubu. So, some of these sentiments and emotions that are being expressed are done by those who want to gain cheap access to power and cause confusion in the society. What we should be after is the competence that will give us the best. He has built political tents for years. There is no segment of the society that you will go to that you will not have someone he has helped. I have not seen any candidate in any of the political parties that can match his achievements, he said. Mr Wase further said that as governor of Lagos State, Mr Tinubu gave Nigerians from different parts of the country the opportunity to serve. Earlier, the convener of Asiwaju Pact With Citizens Campaign Organisation, Dominic Alancha, said the organisation is a platform that seeks to rally round Nigerians towards the growth and development of the country by addressing key issues across all sectors of the economy. He informed the deputy speaker that the national executive of the group, after careful appraisals of his commitment to the Asiwaju/Shetima project, has appointed him as the chairman of its National Advisory Council (NAC). The judge handling the N7.1 billion money laundering case involving a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, on Friday, signalled the possibility of sanctioning the prosecuting lawyer. The trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, of the Federal High Court in Abuja, gave the indication in a ruling ordering the senior lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, to show cause why he should not be disqualified from further prosecuting the case. Mr Ekwo gave Mr Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and long-time private prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seven days to file a written application to that effect. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the judge gave the order while delivering a ruling on a motion filed by the senior lawyers chambers seeking a transfer of Mr Kalus trial to the Lagos division of the court. Mr Ekwo, who dismissed the application for the transfer of the case from him to the Lagos division, held that Mr Jacobs and his team engaged in gross abuse of court process in the way and manner they were prosecuting the case. He recalled that the prosecution had written twice to the Chief Judge of the Federal Court requesting the transfer of the case and the requests were declined. He said the counsel ought to abide by the decision of the court. The judge added that there ought to be consequences for such and application that had affected the actual time of proceedings on the substantive matter which order was given since May 2020. The learned counsel for the prosecution is hereby ordered to give reasons within 7 days of this order, to this court why an order ought to be made disqualifying him from handling this matter henceforth. The court will make further orders concerning the re-trial once the issue of the prosecution is determined, the judge said. The judge ruled that the motion on notice to be filed by Mr Jacobs would be adopted on October 31 during which the court would determine the fate of the senior lawyer, one way or the other. Mr Kalu, a serving senator representing Abia North, was tried alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Udeh Udeogu, a Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House during Mr Kalus tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007. In December 2019, they were convicted for diverting N7.1 billion from the Abia States coffers. Mr Kalu was jailed 12 years, his co-defendant Udeh Udeogu was also jailed 10 years, and Slok, Mr Kalus firm, was ordered to be wound up. Messrs Kalu and Udeogu were already serving their jail terms when the Supreme Court nullified the proceedings leading to their conviction in May 2020. The Supreme Court, on 8 May 2020, nullified the proceedings leading to the defendants conviction, and ordered a retrial of the case. Mr Orji Kalu, who is the incumbent Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, got out of prison based on the apex courts judgement, but quickly filed an application before the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop his retrial. On September 29, 2021, Mr Ekwo, to whom the case was re-assigned, controversially barred EFCC from prosecuting Mr Kalu afresh. Mr Ekwo, who also exempted Mr Kalus firm, Slok Nigeria Limited, from the fresh trial, ordered that EFCC should only proceed against Mr Udeogu. EFCC subsequently filed an application, anchored on five grounds, for the transfer of the case to the Lagos division of the court. One of the grounds is that the Abuja division of the court lacks the requisite territorial jurisdiction to entertain and try the defendants in respect of the charge. In its application, the anti-graft agency recalled that the charges were originally filed at the Federal High Court Abuja in 2007. The commission noted that the Supreme Courts previous ruling on the issue of territorial jurisdiction concerning the case had said many of the ingredients of the offences occurred in Lagos and that most of the proposed prosecution witnesses were residing in Lagos. It said it was the reason why the EFCC applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the matter to Lagos at the early stage of the case. Satisfied that many of the ingredients of the offences occurred in Lagos, the commission said, the Chief Judge transferred the case to Lagos division of the court where the defendants were prosecuted and judgment delivered in the matter. Ruling Meanwhile, the judge dismissed the request to transfer the trial to Lagos. He said his refusal was on the grounds that only the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho could take such a decision as provided by Section 98 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. There is no doubt that the provision of Section 98(1) of the ACJA, 2015 gives the Chief Judge discretion on transfer of criminal cases. I will not venture into how discretion is to be exercised in our jurisprudence as that has been adequately propounded in the respective written addresses in this case. According to the judge, it is my opinion that this application packs merit and I make an order dismissing same. The judge, however, held that the prosecution was at liberty to go back to the Supreme Court to seek a review of the order that remitted the trial back to the Federal High Court. He subsequently adjourned the matter until Oct. 31 for Jacobs to show cause. (NAN) The police on Friday raided Peoples Gazette newspaper offices in Abuja over a report in which a former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, was named. Witnesses say some police officers stormed the offices of the newspaper located at Plot 1095 Umar Shuaibu Avenue, and arrested John Adenekan, an assistant managing editor, and four other staff members of the medium. The four staffers are Ameedat Adeyemi, Grace Oke, Sammy Ogbu and Justina Tayani, who were still at the Utako Police Station as of the time PREMIUM TIMES visited the newspapers office. Residents of the building housing the newspaper confirmed the incident but said they did not know why the mediums staff members were arrested. A couple of them (police officers) stayed outside while about six went in. All I could see from my window was them taking some people away in their vehicles, a resident of the building told this newspaper. When asked if the security operatives created a scene before leaving, he said No, adding that the officers knew what they came for. The building housing Peoples Gazette has six flats. The five other flats are residential apartments. The Deputy Managing Editor of Peoples Gazette, Boladale Adekoya, told PREMIUM TIMES the staff members were arrested over a story detailing how anti-graft ICPC raided a property and recovered cash and luxury items. Mr Adekoya said the officers originally came for Managing Editor Samuel Ogundipe and reporter Adefemola Akintade, but neither of them was around during the raid. When they arrived, they met the secretary and they said they have a warrant to arrest our ME and one of our reporters. Our secretary was trying to explain to them that the ME is not around when they shoved her aside and started going into our offices one after the other. The ME they came for was not around. In fact, he is not even in the country. So, being the most senior person on ground, they arrested Mr Adenekan and left. After some minutes, they came back to pack everybody. They arrested two corps members with us, an intern who is more like our office assistant and the secretary, he said. ALSO READ: Online newspaper accuses Nigerian govt of disrupting access to its website Mr Adekoya said the police officers came from Utako Divisional Police Station and that the arrest warrant they presented did not identify a specific person. On the controversial report, he said Mr Buratai has been pushing Peoples Gazette to pull it down. The newspaper had on June 23 published a report claiming that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission raided a property in Abuja belonging to Mr Buratai during which multibillion-naira cash and Rolex watches were recovered. The ICPC later described the report as inaccurate and concocted, saying its investigation did not link Mr Buratai to the property it raided. The former Army chief also told PREMIUM TIMES, through an associate, that the ICPC did not at anytime raid his property or recover any item from him. He challenged those who claimed his property was raided to provide evidence that such an enforcement action happened. Mr Ogundipe, in a Twitter post, condemned the raid on his newspapers office and the arrest of staff members. He accused the Muhammadu Buhari-led government of unwarranted onslaught against his staff members. Muhammadu Buhari may cry about what and what shouldnt be his legacy, but this unwarranted onslaught on our journalists today, one of many we have suffered since we launched PG in September 2020, will forever live in infamy for his despotic regime, he said. The lawyer to Peoples Gazette, Inibehe Effiong, faulted the police for raiding his clients business premises and arresting its staffers. They claim they only invited them for interrogation but if that is so, how did they end up being detained? Mr Inibehe said. Also why did they need to raid the papers offices to invite them for questioning? EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated with additional information. Eight suspects have been arrested in connection with the beheading of an Anambra lawmaker, Governor Charles Soludo has said. The slain lawyer, Okechukwu Okoye, 44, represented Aguata 2 Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly. He was beheaded six days after he was abducted by gunmen in May. Mr Okoyes aide, Cyril Chiegboka, who was abducted with him, was also killed. Mr Soludo said eight of the suspected killers have been arrested. Mr Soludo disclosed this on Friday during a burial ceremony of the lawmaker at St. Patricks Catholic Church, Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Christian Aburime. Mr Soludo said his administration would not rest on its oars until the criminals involved in the lawmakers beheading are brought to justice. The governor condoled with the lawmakers family and members of the state assembly and asked communities in the state to intensify support to the state government in the fight against criminals. These people are not unknown gunmen. They live among our people, some of them have families and operate from various communities. We need you to help us identify them so that they can face justice, Mr Soludo said. He disclosed that the Anambra Assembly had written to the Independent National Electoral Commission concerning the vacuum caused by the killing of the lawmaker, adding that there will be a by-election soon to elect a new lawmaker. The governor promised that all entitlements due to the slain lawmaker would be paid to his family. Worsening insecurity Like other states in Nigerias South-east, insecurity has deteriorated in Anambra State lately with frequent attacks by armed men. The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied the accusation. The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which they want carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria. The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism. Non-state actors killed 645 people in Kaduna between January and June 2022,the Kaduna State government has announced. The state government made this disclosure during the release of a security report on violent conflicts in the state on Friday. The report stated that the deceased were killed in terror attacks, communal clashes, and tit-for-tat attacks. The states Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement said about one-third of those killed (234) were killed in Southern Kaduna. In the first six months of 2022, 645 people lost their lives in such circumstances across the State; 234 of these occurred in the Southern Kaduna area, Mr Aruwan said at a public presentation of peace reports on inter-religious harmony. All of these portend the near-total collapse of the local economy in frontline areas, which is mainly sustained by crop and livestock farming. Residents have been dispossessed of their foremost means of sustenance. Vibrant weekly markets have been disrupted, Mr Aruwan said. In 2021, non-state actors killed 1,192 people across the state. At least, 406 among the deceased were killed in the restive Southern part of the state. Below is the full statement by the Kaduna state government REMARKS BY SAMUEL ARUWAN, COMMISSIONER, MINISTRY OF INTERNAL SECURITY AND HOME AFFAIRS, KADUNA STATE AT THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF PEACE REPORTS (SOUTHERN KADUNA PILOT PEACE PROJECT ON INTER-RELIGIOUS HARMONY, KADUNA STATE, AND DEEP DIVES PEACE DIALOGUE, PLATEAU STATE) BY THE GIDEON AND FUNMI PARA-MALLAM PEACE FOUNDATION AND THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION. PROTOCOL Her Excellency, the British High Commissioner Chairman of the occasion, General Martin Luther Agwai Dr Gideon and Professor Fumi Para-Mallam Invited guests from Kaduna and Plateau States Ladies and gentlemen I am happy to be here for this presentation of two very important peace reports emanating from specific projects in Kaduna and Plateau states. Besides the rural banditry confronting most states in the Northwest, another layer to the general insecurity is violence stemming from a lack of recourse to the law in some mixed communities. Grievances and mutual distrust in these areas are fed into the intermittent attacks by armed bandits, leading to reprisals, and cycles of ethno-religious or political violence. Clashes between farming communities and herder communities also add a critical dimension to insecurity, as they can trigger conflict directly, or spiral into the involvement of armed criminals. The Kaduna State Government is acutely aware of the devastating impact that conflict and violence have had on communities. In 2021, 1,192 people lost their lives in Kaduna State due to banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, violent attacks and reprisals; 406 of these lives were lost in the Southern Kaduna general area, mostly through killings and counter-killings. In the first six months of 2022, 645 people lost their lives in such circumstances across the State; 234 of these occurred in the Southern Kaduna area. Besides the loss of life and limb, there are the grim socio-economic effects of violence, eroding the viability of affected communities. Food insecurity is a close reality in frontline areas where farmers are threatened and attacked by bandits. The situation also presents a persistent threat to education; students and teachers have been attacked in several incidents over the last 18 months. Healthcare delivery has been affected, as health workers and facilities in frontline locations face the threat of marauding bandits. All of these portend the near-total collapse of the local economy in frontline areas, which is mainly sustained by crop and livestock farming. Residents have been dispossessed of their foremost means of sustenance. Vibrant weekly markets have been disrupted. Amidst all of these, the Kaduna State Government has remained unrelenting in its initiatives for peace and participatory security management, through the Kaduna State Peace Commission. Relative stability is now enjoyed in many usually turbulent communities in the Southern Kaduna area. It has been very pleasing to hear of the recent peace accord instituted between the Fulani and Irigwe groups in Bassa local government area of Plateau State. These are two groups that populate the stretch between Kauru LGA in Kaduna State and Bassa LGA of Plateau State, with the frequency and intensity of clashes bringing real concern over the last few years. Following this encouraging development on the Plateau State end of things, the Kaduna State Government will follow through with a similar accord involving the groups in Kauru local government area, to ensure an all-encompassing peace in the general area between the states. I wish to reiterate our appeal for the establishment of a Theater Command in the Northwest, similar to what obtains in the Northeast, so that the banditry and terrorism permeating the Northwestern states and some Northcentral states will receive more dedicated action, added to existing kinetic and non-kinetic efforts. Furthermore, we appeal for an extension of the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force to cover international borders spanning the Northwest and Northcentral parts of the Country, from their existing operations in the international borders around the Northeast sector. Setting up the Theater Command to cover the Northwest and Northcentral and the extension of the Multinational Joint Task Force Operations to these zones, will go a long way in enhancing existing efforts, and also help in curtailing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. I conclude with the Kaduna State Governments commitment to the promotion of peace and building of bridges between our erstwhile opposed groups. Along with our close collaboration with security agencies, and improved intelligence gathering, we will continue to nurture the spirit of hope and cooperation among all our residents. Through meaningful dialogue and positive action, we will continue to propel our State towards the vision of total safety, peace and security for our residents. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, to withdraw from the race. The party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said Mr Tinubu and the APC have committed too many atrocities towards Nigerians to want to continue in the race. The party condemned the APC for allegedly hiring street artisans, fraudsters and touts and criminally dressing them in bishops vestments to orchestrate an endorsement for its collapsing presidential campaign. It described the act as desperation by Mr Tinubu in the face of APCs collapsing leadership, membership and followership structure across the country. The PDP was reacting to pictures and videos of some people in cassocks who attended Kashim Shettimas unveiling as the APC vice-presidential candidate on Wednesday. Their presence had triggered outrage among many Nigerians. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had tagged them as fake. The PDP said with this act, Mr Tinubu, has lost all moral standing to seek election as president while still battling allegations of alleged perjury, non-existent certificate and extortions. More sickening is the outcry by the hirelings that they were defrauded by agents of the APC Presidential candidate, who paid them sums ranging from N30,000 to N40,000 as against the N100,000 they were earlier promisedNigerians now know the individual who has been the planner and executor of the lies, false promises and corruption of the APC that have brought disunity, excruciating hardship, mass killings and political instability in the country in the last seven years, the party said. The PDP also mocked the ruling party for devaluing the naira at the current price of N665 to a Dollar today as well as the rising debt profile. Millions of businesses, the party said, have been shut down due to harsh economic policies and high costs of fuel, unemployment, cost of food items, medication and other essential services. Tinubus defeat at home The PDP also mocked Mr Tinubu for losing out at the just-concluded governorship election in Osun State. Stating that the people of the state rejected him, the party called on Mr Tinubu to abandon his presidential ambition. PDPs sweeping victory and the spontaneous jubilation across our country are direct statements by Nigerians on their resolve to stand on the platform of the PDP to free themselves from the agonizing stranglehold of the lying, cruel and life-discounting APC and its presidential candidate. The APC presidential candidate and his party should know that it is in his own interest to withdraw from the race as it will be futile to go into an election in which the will and aspiration of the people are manifestly against him and the APC. Asiwaju has no political fighting chance in the face of the soaring popularity of PDPs very competent, candid, transparent, people-oriented and much more prepared Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar at the poll. The police in Enugu State have foiled attempts by gunmen to attack a police facility in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. He said police operatives foiled the attack at about 6 p.m. on Thursday. Mr Ndukwe said the criminals, operating in black Hilux van and Toyota highlander SUV vehicles, stormed the facility in large numbers and attempted to attack the area, before the police responded. The hoodlums shot sporadically at the station, with the operatives returning fire, forcing the criminal elements, many of suspected to have sustained gunshot wounds, to escape, he said. The police spokesperson said there was no loss of police personnel in the attack. The general public and owners of medical facilities in the state have been enjoined to report any person(s) sighted with gunshot injuries to the nearest police station, Mr Ndukwe added. Increased attacks Enugu, like other states in Nigerias South-east, has witnessed an increase in deadly attacks lately. The latest incident comes less than one month after gunmen attacked a police checkpoint along Agbani Road in Enugu South Local Government Area of the state. Two officers were feared killed in that attack. ALSO READ: Gunmen bomb another police facility in Anambra Last month, another police officer was killed by gunmen who attacked a police checkpoint in Ibagwa-Ani, a community in the Nsukka Local Government Area of the state. Earlier last month, two police officers were also killed when gunmen attacked Mkpamte Community in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state. The State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, recently banned the operations of motorcycles and tricycles in some local government areas to check the frequent attacks in the state. The governor later lifted the ban following public outcry, and assurances from leaders of the transport operators to assist the government in bringing an end to the attacks. The attacks, mostly targeted at security officials and government facilities, have been attributed to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which is agitating for a sovereign state for the Igbo-speaking people in the South-east. The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is detained in Abuja where he is standing trial for terrorism. Comrade Abiodun Aremu, the ACIS-M leader, said: We desire a society that should displace the present unjust order, where the few super-rich reign in looted wealth, while the majority wallow in sub-human conditions... Citing the examples of Cuba and Venezuela, he added: Our common realities should be our uniting factors in Africa to struggle and recover our sovereignties that the various rulers in Africa have surrendered to the U.S. and Eurocentric neo-colonial domination. Social change does not descend from heaven. That was the basic message at an international conference on the Challenge of Building an Alternative Political and Socio-Economic System. Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency Clara Margarita Pulido Escandell, gave the opening address at the July 16 virtual conference to mark the 17th anniversary of the Nigeria-based Amilcar Cabral Ideological School-Movement (ACIS-M). While leading speakers from eight Latin American, North American and African countries, she submitted that the solution to biting world crises is the solidarity of the human race. Cuba, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when other countries shut their borders, had sent out over 3,000 doctors, nurses and other health personnel to 28 countries to combat the pandemic. She said human beings need solidarity even if it comes at an high cost, adding that solidarity is what Cubans have: In our gene, our blood and our hearts. Speaking of the pandemic for which the small island has produced five vaccine candidates with at least two in use, she said Cuba has vaccinated over 90 per cent of its entire population, including children. She described the current situation in Cuba as good because of the efforts to improve life, including the proposed new laws to expand family rights, and stem the effects of COVID-19 and a six-decade United States blockade of the island country a situation made worse by the piling of 240 extra sanctions on the country. In summarising her presentation, Ambassador Pulido said U.S. propaganda trying to portray Cuba as a failed state is false, adding that: In Cuba, we have peace and the government is led by the population. Yes, it is the people leading the government. His Excellency David Vasquez Caraballo, the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, submitted that there is the need to build a new international system in which countries would have the right to independence and sovereignty. He said there is a rearrangement of such political relations in Latin America, which has swept through countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia. On the realities in Venezuela, he said part of its problems was the Executive Order signed by then American President Barack Obama, which designated Venezuela as constituting an immediate and real threat to the U.S. Venezuela, he said, has been a victim of sweeping American sanctions, and has experienced mercenary terror and attacks on its power system but that the unity and commitment of the people led to it overcoming these hostile actions, to the extent that in 2021, it actually experienced good growth. Pratt said the Akufo government has also completely subjected the country to the dictates of the Western-controlled International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, regretting that the country now uses 128 per cent of its total revenue just to service debts. The country, he said, had been to these institutions 18 times with the same results of mass impoverishment. Comrade Imani Moja, representing the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), after whose founding leader, Amilcar Cabral, the ACIS is named, said people must recognise that the world is a global village, as fires in one part can spread to another. He said there are troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Guinea-Bissau but that they are primarily there to impose an undemocratic President on the country. He said that coups have been used against the PAIGC, which was the ruling party in the country and that just on May 16, President Umaro Embalo, now the Chairman of ECOWAS, sacked the National Assembly to keep the PAIGC, which controls it, out of power. The media, he declared, has also not been spared. He cited the case of Radio Capital, which he said was attacked in broad daylight. He also lamented that Africa does not have its own independent sources of information, forcing the continent to rely on the European and American news networks. Imani argued that just as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is co-ordinating the military forces in Europe, so does Africa need a similar co-ordinating force. Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the Convener of the Socialist Movement of Ghana, argued that the world is being recalibrated, saying the world we knew yesterday is not the world we know today and certainly would not be the world we will know tomorrow. He regretted that Ghana has become an American military satellite. Pratt said the Akufo government has also completely subjected the country to the dictates of the Western-controlled International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, regretting that the country now uses 128 per cent of its total revenue just to service debts. The country, he said, had been to these institutions 18 times with the same results of mass impoverishment. He cited the 1982/83 imposition of punishing IMF policies on Ghana, which resulted in mass sack, privatisation of public corporations, and a crumbling economy. Such policies, he said, did not work in Ghana and would not work in any African country. Pratt lamented that despite Ghana being the sixth largest producer of gold in the world, it remains very poor and, in fact, depends on foreign countries for its food needs. He said the time has come for African countries to transform their colonial economies into independent economies. The solution, Lefika said, is to create a peaceful, democratic system based on the needs of the people and the principles of social development, rather than on profit, private gain and inequality. She noted that global capitalism, which is based on accumulation, has pushed humanity into catastrophic climate change that may make parts of the world unhabitable. Lefika Chetty of South Africa said the country is caught in the crisis before crisis, trapping it in stagnation, partly as a result of state capture and corruption. The result, she said, is mass unemployment, high levels of violence and xenophobic tendencies. The solution, Lefika said, is to create a peaceful, democratic system based on the needs of the people and the principles of social development, rather than on profit, private gain and inequality. She noted that global capitalism, which is based on accumulation, has pushed humanity into catastrophic climate change that may make parts of the world unhabitable. Comrade Fatai of the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party of the U.S. said the colonial masters in Africa demonised socialism, which is a viable alternative to crippling capitalism, adding that the partys objective is to unite all of Africa along Pan-Africanist lines. Ambassador Brahim Buseif of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), also known as Western Sahara, in his solidarity message, thanked ACIS-M for being one of the founders and pillars of the Nigeria Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara. Dr Dipo Fashina, philosopher and former National President of Nigerian university academics, said what is crucial in liberating the continent is to tackle the ideological roots of liberalism and neoliberalism, so as to arm the African continent with the necessary tools for liberation. Comrade Abiodun Aremu, the ACIS-M leader, said: We desire a society that should displace the present unjust order, where the few super-rich reign in looted wealth, while the majority wallow in sub-human conditions. Citing the examples of Cuba and Venezuela, he added: Our common realities should be our uniting factors in Africa to struggle and recover our sovereignties that the various rulers in Africa have surrendered to the U.S. and Eurocentric neo-colonial domination. Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author. The sad operating assumption is that the presidential election, like the primary contests, will go to the highest bidder. For a struggling country with so much potential where the median age is 18, and which started the continental rallying cry #NotTooYoungToRun its a punch in the collective gut. K. Riva Levinson. For starters, Riva Levinson is a registered Washington lobbyist who honed her skills working for Donald Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. A few days ago, on July 16, Ms. Levinson penned an introspective piece on Nigerias 2023 presidential election titled Opportunity in crisis: The case of Nigeria, which was published in The Hill and from where the above quote originated. One normally would not pay any mind to the sermon of a paid Washington lobbyist in the mould of Ms. Levison. She belongs to the ignoble club of Western enablers of African kleptocrats. But then, every once in a while, the worst amongst us may say things that make sense and one might even learn a thing or two if we are accommodating enough to keep an open mind. Just so we know, Riva Levinson is not your run-of-the-mill American with a passing interest in Nigerias politics. She is much more than that. In fact, together with Ballard Partners, a firm founded by Florida-based lobbyist Brian Ballard, her firm, KRL International, was part of the American lobby team hired by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 presidential election. The goal was to help Nigerias former Vice President Atiku Abubakar navigate his path through the U.S. corridors of power, after a decade-old travel ban, when his name featured prominently in two corruption cases. In the aforesaid article, she lamented that like the primary contests, the Nigerian presidential election will go to two wealthy septuagenarians who mobilized dynastic, patriarchal political machines built over 30 years, to claim their partys top spot and are both dogged by charges of graft. I am so afraid that she is right on that score and mortified that her prediction may come to pass. Prior to the 2019 presidential election, the candidate of Nigerias main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took a trip to the United States in what one opinion writer dubbed, Atikus homecoming. After facing so many years of travel restrictions by the American authorities, Washington lobbyists and Trump loyalists with very little or no morals, made the former Vice President doll out a big chunk of cash in exchange for helping to convince the U.S. State Department to grant him a visa. Going by the writers account, however, Mr Atiku went there not for anything that has to do with Nigerias election at the time, but rather to fellowship with his friends from the International School of Corruption (ISOC), an institution he said was for the very powerful elites in the U.S., Nigeria and many other poor countries of Africa, who had sold their souls to the god of primitive acquisition. In February 4, 2010, the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation, following many years of meticulous inquiry, released a report titled, Keeping Foreign Corruption out of the United States: Four Case Histories. It was a damning report in which four powerful individuals from four different countries, all with links to the continent of Africa were indicted. The persons of interest included two Presidents, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and Omar Bongo of Gabon. Others were Pierre Falcone, a Frenchman and a notorious arms dealer, known for his close ties with former Angolan President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos and lastly, Nigerias former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. By December 2008, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had filed a formal complaint against Siemens AG, alleging that the German company, in 2001 and 2002, made a wire transfer to the tune of $2.8 million in bribe to a U.S. bank account in exchange for securing a lucrative telecommunications contract. That account was traced to Jennifer Douglas Abubakar, Atikus fourth wife. That was how the former Vice President became the subject of corruption investigation in the United States. In all, Nigerias Atiku, through his wife, a U.S. citizen, funneled slush funds in excess of $40 million into the United States, between 2000 to 2008. That included bribe payments from Siemens AG and over $38 million from some little-known offshore corporations listed as LetsGo Ltd. Inc., Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., and Sima Holding Ltd. Over that time period, Ms Abubakar opened over 30 accounts in U.S. banks, most of which were unaware of her status as a Politically Exposed Person (PEP). PEP is a U.S. banking lingo for someone who, through their prominent position or influence, is more susceptible to being involved in bribery or corruption. Atiku, of course, denied any wrongdoing but Siemens admitted to the bribe, pled guilty to criminal violations and paid over $1.6 billion in civil and criminal fines to the American government. Atiku has often been quoted in the media as stating that he became stupendously wealthy through wise investments, hard work and sheer luck of being at the right place at the right time. For about twenty years, until 1989, Atiku Abubakar worked in the Nigerian Customs Service, rising to the rank of Deputy Director. Following this, he then joined the private sector for ten years, before serving as Vice President of Nigeria under Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007. In February 2007, a Nigerian Senate Ad hoc Committee examined a report issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which found that Atiku had used his influence over Nigerias Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to fraudulently convert state funds in the amount of $145 million to promote business ventures for himself and his friends. The Committee subsequently called for him to be sanctioned for abuse of office, but as it is always the case in Nigeria, it was all useless noise followed by zero action. We continued with business as usual But how about the bullion King of Bourdillon? Well, much has been talked about the mystery surrounding the identity and person of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the flag bearer of Nigerias ruling party, who his admirers treat like a president in waiting. From his name, place of birth, his birth parents, the whole gamut is shrouded in utter mystery. Not that it should matter if the man was born rich or poor. It also makes little or no difference if he was originally from Iragbiji, Osun State or if Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji was his surrogate mother. None of those factors should disqualify him from seeking the highest political office in the land. What is most troubling is the reason why a presidential candidate would not answer the most basic question about who he is, in order to set the records straight. Instead, his handlers would move mountains and deploy every tool in their vast media arsenal, just to discredit anyone who dared ask those questions. Luckily, not everyone is intimidated by the Jagaban and his henchmen. David Hundeyin, a journalist in Nigeria today, decided to dig in and what he unearthed and published a few days ago, is to say the least disturbing. Vintage David, he didnt just conclude his findings with only the help he could get from Google, he breathed life into it with specific documents, supported by clear and convincing pictures. His account was not just detailed and compelling but he presented it in such a way that screams, I dare you to sue me if you believe my story is inaccurate. But trust the media savvy folks at the Jagaban-linked The Nation newspaper, Television Continental (TVC) and all. They have an iron dome that could neutralise any missile aimed at their principal. They had auditioned for this role and be rest assured that what would happen next is so predictable. In January 1992, a certain Bola Ahmed Tinubu would find himself the subject of a United States federal investigation. He was identified as a bagman for a drug trafficking ring run by two Nigerian, Adegboyega Mueez Akande and his nephew, Abiodun Agbele. The pair ran a drug cartel that distributed white heroin imported from Southeast Asia out of Chicago, Illinois and Hammond, Indiana, all in the United States. At the time, Tinubu was just starting out as a young Chicago State University-educated accountant, working as a treasurer for Mobil Oil Nigeria Ltd, with a monthly take home pay of $2,400. Yet, he was able to deposit $661,000 into his individual money market account in Chicagos First Heritage bank, back in 1990 and then another $1,216,500 a year later. Tinubu had claimed that he got his big financial break following a consultancy work he did for Deloitte & Touche, the American-based audit, consulting and advisory firm, where he supposedly was paid a $850,000 bonus from a single onsite engagement with the Saudi state-owned oil firm, Aramco. Mobil Oil Nigeria had told Kevin Moss, the U.S. Special Agent in charge of the case, that Tinubus role in the company never involved transferring large sums of money between banks and that it didnt keep deposits in any institution in the south suburbs of Chicago, where First Heritage was based. But another report showed that the said Tinubu controlled a business entity called Compass Finance and Investments Company Ltd., of which the drug barons Akande and Agbele were both directors. Although there was no evidence that Tinubu was ever indicted for any crime, he had to forfeit $460,000 to the U.S. Treasury Department after being named as an accomplice in a white heroin-trafficking and money-laundering ring that stretched from West Africa to the U.S. Midwest. Michael Weiss, a contributing editor to the US-based tabloid, Daily Beast first published a similar report on April 14, 2014. David Hundeyins investigation, however, was more extensive and his report much more detailed. He provided all the supporting documents. The above account is only but a snippet of what we know about the private and public dealings of two high contenders to our nations top job. Even an incurable optimist will have cause to worry that 2023 for sure is not looking any better than what we have been through in these past few years. Each time we try to convince ourselves that it cant get worse, it does actually get worse. At this point, I am unsure of any human being who can salvage Nigeria or if the mess after Buharis disastrous eight years is even salvageable. But if our choice is between an alleged international drug lord and also an alleged unrepentant kleptomaniac, we could as well sing Nunc Dimittis to this republic. Osmund Agbo, a public affairs analyst is the coordinator of African Center for Transparency and Convener of Save Nigeria Project. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.com The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday vacated the interim order that has for the past few weeks, stalled the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation project, following a suit instituted by Bionica Technologies (West Africa) Limited. Vacating the order, Justice I.E. Ekwo ruled that while the interim order, which he granted to the plaintiffs on June 17, 2022 had expired, it was necessary for the court to formally make a pronouncement to vacate the order. You will recall that a Nigerian company, Trade Modernisation Project Limited signed a 20-year concession agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria on May 30, 2022, to improve the business processes of the Service. The company, which is a Special Purpose Vehicle, is working with Huawei Technologies Limited as the Lead Technical Partner and the Africa Finance Corporation as the Lead Financier for the project. According to Justice Ekwo, it was imperative to vacate the order, given that the order was affecting the revenue collection of the Federal Government. The vacation of the order means that the very important project, as part of the Federal Governments effort to diversify the economy, can now proceed without further hindrance. Below are the details of Justice Ekwos ruling vacating the interim order: KAMPALA, Uganda, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International and PostBank Uganda Ltd have announced an extension of their ongoing collaboration to further enhance digital financial inclusion in Uganda. The partnership between PostBank Uganda and UnionPay International was established in 2018 with a core objective of improving access to financial services and ultimately, financial inclusion of the previously unbanked or underbanked people of Uganda. "UnionPay International is delighted to build on the successes achieved through this partnership. We look forward to the exciting times ahead, especially now that PostBank has attained Tier One Commercial Bank status. Over one million PostBank customers will now have access to convenient and cost-effective payment services thanks to this partnership," said Mr. Asad Burney, Head of UnionPay International Africa branch. In the past three years, PostBank has connected over 30,000 SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization) members to digital banking. Thanks to the partnership between UnionPay International and PostBank Uganda, over one million customers can now access intelligent, convenient, and cost-effective payment products and services locally and internationally. "We will continue to grow our product offerings to ensure financial inclusion beyond the retail space. Agriculture is an area in which most of our Ugandan target population have their livelihood", said Mr. Julius Kakeeto, the Managing Director PostBank Uganda, adding that, "The digital financial services space will expand the opportunities for all our stakeholders, such as product distribution channels, markets access locally and internationally, real-time information on prices. And this is just the tip of the iceberg." Kakeeto concluded that, "Uganda has plans to facilitate agricultural products exports into China. Therefore, we intend to leverage the opportunities the UnionPay partnership brings to position ourselves as a leader in this space." About PostBank Uganda PostBank Uganda (PBU) is a public company limited by shares and formed under the Public Enterprises Reform and Divestiture Statute of 1983 and the Uganda Communications Act, 1997. It was incorporated under the Companies Act in 1998 and is owned by the Government of Uganda with 100% shareholding. At the end of 2021, PostBank received a license from Bank of Uganda to operate as a tier 1 deposit taking financial institution. PostBank boasts of 50 branches, 400 Post Agents countrywide, and over 60 smart ATM's across Uganda. About UnionPay International UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay's global business. In partnership with more than 2500 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 180 countries and regions, with issuance in 75 countries and regions . UnionPay International provides high-quality, cost-effective, and secure cross-border payment services to the world's largest cardholder base, and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants. With over 180 million UnionPay cards issued outside mainland China, UnionPay has expanded its acceptance network to 180 countries and regions in recent years. At present, UnionPay cards are widely accepted in Africa across all sectors, effectively meeting the diverse purchasing needs of UnionPay cardholders visiting and living on the continent. UnionPay cards have been issued in more than ten African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Madagascar, and Mauritius. SOURCE UnionPay International UnionPay International Middle East Branch and Bank Albilad hold a signing ceremony in 27 June 2022 with VP of UPI, Larry Wang, attending the signing ceremony together with Bashar Alqunaibit , Executive Vice President of Businessof BAB. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International Middle East Branch (UPI) recently expanded its acceptance in Saudi Arabia thanks to a cooperation deal with Bank Albilad (BAB), one of the Kingdom's largest shariah compliant Islamic banks. BAB is UnionPay's fifth partnership in the country and the first to sign up since 2018, giving UPI customers full access to all BAB's points of sale (POS), ATMs and online merchants moving forward. James Yang, General Manager of UnionPay International Middle East Branch Bashar Alqunaibit , Executive Vice President of Business CBO of Bank Albilad (From left to right) Coverage of UnionPay card POS terminals in Saudi Arabia currently stands at around 50 percent and ATMs at approximately 68 percent. The new cooperation deal continues to expand acceptance of UnionPay cards in the country, providing services to more local merchants and cardholders. At the same time, UnionPay's services will now for the very first time be open to a large cohort of online merchants in Saudi Arabia. This cooperation will not only enable cardholders to enjoy the convenience of online shopping and merchant growth, but also contribute to the expedited development of e-commerce, digital technology and innovative solutions, helping the country to achieve its landmark "Saudi Vision 2030" national development project. The majority of countries in the Middle East already accept UnionPay cards on a large scale. Among them, market coverage of POS terminals in the UAE and Pakistan is close to 100 percent, and over 95 percent in Turkey. In addition, UnionPay is actively expanding mobile payment acceptance to bolster local governments in building a truly cashless society. Currently, UnionPay's contactless payment market acceptance covers over 90 percent in various countries and regions throughout the Middle East, with QR code acceptance covering the totality of the market. Through continuous product improvement, UnionPay offers a safe, convenient, and flexible mobile payment experience for local cardholders and users. About UnionPay International UnionPay International (UPI) is focused on the growth and support of UnionPay's global business. In partnership with more than 2500 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 180 countries and regions with issuance in 75 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world's largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1863878/20220721174041.jpg SOURCE UnionPay International PORTLAND, Ore., July 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Association of Western Pulp & Paper Workers (AWPPW) workers went on strike at 12:30 a.m. Sunday on July 17th, 2022, over unfair labor practices (ULPs) at Graphics Packaging International in Portland, Oregon. AWPPW Local 78 members have overwhelmingly authorized a strike in response to the company's pattern of allegedly violating federal labor laws. AWPPW Local members have spoken loud and clear. "Graphics alleged illegal activity is unacceptable." The union membership is striking over the company's alleged unlawful conduct. The local bargaining team and Local 78 members remain united in their efforts to get GPI to respect their workers. The union has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges against Graphics in response to alleged unlawful activity. Other ULP charges remain under investigation. AWPPW & GPI have been in collective bargaining negotiations seeking a new labor agreement. Prior to the COVID pandemic GPI has been, and continues to, have a grim time hiring new workers. GPI's solution to attracting new workers is to pay temporary workers $2.00 less than current starting wage, pay zero benefits, have the temporary workers be employed by someone other than GPI, and not allow new workers to join or be represented by the AWPPW union. GPI cancelled an agreed to bargain date stating GPI was unable to meet at the bargaining table due to the unexpected strike. The next bargaining date is set for July 28th. For more information contact: AWPPW General President Greg Pallesen 503-228-7486 SOURCE AWPPW MILFORD, Conn., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Customer Data Platform (CDP) industry had a strong first half in 2022 with 10% employment growth among existing vendors and eleven new companies added, according to the CDP Institute's latest Industry Update report. Total employment grew by 2,494, the largest increase on record. However, a slowdown in funding and acquisitions may indicate investors are becoming more cautious about the industry. The semi-annual report found that growth was strongest among the industry's largest vendors, with the top 25% expanding employment by 13%. Remaining vendors grew an average of 4%. New entrants were also concentrated among large firms, with five of the eleven having more than 1,000 employees. These are established firms that have added CDP capabilities to existing campaign and delivery products. The addition of new vendors with campaign and delivery capabilities reflects the continued preponderance of this group. Campaign and delivery CDPs now account for 68% of vendors (up 1% vs the previous report), 75% of employees (up 3%) and 75% of funding (up 8%). Investment fell compared to previous periods, which may represent a market adjustment following strong acceleration early in the pandemic. The number of events over $50 million in particular dropped from five in the second half of 2021 to just one in the first half of 2022. Apart from the one large event, there were six other fundings that totaled $38 million. The only acquisition this period was BlueConic selling a majority stake to Vista Equity Partners. "This report shows an intriguing divergence between strong user demand for CDPs, as evidenced by employment growth and new entrants, and emerging caution among investors," commented report author David Raab. "Fortunately, major industry vendors have assembled ample financial reserves during previous periods, so we expect the funding slowdown will not limit their ability to finance future growth." About the Report The CDP Industry Update Report provides detailed information on CDP vendors, employment, and funding broken by CDP type, location, founding year, and more. It includes five years of historical data collected at six-month intervals. The report can be downloaded for free at https://www.cdpinstitute.org/resources/industry-update-july-2022/. About the Customer Data Platform Institute The Customer Data Platform Institute is a vendor-neutral organization that educates marketers and technologists about customer data management. The Institute publishes industry news and educational materials, provides vendor comparison reports, builds directories of industry vendors and service firms, and offers Webinars, workshops, and consulting on related issues. Customer Data Platforms are defined as "packaged software that maintains a unified, persistent customer database which is accessible to external systems." They are the only types of packaged software specifically designed to create and share a complete view of each customer. For more information, visit www.cdpinstitute.org. SOURCE Customer Data Platform Institute DUBLIN, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Respiratory Care Medical Devices Market: Analysis By Disorder, By Product Type, By End User, By Region Size And Trends With Impact Of COVID-19 And Forecast up to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global respiratory care medical devices market in 2021 was valued at US$20.38 billion. The market is expected to reach US$30.93 billion by 2026. Major factors that contributed to the growth of the respiratory care medical devices market are the aging population, increasing incidence of chronic respiratory diseases, unhealthy lifestyles, especially among the urban population, high prevalence of smoking, etc. Respiratory care devices can be used in both home care settings and hospitals as well. An increase in the number of hospitals worldwide has also contributed to the increased demand for respiratory care devices. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period of 2022-2026. Market Dynamics Growth Drivers Rapid Growth in Aging Population High Prevalence of Respiratory Diseases Increasing Healthcare Expenditure Rising Urbanization and Pollution Level High Prevalence of Smoking Increasing Incidence of Pre-Term Births Unhealthy Lifestyles Challenges Lack of Awareness of Respiratory Conditions Excise Tax Levied on Devices Stringent Regulations and RCP Licensing Counterfeit Medical Devices Market Trends Growing Demand for Point-of-Care Diagnostic Devices Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Respiratory Care Increasing Demand for Enhanced Portable Devices Technological Advancements in Mechanical Ventilators Advancements in Oxygen Therapy Key Players Koninklijke Philips NV Fisher & Paykel Healthcare ResMed Inc. Invacare Corporation Masimo Corporation Medtronic Plc Teleflex Incorporated Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA Allied Healthcare Products Inc. React Health, Inc. Hamilton Medical AG Acare Technology Ltd. Market Segmentation Analysis: By Disorder: The report provides the bifurcation of the respiratory care medical devices market into five segments based on disorder: COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Asthma, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Infectious Diseases, and Others. In 2021, the COPD segment accounted for the maximum share of approximately 34% in the global respiratory care medical devices market owing to the increasing prevalence of smoking and environmental factors. The obstructive sleep apnea segment is further segmented into three product types: Therapeutic Devices, Sleep Apnea Masks, and Diagnostic Devices. The global obstructive sleep apnea diagnostic devices market is expected to experience significant growth during the forecasted period with a CAGR of 7.3% driven by the wide use of polysomnography (PSG) devices in hospitals & sleep labs. By Product Type: The report provides the segmentation on the basis of product type: Therapeutic Devices, Monitoring Devices, Diagnostic Devices, and Consumables & Accessories. The therapeutic devices segment held the major share of 56% of the market in 2021. The demand for humidifiers, nebulizers, and oxygen concentrators has grown in the past few years on the ground of increasing respiratory diseases globally. By End Users: The report further provided the segmentation based on the end user of the respiratory care medical devices: Hospitals, Home Care Settings, and Ambulatory Care Centers. Home care settings are expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 10.0% owing to the growing importance of personalized healthcare services. By Region: In the report, the global respiratory care medical devices market is divided into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the market in 2021 with almost 36% share of the global market. Rising life expectancy is changing the shape of the European nations' age pyramid, the most significant change would be a notable shift toward a much older demographic structure, a trend that is expected to continue. Therefore, the increasing geriatric population, reducing passive immunity, and rising prevalence of respiratory diseases in community-dwelling older adults are all expected to propel the growth of the respiratory care medical devices market in Europe. In the Asia Pacific, the market is expected to exhibit the fastest growth at a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period owing to factors such as the rising prevalence of asthma in adults as well as children and technological advancements. Furthermore, supportive government policies like 100% FDI inflow in healthcare, the launch of a production-linked incentive scheme, and the launch of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat programs are expected to positively influence the growth of India's respiratory care devices market during the forecast period. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Global Market Analysis 4. Regional Market Analysis 5. Impact of COVID-19 6. Market Dynamics 7. Competitive Landscape 8. Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hj3k30 Media Contact: 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 WORLD LEADERS IN SCIENCE, HEALTHCARE, ACADEMIA, BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT DISCUSS ISSUES AND RAMIFICATIONS OF LONG COVID BALTIMORE, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of world leading medical virology research centers, yesterday concluded a two-day gathering on the 'Science of Long COVID.' The first-of-its-kind conference reviewed the wealth of cohort data on long COVID, constructed a framework to characterize and define the conditions, and identified the most critical and urgent areas of research needed to better understand, diagnose, and treat this developing public health crisis. "There is no doubt that long COVID has proven to be as nightmarish as we feared, but what we heard over the past two days reassured us that our colleagues from the global scientific community are ready to come together to rise to the challenge. To do that effectively, the scientists of the GVN and those who participated in the conference call upon governments, foundations, and other institutions worldwide to commit the billions of research dollars required to address the catastrophe of long COVID," said Prof. Christian Brechot, M.D., Ph.D., GVN President and Associate Vice President for International Partnerships and Innovation at the University of South Florida. Across the globe, nearly half of COVID-19 survivors struggle with persistent symptoms four months or more after diagnosis and are colloquially referred to as long COVID or long haulers. Conference speakers from around the world focused on the vast public health implications of this highly prevalent condition. During the proceedings, they outlined approaches to and research of this complex phenomenon that has already cost Americans alone an estimated $50 billion annually in lost income, a data point that could translate to $200 billion or more of lost income around the globe. "The prevalence of long COVID is staggering," said Robert Gallo, M.D., Co-founder and Scientific Chair of the GVN and Director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Two years into the pandemic, we have concrete and irrefutable proof from cohort studies following individuals as they experience a litany of symptomsmemory problems, relentless fatigue, difficulty breathing, cardiac concerns, insomnia and more. What we lacked, and what this conference achieved, is a data-driven and scientific baseline that helps scientific, policymaking and healthcare stakeholders to understand and approach the underlying aspects of long COVID and consequently arrive at a global research framework." As part of the process to establish a global research framework, the conference presented key scientific and clinical evidence on long COVID's far-ranging global impact: 243 million long COVID cases worldwide with a disproportionate burden affecting females (49% versus 37% for men); continental differences ( Asia 51% of COVID cases becoming long COVID, Europe 44%, U.S. 31%); and lasting elevated risk levels among long COVID survivors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 51% of COVID cases becoming long COVID, 44%, U.S. 31%); and lasting elevated risk levels among long COVID survivors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Striking clinical parallels exist between "COVID-fog" and "chemo-fog," with the whole-body inflammation in both causing changes to brain circuitry and cognitive impairment. Different cytokinesimmune hormones that affect immune and other cellsmay be promising biomarkers, and even therapeutic targets, to measure long COVID's effects in the body and ameliorate long COVID disease. 30-50% of long haulers report breathlessness and 10-20% report cough. More severe lingering effects of long COVID on the respiratory system include damage and scarring of lung tissue. These changes are not necessarily predicted by the severity of the disease or whether a patient was hospitalized. Vaccination has reduced the numbers of individuals with long COVID respiratory disease, while new COVID variants show milder effects. Risk factors for long COVID include Type 2 Diabetes, SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Epstein-Barr virus viremia, microclots, protein misfolding, and both pre-existing and disease-specific autoimmunity. These associations are most detectable at the time of diagnosis, emphasizing the need for early disease measurements to advance understanding. "Despite the fact that enormous numbers of people are suffering from persistent symptoms after recovering from Covid, it's been very difficult to define a syndrome to even start to consider how to make a difference. The conference was a great chance to bring together scientists and clinicians to brainstorm about the best future approaches, "said Eric Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., Editor in Chief, New England Journal of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The GVN is committed to fostering true collaboration among virologists, medical specialists, governments, and non-governmental organizations alike to combat long COVID's critical threat to international health. The conference wrapped up with a call to action for governments and funding agencies to allocate resources to strengthen scientific training and response mechanisms across these priority focus areas: Conduct large scale data analysis on existing cohort studies . Bring the scientific community together to share insights and use artificial intelligence to advance understanding. . Bring the scientific community together to share insights and use artificial intelligence to advance understanding. Acknowledge the effect of time . Research cannot be relegated to studying the effects of ancestral strains of the virus prior to the availability of vaccines. We need diverse samples from patients infected by all subvariants, segmented by whether or not they were vaccinated and whether or not they had prior infection. . Research cannot be relegated to studying the effects of ancestral strains of the virus prior to the availability of vaccines. We need diverse samples from patients infected by all subvariants, segmented by whether or not they were vaccinated and whether or not they had prior infection. Transition to interventional clinical trials . A substantial amount of observational data exists on long COVID, documenting an effect on different organ systems in varying degrees of severity for a range of times. We now must move to understand the risks and benefits of treatment within those ranges of time and the best biomarkers to track them. We will need innovative trial designs to move swiftly from early phase studies to large scale clinical trials. . A substantial amount of observational data exists on long COVID, documenting an effect on different organ systems in varying degrees of severity for a range of times. We now must move to understand the risks and benefits of treatment within those ranges of time and the best biomarkers to track them. We will need innovative trial designs to move swiftly from early phase studies to large scale clinical trials. Linkage of people living with Long COVID to research activities. We recognize the desperation and frustration of people living with Long COVID and echo their calls for urgent investment in scientific and clinical research so that we can inform the design of much-needed clinical services, identify better diagnostic tests as well as optimal models of care, and discover treatment options for Long COVID. The GVN and the leads of its long COVID Task Force agree that long COVID is an opportunity to create a cohesive, global public health response unlike any other historical effort. To better arm policymakers and decision-makers in prioritizing funding for research and interventions, we've mapped out in a clinical framework assessing how the virus preys on pre-existing conditions and interacts with our biological mechanisms, resulting in clinical manifestations. More than 243 million people worldwide have or had long COVID. The scientific pursuit of solutions will require adequate funding and a continued commitment to information sharing, which is why the GVN commits to convening regular global conferences to continue this urgent discussion. About the Global Virus Network (GVN) The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense and first research response to emerging, existing and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 69 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 37 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews SOURCE Global Virus Network SAN FRANCISCO, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Fidji Simo has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors, effective upon Founder & Executive Chairman Apoorva Mehta's transition off the Board once Instacart becomes a public company. Simo joined Instacart as CEO in August 2021, and since then, has charted a new chapter for the company as a retail enablement platform. "Apoorva realized more than a decade ago that grocery delivery was a core consumer need. He worked tirelessly with the team to create and build a successful model that allows consumers to access same-day delivery from their favorite grocers. We're incredibly grateful to Apoorva for his commitment to growing Instacart and building something revolutionary," said Instacart CEO Fidji Simo. "As CEO and future Chair, I look forward to working alongside our retail partners to shape the next decade of grocery's evolution. We'll do this by building on Instacart's already strong foundation and putting our technology in the hands of our partners so we can invent the future of grocery together." "Instacart has been my life's work for more than a decade. Since I transitioned from CEO to Executive Chairman a year ago, I realized that I want to pursue a new mission and I want to do it with the same singular focus that I had while building Instacart. Stepping off the board will allow me to do just that," said Instacart Founder & Executive Chairman Apoorva Mehta. "We have a high caliber leadership team with Fidji at the helm, and I'm excited about her vision for the company and the expanded role Instacart can play for retailers for years to come. I remain confident in the enormous opportunity ahead and will always be a supporter of the team and company." "Apoorva created a company that is transforming the grocery industry. His hard work and dedication brought Instacart into the homes of millions of customers. He poured his heart and soul into Instacart, and we thank him enormously for everything he has done for the company," said Instacart Board Member Jeff Jordan. "Since Fidji joined last year as CEO, she has ushered in a new chapter for Instacart. Fidji's role as CEO and future Chair is a testament to the Board's unwavering confidence in her strategic vision for Instacart. I am extremely optimistic about the company's future." As Chair, Simo will assume leadership of Instacart's esteemed Board of Directors, which includes Meredith Kopit Levien, President and Chief Executive Officer of The New York Times Company; Lily Sarafan, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of TheKey; Barry McCarthy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Peloton; Daniel Sundheim, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of D1 Capital Partners; Frank Slootman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Snowflake; Michael Moritz, Managing Member of Sequoia Capital; and Jeff Jordan, General Partner of Andreessen Horowitz. About Instacart Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 800 national, regional, and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of busy people and families to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for more than 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders for customers on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands from category leaders to emerging brands partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company , and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com . For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, visit https://shoppers.instacart.com/ . SOURCE Instacart GURUGRAM, India, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ~60% of the total population in 2021 ( 162,541k ) under the age bracket 15-54 years supplemented by the high per capita income ( USD 4,349.5 in 2021) represents a huge potential market. ) under the age bracket 15-54 years supplemented by the high per capita income ( in 2021) represents a huge potential market. D2C Market in Indonesia is <1% of the Total E-commerce market but will have a huge growth rate owing to the large target Audience, Rising Online Shoppers, High Per capital Income, and Venture capitalist firms backing up the D2C Start-Ups In the country. is <1% of the Total E-commerce market but will have a huge growth rate owing to the large target Audience, Rising Online Shoppers, High Per capital Income, and Venture capitalist firms backing up the D2C Start-Ups In the country. Indonesian customers are highly influenced by K-Pop Culture & Korean beauty Brands along with natural & Eco-friendly products, especially Millennials. For every two men, there are 5 women in Indonesia giving rise to Beauty USD 4.9 Bn GMV by 2024. Change in Demographics: The young population is expected to rise in the coming year supplemented by the high per capita income leading to huge potential for growth of the D2C online retail market in Indonesia. Rise in E-Commerce Industry: Indonesia's D2C market is exhibiting a CAGR of ~85 % (2016-2021) with E-Commerce registering $53 Billion GMV in 2021. The number of online shoppers is increasing remarkably due to the rapid penetration of smartphone users (70% in 2020) in Indonesia. Consumers now prefer to buy from brand websites such as Fabelio, Saturdays, Trope, Nama, Greenly, etc. Growth in Technology: Deeper internet and technology penetration in the country is leading to an increase in the Omni channel adoption of sales and supplies and is expected to shape the market competitive landscape of the Indonesia D2C market in the coming time zone and offer bountiful opportunities to the potential investors to seek a smooth business growth path in the impending period. The report titled "Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market Outlook to 2026 Driven by high smart phone and Internet Penetration, changing Consumer lifestyle along with the inclination towards exploring New brands and Products" by Ken Research suggested that the Indonesia D2C market is further expected to grow in the near future owing to Change in demographics, Increase in consumer spending and Rise in the E-commerce industry. The growth in technology along with the surging young population would supplement the market growth. The market is expected to register a positive CAGR in terms of revenue during the forecast period 2021-2026F. Key Segments Covered in Indonesia D2C Market: - By End Users Fashion includes glasses & Frames Beauty & Personal Care Food and Beverage Health Jewelry Others includes Furniture & more By Delivery Period By Number of Orders Same Day Delivery Next Day Delivery Two Days Delivery More Than Two Days Delivery By Region by GMV Jakarta Surabaya Medan Bandung Makassar Others such as Batam, Depok, Batu and more Request for Sample Report: - https://www.kenresearch.com/sample-report.php?Frmdetails=NTc0NDQy Key Target Audience D2C Companies Venture Capitalists Potential Investors E commerce Companies Time Period Captured in the Report: - Historical Period: 2016-2021 Forecast Period: 20212026 Key Topics Covered in the Report Indonesia E commerce Market Introduction Indonesia Retail Market Introduction Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market Introduction D2C Online Retail Market Introduction Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market Size, 2016-2021 D2C Online Retail Market Size, 2016-2021 Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market Segmentation, 2021 D2C Online Retail Market Segmentation, 2021 Growth Drivers for Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market D2C Online Retail Market Landscape of E commerce, D2C Players, Vertical Players, Logistics Companies in Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market D2C Online Retail Market Competition Scenario of Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market D2C Online Retail Market Issues and Challenges in Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market D2C Online Retail Market Customer Analysis in Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market D2C Online Retail Market Snapshot of All Vertical Sectors in D2C Online Retail Market Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market Future Outlook and Projections, 2021-2026F D2C Online Retail Market Future Outlook and Projections, 2021-2026F Case Study of the Global Players in D2C market For More Info on the Research Report, Click on the below link: - Indonesia D2C Online Retail Market Related Reports by Ken Research: - India Social E-Commerce Market Outlook to 2027 (Second Edition): Driven by growing internet penetration rate and consumers shifting preference towards availing digital medium for purchases The report also focuses on the India Social E-Commerce Market Segmentation by Start-up (Meesho, GlowRoad, Shop 101, Mall 91, Bulbul, Simism, DealShare, Roposo, Trell and Others); By Category (Women Fashion, Men Fashion, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Grooming, Electronics and Others); By Region (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western); By Age of Users (Below 20 Years, 20-40 Years, 40-60 Years and Above 60 Years); By Gender (Female and Male); By Platform (Mobile Application, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Others) and By Ticket Size (Less than INR 500, INR 500-1000, INR 1000-5000 and More than INR 5000). India Social E-Commerce Market report concludes with projections for the future of the industry on the basis of revenue by 2027, industry speaks and analysts' take on the future highlighting the major opportunities. UK Online Retail Market Outlook to 2025 - By Product Categories (Apparel and Footwear, Food and Drink, Media Products, Consumer Electronics and Others), By Desktop and Mobile Mode, By Gender (Male and Female) and By Mode of Payment (Debit+Credit Card, Net Banking and Cash on Delivery) UK online retail market grew at double digit growth rate in terms of GMV over the review period 2013-2018. The market growth was supported by the increase in total smartphone penetration, growth in online shoppers and rise in youth population. The availability of better deals and offers along with change in consumer behaviour towards in-store has significantly affected the growth in the market and has changed the digital landscape in the industry. The market is currently placed in the growth stage owing to the increasing penetration of online retail sales during 2019. As more retailers turn online for their shopping, more and more shops are leaving the high street (i.e. offline stores in UK). On the other hand, online retail players have become highly competitive on the basis of personalized experience and social engagement. Taiwan E-Commerce Market Outlook to 2023 - Online Retail (By Product Categories, By Desktop and Mobile, By Gender); Online Travel (By Intermediary and Direct Online Sale and By Desktop and Mobile); Online Payment Gateway Market Taiwan's online retail market grew at the single-digit growth rate in terms of GMV over the review period 2013-2018. The market growth was supported by the increase in total smartphone penetration, growth in online shoppers and a rise in the urban population. The availability of better deals and offers along with a change in consumer behavior towards in-store has significantly affected the growth in the market and has changed the digital landscape in the industry. By Product Categories: Apparel and Footwear dominated the online retail market as they have the highest demand among both male and female populations while home care being largely saturated and highly competitive, accounted for the lowest revenue share. The competition in Taiwan online retail market has increased over the years leading to the increasing number of online retail websites in Taiwan. Major companies include Momo shop, Fubon Group, Yahoo!, Sea Ltd., President Chain Store Corp., Apple, Mega Co. Ltd., Eastern Media International Corp., and several others are competing by providing the all device optimization, better deals, hyper-personalization through personal engagement and convenient, secure and fast payment modes. The online retail market in Taiwan is expected to witness a single-digit growth rate in the forecast period 2018-2023E. The market will increase at a declining rate as is expected to move gradually towards its maturity stage. Taiwanese population still prefers to shop offline owing to certain trust issues, issues related to cybersecurity, lesser regional presence of online retail companies and others. Follow Us:- LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Contact Us: - Ken Research Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communications [email protected] +91-9015378249 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661352/Ken_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Ken Research The Global Hygiene Council (GHC) calls for the use of hygiene practices, such as handwashing, alongside vaccinations to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). LONDON, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccines as "highly effective tools in combating AMR". Despite their efficacy, the financial risks and approval processes for vaccine development continue to restrict their use as an immediate solution to the AMR crisis. It was concluded that short-term solutions to prevent resistance must focus on interventions other than vaccines, highlighting the importance of research and investment in other methods of control, including effective infection prevention. The GHC welcomes this report and advocates the use of hygiene alongside vaccinations in controlling the spread of infections and reducing the impact of AMR. As witnessed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene plays an invaluable role in helping to prevent the spread of infections. Effective hygiene behaviours, such as hand washing, can reduce the risk of transmissible diseases by up to 59%, preventing up to 1 million deaths per year and minimising opportunities for antibiotic-resistant bacteria to form. AMR has been declared one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity and occurs when bacteria and viruses change over time, becoming resistant to medicines. Each year, resistant bacteria account for almost 5 million deaths worldwide of which 1.27 million are directly attributed to AMR. "Alongside vaccination strategies, effective hygiene practices in home and community settings, such as schools and workplaces, are vital interventions for preventing infections and the need for antimicrobials, such as antibiotics the indiscriminate use of which is a key driver for AMR.", explains Sabiha Essack, GHC spokesperson and Professor from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. "By adopting simple hygiene practices as part of our daily routines, we can prevent infection and reduce the consumption of antimicrobials and subsequent selection pressure for the evolution and spread of drug-resistant bacteria", she added. The GHC is calling for immediate action to address the growing burden of AMR by promoting the role of hygiene alongside other important interventions, including vaccinations, and elevating the universal use of hygiene practices where the risk of infection is heightened. For further information or an interview with a GHC expert, please contact: [email protected], +44(0)2081067899 References available on request. SOURCE Global Hygiene Council CHICAGO, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Veltex Corporation (OTCQB:VLXC) ("Veltex"), a Health and Wellness Acquisition Firm, is pleased to announce its successful uplisting from the OTC Pink Market to the OTCQB Venture Market (the "OTCQB") effective for trading July 25, 2022 at the open. Veltex will continue to trade under the ticker symbol "VLXC". Veltex seeks to develop and acquire companies which have established or advanced the latest modalities in the areas of health wellness, and recovery, specifically targeting substance use disorder ("SUD") treatment in the State of West Virginia. Veltex currently operates an out-patient SUD treatment facility, with plans to expand to in-patient services, through its wholly owned subsidiary Veltex Medical, Inc. d/b/a Veltex Recovery Group ("VRG") at 101 Martin Drive, Mount Hope, WV 25880. Veltex Corporation VLXC Moves to OTCQB Tweet this OTCQB Market Listing The OTCQB, operated by OTC Markets Group, Inc., is a premier market designed for developing and entrepreneurial companies in the United States and abroad committed to providing investors high-quality trading and improved market visibility to enhance trading liquidity. To be eligible for trading on the OTCQB, companies must be current in their financial reporting with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), pass a minimum bid price test, maintain audited financials through a PCAOB registered firm, an undergo company verification and management certification on an annual basis. The OTCQB is operated by the OTC Markets Group and recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as an established public market providing data that investors need to analyze, value and trade securities. Being part of the OTC Markets Group will assist in diversifying Veltex's shareholder base worldwide. "We are proud to start trading our common shares on the OTCQB Venture Market," said Stephen G. Macklem, CFO of Veltex Corporation. "This is a natural progression, and yet another milestone, of our vision to broaden our investor base with increased liquidity and brand visibility while maintaining a high level of transparency to inform and engage potential investors and current shareholders. Veltex is on course to become an industry leader in Healthcare development and acquisition. Veltex's wholly owned subsidiary entity Veltex Recovery Group ("VRG") is well on its way to becoming a model facility for SUD treatment in the State of West Virginia and beyond." "Veltex is thrilled to have successfully completed its uplisting to the OTCQB," said Andreas Mauritzson, Chief Executive Officer of Veltex. "We believe this achievement will significantly enhance our capital markets appeal to a broader range of investors. With more compliance and quality standards, the OTCQB provides potential investors improved visibility to enhance trading decisions." About Veltex Corporation Veltex Corporation, (OTCQB: VLXC), incorporated in Utah September 17, 1987, is a public holding corporation, which maintains its corporate headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Veltex's common shares trade OTC Markets under the symbol VLXC. Veltex is a premier Health and Wellness Acquisition Firm, specifically targeting Substance Use Disorder ("SUD") treatment entities. Veltex Medical, Inc. d/b/a Veltex Recovery Group ("VRG"), a Delaware corporation and Veltex Properties, Inc. ("VPI"), a Delaware corporation are both wholly owned subsidiaries of Veltex. VMI operates an approximately 30,000 Sq. Ft. out-patient substance use disorder treatment facility at 101 Martin Drive, Mount Hope, WV 25880, with plans in action to provide in-patient SUD treatment in the near future. For additional information, please visit our corporate website at: Veltex.com, and our VRG website: Veltexrecoverygroup.com Safe Harbor Statement Forward Looking Statement Safe Harbor Statement; Certain of the above statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. This press release includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as Veltex or its management "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "seeks," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that describe Veltex's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this press release which are not historical facts contain certain forward-looking statements; as such term is defined in the Private Security Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial condition and other aspects of the company to which this release pertains. The actual results of the specific items described in this release, and the company's operations generally, may differ materially from what is projected in such forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of management of the company, Veltex, as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the company's dependence on third parties, general market and economic conditions, technical factors, the availability of outside capital, receipt of revenues and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company. The company disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement. This press release shall not be deemed a general solicitation. SOURCE Veltex Corporation Vendor Insights- The IT spending market by audit firms market report offers information on several market vendors, including Accenture Plc, Apple Inc., Capgemini SE, Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., and SAP SE among others. Moreover, the market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. Accenture Plc - The company offers software and platforms, such as Powering the platform future. Capgemini SE - The company offers software for cloud services, such as Cloud Strategy. Dell Technologies Inc. - The company offers IT spend solutions, under the payment and consumption solutions. Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. DOWNLOAD SAMPLE COPY OF THIS REPORT Regional Market Outlook The IT spending market by audit firms is segmented by Type (IT services, IT software, and IT hardware) and Geography ( North America , Europe , APAC, South America , and MEA). 35% of the market's growth will originate from North America during the forecast period. US and Canada are the key markets for IT spending market by audit firms market in North America . Market growth in this region will be slower than the growth of the market in other regions. Countries such as the US and Canada have strict laws and regulations. This demands the presence of organizations that issue security to the public, which, in turn, is compelling organizations to produce financial statements that comply with the generally accepted accounting standards. This will facilitate the IT spending market by audit firms market growth in North America over the forecast period. REQUEST SAMPLE COPY OF THIS REPORT for more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries. Latest Drivers & Challenges of the Market- IT Spending Market by Audit Firms Driver: Increasing adoption of audit management services: Many audit firms are adopting audit management software with advanced features such as time-tracking, built-in remediation workflows, and risk assessment methodologies. Cloud-based audit management software is becoming increasingly popular among audit firms due to various benefits such as the low up-front cost of ownership, flexible payment options, and the lack of maintenance overhead costs. Audit firms are investing in adopting audit management software and services, which will support the growth of the global IT spending by audit firms market. IT Spending Market by Audit Firms Challenge: Data security concerns: Audit firms have substantial amounts of critical data and information related to auditing. These firms require complex IT security infrastructure to protect their confidential data. Audit firms increasingly focus on securing their clients data because of the rise in the number of cyberattacks and security breaches. An auditing firm that fails to secure its clients data can lose its reputation, which will reduce its profits drastically. For instance, in August 2021, Accenture Plc was attacked by the LockBit gang. The hackers accessed customer information and confidential emails. The hack was facilitated because the admin user failed to use the two-factor authentication method for confidential accounts. Such instances can negatively impact the brand image of audit firms. Thus, data security concerns are expected to limit the growth of the market. Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Challenges available with Technavio. VIEW SAMPLE COPY (INCLUDING GRAPHS & TABLES) OF THIS REPORT Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Customize 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. Speak to our Analyst now! to take full advantage of every opportunity using competitive analysis created just for you Here are Some Similar Topics- Audit Software Market by Deployment and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025: The market value is set to grow by USD 746.51 million, progressing at a CAGR of 12.70% from 2020 to 2025, as per the latest report by Technavio. This market research report also extensively covers market segmentation by Deployment (on-premises and cloud) and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America). FIND MORE RESEARCH INSIGHTS HERE Customs Audit Market Growth, Size, Trends, Analysis Report by Type, Application, Region and Segment Forecast 2020-2024: The market value is set to grow by USD 2.10 billion, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% from 2019 to 2024, as per the latest report by Technavio. The customs audit market report also offers information on several market vendors, including Baker Tilly International Ltd., BDO International Ltd., Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., and More. FIND MORE RESEARCH INSIGHTS HERE IT Spending Market by Audit Firms Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.52% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 3.14 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 8.23 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key consumer countries US, Canada, UK, China, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Accenture Plc, Apple Inc., Capgemini SE, Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., and SAP SE 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 preview 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 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 03: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 04: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2020 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Exhibit 05: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million) Exhibit 06: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 07: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 08: Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 10: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 11: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 12: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 13: Market condition - Five forces 2020 5 Market Segmentation by Type 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 14: Type - Market share 2020-2025 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Type Exhibit 15: Comparison by Type 5.3 IT services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 16: IT services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 17: IT services - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.4 IT software - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 18: IT software - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 19: IT software - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.5 IT hardware - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 20: IT hardware - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 21: IT hardware - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by Type Exhibit 22: Market opportunity by Type 6 Customer landscape 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 24: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 25: Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 26: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 27: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 28: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 30: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 31: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 32: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 33: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.7 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 (%) 7.8 Key leading countries Exhibit 36: Key leading countries 7.9 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 37: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges Exhibit 38: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview Exhibit 39: Vendor landscape 9.2 Landscape disruption Exhibit 40: Landscape disruption Exhibit 41: Industry risks 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 42: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Accenture Plc Exhibit 44: Accenture Plc - Overview Exhibit 45: Accenture Plc - Business segments Exhibit 46: Accenture Plc - Key news Exhibit 47: Accenture Plc - Key offerings Exhibit 48: Accenture Plc - Segment focus 10.4 Apple Inc. Exhibit 49: Apple Inc. - Overview Exhibit 50: Apple Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 51: Apple Inc. - Key news Exhibit 52: Apple Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 53: Apple Inc. - Segment focus 10.5 Capgemini SE Exhibit 54: Capgemini SE - Overview Exhibit 55: Capgemini SE - Business segments Exhibit 56: Capgemini SE - Key offerings Exhibit 57: Capgemini SE - Segment focus 10.6 Cisco Systems Inc. Exhibit 58: Cisco Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 59: Cisco Systems Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 60: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key news Exhibit 61: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 62: Cisco Systems Inc. - Segment focus 10.7 Dell Technologies Inc. Exhibit 63: Dell Technologies Inc. - Overview Exhibit 64: Dell Technologies Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 65: Dell Technologies Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 66: Dell Technologies Inc. - Segment focus 10.8 Fujitsu Ltd. Exhibit 67: Fujitsu Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 68: Fujitsu Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 69: Fujitsu Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 70: Fujitsu Ltd. - Segment focus 10.9 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. Exhibit 71: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Overview Exhibit 72: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Business segments Exhibit 73: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Key offerings Exhibit 74: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. - Segment focus 10.10 International Business Machines Corp. Exhibit 75: International Business Machines Corp. - Overview Exhibit 76: International Business Machines Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 77: International Business Machines Corp. - Key news Exhibit 78: International Business Machines Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 79: International Business Machines Corp. - Segment focus 10.11 Microsoft Corp. Exhibit 80: Microsoft Corp. - Overview Exhibit 81: Microsoft Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 82: Microsoft Corp. - Key news Exhibit 83: Microsoft Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 84: Microsoft Corp. - Segment focus 10.12 SAP SE Exhibit 85: SAP SE - Overview Exhibit 86: SAP SE - Business segments Exhibit 87: SAP SE - Key news Exhibit 88: SAP SE - Key offerings Exhibit 89: SAP SE - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 90: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research methodology Exhibit 91: Research Methodology Exhibit 92: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 93: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 94: 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 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 Vendor Insights- The automated security E-gate market report offers information on several market vendors, including Atos SE, Gunnebo AB, HID Global Corp., IDEMIA France SAS, Josanti Infoimaging Ltd., NEC Corp., OSI Systems Inc., SITA, Thales Group, and VISION BOX - SOLUCOES DE VISAO POR COMPUTADOR SA among others. Moreover, the market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. Atos SE - The company offers an automated border control e-gate that fulfills all the legal requirements and border control process recommendations defined by the EU legislation and Frontex as well as local authority regulations. Gunnebo AB - The company offers automatic airport security E-gate under the product line, Gunnebo ImmSec and Gunnebo BoardSec. HID Global Corp. - The company offers a wide range of access control systems and solutions such as HID Mobile Access, HID Signo Readers, Cards and Credentials, and e-Ticketing Event Solutions. Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. DOWNLOAD SAMPLE COPY OF THIS REPORT Regional Market Outlook- The automated security E-gate market is segmented by Application (critical infrastructure protection and border control) and Geography ( Europe , North America , APAC, MEA, and South America ). 38% of the market's growth will originate from Europe during the forecast period. Germany , UK, and France are the key markets for the automated security e-gate market in Europe . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in North America . The emphasis on automation of security systems will facilitate the automated security e-gate market growth in Europe over the forecast period. REQUEST SAMPLE COPY OF THIS REPORT for more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries. Latest Drivers & Trends of the Market- Automated Security E-gate Market Driver: Greater focus on curbing illegal immigration: Illegal immigration is an issue of global concern, as it poses a serious threat to a nation's security. It is observed that in most cases, immigrants enter a country to earn a livelihood. However, the presence of millions of undocumented migrants can potentially divert resources and distort the law to trigger crimes and domestic terrorism. It is estimated that three out of every 100 people in the US are undocumented. In December 2019 , the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it had made around 143,000 arrests in 2019. Similarly, in Saudi Arabia , around 2.62 million people were arrested from different parts of the country in 2018. The changing political and economic scenario across various regions on the globe has led to an increase in the number of illegal crossings. This is expected to drive the market for e-gates, as they are a prime instrument for curbing such attempts. Automated Security E-gate Market Trend: Integrated approach to airport security: The Smart Security initiative is a joint effort of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI). It aims to improve passenger screening efficiency through an integrated approach, which is applied across advanced screening technologies, risk-based security concepts, and process innovations. As part of advanced screening technologies, the initiative suggests the Dual/multi-view X-ray. These X-ray systems provide images captured in multiple angles of a bag. Additionally, it suggests Computed Tomography in which screening devices provide 360-degree images from the bag. It also provides slices from the bag for an unobstructed view of the contents. These devices would deploy Equipment Intelligence (EI) and Centralized Image Processing (CIP). CIP allows for the networking of all X-ray machines in an airport. This would ensure that all X-ray machines and operators work to maximum efficiency. Such factors are expected to propel the demand of the market. Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Trends available with Technavio. VIEW SAMPLE COPY OF THIS REPORT Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Customize 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. Speak to our Analyst now! to take full advantage of every opportunity using competitive analysis created just for you Here are Some Similar Topics- Automated Barriers and Bollards Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The market value is set to grow by USD 271.48 million from 2021 to 2026, as per the latest report by Technavio. Companies like - Automatic Systems offers high-security antiterrorist bollards such as RB M30-700, RB M30-900, and many more. FIND MORE RESEARCH INSIGHTS HERE Automated Material Handling Equipment Market in US by End-user and Product - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The market value is set to grow by USD 1.51 billion, progressing at a CAGR of 3.97% from 2021 to 2026, as per the latest report by Technavio. The automated material handling equipment market share growth in US by the conveyor system segment will be significant during the forecast period. The demand for conveyor systems in the US is expected to grow at a substantial rate during the forecast period owing to the rising use for airport baggage handling and in the e-commerce, manufacturing, and automotive industries. FIND MORE RESEARCH INSIGHTS HERE Automated Security E-gate Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 20.87% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 2.12 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 19.85 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution Europe at 38% Key consumer countries US, China, Germany, UK, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Atos SE, Gunnebo AB, HID Global Corp., IDEMIA France SAS, Josanti Infoimaging Ltd., NEC Corp., OSI Systems Inc., SITA, Thales Group, and VISION BOX - SOLUCOES DE VISAO POR COMPUTADOR SA 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 preview 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 for electronic equipment and instruments 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 Application 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 15: Application - Market share 2020-2025 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Application Exhibit 16: Comparison by Application 5.3 Critical infrastructure protection - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 17: Critical infrastructure protection - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 18: Critical infrastructure protection - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.4 Border control - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 19: Border control - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 20: Border control - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Application Exhibit 21: Market opportunity by Application 6 Customer landscape 6.1 Customer landscape Exhibit 22: Customer landscape 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 23: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 24: Geographic comparison 7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 25: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 26: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.4 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 (%) 7.5 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 (%) 7.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 31: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 32: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 33: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million) Exhibit 34: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 7.8 Key leading countries Exhibit 35: Key leading countries 7.9 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 Overview 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 Atos SE Exhibit 43: Atos SE - Overview Exhibit 44: Atos SE - Business segments Exhibit 45: Atos SE Key news Exhibit 46: Atos SE - Key offerings Exhibit 47: Atos SE - Segment focus 10.4 Gunnebo AB Exhibit 48: Gunnebo AB - Overview Exhibit 49: Gunnebo AB - Business segments Exhibit 50: Gunnebo AB Key news Exhibit 51: Gunnebo AB - Key offerings Exhibit 52: Gunnebo AB - Segment focus 10.5 HID Global Corp. Exhibit 53: HID Global Corp. - Overview Exhibit 54: HID Global Corp. - Product and service Exhibit 55: HID Global Corp. Key news Exhibit 56: HID Global Corp. - Key offerings 10.6 IDEMIA France SAS 10.7 Josanti Infoimaging Ltd. Exhibit 61: Josanti Infoimaging Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 62: Josanti Infoimaging Ltd. - Product and service Exhibit 63: Josanti Infoimaging Ltd. - Key offerings 10.8 NEC Corp. Exhibit 64: NEC Corp. - Overview Exhibit 65: NEC Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 66: NEC Corp. Key news Exhibit 67: NEC Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 68: NEC Corp. - Segment focus 10.9 OSI Systems Inc. Exhibit 69: OSI Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 70: OSI Systems Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 71: OSI Systems Inc. Key news Exhibit 72: OSI Systems Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 73: OSI Systems Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 SITA Exhibit 74: SITA - Overview Exhibit 75: SITA - Product and service Exhibit 76: SITA Key news Exhibit 77: SITA - Key offerings 10.11 Thales Group Exhibit 78: Thales Group - Overview Exhibit 79: Thales Group - Business segments Exhibit 80: Thales Group - Key news Exhibit 81: Thales Group - Key offerings Exhibit 82: Thales Group - Segment focus 10.12 VISION BOX - SOLUCOES DE VISAO POR COMPUTADOR SA Exhibit 83: VISION BOX - SOLUCOES DE VISAO POR COMPUTADOR SA - Overview Exhibit 84: VISION BOX - SOLUCOES DE VISAO POR COMPUTADOR SA - Product and service Exhibit 85: VISION BOX - SOLUCOES DE VISAO POR COMPUTADOR SA - Key offerings 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 86: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research methodology Exhibit 87: Research Methodology Exhibit 88: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 89: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 90: 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 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 NAPLES, Fla., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bramshill Investments, an award-winning alternative asset management firm, releases an investor video with its outlook for the credit markets. Amid market volatility, active management has proven to be more important than ever. After one of the sharpest selloffs in history during the first half of 2022, yields in US fixed income have increased markedly. Bramshill Founder/CIO, Art DeGaetano and Co-Portfolio Manager, Derek Pines sit down to discuss their defensive positioning year-to-date and where they're seeing opportunities in the credit market. Click here to watch. Media Contact: Danielle Van Calcar 646-993-1648 [email protected] About Bramshill Investments Bramshill Investments, LLC, is a fixed income investment manager with over $4.3 billion in assets under management (as of 6/30/2022). The firm was co-founded in 2012 by former GLG portfolio manager, Arthur DeGaetano. The team's core investment strategy has an established combined track record of over thirteen years with an absolute return objective that can be accessed through various vehicles. Bramshill also offers other alternative investment strategies. Bramshill is an investment adviser registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration as an investment advisor with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training of Bramshill or its employees. References to awards should not be construed as testimonials for our advisory services. For more information, please visit: https://bramshillinvestments.com SOURCE Bramshill Investments, LLC BANGALORE, India, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Algorithmic Trading Market is Segmented by Component (Solution and Services), Type (Stock Markets, FOREX, ETF, Bonds, Cryptocurrencies, and Others), Deployment Mode (Cloud and On-Premise), and Type of Traders (Institutional Investors, Long-Term Traders, Short-Term Traders, and Retail Investors): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Investing Category. The global algorithmic trading market size was valued at USD 12,143 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 31,494 Million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 12.7% from 2021 to 2028. Major factors driving the growth of the algorithmic trading market are: Reduced transaction costs, an increase in government regulations, rising demand for market monitoring, and an increase in demand for quick, dependable, and efficient order execution are some of the algorithmic trading market's major growth factors. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Manu-2M83/Algorithmic_Trading_Market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF ALGORITHMIC TRADING MARKET It takes too much time for traders to perform their own arbitrage computations because they often only exist for a very short timeoften just a few seconds. As a result, traders employ Algorithmic Trading that can quickly identify and analyze arbitrage opportunities. The rise in demand for reliable, fast, and effective order execution is expected to drive the growth of the algorithmic trading market. Big brokerage companies and institutional investors are increasingly using algorithmic trading to reduce the costs involved with trading. This is explained by the fact that algorithmic trading makes order execution simpler and faster, which attracts exchanges. Additionally, it makes it possible for traders and investors to immediately record profits from slight price movements. Because algorithmic trading allows users to quickly execute deals, it is driven by the surge in demand for effective trade. Most financial services firms are using more AI and machine learning in order to benefit from the data from digitally driven channels. Many businesses that operate in industries like banking, insurance, and asset management use it. Over the past ten years, this has given rise to the trend of data-driven investments. This in turn increased the demand for algorithmic trading. These AI-powered trading platforms evaluate enormous volumes of data far more quickly than people could. As a result, AI and algorithms in financial services present an opportunity for algorithmic trading market growth during the projection period Also contributing significantly to the rise of the algorithmic trading market is the fact that rising disposable income has increased trading activity. Browse the Table Of Contents and List of Figures at: https://reports.valuates.com/reports/ALLI-Manu-2M83/algorithmic-trading ALGORITHMIC TRADING MARKET SHARE Based on deployment, the cloud segment is expected to be the most lucrative. This is a result of financial organizations increasingly using cloud-based solutions to boost productivity and efficiency. Additionally, cloud-based algorithmic trading solutions are becoming more and more popular among traders since they guarantee efficient process automation, data preservation, and cost-effective management. Based on components, the solution segment is expected to be the most lucrative. The advantages of algorithmic trading solutions, such as lower transaction costs owing to the absence of human intervention and quick and precise trade order placement, are what primarily fuel the demand for these solutions. In addition, market participants are providing sophisticated algorithmic trading systems to meet a range of customer needs. Based on region, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the most lucrative. Get Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Manu-2M83/Algorithmic_Trading_Market Key Market Players 63Moons Virtu Financial Software Ag Refinitiv Ltd. Metaquotes Software Corp. Symphony Fintech Solutions Pvt Ltd. Argo Se Tata Consultancy Services Algo Trader Ag Tethys Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/ALLI-Manu-2M83/Algorithmic_Trading_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Manu-2M83&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: - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Online Trading Platform market size is estimated to be worth USD 1560.1 Million in 2021 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 2189.3 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period 2022-2028. - The global Trade Finance market size is projected to reach USD 11631260 Million by 2028, from USD 8014110 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 5.4% during 2022-2028. - The global trade surveillance systems market size was valued at USD 780.26 Million in 2020, and is projected to reach USD 2.25 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 14.2% from 2021 to 2028. - The global Non Fungible Token (NFT) market size is projected to reach USD 7390.8 Million by 2028, from USD 1553.6 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 24.4% during 2022-2028. - The global Blockchain in Fintech market size is projected to reach USD 5163.7 Million by 2028, from USD 417.1 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 42.6% during 2022-2028. - The letter of credit confirmation market was valued at USD 3918.8 Million in 2020, and it is anticipated to reach USD 5094.7 Million by 2030, registering a CAGR of about 2.72% during the forecast period (20212030). - Global Algorithmic Trading Platform Market Research Report 2022 - Global Stock Exchanges Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Foreign Exchange Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Automated Algo Trading Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global and United States High-frequency Trading Market Report & Forecast 2022-2028 - Global Blockchain Insurance Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - The global digital lending platform market size was valued at USD 5.58 Billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 20.31 Billion by 2027 growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.7% from 2020 to 2027. - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Digital Remittance market size is estimated to be worth USD 7528.6 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 19710 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 17.4% during the review period. - The global Credit Insurance market size is projected to reach USD 14200 Million by 2028, from USD 12260 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 2.1% during 2022-2028. - The global Online Payment Gateway market size is projected to reach USD 6403.3 Million by 2027, from USD 2436.7 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 14.8% during 2021-2027. - The global Payment Processing Solutions market size is projected to reach USD 52060 Million by 2027, from USD 33810 Million in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.9% during 2021-2027. - The global Digital Asset Management Software market size is projected to reach USD 7113.3 Million by 2028, from USD 2660.8 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 14.6% during 2022-2028. - The global Digital Banking market size is projected to reach USD 30750 Million by 2027, from USD 9098.7 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 19.0% during 2021-2027. - The global cryptocurrency market size was valued at USD 1.49 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 4.94 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2021 to 2030. - The global fintech market size is projected to reach USD 16652680 Million by 2028 from USD 6588780 Million in 2021 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.9% during the forecast period 2022-2028. Click here to see related reports on Algorithmic Trading Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports SEOUL, South Korea, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Biogenesis Bago, an international biotechnology company focused on animal health and global leader in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines, announced its consortium with the South Korean company FVC for the construction of a world class site that will produce up to 100 million doses of FMD vaccine per year. The new manufacturing site will be located in the Korean town of Osong, 110 km from the capital Seoul and is under construction, expected to be completed by 2023. The project will require an investment of around 50 million dollars and is being coordinated by a high-skilled task force of Biogenesis Bagos professionals with previous experience in leading tech transfer process in Asia. The strategic partnership will provide South Korea with advanced technologies that will allow it to supply their internal market with safe, world-class FMD vaccines, creating more affordable solutions for local livestock producers and helping to protect the country's sanitary status while collaborating with local health authority Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) through research and development. "This agreement reinforces Biogenesis Bago's position as a global leader in animal health and our status as a scientific reference with full capabilities to make significant contributions to the fight against Foot and Mouth disease and to securing food safety around the world," said Esteban Turic, CEO of the company. Biogenesis Bago is an international company with long history in animal health, reaching more than 40 countries and has been providing FMD vaccines to the South Korean market since 2016. The company has a history and experience in technology transfer and professional training for FMD vaccine production. It successfully carried out a similar project in China and more recently, in 2021, Biogenesis Bago signed an agreement with MAS, a leader in veterinary services in the Saudi market, for the construction of a FMD vaccine manufacturing site in Saudi Arabia, that aims to become the first Arab country free of foot-and-mouth disease and strengthen its food security. This new site in Saudi Arabia will require investments of $100 million. This new milestone is aligned with Biogenesis Bago's global expansion strategy that aims towards bringing its products and services to new markets, collaborating with countries through technological solutions that allow them to maintain their sanitary status. SOURCE Biogenesis Bago Leading water heater manufacturer commemorates the success of its milestone 1992 commitment to manufacturing products for professional installation only. AMBLER, Pa., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its commitment to manufacturing its Built to be the Best products for professional installation only. Throughout 2022, Bradford White commemorates the success of its milestone 1992 commitment to manufacturing products for professional installation only. In 1992, Bradford White announced a new business model to journey beyond the industry trend of highly competitive retail sales and reaffirmed their commitment to American manufacturing. Throughout 2022, the company will commemorate 30 years of For the Pro focused engineering, manufacturing, sales and support of their products. "This year marks an important milestone for our company," said Bruce Carnevale, president and CEO of Bradford White Corp. "Over the last 30 years, Bradford White has stood out for our unique vision of directly supporting the people on the front lines of this essential industry. We've built meaningful relationships with our customers, industry partners and employees, and it's thanks to their loyalty and dedication that we've been able to remain For the Pro for three decades." Throughout the last 30 years, Bradford White has demonstrated its dedication to the hard-working professionals who are the foundation of the industry by continually delivering innovative resources to support the sales, distribution, installation, and maintenance of its products. "Bradford White's 30-year commitment to our professional installation pledge has been a crucial part of our success," Carnevale said. "Our customers expect exceptional quality and service from Bradford White products and our employees. That continues to drive us to innovate and invest in the people and tools that will ensure we meet and exceed our customers' expectations and always offer them a world-class experience." As part of this year's 30th anniversary, Bradford White will launch its enhanced For the Pro contractor portal, an exclusive website providing resources supporting professional contractors. The relaunched For the Pro portal will include added features and modernized functionality to elevate value and user experience. References to Bradford White's 30 years of commitment to professional contractors and the industry at large will be the focus of the company's marketing communications messaging for the balance of 2022. For more information about Bradford White Corporation, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com. About Bradford White Corporation Bradford White Corp. is a full-line manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial water heating, space heating, combination heating and storage products. The company maintains headquarters in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and has manufacturing facilities in Middleville, Michigan; Niles, Michigan; and Rochester, New Hampshire; and distribution and training centers in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Bradford White Corporation Participating Interest In Corentyne Block Now 32% CGX And 68% Frontera The Joint Venture Anticipates Spudding the Wei-1 Exploration Well in October 2022 CGX and Frontera Agree To Convert May 2021 and March 2022 Loans Into Participating Interest In Corentyne TORONTO, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CGX Energy Inc. (TSXV: OYL) ("CGX") and Frontera Energy Corporation (TSX: FEC) ("Frontera"), joint venture partners (the "Joint Venture") in the Petroleum Prospecting License for the Corentyne block offshore Guyana, announces today that the companies have entered into an agreement to amend the Joint Operating Agreement originally signed between CGX and a subsidiary of Frontera on January 30, 2019, as amended (the "Agreement"), effectively farming into the Corentyne block and securing funding for the Wei-1 exploration well. The Agreement remains subject to certain conditions precedent, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (which is subject to the receipt by CGX of a formal valuation), TSX acceptance of the Agreement, and certain confirmations from the Government of Guyana relating to the petroleum agreement for the Corentyne block. "CGX is pleased to complete this farm-in agreement with Frontera, which enables CGX to strengthen its balance sheet and secure funding for the Wei-1 exploration well. Our continued partnership with Frontera reflects the significant value we have created on the Corentyne license and the opportunity set that is now before us following the discovery of hydrocarbons at the Kawa-1 exploration well. We are focused now on the transformational potential of the Corentyne block ahead of spudding the Wei-1 exploration well in October 2022, pending rig release from the current operator," said Professor Suresh Narine, Executive Co-Chairman of CGX. "Frontera is excited to complete this agreement with CGX, and continue our work together on the Corentyne Block," said Orlando Cabrales, Chief Executive Officer of Frontera. "Building on the Joint Venture's recent light oil and condensate discovery at the Kawa-1 exploration well, the Agreement supports CGX's capital needs for the Wei-1 exploration well and provides Frontera with an increased participating interest in the Corentyne block which is truly one of the most exciting exploration areas in the world." As part of the Agreement, CGX will transfer 29.73% of its participating interest in the Corentyne block to Frontera in exchange for Frontera funding the Joint Venture's costs associated with the Wei-1 exploration well for up to US$130 million and up to an additional US$29 million of certain Kawa-1 exploration well, Wei-1 pre-drill, and other costs. In addition, CGX shall assign an additional 4.94% of its participating interest in the Corentyne block to Frontera as consideration for the repayment of the outstanding principal amounts under (i) the previously announced US$19 million convertible loan to CGX dated May 28, 2021, as amended, and (ii) the previously announced US$35 million convertible loan to CGX dated March 10, 2022, as amended, and a cash payment of US$3.8 million. As a result of this agreement, CGX will have a 32.00% participating interest and Frontera will have a 68.00% participating interest in the Corentyne block . The transactions described herein between Frontera and CGX are related party transactions under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 but are exempt from the obligations to obtain a formal valuation and approval from a minority of shareholders. Nevertheless, CGX is in the process of obtaining a formal valuation for the Corentyne block in connection with the Agreement, in accordance with the TSX Venture Exchange requirements. The material change report to be filed by CGX in connection with this news release will contain the required disclosure regarding such exemptions and the formal valuation for the Corentyne block obtained by CGX. NEITHER THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE, TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR THEIR REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDERS (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE AND TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Wei-1 Exploration Well Final preparations are underway in advance of spudding the Joint Venture's second exploration well, called Wei-1, in October 2022, subject to rig release from a third-party operator. The necessary long lead materials have been secured and are being mobilized. As of July 15, 2022, 95% of key drilling staff that executed the Kawa-1 exploration well remain contracted for the Wei-1 exploration well. An independent operations readiness review has been completed with no significant obstacles to spud. The Wei-1 exploration well will be located approximately 14 kilometres northwest of the Kawa-1 exploration well in the Corentyne block, approximately 200 kilometres offshore from Georgetown, Guyana. The Wei-1 exploration well will be drilled in water depth of approximately 1,912 feet (583 metres) to an anticipated total depth of 20,500 feet (6,248 metres) and will target Campanian and Santonian aged stacked channels in a western channel complex in the northern section of the Corentyne block. CGX Resources Inc. ("CGX Resources"), operator of the Corentyne Block, has again contracted (the "Drilling Contract") the Maersk Discoverer to drill the Wei-1 exploration well, maintaining continuity in the exploration program during a period of high demand in the region and consistency in working with a team familiar with the rig, which is important from a health and safety, efficiency and operational perspective. In conjunction with the Drilling Contract between CGX Resources and Maersk, Frontera anticipates entering into a parent company guarantee (the "Guarantee") with Maersk for certain obligations in connection with the day rates under the Drilling Contract on behalf of CGX Resources, up to a maximum of US$30 million subject to a sliding scale mechanism in connection with payments made under the Drilling Contract. Frontera and CGX entered into an agreement pursuant to which all amounts drawn under the Guarantee that are attributed to CGX Resources' share of the Joint Venture costs shall be guaranteed by CGX until such time as all conditions precedent to the Agreement have been satisfied. About CGX CGX is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company focused on the exploration of oil in the Guyana-Suriname Basin and the development of a deep-water port in Berbice, Guyana. About Frontera Frontera Energy Corporation is a Canadian public company involved in the exploration, development, production, transportation, storage and sale of oil and natural gas in South America, including related investments in both upstream and midstream facilities. The Company has a diversified portfolio of assets with interests in 33 exploration and production blocks in Colombia, Ecuador and Guyana, and pipeline and port facilities in Colombia. Frontera is committed to conducting business safely and in a socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner. If you would like to receive News Releases via email as soon as they are published, please subscribe here: http://fronteraenergy.mediaroom.com/subscribe . Corporate Presentation See Frontera Energy's corporate presentation at: https://www.fronteraenergy.ca/reports-presentations/ Social Media Follow Frontera Energy social media channels at the following links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/fronteraenergy?lang=en Facebook: https://es-la.facebook.com/FronteraEnergy/ LinkedIn: https://co.linkedin.com/company/frontera-energy-corp Advisories Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information relates to activities, events or developments that CGX and Frontera believe, expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, without limitation, statements relating to the anticipated change in the parties' participating interests in the Corentyne block under the Agreement, including as a result of additional funding obligations of Frontera for the Wei-1 exploration well and the anticipated discharge of an aggregate US$54 million under outstanding convertibles loans to CGX, the parties' expectations as to drilling plans, operational readiness and timing for spudding the Wei-1 exploration well, the necessary governmental and regulatory approvals to be obtained in connection with the Agreement, (including certain confirmations from the Government of Guyana relating to the petroleum agreement for the Corentyne block, approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (which is subject to the receipt by CGX of a formal valuation) and TSX acceptance of the Agreement), and a parent company guarantee required in connection with drilling of the Wei-1 exploration well. All information other than historical fact is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information reflects the current expectations, assumptions and beliefs of CGX, and Frontera based on information currently available to them and considers the experience of CGX and Frontera and their perception of historical trends. Although CGX and Frontera believe that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such information. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some that are similar to other oil and gas companies and some that are unique to CGX and Frontera. The actual results of CGX or Frontera may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, either of CGX or Frontera. The annual information form of Frontera for the year ended December 31, 2021, and CGX and Frontera's management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2021, and quarter ended March 31, 2022, and other documents each of CGX and Frontera files from time to time with securities regulatory authorities describe the risks, uncertainties, material assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results and such factors are incorporated herein by reference. Copies of these documents are available without charge by referring to each company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, each of CGX and Frontera disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. SOURCE Frontera Energy Corporation JACKSON, Mich., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of CMS Energy has declared a quarterly dividend on the company's common stock. The dividend for the common stock (CUSIP: 125896100) is 46 cents per share. It is payable Aug. 31, 2022, to shareholders of record on Aug. 5, 2022. CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based energy company featuring Consumers Energy as its primary business. It also owns and operates independent power generation businesses. For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at cmsenergy.com. To sign up for email alert notifications, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website. SOURCE CMS Energy CHICAGO, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend payment of $0.33 per share of CAG common stock to be paid on September 1, 2022 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 3, 2022. This represents a 5.6% increase over Conagra Brands' previous quarterly dividend. The new quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share is equivalent to $1.32 per share annually. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: Mike Cummins 312-549-5257 [email protected] INVESTORS: Melissa Napier 312-549-5002 [email protected] SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. Defense Logistics Market 2021-2025: Scope The defense logistics market report covers the following areas: Defense Logistics Market 2021-2025: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the defense logistics market, including AECOM, ANHAM FZCO, BAE Systems plc, Crowley Maritime Corp., DynCorp International LLC, Fluor Corp., General Dynamics Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Lockheed Martin Corp., and Northrop Grumman Corp. The key offerings of some of the vendors are listed below: AECOM - The company offers distribution services/depot operations, program management, hazardous material procurement, supply chain integration, kitting, COSIS, and transportation services. The company offers distribution services/depot operations, program management, hazardous material procurement, supply chain integration, kitting, COSIS, and transportation services. Amentum Services Inc. - The company, along with its business unit DynCorp International, offers aviation and logistics support services. The company, along with its business unit DynCorp International, offers aviation and logistics support services. Anham Fzco LLC - The company, under the defense logistics market, offers a full range of warehousing, distribution, and freight forwarding solutions encompassing air, sea, and road operations. The company, under the defense logistics market, offers a full range of warehousing, distribution, and freight forwarding solutions encompassing air, sea, and road operations. ASELSAN AS - The company offers integrated logistics support throughout the entire life-cycle of the air defense system. Also, the company offers logistic support ships capable of fuel support for other ships, helicopter operation, fuel transfer, and health services. The company offers integrated logistics support throughout the entire life-cycle of the air defense system. Also, the company offers logistic support ships capable of fuel support for other ships, helicopter operation, fuel transfer, and health services. BAE Systems Plc - The company offers end-to-end logistics services to a range of customers, such as the defense sector. Get lifetime access to our Technavio Insights! Subscribe to our "Basic Plan" billed annually at USD 5000 Defense Logistics Market 2021-2025: Segmentation Solution Military Infrastructure: The military infrastructure segment will contribute the highest market share growth during the forecast period. Military organizations use various technologies to optimize the performance of infrastructure to maximize security. The significant rise in defense spending for modernizing the existing infrastructure in emerging countries such as India and Saudi Arabia , along with the formation of collaborations, will propel the market growth. and , along with the formation of collaborations, will propel the market growth. Military Logistics Services Military FMS. Geography North America : North America will account for 35% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The US is a key country in the defense logistics market in the region. The country spends significantly on the procurement of arms owing to its extensive military operations. This will drive the defense logistics market growth in North America during the forecast period. : will account for 35% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The US is a key country in the defense logistics market in the region. The country spends significantly on the procurement of arms owing to its extensive military operations. This will drive the defense logistics market growth in during the forecast period. Europe APAC South America MEA. Learn about the contribution of each segment and region, summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a PDF Sample Report Defense Logistics Market 2021-2025: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025 Detailed information on factors that will assist defense logistics market growth during the next five years Estimation of the defense logistics market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the defense logistics market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of defense logistics market vendors Related Reports Logistics Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Rail Logistics Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Defense Logistics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 2.03% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 3.89 billion Market structure Concentrated YoY growth (%) 0.59 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key consumer countries US, China, Russian Federation, France, and India Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AECOM, Amentum Services Inc., Anham Fzco LLC, ASELSAN AS, BAE Systems Plc, Crowley Maritime Corp., Fluor Corp., GEFCO Group, Honeywell International Inc., and KBR Inc. 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 Contents : Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Solution Market segments Comparison by Solution Military infrastructure - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Military logistics services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Military FMS - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Solution Customer landscape Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors AECOM Amentum Services Inc. Anham Fzco LLC ASELSAN AS BAE Systems Plc Crowley Maritime Corp. Fluor Corp. GEFCO Group Honeywell International Inc. KBR Inc. Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology 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 provide 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 NEW YORK, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Neinstein's most recent research goal has been to reduce surgical blood loss and the risks of blood clots in liposuction surgeries. On June 27, 2022, the Neinstein Plastic Surgery team completed a study reviewing the combination of subcutaneous heparin and intravenous tranexamic acid in outpatient liposuction procedures. The authors present a retrospective study showing the dual benefit of venous thromboembolism protection and reduction of blood loss, blood clots, and perioperative blood loss during liposuction. Dr. Neinstein of Neinstein Plastic Surgery From Left: Dr. Anna Steve, Dr. Ryan Neinstein, Dr. Chris Funderburk. Neinstein Plastic Surgery In this study, all patients undergoing general anesthesia were given 5000 units of subcutaneous heparin, an anticoagulant medication, before induction of anesthesia. These patients received a standard dose of 10 mg/kg of tranexamic acid intravenously during the preoperative period. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent that significantly reduces blood loss after trauma or surgical procedures. The authors reviewed records for venous thromboembolism or blood clots, hematoma or bleeding, and variations in patient populations. All patients involved in the study received Ultrasonic-Assisted Liposuction (UAL) or Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL). Sixty percent of the three-hundred patients also had ionizing subdermal helium treatments. The authors compared age, body mass index, gender, and volume of lipoaspirate. They did not detect an incidence of venous thromboembolism, but they found three incidents of hematoma in two females and one male that required irrigation and suction-assisted aspiration. The study concluded that combining subcutaneous heparin and intravenous tranexamic acid in outpatient liposuction procedures enhances plastic surgery safety. This process allows for more fat extraction and expedites patient healing, presumably from reduced blood loss. In future research projects, Dr. Neinstein and his staff plan to conduct other randomized controlled studies to corroborate the effectiveness of using subcutaneous heparin and intravenous tranexamic acid in liposuction patients to reduce blood loss and the risks of blood clotting. Dr. Ryan Neinstein, widely known as "the surgeon's surgeon," is a top-ranked board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in liposuction, body sculpting, and injectable facial procedures. His patients come from around the world to seek leading treatment in his state-of-the-art surgical center, Neinstein Plastic Surgery, located above Bergdorf Goodman in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. Media Contact: Mitch Leff 917.243.5543 [email protected] SOURCE Neinstein Plastic Surgery BOGOTA, Colombia, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL;NYSE: EC) informs that, effective as of August 18, 2022, Monica Jimenez, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Secretary General, has decided to resign from the Company, to take on a new professional challenge with another company. Maria Paula Camacho, current Legal Manager of New Business & Corporate, who has 24 years of experience within the Ecopetrol Group, will become the interim Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Secretary General, effective as of August 18, 2022. The Company hereby thanks Monica Jimenez for her work and the achievements made for the Ecopetrol Group. Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. This press release contains business prospect statements, operating and financial result estimates, and statements related to Ecopetrol's growth prospects. These are all projections and, as such, they are based solely on the expectations of the managers regarding the future of the company and their continued access to capital to finance the company's business plan. The realization of said estimates in the future depends on the behavior of market conditions, regulations, competition, the performance of the Colombian economy my and the industry, among other factors, and are consequently subject to change without prior notice. This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward -looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. For more information, please contact: Head of Capital Markets Tatiana Uribe Benninghoff Email: [email protected] Head of Corporate Communications Mauricio Tellez Email: [email protected] SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A. Round Led By First Analysis with Participation from Mathers Associates and Koa Labs BOSTON, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EdgeIQ , provider of DeviceOps software for the Connected Product Economy, announced today that it raised $8.5 million in financing led by First Analysis with participation by Mathers Associates and Koa Labs . The latest investment will allow EdgeIQ to accelerate the release of new product capabilities, expand its leadership team, and grow overall global market presence. Companies that make smart, connected products use EdgeIQ DeviceOps software to simplify the lifecycle management of devices and their data. Beyond device and data management, EdgeIQ makes it easy to integrate with a customer's chosen cloud services and orchestrate important workflows throughout a device's value chain. There are an estimated 50,000 product manufacturers that deploy, manage, integrate, analyze and monetize billions of connected devices. Almost all of those companies are unnecessarily writing and maintaining their own infrastructure software for DeviceOps. This drains valuable resources from their most strategic priorities. "We are thrilled to add First Analysis, Mathers Associates and Koa Labs to the EdgeIQ team. We were very deliberate in choosing financial partners that understand the enormous opportunity of helping connected product companies accelerate their business and digital transformation," said Michael Campbell, Founder & CEO at EdgeIQ. "A lot of investors talk about being thesis-led, but the deep market knowledge and research-led approach of First Analysis was obvious from our first conversation." First Analysis Managing Director Howard Smith commented, "Flexible and scalable DeviceOps is critically important to all companies providing connected products, and we believe companies will increasingly opt for third-party DeviceOps software. EdgeIQ's unique architecture, proven reliability and visionary team position it well for market leadership. I am thrilled to be joining Michael and his team to scale the company." The complexity and scale of connected product innovation requires much more than narrowly-focused software management point solutions or all-encompassing IoT platforms. DeviceOps best practices require an integrated approach to how product management, engineering, field service, channel management and customer operations enable their new product and business models. EdgeIQ provides software to implement and scale global DeviceOps implementations. "Mathers is a long time and trusted partner of First Analysis, and we are thrilled to partner again on this exciting opportunity to support the EdgeIQ team," said Elliot Zeelander, Managing Partner at Mathers Associates, who will join EdgeIQ's Board of Directors in connection with the investment. For more information about EdgeIQ, its DeviceOps platform, and the team, visit https://www.edgeiq.ai About EdgeIQ EdgeIQ is accelerating the growth of the Connected Product Economy with our industry-leading DeviceOps platform. Our API-first offering helps organizations simplify and scale their DeviceOps implementations. With EdgeIQ, organizations no longer need to write and maintain their own software for managing devices, their data, cloud and application integration, task automation and workflow orchestration. EdgeIQ allows organizations to focus on the most strategic and differentiated elements of their product stack that drive business transformation and superior customer experiences. Visit EdgeIQ at https://www.edgeiq.ai/ or follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/edgeiq EdgeIQ Media Contact Michael Collins [email protected] +1 (678) 699-7231 SOURCE EdgeIQ New release saves design time and offers more intuitive workflows from CAD to CAM DARMSTADT, Germany, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- exocad, an Align Technology, Inc. company and a leading dental CAD/CAM software provider, today announced the release of DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka, the next generation of its powerful CAD software for labs and full-service clinics. With more than 45 new and over 85 enhanced features, the new release marks another milestone in exocad's continuous optimization of workflows for increased productivity. exocad announced the release of DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka, the next generation of its powerful CAD software for labs and full-service clinics. With this new release, exocad offers faster designs of single-unit restorations, easier anatomic free-forming and highly automated pre-op workflows. In exocads Smile Creator add-on module, many new features await, including more visualization options, such as improved color adjustment for more realistic preview images, and a new slider-based before-and-after view. In conjunction with DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka, exocad launches the new my.exocad portal and introduces end user registration. "DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka is the result of our countless conversations with customers and the dedicated research of our software developers," said Tillmann Steinbrecher, CEO exocad. "I'm excited about the broad scope of new features and improvements that brings more speed and smoother workflows, from treatment planning to design and manufacturing." Easier collaboration between labs and dentists In exocad's Smile Creator add-on module, many new features await, including more visualization options, such as improved color adjustment for more realistic preview images, and a new slider-based before-and-after view. The new "Smile Design" PDF report provides comprehensive documentation of the esthetic planning process to improve communication between dentists and labs. Additionally, the new "Smile Window" offers instant in-face visualization throughout the CAD workflow. Users see the result of the design within the patient photo in real time. Get more out of designs DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka offers users more efficiency, enabling them to reuse custom tooth setups for multiple indications along the patient case journey. The same shape and setup can be easily used for a mock-up model, a clip-on smile, a temporary restoration, and the final work. Minimize design time, maximize results With this new release, exocad speeds up the design of both single-unit restorations and complex, upper and lower restorations. Articulator movements can now be recalculated and visualized on the fly. DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka also expands the functionality of Instant Anatomic Morphing, allowing faster design of single-unit restorations with fewer clicks. When a pre-op scan is available, users benefit from an even more highly automated generation of crowns: The previous anatomy copies automatically, making it faster and easier to preserve function and anatomical shape for the patient. In the Full Denture Module, posterior setups can now be customized as well, providing more control over denture setups. Users can easily expand libraries by saving individual presets, now also in single-arch dentures. The Model Creator module introduces new "Quick Models" for highly automated model creation, to further save time and minimize the need for user interaction during model design. Integrate more smoothly with equipment in the lab exocad's Virtual Articulator module provides an accurate simulation of more real, physical articulators than any other CAD software*, and in this release, exocad has added even more devices, including the popular Ivoclar and SAM articulators. The newly modernized exocam, exocad's integrated CAM solution for milling machines, sets new standards for ease of use. For 3D printing, exoprint now integrates with many additional devices, enabling direct production workflow integration from exocad with more than 40 3D printers, including those of the most popular manufacturers. Other major highlights of the DentalCAD 3. Rijeka release include: Improved case documentation with new built-in screenshot management tools for collecting, editing, and tagging screenshots Anatomic free-forming features improve ease of use: The affected parts of the design are now visually highlighted, and the user has an overview at a glance of the adaptation parameters to be applied The new stock abutment design workflow enables the design of implant-based restorations based on stock abutment libraries In conjunction with this latest release, exocad launches the new my.exocad portal and introduces end user registration, which will be required to use DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka. exocad will offer hands-on demonstrations of the new DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka release at Insights 2022, the company's global community event, taking place October 3-4, 2022, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The two-day event will include numerous opportunities for attendees to discover more about the latest Rijeka features from dental industry leaders and application specialists. More information is available at exocad.com/insights2022. DentalCAD 3.1 Rijeka is an essential part of the Align Digital Platform, an integrated suite of proprietary technologies and services delivered as seamless end-to-end solution to customers. The release is now available in the EU and other select markets. exocad names its releases after current EU "European Capitals of Culture" and selected the Croatian city of Rijeka for this year's release. Additional information is available at exocad.com/our-products/dentalcad-rijeka *Data on file About exocad exocad GmbH, an Align Technology, Inc. company, is a leading dental CAD/CAM software provider. exocad vigorously pushes the boundaries of digital dentistry, providing flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use CAD/CAM software for dental labs and dental practices worldwide. More than 49,000 valued customers plan implants and create functional and refined restorations with exocad's DentalCAD, ChairsideCAD and exoplan software. exocad and DentalCAD, among others, are trademarks of exocad GmbH or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies, and are registered in the U.S. and other countries. For more information and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit exocad.com. SOURCE exocad GmbH Proceeds from Masterbuilt Guitars, Bass and Ukulele to Benefit Fender Play Foundation and Los Angeles Unified Elementary And Middle School Program Students HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fender Custom Shop (FCS) and The Fender Play Foundation (FPF) today announced the "Fender x Minions: The Rise of Gru" Collection in collaboration with legendary animation studio Illumination and its recent release of Minions: The Rise of Gru . To continue supporting the Foundation's efforts to equip, educate and inspire the next generation of players, all proceeds from the sales of the Minions: The Rise of Gru inspired instruments will support the FPF's music education programs with elementary and middle school students in Los Angeles. With the otherworldly creativity of Illumination designers, Fender Custom Shop Master Builders built one-of-a-kind instruments inspired by the beloved Minions universe and the importance of music to the franchise. Each creation was thoughtfully crafted in a collaborative effort to create stunning, unique, and endearing guitars that will be loved for many years to come. The collection of bespoke, master-built guitars, bass and ukulele are available for purchase globally. Information on how to buy any model is available on fender.com or by contacting [email protected]. As part of the partnership, students in the Fender Play Foundation programs in Los Angeles receive the opportunity to see the new movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, which tells the origin story of how the world's greatest supervillain first met his iconic Minions. Additionally, students will be learning to play and perform the lead song on the movie's soundtrack, "Turn Up the Sunshine" by Diana Ross, featuring Fender artist, Tame Impala. "Since we introduced the Fender Play Foundation, it's been our mission to equip, inspire and educate the next generation of players, supporting their passion for music through our programs," said Aarash Darroodi, President of the Fender Play Foundation. "Our partnership with Illumination is a special one, as both organizations are committed to expanding the equitable access to music and arts education in after-school programs. For more than two years, the Foundation has been offering virtual music classes for Los Angeles Unified School District students, while Illumination has simultaneously been providing LAUSD students with virtual animation classes through their Animation With Illumination program. By joining forces, we have been able to create truly unique musical instruments inspired by Minions: The Rise of Gru, all proceeds of which will help expand access to music education to even more students in Los Angeles." "We are extremely proud to partner with the Fender Play Foundation to celebrate and support the power of music and movies to move and inspire audiences of all ages," said Founder and CEO of Illumination Chris Meledandri. "With a unique combination of Illumination's artistry and Fender's craftsmanship, we are bringing our characters to life with this special collection of instruments that will help drive this mission-critical work. Together, we are harnessing the power and creativity of our movies and characters to help expand equitable access to music and arts education for all." Fender x Minions: The Rise of Gru Collection includes: StratoStuart ( $48,000 USD ) Masterbuilt by Kyle McMillin , the custom Minions Stratocaster guitar is a Dakota Red guitar outfitted with unique fret markers and pearl inlays. This unique creation is made with a roasted alder body, 3A flame maple neck with a "C" back-shape and a 9.5" flat laminated rosewood fingerboard with custom Minions eyes as fret markers. Features include 21 narrow tall (6105) frets, Josefina Campos hand-wound '60s Strat pickups with RWVP middles, modern strat wiring and controls, a 3-ply white nitro pickguard, American Vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, Fender American Pro staggered tuning machines, bone nut and wing string tree. The StratoStuart (Stratocaster ) guitar is completed with a reliced finish and unique artwork including custom carved Minion symbols etched into the body, a bite taken out of the sides by "a Minion" and a custom black acid washed distressed denim case with Minions patches and stenciled artwork. , the custom Minions Stratocaster guitar is a guitar outfitted with unique fret markers and pearl inlays. This unique creation is made with a roasted alder body, 3A flame maple neck with a "C" back-shape and a 9.5" flat laminated rosewood fingerboard with custom Minions eyes as fret markers. Features include 21 narrow tall (6105) frets, hand-wound '60s Strat pickups with RWVP middles, modern strat wiring and controls, a 3-ply white nitro pickguard, American Vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, Fender American Pro staggered tuning machines, bone nut and wing string tree. The StratoStuart (Stratocaster guitar is completed with a reliced finish and unique artwork including custom carved Minion symbols etched into the body, a bite taken out of the sides by "a Minion" and a custom black acid washed distressed denim case with Minions patches and stenciled artwork. McMillin says of his StratoStuart build, "The most challenging parts of this build were drawing and engraving the artwork but it was so worth it in the end. Overall, this Stratocaster [guitar] was so much fun to make and it feels great to know that this project will benefit the children as well!" Otto's Moon Bass ( $50,000 USD ) Masterbuilt by Ron Thorn , the Otto's Moon Bass , built and piloted by astronaut Otto, features a 7-piece snap-together alder body that can be taken apart and reassembled. Drawing from his machinery design career, Thorn utilized a variety of hardware and custom machined components that allow the pieces to interlock into one another in different stages. Designed by the partners at Illumination, Thorn hand carved Otto, including his goggles, airbrushed the ship, machined and polished the clear cockpit canopy, even making his little denim overalls. The Bass comes equipped with a "C" back-shaped maple neck and 9.5" maple fingerboard decorated with custom-painted Minions graphics. Otto's Moon Bass comes with 20 frets, a Lace alumitone pickup, single volume control, a 4-saddle '70s style Precision Bass bridge, Fender ultra light bass tuning machines, a bone nut and ultra bass string tree. Otto's Moon Bass is delivered in a unique case designed to look like the surface of the moon and lined with galaxy print fabric. , the Otto's , built and piloted by astronaut Otto, features a 7-piece snap-together alder body that can be taken apart and reassembled. Drawing from his machinery design career, Thorn utilized a variety of hardware and custom machined components that allow the pieces to interlock into one another in different stages. Designed by the partners at Illumination, Thorn hand carved Otto, including his goggles, airbrushed the ship, machined and polished the clear cockpit canopy, even making his little denim overalls. The Bass comes equipped with a "C" back-shaped maple neck and 9.5" maple fingerboard decorated with custom-painted Minions graphics. Otto's comes with 20 frets, a Lace alumitone pickup, single volume control, a 4-saddle '70s style Precision Bass bridge, Fender ultra light bass tuning machines, a bone nut and ultra bass string tree. Otto's is delivered in a unique case designed to look like the surface of the moon and lined with galaxy print fabric. Thorn commented on his Otto's Moon Bass guitar: "The Illumination team is an incredibly talented group of artists and designers. To say I was blown-away by their initial concepts is an understatement. The fact that they're not guitar designers seemed to liberate their creativity, resulting in instruments that a guitar-designer would never conceive. These instruments are totally unique, fresh and amazing!" guitar: Kosmic Kevin ( $71,500 USD ) Masterbuilt by Gonzalo Madrigal , this custom acoustic guitar boasts unique features from its carved headstock to colorfully painted soundhole. This one-of-a-kind Kosmic Kevin showcases a laser-engraved sitka spruce top with Minions-themed artwork painted by Madison Roy on its dreadnought-shaped body. This guitar is styled with mahogany back and sides and adorned with a "C" back-shaped neck. It comes with an ebony custom Minions inlaid 12" fingerboard, 20 vintage frets, an ebony bridge and Gotoh SE700 tuners. The Kosmic Kevin guitar includes a custom guitar case with Minions artwork covering and Minions' googly eyes on the surface. , this custom acoustic guitar boasts unique features from its carved headstock to colorfully painted soundhole. This one-of-a-kind Kosmic Kevin showcases a laser-engraved sitka spruce top with Minions-themed artwork painted by on its dreadnought-shaped body. This guitar is styled with mahogany back and sides and adorned with a "C" back-shaped neck. It comes with an ebony custom Minions inlaid 12" fingerboard, 20 vintage frets, an ebony bridge and Gotoh SE700 tuners. The Kosmic Kevin guitar includes a custom guitar case with Minions artwork covering and Minions' googly eyes on the surface. When asked about his Kosmic Kevin creation, Madrigal notes, "I'm happy knowing I get to help kids enjoy the gift of music by doing what I love to do - building guitars!" The King Bob ( $50,000 USD ) Masterbuilt by Dennis Galuszka , the King Bob Minions ukulele features a custom Minions artwork finish painted by freelance artist Sarah Gallenberger , iconic musical instrument visual artist, and comes with a custom black fur gig bag lined with Minions embroidery. The ukulele has a mahogany "C" back-shape neck with a maple top, back and sides body. Additional specs include a rosewood fingerboard decorated with painted graphics, a flat fingerboard radius, 12 mandolin frets, rosewood top load with corian saddle bridge and American standard "shorts" with ebony buttons for tuners. , the King Bob Minions ukulele features a custom Minions artwork finish painted by freelance artist , iconic musical instrument visual artist, and comes with a custom black fur gig bag lined with Minions embroidery. The ukulele has a mahogany "C" back-shape neck with a maple top, back and sides body. Additional specs include a rosewood fingerboard decorated with painted graphics, a flat fingerboard radius, 12 mandolin frets, rosewood top load with corian saddle bridge and American standard "shorts" with ebony buttons for tuners. When building the King Bob, Galuszka said, "Ukuleles are a rare build in the [Fender] Custom Shop so this was a great change of pace! That being said, we have zero tooling and/or specs, so with some reverse engineering from photocopies of the artwork, mockups emerged as a fun challenge. For me, I'm personally very interested in any and all opportunities to help kids build a relationship with the arts. Music saved me as a kid and I can't say I would have ended up in a good place in life without it." To support this collaboration, in the latest episode of Fender's serialized content series, Dream Factory , Fender Custom Shop teamed up with Illumination to bring joy, music, and educational opportunities to young people in Los Angeles through the Fender Play Foundation. Esteemed master builder Dennis Galuszka kicks off as he leads the Fender Play Foundation program students on a Q&A tour of the Custom Shop factory. As the students met each master builder, they were simultaneously introduced to the instrument each master conceptualized, helped design and built. Students' first reactions were captured live as they watched a select group of Fender Play instructors and employees play each of the unique instruments. Watch as Momo Wang, designer of the bass from Illumination, presents the bass with Ron Thorn to the program students discussing the intricacies of each model and exploring how the creation of them are a representation of the upcoming film. The centerpiece of the Fender Play Foundation is its music education partnership with Los Angeles Unified, the 2nd largest school district in the U.S., with two key programs. The virtual middle school music enrichment program provides equipment donations, a teacher-led curriculum with access to the Fender Play app and artist experiences. The elementary school ukulele program, supported and championed by none other than Billie Eilish and her brother, FINNEAS, provides instruments and weekly in-school music instruction at 10 schools in Highland Park. Since launching music education programs in Los Angeles in June 2020, the FPF has placed instruments and Fender Play subscriptions in the hands of more than 10,000 students. Illumination was founded with the goal of infusing joy and discovery into every character and putting smiles on the face of every person in their audience, no matter their age or nationality. Aligned with Fender's dedication to unlocking the power of musical expression for all players, from beginners to history-making legends, this partnership is bringing joy, music and educational opportunities to the greater Los Angeles community. High-resolution lifestyle and product images of the "Fender x Minions: The Rise of Gru" Collection models and short demo videos of all models in action can be found HERE . "Fender x Minions: The Rise of Gru" Collection Dream Factory episode HERE . For technical specs, additional information on new Fender products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fendercustomshop.com . Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender, @FenderPlay and @FenderCustomShop. ABOUT FENDER CUSTOM SHOP: Since 1987, the Fender Custom Shop and its esteemed builders have astounded players and collectors worldwide with marvels of creativity, ingenuity and artistry. From its humble Southern California beginnings, the Fender Custom Shop has grown to become the world's preeminent maker of highly collectible, custom instruments operating in Corona, Calif. Known as the "Dream Factory," the Fender Custom Shop is also home to an honored group known as the Master Builders some of the most-skilled luthiers in the world who craft Fender's legendary instruments and push the boundaries of possibility. The distinguished Master Builders make dream guitars a reality for players from Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, H.E.R. and Jimmy Page to collectors, working professionals and guitar enthusiasts. As the epicenter of innovation at Fender and the pinnacle of the brand, ideas and production techniques devised in the Fender Custom Shop for both Masterbuilt and Teambuilt guitars go on to inspire and influence Fender's other production line models. ABOUT FENDER PLAY FOUNDATION : Established in 2019, the Fender Play Foundation (FPF) is a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization on a mission to equip, educate and inspire the next generation of players through music. The Fender Play Foundation places instruments in the hands of youth who aspire to play and reap the powerful benefits of music education, including enhanced cognitive function, improved creativity and confidence, and better mental health and emotional stability and higher test scores and academic achievement. Operating under the belief that music is a universal language that empowers self-expression and community-building everywhere, the Fender Play Foundation prioritizes its music education partnership with Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD), the 2nd largest school district in the U.S., reaching over 10,000 students. FPF's programs are breaking new ground as sustainable, scalable and innovative models for music education. ABOUT FPF PROGRAMS: The centerpiece of the Fender Play Foundation is its music education partnership with Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD), the 2nd largest school district in the U.S., reaching over 10,000 students. The virtual middle school music enrichment program provides equipment donations, a teacher-led curriculum with access to the Fender Play app, and artist experiences. The elementary school ukulele program in partnership with Grammy winners Billie Eilish and FINNEAS provides instruments and weekly in-school music instruction at 10 schools in Highland Park with the goal of creating a robust 3rd-8th grade music pathway for nearly 2,500 students over 3 years. ABOUT FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION: Since 1946, Fender has revolutionized music and culture as one of the world's leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC)whose portfolio of owned and licensed brands includes Fender, Squier, Gretsch guitars, Jackson, EVH, Charvel, Bigsby and PreSonus follows a player-centric approach to crafting the highest-quality instruments and digital experiences across genres. Since 2015, Fender's digital arm has introduced a new ecosystem of products and interactive experiences to accompany players at every stage of their musical journey. This includes innovative apps and learning platforms designed to complement Fender guitars, amplifiers, effects pedals, accessories and pro-audio gear, and inspire players through an immersive musical experience. FMIC is dedicated to unlocking the power of musical expression for all players, from beginners to history-making legends. In 2021, Fender celebrated 75 years of giving artists "wings to fly," carrying on the vision of its founder, Leo Fender, and connecting players through a shared love of music. ABOUT MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU: This summer, from the biggest global animated franchise in history, comes the origin story of how the world's greatest supervillain first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema's most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled in Minions: The Rise of Gru. Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It's not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Ottoa new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to pleasethis unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons and strive to execute their first missions. When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leaderlegendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar winner Alan Arkin) Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends. Featuring more spectacular action than any film in Illumination history and packed with the franchise's signature subversive humor, Minions: The Rise of Gru stars a thrilling new cast, including the Vicious 6: Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, whose chain belt doubles as a lethal disco-ball mace; Jean-Claude Van Damme as the nihilistic Jean Clawed, who's armed (literally) with a giant robotic claw; Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, whose traditional nun's habit hides her deadly nun-chucks; Dolph Lundgren as Swedish roller-skate champion Svengeance, who dispenses his enemies with spin kicks from his spiked skates and Danny Trejo as Stronghold, whose giant iron hands are both a menace to others and a burden to him. FENDER (standard and in stylized form), STRATOCASTER, STRAT, FENDER CUSTOM SHOP, FENDER PLAY FOUNDATION, PRECISION BASS, and FENDER PLAY are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and/or its affiliates, some of which are registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names may be trademarks of their respective owners, and may be used herein under license. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by or of the respective owners. SOURCE Fender Musical Instruments SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Remember floppy disks and Zip drives? Now terabytes of storage can be held in the palm of your hand, and smartphones have more storage than a laptop from not long ago. These incredible advances are thanks to NAND Flash memory, an indispensable technology that is 35 years old this year. Without KIOXIA's invention of NAND, and the subsequent innovations by industry leaders including Samsung, Western Digital, SK hynix, as well as KIOXIA, today's handheld technology and a huge portion of cloud-based data would not have been possible today and was barely conceivable 35 years ago in 1987. Flash Memory Summit 2022 (FMS) , taking place August 2-4 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California, will celebrate NAND's 35th anniversary at this year's in-person event. KIOXIA, Samsung, Western Digital, and SK hynix have united as 35th Anniversary Celebration Sponsors to host the FMS22 Exhibition Hall Grand Opening on Tuesday, August 2, from 4-7pm. This party will include a band, food, beverages, a commemorative cake, and a variety of themed giveaways in these four sponsors' booths. On Thursday August 4, at noon, key representatives from the Celebration Sponsors will take part in a roundtable to discuss "NAND Flash and Its Impact on the World." Futurist Paul Saffo of Stanford Univ. will lead the discussion with Doug Wong of KIOXIA, Dr. Luca Fasoli of Western Digital, and Santosh Kumar of SK hynix. You are invited to this event, as well as the Grand Opening party, the keynote talks, and the technical talks, and to see the many new and innovative products on display by nearly 100 companies in the FMS Exhibition Hall. For more information visit https://flashmemorysummit.com/ . Visit https://flash-memory.omnievent.com/ to register for the event. About Flash Memory Summit Flash Memory Summit, produced by Conference ConCepts, showcases mainstream applications, key technologies, leading vendors, and innovative startups driving the multi-billion-dollar high-speed memory and SSD markets. FMS is now the world's largest event featuring trends, innovations, and influencers driving adoption of flash memory and other high-speed memory technologies within demanding enterprise storage applications, high-performance computing, mobile, and embedded systems. PRESS CONTACT Michelle Suzuki 310-930-6655 https://flashmemorysummit.com/ SOURCE Flash Memory Summit DUBLIN, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Business Jets Market by Aircraft Type (Light, Mid-Sized, Large, Airliner), Systems (OEM Systems, Aftermarket Systems), End-Use (Private User, Operator), Point of Sale (OEM, Aftermarket), Services, Range and Region - Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The business jets market size is expected to grow from USD 30.1 billion in 2022 to USD 41.8 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period. The market for business jets is driven by various factors, such as the increasing demand for improved passenger experience and replacement of old aircraft fleets. The manufacturers of business jets are primarily focused on improving passenger experience and enhancing operational efficiency. However, complex product certification procedure and uncertainty of orders are limiting the overall growth of the market. The light aircraft type segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of the business jets market from 2022 to 2030 Based on aircraft type, the light aircraft segment of the business jets market is estimated to register highest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. High demand for intercity travel is driving the growth of light aircraft type business jets. However, these aircrafts are cost-efficient and comfortable for short-haul distances, that are also adding to the demand and growth of business jets market. The private user segment of end use is estimated to account for the largest share of the business jets market in 2022 Based on end use, the private user segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the business jets market in 2022. In recent years, the demand for ease of air travel has increased significantly. Additionally, they provide access to locations where airlines do not offer regular flights. These are the driving factors that are leading to the increasing number of private users of the business jets market. North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the business jets market in 2022 North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the business jets market in 2022. The aviation and aerospace sectors in the region are growing steadily. This has consequently created a significant demand for business jets. The growth of the business jets market in this region is driven by factors such as rapid growth in aircraft manufacturing, technological advancements, and travel and tourism. Premium Insights Increasing Demand for Improved Passenger Experience Drives Business Jets Market Large Aircraft Segment to Dominate in 2022 Operators Segment Expected to Lead During Forecast Period India to Grow at Highest CAGR During Forecast Period Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Industry Trends 7 Business Jets Market, by Aircraft Type 8 Business Jets Market, by End Use 9 Business Jets Market, by Point of Sale 10 Business Jets Market, by Range 11 Business Jets Market, by System 12 Business Jet Services Market 13 Regional Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 15 Company Profiles Companies Mentioned Airbus Boeing Bombardier, Inc. Cirrus Aircraft Dassault Aviation Embraer Sa Gulfstream Aerospace Honda Aircraft Company One Aviation Corporation Pilatus Aircraft Piper Aircraft Syberjet Aircraft Textron Inc. Vertical Aerospace Eviation Aircraft Joby Aviation Karem Aircraft, Inc. Lift Lilium GmbH Samad Aerospace Volocopter GmbH Xti Aircraft Zunum Aero For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bc3sgo 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, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Forecast by Technology, Product, Channel and Country: Assay Volumes and 5-Year Market Size Outlook" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Revenue, testing volumes, technology, products and channels - they are all looked at in this complete report that provides detailed breakdowns by country and regions. Get on top of the situation quickly with market guides and situation analysis. A new dynamic market is emerging for COVID-19-based diagnostics. Testing is moving into physicians' offices and even into the home. Saliva tests? Handheld multiplex testers? Home based testing sticks? And what about the workplace market where safety is paramount? And what happens to the large laboratory capacity that was built up to handle a pandemic now in decline? Learn all about these changing markets in our latest report. Key Topics Covered: 1 Market Guides 1.1 COVID-19. Strategic Situation Analysis 1.2 COVID-19. Guidance for Executives 1.3 COVID-19. Guidance for Management Consultants and Investment Advisors 2 Introduction and Market Definition 2.1 What are Pandemics? 2.2 The Role of Zoonosis 2.3 Market Definition 2.3.1 Assay Volumes 2.3.2 PCR 2.3.3 PCR Multiplex 2.3.4 SEQ 2.3.5 Antigen 2.3.6 Antibodies 2.3.7 Instruments 2.3.8 Reagents and Kits 2.3.9 Extract 2.3.10 Collect 2.3.11 Public 2.3.12 Hospital 2.3.13 Clinic 2.3.14 Workplace 2.3.15 DTC/OTC 2.3.16 Wastewater 2.4 Methodology 2.4.1 Authors 2.4.2 Sources 2.5 Historical Perspective on Pandemics 2.5.1 HIV/AIDS Pandemic 2005-2012 2.5.2 Flu Pandemic 1968 2.5.3 Asian Flu 1956-1958 2.5.4 Spanish Flu 1918 2.5.5 Sixth Cholera Pandemic 1910-1911 2.5.6 Flu Pandemic 1889-1890 2.5.7 The Black Death 1346-1353 3 The Pandemic Overview 3.1 What is a Virus? 3.1.1 Is a Virus Alive? 3.1.2 Viral Structure 3.1.3 The Viral Genome 3.1.4 Viral Mutation 3.2 The Coronavirus 3.2.1 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) 3.2.2 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) 3.2.3 COVID-19. The SARS CoV 2 Virus 3.2.3.1 Signs and symptoms 3.2.3.2 Transmission 3.2.3.3 Diagnosis 3.2.3.4 Prevention 3.2.3.5 Management 3.2.3.6 Prognosis 3.2.3.7 A Note on Global Statistics Reporting 3.3 Pandemic Diagnostics 3.3.1 Risk Management - Spark and Spread 3.3.2 Dx Technology - Nucleic Acid Based 3.3.3 Dx Technology - Immunoassay 3.3.4 Time to Market and Preparedness Issues 4 Diagnostic Company Profiles 4.1 Abacus Diagnostica 4.2 Abbott Diagnostics 4.3 Accelerate Diagnostics 4.4 Acces Bio 4.5 Advanced Biological Laboratories 4.6 Agena Bioscience, Inc 4.7 Agilent/Dako 4.8 Altona Diagnostics 4.9 Alveo Technologies 4.10 Anatolia Geneworks 4.11 Applied BioCode 4.12 Applied DNA Sciences 4.13 Assurance Scientific Laboratories 4.14 Aus Diagnostics 4.15 Autobio Diagnostics 4.16 Beckman Coulter Diagnostics 4.17 Becton, Dickinson and Company 4.18 BGI Genomics Co. Ltd 4.19 BillionToOne 4.20 Binx Health 4.21 Biocartis 4.22 Biodesix Inc 4.23 BioFire Diagnostics (bioMerieux) 4.24 Biolidics Ltd 4.25 bioMerieux Diagnostics 4.26 Bioneer Corporation 4.27 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc 4.28 Bio-Reference Laboratories 4.29 Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH 4.30 Cepheid (Danaher) 4.31 Chembio 4.32 Co Diagnostics 4.33 Color Genomics 4.34 Cue Health 4.35 Curetis N.V. / Curetis GmbH 4.36 Diagenode Diagnostics 4.37 Diasorin S.p.A 4.38 Ellume 4.39 Enzo Life Sciences, Inc 4.40 Everywell 4.41 Fluxergy 4.42 Fulgent Genetics 4.43 Fusion Genomics 4.44 Genedrive 4.45 Genetic Signatures 4.46 GenMark Dx (Roche) 4.47 Gold Standard Diagnostics 4.48 Hologic 4.49 Illumina 4.50 Immunexpress 4.51 Inflammatix 4.52 Janssen Diagnostics 4.53 Karius 4.54 Laboratory Corporation of America 4.55 Letsgetchecked 4.56 Lexagene 4.57 Luminex Corp 4.58 LumiraDx 4.59 Mammoth Biosciences 4.60 Mayo Clinic Laboratories 4.61 Mbio Diagnostics 4.62 Meridian Bioscience 4.63 Mesa Biotech (Thermo Fisher) 4.64 Mobidiag (Hologic) 4.65 Nanomix 4.66 Novacyt 4.67 Orasure 4.68 Ortho Clinical Diagnostics 4.69 Oxford Nanopore Technologies 4.70 Perkin Elmer 4.71 Primerdesign (Novacyt) 4.72 Prominex 4.73 Qiagen Gmbh 4.74 quantumdx.com 4.75 Quest Diagnostics 4.76 Quidel 4.77 Randox Toxicology 4.78 Roche Molecular Diagnostics 4.79 SD Biosensor 4.80 Seegene 4.81 Sherlock Biosciences 4.82 Siemens Healthineers 4.83 Sona Nanotech 4.84 SpeeDx 4.85 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 4.86 Veredus Laboratories 4.87 Vircell 4.88 Visby Medical 4.89 YD Diagnostics 4.90 Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech 5 COVID-19 Diagnostics Recent Developments 5.1 Recent Developments - Importance and How to Use This Section 5.1.1 Importance of These Developments 5.1.2 How to Use This Section 5.2 LetsGetChecked Closes $150M Funding Round 5.3 Novacyt Gets CE Mark for Multigene SARS-CoV-2 Test, Launches RUO Variant Assay 5.4 Abbott Sees Sharp Decline in COVID-19 Test Revenue 5.5 Phosphorus Diagnostics Gets EUA for DTC C19 Test, Sample Collection Kit 5.6 NY Times Explores Multiplex Testing 5.7 Hologic Banking on MDx Acquisitions 5.8 Demand for Cepheid SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care Tests to Continue Through 2022 5.9 DiaSorin Acquires Luminex to Broaden MDx Portfolio, Expand US Presence 5.10 LumiraDx to Go Public Through SPAC 5.11 Eurofins Test Helps to ID Mutations 5.12 Roche Sees Growing Opportunities for Diagnostics 5.13 Roche to Acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $1.8B 5.14 Fulgent Genetics is to Use COVID-19 Testing Gains to Grow Clinical Sequencing 5.15 LexaGene Syndromic Panel Platform Lets Labs Customize Targets 5.16 FDA Grants EUAs for DTC Sample Collection Kit, Two Molecular Tests 5.17 At-Home Infectious Disease Test Developer Lucira Health Goes Public 6 The Global Market for COVID-19 Diagnostics 6.1 Global Market Overview by Country 6.2 Global Market by Technology - Overview 6.3 Global Market by Product - Overview 6.4 Global Market by Channel - Overview 7 Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Technology 7.1 PCR 7.2 PCR Multiplex 7.3 Sequencing 7.4 Antibody 7.5 Antigen 8 Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Product 8.1 Instruments 8.2 Reagents & Kits 8.3 Extraction 8.4 Collection 9 Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Channel 9.1 Public 9.2 Hospital 9.3 Clinic 9.4 Workplace 9.5 DTC/OTC 9.6 Wastewater 10 Appendix 10.1 U.S., Europe, Asia Approved COVID-19 Assays For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/th895d 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 https://spendedge.com/sample-procurement-report/industrial-robots-market-procurement-research-report Who are the Top Suppliers in the Industrial Robotics Market? The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several top suppliers. Some of the leading Industrial Robotics suppliers profiled extensively in this report include: DENSO Corp. FANUC CORP. ABB Ltd These are a few of the key suppliers in Industrial Robotics 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 Industrial Robotics requirements. https://spendedge.com/sample-procurement-report/industrial-robots-market-procurement-research-report What are the Most Adopted Procurement Strategies for the Industrial Robotics 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 Industrial Robotics. 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 22.71 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 Industrial Robotics 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 https://spendedge.com/sample-procurement-report/industrial-robots-market-procurement-research-report Which are the Key Regions for Industrial Robotics Market? The Industrial Robotics market will register an incremental spend of about USD 22.71 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. 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: Subscribe 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, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Road Marking Materials Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Major players in the road marking materials market are The Sherwin-Williams Company, 3M, Geveko Marking, SWARCO, Ennis Flint, Evonik Industries, Automark Technologies, SealMaster, Kelly Bros Erinline, Ozark Materials LLC, and Hempel. The global road marking materials market is expected to grow from $5.26 billion in 2021 to $5.52 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.02%. The market is expected to grow to $7.03 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 6.23%. The road marking materials market consists of sales of road marking material products and related services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that refer to any sort of material that is used on a road surface so as to provide authoritative information and to convey clear and understandable information to travelers about the roadway alignment and vehicle positioning. Road marking materials are developed for durability, safety, and aesthetics for traffic control, positive guidance, and communication warnings. In addition, road markings are standardized to avoid driveway confusion and enhance road safety. The main types of road marking materials are paint-based marking, solvent-based paints, water-based paints, performance-based marking, thermoplastics, and cold plastics. Paint-based marking materials are specially designed for road marking, drawing parking bay lines, arrows, numbers, and lines. The various applications of road marking materials are road markings, factory markings, car park markings, airport markings, and anti-skid markings. Asia Pacific was the largest region in the road marking materials market in 2021. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The new infrastructure and roadway projects in emerging economies are expected to propel the growth of the road marking materials market. With the increase in road projects, the safety of passengers would become important, driving the consumption of road marking materials. For instance, according to the IBEF (India Brand Equity Foundation), the Government of India has allocated $14.85 billion to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the Union Budget 2021-22. Also, according to Refinitive, an American-British provider of financial market and infrastructure, in China, in the first quarter of 2020, the value of belt and road projects exceeded $4 trillion. Therefore, new infrastructure and roadway projects in emerging economies are driving the growth of the road marking materials market. Technological advancements are a key trend gaining popularity in the road marking materials market. For instance, in May 2019, Geveko Markings a Denmark-based manufacturer and distributor of road marking products launched ViaTherm LongDot road marking. It provides better visibility, noise reduction, and increased road safety. The ViaTherm LongDot has been developed in collaboration with Vejdirektoratet - the Danish Road Directorate - and several of its partners within the highways sector. In November 2020, PPG, a US-based supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials, acquired Ennis-Flint for a deal amount of $1.15 billion. The acquisition of Ennis-Flint is expected to further expand the product offering and opportunities in rapidly developing and high-growth mobility technology solutions. The acquisition would also expand PPG's product distribution on a global scale. Ennis-Flint is a US-based manufacturer and designer of marking materials and traffic safety products. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Road Marking Materials Market Characteristics 3. Road Marking Materials Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Road Marking Materials 5. Road Marking Materials Market Size And Growth 5.1. Global Road Marking Materials Historic Market, 2016-2021, $ Billion 5.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.1.2. Restraints On The Market 5.2. Global Road Marking Materials Forecast Market, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion 5.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.2.2. Restraints On the Market 6. Road Marking Materials Market Segmentation 6.1. Global Road Marking Materials Market, Segmentation By Type, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Paint-Based Marking Solvent-Based Paints Water-Based Paints Performance-Based Marking Thermoplastics Cold Plastics 6.2. Global Road Marking Materials Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Road Markings Factory Markings Car Park Markings Airport Markings Anti-Skid Markings 7. Road Marking Materials Market Regional And Country Analysis 7.1. Global Road Marking Materials Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion 7.2. Global Road Marking Materials Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Companies Mentioned The Sherwin-Williams Company 3M Geveko Marking SWARCO Ennis Flint Evonik Industries Automark Technologies SealMaster Kelly Bros Erinline Ozark Materials LLC Hempel For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ayb54n 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, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Special Mission Aircraft Market by Platform (Military Aviation, Commercial Aviation, UAV), Application (ISR, Command and Control, Combat Support, Air-Launch/Rocket Launch), Payload Type, End-User, Point of Sale and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The special mission aircraft market is projected to grow from USD 15.9 billion in 2022 to USD 19.9 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 4.6% Aircraft OEMs and component manufacturers are focusing on innovating equipment and components for special missions due to the increasing demand for technologically advanced aircraft from military as well as commercial applications globally. Maintaining and funding innovations and managing fluctuations in aircraft build-rates are expected to result in the dynamic growth of the special mission aircraft market in the long term, particularly for the more fragmented parts of the supply chain and highly capital-intensive aero structure segments. Application segment is estimated to be the largest and fastest growing market The need for stealthy monitoring during military operations to drive segment demand. The capability of special mission aircraft to operate quietly and surreptitiously enables them to be used for surveillance, detection, classification, and identification of a maritime target without the target's inhabitants becoming aware of the aircraft's presence. They are used for drug interdiction, locating illegal immigrants, documenting fisheries violations, and detecting the pollution of oceans and rivers. According to Reuters, during in February 2022, amidst the Russia Ukraine war a remotely piloted U.S. military vehicle called the RQ-4 Global Hawk has flown over the country in circles for hours at a time. The drones' high-altitude, long-distance flights have coincided with a military build-up by Russia along the Ukrainian border and a flurry of diplomacy among leaders of the United States, Europe, and Russia to avert war. Increasing transport operations in military expected to drive platform segment demand Special mission aircraft are used for transportation of military supplies and personnel or are deployed for humanitarian relief operations. These aircraft are used for either strategic or tactical purposes. Other than US, European countries such as France, Germany and Russia are also among the highest investors in military transport aircraft. In September 2021, The Ministry of Defence (MoD), India on Friday signed an estimated 22,000-crore Indian rupees (USD 2838 million) deal with Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain, for 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force's ageing 56 Avro aircraft that were procured in the 1960s. This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India under technology transfer by the private sector. North America likely to emerge as the largest special mission aircraft market Special mission aircraft are used for various special missions carried out by the military forces such as reconnaissance and surveillance operations. These aircraft are used for either strategic or tactical purposes. The US military is the highest investor military reconnaissance & surveillance aircraft when compared to European countries such as France, Germany, and Russia. In November 2019, NATO and Boeing agreed on a USD 1 billion contract to modernize the alliance's fleet of AWACS surveillance aircraft, ensuring they continue to support missions till 2035. Key Market Players The special mission aircraft market is dominated by a few globally established players such as The Boeing Company (US), Lockheed Martin (US), Dassault Aviation SA (France), Textron Aviation (US), and Northrop Grumman Corporation (US)among others. Premium Insights Increasing Usage of UAVs in Military Operations is Expected to Drive the Special Mission Aircraft Market from 2O20 to 2025 Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Segment Projected to Lead the Market from 2020 to 2025 China is Estimated to Have the Highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025 Market Dynamics Drivers Increasing Need for Air-To-Air Refueling to Support Overseas Deployment Increasing Defense Expenditure of Countries Incremental Usage of UAVs in Military Operations Rise in Demand for Emergency Medical Service (Ems) Helicopters Restraints Lengthy Period of Product Certification from Aviation Authorities Stringent Regulatory Norms for Manufacturing of Special Mission Aircraft Components Opportunities Increasing Demand for Air Launched Small Satellites Advancement in Sensor Technology Driving Demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Challenges Requirement for Continuous and Uninterrupted Power Supply in UAVs Economic Challenges Faced by OEMs Due to COVID-19 Average Selling Price Trend Value Chain Analysis Technology Analysis Multi-Mission UAVs Trade Data Statistics Case Study Analysis IoT Sensors Sophy Industry Trends Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Autonomous Flight Technology Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Big Data Analytics Internet of Things (IoT) Multirole Combat Aircraft with Integrated Avionics and Weapons Ultra-Light Multi-Mode Radar Advanced Cockpits Aesa Radar Company Profiles Aerovironment, Inc Airbus Se BAE Systems Bombardier Inc Butler National Corporation Dassault Aviation SA Elbit Systems Ltd General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Gvh Aerospace Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc L Harris Technologies, Inc Leonardo Spa Lockheed Martin Corporation Lufthansa Technik Ag Northrop Grumman Corporation Pilatus Aircraft Ltd Raytheon Technologies Corporation Ruag International Holding Ag Saab AB Textron Aviation Inc Thales SA The Boeing Company Vox Space For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ax2lo 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 The non-alcoholic sparkling hop water completed the rigorous verification process from the Non-GMO Project LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HOP WTR adds more merits to its non-alcoholic sparkling hop water, receiving official certification from the Non-GMO Project after a rigorous vetting process. All HOP WTR products are enhanced with mood-boosting adaptogens and nootropics and contain no calories, carbs, sugar or gluten, and are now (officially) Non-GMO. Jordan Bass, Co-founder and CEO at HOP WTR, explained, "We're incredibly proud to be officially recognized as Non-GMO." He continued, "We believe people have a right to know what they're actually consuming, and at HOP WTR, we want to be as transparent as possible about what's in our beverages all good stuff, none of the bad." GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are organisms whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory. According to the Non-GMO Project, since their introduction in the 90s, GMOs have become commonplace, with more than 80% of products on grocery store shelves containing ingredients or inputs made from GMOs. The Non-GMO Butterfly seal is one of the most trusted and fastest-growing clean food labels on the markets. In fact, 40% of shoppers believe that the Non-GMO Project Butterfly is a trustworthy and credible certification. Nick Taranto, HOP WTR Co-founder, adds that the Non-GMO certification is fitting with HOP WTR's current Up To No Good campaign, which showcases the positive power of "No" when it comes to setting healthy boundaries. "We started the brand with the concept of no alcohol, but that has evolved to become a more empowering omission of anything that detracts from a healthy life and mindset. This Non-GMO seal is a natural extension of who we are as a brand and what we stand for with respect to our consumers and the planet." HOP WTR can be enjoyed in four refreshing flavors: Classic, Mango, Blood Orange, and (recently introduced) Lime. The brand is available nationwide at HOPWTR.com, goPuff, Amazon and Thrive Market. HOP WTR can also be found at Erewhon, BevMo! and select Ralphs, Wegmans, HEB and HyVee locations. For more information, please visit HOPWTR.com and follow on Instagram @HOPWTR. ABOUT HOP WTR HOP WTR is a non-alcoholic sparkling hop water crafted with crisp, bold hops and mood-boosting ingredients. Our proprietary blend of stress-busting hops, adaptogens (ashwagandha) and nootropics (L-Theanine) makes our brew burst with healthy benefits while tasting crisp, light, and satisfying. With no calories, carbs, sugar or gluten, HOP WTR is The Healthy Way to Hops. About the Non-GMO Project The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization offering rigorous product verification and trustworthy education that empowers people to care for themselves, the planet, and future generations. It is the market leader for GMO avoidance, working to preserve and build the non-GMO food supply. The Butterfly seal is one of the most trusted clean food labels on shelves today, and represents North America's most rigorous third-party verification for non-GMO food and personal products. MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Kovacs BLAZE PR [email protected] (310) 395-5050 SOURCE HOP WTR Mercury insurance protects policyholders and keeps rates low by being one step ahead of fraudsters LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fraudulent crimes against insurance companies may seem victimless, as the ones being scammed are large organizations with seemingly a lot of money behind them. However, it really is the public that is being taken advantage of in these situations. "People might think that unless their personal information has been stolen and used for illegal activity, someone trying to scam an insurance company doesn't directly affect them," said Pete Galassi, Mercury Insurance Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Manager. "That couldn't be further from the truth. Fraudulent insurance claims cost policyholders $700 more each year. Mercury's SIU team is always on the lookout for criminals trying to scam their way into our wallets by filing phony claims. Being one step ahead of criminals is what helps Mercury keep policyholder premiums some of the lowest in the industry." The following are examples in which Mercury has thwarted fraudsters looking for a big payday: Claim #1: Repeat Offender A loss was reported when an insured's vehicle made a left turn and struck the claimant's vehicle which caused it to collide into another vehicle. The claimant was to have been in that second vehicle and sought representation with an attorney in pursuit of a bodily injury claim. A Mercury branch supervisor noted the time and date stamp on the x-ray films submitted on behalf of the claimant were taken prior to the time of loss. There was a match in the system reflecting a prior motorcycle collision and the same attorney as the present claim represented the claimant in a prior matter. By obtaining the claimant's in-person recorded interview and visiting the medical clinic from which the records were to have been generated, the investigator confirmed that the x-ray reports were forged. The investigator met with the insured's attorney who, without being presented with full evidence, elected to withdraw from the case. The Los Angeles District attorney's office requested an accounting of the costs of the claim including the fees paid to the forensic expert and a listing of the time spent on the investigation. A letter was sent to the handling prosecutor identifying expenses totaling several thousand dollars. "Fraudster stopped in his tracks and innocent policyholders were protected," Galassi said. Claim #2: Department of Injustice A claim was filed for $2,200 worth of personal property being stolen from their vehicle. When processing the claim, multiple red flags popped up. An investigation revealed that the claimant had two previous National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) referrals for a burned vehicle and a theft of personal property claim with different insurance companies, as well as a third investigation for another burned vehicle. During the SIU investigation, nine receipts and invoices submitted from an online retailer had been falsified and manipulated. The invoice numbers submitted were correct, but the items purchased on those invoices had been fabricated. Upon closer review the tax amounts and font on the invoices were also different. The claimant, an employee with the Department of Justice for the State of California, used their government email to send fabricated invoices to their personal account, which was ultimately forwarded to the claims adjuster. The claimant was interviewed by SIU and when presented with the evidence discovered during the investigation, the claimant admitted that the invoices were falsified to gain policy benefits. SIU reported the fraudulent claim to the Department of Insurance which led to another investigation. The combined investigations of both Mercury and the Department of Insurance led to a conviction for presenting a fraudulent insurance claim. If you suspect you may have been a victim of insurance fraud, contact the National Insurance Crime Bureau. About Mercury Insurance Mercury Insurance (NYSE: MCY) is a multiple-line insurance carrier predominantly offering personal auto, homeowners, renters and commercial insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Illinois, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, as well as auto insurance in Florida. Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including business owners and business auto, landlord, home-sharing, ride-hailing and mechanical protection insurance. Since 1962, Mercury has provided customers with tremendous value for their insurance dollar by pairing ultracompetitive rates with excellent customer service. Mercury has earned "A" ratings from A.M. Best and Fitch, as well as ranking highest in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience StudySM and four consecutive "Best Auto Insurance Company" awards from Insure.com. For more information visit MercuryInsurance.com or follow the company on Twitter or Facebook. SOURCE Mercury Insurance World's most successful research submersible reaches 6,453 meters, its deepest dive ever WOODS HOLE, Mass., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, the human-occupied submersible Alvin made history when it successfully reached a depth of 6,453 meters (nearly 4 miles) in the Puerto Rico Trench, north of San Juan, P.R. This is the deepest dive ever in the 58-year history of the storied submersible. The dive was a critical step in the process of achieving certification from the U.S. Navy to resume operations after an 18-month overhaul and upgrade that extended the sub's maximum dive rating from 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) to its new limit of 6,500 meters (21,325 feet). Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) requirements stipulate the certification dive be between 6,200 and 6,500 meters. The three-person crew aboard Alvin for this history-making dive were: Anthony Tarantino (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), pilot); Fran Elder (WHOI, mechanical engineer); and Mike Yankaskas (NAVSEA). The added range puts roughly 99% of the seafloor within reach of the world's longest-operating, most active, and, by many measures, most successful human-occupied submersible program in the world. This success comes after test dives were temporarily halted in November 2021 when a post-dive visual inspection revealed damage to several attachment points of the specialized syntactic foam used to provide buoyancy to the 43,000-pound submersible. The Alvin team has spent the past several months working to ready the sub to dive again, setting sea in early July for a new round of tests. "Investments in unique tools like Alvin accelerate scientific discovery at the frontier of knowledge," said WHOI President and Director Peter de Menocal. "Alvin's new ability to dive deeper than ever before will help us learn even more about the planet and bring us greater appreciation for what the ocean does for all of us every day." Alvin is one of the most recognized and the most widely used deep submergence vessels in the world and the only one in the U.S. capable of carrying humans into extreme ocean depths and conducting complex scientific study of the deep ocean and seafloor. Today's dive means the sub has completed 5,086 successful dives, more than all other submersible programs worldwide combined. It is named after the WHOI physicist and oceanographer Allyn Vine, who first championed the idea of building a human-occupied submersible to support deep-sea research, was originally constructed by WHOI engineers in 1964, and has been operated by the Institution ever since. On average, it conducts about 100 dives per year on missions to study the processes that create and shape Earth's crust, the chemical conditions that support life in extreme environments, and the vast diversity of life in the deep sea. In 1974, Alvin played a central role in Project FAMOUS (French American Mid-Ocean Undersea Study) to verify aspects of the then-new theory of plate tectonics. Three years later, scientists diving in Alvin rewrote modern understanding of life on Earth when they discovered hot, chemical-rich water flowing from the seafloor and supporting entire ecosystems independent of sunlight at the surface. In 1986, Alvin made one of its most iconic expeditions when WHOI scientist Robert Ballard used it to explore the wreck of HMS Titanic. "For almost 60 years, the deep-submergence vehicle Alvin has unveiled the ocean's mysteries--not just for military and national security purposes but also for the scientific benefit of society as a whole," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby. "The Office of Naval Research is proud of its history with Alvin and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and looks forward to future discoveries and innovations. Welcome back, Alvin!" Over the years, Alvin has transported more than 3,000 people into the depths and has supported publication of countless peer-reviewed scientific studies. It has also enabled development of new tools to further oceanographic research and has fostered the careers of many young scientists and engineers. "The Alvin team at WHOI again demonstrated why they are world leaders in deep submergence technology with this momentous achievement," said Brian Midson, Program Director for Submersible Support at the National Science Foundation (NSF), which largely funded the upgrade. "It is exciting that Alvin will now extend its support of researchers making discoveries in the least visited places on the planet for generations to come." The Alvin Group is based at WHOI and supports all aspects of the sub's operations, including maintaining and piloting the sub, integrating new scientific sensors and instruments for specific missions, and designing and building new parts and new tools to extend its capabilities. Alvin is part of the NSF-funded National Deep Submergence Facility at WHOI that also includes the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry. In March 2020, Alvin returned to Woods Hole, where WHOI engineers completely disassembled the sub as part of a regularly scheduled maintenance period. At the same time, they completed an upgrade process begun in 2011 to extend the sub's depth range. The added depth will give scientists direct access to the ocean's abyssal and upper hadal zones. This under-studied and poorly explored region is expected to be home to new species and to offer new insight into the connections between the deep ocean and the surface of the planet, as well as the physical, chemical, and biological processes that make life on Earth possible. For the past three weeks, Alvin underwent a series of tests as part of its sea trials, overseen by the NAVSEA, which designs, builds, and maintains U.S. Navy ships and submarines. These included tests of its mechanical and electrical systems and its ability to operate safely at depth. The process concluded with certification to resume operation and to dive to its new maximum depth. "Being able to work with the Woods Hole and ONR team to certify Alvin has been an honor for us," said NAVSEA's Commander Vice Adm. Bill Galinis. "At NAVSEA, we like to say we expand the Navy's warfighting advantage, but with Alvin, we are now expanding scientist's ability to learn more about inner space thanks to our world-class engineers and deep submergence expertise." The next step in Alvin's post-overhaul schedule is a two-week, NSF-funded science verification expedition departing San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 25 led by WHOI engineer and chief scientist of the NSF-funded National Deep Submergence Facility Anna Michel and University of Rhode Island geologist Adam Soule. During the trip, scientists from a wide range of disciplines will evaluate the sub's ability to support deep-sea scientific research. Upon successful completion of the expedition, the science team will declare Alvin ready to return to service. "A great many people have made it possible for Alvin to come this far," said de Menocal. "To all of them I say thank you and congratulations. This is yet another milestone in Alvin's long history of success." Alvin by the Numbers Maximum depth: 6,500 meters (21,325 feet, 4 miles) Crew: 1 pilot, 2 observers Year launched: 1964 Number of dives: 5,086 2020-2022 Upgrades Titanium variable ballast spheres and syntactic foam modules rated to 6500 meters High-quality still and 4K video imaging system video imaging system New hydraulic manipulator arm More efficient, fully redundant hydraulic system Higher-horsepower thrusters New motor controllers Integrated command-and-control system The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. WHOI's pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering--one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in basic and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide--both above and below the waves--pushing the boundaries of knowledge and possibility. For more information, please visit www.whoi.edu This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise. For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com. Media Contacts: Suzanne Pelisson Director of Public Relations [email protected] Phone: 973-801-6223 SOURCE Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution DUBLIN, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Genetic Testing Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global genetic testing market reached a value of US$ 14.36 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 26.39 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.67% during 2021-2027. 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 market contributor. Genetic testing, or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing, refers to a medical technique that identifies changes in the chromosome structure or DNA sequence. It includes the collection and analysis of individual blood samples for examining the genetic condition and the chances of developing or passing various inherited disorders in laboratory settings. Genetic testing assists in providing accurate results regarding gene mutation, eliminating the need for unnecessary checkups, and making informed decisions to manage health. At present, genetic testing is commercially available in varying types, such as carrier, diagnostic, predictive, presymptomatic and prenatal testing. The increasing prevalence of genetic and chronic disorders across the growth represents the key factor driving the genetic testing market growth. This is further supported by the implementation of numerous favorable initiatives undertaken by the government bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for sensitizing masses regarding genetic testing. In line with this, the extensive utilization of genetic testing in pharmacogenomics, or drug-gene testing for examining the response of the body against certain medicines after its interaction with inherited genes, is contributing as another growth-inducing factor. Additionally, the sudden outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the widespread adoption of virtual testing and the home testing kits for sample collection purposes, which, in turn, is contributing to the market growth. The tremendous technological advancements in genetic testing techniques along with the introduction of DTC-GT (Direct-to-consumer genetic testing) kits are further propelling the market growth. Other factors, such as rising investments in the research and development (R&D) activities in the field of medical science, along with the strategic collaboration amongst top players for launching advanced personalized genetic testing kits, are creating a positive outlook for the market. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being 23andme Inc., Ambry Genetics Corporation (Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc.), Bio-RAD Laboratories Inc., Cepheid (Danaher Corporation), Eurofins Scientific, Illumina Inc., Invitae Corporation, Luminex Corporation (DiaSorin), Myriad Genetics Inc., QIAGEN, Quest Diagnostics and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global genetic testing market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global genetic testing 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 technology? 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 genetic testing 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 Genetic Testing 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 Predictive and Presymptomatic Testing 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Carrier Testing 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Prenatal and Newborn Testing 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 6.4 Diagnostic Testing 6.4.1 Market Trends 6.4.2 Market Forecast 6.5 Pharmacogenomic Testing 6.5.1 Market Trends 6.5.2 Market Forecast 6.6 Others 6.6.1 Market Trends 6.6.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Technology 7.1 Cytogenetic Testing and Chromosome Analysis 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Biochemical Testing 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Molecular Testing 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Key Segments 7.3.2.1 DNA Sequencing 7.3.2.1 Others 7.3.3 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Application 8.1 Cancer Diagnosis 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Genetic Disease Diagnosis 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis 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 23andme Inc. 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2 Ambry Genetics Corporation (Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc.) 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3 Bio-RAD Laboratories Inc. 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 Cepheid (Danaher Corporation) 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 Eurofins Scientific 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 Illumina 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 Invitae Corporation 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 Financials 14.3.8 Luminex Corporation (DiaSorin) 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Myriad Genetics 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 QIAGEN 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 Quest Diagnostics 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 Thermo Fisher Scientific 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/te1d65 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Japan Elevator and Escalator - Market Size & Growth Forecast 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Owing to increasing urbanization trends, aging population, and development projects such as the Redevelopment of Shibuya and 'Redevelopment Tokyo'. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JAPAN ELEVATOR AND ESCALATOR MARKET The growing focus on high-rise construction or skyscraper infrastructure led to specific innovations by the OEMs, from carbon-fiber cables to magnetic systems that would allow elevators to move sideways, opening new options in excellent building design. Japan's Plan for Supertall Wooden Skyscrapers in Tokyo is expected to be completed by 2041 at 1,148 feet tall. Plan for Supertall Wooden Skyscrapers in is expected to be completed by 2041 at 1,148 feet tall. In 2025, Osaka will host high-profile events such as the G20 and the World Expo. As a result of the city's popularity as a tourist destination, Kansai Airport announced a $911 million expansion to enhance its facilities and increase capacity. In contrast, hotel and restaurant buildings increased six-fold. The addition of a direct train link between Umekita and Kansai Airport has increased the demand for elevators. will host high-profile events such as the G20 and the World Expo. As a result of the city's popularity as a tourist destination, Kansai Airport announced a expansion to enhance its facilities and increase capacity. In contrast, hotel and restaurant buildings increased six-fold. The addition of a direct train link between Umekita and Kansai Airport has increased the demand for elevators. Major infrastructure project such as the Redevelopment of Shibuya, which include the construction of New Shibuya City Hall, a 39-story residence building, Miyashita Park (a park, shopping mall, and hotel), and critical projects in the Sakuraoka region, Dougenzaka suburb, and the NHK broadcast center, as well as relevant buildings between Shibuya and Harajuku, are all scheduled to be completed in 2036. The Toranomon region is under reconstruction, including a 52-story skyscraper, a significant highway extension, a new metro station, and a new office complex, all of which started in 2020. In 2023, a new office building and a residential building are expected to be completed. URBANIZATION AND AGEING POPULATION GROWTH ARE DRIVING JAPAN ELEVATORS AND ESCALATORS MARKET GROWTH The demand for elevators and escalators in the privately funded construction sector was fueled by the nonresidential and infrastructure development projects even though orders for personal sector projects decreased due to the spread of COVID-19, with postponement and reconsideration of hotel construction plans. The construction sector in Japan is estimated to be on a recovery path over the past few years. Increased demand for elevators & escalators is attributed to increasing urbanization trends and projects such as 'Redevelopment Tokyo.' is estimated to be on a recovery path over the past few years. Increased demand for elevators & escalators is attributed to increasing urbanization trends and projects such as 'Redevelopment Tokyo.' Technology adoption, such as smart elevators connected to the internet, is becoming widespread. Elevator suppliers have already begun installing them in intelligent buildings. THE TOURISM SECTOR IS EXPECTED TO PROPEL DEMAND FOR ESCALATORS AND ELEVATORS Japan's tourism industry is booming; over 31.9 million tourists visited in 2019, up 2.2% from the previous year. Due to expected pre-COVID levels, continued growth, rapid expansion, and economic investment, escalators and elevators are expected to be in high demand shortly. tourism industry is booming; over 31.9 million tourists visited in 2019, up 2.2% from the previous year. Due to expected pre-COVID levels, continued growth, rapid expansion, and economic investment, escalators and elevators are expected to be in high demand shortly. Japan received $46.1 billion in foreign tourist expenditure from tourists in 2019, putting it in 7th position globally, ahead of Germany and Australia . Japan aims to build many new airports to support its economic growth aspirations, which will boost the market for moving walkways, escalators, and elevators. INCREASING EXPENDITURE ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS The Japanese construction industry witnessed a decent inflow of investments in recent years. The significant factors that triggered the acquisition were the Olympics hosted by Tokyo in 2020 and the subsequent construction activities. in 2020 and the subsequent construction activities. The country's migration between various prefectures has also stimulated the residential construction activities within the country. Several redevelopment projects in western Japan's Kansai and Kinki areas have been initiated, leading to increased construction of new buildings and infrastructure due to economic expansion, urban planning, and technological advancements. MODERNIZATION DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADES The new technological upgrades primarily drive the demand for modernization; for instance, Mitsubishi Electric announced the immediate commercial launch of its new 'u series' of escalators, which enhance passenger safety and comfort, significant energy savings compared to previous models, and implementation of these techniques in elevators. In addition, modernization solutions help increase the lifespan of the equipment. Segmentation by Machine Type Hydraulic and Pneumatic Machine Room Traction Machine Room Less Traction Others Segmentation by Carriage Type Passenger Freight Segmentation by Capacity 2-15 Persons 16-24 Persons 25-33 Persons 34 Persons and Above Segmentation by End-User Commercial Residential Industrial Others Key Topics Covered: Section 1 - Introduction Section 2 - Japan Elevators Market Section 2.1- Japan Elevators Market, By Volume Section 2.1.1- Japan Elevators Market- By Segments Section 3- Japan Escalators Market Section 3.1- Japan Escalators Market, By Volume Section 3.1.1- Japan Escalators Market- By Segments Section 4- Japan Elevators & Escalators Market, by Service (Maintenance & Modernization) Section 5- Geographic Analysis Section 6- Advantages, Policies, Export & Import Section 7- Market Dynamics Section 8- Technological Development Section 9 - Competitive Landscape Section 10 - Report Summary Section 11 - Appendix (Definition, Inclusions & Exclusions) Companies Mentioned Mitsubishi Electric Toshiba Hitachi Otis Fujitec Schindler KONE TK Elevator Hyundai Elevator KOHLER For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/t8oomu 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 PITTSBURGH, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP), an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds, today announced that it plans to release its financial results for the second quarter of 2022 before the market opens on Thursday, August 4, 2022, and discuss its outlook on a conference call later that day at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Presentation materials will be available at least 15 minutes before the call on www.koppers.com in the Investor Relations section of the company's website. Interested parties may access the live audio broadcast toll free by dialing 1-833-366-1128 in the United States and Canada, or 1-412-902-6774 for international, Conference ID number 10167786. Participants are requested to access the call at least five minutes before the scheduled start time to complete a brief registration. The conference call will be broadcast live on www.koppers.com and can also be accessed here. An audio replay will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call at 1-877-344-7529 for U.S. toll free, 855-669-9658 for Canada toll free, or 1-412-317-0088 for international, using replay access code 8743727. The recording will be available for replay through November 4, 2022. About Koppers Koppers, with corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Our products and services are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end markets, including the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries. We serve our customers through a comprehensive global manufacturing and distribution network, with facilities located in North America, South America, Australasia, and Europe. The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KOP." For more information, visit: www.koppers.com. Inquiries from the media should be directed to Ms. Jessica Franklin at [email protected] or 412-227-2025. Inquiries from the investment community should be directed to Ms. Quynh McGuire at [email protected] or 412-227-2049. For Information: Quynh McGuire, Vice President, Investor Relations 412 227 2049 [email protected] SOURCE Koppers 10th annual Hatch Off competition brings Afro-fusion restaurant to Detroit DETROIT, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Little Liberia has been crowned the winner of the 2022 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, taking home the $100,000 grand prize from Comerica Bank to open the brick-and-mortar business of their dreams in Detroit. As the winner of the 10th annual Hatch Off, Little Liberia will receive $100,000 from Comerica Bank and a package of pro bono support and counsel from Hatch Detroit powered by its partners to bolster its opportunity for success. The annual contest supports brick-and-mortar business growth in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Representatives from Comerica Bank, Hatch Detroit and TechTown Detroit present Little Liberia with the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest grand prize of $100,000 during the contests Hatch Off event at the Wayne State University Industry Innovation Center in Detroit on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Little Liberia is an Afro fusion pop-up restaurant looking to find a permanent space to introduce Liberia's rich multicultural cuisines to the people of Metro Detroit. They serve authentic Liberian dishes, a cuisine whose heritage is a mixture of African, Caribbean, and Antebellum-South African American influences and would serve as the first ever Liberian restaurant in Michigan. Owner and founder of Little Liberia, Ameneh Marhaba, decided to open a business back in 2016 when she started hosting pop-up dinners as a means to pay bills. She continued to pursue her business and love of cooking and hopes to open a storefront in Midtown, Greek Town or Corktown. Marhaba draws business inspiration from Hatch Detroit alumnus, Mamba Hamasi after his success in the Detroit small business community with Baobab Fare. "We are eager to support and spotlight Little Liberia as the newest addition to the city's growing small business environment," said Vittoria Katanski, executive director, Hatch Detroit. "After 10 years of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, it is so evident how strong and deep the entrepreneurial spirit in Detroit runs, and Little Liberia is a prime example of tenacity and hard work paying off. As an organization, Hatch Detroit continues to support its alumni and winners even after the competition, and we look forward to seeing where this victory takes Little Liberia." Little Liberia was announced as the winner in front of a live audience at the contest's Hatch Off event that took place Thursday, July 21 at the Wayne State University Industry Innovation Center in Detroit. The event functions similarly to a 'Shark Tank' style pitching competition where the top five businesses had the opportunity to present their business pitch to a panel of judges as well as a live audience. Public voting, along with the judges' deliberation, determined that Little Liberia was the winner. "Comerica Bank congratulates Little Liberia as they join the previous nine winners and the special network of Hatch alumni after a momentous and well-deserved victory," said Mike Ritchie, Comerica Bank Michigan Market President. "After a decade of Hatch Detroit competitions, we are still continually amazed and in awe of the innovators and talent this contest inspires. It's truly what makes this such a rewarding partnership with Hatch Detroit and TechTown, and we're overjoyed to support Little Liberia and the other finalists as they work tirelessly to open their doors and join Detroit's vibrant small business community." Ten semi-finalists in the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest were announced to the public for voting in early June. After tens of thousands of votes were cast, the five finalists, COLFETARIE, Detroit Farm and Cider, Gajiza Dumplins, Lily's & Elise and Little Liberia were selected by and introduced to the public. A second round of public voting took place and each finalist pitched their business idea live to a panel of judges and an audience of their peers during the Hatch Off event. "The overwhelming support and continued success of Hatch alumni is a testament to the sense of community and drive for innovation in Detroit. We're confident we will see great things from Little Liberia and the other four finalists," said Ned Staebler, president and CEO of TechTown. "We are so fortunate to be in a city like Detroit where the community rallies around self-starters and rewards ingenuity, and we are thrilled with the results from TechTown's first year leading Hatch Detroit." Little Liberia joins previous Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest winners La Feria (2012), Sister Pie (2014), Live Cycle Delight (2015), Meta Physica Massage (2016), Baobab Fare (2017) and 27th Letter Books (2019). Together, Hatch Detroit alumni have opened 49 businesses, employ more than 500 people and have invested more than $7 million in their businesses. To learn more about Little Liberia, visit HatchDetroit.com. About Hatch Detroit Hatch Detroit supports both existing and new retail initiatives in the cities of Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Hatch Detroit was founded in 2011 to give residents and aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to have a voice in neighborhood retail development and joined TechTown Detroit's suite of entrepreneurial programs and services in 2022. Beyond the contest, Hatch Detroit provides funding, exposure and mentoring in support of its alumni entrepreneurs. With support from Hatch Detroit, 49 alumni have opened businesses. They employ over 500 people and have invested over $7 million in economic development. To learn more, visit hatchdetroit.com. About Comerica Bank Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served Michigan longer than any other bank with a continuous presence dating back over 172 years to its Detroit founding in 1849. It is the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and over 4,500 employees (FTE) statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in Michigan, Comerica nurtures lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of charitable organizations, and actively participating in Detroit's downtown revitalization. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Comerica, Twitter: @ComericaBank and Instagram: @comerica_bank. About TechTown Detroit TechTown is a nonprofit business service organization that provides programs, education and resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech entrepreneurs. By building bridges for entrepreneurs to succeed, TechTown is accelerating an inclusive economy for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Since 2007, TechTown has supported more than 4,500 companies, which created 1,600 jobs and raised more than $172 million in startup and growth capital. For more information, visit techtowndetroit.org . SOURCE Comerica Bank Read the report with TOC on "Logistics Market in UAE Analysis by End-user and Function. Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. View our Report Snapshot Major Logistics in UAE Companies and Key Offerings Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP - The company is involved in offering oil & gas logistics services across the region for various industries such as agriculture, healthcare, and chemical, which carry around 400-500 transport vehicles handling all containerized, non containerized, heavy, and oversized cargoes. - The company is involved in offering oil & gas logistics services across the region for various industries such as agriculture, healthcare, and chemical, which carry around 400-500 transport vehicles handling all containerized, non containerized, heavy, and oversized cargoes. CEVA Logistics AG - The company is involved in offering a wide range of logistics services such as road freight and rail freight, among others, which monitor the shipments throughout the road journey and ensure goods are always traveling on the most efficient route with greater flexibility and good service. - The company is involved in offering a wide range of logistics services such as road freight and rail freight, among others, which monitor the shipments throughout the road journey and ensure goods are always traveling on the most efficient route with greater flexibility and good service. Deutsche Post AG - The company is involved in offering a wide range of logistics services such as air freight and ocean freight, among others, which provide a range of highly flexible products. - The company is involved in offering a wide range of logistics services such as air freight and ocean freight, among others, which provide a range of highly flexible products. DGL CLEARING AND FORWARDING - The company is involved in offering third-party logistics services that enable various enterprises to outsource or make use of third-party businesses to carry out tasks to execute the supply chain. - The company is involved in offering third-party logistics services that enable various enterprises to outsource or make use of third-party businesses to carry out tasks to execute the supply chain. Emirates Logistics LLC - The company is involved in offering various kinds of supply chain services such as third-party services and fourth-party services, among others. Get lifetime access to our Technavio Insights! Subscribe to our "Basic Plan" billed annually at USD 5000 Market Driver and Challenge The growing e-commerce industry is driving the growth of the market. The increase in Internet penetration in the UAE and the rising access to smartphones are leading to the growth of the e-commerce industry. Many consumers prefer to shop online instead of physical stores. The movement of goods is highly dependent on the transportation and distribution network. Hence, vendors are offering logistics services to e-commerce enterprises. The increased lead time and supply-demand imbalance will challenge the logistics market in UAE during the forecast period. Supply chain operations in the UAE have been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The transport and logistics distribution networks are affected due to the supply-demand imbalance, lack of last-mile fulfillment services, and labor shortage. Changing norms in different states and countries have resulted in a delayed lead time. Thus, supply chain disruptions and lead time increments are expected to challenge transport and logistics vendors in the logistics market in UAE. Logistics Market In UAE End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026) Manufacturing - size and forecast 2021-2026 Automotive - size and forecast 2021-2026 Retail - size and forecast 2021-2026 Healthcare - size and forecast 2021-2026 Others - size and forecast 2021-2026 Logistics Market In UAE Function Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026) Transportation - size and forecast 2021-2026 Inventory holding - size and forecast 2021-2026 Administration - size and forecast 2021-2026 Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a PDF Sample Report Related Reports Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Market by Service and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Logistics Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Logistics Market Scope in UAE Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.84% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 11.87 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 6.44 Regional analysis UAE Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP, CEVA Logistics AG, Deutsche Post AG, DGL CLEARING AND FORWARDING, Emirates Logistics LLC, Global Shipping and Logistics LLC, Jenae Logistics LLC, Mac World Logistic LLC, Masstrans Freight LLC, and Modern Freight Company LLC 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 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 1.1 Market Overview Exhibit 01: Key Finding 1 Exhibit 02: Key Finding 2 Exhibit 04: Key Finding 6 Exhibit 05: Key Finding 7 2. Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem 2.1.1 Parent Market Exhibit 06 Parent market Exhibit 07: Market characteristics 2.2 Value Chain Analysis Exhibit 08: Value Chain Analysis: Air freight and logistics 2.2.1 Shippers 2.2.2 Freight forwarder 2.2.3 Airfreight carrier 2.2.4 Handling agents 2.2.5 Consignee 2.2.6 Industry innovations 3. Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 09: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 10: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026 3.4.1Estimating growth rates for emerging and high-growth markets 3.4.2Estimating growth rates for mature markets Exhibit 11: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026($ billion) Exhibit 12: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%) 4. Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five Forces Summary Exhibit 13: Five forces analysis 2021 - 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 14: Bargaining power of the buyer 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 15: Bargaining power of the supplier 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 16: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 17: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 18: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 19: Market condition - Five forces 2021 5. Market Segmentation by End user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 20: End user- Market share 2021 - 2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End user Exhibit 21: Comparison by End user 5.3 Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 22: Manufacturing- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 23: Manufacturing - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 24: Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 25: Automotive- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 26: Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 27: Retail - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 29: Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 30: Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ billion) Exhibit 31: Others - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%) 5.8 Market opportunity by End user Exhibit 32: Market opportunity by End user 6 Market Segmentation by Function 6.1 Market segments Exhibit 33: Function- Market share 2021-2026 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Function Exhibit 34: Comparison by Function 6.3 Transportation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 35: Transportation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 36: Transportation - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.4 Inventory holding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 37: Inventory holding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 38: Inventory holding - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.5 Administration - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 39: Administrations - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 40: Administrations - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.6 Market opportunity by Function Exhibit 41: Market opportunity by Function 7. Customer landscape Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria 7.1 Overview Exhibit 42: Customer landscape 8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.1.1 Growing e-commerce industry 8.1.2 Increasing use of multimodal transport 8.1.3 Increased outsourcing of logistics services 8.2 Market challenges 8.2.1 Increased lead time and supply-demand imbalance 8.2.2 High operational costs 8.2.3 Growing number of cargo thefts Exhibit 43: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 8.3.1 Use of blockchain with logistics 8.3.2 Digital transformation in logistics 8.3.3 Growing demand for green logistics 9. Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview Exhibit 44: Vendor landscape 9.2 Landscape disruption Exhibit 45: Landscape disruption Exhibit 46: Industry Risk 9.3 Competitive Landscape 10. Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 47: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 48: Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP Exhibit 49: Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP - Overview Exhibit 50: Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP - Business segments Exhibit 51: Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP - Key news Exhibit 52: Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP - Key offerings Exhibit 53: Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP - Segment focus 10.4 CEVA Logistics AG Exhibit 54: CEVA Logistics AG - Overview Exhibit 55: CEVA Logistics AG - Business segments Exhibit 56: CEVA Logistics AG - Key news Exhibit 57: CEVA Logistics AG - Key offerings Exhibit 58: CEVA Logistics AG - Segment focus 10.5 Deutsche Post AG Exhibit 59: Deutsche Post AG - Overview Exhibit 60: Deutsche Post AG - Business segments Exhibit 61: Deutsche Post AG - Key news Exhibit 62: Deutsche Post AG - Key offerings sche Post AG - Segment focus 10.6 DGL CLEARING AND FORWARDING Exhibit 64: DGL CLEARING AND FORWARDING - Overview Exhibit 65: DGL CLEARING AND FORWARDING - Product and service Exhibit 66: DGL CLEARING AND FORWARDING - Key offerings 10.7 Emirates Logistics LLC Exhibit 67: Emirates Logistics LLC - Overview Exhibit 68: Emirates Logistics LLC - Product and service Exhibit 69: Emirates Logistics LLC - Key offerings 10.8 Global Shipping and Logistics LLC Exhibit 70: Global Shipping and Logistics LLC - Overview Exhibit 71: Global Shipping and Logistics LLC - Product and service Exhibit 72: Global Shipping and Logistics LLC - Key offerings 10.9 Jenae Logistics LLC Exhibit 73: Jenae Logistics LLC - Overview Exhibit 74: Jenae Logistics LLC - Product and service Exhibit 75: Jenae Logistics LLC - Key offerings 10.10 Mac World Logistic LLC Exhibit 76: Mac World Logistic LLC - Overview Exhibit 77: Mac World Logistic LLC - Product and service Exhibit 78: Mac World Logistic LLC - Key offerings 10.11 Masstrans Freight LLC Exhibit 79: Masstrans Freight LLC - Overview Exhibit 80: Masstrans Freight LLC - Product and service Exhibit 81: Masstrans Freight LLC - Key offerings 10.12 Modern Freight Company LLC Exhibit 82: Modern Freight Company LLC - Overview Exhibit 83: Modern Freight Company LLC - Product and service Exhibit 84: Modern Freight Company LLC - Key news Exhibit 85: Modern Freight Company LLC - Key offerings 11. Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.1.1 Market definition 11.1.2 Objectives 11.1.3 Notes and caveats 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 86: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research Methodology Exhibit 87: Research Methodology Exhibit 88: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 89: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 90: 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 provide 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 STOCKHOLM, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Record sales and higher operating margin Reported revenue is the highest ever and operating profit continues to grow during the second quarter. Loomis' strong development is supported by the opening of societies post the pandemic in Europe, and continued success for SafePoint in the USA. Loomis Pay transaction volumes show an encouraging development, and we have now initiated a pilot in Spain. The Group's second quarter organic growth was 16.1 percent (17.3) and operating margin (EBITA %) was 10.0 percent (9.0). In terms of organic growth Loomis Group have now reported three consecutive quarters with higher revenue than before the pandemic started. Excluding Loomis Pay, operating margin is 10.8 percent (9.6). The quarter's positive development confirms Loomis strength despite significant macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties. Comments on quarter 2 Revenue for the quarter was SEK 6,217 million (4,779). Real growth was 17.7 percent (22.7) of which organic growth was 16.1 percent (17.3). (4,779). Real growth was 17.7 percent (22.7) of which organic growth was 16.1 percent (17.3). Operating income 1) (EBITA) for the period was SEK 620 million (428) and EBITA operating margin was 10.0 percent (9.0). Excluding Loomis Pay , the operating margin amounted to 10.8 percent (9.6). (EBITA) for the period was (428) and EBITA operating margin was 10.0 percent (9.0). Excluding , the operating margin amounted to 10.8 percent (9.6). Operating income (EBIT) before items affecting comparability for the period was SEK 539 million (388) and operating margin (EBIT) before items affecting comparability was 8.7 percent (8.1). (388) and operating margin (EBIT) before items affecting comparability was 8.7 percent (8.1). Income before taxes SEK 438 million (338) and net income SEK 296 million (251). (338) and net income (251). Earnings per share before and after dilution were SEK 4.02 (3.33). (3.33). Cash flow 2) from operating activities SEK 644 million (290), equivalent to 104 percent (68) of operating income (EBITA). from operating activities (290), equivalent to 104 percent (68) of operating income (EBITA). Loomis AB repurchased 824,000 own shares during the second quarter. The Board of Directors has resolved to continue the repurchase of own shares that was initiated earlier this year. 1) Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Amortization of acquisition-related intangible fixed assets, Acquisition-related costs and revenue and Items affecting comparability. 2) Cash flow from operating activities is exclusive of impact from IFRS 16. This press release is also available on the company's website, www.loomis.com July 22, 2022 CONTACT: Kristian Ackeby Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +46 70 569 69 98 Email: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/loomis-ab/r/loomis-interim-report-january---june-2022,c3604347 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/51/3604347/1606821.pdf Loomis Interim Report January-June 2022 https://mb.cision.com/Public/51/3604347/8a1a16c73a76b58f.pdf Loomis Interim Report January-June 2022 - press release SOURCE Loomis AB ATLANTA, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AI decision-support systems are used in a range of industries that base their decisions on information. AI explainability is a part of AI functionality that is responsible for explaining how the AI came up with a specific output. MobiDev experts used explainable AI for medical image processing and cancer screening. Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma Example of WSI kidney tissue Computer vision techniques are actively used in the processing of medical images, such as Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Whole-Slide images (WSI). For example, WSI of human tissues can reach 21,500 21,500 pixel size and even more. However, since WSI is a really large image, it takes heaps of time, attention and qualification to analyze. Traditional computer vision methods will also require too much computational resources for end-to-end processing. So how can explainable AI help here? In terms of WSI analysis, explainable AI will act as a support system that scans image sectors and highlights regions of interest with suspicious cellular structures. The machine won't make any decision, but will speed up the process and make the work of a doctor easier. This is possible because WSI is more accurate and quicker in terms of image scanning, giving less chance to omit specific regions. AI support system highlights the regions of high risk where cancer cells are more likely to be. This eliminates the need to physically analyze the whole image of a kidney, providing hints for medical expertise and attention. You can check the live demo of kidney tissue WSI analysis to see how the interface looks and how exactly it works. More detailed information about Explainable AI uses can be found at: https://mobidev.biz/blog/using-explainable-ai-in-decision-making-applications MobiDev is an international software engineering company with offices in Poland and Ukraine.The company is focused on helping visionaries create their products. MobiDev invests into technology research and has years of experience building AI-powered solutions, implementing machine learning, augmented reality, and IoT. Media Contact: Nana Hrytsenko 888-380-0276 [email protected] SOURCE MobiDev The Western Hemisphere's busiest transportation facility continues its commitment to best-in-class travel experience with live music and special performances NEW YORK, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moynihan Train Hall announced today its official partnership with the non-profit Sing for Hope. The partnership builds on the success of Sing for Hope's live music series soft-launched at Moynihan Train Hall in Fall 2021 and designed to welcome travelers to the arts capital of New York City. Beginning this month, the Sing for Hope program at Moynihan Train Hall will offer even more world-class musical performances reflective of New York City's diverse cultural landscape, along with special holiday concerts and public arts activations for all to enjoy. Spearheaded and supported by Empire State Development, the Sing for Hope concert series will reach millions of travelers annually and provide employment for hundreds of New York City's finest artists from Broadway, Lincoln Center, and more, during a critical time in NYC's post-pandemic recovery. The 255,000-square-foot Moynihan Train Hall is a unique blend of classical and contemporary design that features a one-acre sky-lit atrium, a signature clock, and cutting-edge technology. The train hall provides immediate benefits of efficiency and accessibility while also enhancing quality of life for New Yorkers and visitors alike. Doug Carr, Executive Director of Moynihan Station Development Corporation, said, "Furthering our commitment to incorporating world-class art at Moynihan Train Hall, the partnership with Sing for Hope builds upon the stunning physical art installations to include the work of pre-eminent musicians of Sing for Hope in performances as diverse as our great city, celebrating the creative spirit of New Yorkers. "The musical talents of the Sing for Hope artists truly elevate the commuter experience and lift the spirits of visitors. Moynihan Train Hall is thrilled to offer the public these unique NYC experiences," said Helen Twingley of Sound Color Story, Moynihan Train Hall Marketing and Communications representative. Five-time-Grammy-Award-winning and Oscar-winning artist Jon Batiste, a Sing for Hope Board Member since 2015, said, "We bring the Sing for Hope programs to our shared public spaces because the context of where you experience music can profoundly change you. Public sharing of art fosters and affirms community. It's what we need right now, what the world needs." Sing for Hope Co-Founder Monica Yunus said, "Sing for Hope is best known for our beloved Sing for Hope Pianos, launched in 2010, and today one of NYC's largest annual public arts programs. This past year, we were honored to play a vital role at Javits Center Vaccination Site, employing hundreds of musicians and reaching 270,000 New Yorkers through our daily concerts. What could be better now than to bring our harmonies to Moynihan Train Hall, the newest jewel of our city?" Continued Sing for Hope Co-Founder Camille Zamora, "It's a dream for Sing for Hope to partner with Moynihan Train Hall to employ NYC's renowned creative community to enrich the transit hub experience for commuters and staff. Moynihan Train Hall has built the arts into its civic vision on a fundamental level, partnering with SFH to provide employment for high-level professional musicians as we emerge from historic levels of unemployment and underemployment during the pandemic. These kinds of programs bind our communities together and renew our hope." Sing for Hope's programming at Moynihan Train Hall will include vibrant instrumental performances from a broad range of genres each week, and in the year ahead, will expand to include vocal soloists, full choirs, dance, and visual arts. Featured ensembles and artists will range from community choruses to leading Broadway stars to Latin jazz greats The Mambo Kings and more. Initial response to Sing for Hope at Moynihan Train Hall has been overwhelmingly positive. At a soft-launch event earlier this summer, commuter Josh Popoff paused for a moment to enjoy music ranging from Abba to Vivaldi performed by the all-star quintet of Victoria Paterson, Hiroko Taguchi, Clara Warnaar, Philip Payton, and Peter Sachon. In Popoff's words, "The music is outstanding! Thanks for creating a moment of serenity in a crazy world." Get involved: if interested in sponsoring the Moynihan Train Hall Music Series with Sing for Hope, contact: [email protected] ABOUT MOYNIHAN TRAIN HALL Moynihan Train Hall is the city's newest grand civic icon. Led by Empire State Development, New York State's economic development agency, the $1.6 billion project transforms the 100+ year-old James A. Farley Post Office Building into a modern, world-class transit hub an idea first proposed by the late United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan more than a quarter-century ago. At 255,000-square-feet, housing both Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road ticketing and waiting areas, the unrivaled design includes state-of-the-art security features and a contemporary, digital passenger experience. Moynihan Train Hall achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's rigorous Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating and is the first building worldwide to successfully qualify for certification under the new LEED for Transit (Building Design + Construction) rating system. Visit moynihantrainhall.nyc for more info. ABOUT SING FOR HOPE Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal. Sing for Hope's work is made possible by the Sing for Hope Founders' Circle: The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman, Sing for Hope Global Patron), The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, Jacqueline Novogratz and Chris Anderson, The Seedlings Foundation, and Ann Ziff; The National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts; and Fosun International. Learn more at singforhope.org. Media contact: Helen Twingley Communications and Marketing, Moynihan Train Hall [email protected] SOURCE Moynihan Train Hall; Sing for Hope As the majority investor in a new fiber-to-the-premises Internet provider, Oak Hill will partner with Omni Fiber to accelerate the deployment of fiber-based broadband networks in the Midwest. CINCINNATI and MENLO PARK, Calif., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oak Hill Capital ("Oak Hill") today announced that it formed a new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) provider, Omni Fiber ("Omni" or the "Company"), to bring to market a new option for high-speed Internet service in small and mid-sized markets in the Midwest that have historically been underserved by the large phone and cable companies. Oak Hill's $250 million commitment to Omni Fiber out of its latest flagship fund, Oak Hill Capital Partners VI, will fund new network construction to bring state-of-the-art fiber Internet, TV, and phone services to homes and businesses in communities across the Midwest, with initial projects in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. "We are thrilled to partner with Oak Hill and are excited to provide high-quality Internet access options to small and medium communities across the Midwest," said Darrick Zucco, Omni Fiber CEO. "Oak Hill's investment will spur our growth to help bridge the digital divide and establish competitive choice by providing hundreds of thousands of households access to our future-proof, 100% fiber-optic network. We look forward to establishing and maintaining excellent service quality as we support our new customers and communities for years to come." Omni Fiber will offer affordable, symmetrical speeds of up to 2 Gbps to homes and businesses in small and mid-sized towns in the Midwest where current high-speed options are limited. Omni will deliver what customers expect from their Internet service provider: fast Internet speeds, reliability, complete in-home coverage, and best-in-class local customer service. Omni will not require contracts for residential customers and promises no hidden fees, no data caps, no installation fees, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. With Oak Hill's investment in the Company, Omni will not need to rely on grants or subsidies from federal, state, or local governments to build its network. Oak Hill is an experienced investor in the FTTP space, and Omni Fiber's executive team has over 80 years of combined experience in building and growing fiber networks. Oak Hill's current broadband investments that enable increased fiber access across the U.S. include MetroNet, one of the nation's largest independently owned, 100 percent fiber optic network providers; Vexus Fiber, an expanding provider in Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana; GoNetspeed in the Northeast; Race Communications in California; and Greenlight Networks in upstate New York. "We believe that reliable, high-speed access to the Internet represents a fundamental catalyst for economic growth and equal opportunity for all Americans, from small towns to big cities," said Scott Baker, Partner at Oak Hill. "We have enjoyed strong relationships with Omni's founding executive team Darrick Zucco, Steve Gable, Brian Ross and Andres Tovar for many years. We are excited to formally launch our new partnership with this outstanding team as the Company builds and introduces its fiber network across the Midwest." About Oak Hill Oak Hill is a longstanding private equity firm focused on the North America middle-market. Oak Hill applies a specialized, theme-based approach to investing in the following dedicated industry sectors: Media & Communications, Industrials, Services, and Consumer. The Firm implements a highly systematic approach to theme development, proactive origination, and value creation in partnership with management to build franchises of lasting value. Since 1986, Oak Hill and its predecessors have raised approximately $20 billion of initial capital commitments and co-investments, invested in approximately 100 companies, and completed more than 300 add-on acquisitions representing an aggregate enterprise value at acquisition of over $60 billion. For more information, please visit www.oakhill.com. About Omni Fiber Founded in 2022, Ohio-based Omni Fiber provides 100% fiber-optic broadband Internet, TV and phone services to residential and business customers in the Midwestern United States. Omni Fiber offers symmetrical speeds of up to 2 Gbps, no-hidden fees, no data caps, Premium Wi-Fi included, local customer service, and competitive pricing. For more information, please visit www.omnifiber.com. Oak Hill Media Contact: Dawn Dover [email protected] Omni Fiber Media Contact: John Barnes [email protected] SOURCE Oak Hill Capital Partners INDIANAPOLIS, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Thrift, president and CEO of Thompson Thrift, a full service nationally recognized real estate company, was recognized in the Indiana Business Journal's inaugural Top 250 list. The list honors the most influential and impactful leaders who are making an undeniable difference on the state of Indiana. Honorees range from top executives at publicly traded or privately held companies to up-and-comers across business, philanthropy, the arts, government and not-for-profits. "I am incredibly humbled to be recognized by the IBJ as one of the state's most influential Hoosiers," said Paul Thrift, president and CEO of Thompson Thrift. "I wholeheartedly believe that 'to whom much is given, much will be required', and in both my personal and professional life I strive to embody the core values of excellence, service and leadership each day." Since Thrift co-founded the company in 1986 with John Thompson, Thompson Thrift has grown from a locally focused development and construction company into a full-service, integrated enterprise with 550 team members. The company has successfully developed approximately $4 billion in real estate developments in 20 states, and is engaged in all aspects of acquisition, development, construction, leasing, and management of quality multifamily, mixed-use, retail, industrial and commercial projects across the country. Thrift continued, "I'm grateful to my colleagues and peers for the guidance and support I've received over the years and to the team members of Thompson Thrift for their dedication and passion to making a positive impact in the communities we serve." Thrift was born and raised in Terre Haute and graduated from Indiana State University. A lifelong learner who takes great pride in the opportunity to mentor tomorrow's leaders, Thrift has served and chaired a variety of business, civic, religious and non-profit organizations across the state, including chairman of the board of directors for the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce in 2019 and chairman for the Multifamily Leadership Board for the National Association of Home Builders. At a corporate level, Thompson Thrift partners with more than 35 local organizations with a key focus on community revitalization, youth and education. The company built a new facility for the Terre Haute Women's Center, which provides services to victims of domestic violence and converted a large home into a four-unit apartment complex for Next Step, a recovery program that helps people with addictions. Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce recognized Thompson Thrift with a 2020 Monumental Award for Fishers District and the company also earned the distinction of being named one of GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum's Influencers of Multifamily Real Estate for 2021. The Indiana 250 was developed and published by IBJ Media, the parent company of three news brandsIndianapolis Business Journal, Inside INdiana Business and Indiana Lawyer, whose news leaders and staffs contributed to the selections. About Thompson Thrift Real Estate Company Thompson Thrift is an integrated full-service real estate company with offices in Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Indiana, Houston and Phoenix. Three business units drive Thompson Thrift's successThompson Thrift Residential which is focused on upscale Class A multifamily communities and luxury leased homes, Thompson Thrift Commercial which is focused on ground-up commercial development, and Thompson Thrift Construction, a full-service construction company. Through these business units, Thompson Thrift is engaged in all aspects of acquisition, development, construction, leasing, and management of quality multifamily, mixed-use, retail, industrial and commercial projects across the country. We are passionate about our customer's success and strive to ensure our projects not only meet the needs of our customers but also the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.thompsonthrift.com Contact: Jennifer Franklin Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.1385 [email protected] SOURCE Thompson Thrift Mobile Hope serves as a support and emergency shelter to youth up to age 24 in the greater Washington, D.C. area TYSONS, Va., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PenFed Credit Union, the nation's second largest federal credit union, today announced its employees donated 706 clothing and hygiene items for Mobile Hope, an emergency youth shelter. Employees of the Tysons headquarters location gathered in front of the building to load the received donations of socks, diapers, underwear and sleeping mats onto Mobile Hope's "Listen for the Honk" Bus which will be delivered to local youth in need. PenFed President and CEO James Schenck and PenFed employees present a check of $5,000 to Mobile Hope. PenFed employees at the Tysons headquarters came together to donate over 700 items to benefit youth in need in surrounding areas. PenFed employees load the donations onto Mobile Hopes Listen for the Honk Bus at an event held outside of Tysons headquarters on July 20. "We are so fortunate to have our employees come together to donate to an organization determined to help future generations," said PenFed President/CEO James Schenck. "We prioritize charitable giving as a financial institution and look forward to continue our summer giving initiative." The donation is part of PenFed's commitment to give to local charities in the Tysons and greater Washington, D.C. community this summer, with employees purchasing items from Mobile Hope's Amazon Wishlist to donate over 700 items to the organization. Mobile Hope was founded by Donna Fortier in 2011 as a special project at Inova Loudon Hospital, after discovering a significant number of homeless youths in Loudoun County. Fortier began by distributing clothing, food, and hygiene items to youth in need on the hospital's mobile bus. Fortier then expanded her mission to serve homeless and at-risk youth up to age 24. Mobile Hope works to shelter, clothe, feed, transport, guide, and empower depending on each client's needs. Listen for the Honk Bus is Mobile Hope's iconic bus that has delivered fresh food, diapers, hygiene items, books, and toys to more than 320,000 family members since March of 2020. The bus travels to surrounding counties weekly to deliver donated goods to families in need. 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 MONTREAL, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - About a week ago, Canadian real estate developer Ray Junior Courtemanche made the headlines as he announced that he would now allow his clients to make their purchase using crypto through Dello's POS systems. Even if Courtemanche was confident that it would sooner or later lead to results, he didn't expect things would go so fast. Ray Junior Courtemanche and Genevieve Langevin (CNW Group/Investissement Ray Junior) "After the press release, the news began spreading all over the world. We were everywhere. Within a few days, we already had dozens of calls and emails from potential buyers,'' affirms Courtemanche. Shortly after seeing the announcement, Genevieve Langevin, a notorious real estate broker and investor from Montreal, was among the first who reached out to the promoter. "As a crypto holder, I immediately saw this as an opportunity to be among those innovative people making the financial world evolve. I think transactions such as this one tell a lot about where we are heading with crypto,'' says Langevin. Only a few days after, the deal was made. Genevieve Langevin would be the first person in Canada to purchase a Skyblu Condo in Cite Mirabel using only Bitcoins. For Courtemanche, this meant a lot. "Coming from a knowledgeable real estate broker, someone who knows the market as much as Genevieve does, you know we're doing something good if she comes and knocks at our door,'' says Ray Junior Courtemanche. Like Genevieve Langevin, through Dello's innovative crypto POS systems, businesses will now be able to accept crypto and receive settlement in cash directly to their bank accounts. With such solutions, Cypto paymentsfrom customers around the corner and around the world, are now as simple as any traditional payment methods. www.investissementrayjunior.com SOURCE Investissement Ray Junior MENLO PARK, Calif., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half recently wrapped up its Season of Service, a 10-week philanthropic event that kicked off during National Volunteer Week in April. Together, with the help of more than 850 Robert Half employees, the company provided over 8,700 volunteer hours impacting more than 400 charitable organizations and donated more than $420,000 to nonprofits across North America. Watch a recap video of Robert Half's 2022 Season of Service. Highlights from the event include: Employees organized and participated in a variety of virtual and in-person volunteer activities to support nonprofit organizations across the country, such as the Gladiator Project, which supports brain cancer research; Helping Paws of Minnesota , which trains and places service dogs; and Girls Inc. of Alameda County , which helps girls defy limitations and stereotypes, attend college, break the cycle of poverty, and move into a thriving future. , which trains and places service dogs; and Girls Inc. of , which helps girls defy limitations and stereotypes, attend college, break the cycle of poverty, and move into a thriving future. Members of Robert Half's Employee Network Groups planned fundraisers to benefit organizations like the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association and Rainbow Railroad. As a longtime supporter of Family Giving Tree, Robert Half hosted an annual Back to School Drive to provide essential school supplies to K-12 students, relieving the financial burden for families in under-resourced areas of the community. "Part of our mission at Robert Half is to be socially responsible citizens and active participants in the communities where we live and work," said Lynne Smith, senior vice president of global human resources at Robert Half. "This year's Season of Service would not have been a success without our employees' generosity, Robert Half's Matching Gifts program and support from our business partners. Beyond this event, our teams are passionate about coming together and giving back throughout the year." Learn more about Robert Half's philanthropic efforts at roberthalf.com/esg-report. About Robert Half Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) is the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm that connects opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers. Robert Half offers contract and permanent placement solutions and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm. Visit roberthalf.com and download the company's award-winning mobile app . SOURCE Robert Half NEW YORK, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) resulting from allegations that Discover Financial Services may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased Discover Financial Services securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7773 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On July 20, 2022, after trading hours, Discover Financial Services issued a press release announcing its financial results for its second quarter of 2022. Among other items, Discover Financial Services disclosed that "[t]he company is suspending until further notice its existing share repurchase program because of an internal investigation relating to its student loan servicing practices and related compliance matters. The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by a board-appointed independent special committee." On this news, Discover Financial Services share prices fell $9.80 per share, or 8.9%, to close at $100.00 per share on July 21, 2022, on unusually heavy trading volume. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of Celsius Financial Products, including CEL Tokens, Earn Rewards high-interest accounts, and/or Celsius Loan products, between February 9, 2018, and June 13, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), against Celsius Network LLC ("Celsius"), Celsius Lending LLC, Celsius KeyFi LLC (collectively, the "Celsius Entities") and its executives Alexander Mashinsky, Shlomi "Daniel" Leon, David Barse, and Alan Jeffrey Carr (together, "Defendants"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 13, 2022. SO WHAT: If you purchased Celsius Financial Products, including CEL Tokens, Earn Rewards high-interest accounts, and/or Celsius Loan products you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Celsius class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7586 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 13, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, Defendants violated provisions of the Securities Act by selling non-exempt securities without registering it. The complaint alleges that Celsius and Individual Defendants violated provisions of the Securities Act by also participating in Celsius' failure to register the Celsius Financial Products. The complaint alleges that the Defendants violated provisions of the New Jersey Common Law by possessing the monetary value of Celsius Financial Products of inflated value which rightfully belongs to the Plaintiff and members of the Class. Also according to the lawsuit, Defendants violated provisions of the Exchange Act by carrying out a plan, scheme, and course of conduct that Celsius intended to and did deceive retail investors and thereby caused them to purchase Celsius Financial Products at artificially inflated prices; endorsed false statements they knew or recklessly should have known were material misleading, and they made untrue statements of material fact and omitted to state material facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading. To join the Celsius class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7586 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. BOSTON and CINCINNATI, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On behalf of its client, Dr. Christopher Wallace, the law firm of Morgan Verkamp, LLC (with attorneys in Cincinnati, Ohio, Boston, Massachusetts, and Tampa, Florida) is pleased to announce that the United States has resolved allegations of medically unnecessary pathology testing with Inform Diagnostics, Inc., formerly known as Miraca Life Sciences, Inc. Inform is a clinical laboratory, headquartered in Irving, Texas, that provides clinical pathology laboratory services to physicians and medical practices nationwide. Dr. Wallace, a former pathologist at Inform, filed suit against the laboratory in January 2019, alleging violations of the False Claims Act, a law that allows whistleblowers to bring a case on behalf of the United States that alleges fraud on the government. The case is United States ex rel. Wallace v. Inform Diagnostics, Inc., and the case number is 19-cv-10091. The matter was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The complaint alleged that Inform submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs, like Medicare, for medically unnecessary laboratory testing. Rather than perform only the laboratory tests ordered by physicians, Inform automatically and systematically ran additional tests, including special stains, without the treating physician's knowledge, consent, or order and without a pathologist's determination of medical necessity. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts led the investigation into Dr. Wallace's claims. That investigation resulted in a settlement of False Claims Act allegations raised by Dr. Wallace. As part of the settlement, Inform has agreed to pay the United States $16 million. In the settlement, Inform admits that, from January 1, 2013 through January 31, 2018, Inform routinely and automatically conducted certain up-front stains on gastrointestinal and dermatological biopsy specimens without a pathologist's review of the routine stain and without an individual determination of whether the additional stain was medically necessary. "Whistleblowers, like Dr. Wallace, take significant personal and professional risk to sound the alarm on fraud schemes. Their dedication to take that risk in the interest of protecting taxpayers and the public fisc is inspiring," said Sonya Rao, a partner at Morgan Verkamp. "When laboratories conduct medically unnecessary testing, they put profit over the fiscal soundness of our healthcare system. We are grateful to Dr. Wallace for shedding light on Inform's reflexive testing practices," stated fellow Morgan Verkamp partner Chandra Napora. The settlement agreement in this case can be found here . The United States press release concerning the settlement can be read here . Contact: Sonya Rao 513-651-4400 [email protected] SOURCE Morgan Verkamp, LLC SHANGHAI, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The inauguration ceremony of Shanghai Electric New Energy Development Co., Ltd . was held on July 15, marking the accelerated expansion and growth of Shanghai Electric's green, low-carbon business. During the ceremony, Shanghai Electric Group announced its renewable energy roadmap alongside agreements with five partners to jointly develop renewable energy projects, in addition to establishing strategic partnerships with over ten financial institutions and industry partners to build a financial ecosystem for the renewable energy sector. Introducing Shanghai Electric New Energy Development Co., Ltd. Shanghai Electric aims to develop renewable energy projects and build a financial ecosystem in the sector Shanghai Electric, a leading global integrated manufacturer of high-end equipment, has been building new comprehensive power systems and a complete solution for futuristic zero-carbon industrial parks in a move to take the lead in helping the Chinese government achieve its de-carbonization goals. The Chinese government's carbon peak and carbon neutral policies, also known as the dual carbon goals, is a systemic change that is expected to have a broad and profound impact on both the economy and the whole of society while building a zero carbon society. As a response to China's 14th Five-Year Plan, the company has developed a roadmap that focuses on the development of wind, solar, hydrogen and storage energy projects, alongside industrial intelligence, high-end medical equipment, and other new businesses. The establishment of the renewable energy entity is a vital step in the right direction. The new company has received a total investment of RMB 3 billion, including RMB 2 billion from Shanghai Electric Group and RMB 1 billion from Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group each, and is aimed to become the most integrated and innovative provider of renewable energy projects and full lifecycle services. With the domestic market as the initial area of expansion and an eye on expanding into international markets, Shanghai Electric New Energy Development will be committed to building a full lifecycle service platform for a renewable energy future by developing wind, solar, storage, thermal and hydrogen energy projects, as well as expanding the source-grid-load-storage integrated business. Based on the platform, the firm plans to create integrated solutions centered around system optimization, streamlined equipment, and intelligent control systems, providing strong support to the quality-driven development of Shanghai Electric Group's renewable energy business. In the future, Shanghai Electric intends to focus on promoting industrial intelligence and the application of technologies while facilitating interactions between the energy and the industrial internet. Furthermore, the company plans to advance sustainable industrial development globally through the use of technologies by collaborating with government-owned parks, business customers, venture capital firms, technology partners and financial institutions, with the ultimate goal of creating a better world for all. Fengxian District Party Committee secretary, Li Zheng, and Shanghai Electric Group's Party Committee secretary and chairman, Leng Weiqing, both delivered speeches at the inauguration ceremony and welcomed the start of the new business. In attendance were several government officials and top management executives, including Fengxian District Party Committee deputy secretary and mayor, Yuan Quan; Shanghai Electric's Party Committee deputy secretary and president, Liu Ping; Bank of China Shanghai Branch general manger, Zhang Shouchuan; Shanghai Guosheng Group's Party Committee secretary and chairman and Shanghai Guosheng Capital Management chairman, Shou Weiguang; Shanghai Electric Power Construction's Party Committee secretary and chairman, Jiang Lindi; and China Merchants Bank executive VP and Shanghai Branch general manager, Shi Shunhua. In addition, other executives from Shanghai Electric Group and major financial institutions, including banks, and securities firms and trust companies, as well as several journalists were also part of the ceremony. About Shanghai Electric Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited (SEHK: 2727, SSE: 601727) is a world-class high-end equipment manufacturer, focusing on smart energy, intelligent manufacturing and smart infrastructure to provide green and intelligent industrial-grade system solutions. It has a global presence in industries such as new energy, efficient clean energy, industrial automation, medical devices and environmental protection. SOURCE Shanghai Electric MILWAUKEE, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating Hanger (NYSE: HNGR) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Patient Square Capital. Click here to learn how to join the action: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/hanger-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Ademi LLP alleges Hanger's financial outlook and prospects are excellent and yet Hanger holders will receive only $18.75 in cash per share, with a total enterprise value for Hanger of approximately $1.25 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, Hanger will become a privately held company, and its common stock will no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for Hanger by imposing a significant penalty if Hanger accepts a superior bid. Hanger insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating the conduct of Hanger's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for Hanger. If you own Hanger common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/hanger-inc. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts: Ademi LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Generac Holdings Inc. ("Generac" or the "Company") (NYSE: GNRC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Generac and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Generac has asserted that its recent acquisitions (including its 80% interest in Pramac and acquisition of Off Grid Energy) support the Company's "Powering A Smarter World" strategic plan and has touted the role played by Generac's much-hyped strategic distribution partnership with Sunnova. On June 22, 2022, Spruce Point Capital Management ("Spruce Point") published an investment report alleging that Generac is struggling "to suppress core business challenges, while pivoting towards a highly speculative and unproven acquisition spree in clean energy products and services." Among other things, the Spruce Point report: (1) accused Generac of engaging in a pattern of misreporting acquisition revenue contribution between 2019 and 2021; (2) questioned Pramac's ballooning receivables, calling it "a hallmark of channel stuffing"; (3) observed that Generac's press release announcing the Off Grid Energy acquisition obscured the fact that its 80% Pramac business was the end acquiror and found "evidence to suggest a sham revenue transaction at Off Grid Energy"; and (4) opined that Generac's distribution partnership with Sunnova may have been structured to enable Generac to round-trip cash flows. On this news, Generac's stock price fell $7.41 per share, or 3.37%, to close at $212.57 per share on June 22, 2022. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Uber Technologies, Inc. ("Uber" or the "Company") (NYSE: UBER). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Uber and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On July 11, 2022, The Guardian published an expose based on a leak of 124,000 internal documents that "revealed the inside story of how the tech giant Uber louted laws, duped police, exploited violence against drivers and secretly lobbied governments during its aggressive global expansion." Among other news, The Guardian reported that "[d]uring the fierce global backlash [to Uber's expansion], the data shows how Uber tried to show up support by discreetly courting prime ministers, presidents, billionaires, oligarchs and media barons" and that "[l]eaked messages suggest Uber executives were at the same time under no illusions about the company's law-breaking, with one executive joking they had become 'pirates' and another conceding: 'We're just [expletive deleted] illegal.'" On this news, Uber's stock price fell $1.15 per share, or 5.15%, to close at $21.19 per share on July 11, 2022. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of The Charles Schwab Corporation ("Charles Schwab" or the "Company") (NYSE: SCHW). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Charles Schwab Therapeutics and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On July 2, 2021, Charles Schwab disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that the Company "has been responding to an investigation by the [SEC] arising from a compliance examination" and that "[t]he investigation largely concerns historic disclosures related to the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios (SIP) digital advisory solution. "Accordingly, Charles Schwab disclosed that "[g]iven the investigation's status, Schwab's second quarter 2021 financial results will include a liability and related non-deductible charge of $200 million." On this news, Charles Schwab's stock price fell $2.03 per share, or 2.79%, to close at $70.77 per share on July 6, 2021, the next trading day. Then, on June 13, 2022, the SEC announced that it "charged three Charles Schwab investment adviser subsidiaries" who "agreed to pay $187 million to harmed clients to settle the charges. "The SEC charged Charles Schwab with misleading investors that used its robo-adviser product, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios. Instead of the touted "disciplined portfolio construction methodology" that sought "optimal return[s]", Charles Schwab's "own data showed that under most market conditions, the cash in the portfolios would cause clients to make less money even while taking on the same amount of risk." On this news, Charles Schwab's stock price fell $1.98 per share, or 3.18%, to close at $60.24 per share on June 13, 2022. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of The Toronto-Dominion Bank ("Toronto-Dominion" or the "Company") (NYSE: TD). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Toronto-Dominion and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] In May 2022, shareholders of First Horizon Corporation ("First Horizon"), the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank, voted to approve First Horizon's acquisition by Toronto-Dominion. Then, on June 15, 2022, CNBC reported that "Lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked a key regulator to block Toronto-Dominion Bank's $13.4 billion acquisition of [First Horizon] because of allegations of customer abuse. In a letter sent Tuesday to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency obtained exclusively by CNBC, Warren cited a May 4 report by Capitol Forum, a Washington-based investigative news outfit, that alleged that TD used tactics similar to those in the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal." On this news, Toronto-Dominion's stock price fell sharply, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP "When we dare to dream big, we achieve things deemed impossible, we break boundaries, write history, and set new challenges for the future," said Sabry. "I am incredibly excited that Space For Humanity has offered me this opportunity and I am honored to be representing Egypt in Space for the first time. My ancestors have always dreamt big and achieved the impossible, and I hope to bring that back. This is just the beginning." Sara earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in biology, chemistry, and pre-med at the American University in Cairo, going on to earn a master's in biomedical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano. She is now pursuing a PhD in aerospace sciences with a focus on space suit design. Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Sara grew up in Cairo and currently resides in Berlin. She shared that kids in the Western world grew up watching rocket launches, but children in the Arab world were mostly unaware of these exploits, which is why she is co-founding the Space Ambassadorship Program with the Egyptian Space Agency, to shed light on the important research opportunities and potential to benefit life on Earth. "Many Egyptians have lost hope in our future and my hope is that by going to space, I can contribute to changing that; to bring hope to people, and to make them proud of where they come from," added Sabry. "I believe that sharing my experience with the world will motivate the younger generation of Egyptians to pursue education and help change the perception of women, showing the world what we are truly capable of." Sara is the second beneficiary of S4H's Citizen Astronaut Program, which sponsors exceptional candidates to experience the Overview Effect and then employ that new perspective to solve some of humanity's most difficult challenges. S4H has partnered with Paragon , a strategic advisory group focused on conscious leadership development programs that shift perspective, to design and implement the first-ever training program built specifically for the Overview Effect. Citizen Astronauts participate in training modules designed to optimize their ability to navigate the Overview Effect experience, fully integrate that experience, and equip them to live and lead from an Overview Perspective. "In order to address the challenges that we face on a global scale, we need to look at the Earth as the complex, interconnected system that it is," said Rachel Lyons, Executive Director of Space For Humanity. "One of the most powerful ways to generate that perspective is through the Overview Effect and viewing our planet from afar. We believe space is a tool for transformation, so we're dedicated to giving as many people access to this experience as possible. Congratulations to Sara on being selected for this life-changing adventure, we know she will be an incredible ambassador for our mission and look forward to seeing how she uses this opportunity to change the world." S4H sent its first citizen astronaut, Katya Echazarreta, to Space aboard NS-21 on June 4, 2022. Katya is completing the third and final Application phase of the Citizen Astronaut Program, designing a "Life and Leadership Agreement" that outlines how she will continue to integrate and apply the value of the Overview Effect to her leadership role and humanitarian initiatives. About Space for Humanity Space for Humanity is expanding access to space for all of humanity. The nonprofit created the planet's first Sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program, giving leaders, from any walk of life, the opportunity to apply to go to space and experience the Overview Effect: the cognitive shift in awareness that occurs when a human being looks down on the Earth from space. Through its citizen spaceflight program, leadership training, and collaborative efforts to educate the public, Space for Humanity is setting the stage to create the world we want, both here on Earth and throughout the cosmos. For more information, please visit www.spaceforhumanity.org Space For Humanity Media Contact: Sarah Nickell [email protected] About Paragon Performance Evolution Paragon Performance Evolution is a leadership & high-performance resource that combines the best of modern science, innovative technology and human behavior with timeless wisdom. They empower the world's elite performers to access and evolve their highest potential in all spheres of life. Paragon develops and implements customized programs for organizations and their people that create measurable change, allowing for greater productivity, inspired purpose, disciplined focus, and authentic communication. Clients partner with Paragon to fuel positive shifts in humanity, greater impact in the world and meaningful systemic change and include Fortune 500 corporations, Tier 1 Military, law enforcement, Olympic and professional athletes and the YPO community. For more information, please visit www.performanceparagon.com . SOURCE Space for Humanity Transaction Further Focuses Stanley Black & Decker's Portfolio on its Core Businesses NEW BRITAIN, Conn., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) today announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of most of its Security assets to Securitas AB (STO: SECU B) for $3.2 billion in cash. The sale includes Stanley Black & Decker's Commercial Electronic and Healthcare Security business lines ("Security"). Net proceeds from the sale are expected to fund debt reduction and the $2.3 billion share repurchase completed in the first quarter. This transaction was announced on December 8, 2021. Donald Allan, Jr., Stanley Black & Decker's President & Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The completed sale of our Security business is another major milestone in creating a more focused Stanley Black & Decker, leveraging our leadership position in Tools and Outdoor, as well as our highly engineered Industrial business." Security generated approximately $1.6 billion in revenue in 2021 with adjusted EBITDA margin in the low double-digits, implying a purchase price of approximately 16 times trailing adjusted EBITDA, which reflects the successful transformation of the business over the last several years. Supplementary historical financial information reflecting the Security divestiture recorded in discontinued operations is available on the investor section of the website or can be accessed directly through the following link: Form 8K. About Stanley Black & Decker Headquartered in the USA, Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) is the world's largest tool company operating nearly 50 manufacturing facilities across America and more than 100 worldwide. Guided by its purpose for those who make the world the company's more than 60,000 diverse and high-performing employees produce innovative, award-winning power tools, hand tools, storage, digital tool solutions, lifestyle products, outdoor products, engineered fasteners and other industrial equipment to support the world's makers, creators, tradespeople and builders. The company's iconic brands include DEWALT, BLACK+DECKER, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY, CUB CADET, HUSTLER and TROY-BILT. Recognized for its leadership in environmental, social and governance (ESG), Stanley Black & Decker strives to be a force for good in support of its communities, employees, customers and other stakeholders. To learn more visit: www.stanleyblackanddecker.com. Investor Contacts: Dennis Lange Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected] (860) 827-3833 Cort Kaufman Senior Director, Investor Relations [email protected] (860) 515-2741 Christina Francis Director, Investor Relations [email protected] (860) 438-3470 Media Contacts: Debora Raymond Vice President, Public Relations [email protected] (203) 640-8054 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Stanley Black & Decker makes forward-looking statements in this press release which represent its expectations or beliefs about future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements are identifiable by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "will," "may" and other similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release, include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: use of proceeds to fund debt reduction and partially fund the $2.3 billion share repurchase completed in the first quarter. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events and involve risks, uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that may cause actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to the use of proceeds to fund debt reduction and partially fund the $2.3 billion share repurchase completed in the first quarter. Forward-looking statements made herein are also subject to risks and uncertainties, described in: Stanley Black & Decker's 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K, its subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q; and other filings Stanley Black & Decker makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, actual results could differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Stanley Black & Decker makes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring or existing after the date of any forward-looking statement. SOURCE Stanley Black & Decker UVALDE, Texas, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Freedom Outreach Ministry, a 501c3 ministry, and Gateway Church announce an afternoon of community concert and prayer on Saturday, July 30 from 1:00 6:00 pm called "Still Praying, Still Standing with You". To be held at the Uvalde County Fairplex, located at 215 Veterans Lane in Uvalde, it is an opportunity for everyone to worship and pray as we ask God to provide peace, strength, healing and comfort to the families of Uvalde following the tragedy at Robb Elementary School. "Still Praying, Still Standing with You" is a come-and-go, bilingual event. Admission and parking are free. No ticket required. Freedom Outreach Ministry, a 501c3 ministry, and Gateway Church announce an afternoon of community concert and prayer on Saturday, July 30 from 1:00 6:00 pm called Still Praying, Still Standing with You. (PRNewsfoto/Gateway Church) The afternoon of healing and outreach features pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado as a special guest speaker and Uvalde-native and minister Johnny Arreola, who was one of founders of the GRAMMY Award-winning Tejano band Los Palominos. In addition to Lucado and Arreola, "Still Praying, Still Standing with You" also includes the music of Gateway Worship Espanol artists-in-residence Daniel Calvetti, Julissa Rivera, Armando Sanchez and Becky Collazos, led by music director Julian Collazos, as well as music from Highwaves Surge, Piri & Angela and ONE Name Elevated and Ryan Fonseca. For those who cannot attend, "Still Praying, Still Standing with You" will be streamed on Facebook on the Believers Christian Fellowship of Smithson Valley (BCFofSV) page and the BCF of SV YouTube channel. For more information on "Still Praying, Still Standing with You", or to donate, visit the Facebook page of Believers Christian Fellowship of Smithson Valley (BCFofSV) or email [email protected]. MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Beazley KRB Communications 214-728-5573 [email protected] SOURCE Gateway Church STOCKHOLM, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Group sales and operating profit increased strongly on the back of continued solid momentum for the US smokefree business and currency tailwind. Group sales increased by 23 percent to 5,561 MSEK (4,505). In local currencies, Group sales increased by 11 percent for the second quarter. Group operating profit increased to 2,227 MSEK (1,956). Operating profit from product segments increased by 14 percent to 2,271 MSEK (1,988). In local currencies, operating profit from product segments 1) increased by 1 percent for the second quarter. In local currencies, operating profit grew by 14 percent for the Smokefree product segment despite higher market investments across geographies to support future growth. For the Cigars product segment, operating profit declined, impacted by lower volumes. For Lights, underlying operating profit increased, but items of temporary nature drove a decline in reported operating profit. Profit after tax increased to 1,624 MSEK (1,441). Earnings per share increased by 17 percent to 1.07 SEK (0.92). The full year outlook for 2022, found on page 14, has been updated based on developments during the first six months. 1) Excludes Other operations and larger one-time items. For the full report: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Financial-reports/Interim-reports/ Swedish Match telephone conference A telephone conference will be held today, Friday, July 22 at 2:00 p.m. (CET), (1:00 p.m. UK time). At this time we will review and comment on the results. Participants will include Lars Dahlgren, Anders Larsson, and Emmett Harrison. Listen to the telephone conference: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/Webcasts-and-audiocasts/ Telephone conference presentation: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/ Contacts: Lars Dahlgren, President and Chief Executive Officer Phone +46 8 658 0441 Anders Larsson, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President Group Finance Phone +46 10 139 3006 Emmett Harrison, Senior Vice President Investor Relations Phone +46 70 938 0173 Johan Leven, Investor Relations and Business Analysis Manager Phone +46 70 207 2116 This information is information that Swedish Match AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08.15 a.m. CET on July 22, 2022. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/swedish-match/r/half-year-report-january---june-2022,c3604177 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/2004/3604177/1606674.pdf Swedish Match Q2 2022_ENG SOURCE Swedish Match Inaugurated in 2020, TADS Awards is the world's first annual international awards for the Tokenized Assets and Digitized Securities ("TADS") sectors. As a non-profit event, all nominations for TADS Awards can be submitted at no cost. All nominations will be reviewed by a panel of independent industry experts. This year, a new "NFT Innovations" awards category has been added to cover five new awards including Digital Art, Content/IP, Impact/ESG, Phygital, and Metaverse. HONG KONG, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TADS Awards is the world's first annual international awards for the Tokenized Assets and Digitized Securities ("TADS") sectors. Nominations for TADS Awards can be submitted by the nominees directly or by a third-party nominator at the designated website (www.tadsawards.org). To keep pace with the growth of the dynamic TADS industries, this year, the 3rd TADS Awards has added a new "NFT Innovations" awards category covering five awards including Digital Art, Content/IP, Impact/ESG, Phygital, and Metaverse. The nomination deadline for the "NFT Innovations" awards category is August 30, 2022, and the award presentation ceremony for this category will be held during the "NFT-Metaverse Expo 2022" from September 23-25, 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The nomination deadline for the "Best of Class TADS" and "Eco-System Excellence" award categories is September 30, 2022, and the related awards ceremony will be held during the "Hong Kong FinTech Week" from October 31 November 4, 2022. As a non-profit event, there is no cost for both nominators and nominees at any stage of the TADS Awards, and they are free to withdraw at any time. Information submitted during the application process will be kept confidential. TADS Awards is co-organized by Asia Pacific Digital Economy Institute, Coinstreet Partners, and DAS (Digital Asset Series) Seminars. It has received strong support from strategic partners, including (alphabetically):- Accenture, Association of Family Offices in Asia, Crypto Valley Association, Deloitte Hong Kong, DLA Piper, FinTech Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cyberport, IBM, InvestHK, Microsoft Hong Kong, Morningstar, Somerley Capital, The Tokenizer, and West Park Capital, among many others, plus support from its Global Ambassadors from over sixteen countries. Samson Lee, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of TADS Awards, and Founder and CEO of Coinstreet commented, "As we enter the third year of running TADS Awards with the addition of "NFT Innovations" award category, we are very delighted to present a total of fifteen main awards along with another twelve rising-star awards that celebrate and reward outstanding companies in the Tokenized Assets and Digitized Securities space." One of the supporting organizations, King Leung, Head of Fintech at InvestHK, said "NFT plays an instrumental role, far beyond its current forms, in the broader context of the Web3 revolution that will have a profound impact on the world. At InvestHK, we are also a strong believer that our international environment, positioning as a global international financial centre, and being the 2nd largest art auction market in the world, gives us an enormous competitive advantage to become a leading global player in this NFT revolution. I salute the founders of TADS Awards for their mission and passion, and I look forward to more collaboration to foster the NFT ecosystem and propel Hong Kong to become a global NFT leader." Peter Yan, CEO of Hong Kong Cyberport said, "As home to the largest FinTech community in Hong Kong, Cyberport shares the same vision of facilitating the development of digital assets and financial innovation with TADS Awards. We are delighted to support the Awards for the third consecutive year and to see the inclusion of the 'NFT Innovations' award category to recognize outstanding industry players in the emerging and vibrant market. We wish TADS Awards every success." "I am delighted to be a part of TADS Awards 2022 Organizing Committee. This is an exciting time for the tokenized assets and digitized securities sector as it continues to grow and gain momentum. I am pleased to see the addition of the "NFT Innovations" awards category and look forward to evaluating the nominations. At DLA Piper, we have advised on some very innovative projects in this space, and I am thrilled that companies and individuals have this opportunity to receive the industry recognition they deserve," said Ms. Kristi Swartz, Partner, DLA Piper. Barry Chan, Partner, Financial Services Sector, IBM Consulting said, "This is my third year supporting TADS Awards. We observed the industry growing in maturity and driving continuous innovation. I'm looking forward to seeing new breakthrough thinking and broader adoption in the financial services industry." On Yavin, Managing Partner of Cointelligence Fund said, "Cointelligence Fund is a strong supporter of Metaverse. I am honored to join the Organizing Committee of TADS Awards 2022. The new "NFT Innovations" awards category and its five awards are something we wholeheartedly support and celebrate. It will be a pleasure to award the hard work and innovations that have been taking place in the NFT community." Kim Mak, Co-organizer of NFT-Metaverse Expo 2022 commented, "It's our honor to have TADS Awards participate in our Expo and we truly believe it can help promote Hong Kong as a well-developed Web 3.0 market." Neil Tan, Chairman of FinTech Association of Hong Kong commented, "TADS Awards are based on best practices and represent a measurement standard for the global tokenized assets and digital securities sectors. The adoption of blockchain, digital assets, and tokenization is a competitive advantage for us. Hong Kong must maintain its leadership position as a global financial center TADS Awards keep Hong Kong at the forefront of innovation as a Global Fintech Center." Tony Chan, Co-Chairman of NFT Association of Hong Kong (NFTAHK) added, "NFTAHK is the first registered non-profit organization in Hong Kong specializing in the field of NFT, it is our honor to collaborate with TADS Awards to offer five new "NFT Innovations" awards in 2022 to recognize outstanding companies in the NFT space." TADS Awards 2022 will select a total of fifteen winners from three award categories (five awards for each category), along with a special Rising Star Award for each category created to encourage start-up companies and recognize innovative proof-of-concept projects in TADS industries. 1) "BEST OF CLASS TADS" category is for issuers of different types of Tokenized Assets & Digitized Securities, including - Equity-Backed Token Asset-Backed Token Tokenized Debt Token Income-Backed Token Impact / ESG Token TADS Rising Star 2) "ECO-SYSTEM EXCELLENCE" category is for service providers and vertical solution providers along the TADS value chain, including - KYC / Custodian Solution Tokenization & Brokerage Solution Trading & Liquidity Solution DeFi & Asset Management Solution NFT Platform & Marketplace 3) "NFT INNOVATIONS" category is for issuers of different types of NFTs, including Digital Art NFT (new) Content/IP NFT (new) Impact/ESG NFT (new) Phygital NFT (new) Metaverse NFT (new) NFT Rising Star (new) Some of the winners of past TADS Awards include (alphabetically): Archax, Bitt, Covario, CurrencyWorks, DigiShares, InvestaX, IX Fintech, Kansong Art Museum, Publish, Ledger, Securitize, Prime Trust, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Tokeny Solutions. A complete list of previous TADS Awards can be found at https://tadsawards.org/past-results/. About TADS Awards First launched in 2020, the Tokenized Assets & Digital Securities Awards ("TADS Awards") is the world's first annual international awards for the Tokenized Assets & Digital Securities sector. Hosted annually, TADS Awards aims to nurture the growth of Web3 industries by gathering leaders and experts from across the world's financial technology and financial service sectors to establish best practices and performance standards through recognizing and honoring individuals and businesses for their distinguished achievements and contributions in TADS sectors. For more information, please visit - www.tadsawards.org About Asia Pacific Digital Economy Institute Asia Pacific Digital Economy Institute (APDEI) aims to create a center of excellence, leadership, and partnership to incubate new thinking and innovation in practice; advance thought-leadership; generate new growth opportunities; enhance the competitiveness and productivity of business; and cultivate talents to accelerate the digital economy. For more information, please visit - https://apdei.org/ About Coinstreet Founded in 2017, Coinstreet is an award-winning, decentralized investment banking group, a high-end financial services firm for private wealth, and a professional consultancy firm in the Digital Asset and FinTech sectors, providing a business ecosystem for the new era of digital economy. Coinstreet focuses on five key business segments: (1) Asset Tokenization & Digitized Securities Consultancy, (2) Digital Asset Management & Private Banking, (3) Digital Asset Global Distribution Coordination, (4) TADS Issuance, Trading & Management Platform, and (5) DeFi, NFT & DLT Solutions. For more information, please visit www.coinstreet.partners About DAS Seminars Digital Asset Series (DAS) is a series of educational seminars delivered by academic scholars, regulators, legal professionals, fintech industry leaders and practitioners. These seminars are aimed to facilitate mass adoption of digital assets, through a better understanding of the ever-growing sphere of digital assets and fintech area and its current landscape. DAS Seminars 2022 is organized by six non-profit organizations in the digital asset space, including (alphabetically) the Asia Pacific Digital Economy Institute ("APDEI"), the Asia Security Token Alliance ("ASTA"), the Hong Kong Blockchain Association ("HKBA"), the Hong Kong Digital Finance Association ("HKDFA"), Society of Registered Financial Planners ("HKRFP"), and the NFT Association of Hong Kong ("NFTAHK"). For more information, please visit www.digitalassetseries.com SOURCE Coinstreet Partners CHONGQING, China, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from iChongqing: The Fourth Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) Opening Ceremony and the 2022 CCI-ILSTC International Cooperation Forum kicked off on July 22 in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Fourth WCIFIT Opening Ceremony and the 2022 CCI-ILSTC International Cooperation Forum kicked off on July 22 in Chongqing. (iChongqing/ Wang Yiling) Elites and experts from all industries discussed how to improve the supporting role of the regional industrial chain and supply chain and provided new ideas to deepen international cooperation through the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) at the forum. "Interconnectivity is the core of supply chain resilience, in which visualization is one of the key aspects," said Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs of Singapore. "PSA and Chongqing Port and Logistics Office have started to work together to verify the feasibility of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) International Dedicated Connectivity," she said. "Once successful, shippers and cargo owners can check the status of their goods more efficiently and achieve more flexible supply chain management." The CCI- ILSTC is not only a corridor for commercial trade but also carries the vision of shared development, said Kho Choon Keng, President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry. "Sino-Singapore cooperation has experienced different stages of development such as industrialization, urbanization, and green sustainability," he said. "Now it is catching up with the wave of development in the digital economy and information technology." The 2021 Development Index and the International Trade Single Window of ILSTC in Western China were released after the forum. Data shows that the ILSTC development index in 2021 was 112.9, where the three first-level indicators of scale, quality, and competitiveness achieved growth. The ILSTC's overall operation has reached a new level, highlighting its positive driving effect on the development of the regions along the route. At the fourth WCIFIT, Chongqing and Sichuan has signed 71major projects with a contracted investment of 227.03 billion yuan (about 33.53 billion U.S. dollars), centering as new energy vehicles, electronic information, biomedicine, and modern finance. A total of 1,212 companies from 26 countries and regions participated in the exhibition. Fortune 500 enterprises bring brand-new products and technologies to the event. eBay, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Ailesco, and other cross-border e-commerce players also debut their latest results and products at the fair. SOURCE iChongqing The tenth anniversary of T.R.O.G. in Wildwood will feature thrilling, non-stop exhibition style beach racing, live music, a kid's area, food and beer vendors, and much more. This year, The Race of Gentlemen is proud to welcome its newest sponsor, American Metal Customs, and their team of passionate fabricators, technicians, designers, and metal workers. "It's a dream come true to have American Metal involved with The Race of Gentleman," said Josh Allison, Master Builder and Fabricator at American Metal. "I have loved this event ever since it launched, and I know firsthand how inspiring and exciting it is to see these vintage pieces of American history racing down the beach with the ocean as a backdrop. Our custom-built and restored vintage cars and motorcycles will be a perfect complement to these events and add to the excitement of the entire weekend." American Metal Customs will play a key role in expanding the event footprint in Wildwood and beyond, while also showcasing a suite of custom-made and restored vintage motorcycles and automobiles at T.R.O.G. Additional sponsors include Bell Helmets and Harley Davidson. Spectators and racers from all over will be able to enjoy the speed and excitement during the non-stop vintage hot rod and motorcycle action that will soon be going down the popular sandy beach straightaway. Tickets for Wildwood are available now at theraceofgentlemen.com. Stay tuned for more details about upcoming events by joining the #trog conversation on social and following T.R.O.G. on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. About The Race of Gentlemen: The inaugural Race of Gentlemen was held in 2012 on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ, just days before Hurricane Sandy made landfall. Auto enthusiasts from all over attend T.R.O.G. to race their vintage roadsters, hotrods, and motorcycles down a sandy beach straightaway in front of thousands of spectators. The Race of Gentlemen continues to grow and garner international recognition, laying the groundwork for additional exhibitions and races around the world. For more information, visit theraceofgentlemen.com and follow T.R.O.G. on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. About American Metal: American Metal, founded in 2021 by North American Motor Car and Master Builder and Fabricator Josh Allison, is an award-winning custom shop specializing in full custom car and motorcycle builds and restorations that showcase the glamour and raw elegance of vintage design coupled with the grit and pride of hand-made American craftsmanship. By focusing on individuality, creative freedom and high-end design, American Metal appeals to iconic individuals of all walks of life that have an appreciation for timeless design, personal freedom, vintage craftmanship and hand-made products. For more information, visit www.americanmetalcustom.com and follow American Metal on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. SOURCE The Race of Gentlemen DUBLIN, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Disposable Syringes Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global disposable syringes market reached a value of US$ 13.01 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 20.5 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.87% during 2021-2027. 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 market contributor. Disposable syringes are widely utilized for injecting medicines through intravenous or intramuscular ways to treat different diseases. They are plastic syringes designed for one-time use in the medical, veterinary, and research and development (R&D) fields. They are cheaper compared to traditional syringes without any maintenance costs. They assist in maintaining the safety of the patients while reducing the chances of cross-contamination. At present, there is a rise in the use of disposable syringes to support the diagnosis and treatment of various chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory disease, injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, influenza, and pneumonia. This, along with the growing number of surgeries across the globe, represents one of the key factors driving the market. In addition, there is an increase in the number of patients suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) around the world due to unprotected sexual contact and contact with infected blood. This, coupled with the burgeoning healthcare industry, is propelling the growth of the market. Besides this, key market players are focusing on efficient sterilizing surgery while avoiding infections among healthcare practitioners and patients, especially after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Moreover, the growing incidences of needlestick injuries among patients are catalyzing the demand for disposable syringes. Besides this, the rising trend of self-injecting medicines is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors. Apart from this, governments of several countries are undertaking initiatives to encourage the adoption of disposable medical supplies for preventing the spread of infections in operating rooms. These initiatives are projected to bolster the growth of the market in the coming years. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter International Inc., Becton Dickinson and Company, Cardinal Health Inc., Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Henke-Sass Wolf GmbH, Nipro Corporation, Novo Nordisk A/S, Retractable Technologies Inc., Terumo Corporation and Vita Needle Company. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global disposable syringes market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global disposable syringes 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 application? 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 disposable syringes 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 Disposable Syringes 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 Conventional Syringes 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Safety Syringes 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Key Segments 6.2.2.1 Retractable Safety Syringes 6.2.2.2 Non-Retractable Safety Syringes 6.2.3 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Application 7.1 Immunization Injections 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Therapeutic Injections 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End User 8.1 Hospitals 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Diagnostic Laboratories 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Others 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 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 B. Braun Melsungen AG 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.2 Baxter International Inc. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 Financials 14.3.3 Becton Dickinson and Company 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 Cardinal Health 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 Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA 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 Henke-Sass Wolf GmbH 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7 Nipro Corporation 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 Novo Nordisk 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 Retractable Technologies Inc. 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.10 Terumo 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 Vita Needle Company 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lfbfp6 Media Contact: 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 Two powerhouses come together as The Raleigh Green Real Estate Group launches at Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty FORT WORTH, Texas, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce that Fort Worth native Raleigh Green has joined the brokerage's dynamic Fort Worth office, where he has also launched The Raleigh Green Real Estate Group to serve clients across North Texas. Green is one of the foremost luxury real estate advisors in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, receiving five-star reviews from all his clients. A proven leader, a top producer and a skilled negotiator, Green has the Texas connections, the market insight and now the global reach of the Sotheby's International Realty network to be the agent his clients trust with every real estate need, anywhere. He is dedicated to realizing optimal results for his clients regardless of a property's price point by pursuing total excellence at every stage of their buying and selling journey. Innovation and hard work are not just buzzwords to Green: They are the characteristics of his work ethic and commitment to authentic relationships that inspire such fierce client loyalty. Says one: "Raleigh is detail-oriented and a laser-focused advocate for his clients. He leaves no detail to chance and is willing to help in any manner to make the selling and buying process seamless and stress-free for all parties. It is impossible that there is a better real estate professional in the metroplex than Raleigh Green." Says Green about his move to Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty: "In this market, it's essential for a luxury real estate advisor to have an exceptional support team, innovative technology and visionary leaders. After looking at other brokerages, I was impressed with the ability of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty to offer it all. From the CEO's desk to the front desk, this brokerage could not be more supportive. I only see this maturing as our relationship continues." Says Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty CEO Robbie Briggs: "We are so excited that Raleigh has joined us. He has what it takes, and he has mastered this business. He exudes experience, savvy and energy, all grounded in integrity. He is an entrepreneur one who absolutely gets real estate." Green was born and raised in Fort Worth and is a former NCAA Division 1 athlete at The University of Texas at Austin, a graduate of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and an MBA graduate from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He is active in his Fort Worth community and serves on the boards of the Monticello Neighborhood Association and Agenda Jesus. He is also a leader at Christ Chapel Bible Church, where he, his wife and son are members. (A fun fact: Raleigh's community knowledge and associations have earned him the nickname "The Mayor of Fort Worth.") He continues to raise capital for his consulting group, Emerald Consulting Partners. At Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty, Green joins nearly 400 expert colleagues based in offices across North Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth, Southlake, Lakewood and Plano. Interviews with Green and Briggs and high-resolution photos are available on request. SOURCE Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty New microsite highlights elevated interior design as TRG puts focus on studio's design team. CLEVELAND, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TRG Multimedia is launching a new microsite entitled RESIDENCY on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. This new site displays uniquely curated spaces, hinting at inspired interior design, all crafted by the team of creatives at TRG. RESIDENCY invites viewers to experience the art of design in a collection of imagery that highlights industry trends. TRG Multimedia's Residency invites viewers to experience the art of design in a collection of imagery that highlights industry trends. "Residency is an opportunity to showcase our talent in a new light. We created something special by allowing ourselves to focus on our vulnerabilities and approach a showcase of imagery differently," says Adam Wilde, President of TRG Multimedia. "Letting our Art Directors, Stylists and Set Designers take the driver's seat and push the boundaries of the creative process inspired our Photo, Video, and CGI teams to collaborate and truly define what excellence can be. We couldn't be more proud to present this campaign as every hand at TRG played a part in its creation. We hope all who have the opportunity to view the piece can walk away stimulated, inspired, and informed, but more so, ready to dig deep into their own creations." The creatives in the TRG design center who have produced RESIDENCY include: Dana Sobota, Senior Art Director & Set Stylist Dana has a background in fine arts and fashion design that she pulls from while on set, designing spaces and forecasting aesthetic trends for clients. Her deep understanding of storytelling through imagery is part of what inspires her passion for set design and styling. Deanna Domino, Art Director & Set Stylist Deanna has styled in commercial photography for over a decade. Calling on her skills as a painter, she will frequently create original pieces to be used in her designs. She excels at creating authentic spaces and loves to incorporate vintage pieces to convey a sense of time in the sets she styles. She has worked for clients such as Smuckers, HGTV, GE, Sherwin Williams, Dutch Boy, Jif, Nestle, Target, West Elm, Kichler and Lowe's. Lauren Skunta, Art Director & Set Stylist Lauren is a formally trained painter whose work has evolved over time to include a variety of mediums. She comes to TRG with a history of creating New York window displays for clients such as Anthropologie and Bloomingdales. Lauren enjoys creating environments that highlight a product or collection, focusing on elevating brands through visual narrative. Balance, texture, and a refined color palette are top of mind in everything she creates. Brigit Youngblutt, Art Director & Set Stylist Brigit came to TRG after being lead stylist for JOANN. She's styled national commercials and TV segments and her work has been featured on Martha Stewart Weddings. She loves to play with color, texture to enhance the mood of the space and enjoys working with clients to bring their visions to life. Anna Baldi, Set Designer As TRG's Set Designer, Anna brings her understanding of how design and construction must work together in every project. With nearly 20 years of design experience, and a degree in Interior Design, she has been the lead interior designer on award-winning projects like The Last Page restaurant which was awarded 2021 Interior Design Project of the Year at the NAIOP Awards. She also enjoys her role as an adjunct professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art as teaching has always been a passion of hers. Anna loves the opportunity to create something new for clients and excels at taking clients inspiration and feedback and applying it to her work. Roni Callahan, Set Designer A self-proclaimed Jill-of-all-trades Roni found that her position as Junior Set Designer brings together all her varying interests into one position. She is professionally trained as a painter and interior designer and has produced large scale murals and displays for clients including Whole Foods Market, Progressive, Anthropologie, and a variety of small local businesses and homeowners. Roni loves the thrill of seeing something drawn on paper being reproduced perfectly in front of her eyes. RESIDENCY can be found at trgresidency.com. Special thanks to creative powerhouse Kelley Shaffer, whom we tapped to be our North Star guiding the TRG ship through this process. No easy task in an industry that often doesn't allow the time to focus on ourselves and invest the creative energy to build something so unique. She consistently demonstrates profound leadership, design sense, and an intrinsic understanding of our process and the demographic we aim to connect with. About TRG Multimedia: TRG Multimedia is an industry-leading production studio that services the ever-expanding content needs of global brands. Our versatile and passionate creatives produce world-class photography, video, CGI, and set design utilizing their decades of industry experience. We employ these capabilities to build cost-effective solutions to achieve our client's goals and maximize their budgets while providing best-in-class service. Our 130,000sq. ft. space, houses over 40 semi-permanent sets, a soundstage, and an immense collection of curated props and furniture to simplify our clients' creative process. Serving national clients from our studio in Cleveland, Ohio, TRG is adept at remote shooting and providing exemplary service no matter where you're located. Contact: Adam Wilde, President [email protected] 216-781-8644 www.trgresidency.com SOURCE TRG Multimedia CHENGDU, China, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When the two-week Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) virtual study trip to China pulled the curtain down on July 15, more than 1,500 secondary school students from 64 schools across England had completed the online summer camp of learning Chinese and Chinese cultural under four themes of panda zoo, sport and modern life, Chinese campus, history and cultural heritage. Supported by Chinese peers, UK students had immersed themselves in Chinese through live classes, video tours, folk experiences, concerts, family visits and other interactive activities which were designed by 16 host institutions from 11 Chinese mainland cities. As the host institute in Chengdu, capital city of China's southwest Sichuan Province, teachers from the Department of International Chinese Education, Southwest Jiaotong University designed the panda themed part of the immersed activities of the intensive study and leaded them to a journey with giant pandas. The camp started from a virtual tour in a panda zoo in Chengdu, the hometown of pandas. British students asked panda experts various questions in this tour, made paper panda dolls and created stories by what they made followed the tour. During this two-week online summer camp, British students also visited Tianfu Greenway, the longest city greenway, the Sanxingdui Museum which is about ancient Shu Dynasty dating back 3,000 years and Daoming Bamboo Art Village, a bamboo woven intangible cultural heritage spot. "Pretty", "cool" and "colorful" were top three words on their minds about Chengdu, of course, after the word "xiongmao" (panda). With scenery and heritages of the city lingering on their minds, British and Chinese students designed electronic posters about the Greenway, painted masks from Sanxingdui Museum together. More admirably, students learned to weave bamboo crafts after a skillful inheritors of Sichuan Intangible Cultural Heritage. Also in the live room, several student representatives from schools in Chengdu shared their school life with British peers and guided a visit to the family of one Chinese student. "The MEP virtual China trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that allowed me and my classmates to communicate with other students our age while learning mandarin! My favourite thing was when we made stop motion stories about pandas we had crafted from paper! Although it was very different from going to china in real life, it was still incredibly enjoyable," said Francesca Walton, a ninth grade British student. Highlighting the importance of the programme to the UK, British Council Director China Matt Burney said: "I'm delighted to see that through our Mandarin Excellence Programme, we are connecting the young generation of people in the UK and China through language learning. Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world. I look forward to seeing more UK pupils acquire the skill of Mandarin language and work together with their Chinese peers to deepen the trust and understanding of our two countries." Funded by the Department for Education (England) and delivered by University College London (UCL) Institute of Education in partnership with the British Council, the MEP is a unique intensive language programme that started in 2016. There are now around 8,000 pupils enrolled on the programme in 75 schools in England. This virtual visit to China, as the important part of MEP programme, offers students a real-life focus on learning Mandarin Chinese and aims to foster cultural understanding and mutual appreciation. SOURCE Southwest Jiaotong University WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weedoo Greenboat, Inc, a leading manufacturer of environmental workboats, was recently featured in the news for their mechanical harvesters. Manatee County's new skimmer boats will help clean up red tide fish kills | WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida The Weedoo workboats mechanical harvesting capabilities are optimal for local municipalities as well as consumers worldwide. During the 2018 Red Tide Algae bloom that lasted more than a year, Manatee County officials hired private contractors operating Weedoo Workboats to help remove fish killed by red tide. Records show that Manatee County officials removed 450,000 pounds of dead fish from the shore. Beaches had to close, which greatly affected local businesses and tourism. To prepare for future invasions, Manatee County has added a pair of Weedoo Workboats to their fleet of equipment. Weedoo Boats are compact, powerful and versatile machines designed to tackle the toughest jobs in the most extreme and challenging conditions. As stated by Weedoo owner and CEO Tara Lordi, "Our boat's mechanical harvesting capability successfully handles invasive vegetation such as red tide, in an eco-friendly manner and we're pleased to work with the Manatee County Public Works Department on this important project." According to the latest data from state wildlife officials, there are no signs of toxic red tide algae blooms in Florida waters right now. But with their Weedoo Boats, when a bloom arrives again, Manatee County is now better prepared. Established in 1990, Weedoo Greenboat, Inc is a leading manufacturer of environmental workboats and amphibious work equipment for the aquatic weed harvesting industry, and services customers worldwide. The Company can be contacted via telephone: 561-204-5765 or reached through its corporate website: www.weedooboats.com Weedoo is a registered trademark of Weedoo Greenboat, Inc. Contact: Bobby O'Shields 561-204-5765 https://www.weedooboats.com SOURCE Weedoo Greenboat, Inc. Leader in the toy and children's products sector, PRG Retail Group undertakes to secure the continuity and future growth of the Toys"R"Us brand in Spain and Portugal NEW YORK, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHP Global, the parent company of Toys"R"Us and PRG Retail Group ("PRG" or the Company) announced today a new long-term agreement where PRG has acquired the assets of the former Toy"R"Us Iberia license through its subsidiaries in Spain and Portugal, securing the continuity of the famous and renown toy brand and maintaining employment for approximately 800 people. With this transaction, the Italian Group, a leader in the toy and children's products sector, present in the Iberian Peninsula since 1963 with the Prenatal brand, strengthens its presence in the two historical markets and continues with determination its growth strategy in Europe. WHP Global logo With this transaction, financed entirely with internal resources of the company, PRG Retail Group consolidates its position in both markets with high value assets and a network with high development potential: 46 stores, 35 in Spain and 11 in Portugal, e-commerce platforms, logistics center and the headquarters in Madrid and Lisbon. Net sales of the stores in the acquisition perimeter are expected to reach 100 million already in 2022, generated through approximately 2.5 million transactions, 10% of which would come from digital platforms. Thanks to the support of PRG and after a long period of declining turnover, a Christmas season at pre-pandemic levels is expected. "Toys"R"Us has a vibrant global business with more than 900 branded stores and e-commerce businesses in 25+ countries. We look forward to working with the experienced team at PRG as we continue to execute on our overall strategy to expand the Toys"R"Us brand in new and existing high growth markets throughout the world," said Yehuda Shmidman, WHP Global & Toys"R"Us Chairman and CEO. "We are excited about this new great adventure and ready to bring to Spain and Portugal the model that we are successfully applying in Italy and with which we intend to grow to become the first hub dedicated to the family in Europe, able to propose to the customer a complete specialized offer of toys, clothing and childcare products in highly qualified, multi-format and multi-banner stores," says Amedeo Giustini, CEO of PRG Retail Group. "To do so, we will share the experience acquired by PRG in building and managing the customer journey on an integrated system of physical and digital contact points, we will invest to renew current technological systems and optimize processes, starting with those related to the purchase of goods. Our goal is to become, also in Spain and Portugal, the first ally of mothers and growing families, from pregnancy through all stages of children's lives. Paloma Perez, CEO of Toys"R"Us Iberia, will remain at the helm, ensuring continuity and knowledge of the Iberian market, with the aim of building together a path of growth and development." For the management of the transaction, the company has been advised by the international teams of E&Y and the law firm Uria Menendez. PRG Retail Group: Founded in Italy in 2015, is the leading distributor in the children and toy sector, with 912 stores in 9 countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland) and a workforce of over 6000 people. It includes the brands Prenatal, Bimbostore, Toys Center, King Jouet, MaxiToys, and holds the exclusive license for FAO Schwarz in several countries in Continental Europe. PRG's mission is to help, surprise and make people dream, simplifying life for the growing family. WHP Global: WHP Global is a leading New York based firm that acquires global consumer brands and invests in high-growth distribution channels including digital commerce platforms and global expansion. WHP owns TOYS"R"US, BABIES"R"US, ANNE KLEIN, JOSEPH ABBOUD, LOTTO, JOE'S JEANS, and WILLIAM RAST as well as a controlling interest in the ISAAC MIZRAHI brand. Collectively the brands generate approximately USD$4.5 billion in global retail sales. The company also owns WHP+, a turnkey direct-to-consumer digital e-commerce platform for brands, with full in-house operations including technology, data analytics, logistics, creative and digital marketing and WHP SOLUTIONS, a sourcing agency based in Asia. For more information, please visit www.whp-global.com. PRESS CONTACTS WHP GLOBAL/TOYS"R"US Jaime Cassavechia [email protected] +1 646-701-7041 SOURCE WHP Global SINGAPORE, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XT.com is delighted to announce its upcoming listing of BBC on July 22, 2022, at 7:00 (UTC) on its platform. For all participants who are interested to trade the crypto, BBC will be available for trading with USDT trading pairs, under the platform's Main Zone (Metaverse). BBC information BBC Foundation BBGROUP will establish branches in Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, and other countries along with T&D Group in the Special Economic Zone in the Philippines to provide cryptocurrency, NFT, and Metabus businesses related to blockchain business. 10% of the BBC Foundation's revenues are returned to poverty and society around the world. BBC is developing cryptocurrency mining, cryptocurrency exchange, art exchange, futures exchange, FX margin exchange, real estate transaction, REITs business, and game business in a blockchain-based metabus. Besides, BBC is also developing a communication virtual space that is realistic and can be carried out offline at the same time. The approval system is under development with BBCOIN & PAY as the focus. In the BBC Foundation, various blockchain companies and major shareholders who invested in financial banks participated as investor consortiums in the development of BBCOIN. The financial AI platform cryptocurrency Mainnet Coin was developed by its own development company, the direct blockchain research institute, so that BBPAY can be used like cash. The International Research Institute and Duzon Date Ware Research Institute, the world's top technology companies participating in the BBC Foundation, are growing into global companies with global source technologies of blockchain technology, ICT (Information Communication Technology), IOT (Artificial Intelligence Technology). Developed by the Institute and the BBC Foundation, the main BBCOIN is linked to financial banks in which the investment group participates as shareholders so that it can be created as a true payment system through a financial platform with various functions. In addition, it links and lists cryptocurrency exchanges with various cryptocurrency tailors developed and supplied by the BBC Foundation. To become the world's best BBCOIN, tailors and investment groups continue to make R&D investments. With the exchange's new listing of BBC, traders will be spared the hassle when it comes to the BBC withdrawal service. The company urges its users and BBC holders to sleep tight and worry no more because it will open withdrawals for anyone who trades the coin. The team highlighted that, with XT.com's vision, supercharging its agenda for listing the coin, BBC withdrawal is underway and will soon be available on the platform on July 23, 2022, at 7:00 (UTC). Jonathan Shih, Head of MEA (Middle East & Africa) at XT.com, said, "We are excited to list BBC on our platform, which is a representative Coin of the gaming industry for fast cashing, accuracy, efficiency, transparency, and convenience. With this new listing, we look forward to enhancing BBC use cases for everyone." About BBC The BBC was developed on the basis of an independently evolved next-generation blockchain mainnet, implemented stable and fast processing speed, and designed with a dual network structure for complete ledger preservation and hacking prevention. BBC is a real economy convergence project that implements a payment system in the real economy based on services such as specialized online games, shopping malls, various development projects, and real estate consulting. countries around the world Additionally, with the credibility of its use cases, users who choose to use BBC in their sales, marketing, and trading activities are ensuring the authenticity of their operations. Website: https://www.tigerndragon.com Whitepaper Link: https://www.tigerndragon.com/aboutus02 About XT.com By consistently expanding its ecosystem, XT.com is dedicated to providing users with the most secure, trusted, and hassle-free digital asset trading services. Our exchange is built from a desire to give everyone access to digital assets regardless where you are. Founded in 2018, XT.com now serves more than 4.5 million registered users, over 500,000+ monthly active users and 30+ million users in the ecosystem. Covering a rich variety of trading categories together with a NFT aggregated marketplace, our platform strives to cater to its large user base by providing a secure, trusted and intuitive trading experience. As the world's first social infused digital assets trading platform, XT.com also supports social networking platform based transactions to make our crypto services more accessible to users all over the world. Furthermore, to ensure optimal data integrity and security, we see user security as our top priority at XT.com. Website: https://www.xt.com/ Telegram: https://t.me/XTsupport_EN Twitter: https://twitter.com/XTexchange SOURCE XT.com Trident Royalties PLC (AIM:TRR) said a decision on the final appeal on the Thacker Pass lithium development in Nevada will be made shortly after oral briefings conclude on 11 August. Environmental groups, Native Americans and local ranchers have jointly objected to the mine development, which is at the base of the Montana Mountains. Early works construction remains on track to commence in 2022, said the statement, with all permits to commence construction currently in place. Trident holds a 60% interest in a gross revenue royalty over the entirety of the project, which is being developed by Lithium Americas (LAC). A project feasibility study is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2022, targeting total production capacity of 40,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate (phase 1) with a second stage expansion targeting total production capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum (phase 2). LAC has also opened a 30,000 square-foot Lithium Technical Development Center in Reno, Nevada to replicate the Thacker Pass flowsheet from raw ore to final product. This has achieved battery-quality specifications with product samples being produced for potential customers and partners. Trident noted that a formal application was submitted to the US Department of Energy in April 2022 through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan programme, which LAC expects to fund the majority of the Thacker Pass capital costs. Adam Davidson, Tridents CEO added: "We are delighted to see that Thacker Pass remains on track for construction to commence in 2022 and to note the success that Lithium Americas has had in achieving battery-quality samples in trial processing at the new Lithium Technical Development Center. We await the decision of the court regarding the final appeal, expected shortly following final briefings on August 11th. The progression of Thacker Pass to construction will be a transformational event for Trident, both in exposure to battery materials and future cashflow generation." Stanley Gibbons (AIM:SGI) Group PLC, which owns the famous stamp emporium at 399 The Strand, London has unveiled plans to delist from AIM after an often turbulent two decades as a public company. It has been asked to do so by Phoenix Asset Management Partners, on behalf of the companys biggest investor, Phoenix SG, which owns 58% of the philatelic, coins and medals specialist. It is seen as cost-effective to exit the market, a move it hopes will also help stem the negative operational influences on the business. A process will be put in place that allows investors who do not want to hold unlisted stock in Stanley Gibbons (AIM:SGI) to sell their shares for 1.5p each, which was last nights closing price. Given that there is a strong likelihood that the resolution will be passed, the independent directors have been keen to ensure that all shareholders have an opportunity (if they so wish) to sell their ordinary shares notwithstanding the proposed cancellation, the company said in documentation outlining its plans. In a separate announcement, SG said Graham Shircore will step down as chief executive and return to work at Phoenix Asset Management. He will be replaced by Tom Pickford, who formerly worked at The Hut Group and before that Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG). Tom has a wealth of experience in delivering successful business growth and a strong track record in the digital world, investors were told. Combined with a strong focus on sales and customers, the board believes that Tom has the ideal mix of abilities required for the next stage in the group's journey which began with its recapitalisation just over four years ago. Kavango Resources PLC (LSE:KAV, OTC:KVGOF)'s Great Red Spot project in Botswana has been boosted significantly by a new independent report. The company announced in a statement that an independent conceptual economic viability report authored by Executive Mining Group Ltd has stated that the projects Iron Oxide Copper-Gold (IOCG) target - located in Target Area B in the northern (Hukuntsi) section of the Kalahari Suture Zone (KSZ) could conceptionally be economically viable as a mine. It concluded that the IOCG target would be economically viable at depths up to 2km below the surface, if sufficient bulk of mineralisation be discovered that is of sufficient grade. "The IOCG target at the Great Red Spot is highly attractive because it is so large, and the geophysical indicators so compelling, said Kavango chief executive Ben Turney. The Kavango boss described it as a project of significant potential. We are very pleased with the results of the report and Kavango will continue further exploration of the IOCG target, with a view to vectoring in on specific drill targets," Turney said. In the report, the Great Red Spot target was viewed "based on an Olympic Dam model" comparing the project to BHP Billitons giant underground mine in South Australia as Kavango believes that its IOCG target has similar geophysical signatures to that ore body. In its economic viability report, Executive Mining noted that the target probably lies deeper than the Olympic Dam orebody (which is beneath 300 metres of rock and then extends down 900 metres of mining), and, it is "certainly below 1,000 metres of depth". Among Kavangos queries for the consultant was whether an Olympic Dam type and scale of orebody could be economically viable if it was 1,000 metres, 1,500 metres, 2,000 metres. The consultant's model pitched possible net present value estimates ranging between US$3bn and US$8bn, with internal rates of return estimated in a range of 17% to 31% - with estimates based on US$1,600 per ounce gold, US$18 per ounce silver, US$3.50 per pound copper, and US$28 per pound uranium. It estimated that underground mine development could cost some US$3.5bn of capex, whilst an on-site processing plant to recover all four commodities could add another US$1bn to the capex bill. Kavango, meanwhile, reminded investors of the early stage of the project and the conceptual nature of its Olympic-Dam-alike project. It noted that so far the consultants assessment remains at a conceptual level. As this stage it is important to understand that the numbers presented are idealised, Turney added. Until Kavango is able to drill test the IOCG target we cannot know what the geological formations are nor whether any mineralisation is present. The purpose of this report is to give Kavango confidence that the IOCG target is worth pursuing. We've tried to be conservative with the input numbers, especially the estimated forward metal prices. Oriole Resources' chief executive, Tim Livesey, joined Chris Rhodes on Proactive to discuss the Bibemi gold project in Cameroon, where testing is underway with results due later this quarter. Livesey describes a 'new frontier in gold exploration'. "We continue to be impressed by the discoveries in the CLP. Significant gold-in-soil anomalies from the initial sampling grids indicate to us that this has the potential to become a new gold district in Africa," he told Proactive. Awaiting assay results from the most recent Bibemi drilling, Oriole is looking to improve its understanding of the geological controls on mineralisation, hopefully leading to the delivery of an initial JORC exploration target later in the year. He goes on to say: Visual inspection of the core looks promising, especially in relation to the horizontal veining, which has the capacity to increase mineralised volumes significantly." Kavango Resources' Ben Turney says an independent conceptual economic viability report authored by Executive Mining Group Ltd has given 'economic justification' for pursuing exploration at Great Red Spot project in Botswana. The report demonstrates that the Iron Oxide Copper-Gold target - located in Target Area B in the northern (Hukuntsi) section of the Kalahari Suture Zone (KSZ) could conceptionally be economically viable as a mine. Scotlands first commercial gold producer Scotgold Resources Limited (AIM:SGZ) is undervalued compared to its peers, according to broker Shore Capitals latest analysis. We believe the market is missing [Scotgold Resources] significant short-term production and earnings prospects, analyst Sheldon Modeland said in a note, adding its valuation represents a significant discount to peers. Shore Capital said the AIM-listed company trades on price-to-earnings multiples of 3.3x for 2024, which compares favourably with peer group average multiples of 7.8x. This discount is unwarranted given the companys growth prospects and earnings profile once it achieves full output, according to the broker. On relative terms, [the company] is undervalued on both EV/EBITDA and P/E multiples when compared to our selected gold peer group, Modeland said in the note. Analysts expect the gold miner to deliver an impressive 75% compound annual growth rate in underlying earnings from 2022 to 2026, driven by optimisation plans for its Cononish mine. The Cononish mine, located in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, has a run rate of 10,000 oz of gold, which is expected to increase to 24,000oz next year once an ore sorter is installed. Production at the Cononish mine uses gravity separation and flotation without the need for cyanide, which is a big polluter in illegal mines in South America. Shore Capital expects Scotgold to generate free cash flow of 13mln a year through the mines lifetime of 8.5 years, and sees potential for its life to be extended with additional drilling and resource definition. Scotgold generated 6.3mln of revenue from the production of 551 tonnes of gold concentrate in the first half of 2022, Shore Capital said. Analysts estimate the net asset value of the company at 93mln or 155p per share in 2023, representing 109% upside on the current share price. If investors' nerves werent jangling ahead of Metas or Facebooks results next, social media rival Snaps dismal update on Thursday will have been a stomach churner. While it is true that Snap has its own set of problems, underlining its disappointing numbers was the fact that digital advertising is struggling to cope firstly with the economic downturn and also with changes to user tracking introduced by Apple. That change of policy sparked a major row between the two FAANG giants. New weeks updates will give a clear steer on which was the winner and few are betting on Meta. The Facebook owner has already cut its hiring plans by at least 30% this year, with chief executive Mark Zuckerberg warning workers to prepare for a deep economic downturn. The social media behemoth, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, expects a leaner second half of the year as it contends with macroeconomic pressures and data privacy threats to its advertising business. "If I had to bet, I'd say that this might be one of the worst downturns that we've seen in recent history," Zuckerberg told employees, according to reports. Meta will hire 6,000-7,000 engineers in 2022, down from an original plan to hire 10,000, though the social media company reported hiring pauses earlier too. Meta paused hiring for several verticals in May, including shopping and Messenger Kids, apart from certain engineering roles and low-level data scientists, sparking fears of layoffs among employees. The shares have shed 50% of their value over the past year. Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) will welcome James Moses and Brett Smith as non-executive directors of the company following the retirement of non-executive director Dr Mark Elliot. Moses is an investment markets veteran who founded and led prominent Australian bespoke investor relations and corporate communications practice for public companies. Smith is a geologist with more than 30 years of experience in the mining and exploration industry, where he has held numerous senior executive and management positions, and consulting roles. Whats more, Arumas non-executive chairman, Paul Boyatzis, has also informed the board he intends to retire from his position at the companys annual general meeting scheduled for November 2022. Aruma thanked the outgoing board members Mark Elliott and Paul Boyatzis for their service to the company. Transition summary Dr Elliott will retire from his position on Monday, August 1, 2022. Subsequently, James Moses and Brett Smith will join the board as non-executive directors on the same date. Furthermore, Boyatzis will facilitate a smooth and efficient transition of the board between August 1, 2022, and the AGM. Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd today announced the appointment of several new personnel to senior management positions, including ex-WeSure CEO Alan Lau as chief business officer, and former Animoca chief resource officer Minh Do as co-chief operating officer, along with other senior engagements. As chief business officer, Lau will manage relationships with Animocas more-than 340 portfolio companies and lead M&A and business development. Before joining Animoca Brands, he was chairman and CEO of Tencent WeSure, a fintech company that he co-founded to offer disruptive, affordable internet insurance to WeChat users. WeSure insured more than 100 million families in China, and is ranked the number 1 insurtech platform by the Hurun Institute. Prior to Tencent, he was Asia head for McKinsey Digital, supporting big tech companies and sector incumbents to execute their digital strategy. He also has corporate finance experience from his time at Citibank and McKinsey, where he was the Greater China head of corporate finance, in charge of M&A and deal structuring support. Recognised leader in the art space Lau sits on multiple museum boards and is a recognised leader in the art space. He is vice-chair of M+ in Hong Kong and co-chair of the Asia committees at both Tate and The Guggenheim. He obtained his masters degree in Engineering from Oxford University. We are excited to have Alan join the Animoca Brands family at this pivotal moment of the companys development, Animoca president Evan Auyang said. Alan brings to us both the depth and breadth of business experience from Tencent WeSure, where he built the business from the ground up, as well as nearly two decades of experience at McKinsey. He provides valuable perspective and expertise as we look to further synergise our portfolio of over 340 investments. New co-chief operating officer New co-chief operating officer Minh Do will be responsible for major scaling initiatives to enable the company to maintain its leadership position in the blockchain gaming industry. Minh was the general manager of the Greater China businesses at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), a global information services and consulting company headquartered in New York City. During his time at GLG Minh drove business expansions across China, India, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Minh was also responsible for GLG's APAC technology strategy and led the company's China risk management committee. Passionate blockchain advocate Minh is a dual-qualified attorney in Hong Kong and New York, a passionate blockchain advocate, an early investor in the Web3 industry and a multi-time entrepreneur. Minh graduated from the London School of Economics with a Bachelor of Laws and obtained a PCLL from the University of Hong Kong. Minh initially joined us in the capacity of chief resource officer and quickly stepped into the role of co-chief operating officer. He possesses exceptionally sharp organisation development skills, business acumen, and operational know-how, as demonstrated by his impeccable track record of leadership and business impact, said Evan Auyang. Being a Web3 native before joining Animoca Brands, Minh brings unique insights, experience, and operational and executional discipline to help us scale up our business. Newly formed executive committee The two new appointees, along with executive chairman Yat Siu, group president Evan Auyang, CEO of North America Robby Yung and chief operating officer Arnold Concepcion will sit on the companys newly formed executive committee, which governs major strategic, organisational and operational decisions of the company. Lithium-ion battery chemistries have quickly come to dominate the electric vehicle and energy storage markets, becoming synonymous with the technology. There is a plethora of other chemistries that are arguably cheaper, safer, and just as effective as lithium-ion, but to some extent that ship may have already sailed. Read: Challengers emerge: alternatives to lithium-ion batteries In this article: Even in the face of a bearish, unstable market, mineral commodities were rapidly rising across the world until very recently, especially those supporting the energy revolution. While lithium, nickel and cobalt dominate the electric vehicle (EV) battery market, graphite, vanadium and zinc were also on the rise, supplying the structural energy grid storage market and other non-vehicle applications like anti-corrosion coatings on offshore wind turbines. Graphite has experienced exceptional demand growth over the last few years, exhibiting year-on-year increases of 30%, which is expected to create a massive supply shortfall by about 2030: Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence via International Graphite Zinc, too, has been climbing, reaching a 10-year high of US$4498.5 per tonne in April before recession fears put big dents in most commodity pricing. The World Bank expects zinc to fall to US$2,400 per metric tonne this year, after which a slower period of growth is expected to begin. The following graph represents the demand for zinc worldwide in 2020 and predicts increasing demand for the metal over the next 10 years. Represented with forecast figures for 2025 and 2030, by renewable energy type: Source: Statista Similarly, Argus Media predicts demand in the global vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) sector could rise to at least 9,100 tonnes of vanadium pentoxide (VO) in 2022 from 3,640 tonnes last year, a 150% increase. Argus is not alone, with commodity researcher Roskill forecasting a 20.7% average uptick in vanadium used in batteries per year from 2020 to 2029. Source: TIP Squared Inc via Australian Vanadium These spikes in demand are driven by several factors, but the main catalyst is certainly the oncoming energy revolution and the ongoing decarbonisation of the world economy. There are signs the sharp lift in prices is reaching its zenith; copper, nickel, aluminium, zinc, cobalt and lithium are all down for the month of July, although none have fallen below their prices this time last year. This may be a symptom of a bearish market, or simply a correction to an overzealous market hike, but either way the demand for battery commodities is here to stay. Europe has quickly become the fastest growing region for new EV lithium-ion-based gigafactories outside of China. Benchmark Mineral Intelligences Lithium-ion Battery Gigafactory Assessment puts Europes planned annual capacity at 789.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2030, a six-fold increase from its 2018 numbers. Thats enough capacity to create 15 million electric vehicles per year. Source: CIC energiGUNE These gigafactories are designed to manufacture lithium-ion chemistry batteries and represent billions of dollars in private and public investment. I do think there's a space in the battery storage industry for probably most technologies, Altamin managing director Geraint Harris said when asked about alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. Altamin Ltd (ASX:AZI) is an emerging European metal producer, focused on servicing the next generation of base and battery metal production in the heart of the European Union. But most of the factories being built now, certainly across Europe, are tooling up for the battery chemistries of today, Harris explained. It's not that easy when you want to switch technologies, and their paybacks are about 10 years. Phil Hearse, founder and executive chair of International Graphite Ltd (ASX:IG6) a company in the midst of developing a fully-integrated graphite battery product stream on Australian shores agrees. Graphite is not a replacement for lithium, or cobalt or nickel, Hearse emphasised. Solid state carbon (of which graphite is a crystalline form) batteries essentially replace liquid electrolyte with solid material, like a polymer, and have the potential benefit of being lighter than the traditional lithium-ion batteries. They're certainly not a replacement in the near future. What confirms that is the massive investments going into gigafactories, particularly in Europe. Those investments will take quite a time to recover their capital, and therefore, you must be on the right technology to be making those investments. In other words, even if some alternative battery chemistries are arguably superior in performance, the sheer weight of capital already invested in lithium-ion gives it strong momentum in the industry for the next 10 years at least. Whos to say what the next big breakthrough will be. While lithium-ion batteries are the chemistry of choice for electric vehicles, vanadium redox flow batteries or VRFBs are quickly becoming a front-runner for grid stabilisation and structural applications, already installed in dozens of test facilities in several countries. They offer a particularly attractive storage option compared to lithium-ion in that they are very low maintenance once established and very long lived, expected to last more than 20 years with no degradation over time. Overall VRFBs boast: long battery lives of up to double lithium-ions expected longevity; low cost and impact from a single, cheap, reusable mineral; a high level of modularity that allows for uncomplicated capacity expansions; and little to no safety or environmental risks. Their drawbacks include a large battery footprint and a low kilogram-to-watthour energy density, neither of which are deal breakers outside of the electric vehicle industries. While lithium-ion technology has reached mega-watt-sized applications, Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) managing director Vincent Algar believes VRFBs are the superior choice in terms of structural grid batteries. Where the lithium-ion battery is really good is in that immediate store and recover type of scenario, but it's been pushed into the larger end of the market as a station, Algar said. But it's not the ideal source, at a very large scale it's got safety issues, it's still got degradation and therefore capital issues. In very hot places they need to be cooled, so efficiency drops as well. These kinds of environmental factors are particularly relevant given how much of Australias mining occurs in hot, arid regions of the country. The kind of environments VRFBs excel in. That's one of our big selling points; that if a mine site wants to get to net zero, they can put solar in, they can put wind in, they can put lithium batteries in, Algar explained. But if they want to get to net zero, there's only one way to do that, and that's with the vanadium redox flow battery. Australian Vanadiums subsidiary VSUN has already installed a VRFB at Water Corporations innovation hub in Shenton Park, Western Australia, at its Water, Research and Innovation Precinct. Similar batteries are being tested and installed at sites across Australia, from nickel mines to private properties and research facilities. The conversation about which batteries should power our grids is particularly relevant these days, given the Australian Energy Regulator is suing the Hornsdale Power Reserve, owner of the Tesla battery array in South Australia, for failing to provide power as promised during a major coal plant failure in 2019. "It is vital that generators do what they say they can do if we're going to keep the lights on through the market's transition to variable renewable generation," Australian Energy Regulator chairwoman Clare Savage said. In other words, the quality of the energy storage options we choose now will inform the security of our power supply for years to come. Example of mylonitic zone comprising altered granitic material and black sediments with quartz-carbonate veining in drill hole OKDD002, 104.8 metres. Okapi Resources Ltd (ASX:OKR) has completed the first two diamond drill holes at its Enmore Gold Project in New South Wales, with both the holes intersecting encouraging lithologies. Drill holes OKDD001 and OKDD002 at the Sunnyside Prospect have intersected potential zones of mineralisation including highly altered siltstone and granite with multiple phases of quartz and minor carbonate veining. Further, numerous faults and shear zones have been intersected all of which contain elevated levels of sulphide mineralisation. Example of a prominent zone of potential mineralisation OKDD002, 165.5 metres. Given the encouraging lithologies intersected, both the holes were drilled significantly deeper than originally planned at 260 metres and 208 metres respectively. Drilling will continue at the Sunnyside Prospect where gold mineralisation is open at depth and present over 400 metres of strike. Location of the Enmore Gold Project. The drill program will also be testing the Sherwood Prospect on the Bora Fault, one of the more interesting regional targets at the Enmore Gold Project. Core is currently being cut and sampled in preparation for analysis at ALS Global, a certified laboratory specialising in minerals with a facility located in Brisbane, QLD. The current expectation is that Okapi will receive its first batch of assay results by the end of September 2022. Uranium exploration in Canada Last week, Okapi kicked off an extensive maiden field exploration program at the Newnham Lake and Perch Uranium projects in the Athabasca Basin of Canada. The exploration program aims to prioritise drill targets for testing in the Athabasca Basin during winter 2023. The program will consist of prospecting, outcrop and boulder sampling with potential soil and vegetation sampling to help identify favourable structural scenarios suitable for hosting uranium mineralisation. Haleon PLC (LSE:HLN, NYSE:HLN) offers "the best of both worlds", said Citigroup, as it started coverage of the London consumer healthcare newcomer. After it was spun out of GSK PLC (LSE:GSK, NYSE:GSK) on Monday and floated its ADRs in New York yesterday, the investment bank slapped a 'buy' rating on the Weybridge, Surrey-based group's shares, with a 360p price target. Analyst Cedric Besnard said he sees the company as "the best vehicle to play the secular attractions" of the consumer health sector, facilitated by the group's large scale "and its exposure to staples segments where it can more easily outperform". While the 4-6% organic sales growth target has raised a few eyebrows elsewhere in the City, the Citi team said their analysis suggests it "is achievable". "While consumer health specifics can sometimes tempt companies into overearning," Besnard said, Haleon's P&L structure is "well invested to support a LDD TSR [low double-digit total shareholder return]". The analyst said Haleon has "a strategic optionality offering a floor to valuation," which maybe means he suggests that it could be a bid target, based on the 50bn Unilver offer. Based on this, Citi believes the stock "offers the best of both worlds" with the "dependability" of consumer health and the "ability to outgrow" in staples. ioneer Ltd has sealed a binding offtake agreement with the Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) to supply lithium from its lithium-boron operations in Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada. The deal will support Fords ambition to create an end-to-end US-based electric vehicle (EV) supply chain. Deal to kick off in 2025 Under the five-year binding agreement, due to kick off in 2025, 7,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate will be shifted from ioneer's Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron operation in Nevada, which is around 34% of annual output in the first five years of production. Ford plans to use ioneer's lithium carbonate to produce batteries for use in Ford electric vehicles through BlueOval SK, the Ford-SK On battery manufacturing joint venture. The Rhyolite Ridge project is expected to produce an annual average of 20,600 tonnes of lithium carbonate/hydroxide along with approximately 174,400 tonnes of boric acid per year over the its 26-year life. Bottom of the global cost curve The dual production of lithium and boric acid allows ioneer not only to produce lithium in the US, but to do so at the bottom of the global cost curve. Production is planned to start in the second half of 2025 to support urgent requirements for battery materials in the US. This agreement follows an earlier deal to relieve ioneer of around 34% of its annual lithium carbonate production from Rhyolite Ridge in the first three years of operation. Ioneer executive chairman James Calaway, said: "The agreement with Ford is a significant milestone for ioneer, highlighting the mature state of the Rhyolite Ridge project development and its ideal position to serve the US supply chain with domestic battery materials. Partnering with a recognised world-class automaker that exemplifies the spirit of American innovation is a testament to the quality of our lithium carbonate, and our commitment to the highest environmental standards and sustainability practices. American job creation Ioneer managing director Bernard Rowe added: Simply put, this strategic relationship means Nevada lithium for American cars, and it will lead to job creation across all levels of the electric vehicle supply chain. We look forward to continuing to work with Ford and its partners to help develop a secure and reliable end-to-end US EV industry." Lisa Drake, Ford Model e vice president, EV Industrialisation, said: We look forward to developing this new relationship with ioneer. Helping unlock lithium in the US will help us support localised production of battery cells going forward and, ultimately, support our efforts to deliver EVs for millions of customers. Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd has two world-class, scalable projects that have the potential to sell directly into western markets, according to ACF Equity Research, which recently provided its core investment case for the mine developer. Currently, China accounts for 85% of the refined rare earth supply, giving it a stranglehold over some of the core ingredients used in low-carbon technologies. So, companies such as Rainbow, which has assets in South Africa and Burundi, are likely to meet with strong demand when they go into production. The companys Phalaborwa project, in South Africa, has an inferred mineral resource of 38.3Mt, rich in neodymium-praseodymium oxide contained in gypsum tailings. Rainbow recently announced it had successfully compiled a flowsheet, with the help of chemical engineering specialist K-Technologies, that will allow it to cheaply and efficiently extract rare earths from the tailings material. The completion of a preliminary economic assessment of Phalaborwa will provide the market with the first guidance on the capital investment required to get the operation up and running. Phalaborwa represents a key diversification opportunity for western users and its low capital and operating expenditure will accelerate production, said ACF in its note. In addition, its low levels of radioactive elements support [Rainbows] sustainable agenda to deliver an environmentally responsible high-grade rare earth oxide. Gakara, in Burundi, is a high-grade deposit rare earths deposit where trial mining has allowed management to better understand the potential of the asset. Specifically, it has shown the resource can be extracted via a simple open pit mine and low-cost gravity separation. ACF in its note concluded that Rainbow is positioned to power the green revolution. For more information click here. Baghdad, July 22 : Three brothers and one of their relatives were killed in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial police source said. IS militants opened fire at a group of young men swimming in the Diyala River in the town of Maqdadiyah on Thursday, some 100 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Major Alaa al-Saadi of the police provincial command. The three brothers were killed on the spot, and their relative later died in a hospital, al-Saadi said, adding that another relative of the brothers was also wounded in the attack. Iraqi security forces rushed to the scene and launched a search campaign looking for the attackers, al-Saadi said. Over the past few months, Iraqi security forces have conducted operations against the extremist militants to crack down on their intensified activities. The security situation in Iraq has been improving since 2017 after defeating the IS. However, the IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against the security forces and civilians. Ankara, July 22 : An agreement to resume grain shipment from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea will be signed in Turkiye on Friday in a bid to resolve a global food crisis, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has confirmed. "Tomorrow, we will take the first step in Istanbul towards the solution of the food crisis affecting the whole world, together with the UN secretary-general, the delegations of Russia and Ukraine," Cavusoglu tweeted on Thursday. "We will continue our efforts to resolve the conflict," he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. Earlier, the Turkish presidency said that the agreement will be signed on Friday with the participation of Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkiye. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are expected to attend the signing ceremony, which will be held at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul on Friday at 16:30 local time, it said. The agreement comes at a time when there are growing concerns about a global food shortage as a result of the protracted crisis in Ukraine, which is partially blamed for the food price hikes across the world. Last week, the four parties held their first round of negotiations in Istanbul with an aim to ship Ukraine's grain to the world market to ease the supply shortage. Turkiye has long served as a mediator in the effort to establish a mechanism that will prevent a food crisis by enabling Ukraine to export its grain to the global market via sea routes. Istanbul will become an operational hub where the entire shipping process will be carried out, Turkish officials have said. Turkiye controls maritime traffic entering and exiting the Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Latest updates on Global Food Crisis Lucknow, July 22 : The Lucknow property of gangster Vikas Dubey, the main accused in the massacre of eight policemen in the Bikru village in July 2020 in Kanpur, has been seized. The police have taken this action in the case under the Gangster Act registered against him. According to Alok Rai, Inspector in-charge of Krishna Nagar in Lucknow, Vikas Dubey has a house in Inderlok Nagar. A gangster case was registered against him at Krishna Nagar police station. In May, the police had pasted a notice to auction the property after getting the legal formalities completed. "The police team reached Vikas Dubey's house on Thursday evening and seized the property," he said. The sealing action has been taken on the instructions of Kanpur District Magistrate. There are dozens of cases registered against him in Kanpur. Vikas Dubey, along with his henchmen, had opened fire on the police team that went to Bikru in July 2020, in which eight policemen were killed. Vikas Dubey was later arrested by the STF from Madhya Pradesh and then killed in an encounter while trying to escape. In May this year, the police had seized Vikas Dubey's property worth Rs 67 crore in Kanpur. Seoul, July 22 : South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Friday that North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time it decides. Yoon was responding to a reporter's question about the US Department of Defence's assessment that the North has completed preparations to carry out a nuclear test as early as within the month, Yonhap news agency reported. "We believe that not only at the end of this month, but ever since my inauguration, it's fully ready and able to do it whenever it decides," he told reporters as he arrived for work. Chennai, July 22 : In a major breakthrough, the elite idol wing of the Tamil Nadu police has traced a 19th-century Sarfoji painting of Bhonsle Raja to the US Homeland security. Sources in the police told IANS that the painting was missing from the Saraswathi Mahal Library and the arrested antique smuggler Sanjeev Kapoor was behind the theft. The painting which depicts King Serfoji II of the Bhonsle dynasty along with his son Sivaji II was, according to Idol wing, purchased by the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Massachusetts from Subash Kapoor. A senior officer with the idol wing told IANS that when the PEM museum came to know that the painting was stolen, they handed it over to the US Homeland security. It may be noted that the librarian of Saraswathi Mahal Library, E. Rajendran filed a missing antique complaint with the police in 2017 but the date of missing the piece could not be ascertained. The Idol wing police team scanned the websites of several museums and other antique buying institutions including auction centres and found that the painting was on the website of the museum. When the PEM authorities came to know that the painting was a stolen piece they handed it over to the US Homeland security. Idol wing officer told IANS that Sanjeev Kappor had fraudulently made a letter claiming that the artefact was sold to him by the art collector late Leo Figiel from which it was mentioned that he had acquired it from a European collection. The Idol wing police are planning to bring the artefact back to Saraswathi Mahal library using the UNESCO art treaty. The idol wing police had recently traced the first Tamil manuscript of the Bible that was stolen from the Saraswati Mahal Museum to the King George museum in London. The translation of the New Testament in Tamil was printed in 1715 by the Danish missionary,Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg. The Tamil Nadu local police had closed the missing case which was later taken up by the idol wing that traced the manuscript to the King George museum in London. Istanbul, July 22 : The new century is the "Asian century" filled with opportunities, said Parliamentary Speakers of Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Pakistan in a meeting held in Turkish capital, Istanbul. "World's geo-politics and economic centres are shifting towards Asia, and it's happening fast," said Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, Mustafa Sentop at the second trilateral meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Pakistan. "Without a doubt, the emergence of the New Silk road will add a great haste to the development and rejuvenation of the region," Sentop added. "And in that project, our new initiative "Middle (Transport) Corridor" will be taking an important part through our new transport routes and energy transfer infrastructure investments," he said. The trilateral meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening comprehensive cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, especially in areas that would contribute to regional connectivity, transportation, trade, energy, relations between people, education, social and cultural exchange, and tourism, Xinhua news agency reported. With most of its lands in Asia and parts in Europe, Turkiye has been investing heavily in the Middle Corridor initiative that would act as a bridge between China and Europe through railroads, with more efficient transfer than the northern land routes or the southern naval route of Suez Canal. Gadag : , July 22 (IANS) Enraged by the apathy of authorities and legislators for not caring to build a bus shelter for 40 years, villagers in Karnataka built one themselves and made a buffalo the chief guest. In a major embarrassment to the ruling BJP, the videos of the event have gone viral on social media. The incident took place in the Balehosur village of Laxmeshwar taluk in Gadag district of the state, where the bus shelter was built 40 years ago, and its roof collapsed a decade ago. The bus shelter was turned into a dumping yard and commuters had to wait for buses close to this spot in the scorching sun and heavy rain. Lokesh Jalawadagi, the farmer leader, explained that a memorandum had been submitted and pleas were made innumerable times to sitting BJP MLA Ramappa Lamani and MP Shivakumar Udasi. "The village has a population of 5,000 and everyday, hundreds of students travel from the village to surrounding towns," says Virupaksha Itagi. The villagers decided to protest against the government's indifference in a novel way. They built the roof of the shelter with coconut branches and made a buffalo the chief guest. They also held a ribbon cutting ceremony and decked up the buffalo to register the protest more impactfully. After the videos and photos went viral on social media, the authorities and legislators gave assurance that they will make a bus shelter soon. Seoul, July 22 : Samsung Electronics floated an idea of investing nearly $200 billion to build 11 more chip plants in the US over the next two decades, documents filed with the state of Texas showed on Friday. The proposed investment is described in South Korean tech giant's applications filed with the Taylor and Manor school districts, seeking tax breaks for the potential construction of 11 new chip fabrication facilities in the state -- nine in Taylor and two in Austin in Texas. Samsung already has a giant chip plant in Austin, while it is building a $17 billion plant in the nearby Taylor. The world's largest memory chip maker has made no guarantee that it is committed to making the proposed $192.1 billion investment, reports Yonhap news agency. "We currently do not have specific plans to build at this time, however, the Chapter 313 applications to the State of Texas are part of a long-term planning process of Samsung to evaluate the viability of potentially building additional fabrication plants in the United States," Samsung said in a statement. Chapter 313 "allows public school districts to offer tax incentives for businesses that invest in their communities," according to the Texas Comptroller's office. And it is set to expire at the end of the year, which means businesses must apply again in order to continue to benefit from the tax program. Texas Governor Greg Abbott welcomed the proposal. "This potential investment will bring billions of additional capital to continue growing our world-class business climate and diverse, highly skilled workforce," he said in a statement. Abbott also urged the U.S. Congress to pass the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Act to help the U.S. cement "a secure semiconductor supply chain, which is vital to our nation's economy and national security." In March, Samsung called on Washington to give foreign chipmakers an equal chance to compete for state incentives under the act to expand production capacity and solve a continuing chip shortage. Washington should "ensure that all qualifying companies should be able to compete for CHIPS Act incentives to pursue semiconductor projects in the U.S. on an even playing field, irrespective of their country of incorporation," Samsung said in a document submitted to the U.S. Commerce Department. That way, the act could fulfill its objectives of "increasing US semiconductor capacity," Samsung said, by encouraging "new private capital investment in the semiconductor ecosystem." Samsung has been running manufacturing operations in the US for more than four decades and is employing over 20,000 Americans. The CHIPS Act is aimed at boosting US chip manufacturing capacity and capability, and shoring up supply chains, ultimately restoring its manufacturing prowess. Chelmsford : , July 22 (IANS) After making a clean-sweep of the ODI series, England Women scored an easy six-wicket victory over their South African counterparts in the opening T20 International here, with Katherine Brunt taking a four-wicket haul and Sophia Dunkley smashing a 39-ball 59 in an easy chase. With two more games still to go, the hosts claimed victory in the multi-format series on Thursday. England are leading the multi-format series 10-2 with only four points at stake in the final two T20Is. Brunt (4/15) became just the second English woman to take 100 T20I wickets, joining the recently-retired Anya Shrubsole (102) in the elite club. Dunkley, who was promoted up the order to open the innings for the first time, was at her destructive best as the hosts chased down the Proteas' 112-run target in just 15 overs. England won the toss and elected to bowl with Brunt making quick inroads as Lara Goodall was given out caught behind third ball. Though the decision was overturned after reviews showed the bat had hit the ground, Goodall perished on the next ball, clean-bowled by Brunt. Brunt's 100th T20I wicket came up soon with Proteas skipper Sune Luus' stumps also uprooted as the tourist were off to a wobbly start. Top South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt hit her fourth T20I half-century (55 off 45 balls) before she perished to a Brunt delivery with a brilliant diving catch from Nat Sciver at deep midwicket. A modest target of 111/9 never looked out of reach for the visitors who cruised to victory with 30 balls to spare. Katherine Brunt later said she had to overcome a form slump to really make an impact in the series. "I just try to keep ticking along. I was really keen to make an impact in this series -- the one-dayers and T20s -- and I'm really happy. This year has been really difficult, finding form, but I seem to have come good at the right time. "Once you get older, you have a lot of doubt that creeps in, a few questions - people say things about you - and if you listen to it enough, you start to believe it," she added. Brief scores: South Africa Women 111/9 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 55; Katherine Brunt 4/15, Sophie Ecclestone 2/27) lost to England Women 114/4 in 15 overs (Sophia Dunkley 59; Ayabonga Khaka 3/13) by six wickets. Beirut, July 22 : Lebanese President Michel Aoun has urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude the aid agreement with the crisis-ridden country, saying Lebanon has been adopting the needed structural reforms. He made the remarks during his meeting in Beirut with Pierre Duquesne, French presidential envoy for coordinating international support to Lebanon, said a presidential statement on Thursday. Aoun said he hoped that Lebanon can form a new government dutiful in unifying the exchange rate, following up on the "forensic audits" into the financial sector, and dealing with banks' losses fairly, Xinhua news agency reported. "This would restore confidence in Lebanon and motivate international institutions to support the country," he added. Duquesne, for his part, said France will encourage donor countries and international institutions to support Lebanon's infrastructure to foster job opportunities and curb immigration. Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis in the past years and needs quick legislation in the parliament to facilitate the government's recovery plan. New Delhi, July 22 : Online hospitality major Airbnb Co-founder Joe Gebbia has announced to step down after 14 "wild years" and is set to open a new chapter. Gebbia, who formed Airbnb more than a decade ago, wrote a letter to employees, saying he will remain on the board of directors but transition to an advisory role, supporting co-founders Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk on "the roadmap, future concepts, and creative culture." Gebbia was earlier the chairman of Samara, Airbnb's design studio, and of Airbnb.org, the company's nonprofit foundation. Tesla CEO Elon Musk congratulated him with a tweet on Friday: "Congrats on an incredible company with Airbnb, now for Book 2!" The Airbnb Co-founder said that the primary reason for this transition is that "this is the only company I've ever helped build, and my brain is bursting with more ideas to bring to the world". "My first new venture is a startup called parenthood, at which I'll be taking on the role of Dad. The others involve a complementary product to Airbnb, documentary filmmaking, and various philanthropic initiatives. I'm looking forward to sharing more about these with you soon," he added. He said that Airbnb emerged from an unprecedented setback to the travel industry "with the best first quarter since we incorporated Airbnb fourteen years ago". "Thanks to the four million of you who've chosen to host, defying convention to form the largest network of hospitality on the planet. You've welcomed the world into your guest bedrooms, yurts, villas, caves, barns, mansions, tugboats, Airstreams, and that one giant potato house in Idaho," he wrote. Incredibly, after a billion-plus guest arrivals, "the data proves that the Golden Rule is actually human nature, which is perhaps why some version of it can be found in almost every culture," he added. Gebbia said that every dollar you donate to Airbnb.org, he will match so we can house twice as many people in need. As of November 2021, Gebbia's net worth was estimated to be $11.4 billion. New Delhi, July 22 : Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday met and congratulated Droupadi Murmu for being elected as the 15th President of the country. The Vice-President met Murmu at her residence on Umashankar Dikshit Marg in the national capital and spent around 15 minutes there. Later, the official twitter account of the Vice President tweeted: "The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today met Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji and congratulated her on being elected as the 15th President of India." Apart from the Vice-President, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and others met the President-elect and congratulated her. "A new epoch in history that needs to be scripted in golden letters. The election of Smt Draupadi Murmu an Adivasi lady as the President of India is not merely a reflection of the innate strength of the nation but a telling evidence @narendramodi Aji' s commitment to build a new India where social inclusiveness is the seminal Mantra. Hearty Congratulations to Madam President whose life and deed are an inspiration to all," Reddy tweeted after meeting Murmu. Sources said that since last evening, several leaders and people from different walks of life are coming to congratulate Murmu on her victory. On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, BJP chief J. P. Nadda and others met and congratulated the President-elect. Thiruvananthapuram, July 22 : A day after former State Minister and CPI-M legislator M.M. Mani apologised for his remarks on the floor of the Kerala Assembly against K.K. Rema, she received a threat letter from a group called 'Payyannur Comrades'. Rema had won the Assembly election with the support of the Congress-led UDF. She is the widow of top former CPI-M leader T.P. Chandrasekheran, who was brutally slashed 51 times by a group of attackers near his house in Kozhikode in 2012. After receiving the threat letter, she filed a complaint with the State Police chief on Friday. Rema, whose party Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) is an unofficial ally of the Congress-led UDF, won with a big victory from the Vadakkara Assembly constituency in the April 2021 Assembly polls and it came as a big shock for the ruling CPI-M. Incidentally, in the 2016 Assembly polls, though Rema contested, she did not have the support of the Congress-led UDF and came a poor third. The letter was received by Rema at her legislator hostel apartment, here and it stated: "they will not care if they lose power, they will take the decision". Chandrasekheran left the party in 2008 and formed his own party and since then became a thorn in the flesh of CPI-M. A total of 11 people were sentenced to life imprisonment of which three were CPI-M leaders in the area. The then CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had called him a 'renegade'. On the floor of the Assembly every time Rema gets up to speak, there is a hush silence on what she will speak and on quite a few occasions in the past one year, she has taken on Vijayan. Early this week, after Rema went hammer and tongs against Vijayan, she was attacked by Mani who said that "it was her fate that she became a widow and the CPI-M or the Left had no role in it". Soon this became an issue and what came as the biggest surprise was when Vijayan defended Mani in the Assembly and so did CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, outside the Assembly. But following the protests and after Speaker M.B. Rajesh took up the issue, Mani expressed regret for his remarks. New Delhi, July 22 : The Centre has extended eight Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1850.64 million in sectors, including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, petroleum and fertilizers in the past 10 years. Under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the government is committed to developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbours. In line with this policy, India continues to assist Sri Lanka in its economic development and also support it in overcoming its economic challenges, said S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister in the Lok Sabha on Friday. In January , India extended a US$ 400 million currency swap to Sri Lanka under the SAARC Framework and deferred successive Asian Clearing Union (A.C.U.) settlements till July 6. A Line of Credit of US$ 500 million was extended to Sri Lanka for importing fuel from India. In addition, India has extended a credit facility of US$ 1 billion for the procurement of food, medicines and other essential items from India. Humanitarian assistance was also provided to Sri Lanka by gifting essential medicines worth about Rs 6 crore, 15,000 litres of kerosene oil and US $ 55 million LoC for procurement of urea fertilizer. The Government of Tamil Nadu has contributed rice, milk powder and medicines worth US$ 16 million, as part of the larger Indian assistance effort, said the Parliament reply. The ministry informed that development assistance under Lines of Credit (LoCs) is extended in accordance with the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) guidelines of the Government of India. In accordance with these guidelines, the terms of these soft loans are transparent, with low rate of interest, moratorium in principal repayment, long repayment period and in-built flexibility. In case of the delay in repayment by borrowing from the government, the issue is taken up bilaterally, added the ministry. Chennai, July 22 : Tamil Nadu government has proposed a 42-metre tall huge Pen Monument to honour former Chief Minister, late Muthuvel Karunanidhi for his contribution to Tamil literature. The estimated cost of the monument, that is coming up in the Bay of Bengal off the Marina beach, will be above Rs 80 crore. The proposed site of the 'Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar Pen monument' has been given green signal by the state level authorities and is waiting for clearance from the Union Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate change. The monument would be situated 360 metres from the shore and the visitors from the present memorial of Karunanidhi that is under construction will have to use a bridge to reach this. The bridge, according to officials of Public Works Department of the Agovernment of Tamil Nadu, would be about 650 metres long, 290 metres over the land and 360 metres over the sea. Late Karunanidhi was more than a politician, a man of letters, and authored several books. He was known for his contribution in various aspects of Tamil literature. The state government is already in the process of constructing a memorial for the late Chief Minister at the Perarignar Anna Memorial and Museum campus at a total cost of Rs 39 crore and the Pen monument is in addition to this project. The monuments of former Chief Ministers, late M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa are also situated at the Marina beach. Bengaluru, July 22 : The Karnataka government on Friday suspended two engineers attached to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in connection with substandard road work done during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bengaluru on June 20. Bengaluru Civic bodies, BBMP and Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) had come under scanner after substandard work of roads was discussed at the national level embarrassing BJP top brass. The PMO had also sought clarification from Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's office regarding the issue. BBMP had issued notices to engineers and the matter was investigated. The substandard work was proved in the probe. Assistant Executive Engineer A. Ravi and Assistant Engineer I.K. Vishwas were suspended following investigation. The asphalting work taken up for Mariyappanapalya Main Road in Bengaluru University Campus was substandard and the layer of the road could be removed just by hand. Party insiders confirmed that PM Modi was upset with the news. He was also concerned about the development as the party has been trying to create a clean image in view of the upcoming Assembly polls. Considering the seriousness of the issue, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had instructed BBMP Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the caving in of the road that was laid just ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the city. The road near the Dr. BR Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) was laid just a couple of days before Modi's visit to inaugurate the BASE campus. The Karnataka High Court had criticised the Bengaluru civic agencies saying that the condition of roads will improve if only the PM and President visit Bengaluru often. The court also questioned if the PM should have to travel on different roads each time for agencies to do their duty. BBMP drew flak for spending Rs 23 crore for the facelift of 14 km roads in the state capital ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit. The asphalted roads developed cracks at many locations and in some parts the roads even caving in, exposing the public to danger. The authorities had developed Kengeri to Kommaghatta (7 km), Mysuru Road (0.15 km), a stretch after Hebbal flyover (2.4 km), Tumakuru Road (0.90 km) and roads in Bengaluru University campus (3.6 km). BBMP also repaired maidans, fixed street lights, painted roads and kerbs ahead of PM Modi's visit. The work was done on war-footing amid rains. Sources said that the contractors had allegedly thrown all guidelines to the air while construction of roads ahead of the PM's visit. It is alleged that instead of emulsion, kerosene was used, which brings down the costs greatly, and bitumen, which has to be laid at the 110 to 140 degree temperature, was laid at below 90 degree temperature. The responsible engineer, who should have ensured the quality, turned a blind eye, sources said. Mumbai, July 22 : More than 500 kabaddi exponents are expected to enter the fray when the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 player auction takes place in Mumbai on August 5-6, according to PKL organisers Mashal Sports. In a bid to bring in more youngsters to compete in the popular league, 24 players from the top-two teams of Khelo India University Games, 2021 will be included in the auction pool, said the organisers on Friday. The Domestic, Overseas, and New Young Players (NYPs) will be divided into four categories -- A, B, C and D in the player auction. The players will be further sub-divided as 'All-Rounders', 'Defenders' and 'Raiders' within each category. The base prices for each of the categories are: Category A - Rs 30 Lakhs, Category B - Rs 20 Lakhs, Category C - Rs 10 Lakhs and Category D - Rs 6 Lakhs. The total salary purse available to each franchise for its squad for Season 9 is Rs 4.4 crore. The league commissioner, Anupam Goswami, said, "Every season has witnessed the emergence of new talented players and I am certain there are a lot of surprises in store for us this year as well. I look forward to welcoming the young talents from the Khelo India University Games into the player auctions. PKL Season 9 will be organized in liaison with our stakeholders and associates in the national kabaddi ecosystem under the AKFI." The PKL teams also have a choice of retention of players from their respective PKL Season 8 squads as per the league policies. The franchises are allowed to retain up to six players under the 'Elite Retained Players' category and up to four 'New Young Players' (NYPs) under stipulated conditions in each PKL season. The players, who are not retained by the franchises from the pool of 500-plus players, will go under the hammer during the two-day auction process in Mumbai. Satyam Trivedi, head, Adani Sportsline, said, "After a successful Season 8, all the players are eagerly waiting to step on the mat once again. We at Gujarat Giants are looking forward to some exciting bids and build a strong squad for the upcoming Season 9." New Delhi, July 22: Well-known Baloch activist Professor Naela Quadri Baloch is in India, touring the country and garnering support for the recently formed Balochistan Government-in-Exile. She is also highlighting the struggle for Baloch independence while seeking support from India. India Narrative speaks with Professor Baloch at an interaction held at the Mumbai Press Club earlier this week. Professor Baloch speaks about her journey in India, the Balochistan Government-in-Exile, support from the Indian civil society and much more. Excerpts from the interview: IN: You have been a frequent visitor to India but have been away from the country since 2016. Was it related to visa issues? NQB: This is wrongly interpreted in the media, my visa was never denied but it was delayed but Sushma ji intervened and later I travelled to India. My 2016 travel to India was about Balochistan and to get support from India, which has been lingering on for a while now, while human lives were being lost in Balochistan on a daily basis. As India remained silent, I travelled to India in 2016 to form a Government-in-exile, which was the third futile attempt by the Baloch to establish a government since 1948. In India, I campaigned for almost one year connecting with the people, civil society members and even met Indian Baloch in various parts of India. Baloch community in India also got confidence and their identity got a boost. Initially, our strategy was to get all the Baloch groups together, where we can develop a Constitution, a vision and roadmap towards our Government-in-exile but due to certain differences we couldn't manage. Moreover, Pakistan was out there to sabotage our efforts at each and every stage. So we changed our strategy, to protect and safeguard our efforts we worked on our own, formed a core group and gave them the mandate to get support for our Government-in-exile. IN: We see that you are touring all over India -- the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and the Martyrs statue in Ludhiana. You also spoke about Subhash Chandra Bose. What is the message that you are trying to give? NQB: India has always been united and strong; don't let enemies to break your fibre in the name of religion. Look how Pakistan is killing us. Pakistan's creation is to weaken India. A united and strong India and its support to Baloch can contain Pakistan and eradicate Pakistani terrorism from South Asia. And once this happens, world will be thankful to us. IN: On March 21, 2022, you formed Balochistan Government-in-Exile. What has been the progress after that? NQB: Many Baloch people and groups have joined the movement, especially the youth. From three countries, now eight countries are rallying their support to our Balochistan Government-in-exile. We have formed different committees in various countries who are working to garner support and highlight Baloch cause around the world. IN: Don't you think if other Baloch leaders living in exile or tribal leaders in Balochistan provides you support, it will catapult your movement? NQB: Our struggle is for the larger good of Balochistan. I am happy if others leaders join in our movement as ultimately our goal remains the same, freedom of Balochistan. IN: Has there been any interest from the Indian side for a Balochistan Government-in-exile? NQB: For me, it is the people of India -- their love and support which brings me to India. Civil society is standing with me. Without them, it is not possible to roam around the streets of India like this. People of India invited me and I came. IN: Is the poor economic condition in Pakistan impacting the Baloch people? NQB: Balochistan is getting nothing from Pakistan actually so if Pakistan economic condition downgrades further, it will affect people of Punjab, Army Generals -- their kickbacks on deals but not the Baloch people. It is likely that there will be fewer attacks on us and they won't be able to continue their genocide considering they spent millions of dollars to commit these atrocities on us. So they won't be able to continue that, so weakening of Pakistan is not a problem for us, they are not giving us anything, they are looting our resources. Currently, Pakistan is not able to take more resources because the Baloch nation is resisting, we are fighting hard. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Bengaluru, July 22 : Rashmika Mandanna, now better known as Srivalli of 'Pushpa: The Rise', is the talk of the town with multiple project releases across industries. The actress is now heading to Delhi for the shoot of 'Animal' co-starring Ranbir Kapoor. A source close to the actress revealed that "This is the first time Rashmika will be visiting Delhi for the shoot of 'Animal' and other work commitments. She is very excited about the shoot and to explore the city and meet her fans. Due to her busy schedule, she could never visit Delhi but now she will there for the shoot and her fans will be equally excited to have her in the capital city." The source added: "Rashmika will be travelling to Delhi on 26th and will be there for a couple of days." Apart from 'Animal', Rashmika will be making her much-awaited Bollywood debut with 'Goodbye' opposite Amitabh Bachchan. She also has the sequel of 'Pushpa' in her kitty. along with 'Mission Majnu' opposite Sidharth Malhotra and 'Varisu' with Vijay Thalapatty. New Delhi, July 22 : With a view to facilitate boarding and flying for disabled (Divyangjan) people, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has amended rules. The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section-3, Series M Part I "Carriage by Air - Persons with Disability (Divyangjan) and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility" was amended on July 21 to improve the accessibility of boarding and flying for disabled (Divyangjan) people, said a senior DGCA official. The proposed amendment has been carried out at Para 4.1.35 of the CAR. "Airlines shall not refuse carriage of any person on the basis of disability and/or reduced mobility. However, in case, an airline perceives that the health of such a passenger may deteriorate in-flight, the said passenger will have to be examined by a Doctor in person - who shall in his/her opinion, categorically state the medical condition and whether the passenger is fit to fly or not. "After obtaining the medical opinion, the airline shall take an appropriate decision on the carriage of such passengers. In case of refusal of carriage by the airline, it shall inform the passenger in writing with the reasons therein immediately," said the DGCA. Last month, a private airline had refused to board a passenger with special needs because he was perceived to be in a state of panic and considered a safety risk. Sao Paulo, July 22 : At least 18 persons were killed during a police raid targeting a crime group at the Almao favelas in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, police reported. Among the dead were a 50-year-old woman, who was hit by a stray bullet during the raid, and a police officer, police spokesman Ivan Blaz said at a press conference on Thursday. Four suspects accused of killing police officers were arrested during the operation, in which 400 officers were involved and supported by four helicopters and 10 armoured vehicles, Xinhua news agency reported. Blaz described the situation in the region as "very tense," saying that the criminal ring had expanded from drug trafficking to robbing cargo trucks entering the city of Rio de Janeiro. The dragnet aimed to locate and arrest the gang members, who planned to enter other favelas on Thursday to carry out vehicle thefts, Lieutenant Colonel Uira do Nascimento Ferreira of the Special Operations Battalion of the militarised police in Rio said at the press conference. New Delhi, July 22 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday defended Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena called for a CBI probe into the AAP government's Delhi Excise Policy, saying that BJP is scared of the party's expansion in the country. "I've known Sisodia for 22 years and have never seen anyone as honest or as much of a patriot as him," Kejriwal said during a press briefing. He said that Sisodia was working very hard to strengthen Delhi's education system, earning praise and electoral support because of it, which is why the Centre is trying to stop them. Accusing the LG of making 'false allegations', Delhi CM said, "you arrested Satyendar Jain who was working in the health sector and now want to put Sisodia, who is making careers and lives of lakhs of children in Delhi, behind bars." Denying the allegations, Kejriwal said: "BJP is behind us and they are now scared of the party's expansion across the country. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in it, he added. Earlier on Friday, Delhi LG V.K. Saxena recommended a CBI inquiry after a recent report by the Chief Secretary established violations of the Delhi Excise Act 2009. He alleged that Sisodia was providing undue benefits to liquor licensees. It has also been alleged that AAP may have used this money during the Punjab elections. Ramanagara : , July 22 (IANS) The people of Doddanahalli and surrounding areas in Karnataka's Ramanagara district were tense and slammed the forest officials for repeated elephant menace in the region. A tusker walked into the agricultural land in Doddanahalli on Friday morning, triggering panic among the villagers. The tusker chased villagers when they tried to move it away. None of the villagers was harmed, but the people were scared and ran helter-skelter, said eyewitnesses. Locals said that the elephant had strayed into the village from the Tenginakallu Forest Area. Ramnagar district is the neighbouring district of Bengaluru and people slam the government for not giving solution to the elephant menace. The villagers are scared to go to their farms during nights and carry out the work during daylight due to the fear of elephants. The people of Channapatna taluk have been putting up with the elephant menace for a long time, say locals. Forest officers rushed to the spot and the exercise of forcing the tusker towards the forest area was on. The losses to the farmland caused by tusker was yet to be assessed. Chennai, July 22 : Star Rajinikanth has congratulated director Parthiban and his team for his recently released, critically acclaimed film, 'Iravin Nizhal', claimed to be the world's first non-linear, single-shot film. In a handwritten letter in Tamil to Parthiban, Rajinikanth wrote: "To Parthiban, who has, through his great effort, shot his 'Iravin Nizhal' in a single shot and won the praises of everybody and created a world record... To his entire team, and to respected A. R. Rahman.... And more importantly, to cinematographer Arthur Wilson, who shot the film, I express my whole-hearted wishes and congratulations." Rajinikanth is not the first to shower praise on Parthiban's film. Several film industry professionals like National Award winning director Seenu Ramasamy have already praised the film. A few days ago, Seenu Ramasamy had said that "It ('Iravin Nizhal') is the first Asian Tamil film without an editor. It is the first non-linear single-shot film in which actor Parthiban himself acts and also directs others. 'Iravin Nizhal' is historical pride and a light house to Tamil cinema." 'Iravin Nizhal' (meaning 'Shadow of the Night'), has music by Oscar winner A. R. Rahman and cinematography by Arthur A. Wilson. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Seoul/Tokyo, July 22 : The South Korean government has condemned Japan on Friday for laying repeated claim to the easternmost islets of Dokdo in its annual defence white paper. "(The government) strongly protests against Japan's repetition of its sovereignty claim over Dokdo, clearly an integral part of the Korean territory in terms of history, geography and international law, and urges it to immediately scrap it," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a statement. Such a move is of no help to efforts for building "future-oriented" bilateral relations, he added. It was issued shortly after Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi reported this year's document to the Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. It marked the 18th consecutive year for Tokyo to claim its sovereignty over Dokdo in the paper on the nation's security conditions and its responses. In Seoul, the Ministry summoned Makoto Hayashi, Minister for Political Affairs at the Japanese Embassy, to deliver a formal protest message to Tokyo, Yonhap news agency reported. In separate protest, Seoul's Defence Ministry called in Takao Nakashima, a defence attache at the embassy. The paper was published just days after Foreign Minister Park Jin visited Tokyo for talks with his local counterpart, demonstrating President Yoon Suk-yeol's commitment to a resolution to disputes over shared history, especially Japan's colonisation of Korea from 1910-45. The updated version carried largely similar descriptions on the territorial issue, a longtime sticking point in Seoul-Tokyo relations, with those of last year's one. But it added a position that cooperation between the neighbouring countries is getting more important amid grave regional security situations. Seoul has maintained its effective control of Dokdo with a small police detachment on the rocky islets in the East Sea. Patna, July 22 : Rashtriya Janata Dal state president Jagadanand Singh claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not ruling on the basis of good governance but by making the opposition weak to show it is stronger. Singh said that the BJP government is framing opposition leaders through government agencies and marking them guilty but if they join the BJP they get a clean chit. "They (BJP) involved Congress president Sonia Gandhi in an old case (National Herald). Similarly, the Supreme Court has admitted that Lalu Prasad Yadav has no money, still they are dragging in an old case. The leaders of the BJP have become habitual of going against the Constitution of the country for political vendetta against opposition parties," Singh said. "They called people of the minority community rioters and held them guilty in the Gujarat riots," Singh said. "Due to the political vendetta against opposition leaders, a party like the Congress is consolidating its position in a number of states. It is trying to stand on its own feet and turning out to be a strong opposition party in the country," Singh said. "When it comes to caste based census, they claim that it creates differences in the society and when it comes to recruitment of Agniveers, they are demanding caste certificates. The idea is to remove them from the job after four years on the basis of caste," Singh said. New Delhi, July 22 : Ahead of the general election, the opposition continues to be at the receiving end as shown by the Presidential poll, which was tilted to one side. The result is being studied by the BJP since in over a dozen states opposition MLAs and MPs voted for Droupadi Murmu. As per sources over 100 MLAs cross-voted and more than a dozen opposition MPs voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu, the President-elect. As per the data, the Congress-led opposition got 20 votes despite having 45 votes in the Assam Assembly, in Bihar six MLAs cross-voted in favour of the NDA candidate as the strength of the ruling party is 127 but got 133 votes. Similarly in Chhattisgarh two Congress MLAs did not vote for Yashwant Sinha. However, it was not clear which MLAs voted for the NDA candidate. BJP sources said that they will study the pattern of how many MLAs were impressed with Prime Minister's development politics and then take a view on it. However the party leaders claim that one-sided victory was very much expected. The major setback came from Gujarat where 10 MLAs voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu. The state goes to poll this year and the Congress has high stakes in the elections. In Madhya Pradesh, where the allegation of buying MLAs has been levelled by the Congress, around 15 to 16 MLAs of the party cross-voted, which is the major headache for Kamal Nath. In Maharashtra more than dozen non NDA MLAs voted for Murmu. She also secured votes in Kerala where there is no BJP MLA to the surprise of the BJP. A total of 4,754 votes were cast for the Presidential election, the process of which concluded on Thursday with the declaration of result. The final tally showed that of the total votes cast, 4701 were valid and 53 were invalid. Droupadi Murmu, the NDA nominee who won the election to become the 15th President of India, bagged 2,824 first preference votes, the value of which stood at 6,76,803. The cut-off mark for victory was 5,28,491. Joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha managed 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. Chennai, July 22 : A 63-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a Class 10 girl, the police said. The child was 15 years of age when the crime took place. The man, according to the police was her neighbour and he raped her when she was alone at home. Police said the crime came to light after the girl complained of stomach ache, and on medical examination was found to be two-and-a-half months pregnant. After the doctors informed the parents that the girl was pregnant, she narrated the incident to the parents and the doctor, who immediately informed the police. Police later arrested the 63-year-old man under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) Act. The man was arrested on Thursday and produced before the judicial magistrate court on Friday and remanded in judicial custody. In another separate incident, two juveniles were arrested by the police on Thursday after their classmate complained that they had raped her. The girl was three months pregnant. The incident occurred in Tiruvallur district near Chennai and the police arrested the boys and send them to the Observatory home. Police said that they had taken the girl to their residence when their parents had gone to work and raped her. Ahmedabad, July 22 : More than 40,000 doctors of private hospitals here struck work on Friday putting off 30,000 surgeries in protest against a new directive to shift the all ICUs on the ground floor. As part of the stir called by the Gujarat branch of the Indian Medical Association, OPDs and emergency services will also remain shut. However, the treatment of inpatients will not be impacted. The bone of contention between the doctors and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's fire department is a notice issued by the latter to private hospitals asking them to implement some new rules as per the Gujarat High Court's oral order. The court has asked the hospitals to shift the ICUs on the ground floor within seven days. After an application in the Gujarat High Court regarding fire safety in private hospitals in the city of Ahmedabad, a notice was given by the fire brigade and fire safety was taken up by the hospitals and they also got fire safety. Claiming that it was not possible, the Indian Medical Association, Gujarat branch decided to protest against it. Doctors of around 2,000 hospitals across Saurashtra, including Rajkot, are on strike. Earlier in the day, a meeting of office-bearers and members of the Surat branch of the Indian Medical Association was held. According to the doctors of Indian Medical Association, it does not seem possible to start ICU and NICU on the ground as per the new order. A letter of appeal was submitted to the Collector and the Municipal Commissioner by the office-bearers of Ahmedabad Medical Association. Dr Mona Desai, former president of Ahmedabad Medical Association, told IANS that the only objection is that the civic authorities took the decision based on mere verbal suggestion of the High Court. It is not scientifically possible to make such a change in hospitals across the state within seven days. They should form a committee of doctors and study and think before coming to such a decision. Today is only a token strike, if this rule is not withdrawn there will be fierce protests, he added. Suva, July 22 : Fiji has reported 228 new cases of Covid-19 over the past three days. Fiji's Health Ministry confirmed that of the 228 new Covid-19 cases recorded since Tuesday, 74 cases were reported in the central part of Fiji, 122 cases in the western part and 32 cases in the northern part, according to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Friday. Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Health, James Fong said that they need to escalate community-wide adoption of Covid-19 safety measures together with immunisation, Xinhua news agency reported. The Ministry expressed the hope that 80 per cent of the eligible people aged 18 years and above can get their booster shots. As of Thursday, a total of 150,479 or 48 per cent of booster-eligible people in Fiji have so far received their third vaccine dose while 14,843 people have been administered the fourth dose. Fiji has recently brought back many Covid-19 safety measures in hospitals, health centres and other workplaces due to rising Covid-19 cases. Schools around Fiji have also been asked to reinforce Covid-19 safety measures as students returned to school for another term on Monday. Fiji, with a population of around 900,000, has recorded more than 66,000 Covid-19 cases with 870 deaths since March 2020 when it recorded its first confirmed case. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, July 22 : The Poll panel on Friday issued the certificate of election to NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu who secured victory in the presidential poll. The certificate is issued after the returning officer hands over the result to the poll panel. The process, which was initiated on June 15 with the publication of programme notification in the Gazette, culminated on Friday with the signing of the Certification of the Election of Droupadi Murmu as the 15th President of the Republic of India by Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner of India and Anup Chandra Pandey, Election Commissioner. Thereafter, a signed copy of the same was handed over to the Union Home Secretary by Dharmendra Sharma, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and Narendra N. Butolia, Senior Principal Secretary which will be read out at the time of oath taking ceremony on July 25. The Commission puts on record its sincere appreciation to the entire team of the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officers, CEOs, ECI Observers, Delhi Police, CISF, DGCA and BCAS for their excellent cooperation in the conduct of the aforesaid election, said the statement issued by EC on Friday. Chennai, July 22 : Actress Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who had isolated herself after contracting Covid infection, on Friday announced that she has tested negative. The actress, who is also the daughter of well-known actor Sarathkumar, posted a video on Twitter in which she was seen travelling in a car. She said: "Hello everyone, as you can see I am finally out. Tested negative. Thank you all so much for your support, love, wishes and the concern." "Didn't expect it. Thank you so much. But still, nevertheless, please be safe. Mask up. Corona is still very much all around and some of us can handle it. Some of us won't be able to and it deals a lot of trauma and stress for everybody." "Obviously quarantining yourself isn't so much fun. As you can see, I went a little bit cuckoo. But thank you for all your messages and love, it really got me through my Covid time. "I'm off to Chennai to promote my film, 'Poikal Kuthirai'. See you in theatres soon and thanks." Last Sunday, actress Varalaxmi had announced that she had tested positive. She had then said: "Covid Positive...in spite of all precautions. Actors please start insisting on masking up the entire crew because we as actors can't wear masks. Those who have met me or been in contact with me please watch out for symptoms and get checked. Please be careful and mask up. Covid is still here." Thiruvananthapuram, July 22 : Kerala on Friday registered its third monkeypox case as a youth, who had arrived from the UAE, in Malappuram district tested positive, officials said. The youth has been isolated and admitted to the state-run medical college hospital at Manjeri in the district. This is the third case in the state - and the country, with the first case registered on July 14 when a youth, who also arrived from the UAE, in Kollam turning positive, and a few days later, another male who came from Dubai tested positive at Kannur. Meanwhile, state Health Minister Veena George on Friday, after chairing a high level meeting of health officials, said there need be no fear of monkeypox as things are fully under control and the health authorities are fully geared to tackle it. "In all the 14 districts of the state, isolation wards have been kept ready and a special health desk to oversee the passengers who arrive in the four airports of the state has been opened. All the health officials are also being trained to handle this," she said. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Dhaka, July 22 : The appeal and death references of smuggling 10 trucks loaded with weapons at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd. (CUFL) jetty for the separatist group, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), have now been scheduled for hearing on October 18, said the Bangladesh High Court bench of Justices Shahidul Karim and Fatima Najib. The Supreme Court and the High Court bench of Bangladesh have fixed a date for hearing of death reference and appeal in a case on smuggling 10 trucks loaded with weapons in CUFL jetty in Chittagong. The 10 trucks full of weapons were seized in April 2, 2004, despite suspected efforts of certain "influential quarters" for their safe passage to ULFA in the presence of its military wing chief Paresh Barua during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat coalition government. As many as 13 others, including Jamaat chief and the then Bangladesh Industries Minister Matiur Rahman Nizami and the then State Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, have been sentenced to death for smuggling the 10 trucks. The trucks were seized at the jetty of the CUFL near the Karnaphuli river while weapons were being loaded on them for delivery to ULFA. As many as 4,930 sophisticated firearms of different types, 840 rocket launchers, 300 rockets, 27,020 grenades, 2,000 grenade-launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11.41 million bullets were recovered. A special court in Chittagong handed the death sentence to Tareq Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Jamaat top leader Ali Ahsan Muzahid, Lutfuzzaman Babar and the then chief of the two intelligence agencies, Brigadier General (retd) Abdur Rahim and Major General (retd) Rezzakul Haidar Chy. The court will also announce its verdict on Bangladesh Nationalist Party de facto chief Tarique Rahman, staying in London for more than a decade to evade punishment after conviction for his involvement in the August 24, 2004, grenade attack on Chief Minister Sheikh Hasina leaving the latter injured and killing 30 Bangladesh Awami League leaders and activists. Tareq Zia and Lutfuz Zaman Babar, the paid agents of Inter-Services Intelligence, are appealing against the death sentence in both cases. Tareq met with 'D' company in Dubai, before the grenade attack on Hasina, said close associates of Tareq to IANS requesting anonymity. Following the upcoming election in 2023, the opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami have been embroiled in fresh controversy. Officials familiar with the investigation said their extended probe found Chinese firm NORINCO to have produced the alleged seized weapons. The ship of QC Shipping that carried the illegal consignment to Bangladeshi territory is owned by Pakistan paid BNP leader and war criminal Salauddin Quader Choudhry. On October 1, 2013, S.Q. Chy was convicted of genocide, killing thousands of Hindus, including legendary businessman and Ayurvedic legend Nutan Chandra Singha in 1971, who saved several hundred academicians, including Anisuzzaman, Padma Bhushan awardee, and sentenced to death by the ICT. He was hanged on November 22, 2015. "Like the (Hindu) Goddess Durga, this case too has 10 hands, which are very strong. Very influential quarters of the then BNP-led government were involved in it who should be brought to justice with caution," Chief prosecution lawyer of the case, Kamal Uddin said before the court. The case documents and judgment have reached the High Court as death reference from the lower court while several convicts in the case have filed separate appeals with the HC challenging the earlier verdict against them. Fourteen people were sentenced to life imprisonment and seven years each under two separate sections of the Arms Act. Two of the convicted, Jamaat Islami Chief (Amir), Matiur Rahman Nizami. Another top Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Muzahid was sentenced to death when convicted in the 1971 war crime trials for genocide and atrocities with Pakistan Army. Another convicted former top Intelligence official Abdur Rahim died of Covid-19. The appeal by those convicted will bring back the focus on the active patronage to weapons and terrorism during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government in 2001 and 2006. Since the Chittagong arms seizure was followed by the deadly grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader during a meeting before a rally of Awami League within five months, an attack that nearly killed Hasina, clearly exposes the unholy and coveted alliance Tarique Rahman held with Pak-paid Jamaat to destroy the secular community and India-Bangladesh friendship. However, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday credited Chief Minister Hasina for taking adequate steps that curbed militancy in his state. Lauding Hasina's efforts, the Assam Chief Minister said crackdown by Hasina's government on the insurgent group ULFA inside Bangladesh has saved Assam. Chandigarh, July 22 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconstitute the committee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops by giving due representation to Punjab. In a letter marked to the Prime Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah and Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar, Mann said, "It is ironical that the state which has most successfully implemented MSP since the initiation of this scheme has been kept out the committee." The Chief Minister said the Union government recently constituted the committee regarding MSP under the chairmanship of former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal. Mann said that in this committee, several experts and senior officials from various states have been included as members, but none from Punjab. Apprising Modi, Mann said that Punjab had played a vital role in making the country self-sufficient in food grains by contributing about 35-40 per cent of wheat and 25-30 per cent of rice to the central pool in the last one decade. He said it is worth mentioning that 60-62 million tonnes of wheat and rice, most of which are produced by the hard working farmers of the state, are distributed every year to about 800 million people of the country at highly subsidised rates under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. Mann added that everyone is well aware of the fact that these government welfare programmes for the poor have been made possible due to the immense contribution of Punjab. The Chief Minister further said that during 2021-22, out of the total global rice exports of about 54 million tonnes, India contributed about 21.5 million tonnes (about 40 per cent of total export). Punjab has contributed heavily towards these rice exports, despite the fact that paddy is not the staple food of Punjabis. He underlined that keeping in view the key role of Punjab in ushering the Green Revolution and making the country food grain surplus, due representation must be given to the state by reconstituting the MSP. Mumbai, July 22 : The Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt-starrer period action film 'Shamshera' opened in theatres on Friday and Alia Bhatt can't contain her excitement. Alia, who herself has two big releases lined up so far - mythological fantasy adventure film 'Brahmastra' and the streaming film 'Darlings', took to her Instagram to show appreciation for her husband, Ranbir Kapoor. The actress posted a picture of herself on her Instagram with the caption: "It's Kapoor Day! Shamshera in theatres NOW!!!! Go watch (sic)." In the picture, Alia can be seen wearing a blue t-shirt that reads "Kapoor" in Devnagri, she has eyes closed and appears to be listening to music with earphones plugged in. The actress paired her t-shirt with an earthy coloured jacket. Alia's mom, Soni Razdan too wrote of praise for Ranbir in the comments section of the post: "What a dhamakedaar film Don't miss it." Alia and Ranbir got married on April 14 after dating for almost five years. The love story, which started on the sets of the duo's upcoming film, 'Brahmastra' finally came to fruition as the two exchanged vows in an extremely private wedding ceremony in front of roughly fifty guests. The first part of Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra' is all set to arrive in cinemas on September 9, 2022 but before that, Alia's 'Darlings' which she has co-produced will drop on Netflix on August 5. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Ferozepur : , July 22 (IANS) Reiterating the commitment of the government to extend help to the families of martyred soldiers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday handed over a cheque for Rs 1 crore to the family of Jawan Kuldeep Singh, who laid down his life in the service of nation on the Indo-China border. "Kuldeep Singh from 21 Sikh regiment of Indian Army had made the supreme sacrifice of his life while defending the borders of the country and the Punjab government salutes this brave heart," he said, while offering condolences to the family members at Lohke Kalan village in Ferozepur district. The Chief Minister said his government is always at hand to help and support the family. He said the countrymen would always remain indebted to Jawan Kuldeep Singh, who attained martyrdom to safeguard the security and sovereignty of the country. Paying tributes to the soldier, Mann said he brought glory to the country and especially to Punjab through his exemplary courage and professional commitment. Recalling the unprecedented sacrifice made by Jawan Kuldeep Singh, he said the family of this brave son of Punjab must feel proud and honoured as he attained martyrdom rather dying an ordinary death. He assured the grieved family members the state government was duty bound to help them in this hour of crisis and every step will be taken to extend a helping hand to the family. "I understand it's a colossal loss but instead of grieving his demise, we must feel proud as he has laid down his life for a greater cause," added Mann. Patna, July 22 : Jamui police arrested two hardcore Maoist commanders from the jungles of Gidheswar block, an official said on Friday. Jamui police received a tip-off that some Maoist operatives have taken shelter in the jungles of Gidheshwar and Sikandra blocks. Accordingly, the message was passed to CRPF cobra battalion and STF. They cordoned off the area under the supervision of SP (Operation) Shaurya Suman and started combing operations in the jungles on Wednesday evening. "We cornered the Maoist group in Gidheswar jungle and managed to put pressure on them for the surrender. The group did not surrender till Thursday afternoon. Though, due to relentless pressure, two Maoists, Pintu Rana and Karuna Devi finally agreed for the surrender on Thursday night," said the official of Jamui police. Sources however said that the district police detained the family members of Pintu Rana and Karuna to put pressure on them. Pintu Rana is a zonal commander wanted in Bihar and Jharkhand in more than four dozen cases. The FIRs were registered in Jamui, Nawada, Lakhisarai in Bihar, and Giridih, Deoghar, Dumka, Kodarma in Jharkhand. Pintu was carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 announced by Bihar police and Rs 2 lakh by Jharkhand police. He is zonal commander of east Bihar and north east Jharkhand special area committee. Karuna is also a sub-area zonal commander of the same Maoist group. London, July 22 : In a first, the UK government has blocked University of Manchester from sharing motion camera technology with a Chinese firm over national security concerns, the media reported on Friday. Kwasi Kwarteng who is business, energy and industrial strategy secretary stopped the university not to share the camera technology with Beijing Infinite Vision Technology, reports South China Morning Post. "There is a potential that the technology could be used to build defence or technological capabilities, which may present national security risk to the United Kingdom," Kwarteng said in the order. "Those risks would arise on the transfer of the intellectual property to the acquirer." The University of Manchester and the Acquirer have entered into a licence agreement that enables the Acquirer to use intellectual property relating to SCAMP-5 and SCAMP7 vision sensing technology to develop, test and verify, manufacture, use, and sell licenced products. It was the first time the UK government used new powers to block a deal under the National Security and Investment Act 2021. "The Secretary of State considers there is potential that the technology could be used to build defence or technological capabilities which may present national security risk to the UK and those risks would arise on the transfer of the intellectual property to the Acquirer," read the final order. "The Secretary of State considers that the final order is necessary and proportionate to mitigate the risk to national security," it added. Kwarteng is separately conducting a full national security assessment of the $75 million acquisition last year of the country's biggest semiconductor maker Newport Wafer Fab by Nexperia, a Dutch subsidiary of China's Wingtech Technology, the report noted. New Delhi, July 22 : A Delhi court has granted bail to a former official of the Union Home Ministry's Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) division, who was arrested for allegedly facilitating illegal clearances to NGOs, in lieu of bribes. During the course of the hearing, counsel for accused Alok Ranjan argued that three other accused public servants -- Tushar Kanti Roy, Mohd Saheed Khan, and Raj Kumar have already been granted regular bail in connection with the corruption case. Special CBI judge Ajay Gulati, in the order, noted that though in the FIR, the accused is alleged to have sought bribes from a number of organisations, the investigation,as detailed in the charge sheet, has only highlighted his role in relation to one particular NGO which is 'Harvest India' from whom he had sought a bribe for processing its pending file in the FCRA Division. The court also pointed out the investigating officer's submission that the relevant files concerning NGO Harvest India have already been seized. Further, it was observed that the evidence of recorded conversations is in the possession of the investigating officer. "The IO has also informed that there is no difficulty in seizing the files of other organisations/NGOs as the same are available on the on-line platform of the FCRA Division. Also, voice sample of the applicant has already been taken by the IO," read the order dated July 21. Further, noting that the accused is in custody for over two months now and the conclusion of the investigation is not likely to happen in the near future, the present application deserves to be allowed, the court said while granting bail on a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh. The court also directed that the accused shall not enter FCRA Division Office without written permission of an Officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary in the FCRA Division and shall not be in touch with any of the officials presently posted in FCRA Division and shall not leave Delhi without prior permission. In May, the CBI raided 40 locations across the country in the alleged corruption in the MHA which led to the recovery of Rs 3.21 crore in cash. After conducting the searches, the CBI lodged a case against 36 accused, including seven officials of the FCRA Division of the MHA and NIC, on the allegation that some officials of the FCRA Division in conspiracy with promoters, representatives of different NGOs and middlemen were indulging in corrupt activities for getting backdoor FCRA registration and renewal for NGOs. Chennai, July 22 : The minority wing of the Erode district Congress committee has written to the Chairman of the Railway Board to rename Erode railway junction after E.V. Ramaswami Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, the social reformer of Tamil Nadu. The minority wing informed the Railway Board chairman in the letter on Friday that the contribution of Periyar to the development of Railways in the area should not be forgotten. Vice President of the District Congress Committee K. N. Basha in a statement on Friday said that when the British proposed to lay railway tracks from Royapuram in Chennai to Kozhikode in Kerala, Periyar's father Venkatappa Nayikar had donated his farmland for the project. In the letter, Basha mentioned that Venkatappa Nayikar also sent his workers to help the railway contractor to establish the railway station on Vendipalyam road. He said that when the British were planning to expand the railway line from Tiruchi to Erode, they were not able to do as Annamalai Pillai who was the owner of 300 acres of land did not acede to the request of the British to donate the land. Basha said that it was the intervention of Periyar's father, that led to Annamalai Pillai giving the land for the railway project for Rs 1 lakh. In the letter he said that the Erode junction railway station was established following this incident in 1925. He stated that just like Chennai Central Railway Station was renamed as Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, the Erode junction should be renamed as Thanthai Periyar Railway Junction. Rawalpindi, July 22 : Reena Verma was only 15 years old when she left her ancestral home in Rawalpindi along with her family and migrated to India after Partition. For years, she wished and dreamt of going back to her ancestral home and reliving her childhood memories. To her surprise and support from a friendly Pakistan-based network, her dream came true when she was 92. It, however, took her 75 years to cross over into Pakistan from the Wagah-Attari border and get to see the locality, the old streets and the house, where she spent her time as a young child. Verma's ancestral home is located in Prem Gali Muhalla, DAV College Road, Rawalpindi. As she reached the area, she was welcomed with immense love, music, celebrations, flowers and smiles from local residents, who welcomed her with open arms and love as she walked into narrow streets and reached her ancestral house. She touched and went to every single part of her ancestral home, refreshing her memories. To add to the sweetness and emotional outpour, she even stood on the balcony, and sang songs, reliving her childhood. Verma's eyes were in tears as she walked through the house. It took her years to be able to come back to her ancestral house. In these years, she said that she had a family of eight members, but today, she is the only one left out of them. "I can still see myself here today. The neighbors living there at the time were very nice. When someone got married, all the children of the street, including me, used to run around and enjoy and there was happiness everywhere," she said. "Now, once again, the heart wishes to remove the hatred between Pakistan and India and start living together again," she added. "Everyone was sad at the time we left. Neighbors were considered members of the household and now live in the house where I and her family lived. But the wall has not been changed even today. I moved to India at the time of Partition. I never forgot my home or the street. Friends and food here are still fresh in my mind. Even today, the smell of these streets bring back old memories. I did not even imagine that I would ever come back here in life," she said. Verma had issues with getting the visa for Pakistan as he application was rejected multiple times. However, after she reached out India Pakistan Heritage Club, a social media group led by Imran Williams and expressed her desire to come to Pakistan, Williams was quick to respond and extended complete help and support, which resulted in her visa application be approved. Verma's time in her ancestral house was filled with dances, dhol beats, smiles and excitement as she roamed around her birthplace residence and received loads of love from the people there. "People living on both sides of the border love each other very much and we should remain as one," she said. She said that no Muslim or Sikh lived in the neighborhood before the Partition. "All Hindus used to live here. I love Pakistan dearly and want to visit Pakistan again and again," she said. Kolkata, July 22 : The South Bengal Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) claims to have made the largest ever single seizure of gold (by any agency) valued at nearly Rs 21.22 crore along the India-Bangladesh Border. The gold weighed 41.49 kg. None of the smugglers could be apprehended though as they swam back towards Bangladesh, leaving the cache behind in a country boat. The massive haul on Thursday evening has raised an alert among all agencies and efforts are now on to find out where the gold was to be delivered. The purpose behind such a large consignment of gold being smuggled across the border is also being ascertained. According to a source, terror funding has not been ruled out. In the recently held DG level talks between the BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh in Dhaka, both sides agreed to work jointly towards preventing cross-border crime. According a senior official, troops of the 158Bn, posted at Gunarmath Border Outpost in the North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal were alerted of a possible cross border movement by the intelligence wing. Around 6.30 pm, a BSF ambush party noticed 7-8 people rowing across the Ichhamati river from Bangladesh towards India. There were five bags with them. "As soon as the boat entered Indian territory, the occupants were challenged by the BSF troops. It was dusk and visibility was poor. Initially, the smugglers felt that they could overpower the BSF personnel and moved forward. However, the troops took up the challenge and started towards the boat. The smugglers then jumped into the river and swam back towards Bangladesh. The BSF personnel were armed but maintained restraint as they didn't know what the smugglers were bringing across," the BSF official said. On opening the five bags, the search party found 321 gold biscuits, 4 gold bars and a gold coin. A check revealed that they were all of 24 Carat. The Bongaon police station and other agencies - from the Centre and state - were alerted. Four mobile phones and packing material was also seized from the boat. Teams are now attempting to trace the Indian numbers with which contact was last made by the smugglers Kolkata, July 22 : A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed West Bengal chief secretary HK Dwivedi to appear in the court in connection with a case alleging non- payment of compensation to three families who donated land for a state government project. The High Court's division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Krishna Rao directed Dwivedi to appear before the bench on July 29. It is learnt that a jetty was constructed on the land of the three families in Katwa in East Burdwan district of West Bengal. However, despite repeated reminders the three families were denied compensation for the land given by them for the jetty. In 2019, the families approached the Calcutta High Court's single- judge bench of Justice Harish Tandon who directed the state government to immediately release the compensation to the three families. However, instead of making the payment, the state government challenged the order before the division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Krishna Rao. The hearings in the matter continued for about three years. On Friday, the division bench finally delivered the verdict and directed the state government to pay compensation of Rs 90,00,000 to the three families. At the same time, the division bench also directed the state chief secretary to be present before the bench on July 29. The bench observed that the chief secretary will have to answer on behalf of the state government why compensation was denied to the three families for such a long time. New Delhi, July 22: Demand for Indian rice is expected to increase amid heavy flooding in countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, which have been dominant players for this staple grain in the global export market. The heavy floods along the Mekong River belt have caused severe damage to crops in the two Southeast Asian countries. The paddy fields have been particularly washed away giving rise to concerns over food security amid surging global food prices driven by the Russia-Ukraine war. Even as sowing of the grain in India this year is estimated to be 17 per cent lower due to inadequate rains in states such as Bihar and Orissa, analysts said that there is no cause for any worry as the country is sitting on adequate stocks from last year. However they maintained that New Delhi must refrain from taking any "sudden decisions." "Such adhoc and knee jerk reaction and banning of outbound shipment create problems for Indian exporters, they find it difficult to get orders in the future," Anil Ghanwat, senior leader of Shetkari Sangathana, a Maharashtra based farmers union earlier told India Narrative. India accounts for about 40 per cent of the global rice supply. "India's rice #exports to benefit & rise to ~$10-12 bn as key competitors ie Thailand & Vietnam suffer from loss in yields & cost surge. #India likey to #export 22 out of the 53 MT #rice demanded globally with market share of 40% in 2022," Sachchidanand Shukla, Chief Economist, Mahindra Group said in a tweet. Indian rice is also less expensive compared to the grain sold by Thailand and Vietnam. According to World Grain, an analysis website, shrinking the price spread with Thailand and Vietnam, Pakistani quotes rose $40 to $420 per tonne amid steady demand from China. "Indian quotes rose minimally by $5 to $350 per tonne and remain the lowest globally with large supplies," it said. Even as the price of Thai rice fell amid the uncertainties, it was more than the Indian rate. The problem of flooding is not specific to Southeast Asia. Even Bangladesh and parts of India - especially the northeast have been in the grip of floods. But at the same time there are states which have received less rain. "Sowing of paddy has been lower this year but a 17 per cent less sowing is nothing to cause any alarm. We have ample stocks, left from the last year's yields...in fact due to large stocks, many farmers in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are also considering whether or not to sow paddy as then there will be problems related to storing. Our stocks are more than enough to feed our own people and export," Ghanwat said. Meanwhile, news organisation , Vietnam Plus as the Mekong River water level is rising steadily and people living along its two banks in Thailand have been warned to be ready for dealing with floods that can happen at any time. The Mekong River belt is crucial for multiple crops. Besides paddy, beans, leafy vegetables, watermelon, chilies, various herbs, and many other varieties of vegetables are grown. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, July 22 : There are a total of 1,134 Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in Nepal jails, the Parliament was told on Friday. Minister of State of External Affairs V. Muraleedharan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians in foreign countries, including those in the foreign jails. Indian missions/posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor the incidents of Indian nationals being put in jail in foreign countries for violation/alleged violation of local laws. "As soon as the information about the detention/arrest of an Indian national is received by Embassy of India in Nepal, it immediately gets in touch with the concerned local authorities to get consular access to the detained/arrested Indian national to ascertain the facts of the case, confirm his Indian nationality, and ensure his welfare. Apart from extending them all possible consular assistance, legal assistance to imprisoned Indians is being provided by the Embassy in deserving cases on a means tested basis. "Cases are also raised with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal for taking up the matter with concerned authorities of Government of Nepal. The issue of repatriation of Indian nationals in Nepalese prisons is regularly pursued by Embassy with the local authorities concerned," he said. Bhopal, July 22 : Next time, the Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh who will be recommending candidates' names for tickets for the elections will be responsible for winning that particular seat. This process was introduced for the first time as an experiment during the selection of candidates for the urban body elections which concluded recently. The state Congress leadership has now decided to continue with the system. Sources in the state Congress, who are privy to the development, told IANS that state party chief Kamal Nath had introduced this system during the selection of candidates for the urban body elections. Now, after having won five mayoral posts in 16 municipal corporations in the state, Nath wants to continue with the system during the selection of candidates for the assembly elections in 2023. The sources informed that during the selection of candidates for the mayoral and councillors' posts, the Congress leaders, who had recommended names, had given in writing that they will be accountable for the outcome of the results. "Kamal Nath has introduced this system to avoid factionalism among the party cadre and also to keep the ground level workers united. The party has received a positive response through the system and therefore, he (Nath) has decided to continue with this system," said a senior Congress functionary. The sources also claimed that out of the 16 mayoral candidates, most were selected by Kamal Nath while two -- the Bhopal and Devas' mayoral candidates -- were recommended by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh. "The party is preparing lists of all leaders who had recommended names for candidates in urban body elections. The senior leaders will hold a meeting for an analysis of the overall outcome in the urban body elections. Leaders who had recommended the names for candidates will be called for their reply," the Congress functionary added. Out of the 16 municipal corporations across Madhya Pradesh, the ruling BJP which had won all the mayoral posts in the last elections, could retain only nine, the Congress managed to win five mayoral posts, while debutant AAP and an Independent won one mayoral post each. It is the first time since 1999 that the Congress will have as many as five mayors after direct election for mayoral posts was introduced in Madhya Pradesh. Chennai, July 21 : A 32-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh, who was undergoing a six months yoga training course at the Isha Yoga Centre in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, was found dead in his room on Friday morning, police said. Police identified the deceased as Gullu Ramana, a native of Visakhapatnam. Coimbatore's Superintendent of Police, V. Badrinarayanan told media persons that the man had come to attend the six-month yoga programme at the Isha Centre on July 15. The SP said that he was to attend a yoga class at the centre at 5.30 a.m. on Friday and when they came to look for him after he did not attend the class, he was found dead in the room. Police said that the room was occupied by other inmates too and he could have died between 5.30 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. as in this time, all the others had gone for the classes. A case has been registered under Section 174 (Police to enquire and report on suicide etc.) of the Code of Criminal procedure. Badarinarayanan said that the cause of death of Ramana would be known after the post-mortem and that his family members have been informed at Visakhapatnam. New Delhi, July 22 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday skipped the weekly meeting called by LG Vinai Kumar Saxena. According to a source, the Chief Minister cited health problems to skip the meeting, scheduled to be held at the Raj Niwas at 4 p.m. However, the source said that this is a regular weekly meeting and no such important discussions are held in the meeting which happens every week. Earlier, the LG had also skipped the meeting, so it is normal, the source said. Meanwhile, in another development on Friday, the LG recommend a CBI probe into the Kejriwal government's Excise Policy 2021-22 and "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also in charge of the Excise Department. The CBI inquiry was recommended after a recent report by the Chief Secretary established prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. Responding to this, Kejriwal, addressing the media, alleged that BJP is behind this. Denying the allegations, Kejriwal said: "BJP is behind this as they are now scared of the party's expansion across the country. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in this case. Accusing the LG of making "false allegations", he added: "You arrested Satyendar Jain who was working in the health sector and now want put Sisodia in jail, who is building lives of lakhs of children in Delhi." New Delhi, July 22 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has attached proceeds of crime in the form of movable properties i.e. gems and jewellery and bank accounts amounting to USD 30.98 million and HKD 5.75 million, equivalent to Rs 253.62 crore in the case of the Nirav Modi group of companies in Hong Kong, SAR, China. "On the basis of FIR under Section 420, 467, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Section 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 registered by CBI, BS & FC Branch, Mumbai, ED had initiated investigation by recording ECIR under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002A in the case of PNB Bank Fraud of Rs 6498.20 Cr," the official said. During the course of the PMLA investigation, some assets of the Modi group of companies in Hong Kong were identified in the form of gems and jewellery lying in private vaults and bank balances in accounts maintained in Hong Kong, which is provisionally attached vide instant attachment order of Rs 253.62 Crore under Section 5 of PMLA, 2002. Previously the ED had attached movable and immovable assets of Nirav Modi and associates to the tune of Rs 2396.45 crore in India and abroad. With the present attachment, the total attachment of assets of Rs 2650.07 crore has been effected in the case against Nirav Modi by the ED. Furthermore, movable and immovable assets of Modi and his associates amounting to Rs 1389 crore, have been confiscated under provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 by the Special Court (FEOA), Mumbai. The official said that the process of physical handing over of the confiscated assets is in progress and part of the confiscated assets has already been physically handed over to the victim banks. "Earlier in this case, 2 Prosecution Complaints under PMLA, 2002 have already been filed by the Directorate against Nirav Modi and associated entities before Special Court (PMLA). Simultaneously, the extradition proceedings against fugitive, Nirav Modi is at final stage in London, UK," said the official. New Delhi, July 22 : The government on Friday said the Railways has suffered a loss of Rs 259.44 crore due to damage or destruction of railway assets during agitations against the 'Agnipath' scheme. In a reply in Rajya Sabha, Union Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said that in 2022, the Indian Railways suffered loss of Rs 259.44 crore due to damage or destruction of railway assets. "Separate data regarding the amount of refund granted to passengers due to disruption of rail services on account of public disorder consequent to agitation like those held after launching of Agnipath scheme is not maintained. However, during the period June 14 to 30, a total refund of approximately Rs 102.96 crore was granted on account of cancellation of trains," Vaishnaw said. The Railway Minister told the House that 'Police' and 'Public Order' are state subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. "Therefore, state governments are responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and maintenance of law and order on Railways through their law enforcement agencies viz. Government Railway Police (GRP)/ District Police," he said. The Minister further told the Rajya Sabha that Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP/District Police to provide better protection and security to railway property, passenger area and passengers and for matters connected therewith. Cases of damage, destruction of government property including railway property are registered and investigated by the concerned GRP/ State Police under IPC and Railways Act. New Delhi, July 22 : A total of 145,956 complaints were received in consumer commissions in 2021-22, and 99,903 of them disposed, the Parliament was told on Friday. Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha, in a written reply, that Section 38(7) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 prescribes that every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to decide the complaint within a period of three months from the date of receipt of notice by opposite party where the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities and within five months if it requires analysis or testing of commodities. The Central Consumer Protection Authority has guidelines for prevention of misleading advertisements and endorsements for misleading advertisements, 2022 to curb misleading advertisements and protect the interests of consumers, he added. Bhubaneswar, July 22 : Odisha's export turnover has more than doubled during the last five financial years, MSME minister Pratap Keshari Deb told the state assembly on Friday. Replying to an unstarred question of BJD legislator Dhruba Charan Sahoo, the minister said the total export turnover from Odisha was Rs 52,677.09 crore in the financial year 2017-18, which was increased to Rs 1,27,197.66 crore during 2021-22. Barring the financial year 2018-19, the export from the state recorded a positive growth on each passing year, he said. The total export from the state stood at Rs 48,119.60 crore in 2018-19, which was increased by 7.53 per cent to Rs 51,742.32 crore in 2019-20 and again by 55.42 per cent in 2020-21 to Rs 80,419.33 crore. Further, the export turnover from Odisha witnessed a growth of 58.17 per cent during the last financial year. As per the reply, metallurgical, minerals, engineering/ chemical allied, marine and software products are the major contributors to the state's export turnover. Odisha has exported metallurgical products worth Rs 86,726.64 crore, minerals of Rs 19,374.27 crore, engineering/ chemical allied products of Rs 15,496.37 crore and Rs 4,462.08 crore marine products during the last year. To enhance exportation from Odisha, the state government has been implementing the Odisha Export Policy-2014 and also drafted required amendments to the policy, which is under examination now, said the minister. Bhubaneswar, July 22 : The Opposition BJP and the Congress on Friday created an uproar in the Assembly demanding the entry of journalists into the press gallery inside the House. At present, the journalists are seated in a conference room outside the main assembly hall and cover the proceedings through videoconferencing. Raising the issue during Question Hour, the Opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House and disrupted the proceedings. Unable to conduct the House business, Speaker B.K. Arukha convened an all-party meeting, adjourning the House till 11.30 a.m. However, the situation remained almost the same when the House reassembled for Zero Hour at 11.30 a.m. As the media persons are not allowed into the press gallery, they were not able to report the proceedings correctly, said BJP chief whip Mohan Charan Majhi. When the Rath Yatra was conducted with the participation of lakhs of people and Parliament started functioning normally, why should the journalists not be allowed into the press gallery? he asked. Majhi said some of the members are being treated like second-class citizens as they were asked to sit in galleries which demeaned their dignity. Congress member Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded that the Speaker allow media persons to sit in the press gallery to cover the proceedings. He also urged the Speaker to allow the members to sit in the House like in pre-Covid times. Other members including Jayanarayan Mishra from the BJP, Santosh Singh Saluja (Congress) and Laxman Munda of the CPI (M) also demanded that the Speaker allow the media persons into the press gallery and ensure normal functioning of the assembly like earlier. Keeping in mind the safety of members in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the new seating arrangements for MLAs and journalists were finalised at an all-party meeting, said the Speaker. Only a few days are left for the current session of the Assembly to end. A decision on lifting the restrictions on the media would be taken in the next session of the House considering the situation prevailing at that time, he added. New Delhi, July 22 : The Supreme Court on Friday quashed Tripura High Court proceedings in connection with a PIL, which questioned the security cover provided to industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family in Mumbai. A bench, headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, said there was no reason for the Tripura High Court to continue with the proceedings - which involved scrutinising the need for the security of the industrialist and his family. The bench, also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said: "We see no reason for the proceedings in this case to continue before the Tripura High Court." It also directed the Central government to continue with the security of the family. Questioning the petitioner's counsel who filed PIL before the high court, the bench asked," "Why are you bothered? What is your locus? What is your concern?" The top court said since the family was paying the cost of security provided by the government, therefore the high court should not have entertained the PIL. On June 29, the Supreme Court had stayed the Tripura High Court orders seeking to examine the security cover given to Ambani and his family. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before the top court that the high court wants to examine the threat perception and urged the court to stay the orders. The top court was informed that the family was paying for the security cover. In its appeal, the Ministry of Home Affairs called the PIL as "misconceived, frivolous and motivated". The government said Bikash Saha, claims to be a social activist and student, had filed the PIL and had no locus in the matter, and he was just a "meddlesome interloper". The top court was informed that a similar PIL with identical prayers was filed before the Bombay High Court, which was dismissed. Washington, July 22 : The latest surge in global Covid cases, majorly driven by the Omicron sub-variant BA.5, may be causing increasing reinfections, meaning more people are catching Covid-19 for the second or third time, according to a media report. Data from the gene sequencing company Helix, however, showed that these reinfections do not seem to be happening more rapidly, CNN reported. For the analysis, the company included 300,000 infections since March 2021 and showed that reinfections almost doubled to 6.4 per cent during the BA.5 wave in July from 3.6 per cent during the BA.2 wave in May. In April, during the BA.2 wave, the average time between positive Covid-19 tests for the same person was about 230 days; by July, it was about 270 days, or about nine months, the report said. "The most recent data we had pulled showed that the fraction of all infections that are reinfections have increased quite a bit. There was a jump," Shishi Luo, associate director of bioinformatics and infectious disease at Helix, was quoted as saying. The reinfections are the result of waning immunity, broad spread and mutations to BA.5, Luo said. Further, the data showed that on average, people who are getting reinfected now were last infected about nine months ago. But, recently Andrew Roberston, the chief health officer in Western Australia, said the BA.5 sub-variant can reinfect 'within weeks'. "What we are seeing is an increasing number of people who have been infected with BA.2 and then becoming infected after four weeks," Roberston was quoted as saying to News.com.au. "So maybe six to eight weeks they are developing a second infection, and that's almost certainly BA.4 or BA.5," he added. This may be explained by a recent study, published in the journal Science, which showed that Omicron provides a poor natural boost of Covid immunity against reinfection even with Omicron and also in people who are triple-vaccinated. Researchers at the Imperial College London called the BA.5 "an especially stealthy immune evader". "Not only can it break through vaccine defences, it looks to leave very few of the hallmarks we'd expect on the immune system - it's more stealthy than previous variants and flies under the radar, so the immune system is unable to remember it," said Professor Danny Altmann, from Department of Immunology and Inflammation at Imperial. BA.5 is currently the most dominant strain in circulation, globally, reported from 100 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its weekly report. Representing 53.59 per cent of all Omicron sequences, BA.5 is continuing to drive an increase in cases, hospitalisations and ICU admissions, the WHO said, based on the data downloaded from open access data platform GISAID on July 18. New Delhi, July 22 : The Rajya Sabha on Friday debated a private member's bill 'The Right To Health Bill, 2021' moved by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that he was glad that the Rajya Sabha today held an insightful debate on a private member's bill. Jha moved the bill to make health a fundamental right for all citizens and to ensure equitable access and maintenance of a standard of physical and mental health conducive to living a life of dignity. After the House adjourned for the day, Rajya Sabha chairman Naidu tweeted, "Glad that Rajya Sabha today held an insightful debate on a Private Member's Bill on Right to Health. 10 members spoke. On the last day of first week of monsoon session today, full Question Hour was taken up. First four days were lost due to disruptions." Naidu hoped that the House will function smoothly from next week onwards. The Rashtriya Janata Dal MP appealed to the Union government to hold a discussion on the 'Right to Health' as death doesn't consider voting patterns. Jha noted that commitment to public health is extremely important and mentioned that the country needs a Covid memorial to act as a reminder of lives lost and mistakes made during the pandemic. Participating in the discussion on the Bill, BJP member Rakesh Sinha said that India will have three doctors for every 1,000 people by 2025. Taking a dig at the Opposition Sinha said that slogans don't bring change in a society, fundamental reforms are needed. Congress member Indu Bala Goswami hit out at the Centre over Covid mismanagement. Supporting the Bill, K Keshava Rao of the TRS said that health is indeed a serious subject. NCP MP Fauzia Khan said that expenditure needs to be increased on health and urged the government to pay attention to the exploitation by hospitals during the pandemic. She also urged the government to allocate funds to help patients with rare diseases. New Delhi, July 22 : Opposing the Competition Commission of India (CCI)'s probe into the latest WhatsApp privacy policy, its parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) on Friday told the Delhi High Court that the government authority cannot investigate it only because it owns the instant messaging platform. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing the appeal filed by Meta and Whatsapp challenging the single-judge order which refused to stay the CCI's order in April last year. During the course of the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, on behalf of Meta, pointed out that the two platforms are different entities, though Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014. "The ownership is common but roads are different, policies are different. As far as Facebook is concerned, the first notice to Whatsapp to make enquiry is the actual notice," he argued. Arguing that there is no material with respect to Facebook in the matter, Rohatgi said it was 'suo moto jurisdiction' and there is no material to commence an investigation. Further arguments in the matter will be heard on July 25. In the previous hearing, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing on behalf of Facebook and WhatsApp, submitted that the new privacy policy gives the users freedom to not share their data and there is no element of coercion involved. In June 2021, the Delhi High Court had refused to stay a notice issued by the CCI, asking WhatsApp to furnish certain information in connection with the probe, ordered in March, on the instant messaging app's new updated privacy policy. On October 23, 2021, the Centre had told the Delhi High Court that WhatsApp has already violated the fundamental rights of users in the country by denying dispute resolution rights while opposing a plea filed by WhatsApp and Facebook against the new IT rules. Jaipur, July 22 : Former minister and Congress MLA from Sangod, Bharat Singh, has opened a front against a minister of his own government over the issue of illegal mining, demanding his immediate sacking. He also threatened self-immolation if his plea remained unheard. Politics has intensified in Rajasthan after the self-immolation bid by a seer in Bharatpur district on Wednesday. The seer set himself on fire to protest against illegal mining in Pasopa village of the district. Singh wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stating that if the mining mafia is to be controlled in the state, the mines minister should be sacked immediately. He wrote: "I have written many letters to you on Sorsan and Godavan protection. If the only way to stop illegal mining is the path of the sadhu of Bharatpur, then please wait for me to follow this effective route and talk to you." Singh wrote: "I want to bring your attention to seers staging a sit-in for 551 days against mining in the mountains of Bharatpur as well as to the seer who set himself on fire. Illegal mining is directly related to hooliganism. This cannot be possible without the patronage of the government. After the sadhu's suicide attempt, you held a press conference and directed the district collector and district administration to take strict action by identifying the mining mafia. The Minister of Mines of the state was with you in your press conference." Pramod Jain Bhaya is the minister for mines in the Rajasthan government. Singh said that the biggest mining mafia of the state is the mines minister, a record in illegal mining has been set in his home district. In Baran district, corrupt officers are selected by the minister in the ranks of collector, divisional forest officer, and other high posts. Many people are dying due to illegal mining in Baran district, he added. New Delhi :Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister of State VK Singh inaugurating direct flight between Jabalpur and Kolkata virtually in New Delhi on Friday July 22,2022.(Photo:Twitter/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 22 : Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday inaugurated the direct flight between Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal capital Kolkata. Spicejet will be operating daily flights and deploy its Q400,78-seater turbo prop aircraft designed for shorter distance flights on the route. This new flight route is a part of 26 new domestic flights that SpiceJet is launching on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said that there has been massive expansion in the air services in the country in the last one year, particularly in Madhya Pradesh where there were 554 aircraft movement per week in July 2021 and the figure has now gone up to 980. Providing details, he said that Jabalpur is now connected to 10 cities, and aircraft movement has gone up to 182. Similarly, Gwalior was connected to 4 cities in July 2021 with 56 aircraft movement, and the figure has gone up to 100. Indore with 308 aircraft movement has leaped to 468 and is now connected with 20 cities. The state capital Bhopal, which had air links with 5 cities in July 2021, is now connected with 13 cities and has 226 aircraft movements. Khajuraho airport is also connected with Delhi, having 4 flights per week. The Minister said that Jabalpur airport was established in 1930, and was used in the second world war. Now, the airport is being expanded, with runway length going up from 1,988 metre to 2,750 metre. Terminal building capacity is being expanded from 200 passengers in peak hours to 250, and its area will go up from 2,600 sq mt to 10,713 sq mt. Also, 3 aero bridges are being built, and a new ATC tower and fire station are being built. He assured that the expansion work, being undertaken at the cost of Rs 412 crore, will be completed by March next year. Patna, July 22 : A court in Bihar's Saran on Friday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for gang-raping a minor girl in 2019. ADJ-cum-POCSO court judge Suman Kumar Diwakar also slapped a Rs 25,000 penalty to each of the three accused, named Upendra Singh, Ranjit Kumar and Ajit Kumar. The accused are natives of Thikaha village under Gadkha police station. Public Prosecutor Surendra Nath Singh said: "The accused committed the gang rape with a minor girl on December 4, 2019. The victim went to an agricultural field to meet her boyfriend. The three accused Upendra Singh, Ranjit Kumar and Ajit Kumar cornered them and they gang raped the victim one by one." The accused also made video clips of the incident and threatened to upload the video on social media. The victim immediately narrated her ordeal to her mother and lodged an FOR on December 5, 2019. "During the investigation, we have brought medical evidence and the statement of 6 witnesses including her boyfriend and the doctor who conducted the medical examination at that time. The sexual assault with the victim was proven in the court. Hence, the POCSO court has given the maximum quantum of punishment to the accused," Singh said. New Delhi, July 22 : The CISF officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport have held a man who was hiding $1,54,500 and 5,000 Thai Baht -- approximately Rs 1.24 crore, in his bag. A senior CISF official said on Friday the passenger, identified as Deepak Kumar Maharaj was held on July 21 at around 9 p.m. on the basis of behaviour detection. Maharaj was bound for Bangkok by Thai Airways Flight when he was noticed at check-in area, Terminal-3 of the IGI Airport. On suspicion, he was diverted to random checking point for thorough checking of his luggage. On checking through X-BIS machine, some currency concealed in the false bottom of his bag was noticed. Thereafter, the passenger was allowed to complete the check-in formalities and was kept under close watch through physical and electronic measures. The matter was also informed to senior officials of CISF as well as Customs officials. "As the passenger cleared the check-in and immigration formalities, he was intercepted by CISF surveillance and intelligence staff. The passenger along with his hand bag was brought to the Departure Customs office where after a thorough physical checking, $1,54,500 and 5,000 Thai Baht, worth approximately Rs 1.24 crore was recovered," said the official. The official said that on enquiry, Maharaj could not produce valid documents to carry such volume of foreign currency. Later, he was handed over to the Customs officials for further action into the matter. Hyderabad, July 22 : A lawyer shot himself dead at his residence at Baghlingampalli area in Hyderabad on Friday, police said. Shiva Reddy (44) killed himself by opening fire from his licensed revolver. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district, he had earlier served in the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a sergeant. After taking voluntary retirement from IAF, he was practicing as an advocate. According to police, after separation from wife, Shiva Reddy was living alone. He reached Hyderabad from Kadapa around 6 a.m. Friday. Shiva Reddy's sister Maheshwari tried to contact him over phone. As he was not responding, she alerted her friend Lakshmi Bhavani who lives in Kachiguda area. Lakshmi, with her mother, reached Shiva Reddy's house but found the door bolted from inside. They took the help of watchman to break open the door and found Shiva Reddy lying dead in a pool of blood. On receiving the information, police reached the scene and shifted the body to Osmania Hospital for autopsy. Clues teams collected clues from the scene. The police also seized the lawyer's mobile phone. The reason for Shiva Reddy's suicide was not known. Chikkadpally police registered a case and took up investigation. Patna, July 22 : The Union Home Ministry on Friday decided to hand over the investigation into the busting of a suspected terror module here in the Phulwari Sharif area to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). A joint team of Patna Police ATS and NIA had busted a training camp of the radical group Popular Front of India (PFI) on July 14 following which several persons were arrested. The raids also led to the seizure of documents about PFI's 'Mission 2047' for making India an Islamic state. The police said that they were allegedly providing training to Muslim youth on Jihad and making India an Islamic country by 2047. The joint team has registered two separate FIRs against 26 people and 8 of them were arrested so far. The main accused Mohammad Jalaluddin, a retired sub-inspector in Jharkhand police, has a house in Phulwari Sharif where he along with another accused Athar Parvez were providing physical training to the Muslim youth under the umbrella of PFI. They were allegedly brainwashing the Muslim youth against India. Parvez has a brother named Manzar Alam who was involved in serial terror blast during then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's Hunkar rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan in 2013. Earlier on Thursday, Patna SSP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon had written a letter to Bihar police seeking investigation of the Phulwari Sharif case would be handed over to Bihar ATS. Earlier, on Thursday, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manavjeet Singh Dhillon suggested transferring the case to the Bihar Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Dhillon, in a letter to ADGP, law and order, Jitendra Singh Gangwar, recommended transferring the case to the Bihar ATS. The probe into the case was being led by the Patna Police, with the Bihar ATS, NIA and the Intelligence Bureau providing support and assistance. Itanagar, July 22 : An Indian Air Force helicopter would be pressed into the action on Saturday even as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continued their search to locate the 19 workers, belonging to Assam, who went missing last week near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh's Kurung Kumey district, officials said. Congress' Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, meanwhile urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to deploy the Army to locate the missing workers. Kurung Kumey Deputy Commissioner Bengia Nighee said that responding the requisition of the district administration, the IAF chopper would launch the search operation around the Kumey river at Damin areas. "The SDRF personnel are continuing their search operation while the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) would soon join the search operation to locate the missing workers," the DC told IANS over phone from district headquarters Koloriang. The 19 workers, residents of Assam, had been engaged by a contractor to work for a road construction undertaken by the Border Road Organisation (BRO). "An official team, composed of police and civil officials, went to the area two days ago. The area is an extremely remote and dense forest," Nighee said. He said that the reports regarding the recovery of a dead body of a worker was not yet confirmed by the official team. Earlier, local officials, quoting villagers, said that the body of one of the 19 missing workers was recovered from nearby Kumey river. The incident took place last week but came to light only on Tuesday. Local villagers and police feared that all the workers might have drowned in the Kumey river. Villagers reportedly informed the police that the workers left their work site after the contractor refused to grant leave for some days and then the tragedy happened. The workers had taken a shortcut jungle route to return to their homes in Kokrajhar and Dhubri of Assam. Gogoi, in a letter on Friday to Rajnath Singh, said: "There is no clarity on when; why and how they went missing. As per the Kurung Kumey district administration, it heard about their plight on July 13. The district administration had conducted search operation but the team couldn't find them since the area is inhospitable, full of deep gorges, steep hills and a river. Now, the families of those missing labourers are waiting for their safe returns to their homes." Port Of Spain, July 22 : Captain Shikhar Dhawan (97), Shubman Gill (64) and Shreyas Iyer (54) slammed half-centuries as India reached 308-7 in 50 overs against the West Indies in the first ODI at Queen's Park Oval on Friday. At one point, it seemed that India would easily go past the 350-mark. But an admirable fightback from the West Indies bowling attack in the second half, with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and pacer Alzarri Joseph taking two wickets each, apart from the pitch slowing down later on meant the hosts' were able to restrict India to 308. Pushed into batting first, India's start was as bright as the sun emerged from behind the Port of Spain clouds. Dhawan crashed two boundaries off speedster Alzarri Joseph in the opening over -- a nice square drive was followed by a smart ramp over the third man. Gill, preferred ahead of Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad as'India's second opener, capitalised on the pace of Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, with a forward punch on the rise through backward point being the standout. The introduction of all-rounder Romario Shepherd in the seventh over couldn't stop the run-flow as Dhawan drove and flicked to collect successive boundaries in the all-rounder's first over. Gill continued to hit boundaries for fun, using his feet to come down the pitch and piling the misery on pacers as well as spinners to reach his maiden ODI fifty in 36 balls. Six overs later, Dhawan reached his 36th ODI half-century. But the 119-run opening stand was broken by a direct throw from captain Nicholas Pooran in the 18th over. Gill tapped the ball towards mid-wicket and instantly ran for a quick single. He accelerated at the start but went a little casual in the middle as Pooran grabbed the ball and his direct throw at the non-striker's end ended Gill's sublime stay in the middle, laced with six fours and two sixes. With Iyer taking time to find his rhythm as Joseph tested him with short balls, Dhawan stepped up to get the boundaries against him and Seales on the front foot and back foot. A powerful slog-sweep by Dhawan against Motie over deep square leg going for a huge six had class written all over it. Iyer joined the boundary-hitting party when he smashed Pooran for three boundaries, two of which were delightful sixes over long-on and deep mid-wicket. At 213/1 in 33 overs, it is like India would get a total of around 370-380. But that's where the West Indies fightback story began. Dhawan cut hard on a wide ball from Motie and found the fielder at point, who dived to his right and grabbed the catch with both hands, leaving him just three runs short of a well-deserved century. Just after completing his fifty, Iyer tried to loft inside-out over the off-side against Motie. But Pooran leaped high in the air to catch Iyer by stretching his right hand at the cover. With the spinners finding some grip off the pitch and fast bowlers mixing their slower balls with pacy ones, wickets began to come for West Indies in quick succession. Suryakumar Yadav chopped on to his stumps off Akeal Hosein while Sanju Samson was trapped lbw by Shepherd. India then went through a phase of 8.9 overs where no boundaries came for them as Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel struggled to find the boundary rope, with a feeling that the 300-mark may not be achieved. Patel broke the shackles by slamming Seales for successive boundaries while Hooda pulled over deep mid-wicket for a six to take 20 runs off the 48th over. Though Joseph took out the duo in the next over, Shardul Thakur finished the innings with a swat past long-on for a boundary to take India past 300. Brief scores: India 308-7 in 50 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 97, Shubman Gill 64; Gudakesh Motie 2-54, Alzarri Joseph 2-61) against West Indies Chennai, July 22 : Expelled AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) is now facing heat in his hometown Theni as his brother O. Raja is accused of land grabbing. While OPS has been categorically maintaining that he has his support base in Theni district, it was exposedas even after his expulsion from the party, there were not many protests over the action. Now cases of land grabbing have come up against his family with his younger brother Raja facing allegations of having usurped the property of a farmer. Farmer, Muniyandi, 59 has filed a complaint against Raja who was the former milk cooperative chairman of Theni. The complainant in his petition lodged with the Theni Superintendent of Police said that Raja had not paid him for the land he had purchased 10 years before. The farmer said that his property is in Vilpatti village in Kodaikanal and that he was to be paid Rs 40 lakh rupees by Raja. Muniyandi, in the complaint also stated that whenever he had asked for the money, Raja and his henchmen threatened him with dire consequences. In another case, a 63-year-old woman, Rajalakshmi set herself on fire before the Theni District Collectorate demanding action against the people who had encroached upon the land. She did not name any persons but only said that they were politically influential and that she was not in a position to fight against such people. Local people however said that it was Raja and his associates who had encroached upon the 63-year-old woman's land. Panneerselvam was expelled from the AIADMK during the party General Council meeting on July 11 and the party is now in total control of K. Palaniswami. The son of OPS and MP from Theni, O.P. Raveendranath was also expelled from the party. Patna, July 23 : In remarks which could spark off controversy, RJD's Bihar unit chief Jagadanand Singh claimed that those involved in anti-national activities and working as spies for Pakistan are Hindu and connected to the RSS. Interacting with media persons in Patna, he alleged: "Whenever dangerous persons were arrested by the security forces as Pakistani agents, all of them were related to RSS and Hindu community." His comments came in reaction to queries relating to the busting of the Phulwari Sharif suspected terror module last week. Noting that during the investigation, one of the accused, Margoob, alias Tahir, was said to be in a telephonic conversation with a Pakistani national named Faizan, he said: "They (investigating agencies are claiming that a person has a telephonic conversation with a Pakistani national. The investigators should release the transcript of the conversation in public domain. "They should reveal what the act was done by youths of a particular community which turn to be a threat for the nation. During partition, a large number of Muslim family went to Pakistan and their relatives are living in both the countries. Can they clarify whether interacting with our relatives in Pakistan is a crime?" Accusing the investigative agencies of working on the direction of the Centre, he said: "We are not accepting whatever they (BJP) are doing in the country." Citing the case of Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair, he said Zubair claimed that he tweeted the content which was tweeted numerous times by other persons, but the BJP leaders tagged him as a fanatic. Jagadanand Singh also targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, comparing him to a pendulum. "He does not have political strength any more. He takes the help of (RJD chief) Lalu Prasad sometime and sometime of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. He is a product of socialist revolution of Jay Prakash Narayan and Karpoori Thakur but now he has compromised all his ideology and is sitting with a communal force," Singh said. "BJP and JD-U are united only to enjoy power. They have nothing to do with the public. In the 2020 Assembly election, Nitish Kumar looted the mandate of Bihar on the direction of BJP leaders. The people of Bihar were giving the mandate to Tejashwi Yadav and he will come to power in 2025," he said. New Delhi, July 23 : Margaret Alva, the Opposition candidate for the Vice Presidential poll scheduled on August 6, on Friday termed the Trinamool Congress' decision to abstain from voting as disappointing, adding that this is not the time for 'whataboutery'. "TMC's decision to abstain from voting in the VP election is disappointing. This isn't the time for 'whataboutery', ego or anger. This is the time for courage, leadership & unity. I believe, @MamataOfficial, who is the epitome of courage, will stand with the opposition," Alva tweeted. The Trinamool Congress said on Thursday that its MPs in both the Houses of the Parliament will abstain from voting in the poll to elect the next Vice President of India. The decision was taken on Thursday afternoon at a meeting chaired by party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which was attended by 33 out of the 35 Trinamool MPs. "Each member was given the opportunity to present his/her views in front of the Chief Minister. Thereafter, 85 per cent of the MPs present at the meeting voiced their view in favour of abstaining from voting in the Vice Presidential poll," Trinamool's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee told mediapersons after the meeting. He said while the question of supporting NDA nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar does not arise, Trinamool has strong objections to the opposition parties announcing the candidature of Margaret Alva as their candidate without consulting the Trinamool leadership or Mamata Banerjee. Istanbul, July 23 : Russia and Ukraine separately signed a deal in Istanbul with Turkiye and the United Nations to resume grain shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea. The deal was first signed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and later by Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov with the other two sides, Xinhua news agency reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended the ceremony. The first round of negotiations among military delegations of Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine, and the United Nations representatives concluded last week with an agreement on the basic principles of the shipment process through the Black Sea. The sides also agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul to conduct and control the shipment process. According to the state-run Anadolu agency, the deal will allow approximately 20 million tons of grain waiting at the ports in Ukraine to be shipped to the world via the Black Sea. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Washington, July 23 : A federal jury has found Steve Bannon, Adviser to former US President Donald Trump, guilty of contempt of Congress. Jail term and fines will be determined during sentencing. Bannon was on trial for defying a subpoena from a Congressional Select Committee investigating the January 6 riots at the US Capitol by hordes of Trump supporters who wanted to "prevent" Congress from certifying the election of Joe Biden as president in the November 2020 elections. Tahoua Airport, Tahoua, Niger [ THZ / DRRT ] If you are planning to travel to Tahoua or any other city in Niger, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Tahoua Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Tahoua Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Niger. 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THZ - Tahoua Airport IATA Code and DRRT - Tahoua Airport ICAO code In Lima he specified the rise occurs with greater incidence in 41 districts, such as Central Lima (2,560 to 3,365); Santiago de Surco (2,120 to 2,352); Jesus Maria (1,574 to 2,161); and Magdalena del Mar (1,193 to 1,757). Cases in San Borja also went up (1,220 to 1,551); followed by those in La Molina (1,253 to 1,435); San Juan de Lurigancho (870 to 1,583); San Martin de Porres (768 to 1,346); Ate (788 to 1,222); and San Miguel (857 to 1,098). Regions and provinces Concerning Peruvian regions, there was for second consecutive week a rise in COVID-19 cases being Lima and Arequipa the jurisdictions that continue reporting the greatest increases, with 3,2251 and 8,546 infections, respectively. The rise in SARS-CoV-2 infections was also recorded in Junin, with 3,192 new cases; Ancash (+3,152); Cusco (+2,752); Cajamarca (+2,702); La Libertad (+2,521); Callao (+1,770); Lambayeque (+1,735); Amazonas (+1,714); Moquegua (+1,624); and Loreto (+1,417). Furthermore, increases were reported in 170 provinces, such as Abancay (+628%); Tambopata (+568%); Coronel Portillo (+443%); Maynas (+364%); Rioja (+341%); Jaen (+308%); and Moyobamba (+300%). Age groups The EsSalud head pointed out that according to statistics COVID-19 infections doubled in the age group made up of children (0 to 11 years old) from 1,799 to 3,601 new cases during the past week. Concerning young people (aged 18 to 29 years old), new cases climbed from 2,610 to 5,827 (+123%). Infections also increased among adults (aged 30 to 59 years) and seniors (60 years and older), with 41,773 and 11,189 infections, respectively. As for deceased citizens, he said there were 140 deaths due to coronavirus last week, 12 more than the amount reported the previous week (128 deaths). #NotaDePrensa | Cifras en aumento. En la ultima semana se registraron mas de 77 mil casos de #COVID19. Segun el reciente reporte de #EsSalud cada dia 11 mil personas se infectaron con el mortal virus. ??https://t.co/fy5TVyjP5I Leaders in biologic medical devices, NovaBone, has today announced Brian Carlisle as the companys new CEO. With a focus on developing biomaterials that harness the bodys natural healing process and meeting the specialized needs of orthopedic and dental surgeons, the addition of Mr. Carlisle will play a critical role in the continued growth of the organization. Carlisle has an extensive career in the medical device industry, with 17 years of experience. He has worked with organizations such as Integra LifeSciences and Perma Pure LLC, mastering his skills in operations, sales, business process improvement, marketing, and much more. Before taking on the role of CEO, Brian held a position on NovaBone's Board of Directors for 10 months, working towards building the brand and generating momentum for the company. "Since joining NovaBone, I have noticed many impressive qualities that permeate throughout the organization. First, there is an energy and passion amongst our people and a collective mindset that is focused on the patients we serve. There is also a strong comradery amongst our employees which creates an environment where everyone feels welcomed and accepted. Moving forward, I am excited to see NovaBone leverage our resources and capabilities in bioactive glass and collagen manufacturing to bring new technology to market as we continue the journey to improve patient outcomes." Brian Carlisle, NovaBone CEO As the new CEO, Brian will use his extensive leadership and management skills to further enhance the growth of NovaBone, improve customer experiences, and reach new markets. For more information on Mr. Carlisle and his new position, visit NovaBone.com. About NovaBone NovaBone, a Halma company, is privately held and based in Florida since 2002. NovaBone developed the first bioactive synthetic bone graft offered to the orthopedic community and has long been at the forefront of bioactive glass bone graft devices. It has developed numerous formulations and delivery systems of its patented, bioactive technology platform that results in accelerated bone growth. In total, their exclusively formulated bone graft substitute has been used for the repair of osseous defects throughout the skeletal system for over a decade and used in over a million clinical applications with unparalleled success validating the safety and efficacy of NovaBone's technology. Heaton Companies, the Palm Beach, Florida-based developer of Ouanalao Residences & Resort, announces the grand opening of an on-site sales gallery at the project location on Hutchinson Island, located between Vero Beach and West Palm Beach on Floridas Treasure Coast. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon, the community offers just 25 Beach Homes and 25 Beach Cottages complemented by the amenities and services of a world-class resort. Represented by Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, one of the nations leading real estate sales firms, Ouanalao has already sold 25% of available residences in the short time since project launch. Beach Cottages are priced from the mid-$1 millions and Beach Homes from the $4 millions. The all-new sales gallery at 7700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, FL 34957 allows buyers to experience the incomparable island oasis of Ouanalao first-hand. From the observation deck, visitors can enjoy panoramic vistas of unspoiled beaches and sparkling ocean waters to the east and sunset views of the two-mile-wide Indian River Lagoon to the west. Inside, the expert sales team can curate a personalized exploration of floor plans for the fully serviced and managed beach residences, along with resort dining, services and endless amenities. The sales gallery was created by United Landmark Associates, as part of comprehensive marketing services for the residential resort development, including branding, website, digital marketing and lead generation tools. Ouanalao Residences & Resort offers endless opportunities for island-style recreation and adventure. The community Beach Clubhouse features check-in facilities, poolside dining, inviting oceanfront bar, fitness center, provisions market, kids club, event space, and a resort-style pool overlooking the ocean. To the western side of the property, the River Club offers relaxed tiki dining and waterfront resort-style pool, a 26-slip marina, and aquatic recreation on the lagoon. Designed by renowned resort architect Randall Stofft, the residences of Ouanalao were inspired by the tropical spirit of the French West Indies, reflecting casual, modern elegance and the luxurious island appointments and features. The 5-bedroom/ 5.5-bath Beach Homes feature a 3-story design, spacious interiors with gourmet kitchens, ocean & intracoastal views, swimming pools, and private walkways to the beach. The Beach Cottages provide single-story island living in an elegantly designed 2-bedroom/2.5-bath design. Ouanalao Residences & Resort has redefined vacation-home ownership with the renowned hospitality services of Mainsail Hotels & Resorts. They attend to furnishing, maintaining and servicing residents and resort amenities, and enable owners to earn rental income while they are away through Mainsails association with Marriott Homes & Villas brand. The new on-site sales gallery is open at Ouanalao Residences & Resort for scheduled appointments and walk-ins. The address is 7700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, FL 34957. For more information, call 772-291-0962, or visit OuanalaoResort.com. Kings County (California) Child Support Services (CSS) has selected GreenCourt Legal Technologies, LLC (GreenCourt) as an integral partner in promoting brighter futures for the children of California. GreenCourt will deploy GovLink, the industrys first Agency Performance Platform, in the second half of 2022 and CSS will take full advantage of GovLink starting in 2023. CSS case workers and attorneys will immediately save time and increase the effectiveness of their work as a result of GovLinks legal document management tools and helpful workflow. One of our core values is innovation, to maximize the use of technology to transform and elevate the program, said Marie Waite, Director of Kings County Child Support Services. GreenCourt created GovLink to transform child support programs, which for Kings County CSS means increasing our operational efficiencies. We aim to perform at the highest levels of quality and service. Child support services agencies often file more legal documents in a given court jurisdiction than any other organization or private law firm. The act of establishing and securing financial support for children depends on the accuracy of legal documents and timely delivery to the court. When the court rejects a legal document, the process stalls and children in need are deprived of vital financial support. Waite added, Kings CSS will adopt GovLink to ease friction in two operational areas. First, the production of legal documents petitions, motions, and other materials that request assistance for the children and families of our community. Second, the review and approval of those documents by our child support professionals and attorneys an ever-evolving challenge in the era of public health concerns and remote working. Compiling legal documents correctly and completely and complying with the courts delivery requirements may sound simple, but the work is far from easy, said Jay Bland, GreenCourts Chief Growth Officer. We created GovLink to help child support services agencies defy gravity. GovLink is a proven way to reduce rejection rates. Case workers no longer have to perform complex paperwork gymnastics routines of retyping information, printing, and scanning. Attorneys no longer have to coordinate in-office time just to sign paper documents. With a mouse click, a case worker can fill blanks, rearrange pages, reorder documents, and route a digital envelope to an attorney for review. Then, an attorney can review, edit, and electronically sign those documents before submitting the envelope to the court for approval. About GreenCourt Legal Technologies and GovLink GreenCourt Legal Technologies, LLC, headquartered in Carrollton, Georgia, leads digital transformation for state agencies, justice partners, private-sector professionals, and the general public. GreenCourt helps these stakeholders move from high-risk situations involving paper-based records, in-person information sharing, and manual data entry toward reliable, safe, and efficient operations. GreenCourts leadership has been building, implementing, and supporting mission critical software and interoperability systems for more than fifteen years in the banking, healthcare, and legal industries. For details, visit us on the web at http://www.greencourt.com, or via Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, or call 770-834-FILE. About Kings County Child Support Services The mission of the Kings County (California) Child Support Services is to promote brighter futures for children by helping families provide consistent financial and medical support. The departments vision is to meet the evolving needs of the community by improving access to programs that positively impact families. To learn more, please visit http://www.countyofkings.com/departments/child-support-services. Cofomos ServiceNow Offering Takes Off Cofomos ServiceNow offering is designed to maximize and leverage every dollar and provide on-call 24/7/365 service. Cofomo, Canadian IT and business consulting services leader, offers its clients the advantages of the comprehensive ServiceNow digital transformation platform. ServiceNow was created expressly to streamline workflows, automate processes, accelerate app development and deployment, lower costs, raise productivity and provide exceptional user experiences at all stages of interaction. ServiceNow, often described as the platform of platforms, was designed to make full use of powerful AI and analytics, and deliver easy-to-use, intuitive apps that offer outstanding user experiences, spike productivity, and speed innovation while ensuring data and cloud remain secure. With ServiceNow and Cofomos 24/7/365 Service Center, operations remain reliable and resilient on a single, unified platform. 80% of Fortune 500 Companies use ServiceNow, and it enjoys an over 99% renewal rate. Cofomos ServiceNow experts have leveraged the potential of this versatile tool on over 100 major mandates for 40 top-tier clients in the finance, transportation, government services, and health care sectors, helping them achieve and align business and technology objectives in less time and with more ease. Cofomos ServiceNow offering is designed to maximize and leverage every dollar and provide on-call 24/7/365 service. Cofomos partnership with ServiceNow represents a strategic advantage for its clients in the development of digital workflows, engaging apps, IT solutions that work, and user experiences that work together to accelerate and optimize any digital transformation project. Its a major speed and efficiency multiplier our clients will truly benefit from. For more information, consult Cofomo's ServiceNow offer. Stage3 Agency collaborated with Toyota Motor North America to support the release of its latest vehicle, the 2023 Toyota Crown. The Toyota Crown offers a modern take on the premium sedan experience, offering exciting looks, advanced safety and convenience technologies, and a standard hybrid drivetrain including a range-topping turbocharged Hybrid Max variant that balances performance and efficiency like never before. Stage3 Agency produced the video shoot on a secured film set in Los Angeles to capture footage and images of two Crown model grades as they were set into a range of relevant scenarios. This material was used to produce a range of assets, including: A high-energy, 60-second sizzle video for initial use during the reveal event, and then shared online for additional brand engagement. A 6-minute overview video for online distribution that uses narration to entertain and educate viewers about the vehicle and its various talking points. Two footage stringout videos one for each vehicle grade for use on Toyotas newsroom to assist media outlets with producing their own content. A photo album of high-resolution images, also designed for media use and accessible through Toyotas online pressroom. Coinciding with the launch of the vehicle, these media assets are now live online and can be found at youtube.com/toyotausa and pressroom.toyota.com. About Stage3 Agency: Stage3 Agency is an inter-disciplinary creative agency that helps brands connect with customers through Envision, Experience, Explore and Engage solutions. We produce digital content that tell a brand story, deliver enhanced experiences, demonstrates new products, and drives engagement to brands. Our clients include Toyota, Lexus, Alpine, Sony, JBL, NBC Universal, and many others. Stage3 Agency Media Contact: info@stage3agency.com https://stage3agency.com The 9.77-acre property (in red) is a JCPenney store that is an original anchor of Stoneridge Shopping Center. (Photo credit: Newmark) This is an irreplaceable location, at the intersection of Interstates 580 and 680 and across the street from the West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. We look forward to working with the community and stakeholders to create an innovative vision and execution for the property. Just four months after completing its acquisition in Downtown Napa, California, 300 Venture Group (3VG) has closed its next purchase. Together with its capital partner, 3VG has acquired the JCPenney site at 1500 Stoneridge Mall Rd. in Pleasanton, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed; Nicholas Bicardo at Newmark represented the seller in the transaction. An original anchor at Stoneridge Shopping Center, the 155,920-square-foot building is located on 9.77 acres of prime real estate in a high barrier to entry market with exceptional fundamentals. Consistent with its mission of profitably repositioning assets to maximize their value and create vibrant communities, 3VG is exploring various scenarios for the property. This is an irreplaceable location, at the intersection of Interstates 580 and 680 and across the street from the West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, said Kameron Klotz, a founding principal of 3VG. We look forward to working with the community and stakeholders to create an innovative vision and execution for the property. Located approximately 35 miles east of San Francisco, Pleasanton is a highly desirable residential community that boasts one of the top school systems in California and is one of the wealthiest middle-sized cities in the United States. Specifically, the Stoneridge complex has seen major investment and redevelopment interest in the last three years: Fintech company Workdays 410,000-square-foot headquarters, located across the street from the site, has more than 5,000 employees, joining other major corporations including Ericsson, Kaiser-Permanente and Oracle within three miles. In addition, biotech company 10x Genomics is under construction on a 381,000-square-foot headquarters complex, with the first phase expected to open in 2023. We founded 3VG earlier this year precisely to take advantage of these creative opportunities, which can add significant value to both the communities and our investors, said Howard Overton, also a founding principal of 3VG. We wanted to hit the ground running, and have certainly done so, and now have 12.4 acres and 232,000 square feet under control in high-profile locations. And were continuing to pursue more opportunities this year. Klotz, Overton and commercial real estate industry veterans Jerry Hunt and Mark Pleis launched 3VG to build on their combined nine decades of experience in acquiring, operating and developing projects and communities in a region with exceptionally high barriers to entry. In March, the four principals, together with their capital partner, closed their first transaction, acquiring an underutilized property in Downtown Napa, California for future redevelopment. Hunt has more than 25 years of public and private company experience, focusing on development, repositioning and transactions. Prior to 3VG, he founded Quattro Realty Group and co-founded Blake Hunt Ventures (BHV); he also was Senior Vice President and COO of Western Properties Trust. Pleis is a founding Principal of the first Northern California office of Lee & Associates in 1993, with over 36 years of experience. Throughout his career, he grew his relationships and book of business to consummate transactions in almost every aspect of real estate. Overtons 20-plus years in retail real estate include public REIT experience at Regency Centers, DDR Corp. (now SITE Centers), Kimco Realty and Pan Pacific Retail Properties. During his career, he has been involved in more than $17.4 billion of property transactions, totaling 79 million square feet. A frequent angel investor in startup companies across a wide range of industries, Klotz has more than 10 years of experience in strategic planning, operations, and management. He has been vital in obtaining several complex entitlements in some of California's most cumbersome cities. About 3VG 3VG is a privately-owned real estate investment, development and management firm with a geographic emphasis on western U.S. markets. The company was founded by real estate veterans who love the outdoors, trucks, motorcycles, and tattoos. Its focus is the acquisition, development and redevelopment of retail, office, multifamily and mixed-use properties. Statue of Chinese monk Jianzhen in Tokyos Ueno Park This is our expectation and our wish. China's extensive and profound culture is everlasting, said Wu about his statues symbolism. Chinese culture is a bond that binds Chinese people all over the world, added Wu. CGTN America releases Statue of legendary Chinese monk unveiled in Tokyo In the 50th anniversary year of diplomatic ties between China and Japan, a statue symbolizing peaceful cultural exchanges between the two countries was unveiled in Tokyo. The statue commemorates the eminent Chinese monk, Jianzhen, who helped promote Buddhism in 8th century Japan. After reaching Japan in 753, Jianzhen helped introduce Tang Dynasty art, medicine, and craftsmanship to Japan. It was a time when Japan had embraced key elements of Chinese culture writing, centralized government, and Confucian thought. Japanese scholars and nobility wrote in Chinese. The wrought brass statue of Jianzhen stands 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) high in Tokyos Ueno Park. It is the painstaking creation of artist Wu Weishan, curator of the National Art Museum of China. Forging with brass requires consistent strikes with the hammer. I put my heart and soul into it during the process, Wu said. The life of Jianzhen stands in contrast to the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. China suffered an estimated 35 million civilian and military casualties. China and Japan formalized diplomatic ties in 1972. While tensions remain, Jianzhens legacy and his statue express the art of the possible. The statue can pass down the history from generation to generation, so friendship between China and Japan will go on and on, said Wu Weishan. This is our expectation and our wish. China's extensive and profound culture is everlasting, said Wu about his statues symbolism. Chinese culture is a bond that binds Chinese people all over the world, added Wu. And, as the statue of Jianzhen suggests, a bond with Japan as well. Click here to read more about Statue of legendary Chinese monk unveiled in Tokyohere: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-07-20/Work-by-Chinese-artist-Wu-Weishan-unveiled-in-Japan--1bP5xqZlzUY/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.) Ready for Love, How about Marriage?: an encouraging resource for those seeking to develop and maintain strong relationships. Ready for Love, How about Marriage? is the creation of published author Anthony T. Henry, who carries a BA in Counseling Psychology and has over twenty-five years of premarital counseling experience. Anthony shares, Ready for Love, How about Marriage? takes the reader down a cultural, religious, and sometimes political path in the discourse of love and marriage. It explores psychological concepts of love and establishes the characteristics that should be present in love that leads to marriage. And what if your quality of love is ready for marriage? You will discover the importance of a personal mission statement and how it contributes to developing family goals and values. The book helps the reader to manage family conflict, crisis, and wealth. It delves into religion and spirituality and intimacy and sex and takes a look at parenting. Whether you are planning marriage or already married, there is a read for you. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Anthony T. Henrys new book examines key components that can make or break a marital bond. Anthony draws from over two decades of marital counseling to provide a thoughtful discussion meant to inform and encourage. Consumers can purchase Ready for Love, How about Marriage? at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Ready for Love, How about Marriage? contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Customers in the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island area looking to purchase a pre-owned truck should check out the inventory at Capital Honda. Recently, Capital Honda included about four pre-owned trucks to their inventory, including the 2019 Ford F-150 XL, the 2017 Nissan Titan S, the 2018 RAM 1500 Outdoorsman, and the 2016 GMC Canyon 2WD SLE. These models are priced in a range starting from $25,987 and going up to $49,987 and have CARFAX reports available with all of them. Interested customers can apply a filter on the website and view results that look customized for them, letting the customer decide the vehicle that suits them best. Customers looking to purchase pre-owned trucks can schedule a test drive of the vehicle of their choice by visiting the dealerships website at http://www.capitalhonda.com. Prospective buyers can also drive by the dealership located at 40 Lower Malpeque Road in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1E1R3, or contact a sales representative at 902-566-1101 for more information. Feel free to reach out to Capital Honda for further assistance. Introspect Technology Providing ultra-affordable, powerful access to these early design phases is a paradigm shift in test engineering, and it opens a whole new market area for electronics testing Introspect Technology, leading manufacturer of test and measurement tools for high-speed digital applications, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a company with record revenue. The milestone caps 10 consecutive years of revenue, customer, and product growth, and it is testimony to the companys accelerating momentum in the global technology sector. Founder-funded and physically started in a basement on the outskirts of the city of Montreal, Introspect Technology has rapidly positioned itself as a world class supplier of test and measurement equipment for the most demanding high-speed applications. It now serves the worlds top technology companies, and its tools are used globally by hundreds of engineers that are developing tomorrows technological innovations. The founding story of Introspect Technology was one of commitment, persistence, and creativity at levels that are rare to see in any company or community, said Dr. Mohamed Hafed, Introspect Technology Founder and Chief Executive Officer. The Introspect Technology founding team has demonstrated to the world that one can start from absolutely nothing and create something truly spectacular, and the current Introspect Technology team continues to demonstrate that it is possible to carry the torch of innovation, alignment, and commitment throughout many generations of products and indeed many generations of humans, he continued. The Introspect Technology company DNA is immensely influenced by its first few years of existence, which were fraught with financial and technical stress. For a period of almost two years leading up to the end of 2013, a single 25 x 20-foot room was the locale for seven engineers all working together to achieve a great product. Such a crammed work environment would not have been sustained by a team that did not exhibit utmost persistence, nor by a team that was not terrific at working together cohesively as a unit, nor by a team that was not committed to the long-term vision of the company and the project. This vision was to bring high-performance Gigabit per Second electronics testing to the masses, as opposed to small niche users such as hardware product engineers or signal integrity engineers. With shrinking time scales in the technology sector, delivering electronics products requires testing even in early design phases by design engineers, not only test engineers. Providing ultra-affordable, powerful access to these early design phases is a paradigm shift in test engineering, and it opens a whole new market area for electronics testing. Today, Introspect Technology employs highly specialized technologists in almost every field of electrical and computer engineering. They all share a common vision and a single-minded obsession with helping our customers create their next generation products. The team constantly innovates when it comes to creating test and measurement tools that address a major gap in equipment availability for the validation, characterization, and system-level debug of high-speed semiconductors or systems. Still to this day, Dr. Hafed works very closely with the team, defining measurement algorithms, prototyping key innovative technologies, and ensuring that product details such as ease-of-use or compactness are always held in the highest regard by the development team. It is clear that the companys mission to enhance competitiveness, product quality, and time-to-market for customers is still very much alive, and will continue to be for the decades to come. Join the celebration! Sign the 10th anniversary card. About Introspect Technology Founded in 2012, Introspect Technology designs and manufactures innovative test and measurement equipment for high-speed digital applications. Whether it is the next augmented reality headset or the level-4 autonomy engine in a mobility solution, our award-winning tools are used to develop, test, and manufacture next-generation products. In short, we help the leading global technology companies make tomorrows technology todays possibility. During his appearance before the Congress' Permanent Commission, Chero remarked that he is respectful of the Magna Carta and that the possibility of creating an altered situation is not on the agenda. Besides, he mentioned that this has not been discussed within the Executive Branch, at the Council of Ministers, or at any other space for dialogue. "That is the only interview I gave on the matter, and it has been distorted because I never talked about closing Congress because such thing does not exist, constitutionally speaking," the minister stated. "Besides, closing Congress is an unconstitutional, anti-democratic practice, and I must say that an attempt of this type could produce a violation of the Constitution," he added. The government official pointed out that Article 134 of the Constitution establishes the process for requesting a confidence vote, whose consequence may be the dissolution of Congress. "But pedagogically speaking since I am a professor I was trying to explain what a pre-existing constitutional procedure is. On that basis, the possibility of harming Congress, or even legislators, has not been in my mind or even in my statement," he explained. In this regard, the Cabinet member affirmed that a constant feature in his statements always includes three basic guidelines, such as being respectful, being honest, and being transparent. "And every time I have attended Congress I have greeted everyone respectfully, even if they are from the ruling party or the opposition," Chero commented. "Besides, I have always said that we are seeking consensus and understanding between Parliament and the Executive Branch in order to set up a national agenda and a country project, because that is what the population expects," he underlined. Hoy me presente ante la Comision Permanente del Congreso de la Republica para reafirmar mi compromiso democratico con el pais y reiterar que la posibilidad de una disolucion del Parlamento no esta en agenda del Ejecutivo. Greenberg Traurig Adds Real Estate Associate in Delaware Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP added Frederick H. Mitsdarfer, III to its Delaware office as an associate in the firms Real Estate Practice. He joins Greenberg Traurig from Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. Mitsdarfer represents clients, including lenders, in a variety of real estate transactions on a local, regional, and national scale, including land use and zoning, acquisitions, dispositions, commercial leasing, easements, and financings. He works to obtain a range of governmental approvals including subdivisions, rezonings, variances, and property re-assessments, and drafts and negotiates a variety of real estate related agreements including purchase and sale agreements, loan agreements, lease agreements, easements, security instruments, legal opinions, management agreements, and other ancillary contracts. Mitsdarfer also assists clients with due diligence in connection with a wide array of real estate transactions and serves as a title agent. He is a current fellow of the Real Property, Trust & Estate Section of the American Bar Association and a former contributor to the Delaware Administrative Law Improvement Task Force. Mitsdarfer earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Neumann University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and as a member of the Loan Committee for the Delaware Community Development Corporation. About Greenberg Traurigs Delaware Office: Greenberg Traurig opened its Delaware office in 1999 in response to the unique and increasing role Delaware plays in the needs of the firms national and international clients. Greenberg Traurig Delaware offers clients a full complement of attorneys who address real-world business problems by advising clients on the legal aspects of complex corporate and commercial matters and litigating in all of Delawares federal and state courts, including the Court of Chancery, the Complex Commercial Litigation Division of the Superior Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. 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. Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Centene Management Company LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The Sacramento employment law attorneys at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Centene Management Company LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Centene Management Company LLC, class action lawsuit, Case No. 34-2022-00322629, is currently pending in the Sacramento County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here. According to the lawsuit filed, Centene Management Company LLC allegedly terminated Plaintiff in violation of various public policies. Plaintiff received doctor's orders to go on leave after experiencing health issues that resulted in having surgery. Plaintiff stayed on leave until his employment was terminated. The termination was allegedly in part because of Plaintiff's protected status and allegedly in violation of FEHA, the California Constitution, and California Labor Code Section 1102.5. Additionally, Centene Management Company LLC allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code 2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, employees were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones and incurred business expenses as a result. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Centene Management Company LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** LoKation Real Estate I am thrilled with the opportunity to bring the unique value proposition LoKation offers its thousands of Agents in Florida, Georgia, Alabama & Colorado. Texas is a logical Key Market based on migration trends" - Matt Anderson, Director of Operations and Employing Broker for Texas LoKation Real Estate leaps into Texas after enjoying a torrid pace of growth in Florida, and other markets. Its no secret that Texas has seen a substantial increase in both population and businesses. Many have cited tax policy, regulatory climate, and talent availability. The same is true of Florida where Lokation is Headquartered with over 3,000 Agents alone. According to the San Antonio Business Journal, Texas is gaining roughly 3,800 people every week. This is amplified by the fact Texas has the highest retention rate of any state, with 82% of people born in Texas still living in the state. I am thrilled with the opportunity to bring the unique value proposition that LoKation offers to its thousands of Agents in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, & Colorado. Texas is a logical Key Market and a culmination of a year-long effort to ensure we are prepared for an influx of Agents looking to break away from the Traditional Brokerage model. We are poised to cater to the number of Texans moving to Florida (and vice versa) which has seen a significant uptick as studies have shown. Growing in Texas will strengthen our Referral network and will help serve both our Realtors and LoKation as a whole." Matt Anderson, Director of Operations and Employing Broker for Texas LoKation Real Estate has enjoyed an impressive pace of growth, especially in recent years as Realtors have gotten more accustomed to working online to complete Real Estate Transactions. LoKation also recognizes the importance of having physical office space to reinforce company culture and aid in collaboration, training, meeting with clients, and more. Incoming LoKation Agents will have access to multiple offices in the DFW and Austin areas with San Antonio and Houston offices imminent. As a 100% commission, tech-forward brokerage, LoKation equips its Agents with an incredibly proficient online office. Our Agents have access to the latest industry technology, tools & resources while offering excellent personal Support & Training and keeping fees among the lowest in the country. Our combination of cloud-based programs in conjunction with outstanding live support, training & professional development, and other exclusive offerings has proven a winning formula for LoKation Agents. Since inception, LoKation has recognized that all Realtors are Independent Contractors small businesses. We do not view our Agents as dollar signs, but as entrepreneurs looking for great service and support to help them grow their brands or teams. Pair that with ridiculously low fee schedules so they can reinvest in themselves - not our logo, we expect more and more Agents will find their way to LoKation asserted Jeremy Beard, Director of Business Development. About LoKation Real Estate LoKation Real Estate is a tech-forward brokerage that is at the forefront of providing more opportunity, profitability, and support for Agents so they can maximize their potential. Cloud-based technology and SmartSpaces for Agents make working anywhere a possibility. LoKation ranks #23 in the nation of Independent Brokerages (Real Trends Top 100 2021) and produces >$5b in sales per year. LoKation arms its REALTORS with the best technology, leads, culture, and all the resources needed under one roof including the most efficient online platform for agents to operate from, allowing them to be free to conduct transactions from anywhere. LoKation gives back via our LoKation Cares philanthropy initiatives in multiple states. Our commitment to our community, agents, and industry is evident through our actions Quarantine Wine: A Love Story: love is patient, love is kind: a potent discussion of the complexities of marriage. Quarantine Wine: A Love Story: love is patient, love is kind is the creation of published author Mia Dawson, a loving wife and mother of two who graduated from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and psychology. Dawson started her career as a social services counselor for a juvenile correctional facility and later transitioned into a probation officer. She is now a part-time stay-at-home mother, a part-time substitute teacher for an alternative school, a homeschooling mom, an entrepreneur, and has published three childrens books. Dawson shares, Wine is traditionally the symbol for transformation Whenever you feel crushed, under pressure, or pressed, youre in a great space for transformation to take place. During this recent pandemic, relationships and marriages were tested beyond measure. In this book, Quarantine Wine, A Love Story, you will discover through our personal love story how your marriage can stand through any test and trial, and still come out better than before. Written in an easy-to-read, inspiring style, complete with biblical marriage nuggets that can be related to todays marriages. In Quarantine Wine, you will see how your marriage at any stage can relate to the authors and the marriages in the Bible. This book is designed to inspire, challenge, and reveal your own uniqueness in your marriage. No marriage is perfect, but it should be progressing daily. I hope after reading Quarantine Wine, you will see just like wine, your marriage can last for ages. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Mia Dawsons new book will encourage and challenge readers to reflect and work towards furthering growth within their marital life. Dawson offers personal insight and relatable biblical reflection for the encouragement of all who seek a deeper connection within their marriage. Consumers can purchase Quarantine Wine: A Love Story: love is patient, love is kind at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Quarantine Wine: A Love Story: love is patient, love is kind, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Operation Homefronts Village properties are fully furnished and include utility services, internet access, cable TV, and telephone service. Military families who've been medically discharged can face significant financial challenges as they transition back to civilian life. This extraordinary donation opens up a brighter future for these families who've given so much to our nation. retired Brig Gen Bob Thomas, COO, Operation Homefront For the third year in a row, the Texas Veterans Commission has awarded San Antonio-based Operation Homefront a $100,000 grant for the national charitys San Antonio Transitional Housing-Villages program. Operation Homefronts Transitional Housing-Villages program provides a supportive environment for eligible service members and their families to live rent-free as they transition out of the military. Operation Homefront is extremely grateful to the Texas Veterans Commission for their long-term support directly resulting in the impact we are able to make on the lives of Texas families who are a part of our Transitional Housing-Villages program, said retired Brig Gen Robert Thomas (USAF), Chief Operating Officer for Operation Homefront. Military families who have been medically discharged can face significant financial challenges as they transition back to civilian life and this extraordinary donation opens up a brighter future for these families who have given so much to our nation. Operation Homefronts Village properties are fully furnished and include utility services, internet access, cable TV, and telephone service. The national nonprofit established the program to address the threat of homelessness for wounded, ill, and injured service members who have recently separated from service due to medical issues. Residents attend support groups, workshops, and benefits briefings and receive employment counseling and one-on-one financial counseling to reduce debt and build savings when needed. Operation Homefront also helps them find permanent housing in the area they intend to live upon successful completion of the program. After their time at the Villages, veterans and their families are stronger, more stable, and more secure as they transition to their civilian lives, with VA benefits established, debt significantly reduced and emergency savings in place. Operation Homefront maintains rent-free Transitional Housing-Villages programs in San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; and Gaithersburg, Maryland. ### About Operation Homefront Celebrating 20 years of serving Americas military families, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive not simply struggle to get by in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 88 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves Americas military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org. This program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans Assistance. The Fund for Veterans Assistance provides grants to organizations serving veterans and their families. http://www.TVC.Texas.gov In the context of escalating governmental attacks on the basic rights and health care access of sexually and gender diverse people, attribution of any psychopathology...requires more analytic rigor, cautious deliberation, and nuanced contextualization than ever before. A commentary published July 18, 2022 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry cautions clinicians, scientists, and researchers against making assumptions that sexually and gender diverse people have a greater predisposition to psychiatric illness. The commentary was written in response to a newly published study by Oka et al showing that there were no differences in clinical responsiveness to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treatment-resistant psychiatric illness between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ patients. The authors of the study had hypothesized that LGBTQ patients would be less favorable to ECT because they would be more likely to have clinical conditions less favorable to ECT, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, or substance use disorders. In Psychiatric Care Considerations for Sexually and Gender Diverse Populations, commentary author Dr. Alex S. Keuroghlian, who directs the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Gender Identity Program, observed that the premise of the study was flawed. When research on personality disorders among transgender and gender diverse people is closely examined, you will find wide variability not just in study settings and eligibility criteria, but also in gender identity data collection, Keuroghlian said. While noting that external and internal stigma-related stressors can lead to increased risk of depressive, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and substance use disorders among LGBTQ patients, Keuroghlian observed that the psychiatric fields historic response to these symptoms of minority stress has been to categorize sexual and gender diversity itself as psychopathology. This response has perpetuated stigma and discrimination toward sexually and gender diverse people in mental health care and even throughout society, Keuroghlian said. In the context of escalating governmental attacks on the basic rights and health care access of sexually and gender diverse people, attribution of any psychopathology to sexually and gender diverse populations requires more analytic rigor, cautious deliberation, and nuanced contextualization than ever before. Given that the main finding of the study by Oka et al was that patients have similar clinically significant improvement with ECT regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, Keuroghlian concluded that ensuring equitable access to treatment for sexually and gender diverse people within welcoming and inclusive mental health care environments must be an imperative. Psychiatric Care Considerations for Sexually and Gender Diverse Populations, is available online. Dr. Schrodi When looking to partner with a DSO, it was important to me to choose an organization that enables us to maintain and even improve our existing quality of care and company culture, while also bringing efficiencies that help us expand tender loving dental care in our community. Smile Brands, one of the nations leading dental support organizations (DSO), is pleased to announce its new affiliate partnership with TLC for Smiles in Granada Hills and Chatsworth, CA. Dr. Janet Schrodi founded TLC for Smiles in 2008 in Granada Hills with the vision to provide patients with Tender Loving Care. After success in Granada Hills, Dr. Schrodi opened the Chatsworth location in 2020 to expand their patient reach in the area. She currently leads a team of 45 across both locations. Together, the teams deliver pediatric dentistry and orthodontics for the whole family. When looking to partner with a DSO, it was important to me to choose an organization that enables us to maintain and even improve our existing quality of care and company culture, while also bringing efficiencies that help us expand tender loving dental care in our community. This partnership will also be a blessing to my team members by improving employee benefits and enhancing their lifestyles, said Dr. Schrodi. Smile Brands will provide administrative support and services to the practices including purchasing, payroll, accounting, IT, billing, facilities management, and marketing. The businesses will continue to operate under Dr. Janet Schrodis leadership, the TLC for Smiles name, and the existing staff will remain with the offices. We are thrilled to partner with TLC for Smiles, said Steve Bilt, Smile Brands co-founder, and CEO. Dr. Schrodi and her team share our vision for expanding patient access to quality, affordable dental care. We look forward to supporting their practice growth goals and delivering even more smiles through added support and giving back to the community. About Smile Brands: Smile Brands, based in Irvine, California, is one of the largest providers of dental support services in the United States. The company supports nearly 700 affiliated practices, with more than 7,500 dedicated team members across 30 states. Smile Brands supports a portfolio of over 75 brands including well-known regional brands: Bright Now! Dental, Castle Dental, Merit Dental, Midwest Dental, Monarch Dental, and Mondovi Dental. The company provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long-term agreements with affiliate dental groups, allowing affiliated practices to spend more time caring for patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental office. The organization receives frequent recognition for its award-winning culture and has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by Glassdoor, Comparably, Stevie Awards, and more. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. Visit smilebrands.com for more information. After living on several continents and teaching high school in Egypt, Dan Gemeinhart found his home in Washington State, working as an elementary school teacher-librarian and immersed in rich middle grade literature. The journey toward publishing his first middle grade novel spanned 10 years, eventually culminating in a full-time career as an author and a body of work that explores themes of community and belonging. In his sixth novel, The Midnight Children, a hunted found-family of Ragabond orphans find an ally in a lonely, artistic boy with a longing to transform his community. PW spoke with Gemeinhart about his unconventional style choices in The Midnight Children and the meaning of home in middle grade fiction. The Midnight Children follows in the tradition of 21st-century childrens books with a narrative style that could have been plucked from a century earlierbooks like The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Penderwicks, or A Series of Unfortunate Events. Yet other elements of the story, like the satirical and gory depiction of the meat industry, come across as distinctly modern. What was the point of origin for your story? The seed for this story came years ago. It started as a bedtime story for my oldest daughter when she was three or four. That opening scene where a boy wakes up in the middle of the night and hears a noise and looks out the window to see a mysterious group of children moving into the house across the streetno furniture, no grown-ups, just the kidsthat scene has stayed the same through all the different versions Ive done. Im really excited that this story that started as a special thing for me and my daughter will now be out there for other people to enjoy. There are hints of magic throughout the novel, but you never confirm whether the magic is real. Why did you make the choice to leave it ambiguous? To me, it kind of matched a lot of other elements of the storywhere its kind of a scary story in a lot of ways but not a horror story, and its kind of an old-timey story but its not an old-timey story, and its kind of a magical story but its not entirely a fantasyand the whole narrative is threading that needle. It felt like the magic worked best that way because if you go full magic, then it really departs this world entirely. With a little bit of magic, kids can still imagine it happening to them, and it added to that slightly otherworldly tone that the book already had. Your imagery in this novel is concrete yet demands a conscious stretch of imaginationlike when Virginias tone of voice held [Ravani] at arms length, and maybe even frowned a little. How did you arrive at that distinct narrative voice? That voice really came to me through all the writing and rewriting Ive done over the last 10 years, in many versions of the story and during which almost every element has changed. One of the last elements to pop into place was that tone and that voice. I tried first person; I tried third person; I tried past tense; I tried present tense; and all different tones from very serious to light and jokey to the one I landed on, which is kind of that old-timey voice with some interesting imagery and different kinds of language and words. Since the setting became amorphoustheres no real named setting, theres no named datethat is just how the story seemed to want to be told. Its a storyteller, its third person, and they are right there with the reader. It hopefully feels like someone is being told the story. The imagery that the narrator used came about through me figuring out how it felt the most fun and how it felt the most interesting and how the voice could best match the story and the setting. You could say trial and error, but I would say more like working really hard on how the story should come out, like chipping away at the marble until the statue that was always meant to be could be there. Your websites author bio mentions that you moved around a lot in your youth, including to different continents. Did that experience inform your creation of the Ragabond siblings who bounce from town to town? I think for sure, and hearkening back to all my other stories, every single one of the books Ive written has been a journey story. None of the books that Ive written have been about a kid or group of kids in the house or town that they live in and thats the story. This one is the most like that because it does all happen in one town, the town of Slaughterville, but even this story has a lot of movement in the backstoryand even movement in the story itself, not through our main character, Ravani, but through the Ragabonds. Its about trying to find where you belong and trying to find where your family belongs, and I definitely think that, subconsciously, that came out of my childhood. Has living in a variety of countries given you a different perspective on what home means? Growing up, moving around so much, home was never a place. Home was where you were next. Home was where you were with your family. Its a theme of lots of stories, especially for middle gradefinding where you belong. Because thats the big question you wrestle with as a middle grader, as a 10- to 18-year-old. As you leave childhood behind and as you start to become the kind of person youre going to be, its answering all those questions: Who am I? Who do I want to be my friends? What kind of person am I going to be? What kind of person am I not going to be? I think the central beating heart of almost all middle grade literature, no matter what the background is for that particular story, is the protagonist trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. Both The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and The Midnight Children deal with building community as well as finding comfort and strength through connection. Can you speak to the role that community has played in your life or in your work as an author? Where we are, who were with, who we choose to be with, and how we choose to interact with those peoplethats life. Thats how we define ourselves as people: the relationships that we have and what we give or take from the world around us. And so those are the questions that we, even as grown-ups, wrestle with in our jobs and in our personal lives and our families. In my first book, The Honest Truth, one of the main themes is said by one of the minor characters, Were all in this together, this being not just the situation of the book, but life. And thats the definition of community Ive always tried to be a part of as an adultwhen I was a teacher and librarian, trying to serve those kids and their families and the other teachers I worked with, and now I work from home, but still Im looking for ways to interact with the world around me and to give back to those around me. As 12-year-olds, Ravani and Virginia support and uplift one another in the face of bullying, and their positive actions ripple out to effect change throughout their town, even going so far as to shake up the local economy. What inspires you to empower middle grade characters as opposed to writing for other age groups? I got into writing middle grade through my work as an elementary librarian. I had thought forever ago that I wanted to write grown-up books, and I tried one that thankfully never got published because it was a trainwreck. But then I got a job as an elementary teacher-librarian so I had to read all these books so I could do my job and handsell these books to kids and see what was out there with kid lit, which I hadnt really interacted with since I was a kid. And I was blown away by how far middle grade literature had come in 25 years and how many amazing authors were writing such incredible stories of depth and beauty and meaning and humor. So thats what I started to write, and I never looked back. I love that time of our lives that middle grade readers go through. Its such an interesting, exciting, sometimes scary, sometimes confusing part of our lives, and thats why I think middle grade literature is all those things as well. It deals with almost all the same big things that grown-up literature does, but in a way that I think is so much more fun and engaging. Are there things you wish you had known before undertaking your decade-long publishing journey that might help aspiring authors? The short but strange answer is no. I wrote several books that never got publishedyears of my life, a decade of failure and rejectionbut that was kind of the journey I had to get through. And every one of those setbacks taught me something, and every one of those setbacks made me work a little harder or try something different, dig a little deeper. Now I might whisper some words of encouragement to myself because it could be very demoralizing to fail at something for 10 years when youre trying so hard and care so much, but I think the lessons I needed to learn, I dont think you can learn those just by having those told to you. I think you have to learn them through failing and doing. What are you working on now? Im in kind of a fun phase where [The Midnight Children] is about to come out so Ive been doing a lot of talking and thinking about that, but then you start thinking, OK, so Ive had these other ideas in my head and on my computer for the couple years it took me to get this book done. So you rub your hands together and say, What should I do next? I am playing with a couple of middle grade novels that are in the very, very early stages, and Ive also written the rough draft script of a graphic novel that is with my agent right now to see if that goes anywhere. That was a really fun learning experience to flex a different kind of muscle. And Im working on some picture books. So right now, I have some pots simmering, and hopefully some of those will turn into something good. The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart. Holt, $16.99 Aug. 30 ISBN 978-1-2501-9672-9 Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. 14:00 | Trujillo (La Libertad region), Jul. 22. Mr. Castillo participated in the ceremony to lay the first stone for the comprehensive solutions public work along San Idelfonso and San Carlos Streams in La Libertad region, northern Peru. Its objective is to control flooding and reduce the risk of future natural phenomena such as Coastal El Nino. "I call on Congress so that, once and for all, we put an end to this useless confrontation which is not good for the country; I call on Congress (members) and tell them that the Government will not interfere in their job, because we must be respectful of State powers," he expressed. Likewise, the Head of State said there will be no interference on his part especially at a time when the process of electing new Board members is currently underway in the Legislative Branch. Yet I do call on the next Board of Chairpersons to walk with us and address people's needs ; we won't interfere, but I call on them to walk with us to work transparently joined by the people," he expressed. Cornerstone Concerning the comprehensive solutions public work, the President said it is a project expected by the population. He added that it will provide a solution to floods and the inclemency of nature. The Head of State specified that the project will be developed by the Authority for Reconstruction with Changes (ARCC) . Within this framework, 67 transverse dams will be built to retain the flow from the streams, in addition to an intake, a tunnel, and a channel to deliver surplus flows to Moche River. "This (public) work will benefit 640,000 people in Trujillo; the corresponding investment exceeds S/479 million (over US$123 million), thus creating jobs for the citizens of Trujillo," he indicated. (END) JCC/CVC/MVB The President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Friday urged Parliament to set aside once and for all a confrontation that he deemed as useless , the same one that in his opinion does not do the country any good.Published: 7/22/2022 DPR Supreme Court sentences Ukrainian to 16 years in prison on espionage charges MOSCOW, July 22 (RAPSI) The Appeals Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has sentenced a citizen of Ukraine to 16 years in a strict regime penal colony in a case over espionage. The judicial investigation established that defendant B. was involved in tacit cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for collecting military information to be used against the security of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, according to the official website of the DPR Supreme Court. The defendant, whose name was not relveled, was also found guilty of participating in a terrorist community, illegally acquiring, storing and transporting weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices across the border of the self-proclaimed republic. As follows from the materials of the case, being a member of the terrorist community and being recruited by the Ukrainian special services, the defendant photographed military facilities located on the territory of the DPR, after that the collected information was transferred to the SBU. In addition, the defendant stored firearms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices in order to use them to commit crimes on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic. During the investigation and the trial, the defendant pleaded guilty, the press service of the DPR Supreme Court notes. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/21/2022 ADVERTISEMENT 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! ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. pro Jenna Johnson has revealed that her road to pregnancy wasn't a smooth one and she actually tried to conceive a baby with husband Val Chmerkovskiy for two years.Jenna, 28, took to Instagram on Tuesday and posted a sweet video of the moment she took an at-home pregnancy test and received a positive result, discovering that she's pregnant."The moment my whole world changed. We had actually stopped trying to conceive for about 6 months to mentally/emotionally give ourselves a break... so the shock, disbelief, and sheer joy in this moment is a memory I will never forget," Jenna captioned the video, which showed her celebrating and crying tears of joy.In the video, Jenna apparently took four at-home pregnancy tests to confirm the news. She also shared footage of her first ultrasound."I want to keep this moment very positive because there is so much to celebrate and my heart is overflowing with gratitude, BUT our journey getting to this point wasn't an easy one," Jenna revealed."I remember watching people share these videos and aching because I wished so badly I could experience that joy. After two years of infertility, and hundreds of negative tests after negative tests, it was heart wrenching at times to stay optimistic and made me question whether I would ever have this opportunity."Jenna told fans that she will "go into more depth" about her fertility journey with Val a little later on."But if any of you out there are struggling to get pregnant, suffering from infertility, or mourning a pregnancy loss... don't lose HOPE," Jenna insisted."It may not happen on your timeline and the journey may rip your heart open at times, but don't give up on yourself and your precious baby! It will happen."Jenna uploaded this video just days after she and Val announced they are expecting their first child together.Jenna is heading into her second trimester, and the baby is due to arrive in January 2023."Everybody tells you, 'When you just relax and you don't put the stress on yourself, it happens for you.' That's exactly what happened," Jenna explained to her followers last week.Jenna said her pregnancy and the timing of it was exactly "meant to be.""Our little baby was created with a lot of love. It all seems so magical," Jenna gushed.Jenna admitted the beginning of her pregnancy was "a scary time" and there are "so many things that can go wrong" but she's trying to remain positive."I just have taken this time to really relax and try to stay calm and keep my body healthy -- which has been hard, because I'm a really active person. I love to work out. I love to dance... I think I'm just giving my body the necessary rest," Jenna said.Jenna also gushed about how Val is loving her pregnant body and makes her feel "so beautiful.""If he is anything like he is as a husband, he's going to be the best dad in the world," Jenna boasted. "He is so selfless and loving. Between the two of us, is by far the more patient one. So I think, all of these little attributes are going to just make him an incredible dad.'"Jenna's disclosure of her two-year battle with infertility follows a June interview in which she had been critical of fans asking her when she was going to have a baby or why she wasn't expanding her family."I think it's a really insensitive question , actually, because... you never know what somebody is going through," the dancer and choreographer told Us Weekly a few weeks before announcing her pregnancy."And the amount of DMs and comments -- you know, 'babies on the brain' and 'when are you going to have a baby?' -- it adds pressure but also it's nobody's business," she complained.Jenna said although she is in the public eye, people have "no idea what [she's] gone through.""[People don't know] what we want in the future," Jenna explained, speaking on behalf of Val as well.Meanwhile, Jenna's sister-in-law Peta Murgatroyd , who is married to Val's brother and alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy , has been trying to conceive Baby No. 2.Peta, who has served as a professional partner on on and off since 2011, recently broke the news to People that she had three miscarriages in two years while trying to give her five-year-old son Shai a sibling.Jenna and Val began dating in 2015 and the Ukrainian native proposed marriage in Venice, Italy, in 2018.Val and Jenna tied the knot on April 13, 2019 in a romantic ceremony overlooking the ocean at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palo Verdes, CA."Mr. & Mrs. Chmerkovskiy 04~13~2019," Jenna captioned a wedding photo that she shared on Instagram.Prior to joining as a Troupe member and then being promoted to a pro partner for Season 23, Jenna competed as a contestant and All-Star partner on separate seasons of So You Think You Can Dance.Jenna won ' 26th season with Adam Rippon and placed second on the show twice before with Nev Schulman and JoJo Siwa on Seasons 29 and 30, respectively.Jenna said Val hopes to return to on Disney+ this Fall but she plans to continue to focus on her health and the well-being of her baby. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Chinese President Xi Jinping wished his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden a speedy recovery from coronavirus in a message on Friday, Reuters reports citing state television. Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19, had mild symptoms and would work in isolation, the White House said on Thursday. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today the Chair of the European Parliaments Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) David McAllister and his delegation, the Parliaments press service said. Speaker Simonyan said that the activity of AFET aimed at strengthening the resilience of the region is important, adding that the level of engagement and understanding of the European Parliament in the post-war humanitarian situation is big. In this context Alen Simonyan expressed gratitude to David McAllister and Zeljana Zovko (Vice-Chair) for the impartial position and for the continuous efforts aimed at establishing peace in our region. Details relating to the joint post and future agenda programs were discussed during the meeting. The conversation also touched upon the unequivocal position recorded in the European Parliaments respective resolutions and reports over a number of key issues for Armenia, particularly, the latest Nagorno Karabakh war, the encroachments against Armenias sovereign territory and the necessity of immediately releasing Armenian prisoners of war. Issues relating to parliamentary opposition were also touched upon during the talk. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. A roadmap for investment reforms aimed at promoting new investments, improving the investment environment and creating favorable climate for foreign investors in Armenia has been developed. The roadmap was developed based on best international experience. It was presented by the USAID Armenia Business Enabling Environment Project to Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan on July 22. Mission Director of USAID/Armenia John Allelo said that the document embodies the best international approach and standards adapted to the conditions of Armenia. It is an action plan. This roadmap can serve as a guideline which will direct foreign direct investments to Armenia, Allelo said, expressing readiness to help Armenia in implementing the initiative. The document was developed with joint efforts from Armenian and international experts. Allelo said theyve seen big progress in Armenia in the area, and that the Armenia Business Enabling Environment Project was launched in 2020 to address any emerging issues. Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said investment reforms have a very important place in the governments economic reforms agenda. I believe that the presented proposals are really in line with the economic realities of our country and the governments priorities. The governments expectations from this document are big. And its successful implementation will give tangible results by ensuring the targeted figures outlined in the governments 2021-2026 action plan, Kerobyan said. He said that Armenian and foreign businesses must be informed that thanks to several serious changes and new approaches doing business in Armenia is becoming easier and safer, procedures are simplified, and making investments here will be justified and profitable, while the legislative framework is regulated and administration is simple and fair. Investments and doing business in Armenia is encouraged by the government by all means, he concluded. Hartford Police Department /contributed photo HARTFORD Police said they have made a second arrest in the April shooting death of a 25-year-old. Chris Olds, 27, of East Hartford was apprehended Wednesday afternoon and charged with murder, first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm and criminal liability, police said. Viktoria Sundqvist / Hearst Connecticut Media / HARTFORD A South Windsor man was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday after he took nearly $680,000 from his grandparents for his non-existent college tuition and a fake investment opportunity, according to federal prosecutors. Douglas Senerth, 33, of South Windsor, pretended to be in college from 2011 to 2019. He went so far as to create fake college transcripts, letters and email accounts to trick his grandmother and late grandfather to pay $419,000 for his college tuition, as well as other related expenses, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release Tuesday. Jessica Hill / Associated Press News 8 and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities are planning to host the final gubernatorial debate of this political season. The debate is scheduled to take place at the Mohegan Sun Casino on the evening of Nov. 1 - a week before the general election. This years governors race is a rematch of the 2018 battle between Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican challenger Bob Stefanowski. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WEST HAVEN Like any normal Thursday morning, Michele Dalton was stepping into the shower around 8:30 a.m. when suddenly she heard a faint boom. Ten minutes later, another boom, one she said shook the foundation of her First Avenue home. Things fell off the wall. That is how much impact it had, said Dalton. Sue Duda, a neighbor about one block away, exited her home to see a porch light had come loose during the commotion and shattered. The first explosion we thought was a transformer exploding, but the second was so loud, Duda said. Neighbors said they believed there were about four explosions. They observed a new piece of plywood covering a newly-created hole in one of the homes kept behind the chain-link fence where a new outlet mall is expected to be built. That project, The Haven, has been stalled for years to the chagrin of neighbors who say the site is an eyesore that blocks views of the water, attracts rodents and fires, and sees police and fire officials conducting training drills. West Haven Police Chief Joseph Perno confirmed that his department was aware other agencies would be doing training at the site of The Haven Thursday morning. There is an understanding with the property manager, he said. While residents have no doubt they were rattled by multiple explosions, no police department took credit for conducting any training drills in the area Thursday. According to West Haven Executive Assistant to the Mayor Lou Esposito, the mayors office was told it was a joint police training exercise between Stamford and New Haven police. New Haven Assistant Chief David Zannelli said it was his understanding that West Havens SWAT team was conducting drills in the area. Perno said West Haven police did not conduct any drills in the area. A Stamford police dispatcher said he did not have any knowledge about training exercises happening in West Haven Thursday. Esposito, who was told by city police that it was a joint exercise between New Haven and Stamford police, said the city would be sending letters to other police departments to ensure that it does not happen again. Regardless of who was doing what, residents in the area said they had no prior warning about any drills or explosions. We have no idea what happened other than there were explosions going on in our neighborhood, said First Avenue neighbor Nathan Wrann. Neighbor Kelly Grant said she found it insane and ridiculous that there was no notification. This is not OK, she said. Neighbor Rita Marcinkus said that the unexpected explosions Thursday morning were frightening to her within the larger context of a national environment of mass shootings and violence. I have confidence that our mayor and elected officials will make sure that this does not occur again, Marcinkus said. Wrann said neighbors are accustomed to public safety drills in the area of The Haven development site, but when you start blowing stuff up, thats the end of our patience. Its a shame. I think theyve forgotten we are still a residential neighborhood where there are elderly and children. Its not acceptable and weve tolerated so much, Duda said. Somethings got to give. Councilwoman Sarah Ackbarali, D-3, said that if any buildings were to be demolished on The Haven property, she would request any future demolition efforts at The Haven be posted publicly so residents would not be taken by surprise. In addition, I will be requesting the same of any Police or Fire Departments utilizing the site for training to give prior public notice if any of their activities may cause potential alarm to any of the residents near and around the Haven site, Ackbarali said in a statement. State Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, visited neighbors in the area to hear their experiences. She said she was perplexed by the lack of communication to neighbors and between departments. Borer and other members of the state delegation have joined city officials in urging Simon Property Group, owner of The Haven, to tear down some of the old, rotted homes remaining on the property. However, no demolition permits have been pulled and there are outstanding concerns about remediating the structures of asbestos prior to pulling them down. Neighbors said it doesnt make sense that a training exercise could blow a hole through a building that has not been properly remediated. There was no notification here and no permits, said Aaron Charney, a former city councilman who represented the area in the citys 3rd District. Charney said he heard the loudest explosion from roughly three blocks away as he was mowing his lawn while wearing headphones. However, the sound of the explosions reportedly traveled farther than West Haven. Branford resident Collin Watson said he was on his back deck at home, which faces the East Haven border, when he heard an aggressively loud sound. Im 49, and that third explosion, Ive never heard anything that loud in my life, he said. Watson said his first instinct was to see if there were any news reports on what he thought could have been a chemical explosion before asking neighbors in a Facebook community group if they had heard what he heard. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received today the delegation led by the Chair of the European Parliaments Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) David McAllister, the PMs Office said. During the meeting PM Pashinyan highlighted the close cooperation with the European Parliament and stated that the European Union is one of the key partners in the effective implementation of Armenias democratic agenda. Pashinyan highlighted the mutual partnership within the Eastern Partnership and said that Armenia is holding leading positions in Eastern Partnership in the fight against corruption, freedom of speech, electoral reforms and other directions. David McAllister thanked for the warm welcome and highlighted the productive and close cooperation with Armenian parliamentarians. He welcomed Armenias ongoing democratic reforms in different areas, adding that the European Union will continue providing support to the Armenian government in this direction. The sides touched upon the process happening in the South Caucasus region, the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, the unblocking of regional infrastructure and the delimitation opportunities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. PM Pashinyan presented in-detail the position of the Armenian side and answered to the questions of the EP delegation. The sides highlighted ensuring regional peace and stability and continuing the dialogue on this direction. PM Pashinyan touched upon the issue of Armenian prisoners of war, who are still held in Azerbaijan, and in this respect David McAllister said that the European Parliament also stresses the importance of ensuring their return by Azerbaijan and will continue the efforts on this path. Issues relating to the preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the Azerbaijani control were also discussed. Nikol Pashinyan and David McAllister stressed the need of ensuring the entry of UNESCO mission to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone and conducting consistent works for this purpose. YEREVAN, 22 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 22 July, USD exchange rate down by 1.74 drams to 413.10 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.68 drams to 420.08 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.07 drams to 7.17 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.49 drams to 493.78 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 151.40 drams to 22646.24 drams. Silver price down by 7.89 drams to 242.59 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams. Black boxes depict the loss of family and friends to emigration, now-defunct newspapers and memories of childhood. This black box tells about lost family and friends. Relatives in various places can be seen in the imitation video. A small exhibit down an alleyway off Hsin-Yi Street in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan is offering Hongkongers in exile and others with keen memories of the city to leave them in a "time machine" house for others to see. The Hong Kong Time House project hopes to recreate the city people remember, to show others their lived experience of being there before they fled a crackdown on dissent under a draconian national security law imposed by Beijing. Taiwan, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) nor formed part of the People's Republic of China, has nevertheless lived through several decades of authoritarian rule under the Kuomintang, now a political opposition party to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The tiny "time machine" hopes to reveal "Hong Kong's past and present through the memories of its people, and hope for Hong Kong's future," according to the curator. The black boxes are like high-rise buildings, simulating the urban landscape of Hong Kong, with "Lion Rock" posted on the back. Credit: Chun Yin Pushing open the wooden door, the first thing that catches the eye is a black box, simulating Hong Kong's high-rise buildings with the iconic Lion Rock pasted on the back. Hsiao Lin, a spokesperson for the Tainan Hong Kong Concern Group, said the boxes are there to store "historical events that Hong Kong people remember deeply," their lost rights and freedoms under Chinese rule, including freedom of the press, freedom of protest and assembly and the right to vote for democratic representatives. One box contain people's childhood memories from growing up in the city, while another is dedicated to "lost family and friends" trying to connect across different time zones from halfway around the world, amid a mass exodus of people from the city, seeking a life of less political risk elsewhere. Sticky notes on one side denote different countries and time zones; on the other is a photo of people hugging goodbye at Hong Kong airport. Xiaolin, a spokeswoman for the Tainan Hong Kong Concern Group, hopes that Hong Kong people can keep hope for the future. Credit: Chun Yin "It's a scene that provokes a good deal of reaction among Hong Kong visitors to the "time house," Hsiao Lin said. "A lot of Hong Kong people have had to separate from those close to them, whether because of immigration or exile, so one of our boxes is about the difficulty of seeing family and friends again," Lin said. "Sometimes I wonder if we will ever all get together in one place ever again. So this is actually the box that many Hong Kong people here feel the most intensely when they come to visit." Another black box presents a prison cell, and is plastered with news headlines about the sentences handed down to people who took part in the 2019 protest movement in recent years, including the case of a highschooler jailed for possession of a laser pointer and someone who shouted a banned political slogan while Christmas shopping. Even for those curating the exhibit, some of the charges seem unbelievable, Hsiao Lin said. This black box presents a prison cell and is covered with news headlines about the sentencing in the anti-extradition case. Credit: Chun Yin In the section marked "now," there are books about Hong Kong culture and social movements, all of which were specially shipped out to Taiwan, as they weren't usually on sale there. There is also an exhibit dedicated to all of Hong Kong's once freewheeling news media including publications like the Apple Daily, Stand News and Citizen News that folded under investigation by national security police. In the "future" box, there are words displayed like "hope" and "Hongkongers," or "may the darkness end," and "no restrictions." Some of them were written and posted by visitors, who contributed to the exhibit on the spot. "A lot of people think that there is no hope for Hong Kong because things are so dark there now," Hsiao Lin said. "But when we think about it, many places have gone through very long dark periods." "For example, if we look at Taiwan, they all went through a long period of martial law and white terror [under the KMT]," Lin said. "If we think about the Taiwanese in the 1980s or 1970s, maybe they never thought that one day they would be able to protest freely in the streets, or enjoy freedom of speech." In the "future" section, there are messages on the wall about the "hope for Hong Kong and our own future." Credit: Chun Yin Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. China often holds military exercises at short notice in response to U.S. naval activities in disputed seas. China has staged another military exercise off the back of a five-day large-scale drill near the Paracel islandsjust as the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan docked in Singapore after spending over a week in the South China Sea. The U.S. carrier and its strike group were slated to visit Vietnam this month but the visit has been called off, said two Vietnamese sources with knowledge of the matter who wish to stay anonymous because theyre not authorised to speak to the media. No reason was given, said one of the sources, adding that the Vietnamese staff involved in the preparation for the port call were asked to be on stand-by for a couple days before the final decision last week. As a matter of policy the U.S. Pacific Fleet declined to comment on the purported port call. The USS Ronald Reagan is now at Changi Naval Base and its crew met with visiting Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro before taking some R&R. Del Toros office said the sailors have done a fantastic job the past few months operating across the Indo-Pacific with Allies and partners reinforcing international norms and standards. Be safe, make good decisions, and enjoy your liberty! it tweeted. The Ronald Reagan Strike Group began its first deployment in the South China Sea in 2022 on July 13 and was conducting exercises at the same time as another warship, the guided missile destroyer USS Benfold. Chinas back-to-back military exercises While the U.S. ships were operating in the South China Sea, China announced a large military exercise on July 16 to July 20 in an area of 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles) east of Hainan island overlapping the Paracel archipelago. On July 20 the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) issued another navigation warning about a second military exercise also in the South China Sea but smaller and at a closer proximity to Hainan island. This drill started on the same Wednesday and finished Friday. China often holds military exercises at short notice as a response to U.S. naval activities in disputed areas of the South China and East China Seas. Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam hold territorial claims over parts of the sea including the Paracel and the Spratly islands but the Chinese claim is by far the most expansive. The International Court of Justice clears way for the Gambian case to move to evidence against Myanmar. Rohingya siblings fleeing violence hold one another as they cross the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, Nov. 1, 2017. UPDATED at 1.42 P.M. EDT on 2022-07-22 The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected on Friday all of Myanmars objections to a case brought against it by Gambia that accuses the Southeast Asian country of genocide against the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority. Myanmars military regime had lodged four preliminary objections claiming the Hague-based court does not have jurisdiction and that the West African country of Gambia did not have the standing to bring the case over mass killing and forced expulsions of Rohingya in 2016 and 2017. The ruling delivered at the Peace Palace in the Dutch city of The Hague by ICJ President, Judge Joan E. Donoghue, clears the way for the court to move on to the merits phase of the process and consider the factual evidence against Myanmar, a process that could take years. Donoghue said the court found that all members of the 1948 Genocide Convention can and are obliged act to prevent genocide, and that through its statements before the U.N. General Assembly in 2018 and 2019, Gambia had made clear to Myanmar its intention to bring a case to the ICJ based on the conclusion of a UN fact-finding mission into the allegations of genocide. Myanmar could not have been unaware of the fact that The Gambia had expressed the view that it would champion an accountability mechanism for the alleged crimes against the Rohingya, the judge said. Gambia's attorney general Dawda Jallow (L) and Myanmar's agent, Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing (R) comment outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo The military junta that overthrew Myanmars elected government in February 2021 is now embroiled in fighting with prodemocracy paramilitaries across wide swathes of the country, and multiple reports have emerged of troops torturing, raping and killing civilians. In the initial hearing of the case in 2019, Gambia said that from around October 2016 the Myanmar military and other Myanmar security forces began widespread and systematic clearance operations against the Rohingya group. The genocidal acts committed during these operations were intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group, in whole or in part, by the use of mass murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, as well as the systematic destruction by fire of their villages, often with inhabitants locked inside burning houses. From August 2017 onwards, such genocidal acts continued with Myanmars resumption of clearance operations on a more massive and wider geographical scale. Thousands died in the raids in August 2017, when the military cleared and burned Rohingya communities in western Myanmar, killing, torturing and raping locals. The violent campaign forced more than 740,000 people to flee to squalid refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. That exodus followed a 2016 crackdown that drove out more than 90,000 Rohingya from Rakhine. Gambia has called on Myanmar to stop persecuting the Rohingya, punish those responsible for the genocide, offer reparations to the victims and provide guarantees that there would be no repeat of the crimes against the Rohingya. The Myanmar juntas delegation protested at a hearing on Feb. 25 this year, saying the ICJ has no right to hear the case. It lodged four objections, all of which were rejected by the ICJ on Friday. In this Oct. 19, 2017 file photo, Rohingya Muslims, who spent four days in the open after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, carry their belongings after they were allowed to proceed towards a refugee camp, at Palong Khali, Bangladesh. Credit: AP Photo Reactions to ruling Tun Khin, president of the U.K.-based Burma Rohingya Organization, who attended Friday's court proceeding, called the ICJ ruling "good news for all citizens of Myanmar." The ICJ court proceeding will continue and justice will be served for all Rohingya, who have been victims of a genocide," he said. "I believe the forthcoming court hearings will verify that the military has intentionally committed crimes against the Rohingya population, with genocidal intent. In a post on Twitter, Gambia's Ministry of Justice welcomed the ruling, calling it "a major win for The Gambia in its fight for Justice for the Rohyinga." In Bangladesh, the decision was greeted with joy by the displaced Rohingya community. Khin Mong, founder of the Rohingya Youth Association and a resident of the Unchiprang refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, told the RFA-affiliated BenarNews that the ICJ's ruling would benefit "all oppressed ethnic groups in Myanmar, not just the Rohingya." "Insha'Allah, the Rohingyas will one day receive justice. I believe the international court's final decision will also be in our favor," he said. BenarNews also spoke to Abul Kalam, a Rohinyga refugee living at Camp Majhi in Jadimura, Teknaf. "Until death, every Rohingya will seek justice for this genocide," he said. "The Gambia has prepared the path for a fair trial for us. We are now more optimistic about it." Attempts by RFA Burmese to reach junta Deputy Minister of Information Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the ruling went unanswered Friday. When asked earlier this month about the case, he told RFA that he hoped the ICJ would make a fair decision in its ruling. "Myanmar will maintain its legal stance," he said at the time. "As the ICJ is an organization that mainly deals with international law and legal procedures, Myanmar hopes that justice will be done in accordance with international laws." Friday's ruling was also welcomed by the international human rights community. The ICJ decision opens the door toward an overdue reckoning with the Myanmar militarys murderous campaign against the Rohingya population," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "By holding the military to account for its atrocities against the Rohingya, the World Court could provide the impetus for greater international action toward justice for all victims of the Myanmar security forces crimes. Matthew Smith, chief executive officer at Fortify Rights, called the ruling "momentous." Jurisdiction in this case is settled," he said. "The international community should immediately get behind The Gambia in this case and support other efforts across mechanisms to hold the Myanmar military to account for its horrific crimes against the people of Myanmar. Smoke rises from what is believed to be a burning village in the area near Maungdaw in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Aug. 30, 2017. Credit: AFP Ongoing oppression The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and was established in 1945 to settle disputes in accordance with international law through binding judgments with no right of appeal. The U.S. has also accused Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ruled in March this year that Burmas military committed genocide and crimes against humanity with the intent to destroy predominantly Muslim Rohingya in 2017. The State Department said the military junta continues to oppress the Rohingya, putting 144,000 in internal displacement camps in Rakhine state by the end of last year. A State Department report last month noted that Rohingya also face travel restrictions within the country and the junta has made no effort to bring refugees back from Bangladesh. Myanmar, a country of 54 million people about the size of France, recognizes 135 official ethnic groups, with Burmans accounting for about 68 percent of the population. The Rohingya, whose ethnicity is not recognized by the government, have faced decades of discrimination in Myanmar and are effectively stateless, denied citizenship. Myanmar administrations have refused to call them Rohingya and instead use the term Bengali. The atrocities against the Rohingya were committed during the tenure of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who in December 2019 defended the military against allegations of genocide at the ICJ. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and one-time democracy icon now languishes in prison toppled by the same military in last years coup. In February, the National Unity Government (NUG), formed by former Myanmar lawmakers who operate as a shadow government in opposition to the military junta, said they accept the authority of the ICJ to decide if the 2016-17 campaign against Rohingya constituted a genocide, and would withdraw all preliminary objections in the case. NUG Human Rights Minister Aung Myo Min called Friday's ruling "in line" with the shadow government's approach to the Rohingya issue. Todays ruling will bring up more hearings, credible evidence and testimonies. It will bring an effective ruling in the end, and we welcome all of that, he said. Aung Htoo, a Myanmar human rights lawyer and the principal at the countrys Federal Legal Academy, said that while the decision marks a significant step forward in the case, it remains unclear how long it could take for the court to reach a final verdict. Most likely it could take several years, even a decade, he said. Translated by Kyaw Min Htun. Written in English by Paul Eckert. UPDATED with reactions to ruling. Human rights violations against inmates have been on the rise since the military takeover, an NGO says. Four students imprisoned for protesting the ruling military junta have been held in solitary confinement and beaten nearly every day by authorities since being transferred to central Myanmars Bago region less than two weeks ago, their relatives and sources with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. Min Thu Aung, Banya Oo, Ye Htut Khaung and Zaw Win Htut all students at Hpa-an University in Hpa-n, Kayin state were arrested in March and charged with defamation of the state, organizing or helping a group to encourage the overthrow or destruction of the Myanmar military, and having contact with an unlawful organization, in this case an ethnic armed group fighting national forces. They each have been sentenced to 12 to 13 years in prison. The four students were among 60 other political prisoners who were transferred from Hpa-An Prison to Tharrawaddy Prison in Bago region on July 9. On instructions from the warden at Hpa-an Prison, the students were separated from the other prisoners when they arrived at the Bago detention center and placed in solitary confinement, a person close to one of the families told RFA. The four have been beaten and locked up in solitary confinement nearly every day since July 10, the youths family members and those familiar with the situation said. They were not handcuffed when they were first beaten, though their ankles were shackled, the person told RFA. Human rights violations in prisons, such as the beatings the students have experienced, have gotten worse since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in a February 2020 coup, said a spokesman for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Thai NGO. We have heard that political prisoners are being tortured intentionally and unjustly because they are political prisoners, and that they are being tortured in various ways, he told RFA. According to AAPPs records, junta authorities have arrested 11,743 civilians for civil disobedience activities, of which 1,344 were sentenced to prison terms, since the coup took place. When they were beaten while sitting without handcuffs, Banya Oo and Ye Htut Khaung tried to fight back, but were struck more forcefully, said the person close to one of the families of the detained students. They were then handcuffed, dragged away and locked in solitary cells. They were taken out of the cells every morning and were beaten again, the person said, adding that the guards taunted them, asking if their revolution against the junta had succeeded and telling them to say We must win, while continuing the beatings. The source said there were rumors that representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) may visit the detention center to investigate the alleged mistreatment of the students. Prison guards removed the students from solitary confinement on July 18, though they are still suffering from injuries from the daily beatings and have not received medical treatment, he said. Another RFA source, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said all four men had serious injuries, including broken noses and head wounds and that one was beaten until his teeth fell out. RFA could not reach Prisons Department officials in Yangon or military junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment. A statement issued by the ICRC in Myanmar on Monday said authorities must treat prisoners with dignity and humanity and ensure their health and safety. It also said the authorities had suspended ICRC access to prisons since March 2020 to check on detainees and provide humanitarian aid. 'These actions are crimes' The torture of prisoners is a serious human rights violation because the students have already suffered from being sentenced to long jail terms, said the father of one of the students, who declined to be named for safety reasons. The kids have already been given punishments, he said. They havent broken any law or prison rules [since their arrests]. They didnt even have any kind of prisoners rights and all these beatings are very serious violations of human rights. We feel that this kind of mistreatment has become more serious after the military coup, he said. Theres no rule of law at all. No matter what the law says, people would be arrested and unjustly sentenced by the courts once accusations were made against them. The students parents and relatives from Hpa-an requested permission to visit Tharrawaddy Prison, but prison authorities rejected their requests. Tun Kyi, a senior member of the Former Political Prisoners Society, said prison authorities have a policy of torturing political prisoners. They are committing the most serious violation of human rights with the intention of subduing political prisoners so that they do not dare to rise up again, he said. They have laid out policies in various prisons, and then brutally oppressed and tortured the prisoners, often asking questions like, Are you a revolutionary? and Is your revolution making any headway? before hitting them. Hpa-an and Tharrawaddy prisons, along with Yangons Insein Prison, are among the worst detention centers of Myanmars more than 40 jails, Tun Kyi said. A former prison warden, who did not want to be named out of concern for his safety, said the prison officials who mistreat detainees nowadays are former military officers. A legal expert from Yangon, who did not want to be named for the same reason, said that physical beating of any detainee, including political prisoners, is a crime according to the regulations governing prisons. If you look at it as a lawyer, these actions are actually crimes because the jail manual states that prison wardens can give only 12 types of punishments, he said. No one else has the right to punish the prisoners. Among those 12 types of punishments that he can give, he is not allowed to beat prisoners. Those who torture political prisoners will be held to account at some point, said the AAPP spokesman, who declined to be named for safety reasons. Those who personally carry out the torture and all those who order it will have to pay restitution at some point, he said. This is a violation of both domestic and international law. Therefore, all those involved in the violations must surely pay restitution in the future. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Flowers are placed on a photo of teacher Tin Nwe Yi, who was killed in a demonstration against the military coup, during a memorial ceremony in Yangon, Myanmar, March 1, 2021. AFP Two dozen teachers have been killed and more than 200 others arrested since Myanmars military seized control from the elected government nearly 18 months ago, according to a Thailand-based Burmese human rights organization. The 24 teachers, who had joined the countrys Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) of striking professionals, died by gunfire during street protests or from torture, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). The AAPP keeps a daily tally of the number of civilians killed and arrested by the military regime since the Feb. 1, 2021, coup. The 209 teachers who were arrested were also part of the CDM. The targeted arrest and imprisonment of CDM teachers may be higher than the AAPPs tally, a spokesman for the organization said. Some teachers also have withdrawn from the CDM and returned to work because of pressure from the junta, he said. RFA reported in June that at least 40 teachers had been killed as of this May, according to information provided by the junta. RFA attempted to contact military spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun several times by phone without success. The shadow National Unity Governments (NUG) Ministry of Education says that more 200,000 of Myanmars 450,000 schoolteachers participated in the CDM at its height in the months after the military coup. A family member of a middle school teacher who was arrested in April 2021 for joining the CDM and sentenced to three years in prison said she is furious with the junta. We worked so hard for her to become a schoolteacher, said the relative, who declined to be named for safety reasons. Its not appropriate for a young teacher to spend three years in prison. Moe Thway Nyo, a secondary school teacher from Kawa township in Bago region who also joined the CDM but fled to the Myanmar-Thailand border to avoid arrest, said the State Administration Council, as the military regime is known, has begun prosecuting CDM teachers under the countrys Counter-Terrorism Law, which carries stiff penalties. The longer the revolution goes on, the more severe the charges they are using to unjustly accuse and arrest CDM teachers, he said. At first, the junta prosecuted CDM members under Section 505(a) of Myanmars Penal Code, which the regime revised in March 2021. The section previously made it a crime to publish or circulate statements, rumors or reports with intent to cause military personnel to mutiny, disregard or fail in their duty. The revision made attempts to hinder, disturb or damage the motivation of military personnel and civil servants and cause their hatred, disobedience or disloyalty punishable by up to three years in prison, according to Human Rights Watch. Now the junta is prosecuting CDM members under Sections 50(a), 50(b), and 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law under which the prison sentences became harsher, Moe Thway Nyo said. Convictions under these sections of the law carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Protesters arrange abandoned flip-flops and other belongings next to a makeshift altar for teacher Tin Nwe Yi, left behind during a crackdown in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 1, 2021, after she was killed during a demonstration against the military coup. Credit: AFP 'On the side of truth' A CDM secondary school teacher from Taikkyi township in Yangon region said the juntas targeting of educators participating in the strike is unacceptable. Teachers are expressing their views and saying what they think is wrong, said the educator, who declined to be named for safety reasons. We are on the side of the truth. The juntas Education Department already sacked us long ago, but arrests are still being made. We strongly condemn these actions of arbitrary arrests and unjust imprisonments. The junta has asked thousands of teachers who joined the CDM to return to classrooms in schools administered by its Education Department. Some have returned to their jobs, mainly out of financial necessity, but many others have stayed the course and are teaching students in NUG-dominated areas outside the regimes education system. As of mid-June, more than 3,150 academic staffers had quit the CDM and returned to service, according to junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun. He also told reporters in May that Peoples Defense Force militias that have fought against the military in opposition to the regime were to blame for harassing and killing teachers who resumed working after they quit the CDM. A spokesman for the Myanmar Teachers Federation who did not want to be named for security reasons said that if the regime continues to arrest educators, they will eventually leave the teaching profession. If these teachers are arrested and harmed again, they will get tired of the situation and quit, he said. They will no longer be able to pass on to the new generation of teachers the knowledge they have acquired, and our education sector will be like a barren plant without any fruit. It is very worrying for the education sector. Other educators who are part of the CDM told RFA that in addition to threats of arrest, the junta has prevented them from teaching in private schools. In a statement issued on July 17, the NUGs Ministry of Education stated that the arrest of teachers violated articles of the U.N.s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of the Child, and provisions of Myanmars 2019 Child Rights Law. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. The U.S. enacted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in December 2021 to strengthen an existing ban on the importation of goods made wholly or in part with forced labor from Chinas Xinjiang region. The law, which took effect on June 21, requires U.S. companies that import goods to prove that they have not been manufactured at any stage with Uyghur forced labor. On Wednesday, Jewish World Watch (JWW), a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to helping survivors of genocide and mass atrocities around the world, launched an online database listing Western companies in the automotive, energy, fashion, food and technology sectors that have been implicated as benefiting from Uyghur forced labor, so concerned consumers can avoid purchasing their products. Serena Oberstein, JWWs executive director, spoke with RFA Uyghur reporter Nuriman Abdureshid about the Uyghur Forced Labor Database and what the group hopes to accomplish with it. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. RFA: What motivated JWW to create the Uyghur Forced Labor Database? Oberstein: What were hearing coming out of East Turkestan [Xinjiang] about Uyghurs being taken in the night, having their heads shaved, being put on trains, and especially the companies that are using Uyghur forced labor, also has direct ties to the Holocaust. I remember mentioning one of them and someone said, Oh, what have they said? Do they know? And I said, Yes, they know. They have a factory. They signed a contract with the Chinese Communist Party. And theyve made a public statement where theyve said that as long as theres a profit to be made, essentially theyre going to be there. Having this type of database where you can see that companies know exactly what theyre doing or they know where in their supply chain theyre using Uyghur forced labor and have chosen not to stop and chosen to be complicit. Its really important information for consumers. RFA: Tell us more about the database. Oberstein: The Uyghur Forced Labor Database is a project detailing how global companies are complicit in Uyghur forced labor, and its the most extensive [database] to date. It brings to light more than 600 national and international companies and their reported links to Uyghur forced labor in the ongoing genocide against the Uyghur people in East Turkestan. We highlight a number of companies by industry, but you can also go in and search if theres information available. Its something that we launched in the days immediately after the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. What we know is that the [U.S.] entity list thats being utilized is not extensive enough. Not only do we really want individuals and consumers to use this database to make more ethical decisions about the companies they support, but also were really hoping to share this with the U.S. government and that they utilize it and understand that this information is available. We will link to all of the studies and investigative reports that have thoroughly mapped how these companies are complicit in genocide. We hope that first and foremost, its an educational tool, but that it becomes a tool that empowers people to stop using products made with Uyghur slaves and by Uyghur slaves. RFA: Have any companies contacted you about the database? Oberstein: No, not yet. We just released it Wednesday afternoon, so we definitely havent heard from anybody yet. We hope that with the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act that companies will start to come off of this database and well update people. We want to support companies [in making] more ethical decisions. The purpose of this isnt to necessarily tell [consumers] not to buy a product; its to say that they have an obligation to do the right thing. They have an obligation to be ethical in their decision making, and here is information so that you can make the right decision. RFA: What do you want to say to companies that have supply chains related to Uyghur forced labor? Oberstein: We feel like you always have to put people over profit. When I talk to companies and they say, Well, we don't want to lose our market share in China, its horrific to me. What about the millions of people who are being interned? What about the people who are dying? What about the children who are growing up without parents who are being reeducated and indoctrinated? Thats what we care about. Thats what should be our priority. We worked with someone a few months ago, whose family helped start the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and he had a factory in East Turkestan and went to go visit it a few years ago. When he saw what was happening, he said to himself, I cant ethically do that, and he closed his factory and reopened one in Mexico. So, we know that its possible, that you dont need to rely on forced labor in your supply chain and that you can ethically source your labor. You have to act. You have to put people over profit. RFA: Is there anything else you want to add? Oberstein: I hope that people use [the database] and share it with their friends. If people have questions about it, if they think that there is information missing, they should definitely feel free to reach out to us and say, We know this company is doing it. We know that there is knowledge of this involved in [a] company that maybe we missed. We would welcome that kind of feedback. We hope that what comes of it is that this is a first step. Now that people have the information, they can start to make educated decisions. But this is [also] so that companies know that were watching, and we see what theyre doing, and that we expect more from them. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Defendants say confessions used against them at their trial were coerced by police. Six members of the Peng Lai Temple are shown at their trial in Duc Hoa district, Long An province, July 20, 2022. A court in Vietnam has sentenced six members of an independent religious group to long prison terms following a two-day trial in which defendants said they had been forced to confess to the charges made against them, drawing condemnation from rights groups on Friday. Convicted by the Peoples Court of Duc Hoa District in southern Vietnams Long An province, the members of the unofficial Peng Lai Temple were charged with abusing the rights to freedom and democracy and will now serve sentences of from three and a half to five years. Handed the harshest sentence on Thursday, temple member Le Tung Van was given a five-year term, with Le Thanh Hoan Nguyen, Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen and Le Thanh Trung Duong each sentenced to four-year terms. Le Thanh Nhi Nguyen was sentenced to three and a half years, and Cao Thi Cuc given a three-year term. All had been charged under Article 331 of Vietnams 2015 Penal Code. Speaking to RFA after the trial, a human rights lawyer in Vietnam called the case against the six temple members politically motivated. These verdicts did not surprise me at all, because the nature of the case was political, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of concern for his personal safety. Right from the beginning, state media had deliberately published information aimed at slandering the Peng Lai Temple members, accusing them of incestuous relationships and of committing fraud, the lawyer said. [Vietnams] press law clearly stipulates that the media are not allowed to make accusations on behalf of the court or the judging panel. The accusations made by state-controlled news outlets had nothing to do with the charge of abusing the rights to freedom and democracy on which the defendants were convicted, the lawyer said. The government of Vietnam is showing that they dont understand what freedom of religion is and that they are willing to crack down on any religious groups that they cant control through their licensing system, he added. State prosecutors in their indictment had specifically charged group members with posting articles and video clips on Facebook and YouTube aimed at harming the reputation of Duc Hoa district police and offending the honor and dignity of Tran Ngoc Thao, also called Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, a local Buddhist leader. Threats and torture However, confessions made to the charges and used against group members at their trial were obtained by threats and torture, three of the six defendants said in court on July 20. During the investigation, a Duc Hoa district police officer named Phong slapped me three times against the side of my head and put me in handcuffs, closing them so tightly that it cut off the circulation of my blood, Le Thanh Trung Duong said. I almost passed out, and then I was threatened by an officer named Phap, and thats why I made false statements, Duong said. Defendant Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen said in court that he had also been beaten by police during his pre-trial investigation. But after our lawyers got involved, I wasnt beaten any more. Therefore, I would like to ask that this investigation be conducted all over again, he said. Replying to defendants accusations at the trial, a representative from the Long An Police Investigations Department said that the interrogation of members of the Peng Lai group had been conducted in accordance with the law, and that audio and video recordings of the questioning had been kept. 'Outrageous, unacceptable' In a statement, Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson said that Vietnam's government is now widening its rights crackdown by silencing ordinary people who complain about local officials. "All this shows how intolerance for any sort of public criticism is getting worse in Vietnam. Vietnam should reverse these outrageous and unacceptable sentences against all of these persons," Robertson said. Vietnams government strictly controls religious practice in the one-party communist country, requiring practitioners to join state-approved temples and churches and suppressing independent groups. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in a report released April 25 recommended the U.S. government place Vietnam on a list of countries of particular concern because of Vietnamese authorities persistent violations of religious freedom. Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Written in English by Richard Finney. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has decried "Russia's nuclear terrorism" in a phone call on August 16 with his French counterpart, as Ukrainian and international nuclear experts continue to demand greater safeguards against catastrophe at the occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy tweeted that he had also informed President Emmanuel Macron about the "situation at the front" and thanked Paris for its "tangible defense aid," as well as discussing economic aid and food-security challenges. "We must increase sanctions on Russia," Zelenskiy said, continuing a recent push for harsher international penalties to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to call off his five-month-old invasion. Macron's office said the French leader "underlined his concern about the threat posed by the presence and actions of the Russian armed forces and the context of war with the ongoing conflicts over security and safety of Ukrainian nuclear installations, and called for the withdrawal of these forces." Champs-Elysees said Macron also stressed his support for the possible terms of the UN nuclear agency director-general's proposal to send a mission of experts to Zaporizhzhya as soon as possible. Macron along with Zelenskiy also hailed the continued implementation of a UN- and Turkish-brokered deal with Russia and Ukraine on the export through Ukrainian ports of Ukrainian grain "essential for world food security." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked for a demilitarized zone to be created around Zaporizhzhya. Both the UN and its nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have said IAEA inspectors should be allowed to visit the plant. Guterres reportedly spoke with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on August 15, when Russia's Foreign Ministry also insisted it would do "everything necessary" to allow IAEA experts access to the facility, which lies near the front lines in southeastern Ukraine. Exhausted Ukrainian workers at the plant have complained of being held at gunpoint, and the plant's operator, Enerhoatom, has said Russia is preparing a risky maneuver to divert Zaporizhzhya's energy production to a Russian-controlled grid. Ukraine's nuclear power company Enerhoatom alleged on August 16 that Russian-based hackers had unleashed an hours-long attack on its website but said major problems had been avoided. Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, acknowledged in a state TV interview on August 16 that the Zaporizhzhya situation represents "dangers all of us are facing... as major contamination or a Chernobyl-like disaster could occur there under certain conditions." Russia's TASS also quoted him repeating Moscow's accusations that Ukrainian forces and its Western backers are behind the recent shelling around Zaporizhzhya, which Russian forces captured in March. Kyiv has insisted that Russian troops are using Europe's largest nuclear plant as a military base, including storing dangerous weapons and shelling in the area. On August 14, 42 countries condemned Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and said the presence of Russian military forces at Zaporizhzhya is preventing authorities from maintaining nuclear and radiation safety obligations. "It is undeniable that Russia's invasion and its continued presence at Ukraines nuclear facilities significantly raise the risk of nuclear incidents and accidents," the statement on the European Union's website says. Hopes for greater cooperation among the five Central Asian countries in the foreseeable future were dashed when Tajikistan and Turkmenistan refused to sign a new agreement on friendship and cooperation at a key regional summit in Kyrgyzstan on July 21. The two countries said they would first "complete all domestic procedures" before committing to the agreement on Friendship, Neighborliness, and Cooperation for the Development of Central Asia in the 21st Century, the most important document at the high-level meeting attended by all five Central Asian presidents. But Tajik and Turkmen officials offered no time frame for when the "procedures" will be done or what exactly needs to be done. Analysts dismissed it as an excuse, saying that in authoritarian countries like Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, all major political decisions rest with the presidents themselves, not with the people or the parliaments. "For them, 'domestic procedures' don't play any role. If they were genuinely interested in this agreement, they would have signed it then and there," said Alisher Ilkhamov, an analyst at the British-based Central Asia Due Diligence. Ilkhamov says he wasn't surprised by Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhammedov's decision not to sign the document, as his country has often distanced itself from regional treaties and integration initiatives. Turkmenistan is not a member of any of the major regional groupings, such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union, or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's refusal to sign the new agreement was linked by experts to a long-standing border dispute between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan that has included violent clashes on many occasions that have killed dozens, destroyed homes, and displaced thousands of people. "Both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have repeatedly said border issues will be resolved in a bilateral format," Tajik political analyst Sherali Rizoiyon said. Rizoiyon described it as a "reasonable approach, as the two directly deal with each other without a third actor." Some 35 percent of the countries' 970-kilometer border has yet to be demarcated in an ongoing process by Tajik and Kyrgyz officials. Speaking at the summit, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev offered to assist the Kyrgyz and Tajik governments to find a peaceful solution to their border dispute and prevent further violence. The full and final text of the treaty that was signed by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan was not made immediately public. According to official government websites, one of the main articles of the agreement states that the countries will refrain from using force -- or threatening to use force -- against each other, will work toward peace and security, and coordinate efforts to counter challenges and security threats. Even before it began, the gathering of the five presidents in the resort town of Cholpon-Ata was seen by some experts as an opportunity for the Central Asian countries to set out a road map for more unity and cooperation without relying on powerful external players, such as Russia and China. The summit took place as Russia, the region's historic strategic partner with whom it shares the Soviet experience, is waging a brutal war in Ukraine and facing severe Western sanctions because of it -- putting an enormous strain on Russia's economy and its military. Despite Russia's apparent diminishing influence in Central Asia, experts warn that Moscow's continued leverage in the region -- especially over poorer countries like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan -- shouldn't be underestimated. Russia remains a major trade partner and investor in Central Asia, while the region also depends on Russia for transit and pipeline routes. Moscow has limited Kazakhstan's access to the key Caspian Pipeline Consortium pipeline several times in recent months, a move widely seen as retaliation by the Kremlin after Nur-Sultan refused to recognize separatist-held territories in Ukraine as independent states. Analyst Ilkhamov says Russia will continue to try to derail any potential integration initiatives in Central Asia and hamper any efforts to diversity trade and pipeline routes. "Russia will begin to act behind the scenes to put pressure on each country -- both through bilateral relations and by means of the Moscow-led regional groupings CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union." In Tajikistan, many believe that their country's social stability depends on Moscow, as hundreds of thousands of Tajik households depend on remittances from relatives working in Russia. "Russia can find an alternative for labor force to replace Tajiks, but Tajiks don't have another alternative, another country, that would take in millions of migrant workers," said a political science professor at Khujand State University, speaking on condition of anonymity. He added that he "wouldn't rule out that one reason Dushanbe's hesitance to sign the treaty in Cholpon-Ata was it didn't want to anger Moscow." YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. The delegation led by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament David McAllister is on a regional visit to Armenia. The correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports that during the press conference held in the National Assembly of Armenia, Eduard Aghajanyan, the chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, stated that on July 22, David McAllister had meetings in Yerevan with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan, Vice President of the National Assembly and the chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. David Mcallister, Eduard Aghajanyan David Mcallister Eduard Aghajanyan David Mcallister David Mcallister, Eduard Aghajanyan Eduard Aghajanyan Photos by Hayk Manukyan According to Aghajanyan, David McAllisters delegation also met with the representatives of the three parliamentary factions. "During the meetings, current regional issues were discussed, in particular, regional developments in the post-war period in the context of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Armenian-Turkish relations, the problems associated with these processes and their possible solutions. The positive activity and influence of the European Parliament on the mentioned processes were also recorded, in particular, specific statements and resolutions related to the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, the statement by the European Parliament regarding the prisoners of war were noted and highlighted, and the Armenian side is grateful to our partners for this firm and impartial position", Eduard Aghajanyan said. Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of international borders, the countries of Central Asia had pinned their hopes on international tourism to bring in revenue and create jobs. Governments relaxed visa rules and invested in promotion. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, for instance, flew dozens of foreign influencers in to boost their image on social media. The World Nomad Games -- the "Olympics" for ethnic sports, hosted by Kyrgyzstan -- were a big success, bringing in foreign athletes and spectators and making international headlines. The number of visitors grew. Some glowing reviews appeared in the media. CNN called Uzbekistan a top travel destination for 2020, while Tajikistan was featured in a New York Times article as being among the best places to visit that year. Now, flights have resumed, borders have reopened, and COVID-19 restrictions have eased. But the tourism industry in Central Asia doesn't seem to be fully back on its feet yet. In a live discussion on July 21, I spoke with Umeda Kurbonbekova, a mountain guide from Tajikistan and a travel agency owner, and Azamat Mamataaly-Uulu, a mountain guide and photographer from Kyrgyzstan. We talked about the state of domestic and international tourism before and after the pandemic, country promotion, and the best places, in their opinion, worth seeing in their countries. Key takeaways: Umeda Kurbonbekova (Tajikistan): The main goal during the pandemic was to make our people understand that in Tajikistan we also have great places to see. But, you know, sometimes only hiring a car for a trip within Tajikistan can cost as much as a return ticket to Dubai or Antalya. So, of course, some people dont want to spend so much money to see their own country and history. Of course, they prefer to go abroad. We have been working a lot with younger generations of Tajiks. We offer special weekend tours for our domestic tourists. She recommends visiting: 1) ancient Silk Road settlements; 2) the home-museum of Muborak Wakhani in the village of Yamg; 3) and the alpine lake of Bulunkul, located in the coldest area of Central Asia. Azamat Mamataaly-Uulu (Kyrgyzstan): Tourism is a very attractive business. However, we dont have real professionals in it. Sometimes its a really big problem to find a good guide who knows a specific area, who can speak English or maybe German and French. Sometimes, you cant find a trustworthy driver because some are busy, some have their cars broken, or some are not at the location. He recommends visiting: 1) Chatkal Valley in the Jalal-Abad region; 2) Karavshin Gorge in the Batken region, dubbed the "Asian Patagonia"; 3) the Alai Valley in the Osh region, specifically, his native village of Murdash, as well as Kejige Lake, known as Emerald Lake for its color, near the village of Uch Tobo. Listen to the full conversation here: Read more on the subject from RFE/RL: Visiting Turkmenistan's 'Gates Of Hell' Uzbekistan Turns To Foreign Social-Media Stars To Boost Tourism Tragedy In Tajikistan: Most Humans 'Are Warm, Friendly People Who Wish Us No Harm' World Nomad Games Kick Off In Kyrgyzstan Follow @RFERL on Twitter so as not to miss our regular conversations on life and social change in Central Asia every Thursday at 3 p.m. in Prague/9 a.m. in Washington (7 p.m. in Bishkek/Almaty/Astana, and 6 p.m. local time in Tashkent/Dushanbe/Ashgabat). Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call on July 22 that British support for Ukraine will not waver regardless of who becomes the next prime minister. Johnson stressed the U.K.s ongoing determination to support the Ukrainian people and said that resolve will not waver after the Conservative Party chooses his replacement. 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, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Johnson announced his resignation on July 7 amid a wave of scandals and defections by his Cabinet ministers. He said he would remain in his post until the party elects a new leader in September. The two candidates vying to replace him -- former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss -- have both said they will maintain strong diplomatic and military support to Kyiv. Johnson has been one of the West's most active and vocal supporters of Ukraine, visiting Kyiv twice since the war began and spearheading billions of pounds of U.K. military aid. In Johnson's final appearance at weekly prime minister's questions in the House of Commons on July 20, the British leader said he wanted to give "some words of advice" to his successor. "No. 1: Stay close to the Americans; stick up for the Ukrainians; stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere," he said to cheers from Conservative Party colleagues. A Downing Street spokeswoman said in their latest call that Zelenskiy thanked Johnson again for his staunch support for Ukraine. The spokeswoman said the prime minister outlined the recent steps that Britain has taken to bolster Ukraines resistance, including training thousands of Ukrainian troops in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is working to expand the training effort, including through the involvement of international partners, she said. Zelenskiy said the military support being provided by the United Kingdom and others is making a real difference in the conflict, she added. Johnson also welcomed the announcement in Turkey of a UN-brokered deal to get grain out of Ukraine through Ukraines Black Sea ports. The move ends a standoff that had threatened food security around the world. Both the prime minister and President Zelenskiy stressed the need for the deal to be implemented in full by all parties, she said. Johnson also spoke with Zelenskiy about the treatment of British prisoners being held by Russian-backed forces, thanking Zelenskiy for his governments efforts to secure detainees freedom, the spokeswoman said. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP and dpa Demilitarization and "de-Nazification." Keeping Ukraine out of NATO. Preventing "genocide" in the Donbas. And now, a land grab, seizing territory with an eye toward incorporation into Russia. For the Kremlin, there have been various justifications and goals for its invasion of Ukraine, launched five months ago on July 24. For Ukraine, the response has been straightforward: defending its territory. For the West, however, the shifting rationales have required shifting responses, in helping Ukraine both fight the war and find some basis for negotiation. It's not easy when your opponent keeps changing his tune. "They're obviously making it up as they go along," said Aglaya Snetkov, a lecturer in international politics at University College London and an editor of the Russian Analytical Digest. "They had a crazy plan, and then it didn't work out, and then they had to adjust." The latest iteration of the plan came on July 20, when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the Kremlin's territorial ambitions in Ukraine had expanded beyond the eastern Donbas region, to include the southern-central regions of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson. Both those regions have been partially occupied by Russian troops since early in the war, though Ukrainian forces have been chipping away at Russian defensive lines in Kherson. "Now the geography is different," Lavrov said. "It's not just [Donetsk] and [Luhansk], it's Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, and a number of other territories. And this is an ongoing process, consistent and insistent." For weeks, there have been smaller signals that the Kremlin was taking creeping administrative steps -- like handing out passports, installing puppet leadership, ordering stores to use Russia rubles -- to lay the groundwork for Russian governance. The White House pointedly had a National Security Council official call out Russia on its plans this week. "Russia is beginning to roll out a version of what you could call an annexation playbook," John Kirby said. He said he was "exposing" the Russian plans "so the world knows that any purported annexation is premeditated, illegal, and illegitimate." In his interview, Lavrov also warned that the territorial goals could expand further if the West continued to supply long-range-rocket and artillery systems to Ukraine. Whether a wider land-grab actually happens is an open question. "I don't see it meaning they're going to change their military operations," said Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. "Take over the whole country? Most of the country? There's no way that's going to happen. It looks like their operations have culminated in the Donbas." Shifting Goals At the outset of the invasion, President Vladimir Putin's stated goals were "demilitarization and "de-Nazification." The latter refers the Kremlin's false claim that Ukraine's government is populated by neo-Nazis, a Soviet-era trope that Moscow has wielded regularly since the 2013-14 Euromaidan street protests that culminated in the ouster of a pro-Russian president. The former refers to what Moscow says would be a serious threat to Russian security if Ukraine were to join NATO or even host weapons or troops from the alliance. In his February 24 announcement, Putin also claimed that Russia had no intention of occupying Ukraine or "imposing anything on anyone by force." There's another rationale that the Kremlin has brandished: genocide. Russian officials have falsely claimed for years that the Kyiv government was committing genocide against Russian-speakers, particularly in the eastern Donbas region. What most analysts consider to be the first phase of the war ended in failure for Russia, when it tried to seize Kyiv and oust President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government. Russia's military then withdrew, regrouped, resupplied, shuffled commanders, and then launched a new, focused offensive targeting the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. On June 3, Russia claimed full control of Luhansk. For Ukraine, not much has changed: Russian troops now occupy as much as one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, and the goal for Ukrainian forces, Zelenskiy has said repeatedly, is to win that territory back. That includes Donetsk and Luhansk, large parts of which have been controlled by Kremlin-backed fighters for eight years now. "Russia can definitely be defeated," Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said in a July 19 speech to the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank. "Ukraine has already shown how it can be done." Given limitations of manpower and weaponry and the overall exhaustion of war, that may not happen. Still, the small Ukrainian advances in Kherson, and its scorched-earth defense in Luhansk and now Donetsk -- "The Ukrainians are making the Russians pay for every inch of territory that they gain," U.S. General Mark Milley said this week -- is due in no small part to Western-supplied weaponry: powerful, long-range rockets and artillery such as the U.S. HIMARS rocket system. "I think the new weapons supplied by the U.S. really hurt the Russian Army and they are not happy with it, that is for the first message," said Stefan Meister, a Russia specialist at the German Council on Foreign Relations. "Then Lavrov says something we already know: that the Russian leadership has not given up [the effort] to take whole Ukraine, and as soon as they are able to do it, and [if] the West is not supporting Ukraine sufficiently, they will do it." The rhetoric is also being used alongside the ongoing crisis over energy in Europe, where Russia has signaled it might severely curtail natural gas supplies to the continent, Meister says. Lavrov "is threatening the West, that weapons supply will have consequences," he said in an e-mail to RFE/RL, "but together with the current gas blackmailing it is also about building up a bargaining position on sanctions and a possible cease-fire after Donbas is taken completely." For some analysts, the question is whether Lavrov's statement is indeed a "saying the quiet part out loud" moment -- that a land grab is what the Kremlin planned all along -- or whether it's another example of Kremlin improvisation, adjusting goals and tactics with no real, clear endgame. "Call it revisionism or imperialism or both. But this unilateral landgrab is on full display for all to see," Francois Heisbourg, senior adviser for Europe at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said on Twitter. "We really are back to the pre-1945 world." Still, there are parallels to what happened in the Donbas after fighting erupted in March 2014, Snetkov said. "This is where the similarities with 2014 come up," she said. Moscow "didn't have end goals, an endgame then. It became unclear, they were getting stuck. Russians on the ground didn't really know what the point was." 'They Are Obviously At A Loss' For many longtime Russia watchers, Putin has long been seen as a tactician and an opportunist, and Lavrov's announcement of a new land grab may just be a "let's say it and see what happen" ploy. The comments are "a bit of a scare tactic," Snetkov said. "Russia is barking, and in the past, when Russia has barked, the West has responded." But Russian improvisation in Ukraine is also due largely to woefully inaccurate prewar assessments: of the strength of the Russian military; of the determination of the Ukrainian defenders; and of the willingness of the West to back up Ukraine with billions of dollars in weaponry and sweeping economic sanctions. "They are obviously at a loss," said Abbas Gallyamov, a former speechwriter for Putin. "They don't know what to do, so they are improvising. Putin needs to achieve something that will convince Russians that he won and he can't get it." "One of the particular features of the Russian regime is that the words weigh nothing," Gallyamov said in a message to RFE/RL. Cancian says the lull in fighting in recent days -- called "an operational pause" by Russian officials -- indicates exhaustion and problems with supplies and manpower. "The facts on the ground have rendered such expansive goals impossible for the Russians to achieve," he said. Lavrov's comments are "just a reiteration of Putin's belief that Ukraine is not a real country, and is just part of great Russia, and he intends to just bring it back into the fold, but that's a long-term goal." "I have to believe that it is a long-term goal, signaling that Russia has not given up on its ultimate ambitions," Cancian said. "But I don't think it signals a change in Russia's immediate military plans. The Russian forces are exhausted and, though they continue to make limited gains in the Donbas, are unable to launch any broad offensives." Anti-war activists are removing symbols of Russia's war on Ukraine that have appeared on city streets throughout Serbia since the early days of the invasion. The facades are decorated with murals of Vladimir Putin, Russian paramilitary groups accused of war crimes and also portray Serbian volunteers fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine. Russian troops shelled residential areas of Slovyansk using cluster munitions, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration said on July 22 after Ukraine and Russia signed a deal to free up exports of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea ports. 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, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. "The Russians once again shelled the residential quarters of the city," said Pavlo Kyrylenko on Telegram. At least three people were injured, six buildings and several private houses were damaged. Kyrylenko said the Russian military used cluster munitions, which burst in the air over a target and release many smaller explosives. Their use is illegal under an international convention. "The Russian army is committing crimes on Ukrainian soil, destroying our cities and towns, killing civilians. You will have to answer for everything," Kyrylenko said. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian military, Russian troops are preparing a broader assault on Slovyansk. Attacks on it earlier this week killed two people. Russian assaults also hit the Vuhlehirsk power plant earlier on July 22, while Moscow also continued to relentlessly shell the cities of Kramatorsk and Siversk, British military intelligence said. Vuhlehirsk, located some 50 kilometers northeast of Donetsk, is Ukraine's second-largest power plant and a strategic infrastructure objective that Russian forces are keen to capture. In its daily intelligence bulletin, Britain's Ministry of Defense quoted Vitaly Kim, governor of Ukraines Mykolayiv region, as saying that Russian forces had used seven air defense missiles to strike infrastructure, energy facilities, and storage depots in the area. Russian forces have achieved no major breakthroughs on the front lines since seizing the last two Ukrainian-held cities in the Luhansk region in late June and early July. Kyiv hopes that its gradually increasing supply of Western arms, such as U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), will allow it to recapture lost territories. The United States said on July 22 that it has signed off on another $270 million in military aid to Ukraine, including four more HIMARS, bringing the number sent to 20. The Russian Defense Ministry that its forces had destroyed four HIMARS this month, but a U.S. official said those reports were not true. It was not possible to verify the claims. The additional U.S. aid includes $100 million for U.S. drones. The package was announced after the European Council approved another 500 million euros ($512 million) for the supply of weapons and equipment to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commented in his nightly video address on July 22 on the deal that Russia and Ukraine signed with Turkey and the United Nations to unblock grain exports and ease an international food crisis. He said the deal means roughly 20 million tons of last year's harvest can now be exported, but on the wider conflict, he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that a cease-fire with Russia without reclaiming occupied territory would only prolong the war and give Moscow an opportunity to replenish and rearm for a new round of fighting. "Society believes that all the territories must be liberated first, and then we can negotiate about what to do and how we could live in the centuries ahead," Zelenskiy said. With reporting by Reuters, BBC, and CNN DUSHANBE -- Tajik prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for retired Major General Kholbash Kholbashov for his alleged role in organizing deadly protests in the Gorno-Badakhshan region (GBAO) in May, a charge human rights organizations have called "bogus." Sources close to law enforcement in Dushanbe told RFE/RL that prosecutors also asked the court to convict and sentence a second defendant in the case, noted journalist and human rights activist Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva, to 25 years in prison. Mamadshoeva is Kholbashov's ex-wife. The trial for the two began on August 3 and is being held behind closed doors on the premises of the State Committee for National Securitys detention center in Dushanbe. Kholbashov and Mamadshoeva also face several charges of publicly calling for violent change to Tajikistan's constitutional order, organizing a criminal group, murder, attempted murder, and terrorism. They were arrested on May 18 and later shown on the Tojikiston television channel saying that they, along with opposition politician Alim Sherzamonov and Mahmadboqir Mahmadboqirov, an informal leader in GBAO, had planned and organized the protests. Authorities in the Central Asian nation have claimed those actions were "terrorist" in nature. The day before her arrest, Mamadshoeva, 65, told RFE/RL that she had nothing to do with the anti-government protests in GBAO's capital Khorugh, and in the district of Rushon. Authorities say in the footage showing the so-called "confessions" that an unspecified Western country was involved in organizing the unrest. A total of 78 residents from GBAO's Rushon district were arrested at the time. Mahmadboqirov was killed on May 22 in Khorugh. His relatives say law enforcement officers killed him, while authorities insist he was killed when criminal groups were settling scores. Sherzamonov told RFE/RL that he had nothing to do with the planning of the riots in GBAO and that he suspects Mamadshoeva and Kholbashov were forced to make their televised statements. Tajik authorities have said 10 people were killed and 27 injured during the clashes between protesters and police. Residents of the Rushon district, however, have told RFE/RL that 21 dead bodies were found at the sites where the clashes took place. Deep tensions between the government and residents of the restive region have simmered ever since a five-year civil war broke out shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Still, protests are rare in the tightly controlled nation of 9.5 million where President Emomali Rahmon has ruled for nearly three decades. The latest protests were sparked in mid-May by anger over the lack of an investigation into the 2021 death of an activist while in police custody and the refusal by regional authorities to consider the resignation of regional Governor Alisher Mirzonabot and Rizo Nazarzoda, the mayor of Khorugh. The rallies intensified after one of the protesters, a 29-year-old local resident Zamir Nazrishoev, was killed by police on May 16, prompting authorities to launch what they called an "anti-terrorist operation." The escalating violence in the region has sparked a call for restraint from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Western diplomatic missions in Tajikistan, and human rights groups. Gorno-Badakhshan, a linguistically and ethnically distinct region, has been home to rebels who opposed government forces during the conflict in the 1990s. While it occupies almost half of the entire country, its population is just 250,000. The region is difficult to travel around because of the mountainous terrain, while its economy is wracked by unemployment, difficult living conditions, and high food prices. Acting on "profoundly flawed assumptions," President Vladimir Putin was wildly wrong about how the large-scale invasion of Ukraine would go when he launched it five months ago -- but he seems to believe Russia is winning the war. Is he wrong again? Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward. More Attacks February 24, 2022, is a momentous date -- it's the day on which, before dawn, Russian missiles began striking targets across Ukraine, the start of a new, large-scale invasion and fighting that continues to rage nearly five months later, with no clear end in sight. But it wasn't the start of the war in Ukraine. That began eight years ago, in the spring of 2014, when Russia sent its military to occupy the Crimean Peninsula and fomented separatism across eastern and southern Ukraine, sparking and participating in an armed conflict against the government in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the southeast -- the Donbas. A reminder of that now sometimes neglected phase of the war came this past Sunday, on July 17, the eighth anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. A Russian rocket fired from a launcher that had been brought to separatist-held territory not much earlier and trundled back into Russia shortly afterward shot down MH17 as it flew over the conflict zone en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed. Some of the earliest civilian casualties in a war that had killed thousands of civilians before February 24, 2022, they have been joined since that morning by thousands more. Those thousands include Liza Dmytriyeva, the 4-year-old girl who was killed by a missile strike on the west-central city of Vinnytsya on July 14. They now also include a 13-year-old boy whose father prayed over his body for two hours after he was killed in a strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on July 20. They include many other children whose parents have survived, parents whose children have survived, and families in which multiple generations have been wiped out. Territorial Ambitions Early in the war in the Donbas, and even before it broke out, Putin and his government appeared to be eager for control over a broad swath of eastern and southern Ukraine that officials, state media, and pro-Kremlin pundits increasingly referred to as Novorossia, or New Russia -- a tsarist-era name that gets rabid Russian nationalists' blood racing. That goal is back -- if it ever went away. At least, that's certainly how Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made it sound on July 20, when he told state media outlets that the geographical objectives of Russia's war in Ukraine now go beyond the Donbas, encompassing the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions to the southwest "and a number of other territories" -- and could be expanded still further in future. While Lavrov was by far the highest official to make such a statement, he was stating the obvious. Russia already controls parts of those two additional regions, including Kherson's eponymous capital, giving it a coveted "land bridge" from the Russian border to Crimea, which juts into the Black Sea and is linked to Russian territory only by a bridge completed in 2019. And as they seek to cement control, Russian forces have turned occupied areas of southern Ukraine into an abyss of fear and wild lawlessness, Human Rights Watch said on July 22. It said they have tortured, unlawfully detained, and forcibly disappeared civilians in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions, as well as torturing POWs they hold there. Moreover, there have been plenty of signals that Moscow wants to control all of Ukraine's Black Sea coast, including Odesa, up to the border with Moldova -- and specifically its breakaway Transdniester region. And when Putin launched the new invasion on February 24, it seemed clear that he was after more than eastern and southern Ukraine, seeking to control all or most of the country and to install a friendly government in Kyiv. It also seemed clear that he was expecting not just to achieve this goal but to do so within days -- which proved to be a wild overreach. Of course, it would be foolish to assume that Lavrov's description of what the Kremlin now wants is honest. After all, this is the same Lavrov who stated repeatedly last winter that Russia would not invade Ukraine -- and then, once it had invaded, said repeatedly that it had not. But it seems likely to mean that Putin believes this is something he can get. "What is very clear is that, in late May, the Kremlin came to the firm conclusion that it is winning this conflict in the long run," Tatyana Stanovaya, a Russia analyst who is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in a July 18 opinion article in The New York Times. Stanovaya was referring not just to control of the Donbas and a large section of southern Ukraine but to what she described as a three-part "grand scheme that goes far beyond Ukraine yet centers on it," includes replacing Ukraine's government and "building a new world order," and "reveals how divorced from reality -- to put it mildly -- Mr. Putin is." 'Profoundly Flawed' "He's got his own way of looking at reality," CIA Director William Burns said of Putin on July 20. Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow, traveled to Russia last November to try to avert an invasion of Ukraine as tens of thousands of Russian troops were massed at its border. "And as we could see in the first stages of this war, it was based on some profoundly flawed assumptions and some real illusions, especially about Ukraine and the will to resist in Ukraine -- which he helped to create in many ways by aggression now over a period of at least the eight years since 2014," Burns said. Regardless of how Putin perceives it, whether Russia can achieve the territorial objectives described by Lavrov is not clear. The Russian military has made gains in the Donbas in recent weeks, but they have come at a high cost and seem to have slowed as the West provides more weapons. Meanwhile, amid successful counterattacks by Ukrainian forces, there is no indication that Russia will be able to control the Kherson or Zaporizhzhya regions in their entirety -- including the city of Zaporizhzhya itself -- any time soon. And as it struggles to recruit soldiers to replace what Kyiv and Western intelligence agencies say are tens of thousands of soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine, it is also faced with an increasing numbers of soldiers who are refusing to fight. But Putin's determination to subjugate Ukraine, running up against Ukraine's will to resist -- and Western weapons supplies -- could make a war that is already in its ninth year, by some counts, even longer. "Putin's bet is thathe can succeed in a grinding war of attrition," Burns said. "That they can wear down the Ukrainian military, that winter's coming, and so he can strangle the Ukrainian economy, he can wear down European publics and leaderships, and he can wear down the United States. "My own strong view is that Putin was wrong in his assumptions about breaking the alliance and breaking Ukrainian will before the war began, and I think he's just as wrong now," he said. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Shahriar Heydari, deputy head of the Iranian Parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, made a statement regarding the Armenian-Iranian border, stressing that Iran and Armenia do not need the advice of any third party, including Turkey, in this regard, ARMENPRESS reports the Iranian IRIB television and radio company reports. Shahriar Heydari said this in the context of the words of the Supreme Spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, addressed to the President of Turkey. "As stated by the spiritual leader, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not allow the border between Iran and Armenia to be blocked," Heydari emphasized. Pointing to the strategic position of the Republic of Armenia, the Iranian parliamentarian said that it created many problems for Armenia, one of which was the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh. However, according to Shahriar Heydari, the problem should be solved seriously and through diplomacy. "Iran has always believed that the two countries should settle the issue politically. Some extra-regional forces want to create a corridor leading to Nakhijevan through the territory of Armenia in order to push Iran to the margin, but Armenia and Iran emphasize that the territorial integrity of the countries of the region must be preserved. We have a shared border of 47 km with Armenia, part of which is the border of the Aras River, and we will not allow any damage to those borders. The border of Iran and Armenia has always been safe, both countries strive for its security and prevent any illegal traffic and border encroachment, and we do not need the advice of any third party, including Turkey," Shahriar Heydari stated. On July 19, Iran's Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei received Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who arrived in Tehran for a tripartite meeting with the presidents of Iran and Russia, stressing that the Islamic Republic of Iran will oppose the policy of blocking the border between Iran and Armenia. In the meeting with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, Iran's Supreme Spiritual Leader also emphasized that Iran will not tolerate the policies and programs that lead to the closing of the border between Iran and Armenia. YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. The representatives of the Spiritual Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in different regions of the country repeated the statements of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei regarding the Armenian-Iranian border, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Iranian media. In particular, according to "IRNA" news agency, Tehran's Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Hossein Abdutorabifard said: "At the meeting with the President of Turkey, the Spiritual Leader also touched on the communication path between Armenia and Iran. Iran is very sensitive to regional changes and will not allow damage to the road that is thousands of years old and is one of the factors of strength, security and peace of the peoples of the region." Mohammad Ali Ale Hashem, the representative of the Spiritual Leader in Eastern Atropatene and Friday Prayer Imam of Tabriz, said: "Iran will never tolerate any step that will lead to the blocking of the border between Iran and Armenia. Iran will resist it because it is a thousand-year-old communication route." Allahnur Kyarimitabar, the representative of the spiritual leader in Ilam province and the Friday Prayer Imam in the city of Ilam, said: "During the visit of the presidents of Turkey and Russia, the issue of the Armenian-Iranian border was also emphasized. They should never think that they can threaten the thousand-year global highway and create an obstacle for Iran." The Imams of Friday Prayers in other regions of Iran also repeated or mentioned Khamenei's statement in the same way. On July 19, Iran's Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei received Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who arrived in Tehran for a tripartite meeting with the presidents of Iran and Russia, stressing that the Islamic Republic of Iran will oppose the policy of blocking the border between Iran and Armenia. In the meeting with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, Iran's Supreme Spiritual Leader also emphasized that Iran will not tolerate the policies and programs that lead to the closing of the border between Iran and Armenia. (miningmx.com) - Platinum Group Metals (PTM) said on Thursday it might circumvent a right of first refusal Impala Platinum (Implats) has over raw metal the Canadian firm produces from its proposed Waterberg Joint Venture. Implats has a 15% stake in the project but in 2020 declined to exercise a control option saying it had other uses for its capital. Implats has, however, a first right of refusal to treat concentrate produced from Waterberg JV. Lenders have told PTM an offtake agreement is critical before they can consider financing the project. Long COVID should be recognised as a chronic medical condition so more Australians can access appropriate care, health experts say. As the nation grapples a third wave of COVID-19 infections, Australia's peak physiotherapy body is calling on federal, state and territory governments to fund treatment for the condition. The Australian Physiotherapy Association wants a national long COVID tracking and data collection system to be set up to monitor the prevalence of the debilitating condition. It's estimated up to 30 per cent of people will experience COVID-19 symptoms for 12 weeks or longer after infection, but a more precise number is not known due to poor data collection. After contracting COVID-19 early in the pandemic, APA President Scott Willis is himself still suffering from the after-effects. "I know first-hand the ongoing and debilitating impact of this condition," he said. "We need government to acknowledge long COVID and respond with appropriate and accessible rehabilitation pathways." Dr Willis is particularly concerned about access to long COVID care for people living in regional and rural Australia. Australia has lagged on planning for long COVID and a rehabilitation program is well overdue, he said in a statement. "We know that physiotherapy rehabilitation programs can ease fatigue and improve the mood and health of people living with long COVID, which leads to increased productivity," Dr Willis said. "The health system must be flexible and rapidly respond with public funding to properly support the growing numbers of affected Australians, as is being done around the world." A person is considered to have long COVID if their virus symptoms have persisted for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection. The symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain or tightness, problems with memory and concentration, changes to taste and smell and joint and muscle pain. Story continues COVID-19 case numbers continued to climb on Saturday as the number of deaths over the latest reporting period topped 100, taking the total since the pandemic began to 11,134. LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA: NSW: 14,953 cases, 41 deaths, 2176 hospitalised with 59 in ICU Victoria: 19,812 cases, 44 deaths, 820 hospitalised with 29 in ICU Tasmania: 1363 cases, 1 death, 51 hospitalised with 3 in ICU NT: 422 cases, no deaths, 89 hospitalised with 2 in ICU Queensland: 7644 cases, 8 deaths, 1061 hospitalised with 30 in ICU WA: 5051 cases, 2 deaths (dating back to 16 July but only just reported), 430 hospitalised with 21 in ICU SA: 3864 cases, 3 deaths, 354 hospitalised with 12 in ICU ACT: 1044 cases, 3 deaths, 145 hospitalised with 2 in ICU In a recent seminar that was held to find solutions in the process of equitization of enterprises, public non-business units, and divestment of state capital in enterprises, the Ministry of Finance said that at present the equitization of SOEs is still being delayed because of many pending obstacles. The most prominent obstacle is related to land issues. These land issues have been the cause of a number of criminal cases in the past and have caused many local leaders and SOEs to appear in court after the equitization process has been completed, due to violations related to the transfer and conversion of land use purpose. The most common issue is that of determining the enterprise value lower than the actual value, causing much loss and waste. Currently, the land valuation is being carried out in accordance with Decree 44/2014/ND-CP issued by the Government and effective since 15 May 2014. According to Article 4 of Decree 44 there are five methods of land valuation, namely, direct comparison, deduction, income, surplus land which is applicable to land plots calculated according to the land price with a value of VND 30 bln or more, and land price adjustment coefficient which is applicable to land plots valued at under VND 30 bln. However, these five methods do not have mandatory provisions for specific application on which method and which means they can be selected, while the same object can give five different valuation results. Even the most commonly applied method of determining the surplus value according to the land price of enterprises today is also for different values. This method depends on two factors, namely, revenue from real estate development and real estate development costs. But both these factors are built on property assumption, comparison of incorrect sampling, different construction time, price, land allocation, investment rate, and compensation costs. This determination depends a lot on the subjective will of the actuary, which has impacted and changed the land price. This has confused localities, public service providers, and SOEs when choosing a valuation method, and at the same time created a loophole for certain interest groups to take advantage and privatize public land for their own use. This is to say that a number of localities and businesses come to an understanding with each other and choose the most profitable option of lowest land price to make the most profit. A story doing the rounds in the National Assembly in the last year also concerns valuation. The report of the State Audit Office (SAV) said that after entering into post-equitization audit of 45 state-owned enterprises, the value of enterprises increased by an average of 2.8 times. However, insiders all understood that this increase in value came from land revaluation after being cleared by the State Audit. Mr. Ho uc Phoc, Minister of Finance, explained the inadequacies in land valuation saying that this ministry will coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to make a draft proposal to submit to the Government for consideration, adjustment, and amendment of Decree 44. However, Prof. Dr. ang Hung Vo, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the Decree still needs to be adjusted and a number of articles and clauses in the Land Law 2013 need amendment and revision because Decree 44 is actually just the concretized part of the law. Therefore, in order to overcome the above shortcomings in land valuation, the law must be completely amended. There have been many times when representatives of SOEs have complained of many problems when determining land value during the equitization process. Some business leaders also think that this is the easiest stage to manipulate but faces the most risks when the pricing policy is inconsistent and unclear. For instance, SOEs stipulate that when equitizing, the land must be priced in line with the market price, but the market price changes constantly, while the equitization process takes a long time, sometimes up to several years. During the equitization process, many enterprises have hundreds of plots of land that need to be sorted out, some of which are not approved because the authorities have to review the land use plan, so the time taken is even longer. The stage that makes businesses bored after equitization phase is that of the audit stage. According to some business leaders, when equitizing enterprises, the value of land is according to one method, but when the State Audit agency steps in, they value land by another method. Even if it is the same method, due to the lack of quantitative land valuation method, they give different results, and the difference is vast. This is also the risk that SOEs often face after the equitization phase. Currently, the Ministry of Finance is collecting opinions to finalize the proposal on separating land from the value of SOEs when equitizing. Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance proposes to amend the Land Law in the direction that when enterprises convert to equitization, they can only apply the form of the land lease with annual rental payment, and not change the purpose of land use after equitization. In case the enterprise has no need to use it, it must be returned to the State and will be compensated and supported in accordance with the law. Although there are a number of different views, this approach will help to select genuine investors that are aiming to reform and develop their enterprises. Hoang Son Michael Schumachers family have been accused of telling lies about the F1 legends health, by the Germans former manager Willi Weber. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion has not been seen publicly since suffering a near-fatal brain injury while skiing in December 2013 in Meribel, France. His wife Corinna has insisted on protecting Schumachers privacy in the eight-and-a-half years since, with his medical condition shrouded in secrecy as he continues to recover at home in Switzerland. Yet Weber, speaking to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport this week, claims he has not been allowed to see the 53-year-old and has been kept out the loop by Corinna. I tried hundreds of times to contact Corinna and she didnt answer, Weber, 80, said. I called Jean Todt [former Ferrari team principal] to ask him if I should go to the hospital and he told me to wait its too early. I called the next day and no one answered. I didnt expect behaviour like that and Im still angry about it. They kept me out, telling me its too early, well now its too late. Its been nine years. Maybe they should just say it the way it is. I could understand the situation initially as I always did everything I could for Michael to protect his private life. But since then we have only heard lies from them. Willi Weber (right), pictured with Schumacher in 2009, has accused the Germans family of telling lies (Getty Images) In a Netflix documentary which aired last year titled Schumacher, Corinna detailed how his family have dealt with the situation and continue to get on with their lives. Michael is here. Different, but hes here, and that gives us strength, I find, Corinna said. Were together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure hes comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. Were trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. Private is private, as he always said. Story continues Corinna Schumacher detailed how his family have dealt with his health situation in a Netflix documentary which aired last year (AFP via Getty Images) Its very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael. Corinna was in attendance to collect an award on behalf of husband Michael on Wednesday, with daughter Gina and ex-Ferrari CEO Todt joining her to collect the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia - the highest civilian honour available to those born within the region. With Mick Schumacher currently in his second season in F1 with the Haas team, Todt said he still watches Formula 1 races with Michael. Jean Todt (far-left), was in attendance with Michaels wife Corinna and their daughter Gina on Wednesday to collect the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia on Michaels behalf (Getty Images) I dont miss Michael, I see him, Todt told German broadcaster RTL. Yes, its true, I watch Grands Prix with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together. If it was emotional for you, you can imagine how emotional it was for me [collecting the award]. Emotional, but at the same time a great pride to be able to talk about Michael. You have people around you who are just special. And in a way, Michael is also very special. Corinna, Mick and Gina have also become special to me. They have all become family to me, to my wife and to my son. Every Friday, The Citizen features a pet available for adoption from the Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York. This week, we spotlight Monique. AGE: Estimating 2 years old BREED: Domestic shorthair, black with white COMMENTS: Monique, as with many other shelter felines, was abandoned. We don't know why or what the circumstances were that led to this unfortunate event, but it happened. We are thrilled that Monique found her way to the shelter and that she is allowing us to help find her new and fur-ever home! We estimate that Monique is about 2 years old. She is very people-friendly, loves visitors and loves to interact with them. She also gets along very well with her feline condo mates. Monique is fully vaccinated (rabies, distemper, feline kennel cough). She is negative for FIV/FeLv, has been treated for parasites and is spayed. She is totally ready to move on to the next and best phase of her beautiful life. Please stop by to check her out. She's waiting for you! Q: Who is your best friend? A: This may sound strange to you, but my BFF is a dog and she's a dog that I have never met! My BFF is Athena. I know her only by reputation, but I do love her. I know that she is not fond of felines and that's OK with me. I can love her from afar and hope that one day soon she finds her forever family. I'm praying for you Athena I hope you know that. Finger Lakes SPCA: Pit bull Athena is acing her training Every Friday, The Citizen features a pet available for adoption from the Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York. This week, we spotlight Athena. Q: What is your favorite toy? A: I have all of the typical cat toys that you can imagine. Squeaky things and bouncy things and so on. However, my favorite thing to be happy with is the occasional sniff of catnip! Let me give you a little info on nip. Most felines react to catnip by rolling, flipping, rubbing and eventually zoning out. We may meow or growl at the same time. Some cats become hyperactive or downright aggressive, especially if you approach them. Usually these sessions last about 10 minutes, after which we lose interest. But those 10 minutes are the best minutes ever! I love my nip sessions! Q: What is your worst experience? A: I don't speak English only cat so I'm not sure what "abandoned" means. My shelter peeps say that's what happened to me. I have a feeling it's not a good thing. I don't need to know anything else. Q: How would you describe yourself? A: My shelter peeps say that I am friendly! I get along with other cats and I really enjoy our people visitors. I love to be petted, spoken to in soft tones and told how beautiful I am, which I am! I am a neat and fastidious girl, which means that I take litterbox manners very seriously. I am your basic awesome feline in need of a new home now! Q: If you could meet someone famous, who would that be? A: I'm sure that most of our good Citizen readers are familiar with the novelist Mark Twain, right? We are familiar with his amazing contributions to the writing world. But perhaps you are not aware of Mr. Twain's love of cats. It has been rumored that at one time Mr. Twain housed 19 cats. He made it apparent to many that he "purrfered" cats over people. I would have loved to meet Mr. Mark Twain! Q: Do you have an interesting fact to share? A: I think I do. Speaking of catnip, did you know that more than half of the world's felines do not respond to catnip? Scientists still don't know why some felines go crazy for catnip and others don't, but they have figured out that catnip sensitivity is hereditary. If a kitten has one catnip-sensitive parent, there is a one in two chance that it will grow up to crave the nip. And if both parents react to nip, the odds increase greatly. Not sure how interesting you found this tidbit, but it might explain how and why your favorite feline reacts to catnip! Q: Do you have any advice for our readers today? A: I do! I want to remind our good Citizen readers, and everyone else, that our 17th anniversary Hogs for Dogs charity motorcycle ride is only one week away! Yes, you read that right! My shelter people have been hosting this event for 17 years, and it gets better every year. There is an awesome (and safe) ride, a fantastic after-event with food and music and all kinds of raffles, a 50/50 raffle and more than I have time or room to talk about. So, you need to do this and help support my shelter feline and canine friends. We need you. Many purrs, licks and much love, Monique and friends. After getting an updated revenue picture and hearing from town supervisors, Cayuga County lawmakers will not follow surrounding counties in enacting a gas tax cap. The Cayuga County Legislature's Ways and Means Committee had a lengthy discussion about the potential gas tax cap. Mary Beth Leeson, the county's finance director, presented the different ways the county could shift to a cents-per-gallon method instead of the existing percentage rate. The options included capping sales taxes on the first $2, $3 or $4 per gallon. If the price is above the cap, sales taxes would not be charged. When the committee met in June, one concern was how the reduction in revenue would affect towns and villages. The county splits its share of sales tax revenue with the local governments. If there was a $2-per-gallon cap, the county would lose an estimated $435,000 in sales tax revenue and the allocation to towns would decrease by $217,500. For a $3-per-gallon cap, the county's sales tax revenue would fall by $217,500 and the towns' share would decrease by $108,750. Leeson said they ruled out a $4-per-gallon cap since gas prices are above the $4 mark. Cayuga County Legislator Andrew Dennison told his colleagues that he would oppose the gas tax cap, in part, because the county has "the cheapest gas around" compared to other counties that have adopted tax caps. According to AAA, the county's average gas price is $4.60 per gallon, the lowest among surrounding counties, nearly all of which adopted some form of gas tax cap. Dennison was also concerned about the potential impact on other local governments. "If there's a possibility that doing this hurts the towns, because they get less of the tax money because we share it with them, hurts us and we wind up raising taxes to the constituents, they sure as hell didn't save any money did they?" he said. Town supervisors in attendance spoke out against the gas tax cap proposal. Brutus Supervisor Jim Hotaling said it would hurt the towns' budgets and would require them to increase taxes on residents. A pair of legislators, Jim Basile and Mark Strong, said they heard from supervisors who oppose the cap. Another factor in the discussion: The county's revenue outlook. In June, Leeson said it appeared that the county's sales tax revenue was up 17% compared to last year. However, when the state reconciled the actual sales tax returns, it was determined that the county is up 3.1%. The explanation for that disparity is that when sales tax revenue was up last year, New York City's economy was struggling due to the effects of the pandemic. But this year, that's changed because the city has rebounded. "We're going to be better than last year, which was very good, but we're not going to be significantly better than last year," Leeson said. Ultimately, the committee voted to table the resolution. If the county wanted to adopt a gas tax cap, it would need to take action before July 31 so it could take effect on Sept. 1, the start of the next sales tax quarter. Syracuse Hancock International Airport will establish its own police force under a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The measure amends the enabling legislation for the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, which manages the airport. Jason Terreri, the airport's executive director, told The Citizen in June that the original bill creating the authority did not allow it to establish a police force. "Most airport authorities have their own police force," Terreri said. "The reason we really wanted to do that is so that we could create our own police force, which would give us a little bit more control in terms of staffing and how we manage the overall operations of the airport." Officers from the Syracuse Police Department patrol the airport on a secondary work permit, but the arrangement is not part of a department detail, according to Terreri. The airport's budget allows for five officers per shift. Terreri said that while the authority was still determining how many officers would be part of the airport's police force, the five-per-shift standard is "probably in the ballpark of where it would be." According to the governor's office, staffing issues within the Syracuse Police Department also affected patrols at the airport. With its own police force, the airport's officers would be considered New York state police officers. "By having dedicated police officers at Hancock International Airport, we will help ensure the safety and security of New Yorkers and visitors alike," Hochul said. "This legislation will provide travelers and airport employees with greater peace of mind when traveling in Syracuse." The bill was sponsored by state Sen. John Mannion and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli. Mannion, D-Geddes, said the establishment of the airport's police force will give it "a long-term solution to enhance police safety." Mali: Briefing and Consultations Tomorrow (7 April), the Security Council will hold an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Special Representative and head of MINUSMA El-Ghassim Wane will present the Secretary-Generals latest report on Mali, which covers the period from 1 January to 15 March. A civil society representative will also brief the Council and provide perspectives on gender-related issues. Wane may note that negotiations continue between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Malis transitional authorities to set a new timeframe for holding elections to restore constitutional order. The 18-month period for completing the political transition, established after Malis August 2020 coup detat, passed in March. In late December 2021, the transitional authorities proposed extending the transition by five years. They then presented in early 2022 a revised timeline proposing a four-year extension of the transition period. ECOWAS, at a 9 January summit, rejected the proposal, calling it totally unacceptable, and imposed new economic and financial sanctions on Mali, including the closure of ECOWAS land borders with Mali and the freezing of state assets at ECOWAS central and commercial banks. Wane is likely to mention that the ECOWAS mediator to Mali, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, conducted a mission to Bamako from 18 to 20 March. There, he was joined by members of the local transition follow-up committee, including the AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel Maman Sambo Sidikou and Special Representative Wane. During the visit, the transitional president and coup leader, Assimi Goita, proposed a two-year extension of the transition. At a 25 March ECOWAS summit in Accra, West African leaders urged Malis authorities instead to adhere to a 12 to 16-month period and called on the ECOWAS mediator to continue and finalise discussions on the timeframe with the transitional authorities. At tomorrows meeting, Council members may express support for ECOWAS proposed timeframe and encourage continued dialogue between Malis authorities and ECOWAS to reach an agreement. Wane is also likely to report on the changing security landscape in Mali. Tensions since last year between the transitional authorities and France culminated in February when France and allied European countries announced in a 17 February joint statement the full withdrawal over the next six months of their counter-terrorism forces in Mali, Operation Barkhane (Frances Sahel-wide regional mission) and Task Force Takuba (which is comprised of European special forces). The statement, which Canada and seven West African and Sahelian countries also signed, noted that the countries would look to extend support to neighbouring states in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa that have come under increasing threat from terrorist groups in the Sahel. The Secretary-Generals report observes that the departure of these operations will undoubtedly create a security gap, with implications for MINUSMA, adding that some capabilities will no longer be available to the mission. On the ground, Malis military, bolstered by the reported deployment since mid-December 2021 of the Russian private security company Wagner Group, has intensified offensive operations this year in central Mali and claimed some military gains. Malian forces, however, have reportedly suffered rising casualties over the past month, including in a 4 March attack by a presumed extremist armed group on an army base in the rural commune of Mondoro that killed 27 soldiers. Many members are expected to raise concerns over reported increases in human rights incidents involving Malis security forces during counter-terrorism operations. The Secretary-Generals report notes allegations of serious human rights violations reportedly perpetrated by Malis armed forces. Additionally, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, Alioune Tine, raised concerns at the UN Human Rights Council on 29 March about serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law attributed to Malis security forces. In his report, the Secretary-General underscores the need for Mali to ensure that its military operations, including those conducted with its bilateral partners, are conducted in compliance with its international obligations. Concern over the human rights situation has been further heightened following reports since last week of the possible killing of hundreds of civilians in the central Mali village of Mourah. After social media and news reports emerged about the killings, Mali issued a statement on 1 April announcing that it had killed 203 terrorist combatants during an operation from 23 to 31 March in Mourah. In a 1 April tweet, MINSUMA expressed concern about the allegations of violence against civilians during the fighting in Mourah and said it was consulting with Malis authorities to establish the facts and circumstances. On 5 April, Human Rights Watch, which last month issued a report documenting the alleged extrajudicial killings or executions of at least 71 civilians by Malian security forces, published a report on the incident in Mourah, which states that from 27 to 31 March, an estimated 300 civilians and suspected militants were executed by the Malian military and foreign soldiers, who were identified as Russians by several sources. It said that the incident was the worst single atrocity reported in Malis decade-long armed conflict. Council members are likely to call on Malis authorities to cooperate with MINUSMA and grant the mission access to investigate the facts of the Mourah incident. They are expected to stress the importance of accountability for human rights violations that may have been committed in this and other incidents. Members could reiterate the need for Malis armed forces to respect human rights at all times, including during counter-terrorism operations, and may refer to the anticipated release later this month of a report by MINUSMAs human rights division. Some members are likely to condemn the Wagner Groups reported presence in Mali. In recent months, the P3 members (France, the UK and the US) have strongly criticised the transitional authorities decision to employ the security company and raised concerns about the companys human rights record in other countries where it has deployed. Mali has denied engaging any private security company, saying that the Russian personnel are part of its bilateral military cooperation with Russia, while Russia has responded to criticism of the Wagner Group by calling out other countries double standards given the number of Western private security companies operating abroad. Wane may also elaborate on the deteriorating security situation over recent weeks near the tri-border area between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. There has been fighting between the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and signatory groups of the 2015 Mali Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, particularly in the communes of Tessit and Talatayewhich are located in the Cercle of Ansongo in the Gao Region of south-eastern Maliand in the Menaka region. This has killed hundreds, including civilians, according to some news reports, and caused significant displacement. A 31 March MINUSMA statement said that the mission had deployed one unit to the area and was in the process of sending another. The mission added that it is mobilising teams to assess the impact of the violence on communities and had initiated an investigation into related human rights abuses. Other issues that could be raised is the frustratingly slow implementation, according to the Secretary-General, of the 2015 peace agreement. Members are also likely to highlight the humanitarian situation and the need to fund this years $686 million humanitarian response plan for Mali. Despite a decrease in internally displaced persons by the end of last year, the Secretary-Generals report describes the humanitarian situation as continuing to deteriorate owing to inter-communal conflicts and tensions. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased from 5.9 million people in 2021 to 7.5 million this year. Additionally, more than 960,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition. The evolving political and security dynamics in Mali are unfolding as the Council prepares to renew MINUSMAs mandate ahead of its 30 June expiry. Some members may use the closed consultations to seek more information from Wane about the implications of recent developments for the mission. Yemen: Briefing and Consultations Tomorrow (14 March), the Security Council will hold an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Yemen. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths are expected to brief. Grundberg is expected to cover several significant developments that have taken place over the past two weeks in Yemen. At the start of the month, Grundberg announced that the conflict parties had agreedfor the first time since 2016to a nation-wide truce for two months, from 2 April until 2 June, with the possibility of an extension. The truce, which the UN proposed for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, entails a halt to all offensive ground, aerial, and maritime military operations inside and outside Yemen, and a freeze in current military positions on the ground. The truce agreement also sets out several humanitarian measures. During the two-month period, the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia-led coalition committed to permitting the entry of 18 fuel ships into the Houthi rebel group-held ports in Hodeidah governorate, and two commercial flights per week in and out of Sanaa Airport to Egypt and Jordan. The Special Envoy is also expected to convene a meeting of the parties to agree on opening roads in Taiz governorate, where the Houthis have maintained a siege of Taiz city for years, and in other governorates to facilitate the movement of civilians. Grundberg is likely to observe that there was a significant decrease in violence and no confirmed reports of airstrikes or cross border-attacks since the truce took effect, despite some reports of clashes, including in Marib and Taiz governorates. He may discuss possibilities for extending the truce or converting it into a more formal cessation of hostilities, as well as using this break as a stepping-stone to return to a political process. Griffiths is similarly expected to note a significant overall drop in hostilities since the truce began, with civilian casualties falling to their lowest levels in months. He may further report the increase of fuel shipments into Hodeidah, which has eased the fuel shortage that the UN has been reporting for months. He may also observe that the planned discussions on opening roads in Taiz and elsewhere could provide opportunities to improve the UNs humanitarian response. Council members are expected to encourage the parties to uphold the truce and consolidate it into a more permanent ceasefire. In welcoming the truce, members may also stress the need for the parties to begin negotiations under UN auspices. Last week, on 4 April, Council members issued two press statements: one condemning the 20 March and 25 March cross-border terrorist attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia that struck critical civilian infrastructure, and a second statement welcoming the Special Envoys 1 April call for a truce and the parties positive response. At tomorrows meeting, members may be interested in more details on the truce agreements modalities. At a 6 April press conference, Grundberg said that the UN is setting up a coordination mechanism with the parties to maintain channels of communication and help them prevent, de-escalate and manage incidents. He emphasised, however, that the UN isnt monitoring the truce, adding that the responsibility to uphold the truce is squarely with the parties themselves. The truce was followed by a second major development that Grundberg will report on tomorrow. On 7 April, Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi dismissed his controversial vice-president Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who had been in office since 2016. Hadi subsequently issued a presidential declaration that irrevocably transferred his own full powers in accordance with the constitution and the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism to a new eight-person Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). With this act, Hadi ended his presidency, which had lasted since his election in February 2012 on a single-candidate ballot to serve an envisioned two-year term to steer Yemens political transition following President Ali Abdullah Salehs resignation. These moves took place at the end of inter-Yemeni consultations that had started on 29 March in Riyadh, which were sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and brought together various anti-Houthi factions. The PLC comprises leaders of many of these groups. Rashad al-Alimi, a former interior minister in the early 2000s, was appointed as its head. The PLCs other members are Marib Governor Sultan al-Arada, National Resistance Forces leader Tareq Saleh, Giants Brigades Commander Abdulrahman Abu Zaraa, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer, Member of Parliament Othman al-Majali, Southern Transitional Council President Aiderous al-Zubaidi; and Hadramawt Governor Faraj al-Bahsani. According to the presidential declaration, the PLCs functions include managing Yemens political, military and security affairs. The declaration also states that the PLC is in charge of negotiating with Ansar Allah (the Houthis) for a permanent ceasefireand sitting at the negotiating table to reach a final and comprehensive political solution that includes a transitional phase that will move Yemen from a state of war to a state of peace. The UN took note of Hadis decision to delegate his power to the PLC, according to Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric. Grundberg may note that he is ready to work with the PLC as part of his efforts to negotiate a settlement to Yemens conflict and mention his plans to meet with the PLC in the coming days. Despite some concerns about the reported circumstances of the transfer of power, Council members appear to view the political reconfiguration favourably. Hadi has been an unpopular leader and the new PLC encompasses leaders of key groups crucial for negotiating a political settlement with the Houthis. Earlier today (13 April), Security Council members issued a press statement welcoming the creation of and assumption of powers by the PLC. In it, they expressed their hope and expectation that the creation of the PLC will form an important step towards stability and an inclusive Yemeni-led and owned political settlement, noting the PLCs intention to form a negotiating team for the UN-led talks. Council members may convey cautious optimism tomorrow when referring to these recent developments, as they recognise that past ceasefire initiatives in Yemen have faltered and that the PLCs members have diverging goals. Grundberg is also likely to report on his recent visit to Sanaa to meet with the Houthi leadership, which took place from 11 to 13 April. This was Grundbergs first visit to Sanaa since assuming his role as Special Envoy in September 2021. Todays Security Council press statement noted the visit and called on the Houthis to engage with the Special Envoy in his efforts to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire. During tomorrows closed consultations, members may seek to hear more from Grundberg about his meetings in Sanaa and on possible next steps. During his update on the humanitarian situation, Griffiths is likely to welcome the new financial support that Saudi Arabia announced on 7 April after the PLCs creation. This includes a $3 billion economic package, $2 billion of which Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will jointly provide to Yemens central bank. Since the announcement, the value of the Yemeni rial in government-held areas has increased by around 25 percent. Griffiths is also likely to welcome the $300 million contribution that Saudi Arabia announced for the UNs relief efforts. Despite recent positive developments, Griffiths may reiterate that humanitarian needs in Yemen remain vast and that even with the new Saudi pledge, the UNs response plan remains significantly underfunded after the disappointing pledging conference in March that raised only $1.3 billion of the $4.2 billion required by the UN for Yemen this year. Additionally, Griffiths is expected to mention efforts to resolve the threat posed by the FSO Safer, the vessel moored off the Houthi-held port of Ras Issa in the Red Sea that is at risk of a major oil spill or explosion. The parties have agreed over recent months to a plan that the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator to Yemen David Gressly is facilitating to transfer the more than one million barrels of oil on the Safer to a temporary vessel until a suitable replacement vessel for the Safer is acquired. A 7 April Secretary-Generals letter (S/2022/300) to the Council describes the plan that requires at least $80 million in donor funds. Gressly briefed members on the envisioned operation the following day at the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the UN. (The Netherlands is expected to host a donor conference to raise the required funds for the plan in the first half of May.) At an 8 April press conference, Gressly highlighted the importance of completing the transfer of oil to a temporary vessel by the end of September, before turbulent currents which start in October heighten the risk of breaking up the Safer. Members are likely to express support for the plan and indicate that they will monitor its progress closely. Amazons $3.9 billion acquisition San Franciscos One Medical swiftly raised privacy concerns about what the online retail giant might have planned with the health care companys medical data. One Medical, a membership-based health care provider that has benefits like same and next day appointments as well as 24 hour access to virtual care, is the latest move in Amazons push into health care and a move that could make health care accessible, affordable, and even enjoyable, One Medicals CEO Amir Dan Rubin said in a statement. But the companys sale, which is still subject to regulatory approval, also opened up questions about whether the move gives Amazon access to medical data a potential issue already concerning many One Medical members, many of whom are in the Bay Area. According to its last earnings report in March, One Medical had about 767,000 members and 188 medical offices in 25 markets. Nearly 40 of those medical offices are in the Bay Area the most of any of the metro areas it serves. I am less than pleased to learn that Amazon is acquiring my doctor. Time to figure out how to delete my medical records, Corey Quinn, chief cloud economist at The Duckbill Group, which helps customers negotiate down their Amazon Web Services bills, wrote on Twitter. I trust them to festoon the experience with ads for Amazon Basics medical supplies, he added. Writer Roxane Gay also took to Twitter to air her concerns. I love (One Medical) but I sure dont want Amazon in my health information, she wrote. What a bummer. In a statement, Amazon said that both it and One Medical have stringent policies protecting customer privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA. The deal is not closed and nothing is changing today. Nothing about this transaction changes One Medicals obligations to comply with (HIPPA) and all their applicable laws and regulations, the company said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Customers Protected Health Information (PHI) is protected by Amazons practices and by law, including HIPAA, and we will retain our focus on this as we continue to grow our health care businesses, including the acquisition of One Medical. One Medical did not respond to questions about customer privacy. The concerns come amid a national discussion on health care privacy and medical data particularly people who seek or provide abortions are scrambling to protect their information in states where the procedure is now largely illegal. One Medical opened its first office in the city in 2007, and in 2015 investors poured $181.5 million into the health care startup. Now, the company offers benefits through 8,000 employers. Experts say that its deal with Amazon, which bought the online pharmacy PillPack for $750 million in 2018 and began offering its Amazon Care telemedicine program to employers last year, will allow the tech giant to expand its health care clientele. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev Former San Francisco City Attorney Louise Renne who once extracted half a billion dollars from the tobacco industry to help rebuild the citys crumbling Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center has called on state and federal officials to stop forcing the facility to discharge patients during a regulatory crackdown that appears to have turned deadly. Stop the discharge, Renne said Thursday at a Board of Supervisors committee hearing about Laguna Honda called by Supervisor Myrna Melgar, whose district includes the 156-year-old facility. Directing her comments to state and federal officials, Renne said: Lets not have any more deaths. Four patients died within days or weeks of being sent recently to other hospitals or care facilities, as a result of what Laguna Honda officials said may have been the transfer trauma known to afflict medically fragile people who are moved. We acknowledge the very real risk of transfer trauma, Roland Pickens, interim chief executive officer at Laguna Honda, told the committee. While we dont have specific information about whether transfer trauma impacted their expiration, we dont know that it didnt. Those who died ranged in age from 80 to 102. City officials said privacy laws prevented them from disclosing additional information about them. Laguna Honda has so far discharged 56 patients, including 40 people sent to other nursing homes and three to homeless shelters, according to the citys dashboard, which is updated on Mondays. Renne pleaded with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services the agency requiring Laguna Honda to discharge all of its roughly 600 patients before it can be recertified as well as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra; Gov. Gavin Newsom; and the California Department of Public Health to stop transferring people from the place where many have lived for years. If any of (those officials) is listening today, stop the discharge, Renne said, and urged them instead to have a constructive conversation with each other. But dont, in the meantime, evict people who are poor. The federal agency known as CMS decertified Laguna Honda on April 14, six months after state inspectors declared it to be in a state of substandard care. Decertification means CMS canceled Laguna Hondas Medicare and Medicaid agreement and will halt payments. San Franciscos Department of Public Health, which operates Laguna Honda, is working to get the nursing home recertified by a September 13 deadline. In the meantime, CMS is requiring the city-run facility to transfer or discharge all patients ahead of that deadline. While Laguna Honda fights for its survival, it must proceed with the closure plan. Asked to respond to Rennes call that CMS stop the transfers, a spokesperson for the federal agency reiterated the reasons for decertifying the facility in the first place. The agency is working closely with the state, city and facility leadership in discussing the ongoing challenges, safety of residents, and resources needed to support residents and keep them safe, the statement said. Thursdays hearing also focused on the mystifying fact that the citys politicians cant get their hands on much of anything in writing from the federal agency: Why is it cracking down so hard on Laguna Honda? What specific steps does it require to recertify the facility? Why wont Becerras office answer calls? (An aide to Mayor London Breed said Becerras office has been in touch with her.) Ive never seen a compliance process where things were not put in writing, Melgar said. That we dont have complete clarity in writing is not acceptable. Its a due process issue. Pickens, Laguna Hondas interim head, said officials from the federal agency promised to give him something in writing last week. Melgar asked whether they put that promise in writing. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Pickens said they had not. Not acceptable, Melgar replied. Supervisor Dean Preston called it mind blowing that the supervisors had not been required to sign off on the closure plan. With stakes this high is that legal? he asked turning to Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson, who said she would look into it. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman asked Renne what she though the board could do for Laguna Honda. Renne suggested getting a mediator to work with all parties, and said it takes a clear message that the deaths of innocent, elderly people is unacceptable. Members of the public also spoke out, including Joe Urban, who is circulating a petition to stop the discharges that now has more than 1,100 signatures. Urban, whose mother-in-law lives at Laguna Honda, had a message of his own for the supervisors: You need to play hardball with CMS (the federal agency). If not, more people will die. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Rafe Swan/Getty Image A 76-year-old Fairfield man has been arrested in a pair of cold cases and accused of killing two women by asphyxiation in 1980 and 1996, the Solano County Sheriffs Office said Thursday. James Ray Gary was arrested on Tuesday after a DNA sample collected during investigation of a 2021 North Bay sex crime linked him to the two homicides, the sheriffs office said in a statement on Facebook. Three people are facing federal charges for their roles in a scheme to steal unclaimed funds belonging to more than 100 New Yorkers. Bakare Doukoure, Lassana Sylla and Sanneh Tunkara were arrested this week and charged with mail fraud and identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. The charges followed investigations by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office and, later, the U.S. Attorney's office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The alleged scheme covered a nearly six-year period from June 2012 to April 2018. Doukoure, Sylla and Tunkara are accused of filing fraudulent claims with the comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds. The office receives abandoned funds from banks and other entities, then individuals can submit claims to get their money. To receive their funds, they must provide personal identifying information, according to the comptroller's office. The investigation found that the Office of Unclaimed Funds issued about 170 checks to roughly 120 payees. The checks were deposited into eight bank accounts controlled by Doukoure or Tunkara. Those bank accounts, officials say, were then used to make purchases from online databases that compile names, dates of birth, addresses and other individual public records. To carry out the thefts, Doukoure and Tunkara used stolen identities, including fake driver's licenses. Tunkara was arrested on Tuesday. Doukoure and Sylla surrendered after learning of the warrants for their arrests. "The defendants unconscionably stole people's identities to submit claims for money that did not belong to them, stealing from those who had unclaimed funds held by the state," DiNapoli said. Williams added, "As alleged in the complaint, (Doukoure, Tunkara and Sylla) defrauded over 100 unsuspecting New York residents out of money which they were entitled that was held in trust by the New York State Comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds. My office and our partners in law enforcement will not stand idly by when wrongdoers target government programs designed to protect the assets of the people of this state." The trio has been charged with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Additionally, Doukoure, 54, of the Bronx, was charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft, while Tunkara, 38, of the Bronx, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, the alleged thieves could face long prison sentences a maximum of 40 years, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. However, a judge will determine the length of the sentences if the defendants are found guilty. Stephanie Wright Hession/Special to The Chronicle Three men allegedly connected to San Franciscos Tre-4 gang will face a murder prosecution in the death of a 20-year-old Lafayette resident, as well as armed robbery and other charges, the Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office said. The countys sheriffs deputies arrested Jalin Washington, 20, and Don Juan Defore Watson Jr., 19, in June in connection with the March 23 killing of Basel Jilani, who was gunned down while driving a Mercedes-Benz in Concord, authorities said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Jacom Stephens/Getty Image Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Jacom Stephens/Getty Image Show More Show Less Berkeley police said Friday that a 36-year-old man was charged with indecent exposure and burglary by the Alameda County District Attorneys Office after he allegedly entered a fraternity on Piedmont Avenue and exposed his genitals to several students. Officers were dispatched to the residence at 6:18 p.m. on July 19 after a report that a man was masturbating outside of the house. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sixteen months after a Contra Costa County sheriffs deputy shot Tyrell Wilson in the face during a daytime confrontation on a Danville street, a jury ruled the 33-year-olds death to be a homicide following a coroners inquest in Martinez on Friday. The civilian jurys ruling, reached after three hours of testimony, starts the clock for District Attorney Diana Becton to decide whether to prosecute former Deputy Andrew Hall, who is serving a six-year sentence for a different on-duty shooting, or clear Hall in his shooting of Wilson on March 11, 2021. Hall is currently in San Quentin State Prison for killing Laudemer Arboleda in November 2018. Wilson and Arboleda were both people of color Wilson was Black, Arboleda was Filipino with mental health issues in a predominantly white and affluent town, thrusting their deaths at the hands of a white deputy into the national conversation over police accountability. In the case of Wilson, the Sheriffs Office says Hall was responding to reports that someone was lobbing rocks from the Sycamore Valley Road overpass down onto Interstate 680. Hall spotted Wilson at a nearby intersection holding a grocery bag. The interaction between the two men lasts just 31 seconds and was captured on video from multiple angles. According to the footage, Hall exits his patrol car and calls Wilson over. Wilson, who was experiencing homelessness, refuses and begins crossing the street. Hall walks after him, accusing Wilson of jaywalking and throwing rocks. Wilson questions Halls authority and tells him not to touch him, revealing a small knife in his hand. Hall pulls his gun, raises it and fires a single shot in the time it takes the deputy to shout, Drop the knife! three times. Dr. Ikechi Ogan, a forensic pathologist who contracts with the county to perform autopsies, said Wilson died two days after the shooting with extensive damage to his brain. There was no exit gunshot wound, so I knew there were going to be either a bullet or fragments of bullets in the head, Ogan testified, adding that Wilsons nose, jaw and cheek were fractured. The bullet traveled to the back of the head where it impacted the back of the skull. The bullet broke into three fragments and ricocheted off Wilsons skull and into his brain, Ogan said. The only substance noted in Wilsons system was marijuana, the doctor said. Jay Melen, who was the Sheriffs Office lead inspector on the death investigation, said Hall spoke of the fear he felt. He did tell us several different times that when Mr. Wilson presented the knife, he did fear death or great bodily injury, Melen testified. According to Melen, Hall told investigators that he heard a metallic noise when Wilson exposed the blade, which was about 4 inches long. Hall estimated he was 6 to 8 feet away from Wilson. Hall said he chose to pull his gun because Wilsons clothes were too baggy to use a Taser and he believed that pepper spray would incapacitate both of them, Melen testified. After pulling his firearm, Hall decided he would shoot Wilson if he raised the blade. Melen quoted Hall saying, There wasnt much to do as far as de-escalating the situation. Three videos from a traffic camera, a Tesla dashboard camera and Halls body camera were played in court, each one showing the moment when Wilson suddenly dropped to the ground. People groaned. Wilsons father, Marvin Wilson, blinked fast and quietly rose from his seat. He hurried out of the room trying to steady his breath. Jurors wiped their eyes. The gallery, filled with supporters of Wilsons family, who wore small green ribbons, and various observers, was silent and tense as people collected themselves before the hearing proceeded. In a few minutes, Marvin Wilson returned and kept watching. An outdated procedure? In Contra Costa County, Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston holds coroners inquests asking juries to determine whether deaths involving law enforcement are due to one of four causes: accident, suicide, natural causes or the actions of another person more commonly known as homicide. Since January 2019, the Sheriffs Office has held coroners inquests for at least 35 individuals. Of the 21 inquest findings still available for review through Sheriffs Office news releases, 11 deaths were ruled accidents, six were ruled suicides, three were attributed to the actions of other people and one was said to be due to natural causes. The accidents can encompass drug overdoses in jail, car crashes following police pursuits and include cases where the families of those killed dispute the accounts of authorities and say their loved ones were the victims of police violence. Angelo Quinto, 30, died three days after losing consciousness while Antioch police officers pinned him to his mothers floor for several minutes in December 2020. Police waited a month to disclose the incident, which sparked calls for greater transparency, including body cameras for officers. Quintos family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against the city the following August. A few weeks later, the jury at the coroners inquest ruled Quintos death an accident, accepting Ogans explanation that the Navy veteran died of excited delirium, a dubious medical diagnosis rejected by the American Medical Association. According to the Spokane County Medical Examiners Office in Washington state, coroners inquests are an antiquated proceeding that became outdated centuries ago when the natural and medical sciences had developed to the point of having practical application to death investigations. And when they are held, its not to determine whether a death was or was not justified. This is one of the few counties, I believe, in California that does this kind of thing for the public, said Ted Asregadoo, a spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office. Whatever the decision the jury reaches, that information does not affect a jury trial if the D.A.s office decides to prosecute. Asregadoo said coroners inquests offer the public an opportunity to hear from a medical examiner and those who investigated or were present during the incident, though he noted before the inquest that Hall would likely not participate since he was in prison. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The juries rulings dont always appear to match the facts, as in the case of Donald James Eversen. Concord police released a video showing its officers fatally shoot the 60-year-old man as he attacked his elderly parents with a knife inside their home in December 2019. Eleven months later, a coroners inquest jury ruled Eversens death was an accident, rather than due to the actions of another person. The speed at which inquests are convened following a persons death varied from six months at the earliest which happened in four cases to more than a year in nine cases. The longest wait occurred following the July 2019 death of 21-year-old Brentwood man Omar Jalal Harb, who died after crashing a car into a tree while being pursued by Antioch police. It took one year and nine months for a coroners inquest to be convened and the death to be ruled an accident. In Contra Costa County, at least, the District Attorneys Office waits until after inquests are held to complete its probes of police killings. The office has no time line for making a filing decision, Asregadoo said, but has set a 90-day goal for releasing a report to the public about the shooting. Becton was still deliberating whether to prosecute Hall for killing Arboleda when Hall fatally shot Wilson. Her office charged Hall with manslaughter and assault in Arboledas death in April 2021, six weeks after Wilsons death and nearly two years after the coroners inquest into Arboledas death concluded he died by homicide. Asregadoo said the pandemic slowed the offices progress on use-of-force reviews. Arboleda was in the throes of a mental health crisis when Hall stepped in the path of his slow-moving vehicle and fired 10 rounds at him in November 2018. Nine hit Arboleda. Hall claimed he feared the car would run him over. Livingston cleared Hall of wrongdoing in the shooting. He also defended his deputy through the ensuing trial and after a guilty verdict was reached on the assault charge, but not the manslaughter one. Fridays inquest came as questions persist about elected sheriffs who hold the dual role of coroners in 48 of Californias 58 counties, and whether that contributes to a nationwide underestimation of police violence that researchers at the University of Washingtons School of Medicine found last year. This past January, Quintos family joined civil rights and medical groups in sponsoring AB1608 byy Assembly Member Mike Gipson, D-Carson (Los Angeles County), who chairs the Assemblys Select Committee on Police Reform. The bill would separate the offices of sheriff and coroner, in part, to ensure that law enforcement officials arent unduly influencing death investigations involving officers. This bill would ensure that death investigations are conducted objectively, reducing any perception that the investigative process could be influenced by other segments of the criminal justice system, Gipson said in a statement when the bill was introduced. The bill passed the Assembly in May and is now before the state Senate. After Fridays inquest, relatives of Quinto and Arboleda stood on the sidewalk outside the courthouse with Wilsons father. Marvin Wilson, who had flown in from his home in Fort Worth, Texas, for the inquest, said he was happy to have this phase of the process over. Now Im just glad the D.A. can can get ahold of this case and dissect it, he told reporters. (Hall) should be convicted at least (of) manslaughter. Raheem Hosseini and Joshua Sharpe are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: raheem.hosseini@sfchronicle.com, joshua.sharpe@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @raheemfh, @joshuawsharpe Send help, Harry Potter! Sacramento needs a new wizard! Ana Matosantos is departing Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration soon. Can state government survive without her? Unless you follow state politics closely, youve probably never heard of Matosantos. But for more than 15 years she has been an indispensable insider of Sacramento depended upon by politicians, parties and agencies of all varieties. What makes her so important? The answer lies in a paradox. Because our state is such a diverse and complicated place, one might assume it requires a large and diverse set of people and institutions to govern it. In reality, the opposite is true. Because the machinery of government here is so complex, almost no mortals can understand it, much less govern it. So real governing in California requires that 1-in-40-million sort of person. She must be a wizard with a mind peculiar and powerful enough to comprehend the incomprehensible algorithms of state finance and to conjure possibilities from our impossible system. Each generation in Sacramento produces its own wizard. In the later 20th century, the wizard was a state educational and budget expert named John Mockler, the author of Proposition 98, the impossibly complicated school funding formula. Mockler was so vital to California that I proposed in the Los Angeles Times that the state constitution be changed to require him to live forever. (Alas, he died in 2015). In the 21st century, the unicorn keeping California from cracking up has been Matosantos. You may think of the last three governors Messrs. Schwarzenegger, Brown and Newsom as very different men with very different agendas. But when it came to the most complicated governing and budgeting tasks, they were flashy figureheads, often doing whatever Matosantos advised them to do. Matosantos has had different jobs and titles. But, relying on her off-the-charts intellect, a Stanford education and a freakishly good memory, she developed the rarer-than-rare ability to understand the bizarro world of state budgeting. Originally from Puerto Rico, she first gained notice on the political stage when she helped Arnold Schwarzenegger (who often referred to her the genius) negotiate complicated and contentious budget fights in the 2000s. In one such conflict, which has become Capitol legend, Matosantos is said to have drafted both the Democratic proposal and Republican counter-proposal that led to a budget agreement. In the 2010 elections, Jerry Brown replaced Schwarzenegger, but Matosantos stayed on to direct state finances and ingeniously found ways to turn the curious koans of the philosopher-governor into real policies. One veteran Capitol wag compared her to the Kyra Sedgwick character in the TV series The Closer, a brilliant L.A. Police Department investigator who solved the crimes that no one else could crack. Matosantos was considered so essential to the states governance that her 2011 arrest for driving under the influence was treated not like a personal scandal but rather like a near-death experience for state government. What would California do without Ana? She left state service for a time. But Newsom, after winning office, coaxed her back into state government, making her Cabinet secretary, which requires coordinating operations and policy across all departments and agencies. Its an impossible job, and Matosantos had missteps in everything from pandemic response to utility regulation. But she also was the administrations greatest resource, able to answer seemingly unanswerable questions about state government. She also kept pulling rabbits out of hats insiders say she was particularly adept at exploiting the details of Trump administration regulations for Californias benefit. She and her administration colleagues managed to make historic investments in new programs while protecting the giant budget surpluses of recent years. Indeed, some progressives in California privately complain that Matosantos ability to manage our messed-up government machinery is too good her skill at solving difficult problems in the short-term allows state government to postpone systemic reforms. This may be an election year, but Matosantos departure is the most significant change in California governance. Perhaps after some well-deserved rest, Matosantos will find a way to keep playing her essential role in governing California, perhaps a consultant. But if Matosantos is truly departing, this time of transition raises all kinds of fears about what comes next. Without a government wizard, California could fall apart under the stresses of economic downturn. But, maybe just maybe, this absence of sorcery might force Californians to redesign our complicated state constitution. Without Matosantos to keep things going, maybe we will have no choice but to remove the formulas and remake how we budget. Maybe we will create a new governing system simple enough that politicians and even everyday Californians can understand it. But such changes make too much sense to ever happen in this state. California, and Sacramento, will just have to find a new wizard. Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square. One of the three San Francisco school board members appointed after this year's recall is already facing calls to resign. The member, Ann Hsu, made a racist statement in a candidate questionnaire ahead of November's election, saying that one of the biggest challenges for marginalized students, especially in the Black and brown community, was their unstable family environments and lack of family support and parental encouragement. Hsu has apologized, but her future is uncertain. On today's episode of Fifth & Mission, Chronicle reporter Jill Tucker tells host Demian Bulwa why the controversy has touched many nerves in the a school system struggling with wide racial disparities in achievement. With the awaited opening of the new Tunnel Tops and Battery Bluff parks in the Presidio, San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King joins Total SF hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub at the new park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge to talk about the changes. Tunnel Tops links the Presidio to Crissy Field, and Battery Bluff exposes old military posts along a pathway with stellar views of the bridge and Marin Headlands. After a review of the new spaces, King, Knight and Hartlaub talk burritos, San Francisco movies and share their favorite and least favorite landmarks and buildings. Also in this episode, Hartlaub and Knight debut their new Total SF T-shirts and Total SF phone line. Call 415-777-7413 and your question may be read on a future episode! (A few selected callers will win a T-shirt!) More for you Listen: Nine San Francisco things we miss when we're gone Are these the 10 greatest San Francisco movies of all time? SACRAMENTO Californians will be able to sue the manufacturers of assault weapons and ghost guns starting next year under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday. Its the Democratic governors answer to the abortion ban Texas passed last year that dramatically scaled back abortions in the Lone Star State before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Californias new gun law, like the Texas abortion law, will rely on private citizens suing gun manufacturers in civil court as its enforcement mechanism. Newsom described it as an effort to go on the offense to combat gun violence. If you look at whats going on across the country, were not winning. Were not making demonstrable progress, Newsom said. Were sick and tired of being on the defense. Its time to put them on the defense. The new gun control measure is the latest of several Newsom has signed into law this month. AB1594, which he signed last week, will allow California residents, its attorney general and local governments to sue gunmakers and sellers for harm their products cause if they break state law starting in July of next year. This week, he also signed bills limiting the number of guns someone can make without a license, banning people from making guns with a 3D printer and barring people convicted of violent child or elder abuse from having a gun for 10 years. In Texas, allowing people to sue those who helped women get abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy was an effort to get around the Roe decision that guaranteed the right to an abortion before about 24 weeks until the Supreme Court overturned it last month. Newsom and lawmakers who support the law Newsom signed Friday, SB1327, argue the tactic will help reduce the number of dangerous weapons in the state. Mia Tretta, a student who was shot at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County) in 2019, applauded Newsom for signing the bill Friday during a news conference in Santa Monica. She was shot in the stomach by a 16-year-old classmate wielding a ghost gun. Her best friend and another student were killed. SB1327... will save lives by attacking the illegal ghost gun industry, she said. It might have saved the life of my best friend. Newsom vehemently criticized the Texas abortion ban when it passed and argued it infringed on a womans right to control her own body. In response, he called on the California Legislature to send him a bill that would create the same private enforcement mechanism for gun manufacturers, which the Democrats who control the statehouse quickly worked to pass. Newsom signed SB1327 the same day he ran full-page ads in Texas newspapers criticizing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for the abortion ban, which the Supreme Court allowed to take effect even though it clearly aimed to circumvent what was then federal law. The Supreme Court opened the door, Newsom said. If they are going to use this framework to put womens lives at risk, were going to use it to save lives here in California. The new California law, which will take effect Jan. 1, will allow private citizens to sue those who make, distribute or sell assault weapons, 50-caliber machine guns or ghost guns, which are guns that can be assembled at home and are difficult to track because they dont have serial numbers. Those weapons are already illegal to manufacture and sell in California. The new law would simply add another enforcement mechanism by allowing people to sue for $10,000 or more per weapon. It would also allow lawsuits against people who sell guns to people under age 21. The new law would repeal itself if the U.S. Supreme Court or the Texas Supreme Court overturns the Texas abortion law. Newsom said he expects the new California law will be challenged and taken up by the Supreme Court, where he said it would be hypocritical for the justices to overturn it, given that they have allowed the Texas law to stand. Gun groups had opposed the Texas abortion law because of its private lawsuit enforcement mechanism, warning a similar tactic could be used to restrict gun rights. Thats exactly what the California measure does, Roy Griffith, a lobbyist for the California Rifle & Pistol Association, told a legislative committee during a hearing on the bill last month. The measure restricts Americans rights to interstate commerce, he said, and it will be challenged in court. The Firearms Policy Coalition, a Sacramento-based group, criticized Newsom for signing the law and announced it was recruiting people interested in challenging it in court. The American Civil Liberties Union also opposed the measure. Although the organization supports cracking down on gun violence, it does not support using the private right of action tactic from the Texas law, said Shilpi Agarwal, legal director for ACLU of Northern California. Even if it is doing so for noble ends, the fact remains that replicating the Texas model only serves to legitimize and promote it, Agarwal told lawmakers. California is endorsing and participating in a constitutional arms race where the rights that a person can enjoy differ from one state to another. Legal tensions between red and blue states are already high in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe. That decision spurred a flurry of activity in statehouses, with liberal states like California working to increase access to abortions, and conservative states working to ban it. Sophia Bollag is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.bollag@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaBollag SACRAMENTO California Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down on his attacks of Republican governors Friday morning, this time targeting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott with full-page ads in Texas newspapers criticizing the Lone Star States abortion ban. The ads take a quote from Abbott Our creator endowed us with the right to life. And yet children lose their right to life every year because of abortion. In Texas, we work to save those lives. but crosses out the words abortion and Texas and replaces them with gun violence and California. Its the latest example of Californias Democratic governor trying to co-opt Republicans talking points and use them to attack conservative policies. For months, Newsom has argued he represents true pro-life values, even though he supports abortion rights, because his tough gun control and COVID-19 restrictions have saved lives. Courtesy Newsom for Governor 2022 Newsoms re-election campaign spent $30,000 to run the ads in the Austin-American Statesman, the Houston Chronicle and the El Paso Times, said spokesperson Nathan Click. They are running the same day Newsom will sign a gun control law modeled on Texas abortion ban. Texas law allows private citizens to sue people who help women obtain abortions, an effort to circumvent the Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide until it was overturned last month. Californias law, which Newsom called for late last year after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block Texas law from going into effect, will allow the same types of lawsuits but against people who make or sell assault weapons and ghost guns that are illegal in the Golden State. If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives, Newsom said in a statement. If Gov. Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, I urge him to follow Californias lead. Abbotts campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its the second time Newsom has used his re-election campaign funds to buy ads in another state. Earlier this month, Newsom ran television ads in Florida attacking conservative policies in that state. The ads have fueled speculation that Newsom is gearing up for a presidential run, something he has denied. Sophia Bollag is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.bollag@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaBollag Legislation that would establish federal privacy protections for personal data is headed to the House floor over objections from a Bay Area member of Congress and Gov. Gavin Newsom that it would override the privacy law approved by California voters in 2020. The American Data Privacy and Protection Act, or ADPPA, would create the first nationwide rules for collection, retention and disclosure of personal information by technology companies and other organizations, including nonprofits. It would require them to disclose the type of data they collect and what they use it for and would allow individuals to access and correct personal data, block use of certain types of sensitive data and prevent use of their personal information for advertising. The measure would also prohibit personal data use that discriminates on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation. For example, when a bank uses technology to determine who is eligible for a mortgage, employers use artificial-intelligence tools to review job-seekers, or a college relies on those methods to admit students, ADPPA would forbid procedures that disproportionately screen out members of under-represented groups. And, two years after becoming law, it would allow individuals whose rights were violated to sue for damages. With bipartisan support, the bill was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday on a 53-2 vote. Both opposing votes came from California Democrats, Reps. Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto and Nanette Barragan of Hermosa Beach (Los Angeles County). Both said the measure would hurt Californians by pre-empting Proposition 24, the privacy initiative approved by California voters in November 2020. The ADPPA threatens Californians right to access, delete and prevent the sale of their information by overriding California law, Eshoo said in a statement after the vote. While Im sensitive to industry concerns that we dont create a patchwork system of regulations, Congress has historically addressed this by allowing states to enact stronger protections when practicable and compatible. States need flexibility to respond to changes in technology and expand rights where necessary. Newsom expressed similar concerns in a letter Tuesday to the committee chair, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. While the bill was an important policy step to protect privacy, the governor wrote, it should not come at the expense of the fundamental protections Californians already enjoy. California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a similar statement, leading a group of chief law enforcement officers from 10 states. We urge the federal government to enact legislation that creates a floor, not a ceiling, and which will allow us to continue building on state privacy laws that currently exist, Bonta said in a letter to members of Congress. But the committee rejected Eshoos proposed amendment that would have allowed states to enforce their own data privacy laws once the federal law took effect. Attorney David Brody of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which supports the ADPPA, said passage of the amendment would have killed the bill because of Republican insistence on a uniform nationwide standard. Pre-emption is what is necessary for bipartisan support, and only a bipartisan bill can get 60 votes in the Senate, Brody said. Californias Prop. 24, approved by 56% of the voters, strengthened an existing state law that allowed consumers to require businesses to delete their personal data or prevent them from selling it to others. The initiative expanded those categories of data to include information about a persons health, genetics, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sex life, union membership, religion, philosophical beliefs and precise location. It was opposed, however, by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Consumer Federation of California, which said it did not go far enough. One objection was that Prop. 24 left intact a state law allowing businesses to charge higher prices to customers who refused to have their data sold. The ACLU gave a mixed review this week to the proposed federal law, saying it contained important protections but had the same price-increasing flaw as Prop. 24 and should be amended to let states enact stronger laws. But Brody said analyses by his organization and other advocates of privacy rights have concluded that the federal legislation is stronger than California law in most ways. For example, Brody said, the ADPPA has much tighter restrictions than Prop. 24 on the collection, use and transfer of a persons health data and other personal information. He said it also has stronger protections against discrimination and goes further in allowing suits by individuals whose rights have been violated. Compared to the California law, the federal legislation is clearer on minimization, with strict regulations on what businesses can do with sensitive data and on advertising uses of data, said Alan Butler, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which also supports ADPPA. And in response to state officials requests, he said, the federal bill was amended to authorize Californias Privacy Protection Agency, created by Prop. 24, to enforce the federal law in the state. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Calls grew louder for a San Francisco school board member to resign over racist comments that cited unstable family environments and lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning as one of the biggest challenges in educating Black and brown students. At the same time, other officials and community members jumped to Ann Hsus defense, saying she made a mistake, apologized and remains dedicated to all students. As of Friday, the citys teachers union, three San Francisco supervisors, the Asian Pacific Islander Council, the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club as well as the districts African American Parents Advisory Council have all called on Hsu to step down over the comments. The United Educators of San Francisco previously condemned Hsus words, but late Thursday, it asked her to resign and withdraw from the November election. It is sad and stunning that someone who is supposed to represent the interests of all San Francisco public school students responded in a written candidate survey with racist and offensive comments, said Cassondra Curiel, the unions president. Ann Hsu has no place in the education of our children and must resign and get out of the school board race. Late Friday, Hsu responded to requests for comment saying that while she didnt intend to cause harm, her words did that and she has apologized. I hold myself accountable for my words and will continue to listen, learn, and grow, she said in an email to The Chronicle. Whats important now is that I follow through on what I have vowed to do, which is to meet with and listen to people in the community, especially those families that were most affected by my comments. Im not going to repeatedly speak out on this subject until Ive had the opportunity to put in that work. She added that she remains committed to all children in the district. She did not address the calls for her to resign. Hsus remarks landed amid the school boards review of student progress, which showed just 58% of students were proficient in reading last year and 71% were proficient in math. But the outcomes varied greatly by race, with 34% of Latinos and 9% of Black students reading at grade level, compared with 85% of white students and 70% of Asian Americans. Some supporters pointed out that while Hsu misspoke, she was trying to address a persistent problem in the district. We were not offended by Commissioner Hsus comments in response to the data showing the vast achievement gap evident throughout SFUSD. Rather, we are offended by the dramatic difference in preparedness among students of different racial groups, according to a statement from Friends of Lowell, which has supported Hsu given her backing of a merit-based admission process for the academically elite school. Commissioner Hsu made a courageous attempt to discuss what others prefer to ignore. Mayor London Breed, public defender and former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, the Chinese Parent Council and many community members stood by Hsu. I find her to be a very kind an thoughtful person. I believe in forgiveness, and I would encourage others to take that path, Gonzalez said. Those who know Ann know she is not a racist. I think weve all said things before that we wish we could have said with more accuracy. The controversy is yet another distraction for a school board trying to steady itself after three years of scandal, divisive polices, lawsuits and a landslide vote to recall three of its seven commissioners. The issue has divided the community, pitting individuals and politicians against each other over whether Hsu should step down. Hsu made the statement in response to a candidate questionnaire from the San Francisco Parent Action group, specifically to a question on how the district can improve outcomes for marginalized students. From my very limited exposure in the past four months to the challenges of educating marginalized students especially in the black and brown community, I see one of the biggest challenges as being the lack of family support for those students, she responded. Unstable family environments caused by housing and food insecurity along with lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning cause children to not be able to focus on or value learning, She continued: That makes teachers work harder because they have to take care of emotional and behavioral issues of students before they can teach them. That is not fair to the teachers. She later amended the response to the question posed by the parent organization, which advocates for elected officials and policies that prioritize students. Hsu apologized on social media Tuesday, admitting the comments were inherently biased and perpetuated stereotypes. Chronicle editors determined that the comment met the publications definition of racist, because the remark employed stereotypes of racial or ethnic groups. Hsu met with members of the San Francisco Parent Action group Wednesday, the organizations leadership said, adding it was an intense and emotional meeting. Our families did not hold back their feelings or sharing them with Ann; and those feelings varied by individual, the group said in an email. Overall our families shared their hurt, their disappointment, their loss of trust in the commissioner. Hsu apologized again, they added. Were not giving Commissioner Hsu a pass; this is deeply upsetting to our community and we expect to see better from the commissioner, the leadership said. We are not asking for her to resign, but a real demonstration of and commitment to doing better. Former district parent Quincy Yu, who worked with Hsu on the school board recall, said she will continue to support her, noting she made a mistake and apologized. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Shes not a politician, Yu said, adding Hsu isnt looking to run for higher office. This is a huge learning experience for her and shes wide open to listening. I think we need more of that. The Chinese Parent Advisory Council will continue to support Hsu. Commissioner Hsus wordings were not chosen w care & caused harm, members said in a statement on social media. She has shown leadership in her unconditional apology & commitment to repairing that harm. Hsu, along with Breeds two other school board appointees, are running in the November election to retain their seats. On Friday, Supervisor Dean Preston joined Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton and fellow Supervisor Connie Chan, who called for Hsus resignation earlier last week. Her written comments suggesting that Black and brown parents do not value learning show prejudice, ignorance, and a lack of fitness to serve the families and students who rely on our public schools, Preston said in a social media post. Walton and Chan were among 10 supervisors in March 2021 who called on former school board member Alison Collins to resign over a social media post about Asian Americans. Preston was the lone member to support her remaining in office. Collins declined to apologize or remove the Twitter comments. A year later, she was recalled in a landslide vote. The citys teachers union did not call for Collins resignation and supported her through the recall. The districts African American Parents Advisory Council also urged Hsu to resign. AAPAC is disheartened by Commissioner Hsus racist statement about Black and Brown families and subsequent Twitter apology, the groups leadership team said in a statement. The repetition of the racist and inaccurate stereotype that Black and Brown families do not care about their childrens education cannot be tolerated in SFUSD. The citys Asian and Pacific Islander Council were also among those condemning the remarks and calling for her resignation. As an organization that stands in solidarity with communities of color, these comments are unacceptable and unbecoming of a leader who is in a position of educating and influencing the futures of our diverse student population, the group said in a statement. We acknowledge an apology has been issued by Commissioner Hsu, but do not believe that it absolves the Commissioner from the harm that has been caused. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker NEW YORK U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, said Friday he wasn't immediately alarmed when a stranger joined him onstage during a campaign rally because the man wore a hat indicating that, like Zeldin, he'd served in the military. Then Zeldin noticed the man was clutching a pointed weapon, headed straight toward the congressman's neck. "You're done," the man said. At that moment, Zeldin said, "regardless of whatever's on your hat, this was not a normal situation and there needed to be action taken," recounting the Thursday evening attack in western New York. Zeldin grabbed the man's wrist, and the two tussled to the ground as other people jumped in to help. The episode left Zeldin with a minor scrape. Photos of the pointed object used in the attack suggest it's a cat-shaped keychain meant to be worn on the knuckles for self defense. The man, identified as 43-year-old David Jakubonis, has been charged with attempted assault for attacking Zeldin as he addressed a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the town of Perinton, outside Rochester. The attacker had climbed onto the low stage as the congressman addressed a crowd of dozens, flanked by bales of hay and American flags. Zeldin is seeking to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul this November, and has focused his campaign on calling for a crackdown on crime. An Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, he has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015. But he faces an uphill battle against Hochul. He'll need to persuade independent voters which outnumber Republicans in the state as well as Democrats in order to win the general election. He is a staunch ally former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results, both of which are not expected to help him in the blue state. In a statement, Hochul condemned the attack and said she was "relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured." President Joe Biden also denounced the incident and said it "defies our fundamental democratic values." "As I've said before, violence has absolutely no place in our society or our politics. I am especially grateful for the courage of those who immediately intervened, and that he is unharmed and was able to continue his speech," the president said in a statement. Jakubonis, 43, was charged with attempted assault in the second degree, arraigned and then released, a Monroe County sheriff's spokesperson said. It's not clear whether he has an attorney who can speak for him. A message seeking comment was left at a number listed for Jakubonis. Jakubonis is an Army veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a medical laboratory technician. Zeldin said Friday at an event in Syracuse that he was grateful for everyone who jumped in to help. Jacob Murphy, a spokesperson for Zeldin's congressional office, said that Zeldin had a minor scrape from the incident. He said Zeldin had private security for the Thursday event but would start having increased security. New York Republican State Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy called on Hochul to issue a security detail for Zeldin to protect him on the campaign trail. Hochul's press secretary Avi Small referred questions about providing Zeldin with a security detail to New York State Police. State Police spokesman Beau Duffy said the agency contacted the Zeldin campaign on Friday and was discussing his security. Zeldin and fellow Republicans pointed to Jakubonis' release by a Perinton Town Court judge as an example of the need to reform New York's bail laws, something he's called on Hochul to toughen. A 2019 bail reform law in New York eliminated pretrial incarceration for people accused of most nonviolent offenses. The law gives judges the option to set bail in nearly all cases involving violent felonies, but has exceptions for certain attempted felonies like attempted assault. Judges must also consider someone's ability to pay bail, and weigh imposing other conditions like travel restrictions, electronic monitoring or limits on weapons possessions. Amid calls from Republicans and some Democrats to toughen the law, Hochul this year signed a measure to allow someone to be held on bail for hate crimes and additional gun offenses, and give judges more discretion in deciding bail if a person is facing multiple charges. Judges who set bail must also weigh factors like an individual's history of using guns, whether they are accused of causing "serious harm" and if they violated an order of protection. Perinton Town Court senior clerk Betsy Wager said under the state law, "The judge had no choice but to release him on his own recognizance." It's up to law enforcement to decide whether to charge someone with a crime that could lead to a judge holding them behind bars. A representative at the Monroe County district attorney's office said Friday that the sheriff's office had filed the criminal complaint for the second-degree attempted assault charge. Hochul's office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on whether she's considering more changes to the state's bail laws. As a former assistant district attorney and the head of San Franciscos Office of Cannabis, Marisa Rodriguez has little on her resume that would have made her a natural fit to oversee the Union Square Alliance, the business improvement district that handles the citys center of shopping and tourism. So when Rodriguez received a call last fall asking whether she would be interested in taking over for retiring Karin Flood, the organizations longtime director, she was a little baffled. I was like, What do tourism and luxury retail have to do with me? What does commercial real estate have to do with me? she recalled. I have zero retail background and zero background in hotels or hospitality. Still, she was intrigued enough to agree to be interviewed. And when she got down to Union Square, she was thrown off by how desolate it looked, 18 months into the pandemic: store fronts boarded up, sidewalks empty, hotels still shuttered. I was brokenhearted because it looked just so barren, she said. A Richmond District native whose nurse mom moonlighted as a hairdresser at a Union Square salon, Rodriguez started to think about what the district meant to her and to the city. She thought about the chambermaids and bellhops and dishwashers and retail clerks who rely on the tourism industry to make a living. She recalled all the special occasions she spent in Union Square buying a prom dress, Christmas shopping, celebrating a graduation and also the boring afternoons she spent there waiting for her mom to get off work. Id spin around in the chairs and get yelled at, she said. She took the job. Being the head of the Union Square Alliance is like being mayor of a 27-block city with 12,000 hotel rooms, 70,000 workers and virtually no residents. Its membership roster comprises the owners of approximately 650 buildings. Its tenants include some of the fanciest names in retail: Tiffany, Tory Burch, Bvlgari, Hermes, Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. While those luxury stores are out of reach for many city residents, about 40% of the citys service workers of color have jobs in Union Square. When I came down here, Union Square was eerie in a way that I hadnt seen in other parts of San Francisco, which was compelling to me, Rodriguez said. Union Square was hit harder than every other neighborhood because it doesnt have residents. The reason I decided to take this work on was to dig in and find out: How do we as a travel destination, a visitor destination, survive the next big storm? Now, nine months later, Rodriguez is fully immersed in a world that is in some ways a microcosm of the city and in other ways the opposite of most of the citys neighborhoods. Ethan Swope/The Chronicle Union Square reflects the struggles San Francisco is grappling with empty office buildings, persistent homelessness, lack of conventions but also the potential for a resurgence as visitors and locals rediscover the city centers galleries, theaters, restaurants, alleyways and historic hotels. But it lacks the residential foot traffic that kept other neighborhoods afloat during the lockdown. The solution she came up with included both short-term and long-term plans. The immediate goal: lure locals back to Union Square. The alliance now hosts Saturday night dances in the square and is working on partnering with local music venues about putting on other concerts. Part of the greater San Francisco in Bloom programming, Union Square is getting a full program of events, including movies, a silent disco, arts and crafts, food trucks and outdoor fitness classes. We want our locals to come back to the Square its for them, she said. Ill do everything in my power to make that happen. For Rodriguez, part of bringing locals back is making it safe and clean. A month into her tenure a large group of mostly teenagers went on a huge theft spree, overpowering security guards and making off with millions of dollars worth in merchandise from stores like Louis Vuitton and Burberry in Union Square and Bloomingdales in the Westfield mall. In reaction to the crime spree, the San Francisco Police Department set up a mobile command center in Union Square and most of the luxury stores have beefed up security. But Rodriguez isnt just sitting in her office trying to find the answers. On Wednesday, she worked a 13-hour day studying the neighborhoods nuances. In the afternoon she visited an art gallery, CK Contemporary, and then met with alliance staffers Lance Goree and Stacy Jed about planning a booth for National Night Out, an annual community policing event. She met with Alex Bastian, the new president of the San Francisco Hotel Council, and Sebastien Pfeiffer, the general manager of the Beacon Grand hotel, the former Sir Francis Drake, which just reopened after a two-year closure. She stopped to hug Serena McKnight, a Union Square ambassador who spends her days directing tourists and keeping the plaza clean. Ethan Swope / The Chronicle Rodriguez spent that evening with a cleaning crew six power washers and two street sweepers a job that is not for the faint of heart. Our power washers work overnight so the wet surfaces, their hoses and bulky equipment dont create a hazard during the more populated daytime hours, Rodriguez said. The challenges that exist on our city streets become more apparent at night, and this team encounters it firsthand. In the long-term, Rodriguez would like to pump life into the neighborhood by converting underutilized office buildings into housing. The alliance has hired Ken Rich, former development liaison for Mayors Ed Lee and London Breed, to study what zoning changes and other incentives would be needed to make it easier for property owners to convert buildings into residential opportunities. Currently only retail is allowed on the first and second floors of buildings in Union Square. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Supervisor Aaron Peskin said he is open to crafting legislation to help facilitate housing conversions in the area. Housing is a permitted use in Union Square, and the reality is the FAO Schwarzes of the world aint coming back, he said. Meanwhile, vacancies continue to plague the district. The lower blocks of Powell Street are riddled with empty storefronts after the closure of Uniqlo, H+M and the Gap. The first block of OFarrell formerly the home of Macys Mens and Barneys is dark except for a boba kiosk. The 200 block of Post Street has vacancies at 220, 240, 259, 272 and 278. Julie Taylor, a prominent broker with Colliers International who handles much of the leasing around Union Square, said more zoning flexibility is needed. The sooner the city allows market forces to fill space by removing zoning obstacles, the sooner we can bring the city to health, both Union Square and the greater downtown, Taylor said. We have all kinds of space that wants to become something. Still, there are reasons for optimism, she said. An Australian furniture company, Coco Republic, is opening its first U.S. outlet in the former Crate & Barrel space at 55 Stockton. French luxury fashion brand Chanel has purchased a building at 340 Post St. in Union Square for $63 million and will open a three-level store. Taylor said that the recent efforts to tackle quality-of-life issues crime, litter and drug dealing have given retailers a lot more confidence that San Francisco is going to make the changes needed. The cable car lines are back to historic levels, people are carrying shopping bags, and you can hear foreign languages on every block, she said. Rodriguez said the amount of progress she has seen in her nine months on the job has been encouraging. The reopening of the Beacon Grand the historic Starlite Room will reopen next year was another big milestone. The hotel has gone from three to 100 employees in the past few months and will hire another 200. Bastian, the new Hotel Council president, was in law school with Rodriguez and is also a veteran of the San Francisco District Attorneys Office. He said the next year will be key. This is a pivotal moment for the city, he said. We sink or swim together. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen On Aug. 1, 1834, two ships left the west coast Mexican port of San Blas, carrying 239 colonists bound for the young nations far-flung province of California. As recounted in the past Portals, the Hijar-Padres expedition (named after its two leaders) had been dispatched by Mexicos co-president, Valentin Gomez Farias, for two reasons. The colonists were to create a settlement on Californias northern frontier that would prevent the Russians from expanding from their outpost at Fort Ross. And they were to take over and begin distributing the vast lands formerly controlled by the missions, which the previous year had been ordered secularized. These coveted lands had been held in trust for the native people, but their disposition was now unclear. As Alan Hutchinson notes in his authoritative account of the expedition, Frontier Settlement in California: The Hijar-Padres Colony and Its Origins, the debate over what to do with the mission lands hinged on two different views about the nature of the Native Americans. The liberal Farias administration, inspired by Enlightenment ideas of equality, were critical of the paternalistic way the mission fathers had dealt with the natives. They believed that with a different approach, the native people were capable of becoming productive Mexican citizens and working the lands. The Mexicans who were already in California, who had begun calling themselves Californios, argued that long experience had shown that the natives were incapable of becoming farmers and that handing over the lands to them would be disastrous, both for the native people and for the provinces economy. But they were also driven by self-interest: they wanted the lands themselves. They were supported by the provinces governor, Jose Figueroa. The potential for conflict between the colonists and Figueroa and the Californios was obvious. If all had gone according to Fariass plan, this conflict would have been avoided. Farias had given orders that the expeditions co-leader, Jose Maria de Hijar, was to replace Figueroa as governor. But while the expedition was under way, Farias was deposed by his conservative co-president, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and his order countermanded. As a result, Figueroa did not consider himself bound to follow Hijars instructions. And crucially, the vagueness of those instructions led Figueroa and the Californios to suspect the colonists of wanting to seize all the land for themselves. Figueroa first met with Hijar in the provincial capital, Monterey, on Oct. 14, 1834. Figueroa greeted him amicably and informed him that Santa Anna had ordered him to remain as governor. The meeting proceeded relatively harmoniously until Hijar asked Figueroa to hand over the property of the missions and showed him his instructions. The surprised Figueroa replied that he would comply, but said that in his view it was an injustice to take the land away from the Native Americans, which they regarded as their property. Left unsaid was the fact that Figueroa and the Californios believed they had as much right to the land as the Native Americans and that they suspected the colonists of using their professed concern for the native people to pull off a colossal land grab. For his part, Hijar suspected Figueroa and the Californios of doing exactly the same thing. On this uneasy note, the meeting broke up. Things rapidly went downhill from there. The two men exchanged lengthy letters, in which they expressed increasing suspicion of each other. Hijar angrily moved out of Figueroas house. In a long Manifesto defending his actions that he subsequently published (and which was the first book printed in California), Figueroa accused Hijar of trying to bribe him. Figueroa also received warnings, which appear to have been false, that some of the colonists were plotting against him. Angry and aggrieved, Hijar nonetheless considered himself duty bound to continue with his mission. He proceeded with his original plan to establish a settlement on the northern frontier, near the last of the missions, Mission San Francisco de Solano in Sonoma, to check Russian expansion. Many of the colonists had already arrived on the northern frontier and begun working on the settlement, which was to be called Santa Anna and Farias. (The exact location of this settlement is unknown, but it was close to Mark West Road, a few miles north of Santa Rosa.) In late February 1835, Hijar and some other colonists arrived at San Francisco, where they had another tense meeting with Governor Figueroa at Mission Dolores. Figueroa told Hijar that his friends were plotting against him, named the supposed leaders of the plot and urged him to put an end to it, promising that if he did, he would keep the whole affair quiet. Hijar ignored these warnings, treating Figueroa with the same coldness and indifference with which he is accustomed to deal with important affairs, as the governor wrote in his Manifesto. After the meeting ended, the two men exchanged letters. Hijar asked Figueroa to tell him whether or not he would fund the colony, as stipulated in Hijars instructions. Figueroa replied that he would not be able to fund it fully and offered to let the colonists disband and settle wherever they liked. When Hijar rejected this offer, Figueroa ordered the colony dispersed. Hijar headed north to oversee the disbanding of the colony, probably embarking for the Sonoma estuary from the little cove on the Bay called Yerba Buena, possibly in a launch piloted by a Native American named Celso. But any plans for an orderly shutdown of the colony were dashed when one of the comic-opera-like revolutions that recurred in Mexican California took place in Los Angeles. Figueroa was convinced that Hijar, Padres and some of the colonists were behind the uprising. He ordered the colonists arms confiscated, and Hijar and Padres were put aboard a ship under arrest and sent back to Mexico. More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond. The Hijar-Padres colony, Mexicos most ambitious attempt to colonize its California province, had fizzled out almost before it began. But it did have some beneficial effects. The colonists, who scattered across California, were better educated and of a higher class than previous Mexican immigrants, and many became important figures in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Monterey. Such eminent men as Jose Abrego, Antonio Franco Coronel, Jose Maria Covarrubias, Francisco Guerrero, Jose de Jesus Noe, Victor Prudon and Florencio Serrano all came up with the Hijar-Padres party. And many of the 22 teachers in the expedition helped educate a generation of Californios. As Antonio Coronel told the historian Hubert Bancroft, Many sons of the country who are today men of importance owe to (the teachers of the colony) the little education and knowledge they possess. With the colony dispersed, Figueroa and the military commander at Sonoma, Mariano Vallejo, needed to find new settlers to guard against the Russians. Not surprisingly, after the way the Hijar-Padres party had been treated, few Mexicans were interested, so Figueroa and Vallejo allowed a number of Anglo-Americans, including James Black, Edward M. McIntosh, James Dawson, and Mark West, to settle in the area. Ironically, at the same time these Anglo-Americans were settling on the northern frontier, the Russian threat that was the reason they were allowed to settle was fading away, and it disappeared altogether when the Russian government sold Fort Ross to John Sutter in 1841. Even more ironically, a much greater threat to Mexicos feebly defended province ended up being posed by the Americans, who began to pour into California in increasing numbers. By allowing Anglo-Americans to settle around Sonoma, Figueroa increased this threat. That is, perhaps, the most significant, if inglorious, legacy of the doomed Hijar-Padres party. Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco. His most recent book is Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. To read earlier Portals of the Past, go to sfchronicle.com/portals. Aloha by the Bay The 48th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair isnt coming to Japantown for another two weeks (Aug. 6-7). But if you want to get a Hawaiian cultural sampler in advance, head to the Aloha by the Bay pre-festival pop-up this Saturday. Hear award-winning music stars Ho'okena and Nathan Aweau, both traveling from the islands for the event, plus the soaring falsetto of Steven Espaniola, who are among the eight back-to-back performances. Its a full day of traditional Hawaiian music, filled with ukuleles, hula performances and dreamy island vibes. Saturday noon-6 p.m., Japantown Peace Plaza., S.F., Free. nihonmachistreetfair.org Obon & Bon Odori traditional Japanese dance performance Come dance in the streets and take part in a Japanese folk ceremony thats been performed for nearly 600 years. Learn the steps to the traditional song "Tanko Bushi" and dance along with the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, which for over 90 years has been celebrating Bon Odori, a style of dancing performed during the summer Obon festival. Or just watch the ceremony as taiko drummers keep the beat and dancers wearing colorful kimonos and hapi coats showing how they keep this family and ancestral tradition alive. Sunday 1-3:30 p.m., Octavia and Austin streets, Japantown, S.F., Free. buddhistchurchofsanfrancisco.org S.F.'s Mouse House psychedelic poster art show Theres not much left of the true '60s in the Haight-Ashbury. But this week, if you duck into a historic building on the famed corner, youll find a pop-up Mouse House art show dedicated to local counterculture artist Stanley Mouse. The psychedelic 1960s and '70s rock concert posters he designed are legendary along with his famous album covers for Grateful Dead and Journey. Mouse's work has exhibited in museums around the world, from SFMOMA to the Louvre, and now it's on display on the corner that started it all. Wednesdays to Sundays through July 28, noon-6 p.m., 1506 Haight St. near Ashbury, S.F., Free. sfheritage.org 2022 National Buffalo Soldiers Day Tour Few know the history of how close California came to being a slave state and possibly leaving the Union in the lead-up to the Civil War. On this free guided walking tour, youll learn why Abraham Lincoln credited Thomas Starr King, a minister from a church in Union Square, with helping keep California from leaving the U.S. Youll also learn the history of the African American Buffalo Soldiers who were stationed in San Francisco, with many being buried in the Presidio in honor of their service. Thursday 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Union Square., S.F., Free with RSVP. eventbrite.com Orchids in the Park 2022 Sure, you could buy an orchid from Trader Joes or Costco, but those tend to be mass-produced clones from just a few large companies. If you want to peruse countless natural and hybrid varieties that never appear in a grocery store, Orchids in the Park is for you. On display will be big showy flowering Laelias from Mexico and Brazil, tiny cloud forest orchids, otherwordly Draculas and many varieties adapted to grow well in our foggy climate. And if you have trouble with your own blooms, theres a Q&A with plant experts and an "orchid doctor" on site to help you tame the stubbornest of buds. Saturday & Sunday, July 30-31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., County Fair Building, 1119 9th Ave., Golden Gate Park, S.F., $8. orchidsanfrancisco.org Voices of frustration rang out loud and clear in City Hall on Thursday over San Franciscos response and messaging around monkeypox. Speakers at the meeting said too many community members were relying on word of mouth or posts from friends on Twitter to find out when and where they might get an appointment for a monkeypox vaccine. Some San Franciscans have had to wait up to five hours in line and still got turned away when supplies run out. San Francisco in the 80s pioneered a national model for the response to the AIDS crisis. We pioneered a model for the COVID crisis. But we are not pioneering a response to the monkeypox crisis, said Tom Temprano, political director for Equality California, a statewide LBGTQ civil rights organization. San Francisco has vaccinated 6,100 people for monkeypox as of July 20, according to Stephanie Cohen, Director HIV/STI Prevention, Disease Prevention and Control Branch in the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The City has received 7,743 doses to date and has requested 35,000 from state public health officials, who distribute the supply provided by the U.S. government. The monkeypox vaccine, called Jynneos, is in high demand globally and supplies remain limited. Speakers on Thursday acknowledged the global supply shortage, but criticized the that the vaccines have been made available primarily to those with the ability to take time off from work to wait in long lines from which they could be turned away. It was a highly privilege crowd and a largely white crowd, one member of the public shared about his experience waiting in line to get the vaccine. Many folks dont have the privilege to take a day off and drive across the county. Monkeypox is a rare disease and most cases resolve themselves on their own after about two to four weeks; however, some cases can be serious. San Francisco had 141 cases as of July 20, and California had a total of 266 cases. A total of 13,340 cases have been identified across the globe. Symptoms often first appear as a rash that looks like blisters on the face and other parts of the body. That can be followed by flu-like symptoms including fever, head and body ache and fatigue. Some individuals never develop a rash or any symptoms at all. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monkeypox is not a new disease, but the current outbreak marks the first time it has traveled to so many countries outside western Africa at once. Currently, the Jynneos vaccine is available for high-risk groups in San Francisco. That currently includes gay, bisexual, trans people and other men who have sex with men who have had multiple sex partners in the past 14 days. Sex workers are also a priority group. Due to a limited number of doses, San Francisco Department of Public Health is prioritizing first shots among groups identified as high risk of infection. That means individuals who have secured an appointment for their second dose of the monkeypox virus may have to give up their slot, public health officials signaled on Thursday. We do intend that everyone will receive a second dose, but the guidance right now from the state is to prioritize first doses, said Cohen of SFDPH. When asked if that means individuals who have a second dose appointment could be turned away, Cohen said yes, it could. Supervisors and members of the public speaking in the meeting said they were unaware that first doses are prioritized over a completed series. Communications have been poor, said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who called the hearing. It would be quite a bad look to have people showing up for appointments that have been cancelled and having not been given notification about that. Temprano, who has shared his struggle navigating the monkeypox vaccine process, said, It is unforgivable that I find out I dont have an appointment through this hearing. We need DPH to be sharing that information. We need the city to be leading this response with the urgency it needs. The majority of monkeypox cases in San Francisco have been among cisgender men between the ages of 25 and 54, according to data shared by the Department of Public Health on Thursday. About 97.7% of cases have been among self-identified cis men and 2.3% of cases are among trans men. Gay-identifying individuals currently make up 88% of cases identified in San Francisco, 1.2% have been among those identifying as bisexual, and 9.3% of cases did not disclose a sexual orientation. But anyone can get infected with monkeypox. The disease primarily spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact and bodily fluids, which can be transmitted in crowded settings or through sexual contact. Its not yet known if monkeypox spreads through semen or vaginal fluids. Organizations such as the San Francisco Aids Foundation (SFAF) have stepped up alongside SFDPH to provide essential information to community members, such as a hotline and a virtual town hall for questions on monkeypox. That hotline has averaged up to two calls per minute during peak hours since it was created, according to Tyler TerMeer, CEO of SFAF. We are in a moment of crisis. We are in a moment where the federal government has failed us, said TerMeer. We are in a very short window and the spread is happening day by day. We need to do whatever we can to get vaccine into the arms of folks. The Citys public school teachers union, United Educators of San Francisco, called for the resignation of Board of Education Commissioner Ann Hsu on Thursday evening following her comment earlier this week claiming Black and brown parents do not encourage their children to excel at learning. This demand follows several calls from political and educational leaders that Hsu step down from the post she has held for five months, following the February recall of board commissioners Alison Collins, Gabriela Lopez and Faauuga Moliga. Those calling for her resignation include City Supervisors Shamann Walton, Connie Chan and Dean Preston, the African American Parent Advisory Council, the Asian and Pacific Islander Council of San Francisco and now the teachers union while the Chinese Parent Advisory Council and Mayor London Breed, among others, have come to her defense. Answering the question posed in a recent San Francisco Parent Action school board candidate questionnaire: How can SFUSD increase academic outcomes for the most marginalized students? Hsu wrote: From my very limited exposure in the past four months to the challenges of educating marginalized students especially in the black and brown community, I see one of the biggest challenges as being the lack of family support for those students. Unstable family environments caused by housing and food insecurity along with lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning cause children to not be able to focus on or value learning. That makes teachers work harder because they have to take care of emotional and behavioral issues of students before they can teach them. That is not fair to the teachers. We (SFUSD) need to work better with community organizations to take care of students needs outside of school hours so that teachers can focus on teaching inside of school hours. We can try to solve this problem through having more community schools. We can also learn from charter schools that are doing better than us in this aspect. Hsu later revised her statement and posted an apology after receiving an outpouring of criticism as well as support. In her apology thread on Twitter, Hsu acknowledged that her statement perpetuated biases already in the system and reflected her own limited experiences and inherent biases. Hsu is UC Berkeley-trained engineer and businessperson who has run companies in Silicon Valley and China and recently served as president of the Galileo Academy of Science and Technology Parent Teacher Student Association. Mayor London Breed, who appointed Hsu to the board in March, said that while the comments were disappointing and hurtful to the African American and Latino communities, she appreciated Hsus apology and how Hsu said she will use this as a learning opportunity. What I'm hopeful is that we don't just dismiss this and say, Oh, she needs to resign, Breed said in an interview with Chinese language media. How do we come together and make this a teaching moment? How do we prevent this from becoming politically divisive? Because she does, in fact, represent a bilingual constituency and in many cases, a constituency that only speaks maybe Mandarin and Cantonese who feel that they want a representative on the board. The Chinese Parent Advisory Council is confident that Hsu will learn from her mistakes and continue to fight for all students to close achievement gaps. The only board commissioner to comment, Matt Alexander, took to Twitter Wednesday to condemn the remarks, writing: The racist remarks made by my school board colleague Ann Hsu are rightly causing a strong response. No board member or elected official should engage in racist behavior or speech. Matt Wayne, who became the districts new superintendent this month, has made no statement. According to San Francisco Unified School District's public relations manager, Laura Dudnick, It is not the practice of staff to comment on matters related to school board elections. Others, like the teachers union, are calling for Hsus resignation. It is sad and stunning that someone who is supposed to represent the interests of all San Francisco public school students responded in a written candidate survey with racist and offensive comments. Ann Hsu has no place in the education of our children and must resign and get out of the school board race, said UESF President Cassondra Curiel in the Thursday release. The union also called on the mayor to reflect deeply before selecting a replacement commissioner. The press release included a statement from Teanna Tillery, a longtime paraeducator, current UESF sergeant-at-arms and single Black mother. As a Black leader who works in SFUSD, I feel completely disrespected, Tillery said in the statement. As long as Ms. Hsu continues as a school board commissioner, I do not feel that we can protect our children, families and communities. The San Francisco Parent Coalition also condemned Hsus concerning remarks via Twitter on Thursday. However, the coalition organized a meeting Wednesday between Hsu and several Black families, to see what it would take to regain their trust. Ultimately our endorsements are up to our parents to decide who will be the strongest leaders prioritizing our SFUSD children, and we are confident in our parents' leadership in getting to those decisions, even while wading through these difficult situations, the San Francisco Parent Coalition said on Twitter. SFUSD increasingly is seen as a district in crisis, with diminishing enrollment, academic standard issues, teacher retention problems, budget shortfalls and payroll system mistakes. At a July 17 special meeting of the Board of Education with new Superintendent Wayne, school leadership agreed to focus on student outcomes, including literacy and math. This has been seen as an important step to close the achievement gap that plagues SFUSD students. While the most recent Smarter Balanced Assessment System test revealed that 54% of SFUSD students are proficient in English language arts, that number shrinks to 29% for Latinx students and 18% for African American students. The same can be said for math, but worse, with only 18% of Latinx students and 9% of African American students meeting the standard. At a July 16 special meeting of the Board of Education, the seven commissioners and Wayne agreed a focus on improving academic outcomes is crucial and said it will develop measurable goals related to third grade literacy, eighth grade math and college and career readiness. When asked how social justice aligns with student outcomes during the meeting, Wayne responded, Improving outcomes helps social justice. Multiple former governors are participating in a USC Schwarzenegger Institute event marking 20 years of California's clean car standards. Signed into law in 2002 by Gray Davis, Assembly Bill 1493 recognized that climate change is a public health concern, that motor vehicles are a major source of the state's greenhouse gas emissions and that reducing these emissions will protect public health and the environment while stimulating the economy and enhancing job opportunities. In 2009, the Obama Administration adopted AB 1493 as the national standard for regulating tailpipe emissions. It was once again adopted by the Biden Administration after the Trump Administration's efforts to rescind the rule. Additionally 17 states have adopted California's clean car standards as their own. Governor Gavin Newsom and former governors Davis and Jerry Brown will be among the speakers. Amid a hiring and firing spree, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced the appointment of several key leaders on Tuesday, including a new head of the bureau that investigates police shootings. Darby Williams will manage the Independent Investigations Bureau, where she worked as an assistant district attorney more than a decade ago and will now decide whether to bring criminal charges against police officers or clear them of wrongdoing. The appointments come less than a week after Jenkins named a new management team in her office and fired 15 attorneys who served under Chesa Boudin, the former DA whom Jenkins helped recall. The Independent Investigations Bureau is responsible for investigating every police shooting and incident that ends in death or serious injury. Williams replaces Lateef Gray, who was fired by Jenkins. Gray was a longtime public defender and civil rights attorney known for suing police before Boudin appointed him to the position. He employed a more aggressive approach to prosecuting officers, most notably by taking Officer Terrance Stangel to trial for allegedly using excessive force when he beat a man with his baton while responding to a 911 report of domestic violence in 2019. A jury acquitted Stangel this year of three of the four charges against him and deadlocked on the fourth charge, resulting in a mistrial. Williams long career as an attorney includes work both investigating and defending law enforcement. She declined to opine on Boudins approach to investigations of police conduct, or even on the decisions made during her tenure in the bureau more than a decade ago. Part of her task, Williams said, will include trying to quiet some of that noise around some of the other people who may feel qualified to comment on prior administrations, prior decisions of those administrations. My work is to go in and to put my head down and do the work as an investigator, Williams said. Jenkins has given Williams her full confidence, Williams said. She has promised she will hear me out, whatever direction I might be going, Williams said. Jenkins, in a statement, reiterated her desire to balance criminal justice reforms with public safety. I want to ensure that my office and leadership team are reflective and representative of San Franciscos diverse communities and views. I know these leaders are committed to advancing smart policies that will improve the criminal justice system while ensuring safety throughout our city, Jenkins said. Williams began her career as a public defender in Los Angeles County and worked as an assistant DA in San Francisco from 2016 to 2017. Before returning to the San Francisco District Attorneys office as a felony prosecutor in April, she most recently worked under Attorney General Rob Bonta defending the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation against lawsuits for issues like civil rights violations. In her first stint at the Independent Investigations Bureau in San Francisco, Williams helped investigate police for potential criminal conduct. Williams promised to be objective and make determinations based on the facts. The Independent Investigations Bureau does not exist for the sole purpose of prosecuting officers, she noted, but also to clear them of wrongdoing when the evidence supports that conclusion. Im ultimately an incredibly fair and ethical person. I really do believe that about myself, Williams said. Jenkins also announced the appointment of Greg Flores as supervising attorney of the Post Conviction Unit, which was created by Boudin as a key part of his criminal justice reform platform. Among its work, the Post Conviction Unit can seek resentencing when punishment has been deemed too harsh. In cases where the conviction may have been wrongly made, the Post Conviction Unit refers it to the Innocence Commission also created by Boudin for review. Boudins supporters have feared that Jenkins would do away with the Post Conviction Unit and Innocence Commission. She has committed to maintaining them, though she did fire her offices liaison to the commission last week. Jenkins has also named Julius DeGuia the chief of Criminal Division Vertical Courts, where he will be in charge of attorneys who prosecute crimes including homicide, domestic violence and child abuse, according to the district attorneys office. Democracy generally functions under the presumption that elections are a good way to decide things. When it comes to voter participation, the Democratic Party has strongly embraced the idea that more is better. In contrast, the Republican Party has infamously adopted voter suppression as a survival strategy, enacting policies to reduce voter participation. This strategy came to a head in the Trump era, with Republicans doggedly pursuing voter disenfranchisement policies via state legislatures. But the idea that increased voter turnout is bad for Republicans is hardly new. I dont want everybody to vote, conservative activist Paul Weyrich told a gathering of evangelical leaders in 1980, according to Rolling Stone. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down. Of course, all politics is local and all principles are flexible when it comes to the sharp-elbowed politics of San Francisco. This explains why some local Democrats are vehemently opposed to a new proposal to increase voter participation in The Citys most important citywide elections. The proposal by Supervisor Dean Preston is simple. It shifts The Citys elections for offices like mayor, district attorney and sheriff to align with presidential elections in even-numbered years. Currently, San Francisco chooses its mayor in odd-year elections, which have considerably lower turnout. In fact, Preston said, the average turnout for even-year elections is a whopping 80%, compared with 43% for odd-year contests. The argument won over a majority on the board, which voted 7-4 to approve Prestons proposal last Tuesday. In November, voters will decide whether to adopt the change. Not everyone is a fan of this voter-friendly election reform. In an interview with KCBS Radio, Mayor London Breed blasted the proposal as a power grab by a group of democratic socialists who want to have more control and power of being able to get their people elected. That sounds an awful lot like the Republican Partys arguments against Democratic voter turnout efforts. The mayor seems to be complaining that higher voter turnout usually means a higher number of progressive voters, which might benefit democratic socialists like Preston. As unpalatable as this may seem to a so-called moderate mayor, however, its hard to argue against increased voter participation without sounding weak, insecure and anti-democratic. Why would we not want to double participation in electing local officials? asked Preston in an interview. Preston pointed to the fact that San Francisco is actually trailing other major California cities, like Los Angeles and San Jose, which already shifted their municipal elections to align with presidential election years. In addition, the city controller estimates that consolidating municipal elections in even-numbered years would save millions of taxpayer dollars. One of the reasons that it seemed like a good time to do it is just I think we're seeing so many low turnout elections, but also people are just having election fatigue, you know, with four elections this year, Preston said. So it seemed like a particularly good time to call the question. In 2008, 55% of San Francisco voters rejected a similar effort to shift the election calendar, but Preston believes this time will be different. A recent poll by David Binder Research found over 70% of San Franciscans in support of the idea, he said. If adopted by voters, the proposal would also give Breed an extra year in her current term, moving her re-election from 2023 to 2024. Most politicians would leap at an extra year in power, but Breed seems clearly unenthused. In a June 29 letter to the Rules Committee, the mayor expressed general support for increasing civic participation. But she said San Francisco should have followed the examples of Los Angeles and San Jose, which shifted their election calendars only after exhaustive fact-finding expeditions involving big commissions appointed to study the issue. A thorough, independent, and objective accounting of possible solutions to improve voter turnout in San Francisco, modeled after the process established in Los Angeles and San Jose, is an excellent idea that I would be more than willing to engage with the Board of Supervisors to establish, wrote Breed. In other words, this election reform is a great idea, but it needs more bureaucracy and delay. Yet its not clear why we need another task force and another year to tell us what these other cities already know: Consolidating elections in presidential years will increase voter participation. California Common Cause, a good government group, studied the issue and found that 54 cities that switched from off-cycle elections in 2016, 2018 and 2020 experienced very significant turnout increases. Why does Breed see danger in this otherwise straightforward civic reform? For one thing, an extra year in office will leave her with fewer excuses if she fails to have a demonstrable effect on The Citys biggest problems. If 2024 rolls around and were still squawking about out-of-control homelessness and open-air drug markets, it may become exceedingly clear to voters that Breed isnt up to the task. In addition, the question of Breeds re-election would be decided by a supercharged electorate of presidential year voters instead of the apathetic odd-year crowd. If she proves to be little more than another middling moderate after five years in office, energized voters may decide its time to take a different approach to The Citys constantly extremifying crises. An extra year might also provide a potential challenger with a chance to gather strength and compete seriously in a race that Breed would likely win hands-down next year if voters reject Prestons measure to increase voter participation. Its not often that the culmination of a career leads you to take what you do on land and bring it to the sea. But when Dr. Meg Autry proposed a floating abortion clinic in the Gulf of Mexico, thats where she found herself. Autry, an OB-GYN at UCSF, wants the floating clinic to offer a safe space to women in nearby states whose access to reproductive care is being restricted. My whole career and my lifes work has been about reproductive freedom, health equity, training junior people and all of that is threatened by this, said Autry, referring to the wave of abortion-limiting state legislation following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. And the people who are going to be most affected are poor patients and people of color and marginalized communities. And, you know, Im at a point in my career that if Im not working for this whats the point? According to the website of PRROWESS (Protecting Reproductive Rights of Women Endangered by State Statutes), a nonprofit that Autry has incorporated, the clinic intends to serve individuals seeking reproductive health care and surgical abortion where it is illegal or impossible. As a practical matter, the clinic in the Gulf of Mexico would serve residents of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas who would be closer to the coast than to other states with abortion options. PRROWESS pledges that, united, women can reassert control over their bodies no matter how draconian measures targeting reproductive rights become. This is what my whole career has been about, Autry said. Why provide the service offshore? Because states that have banned abortion have no jurisdiction in federal or international waters. Casino boat operators have used the same tactic. Reared in South Autry grew up a self-described Army brat. Born in South Carolina, she attended high school in Georgia, college in Tennessee and medical school in North Carolina. She moved to San Francisco in 1989 for a residency at UCSF in obstetrics and gynecology. When she arrived in The City, she appreciated what she described as an honest and open conversation around reproductive health and advocacy, and saw her interests coalesce. I think a lot of people in the South grow up and ultimately say that they were repressed and (reproductive health) just wasnt talked about, said Autry. So when I came out here, it was like, Oh my God, theres this whole reproductive health advocacy and, you know, things that we just never talked about before. She became impassioned in her advocacy for marginalized communities those whose rights were being threatened, or who were unable to advocate for themselves. Now, Autry is the vice chair of graduate medical education and continuing medical education for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF, a professor at the school, the chief of UCSF Fresno Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an Army veteran. Following her residency, Autry served three years as a U.S. Army physician stationed in Germany. She spent five years at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and then returned to UCSF. She distinguished herself as a professor, earning the Excellence and Innovation in Graduate Medical Education Award in 2017 and the Outstanding Faculty Award in Resident and Medical Student Teaching from 2011 to 2016. I always wanted to be a teacher and help train the future leaders in our profession, Autry says. And now half of our people that are trained in OB-GYN are not going to be fully trained in basic health care. And, there are physicians now in states that are afraid to do whats right for their patients because theyre afraid of being prosecuted. How do you think it is to learn from someone whos afraid to do the right thing because theyre afraid of being prosecuted? Autry has found solace in finding solutions. That prospect is taking on the unlikely form of an abortion boat. And its an idea Autry has been considering for a while, contemplating first the viability of the Mississippi River as a roving ground. Only recently did the urgency and necessary magnitude of the project become apparent. The Mississippi River wouldnt have served as many people experiencing care restrictions as the team was aiming to help. As time marched on, it was very clear that reproductive rights were going to be further eroded. We started looking at the Gulf and then it became clear that it was legally a potential, says Autry. And then when the Dobbs decision leaked, we were basically like, OK, we need to be far enough along that when this decision comes down, we have a real solution. And so thats kind of what we did. The outpouring of support has been incredible, Autry says, and the clinic will seemingly be funded primarily by large donors, some of whom provided seed money to the project. If the floating clinic were not to reach fruition, the organization intends to distribute the funds to other projects working toward equitable abortion access. $20 million project The time frame for the clinic is still unclear. They are hoping to be afloat by this time next year, but that goal hinges on the acquisition of a sea-sound clinic space. They are still waiting on a donation of a vessel of at least 45 meters (about 49 yards). Overall, the project is estimating a price tag of $20 million, Autry told NPR. Autry has never practiced medicine at sea, but she feels that there is precedence for safe medical care on boats. Cruise ships and Mercy Ships are examples Autry mentions. Im not aware that providing medical care on a boat would be any different, she says. Women on Waves is a Dutch nonprofit with a similar mission, described on their website as aiming to prevent unsafe abortions and empower women to exercise their human rights to physical and mental autonomy. The group operates in the international waters offshore of countries where abortion is illegal. Services offered aboard the PRROWESS clinic would include comprehensive reproductive health care: surgical abortions up to 14 weeks, contraception, including emergency contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and, in some instances, legal aid or social services. The intention of the vessel is to offer services three weeks out of each month depending on demand and Gulf conditions. And depending on need, the care would be offered at little to no cost to the patient. Following a prescreening, transportation would be arranged to and from the vessel. For those concerned about the legality of being served by the clinic, the Lawyering Project, which represents PRROWESS, offers reassurance. The services PRROWESS is planning to provide are 100% legal. Any legal threats to the boats operations, staff and patients will come from the same anti-abortion extremists who created this public health crisis, said Amanda Allen, senior counsel and project director at the Lawyering Project in a statement to The Examiner. The only reason PRROWESS is needed is because of anti-abortion politicians and their quest to criminalize health care and isolate pregnant people from their support systems, the statement reads. Out of safety concerns for patients and physicians, the organization is keeping veiled details about transportation to and from the vessel. Already, Autry has received brickbats for her involvement in the project. Ive already gotten emails, you know? Yeah, its just a horrible place to be in, she says. There are times she feels unsafe, but realizes that its part of an undertaking shes not willing to give up on. I think that I made a decision going on this path to put myself out there, Autry says of her role as the public voice of the project. But Im in this with people that I care about deeply. And I dont know that theyve made that decision. But until the project is in motion, Autry is working her day job, acting as her own media manager and striving to protect womens health freedoms. She says she is proud to see her state and her city show up to serve in any way they can. There are some amazing people that are stepping up and being creative and innovative to try to make sure that patients have access to the care that they need, want and deserve, she says. And Im determined to be one of those people. SAN FRANCISCOFalcon Studios latest production Body & Sol is now available on DVD and via digital download at the Falcon|NakedSword Store. From award-winning director Steve Cruz and shot on location in Torremolinos, Spain, the movie follows travel blogger Dean Young as he explores the Spanish oasis with Andre Donovan and four local hunks to discover the five hottest spots to have sex in the area. Joining exclusives Young and Donovan on the excursion are Sir Peter, Pietro Duarte, Pol Prince and Manuel Reyes. Describes a company synopsis, "For his first blog entry, Dean Young is venturing onto the friendly beaches of Costa Del Sol, introducing himself to Sir Peter, and following the hung stranger back to a private area for a poolside pounding. Andre Donovan is off on his own adventure and soon finds himself being brought into a hotel room to service the holes of Pietro Duarte and Pol Prince. After getting his load eaten up, Pol Prince joins local stud Manuel Reyes at a secluded villa for some outdoor barebacking. Manuel Reyes then heads to a breathtaking rooftop to hook up with Andre Donovan before the well-endowed tourist has to leave. Still in need of one final blog entry before his departure, Dean Young leads Pol Prince up to his private balcony and bends over for the hot top service to his smooth hole." It was a rare treat travelling to the Costa Del Sol to film with Spains hottest men and our amazing exclusives, says director Cruz. "All of the scenes have something special. So much passion in these scenes. A pure joy to make and a career highlight for me personally. "Body & Sol is just the first of many international Falcon|NakedSword productions that were releasing this year and I just know fans are going to love this mashup of their favorite exclusives and heartthrob European models, Falcon|NakedSword president Tim Valenti offered. For DVD retail and wholesale purchasing, contact John Gunderson at [email protected]. Contact Toby J Morris at [email protected] with any additional questions or needs. Before The City went into lockdown in March 2020, Fitness SF had 38,000 members across its Marin, Oakland and San Francisco locations. Soon, that figure was more than halved, and the family-run business watched as most of its revenue evaporated overnight. Sick of feeling powerless, Troy Macfarland, Fitness SFs marketing director, and his staff decided to get creative to maintain relationships with members. In September 2020, after months of freezing members' accounts, maintenance employees at three Fitness SF locations started dragging workout equipment outside every morning and back inside every evening. In SoMa, those hungry to stay healthy worked out under the Highway 101 overpass. Fitness SF's story is only one example of the creative lengths fitness leaders have gone to stay in business during the pandemics now 28 months. For Macfarland, placing gym equipment outdoors paid off and membership rose. But many in the fitness business have not been so fortunate. According to a report of the Global Health and Fitness Association, 17% of U.S. gyms and fitness studios closed in 2020, collectively losing 58% of their revenue compared to 2019. In San Francisco, Golds Gym and 24 Hour Fitness were among the pandemic casualties. Still, the fitness business continues to evolve and rebound in unusual ways. In San Francisco, gym owners and personal trainers are finding that community and the psychological necessity of just getting out the house is an important factor in bringing people back. Erica Stenz, a trainer at Barrys gym, which has locations around the world and five in San Francisco, said she has found teamwork has long inspired people to get fit and can help tackle the COVID20 the term used to describe the 20 pounds many people gained during quarantine. Stenz, who built out the boutique fitness giants presence in the Bay Area and works at the Marina studio, said she experienced this firsthand. After gaining weight while grieving the loss of her marriage during the pandemic, Stenz said training with a Barrys co-worker revived her love for fitness. He wanted to help me, but we helped each other, Stenz said. We lost the weight together. In January, Stenz founded a nutrition business called WeShred that is built around group workouts. WeShred organizes outdoor hikes and indoor retreats with the goal of getting clients to motivate one another an approach backed by kinesiologists. One study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found people who workout in a group have a 26% lower stress rate and improved quality of life compared to people who work out alone. Dave Karraker, owner of MX3 Fitness which has three San Francisco locations, said Peloton stationary bikes were popular during quarantine, but people are again looking for nonvirtual companionship in their workouts. People werent seeing the results they were used to and were (missing) seeing other people and being inspired by them, said Karraker. The gym owner also sees that customers will come back if they know their workouts are in a clean, well-ventilated space. His gym and others are remodeling so people have more room to move around, while still being in the same general area. We split up the gym into as many as five 200-square-foot fitness zones, Karraker said, noting the zones include squat racks, adjustable benches and barbells for one persons use. We were going to switch back to open gym format but the feedback was to keep the zones People really wanted more control of their space, and now we have monkeypox. After losing 80% of business during spring 2020, MX3 opened a new gym in the Mission earlier this month, catering to the neighborhoods many residents who work from home. We saw a lot of gyms move into vacant storefronts, Karraker said. The Castro is a perfect example. You can move into a vacant box of any size with very little build-out and take advantage of high foot traffic while also benefiting other businesses in the neighborhood. Macfarland agreed neighborhood gyms are doing well, adding that the Fitness SF locations in the Castro, Fillmore and SoMa are almost back to pre-pandemic membership levels, while the downtown clubs are struggling. This includes Fitness SFs newest location, at the Salesforce Transit Center, which opened in 2019. Although the fitness sector is coming back in San Francisco and other places, industry leaders say local, state or federal assistance has been insufficient. In April 2020, the California Fitness Alliance was formed so leadership can work together to reach policy makers, educators and the public and provide guidance and financial aid to gym owners and fitness workers. Macfarland, who handles marketing for the alliance, said its work correlates directly with keeping gyms open in case something like this happens again Gyms in other places are totally back to normal, but in California everyone is so far behind because we were the last to reopen. Gyms, like other businesses, were eligible for pandemic-related assistance such as the Paycheck Protection Program. The California Fitness Alliance, however, has argued that supplemental grants such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund should be more sector-specific. Thats how the GYMS Act, or the Gym Mitigation and Survival Act of 2021 was born; so far, it has not advanced past its Congressional introduction by Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley. The state keeps coming out with different types of relief, keeps putting grants out, but we are getting nothing, Macfarland said. I dont know how gyms got lumped in with bars and restaurants in the beginning, but now (the state) is giving them funding and we are still being left out somehow. Personal car data is the new gold rush of the auto industry. Cars collect more data than our phones. Consumers deserve privacy in their vehicles, and California must lead the way on that issue. An enormous amount of information is collected while you are driving, including your buying habits, credit score, text messages and even sexual orientation. A total consumer profile is created to sell you things. That data is transmitted at a rate of 25 gigabytes per hour to the automakers cloud. And companies share it. The targeted advertising we see on our browsers, inboxes and social media feeds is coming for the drivers seat. Chevrolets OnStar Service feeds users data to apps such as Dominos and Shell, among others, according to the Washington Post. Starbucks tracks your geolocation, so it can know the best time to flash you with a coupon and divert you to the drive-through. This amounts to what is known as behavioral modification. The software company Telenav is developing in-car advertising, touting its freemium model popularized by streaming services such as Hulu and Spotify, in which, in exchange for free services, drivers will be flashed with ads. In a post on its website titled Why in-car advertising works, Telenavs case amounts to advertising is worth it to the consumer while disregarding safety and privacy. In this auto surveillance-commerce world, Telenav says there is a large opportunity to capitalize on the $212 billion commuters spend while out driving. Discrimination is another concern. Although charging car insurance premiums by ZIP code is illegal in California, providers could try to use data to discriminate against people based on the neighborhoods they frequent. Law enforcement agencies already have access to this data and evade traditional warrant requirements by tapping into information uploaded from a USB port, according to the Intercept. Companies will know so much about us that the information could become ubiquitous and identity theft could become even more commonplace. While companies tracking us in our cars often claim they traffic in anonymized data, there is no such thing. Anonymized data, when paired with other data points such as credit card use, can be used to identify you and target you, according to car technologists and privacy advocates interviewed by Consumer Watchdog. While location data can be turned off on your cell phone, theres not yet an opt-out feature for your car. With the end of federal protections for those who wish to have an abortion, tech surveillance will almost surely be weaponized in the form of criminal prosecution against women. One safeguard is ensuring people can protect their privacy and geolocation from intrusive activity. Fortunately, California is set to be the first in the nation with an opt-out for precise geolocation. This summer, the California Privacy Protection Agency resumes drafting rules as it implements the California Privacy Rights Act, a seminal new privacy initiative passed by voters in 2020. Automakers and insurance companies are fighting back, claiming the law is unworkable and that they need such data for their products, such as emergency services, to work. But they are weaponizing safety and using the same tracking consent form for a host of reasons. Its a false choice. Consumers dont have to choose between their safety and having their data used for other tracking purposes. The fact is, cars dont need to share your private information to allow you to drive. One of the biggest misconceptions is that technology is making driving safer. It isnt. The number of deaths per 100,000 miles driven grew in 2020 by almost 25%, according to the National Safety Council, marking the highest annual increase the organization has recorded in nearly 100 years. Traffic fatalities increased in 2021, prompting the federal government to act. And the death toll could grow if companies increasingly turn our vehicles into vessels for consumerism or worse, make them vulnerable to hacking. The California Privacy Protection Agency has an opportunity to put privacy and safety before automakers profits. Thats what voters asked for when they passed Proposition 24, the California Privacy Rights Act. The public can respond to the draft regulations when the privacy board convenes for public hearings on Aug. 24 and 25. I used to ask progressive Democrats a simple question which routinely flummoxed even the savviest among them. As someone who supports equal rights for gays and lesbians, why dont you support the right to same-sex marriage? Rep. Barney Frank yelled at me. Gov. Howard Dean slammed the phone down on me. Rep. Richard Gephardt repeatedly ignored me as if he were deaf. Im not talking about the 1960s, when many states prohibited sodomy and a police raid on Manhattans Stonewall Inn prompted coverage in the New York Daily News headlined: Homo Nest Raided, Queen Bees are Stinging Mad. This was the 21st century, less than two decades ago. Their annoyed reaction, I suspect, stemmed from their recognition that their answer was indefensible. Either they truly didnt believe gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry, which would put them at odds with their progressive base. Or they supported the idea but were afraid that saying so would be political suicide. Which makes it all the more remarkable that the House voted 267 to 157 this past week to codify same-sex marriage as the law of the land, overturning a 1996 measure that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. All 220 House Democrats voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, joined by 47 Republicans. The issue has been moot since 2015 when the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right to such unions. But the courts reversal on the right to an abortion last month has prompted concern that same-sex marriage could be next. If gay couples want to be as happily or miserably married as straight couples, more power to them, said Rep. Nancy Mace, a conservative South Carolina Republican, who has been outspoken against abortion, critical race theory and President Joe Biden, yet voted in favor of same-sex marriage. So did Rep. Scott Perry, chair of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who made headlines recently for his role pushing President Donald Trump to challenge the 2020 election and for allegedly seeking a pardon for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection (which he has denied). Rep. Liz Cheney, who famously denounced same-sex marriage during her first run for Congress just eight years ago, despite her sisters marriage to another woman, also voted to keep such unions legal. Americans are rightfully concerned about their democracy. Republicans have won the popular vote only once in the last eight presidential elections yet held the White House for three terms. Democratic senators represent 40 million more constituents than their Republican counterparts, yet each party has the same number of seats. Voting access has been restricted. And the last president rejected election results showing he lost and encouraged a mob to storm the Capitol to disrupt, for the first time in history, the peaceful transfer of power. And yet the publics will at least on some issues still prevails. When Congress passed the restrictive Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, a Gallup Poll found just 27% of Americans supported same-sex marriage. Such attitudes emboldened many members of Congress to make disparaging and distasteful comments about fellow Americans asking to be wed. We have lost our way, decried Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, insisting that permitting gays and lesbian couples the right to join in matrimony reflects a demand for political correctness that has gone berserk. It took only a generation for modernity to catch up. Public opinion on guns and abortion have yet to change the political landscape. For same-sex marriage, its a different story. The latest Gallup Poll found 71% of Americans including a majority of Republicans support same-sex marriage. The fight is not over. This week the Senate will take up the matter, fittingly authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who as mayor three decades ago vetoed a measure that would have made San Francisco the first city in the nation to recognize domestic partners, but has since become a strong advocate for same-sex marriage, even officiating a wedding between a top female aide and another woman. Americans should be free to marry the person they love, regardless of their sexual orientation or race, without fear of discrimination or fear that their marriages will be invalidated, Feinstein said on the Senate floor as she introduced the measure. While the threat of a filibuster puts the measures outcome in doubt, if the head of the Houses Freedom Caucus has no trouble embracing a progressive measure that made even Democrats tremble less than a generation ago, it has a fighting chance. The San Francisco Police Department issued a warning to the public on Friday stating that thieves are targeting individuals wearing luxury watches such as Rolexes valued at tens of thousands of dollars. The department said it's investigating more than two dozen high-end watch thefts that have occurred since the start of 2022. Robert Rueca, a spokesperson for the department, said the lowest valued watch in these recent robberies was $10,000. Police did not provide details on the incidents, but said they occurred in "high-traffic, popular destination spots in the city." Rueca said robberies have happened in neighborhoods such as North Beach, the Marina and Union Square, but emphasized "this could happen anywhere in the city. The department believes the robberies are "coordinated and organized" by groups, Rueca said. This warning comes after police in the East Bay have responded to at least three recent watch and jewelry thefts. Walnut Creek resident Elvira Zhumasheva told KTVU news that two men followed home her fiance on July 19 and pistol-whipped him before taking his Rolex. ""Two guys come out with guns and they say, Dont move, give us your watch, " Zhumasheva told the TV news station. Earlier this month, a teen and two minors were arrested for allegedly robbing a man of his $40,000 Rolex in a Danville Trader Joe's parking lot. The Walnut Creek Police Department issued a statement July 16 saying it has added patrol shifts downtown in response to jewelry thefts. San Francisco police advised the public to keep valuables out of sight or at home when out and about in the city. Rueca said that if you're robbed, you should comply, as suspects are often armed. The SF Police Department said the robbery detail is investigating recent crimes and following any leads that may lead to the arrest of a suspect. Drilling activity continues to inch higher, fueled by continued strong commodity prices. Oilfield services firm Baker Hughes said Friday in the weekly rig count it has released since the 1940s that the US rig count rose by two to 758, the highest since March 2020 and the third consecutive weekly increase. The count is also 267 rigs or just under 60 percent higher than the 491 counted last year. The number of rigs drilling for crude was unchanged at 599, 212 more than 387 last year. The number of rigs seeking natural gas rose by two to 155, 51 more than 104 last year. Texas held steady at 365 rigs. Thats 137 more than the 228 working across the state a year earlier. New Mexico dropped by one rig to 109. Alaska (2) and Louisiana (2) were the only producing states to show an increase for the week. Utah (1) joined New Mexico in seeing a decline. The Permian Basin dropped one rig for 349 at work, 107 more rigs than the 242 tallied last year. Lea County, New Mexico was the most active county in the Permian with 58 rigs, up three for the week and the steepest increase of the week. Eddy County, New Mexico was second but plunged four rigs the steepest decline among Permian counties to 48 for the week. Midland County added a rig for 39 while Martin County fell by two to 29 rigs. Loving and Reeves counties were unchanged at 27 rigs each. Howard County held at 24 rigs and Upton County had 13 rigs drilling within the county, unchanged for the week. Ward County held at 11 frigs. Andrews and Glasscock counties each had 10 rigs, unchanged for the week. According to Enverus Foundation, part of the energy-focused Software as a Service firm Enverus, there were 819 rigs running in the U.S. as of July 20. The count is down 2% in the last week and down 1% in the last month, but up 48% year over year. The activity peak for the last week was 847 rigs with an average of 830; the dip reported toward the end of the week is likely the result of time between wells. The most active operators are ConocoPhillips with 24 rigs working, EOG Resources with 23, and Devon Energy, Mewbourne Oil and Pioneer Natural Resources with 20 apiece. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) Prince Harry can take the British government to court over his security arrangements in the U.K., a judge in London ruled Friday. Harry and his wife Meghan lost publicly funded U.K. police protection when they stepped down as senior working royals and moved to North America in 2020. The prince wants to pay personally for police security when he comes to Britain, and is challenging the governments refusal to permit it. Judge Jonathan Swift ruled Friday that the case can go to a full hearing at the High Court in London. He refused some aspects of the challenge but said some grounds give rise to an arguable case that deserves a hearing. The judge said "a conclusion at the permission stage that a case is arguable is some distance from a conclusion that that the case will succeed at final hearing. A date has not been set for the case to be heard. Harry and the former actress Meghan Markle married at Windsor Castle in 2019 but stepped down as working royals the following year, citing what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. Harry's lawyers have said the prince is reluctant to bring the couples children Archie, 3, and 1-year-old Lilibet to his homeland because it is not safe. Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, wants to be able to pay for the protection, saying his private security team in the U.S. doesnt have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information. His lawyers also say a February 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, removing his full royal security, was unreasonable because Harry was not allowed to make informed representations beforehand. The British government says the committee's decision was reasonable, and that it is not possible to pay privately for police protection. In October of 2020, Bay Area-based stock trading app Robinhood published a Medium post entitled "Were Coming Out Introducing Rainbowhood!" "Across Robinhood, we strive to provide a warm and welcoming workplace where our employees can be themselves without judgment," the post noted. "Rainbowhood" stuck around, becoming the name of the company's LGBTQ employee resources group. It was repeatedly invoked in a blog post Robinhood put out at the start of Pride last month. "Equality for all can only be realized if those in majority positions within society unite with the marginalized and oppressed," Jason Warnick, chief financial officer and executive sponsor of Rainbowhood, was quoted as saying in the Pride post. "Never has it been more important for LGTBQ+ allies to unite with our friends and colleagues on a common mission for equality." But a review of FEC filings by Robinhood's political action committee (PAC) calls into question how dedicated Robinhood is to that mission: In the second quarter of this year, the company's PAC donated to a Republican congressman with a history of anti-LGBTQ votes and rhetoric. Robinhood's CEO, Vladimir Tenev, also maxed out a donation to the same congressman, who has pushed back against stronger regulation of online brokerage firms. Spencer Platt/Getty Images On April 12, 2022, the Robinhood Markets, Inc. PAC gave $2,900 (the maximum allowed for a new PAC) to Rep. Patrick McHenry, a congressman from North Carolina who's been in office since 2005. Six days prior, on April 6, Tenev gave the individual maximum amount of $5,800 to McHenry. It was the Robinhood PAC's, and Tenev's, only direct donation to a congressman or senator this quarter. (Robinhood's PAC also donated $5,000 to at least one PAC dedicated to LGBTQ rights this quarter.) Two months later, on June 24, McHenry the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee released a statement about the committee's investigation into the "meme stock event of 2021," in which Robinhood was a central player. The committee's top-line findings included the critique that "Robinhood exhibited troubling business practices, inadequate risk management, and a culture that prioritized growth above stability during the Meme Stock Market Event." But McHenry dismissed those findings, writing that "Committee Democrats saw a chance to use partisan conspiracy theories to push an agenda that makes the stock market less accessible. Now, nearly 17 months later, there is still no evidence of collusion between market makers and broker-dealers, and the Democrats continue to ignore the fact that the underlying infrastructure of the market performed well during the meme stock event." McHenry has served on the House Financial Services Committee for as long as he's been in office. He's opposed equality for the LGBTQ community for as long as he's been in office, too. In 2006, when the New Jersey Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, McHenry's office decried "creating a new right to homosexual marriage." McHenry said at the time, "This is another attempt to destroy the institution that is the cornerstone of civilization and family life marriage. This week, the congressman voted against a House bill that would provide federal protections for both gay marriage and interracial marriage. Forty-seven Republicans joined all congressional Democrats in passing the bill, which has taken on a renewed importance after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called for the court to reconsider its 2015 opinion that legalized gay marriage nationwide. Gay marriage and interracial marriage were both mentioned in a 2021 Pride post by a Robinhood employee, who wrote that they were grateful for the company's equality-driven efforts. "Robinhoods dedication and support of intersectional work demonstrates that we really are democratizing finance for all. As a queer person in an interracial relationship, these issues are especially important and personal to me," they said. In a statement to SFGATE on Thursday evening, Rochelle Nadhiri, vice president of communications for Robinhood, wrote the following about the company's donation to McHenry: The contribution philosophy of our newly-established PAC reflects the varied perspectives of our customers in line with our mission to democratize finance for all. That means economic empowerment, equity, and access. Over time, you'll see that approach reflected in our public filings. SFGATE followed up to ask what, specifically, McHenry has said or done that aligns with Robinhoods contribution philosophy. We also asked for a statement from Tenev. Robinhood declined further comment. LOS ANGELES (AP) Police were searching for two assailants Friday after three men and a woman were shot and wounded on a downtown Los Angeles street. The shooting occurred Thursday night outside a store at 7th and Spring streets. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CAIRO (AP) The Moroccan man had been stopped before at sea in his multiple attempts to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe. But his most recent time was different. The Libyan force that intercepted the boat full of some 50 migrants was more brutal. The armed men beat and humiliated the migrants, he recalled. They were then taken to a detention facility where for months and weeks they were severely beaten, abused and tortured. He said he was repeatedly beaten with rifle butts and whipped with rubber hoses. Badges on their uniform showed the affiliation of the gunmen, he said: the Stabilization Support Authority. The SSA, an umbrella group of militias, has risen to become one of the main forces carrying out Libyas European Union-aided effort to stop migrants from crossing to European shores. Though migrants have long been brutalized in Libya, rights groups and former detainees say the abuse is taking on a more organized and dangerous nature under this feared new body. And officials say it also is benefiting from EU support. The SSA has come to rival in strength the official anti-migrant agencies like the coast guard and navy. But unlike them, it reports directly to Libyas Tripoli-based presidential council and is not subject to EU and U.N. scrutiny intended to prevent rights abuses. More than a dozen migrants interviewed by the Associated Press told of how they were brutalized by the SSA while being held in its detention facility in the town of Maya on Tripolis western outskirts. The migrants, fearing retaliation, spoke on condition of anonymity or that they be identified only by their first names. They were all trying to get out of Libya. All I want is to leave this hell, said Rabei, a 32-year-old Egyptian from a Nile Delta province, describing his feelings before his release earlier this year. He described repeatedly seeing guards beat migrants into unconsciousness, then drag them away. He doesnt know whether any of them are still alive. The Stabilization Support Authority did not respond calls and messages from the AP seeking comment. Previously, the group and the Tripoli-based government dismissed allegations of abuses against migrants in statements following a report by the rights group Amnesty International. Hundreds of thousands of migrants from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East move through Libya trying to reach Europe. For years, Libyan militias have been notorious for involvement in human trafficking and for detaining migrants, abusing them and extorting money from them. Most notorious is the SSAs detention center, set up in a complex that was once a state-run factory in the town of Maya. U.N. agencies and other groups working on migrants have no access to the site, according to spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration, Safa Msehli. Up to 1,800 migrants have been held there since its creation, Libya Crimes Watch estimates. Women and children among the detainees are held in a separate part of the prison, the group said. Libya Crimes Watch and Amnesty International separately documented rampant abuses at Maya prison, including torture, rape, forced labor and forced prostitution, as well as severe overcrowding and lack of food and water. Ramadan, an Egyptian recently released from Maya, recalled how one young Moroccan was severely beaten after being caught trying to escape. For a week, he was left in the cell, bleeding and his wounds festering as other migrants pleaded with guards to take him to a hospital. Finally, the guards dragged him away. He was still alive. We dont know what happened to him, Ramadan said. Torn by civil war since 2011, Libya is divided between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by international patrons and innumerable armed militias on the ground. In a bid to stem the flow of migrants, the European Union has given the government in Tripoli more than $500 million since 2015. The funds are intended to beef up Libyas coast guard, reinforce Libyas southern border and improve conditions for migrants in detention centers run by the Interior Ministry. The EU and the U.N. are supposed to monitor the detention facilities to ensure migrants are properly treated. In reality, abuses have been rampant. The SSA is not subject even to that nominal level of monitoring. It was created in January 2021 and recognized by the Tripoli-based government of the time, which mandated it to carry out a number of security tasks including preventing illegal migration. It is led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, an infamous warlord known as Gheniwa who is accused by Amnesty International of war crimes and other serious rights violations over the past decade. It is still funded by the Tripoli government, now headed by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, one of Libyas two rival administrations claiming to govern. In 2021, the government allocated the equivalent of around $9 million for the alliance. It has also given the SSA ad hoc payments, most recently one in February amounting to the equivalent of $28 million, according to government officials and Amnesty International. A former head of the coast guard said the SSA indirectly draws money from the funds given by the European Union. He and other officials spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. EU officials did not respond the AP requests for comment on the SSA. The groups operations are intermingled with the coast guard, officials from the navy and coast guard said. In the western town of Zawiya, for example, the coast guard unit virtually belongs to them. Its a separate unit in name only, one navy official said. SSA vessels are maintained by the navy, which benefits from the EU funds, another naval official said. He said that the SSA has also become involved in the continual coordination between Libyan naval authorities and the European border agency, Frontex. In several cases, its fighters have shot and killed migrants at sea during interceptions of boats. Two Egyptian migrants died earlier this year in Maya prison, according to migrants and activists. A report by U.N. experts documented torture and abuse at the Maya prison and said at least three people were abused to death as of December 2021. The report said the prisons chief, Mohamed al-Kabouti, was personally involved in beating detainees. They keep beating you for hours, with anything they have -- clubs, rifle butts, iron bars. Or a few of them just keep hammering at you with kicks and punches and rifle butts, recalled Rabei, the Egyptian migrant, who was held for three months until he could pay around $650 in ransom. Eventually you just wish you were dead from all the beating. El-Sayed, a Moroccan once held at Maya, described how he was repeatedly tortured and beaten with plastic hoses and electricity wires. The guards forced him to call his family to send money to secure his release. His relatives eventually scraped together 1,100 euros to buy his freedom. If you have money, you can secure your life, if you dont you will stay forever, he said. Sometimes a title just doesnt help a movie. Not that directors Anthony and Joe Russo had much choice in titling The Gray Man, their new Netflix spy thriller starring Ryan Gosling theyre adapting the novel of the same name, about a shadowy CIA assassin on the run. Still, its hard not to think of the title when contemplating the overall effect of a film that spares no expense to entertain, yet ends up feeling a little aimless, perplexingly bland, and whats the word were looking for? Oh yes. Gray. This is a bit of a shame when youre spending a reported $200 million. And its not that we cant see where the money went. First of all Gosling, even with his charisma deliberately hampered here call it the graying process is still worth watching. But also, rarely has global mayhem seemed quite so luxurious as in this venture, which takes us from Bangkok to Baku, from Vienna to Croatia to Prague to France's stunning Chateau de Chantilly, from winding cobblestone streets to grand castles and up to the skies, too all in chase of one man. The action is certainly impressive. Lets take just one scene the Russos have dubbed a movie within a movie and maybe they werent referring to the budget, but this shootout reportedly cost $40 million. In a picturesque Prague square, Goslings character remains handcuffed to a bench rather calmly, given the circumstances as he confronts waves upon waves of assassins (and perhaps all available film extras and vehicles on the European continent.) Then theres the midair scene where Gosling battles attackers who suddenly get orders to kill him mid-flight, leading to a sequence involving fires and explosions and parachuting and anything else you can imagine. If youre like me, you may start to wonder: Will this costly manhunt reach the moon? I mean, we know Gosling has experience landing on the lunar surface also calmly. And what's one more location shoot? But this isnt First Man, this is GRAY man. Youd exist in the gray, CIA handler Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton) tells Goslings character, then a young prison inmate looking at decades in a cell for murder, in a flashback. He'll win a get-out-of-jail-free card if hell agree to the whole covert assassin thing. Now its 18 years later and Sierra Six, or Six for short (because 007 was taken, he quips) is on the job. Hes in Bangkok, along with helper Dani (Ana de Armas, appealing but underused) to kill someone at a New Years bash, directed remotely by his current boss, Denny Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page of Bridgerton, sadly given a cardboard role here, as is Jessica Henwick as his colleague). Hes about to use his enormous weapon when he notices a small child nearby. Cleared for collateral, he's told. But Six wont take the risk, and ends up making the kill the old-fashioned way. But before the man expires, he informs Six hes actually on the same team, and hands him a drive with compromising information about their colleagues. Youre probably next, he says. Now Six is on the run. He's good at escaping (witness the park bench, and the airplane.) Enter LLoyd Hansen, the most sadistic of freelance killers, whom we meet while torturing someone. Lloyd is such a meanie even the CIA didnt want him fulltime, but they need him now. Everything's extreme about Lloyd, starting with his mustache. Evans has fun being fiendish, and gets a few good lines along with some real clunkers, one of the catchier being: You wanna make an omelet? You gotta kill some people. But honestly, the torture scenes did we need that? Really? Meanwhile, we learn through another flashback that Six has a close relationship with Fitzroys young niece, Claire (the lovely 13-year-old Julia Butters from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.) Claire, who's lost her parents, has a heart problem and needs a pacemaker an important plot point. Other notable supporting players include Alfre Woodard in a too-brief turn as a key Six ally and Dhanush as another expert killer called in for help. The expressive Butters gives, though, the most empathetic performance to be fair, nobody else is fully redeemable, no matter what fancy diploma they have (We all went to Harvard together is a line the universitys PR team might want to immediately protest.) And yes, Goslings Six is attached to Claire, but the man's an assassin for hire, so it's hard to root for him. And unlike the increasingly superhuman Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, a franchise this movie perhaps seeks to emulate, we dont even get to root for Gosling in a heroic battle against the dark force of aging hes two decades younger than Cruise. Speaking of looking good, which Gosling still can't help but do, theres a Ken Doll reference here perhaps a nod to his upcoming turn in the new Barbie film. If you catch it, you may find yourself imagining what hell look like in blond hair and a goofy grin. To paraphrase The Muppets, its not easy being gray. July 15-21, 2022 This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and Pacific. ATLANTA (AP) Prosecutors said Friday that they plan to retry a well-connected Atlanta man whose murder conviction in the shooting death of his business executive wife was recently overturned. Claud Tex McIver, 79, was convicted in 2018 on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, influencing a witness and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the September 2016 death of 64-year-old Diane McIver. The Georgia Supreme Court last month reversed his convictions for felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony but affirmed his conviction for influencing a witness. The Fulton County District Attorney's office said in a court filing Friday that it plans to retry McIver on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The motion asks that a trial be set within 180 days of when the trial court receives the Supreme Court's order, which is expected to happen soon. In overturning McIver's convictions on murder and other charges, the high court said the jury should have had the option to convict him on a misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter charge. Then-Presiding Justice Michael Boggs, who this week became chief justice, wrote in the unanimous opinion, While the States evidence was sufficient to support the appellants conviction of murder, it also could have supported a finding that the appellant killed the victim without any intention of doing so in the commission of an unlawful act. In its motion for a new trial, the district attorney's office notes that the Supreme Court found there was enough evidence at trial for a rational jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that McIver was guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted. The jury which served at the original trial of this case evaluated all of the evidence and unanimously convicted (McIver) of intentional crimes against his wife, the motion says. This fact weighs heavily in the State's consideration of how best to serve the interests of justice in this case. This District Attorney believes very strongly that a jury of one's peers, working as a body, is best positioned to evaluate the accuracy of testimony and other evidence in a case to determine an individual's culpability under the law. The high court found that the evidence against McIver was weak and that prosecutors admitted evidence that had no relevance or basis in fact, McIver attorneys Don Samuel and Amanda Clark Palmer said in a statement. Now, the prosecution brags that it is only seeking justice. It is better late than never, but justice would be recognizing that Tex McIver is entirely not guilty, they said. It is undisputed that McIver shot his wife. At trial, jurors had to decide whether they believed he did it intentionally. The McIvers were wealthy and well-connected. He had been a partner at a prominent labor and employment law firm and served on the state election board. She was president of U.S. Enterprises Inc., the parent company of Corey Airport Services, where she had worked for 43 years. At the time of the shooting, Tex McIver was no longer a partner at his firm and his income had dropped significantly. He and his wife kept separate finances and prosecutors alleged he killed his wife because he needed her money to cover his expenses. Defense attorneys disputed that, saying McIver deeply loved his wife and her death was a tragic accident. The jurors in his trial acquitted McIver of malice murder but found him guilty of felony murder. Felony murder is when a killing happens during the commission of another felony, in this case aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. That means the jury found that he intentionally shot his wife, and that led to her death. Dani Jo Carter, a close friend of Diane McIver, was driving the couples Ford Expedition the evening of Sept. 25, 2016, as the three returned from a weekend at the McIvers horse farm about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Atlanta. Diane McIver was in the front passenger seat and Tex McIver was in the back seat behind his wife. With traffic heavy on the interstate, Carter exited in downtown Atlanta. McIver said, Girls, I wish you hadnt done this. This is a really bad area, and asked his wife to get his gun from the center console and hand it to him. A short while later, McIver fired the gun once, striking his wife in the back. Carter drove to a hospital where Diane McIver died. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Public prosecutors have charged three individuals with the June murder of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in the remote western reaches of Brazil's Amazon rainforest, according to a statement. All are local riverine dwellers, and their motive was that Pereira asked Phillips to photograph them when they passed by in a boat, the statement said. The area is a hotspot for illegal fishing and poaching. Phillips and Pereira had met with Indigenous people near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia, and were traveling along the Itaquai River back to the city of Atalaia do Norte when they were attacked. Their disappearance generated intense international outcry and pressure for action and, with the help of local Indigenous people, authorities located their bodies hidden in the forest. Prosecutors presented their charges Thursday, outlining that two of the men Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima have confessed to the crime, while witness testimony indicates Oseney da Costa de Oliveira also participated, according to the statement. Pereira had previous confrontations with fishermen when seizing their catch and had received multiple threats. He carried a gun with him, and had left the federal Indigenous affairs agency in order to teach local Indigenous people how to patrol their land and gather geo-tagged photographic evidence of criminality. On the day they were murdered, Pereira was transporting such evidence to authorities in Atalaia do Norte, and he was shot three times. Phillips, who was conducting research for a book entitled How to Save the Amazon, was killed because only because of being with Bruno, in order to ensure impunity for the prior crime, the prosecutors' statement said. There has been speculation in the Brazilian press that their murder may have been ordered by the ringleader of an illegal fishing network. Police earlier this month arrested a fourth man when he presented false documents, believing he may have some involvement, but no charges have yet been filed. CHICAGO (AP) A worker was fatally shot Friday while staffing a restaurants service window, Chicago police said. He was working at the Original Maxwell Street hot dog stand on the West Side when he was shot in the face about 3:10 a.m., police said. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A fired police sergeant in a Portland, Oregon, suburb has been sentenced to probation and ordered to complete community service and cultural sensitivity training after pleading no contest to first-degree official misconduct for his role in the wrongful arrest of a Black man. Former West Linn police Sgt. Reeves, 43, appeared by phone from his home in Montana for the hearing Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Judge Michael Greenlick accepted the negotiated plea on the misdemeanor charge and the jointly recommended sentence. Reeves arrested Michael Fesser of Portland on a bogus theft charge at the behest of then-Police Chief Terry Timeus in 2017. Timeus ordered the investigation of Fesser as a favor for a friend who was Fessers employer at a towing company. Fesser said the arrest was in retaliation for his complaints about a racially hostile work environment. Greenlick ordered Reeves to complete a year and a half of probation under the supervision of the judge. He must complete 85 hours of community service with a nonprofit organization and 15 hours of cultural diversity and sensitivity training within six months. During his probation, he must not apply for any law enforcement job in Oregon or any state and must have no contact with Fesser. In 2021, a state board revoked Reeves' police certification in Oregon for life for his dishonesty and discriminatory behavior in Fessers arrest. Assistant Attorney General Tobias Tingleaf told the judge he didn't consult Fesser about the deal because he considered the state and the public to be the victims in the criminal prosecution of Reeves. Fesser called that a slap in the face and said hes flabbergasted that the state prosecutor didnt think he was the victim in this case. Im beyond upset, mad and disappointed, Fesser said. Theres no justice. Reeves is the only officer prosecuted for a crime in Fesser's indictment and arrest. Federal, state and local agencies began investigations into the arrest after The Oregonian/OregonLive reported in 2020 that the city of West Linn paid $600,000 to Fesser to settle his civil rights suit against its police force. Multnomah County prosecutors dropped theft charges against Fesser, and the towing company paid $415,000 to Fesser to settle a separate discrimination and retaliation suit. David Lesh, Reeves defense lawyer, told the judge that the case against Reeves was not as black and white as the state alleged, but Reeves wanted to resolve it. Reeves didnt comment. West Linn also fired Police Chief Terry Kruger, who had defended Fesser's arrest to the City Council. A state board last year also stripped Timeus of his police certification for life. Last summer, Mike Stradley, a former West Linn police lieutenant, agreed to resign as a police training manager for the states public safety academy after he was investigated for his role in Fessers arrest. WASHINGTON (AP) Democratic representatives are widening their scrutiny into the role of tech companies in collecting the personal data of people who may be seeking an abortion, as lawmakers, regulators and the Biden administration grapple with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling last month ending the constitutional protections for abortion. In a new volley of congressional letters, six House Democrats have asked the top executives of Amazons cloud-service network and major cloud provider Oracle about the companies handling of consumers location data from mobile phones, and what steps they have taken or planned to protect the privacy rights of individuals seeking information on abortion. The decision by the courts conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade has resulted in strict limits or total bans on abortion in more than a dozen states. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion or medical care for a miscarriage as well as those who assist them, experts say. Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebooks Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Data collected and sold by your company could be used by law enforcement and prosecutors in states with aggressive abortion restrictions, the House Democrats, led by Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, said in the letters. Additionally, in states that empower vigilantes and private actors to sue abortion providers, this information can be used as part of judicial proceedings. When consumers use apps on their phone and quickly tap yes on use geolocation data pop-ups, they should not be worried about the endless sale of their data to advertisers, individuals or law enforcement. And it most certainly should not be used to hunt down, prosecute and jail an individual seeking reproductive care. Companies can take action today to protect individual rights. The letters also went to executives of Near Intelligence Holdings and Mobilewalla. Along with Oracle and Amazon Web Services Data Exchange, the companies were described as leading data brokers businesses that gather, sell or trade location data from mobile phones, which could be used to track people who have visited abortion clinics or have gone out of state seeking abortion services. Five other Democrats active in tech issues signed the letters with Trahan: Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Yvette Clarke of New York, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Adam Schiff of California and Sean Casten of Illinois. Spokespeople for Amazon and Oracle didnt respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Also this week, Massachusetts two U.S. senators, Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, sent letters to four companies raising concerns that the software they use to monitor students online communications could be used to punish students who seek information about abortion services and reproductive health care. They asked the companies Bark Technologies, Gaggle.net, GoGuardian and Securly whether their software flags students online searches for abortion and other related terms. It would be deeply disturbing if your software flags words or activity that suggest students are searching for contraception, abortion or other related services, and if school administrators, parents and even law enforcement were potentially informed of this activity, Warren and Markey wrote. Generally, the so-called ed tech companies say the monitoring is intended to stop the next school shooter or student suicide, and that the scans are mostly limited to school e-mails or activity on school computers or internet networks, not private accounts. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden, under mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful in response to the Supreme Court ruling, signed an executive order to try to protect access to abortion. The actions Biden outlined are intended to head off some potential penalties that women seeking abortion may face after the ruling, but his order cannot restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect. Biden also asked the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online. On June 24, the day the high court announced its decision, four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data of all kinds to third parties. In May, several Senate Democrats urged the CEOs of Google and Apple to prohibit apps on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store from using data-mining practices that could facilitate the targeting of individuals seeking abortion services. __ Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) More than 50 million people across the East African region are expected to face acute food insecurity this year, a regional bloc said Friday, warning that some 300,000 in Somalia and South Sudan are projected to be under full-blown famine conditions. The assessment by Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, is one of the most dire yet as United Nations agencies, humanitarian groups and others continue to raise alarm over the region's food crisis that many say has been largely neglected as the international community focuses on the war in Ukraine. That assessment applies to seven member states of IGAD, from Djibouti to Uganda. Samantha Power, the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, is traveling in East Africa to spotlight the hunger crisis in the region. In Kenya's capital Nairobi on Friday, Power announced at least $255 million in drought-related humanitarian and development support to Kenya. She is expected to visit Ethiopia and Somalia, where some communities have suffered four consecutive failed rainy seasons. Power earlier in the week spoke of the need to prevent the global food crisis from becoming a catastrophe, announcing $1.2 billion in funding that includes immediate food assistance for people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. In addition to immediate humanitarian aid, the international community must sustain investment in global agriculture and undertake concerted diplomacy so that we mobilize more resources from donors, avoid export restrictions that can exacerbate the crisis, and lessen the burden on poor countries, Power said in a speech Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Aid groups and other watchdogs have been calling for more funds to be devoted to East Africa after the war in Ukraine grabbed the world's attention and money. Three million people face emergency and catastrophic levels of hunger, risking death," the International Rescue Committee said in a statement Tuesday, noting that "people have already started dying from starvation and the window to prevent mass deaths is rapidly closing." Even if the new U.S. funding is fulfilled, the humanitarian response plan for the region would be funded at 40% of the assessed need," the group warned. "After just over three months, the $1.9 billion appeal for the humanitarian response in Ukraine was 85% funded a demonstration of the capacity for resource mobilization when the political will exists." Power has criticized China for allegedly contributing just $3 million to the U.N. World Food Program this year, while the U.S. has given $3.9 billion this financial year. China and other nations must go above and beyond as we work to prevent famine, she said on Twitter. Somalia, a country that continues to grapple with armed conflict wrought by an Islamic extremist insurgency, is seen as particularly vulnerable. A weak humanitarian response to the 2010-12 drought was in part to blame as a quarter-million people died during famine conditions. Half of them were children. Somalis walk for days through parched landscapes to places like Mogadishu, the capital, in search of aid but find that there is little or nothing. The number of people going hungry in Somalia due to drought has nearly doubled since the start of the year, according to the IRC, which saw a 265% increase in admissions for children under 5 with severe malnutrition at just one clinic in Mogadishu between April and May. There is a risk of famine in eight areas of Somalia through September in the event of widespread crop and livestock production failures, spiraling food costs, and in the absence of scaled-up humanitarian assistance, the assessment by IGAD said. ___ Tiro reported from Nairobi, Kenya ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) The embattled state agency that oversees child welfare in New Mexico said Friday it is retraining its front-line investigators and creating new critical review teams as part of an effort to once again overhaul a department that has struggled with child fatalities and critical incidents. The latest measures were prompted by an outside review of the Children, Youth and Families Department and by mounting public criticism. The department had kept the report under wraps for months after it was completed by a national firm despite public record requests. The 27-page report was released Friday as the agency detailed its initiatives. Department Secretary Barbara Vigil, a retired New Mexico Supreme Court justice, said she wanted to immediately find ways to improve the system when she took over last fall, noting that the agency deals with 20,000 families every year. This report highlights many of the challenges we are already addressing and further illuminates opportunities for improvement and how we tackle them, she said in a statement. The agency also underwent massive reforms in 2014, when then-Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, rolled out policy changes and directives changing the way child abuse cases were investigated in New Mexico. Still, problems have persisted under Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration. Maralyn Beck, founder and executive director of New Mexico Child First Network, called the current number of child abuse fatalities a public health crisis, saying immediate action is needed. She noted that the latest report comes to the same conclusions as a handful of other reports, task force recommendations, court rulings and other memos published over the last five years. While advocates agree that the culture at the agency creates less than ideal working conditions, Beck and others said they're concerned that half of the latest recommendations are aimed at making improvements after the next critical incident or child death, rather than taking steps to prevent such an outcome. Christi Boomer, a foster parent and advocate, said multiple administrations have made promises to make improvements. Things have only continued to worsen for the children in this state, she said. Nashville, Tennessee-based Collaborative Safety LLC was hired in January to provide a systemic analysis and make recommendations to reduce critical cases experienced by the agency over the past year. Vigil ordered the review following the November 2021 death of a 1-month-old boy in Valencia County who had blunt force trauma injuries to his head and face. Sheriff's officials had said the boy's mother one week earlier had called them to say she was concerned that she may hurt her children. She now is facing charges. The review looked at turnover within the agency, high caseloads, a culture of fear among employees and the limits of an assessment tool that is used by case workers to score whether a child is in a safe environment. According to the review, training conducted by an independent agency placed a strong focus on teaching about the tool, rather than focusing on its practical application. In some cases, staff were using the tool but had never been trained and there was inconsistency in how the tool was being used around the state. The review said turnover and workload create a reinforcing feedback loop in which stress increases the likelihood that staff will leave their positions, subsequently increasing the workload for the remaining workers. It is understood that there are no quick fixes within the child welfare system and careful thought and planning must be considered prior to their implementation, the report said. Since January, the department said more than 240 investigators and other workers have been retrained on practices that include building strong relationships between case workers and families. All front-line investigators and supervisors also will receive specialized training over the next two months. As for the new critical incident teams, they will be charged with interviewing families, law enforcement, doctors and others to better understand how the system worked or didnt and how it can be improved to prevent future incidents. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LISBON, Portugal (AP) Major wildfires in Europe are starting earlier in the year, becoming more frequent, doing more damage and getting harder to stop. And, scientists say, theyre probably going to get worse as climate change intensifies unless countermeasures are taken. A mass migration of Europeans from the countryside to cities in recent decades has left neglected woodland at the mercy of the droughts and heat waves that are increasingly common amid global warming. One tiny spark can unleash an inferno. Fighting forest fires in Europe has never been so hard. Heres why: ___ WHATS CAUSING EUROPES WILDFIRES? The continents so-called rural exodus since the second half of the last century, as Europeans moved to cities in search of a better life, has left significant areas of countryside neglected and vulnerable. Woodland is littered with combustible material, says Johann Goldammer, head of the Global Fire Monitoring Center, an advisory body to the United Nations. That includes things like dead tree trunks and fallen branches, dead leaves and desiccated grass. This is why we have unprecedented wildfire risk: because never before in history say, the last 1,000 or 2,000 years has there been so much flammable material around, he said. He adds: The landscape is getting explosive. Carelessness with naked flames is often enough to ignite a wildfire. In Portugal, where more than 100 people died in wildfires in 2017, authorities say 62% of outbreaks stem from farming activities such as burning stubble. ___ IS GLOBAL WARMING A FACTOR IN THE WILDFIRES? Climate change has added a scary new dimension to wildfires and made them more menacing. That is especially true in southern Europe, where the increasing occurrence of fire weather conditions high temperatures, drought and high winds make summer wildfires the new norm, says Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London. The European Union noted this month that over the past five years the bloc has witnessed its most intense wildfires on record and that the continents current drought could become its worst ever. The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average, according to the U.N.. EU fire statistics bear witness to the problem. The amount of burned European countryside has more than tripled this year, with almost 450,000 hectares charred through July 16, compared with a 2006-2021 average of 110,000 hectares in those same months. By that same date, Europe had witnessed almost 1,900 wildfires compared with an average of 470 for the 2006-2021 period. ___ ARE WILDFIRES DIFFERENT NOW? The droughts and heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight, as conditions make it easier for them to spread quickly. Scientists say climate change will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. That includes instances of so-called megafires blazes so big they are virtually unstoppable. Spains wildfire problems this year began with the arrival in spring of the countrys earliest heat wave in two decades. Temperatures rose above 40 C (104 F) in many Spanish cities levels traditionally seen in high summer. Neighboring Portugal also saw its warmest May in nine decades, when 97% of the land was classified as being in severe drought. In France, it was the hottest May on record. We will not be able to completely prevent wildfires, says Otto of Imperial College. We have to learn to live with this. ___ HOW DO WE COEXIST WITH MORE WILDFIRES? Scientists say there is no need to lose hope, despite the images of terrifying walls of flame and overwhelmed fire services. This is not an act of god, Otto says of the more frequent wildfires. This is, to a large degree, our doing and we have quite a lot of (power) to do something about it. Things we can do to adapt include putting an end to the burning of fossil fuels and educating people about global warming, she says. Forest management also needs to be reviewed, says Amila Meskin, a policy adviser at the Brussels-based European State Forest Association, which represents governments forest companies, enterprises and agencies in 25 European countries. Projects such as water retention schemes, mixing forest species and the restoration of peat lands are already happening in some places. The effects are unlikely to be seen soon, however. Short-term planning in forestry can stretch over 50 years, and fundamental change will take decades. More broadly, Meskin sees a general lack of interest in rural jobs and notes that forestry is not a fashionable business. Those sentiments need to be reversed, but thats a big ask. Maybe, she says, the shock of the wildfires will generate renewed public interest in forest care. Its a very emotional thing to see forests burn, Meskin said. Its such a sad, sad, sad situation. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change and the environment at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. ___ Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ST. LOUIS (AP) When questioned by members of Congress, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said its new update to the nation's flood insurance program will prompt more people to sign up for coverage, even though many will pay more for it. But in a FEMA report obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, the agency estimates one million fewer Americans will buy flood insurance by the end of the decade a sizable number of people at risk of catastrophic financial loss. As climate change drives increased flood risk in many parts of the country, FEMA has updated its flood insurance program to more accurately reflect risk, but also make the program more solvent. It's a response in part to criticism that taxpayers were funding big payouts when coastal mansions in risky locations flooded. But nine senators from both parties expressed serious concerns about the new pricing system in a letter last September, after hearing that the agency's internal numbers predicted policies would drop off by 20%. The next month FEMA told the AP those figures were misleading and taken out of context and that on the subject of how many people will be insured there is no study or report to share. The agency painted a different picture however at the end of the year when it sent a report to the treasury secretary and a handful of congressional leaders saying higher prices would drive a fall off of 1 million policies compared to the beginning of the decade. The issue of how many people go uninsured for flooding is vital, said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. We are talking the basic economic health, I think of not only our households and businesses, but our communities at large, if fewer people buy flood insurance, he said. The federal flood insurance program was started when many private insurers stopped offering policies in high-risk areas. It operates in the red, paying out more in claims than it collects in premiums. By more accurately setting rates, the update, officially referred to as Risk Rating 2.0, makes it more expensive to develop in flood-prone regions, shifting the risks of disaster towards those homeowners. Risk Rating 2.0 will factor in a propertys unique flood risk like its distance to water and cost to rebuild. The old system was based largely on a homes elevation and whether it was in a designed flood zone. Most policy holders will now see their rates go up. But for the first time, nearly a quarter of policyholders will see theirs go down. Buyers of new policies began seeing the new prices in October. FEMA downplayed the report obtained by the AP as a pessimistic projection, aimed at forecasting finances, not insurance participation. The agency said it has not directly studied how many people will buy flood insurance. Theres numerous reasons that growth could occur as time goes on, said David Maurstad, a senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program, adding that an enrollment analysis should consider the agencys marketing efforts, the program's clear messaging of flood risk, price decreases and other factors. But critics like Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said affordability is a problem and FEMA didnt disclose the impact of those higher costs. This report makes it crystal clear that FEMA failed to be transparent with policyholders, Congress, and ultimately the American public, Menendez said in a statement. It shouldnt have taken a records request for details to emerge, he said. When Francisca Acuna, a climate and community activist in Austin, Texas, was given a new quote, it was hard for her to believe. I go, no, youre making a mistake, she said. Acuna had previously paid $446 a year. Under Risk Rating 2.0, she was quoted $1,893. Rate increases that large are rare. Increases are generally capped at 18% a year, but Acuna, juggling other expenses, had let her policy lapse so she was required to pay the full amount right away. Theres no way, no how, that I can afford it, Acuna said. Told of Acuna's situation, Maurstad said the rates reflect actual risk. Its unfortunate when people face big increases, but ensuring the financial health of the program and accurate rates, is good public policy," he said. Jim Rollo, a New York-based insurance agent, said he's seeing a change in some buyer attitudes. Some seem more skeptical about properties that have previously flooded and have higher premiums. Others roll the dice and forego costly insurance if it's not required. We are writing fewer policies than we were before, Rollo said. Congress should create an affordability program for people struggling to buy insurance and fund efforts to improve flood protections, said Joel Scata, a lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. But Maurstad said FEMAs mission is different from the private sector. FEMA must help people before, during and after disasters as well as charge premiums that are risk-based and financially sound. We have certain responsibilities we are charged with. The number of policies sold isnt one of them, again, because we are a government program, he said. Nevertheless the agency report predicts that the program, even with higher revenue, will continue to sink deeper into debt. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment The Arizona Department of Child Safety (AZDCS) hosted an annual conference in Flagstaff earlier this month designed to help youth navigate transitioning out of the foster care system. Sixty-four teenagers in foster care spent three days at the Little America Hotel participating in a series of workshops and activities meant to provide them with the tools and resources necessary to succeeded in adulthood. Anyone in AZDCSs young adult program between the ages of 14 and 21 can attend the conference, which is now in its 30th year. There are currently about 4,000 people in the particular age range in Arizonas foster system. AZDCSs Youth Empowerment Council helped plan the event, including selecting topics for the workshops. Topics this year included information about health advocacy, crimes of opportunity, substance abuse, mindfulness, LGBTQIA+, family communications and cultural awareness. I selected a lot of these topics because they sounded most interesting to me and stuff I could work on, said Alexis Ochoa, a 17-year-old in foster care who has served on the Youth Empowerment Council since last August. ... These are very real-life scenarios that were going to have to deal with eventually, so I think these workshops helped us in a way to get these embedded in our brains -- like this is how you would go about this. One of this years new workshops focused on relationships, taking place in a group support format. Sessions were led by a licensed master of social work, with Youth Empowerment Council advocates sharing their own experiences with foster care. The conference also included a resource fair, with tables featuring places like the U.S. Forest Service, East Valley Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University and the Arizona Corporation Commission. Another new activity was called the fishbowl, where AZDCS leaders sat in the center of a circle with four conference attendees. Those in the middle could ask each other questions, with the young people in the audience swapping in as they had things to say. I think that's always a really powerful part of the conference, because it's a free forum for young people to say, 'This is whats really happening out there, said Megan Conrad, MAS-MFT, DCSs Permanency and Youth Services supervisor and statewide independent living coordinator. Without being scared that somebody will say you're wrong, that didn't happen," Ochoa added. I think the really great thing about the conference is that it just connects everybody, Conrad said. ... Not all young people enjoy their time with the department, and I think what it shows them is, wow, there are other people at the department too, besides just my worker that I see every month that care about us and want to listen to us and that I can go to if I have questions. Ochoa serves as the Youth Empowerment Councils youth outreach coordinator, speaking with other conference attendees and helping them get involved in the council. She started after attending the conference for the first time last year. For her, the highlights of the conference are engaging with other people and building those relationships as well as the workshops and activities. Im a people person. So to me, thats just like what life is about, she said, meeting new people and talking, learning new things. So it was just getting all of those things but at once ... I was never bored. At one of the workshop sessions, Ochoa said, she was able to apply to her own life was one on parental communications. She lives with her 19-year-old sister and was trying to navigate the relationship. I was just trying to figure out how that would work, because were both the same age and shes trying to parent me, she said. " ... It helped me realize that, yes, even though were the same age, she's my legal guardian, she does have responsibility to me. It helped me figure communications, on how to talk to her, on how to adjust to a certain situation." The conference is in addition to AZDCS programs meant to help youth transition successfully into adult life. While the department's main goal is to place children in permanent homes before they age out of care at 18, around 700 young adults each year turn 18 before finding permanency. I think a lot of people need support, whether its financially [or] emotional support, and I would say they need a lot of help transitioning on how to be adults, Ochoa said. Because after you turn 18, they help you prepare, but a lot of people are just not ready. Theyre not ready because its not fair. Its like, yes, somebody helped you out, but for one month, two months. ... How could two months measure up to a lifetime of what somebodys parents have been teaching them? Changes in federal government mean that support services now begin at 14 instead of 16, Conrad said. She mentioned school stability and a family-like structure as being especially important. In-between step "I'm hoping that's going to help get those young people into the right living arrangements, make sure that they have all the supports," she said. Among services provided by DCS are materials covered in monthly specialist visits and the Successful Transition to Adulthood Service. In the second, professionals at two regional providers (Arizona's Children Association and Intermountain Centers for Human Development) meet with youth 14 and older to help them achieve their goals. If it's conflict at where theyre living, if its educational success, if its trying to work out housing plans, they really can help with any of those areas, Conrad said. The service also works with caregivers to provide education on skills like laundry, dishes and grocery shopping and supports young people in finding family-like settings. Conrad said one of Arizonas issues has been a lack of options" for people in foster care. In group homes, Ochoa said, theres an expectation to leave as soon as someone turns 18, regardless of circumstance. I think thats completely unfair because a lot of these kids are unprepared and they have nowhere else to go, she said. " Even with transitioning, Id say its getting expensive, like a lot more expensive. Its hard for these kids because sometimes we're all we have. I know girls trying to live with each other just so they can afford a one-bedroom apartment and its sad because there's not enough help out there." What we really knew we needed is an in-between step, Conrad said. In September, DCS is planning to create new unlicensed group housing for 18- to 21-year-olds to serve as a step between other foster settings and living on their own. Overall, Ochoa said she hopes the conference encourages people to speak up and be more comfortable with approaching certain situations they may not have been comfortable with before. Just being able to tell somebody, without the fear of retaliation, 'This is whats going on and this is what I need,' she said. Not everybody can do that, and I think thats what keeps a lot of people down. Theyre scared to ask for their help or theyre scared to say this happened to me because theyll think that its their fault. ... Its just letting these kids know that they have that support and there are resources out there. More about foster care in Arizona can be found at azdcs.gov/foster. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will miss next months Fancy Farm picnic for the second straight year. Beshear said in a social media post Friday that he and his wife, first lady Britainy Beshear, will visit Israel in August. The governor said the trip will conflict with the rowdy annual political picnic in far western Kentucky, which this year falls on Aug. 6. Democrats are expected to be scarce at this year's picnic, with Republicans dominating most state and federal offices. U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker is the only Democrat who has so far committed to attend. Kentucky's two Republican U.S. senators, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, have not yet committed to attending the picnic. Paul is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate and will face Booker in the fall. Confirmed so far to attend are Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Auditor Mike Harmon, Treasurer Allison Ball, Secretary of State Michael Adams and Kentucky Agricultural Commissioner Ryan Quarles, all Republicans. Cameron, Harmon and Quarles have announced campaigns for governor in 2023. The picnic also known for its barbecue draws large crowds and is a rite of passage for statewide candidates in Kentucky. As monkeypox cases continue to spread in the state, especially in the city of Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on the federal government to increase its vaccination efforts. A July 21 press release from the governor's office said Pritzker called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to take more aggressive action to stop the outbreak of monkeypox by prioritizing areas with the most significant outbreaks. Pritzker also directed 4,600 doses from the state's allocation to Chicago. "Governor Pritzkers letter to Secretary Becerra, which was also sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn OConnell, outlined the lack of available vaccine in Chicago and Illinois as a whole despite being the state with the third-highest number of reported cases thus far," the release read. Pritzker cited what has been learned through the COVID pandemic that rapid response can make a significant difference in curbing outbreaks. We know that a swift response is essential when confronting outbreaks of disease, said Governor JB Pritzker in the release. And weve learned in the last few years that most people are eager to protect themselves and their communities when given the tools to do so. We must give the public and health professionals every tool possible to counter the spread of monkeypox, which is why Im urging the federal governments to take further action. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Amaal Tokars said despite the state's best efforts, it is seeing a rapid increase in monkeypox cases. "The best defense against this disease is the rapid distribution of effective vaccines," Tokars said. "While we are grateful for all the federal support we have received to date, we urge the federal government to make every effort to the extent possible to streamline the process and ramp up deliveries of vaccines so they can be promptly administered to the population that is most at risk. Chicago has received approximately 3,300 vaccine doses from the feds, according to the release. In addition to those doses, the state has received an additional 2,300 doses for areas outside of Chicago. "IDPH has designated approximately 2,600 doses from its allocation to the city of Chicago which has reported 86% of the cases in the state," the release reads. "An additional 15,440 doses allotted for the city have yet to be delivered. The state will be providing an additional 2,000 doses for Chicago to distribute in upcoming weeks. The city and state are partnering on outreach and awareness efforts across Chicago and the state as a whole, to ensure at-risk Illinoisans have the information necessary to stay protected." Pritzker said a strong state-federal partnership is needed to stop the spread of the virus. His letter noted that monkeypox is disproportionately impacting "the LGBTQ community and specifically men who have sex with men, groups historically underserved and discriminated against during the HIV/AIDS crisis." "There are many causes of rash illness," the release reads. "However, if someone has a rash illness that they are concerned about they should talk with, or see, a health care provider about their symptoms. They should not have close contact with other individuals until they have seen a health provider if monkeypox is suspected. In general, people should avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that might be monkeypox. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DETROIT (AP) Clogged oil ports, electrical shorts and leaks of brake fluid are only some of the safety problems that have caused multiple fires and forced Hyundai and Kia to recall millions of vehicles in the past seven years. Now, Hyundai, the larger of the two affiliated Korean automakers, has promoted its North American safety chief to global status an implicit acknowledgment by the company that it needs to address safety in a more robust way. The executive, Brian Latouf, who joined Hyundai in 2019 after 27 years at General Motors, says he will focus on data analysis and testing to detect problems earlier and fix them. As part of the company's intensified focus on safety, Hyundai is building a $51.6 million laboratory near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with an electronic scanner to examine parts for problems. On the site, the company will test vehicle maneuvers, including steering and braking, and evaluate electric vehicle batteries. An outdoor track will allow vehicles to accelerate to roadway speeds so testers can detect problems. The laboratory is scheduled to be completed in the fall of next year. Besides elevating Latouf to global safety chief, Hyundai has anointed a new vice president for safety to try to ensure that safety is taken more fully into account in the design of new vehicles. Latouf, a mechanical engineer by training, said the company wants to detect problems fast and take action. You have to have a real good emerging-issues data analytics office, investigate quickly and address them, Latouf, 58, said in an interview with The Associated Press. If you let them linger, risk grows, the safety hazard grows. Latouf now has in place a safety team at the corporate headquarters in Seoul. And the safety group in North America has grown from 12 employees, when he started at the company, to 40 now. The job is huge. The Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit group that successfully petitioned U.S. regulators to seek Hyundai and Kia recalls, says the automakers have recalled 8.4 million vehicles for fires and engine problems since 2015. More than two dozen of the recalls involved more than 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years. In addition, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 3 million vehicles made by the automakers from the 2011 through 2016 model years. NHTSA says it's received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled. The agency, which began an engineering analysis late last year, has said it will evaluate whether previous recalls covered enough vehicles. It also will monitor the effectiveness of recalls, as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia." In June 2018, NHTSA said it had received owner complaints of more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries and one death. Hyundai and Kia were fined by NHTSA in 2020 for moving too slowly to recall vehicles that were prone to engine failures. One critic, Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, noted that Hyundai's upgraded safety programs are focused on future vehicles, which Brooks said won't help owners of the company's existing autos. The center, Brooks said, continues to receive complaints of engine failures that Hyundai and Kia won't fix because owners didn't sign up in time for a company-issued knock sensor to detect engine problems. There's still a consumer issue thats ongoing that needs to be resolved, Brooks said. Hyundai says that owners can go online to report problems, which it will address. In the meantime, recalls have continued for Hyundai and Kia, with some as recent as May of this year. Latouf said Hyundai's recent engines have dramatically lower fire rates, and the knock sensors are detecting problems so they can be repaired before failures happen. Like Hyundai, Kia was compelled to establish a U.S. safety office in its settlement with the government. Kia says it settled the case to avoid a protracted legal fight. The automaker, which did not comment for this story, said it intends to improve its recall management process to make things right for customers. At General Motors, Latouf had been put in charge of safety after a series of recalls for faulty ignition switches that could turn engines off and disable air bags in a crash. At least 124 people were killed in a series of crashes. Latouf said he learned from helping to rebuild the auto giant's safety department and has adopted some of those practices at Hyundai. One is a Speak Up For Safety program that urges employees to report issues as they drive and test vehicles. The reports go directly to Latouf's office. We're getting hundreds of these in, and some of them have actually led to recalls, he said. With their thousands of components and millions of lines of software code, cars are notoriously complex, Latouf said, and all automakers experience safety issues and recalls. He said he expects Hyundai's new safety programs to provide early enough warnings to limit the size of recalls and bolster consumer perceptions of the brand. We try to keep their faith, to make sure that if there's an issue we'll react to it, he said. We're not just about sales and numbers and growth and technology. We're about the customer as well. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Turns out, Jan. 6 was more than just the day when a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. It was the culmination, but also the start, of an enduring challenge for American democracy. The House committee investigating Jan. 6, 2021 has shown how the deadly Capitol attack was sparked months earlier on Election Night 2020, when the incumbent president, Donald Trump, refused to admit he was trailing Joe Biden, and instead spewed false claims of voter fraud and declared himself the winner. The defeated president spent the next eight weeks orchestrating an unprecedented attempt to overturn the election results and summoned supporters to Washington on Jan. 6 to finish the job. And even after the blood, mayhem and deaths at the Capitol, Trump still refused on Jan. 7 to say the words that all those around him knew needed to be said: the presidential election was over. The Jan. 6 committee cannot charge anyone with crimes, but it has produced a public record for history, one that's still being written. It is showing how the insurrection at the Capitol is testing the resiliency of the nations democracy. As Trump contemplates another White House run, he has denounced the proceedings as so many lies and misrepresentations. Rep. Liz Cheney, a fellow Republican who is vice chair of the panel, said the case against her party's president is being made not by Trump's political enemies, but rather his own friends, campaign officials, people who worked for him and his own family. They have come forward and they have told the American people the truth, Cheney said. Heres what we know from eight summer hearings of the House Jan. 6 committee. TEAM NORMAL WARNS TRUMP NOT TO CLAIM ELECTION VICTORY Election Night did not look good for incumbent Trump, as battleground states he had won four years earlier began to fall to Biden. Campaign manager Bill Stepien testified this summer that it was no time to declare victory. But Team Normal, as some of Trump's more experienced political aides called themselves, was no match for Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer who encouraged Trump to fight. This is a fraud on the American public, Trump said in an election night speech. Frankly, we did win this election. For the next eight weeks Trump battled in court challenging the election results. When one judge after another rejected or declined to take up Trump's claims of voter fraud, the defeated president latched on to another plan, from a conservative law professor John Eastman, to challenge the results when Congress met to certify the election, scheduled for Jan. 6. Trump met privately with members of Congress who would reject the election results from their states, and encouraged hundreds of electors to send Congress his name as the winner, rather than Biden. But over and over again, Cheney said, the president was told there was no voter fraud that could have tipped the election. This is bull-, former Attorney General Bill Barr testified that he told the president. When told of Barr's interview to an AP reporter declaring there was no fraud, the president threw his lunch in the Oval Office dining room. There was ketchup dripping down the wall, testified former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who helped the president's valet mop it up. 'WERE GOING TO WALK DOWN TO THE CAPITOL' The committee revealed new evidence that the attack on the Capitol was not a spontaneous event but one set in motion by the president's actions. Summoning supporters to Washington for a big rally Jan. 6, Trump spoke before the crowd at the Ellipse outside the White House and sent them marching to the Capitol. We're going to walk down and I'll be there with you, Trump told the crowd. We're going to walk down to the Capitol. The committee revealed in text messages from rally organizer Kylie Kremer that there were plans for a second stage to be set up outside the Capitol, which sits across from the Supreme Court. Alarmed, White House counsel Pat Cipollone scrambled to prevent Trump from going to the Capitol, desperately worried that if he did, it would be seen as the president interfering with the U.S. election. Were going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen, Hutchinson recalled Cipollone telling her. After Trump left the rally stage, he had a confrontation with the security agent driving the presidential SUV, demanding to be taken to the Capitol, Hutchinson said. It's an account that the Secret Service denies. But the service has not publicly testified about it as Hutchinson has under oath. Instead, the security detail drove Trump back to the White House, where an aide told him about the riot at the Capitol. Within 15 minutes of leaving the stage, President Trump knew that the Capitol was besieged and under attack, Cheney said. And then Trump went into the Oval Office dining room and for the next three hours refused to call off the mob, watching it all on TV. You know, Commander in Chief, you got an assault going on on the Capitol of the United States of America. And theres nothing? No call? Nothing? Zero? testified Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. For hours, Donald Trump chose not to answer the pleas from Congress, from his own party, and from all across our nation to do what his oath required," Cheney said. "He refused to defend our nation and our Constitution. THE ATTACK: IT WAS CARNAGE, IT WAS CHAOS From the opening hearing, the Jan. 6 committee showed that the attack on the Capitol was not some visit by tourists, as some Trump allies have since maintained, but a gruesome, grisly, deadly fight. U.S. Capitol Police officer Carolyn Edwards testified about the war scene as she stood on the Capitol's West Front trying to push back the mob some armed with shields, flag poles, stun guns, bear spray, and guns. It was carnage, it was chaos," she said. "I was slipping in people's blood. The panel showed how extremist Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, whose leaders now face rare sedition charges, had been planning for Jan. 6 for weeks, including a stunning parking garage meeting the night before filmed by a documentarian who testified before the committee. Among the more than 100 officers injured that day some have sat in the front row through the hearings. Nine people died in the attack and its aftermath, including a Trump supporter shot by police. More than 840 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Over 330 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. Of the more than 200 defendants to be sentenced, approximately 100 received terms of imprisonment. UNSUNG HEROES, ENDURING QUESTIONS FOR DEMOCRACY Throughout the six weeks of public hearings, the Jan. 6 has shown just how fragile is the U.S. hold on democracy. Lower-level Republican officials, including Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger who refused Trump's demands to find 11,740 votes" or Arizona Speaker Rusty Bowers who rejected the scheme for an alternative slate of electors from his state, endured threats as they stood up the president's pressure. Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman recounted their fear, sadness and anger over a president who publicly and falsely accused them of voter fraud, leaving the mother and daughter still afraid to live their lives. Vice President Mike Pence withstood the howls of rioters chanting Hang Mike Pence! as he refused Trump's demands to reject the electors. Pence also refused to leave the Capitol. Instead, he called the Pentagon to bring in the National Guard to secure the building so Congress could resume certifying the election. Pence did not want to take any chance that the world would see the Vice President of the United States fleeing the United States Capitol," his top counsel Greg Jacob testified. "He was determined that we would complete the work that we had set out to do that day. The day after the election, Trump was convinced by his team to deliver an address to the nation, but he would not stick to the script. I dont want to say the elections over, Trump said during outtakes of a video address shown by the committee. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, can be heard off camera, encouraging him to try again. Chairman Bennie Thompson has said the committee will continue its work, with more hearings in September, as it prepares its reports. January 6th was the culmination of an attempted coup, said Thompson, D-Miss. The violence was no accident. It represents seeing Trumps last stand, most desperate chance to halt the transfer of power. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. BATON ROUGE (AP) Incumbents for all six of Louisianas congressional districts and a U.S. Senate seat qualified this week for the Nov. 8 election, although they also drew at least 28 challengers. While the incumbents have entered as favorites, one race that has gained attention and candidates is the U.S. Senate race. Twelve challengers are hoping to unseat first-term Sen. John Kennedy, who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. As candidates submitted their political filings this week, the Republican appeared undeterred, stating that he expects to raise up to $40 million during his campaign. Were going to run a very aggressive campaign and weve worked hard to raise the resources to do that, Kennedy said at the Louisiana Secretary of States office Wednesday. Leading Democratic challengers in the Senate race former Navy fighter pilot Luke Mixon and activist Gary Chambers Jr. will face a major uphill battle to unseat Kennedy. He already has nearly $16 million in campaign cash on hand and is running in a state that reliably sends Republicans to the Senate. I dont need $40 million to beat John Kennedy; just a couple of million, said Chambers, who has $137,986 cash on hand as of the most recent reporting period. Chambers is a political newcomer who drew national attention earlier this year for an online video ad that shows him smoking marijuana while decrying racial disparities in drug arrests. He said that while he is neither the favorite for Democrats or Republicans, he will be the peoples favorite. The other party front-runner, Mixon, is a moderate Democrat who recently received Gov. John Bel Edwards endorsement. Mixon, who has $584,252 cash on hand, has repeatedly attacked Kennedy for being among the Republicans who refused to certify the Electoral College election results in which President Joe Biden defeated former President Trump. Candidates for Louisianas six congressional races also qualified this week. Republican U.S. Reps. Clay Higgins, Garret Graves, Julia Letlow and Steve Scalise all qualified. Congressman Troy Carter, Louisianas only Democratic member of Congress who represents New Orleans and part of Baton Rouge, also qualified. Additionally, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, was reelected to Congress without opposition after no other candidate signed up before qualifying closed Friday. I am truly grateful for the honor of serving the wonderful people of the 4th Congressional District, and humbled to now be given a 4th term to do so, Johnson tweeted. We have so much important work still to do, and I know in my heart that Americas best days are ahead of us, and not behind us. While the states incumbent members of the U.S. House are front runners, the race in the 3rd Congressional District gained some buzz. Seven challengers including three Republicans - among them is Holden Hoggat, Lafayette prosecutor and cattleman - have qualified and hope to unseat Rep. Higgins. Higgins has been easily reelected twice. Additionally, on Tuesday the Louisiana Republican Party issued a unanimous executive committee endorsement of Higgins, calling him a strong conservative and outspoken voice for Louisianans. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) An Oklahoma man claiming to be a film financier has been sentenced in Florida to nearly 22 years in federal prison for participating in a scheme to steal more than $60 million from investors and producers seeking financing for movies and Broadway shows. Jason Van Eman, 44, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was sentenced Thursday in Fort Lauderdale federal court, according to court records. A jury found him guilty in May of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. Two days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the monkeypox vaccine supply falls far short of demand and short of the levels that experts say will be needed to control the outbreak, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launched a website to educate residents about the virus. The site, Michigan.gov/mpv, provides information about the signs and symptoms of monkeypox and how to get help, the number of cases in the state by county and information for health care providers about testing and coordinating with local health departments, MDHHS explained in a press release on Wednesday. The state's case count information will be updated regularly on the website, according to MDHHS in the release. The United States has reported more than 2,000 cases so far, with hundreds more added every day. "MDHHS is working closely with our federal partners, local health departments and health care providers across the state in response to this outbreak," said Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive, in the release. "MPV is a viral illness that spreads primarily through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, bodily fluids or prolonged face-to-face contact. It is important to remember that the risk to the general public is low. However, Michiganders with concerns about MPV should see their provider to be evaluated for testing." Monkeypox does not spread easily among human populations and the vaccine is at least 85% effective against the virus, according to studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said the U.S. has two licensed vaccines to prevent monkeypox infections: JYNNEOS (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex) and ACAM2000. In the U.S. there is currently a limited supply of JYNNEOS, although more vaccines are expected in the coming weeks and months. There is an ample supply of ACAM2000. But, this vaccine should not be used in people who have some health conditions, including a weakened immune system, skin conditions like atopic dermatitis/eczema or pregnancy, according to the CDC. JYNNEOS is available now for people at high risk of exposure: those who have been identified as close contacts of someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox, those who have had sex with a partner diagnosed with monkeypox within the past 14 days and those who have had multiple sex partners in the past 14 days in an area with monkeypox spread, according to the CDC. Decisions about how to allocate the limited vaccine supply are based equally on the number of cases and the population at risk in a specific area. As more vaccines become available, the CDC will continue to evaluate the distribution strategy, a spokesperson for the agency told CNN. States are receiving vaccine allocations from the Strategic National Stock by the number of monkeypox cases and the size of the underlying at-risk population, according to MDHHS in the release. Michigan has received a limited supply of JYNNEOS. Additional limited allocations will follow in the next few months, but specific quantities and timelines are not yet known. "Healthcare providers should be alert to any rash that has features typical of monkeypox," Dr. Inger Damon, director of CDC's Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology said in a statement. "We're asking the public to contact their healthcare provider if they have a new rash and are concerned about monkeypox." Monkeypox is a rare but potentially severe viral illness that typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a widespread rash on the face and body. People experiencing symptoms should contact a health care provider for evaluation, according to MDHHS in the release. While many of those affected in the current global outbreaks are men who have sex with men, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness. Monkeypox reemerged in Nigeria in 2017 after more than 40 years with no reported cases. Since then, there have been more than 15,000 reported cases worldwide. While the U.S., Britain, Canada and other countries have bought millions of vaccines, none have gone to Africa, where a more severe version of monkeypox has already killed more than 70 people. Rich countries haven't yet reported any monkeypox deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Additionally, the World Health Organization's emergency committee convened Thursday to consider for the second time within weeks whether to declare monkeypox a global crisis. "I remain concerned about the number of cases, in an increasing number of countries, that have been reported," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the emergency committee as its meeting got underway. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/mpv or CDC.gov/monkeypox. EDWARDSVILLE A Missouri man faces auto theft and drug charges relating to a May 27 incident in Madison County. Aaron D. Edwards, 34, of Florissant, Missouri, was charged July 21 with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony; unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony; and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on May 27 Edwards allegedly had a reported stolen 2020 Ford CMX sedan and less than five grams of methamphetamine. He also allegedly resisted a troopers attempts to place him under arrest. Bail was set at $50,000. Other felony charges filed July 21 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include: David L. Barkley III, 32, of Collinsville; and Matyas K. Williams, 22, of Granite City, were each charged with burglary, a Class 2 felony. The cases were presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on July 20 the two allegedly entered a building in Granite City, to commit theft. Bail was set at $25,000 each. Aaron M. Waskom, 36, of Granite City, was charged with forgery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on April 12 Waskom allegedly tried to pass a bad check for $1,600 at Scott Credit Union Collinsville. Bail was set at $25,000. WASHINGTON -- Hualapai Chairman Damon Clarke told a Senate committee Wednesday that getting access to Colorado River water is the only feasible solution for his tribe, whose wells are failing under the stress of the continuing drought. The Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022 would give the tribe water rights to the Colorado, Verde and Bill Williams rivers and fund construction of water infrastructure that would deliver about 4,000 acre-feet of water a year to the tribe. Besides delivering water to the roughly 1,600 Hualapai on the reservation, the project would serve Grand Canyon West and its Skywalk, tribe-owned tourist attractions that Clarke said are major employers of tribal members. The Colorado River is the only feasible solution to these problems and the only water supply that can satisfy the longer term needs of our population, Clarke said in testimony to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The lack of a secure water supply is a major obstacle we still face. The Hualapai reservation encompasses around 1 million acres along 108 miles of the Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River serving as the northern boundary. But previous agreements have not allowed water to be drawn from the Colorado for the tribe, which relied on wells for its water. But a two-decade drought, believed to be the most severe in the Southwest in 1,200 years, has sent water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell to historic lows and has dried up the wells and stressed nearby aquifers the Hualapai relied on. Three years ago, those wells suddenly failed because of the drought, Clarke said. The Hualapai have been working for decades to expand their water rights, efforts that were often opposed by the Interior Department. But Jason Freihage, Interiors deputy assistant secretary for management, told the committee Wednesday that the department is pleased to support the latest bill, which brought a fleeting smile to Clarkes face. Besides expanding access, the bill would also create a $180 million Hualapai Water Trust Fund Account and a $5 million Hualapai Water Settlement Implementation Fund Account that would be used for construction, operations and environmental compliance costs for a water pipeline. The bill was sponsored by Arizona Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly. Sinema told the hearing the bill provides long-term stability to the Hualapai tribes water needs in northern Arizona, which is especially important as Arizona and the Southwest face historic drought conditions. An identical House bill was sponsored by Rep. Tom OHalleran, D-Sedona, and co-sponsored by Arizona Reps. Greg Stanton, D-Phoenix; Paul Gosar, R-Prescott; Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix; and Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Tucson. It got a hearing May 12 before the House Natural Resources Committee, but no further action has been taken. In a statement after the bill was introduced, OHalleran said it takes into account tribal sovereignty, the protection of our most precious natural resource, and the growing communities of Peach Springs and Grand Canyon West. Besides less-crowded views of the Grand Canyon, the Hualapai owned and operated Grand Canyon West includes the Skywalk, a glass-bottomed walkway that extends 70 feet into the the canyon, with the canyon floor 4,000 feet below. But water shortages have affected the tribes ability to keep these tourism services up and running. The collapse of these wells have forced us to limit our operations at Grand Canyon West, threatening our tribal economy and the main source of employment for our members, Clarke told the committee. To keep operations running, the tribe has had to pump water from an aquifer and haul it 15 miles by truck on a gravel road to get to Grand Canyon West, Clarke said. It is the only way we can continue our remaining operations at Grand Canyon West. The Hualapai will help in any way we can to secure enactment of this critical legislation, said Clarke, who called the bill absolutely essential if our tribe is to attain a secure future on our reservation, to accommodate future growth of our population and to realize the full economic potential of our reservation. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) A southeastern Montana tribe has filed a federal lawsuit against the Interior Department and its Bureau of Indian Affairs, saying the U.S. is not complying with its treaty obligation to provide adequate law enforcement services on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Billings argues the federal government does not provide enough federal law enforcement officers, drug investigators, missing persons investigators or jail space even though violent crime has increased on the reservation, The Billings Gazette reported. Public safety on-reservation is severely compromised due to the lack of meaningful BIA law enforcement presence in our communities, Northern Cheyenne Tribe President Serena Wetherelt said in a statement. She added: Officers often respond to 911 calls too late and even when they do show up, they frequently fail to make reports, secure crime scenes, or arrest people who are actively committing crimes." The officers also lack of understanding of tribal and federal law, which leads to suspects not being charged or prosecuted, the lawsuit said. Reports of violent crime on the reservation increased 50% from 2019 to 2020 and does not include crimes that went unreported, the lawsuit said. The Interior Department declined Friday to comment about the lawsuit, spokesperson Tyler Cherry said. The tribal government has asked for help since at least 2018 and on its own hired two former BIA officers and a former BIA corrections officer to create a tribal investigations agency, The tribe is seeking at least $1 million in restitution for the money spent on those officers, the lawsuit said. After several homicides on the reservation in the summer of 2020, some tribal members created a vigilante group with its own phone number so it could respond to crime reports, the lawsuit said. The jail in Lame Deer, home to the tribal headquarters, is a temporary holding facility for intoxicated people taken into custody. All other suspects must be taken to a jail 56 miles (90 kilometers) away in Hardin, which reduces the number of officers on patrol because they have to transport the suspects, the lawsuit said. In many cases, officers instead of arresting criminal suspects drop them off at a homeless shelter, leaving them free to reoffend, the lawsuit said. About 5,000 members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe live on the 694 square mile (1,800 square kilometer) reservation. Federal data showed 17 tribal members were missing in August 2021 the third highest total number of missing people for all U.S. tribes, the lawsuit said. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) A convicted felon from North Carolina was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison for selling firearms without a license and illegal gun possession, according to a federal prosecutor. U.S. Attorney Dena King said in a news release that Anthony Dewayne Daye, 38, of Statesville was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. BOSTON (AP) The founder of a cryptocurrency and virtual payment services company has been convicted by a federal jury of defrauding investors out of $6 million and spending some of the money on antiques, artwork and jewelry. Randall Crater, 51, of East Hampton, New York, was convicted in federal court in Boston on Thursday of wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston said. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ Swedish study on COVID vaccines and DNA misinterpreted CLAIM: A Swedish study shows that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine changes recipients DNA. THE FACTS: The study, conducted by researchers at Lund University in Sweden, tested whether the vaccines mRNA could be converted to DNA, and found that this was the case in certain lab-altered liver cell lines under experimental conditions. It did not assess whether the vaccine alters the human genome, or what the effects of that would be. But social media users are citing the February study to push the unproven theory that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines permanently alter recipients DNA. A clip from March that is being reshared online in recent days shows three doctors, who have spread misinformation about the vaccines in the past, discussing the Swedish study and falsely claiming it demonstrates that the Pfizer vaccine reverse transcribes and installs DNA into the human genome." The genome is the set of instructions to build and sustain a human being. Other social media users commented that the paper proves mRNA COVID-19 vaccines change the recipients DNA. Experts say such interpretations mischaracterize the work and draw inaccurate conclusions. The study authors clarified their research in a Q&A, stating that this study does not investigate whether the Pfizer vaccine alters our genome," adding that there is no reason for anyone to change their decision to take the vaccine based on this study." DNA is the building block of the bodys genetic code. RNA is closely related to DNA, and one type, called messenger RNA, sends instructions to the cell. The mRNA in the COVID-19 vaccines helps train the body to recognize a protein from the coronavirus to trigger an immune response. During the study, which was conducted in a petri dish, the researchers were able to detect DNA that had been converted from the vaccines mRNA in a lab-modified cell that was derived from liver cancer tissue. Some viruses, like HIV, are known to be able to convert RNA to DNA and then incorporate that DNA into host cells genome. Coronaviruses, however, are not expected to do this, said Bethany Moore, chair of the University of Michigans microbiology and immunology department. Still, the Swedish study only demonstrated that RNA had converted to DNA under the conditions created in the lab. The study did not demonstrate that anything further happened with the converted DNA. If such DNA had been incorporated into the genome, the fear is that it could alter cell function or lead to cancer. Where that paper was getting a lot of press was the idea that those pieces of DNA were then getting incorporated into the genome, and theres absolutely no evidence that that happened, Moore said. She also cautioned that the cells used in the study were quite different" than most cells in the body. In order to create these cell lines, the genetic make-up of the cells has to be fiddled with to make them immortal and keep them alive in the petri dish, Dr. David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at Englands University of Exeter Medical School, wrote in an email. These cells have had the normal protections of the immune system removed. Unlike the abnormal cells used in the study, the human bodys protections help stop imported genetic material from being corrupted, Strain said. Because the study design doesn't reflect what happens in most bodies, the experts said the findings cannot be extrapolated to make inferences about human subjects. The study authors similarly pointed out in their Q&A that a limitation is that they dont know if what we observed in this cell line could also happen in cells of other tissue types. Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in New York contributed this report. ___ Mexican president hasnt endorsed in Texas governors race CLAIM: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador endorsed Democratic candidate Beto ORourke for governor of Texas. THE FACTS: Lopez Obrador criticized an executive order issued by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is running for re-election, but he did not endorse Abbotts Democratic opponent. Politicians and social media users falsely claimed Mexicos president made an endorsement in Texas gubernatorial race after Lopez Obradors comments in a news conference were misrepresented. During the July 8 news conference, a journalist asked Lopez Obrador what he thought about Abbotts July 7 executive order, which authorized state law enforcement authorities to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border. Lopez Obrador said Abbott was overstepping the limits of his role and called the executive order immoral and political. The Mexican president also repeated that people should not vote for parties or candidates who mistreat immigrants and Mexicans. While Lopez Obrador did not make any endorsement in his comments, Abbotts campaign falsely claimed that he did, writing in a July 8 statement, Its not surprising that the pro-open border President of Mexico is endorsing Beto ORourke, the pro-open border candidate for Texas Governor. In the weeks since, others have picked up the false claim, including Texas Rep. Chip Roy, who directly addressed the Mexican president during a news conference on July 15. To listen to Mexican president Obrador say hes going to endorse Beto ORourke over my governor, Governor Abbott, because hes daring to secure the border, take steps to secure the border? the Republican lawmaker said. Let me say something to President Obrador. If you want to come have a skirmish with Texas, you can meet us at San Jacinto. Lopez Obrador, who did not respond to an emailed request for comment, has not made any public statements endorsing any candidate in the Texas gubernatorial election. Chris Evans, a spokesperson for ORourke, confirmed that he hadnt received any endorsement from Lopez Obrador. He pushed back on Abbott's claims that O'Rourke was a pro-open border candidate, saying, O'Rourke wants order and security at the border and to create a safe, legal, orderly system of immigration that meets the country's needs. Nate Madden, a spokesperson for Roy, told the AP that Lopez Obradors comments urging people not to vote for parties or candidates who mistreat Mexicans amounted to an endorsement of ORourke because he was clearly telling Mexican Americans to vote against Abbott. Abbotts press team did not respond to a request for comment. Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in Seattle contributed this report. ___ New 988 hotline doesnt currently use geolocation services CLAIM: Using the new 988 mental health hotline will automatically route your geolocation information to local authorities. THE FACTS: The hotline does not currently have the capability to detect the exact location of a caller, nor does it automatically share such information with authorities. The countrys first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline, designed to connect callers with trained mental health counselors, went live on Saturday, the AP reported. But some social media users cautioned against using it, falsely claiming that those who contact the hotline will have their geolocation information shared with authorities automatically." Thats wrong, as a website dedicated to the hotline makes clear, stating: The Lifeline does not currently have the capability to directly trace callers, chat or text users in a way the same way that 911 providers do. Instead, the hotline attempts to use a phone numbers area code to route callers to nearby crisis centers, which may be inaccurate since many people live or are located in places different than the area code associated with their phone number. The hotline website adds that in atypical situations in which emergency services are needed to prevent serious injuries or fatalities but the caller is not able to share their location information, counselors must provide what information they have to 911 operators, such as the caller's phone number or the chat users IP address. FCC spokesperson Katie Gorscak confirmed in an email to the AP that geolocation services are not currently enabled for 988. The agency did hold a forum in May to explore incorporating geolocation capabilities. The purpose of the lifeline is to connect those in need of help with professionals who can assist directly by phone, said Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Were actually reducing the need for an in-person response, she said. But Wesolowski said that incorporating geolocation technology would make it easier to accurately route calls to local assistance centers that can provide community resources. It would also be valuable in rare cases where dispatching emergency services is warranted, she said. Unlike 988, calls to 911 are paired with geolocation information, said Brandon Abley, director of technology at the National Emergency Number Association, a 911-focused nonprofit group. If a 988 counselor finds there may be an imminent risk, that call could be transferred to 911, Abley said, but even then, geolocation information would not be available if the caller did not directly dial 911. Instead, in an event where an imminent risk is present and the 988 caller will not disclose an address, a 911 center could process an exigent circumstances request, which involves approvals and contacting a cell phone company to help locate the individual, Abley said. That requires serious justification, he added, noting that the process of locating someone could result in a delayed response. Still, some have raised privacy and legal concerns around the prospect of pairing all 988 calls with geolocation information. Precise geolocation information is not needed for the vast majority of calls, and it is unclear to whom and under what circumstances this location data would be accessible, if and when the FCC does require its collection, Chris Frascella, a law fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, wrote in an email. Wesolowski said that geolocation data can help to save lives, but also added that its important to protect callers privacy and to not allow it to be used to unnecessarily dispatch law enforcement to people in crisis. Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed this report. ___ Graphic does not show 2019 election fraud in Kentucky CLAIM: A 2019 clip of CNN election coverage shows a Republican gubernatorial candidates vote tally drop while his Democratic opponents total rises amid the ongoing count, which is evidence of fraud. THE FACTS: In the clip, a CNN graphic does briefly display a drop in the Republican candidates total, but it was caused by an error that was corrected minutes later, according to a representative of the data firm that provided the numbers. A clip of Anderson Cooper 360 recorded by someone watching the program on their television has circulated on Facebook in recent days. The clip shows incoming vote results from the Nov. 5, 2019, Kentucky gubernatorial race, with Democratic candidate and eventual winner Andy Beshear ahead of Republican incumbent Matt Bevin. When the vote tally numbers update, Bevins total appears to decrease, even as ballots are still being counted in the race. At the exact same second that Andy Beshear has gone up 560 votes, Matt Bevin has gone down 560 votes, the person watching says. This is vote-switching in the computer. But votes for Bevin were not transferred to Beshear. The CNN graphic contains a typo, according to Rob Farbman, executive vice president of Edison Research, which provided the vote data to CNN. Farbman told the AP in an email that a reporter for Edison in Kentuckys Henderson County accidentally read the vote totals backward, attributing Beshears 6,863 votes to Bevin and Bevins 6,303 votes to Beshear. That gave Bevin an illusory boost of 560 votes. This vote change was due to a typo in one county (Henderson) that was caught and corrected within 3 minutes on Election Night, he said. We saw the discrepancy of this vote with the Kentucky state feed data and verified that the numbers had been read to our input center backwards." The correct vote tallies for Henderson County are corroborated by the countys certified election results. Farbman said that Edisons data would have automatically updated CNNs on-screen graphics. The race between Beshear, then the states attorney general, and Bevin was close. With 100% of precincts reporting on election night, Beshear led by a margin of less than 0.4 percentage points, the AP reported. Bevin conceded the next week. The vote discrepancy shown in the video has repeatedly spurred false rumors in the years since the election. Reached for comment, a CNN spokesperson referred the AP to other articles about the misleading clip. Associated Press writer Graph Massara in San Francisco contributed this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck ___ Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck BRANSON, Mo. (AP) An employee of Silver Dollar City near Branson has died from head injuries while working at the park, federal officials said. The employee was hospitalized Wednesday with head injuries allegedly sustained during maintenance and testing of a rollercoaster, said Rhonda Burke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Labor. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ISLAMABAD (AP) Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khans party was sidelined in a key vote Friday in the local assembly in Punjab province, despite winning a byelection there earlier this week. Khan slammed the development and called on his supporters to rally across Pakistan. The vote was held to determine whether the provinces sitting chief minister Hamza Sharif, the son of the country's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif enjoyed the backing of the majority of lawmakers in the local parliament. In the end, Hamza Sharif retained his post in another blow to Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and its allies had hoped to form the new provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province. Last Sunday, the bloc won 15 out of 20 seats that were up for grabs in the 371-member provincial assembly. In Friday's vote, Khans candidate for chief minister, Pervez Elahi, initially won 186 votes but the provincial assemblys deputy speaker, Dost Mohammad Mazari, invalidated 10 of those votes over violations of voting regulations. In a statement broadcast on national television, Mazari announced that 10 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League headed by Shujaat Hussain, a Khan ally, had violated regulations by voting contrary to demands from their leader, Hussain, who had allegedly asked they abstain from voting. Under Pakistani law, votes are disqualified if lawmakers vote contrary to their party's instructions. Hussain could not immediately be reached for comment. In the end, Hamza Shahbaz won 179 votes Friday, retaining his post. Khan claimed his opponents had resorted to political machinations in Punjab and called on his countrymen to rally against Mazari's ruling. By Friday night, protesters had started taking to the streets in major cities across Pakistan but the rallies remained peaceful. Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, a move he claimed was a U.S. conspiracy a charge that both his successor and Washington deny. Khan wants the new prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, to call early parliamentary elections to determine which one of them is more popular in Pakistan. Sharif has refused to accept the challenge, saying the next elections will be held on time, in 2023. HOUSTON (AP) A man who has been serving a 25-year prison sentence based mostly on testimony from an ex-Houston police officer whose cases are being reviewed following a 2019 deadly drug raid should have his conviction overturned, a judge said Thursday. Frederick Jeffery was convicted in April 2018 for possessing methamphetamine based mostly on evidence and testimony from former Houston officer Gerald Goines, according to prosecutors. Goines has been charged with murder and is facing other counts in state and federal court in connection with a deadly raid that he led in January 2019 in which Dennis Tuttle, 59, and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas, 58, were killed. The families of Tuttle and Nicholas filed federal civil rights lawsuits against the city and 13 officers. Prosecutors allege Goines lied to obtain the warrant to search the couples home by claiming a confidential informant had bought heroin there. Goines later said there was no informant and that he bought the drugs himself, they allege. Police found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in the house, but no heroin. In Jefferys case, prosecutors allege Goines also lied to obtain a search warrant that allowed officers to go into a home where Jeffery was arrested. A confidential informant later told investigators she never bought cocaine at one of the homes tied to the search warrant in Jefferys case and that she and Goines had started doing things the wrong way several years earlier and she would get paid for some drug buys she never made, according to court documents. Prosecutors also allege Goines testified at trial that he was told by Jeffery that he had a phone inside the home and when Goines went to retrieve it, he found drugs next to the phone. Authorities allege Goines lied about having this conversation with Jeffery regarding the phone. I think what all this shows is he and others were really engaged in a pattern of fictitious buys, perjured warrants and straight up graft, said Josh Reiss, chief of the Post-Conviction Writs Division of the Harris County District Attorneys office. Prosecutors said Thursday Jefferys case was the fifth one related to Goines work they have recommended that the conviction be overturned. Associate Judge Stacy Allen agreed with prosecutors and following a court hearing on Thursday, she signed an order saying that Jeffery should have his conviction overturned. The order was forwarded to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which will make the final decision. Confidence in the criminal justice system cannot tolerate such behavior, Allen said in her 19-page order. In a March letter to the judge in his case, Jeffery wrote that he was fighting for my freedom for a crime I didn't commit." Patrick McCann, Jefferys attorney, said he was overjoyed by the judges order as his client was in custody for far too long because of false testimony against him. McCann said he was working to have Jeffery, who had been transferred from state prison to the Harris County Jail in Houston for Thursdays court hearing, freed on bond while the appeals court issues its ruling. I hope its an example of the system working correctly and catching a bad case and turning it around, McCann said. Nicole DeBorde, Goines attorney, criticized the district attorneys office, saying they are interested only manipulating potential jurors in Mr. Goines upcoming trial. There is NO evidence beyond wishful thinking and conjecture that there was anything wrong with the conviction the DAs office is issuing press releases about, DeBorde said in an email. In a January affidavit, Goines declined to answer questions about Jefferys case, asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. A dozen officers tied to the narcotics squad were indicted following the 2019 deadly raid. Most of the officers face charges related to the alleged overtime scheme, allegations of falsifying documentation about drug payments to confidential informants or for allegedly lying on police reports. After the raid, prosecutors sent out 1,405 letters to individuals whose convictions were tied in some way to Goines. Prosecutors have dismissed approximately 150 drug cases connected to Goines, Reiss said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 EDWARDSVILLE Heated disputes on multiple issues were heard at Wednesdays Madison County Board meeting as members voted down several items supported by Chairman Kurt Prenzler. The board also reaffirmed its action several weeks ago stripping Prenzler of many of his powers and sent a proposed referendum on Property Tax Extension Limitation Law to a newly-created subcommittee, meaning it will probably not appear on the ballot until at least the spring election. Several members of the public spoke on the referendum and the boards action on Prenzler. The debates were often contentious, with much of it by Prenzler, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine and Madison County Board Member Mick Madison, R-Bethalto. Prenzler forced a vote to override his decision to bring the referendum to the county board. At an Executive Committee meeting before the regular board meeting, members approved creating a special subcommittee to work with Madison County Administrator Dave Tanzyus to find an outside entity to examine the property tax proposal and how it would affect the county. The analysis would be brought to the full board. But while the work theoretically could be completed in time for the Nov. 8 ballot, it most likely would move any referendum vote to the spring. PTELL caps the total dollar amount certain property taxes may increase from year to year, based on the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, whichever is lower. Larger increases can be made with voter approval. Supporters, such as Prenzler who for several years has pushed for a referendum, say it will keep local governments from rising property taxes. Opponents say it initially could cause dramatic property tax increases if taxing bodies maximize their tax levies before the limits take effect. Some have said it could cripple entities such as fire districts which rely almost entirely on property tax revenue. At Wednesday's board meeting, Prenzler insisted the referendum be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot. Haine argued that, because the executive committee did not vote it up or down the referendum could not come for a vote. Prenzler, ironically, cited previous advice by former Madison Colunty States Attorney Tom Gibbons on the referendum. Madison said the could have been brought to the county board months ago but Prenzler wanted a surprise vote to make himself look good and the county board look bad. The board voted 21-4 to override Prenzlers a PTELL initiative; voting no were Judy Kuhn, R-Trenton; Bobby Ross, R-St. Jacob; Dalton Gray, R-Troy; and Mike Babcock, R-Bethalto. Members Chris Guy, R-Maryville; Erica Conway-Harris, R-Glen Carbon; and Ryan Kneedler, who had left the meeting earlier; were absent. The board then voted 24-1 to refer the issue to the subcommittee, with Kuhn the sole no vote. Mike Walters, R-Godfrey, said he would prefer the referendum be on the spring ballot, when school board members would be elected. Those andidates would have to discuss their opinions of PTELL, he said. Schools make up the bulk of property taxes collected. The b oard also revisited its July 6 decision to limit many of Prenzler's powers as chairman. Prenzler on Wednesday asked for a reconsideration of the ordinance, in effect his veto. Haine said he had been given notice of Prenzlers veto earlier that day. Prenzler cited five rulings that made the original ordinance out of order. Haine had suggested a single vote on all five rulings, but Prenzler insisted each one be voted on separately. He noted an article by the Edgar County Watchdogs, an Illinois government oversight group, and questioned the county boards ability to appoint or remove a vice chairman or chairman pro tem. Haine said state law either had nothing to say on the issues or Prenzler was citing an incorrect section of state statutes. Madison said the objections were setting us up for a lawsuit. The first objection was overruled 22-4, with Kuhn, Meyer, Gray and Ryan Kneedler, R-Collisnville voting no. The final objections was overruled by a 22-3 vote after Kneedler left because of family obligations. The board then voted 21-4 to reaffirm the July 6 vote. Opposed were Meyer, Kuhn, Gray and Liz Dalton, D-Collinsville. NEW YORK (AP) R. Kellys manager was convicted Friday of making a phone threat that gunfire was about to occur at a crowded Manhattan theater preparing to show a documentary about the singers sexual abuse of women and girls. The jury convicted Donnell Russell of threatening physical harm through interstate communication, but it exonerated him on a conspiracy count. Sentencing was set for Nov. 21. Russell and his attorney declined comment as they left the courthouse. The December 2018 documentary premiere had a live panel discussion that was to include several women featured in the documentary. The phone threat of someone with a gun prompted an emergency call to police, who ordered an evacuation that forced the premier to be cancelled. In closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz told jurors that evidence of Russell's guilt was overwhelming. She said phone records proved that a call to the small theater came from Russells Chicago home after hed spent the day trying to stop Lifetimes Surviving R. Kelly series from being shown. The effort included nine calls to the theater and a threat to sue, the prosecutor said. She said Russell notified a co-conspirator in the movie theater with a text that the police may be coming to the venue shortly and later asked her to delete the text, although she never did. The jury rejected the conspiracy charge, saying in a note to Judge Paul G. Gardephe shortly before the verdict was announced that some jurors did not believe there was proof that the alleged co-conspirator was aware of Russell's plan to threaten violence. Pomerantz said Russell was motivated by a desire to keep income flowing from the lucrative career of Kelly, a Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling songwriter. Kelly, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison last month, was convicted last year of racketeering and sex trafficking. Defense attorney Michael Freeman argued in his closing that there was not enough evidence to prove guilt. He went and called in a threat to make money from R. Kelly? Where's the evidence of that? Freeman asked. Where's the evidence? Where's the proof? He predicted prosecutors would continue to mention Kelly's name in their arguments. The case isn't about R. Kelly, he said. In its closing argument, the government played a recording of the call to police made by Adrian Krasniqi, who worked at the 25th Street venue. Krasniqi testified during the one-week trial that a deep-voiced man who sounded like a thug warned that someone had a gun and they were going to shoot up the place. Krasniqi said he received the threatening call less than an hour after a man claiming to be part of Kellys legal team called and said the documentary was violating Kellys copyright to his name and should not be shown. Prosecutors said that call also was made by Russell. A popular fishing spot in Flagstaff saw a significant die-off of fish early this week due to downstream effects of rain falling on the Pipeline Fire scar. The Frances Short Pond, a man-made pond on the Rio de Flag that is stocked and monitored by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), is estimated to have lost a majority of its fish due to the event. While AZGFD continues to monitor conditions in the pond, it likely will not be restocked with fish until spring 2023. While die-offs like the one this week are not uncommon at Frances Short Pond, the latest was clearly precipitated by runoff from the Pipeline Fire scar, said Matt Rinker, AZGFD aquatic specialist for the region. Ultimately, the cause for fish mortality is declining oxygen levels in the pond, a condition exacerbated by ash and debris from the Pipeline Fire scar making its way through the Rio De Flag water system. Debris of this nature affects aquatic ecosystems in two ways, Rinker explained. The first is by simply muddying the waters and making it more difficult for light to shine through. The aquatic plants in the pond would normally have light penetrating through the water column, and allowing them to go through their natural processes and create oxygen, Rinker said. When the waters really dirty, they can't do that. The second effect has to do with the fact that fire ash and debris is devoid of oxygen to begin with. So you're reducing oxygen by the sediment, ash and debris coming in as well, Rinker said. It was a double-edged sword there. Even without the added impacts of debris from the Pipeline Fire scar, this time of year is usually characterized by water quality issues, Rinker said. During the monsoon season, we get a lot of quasi-cloudy days that hide the sun from those plants and dont allow them to photosynthesize as well as they would normally, he said. So that can reduce the oxygen and our water temperatures are elevated -- which is also stressful to fish. Then also our pH levels are varying greatly. Oftentimes, they're high. All of that adds stress to the fish. These stressful conditions add up to a time of year where fish dont always make it. This is a known pattern among AZGFD, and the reason behind the solar-powered aerators that help retain oxygen levels in Frances Short Pond. But even with these aerators, conditions in the pond dont always stay compatible with aquatic life. With the added stressor of debris from the Pipeline Fire scar, a die-off in the pond was expected, Rinker said. We had monitored water quality on Monday right before the fish kill happened, he said. We knew it was going to happen. We contacted the City of Flagstaff and coordinated delivery of a mobile dumpster, and went out the next morning and started cleaning up the fish kill. Las year, a similar die-off attracted volunteers from across the Flagstaff community to help with the cleanup. This time, that wasnt necessary. The city was great to work with, Rinker said. And at least we're not leaving behind a stinky mess. While the total extent of the die-off is unclear, Rinker expects a majority of fish did not survive the lower oxygen levels. Id be surprised if there were many fish left swimming around, he said. Of all the species in the pond, he added that the catfish are most likely to have survived. There are also potential impacts for wildlife that have grown accustomed to the presence of fish in the pond. Osprey and eagles are present at places like Frances Short Pond because we put fish there, Rinker said. It's hard to say specifically what the fate of those other water obligate species or fish obligate species will be. But its not ideal, for sure. When it comes to restocking fish into the pond, It all depends on how quickly it recovers, he said. Conditions have to be suitable for fish to survive. An exact timeline is difficult to pin down, but Rinker thinks its reasonable to expect that restocking wont occur until spring of 2023. For Joseph Regan, a Flagstaff fisherman who has been casting his line at Frances Short Pond for 15 years, restocking the pond is not an immediate concern. He said he comes out to fish at the pond at least once a week, and fish or no fish, hes content to get what he gets. I usually just catch and release, but it's just fun to come out and get away from everything and get away from everybody, he said. Regan was surprised to learn that the Pipeline Fire could have such an impact on the pond, but this was not the first time hes seen fish die at Frances Short Pond. Almost every year here, when the monsoons come, they bring in all of the stuff off the roads, the salts and all that stuff, he said. So there's always some that die. And usually it's the trout, the sun fish, blue gills and stuff like that. Usually the bass and catfish are all right. BRANDON, Miss. (AP) A park by a central Mississippi reservoir will be named for a longtime outdoors writer who promoted events there after he retired from journalism. The governing board for the Ross Barnett Reservoir has voted unanimously that Lakeshore Park will become the Bobby Cleveland Park at Lakeshore, the Clarion Ledger reported. He was a very devoted champion of the reservoir," general manager John Sigman said of Cleveland. The park is in Rankin County, a few miles northwest of Jackson. Cleveland, 67, died after a traffic accident April 28 as he was leaving the park. His memorial service was held there days later. The Hattiesburg native was well known in Mississippi for his decades as the outdoors writer for the Clarion Ledger. Cleveland lived near the reservoir and fished in it often. After he left the newspaper in 2012, be became the spokesman for the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, the state agency that manages the reservoir. Sigman said the request to rename the park was presented by the Barnett Reservoir Foundation, an organization for which Cleveland had been secretary. Foundation member Susan Brashear said she isnt sure when a sign will be placed at the park with Clevelands name on it. She said part of the cost will be paid by an anonymous donor. Cleveland's wife, Pam, said her husband liked to schedule concerts and other events at Lakeshore Park so people could watch the sunset over the reservoir. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota has renewed its request to throw out a federal lawsuit brought by two Native American tribes that allege the states new legislative map dilutes tribal members voting strength. The state said in court papers filed Thursday that it denies allegations by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the Spirit Lake Tribe. BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) A 42-year-old Nevada man pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Burlington for his role in helping arrange the kidnapping and murder of a Vermont man stemming from a financial dispute. Aron Lee Ethridge is one of four men who have been charged in the kidnapping of Gregory Davis from his Danville home Jan. 6, 2018. Davis was found shot to death in a snowbank the next day. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors and Ethridge's defense attorney agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 27 years or less. The actual sentence, scheduled for December, will be up to the judge. Ethridge could be sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors say Ethridge arranged for Jerry Banks, 34, of Fort Garland, Colorado, to kidnap and then kill Davis. Banks allegedly called Ethridge the day after the kidnapping to inform him that Davis had been successfully kidnapped and killed. Banks has only been charged with kidnapping, but prosecutors allege he killed Davis. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held pending trial. In court Friday, Ethridge, dressed in a black and white prison jumpsuit, pleaded to two charges in the death of Davis, that he arranged for Banks to travel to Vermont to kill Davis and that he conspired with others to arrange for the killing of Davis. During the 40-minute hearing, Ethridge answered a series of questions from U.S. District Court Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford by saying yes, sir or no, sir. When asked for his plea to the two charges against him, Ethridge answered guilty. Prosecutors allege that Ethridge served as a middleman between Banks, Berk Eratay, 35, of Las Vegas, and Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles, who were arrested in May on charges of conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of the murder-for-hire that resulted in the death of Davis. Prosecutors say 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 multimillion-dollar oil deal that Gumrukcu and his brother had entered into with Davis in 2015. Eratay and Gumrukcu are both in custody pending their transfer to Vermont, where they will answer the charges after they arrive. It's unclear when they will arrive in Vermont. Gumrukcu's Vermont attorney, David Kirby, was in court Friday. He declined to answer questions about the case. Eratay paid Ethridge more than $110,000, some of which was paid to Banks. After Davis' death, Eratay allegedly provided Ethridge with an additional payment in bitcoin. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is probing why police officers in the town of Oakland kicked down the door of a 25-year-old Black man and violently arrested him on accusations of speeding and running a stop sign. Outrage about the arrest began to spread as video posted on social media showed officers chasing Brandon Calloway through the home, attempting to stun him, and beating him bloody before dragging him away. According to a police affidavit, Calloway failed to stop at a stop sign on Saturday at about 7:30 p.m. He was then clocked driving 32 mph in a 20 mph (51 kph in a 32 kph) zone before an officer attempted a traffic stop. Calloway refused to pull over and continued driving until he reached a house, where he pulled into the driveway and ran inside. The affidavit says that later Calloway and others were outside speaking with the first officer when a second officer arrived. The officers said they needed to detain Calloway, and he ran back inside the house. The officers kicked down the front door and followed Calloway upstairs, accordingto the affidavit. It said he ran into a room and locked the door. Officers then kicked down that door, used a stun gun on him and began to hit him with a baton, it added. The incident happened in Oakland, Tennessee, a small town about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Memphis. Calloway is charged with evading arrest, resisting a stop, disorderly conduct and speeding. The family has retained an attorney and referred all requests for comment to him. The attorney, Andre Wharton, did not immediately return messages left with him on Friday. Wharton told WREG-TV in Memphis that the beating left Calloway with stitches in his head and limited visibility. He said the family wants the officers responsible to be held accountable. Brandon was assaulted in a brutal fashion. I describe it as animalistic, he told the station. The pictures are horrific. Hes fortunate to be here to stand up and express through his presence here he wants to see some accountability, Calloway's sister, Raven Calloway, posted to Facebook that her brother is a 25-year-old graduate of the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. She wrote that he is a young black man with a positive mindset, thats just trying to make a great life for himself! My family and I are just thankful hes still alive, she wrote. Keith Taylor, an adjunct assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and former New York City Police assistant commissioner, said there's not enough public information to know yet whether the officers should have acted differently. Ultimately, if police don't arrest someone who requires arrest, they're going to be seen as not doing their job," Taylor said. In situations that don't require an arrest, that can be deescalated, that is what police should be doing. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee is abandoning plans for a major change to its Medicaid program's pharmacy benefits after federal health officials raised concerns. TennCare, Tennessees Medicaid program, said it will abandon a proposal to impose limits on some prescription drugs following pressure from the federal government. The state last year received approval from former President Donald Trumps administration for a TennCare overhaul that included the change. Officials argued the overhaul could produce flexibility and savings that would then fuel additional health coverage offerings, including prescription drug limits aimed at rising costs. But advocacy groups expressed concerns the change would limit low-income patients to one drug per therapeutic class and thereby hamper access to some medications. Advocacy groups also argued the prescription drug limitations, known as a closed formulary, would have violated an agreement under a Medicaid rebate law. Last month, the Biden administration asked the state to drop the idea and further change TennCare's block grant plan. The block grant plan has drawn concerns from various medical and patient groups about how it could impact care for the state's most vulnerable patients. The backlash over the block grant sparked questions about whether President Joe Biden would outright spike the program, which received federal approval just before former Trump left office. TennCare said it also plans to implement federal agency recommendations including clarifications to show nothing in the plan authorizes the state to reduce coverage or benefits" and to show the state will use savings to expand coverage. Stephen Smith, TennCares director, said in a statement that the agency was encouraged by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continued support and that the process of refining the policy is an important step in solidifying the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care to our members. The process is open to public comment until Aug. 19. The changes drew positive reviews from some advocacy groups. Jeff Strand, coordinator of government and external affairs with the Tennessee Disability Coalition, said it was encouraging to see TennCare respond to the concerns from federal officials and the public. Gordon Bonnyman, staff attorney at the Tennessee Justice Center, called the changes a step in the right direction" but said concerns remain, including the lack of retroactive coverage for many Tennesseans who may become eligible because of an accident or illness. Under TennCare's waiver, Bonnyman said retroactive coverage has become available for pregnant women and people under 21 years old. He said it should be extended to all TennCare adults. Tennessee lawmakers passed a resolution in 2019 calling for the submission of a block grant plan for federal consideration. They argued the existing system gave states little incentive to control expenses because no state pays more than half the total cost. Democrats and health advocates have expressed concern that spending caps might cause states to purge their rolls or reduce services, which Republican Gov. Bill Lee's administration officials have said they won't do. Democrats and advocates instead want to expand Medicaid eligibility, which Tennessees Republican leaders have declined to do under former President Barack Obamas health care law. TennCare officials have dangled the possibility of expanded eligibility under the block grant, but haven't guaranteed they'll pursue it. Lee declared in January 2021 that Tennessee had become the first state in the nation federally approved to receive funding in a lump sum for its Medicaid program through a block grant program. The Tennessee Justice Center sued in federal court, seeking a halt to the block grant push. Biden has so far declined to halt the initiative, instead opening it it back up for additional public comments last summer. The move resulted in a pause in the lawsuit. The federal agency then sent the state its list of concerns about the block grant specifics last month. The agency said it is evaluating a range of actions while asking the state to make changes. TennCare has noted hundreds of millions of dollars in new recent coverages, from extending post-partum coverage from 60 days to a year, to a new adult dental coverage. MOSCOW (AP) The foreign minister of Moldova's separatist Transnistria region said Friday that it is committed to achieving independence and possible unification with Russia, and that Moldova's becoming a candidate for European Union membership effectively ends any possibility of cooperation. Transnistria, a sliver of land lying between Ukraine and the rest of Moldova, has hosted a contingent of Russian peacekeeping forces since the 1992 end of a separatist war. Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February, speculation has risen that Russia would aim to take control of the territory. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) Two children have been diagnosed with monkeypox in the U.S., health officials said Friday. One is a toddler in California and the other an infant who is not a U.S. resident but was tested while in Washington, D.C., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The children were described as being in good health and receiving treatment. How they caught the disease is being investigated, but officials think it was through household transmission. Other details weren't immediately disclosed. Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, but this year more than 15,000 cases have been reported in countries that historically dont see the disease. In the U.S. and Europe, the vast majority of infections have happened in men who have sex with men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus. In addition to the two pediatric cases, health officials said they were aware of at least eight women among the more than 2,800 U.S. cases reported so far. While the virus has mostly been spreading among men who have sex with men, I dont think its surprising that we are occasionally going to see cases outside that social network, the CDC's Jennifer McQuiston told reporters Friday. Officials have said the virus can spread through close personal contact, and via towels and bedding. That means it can happen in homes, likely through prolonged or intensive contact, said Dr. James Lawler, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. People don't crawl on each other's beds unless they are living in the same house or family, he said. In Europe, there have been at least six monkeypox cases among kids 17 years old and younger. This week, doctors in the Netherlands published a report of a boy who was seen at an Amsterdam hospital with about 20 red-brown bumps scattered across his body. It was monkeypox, and doctors said they could not determine how he got it. In Africa, monkeypox infections in children have been more common, and doctors have noted higher proportions of severe cases and deaths in young children. One reason may be that many older adults were vaccinated against smallpox as kids, likely giving them some protection against the related monkeypox virus, Lawler said. Smallpox vaccinations were discontinued when the disease was eradicated about 40 years ago. ___ 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. Vince McMahon, a longtime executive for World Wrestling Entertainment who led professional wrestling from a sideshow curiosity into a mainstream phenomenon, has stepped down as chair and CEO while the companys board investigates allegations of misconduct against him, the company said Friday. Stephanie McMahon, his daughter, will take over as interim CEO and chair, the company said in a statement. Her father will remain involved with WWEs creative content and remains committed to cooperating with the review underway, the company said. I have pledged my complete cooperation to the investigation by the Special Committee, and I will do everything possible to support the investigation, Vince McMahon said in a statement. I have also pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are. McMahon briefly appeared on Friday Night SmackDown at the beginning of the show. He stepped into the ring to applause. Im here simply to remind you of the four words we just saw, McMahon told the crowd, referring to the WWE signature at the beginning of the broadcast. Those four words are then, now, forever, and the most important word is together. Welcome to SmackDown. McMahon then dropped a microphone and stepped out of the ring, high-fiving fans as he left. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon agreed to pay a secret $3 million settlement to an employee with whom he was said to have had an affair and that the board had been investigating since April. The investigation unearthed other nondisclosure agreements involving claims of misconduct by McMahon, The Journal reported. A lawyer for McMahon told the Journal that the employee had not made any claims of harassment against McMahon and that he used personal funds to pay the settlement. Far from an anonymous executive, McMahon is among the most recognizable faces of professional wrestling, adopting a swagger-filled public persona who is often at the center of the on-screen action. Since taking over his fathers wrestling company in 1982, McMahon has presided over its ascent into a cultural giant, with more than $1 billion in revenue in 2021. WWEs programs are aired in 30 languages and are distributed through NBCUniversal and Fox Sports, among others. The company said it had hired independent legal counsel to conduct the investigation and would also work with an independent organization to review the companys compliance program, human resources function and overall culture. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. EDWARDSVILLE A Granite City man faces several weapons-related felonies, including an armed habitual criminal charge. Donnie A. Sherrell, 29, of Granite City, was charged July 21 as an armed habitual criminal, a Class X felony, and was also charged with two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, both Class 2 felonies. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on July 20 Sherrell allegedly had a Mossberg International 715P .22 caliber AR pistol while under supervised release. He has a 2014 conviction for unlawful possession of weapons by a felon out of Madison County and a felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois in 2015, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $250,000. In an unrelated case, two men were charged with shooting at an occupied building in Alton on two separate occasions. Tavarious T. White, 19, of Alton and Glenn K. Wolfe, 18, of Lebanon, Illinois, were each charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, all Class 1 felonies. The cases were presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on July 8 and July 12 the two allegedly fired guns at an occupied building in the 200 block of Madison Avenue. Bail was set at $150,000 each. Other felony charges filed July 21 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include: Robert L. Overturf, 33, listed as homeless out of Granite City, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony, and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on July 21 Overturf allegedly struck a Granite City police officer in the throat and kicked them in the leg, resisting the officers attempts to place him under arrest. Bail was set at $30,000. Terrance T. Strickland, 20, of Granite City, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. On May 18 Strickland allegedly had an SCCY CPX-2 9 mm handgun. He has a 2021 conviction for robbery out of Madison County making him ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $50,000. Christopher G. Shelton, 48, of the 2600 bloc of E. 24th Street, Granite City, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Glen Carbon Police Department. According to court documents, on July 20 Shelton was found to be in possession of Lorcin L25 .25 caliber handgun. It was noted he has a prior conviction for flagrant non support, a felony, out of Grayson County, Kentucky, in 2018, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $50,000. Dawanda S. Green, 41, of the 800 block of Oakwood Estates, Alton, was charged July 6 with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony; and obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on July 4 Green concealed evidence by taking a handgun from another person and disposing of it. It was noted she has a prior conviction for threatening a public official out of Madison County in 2017, making her ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $50,000. This summer, the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to Americans when they ruled that the right of women to make their own private health care decisions could be taken away. The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson goes back on half a century of legal precedent; it is a mammoth setback for women, families and our entire nation. My 16-year-old granddaughter will now have fewer rights than my wife who is in her 70s has had for most of her adult life. I firmly support a womans right to choose and believe that health care decisions should lie solely between a woman and her doctor. Now, that right and that privacy can be taken away. A complicated legal landscape in Arizona and a haphazard effort to enforce a pre-statehood, total abortion ban with no exceptions for the heinous crimes of rape or incest has left doctors and patients in limbo as intimate, private health care decisions are debated in our court system. During this time, I have heard from doctors in Arizona who are unsure when they can start providing necessary care how long they must watch a woman suffer in pain before they can act to save her life. Before the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, I had been working as a police officer in Chicago for about six years, and I was called to respond to women who had tried to perform home abortions. I saw women in terrible pain, with sepsis, with life-altering injuries. I saw them die. In the House of Representatives, weve taken a small step forward in righting this terrible wrong. We passed the Womens Health Protection Act, which would codify the protections guaranteed under Roe v. Wade into federal law. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the president, the measure would supersede state laws that restrict access to reproductive health care, including Arizonas. We also passed a new bill the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which would ensure no entity can prevent or retaliate against a person traveling across state lines to obtain a lawful abortion. The measure also protects the rights of providers in states where abortion is still legal to perform this service when requested. Importantly, the bill also upholds protections guaranteed under interstate commerce laws, ensuring the safe, legal movement of any drug approved or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, including abortion medication. As I said, this is but one small step forward. The Senate must take up and pass our bills, and the president must act to protect the lives and health of women across this country. I know am not the sole voice to speak on this issue. Rather, I am here in Congress to represent my constituents, an overwhelming majority of whom support access to safe, reproductive health care. And I am here to amplify the voices of others. Currently, women hold the two leadership positions on our team. Whether it be our Chief of Staff, who is seven months pregnant, or our Campaign Manager, who is a single mom to a 6-year-old, womens stories are their own to decide and their health care decisions must be their own to make. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Witnesses heard a loud bang or snap before a helicopter supporting firefighter operations near the community of Anderson separated and then crashed last month, killing the pilot. It was the first fatality related to Alaska wildfires in 22 years, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry and Wildlife Management. Numerous witnesses said the Bell UH1B helicopter piloted by Douglas Ritchie, 56, of Wasilla, had a normal liftoff June 26 from the airport in Clear, according to a preliminary accident report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday. He was attempting to take equipment to firefighters battling the Clear fire in the Denali Borough by carrying it with a long line attached to a hook under the helicopter. The report did not provide a probable cause for the accident, which will come later. After the loud noise was heard, witnesses said the helicopter bucked, rolled right and began going to the ground. After the helicopter crashed, a fire erupted, consuming a majority of the helicopter, according to the report. Federal investigators said a video captured the helicopters final seconds before crashing. Its seen hovering with a long line fully extended below the helicopter, with the hook about 15 feet (4.57 meters) above the ground. As the pilot maneuvered the helicopter to hook up to the external load, a loud mechanical noise is heard, and a shudder is seen radiating through the helicopter, the report said. As the helicopter was falling to the ground, the report says, the transmission with the rotor head and blades, along with the tail boom, separated from the helicopter before it hit the ground. The transmission was found with the rotor head and blades still attached about 20 feet (6.10 meters) from the main wreckage, the report said. The state Division of Forestry and Fire Protection has said it contracted the helicopter, which was operated by Northern Pioneer Helicopters, to help with the fire. Ritchie had worked for the company for 12 years and held the title of lead pilot, a biography on the companys webpage said. The last firefighter to die in Alaska was a smokejumper who was killed in a training accident in 2000. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Xcel Energy has started gathering public input on its plan to build one of Minnesota's largest transmission line projects in recent years. The utility company has proposed building a 140-mile power line that would run from Becker in the north to Lyon County to the south. The $500 million line would connect several new renewable energy projects. WAWONA, Calif. (AP) A fast-moving wildfire near Yosemite National Park erupted Friday afternoon and prompted evacuations even as firefighters made progress against an earlier blaze that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias. The Oak Fire began at about 2 p.m. southwest of the park near Midpines in Mariposa County and quickly spread to 1,600 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. No buildings had burned but the Lushmeadows subdivision, which has about 1,700 residents, and a handful of roads in the Sierra Nevada foothill area were under mandatory evacuation orders. A shoeless older man attempting the flee the area crashed his sedan into ditch in a closed area and was helped by firefighters. He was safely driven from the area and did not appear to suffer any injuries. Several other residents stayed in their homes Friday night as the fire continued to burn nearby. There's no immediate word on what sparked the fire. Meanwhile, firefighters have made significant progress against a wildfire that began in Yosemite National Park and burned into the Sierra National Forest. The Washburn Fire was 79% contained Friday after burning about 7.5 square miles (19.4 square kilometers) of forest. The fire broke out July 7 and forced the closure of the southern entrance to Yosemite and evacuation of the community of Wawona as it burned on the edge of Mariposa Grove, home to hundreds of giant sequoias. Wawona Road is tentatively set to reopen on Saturday, according to the park website. Chicken Express was named the July 2022 Business of the Month by the Plainview Chamber of Commerce. The chicken chain was established in 1988 in Mineral Wells and added a location in Plainview 25 years ago. The family-owned venture was one of the first fast-food chicken delivery businesses, according to its corporate website. Since the opening of its first franchise location in 1990, the chain has expanded to include 200 locations located mostly across Texas (including Plainview) and Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Robert Kollman, owner of the Plainview location, was recently on hand to celebrate the Business of the Month recognition. The Chamber Board chooses one local business each month and a local student every month during the school year to recognize. Like many Illinoisans, I was saddened to learn that Caterpillar Tractor Company is moving its world headquarters from our state to Texas. CAT has been an important company in Illinois. It has been especially vital to my hometown of Peoria, where its world headquarters were located for nearly nine decades. My dad was a civil engineer who spent his entire career at CAT and working there allowed my parents to put six kids through college. I have always been grateful to the company and admired its deep commitment to Peoria. It was the pillar of the community and appeared to relish that role. But its not for solely personal reasons that I find CATs decision to leave Illinois troubling. First, when a company moves its global headquarters, its active commitments shift, which has a profound effect on the community left behind. Peoples lives are changed, and communities are altered forever. This is especially true for Peoria, which built its economic and cultural life around CAT. Peoria is welcoming new firms and industries, but the path ahead is daunting. The city will never be the same. Second, I have been troubled by some of the reaction to CATs decision. I have read several articles that have been full of recriminations and finger pointing. Several analysts have seized on CATs decision to reprise familiar arguments about Illinois unfriendly business climate. While we must do more to address our state budget and improve our workers compensation system, Illinois continues to attract scores of new firms and remains the global home for dozens of major companies. I see no credible evidence that Illinois overall business climate was a major factor in CATs decision. Third, I am especially disappointed in public comments made by CATs senior executives over recent years that have been confusing and contradictory, edging toward disingenuous. In February 2015, CAT CEO Doug Oberhelman announced plans for a magnificent new global headquarters in Peoria. He brandished a video with a striking architectural rendering of a gleaming new complex with three towers and offices for more than 3,000 employees on 30 riverfront acres. Were here in Peoria to stay. Our long-term future is here, Mr. Oberhelman declared at a public event attended by cheering business, civic, and political leaders, including then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. Caterpillar will stay in Peoria. I repeat, we will stay in Peoria, CATs leader pledged. Less than two years later, CAT issued a press release saying it would locate a limited group of senior executives and support functions in the Chicago area later this year. The company reaffirmed the ongoing importance of its presence in Peoria and Central Illinois. When the statement was fully unpacked, it was clear that CAT was moving its global headquarters to suburban Chicago. Locating our headquarters closer to a global transportation hub, such as Chicago, means we can meet with global customers, dealers, and employees more easily and frequently, said Jim Umpleby, CATs new CEO. He added: We value our deep roots in Central Illinois and Peoria will continue to be our hometown. Then on June 14, 2022, Mr. Umpleby announced that CAT was leaving Deerfield for Irving, Texas. We believe its in the interests of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillars strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world, he said opaquely. Pressed for a fuller explanation, a CAT spokeswoman said the Texas location will give us the ability to attract new talent and provide additional career opportunities for our current employees to aid in retention. How would this help CAT retain its workers? Is CAT moving to Texas so that its workers will find additional career opportunities with other firms in that state? CAT has every right to locate its global headquarters where it wishes, and I appreciate that circumstances change. CAT still has more than 17,000 employees in Illinois and about 12,000 in the Peoria area. I believe that CAT has a responsibility, as a good corporate citizen, to explain honestly and clearly why it is making its decisions. That does not seem too much to ask of a firm that referred to itself as a great American company in a U.S. Senate hearing. It is deeply disappointing that CAT has failed to honor commitments and offers empty rhetoric instead. This behavior is unworthy of a great American company and is unfair to the people of Illinois. The Pew Research Center periodically publishes a study that measures Americans declining distrust in various institutions. Not surprisingly, the least trusted group is our elected officials. The next least trusted group is Americas business executives. Unfortunately, the current leadership of CAT has given us additional reasons not to trust the words of corporate America. Dear editor, In a previous life Susan Campbell had a sour experience as a Christian fundamentalist. So sour that her residual bile now flavors her view of people who raise concerns about abortion. Apparently, only fundamentalist Christian crackpots support the Dobbs decision. Ms. Campbell quotes scripture and shares her knowledge of the Muslim and Jewish faiths to further marginalize the crackpots and others, whether for religious reasons or not, who have serious concerns about our treatment of the unborn. As an op-ed writer she is welcomed to her opinions. But, sadly, her recent column adds nothing constructive to the debate a fair-minded, respectful debate that we should be having now that Dobbs has sent the abortion issue back to the states and, more importantly, to the voters. There are a number of questions we could be discussing. I believe that Connecticut law allows for abortion through 25 weeks. Why 25 weeks? Do voters want to change that? Do voters prefer unlimited choice (abortion on demand) through nine months? In our very blue state maybe that is the way voters want to go. Or does current science on fetal development and viability suggest limiting abortion to some time frame less than 25 weeks? No easy answers. But the time is right to discuss these issues, make decisions as voters and treat each other with respect as we do so. Immediately after the Dobbs decision was handed down, Ms. Campbells colleague at Hearst, Dan Haar, chose to visit with Hartford Archbishop Leonard Blair to get his reaction to the undoing of Roe v. Wade. I would guess that Mr. Haar leans heavily toward the pro-choice side, but in the heat of the moment his calm interview with the archbishop shed some useful light on the issue. I hope that Susan Campbell and others at Hearst CT might follow his lead. Rather than demean and marginalize, listen and understand as the debate rages on. Clif McFeely New Canaan To the Editor, Far left columnist Robert Schwaninger and the left in general like to flag any thoughts that President Trump actually won the 2020 election as the big lie. In reality the big lie is that the 2020 election was the most secure election ever. Robert needs to understand that if there are fraudulent ballots then recounts will include the recounting of any fraudulent ballots and therefore the recounts prove nothing. Robert also needs to understand that circumventing state election laws is illegal and immoral and this was happening throughout the country during the 2020 election. Prior to the election big tech and the mainstream media worked in conjunction with the Democratic party to suppress any stories negative to Joe Biden and highlighted and, even worse, made-up stories negative to Donald Trump. Big tech (Mark Zuckerberg) donated money for get out the vote campaigns where the money was disproportionately distributed to heavily Democrat precincts. There are laws against accepting private donations to be used in managing voting processes in federal elections. Zuckerberg money played a central role in the outcomes for multiple swing states including Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia. Many states allowed mail in ballots to be sent to every registered voter. This is a recipe for fraud. Some states accepted no-excuse absentee mail in voting. Some states accepted mail in ballots for days after election day. Drop boxes were installed mostly in heavily Democratic areas and were not adequately monitored and chain of custody was violated. Ballot signatures were not verified and ballots were accepted even without signatures. Voting machines rejected an extremely high percent of ballots to be cured and these ballots would normally have been rejected outright. State voter rolls include dead people and people that have moved to other states. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty states on its website that in Wisconsins 2020 election the number of votes that did not comply with existing legal requirements exceeded Joe Bidens margin of victory. Eighty-one million votes for Joe Biden? Impossible. Democrats and Republicans alike should be able to agree that Joe Bidens presidency has been a complete and unmitigated failure. To state otherwise would be another big lie. Jim Schwegel Godfrey J. Scott Applewhite/AP The U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills this week that were authored in direct response to an opinion from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who recently argued that the U.S. Supreme Court should revisit a number of past cases guaranteeing rights to large swaths of Americans. The first bill, titled the Respect for Marriage Act, ensures that same-sex and interracial couples are treated equally to other married couples by the federal government. The second bill, called the Right to Contraception Act, guarantees access to contraception by protecting the right to buy and use birth control pills and other contraceptive methods without government restrictions. It also ensures health care providers have a right to provide contraception services to patients. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ran a full-page ad in three Texas newspapers on Friday, blasting the state's governor, Greg Abbott, for his stances on gun control and abortion, according to NBC News. Each ad was paid for by Newsom's re-election campaign. They appeared in the print editions of the Houston Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman and El Paso Times, and featured a quote Abbott made last year after he signed the state's so-called "bounty hunter law," which effectively banned abortion in Texas even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month. (Editor's note: Hearst, the parent company of SFGATE, also owns the Houston Chronicle.) "Our creator endowed us with the right to life," Abbott said after he signed the law, which is officially known as Senate Bill 8 and allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who knowingly aids or abets an abortion in that state. "And yet ... children lose their right to life every year because of abortion. In Texas, we work to save those lives." In the Newsom ad, Abbott's quote is edited. The words "abortion" and "Texas" are crossed out and replaced with the words "gun violence" and "California," respectively. The edited quote says: "Our creator endowed us with the right to life. And yet ... children lose their right to life every year because of gun violence. In California, we work to save those lives." The ad represents a clear attempt to contrast California's gun control policies with Texas' policies, and comes almost two months after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers in a Texas elementary school. The ad also appeared in Texas newspapers the same day that Newsom signed a gun control bill modeled after the Texas bounty law. That new California law, Senate Bill 1327, allows private citizens to sue anyone who imports, distributes, manufactures or sells firearms that are banned by the state, such as assault weapons, .50 caliber rifles and so-called "ghost guns." In the ad, beneath the edited Abbott quote, there are a few lines of text announcing Newsom's signing of SB 1327. "These were Governor Abbott's words when he signed SB 8 into law, essentially banning abortion in the state of Texas. Today Governor Newsom signed SB 1327, California's answer to Texas' perverse bill that placed bounties on doctors and patients," the ad says. "If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives. If Governor Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, we urge him to follow California's lead." This is the second time in less than a month that Newsom has run ads in a Republican-led state. On July 4, Newsom began running 30-second cable ads on Fox News in Florida. In those ads, Newsom took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for several policies he's championed, and encouraged Florida residents who are dissatisfied with the state's direction to move to California, where, according to Newsom, "we still believe in freedom." Spending precious re-election funds on ads in other states not only demonstrates that Newsom may be eyeing a presidential run in the near future, but also illustrates how comfortable he feels in his upcoming gubernatorial contest against state Sen. Brian Dahle, the Republican who hopes to unseat Newsom in November. As of Friday morning, Abbott had yet to publicly respond to Newsom's ad buy. Panama City, Fla. The Florida Department of Health in Bay County (DOH-Bay) is monitoring the monkeypox outbreak. There are cases of monkeypox in at least 43 states and Washington DC. To date, there have been no monkeypox-related deaths outside of endemic countries. The risk of monkeypox to the general population remains low. In the event of a monkeypox case, DOH-Bay will conduct epidemiological investigations to notify possible exposures and offer potential post-exposure prophylaxis. DOH-Bay will offer the monkeypox vaccine to high-risk groups as doses become available from the federal government. Up to date information on monkeypox is available at FloridaHealth.gov. Case data for monkeypox, as well as other reportable diseases, can be found on FLHealthCharts.gov. Prevention and Treatment If health care providers suspect a possible case of monkeypox, immediatelycontact your local health department or the 24/7 disease reporting hotline at 850-245-4401. Local county health departments can help providers obtain monkeypox virus-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Human-to-human transmission generally requires prolonged, face-to-face contact, direct contact with lesion materials, or indirect contact with lesion materials through contaminated items, such as contaminated clothing. Therefore, the risk of exposure remains low. Health care providers should remain vigilant of information related to monkeypox: The public should also remain vigilant of the current meningococcal outbreak. Demographic impacts are similar among meningococcal and monkeypox cases. The meningococcal vaccines are available to high-risk populations at every county health department, free of charge. Floridians can find more information on meningococcal disease here. About the Florida Department of Health The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov. WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Madison County in central New York... Northeastern Cortland County in central New York... Southeastern Onondaga County in central New York... * Until 730 PM EDT. * At 639 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over East Homer, or 7 miles northeast of Cortland, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Cazenovia, Lebanon, Truxton, Cuyler, Georgetown, Deruyter, Fabius, Erieville, De Ruyter and East Homer. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 21, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service New York NY 752 PM EDT Thu Jul 21 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 103. * WHERE...New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Southern Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn) and Northern Queens Counties. * WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... New York City residents should call 3 1 1 to identify cooling center locations and obtain 'Beat the Heat' safety tips. A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time. Seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions are at an increased risk. Homes without air conditioning can be much hotter than outdoor temperatures. Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place that has air conditioning. Check on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbors. 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! In cases of heat stroke call 9 1 1. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 24, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service New York NY 336 AM EDT Fri Jul 22 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values in the upper 90s to lower 100s. * WHERE...New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Southern Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn) and Northern Queens Counties. * WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... New York City residents should call 3 1 1 to identify cooling center locations and obtain 'Beat the Heat' safety tips. A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time. Seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions are at an increased risk. Homes without air conditioning can be much hotter than outdoor temperatures. Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place that has air conditioning. Check on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbors. 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! In cases of heat stroke call 9 1 1. ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Heat index in the middle 90s to lower 100s. * WHERE...Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut and southeast New York. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Today will be the coolest of 5 day stretch of hot and humid conditions. Heat Index values may only be in the lower 90s today. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 21, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Amarillo TX 627 PM CDT Thu Jul 21 2022 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTY... At 627 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles northeast of Wayside, or 12 miles south of Claude, moving south at 10 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Locations impacted include... Claude. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. At 628 PM CDT, automated weather equipment reported a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles northeast of Wayside, or 12 miles south of Claude, moving south at 10 mph. SOURCE...Automated weather equipment. At 620 PM, a 64 mph gust was recorded 12 miles southwest of Claude. At 629 PM CDT, automated weather equipment reported a severe HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Automated weather equipment. At 625 PM CDT, a 71 mph gust was recorded 12 miles southwest of Claude. IMPACT...Expect some tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 21, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Randall County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Oldham County in the Panhandle of Texas... Eastern Deaf Smith County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 1000 PM CDT. * At 845 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 4 miles southwest of Wildorado, or 9 miles southeast of Vega, moving south at 25 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect some tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Hereford, Umbarger, Wildorado, Buffalo Lake and Dawn. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 21, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Amarillo TX 948 PM CDT Thu Jul 21 2022 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN RANDALL COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN DEAF SMITH COUNTY... At 948 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Hereford, moving south at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Locations impacted include... Hereford and Dawn. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Bailey and west central Lamb Counties through 1015 PM CDT... At 949 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 4 miles southwest of Muleshoe, moving southeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 55 mph. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Muleshoe, Sudan and Needmore. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain are occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. LAT...LON 3415 10294 3428 10281 3412 10247 3391 10268 TIME...MOT...LOC 0249Z 309DEG 19KT 3419 10279 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX 333 AM CDT Fri Jul 22 2022 ...HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 105 AND 109 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED TODAY... The combination of warm temperatures and high dewpoints will produce heat indices between 105 and 109 degrees today. Residents with outdoor activities planned are urged to drink plenty of water, wear light weight and light colored clothing and take frequent breaks from the heat. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY... ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...For Fridays Heat Advisory, heat index values 99 to 105. For Saturdays Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 106 expected. For Sundays Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 108 expected. * WHERE...Portions of central, northern, and southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. * WHEN...For Fridays Heat Advisory, from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM CDT this evening. For Saturdays and Sundays Heat Advisory, from noon to 8 PM CDT each day. * 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. * WHAT...For Saturdays Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 105 expected. For the Sundays Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 108 expected. * WHERE...In Oklahoma, Woods, Blaine, Caddo and Comanche Counties. In Texas, Wichita and Archer Counties. * WHEN...From noon to 8 PM CDT both Saturday and Sunday. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in League City has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... West central Houston County in southeastern Texas... * Until 430 PM CDT. * At 357 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Austonio, moving northwest at 10 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Austonio. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 22, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Norman OK 427 PM CDT Fri Jul 22 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY... ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...For the first Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 104. For the second Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 106 expected. For the third Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 107 expected. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, northern, northwest, southeast, southern and southwest Oklahoma and northern Texas. * WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 8 PM CDT this evening. For the second Heat Advisory, from noon to 8 PM CDT Saturday. For the third Heat Advisory, from noon to 8 PM CDT Sunday. * 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. 104 expected. For the second Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 105 expected. * WHERE...In Oklahoma, Blaine, Caddo, Woods and Comanche Counties. In Texas, Archer and Wichita Counties. * WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, from noon to 8 PM CDT Saturday. For the second Heat Advisory, from noon to 8 PM CDT ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Hockley and southeastern Lamb Counties through 445 PM CDT... At 427 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Littlefield, moving southwest at 10 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Littlefield, Whitharral and Spade. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3401 10231 3390 10213 3360 10234 3373 10258 TIME...MOT...LOC 2127Z 037DEG 5KT 3390 10228 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL HOUSTON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 430 PM CDT... The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Borden, northern Martin, northwestern Howard and southern Dawson Counties through 515 PM CDT... At 431 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Ackerly, moving southwest at 20 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail. Big Spring, Lamesa, Ackerly, Lenorah, Lamesa Municipal Airport, Luther, Los Ybanez, Sparenberg, Patricia, Arvana, Tenmile, Knott, Vealmoor, Key, Klondike and Hancock. LAT...LON 3268 10129 3227 10140 3228 10189 3252 10220 3272 10220 3283 10191 TIME...MOT...LOC 2131Z 029DEG 16KT 3257 10163 MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather With the oncoming of a new Beatrice elementary and pre-school, a question remains in the minds of many: what will happen to the lots left abandoned? Thats exactly the question the Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields, or TAB, Program and dozens of KSU students will seek to answer this fall. The four buildings left behind in the academic centralizationStoddard, Lincoln and Paddock Lane elementary schools and Beatrice Community Preschoolcomprise 31.7 acres of land scattered through Beatrice. Professors Blake Belanger and Susmita Rishi will be leading their respective 20-person architecture classes in imagining a community-centered future for the four plots. There can be a stigma around those areas because theres a fear theyre contaminated, Belanger said. They can sit fallow for decades We want to help communities think about redeveloping these places in ways that most suit them. The collaboration between KSU students, Beatrice Public Schools, the City of Beatrice and other organizations in the community will come at no cost to anyone in Beatrice. Its all funded through the university, BPS Superintendent Jason Alexander said. We applied for the TAB program in February, and they selected our project Its a win-win for everyone. The students learn how to do these projects, and we get to see fresh new perspectives on how we can improve the community. But Belanger and Rishi wont just be tackling the question of the school lots. They have an interest in looking at other sites in Beatrice, City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer said. Thats more than I expected them to do, which is always good On the City side, were interested in how improvements can attract residents and businesses to our community. I think theyll help us think through whats possible. Belanger, Rishi and TAB Program Coordinator for EPA Region 7 Jennifer Clancey toured Beatrice and led discussions with the Community Advisory Panel, composed of several involved members of the community, on Wednesday, July 13. I thought the meeting went exceptionally well, Alexander said. We got a clearer vision of how the process would look The group of people that were there, and the interactions that took place were really positive for the entire community. This may have started as a schools project because thats where we started out, but it ended up being a community-wide improvement. Belanger and Rishi have extensive experience on these kinds of projects. Belanger said hes worked with dozens of communities over the years. In almost every case, the community has implemented something we discussed and presented, he said. Its so nice to see the work of these students making a difference in the world. A survey will go out to Beatrice residents around August, and the students from KSU will visit on Sept. 16. Throughout the semester, they will brainstorm, collaborate and research, presenting their final input with visuals and explanations at an open house on Nov. 3. Belanger, Alexander, and Tempelmeyer all said theyre hopeful the community provides input and feedback throughout the semester-long process. Belanger said he looks forward to the partnership with Beatrice. Its really inspiring for us because we feel like we have an opportunity to make a difference in the community, Belanger said. And then we pass that onto the students. Its contagious. As has been the case for many years now, the field of comics & graphic novels includes great fiction, memoir and nonfiction, in titles for both children and adults. Here Shelf Awareness highlights a few additional favorites we reviewed earlier this year. Julie Doucet won the 1991 Harvey Award for Best New Talent and seemingly disappeared from the comics world in 2006. With Time Zone J (Drawn & Quarterly, $29.95), Doucet makes "an intense, electrifying diary-inspired autobiographical" re-entry. She instructs readers, "This book was drawn from bottom to top. Please read accordingly." Every panel-less, borderless page overlaps into the next, so that if the pages could be lined up, long edge to long edge, the effect would be that of a continuous scroll. Jordan Crane spent more than two decades creating Keeping Two (Fantagraphics, $29.99), a "magnificently multilayered graphic novel that empathically addresses the universal human fears of losing those most beloved." The events take place over a single evening, as the story introduces, challenges and reconnects lovers Connie and Will. Crane presents his panels--mostly six-on-a-page--in an unusual palette of lime-to-forest green washes over line drawings. Nature, especially plants and trees, is hinted at throughout, culminating in magical woody scenes near the story's end. In the "stunning graphic odyssey" 6,000 Miles to Freedom: Two Boys and Their Flight from the Taliban (Graphic Mundi, $26.95), author/director Stephane Marchetti, adapts the narrative from his 2017 documentary with Thomas Dandois, Les enfans de la jungle, illuminating the wrenching experiences of two refugee boys. Award-winning comics artist Cyrille Pomes infuses every panel with the dynamic motion of their flight, and Hannah Chute, fast becoming a go-to translator of graphic works, deftly enables French-to-English access. The title refers to 12-year-old Adel and his 16-year-old cousin, Shafi, as they escape Afghanistan and journey to the Pakistan/Iran border en route to Europe, Marchetti's urgent text informed by testimonies of refugee youth. Another standout translation, this one aimed at middle-grade readers, Sorceline (Andrews McMeel, $12.99) is the first English-translated work by Sylvia Douye, a compilation of three Sorceline graphic novels already published in France. Ivanka Hahnenberger translates the volume, as Sorceline eagerly awaits the first day of her summer apprenticeship studying cryptozoology with Archibald Balzar on the Isle of Vorn. Under Balzar's tutelage, Sorceline will learn all about various cryptids and how to care for them. A classmate's disappearance, though, sets off a chain of bizarre and dangerous mysteries. Paola Antista brings to life this unusual world in a "manga-influenced illustrative style" that depicts cryptids from Roman, Greek, European and Persian mythology and folklore. "Her characters and creatures are expressive and the format features broken, overlapping and asymmetrical panels that help move the plot along at a rapid pace." The "prescient, thrilling, unusual and occasionally hilarious graphic novel" (also for middle-graders) Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case (Margaret Ferguson Books, $14.95) uses scrapbook-style content to tell the story of two of Earth's human survivors of a sun shift that causes a fatal sickness in mammals in 2101. Elvie, a plucky 10-year-old, and her wry, brilliant guardian, Flora, follow migrating monarch butterflies along the west coast of the United States. Their vital, life-sustaining purpose is to harvest scales from the butterflies' wings to use in a medicine to prevent sun sickness and--they hope--to develop a vaccine. Case employs a blend of journal entries, maps, diagrams, scientific illustrations, instructions on celestial navigation and hammock-hanging, and tips on foraging and scavenging to allow Elvie to narrate her "strange yet normal daily experience." These graphic memoirs, love stories and tales of stewardship of the planet are not to be missed! The White House Covid-19 Response team established by President Joe Biden includes Nahid Bhadelia, an Indian American, as the Senior Policy Advisor US President Joe Biden recently selected Nahid Bhadelia, an Indian-American infectious diseases physician, as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Global COVID Response team. She is now on sabbatical from her full-time post as an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Boston University School of Medicine. The response team was established by Biden to strategically address the Covid-19 outbreak in the US. Currently, the team is led by Dr Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator. He is also on short-term leave from his position as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Bhadelia used Twitter to express her gratitude for appointing her and giving her the chance to cooperate with international allies and serve the country through a tweet. Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research at Boston University, praised Bhadelia's experience in international affairs, health and human security, and training in infectious diseases. Bhadelia is widely known as an international expert on highly communicable and emerging infectious diseases. Her extensive experience in health system response to newly emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, Zika, and Covid-19 will make her a great addition to the White House team. She has immense clinical, field, academic, and policy experience, which provides invaluable insights into the fundamental obstacles of pandemic preparedness through her work. Born in India and brought up in Sweden and Saudi Arabia, Bhadalia moved to the US as a teenager. She has extremely contributed to the health system's ability to manage infectious diseases that are renowned through her developments at Boston University. She founded the Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research (CEID) at Boston University and served as the associate director of the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL). She has also helped in launching and developing the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Centre, the universitys primary teaching hospital. Under Bhadelia's leadership and guidance, the CEID has developed into a crucial centre for research and actionable policymaking. The centre has assisted in congressional hearings, advised legislative offices, created policy briefs, and contributed to pandemic preparation bills. Additionally, Bhadelia has experience working in West and East Africa during several Ebola virus epidemics. She also co-directs the Boston University and the University of Liberia Emerging and Epidemic Virus Research Programs, which are supported by the Fogarty International Center and have assisted in the development of pandemic preparation strategies in Liberia and Uganda. Surgery performed with the assistance of a robot may sound like the plot of a futuristic science-fiction movie, but thanks to modern technological advances, its actually become a very realistic method of treatment for patients at St. Vincent Healthcare located in Billings. The first robotic surgery system was approved by the FDA in 2000, says Jackie Hines, St. Vincent Healthcares Senior Director of Surgical and Procedural Services. While initially approved for general laparoscopic surgeries, robotic systems are now used for more than 70 different types of surgery in the U.S., many in urologic, colorectal, head and neck, cardiac, thoracic, spine and gynecological specialties. During these procedures, a specially trained surgeon controls the movement of a camera-equipped robotic arm through the use of a console placed next to the operating table instead of physically performing the surgery with his or her own hands. At St. Vincent Healthcare, state-of-the-art robotic technology has been a presence in operating rooms for more than a decade, and the organization has taken a forward-thinking approach by investing in the services of a highly skilled robotics team to support the surgeons on staff in its use. Robotic systems are generally used in one way or another on a daily basis. The decision whether or not to go with robotic-assisted surgery over a more traditional approach depends on the individual patient and the procedure required to treat their condition. For patients, the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include fewer complications, reduced blood loss, less pain and shorter hospital stays. Because the robotic technology allows the surgeon to operate using smaller incisions in a minimally invasive capacity, patients heal faster, with lower risks of infection and less noticeable scarring. [With the robotic technology], we have seen hospital stays reduced from seven days to two days for complex abdominal wall surgeries, and very quick overall recoveries compared to open or laparoscopic approaches, says Dr. Michael Wilcox, a general surgeon at St. Vincent Healthcare. From the surgeons point of view, robotic technology allows for enhanced precision, flexibility and control; a better field of visualization; and greater ease when it comes to performing delicate and complex procedures than what is often possible with traditional open surgeries. The image-guided navigation system and robot we use for spine surgery allows for extremely precise placement of screws and other hardware to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients, says Dr. Louis Ross, a St. Vincent Healthcare neurosurgeon. To keep doctors up to date on the latest robotic-assisted systems, software and service components, St. Vincent Healthcare has teamed up with its technology partners to create a robust, comprehensive training program. The robotic surgery program at St. Vincent is used as a part of surgical residencies and a standard of practice in several specialties, Hines adds. Looking ahead, Dr. Jeff Rentz, general surgeon, predicts that robotic surgical technology will continue to evolve and improve. At St. Vincent Healthcare, we are leading the region in robotic usage spanning multiple specialties including general surgery, gynecological, cardiac, thoracic, spine, and more. We look forward to continuing to lead this work into the future by growing our robotic surgery program into even more specialty areas, Rentz says. To learn more about robotic surgical technology at St. Vincent Healthcare, go to sclhealth.org/services/surgery/robotic/. 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. After the banks sold thousands of bank branch freeholds in the 1990s, it comes as a surprise to find there was any property left on their bulging balance sheets. But in the past month, the Commonwealth Bank has sold two vacant bank branches in busy suburban shopping strips. The CBA recently sold its Fairfield branch opposite the railway station. Credit: Last week, the North Balwyn branch in the Village sold under the hammer for $4.05 million. A private medical specialist with plans to occupy the 410 square metre space beat a host of other bidders, including lawyers, doctors, developers, investors and the neighbouring green grocer Signorellis. Humans have been called the storytelling apes. Imagine the earliest of us fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts warm at night beside a campfire. Giving names and histories to the stars and constellations wheeling above. Andromeda, Orion, the Great Emu. Gods and creatures undimmed by light pollution, growing brighter as the fire cools. On tiny Earth, circling the small star Sol, constellations were childrens picture books. We are all those lucky children this month, seeing the first James Webb Space Telescope images. Appearing between movie star gossip and astrological predictions in our news feeds, infrared deep field photographs reveal our universe as a spectacular light show. Galaxies billions of years away in time as well as space look as red as campfire embers. Thrillingly, were told the telescope cost billions of dollars and will change our understanding of everything. Because how we came to be here is a mystery and we love stories that might explain it. Jupiter, and its moon Europa (left), as seen through the James Webb Space Telescope In an image provided by NASA and other agencies. Credit:NASA via New York Times I was very young when my father first showed me the stars through a small telescope. We lived on one of the outer streets of country-town Armidale in NSW, far from the light pollution that bleaches city skies to a scattering of stars. I was fascinated by what he showed me of Saturns rings and Jupiters moons. Its a special memory with an adored parent. I knew that one day I would write a story about an astronomer. Lucy, in my latest novel The Map of Night, knows much more about the stars than I do. Developing characters, Im often reminded of George from Seinfeld, who says: You know I always wanted to pretend I was an architect. Ive always wanted to pretend I was an astronomer. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The front reception at the Nunawading studio that has been home to Neighbours for 37 years is the busiest its ever been as reporters, Channel Ten crew and various other visitors arrive on site for the last-ever day of filming. Theres even paparazzi with giant telephoto lenses outside the fences peering in. Its a strange mix of nostalgia and high alert. Dozens of Ramsay Street signs have been made up, and everyone is signing them for everyone else. These will have pride of place in poolrooms all over the city. The day gets increasingly strange as we realise thats the final scene ever in that set. Crew swap roles for the hell of it, for old times sake. Some of this equipment is no longer used anywhere else in the industry, so those operators will also be retiring or finding something else to do. Somehow, amid all the hugs, selfies and mobile phones recording the last day, the work gets done. The final episode is in the can. I owe my start to Neighbours, a 21-year-old fresh out of drama school with no idea what a TV shoot was about. I began my Neighbours journey in a gorilla suit, and ended it the same way (talk about a glamorous industry). Many forget the show started out on another network, Seven, was axed in 1985 and picked up by Channel Ten to replace M.A.S.H. It could have been another footnote in Aussie TV, except for the extraordinary impact it had in Britain. In 1986, the BBC aired this sunny, optimistic vision of Aussie life twice a day due to demand, and it changed the TV landscape. I happened to be there in 1986, and returned for the past few years part-time. I was there at the beginning and the end. The soap started before the internet, before many of the latest cast were even born, and has been pumping out nightly TV drama for nearly 9000 episodes. Each week, a feature film worth of content was set in an Australian suburban cul-de-sac, where neighbours become good friends. Advertisement We knew the end was coming the entire production team assembled last year for the announcement that if ratings continued to slide, UKs Channel 5 (the main funder of the show) would bring it to a close by mid-2022. But it was the Sunday morning phone call from the producers in February that finally made it real, explaining that an article had appeared in The Sun in the UK overnight, officially announcing June 10 was the end of the production. I was there from the beginning to the end: Geoff Paine. Credit:Simon Schluter What did that mean? It was still months away, and the set-em-up-and-shoot-em schedule meant we couldnt really stop. Like a car manufacturing plant or coal-fired power station, we can see the world has changed since the 80s. This studio is a kind of factory, and factories close. Loading Most of us in show business are used to quickly adapting when it comes to finding work. I dont act full-time any more, and dont know many actors who do. We supplement our wages with various other jobs to make ends meet, and thats the way its always been. So while there are new opportunities out there, what were losing is a training ground for thousands of performers, directors, writers, crew and others in the TV business who have passed through Ramsay Street and gone on to bigger and better things. No one expected this show would literally run for decades how much can happen in a suburban street? but then no one thought it would end any time soon. Until it did. Lining the walls of the Nunawading studio are dozens of cast photos, and as we line up to take what will be the last-ever shot, I feel old and bald compared to the young things around me. I hear snippets of conversation from different cast members about the impending end of the show. Advertisement The first assistant director says hell become a motorbike instructor. Got my licence, just need the teaching cert. Theyre short of them apparently. One make-up artist said they could get work doing weddings every day of the week, but will miss the friendships and workplace camaraderie. We all will. The last-ever cast shot of Neighbours. What do you think youll do? YouTube. Ill be writing some comedy with a friend of mine. What about you? Nursing, maybe. Might finish my arts degree. Ive been shortlisted for a role. I got a call back but who knows? My house has just gone on the market. Yeah, were thinking of moving too. We hear the construction workers next door busily building new apartments. The same studio complex that gave us Neighbours and the original Prisoner probably wont exist in a few years. Advertisement As we all force a smile to the camera, the final shot is taken. One or two tears are wiped away as we realise this is the start of a series of last evers: last ever scene for a cast member or crew, last episode for a director, last day in studio. The countdown to the end started in late April with rumours that Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce were returning for some special guest appearances. On the day of the secret shoot, no one except those actually involved in the filming knows what was recorded. Its like some kind of witness protection. There are also rumours that the final scene will be a party set in Ramsay Street showing as many of the old characters as they can. Harold (Ian Smith), Madge (Ann Charleston) and some faces from the past are all said to be returning for a final farewell. Then and now: Geoff Paines character was a gifted doctor who wanted to reconnect to his childhood and run a Gorillagram business. Credit:Ten An article appears in the local paper suggesting the council may put a heritage overlay on the houses in Vermont South that serve as the Ramsay Street exteriors. And while 37 years of Neighbours may be preserved forever on YouTube, a Ramsay Street home owner suggests, Let it die peacefully. Guy Pearce, Paul Keane and Peter OBrien are back for the final two weeks of the show, and its truly delightful to catch up after decades of living different lives and pursuing different career paths. For those of us that started back in the day in the 1980s, meeting up again 30-something years later is an extraordinary and emotional time. Big hugs first before we have to get on with the acting bit. Most of us were bright-eyed kids when we started out, unaware of what the world or the industry would hold for us and dealing with the unspoken competitiveness everyone feels when theyre beginning a career. When youre in your 50s or 60s, that drops away and youre genuinely delighted to catch up and see what different lives youve lived. In an industry devoted to youth worship, were the old boys now. Advertisement On set, Guy and I reminisce about the second-hand cars we had back in the day; I had a Mazda RX4 that backfired on a regular basis, and he had a Datsun Sunny station wagon. Seems a lifetime ago. I have caught up with Guy over the years, usually before something spectacular happens: once was just before the release of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and the other was just before the release of L.A. Confidential. Great to see he is unchanged despite his celebrity status. They just dont make TV like this anymore. For nearly 38 years, the writers and storyliners have had to generate stories they think are engrossing enough to keep people watching beyond the ads that appear every six minutes, to make people tune in the next day and to keep tuning in week to week. Thats why the Friday night cliffhanger was always considered the most important it had to get people back for the Monday night episode. The pressure to get stuff shot has always been immense if an actor had the nerve to pause and ask: Whats my motivation? the answer would be: Theres 15 crew members waiting for you to get on with it and were already 30 minutes behind schedule. Geoff Paines character, Dr Clive Gibbons, has been a fixture of Ramsay Street since 1986. Credit:Simon Schluter If an actor amps up their performance (because why not?) one of the crew calls out: Trying out for your next job? Harold is back, with cast and crew showing great kudos to this stalwart of the show. Hes still got it. Day by day, people start to finish up. After we hear Cut! its followed by and thats Isaacs last scene everyone as a guest director ends their last lot of scenes. There is a round of applause. This happens for the various directors, actors and crew until the end. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It is reasonable to imagine that the last years of the life of the last known thylacine were miserable. It was captured in 1933, by which time hunting, land clearing and disease had already killed most of its kind. It was presumed to be a male. It stood just over 60 centimetres high and was nearly two metres from nose to tail. They named it Benjamin and kept it in Hobarts Beaumaris Zoo. In grainy black and white film footage shot in 1935 he can be seen pacing his concrete cage as a fence is shaken by an onlooker seeking to provoke some response for the camera. Benjamin was found dead on the floor on a Monday morning in September the following year after his keepers inadvertently left the door of his sleeping enclosure closed during an unusually cold night. Two months earlier the thylacine had been listed as a protected species. Six years earlier a hunter had bagged the last wild specimen. As close as she will get - a taxidermied Tasmanian Tiger on Display in Melbourne Museum in 2021. Credit:Joe Armao Advertisement The wanton destruction of such an extraordinary animal a two-metre long carnivorous marsupial that roamed our forests, its males carrying their young in a pouch is viewed as a national shame. The writer Richard Flanagan would later describe the Tasmanian tiger as a lost object of awe, one more symbol of our feckless ignorance and stupidity. You would be forgiven for thinking that it marked a turning point. Youd be wrong. Fast-forward to 2009, when scientists began warning the federal government that the Christmas Island pipistrelle was in dire need of help. The Christmas Island pipistrelle bat was once abundant. Credit:Lindy Lumsden The pipistrelle is, or was, a microbat weighing just under five grams that lived in the forests of the remote Australian island just south of Java. Though abundant until around 25 years ago in the early years of the new century scientists began warning its numbers had collapsed dramatically. Some, including Tim Flannery, appealed to the government for help. With a few hundred thousand dollars a breeding program might be established. Advertisement A committee conferred and then the environment minister of the time, Peter Garrett, rejected the proposal. The committee has confirmed what we feared; the pipistrelle is in severe decline and extinction in the wild is almost inevitable, he said. There were unacceptably high risks involved in embarking on an immediate captive breeding program. The bats are also very hard to catch and no one knows how to keep them alive for breeding. It is thought the last one died in 2009. We dont know precisely what happened to it, wrote Flannery in a sad and angry piece for the Herald a few years later when the extinction was confirmed. Perhaps it landed on a leaf at dawn after a night feeding on moths and mosquitoes, and was torn to pieces by fire ants; perhaps it succumbed to a mounting toxic burden placed on its tiny body by insecticide spraying. Or maybe it was simply worn out with age and ceaseless activity, and died quietly in its tree hollow With its passing, an entire species winked out of existence. This week the federal governments publication of the five-yearly State of the Environment report confirmed what scientists already knew that not only has Australia failed to act fast enough on climate change, arrest its logging or properly husband its precious water resources, we are still killing off our unique fauna at a horrifying rate. Advertisement The report, the product of two years work by experts found that the number of species listed as threatened rose 8 per cent since 2016. Worse, experts predict that over the coming two decades the northern hopping-mouse, the rock-rat, the Christmas Island flying fox, and the black-footed tree-rat could all go extinct. This is what frustrates Professor Brendan Wintle, a global leader in conservation ecology based at the University of Melbourne. While in some countries the listing of an animal as threatened marks tends to mark a turnaround in its numbers, in Australia it is often simply a milestone on that animals march to extinction. A bald eagle carrying a branch lands in its nest atop a tree overlooking the Raccoon River in 2018 at Grays Lake Park in Des Moines, Iowa. Credit:AP Four years after Benjamin died of exposure in Tasmania the North American bald eagle was recognised as being at risk. Like the Thylacine its numbers had plummeted due to hunting and habitat destruction. At the time Congress was preparing for the possibility that it might be dragged into the spreading world war and was appalled at the potential propaganda implications of the extinction of its fierce national emblem. It resolved that the bald eagle was no longer a mere bird of biological interest but a symbol of the American ideals of freedom and outlawed the killing or disturbing of bald eagles or their eggs. Advertisement After the war the numbers began to decline again. The pesticide DDT had leached into the nations waterways. Eagles ingested the poison from the fish they hunted causing their eggs to thin and crack before their young hatched. When there were fewer than 400 breeding pairs left outside of Alaska the bald eagle was listed as endangered hin 1967. In the years that followed, DDT was banned and eagles habitats were protected by law, as part of a rehabilitation effort that included biologists and ornithologists going so far as to glue together cracks in fragile eggs, drive and fly chicks around the country to be raised by surrogates and even building nesting stands in areas denuded of appropriate trees. In August 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list and the population is now estimated to be well over 300,000. It had been rescued by the coordinated efforts of state and federal governments, scientists, researchers and volunteers, all backed by legal mandate. In US endangered species legislation compels action, explains Wintle. When an animal is listed authorities must act. Critical habitat must be protected and funds for rehabilitation efforts supplied. Under the relevant Australian law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, listing does not guarantee funding and action is taken at the discretion of the federal minister a minister who serves in a cabinet with competing interests over land use and allocation of scarce resources. Advertisement We probably dont, as a species, spend enough time looking at the brains of grandmothers. Rather than being recognised as the matriarchs and cornerstones of family units, as they are in some cultures, nannas are too often derided as cheek-pinching, bosom-heaving, lavender-smelling, force-feeding doddery old bats who while away the hours knitting in armchairs while sporting large, comfortable underpants (not that theres anything wrong with that). But scientists have now established, the support and good health of grandmothers are crucial to the long lives, and health, of their kids, and grandkids. Illustration: Dionne Gain Credit: For a new study recently published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, American researchers from Georgias Emory University scanned the skulls of 50 grandmothers with an MRI machine as they looked at photos of their grandchildren, aged between three and 12. They were also shown photos of a child and adult they did not know, and photos of one of their own, grown children an adult parent of the same sex as their grandchild. As the images of the grandkids flicked past, the parts of the brain to do with emotional empathy as well as those to do with movement and motor simulation flared and crackled. Neuroscientist James Rilling said: When theyre viewing these pictures of their grandchild, theyre really feeling what the grandchild is feeling. So when the child is expressing joy, theyre feeling that joy. When the children are expressing distress, theyre feeling that distress. Pure empathy. Nine people have been arrested in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory over an alleged plot to smuggle 700 kilograms of cocaine and involving several Colombians. Six were arrested in Queensland from across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Another was arrested north of Newcastle in NSW, while two were arrested in Darwin in the Northern Territory. The cocaine was allegedly concealed inside another substance, which was smuggled into Australia in plastic buckets. Credit:Australian Federal Police They have been charged with serious drug and money-laundering offences and face up to life in prison. They faced court in Southport, Brisbane, Kingaroy, Darwin and Raymond Terrace. It will be alleged that one of the accused received instructions from overseas about the cocaine being smuggled into NSW in another substance and hidden inside plastic buckets. The owners of Reddam House are set to create a new campus in North Sydney, with plans to convert a Harry Seidler-designed high-rise into a school that would accommodate up to 1550 students. A proposal to turn a six-storey office block into a kindergarten to year 12 private school was lodged this month by the Inspired Education group, which runs the sought-after Reddam schools in Bondi and Woollahra. The Harry Seidler-designed building in North Sydney that could be transformed into a kindergarten to year 12 school. Credit:Peter Rae It would be one of at least three co-educational private high schools on the north shore after Marist College started admitting girls last year, and one of just a handful of public co-ed high schools in the area. The Inspired group lodged the first step in a state significant development application with private construction group Built, which estimates the cost of the project could top $30 million. They propose turning the heritage-listed 41 McLaren Street into a school and would transform the basement into a hardcourt play area and drop-off and pick-up zone. About a month ago, Fishtail changed. William Shakespeare, of all people, is helping to bring it back. The Bard died in 1616, 276 years before the tiny mountain town was established in 1892, and his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon is about 4,500 miles from the lush foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. Yet, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks chose Fishtail as one of their stops for the year. And their Saturday evening performance of King Lear at the Fishtail Family Park, despite it being one of the poets most depressing texts, felt like a soothing balm to a community that really needs one. The town sits right at the confluence of a lot of water. Its near Fishtail that the East and West Rosebud creeks flow into each other, and the uniting of the Rosebud and the Stillwater River is north of Fishtail near Absarokee. All that water became a big problem on Monday, June 13, when a weekend of heavy rain and snowmelt combined to turn those creeks and rivers into massive arteries of water and debris, ripping through Stillwater County and all over the Beartooth front. The bridge on Nye Road over the East Rosebud washed out, stranding Fishtail. Life all over the valley was disrupted as 14 bridges and roads were closed in the aftermath of the flooding. Absarokee still has big signs up about disaster assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and there are signs pointing to a FEMA disaster recovery center. But theres optimism. The bridge over the East Rosebud is already back, outlined by water-cable barriers and stinking of fresh tar, the type that gets stuck to your boots when its hot out. We drove over [the bridge] and we were like How is that even possible? said Mikey Gray, who plays Cordelia and Oswald in King Lear and is MSIPs development associate. And yet, there it was. On Saturday, the deluge felt like they it was a million miles away, as nearly 100 degree heat blanketed the valley. Still, the crowds arrived, with 200 or so people packed into Fishtail park for King Lear. It was a capacity crowd. MSIP operates under a If you perform it, they will come philosophy, bringing Shakespeare plays and other classics to places like Beach, North Dakota and Birney, Montana. And the thing is, theyre right. This is their 50th season, and the troupe shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Their touring schedule is jam packed, with dates stretching from June in September on an itinerary across Montanas great expanse and dipping into nearby states, as well. In 2022, theyre putting on two rotating plays, usually one tragedy and one comedy. On the sunny side is Twelfth Night, a misadventure romantic comedy about shipwrecks and gender-bending thats been adapted into a Disney Channel Original Movie and Shes The Man, a breezy, Amanda Bynes starring romcom from back when movie studios made comedies. When MSIP come to similarly flood affected Red Lodge, theyll perform the comedy. But Fishtail got the tragedy. King Lear, is a strange play. Its an oft-admired but seldom-loved Shakespeare work, lacking the broad appeal of Hamlet, the romance of Romeo and Juliet and the adventuresome spirit of the historical plays. In place of that, King Lear is unrelentingly bleak, a sordid tale about an aged king who disinherits one of his daughters and is betrayed by the other two. Its relentlessly cynical, everyone stabbing each other in the back so fast they miss the knife sticking out of themselves. Most of the major players die, and its almost a relief when one is merely hanged, and not disemboweled or poisoned or struck dead by sudden heartbreak. King Lears portrait of political and familial unrest is so dark that it once repulsed audiences. After the English Restoration in 1660, performances were often edited, with a happy ending and a love story tacked on. The version performed by MSIP was, of course, the original. No fluff, all fear. But the audience loved it. The capacity crowd was glued, despite the heat, despite the bugs. Its all part of it. Natural art in a natural space. Sometimes the performers had to raise their voices to be heard over the songbirds. They ran lines in the greenroom back stage, which was a copse of aspen trees next to a tepee. MSIP encourages patrons to bring picnics, and the folks in Fishtail were happy to oblige, passing around bottles of indeterminate liquids, wine served with ice to beat the heat. Some enterprising kids sold lemonade, a buck a glass. And even they watched the performance. Midway through, as Lear is having a meltdown in a booming storm, the kids seemed confused by the thunder and rain sounds that MSIP piped through the park. It doesnt look like a storm, said one, looking to the sky, while the other stretched out her hand, searching for raindrops. The real rain did come, a welcome smattering of it that cooled down and brought much needed moisture to the rapidly yellowing countryside, but only after the play finished. It was like even the heavens wanted to stick around to see what happened at the end. That ending is quite stark. Lear howls with agony from the stage, a once powerful king now watching his beloved daughter Cordelia die in his arms, put there by actions he triggered way back in Act I. His roar is now a wail. Shakespeares final stage direction is for the surviving characters to Exeunt with a dead march. And then the crowd stood and cheered. They were rapturous. People hung out afterwards to purchase souvenirs and interact with the cast. Even in the rain, nobody was in a hurry to get home. The floods may be over for now, but their aftereffects arent. Houses, bridges and roads need to be rebuilt. Campgrounds need to be cleaned out. Access has to be restored. But for one night, for 200 people, King Lear helped. We dont know what healing everyone needs said Gray shortly after the play ended as she took off her wig and started taking down the stage so MSIP could roll on to their next town. But it does feel, especially with a tragedy, thats there some sort of communal processing that is required of both actors and the audience. Its a moment to sort of pause and quite literally sit under the sky. John Hosking, who played Lear, has been a staple of the Montana theater community for decades. He first appeared with MSIP in 1974, their first full touring summer. The magic of these small town performances is what keeps him coming back. I have always wanted to live here, he said. It wasnt important to me to go see if I could make it somewhere And the only way to do that in Montana is to think of it as a big town. And then you just have to travel to all the different neighborhoods, thats all. What brings people from the far reaches of Montana to come watch 400 year old plays? Its a community, Hosking said. They all know each other. Theyre together to do something thats come to them. These communities change. Water comes and goes, so does money and prosperity. But for 61 communities that MSIP visits every year, free performance art remains a constant, a dependable chance to feel something. These are the communities that need us the most to do a free show. We get the community together for something thats not scary, Hosking said. One woman stopped Hosking on her way out. Thanks for bringing art to a place like this, she said. Maybe its fitting. During Shakespeares time, Stratford-upon-Avon had about 1,500 residents, or roughly the same as Absarokee and Fishtail combined. In the Act II, Scene 2 of King Lear, Kent, an ally of Lears is in a tough spot. Hes put in the stocks by one of Lears unruly daughters. Nothing almost sees miracles / But misery, he laments, alone on stage. Still, hes hopeful that someone shall find time / From this enormous state, seeking to give / Losses their remedies. Fishtail has seen its share of losses. Shakespeare wound up being one of the remedies. When seasoned businessman Michael Newman secured the coveted role of NSW trade and investment commissioner for North Asia, Dominic Perrottet promised him that the first trade mission he would do as premier would be to Tokyo. It was Perrottet who had dreamed up the idea of creating the Global NSW agency to sell the state to the world, and he wanted to cement NSW as a good friend of Japan. Newman whose extensive CV shows he has decades of experience working in the Asian powerhouse had known the premier for many years, stretching back to Perrottets early days as treasurer. Nine months into his premiership, and with international borders finally reopened, Perrottet made good on his promise to Newman, and on Wednesday flew to Tokyo to open the states new trade office in the Japanese capital. The premier donned white gloves to cut the ribbon on the new Investment NSW office. Credit:AAP With customary Japanese reverence, a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the occasion. Perrottet, who stood alongside his most senior bureaucrat Michael Coutts-Trotter and several Japanese dignitaries, looked a little bemused as they were each handed a pair of white gloves and scissors, complete with oversized red and white rosettes, to cut the giant ribbon on the new Tokyo trade office. It should have been an obvious good news story for Perrottet. Instead, the premiers timing could not have been worse as a domestic saga back home threatens to derail his big trip. Asked if he was disappointed that the controversy surrounding the appointment of his one-time colleague John Barilaro to the plum role of New York trade commissioner was overshadowing his trip, Perrottet was unequivocal. Yes, he responded. The former Australian of the Year discusses how he started a business with $600, why he never entered the political arena and the one thing better than sex. July 22, 2022 by Benjamin Law Warning: This story contains graphic content A man has been jailed for 22 years for repeatedly raping and bashing a woman he held captive in his Victorian home for five days. County Court Judge Fiona Todd said Robert Wilson acted with boundless cruelty in raping the woman 18 times during nine separate attacks at his home in Darley, north-west of Melbourne, between March 25 and 29, 2019. The pair met on dating app Badoo weeks earlier. Robert Wilson has been jailed for 22 years and six months. Credit:Facebook Wilson photographed his vile and degrading sexual acts against the woman, repeatedly punched her to the face and head, struck her with a metal bar, stomped on her stomach, pointed a speargun at her head and threatened to kill her. He also mocked her appearance and warned that if she disobeyed him, he would turn her into a money-making tool by inviting other men to pay for sex with her. The leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia is suing several of his and the churchs biggest critics, with the help of one of the countrys top defamation lawyers. Accusations and retaliatory litigation uncovered by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald paint a picture of a church engulfed in legal battles as its leader, Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis, pursues his critics. The archbishop has courted controversy since arriving in Australia in 2019, after the church bought a $6.5 million Millers Point apartment with panoramic Sydney Harbour views, where he now lives. The Greek community is always there for the Greek Church to help. At the same time we want to have a clear picture of where the money we are donating is going, Morelas said. Credit:Eddie Jim Brighton blogger Alkis Morelas was this week in the Federal Court, where Makarios is suing him over a defamatory campaign he says Morelas has run on his Greek Flash News website. It was this self-belief that led Creswell to buy Carmans when she was just 18 and still studying at university. She worked for the couple who owned what was then a small muesli business and decided with a friend to buy Carmans for $1000 each. Two years later, she bought her partner out. I never imagined that itd ever be as big or successful as it is now, Creswell says. She made the muesli herself and the big break came when she got Carmans into Coles. But then she had to fight to keep the supermarkets stocking her products. In the early days, you were just hanging in there with every supermarket review, thinking will I make it? Will I get deleted?, she says. Its 30 years since Creswell bought the business, and it now employs 60 people at head office and another 400 in its factories. It recorded $114 million in turnover in its most recently filed financial accounts for the year ending June 2021. Creswell started with smoked salmon with creme fraiche and beetroot at Entrecote. Credit:Simon Schluter Creswell says Carmans is going from strength to strength. She attributes a lot of its success to sweating the small stuff. Theres all these multinationals but they dont have anyone like me going crazy about the attention to detail thats the wrong colour ... thats the wrong shade of brown on the peanut butter bar, she says. A business doesnt happen from one big decision. Its a combination of 20 decisions you make each day and they form together and its all the little stuff rather than the big stuff. Loading The coronavirus pandemic was a challenge for Carmans, with employees working around the clock to keep shelves stocked with product when people started stockpiling food. It was all panic buying and you have to remember there was a million more people in Australia than normal because no one was travelling, Creswell says. Then no one can go to restaurants, so the big outing was to the supermarket. Theyve rediscovered the joy of breakfast: Carolyn Creswell at her companys Melbourne warehouse. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Creswell says there was a big increase in purchases of more premium products, such as Carmans breakfast ranges, while sales of lunchbox items such as muesli bars declined. Then the business had to contend with a lull in sales when peoples pantries were fully stocked because they had bought so much at the start of the pandemic. Creswell says Carmans products are not expandable items such as chocolate, which customers eat more of if it is available. Customers didnt put more muesli in their bowl in the morning just because there was more muesli in the house. In the wake of the pandemic, buying patterns have normalised but Creswell says sales are up. Theyve rediscovered the joy of breakfast, she says. People often thought, Oh well, thats just a chore, and Ill just grab that and eat it on my way. And now more people, I think, are actually taking their breakfast and having it at home or at the office. Creswell says most people have the same thing for breakfast every day, so once a customer starts eating Carmans, they are very loyal. We wake up and we want to be the best version of us and want to do the right thing, she says. Well change around a little bit at lunch but stay relatively healthy. And then by about 3.30 in the afternoon, all bets are off and well have anything for dinner. Creswell is awarded Telstra Businesswoman of the Year in 2012. The other unexpected benefit from the pandemic was an expansion of Carmans product range. We worked really hard in COVID because there was nothing else to do, so we have just brought out 31 new products, which is a ridiculous record for us, Creswell says. They are probably the most successful things weve ever done. As with many businesses, one of Creswells main challenges now is finding staff, and she is hopeful the recent change in government will lead to a loosening of the immigration restrictions imposed during the pandemic. We need more workers, we need to open up immigration, she says. Our waiter brings over our steak frites weve both ordered the same dish because its the most popular thing on the menu with good reason. Loading Inspired by the menu at Parisian icon Le Relais de lEntrecote, the steak is cooked medium rare, sliced and smothered with the restaurants secret herb sauce, which has proved to be so popular that you can now buy it to serve at home. Accompanied by crisp, salty French fries and a bowl of lightly dressed salad leaves, its classic French bistro fare served with flair. I love working in the food industry as I think you get that sense of how pleasurable food can be and how much joy it can bring you, Creswell says. As a mother of four, she has a ready-made product testing panel, although Creswells children have been known to swap the food in their carefully prepared lunchboxes with their friends. Theres a lot of complexities around what kids eat, she says. Because youre always dealing with the challenges: this one doesnt eat avocados, and this one has braces, and this one likes to trade their food. Entrecotes classic steak frites with secret herb sauce. Credit:Simon Schluter Creswell says while she is part of a minority group as a female entrepreneur, her gender was not an issue until she became a mother. Ive worked in a male-dominated industry but Ive been able to use my gender to my advantage, she says. I was able to win the Telstra Business Woman of the Year that gave me enormous PR and there was no mens award. But once Creswell had children, traditional gender roles were often assumed, even though her husband, Pete, does a lot of the heavy lifting. The bill from lunch with Carolyn Creswell at Entrecote. Credit:Cara Waters My phone goes crazy because all play dates come to me, she says. My husband, hes the one doing the drop-off, and no one ever texts him. Theres Mothers Day lunches and Fathers Day dinner and pizza nights. A lot of that stuff Im trying to fight because it brings enormous guilt for working mothers. Were just about to leave when two glasses of complimentary chestnut apple liqueur poured over ice arrive at our table. Its something neither of us would ever have ordered but its absolutely delicious. Creswell says her superpower is being able to tell what Carmans products people eat just by looking at them. I went to a wine cellar door the other day and the guy said, I love your bars, she says. I said, I know you eat the chocolate espresso. A 16-year-old boy that rows? I know he eats the cranberry nut bars. She picks me as a Carmans classic fruit and nut muesli eater and shes spot on. I know what people eat before they tell me, she smiles. Thats what you get from 30 years in business. I recently returned from the Republic of Ireland, a nation with a modern history of referendums mostly successful on socially divisive issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion. I stepped off the plane in Sydney into an unfolding debate about the level of detail required for a constitutional amendment to enshrine a First Nations Voice, as called for in the Uluru Statement. The Irish referendum experience can teach us much about how to run a referendum, in particular about the need for detail. Basically, the lesson is to treat voters with the respect they deserve as the ultimate sovereigns of our constitutional order. How to secure a yes vote in the referendum for the Voice? Credit:Ben Plant The Irish people are wary of vagueness in referendum proposals; they rightly want to know what they are being asked to do. But there is also an understanding of the role of the people and the role of the legislature, in particular amendments. For instance, in the abortion referendum the proposed amendment was to remove a prohibition on abortion and return the authority to the Irish parliament to regulate abortion in the country. When the referendum was proposed, the government also published a policy paper that detailed when abortion would be permissible, and how it would guide the subsequent enactment of legislation. But finding all the needed nurses to say nothing of the increased number of other staff vital for effective reform will be enormously difficult. Those who might have seen Labors win as an end to our national climate wars were prematurely optimistic. Ironically, the early days of the new parliament will see another stage in this battle. Labor doesnt need to legislate its new target, but wants to do so to underline its intentions and send strong signals to investors and the world in general. To get the legislation through will require the support in the Senate of the Greens and one more senator. The Greens party room on Wednesday reiterated its view that Labors policy is not ambitious enough, but gave leader Adam Bandt authority to negotiate. After the meeting the Greens said: Areas of concern remain the adequacy of the target, the need for targets to be ratcheted up and for the bill to operate as a floor not a ceiling, the lack of enforcement mechanisms, and new coal and gas projects that would lift pollution. One Greens source says were at the diplomacy table, not in the trenches. Greens leader Adam Bandt has his partys authority to negotiate on climate policy, but there are some aspects PM Anthony Albanese says the government will not move on. Credit:The Age Labor has indicated it is open to tinkering with detail but wont budge on core substance. There will be no change in the target, no ban on new mines. The government cant afford to make sizeable concessions to the Greens, not least because that would cast doubt on the reliability of its word. It is also anxious to signal it is not hostage to the Greens, despite its dependence on them in the upper house when legislation is contested. Can the Greens afford to give in to the government and not oppose the bill? They would disappoint their hard-line supporters. They too, in political terms, need differentiation. But if they were to sink the legislation, theyd be accused of putting purist ideology ahead of supporting progressive policy. The Greens have quite a lot on the line in their decision. Loading All this will take some time to play out. The legislation could go to a Senate committee. The final vote could be a way off. The Coalitions internals on the climate legislation will be interesting. Peter Dutton has flagged his opposition. Im making it very clear to the Labor Party now that we arent supporting the legislation, he told the ABC in June. The much-reduced Liberal moderates are not happy with that captains call ahead of the party-room discussion. There is speculation one or two might cross the floor. And what about the teals? Their votes are irrelevant in the lower house, but crossbencher David Pococks vote might be needed in the Senate. The government will want to be polite to the teals, but, in the end, its the numbers that count. The parliamentary fortnight will be closely observed for its tone, its vibe, as well as its substance. While the teals and other crossbenchers wont be determining outcomes in the House of Representatives, the crossbench there, now numbering 16, will have a significant presence, including a reasonable opportunity to quiz and critique ministers. Dutton has a ragtag bunch to manage, with senior people having trouble finding their feet in their straitened political circumstances. When parliament is sitting an opposition has a platform, but the Coalition will be struggling to make the most of it, at least in the foreseeable future. Dutton has a ragtag bunch to manage, with senior people having trouble finding their feet in their straitened political circumstances. There are still major arguments to be had about how the opposition positions itself. This is not uncharted ground. Labor faced the same situation after its 2019 defeat when it was even more shattered, because the loss was unexpected. The lesson for Dutton (though it would go against the grain) should be to stay low-key for a while until hes listened and thought things through. Its a long road to the next election. Loading Presently the opposition is speaking with conflicting voices on current issues for example, it has been divided over whether the border to Bali should be closed to keep out foot and mouth disease. The government will spruik its own plans in parliament, but it will also keep reminding the public of criticisms of the Morrison government. This will complicate the oppositions attempts to pursue ministers. For instance, it would be logical for the opposition to home in on Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells, given the COVID crisis in residential facilities. But Labor would quickly hark back to the record of former minister Richard Colbeck. The former government leaked information about a suspected asylum-seeker boat entering Australian waters to select journalists against the express advice of the Department of Home Affairs on the day of the federal election. A report on the handling of a public statement around the intercept of a Sri Lankan boat on May 21 found departmental staff had preserved the apolitical character of the public service by refusing to send the statement directly to certain journalists or post it to social media while the operation was still under way. The trawler that was intercepted by the Border Force west of Christmas Island on May 21, the morning of the federal election. But a timeline in the report by Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo showed journalists were briefed on the intercept ahead of a short press conference with then-prime minister Scott Morrison, and after the office of then-home affairs minister Karen Andrews repeatedly questioned department staff about why it was taking so long for the statement to go live online. New Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil said in a statement the former government had compromised the operation, and had failed in its duty to protect the country. Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro went on a trade trip to the US just four months after he allegedly told his then chief of staff that he wanted a plum government job in New York post-politics. Official government travel diaries show Barilaro went on an eight-day trip to the United States with his former chief of staff Mark Connell and senior bureaucrat Gary Barnes in August 2019 after he allegedly told Connell that he wanted a New York posting once he resigned from parliament. Former deputy premier John Barilaro went on a trade trip to the US in 2019. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Barilaro was appointed as a $500,000-a-year commissioner in the United States last month but has since quit the role, conceding that his appointment was a distraction and untenable. As reported by the Herald, it has emerged that not one key document relating to Barilaros appointment has been provided to the NSW upper house, despite an order of parliament. Three horses were shot dead on a rural Yellowstone County property southwest of Acton earlier this week. The sheriffs office is investigating the death of three mares shot sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, said Ted McFarland, who lives on the property. I feel I know what a drive-by shooting victim feels like cause those horses are family, McFarland said. McFarland, 68, is the third generation in his family to operate the ranch on Popelka Road, near the northern border of the county. He lives on the property with his wife, Lisa McFarland, and his two daughters. McFarland saw the three horses Tuesday morning while he was checking the water for his cows. They were staying in a pasture, he said, and appeared perfectly healthy while living off the knee-high grass that grew in the area. McFarlands daughters saw the two black mares and one chestnut alive and well on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, McFarland said, he could smell something rotting. He found all three horses dead in the pasture. He called the Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office and brand inspector with the Montana Department of Livestock. Investigators found gunshot wounds in all three horses. My familys been on this ranch, starting with my grandfather, almost 100 years. Im 68 years old, and nothing like this has ever happened before, McFarland said. McFarland and his family trained, broke and road the three horses for years, he said, until the workload at the ranch forced him to adopt ATVs. While the horses were no longer being used for ranch work, McFarland said he made sure for the past five years that they were fed and watered in their pasture. The investigation into the horses death is still ongoing, and investigators are currently searching for shell casings in the area. With the grass so high, McFarland likens it to finding a needle in a haystack. The McFarland family is offering a $500 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of who is responsible for killing their horses. Anyone with information can contact YCSO at (406) 256-2929. A key Japanese business leader has told NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet that his country will not reach its emission reduction targets without NSWs burgeoning green hydrogen industry. As part of his first trade mission to Japan as premier, Perrottet met the chair of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Akio Mimura, who outlined how critical NSWs green hydrogen was to Japans decarbonisation. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet with Iwatani Corporations Yukio Awazu viewing the companys liquified hydrogen tanks in Tokyo on Friday. Credit:AAP Japans target is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 but Mimura told Perrottet at an industry event on Thursday night that the country could only achieve that goal through significant imports of hydrogen. Perrottet delivered a state of the state address at the event for business leaders, and outlined NSWs commitment to green energy, including supporting $270 billion of investment in NSW by 2050. West Australian upper house Liberal MP Tjorn Sibma has issued a desperate plea to his party to stop cannibalising progress in holding the McGowan government to account by letting infighting play out in public. A factional tit-for-tat has been playing out in media in the lead-up to the Liberal state conference later this month between the recently created Liberal Reform Coalition and party members linked to the powerbroker alliance known as the Clan. Liberal MLC Tjorn Sibma. Credit:David Broadway We have a serious job to get on with holding the McGowan government to account and in presenting high-quality policy solutions to the public, we cannot afford to waste any more energy fighting among ourselves, Sibma said. LRC members and former Barnett cabinet ministers Norman Moore and Mike Nahan sent a letter to the partys entire membership base this week demanding it adopts significant constitutional reforms to reduce the influence of the Clan at the conference. Like many young people in Sydney, Jacob Darkin is on the hunt for a rental property after being told the home he now leases is for sale. While hes looking for a property in Parramatta to be close to work and family, the 25-year-old who uses a wheelchair fears he may not be able to find anything accessible in the suburb. Jacob Darkin fears he wont be able to find an accessible rental when he has to move. Credit:Wolter Peeters Where you live shouldnt be changed by having a wheelchair you should be able to live anywhere, Darkin said. The reality of not being able to find an accessible home, in a suburb of their choosing, is an issue that thousands of people with a disability are facing across NSW. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska carried the message personally to Washington on Wednesday, making a rare appearance before Congress by a foreign first spouse. She pleaded for more weapons, saying Russia was destroying our country. Loading Despite the Ukrainians renewed optimism, military analysts and Western officials say that its far too soon to forecast a turn in fortunes and that a long slog seems likely. They caution against hanging too many hopes on particular weapons amid the chaos and fluidity of a front line that winds hundreds of miles from Kharkiv in the north to Mykolaiv in the south. We are now achieving what we have not achieved before, said Taras Chmut, director of a nongovernmental group aiding Ukrainian soldiers. But there was no breakthrough at the front. There is no panacea, no magic wand, that will lead to victory tomorrow. Still, in Kyiv this week, senior Ukrainian security officials projected optimism. The faster our partners supply us with weapons, the faster we will end this war, said Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraines national security council. Ukraine has no intention of ceding territory in a negotiated settlement, as some in the West have suggested, he said. This is just a question of who beats whom. Ukraine received affirmation of its strategy from the United States on Wednesday, when the Pentagon committed to supplying four more HIMARS rocket launchers and other potent weaponry, including two NASAMS air-defense systems to help Ukraine protect against missile strikes. And Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin offered a more optimistic assessment of Ukraines chances Ukrainians fire toward Russian controlled territory in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Credit:Mauricio Lima/The New York Times Our assistance is making a real difference on the ground, Austin told a gathering of Western defence officials. Russia thinks that it can outlast Ukraine and outlast us. But thats just the latest in Russias string of miscalculations. Britains top intelligence officer, Richard Moore, head of MI6, also provided an optimistic assessment, saying of Russias military I think they are about to run out of steam. Moore said Russian forces will have to pause in some way, and that will give Ukrainians opportunities to strike back. Away from the battlefield, Ukraine got renewed economic support from the European Union, which is proposing that members reduce their gas consumption, fearing that President Vladimir Putin will cut off Russias gas exports to them. On Thursday, Russia resumed the flow of gas through a vital pipeline to Germany, easing fears of shortages, at least for the moment. A month ago, it looked like Russia had a significant upper hand. Ukrainian soldiers fought fierce, bloody and ultimately losing street battles and artillery duels for the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine. Some Western officials questioned the wisdom of such a scorched-earth approach, saying Ukraine could not win a war of attrition. Loading Even President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a rare public rumination over strategy, acknowledged the high costs in lives of trying to hold ground against the brunt of Russias army in the mostly deserted, destroyed communities, which he called dead cities, saying 60 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers were dying each day. Other Ukrainian officials put the toll higher. Ukrainian commanders said drawing out the phase of urban combat inflicted more casualties on the Russians than Ukrainians. Reznikov, the Ukrainian defence minister, said that 9,000 to 11,000 Russian troops were killed in the fighting there, which he said justified the Ukrainian tactics. (His claim could not be independently verified). The intensity of the fighting has diminished in the Donbas since Sievierodonetsk fell and the Ukrainians withdrew from Lysychansk, suggesting the Russians were either pausing to reposition or that their capabilities were significantly degraded. Attention has shifted south and west to the area near the Dnieper River, where Ukraine has made use of long-range artillery supplied by Western countries including the United States to strike targets deeper behind the front lines. As it steps up attacks in the south, Ukraine is confronting another strategic quandary: how it should use its new, lethal capabilities. Concentrate firepower to defend in the east or attack toward the occupied southern city of Kherson, which is held by Russians but seen as vulnerable? Strategy is about choices, and choices come with trade-offs, said Michael Kofman, director of Russian studies at CNA, a research institute in Arlington, Virginia. Western officials understand Ukraines desire to reclaim territory and deliver a victory that will give hope to its people. But some Western officials fear its military is not ready for a major counteroffensive in the region near Kherson. Ukraine counters that it has avoided hasty or risky maneuvers with the new weaponry and will not move prematurely. Hello there. My name is Liam Phelan, and I am filling in for Bevan Shields for the next fortnight while he takes a well-earned break. I have just been appointed deputy editor, a position I am honoured and excited to take on. Ive worked at the Herald for 17 years, and although I started as a print sub-editor, over the past decade I have really enjoyed the transition to the digital world. It gives us so much more scope to present our journalism in innovative ways to a whole new audience. At the core of good journalism, whether its presented in print or online, is good storytelling. A four-part series I helped produce this week about Ukraine had this in spades, as well as a commitment to hold powerful figures to account and give a voice to those who have been victimised and tortured. Alyona Lapchuk will travel to The Hague to give evidence about her husband Vitaliy Lapchuks torture and murder by Russian soldiers. Credit:Kate Geraghty Reporter Anthony Galloway and photographer Kate Geraghty travelled to Ukraine for a forensic look into how possible war crimes will be pursued against Russia. This was an expensive and dangerous mission, but one that goes to the heart of investigative journalism. They spoke to the victims of horrendous abuses, many of whom were lucky to escape with their lives. When an entire nation becomes a crime scene, how will international investigators go about their work and document atrocities that might bring some justice and retribution to the victims? As violence inside the Capitol escalated and elected members had to be rushed to safety, Trump tweeted that then-vice president Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our constitution and stop the certification of the election result. The hearing heard that despite knowing the Capitol had been breached and the mob was in the building, Trump called Pence a coward and put a target on his own vice presidents back. Minutes later, Pence had to be evacuated to safety for a second time by the Secret Service as senators ran through the hallways of the Senate to get away from the mob. Pence came within 12 metres of the rioters. At that point, Trump called Senator Thomas Tuberville, one of his strongest supporters in the Senate, who had to end the call to evacuate the chamber himself. Former deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger said he was disturbed by the tweet. The tweet looked to me like the opposite of what we really needed that moment, which was a de-escalation and thats why I had said earlier that it looked like fuel being poured on the fire, he said. That was the moment that I decided that I was going to resign, that would be my last day at the White House. I simply didnt want to be associated with the events that were unfolding on the Capitol. Then-White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews agreed and said the tweet had given the green light to rioters that what they were doing at the steps of the Capitol was OK, that they were justified in their anger. Im someone who has worked with him. I worked on the campaign, travelled all around the country going to countless rallies with him and Ive seen the impact that his words have on his supporters, she said. They truly latch on to every word in every tweet that he says and so I think that in that moment for him to tweet out the message about Mike Pence, it was him pouring gasoline on the fire and making it much worse. Rio de Janeiro: Public prosecutors have charged three individuals with the June murder of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in the remote western reaches of Brazils Amazon rainforest. All are local riverine dwellers, and their motive was that Pereira asked Phillips to photograph them when they passed by in a boat, the prosecurtors statement said. The area is a hotspot for illegal fishing and poaching. Indigenous leader Kamuu Wapichana speaks in front of a banner showing freelance British journalist Dom Phillips, left, and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira. Credit:AP Phillips and Pereira had met with indigenous people near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia, and were travelling along the Itaquai River back to the city of Atalaia do Norte when they were attacked. Their disappearance generated intense international outcry and pressure for action and, with the help of local indigenous people, authorities located their bodies hidden in the forest. Prosecutors presented their charges on Thursday (Brazil time), outlining that two of the men Amarildo da Costa Oliveira and Jefferson da Silva Lima had confessed to the crime, while witness testimony indicates Oseney da Costa de Oliveira also participated, according to the statement. A loccasion de ce 21 juillet 2022, jour de la fete de Schoelcher mais egalement jour de la Fete de Grand-Case, je voudrais revenir sur deux points : Moi, descendant desclaves, je pourrai trouver des raisons de ne pas celebrer Schoelcher aujourdhui. Je pourrai faire de nombreux reproches a ses demarches meme sil ma a ete dit quelles etaient en faveur de labolition de lesclavage. Il faut se rendre a levidence et admettre que beaucoup decrits aujourdhui contredisent le role de Victor Schoelcher dans son combat pour la liberation de lhomme noir. Tant que cette histoire nest racontee que par une seule et meme personne, laccent ne sera mis que sur un seul aspect. Nous savons ce qui est important dans le devoir de memoire et je ne vais pas metendre davantage. Aujourdhui, il me semble plus interessant de celebrer avec vous la Fete de Grand-Case, la Fete des habitants de Grand-Case, la Fete de ce qui fait la particularite de votre quartier. En ma qualite de President de la Collectivite dOutre-Mer de Saint-Martin et donc de tous les habitants de ce territoire, je veux avant tout que le programme que mes services ont mis en place pour cette fete de quartier, permette de rassembler les habitants durant un moment festif, culturel et sportif. Je veux en cette journee celebrer avec vous ce qui est specifique a Grand-Case et vous dire mon intention de mettre en place dans les jours a venir, une politique de conservation, de restauration et de valorisation du patrimoine de votre quartier, comme etant un veritable benefice pour la population du quartier. Jen profite pour annoncer que leglise catholique sera reparee et la maison des associations tant attendue, construite. Je veux aussi vous dire ma volonte de creer ici a Grand Case un chantier pour la construction de bateaux a voile traditionnels. Je sais que cest une attente forte de nos pecheurs locaux. Aujourdhui est avant toute chose une occasion de celebrer avec vous, les habitants de Grand-Case, la culture locale et de mieux comprendre et decouvrir la richesse du patrimoine de Grand-Case. Donc vous laurez compris, je ne suis pas venu ici aujourdhui pour celebrer quelquun. Je suis ici, a cette fete de quartier, parce que cest loccasion pour moi de rencontrer les habitants et dechanger avec eux. Mon intention est de passer un bon moment avec vous et surtout de revenir plus tard pour admirer les feux dartifice. Quand nous avons opte pour levolution statutaire en 2007, nous lavions fait dans lintention de construire ensemble ce qui mettrait en valeur notre territoire dans tous ces aspects. Cest ce que je suis venu vous proposer aujourdhui. Je veux relancer ce processus. Je veux que chacun se sente partenaire. Je veux mobiliser les acteurs tels que les associations, les commercants, les entreprises installees a Grand-Case. Cest ensemble que nous mobiliserons les initiatives citoyennes locales qui repondent a des besoins identifies - d'autant plus qu'elles s'inscrivent dans une volonte de vivre ensemble et creer du lien. Si je suis President, cest parce que je crois a un Saint-Martin capable dameliorer les choses. Je crois aussi a une ile et sa population, fideles a leur histoire, a nos racines, fideles a notre culture. Une population audacieuse et qui croit en la solidarite, qui surmonte ses peurs pour aller de lavant. A loccasion de cette fete de Grand-Case qui symbolise notre fraternite, jappelle a chacun a se rassembler autour de ce projet afin quil vive de nos aspirations et de nos valeurs. Je souhaite longue vie a Grand-Case, longue vie a sa population et longue vie a Saint-Martin. On the occasion of this July 21, 2022, the Schoelcher fete but also the Grand-Case Fete, if you allow me, Id like to dwell on two points: As a descendant of enslave people, I can find reasons not to celebrate Schoelcher today. I can find many negatives to the so-called battles he fought even if I was told that they were in favor of the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of slaves. Many texts have been written to minimizing the role of Victor Schoelcher in the emancipation of black people. But I choose not to dwell on that today. The point though, is that as long as this story about our emancipation from slavery is told by one and the same person, the focus will only be on one aspect. Today, I think it more important and significant to celebrate with you the Grand-Case Fete, the Fete of the inhabitants of Grand-Case, the Fete of what is specific to your district. In my capacity as President of the Overseas Collectivity of Saint-Martin and therefore of all the inhabitants of this territory, I want above all that the program that my services have set up for this neighborhood fete, to bring together the inhabitants during a festive, cultural and perhaps sporting moment. On this day, I want to celebrate with you what is specific to Grand-Case and tell you my intention to put in place in the coming days, a policy regarding the conservation, the restoration and enhancement of the heritage of your neighborhood, as being a real benefit for the population of the Grand Case and neighborhood. I want to say today loudly Grand Case catholic church will be repaired. The visit this morning before the office tells me how urgent it is. La Maison des Associations will also be built during this mandate. It is also my priority to build a boat yard in this area to build local sailing boats. Today is above all an opportunity to celebrate with you, the inhabitants of Grand-Case, your local culture and to better understand and discover the rich heritage of your district. So, you can see, I didn't come here today to celebrate a person. I am here, at this neighborhood party, because it is an opportunity for me to meet the inhabitants and exchange with them. My intention today is to stay as long as I can in Grand Case exchanging with you and to come back later for the fireworks. When we opted for the change of status in 2007, we intended to build together what would enhance our territory in all its aspects. That is what I have come to propose to you today. I want to start this process again. I want everyone to feel like a partner. I want to mobilize actors such as associations, businessmen and women, and companies that are based in Grand Case. It is together that we will mobilize local citizen initiatives that respond to identified needs - especially seeing these needs are part of a desire to live together and create links in favor of each other. If I am President, it is because I believe in a Saint Martin capable of improving things, an island and its people faithful to their history, to its roots, to its culture. A bold population that believes in solidarity, that overcomes its fears to move forward. On the occasion of the Grand-Case fete that symbolizes our fraternity, I call on everyone to gather around this project so that our aspirations and values live on. Before leaving I must address 3 concerns close to my heart. The wreckless riding on the bikes from French Quarter to Sandy Ground, with no regard for the law. The unsafety of our young people is a real concern. We have to be involved in the security not to be at fault. I want to call the fathers to stay close to the education of their children. Our young people need this support of their fathers, it will definitely help them. The health of our population is also a concern, mostly the patients that are treated at the AUDRA Dialyse department in Concordia. I want to say I will give my help to better the condition of this structure that needs to be improved and renovated. I wish long life to Grand-Case, long life to its people, and long life to Saint-Martin. ` Louis MUSSINGTON Empress Royalty reports first gold pour at Manica gold mine Empress Royalty Corp. (TSXV:EMPR | OTCQB:EMPYF) (aEmpressa or the aCompanya https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/empress-royalty-corp/ ) is pleased to report the Manica gold mine (aManicaa or the aMinea) has successfully completed its first gold pour. A Empress owns a 3.375% gold royalty on the Manica gold mine located in Mozambique and operated by Mutapa Mining & Processing LDA (aMMPa). aThe first gold pour at Manica is very exciting and a further example of Empress delivering on our strategy as another asset reaches production within 15 months of investment.A With this development, Empress will have three cash-flowing investments in the portfolio which are projected to generate significant revenue in the coming years,a stated Alexandra Woodyer Sherron, CEO & President of Empress.A aWe have demonstrated that our structured business model of wealth creation generates significantly higher returns on investment, and these will provide a solid platform whilst we expand the portfolio with more value-focused assets.a THE INVESTMENT Empress executed a Royalty and Purchase Agreement for the creation of a royalty on gold sales from Manica for a total investment of US$3M.A Payments to Empress under the Royalty Agreement are based on 3.375% of the revenues generated from the sale of gold from the Project until a total of 95,000 oz of gold have been sold. A Thereafter, the percentage shall reduce to 1.125% and shall continue into perpetuity. A The Royalty is secured by a first ranking security interest in certain assets of MMP. THE MANICA MINE MMP has advised Empress that the first gold has been poured at Manica. A Production was started with the introduction of low-grade ore to commission all parts of the processing circuit. A MMP reported to Empress that it plans for Manica to be at full commercial production by the end of the year. Manica is located in the Odzi-Mutare-Manica Greenstone Belt of Mozambique and comprises of several deposits on Xtracta?s Resources Plc mining concession licence 3990C (the aConcessiona) which includes four deposits being Fair Bride, Guy Fawkes, Boa Esperanza, and Dots Luck. A MMP and Xtract have entered into a collaboration and profit-share arrangement whereby MMP will build, finance and operate a carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant to process ore mined from Xtracta?s concession. A MMP reported to Empress that it is mining and processing the oxide and transitional ore at Fair Bride and other deposits on the Concession at its 42,000 tonnes per month processing plant which utilises a CIL process. Please see our February 22, 2021, and April 21, 2021, news releases on Empressa? website (www.empressroyalty.com) for further details on the project and the Royalty. QUALIFIED PERSON The disclosure contained in this News Release of a scientific or technical nature for the Manica project is based on a technical report entitled aNI 43-101 Technical Report on the Fair Bride Gold Project, Mozambiquea dated February 22, 2021, with an effective date of February 1, 2021 (the aFair Bride Technical Reporta). A The Fair Bride Technical Report was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and is available on the Companya?s profile at www.sedar.com. Technical information in this news release originates in the public disclosure set out above and has been reviewed and approved by Richard Mazur, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. ABOUT EMPRESS ROYALTY CORP. Empress is a global royalty and streaming creation company providing investors with a diversified portfolio of gold and silver investments.A Since listing in December 2020, Empress has built a portfolio of 17 precious metal investments and is actively investing in mining companies with development and production stage projects who require additional non-dilutive capital.A The Company has strategic partnerships with Endeavour Financial and Terra Capital which allow Empress to not only access global investment opportunities but also bring unique mining finance expertise, deal structuring and access to capital markets.A Empress is looking forward to continuously creating value for its shareholders through the proven royalty and streaming models. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains statements about Empressa? expectations regarding the economics of the Manica mine which are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as aexpectsa, abelievesa, aanticipatesa, aaims toa, aplans toa or aintends toa or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results awilla occur. Although Empress believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the timing and success in MMP completing the successful commissioning of the plant and bringing the Manica project into commercial production. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and Empress undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The information contained in this News Release derived from the Fair Bride Technical Report is subject to certain assumptions, qualifications and procedures described therein.A Reference should be made to the full text of the Fair Bride Technical Report.A The Fair Bride Technical Report is not and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this News Release.A The Fair Bride Technical Report, and consequently the disclosure below, is prepared as of a certain point in time and Empress is not in a position to determine whether any information with respect to those properties that may be material subsequent to the date of the applicable Fair Bride Technical Report exists. No qualified person has verified the data disclosed in the Fair Bride Technical Report on Empressa? behalf, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the Fair Bride Technical Report.A As Empress is not the operator of the Fair Bride property, it does not have access to the data underlying the Fair Bride Technical Report and it is unable to perform such verification. Why Are Non-Muslim Cemeteries Attacked in Turkey? Jewish cemetery desecration in Turkey. ( antisemitism.org.il) The Jewish community of Istanbul woke up on July 15 to learn of the most painful news published on social media: A Jewish cemetery had been subjected to the most cruel and callous attack. Gravestones had been desecrated, and some of the badly damaged graves had even been opened. The Chief Rabbinate Foundation of Turkey announced on Twitter that the Jewish cemetery in Istanbul's Haskoy neighborhood was targeted at midnight and 36 gravestones destroyed. A later investigation revealed that the scope of the attack was even more devastating than earlier thought. The marble stones of 81 graves were broken, according to the newspaper Duvar. Some graves were found to have been excavated. "After the attack, many people went to the cemetery to check whether the tombstones of their relatives were broken. "Those who destroyed the graves are allegedly children under the age of 18. The police took five children into custody for the damage they did to the gravestones. "Beni Yohay went to the cemetery to check the graves of his relatives and said: 'This is barbaric. This is a burial place. My blood froze when I saw the broken graves. I don't understand why they are doing this. This is not the first time such an attack has been carried out.' "Eli Yohani also went to the cemetery after seeing the news on social media. He said: 'Here are the graves of my father-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, and my father, who died two months ago. ... Things like this have also happened a few times before. There is nothing to say. Shame on those who did this.'" Muhlis Tatl claimed that the children may have targeted the cemetery upon the instruction of adults. "Kids don't do such things. An elder may have directed them," he said. A shopkeeper who works next to the cemetery said that the graves were previously desecrated by those searching for gold. Garo Paylan, an Armenian Parliament member of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), wrote on Twitter: "The fact that the attack on the Jewish cemetery was carried out by children aged between 11 and 13 does not alleviate the situation; it aggravates it. Who and what mentality have filled those children with hatred towards Jews?" Attacks against non-Muslim cemeteries are widespread in Turkey. When Assyrian (Syriac) Christians in the city of Mardin, located in southeast Turkey, went to the cemetery of the Mor (Saint) Paul and Peter on June 29--their namesake's feast day--Christians saw that the graves had been destroyed and the bones thrown out. David Vergili, a prominent Syriac-Assyrian journalist and editor-in-chief of the Syriac newspaper Sabro, has family roots in Mardin. He has lived in Europe for the past 20 years and written about minorities in Turkey for more than a decade. Vergili told JNS: "In the past two months, the graves of Syriac and Jewish communities in Turkey have been attacked and destroyed. The graves and holy places of the Armenian community have also experienced similar attacks before. These incidents and especially the attacks on the sacred places, graves and values of non-Muslim communities are not new and they constitute hate crimes. These attacks have racist, religious motives and mostly target groups that are not part of the Turkish-Islamic ideology. These attacks have been happening for years and there has been no improvement in the way the government responds to them. Given the past trauma of and attacks against the Christian and Jewish communities as well as the Turkish government's denial of its own crimes, it is obvious that even the dead are affected by these violations. The hatred and humiliating discourse towards minority groups in Turkey manifest themselves as direct attacks on minority groups. Not only the living non-Muslim minority communities, but also their sacred places and their dead are not fully recognized and respected by large segments of the society and the government/state of Turkey." As Vergili pointed out, Armenian cemeteries in Turkey are also familiar with similar attacks. An Armenian cemetery in the province of Van was reportedly destroyed by bulldozers in August of 2021. A deputy of the HDP, Murat Sarsac, asked Turkey's vice president, Fuat Oktay, in a parliamentary motion: "Has any investigation been initiated regarding the destruction of the Armenian cemetery? Why are the Armenian cemeteries, cultural and religious structures in Van not protected? If there is a protection measure, why do similar destructions occur frequently? Will you take any initiative to repair the destroyed cemeteries, cultural and belief structures in Van? Do you have any plans to protect the many derelict Armenian cemeteries in Van? Has an inventory of Armenian monasteries, churches and cultural structures in Van been prepared?" Oktay is yet to answer the questions. Sarsac also pointed out these sorts of incidents are often reported in Van. "In 2017, a public toilet, some sort of dressing room and a carpark were built on Dilkaya Tumulus and the Armenian cemetery in Van," he continued. "Because of treasure hunters and the negligence of the authorities, precious historical and cultural patrimony in and surrounding Van are damaged." Attacks by Muslims against non-Muslim cemeteries--the cemeteries of Christians, Jews and Yazidis--have long history in Turkey. Ottoman Turkey committed genocide against Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks from 1913 to 1923. This crime is also recognized as genocide by the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Following the genocide, cultural and religious heritage belonging to those communities including their cemeteries are targeted, and in many cases, destroyed, across Turkey. Even after the founding of Turkey in 1923, such attacks continued. During the pogrom that targeted Greeks, Armenians and Jews in Istanbul on Sept. 6-7, 1955, cemeteries were violently attacked. According to an article by Speros Vryonis Jr., a historian who specialized in Byzantine, Balkan and Greek history, Turks "profaned and soiled the Greek Orthodox religious vessels; they smashed and dug up the graves in Greek cemeteries, throwing out the bones and remains of the dead; they affected circumcisions on some elderly priests on the streets during the pogrom." Yazidis, a non-Muslim community native to the Middle East, are also victims of such assaults. Subsequent Turkish governments and Muslim citizens of Turkey have made varied efforts to Islamize the Yazidis. Author Yasar Batman writes that Yazidi temples were destroyed, and Yezidi graves were defaced in Turkey. According to Batman, Yazidis lay their dead in graves on their backs facing the sun. But many Yazidi graves were opened, and the dead bodies were placed according to Islamic rules--this time facing the Qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. Sadly, Turkey has transported this destructive tradition to Cyprus. Christian and Jewish cemeteries have been destroyed in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the Republic of Cyprus since the 1974 Turkish military invasion. According to a 2012 report, "Even the cemeteries in occupied Cyprus became a target for the mania for the destruction of the Turkish invaders and their associates. "British journalist John Fielding reported (The Guardian, May 6, 1976) that he and his TV crew had visited 26 villages in occupied Cyprus where Greek Cypriots used to live and did not find a single cemetery which had not been desecrated. "In another report from Cyprus The Observer (March 29, 1987) states that vandals desecrated a great number of British graves in occupied Cyprus, some of them belonging to soldiers who fought in the First World War. According to the article, in the British cemetery at Famagusta all the crosses have been smashed, while at a cemetery in Kyrenia, the graves had been opened and the headstones smashed to pieces." Among the desecrated and destroyed cemeteries in the occupied north of Cyprus is the historic Margo Jewish Cemetery in southeast Nicosia. Why are attacks against non-Muslim graves so commonly committed by many Turks, and why is there so much apathy towards these abuses? Ayse Gunaysu, a member of the Commission Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association (IHD), told JNS: "Turkey is a land of genocide. After the 1913-23 genocide against Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians, hatred against non-Muslims has been encouraged by the state's anti-minority policies ever since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, and this hatred has dominated the societal climate. The destruction of cemeteries is the destruction of the memory closely linked to the genocide. "Photographs of the looting of the stores and businesses during the Sept. 6-7, 1955 pogrom in Istanbul are often shared, creating a perception as if this pogrom stemmed from "hostility towards the wealth of non-Muslims. "However, the Sept. 6-7 pogrom showed a particularly terrible face in the attacks on churches and the graves of saints in churchyards. Graves were destroyed, and bones were scattered. Even a newly buried dead body was hung from a tree and a Turkish flag was stuck in its stomach. Photographs by Dimitros Kalumenos, the official photographer of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, published in two books by Istos publications, recorded the devastating images of attacks on churches and cemeteries during the pogrom. Hatred of non-Muslims is a state of existence that dominates large sections of Turkish society. As long as this hatred continues in Turkey, the destruction of non-Muslim graves will continue." Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara. Habitat for Humanity homeowner Ali Fischer, left, and her daughter Madi talk with Governor Greg Gianforte after Fischer received the keys to her new home in Red Lodge. The home was one of three built by the owners and local volunteers. The homes were built through a USDA Rural Development program, Red Lodge Area Community Foundation, Helena Area Habitat for Humanity, Trust Montana and Beartooth Electric. quantumrock launches the quantumrock Treasury Alpha Add-Onanow available on the quantumrock Treasuries Index via Credit Suisse (Bloomberg: CSEAQRUE) Posted by Publisher Internet The quantumrock Treasury Alpha Add-On, a unique strategy from the Munich-based team of deep tech engineers and financial experts which enhances fixed income portfolios, will now be available via the quantumrock Treasuries Index issued by Credit Suisse, one of the world\-s leading financial services providers. The development of the index provides institutional investors access to the quantumrock Treasury Alpha Add-On via various vehicles as well as enabling them to directly benefit from the portfolio-enhancing capabilities of the Alpha Add-On in their own portfolios.A aThe quantumrock Treasuries Index will provide investors with numerous opportunities to benefit from the quantumrock Treasury Alpha Add-On. We are very proud that Credit Suisse, one of the very big names in the industry, brings our product to market so prominently.a aStefan Tittel, CEO of quantumrockA The quantumrock Treasury Alpha Add-On enhances portfolios holding fixed income exposure through short trading strategies. The Alpha Add-On combines systematic strategies that predict the US Treasury marketa?s movements and, in accordance, takes occasional short positions in the 10-Year US Treasury future. The development of the new investable index enables investors to use vehicles such as total return swaps to supplement the portfolio-enhancing properties of the Alpha Add-On in their portfolios.A The benefits made more accessible to investors thanks to the investable index for the quantumrock Treasury Alpha Add-On are wide-ranging. The Alpha Add-On provides an enhancement of portfolios holding fixed income exposure through a significant and continuous improvement of the portfolioa?s metrics, reduction of protection costs, and regular expansion of alpha sources. These benefits are achieved by timing the market instead of holding continuous positions, regular retraining and modification, and a high discovery rate of alpha sources by quantumrocka?s unique, automated AI Platform. The launch of the quantumrock Treasuries Index by Credit Suisse is further industry recognition of the success of quantumrocka?s AI Platform at identifying opportunities for alpha generation. Quantumrock is an AI asset tech company differentiating through an innovative AI/ML platform which is employed to rapidly analyse large amounts of market data to identify patterns and opportunities for Alpha generation, packaged for clients in Alpha-generating strategies that improve their funds or portfolios, so-called Alpha Add-Ons. The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and consists of around 30 deep tech engineers, finance/capital market experts and international former top executives from the banking and technology sector as employees and advisors. New Sanei SK1-311SK Linerless Kiosk Printer from Star Micronics High Wycombe, UK, 21 July 2022 Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of packaged and modular specialist kiosk printing solutions, announces the latest addition to its range of Sanei SK1 kiosk printers, the SK1-311SK linerless kiosk printer. This printer enhances Stara?s wide selection of highly compact Sanei open frame printers for limited space enclosures. The Sanei SK1-311SK can be built into a kiosk to offer a versatile labelling solution that supports full glue coverage MAXStickA media, as well as PlusD diamond pattern, making it ideal for a range of applications in the retail, hospitality and transport sectors. Designed to print repositionable variable length thermal labels, the SK1-311SK eliminates any unused white space on labels, thus reducing paper consumption. With its open chassis design, 200mm/sec print speed and 80mm paper width, the space-saving and lightweight SK1-311SK is perfect for integration into a variety of kiosk terminals for any self-service application. With StarPRNT emulation, Stara?s wide range of drivers / SDKs and utilities can be used for various operating systems. In addition, thanks to enhanced firmware, the paper in the SK1-311SK is periodically moved to prevent adhesion inside the unit if it is not used for long periods of time, whilst a textured sensor bar ensures accidental label adhesion is avoided. Furthermore, all SK1-311 models are available with RS-232C and USB interfaces which integrate with many current kiosk solutions. The SK1-311SK builds on Stara?s existing range of linerless printers that includes the Cloud enabled TSP654IISK printer with paper taken sensor. This printer has been integrated in global retail and hospitality applications for reliable and accurate food and product labelling as well as kitchen order printing. aIn response to the growing demand for compact printer mechanisms to meet the current trend for slim, space-saving kiosks, Star has actively expanded its range of Sanei printers,a states Simon Martin, Director & General Manager, Star Micronics EMEA. aOffering the new Sanei SK1-311SK linerless kiosk printer demonstrates Stara?s commitment to providing a variety of kiosk solutions with exceptional functionality and maximum flexibility.a Energy transition develops into a megatrend In the short term, the focus is on gas and oil supplies. In the medium term, the energy transition must be driven forward. For this, raw materials in demand must be used. One of the hopes here is green hydrogen. Generated from wind or solar energy, it is part of the \European Green Deal. With its National Hydrogen Strategy, the German government wants to increase the power generated to ten gigawatts by 2030. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has also urged governments to ensure that the rise in temperature is limited as quickly as possible. Commercial vehicles used for transport and logistics in particular can minimize their high CO2 emissions with hydrogen engines.A As a result, many partnerships have already joined forces to produce, use and transport hydrogen. With battery raw materials such as lithium and with platinum metals, for example, Sibanye-Stillwater https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcpMnGYd_pE is betting on the future. The company\-s projects are located in the USA and Africa, and it also has rights and interests in gold projects. Many see the hydrogen and solar industries as particularly attractive areas of the energy transition. In addition to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and governments, the Russia-Ukraine war is also prompting rapid action on climate friendliness. Wind energy ranks first in Germany as a sustainable energy source. Solar energy is also making headway, with the cost of photovoltaic technology falling. Southern European countries in particular can score points here with their climate. In order for these technologies to provide energy in a meaningful way, storage systems are needed. Lithium and cobalt, among other things, are used for this purpose, both in electric cars and home storage systems as well as in mobile devices. Cobalt increases energy density. Cobalt is not only available in the Congo, but also in the Nordic Arctic at Mawson Gold\-s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh0stFKsYwk Rajapalot gold-cobalt project (Finland). Current corporate information and press releases from Mawson Gold (https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/mawson-gold-ltd/) and Sibanye-Stillwater (https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/sibanye-stillwater-ltd/). In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid. Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998 312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/ Gold dispute In Venezuela, there is a dispute over the key to more than 1.5 billion in gold. This is a legal dispute between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido that has been going on for years. The gold is stored at the Bank of England. Now the legal battle continues again in the London High Court, the UK\-s highest court. Last year, it was ruled that Guaido was the head of state of Venezuela. The latter thus assumed that he had the decision-making power over the 31 tons of gold bars. However, since the Supreme Court in Venezuela had ruled that Guaido\-s appointment to an ad hoc central bank board was invalid, the case must now be heard again in London. By the way, there is a dispute about the \Crimean gold, for about eight years, between Russia and Ukraine. In the third instance, the dispute is now pending before the highest court of the Netherlands in The Hague. The \Crimean gold\ is about valuable archaeological objects, about a quarter of which are made of gold. In this case, several pieces came from the National Museum in Kiev, they were the gold objects of the Scythians. Political developments took their course the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia. The \Crimean gold\ is currently in the Netherlands. One thing that should not be a matter of contention when it comes to gold is the fact that unlike paper currencies, gold does not lose its value but retains it. Gold as a safe haven should soon move upwards in price, time will tell. So it\-s high time to look around at gold companies, and for the sake of diversification, perhaps even at royalty companies. Gold Royalty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9UVP9VFjnA focuses on gold in terms of royalties and precious metal offtakes in North and South America. Likewise, Osisko Gold Royalties https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LTHxgrpX7Q -. This company scores with over 165 royalty and precious metal sales. The second quarter of 2022 brought record earnings. Current corporate information and press releases from Gold Royalty (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/gold-royalty-corp/ -) and Osisko Gold Royalties (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/osisko-gold-royalties-ltd/ -). In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid. Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998 312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/ The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, names the United States, the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and several leading officials within those agencies as plaintiffs. The tribe is claiming the federal government has breached its obligation to keep Northern Cheyenne residents on the reservation safe, and demands that the DOI and BIA fulfill those obligations. TIRANA, Albania (AP) The Albanian Parliament has asked Europe's top human rights body to rescind a 2011 resolution that cited since-unsubstantiated allegations of human organ harvesting during the 1990s war in Kosovo. The parliament voted 125-0 late Thursday in favor of a motion asking the Council of Europe to clear both Albania and Kosovo of the organ trafficking claims. Supporters said such an action would help normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. That issue (organ harvesting claims) should end sometime so the people find the power to reconcile and live together, healing the wounds of the past," the resolution states. In 2011, the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution calling for a European Union mission in Kosovo to investigate war crimes and organ trafficking in Kosovo and Albania. It cited allegations that fighters from the now-disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army trafficked human organs taken from prisoners, slain Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians in both Kosovo and Albania. Numerous indications seem to confirm that, during the period immediately after the end of the armed conflict, before international forces were really able to take control of the region and re-establish a semblance of law and order, organs were removed from some prisoners at a clinic on Albanian territory ... and taken abroad for transplantation, the resolution stated. The resolution was based on a 2010 report by Swiss Sen. Dick Marty, a Council of Europe investigator, who said the KLA was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Serbs, Roma and ethnic Albanians suspected of collaborating with Serbs during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war. The KLA fought Serbia's forces to try to win independence for Kosovo, then a Serbian province. Marty's report also concluded there were cases in which some of the captives were killed for their organs to be sold on the international black market. A yellow house in a northern Albanian district was believed to serve as a clinic for organ harvesting and attracted international media attention. After a 2-year investigation, a special European Union prosecutor in 2014 said he had compelling indications that up to 10 captives were killed to have their organs harvested for illegal trafficking and black market sale during the war. However, the prosecutor said there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone for the alleged crimes. The motion adopted by Albania's lawmakers said the claims in Marty's report therefore remained unsubstantiated, unproved and not based on evidence and facts and consequently they should be considered as such by national and international institutions. Prime Minister Edi Rama, the leader of the Socialists, on Thursday called Martys report monstrous and denounced the KLA getting characterized as a criminals' terrorist unit dealing with organ trafficking. The report also was the basis for an amendment to Kosovos Constitution that established a special court to prosecute former KLA leaders over war crimes. An EU-backed war crimes court, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and a linked prosecutors office based in The Hague, has arrested five ex-KLA leaders since 2020, including Kosovos ex-president, Hashim Thaci, and former parliament speaker Kadri Veseli. They have denied wrongdoing. Only one of the five defendants has gone on trial. More than 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died during the war between the KLA and Serbian military forces before a 78-day NATO bombing campaign forced Serbia to pull its troops out and to cede control to the United Nations and NATO. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. The United States and most of the West recognize it a country, but Serbia supported by allies Russia and China does not. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Three family members were shot to death while camping in a state park in eastern Iowa Friday, and the suspected gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Officers responded to reports of the shooting at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground before 6:30 a.m. Friday, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Officers found three people fatally shot in a tent at the campground, division assistant director Mitch Mortvedt said. The three victims were related, Mortvedt said. Later Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Safety identified them as Tyler Schmidt, 42, Sarah Schmidt, 42, and Lulu Schmidt, 6, all of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Mortvedt didn't provide a motive for the killings. Officials immediately evacuated everyone from the park, a children's summer camp on the grounds and the campground. Once the evacuation was complete, the only registered camper not accounted for was 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, Mortvedt said. He was known to be armed. That of course heightened our awareness as well, Mortvedt said. Iowa allows people with permits to carry firearms virtually anywhere in the state. Officials did not say if Sherwin had a permit. Using a plane to help search the area, law enforcement later found Sherwin dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a wooded area of the park. Sherwin came from Nebraska, and investigators don't believe he had any prior relationship with the victims, Mortvedt said. Mortvedt said he could not say whether Sherwin had a criminal record. A search of online court records in Nebraska and Iowa did not produce any record of prior criminal behavior. Autopsies on Sherwin and the victims were scheduled to be performed over the weekend, Mortvedt said, and more information would likely be released based on those findings. The park, which remained closed Friday, is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Cedar Rapids. ___ Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Reproductive rights, gun laws and access to early voting highlighted a League of Women Voters event Wednesday night with two members of Greenwichs legislative delegation. State Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-36, and State Rep. Stephen Meskers, D-150, offered a bipartisan view at the event, the Leagues annual summer picnic held at the end of the legislative session. Here is what the legislators had to say about the recently concluded session. 8-30g reform Both Fazio and Meskers have supported reforms to the states 8-30g laws that mandate at least 10 percent of a municipalitys housing stock be deed restricted as affordable. Meskers called 8-30g a hot and heavy issue in Greenwich because of concerns that state mandates will take away local zoning authority. Greenwich has seen a number of new large-scale proposed developments come through the Planning and Zoning Commission in the past year that have met local resistance but could be approved under 8-30g. Its up to us to work with the state and try to amend the 8-30g statute and come up with our own plans to achieve more affordable housing, Meskers said, particularly focusing on housing for police officers, firefighter and other town employees. We have to figure out how to grow the town but in a reasonable ... way so its not by fiat or mandate. Fazio said 8-30g has not been an effective law, especially in Greenwich, where there is naturally occurring affordable housing in town that is below the market rate but not being counted in the states calculation. It means towns that are creating affordable housing in a discrete manner that is not deed restricted or government sponsored are not getting credit for the housing that exists that is affordable, Fazio said. Reproductive freedom Before the Supreme Court overruled precedent set in the Roe v. Wade case that established federal rights to an abortion, the legislature approved a bill that established Connecticut as a safe haven for people from other states seeking an abortion and expanded who could perform surgical abortions to include. Meskers voted in favor of the bill; Fazio voted against it. This bill lowered the standard so nurses and midwives and physicians assistants could also perform surgical abortions in the state, Fazio said. I voted against it because I was concerned about the lowering of safety standards in what I felt was not a full-considered way. Fazios remarks were challenged by audience member Christine Massaro, a retired midwife who said she delivered more than 2,000 babies. She asked him if he had ever seen a certified midwife in a hospital setting and why he was questioning her abilities. Fazio said he based his view on the recommendations of medical experts. Meskers touted his support for women to make their own choices on reproductive care, saying that neither he nor legislation should interfere in what happens between a woman and her doctor. I think the fundamental right on health care and reproductive rights should remain with the woman, Meskers said. The idea that other states could prosecute (Connecticut) doctors or prosecute their residents who come to my state for reproductive care that doesnt exist any more in their state strikes me as and you dont want to be dramatic as The Handmaids Tale. Its not acceptable. Early voting Early voting will be on the ballot this November with a statewide referendum to amend the state constitution to allow it. The League of Women Voters of Connecticut has said it is in favor of the change. Any revision to the state constitution would also require a vote by the legislature. Fazio said he would vote against the change if it passes as a referendum this fall, reminding people a similar referendum failed last decade. I think we need narrow and precise reforms that make it easy to vote but shouldnt make it too open ended and too broad, Fazio said. Unless you cant get to the ballot box with extenuating circumstances, I like the idea of people voting on Election Day ... rather than a month ahead of time. Meskers said he supported early voting while noting the role the media plays in late election coverage. We are going to be manipulated by the media in the last week or two weeks of an election with a lot of money spent to try and change your vote on an emotional appeal, Meskers said. A rational and secure early voting process should be supported and I am happy to see it supported. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com John Siau father of David Siau and grandfather of McKenzie Siau, who were killed last week in a violent incident in East Glacier Park Village on Wednesday evening released a video statement, where he spoke of grief, anger and forgiveness. Siau spoke of when Derick Amos Madden on Sunday evening drove his pickup into a group walking near a road in East Glacier. He then got out of the truck with a shotgun and began shooting at the group. David Siau and his 18-month-old daughter died in the attack. Christina Siau, Davids sister who had a previous relationship with Madden, fought back, killing Madden at the scene, according to law enforcement reports. Christy Siau, Davids wife, and Christina were both air-evacuated for high-level care. In his statement, John thanked everyone who has so graciously surrounded us, reached out and helped us through this difficult time. As Ive talked to each of my children we have a very large family I said to them, Grieve, be sad, but dont harbor anger about what has happened, Siau said. Because what we have seen is actually the result of somebody who has harbored anger in his own life, allowed it to fester, and allowed it to grow and develop into something very terrible and unspeakable. John shared a prayer. Christy and David were active in the First Baptist Church of Hoosick Falls, New York. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us, he said. Certainly the Siau family has had terrible trespasses committed against us, but our goal is to forgive. And God has told us, as we forgive those, he will forgive us." A GoFundMe has been set up for the victims' medical bills. An FBI official said the family has requested privacy beyond Thursday's video statement. Tesla Inc. has been going through supply chain hell, but Elon Musk believes the electric-car maker stands a chance of emerging from it in the second half of the year. The chief executive officer tempered his optimism while discussing Teslas better-than-expected earnings, emphasizing how challenging its been to secure parts and materials. Tesla sold roughly 75% of its Bitcoin holding due to concerns about the companys liquidity last quarter, when its Shanghai plant shut for weeks. We have the potential for a record-breaking second half of the year, Musk said on a call with analysts Wednesday. The past few years have been quite a few force majeures, and its been kind of supply chain hell for several years. Tesla shares rose 2.6% to $761.51 as of 8:25 a.m. Thursday in New York, before the start of regular trading. The stock has fallen 30% this year. The first major US automaker to report second-quarter results said in a letter to shareholders that increasing production at its two newest plants, in Germany and Texas, will take time and require overcoming ongoing supply issues. Musk, 51, said that while the larger battery cells Tesla has been trying to make itself wont be an important factor this year, the company has enough older-generation cells to meet its needs. Tesla left unchanged its plan to increase vehicle deliveries by 50% on average annually over multiple years. It will have to pick up the pace to hit that mark in the second half, as issues ranging from supply shortages and labor to logistical problems kept its factories from running at full capacity. They are maintaining their 50% growth rate, which is a bit of a surprise. I thought they might back off from that, said Gene Munster of Loup Ventures. They are doing a good job navigating a difficult environment. Tesla posted adjusted earnings of $2.27 a share, besting the $1.83 a share average of analysts estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That was below the $3.22 per share Tesla made in the first quarter, marking the first sequential profit decline since the end of 2020. Analysts are paying close attention to how quickly Tesla can ramp up output of its mass-market Model Y SUV from its new factories, and introduce its long-awaited Cybertruck pickup. Musk said on the call that Tesla is on track to start producing the truck in the middle of next year and thinks it could be the companys best product ever. Tesla said previously it delivered 254,695 vehicles worldwide in the quarter, up 27% from a year ago but down from its first-quarter record of 310,048. It was the first time in two years the company failed to increase vehicle deliveries from one quarter to the next. In April, Musk predicted the company would produce more than 1.5 million vehicles this year. Tesla had made about 564,000 through the first half. Teslas total revenue rose 42% from a year ago to $16.9 billion, meeting analysts average estimate. Sales from regulatory credits totaled $344 million, down from $679 million in the first quarter. Musk called Teslas dalliance in digital currencies a sideshow to a sideshow and said the company is open to increasing its holdings of cryptocurrencies even after it reported a Bitcoin impairment that reduced second-quarter earnings. The sale of most of Teslas digital assets should not be seen as some verdict on Bitcoin, he said. A new habitat leasing program saw a mix of praise and concern from state lawmakers this week with questions on mineral rights, funding and politics. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks proposes tapping state funding from hunting licenses in the Habitat Montana program along with federal dollars to lease up to 500,000 acres of prairie habitat in the next five years. Lease terms would limit development or other significant changes to land use as well as provide for some public access. FWP wildlife division administrator Ken McDonald detailed the program to the Environmental Quality Council, an interim legislative committee with oversight over the agency. He echoed FWPs previous messaging on the proposal, saying the program would fill a gap for landowners not interested in current programs such as perpetual conservation easements, although both easements and land purchases will continue to be pursued. And priority habitats would be sagebrush and grasslands important for sage grouse and other wildlife. One of the main comments we got that wasnt in support was concern that this program would take all of the resources from the traditional Habitat Montana, the acquisition and the easements, and so we want to make it real clear that that isnt the case, he said. Its an addition to, not in replacement of, acquisitions and easements. Hunter access remains a challenge in many parts of Montana where private landowners chose to restrict or prohibit hunting. Programs such as Block Management or other access agreements have worked to open millions of private acres; still, lack of access has become a significant issue as elk populations have surged in parts of central and eastern Montana. FWP land purchases as well as conservation easements that provide access have become controversial due to disagreements over some projects as well as politics. Along with acquisitions and conservation easements, FWP currently holds about 300,000 acres of conservation leases dating back to the mid-2000s, McDonald said. For a one-time fee, current leases generally allow grazing in sagebrush and grasslands while restricting draining of wetlands or clearing of native vegetation. Under a new leasing program, which will go to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission in August, FWP would pay a 5-10% one-time, per-acre fee on a 30- or 40-year lease. Lease terms would restrict development and provide for a certain amount of public access for hunting or other recreation. FWP will ask the commission for authority to begin signing up landowners up to 500,000 acres, meaning the department would not need individual approval for each lease. And unlike major acquisitions or conservation easements, leases would not be subject to approval of the Montana Land Board. Several lawmakers and public members of the council questioned aspects of the proposal. Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Libby, zeroed in on mineral rights. If we enter into a wildlife easement, what happens if that mineral right owner comes in and accesses the minerals, disturbs the surface area? he asked. A draft lease agreement states that if the owner of the surface rights and mineral rights are the same, they would be restricted from developing mineral rights. But if there is a split estate, meaning different owners, the mineral right owner would not be restricted from development, McDonald said. Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, focused on the funding, challenging FWPs assertion that a lease program is an addition to Habitat Montanas portfolio rather than replacing easements and acquisitions. Under the proposal, 25% of the funding would come from the state while 75% would be federal Pittman-Robertson dollars an excise tax on firearms and ammunition funding conservation. Its not really in addition, is it? Its a substitute, correct? Flowers asked. McDonald acknowledged that if theres more (funding) for here, theres less for other projects, but reiterated that FWP is not halting easements and acquisitions. Flowers, noting that Pittman-Robertson funding tends to ebb and flow, then questioned why the program is in the best interest of FWP and the use of funding. Our thinking is theres a lot of landowners interested in conservation, interested in maintaining working lands, but not interested in a perpetual easement, McDonald said. Its viewed as an additional tool to incentivize conservation. Other committee members applauded the new program. Sen. Steve Hinebauch, R-Wibaux, whose district includes a conservation easement that led to a clash at the Land Board, said counties had issues with lands being tied up forever. Great job and its something we need to embrace, we need to have more options, he said. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider the program at its Aug. 25 meeting in Helena. The Department for Romanians Everywhere (DRP), in partnership with the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Chances, as well as the Ministry of Sport, will officially launch the 13th edition of the "ARC" camps program, at the "Iustin Sohorca" Cultural Center in Sangeorz-Bai, on Tuesday, July 26, according to a press release sent by DRP to AGERPRES on Friday. Over 1,200 students and young people from historical communities, as well as from the diaspora, will spend unforgettable moments with the help of teachers and volunteers that support the consolidation of Romanian identity by deepening Romanian language knowledge, the quoted source shows. This program is aimed at students and Romanian youths from all over the world and is organized in the Oglinzi Leisure Center, in the county of Neamt, during the period of July 18 - August 22 and in Sangeorz-Bai, county of Bistrita-Nasaud, during the period of July 18 - August 15, in consecutive seven-day series. For 5 weeks, Romanian students and youths from Ukraine, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, France, Greece, Italy, Austria, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, USA and Northern Ireland will take part in workshops in Romanian and will deepen their knowledge about Romanian culture, history, geography and civilization. Moreover, trips to cultural and tourist sites in the area were prepared.AGERPRES The authorities at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point found 16 migrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan who tried to cross the border illegally into Hungary, hidden in two trucks loaded with plastics and copper. The drivers are a Bulgarian citizen and a Romanian one, transporting the goods to Belgium and Austria, according to a press release sent on Friday by the Arad Border Police. "Following the detailed control of the two means of transport, a total of 16 foreign citizens, 12 from Pakistan and 4 from Afghanistan, were discovered, hidden in the cargo compartments, among the transported goods. The persons were taken to the headquarters of the sector for investigation where, following the checks, the border police established that they are citizens of Pakistan and Afghanistan, most of them asylum seekers in our country and they intended to reach a country in Western Europe," the press release states. In both cases, the border police carry out investigations. AGERPRES Minister of Agriculture Petre Daea on Friday went to the headquarters of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA). Judiciary sources told AGERPRES that he is about to be heard as a witness in the case of the former minister, Adrian Chesnoiu, who is accused of abetment by allowing access to unauthorized persons to information that was not meant to become public, in order to obtain undue benefits (four crimes) and abuse of office. The 15th edition of the ARTmania Rock Festival kicks off on Friday, at 5:00 pm., in Piata Mare, in Sibiu. According to a press release from the organizers, the anniversary edition brings music and arts fans three days of concerts, 14 international and Romanian bands and a series of cultural events and creative activities. "At ARTmania Festival 2022, fans will be able to listen to some of the most popular artists of the moment in the Piata Mare in the old citadel of Sibiu: Mercyful Fate, Meshuggah, Transatlantic, Testament, Cult of Luna, Leprous, The Pineapple Thief, Stoned Jesus, The Vintage Caravan, plus Alternosfera, Bucovina, Dordeduh, Taine and the young band from Sibiu, Revolver," inform the organizers. At the same time, the completion of this year's line-up was announced with the Ukrainians from Stoned Jesus, one of the most famous rock bands in Eastern Europe. "With almost 500 live shows throughout their history, the band not only toured Europe and South America (twice), but also shared the stages of the biggest festivals with bands like Rammstein, The Prodigy, Ghost, Unkle, Slayer, Korn, The Offspring, Gojira, Dream Theater, Bring Me The Horizon and even with the legendary Black Sabbath. The trio was chosen as a support band by the iconic band Deep Purple for their 2018 concert in Kyiv, which was attended by 10,000 rock and metal fans," the organizers say. The organizers also announced that subscriptions and daily tickets for the anniversary edition of the ARTmania Festival are available for sale both physically and online. All subscriptions purchased for the festival in the 2019-2021 period remain valid for the 2022 edition, without additional cost or other changes. AGERPRES The June 22 passing of our founding president Eric Feaver left us shocked and sad, but it also left us more determined than ever to carry forward his lifelong mission to better the lives of Montana families. Over the course of his nearly eight decades, Eric Feaver served his country, his colleagues, his union members, the state of Montana, and his adopted hometown of Helena. Eric Feaver made an indelible imprint on everything he touched. It's nearly impossible to list in one editorial all of Erics crowning achievements on behalf of his neighbors and colleagues. Eric led numerous efforts in the Legislature and at the ballot box to protect against spurious attempts to wipe out critical funding of public services. Eric believed in democracy, and time and again, he stepped up to protect voting rights. Eric dedicated his last four decades to protecting the right of public employees to bargain with their employers, including state employees who now bargain with the governor through a consistent pre-budget bargaining process. He merged large, separate and fiercely independent unions twice, uniting and strengthening Montanas labor movement for the betterment of us all. Eric knew that unions are the only way to assure fairness, equitable treatment, due process, and a real middle class and he spent his entire life fighting to make sure that unions in Montana continued to thrive and that folks realized that unions are strongest when we work together. Erics largest legacy may be his work in public education. A public educator first and foremost, Eric triumphantly defeated every privatization and school voucher bill that came before the Montana Legislature to assure that public tax dollars are spent on public schools and not redirected to unaccredited, unaccountable, and even out-of-state institutions that would gladly profit from such schemes. Eric worked to completely reconstruct Montanas system of education funding not once, but twice in an ongoing effort to attain adequate and equitable school funding. Eric never backed down from a fight to defend the Montana Constitution and its visionary provisions regarding schools, universities, an independent judiciary, and good government. He worked to pass the six mill levy to fund our university system three times. He worked tirelessly to save our states retirement systems and ensure their assets would be secure from legislative raids. Feaver was a uniter, always willing to work with anyone, even if the day before they had been his sworn enemy. He put his neighbors, his community, and workers ahead of himself at every turn. He lifted others up, educating, training and setting the example for generations of fellow labor leaders, policymakers, educators. We are now, each of us, standing on his shoulders as we consider our role in protecting the Montana we love from privatizers and profiteers. Erics fire for justice was a candle that lit a ame in thousands of us who will carry the torch and fan the ames to protect Montanas constitutional guarantees. The Bolovani Gaming Reserve in Dambovita County (central-southern Romania) will be populated with fallow deer, and plans are afoot to bring in mouflon too, representatives of the Dambovita Forestry Directorate said. "We purchased 15 fallow deer which are now quarantined in a 0.5 hectare pen. They are all females, some of them were purchased pregnant and we also have seven calves. We will also bring in male specimens. In a few months this livestock will be relocated to other management units covering approximately 60 hectares," the head of the Racari Forestry District Catalin Musat told a press conference in Bolovani. The forestry authorities intend to repopulate the forest with wild boars, after an outbreak of African swine fever in 2019 killed the reserve's entire population of 277 animals, Agerpres.ro informs. The Bolovani hunting estate was set up in 1970 and covers a fenced area of 402 hectares. Wild boars were intensively raised here. A forest fire broke out at Babadag shooting range, at 13:00, on Friday, following activities done by French military, namely firing a 105 mm caliber cannon from armored cars, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informs. According to the source, because of the strong wind, the fire extended beyond the trench that binds the shooting range on the South-East side, towards the localities Salcioara and Enisala. The fire also affected a sheepfold that was approximately 200 meters South-East from the shooting range, Agerpres.ro informs. MApN informs that forces and means of intervention from the Ministry, along with forces from the "Delta" Emergency Management Inspectorate (ISU) of Tulcea county have intervened to put out the fire. ISU Tulcea says that the fire has taken over approximately 150 hectares of dry vegetation in vicinity of the Babadag shooting range and approximately 250 hectares of pasture in the village of Jurilovca. Furthermore, representatives of the Romanian Ministry specify that no human victims were registered. After putting out the fire, representatives of Babadag shooting range and the French partner will evaluate damages made to the sheepfold, as well as establishing the value of compensation and the means of granting them, in accordance with national legislation and current bilateral agreements, MApN says. The Tulcea Emergency Management Inspectorate was requested to intervene in the area of Salcioara, Enisala and at Babadag shooting range. At the scene there were three firefighting vehicles, one from the Babadag Firefighters Station and two trucks from the Tulcea detachment, including a large capacity vehicle. SVSU Jurilovca also intervened with two tankers and two tractors, and SVSU Sarichioi intervened with a firefighting truck. More than 11 tonnes of glass waste from Greece for a Romanian commercial company were stopped by the border police at the Giurgiu border crossing points for documents that did not comply with the legislation in force. "The Giurgiu border police carried out, on the way to enter the country, the specific control on a truck, driven by a 42-year-old Romanian citizen. According to the documents accompanying the goods, he was transporting glass waste. After suspecting that the glass waste transport was not legal, the border police requested the support of the representatives of the Environmental Guard - Giurgiu County Commissariat. Following the checks carried out, the authorities found that the means of transport was loaded with 11,080 kilogrammes of glass waste, which were brought from Greece to be taken over by a company on the territory of Romania," according to a press release issued on Friday by the Giurgiu Border Police Inspectorate. After analyzing the documents in question, the border authorities found that the transport does not meet the conditions to enter the territory of Romania, thus not complying with the legal provisions in force. AGERPRES The National Council of Small and Medium Private Enterprises in Romania is implementing, July 2022 to August 2023, the "Bucharest Business Agency" project worth 377,323 RON, financed under the Operational Programmes "Administrative Capacity", with 295,821 RON in EU funding. The general objective is to develop the capacity of CNIPMMR to get involved in formulating and promoting development at the local level in its area of activity and expertise, respectively the unified and effective representation of SMEs, through the development of public policies to ensure the promotion of exports and the attraction of investments for SMEs. The aim is also to develop procedures, mechanisms for supporting and promoting progress at the local level and for interacting with authorities and public administration institutions focused on promoting exports and attracting investments within SMEs. Thus, an analysis will be carried out that will focus on highlight how public policies in the field of export promotion and investment attraction were ensured until the start of the project. The best practices from the member states of the European Union will be taken into account in the analysis, including along the lines of the Vienna Business Agency model. At the same time, a strategy for promoting and developing investments and promoting exports will be developed, Agerpres.ro informs. Boosting the relevance of the strategy will be considered for the field of activity to which it applies, through the creation, within the Bucharest City Hall, of the Bucharest Business Agency office, where the elements of the strategy will be concretely implemented. Moreover, there is a desire to support the capacity of CNIPMMR and other social partners to get involved in formulating and promoting development at the local level in the field of promoting exports and attracting investments by conducting training activities specific to this field - designing a course aimed at attracting investments and promoting internationalization activities for SMEs for a number of 30 people, representatives of the beneficiary, as well as other NGOs and social partners that aim through their activity to provide support for investments and promotion of company exports, including representatives of Bucharest City Hall. The main result pursued is an increased capacity of NGOs and social partners to get involved in the formulation and promotion of development at the local level achieved through: procedure/strategy for the support and promotion of development at the local level and interaction with the authorities and public administration institutions focused on promoting exports and attracting investments within SMEs; an office intended for attracting investments and promoting exports within SMEs established within the Bucharest City Hall (Bucharest Business Agency) and functional; 30 representatives from CNIPMMR, as well as other NGOs and social partners, trained in the project in the field of attracting investments and promoting exports, in order to support the development of SMEs at the local level. The project is based on a partnership agreement signed with Bucharest City Hall. The General Inspectorate of the Border Police informs that on Thursday 124,293 people entered Romania through the border points, of whom 11,511 were Ukrainian citizens, a decrease of 4.5% compared to the previous day. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, 236,770 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 56,350 means of transport, went through the control formalities at the border points throughout the country, both in the direction of entry and exit. As of February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict period), 1,647,690 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania. "As regards the specific activities, in the areas of competence - the crossing points and the 'green border' - the border police detected 68 illegal acts (41 crimes and 27 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, and the amount of the fines amount to over 20,400 lei," says the quoted source. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca requested on Friday that the local authorities take measures to complete the census by July 31, noting that, from the data received, there are problems in Bucharest, Timisoara and Iasi. "We are approaching the completion of the census. It must be completed by July 31, in accordance with the law and with the commitments we had with the World Bank program. As such, from the data I have, at the moment more than 85% of the census has been carried out, which may constitute a satisfactory degree. There are still a few days until the end of the month and I believe that we can, through the local authorities, prefectures, city halls, through the support that can be given by from one locality to another, from one county to another, with reviewers, to ensure the completion of this approach," said Ciuca. He mentioned that there are problems in Bucharest, Timisoara and Iasi, asking that measures be taken in these localities. According to PM Ciuca, the president of the National Institute of Statistics hopes that the census will be completed, and asked the local authorities for support in carrying out the activities in the remaining period, so that it can be completed properly. President Klaus Iohannis, President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Poland Kaja Kallas, Krisjanis Karins, and Mateusz Morawiecki, sent a letter to the European institutions proposing the establishment, in Brussels, of a Pan-European Memorial for the Victims of Totalitarianism. "I have sent together with Gitanas Nauseda, Kaja Kallas, Krisjanis Karins, Mateusz Morawiecki a letter to EU institutions on the need to promote the European history & remembrance across the EU, which should become a part of all Member States national educational programs," President Iohannis wrote on Twitter on Friday. In the letter sent to European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the five European leaders propose the establishment of a Pan-European Memorial for the Victims of Totalitarianism in Brussels. "The establishment of a Pan-European Memorial for the Victims of Totalitarianism in Brussels would be a very important step in ensuring proper remembrance of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes, including the Soviet one, in our awareness-raising efforts in order to prevent similar crimes and to stop them in Ukraine, and in paying our tribute to the victims," reads the letter sent by the five state leaders. AGERPRES On Friday, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated a law for the ratification of the accession protocols of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The law ratifies Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden, a procedural step during these countries move towards full NATO membership. On Monday, President Klaus Iohannis signed a decree for the submission of the two protocols to Parliament for ratification after the Government approved the bill last Wednesday. The Chamber of Deputies passed the law on Wednesday as the first parliamentary chamber notified, and the Senate on Thursday, as the legislative decision-making body. The accession protocols were signed on July 5 in Brussels. AGERPRES The Romanian Post Company on Friday put into service the first digital mailboxes out of a total of 3,000 such lockers which will be installed in the next period throughout the country, the company informs in a release. "This way, the public postal operator is taking another step towards digitalization, keeping pace with the global dynamics of online commerce. Concretely, the first two Romanian Post digital boxes were put into operation at Bucharest Post Office No. 66 located on Constantin Titel Petrescu Street, and at the Buftea (Ilfov County) post office," the cited document states. Digital post boxes are a solution to the package distribution service, with either standard pay or cash on delivery, and are accessible non-stop to customers in self-service mode. This service allows the recipients of postal items to pick up their package whenever they want, without being conditioned on the working hours of postal employees or having to wait at the post office counter. Customers who have to pick up a package will be notified by SMS or e-mail. The recipients can pay directly at the POS integrated in the digital box, which is also equipped with a touch screen that provides a user-friendly, intuitive interaction. AGERPRES Romania's net coal production in the first five months of 2022 reached almost 1.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), down 1.5% (17,800 toe) y-o-y, according to data with the National Institute of Statistics (INS). In the first five months of 2022, Romania imported 252,500 toe of net coal, up 90,000 toe (55.4%) y-o-y. The National Economic Strategy and Forecasting Board (CNSP) expects Romania's 2022 coal production to reach 3.325 million toe, up 10.1% from 2021, and imports to go up to 420,000 toe, up 2.8%. For 2023, CNSP projects a production of 3.595 million toe, up 8.1%, and imports of 420,000 toe, down 0.1%. Under Romania's National Energy Strategy, total coal production will decrease from 32 TWh in 2030 to 12 TWh in 2050, with the trend of reducing coal in the energy mix (45 TWh in 2020) expected to continue. For 2030, a Best Scenario modelling shows that the energy produced from coal will record a slight decrease to 15.8 TWh, making up 20.6% of the mix. AGERPRES FWP's elk advisory group has proposed many productive ideas regarding shoulder seasons, the hunt roster, new approaches to block management and improving hunter behavior. But their proposal to pick your season/weapon misses the mark. While the intent of reducing hunting pressure on public lands is solid and this hunting change is likely inevitable if Montana continues to grow in population, access to inaccessible elk isn't improved, and hunters fail to show up when it matters now is not the time for this. There are other ways to address crowding before considering this last resort. FWP just made sweeping changes to elk hunting regulations that haven't even gone into effect yet. The new 'pick your district' for elk hunters serves the same purpose as a 'pick your season/weapon.' Lets try this first. Currently, FWP is being sued for having too many elk (many disagree). So, if there's too many elk, and no shortage of hunters, lets focus on connecting these dots rather than reducing hunting opportunities. Its debatable whether this proposal will even reduce hunting pressure. I have two weeks to hunt elk, so instead of hunting for a week in archery and a week in rifle, Id just hunt two weeks in one of them; that's not a reduction in pressure, and plenty of Western states with shorter pick-your-weapon seasons illustrate this. Some diehard bowhunters might like this idea, but casual archers may just end up chasing bugling bulls in September too, opting to pick up a rifle for antelope, deer and cow B hunts later. Hunters will be on the landscape regardless. We need to look more broadly at pressure than just bull elk hunters. Elk don't know if were hunting antelope, upland birds, bears, deer, or if we have a cow B rifle tag. If an elk feels pressured, they run for cover, often meaning private lands. Many of Montanas hunting opportunities are unlimited for non-residents. Even deer and elk, which are capped (in theory), are still seeing far more than 10% of licenses: 66,624 deer and elk licenses went to non-residents in 2021, and FWP just made cow tags unlimited for nonresidents in many areas (some even valid on public lands), so that number is likely to climb. Maybe its time FWP limit all non-resident hunting opportunities to a reasonable cap or the 90/10 split. Instead of more tags, why not give an additional cow B tag to permit holders in limited-entry areas where cow harvests are needed? This could lead to greater harvests without adding pressure. FWP does this with antelope hunters; why not elk? Pressure is a result of both the number of hunters and huntable acres. Better hunter behavior could lead to more private lands open to public access, while Habitat Montana-funded easements and acquisitions could lead to even more places to hunt. Elk security habitat and responsible OHV use will help keep more elk on public lands too. Hunters need to recognize this, police our own ranks and get engaged. Most importantly, FWP's elk management plan states to avoid over-harvest of accessible elk on public lands or private lands open to hunting, the inaccessible elk may not be included in objective numbers." Yet FWP continues to include these which leads to inflated tag numbers and six months of hunting, even on public land. If FWP managed for the actual number of accessible elk, that would improve the crowding issue. As FWP begins to rewrite their 2005 elk management plan, this is the kind of feedback they need to hear at elk plan public scoping meetings happening now. While I appreciate the work of FWPs elk advisory group, there are other more effective and palatable ways to address crowding, and we should demand that those ideas are exhausted before we force Montanas hunters into giving up half of our hunting heritage and fall traditions. If forced to pick or choose, we all lose. As many as 7,390 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 261 from the previous day, with over 24,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Friday. Of the new cases, 1,491 were in re-infected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease. Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 1,394, and in the counties of Cluj - 591, Constanta - 353, Prahova - 342, Timis - 326, and Brasov - 303. As of Friday, 2,996,178 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania. - Hospitalisations - As many as 2,636 people with COVID-19, up 204 from the previous reporting, including 439 children, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities. Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 171 patients, up 16, including four minors, are in intensive care. Of the 171 patients admitted to ICU, 150 are unvaccinated against COVID-19. - Deaths - According to the ministry, seven Romanians, five men and two women, infected with SARS-CoV-2 are reported dead in the last 24 hours. Of the seven deaths, one was recorded in the age group 40-49 years, one in the age group 50-59 years, one in the age group 70-79 years, and four in the age group over 80 years. Six deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and no comorbidities were reported for one death. Out of the total seven patients who died, six were unvaccinated and one was vaccinated. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 65,846 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. AGERPRES AWARDS The following awards were announced by the St. Louis chapter of International Facility Management Association: Distinguished Facility Manager of the Year: Dustin Montgomery, assistant director construction services, St. Louis University; Associate of the Year: Renee LaBruyere, business development manager, Horner & Shifrin; Facility of the Year: City Foundry STL. The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis received two safety awards from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. EXPANDING Benjamin F. Edwards opened an office in Lexington, Kentucky, its 90th branch office. Wiese USA, a materials handling equipment company, is expanding into the Alabama and Northern Florida markets. Its territory now includes 40 locations in 17 states. HELPING OUT Boeing awarded a $10,000 grant from its employees community fund to Caritas Family Solutions fund a senior community service employment program. Reinsurance Group of America Inc. awarded Operation Food Search a $25,000 grant to support its Fresh RX: Prescribing Healthy Futures Program. Bronwyn Morgan, owner of Xeo Air, a drone service platform, was awarded a $25,000 enhancement grant from the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. MOVING Filament is relocating to the Cortex Innovation Communitys 4220 Duncan building from 1518 Washington Avenue. Pearl Solutions Group moved to a new headquarters office at 4 Research Park Drive, Suite 101, in St. Charles. OPENING Batteries Plus opened a new store: 4493 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis Cookies opened a cannabis dispensary: 11088 New Halls Ferry Road, St. Louis Mississippi Lime Co. hired Kelly Pippine as vice president of sales, marketing and innovation. Pippine joins MLC from LANXESS, a German specialty chemicals company, where she was vice president, global head of marketing, in its flavors and fragrances business. Previously, she held key roles with Emerald Kalama Chemical (acquired by LANXESS), Celanese Corp., and The Dow Chemical Co. She succeeds David Venhaus, who was named VP of operations. Venhaus succeeds Terry Zerr, who was named to the newly created role of vice president of supply chain. Pippine holds a bachelors degree with an emphasis in materials science and engineering from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. FARNBOROUGH, England The global air industry is in the midst of a post-pandemic rebound, but supply chain problems have left suppliers and manufacturers scrambling to source everything from raw materials to small electronic components to keep production moving. From multinationals to family-run companies, few have been spared the impact of shortages or delays. As a result, the international Farnborough Airshow this week has been more about the factory floor than the usual shop window for new orders. We are keeping our head above water, keeping the flow happening, but the gymnastics required to make that happen are as difficult now as they have ever been, said Stephen Timm, president of industry giant Collins Aerospace. At the other end of the spectrum, where suppliers lack the clout of a Collins or Honeywell, things are even more uncertain. At the moment its extremely challenging because of the lack of raw materials, said Paul Wingfield, business development manager at Stokenchurch, England-based Aircraft Materials, which supplies alloys including aluminum, nickel, magnesium, titanium and nickel for the industry. Not only are the mills that his firm works with having trouble finding raw materials, but distributors are wary of holding onto inventory when there is a risk of recession. Nobody knows what the economy is going to do, so nobodys willing to invest in stock at the moment, Wingfield said. In conversations at this weeks show, suppliers say material and parts delays have meant pushing manufacturers to order earlier, while manufacturers like Boeing have found themselves wading into the supply chain to keep parts flowing. Were going deeper into the supply chain than weve ever had to go to help our suppliers solve problems, said Cory Gionet, Boeings vice president in charge of supply chains for commercial airplanes. Earlier this year, Boeing said its 737 Max aircraft production and deliveries were hit by shortages of a particular wiring connector. Suppliers face lengthening lead times to source materials or components that can now run six months to over a year, threatening the manufacturers plans to ramp up output. To guarantee parts delivery, some suppliers are pushing manufacturers to order many months in advance, even if it means suppliers have to tie up capital by holding onto inventory for longer. Switching their own suppliers can be almost impossible in a highly-regulated industry where components have to undergo rigorous approval processes. Its not a case of picking up and going to a different supplier, the validation process for doing that is actually often longer than the lead time, said Neil Lawrence, business development engineer at Woking, England-based Magnet Schultz. It makes solenoids electromagnetic valves used in everything from airplane hydraulics controls to air conditioning. Those valves range in price from a few hundred to tens of thousands of pounds. Shortages of electronics components mean some will not be delivered for over a year. Were getting terrible, terrible lead times on some parts, Lawrence said. NO CHANCE AT ALL Supply chain problems come at a time when the industry is eager to build ever more planes. Airbus wants to raise A320 production rates to 75 single-aisle aircraft monthly over the next three years, from 50 now. But delays in engine supplies have held back aircraft deliveries. Engine maker Pratt & Whitney, like Collins a unit of Raytheon Technologies, said this week it aimed to get its engine deliveries for the A320 back on track by early 2023 as it battles labor shortages and supply chain snags. Certainly were not happy about the position that were in right now, Pratt & Whitney president Shane Eddy said. Even so, Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury told Reuters the show had brought slightly more comfort on engine delays. But Frances Dassault Aviation told a results presentation it was very concerned about supply chains. Rochford, England-based UFC Aerospace, part of the FMT Group, provides structural fasteners for airplanes and its biggest customer is Boeing. The company has recently been quoted lead times for S80, an aerospace-grade stainless steel alloy that contains nickel, of six months, or more than three times normal. General manager Barry Vinneall said UFC had been communicating to customers like Boeing that they need to provide orders 12 months out to guarantee delivery. If we order it now, we can still deliver in March, Vinneall said. But if you ask us in November, weve got no chance at all of having it by March. This means that UFC has to carry more inventory, which is an additional financial strain after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air travel and hit the industry hard. But Vinneall said UFC was financially sound enough to allow customers longer to pay off invoices. If all of a sudden they dont have to pay us for 90 days instead of 30, theres a good chance that well win more work, he said. Magnet Schultzs Lawrence said the company had also made it clear to customers that its lead times for electronic components were now over a year. Understandably, theyre not happy with lead times going out 50 to 60 weeks, but theyre also quite in tune with the market, Lawrence said. They know whats going on, they can see whats happening. Here are a few of our staff picks for things to do July 22-28. FRIDAY John Mulaney When 8 p.m. July 22 Where Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Avenue How much $46-$126 More info ticketmaster.com Emmy-winning comedian John Mulaney commands the Enterprise Center stage this weekend. His new From Scratch tour follows a highly publicized stint in rehab, which he has been vocal about. Fans are clearly glad to see Mulaney back in the spotlight; his shows have been selling out, and additional dates have been added. By Kevin C. Johnson Feeling indoorsy? Beat the heat with these cool activities around St. Louis Yes, the health experts and responsible parents everywhere say its better to embrace the great outdoors if youre feeling stir-crazy. But, as City Nights: Summer Rooftop Campout When 8 p.m.-midnight July 22 Where City Museum, 750 North 16th Street How much $30, ages 21 and up More info citymuseum.org/calendar Camp on the City Museum rooftop well, at least until midnight in this adults-only event that will have you tie-dying a T-shirt, making smores, relaxing in a hammock and singing along to campfire songs. Wear your camping gear for a chance at a prize. Food and beverages, including a Watermelon Sugar cocktail, are available for purchase. The ticket includes admission to the indoor floors of City Museum all day, plus a T-shirt for the first 200 guests. By Valerie Schremp Hahn Three Days Grace, Wage War, Zero 9:36 When 7 p.m. July 22 Where The Factory, 17101 Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield How much $45.50-$65.50 More info ticketmaster.com The fuse is lit for Three Days Grace. The rock bands latest album is Explosions. We are born into a world of explosions, and theyre always present, the bands Neil Sanderson explained in a statement. We all bottle feelings of anger inside and act like theyre not there. Sometimes, you just want to express yourself and be creative. You try to be who you are, but the world hinders it. So, do you explode? Its not always the right answer. Do you find something to take the edge off? We all do to some degree, because the other option is exploding. Not all explosions are bad; some are beautiful. If youre a dad, your child goes out into the world and becomes a person. To me, thats explosive. By Kevin C. Johnson RuPauls Drag Race: Werq the World When 8 p.m. July 22 Where Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard How much $55-$175 More info metrotix.com Big hair? Check. Over-the-top fashions? Check. Sass? Check! Catch it all with RuPauls Werq the World 2022 tour, featuring Kameron Michaels, Rose, Vanessa Vanjie, Yvie Oddly and more stars from RuPauls Drag Race. By Kevin C. Johnson Scooter Brown When 7:30 p.m. July 22-23 Where Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Boulevard How much Free More info jazzstl.org St. Louis musician Scooter Brown is getting lots of warranted attention these days. The saxophonist has made himself one of those figures you cant help but watch, and it seems only a matter of time before he moves on to the next level. In 2021, he played in Gregory Porters set at Music at the Intersection, and since then Porter has invited him to perform with him overseas. By Kevin C. Johnson Damon Wayans Jr. When 7:30 and 10 p.m. July 22-23 Where Helium Comedy Club, St. Louis Galleria, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street, Richmond Heights How much 435-$50 More info heliumcomedy.com Damon Wayans Jr., seen on TVs New Girl and Happy Endings, is as comfortable performing stand-up as he is filming on a set. Wayans, part of the famous Wayans comedy family, has been doing stand-up for about 15 years. When he hits the stage, he told the Post-Dispatch, I anticipate laughing from start to finish. With every show I do, as soon as I get onstage, I make you laugh and dont stop. Its an onslaught. I dont live in the world where I tell a story and its quiet and then its a punchline. I tell a story and youre laughing through the whole story. Theres nothing better than that feeling of that exchange of energy. As much as they need to laugh, I need their laughter. By Kevin C. Johnson In the Heights When July 22-Aug. 21; performance times vary Where Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 East Monroe Avenue, Kirkwood How much $51-$76 More info stagesstlouis.org Stages St. Louis presents In the Heights, the Tony Award-winning musical set in New Yorks culturally diverse Washington Heights neighborhood. The show boasts a score by Lin-Manuel Miranda, pre-Hamilton. A film adaptation of In the Heights was released in 2021. The Stages production is directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado, who was part of the original Broadway cast of In the Heights. By Calvin Wilson SATURDAY Oddities & Curiosities Expo When 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 23 Where Americas Center, 701 Convention Plaza How much $10 in advance, $15 day of event, free for ages 12 and under More info odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com Pursue the weird, the macabre, the silly and the taxidermied at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, which first visited St. Louis in 2021. For $235, you can join a two-headed duckling taxidermy class and come away with a one-of-a-kind conversation piece or wedding gift. Or for $5-$7, get a peek at the Worlds Largest Traveling Freak Show. Even if you just browse the expo, youll see things youll never forget. By Valerie Schremp Hahn SUNDAY 5 Seconds of Summer When 7 p.m. July 24 Where St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights How much $39-$59 More info ticketmaster.com 5 Seconds of Summer will release its 5SOS5 album this year. But in the meantime, fans likely will get a preview when the Australian pop bands Take My Hand World Tour visits Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. The album includes the singles Complete Mess and Take My Hand. The tour, originally titled the No Shame Tour, has been postponed twice because of the pandemic. By Kevin C. Johnson Bicyclists, historians will honor 1897 trek of Black soldiers with Forest Park celebration The "Iron Riders" of the 25th Infantry will be celebrated at a series of events at Missouri State Parks and on July 24 in Forest Park. Buffalo Soldier Bicycle Corps Celebration When 11 a.m.-4 p.m. July 24 Where Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard, Forest Park How much Free More info mohistory.org/events Celebrate the group of Black U.S. Army soldiers who rode 1,900 miles in extreme weather from Montana to Forest Park 125 years ago in an effort to test the effectiveness of moving troops by bicycle. The Missouri History Museum and Missouri State Parks have planned an event that includes performances, food trucks, community resources, and remarks by historians and dignitaries. Erick Cedeno, the Bicycle Nomad, has been reenacting the ride and is expected to arrive at Forest Park in 3 p.m. By Valerie Schremp Hahn Little Feat's success, on landmark album's 45th anniversary, is a pretty big feat Little Feat has gone through many changes over the years but seems to have settled on a lineup thats built to last. Little Feat When 7:30 p.m. July 24 Where The Factory, 17105 North Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield How much $49-$89 More info ticketmaster.com Rock band Little Feat celebrates its 1978 album Waiting For Columbus on its tour coming to the Factory this weekend. The band will perform the album in its entirety. Longtime members Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney, Sam Clayton and Fred Tackett are joined in the current Little Feat lineup by Tony Leone and Scott Sharrard. By Kevin C. Johnson TUESDAY Elaine Viets When 7 p.m. July 26 Where Grants View library, 9700 Musick Road How much Free More info slcl.org Novelist Elaine Viets no longer lives in her hometown of St. Louis, but one of her mystery series is essentially set here, in fictional Chouteau County. In the latest case for death investigator Angela Richman, a funeral is held for the wealthy Sterling Chaney, only to have him surprise mourners by showing up for his own funeral. Apparently he wasnt actually in his Porsche when it went off the road. But a second car accident occurs, and Richman must figure out if someone was intent on killing Chaney. Viets, a former Post-Dispatch columnist who lives in Florida, will discuss her new book, Late for His Own Funeral. By Jane Henderson The Psychedelic Furs, X When 8 p.m. July 26 Where The Pageant 6161 Delmar Boulevard How much $40-$50 More info ticketmaster.com Veteran rock band the Psychedelic Furs is finally able to give its 2020 album Made of Rain the tour it deserves. The album was mostly recorded at Sawhorse Studios and produced by St. Louisan Richard Fortus, who was once a member of the Psychedelic Furs and is currently a guitarist with Guns N Roses. Fortus says its his job as producer to realize what the band wants to create and to go from there. In this case, he saw the bands Richard Butler drawing inspiration from early Roxy Music albums. I dont think anyone would listen to the album and think they were listening to Roxy Music, but thats where we were drawing inspiration, Fortus told the Post-Dispatch in 2020. I love how Richard does that how he brings all these different influences and filters it through, and it comes out as something very unique. By Kevin C. Johnson APA 100th Anniversary Celebration When 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 26 Where 1705 South Hanley Road, Brentwood How much Free More info apamo.org/boop A century ago, Ella Megginson founded the Animal Protective Association after she saw a man abusing a horse in Webster Groves. The APA will celebrate its founders day with a national Boop Your Pet Day, along with adoption specials and activities including crafts for kids, birthday cake for pets and humans, and storytime with local broadcaster Jennifer Blome. Enjoy music and cocktails at a Yappy Hour (4-6 p.m.) while interacting with adoptable pets. By Valerie Schremp Hahn WEDNESDAY The Box When 7:30 p.m. July 27-29 Where The Big Top, 3401 Washington Boulevard How much $20-$50 More info metrotix.com The national tour of The Box, Sarah Shourds drama about solitary confinement, comes to the Big Top in Grand Center. The play is inspired by stories collected from U.S. prisons. Doors open at 7 p.m. By Calvin Wilson THURSDAY, July 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced Thursday. "This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "He has begun taking Paxlovid. Consistent with CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time." "Consistent with White House protocol for positive COVID cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative," Jean-Pierre added. "Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work." Jean-Pierre also said that the White House will provide a daily update on his condition "out of an abundance of transparency." The White House Medical Unit will also inform all close contacts of Biden of his exposure during the day Thursday, including members of Congress and the media who interacted with him on Wednesday, Jean-Pierre added. The news came as the United States has seen COVID-19 cases spike as the BA.5 subvariant takes over the country. The highly contagious subvariant, which appears to be the best yet at eluding the power of vaccines against infection, now accounts for nearly 78 percent of all U.S. cases. As fisheries biologists, we are used to walking along a streambed looking down to see what fish we can find. However, every September in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River tributaries, we shake things up a bit and take on an entirely different perspective of fisheries: flying. For more than 70 years, biologists have been counting chinook salmon nests, called redds, in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to estimate how many chinook salmon are returning from the ocean to these tributaries to spawn. Spring-summer chinook, which refers to their adult upstream migration timing, are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. As with other regional salmon species, these fish have very important ecological, cultural and economic roles in Idaho, so Fish and Game biologists put a great amount of effort into monitoring their populations to better protect and manage them. A key part of management is continually assessing reproduction and population abundance to track trends over time, and that is where redd counts come into play. Wild spring/summer chinook salmon are born in tributaries of the Middle Fork Salmon River, and then swim about 900 miles from central Idaho to live and grow in the ocean. After a few years, they swim all the way back to their natal stream to dig a redd and spawn before they die, usually arriving August through September. As females turn on their side and flap their tails in the gravel to dig a redd, a few males will begin to gather around her and wait. The males chase each other and fight for the best position to fertilize her eggs once she lays them. One female usually digs one redd, so counting redds year after year is a good method for estimating female abundance to understand sex ratios and calculate total abundance over time. Many of these redd count surveys are conducted on foot, however some of the more remote tributaries are difficult or unsafe to walk, so it makes more sense to do aerial surveys from a helicopter. But how can we see a redd from all the way up in the air? Fortunately for us, female chinook salmon turn over a lot of cobble when digging the redd, so algae breaks loose and the newly exposed rocks are clean and contrast well with the surrounding river bottom, creating a bright patch that can be spotted from the air. Low-altitude backcountry flying can be difficult and potentially hazardous. Helicopter pilots and biologists encounter several challenges during these surveys. For the biologist, the angle of sunlight on the water and associated cloud cover can make redds difficult to spot. Another big challenge is wildfires: smoke from wildfires creates poor visibility and unsafe flying conditions, so the pilot and biologists need to adapt their flight plans quickly to avoid dangerous areas. In 2021, two large wildfires in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness delayed and prohibited surveys in some areas. The goal of ongoing redd count surveys, both ground and aerial, is to contribute to the dataset that informs trends in adult chinook abundance and reproductive parameters. This long-term dataset provides relative comparisons of abundance across spawn years and is essential for chinook salmon status assessments under the Endangered Species Act. Datasets like the Middle Fork Salmon River redd counts are crucial because they increase our understanding of the life history and population trends of an important threatened species, which helps improve our management and conservation efforts. Looking down into these beautiful streams from a helicopter certainly is a different perspective, and reminds us of the bigger picture that we are working toward. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and went into isolation with mild symptoms. White House officials went all-out to show that the 79-year-old U.S. leader could power through the virus and keep working because he was vaccinated and boosted. In a navy blazer and Oxford shirt, Biden recorded a video on a White House balcony to send the message that he would be fine and the country should stay calm and carry on. He recognizes the pandemic as a national trauma that has killed more than one million Americans and alarmed millions more, and his words in the video posted to Twitter were meant to be reassuring. Im doing well, getting a lot of work done, Biden said, the faint sound of an ice cream truck jingling in the distance. And in the meantime, thanks for your concern. And keep the faith. Its going to be OK. Thursday demonstrated one of the inevitable risks awaiting a president who has insisted on trying to reconnect with the world and everyday Americans after a prolonged lockdown. It was a reminder that COVID-19, with its mutations and sub-strains, continues to be a threat; the White House also saw it as a chance to demonstrate progress in combating the disease. Administration officials reminded people that Bidens prognosis is strong because hes received every vaccine dose for which hes eligible, including two original shots and two boosters. Hes also being treated with Paxlovid, an antiviral drug used to prevent more severe symptoms. White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters at a briefing that he spoke with Biden over the phone and the president sounded great. He had been working all morning, Jha said. He hadnt even been able to finish his breakfast because he had just been busy. I encouraged him to finish his breakfast. Bidens physician, Dr. Kevin OConnor, said in a letter that Biden had a runny nose and fatigue, with an occasional dry cough, which started yesterday evening. The president will isolate for five days and can return to his usual activities after a negative test, Jha said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the president's symptoms as "very mild" and said Biden had been in contact with staff members by phone and was participating in his planned meetings via phone and Zoom from the White House residence. Asked where Biden might have contracted the virus, Jean-Pierre said, I don't think that matters." She added that the White House was more focused on how Biden was feeling and would engage in contact tracing. The White House took steps to show that the president was busy working despite his diagnosis, with Biden tweeting out a picture of himself making calls from the Treaty Room of the White House. The president spoke by phone to lawmakers in Pennsylvania to apologize for having to cancel his planned trip Thursday to the city of Wilkes-Barre to promote his crime prevention plans. He also called South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn to wish him a happy birthday and congratulate him on receiving an award from the NAACP. A planned fundraiser in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Committee on Thursday was postponed, according to a party official. Dr. O'Connor wrote in his letter about the president's treatment plan: I anticipate that he will respond favorably to Paxlovid as most maximally protected patients do. White House chief of staff Ron Klain said in a letter to White House staff obtained by The Associated Press that all close contacts of the president will be informed of the positive test in keeping with standard protocol. First lady Jill Biden, speaking to reporters as she arrived for a school visit in Detroit, said she'd just gotten off the phone with her husband. Hes doing fine, she said. "Hes feeling good. The first lady, who was wearing a mask, said she had tested negative earlier in the day. She planned to keep her full schedule in Michigan and Georgia on Thursday, while following masking and distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Michael LaRosa, her spokesperson. The president returned from a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia overnight Saturday. White House officials had told reporters that Biden planned to minimize contact during the trip, yet as soon as he exited Air Force One on July 13, he was fist-bumping, handshaking and even was seen in an occasional hug. The CDC says symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Biden lad a light schedule after returning from Saudi Arabia, attending church on Sunday and helping to welcome Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska to the White House on Tuesday. The president traveled to Massachusetts on Wednesday to promote efforts to combat climate change. Up to this point, Bidens ability to avoid the virus seemed to defy the odds, even with the testing procedures in place for those expected to be in close contact with him. Prior waves of the virus swept through Washingtons political class, infecting Vice President Kamala Harris, Cabinet members, White House staffers and lawmakers. Biden has increasingly stepped up his travel schedule and resumed holding large indoor events where not everyone is tested. A White House official said Harris tested negative for COVID-19. She was last with the president on Tuesday and spoke with him on the phone Thursday morning. Harris planned to remain masked on the guidance of the White House medical team. The vice president, the first lady and Klain, the chief of staff, were all deemed close contacts of Biden. Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University, said were in a very different place than before vaccines and therapeutics were widespread. The coronavirus is everywhere, and your chance of getting it, even if youre vaccinated and boosted, and even if youve already had it, are very high, she said. At the same time, its also true that for nearly everyone, the coronavirus has evolved from being a potential death sentence to something that we can live with. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hoped that Biden's positive test for the virus would cause more Americans to get vaccinated and boosted because "none of us is immune from it, including the president of the United States, and we really have to be careful. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Twitter wished the president "a speedy recovery. Top White House officials in recent months have been matter-of-fact about the likelihood of the president getting COVID, a measure of how ingrained the virus has become in society and of its diminished threat for those who are up to date on their vaccinations and with access to treatments. When administered within five days of symptoms appearing, Paxlovid, produced by drugmaker Pfizer, has been proven to bring about a 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease. Biden is far from the first world leader and not the first U.S. president to get the coronavirus, which has infected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and more than a dozen other leaders and high-ranking officials globally. When Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, contracted the disease in October 2020, vaccines were not available and treatment options were limited and less advanced. After being diagnosed at the White House, Trump was given an experimental antibody treatment and steroids after his blood oxygen levels fell dangerously low. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days. After more than two years and over a million deaths in the U.S., the virus is still killing an average of 353 people a day here, according to the CDC. The unvaccinated are at far greater risk, more than twice as likely to test positive and nine times as likely to die from the virus as those who have received at least a primary dose of the vaccines, according to the health agency. The highly transmissible omicron variant is the dominant strain in the U.S., but scientists say it poses a lower risk for severe illness to those who are up to date on their vaccinations. Omicron's BA.5 sub-strain, believed to be even more contagious, now makes up more than 65% of U.S. cases. Associated Press audio correspondent Shelley Adler and writers Seung Min Kim, Fatima Hussein and Mike Householder contributed to this report. Householder contributed from Detroit. This story was first published on July 21, 2022. It was updated on July 22, 2022, to make clear that Leana Wen is a public health professor and a practicing physician. THURSDAY, July 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will begin a comprehensive review of its food and tobacco programs amid a high-profile infant formula shortage and recent rulings on e-cigarettes. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf first announced the review on Tuesday, then appeared at a Senate subcommittee hearing on food safety on Wednesday, calling the food program "one of my absolute top priorities," CNN reported. "My assessment is that the foods program is staffed by highly dedicated people. I can't stress enough how hard they work and the depth of their knowledge," Califf said during the subcommittee hearing. "But they're working in a suboptimal environment that needs to be reformed. Accordingly, we've initiated a full review of the foods program." In opening comments at the hearing, CNN reported, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, said the "FDA needs to do better. Lack of communication, outdated ways of thinking and overall lack of leadership have negatively impacted the agency. Serious concerns remain about the priority that FDA gives to food safety and the missteps that have led to outbreaks or critical shortages and individuals getting sick." During the infant formula shortage this spring, the FDA made it easier to import some formulas from other countries, and the agency plans to work with foreign manufacturers to allow their products to be permanently sold in the United States. But food products are not the only area of concern at the agency. The FDA also made news in June when it ordered a popular e-cigarette brand, Juul Labs, to remove all its products from the U.S. market. But in July, the agency temporarily suspended the ban while the company appeals the agency's action. "Just over 13 years ago, Congress tasked the FDA with regulating tobacco products," Califf said in an agency news release announcing the reviews. "In the ensuing years, we have made important progress and reached regulatory decisions on a broad array of millions of products. But even greater challenges lie ahead as we determine how the agency will navigate complex policy issues and determine enforcement activities for an increasing number of novel products that could potentially have significant consequences for public health." During the subcommittee hearing, he added that a report on the review would be ready within 60 business days after it begins. ST. LOUIS Washington University students advocating for reproductive rights have grown increasingly frustrated with what they say is the universitys tepid response to Missouris abortion ban, and refusal to acknowledge any of the groups demands. Since May, when a leak of a draft opinion revealed the U.S. Supreme Court would likely overturn Roe v. Wade, students have sent hundreds of letters to university administrators demanding they take a stand supporting the right to an abortion, ensure the medical school will continue teaching abortion procedures and support students and staff who must travel out-of-state to get an abortion. The group organized a protest on campus that more than 300 people attended and garnered 700 signatures on a petition to administrators detailing the demands. But they never got an answer. The effort is led by students with Planned Parenthood Generation Action, a network of more than 350 campus groups across the country raising awareness about reproductive health and access. Shortly after the Supreme Court issued its Dobbs decision on June 24, Gov. Mike Parson and Attorney General Eric Schmitt separately acted to trigger a 2019 state law that bans all abortions in Missouri except in cases of medical emergency. Anyone providing an abortion in Missouri now faces up to 15 years in prison. Top administrators at the university home to one of the top medical schools in the country and among the states largest employers of medical providers issued a campuswide letter that neither applauded nor condoned the courts decision. The letter acknowledged strong emotions on all sides of the debate and encouraged respectful dialogue. It was signed by Washington University Chancellor Andrew Martin and Dr. David H. Perlmutter, dean of the universitys school of medicine. As an institution of higher education with a strong commitment to medical education and patient care, it is incumbent upon us to rise above the politically charged tenor of the current conversation and work toward productive solutions in support of our mission and our community, the letter read. Sarah Rosen, vice president of the campus Generation Action group, said the letters ambivalence, which contrasted with statements by other universities of medical groups, further frustrated students. The nations largest medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, came out strongly against the decision. University leaders in other states did as well. We took a lot of time to listen to what students and staff and faculty and community members were feeling about that letter, said Rosen, a rising junior. The thing that weve heard the most is, that letter was worse than saying nothing. Five demands The Generation Action group updated its email template used by hundreds to sign and send to administrators: Your respect of both sides is a fundamental rejection of the safety and freedoms of the WashU community and the entire state. In its email, the Generation Action group demands the university take five specific steps: Take an official stand to protect reproductive rights in Missouri, specifically standing against the trigger ban. Promise that the university will pay and continue teaching vital abortion care at the medical school. Remove crisis pregnancy centers as practicum sites at the universitys Brown School, which offers degrees in social work and public health. Provide Washington University employees with the necessary funds to access abortion care out of state. Prevent the Washington University Police Department from providing information to the St. Louis Police Department on students, faculty or staff related to abortion care if it is requested. Susan Killenberg McGinn, vice chancellor for media relations, declined comment on the demands. Students said one has already been met: The university will no longer use crisis pregnancy centers which are typically religiously affiliated, and counsel clients against having an abortion as practicum sites. But even that claim is unclear. A Brown School official told the Post-Dispatch that students select their own practicum sites, and no student has ever requested to be placed at one of the centers. The official did not answer whether the university would deny a students request. Rosen said a student informed their group that a crisis pregnancy center had been requested as a practicum site years ago, and that the center was recently removed from a list of possible sites. It would be helpful, Rosen said, if administrators would address the group. The institution has chosen to essentially ignore our commands, resist communication and has failed to acknowledge that we have been making those demands, she said, so it was not communicated directly to us. Expectations of the university The groups other demands involve concerns surrounding privacy, medical education and employer support that have risen to the forefront across the country. We are advocating for the student body population, but we are also advocating for the entire state of Missouri and St. Louis, said Amelia Letson, a rising sophomore at the university who serves as co-chair of the campus Generation Action group. Over the past three years, Republicans in the Missouri Legislature have proposed bills to tax the endowment of universities that provide medical faculty to abortion facilities or provide fellowships that offer training in performing abortions. The tax could cost Washington University more than $150 million. Washington University is a premier institution which trains students to perform abortions, Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, last year told The Pathway, a publication by the Missouri Baptist Convention. These students are then hired to murder developing human babies across our nation. They wont stop on their own. This will place a financial hardship on their ability to train these students. The skills required to perform an abortion are needed to prevent maternal deaths in cases with complications such as hemorrhaging, or to prevent a severe infection after a miscarriage. In his letter to the student body, Chancellor Martin emphasized the universitys commitment to being an institution of higher learning, Rosen said, but if you are going to be an institution of higher learning, you have to continue to teach vital medical procedures to the future doctors that you are training. Leaders of other major universities, even in states also facing severe abortion restrictions such as the University of Michigan and Emory University in Georgia, have issued statements supporting access to abortion. Gregory Fenves, the president Emory University, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, issued a statement saying restrictive abortion laws have negative ramifications, especially on low-income women and women of color. He called the Supreme Court decision a painful regression. University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman joined the medical school dean Marschall Runge in saying high-quality reproductive health care remained a top priority. I strongly support access to abortion services, and I will do everything in my power as president to ensure we continue to provide this critically important care, Coleman wrote. Letson said seeing actions by other leaders have emboldened students efforts. Our expectations of the university only grew with that knowledge, she said. The students have also watched more than a dozen companies representing millions of workers, such as Starbucks and Target, pledge to cover travel costs if their employees in restrictive states need abortions. If the university wants to maintain its prestige and attract great, innovative professors who are doing important research; if they want to attract students from out-of-state who can pay full tuition taking these steps is major signal to students and potential employees that WashU is a supportive place to exist, Rosen said. Despite the lack of response by top administrators, others on campus have done more to reassure those worried about access to abortion and emergency contraception, which some feared could be restricted under Missouris abortion ban. The student clinic, Habif Health and Wellness Center, has a paragraph at the top of its website making it clear that Habif will continue to provide reproductive services to students, including all forms of contraceptive counseling and intrauterine device placement. The clinic does not mince words: Due to the proximity to Illinois, where abortion access remains protected, students interested in abortion services will still have access. There are two clinics within a 30-minute drive from WashU. In the Brown School, interim co-deans Tonya Edmond and Rodrigo Reis, released a statement stating that while there are diverse opinions, their professions are dedicated to serving the most vulnerable and removing health disparities. Policies should be driven by data, Edmond and Reis wrote, and research shows that restricting access to abortion leads to an increase in negative health outcomes and life-threatening complications. The Supreme Courts ruling will restrict access to safe compassionate care, in which women have agency over their own bodies, they wrote. Rosen and Letson say they will continue to urge supporters to send emails and press administrators to take action. We are not going to let the fact that we are frustrated or the fact that they havent acknowledged these demands stop us from continuing to make them, Rosen said, or from taking other steps within our power to protect our fellow students and fight for the community. Editors note: Corrects Sarah Rosens last quote. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) Would you pay someone US$150,000 to have your baby? The high cost of surrogacy in the U.S. has pushed many potential parents to seek cheaper options elsewhere. Countries like India and Thailand have attracted surrogacy clients from countries like the U.S., Britain, Australia and Israel. The global surrogacy trade, however, has been fraught with scandals. In India, where Ive studied surrogacy since 2008, the government is rethinking regulations. Gay couples were banned from using commercial surrogacy in 2012. In March 2017, the Indian government extended the commercial ban to everyone. Now, only so-called altruistic surrogacy is allowed when a consenting female family member bears a child for a childless heterosexual Indian couple without pay. But what impact are bans on commercial surrogacy having for women who work in the reproductive industry? Downsides of commercial surrogacy Some bioethicists and feminists have welcomed bans on commercial surrogacy. They argue that its unethical to build businesses on womens reproductive capacities. Surrogacy businesses in India almost exclusively focused on the needs of the client. Destinations such as India became popular precisely because they offered surrogacy at bargain basement prices by paying surrogate mothers less. They offered preterm childbirth through cesarean surgeries in order to accommodate clients availability to take time off from work. They created barriers between surrogate mothers and clients to minimize the emotional costs for clients. This allowed clients to leave India with their babies no strings attached. Many bioethicists believe that selling pregnancy as a service is untenable because it puts a price on human body parts and life. Commercial surrogacy, they note, results in the devaluation of women and children and the eventual degradation of society. Thus, removing cash payment for surrogacy and instead endorsing it as an altruistic, gift-like exchange between transactors is seen as more ethical. These arguments carry weight. Countries like Canada and Australia allow only altruistic surrogacy. Downsides of bans Like other countries that provide commercial surrogacy, there were no legal requirements in India to provide statistics on how many clinics provided surrogacy services, the number of clients or women employed. What we do know is that the ban has slowed a brisk global trade in Indian working-class womens reproductive capacities that is estimated to have garnered anywhere from $400 million to $1 billion per year. The baby trade, however, does not stop with bans on commercial surrogacy. Instead, infertility clinics jump through legal loopholes by moving surrogate mothers across borders. These movements expose surrogate mothers to great risks. For example, when India first banned surrogacy for gay couples in 2012, various infertility businesses in Delhi continued to sign on gay clients from all over the world. Clients shipped their frozen sperm to Delhi, which was used to fertilize eggs from Indian donors. The resulting embryos, legally belonging to the gay men, were implanted into Indian surrogate mothers. To avoid the ban, infertility clinics then moved surrogate mothers across international borders into Nepal. There, they gave birth and clients arrived to pick up their children. This emerging trade route between Delhi and Kathmandu halted when an earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015, killing 8,000 people and injuring more than 21,000. While various governments airlifted babies belonging to their citizens, the fate of the Indian mothers and how they got back home remains unclear. I learned more about this type of workaround in conversations with a Mumbai-based infertility specialist in September 2015. The specialist, who will remain anonymous to protect confidentiality, revealed that he was recruiting surrogate mothers from Kenya to come to Mumbai. Through in vitro fertilization, he implanted the Kenyan women with embryos belonging to gay men. The women were then flown back to Nairobi after completing 24 weeks of pregnancy in India. They birthed babies in designated hospitals in Nairobi, from where gay father clients picked up the babies. The Mumbai doctor maintained that he had not broken the law, because technically, he had not interacted with gay clients within Indian territory, and all he had provided was in vitro fertilization for Kenyan health-care seekers. News reports have documented a similar effect in Cambodia, where the government has begun to crack down on surrogacy earlier this year. Now, surrogate mothers from Phnom Penh are being sent to Bangkok, Thailand to deliver babies. Thai law bans commercial surrogacy transactions, but enforcement agencies are unable to distinguish surrogate mothers in hospitals from other pregnant women. Cambodian surrogate mothers are also being sent to Laos, where there are no laws, to deliver babies in clinics staffed by Thai doctors who once worked in Thailand when commercial surrogacy was still legal there. Under these circumstances, women are far more vulnerable than before. They are wholly dependent on agencies that have brought them into countries where they are strangers and unfamiliar with the language, culture and social norms. Surrogacy agencies provide them with housing and food in these foreign countries. And they control the money. As a result, the women are powerless to terminate their contracts, or go back home if they choose to do so. They are isolated from friends and family and have no legal recourse to address financial abuses or medical malpractice. Human rights of surrogate mothers Country-specific bans do nothing to alleviate the vulnerability of working-class women across poor countries. Instead, these bans create situations where women may be exposed to far deeper mistreatment and exploitation. Governments might want to reconsider bans on commercial surrogacy. One option is to negotiate multilateral agreements between countries to govern global surrogacy. Such international law would need to balance the rights of persons pursuing parenthood, childrens rights and surrogate mothers rights. But because of differences in countries norms on gay rights and surrogacy, international agreements are difficult to forge. A more pragmatic solution for countries like India and Thailand would be to legalize commercial surrogacy but regulate it heavily. Rather than bans, governments should consider laws that uphold surrogate mothers sense of dignity and bodily integrity. Surrogate mothers should be treated as full human beings who have the right to choose how they get pregnant, the right to opt out of medical interventions, the right to refuse cesarean surgeries and the right to maintain contact with the babies they birthed. Commercial surrogacy is tenable only if surrogate mothers emotional, physical and intellectual well-being is respected. Editors note: This article and video were produced in collaboration with News Deeplys Women & Girls. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/india-outlawed-commercial-surrogacy-clinics-are-finding-loopholes-81784. WASHINGTON (AP) Democratic representatives are widening their scrutiny into the role of tech companies in collecting the personal data of people who may be seeking an abortion, as lawmakers, regulators and the Biden administration grapple with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling last month ending the constitutional protections for abortion. In a new volley of congressional letters, six House Democrats have asked the top executives of Amazons cloud-service network and major cloud provider Oracle about the companies handling of consumers location data from mobile phones, and what steps they have taken or planned to protect the privacy rights of individuals seeking information on abortion. The decision by the courts conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade has resulted in strict limits or total bans on abortion in more than a dozen states. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion or medical care for a miscarriage as well as those who assist them, experts say. Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebooks Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Data collected and sold by your company could be used by law enforcement and prosecutors in states with aggressive abortion restrictions, the House Democrats, led by Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, said in the letters. Additionally, in states that empower vigilantes and private actors to sue abortion providers, this information can be used as part of judicial proceedings. When consumers use apps on their phone and quickly tap yes on use geolocation data pop-ups, they should not be worried about the endless sale of their data to advertisers, individuals or law enforcement. And it most certainly should not be used to hunt down, prosecute and jail an individual seeking reproductive care. Companies can take action today to protect individual rights. The letters also went to executives of Near Intelligence Holdings and Mobilewalla. Along with Oracle and Amazon Web Services Data Exchange, the companies were described as leading data brokers businesses that gather, sell or trade location data from mobile phones, which could be used to track people who have visited abortion clinics or have gone out of state seeking abortion services. Five other Democrats active in tech issues signed the letters with Trahan: Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Yvette Clarke of New York, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Adam Schiff of California and Sean Casten of Illinois. Spokespeople for Amazon and Oracle didnt respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Also this week, Massachusetts two U.S. senators, Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, sent letters to four companies raising concerns that the software they use to monitor students online communications could be used to punish students who seek information about abortion services and reproductive health care. They asked the companies Bark Technologies, Gaggle.net, GoGuardian and Securly whether their software flags students online searches for abortion and other related terms. It would be deeply disturbing if your software flags words or activity that suggest students are searching for contraception, abortion or other related services, and if school administrators, parents and even law enforcement were potentially informed of this activity, Warren and Markey wrote. Generally, the so-called ed tech companies say the monitoring is intended to stop the next school shooter or student suicide, and that the scans are mostly limited to school e-mails or activity on school computers or internet networks, not private accounts. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden, under mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful in response to the Supreme Court ruling, signed an executive order to try to protect access to abortion. The actions Biden outlined are intended to head off some potential penalties that women seeking abortion may face after the ruling, but his order cannot restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect. Biden also asked the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online. On June 24, the day the high court announced its decision, four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data of all kinds to third parties. In May, several Senate Democrats urged the CEOs of Google and Apple to prohibit apps on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store from using data-mining practices that could facilitate the targeting of individuals seeking abortion services. Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap ST. LOUIS COUNTY A long-awaited audit released Friday identified staffing issues as the key challenge facing the St. Louis County Jail. The audit was sought in part because of a rash of deaths in 2019 at the jail, but auditors were unable to fully address that issue because reports on the deaths provided by the county were heavily redacted, making analysis difficult to determine what actions were taken by specific staff members, according to the report. Five inmates died at the jail in 2019; there were no deaths the following two years, but two inmates have died so far in 2022. Despite the lack of information, auditors from Miami-based criminal justice consulting firm CGL found the negative perception of the jail was unjustified and driven by media reports on those 2019 deaths, which were all caused by medical conditions, according to the 129-page report released to the public Friday. Karl Becker, senior vice president of CGL, presented a virtual overview of the audits findings Friday morning to the St. Louis County Justice Services Advisory Board, which was revived by St. Louis County Executive Sam Page in 2019. Board members received the report Thursday night, and they said Friday they plan to bring Becker back during their next meeting in August so he can answer questions. The CGL team started the project in January, Becker said, and it included talking to more than 90 staff members at the facility, as well as outside stakeholders. They also spent time at the facility, and Becker said he felt the team had a good understanding of operations at the jail. When we went into this, based on all the media attention, we were expecting, frankly, a pretty grim situation, Becker said. Maybe its just a function of the number of jails weve seen around the country, but we were pleasantly surprised. He said the report found the facility was clean, orderly and felt safe. He also noted the work environment appeared positive, and the staff worked together effectively. But the Rev. Phillip Duvall, a longtime local activist and former jail advisory board member, told the Post-Dispatch on Friday he doesnt believe thats the case, and that a longstanding culture of fear kept staff members from telling auditors the truth. Its a continuation of the same. Its what led me to leave the board in the first place, Duvall said of the audit. I am totally frustrated that the truth and the issues that plague the jail that need to be corrected basically were washed, wiped over. Duvall resigned from the board in May, saying he was frustrated with the countys removal of the audits language that specifically called for thorough scrutiny of inmate deaths and the countys refusal to release inmates medical records to auditors. Becker said the main issue the audit uncovered was staffing, but he noted that the county is making progress in hiring and filling vacancies, while also updating policies. Becker said the facility needs 338 security staff but is funded for only 266 full-time employees. Actual current staffing at the jail is even lower than the level at which its funded, Becker noted, so the disparity is even more stark. CGL recommended a plan that would require 346 full-time employees to run the jail. The plan calls for staffing the low- and medium-security general populations with one officer per shift, adding 10 officers to the transportation unit and providing adequate relief staff to fill in for employees absences. Becker said in the meeting this would reduce the countys spending on overtime wages by $1.2 million, and suggested a five-year phasing plan where the county would add 15 or 16 additional officers each year. Advisory board member Beth Heubner said she hadnt reviewed the report as of Friday morning. But she said she hoped it would address the ongoing nationwide shortage of staff and big concerns about deaths at the jail. I know that the jail board is committed to having transparency about any death or general action within the jail, and so Im sure that this will be an ongoing discussion, Heubner said. The CGL audit found that the management structure in the jail is top-heavy, and suggested reducing the number of majors and unit managers by eight. The report also found staff morale had plummeted amid constant turnover in executive leadership. That turnover included the resignation of former jail director Raul Banasco in August 2020 amid allegations of misconduct. When Banasco was hired, less than a year before his resignation, he was the jails first permanent director in more than 18 months. Page hired Banasco from a national search to reform the facility, and an anonymous letter written at the time of his resignation alleged Banasco was ousted by a cabal whose members were upset with his changes. CGL was awarded the audit contract from a group of eight finalists for a total of $121,505. In a statement Thursday, Page said the audit reflects the progress made at the jail in recent years. The audit presents 72 recommendations to improve the jail, including: Adopt 2018 guidance from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and pursue accreditation. Jail supervisors should review logbooks once per shift. The jails use of force policy provides clear guidance to officers but should be easier to find. The jail should have specific dates and timelines for review and revision of critical policies, including use of force. Require a mandatory three days of out-of-disciplinary housing every 21 days for inmates housed in that status to avoid mental health issues that can affect inmates in isolation. Require appeals of disciplinary sanctions be reviewed by a consistent and trained administrative person outside the affected unit. Nassim Benchaabane of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis man who testified this week against a man convicted of murdering St. Louis police Capt. David Dorn in 2020 cut a deal Thursday for five years of probation. Mark Jackson, 24, the states key witness at Stephan Cannons murder trial this week, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of first-degree robbery and burglary in connection with looting at Lees Jewelry & Pawn on June 2, 2020. Chief Trial Assistant Marvin Teer, who prosecuted Cannon, dropped Jacksons charges of second-degree murder, stealing and three counts of armed criminal action in exchange for Jacksons testimony that he drove Cannon to and from the pawn shop at 4123 Martin Luther King Drive where Dorn was killed. At trial, Cannons lawyer attacked Jacksons various stories to police about what happened and statements that hed tell detectives anything to avoid a murder case. City jurors on Wednesday found Cannon, 26, guilty of first-degree murder and several other charges; hell be sentenced in September to life in prison without parole. Dorn, 77, was fatally shot when he showed up to stop looters who had descended on the business following protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Dorn had worked for city police for 38 years and retired in 2007 to become police chief in Moline Acres. On Thursday, Circuit Judge Theresa C. Burke accepted Jacksons plea agreement and gave him a suspended 15-year prison sentence that includes five years probation. If Jackson violates probation, hell go to prison for up to 15 years. Jacksons lawyer Terry Niehoff said his client has no previous misdemeanor or felony charges and noted Jacksons willingness to testify against Cannon at great personal risk. He said Jackson didnt know Cannon was armed and wasnt acting with Cannon when Cannon opened fire. There is a code among thugs, Niehofff told the judge. Mr. Jackson is not a thug. He came forward and he told the truth. And hes going to be out on the streets. Thats the kind of citizen this city needs. In court, Niehoff warned his client to stay away from guns while on probation. Asked after the hearing if Jackson had been offered protection while on probation, Niehoff said no, then turned to Jackson and quipped that he should leave town. ST. LOUIS Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed a bill Thursday morning putting $1 million toward helping women get abortions in Illinois, kicking off another legal battle with the state. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt quickly filed a lawsuit to block the ordinance, calling it a clear violation of Missouri law. Jones dismissed the threat as political theater. I will not back down when our opponents threaten, bully or demean our city, especially an attorney general more concerned with chasing clout than care, she said. Bring it. The impending donnybrook would mark yet another round of political combat between Schmitt, a Republican running for U.S. Senate looking to burnish his bona fides with the base before the Aug. 2 primary, and Jones, a progressive Democrat eager to show resolve against conservatives on the march. The two former statehouse colleagues have previously clashed over public health orders during the pandemic and police funding, and frequently spar on Twitter. She calls him SueBully. He says she should be more concerned about picking up the trash. The bill in question Thursday is the citys attempt to blunt the impact of last months decision by a conservative U.S. Supreme Court to eliminate the federal constitutional right to abortion, which had stood for 50 years. Republican leaders in Jefferson City followed suit, outlawing the procedure entirely. The city bill wouldnt directly pay for abortions. Instead, it would send federal pandemic aid money to organizations that offer transportation and help with child care for women seeking abortions. But critics say thats a distinction without a difference, and that state law bars the use of public funds to assist or encourage an abortion. The St. Louis County Council shot down a similar proposal Tuesday night, but the bills sponsor, Lisa Clancy, said she might bring it back. The deal reached last week by Senate Democrats would provide $20 billion for climate-friendly agricultural practices. Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change and experts say there's plenty of opportunity to reduce the sector's emissions. If the measures in the bill are enacted, most of the money will go through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that already help farmers implement environmentally-friendly practices. The bill also funds research and efforts to improve cattle feed to reduce the amount of methane they produce. Cows are a major source of climate-warming methane. ST. LOUIS Chris Stritzel thought they were kidding at first. After all, itd be a bad look for the company if any of the six vacant buildings along the 1000 block of South Kingshighway suddenly collapsed or caught fire. He shared that sentiment with the buildings new owners, who are looking to construct a 155-unit apartment complex on the site. Those owners, Victor Alston and Sid Chakraverty, the brothers behind prominent developer Lux Living, appeared to back off the idea, Stritzel said later. Still, Stritzel said he was part of conversations with the brothers that made him worried they had been considering going around the citys building division to take down the properties. At one point, Stritzel said, Chakraverty used technical language to throw out the idea of having crews compromise roof supports so the buildings would collapse under the weight of winter snow. Stritzel, a prolific local development blogger whom Lux Living had hired as a consultant, was concerned enough that he went to the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood Association. Stritzels allegations are part of the reason the neighborhood group declined to endorse the project, stymieing the developer in a ward where Alderman Tina Pihl had empowered the association to review the project. In a July 5 letter addressed to city officials, the Board of Adjustment and Cultural Resources Office, posted on its website and shared via social media, the neighborhood association withheld its support for the project, citing a prevailing distrust of this developer. The letter also quotes an anonymous employee alleging Luxs leaders had considered illegal means to take down the structures. The association did not identify Stritzel in its letter or to a reporter, but Stritzel confirmed to the Post-Dispatch he was the anonymous employee with whom the group spoke. Lux Living on Thursday said it categorically denies the veracity of Stritzels statements. It is incredible that the (neighborhood) association failed to inform Lux of these salacious allegations until they published them in their July 5, 2022 decision, the company said in a statement sent by their attorney, Ira Berkowitz. The allegations were presented to the association and Alderwoman Pihl back in October and November 2021, yet no one from Lux was notified for comment or response. Instead, for the next 10 months, the association pursued the process of asking for changes to the plan and holding neighborhood meetings, the statement continued. If the association and the alderwoman believed Mr. Stritzel, clearly, they would have terminated the process and reported it to the police. They did neither. Blown out of proportion A Lux affiliate applied for city demolition permits to take down the boarded-up brick 2- and 4-family flats in September, a few months after purchasing them from an arm of Drury Hotels that had owned them for over a decade. The city never granted those demolition permits. Instead, Lux began trying to work with neighbors to win over the alderman, whose cooperation is needed for many aspects of the development process in St. Louis. Before Pihl became the alderman in 2021, reviews of development projects in the fast-growing 17th Ward had been handled by Park Central, a community development corporation. But Pihl, who espouses the need for robust community engagement, turned instead to the neighborhood association. The associations five-page letter on the project included the unnamed employees allegations that Alston and Chakraverty had considered sabotage to rig the buildings to collapse. It also said the employee alleged Lux considered suing other developers in the neighborhood, such as Green Street St. Louis, to slow competing apartment projects. In a text message to the Post-Dispatch, Stritzel confirmed he was the employee. I spoke with the neighborhood board last fall about what I believed to be potential illegal actions that were being considered, but such actions were dropped and later blown out of proportion, he said. Since that time, efforts were made to integrate neighborhood feedback into the plans, which it was, and the talk about buildings being burnt down or rigged to collapse were dropped. Stritzels allegations fed into the distrust some neighborhood residents already had about the developer, even though it was proposing a plan to finally remove buildings that neighbors have long considered nuisances. Last September, the vice president of the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood Association, Michael Browning, wrote a critical essay of Lux Living for NextSTL, a local development blog, arguing the city should to vet the business practices of developers. Neighbors who opposed Luxs project voiced concerns that had less to do about parking, density and aesthetics, or even the project itself. Many said they liked the project, just not the developer, which had faced bad publicity due to tenant allegations of poor management. In a statement to the Post-Dispatch, the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood Association said it was asked by Pihl, the alderman, to review this particular project while she formed an official development review committee to handle future proposals. The letter released on July 5, 2022 was what the Alderwoman has asked of us since September 2021: an account of the communitys feedback on this project for her, the City, and its officials, the neighborhood wrote in response to questions. The understanding among leaders of the group was that the informant wanted some of the information to be shared with the community, and it was included because it spoke to the character of the developers, according to the neighborhood association. Lux Living, in its statement, sought to cast doubt on Stritzels credibility. It pointed to past inflammatory accusations Stritzel has posted on comment boards accusing Pihl of taking payoffs and the neighborhood association of being corrupt and violating its bylaws. It shared a July 5 email from Stritzel after the letter was released in which he says the neighborhood association leaders were taking my words and twisting it. Stritzel had forwarded an email to Lux officials with different wording than the one quoted by the neighborhood letter. Lux officials pointed to the passage that read: as far as fire goes, he says it was never an option. The neighborhood shared the original email, which showed Stritzel had actually written, as far as fire goes, he says its not an option anymore since the risks were just too high. Stritzel confirmed he had changed the email to Lux in an attempt to smooth things over after the associations letter was released. Anyone else Lux presented its Forest Park Southeast proposal to the neighborhood association in September, and Alston and Chakraverty personally outlined the proposal to the neighborhood in subsequent meetings, most recently in June. Many residents indicated they were supportive of developing the site but felt forced to choose between dilapidated buildings and a developer that has proven to be duplicitous and vindictive, according to the letter signed by the board. If this was being proposed by anyone else, I would be a strong yes in support, said one resident, according to a copy of neighborhood comments released by the group. I am not opposed to the development itself, but rather am opposed to the developer due to its deplorable track record, wrote another. Lux said its initial plan required no variances, no zoning changes and could be built without neighborhood approval. Nor is it seeking incentives. Nevertheless, over the next 16 months, Lux worked diligently with Pihl and the neighborhood association to improve the project and spent considerable money to change the plan to their liking, presenting multiple designs based on resident feedback. Many residents applauded the plan, the company said in a statement. However, the deck was stacked, Lux wrote. Leaders of the neighborhood association had already made up their minds in April of 2021 and it did not matter what we did, they would not approve our project. What further disappoints us is this decision was made without transparency, with hearsay, innuendo, and defamatory lies. According to the neighborhood associations July 5 letter, 20 people voted against the development, while 14 voted in favor. Forest Park Southeast has about 3,500 residents. Brian Adler, who lives near the houses and was a member of the neighborhood association board last year, said hes no fan of Lux Livings business practices. But he has broader concerns about neighborhood groups, often led by just a small number of very involved members of the community, blocking new housing. If a developer follows the zoning and codes they should be allowed to build, he said, regardless of their reputation. As a nearby resident, he personally feels just about anything would be an improvement from the vacant structures that have been nuisances for years. Theres an assumption that if you deny Lux, that they will be a good neighbor and go and sell the properties to a wonderful company, Adler said. I dont know why there isnt an assumption that they wont simply landbank the buildings for 15 or 20 years. Indeed, the projects future is now unclear. In an interview last week, Pihl now says the neighborhood groups review was only one step in a larger process, and she would be forming a dedicated development review committee shortly. A request for applications for the new committee was posted on the neighborhood associations website this week. The process is not done, Pihl said of the neighborhood review of Luxs project. Thats just one component. Whether Lux will go along is another question. But it still plans to pursue the project. The buildings still sit vacant, condemned, and blighted, the company said in its statement. The development process in the 17th Ward is broken and will deter development and progress. We have the right to build at our site, and we want to build something that St. Louis can be proud of and that adds economic value day one to our City. ST. LOUIS Daily test runs of Loop Trolley cars will begin Wednesday in advance of the long-dormant operations scheduled resumption of service on Aug. 4. The trolleys new operator, the Bi-State Development Agency, says the trial runs between noon and 5 p.m. will include safety testing . When thats concluded, officials with Bi-State, state transportation officials and the trolleys taxing district will review results and make adjustments if needed. Bi-States Metro Transit agency also will be involved. Bi-State on Friday said people will be able to ride free of charge when service begins next month. The trolley, which previously charged a fare, shut down regular service at the end of 2019 after only about a year of operations amid continued financial and operational problems. In February, Bi-State, which runs MetroLink and the Metro bus system, agreed to run trolley operations on a contract basis. Plans call for the 2.2-mile line, which runs from the western end of the Delmar Loop in University City to the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, to operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Bi-State, which previously had said the line would shut down Oct. 15, on Thursday announced a new end date of Oct. 30. The news release referred to the planned reopening as a three-month trial program. Bi-States president and CEO, Taulby Roach, has said that the line likely would crank up again next April. The line plans to run at first using accrued and ongoing revenue from the trolley districts sales tax collected along and near the trolley route. The regional East-West Gateway Council of Governments is expected to decide next month on a proposed $1.26 million federal grant that Roach has said is needed for the trolley lines long-term financial viability. The council rejected a similar request last year. Updated at 6 p.m. Friday with new information on allowing people to ride free ST. LOUIS The region is set to face multiple days of locally dangerous heat from Friday through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, as large swaths of the country and globe continue to swelter. Temperatures will peak around and above 100 degrees for the next few days, based on forecasts from the NWS St. Louis-area office. Thursday hit 98, with expected highs of 100 on Friday, 102 on Saturday and 100 on Sunday before some rain and cloud cover are projected to help push conditions below 90 degrees by Monday. The NWS issued a heat advisory for the area, effective from noon Friday until 8 p.m. Saturday. Those advisories kick in if the local heat index which factors in humidity, to measure what conditions feel like peaks at 105 degrees or more, or reaches at least 100 degrees for four straight days. Officials urged people to exercise caution and check on the safety of others. I know that weve had a hot summer so far, said Melissa Mainhart, a local NWS meteorologist. But we still need to be careful about how the heat can affect us. Although the streak of high temperatures is likely to fall at least several degrees shy of local records, its still been an extremely hot July in St. Louis. Up through Wednesday and even before this latest blast of heat intensified the first 20 days of July were the 10th-hottest the area has experienced in nearly 150 years of record-keeping, going back to 1874, according to local NWS meteorologists. Theres been no shortage of extreme heat to go around, lately. Nationally, the NWS warned Thursday of widespread oppressive heat that continues across much of the U.S. The agency said a significant portion of Americans remained under heat-related warnings and advisories, particularly in south-central regions of the country. In places like Texas, the heat piles onto what had already been the states hottest three-month stretch from April through June, ever recorded. An ocean away, the week has also brought record-shattering heat to much of Europe, where temperatures in many places rocketed several degrees higher than ever recorded. In Portugal, alone, the heat has coincided with more than 1,000 deaths than would typically be expected based on prior years. The heat has also helped stoke widespread wildfires across the continent. Such spiraling extremes are consistent with the expected consequences of climate change. Around St. Louis, at least some incremental relief from the heat could arrive by the end of the weekend. Sunday looks like a bit of a transition day, the National Weather Service said, when the likelihood of widespread showers and thunderstorms will increase and potentially carry into the middle of next week. Those conditions contribute to Mondays forecast temperature peaking at a cooler 88 degrees. The moisture along with the break from the heat is certainly welcome to many. The area has been abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and since June 1, St. Louis Lambert International Airport has barely received half of the seven inches of rain that it gets, on average. Meanwhile, other significant portions of Missouri are seeing a moderate to severe drought. The good news is this is relatively short-term, said Jayson Gosselin, another local NWS meteorologist. This is more, OK, its been a dry six to seven weeks. State drought impacts have been largely confined to agriculture, so far. For instance, the condition of key crops in the state, like corn and soybeans, have trended downward throughout recent weeks, said Bob Garino, the Missouri state statistician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He added that July conditions are especially crucial for corn production, while August is often a pivotal month for soybeans. Weve still got some time to see how that plays out, he said. Many cooling centers are available throughout the St. Louis region, often in libraries and other public spaces ranging from the Salvation Army in Alton to City Hall in Union, and from the Wood River Fire Station to the Webster Groves Older Adult Activity Center. The United Way has compiled an expansive and updated list of regional cooling sites, available online. ISTANBUL (AP) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The U.N. plan will enable Ukraine one of the world's key breadbaskets to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russia's invasion. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families," said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, Guterres said. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all, he told the envoys. Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Erdogan hoped it would be a new turning point that will revive hopes for peace. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. Im not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal, Kuleba told The Associated Press. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But Im very cautious because I have no trust in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Kuleba's concerns in his nightly video address, saying, It is clear to everyone that there may be some provocations on the part of Russia, some attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust the UN. The European Union and the U.K. immediately welcomed the news. This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russias aggression against Ukraine, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss applauded Turkey and the U.N. for brokering the agreement. We will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words," Truss said. "To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. African leaders, whose countries import food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia, also welcomed the deal, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it has taken much too long. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities such as wheat and barley have soared during the war. Although international sanctions against Russia did not target food exports, the war has disrupted shipments of Russian products because shipping and insurance companies did not want to deal with Russia. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, opens a path for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement, obtained by the AP, says a U.N.-led joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships arrivals and departures. Inspectors representing all parties at the Bosporus in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure no weapons or soldiers are on board. Under the deal, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, and the parties agree not to attack vessels and port facilities involved in the initiative. If demining is required to make the shipping lanes safe, a minesweeper from another country could clear the approaches to Ukrainian ports. The sides will monitor the movement of ships remotely and no military ships. aircraft or drones will be allowed to approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance the center sets. The agreement will remain in effect for 120 days and can be extended automatically. Guterres believes grain shipments could start within the next two weeks, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A senior U.N. official said Ukraine needs about 10 days to prepare the ports and needs time to identify and be clear about those safe corridors. The aim is to export 5 million tons of grains per month to empty Ukraine's silos in time for this year's harvest. Zelenskyy said nearly 20 million tons of grain will be exported initially, then some of the current harvest. Guterres first raised the critical need to restart the supply of Ukraines agricultural production and Russias grain and fertilizer to world markets in late April during meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then proposed a deal because of fears that the war could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Peter Meyer, head of grain and oilseed analytics at S&P Global Platts, said the deal does not "mean that the global supply crisis is over. Traders anticipated a deal for the past several weeks, he said, so its effect might already have shown up in grain prices. And the agreement only covers the 2021 crop. Theres still considerable uncertainty about Ukrainian production this year and even next, Meyer said. Before the agreements, Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports, insisted on checking incoming ships for weapons and lifting restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Ukraine argued that Russia's port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any safe sea shipments impossible. It sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack Odesa and accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately setting Ukrainian fields on fire. Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of stolen grain in the negotiations. It was part of a deal: Kyiv doesnt raise the issue of stolen grain and Moscow doesnt insist on checking Ukrainian ships. Kyiv and Moscow were forced to make a deal and compromise, he said. The deal was also important for Russia's geopolitical relations, the analyst noted. Russia decided not to fuel a new crisis in Africa and provoke a hunger and government changes there, Sidenko said. The African Union had asked Putin to quickly ease the crisis with grain supplies." Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Erika Kinetz in Kyiv, Ukraine, Raf Casert in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ISTANBUL (AP) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for exporting millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertilizer ending a wartime standoff that had threatened food security around the globe. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate deals with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. The ceremony in Istanbul was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea," Guterres said. "A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever." "You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all," he said, addressing the Russian and Ukrainian representatives. The deal will enable Ukraine to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to the war. Ukrainian and Russian military delegations had reached a tentative agreement last week on a U.N. plan that would also allow Russia to export its grain and fertilizers. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's president, stressed Friday that Ukraine and Russia would sign separate agreements, saying Ukraine "does not sign any documents with Russia." Guterres said the plan, known as the "Black Sea Initiative," would open a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny." It would "bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine." "It will help stabilize global food prices which were already at record levels even before the war a true nightmare for developing countries," Guterres added. Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russia's invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some grain is being transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities like wheat and barley have soared during the nearly five-month war. The deal makes provisions for the safe passage of ships. A control center will be established in Istanbul, staffed by U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials, to run and coordinate the process. Ships would undergo inspections to ensure they are not carrying weapons. Podolyak insisted that no Russian ship would escort vessels and that there would be no Russian representative present at Ukrainian ports. Ukraine also plans an immediate military response "in case of provocations," he said. Guterres first raised the critical need to get Ukraine's agricultural production and Russia's grain and fertilizer back into world markets in late April during meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. He proposed a package deal in early June amid fears that the war was endangering food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Russian and Ukrainian officials have blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports to allow safe shipping and insisted on its right to check incoming ships for weapons. Ukraine has argued that Russia's port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any shipments unviable. Ukraine has sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldn't use the safe corridors to attack the key Black Sea port of Odesa. Ukrainian authorities have also accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately shelling Ukrainian fields to set them on fire. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. welcomes the agreement in principle. "But what we're focusing on now is holding Russia accountable for implementing this agreement and for enabling Ukrainian grain to get to world markets. It has been for far too long that Russia has enacted this blockade," Price said. The latest Ukraine-Russia developments: *** *** CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) A West Virginia man charged with trying to kill his sister, who recently awakened from a two-year coma and identified him as her attacker, has died less than a week after his arrest, authorities said Friday. Daniel J. Palmer III of Cottageville was pronounced dead Thursday at a Charleston hospital, a day after he was taken there following an evaluation by jail medical staff, the state Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Division of Corrections, said in a news release. The statement didn't indicate a cause of death, and a spokeswoman for Department of Health and Human Resources, which oversees the state medical examiner's office, said state law only allows the agency to release autopsy information to relatives and law enforcement. Palmer, 55, was uncooperative while in custody and during booking procedures at the South Central Regional Jail, where he was taken July 15 after being charged with the attempted murder and malicious wounding of his sister, the statement said. His death likely brings a close to a highly unusual case in which the investigation was stalled for two years by a lack of evidence. His sister, Wanda Palmer, was in a coma in a nursing home for two years. She was found unconscious with serious head injuries at her home in Jackson County on June 10, 2020. Daniel Palmer had been identified as a suspect, but up until the time she emerged from the coma, investigators did not have enough evidence to file charges, court documents said. "Due to a previous violent history between Wanda Palmer and her brother Daniel Palmer, investigators initially considered Daniel a suspect in the assault," according to a criminal complaint filed in Jackson County Magistrate Court. Investigators interviewed Daniel, who denied involvement in the attack, saying he had not been to his sister's home in days. Later, a witness told investigators he saw Daniel in the front doorway at Wanda Palmer's trailer on the night she was assaulted. On June 27, more than two years after the attack, a deputy received a call from a protective services worker who said she had started to speak single words and seemed to respond when questioned. On July 12, deputies drove to Genesis Healthcare in New Martinsville to speak with Wanda Palmer. Deputy Julia Bowen "entered Wanda's room alone and began speaking with her," the complaint said. "Wanda indicated (that) she recalled living in her trailer near her mother's place. She indicated that she recalled being hurt there. She made mention of her head." Wanda Palmer said the person who injured her was her brother and she identified him as Daniel. When asked during the interview the reason behind the assault, "Wanda stated that he was mean," according to the complaint. Wanda Palmer "appeared oriented to her situation. Her answers to questions were coherent and relevant. She asked for prayer." Daniel Palmer had been held on a $500,000 bond. He was so combative when he was arrested that it took hours to get him to cooperate with authorities for an arraignment, which required a magistrate to leave a courthouse and come to the Jackson County sheriff's office, WCHS-TV reported. Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger was out of his office and unavailable for comment Friday. By now, its likely that every politically sentient person in Missouri has watched and re-watched the brief video aired in Thursday nights House committee hearing showing Sen. Josh Hawley darting through the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, like Road Runner with Wile E. Coyote in hot pursuit. Laughable as the video is, its important to remember the deadly serious context surrounding this sidesplitting comeuppance for a politician who so richly deserves it. Lives were lost that day, the seat of government was breached for the first time in more than two centuries, American democracy was destabilized in what may yet prove to be permanent ways and Missouris junior senator was instrumental in all of it. When then-President Donald Trump refused to accept his clear defeat in the November 2020 election, every congressional Republican had a choice to make: Endorse Trumps scheme to undermine public confidence in the results by falsely claiming that mass voter fraud had cost him reelection, or put party aside and stand up for democracy. Hawley, like far too many of his fellow Republicans, chose the former. It was a common betrayal of duty within the party, but Hawleys betrayal had unique consequences. Under a byzantine electoral process that both parties in Congress are even now attempting to reform, it takes just one member of each chamber objecting to a given states electoral results to trigger floor debate over those results. The House, being the House, had plenty of Trump sycophants lining up to pull that trigger, but it looked for a time like Senate Republicans would do the responsible thing and decline. Then Hawley and, initially, only Hawley announced he would object. With that, the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 went from being a pro-forma rubber stamp of a settled election to a showdown over Trumps big lie that would make the Capitol a target for the mob. As Trumps insurrection simmered that day outside the Capitol prior to the attack, Hawley raised his fist in solidarity with the crowd. At Thursdays hearing of the House committee investigating the attack, Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Virginia, displayed the now-iconic photo of that fist-pumping moment and said members spoke with a female Capitol Police officer who told us that Senator Hawleys gesture riled up the crowd, and it bothered her greatly because he was doing it in a safe space, protected by the officers and the barriers. Luria continued: Later that day, Senator Hawley fled, after those protesters he helped to rile up stormed the Capitol. See for yourself. The committee then aired the brief video showing Hawley lurching across a Capitol hallway then re-ran it again in slow motion. Missouris hero was running for his life. The crowd in the committee room erupted with laughter, as, no doubt, did legions of home viewers. Twitter was quickly overtaken by memes of the video, backed by fitting music the theme from Chariots of Fire, Bruce Springsteens Born to Run along with the famous film scene in which Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump darts down a dirt road in a stiff-backed running gait that looks remarkably similar to Hawleys. From now on, noted one wag, if political reporters ask Josh Hawley if hes planning to run, hes going to have to ask them to clarify. This newspaper, like others, has said Hawley should resign for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection a position we continue to hold today though it would be naive to think hed ever entertain it. If Hawley had a shred of shame, it would surely have manifested itself before now. The fact that he would later use the infamous photo of his raised fist as a fundraising tool says all there is to say on that topic. Still, its fair to ask what the committees purpose was in airing the clip beyond gratuitously embarrassing a senator who most Democrats and even many mainstream Republicans love to hate. But we would argue there was substantive value to it. It demonstrated beyond any doubt that Hawley understood, in real time, the physical danger he helped uncork that day. And yet he kept twisting that corkscrew, carrying through that night on his objection to the election results that had endorsed Trumps lie and emboldened his followers. The entire scenario might also have value in convincing Republicans of conscience why this man doesnt deserve their continued support. Not because of a momentary image that makes him look foolish but because it provides a vivid metaphor of the kind of politics he represents: bombastic, demagogic, self-interested but ultimately devoid of courage. In the wake of Jan. 6, as Hawley was trying to reform a standing that had been damaged even among his fellow Senate Republicans, he wrote an op-ed explaining his election objection like this: Many, many citizens in Missouri have deep concerns about election integrity. They want Congress to take action to see that our elections at every level are free, fair, and secure. They have a right to be heard in Congress. Think about that. Faced with constituents who had been misled by a lying president to reject the results of a fair election, Hawley doesnt seek to educate them on the facts but rather agrees to give official voice to the lie, because thats what they want. Thats not a leader, its a follower one who follows the worst elements of his party, even after an attack that endangers him, his congressional colleagues and democracy itself. And thats a legacy from which Hawley can never run. A Morton County assistant prosecutor who is running for states attorney in this year's election has been put on administrative leave as officials investigate an employee complaint. Gabrielle Goter was placed on paid administrative leave after the countys human resources department learned on June 7 that an employee had filed a complaint, Human Resources Director Wendy Bent said. Bent did not disclose the nature of the complaint. Ms. Goters placement on administrative leave is not considered disciplinary in nature, Bent said in a written statement. It is an action the employer uses to separate the employee from the incident(s) while the incident is under investigation. Goter told the Tribune the situation has come as a shock to me. I was very surprised and disappointed to learn a complaint had been made, she said. Goter said State's Attorney Allen Koppy placed her on what she termed a modified paid administrative leave on June 27. I have not been allowed to see what has been alleged or respond in any way at this time in the process, so I have no more information than that, Goter said. I intend to cooperate in the investigation in any way necessary and am confident in the result. Goter responded to an email sent to her work email address. "My first concern in this process has been meeting my ethical and professional obligations," she said, adding that the modified leave "allows me to do this while still being separate from the physical workspace." Among the cases Goter has handled since June 27 is the sentencing hearing in a high-profile murder case. Bent said her department is investigating the complaint with external legal support. She did not elaborate. Goter is challenging Koppy in the November election. In the June 14 primary election, Goter garnered 1,517 votes or just more than 53%. Koppy had 1,333 or about 47%, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State's website. The top two candidates in the primary move on to the general election. There was not a third candidate. Bent said Koppy in placing Goter on administrative leave was simply following the recommendations of Human Resources and our protocol to initiate the investigation. The Tribune included Koppy on its inquiries to county officials. He did not comment. Goter led the prosecution team in the August 2021 murder trial of Chad Isaak, who was convicted of the April 2019 shooting and stabbing deaths of four people in Mandan. He received four life sentences with no chance of parole. The U.S. Marine Corps has successfully tested Israels Iron Dome Tamir missiles as part of MIRC (Marine Corps Medium-Range Intercept Capability). Each Tamir launcher carries 20 Tamir missiles. Each 160mm Tamir weighs 90 kg (200 pounds) and is three meters (nearly ten feet) long. Tamir includes a guidance system that includes a radar and a proximity fuze that detects the size and speed of a nearby target and detonates the warhead only of the right type of target (UAV, cruise missile or rocket) is detected. Because of added features (for destroying cruise missiles and UAVs) the cost per Tamir missile went from $50,000 to nearly $150,000. MIRC was able to use Tamir missiles, fired from the Tamir launcher, in conjunction with a marine radar system and command and control system. In 2020 Tamir proved its ability to down cruise missiles and UAVs using the Iron Dome radar and fire control system. In that test Iron Dome systems on land and Israeli ships were integrated into a multi-layer air defense system that included Davids Sling (similar to Patriot) and the Arrow ABM (anti-ballistic missile system. MIRC would also use other air defense systems. With that Israel began offering the Tamir missiles and launchers for customers like the MIRC. In 2016 Iron Dome successfully was modified and tested to shoot down various types of UAVs. This required some software modifications and was done at the request of the U.S. Army. Iron Dome was already capable of shooting down aircraft and helicopters. The UAVs were often much smaller, but so are the rockets and mortar shells Iron Dome can knock down. The United States has contributed over a billion dollars to development and procurement of Iron Dome. Periodically adding new features like this helps export sales. Iron Dome has been in service since 2011 and has proven itself in combat. Iron Dome uses two radars to quickly calculate the trajectory of the incoming rocket and do nothing if the rocket trajectory indicates it is going to land in an uninhabited area. But if the computers predict a rocket coming down in an inhabited area one (or often two to be sure) $50,000 Tamir guided missiles are fired to intercept the rocket. This, and the fact that the Iron Dome fire control system can track hundreds of incoming missiles at once makes the system cost-effective. So far Iron Dome has shot down over 800 rockets, which is about 85 percent of the rockets it calculated were headed for a populated area. The Tamir missiles are effective against rockets, mortar shells and artillery shells up to 155mm. Iron Dome can also shoot down aircraft and helicopters at altitudes up to 10 kilometers 32,000 feet). Iron Dome is Israels principal defense against short range rockets fired from Gaza or Lebanon. Work is underway to increase the Iron Dome range from 70 to over 200 kilometers but that is stalled because of budget shortages. By 2014 Israel had fifteen batteries of Iron Dome and over 2,000 Tamir missiles. That was enough to shut down the Hamas effort to hit Israel with thousands of rockets. Each battery has radar, fire control equipment, and 3-4 missile launchers (each with 20 missiles) and cost about $37-50 million for the basic (no anti-aircraft capability) depending on how many missiles it is shipped with. With the new system, a battery with two radars and three launchers costs about $100 million and can protect an area of about 150 square kilometers. In 2014 the U.S. Army purchased an Iron Dome anti-rocket battery from Israel, mainly for evaluation purposes. The Americans then wanted to see if Iron Dome would be worth getting for deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, where American troops were still stationed. This American purchase was the first export sale of Iron Dome. The U.S. bought two more batteries in 2020 and 2021. Israeli efforts to export their Iron Dome anti-rocket system were slow initially but eventually succeeded with Azerbaijan, India and several other counters placing orders. The Israeli manufacturer of Iron Dome thought this would make Iron Dome a hot export item. After all, Israel is one of the top ten weapons exporters in the world. This is because Israeli system work well and are usually combat tested. Although the Iron Dome system had succeeded in shooting down about 85 percent of the rockets headed for Israeli populated areas, this was a unique situation. Continued success eventually made Iron Dome exportable, especially after the anti-aircraft, UAV and cruise missile capabilities were added. The U.S. was willing to buy more Iron Dome systems but wanted access to the fire control source code. Israel refused because American security is less strict than Israels and a leak of that source code would enable an enemy to determine exploitable weaknesses in Iron Dome. The main problem is that Iron Dome was designed to deal with an enemy that is a terrorist organization (Hamas) operating out of an area (Gaza) that is basically home for Palestinian refugees who have been there for over 60 years and want nothing less than the destruction of Israel. A similar organization (Hezbollah) controls southern Lebanon and is also dedicated to the destruction of Israel, using 40,000 unguided rockets they received from Iran. This is the unique situation that Iron Dome was designed to deal with. When faced with a massive launch of rockets at once, Iron Dome is unable to shoot down all of those headed for populated areas. While the intercept rate is lower, Iron Dome has shown it can still reduce Israeli casualties and property damage. Iron Dome recently added a high-powered laser device that can knock down many rockets but at shorter ranges. Senior Shia cleric and political leader Muqtada al Sadr is demanding that former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki be prosecuted because of audio recordings of his political views that demonstrate him making deals with anyone, including Iran, to defeat Sadr and his many supporters. If convicted, Maliki faces life in prison or even execution. Sadr has been unrelenting in his anti-corruption campaign, Evidence of corrupt Maliki decisions since he became the first prime minister of post-Saddam Iraq in 2003 led to his being banned from running for prime minister again. Sadr wanted Maliki banned from politics altogether, but court rulings allowed Maliki to remain active and his party alliance was key in blocking the selection of a new prime minister after anti-corruption parties obtained a majority in the 2021 elections. Iraqi courts are less corrupt than many other institutions but can still be influenced by cash or convincing death threats. Iraqi journalist Ali Fadel, now living in the United States after surviving many efforts to kill him in Iraq, obtained an hour-long audio recording of Maliki discussing his plans to thwart Sadr and his anti-corruption efforts by any means. That includes mobilizing Iran-backed armed groups for what could turn into a civil war. Fadel is releasing the audio recording a minute or two at a time and so far, less than ten minutes have been released. Malikis views are no secret because he often expresses them in private to associates or potential allies. Maliki insists the audio recording is a fake but it sounds real and is certainly plausible considering Malikis political activities for over a decade. An official judicial investigation of the recordings and their revelations began yesterday. Maliki refuses to cooperate, which may result in an arrest warrant. If and when the full audio is released and available for technical analysis to determine authenticity, it would persuade many Iraqi party leaders to back Sadr and give his coalition enough (a two-thirds majority) votes to select a new prime minister. Reducing corruption has become a popular issue because most Iraqis admit that it is one national characteristic that has to be gone if Iraq is to make any social, political or economic progress. Iraq is a nation that has enormous economic and intellectual resources but has never been able to mobilize those resources for the good of Iraq. Sadr risked his life to create and sustain an anti-corruption political movement which has grown, but is still short of creating a new government. There have been some successes, especially in defense. For example, in the north (Nineveh province) Iraqi and Kurdish troops along with specialized counterterrorism forces are currently searching for and attacking small groups of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) Islamic terrorists hiding in the Qara-Chokh mountains 60 kilometers southeast of the city of Mosul. This area has long been used by Islamic terrorists who were moving between Iraq and Syria. The Syrian border is nearby and the Islamic terrorists have to sneak across. In the past ISIL was strong enough to attack the troops guarding official border crossings on the main roads. Remnants of the former Islamic State caliphate in eastern Syria and western Iraq continue to survive and sort of thrive in the deserts of eastern Syria and remote mountain areas of northern Iraq. ISIL remnants use terror to raise cash and intimidate local civilians to tolerate their presence and not cooperate with local security forces. This has been the way outlaws operate in this part of the world since ancient times, even if the outlaws are motivated mainly by religious fanaticism. ISIL attacks in eastern Syria continue to occur frequently, often at the rate of four or five a week. ISIL is less active in Iraq. July 20, 2022: In the north (Kurdish controlled Dohuk province) Turkish artillery was used to bombard a vacation resort near the Turkish border. Nearly all the casualties (nine dead and dozens wounded) were Arabs taking a break from the very hot weather down south. Relaxing in the cooler and safer Kurdish mountains has become a popular activity for Iraqi Arabs who can afford it. The Kurds have been autonomous in northern Iraq since the 1990s and kept out nearly all of the Islamic terrorism that ravaged the Arab south after 2003. This led to many Arabs vacationing in the Kurdish north. Border security between the Kurdish north and the rest of Iraq was tight and few Islamic terrorists get in and if they did, they found it difficult to operate. The one danger the Kurds could not keep out was the increasing Turkish efforts to eliminate PKK (Turkish Kurdish separatists) who had established bases in remote areas near the border. Dohuk province had plenty of sparsely populated border areas where the PKK would establish their hideouts. These the Turks would search for with manned aircraft and UAVS. Once located the Turks would attack with artillery, F-16s or armed UAVs. Turkish troops would sometimes cross the border to follow up on artillery or air attacks. In more populated border areas of the Kurdish north the Turks established bases. These Turkish attacks take place regularly, with PKK targets hit up to three times a week. There are casualties every week as smugglers and PKK forces try to cross the border in either direction and are attacked by Turkish troops guarding the border. Turkey announces all such operations, especially when it involves PKK forces. Iran threatens to carry out similar attacks and occasionally does so but never takes credit for them. The Turks justify these attacks because the Iraqi Kurds will not use their troops and police, the best in Iraq, to go after the PKK or similar groups from Syria or Iran. There are no armed Iraqi Kurdish separatists because the Iraqi Kurdish autonomy is tolerated if the Iraqi Kurds do not attack the Arab dominated national government. This arrangement has generally worked, but the Iraqi government considers the Turkish violence in the north as partially the fault of the Iraqi Kurds who will not actively fight the armed foreign Kurds from Turkey, Syria and Iran. The unarmed Iranian Kurd separatists are OK but the PKK presence is a big problem for everyone. This is especially the case when the Turkish violence kills and wounds Iraqi Arabs is a major violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the unwritten understanding that tolerates the Turkish attacks on the PKK, even if it sometimes kills Iraqi Kurd civilians. The Iraqi Arabs see this as something the Iraqi Kurds have to take care of. The Turks are aware of the vacation resorts near their border and the Iraqi Kurds keep PKK members out of those resorts. That was apparently the case with the Dohuk resort and the large number of Iraqi Arab civilian casualties created major diplomatic problems for Turkey. July 19, 2022: Turkey revealed that they were responsible for killing Hussein Shibli, a senior SDF (Syrian Defense Forces) military leader. Shibli was in northern (Kurdish controlled) Iraq for medical treatment when a Turkish UAV when killed him with a laser-guided missiles. Turkey and Russia are trying to persuade, or coerce, the largely Kurdish SDF rebels to side with Turkey rather than the Americans. Turkish missiles-armed UAVs, mainly the TB2 model, regularly carry out attacks against SDF and PKK forces in northern Iraq and Syria. July 17, 2022: In the north (Nineveh province) a Turkish UAV armed with missiles destroyed a vehicle traveling in the western outskirts of Mosul. Five civilians in the car died, one of them a female. It was later discovered that all the victims were Turkish PKK Kurdish separatists. Turkish bases and military forces have been in northern Iraq since 2016 and are used by troops hunting for PKK members who continue to operate in northern Iraq. Turkish bases are frequently targets of attacks by the PKK. July 12, 2022: Powerful Shia cleric and political leader Muqtada al Sadr gave up on his eight-month long effort to form a new government and ordered the 73 members of his parliamentary coalition to resign, which they did. The 2021 national election was a defeat for pro-Iran parties and an unexpected victory for the Sadr coalition, which won 73 of 329 seats in parliament. He had momentum and the best chance of forming a majority coalition and forming a government that would make good on his promise to do something about government corruption. Sadr was unable to get enough ethnic or religious coalitions to join him and form a government. Even then, Sadr would have to achieve a two-thirds vote in parliament to elect a new president. This is seen as a win for Iran and corrupt Iraqi politicians. Meanwhile parliament was not idle. Even without a new government it could pass new laws and last month approved a law making it a capital (death or life in prison) crime to have any contact with Israel or Israelis. This was a win for Iran because 84 percent of parliament voted for it. Iraq never recognized the existence of Israel and a state of war still exists with Israel. The new law caused problems with the West, especially the United States, because Western trade with Iraq often involves Jews with dual (Israeli and their home country) passports. Other Arab oil states have not only recognized the existence of Israel, but established diplomatic, economic and military relationships. One reason for this is Iran, which has been calling for the destruction of Israel since the 1980s. Before that, Iran followed its ancient practice of tolerating all religions. In 1979, when Iranian religious leaders played a major role in overthrowing the monarchy, it became fashionable to oppose everything (including religious tolerance) that the monarchy supported. This was not popular with many Iranians who realized that one reason for Iran being the traditional local superpower was religious tolerance. Islamic conservatives consider that heresy and that was another custom that was not an Iranian tradition. At the same time, anti-Semitism was becoming less of a factor in Christian and Moslem majority countries. The new Iraqi law is seen as a win for Iran and a defeat for Iraq because in practice the new law makes Iraq less able to cooperate with Arab and Western nations it depends on economically, diplomatically and militarily. Many Iraqis, particularly Kurds, openly opposed the new law and still do. Iran may not be very good at creating progress but the religious dictatorship there has been very successful at causing disasters and decline for the Iranian people. The new Iraqi law does not become official until it is ratified by the president of Iraq. Since 2018 that has been Barham Salih, a veteran Kurdish politician. Salih got the job by obtaining the support of most members of parliament. He was seen as a practical choice, someone who would moderate the sometimes-radical laws that get passed mainly for show because parliament knows that Salih will not confirm it and take the heat for members of parliament who silently agree with him. July 10, 2022: Turkey revealed that their forces operating in northern Syria, northern Iraq and inside Turkey had killed or captured 1,999 terrorists so far this year. This is a category that includes Islamic terrorists as well as Kurdish separatists in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. About a third of these terrorist casualties are inflicted by Turkish forces operating in Iraq and Syria. The governments of Iraq and Syria do not approve of these incursions but lack the military forces capable of preventing the incursions. Turkey claims to have killed or captured 35,000 terrorists in the last seven years (since July 2015). Some of those dead terrorists in Syria and Iraq were civilian bystanders. About 600 Turkish military personnel have been killed in Iraq and Syria since mid-2015. Several thousand Syrian Arab mercenaries have died in Syria, Libya and Armenia (for Azerbaijan). Turkey pays well (by Syrian standards) for these mercenaries, who receive free medical care and compensation for disability and death benefits of next-of-kin if killed. Turkey does not use local mercenaries in northern Iraq. A growing number of attacks against terrorists in Turkey, Syria and Iraq, as well as regular forces in Libya and Armenia are carried out by F-16s and UAVs using guided missiles. July 7, 2022: In the north, near the Turkish border, a Turkish soldier was killed and three wounded after a clash with PKK gunmen based in northern Iraq. In another incident nearby two more Turkish troops were killed. Turkey revealed that in the last four weeks eleven Turkish soldiers had died, along two Turkish security guards assigned to Turkish bases. MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation (TSXV:QPM)(FSE:YXEP)(OTCQB: CJCFF) ("QPM" or the "Corporation") announces today that three incumbent directors, Mario Caron, Dominique Dionne and Paola Farnesi, are stepping down from the board of directors, effective immediately. QPM is also pleased to announce the appointment of Wanda Cutler and James Shannon as directors effective July 22, 2022. In light of these developments, QPM has decided to postpone its annual meeting of shareholders scheduled for July 28, 2022 to a date to be announced later (the "Meeting"). Normand Champigny, Chief Executive Officer of QPM, said: "On behalf of QPM, I would like to thank Mario Caron, Dominique Dionne and Paola Farnesi for their invaluable contributions to the Corporation during their terms. Each of these three directors have provided great insights to QPM allowing it to become the company it is. We will miss their contributions in the future and are grateful for all they have done." John Hick, Chairman of QPM, said: "We recognize and acknowledge the immense contributions of Mario Caron, Dominique Dionne and Paola Farnesi for their roles on QPM's board and we will miss their sage advice that they have provided over time. On behalf of QPM, I would like to welcome Ms. Cutler and Mr. Shannon to our board of directors and look forward to continuing the great work we have begun of creating value for shareholders." Ms. Cutler currently holds the position of President of Cutler McCarthy, a strategic communications firm and Head of Investors Relations at Amex Exploration, Inc. Ms. Cutler is also on the board of various mining companies including TomaGold Corporation and Vanstar Mining Resources. She has worked with reporting issuers for more than 20 years in marketing and communications. She has acted as a strategic advisor to a number of public companies including multiple junior mining companies, investment companies and alternative energy companies. Ms. Cutler has a Bachelor of Social Science, Political Science from the University of Ottawa. Mr. Shannon, M.Eng, MBA, CIM is a registered portfolio manager with over twenty years of experience in finance, engineering and infrastructure development. Mr. Shannon worked for over ten years for investment dealers in Canada in the financing of energy, mining and infrastructure projects for publicly traded companies. In addition, Mr. Shannon has worked for over seven years as a portfolio manager in alternative investments for institutional and private wealth interests. Mr. Shannon has a BSc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo, an M.Eng. from McGill University and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business. About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation QPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's leonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to rapidly explore the Sakami project and advance to the mineral resource estimate stage. For more information please contact: Normand Champigny Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 514 979-4746 [email protected] 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: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation View source version on accesswire.com: Indicated Resources Increased by 498%; Total Resources Increased by 15% Updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resources Estimate for the North Zone includes 559M tonnes of Indicated Resources grading 28.2% magnetite and 470M tonnes of Inferred Resources grading 26.4% magnetite North Zone Indicated Resource potential to produce 163M tonnes of magnetite concentrate grading at least 65% Fe and 0.52% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ) South Zone updated mineral resource includes 119M tonnes of Indicated Resources grading 25.6% magnetite and 76M tonnes of Inferred Resources grading 24.1% magnetite resources NI 43-101 Bankable Feasibility Study targeted for completion by end of Q1 2023 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / Voyager Metals Inc (Voyager or the "Company") (TSXV:VONE) announces the filing on SEDAR of the Technical Report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Mont Sorcier Project, Quebec, Canada". The new mineral resource update was completed by InnovExplo, an independent engineering firm located in Quebec, Canada and has an effective date of June 9, 2022. The Mineral Resources Estimate ("MRE") was prepared in accordance with Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). A summary of the results is highlighted below. It should be noted that the Inferred Resources in the table below are slightly different from those disclosed on June 9, 2022. In the course of writing this technical report, some adjustments were made to some deep inferred blocks in the block model resulting in a small decrease of the inferred MRE. The total has gone from 595 Mt to 547 Mt total inferred. The lost tonnage of Inferred material has been transferred to exploration potential and is not viewed as material to the overall MRE. Overall, Indicated Resources have increased by 565Mt, primarily in the North Zone, while total mineral resources has increased by 15% by drilling deeper in the North Zone relative to the previous MRE report issued in June 2021. As announced on June 9, 2022, the updated mineral resource incorporates results from the 2021 infill drill program which was designed to upgrade sufficient Inferred Resources in the North Zone to the Indicated category in support of a future Bankable Feasibility Study, which is targeted to be completed by Q1 2023. The 2021 infill drill program consisted of 42 holes or 15,178 meters. See the Company's news release dated March 29, 2022, which is available on the company website for more details (www.voyagermetals.com). The MRE has defined an Indicated Mineral Resource in the North Zone of 559M tonnes grading 28.2% magnetite and 0.21% V 2 O 5 , with an additional 470M tonnes grading 26.4% magnetite and 0.18% V 2 O 5 in the Inferred category up from 809M tonnes of Inferred Resources in the prior Mineral Resources Estimate. This represents a total mineral resource tonnage increase of 31% in the North Zone. Total Indicated Resources for both the North Zone and the South Zone are now estimated at 679M tonnes grading 27.7% magnetite and 0.20% V 2 O 5 , with the potential to produce 195M tonnes of magnetite concentrate grading at least 65% Fe and 0.52% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ). Total Inferred Resources for both the North Zone and the South Zone are now estimated at 547M tonnes grading 26.1% magnetite and 0.17% V 2 O 5 , with the potential to produce 148M tonnes of magnetite concentrate grading at least 65% Fe and 0.52% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ). Table 1 below outlines the summary results of the updated MRE. Table 1: Mineral Resources at Mont Sorcier effective June 9th, 2022 Notes to accompany the Mineral Resource Estimate: The independent and qualified persons for the mineral resource estimate, as defined by NI 43-101, are Marina Iund, P.Geo., Carl Pelletier, P.Geo., Simon Boudreau, P.Eng. all from InnovExplo Inc. and Mathieu Girard P.Eng from Soutex. The effective date is June 6 th , 2022. , 2022. These mineral resources are not mineral reserves, as they do not have demonstrated economic viability. The mineral resource estimate follows current CIM definitions and guidelines. The results are presented undiluted and are considered to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction by having constraining volumes applied to any blocks using Whittle software and by the application of cut-off grades for potential open-pit extraction method The estimate encompasses two (2) deposits (North and South), subdivided into 8 individual zones (7 for North, 1 for South). No high-grade capping was applied. The estimate was completed using sub-block models in GEOVIA Surpac 2021. Grade interpolation was performed with the ID2 method on 4 m composites for the North deposit and on 10 m composites for the South deposit. The density of the mineralized zones was interpolated with the ID2 method. When no density analysis was available, the density value was estimated using linear regression with Fe2O3 analysis. For the unmineralized material, a density value of 2.8 g/cm3 (anorthosite and volcanics), 3.5 g/cm3 (Massive sulfide formation) and 2.00 g/cm3 (overburden) was assigned. The mineral resource estimate is classified as Indicated and Inferred. The Inferred category is defined with a minimum of two (2) drill holes for areas where the drill spacing is less than 400 m, and reasonable geological and grade continuity have been shown. The Indicated category is defined with a minimum of three (3) drill holes within the areas where the drill spacing is less than 200 m, and reasonable geological and grade continuity have been shown. Clipping boundaries were used for classification based on those criteria. The mineral resource estimate is locally pit-constrained for potential open-pit extraction method with a bedrock slope angle of 50 and an overburden slope angle of 30. It is reported at a rounded cut-off grade of 2.30 % Weighted recovered Fe (Fe % x Process Recovery). The cut-off grade was calculated for the concentrate using the following parameters: royalty = 3%; mining cost = CA$3.30; mining overburden cost = CA$2.45; processing cost = CA$3.62; G&A = CA$0.75; selling costs = CA$58.36; Fe price = CA$190/t; USD:CAD exchange rate = 1.3; and mill recovery = 100% (concentrate). The cut-off grades should be re-evaluated considering future prevailing market conditions (metal prices, exchange rates, mining costs etc.). The number of metric tonnes was rounded to the nearest thousand, following the recommendations in NI 43-101 and any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. The authors are not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, or marketing issues, or any other relevant issue not reported in the Technical Report, that could materially affect the Mineral Resource Estimate. Note that the Inferred in the current table are slightly different from those disclosed on June 9, 2022. In the course of writing this technical report, some adjustments were made to some deep inferred blocks in the block model resulting in a small decrease of the inferred MRE. The total has gone from 595 Mt to 547 Mt total inferred. The lost tonnage of Inferred is transferred to exploration potential. Qualified Persons Statements The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng. (OIQ), who is a Qualified Person with respect to the Company's Mont Sorcier Project as defined under National Instrument 43-101. The independent and qualified persons for the mineral resource estimate, as defined by NI 43-101, are Marina Iund, P.Geo. (OGQ), Carl Pelletier, P.Geo. (OGQ), Simon Boudreau, P.Eng. (OIQ) all from InnovExplo Inc. and Mathieu Girard P.Eng. (OIQ) from Soutex. InnovExplo is finalising a Technical Report to comply with NI 43-101 in support of the MRE as disclosed in this News Release. About Voyager Metals Inc. Voyager Metals Inc is a mineral exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Company is focused on advancing its Mont Sorcier, Vanadium-rich, Magnetite Iron Ore Project, located just outside of Chibougamau, Quebec. At Mont Sorcier, Voyager is rapidly advancing the project towards Feasibility and permitting The project currently has Indicated Resources of 679M tonnes grading 27.7% magnetite and 0.20% V 2 O 5 , with the potential to produce 195M tonnes of magnetite concentrate grading at least 65% Fe and 0.52% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ) and a further Inferred Resource estimated at 547M tonnes grading 26.1% magnetite and 0.17% V 2 O 5 , with the potential to produce 148M tonnes of magnetite concentrate grading at least 65% Fe and 0.52% vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ). For more information about Voyager please visit our website at : www.voyagermetals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF VOYAGER METALS INC. Cliff Hale-Sanders, President and CEO Tel: +1-416-819-8558 [email protected] Nicholas Campbell, CFA Director, Corporate Development Tel.: +1-905-630-0148 [email protected] [email protected] www.voyagermetals.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "Forward-Looking Statements") that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward Looking Statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "guidance", "outlook", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms or similar expressions. The Forward-Looking Statements in this press release relate to, among other things: the estimated Indicated and Inferred Resources of the Company's Mont Sorcier Project and the future exploration performance. Forward Looking Statements are based on certain key assumptions and the opinions and estimates of management and Qualified Persons (in the case of technical and scientific information), as of the date such statements are made, and they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any other future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward Looking Statements. In addition to factors already discussed in this news release, such factors include, among others: there being no assurance that the Company will upgrade a significant portion of the North Zone to the Measured and Indicated categories to support the pending feasibility study; as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's MD&A under the heading "Risk Factors" and under the heading "Forward-looking statements and use of estimates" which include further details on material assumptions used to develop such Forward Looking Statements and material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Forward Looking Statements, and other documents filed from time to time with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces and territories of Canada and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The reader has been cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward Looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 Company's Forward Looking Statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date hereof. Other than as it may be required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update Forward Looking Statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Forward Looking Statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Voyager Metals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB), the oilfield services company, reported earnings for its latest quarter on Friday, beating analyst earnings and revenue expectations, sending its stock 4% higher. The company posted earnings per share of $0.5 on revenue of $6.77 billion, topping analyst consensus expectations of $0.4 on revenue of $6.27 billion. Following the report, analysts at Stifel and Goldman Sachs released notes, providing positive commentary on the company. Stifel analyst Stephen Gengaro, who has a Buy rating on the stock, said, "SLB delivered very strong 2Q22 results and increased 2022 revenue expectations. The excellent 2Q22 performance was fueled by better-than-expected revenue in each geography and each operating segment, and operating margins exceeded our forecast across the board." "Management reiterated its expectation for a multi-year up-cycle, and noted that despite near-term economic concerns, energy security, high commodity prices, and an urgency to grow global oil and gas production are positives in 2022 and beyond. Management now expects full-year revenue to increase in the high teens versus the mid teens previously, which equates to at least $27 billion versus our current $26.2 billion forecast. We expect the shares to react very well to the print," he added. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta, who also has a Buy rating on Schlumberger shares, told investors the company "reported adjusted EBITDA of $1,530 mil, 12% above our estimate of $1,366 mil and FactSet consensus of $1,361 mil. This was largely driven by an 8% beat in overall revenue ($6.8 bil vs $6.3 bil GS) and ~84 bps beat on EBITDA margins (22.6% vs 21.7% GS) vs our estimates. The higher revenue was driven by Production Systems (+10.4% vs GS), Well Construction (+8.7% vs GS), Digital and Integration (+7.2% vs GS), and Reservoir Performance (+2.3% vs GS)." By Sam Boughedda YMCA of Greater Houstons Safety Around Water initiative provides critical aquatic skills to individuals of all ages HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Reliant and the YMCA of Greater Houston are teaming up to expand essential water safety education to 2,000 underserved Houstonians. Through a $50,000 donation from Reliant for the YMCAs annual Safety Around Water (SAW) program, the organizations will increase local education and resources with the aim to reduce drowning rates and help the community learn how to stay safe in and around water. In Texas, summer memories are often made around water, whether through beach or lake trips or a visit to the neighborhood pool, said Elizabeth Killinger, president of Reliant. Thats why the YMCAs Safety Around Water program is so important. Reliant has a deep commitment to protecting the most vulnerable Texans during the hot summer, so were continuing our longstanding support of the YMCA to help children and adults in underserved communities learn life-saving water safety skills. According to the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance, drowning is the second leading cause of death among children one to 14 years old, with ethnically diverse children or those from low-income neighborhoods at greater risk. To foster inclusivity in the community, the YMCA has partnered with 15 off-site locations across Greater Houston, including apartment complexes, school districts and other community organizations, to provide easy access to water safety programs for neighborhoods where residents may have limited resources and are unable to visit a YMCA. Each year, we launch the Safety Around Water Campaign to empower our youth, unify our communities and instill confidence in children and families around water, said Stephen Ives, president and CEO, YMCA of Greater Houston. With the support from generous grants and donors like Reliant, the YMCA of Greater Houston will continue to provide access to life-saving programming through SAW and work to ensure security and comfort in the water for local youth and adults. Through the SAW initiative, children and adults of all ages have the opportunity to take part in specialized courses taught by YMCA aquatic experts, including basic aquatic skills, survival techniques, and safety skills such as CPR. The emphasis on water safety has been a core part of the YMCAs curriculum since its inception, and through programs like SAW, essential life-saving skills can be accessible to the entire community, regardless of location, income or race. Reliants support for the Safety Around Water program is part of a larger commitment that includes the YMCA Annual Giving Campaign and YMCA Food Pantry Distribution Events. Reliant is also proud to power the YMCA of Greater Houston and its various locations across the region. About Reliant Reliant powers, protects and simplifies life by bringing electricity, security and related services to homes and businesses across Texas. Serving customers and the community is at the core of what we do, and the company is recognized nationally for outstanding customer experience. Reliant is part of NRG, a Fortune 500 company that creates value by generating electricity and providing energy solutions to nearly 6 million residential, small business and commercial customers across the U.S. and Canada. NRGs competitive residential electricity business, which includes Reliant, is one of the largest in the country. For more information about Reliant, visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and Twitter or Instagram @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate #10007. About YMCA of Greater Houston Founded in 1886, today the Y remains committed to the health of more than half a million people grow and thrive through programs and services at our locations across Greater Houston. Strengthening community is our cause. Together, we connect active, engaged Greater Houston Area residents to build a better us. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005359/en/ Megan Talley 713-537-2160 [email protected] Olivia Villarreal O: 713-552-1055, C: 713-516-2629 [email protected] Source: Reliant HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA and HKEX: 9988, Alibaba or Alibaba Group) today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, August 4, 2022, and will hold a conference call to discuss the financial results at 7:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (7:30 p.m. Hong Kong Time) the same day. All participants must pre-register to join this conference call using the Participant Registration link below: English: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10023575-aldn42.html Chinese: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10023578-d17m2a.html Upon registration, each participant will receive details for the conference call, including dial-in numbers, conference call passcode and a unique access PIN. To join the conference, please dial the number provided, enter the passcode followed by your PIN, and you will join the conference. A live webcast of the earnings conference call can be accessed at https://www.alibabagroup.com/en/ir/earnings. An archived webcast will be available through the same link following the call. A replay of the conference call will be available for one week from the date of the conference (Dial-in number: +1 855 883 1031; English conference PIN 10023575; Chinese conference PIN 10023578). Please visit Alibaba Groups Investor Relations website at https://www.alibabagroup.com/en/ir/home on August 4, 2022 to view the earnings release and accompanying slides prior to the conference call. About Alibaba Group Alibaba Groups mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live at Alibaba, and that it will be a good company that lasts for 102 years. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005110/en/ Investor Contact Rob Lin Investor Relations Alibaba Group Holding Limited [email protected] Source: Alibaba Group Holding Limited 12th Consecutive Year to Receive This Honor SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG), Northern Californias largest family-owned automotive group, has been recognized as one of 2022s Top Ten Workplaces in the Bay Area, according to a recent survey completed by the San Francisco Chronicle and research firm Energage. The partnership surveyed more than 21,000 employees to search for the Top Workplaces in the Bay Area and secured 126 highly rated organizations. For the complete list of winners, click here. DGDG placed sixth in the large company category, an honor that rarely goes to a car dealership, and was also recognized for outstanding career training. Winners were chosen based on results of an annual feedback survey completed solely by employees. The survey measures several aspects of workplace culture including alignment, company values, leadership, execution, and communication. DGDG is incredibly proud to win Top Workplace honors again this year, said DGDG CEO Jeremy Beaver. The companies and competition get tougher each year. This award continues to be a testament to the hard work and dedication our entire team puts in to taking care of each other and our guests. DGDG attributes this accolade to their amazing team members for cultivating an award-winning workplace centered on four core values: integrity, caring, performance, and efficiency. The team has been a guiding light while navigating through the challenging past two years dealing with the pandemic, chip shortages, and supply chain issues. Additionally, the DGDG growing footprint, four new dealerships were added last year, creates opportunities for promotions and career development. The commitment to modern digital retailing with best-in-class technology allows not only for a better guest experience, but ease of use for team members to do their job with unified and operational marketing tools. Ensuring we have the best possible workplace for our team continues to be our daily focus and will only get stronger as we continue to grow, added Beaver. With our recent growth and first to market automotive technology launches, we are positioned for a very bright future. Giving back to the community is important to the successful culture at DGDG. The DGDG team aims to make an impact in the community by supporting causes with their time, resources, and money through DGDG Does Good Del Grande Does Good, the charitable arm of the DGDG dealership group. About Del Grande Dealer Group The Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG) is Northern Californias largest family-owned automotive group. The dealer group comprises 16 brands and 18 dealerships in Northern California. DGDGs team of 1,000 employees offers professional, friendly, and courteous service as well as No Brainer Checkout for online and in-store purchases. For more information, visit DGDG.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005413/en/ DeeDee Taft Spin Communications [email protected] 415.380.8390 Source: Del Grande Dealer Group Special Kahiau Award presented to Matson for longstanding support HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Easterseals Hawaii (ESH) celebrated its 75th anniversary to honor 75 years of service benefiting people with disabilities and their families, as well as the local businesses and the broader Hawaii community who have supported the organization. Funds raised at the event will support the ESH Adult Day Health program for individuals with developmental disabilities and special needs across the five islands ESH serves. This milestone is a reflection of the tremendous vision of our founders, and of the vital importance of providing people with developmental disabilities with every opportunity to live meaningful and productive lives on their own terms, said Andrea Pettiford, CEO of ESH. Every year brings new challenges and opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families, and just as weve done for the past 75 years, Easterseals Hawaii will be here to support them for the next 75. As part of this memorable evening, the ESH Board of Directors presented Matson with the second Easterseals Hawaii Kahiau Award. This very special award recognizes Matson for more than 60 years of exceptional support ranging from serving on the ESH Board to generous financial contributions to decades of entertaining the children and families of the Early Intervention program with holiday celebrations. Matsons longstanding commitment to ESH continues today, helping ensure that more than 2,200 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Hawaii have access to person-centered care. During the evening, ESH leaders also expressed deep appreciation to the many donors, including Advocate-level event sponsors Matson and First Hawaiian Bank, for their generosity and support that allows ESH to thrive as one of the states largest providers of disabilities services. For more information about the celebration or to make a financial contribution, visit the ESH website at www.eastersealshawaii.org. About Easterseals Hawaii Easterseals Hawaii provides exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Having joined the Easterseals National network of affiliates in 1947, Easterseals Hawaii has been serving special needs children, youth and adults for 75 years. Our staff of over 230 clinicians, health specialists and support staff provide more than 200,000 hours of direct service annually to over 2,200 individuals and their families across the state. For more information, visit: www.eastersealshawaii.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005065/en/ Teri Kuehnast 925.967.5457 [email protected] Source: Easterseals Hawaii The school board in North Dakotas largest city decided to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings. That's prompted a Republican lawmaker to vow to push for a voucher program that would allow public money to pay for private school tuition. The Fargo School Board voted 7-2 Wednesday to halt the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, saying it doesnt align with the districts diversity code, largely because it says under God in one phrase. The state Republican Party called the boards action laughable and an affront to our American values. Grand Forks state Sen. Scott Meyer said he would begin working on a school voucher bill draft next week. PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Gecinas (Paris: GFC) 2022 Half-Year Report can be consulted or downloaded from the Groups website (www.gecina.fr) in the section Investors / Publications and press releases / Financial reports and universal registration documents. It is also available free of charge upon request: - by mail: Gecina - 16, rue des Capucines 75002 Paris - by email: [email protected] - by phone: 0 800 800 976 (toll-free number only available in France) About Gecina As a specialist for centrality and uses, Gecina operates innovative and sustainable living spaces. The Group owns, manages and develops Europes leading office portfolio, with over 97% located in the Paris Region, and a portfolio of residential assets and student residences, with over 9,000 apartments. These portfolios are valued at 20.6 billion euros at end-June 2022. Gecina has firmly established its focus on innovation and its human approach at the heart of its strategy to create value and deliver on its purpose: Empowering shared human experiences at the heart of our sustainable spaces. For our 100,000 clients, this ambition is supported by our client-centric brand YouFirst. It is also positioned at the heart of UtilesEnsemble, our program setting out our solidarity-based commitments to the environment, to people and to the quality of life in cities. Gecina is a French real estate investment trust (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris, and is part of the SBF 120, CAC Next 20, CAC Large 60 and Euronext 100 indices. Gecina is also recognized as one of the top-performing companies in its industry by leading sustainability benchmarks and rankings (GRESB, Sustainalytics, MSCI, ISS ESG and CDP). www.gecina.fr View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005448/en/ Financial communications Samuel Henry-Diesbach Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 52 22 [email protected] Virginie Sterling Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 62 48 [email protected] Press relations Julien Landfried Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 65 74 [email protected] Armelle Miclo Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 51 98 [email protected] Source: Gecina With the help of the leading automation platform, Nova Ukraine volunteers can now focus solely on humanitarian relief instead of data collection and time-consuming administrative tasks MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Workato, the leading enterprise automation platform, is partnering with Nova Ukraine, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and raising awareness about Ukraine in the United States as well as in the rest of the world, to provide free automation services that will help automate operations and consolidate donations data across the organization. With the new Workato-powered automation in place, Nova Ukraine has completed projects that would have taken a month in less than half the time. With over 3,500 volunteers in Ukraine, the organization has now helped over 1,700,000 people and delivered over 5,000 tons of aid. With a focus on humanitarian efforts and a growing team, Nova Ukraine needed to find a solution that would help the organization scale at a rapid pace. Processing aid requests from Ukrainian volunteers, reviewing grant applications, and consolidating inventory purchases are at the heart of Nova Ukraine operations. Upon introduction of the common process across the organization, Nova Ukraine used Workato to migrate data and integrate many systems used by multiple teams into one single source of truth. It immediately resulted in significantly improving the speed of processing project proposals, simplifying the decision-making process, and allowing volunteers to solely focus on providing humanitarian relief instead of gathering raw data from different sources. During the first weeks of the war, we received thousands of requests for help from Ukraine. It was clear that time is a critical factor. With Workato, Nova Ukraine consolidated all data from different sources into one decision-making system and set up the process that was scaled to dozens of people in the system in parallel, said Iryna Garbuz, Volunteer Technical Program Manager with Nova Ukraine. Workato helped consolidate data, sped up the processing of grant requests, and, as a result, allowed us to deliver aid fast. What would have taken over a month, Workato made possible in a week. Workato allowed Nova Ukraine to aggregate donor information across six donation platforms. Knowing exact funding figures for different programs drives decisions about the amount of aid and fundraising strategy for the organization, said Maksim Golivkin, Volunteer Engineering Manager with Nova Ukraine. Having all donations in one place and being able to run reports quickly speeds up the decision process and reduces the manual effort. Furthermore, the team is able to respond to donor inquiries fast as well. As relief efforts continue to be a top priority, Nova Ukraine has been able to focus on ground operations where the team has helped: Serve over 1,774,600 meals to those displaced throughout Ukraine Deliver over 5,315 tons of aid and over 313,900 medical aid packages on the ground Help evacuate over 51,000 people and animals to neighboring territories and countries Operate in 22 of the 24 regions in Ukraine, including in front line cities Distribute over $23.6 Million in aid relief With several of our team members in the region, the Ukraine war hit home early for us. We were fortunate to connect with Nova Ukraine, an organization that has been doing incredible humanitarian relief work for millions of Ukrainian refugees, said Vijay Tella, co-founder and CEO of Workato. We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to channel the energy of our team around this cause to help Nova Ukraine automate the complex logistics of organizing and delivering relief from donors through to the Ukrainian people on the ground. To learn more about the ongoing partnership, visit here and here. To help support Nova Ukraine, please visit www.novaukraine.org. About Nova Ukraine Nova Ukraine is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and strengthening the countrys democratic society. Founded in 2014, Nova Ukraine has redoubled its efforts in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The organization works with partners in Ukraine and around the world to help refugees and provide humanitarian efforts to those impacted by the war. To learn more, please visit www.novaukraine.org. About Workato The leader in enterprise automation, Workato helps organizations work faster and smarter without compromising security and governance. Built for Business and IT users, Workato is trusted by over 11,000 of the world's top brands, including Broadcom, Intuit, and Box. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Workato is backed by Altimeter Capital, Battery Ventures, Insight Venture Partners, Tiger Global, and Redpoint Ventures. For more information, visit workato.com or connect with us on social media: View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220721005679/en/ Joseph Hollister Communications Manager, Workato [email protected] Source: Workato Planned Meetings through September also listed HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. It will be conducted as a hybrid meeting starting at 9:15 a.m. A quorum of the Port Commission, along with executive leadership and legal counsel, will be present in the boardroom of the Port Authority Executive Office Building, located at 111 East Loop North, Houston, TX 77029. The meeting is open to the public to attend in person, and the meeting can also be accessed virtually via WebEx webinar. The agenda and the instructions to access Port Houston public meetings are available at https://porthouston.com/leadership/public-meetings/. Please note the following upcoming Port Houston public meetings (subject to change): August 1 10:00 a.m. Audit Committee Meeting August 2 9:15 a.m. Port Commission Regular Meeting 10:00 a.m. Business Equity Committee Meeting (Rescheduled from July 28th) September 20 10:00 a.m. Pension and Benefits Committee September 27 9:15 a.m. Port Commission Regular Meeting 10:00 a.m. Community Relations Committee Meeting Sign up for public comment is available up to an hour before these meetings by contacting Erik Eriksson at [email protected] or Liana Christian at [email protected] About Port Houston For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel the nations largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the U.S. nation. The more than 200 private and eight public terminals along the federal waterway supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas 20.6% of Texas total gross domestic product (GDP) and a total of $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website: https://porthouston.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220721006079/en/ Lisa Ashley, Director, Media Relations, Port Houston Office: 713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179; E-mail: [email protected] Source: Port Houston BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starry Group Holdings, Inc., (the Company or Starry), a next generation licensed fixed wireless technology developer and internet service provider, today announced that it will host a conference call with the financial community to discuss results for the companys second quarter of 2022 on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). Starry will issue a press release reporting its results prior to the call. Those parties interested in participating via telephone should dial one of the numbers below and enter the conference ID number 562273. United States Toll Free: 1-844-200-6205 United States Local: 1-646-904-5544 Other Locations: 1-929-526-1599 A live webcast of the conference call will be available on Starrys Investor Relations website at https://investors.starry.com. A replay of the call will be available after 12:00 p.m. ET on the Investor Relations website. To automatically receive Starry financial news and updates, please subscribe to email alerts on the Investor Relations page. About Starry Group Holdings, Inc. At Starry (NYSE: STRY), we believe the future is built on connectivity and that connecting people and communities to high-speed, broadband internet should be simple and affordable. Using our innovative, wideband hybrid-fiber fixed wireless technology, Starry is deploying gigabit capable broadband to the home without bundles, data caps, or long-term contracts. Starry is a different kind of internet service provider. Were building a platform for the future by putting our customers first, protecting their privacy, ensuring access to an open and neutral net, and making affordable connectivity and digital equity a priority. Headquartered in Boston, Starry is currently available in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Denver and Columbus, OH. To learn more about Starry or to join our team and help us build a better internet, visit: https://starry.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005024/en/ Investors Relations Ben Barrett, Starry [email protected] [email protected] Media Mimi Ryals, Starry [email protected] [email protected] Source: Starry, Inc. The two exchanges on opposite sides of the world will also explore new products in ESG, ETFs, and indexes NEW YORK & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The New York Stock Exchange, part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure, and Singapore Exchange (SGX Group), Asias leading and most international multi-asset exchange, announced today the signing of a new agreement to collaborate on the dual listing of companies on both exchanges and work together in a number of other key areas focused on the capital markets. This collaboration represents an important initiative for both markets. In a virtual ceremony today, NYSE President Lynn Martin and SGX Group Chief Executive Officer Loh Boon Chye signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the terms of the agreement. The collaboration between the two exchanges focuses on the following areas: Dual listing of companies on SGX Group and NYSE Identifying and developing new ESG products and services Supporting index product development at SGX Group and NYSE affiliate ICE Data Indices Exploring new ETF products This collaboration between NYSE and SGX Group creates an important new connection between two of the worlds most exciting regions and two of its most innovative stock exchanges, said Lynn Martin, NYSE President. Our agreement will bring issuers access to greater opportunity as well as drive the development of new products in high-demand areas such as ESG. We look forward to working together with SGX Group to further advance our global capital markets. This agreement underscores SGX Group and NYSEs joint interest in driving greater collaboration between the two exchanges, said Loh Boon Chye, CEO of SGX Group. It aims to create a more connected ecosystem to facilitate access to capital and the development of new investment solutions to address growing complex needs of market participants and investors. Dual listings between the NYSE and SGX Group benefit issuers by allowing them to tap into pools of capital in key markets outside of their home regions. The agreement also allows the two exchanges to develop new products and services in support of their listed companies and investor communities, and coordinate compliance efforts for dual-listed companies. About NYSE Group NYSE Group is a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology and market infrastructure. NYSE Groups equity exchanges -- the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American, NYSE Arca, NYSE Chicago and NYSE National -- trade more U.S. equity volume than any other exchange group. The NYSE, an ICE exchange, is the premier global venue for capital raising. NYSE Arca Options and NYSE Amex Options are leading equity options exchanges. To learn more, visit nyse.com. About Intercontinental Exchange Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds and operates digital networks to connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes that offer our customers access to mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and operational efficiencies. We operate exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, and clearing houses that help people invest, raise capital and manage risk across multiple asset classes. Our comprehensive fixed income data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers capitalize on opportunities and operate more efficiently. At ICE Mortgage Technology, we are transforming and digitizing the U.S. residential mortgage process, from consumer engagement through loan registration. Together, we transform, streamline and automate industries to connect our customers to opportunity. Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located here. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading Key Information Documents (KIDS). Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the SEC on February 3, 2022. About Singapore Exchange (SGX Group) We are Asias leading and trusted securities and derivatives market infrastructure, operating equity, fixed income, currency and commodity markets to the highest regulatory standards. We also operate a multi-asset sustainability platform, SGX FIRST or Future in Reshaping Sustainability Together (sgx.com/first). We are committed to facilitating economic growth in a sustainable manner leveraging our roles as a key player in the ecosystem, a business, regulator and listed company. With climate action as a key priority, we aim to be a leading sustainable and transition financing and trading hub offering trusted, quality, end-to-end products and solutions. As Asias most international, multi-asset exchange, we provide listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services, with about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore. We are the world's most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN. In foreign exchange, we are Asias leading marketplace and most comprehensive service provider for global FX over-the-counter and futures participants. Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, we are globally recognised for our risk management and clearing capabilities. For more information, please visit www.sgx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220721006084/en/ NYSE Media Contact: Kearney Ferguson [email protected] (212) 656-2412 ICE Investor Contact: Mary Caroline ONeal [email protected] (770) 738-2151 SGX Media Contacts: Chin May Nah [email protected] (65) 8223 7358 Belle Yeo [email protected] (65) 9862 3019 Source: Intercontinental Exchange Colloquium brings together doctoral students, faculty and facilitates networking and support opportunities PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies hosted an in-person Doctoral Journey Colloquium July 8 -10 on the university campus in Phoenix, Arizona, in an event supporting doctoral students studies and networking, as part of the Colleges integrated approach for doctoral student success. Networking receptions opened and concluded the event. Dr. Hinrich Eylers, vice provost of the College of Doctoral Studies, welcomed attendees on Saturday morning, followed by an opening plenary, How to Succeed in the Doctoral Journey. There were 57 students, alumni, and faculty members in attendance, from the areas of Business/Management, Education, and Healthcare, as well as 19 staff and speakers. College administrators, staff, and faculty supported the event by offering workshops that produced active learning to stimulate deeper thought to help students in their doctoral journey progression. Allowing for greater flexibility and less travel commitments and expenses for new students, and extending to all students during the pandemic, the College of Doctoral Studies leadership determined to discontinue in-person mandatory program residencies in 2020. In lieu of the on-campus residencies, we elected for an optional in-person Colloquium event that would support current doctoral students and the alumni community, states Shawn Todd-Boone, Ed.D., associate dean, ACCESS, Research and Residency. During the event, we committed to offering something for everyone with purposeful intent for workshops that lead to success in the doctoral journey progression and completion, as well as life and networking after earning the doctorate. The Colloquium is an essential component of the Colleges Doctoral ecosystem and is intended to: Provide additional support to our students and alumni Share updates, resources, and information Build life-long relationships between our students, alumni, and CDS Create networking opportunities to strengthen our Doctoral community Identify opportunities to improve our programs and student/alumni support systems. Throughout the event, participants had opportunities to engage with students from across practitioner doctoral programs, phases, and experiences while also networking with alumni. I attended several workshops that will make my work on the dissertation go more effectively, which is important, states David Kopf, a doctoral student in Business/Management. However, I also built new relationships and revitalized others. Seeing people, meeting my chair in person, and getting offers for help from many people increased my confidence in a network available to help me succeed. The colloquium provided very valuable content, enhanced my support network, and gave me more confidence that I can accomplish this task. Plans are already underway to hold the next colloquium and further build the engagement and networking opportunities. We had a great schedule of events, participation from students in all phases of the doctoral program, alumni, and faculty, and lots of positive initial feedback, states Eylers. We are surveying our participants and will use that to further refine the program for the next event, which will likely be here in Phoenix in about a half a year. About the College of Doctoral Studies University of Phoenixs College of Doctoral Studies focuses on todays challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The Colleges research program puts students in the center of an effective ecosystem of experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220722005325/en/ Sharla Hooper University of Phoenix [email protected] Source: University of Phoenix Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval of the fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab for the first-line treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older with tumor cell PD-L1 expression < 1%. The European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU), will now review the CHMP opinion. We are very proud of the role we have played in progressing the treatment of advanced melanoma over the years. As part of our mission to deliver new medicines for patients, we have continued to develop new dual immunotherapy combinations, said Paul Basciano, development lead, relatlimab, Bristol Myers Squibb. This positive CHMP opinion marks the first step toward the potential approval of the first LAG-3 blocking antibody combination and the third distinct checkpoint inhibitor for BMS for advanced melanoma patients in the EU. The positive opinion is based upon efficacy and safety results from the Phase 2/3 RELATIVITY-047 trial. The trial showed that treatment with the fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab more than doubled the median progression-free survival (PFS), including in patients with tumor cell PD-L1 expression < 1%, when compared to nivolumab monotherapy an established standard of care. The proposed indication for the EU is based upon an exploratory analysis of the data in patients with tumor cell PD-L1 expression < 1%. No new safety events were identified with the combination when compared to nivolumab monotherapy. On March 18, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab as Opdualag (nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Please see important safety information from the U.S. prescribing information below. Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the RELATIVITY-047 trial. About RELATIVITY-047 RELATIVITY-047 is a global, randomized, double-blind Phase 2/3 study evaluating the fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab versus nivolumab alone in patients with previously untreated metastatic or unresectable melanoma. Patients were enrolled regardless of tumor cell PD-L1 expression. The trial excluded patients with active autoimmune disease, medical conditions requiring systemic treatment with moderate or high dose corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications, uveal melanoma, and active or untreated brain or leptomeningeal metastases. The primary endpoint of the trial is progression-free survival (PFS) determined by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1) in the all-comer population. The secondary endpoints are overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) in the all-comer population. A total of 714 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive a fixed-dose combination of nivolumab (480 mg) and relatlimab (160 mg) or nivolumab (480 mg) by intravenous infusion every four weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or withdrawal of consent. About LAG-3 Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is a cell-surface molecule expressed on effector T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) and functions to control T-cell response, activation and growth. Preclinical studies indicate that inhibition of LAG-3 may restore effector function of exhausted T cells and potentially promote an anti-tumor response. Early research demonstrates that targeting LAG-3 in combination with other potentially complementary immune checkpoints may be a key strategy to more effectively potentiate anti-tumor immune activity. Bristol Myers Squibb is evaluating relatlimab, its LAG-3-blocking antibody, in clinical trials in combination with other agents in a variety of tumor types. About Melanoma Melanoma is a form of skin cancer characterized by the uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) located in the skin. Metastatic melanoma is the deadliest form of the disease and occurs when cancer spreads beyond the surface of the skin to other organs. The incidence of melanoma has been increasing steadily for the last 30 years. In the United States, 106,110 new diagnoses of melanoma and about 7,180 related deaths are estimated for 2021. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that by 2035, melanoma incidence will reach 424,102, with 94,308 related deaths. Melanoma can be mostly treatable when caught in its very early stages; however, survival rates can decrease as the disease progresses. Bristol Myers Squibb: Creating a Better Future for People with Cancer Bristol Myers Squibb is inspired by a single vision transforming patients lives through science. The goal of the companys cancer research is to deliver medicines that offer each patient a better, healthier life and to make cure a possibility. Building on a legacy across a broad range of cancers that have changed survival expectations for many, Bristol Myers Squibb researchers are exploring new frontiers in personalized medicine, and through innovative digital platforms, are turning data into insights that sharpen their focus. Deep scientific expertise, cutting-edge capabilities and discovery platforms enable the company to look at cancer from every angle. Cancer can have a relentless grasp on many parts of a patients life, and Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to taking actions to address all aspects of care, from diagnosis to survivorship. Because as a leader in cancer care, Bristol Myers Squibb is working to empower all people with cancer to have a better future. OPDUALAG U.S. INDICATION Opdualag (nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw) is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDUALAG IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Severe and Fatal Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions Immune-mediated adverse reactions (IMARs) listed herein may not include all possible severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. IMARs which may be severe or fatal, can occur in any organ system or tissue. IMARs can occur at any time after starting treatment with a LAG-3 and PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. While IMARs usually manifest during treatment, they can also occur after discontinuation of Opdualag. Early identification and management of IMARs are essential to ensure safe use. Monitor patients closely for symptoms and signs that may be clinical manifestations of underlying IMARs. Evaluate clinical chemistries including liver enzymes, creatinine, and thyroid function at baseline and periodically during treatment. In cases of suspected IMARs, initiate appropriate workup to exclude alternative etiologies, including infection. Institute medical management promptly, including specialty consultation as appropriate. Withhold or permanently discontinue Opdualag depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). In general, if Opdualag requires interruption or discontinuation, administer systemic corticosteroid therapy (1 to 2 mg/kg/day prednisone or equivalent) until improvement to Grade 1 or less. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Consider administration of other systemic immunosuppressants in patients whose IMARs are not controlled with corticosteroid therapy. Toxicity management guidelines for adverse reactions that do not necessarily require systemic steroids (e.g., endocrinopathies and dermatologic reactions) are discussed below. Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis Opdualag can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis, which may be fatal. In patients treated with other PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies, the incidence of pneumonitis is higher in patients who have received prior thoracic radiation. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.7% (13/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 3 (0.6%), and Grade 2 (2.3%) adverse reactions. Pneumonitis led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 0.8% and withholding of Opdualag in 1.4% of patients. Immune-Mediated Colitis Opdualag can cause immune-mediated colitis, defined as requiring use of corticosteroids and no clear alternate etiology. A common symptom included in the definition of colitis was diarrhea. Cytomegalovirus infection/reactivation has been reported in patients with corticosteroid-refractory immune-mediated colitis. In cases of corticosteroid-refractory colitis, consider repeating infectious workup to exclude alternative etiologies. Immune-mediated diarrhea or colitis occurred in 7% (24/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 3 (1.1%) and Grade 2 (4.5%) adverse reactions. Colitis led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 2% and withholding of Opdualag in 2.8% of patients. Immune-Mediated Hepatitis Opdualag can cause immune-mediated hepatitis, defined as requiring the use of corticosteroids and no clear alternate etiology. Immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 6% (20/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (3.4%), and Grade 2 (1.4%) adverse reactions. Hepatitis led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 1.7% and withholding of Opdualag in 2.3% of patients. Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies Opdualag can cause primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, hypophysitis, thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which can be present with diabetic ketoacidosis. Withhold or permanently discontinue Opdualag depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). For Grade 2 or higher adrenal insufficiency, initiate symptomatic treatment, including hormone replacement as clinically indicated. In patients receiving Opdualag, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 4.2% (15/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 3 (1.4%) and Grade 2 (2.5%) adverse reactions. Adrenal insufficiency led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 1.1% and withholding of Opdualag in 0.8% of patients. Hypophysitis can present with acute symptoms associated with mass effect such as headache, photophobia, or visual field defects. Hypophysitis can cause hypopituitarism; initiate hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Hypophysitis occurred in 2.5% (9/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 3 (0.3%) and Grade 2 (1.4%) adverse reactions. Hypophysitis led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 0.3% and withholding of Opdualag in 0.6% of patients. Thyroiditis can present with or without endocrinopathy. Hypothyroidism can follow hyperthyroidism; initiate hormone replacement or medical management as clinically indicated. Thyroiditis occurred in 2.8% (10/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 2 (1.1%) adverse reactions. Thyroiditis did not lead to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag. Thyroiditis led to withholding of Opdualag in 0.3% of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 6% (22/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 2 (1.4%) adverse reactions. Hyperthyroidism did not lead to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag. Hyperthyroidism led to withholding of Opdualag in 0.3% of patients. Hypothyroidism occurred in 17% (59/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 2 (11%) adverse reactions. Hypothyroidism led to the permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 0.3% and withholding of Opdualag in 2.5% of patients. Monitor patients for hyperglycemia or other signs and symptoms of diabetes; initiate treatment with insulin as clinically indicated. Diabetes occurred in 0.3% (1/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, a Grade 3 (0.3%) adverse reaction, and no cases of diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetes did not lead to the permanent discontinuation or withholding of Opdualag in any patient. Immune-Mediated Nephritis with Renal Dysfunction Opdualag can cause immune-mediated nephritis, which is defined as requiring use of steroids and no clear etiology. In patients receiving Opdualag, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 2% (7/355) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.1%) and Grade 2 (0.8%) adverse reactions. Immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 0.8% and withholding of Opdualag in 0.6% of patients. Withhold or permanently discontinue Opdualag depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). Immune-Mediated Dermatologic Adverse Reactions Opdualag can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis, defined as requiring use of steroids and no clear alternate etiology. Exfoliative dermatitis, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and Drug Rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms has occurred with PD-1/L-1 blocking antibodies. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids may be adequate to treat mild to moderate non-exfoliative rashes. Withhold or permanently discontinue Opdualag depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). Immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (33/355) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (3.4%) adverse reactions. Immune-mediated rash did not lead to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag. Immune-mediated rash led to withholding of Opdualag in 1.4% of patients. Immune-Mediated Myocarditis Opdualag can cause immune-mediated myocarditis, which is defined as requiring use of steroids and no clear alternate etiology. The diagnosis of immune-mediated myocarditis requires a high index of suspicion. Patients with cardiac or cardio-pulmonary symptoms should be assessed for potential myocarditis. If myocarditis is suspected, withhold dose, promptly initiate high dose steroids (prednisone or methylprednisolone 1 to 2 mg/kg/day) and promptly arrange cardiology consultation with diagnostic workup. If clinically confirmed, permanently discontinue Opdualag for Grade 2-4 myocarditis. Myocarditis occurred in 1.7% (6/355) of patients receiving Opdualag, including Grade 3 (0.6%), and Grade 2 (1.1%) adverse reactions. Myocarditis led to permanent discontinuation of Opdualag in 1.7% of patients. Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions The following clinically significant IMARs occurred at an incidence of <1% (unless otherwise noted) in patients who received Opdualag or were reported with the use of other PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Severe or fatal cases have been reported for some of these adverse reactions: Cardiac/Vascular: pericarditis, vasculitis; Nervous System: meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis and demyelination, myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis (including exacerbation), Guillain-Barre syndrome, nerve paresis, autoimmune neuropathy; Ocular: uveitis, iritis, and other ocular inflammatory toxicities can occur. Some cases can be associated with retinal detachment. Various grades of visual impairment, including blindness, can occur. If uveitis occurs in combination with other IMARs, consider a Vogt-Koyanagi-Haradalike syndrome, as this may require treatment with systemic steroids to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss; Gastrointestinal: pancreatitis including increases in serum amylase and lipase levels, gastritis, duodenitis; Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue: myositis/polymyositis, rhabdomyolysis (and associated sequelae including renal failure), arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica; Endocrine: hypoparathyroidism; Other (Hematologic/Immune): hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), sarcoidosis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, solid organ transplant rejection. Infusion-Related Reactions Opdualag can cause severe infusion-related reactions. Discontinue Opdualag in patients with severe or life-threatening infusion-related reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with mild to moderate infusion-related reactions. In patients who received Opdualag as a 60-minute intravenous infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 7% (23/355) of patients. Complications of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Fatal and other serious complications can occur in patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) before or after being treated with a PD-1/PD-L1 receptor blocking antibody. Transplant-related complications include hyperacute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, hepatic veno-occlusive disease after reduced intensity conditioning, and steroid-requiring febrile syndrome (without an identified infectious cause). These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT. Follow patients closely for evidence of transplant-related complications and intervene promptly. Consider the benefit versus risks of treatment with a PD-1/PD-L1 receptor blocking antibody prior to or after an allogeneic HSCT. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on its mechanism of action and data from animal studies, Opdualag can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with Opdualag for at least 5 months after the last dose of Opdualag. Lactation There are no data on the presence of Opdualag in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effect on milk production. Because nivolumab and relatlimab may be excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in a breastfed child, advise patients not to breastfeed during treatment with Opdualag and for at least 5 months after the last dose. Serious Adverse Reactions In Relativity-047, fatal adverse reaction occurred in 3 (0.8%) patients who were treated with Opdualag; these included hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, acute edema of the lung, and pneumonitis. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients treated with Opdualag. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 1% of patients treated with Opdualag were adrenal insufficiency (1.4%), anemia (1.4%), colitis (1.4%), pneumonia (1.4%), acute myocardial infarction (1.1%), back pain (1.1%), diarrhea (1.1%), myocarditis (1.1%), and pneumonitis (1.1%). Common Adverse Reactions and Laboratory Abnormalities The most common adverse reactions reported in 20% of the patients treated with Opdualag were musculoskeletal pain (45%), fatigue (39%), rash (28%), pruritus (25%), and diarrhea (24%). The most common laboratory abnormalities that occurred in 20% of patients treated with Opdualag were decreased hemoglobin (37%), decreased lymphocytes (32%), increased AST (30%), increased ALT (26%), and decreased sodium (24%). Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDUALAG. OPDIVO U.S. INDICATIONS OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated as neoadjuvant treatment of adult patients with resectable (tumors 4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab) and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with intermediate or poor risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with cabozantinib, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection of UC. OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with residual pathologic disease in adult patients who have received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum- containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Severe and Fatal Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions Immune-mediated adverse reactions listed herein may not include all possible severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. Immune-mediated adverse reactions, which may be severe or fatal, can occur in any organ system or tissue. While immune-mediated adverse reactions usually manifest during treatment, they can also occur after discontinuation of OPDIVO or YERVOY. Early identification and management are essential to ensure safe use of OPDIVO and YERVOY. Monitor for signs and symptoms that may be clinical manifestations of underlying immune-mediated adverse reactions. Evaluate clinical chemistries including liver enzymes, creatinine, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function at baseline and periodically during treatment with OPDIVO and before each dose of YERVOY. In cases of suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions, initiate appropriate workup to exclude alternative etiologies, including infection. Institute medical management promptly, including specialty consultation as appropriate. Withhold or permanently discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). In general, if OPDIVO or YERVOY interruption or discontinuation is required, administer systemic corticosteroid therapy (1 to 2 mg/kg/day prednisone or equivalent) until improvement to Grade 1 or less. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Consider administration of other systemic immunosuppressants in patients whose immune-mediated adverse reactions are not controlled with corticosteroid therapy. Toxicity management guidelines for adverse reactions that do not necessarily require systemic steroids (e.g., endocrinopathies and dermatologic reactions) are discussed below. Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. The incidence of pneumonitis is higher in patients who have received prior thoracic radiation. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (<0.1%), Grade 3 (0.9%), and Grade 2 (2.1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 7% (31/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (2.0%), and Grade 2 (4.4%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.9% (26/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.4%) and Grade 2 (2.6%). In NSCLC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 9% (50/576) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.5%), Grade 3 (3.5%), and Grade 2 (4.0%). Four patients (0.7%) died due to pneumonitis. In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 6.0% (16/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 4.9% (13/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO, including Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=12). Immune-Mediated Colitis OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated colitis, which may be fatal. A common symptom included in the definition of colitis was diarrhea. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/reactivation has been reported in patients with corticosteroid-refractory immune-mediated colitis. In cases of corticosteroid-refractory colitis, consider repeating infectious workup to exclude alternative etiologies. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.7%) and Grade 2 (1%). Inpatients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 25% (115/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.4%), Grade 3 (14%) and Grade 2 (8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 9% (60/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.4%) and Grade 2 (3.7%). Immune-Mediated Hepatitis and Hepatotoxicity OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3(1.3%), and Grade 2 (0.4%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 15% (70/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (2.4%), Grade 3 (11%), and Grade 2(1.8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 7% (48/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (1.2%), Grade 3 (4.9%), and Grade 2 (0.4%). OPDIVO in combination with cabozantinib can cause hepatic toxicity with higher frequencies of Grade 3 and 4ALT and AST elevations compared to OPDIVO alone. Consider more frequent monitoring of liver enzymes as compared to when the drugs are administered as single agents. In patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib, Grades 3 and 4 increased ALT or AST were seen in 11% of patients. Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which can present with diabetic ketoacidosis. Withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). For Grade 2 or higher adrenal insufficiency, initiate symptomatic treatment, including hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Hypophysitis can present with acute symptoms associated with mass effect such as headache, photophobia, or visual field defects. Hypophysitis can cause hypopituitarism; initiate hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Thyroiditis can present with or without endocrinopathy. Hypothyroidism can follow hyperthyroidism; initiate hormone replacement or medical management as clinically indicated. Monitor patients for hyperglycemia or other signs and symptoms of diabetes; initiate treatment with insulin as clinically indicated. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994), including Grade 3(0.4%) and Grade 2 (0.6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, adrenalin sufficiency occurred in 8% (35/456), including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (2.4%), and Grade 2 (4.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 7% (48/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.3%), Grade 3 (2.5%), and Grade 2 (4.1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 4.7% (15/320) of patients, including Grade 3 (2.2%) and Grade 2 (1.9%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.2%) and Grade 2 (0.3%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (42/456), including Grade 3 (2.4%) and Grade 2 (6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypophysitis occurred in 4.4% (29/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.3%), Grade 3 (2.4%), and Grade 2 (0.9%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, thyroiditis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, thyroiditis occurred in 2.7% (22/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.5%) and Grade 2 (2.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (<0.1%) and Grade 2 (1.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3weeks, hyperthyroidism occurred in 9% (42/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.9%) and Grade 2 (4.2%). Inpatients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hyperthyroidism occurred in 12% (80/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (4.5%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism occurred in 8% (163/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.2%) and Grade 2 (4.8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypothyroidism occurred in 20% (91/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (11%). Inpatients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypothyroidism occurred in 18% (122/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (11%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients, including Grade 3(0.4%) and Grade 2 (0.3%), and 2 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis. In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, diabetes occurred in 2.7% (15/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (0.3%), and Grade 2 (0.9%). Immune-Mediated Nephritis with Renal Dysfunction OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated nephritis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients, including Grade 4(<0.1%), Grade 3 (0.5%), and Grade 2 (0.6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated nephritis with renal dysfunction occurred in 4.1% (27/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (1.1%), and Grade 2 (2.2%). Immune-Mediated Dermatologic Adverse Reactions OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis. Exfoliative dermatitis, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) has occurred with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids maybe adequate to treat mild to moderate nonexfoliative rashes. YERVOY can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis, including bullous and exfoliative dermatitis, SJS, TEN, and DRESS. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids may be adequate to treat mild to moderate non-bullous/exfoliative rashes. Withhold or permanently discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.1%) and Grade 2 (2.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated rash occurred in 28% (127/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.8%) and Grade 2 (10%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated rash occurred in 16% (108/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (3.5%) and Grade 2 (4.2%). Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions The following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred at an incidence of <1% (unless otherwise noted) in patients who received OPDIVO monotherapy or OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY or were reported with the use of other PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Severe or fatal cases have been reported for some of these adverse reactions: cardiac/vascular: myocarditis, pericarditis, vasculitis; nervous system: meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis and demyelination, myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis (including exacerbation), Guillain-Barre syndrome, nerve paresis, autoimmune neuropathy; ocular: uveitis, iritis, and other ocular inflammatory toxicities can occur; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis to include increases in serum amylase and lipase levels, gastritis, duodenitis; musculoskeletal and connective tissue: myositis/polymyositis, rhabdomyolysis, and associated sequelae including renal failure, arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica; endocrine: hypoparathyroidism; other (hematologic/immune): hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH),systemic inflammatory response syndrome, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis),sarcoidosis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, solid organ transplant rejection. In addition to the immune-mediated adverse reactions listed above, across clinical trials of YERVOY monotherapy or in combination with OPDIVO, the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions, some with fatal outcome, occurred in <1% of patients unless otherwise specified: nervous system: autoimmune neuropathy (2%), myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis, motor dysfunction; cardiovascular: angiopathy, temporal arteritis; ocular: blepharitis, episcleritis, orbital myositis, scleritis; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis (1.3%); other(hematologic/immune):conjunctivitis, cytopenias (2.5%), eosinophilia (2.1%), erythema multiforme, hypersensitivity vasculitis, neurosensory hypoacusis, psoriasis. Some ocular IMAR cases can be associated with retinal detachment. Various grades of visual impairment, including blindness, can occur. If uveitis occurs in combination with other immune-mediated adverse reactions, consider a Vogt-Koyanagi-Haradalike syndrome, which has been observed in patients receiving OPDIVO and YERVOY, as this may require treatment with systemic corticosteroids to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss. Infusion-Related Reactions OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause severe infusion-related reactions. Discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY in patients with severe (Grade 3) or life-threatening (Grade 4) infusion-related reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with mild (Grade 1) or moderate (Grade 2) infusion-related reactions. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In a separate trial in which patients received OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion or a 30-minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.2% (8/368) and 2.7% (10/369) of patients, respectively. Additionally, 0.5% (2/368) and 1.4% (5/369) of patients, respectively, experienced adverse reactions within 48hours of infusion that led to dose delay, permanent discontinuation or withholding of OPDIVO. In melanoma patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. In HCC patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 8% (4/49) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 5.1% (28/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 4.2% (5/119) of patients. In MPM patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 12% (37/300) of patients. Complications of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Fatal and other serious complications can occur in patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) before or after being treated with OPDIVO or YERVOY. Transplant-related complications include hyperacute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after reduced intensity conditioning, and steroid-requiring febrile syndrome (without an identified infectious cause). These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between OPDIVO or YERVOY and allogeneic HSCT. Follow patients closely for evidence of transplant-related complications and intervene promptly. Consider the benefit versus risks of treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY prior to or after an allogeneic HSCT. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal studies, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. The effects of YERVOY are likely to be greater during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY and for at least 5 months after the last dose. Increased Mortality in Patients with Multiple Myeloma when OPDIVO is Added to a Thalidomide Analogue and Dexamethasone In randomized clinical trials in patients with multiple myeloma, the addition of OPDIVO to a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone resulted in increased mortality. Treatment of patients with multiple myeloma with a PD-1 orPD-L1 blocking antibody in combination with a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials. Lactation There are no data on the presence of OPDIVO or YERVOY in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in breastfed children, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose. Serious Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyl transferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (74% and 44%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (47% and 18%) or to dosing delays (58% and 36%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 51%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.2%), colitis (10% and 1.9%), and pyrexia (10% and 1.0%). In Checkmate 238, serious adverse reactions occurred in 18% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=452). Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions occurred in 25% of OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452). The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in 2% of OPDIVO-treated patients were diarrhea and increased lipase and amylase. In Checkmate 816, serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients (n=176) who were treated with OPDIVO in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. Serious adverse reactions in >2% included pneumonia and vomiting. No fatal adverse reactions occurred in patients who received OPDIVO in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. In Checkmate 227, serious adverse reactions occurred in 58% of patients (n=576). The most frequent (2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, diarrhea/colitis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, pulmonary embolism, adrenal insufficiency, and hypophysitis. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1.7% of patients; these included events of pneumonitis (4 patients), myocarditis, acute kidney injury, shock, hyperglycemia, multi-system organ failure, and renal failure. In Checkmate 9LA, serious adverse reactions occurred in 57% of patients(n=358). The most frequent (>2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, diarrhea, febrile neutropenia, anemia, acute kidney injury, musculoskeletal pain, dyspnea, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7 (2%) patients, and included hepatic toxicity, acute renal failure, sepsis, pneumonitis, diarrhea with hypokalemia, and massive hemoptysis in the setting of thrombocytopenia. In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 057, fatal adverse reactions occurred; these included events of infection (7 patients, including one case of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia),pulmonary embolism (4 patients), and limbic encephalitis (1 patient). In Checkmate 743, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients were pneumonia, pyrexia, diarrhea, pneumonitis, pleural effusion, dyspnea, acute kidney injury, infusion-related reaction, musculoskeletal pain, and pulmonary embolism. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 4 (1.3%) patients and included pneumonitis, acute heart failure, sepsis, and encephalitis. In Checkmate 214, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY(n=547). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients were diarrhea, pyrexia, pneumonia, pneumonitis, hypophysitis, acute kidney injury, dyspnea, adrenal insufficiency, and colitis. In Checkmate 9ER, serious adverse reactions occurred in 48% of patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib(n=320). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients were diarrhea, pneumonia, pneumonitis, pulmonary embolism, urinary tract infection, and hyponatremia. Fatal intestinal perforations occurred in 3 (0.9%) patients. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO(n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 7% and dose delays due to adverse reactions occurred in 34% of patients (n=266). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 1% of patients were pneumonia, infusion-related reaction, pyrexia, colitis or diarrhea, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and rash. Eleven patients died from causes other than disease progression: 3 from adverse reactions within 30 days of the last OPDIVO dose, 2 from infection 8 to 9 months after completing OPDIVO, and 6 from complications of allogeneic HSCT. In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infection, and sepsis. In Checkmate 275, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were urinary tract infection, sepsis, diarrhea, small intestine obstruction, and general physical health deterioration. In Checkmate 274, serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=351). The most frequent serious adverse reaction reported in 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO was urinary tract infection. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1% of patients; these included events of pneumonitis (0.6%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=119), serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients were colitis/diarrhea, hepatic events, abdominal pain, acute kidney injury, pyrexia, and dehydration. In Checkmate 040, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=49). Serious adverse reactions reported in 4% of patients were pyrexia, diarrhea, anemia, increased AST, adrenal insufficiency, ascites, esophageal varices hemorrhage, hyponatremia, increased blood bilirubin, and pneumonitis. In Attraction-3, serious adverse reactions occurred in 38% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=209). Serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients who received OPDIVO were pneumonia, esophageal fistula, interstitial lung disease, and pyrexia. The following fatal adverse reactions occurred in patients who received OPDIVO: interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis (1.4%), pneumonia (1.0%), septic shock (0.5%), esophageal fistula (0.5%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (0.5%), pulmonary embolism (0.5%), and sudden death (0.5%). In Checkmate 577, serious adverse reactions occurred in 33% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=532). A serious adverse reaction reported in 2% of patients who received OPDIVO was pneumonitis. A fatal reaction of myocardial infarction occurred in one patient who received OPDIVO. In Checkmate 648, serious adverse reactions occurred in 62% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=310). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients who received OPDIVO with chemotherapy were pneumonia (11%), dysphagia (7%), esophageal stenosis (2.9%), acute kidney injury (2.9%), and pyrexia (2.3%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5 (1.6%) patients who received OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included pneumonitis, pneumatosis intestinalis, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury. In Checkmate 648, serious adverse reactions occurred in 69% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY (n=322). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% who received OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY were pneumonia (10%), pyrexia (4.3%), pneumonitis (4.0%), aspiration pneumonia (3.7%), dysphagia (3.7%), hepatic function abnormal (2.8%), decreased appetite (2.8%), adrenal insufficiency (2.5%), and dehydration (2.5%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5 (1.6%) patients who received OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY; these included pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary embolism, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In Checkmate 649, serious adverse reactions occurred in 52% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=782). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy were vomiting (3.7%), pneumonia (3.6%), anemia (3.6%), pyrexia (2.8%), diarrhea (2.7%), febrile neutropenia (2.6%), and pneumonitis (2.4%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 16 (2.0%) patients who were treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included pneumonitis (4 patients), febrile neutropenia (2 patients), stroke (2 patients), gastrointestinal toxicity, intestinal mucositis, septic shock, pneumonia, infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, mesenteric vessel thrombosis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Common Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm(n=313) were fatigue (62%), diarrhea (54%), rash (53%), nausea (44%), pyrexia (40%), pruritus (39%), Musculo skeletal pain (32%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), cough (27%), headache (26%), dyspnea (24%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%), arthralgia (21%), and increased transaminases (25%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (40%), musculoskeletal pain (42%), diarrhea (36%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pruritus (27%), upper respiratory tract infection (22%), decreased appetite (22%), headache (22%), constipation (21%), arthralgia (21%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 238, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452) vs ipilimumab-treated patients (n=453) were fatigue (57% vs 55%), diarrhea (37% vs 55%), rash (35% vs 47%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 27%), pruritus (28% vs 37%), headache (23% vs 31%), nausea (23% vs 28%), upper respiratory infection (22% vs 15%), and abdominal pain (21% vs 23%). The most common immune-mediated adverse reactions were rash (16%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and hepatitis (3%). In Checkmate 816, the most common (>20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus chemotherapy arm (n=176) were nausea (38%), constipation (34%), fatigue (26%), decreased appetite (20%), and rash (20%). In Checkmate 227, the most common (20%) adverse reactions were fatigue (44%), rash (34%), decreased appetite (31%), musculoskeletal pain (27%), diarrhea/colitis (26%), dyspnea (26%), cough (23%), hepatitis (21%), nausea (21%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 9LA, the most common (>20%) adverse reactions were fatigue (49%), musculoskeletal pain (39%), nausea (32%), diarrhea (31%), rash (30%), decreased appetite (28%), constipation (21%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 743, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY were fatigue (43%), musculoskeletal pain (38%), rash (34%), diarrhea (32%), dyspnea (27%), nausea (24%),decreased appetite (24%), cough (23%), and pruritus (21%).In Checkmate 214, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported in patients treated with OPDIVO plus YERVOY (n=547) were fatigue (58%), rash(39%), diarrhea (38%), musculoskeletal pain (37%), pruritus (33%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pyrexia (25%),arthralgia (23%), decreased appetite (21%), dyspnea (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 9ER, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib (n=320) were diarrhea (64%),fatigue (51%), hepatotoxicity (44%), palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (40%), stomatitis (37%), rash (36%), hypertension (36%), hypothyroidism (34%), musculoskeletal pain (33%), decreased appetite (28%),nausea (27%), dysgeusia (24%), abdominal pain (22%), cough (20%) and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were fatigue (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=266) were upper respiratory tract infection (44%), fatigue (39%), cough (36%), diarrhea (33%), pyrexia (29%), musculoskeletal pain (26%), rash (24%), nausea (20%) and pruritus (20%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236) were cough (14%) and dyspnea (14%) at a higher incidence than investigators choice. In Checkmate 275, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270) were fatigue (46%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), nausea (22%), and decreased appetite (22%). In Checkmate 274, the most common adverse reactions (20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=351) were rash (36%), fatigue (36%), diarrhea (30%), pruritus (30%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), and urinary tract infection (22%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO as a single agent (n=74), the most common adverse reactions (20%) were fatigue (54%), diarrhea (43%), abdominal pain (34%), nausea (34%),vomiting (28%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), cough (26%), pyrexia (24%), rash (23%), constipation (20%), and upper respiratory tract infection (20%).In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=119), the most common adverse reactions (20%) were fatigue (49%), diarrhea (45%), pyrexia (36%), musculoskeletal pain (36%), abdominal pain (30%), pruritus (28%), nausea (26%), rash (25%), decreased appetite (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 040, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=49), were rash (53%), pruritus (53%), musculoskeletal pain (41%), diarrhea (39%), cough (37%), decreased appetite (35%), fatigue (27%), pyrexia (27%), abdominal pain (22%), headache (22%), nausea (20%), dizziness (20%), hypothyroidism (20%), and weight decreased (20%). In Attraction-3, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=209) were rash (22%) and decreased appetite (21%). In Checkmate 577, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=532) were fatigue (34%), diarrhea (29%), nausea (23%), rash (21%), musculoskeletal pain (21%), and cough (20%). In Checkmate 648, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=310) were nausea (65%), decreased appetite (51%), fatigue (47%), constipation (44%), stomatitis (44%), diarrhea (29%), and vomiting (23%). In Checkmate 648, the most common adverse reactions reported in 20% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY were rash (31%), fatigue (28%), pyrexia (23%), nausea (22%), diarrhea (22%), and constipation (20%). In Checkmate 649, the most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy(n=782) were peripheral neuropathy (53%), nausea (48%), fatigue (44%), diarrhea (39%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), abdominal pain (27%), constipation (25%), and musculoskeletal pain (20%). Please see US Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO and YERVOY. About the Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally, except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Ono and Bristol Myers Squibb further expanded the companies strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. About Bristol Myers Squibb Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, that the CHMP opinion is not binding on the EMA/EC, that the fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab may not receive regulatory approval for the indication described in this release in the currently anticipated timeline or at all, any marketing approvals, if granted, may have significant limitations on their use, and, if approved, whether such combination treatment for such indication described in this release will be commercially successful. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect Bristol Myers Squibbs business and market, particularly those identified in the cautionary statement and risk factors discussion in Bristol Myers Squibbs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law, Bristol Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. corporatefinancial-news View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220721005857/en/ Bristol Myers Squibb Media Inquiries: [email protected] Investors: [email protected] Source: Bristol Myers Squibb FILE PHOTO: The exterior of a Schlumberger Corporation building is pictured in West Houston January 16, 2015. Schlumberger, the world's No.1 oilfield services provider, said it will cut 9,000 jobs, or about 7 percent of its workforce, as it focuses on con By Rithika Krishna and Liz Hampton (Reuters) -Schlumberger NV on Friday raised its annual revenue forecast after beating analysts' second-quarter earnings expectations, buoyed by higher demand for its oilfield services and equipment. The company has benefited from a boost in activity driven by stronger oil and gas prices. Global crude prices hovered above $100 per barrel last quarter, fuelled by tight supplies following Western sanctions on Russia, a major producer, and as energy consumption returned to near pre-pandemic levels. "Despite near-term concerns of a global economic slowdown, the combination of energy security, favorable breakeven price and the urgency to grow long-term oil and gas production capacity will continue to support strong upstream E&P spending growth, Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch said in a statement. He pointed to an acceleration of investments in international markets, including what he called an "early cycle of growth in the Middle East" as well as an uptick in its offshore business. On a per share basis, Schlumberger reported earnings of 50 cents, compared with analysts' average estimate of 40 cents, IBES data from Refinitiv showed, the highest level since 2015. Core earnings are expected to grow by 25% this year versus 2021, the company said. Schlumberger's shares were up more than 6% to $35.65 in early trading. Schlumberger's upbeat outlook follows a mixed quarter from the world's largest oilfield service providers. Baker Hughes warned that the demand outlook for the next 12 to 18 months was "deteriorating" while Halliburton Co predicted "multiple years" of increased activity. Schlumberger said it now expects a high-teens percentage rise in revenue for 2022, which would be at least $27 billion. It had previously anticipated mid-teens growth. The company reported net income of $959 million, or 67 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30, compared with $431 million, or 30 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenues of $6.8 billion also beat Wall Street forecasts of $6.28 billion, according to IBES data. International sales were up 12% from the previous quarter, while revenue in North America jumped 20%. "Solid release all around, with results outpacing expectations," analysts for investment firm Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co wrote in a note on Friday. Schlumberger in the second quarter sold a large portion of its shares in Liberty Oilfield Services, bringing its holdings to 12%, down from a 37% stake in 2021. That sale generated $430 million in net proceeds, Schlumberger Chief Financial Officer Stephane Biguet said, adding that the company may continue to monetize that stake. (Reporting by Rithika Krishna in Bengaluru; editing by Elaine Hardcastle, Jason Neely and Paul Simao) VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aldebaran Resources Inc. ("Aldebaran" or the "Company", TSX-V: ALDE, OTCQX: ADBRF) is pleased to announce that Ben Cherrington has joined the Company as Manager, Investor Relations. Ben Cherrington previously worked in media as a senior project director, leading marketing campaigns for executives in the mining sector across the Americas and Africa with Global Business Reports (GBR). Ben graduated from the University of Leeds in the UK with a BA Honours degree and received the Economic Leadership for Mining certificate from the University of British Columbia, with a specialization in Exploration Economics. Mr. Cherrington has over 9 years experience working in Latin America, and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Mr. Cherrington will be paid US$4,000 on a monthly basis pursuant to the terms of a consulting agreement (the Agreement). Ben has been granted 100,000 incentive stock options at an exercise price of $0.78 for five years, under the terms and conditions of the Companys Stock Option Plan. The Agreement and the grant of options are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The Company has been advised that Mr. Cherrington does not own any shares of Aldebaran. For further information, please consult our website at www.aldebaranresources.com or contact: John E. Black, CEO / DirectorPhone: +1 604 685-6800 Email: [email protected] About Aldebaran Resources Inc. Aldebaran is a mineral exploration company that was spun out of Regulus Resources Inc. in 2018 and has the same core management team. Aldebaran has the right to earn up to an 80% interest in the Altar copper-gold project in San Juan Province, Argentina from Sibanye Stillwater Limited. The Altar project hosts multiple porphyry copper-gold deposits with potential for additional discoveries. Altar forms part of a cluster of world-class porphyry copper deposits which includes Los Pelambres (Antofagasta Minerals), El Pachon (Glencore), and Los Azules (McEwen Copper). In March 2021 the Company announced an updated mineral resource estimate for Altar, prepared by Independent Mining Consultants Inc. and based on the drilling completed up to and including 2020. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Source: Aldebaran Resources Inc. Company invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend real-time, interactive presentations on VirtualInvestorConferences.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ATAC Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ATC, OTCQB: ATADF), based in Vancouver, focused on exploring for copper and gold in Yukon, BC and Nevada, today announced that Graham Downs, President & CEO, will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on July 27th, 2022. DATE: July 27th, 2022 TIME: 1:30 PM ET / 10:30 AM PT LINK: https://bit.ly/3ni2TNT Available for 1x1 meetings: July 28th and 29th This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com. Recent Company Highlights Exploration underway at Connaught, Rackla Gold and Catch properties in Yukon, and PIL property in BC. 2022 exploration program includes up to 7,000 m of drilling focused on expanding gold resources at the Osiris Deposit, and copper porphyry discovery drilling at the road-accessible Connaught property. About ATAC Resources Ltd. ATAC is a well-financed Canadian exploration company focused on exploring for gold and copper in Yukon, BC and Nevada. Work on its ~1,700 km2 Rackla Gold Property in Yukon has resulted in the Osiris Project Inferred Mineral Resource of 1,685,000 oz of gold at an average grade of 4.23 g/t (in 12.4 Mt), the Tiger Deposit Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource of 464,000 oz of gold at an average grade of 3.19 g/t (in 4.5 Mt), a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tiger Gold Deposit (Pre-tax NPV of $118.2M and IRR of 54.5%), and numerous early-stage gold and base metal discoveries. ATAC is well-financed with over $7 million in working capital. The technical information in this news release has been approved by Andrew Carne, M.Eng., P.Eng., VP Corporate & Project Development for ATAC and a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. About Virtual Investor Conferences Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors. Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors. CONTACTS: ATAC Resources Ltd. Andrew Carne VP Corporate and Project Development 604-688-0111 ext. 106 [email protected] Virtual Investor Conferences John M. Viglotti SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access OTC Markets Group (212) 220-2221 [email protected] NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by securities laws. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Resources: The mineral resource estimates included in this press release have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements. U.S. investors are cautioned that the disclosure the Company provides on its mineral properties in this news release may be different from the disclosure that an issuer subject to SEC reporting requirements would otherwise be required to provide. Therefore, the information contained in this news release containing descriptions of the Companys mineral properties may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Additional information about the Tiger Deposit PEA is summarized in ATACs February 27, 2020 technical report titled Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tiger Deposit, Rackla Gold Project, Yukon, Canada, which can be viewed at www.sedar.com under the ATAC profile or on the ATAC website at www.atacresources.com. Additional information about the Osiris Resource Estimate is summarized in ATACs July 2, 2018 technical report titled Technical Report and Estimate of Mineral Resources for the Osiris Project, Yukon, Canada, which can also be viewed at www.sedar.com The super weed palmer amaranth has been found in a 15th North Dakota county. Two plants on the side of a Traill County road that were close to an existing infestation just over the county line in Cass County was confirmed to be palmer amaranth by the National Agricultural Genotyping Center in Fargo, which used DNA analysis. While the Traill County finding has already been quickly managed, the public is urged to contact and work with their local weed officers and other experts to identify and report any suspect plants, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. Palmer amaranth may spread through multiple channels, including contaminated seed mixes; equipment and machinery; animal feed, bedding and manure; and wildlife. Palmer amaranth can grow as tall as 7 feet, resist many herbicides, produce hundreds of thousands of seeds and become strong enough to stop farm machinery. A heavy infestation can cut soybean yields by as much as 79% and corn yields by up to 91%, according to research by Purdue University. The weed has spread to the Upper Midwest in recent years from the deserts of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. It was first confirmed in North Dakota in August 2018, in McIntosh County, and has since been documented in Barnes, Benson, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Morton, Richland, Sargent, Sioux, Stutsman and Ward counties. It's regulated as a noxious weed in North Dakota, meaning it must be controlled. It's considered "under management" in the counties of Barnes, Cass, Grant, Richland, Sioux, Stutsman and Ward, according to the state Agriculture Department. It's considered "no longer detected" in the counties of Benson, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Morton, McIntosh and Sargent. To report a suspect plant, go to https://www.nd.gov/ndda/pa or contact a county weed officer. For more information, go to that website or to https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/palmeramaranth. TOKYO, Japan and LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sosei Group Corporation (the Company; TSE: 4565), an international biopharmaceutical company and world-leader in GPCR1-focused structure-based drug design (SBDD) and development, and Cancer Research UK, the worlds largest private funder of cancer research, today announce the signing of an agreement to bring Sosei Heptares cancer immunotherapy drug candidate into a first-in-human trial. Under the Clinical Trial and Licence Agreement (CTLA), Cancer Research UKs Centre for Drug Development will sponsor, design and execute a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of HTL00397322, a novel selective EP4 antagonist. Sosei Heptares will be responsible for CTA enabling activities, including GLP toxicology, IMP manufacture1 and other necessary pre-clinical studies in preparation for the opening of the clinical trial. Sosei Heptares holds a licence to the results generated under the trial to continue the clinical development and commercialisation of HTL0039732. HTL0039732 has been proposed for a range of cancers including microsatellite stable3 colorectal, gastroesophageal, head and neck and castrate resistant prostate cancer. Many people with these types of cancer have missed out on the benefits that common immunotherapies, such as PD1/L1 checkpoint inhibitors4, have brought to other cancer types. The hope is that this trial could find that HTL0039732 is an effective immunotherapy for these under-served patient populations. HTL0039732 is a type of immunotherapy known as an EP4 antagonist, which means it selectively binds and blocks a specific type of prostaglandin receptor5 called EP4. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) mediated signalling through EP4 can trigger cancer cells to evade the immune system and can also influence tumour cell growth. Therefore, blocking this type of receptor may improve patient survival, especially if used in combination with another immunotherapy. The Director of Cancer Research UKs Centre for Drug Development, Dr Nigel Blackburn, said: People with these cancer types have, to date, largely missed out on some of the remarkable advances in the field of immunotherapy. "We are therefore thrilled to be partnering with Sosei Heptares to bring their novel immunotherapy candidate into human trials. The hope is that with more trials like this, all cancer patients will eventually be able to benefit from this potentially life-saving form of cancer treatment. Matt Barnes, President of Heptares Therapeutics and Head of UK R&D, commented: We are extremely pleased to collaborate with Cancer Research UK to advance HTL0039732 into Phase I/IIa clinical trials and take a step towards bringing new treatments to cancer patients. HTL0039732 was rationally designed using our highly productive SBDD platform specifically for this type of immunotherapy approach and as such we believe it offers the potential to be a best-in-class EP4 antagonist agent. Notes to Editors Further details of HTL0039732 will be presented at the 2022 Medicinal Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in early August 2022. 1GPCRs (G Protein-Coupled Receptors) are a super-family of integral cell membrane proteins that are present on cells and tissues throughout the body. GPCRs are involved in signalling pathways that influence a wide range of biological processes and are important drug targets implicated in many human diseases and disorders. CTA Clinical Trial Authorisation; GLP Good Laboratory Practice; IMP Investigational Medicinal Product 2HTL0039732 will be evaluated as both a combination therapy and a monotherapy 3Approximately 80-85% of colorectal cancer patients are classified as Microsatellite Stable which means they have low instability in short, repeated sequences of DNA in their tumours, known as microsatellites. MSS tumors often exist in an environment that suppresses the immune system and do not respond well to immunotherapies. 4Checkpoint inhibitors block proteins, known as checkpoint proteins, that stop the immune system from attacking the cancer cells. Examples of checkpoint inhibitors include pembrolizumab (Keytruda), ipilimumab (Yervoy), nivolumab (Opdivo) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq). 5The prostaglandins are a group of lipids made at sites of tissue damage or infection that are involved in dealing with injury and illness. They control processes such as inflammation, blood flow, the formation of blood clots and the induction of labor. About Cancer Research UKs Centre for Drug Development Cancer Research UK has an impressive record of developing novel treatments for cancer. The Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development has been pioneering the development of new cancer treatments for 25 years, taking over 140 potential new anti-cancer agents into clinical trials in patients. It currently has a portfolio of 21 new anti-cancer agents in preclinical development, Phase I or early Phase IIa clinical trials. Six of these new agents have made it to market including temozolomide for brain cancer, abiraterone for prostate cancer and rucaparib for ovarian cancer. Two other drugs are in late development Phase III trials. www.cruk.org.uk/cdd About Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK is the worlds leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Cancer Research UKs pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. Cancer Research UK receives no funding from the UK government for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on vital donations from the public. Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UKs ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses. Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call +44 (0)300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. About Sosei Heptares We are an international biopharmaceutical group focused on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary GPCR-targeted StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology and inflammatory diseases. We have established partnerships with some of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies and multiple emerging technology companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Biohaven, Genentech (Roche), GSK, Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda and Verily. Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with corporate and R&D facilities in Cambridge, UK. Sosei Heptares is the corporate brand and trademark of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are trademarks of Sosei Group companies. For more information, please visit https://soseiheptares.com/LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco Enquiries: Cancer Research UKEllie Bennett, Media Officer+44 (0)20 3469 5370 or, out of hours, on +44 (0)7884 466 868 | [email protected] Sosei Heptares Media and Investor RelationsHironoshin Nomura, Chief Financial Officer Shinichiro Nishishita, VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory DisclosuresCandelle Chong, SVP Investor Relations and Corporate StrategyJapan: +81 (0)3 5210 3399 | United Kingdom: +44 (0)1223 949390 | [email protected] MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (for International Media)Mark Swallow, Frazer Hall, Eleanor Perkin+44 (0)203 928 6900| [email protected] Sosei Heptares Forward-looking statementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporations actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Source: Sosei Group Corporation Sudbury/Toronto/Ottawa, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA), Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) applauded the departure of two of Laurentian Universitys most senior administrators but warned that the universitys plan of arrangement must be accompanied by faculty and governance renewal. Whether you call it a firing or a retiring, Laurentians faculty welcome the departure of the senior administrators who are responsible for plunging the university into crisis, but we need a commitment that the University will correct the mistakes of the past, said LUFA President Fabrice Colin. The fallout from the CCAA process has been devastating and it cant be reversed without a strong faculty complement and a demonstrated commitment to collaborative governance that includes representation from campus unions. We hope this signals the beginning of the end of a very sad and disturbing chapter in the history of Ontario's universities, said Susan Wurtele, President of OCUFA. The Auditor Generals preliminary report made it clear that this crisis was manufactured by bad management from Laurentians administration and lack of action from the Ontario Government. This disaster could have been avoided had university faculty been properly included in a transparent and collegial model of governance. In February 2020, Laurentian University engaged a Companies Creditor Arrangement Act (CCAA) process that triggered the largest cuts ever experienced at a Canadian university, including the cancellation of 69 programs and the loss of nearly 200 faculty and staff positions. The Plan of Arrangement filed by Laurentian University to the Superior Court of Justice on Thursday would seek to bring the CCAA process to a close, with a meeting of creditors to be held on September 14, 2022. The announcement came alongside news of the retirement of Laurentian President Robert Hache and Provost Marie-Josee Berger, to be effective prior to the universitys emergence from CCAA. The news that some of the senior administrators responsible for creating the mess at Laurentian will be departing is a welcomed step in the right direction, said David Robinson, Executive Director of CAUT. Under new leadership, the University will need to chart a new course to ensure it operates in a manner that is open, transparent, and accountable to its academic staff, employees, students, and the community of Sudbury. The shocking failures that led Laurentian to the brink cannot be allowed to happen again. The announcement of administrative renewal follows a campaign calling on Laurentian Board of Governors Chair Jeff Bangs to terminate the President, Provost, and Rector, along with a series of demands designed to support Laurentians successful emergence from the CCAA process: https://lufappul.ca/wp/?page_id=2857 LUFA was founded in 1979 and, prior to CCAA proceedings, represented over 400 full-time and 300 part-time professors at Laurentian University, the University of Sudbury, Huntington University, and Thorneloe University. Today, LUFA represents roughly 250 full-time and 200 part-time professors at Laurentian University. For more information about LUFA, visit www.lufappul.ca. Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member associations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For information about OCUFA, visit www.ocufa.on.ca. Founded in 1951, CAUT is the national voice for academic staff representing 72,000 teachers, librarians, researchers, general staff, and other academic professionals at some 125 universities and colleges across the country. CAUT is an outspoken defender of academic freedom and works actively in the public interest to improve the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada. For information about CAUT, visit www.CAUT.ca Joel Duff Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) 416-306-6046 [email protected] Source: Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations MCLEAN, Va., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) announced today that Dennis Hermonstyne Jr., is joining the company as senior vice president and chief compliance officer (CCO). Mr. Hermonstyne brings over 20 years of experience managing compliance programs for national banks and international financial services companies to Freddie Mac. He will be a member of the companys senior operating committee and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Michael DeVito and work closely with Chief Risk Officer Anil Hinduja. Mr. Hermonstyne will join Freddie Mac on September 19. Dennis is an accomplished compliance officer with a broad experience at national and international financial services firms. He will be an excellent addition to Freddie Macs senior operating committee, said DeVito. I look forward to working closely with Dennis as we continue Freddie Macs commitment to safety, soundness, and world-class risk management. In his role as chief compliance officer, Mr. Hermonstyne will oversee and lead Freddie Macs compliance risk management program pertaining to the companys legal, regulatory and conservatorship obligations. Mr. Hermonstyne most recently served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of Santander Bank, N.A. based in Boston, where he was responsible for overseeing the banks strategic compliance program and the policies and procedures for compliance vulnerability across the company. Prior to joining Santander in 2017, Mr. Hermonstyne was the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of E*TRADE Bank. His experience also includes several legal positions at federal regulatory agencies, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Mr. Hermonstyne holds a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University Columbus School of Law. Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we've made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders, and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac and Freddie Mac's blog FreddieMac.com/blog. MEDIA CONTACT:Christopher Spina703-388-7031 [email protected] Source: Freddie Mac PASCAGOULA, Miss., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for engineering and design from the U.S. Navy for the next-generation guided-missile destroyer (DDG(X)) program. We are excited to continue on this path with our Navy and industry partners, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. It provides us a tremendous opportunity to bring best practices and innovation from our experienced engineering team to the design of this important future surface combatant. Ingalls Shipbuilding is a major contractor and shipbuilding partner in the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) program that has been in production for three decades. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are multi-mission ships that can provide offensive and defensive capabilities, and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy. DDG(X) will be the next generation large surface combatant for the U.S. Navy, and is being designed by a Navy-industry collaborative team consisting of the Navy and both large surface combatant shipbuilders. A photo accompanying this release is available at: https://hii.com/news/hiii-ingalls-shipbuilding-awarded-ddgx-design-engineering-contract. About HII HII is an all-domain defense and technologies partner, recognized worldwide as Americas largest shipbuilder. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable an all-domain force. Headquartered in Virginia, HIIs skilled workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, please visit: HII on the web: https://www.hii.com/ HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII HII on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII Contact: Kimberly K. Aguillard [email protected] (228) 355-5663 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/778e1bd4-c90a-4cb2-b661-6b3d574c4b90 LAKE MARY, Fla., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeunesse Kids, the 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation created by Jeunesse Founders Randy Ray (CEO) and Wendy Lewis (COO), and Scott Lewis (Chief Visionary Officer), is celebrating a milestone 10th anniversary. With a mission to empower communities to give children a brighter future, Jeunesse Kids has contributed more than $10 million to charity initiatives in its first decade of service. Since its founding in July 2012, Jeunesse Kids has given $10,078,362 to 66 charitable organizations serving children in need in more than 30 countries across the globe. The award-winning foundation is 100% privately funded, with nearly all contributions coming from the global family of Jeunesse employees and Distributors. Because the charity is supported by Jeunesse, less than one-half of one percent (0.39%) has been spent on administrative costs, maximizing the impact of every dollar raised. It is with great joy that we celebrate 10 years of giving back through Jeunesse Kids, said Scott Lewis. We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our Jeunesse Family around the world and the opportunity to partner with amazing charity organizations, large and small, that are making a real difference in the lives of children in need. It's humbling to witness the extraordinary impact we can create when we come together to serve others." Jeunesse Kids has funded more than 90 projects spanning six continents. Projects funded are typically sustainable and provide long-term effects for underserved children and communities. Areas of funding include health, education, food security, housing, development of community infrastructure, and basic living needs. Through WE Charity's WE Villages sustainable development model, Jeunesse Kids has supported eight communities in China, Kenya, Ecuador, and India, helping to provide education, clean water, food security, health initiatives, and economic security to assist these communities in becoming self-sustaining. In addition, Jeunesse Kids provided a $1,040,700 grant to fund the WE College School of Business and Entrepreneurship in rural Kenya. Major project funding also includes a $1 million grant to Kids Beating Cancer to develop a life-saving pediatric cellular therapy lab. State-of-the-art equipment secured with this funding has resulted in better treatment outcomes for stem cell and bone marrow transplant patients, innovative research, and the first pediatric CAR T-cell treatment at AdventHealth for Children in Orlando. Other projects include funding for pediatric medical treatments and organ transplants, purchase of pediatric hospital equipment, education programs and scholarships, community and school infrastructure projects, Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House Charities projects, and many others. The foundations 10 years of impact will be celebrated throughout the Jeunesse EXPO 2022 Disrupt: World Tour this fall with stops in five cities around the world. A local charity will be chosen at each event to benefit from funds raised. About JeunesseJeunesse is a global direct selling company with a mission to positively impact the world by helping people look and feel young while empowering them to unleash their potential. The companys exclusive skin care and nutritional products form a comprehensive Y.E.S. Youth Enhancement System. With multilingual customer service, back-office support, and a global enrollment system, Jeunesse utilizes a cutting-edge platform to share innovative products, training, and support through 32 fully operational offices to markets in over 145 countries. Learn more at jeunesseglobal.com. Contact:Lynn McGovern623-363-6925[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6198f63-46f9-4a59-8dbc-1b067515b803 Jeunesse Kids Celebrates 10 Years and $10 Million in Giving Jeunesse Kids Chief Visionary Officer Scott Lewis and wife Isabel Lewis visit one of the Kenyan villages the foundation has supported as part of its mission to empower communities to give children a brighter future. Source: Jeunesse, LLC LAKE MARY, Fla., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeunesse Kids, the 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation created by Jeunesse Founders Randy Ray (CEO) and Wendy Lewis (COO), and Scott Lewis (Chief Visionary Officer), is celebrating a milestone 10th anniversary. With a mission to empower communities to give children a brighter future, Jeunesse Kids has contributed more than $10 million to charity initiatives in its first decade of service. Since its founding in July 2012, Jeunesse Kids has given $10,078,362 to 66 charitable organizations serving children in need in more than 30 countries across the globe. The award-winning foundation is 100% privately funded, with nearly all contributions coming from the global family of Jeunesse employees and Distributors. Because the charity is supported by Jeunesse, less than one-half of one percent (0.39%) has been spent on administrative costs, maximizing the impact of every dollar raised. It is with great joy that we celebrate 10 years of giving back through Jeunesse Kids, said Scott Lewis. We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our Jeunesse Family around the world and the opportunity to partner with amazing charity organizations, large and small, that are making a real difference in the lives of children in need. It's humbling to witness the extraordinary impact we can create when we come together to serve others." Jeunesse Kids has funded more than 90 projects spanning six continents. Projects funded are typically sustainable and provide long-term effects for underserved children and communities. Areas of funding include health, education, food security, housing, development of community infrastructure, and basic living needs. Through WE Charity's WE Villages sustainable development model, Jeunesse Kids has supported eight communities in China, Kenya, Ecuador, and India, helping to provide education, clean water, food security, health initiatives, and economic security to assist these communities in becoming self-sustaining. In addition, Jeunesse Kids provided a $1,040,700 grant to fund the WE College School of Business and Entrepreneurship in rural Kenya. Major project funding also includes a $1 million grant to Kids Beating Cancer to develop a life-saving pediatric cellular therapy lab. State-of-the-art equipment secured with this funding has resulted in better treatment outcomes for stem cell and bone marrow transplant patients, innovative research, and the first pediatric CAR T-cell treatment at AdventHealth for Children in Orlando. Other projects include funding for pediatric medical treatments and organ transplants, purchase of pediatric hospital equipment, education programs and scholarships, community and school infrastructure projects, Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House Charities projects, and many others. The foundations 10 years of impact will be celebrated throughout the Jeunesse EXPO 2022 Disrupt: World Tour this fall with stops in five cities around the world. A local charity will be chosen at each event to benefit from funds raised. About Jeunesse Jeunesse is a global direct selling company with a mission to positively impact the world by helping people look and feel young while empowering them to unleash their potential. The companys exclusive skin care and nutritional products form a comprehensive Y.E.S. Youth Enhancement System. With multilingual customer service, back-office support, and a global enrollment system, Jeunesse utilizes a cutting-edge platform to share innovative products, training, and support through 32 fully operational offices to markets in over 145 countries. Learn more at jeunesseglobal.com. Contact: Lynn McGovern 623-363-6925 [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6198f63-46f9-4a59-8dbc-1b067515b803 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latin Metals Inc. (Latin Metals or the Company) - (TSXV: LMS) OTCQB: LMSQF) is pleased to announce results of a recently completed rock sampling program at its 100% own Auquis project (the Property) located in the Coastal Copper Belt, Peru. A total of 234 rock chip samples were collected to follow up on anomalous soil samples collected earlier in the year (see NR22-06, April 2022). Rock chip sampling has highlighted copper grades ranging from 22 ppm to 12.8% copper across the Property (Figures 1 and 2). Figure 1. Map highlighting areas where recent rock chip sampling was completed over several peak soil anomalies at Auquis Property, Coastal Copper Belt, Peru. Area defined by red square shows very consistent copper mineralization over 1km x 1km extent is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/22d3ff98-e59e-49c3-a351-7ed150fd0405 Keith Henderson, CEO, commented, Our recent follow-up sampling program has outlined a large 1km x 1km area of consistent mineralization where 101 samples returned copper values of up to 2.37% copper and 236 ppm molybdenum, with a mean value of 0.13% copper and 6.4 ppm molybdenum. We are very excited about these initial results, with many areas of this large 4,000 hectare property still unsampled. This portion of the Coastal Copper Belt is the focus of attention for several major mining companies, such as Newmont and Vale. Figure 2. Location of the Auquis Property in Peru and within the Coastal Copper belt is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cc93fb3-062a-4705-9791-5d199bef54f5 Rock Chip Sampling Details Recently completed rock chip sampling was focused in the highly anomalous areas identified in a previous soil sampling survey. A total of 234 rock chip samples were collected with values up to 4.74% copper and 236 ppm molybdenum. Mean values from the 234 samples are 0.10% copper and 5ppm molybdenum. These results are very encouraging as regional results but looking more closely at the southeastern portion of the Property, mineralization is seen to be very consistent with highly anomalous values of copper and molybdenum. In this large 1km x 1km area, 101 samples returned values with a mean of 0.13% copper and 6.4 ppm molybdenum. This area is characterized by multiple phases of intrusive rocks with porphyritic textures and copper oxide mineralization. Next Steps Recent sampling was focused on testing existing soil anomalies. Other areas of the Property are still open for exploration, and the Company will extend the sampling program. Next steps include a property-wide rock chip sampling and geological mapping program in the next months to define the area for an initial ground magnetic survey. QA/QC The work program at Auquis was designed and supervised by Eduardo Leon, the Company's Exploration Manager, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the project rigorously prepare and track samples which are security sealed and shipped to the ALS laboratory in Lima. Samples used for the results described herein are prepared and analyzed by multi-element analysis using an inductively coupled mass spectrometer in compliance with industry standards. Qualified Person The technical content of this release has been approved for disclosure by Keith J. Henderson P.Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and the Companys CEO. Mr. Henderson is not independent of the Company, as he is an employee of the Company and holds securities of the Company. Investor Relations and Marketing The Company has engaged BTV- Business Television (BTV) to improve exposure to Canadian capital markets. The engagement is for an initial period of three months, renewable for an additional three months. As consideration, the Company will pay a total fee of $31,850. BTV produces a half-hour weekly investment show, profiles emerging companies across Canada and the US to bring investors information for their portfolio. On air for 20+years, BTV is broadcast nationally on BNN Bloomberg, FOX Business News, BizTV. With Hosts, Taylor Thoen and Jessica Katrichak, BTV interviews top analysts plus features companies at their location for an insightful business perspective. Services provided under the contract with Latin Metals include digital marketing on well-known financial web platforms BNN Bloomberg, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Seeking Alpha, Financial Post, and Market Watch), Facebook advert campaign, mobile optimized banners, and TV advert for broadcast on BNN Bloomberg. To the Companys knowledge, BTV does not have any direct interest in the Company or its securities. The Company has also engaged OTCWagon for a one-month market awareness program. As consideration, the Company will pay a total fee of $5,000. To the Companys knowledge, OTCWagon does not have any direct interest in the Company or its securities. About Latin Metals Latin Metals is a mineral exploration company acquiring a diversified portfolio of assets in South America. The Company operates with a Prospect Generator model focusing on the acquisition of prospective exploration properties at minimum cost, completing initial evaluation through cost-effective exploration to establish drill targets, and ultimately securing joint venture partners to fund drilling and advanced exploration. Shareholders gain exposure to the upside of a significant discovery without the dilution associated with funding the highest-risk drill-based exploration. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of LATIN METALS INC. Keith Henderson President & CEO For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.latin-metals.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For further information, please contact: Keith Henderson Suite 890999 West Hastings StreetVancouver, BC, V6C 2W2 Phone: 604-638-3456E-mail: [email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the negotiation of the Option Agreements and exercise of the Option for the Properties, the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Properties and otherwise, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, and the Company's expectation that it will be able to enter into agreements to acquire interests in additional mineral properties, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves on the Properties, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Companys Argentine projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Company projects, and the Companys ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Properties, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling programs being proposed for the Properties (the "Programs"), actual results of exploration activities, including the Programs, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals and copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSX-V acceptance for filing of the Option Agreements, any current or future property acquisitions, financing or other planned activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest Management Discussion and Analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein. Figure 1. Map highlighting areas where recent rock chip sampling was completed over several peak soil anomalies at Auquis Property, Coastal Copper Belt, Peru. Area defined by red square shows very consistent copper mineralization over 1km x 1km extent. Figure 2. Location of the Auquis Property in Peru and within the Coastal Copper belt. Source: Latin Metals Inc. Phoenix, AZ, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A partnership of Nicola Wealth Real Estate (NWRE) and ViaWest Group (ViaWest) has acquired a shovel ready 20.78 acre industrial development site in the Mesa Gateway submarket of Phoenix, AZ and a 12.45 acre development site in the North Las Vegas submarket of Las Vegas, NV. Both sites are an expansion of NWREs build to hold industrial development strategy and partnership with ViaWest. Mesa Gateway is a quickly emerging submarket in the Southeast Valley of metro Phoenix. NWRE and ViaWest were attracted to the opportunity given its shovel ready, speed to market status, and the buildings multi-tenant design to accommodate mid-bay industrial users. Jackie Orcutt and her team at CBRE brokered the transaction and will be leasing the 335,068 sf three-building project which has been named Advanced Industrial Center. Construction has commenced and a groundbreaking ceremony will take place July 26, 2022. In the Northern Las Vegas submarket, the partnership has acquired an infill site capable of accommodating a 219,480 sf building upon securing entitlements and permits. Las Vegas has one of the lowest industrial vacancy rates in the western US and a limited number of well-located land sites remain. The land assemblage was sourced off market and will provide a single modern industrial building with frontage on Las Vegas Boulevard in close proximity to Interstate 15, Harry Reid International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. Were excited to add these two well located, modern industrial projects to our existing asset base in Phoenix and Las Vegas. In addition to growing our portfolio, we look forward to executing these developments with a high-quality partner such as ViaWest, states Matthew Schaeffers, Director of Acquisitions at Nicola Wealth Real Estate. Steven Schwarz, Founding Partner of ViaWest, adds, We truly value our relationship with NWRE and are ecstatic about these two new projects. Both will be first-class facilities to accommodate the needs of todays industrial users and will meet the strong tenant demand in these markets. NWRE is concentrated on growing in major US markets such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas / Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Seattle with a focus on acquiring income-producing properties, executing build-to-own development and value-add strategies. To learn more about the Nicola Wealth Real Estate funds, visit realestate.nicolawealth.com About Nicola Wealth Real EstateNicola Wealth Real Estate (NWRE) is the in-house real estate team of Nicola Wealth, a premier Canadian financial planning and investment firm with $12.1 billion (CAD) of assets under management (AUM). NWRE has an experienced and innovative team that sources and asset-manages a growing portfolio of properties in major markets across North America spanning a diversified range of asset classes which include industrial, multi-family rental apartment, office, self-storage, retail and seniors housing. The current NWRE portfolio now exceeds $8.0 billion gross asset value. About ViaWest Property GroupEstablished in 2003, ViaWest Group is a Phoenix-based, full-service commercial real estate investment, development, and property management firm. ViaWest Group is one of the fastest growing real estate investment companies in the Southwestern U.S. with over $2.5 billion in deals since inception, 8+ million SF owned and managed, with offices in Phoenix and Denver. ViaWest Group is currently seeking to acquire and develop office, industrial, and multi-family buildings and land parcels in the Southwestern U.S. Visit our website www.viawestgroup.com or contact Mikele Keiffer at (602) 957-8300 x116. Attachment Nicole Thompson Nicola Wealth 604-335-1324 [email protected] Source: Nicola Wealth BOSTON, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PepGen Inc. (PepGen), a Boston-based clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing the next generation of oligonucleotide therapies with the goal of transforming the treatment of severe neuromuscular and neurological diseases, today announced the appointment of Caroline Godfrey, Ph.D., one of PepGens scientific co-founders, to its Scientific Advisory Board. In connection with this appointment, Dr. Godfrey leaves her position as Senior Vice President of Discovery at PepGen. We are delighted that Caroline will continue to contribute to PepGens science as part of our Scientific Advisory Board, and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and counsel in the years ahead, said James McArthur, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of PepGen. As we consolidate and expand PepGens operations in Boston, this appointment facilitates a continuity of expertise as we strive to develop transformative treatments for neuromuscular and neurological diseases. Caroline is one of our scientific co-founders, and was appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer of PepGen following the companys spinout from the University of Oxford and the Medical Research Council of United Kingdom Research and Innovation. In this role, and in her later position as Senior Vice President of Discovery, she was instrumental in establishing the company, securing the companys initial and Series A funding, and leading our early-stage discovery efforts. We are incredibly grateful for all that Caroline has done for PepGen and look forward to her continued contributions. Prior to founding PepGen, Dr. Godfrey was a Postdoctoral Researcher focused on the development of novel tools for nucleic acid delivery in neuromuscular disorders before becoming a Project Manager at the University of Oxford. Building off research conducted with Professor Matthew Wood and Dr. Michael Gait, Dr. Godfrey co-Founded PepGen and served as the companys first Chief Executive Officer. Since January 2021, Dr. Godfrey focused on discovery research as PepGens Senior Vice President of Discovery. Dr. Godfrey received her Ph.D. in neuromuscular disease from University College London and received her B.S. in genetics from the University of Sheffield. Im excited to be moving into a new position on PepGens Scientific Advisory Board, said Dr. Godfrey. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to lead the PepGen team during the company's early stages of development, and to have played a role in advancing our Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotide (EDO) technology from the bench to the clinic. I look forward to continuing this journey with PepGen as we strive to deliver our EDO therapeutics to patients who so desperately need transformative treatment options." About PepGen PepGen Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing the next generation of oligonucleotide therapies with the goal of transforming the treatment of severe neuromuscular and neurological diseases. PepGens Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotide, or EDO, platform is founded on over a decade of research and development and leverages cell-penetrating peptides to improve the uptake and activity of conjugated oligonucleotide therapeutics. Using these EDO peptides, PepGen is generating a pipeline of oligonucleotide therapeutic candidates that target the root cause of serious diseases. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements may be identified by words such as aims, anticipates, believes, could, estimates, expects, forecasts, goal, intends, may, plans, possible, potential, seeks, will, look forward, and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our clinical and pre-clinical programs, product candidates, our technology, corporate and clinical/pre-clinical strategies, and Dr. Godfreys expected contributions to business in the future. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current expectations, estimates and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to that we may fail to successfully complete our Phase 1 trial for EDO51 and pre-clinical studies of other product candidates and obtain required approval before commercialization; our product candidates may not be effective; there may be delays in regulatory approval or changes in regulatory framework that are out of our control; our estimation of addressable markets of our product candidates may be inaccurate; we may fail to timely raise additional required funding; more efficient competitors or more effective competing treatment may emerge; we may be involved in disputes surrounding the use of our intellectual property crucial to our success; we may not be able to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel; earlier study results may not be predictive of later stage study outcomes; and we are dependent on third-parties for some or all aspects of our product manufacturing, research and preclinical and clinical testing. Additional risks concerning PepGens programs and operations are described in its registration statement on Form S-1, which is on file with the SEC, and in its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q to be filed with the SEC. PepGen explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law. Investor ContactLaurence Watts Gilmartin Group[email protected] Media ContactGwendolyn SchankerLifeSci Communications(269) 921-3607[email protected] Source: PepGen, Inc PORTLAND, Ore., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Notified, an Intrado business, will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at Warner Pacific University in the Fall of 2022. The no cost AI Bootcamp in Portland will be targeted at high school students and will introduce underserved students in grades 9 through 12 to basic AI concepts and skills. Notified is one of 20+ host companies selected to host 30 camps across the US in the Fall of 2022. The Notified Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 22nd and ending on November 12th. The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/application. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend. Throughout the AI Bootcamp, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Students will benefit from volunteer mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 5-hour curriculum, students also get to work in Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, each day to build their own AI applications related to Chatbots, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains volunteer mentors, and recruits and selects local students to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Notified work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp. "This bootcamp gave me the opportunity to discover the potential that AI has to revolutionize our world, but more importantly, it helped me see that I have a place to make an impact and contribute to that progress." - Sarah S. Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted free AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 450+ students to date and has a goal to have 1,000 students graduate from AI Bootcamps Program in 2023. Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at markcubanai.org/application. To see our 2022 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq. Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected] Source: Mark Cuban Foundation When we speak of good intentions, foreign aid comes immediately to mind. It will come as no surprise to Acton readers that sound economics are not always attached to those intentions. In the U.S., billions of dollars are earmarked annually for foreign aid, and the results are less than satisfactory. Can foreign aid as we currently know it be made more efficient, more likely to produce the intended results? Foreign aid projects are generally designed as emergency measures, focusing only on the short term. As such, they are not intended to reverse all socio-economic problems of a given country, and may, in fact, keep the intended beneficiaries in an undesirable state of long-term dependence, instead of offering temporary relief. Relieving hunger and suffering in the moment is important and cultivating hope in the discouraged is desirable, but it is necessary to think beyond immediate situations to the long-term future of people who need help. As Jonathan Lea has written: Although food aid programs may sometimes alleviate hunger in the short run, the overall effect of them appears to be the disruption of local agricultural markets, making it harder for poor countries to develop their own resources and feed themselves in the long run. In short, the success of foreign aid and poverty-reversal policies should be measured by how many people are no longer in need of support rather than how many people are still being supported years later. The manner in which foreign aid is often delivered is part of the problem. As Dambisa Moyo has written in regard to aid to Africa, crony capitalism benefits governments and bureaucrats far more than it does the poor on the ground. And the manner in which loans are doled out also can ensure dependence and long-term debt. One example of how foreign aid can inhibit local solutions to poverty is that of Herman Chinery-Hesse, a Ghanaian entrepreneur who develops software and connects local entrepreneurs with potential customers. He ran into a problem, however, when an NGO, upon learning of his work, used foreign aid cash to provide for free the same products Chinery-Hesse was developing, destroying his growing market. Chinery-Hesse has argued that the Ghanaian government does not distribute the foreign aid money for the development of local businesses; the use of the money is determined first and foremost by the donors, and there is no incentive for Ghana, or any other aid-recipient country, to change this. Another example of the unintended negative consequences of foreign aid also involved Chinery-Hesse, who held contracts with the government. A competing foreign company asked the government of Ghana to provide a cheap loan to finance its project in Ghana. The government not only complied, but stopped contracting the services of Chinery-Hesses company, as the foreign entity could now provide the same services for less money through the foreign-aid financing. The is not market competition, but the use of foreign aid to override local, private interests to benefit those of the government. It has been argued often that poverty is so dramatic and inequality so extreme in some nations that no solution is possible that does not involve the state. To that I would like to share the story of a group of Brazilians who created a postal delivery companyGrupo Carteiro Amigoin one of the poorest neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. The state-owned postal service did not deliver in this neighborhood due to the violence there and an inability even to find the mails intended recipients. Aware of the demand in this region, the guys from Carteiro Amigo Group mapped the neighborhood and offered the residents a delivery service. Beginning with a bottom-to-top focus on a solution, these entrepreneurs found financial support for their idea, and they are now expanding the business and even providing a mobile app to make the service more accessible. This is further proof of the inherent ability of human beings to develop their own home-grown solutions and to create businesses that impact not only themselves but also their local community. Foreign aid can be helpful and efficient if it is designed for people to access markets, expand entrepreneurial projects, and receive education. In other words, if it is intended to develop human capital. With that in mind, Thinking Huts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making education more accessible with humanitarian-driven technological solutions, has completed its first 3D-printed school in Madagascar. The 3D school was cheaper and faster to build than a conventional brick-and-mortar school would have been. Moreover, this model can be employed in remote regions where access to education is very low. Wouldnt that be a good way to allocate foreign aid? Educating, training, and developing human capital, focusing on individuals heretofore excluded not only from markets but also the education that would enable them to become independent, is one way that foreign aid can act efficiently. To be very clear, Im not calling for an end to all foreign aid and NGOs, but a reformation of how resources are used. Given the enormous inefficiency in how foreign aid is distributed and to whom (for examples, dictators who use it to maintain power), it is time for markets, individual initiative, and local creative energy to be the true beneficiaries. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regulus Resources Inc. ("Regulus" or the "Company", TSX-V: REG, OTCQX: RGLSF) is pleased to announce that Ben Cherrington has joined the Company as Manager, Investor Relations. Ben Cherrington previously worked in media as a senior project director leading marketing campaigns for executives in the mining sector across the Americas and Africa with Global Business Reports (GBR). Ben graduated from the University of Leeds in the UK with a BA Honours degree and received the Economic Leadership for Mining certificate from the University of British Columbia, with a specialization in Exploration Economics. Mr. Cherrington has over 9 years experience working in Latin America, and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Mr. Cherrington will be paid US$4,000 on a monthly basis pursuant to the terms of a consulting agreement (the Agreement). Ben has been granted 100,000 incentive stock options at an exercise price of $0.76 for five years, under the terms and conditions of the Companys Stock Option Plan. The Agreement and the grant of options are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The Company has been advised that Mr. Cherrington does not own any shares of Regulus. For further information, please contact: Regulus Resources Inc. John BlackPhone: +1 604 685-6800Email: [email protected] About Regulus Resources Inc. Regulus Resources Inc. is an international mineral exploration company run by an experienced technical and management team. The principal project held by Regulus is the AntaKori copper-gold-silver project in northern Peru. The AntaKori project currently hosts a resource with indicated mineral resources of 250 million tonnes with a grade of 0.48 % Cu, 0.29 g/t Au and 7.5 g/t Ag and inferred mineral resources of 267 million tonnes with a grade of 0.41 % Cu, 0.26 g/t Au, and 7.8 g/t Ag (independent technical report prepared by AMEC Foster Wheeler (Peru) S.A. dated February 22, 2019, see press release dated March 1, 2019). Mineralization remains open in most directions. For further information on Regulus Resources Inc., please consult our website at www.regulusresources.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Source: Regulus Resources Inc PRINCETON, N.J., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TNG Creative, an award-winning, healthcare-focused, boutique consultancy, today announced that it has been awarded three 2022 dotComm Platinum Awards for Websites. TNG Creative was recognized with two Platinum awards (in the Other - Biotech and Medical categories) for its end-to-end design and development of www.prolocor.com, the website of Prolocor, a biotechnology company that is developing an innovative precision diagnostic test to guide cardiovascular treatment decisions. TNG Creative was also recognized with a Platinum award in the Redesign category for its end-to-end design and development of www.naissos.com, the website of The Naissos Group, its parent company. "We want to thank the dotcom Awards and the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) for recognizing TNG Creative's work. At TNG Creative, we place significant attention on merging science, strategy, and creative, into immersive storytelling and it is always amazing to get recognition for our hard work. Our approach has resulted in brand awareness and growing excitement for Prolocor, and in a slight repositioning for The Naissos Group," said Mika Stojanovic, Head of Marketing + Creative at TNG Creative, and Managing Partner at The Naissos Group. Earlier this year, TNG Creative also won the 2022 Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Award for Best Biotechnology Website, for development of the Prolocor website. That brings the total to three awards for this exciting biotech. According to Alex Stojanovic, Head of Strategy at TNG Creative and Managing Partner at The Naissos Group, the secret of repeat success lies in a small and experienced team that seamlessly integrates strategy and creative. "We're a small consultancy that focuses on quality over volume. We may only build a handful of websites a year, but we immerse ourselves completely into each company, their products + services, their mission," Stojanovic added. The dotCOMM Awards is administered and judged by the AMCP, one of the largest, oldest and most respected evaluators of creative work in the marketing and communication industry. Since its inception in 1994, AMCP has judged over 200,000 entries from throughout the world. A list of Winners can be found at dotcommawards.com. About TNG Creative TNG Creative is an award-winning, healthcare-focused, boutique consultancy that bridges the gaps between strategy, science, and creative for life science companies. Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, TNG Creative has client relationships in USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company leverages a lean consulting model and brings broad life science experience across therapeutic areas, geographies, and company stages, from early-stage biotechs to publicly traded corporations. TNG Creative is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Naissos Group. About The Naissos Group The Naissos Group is an entrepreneurial, family-owned private investment firm that launches its own innovative ventures and at the same time invests in and partners with companies across an array of industries, with a strong focus in the life sciences. The Naissos Group was founded in 2008, and today manages a diversified portfolio of investments that includes wholly owned companies, stealth-mode ventures, and minority positions in outside investments. About Prolocor Prolocor is a precision diagnostics company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA and Burlington, VT. The company's innovative precision diagnostic test is being developed to guide cardiovascular treatment decisions, effectively matching the intensity of antithrombotic therapy with the risk of thrombotic events. Founded by a team that deeply understands thrombosis and cardiovascular disease, Prolocor is building its strategy around platelet FcRIIa and embarking on a journey to commercialize an innovative test that quantifies FcRIIa on the surface of platelets. Press Contact Mika Stojanovic TNG Creative [email protected] Related Images Image 1: TNG Creative Logo TNG Creative Logo This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment TNG Creative Logo TNG Creative Logo Source: TNG Creative LLC Washington, D.C., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kuwaiti-born Samar Ahmad can breathe a sigh of relief after learning that her national origin will not be used against her in the application process for a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, filed the lawsuit, Edgar Ulloa Lujan and Samar Ahmad v. U.S. Department of Education, et al., as well as a preliminary injunction on behalf of Ms. Ahmad, challenging the U.S. Department of Educations 1998 rule and its decision to reject her 2021 application on the basis of her Arabic-speaking heritage. The Department of Education (ED) has agreed not to apply the rule to her and other similarly situated applicants this year. Ms. Ahmad and all other heritage speakers of foreign languages in the 2022 application cycle will be eligible for up to the full points on the criterion that evaluates an applicants language proficiency. The scholarship provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students who conduct research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. Ms. Ahmad, a doctoral student at Georgetown University, was born in Kuwait and grew up speaking Arabic. When she applied in 2021, the Department docked her 15 points for language proficiency solely because Arabic is the language of her national heritage rather than one first learned in school. This large 15-point native-language penalty knocked Ms. Ahmad out of the running despite her near-perfect scores in the remaining portions of the application. Ms. Ahmad has reapplied in 2022 and identifies herself as a heritage speaker of Arabic in her 2022 application. The native-language penalty is unconstitutional because it treats applicants national origin as a decisive factor in access to federal education assistance and significantly disadvantages immigrants from non-English-speaking countries and children of such immigrants. It also violates the Fulbright-Hays Act itself, which does not allow the Department to award Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Fellowships based on whether the foreign language used for the research is native or non-native to the applicant. While NCLA and Ms. Ahmad are gratified by the Departments agreement not to penalize heritage speakers for the ongoing application cycle, the Department has not yet agreed to permanently revise the regulation that imposes the native-language penalty. Until it does, applicants in future cycles could still face unlawful discrimination. Pending the final outcome of NCLAs lawsuit, the native-language penalty would still apply against native speakers, whom the Department defines as immigrants who speak their native language more fluently than heritage speakers. NCLA intends to continue pursuing this lawsuit and engage ED in further discussions to ensure that, going forward, no applicant will face discrimination based on his or her national origin. NCLA released the following statement: For nearly a quarter century, the U.S. Department of Education has been violating Americans due-process right to equal treatment by their government with regard to their national origin. NCLA is pleased the agency has agreed to respect that right for our client and those similarly situated while the case is being litigated. We will continue fighting the Departments unlawful discrimination until the native language regulation is overturned in its entirety. Sheng Li, Litigation Counsel, NCLA For more information visit the case page here. ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### Judy Pino New Civil Liberties Alliance 202-869-5218 [email protected] Source: New Civil Liberties Alliance TORONTO, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Becker Milk Company Limited (the Company) (TSX-BEK.B) is pleased to report the results for the year ended April 30, 2022. HIGHLIGHTS Total revenues for the year ended April 30, 2022 were $2,670,042 compared to $3,097,155 for the same period in 2021; Net operating income for the year was $2,121,894 compared to $2,367,836 in 2021; Net income for the year was $3.13 per share, compared to $1.96 per share in 2021. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Net operating income for the year ended April 30, 2022 decreased $245,942 to $2,121,894 as compared with the previous year, primarily as a result of non-recurring adjustments to property revenue resulting from completion of negotiations with Macs Convenience Stores Inc. regarding base rents for most of its locations. In determining net operating income the revenue reduction was partially offset by lower property operating expenses. Year ended April 30 2022 2021 Property revenue $2,630,175 $3,024,970 Finance income 39,867 72,185 Total revenues $2,670,042 $3,097,155 Net income attributable to common and special shareholders $5,665,984 $3,536,378 Average common and special shares outstanding 1,808,360 1,808,360 Income per share $3.13 $1.96 Year ended April 30 2022 2021 Property revenue $2,630,175 $3,024,970 Property operating expenses (508,281 ) (657,134 ) Net operating income $2,121,894 $2,367,836 Components of the $2,129,606 decrease in net income for the year ended April 30, 2022 compared to the year ended April 30, 2021 are: Changes in net income - Year ended April 30, 2022 compared to year ended April 30, 2021 Provision for environmental liability Increase in fair value adjustment $2,748,000 Decrease in current taxes 76,581 Decrease in administrative expenses 43,752 Decrease loss on disposal 18,038 Decrease in finance income (32,318 ) Increase strategic review expenses (99,014 ) Decrease in net operating income (245,942 ) Increase in deferred tax charges (379,491 ) Decrease in gain on expropriation settlement 0 Increase in net income $2,129,606 The large increase in the fair value adjustment to investment properties resulted from revised assumptions with respect to capitalization rates and market rents reflecting market conditions as at April 30, 2022. ADJUSTED FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS For the year ended April 30, 2022 the Company recorded adjusted funds from operations of $348,427 ($0.19 per share) compared to $757,017 ($0.42 per share) in 2021. Year ended April 30 2022 2021 Net income $5,665,984 $3,536,378 Add (deduct) items not affecting cash: Fair value adjustment to investment properties (5,993,000 ) (3,245,000 ) Loss (gain) on sale of investment properties 4,583 22,621 Tax on gains from sale of property 9,065 27,700 Deferred income taxes 798,546 419,055 Expenses related to strategic review (102,751 ) (3,737 ) Sustaining capital expenditures (34,000 ) 0 Adjusted funds from operations $348,427 $757,017 Adjusted funds from operations per share $0.19 $0.42 STRATEGIC REVIEW Since 2014 the Board of Directors has been evaluating strategic directions for the Company and has engaged in discussions with potential acquirors. While the Company has engaged in some discussions during the last quarter, none of those discussions are active at this time. During this period a programme of divesting less desirable sites has resulted in the sale of 26 investment properties. The Company continues to review its strategic alternatives and will update the market as appropriate, and as required. The Companys annual financial statements for the year ended April 30, 2022, along with the Managements Discussion and Analysis will be filed with SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that although the terms Net Operating Income, and Funds From Operations are commonly used to measure, compare and explain the operating and financial performance of Canadian real estate companies and such terms are defined in the Managements Discussion and Analysis, such terms are not recognized terms under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. Such terms do not necessarily have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by the other publicly traded entities. For the Board of DirectorsG.W.J. Pottow, PresidentTel: 416-698-2591 Source: The Becker Milk Company Limited Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2022) - good natured Products Inc. (TSXV: GDNP) (OTCQX: GDNPF) (the "Company" or "good natured"), a North American leader in plant-based products, announced today that the nominees listed in the Management Information Circular dated June 13, 2022 were elected as directors of good natured, to hold office until the close of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or until their successors are appointed. The voting results for the election of directors were as follows: Name of Nominee Votes in Favour % Votes in Favour Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Paul Antoniadis 16,432,573 98.6% 228,617 1.4% Jim Zadra 16,153,209 97.0% 507,981 3.0% Michael Thomson 16,432,573 98.6% 228,617 1.4% Joel Marsh 16,468,786 98.8% 192,404 1.2% Shareholders also adopted all other resolutions submitted for their approval, including the re-appointment of Deloitte LLP as the Company's auditors, and the approval of certain amendments to the Company's omnibus equity incentive compensation plan (the "Incentive Plan"). Under the terms of the Incentive Plan and in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"), the Company obtained disinterested shareholder approval of amendments to the Incentive Plan, including increasing the number of common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") reserved for issuance under the Incentive Plan from 21,529,801 to 29,014,495 Common Shares, being approximately 13% of the aggregate number of issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Company as at June 13, 2022, and making other changes to reflect the TSX-V's new securities based compensation policies, as summarized in the Management Information Circular June 13, 2022. The good natured corporate profile can be found at: investor.goodnaturedproducts.com About good natured Products Inc. good natured is passionately pursuing its goal of becoming North America's leading earth-friendly product company by offering the broadest assortment of plant-based products made from rapidly renewable resources instead of fossil fuels. The Company is focused on making it easy and affordable for business owners and consumers to shift away from petroleum to better everyday products that use more renewable materials, less fossil fuel, and no chemicals of concern. good natured offers over 400 products and services through wholesale, direct to business, and retail channels. From plant-based home organization products to certified compostable food containers, bio-based industrial supplies and medical packaging, the Company is focused on making plant-based products more readily accessible to people as a means to create meaningful environmental and social impact. For more information: goodnaturedproducts.com On behalf of the Company: Paul Antoniadis - Executive Chair & CEO Contact: 1-604-566-8466 Investor Contact: Spencer Churchill Investor Relations 1-877-286-0617 ext. 113 [email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibilities for the adequacy or accuracy of this release To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131721 EVANSTON, Ill., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 160 Driving Academy's Chattanooga, Tennessee Location hosted a Ribbon Cutting Event to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new location. "We are delighted to launch our Academy in the heart of Chattanooga. As one of the nation's largest transportation hubs, we're looking forward to training and providing high quality, safety oriented CDL A certified drivers to the many businesses and carriers throughout this region," said Steve Gold, CEO of 160 Driving Academy. The Ribbon Cutting Event for the Chattanooga Location occurred on Wednesday, July 13th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Notable attendees at the Grand Opening included 160 Driving Academy Midsouth Leadership Team, The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, local employment partners and media outlets. The Chattanooga Branch is located at 5896 Brainerd Road Chattanooga, TN 37411. 160 Driving Academy Overview: Starting salaries for 160 Driving Academy graduates (on average) start at $65,000/annual, with tremendous growth potential Commercial Truck Driving is one of today's fastest growing career paths. Estimates predict 300,000 new jobs for CDL Holders. Technologically Driven: Our unique and data-driven programs focus deeply on driver safety and personalized analytics to provide our students with individual feedback and top of the line instruction via our proprietary App. Largest Academy in the Country with 130+ locations and growing! Lifelong Career Support: We offer continuous job placement opportunities through our subsidiary company, Truckers Network. About 160 Driving Academy160 Driving Academy is the nation's largest commercial driving school. As the fastest growing vocational school in the country, in 2022 alone, the Company will train over 35,000 students on how to safely operate a semi-truck across its 130-school system. 160 Driving Academy is licensed and operates in 43 states and each school is certified and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Entry Level Driver Training Program. The 160 Driving Academy is integrated with over 400 Workforce offices nationwide to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed workers. The 160 Driving Academy supplies the largest employers in the nation with an unparalleled level of recruiting, high-quality training, safety effectiveness, and driver analytics. Many of these employers have trusted the Company to provide the majority of their driving workforce. 160 Driving Academy's sister companies, the 160 Truckers Network, and the 160 Driver Score provide the most advanced job placement and compliance scoring capabilities in the industry. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/160-driving-academy-hosts-ribbon-cutting-event-for-chattanooga-location-301591865.html SOURCE 160 Driving Academy EVANSTON, Ill., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 160 Driving Academy's newest location in Charleston, West Virginia hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Academy. Speaking of the event and the expansion into this new region, Steve Gold, CEO of 160 Driving Academy remarked, "There are many exciting things happening in Charleston opening our school here has been a wonderful endeavor since day one. This region is a great fit for us and we will be opening two additional locations in Ceredo-Kenova and Mineral Wells within the next month. Given the high paying transportation industry jobs throughout the state, we are thrilled to bring our recruiting, training and job placement model to West Virginia residents at all three 160 Driving Academy locations." The Ribbon Cutting Event for the Charleston Location occurred on Friday, July 15th from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Attendees included the 160 Driving Academy Ohio River Valley Leadership team, the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, several media outlets, local partners and many enthusiastic students and recent graduates of the Academy. The Charleston Branch is located at 1615 Kanawha Blvd W. Charleston, West Virginia 25387. Overview of 160 Driving Academy CDL Training Programs in Charleston: Starting salaries for 160 Driving Academy graduates (on average) start at $65,000/annual, with tremendous growth potential Commercial Truck Driving is one of today's fastest growing career paths. Estimates predict 300,000 new jobs for CDL Holders. Technologically Driven: Our unique and data-driven programs focus deeply on driver safety and personalized analytics to provide our students with individual feedback and top of the line instruction via our proprietary App. Lifelong Career Support: We offer continuous job placement opportunities through our subsidiary company, Truckers Network. About 160 Driving Academy 160 Driving Academy is the nation's largest commercial driving school. As the fastest growing vocational school in the country, in 2022 alone, the Company will train over 35,000 students on how to safely operate a semi-truck across its 130-school system. 160 Driving Academy is licensed and operates in 43 states and each school is certified and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Entry Level Driver Training Program. The 160 Driving Academy is integrated with over 400 Workforce offices nationwide to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed workers. The 160 Driving Academy supplies the largest employers in the nation with an unparalleled level of recruiting, high-quality training, safety effectiveness, and driver analytics. Many of these employers have trusted the Company to provide the majority of their driving workforce. 160 Driving Academy's sister companies, the 160 Truckers Network, and the 160 Driver Score provide the most advanced job placement and compliance scoring capabilities in the industry. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/160-driving-academy-launches-new-location-in-charleston-wv-301591901.html SOURCE 160 Driving Academy New 154,000-square-foot facility will provide a West Coast center with a focus on research, innovation, and commercial collaboration across corporate and program areas TOKYO and SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today announced plans to create an integrated biotechnology campus in South San Francisco as its West Coast innovation and research center. The new 154,000-square-foot building at 480 Forbes Boulevard will allow for the co-location of several Astellas business units and functions currently located independently throughout the San Francisco area. The new innovation and research center will include employees across research, technical operations, medical and development, commercial, and relevant administrative support functions. Astellas will invest approximately $70 million to create the new state-of-the-art facility, which will provide lab and co-working spaces to accommodate future growth as it advances a range of innovative cell and gene therapies for patients with limited or no treatment options, including rare diseases and cancer. "By uniting our business units in the Bay Area, we are creating a dedicated West Coast center in the vibrant South San Francisco corridor alongside other leaders in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry," said Yoshitsugu Shitaka, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Astellas. "Similar to the Astellas Biomedical Innovation Hub located in the greater Boston area, this new facility will foster even greater levels of collaboration amongst our world-class, multi-disciplinary teams working in cell and gene therapies, development of business opportunities and all those who support our endeavors to create value for patients." Astellas expects to complete the building and be operational in summer 2023. Astellas will be the sole occupant of the new building and will spend the next year equipping the interior with state-of-the-art research labs, office spaces, and other amenities specifically designed to accommodate the West Coast employees of Astellas Gene Therapies, Xyphos Biosciences, business development, Rx+ Business Accelerator, and the planned future growth within those units. In addition, the co-location of these businesses allows for more efficient use of space by combining the lab and office facilities into one new building, compared to current independent locations. Astellas' VISION is to be at the forefront of healthcare change and to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients. Under this vision, Astellas is focused on bringing life-changing cell and gene therapy treatments to patients suffering from diseases that lack treatment options. Astellas has already reflected the impact from this matter in its financial forecast of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. About AstellasAstellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality. Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus to create Rx+ healthcare solutions that combine our expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/en. About Astellas Gene TherapiesAstellas Gene Therapies is an Astellas Center of Excellence developing genetic medicines with the potential to deliver transformative value for patients. Our gene therapy drug discovery engine is built around innovative science, a validated AAV platform, and industry leading internal manufacturing capability with a particular focus on rare diseases of the eye, CNS and neuromuscular system. We will also be advancing additional Astellas gene therapy programs toward clinical investigation. We are based in San Francisco, with manufacturing and laboratory facilities in South San Francisco, Calif., and Sanford, N.C. About Xyphos Biosciences, Inc., an Astellas CompanyXyphos Biosciences Inc., located in South San Francisco, Calif., is an Astellas Center of Excellence for Cancer Cell Therapy developing medicines to cure solid tumors with a precision, off-the-shelf "Standard Pharmaceutical like Cell Therapy" platform, which can be easily tailored to the needs of individual patients and adapted to multiple disease targets. Utilizing a deep understanding of cancer biology and the tumor microenvironment, we are developing a flexible and versatile platform to direct the body's immune cells to target single or multiple tumor antigens to fuel a stronger immune response, while avoiding immune rejection. By combining our ACCEL technology, a universal CAR (chimeric antigen receptor), and Universal Cells' Universal Donor Cells (UDC) technology, we aim to create a unique platform that offers greater speed and flexibility compared to currently approved chimeric antigen receptor cell therapies and expands potential value for as many cancer patients as possible. Cautionary NotesIn this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/astellas-unveils-plans-to-open-new-biotech-campus-in-south-san-francisco-301591457.html SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. BAODING, China, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 5 Brazil time, Hamilton Mourao, the Vice President of Brazil, visited GWM's Brazil factory in Iracemapolis and spoke highly on L.E.M.O.N. Dedicated Hybrid Technology (DHT). Nelita Michel, Mayor of Iracemapolis, also attended this visiting activity. On the site, technical experts introduced GWM's leading intelligent and new energy technologies to visitors, especially the unique L.E.M.O.N. DHT. Then, the GWM Brazil team gave a comprehensive introduction to the investment planning and overall layout of GWM in Brazil. "We have entered the era of the knowledge economy. So, technological advancement is what will take the vogue in terms of increasing the GDP of any country, and Brazil needs to move in that direction. This will generate quality jobs and bring more innovation. Today I saw the future here," said Mourao. That day, he also experienced the HAVAL H6 prototype equipped with L.E.M.O.N. DHT powertrain and provided positive comments on the car. "The car is wonderful. But it's not just the electric issue. The point is that the technology embedded in it is cutting edge technology. There is much more than the engine there," said Mourao. Before this activity, GWM held the first media salon on L.E.M.O.N. DHT via live streaming. Many Brazilian media showed great enthusiasm and attention to this technology. "GWM is one of China's largest private car manufacturer with the world's best hybrid and electric vehicles," TAKATA Car Xperience, Brazilian professional auto review media, commented. L.E.M.O.N. DHT is a highly integrated, high-efficiency, multi-mode petrol-electric hybrid system. Adopting dual-motor hybrid technology with an efficient hybrid engine, the technology keeps a optimum efficiency-performance balance at speeds and in scenarios. The vehicle equipped with the technology, such as HAVAL H6 model launched in Thailand market, can perform scenario-based smart switching, which achieves not only low fuel consumption but also high performance. In urban operating conditions, the system can switch intelligently between EV mode and series mode, which could result in power efficiency. Also, in high-speed working conditions, the engine, driving motor and generator will work together at full load to efficiently power the vehicle. These models can cover a variety of mobility sceneswhich may bring users to lower fuel consumption, stronger power and a more comfortable driving experience. Currently, the HAVAL H6 equipped with L.E.M.O.N. DHT has already celebrated remarkable sales volume in some markets. According to Ai iT, a Thai media outlet, the sales volume of HAVAL H6 HEV has ranked first in the NEV compact SUV category for six consecutive months in the first half of 2022 in the Thailand market. In the near future, models equipped with this technology are expected to meet more global consumers in many markets, offering them a brand new driving experience brought by the futuristic L.E.M.O.N. DHT. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brazilian-vice-president-hamilton-mourao-visits-gwms-brazil-factory-lemon-dht-wins-high-praise-301591757.html SOURCE GWM TORONTO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (TSX: CF) is scheduled to release its first quarter fiscal 2023 results and supplementary financial information after Canadian markets close on Thursday, August 4, 2022. Interested investors, the media and other stakeholders may review the earnings release and supplementary financial information at www.cgf.com/investor-relations/investor-resources/financial-reports/ QUARTERLY CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST: Interested parties are invited to listen to Canaccord Genuity's first fiscal quarter results conference call via live webcast or a toll-free number. The conference call is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, 5:00 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 p.m. UK time, 8:00 p.m. China Standard Time, and 10:00 p.m. Australia EST. During the call, senior executives will comment on the results and respond to questions from analysts and institutional investors. The conference call may be accessed live online and will also be archived on a listen-only basis at: www.cgf.com/investor-relations/news-and-events/conference-calls-and-webcasts/ Analysts and institutional investors can call in via telephone at: 416-764-8609 (within Toronto) 888-390-0605 (toll free in North America outside Toronto) 0-800-652-2435 (toll free from the United Kingdom) 0-800-916-834 (toll free from France) 10-800-714-1938 (toll free from Northern China) 10-800-140-1973 (toll free from Southern China) 1-800-076-068 (toll free from Australia) 80-003-570-3632 (toll free from United Arab Emirates) Please ask to participate in the Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. Q1/23 results call. If a passcode is requested, please use 55608639. A replay of the conference call will be made available from approximately two hours after the live call on August 5, 2022, until October 5, 2022 at 416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541 by entering passcode 608639 followed by the (#) key. ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY GROUP INC.: Through its principal subsidiaries, Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (the "Company") is a leading independent, full-service financial services firm, with operations in two principal segments of the securities industry: wealth management and capital markets. Since its establishment in 1950, the Company has been driven by an unwavering commitment to building lasting client relationships. We achieve this by generating value for our individual, institutional and corporate clients through comprehensive investment solutions, brokerage services and investment banking services. The Company has Wealth Management offices located in Canada, the UK, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Australia. The Company's international capital markets division operates in North America, UK & Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol CF on the TSX. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canaccord-genuity-group-inc-access-to-first-quarter-fiscal-2023-results-information-301591454.html SOURCE Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. For Rochester real estate developer Robert C. Morgan, a four-year federal case over his business dealings ended Friday with a $2,000 fine on his felony conviction. His son Todd Morgan was fined $500. Their sentences came a day after two others in the case Frank Giacobbe, 47, and Michael Tremiti, 59 were each ordered to pay a $500 fine for their misdemeanor convictions from the case. Robert Morgan also previously agreed to forfeit $16.3 million in proceeds that prosecutors claimed was a result of his alleged fraud on eight properties. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, who sentenced all four defendants, again criticized the federal prosecution of the case, in which one indictment from 2019 was dismissed because the case was taking too long and a second one from a year ago was on the verge of being dismissed before their guilty pleas because of questions over the government's handling of the case. "This is not the way the criminal defense system is supposed to work," Wolford said. "Were left with the wide-ranging indictment. It was returned by the grand jury with a lot of fanfare, a lot of public announcements, and at the end of the day, the four defendants are left with three misdemeanors and a felony conviction." After Wolford dismissed the first indictment, she allowed prosecutors to re-indict, but the defense attorneys soon asked the judge to reconsider, citing what they called prosecutorial misconduct. Wolford ended the last of those hearings two days ago, after she said the U.S. Department of Justice told her it would conduct its own investigation of the handling of the case by the U.S. Attorney's office in Buffalo. "We are looking forward to them understanding how this happened, and making sure it never happens again," said New York City attorney Joel Cohen, who represented the elder Morgan throughout the case. The Rochester real estate developer built an apartment empire across multiple states before he and the others were indicted three years ago on 114 counts of mortgage and insurance fraud. Robert Morgan, 65, who admitted in April to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, is now a felon. "I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I assure the court that I will not engage in this kind of action in the future," Morgan told Wolford from his wheelchair next to the defense table. Cohen confirmed the elder Morgan intends to rebuild his business. "Mr. Morgan and his family are grateful to be at the end of this long, arduous ordeal," said Cohen. "What was taken from him the worst was having his reputation sullied for years." Todd Morgan, 33, who like Tremiti and Giacobbe pleaded to one count of bank larceny, a misdemeanor, expressed regret in a brief statement during the 45-minute hearing. "Im very, very sorry for my conduct, and I can assure Your Honor that I will not repeat it," Todd Morgan said. "I will be transparent in all my dealings from now on." David Rothenberg, the Rochester attorney who defended the younger Morgan, criticized the prosecution afterward, asserting the federal government should never have "come into Rochester" to go after someone of Morgan's stature when none of the projects lost money or went into foreclosure. "This is the single most inadvisable prosecution I have ever seen," said Rothenberg, who has practiced law for more than 40 years. The four defendants were charged in May 2019 in a broad indictment that accused them of deceiving lenders into making larger loans than justified on apartment projects, by submitting fake rent rolls, income statements, appraisals and other documents. At $500 million, it was touted at the time by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York as one of the biggest cases of mortgage fraud in the country since the housing crisis in 2008. But the case languished as prosecutors were overwhelmed with the trove of documents they had amassed, and they were unable to efficiently or effectively process them all. They ultimately took too long to provide them to the defense, and failed to do so fully, violating the defendants' speedy trial rights, Wolford had ruled. "At the end of the day, the resolution is a fair one and an appropriate one," Wolford said Friday in the crowded courtroom. Neither of the Morgans nor Tremiti were placed on probation or sent to jail, in accordance with their plea agreements with the government. Only Giacobbe received a year of probation, after he tested positive for cocaine in April. "I do not believe any further supervision is necessary," the judge told the elder Morgan. "You have suffered plenty of harm. I can not think of another case of a defendant who has suffered as much collateral consequences as you did, and at the end of the day are not getting any prison time." Wolford, however, said she did not believe Morgan and the others were entirely innocent. "I do believe the record supports that this was not an isolated crime, but the merits were never tested," she said. "The prosecution has been a long ordeal, since 2018, and we all know this was no ordinary prosecution," Wolford said. "I hope I never have a case like this again." Cohen, in advocating for leniency, noted Morgan's history as the son of Holocaust survivors who worked long hours in his family's fish store until he was critically wounded in a 1991 robbery that left him paralyzed below the waist and confined to a wheelchair. He still suffers pain and needs frequent care, and "his life has been a razor's edge several times," Cohen added. The attorney also noted the 29 letters of support that were submitted to the court for the elder Morgan, including from Robert Duffy former Rochester police chief and mayor and former New York lieutenant governor. Wolford called Duffy "a straight shooter" who had never submitted a letter of support in a criminal case. "Your personal story is remarkable," Wolford told Morgan. "The success youve achieved with your company is the true American story. Theres no question that youve made significant contributions to the community. "But your work hasn't been totally altruistic either," she added. "You did very well for yourself. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Somebody should be able to work their way up. But you shouldn't be able to do it through crime." LIUZHOU, China , July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Choubao Luosifen, a new Chinese luosifen or river snail rice noodles brand, recently announced that the company has reached a milestone in building its business presence across the supply chain. Luosifen, a local traditional food originating in Liuzhou, China, has not only been well received throughout the domestic market, but has also been gaining popularity among consumers worldwide. According to the city of Liuzhou's customs office, exports of pre-packaged Luosifen, now sold in dozens of countries and regions worldwide, continued climbing during the first five months of 2022, accounting for 53% of all exports recorded for the whole of 2021. Choubao Luosifen has established long-term relationships with local snail and bamboo shoots farms to implement green, sustainable breeding protocols, with the aim of delivering both ecological and economic benefits. In addition, with the establishment of local snail noodles processing facilities, the company has attracted many talented technicians with extensive experience in the food sector, significantly enhancing the overall strength of its team. "The quality of product is key to achieving sustainable development for a company," said the general manager of Choubao Luosifen in an interview. "Huge potential and promising prospects are foreseen for the luosifen market. As a result, as a luosifen producer, we are proud to contribute to the market's growth." Choubao Luosifen has also collaborated with Jiangnan University to establish a Liuzhou Luosifen process innovation and scientific research center. The center is designed to protect and inherit the traditional methods for making luosifen by studying the characteristics of and key techniques for such rice noodles, including the production and fermentation processes, and the cultivation of beneficial bacterial colonies of sour bamboo shoots. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/choubao-luosifen-to-expand-business-across-the-supply-chain-301591783.html SOURCE Choubao THUNDER BAY, ON, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Clean Air Metals Inc. ("Clean Air Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: AIR) (FRA: CKU) (OTCQB: CLRMF) wishes to remind its shareholders that its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (the "AGM") will be held on July 27, 2022 at 9:00am ET. The AGM will be held virtually and will include a corporate update and Q&A session, following the formal business. Registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders can attend the AGM online at http://momentum.adobeconnect.com/cleanair/ or via dial-in at (+1) 416-764-8646 (Local Toronto) and (+1) 888-396-8049 (Toll Free North America). The timing and process for voting is described in detail in the Company's information circular and meeting materials mailed to shareholders. The voting deadline is 9:00am ET on July 25, 2022. As described in the Company's information circular, voting will not be available at the AGM and shareholders were encouraged to vote prior to the voting deadline. The Company is also pleased to announce that as part of our commitment toward economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities, Clean Air Metals strives to include Indigenous owned vendors in technical, environmental and permitting work, whenever possible. To achieve this, an Implementation Committee consisting of members of all three partner First Nations; Fort William First Nation (FWFN), Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (BZA) and Red Rock Indian Band (RRIB) receives advance notification from the Company of upcoming contracts and advise of Indigenous owned businesses and suppliers that can meet Clean Air Metals requirements. To this end, Clean Air Metals has retained the services of companies that have Indigenous ownership or partnerships: Englobe Corp (partnered with FWFN), Warrior Engineering/ North Rock Environmental (Indigenous owned), Oshki-Aki LP (FWFN owned), TBT Engineering (partnered with FWFN, RRIB and BZA) and Woodland Heritage archaeology services (Metis Nation of Ontario -affiliated Metis owned). These entities will complete various environmental, hydrogeological studies and survey work related to baseline data collection and future anticipated mine permit applications. Social Engagement Clean Air Metals Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. acknowledge that the Thunder Bay North Critical Mineral Project is on the traditional territories of the Fort William First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band and Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishinabek. The parties together are the Cooperating Participants in a Memorandum of Agreement dated January 9, 2021 (press release January 11, 2021) and Exploration Agreement signed April 13, 2022 (press release April 14, 2022). The Company appreciates the opportunity to work in these territories and remains committed to the recognition and respect of those who have lived, traveled, and gathered on the lands since time immemorial. Clean Air Metals is committed to stewarding Indigenous heritage and remains committed to building, fostering and encouraging a respectful relationship with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples based upon principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity and collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation. About Clean Air Metals Inc. Clean Air Metals' flagship asset is the 100% owned, high grade Thunder Bay North Critical Mineral Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum. The Thunder Bay North Critical Mineral Project hosts the twin magma conduit bodies which host the Current and Escape deposits forming the basis for a robust preliminary economic assessment (PEA) filed January 12, 2002. The PEA mine plan comprises of a ramp access underground mine and on-site 3600tpd milling complex and the 2-year trailing average price deck, features a pretax NPV of C$425m and an IRR of 31% on initial capital of $378m over a 10-year mine life. Executive Chair Jim Gallagher and CEO Abraham Drost lead an experienced technical team who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development feasibility studies for a low-carbon, all-electric sustainable mining operation at Thunder Bay North. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Abraham Drost" Abraham Drost, Chief Executive Officer of Clean Air Metals Inc. Website: www.cleanairmetals.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clean-air-metals-corporate-update-and-virtual-agm-reminder-301591550.html SOURCE Clean Air Metals Inc. Mobile Hope serves as a support and emergency shelter to youth up to age 24 in the greater Washington, D.C. area TYSONS, Va., July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PenFed Credit Union, the nation's second largest federal credit union, today announced its employees donated 706 clothing and hygiene items for Mobile Hope, an emergency youth shelter. Employees of the Tysons headquarters location gathered in front of the building to load the received donations of socks, diapers, underwear and sleeping mats onto Mobile Hope's "Listen for the Honk" Bus which will be delivered to local youth in need. "We are so fortunate to have our employees come together to donate to an organization determined to help future generations," said PenFed President/CEO James Schenck. "We prioritize charitable giving as a financial institution and look forward to continue our summer giving initiative." The donation is part of PenFed's commitment to give to local charities in the Tysons and greater Washington, D.C. community this summer, with employees purchasing items from Mobile Hope's Amazon Wishlist to donate over 700 items to the organization. Mobile Hope was founded by Donna Fortier in 2011 as a special project at Inova Loudon Hospital, after discovering a significant number of homeless youths in Loudoun County. Fortier began by distributing clothing, food, and hygiene items to youth in need on the hospital's mobile bus. Fortier then expanded her mission to serve homeless and at-risk youth up to age 24. Mobile Hope works to shelter, clothe, feed, transport, guide, and empower depending on each client's needs. Listen for the Honk Bus is Mobile Hope's iconic bus that has delivered fresh food, diapers, hygiene items, books, and toys to more than 320,000 family members since March of 2020. The bus travels to surrounding counties weekly to deliver donated goods to families in need. About PenFed Credit UnionEstablished 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. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/penfed-credit-unions-tysons-headquarters-gives-back-to-the-community-by-donating-over-700-items-to-mobile-hope-301591950.html SOURCE PenFed Credit Union NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO, OR TO ANY PERSON RESIDENT AND/OR LOCATED IN, ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW JAKARTA, Indonesia , July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero), a state-owned limited liability company established in Indonesia (the "Company"), announces the final results of its previously announced three concurrent, but separate, offers to purchase for cash, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated 15 July 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase") and notice of guaranteed delivery (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery" and, together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Offer Documents"), and subject to the offer restrictions described in the Offer to Purchase, any and all of (i) the outstanding U.S.$1,250,000,000 5.710% notes due 2023 issued by the Company (the "2023 Notes"); (ii) the outstanding U.S.$1,000,000,000 6.530% notes due 2028 issued by the Company (the "2028 Notes"); and (iii) the outstanding U.S.$750,000,000 6.757% notes due 2048 issued by the Company (the "2048 Notes"), in each case from each registered holder of notes (each, a "Holder" and, collectively, the "Holders"). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined in this announcement have the meanings given in the Offer to Purchase. The Company's obligation to complete an Offer with respect to a particular series of Notes was conditioned on the aggregate Purchase Price Consideration for the Offers (excluding the applicable Accrued Interest), after taking into account Notes of each series accepted for purchase with a higher Acceptance Priority Level, not exceeding U.S.$1.0 billion (the "Cash Cap"), subject to the provisions set forth in the Offer to Purchase (the "Maximum Purchase Price Condition"). The offers to purchase with respect to each series of Notes are referred to herein as the "Offers" and each, an "Offer." The Company hereby waives the Maximum Purchase Price Condition in order to accept the aggregate principal amount of the Notes tendered in the Offers as set out below. ** RESULTS **The Offers expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on 21 July 2022 (the "Expiration Time"). Because the Maximum Purchase Price Condition has been waived with respect to each Offer, all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offers have been accepted for purchase, and will be paid for, by the Company. Acceptance of the Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures, remains subject to the valid delivery at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on 25 July 2022 (the "Guaranteed Delivery Date") of such Notes pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. According to information provided by Morrow Sodali Limited, the Information and Tender Agent for the Offers, the aggregate principal amounts of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time and not validly withdrawn, are as follows: Series of Notes / ISINs (RegS;144A) / Previously outstanding principal amount (as of 15 July 2022) / Principal amount tendered (1) / Outstanding principal amount (2) / Acceptance Priority Level / Purchase Price Consideration (3) U.S.$750m 2048 Notes / USY7140WAD03; US74445PAD42 / U.S.$750,000,000 / U.S.$393,968,000 / U.S.$356,032,000 / 1st priority / U.S.$941 U.S.$1,000m 2028 Notes / USY7140WAC20; US74445PAC68 / U.S.$1,000,000,000 / U.S.$401,540,000 / U.S.$598,460,000 / 2nd priority / U.S.$1,032 U.S.$1,250m 2023 Notes / USY7140WAB47; US74445PAB85 / U.S.$674,233,000 / U.S.$363,294,000 / U.S.$310,939,000 / 3rd priority / U.S.$1,023 (1) The principal amounts of Notes listed in the table above include the following aggregate principal amounts of Notes that were validly tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures, the acceptance of which remains subject to the valid delivery at or prior the Guaranteed Delivery Date of such Notes, pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase: (i) U.S.$200,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2048 Notes, (ii) U.S.$933,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2028 Notes and (iii) none of the 2023 Notes. (2) The principal amounts of Notes remaining outstanding following settlement on the Settlement Date listed in the table above assumes that the Notes tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures will be validly tendered at or prior to the Guaranteed Delivery Date and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers. (3) Per U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of each series of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time or the Guaranteed Delivery Date pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures, not validly withdrawn and accepted for purchase. ** SETTLEMENT ** All Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Company will be settled at the Settlement Date, which is expected to be on or about 26 July 2022, unless otherwise extended by the Company. On or about the Settlement Date, Holders of Notes which have been validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time or by the Guaranteed Delivery Date, as appropriate, and accepted for purchase will be paid the applicable (x) Purchase Price Consideration plus (y) Accrued Interest. For the avoidance of doubt, interest will cease to accrue on the Settlement Date for all Notes accepted in the Offers. It is therefore confirmed that all Notes tendered and accepted will be settled on the Settlement Date (and with the relevant Accrued Interest being paid up to (but excluding) the Settlement Date), provided that the conditions to the Offers have been satisfied or waived and subject to the Company's right, in its sole discretion, to extend, re-open, amend, waive in whole or in part any condition to the Offers and/or to withdraw or terminate the Offers, subject to applicable law. The Company will arrange for cancellation of all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase following purchase by the Company, and any Notes not validly tendered will remain outstanding and accrue interest in accordance with their respective terms. ** DEALER MANAGERS **BNP Paribas ([email protected]; [email protected] / +852 2108 5228)J.P. Morgan (Head_of_EMEA_DCMG@jpmorgan.com mailto:[email protected] / +852 2800 8019)Mandiri Securities ([email protected] / +65 6589 3880) ** THE INFORMATION AND TENDER AGENT ** Morrow Sodali Limited (Email: [email protected] / Tender Offers Website: https://projects.morrowsodali.com/mindid / Telephone: + 852 2319 4130 in Hong Kong / +44 20 4513 6933 in London / +1 203 609 4910 in Stamford) ** DISCLAIMER ** This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Offer Documents. No offer or invitation to acquire or exchange any Notes is being made pursuant to this announcement. This announcement and the Offer Documents contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Offers. If any Holder is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it should seek its own legal, tax and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, from its legal, accounting, financial and other advisers. None of the Company, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent (or their respective directors, employees or affiliates) makes any representation or recommendation whatsoever regarding the Offer Documents or the Offers, and none of the Company, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent (or their respective directors, employees or affiliates) makes any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender Notes in the Offers. The Information and Tender Agent is the agent of the Company and owes no duty to any Holder. This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security. No offer, solicitation, or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Offers are only being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. Holders of the Notes are urged to carefully read the Offer to Purchase before making any decision with respect to the Offers. The distribution of announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by each of the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. The Offers do not constitute a public offering or private placement in Indonesia under Law No. 8 of 1995 on Capital Market ("Indonesian Capital Markets Law") and its implementing regulations and the Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) Regulation No. 30/POJK.04/2019 on Private Placement of Debt Securities and/or Sukuk Issuance ("OJK Regulation No. 30"). This announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be distributed in Indonesia, to Indonesian citizens, wherever they are domiciled, or to entities, or to Indonesian residents, in a manner which constitutes a public offering or private placement under the Indonesian Capital Markets Law and OJK Regulation No. 30. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE OFFER TO PURCHASE NOR ANY RELATED DOCUMENT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, NOR HAS ANY SUCH DOCUMENT BEEN FILED WITH OR REVIEWED BY ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY COUNTRY. NO AUTHORITY HAS PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE TENDER OFFER OR ANY RELATED DOCUMENTS, AND IT MAY BE UNLAWFUL AND A CRIMINAL OFFENCE TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY. Tenders of Notes in the Offers will not be accepted from Holders in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities or other laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, any actions in connection with the Offers shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the Company by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pt-indonesia-asahan-aluminium-persero-announces-tender-offers-results-301591721.html SOURCE PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero) MIAMI, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, July 28, 2022, to provide a business update and discuss second quarter financial results. The call will be simultaneously webcast on the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com. A replay of the webcast will remain available at the same website for 30 days following the call. About Royal Caribbean Group Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is one of the leading cruise companies in the world with a global fleet of 63 ships traveling to more than 1,000 destinations around the world. Royal Caribbean Group is the owner and operator of three award-winning cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises, and it is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, the brands have an additional 10 ships on order as of June 30, 2022. Learn more at www.royalcaribbeangroup.com or www.rclinvestor.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royal-caribbean-group-to-hold-conference-call-on-business-update-and-second-quarter-financial-results-301591461.html SOURCE Royal Caribbean Group UNIONTOWN, Ohio, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly anticipated acquisition of STANLEY Security and Healthcare accelerates Securitas' transformation journey toward technology-based solutions and its ambition to position itself as an outstanding global security and safety partner that helps make the world a safer place. Securitas accelerates its transition toward technology-based solutions The company significantly strengthens its technology and expertise in key markets and the acquisition enables Securitas to become a stronger business partner to support its clients globally Together with STANLEY Security and Healthcare, Securitas will be able to provide a complementary offering across the security services value chain that seamlessly can support its clients' businesses The combined business will be called Securitas Technology Significant commercial synergy opportunities with 500 000 existing, as well as new clients, and going forward approximately 50% of Securitas profit contribution is expected to be generated through higher-margin technology and solutions sales The acquisition supports Securitas' strategy, adds resilience and creates a significant platform for innovation as the company has the ambition to drive and redefine the future of the security industry On December 8, 2021, Securitas announced it had signed an agreement to acquire the Electronic Security Solutions business from Stanley Black & Decker Inc. ("STANLEY Security"). Following customary regulatory approvals, the acquisition is now complete, and the joint potential of the two businesses is unleashed. Securitas holds a strong position within the security services market today and has continuously built a robust platform within the technology and solutions area to meet the increasing demand for smarter and innovative technology-based security solutions. Strategic acquisitions in recent years, combined with efficient business transformation programs and the acquisition of STANLEY Security, enable Securitas' ambition to emerge as an exceptional player in the security industry. The core of Securitas' value proposition and growth strategy is a strong belief that the future of security is built on global presence, connected technology and intelligent use of data. By offering and combining these three assets with a holistic approach across the whole security services value chain, Securitas can position itself as an outstanding partner for its clients across the globe. "We see an increasing client demand to complement our guarding and consulting offering with technology-based solutions. As global challenges evolve rapidly, safety and security solutions are essential to helping organizations protect their people, safeguard their assets and optimize their operations. Together with STANLEY Security and Healthcare, we are able to drive and redefine the future of the security industry by providing a broad portfolio of integrated tech-enabled solutions that help our clients focus on managing their core business," says Magnus Ahlqvist, President and CEO. Headquartered in Indianapolis in the U.S., STANLEY Security has an inspiring 30-year history of protecting its clients worldwide through a portfolio of tech-enabled security services. The company is trusted by customers across the globe for its innovative SaaS technology, seamless installation and integration, reliable maintenance, 24/7 monitoring and insightful analytics. Today, STANLEY Security is a highly recognized provider of tech-enabled security services worldwide, with approximately 8 000 employees operating through approximately 200 locations and 16 monitoring centers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Ireland. "Our combined offerings and global footprint enable us to solidify our expertise in technology and unlock opportunities for innovative solutions. Together, we will provide a comprehensive portfolio, enabling us to develop strong client relationships and deliver more value to clients through an even higher degree of innovation and technology, while strengthening our core capabilities, competencies and geographical reach," says Tony Byerly, Global President Securitas Technology (formerly Securitas Electronic Security). Securitas is on the path to achieving its ambition of becoming a stronger business partner that provides holistic and integrated solutions with outstanding quality and value to its clients. To achieve this, technology is key and enables smarter security services and innovative solutions, from on-site services to advanced monitoring, comprehensive risk prediction and advisory services. Joining forces with STANLEY Security enables Securitas to accelerate growth and build a strong innovation pipeline geared toward the advanced security needs of the future. With over 500 000 existing, as well as new clients, we anticipate significant commercial opportunities. "Bringing together our two great companies is an industry-defining event, and going forward approximately 50% of our profit contribution is expected to be generated through higher-margin technology and solutions sales. Combining our talent and expertise sets us up for stronger growth and gives us great confidence for the future. Our shared values and high sustainability ambitions enable us to utilize our potential to provide tech-enabled security solutions that create long-term value for our clients, our shareholders and the society at large," concludes Magnus Ahlqvist. ContactMedia Enquiries: Lynda Murphy at [email protected] \ 312.867.9177 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securitas-completes-the-acquisition-of-stanley-security-and-healthcare--accelerates-its-ambition-to-become-an-outstanding-global-security-solutions-partner-301591496.html SOURCE Securitas Sara Sabry is Selected as Space For Humanity's Second Citizen Astronaut to Experience the Overview Effect DENVER, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Space For Humanity (S4H), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, announced its selection committee has chosen Sara Sabry to become the organization's second sponsored Citizen Astronaut. Sara will become the first Egyptian to fly to space when she flies aboard Blue Origin's NS-22 flight. Sara will become the first Egyptian to fly to space when she flies aboard Blue Origin's NS-22 flight. Sara, 29, is an Egyptian mechanical and biomedical engineer and founder of Deep Space Initiative (DSI), a nonprofit which aims to increase accessibility for space research. Sara became Egypt's first female analog astronaut in 2021, when she was selected to complete a two week analog Moon mission, which simulated the extreme conditions astronauts experience in Space. She will join five other crew members including Coby Cotton, Mario Ferreira, Vanessa O'Brien, Clint Kelly III, and Steve Young aboard New Shepard to experience the cognitive shift of the Overview Effect and incorporate that new found perspective into a social impact project with the support of S4H's Citizen Astronaut Program (CAP). "When we dare to dream big, we achieve things deemed impossible, we break boundaries, write history, and set new challenges for the future," said Sabry. "I am incredibly excited that Space For Humanity has offered me this opportunity and I am honored to be representing Egypt in Space for the first time. My ancestors have always dreamt big and achieved the impossible, and I hope to bring that back. This is just the beginning." Sara earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in biology, chemistry, and pre-med at the American University in Cairo, going on to earn a master's in biomedical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano. She is now pursuing a PhD in aerospace sciences with a focus on space suit design. Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Sara grew up in Cairo and currently resides in Berlin. She shared that kids in the Western world grew up watching rocket launches, but children in the Arab world were mostly unaware of these exploits, which is why she is co-founding the Space Ambassadorship Program with the Egyptian Space Agency, to shed light on the important research opportunities and potential to benefit life on Earth. "Many Egyptians have lost hope in our future and my hope is that by going to space, I can contribute to changing that; to bring hope to people, and to make them proud of where they come from," added Sabry. "I believe that sharing my experience with the world will motivate the younger generation of Egyptians to pursue education and help change the perception of women, showing the world what we are truly capable of." Sara is the second beneficiary of S4H's Citizen Astronaut Program, which sponsors exceptional candidates to experience the Overview Effect and then employ that new perspective to solve some of humanity's most difficult challenges. S4H has partnered with Paragon, a strategic advisory group focused on conscious leadership development programs that shift perspective, to design and implement the first-ever training program built specifically for the Overview Effect. Citizen Astronauts participate in training modules designed to optimize their ability to navigate the Overview Effect experience, fully integrate that experience, and equip them to live and lead from an Overview Perspective. "In order to address the challenges that we face on a global scale, we need to look at the Earth as the complex, interconnected system that it is," said Rachel Lyons, Executive Director of Space For Humanity. "One of the most powerful ways to generate that perspective is through the Overview Effect and viewing our planet from afar. We believe space is a tool for transformation, so we're dedicated to giving as many people access to this experience as possible. Congratulations to Sara on being selected for this life-changing adventure, we know she will be an incredible ambassador for our mission and look forward to seeing how she uses this opportunity to change the world." S4H sent its first citizen astronaut, Katya Echazarreta, to Space aboard NS-21 on June 4, 2022. Katya is completing the third and final Application phase of the Citizen Astronaut Program, designing a "Life and Leadership Agreement" that outlines how she will continue to integrate and apply the value of the Overview Effect to her leadership role and humanitarian initiatives. About Space for Humanity Space for Humanity is expanding access to space for all of humanity. The nonprofit created the planet's first Sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program, giving leaders, from any walk of life, the opportunity to apply to go to space and experience the Overview Effect: the cognitive shift in awareness that occurs when a human being looks down on the Earth from space. Through its citizen spaceflight program, leadership training, and collaborative efforts to educate the public, Space for Humanity is setting the stage to create the world we want, both here on Earth and throughout the cosmos. For more information, please visit www.spaceforhumanity.org Space For Humanity Media Contact: Sarah Nickell[email protected] About Paragon Performance Evolution Paragon Performance Evolution is a leadership & high-performance resource that combines the best of modern science, innovative technology and human behavior with timeless wisdom. They empower the world's elite performers to access and evolve their highest potential in all spheres of life. Paragon develops and implements customized programs for organizations and their people that create measurable change, allowing for greater productivity, inspired purpose, disciplined focus, and authentic communication. Clients partner with Paragon to fuel positive shifts in humanity, greater impact in the world and meaningful systemic change and include Fortune 500 corporations, Tier 1 Military, law enforcement, Olympic and professional athletes and the YPO community. For more information, please visit www.performanceparagon.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/space-for-humanity-will-send-first-egyptian-to-space-aboard-blue-origins-ns-22-flight-301591947.html SOURCE Space for Humanity TO: ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES THAT HELD CARDINAL HEALTH, INC. COMMON STOCK AS OF THE CLOSE OF TRADING ON MAY 25, 2022 AND THAT CONTINUE TO HOLD CARDINAL HEALTH COMMON STOCK AS OF THE CLOSE OF TRADING ON OCTOBER 4, 2022. PLEASE READ THIS SUMMARY NOTICE CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY. DUBLIN, Ohio, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Court authorized this Summary Notice. This Summary Notice relates to a proposed settlement (the "Settlement") of a stockholder derivative action: In re Cardinal Health, Inc. Derivative Litig., Case No. 2:19-cv-2491 (S.D. Ohio) (the "Action"). If the Court approves the Settlement, you will be forever barred from contesting the fairness, adequacy, and reasonableness of the Settlement and from pursuing the Released Claims. The terms and conditions of the Settlement are set out in a Stipulation and Agreement of Compromise, Settlement, and Release, dated May 25, 2022 (the "Stipulation"). All capitalized terms used in this Summary Notice that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings provided in the Stipulation and/or Notice. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Stipulation, the Settlement will provide Cardinal Health with a gross payment of $124 million, less any Fee and Expense Award awarded by the Court to Plaintiffs' Counsel. A more detailed description of the Action and the Settlement are set forth in the Stipulation as well as the full Notice to Cardinal Health, Inc. Stockholders of Proposed Settlement of Stockholder Derivative Action, Settlement Hearing, and Right to Appear (the "Notice"), both of which are publicly available for review on Cardinal Health's investor relations website at ir.cardinalhealth.com. The Court will hold a Settlement Hearing at 2 p.m. on October 4, 2022, either in person at the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse, Room 167, 85 Marconi Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43215, or by telephone or video conference, to consider whether the Judgment, substantially in the form of Exhibit B to the Stipulation, should be entered: (i) approving the terms and conditions of the Settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate and in the best interests of Cardinal Health and its stockholders, (ii) dismissing the Action with prejudice pursuant to the terms of the Stipulation, (iii) ruling on the application by Plaintiffs' Counsel for the Fee and Expense Award, and (iv) ruling on Plaintiffs' application for service awards. If you owned Cardinal Health stock (NYSE: CAH) as of the close of trading on May 25, 2022 and continue to hold Cardinal Health common stock as of the date of the Settlement Hearing, you may object to the Settlement, including Plaintiffs' Counsel's application for the Fee and Expense Award and service awards and appear at the Settlement Hearing to show cause why the Settlement, Judgment, or the applications for a Fee and Expense Award and service awards should not be approved and entered. Any such objections must be filed with the Court and served on counsel for the Parties no later than September 13, 2022 in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice. PLEASE NOTE: Because the Settlement involves the resolution of a stockholder derivative action, which was brought on behalf of and for the benefit of the Company, the benefits from the Settlement will go to Cardinal Health. Individual Cardinal Health stockholders will not receive any direct payment from the Settlement. Accordingly, there is no proof of claim form for stockholders to submit in connection with this Settlement. Stockholders are not required to take any action in response to this Summary Notice. Please visit the Investor Relations section of Cardinal Health's website to read the full Notice and Stipulation for more information. You may also email questions to Plaintiffs' Counsel: Justin Reliford at [email protected] or Jennifer Sarnelli at [email protected] PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT WITH QUESTIONS. By Order of the Court ContactsMedia: Erich Timmerman, [email protected] and (614) 757-8231Investors: Kevin Moran, [email protected] and (614) 757-7942. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/summary-notice-to-stockholders-of-cardinal-health-inc-of-proposed-settlement-of-stockholder-derivative-action-settlement-hearing-and-right-to-appear-301591882.html SOURCE Cardinal Health EXPLANATORY NOTE This Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (the Amendment) is being filed pursuant to Rule 485(b)(1)(iii) under the Securities Act of 1933, and incorporates by reference the Parts A and B of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 (PEA 2) and Part C of Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 . This Amendment is being filed for the sole purpose of delaying the effectiveness of PEA 2 until August 10, 2022. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Chicago and State of Illinois, on this 22nd day of July, 2022. MILLIMAN VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST BY: /s/ Adam Schenck Adam Schenck, President Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacities and on the dates indicated. Signature Title Date /s/ Adam Schenck Adam Schenck President and Trustee July 22, 2022 /s/ Arthur W. Jasion Arthur W. Jasion Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer July 22, 2022 /s/ Eric Berg* Eric Berg Trustee July 22, 2022 /s/ Nicholas Dalmaso* Nicholas Dalmaso Trustee July 22, 2022 /s/ Daniel Ross Hayes* Daniel Ross Hayes Trustee July 22, 2022 /s/ Colleen McKenna Tucker* Colleen McKenna Tucker Trustee July 22, 2022 *By: /s/ Adam Schenck Adam Schenck July 22, 2022 Attorney-In-Fact * Adam Schenck signs this Registration Statement pursuant to the powers of attorney, incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on September 21, 2021. WASHINGTON (AP) COVID-19 symptoms left President Joe Biden with a raspy voice and cough as he met Friday via videoconference with his top economic team. But the president tried to strike a reassuring tone, declaring, I feel much better than I sound. Later Friday, White House officials told reporters that Biden was working more than eight hours a day. His appetite hadnt diminished with Biden showing off an empty plate with some crumbs when speaking with his advisers and he signed bills into law and took part in his daily intelligence briefings, albeit via phone. Hes still doing the job of the president, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. That does not end. It was all part of a diligently choreographed effort by the administration to depict a commander-in-chief who had not relinquished his day job, despite testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday and being sent into isolation at the White House residence. As he beamed into a virtual meeting from the Treaty Room, Biden took off a mask and sipped water as he began discussing the decline in gas prices in recent weeks. Reporters were allowed to view a few minutes of the proceedings and, when they asked how Biden was feeling, he flashed a thumbs up although he was audibly hoarse and coughed a handful of times. The presidents doctors said his mild COVID symptoms were improving and he was responding well to treatment, as the White House worked to portray the image of a president still on the job despite his illness. Biden received his presidential daily security briefing via a secured phone call while, separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping wished Biden a speedy recovery. Biden had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday, but that went down with Tylenol, according to a new note from Dr. Kevin OConnor, the presidents personal physician. Biden also used an inhaler a few times but hasn't experienced shortness of breath. The president completed his first full day of Paxlovid, the antiviral therapy treatment meant to reduce the severity of COVID, and Bidens primary symptoms were a runny nose, fatigue and a loose cough. Other metrics, such as pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were normal, OConnor said, although the White House did not release specific figures and did not commit to doing so. The president right now feels well enough to continue working, and he has continued to work at a brisk pace, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters. Jha said Biden will remain in isolation in the White House living quarters for five days and then be tested anew. He plans to return to in-person work once he tests negative. As he works in isolation, the number of aides around Biden has been reduced to a very, very small footprint, Jean-Pierre said including a videographer and photographer who captured the images of Biden in the residence. Once Biden tested positive Thursday after more than two years of successfully dodging the virus the White House sprang into action, aiming to dispel any notion of a crisis and to turn his diagnosis into what Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain said he hoped would be a teachable moment. The White House released a photo Friday of Biden, masked and tieless, in the Treaty Room of the president's residence, on the phone with his national security advisers. After the economic team meeting, he participated in a separate discussion with senior White House advisers to discuss legislative priorities. Jha said his hoarse voice might actually be a sign that he is improving rather than the alternative. Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre said 17 people were determined to have been in close contact with Biden when he might have been contagious, including members of his senior staff and at least one member of Congress. None have tested positive so far, she said. One of Bidens close contacts was first lady Jill Biden. Her spokesman Michael LaRosa said she tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday morning in Wilmington, Delaware, and hasnt shown any symptoms. LaRosa said shes spoken to the president multiple times as he remains in isolation. Another close contact was Vice President Kamala Harris, who participated in a National Urban League luncheon Friday and was spotted hugging participants, although during the event, she was seated more than six feet from others. She was masked as she headed onto the stage but took it off during the luncheon. The administration is trying to shift the narrative from a health scare to a display of Biden as the personification of the idea that most Americans can get COVID and recover without too much suffering and disruption if theyve gotten their shots and taken other important steps to protect themselves. Jha said, This virus is going to be with us forever, as he echoed Bidens message that Americans get vaccinated and boosted. The overall message was crafted to alleviate voters concerns about Bidens health at 79, hes the oldest person ever to be president. Jha said Friday that it'll likely take until next week for sequencing to determine which variant of the virus Biden contracted. Omicrons highly contagious BA.5 substrain is responsible for 78% of new COVID-19 infections reported in the U.S. last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest data released Tuesday. Jean-Pierre has repeatedly bristled at suggestions the Biden administration wasnt being much more forthcoming with information about the presidents illness than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president contracted COVID-19 in the fall of 2020, before vaccines were available, and was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three nights. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan A Marine in Japan is awaiting court-martial in August on charges she said arose from her refusal to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Lance Cpl. Catherine Arnett, 24, declined the vaccines on the basis they are produced using stem cell lines that descend from aborted fetuses, she told Stars and Stripes on July 1. Her request for a religious exemption, she said, was denied by the Marine Corps and again on appeal. I believe that Im protected from not having to get a vaccine if it contradicts my moral conscience or has components of it that now goes against my religious tenets, she said. Her trial is scheduled Aug. 3-4 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni about 25 miles from Hiroshima, according to the court docket. The Marine Corps charged Arnett with violating articles 92 and 87 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Article 92 alleges failure to obey an order; article 87 alleges missing a movement. Arnett said shes being prosecuted for refusing to exit the Marine Corps based on her unwillingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Neither the Staff Judge Advocates office at MCAS Iwakuni nor a base spokesman had responded by Friday to requests for information Wednesday about Arnetts case. Arnett said she was born in St. Louis but moved to Forth Worth, Texas, at age 4 and enlisted in the Corps at age 20 in 2018. She said the Marines formally charged her on May 23. I was raised Catholic and then I strayed from the faith for a little while, didnt really practice, wasnt really interested, she said. And then this whole COVID thing, I kind of had a reawakening to the faith, I suppose, because the faith stands for, you know, obliging your conscience. Arnett said shes been at Iwakuni since May 2019, first with Marine Air Logistics Squadron 12, then with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 for 2 years. Shes now back with the logistics squadron while she awaits her court-martial. I like helping Marines but whenever it comes to these, what I consider unlawful and baseless proceedings that followed after the religious accommodation request, Im just a little bit jaded, she said. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna used fetal cell lines to test their vaccines; Johnson & Johnson used fetal cell lines to develop its vaccine, according to UCLAHealth.org. None of the vaccines contain aborted fetal cells. Fetal cell lines are grown in laboratories and started with cells from abortions in the 1970s and 80s, according to the website. Todays lines are thousands of generations removed from the original fetal tissue. The Vatican in a statement in September 2020 said getting vaccinated does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion. The document accepts that some people may nonetheless refuse the vaccines out of conscience, but they should do their utmost to avoid becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent. Arnett said she believes the Vatican declaration is Pope Francis own opinion and does not stand as church doctrine; therefore I have every right to object to it and reject Pope Francis erroneous and invalid opinions. Several cases are making their way through federal courts that challenge the militarys stand on religious objections to COVID-19 vaccines. Federal judges have paused efforts by the Air Force and Navy to discharge or discipline service members while two cases brought by those service members make their way through the courts. The Marine Corps on Sept. 21 ordered its active-duty troops to get vaccinated within 90 days or risk prosecution for disobeying an order. By July 6, the Corps had discharged 3,069 Marines for refusing the vaccine, the most of any service, according to a monthly update. The Marines had approved only seven of 3,733 requests it received for religious exceptions, according to the Corps update in July. Another 602 administrative or medical exemptions were approved. By comparison, the Air Force by July 12 had approved 104 religious exemptions and rejected 6,803 with another 2,847 pending. It had administratively separated 834 airmen for refusing the vaccines. The Army had discharged 1,037 soldiers for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, according to an Army statement June 21. Another 3,464 troops were reprimanded for refusing the vaccination order. The Navy has discharged 1,229 sailors for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Navys June 22 update, its most recent. The Navy has approved none of the 3,368 active duty and 867 Reserve requests for a religious accommodation it has received, according to Holland & Knight, a Tampa, Fla., law firm, that tracks federal cases online. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. TOKYO Japan is permitting more family members to visit their relatives with the U.S. military even as COVID-19 case numbers exceed previous pandemic records. The country in March began accepting visa applications for first-degree relatives of long-term residents including the U.S. military population in Japan. First-degree relatives include only immediate family members. The order was extended to all family members last month. The visa application requires time and paperwork. Relatives planning to visit a U.S. military family in Japan must first apply to the nearest Japanese consulate for a temporary visa between six and 12 weeks prior to their planned departure date, according to an update from a III Marine Expeditionary Force spokeswoman on Thursday. Temporary visas are valid for three months. SOFA members Defense Department civilians and service members covered by the status of forces agreement in Japan who are sponsoring guests must provide several documents, according to Sgt. Savannah Mesimer. They include an invitation letter, proof of relationship, a photo ID like a drivers license or passport and a military ID or permanent change of station orders. Requirements to obtain the temporary visa may vary depending upon the location of the consulate in which the application process is started, Mesimer said. The SOFA member must also provide an invitation letter addressed to the Japanese ambassador or consul-general. The invitation must include the address where the visitor will stay. SOFA members should send all required materials to their relative applying for a visa, who in turn must provide them to the Japanese embassy or consulate for their location, Mesimer wrote. Japan will approve or deny the visa application on a case-by-case basis, she said. Applicants can expect a response generally within about a week. Templates, application forms and information on Japanese embassies and consulates can be found at www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/j/download/SOFA.pdf. Travelers inbound to Japan are still required to take a COVID-19 test with a negative result within 72 hours of travel and show proof upon arrival. Japan on Thursday recorded 186,246 new cases of COVID-19, exceeding the previous pandemic record of 104,345 on Feb. 3, according to public broadcaster NHK and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource center. Okinawa between July 14 and Thursday had the highest number of new cases per 100,000 people of any prefecture in Japan, NHK said. The prefecture reported 5,250 new cases on Thursday. TOKYO Japans Ministry of Defense outlined its priorities, and deepest concerns, in its annual white paper that devotes twice as many pages to Taiwan as last years outlook. Defense of Japan 2022, released Friday, also adds a chapter dedicated to Russias 5-month-old war against Ukraine. Russias aggression against its neighbor is a serious violation of international law prohibiting the use of force and of the UN Charter, according to this years paper. Such unilateral changes to the status quo by force have shaken the very foundation of the whole international order, not only in Europe, but in Asia, as well, the paper states. Russian national power in the medium- to long-term may decline, altering the relationship between China and the U.S. and the regional balance of power, but to do nothing would likewise imperil the existing order, according to the ministry. Tolerating Russias aggression may imply that unilateral changes to the status quo by force are acceptable in Asia and other regions, the paper states. These trends warrant concern and must continue to be closely watched in the future. On Taiwan, the paper predicts a widening gap in military strength will continue to favor China. A stable environment surrounding Taiwan is critical to Japans security, the white paper states, but the island democracy about 300 miles southwest of Okinawa figures prominently in the competition between the U.S. and China. The U.S. under President Joe Biden continues to identify China as its most serious competitor that challenges U.S. security, prosperity and democratic values. Biden in May said the U.S. would defend Taiwan from an attack by China, although the One China policy acknowledges Beijings view that it has sovereignty over the island. China says Taiwan must be reunited with the mainland. Chinese military trends intensifying in recent years behind a lack of transparency are a grave concern to Japan and the international community, the paper states. Chinese ships have recently circumnavigated Japan. These include two guided-missile destroyers and a replenishment oiler spotted near Japans main islands in June. Military cooperation between China and Russia in the region around Japan has also accelerated and must be closely monitored, according to the ministrys report. In late June, three Chinese naval vessels circumnavigated Japan; seven Russian warships made a similar journey around the same time. On July 5, two Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters Japan claims as its territory around the Senkaku Islands. Chinese and Russian vessels were spotted near the Senkakus the previous day. Russia and China conducted joint bomber flights in November and May and combined their warships into one flotilla that sailed around Japan in October, the paper states. The ministry noted that China has not criticized Russias invasion of Ukraine that began Feb. 24, and blamed NATOs Cold War thinking for exacerbating Russias concerns for its security. North Korea is escalating provocations while world attention is focused on the war in Ukraine, according to the paper. Pyongyang has tested a record number of missiles so far this year, a program focused on improving its ability to breach missile defense networks, according to Japans analysis. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting with Biden in May committed to strengthening the nations defense and increasing its defense budget. Although Japan has gradually increased its defense spending in recent years, it has the lowest ratio of defense expenditures to GDP among its G-7 partners the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Italy, as well as Australia and South Korea, according to the white paper. Australia, South Korea, the U.K., France and Germany all spend two to three times as much on defense per person compared to Japan. The Navy deployed an updated 3Dprinter on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex recently, an upgrade that promises wider capability and a safer work environment. The Essex became the first to operate a Xerox ElemX 3D printer while underway when it took the machine aboard July 8, said Lt. Cmdr. Nicolas Batista, the Essexs aircraft intermediate maintenance department officer. The printer was installed in time for the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise underway at Hawaii and California. The Navy and Department of Defense are focusing on implementing new technologies, a Xerox manager told Stars and Stripes. The advantage of the ElemX is that unlike other metal 3D printing technologies that use hazardous, and potentially explosive metal powders, we use aluminum wire as a material input, Tali Rosman, general manager of Xerox Elem Additive, said by email Wednesday. This means there is no need for personal protective equipment or special facility modifications, making our technology more easily deployable on board a naval ship. 3D printers are not new to the U.S. military. The Marines are finding new applications for the printers to keep their equipment running and repaired in the field, far from conventional supply lines. The Essex had a uPrint Polymer 3D Printer onboard during its July 2018 to January 2019 deployment, Batista said. The ElemX, unlike the uPrint, uses 4008 aluminum standards that can withstand higher loads and is more rigid. Also, the ElemX requires minimal post-processing, providing a finished part in a matter of hours, as opposed to several days with other 3D metal technologies, Rosman said. The printer is in the Essexs aircraft intermediate maintenance departments composite shop, Batista said. The shop works on airframes, avionics and support equipment for aircraft. The engineering and combat systems shop also has technicians trained to operate the printer. Batista said the crew has printed numerous items, including small hydraulic valve hand wheels, fire hose spanner wrenches and light brackets. This 3D Printer will essentially bridge the gap in some of our supply chain shortfalls by providing organic repair capability in printing much-needed tools and parts, which enhances our capabilities in increasing material readiness in an expedited turnaround time, Batista said. Petty Officer 3rd Class Roxanne Barrera, 22, an aviation structural mechanic from Torrance, Calif., briefed Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro about the ElemX on Tuesday. She said the device is important because it makes parts more readily available for the crew. This could be very beneficial for aviation parts in the future, and I am excited to see this through, Barrera said via email. The printer is being evaluated at sea on its performance under the ship's speed, humidity, temperature and sea state. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii Hawaii lawmakers and health officials have chided Navy officials for delays in providing complete plans for defueling the Red Hill underground fuel storage facility that is the source of drinking water contamination on Oahu. [T]he Navy doesnt seem to have the same sense of urgency that my constituents have and that the state of Hawaii has, Hawaii Rep. Sonny Ganaden said at a briefing by Navy officials at the statehouse Tuesday. The Navy submitted a required defueling plan on June 30 to the Hawaii Department of Health, a deadline the state agency had mandated in an emergency order issued early this year calling for the facilitys closure. The deadline for submitting a plan for the facilitys closure is Nov. 1. Kathleen Ho, director for environmental health at the Health Department, described the Navys defueling plan as disappointing. The Department of Health does not approve the current defueling plan, Ho said. Fuel spills in May and November from the facility on the outskirts of Honolulu seeped into the groundwater. Jet fuel contaminated one of three wells used by the Navy in supplying water to thousands of homes on military communities near and on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Thousands of residents were displaced for months this winter, with some experiencing a host of symptoms such as rashes, diarrhea, headaches and fatigue. The highly anticipated defueling plan was disappointing, Ho told the three Navy officials providing the briefing, which included Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, who assumed command of Navy Region Hawaii in June. It lacked substance, specific detail and dates, Ho said. We need the Navy to feel the same sense of urgency that we feel and that safely defueling and decommissioning the tanks would be in the best interest of everyone, she said. Barnett said that the June submission was intended to provide a framework of how the Navy would defuel the facility, which currently holds an estimated 150 million gallons of fuel. It has not been operational since late November, shortly after residents began complaining of tainted water that was traced to the contaminated well. The intention is not to delay the defueling, Barnett said. I understand your concerns, but the intent was to have a framework and then as we go through each individual item, provide that as we get through, as we complete those items to kind of supplement the framework, to give a complete document at the end. The Navy expects to provide all needed information by Aug. 31. Pipelines in the facility will require extensive repair before defueling can begin, according to a report by a Navy contractor released in May. Major structural repairs will be needed to the system that connects the tanks to a fueling depot on Pearl Harbor. The Navy has estimated the defueling will take about a year once those repairs are completed, but the timeframe for repair has not been determined. The Navy estimates the facility will be closed by the end of 2024. That timeframe does not sit well with some Hawaiians. State Sen. Bennette Misalucha said that among the public and state officials there is a clamor to speed up the process, to accelerate it, that 2024 is not acceptable. Maam, we understand that the community wants to expedite this as much as possible, Barnett said. But the World War II-era Red Hill facility was a one-of-a-kind feat of engineering and now requires specialized equipment to be shipped in from the mainland for making repairs, he said. The design of those repairs is still evolving, said Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, head of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific. As those designs are complete this fall, we will have a much more detailed, critical schedule of all the repairs, VanderLey said. That could lead to opportunities to shorten the timeline, he said. We absolutely would welcome the engagement with the regulatory agencies on how we could continue to do this safely but maybe do it faster, VanderLey said. CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea South Korea and the United States are resuming large-scale field military exercises suspended for four years when the two nations tried to negotiate North Korea away from its nuclear weapons, according to an official announcement Friday. Combined exercises by battalions and larger units of the U.S. and South Korean militaries will commence in August and again in early 2023, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said in a news release. The exercises will also be rebranded as Ulchi Freedom Shield in August and Freedom Shield next year. The exercises will be defensive in nature, according to the ministry. Another 11 separate field exercises, such as bridge construction, explosive disposal, attack helicopter fire and special warfare are also scheduled with U.S. troops in the coming months, according to the Defense Ministry. The Defense Ministry is also trying to stage naval drills with U.S. carrier strike groups. South Koreas navy has been taking part in Rim of the Pacific, a multinational maritime exercise in Hawaii and California, since June 29. The large-scale field exercises were suspended during President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-ins administrations. Trump and Moon, who were in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to dismantle his nuclear program in 2018, agreed to limit the scale of the exercises and focus on computerized simulations. That pause appeared to have ended following the inauguration of South Korean President Yoon Seok Youl in May. After meeting later that month with President Joe Biden, Yoon said the two countries would step up their military training. The exercises were previously known as Ulchi Focus Lens, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, Foal Eagle and Combined Command Post Training. Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield were chosen to reflect Seoul and Washingtons will to defend freedom, which is the core value of the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance, according to the Defense Ministry. Ulchi is derived from the name of a Korean general, Eulji Mundeok, who in the seventh century defeated a force of over a million Chinese Sui dynasty forces with an army of 300,000 troops, according to the U.S. Armys website. A Buffalo man was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder of his brother in connection with a July 11 shooting on Thatcher Avenue in the Kensington-Bailey neighborhood, according to Buffalo police. Jerome A. Cole, 24, also was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the killing of Marcus Cole, 35, of Buffalo. A news release from the Erie County District Attorney's Office Friday confirmed the two were brothers. If Cole is convicted of the murder charge, he faces 25 years to life in prison, the DA's Office said. The defendant, who has been held without bail, will return to court at 9:30 a.m. July 26 for a felony hearing. The shooting took place at 1:30 a.m., and the victim was pronounced dead at Erie County Medical Center, according to the Buffalo Police Department. KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany Col. Reid Furman assumed command Friday of Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, part of the U.S. militarys largest overseas community and a key cog in the response to the Russia-Ukraine war. Acting Commander Lt. Col. Jeremy McHugh turned the garrison over to Furman in a ceremony at Pulaski Barracks. Furman comes to his new post from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., about 60 miles south of his hometown of Sunbury. His early assignments took him to South Korea, where he served as a tank platoon leader and an aide-de-camp. He completed four combat assignments in Afghanistan while assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group. The ceremony took place eight months after McHugh was assigned command in Kaiserslautern on an interim basis. He was simultaneously serving as commander of Army Support Activity-Black Sea, which is responsible for installations in Romania and Bulgaria. That role became increasingly important in the wake of Russias invasion of nearby Ukraine on Feb. 24. As the fighting intensified, Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania and Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria became focal points for U.S. and NATO deterrence operations. McHugh often traveled back and forth between the garrison headquarters in Kaiserslautern and the Romanian base to support the significant buildup of troops there. The past eight months have been personally and professionally rewarding, but not always easy, McHugh said Friday. In addition to the war in Ukraine, the garrison had to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, and last summer, it played an integral part in the rescue of Afghans fleeing from the Taliban, the largest humanitarian evacuation in U.S. history. McHugh was scheduled to return Friday to Romania , where he will continue to command Army Support Activity-Black Sea until next month. Colonel Furman will still be my boss when I leave here, McHugh joked Friday. U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz has more than 1,800 personnel serving in over 30 sites in Germany, Romania and Bulgaria. More than $1 billion worth of enhanced Patriot missiles and related equipment has been cleared for sale to the Netherlands, in a move the U.S. says will give a boost to allied security in Europe, the State Department announced. Washington also green-lighted a $397 million sale of fighter jet missile systems to Kuwait intended to help the country deal with regional threats like Iran. Australia, meanwhile, is poised to acquire $235 million in joint air-to-surface standoff missiles with extended range. Collectively, the weapons sales, which still need formal approval from Congress, go to countries playing roles in countering the U.S.s primary adversaries: Russia, China and Iran. In the case of the Dutch, the pending $1.2 billion sale includes 96 enhanced guidance Patriot missiles along with various tools and equipment to support the systems. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe, the State Department said in a statement Thursday. Within NATO, the Netherlands is one of a handful of allied countries that possess the Patriot missile system. The Dutch, along with Germany, have dispatched Patriot teams to Slovakia to bolster defenses along NATOs eastern flank. The deployment was needed to provide backup air defense support for Slovakia, which donated its S-300 air defense system to Ukraine. In Kuwait, the proposed sale involved 60 advanced medium-range, air-to-air missiles and various other bombs and munitions that can be used by the countrys fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon jets. The proposed sale will improve Kuwaits ability to meet current and future regional threats, the State Department said. Australias government requested to buy 80 long-range standoff missiles and supporting gear that the U.S. says will help a key ally in the Pacific, where concerns over Chinas military ambitions are a U.S. focal point. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region, the State Department said. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability. ISTANBUL - Russia and Ukraine agreed Friday to restart shipments of blockaded grain, in a step toward easing a global crisis that has exposed tens of millions of people, especially in Africa and the Middle East, to the threat of acute hunger, the United Nations secretary general announced. One of the two agreements signed Friday in Istanbul - which were brokered by the United Nations, aided by Turkey and amounted to a diplomatic victory for both - is intended to guarantee the safe passage of commercial ships from the Ukrainian port of Odessa and two other ports, which are currently cut off by a Russian naval blockade, U.N. officials said before the signing. A parallel agreement is supposed to facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer exports, they said. The agreements are in force for a period of 120 days and are renewable, officials said. Before Russias invasion of Ukraine in late February, the two countries were among the worlds top producers and exporters of grain, cooking oil and fertilizers. Last year, Ukraine accounted for 10% of global wheat exports, according to the United Nations. More than 20 million tons of grain have been stuck in Ukraines Black Sea ports, causing worldwide shortages and fears of worsening hardship to come. For all the complexity involved in the negotiations, the grain agreement appeared to depend on goodwill that is in short supply, resting in large part on Russian assurances it would not attack merchant ships or port facilities involved in the initiative. Even so, officials expressed optimism. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at a ceremony announcing the initiative, which was attended by delegations from Ukraine and Russia and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief, in a world that needs it more than ever. It will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine, he added. The agreements were the fruit of conversations Guterres had with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia in April to solve the spiraling food crisis, a senior U.N. official said in a briefing with reporters Friday. Turkey, which maintains good ties with both countries and controls passage through the Bosporus, the entrance to the Black Sea, took an active mediating role. For months the discussions stumbled, in a sign of absent trust between the warring parties. Ukrainian diplomats complained that their security concerns were not being acknowledged, as Russia downplayed the scope of the global food crisis. Ship insurance underwriters had to be assured that vessels would not be attacked, struck by mines or face other hazards in an active war zone. The final agreement over Ukrainian grain shipments rests on a complex regime that establishes safe channels through the Black Sea and inspections to ensure that weapons are not sent to Ukraine through those channels, the U.N. officials said. Despite early speculation, there is to be no large-scale demining of Ukraines ports, a process that was considered too time consuming. Ukrainian pilots will guide commercial vessels from the ports. Minesweepers will be used as needed, officials said. There would be no military escorts of the ships, whose passage will be monitored from a coordination center in Istanbul staffed by representatives of the parties to the agreements. A parallel agreement is supposed to facilitate the export of grain and fertilizers from Russia, though its utility was unclear. Those commodities are not subject to United States or European Union sanctions. A second U.N. official said they hoped it would help bring down soaring costs of fertilizers that could impact yields for the next harvest. Both U.N. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because when they spoke the agreements had not yet been signed. In a sign of the sensitivities weighing on the deal, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraines president, said on Twitter on Friday afternoon that Ukraine was not signing a direct agreement with Russia, but rather with Turkey and the United Nations. Russia would sign a mirror agreement, he said. And there would be no presence of Russian representatives in Ukrainian ports he said. In case of provocations, he added, an immediate military response. (Tribune News Service) A Colorado veteran who took part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Tuesday, federal court records show. Logan Grover, who was 43 when he was arrested last year, faces up to six months in prison after pleading guilty to a single count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 2; the other charges against him will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement. In addition to up to six months in prison, he could also be sentenced to as much as five years probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. Grover, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran who lives in Erie, attended the riot, posted about it on Facebook and took photos of himself at the U.S. Capitol before and during the event, according to federal court records. Grover entered the U.S. Capitol through a door with shattered window panes while an alarm was blaring and pushed past police officers to get inside. He did not attack anyone inside or damage property, according to a statement of offense filed in the case. Grover posted on Facebook about the election being stolen from President Donald Trump and said the nation was being stolen in some insane, slow motion, treasonous insurrection, according to court records. I have no interest in violence, he wrote on Facebook on Jan. 5, 2021. Sadly I recognize that violence is highly likely. Im not certain whats going to happen tomorrow. I am certain I need to be here. Grover served in the U.S. Army Reserve for nearly 10 years, from 2001 to 2011, and was deployed to Iraq for one year starting in February 2004, the U.S. Army confirmed. He left at the rank of captain. Grovers attorney did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday. 2022 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Authorities in California alleging animal cruelty recently shut down a kennel that boarded dogs for military members, leaving 21 animals unclaimed. Military Mutts Ranch on Cowboy Country Trail, south of Highway 371, in Aguanga, Calif., was closed by Riverside County Animal Services on July 14, according to animal services spokesman John Welsh. This property came to our attention for a few different reasons, Welsh told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. We received a tip that there was a horse that was deceased on the property, there was also a malnourished horse. So, that opened up an animal cruelty investigation. Some of the 21 impounded dogs have chips, but the owners cannot be reached, Welsh said. It's terrible to think that this is happening to somebody who's putting their life on the line for our country, he said. It's important for folks that are going on these long deployments to do a good job of searching for a good facility because theres nothing worse than them going on deployment and then coming back and finding their dog has been injured or lost. Felony cruelty charges stemming from the dead horse and alleged mistreatment of a dog are pending in Riverside County against the kennel owner, Charlotte Orrin, CBS Los Angeles reported on July 15. The county in May denied her application to renew her kennel license. Navy spouse Grace Turner, 21, said she boarded her three dogs a German shepherd, an Australian shepherd and a mini-Australian shepherd at the kennel so that she and her husband, Dylan Benson, who is stationed at Naval Base San Diego, could spend four days at a country music festival in Palm Springs. Turner said she dropped the dogs off April 28 and picked them up May 2, but her mini-Australian shepherd, Kylo, was missing. [Orrin] wasnt even there, I think she was too afraid to see my face, Turner said by phone Wednesday. Her employee told me there was a burglary and they think Kylo was stolen with two Belgian Malinois puppies. I was like, Who would break into a boarding facility and only take three dogs? I didnt believe any of it. Turner said she promptly called the police, who showed up immediately and searched the property. What I saw on that property was absolutely horrible, Turner said. There were feces and urine everywhere you stepped. In the kennels there were multiple dogs shoved into cages with scratch marks, bite marks and wounds. All the dogs looked stressed out because they were all shoved into cages. The kennel failed an inspection late last year when a large buildup of animal waste was found, Welsh said. He said Orrin had 70 dogs in a facility licensed for 30. Meanwhile, Orrin did nothing to help Turner find Kylo, Turner said. Turner reported her missing dog to Orrins neighbors, because she said she believed Kylo might still be in the area. On May 6, a neighbor found Kylo sitting beside the propertys fence and called Turner. Turner said police through a Craigslist ad found the Belgian Malinois that Orrin said were stolen from her property. After a trip to a veterinarian, Turner said, she dismissed Orrin employees story about Kylo possibly being stolen. I took him to the vet immediately because he was gone for a week, he had no signs of being in the wild, Turner said. He was clean, he was fed and not dehydrated. He had no signs of being in the wild. She had him. Welsh said animal services is doing its due diligence to find as many of the 21 dogs owners as possible. Riverside County Animal Services can be reached via email at shelterinfo@rivo.org. WASHINGTON - Steve Bannon chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law, a prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments at his contempt of Congress trial, in which he is accused of ignoring a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6. 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. This case is not complicated, but it is important, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston told jurors in closing arguments Friday. It is important because our government only works if people show up. It only works if people play by the rules. Bannons defense lawyer countered that the subpoena was illegitimate and politically motivated, and that the deadlines for Bannon to comply were merely placeholders for further negotiation. Bannon didnt intentionally refuse to comply with a subpoena. Absolutely not. He didnt intentionally refuse to comply with anything, defense lawyer M. Evan Corcoran said. But prosecutors maintained that the issue is much simpler - Bannon just refused to speak to the committee, akin to a person who received a parking ticket deciding not to pay or fight it, but just ignore it. He did not want to answer its questions, Gaston said. And when it really comes down to it, he did not want to recognize Congresss authority or play by the governments rules. She highlighted Bannons failure to respond or to produce a single document before the subpoena deadline, after which Bannons attorneys asserted that former President Donald Trump intended to assert executive privilege. His belief that he had a good excuse not to comply does not matter, Gaston said, drawing out the final words to make the point. As she spoke, Bannon sat behind her, his hands clasped on the defense table. Prior court rulings had left Bannon with few legal or factual points to make, and twice during closing arguments, the judge stopped Corcoran from offering arguments that had previously been rejected. The defense lawyer tried to attack the prosecution case by suggesting the signature on Bannons subpoena by the committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., might not be real. Corcoran also tried to suggest the subpoena was illegitimate because the committee may not have followed certain procedures. In both instances, prosecutors objected and the judge appeared to rule against Bannon. Corcoran took aim at the credibility of the main prosecution witness, Kristin Amerling, the chief counsel for the Jan. 6 committee, suggesting she and the Democrats on the committee were in a rush to punish Bannon, singling him out of more than 1,000 committee witnesses in an election year. She didnt listen to Steve Bannons reasonable request, said Corcoran. This is about Ms. Amerling saying people need to play by her rules. Corcoran also brought up a past connection between Gaston, the prosecutor, and Amerling - 15 years ago they had worked together in Congress, and both belonged to the same book club. Amerling testified she hadnt seen Gaston in years. Make no mistake, Im not against book clubs, said Corcoran told jurors. But why did Ms. Amerling play down her connection with the prosecutor? ... It may be that Ms. Amerling herself can no longer see how her longtime political career affects her - but youve got to see. Gaston ridiculed that reasoning. The only person who is making this case about politics is the defendant. And hes doing it to distract and confuse you, she said. There is nothing political about figuring out why January 6 happened, and how to make sure it never happens again. And there is nothing political about enforcing the law against someone who, like the defendant, flouts it. The jury is expected to begin deliberations later on Friday. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols has said he will wait until jurors return a verdict or are discharged before ruling on a defense motion challenging two issues: whether prosecutors have met their burden of proof, and the judges rejection of a defense request to call Thompson, the Jan. 6 committee chair, as a witness. Bannons attorneys have also signaled that if he is convicted, they will appeal Nicholss rulings that a defendant charged with contempt of Congress cannot raise as a defense that he or she was relying on the advice of counsel or believed their cooperation was barred by a presidents claim of executive privilege. Each of the two misdemeanor charges is punishable by at least 30 days and up to one year in jail. But it is exceedingly rare for someone to serve time in jail for contempt of Congress; that hasnt happened since the 1950s. The trial began Monday with a full day of jury selection, during which several potential jurors were dismissed because of their familiarity with or opinions of the Jan. 6 riot and subsequent investigations. Nichols had earlier rejected a host of Bannons potential defenses, including his contention that Trump had claimed executive privilege over his testimony and documents. Nichols, a 2019 Trump appointee who served in George W. Bushs Justice Department from 2005 to 2009, narrowed Bannons defenses at trial mainly to whether he understood the deadlines for answering lawmakers demands. The judge also said Bannon could argue whether he thought the window for compliance remained open. In presenting their case, prosecutors called two witnesses: Amerling, who described how Bannon did not engage with the committee until after he had missed the first response deadline; and FBI Special Agent Stephen Hart, who talked about his conversation with a lawyer who represented Bannon in his dealings with the committee, as well as postings made by one of Bannons official social media accounts after he was subpoenaed. Bannon did not present any defense witnesses. The defense made their motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that the government had not proved its case - a fairly common move by defense attorneys at the end of a trial, and one that rarely succeeds. Bannon is one of two former Trump aides to face criminal charges in connection with rebuffing the committee, along with former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. The Justice Department has said it would not charge former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and communications chief Daniel Scavino Jr., who also were referred by Congress for potential criminal prosecution. Unlike Bannon and Navarro, Meadows and Scavino engaged in months of talks with the committee over the terms and limits of potential testimony and executive privilege claims. Meadows also turned over thousands of text messages and communications with members of Congress and other White House aides before ending negotiations and withdrawing his appearance for a deposition. And unlike the other three men, Bannon left the Trump White House in 2017 and was a private citizen at the time of the 2020 election and subsequent presidential transition. (Tribune News Service) WASHINGTON Democrats in both chambers are vowing to resist GOP attempts to halt Defense Department training aimed at countering extremist groups attempts to influence service members. The Senate Armed Services Committee report accompanying its fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act calls on the Pentagon to immediately halt the counter-extremism programs. The committee approved the bill in June, but the legislative text and the report werent made public until this week. The language has no legal effect, but its adoption shows the political strength of conservative arguments that even modest amounts of training to equip military personnel to resist extremist recruiting is a distraction from military preparedness. Every Democrat on the Senate committee voted against the provision, and every Republican voted for it. Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, sided with the GOP on this vote, giving it a 14-12 majority. King has not commented on his vote in response to requests from CQ Roll Call. Democratic pushback Democrats said in written replies to queries this week that they would push to make sure the final NDAA clearly supports counter-extremism initiatives in the military. Congress has a responsibility to prevent extremism in the armed services, and we should not be hampering DODs efforts to root out and prevent extremist activity in the military, said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who chairs the Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee. Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, another senior member of the Armed Services Committee, also promised not to let up on the effort. The rise of extremism is a threat to the safety of our communities, including our military communities, who sacrifice so much in defense of our freedoms, Kaine said. Im going to work with my colleagues in the coming months to ensure we continue to take action to address these threats. On the House Armed Services Committee, Maryland Democratic Rep. Anthony G. Brown has been one of the most vocal advocates of Defense Department work to counter extremist narratives. Brown said he intends to redouble such efforts in the remainder of this year, his last in Congress. Our military cannot become a training ground for extremist individuals and organizations seeking to use the skills gained in our armed forces to attack our democracy, said Brown, who is running for Maryland attorney general. The alarm bells have been ringing for years, which is why this move by the Senate to halt counter-extremism programs within the Department of Defense is so misguided. Small numbers, big problem The University of Maryland National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, or START, has found that 17 percent of those charged with crimes during the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had military ties, and most of those were veterans, according to Bill Braniff, STARTS director. In the past 31 years, domestic violent extremist attacks by veterans and active-duty service members have killed more than 300 people and injured nearly 2,000 more, House Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., said at a March hearing of his committee. At issue are not just white supremacist or right-wing zealots but also gangs, left-wing groups, jihadists and others. As the Iraq and Afghanistan wars drew down, extremist groups sought to recruit military personnel and veterans to their causes, experts say. The groups efforts appear to have been somewhat successful. The number of individuals with military service backgrounds arrested for an extremist crime over the past 10 years is four times higher than the number arrested over the decade prior, said Braniff. Reinforcing rules For more than half a century, the Pentagon has had guidance barring certain extremist activities. These include the advocacy of, or participation in, certain actions, including those that are violent or that seek to overthrow the government, commit terrorism or deny fellow citizens their rights. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has prioritized countering extremism. Earlier this year, he ordered a departmentwide stand down to allow uniformed leaders to discuss with troops matters such as which activities are barred and how to report them. And Austin set up a working group that made recommendations to clarify prohibitions and update rules and procedures pertaining to matters such as which activities are barred and the characteristics of extremist groups, as well as how to brief new recruits and those leaving the service on what to watch for. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told GOP senators in writing in February that the cost to the military of the stand down was $535,000. The Defense Departments fiscal 2022 budget was just short of $756 billion. Each service member spent, on average, about two hours in the sessions, Milley wrote. Partisan agenda The Senate Armed Services Committee report said, in effect, that counterextremism programs are not worth that much time and money, which they have depicted as enormous, because extremist service members are few and far between. Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan offered the amendment containing the language. In a February statement, Sullivan and 11 other Republican senators referred to the counter-extremism initiatives as a partisan political agenda. And in a June statement about the NDAA, Sullivan cited the extremism language as an example of how the bill pushes back on the woke agenda being pushed on the military by the Biden administration. Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, the committees top Republican, told CQ Roll Call via email this week he opposes extremism but said the Pentagon needs to balance the size of the problem with the investment we make in dealing with it. There is no disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over the fact that extremists represent an infinitesimal percentage of the armed forces 0.005 percent, according to Pentagon figures. However, to most Democrats and many experts on extremism, even a small number can do a great deal of damage to morale inside the military and to the publics perception of the services as politically neutral institutions that protect all Americans equally and obey the Constitution. We believe only a very few violate this oath by participating in extremist activities, but even the actions of a few can have an outsized impact on unit cohesion, morale and readiness and the physical harm some of these activities can engender can undermine the safety of our people, Austin wrote in a December 2021 memo. Brown of the House Armed Services Committee said the Pentagon needs to do even more to address the issue, not less. I strongly believe that we can and must do more to not only recognize this threat but move forward with substantive provisions to commit robust and enduring attention to countering extremism in the armed forces, Brown said. This is about protecting our national security and the values our military upholds. 2022 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A former Erie County sheriff's jail deputy was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge Thursday after originally facing felony cocaine charges when he was arrested in 2020. John A. Gugino, 45, of Hamburg, has been ordered by Hamburg Town Court Justice Gerald P. Gorman to perform 50 hours of community service and pay a $205 fine, according to Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn. Gugino pleaded guilty May 10 to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and The News reported Gugino had been fired June 10 from his jail deputy position. Suspended jail deputy pleads guilty to cocaine possession charge John A. Gugino, 45, of Hamburg, was employed as a jail deputy with the Erie County Sheriff's Office when he was arrested on the night of Oct. 17, 2020. At the time of his crime, Gugino was already under investigation due to anonymous tips sent to the Sheriff's Office. He was stopped while driving on Milestrip Road in Hamburg by an Erie County sheriff's deputy on Oct. 17, 2020, The News reported. Cocaine was found in Gugino's vehicle, and he was initially charged with a felony before testing found the weight of the cocaine to be worthy of a misdemeanor instead. Gugino was off-duty at the time of his arrest. He had been suspended without pay from the date of his arrest through his guilty plea prior to his firing by Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia. If Gugino completes the terms of the conditional discharge and commits no further infraction, the charge will be removed from his record. WASHINGTON The cost of the Department of Veterans Affairs' new electronic health record system could increase to more than $50 billion in 28 years, and a new company is now working to fix the problem-riddled system, senators said Wednesday. "This should serve as a wake-up call to everybody, including the folks at VA, Oracle Cerner, and of course us because we have a lot of work ahead of us," Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said during at the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing about the health record system. In addition, the VA notified the Senate committee that its plan to deploy the electronic health record system at the Boise VA Medical Center was now delayed. The record system was originally scheduled to launch there Saturday. "I will tell you that I support that decision," said Tester, the chairman of the committee. "I believe additional improvements are needed to ensure any future deployments are safe and successful. We need to know what's working and what's not, and we need to listen to the local VA administrators and employees about what they are saying." The VA originally signed a $10 billion contract with Cerner in May 2018 to overhaul the agencys health record system and make it compatible with the Defense Department. However, the cost later increased to $16 billion. An independent review by the nonprofit Institute for Defense Analysis estimated the implementation of the electronic health record system would cost nearly $39 billion in 13 years. The estimate also included more than $17 billion to sustain the system. "Until Monday, we were not aware of how large the cost overrun truly is," Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, the ranking Republican on the committee, said during the hearing. The system was first launched at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash., in October 2020. Since then, records issues have plagued the facility. VA Inspector General Michael Missal said in March that his office received wide-ranging complaints since the system launched in Spokane. Complaints included unauthorized and inaccurate medication orders, patients name and gender errors, issues in scheduling primary care appointments, misdirected links to video medical appointments and lost referrals. "I'll be blunt," Terry Adirim, executive director of the VA's Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization, said at the hearing. "In hindsight, Mann-Grandstaff wasn't ready to adopt a new electronic health record. Planning was inadequate and lacked a thorough assessment of the site's readiness. And most importantly, in October 2020, VA medical centers were still being seriously impacted by the [coronavirus] pandemic." Adirim also said VA personnel in Spokane were not at fault, and they should be commended. She also said the agency learned lessons from that failed launch. In addition to the cost analysis, the VA Office of Inspector General released two reports last week. One report found the electronic health record system sent medical care orders such as psychiatric consults to an undetectable location, which caused harm for 149 VA patients. In another report, the inspector general found two senior staff members at the Spokane facility gave inaccurate information to IG reviewers about the health record system training. David Case, VA deputy inspector general, said the actions of the staff members were not intended, meaning a crime was not committed. However, the inspector general found that their actions did represent careless disregard. "It was a whole mix, a lack of communication, a lack of checking what the data was, a lack of even understanding what data was being produced by the consultant who was working on [electronic health record system], so there were a lot of problems," Case said. "It's within [VA's] purview how they want to hold these folks accountable, or whatever actions they want to take. We have no purview or authority to take action or really to recommend action. VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Wednesday at the VA's monthly news conference that the agency's Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization has been meeting weekly to ensure they sort out any issues related to patient safety or patient harm. "What our veterans should expect, what our clinicians should expect, what Congress, the [inspector general], and all of our partners should expect is that we take very seriously our obligations to patient safety, which is our No. 1 priority at VA," McDonough said. "We will get to the bottom of problems when they're identified and make sure that we can realize the promise at the heart of a modernized electronic health record that draws the full history of our veterans' service to the country by accessing his or her defense or DOD health record and the VA health record." Oracle Corp. completed its $28 billion acquisition of Cerner on June 8, with the latter now dubbed Oracle Cerner. The Austin-based company also took over Cerner's electronic health record contract with the VA, Defense Department and the Coast Guard. Mike Sicilia, executive vice president for industries at Oracle, said he spent the last six weeks reviewing the system's issues and working through engineering plans. Moreover, he said the company had established a command center led by Oracle's senior engineers. "Our war room is conducting a top-to-bottom analysis of the entire system," Sicilia said. "It is already hard at work making a number of improvements that previously were not possible. If something isn't working for caregivers or patients, we plan to fix it first and work out the economics later. Sicilia also said the company intends to move Cerner's electronic health record application to a modern cloud data center within the next six to nine months. He said the move would deliver better performance and stability for the user. "The Cerner [electronic health records] system is currently running on a dated architecture with technology that is, in some cases, two decades old and it requires massive amounts of manual support. This isn't unusual in the [electronic health records] industry, but it does lead to more frequent outages and degradations of service," Sicilia said. He said Oracle's cloud infrastructure has built-in security, which will remove the possibility of human error that is a major cause of breaches. "I really do hope that the acquisition by Oracle is going to be a game-changer," Tester said. "I hope it is, and if it is, that's going to be good news for our veterans." WASHINGTON The Department of Veterans Affairs has a new undersecretary to lead the largest health care system in the United States, after the job remained vacant for five years. The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dr. Shereef Elnahal as the VAs undersecretary of health. Elnahal previously served as the CEO and president of University Hospital in Newark, N.J., since 2019. Before joining University Hospital, Elnahal served as the states health commissioner. It will not be Elnahals first foray into VA health care. He served as the assistant deputy undersecretary for health for quality, safety and value from 2016 to 2018. During his time in that job, Elnahal managed the quality of care for the Veterans Health Administration and co-founded its innovation ecosystem, which is part of the VHAs Office of Discovery, Education, and Affiliate Networks. The program helped advance innovation and practices that help improve veteran care. Dr. Shereef Elnahal has an impressive record of leading health care systems and agencies, and has shown a strong commitment to serving millions of veterans and hardworking employees at VA, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a prepared statement. Now more than ever, the department needs permanent, qualified leadership to guide the nations largest integrated health care system in the right direction. I look forward to working with him in his new role to implement needed reforms to ensure veterans have access to the timely health care and services theyve earned. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said hes glad the Senate confirmed Elnahal. Dr. Elnahals position is a vitally important one, particularly as the VA health care system prepares to care for millions more toxic-exposed veterans under the PACT Act and the new electronic health record rollout continues to disappoint, Bost said in a prepared statement. Dr. Elnahal has his work cut out for him, and I look forward to working with him to ensure that veterans get the health care they have earned when they need it and where they want it, without having to wait too long or travel too far. The VA had been without a confirmed leader of the Veterans Health Administration since the position was held by David Shulkin. Shulkin left the position in February 2017 after he was nominated by former President Donald Trump as the VA secretary. Richard Stone acted as the VA undersecretary of health for nearly three years and led the agency amid the coronavirus pandemic. He resigned last July after he learned he was not nominated for the position. In October 2021, the VA abandoned an initial search for a candidate for the job and restarted the process. The VA established a commission to aid in the search for candidates for undersecretary of health a position that oversees hundreds of hospitals and clinics that comprise the largest health care system in the country. The job is responsible for hundreds of thousands of employees and an annual budget of about $61 billion. With this job filled, the VA must now fill another. On Tuesday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough approved the formation of a commission to search for candidates to fill the top job for the agencys benefits administration. The Veterans Benefits Administrations undersecretary post has been vacant for almost two years. The job was held last officially by Paul Lawrence, who served in the role from May 2018 until January 2021. Thomas Murphy has served as the interim undersecretary since January 2021. In the meantime, the VA announced Joshua Jacobs, a senior adviser to McDonough, will take over the duties as interim undersecretary for the Veterans Benefits Administration, effective July 25. Murphy will resume his previous duties as the director of the Veterans Benefits Administrations northeast district. Mark Somers was found guilty of threatening behaviour Collins Courts. A driver who aggressively beeped at gardai to move their patrol car so he could enter a supermarket car park told officers he was sick of being harassed by ye c**ts. Mark Somers (56) was extremely aggressive towards gardai, shouting and roaring at them, in what two female officers described as one of the worst public order incidents they had dealt with. Somers had denied a breach of the peace, saying he would never call gardai c**ts. Judge Gerard Jones imposed a one-month sentence suspended for two years. The defendant, with an address at Metropolitan Apartments, Inchicore Road, Dublin 8, was found guilty of threatening and abusive behaviour at a Lidl car park in Castleknock village, Dublin on October 29, 2019. Garda Claire Lyons told Blanchardstown District Court Somers aggressively blew his horn at the patrol car. She said when they spoke to him afterwards he started shouting Im sick of being harassed by ye c**ts. Gda Lyons said Somers threw his arms out, tried to record gardai and initially refused to give his details. Garda Aine Doherty said Somers was extremely aggressive and irate, and kept shouting at her and saying he was being harassed by gardai. In his evidence, Somers said the patrol car had stopped in the middle of the road and he beeped for it to move so he could pass. The garda car drove into the car park and he drove into a parking spot. Somers said gardai approached him, asking him if he had a problem. Somers said he told them he did not have a problem, and he only beeped because he could not pass. Somes denied he was aggressive and denied calling gardai c**ts, saying it is a word he would never use. Judge Jones found Somers guilty of a breach of the peace. The court heard Somers, a father of one, worked as a tour guide and currently lived in Luxembourg. Smith was found guilty in May of being a member of the Islamic State group Prosecutor told her trial the mother-of-one had enveloped herself in the black flag of IS The mother-of-one, who travelled to Syria and became a propaganda tool for the terror group, had the sentence handed down at the Special Criminal Court today. Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the court would make allowance for any time she had already spent in custody. In May, Smith (40), from Dundalk, Co Louth was found guilty after a non-jury trial of being a member of the Islamic State group between October 28, 2015 and December 1, 2019. She was acquitted of a second charge of financing terrorism by sending money to a man in May 2015, for the benefit of IS. She had denied both counts. The court heard Smith converted to Islam after years of conversing online with a leading American ISIS propagandist, John Georgelas. She left the Irish Defence Forces and later travelled to Syria during the country's civil war, in answer to terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis call to Muslims to join the caliphate. Smith married British jihadist Sajid Aslam and became part of the "life blood" of ISIS as a propaganda tool and as a woman who would help to build the Islamic State, the court heard. Prosecutor Sean Gillane said while she was not involved in combat, she had enveloped herself in the black flag of IS. When the caliphate collapsed in 2019, Smith fled with her daughter and ended up in Syrian refugee camps before being deported to Ireland from Turkey. Smith denied aiding the terror group and her defence was that she had travelled to Syria out of religious obligation. In its verdict in May, the three-judge court found Smith had travelled to Syria "with her eyes open" and pledged allegiance to the organisation led by terrorist leader al-Baghdadi. At a sentence hearing two weeks ago, Smith's defence described her as a "very damaged and "vulnerable person" who suffered from mental health issues and was looking for answers when she converted to Islam. In her quest for knowledge she "did not fully appreciate that her mentor's views were not the norm, her barrister Michael OHiggins said. She had also suffered a violent and abusive marriage, he said. Mr OHiggins argued that Smith's time spent in custody in Syria should offset any jail term here. More to follow Rachel Mulcahy opted to represent herself in court A fake nun accused of public order offences outside Dublins GPO has said she is only guilty of preaching the word of God on OConnell Street. The 32-year-old was dramatically arrested in hospital on Wednesday A man was caught on camera pulling a gun from his trousers in the club in Marbella. Four people, including an Irish man, were shot. Photo: Solarpix.com Police confirmed yesterday the unnamed 32-year-old was now well enough to be formally questioned. An investigating judge probing the incident at Opium Beach Club in Marbella, in which four people including the Irishman were shot and the alleged gunman stabbed, will interrogate him at the Costa del Sol Hospital. Afterwards he will decide whether to approve his release on bail pending an ongoing probe or his remand in custody. Two people arrested earlier this week over the near-tragedy at the beach club, the suspected gunman who is a 40-year-old Dutch national and a friend suspected of aiding and abetting him, have already been remanded in custody. The Irishman was dramatically arrested in hospital on Wednesday after leaving intensive care. Video shows panic in Spanish Nightclub as gunman opens fire He had initially been described as a victim of a stray bullet. Detectives are said to have reached the conclusion he may have been involved in an altercation that led to the suspected gunman being stabbed and reacting by allegedly pulling out a pistol hidden in a belt bag inside his trousers and making a botched attempt to shoot his attacker. His assailant is still being hunted by police after fleeing the VIP area on the stage where South African DJ Black Coffee was performing to a packed crowd when the drama occurred just after 1am on Monday and led to a mass stampede to reach safety. The unnamed Irishman arrested has been identified locally as one of the "friends" that accompanied the knifeman to the sell-out event. Respected Malaga paper Sur reported the two groups involved in the ugly confrontation in the VIP area, where tables cost up to 5,000, were Dutch on one side and mostly British on the other. It also reported the suspected gunmans pal who appeared in court on Wednesday had told a judge the row that ended with the stabbing and shooting started when the knifeman served himself a drink from a bottle on their table without permission. The man suspected of shooting four revellers declined to answer any questions from the judge during his behind-closed-doors court appearance. A source at the Costa del Sol hospital confirmed today the two most seriously injured gunshot victims, the Irishman and a woman who is thought to be Moroccan, were both evolving favourably after leaving intensive care. A source at Spains National Police in Malaga said: The third detainee at the Opium nightclub is still in hospital. He will be handed over to the judiciary tomorrow in hospital and a judge will decide whether to remand him in jail or release him on bail. A row broke out between Doyle and his then partner and both Dylan Gallagher and Mr Dixon tried to intervene when the row moved outside onto the street. A man who beat his two friends with a stick who had intervened in a row he was having with his then girlfriend has been handed a suspended three and a half year prison sentence. James Doyle (36) of Greenfort Lawns, Clondalkin, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Dylan Gallagher and James Dixon on April 28, 2019. Judge Martin Nolan said it was hard to understand what had caused the defendant to behave in such an aggressive and violent way towards his friends. While he said it was a serious attack, Judge Nolan said the court considered it was unlikely that the defendant would re-offend. He suspended a three and a half year sentence on strict conditions in relation to the assault on Mr Gallagher. Judge Nolan also ordered Doyle to pay 10,000 in compensation to Mr Gallagher and a further 3,000 in compensation to Mr Dixon. The court heard that Mr Gallaghers arm was fractured in the assault when he raised it to protect his face. He later had to have surgery to insert a metal plate in his forearm and has suffered nerve damage. Mr Gallagher, a make-up artist, said his injury caused him to be out of work for many months as he didnt have the steady hand he needed to do his job efficiently. Mr Gallagher and Mr Dixon were also due to be married in the months after the attack and they both stated in victim impact statements that the assault took away from the joy of the wedding day. Judge Martin Nolan said there had been a previous engagement with these two men and Doyle then appeared at their home and attacked them savagely with a piece of wood. James Doyle (36) of Greenfort Lawns, Clondalkin, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Dylan Gallagher and James Dixon on April 28, 2019. Pic Collins Courts He added that the physical injuries suggested a pretty determined assault. He was asked to accept a suggestion from defence counsel that Doyle was not lying in wait for the men. The prosecuting garda told Pieter Le Vert BL that the men had been present at the christening of a child of Mr Gallaghers brother, Paul, as Doyle was a good friend with Paul Gallagher. A row broke out between Doyle and his then partner and both Dylan Gallagher and Mr Dixon tried to intervene when the row moved outside onto the street. There was some pushing and shoving before Doyle kicked Mr Gallagher in his face causing it to bleed, while Mr Dixon was punched in the head. Mr Gallagher suffered a panic attack as a result of the kick and was brought back inside. Mr Gallagher and Mr Dixon left the christening about two hours later and got a taxi home. When Mr Dixon was getting out of the car, Doyle, who lived nearby, struck him in the face with a piece of wood. Mr Dixon fell to the ground and Doyle struck him a second time. Mr Gallagher ran over to try and stop the attack and received a blow to the head before his left forearm was struck as he put it up to protect his face. The gardai were called and the couple taken to hospital. Doyle made a voluntary statement to gardai the following day, during which he outlined that he was intoxicated that night. He claimed he had been restrained from leaving Paul Gallaghers home, following the tiff with his girlfriend and said he got a call later from his friend telling him that Mr Gallagher and Mr Dixon where going to call to his home. Doyle told gardai he lived with his elderly father so didnt want the men calling to his home. The court heard that Mr Gallagher and Mr Dixon lived near Doyle. He said he waited outside for them and when he saw Mr Dixon getting out of the taxi, he picked up a stick that had been lying around and swung it at him. He said the men were his friends and he was very sorry to hear they were in hospital. Mr Gallagher stated in his victim impact statement that he has a seven-inch scar on his arm and nerve damage. He said he had to cancel many clients appointments and suffered a loss of earnings of 7,000. Mr Dixon said two of his teeth were cracked and he was prescribed medication to help him sleep. He said he used to be happy all the time and love being around people but he doesnt anymore. The garda agreed with Barry Ward BL, defending, that his client has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since He told Judge Nolan that Doyle was friends with the men and his remorse was immediate, sincere and demonstrative and that his client had written letters of apology. Mr Ward said Doyle doesnt have money to offer the court but is willing to raise money as a token of remorse for the victims. He asked Judge Nolan to accept that his client was not lying in wait for the two men. He said there was an element of intoxication, he picked up a stick and swung the stick. Mr Ward also asked the court to accept that his client surrendered himself to gardai. Ordering Doyle to pay a total of 13,000 in compensation to the victims, Judge Nolan said the intention was to punish the defendant and help the victims. You came very close to going to prison for a long time. I don't know what came into your mind to attack these unfortunate men who were friendly to you, Judge Nolan said. Authorities say the men accused of killing three people in a 2019 drug robbery left a 3-year-old boy strapped in his car seat overnight with the bodies of his parents, who were shot to death in front of the toddler. This newly revealed description of the triple murder and its horrific aftermath comes in a plea agreement filed last month in federal court. Death penalty a possibility for pair charged in Buffalo triple homicide Jariel Cobb, 47, and James Reed, 38, were identified as the suspected killers in a triple homicide that shocked Buffalo. Several of the defendants have accepted plea deals in the case, including one of the men accused of killing the Florida trio and later burning their bodies. Jariel Cobb pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to charges of narcotics distribution and setting a fire to destroy evidence, among other counts, but prosecutors dropped the murder charge he was facing, said attorney Donald Thompson of Rochester. However, Deandre Wilson identified in court papers as the man who killed the parents and their friend continues to maintain his innocence and "at this time" is not considering taking a guilty plea, said his attorney, Daniel J. Henry Jr. of Hamburg. Videos tie ex-gang leader to triple murder, burned-out van, abandoned child Federal prosecutors believe two men in custody on drug charges are also tied to the deaths of a Florida couple found inside a burned-out minivan on Tonawanda The case, scheduled to go to trial in September, was death penalty eligible but the Justice Department has removed that option, Henry said. The investigation began in September 2019 after a 3-year-old boy was found wearing only a diaper and curled up on the porch of a Potomac Avenue house on Buffalo's West Side. Later, police learned that his parents, Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, and their friend, Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred, who had driven from Florida with the little boy, Noelvin, had been killed. The parents' bodies had been driven to an open lot behind a warehouse, where they were torched beyond recognition. The friend's body was also set on fire behind a home elsewhere in Buffalo. Police later released video from a surveillance camera near where the minivan was found that shows two men walking down a driveway. One is leading the little boy, and the other holds what appears to be a gas can. In the corner, the flare of fire can be seen. A 21-page plea agreement signed by one of the six people charged in the case, James Reed, offers disturbing new details on what authorities say happened. The document lays out the following scenario: On Sept. 15, 2019, Reed, Cobb and Wilson went to a Roebling Avenue home to meet Valentin-Colon and Roman-Audiffred, who had driven up from Florida with Valentin-Colons wife, Merced-Plaud, and their son to sell the Buffalonians a kilogram of cocaine. It was Cobb who called the Florida group and told them where to go. Wilson was waiting inside with a gun and, when Roman-Audiffred walked through a rear door into the kitchen, Wilson struck Roman-Audiffred in the head with the butt of the weapon. Roman-Audiffred fell to the floor, fatally injured. Wilson then walked out of the home and toward the couples minivan, parked in the driveway, shooting and killing Valentin-Colon and Merced-Plaud as their son sat in a car seat. 2 kilos of suspected cocaine found in hotel where missing Florida trio stayed The mysterious case involving a burnt-out car with two bodies inside and a 3-year-old Florida boy found asleep on the porch of a house less than a mile away took another turn Friday as three law enforcement sources revealed that investigators had found the hotel room where the family was staying and they found two kilos of whats Wilson then moved Valentin-Colons body to the middle section of the vehicle and drove off, followed by Cobb in another vehicle. Wilson parked the van behind a building on Scajaquada Street and left it there with the boy and his parents bodies still inside. Cobb returned to the home on Roebling, where Reed helped Cobb move Roman-Audiffreds body to the basement. There, Cobb used an ax to dismember Roman-Audiffred's body before putting the remains into several garbage bags and, with Reeds assistance, loading the bags into Cobbs trunk. Cobb and Reed took the remains to a home on Box Avenue, where they threw them onto a burn pit in the backyard. Early the next morning, Cobb and Wilson returned to the minivan, which Wilson moved to a rear yard on Tonawanda Street. Police: Charred car with 2 bodies driven by child's missing parents Police said they have not identified two bodies found inside a charred vehicle, but said the rental car was driven from Florida to Buffalo by the missing parents of a 3-year-old The two men pulled the bodies of Valentin-Colon and Merced-Plaud from the minivan, doused them in gasoline and set them on fire. They unbuckled the boy from his car seat and drove off from Tonawanda Street. On their way back to Box Avenue, at about 3:15 a.m., the men took off all the boys clothes, except for his diaper, and left him on the porch on Potomac. In September 2020, the U.S. Attorney's Office filed murder charges against Cobb and Wilson; charged Reed, along with Cobb and Wilson, with burning the bodies of the three victims; and charged the three men along with Jahaan McDuffie, Destenee Bell and Deshema Clark with a years-long conspiracy to sell illegal drugs in Buffalo. A number of the victims' family members were in court for Cobb's guilty plea Thursday, Thompson said. Noelvin was in the federal court building, but was not in the courtroom, the attorney said. Referring to prosecutors, Thompson said, "They did a careful job of parsing out, you know, who's done what, and whose intention was to commit these acts, as opposed to not commit these acts." Mystery deepens as police probe missing Florida trio, found boy, burned car A burned-out vehicle with human remains inside. Three people from Florida who are missing. A 3-year-old Florida boy found sleeping alone on a West Side porch. The three incidents all came to the attention of Buffalo police on Monday. Now they are trying to figure out if, and how, they might be linked. Members of a Florida family on Other defendants have pleaded guilty, or are in the process of pleading guilty, in the case. Clark, for example, on Thursday pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. Reed pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy and other charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane declined comment on whether the defendants who pleaded guilty have agreed to cooperate with the government in its prosecution of Wilson. But Henry, Wilson's attorney, said he "would assume" this is the case. Cumberton is serving a life sentence in Portlaoise Prison, Co Laois, after he became the first person to be convicted of a murder in the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud. He was found guilty of the April,2016 killing of dissident republican Michael Barr (35) in the Sunset House pub in Dublins north inner city. Despite being held in the maximum-security facility, Cumberton is believed to have ordered the knife attack on the jailed criminal because he allegedly stabbed one of Cumbertons associates on a Dublin street earlier this year. The subject of the jail attack cannot be named for legal reasons as he is on remand in Mountjoy Prison awaiting serious charges before the courts. Prison sources confirmed the man was targeted in the C Base area of Mountjoy in a planned attack several weeks ago. There is a strong idea of who actually did this, but the victim is not playing ball with the investigation The 37-year-old needed hospital treatment after suffering two lacerations to his neck, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries and is said to be making a good recoveryafter the assault. He refused to tell prison officers who attacked him, and it is still unclear who was enlisted for involved in the stab attack despite CCTV being examined by prison authorities. There is a strong idea of who actually did this, but the victim is not playing ball with the investigation so its hard to discipline anyone in relation to it, a security source said. What is certain is that the victim doesnt want to get into even more trouble, even though hes a very dangerous criminal himself. All the indications from the intelligence received are that he was attacked on the orders of Eamon Cumberton for his involvement in a very bad assault on a young ladknown to him. Cumbertons Dublin-based associate, who has no involvement in crime, and was allegedly attacked when he was on a violent crime spree in Dublin earlier this year.Hesuffered potentially life-changing injuries in the street attack, which is said to have infuriated Cumberton. It just goes to show that even if they are locked up under the strictest conditions, those involved with the cartel can still very much get things done, the source said. Its strange in a way to call the individual who was attacked inside a victim because hes guilty of the most horrendous crimes himself over the years, but the fact is that he was very lucky not to be seriously injured in that incident. Michael Barr was shot dead in the Sunset House pub The targeted criminal has nearly 100 previous convictions for offences including assault causing harm, armed robbery, burglaries and production of a weapon. He has also attacked prison officers and was described as institutionalised because of the amount of time he spent in jail for offences mainly connected to his chronic drug addiction. He is likely to receive a lengthy jail term if he is convicted in relation to the charges he is facing, but he is refusing to talk about the attack on him. Cumberton, who is described as a very dangerous individual, has not been involved in any major disciplinary issues since he spent 16 days on hunger strike in Portlaoise Prisonin May of last year in protest at jail bosses moving him to a different landingin the high security facility. The source said: The reality is that despite the very good intelligence, there is no concrete evidence yet to sanction Cumberton for what happened in Mountjoy in late May, but it is well known within the system what went down. When contacted by the Irish Independent, a spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said they do not comment on individual prisoner cases. Cumberton, of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, is one of four criminals serving time in relation to the murder of Barr, who was the manager of the Sunset House in Dublins north inner citywhen he was shot seven timesby a masked gunman in April, 2016. Last week, Cumbertons close associate, convicted dealerChristopher Slator, (37) from Cabrabecame the final person to be convicted in relation to Barrs death and the third to be jailed for life.Slator and Cumberton booked a flight to Bangkok via Dubai the day after the shooting and neither had any checked or hand luggage for the long-haul trip with a return date almost one month later, which the Special Criminal Court ruled last week was highly suspicious. Another man, Martin Aylmer, from Marino, Dublin, was jailed in 2018 for his participation in the murder. The arrests were made during two days of action by Gardai Wexford gardai are investigating two separate incidents in Wexford town. 11 people have been arrested in Laois as part of a crackdown on burglary gangs. Gardai carried out a two-day anti-burglary and anti-crime operation and as a result, 45 charges were brought against 11 individuals on Tuesday and Wednesday. As part of the action days, there were a number of searches as well as checkpoints, patrols, and community engagement. Gardai also issued crime prevention advice to the community. The charges brought include robbery, burglary, theft, theft from shops, criminal damage, possession of drugs for sale or supply, money laundering and drug driving. In the two weeks leading up to the days of action, three suspects were charged with 34 offences of burglary and theft. All suspects were brought before, or are due to appear before Portlaoise District Court. More than 65 per cent of children living in Ukraine have been driven from their homes. The National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that the ten convicted paedophiles travelled east during the first six weeks of the Russian invasion under the guise of providing assistance to fleeing Ukrainians. They were all interviewed by authorities in Poland and deported back to the UK. We have an international network that identifies these threats... we contact our partners and say you have a convicted sex offender on your patch, a spokesperson for the NCA said. It is no coincidence, I think, that somewhere in the region of ten known British child sex offenders travelled to Poland in the first six weeks after the invasion of Ukraine, allegedly to provide humanitarian assistance. Normally they're meant to have declared this [their conviction] as part of their entry. We find inevitably, they haven't. As far as I understand it, all ten were asked to leave, following an interview with Polish immigration and Polish law enforcement. So they're no longer in Poland, the spokesperson concluded. As many as 5,000 unaccompanied children were displaced during the first weeks of the conflict. According to UNICEF, more than 65 per cent of children living in Ukraine have been driven from their homes. 200,000 have been forced into Russia, where some children have been put up for adoption. Gardai have arrested the chief suspect after a young mum was the victim of a suspected sexual assault in a Co Kildare forest. The attack uhappened last Sunday afternoon in woodland at Moore Abbey, near Monasterevin. Sources said the woman was not the victim of a random attack and she knows the suspect who is custody today at Kildare Garda Station. Gardai today issued an appeal for two women who helped the woman in the aftermath of the assault in the forest to contact them. Officers became aware of the assault on Sunday and after they made contact with the victim she was brought to a sexual assault treatment unit (SATU) in a Dublin hospital. It is understood that the woman who is aged in her 20s was also brutally beaten and suffered significant injuries during the course of the attack. Detectives are investigating whether the assault took place over a sustained period of time last Sunday. They are also investigating if the victim may have been coerced to go to the woods which are very popular with walkers especially during the summer. Gardai quickly identified the suspect and have spent the last number of days gathering evidence in the case before they made this mornings planned arrest. The suspect is well known to officers and is considered volatile. Gardai announced details of the incident this morning. A man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with a serious assault on a woman in her 20s which occurred in Monasterevin, County Kildare, on Sunday, 17th July, 2022, a garda spokesman said. The man is currently being detained at Kildare Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Investigations into this incident are ongoing. Gardai are continuing to appeal to anyone who was in the Monasterevin area on Sunday 17th between 1pm and 5.20pm and who may have footage (including dash-cam) to make that footage available to them. Gardai would particularly like to speak with two women who assisted the injured party. Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact Kildare Garda Station on 045 527 730, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station, he added. Investigation | Owner of Thai restaurant at centre of gay orgy storm denies holding sex party in premises There has been a 36pc decline in cash withdrawals from ATMs It said it took the decision in light of what it called the customer and public unease at the move to stop accepting cash at so many branches and pull out ATMs out of those branches. It said there has been a dramatic rise in the use of digital banking services and a decline in branch visits and cash usage. There has been a 36pc decline in cash withdrawals from ATMs and a 50pc fall in cheque usage over the past five years. AIB has also seen a fall of almost 50pc in branch over-the-counter teller transactions, while mobile and online payments have increased by 85pc in that same timeframe. It was in the context of this evolving banking environment and the opportunity to enhance its long- standing relationship with An Post that AIB took the decision to remove cash services from 70 of its branches. However, recognising the customer and public unease that this has caused, AIB has decided not to proceed with the proposed changes to its bank services, the bank said. The move represents an embarrassing climb-down for AIB boss Colin Hunt. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe welcomed the U-turn. It comes a day after Taoiseach Micheal Martin has sought a meeting with Mr Hunt after calling on the bank to reconsider its decision to remove cash facilities at the branches across the country. And the Central Bank had joined Mr Martin in turning up the heat on AIB over its plans to refuse to allow cash transactions at almost half of its branches. The Central Bank said that vulnerable customers should have full access to basic banking services. AIB plans to add another 70 branches to the 22 that have already gone cashless and is removing ATMs at the 70 branches. The Taoiseach has taken the unprecedented move of calling in AIB chief executive to discuss the move to downgrade so many branches. It is understood that Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was given no notice by AIB of its intention to announce on Tuesday that it was turning 70 of its 170 branches cashless this autumn. The move has sparked a furious political backlash with numerous TDs lining up calling for a reverse to the decision. The Central Bank of Ireland has said that the development is a commercial decision for the board of AIB. But it added it expects all regulated entities, including banks, to ensure that the impact of its decisions is considered carefully and with a consumer-focused approach. The regulator said banks should assess the impact of any decision or plan across their full customer base, including vulnerable customers, and ensure that any changes to branches are made in an orderly manner. The Central Bank expects banks to provide vulnerable customers with the assistance necessary to ensure that those customers retain full access to basic banking services, including at another location. AIB had said that it will expand its relationship with An Post, where more cash and cheque services will be made available. But Green Party Minister Ossian Smyth has described AIB's plan to turn 70 branches cashless as an opportunity in community banking for post offices and credit unions across the country. I think its important that people in rural areas have access to banking, Im happy to see that it will be possible to continue to lodge cash or withdraw cash from a post office to your AIB account and I think that Bank of Ireland are taking the same approach, he told RTEs Morning Ireland today. I want to see the network of rural post offices strengthened and with that in mind we announced a special subsidy for all post masters to make sure that all post offices stayed in business. And we were looking for ways to strengthen the post office to offer more services through the post office and I think this could be the thing that would make them last. Mr Smyth said it is unfortunate that this decision was made by AIB ahead of the publication of the review of consumer banking. While the pedestrianisation trials were met with overwhelming public support, the move was opposed by the owners of the Brown Thomas Car Park, known as the Grafton Car Park. Last summer, the council permanently banned cars from a section of South William Street, as well as several areas in the city centre including South Anne Street, Dame Court, and the majority of Drury Street. And while the pedestrianisation trials were met with overwhelming public support, the move was opposed by the owners of the Brown Thomas Car Park, known as the Grafton Car Park. The parking garage has an exit that leads out onto South William Street and DCC had proposed that owners change the building's structure so that incoming cars would enter at the north of South William Street and exit on Clarendon Street. This would then allow for the majority of the street to be pedestrianised, the council said. The car park owners said doing so would pose insurmountable structural difficulties that cannot be overcome and added that the trial pedestrianisation of the street caused internal congestion and business to drop by 30pc in just one week. While only the small area between the car parks exit and Exchequer Street was pedestrianised as a result, DCCs new city development plan seeks to entirely ban cars from the entire street. Green Party councillor Claire Byrne said the council cannot be beholden to one retail unit in the city and their car park. We have done trials already they were a roaring success. In DublinTowns own surveys almost 70 per cent of the businesses are supportive of full pedestrianisation and we know that the public sentiment towards this is incredibly strong. We all know the only reason we arent doing this is because of the Brown Thomas, now Grafton, Car Park. Fine Gael councillor Paddy McCartan said it was vital to maintain the momentum of pedestrianisation in the city Particularly after the success of Capel Street, bringing it to another south side street now is imperative. Car parking was a minor issue in the context of peoples enjoyment and freedom to benefit from pedestrianisation. The man mysteriously died almost 70 years ago Somerton Man, as he is known, has long been suspected of being a cold war spy after a coded message was found among his belongings. But now, Professor Derek Abbott from the University of Adelaide who has been a researcher on the case since 2009 says that he believes that the dead man could be Irish. "It's very possible there's some Irish blood in there," he told ABC Australia. Not only did he have flecks of ginger hair, but many of his belongings were inscribed with the name Keane. "It was spelt K-E-A-N-E on all the items except for one one had the 'E' missed off the end," Professor Abbott said. "But there was a little note in the inquest saying that, possibly, that E had faded as that item had been laundered." Keane is an Irish surname and remains common throughout Ireland and in countries where Irish people have settled, such as Australia. If the Somerton Mans surname was Keane, Professor Abbott believes he could have been an Australian of Irish descent who had travelled to Adelaide from another area. "I've been looking at different Keane families throughout Australia and looking at if I can construct their family trees and seeing if I can find a missing Keane but no luck to report as yet, he explained. "It's possible he is a Keane or connected to a Keane family in some way or it could just be a random find: he's picked up some clothes in a second-hand shop." The man was found dead on Somerton Park Beach in Adelaide on the morning of December 1st 1948. He was lying on his back with his head resting against the sea wall and it is believed the man died while asleep. Somerton Man was dressed in a suit, and there were no obvious signs of injury. Tamam Shud The cause of death could not be determined, with authorities branding it an unparalleled mystery. The coroner noted that he had strong, muscular legs, like that of a dancer. A search of his pockets found various items including cigarettes, matches, a comb and an unused second-class rail ticket from Adelaide to Henley Beach. Six weeks later, staff at the Adelaide railway station discovered a brown suitcase that was checked into the station cloakroom on 30 November 1948, just one day before the mans death. It was confirmed to be his and in the case, authorities found the clothing marked with the name Keane. Months after his death, a small rolled-up piece of paper with the words Tamam Shud was found in a pocket sewn into his trousers. The text, which means ended or finished in Persian is included on the final page of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The code found written in the book After a public appeal, the exact book in which the phrase was torn from was found. The book had been found not far from the location of the mans body in an unlocked car parked nearby. In the back of the book, a coded message was found, fuelling a theory that the man was a spy. While cryptographers said that they could not provide "a satisfactory answer" to what the code meant, they added that if the text were an encrypted message it had "insufficient symbols" from which a clear meaning couldnt be established. They further said that the code could be "meaningless" or the "product of a disturbed mind. I don't think there's compelling evidence [to say he was a spy], just these scattered circumstantial things that can be explained in different ways," Professor Abbott said. Author of The Unknown Man and Retired Detective Gerry Feltus added: "A lot of people were hanging their hats on the fact that it was a good line to look at, simply because of what was termed a 'code'. "From there, the spy theory started to develop because no one could work out these lines of letters. "The climate in that time 1948 was at the end of the Second World War, and Russia was coming to the fore." "You know how I answer the question, 'Was he a spy?' I get a coin, and I flip it up in the air," he said. The mans body was exhumed last May and taken to a forensic lab in the hope of obtaining DNA to carry out testing to identify him. However, there has been no further update on the case from the Major Crime Investigation Branch. "Police will provide further comment when results from the testing are received, they said. The case has been compared to that of Peter Bergmann, an unidentified man who was found dead on a beach in Sligo in 2009. Despite extensive investigations, the man who went under the pseudonym has never been identified. They are currently filming the 13th season of the show. The cast of Real Housewives of Jersey have been spotted filming upcoming episodes of their hit reality TV show in Dublin. Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust TMT- will again bring to the Tauranga Moana and wider Bay of Plenty region its highly successful representation of the worlds best ta tatau and ta moko indigenous practitioners for one unique cultural event. Held over eleven days from September 19 29 2022, TMT presents Toi Kiri: World Indigenous Tattoo Culture 2022; a gathering of indigenous practitioners of Ta Tatau, Ta Moko (Maori) and cultural arts at Whareroa Marae and grounds, Mount Maunganui. The festival will focus on the development of customary body marking art, including the safe and current use of both customary Uhi - hand tapping - and modern tattoo technologies. Over 50 indigenous practitioners of Ta Tatau, Ta Moko and other related cultural arts such as weaving, carving, adornment, clay and ceremony will live-in at Whareroa Marae. The artist symposium part of the festival will run from September 19 22. The public festival will run from 11am Friday September 23 to 5pm Sunday September 25. A ceremonial Maori blessing followed by food will open Toi Kiri: World Indigenous Tattoo Culture 2022, where continuous tattoo, dance and music performances, as well as food vendors, will feature until 9pm. A range of art and cultural vendors will also be available until 7pm each day. TMT Chairperson Julie Paama-Pengelly says Ta Moko Ta Tatau builds in wananga experience for all the Indigenous artists in attendance, broadens the participation of other sectors of the community and cultural groups, and encourages the development of indigenous art practices that tend to be undervalued in public art festival settings. Ta Moko Ta Tatau provides for unique experiences, enriched cultural interactions and exposure to new knowledge through broad community participation, says Julie. For the Tauranga Moana and Western Bay of Plenty region, the event provides further economic benefit through the positive marketing and sharing or our region internationally, the promotion of cultural community development, and through the engagement of participation with the wider arts and cultural communities. It opens the door for future exchange of art, through online and physical international exchanges. We are excited to be able to put together a whole cultural package where the value is in the sharing of actual cultural experiences. Tahitian handtap exponents, Purotu and Heifara, working at indigenous gathering March 2020. Photo: Supplied. The event will see indigenous practitioners from across the globe make their way to the Tauranga region to share their stories, art form and histories. In previous years, leading artists of indigenous body marking arts have come from Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Philippines, Innuit, Alaska, Canada, America, Taiwan and New Zealand. Julie says TMT are putting the letters of invitations out now to prepare the artists for what they need to come to the festival and New Zealand. We have a well-established international and national artist network eager to attend the event. But it costs a lot of money, especially during Covid times to come to the other side of the world. Many will be putting in funding applications to come over, and the key ones will make it as they know how valuable this event is. Julie explains that event attendees will experience a unique festival unlike any other. Many people dont appreciate that with the worlds indigenous, we actually share a lot of experiences. Maori have benefited from the fact we were colonised quite late a lot of these indigenous cultures are more of a minority than we are and have had mass genocide. So its interesting that we are the youngest in terms of our colonial history but weve been the most vocal about our revival. It has been so strong that other indigenous look to us. We all share a common paradigm about the way we see the world and our practice. By us running our own event and making it a driven event, we are very experienced in what that looks like in terms of indigenous, so I think people will experience a really unique event and thats the point that they gain a new appreciation or insight into other peoples worlds. The festival has been made possible with the help of $10,000 in funding approved thorough the Kaupapa Maori Legacy Event Fund KMLEF, established by Tauranga City Council and TECT. The fund was established to provide ongoing support to recurring events that celebrate tangata whenua and/or mana whenua, promote and share tikanga Maori and/or bring awareness to events of historical significance for Tauranga Moana Maori. Julie says the TMT were relieved to receive the funding. This is our third festival. Weve run those festivals on the smell of an oily rag, purely on volunteer effort, and this time is the first time weve actually gained financial support for it. That funding is truly amazing we probably wouldnt have been able to run the festival without that support. It takes so much energy, so much community to do what we do. We place so much value on what we do, so it was really nice to have Tauranga City Council and TECT support it, to see that our hard work was valued. More information about the festival can be found at www.tetuimareikura.org/toikiri2022. A Washington man was charged Friday with threatening to kill Black people at Tops Markets on Elmwood Avenue this week, two months after a racist attack at a different Buffalo Tops killed 10 Black people. The Tops at 2101 Elmwood Ave. in North Buffalo closed before 9 p.m. July 19, The News reported, with Buffalo police investigating "threats made in connection with the store." Joey David George, 37, of Lynnwood, Wash., allegedly called the Tops and identified himself as "Peter," according to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The caller asked how many Black people were in the store and told the employee who responded that "he would make the news if he shot and killed all of the Black people, including all of the women, children, and babies," an FBI agent alleged in the complaint filed Thursday. Survivors of Tops shooting share stories as 5/14 fund gathers public input Thursday's meeting at City Honors School marked the end of the public comment period about the draft protocol, which sets out proposed rules for the Buffalo 5/14 Fund, including eligibility guidelines for the recipients. The fund's steering committee will finalize the rules and is expected to publish them Tuesday. The caller then allegedly asked the employee if the building had been evacuated and said that there was a chance he was already in the store or nearby. He is alleged to have continued with a threat to travel to the Jefferson Avenue Tops where 10 people were killed and three others wounded May 14 in a racist mass shooting if no one was at the Elmwood Avenue store. The caller allegedly told the Tops employee that he "was a really good shot" and "could pick people off from the parking lot." He also allegedly told the employee that he had "assault rifles and other weapons." Tops on Elmwood Avenue closes early following threat Customers arriving after 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Tops Market at 2101 Elmwood Ave. in North Buffalo found it closed, according to a passerby. The caller is alleged to have called the Tops on Elmwood again the following day to rant about a "race war" and said, "This is what happens in a blue state," the complaint alleged. Phone records show the calls were from a phone number that George owns and T-Mobile location data placed the call less than a quarter-mile from George's residence in Lynnwood, a city about 15 miles north of Seattle, the FBI agent's report said. The complaint also charges George with making a May 12 phone call threatening to shoot Black or Hispanic people at a restaurant in San Bruno, Calif., unless it closed within 20 minutes. The FBI alleged he has also made other calls threatening racial violence to a Denny's restaurant in Enfield, Conn., on Sept. 11, 2021; to a medical marijuana dispensary in Rockville, Md., the same day; and to a dispensary in Seattle, Wash. on Jan. 12, 2022. He was charged with two counts of making interstate threats to injure another person. George was arraigned on the charges Friday in federal court in Seattle. A hearing to determine if he can be held in custody is scheduled Monday afternoon. If convicted of the interstate threat charges, George could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison. "The Buffalo community is trying to heal from the horrific shooting at a Tops grocery store. I cannot imagine the type of fear such hate-fueled threats engendered in those just trying to go about their daily lives," said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown in Seattle. We cannot tolerate this kind of hate in our community and will not sit by while people seek to terrorize others across our country." Payton Gendron, 18, of Conklin in Broome County, who identified himself as a white supremacist, is facing state and federal charges, including murder, domestic terrorism and committing hate crimes that resulted in death, in connection with the May 14 mass shooting at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue. 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. A woman clung to life on a recent morning after going into cardiac arrest in the Southern Tier. Rescue crews restarted her pulse but struggled to stabilize her, so she was transferred to Gates Vascular Institute. A decade ago, the trip to Buffalo if it had been made at all almost certainly would have meant little for this patient, who was unlikely to survive open heart surgery to save her life. Photos: Gates Vascular Institute 10th anniversary Procedures performed and treatment provided during the last decade at Gates Vascular Institute have saved and extended the lives of heart, str This day, a surgical team worked seamlessly to monitor her vital signs and feather a medical device through a catheter into the left side of her damaged heart. The procedure slowed her heart rate so her organs could take a couple of days to re-collect themselves and give her a fighting chance to recover. The device, called an Impella, was relatively new and largely ineffective when the GVI opened in 2012. When doctors tried to use it, the survival rate for cardiogenic shock patients was only about 4.5%. You put it in and youd hope and pray, said Dr. Vijay Iyer, medical director of cardiology and the Structural Heart Program at Kaleida Health, which runs the institute. Today, those odds of survival stand at about 50%, thanks in part to Iyer and others at the institute who helped the manufacturer test and improve the Impella, as well as the procedures used to implant and remove it. This and other work performed at the institute during the last decade have saved and extended the lives of heart, stroke and vascular disease patients, lessened the need for more invasive surgeries and allowed those who live in the region the chance to get top-of-the-line treatments for life-threatening conditions close to home. The institute also has become a magnet for top neurovascular and heart specialists, medical device companies and patients from outside the region seeking clinical trials and treatments. It's been a wonderful success, said Dr. L. Nelson Nick Hopkins III, its founder. The space Gates Vascular leaders recently welcomed a reporter and photographer to spend a day at the institute, which makes up the lower half of an eight-story building topped by four floors that comprise the University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Research Center. The nonprofit Jacobs Institute shares the fifth floor with UB, helping distill the laboratory work from the spaces next door and above for use in many of the hands-on clinical treatments below. The building layout and operation have allowed researchers in there to publish more medical studies, UB to attract more research projects and the regional health care industry to bring new medical technology to Western New York sooner. Combined, the building cost more than $300 million to build and equip. More than 1,000 people work in its spaces, conceived by Mehrdad Yazdani, a Cannon Design architect from Los Angeles, who Hopkins and others charged with designing a structure that forced collisions between doctors, researchers and health care entrepreneurs. Ten years on, the dynamic continues to stir interest outside the region, because the vast majority of those dispensing vascular care elsewhere remain in separate locations, often miles from hospital hubs like the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, where the GVI stands. During the last six years, the Gates Vascular staff has livestreamed procedures to medical teams in 88 countries. Cardiovascular thoracic surgeons have completed more than 12,000 cases, neurosurgeons more than 13,000 and vascular surgeons more than 8,000 since the institute opened in May 2012. Institute staff treats 18,000 patients a year outside the operating and catheterization suites. Throughout the past 10 years, we have seen major medical advances in the way patients are treated and cared for, Kaleida spokesperson Elizabeth Ortolani said. Most notably, our patients are having more complex procedures with improved patient outcomes and decreased length of hospital stays. It was the kind of change Hopkins envisioned in 2006, when he gathered leaders at a national conference in vascular medicine and asked neurosurgeons, heart specialists, vascular surgeons and radiologists how a specialized center of their dreams would come together. The result was a far cry from his experience starting as a neurosurgeon with Dent Neurologic Institute in the mid-1970s, conducting research at the UB South Campus on Main Street and treating patients first at Erie County Medical Center and later at Millard Fillmore Hospital at Gates Circle. That meant a 20- to 25-minute drive just to get to our research center, which hampers your ability to do freewheeling research, said Hopkins, also founder and chief scientific officer of the Jacobs Institute and chair of the UB Department of Neurosurgery from 1989 to 2013. The former arrangement also limited the time to get to know doctors in related disciplines. Bringing them together under one roof made sense, he said, given the fact that we are all focused on the exact same vascular system. An immediate impact In an early case, interventional cardiologists fretted they would be unable to clear a mostly blocked aorta in one patient, so they asked a vascular surgeon next door if he could help. Working together, they opened a pathway that addressed the blockage without open heart surgery. The patient went home the next day. Another patient during the first year with complex coronary disease needed a new heart valve. During a coffee break, Iyer, also chief of cardiovascular medicine at UB, told Dr. Adnan Siddiqui, a neurovascular surgeon, that a surgical team likely would have to open the patients chest to install it. Siddiqui said he could feather a catheter through an artery in the neck instead of the more common way, through the groin. Adnan opened up the carotid artery and 14 minutes later, the guy had a new valve, Hopkins said. He went home the next day. Months later, Siddiqui had a 15-year-old patient with vascular malformations in his brain that other specialized centers could not treat because his arteries were so damaged. Taking an unconventional route through a vein would be the best way to address damage in the brain. But how? It meant working against the blood flow. Iyer offered to stop the heart for a short time so a channel could be created and Siddiqui could successfully perform the procedure. That is how things have progressed into one of the most famous vascular centers in the world, Hopkins said. It's those interactions among the various disciplines that allow that to happen. The layout The Buffalo General Medical Center emergency room makes up the ground floor of the GVI. Clinical space on the second and third floors give way to a fourth-floor catheterization unit, where more than 30 doctors lead as many as 80 procedures a day in the 15 procedural suites. Strokes, aneurysms, heart attacks and cardiovascular disease are treated. Clot-busting and blood-vessel clearing procedures are performed. Pacemakers, defibrillators heart valves, heart pumps and other medical devices are deployed through tiny tubes called catheters. Every day we replace heart valves here through a leg catheter, some days as many as six or seven. The patient goes home on the next day, said Lorie Mariano, Kaleida Health vice president of hospital operations, while leading a walk through the unit. Thousands of specialists from around the world saw some of the procedures conducted in the unit in May, when Siddiqui and others from the GVI led part of the proceedings during the World Live Neurovascular Conference. Other institutions are historically siloed, Siddiqui said. There is no conceivable way these people could ever catch up to us because our big secret sauce here is that we put everybody together. Siddiqui directs neurological and stroke services at Kaleida Health and is CEO of the Jacobs Institute. He is also vice chair of neurosurgery with the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He came to Buffalo in 2006 to work with Hopkins, whom he called the most notable neurosurgeon in the neurovascular space, bar none. There were few collaborations between disciplines during his first six years in the region but that changed after the GVI opened, said Siddiqui, who has considered jobs elsewhere until taking a closer look at the far-flung health care specialties on university and medical campuses. Here, I know, every single interventionist, he said during the recent tour. I know every single surgeon. We hang out together. We work together. We have coffee together. We celebrate birthdays together. The already renowned GVI stroke prevention and treatment center added a major upgrade last fall. Radiology and neurosurgery staff can now take images of stroke damage, interpret needs, call in staff as needed and repair the damage all in the same operating suite. Off hours, images taken in the $2.5 million 4D CT Room, alongside the emergency room triage area, can be sent by smartphone for team members to assess while on route. The new equipment and protocol save critical time. Together, Siddiqui said, this shaves an hour, hour and a half off the procedure. The future The focus on research, innovation and bridging boundaries also helps loved ones of patients, because the interest in sharing surgical techniques has translated to hospital waiting rooms, where doctors can keep a patients family up to date on progress during a procedure. The company that created the videoconferencing system is working to make it available across the country, Siddiqui said. Loved ones of the woman who received the Impella device to give her time to recover from cardiac arrest learned quickly that the procedure went well. The device worked as designed. The woman survived and returned home. What will professional collisions bring to Buffalo during the next decade? Time, talent and a proven system of medical care suggest more breakthroughs. Siddiqui was willing to talk about one of them. Gates Vascular researchers are working with the medical device company Corindus on a next-generation robot that will allow UB-related neurosurgeons to help diagnose, treat and operate on patients in hospitals across the region remotely from the downtown Buffalo campus in as little as two years. That, Siddiqui said, "is going to be a game changer. Next week: How UB and the Jacobs Institute help the Gates Vascular Institute move medical care forward in Western New York and beyond. The first monkeypox vaccine clinic in the Buffalo area is slated for next week. The Erie County Department of Health and Evergreen Health have partnered to host a two-day free monkeypox vaccine clinic from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 27 and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 28 at Evergreen Commons, 67 Prospect Ave. While the vaccines are free to at-risk individuals, pre-registration is required on the county's website. Eligible for the vaccine are Erie County residents who are at least 18 years old and are at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox, including gay men and members of the bisexual, transgender and gender nonconforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days in areas where monkeypox is spreading, according to the county Health Department. Also eligible are individuals from a social network that is experiencing monkeypox activity. Participants will receive the JYNNEOS vaccine, which was approved in September 2019 by the Federal Drug Administration to treat monkeypox and is being distributed by the federal government. Individuals who attend the clinic will be scheduled to receive a second dose of the vaccine on either Aug. 24-25. Like the Covid-19 vaccine, recipients are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot. Hochul does not expect mask mandate for schools this fall, defends emergency powers Gov. Kathy Hochul does not expect students, teachers or staff to have to wear masks in New York classrooms this fall. New York State's 830 positive monkeypox cases, as of July 20, were more than double the second-highest state, California, which had 356. The vast majority of cases have been identified in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a briefing Wednesday. Erie County had three positive cases as of Thursday night, said Kara Kane, Erie County Department of Health's public information officer. The department has identified close contacts to those cases and offered them the vaccine. "Our department will continue to investigate newly identified cases and offer to vaccinate any close contacts," said Dr. Gale Burstein, the county's health commissioner. "This vaccination strategy will reduce the risk of community transmission, and have a protective benefit for people in our community at highest risk from current outbreaks. The body of Claire Daphne Fortune, 38, who was reported missing from the Taos Junction Bridge Monday (July 18), has been located. brownkaiser BHPian Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 42 Thanked: 138 Times Re: Hyderabad - Weekend Drive Medak & Pocharam Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary We returned to the sanctuary although it was only 2:30 pm. This sanctuary is spread across 130 square kilometres and was a former hunting ground of the Nizams. We enquired about the tickets and the safari ride inside the sanctuary, however, they said that the safari vehicle needs a minimum of 6 people. But they suggested that if we take a guide along with us, they will let us take the car inside. We were not okay with someone travelling with us and just stood there discussing. Thankfully, someone else took their car and the guide went with them. Took it as a chance and followed that car to the entry gate and paid INR 200 for two tickets. Once inside, we did not bother to follow them but rather went at our own pace. Although they call it a sanctuary, it is a deer breeding centre. We were excited since we could take our car inside and roam around, just like you see in actual safaris. They had told us that we can see different types of deer and wild boars. The overall track was somewhere around 5 kilometres and they have put mile stones for every half kilometre. We slowly started our drive, making sure to make as much less noise as possible. We started spotting deer wherever there were man-made water ponds and would stop since the deer themselves stood like a statue the moment they saw us. Deers near the man-made pond. It was a sunny day but it was dark inside the sanctuary. We carried on and spotted many more peacocks. Further ahead and when it was very dark in one corner, we could see a different animal (a bit bigger) and that too between the trees, moving slowly. We could not figure out what it was but were happy to see something other than a deer finally. The internal road. Within the park, there is a watch tower where you can stop and get a good view of the lake. Finally, after an hour, we reached back the main gate. There we met the guide who said that it is 3:30 and you will start seeing more deer now. We gave him INR 200 more (although he did not ask for it) and went for one more round. After a few meters, we understood what he said because near a man-made pond, he had put a lot of food for the deer, and we could see 100s of them trying to have their food in peace. We turned off the engine and just sat there, staring at them. After some time, we went ahead, going at a faster pace, since we had seen what we came for. Deer having food given by the caretakers. In the last kilometre, where there is a curve with a lot of darkness to the corner, we saw a peacock walking towards a tree. The next second, we understood that it was not a tree, but rather the same animal that we saw earlier. It was a Nilgai. And as expected, it was a huge animal, more like a cow or a horse. We tried to click some pictures but they came out terrible due to low light and distance. We were anyway happy, so finished our round and exited. Nilgai along with a peacock. Few pointers: Recommended visit timings are before 11:30 or after 3:30. Try to go in the safari vehicle or take your own car. The guides will lie that you will get lost in the park, but that is not the case. You can go on your own. It is a great feeling to see animals outside a cage and roaming openly. Everyone, especially kids who are stuck in their apartments, will definitely appreciate it. With this, our agenda was completed and so, we headed back to the city. The drive was smooth and could reach back by around 6-6:30 PM. With that, Ill close this travelogue. Hope this inspires some BHPian to go for a drive this weekend and add their perspective and any helpful suggestions or inputs to this thread. Thank you for reading. We returned to the sanctuary although it was only 2:30 pm. This sanctuary is spread across 130 square kilometres and was a former hunting ground of the Nizams. We enquired about the tickets and the safari ride inside the sanctuary, however, they said that the safari vehicle needs a minimum of 6 people. But they suggested that if we take a guide along with us, they will let us take the car inside.We were not okay with someone travelling with us and just stood there discussing. Thankfully, someone else took their car and the guide went with them. Took it as a chance and followed that car to the entry gate and paid INR 200 for two tickets. Once inside, we did not bother to follow them but rather went at our own pace.Although they call it a sanctuary, it is a deer breeding centre. We were excited since we could take our car inside and roam around, just like you see in actual safaris. They had told us that we can see different types of deer and wild boars. The overall track was somewhere around 5 kilometres and they have put mile stones for every half kilometre.We slowly started our drive, making sure to make as much less noise as possible. We started spotting deer wherever there were man-made water ponds and would stop since the deer themselves stood like a statue the moment they saw us.Deers near the man-made pond.It was a sunny day but it was dark inside the sanctuary. We carried on and spotted many more peacocks. Further ahead and when it was very dark in one corner, we could see a different animal (a bit bigger) and that too between the trees, moving slowly. We could not figure out what it was but were happy to see something other than a deer finally.The internal road.Within the park, there is a watch tower where you can stop and get a good view of the lake. Finally, after an hour, we reached back the main gate. There we met the guide who said that it is 3:30 and you will start seeing more deer now. We gave him INR 200 more (although he did not ask for it) and went for one more round. After a few meters, we understood what he said because near a man-made pond, he had put a lot of food for the deer, and we could see 100s of them trying to have their food in peace. We turned off the engine and just sat there, staring at them. After some time, we went ahead, going at a faster pace, since we had seen what we came for.Deer having food given by the caretakers.In the last kilometre, where there is a curve with a lot of darkness to the corner, we saw a peacock walking towards a tree. The next second, we understood that it was not a tree, but rather the same animal that we saw earlier. It was a Nilgai. And as expected, it was a huge animal, more like a cow or a horse. We tried to click some pictures but they came out terrible due to low light and distance. We were anyway happy, so finished our round and exited.Nilgai along with a peacock.With this, our agenda was completed and so, we headed back to the city. The drive was smooth and could reach back by around 6-6:30 PM.With that, Ill close this travelogue. Hope this inspires some BHPian to go for a drive this weekend and add their perspective and any helpful suggestions or inputs to this thread.Thank you for reading. Ford's EV production is one of the most prominent now, as its cars are one of the top sellers in the market, and it has a massive demand from the public at present. Ford used a study on projected demand for EVs in the coming years, and with that, the Dearborn-based company is ramping up its production with 600,000 units for 2023 and more than 2 million cars for 2026. Ford EV Production: 600,000 for 2023, 2 Million EVs for 2026 (Photo : Carl Court/Getty Images) An employee walks past a Ford logo in the yet-to-be-completed engine production line at a Ford factory on January 13, 2015 in Dagenham, England. Ford brought a news release that brings good news for all, and these are additional electric vehicles for the world to see in 2023 and three years into the future, by 2026. In the post, Ford promises 600,000 electric vehicles to release by 2023, and it would bring 270,000 units for the Mustang Mach-E, 150,000 each for the Transit EV and F-150 Lightning, and 30,000 cars for an upcoming mid-size SUV for Europe. These new car deliveries would bring more for the public to purchase and are coming for the North America and Europe regions for its deliveries and sale. The Michigan-based automotive company said it has already completed its required battery packs to create the 600,000 EVs for next year. Ford added that it would have over two million EVs produced by 2026. Read Also: Ford Begins Trials on Robot-Charging Stations For the Disabled and Elderly Ford EVs: Will It Sell as Much in the Coming Years? In the post, Ford said that it used EY's statistics regarding the electric vehicle demand in the world, with the study stating that 52 percent of global buyers are interested in purchasing EVs from manufacturers now. The demand and interest for more than two years is something the company will bring for all interested buyers soon. Ford's Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning There is a study that projects Ford and GM's performance in the future, and these two automotive companies from Michigan are on track to overtake Tesla as the leading in EV manufacturing in the industry. And Ford is not slowing down on its EV ventures and releases for the public to enjoy, with fully-electric and hybrid machines available for all. The fully-electric cars from Ford include the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning pickup, two of the top contenders in the market today. However, that is not all from the automotive manufacturer's transition to clean energy. The company is also focusing on bringing new cars, including a "SuperVan" prototype that is fast. Ford is not a company one would expect to transition to electric mobility, especially with its heritage in the massive gas guzzler engines that focus on V-block engineering. However, its electric vehicles are still worthy of grazing the top lists, especially with its highly-regarded pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning. Soon, it would have ample units for deliveries and sales to those wanting a Ford EV. Related Article: Ford Will Lay Off 8,000 Workers To Make Way For Funding EV Projects This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Boom has revealed new design images of the Supersonic aircraft, the Overture. With the aim to deliver sustainable supersonic commercial flight, the company has already made deals with United Airlines and Japan Airlines to buy the aircraft that is in development. In fact, United Airlines announced that it was investing $3 billion in the plane last year. (Photo : JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images) An ATR-72 passenger aircraft is pictured on display at the Farnborough Airshow, in Farnborough, on July 19, 2022. Faster, Better, and More Sustainable Boom said that the Overture will fly at twice the speed of today's airliners and that it can fly from New York to London in only 3.5 hours, as reported by Interesting Engineering. Updates about the overture were only revealed recently at the Farnborough International Airshow. The Overture may be able to accommodate 65-80 passengers and it will fly at Mach 1.7 over the ocean. It will also run on 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Boom expects that it will go into production by 2024. The Overture reflects the company's mission to remove the barriers to experiencing the planet. This is why the new design will now carry fewer passengers and they have made this sacrifice to make the aircraft more quiet and efficient. Therefore, it will have a quieter supersonic boom than the Concorde which also means it will have fewer restrictions while flying over populated areas. However, it will still need to fly under Mach 1 over land. The aircraft will be equipped with buzz-free engineers with no afterburners. Plus, it will feature the world's first automated noise reduction system. With that, it won't be louder than the convention aircraft during takeoff. The company also announced that it has reconfigured the fuselage and gull wings of the aircraft. They also added more engines to it. Therefore, the Overture will now have four smaller engines on its wings. In turn, this will let the aircraft be quieter and help decrease operation costs. The aircraft will have a 106-feet wingspan and a length of 201 feet. It will have a reduced drag with better fuel efficiency as well, thanks to the wider fuselage near the front. Additionally, its gull wing design can improve safety, especially when flying at lower speeds. This can also help decrease engine strain. Also Read: NASA's Supersonic Jet Completes Wind Tunnel Tests | Quiet 'Son of Concorde'? Still So Many Things To Do At This Point The future is bright for Boom, and the Overture design is worth looking forward to. However, the company has still some work to do to make the aircraft operate in 2024. Currently, the company is working to procure a specific engine for the Overture. Flight tests for the Overture may begin in Mojave, California by 2026 and will hopefully be operational by 2029. Related Article: Startup Boom Teams Up With Virgin Galactic To Create Supersonic Planes This article is owned by TechTimes Written by April Fowell 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Julie Hartwell recounted the terror of being a shopper inside the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue during the mass shooting May 14, and for a time being separated from her daughter, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. And she described the trauma she has lived with since surviving the attack. As money starts to flow to families, victims of Tops shooting, some survivors feel left out Leaders of the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund said they have started making payments from the fund as a way to rush needed financial help to the victims and their families, even before all the rules for distributing the money are set. "I still cannot sleep at night," she said. "I still can't go back to work." Hartwell also expressed gratitude to the steering committee of the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund, which will provide financial support to her and others impacted by the racist attack. "I want to say thank you for thinking about us," she said Thursday at City Honors School. Survivors of the attack, relatives of victims and concerned community members spoke out at a town hall meeting on the Buffalo 5/14 fund's plans for distributing donations to people impacted by the attack. Hartwell's emotional story struck a chord with the audience. Jeffrey Dion, executive director of the National Compassion Fund, which is administering the fund, said he recognized Hartwell from a TV interview after the shooting. Hartwell's story drove home the importance of supporting people traumatized by the attack, along with the families of those killed and people physically wounded, he said. "I said, 'That is exactly why we need to include these people,' " Dion told her. After Hartwell spoke, several audience members stepped forward to hug her. Emmanuel Jenkins, an Army veteran, was also in the store that day, and recalled his painful memories of the shooting. Mayor Byron Brown calls for federal aid to repair economic damage of mass shootings Mayor Byron Brown made a plea for federal aid for Buffalo and other affected communities before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, a panel of the House Financial Services Committee. "Where do we stand on this?" he said, asking about his eligibility. Dion assured Jenkins he would be eligible for money from the fund. Samuel A. Herbert, who shops at the Tops on Jefferson, praised the committee for its plan. "You've really thought this out," he said. "I want to say this to the Tops representatives tonight: thank you for all that you are doing to help Black people," Herbert added. "Black lives matter." Myles Carter, a community activist, raised complaints with the committee, saying he didn't think victims of the attack were being heard in the process. He said it was unfair to force survivors, already suffering from trauma, to go through a documentation process to prove they were in the store. Even leaving the house to get that kind of help is difficult, he added. "Someone should be knocking on their door and handing them a check," Carter said. Thursday's meeting at City Honors School marked the end of the public comment period about the draft protocol, which sets out proposed rules for the Buffalo 5/14 Fund, including eligibility guidelines for the recipients. The fund's steering committee will finalize the rules and is expected to publish them Tuesday. As of Thursday afternoon, the fund had received nearly $5 million in donations. The fund is continuing to accept donations, and is scheduled to do so until Sept. 20. One hundred percent of the funds collected will eventually be distributed. Plans call for distributing the money to recipients in five categories: legal heirs of the 10 people killed (who would receive the highest payments); those physically injured by gunfire or shrapnel in the attack; those who suffered some other type of physical injury during the shooting, and who received medical treatment no later than May 21; those who were present at the Jefferson Avenue store or its parking lot during the shooting and suffered psychological trauma; and employees of the store who were not present when the shooting occurred. The timeline laid out by the 5/14 fund calls for posting an application online Aug. 16, and a deadline of Sept. 14 to submit those applications. The fund plans to start distributing the money to recipients, on a rolling basis, starting Oct. 24. Earlier this year, Google teased that there's a new feature that will be available to Android devices with Bluetooth support. The company mentioned a set of features that might come soon, including Spatial Audio and multipoint audio switching. This time, the search engine firm is rolling out the Fast Pair Audio Switching feature for Android devices. This is helpful if you want to switch between different gadgets easily. The feature is said to have been first teased during the Google I/O conference last May. It's now coming to Google Pixel Buds Pro soon. Google Fast Pair Audio Switching (Photo : Daniel Romero from Unsplash) Google Fast Pair Audio Switching Feature will be first coming to Pixel Buds Pro. According to XDA Developers, the upcoming audio switching feature will be coming to Google's true-wireless earbuds Pixel Buds Pro. The company said that the new feature compliments the Fast Pair feature, which is currently available on the said wearable gadget. It should be noted that more devices will benefit from this feature in the future. To maximize your Bluetooth audio experience, there is a need to eliminate background noises that might trigger an audio switch to another phone or tablet. This can be done through multipoint pairing. The Google Pixel Buds Pro is set to be launched in the next few days. With this technology, Google said it could address the issue when switching and pairing between multiple devices. For instance, if you're playing music from your Android smartphone and a sound pops out on your tablet, the Fast Pair audio switching will be immediately activated on your Pixel Buds Pro. This means that the switch outputs will be changed once you select the new device, which in this place is the tablet. When it comes to triggering a switch, the notification sounds on your smartphone might not be enough to trigger the audio switch feature. However, a phone call could be already sufficient for your true-wireless earbuds to alter the device where the audio is coming. According to 9to5GGoogle, there will be a notification that will appear when the switching happens between the devices, especially if the machine learning mechanism of Google fails. Additionally, the notification will help you in reverting the switch so you can resume listening to songs and podcasts from your device. Related Article: Google's Second-Gen Pixel Buds Disappears on Online Stores in Canada and the US, Allegedly Discontinued Google to Roll Out Audio Switching to Other Wearables In the same report, the tech titan announced that although the Pixel Buds Pro will be the first wearable to have the feature, it would still make it available to other earbuds such as Sony and JBL. The compatibility update will arrive in the next few weeks, as 9to5Google says. As of writing, Google has not yet specified what earbud models will receive the Fast Pair audio switching. Read Also: Razer Hammerhead True Wireless X Earbuds Supports Google Fast Repair, 60ms Low Latency Mode and MORE Features for Gaming This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft is now testing a new Windows 11 default security feature. (Photo : Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images) In this file photo taken on August 04, 2020, Prince, a member of the hacking group Red Hacker Alliance who refused to give his real name, uses his computer at their office in Dongguan, China's southern Guangdong province. This cybersecurity enhancement is expected to prevent the top ransomware deployment method used by various cybercriminals. As of press time, the software giant is already rolling out the new enhancement to Windows 11 in an Insider test build. "Win11 builds now have a DEFAULT account lockout policy to mitigate RDP and other brute force password vectors," said David Weston, the vice president of Microsoft OS Security and Enterprise, via his official Twitter announcement. @windowsinsider Win11 builds now have a DEFAULT account lockout policy to mitigate RDP and other brute force password vectors. This technique is very commonly used in Human Operated Ransomware and other attacks - this control will make brute forcing much harder which is awesome! pic.twitter.com/ZluT1cQQh0 David Weston (DWIZZZLE) (@dwizzzleMSFT) July 20, 2022 He added that RDP (remote desktop protocol) is quite common in Human Operated Ransomware, as well as other similar cyberattacks. New Windows 11 Default Security Feature Now Tested According to ZDNet's latest report, the new Windows 11 default security feature can prevent ransomware attacks that begin with compromised credentials and password-guessing attacks. (Photo : Photo by Patrick Lux/Getty Images) Participant hold their laptops in front of an illuminated wall at the annual Chaos Computer Club (CCC) computer hackers' congress, called 29C3, on December 28, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. Also Read: Windows 11 Enhances Accessibility Features to Make User Experience More Delightful Aside from Windows 11, Microsoft is also expected to backport the enhancement to Windows 10 systems as well. Cybersecurity researchers said the new default security feature is a big deal since it is parallel to Microsoft's default block on internet macros. For the past few years, internet macros in Microsoft Office on Windows gadgets have been among the major targets of ransomware attackers since these allow them to conduct attacks through links and email attachments. How To View Windows 11's New Default Security Feature If you are among the individuals to receive the new Windows 11 default security feature, you can check this enhancement by going to the Windows Local Computer Policy directory. Then, click the "Account Lockout Policy" option. Weston confirmed that Microsoft's new enhancement should be available in the new Windows 11 Insider preview build 22528.1000 and newer. This is just one of the efforts made by Microsoft to improve its general baseline of security for Windows systems. Previously, the tech firm rolled out the so-called "security defaults" to millions of users via Azure Active Directory. You can visit this link to see more details about the previous Windows security enhancements of Microsoft. Meanwhile, security experts recently discovered fake Windows 11 downloads that can spread the notorious Vidar malware. On the other hand, users are now allowed to conduct Windows 11 app restorations. For more news updates about Windows 11 and other products of Microsoft, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Windows 11 Tests New Privacy Features to See Which Apps Were Spying On You his article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google Doodle honors the death of a Uvalde shooting victim named Alithia Haven Ramirez. The search engine giant did this by featuring the artwork of the deceased child. (Photo : Photo illustration by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) In this photo illustration, the logo of the multi-facetted internet giant Google is seen through a pair of glasses on April 12, 2006, in Glasgow, Scotland. The unfortunate event happened on May 24 after a shooter killed around 21 individuals at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Among these victims are 19 students and two teachers. The victims' families shared how they want their kids to be remembered. One family said that their daughter wanted to be a famous TikToker. On the other hand, a boy's family described him as the "life of the party." Meanwhile, the parents of Alithia said their beloved daughter dreamed of becoming an artist. To honor her death, Google featured her artwork on the Google Doodle website. Google Doodle Honors Uvalde Shooting Victim According to ABC News' latest report, Alithia sent her artwork to the search engine giant, hoping that her drawing would win the popular Doodle for Google artwork competition. (Photo : Photo credit should read EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images)) This image shows a Google frame grab taken on April 15, 2011 in Washington,DC. Google paid tribute to Charlie Chaplin on Friday by transforming the celebrated logo on its homepage into a silent movie. When clicked, the logo, known as the "Google doodle," plays a silent film featuring members of the doodle team acting out Chaplin-esque sketches. Also Read: Google Doodle Celebrates 'Turkana Human,' Shows Animation of the 1984 Discovery of 'Homo Erectus' "I want the world to see my art and show the world what I can do, I want people to be happy when they see my passion in art," said the talented kid in her Google Doodle submission. Now, Google decided to make a special Google Doodle memorial page for the Uvalde shooting victim. If you visit the official Google Doodle site dedicated to the work of Alithia, her drawing shows a kid sitting on a sofa with two balls of yarn. Behind the girl is her dog. Alithia's drawing also includes the word "Google," which is depicted by some objects hung on the wall. This just shows that she loves hanging out with her dog, enjoying the time while they are playing with two balls of yarn. Google Doodle 2022 Theme The theme for the latest Google Doodle 2022 is "I care for myself by..." This means that the participants need to show how they make themselves happy or how they want to be comforted during bad times. Google explained that they want to know what kids want to do when they are feeling down. This is a part of the search engine giant to care for its consumers' mental health. For Alithia, her way of comforting herself is relaxing on their couch with her beloved pet. If you want to see her beautiful artwork, you can visit this link. Previously, the Google Doodle logo was swapped with a ballroom game. On the other hand, Google Doodle 2021 launched its "first day of school" sketch. For more news updates about Google Doodle and other related stories, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Google Doodle Honors Espresso Machine Inventor Angelo Moriondo! What's the Story Behind it This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Zoom: How remote working is driving the digital transformation of Hull Guest blog by Drew Smith, Zoom Government Relations Manager, UK & Ireland From Truro to Teeside and Burnley to Brighton, businesses, towns, and cities across the UK are embracing a new world of work and implementing more flexible working models. But its Hull thats really setting the standard. A coalition, including the city council, local business leaders, and the local MP, Emma Hardy, have set about on a mission to bring remote working to the heart of Hull. Launched in March, Work Hull Work Happy strives to tackle the misconception that you need to move away from your home to pursue the job of your dreams. Instead, Work Hull Work Happy is establishing a series of co-working hubs throughout the city, giving people the option to work locally, regardless of where their job is based. And at Zoom we are proud to have partnered with this project. On top of being one of the most affordable cities in the country, Hull boasts some of the best connectivity in the UK and is undergoing a huge wave of regeneration driven by its recent City of Culture status. If it succeeds in its mission to attract more, better paid remote workers to live in Hull, it will be the city and its local businesses that reap the rewards, creating a virtuous cycle that can continue to drive forward a new wave of regeneration and renewal. More broadly, research from Hazelwoods shows that three quarters of remote jobs pay above the average 31,000 annual salary, meaning that remote working can level up the country by widening access to highly paid jobs. Higher salaries ultimately mean more money spent locally, boosting local high streets and strengthening communities. The example that Hull is setting can be replicated across the country. Zooms recent report on the UKs many competitive advantages when it comes to hybrid working compared to comparable developed nations also found that there are lots of locations across the UK that have experienced significant growth in remote and hybrid job opportunities compared to before the pandemic. In each of these areas, flexible roles are growing at a far faster pace than the total number of jobs on offer, suggesting that increased flexibility on the part of employers is driving up overall levels of opportunity in each local jobs market - giving local people more career options to choose from, as part of a stronger local labour market more generally. Building on shifts like these, which are already well underway and being driven by the private sector, our report sets out how the UK can take advantage of it and become a world leader in hybrid working. The UK could look to the Republic of Ireland for inspiration. Zoom worked with the Irish Government to launch a similar co-working initiative: Connected Hubs, which has seen 200 co-working hubs established across the country. These hubs have been crucial to help extend opportunities throughout Ireland, as workers can now live and work locally. We should embrace this change, and the benefits hybrid working offers, as part of a place-based approach to digital transformation. Failure to do so risks squandering the competitive advantages explored in our report and falling behind other, more ambitious nations who get that the genie cannot be put back into the proverbial bottle when it comes to hybrid working. We want to see every worker, business, and community experience these benefits, and it is time to take inspiration from Hull to make sure flexible working is available to everyone. Kathy Hochul is the first woman to serve as New York's governor, and she's running to become the first woman elected to the post. Sexist comments, it seems, come with the territory. Take an interview that Greg Kelly, a host on the conservative TV channel Newsmax, conducted recently with Hochul's Republican opponent, Rep. Lee Zeldin. Kathy Hochul has not really done much of anything other than, Im sorry, but be somebodys wife, Kelly said, according to the New York Post and other outlets that covered the exchange. Zeldin, sidestepping the insult, replied, "Shes in over her head. Shes been a walking identity crisis. Kelly soon came under fire on social media for diminishing the governor's achievements. She's an attorney who served years as lieutenant governor, a member of Congress, Erie County clerk and Hamburg Town Board member. Also, Kelly's remark didn't make sense because New York's governor is far better known than her husband, Bill, a lawyer for Delaware North, described warmly by the Post as a "relatively obscure former federal prosecutor." And critics blasted Zeldin for not responding forcefully to Kelly's demeaning comment. Zeldin later posted a Twitter thread repeating his campaign attacks against Hochul before adding, "The issue isnt that she has never held positions of power. The issue is that she has been a disaster." Hochul kept her response succinct: "If youre looking for a label to give me, you can just call me 'Governor.' " Stephen T. Watson Looking for the bright light of justice When it comes to legal matters, a lot of people can easily feel like theyre in the dark. But thats not usually the case for the judge, lawyers and courthouse staff. Yet that was the situation Thursday morning at the Robert H. Jackson Federal Courthouse in downtown Buffalo. With just minutes to go before the start of hearings, staff members were unable to get the lights on in the fifth-floor courtroom where Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford would be sentencing two defendants who pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the wide-ranging Robert C. Morgan mortgage fraud case. So rather than hold up the hearings, Wolford moved the proceedings to an empty courtroom on the sixth floor. The lawyers, defendant, staff and judge picked up their briefcases and papers, and shuffled up one level. And then they heard the repeated clicking sound emanating from the lights in the ceiling above them. Weve got to be able to find a courtroom somewhere that works, Wolford said, looking up at the ceiling in frustration. How much did this courthouse cost? A lot, Your Honor. Jonathan D. Epstein 'Taco Tape,' take two Earlier this year, some college students from Baltimore gained a lot of media attention for an idea they had for edible tape. They touted their "Tastee Tape" as perfect for keeping burritos and other wrapped sandwiches from coming apart and making a mess. This prompted Buffalo's Shasti O'Leary Soudant to tweet: "Imagine discovering that a bunch of Johns Hopkins students have gotten famous by pilfering an idea my daughter won the Buffalo Invention Convention with when she was 10 years old." She included a 2013 Buffalo News photo showing her daughter, Ruby, holding a taped-together, soft-shell taco in one hand and a first-place trophy in the other hand. Ruby Soudant, now 19, said the idea was born out of her frustration at tacos falling apart in her child-size hands. She first tried using strips of fruit leather before her father, Jethro Soudant, helped her with a recipe for edible tape. The cutline on The News photo states "Taco Tape" was made with mango paste, cayenne pepper and chipotle chili spice. Soudant said a lot of people urged her to try to patent her innovation something the Johns Hopkins team is starting to do but she wasn't interested and still doesn't regret her decision. "I think, honestly, it would have put a bit too much stress on my 10-year-old brain," she said, laughing. She said she learned about "Tastee Tape" from a childhood friend, who sent her a link with the comment, "This is very familiar." Soudant said she wasn't annoyed by the sticky coincidence and she won't mind even if she sees the competing product on a store shelf some day. "I put that out there into the world first," Soudant said, "and I think that's enough for me." Stephen T. Watson Who is Borja Escalona? The youtuber who wanted to eat for free and whose channel has been closed by YouTube Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Abortion rights protesters hold signs and try to drown out Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, as he speaks to media members outside outside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse in Baton Rouge, after a hearing there on Monday, July 18, 2022. District Judge Don Johnson Johnson heard arguments regarding the state's 'trigger law' Monday to determine whether the clinics could continue to stay open temporarily or be shut down again, deciding in favor of extending the temporary restraining order one day, and requesting more information be presented to him before another hearing Tuesday morning. Court watchers agree the law will ultimately be either upheld or struck down by the state Supreme Court. In 1988, Lafayette lawyer Warren Perrin began efforts to petition the Queen of England for an apology for the Acadian Deportation by Great Britain. His work resulted in this Queen Elizabeth II Royal Proclamation signed Dec. 9, 2003, on display at the Old State Capitol in 2018, LOS ANGELES (AP) A man suspected in the fatal shooting of a homeless person in Los Angeles has been charged with a hate crime, prosecutors said Thursday. Ryan Bush, 48, was shot in the early morning hours of July 5 in the Sylmar neighborhood. He died at a hospital. Bush was allegedly targeted based on a presumption of his gender identity and sexual orientation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. The 29-year-old suspect faces one count each of murder and attempted murder with a hate crime allegation, the statement said. His arraignment was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. The defendant also is charged with shooting at a bystander. Hate crimes have spiked across the country in recent years and we remain steadfast in ensuring that we hold these violent individuals accountable while working to prevent such violence from happening in the future, District Attorney George Gascon said in the statement. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Spending an afternoon with writer-director John Michael McDonagh and his editor-producer partner Lizzie Eves, you learn a couple of things. First, theyre great company, her down-to-earth Aussie no-bullshit vibe a perfect foil to his London bluster. Second, theyre big fans of day drinking. Ive met with the pair in the foyer of Sydneys Verona cinema, the day before they fly back to London after their annual Australian sojourn (they spend three months here each year, mostly on the Sunshine Coast, where Eves has family). Necking a beer, McDonagh tells me that while they were editing his new film The Forgiven at home during lockdown, wed start drinking at midday and then wed start arguing. The cat would come in about three, says Eves, nursing a glass of white wine. Wed be shouting at each other and the cat would be shouting at us and wed be shouting at the cat Usually 3.30 to 4pm was the window where the booze would take hold, McDonagh says. Ralph Fiennes as David Henninger and Jessica Chastain as Jo Henninger in The Forgiven. Credit:Nick Wall We fight a lot about everything, says Eves, who produced and edited The Forgiven. The key to our marital success is resolution through conflict. Are we disagreeing? Oh, good, lets go. And then we sort it out in a short timeframe, and agree. And exactly how long have you been doing this? Weve been together 20 years, Eves says. Advertisement Twenty long years, McDonagh says wryly, before ordering another drink. The Anglo-Irish writer-director of Calvary and The Guard and his Geraldton, WA-raised partner met when she wandered into a party at his house, like some drunken background extra from Home and Away. He was like Michael Caine in Get Carter, all tough and ello babe. That was peak John and Lizzie and its just been a slippery slope since. I jest, she adds. Obviously, hes my favourite person in the whole world. The Forgiven is, at its most basic, a story about the alcohol-fuelled disintegration of a marriage. Ralph Fiennes stars as David Henninger, a wealthy, successful but booze-addled surgeon in London, unhappily married to Jo (Jessica Chastain), a woman whose ambitions seem largely to have been placed on hold in service of her egotistical, arrogant and bullying husband. You sense already in the opening moments that something has to give. But when David hits and kills a young Arab boy on a desert road in Morocco en route to a debauched weekend gathering, everything tilts. David is dragged into a road trip with the boys father (Ismael Kanater), to make some sort of reckoning, while Jo stays behind and gives herself over to the hedonism of the expatriate gathering hosted by Richard (Matt Smith) and his American partner, Dally (Caleb Landry Jones). McDonagh adapted the story from a 2012 novel by Lawrence Osborne. The set-ups great. Lawrence said that was an anecdote he heard, it was a true story that had happened. Advertisement As in his other films and, arguably, also as in those of his brother Martin (Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) guilt and atonement are major themes of The Forgiven. Not that John McDonagh necessarily sees it that way. I dont tend to self-analyse that much, he says. Ill read what a critic has written and say to myself, Oh, thats probably true, whereas I hadnt thought of it myself. Hes drawn to literary crime novels, he concedes, and stories that dont have any contemporary attributes, where people are on their phones or on their computers they could be timeless. And he has noticed all my films end in some kind of suicidal situation, as if I myself want to die. They end with the lead characters going into a situation where theyre not sure if theyre going to survive, and they dont seem to care if theyre going to survive. McDonagh and Eves met when she wandered into a party at his house. Credit:Wolter Peeters Well, chips in Eves, arent they all him at the end of the day? It sounds intensely nihilistic, and McDonagh happily describes himself as a misanthrope I dont like human beings, they frustrate me but its also bleakly funny. Besides, he does care deeply about the moral dimension of the stories hes telling, even if its not always obvious what the moral is. Hes concerned, he tells me, that some viewers might see The Forgiven as just another story of a white mans search for redemption, with the Arab setting and characters nothing more than facilitators of that quest. Though his non-white characters get real screen time and real agency, he concedes Ralph Fiennes character, the film privileges his experience. Advertisement He tried throughout to subvert the colonialist reading just as, he says, Osborne does in his novel but short of telling the story entirely from the perspective of the Arab characters, the tension is irresolvable. And lets be honest, if we flip the narrative and follow Abdellah [the father], am I gonna get $9 million to make that story? No, Im not. Why am I not going to get it? Because nobody wants to distribute it. Whether audiences will see it, we dont know, because theyre not being given those films. But the financiers and distributors dont want to make them. Over the course of our chat, McDonagh sprays verbal bullets with reckless abandon. Its amusing and revealing (and largely unprintable) but it must surely pose a risk in a business thats all about relationships and playing kissy-kissy even when you dont much feel like it. David Henningham (Ralph Fiennes) heads into the desert with Abdellah (Ismael Kanater, centre) and his driver Anouar (Said Taghmaoui) after killing the formers son with his car. Credit:Nick Wall I dont actually like making movies, he says. Im looking forward to being cancelled at some point so I dont have to make another movie. Its not strictly true, Eves says. He doesnt like working and hes very anti-authority, and making a movie comes with a binary decision compromise and move ahead, or stop and win. So that drives him f---ing mad. They had almost finished shooting The Forgiven in March 2020 when COVID shut it down. Morocco had zero cases at the time, so the government had allowed them to try to finish, but finally they were given just 24 hours notice to pack up and leave or risk being stuck there for what turned out to be a very long time indeed. Eves had to charter a 100-seat Boeing plane to fly the 30 cast and crew and a vast amount of equipment back to the petri dish that was England. The delays blew the budget out by about 10 per cent, but working from home with only Eves for months on end suited McDonagh. Advertisement John has reduced the amount of people he interacts with in the development and pre-production stage; I fill that space, she says. He doesnt do Zoom or Skype, he doesnt even know what the Wi-Fi password is until like I wake up in the morning. So Im the Wi-Fi password and the human shield, two great jobs. Jessica Chastain and Christopher Abbott in a scene from The Forgiven. Credit:Nick Wall For me, everything is in service of the vision, she continues. What is the best version of this movie we can make, given the budget we can raise and all the logistical problems. The next vision is an Australian one. The pair plan to return next March to shoot Fear Is the Rider, an adaptation of a story by Wake in Fright author Kenneth Cook. Cook originally wrote it with his son Paul and daughter Kerry in 1981 as a screenplay for a telemovie (it was never produced), then turned it into a novella the following year. But it remained unpublished until 2016, 29 years after his death, when it was unearthed and published by Text. Loading The book is pure adrenalin, a straight-out chase thriller that inevitably would have drawn comparisons to Duel had it been filmed back then. In McDonaghs hands, set in 1971 and with a cast led by Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road) and American Christopher Abbott (Girls) both of whom appear in The Forgiven it promises to take on a broader dimension. Weve put a counter-cultural spin on it, a confrontational spin to do with Australias involvement in the Vietnam War, he says. It should work on two levels: one, people can watch a chase thriller; two, they can watch a whole thing about colonialism, the involvement of Australia in foreign colonialist wars, racism. Its set on Australia Day, which isnt in the book, but its a loaded day, and were dealing with that deliberately. Advertisement Due to ongoing weather conditions we can no longer accept any campers or vehicles including day parking at North Byron Parklands, organisers said in a statement. All incoming camping patrons and day parkers should proceed to Byron Events Farm. As a result of the chaos, some festivalgoers have called for Splendour in the Grass to refund their tickets, while others have suggested the event should be cancelled. Jaide Fisher, 26, travelled with her friend and partner from the Hawkesbury and was still lining up outside the festival at 8.30am on Friday, after arriving at 5.30pm on Thursday. We decided to finally sleep in the back of our ute at 2.30am this morning since we hadnt moved in hours. We made up a very uncomfortable bed onto our Eskys in the tray of the ute, she said. Fisher said all she wants to do is get the hell out of here but said the trio have spent $1000 each on the festival and are concerned they wont receive a refund. We dont even want to go in any more, but we wont leave if were going to waste all that money. After this experience Ill likely never go again, she said as her line-up time clicked over to 15 hours. Festivalgoers say there has been a lack of communication from organisers. Artists due to be performing on Friday told The Age and the Herald they were concerned about how they were going to get into the site on Friday in time to perform. Ground staff have been doing their best, but theres been a lack of communication and were unsure whats going to happen, one performer said. One source working behind the scenes said even backstage areas had been flooded, and they were concerned about how many of the stages and performing areas would handle the flooding. The water table is so high because of the recent rains, it just took a little bit more for everything to flood. Multiple festivalgoers have also reported they are now finding leeches within their camp sites and the ground facilities. Its the festivals first return since 2019, and organisers had upped the capacity from 40,000 to 50,000 adding additional pressure to campsites, walkways and performing areas. In a statement posted to the festivals Facebook page, organisers blamed the issues on staff shortages and weather, but were determined to go ahead. We are doing the best we can the show will go on rain, hail or shine, the statement said. Chris Harrington drove up to the festival from Melbourne with his partner Emma, hoping to camp at their first Splendour. On Thursday afternoon they joined the queue of cars trying to get into the campsite, spending eight hours in line before being forced to turn around. We only made it about 4kms in those eight hours. We didnt move at all for the last two, Harrington said. After midnight, Harrington turned around and drove to the nearby town of Brunswick Heads to try to find accommodation. Everythings booked out, but luckily we have a friend staying here and we might be able to camp in their backyard, he said. Another attendee, Jacqui Withers, managed to get into the site and set up her tent but was forced to sleep in her car due to the rain flooding her tent. This is the grimmest night of my life, she said. Loading Freshwater resident Acacia Middlemist, 21, said she and her friends waited nine hours to get into the gates on Thursday. We had no access to food, water or toilets for about five of those hours, she said. Middlemist said the festival needed to be cancelled. Its so unsafe to be camping here. There was only one SES worker directing people to different areas, all of the campgrounds we were supposed to be placed [at] were underwater, she said. Its been an absolute shit-show, coming from Sydney too we were in our cars for almost 18 hours yesterday, fuel was being lost. It was just horrific. Middlemist said stalls at the festival were now selling gumboots for $80. WWF Australia conservation scientist Stuart Blanch says while the Morrison government signed up to a United Nations goal to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, the new government will be responsible for following through on that promise. He adds that the government would also need to have a stronger regulatory role. Blanch says a national land clearing monitoring system and better financial support for farmers, graziers and Indigenous communities to transition into reforestation markets are also needed. If we dont quickly phase out bulldozing and logging forests...fires and droughts will overtake land clearing as the major driver of forest loss, he says. I am 52 years old and I dont want to retire and [find] the forestry wars are still running. The greatest allies in storing carbon in trees are farmers and loggers and we dont pay them enough to be part of the solution. Kill the pests The two biggest causes of Australias terrible record of extinctions are the destruction of habitat and the infiltration of invasive and feral species. Both will require an unprecedented response, says Professor Sarah Bekessy, a sustainability expert at RMIT University. First, there needs to be a dramatic boost in the amount of funding Australia provides to recover threatened species. A 2019 report, called Spending to Save, estimated we must spend about $2 billion a year on removing and reducing threats to rare and endangered species. This might sound like a lot of money, but Australians spend about $13 billion on their domestic pets every year. Over the next 10 years, particularly following the black summer bushfires in 2019-2020, other animals will be added to the threatened list. If we are going to prevent those species from toppling over the edge, we need to invest really heavily in recovery, says Bekessy. Get serious about climate Australia cant tackle the climate crisis by itself, but we can do far more to pull our weight. The country contributes 1.2 per cent of global emissions of greenhouse gases, placing the nation among the top 15 total emitters, the report noted. The Labor governments target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 is not in line with the best climate science, although it is a useful starting point if viewed as a floor rather than a ceiling, says Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie. If the government introduce systems that allow it to ratchet up its efforts, and if all levels of government along with business and civil society treat climate change as an emergency, Australia could re-emerge as a leader in the field, McKenzie says. But thats a big if. Dr Melanie Pill of the ANUs Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions says the country also needs to focus on adaptation. This includes investing in short-term solutions, such as adopting efficient irrigation systems and crop varieties, as well as transformative adaptation, such as moving people away from flood zones. The longer we dont do anything, the worse it will get and the worse the irreversible losses and damages will be, she says. She adds that many developed countries have been the biggest contributors to climate change, but developing countries are experiencing the worst of its effects. In the Pacific, we are starting to see irreversible loss and damage caused by sea level rises, we are seeing more intense and frequent cyclones ... we lose culture, Indigenous knowledge, and people have to migrate internally, and economies are not able to cope, Pill says. Commit to the effort All this will take serious effort, will and money. Australian political leaders will have to lead a serious conversation explaining that if we want to slow this destruction, let alone reverse it, individuals, companies and communities will have to make sacrifices. Loading Despite innovations in technology and conservation, the report notes that national strategies and investments do not match how rapidly our environment is declining. It calls for leadership across all levels of government, community and non-government organisations, stronger climate action and greater financial investment to safeguard the countrys future. Plibersek has said that she needs more time to figure out what the government will do to halt the staggering wildlife and habitat losses Australia is suffering. Individually, every one of these revelations is dreadful, but its only when you think about the cumulative impact that you begin to get the full picture of environmental decline, she said on Tuesday. If we continue on the trajectory that we are on, the precious places, landscapes, animals and plants that we think of when we think of home may not be here for our kids and grandkids. This story is part of the July 23 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories. For independent MP Monique Ryan, unseating federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg at the May election was an incredible feeling. It was the most fun night of my life, she says of becoming the member for Kooyong, a blue-ribbon Victorian seat that had always been Liberal. Theres no doubt about it. And yet in the wash-up - assessing the three-month election campaign and the three months since her win shes also come to see politics as a very brutal blood sport, filled with emotional and interpersonal challenges she didnt see coming. As she heads to Canberra, she freely admits shes on a very steep learning curve. Its very different from anything Ive ever done before, Ryan says on the latest episode of Good Weekend Talks. Ive never put myself out in a public forum where people are passing judgment on what I say, what I think and how I look on a daily basis. Ryan discusses her former life as a paediatrician, the election campaign and her hopes for the next three years with Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe, who penned todays magazine cover story about Ryan. Arthur Moses, SC, for Roberts-Smith, began an indignant counter-attack on Friday and will continue into next week seeking to demolish, piece by piece, Nines allegations. The key contention of the soldiers legal team remains that the medias stories are the product of years of character assassination by disgruntled members of the SAS, who fed information to Nines investigative journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters. The pair were not qualified war crimes investigators, Moses said. Nine instead carelessly portrayed Roberts-Smith as a homicidal psychopath through advancing a fanciful and salacious case theory based on conjecture, speculation and imprecise testimony. Nicholas Owens, SC, spoke for hours each day this week with barely a reference to notes. Credit:Edwina Pickles Nine originally laid six killings at the feet of Roberts-Smith. Owens conceded this week that one of those murders (said to have taken place near the village of Siah Chow) can no longer be made out, owing to Besankos decision not to compel a key witness Person 66 to testify, because the man believed he might incriminate himself. Owens had previously maintained that proving the Siah Chow murder alone would have given him an independent path home to victory. That leaves five other killings which Owens is resting the murder allegations on. These include the much-publicised allegation that Roberts-Smith kicked an unarmed villager named Ali Jan off a cliff in the village of Darwan in September 2012 before conspiring with another soldier, Person 11, to kill the man and plant a radio device on him, falsely branding him a spotter for the Taliban. Ben Roberts-Smiths barristers, Arthur Moses, SC (left) and Phillip Sharp and outside the Federal Court on Monday. Credit:Kate Geraghty Also given top billing by Owens are the events which took place at an Afghan compound designated Whiskey 108 on Easter Sunday 2009. There, the media outlets say, Roberts-Smith was responsible for the slaying of two unarmed Afghan prisoners, machine-gunning one himself and ordering the shooting of another. One of the prisoners possessed an artificial leg, which was later bizarrely re-purposed by the SAS as a drinking vessel. The fourth and fifth killings are alleged to have taken place at the villages of Fasil and Chenatu (also known as Chenar Tu) in Afghanistan in late 2012. Despite the gravity of the allegations, Owens says because it is a civil case he only has to prove that, on the balance of probabilities, the events occurred as Nine has described. Loading But Moses has warned it will not be good enough for the media to point to the evidence and say we nearly got there. Among the strongest elements of Nines defence are the military eye-witnesses its legal team produced in relation to several of the deaths, corroborating details from other soldiers who were nearby at the time. Moses has sought to depict two of these military witnesses as liars. In relation to the Ali Jan killing, Nines legal team secured evidence from three Afghan villagers who testified by video link from Kabul, just days before the capital fell to the Taliban last year. That testimony, given through an interpreter, was littered with detail that could only have come from people who were there on the day, Owens said. And key details were backed up by a soldier known as Person 4, and to a lesser extent, a second soldier known as person 56. How was it, Owens asked, that Afghan villagers on the other side of the world could have provided detail that matched, in so many respects, what Nines military witnesses said took place? Moses claims this is because the villagers had been contacted by an intermediary for Nine before the case began. Photo of the tunnel at Whiskey 108, tendered in Ben Roberts-Smiths Federal Court defamation case. Similarly, at Whiskey 108, Nines case relies heavily on alleged eyewitness testimony from fellow SAS members, including evidence from five different soldiers that a handful of Afghan prisoners were initially discovered hiding in a deep tunnel in one of the compounds courtyards. Roberts-Smith and his backers have flatly denied that any Afghan males were found in the tunnel at all. Owens put it to the judge that if your Honour accepts men [came] out of the tunnel, it follows almost inevitably that your Honour would disbelieve Mr Roberts-Smiths entire case about Whiskey 108. Time and again, Owens made one overarching observation as he wove the threads of evidence together this week that each of the military witnesses Roberts-Smith called were close friends. Owens led the judge through an intricate timeline of clandestine meetings and communications between members of the group, sometimes using burner phones, which he said had so impossibly contaminated their evidence that they could not be relied upon as corroborators of each others stories. Len and Sue Roberts-Smith, the parents of Ben Roberts-Smith, arrive at the NSW Supreme Court earlier this week. Credit:SMH By contrast, Owens insisted, Nines witnesses were honest and independent, with no motivation to lie. Indeed, many of the soldiers called by Nine had been reluctant to give evidence at all. In response, Moses says there was nothing improper in the fact that the soldier and his friends would seek to discuss the allegations being made against him. Roberts-Smith had also repeatedly sought to suppress or hide evidence, Owens said, including through efforts to suborn three SAS members whom he suspected were briefing against him or were co-operating with a secret probe into war crimes allegations being conducted by the Inspector General of the defence force. The former soldier enlisted a private investigator to (unwittingly) send anonymous threatening letters to two of those soldiers, and orchestrated an unjustified police raid on a third, Owens said. These were attempts at intimidation which provided forceful presumptive indicators of a consciousness of guilt on the part of Roberts-Smith. Loading Evidence to support Nines claim that Roberts-Smith had obsessively bullied a more junior trooper over many years was also laid out in forensic detail, as was the media outlets claim that he had assaulted his former mistress, known as Person 17, in a hotel room in Canberra during a clandestine extramarital affair. Owens said attempts by the soldiers legal team to undermine the womans credibility on the basis that the way she acted after the alleged assault was inconsistent with her status as a wealthy and intelligent individual were based on thoroughly outmoded and outdated and discredited stereotypes. Howard Murphy, the 61-year-old Town of Niagara resident accused of painting racist threatening graffiti on his neighbor's backyard fence, was arraigned in Niagara County Court on Thursday afternoon. Murphy pleaded not guilty to criminal mischief in the second degree as a hate crime, a felony charge. Judge Caroline Wojtaszek and Assistant District Attorney Susan Bjornholm agreed that the charge does not qualify for bail, so Murphy remains free, which Bjornholm called unfortunate. During the arraignment, defense attorney Damon DeCastro said he believes the prosecution intends to file an additional charge against Murphy and he finds this unnecessary. He claimed Murphy is apologetic, takes full responsibility and understands the seriousness of the matter. Authorities say Murphy spray-painted a fence behind the house of his mixed-race neighbors with the words Kill all Black people, using a racial slur in his threatening message. The incident occurred on May 16, two days after the racist Tops massacre in Buffalo. Johnny Parks, who lives four doors away from Murphy's home, said he didnt know Murphy outside of a decade-old conversation that took place soon after the Parks family moved into the neighborhood. In that interaction, Parks asked Murphy to look after his dog, which frequently relieved itself on the familys lawn. The judge granted a temporary protection order for the Parks family, barring Murphy from any contact with them. While they reside in the same neighborhood, Murphy should be able to fulfil his daily obligations without needing to approach the familys house, Bjornholm said. Both Bjornholm and DeCastro declined to comment on the case. Murphys next scheduled appearance in court is August 18. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Sydney lawyer Tom Zreika was two years old when his family fled war-torn Lebanon by boat. Thousands made the same trip before the civil war ended in 1990, and many died at sea. Never in my wildest dreams did he think he would see his countrymen making that desperate decision again, especially in peacetime. But Lebanons economy has collapsed, and there are dire shortages of food, fuel and medicine. So in late April an estimated 80 people, including Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationals, boarded a boat designed for 12, choosing to risk the dangerous trip to Cyprus rather than stay in poverty-stricken Tripoli. Dr Jamal Rifi, right, and Tom Zreika, chairman of AusRelief, in Belmore, Sydney. Credit:Janie Barrett The boat sank. Up to 32 people including children and women trapped in the captains cabin died. The grief and anger at their deaths intensified civil unrest in Lebanons north and sent shockwaves through the Lebanese diaspora, many of whom remember their own boat trip and, like Zreika, thought that chapter of their countrys history had closed. Word reached two prominent members of Sydneys Muslim community Zreika, the chair of Sydney-based aid organisation AusRelief, and respected Bankstown doctor Jamal Rifi that the families of the dead were calling for the bodies of their loved ones to be retrieved from the wreck and given a Muslim burial. As the Lebanese government was not in a position to respond, Rifi and Zreika decided to take on the job themselves. They have hired a submarine to find the wreck, retrieve the bodies, and commemorate the disaster. Their mission is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, initially funded by a single, anonymous donor. It is complicated and has already faced many setbacks. It may not succeed. But they consider the attempt a mark of respect, not only for those who died on the latest voyage, but to all the refugees who have died at sea. Advertisement No boat, ever, of any refugee, or would-be refugee has been retrieved or their bodies retrieved, says Rifi, who has long supported refugees in Australia and on Manus Island. No government has made any attempt to retrieve the drowned bodies to give them a proper burial. If we cant retrieve any bodies, if we cant float the boat, then well get a religious leader on this site and we will place a plaque on the boat. Zreika says the mission is about honouring the dead, who were desperately trying to create a better life for their children as so many others, such as his own parents, have done. Why invest so much in this project? he says. Because theyre not garbage. Were not garbage. AusRelief has hired the Pisces VI, a deep sea submarine capable of taking passengers to a depth of more than 2000 metres, to find and retrieve the wreck. The Pisces is usually used by governments or scientists, but its owner has spent time in the Middle East and understands the importance of burial to Muslims, Rifi said. The AusRelief will use the Pisces VI submarine to examine and hopefully salvage the boat wreck The vessel is in a shipping container in Spain, and is due to leave for Lebanon next week. The trip will take several weeks, and requires complicated paperwork that has taken months to organise. There have been myriad delays and its departure may be delayed again if European authorities decide other cargo takes precedence, or a European Union member country decides it needs the vessel. Once it arrives in Beirut, the Lebanese navy will provide transport to Tripoli, a barge to take it out to sea, a support ship and a security escort. Advertisement The Sydney team has identified a small search area and is confident it will be able to locate the boat, which is estimated to be around 450 metres below the surface. They will have seven days to carry out their mission, which is likely to be in late August, unless there are further delays. Seven days of diving, says Zreika. And at the end of the seven days its up to us to make a decision [about what to do next]. If we cant recover it, well consult with the locals. We may have a ceremony at sea. Wed place a plaque as far as we can go down, and take footage of it. If they do find the boat, they will attempt to attach deflated airbags, then slowly inflate them to lift it to the surface. They expect many of the bodies to be in the captains cabin, as eyewitness accounts suggest those inside could not open the jammed door to escape as the boat sank. Most of the people on deck were rescued. Jamal Rifi will not be able to return to Lebanon until he is pardoned for what he says is a trumped-up charge of treason. Credit:Janie Barrett A representative for AusRelief in Tripoli, where the organisation has a kitchen that provides food, has also warned relatives that the bodies would likely have decomposed at sea. One father said, even if the submarine gets me the shoes of my daughter, I will be satisfied. Zreika will fly to Lebanon to lead the mission when the submarine arrives. Rifi, however, cannot. He has a political profile there because his brother, Ashraf, is a prominent Sunni member of the Lebanese parliament and a former justice minister. Last year, a military court sentenced Rifi sentenced in absentia, without any opportunity to present a defence, to 10 years in prison with hard labour for being a collaborator with the enemy, Israel, and a traitor. There is no avenue for appeal and, if he returned, he would be jailed. He has described it as a de facto death sentence, and has blamed the influence of Hezbollah, a Shiite political party and militant group. Advertisement He was found guilty of violating the 1954 anti-Israel boycott law for being a board member of Project Rozana, an Australian non-government organisation that pays for the training of Palestinian medical workers in Israel and funds the transport of children from the West Bank and Gaza for medical care. Loading He is hoping he will be pardoned when the new crop of Lebanese MPs, elected in May, is able to form a new coalition government. But he says there is no connection between the salvage project and his case. The situation in Lebanon is remains dire, particularly in the north, which is home to the families of many in Sydneys Lebanese community. Due to decades of corruption and economic mismanagement, in which Lebanon lived well beyond its means, the currency has collapsed, queues for bread are growing longer, and hospital supplies have run dry. Many fear the country will descend into full-blown violence and Lebanon will become a failed state. There is also anger in Tripoli over reports that the boats sinking may have been the result of an over-zealous attempt by the navy to turn it back. The anonymous donor provided the money to cover the upfront fee for the submarine of $430,000. However, Zreika hopes more donations will cover not only the cost of the project, but also provide money to support the survivors families. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Adam Sullivan cant nominate the moment he went from being a young political idealist to a cog in a soulless party machine. It doesnt happen like that. First you see things you never knew went on inside a political office. Then you find yourself doing them. You know it is wrong everyone knows but no one tells you to stop. Sullivan was smart and ambitious, fresh-faced and articulate. He joined the ALP when he was still at university and Kevin Rudds government was shuffling like a condemned man towards the 2013 federal election. Like so many people who enter politics, he wanted to change things for the better. He signed up at his local branch. He volunteered for his local MP. On election day, he stood outside a polling place in Fountain Gate and handed out how-to-vote cards. Then he started working for the machine. At the start, he did the sort of work he received a taxpayer-funded salary to do; answering phone calls from constituents, helping MPs with correspondence. By the time he was invited by Adem Somyurek to join his personal staff, he was a fully-fledged factional operative. He knew how things really worked and the sort of people he had thrown his lot in with. Adem Somyurek remains unrepentant for a catalogue of unethical and inappropriate behaviour. Credit:Paul Jeffers The day he appeared before Victorias Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission to give evidence about his seven years as an electorate officer and ministerial adviser, he could still have passed for a schoolboy, with his neatly parted hair and knotted tie. But through his matter-of-fact, insightful testimony, he showed us the underbelly of Victorian Labor. Anyone who reads or heard his testimony knows it will take more than the proposed integrity reforms announced this week by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to stop the rot. Advertisement As Sullivan explained to IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich, doing the dull, dirty work of Somyurek and his factional cronies required a series of cascading rationalisations. His motives were not pure in helping to collect money for branch stacking and harvesting ballots from phony party members, he was greasing the path of his own advancement. Only a morally and ethically bankrupt calculation could account for his actions. At a certain point, I suppose you start to see it as there is no difference between what is right and what is necessary, he said. If everything is necessary in this situation, its therefore right. Its a quick exercise in mental gymnastics that I suppose can get you around some of these difficult issues. He knew he shouldnt have spent up to $14,000 of public money on stamps so that a state MP could use them for his re-election campaign, and you dont need party rules to spell out that, after a branch member dies, you dont count a ballot paper filled out in his name, signed from beyond the grave. You can draft the best constitution the world has ever seen, you can tinker with all the mechanisms you like, Sullivan told Redlich. At the end of the day, somewhere along the line, someone has to make a decision to either do the right thing or the wrong thing. We chose to do the wrong thing again and again and again and again. And ultimately the choice was that we put our own interest and our own loyalty to a factional machine and a system of patronage above the interests of the public. Rationalisations, like the dark art of branch stacking, are entrenched in Victorian Labor. In the days following the tabling of the damning final report of a combined IBAC and Victorian Ombudsmans investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct by Victorian MPs, one former minister who engaged in branch stacking admitted that, if he had his time in parliament over, he would do it again. Advertisement The former minister is proud of what he achieved in his policy area and reasons that, had he not fed the factional beast, he wouldnt have been preselected for a winnable seat in parliament, much less promoted to the front bench. He welcomes the changes to party rules introduced after this newspaper exposed Somyureks conduct two years ago and the proposed reforms to strengthen integrity across the parliament. He also questions whether these things will stop stackers and packers who have operated for longer than any current MP has served. Loading Im not saying people shouldnt try to stop it, but it will be bloody difficult to make it work, he says. Another former minister predicts that branch stacking will largely stop, but says this, in itself, will not fix the deeper cultural problem within Labor. As he describes it, the disease, as distinct from the symptoms of branch stacking, ballot-harvesting and shoehorning friends and family into taxpayer-funded jobs, is the belief that decisions are best made when power is concentrated in the hands of a small number of people. Where Somyurek has sought to portray his branch activities as a means of democratising the party by including more people from diverse communities as members, staff and MPs, the ultimate aim of branch stacking is to increase the power of the stacker. At the peak of Somyureks rise, he and the rival factional chiefs who struck a power-sharing bargain with him wielded enormous influence over the administrative affairs of the Victorian ALP. The former minister points out that the partys response to the Somyurek scandal the suspension of member voting rights, national administration of the Victorian branch and the formation of a new, cross-factional pact by Somyureks enemies has merely concentrated power in different sets of hands, without any need for branch stacking or manipulating ballots. This is democratic if you believe a tiny group of people sitting on top of a charade is democratic, he says. You can return the vote to members, but if you have these arrangements in place between these leaders who determine who gets to sit in parliament and, indirectly, who gets to be ministers and premiers, there is no change to the underlying culture. Advertisement Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin, the administrators appointed by the ALP national executive to take control of the Victorian branch, describe this culture as a winner-takes-all mentality. A long-serving Labor MP says that, where factional groups used to be organised according to ideology or policy differences, they are now entirely dedicated to one thing; power. Bracks and Macklin, in their submission to the IBAC and Ombudsmans investigation, note that it was common knowledge that Somyurek was amassing extraordinary power, in part, through branch stacking operations. The factional bosses who now control the administrative affairs of the party are a product of this culture. If Labor MP Robin Scott was right when he testified that branch stacking has been endemic in the Victorian ALP for 50 years, these same factional bosses have benefited, to some degree, from the practices Daniel Andrews is now vowing to stamp out. The difficulty of this task, assuming Victorian Labor is genuinely committed to it, cant be overstated. Although everyone in Labor knew Somyurek was manipulating party processes, it took the combined effort of dedicated investigative journalism, the full coercive powers of IBAC and an unprecedented collaboration between the states two most powerful integrity bodies to expose and forensically examine his activities. Andrews conversion to integrity reformer, in the final months of his second term of government, invites cynicism. Through his actions and inaction he appeased Somyurek, most notably by welcoming him back to the cabinet table after the 2018 election. This gave the Labor Partys dominant factional figure greater access to public resources to fund his activities. IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich and Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass detail the findings of their agencies. Credit:Paul Jeffers When questioned about this on the day the IBAC and Ombudsman report was tabled, Andrews replied that Somyureks cabinet appointment was a decision of caucus. While this is true, Andrews did not exercise his authority as premier to block Somyureks return. Instead, in a choice of words he now regrets, he publicly welcomed back his good friend. Advertisement Andrews time as premier has been marked by his governments protracted legal challenge to and lack of co-operation with an ombudsman investigation into the red shirts affair an earlier scandal which centred on the ALPs misuse of taxpayer-funded staffers for party political purposes and what this weeks report described as its tepid response to Ombudsman Deborah Glass findings. Loading Those findings, handed down in 2018, made clear the need for reform. At the time, Andrews did not support a proposal by one of his most senior cabinet colleagues, Gavin Jennings, to introduce a parliamentary integrity commissioner. More broadly, Andrews approach to politics, as described privately by his own MPs, reflects the ruthless culture that Redlich, Glass, Bracks and Macklin identify as being the root cause of the Somyurek scandal. Andrews served his political apprenticeship on the staff of former federal MP Alan Griffin, an active player in the partys factional disputes of the 1990s, though no hard evidence has been produced of Andrews doing what Somyurek did. Shortly after 60 Minutes and The Age revealed some of what Somyurek was up to in the latest round of factional hostilities, a Labor MP expressed dismay at what the parliamentary party, under Andrews leadership, had become. Because Daniel came out of that world, that is the way he knows how to do business, the MP said. In here, it has been like running a horrendous sub-factional meeting. There are winners, there are losers, people are humiliated, decisions are made on factional shoring-up of power. So where does this leave Victorian Labor? Somyurek, through the catalogue of unethical and inappropriate behaviour detailed by the IBAC and Ombudsmans report, and his own bizarre claim to have been exonerated by its findings, is without credibility and seemingly at the end of his political road. Meanwhile, surviving factional operatives who, like Somyurek, spent decades manipulating party branches are already planning their next move. Advertisement After a series of self-inflicted injuries, the judgement of police and their commitment to a fair legal system is being questioned. Jason Roberts, who in 2002 was convicted of the 1998 murders of police officers Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rod Miller, won a retrial after it was discovered police failed to disclose alterations to statements and was ultimately acquitted. Loading And dozens of convictions are now being questioned because disgraced criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo was a police informer - a fact deliberately withheld from defence teams. The Gobbo case led to a two-year Royal Commission and in late 2020 it released a 1000-page final report with a series of recommendations. Some of those, now coming into practice, are ticking time bombs about to explode. If we drop the legal jargon, Royal Commissioner Justice Margaret McMurdo found police failed to play fair and disclose all relevant facts to the defence. The commission said as we no longer trust you to play by the rules, it will be up to others to decide what material ends up with the court. This means police now have to provide the Director of Public Prosecutions with all material obtained during an investigation that may be relevant to the prosecution or the defence. Police will need to provide a disclosure certificate to the court that contains all relevant material and also provide reports on the credibility of prosecution witnesses. Sounds easy, doesnt it? The thing is, police will no longer make decisions on what is relevant, meaning all material will be included. In the 1993 case of serial killer Paul Charles Denyer, who murdered three women in Frankston, the Brief of Evidence was two volumes. From arrest to sentencing, Denyers case took 141 days. Now an open-and-shut case where the offender confesses results in a brief of 20 volumes and takes about four years to get to court. The volume of evidence before court in criminal cases is set to explode. Credit:Ken Irwin Internal police projections suggest that with the new disclosure rules, a Denyer-type brief will be at least 60 volumes. (Winston Churchills A History of the English-Speaking Peoples runs to four volumes and the Encyclopaedia Britannica to 32.) Under Operation Reset, police are restructuring to accommodate the new rules. Each investigation team will have to collate everything from the body-worn camera recordings of the first police on the scene through to video of door knocks, CCTV, notes from the first detectives, and every piece of paper generated by the Homicide Squad. Under the Gobbo commissions recommendation, police will need to investigate material relevant to the credibility of a prosecution witness. This means any police officer used as a witness may have their professional standards file examined to make sure they have never grounded their sand iron in a bunker, double-dipped at a fondue party or left the pub before their shout (a heinous crime in police circles). What about the victim - who is usually the star prosecution witness? Any previous indiscretions will now be in the material sent to court. What about civilian witnesses? Routinely police ignore minor embarrassments for the bigger picture. Once a man looking out of the bedroom window of a ladys flat saw a killer fleeing a park after shooting a gangster. He made a statement that didnt mention that the woman whose intimate company he was sharing was someone other than his wife. Now that will be included. Would the man be prepared to give evidence on that basis? A cow. The Office of Public Prosecutions is neither equipped nor prepared to analyse terabytes of data, which means all the material will be dumped on the court and given to defence and prosecution lawyers. Instead of being served a steak, they will be given the whole cow, a blunt knife and told to carve away. There are more than 140 homicide cases listed for trial, with delays of up to four years. That could well blow out to six years while both sides go through the material line by line. Victims will have to wait up to six years for their day in court and for the accused, refused bail on homicide, how do they get their life back after all that time? A steak. Then there is the backlog on examining seized mobile phones. Police have specialist Digital Forensic Officers to deal with seized phones and computers, but their workload has exploded, with it taking years to rescue the material in some cases. This is resulting in acquittals when the defence argues there may be uncovered text messages that could clear the accused. Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt doesnt mince words. Without adequate resourcing these new laws have the potential to handcuff police, slow prosecutions and ultimately delay justice. This is unfair on all parties. Tens of thousands of police hours will now be dedicated to this. Something has to give. A small case, prepared by a junior police officer for a magistrates hearing, may run to 30 pages. It will now include four extra volumes of disclosure material that have to be checked by a sergeant. More police will spend more time behind a desk than behind the wheel of a divisional van. It is part of a bigger problem in the criminal justice system, clogged by a stubborn obsession with keeping the traditional while grafting on new and costly statutory obligations that make the process more complex. As former Supreme Court judge Paul Coghlan said, if it [the system] hasnt already sunk, it is sinking. Criminal lawyers spend years learning the law and mastering the system, and too often seem stubbornly anti-change. Every business and every profession have made major savings by embracing technology. Yet in court it is much the same as it has always been. Witnesses are examined and cross-examined in minute detail, often on issues that dont seem to matter at all. Businesses are rewarded for efficiencies, with bonuses offered for coming in under budget and inside a deadline. In the law it is the opposite. Barristers are paid by the day and so the longer the case, the bigger the cheque. One barrister who appeared at the two-year-long Gobbo Royal Commission joked that at the beginning he had to cancel a fishing trip to a sub-tropical island. By the end he could buy it. The Jason Roberts retrial heard from 91 witnesses. Experts were grilled on how they determined that the rear windscreen glass shards found at the crime scene originated from a Hyundai Excel. Fascinating stuff, except both sides had already accepted that the Excel was the car pulled over by Silk and Miller. Loading The longer the case, the more difficult it is for a jury to sift through the mass of testimony. A juror is paid $40 a day for the first six days and $80 a day after that. A senior counsel is paid up to $6000 a day. We have inherited the British system of justice but have refused to accept its reforms. Ten years ago, a UK parliamentary White Paper found it was necessary to ensure that where cases are contested, the issues in dispute are identified earlier and only those witnesses whose evidence is to be challenged are required to attend. Complexity does not equal clarity. As Coghlan says, court delays stop early guilty pleas. Why would you plead guilty? Anything could happen. Witnesses could die, or the world could end. A man has faced court charged with rape after an alleged attack on an 11-year-old girl in North Melbourne. Salmanul Abdullah, 31, was arrested on Thursday by detectives from the Melbourne sexual offences and child abuse investigation team. He appeared before Melbourne Magistrates on Friday afternoon via a video link from the Melbourne West police station. Abdullah faces three charges, including one of rape. He is also charged with breaching his bail conditions. A COVID-19 conspiracist who used a baseball bat and Taser to viciously assault two police officers who had asked a teenager to put on a face mask has been jailed for three years and two months. Senior Constable Rowan Baldam feared he was going to be killed when Steven John Cleary repeatedly struck him to the head with the metal bat as the officer lay in a foetal position on the ground in a Warrnambool street on October 9 last year. Cleary was jailed on Friday, but with 9 months already served, he will be eligible for parole in August next year. County Court Judge Anne Hassan accepted Cleary, 51, was mentally impaired when he assaulted the officers. Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said he was disappointed with the outcome and would be urging the prosecution to appeal the sentence. Most attention will be on the new government and its legislation, and that is how it should be. But Australians will also begin to see how those who will sit to the left of the speaker will behave. When a party is kicked out of office, it takes time to adjust to the slower pace and what Labor minister Gareth Evans described in 1996 as relevancy deprivation syndrome. The government has announced its first legislative priorities , with plans to introduce four bills that will to seek to enshrine a 2030 emissions reduction target, legislate 10 days of domestic violence leave, mandate nurses in aged care homes, and create a new jobs and skills agency. When the federal parliament sits next week for the first time since the May election, it will look like very different. Its not just that it will include more women and be more ethnically and culturally diverse than ever before, but also that for the first time in nearly a decade Labor will be sitting to the right of the speaker. The oppositions trouncing at the May election has led to some soul-searching about the future direction of the Liberal Party. It has a new leader, Peter Dutton, who has some work to do in places such as Melbourne, where he is little known beyond stereotypes. Early attempts in opposition have been less than impressive. The criticism of Albaneses overseas travel while NSW was being inundated by floods again was led by Liberal frontbenchers Angus Taylor and Dan Tehan, with Nationals leader David Littleproud. It was political payback for the time former prime minister Scott Morrison was attacked for holidaying in Hawaii while bushfires burnt in Australia. The criticism misfired. The comparison was weak and, after all, Dutton was, at the time, on holiday himself in America. More regrettable has been Duttons declaration that he would not support legislation to enact the governments 2030 target for a 43 per cent emissions reduction. He has declared it a political stunt, reasoning that putting the target into law would lock Australia into an inflexible position if the economic conditions were to deteriorate. One of the reasons his party lost so many heartland Liberal seats to progressive independents was because of its reluctance to champion strong action on climate change. At his first press conference as leader, Dutton committed to support sensible action on climate, so to oppose a modest measure by Labor seems churlish. Labor is right to attempt to end the climate change wars. As Albanese observed overseas, whether it be in Europe or the Pacific region, support for stronger action on climate is essential to Australias international standing. It has a direct impact on our relations not just diplomatically but economically. Domestically, most Australians have long wanted stronger action than those in our national government have been willing to take, and even the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Australia are now calling for the backing of Labors climate target. Travellers returning from Indonesia will have to clean their shoes and walk over sanitation mats under the toughest biosecurity rules ever introduced at Australian airports, in a bid to avert a catastrophic local outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The federal government confirmed new biosecurity zones would be introduced in customs from midnight on Friday for passengers flying in from Indonesia, where the livestock disease is running rampant, after Agriculture Minister Murray Watt learned some people had attempted to evade screening. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the zones, established under federal laws, would give biosecurity officers the power to direct passengers to use foot mats and other measures including cleaning their shoes. Credit:Getty I had been concerned about some rare reports that some return travellers were not doing the right thing when returning from Indonesia, Watt said. Watt said the zones, established under federal laws, would give biosecurity officers the power to direct passengers to use foot mats and other measures including cleaning their shoes. Singapore: Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to raise the AUKUS deal when he meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Beijing next week, as China ramps up its campaign against the nuclear submarine agreement. Widodo will be the first major leader to visit Beijing since Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Winter Olympics in February. Chinas Foreign Ministry on Thursday confirmed Widodo would arrive on Monday for two days of meetings to discuss COVID-19, economic investment and regional security. Indonesias President Joko Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2017. Credit:AP China released a report by two of its state-backed think tanks on Thursday criticising the deal between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, warning it could lead to nuclear proliferation in the region. Those claims were rejected by Australias Department of Foreign Affairs, but officials are now preparing for an ongoing international campaign against the AUKUS deal which will not deliver submarines until at least the 2030s. Indonesia, which is hosting the G20 in Bali this year, is seen as a key ASEAN powerbroker and a vital economic partner for China as it looks to expand its influence in South-east Asia. Malaysia has been forthright in its criticism of the deal, warning it could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific, but Indonesia has been more cautious, with Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto arguing he understands the need for countries to protect their national interests. Though it isnt cause not even close for celebration, the news that Buffalos gun violence statistics have dropped dramatically over the first quarter of 2022 is encouraging. Maybe a cautious nod of approval would be in order. This is better news than we had at the same time a year ago, when the number of gun injuries and fatalities was higher than it had been in a decade, with more than twice as many occurrences as in the early months of 2019 and 2020. Buffalo is also doing better than other New York State cities; compared to Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and Niagara Falls, Buffalo is the only municipality to show a decline in shooting incidents, injuries and deaths. Thats including the May 14 massacre at the Jefferson Avenue Tops. It wouldnt be tempting fate to ask why this decrease has happened; the answers to that question may hold lessons for the future. According to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, major reasons for the improvement are grassroots-level anti-violence efforts like the Stop the Violence Coalition and the Erie County Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, in which community organizations have hit the streets, connecting at-risk individuals with assistance, including jobs. These efforts are buttressed by last years $531,000 investment in additional temporary employment opportunities and increased number of home visits to probationers, both initiatives part of the countys 2021 gun violence prevention program. The fact that home visits and personal contacts in other settings are once again possible may also have something to do with the positive trend. In March, 2021, then-Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia noted, Covid has restricted and really cut off a significant amount of our community outreach work. A few months later, in July 2021, county Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said that even during the pandemic, gun violence killed more children than Covid-19. Its widely recognized that gun violence surged throughout the country during the months of Covid-related isolation. Speaking of now-Police Commissioner Gramaglia, who was not at the news conference announcing the decrease, we trust his absence was merely an oversight. He needs to be closely involved with the task force. It will take all hands on deck to keep this trend on its downward path. Will the recent decrease be more than a temporary blip as we return to semi-normality? Time will tell, but theres no question that collaborative efforts involving law enforcement and ground-level community outreach should be ongoing regardless of what the numbers say. There can be no permanent improvement if significant action depends on whether were in crisis mode. It was almost a year ago that Poloncarz raised the alarm, asking, Did we ever think wed be worse than the Bronx when it comes to violent crime with a firearm? This week, he says Buffalo is one of the only urban areas in the state where the pendulum of crime is swinging the right way. If current anti-violence initiatives are working, good. The city and county should double down on them, even when statistics show improvement. 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. Istanbul: Russia and Ukraine have signed agreements with Turkey and the United Nations, clearing the way for the export of millions of tonnes of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertiliser ending a wartime stand-off that threatened food security around the globe. The deal announced on Saturday (AEST) will enable Ukraine one of the worlds key breadbaskets to export 22 million tonnes of grain and other agricultural products that have been stuck in Black Sea ports since Russia invaded the country. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in food costs. A combine harvester cuts through a field of wheat in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, last month. Credit:Bloomberg A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families, said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. Mardini noted that over the past six months prices for food staples have risen 187 per cent in Sudan, 86 per cent in Syria, 60 per cent in Yemen and 54 per cent in Ethiopia. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals with Guterres and Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I'm sort of baffled by the stage adaptation of The Kite Runner at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Not that it exists; the dramatic bones within Khaled Hosseini's beloved and bestselling novel are strong and worthy. But Matthew Spangler's script is just so clumsy, and Giles Croft's production (which originated at the Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman in England in 2013 before moving to the West End years later) is just so bland, that I couldn't help but wonder why this is the theatricalized version of the material that a group of more than two-dozen producers chose to take to Broadway. The Kite Runner became a literary sensation in the early 2000s and rightly so: It's a great book that tells a compelling story about male relationships. It chronicles the life of Amir (Amir Arison), a wealthy Afghan boy who becomes an American novelist after he and his father (the forceful Faran Tahir) escape the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Hosseini specifically focuses on Amir's inseparable childhood friendship with Hassan (Eric Sirakian), the son of his father's best friend and servant, Ali (Evan Zes, extremely sweet). It is Amir's eventual betrayal of the doting Hassan, following an assault against the boy, that haunts his life. When the chance comes for Amir to rest his guilty conscience decades later when Afghanistan is overtaken by the Taliban, he is determined to make things as right as he can. Spangler, a university professor, began developing this script in 2005 by dramatizing scenes in order to more fully engage his students with the topics Hosseini raises. Hosseini himself granted Spangler permission, and as he worked on it further, the author, Spangler says in a program note, was available for notes and advice every step of the way. Perhaps Hosseini was too close to the project, or perhaps Spangler was too afraid or unwilling to deviate from the source material. Either way, there's not much in the way of drama in the staged Kite Runner's final form. Amir Arison as Amir and Eric Sirakian as Hassan in The Kite Runner ( Joan Marcus) Sure, there are a lot of events, but Spangler commits the cardinal sin of theatrical storytelling: He has a narrator describe it all to us. All the little details that gave color to the proceedings are gone. Many of the characters become sketches. The villain of the piece, depraved local bully turned Taliban heavy Assef (Amir Malaklou), is a moustache-twirling baddie. Amir's eventual wife, Soraya (Azita Ghanizada), is peripheral. Spangler reduces this immensely human story about guilt and redemption into two-and-a-half hours of "And then this happened." I don't know if Arison, who left his series regular role on the NBC hit The Blacklist specifically so he could star in this play, made the right call in the long run, but for the time being, it's a good move. Never leaving the stage, this is a terrific showcase for him, and Arison delivers a warm, funny performance that devastatingly communicates Amir's heartbreak. Admittedly, he does get a little too histrionic at times, which is more Croft's fault than his for allowing it, but I'll forgive it because Arison really moved me by the end. He is nicely matched with Sirakian, whose big-hearted, open-faced performance is so sweet and so sad. His guilelessness is really affecting right when it needs to be, and it hits you right in the chest. At best, Croft's spare production is moderately elegant. Charles Balfour's lighting gives us the burnt authenticity of the desert that the earnest script lacks. Salar Nader sits on the edge of the stage to play the tabla live as underscoring, which is a very nice touch and helps raise the suspense. At worst, though, the staging lacks the kind of visual flair needed to make up for the insufficient script. Barney George's set amounts to a halfpipe ramp, cut-out skyline, and two large kites that come down to act as scrims for William Simpson's location-defining projections, while the costumes (also by George) are shockingly ordinary. The fight direction by Philip D'Orleans is particularly bad: the climactic confrontation between Amir and Assef, one that is heavily alluded to throughout, is embarrassingly amateur. All this amounts to a stage adaptation that doesn't justify its own existence. Gripping? Sure. But that's Hosseini, not this team. Neither Spangler's text nor Croft's production does anything to elevate the material Hosseini provided for them; they just ride his coattails and refashion it in disappointingly unimaginative ways. There's a reason it took three years to get from Nottingham to London, and six years to get cross the Atlantic to get to New York. Just looking at the timeline will tell you everything you need to know about the quality, and how much it's lacking. Also this play is called The Kite Runner. Kites play a big part in this story. Why are the only kites we actually see flying projected on a screen in the distance? If you can't figure out how to make that work live onstage, with all the theatrical magic we have these days, you're not doing the job right. One of daytime drama's most popular actors for nearly 40 years, Christian Jules LeBlanc has won an astounding three Daytime Emmy Awards (and 12 total nominations) for his portrayal of lawyer and devoted father Michael Baldwin on CBS's The Young and the Restless. Now, just weeks shy of his 64th birthday, LeBlanc is fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing a very different father: Big Daddy in Ruth Stage's limited-run production of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Theatre at St. Clements. TheaterMania recently spoke to LeBlanc about the importance of the role and his love of Williams, working with Tony Award nominee Alison Fraser, appearing onstage with the great Julie Harris, and what he really wants to do while living in New York. Christian Jules LeBlanc ( Lesley Bohm) This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Is it true doing a Tennessee Williams play was on your bucket list? Although I wasn't born there, I consider New Orleans my home, as did Tennessee. I studied his work when I was at Tulane, and I ultimately did some scenes of his, many years later, at the Tennessee Williams Festival. But this is my first time doing a full-length Williams play, and I am so excited. So how did this role come about? They put out the role for auditions, and no one was more surprised than I was that I got a callback. I am not sure if they would have looked at me further if I didn't have gray in my hair, which happened during the pandemic. I am so happy about that in retrospect. I just had to accept that I'm a character actor now, not a leading man. Anyway, they sent me like half the script, and it was really hard to memorize all this dialogue while still doing Y&R. Why go through so much trouble? Did you want to play Big Daddy that badly? Yes, but more importantly, I knew the people at Ruth Stage wanted to create a more modern "Cat" than people are used to seeing. When they cast the show in the 1950s, it was such a different time. People back then were portrayed as unsexed; but now, it's clear Big Daddy is still looking for women and he's still dangerous. On top of my love for Williams, that's part of what made this such an attractive role for me. You're also fascinated by the fact the play is about entire family who keeps secrets, right? Many of us believe that you are the secret you keep; it's what makes you powerful and makes you dangerous. We all think our secrets are the worst. I love to do people's family trees, and when I did my own, I found out my grandmother was legally a slave, and my mother was Creole. It was a jolt to realize the women in my family had to keep their race a secret. And, of course, I kept my own secret about being gay and married to a man for over 20 years, even though my husband Sid had been out for years. As an actor, you want to control what people say about you. You want to disappear into your character. You think your fans don't need to know about your personal life. Alison Fraser and Christian Jules LeBlanc in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ( Miles Skalli) This production was supposed to open in February. Tell me about what it was like finally starting rehearsals after so many delays? On June 24, I presented at the Daytime Emmy Awards in California, and then I got on a plane next morning and came to New York City a mere two days before our first rehearsal. That rehearsal was the first time I met anyone from this production in person; I had been Zooming with everyone for so long. And it was so amazing to feel this whole new energy with this cast, especially since I've worked with the same people on daytime who I love -- for so long. I feel like I've got new people to bat the ball around with, and that these people can make me a better actor. Does that apply to Alison Fraser, who is your "Big Mama"? Absolutely. Alison a joy, and she has such knowledge and energy for details. Just watching Alison negotiate blocking is a master class in craft and artistry. In fact, she'll sometime tweet in character. She is such a forceful Big Mama. I think we've untethered their relationship from what you've seen in previous versions, which has really helped me find my own take on Big Daddy. You have a great story about another of your leading ladies, Julie Harris. Can you share it? Charles Nelson Reilly was my acting teacher when I first left Y&R in 1993. I wanted to get back into theater. In 1995, he directed me in a play with Julie called "Ladies in Retirement" at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Florida. On opening night, Julie gave me a card that listed all her leading men, and I was on the same list as Marlon Brando. That card got me through some bad years. Other than doing the play, what's the best thing about finally being back in New York? This time, I found a quiet apartment near Union Square, where I haven't lived before. One day when I was walking to rehearsal, I found the Harry Potter store (on Broadway and 21st Street). I'm a huge Harry Potter fan I'm even working on my own children's book so I went in and did some shopping. It's an amazing place! Anyway, now I take my elder wand to rehearsals, and I keep pointing at it our director, Joe Rosario, and I say to him, "Praise my acting!" Now, I just need to find time to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway before I head back to California. Assemblyman Andrew Goodell stretches himself into contortions to prove that the future of the Cummins Engine plant is the most important issue on a table crowded with global warming, kids health and state costs. First of all, as the excellent editorial he is responding to pointed out: 1. We ignore global warming at our peril; 2. New York state is requiring that all school buses be electric by 2035. Goodell offers a highly specific-seeming analysis of just how electric buses are going to increase global warming. I dont buy it. Yes, New York relies on out of state fossil fuels right now, but thats rapidly changing. According to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the states grid must be 70% renewable by 2030, and 100% emissions-free by 2040. That means electric buses running on clean power. CNG is just fossil fuel, and hydrogen takes an enormous amount of energy to refine, and requires platinum, principally mined in South Africa. The relative cost of running electric vehicles is dropping dramatically as the price of oil skyrockets, and is expected to remain high. Electricity prices have only increased slightly. Plus, theres the low maintenance costs of electric vehicles. Fossil fuel emissions are not healthy for children, or adults either. Making school buses electric improves public health. Meanwhile, as The News editorial pointed out, the costs of global warming are astronomical. George Ann Carter Warsaw Pierleoni, Thrillseeker win again Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane, along with his team of wife Stephanie Pierleoni, Nick Glosser of Newfane and Chris Dexter of Melbourne, Fla., did it again. They won the 2022 Sodus Bay/Wayne County Pro-Am last weekend for the teams 12th Pro-Am victory, and 16th major tournament win on Lake Ontario. We sensed a migration of mature kings were moving into the Sodus/Oswego area after fishing Oswego and placing second there the week before, Vince Pierleoni said. We ran charters out of Sodus all week and had good salmon action so our efforts were spent looking for the best big fish water. On Saturday, everything went as planned and most of our fish were caught on cut bait, continued Pierleoni. Day 2, the currents, and temperatures changed, and we had to be much more resourceful to get our limit of 12 fish. We ended up with eight kings, two steelhead, and two very important brown trout (after a late move) that we caught during the last 20 minutes of the tourney to seal the win. On Day 2, most of our fish were caught on DW spoons. The Thrillseeker team led from start to finish and scored 537.75 points based on 10 points per fish and a point per pound for up to 12 tournament-legal fish each day. Second place was local angler Chuck Simonet and his Boston Angler team with 533.20 points. Cold Steel and Capt. Tom Burke finished third with 529.50 points. In the Amateur Division, Great Lakes Lures topped 34 teams to win with 339.75 points. The team consisted of Jason Oakes; Chris Lockwood and his son Seth; Teresa Philbin; and Kevin Ackerman. Second place was Pure Mayhem with 299.95 points and third place was Why Knot with 285.85 points. DMAP deadline is Aug. 1 The deadline is fast approaching for landowners to apply for the states Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). Not only does it give landowners an opportunity to manage deer populations on their land, but it also provides an incentive to give licensed hunters access to deer and deer hunting. The application deadline is Aug. 1. Landowners can use DMAP to enhance forest regeneration, protect areas with sensitive and rare plants, address crop damage, manage municipal deer harvest, and develop custom deer management programs. Tags are valid for use only during the open deer hunting seasons and can only be used by licensed hunters on the properties identified on the DMAP permit. Only antlerless deer may be harvested. New this year, DMAP permitees can submit their annual report online. To download an application, click through to https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/33973.html. Evans Rod and Gun to host archery shoots Evans Rod and Gun Club, located at 864 Cain Road, Angola will be hosting its annual 15-target 3D Summer Archery Shoot starting Aug. 3. The weekly shoot will take place every Wednesday for nine weeks from 4 p.m. until dark through Sept. 28. Junior shooters 12 and under may shoot for free. The 15 Target 3-D summer shoot is a fun, enjoyable and easy walk through the woods shooting arrows at life size 3-D animal targets, the clubs Jerry Gorski said. The course is designed for all ages. This is a great opportunity to get your kids as well as adults involved with the outdoors. These shoots are designed for the first timers interested in trying archery and for the sportsmen and women tuning up for the upcoming hunting season.: Gorski also said the shoots are a great opportunity for nature photos and family pictures and noted it helps the club introduce the public to its facilities and add members. For more information, contact Jerry Gorski at 698-3008 or jeromeiceman@roadrunner.com. Clays for Heroes Shoot Aug. 6 The 11th Annual Clays for Heroes Sporting Clays Shoot to benefit Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) is scheduled for Aug. 6 at Rochester Brooks International Trap and Skeet Club, 962 Honeoye Falls #6 Road, Rush. The shoot will consist of 100 NSCA registered targets or a 100 Clay Bird Fun Shoot. Rotations will take place at 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. You must pre-register through www.scorechaser.com. Entry fees are $75 for adults and $50 for junior shooters under 21 years of age. There is a $20 Lewis option with a 50/50 split and a $10 Class option. For more information, contact Ashley Butcher at 698-5892. Colin D. Young / Shutterstock.com Opting to purchase a vacation property in another country has multiple advantages. Not only will you have a foreign getaway to use at your convenience, but you'll also gain an asset that doesn't have any tax-filing requirements in the U.S. Check Out: The Minimum Salary You Need To Be Happy in Every State More: 15 Cheap, Beautiful Places To Retire Some countries, including Turkey, Greece and Portugal, will even grant you second citizenship if you own property there. Plus, there's the possibility of renting out the property when you're not using it to produce an additional stream of income. To help you weigh your options, here are six of the best countries to own vacation properties. RomanBabakin / Getty Images/iStockphoto Italy "Italy is a place where the tourists come and go every year and every day," said Matt Ward Realtor and team lead of The Matt Ward Group. "Most of the vacation rentals in the country remain booked mostly any time of the year. If you are planning to invest in vacation properties, this country would be one of the best places to start with. Any Americans legally can buy a vacation home in Italy with the right amount of money."In the major cities of the country, buying a property outside of the city center will be significantly cheaper than buying in the city center.Live Richer Podcast: How To Start Investing and Win Big, According to WallStreetBets tanukiphoto / Getty Images Greece "There's no doubt about the fact that Greece is a popular tourist destination," said Kurt Walker, real estate investor at Mill City Home Buyers. "So, it's an ideal location for investors seeking to buy a vacation property. With picturesque views of unspoiled islands and clear blue waters paired with Mediterranean architecture and history, it is the perfect tourist attraction."Walker added, "Additionally, with the country's golden visa scheme, tourists are jumping on the opportunity to visit this beautiful place. This has resulted in a hot real estate market, especially in terms of vacation rentals. More traffic means that more people will book properties for their holiday, making it one of the best countries to own a vacation home."Some Grecian islands like Naxos and Paros are super affordable. You can buy as many as five three-bedroom village houses for just a million euros. This affordability has made Greece an attractive destination for people to invest in vacation rentals." Story continues ekash / Shutterstock.com Costa Rica "Costa Rica is a great country to invest in; [it's] also called the 'greenest country on Earth,'" said Rashard Alomari, founder and CEO of real estate company Fair Cash Deal."This name was not given to [it] because of [its] scenery, but mainly because it is currently the leading nation in terms of greener environmental practices and sustainable technological advancement. In addition to being the greenest country, Costa Rica also has a low cost of living, which is the main attraction for investors to buy a vacation house in Costa Rica. Vacationers set a budget of $3,000 per month, which is more than enough to live a luxury life in Costa Rica. People have been able to find vacation houses for as little as $40,000, while the most expensive house can only be as expensive as $500,000." KyuJong Park / Flickr.com Turkey "Turkey, despite being a major tourist attraction and a strong economy, offers affordable real estate options compared to other countries," said Samantha Odo, chief operating officer and licensed real estate expert at Precondo."The pricing of small apartments can start from as low as $55,000-$65,000 USD. The prices are increasing at a slower pace making investing in a property for the long-term ideal." xbrchx / Getty Images/iStockphoto Croatia "Tourism in this country is thriving, and there's been an influx of international tourists coming in to see the towns, islands, castles and much more," said Eyal Pasternak, licensed Realtor and founder of Liberty House Buying Group. "A significant portion of these tourists travel to look at the filming locations of the popular TV series 'Game of Thrones.' That alone is a reason to invest in the vacation properties in Croatia."Pasternak continued, "Property prices have gone up recently because of the boom in the tourism industry. Properties can go all the way up to a million dollars, but you can also find great vacation homes for as low as $150,000. The thing about Croatian property is that its capitalization rate is also going up with prices. This means properties are appreciating well, so you'll see a good return on your investment." SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto Portugal "Portugal is considered one of the top places for buying a vacation property in 2022," said Martin Carreon, broker/owner at Soco Wine Country Properties. "The country has a lot to offer with its captivating culture and great nature. The growth of tourist numbers along with the economic growth has been good and steady in the cities like Lisbon and Porto.""Lisbon may be too expensive to buy a vacation property, but the amenities and features offered by the city are magnificent. The other cities near Lisbon would be a good option if you are looking to buy a new vacation home at an affordable rate."More From GOBankingRatesSee Our List: 100 Most Influential Money Experts How Many Hours Can You Work and Still Collect Social Security? 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals 35 Useless Expenses You Need To Slash From Your Budget Now This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Best Countries To Own Vacation Property As of Friday July 22, 2022 the number of positive COVID-19 cases (conrmed positives) identied in comprehensive testing conducted during this weeks test at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution was 24. The facility will update to Yellow status Sunday July 24, 2022 based upon the Departments Response Plan for Facilities. All other WDOC facilities continue in the Green status. Surveillance testing of 20% of staff and inmates at WMCI will begin during the week of July 25, 2022. Facility will resume normal operations Monday July 25, 2022. Total number of inmate deaths in the WDOC to date attributed to Covid-19: 9 Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) Torrington Positive Covid Cases: 24 Staff 13 Inmates 11 Working with the Wyoming Department of Health (WDOH), all positive inmate cases are medically monitored and managed by the Department and our health care provider (Corizon Health, Inc.) in accordance with WDOH and CDC guidelines. The Department continues to conduct rigorous surveillance testing at all sites as necessary and will provide additional information as it becomes available. (Bloomberg) -- Two Chinese companies kicked off sales of global depository receipts in Zurich, becoming the first to tap the newly expanded stock-connect program. Most Read from Bloomberg Keda Industrial Group Co., a Chinese building materials manufacturer, opened books to sell 12 million GDRs at a range of $14.43 to $14.58 each, according to terms of the deal seen by Bloomberg News. At the top of the range, Keda would raise as much as $175 million from the offering. Separately, Ningbo Shanshan Co. began taking investor orders for 9,694,292 GDRs at $20.64 each, according to a term sheet. The lithium battery materials maker would raise up to $200 million, based on Bloomberg calculations. The sales are the first of a group whose GDR offerings are poised to hit the Swiss market, giving Chinese companies another route to raise funds overseas. More companies are set to join, with firms including Gotion High-Tech Co. considering taking orders as soon as Monday, Bloomberg News has reported. The price range implies a discount to Kedas closing price on Friday of 8.3% to 9.3%, whereas Ningbo Shanshans terms indicate a discount of about 7%, Bloomberg calculations show. Each Keda and Ningbo Shanshan GDR is equivalent to five of their respective ordinary shares, according to the terms. The sales are the first of a group whose GDR offerings are poised to hit the Swiss market, giving Chinese companies another route to raise funds overseas. More companies are set to join, with firms including Gotion High-Tech Co. considering taking orders as soon as Monday, Bloomberg News has reported. China expanded its cross-border listing program in Europe this year in a bid to attract more foreign capital to its market. The facility allows companies listed on one exchange to offer depository receipts on the other. In February, the China Securities Regulatory Commission said it would extend the existing Shanghai-London Stock Connect to include firms in Switzerland, Germany and Shenzhen. Story continues Read More: Chinese Firms Said to Plan Swiss Share Sale Launch This Week Keda Industrial Kedas listing has an over-allotment option of an additional two million GDRs, and an upsize option of as many as 6 million GDRs, the terms show. The company will use the proceeds from the sale for purposes including building new production lines, expanding production capacity and increasing investment in research and development. Kedas offering drew a cornerstone investor in Guangdong Foshan Manufacturing Transformation and Development Fund, which is set to purchase $44 million worth of GDRs, the terms show. Book closing for the sale and pricing are expected to conclude Friday, and the shares could begin trading on July 28. China International Capital Corp. is sole global coordinator and joint bookrunner on Kedas listing. Ningbo Shanshan Ningbo Shanshans listing has an upsize option of the same number of GDRs, which would take the offering size to about $400 million, according to the terms. The company will use the proceeds from the sale for purposes including research and development, manufacturing and sales of its lithium-ion battery material and polariser businesses. About 15% of net proceeds will be used to repay debts, supplement working capital and for general corporate purposes. Huatai Securities Co. is arranging the deal for Ningbo Shanshan. Read More: Western Banks Shun China Battery Makers Landmark Zurich Listing (Adds Ningbo Shanshan details in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Rochester police collect evidence in the area of Bauman and Laser Streets where two officers were shot last night, in Rochester, N.Y., on July 22, 2022. (Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat & Chronicle via AP) 2 New York Officers Shot, 1 Killed; Rochester Mayor Declares Gun Violence Emergency A police officer in Rochester, New York, was shot and killed on Thursday, while another was wounded, in a shooting that happened in the northeastern part of the city, authorities said. Both officers were hospitalized, but one of them later died, police confirmed. A third person was also wounded in the incident. Her condition and the circumstances of the shooting werent immediately clear. In a July 22 press briefing, Rochester Police Department (RPD) Chief David Smith said Anthony Mazurkiewicz, a 29-year veteran of the police force, was shot at least once in the upper part of his body. Last night, Officer Mazurkiewicz and his partner were attacked in a cowardly ambush and fell victim to the very violence in our community that we are trying to combat, Smith told the briefing. [Mazurkiewicz] was transported to [Strong Memorial Hospital]but despite heroic efforts, he passed away. Officer Sino Seng, an 8-year veteran, was shot at least once in the lower body and treated at a local hospital. He has since been released and is recuperating from his injuries at home with his wife and children, the chief said. Yesterday morning I was asked by the media, how dangerous is it out there for the Officers of the Rochester Police Department?' Smith said, Spectrum News reported. My response was that every day, the men and women of this department leave home, not knowing if they are going to return home at the end of their shift, he said. Ten hours later, Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, a father, a husband, and a 29-year veteran of the [RPD], was killed in the line of duty on Bauman Street while in service to our community. RPD Lt. Gregory Bello, a spokesman of the department, said both officers were shot at about 9:15 p.m. by what appears to be a lone man. He noted that he didnt know if the shooter was in police custody or still being sought. They were doing their jobs as police officers, and at least one male approached them and opened fire on them, Bello said. The shooting happened on the very same day that Mayor Malik Evans declared a state of emergency in response to violent crime in the city of Rochester. This is a tragedy for our community. Im asking Rochester to pray for these officers and their families, Evans told reporters near the scene of the shooting. They go out every day and put their lives on the line. And while there are some people who sit on the sidelines, these guys are on the front lines, trying to keep our community safe. The mayors declaration will give authorities the power to shut down streets if they are particularly problematic. It will also allow the RPD to expand its coordinated efforts with the State Police and the U.S. Marshals Office. What I know that is with this emergency declaration, this will give us the ability to not only marshal other resources, but also be very targeted in areas to stop people from continuing to wreak havoc in our city, Evans said on Thursday. According to data on shooting incidents released by Rochester officials, a total of 204 people have been shot in the city so far this year, while 35 of those people have been killed. The department also revealed that 84.8 percent of those involved in the 174 reported shootings that occurred in the city this year were black, and 14.7 percent were white. Another 0.5 percent of the cases were marked as unknown. More than 80 percent of the homicides involved guns. From NTD News Only five Republican Senators have come out in support of legislation to codify protection for same-sex marriage after 47 House Republicans voted in support of the legislation. With only 50 Democratic Senators, 10 Republicans would need to break ranks from the rest of their conference to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Many Republicans actively oppose the legislation. Senator John Cornyn of Texas told reporters earlier this week that I dont support it while Senator Lindsey Graham said I support the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage. Since then, Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have come out against it. Here are the five Republican Senators who have supported same-sex marriage: Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has supported same-sex marriage since 2014 and is a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act. (Getty Images) Susan Collins of Maine Ms Collins has supported same-sex marriage since 2014. She is currently the main Republican sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act in the Senate, along with Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. In a statement, she touted the fact she supported the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, the policy that prevented openly gay people from serving in the US miltary. This bill is another step to promote equality, prevent discrimination, and protect the rights of all Americans. Ms Collins overwhelmingly won reelection in 2020 in a state President Joe Biden won despite her votes for Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, both of whom joined the Dobbs v Jackson ruling that overturned Roe v Wade. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) came out in support of same-sex marriage in 2013. (Getty Images) Rob Portman of Ohio Senator Rob Portman will leave the Senate on 3 January of next year. But same-sex marriage is incredibly personal to him. In 2013, he became the first Republican senator to support it after his son Will came out as gay. Like Ms Collins, he is a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act. We haven't done a whip count or anything. But I think it's the right policy and I think it's an important message to send, he toldThe Independent earlier this week. Story continues Thom Tillis of North Carolina When he was speaker of the North Carolina state house of representatives, Mr Tillis supported an amendment to the states constitution to ban same-sex marriage. But now, Mr Tillis who recently helped pass bipartisan gun legislation now said he would support legislation to codify same-sex marriage. Back then we were having the discussion of the institution of marriage between a man and a woman and civil unions, he said. What we're talking about here is basically codifying what I think is settled law. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska The Alaska Republican has long supported same-sex since 2013. Lisa Murkowski is running for reelection and next month will face Alaskas first ranked-choice primary, wherein the top four winners will advance to the general election regardless of party. Ms Murkowski is facing Kelly Tshibaka, whom former president Donald Trump endorsed after Ms Murkowski voted to convict Mr Trump for his role in the January 6 riot at the Capitol last year. I'm looking at that legislation, seeing it, how it has, how it might compare to the House bill, she told The Independent earlier this week. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin Like Ms Murkowski, Sen Ron Johnson faces a tough re-election in a state Mr Biden won in 2020. Earlier in the week, he told The Independent Ive always thought that was pretty much a settled issue, but on Thursday, even as he faulted Democrats for creating a state of fear, he indicated he would vote to support it. Many Democrats hope to flip his seat in November. 2 Pilots Die After Firefighting Helicopter Crashes in Idaho BOISE, IdahoBoth pilots of a firefighting helicopter that crashed in Idaho have died, the U.S. Forest Service said on Friday. Mary Cernicek with the Salmon-Challis National Forest said Thomas Hayes, 41, of Post Falls, Idaho, and Jared Bird, 36, of Anchorage, Alaska, died from injuries they sustained when their CH-47D Series Chinook crashed in the Salmon River about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The pilots were employees of the Anchorage-based ROTAK Helicopter Services, which was contracted to help fight the Moose Fire burning about 21 miles north of Salmon. Both pilots were highly experienced and military veterans, Cernicek said. Emergency crews responding to the crash were able to extricate the men and transport them to medical facilities but they did not survive, she said. On its website, ROTAK said it confirmed the accident with heavy hearts and asked for prayers and privacy on behalf of the families involved. ROTAK Helicopter Services is working closely with all appropriate agencies and will issue a full statement as information is released, the company wrote. The Idaho crash comes less than a week after four first responders were killed in another helicopter crash in New Mexico. Authorities in New Mexico said the helicopter crew had wrapped up a firefighting mission and was heading home to Albuquerque when the helicopter came down at a high rate of speed, hitting the ground upright before toppling over. One of the four people killed in that crash managed to call 911 before succumbing to his injuries. (LR) Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lt. Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison, and county Fire and Rescue Department Specialist Matthew King. The four were killed in a crash of a Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office helicopter that was headed back to Albuquerque after assisting firefighters in another New Mexico city on July 17, 2022. (Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and Bernalillo County Fire Department via AP) Nearly 700 firefighters have been battling the Moose Fire in Idaho. The fire started on Sunday, and the National Interagency Fire Center said in an incident report Friday that nine helicopters were being used to support ground firefighting resources with water bucket drops. The fire was burning on about 37 square miles on Friday and threatening several structures, and fire managers said the fire was expected to increase as hot, dry conditions continued in the region. A red flag warning was issued in the area because wind gusts were expected to reach up to 35 mph. The helicopter wreckage was still in the Salmon River and National Transportation Safety Board investigators were en route to the scene, Cernicek said. That stretch of the river is popular with rafters and recreationists, and officials closed the area to recreational day trips. It remains open to people on multi-day river trips, Cernicek said. By Rebecca Boone Photo of a cartoon created by VAWONGSIR, a teacher of Liberal Studies and Visual Arts in Hong Kong taken on May 2, 2021. His drawing of the cartoon was ruled "professionally unethical" by the Hong Kong government. He resigned in June 2021. (Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times) A Hong Kong Teachers Association Dissolved by National Security Law Cheung Yui Fai: A glaring example of the Hong Kong pro-communist regime suppressing Hongkongers. The year 2023 will be the last year for Hong Kong senior secondary school students to take the compulsory subject of Liberal Studies. After the subject is retired, the new subject designed by the Hong Kong government (HKgov), Citizenship and Social Development, will be its permanent replacement. Founded by local Liberal Studies teachers in 2005, The Hong Kong Liberal Studies Teachers Association (HKLSTA) held a members meeting on July 16 on the motion of disbanding the organization. After deliberation, the decision of disbandment was approved. Before it was dissolved, HKLSTA had 300 members. According to the Charter of HKLSTA, the quorum required at least 10 percent attendance of its members, including proxy votes. For dissolution to be approved, yes votes were required from two-thirds of respondents. The Association posted a statement on its website to announce its dissolution and thanked all the Liberal Studies teachers for their past contributions. During an interview with The Epoch Times, former President and Adviser of the HKLSTA, Cheung Yui-fai, said that the Association represented Liberal Studies teachers in Hong Kong. Cheung said HKLSTA contributed to the development of Liberal Studies in the subjects course preparation, curriculum development, and review. It also provided professional training to teachers and issued learning materials on current affairs to teachers and students. In the past 17 years, the organization has worked with the Education Bureau and the Examination and Assessment Bureau on different projects, including public education, to present what Liberal Studies is as a subject. When asked about the cancellation of Liberal Studies and the dissolution of HKLSTA, Cheung described both as a glaring example of how Hong Kongs pro-communist regime is suppressing Hongkongers and forcing a big step backward in Hong Kongs freedom and human rights. Liberal Studies, when first introduced in 2009, was one of the four compulsory subjects for senior secondary schools under a curriculum reform. The aim was focused on enhancing students awareness of social issues while building critical thinking skills. The subject, unfortunately, had been plagued in recent years by pro-Beijing figures accusations. They accused the subject of increasing violence in young people. The CCPs media outlets even claimed Liberal Studies taught young people to rebel against the governments of both Beijing and Hong Kong. In 2021 the Hong Kong government announced that Liberal Studies would be replaced by Citizenship and Social Development. The new course will no longer teach critical thinking. Instead, It will focus on the significance of safeguarding national security, the concept of being Chinese and having an identity of a Chinese national, and Chinas recent accomplishments in areas such as high-end technologies and poverty alleviation. Hong Kong students are also required to go on mainland study field trips at least once during their three-year course in Citizenship and Social Development. By Connie Ogle From Miami Herald MiamiTwo South Florida hotels are among the best hotels in the world, according to a popular travel website. Travel + Leisure just released its 100 Best Hotels in the World list, and hotels in Miami Beach and on Little Torch Key in the Florida Keys made the cut, as well as one hotel in Palm Beach. At No. 81 on the list, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, designed to mimic a Japanese beach house, was praised for its luxuries. Travel + Leisure writes: The list of world-class amenities at this David Rockwell-designed beachfront hotel is impressively long: exceptional epicurean delights, a beautiful 22,000-square-foot spa, three pools, a private marina, and luxurious penthouse-level villas. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa on Little Torch Key was No. 94 on the list. The adults-only resort, on a private island in the Florida Keys, is accessible only by boat or seaplane. The 30 water-view bungalows have no TVs, encouraging tropical revelry of a more laid-back nature (think kayaking and snorkeling). The resort also made Conde Nast Travelers 2021 Hot List for its fresh take on tropical chic. The only other hotel in Florida to make the Best 100 list is the White Elephant Palm Beach (No. 19), a sister property to the original resort in Nantucket. Travel + Leisure writes that the team has added youthful energy to the destination when it opened its 32 tropical-inspired rooms in November 2020. Its restaurant Lola 41 has since become a hot spot not just for its grilled catch of the day and fruit-forward cocktails but for the prime people-watching, too. All three hotels made Travel + Leisures list of the Best 15 Resorts in the Continental U.S., with White Elephant at No. 2; Nobu Hotel at No. 8 and Little Palm Island Resort & Spa at No. 11. A villa at Nobu Hotel Miami Beach. Nobu was named one of the best 100 hotels in the world by Travel + Leisure. (Courtesy Nobu Hotel Miami Beach/TNS) Also notable was Faena Hotel Miami Beach at No. 14. Faena was also named one of the Best Hotels in the U.S. in Conde Nast Travelers 2020 Readers Choice Awards. Travel + Leisure also named the 15 Best Resorts in Florida, which include Playa Largo Resort & Spa in Key Largo (No. 8); Pelican Grand Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale (No. 10); Sunset Key Cottages in Key West (No. 12) and Ocean Key Resort & Spa in Key West (tied for No. 14). Nobu and Faena topped the list of the 15 Best Resorts in Greater Miami, followed by the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, The Setai and the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club. Also on the list was the adults-only Standard Spa at No. 7, which was named one of the best hotels in the U.S. by Tripadvisor in May, and Acqualina Resort in Sunny Isles Beach at No. 9, which was named one of the best hotels in the country by U.S. News & World Report in February. To come up with the awards, Travel + Leisure asks readers to weigh in on their travel experiences and opinions on top hotels and resorts. Hotels are rated on facilities, location, service, food and overall value. Hotel information Nobu Hotel Miami Beach: 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; miamibeach.nobuhotels.com or 305-704-7600 Little Palm Island Resort & Spa: 28500 Overseas Hwy., Little Torch Key; littlepalmisland.com or 305-684-8341 White Elephant Palm Beach: 280 Sunset Ave., Palm Beach; whiteelephantpalmbeach.com or 561-832-7050 2022 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The logo of Amazon at the company's logistics center in Bretigny-sur-Orge, near Paris, on Dec. 7, 2021. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters) Amazon Strikes $3.5 Billion Deal for One Medical in Long March Into US Healthcare Amazon.com Inc on Thursday agreed to buy primary care provider One Medical for $3.49 billion, expanding the e-commerce giants virtual healthcare and adding brick-and-mortar doctors offices for the first time. The all-cash deal would combine two relatively small players as Amazon continues a years-long march into U.S. healthcare, seeking to grow at a faster pace. The online retailer first piloted virtual care visits for its own staff in Seattle in 2019 before offering services to other employers under the Amazon Care brand. It likewise bought online pharmacy PillPack in 2018, underpinning a prescription delivery and price-comparison site it later launched. We think healthcare is high on the list of experiences that need reinvention, said Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services. The Seattle-based retailer has signaled its ambitions to improve and speed up care. However, a big idea akin to how Amazon has automated the role of cashiers in grocery stores has yet to emerge. In One Medical, Amazon is acquiring a loss-making company with 767,000 members and enterprise clients such as Airbnb Inc and Alphabet Incs Google, which offer its services as a benefit to employees, according to its website and recent financial results. Larger rival Teladoc Health Inc, by contrast, has more than 54 million paying members in the United States and double One Medicals quarterly revenue. News of the Amazon deal sent shares of Teladoc as well as drugstore retailers CVS Health Corp and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc down between 0.3 percent and 1.8 percent. The acquisition makes sense as the blending of virtual and in-person care is core to both One Medical and Amazon Cares strategy, said Citi analyst Daniel Grosslight. Deal Scrutiny Expected U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is also the Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights on Thursday urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Amazons proposed deal, expressing concerns over the acquisitions implications for personal health data. Amazon has a history of engaging in business practices that raise serious anticompetitive concerns, including forcing small businesses on its site to buy its logistics services as a condition of preferred platform placement, using small businesses non-public data to compete against them.. the Senator added in her statement. Amazon Care recently made its virtual care accessible nationwide and added the option for house-calls in Los Angeles, Washington, Dallas and elsewhere. The COVID-19 pandemic helped increase demand as Amazon Care started signing up clients including Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. One Medical, founded in 2007, now gives Amazon 188 medical offices, its recent financial report showed. Carlyle Group Inc, which had paid $350 million for a minority stake in One Medical in 2018, will exit its position as part of Amazons acquisition, people familiar with the matter said. Amazon agreed to pay $18 for each share of One Medical, a premium of 76.8 percent to the healthcare firms last close. One Medical shares were trading at $17.12. The deal is valued at $3.9 billion including One Medicals net debt. Amazons limited healthcare presence should minimize antitrust issues, but risks remain, analysts said. Grosslight said Amazon does seem to have a target on its back, and the DOJ (the U.S. Department of Justice) has been very aggressive in blocking deals recently. That will most definitely subject this acquisition to more scrutiny than normal. By Manas Mishra and Jeffrey Dastin Americans Arent as Mobile as You Think Commentary The exodus from big cities and blue states has become a familiar theme over the past couple of years, with COVID restrictions, rising crime, and ruinous costs prompting a significant migration of people and businesses out of urban areas and into suburbs, small towns, and booming Republican-leaning states. Paradoxically, though, government data indicates that Americans are actually less mobile than at any time on record, including shortly after World War II, when they moved more than twice as often as today. The ongoing flight from unaffordable and dysfunctional parts of the country is real, but its not large enough to reverse the long-term trend of declining American mobility. In 2021, the mover ratethe percentage of people who lived in a different residence one year priorstood at 8.4 percent, according to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. That figure was down from a remarkable 20.2 percent in 1948, the first year this data was collected. Since the mid-1980s, when the mover rate again reached one-fifth of the population, the propensity of Americans to change abodes has steadily declined. The rate was 11.6 percent in 2015 and has fallen every year since then. The disruptions of the COVID era failed to interrupt this downward trajectory, at least according to CPS, with the mover rate falling nearly a full percentage point from 2020 to 2021. The data was collected from February to April 2021, and its possible that moves have accelerated since then, so next years CPS release may tell a different story. But more recent data from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) suggests that Americans continued to stay put over the past year. A man crosses an intersection next to a U.S. Postal Service mailbox in Washington on Aug. 17, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The number of permanent change-of-address requests filed during the first half of 2022 was 13 percent (1.9 million) below the levels of the last four years, according to an analysis of USPS data by consulting firm Evercore ISI. A similar analysis by consulting firm New Street Research found that the number of moves in June 2022 was 9 percent (about 400,000) below the standard baseline, Light Reading reported. Migration Bursts Buck Long-Term Trend These findings seem to counter the conventional wisdom that Americans are on the move, a narrative supported by other data and a plethora of anecdotal evidence. But the contradictions tend to disappear upon closer examination of whats being measured. For example, its true that many Americans are flocking to southern states, continuing a long-standing trend. The South gained roughly a quarter of a million people through domestic migration in 2021 compared to the prior year, while the Northeast lost nearly the same amount, CPS data shows. But the net population shift from one region to another was dwarfed by the nations overall decline in moves during the same period. Across the United States, the total number of movers dropped from 29.8 million in 2020 to 27.1 million in 2021, a decline of 2.7 million. An analysis of USPS data last November found that there were spikes in mobility during the pandemic, fitting the popular narratives that formed in the initial months, according to Riordan Frost, senior research analyst at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Despite the unusually large number of moves around March and December 2020, however, the total number of moves during each year of the outbreak was within the typical pre-COVID range, Frost added. Moreover, the mobility surges mainly represented individuals moving rather than families, and most of the additional moves in 2020 compared to the prior year were temporary. Pennsylvania Avenue, normally filled with commuters during morning rush hour, is shown nearly empty due to the impacts of COVID-19 in Washington on March 19, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Given that the mobility spikes coincided with COVID waves, Frost added, the movers may have been fleeing high-case areas, moving in with family, or even responding to housing insecurity. Staying Home and Staying Put Why are Americans moving less often than they used to? Its something of a mystery, but a variety of factors are likely at play, including the rise in dual-income households (its harder for families to relocate when both adults have a job), the aging of the American population (the elderly are less prone to move), and the growth of state-specific occupational licensing, which could act as a barrier to interstate mobility. Strangely, remote work, which severs the connection between ones job and geographic location, may make Americans even less likely to move. Job opportunities are a major reason that Americans change addresses, particularly from one state or region to another. The sudden embrace of telecommuting means that many people no longer have to pull up stakes to accept a new job. The latest CPS figures back up this notion. In early 2021, some 4.3 million people, or 15.8 percent of all movers, said they had moved over the previous year for employment-related reasons. That number was higher in 2020 at 5.9 million, or 19.8 percent of all movers. In other words, 1.6 million fewer Americans moved for job-related reasons in the 20202021 period than in the previous year. Remote work may be here to stay, but instead of unleashing a wave of domestic migration, it could help create a more immobile society than ever. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on May 12, 2022. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) ArriveCan Glitch Telling Compliant Users to Quarantine Potentially Affected Thousands Fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada who properly used the mandatory ArriveCan app were mistakenly told to quarantine this week due to a technical glitch that potentially affected thousands of users, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed. CBSA told The Epoch Times that it became aware earlier this week of a notification glitch with the ArriveCan app. Some travellers, despite having submitted all the required information and their proof of vaccination using the ArriveCAN app, have received automated quarantine notifications when they should not, CBSA spokesperson Rebecca Purdy said in a July 21 email. Purdy says the glitch affected less than 3 percent of users and was linked to Apple devices. Purdy declined to respond to a follow-up question asking how many total users were affected and if they were contacted by the government. Sandra Boudreau, also a CBSA spokesperson, told The Epoch Times that in the week of July 11 to 17, nearly 1.4 million travellers successfully submitted their travel plans and personal health information through ArriveCan. Given that foreign travellers need to be fully vaccinated to enter Canada and that the vast majority of Canadians are reportedly considered fully vaccinated, its highly likely that the vast majority of the 1.4 million travellers were fully vaccinated and therefore didnt need to quarantine. Purdy says the CBSA glitch was fixed on the evening of July 20, which means ArriveCan was potentially not functioning properly for three days, from at least July 18 to July 20. Based on rough calculations with a conservative estimate that 80 percent of travellers were fully vaccinated, this would mean that over 10,000 individuals were affected if the glitch impacted less than 3 percent of travellers. Purdy says that affected users should still answer any phone calls from the government and follow recommendations from the official. She said users who believe they shouldnt have to follow these requirements can fill out a form on the governments ArriveCan website. Response to Completion Rate The Epoch Times reported earlier this week that a librarian from a small Vermont border town spends much of her time helping seniors fill out ArriveCan after they were refused entry at the Canadian border. This situation is out of hand for me, as all I do all day is help people turned around by CBSA, said Sharon Ellingwood White, who expressed concerns about the elderlys disadvantage in using the technology. CBSA responded that its working hard all the time to make the service easier to use. We want to thank and recognize all those who have been helping, like the librarian from Vermont, Boudreau said. CBSA claims a high completion rate for use of the service. Boudreau says for the week ending July 17, over 99 percent successfully filled the form in air and marine mode and 90 percent in land mode. But testimonies from Ellingwood White and the union representing border guards have painted a different picture. To complete [the app], essentially our officers now largely work as IT consultantsyou have land borders that have essentially become parking lots for us to help people complete the app, said Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, while testifying before a House of Commons committee on June 15. Before help is provided, Weber put the completion rate at around 60 percent for land mode in certain areas like Quebecs Eastern Townships that connect to Vermont. ArriveCan is managed by CBSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). PHAC quarantine officers are authorized to hand out $5,000 fines, plus a surcharge, when a traveller does not comply with the ArriveCan requirement. A Qantas plane takes off from the Sydney International airport in Sydney, on May 6, 2021. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) Australian Domestic Airfares up 24 Percent in Two Months Domestic airfares in Australia have risen sharply since May by as much as 96 percent in some areas, with industry experts expecting that air ticket prices will remain high for some time. The average round-trip price for a domestic flight was AU $409 (US$282) in July, up 24 percent from May, according to a market analysis by ticket booking site Kayak. Gold Coast residents saw the most significant increase in ticket prices, with return economy fares up 96 percent to Melbourne and 91 percent to Sydney. Flights from Cairns to Brisbane are also 90 percent more expensive than in May. Flights from Adelaide to Melbourne are 87 percent more expensive, and flights from Darwin to Sydney have increased by 85 percent. Prices for flights to domestic resorts have also risen sharply. A flight from Brisbane to Alice Springs now costs AU$1,058, up 29 percent from May and even costs AU$100 more than a flight to Fiji. A round-trip ticket from Brisbane to Fiji on Qantas is currently AU $950. The analysis used search results from Kayak website for hundreds of travel sites in the companys global portfolio of brands, including SWOODOO, checkfelix, momondo, Cheapflights, Mundi, and HotelsCombined. Airfare Increases Expected However, domestic airfare increases were expected, with both Qantas and Virgin Australia saying last month that they would pass on the cost of increased oil prices to travellers. Airfares have to go up to cover that, Qantas Chief executive Alan Joyce told reporters on June 24 in Perth. The way to do that is you cut back on capacity. you fill more of the seats, thats more efficient, and airfares go up. Thats the reality. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce is seen during a Business Council of Australia breakfast in the Mural Hall at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 17, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images) Joyce said at the time that the company would face an AU& 1.8 billion increase in fuel cost compared to pre-COVID levels. Travel experts warn that those planning a vacation should prepare for continued high fares. The pandemic saw airlines take on a massive financial blow. Theyre only in the early stages of recovering their losses, Stephanie Yip, an editor at Finder.com.au told Courier Mail. The rising cost of fuel is now exacerbating the problem. Higher fuel prices mean higher flight costs planes cant negotiate to use less fuel! Tips to Get the Lowest Airfare Nicola Carmichael, brand director at Kayak, suggested a few tips to get the cheapest flight tickets. If you can choose flexible filters, Carmichael told 7 News. Flying out and returning midweek vs the weekend can be cheaper on short-haul and longer haul. She also recommends setting a price alert. Price alerts help travellers save money by alerting them when prices change for a flight or hotel they want, she said. Australias Water Minister Concedes Murray-Darling Basin Plan Target Next to Impossible Australias Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has admitted that delivering a key component to the Murray Darling Basin Plan before the 2024 deadline would be next to impossible. This follows calls in June from Liberal Senator Anne Ruston who urged Plibersek to visit communities across the Murray Darling Basin in order to have a greater understanding of rural and regional areas. Speaking at the national press club on July 19, Plibersek said she was concerned of how far behind the country was in terms of relocating water back into the basin. Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek at the National Press Club in Canberra, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) Im actually gobsmacked at how badly were doing as a nation on meeting that target, Plibersek said. I have to confessperhaps I should have knownI didnt know how far behind we were on meeting those environmental flows until I took on this portfolio. However, Shadow Water Minister Perin Davey said on July 19 that delivering the plan without it impacting basin communities socio-economically was also next to impossible. Under the Murray Darling Basin Planwhich received bipartisan support in 2012 under the Gillard governmentthe basin states of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, agreed to remove 2,750 gigalitres of water from irrigated agriculture and relocate that back into the basin by 2024. Over the past decade, more than 2,100 gigalitres have been relocated back into the environment. Moreover, under the plan an additional 450 gigalitres of water is to be recovered through efficiency measures, which is also expected to be completed by 2024. But only 2 gigalitres of water have been recovered under this measure. I think it will beI have to be honest with younext to impossible, given where were starting from [and] how far behind we are, Plibersek said. Socio-Economic Impacts In September 2020, a report (pdf) was published following an Independent assessment of social and economic conditions in the Basin. The report found drought to have the greatest effect on water availability. Commodity prices, trade barriers, and exchange rates are the other key determinants for dryland and irrigated agriculture and their communities, the report states. Basin water recovery and policies incrementally add pain where drought leaves the primary wound. But now, given the level of irrigation development, the scale and frequency of recurring drought and the level of past recovery, further recovery will incrementally add more pain than in the past. Shadow Water Minister Perin Davey said she was frustrated that the Labor government was focusing on one part of a complex plan and ignoring the lessons learned and outcomes being achieved. The social and economic neutrality provision was put in place by Labor at the time of writing the basin plan, but [they] conveniently spent nine years in opposition ignoring the complexities and difficulties to deliver both it and other important aspects, such as constraints management, Davey said. However, Plibersek said that while the Liberal government had a decade to fulfil the plan, it was Labor that implemented the plan which she said saved the river system from dying in 2019, but its yet to be fully implemented. Its a serious area of reform for me, and I think the states understand that is the position of the new government, she said. Its a real priority of the Commonwealth government to meet all of the commitments made in the Murray Darling Basin Plan. In June 2021, Davey and the Nationals had unsuccessfully attempted to amend the Murray-Darling Basin Plan by proposing to remove the 450 gigalitre commitment, and to extend the 2024 deadline. Artist Daxiong in a still of the "Eternal Spring" documentary, which tells the story of a group of Chinese expatriates who brought uncensored news to China and the aftermath. (Courtesy of Lofty Sky Pictures) Award-Winning Eternal Spring Documentary Premieres in Australia MELBOURNE, AustraliaThe award-winning documentary Eternal Spring premiered in Australia on July 20 at Cinema Nova in Melbourne. The premiere, hosted by the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF), screened to a full house, with the second screening scheduled for Saturday, July 23, already sold out. Audience members watch the Australian premiere of Eternal Spring in Melbourne, Australia, on July 20, 2022. (Grace Yu/The Epoch Times) The Canadian-made documentary uses a mixture of animation and interviews to tell the true story of a group of people in China who, in their own unique way, stood up to oppression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). To break through the state-sponsored constant broadcasting of propaganda about their spiritual practice, a small group of Falun Gong practitioners in 2002 set out to hijack a state TV signal in the city of Changchun, which translates as Eternal Spring in English. The film is directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Jason Loftus, and the films illustrations are created by Daxiong, who is renowned for his work in Star Wars comics and DCs Justice League. Filmmaker Jason Loftus (L) and Artist Daxiong (R) in a still of the Eternal Spring documentary. (Courtesy of Lofty Sky Pictures) Loftus, who was present at the premiere, said he wanted to give exposure to a human rights issue in an entertaining and informative way that people can connect with. When it comes to human rights issues, if people are just hearing facts about suffering, and this kind of thing, it can be a lot for people to bear, he told The Epoch Times. And I think people want to be educated, they want to be informed, but they also want to be entertained, and they want to find a story that they can connect with and take something from and into their own lives. The premiere screened on a most significant date; it was on July 20, 1999, that the CCP launched its widespread persecution campaign against Falun Gong. To commemorate and raise awareness, practitioners globally have held events on or around July 20 every year for the past 23 years. This year, besides holding a parade and rally in Melbournes CBD and a candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Consulate, many from the local Melbourne Falun Gong community attended the films premiere and took the opportunity to thank the film director for producing the film and exposing the persecution. Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Jason Loftus, director of the new animated documentary Eternal Spring, in Melbourne, Australia, on July 20, 2022. (Grace Yu/The Epoch Times) Story of Courage Against the Odds Hijacking a TV station in communist China to counter a false narrative carried risks for the real-life characters involved. Even today, such an act carries grave consequences, such as imprisonment and torture. Compelled by a desire to inform people of the truth of Falun Gongamidst a wave of misinformation and disinformationthese characters defied the odds and successfully achieved their mission. However, their fate post-mission highlights the harsh consequences of countering the CCPs narrative. George Mavroyeni, an award-winning video producer and 40-year veteran in the television and corporate industry, was present at the premiere, and shared with The Epoch Times how he thought the Falun Gong practitioners depicted in the film were very brave. Not just determined, but there comes a time when they see life as going nowhere, and they are actually prepared to give up their lives to actually have their freedom, Mavroyeni told The Epoch Times. Currently, Falun Gong practitioners in China are subjected to widespread surveillance, arbitrary detention, horrific torture, and extrajudicial killingabuses which continue today, according to Freedom House, a nonprofit organisation. Weve got to tell our government to speak up on behalf of those people who are suppressed [in China], and the problem here [in Australia] is that a lot of people dont even realise that the Chinese people are suppressed, Mavroyeni said. If the mainstream media do not expose this, then in my view, our mainstream media is complicit with the Chinese mainstream media. Also in attendance was Olivia Ball, a Melbourne City Council Councillor and chair of the councils Family and Childrens Advisory Committee. Ball is also an author with a background in human rights, and has experience in womens, childrens, refugees, workers and older peoples rights. Freedom of religion and belief is fundamental to our modern understanding of human rights, arising as it does from the horrors of the Shoah (Holocaust) during World War II, she said in an email to The Epoch Times after watching the film on July 23. Councillor Olivia Ball, from the Melbourne City Council, said freedom of religion and belief is fundamental to peoples human rights, after watching Eternal Springs in Melbourne, Australia on July 23, 2022. (courtesy of Olivia Ball) Eternal Spring is a remarkable artistic and technical achievement by Daxiong and Jason Loftus. It is distressing viewing for Falun Gong practitioners especially, but I hope the film will enjoy a wide distribution around the world. I congratulate Cinema Nova and Federation Square on hosting the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. The Festival is also available online and in Warrnambool until 31 July. Ongoing Persecution In a post-screening Q&A that was hosted by film critic Peter Krausz from the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, Loftus said one of the main issues with the 23-year-long persecution is that people develop compassion fatigue. Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Jason Loftus, director of the new animated documentary Eternal Spring, speaks at a film screening in Melbourne, Australia, on July 20, 2022. (Grace Yu/The Epoch Times) So people move on to something, but that doesnt necessarily mean that things have actually changed or gotten better there [in China], he said. If you look at the Uyghurs, and the scores of arrests of Uyghur Muslims in the northwest of China and how theyre detained and in the internment camps there, you see some very similar things in terms of large-scale arrests, detention and the coercion to abandon their beliefs and their traditions. The persecution of Falun Gong has been going on for a long time. That doesnt actually mean the situation has improved, and its still very urgent. When asked about the practitioners courage illustrated in the film, Loftus said he resonated with the idea of a plum blossom. [B]ecause the flower actually blooms when its still winter. So it conjures this meaning that even in the midst of difficulty and hardship, theres better times ahead, or theres still a sense of hope in the midst of that, he said. A still from the film Eternal Spring, which tells the story of a group Falun Gong practitioners who tapped into Changchun Citys state-controlled cable television to broadcast information to counter the Chinese communist regimes propaganda against the spiritual practice. (Courtesy of Lofty Sky Pictures) [F]or me it was the spirit of the people, the subjects that I was seeing, so regardless of what they had gone through, they were still hopeful. And they still felt that, even in the aftermath of all of this, it was worth it. Eternal Spring was named as a 2022 Finalist by the MDFF Thursday in the following three award categories: Supreme Award, Best Director International, and Audience Choice. To watch the trailer or learn more about the movie, please visit the official website of Eternal Spring. B.C. Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth speaks during a news conference after meeting with federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, in Vancouver, B.C., on April 11, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck) BC Ends Immigration Detention Deal With Feds, Citing Pursuit of Social Justice and Equity British Columbia says it is ending its immigration detention arrangement with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). In a press release on July 21, the B.C. government says it is ending its deal with the CBSA to hold immigration detainees in provincial correctional centres. Mike Farnworth, the provinces public safety minister and solicitor general, said in a statement that he requested a review last fall to examine aspects of the arrangement including its effect on public safety. As part of the review, BC Corrections engaged with multiple external stakeholders and advocacy groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and incorporated their input, he said. Farnworth said the review concluded that the arrangement does not align with his governments commitment to upholding human rights and pursuing social justice and equity for everyone. Farnworth noted BC Corrections will provide CBSA with the 12 months notice of termination that is required under its current contract and develop a safe and efficient transition plan with the agency to ensure public safety. Detention The Epoch Times reached out to the CBSA for comment but the agency said it could not respond by deadline due to the high volume of requests. According to the CBSA website, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations determine the factors for the agency on whether or not to detain an individual. The CBSA website also states officers must review the reasons for detention within 48 hours, and that they may release detainees with or without conditions depending on the circumstances. Once someone is detained for more than 48 hours, the Immigration Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) takes over, reviews the case, and then decides if the individual should remain in detention or be released. The IRB will review each case within seven days and then every 30 days. South of the border, some states have also enacted policies that diverge from the federal governments approach to law enforcement when it comes to illegal immigration. Eleven states including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington have declared sanctuary status since March 2021. Sanctuary states have laws, policies, or regulations that shield illegal immigrants from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When Loraleigh Helen Barbers father died in December 2006, authorities say she never reported his death to the U.S. Social Security Administration. Instead, starting the next month, the Erie, Pennsylvania, woman began collecting his Social Security benefits for herself, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. From Jan. 1, 2007 through Aug. 2, 2019, federal officials say Barber received $127,636 in Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance benefits intended for her dad. She used those funds for herself. Barber originally pleaded not guilty to theft of government property, but she changed her plea to guilty in January, court records show. On July 20, the 51-year-old woman was sentenced to one year and a day in prison. Shes also required to pay the full $127,636 in restitution. Her defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on July 21. In a letter to the court, Barbers attorney Aaron Sontz said her entire criminal history stems from an extremely turbulent and difficult time from 2005 through 2008 during which she was suffering from domestic abuse, mental health issues, drug addiction, and homelessness. He says she had became her fathers representative payee prior to his death because her father was an alcoholic and she had been financially supporting him for years. She was very close to him. As time passed, Ms. Barber grew accustomed to having the extra income, and much like a drug, she became dependent on it, Sontz wrote in the sentencing memorandum. She used the money to pay her rent and living expenses. Woman lived off dead dads Social Security, pension for 15 years, Ohio officials say Woman hid 93-year-old moms body in freezer to get disability benefits, Florida cops say Woman collected dads Social Security benefits for 10 years after he died, feds say Beijing Creates New State-Owned Iron Ore Giant to Weaken Australian Miners In a bid to gain control over iron ore prices, Beijing has created a new state-owned mineral giant that will be responsible for exploration and mass bulk buying of the commodity. The move will be aimed at giving China greater bargaining power over major iron ore producers like Australias BHP and Rio Tinto, who will be forced to negotiate with the new entity to access the vast Chinese market. On July 19, the China Mineral Resources Groupwith a registered capital of 20 billion Yuan (US$2.96 billion)was created in Beijing and will be headed by Yao Lin, former chair of Chinalco, and Guo Bin, the vice president of Chinas largest steel group Baowu. In turn, the new company will be accountable to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party that controls the regimes state-owned enterprises. According to Chinese finance publication Caixin, several of the countrys largest steelmakers have already agreed to purchase iron ore through the new company, including Anshan Iron and Steel, Shougang Group, and China Baowu. China is currently the worlds largest market for iron orearound 70 percent of global tradeand imports one billion tonnes of the mineral a year. Difficulty Cutting Off Australian Supply Most of Chinas iron ore comes from Australia, with resource companies shipping around 700 million tonnes in 2021 (60 percent of which came from Rio Tinto, BHP, and Fortescue Metals). This was despite an ongoing economic coercion campaign instigated by Beijing in response to calls for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 by the former Morrison government. However, like many Australian-produced exports, Beijing has found it difficult to wean China off iron ore because developing its own supply has been difficult. Chinas domestic reserves are of lower quality than Australia and Brazil and require significantly higher costs to mine, with three-quarters of the industry spending around US$100 per tonne to extract iron orecompared to the US$16 per tonne it costs Australias Rio Tinto and BHP. Further, prices for the mineral actually increased last year hitting peaks of US$237 a tonne in May, which incidentally saw Chinese steel producers pay over $150 billion (US$103 billion) into the coffers of mining companies and the state and federal governments via royalties. These circumstances have frustrated Beijing, with Luo Tiejun, vice president of the China Iron and Steel Association, blaming the concentrated ownership of Australias iron ore mines for the price increases while at the same time calling for authorities to play a bigger role in the event of market failure, according to a speech to an industry conference in 2021. In reality, iron ore prices are determined and set by global markets. In response to the forming of the new Chinese Mineral Resources Group, Penny Bingham-Hall, non-executive director of Fortescue Metals, played down its potential influence. Im a great believer that markets are defined by supply and demand, and China is an incredibly important market for Australia. Its been touted for a while, and it has been tried before. So I guess were waiting to see how it evolves, she told The Australians Strategic Business Forum. The new Chinese group will also be hoping to leverage its scale to open up new supplies of iron ore from Africa, notably the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, which is believed to hold around two billion tons of high-grade (more than 60 percent iron content) iron ore. However, getting the project off the ground has been difficult given the volatile political situation in the country. Paramedics and ambulances are seen outside the emergency department at Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby, B.C., May 30, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck) Canadian Health Care at a Crossroads Commentary The week spanning July 1017 was a revealing one for Canadian health care, and what we have witnessed is not good. In Fredericton, N.B., a senior passed away while waiting for care at a hospital emergency department. A witness noted that the man was clearly in discomfort, yet it wasnt enough to gain the attention of health-care workers. He eventually slumped over and died from a heart attack. Premier Blaine Higgs responded to the resultant public outcry by firing both his health minister and the CEO of the health authority that oversees the hospital. Things were no better in Ontario, where a 76-year-old cyclist with a broken leg was left to languish on a stretcher in the hallway of a small local hospital for four days. The problem? He needed surgery at the London Health Sciences Centre and it did not have any available beds. Meanwhile, over in Victoria, B.C., our countrys 13 premiers were meeting to discuss health care, but talks never went beyond the usual squabble over money. The premiers wanted the federal health transfer payments increased from 22 percent of health care costs to 35 percent. The government responded with a blatant no to that particular request and said the provinces monetary calculations failed to consider the additional $2.85 billion to cover surgical backlogs and the roughly $70 billion allotted to health care over the past two years to battle the pandemic. Finally, the legal system in B.C. weighed in on health-care innovation by turning down a legal appeal to allow individuals the right to use their own money to buy insurance that would cover medical care outside of the government system. (Canada is the only country in the world to rely exclusively on a public health-care system.) Both the B.C. Supreme Court and the B.C. Court of Appeal have now ruled against Dr. Brian Day and his attempts to modernize health-care delivery in Canada. The legal decision allowed that the rights of some patients may be violated by wait lists that deny their access to timely health care, but it is more important that the government monopoly on health care be sustained so it can ensure the equitable provision of health care and prevent the creation of a two-tier system. The families of patients that are daily denied care (and in the situations above) are likely unimpressed by the courts ideological attachment to the notion of equal access and its insistence that the system remain unchanged. Based on all of the above, the logical question becomes: Whats the plan? What are we going to do? Fire a health minister every time someone dies? After all, research shows at least 11, 581 patients across Canada died in 2020-2021 while waiting for surgeries, diagnostic scans, and specialist care. Another five million Canadians do not have a family doctor. There are over one million Canadians on wait lists for treatment. After two years of pandemic spending, both federal and provincial coffers are empty. Research from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy shows that eight out of 10 provinces spend at least 40 percent of all revenues on health care; for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, the two outliers, the numbers are greater than 30 percent. One analyst believes health care could take as much as 80 percent of provincial budgets by 2030. Every extra dollar assigned to health care is laden with serious implications for every other social expenditure, including education. How much more are we willing to allot to health care? Its difficult to expect the court system to consider the financial ramifications of its decisions since it functions within a strictly legal context. However, we do expect the courts to examine the evidence and rule with consistency when upholding (or claiming to uphold) charter principles. Yet, the B.C. Court of Appeal has failed to do so. Canadian courts ruled in favour of the few over the many when they agreed to an individuals right to what is now called Medical Assistance in Dying. In a legal system that is so obsessed with rights and equality, and laws have been changed to allow individuals to choose death over pain, one would think that the courts would rule that an individual has the right to timely treatment that would relieve pain. Canadians are at a crossroads. Its time to stop talking about money for health care and start talking about changing health care. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre arrives on Parliament Hill prior to a cabinet meeting in Ottawa on Nov. 23, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Canadian Military Expected to Suspend Vaccine Mandate This Summer: Report The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is looking to follow the federal public service and suspend their vaccine mandate, the Ottawa Sun reported Thursday. The newspaper obtained a leaked copy of a new draft COVID-19 directive from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Wayne Eyre. It states that members of the CAF will no longer need to attest of their vaccination status, nor will new recruits be required to be fully vaccinated. But like for public servants and the federally regulated sectors, it appears the policy is only suspended and not completely abolished. Unvaccinated public servants were allowed back to work on June 20, but Ottawa said the vaccine mandate could be brought back if it deems it necessary. Suspending the requirement for CAF members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will require significant administrative effort to address the files of members who were not compliant with the CDS directives on CAF COVID-19 vaccination, the draft reportedly says. An unidentified spokesperson from the Department of National Defence (DND) told The Epoch Times it would not comment on leaked documents or speculative plans. The current, existing directive will continue to apply until otherwise stated. The leaked draft suggests that unvaccinated CAF members wont be completely scot-free. It reportedly says that those who went through administrative reviews and have future release dates will still be discharged. Other disciplinary procedures will be stopped, but they will leave a mark on the members files. The new policy also says that members who were dishonourably discharged under the 5(f) mention, Unsuitable for further service, will be allowed to re-enrol, but only with approval from the CDS. Reactions This is a good step in the right direction for the CAF and the federal governments disgraceful treatment of our active duty military members, says Andrew MacGillivray, spokesperson for Veterans for Freedom (V4F), a civil liberties advocacy group composed of former CAF members. Im unsure if they will ever rid the stain of this which will no doubt, amongst other things, have a negative impact on recruiting. MacGillivray wonders if discharged members who have cashed out their pensions, taking sometimes huge losses, will be able to buy back in. And how about a written apology from the CDS or the MND [Minister of National Defence]? he asks. The Epoch Times previously reported on the stories of several CAF members who were ousted for refusing COVID-19 vaccination and reached out to them for reactions. I think its a win for current serving members and veterans released under 5(f). Its an opportunity for CAF members to continue their career if they choose to do so, says Nicholas Collins, who served four years as a vehicle technician before being released under 5(f). But Collins says it doesnt entirely fix the problem that the government created. There will be lots of veterans that were released for not getting the COVID shot that will choose not to re-enlist, including myself. The trust is broken and it cant be repaired. Former logistics officer Natasha Lis, who served 18 years and was released voluntarily to avoid a dishonourable discharge, believes the rapid suspension of the mandate less than a year after its implementation is a sign it was political rather than based on an operation requirement. She also cautions about the suspension, which doesnt mean a full repeal. Any unvaccinated members who are able to re-enrol will have to worry about reimplementation of the mandate, continuation of the Remedial Measure and Administrative Review processes, and retaliation and discrimination from their chain of command and peers, she says. Why would anyone want to rejoin and be subject to that? An apology is due and all of the unethical policy actions taken need to be walked back. Sandra Carmichael, who served for 25 years and worked in the communications branch, echoed Liss comments. She says she wouldnt consider joining back unless the mandate is fully repealed and theres an acknowledgement that such policies should not be implemented. Carmichael said the CAF needs to recognize that they cant do that. For me thats clear, its not respecting my rights and I dont have to subject my body to anything that the government or the CAF, or anybody, tells me. Candlelight Vigil in Washington Mourns Those Killed in Persecution of Falun Gong in China WASHINGTONThe air was fresh after a sweltering July day in the nations boggy capital. An evening storm had cut up the sticky heat, paving the way for brilliantly colored clouds as the sun set over the Washington Monument. Serene Chinese instrumentals rippled through the air, as more than 1,000 candle flames dotted the lawn in front of the towering obelisk that pierced the darkening sky. The scene ushered in a somber mood. Each candle held by a seated Falun Gong practitioner was lit in memory of an untold number of those killed by the Chinese communist regime for nothing other than practicing their faith. The previous day, July 20, marked 23 years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its nationwide persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice involving meditative exercises and a set of moral teachings based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practices immense popularity, drawing an estimated 70 million to 100 million adherents in China by 1999, was perceived by the Party as a threat to its authoritarian control over society. Since July 1999, millions of adherents have been detained in jails, detention centers, labor camps, and other facilities across the country, where theyre subjected to torture, slave labor, indoctrination, and forced organ harvesting. There are more than 4,700 documented cases of Falun Gong practitioners dying as a result of torture and abuse in police custody since 1999, yet the true number is likely many times higher because of the extreme difficulty of verifying information in China, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. Family Torn Apart At the vigil, Yu Ping, from New York state, and her mother, Wang Chunyan, a local from Fairfax, Virginia, had a special loved one in mind. Yus father, Yu Yefu, died in 2002 as a result of the persecution, she said. Yu, now 39, was a 19-year-old freshman at the China Medical University in Shenyang, the capital of Chinas northeastern Liaoning Province, when her father died during winter break. Yu Ping at a rally held on the National Mall in Washington on July 21, 2022, holding a picture of a Falun Gong practitioner killed in the persecution in China. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) After the persecution began, Yu had expected the loss of some freedoms but not a death in her family, especially since her father wasnt a Falun Gong practitioner. It felt so unreal that I was detached in a weird way, she told The Epoch Times. It was almost like my feet didnt step on solid ground and my hands didnt touch anything real. During most of her high school years in her home city of Dalian, Yus mother, a Falun Gong practitioner, was forced to leave home to avoid being captured and coerced into giving up her belief. Therefore, Yus father was the one who took care of her. Every day, he rode a bike to drop her off and pick her up from school. On their way home, she would sit on the back of his bike, enjoying an ice cream bar he bought for her. Sometimes, seeing him making much effort riding uphill, she would ask him, Am I too heavy, dad? No. You are not heavy at all, he would reply. She still remembers the morning when he died. He had been in a coma for half a month. She was back in Dalian and staying at her cousins house near the hospital. During that period, she wasnt able to sleep well out of worry for her father. She didnt even bother changing into her pajamas at night. In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2002, Yu got a call from her aunt who worked at the Dalian Central Hospital, where her father was hospitalized, telling her that he was in critical condition. She jumped out of bed and ran out to get a taxi. Yu said she remembers seeing a dark hallway when she arrived at the hospital at about 3 a.m. She felt so lonely and sad. For some reason, she didnt recall seeing anyone else. And the hallway seemed neverending. As she was running, she comforted herself. If I could make it to the ward, dad would be OK, she said. But he passed away within the next two hours. In the early years after her fathers death, Yu was still in shock. Other family members dreamed of her father, but he never visited Yu in her dreams. It wasnt until 2003, when Yu went back home to Dalian for the first time after her fathers death, that everything began sinking in. Seeing her familys apartment, she was overwhelmed by sorrow. Then, her father appeared to her in a dream. He told her that he was in a good place. I then realized that father hadnt come into my dreams because he didnt want me to be sad, said Yu, with tears in her eyes. On Jan. 9, 2002, Yus family went to the crematorium to collect her fathers remains. Her aunt showed her a black area on the skull with a diameter of about four inches, and told her, Ping, remember, your father didnt die a natural death. The official cause of death was gas poisoning; the family didnt believe that. In mid-December 2001, the family lost contact with Yus father for three days and then reported the case to the police. Eventually, he was found unconscious at home with the gas turned on. When the family demanded an answer from local police, they were told, If you want to know the reason for this mans death, ask his wife to check in with us. It felt like a trap to capture her mother who was in hiding, Yu said. Surely, the cause of death should be shared with her grandparents, the parents of the deceased, she thought. The police, according to Yu, were trying to bait their family; if they didnt turn in her mother, they would have to live with the regret of not knowing the truth about her fathers death. The family found the circumstances around her fathers death to be suspicious. Several days before he was found unconscious at home, a police officer visited him at his workplace, now the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company, to find out the whereabouts of his wife. The officer hit Yus father, who fought back. Then, the officer threatened to have revenge on him. Even after more than 20 years, Yu still couldnt hold back tears when sharing memories of her father. However, the sorrow has subsided and has been replaced by peace in knowing that he is in a good place. She now works in operational support for an e-commerce company in upstate New York, years after she first made it to the United States in February 2008 through an au pair care program. Her mother joined her in the country in 2015 through a U.N. refugee program. Ping credited her practice for not sinking into an abyss of depression or resentment. My practice of Falun Gong helped me stay positive throughout the difficulties and maintain the belief in good people, she said. Something Had to Be Done Another attendee at the Washington vigil was Makai Allbert, a 21-year-old senior at Fei Tian College in upstate New York. He said he would never forget how he found out about the Chinese regimes repression of Falun Gong. This must be a joke, the then-high school student thought to himself in February 2018, when he first searched for Falun Gong online and watched a video about the persecution. Makai Allbert, a 21-year-old senior at Fei Tian College in upstate New York, at the candlelight vigil commemorating those killed in the persecution of Falun Gong at Washington Monument on July 21, 2022. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) Allbert and his twin brother, Rumi, had practiced Falun Gong since their sophomore year in high school in Arizona. Prior to this, Allbert in particular thought there might be more to life than alcohol, drugs, and parties. So he began searching for answers in philosophical books. That search ended in the summer of 2017, when a friend of his mom gave him a box of books. Among them was Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Gong, and a DVD teaching the practices meditative exercises. Allbert said that within a week of practicing the exercises and reading Zhuan Falun, his health and his relationships with his family improved. After practicing with his twin brother for about half a year, Allbert thought they should learn more about Falun Gong online. There might be more people like us out there, Allbert told his brother. Sure enough, there were, and they were being persecuted, according to the first video they found online. As the video was playing, I had to stop halfway because I could not believe my eyes, Allbert said. After the video finished, the twin brothers just sat there. Neither of them said anything. Then they played the video again. I remembered clearly, by the time the video finished [the second time], my face was completely wet. I was not necessarily crying, but tears flowed down my cheeks. I felt so much pity, so much sadness that people like me, just because they were meditating, just because they wanted to be better people, were killed, Allbert said. Later that day, he also learned about the Chinese regimes forced organ harvesting from detained Falun Gong practitioners. In 2019, an independent tribunal found that Beijing had been killing prisoners of conscience for their organs for years in order to supply the states organ transplant system on a significant scale. The main source of these organs was Falun Gong practitioners, the tribunal found. That just broke my heart, Allbert said. Just thinking about people being worried about their organs [being taken]its unfathomable and made me very sick to my stomach. To him, July 20 marks another year of suffering. And the persecution doesnt only concern Falun Gong practitioners; it involves everyone in Chinas national security apparatus, and affects the entire Chinese populationand the rest of the world, he said. A biomedical science major, Allbert has volunteered for Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, an advocacy group of medical professionals. He said he wanted to tell more people about the persecution. It was very clear to me that something had to be done, he said. Daughter Li Xiaohua and mother Ju Reihong attend a candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the 23-year-long persecution of Falun Gong in China, held at the Washington Monument on July 21, 2022. Ju holds a photo of her husband and Lis father, Li Delong, who died in the persecution. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) More than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) More than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) More than 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) President Joe Biden is working in isolation after testing positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, and the White House is informing those who may have come into close contact with the president in recent days. The positive COVID test has upended the presidents plan to make a major announcement on funding the police, as bipartisan lawmakers join to fund the police, highlighting a widespread shift from the defund the police movement. In a rare moment of bipartisanship on the Hill, with Republicans and Democrats rallying behind the police, we spoke to Republican Rep. Troy Nehls and Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar. The lawn of the nations capital was covered with thousands of spiritual practitioners of Falun Dafa. Its the 23rd year theyre gathering to expose the Chinese Communist Partys attack on their freedom of belief in China, and other unimaginable crimes against humanity. During the rally in Washington calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong, we spoke to Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) about what can be done to end the persecution. House Republicans are laying out steps to deter the Chinese Communist Party, as Biden reveals his timeline for talks with Chinas Xi Jinping. What are lawmakers telling us about their priorities? * 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 Cathay Pacific Airways AGM in Hong Kong on May 11, 2022. Cathay slumped to a record loss in 2021 and cut back jobs. In the 2022 airline rankings, it has dropped out of the top ten airlines in the latest airline rankings and is now in 11th place. (Bill Cox/The Epoch Times) Cathay Pacific Airline Drops out of Worlds Top Ten Airlines Ranking An airline website that provides ratings for airlines worldwide recently released the results of the Worlds Best Airlines for 2022. Qatar Airways again captured the top spot in the Best Airlines for 2022, followed by Air New Zealand. The rating of Cathay Pacific Airways has dropped significantly from being the sixth last year to the eleventh this year. It means Cathay Pacific Airways is no longer ranked as one of the top 10 best airlines in the world. Airlineratings.com has a unique 7-star rating scheme that provides ratings for more than 380 airlines worldwide. The scores come from analysis and comparison of customer satisfaction from first class, business class, deluxe economy, and economy class. Airlines can also get extra points for their innovation and value of service. Other considerations of being the worlds best airline include passenger reviews, fleet age, profitability, and long-term competitiveness. According to Airlinerating.com, Qatar Airways and Air New Zealand again triumphed in first and second place on the list. Etihad Airways jumped dramatically from the 20th in 2021 to 3rd in 2022. The 4th spot went to Korean Air, which was not in the top 20 in 2021. But today, Korean Air has become the best airline in Asia. Hong Kongs major airline has always been a competitor with Singapore Airlines, which dropped down two spots to 5th in 2022. Unexpectedly, Cathay Pacific Airways has been kicked out of the top 10 best airlines in 2022. Pro-government airline Cathay Pacific has suffered severe setbacks in recent years due to the political and economic situations in Hong Kong. During the Hong Kong protests from 2019 to 2020, Cathay Pacific was displeased that some of its employees participated in the demonstrations, especially the ones at the Hong Kong International Airport. The company also fired and penalized those involved with local protests. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a Cathay Pacific shareholder, ordered the company to terminate any employee participating in the protests. Not long after the airline received the order, Cathay Pacific changed its previous relaxed off-duty staff policy and fired a pilot who was arrested during a protest. Former CEO Rupert Hogg resigned due to intense criticism from the Chinese authorities for the airlines staff participating in the protests. Cathay Pacific Airways had reduced international flights during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the Hong Kong Governments (HKgov) zero-COVID policy. During the health crisis, only 582 passengers boarded Cathay Pacific Airways in one day. In 2021, the company suffered its highest loss since starting its operation of HK$5.527 billion (US$704 million) due to Hkgovs strict COVID-19 policy. Cathay Pacific Airlines also reduced staff requirements (including planned recruits) by 8,500, dropping to 21,600 at the end of 2021, a reduction of 25 percent from 2019. At number 11, Cathay Pacific Airways is lower than Taiwans Eva Air which stands in 8th place. It has just been announced that Cathay is going to return mothballed aircraft back into service and is planning to increase staff numbers again, so maybe it sees better times ahead. None of the numerous airlines in China made it to the top 20 list. A small group of Chinese youths walk past several dazibaos, the revolutionary placards, in February 1967 in downtown Beijing, during the "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution." (Jean Vincent/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese Regime Blocked US-Based Website Honoring Victims of Cultural Revolution The Chinese communist regime recently blocked a memorial website for victims of the Cultural Revolution, a small online platform personally maintained by a Chicago University professor. This was the second time the website was blocked by the regime. The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a communist sociopolitical movement that took place in China between 1966 and 1976. Historians have estimated that the movement caused a death toll of millions in China before it ended with the death of Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976. Wang Youqin is a professor teaching the Chinese language at the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Since 2000, she has maintained an online space named Chinese Holocaust Memorial Memorial for Victims of The Chinese Cultural Revolution. The website publishes the personal stories of victims of the Cultural Revolution. The stories Wang put online were, one by one, verified with details, and recorded by herself. Currently, the website has detailed stories of more than 1,000 victims. The original website was launched in October 2000, but only survived for 17 months, before it was censored by the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) internet police. However, the stories Wang published garnered much attention from the American media outside China. The cover page of professor Wang Youqins book Victims of the Cultural Revolution. (Courtesy of Wang Youqin) In January of this year, Wang started a new website, after which Wang received lots of feedback from her readers living in China, praising her new site. As recognition for her efforts, Wang received this years special award from the Chinese Democratic Education Foundation (CDEF), a California-based nonprofit organization with a mission to promote democracy in China. We gave Youqin Wang the special contribution award hoping to encourage more people to make efforts to investigate the details of the bloody crimes conducted by the Chinese Communist Party, said Zheng Fang, chairman of the CDEF during a phone interview with The Epoch Times. Fang himself became a victim of the CCPs brutality in 1989, when both of his legs were crushed by Chinese military tanks during the massacre at Tiananmen Square. But not long after Wang received the CDEF award in June, Wang was told by her readers in China that they were no longer able to access the new link. This time, Wangs website survived less than six months. Fang Zheng in his home on Feb. 20, 2019. The Chinese words painted on the van say: End the Chinese Communist Party regime, and build new constitutional democracy in China. (Courtesy of Fang Zheng) History shall not be just a number [of a total death toll]. History shall be detailed stories of individuals, Wang told The Epoch Times when explaining what motivated her to start collecting the victims stories. Wang started writing investigative reports on victims of the Cultural Revolution in 1986. Her first report was about her high school vice principal, who was beaten to death by Red Guard students on Aug. 5, 1966. Wang personally witnessed the crime herself. The report was later published in English in 2001 and in Japanese in 2017. The Red Guards were a student-led paramilitary social movement that was established during the Cultural Revolution by Maos followers. Wang told The Epoch Times that through her own investigation, she identified more than 1,700 people who died because of political persecution in Beijing in 1966. At the high school she attended, besides the death of the vice principal, three teachers committed suicide because of political persecutions. In her paper titled Humanity Day, published in October 2017, Wang wrote the following paragraph to describe how the CCPs class struggle took place during the Cultural Revolution: Unlike Stalins show trials, the Chinese Struggle Session did not even attempt to feign legal proceedings. Unlike the Soviet Unions organized and remote Gulag Archipelago, the Chinese system of so-called Cowsheds were informal jails established at every workplace where not only millions of innocent victims were murdered but also poisoned the morality of the Chinese people. Wang was born in 1952 and grew up in Beijing. Both of her parents were college instructors. After the Cultural Revolution started in May 1966, her parents were both labeled as counter-revolutionaries because Wangs father openly criticized the Cultural Revolution as unconstitutional. Both Wangs parents personally lived through the CCPs political persecution. After high school, Wang was sent to Yunnan, a remote province in the western part of China, to receive reeducation by peasants. During the Cultural Revolution years, Mao sent all urban area young adults after their secondary education to countryside villages to be reeducated by peasants. The CCP called this process the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement. Communist Party cadres hang a placard on the neck of a Chinese man during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. The words on the placard state the mans name and accuse him of being a member of the black class. (Public Domain) After the death of Mao in 1976, Chinas colleges and universities started admitting students in 1977 based on examinations. Wang took the exam in Yunnan Province and earned the top score in the province. However, no universities admitted her because her parents were considered counter-revolutionaries. Wang took the exam again in 1979 and earned the top score in the whole country. She was finally admitted to Beijing University. Wang eventually got her Ph.D. in China and came to the United States in 1988 as a Chinese language professor at Stanford University. In a phone interview with The Epoch Times, Wang said that during the Cultural Revolution, there were 63 people who died of political persecution at Beijing University, but only one of the victims remains were found and buried. Wang hopes the online Chinese Holocaust Memorial can serve as a final resting place of victims like the 62 whose bodies were never found. Since the new website was established in January, many members of the victims families in China have visited Professor Wangs online platform to read the stories of their loved ones who died during the Cultural Revolution. This website is now no longer accessible to them. Falun Gong practitioners prepare to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of the spiritual practice in China, in Washington on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Chinese Regimes Brutal Persecution of Falun Gong Must End: State Department The Chinese regimes persecution of Falun Gong is unacceptable and must end, the State Department said in a statement as the brutal eradication campaign entered its 23rd year. 23 years ago, the Peoples Republic of China began its brutal persecution of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong, its practitioners, advocates, and human rights defenders, the departments Office of International Religious Freedom wrote on Twitter on July 21. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline that teaches the values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance with a set of meditative exercises. The practices popularity shot up in China during the 1990s, with an estimated 70 million to 100 million adherents by the end of the decade. But perceiving this to be a threat to its grip on power, the Chinese Communist Party began an expansive campaign targeting the faith, subjecting adherents to harassment, torture, forced labor, and other forms of abuse. An untold number of them have been killed for their organs in detention to supply the state-sanctioned organ transplant industry. Rashad Hussain, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, also took to Twitter to voice support for the millions under the ongoing persecution in communist China. I stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community, he wrote. Thousands have been tortured, harassed, imprisoned, and forced to renounce their beliefs. This unjust campaign must end. I stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community. Yesterday marked the 23rd year of persecution at the hands of PRC authorities. Thousands have been tortured, harassed, imprisoned, and forced to renounce their beliefs. This unjust campaign must end. https://t.co/SRP8FDLICa U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Rashad Hussain (@IRF_Ambassador) July 21, 2022 The unrelenting campaign of torture and death has drawn the regime growing condemnation worldwide. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international cross-party group of legislators pushing for a tougher stance on Beijing over issues such as trade and human rights, on July 20 issued a statement to remember all those in China who have been denied freedom of religious belief. Many from the faith group, the legislators noted, have been subjected to the most severe forms of torture and credible reports of widespread, state-sponsored forced organ harvesting. Related Coverage Chinese Regime Killed Falun Gong Adherent for His Liver, Witness Says Over the past two decades, Falun Gong practitioners have faced more CCP persecution than any other group, wrote Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) in a letter to the Falun Dafa Association of Washington, enumerating the abuses from imprisonment and torture to the killing for organs for a gruesome international trade. These human rights violations paint a grim picture of the brutal ways the CCP governs, he added. Falun Gong practitioners prepare to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of the spiritual practice in China, in Washington on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Ahead of a Falun Gong rally in Washington on Thursday, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) commended the adherents for their perseverance. Your struggle for religious freedom has been nothing short of inspiration to those around the world who respect freedom of religion, he wrote in a letter. From underground printing houses and innovative and robust internet freedom software, to media outlets that broadcast uncensored information, you have given hope and encouragement not only to Falun Gong practitioners who are still persecuted, but also to other oppressed religious groups around the world. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) similarly applauded the adherents for their continued persistence in the face of the intensive, comprehensive, and unforgiving campaign the regime has waged on faith. Falun Gong practitioners march downPennsylvania Avenue to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of the spiritual practice in China, in Washington on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Reports of arbitrary detention, discrimination, torture, and even organ harvesting are extremely troubling, and the CCP must be held accountable for such actions, he said in a letter. The horrific reports of atrocities targeting Falun Gong practitioners in China are a reminder for the outside world to act, according to Rep. Stephen Lynch (R-Wash.). So long as the Chinese government engages in these egregious violations of basic human rights, we cannot and will not stand idly by, he wrote in a letter on Thursday. Chinese Winery Hiring Two US Nobel Prize Winners to Lead R&D Fails to Impress Investors Recently, Qinghai Spring, Chinas famously pricey liquor company, said it had hired two American Nobel Prize winners as co-chief scientists. Qinghai Spring announced on July 14 that, during a three-year term, the scientists will not only be responsible for the companys scientific research, talent training, recommendation and introduction of high-level talent, but will also attend company-related PR activities to promote the companys image. Qinghai Spring is known in China for its high-priced products. Presently, the company mainly sells its Tinghua Liquor, which is priced at 58,600 yuan (about $8,700) per bottle in its boutique collection, and 5,860 yuan (about $870) in its standard linemuch higher than Chinas most reputable liquor, Moutai, Chinas national drink. Using alcohol in traditional medicine began a long time ago in China. Nowadays, companies steep herbs in white liquor (baijiu) to make healing remedies with alcohol seen as a catalyst. Before switching to alcohol products, Qinghai Spring marketed the renowned Chinese herbal medicine Cordyceps Sinensis as powder or lozenges. Its flagship product Jicao series, which means highest grade Cordyceps, sold for 29,888 yuan (about $4,439) a box in 2009. With an average of 1,054 yuan per gram (about $157), it was well above the price of gold at the time. The recently hired Nobel Prize winners are Ferid Murad, an American pharmacologist and professor at the University of Houston, Texas, who won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and Arieh Warshel, a biochemist and biophysicist and a member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and distinguished professor at USC Los Angeles, who won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Murad won the Nobel Prize for his discovery that nitric oxide can promote cardiovascular dilation. This discovery subsequently led to the development and production of Viagra for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction, and is widely used in China. Murad was thus dubbed father of Viagra by the Chinese, although he is not too excited about this title as the application of his discovery goes far beyond Viagra into research and development of new drugs for cardiovascular, nervous system, cancer, and joint treatment. Murad discovered that nitric oxide (NO) free radicals play an important role in the study of atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, lung disease, mental illness, and tumors, and may also have anti-aging effects. In response to his contract with Qinghai Spring, Murad said he was very much looking forward to [exploring] the ability of liquor to change the formation and role of nitric oxide in human tissues, and other relevant experiments. According to Qinghai Spring, the two professors will enhance the companys R&D capabilities into health improvement of liquor from different perspectives, and promote the upgrading and internationalization of related products. Murad will guide the R&D team in studying how the brewing process can promote the production of nitric oxide and its effect on human health, and to further the companys dual objective: harm reduction and benefit increase. Many people on social media were skeptical and felt the company was just using novel marketing to endorse its sky-high priced liquor to increase sales. On July 14, the day it made the hiring announcement, Qinghai Spring also announced its semi-annual report, saying that estimated revenue in the first half of this year was 100-110 million yuan (about $15-16 million), an increase of 113-134 percent year-on-year. Last year and in 2020, Qinghai Spring lost 250 million yuan and 320 million yuan (about $37 million and $48 million), respectively. Hiring of the U.S. Nobel Prize winners hasnt brought in a flood of investors. On the second day of the announcement, July 15, Qinghai Springs stock fell 10.0 percent, and fell 2.8 percent further on July 18. CIA Director: China Wont Invade Taiwan Right After CCPs Congress, but Eventually Will CIA Director William Burns said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on July 20 that he does not think communist China would invade Taiwan immediately after the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the fall. However, he warned not to underestimate CCP leader Xi Jinpings determination to take over Taiwan eventually. When asked at the forum whether an increasingly militarized China would take action against Taiwan, Burns replied: I wouldnt underestimate President Xis determination to assert the Peoples Republic of Chinas control over Taiwan. I think hes determined to ensure that his military has the capability to undertake such an action, should he decide to move in that direction. I think the risks of that become higher, it seems to us, the further into this decade that you get. He added: I think the Chinese leadership is trying to study the lessons of Russias invasion of Ukraine, and what it tells them. I think our sense is that it probably affects less the question of whether the Chinese leadership might choose some years down the road to use force to control Taiwan, but how and when they would do it. RussiaUkraine War Unsettled the CCP Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, the international community has been worried that China would soon invade Taiwan. Burns said that the RussiaUkraine war was a strategic failure for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who predicted he would take Kyiv within a week, and that the war may have unsettled Beijing. He pointed out that what the CCP might learn from the war is that you dont achieve quick, decisive victories with underwhelming force. In light of this, Burns assessed that Xi would not immediately invade Taiwan after the CCPs congress. A landing ship is surrounded by amphibious assault vehicles during the Han Kuang (Han Glory) live-fire drill, some 4 miles from the city of Magong on the outlying Penghu islands on May 25, 2017. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) The lesson that the Chinese leadership and military are drawing is that youve got to amass overwhelming force, he said. If youre going to contemplate that in the future, youve got to control the information space, youve got to do everything you can to shore up your economy against the potential for sanctionseven though the Chinese economy, as you know, is far stronger and more entangled with economies around the world than Russias ever wasand youve got to do everything you can to try to drive wedges across the Indo-Pacific, between the United States and its allies. So, we shouldnt underestimate, I think, President Xis determination on that score, but thats short of a prediction that right after the party Congress was going to be action. I dont believe thats the case. Burns also pointed out the unexpected effects of the RussiaUkraine war that might deter the Chinese communist regime, which he said is unsettled by the economic uncertainties that the war has unleashed around the world in the year 2022, when I think Xi Jinpings main concern is getting through a very important Party congress in the autumn and having a relatively predictable global economic landscape. In addition, he said that the regime is unsettled also by the fact that Putin has driven Europeans and Americans closer together since they had banked on their ability to play off some Europeans against Americans as well. CCP: China and Russia Are Not Allies Meanwhile, Qin Gang, Chinas ambassador to the United States, tried to downplay Xis statement about the ChinaRussia relationship at the Aspen Security Forum. Qin said that the outside world had misunderstood the relationship between China and Russia, which was previously described by Xi as no limit, no restricted area, and no upper limit. This is a misunderstanding of Sino-Russian relations, Qin said. The relationship between China and Russia is not an alliance. Russias President Vladimir Putin (C) reviews a military honour guard with Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) during a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 8, 2018. (Greg Baker/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Burns pointed out that the CCPs support for Russia was mainly economic, not military. I think the Chinese have certainly stepped up their purchases of Russian energy, he said. Theyve been generally very careful, at least as we see it, at not running across the potential for sanctions against them. On the military side, theyve been very cautious, from what we can tell. In his speech at the Aspen Forum, Qin blamed the United States for the increased tension over the Taiwan Strait due to its support for Taiwan. U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he intended to meet with Xi in the next 10 days. Its a very good thing, I think, that our two presidents are going to engage with one another, Burns said. Ive learned over many years that even in the most complicated and often dangerous rivalries, its important to talk to one another, to try to reduce the dangers of inadvertent collisions, and to try to create the kinds of processes and habits of talking to one another that can at least reduce some of the worst dangers of escalation. Penote Antuan, sitting here in his church on Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, says he wants to see the Pope apologize for harms done by Catholic people. (Heidi Atter/CBC - image credit) When Pope Francis conducts a holy mass at the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on Thursday, an Innu man hopes he'll do more than lead the congregation. Penote Antuan says he wants to see the Pope apologize for the harm Catholics have done to Indigenous people. The Pope apologized to Indigenous delegations in Rome earlier this spring for the role of the Catholic Church in Canada's residential school system, but Antuan, a Mount Cashel Orphanage survivor, says a larger apology is needed to heal. "I'm hoping to hear Pope Francis, to hear him say that we're sorry. What happened to all people who are Indigenous, people who live in Canada or elsewhere," he said. "And that will give us a help, at least a help to move away from the burden that we already have." Antuan was sent from Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation to Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John's in 1958 when he was nine. He said he was told it would be for a better education, but that's not what happened. "You couldn't imagine how we were treated because we were Innu people," he said. "I'm 73 now. My scars are still there. Still there." Heidi Atter/CBC Mount Cashel is now infamous for a sexual abuse scandal and coverup. A 2019 court case found the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John's vicariously liable for sexual abuse at the orphanage in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Antuan said he still cannot talk about what he experienced at the orphanage. He said he hasn't told his parents or seven children about his experience. 'I never let go of my faith' Antuan said his faith has helped him through it all. He said his faith helped him through suicidal ideation as a young man and he's deeply connected to the Catholic church today. "I've never let go of my faith. Even though, I mean, I've had a heavy burden sometimes," he said. "When I got older, I got more beliefs in my religion. It's helped me a lot." Heidi Atter/CBC Antuan is one of hundreds going to the Feast of Saint Anne outside Quebec City. He said he was one of the people to suggest Labrador Innu join Quebec Innu for the annual pilgrimage. The feast is held each year on July 26 in honour of Saint Anne, believed to be the grandmother of Jesus in Christian and Islamic tradition. Story continues He drove the bus from Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation to the train in Esker, near Churchill Falls, as a young man to transport elders for the pilgrimage. That first year in the 1980s, there were 36 people and it's only grown, he said. "I feel proud of my people that want to go to Saint Anne's so that they can pray, so that they can meditate with the Feast of Saint Anne's," Antuan said. Heidi Atter/CBC Father Joe Pichai at the Tshitshitua Shshep (St. Joseph's) Church in Sheshatshiu said up to 1,000 Labrador Innu are travelling. He said he knows of 98 vehicles and a chartered flight from the First Nation to Quebec City. Pichai said it's an important religious experience. "People, elders, they have shared that when they travel up there, they even experience miracles in Sainte-Anne," he said. "They have collected some waters and they are used for when they were ailments." Hundreds are also travelling from Mushuau Innu First Nation in Natuashish. Chief John Nui said organizers have been working behind the scenes for at least a month and people are looking forward to the first pilgrimage since before the COVID-19 pandemic. "I think a lot of people were very anxious to go there," Nui said. "The Pope's visit, you know, it's putting a lot more excitement on there. And there's a lot of people going out with other elders, along with the children." He said the Feast of Saint Anne is a time for people to pray for loved ones to get better from illness and injury. Nui said while there may be a range of reactions to seeing the Pope, it's something many people from Natuashish are interested in. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative leadership hopeful Jean Charest, second right, speaks as Pierre Poilievre, left to right, Patrick Brown, Scott Aitchison, Leslyn Lewis, and Roman Baber look on during the Conservative Party of Canada French-language leadership debate in Laval, Quebec on May 25, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) Conservative Party Moving Ahead With Third Debate Aug 3, Still Deciding Format The Conservative Party of Canada is pushing ahead with a third leadership debate, telling members to tune in Aug. 3. The party informed members of the date in an email Thursday night after contender Pierre Poilievre said he wouldnt go and another hopeful, Leslyn Lewis, expressed reservations. Poilievres campaign says he is focused on getting supporters to send in their ballots by the September deadline, while Lewis says she has a full schedule of meetings with members. Under party rules, candidates must attend official party debates or risk a $50,000 fine. A party spokesman says the debate format remains under discussion. Campaigns expect the event to be held in Ottawa. Documents Point to Stefan Halper Lying to FBI: Judge Evidence that has come to light indicated that British professor Stefan Halper is the confidential source who claimed to the FBI that Gen. Michael Flynn left a meeting in England with a Russian-born academic, a federal judge said recently while rejecting Halpers attempt to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against him. Halper has long been identified as one of the spies who passed on information about Donald Trump campaign associates as part of the U.S. governments investigation into alleged ties between Trump and Russia, which is itself subject to a criminal probe after being found to have been riddled with mistakes. And he has been rumored to be the source of a tip to the FBI about Flynn and Svetlana Lokhova, the Russian-born historian who has lived in Britain for years. Lokhova sued Halper for defamation in 2019, but the case was thrown out because the statute of limitations had expired and she had not proven her case. But an amended complaint against Halper can move forward, a U.S. judge said during a July 15 hearing, because evidence points to Halper not only being the FBIs source, but to lying to the bureau. There are now a fair number of documentations that do, in fact, link your client to being this source, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, a Clinton appointee, told Halpers attorney Terrance Reed, according to a transcript of the proceedings obtained by The Epoch Times. Theres also more specific information that Halper was, in fact, not present during an event attended by Flynn and Lokhova in Cambridge in 2014, Brinkema added. That means Halper may have made clear misstatements to the FBI. The information at the pleading stage would seem to be enough to suggest that there may, in fact, be some falsehoods going on here on your clients behalf, the judge concluded. Tip A confidential human source (CHS) relayed an incident s/he witnessed when a person codenamed Crossfire Razorsince identified as Flynnspoke at the event, according to declassified FBI documents. The dinner took place in February 2014 at Pembroke College in Cambridge, where Lokhova was a graduate student and Halper was employed. The source said that after Flynn spoke and socialized with attendees, Lokhova joined him in a cab to the train station and also went onto the train with Flynn. The tip was among the reasons the FBI began to probe Flynn, who was charged with lying to the FBI. The government later withdrew the charge after finding issues with the investigation. The source also said they were somewhat suspicious of LOKHOVA and that they believed Lokhovas father may be a Russian oligarch living in London. Lokhova previously told The Epoch Times that her father is not an oligarch. Halper did not attend the dinner, according to Lokhovas complaint. That means he lacked firsthand knowledge, although he apparently did not inform the FBI of that. Investigators found no derogatory information about Lokhova in FBI databases, according to the declassified documents. William Barnett, an FBI agent who investigated the claims, later told U.S. attorney Jeff Jensen that intelligence analysts did not locate information to corroborate the sources reporting. He also said he found the idea that Flynn left an event either by imself or [redacted] without it being noted as not plausible. With nothing to corroborate the story, BARNETT thought the information was not accurate, the interview summary stated. The summary and the FBIs description of its finding of derogatory information were two of the pieces of evidence included in the complaint. Two Dismissals Before Latest Ruling Lokhova first sued Halper in 2019, along with a number of media companies who had reported the claims about her. Brinkema threw out the complaint, finding that the statute of limitations had expired. Lokhova filed a fresh complaint in December 2020. It was based on letters Halper sent to Post Hill Press, a publishing company that had entered into a book contract with the plaintiff, and the companys distributor. After marketing materials for the book were released ahead of its publication, Halper told the companies that the materials contained defamatory statements. The contract was canceled. Lokhova later self-published the book. Brinkema ruled that the letters were privileged and could not be cited for litigation purposes, and ordered Lokhova and her lawyer to pay the defendant for allegedly filing a frivolous complaint. But an appeals court, asked to review the case, overturned the ruling. The courts three-judge panel said the judge applied federal rules that should not have been applied, especially in light of no discovery yet taking place. The panel also found the judge likely violated a rule in imposing monetary sanctions. They remanded the case back to Brinkema. That led to Halpers motion to dismiss the case and the judges recent ruling that the case can move forward. Halpers lawyer, Reed, told Brinkema in court that the comments to the publisher and distributor were not defamatory because they were the opinions of Halper. Mr. Halpers opinions about her opinions are still opinions. And so him saying your opinions are false cannot be defamatory because opinions, by definition under the defamation law, are things that cannot be proven true or false largely because they depend on the subjective view of the parties, he said. Leslie McAdoo Gordon, Lokhovas lawyer, said that if that were the case, then Halpers description of Lokhovas statements in the marketing materials could not have been defamatory. She also pointed out that Halper has never sued Lokhova, even after the book was self-published. Mr. Reed and Mr. Halper certainly must have known when they sent this letter that the things that theyre claiming are defaming him are not defaming him. He just doesnt want the book published no matter what. And if he can intimidate people into not publishing, then hell do it. But if they stand their ground and actually publish, then he doesnt actually follow through on the defamation suit, which is how we know its a sham, its false, its fake, Gordon said. There is no defamation except by Mr. Halper. Metropolitan Police officers are seen outside Parliament in London on Oct. 16, 2021. (Rob Pinney/Getty Images) Dont Get Involved in Twitter Debates, We Have a Responsibility to Protect Freedom of Speech, British Police Told Non-crime hate incidents should not be recorded where they are trivial and irrational, according to new guidance from England and Waless police body, a move which is being celebrated as a step in the right direction by free speech defenders. Non-crime hate incidents (NCHI) include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person, or in writing. They have been used by British police if officers are unsure whether a reported incident amounts to a crime. Big Moment The guidance from the College of Policing, published on Thursday, says non-crime hate incidents should not be recorded where they are trivial, irrational, or if there is no basis to conclude that an incident was motivated by hostility. The news was welcomed by free speech advocates. Fair Cop is an organisation that was set up by former policeman Harry Miller in response to what it called a Big Brother overreach of various police forces. Its a step in the right direction but it relies on the police prioritising common sense over hurt feelings, Miller from Fair Cop told The Epoch Times by email. Former police officer Harry Miller speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Dec. 20, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Free Speech Union (FSU), an organisation dedicated to upholding free speech in Britain, wrote on Twitter that it has campaigned against NCHIs for a long time and this feels like a big moment. In April, the FSU succeeded in getting a non-crime hate incident (NCHI) from one of its members permanently deleted from the police record. The FSU welcomes the fact that the College of Policing has finally acknowledged that the indiscriminate investigation and recording of non-crime hate incidents has a chilling effect on free speech and revised its guidance accordingly. Its just a shame it took a victory in the Court of Appeal to force it to do this, FSU General Secretary Toby Young told The Epoch Times by email. I hope the statutory guidance about NCHIs, when its issued by the Home Office, curtails the practice even further. This should always have been a matter for Parliament, not an unelected non-governmental organisation, added Young. The new guidance added that individuals who are commenting in a legitimate debate, for example, on political or social issues, should not be stigmatised because someone is offended. And that if a record is made, it must be done in the least intrusive way possiblefor example, it may not be necessary to record the name of an individual or the location of an incident. The police regularly deal with complex incidents on social media. Our guidance is there to support officers responding to these incidents in accordance with the law, and not get involved in debates on Twitter, said Chief Constable Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, in the new guidance. Policing Debates on Twitter The police force has come under fire for being seen to be increasingly policing debates on Twitter, especially with gender-critical women having their views recorded as hate crimes. One police campaign in the north of England in 2021 saw a digital advertising van with the words being offensive is an offence on it accompanied by a rainbow flag, urging people to come forward and report hate crimes. Police eventually apologised after widespread criticism. In a landmark case in December 2021 brought on by Miller, the Court of Appeal ruled that the recording of NCHIs is an unlawful interference with freedom of expression and contrary to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Humberside Police had contacted Miller for reposting a limerick that was critical of transgender people which was an NCHI, despite no crime being committed. Miller told the Epoch Times that the police arent fond of common sense and are addicted to victim culture. Well be watching police forces very closely and are ready to go back to court, he added. New Safeguards Chief Constable Andy Marsh added that the public rightly expects the police to focus on cutting crime and bringing criminals to justice. While we work to protect the most vulnerable in society, we also have a responsibility to protect freedom of speech. This updated guidance puts in place new safeguards to ensure people are able to engage in lawful debate without police interference, he said. In all types of crime, it is important for the police to record incidents that could lead to, or be evidence of, criminalitysomething that has been demanded by public inquiries such as the Macpherson Report into the racist killing of Stephen Lawrence, added Marsh. Amid accusations that police forces are becoming too focused on political correctness, in May, the UKs new chief inspector said officers should stay away from the different thoughts that people have and focus on serious criminality. Andy Cooke, who took the senior professional police adviser role last month, said chief constables should avoid politics with a small p and remember there is a clear distinction between what is and is not a crime. Were not the thought police, we follow legislation and we follow the law, simple as that, he told The Times of London on May 15, referencing the term coined by George Orwell in his 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Epoch Times contacted the College of Policing for comment. Entire North Carolina Towns Police Department Resigns After New Manager Is Hired The entire police department of a North Carolina town resigned on Friday after a new town manager was hired, according to the former police chief. Kenly Police Chief Josh Gibson, as well as four other full-time officers, the town clerk, and a utilities clerk, resigned, according to letter (pdf) that were sent to the towns council and new town manager Justine Jones. Gibson blamed what he described as a hostile work environment for the mass exodus. Gibson confirmed to WAVY-TV and on Facebook that the towns entire police force resigned. Local media reported that the town is left with three part-time officers now. I have put in my 2 weeks notice along with the whole police dept., Sharon Evans, and Christy Thomas with the town of kenly after 21 years of service, Gibson wrote on Facebook on July 20. The new manager has created an environment I do not feel we can perform our duties and services to the community. In my 21 years at the Kenly Police Department, we have seen ups and downs. But, especially in the last 3 years, we have made substantial progress that we had hoped to continue. However, due to the hostile work environment now present in the Town of Kenly, I do not believe progress is possible, Gibson wrote in his letter. Gibson told WCNC-TV that he cant go into more details and said that lawyers are involved. The department, he said, is supposed to have eight full-time officers but has had only five. The Johnston County Sheriffs Office told WRAL that deputies will handle policing in the town. Were stepping up and stepping out, and as Johnston County and the sheriffs office, were going to be there for our people and the citizens. They may be the citizens of the town of Kenly, but theyre still citizens of the county of Johnston, also, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said. Jones was just hired as the Kenly town manager in June, according to the Town of Kenly in a news release reported by local media. Jones has dedicated her career to public service over the last 16 years during which she worked in progressively responsible positions with local governments in Minnesota, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina, the statement said. She began her municipal career as the Executive Assistant to the City Manager and National Urban Fellow in the City of Norfolk, Virginia. Jones declined an interview with WRAL and said that she was not at liberty to talk because of a personnel matter. Officials told CBS17 that the Kenly Town Council will hold an emergency meeting Friday. The Epoch Times has contacted the town for comment. A man cools off his dog at a fountain as temperatures go above 30 C on July 20, 2022 in Montreal. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) Environment Canada Warning of Humidex Levels in the Mid to High 30S Heat warnings remain in place throughout Eastern Canada, with Environment Canada warning of humidex levels in the mid to high 30s or even 40 C heading into the weekend. Large regions of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario are under heat advisories, with daytime temperatures in the 30s. The weather agency says there wont be much relief once the sun goes down either, with overnight temperatures not forecasted to drop much below 20 C. The current heat wave is expected to last for several days, with cooler weather expected to finally arrive Sunday evening. On the West Coast, British Columbias Public Safety Ministry has warned of potential heat warnings beginning as early as Saturday and continuing into next week. Heat warnings are issued when very high temperatures or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion. This week, we look at a quirky comedy about inept crooks, as well as a sobering documentary about the horrors of the Nazi death camps. New Release From Where They Stood Nazi prisoners in different death camps risked their lives to snap pictures of their horrible existence, which the world was largely unaware of at the time. Director Christophe Cognet attempts to uncover the stories of the men and women who took those images. This film contains incredible archival footageboth eye-opening and haunting. Cognets uniquely forensic approach creates an almost clinical expose of the films subject matter and serves as a tribute to those who managed to smuggle film canisters out of the camps. Documentary | Drama | History Release Date: July 15, 2022 Director: Christophe Cognet Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes Not Rated Where to Watch: Theaters Rated: 4.5 stars out of 5 Indie Pick Bottle Rocket In Wes Andersons directorial debut, three friends, Anthony (Luke Wilson), Dignan (Owen Wilson), and Bob (Robert Musgrave), decide to go on a grand crime spree. However, the bumbling burglars soon realize they know zilch about crime. This mature-themed film isnt suitable for young kids. However, for adults, theres plenty of humor and oddball characters (with acting debuts from the Wilson brothers) who are charming in their own ways. The late James Caan appears in the second half of the movie and is an outstanding crime mentor. Comedy | Crime | Drama Release Date: Feb. 21, 1996 Director: Wes Anderson Starring: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Robert Musgrave Running Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes MPAA Rating: R Where to Watch: Redbox, DirecTV, HBO Max Rated: 3 stars out of 5 A Slow-Burn Japanese Epic Ran Elder warlord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) wants to retire and abdicate his domain to his three sons. His youngest son, Saburo (Daisuke Ryu), has a falling out with the others and is banished by Hidetora, but as the other two sons begin scheming against the aging lord, Saburo may be the only one who can save him. This visually stunning drama is one of the finest examples of Japanese cinema out there. Coupled with a haunting score and brilliant acting performances, this is a must-see film. Action | Drama | War Release Date: June 1, 1985 Director: Akira Kurosawa Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu Running Time: 2 hours, 42 minutes MPAA Rating: R Where to Watch: Redbox, DirecTV, Vudu Rated: 5 stars out of 5 A Western About Mob Rule and Groupthink The Ox-Bow Incident A pair of drifters passing through a small town hear news of a local farmer who was murdered recently. The townsfolk form a posse to catch those responsible and possibly lynch the suspects on the spot. This is a powerful indictment of the dangers of groupthink and mob violence. Its also a masterpiece of filmmaking that boasts memorable, surprisingly well-developed characters over its taut running time. Drama | Western Release Date: May 21, 1943 Director: William A. Wellman Starring: Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes Running Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Not Rated Where to Watch: DirecTV, Starz, Vudu Rated: 5 stars out of 5 EU Imposes More Sanctions on Moscow Over Ukraine Invasion BRUSSELSThe European Union imposed more sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine on Thursday after the blocs 27 members backed measures that include a ban on gold imports, further restrictions on the countrys biggest bank, and tighter export controls on some high-technology goods. European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the reinforced, prolonged EU sanctions against the Kremlin send a strong signal to Moscow: we will keep the pressure high for as long as it takes. The EU has described the new round of sanctions as minor adjustments and intended to align its actions with commitments from global partners. Any ban on Russian gas imports, which are still a lifeline to many of the EUs juggernaut industries, is not under consideration. EU officials worked all week to tighten the blocs extensive package of sanctions on Russia and looked at ways to add a ban on gold exports, hoping the measures might start to have a decisive impact on the war in Ukraine. On Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was able to say, We are effectively banning Russias most significant export after energyRussian gold. The Group of Seven leading industrial nations committed to a gold ban last month, arguing that Russia has used its gold to back up its currency and circumvent the impact of earlier sanctions nations around the world imposed after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. The EU also took further action against Sberbank, which was already kicked off the SWIFT international banking messaging service. The bank will be added to the EUs sanctions list and have its assets frozen, making all transactions next to impossible. The EU also tightened the noose on sanctioned individuals, often oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They now have to officially declare where they have assets in the EU so the holdings can be frozen. The EU said refusing to do so could lead to criminal charges and confiscation of the assets. On Monday, the EU decided to boost military aid to Ukraine by 500 million euros. By Raf Casert EU Launches Fresh Legal Action Against UK After Northern Ireland Protocol Clears Commons The European Union has launched fresh legal action against the UK for failing to comply with the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit treaty, just over a day after the UK governments plan to scrap part of the protocol won approval in the House of Commons. The European Commission triggered four new infringement procedures against the UK on July 22. It argued it was forced to act because the UK has been unwilling to take part in meaningful discussion over the protocol since February. The commission accused the UK of failing to comply with customs requirements, not imposing E.U. rules on VAT for e-commerce, and failures over rules on alcohol excise duties. The latest action comes on top of the infringement procedures launched on June 15. In a statement, the European Commission said: Despite repeated calls by the European Parliament, the 27 E.U. Member States, and the European Commission to implement the protocol, the UK government has failed to do so. In a spirit of constructive cooperation, the commission refrained from launching certain infringement procedures for over a year to create the space to look for joint solutions with the UK. However, the UKs unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussion since last February and the continued passage of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill through the UK Parliament go directly against this spirit. Controversial Plan Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed the Northern Ireland Protocol with the E.U. in 2019 as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, with the measures aimed at preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland. But the protocol has been fiercely opposed by unionists in the British province, who complain that it effectively keeps Northern Ireland within the E.U. single market while erecting a border in the Irish Sea between the province and mainland Britain. Northern Ireland has not had a functioning local government since February, when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), then the largest party in the regional assembly, withdrew from the power-sharing executive in protest against the protocol. On June 14, the UK government published plans to override parts of the protocol, enabling ministers to establish a green lane so that trusted traders are allowed to move goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without checks, as long as the products remain within the UK. But the E.U. has criticised the UKs actions for breaking international law and undermining trust between the two sides. The dispute risks a trade war, with tariffs being imposed or even the suspension of the entire Brexit deal between the UK and E.U. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill cleared the House of Commons on July 20 after MPs voted 267195, majority 72, to give it a third reading. It now faces a rocky ride through the House of Lords, where peers are expected to contest parts of the bill when they consider it after the summer recess, setting up a lengthy showdown between the two Houses. PA Media contributed to this report. Ex-White House Testing Czar Says Biden At Risk After Contracting COVID-19 Former White House COVID-19 testing chief Brett Giroir weighed in on President Joe Bidens COVID-19 diagnosis, saying that the presidents advanced age puts him at risk of severe symptoms. A report issued Friday by the physician to the 79-year-old president (pdf) said that Biden had a temperature of 99.4 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday night and his temperature has remained normal since then, according to the White House. He also took the Pfizer drug Paxlovid and is tolerating treatment well while it is anticipated that Biden will respond favorably to the treatment. But Giroir, a pediatrician, told Fox News Friday that because of Bidens advanced age and underlying health conditions, hes at risk. I think we need to be quite careful because the president is at advanced age, Giroir advised. He also has underlying health conditions, including Atrial fibrillation. Hes had previous aneurysms and strokes. So, I would be cautious. I wouldnt be so rosy that everything is going to be fine. He is at risk. Data and numerous studies have shown that elderly people have the greatest risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death of any age group. Meanwhile, children and young adults have the lowest risk. The other issue I would say is Paxlovid is a very good drug, but it has drug-drug interactions with many of the drugs I believe the president is on, including blood thinners or anti-coagulants, and it could cause dangerous changes in that, Giroir added. So, Im sure the White House medical unit is on this and is monitoring that. But that is one issue with Paxlovid in addition to the rebound that I would watch for in the president. Paxlovid The former Trump administration testing chief was making reference to alerts sent out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) several weeks ago to healthcare providers about the so-called COVID rebound, or a recurrence of symptoms, associated with Paxlovid. Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services Adm. Brett Giroir testifies to Congress in Washington on July 2, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool/Getty Images) Last month, White House adviser Anthony Fauci revealed that he was taking Paxlovid for COVID-19 and developed a recurrence of symptoms after testing negative for three days. Fauci, who at age 81 is also at risk, said he tested positive on the fourth day. Over the next day or so, I started to feel really poorly, much worse than in the first go around, the longtime federal employee told a panel in late June. So, I went back on Paxlovid and right now I am on my fourth day of a five-day course. As for Biden, he released a video on Twitter Thursday while speaking from a White House balcony saying hes fine and is keeping busy. On Friday, his account said that Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team. The Bitcoin logo appears on the display screen of a cryptocurrency ATM in Salem, N.H., on Feb. 9, 2021. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo) Fake Crypto Apps Scammed Investors out of Over $42 Million, FBI Says The FBI issued a warning to U.S. investors and financial institutions about cyber criminals targeting cryptocurrency markets with fraudulent schemes, resulting in hundreds of people losing millions of dollars in these activities. The FBI has observed cyber criminals contacting U.S. investors, fraudulently claiming to offer legitimate cryptocurrency investment services, and convincing investors to download fraudulent mobile apps, which the cyber criminals have used with increasing success over time to defraud the investors of their cryptocurrency. The FBI has identified 244 victims and estimates the approximate loss associated with this activity to be $42.7 million, the agency said in the report (pdf) published on July 18. Between Dec. 22, 2021, and May 7, 2022, at least 28 victims were defrauded of around $3.7 million by criminals who posed as legitimate financial institutions. Victims used the apps suggested by the fraud actors and deposited cryptocurrencies into their wallets. When 13 victims tried to withdraw funds, they were asked to pay taxes. Even after paying the tax, the funds could not be withdrawn. Four victims were defrauded of approximately $5.5 million between Oct. 4, 2021, and May 13, 2022, by cyber criminals who operated under the company name YiBit, a former cryptocurrency exchange. Two others were defrauded by criminals who posed as members of a company called Supayos. The FBI recommended financial institutions to proactively warn their customers about such fraudulent activity, inform customers about whether they even offer cryptos, and periodically conduct online searches to look for misuse of company name, logo, etc. for unauthorized activity. Crypto Frauds The FBI warning comes as the agency recently added German citizen Cryptoqueen Ruja Ignatova to its list of the 10 most-wanted fugitives. Ignatova was charged with eight counts back in 2019 and is accused of defrauding investors out of $4 billion through OneCoin, a fake cryptocurrency. According to a Consumer Protection Data Spotlight news release (June 3) by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there has been an explosive increase in cryptocurrency fraud losses during these past years. While $12 million in losses were reported in 2018, this jumped to $33 million in 2019, $130 million in 2020, and $680 million in 2021. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, losses already have totaled $329 million. Since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scamsthats about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method. The median individual reported loss? A whopping $2,600, the news release said. The top cryptocurrency used by victims to pay scammers was Bitcoin, at 70 percent, followed by Tether, at 10 percent, and Ether, at 9 percent. Bitcoin was trading at $23,198 as of 12:34 p.m. EDT, July 22, down 51.40 percent year to date. Wilber once had a thriving brewery that brewed Czech beer for a couple of decades before it burned down after a lightning strike in 1918. Now, more than a century later, the town known as the Czech capital of the U.S. is on the cusp of bringing back that brewing tradition. A group of Wilber natives and current residents has been working for several years on opening another brewery and they are now at a critical juncture. Thursday night, the group will hold an informational meeting for potential investors in the Wilber Czech Brewery Company. Those who attend the meeting at the American Legion park building will hear about the effort and can invest on the spot if they want, at $500 a share. Wilber Czech Brewery Company Board President Kim Kovar-Anderson said members originally considered selling shares for $1,000 apiece but eventually settled on $500 because it's more affordable to the average person. "That's our goal, is to make this available to everybody to be a part of," said Kovar-Anderson, who grew up in Wilber and now lives in Elkhorn. The shares the brewery is selling are being offered under an exemption that makes them available only to Nebraska residents, although Kovar-Anderson said the company might consider opening up shares to people living outside the state in the future depending on how the Nebraska effort goes. Those who buy shares will join the board members, who have all invested enough in the project so far to pay for a lot in downtown Wilber where the brewery would be built. Kovar-Anderson said that the goal is to potentially start construction on the brewery next year. That's going to be largely dependent on fundraising, which is looking to be a tall task. The company is offering up to 5,200 shares, or $2.6 million worth. The minimum amount it needs to move forward, according to its prospectus, is $600,000. Kovar-Anderson said there has been a "tremendous response" to the Facebook event set up for the meeting, with 176 people expressing interest as of Tuesday night. "One hundred seventy-six for Wilber that's pretty good-sized," she said. Though Kovar-Anderson described the brewery plans as "just kind of starting out," the company already has worked with Alpha Brewing in Lincoln to identify brewing equipment and has been working with consultants from the Czech Republic who specialize in setting up authentic Czech breweries. Kovar-Anderson said the brewery's signature beer will be a traditional Czech pilsner, and it may take the name of the beer brewed at the previous brewery, Silitel, which she owns the rights to. Whatever brewer is eventually hired will spend several weeks in the Czech Republic learning how to brew in the Czech style, so he or she can produce an authentic Czech Pilsner, something that's a rarity at U.S. breweries. She said the brewery also plans to do seasonal beers, at least one of which would be timed to coincide with the Wilber Czech Festival held each August in the town that's about 40 miles southwest of Lincoln. One of the main backers of the brewery effort is Czech Festival founder Joe Vosoba, a longtime Wilber attorney and former state senator. Vosoba, who now lives in Lincoln, told the Fairbury Journal-News last month that the project is important to both the Czech Republic and Southeast Nebraska because of shared heritage. That heritage includes 50,000 Czechs who immigrated to Nebraska between 1857 and World War I, ranking the state first in the U.S. for per-capita Czech immigration numbers. "He's an amazing man," Kovar-Anderson said of Vosoba. "He's the reason we're all here." While Vosoba deserves a lot of credit for the effort, as do the other board members, "We just want to emphasize that this is a community project," Anderson said. The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina in May 2017. (Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Family Sues Biltmore After Fallen Tree Kills NY Firefighter ASHEVILLE, N.C.The family of a New York City firefighter killed last month when a tree fell onto the car he was driving at the Biltmore Estate has filed a lawsuit accusing the North Carolina tourist attraction of gross negligence. Casey Skudin was driving near the Biltmores entrance June 17 with his wife and two children, when the tree fell across the road, striking the car, officials said. A tree limb fell across the road amid high winds, an estate spokesperson has said. Casey Skudin died from his injuries and his wife, Angela Skudin and their two sons were also hurt, including their 10-year-old son, who was knocked unconscious and sustained multiple fractures to his spine and sternum, the lawsuit filed on behalf of Skudins family states. The suit claims the Biltmore knowingly and intentionally kept a massive, rotted tree on its property next to a main road where Defendants knew it would cause great harm when it fell, news outlets reported. It claims Biltmore knew the tree posed a danger to guests and tried to keep it by installing steel cables. The complaint names The Biltmore Company, Biltmore Estate Wine Company, and Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate as defendants. Defendants decided to install inadequate cable to try and merely keep the tree upright, instead of taking the appropriate measure of cutting the tree down and eliminating the potentially fatal risk, the complaint states. In a statement Wednesday, Biltmore noted there were multiple accounts of a short duration high wind event around that time and denied all allegations of willful or intentional conduct on the part of Biltmore, as well as the allegations of negligence. There are no words to express our deep sorrow for the Skudin familys unimaginable loss and we offer them our deepest sympathy, Biltmore said in the statement. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to questions during a congressional hearing in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters) Fauci Set to Receive Fatter Pension Than Presidents Annual Salary Dr. Anthony Fauci will receive a tax-paid annual federal retirement pension benefit of $414,667more than the presidents $400,000 annual salaryif he leaves civil service in January 2025, as he has said he plans to do, according to the nonprofit government watchdog Open the Books (OTB). While the specific details of an individual federal employees retirement benefit are exempt from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the formula used to determine the amount is public, as are key details, including annual salary and years of service. The nonprofits auditors arrived at the figure by using the known formula, salary data, and number of years of service for Fauci, who is the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes for Health (NIH). Fauci will have been a government employee for 59 years and be 85 years of age if he retires in January 2025. Under the present rules for federal compensation, his annual salary at retirement will be nearly $530,000, according to the OTB calculations. He presently is paid $456,028 in annual salary compensation, making him the highest-paid employee on the federal payroll. His salary exceeds those of the president, the vice president, the heads of federal departments, senators and representatives, and the justices of the Supreme Court. Fauci didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. If it wasnt already clear enough, Dr. Faucis profound impact on our public health policies, economy, and public schools is reflected by this enormous pension, Adam Andrzejewski, OTBs president, told The Epoch Times. At the end of the day, taxpayers helped fund this pension and guarantee all of it. Andrzejewski added that the generosity of federal compensation overall is excessive, noting: When debating the pay, perks, and pension benefits for federal employees, everything needs to be on the table. Today, the average federal bureaucrat makes six figures, receives 44 days of paid time off, and has a very lucrative retirement pension. Its tough for the private sector to compete with this benefit package. The Chicago-based nonprofit is the nations largest private repository of information about government spending, including salary and pension benefit data. The foundation has filed thousands of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and obtained data on more than $6 trillion in federal spending, the official checks of 49 of the 50 states, and the pay and pension information for 25 million government workers. Faucis wife, Christine Grady, also is highly compensated and is listed on the NIH website as senior investigator and chief of the Department of Bioethics at NIHs Health Clinical Center. Her title is currently listed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management as social science with a pay level of $238,970, according to data compiled by OTB. The current top pay rate for federal government executive-level officials is $226,300. Gradys compensation is at the center of a federal court complaint as a result of NIH officials refusal to disclose information sought via a FOIA request dated April 8 by OTB. The lawsuit (pdf) was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The OTB request sought all employment contracts, modifications, and addendums for Grady since assuming her present position, as well as all confidentiality agreements/documents, conflicts of interest waivers or documents, ethics disclosures, and financial interest and/or economic interest disclosure documents. In addition, the FOIA request sought a copy of Gradys current official job description. All federal employment positions are required by federal law and regulation to have an official position description that describes the specific duties and responsibilities for which the individual holding the position can be held accountable. The OTB FOIA was acknowledged by NIH officials on April 28, which was the maximum of 20 days allowed by federal law for an agency to do so. Federal law also requires agencies to communicate a final determination on what documents, if any, they will provide in response to requests. But OTB told the court that the NIH had failed to do so by the May 26 deadline. The NIH further failed to advise OTB of its potential administrative remedies and has produced none of the requested documents or explained which, if any, of the FOIAs eight permitted exemption categories apply that would allow for the documents to be withheld. As a result, the complaint asked the court to order the NIH to conduct a thorough search for all of the requested documents, to produce all such documents that arent subject to being withheld by a certain date, or to explain why doing so isnt possible, and to provide what is known as a Vaughn Index describing each withheld document and why it was withheld, and to pay Open the Books the legal costs of the litigation. Faucis longtime boss, former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, left the agency in December 2021 and was then appointed in March 2022 as President Joe Bidens chief science adviser. That appointment made Collins the highest-paid member of the most expensive White House staff ever. Not all of Faucis income is received from federal taxpayers, however, as was first reported by The Epoch Times. He also received 23 secret royalty payments of undisclosed amounts between 2010 and 2020 from entities outside of the federal government that NIH refuses to identify. The 23 payments were part of an estimated $350 million in royalty payments received by more than 1,600 NIH officials, scientists, and researchers, according to OTB. Collins received 14 such payments, while Faucis top deputy at NIAID, Clifford Lane, received eight payments, according to OTB. Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Collinss successor as acting NIH director, acknowledged during a May congressional hearing that the $350 million in secret royalty payments has the appearance of a conflict of interest, but he claimed the agency has enough internal safeguards to prevent abuse. Florida Attorney General Urges Biden to Declare Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sent a letter urging President Biden to declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. If the president acts on Moodys letter by either using his executive authority or urging Congress to designate fentanyl as a WMD, the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and the Pentagon would have to work to wage a war against the deadly drug. Moody, in her letter, urged the president to invoke this designation under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) or urge Congress to pass the Fentanyl is a WMD Act. Given how many Americans are being murdered, the whole federal government and every tactic and capability that we have should be utilized to stop the death and destruction that fentanyl is causing, she said in her letter. Moody cited several incidents in Florida where fentanyl has been responsible for recent deaths including nine in Gadsden County during the weekend of July 4. Police reports state that 19 people in Gadsden County overdosed on illegal drugs that were believed to have been tainted with fentanyl. The U.S. government defines a weapon of mass destruction as a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device(s) that is intended to harm a large number of people. Moody described fentanyl as a very likely viable option for a chemical weapon attack. Relying on non-state criminal actors and terrorists to think or act as expected is a losing proposition. The reality is that the deadliness of fentanyl combined with its sheer availability in Mexico to criminal cartels and non-state actors makes it an increasingly likely weapon for use, Moody stated in her letter. A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 30, 2014. (Tami Chappell/Reuters) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released provisional data in April showing more than 100,000 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in the prior 12 months. More than three-quarters of the total were opioid-related deaths. In the letter, Moody told the president that his administration has done little to abate the fentanyl crisis and blamed the influx of drugs coming from the southern border as the number one cause of fentanyl poisoning Americans at record rates. Border patrol has seized enough fentanyl to kill the entire American population many times over. With that in mind, and the recent mass overdose events in Hillsborough and Gadsden counties, I am demanding President Biden classify illicit fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, she said in a released statement. The federal government already works to disrupt the supply chains of other chemicals, biological, radiological or nuclear weaponsits not hard to imagine that similar tactics could be used to reduce the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S. through cartels in Mexicoand save countless American lives. On July 18, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents seized approximately 250 pounds of fentanyl in the gas tank and spare tire of a care at the border near Campo, Calif. The pills positive for fentanyl with an estimated street value of more than $3.5 million. Moody continued to plead in her letter for the Biden administration to do more, but she said she realized that the presidents administration will not or is incapable of taking actions. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Mary Yong Cong, a Florida Dept. of Agriculture scientist, holds a Giant African Snail in her Miami lab on July 17, 2015. (KERRY SHERIDAN/AFP via Getty Images) Florida County Under Month-Long Quarantine Over Giant Snail Invasion PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Giant African land snails have been detected in Pasco County prompting the Florida Agriculture Commission to issue an agriculture quarantine to protect the public and reduce crop damage. The invasive snails can wreak havoc on the vegetation and agriculture around the state and cause millions of dollars in damage if not eradicated, officials say. Dr. Whitley Elmore, horticulture director for Pasco County, said this is the third time since the late 1960s that the state has had an outbreak of snails. The snails are considered one of the top five most destructive invasive organisms on the planet, she said. There have been a couple of different situations, in the past back in the 60s around the Miami Dade area, Elmore told The Epoch Times on July 21. It was believed they were smuggled here from Africa and used in some religious ceremonies. The illegal pet trade is mostly who is to blame for the snails being in Florida, she said. The reason we know that is because the snails look just a little bit different than the previous snails that the state has had, she explained. The mollusk itself inside was a brown color and the one found in Pasco are a creamy white color, and that makes them highly desirable in the pet trade because of the contrast between the shell and the rest of the animal. Elmore said the snails that have invaded Pasco County were more than likely released or escaped from aquariums or other confined domains. Dr. Greg Hodges, plant industry assistant director for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) said at a July 7 press conference that the snails reemerged in 2010 and were successfully eradicated. It took 10 years, and 170,000 snails were collected at a cost of $23 million to eradicate them, he said. However, Elmore said it was the watchful eyes of citizen scientists that alerted the department of the problem. This situation arose from a citizen in New Port Richey that said, hey Ive got something that looks different. It looks kind of weird. Im not sure what it is, she recalled. They emailed a picture to our office, and we were very quickly able to go and look. It wasnt anything native. Elmore said they sent the snails up to the University of Florida where scientists confirmed the snails identity. This was a small, isolated event and were really thankful that we have what we call citizen scientists. When they see something they say something, she said. Hodge and Elmore warn that touching the snails can be harmful to humans and to pets. The snails carry the rat lungworm parasite that is known to cause meningitis in both humans and animals, Hodge said. Avoid touching the snail without gloves due to the meningitis risk. The quarantine for Pasco County took effect on June 25 and prevents residents from moving the snail or related items, like plants and soil, in or out of the designated quarantine area. Lifespan of a Giant African Land Snail. (Courtesy, Florida Agriculture Commission) Hodge said FDACS has estimated the eradication process to take three years and they are using the pesticide Metaldehyde to treat the soil. Successful eradication can be declared two years after the last detection of a live snail and after we have completed the appropriate controls and detection methodologies to ensure that we have indeed eradicated the population, Hodge said. State official estimates that 30 FDACS staffers have as of July 15 captured more than 1,000 dead or living snails from 29 properties in New Port Richey, a small town 45 minutes north of Tampa. The largest snail found in Pasco County measured 4.5 inches long. Elmore said the snails can reach up to eight inches. She noted that detecting the snails is difficult because they are nocturnal. When you would really see them would be more at night, she explained. They like cold damp places and are terrestrial so they wont be found in water, but they could be found relatively close to water. The snails, according to Elmore can lay up to 1,000 eggs at a time, however not all 1,000 will survive. The thing thats a little bit more unusual is these are hermaphroditic animals, she said. Which means all you need to have babies is two individualsnot males, not femalesso they all have potential to lay eggs, and all have potential to fertilize eggs. What makes the snail so dangerous to the Florida landscape is that they can eat more than 500 types of plants and will even eat the stucco or plaster off of houses and buildings causing structural damage, she said. They eat the stucco that provides calcium in order to fortify their shells, she explained of the plaster-eating eating creeper. Floridas Agriculture Commissioner and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, Nikki Fried weighed in on the snail crisis and warned residents of the danger of handling the snail. Let me assure you: We will eradicate these snails, Fried told a crowd on July 7. She warned residents not to eat the snails, This is not a snail to put on butter and oil and garlic. This is not something you want to touch. This is not something you want to eat. The snails do not have any natural predators and are illegal to possess or transport in the United States. A person walks past a sign during a runoff election for Louisiana governor at a polling station at Quitman High School in Quitman, La., on Nov. 16, 2019. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) Former Louisiana Police Chief, City Councilmember Plead Guilty in Federal Vote-Buying Case Two officials in Amite City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on July 21 to criminally violating federal election laws in a vote-buying case, the Department of Justice announced. Court documents show former Amite City Police Chief Jerry Trabona, 72, and current Amite City Council member Kristian Kris Hart, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay and offering to pay voters residing in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, for voting in the 2016 primary and general election. During both of those elections, Hart was running for his current seat on the City Council. Trabona was up for reelection as police chief. Prosecutors said the two officials admitted that they conspired with each other to pay or offer to pay voters and then carried out the plan. In a December 2021 news release, federal prosecutors said the two men solicited and hired individuals to identify potential voters, and transported those voters to the polls where they were provided with the names and candidate numbers of candidates, and paid the voters to cast their ballots for candidates. Providing a voter with money or something of value in exchange for voting is a federal crime. We Must Have Fair elections Trabona and Hart pleaded guilty to the charges in federal court in New Orleans on July 20 and are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1. In addition to the conspiracy with Trabona, Hart also pleaded guilty to three counts of paying and offering to pay voters during both the 2016 and 2020 elections. The voters who had received the money were not identified, but court documents (pdf) state that Hart gave his vote buyers several hundred dollars with the understanding that each voter should receive $10 to $20. They face up to five years in prison on each count. The FBI began investigating allegations of vote buying in Tangipahoa Parish in 2018. We must have fair elections, free from the taint of corruption, to ensure a fully functional government, stated U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana in a news release. Safeguarding the voting process is of paramount importance to our office and the Department of Justice. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin said in a statement on July 21 that the case against Trabona and Hart was substantially aided by the efforts of the investigators in Louisianas Elections Compliance Unit (ECU), as a result of an official review of Emmanuel Zanders III following the 2020 federal election. Zanders, an eight-year Amite City councilman for the 3rd District, pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one misdemeanor count of election fraud. Prosecutors said he submitted voter registration applications that he knew were false or fraudulent. Our investigators were alerted to Mr. Zanders activities by the Tangipahoa Registrar of Voters, and we quickly developed information that led to his arrest and a guilty plea deal that mandated his resignation from the Amite City Council in January of 2021, Ardoin said. I remain committed to keeping Louisiana free of corruption in the voting process and ensuring that our elections are fair, safe, accurate and free of disruption by corrupt actors. A motorcyclist rides past the logo of Foxconn, the trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, in Taipei, Taiwan on March 30, 2018. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Foxconn Could Be Fined for Investing in Chinese State-Backed Chipmaker Without Regulatory Approval Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer Hon Hai Technology Group (best known internationally as Foxconn) could be fined for not seeking regulatory approval for investing in the embattled mainland Chinese state-backed chipmaker Tsinghua Unigroup, Reuters reported. Hon Hai could face a fine of up to NT$25 million ($835,586) for not first seeking approval for the investment from the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs Investment Commission, the wire agency reported citing two sources familiar with the matter on July 15. Taipei does not allow Taiwanese firms to build their factories for advanced technology in mainland China, and Hon Hai was said to have violated a law regarding Taiwans relationship with China, according to one of the sources. Hon Hai made the investment in the Chinese chip conglomerate through its subsidiary Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), according to a July 11 statement. Largest Consumer of Semiconductors Hon Hai had acquired equity in Tsinghua in the hope of expanding its semiconductor business, wrote Liu Pei-chen, director of Taiwan Institute for the Central News Agency. The main reason, wrote Liu, is that China is the largest consumer of semiconductors, as its electric vehicle sales grew 209 percent last year and it currently accounts for nearly 50 percent of global electronic vehicle sales revenue. Liu pointed out that Tsinghuas Changjiang Storage had initial success in developing NAND Flash and XMCs NOR Flash, and so Hon Hai expects to expand its memory and wireless network communication chip business with the acquisition. Industry insiders said that Hon Hais current semiconductor manufacturing investments in India, Southeast Asia, and the Hsinchu Science Park, known as Taiwans Silicon Valley, are all at an early stage. But Tsinghua Unigroup has a complete semiconductor supply chain, so this would increase Hon Hais resources and capacity. Some commentators have said that the move suggests a shift by Hon Hai to semiconductors away from Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) which is declining. Lai Chung-chiang, convenor of the Economic Democracy Union, told The Epoch Times if Hon Hai uses the money earned from its work for Apple to invest in Chinas semiconductor industry, it would create trust issues with the United States government. Tsinghua Unigoup was taken over by Zhao Weiguo in 2010 and acquired Spreadtrum Communications, a semiconductor company, for $1.78 billion in 2013, and RDA Microelectronics for $910 million in 2014. Zhao once boasted that he would buy a stake in TSMC and acquire MediaTek, but Tsinghua Unigroup went bankrupt in 2021, as its rapid expansion through mergers and acquisitions led to debt as high as 100 billion yuan ($14.8 billion). Free Speech Policy Pledges That Sunak and Truss Have Made in the Conservative Leadership Election Outsider Kemi Badenoch, who said that we need to reinvigorate the case for free speech has been knocked out, but the final two candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have varied records on the topic which is likely to become a battleground in the race to become Britains next Prime Minister. Sunak as far as I can see has virtually no statements about free speech, Andrew Tettenborn, common-law and continental jurisdictions scholar and advisor to the Free Speech Union (FSU), told The Epoch Times. I probably prefer Liz Truss on free speech, he said, but I think shes marginally less bad than Rishi Sunak. Secure Freedom of Speech I think that whoever we have as Prime Minister, is now likely not to do very much [on free speech], said Tettenborn. We have some useful legislation, of course, in the form of the Bill of Rights. Where we have a government consultation coming up. The Free Speech Union agreed to be fairly active in that Im down to help draft what we say. I think could be quite useful, he added. The FSU is an organisation dedicated to upholding free speech in Britain. Tettenborn added that he believed that the governments planned legislation that will make universities have a new duty to secure freedom of speech will go ahead. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill is a proposed Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that would impose requirements for universities and students unions to protect freedom of speech. I doubt the Conservative government will take it much further than that, he said, adding that more needed to be done in regards to making extensions for free speech for employers and professional associations. Rishi Sunak has put his name forward in the Tory leadership race. (Yui Mok/PA) Free Speech Rishi was Chancellor of the Exchequer having previously served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. His resignation as chancellor on July 5 helped to trigger an avalanche of ministerial resignations. Truss has held more positions including Education Minister, Secretary of State for the Environment, Justice Secretary, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade, as well as Minister for Women and Equalities. She is currently Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs. In December 2021, when Truss was Minister for Women and Equalities Truss, she affirmed the governments stance that free speech and religious liberty should be protected from a conversion therapy ban. She was asked by Labour MP Kate Osborne in Parliament if the ban would cover non-physical conversion practices in religious settings, including prayer. The Minister replied that what is important is that we ensure that people are not coerced into conversion therapy, but it is also important to protect freedom of speech. I hear Opposition Members asking whether freedom of speech is a good thing. Yes, it is, added Truss. Last September, Truss, when Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, told LBC radio in May women do have vaginas in response to student Lisa Keogh who was facing disciplinary action at university for making the same comment. We need to uphold our very, very important tradition of free speech, said Truss. In a speech in December, when Foreign Secretary, Truss gave a major policy speech at Chatham House in London saying that the free world took its eye off the ball following the fall of the Berlin Wall. After the collapse of communism, many breathed a sigh of relief and called it the end of historyconfident that freedom and democracy would inexorably go global under its own steam, she said. She added that societies turned inwards. Rather than engaging with the big ideas shaping the world, failed ideas ran rife, like the post-modern philosophy that there is no objective truth. Writing for the Mail on Sunday in a piece called Equality should be for everyonenot just for the woke warriors favoured few. Truss said she has has witnessed the spread of misguided, wrong-headed, and ultimately destructive ideas, which, sadly, have become steadily more prevalent in many aspects of British life. Too many people have jumped on this woke bandwagon and lost sight of what most people want: a life in which they can live happily in a secure home, work in a good job, and send their children to a decent school. Rather than engage with these priorities, the Left has been swept up by a warped ideology and all its bizarre obsessions, said Truss. On quotas, diversity agendas, and so-called unconscious bias training she called them dehumanising, disempowering, and dysfunctional ideas do nothing in practice to make life fairer. Those behind this pernicious woke culture see everything in terms of societal power structures. To these zombies, truth and morality are merely relative, wrote Truss. Conservative party leadership contender Liz Truss at Here East studios in Stratford, east London, on July 15, 2022. (Victoria Jones/PA Media) Define What a Woman Is As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sunak was responsible for the policy of furlough and if elected would also be Britains first Asian prime minister. In March, Talk TVs Julia Hartley-Brewer challenged Sunak to Define what a woman is? It is a question that has become a hot topic for some politicians in recent months. Sunak did not offer his own definition and deferred to a definition previously used by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In a recent manifesto for womens rights published in the Daily Mail on July 9, Sunak said that he will oppose biological males being allowed to compete against women in sport, while calling on schools to be more careful in how they teach on issues of sex and gender. Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch. (UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA) Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, writer, and member of Academics for Academic Freedom and Dont Divide Us, Prof. Jim Butcher said that he found the former equalities minister and former candidate Badenoch interesting for her approach to critical race theory and free speech. During her short run, Badenoch gained support from the Tory membership and feminists. I think we do need to speak out on cultural issues by really, really making clear that freedom of speech is sacrosanct, said Butcher. I think we have to remember that the Conservative Party is not a free speech party. And actually the majority of them didnt even vote for Brexit in the referendum, said Butcher, adding that he believed that nobody is saying that the Conservatives are a sort of peoples Populist Party. But Butcher said that those who are interested in free speech warmed to Badenoch because the old left-right divisions are not necessarily the ones that people divide on today and rightly so, as these are really important issues. Online Safety Bill Still in the background is the Online Safety Bill, which is currently on ice until a new prime minister is in place in the autumn, a move that won praise from free speech supporters. The planned legislation on online spaces has been increasingly criticised by top Tories for handing unprecedented censorship powers to the secretary of state and to online regulator Ofcom. Badenoch in a post on Twitter had described the Bill that will regulate online spaces as cracking down on free speech to prevent hurt feelings. Last week, The Times Of London reported that Truss will revise online safety laws to ensure they do not damage freedom of speech if she wins the Tory leadership contest. She also told The Spectators leadership hustings that she was a believer in freedom of speech. I also believe that we need to protect particularly the under 18s from harm. And I think there is a place for further amendments to this legislation to make sure were delivering it and also make sure that everybody is aware of the intention of the Bill as well, which is also important, she added. Sunak said he would look into legal but harmful definitions in the Online Safety Bill. And weve got to find a way to protect children against that in the same way as we do in the offline world, so to speak, he told The Spectator. Sunak said he was glad the governments paused the Bill so the government can refine its approach here, that the challenge is whether it strays into the territory of suppressing free speech. And the bit in particular that has caused some concern and questions is around this area where the government is saying, look, heres some content thats legal but harmful, and its thats this kind of area, which I think people rightly have said, well, what exactly does that mean? he said. A noted critic of the Bill, Tettenborn said that if Labour wants to insist on picking up this legislation, then it will come out as the restrictive party, as the Tories have not been keen on restricting free speech. I have a funny feeling that it will miraculously turn out that there isnt parliamentary time for it, he said. The Epoch Times contacted Sunak and Truss for comment. Tractors drive by Dutch police officers standing guard as dutch police close access to Apeldoorn on the A1 highway to stop potential farmers demonstrating against the Dutch government's plans to cut nitrogen emissions, on 29 June 2022. (JEROEN JUMELET/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) Tech CEO Takes Stand for Truckers and Farmers in the US and Holland Freedom is under attack everywhere: CloutHub CEO Jeff Brain, CEO of the CloutHub social networking application, told The Epoch Times that freedom and liberty are being crushed in the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, and other countries across the planet. There are those that want to push for socialism and tyranny against those that believe in individual freedom and liberty. And thats the struggle we live in right now, he said in a July 21 telephone interview. Spurred by a shadow ban Brain was inspired by his own frustrations with social media to start a new platform. Like many other users, he suspected he was being shadow-banned. In other words, his posts were partly or completely concealed from other users. I was being censored, and I just found that outrageous, he said. Even apart from censorship, Brain saw many problems with existing social media platforms. Many people acknowledge that theyre toxic. They invade peoples privacy, and theyre addiction mills, he said. Brain thinks that many alternatives to Big Tech share those same flaws. He wanted CloutHub to be different. For one, when you click on a CloutHub users profile, you cant see how many friends and followers it has. In addition, the site does not show how many views a users post has received. Articles in its News section do, however, display views. (Full disclosure: The Epoch Times articles appear in the apps news section, alongside sources ranging from The New York Times and Vox to The Washington Times and Breitbart News.) Brain believes the constant exposure to metrics like post views can make people anxious while undermining civil conversation. He aspires to create a virtual kitchen tablea network of Facebook Group-like Hubs where users can forge deep bonds around common interests. Groups are organized into categories such as Faith, Politics, Music, Technology, and Health. What Brain sees as a less-addictive design may translate to less user engagement. But, in his view, that is not necessarily a weakness. On our platform, people experience a little less interaction, but theyre doing real things, he said. CloutHubs Google Play app ranks 4,316 in usage among all apps and 87 among social apps, according to SimilarWeb. (There is an iOS version as well.) Brain said CloutHub has 4.5 million total users. The platform, though open, is not wholly unregulated. CloutHub prohibits doxing, harassment, and hundreds of words and phrasesmostly racial slurs and crude sexual language. We all know that the intention of Facebook and Twitter is not really about those [community standards]. Its just a facade to silence people. But on my platform, hate is hate, Brain said. Users can also join anonymously, though they must prove their identity to become Verified users. We dont believe in cancel culture, and we have to recognize that people are concerned, so if people want to use pseudonyms, they can use pseudonyms as their name, Brain said. Standing behind global freedom coalition Brain says he connected Canadians protesting against COVID-19 mandates to GiveSendGo, an alternative to GoFundMe, because of the possibility that GoFundMe would not disburse donations to those protesters. On Feb. 4, 2022, GoFundMe seized C$10 million ($8 million) in donations, stating that the fundraiser violated its Terms of Service. It pledged to work with organizers to send all remaining funds to credible and established charities chosen by the Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers and verified by GoFundMe. Ontarios government moved to freeze millions in donations to the truckers through GiveSendGo on Feb. 10. GiveSendGos website was hacked on Feb. 13, and the group Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoS) leaked a list of donors. On Feb. 14, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act against the protests, the first use of that law in that countrys history. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the same day that the government would freeze bank accounts and halt crowdfunding linked to the protests through anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules. After the GiveSendGo hack, Brain has started to build an alternative to the alternative: FundFreely.com, which he sees as the counter to George Soros. He has also connected with farmers protesting climate mandates in the Netherlands. Brain estimates he has spoken with 18 farm leaders on the phone, warning them that the opposition is plotting against you while youre sleeping, and you need to move fast, faster than you think. Canada and the Netherlands are just the start of what Brain sees as an emerging global freedom coalition, modeled on the non-violent resistance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He ticks off other examples: in Brazil, leftist factions in the government, the opponents of President Jair Bolsonaro, making it impossible for their enemies to get jobs or even to travel; in Portugal, Italy, and Germany, farmers rising in solidarity with the Dutch; in Australia, truckers slow-rolling in protest of vaccination mandates. The Canadians have regrouped to continue their fight. On July 23, they will join a global protest in solidarity with the Dutch, including through a demonstration at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Toronto. I believe that people everywhere should unite. I think freedom is under attack everywhere, including the United States, Brain said. Yet for all his concern about incursions on liberty, Brain radiates optimism about the future. I think they [the other side] overreached. I think youre going to see the biggest push for individual freedom around the word that weve ever seen. On July 7, 8 and 12, 2022, the Hkgov commission, led by Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai (center), attended the UN Human Rights Committee review of Hong Kongs implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (Photo of Information Services Department) Global NGOs Threatened for Participating in UN Human Rights Committee Review The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) once again reviewed Hong Kongs status under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It was the first time such a review took place since the forceful implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) on June 30, 2020. During the three-day meeting, on July 7, 8, and 12, many UNHRC members raised concerns about the impact of the NSL on the human rights deterioration in Hong Kong. Retaliating, a representative of the Hong Kong government (HKgov) said it would not rule out prosecuting non-government organizations for participating in the UN review on potential charges of colluding with foreign forces under the NSL. A total of 22 reports were submitted by various groups, including several newly established overseas Hongkonger organizations, such as the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor (HKLRM), the Hong Kong Human Rights Information Centre (HKHRIC), Hong Kong Rule of Law Monitor (HKRLM), and overseas Hong Kong lawyers group, The 29 Principles and other alike. Other non-human-rights organizations such as Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), the Center for Asian Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and Amnesty International also submitted their findings. Concerns About Violation of the NSL A committee of 18 experts deliberated over the three-day hearing. Numerous members or vice-chairpersons had repeatedly asked whether the UN or its human rights institutions would be counted as a foreign organization or foreign political organization under Cap. 151 Societies Ordinance of the NSL. Members also raised their concerns about whether NGOs worldwide which communicated with or advised the UN would be held accountable, retaliated against, or charged with colluding with foreign forces under the NSL. However, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Security Bureau, Apollonia Liu Lee Ho-kei, who attended the video conference on behalf of HKgov, said that the Basic Law of Hong Kong guarantees standard international exchanges. However, whether their communication with the UN is illegal cannot be generalized since it would depend on the relevant facts and circumstances and the behaviors displayed by each organization. Members were not satisfied with HKgovs response, criticizing it as vague and ambiguous, which was not enough to eliminate doubts. Photini Pazartzis, the chairperson of UNHRC, concluded the meeting by expressing hopes that NGOs would not be punished against NSL after they had made contact with the UN. HKHRIC: No Collusion Should be found as China is a UN Member The Hong Kong Human Rights Information Centre, which also submitted reports for the UNHRC, stated that HKgov did not address the question properly. What their representative said was not enough to tell the world that ordinary participation would not constitute collusion without explaining what ordinary and standard participation meant. It said it was a further indication that under NSL, the coverage of collaboration with foreign forces is too vague and broad, and it is easy for people to fall into legal malaise. The Centre continued that the UN protocols apply to both Hong Kong and China, with the latter signing many different conventions. China is also an active member of the UN. It would be against the members rules for any discussion or communication between civil groups and the UN to be regarded as collusion with foreign powers. The Organization also stated that during the three-day meeting, members raised many in-depth and critical issues on the human rights situation in Hong Kong, from the appointment of NSL judges to the case of Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, the dissolution of civic groups and smart prisons in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Human Rights Information Centre and the Hong Kong Rule of Law Monitor submitted a 78-page report to the UN Human Rights Committee, citing several local court cases that displayed the deterioration of the human rights situation in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong had been suffering from a dire regression in the Protection of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Their report also made recommendations and requested the committee to declare CCPs actions as inconsistent with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Scholar: Expects Committees Concluding Remarks to be Blunt Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, an adjunct professor at the School of Law of the University of Hong Kong, wrote in a column on Ming Pao that members of the committee questioned the damage NSL had caused Hongkongers rights. If the HKgov was sincere in maintaining Hong Kongs status as an international city, it must seriously reflect and recognize the international communitys positive criticism against Hong Kong instead of repeating everything is for the sake of national security. Then- Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), (R), calls for session to end as State Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield) looks on during a contentious legislative session on Dec. 4, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Andy Manis/Getty Images) GOP Bill Seeks to Block Biden Admin from Foisting Woke Agenda on Community Banks A recently introduced bill by a House Republican seeks to protect community banks from a harmful provision in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. The Making the CFPB Accountable to Small Business Act seeks to repeal Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act that requires lenders to collect and report 12 data points when processing credit applications from small businesses, women-owned businesses, and minority-owned businesses, according to a July 20 press release by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) who introduced the bill. In September 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule implementing Section 1071 which it claimed will help the government understand the barriers holding small businesses back from further prosperity. However, Fitzgerald criticized the CFPB for abusing its authority and pushing forward a political agenda that harms small businesses. Speaking to Fox News, Fitzgerald revealed that local and small financial institutions have informed him that they are worried about the rule. Its over-regulating financial institutions, and thats why theyre so concerned, he said. This rule would basically force community banks and credit unions to collect and report data a lot of people would consider somewhat sensitive. One of the statutory purposes of the collected data is to ensure fair lending practices are followed. But since every small-business borrower and loan is unique, it becomes almost impossible to compare the terms of these loans to determine whether lending practices are fair, according to the press release. The fear of violating fair lending requirements can force banks to provide only homogenized loans, preventing loan customizations according to customer needs. The Biden administrations woke agenda has come for community banks and credit unions, Fitzgerald said, while blaming the government for over-regulating the banking industry in the name of equity. This is squeezing community lenders who are not in a position to bear the financial costs involved with compliance, he warned. The proposed legislation seeks to make CFPB presume that there is a need for size and sophistication-based tailoring of regulations during panel reviews under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA). SBREFA, enacted in 1996, was designed to assist small businesses in understanding and complying with regulations as well as give them more voice during the development of new regulations. Stressing Out Banks In an interview with Fox News, a spokesperson from CFPB said that the small-business lending rule is not a discretionary rule-making. The agency is under a congressional mandate to impose Section 1071, the implementation of which is subject to court provision. It hopes to finalize the rule by March 2023. At present, the CFPB is yet to implement the rule and is reviewing comments submitted by stakeholders. A bank in Minnesota, ONB Bank, issued a comment in November that community banks are being squeezed out of the market. The United States is losing two banks every three days, forcing individuals and businesses to rely more on the big banks for funding. This continual addition of regulatory burden on community banks without corresponding reductions to offset will accelerate the pace of bank consolidation, which hurts consumersthe very people you are trying to protect, said ONB Bank, according to Fox News. The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA), Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU), and the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) have extended support for Fitzgeralds bill. World Crypto Conference 2022 for the first time held in Zurich, Switzerland Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that is not part of Cryptonews.com editorial content. For the first time, the privately organised cryptocurrency conference - World Crypto Conference 2022 - will take place between 13-15 January, 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland. This time with an opportunity for participants to discuss the following key topics: the future of NFT, Metaverse and DeFi. The World Crypto Conference aims to enable attendees to buy a NFT ticket, whether theyre a large sponsor or someone joining for the first time. Organizers made the decision to create a NFT ticket collection - to represent the changing environment of the business world towards Web3. We believe that the future ticketing systems for any exclusive events will be provided as NFTs. Our goal at WCC 2022 is to use our network to bring more people to Web3 and help people exercise the benefits of the ownership economy. To facilitate this change in organization, WCC is looking for a partner to issue the NFTs. We believe that within the next 5-10 years, most of the services will be decentralised. The transformations towards the ownership economy will not only affect the financial markets, but move to all other areas of businesses: hospitality, insurance or even the gastronomy industry. We believe more and more services will be run on behalf of decentralized platforms comments the organizer of the event Gabriele Pauliukaite. The key panels will cover topics like: use cases of NFTs beyond art, real estate tokenization or wealth management with trading bots. The Conference will also include a pitch competition for new startups in front of well known VCs and investors from Switzerland and from all over the world. Election workers wear masks and gloves as they open envelopes containing vote-by-mail ballots for the August 4 Washington state primary at King County Elections in Renton on August 3, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) Pennsylvania State GOP Files Lawsuit to Throw Out Mail-In Voting Law Pennsylvania Republicans are arguing a 2019 law that largely expanded mail-in voting in the commonwealth has been made invalid by a court ruling. A group of 14 Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the states acting secretary of the commonwealth, Leigh Chapman, in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania on July 20, seeking again to throw out Act 77, Pennsylvanias universal mail-in ballot law. The move comes about two months before voters are scheduled to begin sending in mail-in ballots for midterm elections that feature high-profile races across the state. The lawsuit claims that the mail-in voting law should be nullified under a federal appeals courts May decision that had allowed election officials to count undated mail-in ballots. The panel stated that throwing out mail-in ballots in that election for lacking a handwritten date would violate voters civil rights. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has quietly dismissed Republicans request to overturn the courts order. Yet provisions of Sections 6 and 8 of Act 77 both require voters to fill out, date and sign the declaration printed on such envelope, which goes against federal law based on the courts judgment. A non-severability clause written into Act 77 states that the remaining provisions or applications of this act are void if any of its requirements are struck down. Plaintiffs, therefore, requested that the court declare all remaining provisions of Act 77 invalid and quash the law. State Rep. Seth Grove, chair of the House State Government Committee, also said recently in a letter that the entire bill should now be void. Chapman, a Democrat, disagreed in a July 20 letter, saying Act 77 remains in place, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Your specious legal theory perpetuates disinformation, she wrote. Gov. Tom Wolfs administration wrote in a response to a state lawmakers query on July 20 that the federal appeals court decision didnt trigger the non-severability provision. Thats because the lawsuit had targeted Lehigh Countys decision to not count the ballots, not the validity of the date requirement, according to the response. No-Excuse Mail-in Voting Law Act 77 was approved by the state Legislature and signed into law in 2019 by Wolf, a Democrat. Courts havent always chosen to enforce non-severability provisions in the past. According to the states election agency, more than 4.2 million people voted in person in Pennsylvania during the 2020 election, compared to the 2.6 million who voted by mailwhich includes both absentee voting and no-excuse mail-in voting. Republicans have been questioning the practice following former President Donald Trumps claims about election fraud. Last August, the same 14 Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the mail-in voting law, saying it was unconstitutional. Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko filed a similar legal challenge in September 2021 before the two suits were consolidated into one. A Pennsylvania trial court then struck down Act 77 in a 32 decision in late January. However, this decision was immediately appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The case is still pending, yet under state law, Act 77 was automatically reinstated upon appeal. The states 2019 mail-in voting law has become a hot topic for frontrunners on the 2022 campaign trail, with Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano vowing to repeal it if he is elected, while his Democratic rival, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, has vowed to defend the law. On July 12, the state sued officials from three counties to force their local governments to count undated mail-in ballots from the recent primary election; Republican Senate candidate David McCormick filed a lawsuit on May 23 to ensure all mail-in ballots submitted without a handwritten date were qualified in the tightly contested Republican primary election for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Guard Describes How Chinese Prisons Operate During Pandemic Although China has been plagued by shutdowns and lockdowns over the past two years, many Chinese prisons have been operating business-as-usual, a prison guard has said. The guardWang Liang (alias)told The Epoch Times on July 16 how this is possible. We follow a 14-14-14 schedule, said Wang, who works at a prison in a small town in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The three-part schedule has been widely adopted by many prisons in China since the start of the pandemic, he said. The schedule requires a guard to go through a 14-day quarantine period, followed by a 14-day work period, followed by a 14-day rest period at home. Depending on the situation, the schedule can be modified with longer or shorter periods. The longest time I was in quarantine was over 40 days. The living conditions in quarantine were not so good. Six to seven people shared one room, Wang said. Those who are older, like over 35, could not handle it. And it is very tough on those who have families, he said. Well be Broke Without the Prisons The township prison where he works employs about 500 people, Wang said. There are about 100 guards, like me, who do the groundwork, he said. Then there are those who sit in the offices and do not need to work inside the prison. They dont have to follow the quarantine schedule. They can go home every day. But to work in the office, you need connections, which I dont have. Wang said that he would like to have a different job, which is less demanding. He said doing the night shift is difficult. We have to stare at about two dozen monitor screens all night long, he said. Wang said his prison is divided into several areas and each area has about two dozen security cameras. The vision from the cameras must be monitored constantly. But for the time being, Wang is afraid of losing his job. In our town, there are two prisons. Our economy relies on these prisons. Without them, well be broke, Wang said. When asked to elaborate on the details of products produced in the prison by inmates, Wang refused to comment. I cant tell you anything, if they found out it was me talking to you, Id be in big trouble. This Wikipedia page provides a list of prisons in Heilongjiang province and their corresponding enterprises. For example, Laolai Prison in Nehe county is also Tianying Group Ltd. Laolai Farm. Inmates work in a sewing workshop at a prison in Chongqing Municipality, China on March 7, 2008. (China Photos/Getty Images) Chain of Profit In June, a former prison liaison, whose surname is Hua, provided The Epoch Times with details about Chinas prison economy. A prison liaison is someone who does not work for the prison but provides the type of technical or managerial skills a prison needs to be profitable. Hua said that he worked as a prison liaison for almost 20 years before he immigrated. Since the 1980s, the prison system has been reformed into a profit-seeking entity. Suddenly, huge profits were being made by exploiting the inmates through a multitude of illegal means, Hua said. But everything that happens inside Chinas prisons is considered a state secret. So no one was held accountable for their illegal deeds. All the prison guards are in it, either intentionally or forced to. The chain of profit goes from the prison guard all the way to the top of the prison totem pole, Hua said, adding that hed seen a document from one prison showing the monthly bonus of the guards. The highest bonus, over 1,000 yuan, goes to the lead guard. Then it increases level by level up, Hua said. The officials on the provincial level and central level can easily get tens of thousands of yuan per year, he said. Gao Miao, Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 14, 2022. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) House Democrats Block Resolution Condemning Attacks on Pro-Life Centers, Churches Democrat counterparts have blocked a Republican resolution that aimed to condemn the wave of violence and vandalism targeting pro-life groups and churches nationwide. The resolution (H.Res.1233), introduced by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) on July 19 and co-sponsored by 22 House Republican lawmakers, cited dozens of targeted assaults beginning May 3, a day after a leaked draft opinion suggested the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that largely legalized abortion in the United States. Over the past few months, pregnancy centers and churches have been set ablaze, with some having their windows smashed, walls defaced, and buildings firebombed. If abortions arent safe, neither are you, and Your time is up were some of the threatening messages that the vandals left. A message written on the wall of a pro-choice pregnancy resource center that was set on fire in Longmont, Colorado, on June 25, 2022. (Longmont Police Department) We shouldnt be surprised that theyre occurring all across the country theyve gone unchecked for far too long, said Johnson on Tuesday as he and other House Republicans urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R-Calif.) to immediately bring the resolution to the floor for a vote. The radical leftists, he said, have been emboldened and targeted their violence against the very groups that care for women and their unborn children in their most vulnerable moments. Their request was rejected by a party-line vote. Not Remotely Unexpected The outcome, while disappointing, didnt come as a surprise, the Republicans said. In saner times, this resolution would have passed unanimously. But now, even the simple idea of standing up for those who assist expecting mothers with diapers, baby formula, and other necessities has become something that my Democrat colleagues cannot support, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told The Epoch Times. Its sad, but not remotely unexpected; Ill pray for them. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), who said he was proud to have a 100% pro-life record, took to the House floor on Tuesday pushing for the resolution to be considered. Denouncing violence should not be a party-line issue, he told The Epoch Times. A masked assailant winds up to swing a hammer at a pregnancy clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 7, 2022. (Still from surveillance video/The Problem Pregnancy) According to Reschenthaler, over 70 churches, pregnancy care centers, and pro-life organizations have encountered violent threats or mob attacks since the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion, actions he described as despicable. Radical pro-abortion groups have declared open season on pro-life crisis pregnancy centers that are providing critical resources to pregnant women, infants, and families, he said. In face of the violence, some Democrats in both the House and the Senate have advanced calls to shut down crisis pregnancy centers, calling them deceptive. Such facilities are nonprofits founded to provide resources and services for women to persuade them against having an abortion. Silence Emboldens Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), responding to the Democrats decision, mentioned the violence suffered by a crisis pregnancy center in her home state. The center has posted photos showing its Buffalo office window shattered after it was set on fire. The police are investigating it as arson and two firefighters suffered minor injuries, according to local media. Damage from the attack cost the center hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairscritical funds that couldve saved lives, Stefanik told The Epoch Times, noting that the instance was but one of the many acts of violence and intimidation. This cannot stand, she said. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), like Roy, said that the refusal of Democrats to consider the resolution despite escalating violence was all-too-predictable. These attacks by radical pro-abortion activists are heinous, yet Democrats remain silent, he told The Epoch Times, adding that the organizations deserve our protection and support for the crucial role they play. The House Democrats failure to denounce the attacks will only embolden abortion protesters to continue their violent rampage, said Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.). The reality that states will once again have the opportunity to prevent abortion on demand has sent radical leftists over the edge, he told The Epoch Times. Gerson Fuentes in a mugshot dated July 12, 2022. (Columbus Police Department via The Epoch Times) Illegal Immigrant Indicted in Rape of Young Girl Who Traveled for Abortion A grand jury in Ohio on July 21 indicted Gerson Fuentes on two felony counts of rape. Fuentes, 27, raped a girl who was 9 years old multiple times, according to the indictment, which was filed in Franklin County court. An attorney representing Fuentes did not respond to a request for comment. The defendants arraignment is scheduled for Monday. Rape Fuentes confessed to raping the young girl at least twice, according to Columbus Police Department detective Jeffrey Huhn. The girl also identified Fuentes as the man who impregnated her, police say. The first rape happened between Jan. 1 and May 11, according to the indictment. The second happened on or about May 12. Police became involved after Franklin County Child Services alerted officers of the rape. Child services is mandated to report rapes when they become aware of them. The initial report came from the mother of the girl, Huhn testified in court earlier in July. The girl was later taken to Indiana to get an abortion, according to Huhn. Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who performed the abortion, filed a report on the procedure with Indiana officials several days later. It remains unclear if Bernard reported suspected child abuse, which is mandatory under Indiana law. The state child services agency declined to release records, citing privacy provisions. Illegal Immigrant Fuentes is in the country illegally, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. The official told The Epoch Times that there is no history of deportation, meaning Fuentes may have only crossed the border once. The Columbus Police Department listed Fuentess nationality as Central America information accompanying his mugshot. In prosecutors motion to hold Fuentes without bail, they said Fuentes is not a U.S. citizen. Due to the potential sentence the defendant is facing, coupled with potential deportation, there is no release conditions that can reasonably assure the safety of the victim, a [redacted] year old child, who remains a key witness in the case against the defendant, Franklin County assistant prosecuting attorney Daniel Meyer wrote in the motion, which was obtained by The Epoch Times. The court opted to give Fuentes $2 million bond, but he has remained locked up because he has not posted the bond, according to jail and court records. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, 40, arrives for sentencing at the Courts of Criminal Justice, Dublin, on July 22, 2022. (Brian Lawless/PA Media) Irish Islamic Convert Lisa Smith Jailed for ISIS Membership A former Irish soldier who travelled to Syria and became an ISIS bride was sentenced to 15 months in prison at a Dublin court on Friday. Lisa Smith, 40, from Dundalk, County Louth, was found guilty in May of her membership with the ISIS terrorist group between Oct. 28th, 2015, and Dec. 1st, 2019, after a nine-week trial at Dublins Special Criminal Court. But she was cleared of a separate charge of financing the group. Smith is the first person to be prosecuted and convicted in Ireland over terror offences committed outside the country. Smith served in the Irish Defence Force between 2001 to 2011. She converted to Islam in 2010 and left the army the next year after she was refused permission to wear the hijab. According to fellow Islam convert Carol Karimah Duffy, who testified in court, Smith started speaking to an ISIS recruiter online and she was focusing on the harsh end of Islam. Smith went to Syria in October 2015 after the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to go to the country. Despite knowing she would end up being a housewife in Syria, Smith believed it was her religious obligation to live in the Islamic country, she later told Irish police officers. In Syria, Smith married British jihadist Sajid Aslam, who Smith said was killed when fighting, and gave birth to a daughter in 2017. After the fall of ISIS in 2019, Smith and her daughter were repatriated to Ireland and she was arrested at the Dublin airport. Smiths lawyer previously argued Smith should be given a suspended sentence, citing the abuse she had suffered during her marriage to Aslam, the detention she had endured in a Syrian camp before being returned to Ireland, and the strict bail conditions imposed on her for two-and-a-half years in Ireland. OHiggins SC also asked the court to consider Smiths child and argued psychological reports on Smith presented a picture of an extremely vulnerable person, but accompanying that vulnerability is a great level of stoicism in terms of dealing with whatever hand shes been dealt with. Sentencing Smith, presiding judge Tony Hunt said hes satisfied Smith is unlikely to re-offend. The judge acknowledged the evidence showed Smith had followed rather than led, but said she had been determined to go to Syria. She may have been easily led but then displayed characteristics of resiliencethe rejection of her family, travelling to Syria, and remaining there to the bitter end, he said. He also said that Smith had had a tough time in Syria but that it was a foreseeable consequence of joining ISIS. Hunt said the three judges had taken into consideration Smiths previous good character and the fact that she had made a positive contribution to society during her military service. The judges also accepted that life in the Syrian camps was arduous and the equivalent of being in prison, and that they had given a substantial discount off Smiths sentence because of this. The maximum sentence for the offence is eight years. PA Media contributed to this report. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon arrives at the federal courthouse in Washington on July 22, 2022. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Jury Begins Deliberations in Contempt Trial of Former Trump Aide Steve Bannon Update: Steve Bannon was found guilty. Original story below WASHINGTONJurors on July 22 began deliberations in the contempt of Congress trial of former White House adviser Steve Bannon. Deliberations started after closing arguments. Prosecutors called just two witnessesKristen Amerling, a lawyer for the House of Representatives committee investigating the U.S. Capitol breach that took place on Jan. 6, 2021, and an FBI agent who analyzed Bannons social media posts and interviewed Amerling. The defense called no witnesses. Bannon was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress after refusing in 2021 to provide materials or testimony to the committee. He faces up to two years in jail if convicted of both counts. Bannon has said he was following the assertion of executive privilege claimed by former President Donald Trump over the information he has. Prosecutors say he broke the law and should be convicted. Closing Arguments This case is not complicated but it is important. This is a simple case about a manthat man, Steve Bannonwho didnt show up. Why didnt he show up? He didnt want to provide the January 6 committee with documents, didnt want to recognize the governments authority, Molly Gaston, a prosecutor, told the jury. Why is this important? Government only works if people show up, play by the rules, and are held accountable when they do not. The defendant committed a crime by defying a congressional subpoena, Gaston added. The defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law, she said. Panel members have said they believe Bannon, who left the Trump administration in 2017, has information about the events that unfolded on Jan. 6. They say he participated in a meeting in the Willard Hotel that included people involved in the breach and noted he said a day before the breach that all hell is going to break loose tomorrow. All media outlets predicted the same thing, Evan Corcoran, a lawyer representing Bannon, told jurors. Corcoran also said that there is no evidence that Bannon was involved with the breach and that the evidence shows Bannon did not show contempt of Congress, pointing to how Bannon offered to testify if the issue of executive privilege was resolved. Corcoran brought up how Amerling could not say whether Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the panel, signed the subpoena and noted the longtime connection between Amerling and Gaston. If this relationship gives you pause, gives you doubt, you must give Steve Bannon the benefit of that doubt, Corcoran said. In a rebuttal, prosecutor Amanda Vaughn said the defense was asking jurors not to believe subpoena deadline dates that were in black and white. Your excuse is no excuse, she said. You must comply. John Haughey Follow John Haughey has been a working journalist since 1978 with an extensive background in local government, state legislatures, and growth and development. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, he is a Navy veteran who fought fires at sea during three deployments aboard USS Constellation. Hes been a reporter for daily newspapers in California, Washington, Wyoming, New York, and Florida; a staff writer for Manhattan-based business trade publications. In the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, President Donald Trump authorized up to 20,000 National Guard, but official government documents show Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser, and the D.C. Capitol Police each declined the offer. The fact that President Trump authorized security for the Capitol and he ordered the transition of governmenthe could legally and factually not have been orchestrating a coup to conduct an insurrection, says Kash Patel. Why hasnt the FBI turned over all documentation related to January 6? Were there undercover government agents in the crowd that day? And why was Trump supporter Rosanne Boyland, who died that day, repeatedly beaten by a Capitol Police officer even while she was unconscious? DC Mayor Bowsers Letter Refusing National Guard on January 6 Department of Defense Timeline IG Report Capitol Police Timeline Christopher Millers Memorandum for the Secretary of the Army Watch the Epoch Times exclusive documentary: The Real Story of January 6 * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Kash Patel: Hey everybody. Were back. Welcome back to Kashs Corner as we kick off season five. Can you believe it, Jan? Jan Jekielek: Its really hard to believe and theres so much to talk about. You miss a few weeks and then you have this huge amount of material to work through. I mean, just on January 6th, as we broadcast this episode, we have launched our new January 6th documentary at the Epoch Times, which of course features someone thats on this show right now among others. I really want to talk about that. And weve also got some questions like Steve Bannon is on trial, thats also connected to January 6th. Mark Milley, General Mark Milley had a testimony in Jan 6th. I know you want talk about that. So I think its going to be a lot of Jan 6th today. Mr. Patel: So its going to be fun. Maybe well give our viewers a few extra minutes on this episode since weve been away. But we also, we did not forget about Devin Nunes. I have started a program, a campaign on Truth Social, Donde Devin. We found him, hes in England launching Truth Social, but we are going to get to that interview exclusively on Kashs Corner in a few weeks. So weve got a lot coming up this season. Were going to have a blast, but no better place to start than Jan 6th. Mr. Jekielek: Again, the insurrection narrative is something that we keep hearing again and again and again in the legacy media. Obviously very bad things happened on January 6th. The question is, is it an insurrection? Why dont you tell me? Mr. Patel: So my view is the one that the law demands, its pretty simple. This is not an insurrection. An insurrection happens when someone i.e. a president of the United States basically hijacks the military or piece of the military to take over the government. Now, how would that have been possible when President Donald Trump, we have extensively recovered on this show, in the days before January 6th authorized up to 20,000 National Guards, men and women, as the law requires. We at the DoD took that authorization and request to Nancy Pelosi and the Capitol Police. They said no. We took it to Muriel Bowser and she said no. Its literally impossible for the president of the United States to be charged with insurrection when he authorized the security of the United States Capitol on the day it was supposed to collect and garner the vote count to install the next president of the United States. On top of that, in November-ish of 2020, President Trumps GSA, government service agency, who is responsible for transitioning governments signed off on a presidential authorization that said, transfer the power from Trump administration to Biden administration. That cant happen unless president Trump said to do that. And then we at the Department of Defense, I can speak personally, were ordered by the White House to transition to the Biden administration. And we did the largest transition in Department of Defense history in terms of access to documents and personnel all during COVID. And I wrote an article on that that I published when I was chief of staff. But those two things taken even alone disprove this insurrection narrative. When you combine them, the fact that President Trump authorized security for the Capitol, and he ordered the transition of government, he could legally and factually not have been orchestrating a coup to conduct an insurrection. And thats one of the most important messages that I have literally never talked about and its not being talked about. Not by the Unselect Committee, not by the media, not by really anybody. So Im really glad were able to start our season in Kashs Corner with the most consequential information regarding January 6th, because their mandate, the committees mandate, has been, prove Donald Trump committed an insurrection. If they cared about the facts, which they dont, they would know he did not. Mr. Jekielek: I do want to touch on this a little bit because it doesnt have to be the military. I think there has to be a credible threat that the government can be usurped. The legitimate government usurped. Isnt that what insurrection really means? And the argument is that the crowd, the mob, everybody there at the Capitol on that day, that they were doing that. Mr. Patel: Well, conceivably yes. You could go out and hire a mercenary force akin to a military to do that. And the argument that the crowd outside the Capitol of civilians was going to usurp the United States government when the sitting commander in chief had taken action to counterman that to say, we are transitioning, [and] to say, I am providing security. If you refuse it, thats on you, but Im doing these two things, I think defeats the narrative. And its not like President Trump and all these investigations that have borne out since on January 6th, the memorandums or emails, or texts have come out saying President Trump was hiring a mercenary group to come in and overthrow Congress. Thats absurd. Its absurd on its face and its absurd based on the facts that have been borne out. So look, that narrative will continue because so many in the media want that to be true, just like they wanted Russiagate to be true, just like they wanted the Ukraine impeachment fiasco to be true. Just like so many other completely false narratives, Bountygate in Afghanistan, we can go on, that were completely disproven by the facts. And I think well get there on this one too. Its just going to take till after the November election. Mr. Jekielek: Well, and I just want to touch on this too. After the November election, if the House changes hands, so to speak, that mandate will be gone of this January 6th committee, right? Mr. Patel: Yes. So this is I think been, if theres any good to come out of all the tumultuous times of the past, its that its been a very good civics awakening for most of America who doesnt pay attention and nor necessarily should [know] how the inner workings of government are. But I think a lot of Americans have learned when you dont have the majority in Congress, and by we Im saying me on behalf of the Republicans or if youre a Democrat, if the Democrats have it, they control the gavels. They control the direction of the committees. They control the investigations, they control who to subpoena. They control who to engage with at DOJ, FBI, and CIA, or whether not to subpoena the attorney general and the director of the FBI, and things like that. So youve seen, America and the world have seen what the Democrats have done on the January 6th committee. The Republicans turn is coming soon. And when that happens, itll be interesting to see what investigations they line up. Are they going to go in and look at a Hunter Biden situation? Are they going to go in, and as we have always said on this show, a security, an actual security analysis of what happened up to and including on January 6th, what was law enforcement doing? What was the Capitol Police doing? What was our Intel community doing? What did the DoD actually do? If they look at those things, then we can have an investigation that might lead to results or recommendations that make sure something like that never happens again. Mr. Jekielek: Do you think its even possible to have an apolitical investigation in the current climate? Mr. Patel: I dont think its possible to have an apolitical investigation, but I do think its possible to go and get the documents that matter. And youre talking to the guy that ran the Russiagate investigation during a Republican administration, when Republicans were in charge of Congress. And we had to fight our tails off just to get those documents. But once we released them, once we released things like the Nunes memo, the Bruce Ohr 302s, the FISA warrants and the underlying documentation, everybody saw for themselves what we had been saying. Because we knew what they said, that the entire thing was perpetrated on the line paid for by a political party to hijack law enforcement and use it against a political candidate. And it saddens me to say that Im seeing some shocking similarities in how the January 6th investigation is unfolding. Ray Epps is the front and center of this. But its disturbing to me that a United States Senator, Ted Cruz, can ask the head of the FBIs Counterterrorism Division, Jill Sandborn, who I know when I was a terrorism prosecutor, she was one of my agents on one of my cases. He flat out asked her, Is Ray Epps a fed? And she said under oath, I cant answer that. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: I want to turn to the FBI. How many FBI agents or confidential informants actively participated in the events of January 6th? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Sir, Im sure you can appreciate that I cant go into the specifics of sources and methods. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Did any FBI agents or confidential informants actively participate in the events of January 6th? Yes or no? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Sir. I cant answer that. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Did any FBI agents or confidential informants commit crimes of violence on January 6th? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: I cant answer that, sir. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Did any FBI agents or FBI informants actively encourage and incite crimes of violence on January 6th? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Sir. I cant answer that. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Ms. Sandborn, who is Ray Epps? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Im aware of the individual, sir. I dont have the specific background to him. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Well, there are a lot of people who are understandably very concerned about Mr. Epps. On the night of January 5th, 2021, Epps wandered around the crowd that had gathered and theres video out there of him chanting, Tomorrow, we need to get into the Capitol, into the Capitol. This was strange behavior. So strange that the crowd began chanting, Fed, fed, fed, fed, fed, fed. Ms. Sandborn, was Ray Epps a fed? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Sir. I cannot answer that question. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: The next day on January 6th, Mr. Epps is seen whispering to a person and five seconds later, five seconds after he is whispering to a person, that same person begins to forcibly tear down the barricades. Did Mr. Epps urge them to tear down the barricades? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Sir, similar to the other answers, I cannot answer that. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Shortly thereafter, the FBI put out a public post listing, seeking information on individuals connected with violent crimes on January 6th. Among those individuals in the bottom there is Mr. Epps. The FBI publicly asked for information identifying, offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest. This was posted and then sometime later magically Mr. Epps disappeared from the public posting. According to public records, Mr. Epps has not been charged with anything. No ones explained why a person videoed urging people to go to the Capitol, a person whose conduct was so suspect the crowd believed he was a fed, would magically disappear from the list of people the FBI was looking at. Ms. Sandborn, a lot of Americans are concerned that the federal government deliberately encouraged illegal and violent conduct on January 6th. My question to you, and this is not an ordinary law enforcement question. This is a question of public accountability. Did federal agents or those in service of federal agents actively encourage violent and criminal conduct on January 6th? [Sound bite/Jill Sandborn]: Not to my knowledge, sir. [Sound bite/Ted Cruz]: Thank you. Mr. Patel: Not, I dont know who that is. Not, I dont know what youre talking about. Not even, Mr. Senator, we can discuss that in private. And it reminds me so much of the whole Christopher Steele scenario. When I first told Congressman Nunes and then we eventually started telling the media through our investigation that Christopher Steele was an operative for the Hillary Clinton campaign and an operative for the FBI, and an operative that was used in FISA warrant application unlawfully. People thought we were nuts. The parallels are striking, and Im not jumping fully to that conclusion on January 6th, but the questions demand answers and those documents, if its true, its very easy to prove. The FBI will have a trove of documentation on Ray Epps. Did he, was he sent in by law enforcement, local or otherwise? Did he have a group, were there undercover agents in the crowd that day? Did those agents let people into the Capitol building, as weve seen in some of these videos that are finally unraveling? Its not that everybody broke in. Others, many literally walked in through open doors and theyve all been charged. Theres a thing called entrapment. Its a defense in the United States for every crime if basically what you can prove is that the government goaded you into committing that crime. And we saw it in the Whitmer case in Michigan. Governor Whitmer was charged or she wasnt charged, but a number of individuals were charged with attempting to kidnap and kill her. The defense in that case was the FBI entrapped the defendants and a host of the defendants were acquitted based on that entrapment argument. And that due process can only occur if the FBI is willing to turn over the entire trove of documentation, which they havent done so for January 6th. So I really hope the committees that come in after November focus on getting the documentations that show what actually happened and show the failures and if there was any corruption or abuse. Show that to the American people so we can maybe finally hold some of those folks accountable. Mr. Jekielek: So its interesting that you mentioned Ray Epps. Of course, hes been referenced many times as someone who, obviously, is agitating for people to go enter the Capitol. Hes on camera many times doing this and at the same time he hasnt been charged. And like you said, its unclear what his connection with the government is. In the documentary, The Real Story of January 6, that we just did, weve identified about 100 people on footage that are in this kind of a gray area where theyre unidentified. They look like theyre doing something to basically try to enter or encourage others to enter. Its actually quite a number of people that are just kind of unaccounted for. Given the incredible level of scrutiny, which theoretically has been given to all the footage, why are there these 100 people that are in this situation? Mr. Patel: Yes. Its tragic. And look, as a former public defender and federal prosecutor who champions due process on both sides of the aisle, its rare for someone to have served in both roles. Im looking at all these defendants, and well get to that in a second. But being a part of the Epoch community, I was able to watch The Real Story of January 6 and Im able to chat about it a little bit here. One of the things that was sort of embarrassing for me, for an individual who had covered January 6th so extensively was, I didnt know the details of Rosanne Boyland and that hit me pretty hard. She was there and on the ground unconscious, and once she was unconscious, she continued to be struck by this Capitol police officer that has since been identified with a baton over and over and over again. She died. How much of America doesnt know that story? Whats happened to this Capitol police officer? Are they still in the force? I know DOJ hasnt charged him. I know we wouldve heard about that, him or her, I believe its a lady. And the fact that the Epoch documentary covered that so extensively was something I hope a lot of people take away, not just the other things that you mentioned, but that people died at the hands of law enforcement on that day. And just because she was there on behalf of Trump or what have you, no ones ever heard of her? Is her family filing a lawsuit against the Capitol Police, against the Department of Justice, against the FBI? As the documentary also exposes through a brilliant expert in police tactics, youre not supposed to strike someone while theyre on the ground with a baton and already unconscious. That person should be handcuffed and their life should be secured, not pummeled and they end up tragically dying. So it was just kind of a wake up call to me too that we have a long way to go on uncovering what happened on January 6th and holding people accountable. The documentary is a fascinating look into the people that were there. From my perspective, the young mans story from Texas is also very powerful that I remember. And so I hope people watch it, but I hope it forces a public outcry to demand answers from the government. And I think that will fold in nicely timewise with the shifting of the gavels in the majority, as we expect in November. And maybe we can get some answers, not just on Ray Epps, but on Rosanne and on the Capitol Police and their tactics utilized on that day. Because as a former law enforcement guy, I was shocked to see some of the combative behavior of Capitol Police. Literally I saw at one instance in the documentary, an individual being thrown off a balcony and plummeting 25 feet to the ground. And then he had to be stretched away. I dont know what happened to him. There was no reason for the Capitol Police to have thrown that man off. He was not striking anybody. And it was just shocking to see law enforcement act that way. And whats the height of hypocrisy for me is that it used to be the liberal left to champion themselves as the bastion of due process. And the ACLU and the like would be like, everybody gets defense and the constitution applies equally. Ive always felt that. Im the rare guy that actually did it in the court of law as a public defender and then later as a prosecutor. And it seems like all these voices have just gone quiet because the targets and the victims in these scenarios outlined in the documentary are people who voted for President Trump. That happens in banana republics; that does not happen in this United States of America, but evidently, Jan Im wrong. Its happening today in our country here. And we should be reminded of the lessons of other republics and countries around the world that we sort of talk down to who dont allow this kind of behavior. Mr. Jekielek: You mentioned Stan Kephart. This is basically a national expert in looking at police action and analyzing. I thought that was one of the more fascinating parts of the documentary to me, where you just can kind of look and see what happens and how does this square with what would be reasonable police behavior based on actual video footage. Thats what hes doing. Mr. Patel: Hes not just an expert, hes an actual cop. He did it for decades and then he became an expert, and then hes testified in thousands of criminal cases. To be qualified as an expert, I dont think people realize the career you have to have first and then to go into court, in state and federal court and be qualified as an expert, meaning you have to be put through the ringer and then have your testimony rightly so scrutinized and your documentation scrutinized to a level thats acceptable to judges. Its a high standard. So its a very credible individual who speaks to these events and these actions. Mr. Jekielek: Yeah, no. Of course I encourage everyone to go watch the January 6th documentary. In fact, I think today on Friday, its available free dollar subscriber. Theres going to be a little bit of a charge for it after that. Mr. Patel: Yeah. You could have had a marathon viewing. Today you could watch the documentary and season one of Kashs Corner. Mr. Jekielek: The other thing that really struck me in the documentary actually was the people like Victoria White, for example, who is someone who is being prosecuted for being there. But at the same time, you can see clearly on video that shes actually trying to stop people who are actually trying to break into the Capitol [and] break windows. Shes like, we dont do that here. How does that work in a situation like this? I suppose a person could be both guilty of doing something untoward and at the same time be trying to stop ostensibly violent action and so forth. So how does the law square in these kinds of situations? Mr. Patel: Yes. Theres a whole legal principle that governs these scenarios, where if someone participates in a criminal action, they can actually, whats called, withdraw from it. And to do so theres, were given a high level here, but basically if you are a participant and then you withdraw from it and inform law enforcement that someone is committing the crime and make an effort to stop it, then you cant be held liable under the law. And it sounds like thats the scenario for this young lady who may have been involved in somewhat of the trespassing, but at a certain point, the video shows clearly she literally was seeking the assistance of law enforcement and stopping the demonstrators from committing any acts of violence or getting into the Capitol building, which seems to fit that legal description I just described. So it seems that the Department of Justice has made up its mind already that theyre going to prosecute her and not allow that theory to avoid a prosecution. She can raise it at trial, but its very difficult to prove. Were going to have to wait and see how all these, almost 1000 or so individuals whove now been charged as a result of January 6th, how all those cases shake out. Mr. Jekielek: We also have Aaron Babbitt, Ashli Babbitts husband, basically on interview. And we also have footage that cuts deeply against the legacy media narrative around what exactly happened around Ashli Babbitts death, which was to me, again, also quite fascinating and new. So anyway, I encourage everyone to watch the doc. And meantime, theres another group that actually kind of entered the Capitol under strange circumstances more recently. And I know youve had some thoughts about that. Of course, this is Stephen Colberts production team. Mr. Patel: Yes. Ive had a lot of thoughts on that, as have so many Americans that have pinged me on, whether its on Truth Social or wherever have said, is this another instance of a two-tier system of justice? One set of rules in law for a different group and another application of that same law if you voted Trump. To me, it is. To me, if anyone thats of the 800 plus individuals that have been charged as a result of January 6th, the overwhelming majority have been charged with misdemeanor offenses, such as trespassing or parading into and around the Capitol building. That simply means they were there when they didnt have a legal right to be there. And so if those individuals were charged, why did Stephen Colberts crew get a complete hall pass from the Department of Justice? The Capitol Police themselves said publicly that the entire group that was there, I believe it was nine people, were told you cannot be here. It is unlawful for you to be here. They were given warnings. They did not leave. In fact, they caused such a commotion that a democratic staffer actually called the Capitol Police and said, this is causing an emergency scenario. So the Capitol Police rightfully arrested them after giving them fair warning, which is what is required under the law. And whats the difference between them and the folks that walked in through open doors in the United States Capitol on January 6th and have since been charged with trespassing? Mr. Jekielek: Well, one difference that people will point to is there were actually congressional members that invited them there in the first place. Mr. Patel: Sure. And the United States Capitol on any given day is a place where any American or actual foreigner can walk into. You dont need an invitation. But like many houses of government, there are certain areas you cant be and certain things you cant do no matter who invites you. I used to work in the White House, and just because I would invite family or friends to come see the Brady Press Room, didnt mean they have a hall pass to go sit in the Oval Office. We laugh at that, but its the exact same scenario. Just because you get an invitation by the Department of Justice or FBI to go see the corridor with the historic artifacts and paintings, doesnt mean you can walk into the attorney generals office and have a seat. Its trespassing. Its illegal. Mr. Jekielek: So youre saying if Tucker Carlson, for example, if his production crew came in and went to some prominent democratic congressional members offices and basically knocking on doors heavily and asking for access, that would be played a bit differently? Mr. Patel: Well, I think if they change that up a little differently to make the facts more similar. If Tucker Carlsons crew or whoevers crew came in and did what Colberts crew did, they wouldve been rightfully arrested and prosecuted. Thats the difference. And now Americans are frustrated because people who perform the same activities on two different days, who clearly support two completely opposite political ideologies, are being prosecuted under the law based on that political ideology. In the United States attorneys office for the District of Columbia hasnt said anything as to why these individuals havent been prosecuted. It was their decision. Its not the Capitol Police decision. The Capitol Police make the arrest and they are the arresting authority. Theyre the investigative authority, but the decision to charge is the DOJ decision as it always is under the law. And I would like to know, why did they get out of jail free card, literally get out of jail free card when they broke the law and trespassed on Capitol grounds? And I dont think well find out an answer, but I think its one of those frustrating things that we have to talk about because we keep highlighting instances of a two-tier system of justice, and thats never supposed to happen in the United States of America and tragically its happening with greater and greater frequency. And I dont know what else its going to take for the mainstream media to start covering it appropriately. Maybe when it finally does actually happen to them. Mr. Jekielek: I want to switch things up a little bit. Something that weve talked a little bit about before is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mark Milley. Basically he was in the room with you. I remember we talked about this at least once on the show, when president Trump authorized those 20,000 National Guardsmen several days prior to January 6th. Now, youve pointed out that he didnt mention that in his testimony to the January 6th committee. Mr. Patel: Well, it hasnt come out that he did. And so just a quick recap for our audience. I was there in the Oval Office with the president of the United States, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of defense and the chief of staff to the president, days before January 6th, talking about a sensitive matter unrelated to anything domestically. And afterwards, President Trump said, You have the authorization for up to 20,000 National Guardsmen should you need it for security posture for January 6th anywhere in the country. And the reason that was important was because the United States Supreme Court and the legislature have passed the law that says there can be no domestic use of the military unless you utilize National Guard and theres a presidential authorization, which he did days before, and a request, and part two, a request by local government, mayor of DC or the Capitol Police, since its DC. We went to the mayor of DC, we went to the Capitol Police and weve now got the documents from the Capitol police themselves and the mayor refusing the assistance of National Guardsmen and women on January 4th and leading up through January 6th. And those documents speak for themselves. Theyre not ours, theyre theirs. And the reason chairman Milleys deafening silence is so important on this issue is because hes the highest ranking uniform military officer in the country who is not in the chain of command by law. He was in the room. There have been so many leaks from this January 6th committee. If he, and this is my, and I have not seen the entirety of his testimony, but theyve of course played snippets of it. But if they had a piece of testimony where Chairman Milley said, the president did not say that. The secretary of defense, the chief of staff to the DoD who I work for are lying, that wouldve leaked by now, in my opinion. And so for the chairman to have heard his testimony being paraded around in the media the last couple of weeks, for him to not issue a statement, I think is a miscarriage of justice. And I think, in my opinion is a form of lying. Because just because you dont actually go out there and overtly lie, as were always taught in court, excuse me, in law school, when were trying cases in court, if you omit the truth that is tantamount to lying. He was in the office, in the Oval Office with us. I know it. I saw him. I know he heard it. We talked about it afterwards. More importantly, on January 6th, when the request finally came in, late in the day from Nancy Pelosi and Muriel Bowser, the DoD took swift action. As evidenced by Bidens DoD inspector generals report, where Bidens DoD inspector general quotes that we acted appropriately and without delay in relation to the National Guard. We could not have taken that action under the law if the president hadnt already authorized those troops. It is literally unconstitutional to do so and Mark Milley knows that. So its just another tragic point in our ongoing saga of January 6th, where you have people who arent willing to come out. And I remind our audience, Mark Milley had no problem talking to book authors while he was sitting as chairman of the Joint Chiefs during the Trump administration to get his narratives out. He had no problem talking to the media and leaking to the media to get stories that made him look out and talk about the German Reichstag, and compare that to somehow the Trump administration. So a man who has time to do that has plenty of time to put out the truth. Hes selectively chosen not to because hes being a political animal and trying to stay in his role. Furthermore, I dont think what hasnt been talked about, but what the committee has been talking about is how the vice president, Pence and Mark Milley had conversations on January 6th, where the vice president was ordering the National Guard and Mark Milley was acting on it. Thats the testimony that came out from Mark Milley. I dont understand how that matter has not been corrected. The vice president and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have no operational authority whatsoever under the law in the Constitution. The vice president cannot order the Department of Defense or the National Guard to do anything. Hes not in the chain of command. And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this one or anyone, since 1951 has been excluded from the chain of command by the law passed by the United States Congress, because he is an advisor. So when the January 6th committee puts out these snippets of videos from Mark Milley saying he talked to the vice president and the vice president was ordering National Guard here and there, its meaningless. Its a political headline because most Americans arent supposed to know better that this is the inner workings of how the chain of command works. Weve been very clear how the chain of command works because its in the law. The national command authority goes from the president of the United States to the secretary of defense. Thats it. Theres no in between. Now, the secretary of defense can choose to delegate it to other secretaries under him, but not the chairman. The chairman is prohibited from engaging in the chain of command. So this red herring by the January 6th committee about ordering National Guard through the vice president is a further distraction from the fact that President Trump authorized it. We went forward and now we have the documentation of Muriel Bowser who refused it leading up to January 6th and the Biden DoD inspector general report that shows that we under the Trump administration acted appropriately and without delay. Thats not our conclusion. Thats Joe Bidens DoD. So had we done anything wrong I think it wouldve been borne out in that report and many others, but theres so many documents that havent come out and I hope we keep getting more so we can talk about them. I think we finally have one from the secretary of defense that we can talk about. Mr. Jekielek: Well, so exactly, this is what I was just thinking about. We have this document speaking of chain of command with the secretary of defense authorizing the secretary of the army in the chain of command to basically not have to go back and ask further, should the National Guard be requested. Right? Mr. Patel: Exactly. So, and again, what most people dont know and shouldnt know because unless youre in government and at that level, why would you? The National Guard reports to the secretary of the army, the secretary of the army reports to the secretary of defense, the office of the secretary of defense, White House chief of staff. Once President Trump made the authorization, and I think we should put this up right now, the secretary of defense, Chris Millers memo dated January 4th. He wrote to the secretary of the army at the time, Ryan McCarthy and said, we are essentially delegating you the authority to act immediately when Muriel Bowser calls upon a request for more National Guard. What did he do? Why was that significant? We preemptively did not want bureaucracy and a paper delay to delay the employment and activation of the DC National Guard. We preemptively delegated that authority, which was our right to do so, the secretarys right to do so to the sec army. And the instructions you see on this memo that youre seeing right now are not the Department of Defenses origination. The way the National Guard works under the law is the requesting authority dictates the parameters of the use of the National Guard. So those bullets you see there where it says, no batons, no riot gear, or no ammunition, et cetera, that is Muriel Bowsers office telling us if and when she ever requests National Guard, this is the manner in which theyre to be utilized. That is how the National Guard works. And whats frustrating to me now is that everybody is now starting to say, well, when they called for the National Guard on January 6th, where were they? Well, if you look at the DoD timeline, which weve talked about, which the secretarys office has put out, youll see it took less than four minutes for that authorization to be complete because of our delegation, less than four minutes. But it takes a little longer than four minutes to go pull American civilians from their communities, from their families who are acting as teachers and firefighters, and librarians, and homeschoolers, to fly them in to DC, to kit them up, put them in the appropriate attire, give them their directions under the law and then deploy them. And thats what these politicians know, but what theyre lying about, because they know it, is that it takes time. But one of the things Im most proud about is that we under President Trump and under the secretarys authority effectuated the fastest cold start of the United States National Guard since World War II. So in over almost 60 years, it was the fastest the United States National Guard has ever been what we call employed, deployed, and kited out. Mr. Jekielek: What is that time by the way? What is the fastest time? Mr. Patel: Hours. Mr. Jekielek: Yeah. How long is- Mr. Patel: Without the DoD timeline in front of me, we can put it up for our audience, but it was hours, it was a few hours, I believe. What we had done was what we always do at the Department of Defense, we call it reps and sets. We prepare, we prepare, we prepare, we prepare. We knew there might come a time and point when a request came in, but the law only allows us to go so far. So we went all the way up to the limit of the law. And we said, whats the place we can hold everyone before saying go? And we had everybody lined up. We had the equipment ready. We had the buses ready. We had everything ready to the fullest extent of the law. And once the request came in, we hit go and they came. So refer to the timeline. Thats now public that Ive put out and that many others Ive put out from the Department of Defense, which is signed off on by secretary of defense, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of the army, me and a dozen other people, high ranking officers at DoD, shows that once the request finally came in the late afternoon of January 6th, Im going off my memory here, within a few hours, the Department of Defense had assisted local law enforcement to quell the protest, to return Congress and the senators to the chamber so they can conduct the business that theyve requested to do, which was the certification of the election. Thats how fast we moved. Had Muriel Bowser, the Capitol Police said beforehand, a day or two earlier, we want your National Guard. We wouldve set up a wall of human beings in and around the Capitol, which wouldve completely changed the posture, the security situation, and what happened on January 6th. And you dont have to take my word that Muriel Bowser said no. Look at the letter she wrote us that were putting up right now. And you dont have to take my word that the Capitol police said no. Look at the Capitol Polices timeline, which we have now also gotten. Where the chief of the Capitol Police went to the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate and the House, the Sergeant at Arms controls the Capitol Police. His request for authorization of the National Guard was denied. Its in their timeline on January 4th. So we did what we could have done to the fullest extent of the law at the Department of Defense and their political leadership bucked them. So I think we talked about it earlier, there needs to be some answers from those in leadership positions should the gavels change in November as to why would you refuse this lawful request to secure, not just the building, but you, members of Congress and the citizens that you knew were going to be in and around the area. To me, thats the biggest question that this committee will never ask, because they dont want to know the answer to that. They dont want to know that politicians got in the way and they cared more about optics than security. And I think as more and more people keep talking about January 6th, I think more and more people like Epoch, do these great documentaries, its going to force attention on it. And youre going to have to keep telling the American people the truth. And I cant emphasize enough, you dont have to listen to us, you dont have to watch this show, go read the documents. Were going to put them up. Well put them up online. Well put them up on Truth Social. Well put them up on the show. Theyre not our documents. Theyre the documents of the United States government, some of which, the agencies I was a part of, that show what happened. Mr. Jekielek: As were finishing up here Kash, I think its worth mentioning that Steve Bannon is actually held in contempt of Congress, charged with that and on trial as we speak. Mr. Patel: I think its just another example of how politics are overcoming due process and charging decisions would look at it this way. I was talking to my friend Devin Nunes just a little while ago. And he said, Hey Kash, when we issued 17 subpoenas in Congress for the Russiagate investigation and when cabinet secretaries, government officials violated those subpoenas, did you see the Department of Justice move to charge them and hold them in contempt of Congress? No, because they acted appropriately back then in terms of levying the power of the Department of Justice. And the decision to bring contempt charges like this DOJ has done to multiple people now is one that has been overly politicized in my opinion. And well see how it shakes out. But what I think is scary to many Americans is if you wear a certain political hat, you are going to be treated much, much, much differently than if you wear the other hat. And look, a perfect example is, weve talked about it extensively on the show. Look at the way Michael Sussman was treated versus the way Peter Navarro was treated. I dont care if you like or hate both those guys or dont even know who they are. Michael Sussman was charged with some serious offenses by a special counsel. And he was allowed to turn himself in through the negotiations of his attorney, not be handcuffed and perp walked, and embarrassed and quietly have that happen. Then the judicial system kicked off. Peter Navarro, who was an elderly individual, who I of course personally know from my time in the White House, was handcuffed and shackled at an airport in broad daylight and thrown into solitary confinement after he was charged with contempt of Congress. Michael Sussman was charged with a federal felony and given the rainbow treatment. Peter Navarro was charged with a misdemeanor offense and was caricatured for all the media to use and bandy about. And what is this Department of Justice doing, allowing that sort of behavior? This is the kind of disparate treatment, the two tier system of justice that weve been talking about forever. Whether its anything related to Sussman and Durham, and all the other stuff well talk about, and Bannons trial. I dont have too many of the details there, but same thing with Bannon, thats how he was brought in. So its just, as a former federal prosecutor, its just shocking that this is happening in 2022 in the United States of America. But I think thats why we at Epoch Times have to keep hammering the truth about how people are treated once the judicial system gets going. I think a great place to end Jan is, look at the way the Jan 6th detains have been treated. Some of them should be prosecuted for breaking the law. And some of them should be held, some, should be held without bond. But the overwhelming majority of individuals who are being held without bond and have almost no criminal record, if any, is unheard of. And for the Justice Department to request no bond and for the judges in these cases to quash an individuals due process rights and hold them no bond is equally offensive to me. And I hope somebody investigates those matters because what youre doing is youre creating a scenario where you force someone into solitary confinement now for over a year, the only way to get out is you offer them a plea and you say, hey, just plea to this and you can walk free tomorrow. Thats not justice. Thats the opposite of it. Mr. Jekielek: And as we know, as weve seen in the documentary, there are actually people in this context who have taken their lives because of the pressure. Mr. Patel: And I dont think that pressure is dissipating anytime soon. Itll probably wrench up because this DOJ wants to get these prosecutions across the finish line before the midterms or before the end of the year, while they still have the Select Committee backing their play. And I say that because I was also offended to see that in a federal court pleading for one of the Jan. 6 cases, the Department of Justice for the first time Ive ever heard of actually told a federal judge, we need to delay the case because Congress is still investigating the matter. I have never, ever heard in my life an executive branch agency, the DOJ coming second to a congressional oversight investigation. Its literally the opposite of what DOJ has done for its entire career. But theyve chosen to do that in this case because theyve chosen to make politics more important than the constitution, than due process and the law. And I dont blame people for losing faith in this DOJ or FBI because their leadership is forcing Americans to see it that way. Mr. Jekielek: Well, Kash, were going to obviously be talking a lot more about these things over the coming weeks on Kashs Corner. And Im very glad to be back. These are heavy, heavy, difficult topics. And I think theres going to be a lot of that on coming episodes. And I want to encourage everyone, of course, do this double header, like Kash mentioned earlier. By all means, please go watch the January 6th documentary. We have the link to it in the description here. Well also put a short link up for you in the video itself so you can have easy access. And Kash, its time for our shout out. Mr. Patel: Since were kicking off season five, our shout out goes to all our fans at Kashs Corner and those on Epoch TV. We love your comments. We are loving the live chat feature that we do on some of our episodes. So were going to keep doing that. So please keep messaging us. Please keep engaging us on Friday nights. And well see you next week on Kashs Corner. [Sound bite/Speaker 5]: That was a shooting gallery up there. [Sound bite/Speaker 6]: I could hear the tremble in her voice. [Sound bite/Speaker 7]: She suffered a very severe beating. The video is pretty graphic. [Sound bite/Speaker 8]: Justice for us seems almost impossible. [Sound bite/Speaker 9]: Its not fun to watch somebody die and they knew she was in more of a parallel. [Sound bite/Speaker 10]: They have not asked the hard questions. Why was the Capitol intentionally unsecure that day? Mr. Patel: The FBI had information about security concerns before January 6th. [Sound bite/Speaker 11]: Theyre out for blood and theyre getting it. They appear to be winning. [Sound bite/Speaker 12]: Were the actions of the Capitol Police out of line? Were their violations and use of force? [Sound bite/Speaker 13]: Now I describe it as an inside job. [Sound bite/Speaker 14]: Im ready to do whatever God calls me. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 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 Lawsuit Says Skittles Are Unsafe to Eat, Expert Weighs In on Risk A class action lawsuit was filed in Oakland, California, claiming that Skittles carry a toxin that makes them unsafe to eat. The lawsuit was filed by Jenile Thames, a resident of San Leandro, California, on July 14. It alleges that the candy, which is owned by Mars Inc., contains heightened levels of titanium dioxide. In 2016, Mars issued a statement saying that they intended to stop using the agent in their products within five years. However, Thames said that Skittles still contain the substance. Titanium dioxide is a chemical. It is actually found in nature, but it can also be manmade. And its used for basically a lot of different things but mostly as a whitening agent, Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicologist and director at National Capital Poison Center, told NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, in an interview. Titanium dioxide is present in a lot of things that we use every day, from shampoos to foods to coffee creamer. The lawsuit alleges that titanium dioxide can cause DNA, organ, and brain damage along with lesions in the kidneys and liver. It also states that the European Union has banned the chemicals use in foods and that this ban will go into effect in August. There have been studies in rats and mice that have shown that exposure to high amounts of titanium dioxide may cause problems with genetic material, may cause inflammation, and in some cases may cause cancer, said Johnson-Arbor. So based on those studies, the European Union has decided that titanium dioxide is really not safe as a food additive, so they have banned its use in foods starting this year. We have not banned it in the U.S., and thats probably because theres just not a lot of good evidence. A lot, actually most, of the evidence has been done on animals. We dont really have any good evidence that titanium dioxide is harmful to humans. The FDA does allow titanium dioxide in food as long as it does not exceed 1 percent by weight of the food. Should the average person be concerned about eating a bag of Skittles? Johnson-Arbor is not really concerned about titanium dioxide in Skittles. Its there in small amounts. Its in a lot of things that we encounter every day, and we dont have any good evidence that it causes disease in humans, she said. The lawsuit, Thames v. Mars Inc., is seeking unspecified damages for California consumer protection law violations and fraud. Mars did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A large group of protesters stand on the East steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Man Who Climbed US Capitol Wall on Jan. 6 Convicted of Five Charges A Memphis-area man has been found guilty on July 21 of felony and misdemeanor offenses for his actions amid the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Lawmakers gathered at the U.S. Capitol for a joint session of Congress to count and certify electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election on Jan. 6, 2021. But proceedings in the chambers were temporarily interrupted when a sizable group of protesters entered the Capitol building and its surrounds. Thousands of protesters, mostly peaceful, remained outside. Matthew Bledsoe, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, was found guilty by a jury in the District of Columbia of one felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a release. The 38-year-old was also found guilty of four misdemeanor offenses: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building. The charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and potential fines. The latter four misdemeanor offenses carry a combined maximum of three years in prison and potential fines. Bledsoe, who previously resided in Cordova, Tennessee, was arrested on Jan. 13, 2021, just a week after the breach of the U.S. Capitol. On Jan. 6, 2021, he had entered the Capitol grounds shortly after 2:13 p.m. and moved to the Capitol Building where he scaled a wall at the Upper Northwest Terrace and entered through a fire door at the Senate Wing, according to the Department of Justice. Video at the trial showed Bledsoe saying, In the Capitol. This is our house. We pay for this [expletive]. Wheres those pieces of [expletive] at? He spent about 22 minutes inside the Capitol Building, where he climbed a statue and was outside the corridor to the House Chamber and hallways near the Speakers Lobby. He left the building around 2:47 p.m. Within two hours, however, Bledsoe returned, lingering outside the East Rotunda Doors as law enforcement officers worked to secure the building and grounds, the DOJ noted. The FBIs Memphis Field Office has been investigating the case, with assistance from the FBIs Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Bledsoe is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. The DOJ noted that more than 850 people have been arrested over criminal charges related to the U.S. Capitol breach. This includes over 260 people who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. A total of five deaths were recorded in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6 incident. Of the deaths, Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt was determined to have died from homicide on Jan. 6, having been shot and killed by Lt. Michael L. Byrd. Another three people died of what was ultimately determined to be natural causes. One of them was Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick who died on Jan. 7; he was initially believed to have died due to injuries caused by protesters, but was ultimately determined to have died due to strokes. The other two people were men in their 50s who died on Jan. 6 due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The fifth death involved a woman in her 30s, Rosanne Boyland. The D.C. medical examiner ruled her death as an accident from a drug overdose. But video unsealed in December 2021 confirmed that Boyland was crushed and trampled when the crowd of protesters was pushed out of the tunnel, then repeatedly struck by police as she lay unconscious. It is unclear how many protesters may have been injured as a result of police actions on the day. Minister Removes Term Birthing Parent From Australian Medicare Forms Australias minister for government services has stepped in and ordered the removal of the term birthing parent from Medicare documents. Bill Shorten, the minister for government services, said the forms were used in a pilot program rolled out across three hospitals under the previous government. When I was informed of this situation yesterday, I instructed the responsible officials they should cease using the previous governments forms, he wrote on Twitter. They will be replaced with new forms that use the word mother, not birthing parent, which is consistent with other Medicare forms. 1/3 Just regarding the story in the Daily Tele about a form that was part of a pilot program launched in 3 hospitals under the previous Coalition Government. Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) July 20, 2022 The issue was publicised by mother Sall Grover, who posted the form on her Twitter account while calling it derogatory. Liberal Party Senator Claire Chandler said the incident was not a one-off. The public service spends taxpayers money on lobby groups which come up with this sort of rubbish. This will keep happening until there is a government-wide directive to respect sex-based language, she wrote on Facebook. Lawyer Peter Janssen said that being a mother is far more than a physical act. To reduce it to that is demeaning. Motherhood is about a position of lifelong love and nurturing which may or may not include the physical act of birthing on one day in a childs life, he wrote on LinkedIn. The thought police have reduced motherhood to the act of giving birth and expunged the name and thus the value of mother in society. The incident comes as transgender ideology continues to take root in the public sphere with increasingly widespread recognition of non-binary genders. For example, in June, the Australian head of the federal Health Department, Brendan Murphy, struggled to define a woman during a Senate Estimates hearing when asked by Liberal Senator Alex Antic. Its a very contested space at the moment, Senator. I mean, there are obviously biological definitions, but there are definitions in terms of how people identify themselves, so were happy to provide our working definition on notice, he responded. While in June, the world swimming body FINA voted to restrict transgender athletes from competing in womens events. A majority of 71.5 percent of more than 190 members voted in favour of the new policy, which looks to create a separate category for transgender athletes. Nina Nguyen contributed to this article. The end of July in central Pennsylvania means heat waves and the dog days of summer. In Shippensburg, though, the final days of the month carry another meaning: fair season. Shippensburg's 64th annual Community Fair will kick off July 24, with most activities beginning the following day and running through July 30 at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds at 10131 Possum Hollow Road. After 63 Shippensburg Community Fairs, today's plethora of events, exhibits and performances is a far cry from the event's early years. A history of the fair on the event's website says it began as a small FFA fair organized by a Shippensburg High School teacher, which later expanded to include the community. Shippensburg's first community fair ran under temporary structures for three days in 1958. It has seen the expansion of grounds, the installation of permanent buildings and increased attendance since. While the face of the fair has changed, some events on this year's schedule can be traced back through its history. The Shippensburg Community Fair Queen Contest debuted in 1958, and the Kiddie's Day matinee and baked goods auction joined the lineup in 1960, according to the website. Other past fan favorites include livestock shows and truck and tractor pulls. Like any other fair, the Shippensburg Community Fair wouldn't be complete without food, and this year's concessions include homemade items from nearly 20 nonprofit organizations. Fairgoers can consume a variety traditional favorites like hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as a wide array of fried options. Soft drinks, punch, tea and floats are scattered throughout the menus to help attendees beat the heat. More information about the 64th annual fair can be found on the event's website or Facebook page at Shippensburg Community Fair. Though the fair starts Sunday, rides, games and vendors won't be open until Monday, and organizers say the schedule is subject to change. Schedule of events Sunday, July 24 3 p.m.: Livestock Stockman's Contest Livestock Show Ring 7 p.m.: Shippensburg Band Concert Stage 7:30 p.m.: Community Vespers Service Stage Monday, July 25 8 a.m.: Junior Breeding Goat Show Livestock Show Ring 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Youth-Farm-Home Products entered (not including baked goods) Home Products Building 1 p.m.: Open Rabbit Show and Rabbit Skill-a-Thon Livestock Show Ring 6 p.m.: 2022 Little Miss Shippensburg Community Fair Contest Stage 6 p.m.: Rides open Midway 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 7 p.m.: Youth Showing and Fitting Contest (Jersey & Milking Shorthorns) Dairy Show Area 7:30 p.m.: Miss Shippensburg Community Fair Queen Contest Stage 8 p.m.: Barnyard Olympics - Gro-Mar Ring Tuesday, July 26 9 a.m.: Youth-Farm-Home Products Exhibit Judging Begins 9 a.m. to noon: Baked Goods Entered Home Products Building 1 9 a.m.: Open Breeding Beef Show Livestock Show Ring 10 a.m. Milking Shorthorn Show Dairy Show Area 1 p.m.: Baked Goods Judging Begins 1 p.m.: Open Breeding Sheep Show Livestock Show Ring 4:30 p.m.: Alpaca Show Livestock Show Ring 5:30 p.m.: Baked Goods Auction Between Home Products Buildings 1 and 2 6 p.m.: District II Jersey Show Dairy Show Area 6 p.m. Rides open Midway 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 7 p.m.: Tractor Pull (Dirt Drags) Gro-Mar Ring 7:30 p.m.: "The Nashville Music Company" (Classic Country) Stage (free admission) Wednesday, July 27 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: 52nd annual Craft Show 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Kiddies' Day (Special ride prices, all rides discounted to one ticket until 5 p.m. for school-aged children and younger) 12:30 p.m.: Franklin County Beekeepers Association Educational Presentation Between Home Products Building 1 and 2 1 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 1 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 2 p.m.: Franklin County Beekeepers Association Educational Presentation Between Home Products Building 1 and 2 5 p.m.: Rides open (evening) Midway 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 7 p.m.: Youth Dairy Judging Contest Dairy Show Area 7 p.m.: Antique Tractor Pull Gro-Mar Ring 7:30 p.m.: "The Chris Ruble Band" (Country/Classic Rock) Stage (Free admission) Thursday, July 28 8 a.m.: Junior Market Beef Show Livestock Show Ring 1 p.m.: Junior Market Goat Show followed by Junior Market Lamb Show Livestock Show Ring 6 p.m.: Rides open Midway 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 7 p.m.: Youth Showing and Fitting Contest (Holstein, Ayrshire, Guernsey and Brown Swiss) Dairy Show Area 7 p.m. Tractor Pull (Farm Stock) Gro-Mar Ring 7:30 p.m.: "Jimmy Mowery from NBC's The Voice" (Country/Rock/Pop, variety) Stage (free admission) Friday, July 29 8:30 a.m.: Junior Market Swine Show Livestock Show Ring 10 a.m.: Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and Guernsey Show Dairy Show Area 5 p.m.: Supreme Livestock Showman Contest Livestock Show Ring 5 p.m.: Rides open (Midway) 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 6:30 p.m.: Holstein Show Dairy Show Area 7 p.m.: Truck and Tractor Pull Gro-Mar Ring 7 p.m.: Karaoke contest (Registration begins on stage at 6 p.m.) Stage (Free admission) Saturday, July 30 8:30 a.m.: Chuck Lesher 5K Classic (5K Run/Walk hosted by Chambersburg Road Runners Club) Registration inside Gate 7 on top of hill 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Dairy Princess Promotional Display Dairy Show Area 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Kiddies' Day (Special ride prices, all rides discounted to one ticket until 5 p.m. for school-aged children and younger) 10 a.m.: Shippensburg Community Fair Junior Livestock Sale Livestock Show Ring 1 p.m.: Circus Incredible - Above rides area 1 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 5 p.m.: Rides open (evening) Midway 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Circus Incredible Above rides area 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.: The Mind Bending Magic and Illusions of Clive Allen and Heather Lynn Beside Home Products Building 1 7 p.m.: Truck and Tractor Pull Gro-Mar Ring 7:30 p.m.: "Back in Black-The True AC/DC Experience" (Rock) Stage (Free admission) Former Minnesota police officer Thomas Lane poses in a combination of booking photographs at Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 3, 2020. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters) Minneapolis Ex-police Officer Sentenced to 2.5 Years in George Floyd Case Former Minneapolis Police Officer Thomas Lane was sentenced to 30 months in prison in a federal court on Thursday morning for depriving George Floyd of his constitutional rights, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced. Lane, 39, must also serve two years of supervised release as part of his sentence. He is one of four former Minneapolis police officers who were convicted earlier this year in connection with Floyds death in 2020. Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson to sentence Lane to between five and a quarter to six and a half years in prison, while Lanes attorney has asked for 2 and a quarter years, the Associated Press reports. Magnuson told Lane: the fact that you did not get up and remove Mr. Chauvin when Mr. Floyd became unconscious is a violation of the law but also pointed out that he had received 145 letters supporting Lane, adding that he had never received so many on behalf of a defendant. Lane was a rookie officer on his fourth day on the job when Floyd died. Magnuson noted that the Minneapolis Police Department had sent him out with another rookie officer on the call that ended in Floyds death. The judge said he will recommend that Lane serve his sentence at the Duluth minimum-security federal prison camp located about 2 1/2 hours from the Minneapolis area. The tragic death of George Floyd makes clear the fatal consequences that can result from a police officers failure to intervene to protect people in their custody, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division in a statement on Thursday. Sending a Message Had this defendant and other officers on the scene with Derek Chauvin taken simple steps, George Floyd would be alive today. This sentence should send a message that protecting people in custody is the affirmative duty and obligation of every law enforcement officer, regardless of ones rank or seniority. Lane was convicted in February of depriving Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from a police officers deliberate indifference to serious medical needs when the former police officer saw Floyd restrained and in police custody while in clear need of medical care. Prosecutors said Lane willfully failed to aid Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee against his neck and back for approximately nine-and-a-half minutes while Floyd laid handcuffed and face-down on the pavement. The arrest came after Floyd allegedly tried to use a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase cigarettes before being arrested by officers. Lane had restrained Floyds lower body during his arrest. The same jury that convicted Lane earlier this year also found former officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng guilty of depriving Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from an officers unreasonable force. Thao, 36, and Kueng, 28, were also charged with showing deliberate indifference to Floyds serious medical needs. Lanes sentencing comes nearly 26 months to the day that Floyd was murdered which sparked protests across the country as demonstrators called for racial justice and police reform. Following Thursdays sentencing, Floyds brother Philonise Floyd said he was disappointed with the judges decision. Sentence Is Insulting I think that its insulting that he didnt get the maximum amount of time because to me, if it was me, and that was accessory to murder, they wouldve given me the maximum amount of time, he said outside the federal courthouse in St. Paul. And youre a police officer who was sworn to protect, who took an oath, and you didnt get the maximum amount of time. In May, Lane pleaded guilty to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. As part of a plea agreement, he had one count of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder dismissed. State prosecutors and the defense jointly recommended a sentence of three years, to be served concurrent with Lanes federal sentence for violating Floyds civil rights. He will be sentenced on Sept. 21. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota said that Lane had known that Floyd was in grave need of medical care on the day that he died but that he instead chose passivity rather than action. As a sworn law enforcement officer, he failed to uphold his duty to step in and save a mans life, Luger added. MPs Urge UK Government to Catch up With US on Magnitsky Sanctions UK Parliament on Thursday urged the government to ramp up sanctions against those who are accused of human rights abuses and corruption in China and beyond, at least those who are on the United States sanctions list. Moving the motion for Parliament to consider sanctions, former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the UK had made 102 sanctions during the first year after it introduced the Magnitsky-style Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations, but only six in the second year. He also said the UK has failed to keep pace with its allies, particularly the United States, having sanctioned only 20 percent of the perpetrators sanctioned across the pond. That is inexplicable. I have no idea what the [United States] knows that we do not know and why it can act faster and more heavily than we can. We are allowing those sanctioned by the [United States] and other jurisdictions to use the UK as a haven to enjoy much of their ill-gotten gains, Duncan Smith said. The United States currently has 415 active sanctions under its Global Magnitsky Sanctions against 181 individuals and 234 entities. In comparison, The UKs global human rights sanctions list included 75 individuals and six entities, 81 in total. China This includes 14 Chinese individuals and organisations sanctioned by the United States. Nine of them are not on the UKs sanctions list, including Chen Quanguo, former Xinjiang Chinese Communist Party (CCP) secretary, Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, and other senior officials in the bureau. Chen Quanguo, CCP secretary of Xinjiang, attends a meeting of the 19th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People n Beijing, China, on Oct. 19, 2017. (Etienne Oliveau/Getty Images) Chen was described by a government minister as a leading architect of the crackdown on the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities as early as January 2019. Since the introduction of the new sanctions regime in July 2020, lawmakers have repeatedly called for sanctions against Chen, as well as former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam. Under a separate regime, the United States sanctioned 42 individuals over the erosion of freedom and human rights in Hong Kong, including Lam, other Hong Kong government officials, vice-chairs of the 13th National Peoples Congress Standing Committeethe rubber stamp body that passed the draconian Hong Kong national security law, and deputy directors of the Chinese regimes Liaison Office in Hong Kong. None of these people is sanctioned by the UK. What is going on? Duncan Smith questioned the sanctions minister Rehman Chishti, adding, there is no dodging this. Duncan Smith said the UK, being one of the signatories of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, has a unique responsibility with regard to Hong Kong, a former British colony. Labour former minister Chris Bryant echoed calls for action against senior Hong Kong officials, including its former chief executive. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speak during a press conference in Hong Kong on Jan. 11, 2022. (Bill Cox/The Epoch Times) How many times have we called for the sanctioning of Carrie Lamsanctioned by the United States and not by us, and were the country that has the closest relationship with Hong Kong. Independent MP Margaret Ferrier and Democratic Unionist Party Jim Shannon highlighted oppressions against religions, including Falun Gong adherents in China, who have been subjected to re-education camps, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, torture, and death. They have been violated in the worst ways and are allegedly the main victims of forced organ harvesting in China, she said, referring to the findings of an independent tribunal. The United States sanctioned CCP official Yu Hui last year for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the arbitrary detention of Falun Gong practitioners for their spiritual beliefs. Iran and Others MPs also highlighted human rights abuses and corruption in countries including Russia, Iran, Sudan, Nicaragua, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Burma, and Nigeria. On Iran, Bryant said those responsible for abusesincluding holding innocent people hostage for political gainshould be sanctioned. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (R) and Anoosheh Ashoori, who were freed from Iran, disembark after landing at RAF Brize Norton, in England, on March 17, 2022. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, who both hold British and Iranian citizenship, were allowed to return to the UK earlier this year after years of detention in Iran, after the UK agreed to pay a 400 million ($523 million) debt dating back to the 1970s. Naming Iranian state media reporter Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour and Hossein Taeb, the former head of the intelligence operation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Bryant argued if the government sanctioned the individuals when MPs called for it last year, they might have thought twice about continuing to abuse British hostages today. Bryant said the UK lagging behind others in sanctions also gives the targets a window to move their assets, citing the example of Russian billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov, who gave part of his share in Sistema to his son after Britain imposed sanctions over Russias war in Ukraine. MPs also urged the government to seize assets from sanctioned Russians instead of freezing them, and use the assets to finance reparations for the victims of Putins brutal invasion of Ukraine. Duncan Smith urged the government to use the summer recess to get this sorted out and to come back with a list of all the people they will sanction just to get us level with the [Unites States], if not more. Responding to the calls, Chishti, who has been appointed the sanctions minister two weeks ago, said he will speak to his U.S. counterparts during a visit next week, looking at sanctions and how we can work together even more in the coming months and years. Chishti told MPs that the government continues to challenge China for breaching its legally binding commitments under the Joint Declaration. The minister told MPs that the government will work with MPs and do all we can to ensure that those who are serious human rights violators are brought to account. New Applicants Wait for Approval to Run in UCP Leadership Race as Deadline Passes Albertas United Conservative Party (UCP) has confirmed five candidates for its leadership race following the July 20 application deadline. Travis Toews, Danielle Smith, Brian Jean, Rebecca Schulz, and Rajan Sawhney are all official contenders to replace outgoing leader Jason Kenney. The leadership race began on May 19 and will run until Oct. 19, when the UCP will announce a new leader, according to the partys Leadership Election Rules and Procedures. Applicants were required to submit their ballots and at least 1,000 signatures from UCP members by 5:00 p.m. on July 20 to be registered as candidates in the race. They also had to pay $50,000 of the total $150,000 entry fee$25,000 of which is a refundable depositbefore the deadline. The party has so far only confirmed five candidates, but three other applicants have said they submitted their applications on time and are awaiting approval to join the race. Todd Loewen, an Independent MLA also vying for candidacy, said he handed in his signatures and first round of funding on July 15. And MLA Leela Aheer said she was ready to submit [her] leadership campaign bid in a July-19 tweet. Dr. Raj Sherman, an emergency room physician and former Alberta Liberal MLA and leader of the Liberals, barely met the application deadline with the required number of signatures. In a July-20 tweet, Sherman said he submitted the entire $125,000 entry feewhich the party does not require be fully paid until August 12along with the supporting 1,000 signatures in the nick of time at 4:55pm, just five minutes before the deadline. Former banker Jon Horsman was a candidate in the race, but dropped his bid hours before the July 20 deadline. In a statement, Horsman called it a very crowded leadership race and said his applicationif acceptedwouldnt have served the purpose of why [he] decided to run, which he said was to grow Albertas conservative movement. Smith, one of the confirmed candidates and former leader of the Wildrose Party, gained attention after promising in a June 15 video that she would introduce the Alberta Sovereignty Act to the provinces legislature if elected UCP leader. If passed, the act would allow the government to refuse to enforce any federal law or policy that attacks Albertas interests or our provincial rights, she said. Alberta Government House Leader Jason Nixon said he doubts Smiths Sovereignty Act would pass the legislature even if she was elected and introduced it. I would be surprised if a bill as described would pass inside the legislature, Nixon told reporters on July 20 when asked for his opinion on the speculative act. It would be calling for the breaking of the law, which is just not something the legislature would do. Smith didnt directly respond to Nixons comments, but said on Twitter afterwards that the world needs leaders who will stand against the global woke establishment and their destructive policies starting right here in Alberta! Albertans have until Aug. 12 to purchase party memberships and become eligible voters. Memberships can be purchased online at www.unitedconservative.ca before midnight Mountain Time that day, or by mail if the partys office receives the applications by 5:00 p.m. on the same day. People can vote either through a mail-in ballot or in person at one of five polling locations across the province. Kenney announced in May he would be stepping down after only getting a 51.4 percent majority of the leadership vote from his fellow UCP members. He could have retained his role, but opted to step down after saying it didnt represent adequate support to continue as a leader. Kenney will continue serving as the partys leader and Albertas premier until election results are published on Oct. 19. The Canadian Press contributed to this report. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy speaks at the American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life and Times debut gala at Smithsonian American Art Museum on May 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for WS Productions) New US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy Lands in Sydney The new U.S. Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has arrived in Sydney where she will begin her ambassadorship with a focus on regional security and climate change. Kennedy, 64, was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May and sworn in on June 10. Everybody is so excited about working together in the Quad and in the Pacific, she told reporters on July 22, in comments obtained by AAP. China certainly has a big presence here in the region, but our partnership is what Ill be focused on. Theres a big agenda, and I cant wait to get started. Kennedy, the daughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, served as U.S. ambassador to Japan between 2013 and 2017 under former President Barack Obama. She was five when her father was assassinated in Dallas in November 1963. She has long been considered a candidate for the high-profile role after showing support for Joe Bidens bid for the presidency. He [Biden] radiated American optimism and generosity of spirit. He made clear that America would always stand by our allies and that we were committed to keeping the region peaceful and prosperous, she wrote in a Boston Globe editorial on Feb. 4, 2020. China a Major Focus Kennedy told reporters the Pacific region was a big focus of the Biden administration. The U.S. needs to do more. Were putting our embassies back in, and the Peace Corps is coming, and USAID is coming back. We havent been there for a while, but thats all tremendously positive. The U.S. and Australia working together will make a big, big impact. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced in mid-July a swathe of initiatives aimed at strengthening its influence in the Pacific amid increasing competition with Beijing. The U.S. will dispatch the Peace Corps. to the region, establish embassies in Kiribati and Tonga, appoint the first-ever U.S. Envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum, and look at reestablishing a U.S. Agency for International Development Regional Mission for the Pacific to deal with natural disasters and humanitarian aid. Yet Cleo Paskal, an expert on the South Pacific, says the focus on the Pacific Islands Forum would just double-up on work already being done in existing regional bodies. If you want to reach all the Pacific Islands and work on scientific and practical research and solutions for some of the regions critical challenges, these are the organisations [the Pacific Community and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme] where youll find the experts who can get the job done, she wrote in the Sunday Guardian Live. The region urgently needs practical solutions to real-world problems, so countries arent destabilised and become easier prey for Beijing. That means understanding the operating environments of every country individually, and then working together to get things (not policy papers) done. Meanwhile, former Admiral Michael Rogers has said the U.S. is motivated to push through Australias acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement. The good news is that clearly is the intent of both the U.S. government, the Australian government, we want to aggressively meet the timeline, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Rogers headed the U.S. Cyber Command under former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. As his wife and daughters look on, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) accepts the nomination for governor at the New York State Republican Convention in Garden City, N.Y., on March 1, 2022. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times) New York GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Lee Zeldin Attacked by Man Who Tried to Stab Him During Campaign Stop Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who is running against Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul in the race for New York governor, was attacked by an unnamed man who allegedly tried to stab him during a campaign stop on July 21. The congressman was on stage at an event in Perinton, New York, and talking to campaign supporters when the attacker pulled a knife out on him, according to a spokesperson. Zeldin, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, was able to escape injury and stop the man by grabbing his wrist until others assisted in taking the attacker to the ground, Zeldins campaign said. He then returned to the stage to finish his remarks after the alleged attacker was apprehended by law enforcement officials, his team said. Former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito, Zeldins running mate, was among those who helped stop the attacker, state GOP Chair Nick Langworthy told the Associated Press. Thank you to everyone who reached out following tonights attack in Fairport. Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evenings rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him, Zeldin wrote on Twitter on Thursday night following the incident. Im ok, and @EspositoforNY [Alison Esposito] and all other attendees are safe. The attacker is in custody. Grateful for the attendees who stepped up quickly to assist and the law enforcement officers who quickly responded. Im as resolute as ever to do my part to make N.Y. safe again, Zeldin said. More Must Be Done to Make NY Safe Again Zeldin spokesperson Katie Vincentz posted a tweet Thursday that both the Congressman and Esposito as well as all members of his team are safe, adding that Zeldin returned to the stage to continue his final remarks after officers apprehended the attacker. Video footage of the event posted on Twitter showed Zeldin on stage holding a microphone as he addresses a crowd of people before a man approaches him on the stage, holding an unknown object in his hand. The man then motions toward Zeldins neck area but the congressman is able to swiftly grab the mans arm and move it away. The attacker then grabs hold of Zeldins arm and pulls him to the ground while other people try to intervene. Far more must be done to make N.Y. safe again, Vincentz wrote in a tweet Thursday. This is out of hand. Rep. Zeldin is just the latest N.Y. whose life has been affected by the out-of-control crime & violence in N.Y. This must stop! Thankfully, we still have exceptional officers answering the call to protect us. Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015, is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in the November gubernatorial contest. Hochul said in a statement on Twitter Thursday evening that she condemned the attack and was relieved to hear her opponent had escaped unscathed. My team has informed me about the incident at Lee Zeldins campaign event tonight. Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possibleit has no place in New York, Hochul wrote. Wave Of Violent Crime Langworthy told AP that he had spoken with Zeldin via text message after the attack and that he is fine and not seriously injured, having escaped with just a little scrape. Zeldin has focused his campaign on fighting crime in New York and has previously taken aim at the Biden administration over its policy failures that have led to a wave of violent crime in big cities as well as an influx of illegal aliens attempting to cross into the United States through the southern border. He was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election. In recent weeks, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have also complained that an influx of illegal immigrants has put pressure on homeless shelters in their cities as well as other services. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office told AP on Thursday that it is aware of an incident at the speech of gubernatorial candidate Zeldin this evening. A suspect is in custody and Major Crimes is investigating. A reporter with One America News Network at a campaign rally with President Donald Trump at Williamsburg International Airport in Newport News, Va., on Sept. 25, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) OAN Fails to Reach Agreement With Verizon, Will Be Removed From Carriers TV Lineup One America News (OAN) Network will be removed from Verizons channel lineup at the end of this month, according to media reports and statements from the telecommunications giant. San Diego-based One America News is owned by tech entrepreneur Robert Herring and is one of three television networks favored by former President Donald Trump. However, the network failed to reach a new carriage agreement with Verizon Fios, the last major cable operator to run the channel. Our negotiation with OAN has been a typical, business-as-usual carriage negotiation like those that routinely happen between content distributors and content providers. These negotiations were focused on economics, as they always are, but OAN failed to agree to fair terms, a Verizon spokesperson said in a statement. As Verizon was unable to reach an agreement with OAN, it will no longer have the rights to OAN after July 31, and it will be removed from the Fios TV lineup, the spokesperson explained. Our company has long advocated for providing customers with the ability to choose what content they want to watch, and our Fios TV platform offers a wide and diverse choice of programming options, including a la carte options, that strive to meet our millions of customers various content needs and preferences, Verizon added. The Epoch Times has contacted OAN for comment. Cancel Campaign The latest decision comes after Satellite television provider DirecTV dropped OAN in January. That came following a push from left-wing organizations including Media Matters for America, GLAAD (formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Greenpeace USA and more, asking that AT&T, the majority owner of DirecTV, drop OANs channels from its lineup. The groups took aim at OANs coverage of the 2020 presidential election as well as COVID-19. We call on you to do the right thing and demand that DIRECTV take all available means to end its relationship with OANN, so that its customers are no longer forced to subsidize hate and disinformation, the groups wrote in a letter (pdf) to the CEOs of AT&T and DirecTV in November last year. The letter called OAN a purveyor of racial bigotry, conspiracy theories and calls for anti-democratic violence that endanger lives. OAN was sued in 2021 by two Georgia election workers over claims that they bought suitcases of illegal ballots to the State Farm Arena in Atlanta in November 2020 when they were working as ballot counters, along with other acts of fraud in an attempt to sway the results of the presidential election in Georgia. A judge dismissed OAN from the defamation lawsuit in May after the two sides reached a settlement. Despite being dropped by Verizon, OAN can still be livestreamed with a subscription and can also be watched via cable provider, General Communications Inc. OAN is also available on the digital platforms Vifgo and KlowdTV. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Firefighters spray water after a fire on the Arizona side of the Hoover Dam, near Boulder City, Nev., on July 19, 2022. (John Locher/AP Photo) Officials Investigate After Fire, Explosion at Hoover Dam Equipment failure caused a transformer at the Hoover Dam to explode, causing a fire that lasted about a half-hour and sending plumes of black smoke swirling through the air. Crews quickly extinguished the fire Tuesday morning. Doug Hendrix, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, emphasized that the fire was isolated to the single area, which limited damage to the facility, and that investigators would soon know what caused it. Weve got engineers and some of our senior leadership down there taking a look now, also with some inspectors to see exactly what happened, Hendrix told KTNV in Las Vegas. Hendrix did not respond Wednesday to emails from The Associated Press. What Is Hoover Dam? Hoover Dam, about 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas on the Nevada-Arizona border, is one of the tallest concrete dams in the United States at 726 feet. It supplies hydroelectric power for about 350,000 homes in Arizona, California, and Nevada. To create hydropower, a renewable energy source, water from the Colorado River flows into the dam, then into a pipe, which spins into a generator that ultimately creates electricity, before it goes into the transformer. What Happened? An explosion happened just after 10 a.m. Tuesday on one of the dams 17 transformers that generate electricity. The explosion caused a thick cloud of black smoke and flames that was caught on camera by visitors but was extinguished by fire crews within a half hour. Officials said equipment within the transformer failed, causing the fire, but they have not yet said what caused the equipment to fail. There were no injuries. Where Does the Investigation Stand? An investigation into the specifics of what caused the fire is ongoing with no specific timeline for its findings, said Michelle Helms, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Reclamation, in an emailed statement to the AP. These investigations take some time, she said. Is Power Supply Reduced at the Dam? Officials have not said how much power generation was lost. Hendrix told KTNV the power grid is not affected because the fire was contained to the site of one transformer of 17 totaland remained isolated until fire crews extinguished it. All of our protection equipment kicked right in, so it was isolated to that (transformer), Hendrix told the TV station. So we were very fortunate. What Is a Transformer? All power plants have transformers, which are mainly used to increase the voltage of electricity generated to send over transmission lines, said Jordan Kern, an assistant professor of natural resources at North Carolina State University. And then once the electricity gets to roughly where its going to be consumed, we use another set of transformers to reduce the voltage of the electricity, Kern said, and then that electricity gets sent out over distribution lines that are insulated and run to peoples houses, businesses, etc. Hoover Dam has 17 transformersnine on its Nevada side and eight on its Arizona side. The fire was extinguished on the fifth Arizona transformer. How Rare Is a Power Plant Fire? A fire at a power plant is rare, though theres always a risk, Kern said. I think most commonly, its other electrical equipment, that can cause a fire at a power facility, he said. Its not transformers themselves that are causing the fires. But you can imagine theres just an enormous amount of electrical cable in power plants. And if there are any malfunctioning equipment that ignites a fire, I think that can then spread. By Gabe Stern Ohio Supreme Court Rejects GOP-Drawn Congressional Maps for Second Time The Ohio Supreme Court struck down a Republican-authored congressional map this week, saying it violates anti-gerrymandering rules found in the state constitution. The court gave Ohio lawmakers 30 days to redesign the map for the 2024 elections. If they cannot reach a consensus, the Ohio Redistricting Commission will have 30 days to adopt the congressional map. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that the map was slightly more favorable to Democrats than one rejected earlier this year, but it unduly favors the Republican party. Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, a Republican; and Democratic party Justices Michael P. Donnelly, Melody Stewart, and Jennifer Brunner, comprised the majority opinion. Republican Justices Sharon L. Kennedy, Patrick F. Fischer, and R. Patrick DeWine dissented. Six other times this yearincluding five times on state legislative mapsthe same combination of justices has come to a similar decision. Since primaries were held in May using the districts as presented in the rejected map, that map will be used in the November general election. The majority agreed with plaintiff experts who said Republicans created the map to enhance their chances of winning general elections and again split the Akron, Cincinnati, and Cleveland regions in a way that would reduce Democrats chances of winning a fair share of Ohios 15 congressional districts. As an example, they explained that splitting Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, forms one heavily Republican district and one slightly Democratic district. The map places Democratic voters into a few dense Democratic-leaning districts, thereby increasing the Republican vote share of the remaining districts. As a result, districts that would otherwise be strongly Democratic-leaning are now competitive or Republican-leaning districts, the majority opinion read. Justice Sharon Kennedy is running for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in November against Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner (Courtesy of Sharon Kennedy/Facebook) Justice DeWine, whose father, Mike DeWine, is governor of Ohio and serves on the redistricting commission, joined Kennedy in a dissenting opinion. DeWine and Kennedy agreed with Republican arguments that they decided to focus on establishing competitive congressional districts instead of emphasizing proportionality, which is intended for each party to win a volume of seats that match the statewide share of voters. As of Oct. 21, 2021, Ohio has 7,982,501 registered voters947,027 Democrats and 836,080 Republicans. Most of the states registered Republicans live outside of Ohios three largest countiesHamilton (Cincinnati), Franklin (Columbus), Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Montgomery (Dayton), and Lucas (Toledo). Proportionality language exists in Ohios state legislative redistricting guidelines, but there is no such language in the states congressional redistricting rules. The majority clearly has a number of Democrat congressional seats in mind, and any plan that does not result in that number will be deemed unconstitutional and, therefore, invalid, Kennedy and DeWine said. Kennedy is running for chief justice against Brunner in November. Fisher, DeWine, and Kennedy said that, since the maps wont take effect until the 2024 elections, more time should have been invested before coming to a decision. This courts failure to hold even one hearing in these cases undoubtedly raises concerns among the public regarding this courts lack of transparency, and one might wonder why such concerns have not been voiced in the media, Fisher wrote in his dissent. The state supreme court ruled in January that the first set of congressional maps was unconstitutional, which tasked the General Assembly with resolving the issue. When the General Assembly did not act within the required 30-day time frame, the process was moved to Ohios Redistricting Commission. The Republicans on the commission are: DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, State Auditor Keith Faber, Speaker of the House Rep. Bob Cupp, and Senate President Matt Huffman. House Minority Leader Allison Russo and state Sen. Vernon Sykes represent the Democrats. On March 1, the commission passed the second set of maps on a 5-2 party-line vote. Lawsuits were filed by the Ohio chapters of the ACLU and the League of Women Voters, and the National Democratic Redistricting Committees local affiliate. The legal action led to this weeks court ruling. With todays ruling, the Ohio Supreme Court is standing up for Ohio voters by striking down an unconstitutional congressional map designed to give Republicans an unfair advantage, Abha Khanna, a lawyer for the Democratic redistricting group, said in a statement. Ohioans made their voice heard, and they deserve to vote in fairly drawn districts. After the decision, state Rep. Jeff Crossman reiterated his call for the filing of a criminal complaint against the Redistricting Commission. Crossman, who won the Democratic primary for attorney general and is running against incumbent Republican Dave Yost in November, submitted a criminal complaint with the city of Columbus in May. The filing alleges two counts of dereliction of duty and interference with civil rights against the commissions Republican members. On paper, the map favors Republicans to prevail in 10 of Ohios 15 congressional districts at a time when the Republicans are striving to regain control of the U.S. House. According to individual race ratings from Inside Elections on July 1, Republicans would gain seven House seats nationwide if elections were held on that day. They only need a net gain of four seats to reclaim the majority. Ohio currently has 12 Republicans and four Democrats in Congress. The state is losing a seat following the 2020 U.S. Census results. With the maps that will be used in the November general election, only one seat flipped from Republican-leaning to Democratic-friendly. Ohios 1st Congressional District, which includes part of Cincinnati, has been represented by Republican Steve Chabot since January 3, 2011. His race against Democratic challenger Greg Landsman is rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabatos Crystal Ball. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) (2nd L) speaks as then Rep.-elect Andy Levin (D-Mich.) (L) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) (R) listen during a news conference in Washington, on Nov. 29, 2018. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who is in her 40th year as a congresswoman, appears vulnerable in the revamped 9th Congressional District. She was first elected to the U.S. House in 1982 when President Ronald Reagan was midway through his first term. For a decade leading to the current election cycle, the 9th District covered 140 miles of Lake Eries coastline, including the Democratic strongholds of Toledo in northwest Ohio and Cleveland in the states northeast corner. It was called the snake on the lake district. Kaptur breezed to election victories, consistently securing more than 60 percent of the vote. Now, the 9th District includes Ohios rural northwestern corner, which is mostly conservative. Cleveland is no longer in the district. J.R. Majewski, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary. Political forecasters give Republicans a slight edge in winning the district. In Ohios new 13th Congressional District, which includes Democrat-leaning Akron but also Republican-friendly areas, Democratic State Rep. Emilia Sykes faces Trump-endorsed former Miss Ohio Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in November. Rep. Tim Ryan, who won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary and is running against Republican J.D. Vance, currently represents the district, which once included Democrat-stronghold Youngstown. Sykess father, state Sen. Vernon Sykes, is part of the seven-member commission working on the new congressional map. The Cook Political Report and Sabatos Crystal Ball call the race a Toss-Up while Inside Elections rates it as Tilt Republican. Some districts, like Republican stalwart congressmen Jim Jordan (4th district) and Warren Davidson (8th district), are projected to win in landslides, according to data related to the new maps. Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown is in the +59.7 Democratic 11th District and Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty represents the +37.8 Democratic 3rd District. Chief Justice OConnor, the Republican who has voted with Democrats for all seven state legislative and congressional map cases, cannot seek another term because of age limits. Kennedy and Brunner are vying to replace her. Ohio Supreme Court elections in November could determine the outcome of future redistricting cases. Ohioans will head to the polls on Aug. 2 to vote for state House and Senate primaries. They will use maps that were approved by two federal judges, overruling the Ohio Supreme Courts rejections. The second primary, which is expected to see a low turnout, will cost taxpayers around $20 million, according to the Ohio Secretary of States office. The state legislative maps apply to the Aug. 2 primary and the Nov. 8 general election. The Ohio Redistricting Commission must author new maps for 2024. Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announces a new expert advisory group on online safety as a next step in developing legislation to address harmful online content, during a press conference in Ottawa on March 30, 2022. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Ottawa Launches $2.4 Million Initiative to Combat Harmful Online Disinformation The federal government announced another measure on July 21 that will impact the information space, this time with a $2.4 million investment to counter harmful online disinformation. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, the minister responsible for the file, has cited a desire to have a common set of facts as part of the motivation behind the new measure. The initiative, funded by Canadian Heritage, aims to promote civic, news, and digital media literacy through funding third-party educational activities and programming to help citizens become resilient against disinformation, according to a statement. These projects will give Canadians skills and tools to tell fact from fiction online. We live and work better as a society when we have a common set of facts, stated Rodriguez. The funding is said to be particularly geared toward online disinformation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russias invasion of Ukraine. Canadian Heritage says the public should have access to diverse and reliable sources of information to hold governments and public institutions to account. The government funding will be provided to 11 different projects that responded to a call for applications from the department. Three universities are receiving funding, including McGill (Max Bell School of Public Policy), Concordia (Project Someone), and Toronto Metropolitan (Leadership Lab). They will be producing podcasts and online courses, and engage directly with online platforms on the topic of disinformation. Other groups receiving funding include DisinfoWatch, CIVIX, and Digital Public Square. Multiple Initiatives This latest announcement by the Liberal government is part of a wider strategy to regulate the internet and affect what Canadians can hear and see online. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly noted that misinformation and disinformation are issues he wants to tackle. The governments Bill C-11, which seeks to amend the Broadcasting Act, will grant powers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate user-generated content, its chair has confirmed. Another bill related to online content is Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which is meant to increase Canadian media online revenues. The bill has its critics, including University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist, who says it will hurt press independence and increase reliance on Big Tech. The government has also undertaken consultations with a hand-picked panel of experts to help craft its legislation to tackle online harms. A previous Epoch Times analysis of the panel of 12 experts showed they mostly share the governments ideology on different issues such as COVID-19 measures, advocating for more vaccine mandates, labelling alternative viewpoints conspiracies, and criticizing freedom-themed protests. One of the experts on the panel teaches at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, which has received funding from the latest initiative. Others already work for programs funded by the federal government, such as the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. Summaries of discussions from the panel working groups reveal many experts are in favour of regulating private communications with the future online harms reduction legislation. The group of experts also agreed that disinformation has grown to become one of the most pressing and harmful forms of malicious behaviour online. Given the serious and urgent nature of the harms created by disinformation, experts argued that legislation on online safety should consider disinformation in some capacity, says a discussion summary provided by Canadian Heritage. Nevertheless, the experts said disinformation cannot be defined in legislation since the government cannot decide what is true and what is false, and disinformation usually carries an intent that is hard to establish. George Soros arrives to deliver a speech on the sideline of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 24, 2019. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Out-of-State Money Pours Into Texas Democrat Beto ORourkes Campaign Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's top donors were Texans Californians along with out-of-state donor George Soros have contributed heavily to Democrat Beto ORourkes gubernatorial campaign to unseat Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Soros, a Hungarian-born businessman who has championed Democrats and their causes for decades, is known for backing progressive candidates. Many of the candidates he helped elect are considered far-left, such as George Gascon, who won the Los Angeles District Attorney race in 2020 but is facing a second recall effort for his soft-on-crime stance. ORourke, who unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 and the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, amassed $27.6 million in campaign contributions from late February through June. Abbott raised $24.9 million in the same period. Abbott maintained $45.7 million cash-on-hand, well above ORourkes $23.9 million. In addition to Soros $1 million contribution, ORourke received $1 million each from Tench and Simone Coxe, an Austin, Texas, couple formerly of California. He is a venture capitalist, and she is co-founder of Blanc & Otus public relations. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke (L) interrupts a press conference held by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott following a shooting the day before at Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images) Texas campaign records show many of ORourkes large donations came from out of state. He received a total of $500,000 from 28 California donors who gave $10,000 or more. Our Texas Pac of Colorado donated $500,000, and the American Federation of Teachers in Washington D.C. gave $300,000. Meanwhile, many of Abbotts campaign donations came from Texans. His top donor was S. Javaid Anwar, a Midland oilman and regular GOP contributor, who gave the governors campaign $750,000. Abbott appointed Anwar to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board twice. Only one of Abbotts top donors, Ed Roski, a California billionaire who contributed some $500,000, was out of state. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) displays the Beto Truth Response Unit in Houston, June 16, 2022. The ambulance will follow his Democratic opponent on the campaign trail. (Darlene McCormick Sanchez/The Epoch Times) ORourke began a seven-week campaign swing this week across the Lone Star State, where he is scheduled to make 70 stops. Abbott has vowed to follow ORourkes campaign with an ambulance listing what the real candidate actually stands for, while launching ads against his oponent. Abbott wasted no time seizing ORoukes ties to the left with an ad titled: Defend Texas from George Soros! Correction: A previous version of this article missed identifying Ed Roski as a top Abbott donor. The Epoch Times regrets the error. WASHINGTON (AP) Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was convicted on Friday of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Bannon, 68, was convicted after a four-day trial in federal court in Washington on two counts: one for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee's subpoena. The jury of 8 men and 4 women deliberated just under three hours. He faces up to two years in federal prison when he's sentenced on Oct. 21. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail. David Schoen, one of Bannon's lawyers, said outside the courthouse the verdict would not stand. "This is round one, Schoen said. You will see this case reversed on appeal. Likewise, Bannon himself said, "We may have lost the battle here today; were not going to lose this war. He thanked the jurors for their service and said he had only one disappointment "and that is the gutless members of that show trial committee, the J-6 committee didnt have the guts to come down here and testify. Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney in Washington, said in a statement, The subpoena to Stephen Bannon was not an invitation that could be rejected or ignored. Mr. Bannon had an obligation to appear before the House Select Committee to give testimony and provide documents. His refusal to do so was deliberate, and now a jury has found that he must pay the consequences. The committee sought Bannon's testimony over his involvement in Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bannon had initially argued that his testimony was protected by Trump's claim of executive privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contend such a claim is dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Bannon's lawyers tried to argue during the trial that he didn't refuse to cooperate and that the dates "were in flux." They pointed to the fact that Bannon had reversed course shortly before the trial kicked off after Trump waived his objection and had offered to testify before the committee. In closing arguments Friday morning, both sides re-emphasized their primary positions from the trial. The prosecution maintained that Bannon willfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines, and the defense claimed Bannon believed those deadlines were flexible and subject to negotiation. Bannon was served with a subpoena on Sept. 23 last year ordering him to provide requested documents to the committee by Oct. 7 and appear in person by Oct. 14. Bannon was indicted in November on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, a month after the Justice Department received the House panel's referral. Bannon's attorney Evan Corcoran told jurors Friday in his closing arguments that those deadlines were mere "placeholders" while lawyers on each side negotiated terms. Corcoran said the committee "rushed to judgment" because it "wanted to make an example of Steve Bannon." Corcoran also hinted that the government's main witness, Jan. 6 committee chief counsel Kristin Amerling, was personally biased. Amerling admitted on the stand that she is a lifelong Democrat and has been friends with one of the prosecutors for years. Corcoran also vaguely hinted that the signature of Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) looked different on the subpoena than on other letters but dropped that topic when the prosecution objected. Prosecutors focused on the series of letters exchanged between the Jan. 6 committee and Bannon's lawyers. The correspondence shows Thompson immediately dismissing Bannon's claim that he was exempted by Trump's claim of executive privilege and explicitly threatening Bannon with criminal prosecution. "The defense wants to make this hard, difficult and confusing," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn in her closing statement. "This is not difficult. This is not hard. There were only two witnesses because it's as simple as it seems." The defense Thursday motioned for an acquittal, saying the prosecution had not proved its case. In making his motion for acquittal before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, Bannon attorney Evan Corcoran said that "no reasonable juror could conclude that Mr. Bannon refused to comply." Once the motion was made the defense rested its case without putting on any witnesses, telling Nichols that Bannon saw no point in testifying since the judge's previous rulings had gutted his planned avenues of defense. Among other things, Bannon's team was barred from calling as witnesses House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or members of the House panel. David Schoen said Bannon "understands that he would be barred from telling the true facts." Pierre Poilievre Responds to Question About Tamara Lich Conservative MP and leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre was asked at a recent campaign stop what he would do about the case of Tamara Lich, who is in jail for charges in relation to her role as a Freedom Convoy organizer. Former Iranian political prisoner Salman Sima, who took refuge in Canada in 2011, posed the question to Poilievre and shared their interaction in a video on Twitter on July 20. I was a former political prisoner in Iran and its hard for me to see that Tamara Lich is behind [bars]. As the prime minister, what would you do that makes sure Canada doesnt have any political prisoners? Sima asked Poilievre on July 20. As a prime minister, I will not control who goes to prison, because I am not responsible for making arrests or making judgmentspolice and judges must make those decisions, Poilievre answered. I asked @PierrePoilievre about #TamaraLich & what he would do to make sure Canada does not have political prisoners. I said as a former political prisoner in Iran its hard for me to see her behind the bars. He replied: As a prime minister I will not control who goes to prison. pic.twitter.com/MMZE7JYrpq Salman Sima (@SalmanSima) July 21, 2022 Poilievre also said it would be a disaster if Canada becomes a country where politicians have the power to choose who goes to jail. Im not going to tell you what kind of sentence anyone is going to get, because its not the role of a prime ministerthats the job of police, to lay charges, for Crown attorneys to prosecute charges, for defensive lawyers to defend against the charge, and for judges and juries to deliver verdicts and sentences, he said. Lichs fellow convoy organizer Tom Marazzo reacted to the video on Twitter on July 20, saying Poilievres statement was absolutely right. Another convoy organizer, Benjamin Dichter, took a different view, saying the correct answer should be, The mere idea of political prisoners in Canada prior to #JustinTrudeau would have been impossible to fathom. Im following the situation & I promise you under my leadership Canada will never hold any citizen as a political prisoner. Peoples Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier also reacted to Simas video on Twitter, saying that Poilievres response ignored the political context of what happened to Lich. Trudeau demonized the Convoy. He illegally invoked the Emergency Act and froze bank accounts. Hes weaponized the police and justice system. This needs to be reversed to ensure we dont have more political prisoners like Tamara in Canada, Bernier wrote on July 22. Tamara Lich Lich was a key organizer of the truckers Freedom Convoy protest held in downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks starting in late January this year. The protest initially opposed the federal governments mandatory COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed on all cross-border truck drivers but quickly evolved into a national movement calling for an end to all other pandemic restrictions. Protests in solidarity with the convoy also sprang up at several border Canada-U.S. border crossings at the time. The protests dissolved after the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 to give the police additional powers to clear the demonstration in an escalated operation over the next few days. Lich was arrested on Feb. 17, and was initially denied bail on Feb. 22 but the decision was later overturned. After having spent 19 days in custody, she was released on bail on March 7 under a number of conditions, including having no contact with fellow convoy organizers and not setting foot in Ontario. Crown prosecution, however, sought to return Lich to jail in May, alleging that she had breached her bail conditions by accepting an invitation from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms to receive the 2022 George Jonas Freedom Award at a ceremony in Toronto in June. That allegation was struck down after an Ontario Superior Court Justice ruled on May 25 that Lich didnt breach her bail terms. However, just days after attending the award ceremony in Toronto, Lich was rearrested in her hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta, on June 27, under a Canada-wide warrant, and was transferred back to Ottawa to attend a bail hearing. After a series of delays to her court hearings, the Crown revealed on July 5 that Lich was arrested for interacting with fellow convoy organizer Tom Marazzo at the June 16 event in Toronto, which the Crown alleged breached her bail terms of no contact. As evidence, the Crown presented a photograph of Lich and Marazzo at the event and a video recording that allegedly shows Lich sitting at a table where Marazzo and others are seated. During that hearing, the defence said a brief congratulatory exchange between Lich and Marazzo after Lich accepted her award wouldnt lead to any illegal activity and isnt a breach of bail conditions. The court also heard testimony that lawyers were present at the event, and had approved the picture being taken of Lich and Marazzo. The defence noted that Lichs bail conditions specify that theres to be no communication between convoy organizers except in the presence of counsel. On July 8, Lich was denied bail and was ordered to remain in jail to await trial, after Justice of the Peace Paul Harris said he was siding with the Crown, saying that it was absolutely ridiculous for her to believe she could justify interacting with Marazzo by having her lawyers in the room. Harris also said that Lich poses a risk to public safety, as some Freedom Convoy protests continue to be held in Ottawa from time to time. A bail review for Lich will be held on July 25. Candidates, left to right, Leslyn Lewis, Roman Baber, Jean Charest, Scott Aitchison, Patrick Brown, and Pierre Poilievre at the Conservative Party of Canada English leadership debate in Edmonton on May 11, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh) Pierre Poilievre Risks $50,000 Fine With Plan to Skip Conservative Leadership Debate OTTAWAThe Conservative Party of Canadas plan to host a third leadership debate in August may be crumbling, with one candidate refusing to attend and another mulling whether its really necessary. The campaign for perceived frontrunner Pierre Poilievre announced Thursday the longtime MP wont take part in the debate, facing the consequence of a hefty fine. Jenni Byrne, a senior member of Poilievres team, released a scathing statement on Twitter explaining his decision after the party announced earlier in the day it would proceed with a debate in early August. Conservative party rules spell out candidates must participate in official leadership debates or face an automatic $50,000 penalty. Participation is mandatory and no substitution will be permitted, according to the rules. Byrnes statement noted Poilievre took part in the first two official debatesin May, plus one put on by the Canada Strong and Free Network an organization that promotes the conservative movement. It also slammed the Englishlanguage debate held in Edmonton because it featured sound effects and a series of questions about the candidates taste in music and television. It was not the campaigns fault that the partys Edmonton debate was widely recognized as an embarrassment candidates were given PingPong paddles to hold up when they wanted to speak. It was more of a game show than a debate, the statement read. And it happened despite strong cautions to the party about both the moderator and format all of which were ignored. The debate was hosted by former political journalist Tom Clark, who Poilievres campaign criticized as a Laurentian elite liberal media personality. A request for comment from Clark has not yet been returned. Party spokesman Yaroslav Baran said he understands there are multiple views on the debates held to date, and highlighted that race rules say attendance is mandatory. Byrnes statement said the plan for another debate comes as the Poilievre campaign works to get out the vote among Conservative members. The MP boasts he sold nearly 312,000 memberships a figure party headquarters wont verify. Thats more than the total number of members the party had when Erin OToole was made leader in 2020. The party has said a record number of people about 675,000 signed up for memberships ahead of the vote. Members have until the beginning of September to return their ballots before the results are unveiled in Ottawa on Sept. 10. Voting is already underway, with most of the ballots having been mailed out. Poilievres campaign goes on to attack fellow leadership candidate Jean Charests repeated calls for a third debate, saying the exQuebec premier couldnt draw the same crowd sizes as Poilievre during the spring when candidates were selling memberships to supporters. That is why he wants another debate to use Pierres popularity with members to bring out an audience he cant get on his own. In response, Charests campaign accused Poilievre of preferring to craft messages on social media than answer questions in real time. Jean has NEVER shied away from answering tough questions, it reads, adding it felt the format of the Frenchlanguage debate held in Laval, Que., was constructive. Leslyn Lewis, a social conservative MP from Ontario who is also in the running, said party members had a chance to see leadership candidates present their visions for the country in the two earlier debates, which remain online. I am not sure what value we are giving to members through a hastily schedule debate at this time, she said in a statement. Like Poilievre, Lewis underscored its an important stage of the race for candidates to meet members and says she has a jampacked schedule of events. I have found that the concerns of everyday Canadians vary greatly from the highlevel political questions we get asked during official debates, she said. The issues facing rural Canadians have not been represented in the debates held. As for whether she plans on participating, her campaign says it is in discussions with the party. Besides Charest, candidates Scott Aitchison, a rural Ontario MP, and Roman Baber, a former Ontario legislator, had also expressed hope for another debate. Poilievres decision to skip the event means there will be not one, but at least two fewer candidates on stage, given the recent disqualification of Patrick Brown over an allegation he may have breached federal elections laws. Brown has denied that accusation. It is also not the first time during the race that planning for a debate has been sidelined. Poilievre declined to participate in an unofficial one while candidates were at the Calgary Stampede. The Independent Press Gallery, a organization that represents various media outlets and journalists, also announced it had to cancel a debate it had been planning because not enough candidates confirmed they would attend. The partys leadership election organizing committee says it decided on Wednesday evening to go ahead with a third official debate after surveying members last week. Some 24,000 responded. The response was overwhelmingly in favour, Baran said. Although officials and campaigns have just weeks to plan for the event, campaigns were informed earlier in the race that their candidates could be called back for a debate in early August at the partys discretion. By Stephanie Taylor Russia Pounds Major Ukrainian City After Expanding War Aims KHARKIV, UkraineRussian shelling pounded a densely populated area in Ukraines second-largest city Thursday, killing at least three people and injuring at least 23 others with a barrage that struck a mosque, a medical facility and a shopping area, according to officials and witnesses. Police in the northeast city of Kharkiv said cluster bombs hit Barabashovo Market, where Associated Press journalists saw a woman crying over her dead husbands body. Local officials said the shelling also struck a bus stop, a gym, and a residential building. The bombardment came after Russia on Wednesday reiterated its plans to seize territories beyond eastern Ukraine, where the Russian military has spent months trying to conquer Ukraines Donbas region, which is south of Kharkiv. It also followed Ukrainian attacks this week on a bridge the Russians have used to supply their forces in occupied areas near the countrys southern Black Sea coast. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attacks early Thursday targeted one of the most crowded areas of the city, which had a prewar population of about 1.4 million. The Russian army is randomly shelling Kharkiv, peaceful residential areas, civilians are being killed, Terekhov said. The cluster bombs claim could not be independently confirmed. AP journalists at the scene saw burned-out cars and a bus pierced by shrapnel. The Kharkiv regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said four people were in grave condition and a child was among those wounded in the shelling. Russian forces also shelled wheat fields, setting them on fire, he said. Elsewhere, Russian forces shelled the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight as well as the eastern cities of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka, where two schools were destroyed, Ukrainian officials said. A mans body was recovered from the rubble of the school in Kramatorsk, and emergency workers say two more people were feared trapped there. The scattered attacks illustrate broader war aims beyond Russias previously declared focus on the Donbas regions Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, which pro-Moscow separatists have partly controlled since 2014. A Ukrainian soldier carries a U.S.-supplied Stinger as he goes along the road in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region on June 18, 2022. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo) Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-controlled RT television and the RIA Novosti news agency Wednesday that Russia plans to retain control over more territory, including the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in southern Ukraine. Moscows current strategy also envisions making gains elsewhere, Lavrov said. Ukraine forces on Wednesday struck a key bridge on the Dnieper River for the second time in as many days, apparently trying to loosen Russias grip on the southern Kherson region. Ukraines military reported Thursday that Russian forces attempted to storm the Vuhlehirska power station in the Donetsk region, but said Ukrainian defenders made the enemy resort to fleeing. In other developments Thursday: The operator of a major pipeline from Russia to Europe says natural gas has started flowing again after a 10-day shutdown for maintenance. But the gas flow was well short of full capacity and the outlook was uncertain. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany had been closed since July 11 for annual maintenance. The pipeline is Germanys main source of Russian gas. German officials had feared that the pipeline might not reopen at all amid growing tensions over Russias war in Ukraine. Turkish officials said a deal on a U.N. plan to unblock the exports of Ukrainian grain and to allow Russia to export grain and fertilizers will be signed Friday in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans office said that he, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and officials from Russia and Ukraine will oversee the signing ceremony. Guterres has been working on a plan to enable the export of millions of tons of grain stockpiles that have been stuck in Ukraines Black Sea ports due to the war. The move could ease a global food crisis that has sent wheat and other grain prices soaring. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment. Ukraines nuclear energy plant operator says Russian forces have placed explosives and weapons in parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant where they pose significant danger. Energoatom said the heavy weapons and explosives are in the building that houses one of six reactors at Europes largest nuclear power station. They are continuing to cynically, absolutely violate all norms and demands of fire, nuclear, and radiation safety, the statement said. Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, said Moscow will consider boosting natural gas supplies to Hungary following a formal request from Budapest. He spoke after a meeting in Moscow with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Russian news agencies say Szijjarto sought to get an additional 700 million cubic meters of gas from Russia this year. Russia barred 39 representatives of Australian security services and defense companies from entering the country, in response to sanctions imposed by Canberra earlier this year. US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers fire salvoes during a military exercise in the Grier Labouihi region, in Morocco, on June 9, 2021. (Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images) Russia Says It Destroyed 4 HIMARS Launchers in Ukraine LONDONRussias defense ministry said on Friday its forces had destroyed four U.S.supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) between July 520. Four launchers and one reloading vehicle for the U.S.-made multiple launch rocket systems (HIMARS) were destroyed, it said in a daily briefing. Reuters could not verify battlefield reports. Kyiv has hailed the arrival of eight HIMARS in Ukraine as a possible gamechanger for the course of the war. The advanced weapons are more precise and offer a longer range than other artillery systems, allowing Kyiv to strike Russian targets and weapons depots further behind the front lines. Moscow has accused the West of dragging out the conflict by supplying Kyiv with more arms, and said the supply of longer-range weapons justifies Russias attempts to exert control over a swathe of Ukrainian territory in the south of the country, beyond the eastern Donbass region, for its own protection. On July 6, just days after the first HIMARS arrived in Ukraine, Russias defense ministry said it had destroyed two of them, releasing a video of the alleged strike. Ukraine rejected those claims and said it was using the U.S.supplied arms to inflict devastating blows on Russian forces. This week Kyiv has used HIMARS to strike a crucial bridge across the Dnipro river in Russian-controlled parts of the southern Kherson region, putting huge holes in the asphalt and prompting local Russian-installed officials to warn it could be completely destroyed if the attacks continue. The United States said on Wednesday it will send four more HIMARS to Ukraine in its latest package of military support. San Diego Opens 40-Bed Shelter Focusing on Women With Medical Conditions SAN DIEGOThe city opened its newest shelter July 21 for homeless womena 40-bed facility in the East Village offering a safe recovery place for women with serious medical conditions. Mayor Todd Gloria helped open the shelter, Rachels Promise, a collaboration between the citys Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department and the San Diego Housing Commission. It will be operated under contract with the commission by the Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego and will offer housing navigation assistance, meals, laundry facilities, showers, mail and telephone services, and clothing. Rachels Promise is our latest effort to bring online more shelter beds to get more people experiencing homelessness off the streets and into care, Gloria said. This is part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce homelessness, which is built around increasing street outreach, providing diverse shelter options, creating new pathways to behavioral health care, and building affordable housing. This work requires all hands on deck, and Im grateful that Catholic Charities has partnered with us in our effort to move vulnerable folks off the streets and put them on a path to housing and a better future, he said. For nearly four decades, Catholic Charities has increased its services to assist people experiencing homelessness. In addition to the new womens shelter, the organization also operates the existing Rachels Womens Center and Night Shelter across the street from Rachels Promise, as well as programs such as the 100-bed La Posada shelter in Carlsbad, the 50-bed Our Lady of Guadalupe shelter in Calexico, the 24-bed House of Hope shelter in El Centro and soon a Homeless Day Center in El Centro that will serve 250 individuals daily. Rachels Promise represents the best of faith-based and civic cooperation to assist the women of our society facing multiple complex barriers to housinga partnership of Catholic Charities and the city of San Diego that will provide shelter and love, said Robert W. McElroy, cardinal-designate, bishop of San Diego. As Catholic Charities, we must always remember that Jesus and his family were homeless when he entered the world. And from that fact should come an enduring commitment to all those who are unsheltered and dispossessed. One of Glorias stated goals for his administration was to increase the number of shelter beds in the city. According to his office, the total shelter capacity has increased by 25 percent since April 2021. New shelters opened during this time include the 44-bed C-HRT Harm Reduction Shelter in Midway for people struggling with substance abuse and other behavioral health challenges and the Palm Avenue Interim Shelter in the South Bay, which prioritizes seniors with access to housing resources. Rachels Promise is yet another option the city is providing to help women off the streets and into the shelter, said City Councilman Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown. We will also help them find permanent housing and connect them with services. Later this summer, the city and county plan to open the Midway District Bridge Shelter, which will provide roughly 120 beds, and the C-HRT Safe Haven, a 22-bed facility with private rooms for people with more acute behavioral health needs. San Diego also is making one of its three Safe Parking lots a 24-hour facility, and efforts are underway to site a pilot Safe Camping program for individuals 60 and older in the downtown area. The opening of this program means more vulnerable women experiencing homelessness will have opportunities to move into shelters and receive the services they need, said Jeff Davis, the interim president and CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission. This is an important step on the journey to longer-term or permanent housing. Migrant workers and their relatives are waiting for the train that will take them to Shenzhen at Yichang East Station in Yichang, Hubei Province on March 23, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Shenzhen Tasked to Find Residents Who Fled the Latest Lockdown In the latest lockdown, approximately 12,000 residents immediately fled Baishizhou, an urban village of Shenzhen. Local authorities issued urgent notices to demand surrounding areas to not take in those who seek shelter. Baishizhou began a second lockdown on July 18. Local authorities adopted a 7-day closure of the communities, and residents started to flee the area that evening. Residents explained to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that people were left with no choice but to escape, People need to work, many said. A Floating Population Baishizhou is known as the largest urban village in Shenzhen, a global manufacturing hub in southeastern China. Its populated with mainly migrant workers due to the affordable housing in the area. Chinese migrant workers generally endure similar circumstances: They are peasants who dont have permanent house registration in the city, and thus are known as part of a floating population; the majority of them rely on low-paid jobs and lack social welfare. The lockdown policy has a drastic impact on their livelihood. After the local authorities announced the 7-day closure, online videos show massive numbers of residents fleeing the area and trying to break through the physical blockade in the evening of the 18th. Mr. Liang, a local resident, explained that stores were closed for days before the authorities announced the closure of the areas. People were restricted from leaving their homes. People fled because they needed to make a living. A young girl holds a sign saying, I want to go to school, in protest of restrictions on education for the children of migrant workers in Beijing, on May 25, 2014. (Boxun.com) Mr. Zhao, a resident in a neighboring town, said that local authorities have issued text messages to tell those who fled the area to return for quarantine. It is true that many people have fled Baishizhou, but the hotels and local communities were warned not to take them in, Zhao said. As a result, many people were forced to sleep on the streets, for fear of being restricted at home and losing their income, according to Zhao. Official Warning to Follow Zero-Covid Chinese media reported that the latest outbreak in Shenzhen was mainly localized in Baishizhou, where 14 confirmed cases and 5 asymptomatic infections were identified on July 18. After the outbreak, many urgent notices issued by local authorities on the 19th and 20th were put online. Its noted that to follow the zero-Covid policy, residents should comply with a valid PCR test within 24 hours, and a strict closure for 72 hours; the authorities will hold those who provide shelter to the fleeing residents accountable, including friends and relatives. The notices were in particular addressed to landlords and those who sublet their rented premises. Gu Qinger and Hong Ning contributed to this report. Protesters shout slogans demanding president Ranil Wickremesinghe step down during a protest at the presidential secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 20, 2022. (Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo) Sri Lankan Forces Deployed to Dismantle Anti-Government Protest Camp Outside Presidential Residence Sri Lankas armed forces on July 22 launched a pre-dawn raid at Galle Face parkwhich had been besieged for months by anti-government protesters in the wake of the countrys economic crisisdrawing outcry from human rights groups. Hundreds of military personnel and police special task force officers stormed the site at about 1 a.m. local time, dismantling tents and evicting demonstrators from the presidential secretariat, Colombo Page reported. The raid reportedly occurred hours before protesters were due to leave the area. The roads leading to Galle Face were closed, and nine people were arrested for confronting police during the raid, two of whom were taken to the hospital for their injuries. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) issued a statement claiming that security forces were seen assaulting unarmed civilians, including two attorneys and journalists who were present at the site. The BASL has been informed that at least two Attorneys-at-Law who sought to intervene in their professional capacity had been assaulted by service personnel, it stated, calling for an immediate probe into the incident. The U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, urged the Sri Lankan authorities in a Twitter post to exercise restraint and provide immediate access to medical attention for those injured during the raid. Deeply concerned about actions taken against protestors at Galle Face in the middle of the night, Chung said in the tweet. Despicable Attack President Ranil Wickremesinghe authorized the nations armed forces to maintain public order after being sworn in as president on July 21. The BASL called Wickremesinghes move to deploy the armed forces to remove protesters from the presidential secretariat despicable, calling on his administration to uphold the rule of law and the peoples rights to protest. The use of the armed forces to suppress civilian protests on the very first day in office of the new president is despicable and will have serious consequences on our countrys social, economic, and political stability, it stated. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka also condemned the brutal and despicable attack on protesters at Galle Face, and pledged to conduct its own investigation into the incident. The commission said in a statement (pdf) that the militarys attack on unarmed civilians violated the peoples fundamental right to peacefully protest and urged the government to take action against the perpetrators. British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton also posted online about her concerns over the situation at Galle Face and emphasized the importance of the right to peaceful protest. Rajapaksa Ally Appointed as Prime Minister Wickremesinghe appointed veteran politician Dinesh Gunawardena to be the prime minister of the crisis-hit nation. Gunawardena was sworn in on July 22 following the raid at Galle Face. Gunawardena, 73, previously served as foreign minister under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksas administration from November 2019 to August 2021, and as education minister from August 2021 to April 2022. He is also the current leader of the House of Parliament. Wickremesinghe Calls For Unity Wickremesinghe secured 134 of the total 219 votes in the Parliament, defeating Dullas Alahapperuma, who collected 82 votes. The new president called for unity with his opponents to revive the economy. Sri Lankas newly sworn-in president Ranil Wickremesinghe signs after taking an oath during his swearing-in ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 21, 2022. (Sri Lankan Presidents Office via AP) We have to create a new strategy to move forward, he said. People are demanding not the old politics. They ask the Parliament to carry forward the work in a united manner. Anti-government protesters flocked to the presidential office to demand Wickremesinghes resignation as they viewed him as an ally of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. A Sri Lankan flag is waved by a protester demanding President Ranil Wickremesinghe step down in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 20, 2022. (Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo) Wickremesinghe previously served as prime minister to replace Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned after the prolonged unrest turned deadly in May 2022. He was later appointed as interim president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country due to protesters storming his official residence. Protesters also seized and burned down Wickremesinghes private house to demand his resignation as prime minister. He imposed a state of emergency after being sworn in as interim president but revoked the order hours later. Wickremesinghe imposed another state of emergency ahead of the parliamentary vote, which gave him broad authority to act in the interest of public security and order. He cited the maintenance of [essential] supplies and services as a reason for the move. Demonstrators run from tear gas used by police during a protest demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amid the countrys economic crisis, near the presidents residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 9, 2022. (Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters) Anti-government protesters have blamed Rajapaksa and his government for the countrys worst economic crisis in decades, which has left the nations population of 22 million people struggling to obtain food, fuel, medicines, and other essential items. Sri Lanka has $51 billion in foreign debt, $6.5 billion of which is owed to China. The country defaulted on its debt in May and declared bankruptcy on July 5. Wickremesinghe has been leading the governments efforts to negotiate a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund and seek loan packages from major lending partners, including China, India, and Japan. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon leaves the federal courthouse in Washington on July 21, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Steve Bannon Chooses Not to Testify in Own Defense WASHINGTONFormer White House adviser Steve Bannon will not testify in his contempt of Congress trial, his attorneys said in federal court on July 21. Bannon very much wanted to do so since the day he was indicted, lawyer David Schoen told the court. But Bannon would be barred from telling the true facts, he added. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee overseeing the case, has in recent days rejected a number of arguments the defense wanted to make, including references to former President Donald Trumps exercise of executive privilege after Bannon was subpoenaed by the House of Representatives committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Bannon was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress after declining to comply with the subpoena, which asked for documents and testimony relating to the breach. The panel said that Bannon had information that would inform its investigation into what happened. Bannon worked for the White House in 2017. He currently hosts a podcast called War Room. Bannons refusal to obey the subpoena stemmed from his respecting Trumps privilege claim, according to defense lawyers. Prosecutors say Bannon broke the law by not complying and is guilty. Motion to Dismiss Bannons lawyers filed a motion to dismiss on Thursday, asserting prosecutors did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their client is guilty. Prosecutors called just two witnesses, Jan. 6 panel lawyer Kristen Amerling and an FBI agent, before resting their case. The defense called no witnesses. Amerling called it very unusual for a person subpoenaed by Congress to refuse to cooperate at all. She also said she could not recall who decided to compel Bannon to appear before the committee. Amerling was equivocal in her testimony on the matter, Evan Corcoran, another Bannon lawyer, said. What human being drafted this subpoena? What human being came up with the dates, Oct. 7 and Oct 14? And she couldnt answer, he said, referring to dates in 2021. Under the U.S. Constitutions Sixth Amendment, a defendant has the right to confront the witnesses against him, but no members of the panel appeared in court, drawing criticism from the defense. If Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman, had testified, we would have presented evidence to the jury that he was not the author of those letters so they were not, in fact, an official position of the select committee, Corcoran said. Amanda Vaughn, a prosecutor, said that it was irrelevant who made the decisions to order Bannon to appear and to hand over documents. The dates are on the subpoena. He violated them. The evidence is clear that the defendant did not provide documents on Oct. 7, did not show up on Oct 14, she said. Judgement Reserved Nichols decided not to rule on the motion to dismiss or any other motions entered Thursday until after a verdict is reached. It is the parties shared view that I shouldnt do anything about the motion for acquittal, he said. Nichols was also presented with concerns about the proposed jury instructions. Our objection is it wades too much as to what wouldnt be a defense in this case, Schoen said. I dont think it needs to be hammered into the jury in the case. It would confuse the jury, what is a defense? No immediate decisions were made on the instructions. The court is scheduled to return on Friday morning. Bannon told reporters outside the courthouse that hes testified before Congress in the past, but that he followed the same pattern each time. Every time the exact same one. Executive privilege, a lawyers engaged, they worked it out, he said. John Haughey Follow John Haughey has been a working journalist since 1978 with an extensive background in local government, state legislatures, and growth and development. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, he is a Navy veteran who fought fires at sea during three deployments aboard USS Constellation. Hes been a reporter for daily newspapers in California, Washington, Wyoming, New York, and Florida; a staff writer for Manhattan-based business trade publications. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, center, walks to speak with reporters as he departs federal court in Washington on July 22, 2022. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Steve Bannon Found Guilty of Contempt of Congress WASHINGTONFormer White House strategist Steve Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress by a jury in Washington on Friday. Jurors convicted Bannon, who worked in the Trump administration, on two counts. Bannon faces up to two years in prison. Sentencing will take place on Oct. 21. Before Bannons trial, the last criminal contempt of Congress case took place in 1983, according to the Congressional Research Service. Bannon chose not to testify in his own defense. Prosecutors called just two witnesses, an FBI agent and Kristen Amerling, a lawyer for the House of Representatives panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Bannon told reporters outside the courthouse that he respected the jurys decision. We may have lost a battle here today but were not going to lose the war, he added. Case The case stemmed from Bannons refusal to comply with a subpoena demanding documents and testimony. The subpoena was issued by the House panel. Panel members alleged that Bannon has information that would help their investigation. Bannon offered to comply once the question of executive privilege, which had been asserted by former President Donald Trump, was resolved. Bannon was indicted in late 2021, several weeks after the House voted to hold him in contempt. In closing arguments, prosecutors said the evidence was clear that Bannon failed to comply with a lawful subpoena. This case is not complicated but it is important. This is a simple case about a manthat man, Steve Bannonwho didnt show up. Why didnt he show up? He didnt want to provide the January 6 committee with documents, didnt want to recognize the governments authority, Molly Gaston, one of the prosecutors, told the jury. Why is this important? Government only works if people show up, play by the rules, and are held accountable when they do not. Evan Corcoran, a lawyer representing Bannon, said that theres no evidence Bannon was connected to the breach and that his client was in negotiations to appear before the panel before the contempt vote. He also questioned whether Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the panel, had signed the subpoena. Appeal David Schoen, another Bannon lawyer, said that the case is a bulletproof appeal. You will see this case reversed on appeal, he said. Prosecutors overreached by not taking into account why Bannon didnt comply, which stemmed from the privilege concerns, according to Schoen. When a former president or a current president invokes executive privilege, its presumptively valid. Period, he said. Its not for Congress to decide its not valid. John Haughey Follow John Haughey has been a working journalist since 1978 with an extensive background in local government, state legislatures, and growth and development. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, he is a Navy veteran who fought fires at sea during three deployments aboard USS Constellation. Hes been a reporter for daily newspapers in California, Washington, Wyoming, New York, and Florida; a staff writer for Manhattan-based business trade publications. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher Dara Hass wipes away tears as she testifies in court about the shooting in her classroom during the penalty phase of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 19, 2022. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool) Teachers Weep Recalling Students Killed in Parkland Shooting FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.Teachers gave heart-wrenching testimony Wednesday in the penalty trial of Nikolas Cruz, with one recalling how a boy in her Holocaust studies class correctly answered a question seconds before he became one of 17 people murdered during the school shooters rampage four years ago. Ivy Schamis, then a teacher at Parklands Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was leading students through a discussion about the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany when star swimmer Nick Dworet correctly responded that Adolf Dassler founded the Adidas shoe company. He then added that Dasslers brother founded the rival Puma brand. It was then that they heard the initial gunshots in the first-floor hallway of the three-story building, and Cruz began firing his rifle through the glass on her classroom door near where he entered. It was really seconds later that the barrel of that just ambushed our classroom, Schamis testified, wiping her eyes with a tissue. It came right through that glass panel and was just shooting everywhere. It was very loud. Very frightening. I kept thinking about these kids who should not be experiencing this at all. She said the students scrambled to find safety behind furniture, but didnt panic and acted with bravery and maturity as they waited to be rescued. Three students were wounded in her class and two were killed: Dworet and Helena Ramsay, both 17. When shown their portraits, she began to weep. Thats my girl, Helena Ramsay, she said. Nicholas Dworet, handsome boy. Dworets brother Alexander was grazed by a bullet in a classroom across the hall, where three students were killed and several more wounded. Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Alexander Dworet describes the gunshot injuries he sustained to the back of his head as he testifies during the penalty phase of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruzs trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 19, 2022. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool) Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder for the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting. The jury must decide if the former Stoneman Douglas student should be sentenced to death or life without parole for the nations deadliest mass shooting to go before a jury. The trial is expected to last through at least October. Nine other gunmen who killed at least 17 people died during or immediately after their shootings, either by suicide or police gunfire. The suspect in the 2019 slaying of 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, is awaiting trial. Schamis testimony was followed by that of Ronit Reoven, who was lecturing her advanced psychology class about Sigmund Freud when Cruz started firing into her neighboring classroom, also through the doors window. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher Ronit Reoven describes the carnage in her classroom during Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is being tried in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on July 20, 2022. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool) There were multiple gunshots, she said. They were incredibly loud. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! I froze for a moment and the students jumped out of their seats. Of course, they were startled and scared. Reoven said she and the students crouched on the floor around her desk and wounded students were moaning and crying. She used a blanket that normally covered her coffee machine as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from a boys arm. Another boy used a jacket to stanch the bleeding from a girls chest. A girl shot in the knee appeared to be stable. But 16-year-old Carmen Schentrup was lying facedown in a pool of blood. I knew that she was probably gone, Reoven said. On the third floor, Stacey Lippel was teaching creative writing and Ernest Rospierski was supervising study hall when Cruzs shots on the first floor triggered the fire alarm. Not realizing a shooting was happening below them, they led their students into the hallway to evacuate. Thats when screaming students began coming back up the stairwell and they could hear gunshots. Lippel said she and the teacher from the neighboring room, Scott Beigel, quickly reopened their doors and started getting students back inside. It was then that Cruz emerged from the stairwell, splaying the rifle back and forth, shot after shot after shot, she said. It never stopped. Lippel said she got inside her room and closed the door, but Beigel was fatally shot. Beigels student, Veronica Steel, testified that his body kept the door from closing, leaving the students in the room fearful Cruz would come inside. It was scary. We didnt know what to do, she said. Rospierskis head and hip were grazed by bullets, but he helped students who had gathered in the alcove outside his classroom flee down a stairwell when Cruz briefly stopped shooting. Surveillance video played for the jury shows that two wounded students, 18-year-old Meadow Pollack and 14-year-old Cara Loughran, remained behind, lying on the floor. Cruz killed them with a second blast. He then killed 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver, who was lying wounded in front of a restroom. Two students in the fleeing group, 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg and 15-year-old Peter Wang, were hit just before they reached the stairwell door and potential safety. Both died, Wang after Cruz shot him with a second volley. When jurors eventually get the case, they will vote 17 times, once for each of the victims, on whether to recommend capital punishment. For each death sentence, the jury must be unanimous or the sentence for that victim is life. The jurors are told that to vote for death, the prosecutions aggravating circumstances for that victim must, in their judgment, outweigh the defenses mitigators. A juror can also vote for life out of mercy for Cruz. During jury selection, the panelists said under oath that they are capable of voting for either sentence. By Terry Spencer CAMDEN, N.J. A woman who admitted her role in a scam that raised $400,000 using a fake story about a homeless man received a one-year prison sentence in federal court Thursday. Katelyn McClure, 32, was also ordered to make restitution and serve three years supervised release. The Bordentown, New Jersey, resident is scheduled to be sentenced on state charges next month and could receive more prison time. McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark DAmico, fabricated the story about homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr. giving McClure $20 when she ran out of gas on a Philadelphia highway in 2017. A message was left Thursday with an attorney representing McClure. In truth, state and federal prosecutors said, the group had met near a Philadelphia casino in October 2017 shortly before they told their story. They publicized the story through local and national media interviews and created a GoFundMe account that more than 14,000 people donated to, thinking the money was to help Bobbitt, according to prosecutors. Law enforcement began investigating after Bobbitt sued the couple, accusing them of not giving him the money. The federal criminal complaint alleged all of the money raised in the campaign was spent by March 2018, with large chunks spent by McClure and DAmico on a recreational vehicle, a BMW and trips to casinos in Las Vegas and New Jersey. DAmico, described as the groups ringleader, pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced in April to 27 months in prison. He was also ordered to make restitution and is scheduled for sentencing on separate state charges next month. Bobbitt was sentenced to five years probation on state charges in 2019 and faces sentencing next month on federal charges. A line of electric vehicles of the model Y during the start of the production at Tesla's "Gigafactory" in Gruenheide, southeast of Berlin on March 22, 2022. (Patrick Pleul/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Tesla Gets Exclusive Express Lane at USMexico Border Crossing: Reports Elon Musks Tesla has been given its own dedicated lane at the U.S.Mexico border crossing near Laredo, Texas, to help speed up and streamline the process for suppliers traveling through the crossing, according to reports. The electric vehicle maker moved its headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas, last year and has since struck a deal with one of Mexicos most pro-business states to get its own lane at the Colombia Solidarity checkpoint for its suppliers, according to Bloomberg. It was a simple incentive, Ivan Rivas, the economy minister of Nuevo Leon, a state in the northeast region of Mexico, told the news outlet. What we want is a crossing thats much more expedited and efficient. And maybe there will be a lane for other companies in the future like there is for Tesla. Rivas, who did not negotiate the deal, did not provide any further information about the alleged exclusive lane. He added that Nuevo Leon, which borders the United States for 10 miles, is becoming an electro-mobility hub, and that he expects the EV industry to contribute to between 5 percent and 7 percent of investment in the state this year. The state is currently home to at least six suppliers for Tesla: EnFlex Corp., Quanta Computer, Faurecia SE, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, and APG Mexico, Rivas said. No Exemption Made A spokesperson for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency has not given Tesla such an exemption, so the reported exclusive lane may possibly be operating one way for now. For northbound commercial trucks at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge, currently there are only the regular cargo lanes and the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lane, which is for the exclusive use of companies that are enrolled in the CBP-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program, Rick Pauza, public affairs officer for the agency, said in a statement to TechCrunch. There is no separate, dedicated lane for Tesla or any specific company. The Epoch Times has contacted Tesla for comment. The so-called exclusive lane for Tesla vehicles comes as supply chain issues continue to plague businesses, and have been worsened by Chinas renewed COVID-19 lockdowns along with Russias war in Ukraine. A recent study by QIMA, a global quality control and compliance service provider, found that two-thirds of global businesses with international supply chains anticipate that the current disruptions will continue or worsen by the end of 2022. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in remarks during a visit to Seoul this week that she is pushing for increased trade ties with the United States and its trusted trading partners to improve supply chain resilience. Meanwhile, a Delaware judge this week ruled that Musks trial with Twitter will take place in October 2022, four months earlier than the February 2023 trial date the businessman had requested and closer to the September 2022 trial date requested by Twitter. Musk is being sued by Twitter after walking away from his $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform following a dispute over the number of automated bots and fake accounts on the platform. Twitter is suing to force him to complete the deal. The US President Finally Gets COVID Commentary The political hierarchy of infectious disease has finally come full circle. President Joe Biden got COVID-19. COVID pandemic policies have always been driven by class bias. Right from the outset, governments divided people by essential and nonessential, and medical services by elective and nonelective. How all this came to be, and so suddenly, cries out for explanation. But the effect was undeniable. By design, the working classes faced the pathogen first while the professional classes had the technological wherewithal and income stream to enable them to hide in their houses. They congratulated themselves for staying safe, daring to open their doors only to grab boxes of groceries dropped off by their lessers. We dont have to believe it was a plot. Its just a class bias. Some people imagine themselves to be more valuable than others, more worthy of remaining clean. Under some epidemiological conditions, this strategy can work for the ruling classes. Let the workers and peasants bear the burden. Their immunity can drive endemicity while keeping their betters safe. Its a massive and egregious violation of the social contract, a habit decried in literature from the Bible to Edgar Allan Poe. But it happened nonetheless. It so happened, however, that this particular pathogen made up in prevalence what it lacked in severity. As the lockdowns prolonged the pandemic, the mutations began and the threshold for herd immunity rose ever higher. At some point, it became obvious: everyone would get it. The stay-home-stay-safe crowd failed in their mission to foist the virus on everyone but themselves. It took two years but it finally caught up to them. Even the masked. Even the vaccinated. Even the professional classes. Even the ruling classes. Even the president. And with the one little news release that he finally caught COVID, despite every precaution and being quadruple-jabbed, the hope that some could impose the bug on others completely collapsed. But with that announcement, other myths came crumbling down. No, the vaccine wouldnt protect against infection. No, the masks wont stop the germ. No, this is not a pandemic of the unvaccinated, as the egregious slogan of last year would have it. None of it was true. Despite trillions of spending, massive economic destruction, two years of lost education, the demolition of arts, the censorship of media, and the demonization of non-compliers, in the end, even the worlds most powerful man would get hit with COVID. The caste system failed. Biden will also earn immunity, same as hundreds of millions of others. Its the way pandemics like this end, not with tricks and lockdowns and jabs and closures but rather the same way it has always been: through exposure, recovery, and the remarkable capacity of the immune system to scale. There is a proviso here, however: so long as the functioning of Bidens immune system hasnt been degraded and disabled by four successive and identical shots. The mistakes, the lies, the outrages of the policy response to this pandemic will go down in history as perhaps the greatest and largest public-health disaster in history. Its somehow fitting that hardly anyone responsible has yet to admit it. On the contrary, people such as Deborah Birx brag about what she did. Whatever happened to the track-and-trace efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and every state government? Remember those days? They actually believed that you could hire tens of thousands of people to make phone calls to those who tested positive, find out the people with whom they interacted, and make a determination about the trajectory of the nasty thing. It was always delusional, truly. It was all part of the fantasy that power was capable of mastering this bug. It never was and yet they kept trying. That was the whole point of the CDCs rule that one should isolate until one tests negative. Its preposterous. And yet that is the first point that the White House made when announcing that Biden finally got it. Hes isolating. Why precisely? To keep from spreading the bug. We are still flattening the curve, one supposes, even after 2 1/2 years. But theres more. A reporter asked the often-incoherent presidential spokesperson how the president picked up COVID. Karine Jean-Pierre said: I dont think that that matters. Oh really? It just doesnt matter. That surely comes as news to many who were forced into isolation on mere exposure for the past two years. How many classroom hours have been missed? How much worker productivity lost? How much has privacy been compromised in the enforcement of this bogus track-and-trace system that we are now told doesnt matter? Oddly, on this point, shes right. It was all a delusion. And so much for the countless studies out there that pretended to trace COVID spread to super-spreader events, school, bars and restaurants, and motorcycle clubs. It was as preposterous as it was destructive. Now, we are told by the spokesperson that none of it matters. And what about all the precautions he took? The fact that he contracted the virus despite all these precautions speaks to how contagious emerging variants are, writes The Washington Posts Leana Wen, and how difficult, if not impossible, avoiding Covid-19 has become. That has been true from day one. Despite every mandate, closure, and impositiondespite the destruction of rights, liberties, and lawthe virus would have its way. No class would be protected. No profession was immune. No amount of power or pomp would make a difference. COVID would come for everyone. One might think this would be a moment for some humility on the part of people who destroyed all principles of public healthshattering the lives of billionsto conduct a global experiment in despotism. Sadly, no. Its the opposite. Instead of humble pie, they are eating Paxlovid. 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. The TikTok logo is displayed outside a TikTok office in Culver City, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) TikToks Chinese Owner Spent Record-High $2.14 Million on Lobbying TikToks parent company in China, ByteDance, spent $2.14 million on lobbying the U.S. government in the second quarter, according to a federal lobbying disclosure report made public on July 20. That amount was an increase of 130 percent from the previous quarter, when the Beijing-based company spent $930,000 on lobbying in the United States. For the entire year of 2021, ByteDance spent over $4.7 million on lobbying, according to a federal database. ByteDances lobbying effort targeted the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Senate, and the House, according to the report. Legislation The report said ByteDance lobbied on a variety of issues related to internet technology and learning-enabled content platforms, including several pieces of U.S. legislation. One of the U.S. bills it lobbied on was the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (USICA), a bill that was passed by the Senate with a partisan vote of 6832 in June last year. The USICA, which aimed to boost U.S. competitiveness, particularly the nations semiconductor industry, drew Beijings ire. The Chinese Embassy in Washington reportedly threatened U.S. companies that they would lose market share in China if the bill became law. Other pieces of legislation ByteDance lobbied on were the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, the America COMPETES Act of 2022, the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2022, and No TikTok on Department of Homeland Security Devices Act. The last bill on the aforementioned list was introduced by Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) in February. If enacted, DHS employees would need to remove TikTok from any of the departments devices in 60 days, according to the bill. In todays world, we cannot risk compromising important homeland security information to our foreign adversaries, Guest said in a statement about his bill. This is a common-sense step to close a potential tool of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to spy on the U.S. In June, leaked recordings of TikToks internal meetings obtained by BuzzFeed News allegedly show that engineers in China had access to the apps U.S. data, at least between September 2021 and January. TikTok has refuted the BuzzFeed report in a letter (pdf) to a group of GOP senators, saying it was not supported by facts. ByteDance also lobbied on a number of issues related to privacy, including the following bills: the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (S.1628), the Kids Online Safety Act (S.3663), and the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (H.R.8152). In March, the attorney generals of California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Vermont launched an investigation into the potential harm that TikTok has on children and teens. Following the announcement of the bipartisan investigation, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) applauded the investigation, saying the probe will uncover TikToks actions that put profits over kids safety, according to a statement from his office. This investigation underscores the urgent need for our Kids Online Safety Act, so these state attorneys general can hold platforms like TikTok legally and financially accountable for the harms they find, Blumenthal added. Blumenthal and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) jointly introduced the Kids Online Safety Act in February. Concerns On July 12, 39 digital rights and childrens advocacy groups, including Fairplay and ParentsTogether, sent a joint letter (pdf) to TikTok CEO Chew Shouzi, calling on him to implement safety features protecting young users now available to the apps users in Europe to other parts of the world. Many of TikToks young users are not European; TikToks biggest markets are in the United States, Indonesia and Brazil. All children and young people deserve an age appropriate experience, not just those from within Europe, according to the letter. Brendan Carr, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner, wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai in June, calling on the two executives to remove TikTok from their app stores. It is clear that TikTok poses an unacceptable national security risk due to its extensive data harvesting being combined with Beijings apparently unchecked access to that sensitive data, Carr wrote in his letter (pdf). The Epoch Times has reached out to TikTok for comment. A woman wearing a sun protection clothing rides on a bike on a street in Beijing, on July 21, 2022. (Andy Wong/AP Photo) Tornado Kills at Least One in Eastern China as Country Faces High Temperatures BEIJINGA tornado blew through 11 villages in a farming region of eastern China, damaging homes, killing at least one person and injuring 25 others, while swaths of the country face extreme heat. The homes and property of more than 2,000 people were damaged when the twister struck Wednesday in Jiangsu province south of Beijing. Total damage was estimated at around 65 million yuan ($9.6 million), the newspaper Global Times reported, citing local media. Tornadoes are relatively rare in China, although 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured in Jiangsu and the central city of Wuhan by tornadoes last year. Chinas most violent tornado in recent decades killed 98 and injured more than 800 in Jiangsu in 2016. The actual number of casualties from such events may be much higher. The actual number of casualties is difficult to verify, as the Chinese regime routinely suppresses or alters information. As with much of the northern hemisphere, parts of China have seen record-high temperatures this summer and unusually heavy rainfall is exacerbating seasonal flooding. Temperatures as high as 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) were forecast until the end of the month for a broad swath of China, from the far northwestern Xinjiang region bordering on Central Asia to the central cities of Changsha and Nanchang and the metropolis of Fuzhou on the southeast coast opposite Taiwan. No figures have been released on heat-related deaths. Australian farmer Kevin Tongue herds sheep at his property near the rural city of Tamworth, in NSW, Australia, on May 4, 2020. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) Towards Zero Fatalities: Aussie Farmers Urged to Be Mindful of Safety During Farm Safety Week Farm Safety Week, which runs from July 18-24, aims to address issues on Australian farms that will reduce workplace injury and fatalitiesparticularly as farmers work to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Themed Recipe for Averting Disaster, Farmsafe Australia will focus on the intangible risks and hazards that make Australian farms one of the most dangerous work environments, according to Farmsafe Australia. Such risks and hazards include fatigue, complacency, the blurred line between the home and work environment, labour shortages and the ageing workforce, and wellbeing, among others. According to a report (pdf), 20 fatalities occurred on Australian farms in the first half of 2022. In 2021, there were 46 on-farm fatalities recorded. Among the 46 farm workplace deaths in 2021, 87 percent were male, and 58.7 percent were over 45 years of age. The report found that Queensland had the highest rate of farm incidents, with 19 fatalities and 86 injuries. This was followed by New South Wales at 10 fatalities and 23 injuries, and Victoria at six fatalities and 13 injuries. This follows an inquiry in June by Western Australias WorkSafe Commission into the states agriculture sector following WAs 12th work-related death in just 12 months. Felicity Richards, Chairperson of Farmsafe Australia, said in a statement that the data shows that its not necessarily young, inexperienced farmers who are involved in these incidents. Experienced farmers are just as susceptible to death and injury, especially when dealing with intangible factors such as fatigue, complacency or mental health, she said. Richards said she also believes that more farms need to regularly implement safety workshops and toolbox talks to ensure that any hazards and risks can be minimised. David is a third generation farmer on his property on the Wimmera plains and prioritises having regular safety conversations to keep everyone on the farm productive, efficient and safe. Learn more #NationalFarmSafetyWeek at: https://t.co/HQigoVB7IM #recipeforavertingdisaster pic.twitter.com/3JyM8Fwnqb Farmsafe Australia (@FarmsafeAust) July 20, 2022 Farmers need to put the safety of themselves and their employees as the core to their business. We need to ensure that people feel comfortable to have open conversations and raise safety concerns if they arise. By conducting weekly or bi-weekly safety meetings, you can ensure that all machinery and operations are running effectively, and that there are no hazards that a worker has identified, she said. Every farmer understands the unique risks that come with working on their own farm. Taking one extra moment to weigh up factors such as fatigue, mental health or complacency is a first step towards creating a safer environment. Wellbeing of Farmers David Jochinke, former Vice President of National Farmers Federation, said farmers should be empowered to discuss mental health to ensure that stigma is eliminated in farming communities. A third-generation farmer from the Wimmera, Jochinke knows firsthand the consequences immense daily fatigue, loneliness and mental strain can have on farmers. One of my earliest memories on the farm was seeing my uncle in a farming vehicle accident. The images of him haunt me, but the memory has been fundamental in my approach to safety, Jochinke said. As farmers we have a responsibility to protect anyone who comes onto our farm. But we also need to go one step further and provide that essential social support our local farming community. Addressing mental illness collectively is one of the best ways we can improve farm safety across Australia. While farmers make up 2.2 percent of Australias workforce but 13 percent of injuries at work, Jochinke said he wanted to remind farmers of the importance of taking care of themselves and others. Educating our community and local farmers on the importance of both physical and mental safety empowers them to take the necessary steps to protect themselves against all types of injury. Federal Department Prioritises Farm Safety Head of Agriculture and Food Policy and Research at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Rosemary Deininger said in a statement, that ensuring the safety of farmers was a priority for the department, and Farm Safety Week was an opportunity to continue this conversation. We want to ensure that farm-safe behaviours are instilled into current farmers and the next generation of farmers to further reduce the risk of injuries and accidents. Improvements in farm safety will be key to building a stronger and more profitable agriculture industry as we work to grow the sector to $100 billion by 2030. More resources can be found at farmsafe.org.au A man reacts near an ambulance transporting a coffin of his relative who was killed in what Iraqi officials claim was a Turkish attack on a mountain resort in Iraq's northern province of Dohuk, outside a hospital, in Dohuk, Iraq, on July 21, 2022. (Ari Jalal/Reuters) Turkey Rejects Claims of Attack on Civilians in Iraqs Dohuk ANKARATurkey has not carried out any attacks targeting civilians in Iraqs Dohuk province, where a strike killed eight and wounded 23, and Iraqi authorities must not fall for this trap, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday. Turkey on Wednesday rejected claims by Iraqi officials and state media that it had carried out an attack on a mountain resort in the northern Dohuk province. Iraq summoned Ankaras ambassador to Baghdad over the attack and its state agency said the government will call back its charge daffaires in Ankara. Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT Haber the Turkish military operations in Iraq have always been against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), saying the attack on Dohuk was also carried out by terrorists. Turkey regularly carries out air strikes in northern Iraq and has sent commandos to support its offensives as part of a long-running campaign in Iraq and Syria against terrorists of the Kurdish PKK and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Ankara regards both as terrorist groups. Cavusoglu said reports blaming Turkey for the attack were attempts by the PKK to hinder Ankaras counter-terrorism. The whole world knows we would never carry out an attack on civilians, Cavusoglu said, adding the Turkish military had told his ministry that no such attack was carried out by Turkey. Following this attack, which we believe the (PKK) terrorist organization carried out, we are ready to hold talks with Iraqi officials. We can cooperate for the curtain of fog to be lifted. Until that is lifted, it is not right to blame Turkey, he said. The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which in the past was mainly focussed in southeast Turkey, where the PKK sought to create an ethnic homeland. Dozens of Iraqis gathered on Wednesday outside the Turkish embassy in Baghdad to protest the attack. The top United Nations envoy to Iraq also condemned it and called for an investigation. Cavusoglu said that while there were protests outside the embassy and other Turkish offices, there were no reports of damage or injuries. By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay Elon Musk's twitter account is seen on a smartphone in front of the Twitter logo, on April 15, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Twitter Blames Worse-Than-Expected Earnings on Elon Musk, Wobbly Ad Market Twitters newly released second quarter financial results show the social media giants revenue shrinking over the year and its net losses at a bigger-than-expected $270 million, with the company blaming its poor performance in part on Elon Musk. Revenue shrank 1 percent year-over-year in the second quarter to $1.18 billion, Twitter said in a July 22 statement, while a Refinitiv survey of analysts expected $1.32 billion. Twitters advertising revenue rose just 2 percent to $1.08 billion, missing analysts expectations of $1.22 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. The company also reported an operating loss of $344 million and a net loss of $270 million. Twitter laid the blame for the disappointing numbers on advertising industry headwinds associated with the macroenvironment as well as uncertainty related to the pending acquisition of Twitter by an affiliate of Elon Musk. The social media firm also disclosed that it had spent around $33 million in the second quarter on costs associated with Musks proposed acquisition, which remains in legal limbo. Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 13, 2019. (Mike Blake/File Photo/Reuters) Material Adverse Effect Musk initially offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion, which represents a premium of over 30 percent above current market value. The Tesla chief later said he was revoking his offer, claiming Twitter was dragging its heels on providing information about the number of fake accounts on the platform. Twitter sued, seeking to force Musk to go through with the deal while alleging that his actions have hurt the companys business. Since signing the merger agreement, Musk has repeatedly disparaged Twitter and the deal, creating business risk for Twitter and downward pressure on its share price, Twitter said in its 62-page complaint (pdf). Lawyers acting on Musks behalf have argued that the number of bots on Twitter is far greater than the 5 percent that the company has disclosed, representing a material adverse effect that justifies his backing out of the deal. The core dispute over false and spam accounts is fundamental to Twitters value. It is also extremely fact and expert intensive, requiring substantial time for discovery, Musks lawyers said in a recent court filing that sought to dismiss Twitters request for a fast-track trial. The premise behind Musks move to back out of the deal is that Twitter hadnt provided enough information that would allow for an accurate count of the number of bots on the platform, impacting the number of monetizable daily active users, which is a key performance indicator. The Twitter logo is seen on a smartphone with Elon Musk in the background. (Rokas Tenys/Shuttertock) Warp Speed Trial Twitters lawyers requested an expedited trial in the case against Musk, arguing that the non-jury trial should start on Sept. 19 because the buyout agreement Musk signed with the companys board expires on Oct. 24. Musks lawyers rejected that reasoning and requested a trial in February, arguing in their filing that Twitters bid for extreme expedition rests on the false premise that the termination date is Oct. 24, glossing over that this date is automatically stayed if either party files litigation. They said that, by filing its complaint, Twitter has rendered its supposed need for a September trial moot. Twitter has pushed back on Musks request for a trial held in February, claiming the billionaires request fails at every level. Musk offers no reason to think discovery must be so expansive that a trial must wait until next year, Twitters attorneys stated in a July 18 filing. The earliest possible trial date is imperative. This very public dispute harms Twitter with each passing day Musk is in breach, they said. Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves Manhattan federal court after a hearing on his fraud settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in New York City, on April 4, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Judge Sets Trial Date During the first in-court square-off between Musk and Twitter earlier this week, the judge declared a trial date closer to the one proposed by the social media firm. Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the court of Chancery in Delaware presided over a hearing on July 19, during which she ordered that a 5-day trial take place in October, about a month later than Twitter wanted. The reality is that delay threatens irreparable harm to the sellers, McCormick said in her ruling, referring to Twitter. The longer the delay, the greater the risk. During the hearing, Musks attorney challenged Twitters position that the share of bots on the platform is less than 5 percent. Andrew Rossman, the attorney representing Musk, argued for more time for a discovery period that would accurately examine dauntingly complex issues like monetizable daily active users and other data-intensive metrics, which are key to assessing the platforms profitability and its long-term value. Rossman also said its preposterous to claim that Musk is trying to damage the company or that his actions have effectively damaged Twitter. He has no interest in damaging the company, no matter what happens with this case. Hes the second-largest shareholder with a far greater economic stake than the entire Twitter board, Rossman said at the hearing. Citing the pending acquisition by Musk, Twitter said in Fridays earnings release that it would not provide forward-looking guidance for the third quarter nor would it hold a conference call with analysts to discuss its financial performance. A Twitter representative told The Epoch Times that the company would not comment on pending litigation. Gary Bai contributed to this report. John James, the Republicans' Michigan U.S. Senate candidate, speaks to a media outlet in Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 7, 2018. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) 2 Congressional Races to Watch in Michigan Primary Republicans have an opportunity to pick up at least two seats in Michigans 13-member delegation to the U.S. House of Representativesand they may have redistricting to thank for it. The redrawing of congressional district boundary lines by an independent bipartisan commission created a new 10th Congressional District, which has no incumbent. The commission also seriously reconfigured the 5th Congressional District, represented by the heretofore safe district of incumbent Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), creating a new 8th District. Congressional district lines are redrawn after every decennial census to ensure population equality among the districts, which is the foundation of the principle of one-man, one-vote in the constitutionally required reapportionment process. The compact but densely populated 10th District is made up of portions of suburban Macomb and Oakland counties. The leading contender in the small Republican primary field is John Jamesa successful black businessman and decorated Iraq War veteran. James, who describes himself as the walking American Dream, came within 1.7 percent of defeating incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich) in the 2020 election. He also ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in 2018. According to his last campaign finance statement, James has raised $3.5 million going into the Aug. 2 primary. Challenging James for the Republican nomination is Tony Marcinkewciz, a software engineer who grew up in a single-parent household and prides himself on his years as a blue-collar worker. Marcinkewciz favors the decentralization of government authority and stopping the incentivizing of single parenting. He has raised $14,299 in campaign contributions. A voter fills in his ballot, in Lansing, Mich., on Nov. 3, 2020. (John Moore/Getty Images) There are five Democrats vying for their partys nomination to run for the open seat. They are civil rights attorney Hawaida Arraf of Macomb Township; former Macomb County prosecutor and circuit judge Carl Marlinga; Rhonda Powell of Mount Clemens; Angela Rogensues, a Warren city council member and labor union activist whos widely considered to be a rising star among Michigan Democrats; and Henry Yanez, whos been endorsed by the Michigan Democratic Partys Latino Caucus and the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union. Arraf reports that she has raised $496,000, while Marlinga has raised $249,000, Powell has raised $28,609, Rogensues has raised $316,000, and Yanez has raised $62,000. The 8th Congressional District Kildee, a five-term congressman from Flint, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for Michigans 8th Congressional District. He succeeded his uncle, longtime Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich), in 2012. Dan Kildee is a member of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis leadership team and has voted consistently for the Biden agenda. Hes a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Kildee has raised about $3.29 million in campaign contributions. Democrat Rep. Dan Kildee (R) addresses the media at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on June 8, 2015. (The Canadian Press/ Danielle Duval/Lansing State Journal via AP) Three Republicans are running for their partys nomination to challenge Kildee. They are Paul Junge, Matthew Seely, and Candice Millera namesake but no relation to former seven-term Republican congresswoman and longtime Michigan Secretary of State Candice S. Miller. Candidate Miller, a retired businesswoman and a Donald Trump conservative, is relying heavily on the popularity and name recognition of Candice S. Miller to carry her through. She reports zero campaign contributions. Seely has done considerably better in the fundraising department than Miller, having raised $522,000, according to filings. He is a businessman, Trump supporter, and an outspoken opponent of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmers COVID-19 lockdown policies. Junge is a businessman, former prosecutor, and former television newsman who also served in the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration. He says he wants to cut regulations and wasteful spending, defend American values, promote freedom and opportunity, and uphold the God-given rights spelled out in the Constitution. Junge goes into the primary having raised $1.4 million. The 8th District, in the south-central part of the state, stretches south from Midland, through Bay City and Saginaw down to Fenton, which is south of Flint. Early voting started in Michigan on June 23 and ends on Aug. 1. The deadline for the return of mail-in ballots is Aug. 2. The University of CaliforniaIrvine in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) UCIrvine Receives $1 Million for Curiosity, Integrity, Humility, Tenacity Curriculum The University of CaliforniaIrvine (UCI) has received a $1 million grant from a Philadelphia-based charity to expand a project called Anteater Virtues, which are curiosity, integrity, humility and tenacity, to help students develop into more inquisitive, open-minded and authentic individuals, officials announced July 19. The grant comes from John Templeton Foundation, which supports scientific research and philosophical discussions on the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind, such as evolution, creativity, forgiveness, and free will, according to its website. Launched in 2019 by Duncan Pritchard, distinguished professor of philosophy at UCI, the project aimed at promoting intellectual character growth through a series of interdisciplinary, faculty-led coursework that focuses on the four virtues of AnteaterUCIs mascotaccording to a statement. The project makes UCI the only research university in the nation to systematically integrate these qualities into its undergraduate orientation and curriculum, school officials said. Intellectual virtues promote ways of thinking, reasoning and seeking the truth. Learning intellectual humility, for example, can enhance open-mindedness and respect for other peoples opinions, whereas intellectual tenacity can improve students willingness to overcome intellectual obstacles, Pritchard said in the statement. These skills, he added, are important not only for young people to be successful in their academic pursuits, but also in daily decision-making as the world is increasingly relying on the internet, which often contains misinformation and manipulation. The goal, according to the statement, is to empower students to put these qualities into action by addressing specific questions that arise in their chosen field of study. The grant will allow Pritchard and his colleagues to expand the project into subjects such as nursing and engineering and further evaluate its impact on student success. According to the University, the project has already shown promising results. A recent UCI study found that students who took the coursework demonstrated greater intellectual growthdefined as higher scores on curiosity, knowledge of virtues, and understanding of their importance to educationthan their peers. The positive results were consistent for all participants, including those who belong to minority and historically underprivileged communities, according to the study. Pritchard said the team hopes the grant will elevate the projects reported success and inspire other universities to follow. The next phase of Anteater Virtues will launch this fall. Cars queue at the Port of Dover in Kent, southeast England, on July 22, 2022. (Gareth Fuller/PA Media) UK Port Blames 6-hour Queues on Inadequate French Border Staffing The UKs Port of Dover has criticised the French authorities for woefully inadequate staffing for border control, which has left thousands of holidaymakers stuck in six-hour queues at the border. The port authorities said they had made meticulous preparations for post-Brexit border checks, and blamed their French counterparts for allocating insufficient resources to deal with the expected surge in traveller numbers. It is one of the busiest periods for foreign travel from the UK as most schools in England and Wales break up for summer this week. But the port has declared a critical incident and urged tourists to consider staying away. Passengers embarking on cross-Channel sailings from Dover must pass through French border checks before they can board a ferry. The Port of Dover said it had increased French border control booths to handle the effect of Brexit and the pandemic, but the French side had failed to provide enough staff members. Far Short In a statement, the UK port said: Knowing we are now in a new world of post-Brexit and COVID checks, we worked to increase interim French border control booths by 50 percent and have improved traffic systems in order to build in resilience and capacity in time for the summer. The Port of Dover made significant investment and delivered on this. The port said it had shared traffic volumes in granular detail with the French authorities in order to ensure the expected volume of tourists can be matched by adequate border resources. But, it said, the French staffing has been insufficient and has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period. Massive Delays The ports chief executive Doug Bannister said: Weve got a critical incident under way. He told BBC Radio Kent: Weve been badly let down this morning by the French border. Natalie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, blamed the massive delays on French border officers, who didnt turn up for work at the passport controls as needed. Delays at Dover are causing tourist and freight traffic to be stuck on gridlocked roads in the area. Ferry operator P&O Ferries told passengers: Please be aware that there is heavy traffic at border control in the port of Dover. If you are booked to travel today please allow at least six hours to clear all security checks. Passengers are also advised to take additional water and snacks. PA Media contributed to this report. Caroline Kennedy arrived in Australia on Friday morning to begin her posting as the US ambassador to the country, but already she has given the locals a lesson in manners. The press pack in attendance were keen to put questions to the new ambassador, with one female reporter drowned out by a male reporter who began speaking over her. More from Deadline Kennedy turned her gaze to the man and asked, Did you just talk over the woman? She had a smile on her face, but the message was clear, as she turned back to the female reporter and continued, Well, okay, she started. The man in question was a Channel Ten news stalwart, Hugh Riminton, who later outed himself on social media. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I think it only fair that I out myself as the reporter who the new US Ambassador-designate #CarolineKennedy ticked off for "talking over a woman" at her press conference. Hugh Riminton (@hughriminton) July 22, 2022 The press conference went otherwise smoothly with Kennedy answering a range of questions about subjects from the Pacific, to US President Joe Bidens recent Covid-19 diagnosis. Caroline Kennedy was sworn in as US ambassador to Australia on June 10. She previously served as US ambassador to Japan, under President Obama. She told waiting reporters in Sydney: Everybody is so excited about working together in the Quad and in the Pacific. So theres a big agenda and I cant wait to get started. Story continues Personally, this means a great deal to me. My husband is here with me. We first came to Australia on our honeymoon 36 years ago, almost exactly because three days ago was our anniversary. I cant believe that Im lucky enough to get a chance to serve here and to live here and get to know even more people. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Transportation Security Administrator Administrator David Pekoske speaks during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee in Washington, on July 21, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Under 1,000 Illegal Aliens Used Arrest Warrants as ID to Board US Flights: TSA Chief The head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told lawmakers on July 21 that under 1,000 illegal immigrants were allowed to present civil immigration enforcement documents, like arrest warrants, as valid proof of identification and were able to board commercial U.S. flights this calendar year. TSA Administrator David Pekoske, who was re-nominated by President Joe Biden for a second five-year term, made the remarks during questioning about the policy by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. How would this policy comport with [US Code Title 8, Section 1325], which criminalizes improper entry [into] the United States by an alien? Hawley asked. Pekoske responded: Those arrest warrants were issued by the border patrol or customs officer. [The arrest warrants] serve as a beginning to our identification process, so you cant walk up to a checkpoint, wave that form, and [can] go right through into screening. We go through a process to verify that you are the person that you claim to be and that you are receiving the level of screening, which always includes enhanced screening when people dont have the proper identification. Upon further questioning, Pekoske noted the individuals are interviewed by officers present at the checkpoint, and a federal security director would be brought in if needed. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, on April 4, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Why would that person not be needed if you have someone who is an illegal immigrant? Hawley asked. We arent looking at whether a person is legal or illegal in the country, Pekoske responded. Our role is to make sure that people who may pose a risk to transportation that is significant enough to require enhanced screening or to not allow them to fly. So your position is someone who is known to have violated the laws of the United States does not thereby need enhanced screening? Hawley asked. Youre not concerned about this person as a security threat? Sir, there are people who violate the laws of the United States every day that fly. We look for things related to transportation security, Pekoske said. Questions Since January At the hearing, Hawley said he had not received a response from Pekoske as requested in a letter he sent the TSA chief in January. Pekoske said he would provide a response by July 22. In the letter, Hawley had asked Pekoske about the TSA policy and said that it subverts the rule of law and should be rescinded immediately. The point of an arrest warrant is for police to actively seek out and apprehend criminals, Hawley wrote at the time. However, you have now confirmed that illegal aliens may present arrest warrants to federal officials to board commercial aircrafts. This dystopian inversion exceeds the point of absurdity where radical open-border policies attempt to accomplish the very opposite of DHSs core mission: apprehending those who cross our borders illegally. Other Senate Republicans also demanded answers in January after the TSA said that it has been allowing non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, to present certain forms issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a form of identification if they dont have any other acceptable ID. Not Criminal Offenses The TSA said in January that it has been allowing non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, to present certain DHS-issued forms as proof of identification if they dont have any other acceptable documents. Such forms include ICE Form I-200a Warrant for Arrest of an Alien (pdf)which states that probable cause was found to indicate that a person is illegally in the country, and directs immigration officers to remove them. Another form allowed is ICE Form I205a Warrant of Removal/Deportation (pdf). These forms relate to civilnot criminaloffenses. The TSA has maintained that civil violation documents do not signify that the individual involved is a threat to public safety or national security. A TSA official defended the policy as a longstanding practice. The official told The Epoch Times back in January that the TSA has been accepting form I-200 for nearly as long as the agency has been in existence; the TSA was created in 2001, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The official said they believed TSA agents didnt have the authority to arrest illegal aliens. Meanwhile, ICE, when asked whether non-ICE law enforcement agents could enforce the arrest warrants, refused to answer the question. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Hongkongers Book Fair, scheduled to open on July 14, 2022, was canceled at the last minute. The organizer changed to an online book fair. (The Epoch Times) Venue Owner of Hongkongers Book Fair Cancels at Last Minute Due to Political Pressure HongKongers Book Fair, scheduled to open on July 14, 2022, was canceled at the last minute. The venues landlord notified the organizerHillway Culturethrough their property agent. The organizer of Hongkongers Book Fair, originally scheduled to launch on July 14, was kicked out of the venue by the landlord through the real estate agent. In a written note, the landlord claimed that the organizer had breached the lease agreement and therefore, they must vacate immediately. Hillway Culture, the book fair organizer, had to announce its cancellation a day before launching and said the event would be held online instead. Raymond Yeung from Hillway Culture felt the red line pressure on the publishing industry in Hong Kong. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) Raymond Yeung, a person in charge of Hillway Culture, pointed out that the last-minute decision made by the landlord had violated the business practice. It also reflected the pressure brought on by the National Security Law, and showed how it had penetrated the publishing industry. No Physical Exhibition After the cancellation announcement on the Hongkongers Book Fair Facebook page on July 14, 2022, Yeung said they appreciated the love they had received from many supporters. Yeung pointed out that since the Hong Kong Book Fair incident last year, they have known the future of Hong Kongs publishing industry would not be bright. After being rejected by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in May 2022, Hillway Culture devoted every ounce of its energy and resources to this book fair. Unfortunately, it received the same fate at the last minute. He said the cancellation was unexpected. The post also said that all that was left was disappointment and guilt. Yeung explained that due to their recent experience, he would not want to subject anyone or the company to political risks. Hillway Culture has decided it will not plan another physical book fair soon. But Yeung emphasized he would continue the mission of organizing the book fairs for true Hongkongers and serving them with the perspective of local readers. Distribution Will Be Difficult Yeung replied to The Epoch Times that this incident might be due to the landlords political pressure and forced them to terminate the contract. It had nothing to do with Hong Kong business law. He pointed out that the landlord refused an in-person inspection of the venue before asking them to vacate and get out immediately. Yeung stressed, Freedom of publication in Hong Kong might still exist despite legal issues or political pressure. However, one must ensure everything aligns with the law. Yeung was referring to the National Security Law. He pointed out that the cancellation incident displayed how much pressure the National Security Law brought, which penetrated book publishing in Hong Kong; it had brought fear to the industry. Yeung believed it would be more difficult to publish books in the future. As for whether his organization would resume physical book fairs anytime soon, Yeung said he still had not given up hope for the future of Hong Kong. Although some people feel that Hong Kong has deteriorated, others still stand with freedom of publishing and Hong Kong regardless of the circumstances, he added. Want Whats Best for Kids? Put the Word Groomer in Its Proper Place Commentary Remember the story from Aesops Fables about the boy who cried wolf? Over and over again, the young shepherd would fool villagers into thinking that his flock was being hunted by a vicious wolf. One day, when the beast finally attacked and the boy cried out for help, no one answered. The villagers were desensitized to the false alarms. After so many times, they just didnt believe it anymore. Worst of all, the sheep were the ones who suffered for it. Reddits recent decision to ban the term groomer from its discussion board will be lamented by free speech absolutists as just one more development in the downward spiral of online censorship. Simultaneously, those who believe in hate speech bans and regulation of discourse will celebrate it as a step in the right direction to promoting a more inclusive and accepting online environment. Proponents of such speech codes support the elimination of viewpoints that can be interpreted as subjectively harmful to certain individuals. Of more interest, however, is the spotlight that has been thrown on the word groomer. The explosion in the frequency with which it currently appears in our media environment is revealing as to how the nations political machinery mobilizes around certain terms and phrases. Twisting information through a distorted lens, the intention is to impact the public understanding of those same words and phrases, favorably shift the Overton Window, and then use the new artificially created consensus to attack political enemies and support ones own agenda. This is what has been underway with the noun groomer. Boxes of donated LGBT books sit stacked on the playground at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, Calif., on May 17, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) It is true that some segments of the population have seized on the term to describe the introduction of children to any LGBTQ material at all. This is not a proper use of the word. According to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a groomer refers to someone who creates and maintains a relationship with a young child so that they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them. A looser definition understands it as the premature mental, emotional, and physical development of a childs sexuality through purposeful encouragement. This is simply not the intent of most members of that community, let alone the progressive-minded parents who opt to expose their children to the latter. This strategy also doesnt play well with voters. Several months ago, a poll by the left-wing think-tank Data for Progress found that over half of respondents did not agree that teachers and parents that support discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in school should be considered as groomers. Other questions similarly suggested that most respondents did not look favorably upon explicitly anti-LGBTQ legislation. The results of these polls clearly have to be qualified by the fact that the source doing the polling was extremely left-wing. The biases are glaring in reading the text of the questions, which lack any subtlety, and clearly prime respondents to answer in a specific way (consider question 4, about Texas legislation that denies gender-affirming treatments for children [resulting] in being denied care or being separated from their family; the implication being obviousYou dont want to hurt kids, do you?). Still, it should be clear that painting with a broad brush regarding the issue of grooming is counterproductive for creating legislation that seeks to protect the innocence of children from explicit sexualization. It is a distraction that diverts attention from the fact that yes, not only do we live in an increasingly toxic cultural environment that glorifies licentiousness and sells sex to kids, but that also, yes, there are most certainly actual groomers out there who we as a society must be vigilantly guarding against. The increasingly sexualized nature of what children are exposed to and the normalization of hardcore topics have only emboldened (and in some cases enabled) the type of individuals who engage in such predatory behavior. As discussed earlier, this creates opportunities for motivated actors to disingenuously misrepresent their opposition in politically advantageous ways. It creates a false choice between apparent good guys and suggested bad guys. Consider the cleverly named Marxist group Black Lives Matter, implicitly equating any opposition with the belief that black lives dont matter. People carrying homemade Black Lives Matter shields march in front of protesters in Richmond, Va., on July 25, 2020. (Eze Amos/Getty Images) It is also what happened with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his states recent legislation to ban radical gender ideology and exposure of children to explicitly sexual topics in grades K-3. The Florida legislation is perhaps the most reasonable bill that has been introduced to curb the infiltration of perverse ideologies into public school classrooms. Polls that quote the bill verbatim find overwhelming support across party lines. That is why its opponents have had to twist it around to fit a particular narrative, creating the misnomer label of a Dont Say Gay Bill. Any concern with the sexualization of childrenin other words, groomingis falsely equated with an attack on the LGBT community in general. The Overton Window is subsequently shifted in a way that makes any support for the legislation a de facto act of hate. Reddit seems to have accepted this formula. One Twitter user posted the information that laid out the social media companys administrative decision to ban the word groomer on account of its hate speech policy, stating that the term is currently being used as a slur against the LGBT community. It also banned any reference to LGBT people as pedophiles. While stating that the word groomer is only banned when used in reference to LGBT people as a whole, this raises questions about what type of activity will now be off limits for critical commentary. The exposure of children to radical gender ideology and various sexual concepts like what was banned in the Florida bill could certainly be interpreted as a form of grooming. Even if one disagrees with that proposition, it seems to be an explicitly political decision to totally ban the viewpoint. It is telling that the Twitter post referenced above went on to imply that Twitter should also follow suit and begin by banning the LibsofTikTok account. The latter became famous for shining a light on teachers openly discussing their efforts to introduce students to far-left identity politics. The enraged opposition to exposing what is going on in elementary school classrooms raises questions in itself. Conflating all LGBT individuals or related issues with the act of grooming is both false and politically counterproductive. However, equating all reference to the act of grooming or the express subjection of children to inherently sexual material as a right-wing conspiracy theory rooted in hate can be a slippery slope. The truth is that these things are happening, and parents, as always, should be vigilant about those who would do harmpurposeful or notto their sons and daughters. At the same time, those who truly want to fight for children must also denounce the derogatory widespread use of the word groomer by all sides. If they dont, it will be easy enough for ill-intentioned political actors to simply say that their ideological opponents are crying wolf again. Meanwhile, they will go on working to convince society that the wolf is just a hateful conspiracy that doesnt even really exist. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, speaks at a press conference during the COVID-19 pandemic, at Queens Park in Toronto on April 11, 2022. (The Canadian Press/ Nathan Denette) Warning by Ontarios Dr. Moore of Myocarditis Risk After COVID Shot Comes Too Late Commentary On Twitter recently, COVID realists were supporting and cheering the public acknowledgement of vaccine risks in the young by Ontarios Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore. We know there is a risk, a very small risk1-in-5,000that may get myocarditis, Moore said at a news conference on July 13. Finally, a public health official concedes vaccines carry a significant risk for the young! Not so fast. Most people viewing the clip didnt realize Moores news conference was for the mass distribution of the fourth vaccine shot in Ontario. As CP24 reports, Ontarios Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore announced all fourth dose eligibility would be expanded to everyone 18 and up. A range of politicians and medical experts have exhorted the public to get the fourth dose. Torontos Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa recommends everyone eligible should get the latest immunization. Keeping up to date with your immunization is the best way to ensure you, your loved ones, and your community are protected from the virus and its variants, she said. While the third dose provides good protection of COVID-19, the fourth dose provides even better protection. By this logic, every new, rushed booster shot will provide better protection than the last and therefore everyone should get it. Yet this calculus is not as simple as public health bureaucrats make it out to be. Data across the world paints a complex picture. As Alex Berenson reports on Substack, a new Dutch health report finds the vaccinated population is at higher risk of hospitalization for COVID than the unvaccinated population. After seven months, vaccinated people in their 50s and 60s had a 68 percent higher risk of being hospitalized for COVID compared to the unvaccinated. They had a 41 percent higher risk of needing intensive care, he wrote of the researchers findings. There was hardly any visible protective effect of the COVID-19 basic vaccination series against hospital and ICUintensive careintake, the researchers wrote, as quoted by Berenson. Even if such data is anomalous in some respect or ungeneralizable, it suggests that universally recommending more and more booster shots is, at the very least, unwise or experimental. Ontarios vaccine recommendations have been completely nonsensical throughout the pandemic. Consider the Ministry of Healths baseless campaign to boost the entire adult and youth population: All individuals in Ontario aged 12 years of age are recommended to receive a first booster dose after completion of a primary COVID-19 vaccine series, the ministry said on July 14. What benefit does a healthy 23-year-old man with prior infection and two vaccine doses have to gain from a third jab? Does Dr. Moore have an answer to this question? It has taken the second booster dose for Dr. Moore to acknowledge a risk that should have been widely publicized at the start of the primary series. Vaccine myocarditisas Ive written at length in two essaysis a significant and real risk in younger populations, specifically males between the ages of 15 and 30. Knowledge of the incalculably low risk of COVID-19 in healthy individuals under 30 warranted comprehensive, long-term testing before universal recommendation. Instead, Ontario led the way in locking down the public, masking children, and recommending everyone get a booster with virtually non-existent clinical evidence. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. President Joe Biden works at the White House in Washington on July 21, 2022. (White House via The Epoch Times) White House Doctor Provides Update on Bidens Condition President Joe Bidens symptoms have improved one day after he tested positive for COVID-19, White House doctor Kevin OConnor said on July 22. Biden, 79, had a slightly high temperature on Thursday night but the temperature has remained normal since taking tylenol, according to a memorandum (pdf) from OConnor to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden is still experiencing a runny nose and fatigue as well as a loose cough, OConnor wrote. His voice is deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal, on room air, he added. Biden tested positive for COVID-19 hours after experiencing symptoms, primarily fatigue and a runny nose. He had just returned from Washington to Massachusetts. The White House has said it does not know where Biden contracted COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Results from an antigen test were confirmed with a polymerase chain reaction. The latter is considered a more accurate test. Biden is considered at high-risk to progression to severe disease because of his advanced age. His doctors say that risk is lower because Biden has received four shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. He is isolating in the White House. Treatment Biden was prescribed a course of Paxlovid, a COVID-19 pill from Pfizer. He has since completed one full day of the treatment, which he is tolerating well, according to OConnor. Doctors plan to continue the treatment in addition to hydration, Tylenol, and an inhaler. Bidens typical medicinesthe blood thinner Eliquis and the cholesterol reducer Crestorare being withheld and will continue to be withheld until several days after he takes his list pill. During this time, it is reasonable to add low dose aspirin as an alternative type of blood thinner, OConner said. Nothing that has transpired so far has changed the doctors view that Biden will respond favorably to Paxlovid, he added. Biden was scheduled to receive the Presidents Daily Brief at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Jean-Pierre and Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, were slated to speak to the press in the afternoon. Bidens wife, First Lady Jill Biden, has tested negative for COVID-19, as have a number of people who were in close contact with him this week. None have yet reported testing positive besides Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). Biden spoke with Carper overnight to see how the senator was feeling, according to the White House. Mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions (L), and spherical immature virions (R), obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP) WHO Again Considers Declaring Monkeypox a Global Emergency LONDONAs the World Health Organizations (WHO) emergency committee convened Thursday to consider for the second time within weeks whether to declare monkeypox a global crisis, some scientists said the striking differences between the outbreaks in Africa and in developed countries will complicate any coordinated response. African officials say they are already treating the continents epidemic as an emergency. But experts elsewhere say the mild version of monkeypox in Europe, North America, and beyond makes an emergency declaration unnecessary even if the virus cant be stopped. British officials recently downgraded their assessment of the disease, given its lack of severity. I remain concerned about the number of cases, in an increasing number of countries, that have been reported, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the emergency committee as its meeting got underway. He said it was pleasing to note falling numbers of monkeypox cases in some countries but that the virus is still increasing elsewhere and that six countries reported their first infections last week. Monkeypox has been entrenched for decades in parts of central and western Africa, where diseased wild animals occasionally infect people in rural areas in relatively contained epidemics. The disease in Europe, North America, and beyond has circulated since at least May among gay and bisexual men. The epidemic in rich countries was likely triggered by sex at two raves in Spain and Belgium. There are now more than 15,000 monkeypox cases worldwide. While the United States, Britain, Canada, and other countries have bought millions of vaccines, none have gone to Africa, where a more severe version of monkeypox has already killed more than 70 people. Rich countries havent yet reported any monkeypox deaths. Whats happening in Africa is almost entirely separate from the outbreak in Europe and North America, said Dr. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at Britains University of East Anglia who previously advised WHO on infectious diseases. The U.N. health agency said this week that outside of Africa, 99 percent of all reported monkeypox cases are in men and of those, 98 percent are in men who have sex with other men. Still, the disease can infect anyone in close, physical contact with a monkeypox patient, regardless of their sexual orientation. In these very active gay sexual networks, you have men who really, really dont want people to know what theyre doing and may not themselves always know who they are having sex with, Hunter said. Some of those men may be married to women or have families unaware of their sexual activity, which makes contact tracing extremely difficult and even things like asking people to come forward for testing, Hunter said. Thats probably not the case in Africa, where limited data suggests monkeypox is mainly jumping into people from infected animals. Although African experts acknowledge they could be missing cases among gay and bisexual men, given limited surveillance and stigmatization against LGBTQ people, authorities have relied on standard measures like isolation and education to control the disease. Dr. Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health department at Congos Institute of National Biomedical Research, said there are also noticeable differences between patients in Africa and the West. We see here (in Congo) very quickly, after three to four days, visible lesions in people exposed to monkeypox, Mbala said, adding that someone with so many visible lesions is unlikely to go out in public, thus preventing further transmission. But in countries including Britain and the U.S., doctors have observed some infected people with only one or two lesions, often in their genitals. You wouldnt notice that if youre just with that person in a taxi or a bar, Mbala said. So in the West, people without these visible lesions may be silently spreading the disease. He said different approaches in different countries will likely be needed to stop the global outbreak, making it challenging to adopt a single response strategy worldwide, like those for Ebola and COVID-19. Dr. Dimie Ogoina, a professor of medicine at Nigerias Niger Delta University, said he feared the worlds limited vaccine supplies would result in a repeat of the problems that arose in the coronavirus pandemic, when poorer countries were left empty-handed after rich countries hoarded most of the doses. It does not make sense to just control the outbreak in Europe and America, because you will then still have the (animal) source of the outbreak in Africa, said Ogoina, who sits on WHOs monkeypox emergency committee. This week, U.S. officials said more than 100,000 monkeypox vaccine doses were being sent to states in the next few days, with several million more on order for the months ahead. The United States has reported more than 2,000 cases so far, with hundreds more added every day. Some U.S. public health experts have begun to wonder if the outbreak is becoming widespread enough that monkeypox will become a new sexually transmitted disease. Declaring monkeypox to be a global emergency could also inadvertently worsen the rush for vaccines, despite the mildness of the disease being seen in most countries. Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping (C) visits the community of Guyuanxiang in the Tianshan District in Urumqi in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, July 13, 2022. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP) Xi Jinping Accompanied by Top Military Official During His Visit to Xinjiang Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently went to Xinjiang for an inspection, eight years after his last visit to this far-west China region. In addition to civilian officials, the entourage included the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. This unusual occurrence could be a sign that Xi wants to warn and intimidate his political opponents. China Central TV (CCTV) covered Xis Xinjiang inspection, which began on July 12 and ended on July 15, in a 34-minute propaganda piece in its prime-time news broadcast. At the end of 2021, Xi replaced Xinjiangs communist party chief with one of his cronies, Ma Xingrui, after the faction of his opponent, Jiang Zemin, had controlled the autonomous region for nearly three decades. Mas predecessor Chen Quanguo now serves as deputy head of the Central Rural Work Leading Group. The drastic demotion indicated that Chen was marginalized amid the Xi-Jiang infighting. Jiang Faction Builds Up Military Force after Xinjiang Riot Ji Da, an expert on China issues, had previously told The Epoch Times that Xinjiang used to be an independent kingdom of Jiang Zemins camp, and they often deliberately used local ethnic conflicts to stir up trouble and profit from the chaos. For example, the July 5th Incident that broke out in Xinjiang in 2009 was a major turning point for the Jiang faction. On July 5, 2009, a crowd of more than 1,000 protesters appeared in front of the government of Urumqi, Xinjiang, to protest a case of unfair treatment of Uyghurs in Guangdong Province. But within hours, the peaceful protest quickly turned into a bloody incident. Local authorities claimed that 156 people were killed, 1,080 injured and hundreds of cars destroyed in the riots that day. The public still disbelieve this statement, as it is unusual that more than 1,200 people could be killed or injured in such a short period of time. After the July 5th Incident, the Central Political and Legislative Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which was firmly controlled by the Jiang faction at the time, was granted much greater power to mobilize the armed police force, and more funds for the purpose of maintaining social stability. The CCPs armed police force is a huge organization with a total of 1.5 million officers in 2020, while the CCPs regular army has a total force of 2 million. The armed police are equipped with advanced light weapons and light armored vehicles. Their main task is to protect domestic security. Before Xi Jinping came to power, almost all important positions such as the commander and political commissar of the Armed Police Force were from the Jiang faction. Attempted Coup A series of events later proved that gaining greater power to mobilize the armed police force was only part of the Jiang cliques political conspiracy. The Jiang faction staged an attempted coup just before Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. The coup was planned by Zeng Qinghong, the No. 2 figure in the Jiang faction. Zhou Yongkang, then head of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, and others, were responsible for the specific implementation. They intended to support a senior official from Jiangs bloc to replace Xi, but the plan ended in failure. The failed coup plan triggered the CCPs largest purge since the end of the Cultural Revolution. After Xi came to power, about 400 officials at the provincial and ministerial level and above were sacked, including the former head of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, and the vice chairman of the Military Commission, as a result of Xis anti-corruption campaign. Several senior officials were sentenced to life or fixed-term imprisonment. Xi also reversed the power of the police system to mobilize the armed police force on a large scale, and the armed police is now fully controlled by the CCPs highest military unit, the Central Military Commission. However, Xis retaliatory purge of the Jiang faction did not touch the core leaders of the group, and officials who had participated in the coup were not completely eliminated, thereby posing great danger to Xis rule. Xi Sending a Message to Jiang Faction During Xis trip to Xinjiang, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CCPs Central Military Commission, accompanied him in all his public appearances. Xi is possibly trying to show his enemies that he has a firm grip on military power and is capable of deterring his political opponents. Zhang is a political ally of Xi, and has expressed his support for Xi multiple times when the CCP infighting became fierce. Every five years, the CCP convenes its National Party Congress to select top leaders and review major policies. It is an occasion of important power changes. The regime will hold its 20th National Congress this fall. As usual, factional infighting will reach its climax on the eve of the event. BOISE, Idaho (AP) Idaho will spend $1 million to fight illegal fentanyl use and resulting overdose deaths, Gov. Brad Little said Thursday. The Republican governor said hell likely recommend additional money in his budget that will be considered by lawmakers early next year. But he said urgent action is needed now for the fentanyl problem that law enforcement officials say can spur property crimes as well as crimes against individuals. The money will be used for testing equipment to increase the ability of police to find fentanyl. It will also be used for a media campaign to alert Idaho residents to the dangers of fentanyl. Meth and fentanyl seizures have dramatically increased in Idaho and across the country, Little said. We must act now. Given the magnitude of the problem, we are acting immediately to turn the tide and protect Idaho families. Fentanyl is a cheap but potent synthetic opioid that has been behind a major increase in overdose deaths in the United States. It has been increasingly cut into other drugs, often without the buyers knowledge, leading to overdose deaths. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. The drug is 100 times more potent than morphine. Idaho State Police Colonel Kedrick Wills said a high percentage of illegal drug use leads to property crimes and even crimes against individuals. It's not just the possession of the narcotics, it's what people do in order to get it, and what they're willing to do to be able to pay for it, Wills said. It's what they do when they're high. This is why it is a problem for every Idahoan, and it's not just those people who are using it. Little in March launched a law enforcement panel as well as a citizens action group to try to get a handle on the problem and how to fight it. The citizens group on Thursday released a report that will be given to the law enforcement panel, which in turn will give recommendations to Little. Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke, who is running for lieutenant governor, is a member of the citizens group that traveled around the state gathering information. He said he was shocked at what the group found. I had no idea the magnitude of the problem, and just how dangerous the use of this is," he said. It blew my mind, how dangerous this is, and how willing folks were to take the chance, to take the drug, but knowing darn well they better have somebody there with Narcan because of the risk of having an overdose. Narcan is an antidote to opioid drugs that can prevent overdose deaths. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Donald Trump had won the state in 2020 and that they were the states duly elected and qualified electors will have to appear before a special grand jury investigating whether the former president and others illegally tried to interfere in the state's election, a judge said Thursday. Lawyers for 11 of the 16 people who signed that certificate, all of whom have received letters saying they could face criminal charges related to the investigation, had asked the judge to quash their subpoenas. Attorney Holly Pierson said that once her clients were told they were targets of the investigation, rather than witnesses, she advised them they should invoke their rights against self-incrimination and there are no questions she would be comfortable with them answering before the panel. Were asking you on behalf of our clients not to have them frog-marched in front of the cameras into this courtroom, Pierson said to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury. Lawyers with the Fulton County district attorney's office said they planned to ask questions about topics other than just the selection of an alternate slate of electors, so they shouldn't be excused from appearing just because they won't answer questions on that topic. McBurney said he would issue a written order soon, but said he would not quash the subpoenas. He suggested that the lawyers for the district attorney's office and the lawyers for those who signed the false certificate should meet before each witness testifies to talk about the topics to be covered and then he could settle any disputes. McBurney also heard arguments from a lawyer for state Sen. Burt Jones, the Republican nominee for Georgia lieutenant governor, who had asked the judge to remove District Attorney Fani Willis from the investigation. Willis has a conflict of interest because she hosted a fundraiser last month for Jones' Democratic opponent, Charlie Bailey, attorney Bill Dillon argued. He also suggested that the district attorney's office had leaked the fact that Jones, who signed the false electors certificate, was considered a target of the investigation to a reporter and then publicly confirmed that in a court filing to hurt Jones and help Bailey. Disqualification of a district attorney requires an actual conflict of interest rather than just the appearance of a conflict of interest, and routine political support by an elected district attorney for another candidate from the same party does not meet that bar, said Anna Green Cross, a lawyer for Willis' office. McBurney said he doesn't disagree that there's an appearance of a conflict: "Its a What are you thinking? moment. The optics are horrible." But he repeatedly pressed Dillon on whether there was an actual conflict. He said he's not inclined to remove the entire district attorney's office from the investigation and asked Dillon what he would propose. Dillon suggested having state Attorney General Chris Carr appoint another prosecutor to handle any part of the investigation that has to do with Jones. Find somebody who doesnt have a dog in the hunt. Fani Willis has a dog in the hunt, he said, referring to her known support of Jones's opponent. The special grand jury, which operates behind closed doors, was seated in May at Willis's request and has the power to subpoena evidence and witnesses. It does not have the power to issue an indictment. Instead, once its investigation is completed, it will issue a report with recommendations. It will then be up to Willis to decide whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury. Dillon raised concerns that Willis could release the special grand jury report in mid-October, right before the November general election, and that could hurt Jones politically. McBurney clarified that there is no definite timeline for the special grand jury, but he said it would be him and not Willis who would receive and release the report. He said he would ensure that there is a meaningful time buffer between the release and the election. Also Thursday, Willis responded in federal court to an attempt by U.S. Rep. Jody Hice to avoid testifying before the special grand jury. She rejected his arguments and asked that the matter be returned to Fulton County Superior Court in preparation for Congressman Hice's compliance with his lawfully issued subpoena. Hice was one of several GOP lawmakers who attended a December 2020 meeting at the White House in which Trump allies discussed various ways to overturn Joe Bidens electoral win. Willis has also said her team is looking into is a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to find enough votes to overturn his loss; calls that Sen. Lindsey Graham made to Raffensperger; and false claims of election fraud that were made by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others during December 2020 legislative committee hearings at the state Capitol. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate OLATHE, Kan. (AP) Republicans have spent more than three decades making it as hard as possible to get an abortion in Kansas, and now that their chance to ban the procedure is in sight, theyre reluctant to tell voters whether that's their goal. In the first statewide abortion referendum since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe vs. Wade, Kansas voters will decide Aug. 2 on a proposed change to the state constitution that would clear the way for its Republican-controlled Legislature to more strictly regulate or ban abortion. Several other states are poised to vote on the issue later this year, and new fights loom where courts and governors are less conservative than legislatures. But even as conservative lawmakers in nearby states such as Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas take pride in their near-total bans, abortion opponents in Kansas avoid giving direct answers about what new restrictions they'd support, and some deny they'd seek a total ban. You dont want to get out over your skis and and, you know, say something and then it doesnt even come to pass, said Kansas House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who opposes abortion and is poised to become House speaker next year. It's part of a strategy to get conservative voters out to back the amendment while appealing to centrist voters who support restrictions but don't want a ban. Both sides accuse the other of misleading voters. They intend to ban abortion in all cases, said Anne Melia, 59, a former Republican who is now a Democrat and an environmental chemist who gave up a consulting job last year to focus on political activism. Our law here could match something like what happened in Missouri with their trigger law thats banned all abortion. If abortion opponents are successful, Kansas will be the fifth state to add language to its state constitution declaring that it doesn't grant the right to abortion. The other four Tennessee in 2014, Alabama and West Virginia in 2018, and Louisiana in 2020 ban most abortions. Kentucky will vote in November on having its constitution declare that it doesn't protect abortion rights, and Republicans in Iowa and Pennsylvania are pursuing such initiatives. Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution, while abortion rights supporters in Colorado are aiming for a 2024 initiative. In Michigan, a ballot initiative likely is headed for a November vote on whether to enshrine abortion rights language in the state constitution. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also is asking the states highest court to strike down a 1931 abortion ban that has been dormant for five decades. Courts in at least 10 states are dealing with lawsuits over abortion. This is, I think, a really unsettling and troubling moment for American women and providers who treat American women, Whitmer said. In Kansas, spending in the campaign over its abortion question has topped $14 million, with backers spending about $8 million. Catholic dioceses and the Kansas Catholic Conference have contributed more than $4 million to the vote yes campaign. Abortion providers have contributed nearly $1.5 million to the vote no campaign, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal Washington group, has kicked in $1.4 million. Kansas currently bans most abortions at the 22nd week of pregnancy, imposes a 24-hour waiting period for patients and mandates parental notification for minors, among other things. Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, has for decades pushed the most restrictive abortion laws that would pass court muster or, when Democrats held the governors office, win the legislative supermajorities necessary to override vetoes. Then in 2019 a law banning the most common second-trimester procedure was blocked by the Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled that the state's constitution protects abortion rights. A law setting additional health regulations also is on hold, with a trial judge ruling in December that the state had no justification for rules applying only to abortion providers. If voters say yes Aug. 2, those laws could take effect quickly. But lawmakers also would have the power to enact a law like the model proposed by the National Right to Life Committee that would ban all abortions except to save a woman's life. Kansas and Michigan will both serve as test cases on the power of Republican state legislatures to intervene in personal medical decisions, said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts. And other states will be paying attention. Abortion opponents say talk of a ban is misleading. The real issue, they say, is that without a constitutional change, the laws currently being enforced might be erased, making Kansas a haven for unrestricted abortion. All eyes are here, said Ella Witt, who directs student canvassers for the national Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, whose website says its mission is to end abortion. Itll tell an important story of where maybe things are headed. The group brought in about 300 college students from 25 out-of-state campuses to knock on doors and talk to voters, investing $1.3 million. One voter was Toni Sluga, a 74-year-old retired teacher who said the states highest court usurped the power of the Legislature. We just dont want Kansas to become the abortion capital of the country, she said. Some scholars see that argument as dubious. Jeffrey Jackson, interim dean of the Washburn University law school in Topeka, and Stephen McAllister, a former Kansas solicitor general who represented the state in the case that led to the 2019 ruling, said some restrictions, such as the waiting period and parental notification, are likely to survive even if the amendment does not pass. Abortion has been a defining political issue in Kansas since the anti-abortion Summer of Mercy protests outside the Wichita clinic of Dr. George Tiller in 1991. Tiller was among the few U.S. physicians known to do abortions late in pregnancies. An anti-abortion extremist murdered him in 2009. The protests energized abortion opponents, who began a long-term strategy of electing people who would vote with abortion in mind at every level of government. But even though Kansans have sent abortion-opposing majorities to the Statehouse, they regularly elect Democrats who support abortion rights as governor, like Laura Kelly in 2018. Abortion opponents say how far they could go next year if the amendment passes depends on whether Kelly wins her tough reelection race. She has said adding anti-abortion language to the Kansas Constitution would throw the state back into the Dark Ages. The presumed GOP nominee, state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, supports the ballot measure but will not say what hed sign as governor. Top Republican lawmakers also are mum. An aide to Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita Republican, texted that Masterson sees no value in prognosticating. The vote in Kansas is on primary election day, which is expected to favor abortion opponents. Over the past 10 years, GOP voters have cast twice as many ballots as Democrats in Kansas primaries. But more than 12,000 people registered to vote in Kansas between April 1 and July 1, with a draft of the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion leaking in early May. Troy Newman, president of the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said once the amendment passes, the immediate priority will be to enforce the Kansas laws now on hold. "Then we tighten up various restrictions, maybe abolish abortion altogether, he added. I think its not a bridge too far. - Associated Press/Report for America writer Joey Cappelletti contributed from Lansing, Michigan. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna The father of a 6-year-old Tennessee girl missing for more than a year has written a letter to her alleged captors from his jail cell. To the person, or persons responsible for kidnapping Summer, Don Wells wrote. Not only have you broken [Summers] heart and taken her away from her mother and father whom love her very much but youve ruined her chances to become educated ruining her life! He continues: "One day God will hold you accountable for this crime unless you do something to make this right! Please do the right thing and turn our daughter over to the authorities. [We're] begging you with all our hearts please do the right thing." The letter was posted to the familys Find Summer Wells website earlier this week. Wells is nearing the end of his nearly one-year sentence for driving under the influence. He was arrested in October. Summer disappeared from her family home in the Beech Creek community on June 15, 2021. Law enforcement, including the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, spent nearly two weeks searching the area around the familys 11-acre home. The Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation, which is leading the search, has repeatedly stated that there is no evidence to support the familys kidnapping theory, according to WTVF, a local Nashville station. The Amber Alert for Summer is still active and the search is ongoing. There are few clues as to what happened to Summer despite investigators doing everything within their power to find answers. All possibilities are still being explored, TBI spokeswoman Leslie Earhart said during a news conference on the one-year anniversary of Summers disappearance, according to the Kingsport Times News. Wells and his wife, Candus Bly, lost custody of their three boys, after police were unable to locate Summer last year, according to Fox News. Wells details the familys struggles following Summers disappearance in the letter. He and his wife both lost their jobs and have been unable to find work. Wells was fired from his drywalling job in January after protesters came to his place of employment, according to WJHL. Story continues Wells told the station that the group had come to his home at least six times before tracking him down at work. They come in and started banging on the garage door and all the windows and everything and so I called my employer first and then we called the police, and they came out. So, they had to step off the property but they was out there making a big scene and everything so my employer, for the builders sake, for me to pull off the job so I had to pull off the job, Wells told the station in January. Nobody will hire my wife, and Ive been fired from the job Ive had for 13 years, he wrote. "You see, the public blames us. I dont know if well ever find employment again. He begs Summers captors to release her. When you took our little girl you took our very lives, he wrote. Why dont you give our little girl back before Gods wrath descends on you. Youve broken many hearts and more especially an innocent [6-year-old girls] heart. One day God will hold you accountable for this crime unless you do something to make this right. Both of Summers parents have criminal records. Blys sister in Wisconsin has been missing since 2009, according to Fox News. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOSTON (AP) Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. As some temperatures neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), millions of Americans sought comfort by staying in the shade of homes or in air-conditioned offices, and cooled themselves in fountains, at beaches or in cooling centers. The heat was expected to extend into the weekend, prompting officials to urge people to seek shelter, as well as to drink lots of water and be good Samaritans by checking on elderly neighbors for signs of distress. Its going to be very hot and humid. Hydrate and stay in shaded areas, said James Tomasini, a meteorologist in Uptown, New York. In the New York City area, temperatures will again soar into the 90s below triple-digit records but the high moisture in the air will make it feel well over a 100 degrees, he said. Excessive heat warnings issued when the heat index surpasses 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius) continuously for at least two hours were in effect in parts of the Deep South and pockets of the mid-Atlantic. Heat advisories extended along the East Coast, from South Carolina to southern Maine. In Boston, residents and visitors were doing their best to cool down during the third of what could be a six-day stretch of 90-plus temperatures. Mayor Michelle Wu extended a previously announced heat emergency in the city through Sunday and urged resident to take advantage of cooling centers and splash pads. Josh Austin and his wife Michelle traveled down from New Hampshire with their two young daughters to visit the New England Aquarium and enjoy one such splash pad. Im sure theres some aspect of this heat wave that is a result of global warming higher temperatures for longer periods of time, said Josh, 40, a sustainability manager. But I think its also just typical of New England summers to get these warm stretches. Massachusetts House and Senate lawmakers approved a compromise bill on Thursday that mandates some of the steps the state needs to take to meet a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Nancy Cahill also took her young grandsons to the aquarium, stopping by a splash pad on the Rose Kennedy Greenway afterward. We are very fortunate that we have access to pools, said Cahill, 63, who lives in Wakefield, about 15 miles north of the city. Were also fortunate because we have air conditioning. I feel bad for those people who dont have that right now. In the Tidewater area of southeast Virginia, temperatures were expected to reach nearly the century mark, but humidity will push the heat index beyond 105 degrees, said meteorologist Tim Gingrich. People could suffer heat exhaustion and heat stroke if they're outdoors for a significant amount of time, Gingrich said. You dont want to be outdoors in the hottest part of the day. Cooling centers sprung up across swaths of the country to provide relief from the stifling heat and high humidities. At a community center run by the Salvation Army in Brooklyn one of eight of the organization's facilities opened up across New York City it was so hot that not a soul was milling about outside, said Capt. Jack Tripari, the chaplain at the facility in a working class neighborhood. We are trying to supply them with water and a nice cool place, he said. People seeking relief from the heat have trickled in sporadically, staying for about a half hour or so before heading back into the heat. Weve had some families that come on with their children. Some have gone out to do run some errands and find themselves a little too hot. And so they step in and try to cool down for a little bit. Weve had older people, elderly people who might have been waiting for the bus for a little bit, Tripari said. This summer is shaping up to be one of the hottest on record not just in the United States but across Europe and other parts of the globe. In Arkansas, a combination of searing temperatures and moist air across much of the state prompted warnings about excessive heat which could cause some people to succumb to heat stroke and other weather-related ailments. ___ Calvan reported from New York. CLEVELAND (AP) Hakizimana Muvunye, a refugee from Congo who lives in Cleveland, is a man doing his best. Hes the owner of Asante Landscaping but has only five clients so he also drives for Uber. I need to take care of my family, he said. Muvunye and his wife, Irene Twizere, have five children. Muvunye came to Cleveland in February 2016 from Uganda after fleeing armed conflict and insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now hes striving to build his business. Hes counting on US Together, a nonprofit that provides services to refugees and immigrants, and especially its Microenterprise Development program to help him achieve this goal. The program, which helps eligible refugees and immigrants develop, finance, and expand small businesses, was vital to starting Asante Landscaping. The staff helped Muvunye register the company with the Ohio Secretary of State and apply for loans that he needed. Funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement for the past five years, the program has helped more than 30 entrepreneurs gain access to nearly $50,000 in startup capital and credit-building loans. In total, 89 participants have registered to start a business. Three local participants have opened brick-and-mortar stores, with a fourth on the way. The partnership between US Together and the federal resettlement office is an example of how nonprofits and government agencies are working together here and in other regions, such as Buffalo, N.Y., to help as the number of refugees coming to the United States, especially from Afghanistan and Ukraine, is increasing. Welcoming new refugees and immigrants matters to the Midwest and other regions because they may help shift declining populations and boost local economies with new businesses. US Together wants to expand what it does and who it serves, but right now it is working to find new sources of funding because the five-year federal grant that provided the programs $70,000 annual budget expires in September. The nonprofit has applied to have the grant renewed. We have a little bridge funding available that might sustain us a few months past September, said Evan Chwalek, economic integration coordinator at US Together. Also, the nonprofit is in the early stages of seeking other government and foundation grants to stabilize the program. Money from a new refugee-assistance program planned in Cuyahoga County could be tapped for help. And US Together hopes to partner with Global Cleveland, a nonprofit working to increase the number of international newcomers to the region, to eventually develop a business incubator program. Joe Cimperman. president of Global Cleveland, says programs to help newcomers need support from all sectors. Programs like this should absolutely be supported and roundly invested in, and not just by the public sector, Cimperman said. We need to wake up to this. People tend to look at immigrants and refugees as charity cases. Lets make it easier for them to make money and hire people. Cleveland, like many other Midwestern cities, has seen a decline in population over the years. According to the U.S. census, Clevelands population decreased by 6 percent over the past 10 years. Northeast Ohio lost 1.6 percent of its population from 2007 to 2017, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. However, the number of immigrants and refugees coming to the region is increasing because of people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine, said Maria Teverovsky, director of development at US Together. Weve had an unprecedented wave of migration in Northeast Ohio, coupled with an unprecedented migration crisis internationally, she said. Ohio ranked sixth in the number of refugees resettled in 2019, just behind states with larger populations like California, New York, and Texas. About 1,500 refugees resettled in Ohio in 2019, with about 500 coming yearly to Cleveland. And as they arrive, many of them bring an entrepreneurial spirit. Studies show that refugees and immigrants are more likely than people born in the United States to start businesses. While migrants are 15 percent of the U.S. population, they represent 25 percent of entrepreneurs. Community Refugee and Immigration Services, a nonprofit in Columbus, says refugee businesses generate $605.7 million per year in economic impact in the Columbus region alone. But other regions are competing with Northeast Ohio to attract new international residents and the potential for new businesses. According to a 2021 study by Cleveland State University, Cleveland ranks in the bottom third among other midsize U.S. cities in the number of foreign-born individuals. To increase the number of businesses owned by people of color, refugees, and immigrants, Northeast Ohio has to invest in efforts that support them, the study said. The only way were going to thrive is by welcoming international newcomers, Cimperman said. Yet its something we take for granted. Our economy depends on new bodies, new blood, new innovation. Baiju Shah, CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership, the regions chamber of commerce, says welcoming refugees and immigrants is a huge priority. When people come over here from another country, how do we make sure we retain them? he said. Historically, were a region welcoming people from around the world and around the country. It has to be part of our strategy. Victor Harerimana, co-owner of Equity Languages and Employment Services, is also a Congolese refugee. He used the Microenterprise Development program to launch his business. He chose to start an interpretation business after working as an interpreter at Catholic Charities in Cleveland. US Togethers program helped Harerimana apply for a $1,200 loan for his business. We were able to operate in Ohio and New York and make money to help us continue, he said. In Buffalo, the Office of Refugee Resettlement also provided money to a nonprofit to help refugees start businesses. In 2018, Journeys End Refugee Services created the Buffalo Refugee Child Care Microenterprise Project to assist refugees from Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Nepal, Rwanda, and Somalia. They started child-care businesses using a $562,500 grant from the resettlement office. Carolynn Welch, executive director of the Westminster Economic Development Initiative, said in a Buffalo News interview, the immigrant and refugee population has revitalized some neighborhoods there. In the Cleveland area, Cuyahoga County leaders recently issued a request for proposals to help fund organizations that provide social services, employment services, and legal services to refugees and immigrants. The county expects to award a total of $1 million over three years. Meanwhile, US Together wants to expand its development program to serve new populations, especially legal immigrants who dont yet have refugee status, Teverovsky said. In addition to applying for grants, officials at the nonprofit are working with Global Cleveland to explore creating an incubator to offer help and resources to new businesses. They are looking for long-term funding options and a strategy that helps them serve more potential business owners beyond who they can help now due to state and federal regulations. Due to regulatory limits within the state of Ohio, were unable to lend more than $5,000 to our clients, : said Evan Chwalek of US Together. Increasing that ceiling would be really helpful to us as were hearing from lots of potential entrepreneurs, particularly in the transportation sector, who require more capital to get their businesses started. ____ Reporting for this article is part of a Chronicle of Philanthropy fellowship with local news organizations and was underwritten by a Lilly Endowment grant to enhance public understanding of philanthropy. The Land is solely responsible for the content in this article. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ASPEN, Colo. (AP) A rural Colorado official known as the states most prominent election denier surrendered to authorities amid allegations she violated the terms of her release as she awaits trial on accusations of breaking into her countys election system. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters turned herself at the Pitkin County Jail in Aspen in Thursday night and was booked, said Parker Lathrop, the county's chief deputy of operations. She was released on bond later that night, Lathrop said. Authorities claim she had violated bail conditions by contacting workers at the Mesa County elections office. A warrant for her arrest had been issued less than a week after Peters' lawyer convinced a judge not to send her back to jail because of allegations she improperly traveled out of state while awaiting trial. Peters has echoed former President Donald Trumps false theories about the 2020 election. She and her chief deputy, Belinda Knisley, are charged with allowing a copy of a hard drive to be made during an update of election equipment in May 2021. Peters and Knisley have denied wrongdoing and Peters has called the charges politically motivated. A judge prohibited Peters from overseeing last years and this year's local elections in Mesa County, a western region of the state that is largely rural and heavily Republican. Trump won it in the 2020 presidential election with nearly 63% of the vote. President Joe Biden won Colorado overall with 55.4% of the states vote. Peters lost a bid for the Republican Party nomination for Colorado Secretary of State last month. After the Secretary of States office told her she was not entitled to a hand recount under the law, Peters contacted dozens of county election offices asking them to do their own. Authorities said she included Mesa County and that doing so was a violation of her release. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PARIS (AP) The family of a French backpacker who went missing in Egypt nearly a year ago used the Egyptian president's visit to Paris on Friday to press for an investigation into the 27-year-old traveler's disappearance. Family members and friends raised placards asking, Where is Yann Bourdon, President Sissi? hoping to catch the eye of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi before his meeting with French President Emmaunel Macron. But French police scooped them up from a sidewalk and led them away for identity checks before el-Sissi's motorcade zoomed past. Macron's office wouldn't say if the French leader spoke specifically about Bourdon to el-Sissi. But it said Macron raises individual cases in his dealings with the Egyptian president. Bourdons family and friends havent heard from him since August 2021. His last email to his sister was casual, positive, like others the French graduate student sent on his yearlong backpacking journey. He wrote from Cairo: Ill get back to you soon. Give everyone a hug from me. Let me know how Grandpas doing. Nearly a year later, theyre desperate for news and any sign his disappearance is being investigated. Bourdons sister and mother said they decided to go public about the case after meeting months of silence or stonewalling from Egyptian authorities. Frances Foreign Ministry says its well-versed in the dossier, and in touch with Egyptian authorities. The Egyptian Embassy in Paris didnt respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Egypts Foreign Ministry and a government media officer also did not respond to requests for comment. Bourdon's mother, Isabel Leclercq, described her great anguish and great fear that something is happening to him and we cant help him. Its a total vacuum for us, Wendy Bourdon, the missing man's sister, said. The only clue so far came from a French police investigation into Yanns bank account, according to his sister: It was emptied soon after his last email to his family, from a Cairo cash machine. His mother describes Yann as a very social boy who studied history at the Sorbonne and spoke four languages. She said he left on his journey in July 2020 because he wanted to meet other peoples, other civilizations." Passionate about museums, reading and learning, he told his family about sharing a meal with Bedouins who let him pitch his tent next to theirs. That really brought him pleasure, his sister said. He didnt always have internet connections, but when he did he made contact via email. And he always sent messages for loved ones birthdays. After arriving in Egypt, he messaged that he stopped in a hostel in Cairo, and was picked up by a police officer while hitchhiking, his sister said. He said in his mail that he would go that day to visit the Cairo Museum, the Coptic quarter and the bazaar, and in the evening he would meet with the police officer and friends who picked him up. In his final message Aug. 4, he said Ill get back to you soon. He did not have the intention to cut contact with us, his mother said. When he missed his moms birthday in September, they worried but figured he was just without internet access. The family also didn't want to raise a false alert about his absence. But when his sisters birthday in November came and went without a word, they contacted the French Foreign Ministry, which contacted the French Embassy in Egypt, which in turn contacted Egyptian authorities. Back in Paris, the family filed an official missing person report. At first, Egyptian officials claimed Yann Bourdon had never been in Egypt, frustrating and baffling the family. But the French national police confirmed he had arrived in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt on July 25. They also discovered that his bank card was used at a cash machine near the Sadat subway station in Cairo to empty his account in four installments after his last email to his sister. The last withdrawal was made Aug. 7. His family welcomed the information. We thought, its good news. They have surveillance videos of the location. They know the specific time period to consult. We thought it would unblock the situation, the sister said. But they heard nothing. The family traveled to Egypt in May and went with French consular officials to see the Giza prosecutor who was meant to be overseeing the investigation. He had no information about the case, the sister said. We suffered their questions for three hours. They asked us all the things that should have been in the dossier, Leclercq said. International rights groups have in recent years documented a growing number of forced disappearances by Egyptian authorities. Egypts 2011 popular uprising against Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's former longtime president, grew out of demands for an end to police brutality and extrajudicial practices. Since el-Sissi ascended to power in 2014, most of the freedoms gained after the 2011 uprising have been revoked. The government has carried out a wide-reaching crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of people and holding many of them without a trial. The vast majority of those detained have been Egyptian citizens, with the exception of a handful of foreign journalists who have been either held or expelled from the country. Rights groups say the total number of people gone through forced disappearances by police remains unknown. Bourdons sister says the French authorities were helpful and very invested. But they arent getting information either. The family hopes that by calling attention to the case, other clues might emerge. Faced with deafening silence from the Egyptian authorities, Leclercq is certain her son did not cease communication with family and friends of his own will. If Yann can hear us, wherever he is, we want to tell him that we are looking for him, that we will never stop looking for him, she said in an interview with the AP. Choked with emotion, she added: That we will find him. And that we will bring him back. ___ AP journalists Masha Macpherson and Jade Le Deley contributed. ___ This version has been corrected to reflect that Bourdon was in touch with family via email only, not Whatsapp, and that the number of installments with which Bourdons account was emptied at a Cairo ATM machine was four, not three. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Irans state TV said Thursday the countrys foreign ministry recalled its ambassador from Sweden after an Iranian citizen was sentenced to life by a Swedish court for committing war crimes and murder during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The report quoted ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as saying the ambassador took the action for some consultation over the life sentence for Hamid Noury earlier this month. The Stockholm District Court said that Noury took part in severe atrocities in July and August 1988 while working as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison outside the Iranian city of Karaj. The court said 61-year-old Noury participated in the executions of many political prisoners" in Iran that summer. Throughout the trial, Noury denied wrongdoing and Iran called the court a show based on political motives. The development comes at a tense time for ties between Stockholm and Tehran. A number of Europeans were detained in Iran in recent months, including a Swedish tourist, two French citizens, a Polish scientist and others. The detentions aroused concerns that Iran hoped to leverage the prisoners as bargaining chips to pressure the United States and European nations to grant the sanctions relief it received under its tattered 2015 nuclear accord. Noury was arrested in November 2019 when he arrived in Stockholm on a tourist trip. In a separate development, Iran summoned Argentines charge daffaires in Tehran because of the travel ban that Buenos Aires imposed on five Iranian flight crew members after their plane landed in an airport of the south American nation in June. Prosecutors in Argentina said they launched investigations to figure out whether the crew members 14 Venezuelans and five Iranians have any ties to international terrorism or other illicit activity. Iran denies the charge and consider the travel ban a violation of rights of the crew. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 City of Edwardsville Facebook Show More Show Less 2 of 5 City of Edwardsville Facebook Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 The Intelligencer Show More Show Less 5 of 5 As of Friday, Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy is attending the Illinois Municipal Leagues summer board of directors meeting in Decatur. The conference allows Illinois mayors to collaborate and address statewide issues. The meeting also provides a chance to explore the host city, including The Staley Museum. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It took a little longer than expected for Poke Munch to open its new restaurant in Edwardsville, but it was worth the wait. The Hawaiian restaurant opened on Monday, July 18 at 1063 Illinois Route 157, Suite 12, in the University Pointe 1 Shopping Center. It is the second location for Poke Munch, which has a popular St. Louis County restaurant in Creve Coeur. Ausaja Kazmi, who worked at the Creve Coeur location, is the owner of the Edwardsville restaurant. Justino Garcia has stepped into a new role as the head chef after being junior chef at Creve Coeur. The Edwardsville location, which was supposed to open sometime in June, will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. We had a soft opening on Saturday (July 16) with friends and family, with some random people coming in as well, but Monday was our first actual day open, Ausaja Kazmi said. We ran through a lot of challenges in getting ready to open, including furniture, flooring and all sorts of things. But all of the significant issues have been solved and were open and running and trying to bring joy to all of our customers. A first visit to Poke Munch, at lunchtime on Tuesday, was impressive while ordering one of the restaurants signature bowls and a side dish. I had the Crispy Hei Hei (No. 5 on the menu), which featured sesame chicken tempura served over rice and fresh vegetables. It was tasty and crispy as advertised, with a portion size that didnt leave me hungry. The Crispy Hei Hei has white rice, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, sweet onion and shiitake mushrooms with PM (Poke Munch) sauce and unagi sauce with garlic on top of the chicken, Ausaja Kazmi said. Its one of our most popular dishes. PM is our house sauce with a mild sriracha mayo and unagi is an eel sauce with sweet soy, kind of like a teriyaki. Unagi sauce is good with anything that has a sweet flavor, especially chicken and fish, added Ausaja's brother, Mustafa Kazmi, who also worked at the Creve Coeur location. A lot of our customers like unagi with the salmon. Its very labor intensive the unagi takes about three days to make and its our most expensive sauce. Were probably losing money on it, but people love the sauce, and we like to bring it to the customers. Ausaja noted that Poke Munch sauces its fish instead of seasoning it, with the exception of the spicy tuna. As a side dish, I had the shiitake mushroom pot stickers with Aloha sauce. The crispy pot stickers were a pleasant alternative to those usually served at Chinese restaurants. The pot stickers have bok choy, mushrooms and other vegetables inside and theyre vegan, Ausaja said. We serve them with the Aloha sauce, which is a garlic-infused soy sauce. The way I eat the pot stickers is different than everyone else. Ill bite off the tip of the pot sticker, pour in the sauce and eat it, and it gushes out with flavor. To wash down my lunch, I enjoyed a bottle of Bundaberg ginger beer from Australia, which is among an eclectic selection of beverages at Poke Munch. We have a wide variety of drinks, and my personal favorite is the Bundaberg ginger beer, Ausaja said. It has no preservatives and its one of the best ginger beers out there. We also have a collection of sodas from Fitzs in St. Louis. The menu at Poke Munch Edwardsville, like the Creve Coeur restaurant, is built around poke, which is cubed raw fish, seasoned any way you want it. In the first couple of days at the Edwardsville location, the customers were a mix of poke lovers and people who had heard about the Hawaiian-style food and wanted to try it. Some people have had poke and its usually the people that have gone to Hawaii, Ausaja said. They think its great and theyre glad that were bringing it here. Then there are those who have never had poke and were introducing them to this new food. If you love raw and if you love good food, come over. In addition to chicken, Poke Munch offers a wide variety of protein choices on its menu. I think we have the perfect balance of diversity, Mustafa said. If you like raw fish, we have plenty of items. The Aloha Classic and Mauis Fury are probably our most favorite bowls, but you always have an opportunity to build your own with things like ahi tuna, spicy tuna or salmon. For people that dont like raw fish, we have plenty of proteins like chicken tempura, tempura shrimp and regular steamed shrimp. You can choose the best of both worlds and we might even come with some more new dishes soon. Ausaja noted that Poke Munch also features a vegan bowl, Avocoloco (No. 3 on the menu), which features sweet chili tofu, spring mix, cucumber, sweet onion, avocado, shiitake mushroom, edamame, yellow daikon, crispy wonton and sesame ginger mayo. It was a favorite in Creve Coeur for all of the vegans there and Im sure the vegans here will love it too, Ausaja said. You can replace the protein for that with our tofu fries, which are made in-house as well, and you can have the tofu crisp or soft. A tempting selection of sides, including the shiitake mushroom pot stickers, adds to the diversity of the menu at Poke Munch. We have the tempura shrimp, which is also No. 4 on the menu, and the tofu fries, Mustafa said. We also have the sesame chicken tempura tenders, which are marinated overnight in a lot of different sauces and breaded and fried every single day. The sweet potato waffle fries are another favorite. A side dish of those is always packed and theyre really good. For Ausaja Kazmi, a former student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, opening a restaurant in Edwardsville is like coming full circle. I went to SIUE for two years and it was great, and we were talking to our majority owner (Nadeem Hosseini (owner and co-founder of the Creve Coeur location) about starting a second location, Ausaja said. I told him I used to go to SIUE and its a college town and I thought it would be a great location. There are not a lot of poke or raw fish options in Edwardsville or the nearby communities. I said we can come over here and give back to the community and add a little flavor to the restaurant scene. For more information, visit Poke Munch on Facebook. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Rising Tide Society, formerly known as Tuesdays Together, has launched a new chapter to help creatives and solopreneurs in the Metro East, choosing photographer Matthew Kauffmann of Lebanon to lead the community. The purpose of the group is based on a slogan from the New England Council, a regional chamber of commerce, that "a rising tide lifts all the boats." "Together, we are empowering the independent business economy to pursue their passion with the support of a community," Kauffmann said. "By elevating the voices of small business owners, sharing their stories and building a thriving online and offline community, they support entrepreneurs in their pursuit of a sustainable livelihood." Kauffmann hopes photography will become his main line of work in the future, but for now, he also works as a full-time paramedic. "The St. Louis Metro is a very unique area with many opportunities," Kauffmann said. "For better or worse, we are often lost in the shadow of St. Louis. While a metro area has its advantages, we also have different challenges on this side of the river, so this is an opportunity for us to grow out from under the Gateway Arch." But he insists it's not an "us versus them" mentality. He said there are plenty of resources available in the 618 area code without having to resort to crossing the Mississippi or always making St. Louis the default choice. "We believe that when small businesses are given the opportunity to rise, the world can be changed for the better," he said. Kauffmann attended a Rising Tide training sponsored by Ben Hartley of Columbus, Ohio who taught that, as a solopreneur, one has to be a businessman first. Hartley also encouraged Kauffman to find a Rising Tide group in his area to join and he found the Metro East one. Since the group is still in a building phase, according to Kauffmann, no events are planned yet. There will not be any dues to pay and it won't be a formal gathering, he noted. He wants to grow membership first, then he envisions meeting monthly for tea or coffee or lunch to bandy about ideas and plans among creative comrades. There will not be any dues to pay and it won't be a formal gathering, he noted. "I do better when I have someone to bounce ideas off of," he said. The Rising Tide Society hosted its first set of local meetings in 12 cities across the United States in 2015. Coffee shops and wineries filled with small business owners seeking a new mindset in the creative landscape one built on relationships. Today, they host more than 400 monthly gatherings in cities around the world and serve a community of more than 77,000 independent business owners. The Rising Tide Society is dedicated to not only supporting one another but also giving back to the wider community. To date, they have donated more than $130,000 to non-profits, including The School Sessions, U.S. Dream Academy, The Birthday Party Project, Thirst Relief and more. They also partnered with Pencils of Promise to build a school in 2018 funded entirely by community donations through their annual RISE Summit. For more information, or to join this free resource group, visit: http://www.facebook.com/groups/risingtidemetroeast/ A night to remember. Prince Harry and Meghan Markles New York City date was one for the books. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated their first date anniversary in the Big Apple. A source close to the couple revealed that the two spent the special night alone. The trip couldnt have come at a better time for them personally because they were able to combine it with a little belated celebration of their first date, they told HollywoodLife on July 22, 2022. Being in the city and having a night out without the kids was a rare treat and they made the most of it. They cherish their time with the kids, but a romantic date night was long overdue. Harry and Meghan have two kids together: Archie, 3 and Lilibet, 1. More from StyleCaster Harry and Meghan were in New York City for Nelson Mandela Day at the United Nations. During his speech on July 18, 2022, he gave a sweet anecdote about Africa and the connection between his wife and his mother Princess Diana. For most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I found peace and healing time and time again. Its where I felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died, and where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife, he said about the continent. I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to know each other. Click here to read the full article. The insider later said that Meghan was fond of Harrys speech. Meghan is so immensely proud of Harry, being asked to give a speech at the UN is such an honor in itself, but to be asked by the Nelson Mandela Foundation [to give the key-note address at Nelson Mandela International Day], was just beyond special, the insider explained. There was a lot of pressure on Harry, but he absolutely hit it out of the park. It was such a proud and emotional moment for them both. Story continues Prince Harry will be writing about his life in a new memoir released later this year. According to multiple sources who told Page Six, the book will be released in fall 2022, and details of the book are very hot. Its juicy, thats for sure, a publishing insider added, Theres a lot of new stories in there about the past that Harry has not spoken about before, about his childhood there is some content in there that should make his family nervous. Although Harry will be spilling a lot about his family, he will not be talking about his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, according to Page Six. Image: Courtesy of Dey Street Books. Buy: Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family $11.15 For more about Prince Harry and Meghan Markles time in the British royal family, read Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durands New York Times bestseller, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. The book tells all on the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs relationship, from how they met to their wedding to the birth of their son, Archie. Finding Freedom also dives into the true story of why Harry and Meghan left the royals at the end of 2019 and moved to the United States amid their secret drama with their family. Consisting of interviews and accounts with Harry and Meghans closest confidants, Finding Freedom is a must-read for any royal follower. Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think youll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. New Entertainment Newsletter Best of StyleCaster The colorful flags of the Civil War. These symbols signify the stories of the brave soldiers who fought in one of the nations toughest battles. Desloge resident Christopher Warren will discuss some of the rare U.S. Civil War flags, ones that are not even displayed for the public. He will also explain the significance of these flags and differences between the various Union and Confederate flags used in Missouri during the U.S. Civil War. Warren speaks today at the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site at 6 p.m. Hell be dressed as a Union Color Sergeant and carry a special Civil War-type flag. This flag was flown in Warrens honor on the USS Constitution by the U.S. Navy. During his living history presentation titled Civil War Flags of Missouri and Arkansas, Warren will share many interesting and some little-known facts about Civil War flags, including terminology and myths and misconceptions. He will use a variety of photographs of actual Civil War flags to illustrate the information. Warren has been privileged to not only see some of these flags in person but has also held some of them. This presentation answers a lot of common questions and tries to educate the public as to the common thought of their only being two different types of Civil War flags, said Warren. Hell tie this presentation into some of his familys history by including photographs of his great-great-great grandfathers Civil War flags. He enlisted in October 1862 with the 25th Missouri Infantry, Company K U.S. in Arcadia. This unit was later consolidated into the 1st Missouri Engineers. This is the unit for which Warren usually takes on a reenactment role. This is the unit I normally reenact with, and had members from the Iron County area, so it tends to get some serious reactions from the audience, said Warren. If anyone has interest in the Civil War, this is a unique presentation that they will not want to miss. Warrens presentation begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception that is open to the public. Afterward, guests will hear about Warrens historical expertise firsthand in the historic sites theater room. Warren is a local historian, reenactor and teacher at North County School District. He will participate in the Ulysses S. Grant Remembrance Day ceremony Saturday at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis. This event is sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the National Park Service. A smaller Civil War reenactment in Ste. Genevieve takes place Aug. 27 and includes a reenactment and dramatization of an 1861 bank robbery which occurred during the Civil War. This event is hosted by the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site. For more information about this event, contact the sites museum at 573-546-3454. The Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site is located at 118 East Maple. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Recently, precisely on Sunday July 17, 2022, the Deputy President of the Senate and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in Delta, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, going by media reports stated that the Delta Government had not been fair to the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the state. The lawmaker, representing Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, said he was pained by the sufferings the Ijaws were subjected to in the state. I have always felt the pain of the Ijaw nations because I know their contributions to the economy of this country. I believe that the government has been unfair to the Ijaw people, given their contribution to the economy of this country. I know as a consequence of that contribution, so much is returned to our state by ways of FAC allocation and 13 percent derivation. As expected, the statement has elicited reactions from stakeholders and the general public. While some people have hailed the declaration of the Deputy President of the Senate, saying that such a view did not come as a surprise, others view it with skepticism. They describe it as political rhetoric that is not factually supported but laced with practical realities targeted at achieving personal goals again. To this Group, there is no way Ijaw nation/ethnic nationality in the state can be considered as suffering or marginalized in the face of her illustrious son, in the person of Barrister Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, as the current Deputy Governor in the State, and with array of Commissioners and advisers, Special Assistants of Ijaw extraction serving in the same administration. The boundaries between both spheres have shifted back and forth for some days. In some cases, they have ended up igniting a lot of tension. Admittedly, it is a statement of fact that as Ijaw nation is arguably the second largest ethnic group in the state, Delta has benefited from their remarkable exploits and contributions, be it in natural resources, human resources and all other fields of knowledge. Politically also, the people going by available records have been active in the political affairs since the days of Western and Mid-Western regions, Bendel State and now Delta State. They have co-existed peacefully with other ethnic groups in the state. The state is indeed indebted to them for the wealth of knowledge and resources they provided. With that fact highlighted, it is also necessary to underline that as exciting as the statement credited to Deputy Senate President is- and the ripple reaction it has generated, there exists the need not to indulge in an unwelcome departure from the normal good sense of judgment. To perform this role well, this piece, will akin to the Rotary International Clubs Four-Way Test of moral code for personal and business relationships, pose the following question; Is the statement credited to the Deputy Senate President the TRUTH? Is it fair to all concerned particularly the Delta state Government? Will it build goodwill and better friendship? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Beginning with the question as to whether the Ijaw nation have been unfairly treated by the state government, evidence points to the fact that when it comes to infrastructural provisions for all people in the state, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowas led administration have done appreciably well. For the Ijaws in the coastal areas of the state, he has deflected the age-long excuse by previous administrations that the coastal region predominantly occupied by the Ijaws cannot be developed because the terrain is marshy-a feature that renders construction difficult if not impossible. Such an argument can no longer be sustained. Governor has within the past seven years of his administration made available some level of good but internal road networks and other infrastructural development. However, while those of us who believe and have through opinion articles, commentaries and interventions stoutly favored/supported policies and decisions of the Delta state Government/leadership philosophy of the present government in the state, may not totally subscribe to the assertion by the Deputy Senate President, this piece must on the other hand, for reasons considered very logical, rational and practical say that the state must not allow such a comment go with political winds as there exists in my view some fundamental lessons to draw from the comment. The state must positively harness it to build goodwill and better friendship that will be beneficial to all concerned. Again, to some extent, the state government may feel hesitant as to why they should read this present piece. Or accept the content of solution it proffers as beneficial and helpful to the real development of the Ijaw nation. That notwithstanding, the truth must be told to the effect that, there are still some sincere signs that some of the villages and communities within the axis daily tell the story of a people that do not have a good survival record. They are at intervals either sacked or their property destroyed by flood, their people particularly children decimated or dispersed. They daily endure poverty, economic powerlessness and outright deprivation. This is the order of the day within some communities located in that coastal region of the state. Unarguably, the state in my view, have no doubt recorded some feat in the areas of infrastructural development and promotion of technical education, they may also have been ranked the Best State in Human Capital Development in the 2017 States Peer Review by the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria, and also in 2020, adjudged to be the Second Least Poor State, coming only after Lagos, Nigerias business hub, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS). But a visit to some communities within the area; will not only make nonsense of these rankings but says something new and different. Take as an illustration, just very recently, I listened with rapt attention to King Monday Whiskey, Udurhie 1, the Ovie of Iderhe Kingdom speaks on the challenges children of his kingdom need to confront to access education. King Whiskey who spoke in Lagos, among other things, lamented that children in the Niger delta must attain the age of 12 before starting from primary one because it is only at that age that children are able to paddle their boat successfully to the other side of the community where their school is located. In such a case, says Damilola Adeparua, a public affairs commentator, it is arguable that the percentage of uneducated women will be very high since it is only at the age of twelve boys can be allowed to paddle boats, then it will take a supernatural girl of 12 to start at that age. This makes the global statistics feasible that just 39% of rural girls attend secondary school and this is far fewer than that of rural boys, which is 45%, compared to urban girls, which is 59% and urban boys 60%. Some of the girls who even live in communities which have access to free education and have their schools located in places where it is accessible are denied their right to education based on religious reasons, while some are hampered by poverty. Although the issue of childrens education deprivation is not limited to girls as posited by UNICEF that 1 in every 5 of the worlds out-of-school children is in Nigeria. Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, about 10.5 million of the countrys children aged 5-14 years are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6-11 year-olds regularly attend primary school and only 35.6 percent of children aged 36-59 months receive early childhood education. Delta state particularly the people of the coastal communities are in my opinion not insulated from this challenge. Why the state urgently needs to act on this new awareness is that school being far or close to the home according to what experts are saying definitely affects the student in many ways. For the student living far from the school, the long commute everyday is physically and mentally tiring for the student. And as a result its harder for him or her to focus on studying after he or she gets home. Their lifestyle is usually more hectic because of the travel. Most, if not all school related events are actually near the school so the student has to travel to attend all that, too. Comparatively, those who live closer to the school, they are usually better connected to school and its events because, most, if not all school related events happen near the school. And because of the small distance, theyre more up to date with it. Also, maximum students who attend a particular school, live close to it, so theyre better connected with each other compared to the folks who live away and therefore tend to have more contacts and more connections. They are also more likely to become popular in school because they know a lot of people. They also are mentally more relaxed because they have a lot of time on their hands and they dont necessarily have to deal with traveling. The UNICEF survey says something else; there are still a huge number of those who are in school, but are learning nothing, noting that schooling does not always lead to learning. In Nigeria, there are more non-learners in school than out of school. it concluded. More importantly, the state needs to pay attention to present challenges in the region as development professionals warn that preparing for the future involves, first of all, training our young citizens to lead the development process, driven by a sense of their absolute duty to maintain our economic evolution. This will encourage them to place their dynamic potential at the service of our society. Indeed, the state has a wealth of young talents, and it is the responsibility of each and every sector of society to nurture them. This can only be done through proper education, training, and support and encouragement; and by scouting for special skills and talents, while also nurturing creative initiatives. To truly develop the coastal area of the state, in ways that will make residents, particularly the Ijaw ethnic nationality, feel that sense of belonging, more work needs to be done and more reforms need to be made. To catalyze the process, this is what the piece proposes. There is an urgent need for the Governor to construct road/bridge networks that will link Warri to Escravos terminals in Warri South West Local Council Area of Delta and another from Escravos to Forcados terminal in Burutu Local Government Area as well as complete Ayakoromo bridge to link communities in Ughelli South and Burutu Council Areas. Secondly and very fundamental, the state House of Assembly must pass into law the Coastal Area Development Agency (CADA) Bill, currently before it. As a peep into the proposed Bill, shows that if passed, will principally, provide the needed protection and save the area from infrastructural backwardness pollution and degradation. It will equally not be characterized as out of place if one of the state owned universities cites one of its campuses within Ijaw communities as a way of bringing tertiary education closer to the people. Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via;[email protected]/08032725374. This week in Nigeria Report: Dr. Franklyne Ogbunwezeh explains the turmoil caused by the All Progressives Congress party's decision to nominate a Muslim for both president and vice president in Nigeria's 2023 elections: The army and the police are all exclusively under the control of the federal government. All these factors make the central government a very potent weapon. And in a country as badly governed as Nigeria, fractured along ethnoreligious fault lines, and where prebendal politics and a rentier economy nourishes endemic corruption, the central government can quickly degenerate into an agency to collect rent and distribute favours, cultivate nepotism, supress opponents and enemies, or defend friends and ethnoreligious interests, as Nigerias history has amply demonstrated. This is one major reason why this unwritten arrangement of never allowing the president and his vice to have the same religion came into being. It is to reduce religious tensions arising out of the mutual suspicion that the two major religions have nursed against each other since northern Muslim delegates walked out of the 1978 Constituent Assembly over the issue of writing Sharia law into the constitution. A presidency headed by two Muslims as both president and vice president not only violates the unwritten political arrangement that has held Nigeria together but is seen by many Christians as the last hurdle in effectively Islamizing Nigeria. Read the whole article. PLUS: At London Ministerial for Freedom of Religion, Nigerians speak truth to power. Videos. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), which is the umbrella body of all airline companies operating in Nigeria, has said that henceforth, aggrieved passengers who destroy airline property or assault airline staff, will be arrested and prosecuted. It also said that such passengers risk blacklisting and also banned from being carried by members of the group. The group said that such legal action may come by way of criminal action or civil suit. Speaking in a statement made available to journalists in which the group condemned a recent attack on the property of Dana Air by passengers, the AON said that air transport users who have issues with any operator have legally sanctioned avenues to seek redress. According to the group, destroying airline property and assaulting staff of Airline companies constitute criminal breaches and are not part of avenues sanctioned by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Competitions and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPA). The statement signed by the spokesman of the AON, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, and titled AON Condemns Attack on Dana Air Property reads: The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) condemns, in very strong terms, the attack on the property of Dana Air by passengers whose scheduled flights were affected by the grounding of the airline for operational audit. "Recall that Dana Air passengers on July 21, 2022, physically descended on, and damaged, the company's property at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, over the unexpected and unintended cancellation of their flight in what is now a force majeure. "Dana Air is currently undergoing an operational audit as ordered by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). "We understand that Dana Air, as a responsible member of this association, had activated its feedback mechanism to inform passengers of the development and the cancellation of their flight. "However, it is uncivilized for passengers to take laws into their hands by destroying Dana Air property when there are approved mechanisms for redress. "As an association, AON will no longer watch passengers destroy the property of its affiliate members without adequate response. "Henceforth, AON shall activate all available legal avenues to ensure that passengers caught destroying property of her members are brought to book and made to pay for such destructions. "Once again, AON reminds consumers of the services of her members that no law permits the destruction of company property, and, or, physical assault on Airline staff, as redress. "We make bold to say that such actions will be pursued from both criminal and civil law perspectives and may also include blacklisting and travel ban on member airlines. "We encourage aggrieved passengers to explore NCAA-approved avenues for redress, including options at Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), as the airline staff that is assaulted, and property that is damaged, cannot make up for whatever is the unintended consequence(s) of flight cancellations or delays. Ukraine grain deal expected Friday as Russian gas flows resume KYIV, UKRAINE: Ukraine and Russia are set to sign a deal Friday to unblock grain exports and relieve a global food crisis, as a critical Russian gas pipeline to Europe reopened. By AFP Friday 22 July 2022, 10:11AM The tailpart of a missile sticks out of the ground strewn with charred ears of wheat in the village of Chornobaivka. Photo: Sergei Bobylev / TASS But there was no respite in the conflict on the ground, with Russian artillery on Thursday pounding Ukraines second largest city Kharkiv, already scarred by weeks of shelling. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due to arrive in Turkey on Thursday for the grain deal signing ceremony at Istanbuls lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted that the agreement will be signed in Istanbul on Friday under the auspices of the Turkish leader, Guterres and Ukrainian and Russian delegations. The first major agreement between the warring sides since Russias February invasion of its neighbour comes with global food prices soaring and people in some of the worlds poorest countries facing starvation. The five-month war is being fought across one of Europes most fertile regions by two of the worlds biggest grain producers. Up to 25 million tons of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP that Kyivs delegation would only accept solutions that guarantee the security of its southern regions, the position of its forces in the Black Sea and the safe export of its agricultural products. The United States welcomed the deal but urged Russia to implement it in good faith. We should never have been in this position in the first place, said State Department spokesman Ned Price, accusing Russia of weaponizing food. In more good news for global markets, Russia on Thursday restored critical gas supplies to Europe through Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline after 10 days of maintenance. However, suspicion lingered that the Kremlin would trigger an energy crisis on the continent this winter. European Union states have accused Russia of squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over the war. Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, had feared that Moscow would not reopen the pipeline after the scheduled work and accused Moscow of using energy as a weapon. The resumption of gas supplies came a day after the European Commission unveiled emergency measures to circumvent Russian energy blackmail. Klaus Mueller, head of Germanys energy regulator, said that by late morning gas flows were on track to return to 40% of the pipelines capacity the same reduced level as before the maintenance work. Despite efforts within the bloc to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies, Moscows closest EU ally, Hungary, announced Thursday it was seeking to increase gas deliveries from Russia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would consider Budapests request for more gas this year after his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto visited Moscow on Thursday. STAY IN SHELTERS! In Kharkiv, prosecutors said three people had been killed and 23 more injured in a Russian missile strike. The enemy is firing chaotically and brutally at the city. Stay in shelters! regional governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on social media. In Kramatorsk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting, a school that Ukrainian officials said was being used as a food aid storage point was also struck. Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and the war has left thousands dead, forced millions to flee their homes and raised fears of a nuclear disaster. Moscow accused Ukrainian forces Thursday of having fired on Europes largest nuclear power plant, which is in Russian-controlled territory, and claimed a catastrophe was avoided by luck. Ukraine without responding to the allegations said Russia was storing heavy weapons and ammunition at the Zaporizhzhia plant and that any accident there could lead to a crisis worse than the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Some 15,000 Russians have died in the invasion, the US and British spy chiefs said, as they assessed that President Vladimir Putin was suffering far greater losses than expected. Richard Moore, the head of Britains MI6 intelligence service, said Thursday that the 15,000 dead was probably a conservative estimate and marked a very bloody nose for Putin, who had expected quick victory. In an exclusive interview with AFP, Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman leader of Belarus and close Kremlin ally, meanwhile urged Moscow and Kyiv to relaunch negotiations to avoid a nuclear escalation. Further [ahead] lies the abyss of nuclear war. Theres no need to go there, said the leader of Belarus, which was used by Russian troops in February as a launching pad to attack Ukraine. DIFFERENT WAR AIMS FOR RUSSIA Western powers have stepped up arms supplies to Ukraine but President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked for more and speedier deliveries. Britain became the latest country Thursday to announce it is re-upping military supplies with artillery, hundreds of drones and hundreds more anti-tank weapons for Ukraine in the coming weeks. Russia has warned about arms supplies and said they mean Moscow will no longer be focused only on wresting control of the east Ukraine regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, which have been partially controlled by pro-Moscow rebels for years. In its latest package of sanctions this week, the EU imposed an embargo on Russian gold imports and froze assets at Russias largest bank. The bloc followed up Thursday with asset freezes and visa bans on 10 Syrians, accusing them of recruiting mercenaries to fight for Russia. Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Tory Burch. These are only a few of the well-known brand names that were part of the recent Designer Bag Bingo event. Plenty of participants were eager to win a beautiful bag and contribute to a great cause. This is the fourth year for the event where traditional bingo turned into a fashionable event when Coldwell Banker Hulsey hosted its Designer Bag Bingo at Twin Oaks Vineyard & Winery in Farmington. With limited spots, it can be hard to get a seat at this popular fundraising event where participants hope to win a name-brand purse during 15 rounds of fun. Fifteen local sponsors donated designer handbags in several different brand names. Most of the sponsors have been part of the event since the first year it was held. The event raised $22,232. All proceeds were donated to Superheroes for Hope. Superheroes for Hope is a nonprofit organization led by Rhonda Hubbard and Jill Wagner. Funds benefit children in St. Francois County with childhood cancer and other diseases. This annual event would not be possible without the team at Coldwell Banker Hulsey and the generous support of the community. There were more than 170 door prizes ranging from designer bags and wallets, concert tickets, sunglasses, gift cards to local restaurants, donations from local boutiques, and more. The community really showers this event with support, said Coldwell Banker Hulsey Broker/Owner Kim Hutson. Each year our Designer Bag Bingo event gets better and better. Hutson got the idea for the Designer Bag Bingo fundraiser after traveling to New Jersey for a work training course. She made friends with Megan, another broker from North Carolina. One day after viewing Megans Facebook page, Hutson saw an event where Megan and her daughter were raising money for cancer patients in their area. Hutson reached out to Megan for additional details, who eagerly helped her to put on the first event. The past four events have raised $73,167. These funds have remained in St. Francois County. About $27,000 for the first two years of Designer Bag Bingo was presented to the Walker Johns Childhood Cancer Foundation. For the third year, funds supported the Play-It-Forward in the Parkland, the 20,000 square foot all-inclusive playground that is under construction at Farmingtons Engler Park. We look for charities who support our local community, said Hutson, and we want to help raise money that will stay right here where we work and play. We feel we have been blessed as Realtors and want to give back however we can. Planning for next years event begins immediately after the current event has concluded when the team discusses how to improve the event for the next year. They typically collect sponsors and door prize donations about three months before the event. The team spends countless hours making contacts with local businesses and individuals leading up to the event date. They also sell tickets for 45 tables with eight people per table for the event. Designer Bag Bingo is one of many ways the Coldwell Banker Hulsey team helps the community. Throughout the year, the office assists various organizations each month. They also have a six-week food drive in October and November. We have an office full of amazing people with huge hearts and truly want to give back to our community, said Hutson. We are so humbled by the generosity of our wonderful community! Designer Bag Bingo 2023 will take place in April. 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. Ships full of Ukrainian wheat and other food may be safely sailing across the Black Sea in the next few weeks after Ukraine and Russia signed a U.N. export deal Judges at the United Nations highest court have dismissed preliminary objections by Myanmar to a case alleging the Southeast Asian nation is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority TOKYO (AP) Japans nuclear regulator on Friday approved details of a planned release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea next year. The approval by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will enable Tokyo Electric Power Co. to start building necessary facilities ahead of the discharge. It came two months after a preliminary greenlight and a subsequent public review process. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings submitted the plan in December based on a government decision last year to release the wastewater as a necessary step for the plants ongoing decommissioning. A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plants cooling systems, causing triple meltdowns and the release of large amounts of radiation. Water that was used to cool the three damaged reactor cores, which remain highly radioactive, has since leaked into basements of the reactor buildings but was collected and stored in tanks. Local fishing communities and neighboring countries have raised concerns about potential health hazards from the radioactive wastewater, which TEPCO and government officials say will be treated to levels far below releasable standards. They maintain that the environmental and health impacts will be negligible. Japan nuclear authority chairman Toyoshi Fuketa told reporters Friday that the release plan had no major technical or safety issues. He said the regulators will ensure approved procedures are strictly followed with transparency. The government and TEPCO say that of more than 60 isotopes selected for treatment, all but one, tritium, will be reduced to meet safety standards. Scientists say impacts of long-term, low-dose exposure to tritium for the environment and humans are still unknown. Tritium affects humans more when it is consumed in fish, they say. The contaminated water is being stored in about 1,000 tanks at the damaged plant. Officials say they must be removed so that facilities can be built for its decommissioning. The tanks are expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons next year. TEPCO said it plans to transport treated and releasable water through a pipeline from the tanks to a coastal facility, where it will be diluted with seawater and then sent through an undersea tunnel with an outlet about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away to minimize the impact on local fishing and the environment. The government and TEPCO still need to gain local consent for building the tunnel and other related facilities. They plan to begin gradually releasing the treated water in spring 2023. China on Friday renewed its protest over the planned wastewater release and urged Japan to carry out the disposal in a scientific, open, transparent and safe manner. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin demanded Japan "stop pushing the discharge plan before reaching a consensus with all stakeholders and relevant international agencies. Japan has sought help from the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure the water release meets international safety standards and reassure local fishing and other communities and neighboring countries that have opposed the plan. Experts from the IAEA visited the plant earlier this year and said Japan was taking appropriate steps for the planned discharge. In a statement Friday, TEPCO pledged to sincerely respond to the IAEA reviews, ensure safety, provide data to the public and strengthen its radiation monitoring. The company also vowed to do its utmost to explain the water discharge plans and gain the publics understanding about the decommissioning. ___ AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report. HONOLULU (AP) Police in Hawaii were investigating after a man's left hand was severed by a sword at a Waikiki 7-Eleven. Emergency responders were called to the convenience store just after midnight Friday, said Shayne Enright, spokesperson for Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. They found the man at the entrance to the parking lot with multiple lacerations, puncture wounds and a severed hand, Enright told The Associated Press. Left hand. The man, 40, was taken in critical condition to a hospital. An employee who answered the phone at the Kalakaua Avenue store said no one who was working at the time was still there. The 7-Eleven corporate office in Hawaii did not immediately return a call for comment. Michael Suissa, a tourist from Switzerland, told Hawaii News Now he witnessed the attack. The victim started to shout and to cry and then I look at him on the floor and I saw that half his hand was on the floor, Suissa said. According to Suissa, the man wielding the sword is a worker he has interacted with in recent days at the store. The Honolulu TV station reported that police didn't confirm the 46-year-old man they arrested is a 7-Eleven employee. Honolulu police launched an attempted murder investigation, the station reported. GLEN CARBON A Florida man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for defrauding banks in Wood River and Glen Carbon. Delvin O.E. Mills, 29, of North Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced to 42 months in prison on Wednesday in connection with his involvement in a bank fraud scheme which targeted female victims in Southern Illinois. Mills was also ordered to pay restitution and a $2,000 fine, as well as serve five years on supervised release upon his release from prison. According to court documents, in July 2021 Mills conspired with others to cash stolen checks and fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions using stolen driver licenses belonging to people in Southern Illinois. The group targeted banks in Glen Carbon and Wood River. At his sentencing hearing in East St. Louis, Mills admitted members of the conspiracy broke into vehicles parked in public places in Southern Illinois to steal valuables. Items included purses and wallets containing IDs and checkbooks. Members of the organization wrote checks from the stolen checkbooks made payable to other people from whom the group had stolen identities. Mills and his co-defendant, Mary Thornhill, attempted to cash checks at local banks using the furthest lane of each banks drive-up window to avoid detection by the tellers. Law enforcement officials dubbed them the Felony Lane Gang. Mills admitted that, on July 19, 2021, he and Thornhill went to Regions Bank in Glen Carbon and successfully cashed a check made payable to a person whose identity had been stolen. They were arrested by Glen Carbon Police within minutes of leaving the b ank. This case involves a criminal scheme that has unfortunately become far too common in our District, said United States Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. This office is committed to assisting our local law enforcement partners in their investigations of these serious crimes and to holding those individuals who target our communities, defraud our financial institutions, and steal the identities of innocent victims accountable. "The significant prison sentence imposed by the court in this case is not only just punishment for this defendant, but should also serve as a warning to others contemplating such crimes, she said. Prior to arriving in Southern Illinois, Mills pleaded guilty to similar charges in Oregon and was on pre-trial release pending sentencing there when he fled the state. On June 5, 2021, Mills was arrested in Las Vegas for breaking into cars. After his release in Nevada, he traveled to Southern Illinois. On July 14, Mills was sentenced in Oregon to 55 months in prison. His two federal sentences will run consecutively for a total of 97 months in prison. His co-conspirator, Thornhill, also has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Aug. 17. The investigation was conducted by police in Glen Carbon, Clinton County, Germantown, Belleville, New Baden, Salem and OFallon. Other agencies assisting with the case were the Kirkwood, Missouri, and St. Louis County Police Departments, along with the United States Secret Service and the Fairview Heights Domicile Office of the Springfield Resident Office. Assistant United States Attorney Zoe J. Gross prosecuted the case. MEXICO CITY (AP) The United States on Thursday filed its fifth labor complaint about alleged violations of union organizing rights in Mexico. The complaint was filed under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade pact, which requires that Mexico enforce a law that says employees are allowed to freely choose the union that represents them. For decades, undemocratic, pro-company unions kept wages in Mexico low by reaching behind-the-scenes deals with employers. GLEN CARBON Abi Zajac from Glen Carbon has been selected by Girl Scouts of the USA as a recipient of a Gold Award Scholarship. The Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award Scholarship recognizes one outstanding Gold Award Girl Scout per council whose project exemplifies the core components of the Gold Award. On the corner of Fourth Avenue and Lyons Street in downtown Albany, Ophelias Place waits patiently to welcome youth girls, now, less than a week away. Inside, cheerful hues of blues, greens, purples and pinks cover the walls. A soft gray couch provides comfortable seating, and neon signs infuse the 1,755-square-foot space with a warm glow. Teri Conklin, communications director, said Ophelias Place seeks to learn each girls interests with the priority of making all feel seen, heard and valued. Offering a combination of strength-based therapy, after-school workshops and focus groups, the desired outcome is a story of resilience and hope for all who pass through. As we were all teenagers once, we recognize that youth want to grow up knowing they have a voice, Conklin said. We believe that teens have the power to make changes in their communities, and its up to us to give them a space to do so. Ophelias Place currently has physical locations in Eugene and Junction City. Prior to COVID-19, both sites served an average of 200-plus youth per month. Conklin said connections with the greater Albany community began in 2018 thanks to community members Fred and Gina Vetter. Recognizing the value of Ophelias work, the couple assisted in funding in-school therapy, Young Amazing Women of Color groups and classroom presentations for several districts in the area. 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. Today, Ophelias Place continues to encourage discussions on internet safety, bullying, sexual harassment, body image and so much more, Conklin said. For instance, its newest program invites parents and educators to learn how to navigate those topics with their youth through professional development training. Therapy is also available free or on a sliding scale. While program participation is voluntary, Ophelias Place wants to foster a safe space for girls to have organic conversations, Conklin said. Hannah Engom, after-school program coordinator, said a large part of creating an environment conducive to important topics is tailoring decorations to the girls preferences. Welcome Wednesdays, part of the soft opening, will give them that opportunity. From 3 to 6 p.m. July 27 through Aug. 17 girls can design and paint a mural for the new buildings interior, while connecting with peers, enjoying a snack, doing homework or relaxing. The space is driven by the girls, Engom said. Its about making it their own, specific to them. Ophelias Place's first Welcome Wednesday is Wednesday, July 27 at 104 SE Fourth Ave. Following its grand opening on Sept. 30, a full schedule of ongoing after-school events will be released. To learn more about upcoming activities and Ophelias Place, visit https://www.opheliasplace.net/albany-expansion. Related stories: Westerly, RI (02891) Today Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 62F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 62F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Intense clashes erupted between rival factions in Libya early on Friday with reports of several people killed amid growing concern that a political standoff could prompt renewed conflict. A Reuters journalist saw clashes in the central district near the Radisson Blu hotel, an area where several government and international agencies and diplomatic missions are based, as well as military vehicles mobilised around Zawiyat Dahmani. Witnesses also said there was fighting in the Asbaa area and in Ain Zara. Tripoli residents said a man and a child had been killed. Local news reports, citing medical sources, later said that five people had been killed. Libya has been teetering on the edge of chaos for months after the eastern-based parliament rejected the unity government in Tripoli, which was installed through a U.N.-backed process last year, and appointed a rival administration. Both prime ministers have support from among the armed factions that control territory in the capital and other western Libyan cities. The parliament-appointed prime minister, Fathi Bashagha, has been unable to move into Tripoli because groups in the capital backing the Government of National Unity (GNU) there and its prime minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, have prevented his entry. Over recent weeks, political shifts have pointed to a possible realignment among power brokers and armed factions that could prompt renewed fighting. PROTESTS The biggest protests for years occurred earlier this month in cities across Libya controlled by rival factions, underscoring popular anger over the lack of elections and poor state services. Afterwards, factions in several cities detained people suspected of involvement, prompting the U.N. Libya mission to express concern on Thursday. A blockade of oil output by groups aligned with eastern commander Khalifa Haftar had meanwhile cut off funding to Dbeibahs government. But last week Dbeibah appointed a new state oil company chief, said to be an ally of Haftar, leading to a swift end of the blockade. That prompted reports of a deal between Haftar and Dbeibah to keep him in power. This week saw a first visit to Tripoli by a senior officer from Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) as part of scheduled talks to maintain a 2020 ceasefire. Western Libyan armed factions battled Haftar during his assault on the capital from 2019-20 and refuse to accept him having influence in Tripoli something that previously counted against Bashagha but may now also be a problem for Dbeibah. This week Bashagha visited the key western city of Misrata the hometown of both him and Dbeibah for the first time since his appointment by parliament. The move led to mobilisations in the city both by groups backing and opposing him. SOURCE: REUTERS ALBANY U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, the Amsterdam Democrat, spends a lot of his time at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., trying to combat climate change and enact new laws to prevent what most scientists say is an existential threat to the planet. Two people who Tonko doesn't have to convince about the perils of climate change were Justin Madders and Daniel Zeichner, two members of the U.K. Parliament who are on a 10-day tour of the U.S. through the State Department. The three men held a news conference Friday morning at Tonko's Dove Street offices after spending time in Washington, D.C., and taking the train up to Albany. Next up is Boston. And on a day when the temperatures in the Capital Region hit the 90s once again, perhaps the most important topic they spoke about was climate change. "You may have picked up in the U.K. this week, we've had record temperatures," Madders, who represents Ellesmere Port and Neston near Liverpool. "They don't seem to be that different from the temperatures you are experiencing here. But it is a once-in-a-decade event that we've experienced that has more or less brought the country to a halt." That's because in the U.K., air conditioning is rare because the oceanic climate zone where the U.K. is located usually sees more mild temperatures. "They were under sustained 100-degree temperatures (in England) and thought they were coming to the U.S. for a little bit of relief. Unfortunately, we gave them a 100-degree day to travel through," Tonko said. "But they endured!" The group took Amtrak from Washington to a similarly sweltering Albany on Thursday night. "What this shows and we don't need reminding is that climate change is real, climate change is already here, and it takes a worldwide effort to really get our carbon emissions down and halt the global warming that we are seeing. The urgency of the situation has been really emphasized this week," Madders continued. Madders and Zeichner, who represents Cambridge, were paired with Tonko because the Labour Party they belong to in the U.K. is close in political views with the Democratic Party. They also sit on committees in Parliament that are similar to the committees that Tonko sits on, including the environmental and climate change subcommittee, the space, science and technology committee and the natural resources committee. Zeichner said he was very worried that despite the fact that global warming is on the doorstep in the U.K. and the U.S. where he said the weather was much more severe already than in the U.K. people aren't understanding the urgency. "People are complaining about the heat, but I'm not sure they're necessarily making the connection to what we now need to do to tackle this. Because we're late. We're late to tackling this and there are no two ways about it," Zeichner said. The climate crisis wasn't all that Madders and Zeichner got a first-hand look at in the nation's capital. They also have been following the Jan. 6 committee hearings closely. And Tonko himself has told them about the horror when a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election won by President Joe Biden. The two members of Parliament said they have always looked to the U.S. as having the strongest democracy in the world. They said that the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol was something they never thought would happen. Boris Johnson ordeal They have been dealing with the scandal of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which has caused upheaval in British democracy. But at the end of the day, Johnson's own Conservative Party members took it upon themselves to make him step down once they pick a replacement The Johnson ordeal was tough. But the Jan. 6 riot and violence was something they never want to contemplate. "People (in the U.K.) were watching in real-time, because that's the world we're in now," Zeichner said. "And we were shocked. Genuinely shocked at what we were seeing, as I am sure people were here. And I think a bit frightened, frankly." Tonko was in the gallery of the House when the mob breached the Capitol. He said he was extremely upset listening to the Jan. 6 committee testimony on TV Thursday night that showed that Trump did nothing to stop the violence. That was tough to hear considering the real danger he and other members of Congress, as well as former Vice President Mike Pence, were in at the time. "I'm shocked by the information that's being shared, and disturbed by it all," Tonko said. Editors note: This story has been updated with new information about who sculpted the busts, provided to the Times Union after the story was originally published. ALBANY On July 22, 1779, four years into the Revolutionary War, a raiding force of about 85 Mohawk warriors and loyalists was ambushed by 120 American militiamen at a ford in a bend in the Delaware River on the New York-Pennsylvania border. Though they got the drop on the raiders, the Americans came out on the wrong end of what became known as the Battle of Minisink. Most who survived fled the scene, while dozens of other militiamen retreated through the forest to make a last stand on a craggy hilltop in what is now the town of Highland in Sullivan County. All the militiamen were killed. Due to the remote, rugged location, it would be decades before anyone ventured to the battle site to collect any skeletal remains that could be found and buried. The man who led the victors that day 243 years ago was Thayendanegea, a Mohawk war chief and British army officer known more commonly as Joseph Brant. It wasnt his first victory over the rebellious colonials and it wouldnt be his last. So why is a sculpture of him perched in a prominent place on the exterior of the New York state Capitol? Thats my question, said Stuart Lehman, curatorial and visitor services specialist at the Capitol for the state Office of General Services, the agency that operates and maintains state properties across New York. More than a warrior The sculpture in question is a granite bust nestled between fifth-floor peaked dormers on the buildings east side facing downtown Albany. The stonework depicts a Native American man with braided hair and a feathered headdress. The name BRANT is carved into the base. Nearby is a sculpture in the same style depicting a goateed European man wearing a hat and Elizabethan collar. HUDSON is carved into its base. Giving English explorer Henry Hudson a place of honor facing the river that bears his name makes some sense, historically. Brant? Not so much, or at least not when considering his wartime exploits for his fellow Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), who remained loyal to the British Crown. During a four-year period starting in 1778, Brant led raids along the New York and Pennsylvania frontiers that brought such terror and bloodshed to so many settlements that he was deemed Monster Brant even though, in some cases, he was nowhere in the vicinity when atrocities were committed against civilians. Will Waldron/Times Union Brant, however, was more than a prominent military figure from the nations violent founding. He was the leading Native American diplomat of his era, traveling to Philadelphia after the war to negotiate treaties with George Washington and other Founding Fathers while seeking redress for the New York lands his people were forced to abandon at musket point. The British, at Brants urging, eventually granted the Mohawks and other Iroquois loyalists land along the Grand River in Ontario, Canada, where he founded the settlement of Brantford, adjacent to what is now the Six Nations Reserve, 55 miles southwest of Toronto. Brant died at his home in nearby Burlington in 1807 at 64. Missing records and one mystery solved By the time the New York state Capitol was under construction in the 1870s, the people who had survived the horrors of frontier warfare during the American Revolution were dead. The nation was waging wars out west against tribes resisting forced relocations to reservations, giving Americans new tribal leaders to vilify. By the end of the 19th century, Brants reputation had been rehabilitated as contemporary historians softened their views of him. Lehman, the Capitol curator, theorizes that by the time the building was completed in 1899, Brant was remembered more for his peaceful advocacy on behalf of Native Americans than for his wartime notoriety. If they were looking for a recognizable Native American from New York to put on the building, Joseph Brant would probably be one of the first people they would think of, Lehman said. Plenty of records in the state archives detail nearly every aspect of the Capitols construction, from architectural designs to contractor payments. But if theres a paper trail detailing exactly who came up with the idea to honor the two historical figures or when exactly they were installed, Lehman hasnt found it. Based on two photographs of the Capitols east side taken in 1895 and 1905, he believes the Hudson and Brant sculptures likely were installed between those years. Courtesy of the New York State Office of General Services If I had to make a bet, it would be 1897, Lehman said. However, after this story was originally published, researchers from the Office of General Services found an article that solves at least one part of the mystery: who designed the statues. A short blurb published Feb. 8, 1902 on Page 8 of the Amsterdam Daily Democrat reads: Two of the most attractive reliefs to be seen at the Albany capitol are the heads of Hendrick Hudson and Joseph Brant, chief of the Six Nations. They are of heroic size, and are placed beneath the dormer windows just above the highest landing on the new approach. They were designed by Sculptor John F. Brines, who also modeled the major portion of the artistic work which has made the great granite structure famous. Courtesy of the Office of General Services The two busts, perched high above the Grand Staircase on the buildings east side, can be difficult to see from the ground, which explains why most people, including historians, are unaware of their existence. Scott Haefner was among those surprised to learn about the Brant sculpture. He is the site director at Old Fort Johnson, a Montgomery County historic site and museum just west of Amsterdam. From 1749 to 1763, the two-story limestone house was the fortified home of Sir William Johnson, Britains superintendent of Indian Affairs before the Revolutionary War and the wealthy mentor of a young Joseph Brant, whose sister, Molly Brant, was Johnsons wife and mother of the couples eight children. It was Johnson who made sure Joseph got educated at English schools to prepare him for a leadership role among the Iroquois after the French and Indian War (1754-63), Haefner said. Brant, a convert to Christianity who translated portions of the Bible into Mohawk, traveled to England in 1775 and had an audience with King George III in London. Brant before the Revolution is essentially the new generation of Natives who are coming to prominence, Haefner said. The fur trade is dying, so Johnson says education is the way to go. Joseph Brant is being groomed to be the new 18th century Native who is going to lead the Iroquois into the modern era. Mike Tarbell, the Mohawk cultural interpreter at the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave, in Schoharie County, also was surprised to find out a Brant sculpture has been on the Capitol for more than a century. Thats the first time somebody told me it was there, he said. Its curious. Id like to know why, too. A complicated legacy While the sculpture hides in plain sight in Albany, Brants name adorns scores of roadside blue-and-yellow New York state historical markers and historic site signage from the Mohawk and Schoharie valleys to the Southern Tier and Catskills, including several near the site of the Minisink battle. Courtesy of The Delaware Company There is another series of historical markers and monuments that dont bear Brants name, yet are linked directly to him. They trace the route through the Finger Lakes region taken by the Sullivan-Clinton expedition, ordered by Gen. George Washington in 1779 in response to the frontier raids led by Brant and other loyalists. Over a two-month period, some 4,000 Continental soldiers destroyed dozens of Iroquois villages and burned vast acreages of crops and orchards. While most Iroquois were able to flee ahead of the slow-moving army, hundreds of the approximately 5,000 who sought refuge at the British fort at Niagara wound up dying of starvation, disease or exposure during the harsh winter that followed. Today, the Sullivan-Clinton historical markers serve as melancholy reminders of a culture pushed to the brink of destruction. Chemung: Indian Village Destroyed by Gen. Sullivan August 13, 1779. Union Springs: Site Two Miles East Cayuga Village Destroyed in Sullivan Campaign September 1779. Canandaigua: Indian Village Destroyed by Sullivan 1779. Washingtons effort to knock the Iroquois out of the war failed. Instead, Brant and other loyalist officers resumed their attacks with renewed ferocity, sending many Mohawk Valley settlers fleeing to Schenectady for refuge. The attacks in New York didnt end until the summer of 1782, months after the British surrendered at Yorktown in October of 1781. Brant remains a controversial figure among the Mohawks and other Iroquois to this day, according to Jamie Paxton, an associate professor of history at Moravian University in Pennsylvania and author of the 2008 book, Joseph Brant and His World: Eighteenth-Century Statesman and Warrior. While Brant obtained a new homeland in Ontario for the Haudenosaunee, he wound up selling off vast tracts to white settlers, creating disputes that linger today, Paxton said. Brants strategy was geared toward Haudenosaunee sovereignty in a world that was hostile to Indigenous sovereignty, Paxton said. He engenders a lot of different emotions. His legacy is particularly complex, and its complex for Americans, Canadians and Indigenous people. HUDSON A defense attorney whose client was recently cleared of hundreds of sex crimes charges shot back at the district attorney Thursday for comments he made after her client was acquitted. Carol Morgan noted her client, Michael Lawrence, spent three years in jail awaiting the trial earlier this month, when it took the jury just three hours to acquit him of all charges. Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka appeared to question the verdict clearing Lawrence, who was indicted in 2019 on 365 counts of child sex abuse with three children between 2009 and 2013 but was acquitted of all charges on July 15. "The DA stated that he never criticizes the actions of juries, but admitted disappointment in the verdict," according to a statement from Czajka's office. The statement, sent to news media outlets on Monday, three days after the verdict was delivered, outraged Morgan, who called it "a contravention of our justice system." "I would like to express my utmost respect for the jurors in this case," Morgan said. "They listened, they observed and most importantly, they returned the only verdict possible in this case which was not guilty on all counts ... The People simply did not prove their case and they must respect and honor the fact that our judicial system did the right thing." Lance Wheeler / Special to the Times Union Witnesses called by the prosecution were "simply not credible," she added. Lawrence was 71 at the time of his arrest, and Morgan took issue with his pre-trial detainment, which kept him locked up for nearly three years before he was found not guilty. Lawrence had no prior arrests and had lived in the community for years, and Morgan said he should have been offered the option of bail. While he was awaiting trial, his longtime girlfriend died and he lost his home, Morgan said. Lawrence's case file is not accessible, according to the Columbia County Court Clerk's Office, since the case ended in an acquittal and therefore the court file will be sealed. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Chicago man was convicted Thursday of murder for the shooting death of a Minnesota man in what authorities called a road rage incident. Jurors found Jamal Smith guilty of three counts in the July 2021 death of 56-year-old Jay Boughton, of Crystal. Boughton was shot in the head as he drove his son home from a baseball game on Highway 169 in the Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth. Smith showed no emotion but began wiping his face while looking down when the third verdict was read, the Star Tribune reported. Boughtons wife, Kristin, knelt in prayer outside the courtroom before the jury was called in to read the verdict. Afterward, she called her son, Harrison, and daughter, Amalie. Hey honey, we got him. Hes guilty on all three counts, she said. We got him. The verdict came after a judge on Wednesday told the jurors to keep deliberating after they were deadlocked on the first-degree murder charge but agreed on charges of second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. The judge told them to keep trying. They wound up deliberating for 16 hours after starting on Tuesday. Harrison Boughton, 16, testified during the first day of trial that Smiths car was speeding and swerving into their lane, so his dad honked and flashed his middle finger. Two other drivers reported Smiths dangerous driving that day, including a Wisconsin motorist who said Smith pulled a gun on him. Smith, 34, denied seeing Boughtons car and blamed the shooting on a back seat passenger. His attorneys argued that the state did not present enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Smith was the shooter. HOOSICK FALLS Donations are pouring in to assist a woman from a well-known local family who was severely wounded and saw her husband and their 18-month-old daughter killed by a man who attacked them when they and other family members were walking along a road near Glacier National Park. Christy Brownell Siau, 40, and her sister-in-law Christina Siau, 30, are recovering from their wounds and were last listed in critical condition, according to the most recent update by the Glacier County Sheriffs Office in Montana. The incident remains under investigation. Christina Siau killed the assailant, an estranged boyfriend who tried to kill her after he mortally wounded her brother and his daughter Christy Brownell Siau has deep ties to this community in the northeast corner of Rensselaer County where her uncle, Stan Brownell, once served as chairman of the county's legislature. A relative on Friday declined to discuss the matter. Siau's husband, David Siau, 39, and McKenzie Siau died after Derek Amos Madden of Oklahoma attempted to run down the Siau family with his pickup truck and then fired a shotgun at them, according to the sheriffs office. Madden had formerly been involved in a relationship with Christina Siau and had mental health issues, the office said. McKenzie died in her mother's arms. Madden then ran out of ammunition and used a knife to attack Christina Siau. But the woman fought back and fatally wounded Madden, who authorities said died at the scene, Capt. Tom Seifert with the Glacier County Sheriffs Office told the Associated Press. How Siau killed Madden has not been disclosed by authorities. David and Christy Siau and their three children, McKenzie, Bohdan and Kaylin, were living in Syracuse. They were in East Glacier Park, visiting Christina Siau who lived and worked in the area. East Glacier Park is a gateway to Glacier National Park. The attack shattered family members and the Baptist community in which the Siaus were active. Christy Siaus relatives from the Hoosick Falls area said the family was dealing with the tragedy and preferred to remain private. The Brownell family has long historical ties to the area that go back to before the Civil War. Christy Siaus uncle, Stan Brownell is a former chairman of the Rensselaer County Legislature. David and Christy Siau were active in the First Baptist Church of Hoosick Falls when they lived here. Bethany Siau of Manlius, Onondaga County set up a GoFundMe account which has raised $122,699 from 1,100 donors toward a goal of $150,000. I am setting up this fundraiser to assist with the medical bills of my sister, Christina, and my sister-in-law, Christy. They were both critically injured during an attack that resulted in the deaths of my brother, David, and his one-year-old daughter, McKenzie, she wrote. The number of people already reaching out and offering to help is incredible. We appreciate you all. We don't know how much everything will cost, but we are praying and trusting God to provide, Siau continued in the posting. The American Baptist Churches of New York State where Christy Siau worked as a bookkeeper also has started a fundraiser. The Siaus church, the Pompey Community Church, also is raising funds to assist. As we try to absorb the tremendous loss and trauma of the attack on the Siau family last weekend, we all want to do something, the American Baptist Churches of New York State said on its Facebook page. For now we can pray for the recovery of Christy and Davids sister. We can pray for David and Christys two children as they bear the trauma of this experience. We can pray for both families as they process the deaths of David and younger daughter McKenzie, the ABCNYS statement continued. An Associated Press report was used in this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was assaulted by a man who apparently tried to stab him at an upstate event Thursday but the congressman escaped serious injury. Im OK, Zeldin said in a statement. Fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him. Zeldins campaign said the attacker was taken into custody and the congressman continued his speech. He is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul this November. The attacker climbed onto a low stage where the congressman spoke to a crowd of dozens outside Rochester, flanked by bales of hay and American flags. A video posted on Twitter shows the two falling to the ground as other people try to intervene. Among those who helped to subdue the attacker was Zeldins running mate, former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito, said state GOP Chair Nick Langworthy. Langworthy told The Associated Press that he didn't have any details on the attacker or his weapon but exchanged text messages with Zeldin afterward while the congressman was speaking to police. He is fine. Hes not seriously injured. Its just a chaotic scene there, Langworthy said. He said Zeldin had just a little scrape but it wasnt what anyone would consider an injury. In a statement, Hochul condemned the attack and said she was relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. Deputy Brendan Hurley, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office spokesperson, gave a statement to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that said the office is aware of an incident at the speech of gubernatorial candidate Zeldin this evening. A suspect is in custody and Major Crimes is investigating. Messages seeking information from the Monroe County District Attorneys Office were not immediately returned, and phone messages were left with the countys emergency dispatch. Langworthy called on Hochul to issue a security detail for Zeldin to protect him on the campaign trail. This could have gone a lot worse. This could have really ended in a horrible way tonight and this is unacceptable, he said. Hochuls press secretary Avi Small referred questions about providing Zeldin with a security detail to New York state police. Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015, is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. He has focused his campaign on fighting crime but faces an uphill battle against Hochul. He'll need to persuade independent voters which outnumber Republicans in the state as well as Democrats in order to win the general election. Democrats are expected to focus on Zeldins vocal defense of Trump during both of his impeachments and objection to the election results. Thomas Peipert/AP GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) A new arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Colorados election-denying clerk, less than a week after the embattled official convinced a judge not to send her back to jail for improperly traveling out of state while awaiting trial on felony charges. The warrant was issued for Tina Peters arrest after authorities say she violated another term of her $25,000 bail a prohibition on contacting workers at the Mesa County elections office, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein's campaign asked a federal judge on Thursday to strike down a state law that enabled authorities to investigate an ad the campaign ran targeting Stein's 2020 challenger. The statute is archaic and violates First Amendment free speech protections, the campaign says in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. In the past year, the State Bureau of Investigation interviewed Stein, his campaign staff and a woman who appeared in the ad, the suit says. It adds that SBI agents became involved after the State Board of Elections investigated and made a recommendation to the Wake County District Attorney's office. Now, the lawsuit says, enforcement action by the Wake DAs office appears imminent. It doesnt elaborate. Any charges against anyone associated with Stein would be a political blow to the states top law enforcement officer, who is also a possible 2024 Democratic candidate for governor. After two years of this baseless investigation with which we have fully cooperated we have had enough, Stein said in a news release. We are asking the court to step in and declare this statute unconstitutional. Its past time to resolve this issue. Stein's former Republican challenger, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill, is mentioned often in the lawsuit. O'Neill's campaign filed a complaint in September 2020 with the State Board of Elections against Stein's campaign over the ad, which focused on untested rape kits held by local law enforcement agencies. Stein ultimately defeated O'Neill by fewer than 14,000 votes. The complaint said there was probable cause that Stein violated a law prohibiting anyone from knowingly publishing or circulating false information about a candidate with the intent of hurting that candidate's chances in the election. Violation of the law is a misdemeanor. The contested law is overbroad, seeks to regulate, as well as criminally punish, core political speech, and is similar to laws in other states that have been struck down, the lawsuit states. Plaintiffs in the suit are Stein's campaign, the consulting firm that produced the ad and the woman who appeared in the commercial. The law dates back to at least 1931, and there appear to be no reported cases or applications in legal records, Stein's attorney, Press Millen, writes in the suit. The ad featured a woman who asserted that ONeill left 1,500 rape kits sitting on a shelf in Forsyth County. ONeill said at the time that the ad was bogus because police agencies, not prosecutors, are responsible for testing the kits. The lawsuit called the ad a corrective political advertisement designed to counter false accusations by O'Neill that Stein had failed to act on over 15,000 untested rape kits during his time as attorney general. Wake District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said in a phone interview Thursday that she had recused herself from the case, citing a close working relationship with both Stein and O'Neill. Since then, Assistant District Attorney David Saacks has handled the case, Freeman said. She said Saacks had no comment. State Board of Elections spokesperson Pat Gannon said by email late Thursday that it would be up to the Wake DA's office to decide whether evidence in the investigation can be released. O'Neill said in a prepared statement late Thursday that Stein is attempting to interfere with potential grand jurors in Wake County with his public statements. "Why would Stein challenge the constitutionality of a law that prohibits candidates from running false ads to the public, if he claims that he stands by the veracity of his own ad? O'Neill asked. One of Stein's jobs as attorney general is to defend state law. Given that his campaign is seeking to overturn a law, state elections board members and Freeman the lawsuit defendants will be represented by private-practice lawyers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Daniel Rader/Barrington Stage Company Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Daniel Rader/Barrington Stage Company Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Daniel Rader/Barrington Stage Company Show More Show Less 5 of 5 PITTSFIELD, Mass. An immense amount of artistic effort from cast, crew and the creative team at Barrington Stage Company went into trying to free Nilo Cruz's drama "Anna in the Tropics" from the fog of poetic language in which the author enshrouds it. The dialogue is so rich with linguistic imagery, lyricism and metaphor that I felt vindicated to learn afterward that the committee awarding "Anna in the Tropics" the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama did so based on the script, not a production. I'm sure it reads beautifully. It even sounds beautiful. But after characters, one too many times, utter lines like, "I detect sad trees in your eyes after we make love" or, "(He tells me) that I taste sweet and mysterious like the water hidden inside fruits," or, "I have the heart of a seal, and when I get excited it wants to swim out of my chest," your tolerance is exhausted for things described as other things and not what they simply are. You want Cruz to just get on with it already. A homeless man charged with murdering a father-of-five was in a relationship with him, a court has heard. Jason Murray, 39, is said to have murdered Paul Rowlands, 46, in the early hours of Monday morning in Portrush, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. Mr Rowlands was visiting Portrush from Cambridge at the time of his death. Murray appeared wearing a grey sweatshirt at Coleraine Magistrates Court via video-link yesterday (Thursday July 21) afternoon. A detective constable told the court that Mr Rowlands and Murray were living in tents on the Portrush seafront, and would spend their days fishing and going on amusement rides. During the course of the interviews the applicant did admit that he and the deceased were in a relationship, he said. Police have made some enquiries in relation to that, and while the police enquiries are not complete, indications would appear to be that this was a domestic relationship between these two males. They had been on the streets, they were both homeless persons, and this was across the water, they were both currently living in tents side by side on the East Strand beach in Portrush. The applicant would state that they would both spend their time drinking, fishing, taking drugs of any kind and going on rides, this being amusement rides. The court heard that Murray told police that he had a barbecue with Mr Rowlands on Sunday evening. The detective constable told the court that Murray also admitted during the interviews to slapping Mr Rowlands but then changed his account to punching after further evidence was put to him. Mr Rowlands was found injured outside a block of apartments on Bath Terrace at 2.13am on Monday. Despite the efforts of emergency workers he was pronounced dead at the scene 40 minutes later. The court heard that his injuries included cuts to his left temple and to the back of his head. Murray, of no fixed address, was arrested after 6pm on Monday. His legal team applied for bail but due to issues with the video-link feed Deputy District Judge Laura Ievers adjourned the hearing until 10.15am on Friday. More anti-gun ammo hits the news cycle . . . Check the latest blast on a tragic story and also seeks to kill 2nd Amendment protections . . . After obtaining a warrant, investigators searched the home. There, they recovered a ghost gun, a 3D printer, gun parts and ammunition Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . 'Ghost gun' recovered at home where man accused of killing NKC officer lived KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A ghost gun was among the things investigators recovered at the home where Joshua Rocha, who is accused of killing a North Kansas City officer, lived. A search warrant filed in the Clay County Circuit Court detailed the events that led investigators to the discovery. Across the globe there's outcry and fear over rising temperatures and the suspected impact of an evolving climate impacted by carbon emissions. To be fair, climate change is hotly debated and despite the politically charged effort to "trust the science" and switch to "sustainable" energy sources . . . Skepticism continues to take hold and there have been little legislative gains to switch to "green" energy given that windmills make easy targets for right-wing jokes. Nevertheless and with a reminder that AOC gives us less than 12 years to discuss this issue before the sky falls . . . The debate over the fate of the planet persists via social media memes and divisive political chatter. Check the local angle . . . "A Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department said that one death in June and five others so far in July are under review for possibility being heat-related." Again . . . None of the deaths have been confirmed as "heat related" it's very possible the COVID killed them too. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links from "many sides" of the debate . . . Heat possible cause in deaths of 6 Kansas Citians since June KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As high temperatures continue their dominance of this summer, authorities are reviewing whether heat was the cause of several deaths since June. A Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department spokesperson told KSHB 41 News Thursday that one death in June and five others so far in July are under review for possibility being heat-related. Related reading . . . Do these heatwaves mean climate change is worse than we thought? Skip to Content General warming predictions are still on track, but recent heatwaves are a stress test for the modeling of extreme events. Millions of people are now experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand. Blistering heat waves have smashed temperature records around the globe this summer, scorching crops, knocking out power, fueling wildfires, buckling roads and runways, and killing hundreds in Europe alone. Biden must 'stop the fall in gasoline prices,' set $5 gallon minimum to combat climate change: Bloomberg op-ed Bloomberg opinion published a piece Wednesday calling for President Biden to increase gas prices, intentionally and forever, in order to hasten a transition to alternate forms of energy. The op-ed, written by columnist Eduardo Porter, called for a "$5-a-gallon floor on gasoline prices." The climate crisis is driving heat waves and wildfires. Here's how Brutal heat waves are gripping Europe and the US, and are forecast to dump searing temperatures on China for weeks. The heat, and the wildfires that come with it, is part of a global pattern of rising temperatures attributed to human activity. The Dust Bowl heat was bad. But this summer's record temps were even grimmer. is a Mashable series that answers provoking and salient questions about Earth's warming climate. The Dust Bowl heat was terrible. A potent nexus of events - extremely dry, hot weather exacerbated by poor farming practices that turned regions into scorching, dust-ridden wastelands - conspired to drive record high summer temperatures in the Central U.S. Record rainfall and scorching heat wave cause havoc in China Since the start of summer, scenes of devastation and misery have emerged from across China, as the world's most populous nation grapples with an unrelenting torrent of extreme weather emergencies. Is 'wokeness' responsible for US and European heat waves? Absolutely. With record temperatures steam-pressing the United States and much of Europe, Africa and Asia, many in my Science-Is-A-Hoax Facebook group have posed a sensible question: Is " wokeness" to blame for these heat waves? As a white man with access to the internet and an unwillingness to care about anyone besides myself, I can tell you the answer is, indisputably, yes. Heat waves are dominating summer, killing thousands, and fueling wildfires. The world needs to prepare for more. Extreme heat has besieged nearly the entire Northern Hemisphere this year. Currently, Europe is simmering in its third heat wave of the summer, fueling devastating wildfires and threatening millions of people. On Sunday alone, Portugal and Spain reported more than 1,000 heat-related deaths. In France, thousands of people fled wildfires. You decide . . . More violence in the Golden Ghetto might result in these teens limping for the rest of their lives. Here are the basics of the story . . . Authorities said a teenage boy and a teenage girl were shot at about 5:30 p.m. at the Sheridan Ridge apartment complex in the 8400 block of Carter Street. Police said one victim was shot in the ankle and second in the foot. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Two teenagers wounded in shooting Thursday in Overland Park Police in Overland Park, Kansas, are investigating after two teenagers were wounded in a shooting Thursday evening.Authorities said a teenage boy and a teenage girl were shot at about 5:30 p.m. Overland Park police investigate after 2 teens shot on Thursday evening KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police in Overland Park are investigating a shooting that injured two teens on Thursday evening. The incident happened in the 8400 block of Carter Street at around 5:30 p.m. Both of the victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to an area hospital. Developing . . . This week in new getaway inspiration, from Pictons emerging Base31 to winemakers in the Eastern Townships. Sibbald Point Provincial Park Beach and other beaches at Ontario Parks are tested for bacteria levels. - Susie Kockerscheidt / Metroland file photo Hubei Media Group: According to a study released on July 19 by the Inter Region Economic Network, a Kenya-based think tank, a poll of more than 1,000 policy makers from 25 African countries finds that Chinas infrastructure projects on the continent are seen as better than those of the EU in terms of completion speed and reliability. What is Chinas comment? Wang Wenbin: Infrastructure is one of the bottlenecks in Africas development. China has been doing its utmost to work with African countries to improve local infrastructure and contribute to Africas self-driven sustainable development. Since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Chinese companies have built over 10,000 kilometers of railway, up to 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges and almost 100 ports in Africa, and many hospitals and schools as well. Some forces have been denigrating China-Africa cooperation and peddling what they call quality infrastructure. What counts as quality infrastructure? Who is truly committed to the well-being of African people? The people of Africa know better than anyone. China always sees Africa as a continent with great potential for international cooperation. All countries should respect Africas sovereignty and listen to Africas voice, and on that basis, use their respective strengths to deliver tangible benefits to the African people. CCTV: According to reports, Japans Nuclear Regulation Authority approved the Tokyo Electric Power Companys plan to pipe nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power station into the ocean at a meeting held today. Do you have any comment on this? Wang Wenbin: Since the Japanese government made this wrong decision in April last year, the international community and the Japanese people have not stopped questioning and speaking out against it. There is widespread concern about the possible impact on the marine environment and public health of countries around the Pacific. Questions have been raised about the legitimacy of the disposal plan, the reliability of Japans data, the efficacy of the treatment system and the uncertainty of environmental impact. The IAEA technical task force has made two field trips to Japan and has yet to reach any conclusive opinion on Japans plan. The IAEA has made a list of clarification requests and improvement recommendations. China and Russia gave Japan a joint list of technical questions but have received no response. Not long ago, serious concern was also expressed at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting and the Foreign Ministers Meeting. Regrettably, Japan has turned a deaf ear to the legitimate concerns and reasonable demands of the international community and its own people. Without adequate and meaningful consultations with stakeholders and relevant international institutions, Japan has pushed ahead with the construction of the discharge pipeline and the approval of the discharge plan. Japan is being extremely irresponsible by ignoring these concerns and trying to create a fait accompli. We are firmly against this. The disposal of nuclear-contaminated water in Fukushima could affect the global marine environment and the public health of Pacific-rim countries. It is by no means a private matter for Japan. The Chinese side once again urges the Japanese side to earnestly fulfill its due international obligations, dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based, open, transparent and safe manner, and stop pushing through the plan to discharge the water into the ocean. Japan should not start the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea before consensus is reached through full consultation with stakeholders and relevant international organizations. If Japan insists on putting its own interests above the public interest of the international community and insists on taking the dangerous step, it will surely pay the price for its irresponsible behavior and leave a stain in history. Dragon TV: Over the course of this year, COVID-19, extreme weathers and geopolitical conflicts have been hitting the global food industrial and supply chains. Global food prices have been hovering at record levels, and many low-income countries are in a food crisis. Can you share Chinas contribution to alleviating the world food crisis? Wang Wenbin: As we say in China, food is a paramount necessity for the people. As the worlds largest food producer, China grows a quarter of the worlds food with less than 9% of the worlds cultivated land and feeds about one fifth of the worlds population. This in itself is a major contribution to global food security. We not only have a secure food supply for the Chinese people, but also contribute actively to tackling global food security issues. Food security is listed as one of the eight priority areas of cooperation in President Xi Jinpings Global Development Initiative. China has provided more funding and experts and undertaken more projects under the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organizations South-South Cooperation Programme than any other developing country. We have set up the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Trust Fund to help developing countries to enhance their capacity in poverty alleviation, agricultural production and food security. We have actively participated in food assistance projects advocated by the UN. We supported the World Food Programme (WFP) in setting up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China. We set up multinational food companies in recipient countries to drive local food economy. Since the beginning of this year, China has offered more than 30,000 tonnes of emergency humanitarian food aid to developing countries in need. Over the years, Chinese agro-tech expert teams have joined farmers and villages in developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific region, including going into the fields, to teach them face-to-face farming techniques, no matter how difficult the task may be. They are warmly received in these countries. China has carried out agricultural cooperation with more than 140 countries and regions, and provided more than 1,000 agricultural technologies to other developing countries, driving their crop yield up by 30% to 60% on average and benefiting more than 1.5 million small agricultural households. At the recent G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward Chinas initiative on international food security cooperation to contribute Chinese solution to the current global food challenge. Facts have fully proved that China is a reliable partner of the UN and other developing countries when it comes to food security, and a positive force in safeguarding global food security. NHK: The Japanese government released the Defense of Japan 2022 white paper, which says that China has become a grave security concern to the region and the international community. What is Chinas comment? Wang Wenbin: The new Defense of Japan white paper contains groundless accusations against Chinas defense policy, normal defense development and legitimate maritime activities, deliberately plays up the so-called China threat, and grossly interferes in Chinas internal affairs on the Taiwan question. China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this. We have made stern demarches to the Japanese side. China is committed to the path of peaceful development, and follows a defense policy that is defensive in nature. Chinas defense building is aimed at upholding our sovereignty, security and development interests. It is legitimate, reasonable and beyond reproach. Military cooperation including joint naval patrol between China and relevant countries is consistent with international law and established international practice. It does not target any particular country. Diaoyu Dao and its affiliating islands have always been part of Chinas territory. The Chinese sides maritime activities in the waters of Diaoyu Dao are legitimate exercise of sovereign rights. Taiwan is an inviolable and inalienable part of Chinas sovereignty. The Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affair that brooks no foreign interference. I would like to stress that due to the recent history of overseas aggression waged by Japanese militarism, Japans moves in the military and security fields have always been closely followed by its Asian neighbors including China and the international community. In this latest white paper, Japan has openly added content about revising relevant defense documents by the end of this year, further increasing its defense budget, and developing so-called counter-strike capabilities. All these give rise to the concern that Japan is deviating further from the path of pacifist and exclusively defense-oriented strategy. We urge the Japanese side to immediately stop the erroneous practice of arbitrarily hyping up security threats in the neighborhood to justify its military build-up, heed the voice of the international community, deeply reflect on the history of aggression, stay committed to the path of peaceful development, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions. CCTV: The spokesperson for Turkiyes President said recently that the grain export agreement will be signed in Istanbul on July 22 under the auspices of President Erdogan and UN Secretary General Guterres together with Ukrainian and Russian delegations. Do you have any comment on this? Wang Wenbin: We welcome this. We hope the parties concerned will maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiation and accumulate conditions for a quick end to the conflict and early realization of peace. This is in the shared interest of countries in the region and the international community. There needs to be continued international support for the Russia-Ukraine dialogue and negotiation process for there to be more potential positive outcomes. Kyodo News: US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: President Xi Jinping today sent a sympathy message to US President Joe Biden on his COVID-19 infection. In the message, President Xi said that he learned that Mr. President is infected with COVID-19, and would like to extend my sincere sympathy and wish you a speedy recovery. Bloomberg: Did Xi call Biden to deliver this message or is it sent in a different way? Wang Wenbin: As I just said, President Xi Jinping expressed sympathy to President Biden today by sending a message. We are speaking with the Police Social and Welfare Association about rouge officers within t Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Unfortunately, Ukraine has become a testing ground for the newest types of weapons and military equipment. Therefore, the Ukrainian military have invaluable information for all arms manufacturers. This was stated by Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, during the presentation of a new module of the SOTA information and analytical system for monitoring supplies of weapons to Ukraine from partner countries, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "Such a testing ground, which unfortunately currently exists in the territory of our country, does not exist anywhere in the world. Moreover, all the types of weapons that we currently have... we have unique information given that we directly use it on the battlefield, we directly use it in extremely difficult, not just similar to combat conditions, but we use it, let's say, directly at war. Therefore, the knowledge and information that we have are invaluable for all weapons manufacturers. I will emphasize once again that unfortunately there is a testing ground in our territory," Danilov said. Since February 24, full-scale Russian military aggression has been ongoing in Ukraine. iy Canadian Armed Forces aircraft have transported more than 1,360 tonnes of military aid intended for Ukraine since March. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand wrote this on Twitter. "Our Royal Canadian Air Force detachment in Europe has now transported 3 million pounds [more than 1,360 tonnes] of aid in support of Ukraine since March 2022 and we continue to fly this crucial cargo donated by Canada, our partners, and Allies," she said. Canadas military support for Ukraine is robust and unwavering. Our @RCAF_ARC detachment in Europe has now transported 3 million pounds of aid in support of Ukraine since March 2022 and we continue to fly this crucial cargo donated by Canada, our partners, and Allies. pic.twitter.com/Ngi5vwzMdO Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) July 21, 2022 She added that "Canada's military support for Ukraine is robust and unwavering." This year's Canadian budget envisages more than $400 million for the purchase of modern weapons for Ukraine. In addition, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Canada has given Ukraine tens of thousands of weapons from its own stocks, including seven long-range howitzers and high-precision ammunition for them. Russian forces tonight attacked three districts in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the regional military administration, said this in a Telegram post, Ukrinform reports. "A large-scale night attack on the region. The Russian army shelled three districts - Nikopol, Synelnykove and Kryvyi Rih," the report says. Russian troops twice fired at Nikopol using multiple launch rocket systems. They fired up to 100 shells. According to preliminary reports, one person was killed and one injured by the shelling. Eleven private houses were damaged. In the Pokrovske community, the enemy hit the warehouses and damaged a power transformer, leaving several villages without electricity. The Zelenodolsk community, the enemy used howitzers. A private house was damaged. Firefighters extinguished the fire there. Seven strikes were recorded in Apostolove. Rockets hit three schools in the city. They are destroyed. Residential buildings nearby were damaged. Rescuers are working on the spot. According to preliminary reports, eight people were injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the training of Ukrainian soldiers and other military cooperation. The head of state said this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. "I have regular contacts with a great friend of Ukraine Boris Johnson. We talked about intensifying the training of Ukrainian soldiers in the United Kingdom and other manifold military cooperation. I received assurances that UK support for Ukraine remains strong and unequivocal," Zelensky said. The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) as part of the McFaul-Yermak expert group advocates maintaining sanctions against Russia and blocking the transfer of the Siemens turbine for Nord Stream 1. Representatives of the Gas TSO of Ukraine represented by CEO of the GTSOU Sergiy Makogon and the Director of Government and International Affairs Olga Bielkova joined the International Working Group on Sanctions Against Russia (McFaul-Yermak group), who called on the Canadian government, supported by the German and USA governments, to cancel the decision to refuse from sanctions. In addition, the groups experts called on Germany to block the transfer to Russia of the first of the Siemens turbines, which has already been delivered from Canada to Germany, reads the statement by the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. Moreover, the GTSOU directly addressed a letter to the Parliament of Canada pointing out Gazproms capabilities to supply large volumes of gas along the Ukrainian route, in particular, through the Sudzha connection point. As noted, over the past two months, Gazprom has been transporting 40-42 million cubic meters of gas per day along the Ukrainian route through the Sudzha point, although the reserved and paid capacity is 77.2 million cubic meters per day. The additional capacity specified in the agreement with the Russian company is another 9.8 million cubic meters of gas per day. GTSOU emphasizes that the gas transit to the EU may be at least 87 million cubic meters of gas per day. At the same time, the total technical capacity of gas transportation through the Sudzha point is 244 million cubic meters per day. As reported, Canada decided to return a gas turbine built by Siemens Energy AG, which had been used in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline system, to Germany. The decision was made despite objections from the Government of Ukraine, as well as the large Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, which stressed that the return of the turbine would undermine the sanctions regime. Since June, Gazprom has significantly reduced gas supplies to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, stating as a reason the lack of Siemens turbine that was being serviced in Canada. In connection with the repair works, gas is currently not flowing to Europe at all through Nord Stream 1. The announced "repair" works were supposed to last until July 21. Photo credit: GTSOU ol Ukraine does not sign any documents with Russia in Istanbul, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, has emphasized. Regarding the Istanbul agreement on the export of Ukraines grain. Previously. Ukraine does not sign any documents with Russia. We sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN and undertake obligations to them. Russia signs a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN, Podolyak wrote on his Twitter account. According to him, no transport escort by Russian ships and no presence of Russias representatives in our ports. In case of provocations, an immediate military response. Podolyak also added: Inspections of transport ships will be carried out by joint groups in Turkeys waters in the event of such a need. As reported, as a result of Russias unprovoked aggression in Ukraine, more than 20 million tonnes of grain intended for exports, including within the framework of the UN World Food Program, turned out to be stuck. This put the most vulnerable countries of the world, in particular, those in Africa, at risk of hunger. The EU has organized "solidarity lanes" on the border with Ukraine for the export of grain by land, road and rail transport, as well as inland waterways. The Ukrainian delegation headed by Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov has arrived in Istanbul for negotiations on the grain issue. iy The European Union officially approved the allocation of another tranche worth EUR 500 million for Ukraine to increase the resilience of the Armed Forces, which brought the total amount of military aid provided to the country since February 24 to EUR 2.5 billion. The relevant statement has been published on the website of the EU COUncil, Ukrinform reports. The Council adopted today two assistance measures under the European Peace Facility (EPF) aimed to step up the EU's support for the capabilities and resilience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian military aggression. Thanks to the 5th tranche worth EUR 500 million mobilised today, the EU contribution under the EPF for Ukraine will now total EUR 2.5 billion, the report reads. It is noted that in line with the current priorities expressed by the Ukrainian government, and the support provided so far, the assistance measures consist of EUR 490 million for military equipment designed to deliver lethal force for defensive purposes, and EUR 10 million intended to cover the provision of equipment and supplies, such as personal protective equipment, first aid kits, and fuel. The EU remains focused and steadfast in its support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom and independence. Ukraine needs more arms; we will provide them. In this context, EU Member States agreed to mobilise a 5th tranche of military assistance of EUR 500 million, making this a total of EUR 2.5 billion of military equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said. Since the Russian full-scale aggression started on February 24, the European Union has provided Kyiv with powerful political, economic, financial, military and humanitarian assistance. The previous tranches of military aid, amounting EUR 500 million each, under the European Peace Facility were agreed on 28 February, 23 March 13 April and May 23. iy Ukraine and Russia have signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations to export grain and other foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports. That's according to an Ukrinform correspondent. The agreement was signed by Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov on behalf of Ukraine, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on behalf of the UN, and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on behalf of Turkey. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed the agreement in the same format on behalf of Russia. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, earlier said that Ukraine would sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN, not with Russia. According to this agreement, vessels carrying Ukrainian grain will not be inspected by Russian ships and Russian representatives will not be present in Ukrainian ports. All inspections of ships will be carried out by joint groups in the Turkish waters if necessary. In the event of provocations, an immediate military response will be given. Prime Minister of Ukraine has thanked the Council of the European Union for adopting a new package of sanctions against Russia. The prime minister wrote this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports. EU countries adopted the 7th package of sanctions against Russia, including the ban on the import of gold, the export of dual-purpose goods and new technologies to the Russian Federation, changes that stop the circumvention of some previous sanctions. Grateful to the EU Council and our partners for support! Shmyhal wrote. As reported, the EU Council supported a proposal to strengthen the effectiveness of six packages of sanctions introduced against Russia. In particular, the package introduces a new prohibition to purchase, import, or transfer, directly or indirectly, gold, if it originates in Russia and it has been exported from Russia into the EU or to any third country after. This prohibition also covers jewellery. The new package of restrictive measures also extends the list of controlled items, which may contribute to Russias military and technological enhancement or the development of its defence and security sector, thereby reinforcing export controls on dual use and advanced technology. In addition, the new measures extend the existing port access ban to locks to avoid the circumvention of sanctions and expand the scope of the prohibition on accepting deposits to include those from legal persons, entities or bodies established in third countries and majority-owned by Russian nationals or natural persons residing in Russia. The acceptance of deposits for non-prohibited cross-border trade will be subject to a prior authorisation by the national competent authorities. The EU is also introducing a number of clarifications to existing measures, for instance in the field of public procurement, aviation and justice. With a view to avoid any potential negative consequences for food and energy security around the world, the EU decided to extend the exemption from the prohibition to engage in transactions with certain state-owned entities as regards transactions for agricultural products and the transport of oil to third countries, etc. iy Angela N'Habimana, 67, and her grandson Reponse are staying in a community shelter in Kiwanja, Rutshuru Territory, after fleeing violence in their village in North Kivu province, DR Congo. UNHCR/Sanne Biesmans UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened and gravely concerned by the accumulating death toll and suffering of civilians, including forcibly displaced people, in brutal attacks in DR Congos eastern provinces. This unbearable situation is continuing to escalate and must no longer be ignored. This month, simultaneous attacks by armed groups in Ituri Province have left 11 people dead and 250 homes looted and burned. Between February and June this year, UNHCR and partners recorded over 800 deaths from firearm attacks and machete raids on local communities in Ituri. At least 715 of these victims had been sheltering in internal displacement sites or were killed as they returned home having previously fled violence. In June alone, 97 returning or displaced people were killed in attacks that included abductions, looting and burning of homes. More than 20,700 people have been driven from their homes by such raids, which are also fuelling acute food insecurity in Ituri, a fertile region where development has been halted by decades of intercommunal clashes, stealing livelihoods from families and future generations. In North Kivu, the Kashuga settlement for internally displaced people in Masisi territory was torn apart in June by armed men in a raid that left eight dead and at least seven others grievously injured by firearms. In recent weeks, fighting between the Congolese Army and the M23 group in North Kivu Province has displaced more than 160,000 people across Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories. The redeployment of government troops to this conflict has created power vacuums and a fragile security environment in both Ituri and North Kivu. Strings of coordinated attacks by multiple militia groups are terrorizing communities on a daily basis in the eastern provinces. Insecurity compounds the existing challenge of intercommunal strife, the lack of infrastructure and an absence of institutions in the region. It also fuels intensified cycles of violence, generating further instability and undermining peace and development efforts. Such attacks are increasing the difficulties for UNHCR and partners in providing life-saving assistance to these vulnerable communities. UNHCRs operation in DRC has received just 19 per cent of the US $225 million required to respond to the increasing needs of refugee and displaced people with urgent and life-saving support. This budget was based on the needs at the start of the year. Significant additional resources are urgently required to match the soaring needs of newly displaced populations. UNHCR calls on all parties in the strongest terms for the immediate cessation of this senseless violence, which is forcing the displacement of tens of thousands. We also call for the respect of international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and humanitarian workers from violence, and to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice immediately. More than 5.6 million people are displaced in the DRC, making it the largest population of internally displaced people on the African continent and among the largest worldwide. For more information on this topic, please contact: Kate, a 17-year-old Ukrainian refugee from Kyiv, with some of her sketches in a park in Bucharest, Romania. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell Before she was forced to flee to Romania alongside her mother and younger brother, 17-year-old Kate was a university student at Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design. Her studies focused on using art and design to create interactive games. Today, most of her classmates are refugees as well scattered across Europe and so she feels like the concept of a shared gaming experience is more important than ever. As she plays online games with her friends, she takes note of the characters, concepts, designs and scenarios that inspire engaging and connected play. Designs are coming from my head, and some scenes are coming from my heart, she explains. I want people to communicate [well], have good interactions. So, it's been nice to make some games where people can play together. Although her family has found safety in Bucharest, Romanias capital, the loneliness is acute. Kate has felt separated from her community of artists, and the war has affected the way she experiences art. I saw one art[work]. There was [a] broken city and ghosts of people and kids near a rocket, she remembers. It was in Mariupol and - oh, it's so sad and painful to look at it. For Kate and her family, this art reflects their own experience. Mother didn't want to leave home because our grandparents are there and her husband is there, but after some bombing, we decided to leave, she says. We were [travelling] for three days. Kate's Story Kates family is among the hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine that have crossed the border to Romania. More than 83,000 have chosen to remain there. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners are providing support as refugees cross into Romania and try to establish a sense of normalcy. Shortly after arriving in Bucharest, Kates family visited a UNHCR enrollment centre where they were registered to receive multi-purpose cash assistance. Additionally, the Government of Romania offers a temporary protection status for refugees from Ukraine, which includes access to education, health care and the labour market, and the whole society has opened its arms to refugees. About two-thirds of refugees applying for temporary protection are women. Today, Kates younger brother is attending school and her mother is able to provide for the familys needs even a few art supplies to replace those Kate had to leave behind in Ukraine. Kates university studies have resumed with a few online classes and discussion groups, with many of her classmates who were also forced to flee their homes joining from countries such as Poland. Months after the war started, their academic community is coming back to life. We have group chats about each course, where we help each other, she explains. I think of some ideas about my characters or their story. "Romania is very inspiring for artists..." Kates notebooks are filled with the characters that will populate her games, as well as scenery that will form the world around them. Shes also drawing creativity from the country where her family has found refuge. Romania is very inspiring for artists like me, she enthuses. Here it's already blooming, everything. The trees and the landscapes are so beautiful. And I love it. Although Kates vision and aspirations have been influenced by her experiences as a refugee, her biggest wish remains close to home. I want to live. I like my life. I want to continue my studies, she says. We all hope that we will all come back to our home one day, and we can build it together. Denver Enterprise Reporter A 40-year Colorado news veteran, Carol McKinley started in radio, and traveled the world as a network TV correspondent/producer. In 2021, she decided to return to local news. A Baghdad alum, she has 4 grown children and lives with her husband and her mom. Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh is the result of a five year project to convert the former Bank of Scotland headquarters at 37-39 St Andrews Square into a hotel and private members club as part of an expansion of the Gleneagles Hotel brand following its acquisition by Ennismore. By the time the Hotels owners purchased the vacant bank buildings in 2017, 3DReid had already established a strong relationship with the Client providing architectural services for the ongoing renovation of the original Perthshire Hotel. The project sees the sympathetic alteration, extension and refurbishment of two interconnected Category A listed buildings within the significant Georgian architectural character of Edinburghs New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Number 37, the smaller of the two buildings, was constructed on the northern boundary of neighbouring Dundas House in the 1780s as a mansion house and which provides architectural symmetry to its partner to the south. Some years later the building was purchased by British Linen Co and the taller and grander building at number 38-39, designed by Architect David Bryce, was constructed in the early 1850s. As Architect and Lead Consultant, 3DReid worked closely with the Client to not only preserve and restore these historic buildings but to secure a viable commercial offer which would ensure the long term success of the property and contribute positively to the area and to the city as a whole. Through close consultation with Edinburgh City Council and in conjunction with Turley planning consultants and Simpson and Brown heritage architects, 3DReid was able to secure Planning and Listed Building consents for a change of use. This included the removal of a large but low level 1960s extension to accommodate a new full height extension to the rear of the original mansion building and the removal of the pitched roof and attic rooms at Number 38-39 to form the rooftop bar. The scale and profile of the rooftop bar was driven by the Historic Scotlands requirement to preserve the silhouette of the statues and stone balustrade against the skyline whilst the rear extension was a modern interpretation to reflect the scale of the mirroring property across Dundas Place. Overall, 3DReid was able to accommodate 33 generous guest bedrooms, an all-day restaurant with glazed courtyard, a members lounge, co-working spaces, a rooftop bar with terrace and a basement gym and wellness suite. All of these spaces were critical to the Clients aspirations for the brand with minimal interference to the most highly significant historic features of the original building. Through comprehensive heritage and conservation studies, 3DReid was able to identify and preserve the principal architectural and interior features whilst removing and reconciling some unsatisfactory modern alterations to restore and enhance the building overall. The alteration of the existing window sills on the West facade and the insertion of new windows in the stone blanks on the North facade were key to this. Externally the materials of the new build elements included Catcastle Buff sandstone, reclaimed West Highland slate from the removal of the original pitched roof and a natural copper cladding panel which takes on a warm bronze patina allowing it to blend in with the weathered sandstone of the existing banking hall building. Meanwhile the original building fabric was completely overhauled to repair the original stone facades and statues, the lead and slate roofs were completely stripped and reinstated with upgrades to the glazed rooflights including the etched glass dome and all the repair and replacement of the original single glazed timber sash and case windows. Internally, 3DReid worked with Will Rudd Engineers to reconfigure the vertical circulation and knit together two very different listed buildings with varying floor levels. Through careful coordination we were able to form new openings and dismantle large portions of the building to accommodate the new extensions without undue loss of the original building fabric. The integration of entirely new M&E services, including a fire suppression system throughout the building (other than the main Banking Hall) had to be thoroughly workshopped closely with the Atelier Ten particularly when converting the spaces within the heavily reinforced vaults in the basement to provide changing facilities for the spa. With limited opportunities for vertical risers and a requirement to conceal much of the plant equipment, including an emergency generator, sprinkler tanks and multiple kitchens requiring extraction, this was one of the most challenging aspects of the project as 3DReid was focussed on maintai ning the original ornate plaster ceilings, oak panelled walls and room proportions. Throughout, the interior design and concepts for the front of house areas were provided by the Clients in-house Interior Designers at Ennismore Design Studio. The spaces are traditional in consideration of the period of the buildings but feature all of the modern technology guests expect. 3DReid coordinated with the Interior Designers to ensure the modern interventions were sympathetic and considerately integrated and maintain an authentic sense of proportion and grandeur throughout. Bamako, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jul, 2022 ) :Gunfire rang out early Friday close to a key military base near the Malian capital, an AFP journalist and local residents said, although the cause was not immediately clear. The Sahel state is struggling with both a jihadist insurgency and political turbulence, experiencing two coups within the last two years. A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said "at around 5:00 am, unidentified armed men attacked Kati," a town on the edge of capital Bamako where a large military base is located. "We were woken up at five o'clock by firing, by explosions, we don't know what's going on," another resident said. A third source said: "Our base is being attacked." At 8:00 am, an AFP journalist also heard detonations that came from inside the camp. Malian special forces personnel were deployed in the area, and two helicopters flew overhead. The French embassy sent text messages to French nationals saying "attack underway at Kati" and urging caution. The authorities in Kati could not be immediately reached for comment. The impoverished landlocked country is governed by a junta headed by colonels who in August 2020 forced out the elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Keita had been facing mounting protests at failures to stem a jihadist campaign that erupted in northern Mali in 2012 and then spread to the country's volatile centre, Niger and Burkina Faso. Across the three countries, thousands of civilians, troops and police have been killed and more than two million people have fled their homes. In the latest attacks, central Mali and the Koulikoro region near Bamako were hit by six simultaneous assaults on Thursday. At dawn on Friday, at about the same time as the gunfire was heard at Kali, suspected jihadists carried out further attacks on security forces, including at Kolokani, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital. In May 2021, the junta staged a second coup, forcing out a civilian-led government. Since then, it has woven closer ties with the Kremlin, bringing in Russian personnel, while relations with international partners have gone into a downward spiral. A spat with France has triggered a pullout of French forces that have been fighting jihadists in Mali for nearly a decade. The withdrawal is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Tensions, meanwhile, have brewed with the UN's peacekeeping force MINUSMA, whose spokesman this week was told to leave the country. The base at Kati has played an important part in military coups. It was the springboard for mounting the 2020 putsch, and afterwards was used to detain Keita. In the 2021 coup, the base was used to hold Keita's successor, Bah Ndaw, and prime minister Moctar Ouane. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza on Friday chaired a meeting of all services chiefs here at the Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) to discuss defence and security environment of the country and the region RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jul, 2022 ) :Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza on Friday chaired a meeting of all services chiefs here at the Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) to discuss defence and security environment of the country and the region. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu attended the meeting, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said. The forum was given a detailed briefing on the national security situation specific to the western border, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The meeting also discussed fast-paced developments in the realm of strategic and conventional policies, the importance of peace in Afghanistan for sustainable development in the region and the operational preparedness of the armed forces. The forum expressed complete satisfaction and full confidence in the readiness of the defence forces. The participants also reaffirmed the resolve of armed forces to respond to the entire spectrum of threats in the most befitting manner in line with a comprehensive security strategy. The services chiefs also lauded the sacrifices of security agencies in the fight against terrorism. The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) is seeking input on a newly initiated investigation concerning a proposed modification to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) rules of origin. The investigation, Certain Fabrics of Triacetate Filament Yarns: Effect of Modification to U.S.-Korea FTA Rules of Origin (Inv. No. U.S.-Korea FTA-103-033) was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in a letter received on July 5, 2022. The letter included an attachment detailing the textile and apparel articles affected by the proposed modification. As requested, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will provide advice on the probable economic effect of the proposed KORUS rules of origin modification on U.S. trade under the KORUS, total U.S. trade, and domestic producers of the affected articles. The USITC expects to submit its advice to the USTR by November 4, 2022. A public version of the report, with all confidential business information deleted, will be released as soon as possible thereafter. The USITC is seeking input for its new investigation from all interested parties and requests that the information focus on the articles for which the USITC is requested to provide information and advice. The USITC will not hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation; however, the USITC welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436 and should be submitted at the earliest practical date but no later than 5:15 p.m. on August 26, 2022. IMPORTANT: All written submissions must be made through the Commissions Electronic Document Information System (EDIS, https://edis.usitc.gov). No in-person paper-based filings or paper copies of any electronic filings will be accepted until further notice. Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (EDIS3Help@USITC.gov), or consult the Commissions Handbook on Filing Procedures. Further information on the scope of the investigation is available in the USITCs notice of investigation, dated July 21, 2022, which can be downloaded from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Secretary at commissionhearings@usitc.gov. USM Special Collections Earns Grant for Preservation Work Fri, 07/22/2022 - 08:08am | By: David Tisdale The important work of providing access to historical material in University Libraries Special Collections division at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is getting a boost through grant support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The NHPRCs mission is promotion of the preservation and use of the countrys documentary heritage essential to understanding the nations democracy, history, and culture. The grant - $135,828 from NHPRC, with $70,178 in-kind matching funds from USM to increase access to collections - will support processing, digitization, and development of finding aids for existing collections significant to the history and culture of Mississippi. Select material will be digitized and featured in online presentations. Collections selected for the grant include the following: Raylawni Branch Collection: Branch is a Hattiesburg native and civil rights activist who, along with Gwendolyn Armstrong Chamberlain, integrated USM in the 1960s as its first African American students. Emilye Crosby Civil Rights Collection: Dr. Crosby was coordinator of SUNYs Black Studies/Africana program from 2002-18 and won the McLemore Prize for her first book, A Little Taste of Freedom: The Black Freedom Struggle in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Mary Ann Wells Collection: Wells, worked at the Hattiesburg American newspaper from 1977 to 1981 as an award-winning photojournalist, feature story writer and weekly columnist. Henry Lee Rodgers Papers: Rodgers served as a Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court from 1960-1976. Previously, from 1946-1950, he served as District Attorney for the 5th Judicial Court District and earlier in private practice. Before becoming a Justice, he served as a circuit judge. The collection documents this era in the states judicial history Harvey Edward West collection: West served as chief of staff for Mississippi Governor Paul B. Johnson (1964-1968), whose administration oversaw a time of economic and industrial growth, as well as increased racial tensions, in the state. OKeefe Family Archive: The archive documents the familys prominent role in the Mississippi Gulf Coast political, business, and philanthropic spheres. Sheila Michaels Papers, 1963-1999: Michaels was a civil rights activist and feminist who joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1961 and the following year worked for both CORE and SNCC in Jackson where she also worked very briefly for the Mississippi Free Press. During Freedom Summer 1964, she was project manager of Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) Hattiesburg Project. Sue Sojourner Collection, 1974-2014: Sojourner was a prominent Mississippi civil rights activist, first in Holmes County and then later made history by helping organize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), the delegation of which famously challenged and walked out of the Democratic National Convention and is credited with bringing about the Voters Rights Act of 1965. After leaving the state in 1969, she settled with her husband Henry in Washington, D.C., adopted the surname Sojourner and became involved in the womens liberation and lesbian movements. Tasha Tudor Collection: Acclaimed author and illustrator Tudor began her career illustrating children's books in 1938, writing and illustrating fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and stories. In addition to numerous other awards and honors, two of her works, Mother Goose and 1 Is One, were named Caldecott Honor Books. Tana Hoban Papers, 1938-2006: Hoban began her career in advertising and magazine illustration. The daughter of Russian immigrants, she was one of the first in her field to photograph people of different ethnicities. By 1950, her work was included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1953 she was the only woman mentioned in a Time magazine portfolio on "Half a Century of U.S. Photography." In 1959, she was named one of the Top Ten Women Photographers by the Professional Photographers of America. George Edward Stanley collection, 1984-2010: Stanley wrote more than 100 books for children and young adults, including his critically acclaimed Rats in the Attic and Night Fires. Stanley wrote his early series Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books using pseudonyms. An ongoing contributor to the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection, the bulk of his collection was added to the holdings after his death in 2011. Special Collections offers a variety of historical resources ranging from 15th-century illuminated manuscripts to Civil War letters, Civil Rights documents and current Mississippiana. It is comprised of four units: University Archives; Rare Books and Mississippiana; Historical Manuscripts; and the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection. University Libraries Associate Professor Lorraine A. Stuart, who is Head of Special Collections/Curator of Historical Manuscripts and Archives, will lead the two-year grant project, which, in addition to increasing access to the collections, will provide multiple opportunities for hands-on materials preservation and presentation experiences for USM Library and Information Sciences and Humanities graduate students. This project will help make them (students) very marketable in our field, because by the time they have finished their academic program they would have done the work of processing collections, developing online finding aids for the materials, and created online exhibitions, Stuart said. For more information about University Libraries and Special Collections, visit https://lib.usm.edu/. Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. As Pope Francis prepares to undertake his Apostolic Journey to Canada from July 24-29, we offer an overview of the Canadian Church, its history, present-day challenges, and commitment for Indigenous Peoples. By Lisa Zengarini The story of Catholicism in Canada goes back to the very first European settlers in North America. On July 7, 1534, a French priest who accompanied the explorer Jacques Cartier celebrated the first Mass on the shores of the Gaspe peninsula, in what was then New France (Nouvelle France). French colonization began with the founding of the city of Quebec in 1608 and of Ville Marie, now Montreal, in 1642. The evangelization process In this period, several religious congregations in France sent men and women to the colonized territories, who carried out an intense missionary work among the local Indigenous peoples, including the Hurons and the Algonquians in the West, the Sioux in the East , and the Inuit in the North. A major role was played by the Jesuit missionaries who focused on the evangelization of the Huron peoples. Their missions thrived in the 17th century. This missionary work was fruitful, as testified by St. Kateri Tekakwitha, also known as Lily of the Mohawks (1656-1680), the first indigenous saint of North America and Patroness of First Nation Peoples, who was canonized by Benedict XVI on 21 October 2012, and then proclaimed Patroness of ecology alongside St. Francis of Assisi. The acquisition of Canada by the British during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) marked a delicate phase for the Catholic Church in New France. However, despite the heavy restrictions imposed on Catholics in the Anglican Kingdom, the Catholic Church was able to further grow in the Canadian territories thanks to the Treaty of Paris (1763). In 1841 the Act of Union (passed by the British Parliament in 1840) gave full legal recognition to the Church in Canada allowing it to expand even in the English speaking territories. Its dynamism is testified by the proliferation of several religious orders in Canada during the 19th century. The Eastern Rite Churches have also played a major role in the development of the Catholic Church, especially in the western part of the country, which has seen a great influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe, in particular from Ukraine. Today the Ukrainian Church is the largest Eastern Church in the North American nation. Other Eastern Rite communities include Slovak, Armenian, Greek-Melkite, Maronite, Chaldean, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Catholics. Three papal visits On 9-20 September 1984 St. John Paul II became the first pope to visit Canada. This intense Apostolic Journey which saw him travel from the east to the west, and meet indigenous communities, was followed by two subsequent visits: on 19-20 September 1987, when he stopped at Port Simpson, British Columbia, on his way back from his Apostolic Journey in the United States to meet the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and on 23-28 July 2002, on the occasion of the World Youth Day of Toronto A multireligious and multiethnic society The Catholic Church is presently the largest religious denomination in the country, with Catholics accounting for some 44% of the population. They are followed by Protestants of various denominations (who account for almost one third), belonging predominantly the United Church (Congregationalists, Methodists and Presbyterians), and also including Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists and Pentecostals. Orthodox Christians number less than 2%. There are also various religious minorities, including Muslims, Jews, Sikh, Buddhists, and Hindus. In 2011, some 7% of Canadas population reported affiliation with Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions. A growing number of Canadians declare no religious affiliation. The challenge of secularization Canadian society is therefore multireligious, as well as multiethnic and multicultural. This has inevitably had an influence on the local Catholic Church and its relations with other religious communities and with Canadian society at large which, over the past decades, has undergone a deep process of secularization involving the English speaking provinces, but also the craddle of Catholicism in the country: Quebec. Indeed, since the Sixties, the French speaking province has seen more and more people walking away from the Church, which has lost the cultural and moral leadership role it had historically played in Quebecois society. An indicator of this is the evolution of the local school system, which has taken on an increasingly secular character, and controversial policies which are in open contrast with the Catholic teachings. Today, Canada is amongst the most advanced Western countries experiencing radical changes in social norms and values, which have reflected in new legal framework on controversial issues, such as medically assisted procreation, the status of the family and marriage, euthanasia and assisted suicide. In the face of these challenges, the Church has insistently voiced its concerns, upholding the protection of life from conception to natural death, and the protection of the family founded on a union of a man and a woman, and opposing same-sex marriages (which has been legal in Canada since 2005), surrogate motherhood (which in Canada is only only allowed on a free basis) and the promotion of so-called gender ideology in schools. Commitment for peace, human rights and Creation But the Church in Canada, has also been actively engaged on other important issues, alongside other Christian Churches and religious communities. , including: world peace, disarmament, sustainable development, human rights, and social justice. This commitment has been carried out through the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, the Standing Committee for Development and Peace and Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace(CCODP) , founded in 1967 with the dual objective of offering aid for the development of the Global South, to refugees, and victims of wars and natural disasters. The Canadian Church is also an active advocate of the rights of Indigenous peoples, immigrants, refugees, and persecuted Christians across the world, and of the protection of the enviroment On several occasions the Canadian bishops have drawn attention to the negative impact of indiscriminate mining on the environment and on the livelihoods of millions of people, especially in the Global South, where Canadian mining companies also operate. In 2013 the Justice and Peace Commission published a compendium of eight central themes in recent Church teaching, including the relationship between "human ecology" and environmental ecology, which are highlighted by Pope Francis in his 2015 Encyclical Letter Laudato si on the care for our common home. Pastoral concern for Indigenous peoples In this context the Canadian Church has also focused its pastoral attention on the Indigenous peoples in Canada who are still paying the consequences of European colonization to this day. These include three groups: First Nations, Inuit and Metis (descendants of mixed marriages between French and Scottish fur traders and Aboriginal women who formed a distinct culture, collective consciousness and nationhood in the Northwest of Canada). Although during the evangelization of Canada several missionaries and bishops were committed in defending the rights of the Indigenous peoples, unfortunately, part of the Church contributed to the suffering inflicted on them by European settlers. The Canadian bishops have recognized the responsibilities and shortcomings of the Church and have signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) adopted in 2007. The Church has also been actively supporting the recognition of the rights of the Indigenous peoples in Canada (including rights to their ancestral lands and access to the country's natural resources) through an intense work of advocacy, education and awareness campaigns. Moreover, it has been working with the Assembly of the First Nations (ANP) to improve the living conditions of Indigenous communities who still experience the highest levels of poverty in Canada. The residential school system One of the darkest pages of the history of the Canadian Church is the residential school system, a scheme funded by the Canadian government and run by Church institutions for the forcible integration of indigenous youth into Euro-Canadian culture by separating them from their families and placing them in boarding schools. The schools disrupted lives and communities and many children suffered neglect and abuse causing long-term problems among Indigenous communities. Overall, between the 19th and 20th century, some 150,000 First Nation, Inuit, and Metis children were forced to attend these schools. Since the last school closed iin 1997, former students have demanded recognition and compensation, resulting in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) signed in 2007, and a formal public apology by the then Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2008. A seven-year enquiry by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), concluded in 2015 that over 3,000 children died while attending these schools, due to neglect, disease and abuse. The discovery of dozens of unmarked graves on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, in British Columbia, in late May 2021, drew public attention to this tragedy and, in September the Canadian Bishops issued a formal statement of apology pledging 30 million Canadian dollars support to the healing and reconciliation process. They have also commited to collaborate with the leaders of the First Nations, Inuit amd Metis, to ascertain the truth and in healing schemes. Read also 06/06/2021 Pope expresses shock for Canadian Residential School discovery and prays for healing Pope Francis expresses sorrow for the news from Canada about the discovery of a mass grave at a former Residential School for indigenous children and urges political and religious ... Read also 01/04/2022 Pope Francis apologizes to Canada's Indigenous Peoples The Pope on Friday meets with Canadian Indigenous delegations, expressing his profound sorrow and asking for pardon for the suffering inflicted by some members of the Catholic ... The Canadian Bishops have been joined by Pope Francis who, on June 6, addressed a message expressing closeness to the victims and 28 March-1 April 2021 met with delegations from Canadas First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples, hearing their stories about life in the residential school system Read also 17/07/2022 Pope to make penitential pilgrimage to Canada for healing and reconciliation Pope Francis looks ahead to his upcoming apostolic journey to Canada describing it as a penitential pilgrimage that will hopefully contribute to a process of healing and ... Meeting with all three Indigenous delegations on April 1, he asked forgiveness for the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, emphasizing that what he had heard had made him feel both indignation and shame. Without real indignation without historical memory and without a commitment to learning from past mistakes, problems remain unresolved and keep coming back, he said. The Pope reiterated his sorrow and solidarity for the harm they have suffered during the Angelus. on Sunday, 17 July 2022, Dialogue with other Churches and religious denominations On many of these issues, the Catholic Church in Canada works in close collaboration with the other Christian communities, through the Canadian Council of Churches of which it became a permanent member in 1997. It also entertains good relationships with other religious denominations present in Canada, based on mutual respect and the values of coexistence and solidarity. Vietnams coffee industry shows strong potential and the country is the second-largest exporter of coffee globally. While Vietnam is known for its especially strong coffee the world over, the industry is fragmented with unsustainable farming techniques and faces climate change challenges. Vietnam Briefing overviews Vietnams coffee market, its popularity and ways it can move up the value chain. Vietnam is the second-largest exporter of coffee after Brazil, accounting for 8.3 percent of the global coffee share and 16 percent of the market share in the EU. However, the majority of exports remain in the form of unprocessed beans and little added valuation. Despite the pandemic, Vietnams coffee industry saw over US$3 billion worth in coffee export revenue in 2021, which accounted for three percent of the countrys GDP and 10 percent of its agricultural exports. As the country looks to step up its coffee processing industry, total exports are expected to reach US$6 billion by 2030. The coffee bean was first brought to Vietnam in 1857 by French colonialists who discovered that the environmental conditions in the countrys central highlands were suitable for the cultivation of many foreign crops. The French originally brought the Arabica variety; in 1908, the high-yield Robusta variety was introduced and cultivated alongside Arabica. In 1986, after the reunification of Vietnam, the Doi Moi reforms to the economy saw increased privatization of land and commodities. The government saw potential in coffee as a cash crop for exports as well as domestic use thus introducing state-funded farms while also encouraging families with land to cultivate coffee within the Central Highlands. As a result of these accumulated practices, the Vietnamese coffee industry is now facing several challenges aging coffee trees, small-scale and fragmented production, and effects of climate change. This presents opportunities for investments into the sector in areas that could see Vietnam climb up the global coffee value chain. Vietnams high-yield coffee Robusta bean production Some 95 percent of the coffee produced in Vietnam is from Robusta beans compared to just five percent from Arabica. When introduced in 1908, Robusta was found to thrive in lowlands, providing a higher yield of beans per hectare. It could grow at altitudes of 200-700m above sea level and be found to be less susceptible to diseases. Between 1989 and1995, the Vietnamese government-controlled coffee exports by purchasing coffee beans from all farmers at set prices. The low prices for coffee beans pushed farmers into growing Robusta as their main cash crop, thereby making Vietnam the worlds largest producer of Robusta beans. Robusta currently is estimated to provide 2.8 tons of coffee bean yield per hectare. What are the challenges facing Vietnams coffee industry? Although Vietnams coffee industry has fared well over the past decades, the industry faces a multitude of challenges that are hindering its progress up the value chain. Highly fragmented industry Vietnams coffee industry is highly fragmented today, 95 percent of crops are grown by private farms and the remaining five percent are state-owned. The majority of the current private farms are owned by smallholder farmers, equating to approximately 650,000 families cultivating coffee with approximately one hectare of land. Such small-scale production, fragmentation, and the dependence of farming households have produced differences in investments, harvesting, and processing methods between farmers, resulting in unreliable output and uneven quality of products. Lack of modern infrastructure and equipment Though Vietnam has invested heavily into its coffee industry now comprising of 160 coffee roasting facilities, 11 coffee blending facilities, and 8 instant-coffee processing facilities with a total processing potential of 1.5 million tons the industry lacks updated modern infrastructure and equipment. The majority of coffee roasting facilities consist of using tarps to sundry the coffee beans. This basic way of roasting/drying the coffee beans can lead to a drop in quality, especially during Vietnams rainy season. To move up the coffee value chain, Vietnam needs to improve its coffee processing infrastructure. Unsustainable farming techniques and climate change Irrigation is essential for coffee farms to achieve high yields and make cultivation profitable. This is particularly important during Vietnams dry season between January and April and therefore farmers resort to using groundwater. However, this threatens the long-term sustainability of Vietnams coffee industry as groundwater becomes depleted. Wealthier farmers tend to build basalt aquifers made through borehole drilling, which has contributed to the depletion of groundwater and soil degradation. Moreover, the threat of climate change can exacerbate this problem. For instance, Vietnams dry months could last longer, requiring farmers to use more groundwater resources. It could also lead farmers to migrate to higher altitudes to access the suitable conditions to grow coffee; however, such migration could also increase deforestation in areas where forests provide vital watershed protection. Aging coffee trees More than 30 percent of Vietnams coffee trees are between 20 and 30 years old and are beyond their peak productive age, which is usually between eight to 15 years old. Research suggests that after 22 years, the coffee tree becomes economically unviable. Farmers would need to cut and replant new trees, often a significant investment for smallholders, especially since they would need to wait four to five years for the tree to bear fruit. Moving up the coffee supply chain Vietnam must invest in its coffee value-added industries to move up the global coffee supply chain and make the industry more sustainable; processed coffee currently makes up less than 10 percent of the countrys total coffee production. This presents ample opportunities for foreign businesses, especially those with expertise in the production of processed coffee products. The Vietnamese coffee industry wants to meet its target of reaching US$6 billion in exports by 2030. The industry would also need to increase its yield of coffee beans without further deforestation by improving the efficiency and consistency of current plantations. Government incentives and support Vietnams coffee industry requires a linkage for raw material areas with processing facilities, creating a stable supply of goods that can meet market requirements. Further, the government is eager for Vietnams agriculture industry to apply automation, biotechnology, and information technology to boost sustainability. For instance, enterprises that invest in scientific research and technologies to serve production and business in agriculture will receive state support in the form of low-interest loans. Research in coffee bean varieties could result in coffee that is more resilient to adverse conditions such as droughts. By investing in Vietnams coffee processing sector, foreign businesses can benefit from the plentiful availability of raw materials, a large domestic market, and tax breaks through Vietnams large number of free trade agreements (FTAs) and government support. A growing domestic coffee market The signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)offers great opportunities for Vietnamese brands to export their processed coffee products to the EU. Building local brand names will raise quality standards and enable Vietnamese coffee brands to better compete in the international market. Further, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam saw an increase in the number of new coffee shop chains, a testament to a growing middle-class population with increasing purchasing power. According to Euromonitor International, the countrys specialty coffee and tea shops are worth more than US$1 billion, with local chains expanding faster and performing better than their international rivals. Local coffee chain The Coffee House already has 125 stores in the country, with ambitious plans to expand to 1,000 by 2025. Starbucks, which has been in Vietnam since 2013, only has 77 outlets throughout the country. While foreign brands dominate the high-end segments, local brands dominate the mid-range and low-price segments. Local brands are also able to adapt to new trends faster and have a larger footprint in the country. U.N. aid agencies Friday expressed concern over increasing civilian deaths as attacks by armed groups against local communities and sites for internally displaced people escalate in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The U.N. refugee agency says the suffering caused by the attacks on civilians and internally displaced people must no longer be ignored. This month in Ituri Province alone, it says simultaneous attacks by armed groups have left 11 dead and 250 homes looted and burned. The devastation comes on top of more than 800 deaths recorded by U.N. agencies in Ituri between February and June. UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh says people lost their lives during firearm or machete attacks on their communities. At least 715 of these victims had been sheltering in internal displacement sites or were killed as they returned home having previously fled violence," Saltmarsh said. "In June alone, 97 returning or displaced people were killed in attacks that included abductions, looting, and burning of homes. Saltmarsh says more than 20,700 people have been driven from their homes by such raids, fueling food insecurity. He says decades of local clashes have halted development in this fertile region. In recent weeks, he says fighting between the Congolese Army and the M23 rebel group in North Kivu Province has displaced more than 160,000 people. He says instability has been rife in the region for many years, but it has gotten worse because of many factors. There is the tussle over the mineral resources. There is a lack of judicial structures," Saltmarsh said. "There is a lack of infrastructure and, most recently of course, we have noticed an increase in the activities of these armed groups, particularly M23. Not just them, there are an estimated 120 armed groups active in that region. The March 23 Movement, or M23, is composed mainly of Tutsis, an ethnic group from Rwanda. The Congolese government has blamed M23 attacks in eastern DRC on Rwanda and has accused the government of President Paul Kagame of supporting the rebel group, charges he denies. The UNHCR is calling on all armed groups to immediately stop the violence. It also is urging the outside world to focus more attention on the region and work with the government and countries in the region to pursue an effective and lasting peace process. The United Nations, Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine signed four-way deal in Istanbul Friday intended to deliver Ukrainian grain to world markets. The deal is the result of months of negotiations as world food prices soar amid increasing grain shortages connected to Russias invasion of Ukraine. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres heralded the agreement as a major diplomatic breakthrough. Today there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hopea beacon of possibility, a beacon of reliefin a world that needs it more than ever. Guterres praised Turkey's role in securing the agreement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the deal offers the opportunity to ease the threat of global hunger and give hope for a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Under the agreement, cargo ships will carry grain from three Ukrainian ports, including Odesa. Using safe channels, Ukrainian pilots will guide the vessels through the heavily mined waters. The ships will then traverse the Black Sea in specially created corridors to Istanbul's Bosphorus waterway and on to world markets. All cargo ships will be checked by a Joint Coordination Center set up in Istanbul to ensure they are not carrying weapons into Ukraine. Ukrainian, Russian, U.N., and Turkish officials will staff the center. Moscow has promised not to launch hostilities in the vicinity of cargo ship routes and the port areas involved in grain exports. The U.N. said the agreement could take weeks to take effect but aims to export around 5 million tons of grain a month. The deal was reached as world food prices soared due to grain shortages. Ukraine is one of the world's biggest suppliers of grain. Earlier this week, U.N. food chief David Beasley said Ukrainian grain shipments couldn't come soon enough. [It's] Essential that we allow these ports to open because this is not just about Ukraine," he said. "This is about the poorest of the poor around the world who are on the brink of starvation. Ankara has been hosting and mediating the four-way talks. Turkey, a NATO member, has sought to play a balancing role in the conflict, with President Erdogan maintaining close ties with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts. Sinan Ulgen of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, a research organization in Istanbul, says the successful grain deal will vindicate Erdogan's stance. I think Turkey's careful balancing act will continue and there may even be a degree of appreciation in the West for the diplomatic role of Turkey in particular if Turkey is able to deliver on the food embargo quest, Ulgensaid. Under the grain deal, Turkey is set to continue playing a pivotal role in its application. The agreement will need to be renewed on a 120-day basis, meaning Turkish diplomacy will likely be critical to its continuation. At the Huawei Carrier Cloud Transformation Summit, Huaweis Peng Song (pictured) President, Carrier BG Marketing & Solution Sales discussed the telecom industrys cloud transformation and provided updates from Huawei in this area. In recent years, cloud has become part of the digital transformation process across industries. It has become a key factor in reshaping the economic structure and the market landscape of every industry. Cloud transformation in the telecom industry has entered a critical stage, with both opportunities and challenges rapidly emerging. Currently, most communication service providers have hybrid and multi-cloud environments in some form. It is estimated that 15% of carriers around the world will develop and fully implement a comprehensive cloud strategy by the end of 2023. This means that the cloud market is effectively worth hundreds of billions of dollars, so there will be fierce competition from the leading cloud service providers and other OTTs. To stay competitive, carriers must therefore build an efficient and agile ICT infrastructure, enter new markets and thereby achieve new growth. In China's telecom market, carriers are proactively building a "second growth curve" by using Data Technology, Information Technology and Communication Technology. Last year, they saw revenue growth of over 10% - far higher than the average growth rate of carriers across the world. Peng said that carriers should take the approach of CT plus Cloud, instead of an approach of simply transforming CT by Cloud. He noted that the telecoms industry was uniquely positioned to benefit from connectivity dividends, as the value of telecom networks is increased by leveraging cloud transformation. To achieve these benefits, Peng highlighted the strengths that differentiate the telecom industry. Peng explained that in terms of network value, carriers are able to expand network boundaries with the cloud, thereby improving network value in the B2B market and enlarging the scope of connectivity dividends. Since a carriers network is their core asset, they can use this to their advantage and conduct the cloud transformation in a synergistic way. In China, Huawei provides network plus distributed cloud capabilities, enabling carriers to provide their enterprise customers with solutions for higher productivity of office and production activities. This not only increases their addressable market space by 25%, but also expands their influence in vertical industries. In terms of digital innovation, carriers can build a cloud platform for digital business innovation that allows them to launch new services quickly and thereby explore the potential of connectivity dividends. Carriers can create collaborative cloud platforms that bridge telecom services and digital services to accelerate innovation, and acquire more customers from various market segments. In Europe, Huawei helps carriers migrate their development and test environment as well as hundreds of services to Huawei Cloud platform. For example, one carrier shortened time-to-market by 75% for one digital service by using an agile development platform and telecom PaaS capabilities. This enables carriers to respond to customer requirements and competition in a more agile way. With regards to telecom operations, carriers can expand the scale of connectivity dividends using the pre-integrated Huawei Cloud solution, which is designed to support sustainable growth within the telecoms industry. As far as telecom cloud transformation is concerned, it requires the cloud platform to adapt proactively to telecom service architecture. The distributed cloud architecture needs to meet the requirements in data security and management, while a rational timeline of cloud transformation needs to be defined to ensure getting the services on cloud in a safe and undisrupted manner. In Asia, Huawei has deployed CEM applications on its distributed cloud. The public cloud offers agility and elasticity, and is used for less sensitive businesses, while more sensitive businesses are deployed on Huawei Cloud Stack locally to ensure business efficiency while affording customers control of their data and their business activities. Through the correlated analysis conducted by Huawei distributed data lake, between the OSS and BSS, the 5G package marketing success rate is improved by 180% - a solid example to support carriers' business sustainable growth. The goal of telecom cloud transformation is to provide quality services to customers. In order to realize this ultimate goal, its critically important to cooperate with strategic partners who deeply understand the telecom industry and know how to leverage and eventually maximize the strengths of telecom. Over the past few decades, Huawei has been providing high-quality services for customers in the telecom industry. By the end of 2021, Huawei had worked extensively with more than 120 carriers globally on cloud services, and will continue to make strategic investments in ICT and leverage its localized service capabilities worldwide to enable cloud transformation for its carrier customers. Huawei has determined to keep working with carriers to accelerate the cloud transformation journey, build new capabilities, and embrace new growth. When he gave himself up to Russian forces in May at the pulverized Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, the wounded Ukrainian soldier could not say a proper goodbye to his slain friend, whose body had to be left behind with hundreds of other dead. The former prisoner of war, who goes by the name of David, finally got his chance Thursday at a Kyiv crematorium. Moving carefully on crutches after his left leg was amputated, David and other soldiers bade farewell to Ilya Honcharov, whose coffin was draped in the yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag. "A sweet death in agony for you," they intoned. "I will dissolve in you and live forever in you." David is one of the few POWs from the Azovstal siege that Russia has freed in an exchange. And the body of the 26-year-old Honcharov, among hundreds the two sides also have swapped even as they fight each other, is one of the very few that Ukrainian authorities have been able to identify. His brother recognized one of his tattoos. In the two months since the Azovstal's fighters surrendered, ending their dogged defense of the sprawling plant that became a symbol of Ukrainian tenacity in the war against Russia, few families and friends of those killed or captured have been able to find closure. Still unanswered are gnawing questions of how, where and when loved ones died. Some remains may never be recovered. If Ukrainian forces one day liberate Mariupol, some families hope to at least get handfuls of dirt from the city that was bombarded almost into oblivion. A killing field for thousands of civilians, the charred ruins are hallowed ground for families of soldiers killed trying to prevent the strategic city and its port from falling into Russian hands. More than 2,000 Azovstal defenders marched out of its twisted wreckage into Russian captivity in mid-May, ending the nearly three-month siege of Mariupol. Their families still don't know when or even whether they might come home. David was among 144 Ukrainian soldiers including 95 who fought in Mariupol that Russian forces turned over June 29 in a prisoner exchange. He's still not able to talk about his six weeks in captivity for fear of jeopardizing the release of other POWs and he did not want to be identified by his full name. But David spoke willingly about his friend Honcharov, who had been mangled by a mortar round that shattered bones in his arms and legs, and embedded shrapnel in his back. Honcharov had clung to life for hours through his pain, and his comrades dragged to cover in a basement after nightfall, moving through the plant's hellscape of twisted metal, overturned cars and shattered concrete. "I don't know how he kept himself so brave. I could not stand such pain," David said. Honcharov died May 16, the day that marked the beginning of the end of the Mariupol siege. That was when Azovstal's remaining defenders started surrendering the last Ukrainian holdouts in the occupied city. They had largely exhausted their supplies and been told by commanders they had completed their mission of tying down and bleeding Russian forces for as long as possible. A fortunate few were flown out in low-flying helicopters before the surrender in a series of daring and sometimes deadly clandestine rescue missions. But more than 2,400 remained trapped and turned themselves over to Russian forces. They included David, who had part of his left leg blown off by an anti-tank missile hours before the May 16 surrender began. The survivors left behind hundreds of bodies Honcharov's among them. It was returned to Kyiv in one of six exchanges of remains. The swaps have included the bodies of more than 400 soldiers who fell in Mariupol, including at Azovstal. How many remain isn't known. "I think we will never know the exact number," said Olena Tolkachova, who works with the Azov Regiment, one of the Ukrainian units that defended the steel mill. She heads the regiment's specialized service that arranges medical care for its wounded and funerals for its dead. It also fields endless calls from families asking for news of prisoners and whether remains have been identified. The last exchange was July 19. Each side gives the other 45 bodies, meeting and signing paperwork before going their separate ways. Bodies that Russian forces have turned over have been from a variety of Ukrainian units. Some body bags are marked "Azovstal" or "Mariupol," but most are simply labeled "Ukrainian." DNA testing is needed to identify most of the remains. Just 2% to 3% are identified with personal belongings, soldiers' uniforms or distinguishing marks including tattoos, Tolkachova said. Bodies come without information about exactly where they were found. But Tolkachova and her colleagues who volunteer at the Kyiv morgue have learned that if there's sand on a body, then it most likely was buried on the shore near the Azovstal mill, which backs onto the Sea of Azov. "We are working and will continue to work until our last hero is decently buried, until the last wounded person is healed and brought back to life, until every family is reunited with their children," Tolkachova said. "The consequences of this war will be with us until the end of our lives." In a rare move, Iranian newspapers on Thursday criticized the country's morality police, tasked with ensuring respect for Islamic laws, after a video of a woman pleading for her daughter's release went viral. The criticism emerged as public debate about the hijab, a required female head covering, resurfaced after local media reported measures that may indicate tighter controls. The morality police patrol the streets with a mandate to enter public areas to check on implementation of the headscarf law and other Islamic requirements. Morality officers became a much less common sight after moderate President Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013, but the force has had a renewed presence over the past weeks under his successor, ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi. The video, widely shared on social media in Iran, showed a woman standing in front of a van used by Tehran's morality police, commonly known as Gasht-e Ershad, or "guidance patrol." She screamed that her daughter, allegedly being carried away in the van, was ill. The veiled woman kept holding on to the vehicle, trying to stop it as it started moving slowly, before eventually being pulled aside. The van sped away. Papers sound off It was unclear whether the woman's daughter had violated the hijab law or other Islamic regulations, but reformist daily Sazandegi published a drawing of the scene on its front page Thursday, with "Stop the morality police" as its headline. Similar calls echoed in reformist papers, with Arman-e Melli asking the police to "be kind," and Shargh warning that "urban peace [is] in a tight spot." The video, which could not independently be verified by AFP, spread widely early this week. Tehran police said it involved a patrol in the western part of the capital. "Following this incident ... the matter was immediately investigated ... and disciplinary action was taken against the head of the police patrol for the mismanagement," Tehran's police inspection chief Hamid Khorvash was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA on Thursday. "Today, the mother of this citizen was consoled, and this citizen also appreciated the quick handling and follow-up of this matter," he added without elaborating. Political debate The debate made its way to the political scene as well. Hassan Khomeini, a reformist figure and grandchild of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic, posted the scene on Instagram. "Whatever this is, it is not guidance, it is not Islamic, it is not wise and has no benefit," he wrote on his official page, which more than 600,000 followers, on Tuesday. Ahmad Khatami, a conservative member of Iran's Assembly of Experts, tasked with electing the Islamic republic's supreme leader, defended the morality officers and said the law on the hijab "must be implemented." "Unfortunately, some people do not observe hijab and even remove their coverings in public places, which is against the law," he was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency Thursday. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian law has required all women, regardless of nationality or religious belief, to wear hijabs that cover the head and neck while concealing the hair. Pushback Many have pushed the boundaries over the past two decades by allowing the hijab to slide back and reveal more hair, especially in Tehran and other major cities, and the actions of the morality police have been criticized before. Rouhani, then president, warned in 2018 that "promoting virtue will not work through violence," after a video emerged of a violent encounter between a woman and morality officers. This month, local media reported that women in Iran's second-largest city of Mashhad were banned from taking the metro if they were not wearing head coverings, and three coffee shops were closed in the central city of Qom because customers were not wearing headscarves. Raisi, who came to power last year, called this month for hijab laws and rules to be implemented "in full," state media reported. He stressed that "the enemies of Iran and Islam" are targeting "religious foundations and values of the society," IRNA reported on July 5. "Necessary and preventive measures should be taken," the president added, asking pertinent institutions which would include the morality police "to take systematic and integrated actions in this regard." As the war in Ukraine approaches the end of its fifth month and Russian attacks on civilian sites are reported on a near-daily basis, pressure is mounting on the Biden administration to officially designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. This week, according to reporting by Politico, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that if he does not exercise the power delegated to him by Congress to make the designation, lawmakers themselves will do so. Russia is already under crippling sanctions, imposed by the U.S. and a host of other countries, but official designation as a state sponsor of terrorism would up the ante in some significant ways. Where the international components of current sanctions have been carefully coordinated, the state sponsor of terrorism designation could trigger a stricter regime of penalties that could apply to third-country parties doing business with Russian individuals and companies. In addition, the designation would waive Russias sovereign immunity in the U.S., opening the door for Americans harmed by the war in Ukraine to file civil lawsuits against the Russian government in U.S. courts. Administration reluctant Pelosi is the most senior lawmaker to advocate for the administration to take action, but she is not the first. Earlier this month, Senators Lindsey Graham, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, traveled to Kyiv to highlight legislation they introduced in May that would make the designation official. A bill with the same aim was introduced in the House by Representatives Joe Wilson, a Republican, and Ted Lieu, a Democrat. However, the Biden administration has appeared reluctant to take that step. In the past, a State Department spokesperson has said that the existing regimen of sanctions is sufficient to achieve the administrations purposes. Also, the state sponsor of terrorism designation would trigger secondary sanctions that the U.S. would have to apply to individuals and countries outside the U.S. who do business with Russia. Such a designation could complicate efforts to hold together a broad coalition of countries that are putting pressure on Russia to halt its aggression in Ukraine. A potential new precedent John Herbst, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003-06, told VOA that, in his mind, there is little doubt that Russia has met the requirements to be designated a sponsor of terrorism. I believe that violence directed at civilians for political aims is one of the definitions of terrorism, said Herbst, now the senior director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center. If that's right, then clearly the Russian government is pursuing a policy of terrorism. However, he pointed out that in the past, nations subject to the designation have been no more than regional powers at most. The U.S. currently considers four countries to be state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria. In the past, the list has included Iraq, Libya, South Yemen and Sudan, but those countries have since been removed from the list. Adding Russia to the list would be a significant departure from past practice and would set a new precedent. A blunt instrument Herbst, who has been a vocal critic of what he calls the Biden administrations slow and timid policy of supplying Ukraine, said that he would support the state sponsor of terrorism designation for Russia but with some reservations. I support it, but it's not my highest priority, he said. If the administration was completely sound on weapons and sanctions, we wouldn't need it at all. Because they're not, I can see the utility of the designation. But generally speaking, I'm not fond of blunt instruments myself. I'd rather have the flexibility. Ingrid Brunk Wuerth, the Helen Strong Curry Chair in International Law at Vanderbilt Law School, agreed that the sanctions that come with a state sponsor of terrorism designation may be more broad than is necessary to further punish the Kremlin, considering that Russia is under an enormous amount of pressure from U.S. sanctions as it is. In addition, though, Wuerth said that she is particularly concerned about the effects of opening up Russia to civil lawsuits filed by Americans. Loss of bargaining chip In theory, U.S. claimants would be entitled to sue to recover damages against Russia damages that could be paid out from Russian assets currently frozen in U.S. financial institutions. In the past, she said, frozen assets have been used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with hostile foreign governments. For example, she pointed to the release of frozen Iranian assets as an element of the Algiers Accords of 1981, which ended a long-running U.S. hostage crisis in Iran. If we give the money that we have to American claimants, it's not available as a bargaining chip against Russia, Wuerth said. In addition, she said, because the law limits those eligible to file lawsuits to American citizens and employees of the U.S. government, it would mean that damages recovered by Americans would reduce the pool of funds available to compensate the Ukrainian government and its citizens. Wuerth noted that the U.S. is not the only country holding frozen Russian assets, and that if others followed the United States lead and allowed their citizens to sue for damages, that would further erode the pool of money that might be used to directly aid Ukraine. Zelenska address The discussion about further actions to punish Russias aggression against Ukraine took place during the same week that Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, visited Washington and delivered an address to a bipartisan group of U.S. Congress members on Wednesday. She said that Russias unprovoked invasive terrorist war is destroying our people and recounted the stories of some of the untold number of civilians, many of them children, who have died in the nearly five months since the war began. I am asking for weapons weapons that will not be used to wage a war on somebody elses land but to protect ones home and the right to make up a life in that home, Zelenska told lawmakers. I am asking for air defense systems in order for rockets not to kill children in their strollers and kill entire families. In her weekly press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Pelosi praised Zelenskas speech, and made a further case that Russias actions in Ukraine have gone beyond waging war, crossing the boundary into war crimes. Pelosi decried the tragedy of what is happening to children and women and the rest in the course of this war, how the Russians have used rape as a weapon of war, when it is indeed a war crime. She alleged that rape, in particular, is happening not because of the decisions of individual soldiers, but on the orders of Russian commanders, as a means of demoralizing the Ukrainian people. Congress will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight to defend democracy, not only for their own people, but for the world, Pelosi said. "Canceled without prejudice." The large red stamp on the travel documents of Sanna Irshad Mattoo brought the photojournalist's plans grinding to a halt. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist was due to travel to Paris for a book launch and the Arles Rencontres photography festival in France earlier this month. She had a travel visa and plane tickets, but when Mattoo tried to board a flight in Delhi, immigration officials briefly detained the journalist, informing her she was barred from foreign travel. No one, Mattoo said, has explained the reason for the ban. "It is disappointing and disturbing not being able to attend the Arles Rencontres photo festival," Mattoo told VOA. The festival has a special meaning for Mattoo. She was one of the 10 awardees of a Serendipity Arles grant in 2020. Her work has also won international acclaim and she was part of the Reuters team honored with a 2022 Pulitzer for their coverage of the pandemic in India. Legal and media analysts say travel bans like the one imposed on Mattoo contravene a constitutional right to travel and come amid a wider trend of harassment directed at critics. At least four journalists from Indian-controlled Kashmir have been blocked from foreign travel since Delhi revoked the region's autonomous special status in August 2019. And journalists and rights advocates elsewhere in India, including investigative reporter Rana Ayyub and Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International in India, have also been blocked or delayed from travel. In Ayyub's case, immigration officials at a Mumbai airport blocked the investigative journalist known for her coverage of religious violence and extrajudicial killings from boarding a flight to Britain on March 29, saying she was under investigation for money laundering. Ayyub told the Committee to Protect Journalists at the time that she received a summons one hour before her scheduled departure. She was later able to travel. While officials do not typically provide a reason for the ban, one Kashmiri journalist said officials cited unrest in the Indian-controlled region when he was stopped. Gowhar Geelani, a freelancer who contributes to German outlet Deutsche Welle, was detained at an airport in New Delhi in 2019, while on his way to Bonn for media training. In an account at the time, Geelani said immigration officials told him, "There is a lot of turmoil in Kashmir" and that they were just following orders. An appeals process is available for those banned from travel. Neither India's Bureau of Immigration nor its embassy in Washington responded to VOA's request for comment. 'Systematic harassment' In a statement on Mattoo's case, the International Federation of Journalists described travel bans as "systematic harassment and a grave imposition on press freedom." For Mattoo, the ban was a frustrating inconvenience. "The Delhi airport immigration officers made me wait for more than two hours," Mattoo said. Then "officials told me that I couldn't board the flight." But when the journalist asked why she was delayed, she says "officials stated that they were unsure of the reasons." Umair N. Ronga, a lawyer at the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in Srinagar, told VOA that travel is a fundamental right in India. "Restraining a person from traveling abroad and preventing a person from performing their professional duties amounts to a violation of a fundamental right," Ronga said, adding that such bans can be challenged under Article 226 of the Constitution. Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, believes Indian authorities use travel bans to hide a poor human rights record. A better approach, she said, would be for the government to focus on ending violations, including the targeting of minorities and Muslims, to preserve its reputation abroad. International bodies including the United Nations and Human Rights Watch have called on the Indian government to take action to end the retaliatory attacks on Ayyub and others who investigate rights abuses. HRW said in 2021 that authorities use "surveillance, politically motivated prosecutions, harassment, online trolling and tax raids" to target critics. In an apparent response to claims India is backsliding on rights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the country as "the mother of democracy" at the G-7 summit in Germany last month. "Government policies are systematically preventing independent reporting on events in Kashmir," Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank based in New Delhi, told VOA. "Journalists have been arrested, charged with sedition and prevented from doing their job." India has dropped in the World Press Freedom Index. It currently ranks 150 out of 180 countries where 1 has the best climate for media, according to Reporters Without Borders. The media watchdog said its findings show "press freedom is in crisis" across India and described the situation for journalists in Kashmir as particularly "worrisome." For now, Mattoo is back in Srinagar, waiting to see if the ban will be lifted. "I'm hoping that authorities will look into this matter at the earliest so that I can travel freely," she said. Chinese authorities are moving quickly to thwart more public discontent after hundreds of bank depositors held a rare protest last week outside government offices in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province. The central bank regulator, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), said that it would "handle the risks associated with five rural banks," four in Henan and one in Anhui. There were no protests in Anhui, but a peaceful rally outside government offices in Henan on July 10 met with a violent crackdown by unidentified individuals that sparked outrage in China. At stake are deposits worth 40 billion yuan ($6 billion), according to the South China Morning Post. Many depositors have wanted to withdraw their savings from the banks since April but couldn't, a problem the institutions initially blamed on upgrades to computer systems. The banks have not issued any communication on the matter since April, depositors said, and by May, protests had erupted. Authorities froze the accounts pending an investigation into how the banks came to be without the cash needed to meet withdrawal requests. The scandal at the rural banks has drawn national attention as Beijing is struggling to maintain economic growth in the face of President Xi Jinping's commitment to a zero-COVID policy that has prompted widespread lockdowns and a resulting economic slowdown. Chinese banking regulators have blamed the Henan New Fortune Group for manipulating online transaction systems at the rural banks for its own gain, according to a WeChat post by the China Banking and Insurance News, reported the Global Times, a state-affiliated news outlet. The banking commission also posted Sunday on the Weibo account of the China Banking and Insurance News, a newspaper funded by CBIRC. It stated that the banking regulator has pledged to repay depositors in accordance with laws and regulations, but whether they will recover their full lost savings remains unclear. Weibo is China's Twitter-like social media platform. On Thursday, the Henan and Anhui provincial bureaus of banking and insurance regulatory commissions announced that they would begin to make whole people who had less than 100,000 yuan, or $14,774, on deposit starting July 25. This will be the second batch of payments. Last Friday, the same local authorities initiated measures to release payments through a WeChat app called "Village Bank Advance Payment." But some people contacted by VOA Mandarin said they had yet to see their money. A depositor from Zhengzhou, a retired military man who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, told VOA Mandarin on Saturday that the depositors in his village who were eligible for the first batch of payments "did not get the money" because the system kept showing that it was still in the process of "verifying information." According to the depositor, most depositors remain dissatisfied, especially those like him who had more than RMB 50,000, or about $7,400, on deposit. He told VOA Mandarin that the authorities introduced the payment plan to "curb the widespread public dissatisfaction" over the financial fraud and to divide the depositors who participated in the Zhengzhou protest on July 10. At that event, protesters carried banners demanding "Henan banks, pay back our legal deposits." One in English said, "Against the corruption and violence of the Henan government." In some videos, protesters were violently kicked and dragged by individuals in white shirts and black trousers who were not identified. VOA Mandarin contacted the Henan provincial Public Security Bureau, the Zhengzhou business district police station and the Zhengdong branch of the city's Public Security Bureau regarding the identity of the individuals who struck out at protesters. None of the three responded. Analysts told VOA Mandarin that repayments might depend on how the deposited funds were used. Meng-Chun Liu, director of the First Research Institute of the Chinese Economic Research Institute in Taipei, said he believed that brokers in the banks might have sold "financial products" to most depositors. If so, the depositors who invested their savings into "investments" of financial products may be out of luck. Xie Tian, a professor at the Aiken School of Business at the University of South Carolina, told VOA Mandarin, "I think that the Henan Rural Bank is not a fortuitous incident, it is a nationwide problem. [Similar problems in other banks] in other provinces have not yet begun to break out, and the Chinese Communist Party's supplement [reserves] may not be fully sufficient. If they can't solve this, more problems will rise." In a major breakthrough, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement in Istanbul Friday that aims to get millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to world markets and ease a growing food crisis for millions in the developing world. "You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the signing, acknowledging that "this agreement did not come easy." "Promoting the welfare of humanity has been the driving force of these talks," he said. "The question has not been what is good for one side or the other," Guterres said. "The focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world. And let there be no doubt this is an agreement for the world." Ukraine is a leading grain exporter, producing enough to feed 400 million people a year, but about 20 million tons of its grain has been trapped for months in silos and on ships blockaded by Russia in the Black Sea. Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, and Ukraine's infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, took turns at the table signing the deal, known as the Black Sea Initiative. It was also signed by Turkey's defense minister and the U.N. secretary-general, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looked on. "This joint step we are taking today in Istanbul, together with Russia and Ukraine, will be a new turning point that will revive the hopes for peace, this is my sincere hope," Erdogan said. He said he hoped the "friendly and peaceful atmosphere" built on the Black Sea Initiative could eventually lead to transformative steps to end the war. The initial agreement is for 120 days, but a U.N. official said it would have to continue as long as the war does. The United Nations has been working for months with Ukrainian and Russian officials on two parallel tracks: one to lift the Russian blockade on Ukraine's southern Black Sea ports, the other to facilitate unimpeded access for Russian food and fertilizer to world markets. Russia is also a leading grain exporter and the top global fertilizer producer. Since the war, the price of fertilizer on the global market has doubled, in turn driving up the cost of crops. Just before the public signing of the grain deal, the U.N. chief and the Russian defense minister privately signed a memorandum of understanding to address the disruptions to the trade of Russian food and fertilizer. The framework agreed to in Istanbul could see Ukrainian ships begin to move again within the next few weeks as the ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny come online and a joint coordination center is rapidly set up in Istanbul to monitor the operation. The U.N. says 276 million people were severely food insecure before Russia's February 24 invasion; now officials project the number to be 345 million. It is expected that the deal will bring relief to millions who have been struggling with rising food prices as a result of the war. How it will work Ukraine will continue as it did before the war to handle the internal logistics of getting its grain from its fields and silos to the ports. Ukraine has mined its territorial waters, and under the deal, it will help guide commercial cargo ships carrying its grain through "safe corridors," which, a U.N. official said, is a faster solution than the months it could take to de-mine the waters. The official said cargo ships will be inspected as they enter Ukrainian ports to be sure they are not bringing in any weapons shipments, as well as when they exit, by teams of Ukrainian, Russian and Turkish monitors, who will be part of an Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center. Turkey plays an important role in the operation, as the ships will pass from the Black Sea out through the Bosphorus. Both parties have pledged not to attack any ships that have been identified as sailing under the deal through the safe corridors. The U.N. official said if there is an incident, it would fall to the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) to resolve it. The official said the JCC would be the "heartbeat" of the operation. The package deal helps Russia overcome obstacles for the sale of its fertilizer and food products. While U.S. and European sanctions on Moscow do not include those exports, the private sector has been hesitant to work with the Russians, fearful of running afoul of the sanctions. The U.N. will now set up a team to follow up and coordinate with countries and the private sector. "This task team will be focused on addressing the disruptions to the food and fertilizer trade largely due to the de-risking and overcompliance of the private sector, particularly in the sectors of finance, insurance and logistics," U.N. Spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters. He said this effort is fully coordinated with the grain initiative. The Americans contend that Moscow is holding back its exports on purpose as part of its disinformation campaign about Western sanctions. "When in fact there are no sanctions on their agricultural products, there are no sanctions on their fertilizer," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told Congress this week. "They can move their agricultural products; they can move their wheat if they wanted to do it. But they would prefer to blame the rest of the world, thinking that that will get them more support from the world, and I think they have failed." Reaction "We welcome this deal and hope it will help mitigate the crisis Russia has caused," Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said in tweet Friday. "But we will be watching closely to ensure that Russia actually follows through on its commitments." The White House was equally cautious. Success, of course, is going to depend on Russia's compliance with this arrangement and actually implementing its commitments, John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters Friday. Were clear-eyed about it, he said. Weve just sadly come to see in many instances throughout the last five months, as well as even in other places, Russias word is never good enough on its face. Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kulebo, also welcomed the agreement and said in a tweet Friday that he would "count on the UN to ensure proper implementation." The British foreign secretary, Liz Truss, welcomed the agreement and urged the Kremlin to implement it. "The UK and our allies have been pushing hard to reach this point. Now this agreement must be implemented, and we will be watching to ensure Russia's actions match its words," Truss said in a statement. "To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine." Aid organizations also welcomed the deal, but said it is only one part of solving the growing global food crisis. "If respected and enacted in good faith, today's deal to protect Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea will help ease grain shortages, but let's be clear this will not end or significantly alter the trajectory of the worsening global food crisis," Mercy Corps Chief Executive Tjada D'Oyen McKenna said in a statement. "A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of life-saving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families," said International Committee of the Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini, but he noted that efforts must continue to tame skyrocketing food prices in places like Sudan where they have shot up 187% in the past six months. VOA's Jeff Seldin contributed to this report from Washington. Millions of Americans have watched over the last six weeks as a bipartisan U.S. House panel holds public hearings documenting the actions of former president Donald Trump and his inner circle in relation to the January 6, 2021, attack by a violent mob on the U.S. Capitol. Twenty million viewers tuned in on June 9 for the hearing's opening day, aired nationally on primetime television. Still, it is unclear what effect, if any, these proceedings will have, despite bringing to light a mountain of new details on what was taking place in the Trump White House before and during the insurrection, which sought to block Congress certification of Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election. Democrats hope the hearings, including one Thursday, will spell the end of Trump's political career and possibly more, according to Dillard University Urban Studies and Public Policy Professor Robert Collins. What Democrats would love is to discover enough evidence of criminal wrongdoing strong enough proof that former president Trump incited his supporters to storm the Capitol to overturn the 2020 election results that the Justice Department would bring criminal charges against him and his co-conspirators, Collins told VOA. But thats kind of a longshot Hail Mary because there are issues indicting a former president, Collins added. If they can at least damage him politically so he can no longer successfully run for office, I think Democrats would be pleased. Republican doubts By contrast, many Republicans express cynicism about what these hearings will accomplish. Nothing will come out of this hearing, said Alberto Perez, a Republican voter from the rural town of Blairsville, Georgia. It will be a reflection of what the Democrat-led Congress has accomplished in these past two years. Absolutely nothing. Trumps most ardent supporters view the hearings as a one-sided, partisan witch hunt that is spreading lies. This despite the fact that two Republicans sit on the House Select Committee and that members of Trumps inner circle, including his daughter and son-in-law, as well as household names in the Republican Party, like former attorney general William Barr, have provided hours upon hours of often-explosive testimony. Even so, Christine Carney, a Trump voter from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, suspects the proceedings will have the opposite effect of what the House panel intends. If anything, its making Republican voters stand behind Trump even more, she told VOA. Its obvious theyre building up these lies about him and finding more lies every day. Carney and other Trump supporters see the hearings as an attempt to cause the former presidents supporters to break from him. Trump is independent-minded and they dont want someone to run the country that they cant tell what to do, she said. They lie, cheat, steal, plant evidence, and threaten people to lie in court so they get what they want -- to make sure he doesnt get back in office. Former Trump loyalists testify While there is no evidence of the tampering Carney is suggesting, the hearings have produced a steady stream of witnesses once loyal to the 45th president. Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide and assistant to former chief of staff Mark Meadows, provided testimony many viewers found compelling. Among other things, she spoke of Trumps determination to join rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6 despite his security details insistence that doing so would put him in physical danger. On another day of the hearings, members of the Proud Boys a far-right group that took part in the insurrection expressed remorse for their actions and placed some of the blame on the former president. Democrats hope rank-and-file Republicans across the nation take note. You have insurrectionists testifying and showing a real sadness because they feel they were duped by Trump, said Corrine Glazer, a Democratic voter in Los Angeles, California. Not that long ago they trusted him and followed his every word. I feel like if their minds changed, then maybe hearing them testify changed other Republicans minds, as well. On the second day of hearings, a potentially game-changing moment took place when former attorney general Barr testified that he told Trump he did not agree with the then-presidents claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. This was a huge deal because youve got the presidents hand-picked attorney general telling us Trump was, in his words, detached from reality, said Collins from Dillard University. He had the resources of the U.S. government behind him and couldnt find evidence of the fraud Trump was claiming. Thats powerful, I think. New polling data A poll released Thursday found that 57% of Americans believe Trump deserves a good amount of the blame for the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. According to the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 92% of Democrats blame the former president compared to just 18% of Republicans. Fifty percent of those surveyed believe the former president should be charged with crimes based on the evidence presented at the House hearings, but only 28% think he will face criminal charges. The poll found that 80% of Democrats say they are paying attention to the hearings, compared to 55% of independents and 44% of Republicans. Viewership of the proceedings has fallen. Nine million Americans tuned into the third hearing, less than half the total for the first. I havent been watching the hearing at all, and I havent been watching mainstream media either, said Perez in Georgia. I imagine its the same for most MAGA Trump supporters. This hearing has no credibility in our eyes. But many Democrats say they still find the committees public activities worth watching. Personally, its a relief to see testimonies prove that Trumps character is as bad as I already saw it, said Glazer from California. But stations like FOX arent showing the hearings and are barely commenting on it other than to mock Democrats. Its no wonder its not reaching many Republicans. Electoral consequences The hearings have been held months before Americans go to the polls in midterm elections that will determine which political party controls Congress, a fact not lost on voters. Its just a partisan exercise meant to hurt Republicans in this Novembers midterm elections, Jay Williams, a consultant for many top Republican politicians, told VOA. Maybe these hearings will fire up the Democratic base, but most voters are worried about more important things to them such as the economy. Collins of Dillard University agrees the hearings are unlikely to impact the midterms. The 2024 presidential race, however, could be another story if Trump seeks to return to the White House. I see a lot of people looking at polls, not seeing much change, and assuming these hearings are having no effect on Trumps popularity, Collins said, but thats not how human psychology works. Our minds change slowly and only when were exposed to frequent and repeated evidence of something. Some experts believe the hearings are providing a unique example of this. Whereas Trumps critics typically attack him on multiple fronts at once, the House Select Committee has been able to focus exclusively on his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, keeping the public focused on an event that shocked the nation. While indicators are modest so far, the committees efforts appear to be making some headway. According to a Morning Consult/Politico survey conducted after Hutchinsons testimony, the share of Republicans who said Trump misled Americans about the 2020 election increased by 5 percentage points to 30%. Even such small shifts in numbers could prove consequential for the Republican presidential primary contests in 2024. Even so, Collins said the House Select Committee has a long way to go to destroy Trumps viability as a political candidate. The former presidents supporters agree. Id still be thrilled to vote for President Trump in a primary and a general election, said Carney of Pennsylvania. Life was great when he was in office and Id rather go back to that than continue with the way things are going. This mindset has proven both frustrating and perplexing to Democratic voters who believe the hearings findings should not only make the former president unelectable, but also land him in jail. Stupid people will do anything to avoid admitting they made a mistake when they voted for him, I guess, said Alex Kingbix, a Democratic voter from New Orleans, Louisiana. They have to put up with him and double down, or else risk being exposed for the terrible damage their vote has caused. When the gunshots rang out, Dansira Karikumutima jumped to her feet. I ran away with my family, she said of the March day that M23 rebels arrived in Cheya, her village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congos North Kivu province. We scattered, each running in a different direction out of fear. Months later, the 52-year-old, her husband and their 11 children have regrouped in an informal camp in Rutshuru town, where theyre spending nights in a schoolhouse and scavenging for food by day. Theyre among the latest victims of rising volatility in the eastern DRC. If unchecked, the unrest risks reigniting interstate conflict in the Great Lakes region, as the Africa Center for Strategic Studies warned in a late June report on the worsening security situation. M23 is among more than 100 armed groups operating in the eastern DRC, an unsettled region where conflict has raged for decades but is escalating, especially in recent months. Nearly 8,000 people have died violently since 2017, according to the Kivu Security Tracker, which monitors conflict and human rights violations. More than 5.5 million people have been displaced 700,000 just this year, according to the United Nations. The Norwegian Refugee Council identified the DRC as the worlds most overlooked, under-addressed refugee crisis in 2021, a sorry distinction it also held in 2020 and 2017. Fueling the insecurity: a complicated brew of geopolitics, ethnic and national rivalries and competition for control of eastern DRCs abundant natural resources. The fighting has ramped up tensions between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, some of which linger from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where ethnic Hutus killed roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Competition for resources and influence in DRC also has sharpened longstanding rivalries between Rwanda and Uganda. How does M23 fit in? The DRC and its president, Felix Tshisekedi, accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, the main rebel group battling the Congolese army in eastern DRC. M23s leaders include some ethnic Tutsis. M23, short for the March 23 Movement, takes its name from a failed 2009 peace deal between the Congolese government and a now-defunct rebel group that had split off from the Congolese army and seized control of North Kivus provincial capital, Goma, in 2012. The group was pushed back the next year by the Congolese army and special forces of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Rwanda and its president, Paul Kagame, accuse the DRC and its army of backing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based mainly Hutu rebel group that includes some fighters who were involved in the genocide. What sparked the resurgent crisis? Last November, M23 rebels struck at several Congolese army positions in North Kivu, near the borders with Uganda and Rwanda. The rebels have made advances that include the overrunning of a Congolese military base in May and taking control of Bunagana, a trading town near the border with Uganda, in June. Bintou Keita, who as head of MONUSCO is the top U.N. official in the DRC, warned in June that M23 posed a growing threat to civilians and soon might overpower the missions 16,000 troops and police. M23s renewed attacks aim to pressure the Congolese government to answer their demands, said Jason Stearns, head of the Congo Research Group at New York University, in a June briefing with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The rebels want implementation of a 2013 pact known as the Nairobi agreement, signed with the DRC government, that would grant them amnesty and reintegrate them into the Congolese army or civilian life. How is Uganda involved? The longstanding rivalry between Uganda and Rwanda in the DRC and the Great Lakes region is a key driver of the current crisis, the Africa Center observed in its report. It cited a profound level of mistrust at all levels between the DRC and its neighbors, particularly Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, as well as between all of these neighbors. Late last November, Uganda and the DRC began a joint military operation in North Kivu to hunt down the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group of Ugandan rebels affiliated with the Islamic State and designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. Ugandas President Yoweri Museveni has blamed ADF for suicide attacks in Kampala last October and November. Ugandan officials have accused Rwanda of using M23 to thwart its efforts against ADF, the Africa Center report noted, adding that the U.N. also has implicated Uganda with aiding M23. U.N. investigators a decade earlier had claimed credible evidence of Rwandan involvement. Stearns, of the Congo Research Group, said the joint Ugandan-DRC military operation created geopolitical ripple effects in the region, with Rwanda essentially complaining that Ugandas intervention encroaches on its sphere of interest in eastern Congo. What economic factors are at play? Some of the fighting is over control of eastern DRCs vast natural resources, including diamonds, gold, copper and timber. The country has other minerals cobalt and coltan needed for batteries to power cellphones, other electronics and aircraft. The DRC produces more than 70% of the worlds cobalt and holds 60% of the planets coltan reserves, the industry website Mining Technology reported in February, speculating that the DRC could become the Saudi Arabia of the electric vehicle age. The Africa Center report noted there is ample evidence to suggest that Ugandan- and Rwandan-backed rebel factions including M23 control strategic but informal supply chains running from mines in the Kivus into the two countries. It said the groups use the proceeds from trafficked goods to buy weapons, recruit and control artisanal miners, and pay corrupt Congolese customs and border officials as well as soldiers and police. Access also has value. In late 2019, a three-way deal was signed to extend Tanzanias standard gauge railway through Burundi to DRC, giving the latter two countries access to Tanzanias Indian Ocean seaport at Dar es Salaam. And in June 2021, DRCs Tshisekedi and Ugandas Museveni presided over groundbreaking of the first of three roads linking the countries. The project is expected to increase the two countries trade volume and cross-border transparency, and to strengthen relations through infrastructure diplomacy, The East African reported. The project includes a road connecting Gomas port on Lake Kivu with the border town of Bunagana. Rwanda, in between Uganda and Burundi, sees all this happening and feels that its being sidelined, feels that its being marginalized, Stearns said in the CSIS briefing. Rwanda has had its own deals with the DRC including flying RwandAir routes and processing gold mined in Congo but the Congolese government suspended all trade agreements in mid-June. What can be done to address the crisis? The DRC, accepted this spring into the East African Community regional bloc, agreed to the communitys call in June for a Kenya-led regional security force to protect civilians and forcibly disarm combatants who do not willingly put down their weapons. No date has been set for the forces deployment. The 59-year-old Tshisekedi, who is up for re-election in 2023, has said Rwanda cannot be part of the security force. Rwandan President Paul Kagame, 64, told the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency he has no problem with that. The two leaders, at a July 6 meeting in Angolas capital, agreed to a de-escalation process over fighting in the DRC. The diplomatic roadmap called for ceasing hostilities and for M23s immediate withdrawal. But fighting broke out the next day between M23 and the Congolese army in North Kivus Rutshuru territory. Speaking for the M23 rebels, Major Willy Ngoma told VOAs Swahili Service that his group did not recognize the pact. We signed an agreement with President Tshisekedi and Congo government, Ngoma said, referring to the 2013 pact, and we are ready to talk with the government. Whatever they are saying that we stop fighting and we leave eastern DRC where do you want us to go? We are Congolese. We cannot go into exile again. We are fighting for our rights as Congolese. Congos government says it wants M23 out of the DRC before peace talks resume. Paul Nantulya, an Africa Center research associate who contributed to its analysis, predicted it would take time to resolve the long-running tensions between Rwanda and the DRC. In written observations shared with VOA by email, he called for a verifiable and enforceable conflict reduction initiative between Congo and its neighbors starting with Rwanda and an inclusive democratization process in Congo. Rwandas ambassador to the DRC, Vincent Karega, warned in a June interview with the VOAs Central Africa Service that hate speech is fanning the conflict. Citing past genocides, he urged that the whole world points a finger toward it and makes sure that it is stopped before the worst comes to the worst. Etienne Karekezi, Geoffrey Mutagoma, Venuste Nshimiyimana, Austere Malivika and Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. The first female climbers from Pakistan and Iran on Friday reached the top of K2, the worlds second-highest peak, at 8,611 meters above sea level known as the savage mountain. Two Pakistanis, Samina Baig and Naila Kiyani, Iranian Afsaneh Hesamifard, Lebanese-Arab Nelly Attar and Bangladeshi Wasifa Nazreen, were among the five women who achieved the milestone, said a spokesman for the Alpine Club of Pakistan. They are also the first Muslim mountaineers to have scaled K2, Karrar Haidri told VOA. Baig and Hesamifard have already summited the worlds highest peak, Mount Everest, in Nepal. We are extremely proud to announce that Samina Baig, with her strong Pakistani team, successfully summited the world's most fascinating and dangerous mountain known as the savage mountain, Baigs team said in a statement. Grateful and blessed that K2 allowed her to stand atop this incredible mountain. Pakistani government officials and foreign diplomatic missions, including the U.S. embassy, in Islamabad took to Twitter to congratulate the Pakistani women climbers for setting foot on the worlds second-highest mountain. "A momentous day and achievement for Pakistani women! the U.S. embassy said. Haidri said more than 100 other foreign mountaineers from the United States, Norway, Canada, Taiwan, Russia, Poland and Nepal, also were on their way to the summit and some of them had either reached or expected to do so by Saturday. He said a professional mountaineer from Afghanistan died from a heart attack on Thursday attempting to scale K2 as part of the team of Pakistani climbers who reached the top Friday. He was the first Afghan to attempt the summit. On Thursday, Nepalese climber Sanu Sherpa reached the top of Pakistans Gasherbrum II mountain, setting a new record by scaling all of the worlds 14 tallest peaks all higher than 8,000 meters for a second time. K2 has gained its reputation as the savage mountain among international climbers. It has one of the deadliest records, with most climbers dying on the way down. Only a few hundred have successfully reached its summit, while Everest has been scaled more than 9,000 times. The rocky mountain is also known as the deadliest of the five highest peaks in the world because about one person dies on K2 for every four who reach the summit. While the sheerness of the slopes and overall exposure create a technically challenging climb, mountaineers say weather is always "the great opponent" on K2 year-round. Pakistan hosts five of the 14 highest peaks on Earth, including K2; eight others are in Nepal, including Everest, and one along the border of Nepal and the Tibetan region of China. The United Nations, Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal with hopes it will alleviate global food insecurity. Plus, whats the strategic value of a power plant Russian forces are trying to capture? And, how a Ukrainian helped an Afghan reporter and her family escape violence twice. Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard early Friday at a military base outside the capital of Mali that was the site of past mutinies and coups. Automatic gunfire and explosions were heard in the Malian town of Kati, home to the countrys main military base, just 15 kilometers north of the capital. The Malian army tweeted Friday that they vigorously repelled a terrorist attack in Kati, which consisted of two vehicle bombs packed with explosives, and said that two assailants have been neutralized. Lamissa Sangare, a VOA reporter based in Kati, said via a messaging app from Kati that he was sleeping when he was awakened by loud explosions. He says that at around 5:30 this morning, the garrison town of Kati was woken up by two big explosions, followed by automatic gunfire, which lasted around 30 minutes at a time. For the moment, the situation is calm, he says, with no more shots heard. Sangare added that he saw helicopters circling over the town after the gunfire. Kati was the site of a coup in 2012 and the 2020 coup though which the current military government took power. A civilian interim president and prime minister were installed after the 2020 coup, before they were arrested in May of 2021 by the military. Mali has been under military rule since. In recent months, insecurity in Mali has increased dramatically. Suspected Islamist militants massacred 132 civilians in the Mopti region of central Mali in June, and similar attacks against civilians have increased in the north of the country. Insecurity has also increased near the capital, in the countrys south. A police station in Fana, 130 kilometers from Bamako, was attacked in June, and just last week, six people were killed during an attack on a checkpoint in Zantiguila, 70 kilometers from the capital. A camp for state anti-terrorism forces was attacked Thursday in Kolokani, 120 kilometers north of Bamako. Hong Kong's annual book fair opened Wednesday, with several publishers of political books prevented from taking part in the fair and others saying they had to be cautious about what they exhibited. The fair's main organizer, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said it did not screen the books for sale at the fair. But Hong Kong authorities have tightened controls on freedom of expression and arrested dozens of pro-democracy activists after a tough national security law took effect in 2020, and the council stressed that exhibitors must abide by the law. Independent publisher Hillway Culture, which publishes books on Hong Kong and political events, was among those not allowed to participate. One of a Kind, which has published several books about 2019 protests in the city, was another. Publishers are having a tough time given the impact of the pandemic on the city's economy and concerns over censorship and rejection of independent publishers, said Kaying Wong, a guest curator at The House of Hong Kong Literature, the city's largest literary organization. "It's surely not an easy job for us to set up a booth in the book fair and be selected (to exhibit)," Wong said. The book fair is one of the largest in Asia. In past years, it was known for exhibiting a variety of books, including politically sensitive ones and those banned on the communist-ruled Chinese mainland. In 2020, the city postponed the fair several times due to the pandemic. The event finally was held in person last June after a one-year hiatus. This year's book fair runs from Wednesday until Tuesday, July 26. Novelist Gabriel Tsang, who works with publisher Spicy Fish Cultural Production Limited, said writers have to consider whether they can get published in the current environment. "I guess many writers have their own intentions and they have to think a lot about whether they can have work published. They may use some allegory or use many rhetoric skills, rather than directly expressing what they wanted to express originally," he said. Last year, complaints were lodged against Hillway Culture, one of the publishers rejected this year, for exhibiting politically sensitive books that could be seen as violating the national security law. "Last year, we had (exhibited) political books in the book fair and this was also the case for another publisher that was banned," said Raymond Yeung, Hillway Culture's founder. He was one of the few publishers allowed to exhibit political books about Hong Kong at last year's book fair. Yeung attempted to set up an independent book fair as an alternative to the main fair earlier this month but had to cancel that after the landlord of the venue accused Hillway of violating its tenancy contract by subletting its space to other publishers. The authorities ought to be clearer and more transparent about what kinds of activities are allowed, said Hui Ching, research director of the policy think tank Hong Kong Zhi Ming Institute. "If there's no transparency, it's reasonable for citizen to suspect their rights being deprived," Hui said. Visitors still value the fair as an opportunity to browse and purchase a wide range of books. "I read as a habit and today I've come to look for some Chinese novels and short stories that I'm interested in," said Grace Ng, a 22-year-old university student who visited the fair with her boyfriend. Ng usually attends the annual fair and said this year's appeared somewhat subdued. "It's not as crowded now as before the pandemic," she said. Two men were indicted Wednesday in the case of a hot, airless tractor-trailer rig found last month with 53 dead or dying migrants in San Antonio, officials said. A federal grand jury in San Antonio indicted Homero Zamorano Jr., 46, and Christian Martinez, 28, both of Pasadena, Texas, on counts of transporting and conspiring to transport migrants illegally resulting in death; and transporting and conspiring to transport migrants illegally resulting in serious injury. Both remain in federal custody without bond pending trial. Martinez's attorney, David Shearer of San Antonio, declined to comment on the indictments. A message to Zamorano's attorney was not immediately returned. Conviction on the death counts could result in life sentences, but the Attorney General's Office could authorize prosecutors to seek death penalties. The serious bodily injury counts carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. It was the deadliest tragedy to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico. The truck had been packed with 67 people, and the dead included 27 from Mexico, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador, said Francisco Garduno, chief of Mexicos National Immigration Institute. The incident happened on a remote San Antonio back road on June 27. Arriving police officers detained Zamorano after spotting him hiding in some nearby brush, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. A search of Zamoranos cellphone revealed calls with Martinez concerning the smuggling run. Surveillance video of the 18-wheeler passing through a Border Patrol checkpoint showed the driver matched Zamorano's description, according to the indictment. One survivor of the journey, a 20-year-old from Guatemala, told The Associated Press that smugglers had covered the trailers floor with what she believes was powdered chicken bouillon, apparently to throw off any dogs at the checkpoint. The tragedy occurred at a time when huge numbers of migrants have been coming to the U.S., many of them taking perilous risks to cross swift rivers and canals and scorching desert landscapes. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago. Of the 73 people in the truck, those who died included people from the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Mexico, Zacatecas, Queretaro, Morelos and Mexico City. Migrants from Honduras and Guatemala also were among those who died in the deadliest known smuggling attempt in the United States. In 2017, 10 people died after being trapped inside a truck parked at a San Antonio Walmart. In 2003, the bodies of 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of the city. Kenya's high court on Friday convicted three police officers in the 2016 slayings of a human rights lawyer, his client and a driver. Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet and Sylvia Wanjiku, and police informant Peter Ngugi, were found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder. The officers were charged with killing human rights lawyer Willie Kimani, his client, Josephat Mwenda, and the driver, Joseph Muiruri. Abducted after court filing The three were abducted in June 2016 as they left a court, where Kimani had filed a complaint alleging that his client was shot and wounded by police. Their bodies were later found in a river, wrapped in burlap sacks. In her judgment, Justice Jessie Lesiit said she had analyzed exhibits and evidence given by 46 prosecution witnesses and 34 defense witnesses and had concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants were guilty. The justice found that Kimani had been harassed before his murder. The 32-year-old lawyer had been working with the International Justice Mission, a global legal rights group. Lesiit found that the officers contemplated for three hours whether to kill the victims, which indicated malicious motive. "I have carefully considered the evidence produced in this case by both sides and I have considered the submission by counsel of the authorities established against the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th, the accused persons, justifying the drawing of an imprint of guilt," the judge said. A fourth person accused in the case, Leonard Mwangi, was acquitted because of a lack of sufficient evidence against him. Rights groups in Kenya frequently accuse police of brutality and extrajudicial killings, but officers are rarely charged, and even more rarely convicted. The three police officers face the possibility of life in prison. For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT. 10:14 p.m.: Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will begin an African tour in Egypt on Sunday, Reuters reported, seeking to draw on demand for non-Western alliances as Moscow pushes back against international censure over the war in Ukraine. In Egypt, Lavrov will meet officials trying to square deep links to Russia with their close relationship to the United States, which along with other Western powers sought to isolate Russia with tough sanctions after its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. After meeting Arab League members in Cairo, he will travel to Ethiopia and Uganda, two countries whose relations with the West have come under strain, as well as Congo Republic. 9:25 p.m.: Ukraine has about $10 billion worth of grain available for sale in the wake of a deal signed with Russia to unblock supplies and will also have a chance to sell the current harvest, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, according to Reuters. "This is another demonstration that Ukraine can withstand the war," Zelenskyy said in a late-night address. Russia and Ukraine signed a landmark deal on Friday to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports, raising hopes that an international food crisis aggravated by the Russian invasion can be eased. "Approximately 20 million tons of last year's grain harvest will be exported. There will also be a chance to sell this year's harvest ... at the moment we have about $10 billion worth of grains available," Zelenskyy said. The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, was a chance to prevent a global food catastrophe that could cause chaos in many countries, he said. "There may be some provocations on the part of Russia, attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts," said Zelenskyy. "But we trust the United Nations." 8:38 p.m.: Demilitarization and "de-Nazification." Keeping Ukraine out of NATO. Preventing "genocide" in the Donbas. And now, a land grab, seizing territory with an eye toward incorporation into Russia. For the Kremlin, there have been various justifications and goals for its invasion of Ukraine, launched five months ago on July 24. For Ukraine, the response has been straightforward: defending its territory. For the West, however, the shifting rationales have required shifting responses, in helping Ukraine both fight the war and find some basis for negotiation. It's not easy when your opponent keeps changing his tune, according to an analysis by RFE/RL's Mike Eckel. 7:45 p.m.: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Western nations would be watching to ensure the grain deal did not put Ukraine at risk of being further invaded by Russia, Reuters reported. "The G-7 is working closely with partners like Turkey and others to ensure that we can get that grain out of Ukraine and to places around the world where it's needed without putting at risk Ukraine's sovereignty and protection," Trudeau said. 6:31 p.m.: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow would not use the de-mining of Ukraine's ports for further attacks, according to Reuters. "Russia has taken on the obligations that are clearly spelled out in this document. We will not take advantage of the fact that the ports will be cleared and opened," Shoigu said on the Rossiya-24 state TV channel. Ukraine's infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov also said that Kyiv does not see a risk of Russian ships attacking through Ukrainian ports. 5:11 p.m.: A farmer from Zaporizhzhia told CNN he felt positively about the grain export deal, but he said he was wary of its implementation. "We will watch and observe what will happen. It's good that they signed. But there are no results yet," Pavlo Serhienko said on Friday. The price will be higher in the ports, but you still have to get there. We need to hire a car, logistics, etc. What will be the queues? How to go? Thousands of checkpoints. A farmer from Mykolaiv told CNN that the deal is important, but he does not want it to come at the expense of any military concessions to Moscow from Kyiv. "For us, it is absolutely necessary. Our warehouses and elevators are full of grain. The grain of the last harvest, the grain of this harvest," Mykhailo Trokhymovych said. "But we should sign this treaty only if we do not make any military concessions to Russia." 4:15 p.m.: The United States believes Russia's military is sustaining hundreds of casualties a day, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday. The official said Washington also believed that Ukraine had destroyed more than 100 high-value Russian targets in Ukraine, including command posts and air-defense sites, Reuters reported. There have been no major breakthroughs on the front lines since Russian forces seized the last two Ukrainian-held cities in eastern Luhansk province in late June and early July. Kyiv hopes that its gradually increasing supply of Western arms, such as U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), will allow it to recapture lost territories. Russia's defense ministry said on Friday its forces had destroyed four HIMARS systems between July 5 and 20. Kyiv denied the claims. Reuters could not verify the assertions. 3:29 p.m.: 2:51 p.m.: Ukraine's infrastructure minister, who signed the U.N.-led deal to unblock Ukraine's ports for grain exports in Turkey on Friday, said the agreement was only possible thanks to Ukraine's military successes. Speaking on television, infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov cited the recapture of Snake Island, a small but strategically located outcrop near several key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, as an "important moment," Reuters reported. Kubrakov also said that Ukraine does not see the risk of Russian ships reaching Ukrainian ports through green corridors agreed by the deal, as they would be fired upon by Ukrainian missiles in the case of such an attempt. Later Friday, Ukraine's defense intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on television that Ukraine's coast was defended by onshore rocket systems, and that Russia had tried and failed to get several "unacceptable" conditions for Ukraine into the deal. 2 p.m.: Russia and Ukraine signed a landmark deal on Friday to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports, raising hopes that an international food crisis aggravated by the Russian invasion can be eased, according to Reuters. The accord is the result of two months of talks brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, a NATO member that has good relations with both Russia and Ukraine and controls the straits leading into the Black Sea. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Istanbul, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the deal opens the way to significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. "Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope ... possibility ... and relief in a world that needs it more than ever," Guterres told the gathering. 12:55 p.m.: Britains defense ministry said Friday that Ukraine continues to push back Russian attempts to assault a key power plant in the Donetsk region. It also says Russia is making increased use of air-defense missiles for ground attacks, due to a critical lack of ground attack missiles. 12:42 p.m.: Several European Union countries are objecting to a plan to reduce natural gas consumption as a protective measure against Russia cutting energy supplies. The plan, unveiled by the EUs executive arm this week, calls for the EUs 27 members to curtail gas consumption by 15 percent for eight months beginning in August. However, officials from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and other countries have voiced opposition to the plan, reports Bloomberg. Officials from Spain and Cyprus say such a sharp cut could spark social and economic issues, especially if energy is rationed. 10:58 a.m.: The Wall Street Journal reports the U.S. has so far declined a Ukrainian request for advanced MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones, on fears the drones could fall into Russian hands. The drones can carry up to four Hellfire missiles and have a range of more than 320 kilometers. 10:40 a.m.: Russia and Ukraine have signed agreements in Istanbul designed to unblock some 20 million tons of grain held up in Ukraines blockaded Black Sea ports. The agreements, signed Friday in the presence of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, are aimed at lowering food prices that have spiked since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February and ease a growing hunger crisis in many parts of the globe. The New York Times reports that the first shipments of grain will leave from Odesa and neighboring ports within weeks and will quickly bring five million metric tons of Ukrainian grain and other foodstuffs to world markets per month. The deal was brokered with the help of the United Nations and Turkey. 8:35 a.m.: The Russian defense ministry says its forces have destroyed four of the U.S.-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) being used by Ukraine, reports Reuters. The defense ministry said Friday the rocket launchers, hailed by Ukraine as a crucial weapon in its defense against the Russian invasion, were destroyed between July 5 and 20. Reuters said it could not verify the report. On July 6, just days after the first HIMARS arrived in Ukraine, Russia said its forces had destroyed two of them and released a video of the alleged strike. Ukraine dismissed the claim and has said it is using the HIMARS to inflict heavy blows on Russian forces. Earlier this week, Ukraine said it used the launchers to damage a key bridge that crosses the Dnieper River in Russian-occupied parts of the southern Kherson region. 8:03 a.m.: Russia and Ukraine will sign separate agreements in the deal that will allow Ukraine to resume grain shipments to world markets, reports the Associated Press. Mykhalio Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraines president, outlined the structure of the deal on Twitter. Ukraine does not sign any documents with Russia, he said, adding that his country will sign an agreement with Turkey and the United Nations, with Russia signing a separate mirror agreement. Russias defense minister and Ukraines infrastructure minister are expected to sign the deal Friday in Istanbul. Turkey and the U.N. mediated the deal, which will allow Ukraine to export some 20 million tons of grain held up for months in Black Sea ports. The cutoff of exports has exacerbated food shortages and price increases in African and Middle Eastern countries that normally rely on Ukraine grain to meet their food requirements. AP says the deal makes provisions for the safe passage of ships, and foresees the creation of a control center in Istanbul, to be staffed by U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials, to run and coordinate the process. It says ships would undergo inspections to ensure they are not carrying weapons. 7:22 a.m.: Bloomberg reports that Russias defense minister is in Turkey to a sign a deal which will allow grain exports from Ukraine to resume. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also traveled to Istanbul for the signing, slated for Friday. 5:28 a.m.: The latest intelligence update from the U.K. ministry of defense said Ukrainian troops are continuing to hold off Russian attacks on the Vuhlehirsk power plant. Russian artillery, the update said, remains focused around Kramatorsk and Siversk. Russia's running short of dedicated ground-attack missiles, the update noted, and has upped its use of air defense missiles in a secondary ground attack to compensate. 4:42 a.m.: Reuters reported that 10 known British sex offenders traveled to Poland shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine purportedly to provide humanitarian help before being sent back home, British police said on Thursday. The individuals, who all had convictions for sex offenses, went to Poland in the six weeks that followed the outbreak of war, a spokesman for the National Crime Agency said. The spokesperson said that offenders were supposed to inform police in Britain of their intent to travel, and then declare any convictions on their arrival. "Normally they're meant to have declared this as part of their entry. We find inevitably, they haven't," the spokesperson told reporters. "As far as I understand it, all 10 were asked to leave, following an interview with Polish immigration and Polish law enforcement," he said. "So they're no longer in Poland." The spokesperson said there were about 5,000 unaccompanied children who had been displaced from Ukraine and "making sure that they are safe is absolutely paramount." 3:35 a.m.: An Italian astronaut teamed up with a Russian cosmonaut in a rare spacewalking show of unity, The Associated Press reported. Thursday's seven-hour spacewalk was conducted as tensions over Ukraine continue to ricochet back home. The spacewalk was in question last week when the Russian Space Agency's now former chief threatened to halt work on the 37-foot arm outside the International Space Station. Samantha Cristoforetti and Oleg Artemyev joined forces to work on Europe's new robot arm. Russian cosmonauts typically pair up for spacewalks, although astronauts from NASA and the European Space Agency occasionally ventured out with them years ago. 2:42 a.m.: The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank, said in its latest Ukraine assessment that Russian forces are unlikely to be able to take significant ground in the coming weeks. Russia, the update noted, has likely used as much as 55-60% of its high-precision weaponry reserve. It's continuing to attack east of Siversk, south of Bakhmut, north of Kharkiv City and in Kherson Oblast. 1:37 a.m.: Russia has added 39 representatives of Australian security services and defense companies to a "stop-list" that bars them from entering the country, in response to a sanctions law adopted by Canberra, the Russian foreign ministry said, according to Reuters. Australia has adopted a sanctions law similar to the U.S. Magnitsky Act that provides for targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against individuals. The original act, adopted by the United States in 2012, is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who was arrested and later died in prison in Russia in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of a massive tax fraud. 12:02 a.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone and underlined the importance of further cooperation within the OPEC+ group of oil producers, the Kremlin said, according to Reuters. The conversation took place six days after U.S. President Joe Biden visited the prince in Saudi Arabia -- highlighting the kingdom's importance to both Washington and Moscow at a time when Russia's war in Ukraine is roiling global energy markets. "The current situation on the world oil market was considered in detail. The importance of further coordination within the framework of OPEC+ was emphasized," the Kremlin said. "It was noted with satisfaction that the countries participating in this format are consistently fulfilling their obligations in order to maintain the necessary balance and stability in the global energy market." Some information in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press. The village of Borodyanka in the Kyiv region was one of the first ones in Ukraine to be shelled by the Russian military. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds more lost their homes. But on this day locals and volunteers are taking a day for self-care. Anna Kosstutschenko has the story. Camera: Paviel Syhodolskiy Clashes between competing militias in Libya's capital killed at least 13 people, a spokesman for Tripoli's emergency services said on Friday, despite calls for calm after violence first broke out the previous night. It was the latest escalation to threaten the relative peace after nearly a decade of civil war in Libya, where two rival sets of authorities are locked in a political stalemate. The divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent months, but most have been over in a matter of hours. According to Osama Ali, the emergency services spokesman, among those killed since the fighting started late Thursday were three civilians from the area and a 12-year-old child. He also said 30 people had been wounded. Earlier in the day, one of Libyas rival governments had called on militias to stop the fighting, which forced hundreds of people to flee the area. The Libyan Presidential Council, based in Tripoli, said all forces involved in the clashes should go back to their bases immediately. Malek Merset, another emergency spokesman, said 200 people had already fled the area, some of them who were attending a wedding. He called for the firing to stop so more could leave. The clashes spread to other areas of the city. The Mitiga airport, Tripolis only working airport, announced that it was closing out of concern for passenger safety. The U.N. mission to the country also called on all parties involved to exercise restraint. Libya has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by various well-armed militias and foreign governments. The Mediterranean nation has been in a state of upheaval since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The cause of the fighting was unclear. However, there were indications it was part of the ongoing power struggle between militias backing the country's rival administrations. Videos shared on social media showed local militia forces deploying and heavy fire being exchanged across the night sky. The countrys plan to transition to an elected government fell through after an interim administration based in Tripoli, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, failed to hold elections last year. Dbeibah was meant to share executive power with The Presidential Council in Tripoli until an elected government could take over. The postponement drove aground yearslong U.N.-led attempts to usher in a more democratic future and bring the countrys war to an end. Dbeibah has refused to step down since then, raising questions over his mandate. In response, the countrys east-based lawmakers have elected a rival prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, a powerful former interior minister who is now operating a separate administration out of the city of Sirte. An attempt in May by Basghagha to install his government in Tripoli also ended in clashes that killed one, after which he withdrew. Al-Shabab militants from Somalia launched a cross-border attack into Ethiopias Somali region Thursday, triggering gunbattles with Ethiopias paramilitary Liyu police that caused an unknown number of casualties. This is believed to be the first time al-Shabab has launched an attack in Ethiopia. Somali military sources and an official from the Liyu police tell VOA that dozens of al-Shabab fighters crossed into the Afdher zone of Ethiopias Somali region late Thursday. The Liyu police official said al-Shabab attacked and took control of several of their positions. He said all positions have since been recaptured, with police suffering heavy casualties. The official refused to give a number for al-Shabab casualties but Somali military officials in Bakool, a region that borders Ethiopia, tell VOA at least 87 al-Shabab militants were killed in the fighting. Al-Shabab has not commented on Thursdays fighting. The group acknowledged attacking the Somali border towns of Washaaqom, Aato and Yeet on Wednesday, where Liyu police are known to be present. It said it captured Aato and Yeet. Why the Islamist militant group launched the attacks is not clear. But, security experts believe the group may be trying to show it is still dangerous, and may also believe that Ethiopian forces have been weakened by the Tigray conflict. The Ethiopian National Defense Forces have nearly 4,000 soldiers serving as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. An official in the town of Hudur, the capital of Bakol, told VOA via phone that there were still sporadic firefights going on Friday near Ethiopian border with Somalia. Al-Shabab has been fighting Somali governments and African Union peacekeepers since 2007 and has previously carried out many deadly attacks in Kenya, plus one in Uganda. After Thursdays fighting, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre ordered security agencies to respond the al-Shabab attack quickly. South Korea plans to lift its decades-long ban on public access to North Korean television, newspapers and other media as part of its efforts to promote mutual understanding between the rivals, officials said Friday, despite animosities over the North's recent missile tests. Divided along the world's most heavily fortified border since 1948, the two Koreas prohibit their citizens from visiting each other's territory and exchanging phone calls, emails and letters, and they block access to each other's websites and TV stations. In a policy report to new President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it will gradually open the door for North Korean broadcasts, media and publications to try to boost mutual understanding, restore the Korean national identity and prepare for a future unification. Ministry officials said South Korea will start by allowing access to North Korean broadcasts to try to encourage North Korea to take similar steps. The ministry refused to provide further details, saying the plans are still being discussed with relevant authorities in South Korea. Jeon Young-sun, a research professor at Seoul's Konkuk University, said North Korea is unlikely to reciprocate because the flow of South Korean cultural and media content would pose "a really huge threat to" its authoritarian leadership. Ruled by three generations of the Kim family since its 1948 foundation, North Korea strictly restricts its citizens' access to outside information, though many defectors have said they watched smuggled South Korean TV programs while living in the North. In 2014, North Korean troops opened fire when South Korean activists launched balloons carrying USB sticks containing information about the outside world and leaflets critical of the Kim family toward North Korean territory. Relations between the two Koreas remain strained over North Korea's torrid run of missile tests this year. Yoon, a conservative, has said he would take a tougher stance on North Korean provocations, though he said he has "an audacious plan" to improve the North's economy if it abandons its nuclear weapons. Despite the North's likely reluctance to reciprocate, Jeon said South Korea needs to ease its ban on North Korean media because the restrictions have led to dependence on foreigners and other governments to gather North Korea-related information. Jeon said that has increased the danger of acquiring distorted information on North Korea. It wasn't clear how anti-North Korea activists in the South would react to the government's move. Jeon said there was little chance the move would promote pro-North Korean sentiments. South Korea, the world's 10th largest economy, is a global cultural powerhouse. Its nominal gross domestic product in 2019 was 54 times bigger than that of North Korea, according to South Korean estimates. Some observers say the ban must be lifted in a step-by-step process with discussions on what North Korean contents would be allowed first and how the access should be given to the South Korean public. While it's officially illegal to watch or read North Korean media in South Korea, authorities rarely crack down on experts, journalists and others using VPNs or proxy servers to access North Korean websites. A large number of North Korean movies, songs and other contents are also available on YouTube, which is accessible in South Korea. A Nicaraguan newspaper critical of President Daniel Ortega's government said Thursday that its journalists, photographers and other staff have left the country for fear of being jailed. They will continue publishing the digital version of the paper from exile, the La Prensa daily announced in its latest edition. "The persecution that the government of Daniel Ortega has directed against the staff of La Prensa has obliged staff to flee the country," it said. "Journalists, editors, photographers and other staff were forced to leave Nicaragua ... in the last two weeks to protect their safety and freedom." The newspaper, at 95, is the oldest in Nicaragua. La Prensa said two of its drivers were arrested earlier this month and placed in preventive detention for 90 days on unspecified charges. This came after raids on the homes of several of the paper's journalists and photographers. "This situation forced La Prensa to put its staff under guard and then take them out of the country," it said. The newspaper's editor, Juan Lorenzo Holmann, was arrested in August last year, a day after police raided the newspaper's offices. Since then, it has been online only. Holmann is serving a nine-year sentence after being found guilty of money laundering, which his supporters claim is a trumped-up charge. The raid on La Prensa came as part of a clampdown on government opponents that saw dozens arrested, including seven would-be presidential candidates in November elections in which Ortega won a much-criticized fourth consecutive term. Ortega's government accuses his detained critics of conspiring against it with backing from the United States. Earlier this week, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists called for the liberation of all jailed media personnel. Australian journalist Lynne ODonnell has covered Afghanistan for the past 20 years, working for publications and news organizations such as Foreign Policy, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. But during a trip this month to Kabul, Taliban officials came to the guest house where she was staying and threatened to detain her unless she retracted her reporting, ODonnell told VOA on Thursday. ODonnell said they took her to their headquarters and dictated an apology that they forced her to share on social media. And while she was later released and told she could remain in Afghanistan, ODonnell said she chose to leave, flying to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Wednesday. Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi told VOA that ODonnell had been denied permission to work in the country due to her open support for armed resistance against the current government and for falsifying reports of mass violations. ODonnell lied about her presence in Afghanistan, the statement said. But officials offered to let her stay if she could produce evidence to substantiate any of the claims in her report. The statement alleged that ODonnell offered to make an apology via social media and said the Taliban welcomed journalists that adhere to the principles of journalism. ODonnell denies that she was in the country illegally, saying the Afghan Embassy in London issued her a visa. She said she also applied for a media visa at Kabul International Airport. At no time did I misrepresent myself professionally, she said. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. VOA: What reason did the Taliban give for detaining you? ODonnell: They said that they did not recognize me as a journalist, and they wanted to berate me over stories that I have written over the past year. They wanted me to tweet a confession that I know nothing about Afghanistan or Afghan culture, and that I had made up all my stories. Agents of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) came to my guest house, and they took me to headquarters, where they kept me for about four hours. They told me that they would put me in prison unless I tweeted a confession, which they dictated to me and tweeted. And then they made me say on video that I made everything up, that I know nothing about Afghanistan. After they felt they had done what their bosses wanted to do with me, they took me back to my guest house. They told me that I was free to stay, that I could go anywhere in the country that I wanted to, that they would facilitate me. When I told them where I wanted to go, they said no. And so, I thought that it was best that I leave [the country]. VOA: Was it your choice to leave? ODonnell: I left of my own volition. I haven't heard from my driver since I was taken into custody by the Taliban. And people who I met with before the intelligence agency [incident] told me that they have been detained and interrogated by the Taliban. So, I feel that the surveillance systems of the Taliban are getting more sophisticated, that they're learning as they go how to tighten their grip on information and people's feeling of freedom to speak their mind. I felt that they had compromised my phone, that they were monitoring my movements. VOA: What has been the focus of your reporting in Afghanistan? ODonnell: I have been reporting on and off on Afghanistan since 2001. I was in Mazar-e-Sharif [capital of Balkh province] when the Americans invaded in October 2001 as retaliation against the Taliban for their collusion with al-Qaida in the attacks of September 11. And I spent time as the bureau chief for two of the world's biggest news agencies. I went back last year to report on the final months [of the war in Afghanistan] and left on August 15, just hours before the Taliban came into Kabul and took control. I hadn't been back since. So, I wanted to see for myself what the situation is now. I told the Foreign Ministry spokesperson exactly that. And I also told the intelligence agents who interrogated me and detained me, and were abusive and forced me to make a false confession about my activities. I was sincere in all of my dealings with them. VOA: Tell us about your tweet on July 19, which said, I apologize for three or four reports written by me accusing the present authorities of forcefully marrying teenage girls and using teenage girls as sexual slaves by the Taliban commanders. ODonnell: Well, I didn't write it. It was dictated to me, and it was approved by people on the phone who my interrogators were in touch with, for approval of the content of the tweet. They dictated to me what they wanted. When I did it, I gave it to them. They sent it to their boss, who then edited it, made it longer, made it say exactly what he wanted to say. VOA: The Taliban accused you of making up sources. How credible are your sources? ODonnell: They said all the people I quoted in my stories were fictional and didn't exist. One of the stories they were particularly incensed by was in Foreign Policy in July 23 last year. Every name in that story is genuine. I have notes. I have voice recordings of the interviews, video recordings of the interviews, and a lot of verification. And they said to me, "Give us all the material." So, I said, "That's your job. You want to verify it, you go and verify it." Then, with a story about LGBTQ people published a couple of months ago, they decided I had made up the names, I had made up the quotes. And they said to me, "There are no gays in Afghanistan." [An official] said to me, "If I see anybody is gay in Afghanistan, I will kill them." Then, they asked me why I called them [the Taliban] extremists. I said, "Well, saying that there's no gays in Afghanistan is kind of a fairly extreme position to take." VOA: Many people are happy you are out safely. But some on social media say you are not impartial and use unreliable sources. What is your response to them? ODonnell: Everybody is entitled to their opinion. That's what freedom of speech and thought is all about. And this was the basis of the conversation and the accusations that I endured when I was in the Taliban's custody. They clearly hadn't read the stories. They decided that my reporting is a reflection of my own opinions and my biases, but it's not. If you're quoting somebody, you're quoting what they think and what they say, and you're reflecting their opinion. It's not me. I'm a reporter. I am not a commentator. And if they can't tell the difference between reporting and commentary and opinion, then the problem is with them. I can't help what people who use social media say about me, either. I know the veracity of my own reporting. Ayaz Gul in Islamabad contributed to this report, which originated in VOAs Pashto Service. Ukrainian therapist Svitlana Kutsenko thought she was making progress with her patients army veterans recovering from mental trauma suffered during fighting with Russia in 2014. Then, war erupted again. Now, five months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Kutsenko says the situation looks bleaker than ever. Many of her patients have returned to the front lines, while ordinary citizens scarred by the horrors of life in wartime are now seeking treatment. "Sometimes it's bearable, sometimes it's not," Kutsenko, who lives in Kyiv, told The Associated Press. "Some people are suffering from huge fear fear of death, fear of their relatives' death and some are pretty angry about what's going on and they want to somehow take this anger under control." Kutsenko was among 20 Ukrainian mental health professionals who spent the past two weeks in Israel receiving training on how to treat trauma cases. Israel, which has gone through several wars with its Arab neighbors and has a large population of Holocaust survivors, has deep experience in treating psychological or mental trauma. But in Ukraine, awareness for recognizing and treating mental trauma remains relatively low. And despite a conflict with Russia that has been ongoing since 2014, the country is not equipped to deal with the numbers of people affected by the Russian invasion. Kutsenko said that there is a great difference between treating patients struggling to come to terms with events from the past and helping people who are under fire cope with grief and fear in real time. "Right now, in Ukraine, it's not just, you know, shooting and people" being killed by missiles and bombs, Kutsenko said, adding that torture, rape and other terrible acts are also happening. The course's instructor, Danny Brom, says treating mental trauma in Israel has taught him how to provide therapy to victims who are both post-trauma and still in immediate danger. These lessons, he said, have helped him relate to mental health professionals from conflict zones across the world and especially Ukraine. "They understand that we Israelis know what we are talking about. This has happened to us in the different wars, so there's a very special connection between them and us. They really feel that we understand what we are talking about," said Brom, a clinical psychologist who is director of Metiv, an Israeli nonprofit that trains mental health professionals to treat trauma victims. The group included 20 psychologists from across Ukraine, including some who have been displaced throughout the war. The course included training in cognitive behavior therapy techniques, or CBT, which are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. Larysa Zasiekina is a psychologist from western Ukraine, where internally displaced people have flocked to seek refuge from the fighting. Before the war, she treated adults, but now she sees mothers and children who have had to suddenly leave everything behind as their husbands and fathers head off to battle. Zasiekina says the course has given her new methods to cope with this new reality, especially when it comes to working with young people. "We used a lot of imaginary exercises, and I think these exercises are very good for children because actually they have a lot of imagination," says Zasiekina. "They want to play." Throughout the course, the participants were never far from having to deal with horrific news from back home. During her time in Jerusalem, Kutseno got word that the building across from her family home in Vinnytsia, where her parents still live, had been bombed. Her parents weren't harmed in the barrage, which killed 23 people that day, but it was a terrifying reminder. "Even being here, feeling safe, war is still (in) the background of everything I do here," Kutseno said. "It's not like I will get back to something that will have changed," she added. "What I will find there is war." The results of the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenskyys trip to Washington are beginning to materialize, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address Thursday. Zalenskyy said U.S. Senators James Risch, Benjamin Cardin, Roger Wicker, Richard Blumenthal, Rob Portman, Jeanne Shaheen and Lindsey Graham presented a draft resolution on recognition of Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide. According to the draft document, Zelenskyy said, the U.S. Senate condemns Russia for committing acts of genocide against the people of Ukraine; calls on the United States, together with NATO and EU allies, to support the government of Ukraine to prevent further acts of Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people; supports tribunals and international criminal investigations to hold Russian political leaders and military personnel accountable for war of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. With all its terrorist attacks against Ukrainians and our country, Russia is only burying itself, Zelenskyy said. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that after holding a meeting with his military leaders and staff earlier in the day they concluded, We have a significant potential for the advance of our forces on the front and for the infliction of significant new losses on the occupiers. However, Russian forces have again pounded Ukrainian cities with long-range strikes, just a day after Russias foreign minister warned that Moscow is preparing to expand its war in Ukraine beyond the Donbas. Ukrainian officials Thursday said Russian shelling hit multiple districts, including a market in Kharkhiv, Ukraines second-largest city, killing three people and wounding 23 others. Regional governor Oleg Synegubov said the dead included one child, while police and other officials said there were no military targets in the area. The Russian army is randomly shelling Kharkiv, peaceful residential areas, civilians are being killed, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Also Thursday, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told the Reuters news agency that Russian missile strikes destroyed two schools in Ukrainian-held Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka, while at least one missile hit the city of Bakhmut. The renewed shelling and missile strikes come just one day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-run media outlets that Russia is looking to expand operations due to ongoing weapon deliveries to Ukraine from the United States and other Western countries. Now, the geography has changed, Lavrov told the state news RT television and RIA Novosti news agency. It's not just Donetsk and Luhansk. It's Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and several other territories. This process is continuing, consistently and persistently. Western intelligence officials, however, are casting doubt on Russias ability to make good on its threat. "I think they're about to run out of steam," Richard Moore, the chief of Britains MI6 intelligence service, told an audience at the annual Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, Thursday. "Our assessment is that the Russians will increasingly find it difficult to supply manpower, material over the next few weeks," he said. "That will give Ukrainians the ability to strike back." Estonias foreign intelligence chief echoed similar sentiments late Wednesday. I am cautiously confident that Ukraine will defeat the Russian army in Ukraine sooner or later, Mikk Marran, the director-general of Estonias Foreign Intelligence Service, told the Aspen Forum. It will not come easily. It will take time and Ukraine probably might not be able to liberate all of the occupied territories, but strategically speaking Putin will not succeed, he added. Britains Defense Ministry said Thursday that Russian forces were continuing small-scale assaults along the front line in the Donbas region, the part of eastern Ukraine that has been a focus of its war. The ministry said in its daily assessment that Russia was likely closing in on the Vuhlehirska power plant, northeast of Donetsk, and that Russian forces were prioritizing capturing critical infrastructure sites. The U.S. on Wednesday announced plans to send four more such rocket systems to Ukraine, along with more artillery rounds. Ukrainian forces are now using long-range rocket systems to great effect, including HIMARS provided by the United States, and other systems from our allies and partners, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday at the Pentagon. Ukraine's defenders are pushing hard to hold Russias advances in the Donbas. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Ukrainians have been using U.S.-supplied multiple rocket launchers to hit Russian command centers and supply lines. The future, Milley said, will depend on the number of long-range rockets and ammunition the Ukrainians have. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. U.S. aid officials are calling on countries in the Horn of Africa to speak out against the Russian government's blockade of Ukrainian ports, which have held back grain exports needed to feed millions of hungry people in the region. Officials also are pleading with armed groups in Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan to allow free passage of foodstuff in areas under their control. The U.S. government's top aid officials are on a three-day visit to East Africa, where nearly 20 million people are in a state of severe hunger and food insecurity aggravated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and cutoff of Ukrainian food exports. In her first stop in the region, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, speaking in Kenyas capital Nairobi, said a concerted effort is needed to overcome the regional humanitarian crisis. Earlier in the week, Power announced $1.2 billion in new money for Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya and spoke Friday of how the money will be dedicated to meeting the food crisis in Kenya. Thats an enormous sum of money and it speaks to the amount of need here, but again we need other donors to step as well, Power said. At the same time we try to mobilize those resources we need to be pushing for access to hard-to-reach areas, and no party to the conflict should be impeding the safe passage of humanitarian relief. Kenya will receive about $255 million of the latest U.S. contribution. Some 4.1 million people are food insecure in Kenya, up from 3.5 million in March this year. Kenyas minister for public service and gender Margaret Kobia said the government has been able to provide humanitarian assistance in the arid and semi-arid areas of the country. The government has been giving cash transfers since September last year, Kobia said. We feel that even for those who are moving from one location to another, cash transfer remains a mode that can reach them wherever they are so long as they have a telephone. The Horn is experiencing a drought that is leaving millions on the brink of starvation. Humanitarian agencies operating in Ethiopia and Somalia are finding it challenging to access some parts of both countries because of conflict and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to move to safer areas to get access to food, water and medicine. The United Nations and Turkey have mediated a deal to free Ukrainian grain exports. But Power said African countries need to pressure Russia to make sure the exports reach their intended destinations. This is going to be a challenging period for this region even if the grains can be unlocked, but every voice on the continent and around the world should be crying out in unison to Vladimir Putin, Let the grains go, let the grains go Mr. Putin, Power said. This is a humanitarian catastrophe in the making and anything any one of us can do to alleviate that must be done. Somalia gets 90 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and even those with money are finding it difficult to afford the food in the markets. Aid agencies warn eight areas in Somalia are at risk of famine and more than 7 million people are affected by drought, which has wiped out pastures and livestock. WASHINGTON The results of the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenskyys trip to Washington are beginning to materialize, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address Thursday. Zalenskyy said U.S. Senators James Risch, Benjamin Cardin, Roger Wicker, Richard Blumenthal, Rob Portman, Jeanne Shaheen and Lindsey Graham presented a draft resolution on recognition of Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide. According to the draft document, Zelenskyy said, the U.S. Senate condemns Russia for committing acts of genocide against the people of Ukraine; calls on the United States, together with NATO and EU allies, to support the government of Ukraine to prevent further acts of Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people; supports tribunals and international criminal investigations to hold Russian political leaders and military personnel accountable for war of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. With all its terrorist attacks against Ukrainians and our country, Russia is only burying itself, Zelenskyy said. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that after holding a meeting with his military leaders and staff earlier in the day they concluded, We have a significant potential for the advance of our forces on the front and for the infliction of significant new losses on the occupiers. However, Russian forces have again pounded Ukrainian cities with long-range strikes, just a day after Russias foreign minister warned that Moscow is preparing to expand its war in Ukraine beyond the Donbas. Ukrainian officials Thursday said Russian shelling hit multiple districts, including a market in Kharkhiv, Ukraines second-largest city, killing three people and wounding 23 others. Regional governor Oleg Synegubov said the dead included one child, while police and other officials said there were no military targets in the area. The Russian army is randomly shelling Kharkiv, peaceful residential areas, civilians are being killed, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Also Thursday, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told the Reuters news agency that Russian missile strikes destroyed two schools in Ukrainian-held Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka, while at least one missile hit the city of Bakhmut. The renewed shelling and missile strikes come just one day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-run media outlets that Russia is looking to expand operations due to ongoing weapon deliveries to Ukraine from the United States and other Western countries. Now, the geography has changed, Lavrov told the state news RT television and RIA Novosti news agency. It's not just Donetsk and Luhansk. It's Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and several other territories. This process is continuing, consistently and persistently. Western intelligence officials, however, are casting doubt on Russias ability to make good on its threat. "I think they're about to run out of steam," Richard Moore, the chief of Britains MI6 intelligence service, told an audience at the annual Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, Thursday. "Our assessment is that the Russians will increasingly find it difficult to supply manpower, material over the next few weeks," he said. "That will give Ukrainians the ability to strike back." Estonias foreign intelligence chief echoed similar sentiments late Wednesday. I am cautiously confident that Ukraine will defeat the Russian army in Ukraine sooner or later, Mikk Marran, the director-general of Estonias Foreign Intelligence Service, told the Aspen Forum. It will not come easily. It will take time and Ukraine probably might not be able to liberate all of the occupied territories, but strategically speaking Putin will not succeed, he added. Britains Defense Ministry said Thursday that Russian forces were continuing small-scale assaults along the front line in the Donbas region, the part of eastern Ukraine that has been a focus of its war. The ministry said in its daily assessment that Russia was likely closing in on the Vuhlehirska power plant, northeast of Donetsk, and that Russian forces were prioritizing capturing critical infrastructure sites. The U.S. on Wednesday announced plans to send four more such rocket systems to Ukraine, along with more artillery rounds. Ukrainian forces are now using long-range rocket systems to great effect, including HIMARS provided by the United States, and other systems from our allies and partners, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday at the Pentagon. Ukraine's defenders are pushing hard to hold Russias advances in the Donbas. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Ukrainians have been using U.S.-supplied multiple rocket launchers to hit Russian command centers and supply lines. The future, Milley said, will depend on the number of long-range rockets and ammunition the Ukrainians have. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) has filed another court application after a magistrate tossed out their first case in which they are challenging a blanket refusal by the police to allow its members and others to stage peaceful protests in the country over low workers pay and human rights violations. CZCs Peter Mutasa told VOA Zimbabwe that their initial application was rejected by a local magistrate who said we had not followed some provisions of the countrys security law. Police had indicated in court that CZC did not follow Section 7 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, which replaced the Public Order and Security Act. CZC was supposed to hold the peaceful marches in cities and towns on Friday. Teachers and other civil servants have given the government a notice that they will stage protests over low pay and poor working conditions. Zimbabwean workers say they are now living from hand to mouth due to the devaluation of the local dollar against major currencies, especially the United States dollar. They are demanding that lowly paid workers should get at least US$840 each per month. The Zimbabwean government says it does not have the capacity to pay workers in foreign currency. Section 7 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act has been used by the police in the past few years to thwart peaceful protests in Zimbabwe. Section 7 stipulates that protests organizers should follow some steps sanctioned by the police. The convener shall give the regulating police officers his/her name, address and telephone or cellphone and electronic mail numbers or his/her deputy; the name of the organisation on whose behalf the gathering is convened or, if it is not so convened, a statement that it is convened by the convener; the purpose of the gathering; the time, duration and date of the gathering; the place where the gathering is to be held; the anticipated number of participants; the proposed number and, where possible, the names of the marshals who will be appointed by the convener, and how the marshals will be distinguished from the other participants in the gathering. In the case of a procession or public demonstration, the exact and complete route of the procession or public demonstration; and the time when and the place at which participants in the procession or public demonstration are to assemble, and the time when and the place from which the procession or public demonstration is to commence; and the time when and the place where the procession or public demonstration is to end and the participants are to disperse; and the manner in which the participants will be transported to the place of assembly and from the point of dispersal; and the number and types of vehicles, if any, which are to form part of the procession; and if a petition or any other document is to be handed over to any person, the place where and the person to whom it is to be handed over. Workers groups affiliated to the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), have resolved to go on strike for two days over low pay and poor working conditions. The workers also resolved to stage a crippling strike in September if the government does not address their grievances following the two-day industrial action next week. In a statement ZCPSTU said, All the federations that organise in the Public Sector, namely FEUZ, FOZEU (Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union), NFoZ and PSA (Public Service Association) resolved that civil servants in the health, education and rest of the civil service will proceed to a national 2-day strike on Wednesday 27 July 2022 and Thursday 28 July 2022. That the 2-day work stoppage will be peremptory to a longer action in September, in the event that the employer does not meet our demands. They demanded that the government should restore of the value of their wages to pre-October 2018 levels, to be paid in United States and not in Zimbabwe dollars with immediate effect. They also urged the government to stop to the wave of suspensions, summary dismissals, illegal disallowances and victimisation of teachers and nurses for exercising their constitutional right to organise and to a fair and reasonable wage. ZCPSTU noted that the government should pay medical allowances to all civil servants without discrimination, desist from the bashing of union leadership for exercising their representative roles as messengers of their voiceless membership; and speedily implement all collective agreements fully as in school fees payment for the children of educators, regrading and performance advancement. Takavafira Zhou of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe told Studio 7 that should take quick measures to address their grievances to avert a crippling industrial strike. Public Service Commission secretary, Jonathan Wutawunashe, was unavailable for comment. THURSDAY, July 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will create a new division in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) focused solely on coordinating responses to pandemic threats and other health emergencies. The office of the existing Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will become its own operating division called the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. This federal agency will be at the same level as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The New York Times reported. Its role will include responsibility for oversight of the Strategic National Stockpile, which stores reserve medical supplies, and for contracting for and distributing vaccines in an emergency. This change allows ASPR to mobilize a coordinated national response more quickly and stably during future disasters and emergencies, while equipping us with greater hiring and contracting capabilities, Dawn OConnell, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, wrote to employees in an email Wednesday, the Washington Post reported. At the moment, the CDC, the FDA and the U.S. National Institutes of Health manage different parts of the U.S. governments emergency response efforts to public health emergencies. And elevating the HHS divisions role may create tensions among the agencies, the Times said. Lawrence Gostin, a former CDC adviser who directs the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., told the Times the announcement was vague, which he said was frustrating. Its always tempting when an agency performs badly to sideline it or to designate its key functions to another agency, or to even defund it, which I think will happen as a consequence of this, when the right answer is to fix it, Gostin said. Rather than raising the agency back to its days of pre-eminence, weve curbed it. I think the Biden administration and future administrations will rue the day that they clipped CDCs wings. Still, CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said the agency is supportive of assistant secretary OConnells vision for ASPR a critical partner for us in addressing public health threats. We will continue to work closely together to advance and protect the health of the American people, Nordlund told the Times. Dr. Luciana Borio, a former acting chief scientist at the FDA and a National Security Council official, said the ASPR office was always meant to be more strategic than operational. We have to be careful that the new entity doesnt become saddled with operational responsibilities, Borio told the Times. We need to leverage the whole of government for that. Borio said she was concerned that, if the change shifted authority or responsibility, it would be unclear who was in charge. The CDC is essential to the response. Any act that further erodes CDCs role will be detrimental, Borio stressed. The ASPR was put in charge of the national stockpile in 2018, a move opposed by the CDC at the time. When the pandemic started, the stockpile was short on ventilators, masks and other basic supplies. OConnell also already oversees the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, responsible for developing innovative vaccines and therapeutics. In the pandemics early days, the assistant secretary running ASPR did not have the capability to contract with companies to purchase vaccines. The agency can now take over some of those responsibilities, which OConnell said would be phased in over a period of time. More information The World Health Organization has more on preparing for pandemics. SOURCE: The New York Times Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Harrisburg, Pa. One bill in a package has been signed into law aiming to increase the number of orphan wells being plugged while also limiting the liability of the companies that abandoned them. The bill, HB-2644, has now become Act 96 of 2022 after being signed by Gov. Tom Wolf. The other bill, HB-2528, is still awaiting a vote in the Senate prior to heading to the governor's desk. Orphan wells are natural gas and oil wells that have been abandoned by the natural gas industries. We have well over 200,000 orphan wells [according to a 2018 DEP report] in Pennsylvania, and some years the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is plugging as few as five wells, State Rep. Martin Causer said, during debate in the House chamber. With federal infrastructure money on the way to the Commonwealth, we finally have an opportunity to accelerate our well-plugging efforts, which will benefit both the environment and our communities. In a post on his blog, David E. Hess, former secretary for the PA Department of Environmental Protection, said both House Bill 2644 and House Bill 2528 "are total giveaways to the conventional oil and gas industry." He said the bills "continue to make taxpayers liable for cleaning up billions of dollars of the environmental mess they leave behind." The bills were both passed June 20 by the House in a mostly party line vote with Democrats opposed and Republicans for. The senate then went on to approve HB-2644 on July 7 in another party line vote. While a majority of the federal funds will still go into DEPs existing program, House Bill 2644 also requires the agency to create a new initiative to provide grants to well-plugging companies that work to maximize the volume of orphan wells being plugged in the Commonwealth. The bill would also make it so wells drilled prior to April 1985 would not require any plugging bond. Hess, in the same post, said that most unplugged wells were drilled prior to 1985. Grants of $10,000 would be awarded for plugging wells of 3,000 feet or less in depth, and grants of $20,000 would be awarded for plugging wells more than 3,000 feet deep. The bill also would address well bonding amountsthe agreement between the natural gas company and the stateby altering the current bonding amounts for conventional wells that are in law and making it so the Environmental Quality Board cannot adjust these amounts by regulation. The bonding amount for conventional wells would be limited $2500, which Hess said cost taxpayers an average of $30,000 to plug per well. Operators would also be able to apply for a blanket $25,000 bond for all their wells inside the state. The Environmental Quality Board had accepted the proposal of a study in November that looked to increase bonding amounts to a value in line with costs to taxpayers. House Bill 2528, is meant to boost the use of Pennsylvania-based businesses in the process of plugging wells. This would mandate the DEP to award well plugging contracts to any company that submits them. Currently, contracts are restricted to companies with more than 125 employees. Since 2018, the DEP has plugged 32 wells. Act 96 takes effect immediately. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova July 22 marks National Press Day in Azerbaijan. This professional holiday commemorates the anniversary of the first publication of Akinchi (Ploughman), the first newspaper fully printed in the Azerbaijani language. Azerbaijan Culture Minister Anar Karimov met media representatives to congratulate them on their professional holiday, Azernews reports, citing the Culture Ministry. Head of the Culture Ministry's Media and Communication Department Maryam Gafarzada made an opening speech. In her remarks, Maryam Gafarzada stressed that the Culture Ministry is implementing a number of projects related to the revival of culture in Azerbaijan's territories liberated from the Armenian occupation. "These projects focus on returning the rich culture of Karabakh. We want to hear your suggestions at today's meeting. We hope that this partnership will be further expanded," she added. In his speech, Culture Minister Anar Karimov first conveyed his best wishes to the media workers on the occasion of National Press Day. He said that the professional holiday of media workers is one of the most valuable and significant days in Azerbaijan. "One of the indicators of every developed society is measured by the active and objective attitude of its media to ongoing processes. We can proudly say that since the restoration of our independence, our press has been covering the events happening in our country in an operative, correct and dynamic manner. As digital platforms become more popular, the media gains more power and an opportunity to influence what happens in Azerbaijan. The press always reveals both the development and the shortcomings of the society, it plays the role of a herald in solving this or that issue," said Anar Karimov. The culture minister said that the information war with the enemy continues after Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War. He noted that Azerbaijani media strives to cover the truths in this information war. Local media also widely covers the large-scale construction works carried out in Karabakh and East Zangezur. Anar Karimov pointed out that the Culture Ministry continuously works in the direction of studying the cultural environment in the liberated territories, inventorying, researching, and restoring the historical and cultural heritage. Successful cooperation with media organizations has been established in this field as well. Moreover, the Culture Ministry has implemented multiple patriotic projects such as "From the Stage to the Trench: Martyrs" and "From the Stage to the Trench: Veterans". "The life stories of the martyrs who worked in the field of culture, as well as the interviews with their family members, friends, and colleagues, were prepared and presented to the public as part of these projects," said Anar Karimov. "Our media outlets have continuously covered the mentioned and other projects. In the future, we will have numerous projects, especially related to Karabakh's historic and cultural heritage. As it is known, the Culture Ministry has announced a short video competition "History of Karabakh". I expect media representatives and bloggers to participate in this competition. I am sure that this competition will be a great opportunity to introduce the history of Karabakh to the general public. The projects such as "Four Seasons of Shusa" and "ArtCamp Shusa" will also be widely promoted in the media," he said. Next, Anar Karimov who gave information about the Ministry's video program called "Azerbaijan-the home of ancient civilizations", said that several videos were prepared within the project. "One of these videos is about the Azikh cave in Khojavand region, which is known as one of the oldest human settlements. We would like to promote this project more widely through television and the press. I am sure that the project "Azerbaijan - the home of ancient civilizations" will contribute to the promotion of Azerbaijan's ancient historical heritage both in our country and at the international level. At the end of his speech, the Culture Minister once again congratulated the media representatives on the National Press Day and wished them further success. In conclusion, Anar Karimov also listened to the proposals of media representatives and shared his views on a number of issues. No damage caused to Renaissance painting. Climate protesters glued themselves to Botticelli's celebrated Primavera painting at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence on Friday morning in front of shocked tourists, Italian media reports. The 'Ultima Generazione' activists glued their hands to the work which was painted by the Italian Renaissance painter in the late 15th century and is considered among the most popular paintings in Western art. The pair, with the aid of a third activist, then unfurled a banner that read "Ultima Generazione No Gas No Carbone" as they protested against the climate crisis. Blitz alla Galleria degli Uffizi a Firenze degli attivisti per il clima di @UltimaGenerazi1 pic.twitter.com/tiqZwlNMgC AGTW (@AGTW_it) July 22, 2022 The Uffizi confirmed that there was no damage caused to the masterpiece, thanks to the glass that protects the work, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica. All three activists were removed from the gallery and face charges of interrupting a public service, resisting a public official, staging an unauthorised demonstration and defacing property, reports La Repubblica. The incident at the Uffizi follows a recent case at the National Gallery in London where protesters from Just Stop Oil (JSO) attached their own "apocalyptic vision of the future" to Constable's masterpiece Hay Wain before glueing themselves to its frame. Ultima Generazione said on Friday that they intend to carry out further protests soon in museums in Florence, Venice, Milan and Rome, reports news agency ANSA. Placeholder while article actions load Donald Trump sat on his hands for more than three hours while rioters attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 endangering civilians, police, members of Congress and democracy. As the eighth hearing overseen by the bipartisan congressional committee investigating the insurrection demonstrated, Trump was unmoved as he watched the violence unfold on a TV in his White House dining room. Trump called senators to encourage them to delay their certification of the 2020 presidential election. He took to Twitter to post a video link to his incendiary speech at the Ellipse earlier that day and to question Mike Pences courage while ignoring repeated entreaties from his staff to stop the violence. All of this was firmly in character. Nobody should be surprised that Trump, after losing his re-election bid, tried to burn things down rather than act as a responsible steward of the presidency and the public interest. But a weary familiarity with Trumps penchant for violence and revenge shouldnt prevent anyone from recognizing the savagery of what he tried to engineer on Jan. 6. It also shouldnt distract the Justice Department from holding him accountable for the various crimes he committed when he tried to stage a coup. Advertisement Trump spent decades warming up for Jan. 6. He was never a gifted or responsible operator of the collection of casinos he assembled in Atlantic City in his younger days. When the business unspooled beneath a pile of debt and eventually teetered into bankruptcy, he showed little sympathy for the investors, employees, vendors and local residents pummeled by the collapse. In 1989, he took out ads in New York City newspapers that condemned Black and Latino teenagers accused of assaulting a White jogger in Central Park in order to stoke racial divisions and keep himself in the media spotlight. He showed little interest in or sympathy for the teenagers; long after they were exonerated, he continued to insist on their guilt. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump staged a series of rallies peppered with calls for violence. Id like to punch him in the face, Trump said of one person disrupting one of his appearances. In the old days, protesters would have been carried out on stretchers, he lamented. Trump never hesitated to stir up the crowds. Violence spiked in the cities where Trump and his supporters gathered, but he didnt back off. He reveled in the danger he unleashed. Advertisement In 2018, after a Trump supporter sent pipe bombs to CNN and a handful of the former presidents Democratic political opponents, Trump couldnt bring himself to condemn the violence or sympathize with the targets. Instead, he bemoaned that the bomb stuff may have disrupted his political momentum. Trumps White House stay was littered with episodes in which he acted recklessly or irresponsibly but failed to show sympathy for those sideswiped in the process. Perhaps no event prior to the Jan. 6 insurrection captured Trumps willingness to let others suffer in the service of his own ambitions quite as much as did the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward that early in the onslaught he knew of the dangers Covid-19 posed, but he chose not to say so publicly. After the pandemic began taking lives, he declined to visit or console families who lost loved ones. As he continued to downplay the severity of the outbreak and failed to fully marshal the resources of the federal government, more people died. But Trump often proved to be more concerned about the pandemics impact on his election prospects than he was about its impact on average Americans. Advertisement So the former presidents interest in fomenting a siege at the Capitol in the service of an attempted coup was in keeping with who he had always been. And since the riot, he hasnt bothered to concede any of this. President Trump has never publicly acknowledged his responsibility for the attack, noted Representative Elaine Luria, a Democrat on the Jan. 6 committee, during Thursdays hearing. There is something else President Trump has never acknowledged: the names and the memories of the officers who died following the attack on the Capitol. What separates Trumps actions on Jan. 6 from his previous derelictions is that there is a clear line connecting what he said to the ensuing violence and to his failure to stem the violence, even though he was surrounded by advisers asking him to stop it. Whats unknown is whether he will be held accountable. Advertisement Laws are just words on paper. They mean nothing without public servants dedicated to the rule of law, said Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, who near the end of Thursdays hearing accused Trump of dereliction of duty. We the people must demand more of our politicians and ourselves. Oaths matter. Character matters. Truth matters. The committee promised more hearings after Congress returns from its August recess. But the midterm elections also will arrive after the break, and if Congress changes hands, the committees ability to keep its probe moving along may get derailed. This is why every Jan. 6 hearing has included pointed statements about the rule of law. The committee members know that if Trump is to be held accountable for an attempted coup and for standing by while the Capitol was attacked, the Justice Department will have to prosecute. Thursdays hearing was just the latest reminder. Advertisement More From Bloomberg Opinion: Even Republicans Are Now Tiring of Trump: Julianna Goldman Republican Boycott of Jan. 6 Panel Backfires: Jonathan Bernstein Donald Trump Knew Exactly What He Was Doing on Jan. 6: Editorial This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Timothy L. OBrien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. 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 Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity on Thursday gathered supporters for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to signal the completing of four tiny homes on Chipola Street in Marianna. Two are two-bedroom units and two have one bedroom each. Theyre situated on four lots that would normally be too small for a home, based on Mariannas building codes, but the city worked with Habitat to make them work. This project was unique in several other ways, as well. It was the first in which Auburn Universitys Rural Studio program worked on a project across the state line, the first time that Chipola College allowed its Workforce Development students to participate in a real-world construction project. It also involved a partnership between two financial institutions Regions Bank and Fannie Mae that resulted in conventional-style mortgages for the new homeowners. Representatives of those and other participating partners spoke at the ribbon-cutting Thursday, saying the Chipola Street Development was a model innovative program they expect to see repeated around the country someday. It was a big day for Habitat Executive Director Carmen Smith and the organization: The team also held its annual meeting around noon at Chipola College. See more on the two events in an upcoming edition of the Floridan. Placeholder while article actions load Italy is back in crisis, unsurprisingly. The political cycle that started with a populist earthquake in 2018, bringing together fringe forces of the left and right in an unusual coalition, has ended the same way it started with a bitter shock to the system and market turbulence over the future of Italy. Along the way, it has fueled the rise of the far-right Brothers of Italy and the fall of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who was ultimately unable to escape the machinations of Rome. It seems no one, not even the man credited with saving the euro, gets a clean exit from government, no matter how applauded or internationally revered they happen to be. Because in Italy, politics is personal. For those outside of Italian circles, the move came as a shocker a political storm in the midst of a war and just hours before a crucial European Central Bank meeting. It will be increasingly hard to shield the country from market shocks of its own making. The crisis started with Giuseppe Conte, the leader of the Five Star party, who precipitated the breakup of the coalition; Matteo Salvini of the League then finished it off by walking out of the confidence vote that would have allowed Draghi to stay in office until the spring. Advertisement The irony is that both men were part of the so-called Governo del Cambiamento, the coalition that brought together the League and the Five Star in 2018, which promised to reinvigorate politics. That experiment failed miserably. Italians must understand now that bringing extremes into their core institutions is no better or more efficient than establishment politics. And there needs to some soul searching into what went wrong and why before the next election perpetuates bad politics for longer. There is no denying that the legislature about to end has been beset by constant infighting, backstabbing and personal machinations of the same people that promised to put the nations interest before party politics in 2018. The past four years have seen huge ideological swings, enough to anger and confuse Italian voters at each turn. Draghi offered a short break from the instability, and a vision needed to push through reforms. But the bad politics unleashed by populism runs deep. Were now in for a brutal election campaign. Advertisement It will be an interesting one, though. For once, Italy has no one to blame for the convulsions to come but itself. There is no external enemy to point the finger to. The European Commission has signaled it is willing to work with whatever government comes out of the autumn election. Brussels has also changed since the euro crisis contrary to what critics argue, policy makers have grown closer. The goodwill from Rome has come a long way, and the constant (largely stereotypical) pontification about Europes south has softened. This winter it may be Germany that asks for solidarity to secure energy supplies. How the tables have turned. Meanwhile, the ECB has shown its willingness and ability to act vigorously to protect the single currency. For all its faults, Italy, a founding member of the euro and the blocs third-largest economy, will remain a key part of the monetary puzzle Frankfurt has to work with. If polls are correct, the next government will likely bring together a right-wing coalition to Palazzo Chigi, the home of the prime minister, led by Brothers of Italy, the League and Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia, which is still hanging around. Advertisement One thing to know about Giorgia Meloni, the head of Brothers of Italy, is that her political capital stems from being a force of opposition. Shes popular these days because opposing policy is easier than making tough choices in government. As often happens in politics, once you actually have to make policy, public support dissipates quickly. Italy also has an extraordinary ability to build and burn politicians. In fact, for Meloni, becoming the next premier if that were indeed to happen may prove a poisoned chalice. Her rivals are very aware of this. In times of political and market stress, it is easy for investors to get agitated. Who can blame them after the latest drama? But it is important to keep in mind that for all the histrionics, Italian institutions have a remarkable ability to adjust, cut losses and save face. To say Italy will crumble or bring back Italexit, crashing the country out of the euro back to the lira, is too simplistic a narrative when times get tough. Indeed, it ignores how much the system and the Italian business class work against such an outcome. Advertisement Sooner rather than later, Italy will have to ditch the fireworks and focus on the economy. But that will only happen if Italians make it clear with their vote that the populist experiment is over and the country requires serious government. You cant give carte blanche to the same politicians that brought Italy here. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Draghi Has Entrenched His Influence Even If Coalition Falls: Rachel Sanderson ECBs Crisis Plan Fails to Convince Bond Traders: Marcus Ashworth Sweating While Worrying About Shivering: Andreas Kluth This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Maria Tadeo is the European correspondent for Bloomberg Television based in Brussels where she covers European politics, economics and NATO. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load The US Congress has the power to demand testimony and documents and to hold accountable those who refuse to comply. Presidents can wield the power known as executive privilege to declare swaths of information off-limits to the legislative branch. This clash between two co-equal branches of government played out as Congress sought to get information on the Jan. 6 assault on the US Capitol from Stephen Bannon, the former adviser to then-President Donald Trump. On Friday, Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena by the special congressional committee investigating the assault. 1. Whose testimony can Congress demand? Almost anyones it wants to hear. Americas founders didnt include a power of investigation in the US Constitution. But the British Parliament had long conducted inquiries as part of the process of developing legislation, and Congress quickly decided that it needed to do the same. The courts have set some limits, most importantly the requirement that investigations relate to true legislative purposes. When the House or Senate believes its being wrongly rebuffed, it can vote to hold a person in contempt of Congress. Advertisement 2. What did Bannon do? At Trumps direction, he refused to testify or provide documents to the select committee. The House of Representatives voted 229 to 202 on Oct. 21 to hold Bannon in contempt, setting the stage for the Justice Departments indictment, and then Bannons trial. Earlier in July, on the eve of his trial, Bannon did offer to testify to the committee. That offer came with a letter from Trump, who said that he was waiving executive privilege to free Bannon up to testify. But it was nine months after the committee initially sought his testimony. The verdict -- in the first trial over a refusal to cooperate with the Jan. 6 committee -- was reached by a jury in Washington after three hours of deliberation. The weeklong trial included only two witnesses for the government; Bannons attorneys decided not to call any witnesses in his defense. 3. What is contempt of Congress? Advertisement Its a misdemeanor defined in the US federal legal code as when a witness summoned by Congress to give testimony or to produce papers refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry. Each of the two counts on which Bannon was found guilty carry a maximum of 1 year in prison and fines of as much as $100,000. Its unlikely he will face the maximum penalty. (The House has interpreted the law differently and says the fine could be as high as $100,000.) One purpose of pursuing contempt of Congress charges is deterrence, according to the Congressional Research Service: A criminal prosecution of a witness may not result in a committee obtaining the testimony sought, but it could significantly deter other parties from refusing to cooperate with an ongoing or future investigation. 4. What is executive privilege? Its the limited right of the president to decline requests from Congress and the courts for information about internal White House talks and deliberations. The privilege is supposed to provide a safe space for presidents to get candid advice from aides without the concern that theyll later be called to testify. Though US presidents have claimed a right to confidentiality in the face of congressional demands virtually since the founding of the republic, the US Supreme Court first recognized executive privilege in 1974 in the endgame to the Watergate scandal, when President Richard Nixon, claiming absolute protection of all presidential communications, tried to withhold audio tapes of Oval Office meetings and other evidence demanded by a special prosecutor. Even as it rejected Nixons specific argument, the court agreed that a president generally does have an interest in maintaining White House secrecy. Advertisement 5. Have other witnesses refused to cooperate with the Jan. 6 inquiry? Yes. Trumps attempts to use executive privilege claims have been cited by other witnesses to keep information from the committee, as well. President Joe Biden has supported the release of documents requested by the committee. A former presidents claims of executive privilege over the objections of the current president is an issue courts havent resolved before. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Chinas real estate crisis continues to spiral as some would-be home owners refuse to pay mortgages because cash-strapped developers have yet to finish their properties. The wildcat boycotts spread at one point in mid-July to over 300 housing projects in about 90 cities, with loans up to 2 trillion yuan ($295 billion) under threat. That has prompted the authorities to respond with promises of stricter regulation of presales -- a popular way to buy a home or apartment in China, in which buyers have to start repaying their loans even on projects that are still under construction. The boycotts are politically sensitive in a year when the ruling Communist Party wants stability ahead of an all-important gathering later this year where President Xi Jinping is expected to get anointed for a third term. They also pose a risk to the broader housing market by keeping potential buyers on the sidelines. 1. How much does real estate matter to Chinas economy? A lot: Construction and property sales have been the biggest engines of economic growth since Xi came to office a decade ago. Home prices skyrocketed surging sixfold over the past 15 years as an emerging middle class flocked to property as one of the few safe investments available. The boom led to speculative buying as new homes were pre-sold by property developers who turned more and more to international investors for funds. So when Chinese officials ratcheted up steps to reduce the risk of a bubble and temper the inequality that unaffordable housing can create, it touched off a cash-flow crisis that has sent some major developers into default. A sales slump that began during the pandemic was deepened by aggressive measures to contain Covid-19. So far, the states intervention has held off a disorderly collapse of the property market that could undermine the financial system and jolt the world economy too. Advertisement 2. What fueled the real estate boom? In 1998, when China created a nationwide housing market after tightly restricting private sales for decades, only a third of its people lived in towns and cities. Now almost two-thirds do, increasing the urban population by 480 million. The property sector also expanded rapidly, while struggling to keep up. Boom cities such as Shenzhen became less affordable based on price-to-income ratios than London or New York, frustrating a generation of would-be buyers. Local and regional authorities, which rely on sales of public land for a hefty chunk of their revenue, encouraged more development, which also helped meet the central governments ambitious annual targets for economic growth, which often hit double digits. Debt piled up as builders rushed to meet demand. Annual sales of dollar-denominated offshore bonds -- meaning those sold mainly to foreign investors -- surged from $675 million in 2009 to $64.7 billion in 2020, leading to a swelling interest burden. Developers had some $207 billion in dollar-denominated bonds outstanding as of late last year, accounting for about one-quarter of the total from all Chinese borrowers. Additional, opaque liabilities make it hard to assess true credit risks. 3. What did the government do? Advertisement It has for years tried to defuse the debt bomb amid fears an explosion could set off a disastrous financial meltdown. In mid-2020, it began to squeeze new financing to real estate developers to try to reduce the threat, and asked banks to slow the pace of mortgage lending. New borrowing metrics introduced for developers proved to be a game changer. Called the three red lines by state-run media, they aimed to reduce reckless borrowing by setting thresholds for a developers liabilities, debt and cash holdings. Annual borrowing would be capped based on how many parameters were met. 4. What happened to the developers? Those that didnt have enough cash on hand to cover their liabilities found themselves in a bind. At least 18 defaulted on offshore bonds after the crackdown began. China Evergrande Group, once the countrys biggest developer, was labeled a defaulter for the first time in December after it missed payments on several bonds. The establishment of a risk management committee dominated by provincial officials was quickly announced for the firm to stave off a complete collapse. (Bondholders still were left wondering how much they would collect once the dust settles.) Others, including Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd. and Sunac China Holdings Ltd., followed. Fears of further contagion have reverberated throughout the industry and the wider economy, hammering domestic growth, weakening consumer confidence and roiling global markets that have long assumed Chinas real estate titans would be bailed out by the government. Advertisement 5. Where does this leave the industry? In a deep slump. Combined sales at the top 100 developers halved in the first four months of this year compared with last. Property loan growth slowed to the weakest pace in over two decades at the end of March. Construction fell 14% in 2021 from the previous year, the biggest fall in six years. All this matters a lot because in China, the real estate sector accounts for almost a quarter of gross domestic product, when nonresidential construction, building materials and related activity such as real estate services are included. 6. How bad could it get? Across China millions of square feet of unfinished apartments have been left to gather dust as a result of developers facing cash-flow problems -- economists at Nomura International HK Ltd estimated in mid-July that Chinese developers have delivered only about 60% of the homes they presold from 2013 to 2020. The mortgage protests hit just as the market was showing signs of stabilizing, with sales picking up June. The chairman of one of the biggest developers said the market had bottomed out. A full-bore crisis could leave millions more homebuyers who put up money in advance in limbo. (Buyer protections commonly used abroad, such as escrow accounts and installment payments, have tended to be weak.) Home prices began to fall last September for the first time in six years. Fire sales would further pummel the market, squeezing other developers and rippling through related industries and suppliers. The risk of popular unrest -- more than 70% of urban Chinas wealth is stored in housing -- would rise, unsettling the government. A historic selloff in offshore bonds would spread to the much larger domestic credit market, spreading from lower-rated property companies to stronger peers and banks. Global investors would sell even more. Advertisement 7. How serious are the mortgage protests? While they affect only a sliver of the lenders combined mortgage portfolios, the speed at which the protests grew took many by surprise. (Tracking the extent grew more difficult after China began censoring crowd-sourced online tallies in mid-July.) Financial regulators responded by urging banks to boost lending to builders to help finish the projects, and a grace period on payments for some homebuyers was said to be under consideration. In a scenario analysis released July 22, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated between 1.8% and 6.5% of Chinas total mortgages could be exposed. 8. Is there a way out? The government has tweaked some rules to try to stabilize the situation. For example the central bank stepped up its support for several distressed developers and banks were instructed to ensure growth in both residential mortgages and loans to developers in some areas. Above all, avoiding a Lehman moment when the failure of the US bank in 2008 sent shock waves through global markets is a priority ahead of this years Communist Party congress, where Xi is expected to be handed a third term. That political necessity most likely means the government will try to contain the crisis, at least for the near term. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Dartmouth gets first female president Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight A cognitive scientist who leads a well-known womens college was named Thursday to become the first female president of Dartmouth College in its 252-year history. Sian Beilock, 46, president of Barnard College in New York, will assume the presidency of the Ivy Leagues smallest university in July 2023. The announcement comes as Dartmouth is marking the 50th anniversary of coeducation on its New Hampshire campus. The first class of new undergraduates to include women matriculated in 1972. Dartmouth, founded in 1769, enrolled 6,300 students in fall 2020, including 4,200 undergraduates. Beilock will succeed Philip J. Hanlon, who is ending a 10-year run as president after the next school year. She earned a bachelors degree in cognitive science from the University of California at San Diego and doctorates in kinesiology and psychology from Michigan State University. Advertisement Women have served as president at most of the Ivy League schools. Yale University was led by a pioneering female acting president, Hanna Holborn Gray, in 1977-1978, but it has not had a woman hold the job in a permanent capacity. Columbia University has not yet had a female president. Nick Anderson Woman sentenced in GoFundMe scam A woman who admitted her role in a scam that raised $400,000 using a fake story about a homeless man received a one-year prison sentence in federal court Thursday. Katelyn McClure, 32, was also ordered to make restitution and serve three years supervised release. The Bordentown, N.J., resident and her two accomplices are scheduled to be sentenced on state charges next month. McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark DAmico, fabricated the story about homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr. giving McClure $20 when she ran out of gas on a Philadelphia highway in 2017. Advertisement In truth, state and federal prosecutors said, the group had met near a Philadelphia casino in October 2017 shortly before they told their story. They publicized the story through local and national media interviews and created a GoFundMe account that more than 14,000 people donated to, thinking the money was to help Bobbitt, according to prosecutors. Law enforcement began investigating after Bobbitt sued the couple, accusing them of not giving him the money. The federal criminal complaint alleged all of the money raised in the campaign was spent by March 2018, with large chunks spent by McClure and DAmico on a recreational vehicle, a BMW and trips to casinos in Las Vegas and New Jersey. DAmico pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced in April to 27 months in prison. He was also ordered to make restitution. Advertisement Bobbitt was sentenced to five years probation on state charges in 2019. Associated Press 9 hurt as shuttle bus crashes at Los Angeles airport: Nine people were injured when a shuttle bus crashed into a pole at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday, authorities said. Two of the nine passengers suffered life-threatening injuries, said Margaret Stewart, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department. There were 23 passengers and the driver aboard the bus. The crash happened just before 12:30 p.m. near an administrative building as the bus was traveling from the taxi and ride-hailing services parking lot on its way back to the main terminal, an airport spokesperson said. Associated Press GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Draghi steps down; elections set for Sept. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Italys rancorous government collapse was finalized Thursday morning, with Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigning and new elections called for September. Although Draghi tried to hold the government together after his first offer to resign was rejected by Italys president last week, his effort ended instead with recriminations and deepened divisions, bringing a crashing end to a period of relative political unity in the European Unions third-largest economy. The snap elections set for Sept. 25 favor a grouping of parties from the center right and far right. For a year and a half, the centrist Draghi led a broad, left-to-right government and marshaled his reputation built as Europes former top central banker to increase Italys influence in Brussels and vouch forcefully for a hard European line against Russia in its war in Ukraine. Advertisement But leaders of several coalition parties signaled that they preferred something else. The collapse became official Thursday morning, when Draghi met with President Sergio Mattarella and informed him of his resignation, once again. This time, Mattarellas office said the president had taken note of the resignation and had asked Draghis government to remain in place as a temporary caretaker. Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli Ride-sharing giant fined in data-security probe Chinas cybersecurity regulator fined ride-hailing juggernaut Didi Global $1.2 billion after a year-long probe, saying it had violated laws on data security and the protection of personal information. The Cyberspace Administration of China said Thursday that Didi, a 10-year-old company based in Beijing, illegally collected 12 million pieces of screenshot information from users mobile photo albums and excessively accumulated 107 million pieces of passenger facial recognition information and 1.4 million pieces of family relationship data, among other violations. Advertisement The regulator also said there were severe security risks in Didis data-processing methods. In addition to the fines on the company, Didis chairman and president were each fined $148,000. Didi said Thursday that it accepted the judgment and would strengthen its protection of personal information, while stopping short of apologizing to customers or sharing details on what changes it would make. The crackdown on Didi reflects Beijings alarm at the vast troves of personal data that internet companies are gathering, and the risk that they could leak overseas and undermine national security. Eva Dou and Pei-Lin Wu Death toll from weeks of rains in Pakistan rises to 282: The death toll from five weeks of monsoon rains and flash floods has jumped to at least 282 in Pakistan, officials said, as downpours continued lashing the country. The deluge has swollen rivers and damaged highways, bridges and about 5,600 houses since June 14, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Most of the damage and casualties were reported in the southwestern Baluchistan province. Advertisement Iran recalls envoy to Sweden over court decision: State TV said Iran has recalled its ambassador from Sweden after an Iranian citizen was sentenced to life by a Swedish court for his role during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The Stockholm District Court said Hamid Noury took part in severe atrocities in July and August 1988 while working as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at a prison outside the city of Karaj. Noury denied wrongdoing, and Iran called the court a "show" based on political motives. Peru opens criminal probe of president after minister's firing: Peru's attorney general has opened a new probe of President Pedro Castillo, a day after the former interior minister accused the leftist leader of obstructing graft investigations of close allies. The investigation was triggered by Castillo's abrupt firing of Mariano Gonzalez, who had served as interior minister for two weeks, following Gonzalez's decision to authorize the appointment of a special police unit to track down and arrest presidential allies who are under criminal investigation. In May, the attorney general opened a separate investigation of Castillo over alleged influence peddling, collusion and being part of a "criminal organization." Rio de Janeiro police conduct deadly favela raid: Multiple deaths were reported during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro's largest complex of favelas, or low-income communities, but the exact toll remained unclear. An officer and two other people were killed and a woman was injured, an early police statement said. Police said the raid targeted a criminal group in Complexo do Alemao that stole vehicles and cargo and robbed banks as well as invaded nearby neighborhoods. Nearly 400 officers were involved in the operation. From news services GiftOutline Gift Article Experts agree that cruising is getting closer to normal than it has been since the industry shut down in March 2020. And as cruise lines drop vaccine and testing rules, companies say they are seeing a "huge spike" in bookings. Houston County commissioners are close to approving the first agreement to spend federal money the county received through the American Rescue Plan. During their Monday meeting, commissioners will consider a resolution and a sub-recipient agreement with the Houston County Water Authority for an infrastructure project that will construct a new 250,000-gallon water tank and a 16-inch water line down the U.S. 231 South corridor all the way to the Florida state line. The $5-million project will improve water service down the four-lane corridor, including the countys distribution park. The commission has previously approved allocating the funding for the water improvements. Houston County received $20.6 million through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. This is a momentous moment for the county as this the first of soon to be many ARPA projects to expend funds from the federal government for the citizens on infrastructure and COVID mitigation, Houston County Chief Administrative Officer Peter Covert said. It is a slow and very comprehensive process to get to this point, but this project has been reviewed and approved as eligible. Earlier this year, commissioners approved a priority list for how some of the money will be allocated. States and local governments have until the end of 2024 to obligate their funds and until the end of 2026 to spend the federal money. Commission Chairman Mark Culver said the process to get projects approved is cumbersome and federal regulations have to be followed. Theyre not just writing us a check for $20 million and saying, Here, go spend this money on anything you want to, Culver said. There are certain things that this money can be spent on, and we have to be sure that everything we spend it on will meet federal muster because they are all, all these funds, are subject to federal audit individually. As discussion of the project at Thursday administrative meeting unfolded, it was unclear if the water authoritys project would serve both the sides of the highway. The water line will be laid on the east side of the highway with three intersection connections on the west side, according to Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce President Matt Parker, who provided the answer after resident George Trotter asked commissioners if the water line would serve both sides of the highway. Along with the water authority project, the Houston County Commission set funding priorities for municipal sewer projects, securing industrial property, window replacement in the administrative building, green space in downtown Dothan, and a building to store Homeland Security equipment. In other business, Monday: - The commission will vote to amend the project scope of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The county received $400,000 for COVID-related projects and spent the bulk of that on a mobile health unit. With about $114,000 left over, the county had planned to build a storage building for personal protective equipment (PPE). However, bids exceeded the countys budget and were rejected. The county now plans to add PPE storage to a building being constructed for Homeland Security equipment. As for the CDBG money, the county plans to spend around $70,000 to retrofit bathrooms at Houston County Community Corrections to limit surfaces that have to be touched. - Commissioners will consider approving an application for state industrial access funds at the request of the Industrial Development Board. The Alabama Department of Transportation industrial access program provides public access for eligible economic development projects. Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce President Matt Parker, working with the Alabama Department of Commerce, said there is an economic development project in the Hodgesville and Inez Road area that will involve a multi-million dollar investment and about 100 jobs. No other details were shared on the project, which has been given a codename similar to the FedEx logistic facility announced last year. Parker said the application for the industrial access funds has to be to the state by Aug. 4. Were really excited about a lot of good things, Parker said. When the world gets shaky, so does the alphabet. Pandemics and wonky politics have that effect. At least in the hands of anagram-guerrillas, the backroom artisans recycling the news cycle into secret messages and wink-wink wisecracks. Consider the marvels at The Anagrammy Awards, a website (www.anagrammy.com) that converts topical stories into fresher selves. As a taste, the 2020 winner in the Peoples Names category was mix-master Meyran Kraus who morphed The late Diego Maradona into Dominated the goal area. See? Stunning. Equally wow-worthy is a recent News entry. I kid you not, Flooding in Newcastle NSW (letter for letter) hides the implicit question So can we find Wellingtons?, as jumbler Tom Myers unearthed. From floods to plagues, however, Tyler Severance won the overall vote by cocktailing Essential workers into Were no less at risk! When the world gets shaky, so does the alphabet - and anagram-guerillas have been having a ball with Boris Johnsons downfall. Credit:AP Keeping on Australian shores, David Bourke betrayed his allegiances by revamping The ALP leader Anthony Norman Albanese into Hes patently a learned, an honorable man. Compare that bouquet to the bleakness of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a title Rick Rothstein twiddled into A stern individual inspires Trump. A 30-year-old man accused of breaking into a Yokine home and indecently assaulting a woman inside has been charged with more offences dating back to February. Jay James Mikaere appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via video link on Friday to face charges over two other incidents earlier this year in Victoria Park. Jay James Mikaere appeared in Perth court on Friday. Credit:Facebook At 12.30am on February 22, a woman in her 30s was sitting in her vehicle parked on McMaster Street, when Mikaere allegedly entered the passenger side of the vehicle. He then allegedly made a comment of a sexual nature before trying to take the womans mobile phone. She allegedly struggled with him, injuring her left arm and knuckles. A Bank of America logo is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 30, 2019. Photo by Reuters/Carlo Allegri Bank of America is seeking permission to set up a $50 million branch in Ho Chi Minh City, its executive vice chair of global corporate and investment banking Madhu Kannan has said. In a meeting with HCMC Chairman Phan Van Mai who is visiting the U.S., Kannan sought support for the banks return to Vietnam after closing its Hanoi office in 2002 when the parent company initiated systemic reforms. In response, Mai said that inviting Bank of America to HCMC was one of his goals during this trip. He said he was committed to helping the bank establish a branch in the city. He noted that HCMC planned to become an international financial hub, Mai said. The city also welcomes U.S businesses to invest in the financial, technology, education and healthcare sectors, he added. Kannan said that his banks activities would align with the citys development path. Founded in 1904, Bank of America is the second largest U.S. lender. Five fishermen from sunken vessel rescued after 12 days at sea Five more fishermen from a sunken vessel were rescued Friday by a cargo ship after drifting 12 days at sea, three days after four fellow crew members were saved. The five, Bui Van Toan, 50, Nguyen Van My, 58, Bui Van Vinh, 42, Le Van Dung, 36 and Nguyen Thanh La, 40, were rescued by a cargo ship traveling from Egypt to China, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Vung Tau in the southern coast said. Five fishermen from sunken vessel rescued after 12 days at sea Tau Hai Quan ua 5 ngu dan moi uoc cuu ve bo Five fishermen found after drifting at sea for 12 days are picked up by Vietnam Customs' Vessel 466 to go back to shore, July 22, 2022. Video courtesy of Vessel 466 The cargo ship was around 440 kilometers from Nha Trang when they found the fishermen. "The health of all five fishermen was stable," said the center. Just a few days prior, four fishermen from the same crew were rescued by a local vessel after spending nine days adrift at sea on a coracle. The crew members were on board a fishing vessel that departed Phan Thiet Port of central Vietnam's Binh Thuan Province on June 21. The vessel later sunk and went missing on July 10, with the 15-strong crew dividing themselves into two coracles to escape the stricken vessel. The five fishermen rescued Friday were found around 75 kilometers to the north of the location where four fellow crew members were saved Tuesday. Nguyen Thanh La said there were eight people on his coracle, but that three had died of exhaustion. The survivors had no choice but to place their bodies in the sea. Binh Thuan authorities are now verifying information and devising plans to bring the rescued fishermen back to shore. Parents increasingly willing to allow kids to work part-time during vacations An employee cleans up the table at a coffee shop in Hanoi in October 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Tung Dinh Ngoc Anh, 16, wraps up her shift at a coffee shop at 10:30 p.m. after washing cups and cleaning and rearranging the tables and chairs. Anh's mother, Bich Mai, is waiting outside. "I advised my daughter to work the morning shift, but that shift was full, so she has to work in the evening," the 37-year-old from Hanois Cau Giay District says. "Since we fear it's not safe for her to travel alone at night, my husband and I take turns picking her up." Anh, a 10th grader, has been working as a waitress from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at a cafe on Hoang Cau Street in Dong Da District for more than a month, earning VND18,000 (US$0.77) an hour. After noticing that many of her classmates were also working part-time summer jobs, she too wanted to do it. She found the job herself through recruitment groups on social media. Hundreds of online groups are currently posting restaurant, cafe, sales, telesales, parking, delivery, and other job vacancies. In one group with nearly 270,000 members, there are more than 30 job postings every day, attracting a lot of attention from people between the ages of 16 and 19. Anh says she wanted to quit right on the first day after being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work, constantly carrying drinks and cleaning dishes and being chastised by customers for slow service. She gradually adapted after the first week and found herself learning and improving her communication and customer service skills and making new friends. "That is why I encourage my children to work part-time rather than stay at home," Mai explains. "Despite knowing that they will have to work hard, earn little money and possibly take risks, but the lessons learned will be invaluable." Fearing that her 16-year-old daughter, Phuong Chi, would be bullied or pushed around at a regular part-time job, Cong Thi Hanh, 48, of Tay Ho District proposed that her daughter should work as a part-time domestic help at the beginning of summer and the latter agreed. Hanh says: "It's not like I want her to work to support the family. I do want her to work to learn more life skills and learn to value money." Chi works two days a week, washing dishes, cleaning furniture and collecting and folding clothes, which takes two to three hours. She gets paid VND60,000 a day, and her parents give her another VND60,000 as a form of encouragement, enabling her to earn VND960,000 a month. Chi says: "Beside working at my part-time job, I also help my mother with housework and chores. I am also more confident in my communication and value hard work." Hanh has noticed a change in her daughter's thinking and behavior. Phuong Chi washes dishes at her home in Hanoi's Tay Ho District on July 16, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Duc "However, not all parents are willing to let their kids go out into the real world when they are below 18," educationist Dr Vu Thu Huong says. But the skills and experience children learn from working part-time help them mature, better understand the value of money and learn how to spend wisely, he says. The number of parents who allow their children to work part-time is still small but has been growing in the last 10 years. Many still despise the stereotype that only money-grubbing parents force their children to work early. "However, in other countries, the practice of letting young children work part-time during summer vacation has long existed and thrived," Huong points out. According to a study published last month by Pew Research Center using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, more than six million American teenagers, or 36.6 percent of the population, worked part-time in the summer of 2021, "marking the highest teen summer employment rate since 2008." The average rate of youths aged 18-19 with a paying job for at least part of last summer was 47.1 percent, while in the 16-17 age group it was 26.9 percent. The industries leading the recruitment of young people were accommodation and food services. There are no statistics in Vietnam on the number of students working part-time during summer vacations, but empirical evidence shows parents are becoming more open to this. A survey of 100 families with children aged 13 to 18 done by VnExpress on July 16 found that 84 percent agreed to send their children to work and only 16 percent were opposed. Of them 63.9 percent of families wanted their children to work in jobs requiring intellectual skills such as teaching. The main expectation of parents from the part-time jobs was that their children would gain life skills and experience. It was followed by a desire to learn the value of money, and only a small proportion (6.2 percent) expected their children to increase their income. Turning a deaf ear to talk that he exploited his daughter by making her work at an early age and she missed out on her childhood, Hoang Phong of Hanois Hai Ba Trung District allowed Minh Hang to do a part-time job helping out and running errands at an English language center 10 years ago when she was just 12. Hang initially helped teachers clean up classrooms before they started their lessons. But she gradually also acquired teaching experience, and two summers later was a teaching assistant for elementary students. Subsequently she went on to become involved with sex education classes run by NGOs until she was 22. Her father says: "Hang learned how to manage money and disliked waste from the day she started to work. She learned how to spend her time wisely and think more maturely." Hang went on to apply for a full scholarship in Canada with her 10 years experience working part-time at educational centers. She says: "Jobs that paid only a few hundred thousand dong a month became stepping stones for me to develop myself. I have never regretted applying for summer part-time jobs early." Dr Nguyen Tung Lam, chairman of the Hanoi Educational Psychology Association, also has a word of caution about sending children to work early, saying they may become spendthrifts or neglect studies and focus solely on making money. Huy Hoang, 14, of Hai Phong Province started working in a factory, packing goods. He earned around VND2.5 million a month, and his mother, Kim Lien, did not interfere with how he spent the money. In the event, he started spending it on his friends and became their idol. After being constantly lionized by them, he became eager to earn money. Lien later discovered he had been sneaking to the factory to work during school time, causing his grades to drop. "Perhaps I was wrong in the first place to let him spend his money as he pleased," she says with a sigh. Ngoc Anh will stop working at the coffee shop in early August to focus on school. "If I have some spare time, I plan to [do] a part-time job." FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) An Oklahoma man claiming to be a film financier has been sentenced in Florida to nearly 22 years in federal prison for participating in a scheme to steal more than $60 million from investors and producers seeking financing for movies and Broadway shows. Jason Van Eman, 44, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was sentenced Thursday in Fort Lauderdale federal court, according to court records. A jury found him guilty in May of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. According to court records, Van Eman and co-defendant Benjamin McConley, operating as Weathervane Productions, offered to provide financing to investors and producers seeking funds to produce motion pictures, theater performances and other projects. McConley and Van Eman promised the victims they would match their cash contributions and use the combined funds to secure financing from financial institutions in South Florida and elsewhere, investigators said. Benjamin Rafael, a former Wells Fargo bank employee recruited by McConley and Van Eman, furthered the scheme by lying to victims about the security of their funds, prosecutors said. Victims lost millions of dollars and their contributions were never matched. Instead of financing projects, the money was transferred to personal and corporate bank accounts and spent on luxury automobiles, personal watercraft, real estate, stocks, jewelry, home furnishings, designer clothes, hotel accommodations and air travel, prosecutors said. Eman was sentenced on Thursday to 21 years and 10 months in prison. On a previous occasion, McConley was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Rafael previously pleaded guilty to his part in the scheme, as well as another case involving fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief loans. He was sentenced to 3 1/2 three and a half years in prison. In his opening speech at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared that the worlds ocean is in bad shape. We have taken the ocean for granted and today we face what I would call an ocean emergency, he said. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry agrees, noting that This is a critical moment for our ocean. Indeed, the statistics are telling. The ocean absorbs about 30% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere each year due to human activities, leading to ocean acidification. By 2050, by weight there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Over one-third of fish stocks are overfished. And only 1.2 percent of the high seas that lie beyond territorial limits is protected. Lives are at stake. Our ocean touches every aspect of our lives, from the air we breathe to the food we eat, said Secretary Kerry. We need to realize that no conversation about the ocean is about the ocean alone. Its about climate. You cannot separate the ocean from the climate crisis, and none of the climate crisis can be dealt with without the ocean solutions, and vice versa. Harmful emissions are making our ocean warmer, more acidic, less productive, driving rising sea levels. We cannot solve the ocean crisis without solving the emissions. At the same time, the ocean is a source of climate solutions, said Secretary Kerry. We need to conserve and protect the coastal and marine ecosystems that store carbon and protect our coastlinesand strengthen governance of marine protected areas. We secondly finalize an ambitious and effective agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction which would create, for the first time, a coordinated and cross-sectional approach to establishing high seas marine protected areas. Third, we must stop the reckless practice of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing, said Mr. Kerry. IUU fishing is damaging our ocean, undermining maritime security, and endangering the law-abiding fishers and communities. And finally, This must be the moment that we advance agreement on plastic pollution at every level. The U.N. mandate to launch multilateral negotiations on a global and legally binding agreementis more than welcome. Mr. Kerry said this must be one of the highest priorities of the U.N. system. Every one of these problems is human-createdand solving them is a matter of will power, said Secretary Kerry. We can win this battle. MALVERN, Pa. - Customers Bank announced Friday it will close five branches in southeastern Pennsylvania, including two in Berks County and one in Bucks County, as its customers move to mobile and online banking. The move is part of an overall strategy of continued national expansion that may include additional branches in new markets in the future, Customers said in a news release. The affected branches are at 1 Hearthstone Court, Exeter Township; at 350 E. Bellevue Ave., Muhlenberg Township; at Route 413 and Doublewoods Road, Langhorne; at 3557 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, Delaware County; and 153 E. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, Chester County. The closings are expected to take place in late October and early November. Accounts from those branches will be transferred to other branches in the region, the bank said. We value our clients in these communities and hope to retain their business through digital and online banking, and other regional offices and branches, Customers Bank President & CEO Sam Sidhu said. The truth of the matter is more and more clients have moved to mobile and online banking, making physical branches less necessary and more expensive. This consolidation provides wider services to a greater number of clients both on a local and on a national basis. As we become more deeply integrated in the global digital financial services ecosystem, brick-and-mortar banking operations have become and will continue to be less important to our customers. By redeploying our investment in emerging technologies and leading-edge financial platforms, we increase customer service and shareholder value simultaneously. Sidhu said Customers Bank employees displaced by the closings will be able to apply for open positions internally during the transition. Those unable to transition to a new role will be compensated based on their position and tenure and will be offered career transition support, the bank said. The people who work for us in these branches were part of the success story that brought us to a place where we can take advantage of new opportunities, he said. Customers Bank will work with these team members to minimize the impact by providing the appropriate level of financial and job assistance. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication to the company." Sidhu also said he wanted Southeastern Pennsylvania government and community leaders and residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania to know Customers Bank, headquartered near Malvern, is consolidating branches but not leaving these communities. We just invested in a new Innovation and Technology Center near Malvern, PA, and we will continue to maintain many offices in the region, he said. Customers Bank is a subsidiary of Customers Bancorp Inc., a bank holding company in West Reading. Over the past two years, Customers Bank has opened non-branch offices in Wilmington, NC; Harrisburg, PA; Orlando, FL; and Dallas, TX; and rebooted its Chicago, IL operation. The bank continues to maintain branches and offices across Southeastern PA; Hamilton, NJ; and Rye Brook, NY; and non-branch offices in Manhattan; Providence, RI; Boston, MA; and Portsmouth, NH. L. MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. The Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners granted preliminary/final land development approval for a fast-food restaurant for Wawa Inc. on Thursday night at the township building. The company plans to build a 2,030-square-foot drive-thru restaurant on a 1-acre site at the Trexler Business Center, adjacent to the Movie Tavern and the First Commonwealth Credit Union headquarters. The site is vacant currently. The plan is unique for Wawa, as it will include only drive-thru service for prepared food and drinks. No mini-mart or gas fueling will be provided. Access to the building will be internal within the Trexler Business Center and not immediately from Hamilton Boulevard. The restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The approval was not without challenges. The township expressed concerns about what it considered "inadequate parking" and notable "density." This resulted in numerous discussions between Wawa and Lower Macungie. Director of Planning and Community Development Nathan Jones indicated the applicant and township should prepare for parking to occur in the nearby Movie Tavern lot. The plan calls for 17 parking spaces plus 18 spaces queued in the drive-thru. As such, the proposed spaces do meet the the township ordinance. Other modifications involved landscaping. Original plans called for 11 honeylocust and zelkova shade trees encircling the site. Landscaping is now included on the site, including near order stations. Red twig dogwoods are proposed in the green area between the drive-thru. This would be the second drive-thru-only Wawa in Pennsylvania, Wawa officials said. The original is located in Falls Township, Bucks County. Other business In other news, Lower Macungie accepted a road right-of-way for Brookdale Road, Locust Lane and Burdell Lane. Thursday night's action dates to 1988, when Burdell Kidd received approval from the township for a subdivision. At that time, Burdell offered 2.3 right-of-way acres for the new Locust Lane and Burdell Lane, and Brookdale Road's widening. Lower Macungie accepted 1.6 of those acres. As a result, Locust Lane and Burdell Lane were constructed and to this day are open. Now Brookdale Road is set to be widened, and Locust Lane is now planned for realignment. To execute those plans, Thursday night's action accepts the remainder of land offered under the 1988 agreement. In other business, the board awarded a contract as part of the Brandywine Village swale project to Land Tech Enterprises. This includes the regrading of the existing swale and establishment of preferred meadow groundcover as well as aesthetic plantings at the Sauerkraut Lane and Mill Creek Road intersection. The deal is for nearly $298,000. Finally, the board approve a resolution authorizing the East Penn School District Board of Directors to assume the hiring and oversight of school crossing guards for the Willow Lane Elementary School. This action was in response to EPSD's request to acquire the oversight in a June 27 vote. L. OXFORD TWP., Pa. - A Pennsylvania State Trooper is suspended without pay after being charged with animal cruelty in Chester County. Investigators say Corporal Michael Perillo repeatedly hit an already-injured loose horse with his patrol vehicle. The horse fell to the ground, where Perillo pinned it down with the vehicle, authorities said. Another trooper then euthanized the horse. It allegedly happened back in December in Lower Oxford Township. BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Jihadi rebels have attacked Mali's Kati military base on the outskirts of the capital city Bamako, the ruling junta confirmed Friday. It's the first time Kati, Mali's largest military base, has been hit by extremist rebels in their more than 10-year insurgency in the West African country. Two vehicles loaded with explosives detonated at the camp at about 5 a.m., according to a statement issued by the military. The Malian Armed Forces vigorously repelled a terrorist attack on the Kati barracks, said the statement, which said that 7 attackers were killed and 8 arrested. The terrorists first blew up the vehicles at the entrance to the military camp, then shells were fired at the camp," said a military official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. Another group of the jihadis entered the camp on foot and began burning vehicles parked in the camp, and then the attackers stole two army vehicles, he said. Fridays attack on the Kati barracks base follows a coordinated series of insurgent attacks Thursday. In one of those incidents, the extremists attacked a police base in Kolokani, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Bamako and two Malian soldiers were killed, said the military in an earlier statement. The leader of Mali's ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita frequently stays at the Kati camp, where he launched the 2020 coup that brought him to power. Jihadi rebels linked to al Qaida and the Islamic State group have been gaining ground in their decade-long insurgency. Their attacks have mostly been in northern Mali but recently the extremists have moved into central Mali. This month they've moved closer to the capital. Last week gunmen attacked an army checkpoint about 60 kilometers (37 miles) outside Bamako, killing at least six people and wounding several others, officials said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they appear to be by the al-Qaida-linked group known as JNIM. The attacks show how the al-Qaida affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin continues to expand its operations outside its traditional strongholds in northern and central Mali, said Heni Nsaibia, a senior researcher at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. As in other Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger ... major cities including the capitals themselves, are increasingly surrounded by a steady spread of Islamist militancy that poses an ever-increasing risk and challenge to the security environment. Mali has struggled to contain the Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels took control of Malis northern cities but were then forced out with the help of a French-led military operation. The jihadis regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks in the northern and central regions on military targets, civilians and U.N. peacekeepers. The U.N. force has said more than 250 of its peacekeepers and personnel have died since 2013, making Mali the deadliest of the U.N.s dozen peacekeeping missions worldwide. Last week the United Nations mission in Mali announced that Egypt will suspend its participation in the peacekeeping force by mid-August, citing deadly attacks. Seven Egyptian peacekeepers have been killed in Mali so far this year, according to officials. Tensions have grown between Malis junta and the U.N. peacekeeping force. Earlier this month the government told the U.N. mission to suspend all flights to move its forces in the country. The government also detained 49 Ivorian soldiers who flew in to help with security for a company contracted by the U.N. mission. Separately, a European military force that helped fight extremists withdrew from Mali at the end of June. The French military, which spearheaded the Takuba task force, announced the end of its deployment in Mali. The move was tied to Frances decision earlier this year to withdraw troops from Mali after nine years helping Malian forces fight the extremists. The European force was composed of several hundred special forces troops from 10 countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. It aimed at training and protecting Malian combat forces. The exit of the European troops and tensions with the U.N. peacekeeping force come as Malis junta has grown closer to Russia with the Wagner Group, a private Russian mercenary force, sending fighters to Mali. The attacks this week were condemned by the U.N. special representative in Mali, El-Ghassim Wane. I offer my condolences to the government and people of Mali as well as to the families and loved ones of the fallen soldiers. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured, he said in statement Friday. The U.N. mission in Mali will continue to support and accompany the efforts of the Malian authorities aimed at restoring lasting peace and security, he said. Amid an unstable political and security situation in Mali, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, or MINUSMA has worked for nearly a decade to maintain peace there. In 2012, a Tuareg secessionist uprising was co-opted by violent extremist groups, who then imposed their draconian rule on several cities in northern Mali. With the aid of French troops, Mali was able to retake the cities in 2013. To help stabilize Mali, the United Nations established MINUSMA in April 2013 and renewed its mandate every year after. Since 2015, the Mission has been tasked with supporting the full implementation of the Algiers Accord, a 2015 peace agreement between the Government of Mali and the Tuareg signatory armed groups. On June 29, the UN Security Council again renewed MINUSMAs mandate and urged Malian authorities to implement the Algiers Accord. Unfortunately, China and Russia abstained, complaining that the human rights language in the mandate encroached on Malis sovereignty. We regret that two Council members abstained and stood in the way of the Security Councils unanimous adoption, said Deputy U.S. Representative to the UN Richard Mills, noting that MINUSMAs extension is crucial, since it gives the Malian authorities a chance to work with numerous partners towards a political transition. We believe it was important to vote for this renewal so that the Malian transition government has a renewed opportunity to work with MINUSMA to fully implement the Algiers Accord, hold free and fair elections, and protect civilians. Also at issue is the Malian governments decision to curtail MINUSMAs freedom of movement. Through this important vote, the Council has renewed MINUSMAs critical mandate to monitor, investigate, and publicly report on the human rights situation in Mali and to protect civilians from further attacks. The resolution sends a clear message that MINUSMAs freedom of movement must be respected in order for it to do its job. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield further noted, since the Security Council first authorized MINUSMA in 2013, it has mandated the mission under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to investigate and report on allegations of human rights violations and abuses. The United States remains fully committed to MINUSMA and the people of Mali. We urge the transition government to immediately and completely uphold its responsibility as a host country of a UN peacekeeping operation and uphold the terms of the [Status of Forces Agreement] that the transition government is obligated to uphold. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia's abortion law changed so abruptly Wednesday afternoon that some patients who were in an office waiting for abortions were told that what had been legal that morning was no longer legal in the state and sent home. Melissa Grant, chief operating officer of Carafem, a Washington, D.C.-based group that operates a reproductive health clinic in Atlanta, called the process of sending home four patients terrible. It was difficult every time the staff had to bring it up, whether it was someone on the phone for tomorrow or somebody in the office today, Grant said. They would have to resteel themselves in order to try to be empathetic and understanding in the face of someone who was either going to fall apart, cry, get angry or try to bargain Isnt there some way you can still see me?" The law, which had been barred from taking effect, bans most abortions once a detectable human heartbeat is present. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many pregnancies are detected. Now, with abortion illegal or heavily restricted in Deep South states except disputed Louisiana, Georgia patients more than six weeks pregnant are likely to be referred to clinics in Florida, North Carolina or even farther away. The Georgia law includes exceptions for rape and incest, as long as a police report is filed. It also allows for later abortions when the mothers life is at risk or a serious medical condition renders a fetus unviable and includes provisions that change the definition of natural person, giving a fetus the same legal rights as people have once theyre born. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Mississippi case that overturned Roe v. Wade allows the law to take effect. Normally, the Georgia ruling wouldnt take effect for weeks, but the court issued a second order Wednesday allowing the law to take effect immediately. In Louisiana, a state judge ruled Thursday that the state's three abortion clinics can continue operating while a lawsuit challenging the states near total ban on abortions is resolved. For weeks, access to abortion has been flickering in the state, where the ban has twice taken effect twice and twice been blocked since the Supreme Court ruling in June. Clinics in Baton Rouge and New Orleans that had ceased operations pending the ruling said they were open again Thursday. The preliminary injunction in Louisiana is the latest development amid a flurry of court challenges to state trigger laws that were crafted in anticipation of Roe being overturned. Georgia is one of the biggest states to see sweeping restrictions on abortion. The National Abortion Federation listed 10 clinics providing surgical abortions before Wednesday, although an 11th clinic in Savannah had already closed after the Supreme Court acted. One of those clinics, the Feminist Women's Health Center in Brookhaven, had been performing 150 to 200 abortions per week, Executive Director Kwajalein Jackson said. That number rose when new limits went into place in other southeastern states in recent weeks, Jackson said. Grant said Carafem has canceled more than 75 appointments for women beyond six weeks. State records show about 35,000 abortions were performed in Georgia in 2021. Abortion rights supporters said that they try to refer women to the right location for them, and somewhere farther away might be better if a woman has family or friends in a distant location. "It really is about what is going to be the best plan for the person at the end of the day, said Monica Simpson, executive director of Atlanta-based SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, which advocates for abortion rights. Simpson and abortion providers said they work closely with abortion funds that can provide financial assistance. In Savannah, closure of the city's only provider of surgical abortion left a Planned Parenthood clinic that offers medication abortions only. Yesterday at 9 a.m. you were able to go to your local clinic and access medication-based abortion up to 11 weeks of pregnancy, said Coco Papy, a former Planned Parenthood Southeast board member. And as of 3 p.m. yesterday you could no longer access that. Groups that oppose abortion are also stepping up their responses, said Suzanne Guy, a longtime activist. My phone has been blowing up since Roe has been overturned, she said. Guy said she hopes religious groups will support women not just while pregnant and during birth, but for the long haul. In suburban Atlanta, Keri Ninness anticipates an increase in pregnant women seeking services at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Marietta. Ninness said the group called Walking With Moms in Need has helped 15 pregnant women in the past 15 months. In a very practical sense, I see the need for diapers and food going through the roof," Ninness said. "Ive had five requests for infant car seats in the last week. She said she also expects more mothers needing cribs, help from lactation consultants and even shelter. Weve always said we were pro-life, and now we get to put that into practice, Ninness said. Associated Press writers Kevin McGill contributed from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Russ Bynum from Savannah, Georgia. This moving new play from Zodwa Nyoni, whose 2020 monologue Nine Lives explored the struggles of a Zimbabwean refugee in Leeds, stays in the same location but shifts focus to the story of a British-Jamaican family, including a boy with autism, over a span of 40 years. Jumping between the present day and 1981, it shows how far attitudes towards autism and, to a sadly lesser extent, race have changed during that period. As an 11-year-old, Dwight, portrayed as both a child and an adult by Lee Phillips, who is himself autistic, is labelled a "freak" and bullied at school. His own deputy headteacher (James Clyde) is among the persecutors, showing zero sympathy for his pupil's needs and actively looking for ways to ostracise him. Dwight's main support comes from his indomitable mother Josephine (Nadia Williams) and big sister Shirley (Brianna Douglas), who fight his corner and understand what makes him tick. His great solace is music; he loves to listen to records, and dance and sing the stage floor itself comprises an enormous revolving record, while the backdrop of Jean Chan's expansive design features a bank of speakers, evoking a Jamaican soundsystem, together with a somewhat ominous neon cross (Josephine feels the Lord is always watching). Dad Leroy (Andrew French) meanwhile is struggling for work and fighting back against the police brutality he has encountered since moving to "the Queen's country". Riots are exploding around Chapeltown and beyond. Leroy also believes his son needs to learn resilience and disagrees with his wife's softer approach. In one telling exchange, she castigates him for failing to stand up to his own mother when she took Dwight to church to "raise the demons out of him". But beneath all the tribulations of this family, and there are many, is an unshakeable love. Counterbalancing the pain of Dwight's mistreatment firstly at the hands of the school, then at the hands of the police and social services (Hannah Morrish plays his well-meaning but hamstrung social worker) is the joy of watching his interactions with Shirley and Josephine. These bonds are ultimately what must carry them all through the 'darkest part of the night'. Nancy Medina directs a spare, stripped-back production, with furniture coming in and out from the side of the stage carried by the cast. Although the flitting between present and past is disorientating at first, and it takes time to attune to the mix of Yorkshire and Jamaican accents, once you adjust to the play's rhythms it becomes engrossing. And there are some highly impressive performances. Williams gives a powerhouse turn as Josephine (she also plays grown-up Shirley), fussing over the children's hair one minute, berating her husband the next, but always carrying the can. And Phillips is highly impressive as Dwight, whose poise ultimately proves the piece's emotional anchor. At nearly two and a half hours it feels somewhat overstretched. Nevertheless, Nyoni is a writer who combines a forensic eye for detail with a sharp ear for humour. Through telling the story of one family she is able to pinpoint so many failings in the system down the years. The fact it takes a love so strong in order for Dwight to have even a chance at happiness is perhaps the most heartbreaking thing of all. ELKO Please join the Elko Area Chamber for our annual fundraiser, The Sherman Dinner & Auction, on July 30, with cocktails starting at 6 p.m. and dinner served at 7 p.m. The event will include raffles, silent auction, and live auction to raise money for the historical Sherman Station. The Sherman Dinner & Auction is an annual event and fundraiser that Elko Area Chamber hosts to raise proceeds for the maintenance of the Sherman Station as well as its surrounding schoolhouse, creamery, welding shop, and barn. The Sherman Station was built in 1903 by Bavarian rancher Valentine Walther. While the surrounding buildings were built in 1880, it took Valentine and one additional ranch hand over seven years to build the Sherman Station. To this day it is the largest historic log cabin in Nevada. Thanks to Valentines skilled craftsmanship, the buildings have stood the test of time; however, regular maintenance, upgrades and upkeep are necessary to preserve the historic value, beauty and to meet safety regulations. The Sherman Station not only serves as our local visitor and information center but is also home to the oldest Chamber of Commerce in Nevada. We are hoping to raise funds to place new roofs on all the outbuildings. Stop in at the Elko Area Chamber or call to purchase your tickets today. They are $50 per person and include catered dinner and open bar. Tables of 8 and 10 are also available. This years Sherman Dinner & Auction theme will be Denim and Diamonds, with catering provided by Dreez. This event would not be possible without our amazing sponsors. Thank you PlumbLine Inc., Elko Sanitation, Nevada Gold Mines, Kinross Bald Mountain, Modern Concrete, Maverick Casino & Hotel, Nevada Health Centers, NextHome Infinity Realty and Blooming Events. Please contact the Elko Area Chamber at 738-7135 with any questions or for more information. Comic-Con audiences got a sneak peek at the new Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power Friday in San Diego. Amazon Studios unveiled a new trailer for the show, set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Stephen Colbert, a self-proclaimed Tolkien fan, was also on hand to moderate a panel teasing the series on the fan conventions biggest stage, Hall H. Under the leadership of showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power focuses on Tolkiens Second Age of Middle-earth, when kingdoms are forming and falling and evil forces loom and threaten to cover the world in darkness. The Rings of Power will take audiences to fantastical locations like the Elven realms of Lindon and Eregion, the Dwarven realm Khazad-dum, the Southlands, the Northernmost Wastes, the Sundering Seas, and the island kingdom of Numenor and introduce them to a large ensemble, including Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker). Joseph Mawle attends a panel for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" on day two of Comic-Con International on Friday, July 22, 2022, in San Diego. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) The eight-part series will debut on Prime Video on Sept. 2, with new episodes arriving weekly. It is said to be the most expensive ever made, with a reported budget of $465 million. Amazon bought the rights from the Tolkien estate for $250 million in 2017. Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, told The Hollywood Reporter last year that while the number is a crazy headline thats fun to click on, that is really building the infrastructure of what will sustain the whole series which she called a huge, world-building show. Salke also said that a giant, global audience needs to show up to it as appointment television but that they were pretty confident that will happen. The fan convention kicked off this week at the San Diego Convention Center, back in full force for the first time since 2019, with many studios spending big dollars to promote upcoming films and television shows. Comic-Con runs through Sunday. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has held an expanded meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov. Speaking at the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev said: - Distinguished Prime Minister and members of the delegation. You are welcome again! Prime Minister and I have just had a very good discussion on many issues of mutual interest and identified many opportunities for strengthening our partnership. As we discussed earlier today, the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan is a good basis for the development of our cooperation. We signed the Declaration on Strategic Partnership several years ago. I believe that the time has come to turn this document into very tangible results of our cooperation in economic, industrial development, trade, energy, transportation, tourism, high technologies and other fields. Of course, we have mainly discussed energy security issues and this discussion will be continued. However, at the same time, if we take into account the geographical location, the projects we have implemented together with our neighbors to connect the railway system of Europe and Azerbaijan, as well as the growing volume of cargo passing through Azerbaijan, there is a great potential in the field of transportation, too. Transit across Azerbaijan has increased by more than 30 percent in five months of this year alone. We believe this is just the beginning because there is tremendous potential here. In short, we have discussed wide-ranging issues. Prime Minister and I have been speaking to each other by phone for a long time. Now we have met in person. I am very glad to see you and wish you a pleasant visit to Baku. *** Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov said: - Thank you, Mr. President. I am very pleased to meet you in person. I have already mentioned and want to reiterate that friends become friends when they solve problems together. Everyone is a friend when sitting at the table but when it comes to solving a problem together, friends should also be able to stand by each other. I want to note that you stood by Bulgaria in the time of need. Bulgaria will be by your side too. We have discussed many opportunities in the energy sector and beyond. I support your approach that after signing the Strategic Partnership document and holding discussions, we now need to turn them into reality. Our government will probably remain in its current composition for the next few weeks but there are decisions underway, and we are sure that the next government will be our government as well. We have come to the conclusion that a lot can be done in areas such as technology, logistics, export to Europe, and distribution of energy. ELKO After nearly two decades as Elkos city manager, Curtis Calder has submitted his intent to retire. I am grateful for the support of the City Council and my coworkers, past and present, who have assisted me during my 24-year career with the City of Elko, he said. Calders retirement in January will mark the completion of more than 30 years of public service in Nevada. Although my family and I will be relocating over the next couple of months, I will remain in Elko through January to wrap up projects and assist with the pending transition, he said. His wife, Brandy, is operations supervisor at the Social Security office in Elko. Elko City Council members are scheduled to discuss the positions job description and recruiting process on Tuesday. Calder, 54, was human services director for the City before he was appointed interim city manager in 2003 after Linda Ritter left Elko to become Carson Citys manager. As interim manager, Calder arranged the interviews of five finalists for the position. But after the City was unable to negotiate a contract with the top choice, Calder himself was appointed to the position. Prior to coming to Elko, he worked for six years for the Airport Authority of Washoe County. He earned a bachelors degree in business administration and a masters degree after graduating from Lowry High School in Winnemucca. Along with being the City of Elkos manager, Calder is an avid backcountry motorcycle enthusiast and supporter of the local animal shelter. Elko City Council meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at Elko City Hall. OTTAWA The assembly of Catholic bishops organizing Pope Franciss visit to Canada, where he is expected to apologize for the churchs role in residential schools, is soliciting donations from those hoping to see him. RoseAnne Archibald, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says she was told by people looking to book spots for papal events on Ticketmaster that they were prompted to donate money to a registered charity. The charity in question is the corporate name of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald speaks during the AFN annual general meeting, in Vancouver, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Archibald says it's wrong for a charity that raises money for the Roman Catholic Church to be soliciting donations from those wishing to see Pope Francis during his visit to apologize for its role in residential schools. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Please see how inappropriate this is, the national chief wrote in a recent letter to the Archbishop of Edmonton Richard Smith. We as First Nations people are all intergenerational trauma survivors, and we are collectively grieving the pain and suffering that Catholic-run institutions of assimilation and genocide perpetrated. A spokeswoman for the papal visit said donations are a way for Canadians and Catholics to help pay for the cost of the papal visit and are entirely optional. No funds raised in this way will be used for other church initiatives or programming. Organizers added that unlike other papal visits, there is no admission being charged for his events. The website for the Pontiffs visit, which begins Sunday, says the assembly of bishops, along with individual dioceses, personal and corporate donors and different levels of government, typically all pay the cost of a papal visit. It is estimated approximately 60 per cent of residential schools that operated in Canada were run by the Catholic Church. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend these facilities, where thousands suffered physical and sexual abuse, as well as malnourishment and neglect. Pope Francis was asked to come to Canada and apologize for the churchs role in running these institutions because it was one of the calls to action listed in the 2015 final report from the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada, which collected testimony from thousands of survivors. Archibald says the intent of the papal visit is to focus on reconciliation and it is ill-time to advance church fundraising efforts. She added it is especially hurtful to ask First Nations survivors, to whom church reparations are already owed, to donate. Survivors have expressed disappointment at the Catholic Churchs failure to meet the fundraising goal to which it agreed under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. In 2006, 48 Catholic entities agreed to use their best efforts to raise $25 million as part of the compensation package to former students. By 2015, a court ruled the Catholic corporations could be released from their remaining financial obligations, with the best efforts fundraising campaign having tallied less than $4 million. The assembly of Canadian bishops, which says it was not one of the signing parties to the residential schools agreement, has since made a renewed financial commitment. Last September, the bishops committed that $30 million would be put toward reconciliation-related initiatives over five years. They said 73 dioceses would contribute to the goal, each pledging their own financial amount. In the interest of transparency, the bishops established the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund to receive the money. It is registered as a public foundation and overseen by an Indigenous board. To date, dioceses have put in $4.6 million. The Canadian bishops have said the collection of donations for the papal visit is separate from fundraising efforts for the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund. Papal visit organizers say no money from this fund will help pay for the tour. Organizers are also planning to sell modest quantities of merchandise, like t-shirts, hats and bandanas, according to a spokeswoman, which will feature designs from a Winnipeg-based Metis graphic design artist. It is the papal visits intention to make the items available at a reasonable cost, and any small profits will be directed towards the costs of the papal visit. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2022. ISTANBUL (AP) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe. The U.N. plan will enable Ukraine one of the worlds key breadbaskets to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to Russias invasion. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a beacon of hope for millions of hungry people who have faced huge increases in the price of food. A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families, said Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini. He noted that over the past six months, prices for food have risen 187% in Sudan, 86% in Syria and 60% in Yemen, just to name a few countries. Grain fields burn, on the outskirts of Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate, identical deals Friday with Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a ceremony in Istanbul that was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia and Ukraine would not sign any deal directly with each other. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, Guterres said. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all, he told the envoys. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres lead a signing ceremony at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 22, 2022. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were due on Friday to oversee the signing of a key agreement that would allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers, ending a standoff that has threatened world food security. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) Guterres described the deal as an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in a bloody conflict. Erdogan hoped it would be a new turning point that will revive hopes for peace. Yet in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sounded a more somber note. Im not opening a bottle of champagne because of this deal, Kuleba told The Associated Press. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will work, that ships will carry grain to world markets and prices will go down and people will have food to eat. But Im very cautious because I have no trust in Russia. In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar pose for a photo during their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 22, 2022. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were due on Friday to oversee the signing of a key agreement that would allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers, ending a standoff that has threatened world food security. (Vadim Savitsky, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Kulebas concerns in his nightly video address, saying, It is clear to everyone that there may be some provocations on the part of Russia, some attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust the UN. The European Union and the U.K. immediately welcomed the news. This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russias aggression against Ukraine, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, sit as Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, top left, and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, top right, exchange documents during a signing ceremony at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 22, 2022. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were due on Friday to oversee the signing of a key agreement that would allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers, ending a standoff that has threatened world food security. (Vadim Savitsky, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss applauded Turkey and the U.N. for brokering the agreement. We will be watching to ensure Russias actions match its words, Truss said. To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine. African leaders, whose countries import food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia, also welcomed the deal, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it has taken much too long. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center right, and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres lead a signing ceremony at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 22, 2022. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were due on Friday to oversee the signing of a key agreement that would allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers, ending a standoff that has threatened world food security. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities such as wheat and barley have soared during the war. Although international sanctions against Russia did not target food exports, the war has disrupted shipments of Russian products because shipping and insurance companies did not want to deal with Russia. Guterres said the plan, known as the Black Sea Initiative, opens a path for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement, obtained by the AP, says a U.N.-led joint coordination center will be set up in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey to run the plan, including scheduling cargo ships arrivals and departures. Inspectors representing all parties at the Bosporus in Turkey will search vessels entering and leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure no weapons or soldiers are on board. Under the deal, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, and the parties agree not to attack vessels and port facilities involved in the initiative. If demining is required to make the shipping lanes safe, a minesweeper from another country could clear the approaches to Ukrainian ports. The sides will monitor the movement of ships remotely and no military ships. aircraft or drones will be allowed to approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance the center sets. The agreement will remain in effect for 120 days and can be extended automatically. Guterres believes grain shipments could start within the next two weeks, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A senior U.N. official said Ukraine needs about 10 days to prepare the ports and needs time to identify and be clear about those safe corridors. The aim is to export 5 million tons of grains per month to empty Ukraines silos in time for this years harvest. Zelenskyy said nearly 20 million tons of grain will be exported initially, then some of the current harvest. Guterres first raised the critical need to restart the supply of Ukraines agricultural production and Russias grain and fertilizer to world markets in late April during meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, then proposed a deal because of fears that the war could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Peter Meyer, head of grain and oilseed analytics at S&P Global Platts, said the deal does not mean that the global supply crisis is over. Traders anticipated a deal for the past several weeks, he said, so its effect might already have shown up in grain prices. And the agreement only covers the 2021 crop. Theres still considerable uncertainty about Ukrainian production this year and even next, Meyer said. Before the agreements, Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports, insisted on checking incoming ships for weapons and lifting restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Ukraine argued that Russias port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any safe sea shipments impossible. It sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack Odesa and accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately setting Ukrainian fields on fire. Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of stolen grain in the negotiations. It was part of a deal: Kyiv doesnt raise the issue of stolen grain and Moscow doesnt insist on checking Ukrainian ships. Kyiv and Moscow were forced to make a deal and compromise, he said. The deal was also important for Russias geopolitical relations, the analyst noted. Russia decided not to fuel a new crisis in Africa and provoke a hunger and government changes there, Sidenko said. The African Union had asked Putin to quickly ease the crisis with grain supplies. __ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Erika Kinetz in Kyiv, Ukraine, Raf Casert in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine In one of the largest deals in Manitoba in some time, Brandon-based Cando Rail & Terminals Ltd. has been acquired by Alberta Investment Management Corporation, (AIMCo). Cando has been around for 45 years and used to be known as a short line rail operator and still does run Central Manitoba Railway from East Selkirk to Carman but in recent years has concentrated on building facilities that link large industrial shippers to Class I railways. Details of the transaction were not disclosed and is scheduled to close this fall. Brian Cornick, the president and CEO of Cando, said, Many people in Manitoba may not know the Cando name, but this is a very big deal for Manitoba and for Canada. COLIN CORNEAU / THE BRANDON SUN FILES AIMCo likes what they see. They like our culture, our sense of ownership. My job now is to create the ownership model with AIMCo over the next two months, said Brian Cornick, the president and CEO of Cando. The company has more than 900 employees, up from 600 in 2018 when TorQuest, another large Canadian private equity firm, made a sizable investment in the company. It has 210 total employees in Manitoba, 102 based in Winnipeg and 108 based out of Brandon. The company has had a long and successful employee ownership program so that more than 400 are owners of the company. It is not clear how that will be maintained under AIMCo ownership but Cornick said, AIMCo likes what they see. They like our culture, our sense of ownership. My job now is to create the ownership model with AIMCo over the next two months. Many people in Manitoba may not know the Cando name, but this is a very big deal for Manitoba and for Canada. Brian Cornick While no terms were released an industry source said the final valuation was more than $800 million. Since 2018, revenue more than doubled and EBITDA more than tripled. Cornick said the company has invested more than $200 million in the last two years and has another $200 million of expansion investment lined up. It operates a network of more than 40 industrial rail yards in places like oil sands sites, potash mines, automotive production facilities and forestry sites. It has nine owned terminals and one short-line railroad and more than 100 locomotives. AIMCo is one of the largest institutional investment managers in Canada with $168.3 billion of assets under management. It operates at arms-length from the government of Alberta and invests globally on behalf of 32 pension, endowment, and government funds in the province of Alberta. THE BRANDON SUN FILES Gord Peters, the co-founder of Cando, said the success of the company was partially facilitated by the Class I railroads wanting to streamline the industry. AIMCo owns a similar company in the U.K. called Porterbrook Group which owns nearly a third of Britains rolling stock. Cando is the type of platform investment that has become the hallmark of AIMCos infrastructure portfolio. With this investment, our clients add one of Canadas most successful rail platforms to their infrastructure portfolios, said Ben Hawkins, head of infrastructure, renewables and sustainable investing at AIMCo, We believe in Candos incredible potential and look forward to collaborating with their exceptional management to realize a continued track record of growth. The companies said there would be no changes to the way the company operates. We believe in Candos incredible potential and look forward to collaborating with their exceptional management to realize a continued track record of growth. Ben Hawkins, AIMCo Gord Peters, the co-founder of Cando in 1978, has remained on the board until now. He said the success of the company was partially facilitated by the Class I railroads wanting to streamline the industry. It is a real niche play with not many competitors, he said. The railroad industry wanted to change and Cando fit like a glove. Setting up and loading and unloading cargo at petro-chemical plants and large auto plants is time-consuming and tricky work. Cando builds and operates facilities that do that. It is a different business loading and setting up trains that (run) long and heavy down the main line, Peters said. CN and CP and the Class 1 railroad want the long and heavy trains set up and ready to go. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca DETROIT (AP) Clogged oil ports, electrical shorts and leaks of brake fluid are only some of the safety problems that have caused multiple fires and forced Hyundai and Kia to recall millions of vehicles in the past seven years. Now, Hyundai, the larger of the two affiliated Korean automakers, has promoted its North American safety chief to global status an implicit acknowledgment by the company that it needs to address safety in a more robust way. The executive, Brian Latouf, who joined Hyundai in 2019 after 27 years at General Motors, says he will focus on data analysis and testing to detect problems earlier and fix them. This photo provided by Hyundai shows Brian Latouf. Hyundai, the largest of the two affiliated Korean automakers, has given its North American safety chief global status, and he's trying to use data analysis and testing to catch problems early and fix them. Latouf, who joined the company in 2019 after 27 years at General Motors, says the company is making improvements both physically and structurally to make safety a priority. (Hyundai via AP) As part of the companys intensified focus on safety, Hyundai is building a $51.6 million laboratory near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with an electronic scanner to examine parts for problems. On the site, the company will test vehicle maneuvers, including steering and braking, and evaluate electric vehicle batteries. An outdoor track will allow vehicles to accelerate to roadway speeds so testers can detect problems. The laboratory is scheduled to be completed in the fall of next year. Besides elevating Latouf to global safety chief, Hyundai has anointed a new vice president for safety to try to ensure that safety is taken more fully into account in the design of new vehicles. Latouf, a mechanical engineer by training, said the company wants to detect problems fast and take action. You have to have a real good emerging-issues data analytics office, investigate quickly and address them, Latouf, 58, said in an interview with The Associated Press. If you let them linger, risk grows, the safety hazard grows. Latouf now has in place a safety team at the corporate headquarters in Seoul. And the safety group in North America has grown from 12 employees, when he started at the company, to 40 now. The job is huge. The Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit group that successfully petitioned U.S. regulators to seek Hyundai and Kia recalls, says the automakers have recalled 8.4 million vehicles for fires and engine problems since 2015. More than two dozen of the recalls involved more than 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years. In addition, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 3 million vehicles made by the automakers from the 2011 through 2016 model years. NHTSA says its received 161 complaints of engine fires, some of which occurred in vehicles that had already been recalled. The agency, which began an engineering analysis late last year, has said it will evaluate whether previous recalls covered enough vehicles. It also will monitor the effectiveness of recalls, as well as the long-term viability of related programs and non-safety field actions being conducted by Hyundai and Kia. In June 2018, NHTSA said it had received owner complaints of more than 3,100 fires, 103 injuries and one death. Hyundai and Kia were fined by NHTSA in 2020 for moving too slowly to recall vehicles that were prone to engine failures. One critic, Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, noted that Hyundais upgraded safety programs are focused on future vehicles, which Brooks said wont help owners of the companys existing autos. The center, Brooks said, continues to receive complaints of engine failures that Hyundai and Kia wont fix because owners didnt sign up in time for a company-issued knock sensor to detect engine problems. Theres still a consumer issue thats ongoing that needs to be resolved, Brooks said. Hyundai says that owners can go online to report problems, which it will address. In the meantime, recalls have continued for Hyundai and Kia, with some as recent as May of this year. Latouf said Hyundais recent engines have dramatically lower fire rates, and the knock sensors are detecting problems so they can be repaired before failures happen. Like Hyundai, Kia was compelled to establish a U.S. safety office in its settlement with the government. Kia says it settled the case to avoid a protracted legal fight. The automaker, which did not comment for this story, said it intends to improve its recall management process to make things right for customers. At General Motors, Latouf had been put in charge of safety after a series of recalls for faulty ignition switches that could turn engines off and disable air bags in a crash. At least 124 people were killed in a series of crashes. Latouf said he learned from helping to rebuild the auto giants safety department and has adopted some of those practices at Hyundai. One is a Speak Up For Safety program that urges employees to report issues as they drive and test vehicles. The reports go directly to Latoufs office. Were getting hundreds of these in, and some of them have actually led to recalls, he said. With their thousands of components and millions of lines of software code, cars are notoriously complex, Latouf said, and all automakers experience safety issues and recalls. He said he expects Hyundais new safety programs to provide early enough warnings to limit the size of recalls and bolster consumer perceptions of the brand. We try to keep their faith, to make sure that if theres an issue well react to it, he said. Were not just about sales and numbers and growth and technology. Were about the customer as well. TOKYO (AP) Japans nuclear regulator on Friday approved details of a planned release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea next year. The approval by the Nuclear Regulation Authority will enable Tokyo Electric Power Co. to start building necessary facilities ahead of the discharge. It came two months after a preliminary greenlight and a subsequent public review process. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings submitted the plan in December based on a government decision last year to release the wastewater as a necessary step for the plants ongoing decommissioning. FILE - This photo shows tanks (in gray, beige and blue) storeing water that was treated but is still radioactive after it was used to cool down spent fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Feb. 27, 2021. Japans nuclear regulator on Friday, July 22, 2022, approved the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea next year. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File) A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plants cooling systems, causing triple meltdowns and the release of large amounts of radiation. Water that was used to cool the three damaged reactor cores, which remain highly radioactive, has since leaked into basements of the reactor buildings but was collected and stored in tanks. Local fishing communities and neighboring countries have raised concerns about potential health hazards from the radioactive wastewater, which TEPCO and government officials say will be treated to levels far below releasable standards. They maintain that the environmental and health impacts will be negligible. Japan nuclear authority chairman Toyoshi Fuketa told reporters Friday that the release plan had no major technical or safety issues. He said the regulators will ensure approved procedures are strictly followed with transparency. The government and TEPCO say that of more than 60 isotopes selected for treatment, all but one, tritium, will be reduced to meet safety standards. Scientists say impacts of long-term, low-dose exposure to tritium for the environment and humans are still unknown. Tritium affects humans more when it is consumed in fish, they say. The contaminated water is being stored in about 1,000 tanks at the damaged plant. Officials say they must be removed so that facilities can be built for its decommissioning. The tanks are expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons next year. TEPCO said it plans to transport treated and releasable water through a pipeline from the tanks to a coastal facility, where it will be diluted with seawater and then sent through an undersea tunnel with an outlet about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away to minimize the impact on local fishing and the environment. The government and TEPCO still need to gain local consent for building the tunnel and other related facilities. They plan to begin gradually releasing the treated water in spring 2023. China on Friday renewed its protest over the planned wastewater release and urged Japan to carry out the disposal in a scientific, open, transparent and safe manner. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin demanded Japan stop pushing the discharge plan before reaching a consensus with all stakeholders and relevant international agencies. Japan has sought help from the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure the water release meets international safety standards and reassure local fishing and other communities and neighboring countries that have opposed the plan. Experts from the IAEA visited the plant earlier this year and said Japan was taking appropriate steps for the planned discharge. In a statement Friday, TEPCO pledged to sincerely respond to the IAEA reviews, ensure safety, provide data to the public and strengthen its radiation monitoring. The company also vowed to do its utmost to explain the water discharge plans and gain the publics understanding about the decommissioning. ___ AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankan forces violently cleared the main protest camp of demonstrators outraged by the countrys economic meltdown as the newly elected and deeply unpopular president put army troops in the streets of the capital Friday to maintain order. Security forces were seen beating at least two journalists during the overnight raid, and the bar association said two lawyers were also assaulted heavy-handed tactics denounced by the opposition, the U.N., and the U.S. The troops moved in even though protesters had announced they would vacate the site on Friday voluntarily. Unbowed, the protesters vowed to continue their efforts to change their leadership. A crowd rallied for a few hours outside the main rail station, while some people also gathered as close as they could to the former demonstration site outside the presidential office. Army soldiers arrive to remove the protesters and their tents from the site of a protest camp outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, July 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Adding to signs that President Ranil Wickremesinghe would not address the concerns of protesters, he chose a prime minister on Friday with close ties to the political establishment that the demonstrators blame for the countrys collapse. Sri Lankans have taken to the streets for months demanding their leaders resign over an economic crisis that has left the island nations 22 million people short of essentials like medicine, food and fuel. After they stormed the presidential palace and other government buildings earlier this month, then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose family has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the last two decades, fled and resigned. Wickremesinghe, who had been prime minister, was elevated to president by lawmakers this week apparently seen as a safe pair of hands to lead Sri Lanka out of the crisis, even though he, too, was a target of the demonstrations. On Friday, he appointed as prime minister a Rajapaksa ally, Dinesh Gunawardena, who is 73 and from a prominent political family. Protesters sleep before being removed from the site of a protest camp inside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, July 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) After his election in a parliamentary vote this week, Wickremesinghe told lawmakers that the people are not expecting the old politics from us. But his recent moves signaled an inclination to maintain the status quo. On Monday, when he was acting president, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency giving him the power to change or suspend laws and giving authorities broad power to search premises and detain people. Overnight, just hours after he was sworn in, he issued a notice under the state of emergency calling on the armed forces to maintain law and order nationwide clearing the way for the move against the protest camp. The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful family of siphoning money from government coffers and of hastening the countrys collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but the former president acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to Sri Lankas crisis. Army soldiers arrive to remove the protesters and their tents from the site of a protest camp outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, July 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Starting at around midnight, army troops and police arrived in trucks and buses to clear the main protest camp near the presidential palace in the capital, Colombo, where demonstrators have gathered for the past 104 days. They removed tents and blocked roads leading to the site. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the main lawyers body in the country, said the lawyers who were assaulted had gone to the protest site to offer their counsel. In all, eight people, including some protesters, were injured, some badly, according to a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give the information to the media. Eleven people were arrested, he said. They included both protesters and lawyers, according to the Bar Association. A protester uses an improvised ladder as he prepares to leave the premise in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) The use of the Armed Forces to suppress civilian protests on the very first day in office of the new President is despicable and will have serious consequences on our countrys social, economic and political stability, the Bar Association said in a statement. The leader of the political opposition, Sajith Premadasa, also denounced the raid. A cowardly assault against PEACEFUL protestors, who agreed to vacate the sites today; A useless display of ego and brute force putting innocent lives at risk & endangers Sri Lankas international image, at a critical juncture, he wrote on Twitter. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, the U.N. resident coordinator to Sri Lanka, expressed grave concern over the use of force and U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung also expressed concern. Actions that stifle protests and the right to peaceful assembly can worsen economic and political instability in Sri Lanka, Singer-Hamdy said. Heavy security was present outside the presidents office at midday. The political turmoil has threatened to make a rescue from the International Monetary Fund more difficult. Still, earlier this week, Wickremesinghe said bailout talks with the fund were nearing a conclusion and talks on help from other countries had also progressed. The head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, told the Japanese financial magazine Nikkei Asia this week that the fund hopes for a deal as quickly as possible. ___ Find more of APs Sri Lanka coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/sri-lanka OTTAWA Canada is working to help get much-needed grain out of Ukraine to famine-threatened parts of the world, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, now that the embattled country and Russia have signed deals to allow that to happen. Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations, clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain as well as Russian grain and fertilizer. Speaking to journalists during a visit to Prince Edward Island, Trudeau cautioned that Russia has shown nothing but bad faith, adding his faith in the country is pretty much nil. Farmer Oleksandr Zhuravsky checks the wheat in a field in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Russian hostilities in Ukraine are preventing grain from leaving the "breadbasket of the world" and making food more expensive across the globe, threatening to worsen shortages, hunger and political instability in developing countries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Efrem Lukatsky They have precipitated a global energy crisis, a global food crisis with their illegal invasion of Ukraine and the rest of us have been working very, very hard to try and mitigate those issues around the world, Trudeau said. Trudeau added Canada has been working with other countries and the UN to share its grain storage and shipment expertise for several months and hes feeling optimistic about the effort. The latest development ends a wartime standoff that had threatened food security around the globe. Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after signing separate deals with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever. The UN World Food Program has warned that millions of people in the developing world and conflict zones are in danger of starvation. Russian and Ukrainian officials also signed deals with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, and the ceremony was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Before the war, Russia and Ukraine produced about 30 per cent of the worlds exported grain. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russias invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some grain is being transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities like wheat and barley have soared during the nearly five-month war. The new arrangement allows for the safe passage of ships. It foresees the establishment of a control centre in Istanbul, to be staffed by UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials, to run and co-ordinate the process, Turkish officials have said. Ships would undergo inspections to ensure they are not carrying weapons. Russian and Ukrainian officials have blamed each other for the blocked grain shipments. Moscow accused Ukraine of failing to remove sea mines at the ports to allow safe shipping and insisted on its right to check incoming ships for weapons. Ukraine has argued that Russias port blockade and launching of missiles from the Black Sea made any shipments unviable. Ukrainian authorities have also accused Russia of stealing grain from eastern Ukraine and deliberately shelling Ukrainian fields to set them on fire. Ukraine has sought international guarantees that the Kremlin wouldnt use the safe corridors to attack the Black Sea port of Odesa. Trudeau said Canada and its allies will be watching closely to make sure the agreements do not put Ukraine at risk of being further invaded and attacked by Russia. The G7 is working closely with partners like Turkey and others to ensure that we can get that grain out of Ukraine to places around the world where its needed without putting at risk Ukraines sovereignty protection. The halt of grain exports has also taken a toll on Ukraines financial position. A group of nations who act as creditors for Ukraine, including Canada, announced Friday they wouldprovide a co-ordinated suspension of debt service due by Ukraine from Aug. 1, 2022, until the end of next year, with the possibility of an additional year. We also strongly encourage all other official bilateral creditors to swiftly reach agreement with Ukraine on a debt service suspension. Trudeau was seized with the global repercussions of the war in Ukraine during his recent trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, last month, where he met with leaders whose nations were already feeling the effects of the grain shortage. The Canadian government pledged $50 million a few days later during the G7 meeting in Germany to ship grain storage equipment to Ukraine so farmers there could store the years harvest and hopefully get it to market if the ports reopened. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canada was prepared to partner with the UN to send ships to Romania to get grain out of Ukraine. We need to free the wheat, she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2022. With files from The Associated Press The Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC) has elected a new president who brings a history of activism, politics and social advocacy to the role. Carol McBride is set to serve a three-year term after a July 16 vote at NWACs annual general assembly. McBride will focus on building relationships directly with grassroots NWAC members, a vision that helped secure her election. To read more of this story first reported by Canadas National Observer, click here. This content is made available to Winnipeg Free Press readers as part of an agreement with Canadas National Observer that sees our two trusted news brands collaborate to better cover Canada. Questions about Observer content can be directed to dana@nationalobserver.com. OTTAWA A Dauphin woman is stuck in Manitoba, grieving the loss of her grandparents abroad. More than a year after applying for full Canadian citizenship, she still has no clue when shell get a passport. I just feel completely helpless, and I would love to be there, just to help out, said Jane Robak, a 29-year-old who works in an emergency room. Robak, her parents and siblings immigrated to Canada when she was 17, leaving Kazakhstan for Winkler. SUPPLIED Jane Robak (left) submitted an application more than a year ago for Canadian citizenship, and now cant visit grieving relatives in her native Kazakhstan after the recent death of both her grandparents. Her husband Colton Robak says thousands must be undergoing the same problem. As a permanent resident, she qualified to apply for citizenship a few years before the COVID-19 pandemic, but was busy working through college in Brandon. She applied for citizenship in spring 2021, a few months before she married Colton Robak, who was born in Manitoba. The two work at Dauphin hospital. In November, her Kazakh passport expired, but she figured shed soon have the invite to take her citizenship test and eventually apply for a passport. This spring, her grandmother in Kazakhstan fell ill; she died earlier this month. Robak sought urgent processing on the grounds of mourning a family member. Then, her grandfather had a stroke. She called Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and says the representative was not helpful, saying some people have waited far longer than a year for processing. He was not very compassionate and was like, Its out of our control, she recalled. The agent noted, as of this week, people who apply for citizenship are being told to wait 27 months. That number is based on how long it took to process 80 per cent of applications over the past six months. Thats virtually unchanged from December 2021, when the department told Parliament it needs 26 months to process new applications and had a backlog of 449,000 applications. Robaks grandfather died this week. She hasnt been able to get a new Kazakh passport, which normally can only be done in that country. Exasperated, the couple reached out to the Free Press. I just feel completely helpless, and I would love to be there, just to help out, she said. Its very confusing, and we will never get a proper answer. The couple have found it disorienting to see other friends get faster approvals. On social media, the couple asked if anyone else had applied for citizenship recently, and learned the waits range anywhere from three months to nearly five years. We know people who are travelling but now my wife (and I) cant even go see her family, said Colton Robak, an intensive-care nurse. When I worked during the pandemic, like I have literally held an iPad in front of people as they were saying goodbye to their families members, because they couldnt see them She hasnt been able to say goodbye. The Immigration Department couldnt comment on the case without a privacy waiver, and did not get into what is causing the delay in processing. Instead, it said some cases take longer when an application isnt properly completed, has information that is complex to verify or when applicants take a while to respond to the departments queries. IRCC noted noted it has allowed for virtual citizenship tests and ceremonies to speed up the process when people actually have their application processed. We understand that longer than expected processing times can be stressful and apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused, wrote spokeswoman Julie Lafortune. We are working hard to respond to the high volumes of applications as the demand for travel grows. Opposition parties say the government failed to anticipate an obvious uptick in travel, causing delays for everything from passports to visa requests. Some have noted the Immigration Departments slow return to in-person work in the office. Whatever the cause, Jane Robak wonders how many other immigrants have backlogs barring them from properly grieving their relatives. Im sure there are a lot of people that are in my boat right now, and it would be nice for them to know that theyre not alone. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca ELKO The Elko County Library turned 100 years old this year, and exciting new changes are underway. A public unveiling of the rebranding effort will take place August 6. We actually started this process about a year ago, said Library Director Kassie Antonucci. We knew we were getting ready to turn 100. We have had changes. We have lost libraries, weve added libraries. After Covid a lot of us reevaluated the services we offer and how we interact with the community. It seemed the perfect time to rebrand. What are we going to do for the next 100 years? Board members and Antonucci worked together to find a marketing consultant to help. They chose Get Back Here Dog, a firm out of Colorado. They have worked with some other libraries that kind of did what we want to do. At the Nevada Library Association conference we were able to meet one of the libraries that rebranded. They are called Anythink. Anything you can think you can do in your library. Another library they have looked to for inspiration is a Montana library called imagineif. These libraries now offer much more than just checking out books, including classes and job connections. We decided we wanted our library to be a community hub, Antonucci said. How can we give the library back to the community? Our new name is going to be Mybrary. We have some new STEM kits that will be available to check out, said KaCee Caroll, youth services librarian. We have microscopes, telescopes, human bodies (models). They can check them out and take them home. We have new Vox books and they read the book to you. A new phone charging station is already installed in the library. The Bookmobile is getting a complete revamping, including a hotspot for Wi-Fi connections. Mybrary will not be charging fines any longer, as a courtesy to their clientele. Rebranding consultants Corey Hayes, Liz Deets and John Bellina recently presented an in-depth program about the process of creating Mybrary. What we are here to do is to help the organization transform how it delivers itself to the market, the community that it serves, said Get Back Here Dog President Hayes. Bellina, director of brand, talked about the transformation of the Rangeview Library District, one of the least funded libraries in the country, into Anythink. We went from a geographic name to a beneficial name and in doing that the staff felt like they had a greater sense of purpose and mission, said Bellina. Anythink was the first library in North America not to be called a library. As a result of the work, Anythink ended up being a top notch library. It became a winner at the White House as one of the top participants in the Institute of Museum and Library Service competition. Their program attendance, materials checkouts, circulation, computer usage, and website visits all went up astronomically. The director of that library immediately became the Colorado librarian of the year, Bellina said. Thats what we want to see happen here. People want more from their libraries, said Deets, director of brand delivery. They dont just want books anymore. There will be less shooshing and more doing, Bellina said. Soon the community will be seeing changes. Billboards will appear advertising Mybrary, bumper stickers and other slogans will begin to adorn vehicles, and the interior and exterior of Mybrary will be undergoing a facelift in every branch location. We hope to really saturate the community, Deets said. One of the placements that Mybrary has bought for its announcement is the front page of the newspaper. It is the very first time this has happened in this community. Mybrary has been working with Great Basin College in recent months. They now offer virtual reality classes in beginning nursing for free. This opportunity will allow interested individuals to better understand the program and see if it fits their career needs. The Elko Art Foundation is working hard to finish the library mural that was begun last summer during the Elko Art Festival. We are excited to be back on the library wall, said Elko Art Foundation member Catherine Wines. We had a bit of a delay because of unforeseen circumstances, but are ready to get it finished. We love that it goes along with the librarys 100th anniversary. Our library is so important to our community. Its an honor for the Elko Art Foundation to be part of the celebration. Keep your eyes peeled for all of the exciting new things that will be happening at Mybrary as the organization metamorphoses from a sleepy book repository to a place of learning and exploration. A northern Manitoba First Nation has asked the Court of Queens Bench to nullify a final operating licence for the Churchill River diversion, arguing Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government failed to consult them. Tataskweyak Cree Nation and its chief, Doreen Spence, applied for a judicial review of the final licence in March after the provincial government officially signed off on the continued operations of the water control structures in May 2021. The community, situated 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg on the shores of Split Lake, claims the river system has been devastated by the diversion, which had been operating under an interim licence since 1976, and Manitoba Hydros augmented flow program, which was renewed annually since 1986. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Tataskweyak Cree Nation and its chief, Doreen Spence, applied for a judicial review of the final licence in March after the provincial government officially signed off on the continued operations of the water control structures in May 2021. The court application claims the fishery at Southern Indian Lake has all but closed due to water choked by sediment and fish contaminated with methyl-mercury; shorelines and habitat on the lower Churchill River and the Rat-Burntwood-Nelson River system have been destroyed; the lake sturgeon population has dwindled owing to manipulated water levels; and TCN remains under a boil water advisory. All of these environmental impacts are undermining the way of life of Tataskweyak Cree Nation, to which Treaty 5 guarantees the right to hunt and fish, the application states. Sturgeon play a significant role in the culture and spirituality of the people of TCN and the loss of sturgeon has had a huge effect on the cultural and spiritual well-being of the nation. Both the Manitoba government and Manitoba Hydro fell far short of their duties to consult and potentially accommodate the First Nation community, court documents state. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES The community claims the river system has been devastated by the diversion, which had been operating under an interim licence since 1976. Manitoba Hydro engaged in very little consultation with TCN in respect to its application for the final licence, the application reads. For the provinces part, while its consultation process notionally lasted eight years, it was anemic in substance. TCN also claims there was little discussion of substantive issues and the minister responsible for issuing the licence did not seriously consider the communitys concerns and proposals. The community has asked the court to set aside the final licence, order Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government to engage in meaningful consultation with the First Nation prior to the issuance of a new licence, and to cover the cost of the application. Manitoba Hydro applied for a final licence for the Churchill River diversion in 2009. The licence issued by the province last year included new conditions meant to address concerns raised by First Nations. An accompanying cover letter contained directives to the Crown corporation with respect to monitoring the effect on shore line erosion, water quality and methyl-mercury in fish. The province has required Manitoba Hydro to take steps to mitigate shoreline erosion, perform studies to improve the environment for fish downstream of the Missi control structure (part of the diversion), and participate in a system-wide monitoring program in the affected area. The province promised to review the Environment Act and the Water Power Act, to modernize both pieces of legislation. Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government declined to comment as the matter is before the court. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Its a designation few communities would embrace, but folks in Komarno dont mind being known as the mosquito capital of the world. The very name of the Interlake community means mosquito-infested in Ukrainian. Townsfolk joke that local skeeters are the size of hummingbirds. Located roughly 75 kilometres north of Winnipeg, in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood, the town is home to a giant mosquito statue. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The 4.6 meter statue of a mosquito, built in 1984, in Komarno, Man. On Friday, locals will celebrate their claim to fame by participating in a promotional video as part of a marketing campaign by a company that makes repellent. The community is wonderful, and theres lots of great people out there, so everybody is just looking forward to getting together and celebrating, said Laine Wilson, recreational facilitator for the RM of Rockwood. Planning began in May after Zeno Group, the communications agency handling the OFF! brand, pitched the idea to Wilson and Rockwood reeve Wes Taplin. Its really neat for companies to recognize communities. There are a lot of people that put a lot of work into their community, and they have a lot of pride Komarno is a really small, (but a) mighty, powerful and great gem in Manitoba, Wilson said. Its something that we never wouldve thought of, Taplin said with a laugh. I just think its great they want to put a positive spin on having mosquitoes. The marketing campaign is a fun way to bring attention to the small community, he said. Staff from OFF! will swarm Komarno to host a barbecue next to the statue. Staff will film the event and interview locals about the history of Komarno. The company will use the footage to create online promotional materials, a representative said. Entomologist Taz Stuart, who used to be known as the City of Winnipegs bug man, will be on hand. Stuart became a familiar face as he discussed the citys battle with skeeters every summer. People say that (Im a celebrity) and I just laugh every time I hear it. (Winnipeg is) the only city in the country that I think knows what an entomologist is, he said. Stuart will answer mosquito-related questions and demonstrate the proper use of repellent products during the event. He will also discuss the finer points of protection against mosquitoes, including wearing lightly coloured and loose-fitting clothing, staying inside during dusk and dawn and clearing yards of standing water. Dont let the mosquitoes ruin your summer, he said. He said that advice is especially important in rural areas that dont have larvicide programs. Manitoba Health reported Thursday that mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus had been detected in Headingley. Stuart pointed out thats not unusual at this point in summer. tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca Mayoral candidate Glen Murray wants to resolve the overall dysfunction he sees in Winnipegs governance system by holding a sweeping review by an external party. In a 13-point plan, Murray said a working group including a member he would ask the Manitoba premier to appoint would be put together and hold its first public outreach session within 100 days of a win in the Oct. 26 municipal vote. The group will be looking at everything from authority being aligned with responsibility, where there are shortcomings in that area, about financial situations, Murray said at a news conference Friday morning on city hall grounds. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS In a 13-point plan, Glen Murray said a working group would be put together and hold its first public outreach session within 100 days of a win in the Oct. 26 municipal vote. The working group would be tasked with undertaking a review of and providing insight on how multiple governance structures across the city could be improved, including the possible merging of the CentreVenture Development Corp. and Winnipeg Parking Authority, establishing an independent taxicab board and assessing the roles of senior city administration. As part of this plan, Murray said, as mayor, hed work to repair fractious and difficult relations between the province and the city, citing the recent comments by Premier Heather Stefanson supporting the Winnipeg Police Association while criticizing Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth as an example of how Winnipeggers were left without a unified front. I will not have public fights with the premier, said the 64-year-old politician, who held the Winnipeg mayors chair from 1998 to 2004. If we have disagreements, you probably wont hear about it. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS As part of this plan, Murray said, as mayor, hed work to repair fractious and difficult relations between the province and the city, Several other candidates were quick to criticize Murray for suggesting the city undertake a full review within months of completing a similar one. Winnipeg was subject of a governance structure review from 2019 to 2021, which was accepted by city council in January, and an implementation plan is currently in progress. Launching a second governance review within months of completing the first one would be a wasteful exercise that will slow down the implementation of necessary changes to city halls processes and procedures, mayoral candidate Coun. Scott Gillingham said in a statement. And scrapping two years of council-directed and -approved work to simply satisfy one candidates campaign promise would be a governance problem in itself. Fellow candidate Rick Shone questioned if Murray was aware the review had happened at all. If not, then he hasnt done his homework. If yes, is he proposing that the city spend more money on outside consultants to undergo another costly report less than a year after completing the last one? the business owner said. Murray responded he had read the review city had done and felt it didnt go in depth on economic development and structural reform, likening it to rearranging the deck chairs rather than making substantive change. I think theres some good things in there, he said. I dont think its big enough, and I think its too internal. Murray added he wanted a review of the governance between the Winnipeg Police Board, WPS chief and other relevant groups to build recommendations for reforms to the citys current police governance model. Board chairman Coun. Markus Chambers noted a review of the Police Services Act between the province and stakeholders is currently underway. The Winnipeg Police Board is only as effective as effective as the individuals that are appointed to it, he said. So it is that collaboration between the city and the province that needs to take place to ensure that the appointees are representational of a variety of stakeholder groups and ethnicities here in the city. Chambers, who has thrown his support behind Gillinghams bid, said Murray hadnt reached out to him about his reform plan. Murray said the current review isnt moving fast enough. Its Winnipegs police service, its about safety, crime is the largest issue. These governments have been around, most of them for a decade, at least, and theyve had lots of time to do it, he said. And I dont see that happening. Murray, Gillingham and Shone are three of 12 registered mayoral candidates for the Oct. 26 election. The list includes: Idris Adelakun, Rana Bokhari, Chris Clacio, Shaun Loney, Jenny Motkaluk, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Jessica Peebles, Desmond Thomas and Don Woodstock. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Two men and a youth have been arrested for the stabbing of a refugee from Ukraine at The Forks earlier this month. After poring through hours of CCTV surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses, investigators were able to identify suspects and arrest them on Wednesday and Thursday, Winnipeg police said on Friday. Two refugees from Ukraine were walking near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when they told witnesses they had accidentally bumped into three men on July 1 at about 10:40 p.m. The two Ukrainian refugees were attacked on this stretch of Israel Asper Way on Canada Day. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press files) Despite apologizing, both were bear sprayed and one was stabbed. In a news release at the time, police said the 22-year-old stabbing victim was bleeding profusely with a life-threatening wound. Staff at Health Sciences Centre stabilized him after he arrived in critical condition, while his 23-year-old friend was treated and released. A witness who assisted the men and visited them in hospital said they had arrived in Canada two weeks earlier and had moved into a downtown apartment on the day they were attacked. They told me they dont want to be here anymore, Julya Zan, who moved to Canada from Ukraine in 2010, told the Free Press. They are looking at moving to another province. Their opinion about Manitoba and Winnipeg has definitely changed. Tyson Cole Steven Becherd and Jayden Kyle Martin, both 19, and a 15-year-old youth have been charged with several offences, including aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. Becherd and Martin have no criminal convictions, according to court records, but each has been charged with an additional count of robbery in connection to an alleged July 15 incident. All three were detained in custody. The Canada Day stabbing was one of three violent attacks at The Forks within five days. In the earlier incidents, a father and daughter were attacked by three teenage girls at about 8 p.m. on June 27, and two men were stabbed at about 12:30 a.m. two days later, said police. Four youths and two adults were arrested in the latter attack. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca Most post-secondary institutes in the province have eased COVID-19 protocols, but Manitobas largest university will require visitors to continue wearing high-quality and well-fitted masks inside campus buildings in the fall. The University of Manitoba announced this month its mask mandate will remain intact when students and academics begin the 2022-23 academic year with a widespread return of face-to-face learning. We are beginning to see discussions in a number of provinces about preparations for possible additional (COVID-19) surges in fall. As a result, we have decided that the existing masking mandate will continue in September, states a notice on the U of M website. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Masked students study in the University Centre on campus at the University of Manitoba in February. The university will require visitors wear masks inside campus buildings when classes resume in the fall. While KN95 masks are highly recommended, visitors will be permitted to wear three-ply medical masks. Both types of face coverings will be available at campus distribution sites. Andrew Halayko, a professor of internal medicine at the U of M, said the easy decision would be to toe the line. Manitoba rolled back virtually all public health measures, including its mask mandate across society, on March 15. Since then, face coverings have only been deemed necessary in health-care facilities. Im impressed that the University of Manitoba has not chosen the easy decision, said Halayko, a Canada Research Chair in lung pathobiology and treatment at the U of M. Theyre showing real leadership. They are basing this decision on scientific evidence that masks do decrease transmission of the virus and the reality that we are in a seventh wave globally. New exceptions to the U of M policy include instructors who are actively teaching, as long as they can maintain at least two metres between themselves and students, and other university employees who can stay physically distanced at their seated workspace or have a cubicle with a physical barrier separating them from colleagues. Despite those changes, the public health measure is slated to be the strictest of its kind on a major campus in the province for the fall semester. Red River College Polytechnic and Brandon University are encouraging indoor mask-wearing indefinitely, with leaders monitoring COVID-19 levels in their respective communities. The University of Winnipeg and Universite de Saint-Boniface have yet to announce fall plans, although they both currently require masks in some capacity. The Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations, which represents roughly 1,600 academic staff at various higher-learning facilities, committed to supporting ongoing face-covering use on campuses as the province eased requirements. A March 14 union motion which passed unanimously stated, MOFA believes that campus mask mandates should remain in place and that all staff and students who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 should be required to stay off campus. For the most part, students have become accustomed to wearing masks to school, said Jaron Rykiss, president of U of Ms undergraduate students union, known as UMSU. Any measures to keep our student body safe are measures that we, as UMSU, support, Rykiss said. But we did hear from a couple of students who disagreed with the (policy). Neither UMSU nor Halayko was consulted about U of Ms decision. However, the professor said he is proud to work at U of M in light of the announcement. Halayko said it is extremely unlikely mandatory mask-wearing will become part of the norm for students and staff who attend and work at universities in the coming years, but it is prudent at present because officials are still only beginning to understand COVID-19 and emerging variants. I find myself adjusting a mask that Im not wearing many times because Im so used to it at this point, he said. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie The University of Winnipegs Indigenous course requirement is deepening student awareness about ongoing injustices tied to settler colonialism, research shows but the authors of a new report warn not all graduates are grasping decolonization as unending work. Since the fall of 2016, incoming undergraduate learners at the U of W have had to take at least one class on Indigenous histories, cultures or matters in order to graduate. The policy, among the first of its kind in the country, was introduced after students pitched it to combat anti-Indigenous racism on campus. There are approximately 90 classes that have been vetted to ensure: content is primarily Indigenous and based in North America, if not Canada; the syllabus incorporates First Nations, Metis and Inuit resources; and an instructor is prepared to offer high-quality education. A new article published in the Canadian Journal of Educations summer 2022 edition examines how the conscious-raising courses that examine systemic discrimination affect non-Indigenous participants learning. People grew in their understanding of ongoing injustice. They recognized that Indigenous people in Canada today face discrimination in various parts of society in ways that they hadnt (before completing the ICR), said Jeremy Siemens, who co-authored the piece with Katelin Neufeld. ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Not long after U of W implemented the Indigenous course requirement, Jeremy Siemens and Katelin Neufeld began recruiting students to complete a survey about their awareness of contemporary anti-Indigenous discrimination, sense of benefit from unjust systems, feeling of responsibility in reconciliation, and support for systemic change. Siemens, a high school teacher, said he was curious about the shift he was witnessing in Grade 9 social studies after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its calls to action in 2015. Students began entering his classroom with greater knowledge about residential schools, identifying settler-colonial biases, and vocalizing support for reconciliation, he said. Education is widely acknowledged as a key tool to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, but Siemens noted there was a massive gap in literature on it when he became a graduate student. The research project built upon his masters thesis at the University of Manitoba. He tapped his wife, a postdoctoral fellow at U of M working on the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer at the time, to collaborate. Not long after U of W implemented the requirement, the duo began recruiting students to complete a survey about their awareness of contemporary anti-Indigenous discrimination, sense of benefit from unjust systems, feeling of responsibility in reconciliation, and support for systemic change. The researchers surveyed 91 non-Indigenous students the groups mean age was 22, half of the respondents were born in Canada, the majority of them were women and nearly three-quarters of participants were white both at the start and end of a course offered between 2017 and 2019. They did follow-up interviews with eight participants. People grew in their understanding of ongoing injustice. They recognized that Indigenous people in Canada today face discrimination in various parts of society in ways that they hadnt (before completing the ICR). Jeremy Siemens Students, who had relatively supportive views initially, had a stronger agreement that non-Indigenous people benefit from systems where anti-Indigenous discrimination is deeply embedded, an increased belief there is a personal responsibility to address injustice, and further backed government initiatives to bridge gaps after completing a course. Some pupils who were interviewed said they came to see immense value in the requirement, despite originally feeling it was a waste of time. Others disclosed newfound knowledge had prompted them to take steps to address ignorance and stereotypes in their social circles. After finishing the ICR, nearly all respondents were strongly in support of increasing government funding to ensure adequate water and housing on reserves. Notably, students were more likely to support the above, as well as increased funding for mandating curriculum on Indigenous history and protecting traditional languages than earmarking taxpayer dollars to address land-related action items. The attitudinal and behavioural changes represent a very significant shift in the field of social psychology, said Neufeld, who has been researching solidarity-building over the last decade. Neufeld, however, indicated students more strongly suggested reconciliation is a collective responsibility than a personal one, and indicated non-Indigenous society at-large benefits from unjust systems more than they do on an individual level. ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Researcher duo, Jeremy Siemens and Katelin Neufeld stand with the University of Winnipeg sign on Portage Avenue. There is this trend, within non-Indigenous folks in settler-colonial settings to see themselves as innocent or as benevolent and to do whatever mental gymnastics are necessary to arrive at that place, Siemens said, noting lessons about Canadas history can elicit an emotional response and make learners feel like they have redeemed themselves. If students simply see this as a sign of transformation and progress and stop there, that can be dangerous. Neufeld echoed those comments and encouraged instructors to be frank with students about the ICR completion being a first step and the importance of ongoing reflection. She also acknowledged the limitations of their research, given they are both non-Indigenous academics and used colonial, western methods. More than five years after the requirement initially rolled out, a U of W academic who studies the Indigenization of education said there are far fewer students who are entering her classes and expressing frustration about the policy. Julie Pelletier, an associate professor of anthropology, said there were initial concerns about the change costing students money or extending studies, while some faculty members were upfront about racist beliefs including one professors claim Indigenous knowledge is just superstition and beliefs so the ICR would dumb-down the academy. Pelletier said it has become an accepted expectation, with many Winnipeg-born learners entering classes with a basic understanding about Indigenous history in Canada although there is still shock among international students. Ive had international students weeping in my classroom, at what theyve learned and equating it, a lot of times, to experiences of colonization in their own countries, she said. Ive had international students weeping in my classroom, at what theyve learned and equating it, a lot of times, to experiences of colonization in their own countries. Julie Pelletier Do I want students to cry in my class? No, no, I dont but if they dont feel something, then I dont think theyre actually paying attention to the material. While the Indigenous studies and history department offer numerous course options, there are credits available in subjects ranging from economics to theatre. The requirement comes with a heavy professional burden on all instructors, but it is especially tiring for Indigenous instructors who share their traumatic lived experiences repeatedly, said Karen Froman, an assistant professor of history, who almost exclusively teaches ICR courses. Its hard work, but its important work, said Froman, who deems the project a success and recommends other post-secondary institutes follow suit. Its not about blame, its not about making people feel guilty or bad about themselves, its not about bashing white folks its about truth-telling. Its an uncomfortable truth and its a hard truth, but its a truth we need to talk about. Its not about blame, its not about making people feel guilty or bad about themselves, its not about bashing white folks its about truth-telling. Karen Froman An internal paper on the ICR experience at U of W, which was published in 2018 in the International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity, contains similar findings to the latest report. Winnipeg-based researcher Helen Lepp Friesen concluded most students expanded their learning and understanding of Indigenous issues in a neutral, good or empathetic way through a mandatory course in winter 2017. The initial paper also states learners appreciated both open conversations and the acquisition of new vocabulary to participate in dialogue in a respectful way. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie Opinion It was a tale of two cities in Canadian municipal politics. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford confirmed plans this week to bring in a so-called strong mayor model for the cities of Toronto and Ottawa. Among the proposed changes, mayors would be given veto power over council decisions. In Winnipeg, Coun. Scott Gillingham one of the perceived front-runners in the race for mayor in the upcoming civic election pledged the opposite: to reduce the mayors powers, in part by shrinking the size of executive policy committee. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Mayor Brian Bowman promised to have council elect members to the executive policy committee, which never happened. Ford, a former Toronto city councillor, is a longtime advocate of centralizing power in the mayors office, a governance model popular in many U.S. cities. In Winnipeg, the debate has gone in the opposite direction, with calls for councillors (especially non-EPC members) to have a greater say in the decision-making process. Mayor Brian Bowman promised to decentralize the mayors powers when he first ran for office in 2014. He pledged to have council elect members to EPC. Unfortunately, he reneged on that commitment, claiming legal advisers at city hall said it would violate the City of Winnipeg Charter. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILESMayoral candidate Scott Gillingham proposed to immediately reduce the size of EPC to six members and limit the number of EPC-only briefings to selected issues. Ford hasnt released the details of his plan. More is expected when his re-elected Tory government delivers its first speech from the throne next month. What he has confirmed is the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa would be given veto powers over city council motions, which could only be overturned by a two-thirds council vote. New mayoral powers would be extended to other Ontario cities after a trial period. The argument behind the strong mayor model is mayors are elected separately from councillors and should be given more than symbolic authority. Right now, their votes have the same weight as councillors. Giving mayors more power is seen as a way of cutting through council gridlock and moving political agendas along more quickly. Its a favourite among the get er done crowd. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Non-EPC members are regularly shut out of the decision-making process at city hall and dont have access to the same information from administration as the mayor and members of the EPC do. The question is: do voters really want that much power vested in one person, similar to the dictatorial authority of premiers and prime ministers? Probably not, at least not in Winnipeg, where the political culture has historically rejected centralized power in the mayors office. Its precisely why Gillingham made the campaign commitment. The St. James councillor proposed Wednesday to immediately reduce the size of EPC to six members and limit the number of EPC-only briefings to selected issues. He says he plans to release a draft bylaw outlining the proposed changes before the Oct. 26 municipal election. Gillingham also said he would cut two positions in the mayors office and redeploy them to council for policy and research support. In addition, he would lobby the province to alter or eliminate the EPC model. Its good politics but its also good policy. Non-EPC members are regularly shut out of the decision-making process at city hall. They dont have access to the same information from administration as the mayor and members of the EPC do. When they are finally briefed, its often at the last minute, sometimes only hours or a few days before important votes. In some cases, theyre expected to review detailed reports without adequate time for proper analysis. The current model allows the mayor to control the agenda on council through appointments, including to EPC. Appointees who dont toe the line usually get the boot. Its undemocratic and doesnt serve the public well. The mayors job is to provide good leadership by bringing ideas to the table and finding support for them on council. The job should not be about directing policy or driving personal agendas. Effective leaders listen, consult and build consensus. They change their minds when others propose better ideas. Good leaders park their egos at the door and find solutions that best serve the public. They inspire. Municipalities dont need strong mayor models to achieve that. What they need is more democracy, more collaboration and consensus building. Winnipeggers would be better served if all councillors had equal input into the decision-making process and equal access to the information available to make those decisions. The people who elect them expect nothing less. The last thing Winnipeg needs is more concentration of power in the mayors office. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca Opinion There are moments in the political evolution of a nation or region when a new movement a breakaway ideological faction, or perhaps a new political party transforms the electoral landscape and forever alters the way governments are chosen and legislative processes proceed. The formation of the Parti Quebecois in 1968, by merging Quebecs Liberal Party with Rene Levesques Mouvement Souverainete-Association and the right-wing populist Ralliement National, galvanized separatist support and eventually led to the election of a PQ government in 1976 and, under premier Jacques Parizeau, forced the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum that came within a percentage point of fracturing the nation. The 1987 launch of the Reform Party of Canada gave voice to the fury of westerners fed up with being ignored by central Canadas (Ontario/Quebec) power brokers, and its rise was instrumental in the 1993 electoral implosion of the federal Progressive Conservative party, which fell from 151 seats to just two. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES It is doubtful the Keystone Party of Manitoba, and its leader Kevin Friesen, will shake things up in a province whose electoral battle lines are indelibly drawn, both ideologically and geographically. Later rebranded as the Canadian Alliance, the party merged with the slightly revitalized PCs in 2003 to become the Conservative Party of Canada, which seized power in 2006 and, under the leadership of prime minister Stephen Harper, maintained control of Parliament for almost a decade. South of the border, the rise of Donald Trump redefined the so-called Party of Lincoln, turning it from the small-c conservative option in Americas two-party system into a refuge for angry white men, internet-misinformed conspiracy theorists and overzealous cult-of-personality disciples. While it remains the Republican Party by name, this version would not be recognizable to one of the GOPs most revered conservative leaders, Ronald Reagan. Seismic shifts all, forever altering the political trajectory of their countries. The launch of the Keystone Party of Manitoba is unlikely to be one of those moments. The announcement last week that the fledgling right-of-centre party has met the requirements for political-party status and is readying to run candidates in next years provincial election may have raised a few eyebrows locally, but the reality of Manitoba politics is that this refuge for variously aggrieved right-leaning rebels stands very little chance of shaking things up in a province whose electoral battle lines are indelibly drawn, both ideologically and geographically. The new partys leader, Manitou-area grain farmer Kevin Friesen, promised an alternative in which the selection of candidates and decision-making on major policy issues will be controlled by you, the grassroots of Manitoba. Official policy positions on such issues as immigration, climate change and reconciliation will not be released until individual constituency associations have a chance to discuss them and bring ideas forward for presentation to voters. JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Canadian Alliance merged with the PCs in 2003 to become the Conservative Party of Canada, which seized power in 2006 and maintained control of Parliament for almost a decade under the leadership of prime minister Stephen Harper. Mr. Friesens address did, however, include a strong undercurrent of freedom, rooted in the anger and division related to the business shutdowns, mask mandates and vaccination requirements imposed during the COVID-19 response. As a result, it bears noteworthy ideological similarity to the federal Peoples Party of Canada. And its almost certain to experience a nearly identical fate when Manitobans go to the polls: noticeable support in a few rural ridings in which anti-restriction, anti-vax sentiment runs deep, but not enough to actually win seats in the legislature, and distant also-ran status virtually everywhere else. If current polling trends hold, the Progressive Conservatives will hold strong in rural/southern Manitoba, and the NDP will likely regain control of Winnipeg while solidifying its hold on the north. The Keystone Party will be on the ballot, but will be insignificant in the campaign conversation and election-night tabulation. Purveyors of populist politics in this province will have to look elsewhere for their watershed moment. Less than 24 hours after Manitoba announced a prioritized COVID-19 vaccine rollout for high-risk babies and toddlers, paediatricians were fielding calls from families anxiously awaiting immunization for their vulnerable little ones. Dr. Ruth Grimes patients include toddlers with cystic fibrosis and a genetic neurodevelopmental condition theyll be among the first in line to receive a pediatric Moderna vaccine. I can only speak to the two conversations I had yesterday, but it was an absolute sigh of relief (for parents) that their high-risk children were actually now going to be able to get this vaccination. I think it really does take a layer of anxiety and stress off their shoulders, the Winnipeg doctor and past-president of the Canadian Paediatric Society said Thursday. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Dr. Ruth Grimes, a primary care and consultative pediatrician, has patients that include toddlers with cystic fibrosis and a genetic neurodevelopmental condition who will be among the first in line to receive a pediatric Moderna vaccine. Pediatricians were consulted prior to Manitobas decision to prioritize babies and toddlers with chronic diseases, developmental conditions and complications from premature birth for appointments until more pediatric vaccine doses are available, Grimes said. I think that parents who recognize their children have particular medical risk are very invested and very pleased to get this vaccine, she added. For now, Manitoba is limiting appointments for children under five years old to those who have serious medical conditions and are otherwise immunocompromised. Parents of high-risk children ages six months to four years can start booking appointments at their doctors offices and vaccine sites Monday. Theres no word yet on when every child under five will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccine. There are only 15,000 doses in the initial shipment and an estimated 77,000 children in that age range are deemed high-risk, chief provincial medical health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said Wednesday. While her three-year-old daughter is not yet eligible, Ellen Bees of Winnipeg said after waiting this long for an approved pediatric vaccine, shes happy to see immunocompromised children being put first. I think its important that people with more severe health issues get it first. More vulnerable kids need it first, so Im OK waiting, Bees said. Once she is eligible, Im going to be super excited about that. Its just good to know that its coming soon. Its been a very long wait. Bees daughter has been going to daycare, and its been stressful sending her knowing her age group wasnt able to be vaccinated, she said. Having some certainty about the pediatric vaccine rollout now has helped, Bees added. However, based on slower uptake among five- to 12-year-olds, its uncertain how quickly parents of babies and preschoolers will want to book appointments, Grimes said. Only about half of children five to 12 have had the shot. Theyve been eligible since late November. The new Moderna vaccine approved for children younger than five uses a lower dosage and the risk of adverse reaction is even lower than in older children and teens, Grimes said. The doctor said she is confident the vaccine is safe, and acknowledged its important physicians are upfront with patients about any risk and make clear what information is available and what is not yet known. The prevalence of long COVID in children, and how susceptible they are to other illnesses after being infected with COVID-19, is still being studied. Pediatricians have confidence in this vaccine, and we would like to see children be vaccinated, Grimes said. I dont think weve fully established or answered what the long-term impacts of COVID infection are in children, so were looking at long COVID symptoms. Ive had a few patients, I know many of my other colleagues have, and its as disruptive and sometimes devastating for the families as long COVID symptoms are in adults. Regardless of their stance on the vaccine, Grimes encouraged parents to talk to their pediatricians and family doctors to go over any concerns and make an informed decision. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca The Winona Area Public Schools Board has a plan in place to invest in its school buildings and improve learning and activity spaces for generations of students and families. It will now ask the community to support it. The school board on Thursday night approved a two-question referendum to be held in April 2023. If the community supports both questions, the district can begin work on a list of projects included in a recommendation by the WAPS Community Task Force, a group of staff members and community members which met 10 times over a span of four months to vet numerous facilities options. Earlier in Thursdays meeting, the board accepted the recommendation as the base of a master facilities plan. There are so many (educational) options in our district, board vice chair Tina Lehnertz said. Those people have been continuing to move forward for a long time, and they still are moving forward. I think some of our spaces need to have these renovations in order to put programming in place that we want to have. I think the time is now. The exact wording of the questions are not finalized, but the first one will ask voters to invest $71 million into improvements such as creating flexible learning spaces and addressing accessibility issues at the districts historic elementary schools, updating career and technical education spaces at the high school and other deferred maintenance needs in all buildings. The second question features improvements to extracurricular spaces, including the remodeling of the auditorium and music classrooms at the high school, renovations of the Paul Giel Field bathrooms and the addition of a sorely needed gym at the high school. The investment required for Question 2 is $15 million. If both questions are approved, the owner of a $200,000 home will see a property tax increase of less than $17 a month. (The financial documents can be seen here.) There is a lot of excitement in my mind about the academic piece of what we can do in the elementary schools with improving deferred maintenance, school board chair Nancy Denzer said. The industrial tech wing is really important to me because it is a direct connection to our business community and the people that our students are eventually going to be serving when they move into the workforce or start their career choice. A scientific survey conducted by one of Minnesotas leading marketing and research firms indicated community support for the list of projects. Fifty-six percent of those who responded to a survey by The Morris Leatherman Company either support or strongly support the recommendation. Fifty-three percent of respondents said the total $87 million cost of the referendum to be a fair price, while 33% do not, and 15% are unsure. Board member Michael Hanratty, who was part of the Community Task Force meetings along with Denzer, said he came to the meeting ready to support a one-question referendum, but was moved to change his mind. One thing that struck me with the Community Task Force was the spirit of consensus, Hanratty said. I think it is really important for this board to have that same spirit. That is one of the reasons the board members wanted to hold the vote in April 2023. The board had originally targeted a November 2022 referendum date but many members said they see the value in spending a few more months engaging with the community. Board member Karl Sonneman said it will be important to persuade community members who may need a little nudging to get to the polls. This isnt a question of just putting the facts out, Sonneman said. Persuasion takes more. It takes listening to what people say, being able to answer their questions, being able to present a complex picture of what were doing. Board member Stephanie Smith agreed, adding that engaging with more community members could even lead to increased enrollment. We want people in our community to see that were trying to make changes for the future and improve our schools to match these other schools in our community, Smith said. To view the entire task force report, visit winonaschools.org. Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Vo Van Thuong (Photo: VOV) Speaking at the meeting, General Director of Star Telecom Tran Trung Hung reported to the delegation about the company's operation and investment in Laos. Mr. Tran Trung Hung said that Star Telecom Company with the Unitel brand name is one of the most successful overseas investment projects in the form of joint ventures of the Military Telecommunications Industry Group. After 14 years, Unitel is the largest network operator in Laos with 3.5 million subscribers, accounting for more than 54% of the market share, contributing to making Laos one of the countries with the best 4G coverage and speed in Southeast Asia, bringing high-speed Internet to all Lao people. He affirmed that the company is always aware of its responsibility to contribute to society and people's lives, creating jobs for nearly 1,500 people and more than 25,000 non-employees, actively contributing to the community, and serving the construction and development in Laos. In the coming time, the company will strive to develop to become a technology group with the orientation to be the "leading crane" of the economy. In which, telecommunications is the key. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Vo Van Thuong visited and encouraged staff of the Star Telecom Company; highly appreciated the contribution of Star Telecom Company in Laos; noting that the company is one of the models of cooperation, investment and business between Vietnam and Laos and is highly appreciated by the Lao side. He emphasized that he hoped the life of the company's officers and employees will be maintained and improved, so that they can work with peace of mind and contribute more to the development of the company, for the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos. Earlier, also within the framework of this visit to Laos, Mr. Thuong and the high-ranking delegation of the Party and State also attended the art program "Vietnamese lotus soul - Champa color". This was an event within the framework of Vietnam Culture Week in Laos, in order to practically celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2022) and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Vietnam and Laos (July 18, 1977 - July 18, 2022)./. A police officer was put in a headlock and slammed to the ground by a man who allegedly threw an empty beer can at children riding bicycles past his house. Branden J. Kennedy, 39, Columbus, was released from custody on a $10,000 signature bond following his arrest. He has been charged with felony battery to a law enforcement officer and strangulation and suffocation. Columbia County Judge W. Andrew Voigt had set Kennedys signature bond at $10,000 along with standard felony conditions. If convicted, Kennedy faces three years of prison on each count followed by up to three years of extended supervision with potentially $20,000 in fines. Kennedy is also charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint filed in Columbia County: On July 13 a man spoke with a Columbus police officer about an incident on South Ludington Street in Columbus. The man alleged his son and a friend were riding their bikes on the street when an empty beer can was thrown at them allegedly hitting one of the children in the head and the other in the face. The officer went to speak with Kennedy who allegedly admitted to throwing the empty beer can. The officer told Kennedy he would be issued a citation. The complaint alleges Kennedy lunged at the officer and put the officer in a headlock. While in a headlock the officer was slammed to the ground. Kennedy is scheduled to be back in Columbia County Courthouse in August. Pardeeville and Mauston are two of 65 high schools across the Midwest receiving funds to bolster their agricultural education programs. Its all part of the Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program run by the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America through the Farm Credit cooperative. The programs mission is to expand agricultural education programs in high schools across the Midwest, covering 144 counties. These grants help to fuel the inspiration and exposure students receive in high schools, said Karen Schieler, Senior Corporate Giving Specialist. In Pardeeville High School, the grant money means new updated equipment in the classroom. Pardeeville Agri-Science Instructor and FFA Advisor Amanda Seichter says that thanks to the funds, the school has been able to purchase two RealityWorks models, one featuring the major Beef Cuts for Food Science, and another, a nearly life-size corn model showcasing different nutrient deficiencies and diseases for her Plant Science and Crop Science courses. These hands-on models allow students to better visualize the content that we are teaching in our courses, said Seichter. She added that about six years ago, administrators at PHS allowed the agriculture department to diversify, offering a variety of courses covering all aspects of the Agriculture industry, giving students the opportunity to explore the industry in new ways. With the new models, its Seichters hope that the program will continue to grow and evolve. We are fortunate to have a supportive administration, she said. District Administrator Jason LeMay echoed Seichters optimism, stating that in the last six years, Pardeevilles agricultural education program has seen wonderful growth to the point that the district needed to hire a second teacher, Meagan Vujnovich, in 2020 to keep up with the expanded course offerings. Additionally, the school offers multiple dual credit courses while also sustaining its extracurricular agricultural offerings in the FFA program. The grants that the department receives are always put to good use to help cover instructional needs and the Compeer grant is no different, said LeMay. The models that were purchased from RealityWorks will be very useful to classroom instruction. Mauston High Schools agriculture instructor and FFA advisor, Beth Babcock, was not available for comment. The schools FFA recently celebrated three of its students achieving state finalist status for FFA proficiencies. According to the Compeer Financial website, the funds allocated to the Mauston agriculture program will be used to purchase a hydroponic system and LED grow lights. In total, $229,852 in grants were distributed through the Compeer program, reaching up to 11,573 students in midwestern agriculture programs. The goal of this grant program is to help develop and enhance modern, comprehensive agriculture education in schools, teaching students about its importance and limitless potential, said Schieler. The agriculture industry offers a variety of career opportunities, and exposing young adults to this starts in the classroom, she said. Officer Zachary Brenner "was obviously shaken up by the incident" and "is doing as well as can be expected ... and is ready to come back to work," Police Chief Maurice Robinson said. Healthy boost for Wits Food Bank Wits staff step up on Mandela Day for food-insecure students. The rising cost of living has resulted in many counting their cents with no room to give, however, Wits staff have demonstrated care despite the gloomy economic environment. Driven by a commitment to students and to the values of Nelson Mandela, Witsies helped to replenish the Wits Food Bank which supports thousands of students in need. Refilling the Wits Food Bank on Mandela Day is part of the annual acts of care undertaken by the University community to promote student wellness and ensure food security for students. Food insecurity is an unfortunate reality for some students, both local and international, due to financial backgrounds amongst other factors. Wits Vice-Chancellor Professor Zeblon Vilakazi joined staff in the endeavour to fill the Food Bank ahead of the second semester, which starts next week. Thanking staff for their contributions Vilakazi said it gives him great pride to lead people who care. Friendly competition The Wits community is known for its friendly competitive spirit and eyes are always out for the department that collects the most contributions for the Food Bank. Pride and team spirit was high as the Registrars Division, under the leadership of Carol Crosley, hauled their contributions in a trolley. Student Enrolment Centre, the Academic and Information Systems Unit, and the Payroll Office maintained their pre-pandemic record of mobilising noteworthy donations. Of the Parktown campuses, the School of Governance was exemplary. The event also doubled as a fun team-builder around the Universitys 100 years of existence. Staff used their contributions to craft a Wits 100 image on a canvass. Participants were also quizzed on Wits facts and milestones and winners walked away with Wits shop vouchers. Congratulations to: Nodene Sheik (Student Enrolment Centre), Gita Patel (International Office) and staff members from the Central Record Office, the custodians of history who had the upper hand in the quiz - Kgopotso Mohlolo and Molatelo Pampa. Witsies win lifetime achievement, research, and capacity development awards at Science Oscars Professors Shabir Madhi, Sehliselo Ndlovu and Tamiru Abiye were winners at the 2021/2022 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South 32 Research Awards. The annual awards ceremony, widely regarded as the Science Oscars, took place at gala dinners at venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town and online, on 21 July 2022. Vaccines save lives Professor Shabir Madhi won the Lifetime Award, which recognises the research of an individual over 15 years or more. Madhi is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at Wits. The award pays tribute to his leadership in researching vaccines against life-threatening diseases in Africa and globally, and for being at the cutting-edge of research in this area since 1997. A National Research Foundation A-rated scientist and a paediatrician, Madhis research over 25 years has focused on the epidemiology and clinical development of vaccines against pneumonia and diarrhoeal disease. These studies have informed World Health Organization recommendations on the use of the lifesaving pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and rotavirus vaccine in children, and flu vaccination of pregnant women. Madhi is also Director of the SA Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA), in which capacity he led South Africa and Africas first Covid-19 vaccine trials (Oxford/AstraZeneca and Novavax Covid-19 vaccine). Over the course of the pandemic (2020-2022), Madhi has been an outspoken, articulate and ardent advocate of Covid-19 vaccination as well as for increased access to these and other vaccines in Africa. On accepting his award, Madhi said that the Covid-19 vaccines had saved an estimated 20 million lives. He dedicated his NSTF-South32 Award to the 300 000 South Africans who lost their lives to Covid-19 due to the stymied national vaccine rollout programme, and to the estimated thirteen million people worldwide who succumbed to this now vaccine-preventable disease. Dedication to water science Professor Tamiru Abiye in the Hydrogeology Programme in the School of Geosciences won the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Researcher, for his dedication to water science and focus on building research capacity and solving community problems to attain sustainable development in South Africa. Because Africa has massive groundwater reserves which are resilient to climate change, Abiyes research advances the sustainable use of groundwater to alleviate poverty and enhance economic development. Abiye was not in Johannesburg to collect his award personally, but said I am very honoured for receiving the NSTF-South 32 Award and I am grateful for the recognition, which means that I am doing something good for South Africa in regards to human capacity-building in the field of hydrogeology, with profound support from the University of the Witwatersrand. I wish also to thank Professor Gillian Drennan, Dr Robin Drennan, and Professor Zeblon Vilakazi for nominating and supporting me. Abiye is an NRF-rated researcher and registered Professional Natural Scientist in South Africa with some 30 years of experience in the field. He envisages Wits becoming a hub to train groundwater professionals to solve critical water supply problems on the continent. Such capacity-building will contribute to achieving sustainable development at a time of increasing population, climate change impacts, water pollution, and lack of proper water management. Ensuring sustainable metals in future Professor Sehliselo Selo Ndlovu won the Engineering Research Capacity Development Award, which recognises an individual contribution over the last five to ten years. Ndlovu is Professor of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering in the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering and the Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation South African Research Chairs Initiative Chair in Hydrometallurgy Sustainable Development at Wits. She was the only black woman in engineering sciences to hold a research chair when it was awarded in 2015. The Award acknowledges Ndlovus hydrometallurgical engineering, which focuses on ensuring a sustainable future supply of metals by developing processes and building capacity and skills that can drive and contribute to the extractive metallurgical industry. Ndlovu thanked the awarding panel for the honour, adding I am also very grateful for the support that I have received from my institution, the University of the Witwatersrand, and my School, the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering. It would not have been possible to attain such research achievements without the support that they have provided all these years. And to all my fellow finalists for this award, I look up to you: You have set the benchmark of excellence for me, and to be on the same list as you is one of my greatest achievements. Ndlovu also extended her gratitude to her family and friends for their unwavering support and dedicated her award to them. The organizers has held a conference to announce information related to the four events, including Paper Vietnam 2022, Rubber and Tyre Vietnam 2022, Coating Expo Vietnam 2022 and Plastech Vietnam 2022. Representative of the organizers announced the information related to the international exhibitions. (Photo: VNA) At the press conference, the representative of the organizers said that so far, the exhibitions have attracted 170 enterprises from 17 countries and territories, including 41 enterprises from India. Many typical Vietnamese brands also registered to display products at the exhibition such as Dong Tien Paper, Miza, Viet An, Minh Thanh, Minh Long, Da Nang Rubber, Hien Long, Kien Vuong, Quoc Thang, Nhat Minh, Nguyen Quynh Anh, and Mac Tich. In addition to showcasing a wide range of machinery and equipment and products, the expos will also feature several seminars, B2B matching and VIP buyer programmes to help exhibitors and visitors learn about the latest trends and market demands, identify customers, and make appointments and meet with potential partners, he said. The four exhibitions are annual events, organized by Minh Vi Company (VEAS) for the past 10 years. This is the first year these exhibitions have been reorganized after three years hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic./. People visit a planetarium in Kedu Township of Pingtang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 20, 2022. In 2007, Pingtang County launched a relocation program that involved 6,653 rural residents from Kedu and Tangbian townships. The program was implemented in order to prepare for the construction of the FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope), also known as the "China Sky Eye." Kedu Township started a plan to transform itself into an astronomy-themed town from September 2015, taking advantage of its proximity to the FAST. Kedu now has more than 20 projects built to promote astronomical science. Many relocated rural residents have found jobs or started their own businesses in the town. [Xinhua/Ou Dongqu] [Xinhua/Yang Chenguang] Qiao Lin, 30, a resident of Yangcheng, a county in Jincheng, a city in North China's Shanxi Province, is an inheritor of the Qiaos' enamel pottery-making craft. The craft was added to the list of Shanxi's provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Enamel is the colorful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850. The powder melts, flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. Yangcheng has long been known for the production of color-glazed porcelain. Making color-glazed porcelain involves dozens of complicated procedures, including kneading clay into various items (such as cups, plates and vases), applying the glaze to the porcelain's base (made of clay, feldspar or quartz), heating the materials to shape the porcelain, and examining the products. [Xinhua/Cao Yang] Qiao returned home in 2015, shortly after she graduated from Binghamton University (a state university in New York, the United States), with bachelor's degree in actuarial science. Within a short time, she picked up the "baton" (of creating potteries) from her seniors. During the past several years, she has put much effort into inheriting and revitalizing the traditional craft. As managing director of Yangcheng Qiaofeng Porcelain Industry Co., Ltd., Qiao during the past few years has led the company's craftspeople in promoting the inheritance and innovation of the traditional enamel-pottery-making craft. For example, to cater to the aesthetic tastes of modern people, Qiao has led the craftspeople in adding modern, fashionable elements to their potteries. They have also created potteries with designs of cultural and natural landscapes. Many of the cultural products (including those sold to tourists created by the craftspeople), with distinctive local features, have sold well both at home and abroad. Some artworks created by Qiao and other craftspeople (in the company) have been housed in Shanxi Museum. Given the sound development of the company, jobs have been created for many residents of Yangcheng. "Our company has set up a studio, in which residents may create potteries under the guidance of our craftspeople. We hope that will help the residents better understand the beauty of the artworks. We also hope more young people will join us in promoting the development of the traditional craft," says Qiao. [Xinhua/Cao Yang] [Xinhua/Yang Chenguang] Qiao's heart is filled with all sorts of emotions, especially as she recalls the many sweet, and bitter, incidents she has experienced on her unique career path over the years. "We have to make many choices during our lifetime. Although the living conditions of residents of a big city (in China) are better than the living conditions of people in my hometown, I have never regretted my decision to return home to promote the development of the traditional craft. I have felt obliged to do something to promote the art form globally ... As I pursue my dream (of revitalizing the traditional craft), I will achieve my self-realization," says Qiao. She believes passion and careful work are essential to one's career success. "I'll make greater efforts to bring new vitality to the time-honored craft," says Qiao. [Xinhua/Cao Yang] (Source: Xinhua/Women of China English Monthly June 2022 issue) Pine Island is the biggest island in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Peninsula, just outside Fort Myers. In this small and idyllic oceanfront community, visitors will be welcomed with tropical plants, beaches, marine preserves, and greens expanses filled with palm trees. With a favorable climate that feels what many would describe as paradise, one can fall in love with the vintage and rural Florida atmosphere. Pine Island is home to several outdoor recreational activities and is filled with aquatic wildlife. It has grown to notoriety for its abundance of tropical fruit such as mangoes and lychees, which visitors flock to the island for. Geography Of Pine Island Welcome sign at Pine Island, Florida. Editorial credit: SR Productions / Shutterstock.com Of the entire US, Pine Island is the 118th largest island and resides in Florida's Lee County, which is west of Cape Coral. Pine Island is a part of a chain of islands that constitute the Matlacha Pass and separates it from the Florida Mainland. On the west side of Pine Island reside the Intracoastal Waterway, a waterway that runs from Massachusetts to Texas, passing around the Florida Peninsula. Of the nearby islands, Sanibel Island lies to the south, North Captiva Island to the west, and Captiva Island to the southwest. Geology Of Pine Island Similar to nearby Fort Myers, Pine Island is made up of deposits of coral rock. This variation of limestone encrusted with fossilized shells, animals, and even pine trees found in the northern tip from the excavation is common throughout southern Florida. Following millions of years of North America settling into place from the continental drift, that state's land mass was twice as large. This saw extensive forests, dunes, and tributaries with the coast of the Gulf of Mexico starting another 100 miles west of Pine Island. Thus, came the ice age, which brought forth flooding as the glacier defrosted. Around 4500 BC, the shape of Florida formed into something similar to today. The former ice age also increased water levels and created the long and narrow islands seen off the gulf coast, including Pine Island. With churning ocean water, channels, shoals, and the unnamed sand beaches that are a familiar attraction of Pine Island formed. However, the mingling of freshwater and saltwater from the tributaries' output created sedimentation. The fallen trees from the shore, among shells, animals, and other items fossilized in this sedimentation, created the limestone, better known as coral rock. Brief History Of Pine Island Long before the town of Pine Island existed, the Calusa Indians were the first known inhabitants of this island, around 800 AD. The first contact with outsiders did not occur until the mid-16th century when Spanish conquistadors landed. By the 19th century, there were no further documented occurrences of the Calusa Indians, and it is believed the tribe could have died off or dissolved into other tribes. Ongoing research is being conducted on Pine Island to further understand the Calusa Indians, with artifacts being unearthed as of today. Ecology Of Pine Island Pelican and fishermen on Bokeelia Pier in Pine Island, Florida. Editorial credit: SR Productions / Shutterstock.com The natural beauty of Pine Island is an attraction in itself and draws nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts from all over the US. On the island, there are many wildlife or aquatic preserves. Nestled between Pine Island and the Florida mainland, the Little Pine Island Reserve can be found. This smaller island of the same name is entirely a state-owned refuge with a series of hiking trails. Little Pine Island serves as a roosting spot for many migratory birds such as ospreys, egrets, and the roseate spoonbill. To the northeast and across the Matlacha Pass is another Preserve by the name of Matlacha Pass Aquatic Outstanding Florida Water. This marine protected area contains 538 acres of marine estuary and over 20 islands. With wide varieties of wetland trees, the red, black, and white mangroves are found in abundance. Of the many endangered species, the West Indian manatee, eastern indigo snake, and wood stork call this preserve home. Lake McConaughy is a large reservoir that has been formed by the Kingsley Dam on the North Platte River. Lake McConaughy is Nebraska's largest reservoir that is renowned as a fun outdoor destination. Boating, fishing, swimming, scuba diving, and camping are just a few of the recreational activities that may be done on its waterways and shores. About Lake McConaughy Lake McConaughy overflow structure on the North Platte River near Ogallala, Nebraska. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission looks after the Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area, which is located on the North Platte River, approximately 14km north of Ogallala, Nebraska. Being the state's biggest reservoir, Lake McConaughy has a length of 35km and a maximum width of 6.4km. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 43m and covers a surface area of 144 sq. km. Even its nickname, "Big Mac," is a reflection of its enormous size. The waters of the Lake McConaughy reservoir are primarily used for irrigation purposes and for generating hydroelectric power. Also referred to as "Little Lake," Lake Ogallala forms a crucial component of the Lake McConaughy recreation complex and is located immediately below Kingsley Dam. Brief History The idea of bringing irrigation to south-central Nebraska was explored by locals as early as the 1880s. With each subsequent cycle of drought, interest in irrigation increased until the 1930s drought, and the economic crisis helped convince state and federal officials as well as local leaders of the necessity for irrigation. Construction on the hydro-irrigation project started in 1936 after the Public Works Administration authorized funding for it in 1935. Project operations started immediately after the 1941 closure and dedication of Kingsley Dam. George P. Kingsley, a banker from Minden, Nebraska, and C.W. McConaughy, a grain trader and the mayor of Holdrege, Nebraska, two of the project's major promoters, are commemorated by having the dam and reservoir named in their honor. Although neither lived to see the project's completion, their leadership and tenacity ultimately resulted in a public power and irrigation project that assisted Nebraska in becoming one of the top agricultural states in the country. Kingsley Dam Outlet from the Kingsley Hydro Plant power generation facility at Kingsley Dam, Lake McConaughy on North Platte River, near Ogallala, Nebraska. Editorial credit: Bob Pool / Shutterstock.com Kingsley Dam, a large hydraulically filled earthen dam, is situated at the eastern end of Lake McConaughy. The dam is over 49m tall, 5.0km long, and 340m wide. The whole dam is an engineering wonder. The majority of the soil near the dam is fairly sandy. A solid wall of interlocking sheet steel pilings had to be driven across the riverbed and down between 30 and 160 feet by workers. Prior to reaching an impermeable layer of Brule clay, the pilings traversed the sand and gravel. Workers then poured loess soila fine-grained clay and silt soil more frequently found in Iowa than Nebraskaover those sturdy pilings until the finished height was 49m. The loess was then dried up, and the soil solidified into a core. Local sand and gravel were pumped over the core from a pit. Twenty-five million cubic yards of soil and other materials make up the complete dam. The Kingsley Hydro plant is located below the dam's southern end. Wildlife A variety of habitats can be found in and around Lake McConaughy. These habitats range from open sandy beaches to riverine marshes and cold-water streams. Along with various fish and animal species, the lake is also home to many species of amphibians and reptiles. Around Lake McConaughy, more than 300 different bird species have been recorded, including a sizable population of shorebirds, ducks, and geese. During their yearly journey to and from Texas breeding sites, sandhill cranes stop near the west end of the lake. Bald eagles gather below the Kingsley and Johnson No. 2 hydro plants throughout the winter, drawn by the turbulence and ice-free water produced by the plants' operation. On the beaches near Lake McConaughy, nesting populations of least terns and piping plovers, which are categorized as endangered and threatened species, respectively, can be found. Significant Developments Kite Surfing at Lake McConaughy. Image Credit: vicki watkins from USA, via Wikimedia Commons A Master Plan for Lake McConaughy/Lake Ogallala, a joint effort by the Commission and state and local stakeholders, was authorized by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 2016 in order to develop the parks surrounding the lakes for the future and to safeguard important natural resources. Game and Parks has spent more than $4 million on repairs and upgrades to the parks since it went into effect in 2017, including renovating camping amenities, bathrooms, boat docks, angler access areas, park entrance stations, and accessibility. A Lake McConaughy Advisory Committee was established in 2020 as part of additional attempts to profit from tourism and take advantage of Lake McConaughy's potential for future economic growth. Most Nebraskans and citizens of adjacent states are aware of Lake McConaughy as a fantastic location for outdoor leisure. Campers, boaters, windsurfers, swimmers, water skiers, picnickers, scuba divers, hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists enjoy Lake Mac's white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Therefore, it is crucial to safeguard and maintain water quality for a variety of public, private, and economic uses. Casey White, the Alabama prisoner whose escape with a corrections officer sparked a national manhunt in April, was federally indicted July 21 for illegally possessing firearms when he fled, the DOJ announced. Security footage from Jan. 6, 2021, shows Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri fleeing the mob, hours after he pumped his first in the air to show his support. A map shared by the Missouri Division of Fire Safety shows the Drought Monitor Report for July 21, 2022. Click here for more details. Several failings in support for vulnerable adult who died whilst receiving services commissioned by Wrexham Council Wrexham Council has been found to have not adequately supported a vulnerable adult with learning disabilities, who later died. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from Mrs X about support provided to her sister, Ms Y, by the local authority. Ms Y, an adult with learning disabilities and history of alcohol dependence, had been moved by the council into supported living accommodation, managed for the Council by a contracted provider. Mrs X was unhappy that the provider delayed in telling the council of increasing concerns about Ms Ys behaviour, and that when the provider finally contacted the Council they were unable to access support for Ms Y. Ms Y sadly died in April 2020. The Ombudsman upheld the complaint. She found that the provider did not escalate matters to the Council quickly enough and that the council did not appropriately manage Ms Ys care when matters were eventually escalated. She also found that the council did not explore the opportunities to share with Mrs X information about her sisters condition. Finally, the Ombudsman also found failings in how the council handled Mrs Xs complaint about her sisters care, with conclusions of an independent investigator not fully included in the investigation findings, nor shared with Mrs X. Commenting on the report, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, said: This is a sad case of grave injustice and we extend our sympathy to the family. We acknowledge that when Ms Y died, the COVID-19 pandemic had already placed severe pressure on the Councils services. Nevertheless, we decided that, given that Ms Y was a vulnerable adult with a history of known alcohol dependence, concerns about her condition should have been escalated sooner, and the Council should have offered support when matters were finally escalated. Our report is clear that we cannot know whether earlier interventions by the Council would have altered the sad outcome for Ms Y. However, we are also clear that several opportunities to intervene were lost. One of those opportunities was to ensure that Ms Y had all the chances to receive support from her family. Sadly, we found that because the Council did not seek Ms Ys consent about sharing information with her family, her sister was unaware of Ms Ys condition and unable to extend that support. We were also concerned about how Mrs Xs complaint to the Council was considered and managed. The failings that we identified in that process call into question the robustness of the investigation and its findings. Although the Council was not directly providing day to day care for Ms Y, as the body with overall responsibility for the delivery of its social care functions, the Council was responsible for the failings. We welcome that Wrexham County Borough Council has now accepted these findings and conclusions and has agreed to implement the recommendations in full. The Ombudsman recommended that Wrexham County Borough Council issues a meaningful apology to Mrs X for the shortcomings identified in the Report and: Implements all the actions identified during the Councils investigation of the original complaint by Mrs X Reminds those it contracts to undertake independent investigations on its behalf to ensure that any findings or critique of the service provided to a client are reflected in their report and findings and not shared separately with the authority Reminds relevant staff of the importance of regular contract monitoring in relation to the delivery of social care services by third party providers, to ensure appropriate intervention if there are concerns about the provision of service or a change in a clients needs. In a joint statement on behalf of Wrexham Council, Chief Executive Ian Bancroft, Chief Officer Customer and Governance Linda Roberts, and Chief Officer Social Services Alwyn Jones said: This was a sad and difficult set of circumstances, and we apologise unreservedly for the distress this has caused to the family. Weve also been in touch with the family to apologise personally. The council has worked closely with the Ombudsman to support the investigation, and fully accepts the findings of the report. The report recognises that staff were trying to achieve a difficult balance between avoiding overly restricting Ms Ys independence while supporting her safety and welfare, but the errors identified including the way concerns were escalated and acted upon too slowly are deeply regrettable. The council has agreed to the recommendations in the report, and is fully committed to making improvements. Immediate actions have already been identified and are being implemented, and well be ensuring all of the recommendations are fully implemented. The report can be viewed in full, here. Inspiring Wrexham school rap will live on forever thanks to music studio bosses An inspiring song written by local primary school pupils will live on forever thanks to Wrexham Sounds. More than 80 learners from St Peters Primary School in Rossett recorded the track One Hotdog and a Massive Kit Kat with representatives from the Rhosrobin music studio and Darren Hughes, director of Pivotal Sound and Lighting. Written by and starring children from different years, the rap follows Wrexham AFCs attempt to win the FA Trophy while paying homage to Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, star striker Paul Mullin, and referencing teachers, landmarks, and their favourite things about the city. Wrexham Sounds General Manager Olivia Gallagher was impressed with the finished result and said: They were so professional and only needed one take! The rap is amazing, and we were just glad to be able to visit them and record if for posterity. They are a credit to Wrexham and Im sure theyll all continue to write and produce songs that will have a positive impact on the club and their local community. Key Stage Two teacher Rebecca Roberts said the experience of writing and recording the rap which went viral on social media is one they will never forget. We will all remember this day forever and are so grateful to Wrexham Sounds for their support, she added. The rap started with Year 6 before gaining the attention of other children, so we thought it would be nice for everyone to get involved. The noise levels throughout the school were very high at times as it was the first thing we had done together since the beginning of the pandemic; it was a release for the pupils in the end. The club is a huge part of the community and whats happened since the arrival of Rob and Ryan has captured the imagination, which is brilliant and made it a fantastic project to be involved in. And finally, where did the unique name come from? As a family we go and watch Wrexham AFC and one of the pupils saw me there eating a massive Kit Kat! said Rebecca. He said he really wanted a hot dog, and it went from there thats how the rap was born! She added: Their energy, the lyrics, its all fantastic and we are so very proud of them, its shown them that if they put their minds to it, they can do anything. Because of Wrexham Sounds theyll now be able to listen to the rap for years to come thank you. Since opening its doors in February, not-for-profit Wrexham Sounds has made huge progress in forging new partnerships and securing the services of talented freelance musicians and tutors to deliver lessons and activities across multiple genres to disadvantaged young people. As well as children and teenagers who are referred via a range of local agencies and educators there are sessions for pupils unable to access music lessons at school. For more information or to join the team at Wrexham Sounds as a freelance tutor or volunteer, visit www.wrexhamsounds.org and follow them on social media at @wrexhamsounds. Plans for dog walking field in Overton approved to provide safe space for owners Plans to create a dog walking field in a Wrexham village have received the green light. Proposals were put forward in February to change the use of agricultural land at Gwalia Fields in Overton to allow dog owners to safely walk their pets outdoors. Documents show the facility off the B5069 would cover an area of approximately 2.5 acres, which would be fenced off to prevent the dogs from running away. Representatives for farm owner Dennis Nicholls, who is behind the scheme, said he was looking to diversify his business. They said the application was submitted in response to local demand for private walking facilities on social media. The proposals have now been approved by planning officers from Wrexham Council using delegated powers. In a statement previously entered alongside the plans, architects acting for Mr Nicholls said: The farm business is pursuing ways to maintain its viability and seeks to diversify income streams away from direct agricultural produce. This can be achieved through the provision of a community service for dog exercising as well as the promotion of the health and well-being exercise for local residents and the community. The applicant has identified a demand for this use through social media interest generated on local Facebook pages and the request for more exclusive and private facilities in light of social distancing and Covid-19. The requirements for dog owners and their dogs to exercise safely outdoors, the increase in dog ownership and the rise in the frequency of walking are also contributing factors for the demand for this kind of community facility. The income from this diversification stream will support the farm to withstand the economic fluctuations within the farming industry and enable it to continue its viable operations. The proposals will see customers able to book the field for 30-minute sessions using an online system. Three parking spaces will be provided for customers, alongside dog waste bins which will be emptied twice a week. The architects said only people who have booked ahead will be able to use the field. They added: The fence will enable people to walk with their dogs off lead without the worry of them running away. This service will particularly appeal to those owners who have dogs which may be nervous or antisocial, have poor recall, a disability or may be an area for initial puppy training away from other dogs. A dog walking field set in the rural countryside which is easily accessible will be a valuable addition to the dog walking community in and around Overton. By Liam Randall BBC Local Democracy Reporter Inmates at two private prisons are speaking out against dangerous conditions after their facilities in Eloy, Arizona lost primary power following recent storms, the Arizona Department of Corrections (DOC) confirmed Monday night. Prisoners at work in Arizona [Photo by Arizona Department of Corrections La Palma Correctional Center and the Red Rock Correctional Center are both operated by private prison company CoreCivic and contracted by the state of Arizona. It is claimed by the DOC that generators are providing the power needed for air conditioning at these facilities, but these claims are contradicted by the inmates. Inmates at both facilities explained to the Arizona Republic how the power outage has greatly impacted living conditions. One prisoner at La Palma said, They won't crack our doors for airflow, and they are keeping us locked in the stifling cells. An inmate at Red Rock stated, We have no phone calls, no TV, can't cook basically just sitting ducks We been on lock down since last night. They are saying that it will be three days before they get power back on. Summers in Arizona are dry and swelteringly hot, with temperatures ranging anywhere from 90 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 49 Celsius). During the summer months, climate control in these facilities is vital for creating a safe living environment. These temperatures lead to increased chances of inmates suffering from heat-related illnesses, which can damage the brain and other vital organs, sometimes fatally. There is a higher proportion of mental illness and chronic health conditions among inmates when compared to the general public, which exacerbates the risks associated with heat-related illnesses. Additionally, there is a growing proportion of older inmates in the prison population, who are at increased risk of succumbing to heat-related illnesses as well. The state of Arizona, like the rest of the United States, has a history of neglecting basic human rights of prison inmates. US District Judge Roslyn Silver ruled in 2019 that Arizona prisons were in violation of constitutional rights due to inadequate mental health care. Silver issued this decision on June 30th 2019, writing that, Defendants have failed to provide, and continue to refuse to provide, a constitutionally adequate medical care and mental healthcare system for all prisoners. She continued, Defendants years of inaction are acting with deliberate indifference to the substantial risk of serious harm posed by the lack of adequate medical and mental healthcare affecting all prisoners. The United States prison population is the largest in the world with, two million incarcerated in jail or prison. Despite containing close to 5 percent of the world's population, the US accounts for 20 percent of the worlds prison population. The conditions inmates are forced to live in are often overcrowded, unsanitary, and lacking adequate medical care or nutritious food. These conditions facilitated the rapid spread of COVID-19, which, according to The Covid Prison Project, has infected more than 600,000 inmates and killed nearly three thousand. These conditions continue to facilitate the rapid spread of the deadly virus in prisons, despite the ruling classs claims that the pandemic is over. This February, inmates in a North Carolina prison went on a hunger strike to protest abuse and lack of medical care. In addition to these deplorable living conditions, inmates also face intense abuse, with researchers believing that at any given time there are roughly 61,000 inmates in solitary confinement, a method of punishment considered torture by the United Nations. The effects of this inhumane practice can include permanent psychological damage. The exploitation and abuse of the working class is magnified in the prison system. Prisoners are also subjected to forced labor for either extremely meager wages or none at all, barely paid enough to purchase essential items they need to survive from the same people selling many of their basic necessities at marked up prices. The lack of humane living conditions in prisons is an international reality, with Julian Assange, a political prisoner of US imperialism, being deprived of basic medical necessities in Belmarsh prison in Britain where he awaits extradition. Last year, twenty-one New Zealand inmates at the Waikeria Prison started a protest against heinous living conditions that resulted in a six-day standoff between prisoners and guards. The protesters claimed they had to wait months for medical treatment, as well as having to wear the same dirty clothes for months on end. Recently, barbaric prison conditions in Sri Lanka were revealed by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, which published an extensive report based on investigations conducted between April and September 2018. The report found cells which were small, overcrowded, and lacking proper ventilation, leaving inmates vulnerable to extreme temperatures. According to the report, all of these factors amount to inhumane living conditions. Prisoners in Haiti are being starved to death due to a cutback in already meager rations. As climate change increases extreme weather conditions, climate control in prisons becomes a more pressing issue. Currently, the historic heat wave in Europe is posing a grave danger to inmates in poorly ventilated and non-air conditioned cells in the UK. Kevan Thakrar, a prisoner in Belmarsh, explained the experience of the heat wave to openDemocracy, saying, The headaches and dehydration caused by the heat can be intense. He also described how, Within segregation units, it is common practice to have to endure extreme temperatures I have spent weeks in bed wearing two full tracksuits to keep warm, and weeks naked, feeling too weak to move from the heat. Laws were enacted in the 1980s and 1990s by both Democratic and Republican administrations that exponentially increased the US prison population, particularly advocated by then-Senator Joe Biden. Democratic rights came under sharp attack, arbitrary mandatory minimum sentences were deployed, and new drug laws were written vastly increasing the number of non-violent criminals facing incarceration, all in the name of being tough on crime. This goes hand-in-hand with the savage attacks on immigrants, the militarization of the border and police, and the let it rip COVID-19 policy that has resulted in the death or crippling of millions. The dramatic expansion of the US prison system is a policy of class oppression. While criminals on Wall Street, pandemic profiteers and corrupt politicians are rarely convicted, impoverished workers, desperate immigrants and the homeless are locked away. The only way to put an end to all of this unnecessary human suffering and exploitation is through the politically independent mobilization of the international working class to reorganize society to meet human need instead of private profit. This means taking up the fight for socialism. Laura Baines is the mother of seven children between the ages of eight and 25. Her 15-year-old son Louie suffers from cri-du-chat syndrome, a rare disease resulting from a chromosomal condition where a piece of chromosome 5 is missing. The syndrome ranges in its severity, but Louie is at the high end. He cannot walk and is fed through a peg in his stomach, but Laura says he is a bundle of laughs and mischief. Because of his condition and her own fibromyalgia and asthma, Laura has been shielding since the start of the pandemic, home schooling the youngest four children, including Louie, for more than two years. In this interview, Laura gives her testimony to the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. Laura and Louie Can you tell the Global Workers Inquest about Louies condition and how it impacts him and the family? Louies cri-du-chat syndrome is quite severe, but we have always treated him like our other children. Weve had to fight every step of the way though for help. If it wasnt for the midwife I had, I dont know what we would have done. Normally children with this syndrome are identified because of their failure to thrive but my son was an average, normal weight. I knew something was wrong though, and I kept saying so. She could see it too so pushed for more blood tests and it came back showing that he had it. I was so relieved to know that what was wrong with him had a name. At the time, however, there was little support available. We were given a single sheet of paper with the name of an Australian support group. Because of his condition, Im used to having to deal with seasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu, chest infections, pneumonias, pleurisy and general viruses and Ive followed them all with interest and concern. I have chronic asthma and it became a bigger concern obviously after we had Louie. We were trained by his respiratory team in northern England to keep him away from anyone with the slightest sniffle. Weve seen him go from catching a siblings cold to being on standby for a transfer to the children's hospital to be intubated as the high dependency unit couldnt help anymore. So, we have been extremely careful around COVID. What have the last two years been like for you? Whats your estimation of the governments herd immunity strategy and its reasons? When we first started hearing reports about China at the start of 2020 and then seeing they were already wearing masks, sanitising and locking down, I kept wondering why we were doing nothing in this country. I knew it was airborne as a cough was listed in symptoms so that told me it was going to spread through the air. We knew the government were stalling so we had to act. I went into Warrior Mama mode as I call it. And this hasnt stopped. I began looking for alternative news myself and started stocking up on masks, etc. We already run a tight infection control regime with Louies care needs and have since his birth. Louie has no voice at all, and I knew the sick and disabled were always pushed to one side, so the only thing to do is make sure he doesnt get it. I was afraid, but not irrationally. Its more like I know I can do this, its literally what we've been doing for 15 years for Louie. Infection control for us is a way of life because we live with someone who is immunocompromised. We got to the first week of March 2020 and, after discussing with my husband, we decided to pull the children out of school. We discussed it with each school. Each school agreed and consented. At every stage those who are meant to be in control have failed. When they found out about COVID, they could have stopped all flights etc straight away and had controls. Once it is contained, then its a question of testing and mitigations. Thats just basic hygiene control. Its what they do on a farm with an outbreak of foot and mouth, for example. I say the government has failed but really its done exactly what it set out to. Disaster capitalism happens in disasters. If you choose not to mitigate against the said disaster, then you can prolong the time while you capitalise on it. The government saw an opportunity in this pandemic plain and simple. An opportunity to make money. Not for Joe Public. For those who were already wealthy. The millions they have given their donors/friends for fake PPE [personal protective equipment] etc could have been spent on implementing measures to eradicate it. They knew full well people have family sick and people were dying. This is my family, and we all want to live but we have a government that is using eugenics as they feel fit. They are doing nothing at all to protect us from an airborne virus that can kill us. We cant just shrug this off as we have underlying conditions that would leave us fighting for our lives if we caught it. Ive had to argue for Louies vaccines. The first, due to his age, was off licence and the second took ages to approve. What chance does he have when they have stopped masks, testing and isolation? Recently the school nurse came to weigh Louie. She does this monthly because of his failure to thrive, despite being fed through a peg directly into his tummy. After I got a phone call to tell me she had tested positive for COVID! We were told that the only reason we were informed is because of the nurses themselves. The school said they are under no obligation to inform us! Testing is optional for staff at the school and there is no masking, no mitigations. This is a special school with sick children that have complex medical needs like Louie. Some are even worse off. Louie physically cannot wear a mask so its up to those who are responsible for his health and wellbeing to do so but thats not the case. Thats why weve always insisted that anyone who comes through our door wears an FFP2no excuses. The rooms are well ventilated, and we have HEPA filters. Parents like Sarah Paxman are being viciously persecuted by the courts for keeping their children out of COVID infested schools. Theres now a surge in school absenteeism again as children and staff are falling sick. Whats been your experience? When I saw in the JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] minutes that they were going to use children to spread COVID through close contact in school, I knew Id made the right decision to involuntarily home school. Daniella Modos-Cutter and her son (family photo) [Photo] Ive spoken to others in similar situations. Daniella Modos-Cutter is one because of her work collating school cases. I got in contact with her when I saw Cornwall was never on this list because they were trying to keep it under the radar. Ive spoken to Sarah Paxman too, and she told me about her submission to the Global Workers Inquest. Ive also spoken to Emmy Kelly from Fighting for Vulnerable Lives. Sarah Paxman with son Stanley (Credit: Sarah Paxman) Weve been home schooling the four youngest, including Louie, since this started. Weve had little help. The primary school has sent bits and bats. Ive been working through the Twinkle curriculum teaching them. My youngest daughters teacher has been the best, involving her most weeks in 15-minute sessions on TEAMS. But for my nine-year old son its only in the last fortnight or so that his teacher messaged about a TEAMS meeting. The problem is he is very sensitive and when these meetings havent happened before he has felt very let down. The primary headteacher wont even discuss how she feels about children in her care continually being absent with COVID. She says its a matter for those families affected. I have letters stating no mitigations can or will be used should my children go back. At Louies special school, his teacher had it. When I eventually found out and challenged them about lack of masks but wanting him in, they said, were following government guidance. Their COVID-19 Risk Assessment covering the start of this year doesnt include airborne spread once, so its not mitigated for. Louies head came to our home for an Ed Planning meeting with the EWO [Education Welfare Officer] from the local authority who have said that missing school is detrimental to his wellbeing. I made it clear whilst there were no protections, he would not enter the building as he cannot physically wear a mask to protect himself because he doesnt have the mental capacity to understand. He also has Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder so cant tolerate things on his skin. He wont even keep his glasses on. She said that she would look into HEPA filters, but Ive heard nothing since. My 12-year-old is at high school. The friends he chats to daily over PlayStation report that they have had COVID two or three times and that they are having different teachers covering lessons as staff are absent with it regularly. Now weve received final warnings from the high school and the primary. The primary school want social services to make an evaluation to order the children to attend school. This is madness. The non-attendance has nothing to do with safeguarding issues or such. What are they going to do? Jail me? I dont have the money to pay any fines. In addition to a pandemic that is again raging out of control, workers around the world are hit with a cost of living crisis. Thats how its termed in the media but more properly its a cost of keeping the rich crisis. How is this affecting you? We face homelessness. I was due in court last month but there was a problem with the paperwork, so it has been delayed. I cant afford the 400 to go to court so I wasnt there. This is the third time weve gone to court over our housing situation. The problem is that the rent on our house is more than double what we get in housing benefit. Cornwall is a tourist hotspot and those that can afford it have second homes here, so the price of housing is very expensive. This started before COVID. As Louie got older and his needs became more apparent it was impossible for him to share a room. We were put in contact with the council and were on the list for a bigger house but there werent any. We were told it would be quicker if we found a private rental with a landlord who would allow adaptations. Weve had no end of problems. We have got houses and then the landlord has said we cant make the needed adaptations. Then theres been the changes made by local authorities to certain benefits, such as cutting the housing allowance for a four-bedroom house from 795 per month to 620. We lost one place because we couldnt afford the extra and the landlord wouldnt reduce the rent because they make more money renting rooms separately to students than housing a family. We even ended up begging the church hall where my childrens school was if we could use the empty house that was attached to it but it was the same scenario all over again: plans are drawn up and then the church starts thinking about money rather than about us living in their damp unsuitable hovel that was desperate for repairs never mind adaptations. So, they wanted us out. The landlord where we are currently has been supportive. He has been trying to get the help we need. The council could make a discretionary award to make up the difference in housing costs, but it wont. So, our arrears have climbedcurrently estimated at 20,000. Ive been rung by the councils temporary accommodation team who basically want to put eight of us in a B&B. But Louie and I need adaptations for our housing because were physically disabled. Louie for example has a 7-foot bespoke bed. It would have to be lifted, dismantled and reassembled to fit wherever we are placed, and all the equipment he needs would have to be moved the exact day. Then theres the fact that wed be at risk in a shared space as we would have no control over who is entering with COVID. Thats the very reason Im involuntarily home schooling in the first place. In addition to that, how am I meant to home school four children in such a space? I explained the situation to the housing worker on the phone and she was nearly crying. She kept apologising and I told her it wasnt her fault, that she should take it back to management as theyre the ones doing this. Weve been working with housing for over three years to find a solution. Were entitled to a five-bed property, and it would have to have space to build on the ground floor and add a wet room. My previous housing officer sent an email before he left the job that this was necessary, or we would be in crisis. The childrens disability social worker has said the same. Five-bed homes are never available through the council so weve been put in a situation where we can only bid on a four-bed house, but the computer system wont allow us to do this as we have a five-bed need! Thats why our previous Housing Solutions officer was adding a bid for us manually. The council know all about this but have closed our relocation case so we cant bid at all as theres no one to do it. That was also done without consultation, which is unlawful. Previously we were told that the council were working with developers on a house in the planning stage for us. It easier to make the needed adaptations in the planning stage. Then we were told this wasnt going ahead because the developers hadnt been given the necessary grants. In my opinion, the whole thing is so corrupt. In addition to the stress of potential homelessness, were struggling just to pay bills as the prices for everything increases. Just one example: we use A LOT of electricity. Louie requires 24-hour care that includes an electrical feeding pump, CPAP machine, suction machine, a specialist reclining chair and bed. He likes to use his iPad and watch television too. Then I also use my washing machine around four times a day. Louies clothes and bedding need stripping regularly. If the weather is bad, then I use the tumble dryer too. Louie cant regulate his own body temperature, so we use an oil heater in his room, sometimes on days we find warm. Were behind with electricity bills right now due to the excessive costs. The so-called government help wont make a difference either. We use oil for central heating, and we struggled to afford this as the cost has tripled in comparison to what it was 10 months ago. The World Socialist Web Site has initiated a Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic to expose the political and economic interests behind herd immunity that have killed millions worldwide and continue to do so. We stand for an eradication policy as the only way forward. This pandemic isnt going away without an eradication policy. There is not, and will not be, herd immunity, because this is endemic. We need everything throwing at this. We should have aimed for Zero COVID worldwide from the startno question. As it stands, governments are deliberately prolonging it. We wont change anything with regards to COVID unless its a universal approach. Everyone needs to do the same. COVID doesnt only affect those with underlying problems. I have seen many people telling how they were fit and healthy but now have Long COVID and basically function as I do with my fibromyalgia; their health flares so bad that theyre basically rendered physically disabled by fatigue, brain fog, breathing problems and other things they didnt have before. Some were perfectly healthy children. People have lost their livelihoods because of it. Masks should be mandated in public indoor spaces unless youre unable. Testing and mandated isolating needs to be brought back. They abandoned it because they would need to fund sick leave. We should have a SARSCov2 Payment department that could plan long-term and should incorporate benefits for Long COVID. We need all indoor communal spaces to be fitted with HEPA/Ventilation systems that will reduce build up if anyone is positive and cant wear a mask. They should also still be cleaning. Masks need to be worn. The reality is that no one is immune to COVID. Sooner or later, it will catch them when their immune system is low, and they wont be able to fight it. We need a no ifs, no buts approach. On Thursday, July 21, UAW presidential candidate Will Lehman sent the following letter to Neil Barofsky, the Monitor appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to oversee the conduct of the UAW. The letter addresses the UAWs efforts to block Lehman from receiving access to the list of delegates as is required by federal court order. Dear Mr. Barofsky, My name is William Lehman. I am a worker at the Mack Trucks plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania and I am a candidate for UAW president. Your office deemed my campaign bona fide on July 13. I am writing you to report serious violations by the UAW of the terms of the Consent Decree and the UAW 2022 Election Rules. These violations are part of an anti-democratic effort to keep me from the ballot and relate to the concerning information contained in your third status report to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan dated July 19, 2022. The July 19, 2022 Status Report In the July 19 status report, your office informed the District Court that, for much of 2022, the UAW leadership has stonewalled the Monitor, denied it access to information to which it is legally entitled, and covered up for ongoing misuse of UAW funds, including by candidates for International office. The status report implicates incumbent UAW President Raymond Curry and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Stuglin personally in these actions. This raises considerable concerns about the fairness of the elections, because Mr. Curry is also contesting the race for presidency, and Mr. Stuglin is in charge of critical aspects of the election process. The status report states, the Unions cooperativeness [with the Monitor] veered sharply in the wrong direction earlier this year. It adds that the UAW has slowed its production of other investigative materials to the Monitor and declined to timely share certain information about its efforts to implement compliance reforms. The status report explains that the UAW was systematically violating Judge Lawsons Consent Decree: Making matters worse, as the Monitor tried to carry on with his work, the Monitor uncovered evidence that the Unions leadership and its then-lawyers were concealing from the Monitor an investigation by the Union into the mishandling of a sum of cash by a regional Assistant Director, a senior Union official. The Union withheld information about this misconduct and the related investigation even though, from early in the monitorship, the Monitor has had a standing request to the Union for prompt disclosure of information about all investigations into potential financial misconduct or corruption taking place in the Union. The Monitor had also specifically warned the Unions President in writing about the need to comply with that demand, following a previous failure to do so. The Union compounded that violation of its obligation to cooperate with the Monitor by improperly excluding a representative of the Monitor from an executive session of a meeting of the Unions International Executive Board (IEB) in which factual information about this ongoing investigation was shared. The status report notes that these actions resulted in the apparent obstruction and interference with the investigative work of the Monitor in violation of Paragraph 18(d) of the Consent Decree. The status report explains that US Attorney Dawn Ison convened a meeting with her staff and UAW President Ray Curry at which she said the UAW and President Curry were engaged in gamesmanship and would face action from the Department of Justice as a result. The status report also discloses that there are currently 19 open investigations against the UAW, including five new matters that were opened since the filing of the Initial Status Report in November 2021. The most recent report notes it is still too soon to fully assess the Unions progress in carrying out the reforms it must enact to sustain much needed cultural change and that the UAW has a great distance to cover. The status report also reveals that the UAW continues to misuse the hard-earned dues money of rank-and-file workers like me. The status report cites the fact that the UAW used Union resources to purchase approximately 1,500 backpacks with the name and title of an IEB member who is currently running for IEB office on them, even though this violates federal law. It cost the UAW $95,000 to pay for these backpacks, which had the name Secretary-Treasurer Frank Stuglin on them. The involvement of Secretary-Treasurer Stuglin is concerning to me, since he was the official who has prevented me from obtaining the full delegates list, as I will explain below. The status report further reveals that the UAW has renewed at least one contract with a consultant that would have been proscribed had the UAW followed the requirements of the Consent Decree regarding corruption. It shows the Union paid more than $850,000 to a consultant that was not required to submit reports showing whether they were actually doing any work. The report notes that the UAW is holding more and more conferences that cost over a million dollars each but have no oversight. At an April 2022 conference, the UAW spent $300,000 on a dinner party in New Orleans. Efforts by UAW to undermine my candidacy The fact that the Department of Justice determined that leading UAW officials were engaged in violating the Consent Decree sheds critical light on actions that the UAW has taken against my campaign. The UAW has repeatedly violated the 2022 UAW Election Rules put forward by the Monitor in an attempt to keep me off the ballot and deny workers a real, rank-and-file alternative in the election. On Thursday, July 14, I called and emailed Mr. Stuglin to obtain from the UAW the full list of delegates, as is my right under Rule 4-11, so that I could contact them and ask for their nomination at the upcoming convention. The rule states that all candidates have the right to request and receive from the Office of the UAW Secretary-Treasurer a list of the names and Local Union numbers of all Convention delegates. (emphasis added) Mr. Stuglin did not reply to my calls or emails. On Friday, July 15, at 4:30 p.m., UAW Director of Information Systems Michael Lacour contacted me and said he had received a request for some information and would provide direction on how to receive that information, but that he was heading out of the office for the weekend and would not be back until Monday morning. He did not answer the phone when a volunteer for my campaign called him back at roughly 4:40 p.m. that same day. On Saturday, July 16, I emailed Mr. Stuglin and Mr. Lacour to repeat my request that they release the full delegate list to me immediately. On the morning of Monday, July 18, I called Mr. Lacour back as he instructed me to do, and he told me he needed to ensure my candidacy had been deemed bona fide. I sent him the email from your office confirming I was bona fide, but he still did not provide me with any delegates list. I only received a delegates list on the afternoon of July 18 after contacting the vendor, Merriman River, whose representative informed me that this was only a partial list. This list contained only 841 names, which I understand is roughly half the total delegates elected to attend the convention. To date, Mr. Stuglin has not provided me with the full list and has not responded to any of my communications. Between my initial request on July 14 and my receipt of a partial list on July 18, five days had passed, almost half of the time between my initial request and the start of the convention on the 25th. I still do not have the full list. Though I was able to send an email to this partial list through Merriman River on July 18, Rule 4-11 states that I have the right to a list of all Convention delegates to be provided by the UAW Secretary-Treasurer. Both the delay and the refusal of the UAW to provide the full delegate list has substantially deprived me of the ability to contact delegates as is my right under Rule 4-11. Furthermore, over the week of July 14-15, volunteers for my campaign called UAW locals to ask for delegate lists and identified themselves as representatives of my campaign. They were told on multiple occasions by local officials that the locals would not provide delegate lists to my campaign. Workers who support my campaign report that in multiple workplaces, lists of convention delegates that had previously been posted in a public location have been removed so that workers cannot learn who their delegates are. Additionally, on Tuesday, July 12, I wrote a request to the Monitor asking to send an email to the Global Mailing List pursuant to Rule 4-7 of the Election Rules to inform the membership about my campaign and reasons for running. Rule 4-7 states that I am entitled to the entire list and that there shall be no discrimination in favor or against any Candidate regarding emailing the global list. Rule 4-7 also states that all bona fide candidates will have the opportunity to use the list of the last known names, mailing addresses, and email addresses of all members. After receiving no reply, I sent follow-up emails to the Monitor on July 14 and 15. The Monitor did reply on July 16 and informed us the name of the vendor. I was informed by Merriman River that the email list of UAW members consists of only 84,000 members, which Merriman River told me was sent by the Secretary-Treasurers office. This constitutes only 10 percent of the total number of eligible voters in this Novembers election, in which 400,000 active members and 500,000 retirees are eligible to vote. The UAWs decision to make available only a tiny slice of the total memberships email addresses is a violation of my rights. Furthermore, I plan to assert my right to attend the nominating session of the convention or have a representative of my campaign attend the nominating session in order to accept the nomination. Bona fide candidates like myself have rights under federal labor law, and the UAW is not respecting these rights. Thank you for taking these matters under consideration, William Lehman On Thursday morning, news broke that US President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. Bidens infection takes place amid a massive global surge of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, which nearly every world government has sought to cover up through the dismantling of testing, data manipulation and corporate media propaganda. The fact that Biden, who is surrounded by a level of security unknown to all but a handful of Americans, has contracted COVID-19 exposes the recklessness of his administrations living with COVID policy. In recent weeks, Biden was made into the poster boy for this propaganda campaign, taking numerous maskless photo ops throughout the world. Historically, an announcement that the president is ill, especially with a virus responsible for widespread death, would be taken with great seriousness, if for no other reason than it creates a political crisis. Instead, Bidens bout with COVID-19 has been presented almost as a cause for celebration. Typical of this trend is an op-ed in the Washington Post by Leana Wen, one of the chief minimizers of the Omicron variant who has supported all of the Biden administrations unscientific policies. Wen writes, President Bidens covid-19 diagnosis is an opportunity for his administration to demonstrate the success of his leadership on the pandemic and what living with the coronavirus looks like. She adds, Biden should use his illness as an opportunity to inform the public that covid-19 is a manageable disease for almost everyone, so long as they use the tools available to them. Instead of reflecting on their disastrous mishandling of the pandemicwhich has now killed over 600,000 Americans in just the first 18 months of his administrationthe Biden White House is promoting this same line and stressing that he will continue working while sick with COVID-19, with the implication that all Americans should do the same when infected. In this image provided by the White House, President Joe Biden speaks with Sen. Bob Casey (Democrat-Pennsylvania) on the phone from the Treaty Room in the residence of the White House on July 21, 2022. (Adam Schultz/The White House via AP) In a photo op posted Thursday afternoon, which clearly exposed the photographer to the airborne virus, instead of recuperating Biden is shown maskless and working at his desk, with the caption, Keeping busy! In a follow-up video, Biden states, Im doing well, getting a lot of work done. Going to continue to get it done. In a press release, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that Biden will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence. She added, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative. Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, co-hosted with media charlatan-turned-White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, Jean-Pierre stated, With the photo, he took off his mask so that the American people can see him, and see directly, see the work that hes doing and sitting at his desk, continuing to do his work. Later in the press conference, she said bluntly, We knew this was going to happen. As Dr. Jha said when he joined me in the briefing room not too long ago, he said, At some point, everyones going to get COVID. Underneath the almost celebratory statements from the White House and the media is a deeply disturbing reality. The Post commentary concludes that becoming repeatedly infected with COVID-19 will be the new normal going forward, even for the president. Indeed, this is almost certainly not the only time Biden will get the coronavirus. He, like the rest of us, could contract the virus once a year or more. An article by Apoorva Mandavilli in the New York Times states, President Bidens coronavirus infection is a stark illustration that the Covid vaccines, powerful as they are, are far from the bulletproof shields that scientists once hoped for. She adds, even booster doses offer little defense against infection, particularly with the most recent versions of the virus. What protection they do offer wanes sharply and quickly, several studies have shown. In the presidents case, the booster shot he received nearly four months ago is likely to have lost most of its potency at preventing infection. Mandavilli notes, Earlier in the pandemic, experts believed that the vaccines would be enough to forestall not just severe disease, but also the vast majority of infections... But the Omicron variant upended those hopes. As more of the population gained some immunity, whether from infection or vaccines, the virus evolved to dodge those defenses... Each subsequent avatar of the virus has become still better at sidestepping immunity. What is described here is a public health and personal health catastrophe. Numerous studies show that infection with COVID-19 can damage nearly every organ in the body, and reinfections increase the odds of this damage. If the media and politicians were honest, they would tell the American public, You may be infected and severely ill for days or weeks at a time, once or multiple times per year, and with each reinfection your chances of dying or developing long-term complications will deepen. The implication of this new normal is that more immune-resistant variants will continue to evolve, spurring repeated waves of mass infection, debilitation and death, potentially for years or decades to come. A biological ticking time bomb has been set off, and at any point a new variant could evolve that is more transmissible, immune-evading and lethal than any previous variant. With each new variant, the death toll will continue to mount, life expectancy will sink even further, and quality of life will diminish for millions more people suffering from Long COVID. Despite the happy talk in the media, the US is presently mired in a protracted, steadily worsening surge of Omicron subvariants, with the most infectious and immune-resistant BA.5 subvariant now dominant. While Biden is the most public figure now infected, virtually everyone in the country knows multiple family members, friends or coworkers currently or recently infected with COVID-19. After a two-month lull in infections, since late March cases have gradually risen across the country, with the official seven-day average of daily new cases rising nearly five-fold to 128,933 on July 20, according to News Nodes. COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen more than three-fold since their April 17 trough, reaching 42,612 on July 20. In the past month, the seven-day average of daily new deaths has surged by 57 percent, reaching 413 on July 20. Each week, as many Americans are now dying from COVID-19 as were killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Since the winter surge of the Omicron BA.1 subvariant, testing has been drastically curtailed across the US, causing a total decoupling of official figures from the actual level of disease in society. The real scale of viral transmission can be seen in nationwide wastewater sampling, which shows that the current surge has surpassed the peak of the Delta variant one year ago. From the very beginning, the entire American political establishment has held onto the concept that the virus will be stopped partly through vaccination and partly through mass infection, or what was termed herd immunity under Donald Trump. The highly infectious and immune-resistant Omicron BA.1 subvariant, which unleashed the most devastating wave of infections last winter, was treated with thinly-veiled enthusiasm. In January, Dr. Anthony Fauci declared that it could be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for. Dr. Jha said he was hoping that this really is the transition variant that gets us into a different footing. The vaccine-only strategy, based on these unscientific conceptions of viral evolution, which numerous principled scientists have cautioned against, has been shattered by the experience of the past eight months. The emergence of the Omicron variant and each of its subvariants proves the most fundamental argument of the Zero-COVID global elimination strategy, that in the absence of proven and essential public health policies the pandemic will not stop. Alongside the deepening COVID-19 crisis, monkeypox has been allowed to spread through the country almost entirely unchecked. US infections have surged to 2,425, the second highest figure in the world. The abandonment of all efforts to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, instead demanding that society live with the virus, set the stage for the disastrous response to monkeypox and all future infectious diseases. Likewise, nothing is done to stop the ever-growing existential threat of climate change. American individualism, increasingly promoted for the past four decades, has assumed a socially pathological and criminal character. Public health and all social needs are now entirely subordinated to the profit interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy. To varying degrees, the same policies have been implemented worldwide with the same recklessness and stupidity of the Biden administration. Every capitalist government outside of China has surrendered to SARS-CoV-2, giving the virus free rein to infect billions of people, mutate into more dangerous variants and wreak havoc on global society for years to come. The Socialist Equality Party (US) and its affiliated parties in the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) are the only political tendency in the world that has opposed these homicidal policies and called for a globally-coordinated elimination strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. It is critical that workers, professionals and principled scientists draw the necessary political conclusions from the catastrophic first two-and-a-half years of the pandemic. Only through the socialist reorganization of the world economy will it be possible to end the pandemic, halt and reverse climate change, and prevent the outbreak of future pandemics. The initiative for the safe transportation of grain and food products from Ukrainian ports, the documents on which were signed on Friday in Istanbul, must be fully implemented, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said during the signing of the documents. He said that the world so desperately needs it to overcome the global food crisis. The initiative opens the way for significant commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, he said. Guterres said that the UN expects the Turkish government to maintain its decisive role in this matter in the future, and the UN will continue to actively participate in the work to achieve the success of the agreement. The Secretary General said that this agreement is for the whole world: it will bring relief to developing countries that are on the verge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable segments of the population on the verge of starvation, as well as reduce pressure on world food prices. Guterres reiterated his position that there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring full global access to Ukrainian food, as well as Russian food and fertilizers. He noted the importance of the functioning of the Joint Coordinating Centre for monitoring the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative, the establishment of which was announced on Friday. This is an unprecedented agreement between two sides involved in a bloody conflict. But this conflict continues and people die every day. And fighting rages every day. The beacon of hope on the Black Sea shines brightly today thanks to the collective efforts of many people in these difficult and turbulent times for the region and our planet. May this beacon point the way to alleviate human suffering and ensure peace, the UN Secretary General said. At least nine civilians, including two children, were killed and more than 20 others wounded on Wednesday in a bombardment on the tourist village of Perex, in the Zaxo district of Dohuk province in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory of Iraq. One of the children was reportedly a one-year-old baby. Both the Iraqi central government and the KRG blamed Turkey for the artillery attack, though Ankara denied the allegation. Since April, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have been conducting a military operation against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) forces in the vicinity of this tourist area near the Turkish border. After Iraq made its public charges against Ankara, protests against Turkey erupted in Baghdad and other cities. Hassan Tahsin Ali, a man injured in the attack, called the attacks indiscriminate. Speaking to AFP in front of a hospital, he said: Our young people are dead, our children are dead, who should we turn to? Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi blamed Turkey, calling the attack a blatant and flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the lives and security of Iraqi citizens. He added that Baghdad reserves the full right to respond to such attacks. Iraq declared a period of national mourning for this horrific massacre. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry is reportedly set to prepare a file on the continuous Turkish attacks on Iraqi sovereignty and submit an urgent complaint to the UN Security Council. Iraq summoned Turkeys ambassador to Baghdad to the foreign ministry and demanded that the Turkish army immediately withdraw all armed forces from the country. It also recalled the Iraqi charge daffaires from Ankara. However, President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government has long ignored demands to end its illegal occupation of Iraqi territory. Iraqi President Barham Salih also condemned the attack, saying, the Turkish bombing of Duhok is condemned and denounced, and represents a violation of the countrys sovereignty and a threat to Iraqi national security. The Kurdistan Regional Government also accused Turkey, stating that it strongly condemns the shelling of the Parakhe resort near the Darkar border of the Zakho Autonomous Administration by Turkish forces. It added, Clashes between Turkish forces and PKK fighters in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region have become a constant threat to the lives and well-being of our citizens. According to Rudaw in Iraqi Kurdistan, top Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr denounced alleged Turkish bombardment, suggesting Iraq to take measures against the repeated violation of its sovereignty by reducing diplomatic ties with Turkey, closing off air and land crossings, filing an official complaint to the UN, and annulling all security agreements with Ankara. It reported, All victims of the deadly bombardment were tourists from central and southern Iraq and were part of a 200-person tourist group, according to Zakho mayor Muhsin Bashir. Ankara has flatly denied responsibility for civilian deaths, however. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry claimed: Turkey is against all kinds of attacks targeting civilians. Turkey carries out its fight against terrorism in accordance with international law, with utmost sensitivity to the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, historical and cultural property and the environment. Implicitly blaming the attack on the PKK, it continued: such attacks which aim at innocent civilians and are assessed to be organized by the terrorist organization, target our countrys just and determined stance in the fight against terrorism. Ankara concluded the statement by pledging to take all steps to reveal the truth, inviting Iraqi government officials not to make statements under the influence of the rhetoric and propaganda of the treacherous terrorist organization and to cooperate in bringing the real perpetrators of this tragic incident into light. Speaking to state-owned TRT Haber media, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu repeated this statement, claiming: The whole world knows that Turkey has never carried out an attack on civilians. Ankaras claim that it never carried out an attack on civilians is not true. In one of the most infamous incidents, the Roboski massacre, 34 people were killed when the Turkish Air Force bombed Kurdish civilian smugglers walking into Turkey from Iraq on December 28, 2011. According to Rudaw, the PKK blamed Turkey for the deadly Zakho bombardment and den[ied] the presence of any PKK-affiliated forces at the attack site. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price also hypocritically condemned the attack, saying: The killing of civilians is unacceptable, and all states must respect their obligations under international law, including the protection of civilians. He added, We maintain our strong support for Iraqs sovereignty and its security, stability, and prosperity, including that of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. This statement comes from a country that illegally invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003, a criminal act backed by other imperialist countries or regional powers such as Turkey. This imperialist onslaught, based on lies about weapons of mass destruction, devastated an entire society, killing at least 1 million people, and wounding millions more. Millions of survivors had to flee their homes, facing devastating conditions in foreign countries or in Iraq itself, which was once one of the Arab worlds most developed countries. Moreover, Washington continues to trample upon Iraqi sovereignty. After Washington assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020, the Iraqi parliament voted to demand US forces leave the country, but Washington rejected this out of hand. While the armed conflict between Turkey and the PKK dates back to 1984, its expansion into northern Iraq is a consequence of US imperialist aggression against Iraq since 1991 and the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union. Though it threatened to invade when the KRG held an independence referendum in 2017, Ankara now is allied with the KRG. It seeks to thereby prevent the emergence of a PKK-controlled enclave in Iraq. The Turkish bourgeoisie, fearing the emergence of an independent Kurdish state on its borders, which might encourage millions of Kurds inside Turkey to move in the same direction, is pursuing a similar policy in Syriatrying to crush the US-backed and PKK-linked Peoples Protection Units (YPG). Erdogan, who announced in May that his government was preparing a new military operation against the YPG in Syria, met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran on Tuesday. After the talks, he declared: America has to leave east of the Euphrates now. ... Turkey expects this as well because it is America that feeds the terrorist groups there. Though Iran and Russia also want US forces to withdraw from Syria, Tehran and Moscow are also in serious conflict with Ankara, which supports NATOs decade-long war for regime change against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and occupies parts of northern Syria. Due to this broader conflict, from Libya to the Caucasus to the war in Ukraine, Erdogan did not get the support he wanted from Raisi and Putin at the Tehran summit. According to recent reports, Syrian government troops and heavy weapons have been deployed in YPG-held areas with Russian and Iranian support. This underscores the danger of NATO member Turkey coming into direct conflict with not only Syrian, but also Iranian and Russian forces. As NATO escalates its war against Russia in Ukraine, the danger that conflicts in the Middle East could escalate into wars directly between major powers points to the urgency of building a mass socialist movement against imperialist war in the international working class. Are you a port trucker? We want to hear from you. Contact the World Socialist Web Site to tell us about your working conditions and what youre fighting for. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Truckers protest AB5 at Port of Oakland, July 21, 2022 [Photo: WSWS] Hundreds of independent truckers continued their protest Thursday outside of the Port of Oakland in northern California, blocking the entrance to one of the largest container ports in the United States. The demonstrations have taken place in opposition to California State Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which reclassifies many contract workers as employees. While AB5 was passed in 2019, last year a federal appeals court ruled that the law applies to the roughly 70,000 owner-operators who own their own rigs. The law stipulates that contractors can only be hired for work if it is outside the usual course of the hiring entitys business, effectively making it illegal for owner-operators to be hired to work at the ports in California. This would force owner-operators to either sell their trucks and become direct employees of a company, move out of state, or start their own independent businesses and cover substantial administrative and insurance fees and paperwork. Mainstream news outlets have largely reported that a central demand of the truckers is to meet with Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, and for AB5 to be modified to provide an exemption for truckers. A WSWS reporting team was greeted warmly by roughly 200 truckers blockading the Matson terminal at the Port of Oakland. I used to love Newsom, explained Augusto, a trucker with 21 years of experience stated. I supported him since he was a city councilor, then when he became mayor of San Francisco, then governor. I was going to support him for President. Now hes backstabbing us. He added, 20 years ago, we got a check and most of it went to the bank. Now theres no money for the bank. The ports are already shut down. Down south, the same thing is going on. Hopefully this is going to make an impact. A young worker, who works for his fatheran owner-operator, said about his fellow protesters, Most of these guys are Punjabi, they came from Punjab [India]. These people, theyre not bad people, theyre good people. Lots of these guys, our parents were truck drivers. The first thing we did when we came to this country was driving trucks. Explaining the potential impact of AB5, he continued, Theyre going to lose their livelihoods. Theyre going to have to move out of state. They have to go two, three months without seeing their families. We need to protect them. I want to see my family. Obviously, we want to protect the Uber drivers and the Lyft drivers [who are supposedly protected as employees under AB5] but we need an exemption. Because there are grown men crying. This cant work. The whole port is in agreement. But unfortunately, no one else really knows. Thats the problem. Speaking in solidarity with dock workers, who have refused to cross their picket line, he continued, Weve helped them and theyve helped us, so were going to keep on helping them. Asked about life for truck drivers, he said, Especially with COVID, things were even harder. There was a lot of job insecurity. Its just tough. Its a tough job to begin with. We drive an hour and fifteen minutes each way every day to get to Oakland [a city most truckers cannot afford to live in]. All my family members, they drive a truck. I grew up looking up to them, but they always told me you gotta be something better. Its just tough to see how theyre being treated. I just want every worker to be treated to be certain level of respect. Look around. People wouldnt be standing in the sun for 12 hours a day if they werent treated like this. In the course of a political discussion, he expressed that he was concerned right wing media outlets like Fox News would try to manipulate the demonstrations. He added, Were all vaccinated, and we all wear masks. We all voted for Gavin Newsom. He doesnt care. The politicians just want the votes. A WSWS reporter and member of the Socialist Equality Party was invited to address the crowd, which listened with interest. I dont have to say much to convince you that the Democratic Party does not have your interests at heart. The Republican Party does not either, alluding to the recent picket line visit by Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle, whose apparel several demonstrating truckers wore. Your allies are workers, the speaker continued, dockworkers, teachers, health care workers. We are fighting to build a socialist movement of the working class and you have taken an important step here today in helping build that movement. For it to succeed, it has to be completely independent from the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the trade unions. These committees need to be formed among dock workers. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been keeping them on the job without a contract since July 1st and has been working with the Biden Administration to keep the ports open, in large part because they dont want any disruption of materials going to war in Ukraine, and they are planning escalations of war with China. The working class has no interest in the Democratic Partys wars. Ultimately, what we have to do is to fight for a workers government because there is no party outside of a party of the working class that is going to support our interests. I call on you to reach out as broadly as you possibly can to other sections of the working class. To the dock workers that you know, to health care workers, educators, other logistics workers to help form this movement. I urge you to review the World Socialist Web Site, study the program of the Socialist Equality Party, and take up the fight for socialism. The demonstration of truckers is taking place as roughly 22,000 West Coast dockworkers have continued to work without a contract since the start of this month. In June, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) issued a joint statement vowing that neither side would be organizing a strike or a lockout. The ILWU International Vice President Bobby Olvera, Jr. has also issued a statement claiming to support AB5. Olveras statements are in sharp contrast to the views of many dockworkers, who are supportive of the truckers and oppose the continued silence of the ILWU about negotiations. A casual worker in Portland, Oregon told the WSWS, I didnt [know about the truckers protest], Im glad they are to prove a point. I get all my updates from you since they keep us in the dark. Another in San Diego, said about the demonstrations, Its a great cause. Honestly just became familiar with the legislation theyre trying to pass regarding their issue. Seems like the worker is becoming depreciated daily. Truckers expressed determination to continue their fight as long as it takes, with plans to continue the occupation at least through the weekend. In a significant act of political censorship, Twitter yesterday locked the account of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia), rendering it unable to post content, issue replies or send messages. In effect, such a lock disables an account. The ban was imposed Thursday morning Australian time. A notification sent to the SEP account declared that it had violated unspecified rules and was locked for 12 hours. The message provided a link to Twitters general user guidelines. There was no means of appealing the decision. Concurrently, a video previously posted on the SEP account was hidden by Twitter administration. Where the video had been, a Twitter statement declared: This Tweet violated the Twitter rules. The video in question is 59 seconds long and draws attention to official attacks on four individuals who have been singled out for their free speech activities. The video was posted as part of the SEPs campaign in defence of Dr David Berger, an Australian general practitioner who has been targeted for opposing the official let it rip program of mass COVID infection. The video can be viewed on the SEPs Instagram and Facebook accounts. It can also be viewed below. The video that Twitter has censored, which is still available on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube After the 12-hour ban had elapsed, Thursday night Australian time, the SEP account remained locked. A message from Twitter administrators declared that the sanction had been imposed for, Violating our rules against posting or sharing privately produced/distributed intimate media of someone without their express consent. For the account to be unlocked, the message declared that the SEP must delete the video. SEP administrators have lodged an appeal against this edict, which had not been answered at the time of publication. The SEPs Twitter account remains locked. The stated grounds for the censorship are absurd and bizarre. None of the visual content in the video is of an intimate character. All of it is in the public domain, with common licensing provisions, or has been directly provided to the World Socialist Web Site and published there previously. Three of the four individuals referenced and depicted in the video have collaborated with the World Socialist Web Site, including by providing their images. The fourth, Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange, is currently incarcerated in Britains maximum-security Belmarsh Prison without regular internet access. In other words, it is patently clear that if there was a complaint related to the video content, it did not come from any of those who were featured. The claim of intimate content is patently false. Notably, the lock was imposed within minutes of the video having been posted yesterday morning, indicating the possibility of a rapidly coordinated campaign aimed at suppressing the content. It is striking that the video which has been subjected to censorship, was itself about the censorship of principled workers and public figures, who have taken a stand against the powers-that-be. It is worth briefly reviewing who they are: * The WSWS reported earlier this month that Dr David Berger had been censured by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The official body has demanded that he undertake special education or face deregistration and has accused him of undermining public health messaging. Dr David Berger (Image: Supplied) Bergers crime has been to condemn the let it rip policy of all Australian governments, based on allowing the virus to spread endlessly. He had consistently advocated the scientifically-grounded measures required to eliminate transmission, which are rejected by the authorities because they may impact upon corporate interests. The attack on Berger occurs amid a new global wave of the virus, including in Australia. State and federal governments, Labor and Liberal alike, have rejected any measures to combat the surge, under conditions in which almost 9,000 people died this year alone and more than eight million of Australias 25 million people have been infected. Bergers plight has been completely blacked-out by the corporate media. * Lisa Diaz is a British worker who organised a series of powerful parents strikes, opposing the forced reopening of the schools under conditions of rampant COVID transmission. The in-person schooling policy serves no other purpose than to ensure that parents can be in their workplaces so that full business and profit-making activities can continue, whatever the consequences. Lisa Diaz and her daughter (Credit: Lisa Diaz @Sandyboots2020) In late 2021, Diaz was threatened with a malicious prosecution by local council authorities because she refused to endanger her children in a COVID-infested school. Her principled campaign has won support from medical experts, teachers, parents and other workers around the world. * David OSullivan is a London bus driver who was victimised and fired for campaigning against the mass infection of transport workers, under conditions where dozens of his colleagues had died from the virus. He took action, independently of the unions, which have enforced the dangerous COVID policies, and has won respect from transport workers worldwide. David O'Sullivan (credit: WSWS media) OSullivan, like Diaz, has given repeated interviews to the WSWS and has been a featured speaker at international online events that it has held. * Julian Assange is the worlds most famous political prisoner. He is incarcerated in Britain and faces extradition to the US, which has issued 17 Espionage Act charges against him for publishing true documents that exposed war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. If dispatched to his US persecutors, Assange faces 175 years imprisonment. Julian Assange The decade-long campaign against Assange, involving multiple governments, including in the US, Britain and Australia, is the high-point of a broader effort by the ruling elites to suppress anti-war opposition and establish a precedent for victimisations targeting the emerging struggles of the working class. Assange has been the subject of obsessive pursuit by the intelligence agencies and their creatures, including on social media, for at least 12 years. In other words, the individuals featured in the video have all fought for the social and democratic rights of working people, in opposition to the homicidal COVID policies and militarism and war. In the process, they have earned the ire of powerful political forces. Twitters ban, therefore, raises obvious questions. If there were a complaint about the video, why did the social media giant immediately lock the entire account of the SEP, without any means of appeal, for 12 hours? Such an action has not been taken since the account was created in 2010. Why, more than 24 hours after the ban was introduced, has the video not been cleared? A cursory examination of its contents by any objective human evaluator would conclude that the claims that the video contains intimate media are a nonsense. A tweet by SEP Australia National Secretary Cheryl Crisp demanding an explanation for the ban, and its immediate reversal, was issued from her personal account at 4:47 p.m. (AEDT) on Thursday. It tagged Twitter Support, the department responsible for dealing with such matters. Currently, the post has received more than 370 likes and over 165 retweets. It has not been acknowledged or responded to by Twitter Support. This situation cannot be tolerated. It sets a precedent for attacks on other Twitter pages and posts that oppose the let it rip program, war and other attacks on the rights of the population. It threatens a broader crackdown on any left-wing political alternatives advanced on Twitter. We appeal to all WSWS readers and defenders of democratic rights to share this article on Twitter, with a caption above directed to @TwitterSupport, demanding an immediate reversal of the lock and a full explanation of why it was imposed. Share the censored video on other social media platforms and alert your friends, family and co-workers to this attack! A Delaware judge ruled on Tuesday that the lawsuit by Twitter aimed at compelling Elon Musk to complete his commitment to buy the social media company will be fast-tracked, denying the billionaires request to delay the start of the trial into early 2023. Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick of the Delaware Chancery Court ordered that a five-day trial would begin in October and vowed that it would be settled rapidly. She said that Musks legal team was underestimating the ability of this court...to quickly process complex litigation. Elon Musk (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) The chancellor agreed with Twitters argument that the company would be harmed by a delay in the proceedings because of the market impact of uncertainty about the future of the company as a publicly traded entity. McCormick said, Those concerns are on full display in the present case. Typically, the longer the merger transaction remains in limbo, the larger the cloud of uncertainty cast over the company and the greater the risk of irreparable harm to the sellers. She added that, if the trial warranted more than five days, she would entertain a request from either side to extend it. The legal dispute between the social media and microblogging site Twitter and the worlds wealthiest individual Musk is the latest episode in the smarmy dealings of financial elites over the manipulation of stock values under conditions where the S&P 500 has fallen by more than 25 percent this year, wiping out a record $7 trillion. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires index, the top 500 richest people have lost a combined $1.4 trillion since January. At the beginning of the year, Elon Musk had a personal net worth of $300 billion. As of this writing, Forbes Real Time Billionaire index says that Musks wealth stands at $229 billion, or a decline of $71 billion over the last six months. As for Twitter, its stock was trading at around $48 per share when Elon Musk offered to buy the company for $54.20 per share in April. On Tuesday, Twitter shares were trading at just over $34 each, which is 37 percent less than Musks offer and a market cap of $30 billion. While Twitter plays an important role globally today as a real-time high-tech newswire service for individuals and organizations to issue announcements and comment on contemporary eventsand there are also 7,500 people who work thereits fate is now being determined by a handful of super-rich individuals who are preoccupied with one thing: halting the collapse of their personal wealth portfolios. Chancellor McCormick made it clear that the primary concern of the Delaware Chancery Court in this case is not the ability of Twitter to continue to function or even the jobs of its employees but to bolster the ongoing viability of Wall Street mergers and acquisitions. Musk signed a definitive acquisition agreement on April 25 to purchase Twitter for $44 billion, make it his own personal property and remove it from the stock market. As Twitters stock value fell dramatically through May and June, Musk announced on July 8 that he was backing out of the deal. Knowing that his about-face would be contentious, Musk wrote in a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission that his withdrawal was justified because Twitter was guilty of making false and misleading representations about the number of inauthentic accounts on its platform. In response, Twitter sued on July 12 to compel Musk to go through with the purchase by using a provision of the agreement that is known in corporate law as specific performance. Rarely used in merger-and-acquisition disputes, Twitter is pursuing this remedy instead of seeking monetary damages because it expects the resulting deal with Musk, even if contentious, will lead to a substantial increase in the value of the company. In most lawsuits of this type, specific performance is considered damaging for both parties and not a viable option. However, due to the scale of the Twitter dealif it goes through, it will be the third-largest tech purchase of all timethe extreme measure is considered prudent in Wall Street circles. According to the New York Times, the terms of Musks commitment are clear: So long as Twitter fulfills its obligations and the banks fund their commitments, Twitter shall be entitled to specific performance of Mr. Musks promise to buy the company for the price agreed upon. During the hearing before Chancellor McCormick, Musks attorneys argued that the start of the trial should be pushed back because of the time needed to investigate the issue of spam and fake Twitter accounts. Musk lawyer Andrew Rossman maintains that the real number of daily active users is critical for determining the true value of the company. He said that the investigation would be extremely fact and expert intensive, requiring substantial time for discovery. Twitters lawyers responded that their lawsuit has nothing to do with the number of fake or real accounts on the platform, since the terms of the agreement did not make any commitment on this question. Twitters lead attorney William Savitt said, This issue that Musk says will require such complex discovery is an invented issue. It isnt what the merger agreement is about. So, it wont be what the case is about. Savitt went on, Musk has been and remains contractually obligated to use his best efforts to close this deal. What hes doing is the exact opposite; its sabotage. Some estimates put the negative financial impact on Musks personal fortune at $100 billion by being forced to go through with the Twitter acquisition. His obvious buyers remorse puts paid to the cynical and self-serving statements Musk made in April about how Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it, and how important Twitter is as a platform for freedom of speech around the globe, andfor a functioning democracy. A transcript of a 2010 closed hearing unsealed Sunday night supports the claims of Polish-French filmmaker Roman Polanski that a judge was going to renege on a sentencing agreement in 1977. Threatened with being thrown in jail for years, or even decades, Polanski fled the US. Retired Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson, who prosecuted Polanski in 1977, testified in 2010 that he was so concerned about the handling of the sexual assault case by Judge Laurence Rittenband that he drafted a document seeking the latters removal. Gunsons sealed testimony was ordered released by a California Appellate Court last Wednesday after Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon dropped the longstanding objections of his predecessors. Roman Polanski in 2013 (Photo credit- Georges Biard) In 1977, Polanski pled guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a teenage girl and was sent to Californias Chino state prison for a 90-day diagnostic evaluation, with the understanding that this would be the extent of his incarceration. The diagnostic study recommended probation. Gunsons testimony provides further details about Rittenbands misconduct. According to Deadline, Gunsons 20-page affidavit seeking recusal of the judge followed concerns that Rittenband was seeking information and opinions from all over the placeincluding people not directly involved, such as friends, media and prosecutor David Wells, who had no official role in the proceedings. Gunsons request that Rittenband be disqualified from the case was denied by his superiors in the Los Angeles County District Attorneys office. Gunson testified, Variety reports, that Rittenband said he would recall Polanski after he had completed the full 90 days [in Chino], but it was not clear if Polanski could rely on that promise. If he were sent to state prison and not recalled by the judge, then he could be there for 20 or 50 years, said Gunson. He further explained that Rittenband had promised him [Polanski] on two occasions ... something that he reneged on. So it wasnt surprising to me that, when he [Polanski] was told he was going to be sent off to state prison ... that he could not or would not trust the judge. Because of the film directors history and lack of criminal background, as well as medical evaluations his attorney had previously submitted, a probation recommendation was considered highly likely. It had been further agreed that if the diagnostic evaluation recommended probation, such a recommendation would be accepted by the judge, prosecutor and Polanski. The victim, Samantha (nee Gailey) Geimer, and her family also agreed to this disposition. It took 42 days for prison evaluators in Chino to determine Polanski was amenable for probation and he was released. As the filmmakers sentencing date approached, the state prison evaluators and the Los Angeles County Probation Department both submitted reports recommending probation. The day before Polanski was to appear for his sentencing, his lawyers were informed that Rittenband had reneged on the agreement for probation and instead would be sentencing Polanski to prison. Upon being informed of this, Polanski immediately boarded a flight to Europe. After the filmmaker failed to appear at his scheduled sentencing, Rittenband issued a warrant for Polanski. At the time of his arrest in March 1977, Polanski was a renowned filmmaker who had directed many acclaimed works, including Knife in the Water (1962), Repulsion (1965), Cul-de-sac (1966), Rosemarys Baby (1968), Macbeth (1971), Chinatown (1974) and The Tenant (1976). Polanski was also well known as a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust. As a child in Poland in 1942-43, he witnessed the deportation of Krakows Jewish population to concentration camps and barely escaped that fate himself. His father survived a camp, but his mother died in Auschwitz. In 1969, Polanskis wife, actress Sharon Tate, eight months pregnant, was murdered along with four other people at the couples home in Los Angeles by members of the Charles Manson family (Polanski was in Europe at the time). Since his flight from the US in 1977, Polanski has lived and worked in Europe, primarily France. His film The Pianist, about a Jewish musician surviving in Nazi-occupied Poland won three Academy Awards in 2003 (best actor, director and adapted screenplay) and was nominated for four others. Polanski was unable to attend the Academy Awards ceremony because of the still outstanding 25-year-old warrant for his arrest. A scene from Roman Polanski: Wanted and DesiredPolanski and press during the hearings in 1977 The new interest in Polanskis legal ordeal motivated the making of an in-depth documentary on his case in 2008, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (Marina Zenovich). This film for the first time revealed what caused Rittenband, who died in 1993, to renege on the previously agreed to disposition of the case. One of the interviewees in the film was David Wells, who had been a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney and who in 1977-78 had been assigned to Rittenbands court. Although Wells was not directly involved with the Polanski prosecution, he had access to Rittenband, and took credit for privately encouraging Rittenband to repudiate Polanskis plea agreement. Wells explained that he repeatedly told Rittenband that Polanski needed to be sent to prison. In the just released 2010 transcript, Gunson named Wells as one of the individuals who had been engaged in unethical conduct along with Rittenband. What Wells described was egregious judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. A judge cannot discuss a case without both parties being present and cannot consider evidence outside of what has been presented in court. In 2009, in response in part to the documentary, Polanskis lawyers moved to have the matter dismissed on the grounds of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. Their requests at both the trial level and appellate level were denied. On each occasion, however, the courts conceded there was strong evidence of misconduct, but could not rule without Polanski being present. The Los Angeles District Attorneys office then for the first time initiated extradition proceedings against Polanski, which culminated in his arrest in September 2009 in Switzerland. The filmmaker was jailed for two months and then put under house arrest at his home in Switzerland while awaiting a decision on appeals fighting his extradition. In July 2010, a Swiss court, the first court to actually rule on the merits of Polanskis claims, rejected the US request, relying on evidence of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct and declared Polanski a free man and released him from custody. In 2015, the US issued an extradition request to Poland, which was also ultimately rejected. The vindictive campaign against the 88-year-old filmmaker has always been politically motivated, aimed at whipping up the most backward elements of the population. The victim in the case, Samantha Geimer, long ago repudiated the campaign against Polanski. Her conduct stands in contrast to the hypocritical and reactionary claims of the media and US government authorities, who have no difficulty with war criminals walking the streets of Washington and elsewhere with impunity. In recent years, the anti-Polanski hysteria has been nourished by the #MeToo sexual witch-hunt and the Democratic Partys need to satisfy its upper-middle-class base. Jean Dujardin and Louis Garrel in J'accuse (An Officer and a Spy) One of the most pernicious consequences of the vendetta has been the blacklisting in the US of Polanskis critically acclaimed film Jaccuse (An Officer and a Spy, 2019) about the infamous Dreyfus affair. The film depicts the 12-year struggle to clear Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jewish officer falsely convicted of spying for Germany in 1894. France came to the brink of civil war between defenders of Dreyfus, led by Jean Jaures and the socialist workers movement, and the antidreyfusardsthe Army general staff, the Church and the anti-Semitic Action francaise led by Charles Maurras. Dreyfus was ultimately cleared and the conspiracy to frame him definitively repudiated in 1906. A WSWS review argued that the film genuinely and artistically illuminates one of the great events of European history and was an immense achievement. Jaccuse has the most burning relevance in the light of one of the great frame-ups of our time, the persecution of Julian Assange, and the growth of fascistic and anti-Semitic tendencies, in Europe and the US. But, thanks to the #MeToo witch-hunters, backed by the extreme right, American audiences have been denied the right to see and be educated by Polanskis film. In France, where Jaccuse was one of the most widely seen films of the year, it was nominated for 12 Cesar awards in 2020, the countrys highest film honors. It won three awards, including best director and best adapted screenplay for Polanski. When the Cesar nominations were announced, the Macron government, seizing upon the scandal to promote censorship and build an affluent middle-class base for its repressive policies, joined with the #MeToo campaign in condemning the nominations. Cesar President Alain Terzian dismissed the objections by stating, The Cesar awards are not an institution that must have moral positions. Unless I am wrong, 1.5 million French people went to see this film. Ask them. Polanski was unable to attend the awards ceremony because of numerous threats. As to Polanskis lingering 1978 fugitive status, defense lawyer Harland Braun explained in expectation of the sealed transcripts formal release that he would renew his effort to have Polanski sentenced in absentia, which would end his status as a fugitive from justice in the US. The issue of supplying the country with the latest weapons was discussed at a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. "Today I held a regular meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief... We discussed the current situation on the frontline, around Ukraine. We defined tasks in some tactical areas to strengthen our positions. And we also thoroughly worked out the issue of providing the troops with the modern weapons - the intensity of attacks on the enemy still needs to be increased," Zelensky said in an evening video statement on Thursday. According to him, the meeting participants agreed that Ukraine has a significant potential for the advancement of military forces at the frontline and for inflicting significant losses on the invaders. At the meeting we listened to the reports of Head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov, as well as Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander of the Land Forces, joined the Staff meeting directly from the frontline. Zelensky: First result of Ukraine's first lady visit to USA is draft resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide The first real result of the visit of the First Lady of Ukraine to the United States was a draft resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a traditional video statement on Thursday evening. "A few months ago, our expert group chaired by Yermak and McFaul suggested recognizing Russia's actions against Ukraine as genocide. And here is the first real result of the visit of the First Lady of Ukraine to the United States Senators Risch, Cardin, Wicker, Blumenthal, Portman, Shaheen and Graham presented a draft resolution on recognition of Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide," he said. "The resolution states that Russia's actions in Ukraine, which include forced deportation to Russia and the targeted killing of Ukrainian civilians during mass atrocities, are genocide against the people of Ukraine. The senators introduced the resolution shortly after Olena delivered an address directly to the U.S. Congress," Zelensky said. According to the draft document, he also said, "the U.S. Senate condemns Russia for committing acts of genocide against the people of Ukraine; calls on the United States, together with NATO and EU allies, to support the government of Ukraine to prevent further acts of Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people; supports tribunals and international criminal investigations to hold Russian political leaders and military personnel accountable for war of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide." "With all its terrorist attacks against Ukrainians and our country, Russia is only burying itself," Zelensky said. Israel has made a strategic decision to provide assistance to Ukraine, but it has to exercise caution when providing military assistance, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "Israel, unfortunately, is located in a dysfunctional region. It is such a tinderbox, on top of which Israel sits. The security threats to Israel, the threats to the lives of both Israeli soldiers and Israeli citizens, are enormous. Ukraine today is facing a very powerful adversary, a superpower, Israel has a different situation in this sense, different threats, but nevertheless, this is also a serious war, the war on terror, which requires maximum resources, maximum mobilization of society. For these reasons, and because of the sensitive relationship that we have with Russia, we think first of all about our own interests and have to be careful," he said. "This does not mean that we do not help Ukraine. From the first day, we made a strategic decision to provide the maximum amount of assistance to Ukraine that we can afford. Without crossing the 'red lines' and without endangering our national interests. Without endangering the lives of ordinary Israelis," he said. The ambassador said "hundreds of tonnes of humanitarian aid that we have delivered medicine, food, fresh water, generators, desalination plants. This is a field hospital, which is located in Lviv region, and during the stay of Israeli doctors there, they provided assistance to 6,000 Ukrainians refugees and local residents. In addition, he said, "dozens of people who were brought to Israel for treatment. These are children from Ohmatdyt hospital with oncological diseases. These are patients who were in the Israeli field hospital, who then it was decided to transfer to Israel and continue their treatment there." According to Brodsky, "the health sector is the area in which Israel should actively help Ukraine after the war too. It will be necessary to restore the entire infrastructure, including healthcare. I think it will be right that it is Israel that will contribute to the creation of a new, modern health system in Ukraine." By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Media Development Agency (MEDIA) Executive Director Ahmad Ismayilov has said that Azerbaijani reporters effectively performed their duties during the 44-day war in 2020, Azernews reports. He made the remark at an international media forum on "Global trends and new challenges in media" held in Azerbaijans liberated Shusha city on July 22. Our journalists, inspired by the tireless work of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to bring the truth about Azerbaijan to the world, worthily performed their professional duty during the war, Ismayilov said. Azerbaijan's victory in the second Karabakh war sparked considerable jubilation in the media, as well as across the country, Ismayilov opined. The presidential order on deepening reforms in Azerbaijan's media sector, which was issued after the Karabakh war, reflects new fundamental changes and assigns new, more important obligations to journalists, he said. The innovations that will be introduced on the basis of the decree will create conditions for stimulating the activities of Azerbaijani media which are based on principles of transparency and satisfaction of citizens, serve the cause of objective and professional information of society, stimulate the application of principles, innovative approaches determined by the global information environment, such as modernization, rationalization, and the widespread use of advanced technologies, Ismayilov noted. The president approved new media legislation in February 2022, which is seen as a road map for media reforms in Azerbaijan. The law's purpose is to safeguard the security of the country's information space, support the growth of local media, enhance the information environment, and increase the competitiveness and prestige of the reporter profession, Ismayilov added. Addressing the event, Azerbaijans Audiovisual Council chairman Ismat Sattarov underlined the necessity of fighting bias in the media. "Today we see many examples of discrimination, violation of the principles of objectivity in the media. Azerbaijan faced attempts in the global arena to influence the process of bringing the truth during the 44-day Second Karabakh War," Sattarov said. Rahman Hajiyev, Chairman of the Karabakh Revival Fund, on the other hand, emphasized the moral obligation of every Azerbaijani person in rebuilding Azerbaijan's legacy in the liberated regions. "Every Azerbaijani must participate in the process of restoring the liberated lands. I would like to suggest the Media Development Agency hold joint discussions with the Karabakh Revival Fund on how we can contribute to this together," Hajiyev noted. "We are still faced with double standards in the media, and its necessary to work on eliminating this," he added. Furthermore, Maftun Abbasov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Shusha State Reserve Department, stated that the department and media entities are actively collaborating. "The media outlets cover international events dedicated to the restoration work in Karabakh," he stressed. Abbasov emphasized that in the age of information and communication technologies, it is important to inform both local and international audiences about Azerbaijans realities, as well as large-scale rehabilitation work being carried out in the liberated lands. First Deputy Director-General of Russian TASS News Agency Mikhail Gusman, who was attending the forum, said that the International Media Forum in Shusha has the potential to become a global event. "Azerbaijani journalism will celebrate its 150th anniversary in the near future, and I do hope the International Media Forum will reach the global level by that time," Gusman stated. Gusman, recalling the injustices that Azerbaijan endured during the 44-day war, highlighted that Shusha and Karabakh are intrinsic parts of Azerbaijan and that the rest of the world should recognize this. One of the forum's key goals is to spread this fact around the world, he added. We live in a very difficult, complex, and changing world. In the conditions of information attacks, or even an information war against Azerbaijan, the role of journalists in this regard is especially great," Gusman said. "The holding of the first media forum in Shusha, the cultural and historical capital of Azerbaijan, is very symbolic. Today is the holiday of journalists, and the participants of this forum with great pleasure and joy heard a very warm congratulation from President Ilham Aliyev, who highly appreciated the role of journalists in modern Azerbaijan," he added. Another foreign media expert, Talal Abdulkarim, Manager of Training at the Al Jazeera Media Institute, stated that journalists throughout the world should make every effort to develop confidence in media. "We all, as history writers, have a responsibility in this regard. During my visit to Baku, I managed to see Azerbaijani newspapers printed over the past 150 years and kept in one of the museums of the capital. The primary reason for their survival is the reliability and readability of articles," Abdulkarim stated. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky called accusations of the Ukrainian state of Nazism as "nonsense." "I think it is complete nonsense to accuse Ukraine of Nazism. Probably, like in any other country, there are nationalists, anti-Semites in Ukraine they are in Russia, France, the United States, and in this sense Ukraine is no different from other countries," he told Interfax-Ukraine. The ambassador also said "at one time, I and my predecessors as ambassadors spoke about my disagreement with certain trends in Ukrainian society. It concerned certain historical figures." "And our opinion on this issue has not changed we spoke about this openly with the leadership of Ukraine. I am sure that after the end of the war this historical discussion will continue," he said. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky believes that Ukraine can use the Israeli experience of building a state, while noting the need to rely on its own strength, preserve democracy and strengthen ties with the Diaspora. "You will simply have no other choice for Ukraine to continue to exist as a strong independent state, other than to become 'Israel' in some sense," he told Interfax-Ukraine. According to him, there are three points that Ukraine can use. "The first is to rely only on itself. This comes with time and I am sure that Ukraine will learn from this war... Surely, we have partnerships with many countries, we have strategic relations with the United States, this is a very important trump card, but in the military sense, Israel relies only on itself... It has his own military technology, it actively exports them worldwide. It proceeds from the fact that in a moment of danger one cannot count on anyone's help." "The second point is to preserve democracy and freedom of speech at all costs. This is the lesson that Israel has learned in 74 years of its existence, since this is the strength of the state. In different opinions, the opportunity to express their opinions, to conduct discussions. Despite wars, despite such traumatic events as the assassination of the prime minister, for example. In such circumstances, there is a danger of slipping into authoritarianism, strangling freedom of speech. Israel did not follow this path and it was right. Ultimately, this would weaken society and the state," he said. The third, he said, is "everything that concerns connection with the diaspora." "The Ukrainian diaspora is growing. On the one hand, these are losses for the state. I think that some part of the people will not return to Ukraine. You can look at this as a loss, or you can look at it as an asset of the state with which you need to work. And which in the end can support the country in difficult times and not only. This is what Israel had from the very beginning. Ukraine, I think, needs to work more actively with immigrants from the country in different regions of the world and rely on their support," Brodsky said. (Amanda Holden/Instagram) Amanda Holden showed off her daughters striking likeness to her as shared a rare family portrait from their trip to Greece on Instagram. The Heart Radio presenter looked chic in a V-neck dress with tassel detailing as she posed alongside her lookalike daughters, Lexi, 16, and Hollie, 10, and her husband Chris Hughes. The Britains Got Talent star complemented her holiday attire with gold jewellery and a pair of aviator-style shades. Amanda Holden - In pictures (PA) (Amanda Holden/Instagram) (PA) (PA) (Amandaholden) (Getty Images) (Amanda Holden) (@noholdenback) Amanda Holden for the 14th season of Britain's Got Talent (ITV) Amanda Holden mowing lawn in wedding dress (@noholdenback) The 51-year-olds husband Holden coordinated her holiday ensemble in a loose white shirt while their eldest daughter wore a cream crop top, and Hollie sported a vibrant pink look. Captioning the sweet shot, Holden simply wrote: Team photo. After sharing the photo on Wednesday, several of Holdens famous followers and friends commented on her sun-soaked trip. Loose Women presenter Ruth Langford penned: What a beautiful family while her Heart Radio colleague Ashley Roberts added, What a quad. Im A Celebrity alum Vicky Pattison commented: The genetics is this picture. After sharing the shot, the star revealed she was jetting off from her family holiday to join pal and comedian Alan Carr in Sicily. Posting several photos of her travelling in a private jet, she shared: Well! What a treat! ..@sandbanksjets to the rescue!! Finally On my way to @chattyman in Sicily .. Elsewhere, Holden has previously revealed that Lexi will finish her education first before she embarks on her modelling career. In March, she announced that the 16-year-old has signed with Storm, the agency that represented supermodel Kate Moss for 28 years, as she follows in her mothers showbusiness footsteps. However, Holden insisted her daughter had so many ambitions and still has her heart set on attending university while embarking on a career in modelling. Lexi was approached last year and obviously we were waiting until she was 16 to sign anything. Its something she actually wants to do, so Im taking the lead from her, she told The Sun. Story continues Shes a very quiet girl but she knows her own mind. Shes very bright and wants to continue her studies. Theres no pressure and well just see what happens. But finishing her education is very much her plan, shell have our support whatever she decides to do. The Heart Breakfast Show presenter also shares 10-year-old daughter Hollie with her record producer husband, 49. Previously, the mother-of-two insisted her eldest daughter wont step into the spotlight until she turns 18 years old. Speaking about signing with Storm, she told MailOnline at the time: They came after her and theyre very lovely and nurturing and it will be a soft, slow thing and she wont do anything until shes 18. I have to say there was quite a number of them and theres such a different mindset to how you might think modelling agencies look after the young, but they are very nurturing and very caring, all of them. She has made the decision to sign with them and Chris and I support her, and we are very protective but theyre very keen. The post Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and Julien Bakers Wild Hearts Tour Is the Cant-Miss Indie Gig of the Summer: Review appeared first on Consequence. The heat wave that had been smothering the country all week was still refusing to budge when The Wild Hearts Tour kicked off Thursday (July 21st) at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia (get tickets here). A tote bag at the merch stand read, I went to The Wild Hearts Tour and all I got was emotional, the unofficial mission statement of the triple bill. This is my summer camp, Angel Olsen told the audience during her nine-song set later in the night. The tour featuring Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, and Julien Baker will continue to cross the country this summer at a COVID-safe series of outdoor venues: three singer-songwriters at the top of their respective games, who are also just three friends who will return to the same tour bus every night, creating a shared experience during what will be the coldest summer of the rest of their lives. The sun was setting as Julien Baker took the west-facing stage; had she gone on even a few minutes earlier, it would have shone directly in her eyes. Even under the airy wooden rafters of Wolf Traps open-air and seated Filene Center it was tough to find a breeze. Undaunted by the sea of sweaty faces in the audience, Baker purposefully dove right into a full-throated version of a sparsely-instrumented song, the title track to her 2015 album Sprained Ankle. Baker is a consummate and polished professional, even while delivering songs about the chaotic forces of addiction and poor mental health. She was the first artist on the bill but not the last to inform the audience that the schedule for her set was tight. Wolf Trap is run by the National Park Service, and it seemed like a stern park ranger or two had put the fear of God in all three of them: Wrap by 11, or else. Wild Hearts Tour Kickoff Julien Baker, photo by Shannon Flack for Wolf Trap Story continues Baker charged through Bloodshot, from 2021s Little Oblivions her third LP and her first full-band album. She seemed a little harried as she unstrapped her guitar and moved across the stage to take her place behind the keyboard, even as the ambient temperature finally started to drop by maybe one degree. After playing standalone single Tokyo, Baker took a measured approach to Little Oblivions tracks Favor and Relative Fiction. Faith Healer and Hardline, though, were where she left nothing on the table pushing through crescendos, opening her mouth as wide as it would go. She chased them with the powerful, cacophonous finale of Ziptie before waving herself offstage, right on schedule. Audience members were still finding their seats throughout Bakers set, giving it the feel of an opener. Twenty minutes later, when Angel Olsen took the stage in a bright yellow jumpsuit, it was dark enough to feel like primetime. Dream Thing, from the newly-released Big Time, eased the audience into an Olsen sound that is more rife with country influences than ever before. With six other people onstage, the cumulative effect was full-bodied and lush; it sounded like summer. Olsen seemed like she was getting back on a familiar horse after three years away. I know its hot, but we love you. Our love goes out to you, she said, greeting the audience after wrapping Dream Thing. Its a beautiful space, oh my God, she added of the wooden amphitheater. The jubilant Big Time carried the audience further into the world of her newest release as she strummed rhythm guitar, planted behind her mic front-and-center on the stage. Wild Hearts Tour Kickoff Angel Olsen, photo by Shannon Flack for Wolf Trap Ghost On, about Olsens first queer relationship during the pandemic, got a beautiful and haunting rendition When should I believe the things you say? You change your mind from day to day, she sang. Its a song with a sharp edge, but it felt like some of the sting had been removed for Olsen through the process of writing it. The whisper of a breeze wafted through as the closing notes drifted out into the audience. Im going to play a new song I wrote last night its a banger, man! This is a special song about shutting up and getting real close to someones face, she said before launching into Shut Up Kiss Me, a track from 2016s My Woman that she had most definitely not written the night before. Its Olsens most popular song, and it felt like being greeted by an old friend. Although Olsen has embraced more optimistic, major-key rock and country on 2016s My Woman and Big Time, she can snap quickly back to the eerie otherworldliness that inhabited her earliest releases and 2019s All Mirrors. Through the Fires is her newest addition in this particular vein, and she pulled the audience into another realm for a few minutes through low, mellow piano chords, drums that built in a slow burn, and the ethereality of her voice. Olsen and her band were clearly struggling with the heat, and she re-tuned her guitar between each song. I know its hot and youre all sitting down and its low energy, she said to the crowd, although a handful of people had stood up throughout the song to sway their bodies as though no one was watching. The rest of the audience joined them a few moments later to stand and applaud after the last closing notes of All the Good Times. Olsen left the stage, and the house lights came up during another 20-minute break between sets. When they dimmed again, Van Etten strode to the front of the house, positioning herself centerstage before the opening notes of Headspace churned out of the amps. Van Etten is a powerfully dynamic performer, and it felt like the thing we didnt know we had been waiting for all night. She eschewed the guitar for the first three songs of her set, stalking the stage with a microphone and using her voice and body as her instrument. She gripped the mic with one hand while playfully wiping sweat from her guitarists face with the other before turning back toward the audience for No Ones Easy to Love, from 2019s Remind Me Tomorrow. After Anything, on which she resumed playing guitar, Van Etten gave some shout-outs to her Jersey high school crew, which drew cheers from the crowd, and her Uncle Stan, who was also in the audience. Van Etten shared that Vienna held a hallowed place in her familys history: Her grandparents lived there before their deaths and are both now buried in Arlington National Cemetery. We dedicate the rest of this set to Florence and Stan, she said, with the disarming charm that hallmarks her live performances. Wild Hearts Tour Kickoff Sharon Van Etten, photo by Shannon Flack for Wolf Trap In the time since her quiet and tentative 2009 DIY debut, Van Etten has come into her own as a full-fledged rock star, and its one of the most empowering and satisfying evolutions in music today. Her setlist drew from 2022s Weve Been Going About This All Wrong, her sixth studio album, for four of its songs the first time she had played them to a live audience. She reached farther back in her catalog with Serpents, the muscular, swift and savage track about a former abusive partner from 2012s Tramp, as well as a playful, harder rock version of the easygoing Every Time the Sun Comes Up, from 2014s Are We There, which got a few more audience members moving and out of their seats. Hearing artists play with form like this is one of the highlights of any live show, and it was a little disappointing that the nights tightly coordinated schedule didnt allow for more of it. Van Etten followed with Mistakes, telling the audience, This is the permission Im giving you right now to be a bad dancer with me. If anyone knows Elaine Benes, you know what Im saying. She closed with a powerful and locked-in rendition of Seventeen, a love song to a former self. After Van Etten left the stage, the audience had a pretty good idea of what was coming next, but they good-naturedly cheered and applauded to the empty stage anyway. Sure enough, Van Etten came back out a few moments later, followed by Olsen. The two launched into their tender and bombastic joint single from 2021, Like I Used To, a song that perfectly encapsulates what Olsen and Van Etten have prioritized exploring in their most recent work: communing and reckoning with a past self across time, tenderly integrating all the people you used to be into the present. (In a short film released earlier this year in conjunction with Big Time, Olsen gently drowns a version of her past self in a bathtub.) While Olsen and Van Etten flawlessly debuted their live rendition of the song at last years Pitchfork Music Festival, it seemed like perhaps Van Etten wasnt quite hitting the harmony this time around: On the first bridge, Olsen gave her a sideways glance while pointing down, gesturing to what seemed like a different key. They got it eventually, and anyway, it was a forgiving crowd. The two of them have twenty-two more tour dates to perfect the duet. Wild Hearts Tour Kickoff Sharon Van Etten, photo by Shannon Flack for Wolf Trap I cant have been the only audience member who was holding out hope that Baker would join the two onstage for a second part to the finale, but the park rangers may have been tapping their watches in the wings; Olsen and Van Etten embraced before exiting stage left. The lights came up and we all started making the trek back to our air-conditioned cars. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a man who looked like Van Ettens partner carrying a child in red striped pajamas toward the stage; earlier, I had seen the same pajama-clad child being led to a seat by a woman with a tour badge, presumably to watch his mothers set a reminder that we were all pushing our respective bedtimes. The Wild Hearts Tour will continue to unfurl for the rest of the summer, and the transitions will no doubt become smoother and the swift pacing of the sets less urgent. On the tours opening night, we had all braved a heat advisory for the greater Washington, D.C., region, seeking a mental escape from the soaring temperatures, a communal experience after an isolating few years, a few hours away from our big- and medium-screens. We had all gotten what we came for: the chance to be there for a moment in time, together. The Wild Hearts Tour next lands in Asheville, NC on Friday (July 22nd). Tickets for that gig, and for the rest of tour, are available via Ticketmaster. Setlists: Julien Baker Sprained Ankle Bloodshot Tokyo Favor Relative Fiction Ringside Faith Healer Hardline Ziptie Angel Olsen Dream Thing Big Time Ghost On Right Now Shut Up Kiss Me Sister Go Home Through the Fires All the Good Times Sharon Van Etten Headspace No Ones Easy to Love Comeback Kid Anything Come Back Serpents Every Time the Sun Comes Up Hands Born Mistakes Seventeen Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and Julien Bakers Wild Hearts Tour Is the Cant-Miss Indie Gig of the Summer: Review Katherine Flynn Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. Ambassador Korniychuk denied the possibility of Hasidic travel to Ukraine through Moldova - no one will be allowed Official Kyiv will approve the ban on the pilgrimage to Uman for Rosh Hashanah this year by the fall and will not accept Hasidim going to Ukraine from any countries. Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk made a corresponding comment on the possibility of a pilgrimage to Uman via Moldova. Today, there is really no official ban on entering Ukraine. However, the Office of the President of Ukraine made it clear that appropriate restrictions on entering the country will be adopted and approved before the autumn holidays. The state of Ukraine is responsible for the health and life of everyone who enters it. Therefore, Hasidim will not be able to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in Uman or any other city in the country. Ukraine warns in advance about the ban on entry, - said the head of the diplomatic mission. Earlier, the Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to Moldova, Volodymyr Manzhola, said that Ukraine will allegedly not ban pilgrims from entering the country and will help Hasidim who will go to Uman through Moldova as a transit point. The Jewish communities of Moldova conduct active consultations on this issue with interested organizations and diplomats. As reported, on July 7, E.Korniychuk said that Ukraine cannot accept pilgrims this year in light of Russia's ongoing military aggression against Ukraine and the lack of an opportunity to guarantee the safety of foreigners. The head of the diplomatic mission noted that this decision will not be revised until the security situation improves and appealed to the pilgrims: Please pray for the end of the war in Ukraine, which flared up due to blatant and brutal Russian aggression, before Rosh HaShan, and pray for victory of Ukraine. We hope that the prayers will come true and Ukraine will once again become a country that generously welcomes guests from Israel, and especially Jews who come to Ukraine to visit the graves of the righteous, - the ambassador emphasized. As it known, about 50,000 pilgrims from Israel and the whole world come to Uman to visit Rabbi Nachman's grave to celebrate the Jewish New Year in early September. The current COVID-19 variants are more transmissible than ever, leading to a higher rate of infection throughout the country and increased risk associated with most activities. The current variants, which are BA.4 and BA.5, constitute for about 82% of our current variants within our health system, Dr. Janak Patel, director of the Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told HuffPost. The current strains are unique for reasons beyond their transmissibility, too. They also can cause some different symptoms compared to earlier strains of the virus. Here, experts share the COVID-19 symptoms that are most common right now and other differences theyve seen with these current variants. Like other recent variants, a sore throat is a very common symptom with BA.5. According to David Souleles, the director of the COVID-19 Response Team at the University of California, Irvine, the most common symptoms of recent COVID infections include coughs, congestion, fatigue and headaches. One of the most ubiquitous issues, though? Sore throats are very commonly reported, he said. However, its important to remember that this may not be exclusive to BA.5. It takes the scientific community time to compile recent infection data since variants change so quickly, Souleles said. And the medical community doesnt know on an individual patient level who has what variant. Plus, if you test with an at-home test, theres no way of knowing what variant you had. Overall, people feel pretty sick or wiped out when they have it. [This strain is] causing bad cold to flu-like illness, said Dr. Pritish Tosh, an infectious diseases physician and researcher at Mayo Clinic. And exact symptoms and severity tend to vary depending on many factors, including age, medical history and infection history. But, Souleles said if you talk to the average person who had COVID, many will tell you its the sickest theyve ever been without going to the hospital. Story continues Think persistent headache, frequent cough and restless nights as a result. Plus, the overwhelming anxiety that having COVID-19 brings. Additionally, theres also the risk of long COVID. Its estimated that about 16 million people may have the condition after being infected with the virus. So, even though the symptoms may be described as or seen as mild, there are still issues that can happen. Coughs are a largely reported symptom of recent COVID infections. (Photo: The Good Brigade via Getty Images) Coughs are a largely reported symptom of recent COVID infections. (Photo: The Good Brigade via Getty Images) You probably wont lose your sense of taste and smell. Loss of taste and smell was a very common symptom that was reported in earlier variants of COVID-19, Souleles said. Were hearing that a lot less than we used to. This likely has to do with how the virus has mutated, and how it interacts with the parts of our brain that govern taste and smell, he added. It appears people are getting infected and seeing symptoms faster. According to Souleles, people are testing positive after exposure at a faster rate than earlier in the pandemic. A year ago, it might have been more like seven to 10 days after their exposure period, he said. Now, most people will test positive three to five days after exposure. Were definitely seeing a more rapid progression to symptoms after exposure. Breakthrough infections arent leading to issues or symptoms that land people in the hospital as frequently as previous variants. [BA.5] is a variant that can evade antibodies from other recent variants, Tosh said. But, the reason most people arent experiencing outcomes like hospitalizations or death has to do with the built-up immunity that many of us have, whether thats from vaccinations, prior infections or both. And that protection goes beyond antibodies; its also because of our T-cell immunity, which increases every time we get vaccinated, boosted or infected. Antibodies keep people from getting infected, Tosh explained. T-cells keep people from getting super sick and requiring hospital care. T-cells are far more robust in keeping people from getting very sick from different variants, including from the current BA.5 subvariant. With current COVID variants, people are testing positive faster than they would have with previous variants. (Photo: ShotPrime via Getty Images) With current COVID variants, people are testing positive faster than they would have with previous variants. (Photo: ShotPrime via Getty Images) Those who are unvaccinated are still at high risk for severe outcomes. We know that the vaccines continue to provide pretty good protection from the more serious outcomes that would result in hospitalization or death, Souleles said. And when you look at hospital data across the country, the majority of folks who end up in the hospital because of COVID-19 are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. [Unvaccinated people] are getting more of those severe outcomes that we might have seen earlier in the pandemic when we didnt have vaccines or medicines like Paxlovid, he said. Keep in mind that its not guaranteed that unvaccinated people will become more ill, there is just a higher chance that they will face more severe outcomes. Because of the sheer number of vaccinated people in the country, you may notice an uptick in vaccinated individuals in hospitals. Still, vaccinated people are getting hospitalized at a much lower rate than those unvaccinated. In New York for example, for every 100,000 hospitalized, 1.7 are vaccinated and 11.5 are unvaccinated. Immunocompromised folks are still at high risk of severe outcomes, too. Roughly 3% of the country is considered immunocompromised, which includes people with health conditions like certain kinds of cancer, diabetes and HIV. High-risk people are more likely to face severe outcomes from COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. While some people may report cold-like symptoms from a BA.5 infection, those who are immunocompromised could face a much more grim reality. Thats why its important for immunocompromised individuals to get all of their vaccinations and for everyone to follow smart health precautions especially when coming into contact with someone who is high risk. To stay healthy, use the mitigation measures that we know work. Vaccinate, boost, wear a mask, test before attending events, test three to five days after you have had a known exposure, and isolate if youre sick, Souleles said. All of those things that have applied throughout the entire pandemic apply to BA.5 and all of the variants of omicron. We have the tools to control this, we know what to do. Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations. Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Gavin Newsom has a unique way of courting California voters. Californias governor has run his second out-of-state ad this month, first in Florida and now in Texas. In the ads, Newsom is targeting two prominent Republican governors who many tout as potential GOP presidential candidates on two big, national issues: gun control and abortion. More from Deadline The Gavin for Governor campaign reportedly bought space today in the Austin-American Statesman, Houston Chronicle and El Paso Times. Newsom also today signed CA Senate Bill 1327 today, a measure that uses a method similar to Texass bounty-style anti-abortion law to target gun makers. Todays ad revolves around a quote Gov. Greg Abbott made as he signed the Texas anti-abortion measure in May of last year: Our creator endowed us with the right to life. And yet children lose their right to life every year because of abortion. In Texas, we work to save those lives. In Newsoms ad, however, the word abortion is crossed out and replaced with gun violence and the word Texas is crossed out and replaced with California, so the quote reads thusly: Our creator endowed us with the right to life. And yet children lose their right to life every year because of gun violence. In California, we work to save those lives. A detail of the ad Gov. Gavin Newsom ran in Texas newspapers - Credit: Newsom for Governor via Twitter Newsom for Governor via Twitter The ad money is likely a welcome boon to the local papers and could presage a rich presidential campaign cycle for regional media outlets if the big-state governors battle each other across state lines. Newsom also joined the Donald Trump-fronted Truth Social last month, where he called out Americas red-state murder problem in a post that contrasted his efforts with those of GOP governors. Story continues And late this morning, Newsom made an appearance in Los Angeles to tout the signing of CA Senate Bill 1327 and his gun control efforts. There is no other state in the United States doing more on gun safety than the state of California. Period. Full stop, he claimed at a morning press conference. We set the tone and tenor for gun safety debate in this country. The Golden State governor continued, We are going to do more than just identify a problem, reflect on how frustrating and vexing this problem is to solve. We are going to do more than others. We are going to step in and take action. Those words may someday haunt Newsom if he indeed does announce for president. Opponents could seize on the quote and pair it with scenes from the states seemingly intractable homelessness crisis which has metastasized during Newsoms term or his profound silence on Covid over the past few months as a new strain and surge have ravaged the state. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Jordan Peele wanted a vast spectacle with his latest release, Nope. The UFO drama/thriller stars Daniel Kaluuya as a horse wrangler, who along with his sister Keke Palmer, start encountering UFO sightings. Along with Brandon Perra as Angel, the trio attempt to capture the sighting on film. More from Variety Peele called on Christopher Nolans preferred DP Hoyte Van Hoytema to shoot his spectacle. It was the Peeles first outing shooting on film and using large format 65mm IMAX cameras. From challenging night scenes to vast mountain ranges, Hoytema explains how the two tried and tested formulas, and even built a new rig to create a fully immersive cinematic experience for audiences. What did Jordan first tell you about his vision for the film? He wanted something that felt remotely like a spectacle. He wanted to show that he had grown from the slightly lesser-scope films. With this, he wanted to explore space and vastness. We started to talk very early about IMAX. He asked me what he thought I would have shot a UFO on if I had seen one for real, and thats when I thought IMAX was the best medium to do it on. It truly is a spectacle. But you also shot on the new IMAX 65mm cameras, how did that format serve his vision and your signature of wanting to shoot realism? Cinema is not only a look, but its very much also the way things feel when youre sitting in a cinema. Jordan was extremely committed to the big screen and how we experience the world in front of us. IMAX is the most visceral of all formats because it has the capability of registering the expansive world. With shooting on film, its something that Ive done for years, and I love it. I still live with the conviction that technically there is nothing better than film. No other medium can draw detail in a more naturalistic and organic way than film. Jordan shot his other films digitally, and I think he really wanted to dip his toes into that. Hes an information-hungry person and he loves learning and trying new things out, so he embraced this. Ive never seen anyone really embrace it, and he just knows how to turn it to his own advantage. Story continues How did you go from building intimate moments such as when Keke is dancing in the house to those vast landscape shots of the cloud to capturing those dark moments? On a script level, Jordan knows where he wants fear and attention, so our discussion is very much about how we can achieve that and what we can do to convey that feeling. We spent time talking about the night because that always looks a certain way on film, and there are seven night scenes in the movie. We were out in the middle of nowhere, in nature. So, we looked at what the eye sees and what it doesnt. We looked at how it feels to stand in the middle of the valley and be surrounded by gigantic mountain ranges and to have that space. It was also about creating awareness that there might be something there. We had so many discussions about how we wanted night to feel. I remember on one of our first scouts, we went out that night to the ranch, and we drove our car. There was no light except for the headlights, and then we turned those off. You cant see anything. But as you walk further, your pupils start to dilate and youre suddenly seeing stars, and mountain ranges and you see the moon, youre no longer in this claustrophobic space of darkness, and it becomes big. We were determined to convey that. So, I built a camera rig, a combination of an infrared 65mm camera and a film camera that we would combine through a prism. We then mixed those images to create something that felt so similar to that feeling. Did you feel any kinship with Michael Wincott, who plays a cinematographer in the film? Hes wearing a big black scarf, and Im wearing a black scarf. He wears my scarf in the film. What was it like to have him shadow you? We hung around Panavision, the rental house, and as I was getting my camera gear and shooting tests, Jordan suggested he spend a few days with me. He was all over the cameras and inside the cameras with his hand. He had cameras on his shoulders. He was so interested in learning and talking about the job and lighting. He wasnt scared to get into the technical nitty gritty. What did you think of his performance? He makes cinematographers look good. A lot of cinematographers are scruffy bastards. He definitely gives cinematographers a lot of flair. Can you talk about the scene with the house covered in blood? It was a complex scene to shoot. There were expansive views of the house, and you see it from different angles. He wants to get things right. Hes not somebody wants it done quickly. There wasnt one method of doing it. It was a big puzzle that came together with a lot of creative engineering going into it. Jordan has said hes such a fan of yours. Did he say, This is my favorite film that youve done? Jordan is very generous with his feelings. Working with him was a dream come true. I have so much respect for him as a director and the chemistry was so great. I felt extremely creative with him. I can only say Im a big fan of Jordans and I would work with him on the frontlines again, tomorrow. Lastly, lets talk about your camera movements in the film. As you have seen, its very fast and we are moving around a lot because we are all over the place with the galloping horses. We worked on old-fashioned tracks. But we wanted the camera moves to be mobile and also capture elegant long takes. So, we worked with a beloved piece of equipment called The Edge, its a stabilized arm that can move on rough terrain. It has a gigantic head and stabilizes the camera, so we could chase those horse and riding scenes. 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. Moiraine Damodreds (Rosamund Pike) journey continues in Prime Videos The Wheel of Time, which nabbed an early Season 3 renewal ahead of its sophomore premiere. The news, which broke during San Diegos Comic-Con, comes amid the series release of an epic behind-the-scenes first look, at whats next in the fantasy world, which you can watch at the top of this file. The hit genre series The Wheel of Time promises epic battles and explosive scenes set amid sprawling beach backdrops and high castle walls in the social media clip posted to the shows Twitter account. Also Read: The Wheel of Time Season Finale Postmortem: Rafe Judkins on Those Big Twists and Whats Next From executive producer Rafe Judkins and based on the books by Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time Season 1 finale released back in late December, culminating in a carnage-filled battle with the Dark One and the Dark Ones armies. The series is set in a magical world accessible to a select few, where a woman named Moiraine (Pike) crosses paths with five young men and women, resulting in a dangerous, world-spanning journey. On how the series will stay in budget for the upcoming season, showrunner Rafe Judkins told TheWrap earlier, We dont have the budget of a lot of shows on TV, but were trying to deliver everything we can, like every dollar that we have is being juiced to put something on screen so that we can bring as much of this big, epic world that Robert Jordan created to life. Also Read: Your First Look at Amazon Prime Videos First Major Redesign in 9 Years (Video) In late April, it was announced that Killing Eve alum Ayoola Smart would be added to the series, though details of her character were not released. On the upcoming season, Judkins said, Season 1 was so much about the characters all moving together in a group. In a TV show, it can be really tough to feel like youre getting to know people when theyre all in a group together. So, Season 2, getting to split them each off on their own and find out who they really are and what light and dark exists inside them, I think its my favorite thing about Season 2 so far, is seeing each of those actors really start to come into their own. CHICAGO For the first time in 19 days, Cooper Roberts, 8, went outside and was finally able to enjoy an orange popsicle. The little boy was shot and left paralyzed from the waist down in the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, where a gunman killed seven people and wounded dozens more. Since then, Cooper's progress has been "up and down," family spokesperson Anthony Loizzi said Friday. He remains in the pediatric intensive care unit at Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago. A tear in Cooper's esophagus continues to heal from surgeries, and the popsicle marked the first time Cooper was able to take liquid by mouth, Loizzi said. "He was downgraded to serious condition briefly yesterday but moved back to critical based on the latest CT scan," Loizzi said. "The spiking fever has returned, off and on, likely due to this infection." Luke, on left, and Cooper Roberts are 8-year-old twins. Both were injured in the Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. 'I'm angry now': Parade shooting leaves another community traumatized and transformed Cooper was shot in the abdomen and suffered a severed spine. His twin brother, Luke, and mother, a local schools superintendent, were also injured in the shooting. Cooper underwent multiple surgeries and was previously on a ventilator. When he regained consciousness, Cooper asked to see his brother and dog, George, Loizzi said. Loizzi said the family is grateful and humbled by the support they've received. Cooper's favorite baseball team, the Milwaukee Brewers, sent a special care package with a jersey with his name on it. That "really lifted his spirits," Loizzi said. "Please keep sending love and prayers to my son as he continues to fight as hard as he can," Coopers mother, Keely Roberts, said in a previous statement. Highland Park shooting: Milwaukee Brewers show support for 8-year-old fan A jersey honoring 8-year-old Cooper Roberts is seen in the Milwaukee Brewers dugout before a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday, July 8, 2022, in Milwaukee. The update on Cooper's health comes as the larger North Shore community continues to grieve lost loved ones. Many have already been speaking up about what they believe needs to change to prevent the next mass shooting. Story continues On Wednesday, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering testified before a Senate committee hearing on assault weapons. "Less than a minute is all it took for a person with an assault weapon to shoot 83 rounds into a crowd, forever changing so many lives. And the most disturbing part? This is the norm in our country," Rotering said. "How do we call this freedom?" Highland Park, Illinois, Mayor Nancy Rotering recounts what happened during a mass shooting in her city on the 4th of July during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the shooting and civilian access to military-style assault weapons in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Highland Park 8-year-old survivor Cooper Roberts continues to recover Christophe Laporte delivered an overdue French win on the 109th Tour de France as Fred Wright was the nearly man once again and the sprinters were left to wonder what race organisers have against them. Stage 19 was circled as one for the fast men, starved of opportunities since the race left Denmark almost three weeks ago, but the flat appearance of the profile did not tell the true story of an undulating 188km route from Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors, even though threatened crosswinds stayed away. After the first break of the day had been caught, Wright joined Alexis Gougeard and Jasper Stuyven in slipping off the front with 35km to go and they stayed clear to the flamme rouge. A magnificent @LAPORTEChristop move surprised the sprinters! Here is the last KM! @LAPORTEChristop fait un numero et surprend les sprinteurs ! Revivez le palpitant dernier KM !#TDF2022 | @continental_fr pic.twitter.com/ZCCvTycMbW Tour de France (@LeTour) July 22, 2022 Even as the peloton bore down it was a disorganised chase, and Wright stamped on the pedals as the drag to the finish began, briefly distancing those behind him. The 23-year-old Londoner had chased victory from breaks on stage eight into Lausanne, then into Megeve two days later. On stage 13 in Saint-Etienne he was within sight of the line when Mads Pedersen powered away from him, and it was a similar story here as Laporte, coming out of the pack, carried superior speed on to the climb and rode away, winning from Jasper Philipsen and Alberto Dainese as Wright faded. Story continues @matmohoric and then @fred_wright0 took the last chance for a breakaway to succeed at @LeTour. It wont be long till Fred is raising his arms at the line with his fighting spirit!#RideAsOne #TDF2022 @SprintCycling pic.twitter.com/4NoudoVWkK Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) July 22, 2022 French fears had been growing of a first Tour without a home win since 1999, but Laportes burst of speed put that to bed with only two days to spare, delivering yet more success for Jumbo-Visma, who go into Saturdays penultimate stage looking to carry the yellow, green and polka-dot jerseys to Paris. Its hard to realise but Im super happy, said the 29-year-old of his first Grand Tour stage win. I was already super happy with this Tour de France even though I got no result for myself. Now the team gave me the opportunity to go for a stage win, its exceptional to win after I came twice second in the past Its important to get a French win. If it makes the crowd and my family happy, Im happy too. #TDF2022 Jonas lost five seconds, but made it safely to the finish pic.twitter.com/EXxH1Egag1 Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) July 22, 2022 Jonas Vingegaard retained the race lead by more than three minutes, albeit losing five seconds to Tadej Pogacar, who sprinted at the end and took fifth as gaps appeared further back. That battle will be settled in Saturdays time trial before the parade into Paris. Though all the talk had been of sprinters finally getting their chance after battling through the mountains, a similar stage to this was won from a breakaway by Matej Mohoric on day 19 of last years Tour, and the Slovenian was in the early breakaway again seeking his chance. They negotiated the minor inconvenience of protesters blocking the road for the third time in this Tour, but the group was caught after the second of two category-four climbs 40km from town. Now it was the turn of Mohorics Bahrain-Victorious team-mate Wright to join the next move. How did @LAPORTEChristop upset the best sprinters in #TDF2022 ? With a very powerful kick before the uphill sprint, hitting and holding speeds the fast-men would not be able to match later#TDFdata pic.twitter.com/08HYbxAkD2 letourdata (@letourdata) July 22, 2022 The trio held an advantage of a little under 30 seconds that barely budged despite the sprinters teams working furiously behind, and even as the peloton belatedly caught up in the final kilometre, Wright refused to be swallowed up. I saw the opportunity on that climb with 30km to go, he said. Everybody said it was going to be a sprint, but I saw a few guys attacking, it opened up and I thought, Im just going to go flat out. We had a gap and we kept fighting. Im not disappointed because I wouldnt have wanted a bunch sprint. I was close, but sometimes thats just the way it goesFair play to Laporte, he came around with some speed. Hes got legs. Im super happy with my shape and looking forward to whats next. The brand Cuyana, known for its Panama hats and leather bags and totes, draws its name from the Quechua word that means to love. Quechua is the language spoken by the Incas in South America, and it seemed only appropriate that would be the word chosen by Karla Gallardo, an Ecuadorian native who started Cuyana in San Francisco some 10 years ago with cofounder Shilpa Shah. More from WWD The idea behind the brand was that people should buy fewer things that are better made. The two business partners wanted to craft essential affordable luxury pieces in factories close to the raw materials needed to construct them. Our entire supply chain is built on the different materials we source, Shah said. Their very first product was a Panama hat made in Ecuador from toquilla straw. Their first purses were made in Argentina. Pima cotton is used in apparel made in Peru. Silk clothing is made in China. In the beginning, the companys products were sold only online. As time went by, they opened six stores in California, Boston and New York, but 80 percent of their sales are still digital. In this rapidly changing world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuyanas products have gradually changed. When people were staying home more, the company began focusing more on apparel as customers needed fewer hats, purses and totes, which still make up about 60 to 70 percent of revenues, Shah said. Even the totes and bags evolved, going from large sizes for carrying things to the office to being more micro bags. And their totes are changing again. Before Cuyana had two Classic tote bags: one with a structured side and one without. Those totes are being combined into one Easy tote bag with no structured sides to make it lighter for people who need to carry many things but dont want to be weighed down. It is made of a soft yet durable leather, has two handle lengths, a large and medium size and launches Aug. 2. The company is phasing out its small Classic structured tote but keeping its Classic leather zip tote due to popular demand. Story continues The new Easy tote bag is made in Turkey of Italian leather and retails for $248. We challenge ourselves, said Shah, who is the chief experience officer for the company. We felt we could do better. Ever since the brand launched in 2011, totes have been a bestselling product category with more than 200,000 units being sold. Another change in the company is that Shah and her family recently moved from Oakland to South Pasadena, Calif. She and her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, both grew up in Southern California and wanted to be closer to their parents. Gallardo, the chief executive officer who oversees design, remains in the San Francisco area to run the operations, which has more than 100 employees. Years ago, she moved from Ecuador to attend Brown University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in applied mathematics. She later earned her masters degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Panama hats being made in Ecuador for Cuyana. Courtesy of Cuyana. But Gallardos Ecuadorean roots have always remained strong as well as her love of the Panama hat. It is so strong that Gallardo and Shah started a project to alter the name of the Panama hat, which has always been made in Ecuador and not Panama. The Panama hat got its monikor when President Teddy Roosevelt was photographed touring construction of the Panama Canal in 1906 wearing one of the Ecuadorean straw hats used by the canal laborers. The press started calling it the Panama hat. Cuyana has launched a petition to change the hats name. We are in the process of voting on two other names, Shah said. Those two names are the Montecristi, the name of an Ecuadorian town, and La Toquillera, for the toquilla straw used to weave Panama hats. Its rumored that [former President Barack] Obama is going in November to Ecuador, Shah said, noting they would like him to suggest a name change while there. We are hoping that one [former] president can correct the wrong [the press misrepresented] of another president. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Josh Hawley raised his fist in support of the rioters he would later be forced to flee as they lay siege to the US Capitol on January 6 2021 (Getty / January 6 Committee) The home state paper of Missouri Senator Josh Hawley panned the Republican as a fleeing coward in response to the footage released by the January 6 committee which showed him scampering through the halls away from the Capitol rioters mere hours after he was photographed raising a fist in solidarity with the mob. Josh Hawley is a laughingstock, wrote the editorial board for the Kansas City Star, the newspaper that covers the city where Sen Hawley spent most of his childhood and adolescent years. The op-ed goes on to detail how during Thursday nights televised prime time hearing of the House committee investigating the 6 January Capitol riot, Rep Elaine Luria screened a clip of the Missouri junior senator that will surely follow him the rest of his life. In the clip, Hawley sprints across a hallway as he and his fellow senators are evacuated after insurrectionists had breached the Capitol building. When it went across the screen, the audience in the room with the committee erupted in laughter, the editorial continues, before highlighting the seeming irony that the social-conservative, election-denying lawmaker who frequently totes the decline of American masculinity as a dire threat to society was captured darting away from the very mob hed only moments before been instigating with a raised arm. A signature Hawley issue is masculinity as in, how little of it American men seem to have these days, the Kansas City Star wrote. Twitter didnt see much bravado as he ran from the mob on Lurias video. Online, the Twitterverse exploded with memes, GIFs and comparisons, as the hashtag #HawlinAss began to trend shortly after the hearing aired the unseen footage. In one now viral thread, Twitter user Mallory Nees created a compilation of the brief clip scored to various songs and themes, including everything from the decades-old Kate Bush song, "Running Up That Hill, thats been given the Stranger Things renaissance treatment, to Bruce Springsteens thumping classic Born to Run. Story continues Josh Hawley running away to a variety of soundtracks. Pt. 1: Chariots of Fire #January6thCommitteeHearing pic.twitter.com/tVCf2R5tUD Mallory Nees (@The_Mal_Gallery) July 22, 2022 All joking aside, the editorial notes, Sen Hawley might be able to brush aside the Twitter pile on (the day after #HawlinAss began trending, he reshared a link to a coffee mug he sells with the now lambasted image of him fist-pumping outside the Capitol alongside a kissing-face emoji), the senator could still face real repercussions for his activities on the 6 January. Sen. Josh Hawley might not fear a little mockery of his hasty flight from Capitol marauders. But he might be justified if hes afraid of what emails or text messages some previously-loyal staffer might be considering turning over to the House committee, the editorial added. On Thursday during the prime time hearing, vice chairman of the committee Rep Liz Cheney announced there would be more public hearings to come, adding that: In the course of these hearings, we have received new evidence and new witnesses have bravely stepped forward Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has begun to break. Wow Hawley fleeing the Capitol pic.twitter.com/bPfoYtro0V Acyn (@Acyn) July 22, 2022 During Rep Lurias screening of the now viral clip, she explained how a Capitol officer who had provided testimony to the House committee had argued that Mr Hawleys actions had amounted to riling up the crowd on that deadly day in January. We spoke with a Capitol police officer who was out there at the time. She told us that just Senator Hawleys gesture riled up the crowd. And it bothered her greatly because he was doing it in a safe space, protected by the officers and the barriers, the congresswoman said. Think about what weve seen, she added. Undeniable violence at the Capitol. The vice president being evacuated to safety by the Secret Service. Senators running through the hallways of the Senate to get away from the mob. The next public hearings are expected to begin again in September, Chair Bennie Thompson announced at the start of Thursdays hearing. As weve made clear throughout these hearings, our investigation goes forward. Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will join Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray and compete for Team Europe in this years Laver Cup. Europes dream line-up, captained by Bjorn Borg, will take on John McEnroes Team World in the fifth edition of the Laver Cup at Londons O2 stadium from September 23-25. It will be the first time Wimbledon champion Djokovic will appear in the tournament since 2018 in Chicago. Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will join Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray in a dream Team Europe lineup at Laver Cup London 2022. Full story: https://t.co/PcYxfwgZYA pic.twitter.com/GbfrEkXluK Laver Cup (@LaverCup) July 22, 2022 Djokovic said: Its the only competition where you can play in a team environment with guys that youre normally competing against and to be joining Rafa, Roger and Andy three of my biggest all-time rivals its going to be a truly unique moment in the history of our sport. Two Team Europe roster spots have yet to be announced, while Canadas Felix Auger-Aliassime, Americas Taylor Fritz and Argentinas Diego Schwartzman have so far been named in Team Worlds six-strong squad. Unbeaten Team Europe are bidding for a fifth successive Laver Cup triumph having won in Prague 2017, Chicago 2018, Geneva 2019 and Boston 2021. Former world number one Borg added: I dont think I could have imagined having these four icons of the sport on one team together. I know they, like I, appreciate the significance of this moment and will be truly up for it. Each year our goal is to win. With Rafa, Roger, Andy and Novak on the team, I like our chances. Ukraine plans to create a team of experts that will monitor the compliance of Ukrainian legislation with the requirements of the European Union on the way to full membership in the EU, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk has said. "We will have a completely new approach to bills related to European integration. Firstly, each of them will have a table of compliance with directives. Without this, not a single bill can be considered in the hall as European integration. Secondly, this is powerful expert support, as that an appropriate expert center will be created both at the government level and at the parliamentary level. We are creating such a European integration 'dream team' that will monitor the compliance of our legislation with the legislation of the European Union," he told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday. According to the chairman, Ukraine is negotiating with the European Parliament in order to establish links between the committees of the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament in order to adopt their standards and approaches. "Over the past month, we have formed a clear understanding of how each branch of power should move towards the opening of negotiations that will relate to our full membership in the European Union. The Verkhovna Rada and the government know what they should do, the president coordinates this activity as the leader of the processes. Regarding the Verkhovna Rada, first of all, this is about how we should fulfill the seven proposals that have been submitted to us. The Verkhovna Rada already has a clear list of bills that we will follow," Stefanchuk said. According to him, in the course of a month the Verkhovna Rada worked out a "regulatory track" along which European integration bills will be promoted. "We held a large number of meetings with all subjects of the legislative initiative. A lot has been done this month, and I hope that the main activity will start in September, and by that time we will be fully prepared to move along the track of European integration laws," the chairman said. In addition, Stefanchuk said, according to the agreement, the government will become the main developer of European integration bills, and the parliament will conduct the necessary examination and, accordingly, adopt them. "There will be a little more than 30 of these legislative acts. As we discussed with Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna, these are exactly the bills that we need to fulfill the requirements for Association with the EU. After negotiations are opened, more than 30 directions will be open before us for the adoption of legislative acts. We are preparing for it and preparing this fast track for their passage in parliament," he said. The Verkhovna Rada chairman also recalled what kind of legislative acts should be adopted on the way to full membership in the European Union. "First of all, these are amandments to the law on the Constitutional Court regarding the introduction of a competitive selection system. Secondly, this is legislation to strengthen the requirements for the FATF (these are issues related to the circulation of funds in order to reduce the level of corruption and abuse). Thirdly, this is legislation on the media, we are waiting for the final version, which is approved by the relevant committee, and only after that the bill will be able to get into the courtroom for consideration. It is also legislation on national minorities, amendments to the law on the fight against oligarchs, which will be made after receipt conclusions of the Venice Commission. This is the block of issues entrusted to the Verkhovna Rada. In addition, there is already a decision on the SAPO prosecutor, a competition for NABU has been opened. Therefore, we are moving at a good pace. I very much hope that by the end of the year we will start talking about starting negotiations on full membership," the chairman said. South Korea's new hardline on North Korea may mean the end of its plans to build its first aircraft carrier Republic of Korea navy Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship ROKS Marado in the Pacific Ocean, June 4, 2022. US Navy/MCS1 Ian Cotter South Korea's new president is shifting the country's security focus to threats from North Korea. That shift, plus other priorities, mean plans for South Korea's first aircraft carrier may be scrapped. It has been an eventful year for aircraft carriers in the Indo-Pacific region. China recently launched its newest, most advanced flattop, while India's first domestically built carrier is about to enter service. Japan is also converting its second Izumo-class vessel into a full-fledged carrier, which will add a second flattop to its fleet. South Korea's navy has expertise and resources on par with those navies, but Seoul's ambitions to field its own aircraft carrier may soon be scrapped. After years of debate about acquiring a carrier, detailed plans for a South Korean light carrier were unveiled last year. But President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, looks set to cancel the program, known as CVX, in order to invest in weapons better suited to counter the threat posed by North Korea. The CVX carrier ROKS Marado conducts joint helicopter operations with US Navy helicopters in the Pacific, June 2, 2022. US Navy/MCS Seaman Dallas A. Snider South Korea's navy has been working toward achieving blue-water status since the early 2000s. Over the past two decades, it has transformed into a first-rate navy, acquiring advanced vessels like the Sejong the Great-class destroyers, Son Won-il-class submarines, and Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships. The CVX program, championed by Yoon's predecessor, Moon Jae-in, was to be the latest step in that transformation. The program calls for the construction of a single light carrier that displaces at least 30,000 tons, carries 20 F-35B fighters, and could be commissioned by 2033. Two designs have been proposed by Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, both of which have contracts with companies that have built carriers for European navies. South Korean amphibious assault ship ROKS Dokdo sails alongside US Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, March 27, 2014. US Navy/MCS2 Michael Achterling Hyundai Heavy Industries' design would be 885 feet long and displace 30,000 to 35,000 tons. It would carry 16 F-35Bs in its hangar and eight more on its deck, in addition to helicopters. The design includes two command islands, deck space for drone aircraft, a well deck for unmanned vessels, and 16 vertical-launch missile cells. Story continues Hyundai's carrier would have a ski-jump ramp, though building it with an angled flight deck and a catapult system may be possible. Daewoo Shipbuilding's design would be 862 feet long and displace about 45,000 tons. It would carry 12 F-35Bs on its deck and 16 more in its hangar, as well as several helicopters. Daewoo's version would also have two command islands and a straight deck similar to the US's America-class and Wasp-class ships and Japan's Izumo-class ships. Need vs. cost President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol with US and South Korean military leaders at Camp Humphreys on April 7, 2022. US Army/Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet via Getty Images CVX proponents argue that the carrier gives South Korea a mobile air strip to use if North Korea attacks its airfields and the ability to launch attacks on North Korea from different avenues of approach. They also argue it would be valuable in other disputes and if Seoul needed to protect its interests abroad, such as in the sea lanes vital to its trade and energy supplies. CVX's detractors mainly argue that its costs outweigh its potential uses, especially considering the comparative weakness of North Korea's navy. Building the CVX is expected to cost $2 billion, with another $45 million or so needed each year to maintain it. That price doesn't include the F-35Bs, the helicopters, and the potential unmanned vehicles, which could increase to overall cost to as much as $5 billion, or almost 11% of South Korea's entire defense budget for 2022. "That's a huge whack out of a very small military budget," Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation think tank, told Insider. "What President Yoon is going to have to take a look at is what's his opportunity costs for building such a carrier? What other goods is he losing because he goes in that direction and builds it?" The cost estimate for the CVX program also only accounts for one carrier. "Having one carrier does not a carrier force make," Bennett said, noting that carriers need to spend months at a time in port for training and maintenance. If Yoon "really wants to have a viable carrier force of even one carrier at sea continuously, he's got to have two to three carriers," Bennett added. Competing priorities South Korean soldiers drill near the DMZ in Paju, South Korea, June 18, 2020. Seung-il Ryu/NurPhoto via Getty Images Meanwhile, the rest of South Korea's military is also pushing for other high-cost projects. South Korea's army has extensive modernization needs, while its navy also wants to pursue other major programs, including acquisition of more Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles, and three more modernized Sejong the Great-class destroyers. There is also talk of developing a nuclear-powered submarine. The "Kill Chain" and "Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation" strategies require more investment in ballistic missiles and aircraft, with South Korea's air force favoring the F-35A and the KF-21. The Korean Aerial Missile Defense strategy also requires more sophisticated missile interceptors. Seoul wants to build up its own layered air-defense and missile-defense systems, and during his campaign, Yoon indicated that he wanted to deploy more US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries. An F-35A at the South Korean air force base in Daegu, October 1, 2019. Jeon Heon-kyun/Pool Photo via AP The case for those weapons seems stronger than that of CVX, as they are better suited to counter the most likely North Korean threats than an aircraft carrier, aligning them with Yoon's efforts to focus more attention and resources on the North. Officials in Yoon's administration have described a need to reevaluate defense priorities, which has been interpreted as meaning the CVX would be canceled. The recent approval of preliminary plans to acquire 20 more F-35As is seen as a more concrete move away from the carrier. Even without CVX, South Korea's navy remains a potent force and will continue to evolve. "They've gotten a lot of investment in their upper-end destroyers, their submarines have been built, and they now have SLBMs," Bennett said. "The Navy hasn't gotten the blue-water navy capability they want yet, but they are moving in that direction." Read the original article on Business Insider Scarlet Lady Exterior Courtesy of Virgin Voyages Richard Branson's cruise line Virgin Voyages has stopped requiring travelers to get tested before embarking on a voyage, becoming the first major cruise line to eliminate testing for sailings in the United States. The new rules will go into effect on July 24 for sailings on the Valiant Lady and go into effect on July 27 for sailings on the Scarlet Lady, according to the company. Most travelers will still be required to be vaccinated to board, but the cruise line said it would open up to 10% of its capacity to unvaccinated cruisers. All crew will still be fully vaccinated. The new policy comes "In response to the discontinuation of the CDC's Voluntary Program for the Cruise Industry," according to Virgin Voyages. Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially ended its pandemic-era program for cruise ships, choosing to no longer display the number of COVID-19 cases online. The move comes months after the agency allowed its Conditional Sail Order to expire, a policy that was first implemented when the agency lifted a previous No Sail Order in October 2020. Several cruise lines have since stopped limiting capacity on cruises, including Virgin Voyages, as well as relaxed onboard masking policies like Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival Cruise Line. The CDC currently recommends all travelers are "up to date" with their COVID-19 vaccines before boarding a cruise, "highly" recommends cruise ships require testing within one day of embarkation, and asks cruise lines to "consider" operating with at least 90% passengers and 95% crew up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. While Virgin Voyages is the first cruise line to change its testing policy for sailings in the U.S., others have eliminated testing for sailings outside the country, like Azamara, which told Travel Leisure it will eliminate testing on cruises where it is not required by local country regulations starting July 25, including for sailings out of Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Southampton, England. Norwegian Cruise Line has also eliminated testing for vaccinated travelers for all cruises sailing from any port except in the U.S., Canada, or Piraeus, Greece. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram. Aimee and Matthew Lund leave the Buncombe County Courthouse in Asheville July 21, 2022. ASHEVILLE - Closing statements are scheduled for July 27 in the trial of a former Buncombe County Sheriff's deputy and his wife facing child abuse charges, after a judge declined their motion to dismiss charges against them July 21. It was the fourth day of trial for Matthew Lund, 37, and Aimee Lund, 40. The Citizen Times reported in July 2021 that the Lunds were accused in arrest warrants of restricting multiple childrens access to food, water and a bathroom. Those warrants said that the Lunds locked children's doors and nailed windows shut. Matthew Lund was fired from his job at the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office one day after the North Carolina SBI launched an investigation. Motions to dismiss all charges made by Ted Besen, who is representing Matthew Lund, and Catherine Perez, who is representing Aimee Lund were denied by District Court Judge Patricia Young, who briefly discussed the details of each charge with Besen, Perez and prosecutor Blythe McCoy. Charges against the Lunds include multiple counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misdemeanor child abuse. Previous coverage: July trial set for former Buncombe Sheriff's deputy, wife charged with child abuse Related: Trial to continue for former Buncombe deputy Matthew Lund, wife charged with child abuse On the morning of July 21, the court proffered an interview with a child in the Lunds' care. That interview, conducted by a specialist at Mission Hospital, was not admitted as evidence after a lunch recess. In the interview, the child said that Aimee Lund would not let another child out of a bedroom, and that the child locked in would then urinate on the floor. Aimee Lund would discuss the child's bathroom issues with family, the child being interviewed said. "I can only imagine how embarrassing that would be for (the child)," the child who was interviewed said. Interviews with the children were to assess their health, and not directly for the benefit of law enforcement, according to Leah Stephens, the diagnostic interviewer who conducted them. Stephens testified July 20. Story continues But many of the questions revolved around family dynamics and reactions to the Lunds' alleged behavior. "At no point in time have I heard that this interview was for medical treatment," Besen said as the court proffered its second interview July 21. The interview corroborated other testimony given, and could still be reliable information, prosecutor Blythe McCoy told Young when they discussed whether to admit the interview as evidence. Over the last few days of the trial, witnesses have spoken at length about locks on bedroom doors. One of those locks was designed to keep a door closed, and another to keep a separate bedroom door open, an agent with the SBI said. Other news: Asheville police spent nearly $2.5 million on overtime in just over 2 years More: Missing teen Zebb Quinn's killer now dead, Owens says; But Owens was charged with murder There was "zero" testimony that children's windows were nailed shut, Perez said when she advocated for one charge to be dismissed. But allegations that Aimee Lund bought a tent fitted with zip ties for a child to sleep in, that there was an alarm system in place to alert the Lunds if certain children left a room and that locks were placed on a pantry, among others, have been discussed at length. McCoy finished presenting evidence July 21. After a brief private discussion with the Lunds, Perez and Besen told the judge that they would not be presenting any additional evidence. Closing statements are scheduled for July 27. Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Send tips to coehrli@citizentimes.com. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Case of former Buncombe deputy charge with child abuse moves forward A Fort Bragg soldier who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced by Chief District Judge Beryl Howell on July 15 to more than three years in prison. Spc. James Phillip Mault pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. In exchange for the plea, charges of civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering a redistricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon, two counts of disorderly and disruptive conduct, and two counts of physical violence were dismissed. Federal agents say James Mault used pepper spray against law enforcement during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection in Washington, D.C. Mault enlisted in the Army in May, months after the incident, a Fort Bragg official said. Mault was arrested on Oct. 6 at Fort Bragg. At the time of Mault's arrest, an 18th Airborne Corps spokesman said, Mault, joined the Army in May 2021, several months after the incident. According to court records of facts justifying the sentence in the case, Mault texted his co-defendant Cody James Mattice to pre-plan for the events of Jan. 6. Mattice made the same plea and received the same sentence as Mault on July 15. Court records state that Mault texted Mattice on Jan. 3, 2021, to tell Mattice that he purchased pepper spray and a legal baton. Fort Bragg: Latest in the case of Special Forces veterans, Fort Bragg soldiers who went to D.C. riot Mault encouraged Mattice and others to purchase a "baton, pepper spray, (expletive) kicking boots, a helmet, and eye protection" in a Jan. 5, 2021, text. Court records say that after attending former President Donald Trumps rally on Jan. 6, Mault and Mattice did not enter the Capitol building, but they were active participants on the front lines of the struggle against police officers and that videos demonstrate their aggressive efforts to lead the mob to break the police lines. During the afternoon, Mault and Mattice joined the mob outside the Capitol on the West Plaza, as Mattice filmed Mault taunting a line of police officers. Most of you guys served. We fought for a free country. We fought for this. We didnt fight for the communists, man. You know that, Mault said in the video, according to court records. Story continues Mault told the officers they would still have their jobs after the group kicked the (expletive) out of everything, and that what the rioters were doing was right, otherwise there wouldnt have been that many people there. Court records say that as Mattice moved to tear town a segment of a barrier, Mault and Mattice were seen pushing through the police line. Jan. 6 Capitol riot: Fort Bragg soldier arrested, charged for alleged role in Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection Later in the afternoon, Mault and Mattice made their way to the lower west terrace tunnel, which was the site of some of the worst violence that day, according to court records. Both body-surfed over members of the mob to get to the opening of the tunnel, court records say. After Mattice sprayed a chemical agent in the tunnel toward police, Mault also discharged a canister in the tunnel and hung on to an archway to pass a pink canister that someone else in the crowd sprayed at police. Special Subscription Offers Court records say that Mattice later sent text messages to friends and family bragging about breaking the police line with Mault. Me and James got everyone to push through the police, Mattice said in one message, according to court documents. Me and James fought through the police line on the doorstep. No one would push, so me and James did and everyone followed. Court records say that the following day, Mault and Mattice exchanged messages about the potential legal jeopardy. According to court records, Mault will serve his sentence at a federal prison in Otisville, New York, or at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. Once completing his 44-month sentence, he will be on three years of supervised release. He is also required to pay $2,000 in restitution. Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Judge sentences Fort Bragg soldier for joining in Jan. 6 Capitol riot Get ready for a new kind of Turkish delight. The Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet reopened its doors this week after a full-scale renovation. Welcoming guests since 1996, the boutique hotel comprises 65 luxurious rooms and suites that encompass a stunning courtyard. The century-old neoclassical building, which Four Seasons closed in September 2020, was treated to a total interior makeover by Goddard Littlefair. The design studio intended to create a more modern city oasis that would appeal to in the know travelers. More from Robb Report The Four Seasons Istanbuls vibrant exterior. - Credit: Four Season Hotels & Resorts Four Season Hotels & Resorts The hotels charming facade welcomes you into a revamped ground-floor lobby with boutiques designed to immerse you in the citys rich culture and heritage. (Of course, you can pick up a few souvenirs, too.) The interior is replete with eye-catching tiles, pinched arches, dramatic domes and marble pillars that are synonymous with the Turkish Neoclassical architecture of the early 1900s. All of the rooms and suites have been updated yet honor the same classic design codes. There is also a newly-landscaped terrace thats perfect for a spot of Turkish tea. If youre after something more substantial, beeline to AVLU in the hotels courtyard. Headed up by executive chef Ozgur Ustun, the new restaurant serves the best of Anatolian cuisine made with local produce. The lure of the living courtyard within the ancient city is a unique and compelling feature of the hotel, Four Seasons said in a statement. Inside one of the renovated guest rooms. - Credit: Four Season Hotels & Resorts Four Season Hotels & Resorts The hotels popular rooftop bar has been reborn as Sureyya, but still offers jaw-dropping views of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, the Blue Mosque and the Old City. In addition, theres a new bar called Lingo Lingo and another more intimate private dining spot. Story continues To top it off, the wellness area features locally-inspired offerings, such as a luxe marble-lined spa created in collaboration with a Turkish barber and an authentic Turkish hammam, naturally. One other redesigned space worth visiting is the ballroom; its not only beautiful but its also got fresh acoustics and lighting. A view of the Hagia Sofia Grand Mosque from the property. - Credit: Four Season Hotels & Resorts Four Season Hotels & Resorts To celebrate its summer reopening, the hotel is extending a welcome back offer to guests that includes 10 percent off room rates for two (with a minimum three-night stay). The deal also includes a credit worth roughly $100 (100) per stay from August 1 through September 30. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. NEW PHILADELPHIA Police arrested a Canton man wanted in four states after he fled and broke into a downtown building early Friday. The incident began at 1:51 a.m. when the 36-year-old allegedly fled after a city police officer began following him at Third Street NE and Fair Avenue. A minute later, Officer Kyle Kelley told a dispatcher the suspect was at Fair and Broadway traveling 75 mph when he ran a red light. A trooper from the Ohio State Highway Patrol was following. The fleeing Ford Explorer went to the 100 block of N. Broadway, where it reportedly hit a building. Police saw the suspect on the roof of a commercial building. Seeing freshly broken glass, they called for Sugarcreek police to bring their dog. A 9 mm gun and the suspect's driver's license were found in the vehicle. The Sugarcreek police dog was sent into the building at 2:35 a.m. But by 3:13 a.m., Kelley was following a trail of blood from the office building to a house in the 100 block of Beaver Avenue NE. There, a man told him the suspect was inside. By 3:31 a.m., Capt. Rocky Dusenberry had the Canton man at the back door of the house. Officers called an ambulance to take the suspect to Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover. The Stark County Sheriff's Office had the suspect in custody by 9:05 a.m. He was the subject of Stark County arrest warrants on charges of burglary, theft and criminal damaging. He is also wanted in Missouri, Arizona and Oklahoma. The 19-year-old man from the Beaver Avenue home was taken to the Tuscarawas County jail on three warrants. Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com. On Twitter: @nmolnarTR This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Canton man arrested after fleeing police, breaking window early Friday Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made a startling announcement earlier this month: that Russia is getting hundreds of drones from Iran, and will begin training with them within weeks. A major U.S. adversary selling a swarm of drones to another sounds like something out of a Tom Clancy novelbut will the move give Russia the edge it needs to fundamentally change the course of its war in Ukraine? For all the histrionics, the drone purchase could have as much to do with desperation as collusion. As frightened as the Pentagon and U.S. officials are of countries like Russia, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, and others working together, the nature of this deal seems much more in the realm of opportunism by Iran and desperation by Russia than the start of some grand Iran-Russia engagement. Russias domestic drone program is lackluster, its industry is struggling to replace equipment losses, and Israel, Russias traditional drone partner, is distancing itself from both parties to the conflict. Given that U.S.-aligned drone manufacturers like Turkey are unlikely to sell drones to Russia, only Iran has the domestic drone industry, interest in proliferation, and lack of concern about political backlash to pull this move off. Transferring hundreds of drones is concerning, but the types of drones sent matters a lot. Putin Should Be Very Worried About Ukraines New Kamikaze Drone Iran manufactures dozens of different kinds of drones, from minuscule kamikaze drones to the large strike platforms most people picture when they think of drone warfare. A 2019 overview of the Iranian military by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency noted that drones are Irans most rapidly advancing air capability and their drones can perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, fire munitions, or crash into a target and detonate. Most recently, theyve shown a capacity to launch drones from surface vessels, which extends their strike range. Story continues Iran's Army chief, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi and Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri visit an underground site with drones at an undisclosed location in Iran on May 28, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA/Reuters Sullivans announcement provided some hints as to what kinds of drones Iran may be providing. U.S. officials claim Iran showcased the Shahed-191 and the Shahed-129 for a Russian delegation in June. Unlike Irans simple Kamikaze drones, which run into their target and explode, the 191 and 129 are capable of long-range reconnaissance (ISR) and firing munitions, with the latter resembling the infamous U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone. While a worst-case scenario for Ukraine would be Iran transferring their most capable drones en masse to Russia, it is more likely that Tehran would want to shepherd their newest systems and send more expendable platforms instead. In particular, the U.S. announcement mentioned that some of the drones were weapons-capable, like those Iran supplies to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis have made extraordinary use of Iranian-provided drones to attack military targets in Yemen, attempt to assassinate leaders at public events, and attack Saudi Arabias oil facilities. According to the UN, the major systems used by the Houthis are the Ababil and Samad families, both of which have ISR capabilities and kamikaze variants, but are not as capable as the Shahed-191 and 129, which can do ISR missions, fire munitions, and return for reuse. If Iran already produces these cheaper systems in large quantities to supply them to the Houthis, then it would not be difficult or risky for Tehran to sell many to Moscow, while also providing a smaller number of 191s and 129s. Dad Says Botched U.S. Drone Strike Could Now Cost Him His Legs The big question is whether Irans drones are an indicator that Russia is short on its own supply of drones. Artillery is key to Russias advance, and drones with long-distance strike capabilities would allow Russia to locate targets and correct artillery fire in real time. By some estimates, Russia has lost dozens of its own ISR drones, like the Orlan-10. At the same time, the Iranian drones are no less impervious to Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems, prompting the question of how much longer they would last than the Orlans once deployed. A drone is launched during a large-scale drone combat exercise of Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Semnan, Iran on January 4, 2021. Iranian Army/WANA/Reuters Its also possible the drones will supplement Russias long-range strike options to make their larger weapons more effective. The Houthis often claim they use their drones in concert with missiles, presumably to complicate air defenses for Saudi Arabia. Russias own Kamikaze drone appears to be in short supply, and lacks the range to strike targets deep into Ukraine. Kamikaze drones could prove to be a problem for Ukraines beleaguered air defenses, particularly once they get across the front line. Overall, Ukraine is right to be concerned that Russia can now procure more drones from abroad, but there is a limit to how much damage they can do tactically, and likely wont make much of a difference strategically. But if Iran begins transferring more sophisticated UAVs, assists with smuggling components that Russia is short of, or perhaps negotiates the sale of other stand-off weapons like missilesall bets could be off the table. 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. UNITED NATIONS (AP) Russia defended its veto of a U.N. resolution that would have extended humanitarian aid deliveries to 4.1 million Syrians in the rebel-held northwest from Turkey for a year, insisting that its demand for only a six-month extension was essential and accusing Western nations of using sly tactics and trying to govern the world. Russias deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky had to defend Moscows veto on July 8 of a resolution before the General Assembly for only the second time since the 193-member world body adopted a resolution on April 26 requiring any Security Council member that casts a veto to explain its reasoning during an assembly debate on the issue. Polyansky insisted that a resolution should be limited to six months, with a new resolution needed for another six months, in order to assess progress on Russias demands. He said these include stepped up aid deliveries across conflict lines within Syria, more early recovery programs in the country, greater transparency in aid operations, and stopping international terrorists from receiving aid deliveries. He accused Western supporters of a year-long extension of failing to make progress on cross-line aid deliveries and early recovery projects. These demands were included in last years resolution extending aid deliveries from Turkey for a year, he said. U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills shot back, accusing Russia of abusing its veto power for the 17th time on a Syria resolution, this time on a measure aimed at facilitating humanitarian help for millions of people suffering from 11 years of war. To avert a shutdown of aid deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing point in Turkey, the Security Council approved a six-month extension on July 11 but Mills stressed the consequences: A second resolution will be needed in January when humanitarian needs, which are now greater than they have ever been, will be greatest. That timeline risks leaving Syrians without blankets, without heating fuel, depriving them of a steady supply of basic food items during the coldest of months if the resolution confirming the second sixth-month extension is not adopted, he warned. Story continues Mills urged the international community to come together and firewall any further politicization of what is a purely humanitarian issue. Northwest Idlib is the last rebel-held bastion in Syria and a region where an al-Qaida-linked militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is the strongest. The U.N. said recently that the first 10 years of the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, killed more than 300,000 civilians, the highest official estimate of civilian casualties. Polyansky accused Western countries of supporting international terrorists who they trained and equipped to oust the legitimate Syrian authorities. By exercising its veto, he said, the Russian Federation once again protected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. He asked ambassadors representing their countries in the assembly chamber: Who will protect you if you allow yourselves to be dragged into other games? Who will shield you from transforming into yet another Ukraine, which became a mere pawn in the Wests geopolitical chess game against the Russian Federation, and claimed the lives of its citizens for the advancement of the interests of the U.S. and their NATO allies. European Union counselor Thibault Camelli, stressed that humanitarian actions in Syria must not be disrupted, targeted or politicized," pointing out to the assembly that the EU and its member states are the biggest aid donor to the country. Humanitarian needs in Syria have increased and will likely continue to increase, especially in light of the food crisis due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine," he said. Today, over 12 million Syrians are food insecure, relying on external food assistance for their survival." Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service respond to a home after a tree fell after a storm on Thursday, July 21, 2022 in Birmingham, Ala. Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo said they arrived to find the massive tree had smashed into the brick home. (Carol Robinson/AL.com via AP) Carol Robinson/AL.com/AP An unspeakable tragedy has rocked an Alabama neighborhood after a massive tree crashed through the roof of a Birmingham home killing two babies. The infants, who were pronounced dead Thursday after being taken to a Children's of Alabama hospital, have been identified as Jalaia Ford, 3 months, and Journi Jones, 11 months, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Coroner and Medical Examiner's Office tells PEOPLE. "The tree is so large that every time we move an inch, the floor becomes more and more unstable,'' Birmingham Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo told AL.com during the dramatic rescue where first responders feared the residence might collapse under the weight of the tree. Firefighters then spent hours working to rescue a woman pinned under debris and the tree, fearing it could crush her, and them, at any moment. "We're having to stabilize the floor so we can get to her. It's rough. It's terrible." RELATED: 9-Year-Old Girl Killed by Falling Tree During Storm While Camping With Family: 'Unimaginable Loss' Two adults one of whom was trapped in a recliner under the tree and an 11-year-old boy were taken to local hospitals and are currently being treated for injuries, according to the AL.com. Carillo, according to ABC 33/40, told reporters at the scene that the massive tree had "completely severed the house in two." Representatives for the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Battalion did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. The region was hit by a series of storms on Thursday that generated wind gusts that topped 50 mph and left over 10,000 homes and businesses across the state without power through Friday morning, the AP reported. RELATED: Couple of Over 10 Years, Who Loved 'Sitting Outside' with Friends, Killed by Falling Tree on Camping Trip Heavy winds from storms on Thursday damaged homes and property up the East Coast as far north as the Canadian border, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Communities near Birmingham scrambled to deal with the damage caused by the numerous trees that were toppled by the storm. "We have officers being dispatched to help traffic around the trees," the Hueytown Police Department told residents in a social media post. "However there are so many we are getting to them as fast as we can." An American man was recently arrested and charged with the murder of his wife while they were on their honeymoon at a luxury resort in Fiji, ABC News has learned. The Fiji Police Force confirmed that on the afternoon of July 9, a woman identified as 36-year-old U.S. citizen Christe Chen was found motionless on the floor of her room by staff at Turtle Island, a 500-acre private island resort located in Fiji's Yasawa archipelago. The resort's management alerted authorities, who responded and pronounced Chen dead at the scene. She had been beaten to death, police told ABC News. Chen's husband, identified as 38-year-old U.S. citizen Bradley Robert Dawson, was located and arrested two days later in Nadi, a town located on the west coast of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, according to police. MORE: How new investigative approach led to arrest in 1975 cold case murder Dawson appeared in Lautoka Magistrates' Court on July 13 and was charged with one count of murder. Due to the seriousness of the incident, Dawson's case was referred to the Lautoka High Court, where he is scheduled to appear on July 27. He remains in custody at the Fiji Corrections Service's facility in Lautoka, Fiji's second-largest city, about 16 miles north of Nadi. Dawson's attorney, Iqbal Khan, told ABC News he intends to file a bail application on behalf of his client on July 25 but that he believes it will be difficult to secure bail, because Dawson is a foreigner with no local family or connections that can provide assurances. Fiji Police Force prosecutor Arvind Kumar told ABC News that authorities are still preparing the disclosure of all the details and findings related to the case, which will be sent to the Lautoka High Court before Dawson's scheduled appearance there next week. PHOTO: The Turtle Island Resort is located in Nanuya Levu, an island part of the Yasawa archipelago in Fiji. (Chameleonseye/Shutterstock, FILE) Turtle Island, which hosts a maximum of 14 couples at a time in private villas, confirmed that "an incident took place between a married couple at the resort on July 9th, resulting in a tragic outcome and charges being laid." Story continues "We cooperated with the authorities during the investigation and the police left the island over a week ago," the resort told ABC News in a statement. "It is our understanding that charges have been filed in the case. Our highest priority is the safety and concern for our guests and team, both who we value as family, and we are extremely saddened by the event. We continue to send our condolences to Ms. Chen's family, friends, and colleagues. Given the need to respect the privacy of our guests and the ongoing legal investigation, please direct all further inquiries to the authorities." MORE: Skeleton found with cowboy boots identified as man who disappeared decades ago Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed "the death of a U.S. citizen in Fiji." "Out of respect for the privacy of the family, we have no further comment at this time," the spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. ABC News contributor Brad Garett, a former FBI special agent, explained that when Americans travel abroad and are alleged to have committed a crime in a foreign country, "the local authorities will use their process." "Mr. Dawson is going to be in Fiji for a long time before this case is resolved, one way or the other," Garett said. ABC News' Shannon Crawford, Matthew Stone and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report. American man accused of murdering his wife while on their honeymoon in Fiji originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A Ukrainian delegation headed by Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov has arrived in Istanbul (Turkey) for talks on resolving the grain issue. According to the Telegram channel of the Infrastructure Ministry, during the visit, the Ukrainian side met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The focus of the discussion is the UN initiative to unblock Ukrainian seaports for food exports and guarantee the safety of ships. "The Secretary General expressed support for the de-blockade of Ukrainian ports and assured that security is an unconditional priority of the UN. For its part, the Organization will do its best to ensure that this principle is observed by all participants in the negotiations," the ministry said. Beter Bed Holding NV Beter Bed Holding N.V. (BBH) the Netherlands leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B today announced its results for the second quarter and first half year ended 30 June 2022. Highlights first half 2022 Sales growth of +15.6% to 112.4 million (H1 2021: 97.2 million) with gross profit increase of +12.6% to 61.2 million. Continued performance with Compound Annual Growth Rate over H1 2019 to H1 2022 (CAGR) of +9.5% in sales and +9.7% in order intake. EBITDA and EBIT of respectively 13.7 million and 3.7 million, in line with same period last year. Online sales CAGR of +38.7% since 2019, leading to online channel share of 19.7%. Strong performance of New Business with +13.5% sales growth compared to H1 2021. Order book at 19.4 million (-24.1% compared to 30 June 2021). DBC signs agreement with the French Adova Group to get the exclusive right to sell the Simmons brand (Generation collection) in the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium. Binding memorandum of understanding signed with long-standing suppliers to acquire 33.3% interest in Polish bedding and mattresses factory. Newly developed supply chain network strategy to support the 2025 medium-term objectives. John Kruijssen, CEO of BBH, comments: BBH again shows a half year of solid growth. Although the second quarter has been somewhat softer, mainly due to the strong comparison base, we have made good progress during the period and further grown our gross profit. We have proven that our proposition fits the needs of the customers and people increasingly recognise the importance of sleep for their health. With our strong execution capabilities, strong store network and continuously growing online presence, we remain confident that we can weather the current challenges driven by the war in Ukraine, inflation, recession, rising commodity prices and difficult labour market. We continue to adjust and strengthen our proposition and are making strong strategic progress. To further secure and streamline the supply of high-quality products for our customers, we aim to vertically integrate our value chain and I am happy to announce that we have signed a binding memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture with a long-standing strategic supplier. This partnership creates innovative power, purchasing advantage of raw materials, and more influence on margin among other things. DBC also made significant progress in the last quarters with existing and new partnerships and continued to show sales growth. We expect that the retail sector will be impacted by the low consumer spending due to the uncertainties in the market, however we are confident BBH is resilient in character and ideas and is on track to realise the 2025 targets. Story continues For the complete version of the press release please click on the link under attachment(s). Press photos can be downloaded here . Attachment The operation lasted all day and left thousands trapped in their homes Police in Brazil say 19 people have been killed during a raid against a criminal gang that controls one of Rio de Janeiro's most violent favelas. Four hundred heavily-armed military police were deployed to the Alemao favela in the early hours of Thursday. Sixteen of the dead were suspected criminals, while a police officer and a bystander were also victims, officials said. The operation lasted all day and left thousands trapped in their homes. The objective of the raid was to locate and arrest criminals who were planning operations in rival slums, according to police. Some of the targets were wearing uniforms similar to military police, which made them harder to spot, local media outlet O Dia reported. The 400 officers were backed up by 10 bullet-proof vehicles and four helicopters. The operation lasted all day and left thousands trapped in their homes Locals were seen carrying injured people into vehicles as police watched. Gilberto Santiago Lopes, from the Anacrim Human Rights Commission, said police refused to help. The police "don't aim to arrest them, they aim to kill them, so if they're injured, they think they don't deserve help", he told Reuters news agency. Deadly raids are not uncommon in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, as police seek to hunt down drug trafficking gangs. But human rights groups in Brazil are highly critical of police operations in overcrowded, low-income communities, saying they put the lives of residents at risk without really curbing the power of the gangs. In May, 22 people were killed, also including a female bystander, in the Vila Cruzeiro favela. Last year, at least 25 people, including a police officer, were killed in a shootout in the Jacarezinho area of the city. Good morning, Columbus! The Dispatchs Education Team is currently in Florida for the Education Writers Association's National Seminar! We cant wait to bring back what we learn this week to Columbus to sharpen our reporting as the new school year starts soon. And hopefully well get a nice tan in the process. If you have any story ideas or questions related to back-to-school, please send them our way! We have some stories in the work to make sure parents and students are prepared for the first day of school. In the meantime, heres what happening in Ohio education news: Review Session: River View Local Schools in Coshocton County spans 376 miles, making it one of the largest in the state. This past school year it spent 15% of its $1.8 million transportation budget around $272,000 on fuel alone. Those transportation costs from fuel to bus maintenance to insurance add up, and they're one of the many expenses that disproportionately affect rural school districts, said Superintendent Chuck Rinkes. June 16, 2022; Warsaw, Ohio; School buses for the River View Local School District in Coshocton County parked near the district administration office. Fred Squillante- The Columbus Dispatch Last summer, Ohio lawmakers passed the Fair School Funding Plan through Gov. Mike DeWine's two-year, $75 billion state budget. The plan was the result of a yearslong campaign led by former Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and current Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) to consult educators and determine a formula to properly fund public education in Ohio. Over the past school year, Ohio education administrators have begun operating under the new plan, which acknowledges that a "one-size-fits-all" approach to funding public education is wrong, according to Richard Murray, executive director of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS). That previous one-size-fits-all approach was the subject of a landmark 1997 Ohio Supreme Court decision, DeRolph v. State of Ohio, in which justices ruled that the state's public education funding was unconstitutional. By relying on property tax values, the court said, a child's education was unfairly dictated by their ZIP code. Story continues June 16, 2022; Warsaw, Ohio; River View Local School District superintendent Chuck Rinkes poses for a portrait at Warsaw River View High School in Coshocton County. Fred Squillante- The Columbus Dispatch Last school year, under the new formula, which establishes a base cost of education per student multiplied by local income and property values, the state spent an average of $7,349 on each student about a $1,300 increase from 2020, according to the Ohio Department of Education. School funding is constrained to DeWine's 2022-2023 budget. That means the program is not a fully funded law and must be reapproved every two years when the governor proposes a new state budget. "Ideally it turns into law. It was risky enough to go through one biennial budget, said Richard Murray, executive director of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS). Read the rest of Ceili's story about equity in education funding here. Extra Credit: Olentangy Local School District students as young as 4 or 5 who may have questions about their gender are to meet with a counselor or school staff member initially without their parents' knowledge according to guidelines that have been shared with teachers and staff. Our colleague has the story. Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix and rural reporter Ceili wrote a beautiful story about Joan Southgate who, in 2002, trekked 519 miles across three states and two countries retracing freedom seekers path on the Underground Railroad. Eid-al-fitr, a Muslim holiday, is to be recognized by Hilliard City Schools as a district-wide holiday for all students, starting in the 2023-24 school year. As always, thank you for reading! If you aren't already, please consider subscribing to the Dispatch. And if someone sent you this email, make sure you subscribe to this newsletter to never miss an issue. Until next week, Megan Henry Email: mhenry@dispatch.com Twitter: @megankhenry This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Education News: Equity in school funding depends on next state budget (Bloomberg) -- South Korean prosecutors raided the home of Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin, deepening a probe into allegations of illegal activity behind the collapsed stablecoin TerraUSD. Most Read from Bloomberg A series of raids on crypto-exchanges and offices on Wednesday also included Shins home and his payment app Chai Corp., the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office said via a text message, confirming an earlier report from MBC News. Police also visited two affiliated firms, a spokesperson for the prosecutors said, declining to provide further detail in an ongoing investigation. Policymakers around the world have zeroed in on stablecoins given the turmoil in the crypto markets, most notably the collapse of the popular TerraUSD token in May. That spurred a debate about whether blowups of crypto experiments could pose a risk to the wider financial system, along with calls for stronger regulation. In South Korea, prosecutors conducted raids this week in 15 areas, including seven local exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb and Gopax. The action took place about a month after authorities banned current and former employees of Terraform Labs from leaving the country. Prosecutors summoned a former official at a unit of Terraform Labs for questioning, KBS TV report has reported. Prosecutors are also looking into whether the companys other co-founder, Do Kwon, evaded taxes by moving profits from cryptocurrency transactions to an offshore account, local news agency Yonhap has reported. Shin and Kwon, who is believed to be in Singapore, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Payment Services Story continues The two crypto entrepreneurs started Terraform Labs together in 2018 and initially split ownership 50-50, Chai said in a statement to Bloomberg in May. Their idea was to use blockchain technology for payment services. But since South Korea lacked a regulatory regime for such offerings, Shin and Kwon decided to part ways, according to Chai. In March 2020, Shin stepped down from his position as chief executive officer of Terraform Labs and reduced his stake in the company to focus on building Chai. Kwon took control of Terraform Labs, which launched the Terra blockchain to support decentralized-finance applications, Chai said. Read more: Bitcoins Most-Watched Whale Is the King of the Lunatics TerraUSD, or UST, and its sister Luna token became a key part of Kwons wider project, backing applications like the Anchor lending protocol. A key premise underpinning the wider Terra ecosystem was USTs peg to the US dollar, supposedly safeguarded by a complex mix of algorithms and trader incentives involving Luna. It was a different model to other stablecoins like USDC, which are backed by cash and other liquid assets. UST crumbled from its peg in early May when the mechanism failed to protect it from a sharp selloff, rendering Luna nearly worthless and wiping out some $40 billion in combined market value. The UST crash, in turn, exacerbated the rout in digital assets. Since UST imploded, Shin has put up a notice on the Chai app distancing himself from Kwon and TerraLabs. Some Luna investors filed a complaint with South Korean prosecutors in May, alleging Kwon and his company had committed fraud and engaged in illicit fundraising. (Updates with background on Terra in starting in seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON Former White House strategist Steve Bannon was convicted of contempt of Congress Friday, following a swift trial featuring just two government witnesses who detailed the longtime Donald Trump aides defiance of a House committees demand for records and testimony in its investigation of the Capitol attack. The federal court jury deliberated less than three hours before delivering guilty verdicts on two counts, dealing victories to the special House committee which initiated the contempt proceedings and the Justice Departments prosecution. Sentencing is set for Oct. 21. Appearing outside the courthouse, Bannon said he "respected" the jury's decision but vowed to appeal. "We may have lost the battle here today, but we haven't lost the war," he told reporters, his right arm slung around attorney David Shoen. "You will see this case reversed on appeal," Shoen said, describing the case as "bulletproof." What did Trump do on Jan. 6?: A breakdown of the 187 minutes Trump was out of view on Jan. 6 as aides urged him to act Government lawyers did not comment. The Jan. 6 committee hailed the verdict as "a victory for the rule of law and an important affirmation of the Select Committee's work," in a tweet. In closing arguments, prosecutors urged conviction, asserting that Bannon "chose allegiance to Donald Trump" over an obligation to comply with Congress. "The defendant made a deliberate decision not to comply," Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston told jurors. "That, ladies and gentleman, is contempt. We are here because the defendant has contempt for the Congress. "He has contempt for our system of government and does not believe he has to abide by the rules. Find him guilty." Jan. 6 and the Secret Service: Criminal probe of Secret Service texts a 'big deal' as agency draws Jan. 6 committee scrutiny Bannon attorney Evan Corcoran, meanwhile, continued to maintain that the House committee had targeted his client because of Bannon's long relationship with the Republican former president. He also suggested that the prosecution's primary witness harbored a political bias against Bannon. Story continues "Why was Steve Bannon singled out?" Corcoran told the jury, turning his focus on Kristin Amerling, the House committee's chief counsel and the government's main witness. Corcoran referred to Amerling's work for Democratic lawmakers and her acknowledged contributions to Democratic political candidates. The witness also had previously testified that she had known one of the prosecutors, Gaston, for about 15 years when they overlapped as staffers for former Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. The two also have been members of the same book club. Takeaways from Thursday's Jan. 6 hearing: Trump glued to TV, Secret Service fears, Cheney forecasts 'dam' break: Takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearing "Why did Ms. Amerling want to make an example of Steve Bannon? Its an election year," the attorney said. Final arguments followed a decision by Bannon's lawyers to call no witnesses in the case. Bannon attorney David Schoen told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols Thursday that his client decided not to testify arguing that the court had barred the legal team from asserting a number of defenses, including that Bannon was exempted from complying with the subpoena because he believed Trump had invoked executive privilege. Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon speaks to reporters while leaving the United States District Court House on the first day of jury selection in his trial for contempt of Congress, on July 18, 2022, in Washington, DC. A jury was selected Monday for the trial of former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena to testify before lawmakers on the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack. Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt, one for his refusal to appear for the deposition and another involving his failure to produce documents. Each count could carry a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a maximum fine of $100,000. Federal prosecutors rested their case against Bannon Wednesday after testimony from just two witnesses, including Amerling, who told the jury the former Trump aide repeatedly defied the panel's demand for documents and testimony despite the threat of criminal prosecution. Amerling, who serves as the committee's deputy staff director, said Bannon was put on notice multiple times that he risked contempt charges if he did not produce the required information and appear for a deposition, yet he failed to meet every deadline outlined in the Sept. 23, 2021 subpoena. What's next for Jan. 6 committee?: Jan. 6 committee promises more hearings this fall. What we know (and don't) about what happens next Referring to correspondence with Bannon attorney Robert Costello, Amerling said the lawyer never requested an extension of the deadlines or suggested that his client had no information relevant to the committee's inquiry. Instead, Costello argued that Bannon was shielded by executive privilege. "The select committee's position was this was not a valid rationale for refusing to comply," Amerling said, adding that the committee never received a notice "formal or informal" that Trump invoked executive privilege related to Bannon. This month, the Justice Department revealed in court documents that Trump's attorney never said the former president intended to invoke executive privilege that would shield Bannon from the committee. In January, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's attempts to shield documents from the committee through executive privilege. In closing arguments, Corcoran claimed that Bannon had not ignored the committee's subpoena referring to the House committee's exchange of correspondence with Bannon's attorney, Costello. At one point, Corcoran challenged the validity of the subpoena, suggesting that the signature of Jan. 6 committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., was different from his signatures on correspondence with Bannon's attorney. Steve Bannon's attorney David Schoen talks to reporters after a hearing on Bannon's trial on Monday, July 11 in Washington. A federal judge has declined to delay the upcoming trial of Bannon, an adviser to former President Donald Trump who faces contempt charges after refusing for months to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Corcoran also asserted that the dates set out in the subpoena for the production of documents and Bannon's appearance for a Oct. 14 deposition were merely "placeholders," subject to negotiation. "The government wants you to believe that that is a paper trail to a crime," Corcoran said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn countered Friday that the committee's demands couldn't have been "clearer." "This is not difficult. This is not hard," Vaughn told jurors. "Your eyes are not deceiving you. He (Bannon) chose not to comply because he didn't want to." .More: Steve Bannon's request to delay contempt trial denied after he offered to testify before Jan. 6 panel The government's case largely hinged on Amerling's testimony, while Bannon's attorneys have repeatedly sought to cast the prosecution as politically driven. At trial, Corcoran asked whether members of Congress were directly involved in setting the subpoena deadlines. President Donald Trump congratulates his adviser Steve Bannon in January 2017 during the swearing-in of senior staff in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Amerling testified that the urgency of the investigation dictated that the committee obtain information "as expeditiously as possible." Vaughn, however, rejected Corcoran's claim that Bannon's prosecution was politically motivated and defended Amerling as a "serious investigator." "Why are we talking about politics?" Vaughn asked. "What is political about an attack on the seat of our government?" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Bannon guilty of contempt for defying Jan. 6 committee subpoena Local experts say new federal ruling on criminal authority has little impact on Yakama Nation Possibility of safe grain export from seaports Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny to be discussed at grain talks The Ukrainian delegation headed by Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov at the talks in Istanbul (Turkey) on resolving the grain issue with the participation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, representatives of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey will discuss the possibility of safe export of grain from three seaports of Odesa region. As Interfax-Ukraine has learned, a 120-day agreement on the safe export of grain from the seaports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny will be discussed within the framework of the grain issue. Earlier it was reported that the Ukrainian delegation arrived in Istanbul for talks on resolving the grain issue. The United States is in favor of signing an agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the settlement of the grain issue, which is expected to take place on Friday in Istanbul, State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Homicides increased in WA state in 2021. What about in Tacoma and Pierce County? Additional assets of Medvedchuk and Marchenko, which were controlled from Russia, seized SBU The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announces the seizure of additional assets of MP Viktor Medvedchuk and his wife Oksana Marchenko. "At the SBU initiative, additional assets of Medvedchuk and Marchenko, which were controlled from the Russian Federation, were seized. A court ruling seized, including the corporate rights of a limited liability company with a charter capital of UAH 38 million, bank accounts for UAH 1.3 million, two land plots with an area of 3 hectares and 5 hectares, the premises of two hotel complexes with an area of 4,500 and 2,400 square meters," the SBU said on its Telegram channel on Friday. According to the SBU, the beneficial owners of these assets are a Russian citizen, as well as Medvedchuk and Marchenko. "The corresponding court ruling was made based on the materials of the Security Service, which documents and exposes the scheme of legalization of Russian money in Ukraine, aimed at financing anti-Ukrainian activities," the Ukrainian special service said. The report notes that the scheme consisted in the transfer of funds from Russian banks to a limited liability company registered in Ukraine, owned by a Russian citizen. "This money came under the guise of needs for the maintenance and payment of rent for two hotel complexes in Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions, which, through a number of Ukrainian companies, belong to Oksana Marchenko," the message emphasizes. The SBU says that during the pretrial investigation, evidence was obtained that the companies were managed directly from Russia, and the entire list of these Russian entities was established. The pretrial investigation continues regarding the financing of actions aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order and the fact of legalization of property obtained by criminal means. Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 106F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 86F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 105F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Residents of Budapest spent HUF 411,000 in shops in the first quarter, 22% over the HUF 337,000 national average, according to data compiled by the Central Statistical Office (KSH). Residents of Gyor-Moson-Sopron County, in the west of the country, were the second-biggest spenders during the quarter, generating a retail turnover of HUF 391,000 per resident. Retail turnover per resident was lowest in underdeveloped regions in the north and east of the country, reaching HUF 275,000 in Bekes County, HUF 257,000 in Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg County, and just HUF 248,000 in Nograd County. Days after inauguration of the world-class Bundelkhand expressway by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a portion of the 296 km long expressway has developed potholes due to rains. The one-and-a-half-foot-deep potholes on the portion at Chiriya Salempur in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district are developed due to continuous heavy rain in the region, said UP Expressway Industrial Authority spokesperson Durgesh Upadhyay. The potholes were repaired instantly and the road opened to traffic, he added. The authority deployed a team with bulldozers and necessary equipment to repair the stretch. PM Modi had inaugurated the 296-km-long expressway on July 16. When contacted by PTI, District Magistrate Chandani Singh did not respond to calls. The incident drew criticism, with BJP MP Varun Gandhi questioning the quality of the construction work and seeking action against officials and the companies concerned. The incident also gave ammunition to the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress to attack the government. The recently inaugurated #Bundelkhand_Expressway - let media focus on this reality too. @BJP4India ?? pic.twitter.com/g14V4AFO2N Arun Lad (@NCPArunLad) July 21, 2022 Varun Gandhi in a Hindi tweet said, "If the expressway built at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore cannot withstand even five days of rain, then serious questions rise on its quality. The head of the project, the engineer concerned and responsible companies should be summoned and action be taken against them." Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a Hindi tweet said, "This is a sample of the quality of the BJP's half-finished development. The Bundelkhand expressway was inaugurated by big people and within a week huge pits of corruption came out on it. It is good that the runway was not built on it." Bundelkhand Expressway is no short of an engineering marvel, THESE images are a proof: IN PICS "The caving-in of the Bundelkhand expressway just days after its inauguration proves corruption of the double engine BJP government in the construction of the road. The CM should apologise for endangering lives of people by inaugurating half-finished Bundelkhand expressway," the Samajwadi Party said in a Hindi tweet and also tagged a video. The UP Congress also targeted the BJP government on Twitter, saying the government had promised pothole-free roads. The development has taken a hit after four days of inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, it said. On the day of inauguration of the Bundelkhand expressway, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had attacked the Yogi Adityanath government alleging corruption in the "half-finished" project. With PTI inputs Live TV Maruti Suzuki Indian has announced a price increase for all variants of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga MVP. After the price increase, the MVP will have a starting price of Rs 8.41 lakh (ex-showroom). It is to be noted that the price hike from the Indian automaker comes with added features in the form of ESP & Hill Hold Assist as standard across all the variants of the MVP. Earlier, these features were only available in the automatic and top-end manual variants of the car. It is to be noted that before this the Indian automaker had increased the prices of all its models in the Indian market. Chip shortage and supply chain disruptions were cited as the reason for the price hike at the time. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is one of the most popular vehicles from the automaker and has sold quite a few units in the Indian market. The car is sold with multiple engine options in the Indian market including the CNG engine option. Moreover, the car recently received a facelift with multiple upgrades. Also read: This modified Toyota Fortuner from Pakistan wants to be Lamborghini Urus, fails miserably Push button start/stop and keyless entry are included in the first upgrade. The seat fabric and imitation wood trim have both been updated, but the dashboard has not. The new infotainment system, which replaces the outdated 2 DIN system with a touchscreen, is one of the changes. Reversing cameras are most likely not included in the new SmartPlay Studio, although it does include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 1.5-liter K15C dualjet petrol engine is standard on the new Ertiga CNG. It produces 100 hp in petrol mode, but only 87 hp in CNG mode. Once the engine achieves the proper temperature, the new Ertiga shifts from fuel to CNG. The company recommends against often starting the automobile in CNG mode because it could damage the engine over time. Celebrities often get a backlash from social media for the choices they make. This time reality Star Kylie Jenner and her boyfriend, Travis Scott, are the ones subjected to backlash and being labelled on social media platforms as "climate criminals." The backlash came after the couple posted photos on Instagram showing their private jets. The photo from the well-known model's account said, "you wanna take mine or your?" while the couple stood between two jets at an airport. The couple's photo also showcases a Rolls Royce in the background parked beside one of the private jets. Moreover, their daughter Stormy Webster is also present in the pictures. Although the picture has already received more than 8 million likes on Instagram but doesn't have the full support of the netizens. As on most matters on the internet, the netizens are divided; some of them are supporting and appreciating the couple, while others are bombarding the criticism. One of the social media users commented on the post, saying, "Why do I have to limit my meat consumption and use paper straws while the 1% gets to pump tons of carbon into the atmosphere for a day trip to Palm Springs?" Also read: Akasa Air to serve global cuisine on flights, check first-in-India gourmet menu HERE The mockery spread to Twitter, where user @emily murname posted screenshots of a recent flight taken by Jenner's aircraft, recorded by @CelebJets, a bot account that monitors and tweets celebrity private aviation. According to MapQuest's RoutePlanner tool, the flight takes 42 minutes to complete by vehicle between Camarillo, California, and Van Nuys, California. After this post, some of the users went as far as calling the celebrity couple "climate criminals." This is not the first time Kylie Jenner has been subjected to criticism over her private jet. Previously, she has been criticised for using her jet for very short flights and hence wasting fuel and harming the environment. Mumbai: Veteran actor Anupam Kher is set to essay the role of revolutionary leader J P Narayan in Kangana Ranaut's directorial venture 'Emergency'. Written and directed by Ranaut, the film is billed as the story of a watershed moment in the political history of India. She also features in the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the movie. Ranaut said she feels privileged to have the veteran actor on board. "JP Narayan was the most powerful human being to have happened after Mahatma Gandhi in politics in recent Indian history. The kind of influence he had on people was enormous. "I wanted an actor who had the personality and calibre to match up to that larger than life persona of Lok Neta, J P Narayan. Anupam ji with his stature, his acting skills, his overall persona fit into the role perfectly," the actor-director said in a statement on Friday. Kher said he was fascinated by Ranaut's interpretation of Narayan. "Kangana's interpretation of J P Narayan is fascinating. She believes and it's also the truth that J P Narayan is a hero of the film not just because I am playing the character. Her treatment of the character is like that of a hero," the 67-year-old actor said. The makers also unveiled the poster of Kher as Narayan, an activist, socialist, theorist and politician, who was also honoured with the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1999, in recognition of his social service. Ritesh Shah of 'Pink' fame has penned the screenplay and dialogues of "Emergency", which went on floors last week. A Manikarnika Films presentation, the film is produced by Renu Pitti and Ranaut. Head of territorial defense of Dnipropetrovsk region Korban not allowed into Ukraine, due to termination of citizenship - sources Head of the territorial defense of Dnipropetrovsk region, Hennadiy Korban, was unable to enter Ukraine on Friday with a Ukrainian passport, as border guards informed him that his citizenship had been terminated. As Interfax-Ukraine was told by sources close to Korban, the border service officer seized his foreign passport and did not accept his internal passport from the Diia application, citing the termination of his citizenship. According to the source, they said that he could enter with a passport of another country, if he had one, or apply to the consular office of Ukraine abroad. At the same time, they were unable to demonstrate the presidential decree on the loss of citizenship by Korban. On Thursday, MP Serhiy Vlasenko (the Batkivschyna faction) published a copy of the decree of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on the termination of Ukrainian citizenship to a number of people, including businessmen Ihor Kolomoisky, Hennadiy Korban, and MP Vadym Rabinovych. There is still no official confirmation of the existence of this decree. NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is currently shooting for Rajkummar Hirani's 'Dunki' in London. A few photos of the actor from the sets had earlier gone viral on the internet leaving his fans gushing. And now, a fresh video of the actor has surfaced on social media where is seen entering his car. Celebrity photographer Maanav Manglani shared the video on Instagram writing, "Glimpse of #ShahRukhKhan shooting for #RajuHirani #Dunki in #London #UK." The video features Shah Rukh donning a red jacket and messy hair and rushing to his car. Soon after fans reacted to the video, a user wrote, "Ufff." "Why I'm not there to see him and tell him thanks for coming in my dreams and thanks to make them real and letting me see you." "I wish i was there to see him." Meanwhile, some of the fans wondered why he was seen rapidly getting into his car without acknowledging the paparazzi. "But y is he avoiding the paps??" "Is he srk?!!!" "if he s shahruk so why he's running" "I think that's a body double,not shahrukh" SHAH RUKH KHAN SPOTTED SHOOTING FOR 'DUNKI' IN LONDON Recently, another picture of Shah Rukh from London was leaked on the internet where the actor was once again sporting a casual, rugged look. He was seen in a plaid shirt and black trousers and smiling. EXCLUSIVE picture of #ShahRukhKhan_ from the sets of #Dunki in London ___ pic.twitter.com/NYpX66b2xr Sifa SRKian (@sifa_srkian) July 18, 2022 While nothing is confirmed as of now, 'Dunki' will highlight the rampant use of an illegal backdoor route called 'Donkey Flight' by Indians to immigrate to countries like Canada and the USA. The film is directed by Rajkummar Hirani and co-produced by Gauri Khan. It will be the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and Hirani. Apart from Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee, 'Dunki' also stars Boman Irani in a key role and is slated for a 2023 release. Live TV New Delhi: After 14 "crazy years," Airbnb co-founder and leading figure in the online hotel industry, Joe Gebbia, has announced his resignation and plans to start a new chapter. In a letter to staff members, Gebbia, who founded Airbnb more than ten years ago, announced that he would continue to serve on the board of directors but would switch to an advisory position to help co-founders Brian Chesky and Nathan Blecharczyk with "the roadmap, future concepts, and creative culture." Prior to this, Gebbia served as the head of both Airbnb.org, the company's charitable foundation, and Samara, Airbnb's design studio. In a tweet on Friday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered his congratulations, writing, "Congrats on an amazing company with Airbnb, now for Book 2!" (ALSO READ: Gold price today, July 22: Gold prices bounce back, rates up by Rs 400; check rates in your city) The Airbnb Co-founder said that the primary reason for this transition is that "this is the only company I`ve ever helped build, and my brain is bursting with more ideas to bring to the world". (ALSO READ: Rupee holding up well relative to emerging market peers, advanced economies: RBI Governor) "My first new venture is a startup called parenthood, at which I`ll be taking on the role of Dad. The others involve a complementary product to Airbnb, documentary filmmaking, and various philanthropic initiatives. I`m looking forward to sharing more about these with you soon," he added. He said that Airbnb emerged from an unprecedented setback to the travel industry "with the best first quarter since we incorporated Airbnb fourteen years ago". "Thanks to the four million of you who`ve chosen to host, defying convention to form the largest network of hospitality on the planet. You`ve welcomed the world into your guest bedrooms, yurts, villas, caves, barns, mansions, tugboats, Airstreams, and that one giant potato house in Idaho," he wrote. Incredibly, after a billion-plus guest arrivals, "the data proves that the Golden Rule is actually human nature, which is perhaps why some version of it can be found in almost every culture," he added. Gebbia said that every dollar you donate to Airbnb.org, he will match so we can house twice as many people in need. As of November 2021, Gebbias net worth was estimated to be $11.4 billion. --With IANS inputs. New Delhi: As Elon Musk-run SpaceX abandoned its affordable internet project Starlink in India, Amazon has ramped up its efforts to launch its fast and cheaper internet service called 'Project Kuiper' in the country. The company has posted several job openings for Project Kuiper in the country. One job posting in Bengaluru seeks to hire a manager to "execute and handle the project's licensing strategy in India and Asia-Pacific". The other job opening is for Business Strategy Lead, Country Development, Project Kuiper in Haryana (Gurugram). "We are looking for a talented Business Development Strategy Lead who is ready to take charge of operational planning and support our strategy for our business plans in India," the job posting read. Project Kuiper is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The company said that the "Kuiper Country Development team is focused on launching and operating the Kuiper service across the globe". "A successful candidate will be both entrepreneurial and highly analytical, able to work extremely effectively in a matrix organization and adept at understanding how businesses work in India and how to create innovative, cutting edge solutions for our customers," Amazon said. TechCrunch first reported the latest development. Musk's Starlink is currently available in more than 32 countries. Starlink registered its business in India via a local unit, Starlink Satellite Communications, and targeted a rollout in April this year. However, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications, in December last year warned Starlink to get the necessary permission required to offer satellite-based Internet services in the country. The government told Starlink to stop "booking/rendering the satellite internet service" in India without a licence. Starlink later announced that it will apply for a commercial license in India by January 31, which never happened. Sanjay Bhargava, India Director for Starlink, stepped down in January amid the government pressure to get necessary permission for offering satellite-based Internet services. Responding to a follower in May on Starlink, Musk tweeted: "We are waiting for government approval". Meanwhile, Amazon in April announced the biggest rocket deal in the commercial space industry's history, signing a pact with three rocket companies for up to 83 launches under its Project Kuiper internet satellites. The tech giant signed contracts for launches with United Launch Alliance (ULA), Arianespace, and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. The contracts total up to 83 launches over a five-year period, providing capacity for Amazon to deploy the majority of its 3,236-satellite constellation. Like Musk's Starlink, Amazon's Project Kuiper aims to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband to a wide range of customers, including individual households, schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies, disaster relief operations, mobile operators, and other organisations working in places without reliable internet connectivity. There are now more than 1,000 people at Amazon working on Project Kuiper. Amazon said it will invest over $10 billion in its satellite internet network. Starlink has already launched more than 2,000 satellites since 2019, and many more will go up in the near future. New Delhi: Shortly after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Delhi Excise Policy, the BJP hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal government, saying it violated the rules and procedures and promoted cartelisation to benefit liquor firms in Delhi. The allegations were made by Union Minister and senior BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi. Hitting out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who defended his deputy and Excise minister Manish Sisodia after a CBI probe into the Excise Policy 2021-22 was recommended by Lt Governor VK Saxena, Lekhi said the CM claimed a "scam" in the liquor trade in Delhi led to huge losses to the public exchequer. "The AAP government violated rules and procedures to promote cartelisation to benefit liquor companies in Delhi," Lekhi said and claimed that a waiver of over Rs 144.36 crore was given to licensees and earnest money deposit worth Rs 30 crore of one company was refunded without following rules and processes. At a press briefing, Kejriwal claimed Sisodia will be framed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a fake case and defended him as "Kattar Imandar" (dead honest person) who developed world-class education in Delhi. The chief minister also said Sisodia, like his colleague Satyendar Jain who is presently behind bars in an alleged money laundering case, could also be arrested in a "fake" case. Lekhi said she did not know who will go to jail but there were documents and signatures of people establishing their culpability in the decisions taken and irregularities committed in executing the new excise policy. Saxena has recommended a CBI probe into Excise Policy 2021-22 of the AAP government over alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses. Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia heads the excise department of the Delhi government. At the online press briefing, Kejriwal said he has known Sisodia for 22 years. "I came to know that a case has been sent to the CBI against Manish Sisodia and the agency is going to arrest him in a few days. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in this case," the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. "This case will not hold in court. Manish is a hardcore honest man and he will walk free," he said. Kejriwal also said AAP leaders are not afraid of going to jail as they have done no wrong. The CBI inquiry was recommended on the basis of a report filed by the Delhi chief secretary earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR), 1993, the Delhi Excise Act, 2009 and the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010, officials said. According to sources, the LG has found "substantive indications" of "financial quid pro quo" at the "top political level", wherein the excise minister "took and got executed major decisions in violation of statutory provisions" and notified the excise policy that had "huge financial implications". (With Agency Inputs) A car that can be driven at the cost of zero rupees per kilometer is something that everyone desires. But manifesting that desire for reality, a Kashmiri mathematics teacher got famous because of his innovation in the form of a Maruti car converted into a solar-powered electric car. The invention of the teacher named Bilal Ahmed has been getting a lot of attention, even more so with the increasing cost of fuel and growing environmental concerns. Moreover, apart from being environmentally friendly, the car can also be one of the most cost-effective options. Recently, Mahindra's CEO Anand Mahindra, known for his open expression on social media, has taken the time to appreciate Bilal Ahmed's invention. He commented on the innovation, saying that his passion was commendable and appreciated him for developing the car single-handedly. Moreover, he also offered the man to develop his project with the help of his Mahindra Research valley. Bilals passion is commendable. I applaud his single-handedly developing this prototype. Clearly the design needs to evolve into a production-friendly version. Perhaps our team at Mahindra Research Valley can work alongside him to develop it further. @Velu_Mahindra ? https://t.co/p6WRgQmcXo anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) July 20, 2022 In Anand Mahindra's words, "Bilals passion is commendable. I applaud his single-handedly developing this prototype. Clearly, the design needs to evolve into a production-friendly version. Perhaps our team at Mahindra Research Valley can work alongside him to develop it further." Also read: Police can only seize, not suspend driving licence for traffic violation, says Calcutta High Court The project that Bilal Ahmed, a native of Tangmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, has been working on for more than 13 years has now hit a significant milestone. He has constructed his solar-powered electric vehicle from a Maruti Suzuki 800's body, which has been entirely covered with solar panels to capture solar energy. Additionally, he made a few minor adjustments to the car's body to make room for the solar panels. Earlier, in an interview with ANI, Bilal mentioned that he wished to build a car for the disabled but couldn't pursue it because of financial concerns. To give a few details of the solar car, the car has gullwing doors like a Ferrari. However, Ahmed mentioned that making the Gullwing doors was a challenge for him that he had to overcome. In the interview, he also mentioned that he gets good responses when driving the car on road. In response to a tender by Convergence Energy Services Ltd., Tata Motors has won a contract from Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for 1,500 electric buses. According to the contract, the company will provide, operate, and maintain air-conditioned, low-floor, completely constructed 12-meter electric buses for 12 years, it said in a statement. "The delivery of these buses will further fortify our partnership with DTC and help in environment-friendly mass mobility for the city of Delhi. We are committed to modernising public transportation in India and keep sustainability at the core in the designing of futuristic vehicles," Tata Motors Vice President (Product Line Buses) Rohit Srivastava said in a statement. The Mumbai-based company has already supplied more than 650 electric buses across multiple cities in India, which have cumulatively clocked more than 39 million kilometres. Also read: NITI Aayog unveils E-AMRIT mobile app to raise electric vehicle awareness Delhi Transport Corporation MD Neeraj Semwal said the induction of the environment-friendly buses will help largely in reducing air pollution and benefit millions of citizens. Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) MD and CEO Mahua Acharya said the Delhi Government has shown exemplary leadership in transitioning over to electric buses. "We are fortunate to have benefited from this and are thankful to Tata Motors in their generous collaboration," she added. With inputs from PTI Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday hit out at the party's rebel legislators, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, terming their rebellion as "betrayal of humanity". He was addressing party workers at Manmad in Nashik district on the second day of his three-day 'Shiv Sanvad Yatra', which is aimed at reaching out to the party cadres. "This is not betrayal of Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray, but betrayal of humanity," he said. "These people did not have guts to revolt in Maharashtra so they went to Surat, Guwahati and Goa. Assam was reeling under floods, but the rebel legislators were enjoying themselves," the Sena legislator from Worli constituency in Mumbai alleged. He admitted that his father Uddhav Thackeray was unable to meet party leaders and workers during his stint as chief minister. "But Uddhavji did not stop his work as chief minister. He kept working and never thought that if nothing is given to the MLAs or MPs, they would leave him. It was our mistake that we did not indulge in politics," he said. The rebels are now showing their strength, but for the last two-and-half years they were silent despite being in the government. They were planning their revolt when Uddhavji underwent his surgery, Aaditya said. The new dispensation comprises of traitors, he said, calling the Shinde-led government as "illegal". "We are not answerable to the traitors, but will surely tell people of Nashik what the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government did for the development of the district. "Those who wanted to leave, have left. But the saffron flag will continue to fly here," he said. He said the Shiv Sena never tried to finish off its political opponents, but its own people tried to do this with them. Meanwhile, rebel Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil said, "Had Aaditya held such meetings earlier, the party would not have faced a revolt. Uddhavji was unwell, but you were young and 30 years old. Today, Uddhavji has to travel without mask and visit party's shakhas (branches). We revolted to restore the party's lost glory." IAF Agnipath: Indian Air Force, IAF has released the Agniveer Airforce Admit Card 2022 for all the registered candidates. All those who have applied for IAF Agneepath Recruitment 2022, can download the admit card now from the official website - agnipathvayu.cdac.in. The steps and direct link to download have been shared below. Agniveer Airforce Admit Card 2022 is for the IAF Agnipath exam scheduled to begin from July 24, 2022. Everyone whose applications have been accepted will need to download this admit card to appear for the written exam. Earlier, The Indian Air Force registrations shattered records with more than seven lakhs applications under the Agnipath or Agneepath Scheme ALSO READ: CBSE class 10 Result TODAY To download the IAF Agnipath admit card, candidates need their login credentials. They can also refer to the step-by-step procedure to download it provided below. Agniveer Airforce Admit Card 2022: Here is how to download the admit card - Candidates must visit the official website of Indian Air Force Agniveer Recruitment - agnipathvayu.cdac.in. - On the homepage, click on 'Agniveer Candidate Login.' (Direct link given below) - Enter your login details like Email id and Password. - Your Agnipath IAF admit card will be displayed on your screen. - Download and print a copy of it for future references. Candidates must keep their Air Force Agniveer Admit Card 2022 safe and bring it to the exam. Without this, they will be unable to administer the exam on the specified dates. IAF Agnipath Recruitment 2022 would begin by the end of this year. This means that December 11, 2022 is the Agnipath Scheme Enrollment date under IAF. New Delhi: Senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa can never retire and the party will fight the 2023 assembly polls under his guidance, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday. Bommai's remarks come hours after Yediyurappa announced that he is vacating his Shikaripura constituency and will not contest the next election. Yediyurappa also said that his son and party's state vice-president B Y Vijayendra will contest the 2023 assembly polls from Shikaripura. The former chief minister's announcement seems to indicate the end of his electoral politics. "He never retires. Yediyurappa has never retired. In the next elections, his strength and guidance will be there," Bommai told reporters when asked under whose leadership the party will fight the next polls in the absence of Yediyurappa. He also mentioned that Yediyurappa is a "fatherly figure" and the central leaders know about that. The next assembly election in Karnataka is scheduled for May 2023. Bommai is in the national capital to attend the farewell dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for outgoing president Ram Nath Kovind. The Karnataka chief minister also called on President-elect Droupadi Murmu and congratulated her. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated all those students who successfully cleared the CBSE Class X and XII board exams, the results of which were released today. The Prime Minister also urged the students to ''follow their inner calling.'' In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said, "Congratulations to all my young friends who passed the CBSE Class XII exams. The grit and dedication of these youngsters is commendable. They prepared for these exams through a time when humanity faced a monumental challenge and achieved this success." Congratulations to all my young friends who passed the CBSE Class XII exams. The grit and dedication of these youngsters is commendable. They prepared for these exams through a time when humanity faced a monumental challenge and achieved this success. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2022 Asking the students to follow their inner calling, he said, "There are innumerable opportunities that await our young exam warriors, who passed the CBSE Class XII exams. I urge them to follow their inner calling and pursue subjects they are passionate about. My best wishes for their future endeavours." There are innumerable opportunities that await our young Exam Warriors, who passed the CBSE Class XII exams. I urge them to follow their inner calling and pursue subjects they are passionate about. My best wishes for their future endeavours. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2022 Encouraging students who are not happy with their results, Prime Minister Modi said, "Some students may not be happy with their results but they must know that one exam will never define who they are. I am certain they will find more success in times to come," he added. Some students may not be happy with their results but they must know that one exam will never define who they are. I am certain they will find more success in the times to come. Also sharing this year's PPC where we discussed aspects relating to exams. https://t.co/lKYdXhnHTF Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2022 The Central Board of Secondary Education on Friday declared the class 12 results in which 92.71 per cent students cleared the exam. Girls outperformed boys by 3.29 per cent, the CBSE said. Over 33 thousand students scored marks above 95 per cent while 1.34 lakh students scored above 90 per cent, the board said. The board also announced Class 10 results, which showed that 94.40 per cent of students cleared the exam with girls outperforming boys by a margin of 1.41 per cent. This is the first time that the CBSE has announced both class 10 and 12 results on the same day. "The (Class 10) result has been announced," a CBSE official said. The pass percentage of girls stood at 95.21 per cent while 93.80 per cent of boys cleared the exam. The pass percentage of transgender candidates is 90 per cent. Head of the territorial defense of Dnipropetrovsk region Hennadiy Korban confirmed the information about his inadmissibility to the territory of Ukraine and said that his passport of a citizen of Ukraine was seized from him. "At the moment I am at the entrance to Ukraine, the Smilnytsia border crossing point. I still think that this is some kind of misunderstanding or a hoax. My passport of a citizen of Ukraine was confiscated, they issued an act. They don't let me go home to Ukraine. To Dnipro, where my sick parents live, to the city and country that I love and defend since 2014 and where I have been heading the Territorial Defense Headquarters since February 24, 2022," Korban wrote on Facebook on Friday. "I want to appeal to the President of Ukraine as the guarantor of the Constitution. Can this misunderstanding that happened to me on the doorstep of our common home be resolved?" he added. As reported, MP Serhiy Vlasenko (the Batkivschyna faction) published a copy of the decree of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on the termination of Ukrainian citizenship to a number of people, including businessmen Ihor Kolomoisky, Hennadiy Korban, and MP Vadym Rabinovych. There is still no official confirmation of the existence of this decree. CBSE Class 10th Result: CBSE Class 10th Result 2022: The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE 10th Result 2022 has been declared today, July 22, at around 2 pm. CBSE has declared both Class 10th and Class 12th results today. Candidates can check the Class 10th CBSE results directly on cbseresults.nic.in. Students can check their CBSE 10th marksheet quickly from the official website by typing their roll member, school number and admit card number on the CBSE Result 2022 homepage. CBSE Class 10th 2022: Topper Mayank Yadav from Amity International School, Noida, topped the CBSE 10th board exam 2022 with 100% marks that is 500/500 CBSE 10TH Result 2022: No Toppers list this year For CBSE Class 10th Result 2022, CBSE did not release the toppers list. For the past two years, CBSE has not released the merit list for both class 10th and class 12th board exams. However, students can check school-wise toppers from respective principals and teachers. Girls have outperformed boys by 1.41% this year. As many as 95.21% of girls passed the exam, among boys, it is 93.80% and 90% of transgender category kids have passed the exam. CBSE 10th Results: District wise pass percentage Trivandrum 99.68% Bengaluru 99.22% Chennai 98.97% Ajmer 98.14% Patna 97.65% Pune 97.41% Bhubaneswar 96.46% Panchkula 96.33% Noida 96.08% Chandigarh 95.38% Prayagraj 94.74% Dehradun 93.43% Bhopal 93.33% Delhi East 86.96% Delhi West 85.94% Guwahati 82.32% CBSE 10th Results 2022 Declared: Here is how you can check your result Step 1: Go to cbseresults.nic.in Step 2: Click on the link to CBSE Term 2 Result for Class 10 on the homepage Step 3: Enter your roll number, school number, DOB, admit card id. Submit. Step 4: Your marksheet will appear on the screen. Step 5: Download and take a printout for future use. CBSE TOPPERS LIST Class 12th: The Central Board of Secondary Education today announced the result for class 12th examination. As soon as the results were announced at the cbseresults.nic.in, the students rushed to check their results. However, the next thing that makes trend on the CBSE class 12 result day every year - is the list of students who topped the examination. The same is happening this year, the students are curious to check the toppers list. The wait is over now, as Zee News has the list of the students who topped the class 12th examination. In a big co-incidence, both the students who topped the countrywide examination were from the same state - Uttar Pradesh. Yuvakshi Vig from UP's Noida and Tanya Singh from state's Bulandshahr district scored 100% mnarks. I.e the two students scored the 500/500 marks in the examination. Yuvakshi Singh is a student of Amity International School, Noida. The 12th Board Humanities topper secured perfect 100 marks in all the five subjects - English, History, Political Science, Psychology and Painting. Bulandshahr DPS girl Tanya Singh has emerged as CBSE topper with 500/500 in the CBSE results 2022. IMPORTANT: No toppers list from CBSE this year CBSE Class 12th Result: The Central Board of Secondary Education has released the CBSE 12th result 2022 on July 22 morning at 9 am and the pass percentage stands at 92.71%. The official merit list has not been released yet. CBSE hasnt officially announced a country topper or toppers this year to avoid unhealthy competition. However, Tanya and Yuvakshi's performance leaves little room for doubt as far as the national topper is concerned. CBSE Class 12th result: Girls outshine boys in CBSE 12th Result 2022 Securing 94.54 percent pass percentage Girls have outperformed boys by 3.29 per cent who secured a pass percentage of 91.25 per cent. All transgender students have passed the class 12 boards taking their pass percentage to 100 per cent. 16 lakh students took the CBSE Class 12 Term 1 and Term 2 exams. For Term 2, which ran from April 26, 2022, to June 15, 2022, the exams were also given offline. The outcomes have now been made public. Dehradun: Amid rising COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand, the state government has said that it has been following all guidelines related to coronavirus. Uttarakhand Health Secretary in charge and Director of the National Health Mission Dr R Rajesh Kumar told ANI, "The guidelines of the government regarding COVID infections are in place. The government is ensuring that all the precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing also take place." The Health Secretary said that the instruction will be given further if the covid cases increase further. As far as taking dengue cases, it is also a matter of concern for the state. Adding that Kumar said this year, the dengue cases can be more prevalent here. "We are already in contact with all the concerned departments and instructions have been given to follow all the measures," he added. On the Kanwar Yatra, the health secretary said that three districts of Dehradun, Haridwar and Pauri are sensitive but adequate arrangements for the medical camp have been made, adding "One of these, Haridwar is the most sensitive district, however, I myself visited the areas and checked all the measurements there." India records 21,566 fresh COVID-19 cases, 45 more fatalities The country on Thursday reported a single-day rise of 21,566 coronavirus cases, the highest in 152 days, taking its COVID-19 tally to 4,38,25,185, while the number of active cases in the country climbed to 1,48,881 on Thursday, according to Union health ministry data. The death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 5,25,870 with 45 more fatalities, said the ministry's data updated at 8 am, adding that the active cases account for 0.34 per cent of the total caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.46 per cent. Of the 45 new fatalities, 17 were reported from Kerala, seven from Maharashtra, six from West Bengal, two each from Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and one each from Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. An increase of 3,227 cases was recorded in the active Covid caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.25 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 4.51 per cent, according to the ministry. According to the ministry, 200.91 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive. Notably, India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 2020, 40 lakh on September 5, 2020 and 50 lakh on September 16, 2020. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 2020, 70 lakh on October 11, 2020, 80 lakh on October 29, 2020, 90 lakh on November 20, 2020 and the one-crore mark on December 19, 2020. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid cases on May 4 last year, the three-crore mark on June 23 last year and four crore cases on January 25 this year. (With ANI/PTI Inputs) New Delhi: Delhi`s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a CBI investigation into the alleged violations of the Delhi Excise Policy and "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also in charge of the excise department. The CBI inquiry was recommended after a recent report by the Chief Secretary established prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. Sisodia`s role is under the scanner for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licensees for the year 2021-22, sources in the LG office told ANI. According to them Sisodia had executed decisions in violation of the statutory provisions of the Excise Policy, which could have huge financial implications. Such "undue financial favours" to the liquor licensees after the deadline for awarding tenders caused huge losses to the exchequer, said sources. The excise policy was passed in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Sources further said the move was done with the sole aim of benefitting private liquor barons. However, the Delhi government`s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience. New Delhi: Just days after India crossed a record 200 crore vaccinations, it has now come to light that nearly 4 crore eligible beneficiaries have not taken even a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. This was disclosed by none other than the Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar who told the Lok Sabha on Friday that as of July 18, an estimated 4 crore eligible beneficiaries have not yet taken even a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Importantly, India on July 17 crossed the 200 crore-vaccination mark, barely 18 months after the Centre launched a mass vaccination exercise on 16 January last year. A total of 1,78,38,52,566 vaccine doses (97.34 per cent) have been administered free of cost in Government Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) till July 18, MoS Bharti said in a written reply. "As on 18th July, an estimated 4 crore eligible beneficiaries have not taken even a single dose of Covid vaccine," she said in response to a question on the number and percentage of people who have not taken even a single dose. Precaution doses were available free of cost to healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and all beneficiaries above 60 years of age, from March 16 this year in government CVCs and for the 18-59 years age group from April 10 in private CVCs. Recently, the Centre began a special 75-day drive to administer free of cost precaution doses to all aged 18 years and above at government vaccination centres from July 15. The drive 'COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' aimed at boosting the uptake of Covid precaution doses among the eligible population, is being held as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. According to health ministry officials, 98 per cent of India's adult population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 90 per cent have been fully vaccinated. GATE 2023: The Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Kanpur has released the examination for GATE 2023. Taking on to Twitter, IIT Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar informed that the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, GATE 2023 will be conducted on February 4, 5, 11 and 12, 2023. The official website to check GATE 2023 details is gate.iitk.ac.in, which will be released soon. IIT Kanpur will commence the registration for GATE 2023 in the first week of September 2022. The examination will be held on 4th, 5th, 11th, and 12th of February 2023. The online registration will begin in the first week of September 2022. Details of the examination shall be available on the #GATE2023 website: https://t.co/LLmpWohKQY July 21, 2022 Here's how to apply for GATE 2023 Visit the official site of IIT GATE on gate.iitk.ac.in. Click on the GATE 2023 registration link that will be available on the home page. Register yourself and log in with the application number generated Fill in the application form and make the payment of application fees. Submit your GATE 2023 application form and download the confirmation page GATE 2023 will be a computer-based test (CBT) conducted for twenty-nine subject areas with the choice of selecting two papers in some subjects. The examination will test the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering, sciences, humanities, and social sciences. GATE exam jointly conducted by IIT Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore. This year IIT Kanpur is organising the GATE 2023 exam. Live TV New Delhi: Amid neighbouring Kerala reporting three monkeypox cases, the Karnataka government has decided to increase surveillance in the state. The Basavaraj Bommai-led government has directed all the districts to remain prepared and take required action per the Centre's guidelines and Technical Advisory Committee recommendations regarding Monkeypox, PTI reported. District Health Officers (DHOs)/ District Surveillance Officers (DSO) have been instructed to ensure that the health screening teams at Points of Entries (PoEs) into the State (airports or sea ports), disease surveillance teams and doctors working in hospitals are to be re-oriented on the common signs and symptoms, diagnosis, case definitions etc of suspected, probable, confirmed Monkeypox cases and contacts, the circular by Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare read. The circular further mentions that they should also receive training in contact tracing and other surveillance activities required in case of a suspected Monkeypox case like testing and other associated IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) protocols and clinical management. While the confirmed monkeypox cases have to be isolated for at least 21 days and until all lesions have resolved and scabs have completely fallen off, the suspected cases at PoEs and in the community have to be screened and tested through both hospital-based surveillance and targeted monitoring. "Intensive risk communication is to be undertaken for the healthcare workers in the health facilities and in commonly identified sites such as skin and pediatric, OPDs, immunization clinics and intervention sites identified by NACO etc," the circular added. The Karnataka government has also instructed officials to create awareness about simple preventive strategies and prompt reporting of monkeypox cases from the community. At least two beds will be designated for isolation of suspect, confirmed infections in all District Hospitals and adequate human resource and logistic support should be provided for the cases, the circular said. In addition, officials have been asked to make all arrangements for sample collection and transportation to the designated laboratory in case of any suspected monkeypox case. Meanwhile, Kerala confirmed its third monkeypox case today (July 22) after a 35-year-old man, who reached the state from the UAE earlier this month, tested positive for the zoonotic virus. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the patient, a Malappuram native, had arrived in the southern state on July 6 and had fever since July 13. She said his condition is stable. The first case of monkeypox was reported from Kerala's Kollam district on July 14 and the second infection came to the fore last week in the Kannur district. (With agency inputs) Cases of 'African Swine Fever' (ASF) have been reported in two animal husbandry centers at Mananthavady in Kerala's Wayanad district.The officials have given information about this.The disease was confirmed in the pigs of two animal husbandry centers in the district after the samples were tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal. An official of the Animal Husbandry Department said that after the death of several pigs at a centre, samples were sent for testing. Now the results has confirmed this fever. In the second center, instructions have been given to kill 300 pigs. The department said that steps are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease. The state had already tightened the biosecurity measures after the central government warned earlier this month. The central government had told that cases of 'African Swine Fever' have been reported in Bihar and some northeastern states. African Swine Fever is a highly contagious and fatal disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is a highly contagious viral disease prevalent in wild and domestic pigs and has a high mortality rate.There is no vaccine yet ready against this disease. It is not a threat to humans, but it is affecting the pork industry and farmers' livelihoods at large. Telangana: The Bharatiya Janata Party`s Telangana unit on Friday alleged that the K Chandrashekar Rao-led state government is "blocking" the BJP`s programmes "with the help of the police" and accused TRS leaders of "attacking" BJP workers. "The ruling party is stopping the BJP activities everywhere with the help of the police. The current `Palle Gosha- BJP Bharosa` programme of the state BJP has appointed one senior member for each constituency in Telangana to know the problems of the people and assure them of BJP`s support. The leaders are required to stay in the constituencies for ten days and know the problems of the people to work on them, alleged BJP. Vivek Venkataswamy, National Executive Committee Member and ex-MP, who is in charge of Jukkal constituency of Kamareddy district, was stopped by the police on his way to Burgul village," said the statement by the BJP. Alleging that the TRS workers "removed" all BJP flags, it said that they started a "commotion by attacking" Venkataswamy and his team." He was detained by the police without being allowed to enter the village explaining the cooperation of the police towards the TRS party," the statement said. Venkatswamy, claiming a "huge support" of the people of the state, said that they will make sure the Chief Minister "steps down" from the post. According to the statement, state BJP president, Bandi Sanjay has condemned the arrest of Vivek Venkataswamy. National BJP leaders also condemned Vivek`s arrest. Party workers protested in the districts against the arrest of the BJP National Executive Committee Member. New Delhi: After the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, India has now started to witness Monkeypox cases, which again is wreaking havoc in many countries. On Friday, India recorded its third Monkeypox case in Kerala, which is so far the only state to report such a virus. Though the health bodies across the world are keeping a close check on the spread of the virus, it has been earlier noted that Monkeypox spreads from irresponsible sexual behaviour, especially between the same sex. Now, new research has revealed that at least 95% of the Monkeypox cases were transmitted through sexual activities. Sexual transmission responsible for 95% Monkeypox cases: Study The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. According to the research, it has been noted that 95% of the cases have been transmitted through sexual activity. New clinical signs such as single genital lesions were also noted. However, it is still unclear whether the material is capable of transmission, reported AFP The research was led by scientists at the Queen Mary University of London and evaluated 528 confirmed infections in 16 countries between April 27 and June 24. Reportedly, the monkeypox DNA was present in the semen of 29 out of 32 people who got tested. Meanwhile, Monkeypox has already reached India. The Union government in collaboration with the Kerala administration is ramping up the testing and has deployed necessary measures to curb the community spread of the virus. Testing centres and help desks have been installed in the airports and special training is being facilitated to the health staff to prepare them for any further exigencies. Monkeypox: Key developments Ukraine, Turkey and Russia with the assistance of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have agreed on the facilitation of safe shipping for export of grain, food and fertilizers (including ammonia) from the Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny sea ports during 120 days with the possibility of extension. The document was signed in Istanbul on Friday, July 22. Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the trilateral document with Defense Minister of Turkey Hulusi Akar and UN Secretary-General, who also signed the second trilateral document with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The initiative is based on agreements of Parties of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, says the document, the copy of which is available to the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency. In particular, the Parties agreed on the following: - all Parties will provide maximum assurances regarding a safe and secure environment for all vessels engaged in this initiative; - a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) will be set up in Istanbul under the auspices of the UN and including representatives of all Parties and the UN; - inspection teams will be set up in Turkey, consisting from all Parties and the UN, and their primary responsibility will be to check for the absence of unauthorized cargoes and personnel on board vessels inbound to or outbound from the Ukrainian ports. All activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, says the document. The Parties will not undertake any attacks against merchant vessels and other civilian vessels and port facilities engaged in this initiative. Should demining be required, a minesweeper of another country shall sweep the approaches to the Ukrainian ports, according to the document. Merchant vessels will be prior registered in the JCC and will be technically monitored for the duration of their passage through the maritime humanitarian corridor, agreed by all Parties. The JCC will develop and disseminate a detailed orientation operational and communications plan, including identification of safe harbors and medical relief options. To prevent any provocations and incidents, the movement of vessels transiting the maritime humanitarian corridor will be monitored by the Parties remotely. "No military ships, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) may approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance agreed by the JCC, without the authorization of the JCC, and after consultation with all Parties," says the document. This initiative will remain in effect for 120 days from the date of signature by all Parties and can be extended automatically for the same period, unless one of the Parties notifies the other of the intent to terminate the initiative, or to modify it. At the same time, as Ukraine has stressed numerous times, the signature of the agreement on export of Ukrainian grain does not mean that the security regime in the Black Sea would be relaxed. New Delhi: In a major action against fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday attached gems, jewellery and bank deposits worth Rs 253.62 crore of some Hong Kong-based companies as part of a money laundering probe. Some assets of Nirav Modi group of companies in Hong Kong were identified in the form of gems and jewelleries lying in private vaults and bank balances in accounts maintained there and these have been provisionally attached under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal probe agency said in a statement. The amount kept in banks amounts to USD 30.98 million and Hong Kong dollars 5.75 million, which is equivalent to Rs 253.62 crore (as on July 22, 2022), it said. Nirav Modi, 51, is presently lodged in a UK jail and has lost his extradition plea to India in connection with the USD 2-billion PNB fraud case that is also being investigated by the CBI. The ED said the extradition proceedings are at "final stage in London, UK." It said that with the latest attachment, the total seizure of assets against Nirav Modi stands at Rs 2,650.07 crore. "Also, movable and immovable assets of Nirav Modi and his associates amounting to Rs 1,389 crore have been confiscated under provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 on the orders of a special court in Mumbai," it said. Some of the confiscated properties have already been physically handed over to victim banks, the agency added. Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, both prime accused in the case, along with others are being probed by the ED on money laundering charges for allegedly perpetrating a fraud in connivance with bank officials and by the issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) at the Brady House Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Mumbai. He (Modi) was declared a fugitive economic offender by a Mumbai PMLA court in December 2019. He was arrested the same year in London. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday issued fresh summons to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi for questioning her in connection with the National Herald newspaper-linked money laundering case. The central agency had earlier summoned Sonia Gandhi for questioning on July 25, but it has now deferred it by one more day. The Congress chief is now required to appear before the federal agency on Tuesday, and not on Monday (July 25). The reason for the change of date could not be ascertained immediately. Enforcement Directorate issued fresh summons to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to join probe in National Herald case on July 26 in place of July 25: Sources (File pic) pic.twitter.com/1DQlAZTj7d ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2022 Sonia Gandhi, 75, was questioned for over two hours during her first day of questioning in the case on Thursday. The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper. The Congress leaders slammed the Narendra Modi government for "treating the opposition as its enemies" and "misusing" probe agencies against its leaders as the party staged protests against the Enforcement Directorate's questioning of Sonia Gandhi. Senior Congress leaders, including some MPs, courted arrest outside the party headquarters here to protest the ED action. Congressmen staged protests across the country at all state headquarters, with the police using water cannons against protesting Punjab Congress workers in Chandigarh and a miscreant burnt down a car outside the ED office in Bengaluru. The party also said the protests will continue at district headquarters all over the country in the days to come. Leaders of various political parties, including the DMK, CPI-M, CPI, NC, TRS, MDMK, NCP and Shiv Sena, in a joint statement, condemned the ED action against Sonia Gandhi and alleged that the government was unleashing a relentless campaign against its political opponents through "mischievous" misuse of probe agencies. Similar protests were held when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quizzed by the ED in connection with the case last month. New Delhi: Delhi`s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a CBI probe into the alleged violations of the Delhi Excise Policy and "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also in charge of the excise department. Lieutenant Governor recommended the CBI inquiry after a recent report by the Chief Secretary established prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. The excise policy was passed in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. According to the Chief Secretary's report, "these indicate substantively of financial quid pro quo at the top political level, wherein the minister in-charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications. He also extended undue financial favors to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the ex-chequer." The report by the Chief Secretary to the LG is in accordance with Rule 57 of the ToBR 1993, which mandates the Chief Secretary to flag any deviation from laid down procedures to the Lt Governor and the Chief Minister and was sent to both. The Excise Policy in question opposed by Civil Society, Religious Groups, Educational Institutions, Parents Bodies and the opposition alike, was brought in the middle of the deadly Delta wave of the Covid pandemic vide a Kejriwal headed Cabinet decision. The policy decision was taken with the sole aim of benefitting private liquor barons in lieu of financial benefits to individuals at the highest echelons of the government leading up to the minister in-charge of Excise and Finance, Manish Sisodia, said the Chief Secretary's report. "It is pertinent to note that even as migrants were leaving the city due to lack of basic subsistence income, street vendors were facing challenge to their livelihood, dhabas, restaurants, hotels, gyms, schools and all other business establishments were facing closure, the Excise Department under direct orders of Manish Sisodia decided to allow a waiver of Rs 144.36 crores singularly to the liquor cartel, on the tendered license fee under the excuse of COVID-19 pandemic. While people were dying, livelihoods collapsing, businesses shutting down that could have been helped by giving financial assistance, all that the Kejriwal government had on mind was benefitting merchants of alcohol in lieu of kick-backs and commissions." The report said, "Even as the city, as indeed the country, were reeling under the severe mal-effects of the Delta wave, a government that was busy blaming all and sundry for all its failings with the help of full-page advertisements was busy setting up a nefarious mechanism for personal aggrandizement of its leaders." It further added, "It involved an enabling nexus of Private Individuals, Civil Servants and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who roughshod decisions by tinkering with the policy to benefit liquor licensees in total disregard of due process, rules and regulations. Being run all this while under full political patronage of Arvind Kejriwal, the decisions in question were taken at the level of the Minister in-charge, Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Excise portfolio, without even taking the Cabinet into confidence. Subsequently, in a hoodwinking hogwash, Sisodia got the Cabinet to take a decision authorizing him to make "minor changes within the over-all framework of the policy in the interest of its implementation". However, despite this cabinet decision being flagged negatively by the then LG and a subsequent Cabinet decision withdrawing its earlier decision of "authorizing" Sisodia on 21.05.2021, the decisions under question continued to be brazenly implemented by the Excise Department solely on the approval of Sisodia." When it became evident that the blatant hoax being run was about to be called out in light of inquiries and the note from the Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister under Rule 57, the illegal decisions taken in the past were attempted to be legalized by getting the stamp of a post facto Cabinet decision as recently as on 14.07.2022 which in itself was in violation of laid down rules and procedures. It may be noted that the policy decision was taken "in blatant violation of laid down provisions that enjoins a Cabinet Note and agenda of the Cabinet reaching the Lt. Governor 48 hours before any Cabinet meeting". "With the above facts, it is evident that the decisions were taken by the Excise Department only at the level of the minister, without approval of the competent authority, which is the Cabinet and subsequently the Lt Governor in such matters," the CS's report added. The report further said these actions prima facie indicate that "undue benefits were extended to the licensees at the cost of the public exchequer, in brazen violation of established statutes, rules and procedures with an ulterior motive of monetary gains by the powers that be." "It is strange that the Imaandar Sarkar has a minister in Jail for money laundering and another one is going to be probed for running a liquor racket and benefitting from the liquor mafia. It is expected that a probe by the CBI in the matter will unearth nefarious game being played at the cost of the people of Delhi and ascertain the quantum of kick-backs received by the Aam Aadmi Party government and leaders as also the use of this money to influence the Punjab elections," said the report submitted to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hosted a farewell dinner for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind, which was attended by members of the Union Cabinet, chief ministers of various states and other dignitaries. President-elect Droupadi Murmu also attended the farewell dinner for Kovind whose term ends Monday. Visuals of the farewell dinner hosted by PM Narendra Modi for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi Various Padma awardees and many tribal leaders were present. pic.twitter.com/gvO4R7Q0Fj ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2022 Official sources said the dinner had good representation from all parts of the country, including many Padma awardees and tribal leaders. A source said this dinner was "unique" as it did not have the usual Delhi-centric crowd and emphasis was to make it more representative. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and members of the Prime Minister's Cabinet were present at the event. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also attended it. Murmu was elected to be the next President of India on Friday after she comprehensively defeated the opposition's presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha. She will take oath at the Central Hall of Parliament on Monday. To facilitate members to attend the ceremony, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet that day at 2 pm instead of 11 am. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana will administer the oath to Murmu. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a certificate of the election to NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu as the next President of India. Droupadi Murmu, who was BJP-led NDA`s candidate in the Presidential election defeated Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. In a rare development, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan may hold a meeting next month in Uzbekistan. There have been reports that the two Prime Ministers - Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif may hold a meeting on the same over this. SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming is visiting Pakistan on Friday for three days and will invite Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to participate in the SCO annual summit to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15-16, The News reported. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the summit, which will provide an opportunity to the prime ministers of Pakistan and India to come face-to-face. It is for the first time in six years that the two prime ministers will be present under one roof and avail an opportunity to see each other, The News reported. Highly-placed diplomatic sources told The News here on Thursday that a chance meeting between Shehbaz and Modi couldn`t be ruled out since both would be in the same compound for two days. "No structured meeting of the two has been tied up since India hasn`t requested the same yet. In case such a request is made, Pakistan`s response will be positive," the sources said. China, Pakistan, Russia, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are full members of the group. The group`s new chair has already outlined its priorities and tasks. These include efforts to raise the potential and authority of the organisation, ensure peace and stability in the region, reduce poverty and ensure food security. Putting together a plan for the development of intra-regional trade, which will include measures to eliminate trade barriers, align technical regulations and digitalise customs procedures, will also be on the table for discussions. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (July 22) urged people to strengthen the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement by hoisting or displaying the national flag in their homes between August 13-15, stating that this movement will deepen our connect with the national flag. Notably, the government has envisioned the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' (tricolour at every home) exercise in the run up to the 75th anniversary of India's independence through Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said that this movement will deepen our connect with the tricolour and noted that it was on July 22 in 1947 that the national flag was adopted. PM Modi said, "Today, we recall the monumental courage and efforts of all those who dreamt of a flag for free India when we were fighting colonial rule. We reiterate our commitment to fulfil their vision and build the India of their dreams." Today, we recall the monumental courage and efforts of all those who dreamt of a flag for free India when we were fighting colonial rule. We reiterate our commitment to fulfil their vision and build the India of their dreams. pic.twitter.com/fRcAMVHV9F Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2022 The Prime Minister further said, "This year, when we are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, let us strengthen the Har Ghar Tiranga movement. Hoist the Tricolour or display it in your homes between 13th and 15th August. This movement will deepen our connect with the national flag." This year, when we are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, let us strengthen the Har Ghar Tiranga Movement. Hoist the Tricolour or display it in your homes between 13th and 15th August. This movement will deepen our connect with the national flag. https://t.co/w36PqW4YV3 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2022 He also posted details of official communications leading to the adoption of tricolour as the national flag. He also posted a picture of the first tricolour unfurled by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. "Today, 22nd July has special relevance in our history. It was on this day in 1947 that our National Flag was adopted. Sharing some interesting nuggets from history including details of the committee associated with our Tricolour and the first Tricolour unfurled by Pandit Nehru," PM Modi said in a tweet. Today, 22nd July has a special relevance in our history. It was on this day in 1947 that our National Flag was adopted. Sharing some interesting nuggets from history including details of the committee associated with our Tricolour and the first Tricolour unfurled by Pandit Nehru. pic.twitter.com/qseNetQn4W Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2022 "One nation, one identity- Our Tiranga! In the 75th year of our independence, let`s bring our National Flag home, proudly fly it from 13th to 15th August and show the world we are one! HarGharTiranga," the Ministry of Culture tweeted.` The Ministry of Culture has taken Har Ghar Tiranga` initiative to mark celebrations for India`s 75th year of Independence .As part of the campaign, citizens will be encouraged to hoist the tricolour at their homes during August 13-15. It will inspire the public to hoist the national flag in their homes. The idea behind the initiative was to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people. Ministry of Culture is Nodal Agency for the `Har Ghar Tiranga` campaign and Ministry will seek help from state governments to mobilize all resources, housing, and urban development departments and local bodies including municipal bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions for furthering the goals of the campaign. The ministry is counting on all public representatives to play an active role in the promotion of the `Har Ghar Tiranga` campaign and make it a success by spreading awareness about the campaign and encouraging others to hoist flags in their houses. (With PTI/ANI inputs) Prayagraj school explosion: A bomb reportedly exploded in a school in Prayagaraj on Friday. The explosion occurred at the gate of the school premises. According to the CCTV footage of the camera installed nearby, an unidentified biker threw a bomb at the school premises. More details are awaited New Delhi: The NDA`s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu was officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday (July 21, 2022). According to the data announced by Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody, Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value 3,80,177. It may be noted that a total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18. After the announcement of the results of Presidential elections 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in Delhi. "Presidential Election concluded with declaration of result...4754 votes polled, out of which 4701 valid & 53 invalid...The quota (for a candidate to be elected the President) was 5,28,491. #DroupadiMurmu secured 2824 first preference votes-value of which is 6,76,803," Mody said. "1,877 first preference votes were secured by Yashwant Sinha - value 3,80,177. As 1st preference votes secured by #DroupadiMurmu were greater than the requisite quota, I in my capacity as Returning Officer declare that she has been elected to office of President of India," he added. On Thursday, minutes after the completion of the third round of counting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda met Murmu at her residence in the national capital and extended greetings for her victory. Wishes poured in from the political fraternity across party lines on the victory of Murmu who will be India`s first tribal president.Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Murmu on her election as the new President and said she has emerged as a ray of hope for citizens, especially the poor, marginalised and the downtrodden. President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his best wishes to Draupadi Murmu who will succeed him in the highest office of the country. "Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Smt. Droupadi Murmu on being elected as the 15th President of India," President Kovind said in a tweet. PM Modi said that India has scripted history as a daughter hailing from a tribal community born in a remote part of eastern India has been elected President. "India scripts history. At a time when 1.3 billion Indians are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a daughter of India hailing from a tribal community born in a remote part of eastern India has been elected our President!" he said in a tweet. The Prime Minister also added Droupadi Murmu`s life motivates every Indian. "Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji`s life, her early struggles, her rich service and her exemplary success motivates each and every Indian. She has emerged as a ray of hope for our citizens, especially the poor, marginalised and the downtrodden," he said. (With agency inputs) Rizwan (24), an infiltrator who came to India to kill Nupur Sharma, is associated with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a radical organization that surrounded the Imran Khan government in Pakistan. The organization had made a complete plan and sent him to India. Now IB, Military Intelligence, BSF and police are searching for his local connection in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. According to sources, it was Rizwan who broke the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore, Pakistan in August 2021. He has also gone to jail in this case. Rizwan was apprehended from the Hindu Malkot border fencing adjoining Sri Ganganagar at around 11 pm on July 16. Nupur Sharma Comment Row: Local Connection It is believed that without the local help, the conspiracy of such a big incident is not possible. During interrogation on Wednesday, Rizwan confessed to being associated with Tehreek-e-Labbaik. Now such people are being searched who have come in contact with this organization through social media. Also Read: Pakistan intruder reaches India to kill Nupur Sharma, hatches PLOT after offering 'CHADAR' at Ajmer Dargah Prophet Row: No Mobile or Sim Card Found Nothing has been found with the intruder except a knife, map and religious books. He doesn't have mobile or sim. He repeatedly says that he has come to kill Nupur Sharma. The accused is describing himself as 8th pass. According to the agencies, he is very smart and is not disclosing any of his contacts. According to media reports, Rizwan's elder brother lives in Italy and younger brother lives in Dubai. Rizwan says that he had no idea about where Nupur Sharma's house is. Prophet Row: Tehreek-e-Labbaik and Imran Khan Govt Tehreek-e-Labbaik organization had organized a major movement against the Imran Khan government in Pakistan. Inspired by this movement, Rizwan joined the organization. He is an active member of this organization. After the controversial statement of Nupur Sharma, the same organization prepared Rizwan to infiltrate into India. On the behest of the organization, Rizwan had come some distance by bus and then on foot. However, till now he has not disclosed about the helpers. Nupur Sharma Row: Brainwash before deportation to India Tehreek-e-Labbaik is a radical right-wing Islamist extremist political organization in Pakistan. In the 2018 general election, they got more than 22 lakh votes. Its three members are also in the Pakistan Assembly. This organization came into existence in 2015. It was founded by Khamid Hussain Rizvi. The accused Rizwan belongs to this party. Before sending him to India, he was brainwashed by training at the district headquarters of the organization, Mandi Bahauddin. Although Tehreek-e-Labbaik planted the intruder in this area or he himself came, nothing can be said clearly about it. The accused has been taken on remand till July 23. Bhubaneswar: Odisha Congress served a show cause notice to MLA Mohammed Moquim on Friday for voting in favour of Droupadi Murmu in the presidential polls. Congress state president Sarat Patnaik issued the notice to Moquim for violating the party discipline and asked the Barabati-Cuttack legislator to explain within two weeks why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. Moquim had created a flutter in political circles in the state on Friday by announcing that he voted for Murmu, who was the NDA presidential candidate, as she was a "daughter of Odisha". A party spokesperson told newspersons here that the notice held the MLA guilty of "deliberately acting and carrying on propaganda against the programmes and decisions of the Congress". "You are frequently addressing the electronic media and deliberately acting in a way calculated to lower the prestige of Congress and carrying on propaganda against the Congress and its office-bearers thereof," it said. The notice gave him two weeks-time to reply why disciplinary action should not be taken against him according to the Congress constitution and its rules, it added. Moquim said he has not received the notice yet and that he would respond through the party forum. "I am proud and delighted that a tribal and someone from Odisha's soil has been elected as president of the country for the first time," he told reporters. Moquim reiterated that being an Odia he went by his conscience and voted for Murmu, who scripted history on Thursday by being elected the country's first tribal president. Murmu will be the first president to be born after independence. She is also the youngest to occupy the top post and the second to become the president. By Trend Media literacy and enlightenment are key success factors, so improving media literacy is important, Secretary General of European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) Alexandru Giboi said, Trend reports. He made the remark at the first International Media Forum on Global trends, new challenges in media in Azerbaijans Shusha, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency (MEDIA), on July 22. "It is extremely important to keep the reader's trust. Young journalists need to be trained to look for alternative sources of information, to double-check the facts. Media literacy and media enlightenment are key success factors for the correct delivery of information," Giboi said. He noted that the media resources are an integral part of a person's daily life, and their role is growing. "Media resources form trends. In this sense, it is necessary to maintain media ethics, that is, what allows you to remain neutral. It is necessary to explain to novice reporters that they need to be responsible for their words, and for what they broadcast," Giboi said. The Vadym Stolar Charitable Foundation donated two specialized ambulances for the Kyiv military brigade and the Zaporizhia Military Hospital. These special vehicles will help the special medical evacuation unit in the combat zone and will save many lives of our soldiers, the volunteers emphasize. Modern ambulances are equipped with a gurney, a device for transferring a sitting patient, a board with seat belts and a head immobilization device, a defibrillator, a multichannel electrocardiograph, an oxygen therapy device with a cylinder and an emergency bag that contains everything necessary for the work of medics. "Every day we receive requests for assistance for our Armed Forces and always respond to them. But we are sure that today there cannot be too much help for our soldiers - so, on our own initiative, we turned to the command of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General of the Medical Service Tetyana Ostashchenko, with the question, what is most needed on the front lines right now? In response, we received a request regarding the need for an ambulance that could work in hard-to-reach places. We received another such request from the Kyiv military unit, one of whose tasks is to evacuate the wounded from the front. Together with the volunteers, they reacted instantly - and already today, two brand new ambulances are going to the hot spots to save lives", said Natalia Prykhodko, a volunteer of the Vadym Stolar Charitable Foundation. In turn, the military received a special vehicle with gratitude, emphasizing the great need for such vehicles at the front. "This machine will be in the east in a few days and will save the lives of soldiers on the front line. It is good because it can pass through places where ordinary express trains cannot pass. Such machines are very necessary today! Unfortunately, we periodically lose medical transport, only one car was destroyed tonight. Therefore, I am grateful to all volunteers who join this holy cause. Together we bring our victory closer!" - emphasized the commander of the rifle company, Oleksandr Brodskyi. "It is very important for us to have such cars, they are mobile and modern, and allow us to provide full-fledged pre-medical medical care on the basis of this car. They have a low silhouette, which is very important for the frontal area. They are really needed by the military, so on behalf of our military medics, I thank the Vadym Stolar Foundation for such comprehensive assistance," noted Maksym Pavlenko, Zaporizhia Garrison Management Officer. Let's assume that since the beginning of Russia's large-scale aggression against Ukraine, the Vadym Stolar Charitable Foundation has set itself the goal of supporting people who suffered as a result of hostilities, as well as military personnel who defend our homeland. The main mission of the Foundation is to promote the active recovery of the country through care and implementation of multipurpose assistance to the population. New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien on Friday said the Congress should view the Mamata Banerjee-led party as "equal partners" as he objected to the way the joint Opposition candidate for the vice presidential poll was chosen. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which skipped the Opposition meeting to choose their vice-presidential election candidate, has alleged that they were informed of the choice barely 20 minutes before the press conference to announce the name was to be held. O'Brien, the leader of the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha said the TMC had announced on July 16 that it will take a decision on the vice-president candidate in its meeting on July 21. ALSO READ: On TMCs decision to abstain from VP polls, Opposition pick Margaret Alva says not the 'time for ego' The meeting of the Opposition parties to choose their joint candidate for the vice-presidential polls was convened by the Congress. It was during the meeting that attempts were made to contact Banerjee and other TMC MPs, including O'Brien, Opposition leaders said. O'Brien said, "We have the highest regard for Margaret Alva and we respect her legacy. However, we have opposed the manner and method in which the candidate was decided." "We all are like-minded parties and the objective is to defeat the BJP. These like-minded parties are of two categories. One consists of the electoral allies of the grand old party -- the DMK in Tamil Nadu, RJD in Bihar, NCP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, and the CPI(M) in West Bengal. "While the TMC is like-minded' it is not an electoral ally of the grand old party. The grand old party should view the TMC as an equal partner and in that spirit let us agree on issues and strategies of the bigoted BJP government," O' Brien said. Meanwhile, the CPI has alleged that the TMC has exposed fissures in the Opposition unity by deciding to abstain from the vice-presidential election. Chinks in the Opposition unity came to the fore again following cross-voting in several states in favour of Droupadi Murmu during the presidential election and the Trinamool Congress' decision to abstain from the vice presidential election. The TMC, while announcing its decision, said it does not agree with the way the Opposition candidate was decided without keeping it in the loop. Leaders of Opposition parties, however, contended that they were in touch with Mamata Banerjee on the issue. "Even during the meeting (of opposition parties) Sharad Pawar called up Mamata Banerjee and was told that she is in an official meeting online. Then Congress leader Jairam Ramesh spoke to some MPs, including Derek O'Brien, and they all sought two to three days to get back with a decision. We were given to understand that they will support joint Opposition candidate Margaret Alva. Their reason for abstaining is not true," CPI leader D Raja said. He wondered why the TMC abstained from the vice-presidential election when the NDA candidate was Jagadeep Dhankhar who, a West Bengal governor, was in constant battle with the Mamata Banerjee-led party. "Was the fight of the TMC with the then Governor only a shadow fight? It is Mamata Banerjee who has to justify the message that she is giving out by abstaining. She has to justify her political plank of moving away from the Opposition parties. She is the reason that the cracks in opposition unity are showing. She has to answer many questions," Raja said. New Delhi: Amid increasing contiguity with the BJP, Samajwadi Party ally and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar was accorded 'Y' category security by the Uttar Pradesh government. The move comes in the wake of the speculations of a rift between Akhilesh Yadav-led SP and Rajbhar's SBSP. A few days back, SBSP had defied the Opposition unity by voting for NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, who has defeated opposition pick Yashwant Sinha. Rajbhar and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav had also attended a dinner hosted at UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in honour of Draupadi Murmu. As per PTI, in a letter dated July 15 sent to the additional director general of police (security), Joint Secretary of the Home Department Vinay Kumar Singh said that 'Y' category security will be extended to SBSP president and Zahurabad MLA Om Prakash Rajbhar. Singh further asked the ADGP to complete necessary formalities. Y' category security cover comprises 11 security personnel, including two personal security officers (PSO). SBSP national spokesperson and Rajbhar's son Arjun confirmed his father's Y' category security to the news agency, which has irked ally SP. Senior Samajwadi Party leader IP Singh said the security is the reward for Rajbhar's recent statements against them. IP Singh claimed that the SBSP chief has stayed in touch with the BJP since the return of the Adityanath government for a second consecutive term this year. "All of us in the party are aware of it and in alert mode," Singh added. Reacting to the development, senior SP leader Udaiveer Singh said referring to Rajbhar's party voting for Murmu, "When he will help the government, it (government) will also help him, this is political courtesy." Rajbhar's SBSP, which joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led alliance before the 2022 UP Assembly elections, has six MLAs in the House presently. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: A 19-year-old man, who allegedly played an "important role" in the conspiracy to kill a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur last month, has been arrested from the state, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) official said on Friday. Mohammad Javed, a resident of Sindhi Sarkar Ki Haweli, Kheradiwala, was the eighth accused arrested in connection with the gruesome killing of Kanhaiya Lal by two assailants armed with sharp-edged weapons at his shop in Udaipur's Maldas street, a spokesperson of the NIA said. "Mohammad Javed, who was arrested on Thursday, played an important role in the conspiracy to kill Lal by conducting reconnaissance and passing on the information about the victim's presence at the shop to the main killer, Riyaz, prior to the attack," he said. Lal was killed with a cleaver inside his tailoring shop on June 28 and the NIA took over the case the next day. Earlier, seven accused, including the main culprits, were arrested during separate raids on June 29, July 1, July 4 and July 9. The gruesome attack by Riaz Akhtari on the tailor was recorded on a mobile phone by Ghouse Mohammad and the video was posted online. In another video, the duo said they hacked Lal to death to avenge an alleged insult to Islam. Both were arrested within hours of the killing. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: Slamming the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress' decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential election 2022, Opposition pick Margaret Alva on Friday (July 22) said this is not the time for 'whataboutery, ego or anger. Calling West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee an epitome of courage, Alva urged her to back the Opposition. The TMC's decision to abstain from voting in the VP election is disappointing. This isn't the time for 'whataboutery, ego or anger. This is the time for courage, leadership & unity. I believe, @MamataOfficial , who is the epitome of courage, will stand with the opposition, the Opposition VP candidate tweeted. The former Union Ministers remark comes a day after senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said that the party will abstain from the vice presidential election saying the Opposition candidate was decided without consulting Mamata Banerjees party. The TMC's decision to abstain from voting in the VP election is disappointing. This isn't the time for 'whataboutery, ego or anger. This is the time for courage, leadership & unity. I believe, @MamataOfficial , who is the epitome of courage, will stand with the opposition. July 22, 2022 "There is no question of supporting the NDA candidate, especially Jagdeep Dhankhar. But after today's meeting with party lawmakers, it has been decided that we will abstain from the vice presidential election," the Trinamool Congress national general secretary said. "We disagree with the process of announcing the Opposition candidate without keeping TMC in the loop. We were neither consulted nor was anything discussed with us. So we can't support the Opposition nominee," Abhishek Banerjee was quoted as saying by PTI. Attacking Mamata Banerjee over the decision to abstain from the VP election, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged the West Bengal CM has a pact with BJP. "West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is a Vice Presidential candidate, he often used to have a spat with the Chief Minister. A few days ago, Governor called Mamata Banerjee in Darjeeling and they had a meeting along with Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma at the Darjeeling Governor`s House. The next day he was announced as Vice Presidential candidate, which means there was a Darjeeling pact among them," Chowdhury told ANI. Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said the opposition should work unitedly and they will try to find the reason behind TMC's decision on the August 6 vice presidential polls. (With agency inputs) NEW DELHI: Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen has been in the headlines ever since former IPL chairman Lalit Modi announced their relationship by sharing a few pictures from their Maldives vacation. The actress has been trolled mercilessly on social media for dating Lalit, who is several years older to her, as they accused her of being a 'gold digger'. Sushmita and Lalit Modi have been subjected to a bandwagon of trolling, memes and mean jokes ever since. Amid constant trolling and shaming, Sushmita, who is known to live her life on her terms and condiions, on Thursday shared a happy selfie of her while she is sitting inside a car. As soon a she dropped the photo, her loved ones showered all the love on the 'Aarya' actress. The actress was seen dressed up in a blue top and black shades. However, netizens noticed alcohol bottles in her car and began questioning the actress if it is whisky or vodka. They also called her out for having a drink in the car as it's against the traffic and road rules. Aapke sunglasses me dikh raha hai Aapke gaari me do champagne ka bottle hai. Or aap dono haath se selfie le rahe ho Satyam Kumar (@SatyamP2005) July 20, 2022 Businessman and former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi took to his social media handles to make the announcement about their dating and called the actor as his 'better half'. Sushmita, 46, confirmed her relationship with Lalit Modi a day after his big announcement on social media. She talked about her split from model-actor Rohman Shawl in December last year in an Instagram post. She was previously in a relationship with model Rohman Shawl. Live TV New Delhi: The Delhi Police have arrest of four persons in a case regarding Chinese loan application racket that duped people of crores of rupees in the name of providing hassle-free loan. As per an IANS report, police have arrested four people identified as Anil Kumar (35), Alok Sharma (24), Avnish (22) and Kannan (35) for running the online loan application scam. Apart from these four, the police have also issued notices to 149 persons who were part of a fake call centre. Quoting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer District), Brijendra Kumar Yadav, IANS said a complaint was lodged by a man on the NCRP portal, alleging that after getting lured by an advertisement on Facebook regarding hassle-free loan of Rs 50,000, he had downloaded a loan app by the name of `On Stream`. "While downloading this app, it prompted the complainant to give access to his phone`s contacts, gallery etc., which he did. He was granted a loan of Rs 6,870 following which the accused persons started harassing him using his contacts and photographs stored in the gallery of his cellphone," the DCP said. To get rid of this problem, the victim paid Rs 1 lakh to the accused persons, but they kept on sending him derogatory messages demanding more money. During the police raid, it was found that the whole syndicate was being run by Anil kumar, the mastermind, through 134 female tele callers, 15 male callers and three team leaders. "They purchased 300 SIM cards by raising a firm in the name of Silpani International, of which 100 were used to send derogatory WhatsApp messages to compel the victims to fall for their extortion threats. The remaining 200 SIM cards were termed as spam which they discarded," the DCP said. The accused extorted money from innocent victims in connivance with Chinese loan application firms. They also routed proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 10 crore to two Chinese nationals going by the name of Albert and Trey, and got Rs 3 crore as commission in March. How to protect yourself from Fake loan websites, loan App frauds RBI has listed out the following options that one must exercise before opting for any loan from any website or mobile app. Verify if the lender is registered with the Government / Regulator /authorised agencies Check whether the lender has provided a physical address or contact information to ensure it is not difficult to contact them later. Beware if the lender appears more interested in obtaining personal details rather than in checking credit scores. Remember that any reputed NBFC / bank will never ask for payment before processing the loan application. Genuine loan providers never offer money without verifying documents and other credentials of the borrowers. Verify if these NBFC-backed loan apps are genuine. With IANS Inputs Passengers in trains of Indian Railways often get into unwanted quarrels over seats. There are times when someone even tries to occupy your reserved seat or forces you to share it with them. Well, in all such cases, the railways provides options to protect the passengers against any kind of bullying. Here's how you can get help from the organisation if someone forcefully tries to occupy your seat. Indian Railways help The talk of occupying seats in trains is not new in India. Often such cases keep coming up in trains. Unauthorized passengers are seen sitting in second class and from sleeper to AC class. If this happens to you too and there is no TTE around, then you can make a complaint on 'Railway Madad'. How to file a complaint? To vacate the seat by complaining of an unauthorised passenger, one has to go to the website of Railway Madad. You can click here https://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in directly. Here you have to enter the mobile number. After that, click on Send OTP. Also read: Indian Railways: Vande Bharat Express to replace Intercity, Shatabdi trains in India; says Railway Minister Now the OTP that you received on your mobile will have to be entered. You enter the PNR number of your ticket booking. Now select your complaint by clicking on the Type option. Then select the date of the incident. You can also write your complaint in detail. After that, click on the submit button. You can also complain on 139 Regarding such matters, railway officials say that if someone illegally occupies the reserved seat or berth of any passenger, then, first of all, the matter should be taken to the TTE of that train. Moreover, you can also ask for the help of Railway Police Force personnel on the train in case someone tries to bully you. If you cannot register a complaint online, you can also lodge a complaint on the railway helpline number 139. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited has issued an invitation for bids for the design and construction of an underground station at Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex as well as for tunnels needed for the project to build a bullet train. This is the first round of bids that have been requested since the Maharashtra government led by Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde took office. The project, which was inactive during the previous Uddhav Thackeray administration, has received approval from the new administration. "Bids invited for design and construction of Mumbai underground station and tunnels for #BulletTrain," Vaishnaw said in a tweet. Earlier this year, the NHSRCL had cancelled tenders floated in November 2019 for the construction of an underground terminus at the Bandra Kurla Complex for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project after the state government failed to hand over the land. Bids invited for design and construction of Mumbai underground station and tunnels for #BulletTrain pic.twitter.com/CfRXveQy3l Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 22, 2022 After floating the tenders, the NHSRCL gave almost 11 extensions while waiting for the land at the BKC to be handed over to it. Also read: Indian Railways: Your reserved seat taken by someone? Here's how to remove them without fighting Earlier, the Maharashtra government declared that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has received all essential permissions. State deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement. Following the state cabinet meeting, Fadnavis stated at a press conference that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given the project the necessary permissions. At the time, land acquisition and forest clearing were mentioned as some of the remaining issues. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding Rs. 88,000 crores of the project's estimated cost of Rs. 1,10,000 crore. More than 70% of the land required for the project in Maharashtra has been acquired in the districts of Thane and Palghar. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: South superstar Kichcha Sudeep's upcoming fantasy action-adventure 'Vikrant Rona' is surely the next big thing that the audience is about to witness on the big screen. The trailer has given a short glimpse of the magnificent world of Vikrant Rona which definitely guarantees goosebumps with its thrilling adventure. Moreover, a startling thing about the film is that the tough and power-packed climax sequence was shot in a single take. The 7 minute long climax was shot without any break. It took around 15 days for the team to just plan the accurate execution of the climax. It is a sheer example of the team's dedication that they prepared the shot for 15 days and then Kichcha Sudeep performed the whole 7-minute-long climax scene perfectly in one go. It would have been a challenge for the team and the actors to shoot such a scene in one go. Now with this, the experience of watching the climax would definitely be a visual treat for the audience to watch out in the film. While sharing his experience of shooting the whole sequence without any cut, the action choreographer, Vikram said, "It was one of the most challenging shoots that Ive been a part of. The vision and conviction with which the team pulled it off is commendable. The amount of physical strain it brought upon Sudeep sir and yet he came back for more. Its rare that you see superstars go out of their way to get their performance right and Sudeep sir is one of the most professional actors around,". Vikrant Rona will release worldwide in 3D on July 28, starring Kichcha Sudeepa, directed by Anup Bhandari, also starring Jacqueline Fernandez, Nirup Bhandari, and Neetha Ashok is presented by Salman Khan Films, Zee Studios and Kichcha Creatiions in North India produced by Jack Manjunath under his production Shalini Artss, and co-produced by Alankar Pandian of Invenio Origins the film. The Film will be distributed in North India by PVR Pictures. New Delhi: Amazon is hosting its much-awaited sale the Amazon Prime Day Sale from July 23 onwards. The two-day sale will see many brands offering bumper discounts on top-selling products. For instance, several iPhone models will sell at discounted prices during sale days. So, if you were planning to upgrade to an Apple smartphone, this could be your chance. Customers will be able to get the latest Apple iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, as well as iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 series at discounted prices. One of the major deals during the Amazon Prime Day Sale is on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro smartphone. The price of the 128 GB version of the device, which usually retails at Rs 1,19,900, will come down by Rs 9000 during the sale. Thus, the price of the smartphone will come down to Rs 10,900. (ALSO READ: Beware! Stay away from THIS Chinese loan app, Rs 10 crore extorted, people harassed and threatened with morphed pictures) The price of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro doesnt come down even during most sale days. However, customers can now finally take advantage of the massive price drop to upgrade to an Apple iPhone 13 Pro. (ALSO READ: 'You buy an umbrella to use when it rains': RBI Guv on using forex reserves) The iPhone 13 Pro comes with a better battery backup than iPhone 13 and previous Apple models. The smartphone comes with one of the best displays ever in a smartphone. Also, it comes with an IP68 water-resistant rating. Apple iPhone 13 Pro is powered by the A15 Bionic processor featuring a 16-core neural engine and 6-core CPU, and a next-generation image processor. Also, the smartphone packs a 12MP wide. 5, 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultrawide on the back side. On the other hand, the device features a 12MP wide lens. THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FORUM ON UKRAINE, which started in Istanbul yesterday, has brought together politicians, public officers and senior-level Fortune 500 business leaders. The attendees are discussing the recovery of Ukraine, investment and trade opportunities, and are looking for solutions in regional and global supply chains. There are also the first outputs of the cooperation improvement between the Ukrainian and Turkish construction market participants. Within the Forum, on July 22, 2022, Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild (ICEG, Ukraine) and the Association of Turkish Consulting Engineers and Architects (ATCEA, Turkey) signed the Memorandum of Understanding. The Parties defined the signed document as a basis for cooperation in the implementation of projects in construction and related fields, as well as coordination of efforts by the two parties in measures to restore Ukraine. Among other things, the Parties committed to the search for ways to improve advanced engineering methodological practices. "Today, Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild directs all its efforts to bring in foreign partners in the recovery of Ukraine. This is important, first of all, from the standpoint of expanding the possibilities of using modern engineering technologies here, in Ukraine. After all, the occupying forces have destroyed more than a hundred thousand infrastructure facilities, and the war is still ongoing, so the number will increase. Ukraine will definitely rebuild everything. It is important that the reconstruction of each facility, whether social or road infrastructure, is carried out using modern technologies that increase sustainability, secure operation and safety. I am extremely grateful to our partners, the Association of Turkish Consulting Engineers and Architects, who do care about our country. The more of us unite around the reconstruction of Ukraine, the faster we will achieve the result," commented Oleksandr Nepomnyashchyy, the President of Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild. "We can hardly imagine what the Ukrainian people have to go through today. The worst thing is that children and civilians are dying. Our Association will not stand aside. We are looking forward to actively participating in the recovery processes in Ukraine and thereby give our support to the Ukrainian people," said Irfan Aker, ATCEA President. According to ICEG, the joint efforts of representatives of the Ukrainian and Turkish engineering market are carried out within the close interstate cooperation. The areas of cooperation established at Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, primarily regarding the fast recovery of the Kharkiv region, were elaborated during a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Ukraine Yagmur Ahmet Guldere, which took place on July 21 at the Office of the President of Ukraine. As reported in the Regional Construction Association, Kharkiv builders, despite the objective difficulties and risks, are willing to participate in the reconstruction of the region and have already proceeded with surveying of the destroyed facilities. Therefore, the experience and support of ICEG and ATCEA will be extremely helpful. 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 July 22, 2022 F87HZMZGHJ97 T6YGR7634HIU VKNBO98JEG9F 56DQIFVYVU98 Y56U98MIO6YH JB6F5XEFE2SH UJJ9TR3FTV39 8HB5UB8NHIUY 76F542J4H98N 42TIOD6FR7BN JHFCR5F6DT4V YGD5OPIK304U 7XGCT56E4IHC NT4I2NCSOSJH AYXFSG6HHI0O UP90JGH6NB6A (Also read: Shocking! Ex-Amazon Web Services engineer hacked data of 10 crore customers) How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, July 22 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: After initially removing them in place of Data Safety labels, tech giant Google has now said that it is rolling back the app permissions list on the Play Store. The tech giant, however, did not specify when the permission section will be back on the Play Store, reports TechCrunch. "Privacy and transparency are core values in the Android community. We heard your feedback that you find the app permissions section in Google Play useful, and we have decided to reinstate it. The app permissions section will be back shortly," Android Developers wrote on Twitter." The Data safety section provides users with a simplified view of how an app collects, shares, & secures user data, but we also want to make app permissions information easily viewable for users to understand an app's ability to access specific restricted data and actions too," it added. Google launched the Data Safety labels on Play Store in April after announcing them last year. (Also Read: Beware! Stay away from THIS Chinese loan app, people harassed with morphed pic) Apple, on the other hand, launched its own data privacy labels in 2020, showing what data an app can collect from people. As Google was rolling out the Data Safety label across apps over the last few months, several blogs and researchers noted that Google also removed the permissions section, allowing one to see what kind of data access an app has on your phone from the Play Store. (Also Read: 'You buy an umbrella to use when it rains': RBI Guv on using forex reserves) Earlier in the month, Google confirmed it removed the permissions section from the Play Store on July 13, but it did not say why it had been removed. The tech giant said it is being reinstated based on the feed from the Android community but did not elaborate on why it was removed in the first place. Users could still go to the apps menu on their phone and check out permissions for the individual app, but it's not just reflected on the install page on Google's app store. But the new change will let them see both Data Safety labels and app permissions directly from the Play Store. MUMBAI: Southern actress Samantha Prabhu along with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar will be seen gracing the couch on Karan Johar's chat show 'Koffee with Karan Season 7' in the latest episode. The two will be seen entertaining the audience with their amazing humour and outstanding chemistry. On the show, the two actors were seen speaking about their respective journeys in the film industry and spoke about their personal lives. Samantha, who announced her separation from her husband Naga Chaitanya last year, called the reports that suggested she received a mammoth amount as an alimony from her ex-husband Naga Chaitanya. Host KJo asked Samantha about the worst rumour that she heard about herself to which she replied with a joke saying, "Should I start alphabetically?" She called out the reports about her alimony stating, "That I took 250 crores in alimony. Every morning I woke up waiting for income tax officials to show them there's nothing. First they made up the story about alimony. Then they realised it doesn't seem like a believable story. Then they said there's a prenup, so she can't ask for alimony." Samantha also corrected the host when he addressed Naga Chaitanya as her 'husband'. She intervened and said 'ex-husband'. On her divorce and making it public, she said, "I could not complain about it as I chose to reveal a lot of my life to the public. When the separation happened, I could not be too upset about it because they invested in my life and it was my responsibility to have the answers, which I didn't have at that point. I came out of it ok." - love samantha for this,he tried to look sophisticated but queen ended him up __ | #SamanthaRuthPrabhu | #KoffeewithKaranSeason7 |pic.twitter.com/n5BPMM7JEX _________ (@oye_chaitanya) July 21, 2022 @Samanthaprabhu2 Is such a Sweetheart & Sharing her Lovable bond with #Nayanthara __ @karanjohar She is not far in your list coz Your list is full of Nepo-Products which doesn't deserve any arguements and discussions. #KoffeeWithKaran #LadySuperStar pic.twitter.com/TDUXGT871Z July 21, 2022 SAMANTHA RUTH PRABHU-NAGA CHAITANYA DIVORCE Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, who worked together in films like 'Manam', 'MajiliYe Maaya Chesave' and 'Autonagar Surya', got married in 2017 after dating each other for several years. However, in Octoer 2021, the duo broke hearts of millions of their fans after they announced their separation on social media in a joint statement. "To all our well-wishers. After much deliberation and thought Sam and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well-wishers and the media to support us during the difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support," their statement read. Speculations about their rift first started when Samantha Prabhu Ruth dropped her surname Akkineni on social media in July last year and also stopped posting photos with Naga. On the work front, Samantha will soon be seen in 'Shaakuntalam', 'Yashoda' and 'Kushi'. She made her OTT debut with 'The Family Man 2', which released last year. Live TV New Delhi: In a big relief to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, the Supreme Court on Friday set aside the Uttar Pradesh government's request to stop him from going to Rampur dustrict. The top court, while granting him regular bail, also ordered the UP government to immediately unseal the land near Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, founded by Khan. According to reports, the Supreme Court set aside a part of the Allahabad High Court order concerning bail conditions imposed on Azam Khan by which the District Magistrate of Rampur was directed to take possession of land attached to the Jauhar University campus. In its order, the apex court observed that it is "disturbed about this trend" where the high court has referred to a matter which is unrelated to the consideration of prayer for bail. While setting aside the bail condition imposed by the high court directing the District Magistrate to take possession of the land, a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala retained the other conditions which were relevant for the grant of bail to Khan, who is the Chancellor of Jauhar University. "This is yet another matter where we find that the high court has referred to matters which are unrelated to the consideration of prayer for bail relating to the crime registered against the concerned accused," the bench said. It noted that Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the state, has urged the court to impose additional conditions that Khan be directed to refrain from entering Rampur district during the bail period. "We are not impressed by this submission," the bench said. The apex court said the authorities, acting upon the observations made in the high court judgement, had initiated action including sealing of certain premises as noted in a May 18 communication. "All actions taken by the revenue authorities or state authorities in reference to the observations made in the impugned bail order dated May 10, 2022, be deemed to have been effaced from the record," it said. However, the bench said it would not preclude the competent authority to initiate action independently based on other tangible material, information/documents, or evidence available to initiate action under the concerned legislation, including in respect of the management and properties of the university. "In terms of these observations, we direct the joint magistrate/deputy district magistrate to take immediate steps for unsealing the property referred to in the communication dated May 18, 2022," the bench said. The top court disposed of the pleas, including the appeal filed by Khan against the May 10 order of the high court. On May 27, a vacation bench of the top court stayed the high court's bail condition imposed on Khan directing the District Magistrate to take possession of the land attached to the Jauhar University campus. It had said that prima facie the bail condition imposed on Khan was disproportionate and sounds like a decree of a civil court. New Delhi: Intensifying its ongoing probe into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WB-SSC) and West Bengal Primary Education Board teacher recruitment scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out search operations at various locations in connection with the case and seized Rs 20 crore during the operation. The central agency conducted searches at the premise of a close associate of TMC leader and West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and some others. The Enforcement Directorate issued a statement in which it said that it has seized Rs 20 crore in cash after raids on the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of Partha Chatterjee, in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam in the state. During the course of searches, the agency recovered huge cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crores from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of Partha Chatterjee, the ED said. ED is carrying out search operations at various premises linked to recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board. pic.twitter.com/oM4Bc0XTMB ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2022 "The said amount is suspected to be proceeds of crime of the said SSC scam," it further said in a statement. The search teams are taking the assistance of bank officials for the counting of cash through counting machines, reported ANI. More than 20 mobile phones have also been recovered from the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which are being ascertained, it said. Apart from Chatterjee, it raided Minister of State for Education Paresh C Adhikary, MLA Manik Bhattacharya and others. Partha Chatterjee, who is presently the Minister for Industries and Commerce, was the education minister when the alleged illegal appointments were made in government-run and aided schools by West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). Meanwhile, West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress has reacted sharply to the ED raids and called it a witch-hunt by the BJP-led central government against Mamata Banerjee's ministers and senior party leaders. Colombo: Dinesh Gunawardena, a veteran politician and a close ally of the Rajapaksa family was appointed on Friday as Sri Lanka's prime minister by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, a day after he was himself sworn into the top post. This is the first appointment made by President Wickremesinghe on his first day in office. A stalwart of Sri Lankan politics, Gunawardena, 73, earlier served as the foreign minister and education minister. He was appointed as Home Minister in April by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The prime minister's post fell vacant after Wickremesinghe, 73, was on Thursday sworn in as the country's eighth president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and then resigned as president. A schoolmate of President Wickremesinghe, Gunawardena, has held various Cabinet posts in the past. Born in 1949, Gunawardena is the leader of the Trotskyist majority nationalist Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) a constituent party of the ruling SLPP. He succeeded his father Philip Gunawardena in 1979 to lead the party after returning from the Netherlands where he completed his higher studies. Also read: Sri Lankan security personnel dismantle protest camps outside Presidential Secretariat in Colombo His father was a prominent figure in the leftist socialist movement in the British era prior to the country's independence in 1948. The MEP became the ruling alliance in 1956. Gunawardena entered parliament for the first time in 1983 from the populous Colombo suburb of Maharagama and became a leading opposition figure until 1994. He became a Cabinet minister for the first time in 2000. He continued in senior cabinet positions until 2015. He is a widower and has one son, who is also a Member of Parliament. Gunawardena's appointment came hours after Sri Lankan security forces cleared a protest camp near the presidential palace and made several arrests. Wickremesinghe, who was on Thursday sworn in as the country's eighth president after he won a parliamentary ballot, earlier said he intends to take legal action against protesters who continue to occupy the President's Office. The new government faces the task of leading the country out of its economic collapse and restoring order after months of mass protests that forced President Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign. Colombo: Armed security personnel dismantled tents of protestors amid a late-night clampdown outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. The armed soldiers were deployed in a bid to control the protestors who have been protesting against the new Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. A large number of protestors, who confronted armed security personnel, alleged that security personnel raided the anti-government protest camp in the capital on early Friday, according to reports. "Ranil Wickremesinghe wants to destroy us, they are again doing this, but we will never give up. We want to make our country free of such nasty politics," ANI quoted a protestor amid an armed forces crackdown, wherein, tents of protestors are being dismantled by the armed security personnel outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat. Sri Lanka | Visuals from the vicinity of Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat, Galle Face in Colombo where an armed forces crackdown on protestors is underway as the crisis-laden country continues to simmer pic.twitter.com/RpVRYqeF34 ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2022 As Sri Lanka scrambles to get back on track after the election of a new President, the people in the country -- who are facing severe economic hardship -- are still uncertain about the future. Amid this uncertainty, Sri Lankans from across the country are reportedly lining up at the passport office in Colombo to get a new passport or get their old one renewed, desperate for a way out of the crisis-marred country. #WATCH | Sri Lanka: Tents of protestors being dismantled by the armed security personnel amid a late-night clampdown outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo pic.twitter.com/yuhRWU0lRj ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2022 "There is no food, no fuel and no money in the country. What will we do and how we will survive? I`m here to get my passport and go to Qatar for a job. People are here for this only," a person who is waiting in the queue told ANI. Wickremesinghe, who was elected as president in an election held in Parliament on Wednesday, was sworn in as President of Sri Lanka on Thursday in Parliament before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. Wickremesinghe received 134 votes following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the presidency last week amid severe economic turmoil in the country. After Parliament voted in six-time Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as the country's new president, anti-government protesters returned to Colombo on Wednesday as they refused to accept Wickremesinghe, 73, as the new president, holding him partly responsible for the country's unprecedented economic and political crisis. Wickremesinghe, who was sworn in as the eighth President of Sri Lanka on Thursday, said last night that the occupation of government buildings was illegal, warning that legal action would be taken against their occupiers. The new president said he would extend support to the peaceful protesters but would be tough on those who try to promote violence under the guise of peaceful protests. Wickremesinghe has made arrangements to swear in his cabinet on Friday at the Prime Minister's office. Such ceremonies usually take place in the Secretariat which was under the control of protesters since July 9 when Rajapaksa fled to Male before sending his resignation from Singapore last week. Sri Lanka`s economy is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country`s failure to meet its international debt obligations. Hundreds of Sri Lankans continue to queue up at petrol pumps across the debt-ridden country every day amid fuel shortage, and a large number of people are ditching their cars and motorcycles for bicycles for their daily commute. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. Schools have been suspended and fuel has been limited to essential services. Patients are unable to travel to hospitals due to the fuel shortage and food prices are soaring. Trains have reduced in frequency, forcing travellers to squeeze into compartments and even sit precariously on top of them as they commute to work. The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, announced in April that it was 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. Notably, Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives before flying out to Singapore after his palace was stormed by angry protesters amid the unprecedented economic crisis. Hi official residence in Colombo was stormed by tens of thousands of angry protesters last week. Rajapaksa had offered his resignation after fleeing the country. (With ANI/PTI Inputs) Kyiv: Ukraine's military has the potential to make gains on the battlefield and inflict major losses on Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday after meeting senior commanders. Zelensky, speaking in a late-night video address, said the meeting had discussed the supply of modern weapons, adding the intensity of attacks on the Russians had to be stepped up. "(We) agreed that our forces have the strong potential to advance on the battlefield and inflict significant new losses on the occupiers," he said. Kyiv hopes that Western weapons, especially longer-range missiles such as U.S. HIMARS which Ukraine has deployed in recent weeks, will allow it to launch a counterattack and recapture territory. Russia's military is likely to start an operational pause of some kind in the coming weeks, giving Kyiv a key opportunity to strike back, Britain's spy chief said on Thursday. Zelensky said three people had been killed when Russia shelled the eastern city of Kharkiv on Thursday. Every one of these Russian attacks is an argument for Ukraine to receive more HIMARS and other modern and effective weapons. Every one of these attacks only strengthens our desire to defeat the invaders and that will certainly happen." BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree "On application of Law of Republic of Azerbaijan No. 552-VIGD of June 22, 2022 on amendments to Code of Administrative Procedure, Code of Administrative Offenses, Criminal Code and law of Republic of Azerbaijan "On citizens' appeals" on July 21, Trend reports. According to the decree, officials authorized to draw up protocols on administrative offenses in connection with violation of the law on the procedure for using the right of a legislative initiative by Azerbaijani citizens will be determined in Azerbaijan. The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to prepare and submit proposals on the above officials to the President of Azerbaijan within three months. The amendments to the Code of Administrative Procedure approved by the decree envisioned fining officials from 500 manat ($294.1) to 800 manat ($470.6), and legal entities - from 1,500 manat ($882.3) to 2,000 manat ($1,176) for the participation of state bodies, municipal institutions and legal entities, regardless of the form of ownership in the collection of signatures in support of the bill (decision) prepared to exercise the right of legislative initiative of Azerbaijani citizens and proposed for discussion by the parliament. Individuals will be fined from 200 manat ($117.6) to 400 manat ($235.3), officials - from 1,000 manat ($588.2) to 1,500 manat ($882.3), and legal entities - from 4,000 manat ($2,352) to 6,000 manat ($3,529) for the use of funds from foreign countries, organizations, foreign legal entities, foreigners or stateless persons, and legal entities, founders of which are foreign countries, to finance the process of collecting signatures in connection with the exercise of the right of legislative initiative of citizens of Azerbaijan and other measures envisioned by the law "On the procedure for exercising the right of legislative initiative of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan". BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed Azerbaijani media representatives, Trend reports. "Dear representatives of the media! Dear journalists! I sincerely congratulate you on the anniversary of the establishment of the national press of Azerbaijan. For the first time in the years of our independence, Azerbaijani journalists are celebrating their professional holiday in Shusha the cultural capital of our country, the crown jewel of Karabakh which has made a special contribution to the development of the national media after its liberation from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation. The first event being held in Shusha on the occasion of the National Press Day will be a significant milestone in the history of the Azerbaijani media. The Azerbaijani press, following the principles declared by Akinchi, a newspaper published in the Azerbaijani language by outstanding intellectual, publicist and naturalist Hasan Bey Zardabi on 22 July 1875, has covered an impressive path of development. Numerous publications released after the second half of the 19th century have been a mirror of our history and made an invaluable contribution to educating the people, forming national consciousness, realizing the freedom dreams of our people and protecting our moral values. The democratic reforms implemented under the leadership of national leader Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan, a country that regained its independence at the end of the 20th century, paved the way for fundamental changes in the development of national information resources. As a result of the systematic measures taken in the direction of freedom of speech and information, developing a progressive legal framework and strengthening the independence of editorial offices, the Azerbaijani media entered the stage of rapid development. Strengthening the potential of our national information resources and their position in the global information network has been one of the main tasks in the current era, when communication tools are undergoing a transformation phase, digital platforms and social media tools are expanding their scope. Reforms carried out in recent years have included improving the legal framework pertaining to media activity, strengthening their economic foundations, improving the social security of journalists, implementing the state's communication policy in accordance with the requirements of the modern era, increasing flexibility and professionalism of journalism, eliminating negative manifestations disturbing society, expanding the international relations of the media and creating joint platforms with friendly countries. And significant progress has been achieved in these areas. The Republic of Azerbaijan is a modern and strong state with an independent policy and a worthy place in the system of international relations. This is why attempts to undermine the international reputation of our country and influence its internal life in the global information space show no sign of abating. During the Patriotic War, the Azerbaijani media fought on the information front and played a major role in preventing disinformation attacks by providing prompt and correct information to our society. Our media resources tirelessly continue their activities to convey the truths of Azerbaijan, including the unprecedented atrocities and vandalism committed by Armenians on our historical lands during the occupation, to the international community. Azerbaijani journalists who have made a worthy contribution to the mobilization of our society for the sake of patriotism, national consciousness and higher goals have to demonstrate their loyalty to these principles, upheld the interests of Azerbaijan's statehood at a time when campaigns based on fake and false information have intensified at the global level, and protect the right of our citizens to obtain complete and correct information. Journalists should continue to work with all their might for the progress of our society. I am sure that Azerbaijani journalists will continue to spare no efforts for the development of the achieved successes, continuous progress of our society and happy future of our people. Once again, I congratulate you on your professional holiday and wish each of you good health and the best of luck in your work," the address said. SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 22. Journalists play a very important role in providing objective information, First Deputy Director General of Russian TASS News Agency Mikhail Gusman said on July 22, Trend reports. Gusman made the remark on the sidelines of the first International Media Forum on "Global trends and new challenges in mass media" in Shusha city, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency. "The holding of the first media forum in Shusha, the cultural and historical capital of Azerbaijan, is very symbolic. Today is the holiday of journalists, and the participants of this forum with great pleasure and joy heard a very warm congratulation from President Ilham Aliyev, who highly appreciated the role of journalists in modern Azerbaijan," he noted. We live in a very difficult, complex and changing world. In the conditions of information attacks, or even an information war against Azerbaijan, the role of journalists in this regard is especially great," Gusman said. During panel discussions within the forum, their participants will exchange views and talk about how to work further, make new plans, and what is the present task of Azerbaijani journalists, he added. SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 22. The International Media Forum in Shusha has the potential to become a global event, First Deputy Director-General of Russia's TASS News Agency Mikhail Gusman said at the forum on July 22, Trend reports. "Azerbaijani journalism will celebrate its 150th anniversary in the near future, and I do hope the International Media Forum will reach the global level by that time," Gusman stated. He also outlined the injustice Azerbaijan was facing in the international media during the 44-day second Karabakh war. "The liberated Shusha and Karabakh are integral parts of Azerbaijan, and the entire world community should be aware of this truth. This is one of the primary objectives of the Media Forum," the director-general noted. Moreover, the first panel discussion on the "Transition to a new type of journalism: convergence and new opportunities" was held within the forum, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency. SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 22. Armenians destroyed the editorial office building of the 'Shusha' newspaper, Editor-in-Chief of the Azad Shusha (Liberated Shusha) website Karim Karimli said at the first International Media Forum on "Global trends, new challenges in media" in Shusha, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency, on July 22, Trend reports. Karim Karimli, who previously worked in the 'Shusha' newspaper, recalled that despite the shelling and bombardment in 1992, the newspaper was still being published and everyone was working. He also said that later the editorial office was temporarily housed in the "Azerbaijan" publishing house until 2002. "Afterward, we've succeeded in independently printing the newspaper, which continues to this day," Karimli noted. The dream of every Azerbaijani citizen to return to liberated Karabakh has finally come true, he said. He also expressed hope for the soonest operation of the newspaper's editorial office in Shusha. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. We can now witness the trails of Armenian vandalism left in liberated Karabakh, Director of the Iraqi Republican Center for Strategic Studies Dr. Moataz Abdel Hamid said at the first International Media Forum on "Global trends, new challenges in media" in Shusha, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency, on July 22, Trend reports. "My statement today is dedicated to the media coverage of the 44-day second Karabakh war, particularly by the Arab media. The international media was proliferating false information paid for by the Armenian diaspora. Moreover, misleading materials were published by Armenia many times," he said. The director noted that the Armenian side has repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of "destroying the Christian heritage", which is nothing but lies. "We have seen with our own eyes the destroyed religious monuments subjected to the Armenian aggression in Karabakh. The Iraqis have also suffered from this kind of vandalism. The Armenian media spread fake news about the participation of Iraqi mercenaries in the second Karabakh war. Thus, we should unite in the fight against fake news and strengthen media cooperation," he added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a Decree amending the Presidential Decree No. 1673 dated December 5, 2019 on measures for implementing renewable energy pilot projects, Trend reports. According to the decree, the following changes have been made: - in the title the words "measures for implementing pilot projects" were replaced by the words "additional measures related to the project implementation"; Part 1 - the word "pilot" was deleted from the first paragraph; - the composition of the Commission established in accordance with this part is set out as follows: Chairman of the commission Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Commission members Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Finance of Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Justice of Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency President of Azerenergy Open Joint Stock Company Chairman of "Azerishig" Open Joint Stock Company; - In subparagraph 1.2.1 after the word "spheres" the words "and water bodies" are added and the words "within a month" are excluded from this subparagraph; - In subparagraph 1.2.2, the words "within a month" are excluded; - Subclause 1.2.3 is set out as follows: "1.2.3. With the involvement of international consulting companies, ensure the preparation of an agreement on the sale and purchase of electricity, an agreement on connecting power plants to the power grid, an investment agreement and other necessary agreements"; 2.6. In subparagraph 1.2.5, the words "within a month" are deleted, at the end of this subparagraph, the dot is replaced by a semicolon, and then an addition follows - subparagraph 1.2.6 of the following content: "1.2.6. submit proposals to the President of Azerbaijan on expanding incentive mechanisms for investors"; 3. Part 2 is set out as follows: "2. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan is tasked with resolving issues stemming from the order." BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov received Special Representative of Russia's Foreign Ministry Igor Khovaev for the normalization of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations on July 22, Trend reports. The sides exchanged views on the current regional situation, including the steps taken as part of the normalization talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The meeting stressed the importance of implementing the trilateral statements signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian, and Armenian leaders, as well as noted the significance of mobilizing efforts to advance the normalization process and achieve concrete results. Other regional issues of mutual interest were also addressed at the meeting. Ha Giang, FFI team up to protect Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys The Peoples Committee of Ha Giang and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) Vietnam on July 21 signed a memorandum of understanding on the conservation of the endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and flora species in this northernmost province during 2022 - 2027. The Ha Giang administration and FFI sign the memorandum on the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey conservation on July 21. (Photo: VNA) Accordingly, the two sides will conduct scientific studies of the monkey and flora populations and habitat, recover and expand the forest biotope, set up an ecological corridor, prevent and reduce human-caused threats to Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys and their biotope, apply advanced technologies to conservation and awareness improvement, and help with capacity building for the parties involved in biodiversity conservation. They will establish a sustainable financial mechanism for forest conservation through payment for forest environmental services and other related services. Community-based conservation activities will also be facilitated through support for setting up and training community-based conservation groups. Country Director for FFI Vietnam Hoang Van Lam said the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is an indigenous primate of Vietnam, and they are facing the greatest risk of extinction in the world as a result of poaching and narrowed habitat caused by deforestation. Statistics show that there are about 200 Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys in Ha Giang at present, including 140 - 160 in the Khau Ca forest of the Du Gia National Park, and another 10 - 20 in the Cao - Ta - Tung forest in the communes of Cao Ma Po, Ta Van and Tung Vai in Quan Ba district. Ha Giang, FFI team up to protect Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys hinh anh 2Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) He called for local authorities continued attention to protecting the primate and their biotope, increasing communications to raise public awareness, and developing livelihoods for residents in the areas covered by the project to reduce the pressure on forests. Highly valuing FFIs ideas, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ha Giang Peoples Committee Hoang Gia Long expressed his hope that the organisation will continue helping the province carry out conservation activities at all localities home to the monkey./. By Trend President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon discussed with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev prospects for enhancing cooperation on July 21, Trend reports citing the press service of the Tajik President. During the consultative meeting held in Kyrgyzstan's Cholpon-Ata, Rahmon and Mirziyoyev discussed topical issues of bilateral collaboration between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Particular attention was paid to promotion of joint projects in the field of trade, industry, agriculture, energy, transport and logistics. As a result, the presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan expressed their readiness to expand fruitful ties in all areas of bilateral cooperation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Azerbaijan also achieved a media war victory during the second Karabakh war, First Deputy Director of the Agency of Information and Mass Communications under Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan Dilshod Saidjanov said at the first International Media Forum on "Global trends, new challenges in media" in Shusha, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency, on July 22, Trend reports. "During the war, the Uzbek public followed the Karabakh events particularly through the speeches of President Ilham Aliyev and rejoiced together with the Azerbaijani community," he said. Saidjanov noted that the Azerbaijani media should make every effort to inform the world community about the reconstruction activities in liberated Karabakh and the regional development. Azerbaijan is of particular importance for Uzbekistan, so it's necessary to strengthen media cooperation between the two countries, he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan held meetings with 19,000 family members of martyrs and Karabakh war veterans on employment issues, as well as assessed their capabilities for active employment in the post-second Karabakh war period, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev told reporters, Trend reports. Following these meetings, up to 8,000 martyrs' family members and war veterans were involved in the self-employment program and provided with small family farms. The minister noted that the implementation of the self-employment program, covering agriculture, services, manufacturing, and other areas, will continue this year as well. A total of 2,500 people have also been permanently employed as part of cooperation with relevant agencies and active social employment projects, said the minister. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Families of second Karabakh war martyrs were provided with new apartments in Azerbaijans Beylagan region, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Azerbaijan Republic told Trend. Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection Hidayat Abdullayev noted that more than 100,000 family members of martyrs and war veterans have been covered by social support measures, and 193,000 social services have been provided to them. Abdullayev emphasized that one of the important measures of social support is the program to provide families of martyrs, war-disabled people with housing. This program was expanded five times last year. Families of martyrs and war-disabled persons were provided with 3,000 apartments in 2021, and more than 600 apartments since the beginning of 2022. Citizens of these categories will be provided with another 500 apartments and private houses from August through September this year. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. The resumption of Russian gas flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after a 10-days annual maintenance period does not eliminate risks of a future gas supply cessation, Trend reports with reference to Fitch Ratings. Furthermore, the current low levels of supply at 40 percent of capacity are keeping gas prices high and maintaining pressure on the profitability and cash flows of European corporates which may increase further as the heating season approaches. We expect the countries most dependent on Russian gas to accelerate energy savings measures, which could reduce production in some industries. The European Commission has already asked all EU counties to cut their gas use by 15 percent from August 1 until March to prepare for further disruptions in Russian gas deliveries, said the rating agency. The European Commission is proposing a new Council Regulation on Coordinated Demand Reduction Measures for Gas, based on Article 122 of the Treaty. The new Regulation would set a target for all Member States to reduce gas demand by 15 percent between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023. The new Regulation would also give the Commission the possibility to declare, after consulting Member States, a Union Alert' on security of supply, imposing a mandatory gas demand reduction on all Member States. The Union Alert can be triggered when there is a substantial risk of a severe gas shortage or an exceptionally high gas demand. Member States should update their national emergency plans by the end of September to show how they intend to meet the reduction target, and should report to the Commission on progress every two months. Member States requesting solidarity gas supplies will be required to demonstrate the measures they have taken to reduce demand domestically. Analysts from Fitch Ratings note that Germany is the EU country most dependent on gas supplied via Nord Stream 1 and reduced volumes affect German companies, with the impact potentially becoming more severe in the event of a complete cut-off leading to gas rationing. Utilities across most European countries have taken the greatest hit so far from rising natural gas prices, but the impact varies depending on the operating model and geographic location. Uniper is the most visible casualty of the gas stand-off and is in talks with the German government about a bail-out as it is not able to pass on high spot prices to customers. Chemicals and fertilisers producers are the most exposed among our rated natural resources companies to risks of high gas prices and a supply cut-off, mostly due to their dependence on gas both as feedstock and in energy generation to operate key production assets, reads the latest report released by Fitch Ratings. The agency believes that corporates in the heavy manufacturing sector will face increased supply chain risks in the event of an abrupt halt of Russian gas as some of their main suppliers are heavy gas users. However, we believe that many rated companies in the sector have business models or mitigation plans that could offset any potential rating pressure arising in this scenario. More broadly, most European corporate sectors will be affected by slow economic growth, or even a recession, in the event of Russian gas supply cessation, particularly in Germany and some central and eastern European countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 24. The World Bank (WB) approved a $45 million IDA grant to improve access of Tajikistan's rural population to safe water supply services, Trend reports via press service of the World Bank. The implementation of this project will help about 250,000 people in the Balkhi and Dusti districts of Tajikistan's poorest Khatlon region to get access to safe water. "Only 55 percent of Tajikistan's population has access to safely managed water supply services, which is the lowest share in Central Asia," the WB said. Since 1996, Tajikistan has received more than $2.4 billion in IDA grants. The World Bank Group is dedicated to extending its assistance to Tajikistan's development. India and the United Kingdom on Thursday (21 July) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual recognition of academic qualifications to facilitate student mobility and collaboration between higher educational institutions of both countries. The MoU was signed by India's higher education secretary K Sanjay Murthy and UK's permanent secretary for department of International trade James Bowler. "In May 2021, during the virtual summit between the prime ministers of India and UK, a comprehensive roadmap to 2030 was adopted for an enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Both sides also agreed to a new Enhanced Trade Partnership. Education forms an important pillar of this roadmap," the Ministry of Education said in a release. "In light of Indias National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), the two sides agreed to expand educational by agreeing to a mutual recognition of academic qualifications," the ministry said. The ministry added that the signing of this MoU would enable smoother student mobility between the two countries and help in developing stronger institutional collaboration and widen the scope of academic and research collaboration between the Higher Education Institutions of both countries. According to the ministry, the Government of India is taking several steps to allow greater international collaboration with countries abroad to facilitate Internationalisation of education, which is one of the key areas of focus under the NEP 2020. By Trend Car exports from Turkiye to Georgia amounted to $45.8 million, decreasing by 20.4 percent from January through June 2022 against the same period of 2021, the Ministry of Trade of Turkiye said, Trend reports citing TurkicWorld. According to the ministry, car exports of Turkiye to Georgia totaled $7.99 million in June 2022, up by 20.6 percent against the same month of 2021. In the first half of 2022, Turkish export of cars to world markets grew by 6.1 percent compared to the same period of 2021, reaching $15.3 billion. In June 2022, the country exported $2.8 billion worth of cars, exceeding the same month of 2021 by 17.9 percent. Turkiye has exported $30.2 billion worth of vehicles over the past 12 months (June 2021 June 2022). The U.S., European Union the United Kingdom welcomed the agreement signed by Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkiye to resume grain exports through the Black Sea, with the goal to ease the threat of a global food crisis, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. "Today's Istanbul agreement is a step in the right direction. We call for its swift implementation," tweeted the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Borrell added that the EU continues to provide help in shipping Ukrainian grain. "The EU remains committed to helping Ukraine bring as much of its grain into global markets as quickly as possible. The EUs Solidarity Lanes plan has facilitated the export of 2.5 million tons in June alone. We are also working closely with partners such as the U.N. and G-7, to promote a multilateral response to broader aspects of global food security. In this context, we are mobilizing over 7.7 billion euros until 2024," Borrell said in the statement. The U.S. also said it welcomes Ukraine grain deal inked in Istanbul, calling it "positive step," thanking President Erdogan, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres for their efforts. Meanwhile, the U.K. government congratulated Turkiye and the U.N. for brokering the deal to resume grain exports from Ukraine. Others also welcomed the groundbreaking development. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim said hes pleased about the deal. "I am very pleased that all parties have reached agreement on the way forward for ships to safely transport much-needed grain and other commodities through the Black Sea..." Guy Platten, the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Shipping also said it was a long-needed breakthrough for millions of people. He continued by saying that although the deal is an important step, more work still needs to be done. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also welcomed the deal. "The G7 is working closely with partners like Turkiye and others to ensure that we can get that grain out of Ukraine and to places around the world where it's needed without putting at risk Ukraine's sovereignty and protection," Trudeau said. With the mediation of Turkiye and the U.N., Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement in Istanbul on Friday on the resumption of Ukraine's grain shipments from Black Sea ports. Under the deal, reached on a U.N.-led plan during July 13 talks in Istanbul, a coordination center will be established to carry out joint inspections at the entrance and exit of the harbors, and to ensure the safety of the routes. After crossing the front line in Ukraine, Iryna Tyshenko, a 35-year-old woman from the southern region of Kherson, is recovering as she holds a small dragon toy that she made herself. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi affirmed on Friday Egypts keenness to deepen the extended strategic partnership with France as a vital pillar to preserve security and stability in the Middle East, East Mediterranean, and Africa. The Egyptain president made the remarks in a meeting with his French President Emmanuel Macron at the start of his official visit to Paris. During the meeting, El-Sisi affirmed to Macron Egypts keenness to maximise coordination and consultations with France on the various political, security, and economic issues of mutual concern during the coming period, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said. El-Sisi and Macron addressed means of boosting bilateral relations between the two countries on all levels and discussed a host of regional and international issues. This was the first one-on-one meeting between the two presidents since Macron was reelected in April. El-Sisi's visit to France comes as part of a European tour by the president that included Germany and Serbia. During the meeting, Macron hailed the historic Egyptian-French ties, reaffirming Frances commitment to support the path of strong bilateral relations with Egypt in various fields. The French president also hailed El-Sisis efforts in preserving regional peace and security. Palestinian issue The two leaders discussed a number of regional issues, including developments on the Palestinian issue and means of reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. El-Sisi affirmed to Macron Egypts unwavering stance on the need to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict that ensures the rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of their independent state in accordace with relevant international resolutions. The French president praised Egyptian mediating between Palestinians and Israelis and also Egyptian efforts in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Macron also affirmed Frances keenness to continue coordination with Egypt on these issues. Regional files The two leaders also discussed other developments in the East Mediterranean region as well as crises in Libya, Syria, and Lebanon. El-Sisi stressed to Macron that these crises can only be resolved through political solutions in a way that preserves the unity and integrity of their lands and safeguards their national institutions. A political solution to these crises should also provide a security basis for combating terrorist organisations and circumventing their infiltration between countries in the region, El-Sisi srtressed. Macron affirmed Frances aspiration to intensify joint coordination with Egypt on issues pertinent to the Middle East in light of Egypts political weight in its regional surrounding. Egypt and France have seen eye-to-eye on a number of regional issues, including the need for a political solution to the conflict in Libya through the holding of elections and the departure of all foreign forces from the country. Russia-Ukraine crisis El-Sisi reiterated to Macron Egypts stance on the importance of leaving the door open for dialogue and diplomatic solutions for the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. El-Sisi and Macron concurred that the current situation arising from the crisis requires all international actors to be responsible for finding practical solutions and mechanisms that mitigate the impacts of the crisis on the most affected countries. The two leaders also discussed ways to overcome the difficult economic challenges arising from the Russian-Ukrainian war, especially its negative impact on food and energy security, and also on global markets. Coordination on COP27 El-Sisi briefed Macron on Egypt's most to-date efforts to host the 2022 United Nations Climate Change conference (COP27) in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November. He also briefed the French president on endeavours to coordinate international efforts in order to achieve tangible progress on combatting climate change and ensure that the conference yield positive results. Over the past months, Egypt has been keen to coordinate with international partners, including France, on COP27, in order to build on the success achieved by COP26 in Glasgow and ensure that climate pledges are turned into action within the framework of the Paris Agreement on climate. French-Egyptian economic cooperation Before meeting Macron, the Egyptian president met with Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. El-Sisi and Le Maire agreed on the need to boost French development projects and investments in Egypt, especially in the renewable energy field. This comes amid the country's ongoing plans to become a regional energy hub given its recent massive natural gas discoveries as well as it plans to transition towards a green economy. Egypt and France are members of East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) - a regional block that seeks to unblock the full potential of the Eastern Mediterranean gas basin. Earlier in week, President El-Sisi affirmed in a joint press conference with Gernman Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin Egypts full readiness to lay the foundations of a firm partnership with Germany on energy, whether by exporting natural gas to Germany and the European Union or establishing anextended partnership. French investments, wheat imports France has 4.6 billion in investments in infrastructure projects in Egypt, including the provision of 800 million in government loans, 1 billion from the French Development Agency, and 2 billion in bank loans guaranteed by the French state. Trade between Egypt and France amounted to $1.83 billion in 2021. There are 168 French companies operating in Egypt, employing tens of thousands of workers. In recent months, Egypt and France have also intensified their economic coordination to mitigate the impact of the Ukraine war. In June, Egypt, which relied heavily on Russia and Ukraine imported wheat, imported 63,000 tons of wheat from France as part of the country's efforts to diversify its wheat sources. In May, Egypt and France signed an agreement to manufacture 55 air-conditioned trains for Cairo Metro Line One and provide maintenance work for them for eight years. Frances Alstom Co. will implement the project, which will cost 776.9 million, the Egyptian cabinet said in a statement. In June 2021, Egypt and France also signed 1.7 billion worth of deals to fund projects in the fields of transport, housing, electricity, education and wholesale markets. In military cooperation, the armed forces of both countries have held numerous joint drills in recent years to raise combat readiness. French arms sales to Egypt increased by 44 percent between 2016 and 2020, compared to the period between 2011 and 2015. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire agreed Friday on the need to boost French development projects and investments in Egypt, especially in the renewable energy field. This comes as Egypt is set to host the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November. It also comes amid the country's ongoing plans to become a regional energy hub given its recent massive natural gas discoveries as well as its plans to transition towards a green economy. Egypt and France are members of East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) - a regional block that seeks to unblock the full potential of the Eastern Mediterranean gas basin. In their meeting in Paris, El-Sisi affirmed to Le Maire Egypts keenness to advance joint cooperation with France in the economic and commercial fields. El-Sisi affirmed to Le Maire that Egypt looks forward to boosting French investments in Egypt in light of the promising opportunities created by the countrys mega projects. Meanwhile, Le Maire affirmed Frances willingness to maximise cooperation with Egypt in various fields in order to support the ongoing development process. The French minister also highlighted Egypt's pivotal role in consolidating security and stability in the Middle East. El-Sisi started a visit to France on Friday as part of a European tour by the president that included Germany and Serbia. Earlier in week, President El-Sisi affirmed in a joint press conference with Gernman Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin Egypts full readiness to lay the foundations of a firm partnership with Germany on energy, whether by exporting natural gas to Germany and the European Union or establishing anextended partnership. After meeting with Le Maire , the Egyptian president held closed-door discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders are set to address means of boosting bilateral relations and discuss a number of regional and international issues, according to the spokesman. France has 4.6 billion in investments in infrastructure projects in Egypt, including the provision of 800 million in government loans, 1 billion from the French Development Agency and 2 billion in bank loans guaranteed by the French state. Trade between Egypt and France amounted to $1.83 billion in 2021, while there are 168 French companies operating in Egypt, employing tens of thousands of workers. In recent months, Egypt and France have also intensified their economic coordination to mitigate the impact of the Ukraine war. In June, Egypt, which had relied heavily on Russian and Ukrainian wheat imports, imported 63,000 tons of wheat from France as part of the country's efforts to diversify its wheat sources. In May, Egypt and France signed an agreement to manufacture 55 air-conditioned trains for Cairo Metro Line One and provide maintenance work for them for eight years. Frances Alstom Co. will implement the project, which will cost 776.9 million, the Egyptian cabinet said in a statement. In June 2021, Egypt and France also signed 1.7 billion worth of deals to fund projects in the fields of transport, housing, electricity, education and wholesale markets. Search Keywords: Short link: A Russian air strike killed seven people, four of them children, in Syria's rebel-held Idlib region on Friday, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the deaths "including four children who are siblings, two men and an unidentified person... as a result of Russian air strikes", in the Jisr al-Shughur countryside of northern Syria. Ayhman Mozan, 31, lost all four of his children in the attack that destroyed his home. "My children are gone... the dearest people to my heart are gone," he told AFP, breaking down in tears as he called out his children's names. He and his family were sleeping when the first strike hit their home, he said, lying in a hospital bed in the border city of Darkush. He helped rescue his wife from under the rubble but when he looked for his children, he could not find them. The house has been completely destroyed, an AFP correspondent at the site of the attack said, with toys, furniture and clothing scattered across the rubble. The children killed were all under 10 years old, said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the British-based Observatory. The monitor said that more people, including women and children, were still trapped under the rubble. The victims have mostly displaced Syrians from neighbouring Hama province, said the monitor, which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria. Russia, which did not comment immediately on the raid, is the main backer of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. With Russian and Iranian support, Damascus clawed back much of the ground lost in the early stages of Syria's conflict, which erupted in 2011 when the government brutally repressed pro-democracy protests. The last pocket of armed opposition to the regime includes large swathes of Idlib province and parts of the neighbouring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, headed by ex-members of Syria's former Al-Qaeda franchise, is the dominant group in the area but other rebel groups are also active, with varying degrees of Turkish backing. Syria's war has killed nearly half a million people and forced around half of the country's pre-war population from their homes. Search Keywords: Short link: The recent rapprochement between the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdul-Hamid Al-Dbeibah, and the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar shaped the setting for the meeting of the rival eastern and western military chiefs of staff in the Libyan capital Tripoli this week. The eastern based chief of staff, Lieutenant General Abdel-Razek Al-Nazouri, was greeted upon his arrival at Tripolis Mitiga International Airport by his counterpart from the western command, Lieutenant General Mohamed Al-Haddad, and together they proceeded to the meeting of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) to continue discussions of the implementation of all articles of the UN-brokered Libyan ceasefire agreement signed in Geneva in October 2020 and on the reunification of the Libyan armed forces. Nazouri and Haddad, together with the other members of the JMC, met behind closed doors at the Chiefs of Staffs building in Tripoli. Libyan sources reported that their talks focused on maintaining and solidifying the ceasefire and on conditions for reunifying the military establishment. According to those sources, the two sides agreed in principle on the main hierarchical structures of the army and proposed names from both sides to fill the posts. Nazouri has been tipped as the most likely candidate for the post of defence minister and it is believed that he will receive this appointment ahead of Haddads anticipated trip to Benghazi in his capacity as head of a unified chiefs of general staffs. Nazouris visit to Tripoli, his first visit to the Libyan capital since the east-west rupture of 2014, was part of broader arrangements that resulted from the rapprochement between Haftar and Dbeibah following UAE-sponsored talks between representatives from the two sides. The new arrangements, proposed by Italy during a meeting of representatives of the US, the UK, France, Italy and Germany in Rome in late May, call for negotiations between Dbeibah and Haftar with an eye on bolstering the GNU through a cabinet reshuffle and the appointment of new boards of directors to sovereign institutions. Western powers believe that bringing Dbeibah and Haftar together will help preserve the calm and stability ushered in by the 2020 ceasefire agreement and rehabilitate the UN-sponsored political process they hope will culminate in presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible. Following the meetings between Dbeibahs and Haftars representatives in Abu Dhabi, the GNU appointed a new board of directors for the National Oil Company (NOC). Farhat Bengdara was installed as chairman of the board, replacing Mustafa Sanalla who had held that post since 2014. Sanalla refused to step down and accused Dbeibah of making deals in Abu Dhabi to undermine NOC. An informed Libyan source told Al-Ahram Weekly that the sacking of the old NOC board of directors was the practical translation of the originally American proposal which Italy tabled and the UK supported in the above mentioned meeting in Rome on 28-29 May. According to the proposal, Dbeibah would appoint new ministers and new boards of directors to government organisations such as the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) and the National Oil Company (NOC). The GNU would also resolve obstacles to payments of government salaries and financial obligations to the LNA general command. In exchange, Haftar would lift the three month long blockade of several oil fields and export terminals and withdraw his support from the Fathi Bashagha government which the Tobruk based House of Representatives had created in February but which was never able to function out of Tripoli where the Dbeibah government continued to operate with Western backing. The blockade of the oil installations ended last Friday, enabling the newly appointed NOC chairman to lift force majeure at the fields and terminals as of that date. Despite such concrete signs of a rapprochement, no statements have been forthcoming from Haftar and his associates or from the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Aguila Saleh and the HoRs Prime Minister designate Fathi Bashagha. Prime Minister Dbeibah, who attended the first meeting of the newly appointed NOC board of directors, denied that the change was the result of a deal. Rather, he said, it was the product of an agreement between political stakeholders in the country, though he did not identify who those were. Bengdara, who had served as governor of the Libyan Central Bank from 2006 to 2009, took office at NOC on 14 July. Before then, Sanallas refusal to step down had sparked fears of an armed clash between militia factions, leading the US, Italian and British embassies to step in. The first advised Sanalla to challenge the decision to dismiss him through the courts, the second welcomed Bengdaras lifting of force majeure and the third urged the preservation of calm and the need to keep the oil sector above the political fray. An emergent alliance between Dbeibah and Haftar would hamper an alternative interim phase project worked out between HoR Speaker Aguila Saleh and the Head of the High Council of State (HCS) Khaled Al-Mishri. HoR Representative Ziad Daghim, in a television interview on Sunday evening, claimed that Saleh and Mishri were colluding to create a constitutional framework for the elections would prevent Dbeibah, Haftar and Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi from running in elections. Salehs press office issued a statement refuting the claim and denouncing Daghims remarks as unadulterated slander, lies and deception that have no bearing on reality. Recent meetings between delegations from the House of Representatives and the High Council of State as well as between Saleh and Mishri have been unable to reach the necessary compromises to produce the required constitutional basis for elections. It remains to be seen whether the fledgling rapprochement between Haftar and Dbeibah will meet the expectations that Western stakeholders have pinned on it or whether the parties that feel threatened by it will manage to undermine it. In the meantime, HoR member Abdel-Moneim Al-Urfi expects that Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul-Rahman will visit Benghazi, where Haftar is based, in the coming days. Afterwards, HoR Speaker Saleh would fly to Ankara to meet with Turkish officials. Urfi mentioned no specific dates or other details, according to Libyan news outlets. Saleh, in televised remarks three weeks ago following his return from Geneva where he met with Mishri, also said that a senior Turkish official would visit Libya after Eid Al-Adha. However, he did not specify which official. *A version of this article appears in print in the 21 July, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Two Egyptian Netflix releases this Eid season mark a remarkable surge in feminist movie-making, writes Soha Hesham, but how well is the message being delivered? Under a woman themed category named Because she created, Netflix has released two films during this Eid season: Hammam Sokhn (Trapped), directed by Manal Khaled; and Min Al-Qahira (From Cairo), directed by Hala Galal. When Netflix announced the screening of Trapped, the English name rang a bell, since I had heard it during the CineGouna in 2017 at El Gouna Film Festival, when the crew screened one minute of the film for reviews. The film began as an idea in 2011 following the 25 January Revolution. Seven years later, when its very first scenes had been shot, it stopped several times for lack of funding. In 2018, the crew launched a campaign through the Indiegogo platform which according to filmmaker Manal Khaled finally met its target. Trapped opens with a statement that the film is set in the early days of the 25 January Revolution, with real events that the director and screenwriter lived through during the event. Co-written by Manal Khaled and journalist Rasha Azab, the 80-minute film follows the real stories of a number of women trapped in three different locations: a mobile phone shop, a building, and a public hammam. The revolution remains in the background with only its implications on these women and the sound the policemen and the sirens and the viewer might be aware of every now and again, including slogans like Bread, freedom, social justice. The film opens in a small mobile phone shop where the owner (Osama Abul-Atta), seemingly alienated from whats happening outside, is counting his money while watching television, enjoying the iconic scene of Hind Rostom in Bab Al-Hadid (Cairo Station). The shop seems near Tahrir Square as we hear the sound of police sirens mingled with footsteps and the pants of someone running who finds the mobile shop. A woman finally steps inside the shop and asks to use to the landline, but she seems hesitant to leave again after using the phone once she has heard the sirens and police cars. We hear the mans voice asking whether the woman is a Muslim or a Copt, just because she is not wearing hijab. She hears footsteps approaching the store, so she hides in the storage area at the back, where she ends up spending the night. In the second story, the seemingly single mother (Neama Mohsen) of a young girl, Farah (Farah Maged) needs to go to work to obtain her monthly payment as she has no money left. Though she knows there are demonstrations on the street, she is therefore forced to leave Farah alone in the house, with plenty of instructions about staying away from the stove and never opening the door to anyone. At the same time, a middle-aged woman (Mona Mokhtar) is being chased by the police. When she ends up hiding in the entrance of this residential building, the police lock her in. She knocks on apartment doors until Farah responds, and they start talking Farah is confident enough to open the grille so they can see each other and she asks Farah to use her landline to make sure her son is home, since she was separated from him by security officers. Meanwhile at a hammam for women, a middle-aged woman in hijab (Caroline Khalil) and a young girl with short hair are locked in by order of the security forces, who control the hammam administrator Rabab (Ragwa El-Shaarawy). The screenplay reveals the transformation of people in times of danger and how they turn to each other and dismiss negative first impressions in favour of knowing the real person and experiencing mutual support. The mobile phone shop owner changed his view of woman when she first entered his store after she spent the night there. As she was leaving in the morning he gave her back her mobile phone fully charged, no longer interested in her religion. In the second story, the girl locked inside her house initially afraid of her visitor eventually became a close ally. An in the third and longest story, the two women trapped together in the hammam are extremely different from each other, there are contradictions between them, yet they manage to communicate and bond in their way. Trapped is an honest film with real, simple stories becoming the principal element, as Khaled chose not to stress such elements as camera movement or editing. Her debut, it took ten years to see the light. Funding, Khaled said in a television interview, was really hard, because sometimes, youre obliged to change some details in the screenplay to get the fund, and that delicate moment of the revolution is really a sensitive topic right now. It had its premiere online at the US South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival held between 16-20 March. Hala Galals documentary Min Al-Qahira (From Cairo) wasnt such a straightforward experience. The film revolves around two single women, Heba and Aya, and is narrated in Galals own voice. Heba is an emancipated artist, photojournalist and single mother. She meets Aya, a traditional young woman in hijab who lost her parents at a very young age. Yet both women suffer the same struggle in a patriarchal society. A fearless woman if ever there was won, Galal has directed such films as Egyptian Women in Parliament, produced by the National Council for Women and produced numerous others. She is the founding director of SEMAT Production and Distribution supporting independent cinema. Her long documentary Women ChitChat won the Silver Prize at the Arab Rotterdam Film Festival. In her one-hour documentary, Galal employs old songs and metropolitan references, with the radio intro, Min Al-Qahira, as an aural refrain. But her main topic is fear specifically female fear as the film opens with her driving while her voice enumerates all those things she fears: people, driving, heights, crowded places, etc. And yet, she concludes, fear doesnt stop her from dealing with them all. She addresses various feminist problems through her protagonists, but the discourse comes across as forced and divorced from many Egyptian womens real-life experiences or way of processing difficulties. This is complicated by the fact that she makes herself part of the action in an unconvincing way, especially considering that her role is limited to that of a narrator. The film does feature the story of how artist Heba Khalifas movement has been limited by her being a single mother, which led to a project in which she tapes herself and her daughter to a chair at home. Khalifa also shows a female mannequin riddled with pins, an image that went viral after the revolution. Galal addresses hijab through her heroine Aya, who eventually stops wearing it, using it as a way into how fear of harassment and interference force women to watch what they wear on the street. This is perhaps the films most persuasive moment. The film participated in the Horizons of Arab Cinema competition in the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival and won its Best Documentary Award. It also won the Jury Award at the 12th Malmo Arab Film Festival. *A version of this article appears in print in the 21 July, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The pro-Russian authorities of eastern Ukraine's separatist republics said Friday they had blocked Google, accusing the US giant of promoting "violence against Russians." "We took the decision to block Google on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic," rebel leader Denis Pushilin said on Telegram, accusing it of promoting "violence against Russians, in particular the people of the Donbas." The neighbouring Lugansk People's Republic blocked Google on Thursday. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Istanbul on Thursday, a U.N. spokesperson said as United Nations and Turkish officials seek to get a deal with Russia and Ukraine in writing to resume Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports, Trend reports citing Reuters. "The situation remains a little bit fluid, so I can't really say when something will be signed," deputy U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York. "We're not quite there yet." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that he was hopeful about reaching a deal and that talks were going well. Ankara said a general agreement was reached on a U.N.-led plan during talks in Istanbul last week and that it wants to put this into writing this week. A Libyan medical official says that at least 13 people have been killed in renewed clashes between militias in the country's capital, Tripoli. Osama Ali, spokesman for Libya's emergency services, said that among those killed were three civilians from the area and a 12--year-old child. He said 30 people had been wounded. The Libyan Presidential Council in Tripoli said in a statement early morning Friday that all forces involved should go back to their bases immediately. It's the latest violence to threaten the relative peace after nearly a decade of civil war, and comes as the country is in a political stalemate between two rival sets of authorities. The divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent months. A gunbattle erupted late Thursday in Ain Zara, a densely populated neighbourhood of eastern Tripoli, between the Al-Radaa force and the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, media reports said. It lasted until the early hours of Friday before spreading to other areas. Three civilians were killed and two wounded, ambulance services Osama Ali told Al-Ahrar television, adding they were taken to Tripoli Medical Center. Sixty students were trapped by the fighting in university dormitories until they were evacuated by the ambulance service, said Ali. The death toll was expected to rise since "we do not yet have information from private clinics in the area", he added. The clashes were the latest flare-up in fighting that first erupted on June 10, but the civilian casualties were the first in the capital for months. The cause of the fighting that began late Thursday was unclear. Videos shared on social media showed local militia forces deploying and heavy fire being exchanged across the night sky. Libya has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by various well-armed militias and foreign governments. The Mediterranean nation has been in a state of upheaval since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country's plan to transition to an elected government fell through after an interim administration based in Tripoli, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, failed to hold elections last year and the presidential council led by The postponement drove aground yearslong U.N.-led attempts to usher in a more democratic future and bring the country's war to an end. Dbeibah has refused to step down since then, raising questions over his mandate. In response, the country's East-based lawmakers have elected a rival prime minister, Fathy Bashagha, a powerful former interior minister who is now operating a separate administration out of the city of Sirte. An attempt in May by Basghagha to install his government in Tripoli also ended in clashes that killed one, after which he withdrew. Search Keywords: Short link: The U.S. Senate has passed legislation calling for a Wall of Remembrance in Washington that lists the names of all American soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. The bill just awaits U.S. President Barack Obama's signature. The bill was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate on Monday after the House of Representatives authorized it in February. It was introduced last year by Republican lawmaker Sam Johnson, himself a Korean War veteran. The wall will be added to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. It will be of glass and contain the names of 37,000 U.S. soldiers as well as information on the number of allied troops who fought and died in the war. Democratic lawmaker Charles Rangel, who sponsored the bill with Johnson, said in a statement that the wall will remind everyone that "freedom is never free." The government and creditors have come up with an additional W5.8-trillion bailout package for ailing Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, which has posted four straight years of losses as it teeters on the brink of bankruptcy (US$1=W1,123). The government and lenders have already injected W7 trillion into the shipbuilder since mid-2015, when it posted losses of W5 million. State-run Korea Development Bank, which owns the controlling stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding, and lead creditor Export-Import Bank of Korea announced Thursday a W2.9-trillion debt-to-equity swap in conjunction with KDB and commercial banks. KDB and Export-Import Bank of Korea will also provide W2.9 trillion in fresh funding. If creditors fail to agree on the debt-to-equity swap, the plan will be scrapped and Daewoo will be forced into a court-supervised debt rescheduling plan. That means the company will have to be sold off in pieces. A memorial wall engraved with the names of about 43,000 soldiers who died in the 1950-53 Korean War will be set up in a dedicated park in Washington. Construction at the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park will start in mid-March, the U.S. National Park Service said in a press release on Monday. "The Wall of Remembrance is a new, permanent addition to the memorial which will include the names of 36,574 American servicemen and more than 7,200 members of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army who gave their lives defending the people of South Korea," it said. The park was dedicated in the National Mall, a landscaped park in Washington, on July 27, 1995 in the presence of then presidents Kim Young-sam and Bill Clinton. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigned Thursday after failing in his efforts to unite the fractious pieces of his unity government. President Sergio Mattarella's office said in a statement the president had accepted Draghi's resignation but asked him to stay on in a caretaker role. The development could mean Italy heads to a parliamentary election in the coming months instead of the scheduled vote set to take place next year. "In that moment, the hospital's leadership faced an impossible choice: Give in to the ransom demand or cripple the ability of doctors and nurses to provide critical care," Monaco said. The hackers, she said, used a strain of malware known as Maui to encrypt a Kansas-based hospital's servers and files, demanding a ransom payment in exchange for the key to unlock the data. The attack took place in May 2021, and the cybercriminals threatened to double the ransom amount within 48 hours, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday. "Thanks to rapid reporting and cooperation from a victim, the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors have disrupted the activities of a North Korean state-sponsored group deploying ransomware known as 'Maui,'" Monaco said. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who leads the Justice Department's agencywide efforts to combat cyberthreats, announced the seizure at a cybersecurity conference in New York. The seizure, made in May, comes as the Biden administration steps up its efforts to disrupt cybercriminals that increasingly target critical U.S. infrastructure, such as hospitals and energy companies, for ransom. U.S. law enforcement authorities said on Tuesday that they have seized nearly half a million dollars in cryptocurrency that was paid as ransom to alleged North Korean hackers and their accomplices by two U.S. hospitals and other victims. After failing to regain access to their servers for more than a week, the hospital paid the hackers about $100,000 in Bitcoin. But the medical center also notified the FBI, allowing federal investigators to identify the malware and trace this and other ransom payments to Chinese money launderers that help North Korean cybercriminals convert cryptocurrency into fiat currency, the Justice Department said. "Not only did this allow us to recover their ransom payment as well as a ransom paid by previously unknown victims, but we were also able to identify a previously unidentified ransomware strain," Monaco said. One previously unknown victim was a Colorado-based hospital, according to court documents. The unidentified hospital made a ransom payment of about $120,000 into one of the cybercriminals' two cryptocurrency accounts in April 2022, court documents show. The following month, the FBI seized the contents of the two accounts. Officials did not identify the other victims but said they've begun legal proceedings to forfeit the funds and return the money to the victim organizations. "Reporting cyber incidents to law enforcement and cooperating with investigations not only protects the United States, it is also good business," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division said in a statement. "The reimbursement to these victims of the ransom shows why it pays to work with law enforcement." North Korea and China have long denied any involvement in ransomware attacks against U.S. companies and organizations. The investigation into the ransom payments led the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Treasury Department to issue an alert about the Maui ransomware earlier this month. The agencies warned potential victims that paying ransom would violate U.S. sanctions and urged them to report any attacks to the FBI. Monaco praised the Kansas hospital for alerting the FBI. "What flowed from that virtuous decision was the recovery of their ransom payment, the recovery of ransoms paid by previously unknown victims, (and) the identification of a previously unidentified ransomware strain," she said. In a ransomware attack, hackers lock a company's data, offering keys to unlock the files in exchange for a large sum of money. In recent years, ransomware attacks have grown in frequency, with cybercriminals attacking schools, hospitals and local governments, among other victims. In its latest annual threat assessment, the U.S. intelligence community warned in February that cyber criminals "are increasing the number, scale, and sophistication of ransomware attacks, fueling a virtual ecosystem that threatens to cause greater disruptions of critical services worldwide. "These criminals are driven by the promise of large profits, reliable safe havens from which to operate, and a decreasing technical barrier to entry for new actors," the report said. To combat the growing threat, the Justice Department last year launched the Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force and the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. The FBI has long encouraged victims of ransomware to alert authorities instead of caving into cybercriminals demands. But a recent survey found that nearly half of organizations targeted in a ransomware attack last year made a payment to regain their data. Even so, reporting a ransomware attack allows the FBI the opportunity to recover funds. Last year after Colonial Pipeline paid hackers $4.4 million to regain access to critical data following a ransomware attack, the FBI recovered almost half of the payment. Korea has confirmed its second case of the COVID subvariant BA.2.75 dubbed Centaurus, which is believed to be even more contagious than the BA.5 subvariant that has become the dominant strain here. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday said a foreigner in his 30s living in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province tested positive on July 7, two days after arrival from India. This was in fact before the country's first case, a man in his 60s in Incheon, was confirmed to be infected with Centaurus on July 14. The first patient had not traveled overseas during the period when he might have been infected, and the second case shows that Centaurus was already active here much earlier. A COVID infection has scuppered plans by U.S. President Joe Biden to dedicate a memorial wall in the Korean War Veterans Memorial park in Washington next Wednesday. Biden is only "experiencing very mild symptoms," according to the White House, but is likely to miss the appointment. The Wall of Remembrance was funded by the Korean and U.S. governments and private donations and emulates a similar structure with all the names of the fallen at the nearby Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Engraved on the 100 granite plates are the names of 43,808 U.S. soldiers who died in the 1950-53 Korean War. This summer's Korean blockbuster "Hansan: Rising Dragon," the sequel to 2014 hit "The Admiral: Roaring Currents," opens in theaters on July 27. The epic about the evergreen exploits of Admiral Yi Sun-shin during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16th century cost W31.2 billion (US$1=W1,311). The latest installment in director Kim Han-min's trilogy has even more elaborate maritime battle scenes thanks to developments in CGI technology. The final installment is slated for release sometime next year. If "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" depicted a hero facing a crisis, "Hansan: Rising Dragon" focuses on the birth of a national hero. Actor Park Hae-il takes over the role from Choi Min-sik. Park said in a press event held early this week, "If Choi's acting was like a flame thrower, I wanted to be like water that blends with anything. I wanted to depict the mind of a calm, meticulous strategist." By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The process of resettlement of citizens to Zangilan's Aghali village continues, Azernews reports. On July 21, another group of residents was resettled from the Zangilan refugee settlement in Absheron region. Another 10 families of 48 people will live in the houses provided to them in the new village built on the concept of a smart village. Resettlement to Aghali village will go ahead sequentially, based on the schedule for the commissioning of new residential areas. At the first stage of the resettlement process, 41 families (201 people) will be resettled in Aghali village. In total, there are more than 43,000 natives of the Zangilan region, who were forced to leave their homes and flee to save their lives during the first Karabakh war. Over 90 percent of them have already expressed their desire to return to their native lands. The first pilot project of the smart city and smart village in Azerbaijan is implemented mainly on five components - the housing sector, production sector, social services, smart agriculture, and alternative energy. Initially, 200 individual houses are constructed with the use of innovative building materials. The engineering communications and heating systems in the houses are also created on the basis of smart technologies. Moreover, modern schools, kindergartens, clinics, and electronic control centers will be built in these villages, and tourism infrastructure will be formed. All residential houses, social facilities, administrative and catering buildings, and processing and production of agricultural products will be provided with alternative energy sources. "I have two main roles. I am responsible for the (Asia-Pacific) region, stretching from Pakistan to Japan and China, to New Zealand, and all the news output in the region. The other responsibility is I am global head of features content, which covers travel, business, technology, and more. The most important role, however, is leading and supporting our journalists and producers." "We discussed topics such as whether North Korea will conduct a seventh nuclear test, the power rivalry between the U.S. and China, the coronavirus situation in the Asia-Pacific, the inauguration of the new government in Australia, and the economic crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Once you spend enough time as a journalist, you develop a sense of which news to cover. But I think that what should we not cover is always more important than what should we cover, because what we do not cover can just disappear without a trace." "I usually wake up at six and go to work. I check the e-mails from the U.S. headquarters and the news that broke overnight and prepare for the editorial meeting. At 8:45, the editors' meeting starts. We decide on which news to broadcast -- this is the most important meeting. After that, we have a conference call with our London office and Atlanta headquarters. Due to the time difference, sometimes I have to work until midnight. I'm grateful when I can go to bed at 11 p.m." We are curious about the daily routine of a person with your responsibilities on a 24-hour news channel. The Chosun Ilbo contacted Lee during her stay in Seoul for an interview with President Yoon Suk-yeol in May. When we asked the holder of the long title "CNN international managing editor Asia Pacific, and global head of features content" for the key behind her success, she replied, "When I was a student, I attended special lectures by famous people. They all said success comes from doing what you like. I thought they all said so because they had nothing else to say! But now I realized that it is true. Aspiring to go higher does not guarantee success. The most important thing is doing what you like." South Korean media covered her story when Lee received promotions or awards. Search results for her name show articles with headlines, such as "[South] Korean woman in 30s on being Asia-Pacific managing editor for the global news channel CNN (2006)," "[South] Korean power-woman leading CNN," and "Ambitious [South] Korean woman," reflecting her home country's pride in this international South Korean woman. The team was led by Ellana Lee, Senior Vice President for CNN International. Leading the Asia-Pacific headquarters of Hong Kong since 2006 as Managing Editor, Ellana is the most senior executive in CNN outside of the U.S. She joined CNN in 1997, covering numerous historic events during her 25-year career. CNN broadcasts to 440 million households in over 200 countries worldwide, and CNN channel content in South Korea is edited and curated by the Asia-Pacific headquarters. The U.S.-North Korea summit on June 12, 2018 in Singapore marked the first meeting between the two countries. Major domestic and international media all sent their teams to Singapore. The world's biggest news network, CNN, aired live starting from the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un disembarking from their planes. Including CNN's leading news hosts, Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, a gigantic team of hundred correspondents in the Asian region, reporters for the White House, producers, and photographers, was formed. "Georgetown University alumni usually go into law or politics, but I found journalism more dynamic. I decided to join an American news company after witnessing the good and bad of [South] Korean journalism during my adolescent years. In the 1980s, media did play a positive role in the South Korean society, but I don't think there was a lot of fact-checking taking place." Ellana went to the U.S. after graduating from high school in [South] Korea. She studied history and international relations at Georgetown University and broadcast journalism at New York University. She joined the CNN New York bureau in 1997 as a producer. "My first trip for CNN was to South Korea. I came to Seoul to cover the 1997 IMF crisis. You could feel the despair wherever you went. But at the same time, I witnessed the amazing resilience of [South] Koreans. People volunteered to donate their gold. My fellow reporters were just shocked at the solidarity of the people. Back then no one knew where South Korea was. And of course, I was the only [South] Korean in CNN. I was proud to be born in [South] Korea." "President Roh Moo-hyun invited reporters to his office. At that time, [Cheong Wa Dae] started to adopt a paperless meeting, and he showed us. There was just a computer on his desk and nothing else. It was really different and new then. I met President Lee Myung-bak at Davos Forum, and he was very businessman-like. All previous presidents had their own characters. However, they all shared one common thing. They all had a lot of hope and expectations for the future of [South Korea]." "When I asked how he will walk his dog, he said he was also still thinking about it because of security issues. He also talked about how the first lady's friend asked her to take care of her cat for a while, so his pet family has increased to eight, adding to his worries. It was very impressive that he wanted to maintain his everyday life from before the presidency even after becoming president. He struck me as somebody who wanted to break the stereotypes surrounding the president." "We always pay close attention to who becomes the South Korean president. This time as well. We have been contacting him continuously since he was a candidate. President Yoon did an interview with us two weeks after his inauguration -- this is very exceptional. It is also likely thanks to President Joe Biden's visit to South Korea. I was surprised by how he made the reporters feel comfortable. When meeting presidents in the past, formalities and protocol were very important. But President Yoon greeted us casually and we had some small talk. Him being easygoing made those surrounding him appear at ease as well." How did your journey with CNN begin? "CNN was the only Western media I had known growing up in South Korea. In my senior year at the university, I did an internship at CNN. Then I went to journalism school at New York University to learn more about journalism. I also worked as an intern at CNN during my last year at NYU. I mainly took care of photocopying and tape logging. 'Even the less major tasks matter' is the mindset that I had, and near the end of the internship, I received a job offer." After nine years at CNN, you have been promoted to managing editor of Asia Pacific. "The first nine years went by really fast that I can hardly remember. I moved from New York to Hong Kong with just one suitcase. As soon as I arrived in Hong Kong, I started working from 1 a.m. for the 6 a.m. program. I did that for four years. I could endure this thanks to my wonderful colleagues. Also, I was lucky to work with seniors who always remembered that I was working overtime every day. Rather than trying to stand out alone, I always worked with great emphasis on teamwork. I think that played an important role." What is your favorite or the most memorable content/program/documentary that you have made? "I am most fond of our 2017 documentary 'Secret State: Inside North Korea.' You can't e-mail or pick up the phone to get approvals in North Korea. It took more than 10 trips to convince North Koreans to let us tell their story. We were able to meet local residents outside Pyongyang, and climb up Mt. Baekdu. I am also proud of the 2019 documentary we produced called 'Ted Turner: Captain Planet.' Ted was not only the founder of CNN and passionate about news, but he was equally passionate about the environment, and we focused on that. Even from the 1980s, CNN carried environmental programs when no one was championing it. I always think that journalism should use reach and influence for good like Ted." In 2019, Ellana also proposed the global environmental protection initiative Call to Earth. More than 500 schools in over 160 countries around the work are participating in this campaign. Students pick up garbage and plant trees, and CNN correspondents report various efforts for the environment around the globe. "News usually talks about what is wrong, but not about how to solve it. But people pay attention to solutions instead of problems. Call to Earth suggests solutions. And I am proud that CNN broadcasts this campaign program for hours." What are the values that CNN aspire? "Credibility. To gain trust, news media should deliver accurate information. Of course, we want to deliver news first and fastest. However, broadcasting incorrect news first means nothing. We have strict screening processes every day for every news. For example, to cover the war in Ukraine, 300 CNN staff are deployed in the region, and a similar number supporting them. For one photograph of the war, we analyze metadata and many experts to verify it. People working at CNN are proud of delivering accurate news." For a long time, journalism has been conceived as an industry in crisis. "When Trump won the 2016 U.S. presidential election, all media were surprised. No one predicted it. Media did not look into the thoughts of ordinary Americans living in the south-central region. We covered the scene from a distance, only to produce articles far from reality. Since then, CNN has hired more journalists and sent them out more." Ellana Lee is the daughter of Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, the chairwoman of the UN World Tourism Organization's Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation. Dho graduated from Ewha Girls High School in 1966 and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master's from the University of Oklahoma before working as the 13th national assembly member of South Korea. Do you consider yourself a privileged child? "I won't deny that I have had a privileged upbringing, but it didn't come from money. The most valuable gift my mother gave to me was her way of thinking and attitude towards life. Growing up, all my friend's mothers stayed at home, and my mother was the only working mom. She worked hard while juggling a family but was more strict than other mothers. Coming home after school around 4 p.m., the phone rang every time. It was my mother who always checked to see if I am home. Just because my mother was working did not mean I could neglect my studies or do anything else. Seeing my mother, I thought, 'I can do anything, and I can be anything.' I consider this my greatest asset. I often think about how difficult it must have been for my mother to work as a woman in [South] Korea at that time. She was a real trailblazer." You've said you feel Asian and think American. "Since I grew up in [South] Korea as a child, the way I feel (primarily) is [South] Korean, and the way I think (secondarily) is American because I studied and worked in the States. When was in my 20s, however, I experienced an identity crisis, asking myself, 'Am I American or [South] Korean?' As I get older, I combine the advantages of the two identities. The strength of being American is the can do spirit, and [South] Korean, prudence and empathy. What do you think is a problem that South Korea faces today? "It would be arrogant of me to point out [South] Korea's problems. However, if there is a wish, I hope for more environments where women can work. I have been with CNN so I could get this far. Seeing my Korean female friends, not many have pursued a career except for a few. Would I be able to work like I have been if I had lived in [South] Korea? I am not sure." Did you have any difficulties as an Asian woman in America? "I've received so much support (from the company), so I did not have much hardship. However, there were some incidents like this. Until a few years ago, when I went abroad to have meetings, nine out of 10 people thought I was an interpreter. If my subordinate was a white male or an Asian male, they would look at him and talk to him [instead of me]. They could not imagine a young Asian woman being the representative. At first, I was taken aback. But I decided to enjoy the counterparts reaction [when they found out that I was the CNN representative]. As time went by, the men sitting in front of me changed their minds. No one sees me as an interpreter any more!" Have you ever felt like giving up? "Once. After spending four years at CNN, I burned out. This was when I was working seven days a week, even in my dreams. I took a sabbatical for three months and returned to Seoul. By the end of the time off, I decided to resign, but my boss wouldn't accept my resignation. Instead, she offered me the move to Hong Kong to spend a few years. The work in Hong Kong was dynamic and full of excitement. To me, the boss at that time is like an angel." How do you deal with stress? "Silence is how I relieve stress. In news, we are constantly reading, listening, and speaking every day. Times where I am not bombarded with so much noise are extremely precious to me." What kind of leader are you? "I want to be a warm-hearted leader. I'm always open to the employees, and it is an important task for me to listen to their stories and empathize with them. Recently, some of the employees had to be separated from their children due to Hong Kong's COVID quarantine restrictions. I let these employees work outside of Hong Kong. A leader should be able to understand her colleagues' situations at any time." Is there anything you want to say to those who dream of becoming global leaders? "CNN is like a smaller version of the UN, where people of various races, nationalities, and identities are gathered. To work at a place like this, you first need to embrace being global. This is not just speaking different languages, one has to be able to understand different perspectives, different cultures." I'm curious about your standard in choosing colleagues to work with. "A positive and collegiate attitude. We work long hours in some of the toughest places in the world and we work in teams. We don't work alone. You might be the smartest person on the team but if you don't have the right attitude, you would not last." What do you think will be your next role in CNN? "I have not thought about it. I've never worked to reach certain positions. I always headed to where 'real news' was taking place, and the Asia-Pacific region was that place. There is a Chinese saying, 'The mountain is high, the emperor far away.' It means when land is big and the seat of power is a long way away, local officials can do whatever they want. I think I am comfortable far away from the headquarters." What is your dream? "At this very moment, it is important to grab a chance given in the current situation. Someday I will leave CNN and retire. I don't want to stop working in my life. I want to continue something. I still don't know yet what it would be." If you could interview anyone without limitations, whom would you like to meet? "Chinese President Xi Jinping or North Korean leader Kim Jong-un? I will have to think about what to ask." KYODO NEWS - Jul 22, 2022 - 22:49 | All, Japan The Japanese government officially decided Friday to hold a state funeral for slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a Tokyo arena in the fall, despite concerns among some opposition parties and members of the public that it may lead to forced condolences for the figure, much more highly praised abroad. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference after the Cabinet decision that a secretariat was set up in the Cabinet Office to prepare for the Sept. 27 event, to be held at the Nippon Budokan with foreign dignitaries among those attending. It will be only the second state funeral held for a former prime minister in postwar Japan. Fully funded by the government, the funeral will be secular and simple, according to Matsuno. The government does not plan to make Sept. 27 a public holiday. The decision came a day after a group of 50 people, including members of a civic group that monitors abuse of power by authorities, asked a Tokyo court to issue an injunction ordering a stop to a state funeral for Abe. The top government spokesman reiterated that people will not be obliged to participate in a national display of grief, but concerns persist within the opposition and the public that staging a state funeral will, in effect, compel that response. "I am aware that there are different opinions," said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a speech in central Japan's Nagano Prefecture. "I will explain carefully so that (a state funeral) can be held with as many citizens as possible being convinced," he added. The secretariat has about 20 staffers and is headed by Masafumi Mori, a special adviser to Kishida. Japan will convey information about the coming state funeral to countries and regions that have sent condolence messages to Japan, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Palestine, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said. Kishida expressed last week his intention to hold a state funeral for the former leader, citing his record eight years and eight months as prime minister as well as the significant recognition he garnered in the international community. A private funeral has already been held for Abe, just days after the 67-year-old was shot and killed by a lone gunman during an election campaign speech in the western city of Nara on July 8. The only state funeral in postwar Japan was held in 1967 for Shigeru Yoshida, who led Japan as it rose from the ashes of World War II. It was also held at the Nippon Budokan. Abe served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 until he stepped down in 2020 due to ill health. Even after giving up the leadership, he wielded considerable influence as the head of the largest faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Following his death, a number of foreign leaders extended their condolences to his family and the Japanese people. The U.S. Senate adopted a resolution honoring Abe for laying a lasting foundation for the relationship between the United States and Japan. The opposition camp has criticized the government for going ahead with planning for the occasion, saying there are no legal provisions for holding a state funeral. It is also calling for further debate in parliament because the public is divided over Abe's political legacy, accomplishments, and scandals in which he became embroiled. "It clearly violates freedom of thought and conscience protected under the Constitution," said Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, at a protest rally outside the prime minister's office that drew several hundred people. The cost is another issue. A funeral for former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone was held jointly by the Cabinet and the LDP in 2020, with the government shouldering half the cost, or about 96 million yen ($695,000). Matsuno said the government will take the rising prices of goods and services into account and try to limit the costs to a "truly necessary level to hold a solemn and warm service." Related coverage: Civic group asks court to halt state funeral for ex-PM Abe Japan plans to hold ex-PM Abe's state funeral on Sept. 27: source Japan eyes state funeral for slain ex-PM Abe in late September KYODO NEWS - Jul 22, 2022 - 19:55 | All, Japan Japan's land ministry has come under fire for its all-male lineup for lecturers in a planned online course about community development aimed at public servants, with the minister on Friday describing the lack of female representation as "inappropriate." The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced on its website and also tweeted earlier this week it will begin the course in September, but having no women among the 25 lecturers immediately drew flak from users of Twitter. "I personally think it was inappropriate to not include women among the lecturers," land minister Tetsuo Saito said at a press conference. Saito added that "diverse perspectives are important for the promotion of land and transportation administration, including community development." He also said that adding women is being considered. The ministry has said it had considered having female instructors on its lecturers' lineup but "could not secure" any due to "scheduling reasons." Twitter went abuzz, with one user saying, "Why isn't there even one woman?" and another complaining that the community building would be male-centric. The ministry announced Tuesday it was accepting applications for the free-of-charge course that will last until around February, being designed to train employees of the local and central governments in urban development. The ministry also posted the names and photos of the 25 male lecturers from both the public and private sectors with expertise and relevant experience in areas such as regional economic revitalization. Following the criticism, the ministry tweeted on Wednesday that it will take the opinions seriously, and a ministry official has said "Women's perspectives are important for community development." Japan has lagged behind in its gender gap rankings, this year ranking 116th among 146 countries, putting it at the bottom of the East Asia and Pacific group, and the Group of Seven major economies, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. The report of the Swiss-based think tank showed that women's participation in the political and economic arenas remains particularly low in Japan. KYODO NEWS - Jul 22, 2022 - 23:24 | All, Japan Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday he plans to create two new ministerial posts within his Cabinet responsible for promoting startup businesses and decarbonization efforts in the country. Unveiling the positions during a speech in central Japan's Nagano Prefecture, Kishida aims to increase investment in decarbonization by aligning the public and private sectors while driving economic growth through the cultivation of more startups. Industry minister Koichi Hagiuda is expected to double as decarbonization minister, while Daishiro Yamagiwa, minister in charge of economic revitalization and coronavirus response, will likely concurrently hold the post of startup minister, a government source said. Dubbing the efforts in decarbonization as a "green transformation" which will be branded "GX," Kishida vowed to deliver an "unprecedented support framework to spur massive long-term private sector investment" in carbon reduction industries. While not elaborating on specific measures, Kishida reaffirmed the "government's commitment to the private sector and financial markets through the backing of financial resources." The GX executive council will be established in the Prime Minister's Office and hold its first meeting next Wednesday. Electricians check power facilities after a tornado hit in Huating Village of Xiaoyi Township in Guanyun County, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 21, 2022. (Xinhua) NANJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A tornado struck Lianyungang City in east China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday, resulting in one fatality and 25 injured, local emergency management bureau said Thursday. The tornado swept through 11 villages in four townships of Lianyungang at around 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Over 2,200 villagers were affected by the disaster, and over 640 houses and about 250 hectares of farmland were damaged, according to preliminary investigation. Emergency workers were quick to arrive at the scene and the injured are currently being treated. Relief work is also being carried out in the affected areas. Aerial photo taken on July 21, 2022 shows Xiaomao Village of Xiaoyi Township after a tornado hit, Guanyun County, east China's Jiangsu Province. A tornado struck Lianyungang City in east China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday, resulting in one fatality and 25 injured, local emergency management bureau said Thursday. The tornado swept through 11 villages in four townships of Lianyungang at around 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Emergency workers were quick to arrive at the scene and the injured are currently being treated. Relief work is also being carried out in the affected areas. (Xinhua/Li Bo) A woman carrying a child is seen at a camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua) The African Development Bank through its concessional arm, the African Development Fund, has approved a 5.4-million-U.S. dollar grant to support the building of urgently needed food security in Somalia. MOGADISHU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The African Development Bank (AfDB) through its concessional arm, the African Development Fund, has approved a 5.4-million-U.S. dollar grant to support the building of urgently needed food security in Somalia. Nnenna Nwabufo, director-general for the Bank's East Africa region, said in a statement released earlier this week that the effect of the prolonged drought and the added impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has deepened food insecurity in the country. Nwabufo said the grant constitutes additional financing to the multinational Program to Build Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security and will specifically deploy certified quality seeds of climate-adapted fodder varieties and enable the establishment of fodder banks in the six regional states of the country. "Over the years, droughts have been increasing in severity and frequency in Somalia, creating conditions of chronic vulnerability with persistent food insecurity, widespread economic hardships, conflicts, and migration, hitting the pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities hardest," she said. According to the United Nations, more than 7.1 million people, nearly half of the total population, are facing historic levels of drought in Somalia. A lorry drives out of the Hong Leng Huor Dry Port on the western suburb of Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's undersecretary of state and spokesman Penn Sovicheat said RCEP and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, which both took effect on Jan. 1 this year, are a contributing factor to Cambodia's exports. PHNOM PENH, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's total export to other member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) totaled 3.28 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2022, up 10 percent year-on-year, a report of the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. During the January-June period this year, Cambodia's top three export destinations were Vietnam, China and Japan, the report said, adding that the kingdom shipped products worth 1.17 billion dollars to Vietnam, 612 million dollars to China and 542 million dollars to Japan. The RCEP free trade agreement comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's undersecretary of state and spokesman Penn Sovicheat said RCEP and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA), which both took effect on Jan. 1 this year, are a contributing factor to boost Cambodia's exports. "Our export growth is a testament to the larger market access of our products to other RCEP member countries with tariff concessions," he told a press conference in Phnom Penh on Thursday. "The two FTAs have been giving a boost to our economic growth in the long term." Dried mango products are displayed at the 2022 Cambodia-China Trade and Investment Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 18, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) Meanwhile, Sovicheat said China has played a leading role in assisting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Cambodia through preferential tariffs, noting that the support was crucial to helping the LDCs boost their economic development. Senior economist Ky Sereyvath, director-general of the Institute of China Studies at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that through RCEP, Cambodia could be a hub-and-spoke model of distributing goods from China in the ASEAN region. "RCEP has served as a catalyst for regional and global economic growth and undoubtedly, all participating countries will benefit from it at different levels," he told Xinhua. "It will help Cambodia and other member countries to quicken their economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic." Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said RCEP is becoming a driving force for regional economic growth in the post-pandemic era. "This mega trade deal has created huge opportunities for countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia to market their products and commodities in such a big market and multiply their profits and gains," he told Xinhua. According to a World Bank's research paper, Cambodia ranked third after Vietnam and Malaysia in terms of real income gains and export growth under RCEP. "We look at RCEP as the longer benefit ... Cambodia is the third country that will gain the most from RCEP after Vietnam and Malaysia," World Bank senior country economist Ly Sodeth said at a press conference in Phnom Penh on June 30. "So, Cambodia potentially benefits a lot from RCEP." BEIRUT, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A senior UN official on Friday urged "everyone" to refrain from fueling the media and social media with negative sentiments and hatred towards Syrian refugees after a recent plan by the Lebanese government to return 15,000 displaced monthly to their homeland. "I call on everyone to refrain from fueling the media and social media with negative sentiments and hatred, and I count on all to continue to display the spirit of solidarity and mutual respect in these difficult times," Najat Rochdi, UN special coordinator for Lebanon, was quoted as saying in a statement released by the United Nations Information Center. She said that the UN and its partners remain committed to supporting the most vulnerable populations based on needs regardless of their nationality, disability, religion, gender, sexuality, or place of origin. She also recalled Lebanon's commitment to the principle of non-refoulement under international law, and to the principle of ensuring the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of refugees. Rochdi also recalled that the humanitarian community, including the UN has, over the past few years, increased its support to the Lebanese people, families, communities, and public institutions to lessen the impact of the multiple crises and meet the dire needs of the most vulnerable. Lebanon launched a strategy earlier this month aimed at securing the return of 15,000 Syrian refugees to their homeland on a monthly basis as the country can no longer bear the burden of hosting a big number of displaced amid its current financial crisis. SEOUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean drug kingpin, seen as one of the country's biggest drug traffickers based in Southeast Asia, was arrested in Vietnam through international cooperation and repatriated earlier this week, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said Friday. The KNPA said in a statement that a suspect was arrested in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh city on July 17 and repatriated to South Korea on July 19 through a three-year international cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam. The 47-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, was the last culprit on the loose among the so-called three South Korean "drug lords" in Southeast Asia, the KNPA said. One of the two other accomplices, called the "Telegram drug lord", was arrested in the Philippines in October 2020, while the other was arrested in Cambodia and returned to South Korea in April 2022. Kim was accused of trafficking methamphetamine and synthetic hemp through a South Korean supply chain using Telegram since 2018, and was dubbed as the kingpin in the region as he supplied drugs to other drug ring bosses. Over 20 internal accomplices, including domestic dealers, have been specified, while illegal drugs worth an estimated 7 billion won (5.3 million U.S. dollars) were seized. As the investigation was underway, the exact amount of smuggled drugs was expected to be much larger than the estimates, the KNPA said. BAMAKO, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Two terrorists were killed during an attack on the Kati military camp on Friday morning, the Malian Armed Forces said in a statement on its official website. "The Malian Armed Forces vigorously repelled a terrorist attack on the Kati camp," the statement said, adding that the attack which happened at around 5:00 a.m. local time involved two vehicles packed with explosives. "The situation is under control and the search is underway to flush out the perpetrators and their accomplices," the statement said, citing the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. According to residents reached by Xinhua by telephone, life is gradually going back to normal in the town located 15 km from the Malian capital, Bamako. Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard early on Friday at the military camp in Kati, according to sources. One military source who requested anonymity told Xinhua earlier that the targetted military camp houses both soldiers and civilians and that "the situation is under control." Another resident reached by Xinhua by telephone reported seeing helicopters flying over the city. "No doubt they are trying to prevent the attackers from fleeing," the resident said. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The Azerbaijani State Border Service seized 95.7 kg of drugs and psychotropic pills on the border with Iran, Azernews reports, citing the service. Members of a criminal group involved in drug smuggling were apprehended as a result of a successful operation carried out by the investigative bodies of the State Border Service. On July 21, four parcels hidden by unidentified individuals were discovered in the service area of the Horadiz border detachment's border post located near the Jabrayil region's Mehdili village. The area, where the packages were discovered, was immediately cordoned off, prospective transit routes were taken under control and the service of additional border guards was arranged in that direction. At around 2000 hours, border guards apprehended four suspects, who attempted to leave the scene by removing the packages. When the identities of the suspects were checked, it surfaced that they are overtime military personnel of the State Border Service, who were involved in demining of border areas liberated from the Armenian occupation. As a result of urgent operational measures, 95.7 kg of drugs (87 kg 700 grams of marijuana, 7 kg 600 grams of heroin, 400 grams of methamphetamine), as well as psychotropic pills (1,980 Methadone-40 and 12,456 Pregabalin-150 pills) were seized from Barda resident Khalili Hikmat (24), who was the organizer of the crime. The Azerbaijan Prosecutor General's Office and the State Border Service are taking the appropriate operational and investigative measures to identify and prosecute other participants in the crime. By Xin Ping Hackddos, an Internet media outlet focusing on information security, recently released a report revealing that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has been stealing indiscriminate data from Internet users around the world. Using advanced technologies and tools, the NSA has intercepted 97 billion pieces of global Internet data and 124 billion pieces of telephone data in 30 days. It has also used submarines to conduct cyber theft from undersea fiber optic cables. This is just one more disclosure of the numerous cyber attacks by the U.S. According to a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a U.S. think tank, the United States has become the world's number one cyber superpower, especially in terms of cyber intelligence and cyber attack capabilities. As Mr. Edward Snowden revealed, the NSA organized and implemented at least 231 cyber attacks in 2011 alone, mainly targeting "adversaries" such as China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela. In 2010, U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies used the "ShockNet" virus to cripple Iran's nuclear facilities. In March 2019, a cyber attack by the U.S. caused a major power outage in Venezuela. Eighteen states across the country were affected and half the country was plunged into darkness, with power outages lasting more than 48 hours in some areas. The U.S. targets not only its rivals, but also its closest allies and even its own citizens. In 2013, the U.S. "Prism" surveillance program targeted the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel among many other dignitaries. In 2015, WikiLeaks revealed that the NSA had wiretapped three French presidents, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. In 1975, Frank Church, then Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said that U.S. surveillance capabilities could be "turned around and pointed at the American people at any time, and no American would have privacy." In August 2013, three documents declassified by the NSA showed that the agency had collected 56,000 private emails and other communications from U.S. citizens with no relevance to terrorism each year between 2008 and 2011. The White House, however, argued that the targets of such surveillance programs were strictly "external" and that domestic intelligence was intercepted only "incidentally". As an empire of hacking, the U.S. is not satisfied with simply collecting information through cyber surveillance. It has taken further steps to transform the new frontier of cyberspace into a new battleground for cyber attacks. On May 18, 2010, the U.S. Air Force announced the creation of an interim "Cyber Command". According to an article on the RAND Corporation website, the number of fully combat-capable U.S. cyber mission units will likely reach 167 by 2024, representing an increase of about 10 percent in personnel. And of course, the U.S. wastes no opportunity to conduct combat exercises of cyber war in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the NSA, publicly admitted that U.S. Cyber Command was "helping Ukraine strengthen its cyber defenses" with cyber warfare operations such as "Cyber Hunt Forward Operations". As a thief cries "stop the thief", the U.S. has always depicted itself as a victim of cyber attacks. Nevertheless, unrivaled in malicious cyber activities, the U.S. has been a major threat to global cyber security. It talks the loudest about freedom and security, but has undermined them more than anyone. (The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Global Times, etc... He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com) Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi waves to lawmakers at the end of his address at the lower house of parliament in Rome, Italy, July 21, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) The outgoing cabinet will remain in office for the current affairs until a new one is formed after election. However, the president warned that the country's many priorities needed political forces to act with sense of responsibility and in a constructive way during the short campaign. ROME, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday officially dissolved the two chambers of parliament, opting for the constitutional procedure to hold early elections in the country. The head of state announced this in a short address to the country during a tense political day and after having accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Draghi's decision to step down followed a confidence vote held in the senate on Wednesday, which the government passed but with a very thin majority because Five Star Movement, right-wing League and center-right Forza Italia parties boycotted the vote. All three were major allies in the broad coalition that has supported Draghi's national unity cabinet since its inception on Feb. 13, 2021. Mario Draghi addresses the Senate ahead of a confidence vote in Rome, Italy, on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) "I signed the decree for the dissolution of the chambers in order for new elections to be called within the 70-day deadline set by the constitution," Mattarella said. He explained that dissolving the parliament earlier than due was "always a last-resort choice to make" and especially when lawmakers were expected to fulfil crucial obligations. Yet, early elections became "inevitable", the president specified, since Wednesday's confidence vote in the senate showed "the lack of any perspectives of creating a new majority" that could support a new government. The outgoing cabinet will remain in office for the current affairs until a new one is formed after election. However, the president warned that the country's many priorities needed political forces to act with sense of responsibility and in a constructive way during the short campaign. Italian President Sergio Mattarella makes a declaration after receiving the official notice of his re-election at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome, Italy, on Jan. 29, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) "It is my duty to underline that the period we are facing does not allow pauses in the actions indispensable to compensate the effects of the socio-economic crisis, which is causing serious consequences for firms and families," he noted. "These actions are necessary to cope with the current economic difficulties" and to contain the effects of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Mattarella added. In addition, he said the country must complete the reforms provided by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which are a pre-condition to receive a 200-billion-euro post-COVID recovery package from the European Union. The specific date to hold the general election is expected to be announced later. BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to concerning content in Japan's 2022 defense white paper, urging the country to stop arbitrarily hyping up security threats in the neighborhood to justify its military build-up. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily press briefing that the white paper contains groundless accusations against China's defense policy, normal defense development and legitimate maritime activities, deliberately plays up the so-called "China threat," and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs on the Taiwan question. "China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this," said the spokesperson. Wang pointed out that China is committed to the path of peaceful development, and follows a defense policy that is defensive in nature. "China's defense building is aimed at upholding our sovereignty, security and development interests. It is legitimate, reasonable and beyond reproach," he said, adding that military cooperation including joint naval patrol between China and relevant countries is consistent with international law and established international practice, and it does not target any particular country. He further noted that due to the recent history of overseas aggression waged by Japanese militarism, Japan's moves in the military and security fields have always been closely followed by its Asian neighbors including China and the international community. "In this latest white paper, Japan has openly added content about revising relevant defense documents by the end of this year, further increasing its defense budget, and developing so-called counter-strike capabilities," said the spokesperson. "All these give rise to the concern that Japan is deviating further from the path of pacifist and exclusively defense-oriented strategy." "We urge the Japanese side to immediately stop the erroneous practice of arbitrarily hyping up security threats in the neighborhood to justify its military build-up, heed the voice of the international community, deeply reflect on the history of aggression, stay committed to the path of peaceful development, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions," Wang said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, July 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Currently, gas storage facilities in Germany are 65.1 percent filled, according to the BNetzA. However, if Russian gas supplies stay at this low level, it would "hardly be possible to achieve a storage level of 90 percent by November without additional measures." BERLIN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- After ten days of maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, gas deliveries from Russia to Germany resumed on Thursday morning. "Nord Stream AG has successfully completed all planned maintenance works on its twin gas pipelines within the scheduled period," the operator said in a statement. Although gas flows have now reached the pre-maintenance level, which corresponds to 40 percent utilization of the total pipeline capacity, the missing volumes and the political instability gave "no reason to sound the all-clear yet," said Klaus Mueller, president of the country's Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). "We need (to take) a long breath, the winter is yet to come," said Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck during a press conference on Thursday. Habeck announced further government measures to save energy, including stricter requirements for filling gas storage facilities, which in the future must be at 95 percent of the capacity by November 1, up from 90 percent previously. Currently, gas storage facilities in Germany are 65.1 percent filled, according to the BNetzA. However, if Russian gas supplies stay at this low level, it would "hardly be possible to achieve a storage level of 90 percent by November without additional measures." Gas pipes are seen at a natural gas storage facility operated by Hungarian Gas Storage Ltd. in the village of Zsana, Hungary, May 20, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Natural gas is a "major energy source" for both industry and households in Germany, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Thursday. In 2020, 31 percent of the German industry ran on natural gas. European gas prices have fallen after the restart of Russian gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The front-month contract in the European reference market TTF fell to 148 euros (150 U.S. dollars) per MWh baseload in the afternoon, about 4 percent below yesterday's settlement price. "(The relaunch of) gas deliveries from Russia through the strategically important Nord Stream 1 pipeline is the reason for (this)," Christoph Schmitz of r2b energy consulting told Xinhua on Thursday. After some speculation as to whether Russia might use the maintenance work as an excuse to suspend deliveries for longer than contractually agreed, "expectations of renewed deliveries increased in recent days," said Schmitz. Germany has been highly dependent on gas imports: in 2021, net gas imports translated to 904.5 billion kilowatt hours, while around 5 percent were generated from domestic production, according to Destatis. The European Commission proposed on Wednesday that member states should voluntarily reduce their gas demand by 15 percent to ease the tight supply situation. However, there is an option to make this reduction mandatory by declaring a "Union Alert." (1 euro = 1.02 U.S. dollars) A man shows gas consumption on a meter in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on July 13, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have found a gene in crops such as rice and wheat, which can improve the efficiency of photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization and significantly boost grain yield. Scientists believe the discovery could provide a potential solution for increasing agricultural productivity and efficient utilization of resources, and contribute to human food security. The discovery made by a team led by researchers with the Institute of Crop Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) was published online Friday (Beijing Time) in the academic journal, Science. Zhou Wenbin, leader of the research team, said a substantial increase in crop yield has been achieved since the 1960s through the breeding of new varieties and the improvement of cultivation and management technologies. However, in recent years, the per unit area yield of crops has increased slowly. "We need to find new methods to coordinate the further improvement of crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency," said Zhou. Scientists have found that maize has a much higher yield than rice and wheat mainly due to their different photosynthetic pathways. The research team examined 118 transcription factors associated with photosynthesis in maize and analyzed the related genes in rice with similar sequences. At last, they identified the key gene, OsDREB1C, that responds to both light and low nitrogen conditions, and thus they found the gene modulates both photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization. The researchers enhanced the expression of the OsDREB1C gene in two rice varieties through genetic engineering technology. And they conducted field trials at three different sites in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Sanya in northern, eastern, and southern China, representing very different environmental conditions, from 2018 to 2022. The results showed that the yield of the two rice varieties increased by more than 30 percent. Their growth duration was also shortened. In the experiment on a wheat variety, they found the OsDREB1C gene can increase its yield by more than 17 percent, and shorten its growth duration by three to six days, showing that this gene has the function of increasing yield and shortening the growth period of different crops. Wan Jianmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the discovery provides a potentially valuable gene for crop variety improvement. Yang Weicai, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said the discovery of this gene undoubtedly has important scientific value and application prospects, providing an important genetic resource for cultivating crop varieties with a higher yield, higher nitrogen utilization efficiency, and early maturity. This innovative research has provided a new approach for achieving a substantial increase in crop production and efficient utilization of resources. It is expected to be applied to rice, wheat, and other crops and vegetables in the future, which is of great significance in promoting sustainable and intensive agricultural production, said experts. Qian Qian, head of the Institute of Crop Sciences under CAAS and also an academician of CAS, said the team will deepen their research on the key gene's function and mechanism in main grain crops such as rice, wheat, corn, and soybean in the future for the development of new varieties. ANKARA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- An agreement for shipping grain from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea will be signed on Friday with the participation of Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkiye, the Turkish presidency said on Thursday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are expected to attend the signing ceremony, which will be held at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul on Friday at 18:30 local time (15:30 GMT), it said. The agreement comes at a time when there are growing concerns about a global food shortage as a result of the protracted crisis in Ukraine, which is partially blamed for the food price hikes across the world. Last week, the four parties held their first round of negotiations in Istanbul with an aim to ship Ukraine's grain to the world market to ease the supply. Turkiye has long served as a mediator in the effort to establish a mechanism that will prevent a food crisis by enabling Ukraine to export its grain to the global market via sea routes. Istanbul will become an operational hub where the entire shipping process will be carried out, Turkish officials have said. Turkiye controls maritime traffic entering and exiting the Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait. BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Friday to Ranil Wickremesinghe on his election as president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. In his message, Xi pointed out that China and Sri Lanka are each other's traditional friendly neighbors. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 65 years ago, the two countries have always promoted the development of bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and set an example of friendly interactions and mutually beneficial cooperation between large and small countries, he said. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Sri Lanka have stood together and helped each other, with their traditional friendship further enhanced, Xi said. Xi stressed that he believes, under the leadership of President Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka will surely overcome temporary difficulties and push forward the process of economic and social recovery. Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Sri Lanka relations and would like to provide support and assistance as his capacity allows to President Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lankan people. The Chinese president said that he hopes the two sides will carry forward their traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust and continuously push forward the strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual assistance and enduring friendship. The medical train of the People's Liberation Army of China crosses the border with Laos by running through the Friendship Tunnel of China-Laos Railway, on July 19, 2022. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) The medical train of the People's Liberation Army of China crosses the border with Laos by running through the Friendship Tunnel of China-Laos Railway, and arrives in the border town of Boten in Laos on July 19, 2022. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) The medical train of the People's Liberation Army of China crosses the border with Laos by running through the Friendship Tunnel of China-Laos Railway, and arrives in the border town of Boten in Laos on July 19, 2022. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) The medical train of the People's Liberation Army of China arrives in the border town of Boten in Laos on July 19, 2022. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) Aerial photo taken on July 19, 2022 shows the medical train of the People's Liberation Army of China cross the border with Laos by running through the Friendship Tunnel of China-Laos Railway. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China is welcomed in Vientiane, Laos, on July 19, 2022. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) The medical train of the People's Liberation Army of China crosses the border with Laos by running through the Friendship Tunnel of China-Laos Railway, and arrives in the border town of Boten in Laos on July 19, 2022. A medical team of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Laos to join the Lao People's Army to carry out the "Peace Train-2022" joint humanitarian medical rescue and services drills. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) MACAO, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) reported no new COVID-19 cases in the community on Thursday, according to the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of Macao on Friday. A total of five people in Macao tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, with all of them detected while under quarantine, the center said. Starting Saturday, industrial and commercial businesses in Macao could resume limited operation for a week while following epidemic control rules issued by the government, according to an instruction by Macao SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng. Businesses were asked to suspend operation starting July 11 to curb the spread of COVID-19, excluding essential businesses. Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, said residents could gradually resume their normal lives in the coming week and that the government would consider further easing social restrictions if the epidemic remains under control during this period. As of Thursday, a total of 1,800 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in the latest outbreak since June 19, with 697 of them having developed symptoms. As of Friday, six people had died after testing positive for the virus, the center said. ISTANBUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine separately signed a deal in Istanbul Friday with Turkiye and the United Nations to resume grain shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea. The deal was first signed by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and later by Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov with the other two sides. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended the ceremony. The first round of negotiations among military delegations of Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine, and the United Nations representatives concluded last week with an agreement on the basic principles of the shipment process through the Black Sea. The sides also agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul to conduct and control the shipment process. According to the state-run Anadolu agency, the deal will allow approximately 20 million tons of grain waiting at the ports in Ukraine to be shipped to the world via the Black Sea. SAMI Composites, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), has announced that it has signed an agreement with leading global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin to develop a composites manufacturing centre of excellence in Riyadh with the support of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), to boost Saudi Arabias aerospace manufacturing capabilities. The Composites Manufacturing Center of Excellence forms part of SAMIs efforts to develop a sustainable and self-sufficient defense industries sector in Saudi Arabia, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 goal of localizing more than 50% of the Kingdoms expenditure on defense equipment and services by the year 2030, said a statement from SAMI. The new plant will help Saudi Arabia build its aerospace manufacturing capabilities to produce cutting-edge solutions in the future. SAMI Composites and Lockheed Martin will assess and develop the center in a phased manner and will also focus on national talent development, it added. The agreement was inked on the sidelines of the 2022 edition of Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) in the United Kingdom by CEO Engineer Walid Abukhaled and Ray Piselli, Vice President of International Business at Lockheed Martin, in the presence of Ahmad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI. Commenting on the deal, Al Ohali said: "GAMI supports strategic cooperation, such as these, between local manufacturers and global industry Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). We look forward to the Composites Manufacturing Center of Excellence further bolstering Saudi Arabias strategic autonomy within the air domain, and more broadly in the defense sector." Abukhaled said: Our relationship with Lockheed Martin has proven invaluable across the years, and today marks another milestone for our two companies and for Saudi Arabias promising aerospace sector. Ray Piselli, Vice President for International Business at Lockheed Martin, commented: Lockheed Martin is committed to partnering with SAMI in its efforts to achieve Saudi Arabias Vision 2030. Through industrial partnerships, specialized knowledge transfer programs, and human capital development initiatives, we will continue our efforts to develop the Saudi industry. John Flavin, CEO of SAMI Composites, said it will be Saudi Arabias composites manufacturing hub furnished with state-of-the-art equipment and materials. The new facility will develop a skilled Saudi workforce to produce in-demand composite components and assemblies for both defense and commercial aerospace platforms, he added.-TradeArabia News Service CHIKANKATA, Zambia, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Thursday signed with China two protocols on sanitary and phytosanitary export of soya bean meal and stevia leaves to the Asian country. The protocols were signed by Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Du Xiaohui and Zambia's Minister of Agriculture Mtolo Phiri in the southern district of Chikankata in the presence of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema who said it was a mark of true friendship between China and Zambia. "We are very delighted and excited about this situation. We are very delighted that we have another market for our agricultural products," said the president, noting that the move will ensure more trade cooperation between the two countries, which will create more jobs in Zambia. The Chinese envoy said after signing the two protocols that China will strengthen its cooperation with Zambia in the agriculture sector. Earlier in the day, Hichilema toured the Kafue Lower Gorge Power Station, a Chinese-built hydropower plant. The project was a milestone in the relationship between the two countries, said the president. The construction of the 750 megawatts power plant is nearing completion, as four of the five generators are already commissioned and the fifth will be finished by the end of this year. DAMASCUS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli missile strike on the Syrian capital of Damascus at late night on Thursday, reported the state news agency SANA. Explosions were heard in Damascus after the Israeli attack and the firing of the Syrian air defense missiles, it said. The Israeli attack targetted sites in the urban and rural areas of Damascus, according to the report. Israel has repeatedly targeted Syrian military sites during the 11-year Syrian civil war under the pretext of targeting pro-Iran militias. UNITED NATIONS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has allocated 1 million U.S. dollars to help 340,000 people in areas affected by Rift Valley Fever in Burundi, a UN spokesman said on Friday. Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths, the UN emergency relief coordinator, released the funds for projects focused on controlling spread of the disease, primarily affecting livestock, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "The loss of cattle for farmers could lead to people losing assets and sources of income, pushing entire families deeper into poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition," Haq said. The money will go towards projects focused on controlling the spread of the disease and ensuring food security. The livestock industry in Burundi accounts for 14 percent of the country's gross domestic product, the spokesman told a regular briefing. He also said this year's 182-million-U.S.-dollar Burundi Humanitarian Response Plan is only 5.1 percent funded to assist 957,000 people urgently needing help. "Roughly half of the people who we hope to reach live in areas where Rift Valley Fever is prevalent," Haq said. A Ukrainian soldier covers an armored vehicle with branches in Donbass on April 12, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua) The newly announced package brings total U.S. commitment of security assistance for Ukraine to approximately 8.2 billion dollars since the start of the Biden administration. WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The White House announced Friday that the United States will provide Ukraine with an additional package of security assistance worth 270 million U.S. dollars. According to a factsheet issued by the Department of Defense, the new round of aid includes four "High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems" (HIMARS) and additional ammunition for the HIMARS, four command post vehicles, 36,000 rounds of 105mm ammunition, 3,000 anti-armor weapons as well as up to 580 "Phoenix Ghost" tactical unmanned aerial systems. Part of the package, totaling 175 million dollars, will be approved directly by President Joe Biden under the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), the Pentagon said, with the remaining 95 million dollars coming from the Department of Defense-led Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds. While weapons approved by the PDA are drawn directly from existing Pentagon stocks, the USAI is an authority under which the U.S. government procures weapons from the industry via contracts. The newly announced package brings total U.S. commitment of security assistance for Ukraine to approximately 8.2 billion dollars since the start of the Biden administration, according to the factsheet. A U.S. Border Patrol agent walks to his vehicle while patrolling near a newly-built section of the border wall between Mexico and the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas, the United States, Jan. 7, 2022. (Photo by Nick Wagner/Xinhua) "Of course, the political class's main problem in resolving the challenge of illegal immigration is that voters mistrust both immigrants and the employers that would like to hire them," says The Washington Post. NEW YORK, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Illegal immigration from Mexico has rebounded following a decade and a half of shrinking numbers, raising anew the perennial, vexing question about the U.S. response: no fix so far although the way to fix is widely known, reported The Washington Post on Thursday. "The American political class -- Democrats and Republicans -- has ducked behind a wildly unrealistic promise to seal the border and stop would-be immigrants on the other side. Immigrants, understandably, have refused to comply," said the report. After years of failed attempts to regulate the issue, U.S. voters' confidence in the immigration system collapsed. And border enforcement -- hundreds of miles of fencing, drones, sensors and a border patrol that has swelled to some 20,000 agents from about 5,000 in the mid-1990s -- was left as the only tool to manage migration flows, according to the report. "Of course, the political class's main problem in resolving the challenge of illegal immigration is that voters mistrust both immigrants and the employers that would like to hire them," it said. Meanwhile, many Americans without a college degree perceive immigration as an existential threat, and proposals to open a broad legal path for more immigrants to live and work temporarily in the United States are hotly contested, it added. ISTANBUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine signed a long-awaited deal here on Friday to safely transfer Ukrainian grain, foodstuff, and fertilizer to international markets under the supervision of the United Nations. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed respectively with Turkiye under the UN auspices, would allow significant volumes of commercial food and fertilizer exports from three key ports in the Black Sea -- Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny, the UN said in a statement on its website. "It is a beacon of hope," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after attending the signing ceremony in Istanbul, adding "it will help avoid a food shortage catastrophe for millions worldwide ... It must be fully implemented." The ceremony was also attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was committed to facilitating a solid outcome from rounds of talks his country hosted for Russia and Ukraine over the past two months. "We are talking about 25 million tonnes of grain," Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters after the ceremony, noting that the need for a safe transport corridor to transfer these products by sea was urgent. A Joint Coordination Center will be established in Istanbul to monitor implementation in Istanbul including representatives from Turkiye, Russia and Ukraine, said the UN statement. According to a copy of the agreement released by Andrii Sybiha, deputy head of the Ukrainian President's Office, the deal will be effective for 120 days and can be renewed for the same duration unless one of the signing parties terminates. "All properly identified and accredited trade vessels will be guaranteed safe passage from the three Ukrainian ports," and will be inspected by a team with members from all parties, it said. Ukraine is among the world's leading grain exporters, supplying more than 45 million tons annually to the global market, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). UN reports revealed that more than 800 million people around the world at the moment directly face the possibility of hunger, and the numbers could rise. Ukraine and Russia are breadbaskets of the world, producing almost one-third of the world's wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil. Russia is also a top global exporter of fertilizers and the raw materials for its production, Guterres' press office said in a note to correspondents. ABUJA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people have been killed following a collision involving two buses and a car on a busy road in Nigeria's northern state of Kaduna, a traffic police official said Friday. The collision Thursday was caused by speeding and dangerous overtaking, Abdulrahman Husaini Yakasai, assistant commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Kaduna, told Xinhua over the phone. A huge fire erupted due to the impact of the collision, and most of the victims died in the blaze, he said. "Those that sustained injuries have been rushed to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria by our men," Yakasai said. He did not give a number of the injured, many with severe burns, in the collision, which occurred on a road at the Hawan Mai Mashi community in Kaduna state's Makarfi local government area. Yakasai said the police are working to obtain the manifest and details of the passengers to help identify the dead victims, many burned beyond recognition. Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving. YANGON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and one other injured after the boundary wall of a government high school collapsed in southeastern Myanmar's Mawlamyine city on Friday morning, according to local police. "The boundary brick wall fell on the shops opened near it, and some people in the shops got trapped under the debris. Three women and two men died on the spot, and one man got injured," a police officer from Mon State told Xinhua. Caused by the heavy rains, the collapsed brick wall fell on the shops near the school in Mawlamyine city, a rescue worker from Yamanya Emergency Rescue Team told Xinhua, adding that the wall fell on some seven shops nearby, he said. Rescue work was launched immediately, and the injured man was sent to hospital, according to the rescue team. SUVA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has reported 228 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days. Fiji's Ministry of Health confirmed that of the 228 new COVID-19 cases recorded since Tuesday, 74 cases were reported in the central part of Fiji, 122 cases in the western part and 32 cases in the northern part, according to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Friday. Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said that they need to escalate community-wide adoption of COVID-19 safety measures together with immunization. The ministry expressed the hope that 80 percent of the eligible people aged 18 years and above can get their booster shots. As of Thursday, a total of 150,479 or 48 percent of booster-eligible people in Fiji have so far received their third dose while 14,843 people have been administered the fourth dose. Fiji has recently brought back many COVID-19 safety measures in hospitals, health centers and other workplaces due to rising COVID-19 cases. Schools around Fiji have also been asked to reinforce COVID-19 safety measures as students returned to school for another term on Monday. Fiji, with a population of around 900,000, has recorded more than 66,000 COVID-19 cases with 870 deaths since March 2020 when it recorded its first confirmed case. NEW DELHI, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The third case of Monkeypox was confirmed Friday in India's southern state of Kerala, officials said. The patient has been identified as a 35-year-old man, who returned from UAE earlier this month. The man is undergoing treatment at Manjeri Medical College hospital in the Malappuram district. Doctors have isolated people who have come in contact with him and said they were being constantly monitored. The condition of the patient was stable, local media quoted Kerala health minister Veena George as saying. On Monday the second Monkeypox case was detected in the state's Kannur district. He arrived from Dubai on July 13. Prior to this, on July 14, the country's first Monkeypox case was detected in the state's Kollam district. The patient had travelled from UAE. Following the detection of the first Monkeypox case, the federal government rushed a multi-disciplinary team of senior doctors to the state to help investigate the outbreak and initiate requisite public health measures. The brain behind several hit films in Tamil, Pa Ranjith is forcing us to confront caste in all its complexities. Smitha R | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles NEW DELHI A filmmaker from the Tamil film industry is taking forward Dalit leader and social reformer B.R. Ambedkars clarion call for the marginalised to Educate, Agitate and Organize. Ambedkar gave the call to Dalits and other oppressed communities to drive home his point that only a mass movement can upend Indias entrenched caste oppression. Tamil Filmmaker and director Pa Ranjith is doing the same by shoving caste into the consciousness of the masses through his movies. His chosen weapon of agitation is Tamil films. Ranjith is bringing together creative talent in the community to bring to the fore hitherto unexplored cultural, linguistic and culinary aspects of the marginalised. Earlier this year, he told The Print that he decided to direct movies because his lifestyle and that of his people were not being represented. After so many years of independence, where is the space for Dalits in the mainstream? Especially in the cultural movement and arts?, Ranjith questioned. His craft Ranjiths films are known to portray caste realities and showcase the life of the marginalised. His genius lies in the hidden subtle symbolism that dots his movies: a picture of Ambedkar here, a statue of Buddha there, the dominance of the colour blue (a symbol of Dalit identity), among others. The opening sequence of his 2016 hit movie Kabali shows the protagonist (Rajnikanth) reading the book My Father Balaiah by Professor YB Satyanarayana, a Dalit author. The book is a biography of a Dalit family. This is just one of the many ways Ranjith has tried to promote the work of Dalits and encourage his audience to examine caste oppression. Ranjith has clarified in several interviews that unlike many others before him who explored caste but through an alternate medium, he wants to be part of the mainstream to assert the identity of the marginalised and tell their stories in all their complexities. I am not particularly interested in working from an alternate platform. If we have to communicate with the masses, it is important to stay in the mainstream and share our narratives, he told HuffPost in 2019. Despite his activism, Ranjith does not like to be called a Dalit filmmaker. I dont want to be known as a Dalit filmmaker. I touch upon caste inequalities in my films because Ive been affected by it, he told Indian Express in 2016 while speaking on the success of his movie Kabali. Ranjiths movies stay away from the patronising and pitiful approaches in which the stories of the marginalised are told and are an attempt to correct the near absence of Dalit history and existence in popular culture except through caricatural representation. Caste influence The 39-year-old filmmaker grew up in Chennais suburbs in a one-room house that was built by then government of MG Ramachandran. During his formative years, Ranjith has recounted several instances of casteism both overt and covert. He remembers his mother Gunavathy advising him to not speak about his caste. When he first entered the Tamil film industry, this was the advice that several other well-wishers gave him. But Ranjith did not bother to follow. A student of animation at an Arts College in Chennai, he was introduced to Dalit politics and literature through his brother Prabhu, a lawyer associated with a Dalit organisation. Since then Ranjith has read extensively on the Dalit movement, politics and Ambedkar. Showcasing culture of the marginalised Ranjith has not restricted himself to movies to take forward the fight against caste. His YouTube channel Neelam Social regularly questions deeply entrenched caste inequalities and showcases the culture of the marginalised. It had a show exclusively covering Dalit food and a talk on how meat politics affects the marginalised. He has a library on Ambedkar and his musical rap band The Caste Collective brings the folk song, music, dance and musical instruments of the marginalised to the masses. The 19-member band churns out songs that ask uncomfortable questions on manual scavenging, and reservation among others. His publication house has helped bring out several Dalit and Muslim talents to the fore. Ranjiths activism has had consequences. He has police complaints filed against him for questioning the caste oppressions perpetuated by popular historical figures and pointing out the caste exploitations that are entrenched in revered Hindu traditions. He remains unfazed by the criticisms. Ranjith is determined to carry forward his work that perhaps could one day truly lead to Ambedkars dream of annihilation of caste. Smitha R is a journalist who has covered health, environment and social issues for over a decade for leading national and international media. She tweets at @SmithaR12 SEOUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Friday protested against Japan's renewed territorial claims to the disputed islets lying halfway between the two countries, called Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima by Japan. The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that the government strongly protests against the Japanese government's repeated inclusion of unjust sovereignty claims over Dokdo through Japan's 2022 defense white paper released earlier in the day. The ministry noted that Dokdo is clearly an integral part of the South Korean territory in terms of history, geography and international law, urging the Japanese government to immediately withdraw such claims. "The Japanese government should be clearly aware that repeatedly making unjust claims over Dokdo is no way conducive to the efforts to establish a future-oriented relationship between South Korea and Japan," the statement said. The South Korean ministry said the government makes it clear once again that the Japanese government's unjust claims do not and will not have any impact on the South Korean sovereignty over Dokdo, adding that it will respond firmly to any provocation over Dokdo. Since 2005, Japan has laid territorial claims to the rocky outcroppings every year in its diplomatic blue and defense white papers. South Korea restored its sovereignty over Dokdo after the Korean Peninsula's liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese colonization. Seoul has since been in effective control of the islets, with a small police detachment deployed. South Koreans see Japan's territorial claims to the islets as the denial of the colonial history as Dokdo was the very first territory that was forcibly occupied by the Imperial Japan. Passengers are seen at a subway station in Berlin, Germany, on July 21, 2022. Germany registered 136,624 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, bringing the total count to over 30 million cases. Thursday's figure was around 16,000 less than a week ago, the Robert Koch Institute has said. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua) BERLIN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Germany registered 136,624 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, bringing the total count to over 30 million cases. Thursday's figure was around 16,000 less than a week ago, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has said. However, experts believe that the number of unreported cases is high due to less testing. Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach estimated in June that the actual number of cases was probably around double of those reported to authorities. Germany stopped providing its citizens with free PCR testing at the end of June. The country's official COVID-19 figures only include positive PCR tests. "I would have liked to (keep PCR testing) free, but we could no longer afford it," Lauterbach said. The upward trend in COVID-19 infections is also reflected in sick leave figures. Within one month, the number of people unable to turn up for work almost doubled to 123 per 10,000 insured persons at the beginning of June, according to Barmer Ersatzkasse, one of Germany's largest public insurers. By the end of 2021, one in ten adults in Germany had been infected with COVID-19, according to a study by the RKI. "This relatively low infection rate after a pandemic duration of around two years can be seen as a success of the measures taken to contain the pandemic," it said. The study calls for "continued focus on improving protection against SARS-CoV-2 through more vaccination, especially with booster vaccines." Of the 69.4 million adults in Germany aged 18 and older, around 85 percent are vaccinated against COVID-19. Almost three in four people have received one booster shot, while just over 9 percent have received two booster doses, according to official figures. Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) currently only recommends a second COVID-19 booster shot to people over 70 years of age, residents in care facilities, people with immunodeficiency and medical staff. STIKO did not support Lauterbach's suggestion to extend the recommendation to people under 60. "I think it is bad to make medical recommendations under the motto 'a lot helps a lot,'" Thomas Mertens, head of STIKO, said last week, adding that he was not aware of any data justifying such advice. The president of the World Medical Association (WMA), Frank Ulrich Montgomery, on the other hand, agreed with Germany's health minister. "We should use every opportunity to improve the immunity of the population," he said. Passengers wearing face masks are seen at a subway station in Berlin, Germany, on July 21, 2022. Germany registered 136,624 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, bringing the total count to over 30 million cases. Thursday's figure was around 16,000 less than a week ago, the Robert Koch Institute has said. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua) BARCELONA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters in Spain have successfully contained wildfires in Catalonia, Segovia, Zaragoza and Avila this week, but elsewhere in the country dozens of blazes continued. Extreme wildfires are here to stay, Narcis Prat, emeritus professor in ecology at the University of Barcelona, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "We don't know exactly what will happen, there are always doubts, and climate models are sometimes wrong, but everything suggests that we're moving towards a situation of higher temperatures, heat waves, more irregular precipitation less in quantity but very intense at times," he said. "This is a new scenario we'll have to adapt to." This year alone, 193,247 hectares of forest areas burned in Spain, the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) said on Wednesday. This is a new record, surpassing the 189,367 hectares recorded in 2012. "In large part this is due to a lack of woodland management," Prat said."For many years, woodlands have been neglected because doing anything with them was very expensive, they were difficult to access, and all this wasn't profitable." "The main lesson is that we need to manage woodlands differently. We must avoid large masses of trees. Instead, trees should be mixed with undergrowth, meadows and agricultural fields to make what is called a forest mosaic. This would make it very difficult for wildfires to spread." However, since climate change mainly means rising temperatures, Prat warned that unless authorities around the world reduce carbon emissions radically in a short period of time, the situation is likely to get worse. "What we've seen here this year with so many heat waves is something that scientists believed wasn't going to happen for another five to ten years. Things have accelerated and scientists are worried that the forecasts they made for 2030 or 2050 are arriving more quickly," Prat said. On Friday morning, firefighters were still trying to control three wildfires that together covered some 31,000 hectares in Galicia, while two new fires started on the island of Tenerife and in Guadalix de la Sierra in the region of Madrid. People stand outside a store in Chernihiv, Ukraine, July 13, 2022. (Photo by Roman Petushkov/Xinhua) - Deal on Ukraine's grain exports to be signed to resolve food crisis - Russia's aerospace forces hit temporary deployment point of Ukrainian troops - EU imposes more sanctions on Russia BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: An agreement to resume grain shipment from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea will be signed in Turkiye on Friday in a bid to resolve a global food crisis, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed on Thursday. "Tomorrow, we will take the first step in Istanbul towards the solution of the food crisis affecting the whole world, together with the UN secretary-general, the delegations of Russia and Ukraine," Cavusoglu tweeted. "We will continue our efforts to resolve the conflict," he said. - - - - Russia's aerospace forces hit a temporary deployment point of Ukrainian troops at a recreation center in Ukraine's Odessa region, killing over 600 fighters, among whom were 120 foreign mercenaries, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. The high-precision strike was launched on Saturday, said the ministry in a statement. Meanwhile, another strike on Sunday hit a temporary deployment point of a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces, located in the city of Nikolaev, killing over 320, it added. Photo taken on July 13, 2022 shows a building in Chernihiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Roman Petushkov/Xinhua) - - - - Ukraine's drone strikes, which target nuclear facilities (controlled by Russian army) in Ukraine, could provoke a nuclear catastrophe in all of Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Ukraine is continuing to conduct "provocations," which pose threats to nuclear facilities in the country, the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during her weekly briefing. "Ukraine's armed forces launched a drone attack on the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on July 18," Zakharova said. - - - - The European Union on Thursday imposed more sanctions on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine, including a ban on gold imports and the tightening of export controls on high-technology goods. The "reinforced, prolonged EU sanctions against the Kremlin send a strong signal to Moscow: we will keep the pressure high for as long as it takes," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has tweeted. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell described the additional sanctions as "another important step to curtail Russia's capacity to continue and finance its war of aggression against Ukraine." A resident passes by destroyed buildings in Lysychansk, Lugansk region, July 4, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua) - - - - The conflict in Ukraine did not start with a Russian special military operation, but began several years earlier, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with France-Presse News Agency on Thursday. He noted that in 2015, after lengthy negotiations of the Normandy Format countries -- namely Ukraine, Germany, Russia and France -- in the capital of Belarus, the Minsk agreements on the ceasefire in Donbass were signed, adding that if the agreements had been fulfilled by the Ukrainian authorities, the conflict would not break out today. Lukashenko also recalled that before the start of the special operation, Russia had repeatedly asked the West to provide security guarantees, but got no positive answer. The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015, outline the steps needed to end the conflict between the Ukrainian government troops and local armed groups in Donbass. Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye Mustafa Sentop (C), Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova (L), and Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf pose for a photo at the Second Trilateral Meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, in Istanbul, Turkiye, on July 21, 2022. The new century is the "Asian century" filled with opportunities, said parliamentary speakers of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan in a meeting here on Thursday. (Xinhua) ISTANBUL, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The new century is the "Asian century" filled with opportunities, said parliamentary speakers of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan in a meeting here on Thursday. "World's geo-politics and economic centers are shifting towards Asia, and it's happening fast," said Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye Mustafa Sentop at the Second Trilateral Meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. "Without a doubt, the emergence of the New Silk Road will add a great haste to the development and rejuvenation of the region," Sentop said. "And in that project, our new initiative Middle (Transport) Corridor will be taking an important part through our new transport routes and energy transfer infrastructure investments," he added. The trilateral meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening comprehensive cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, especially in areas that would contribute to regional connectivity, transportation, trade, energy, relations between peoples, education, social and cultural exchange, and tourism. With most of its lands in Asia and parts in Europe, Turkiye has been investing heavily in the Middle Corridor initiative that would act as a bridge between China and Europe through railroads, with more efficient transfer than the northern land routes or the southern naval route of Suez Canal. BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: An agreement to resume grain shipment from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea will be signed in Turkiye on Friday in a bid to resolve a global food crisis, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed on Thursday. "Tomorrow, we will take the first step in Istanbul towards the solution of the food crisis affecting the whole world, together with the UN secretary-general, the delegations of Russia and Ukraine," Cavusoglu tweeted. "We will continue our efforts to resolve the conflict," he said. - - - - Russia's aerospace forces hit a temporary deployment point of Ukrainian troops at a recreation center in Ukraine's Odessa region, killing over 600 fighters, among whom were 120 foreign mercenaries, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. The high-precision strike was launched on Saturday, said the ministry in a statement. Meanwhile, another strike on Sunday hit a temporary deployment point of a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces, located in the city of Nikolaev, killing over 320, it added. - - - - Ukraine's drone strikes, which target nuclear facilities (controlled by Russian army) in Ukraine, could provoke a nuclear catastrophe in all of Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Ukraine is continuing to conduct "provocations," which pose threats to nuclear facilities in the country, the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during her weekly briefing. "Ukraine's armed forces launched a drone attack on the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on July 18," Zakharova said. - - - - The European Union on Thursday imposed more sanctions on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine, including a ban on gold imports and the tightening of export controls on high-technology goods. The "reinforced, prolonged EU sanctions against the Kremlin send a strong signal to Moscow: we will keep the pressure high for as long as it takes," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has tweeted. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell described the additional sanctions as "another important step to curtail Russia's capacity to continue and finance its war of aggression against Ukraine." - - - - The conflict in Ukraine did not start with a Russian special military operation, but began several years earlier, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with France-Presse News Agency on Thursday. He noted that in 2015, after lengthy negotiations of the Normandy Format countries -- namely Ukraine, Germany, Russia and France -- in the capital of Belarus, the Minsk agreements on the ceasefire in Donbass were signed, adding that if the agreements had been fulfilled by the Ukrainian authorities, the conflict would not break out today. Lukashenko also recalled that before the start of the special operation, Russia had repeatedly asked the West to provide security guarantees, but got no positive answer. The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015, outline the steps needed to end the conflict between the Ukrainian government troops and local armed groups in Donbass. ISTANBUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "good news" would be delivered on grain exports with the signing of a deal with Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations on Friday. "With the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General and the Russian and Ukrainian representatives, the signatures will be put, and the problems related to the agricultural corridor will be overcome," said Erdogan when participating in an event in Istanbul. "With these signatures, we will give the good news to the world," he added. Turkiye's presidential office earlier announced that Erdogan and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would be present at the signing ceremony, which will start at 4:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) at the presidency's Dolmabahce office. The agreement will allow the resumption of grain and other foodstuff shipments from Ukraine to international markets through the Black Sea. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has arrived in Istanbul to attend the ceremony, according to press reports. The plane carrying the Russian delegation landed at Istanbul Airport at around 1:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) on Friday, the Ihlas news agency reported. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has also reportedly arrived to sign the agreement. The first round of negotiations among military delegations of Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine, and the United Nations representatives concluded last week with an agreement on the basic principles of the shipment process through the Black Sea. The sides had also agreed on establishing a coordination center to conduct the entire shipment process in Istanbul where all the parties will be present. Turkiye's involvement in this process is significantly important as the country has been controlling the maritime traffic of the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the Black Sea to the rest of the world. MEXICO CITY, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ruled out on Thursday that his country is in violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, following a request for consultations by its partners regarding energy policy. "We are going to make it clear that there is no treaty violation," the president said during his daily press conference, adding that his administration has "many, many elements" to present in response to the request. "We can have trade relations, but our policies are determined in Mexico, according to our Constitution and laws," he said. The U.S. and Canadian governments have claimed that Mexico uses discriminatory practices in energy matters, which harm international companies and cross-border supplies. They have separately requested consultations with "certain common elements," according to Mexico's Secretariat of Economy. The partners have 75 days to resolve the controversy, and if they fail to reach an agreement, the matter could be escalated to the establishment of a panel. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement on July 1, 2020, updating such aspects as digital trade, automotive rules of origin and energy market operation. BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), has refuted recent misleading statements made by some U.S. officials to slander China's foreign aid policy. Luo made the remarks at the Anti-Corruption Forum on Global Development Cooperation, jointly organized by the CIDCA and the Ministry of Commerce, on Thursday. Speaking at the forum, he said China has always attached great importance to foreign aid over the past 73 years and yielded rich fruits, whereas the United States often writes "empty checks" of assistance to seek personal gains and to openly interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. He pointed out that the United States has a poor foreign aid record, making it difficult to win the trust of the world. The United States never shies away from using aid as a tool to advance its own interests and to openly meddle in the internal affairs of other countries, Luo said. The U.S. side has put forward at least 60 foreign aid initiatives in recent years, Luo said, adding that though the initiatives appear to offer substantial funding, they are difficult to implement and are "empty promises" or merely a game of numbers. China's foreign aid policy, in contrast, has no political strings attached and helps recipient countries build their self-development capacity, Luo said. He added that China's foreign aid policy has made a significant contribution to promoting the common development of the world, particularly toward the improvement of the economic, social and living conditions of people in developing countries. China has actively responded to the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), with debt service payment suspensions of more than 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the G20's total debt service suspension, making it the largest contributor to DSSI, Luo said. "We believe that in the face of setbacks in the global economic recovery, uncertainties brought about by the epidemic and the worsening food crisis, all countries should work together to overcome difficulties," Luo added. Photo taken on July 21, 2022 shows a public hearing held by the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Al Drago/Pool via Xinhua) WASHINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A pair of former White House officials appeared in front of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol at a prime-time hearing Thursday night. Former U.S. deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger and former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews provided testimony as investigators on the panel detailed what then President Donald Trump did throughout the violent event. "I thought that Jan. 6, 2021, was one of the darkest days in our nation's history and President Trump was treating it as a celebratory occasion," Matthews said. She and Pottinger were among a series of Trump administration officials who resigned that day in response to the Republican's actions. The committee has held eight public hearings in June and July. Democratic Chairman of the congressional committee Bennie Thompson said there are more hearings to come in September. Trump's allies and supporters have denounced the inquiry as a political "witch hunt" designed to undermine him and the Republican Party. On Jan. 6 last year, thousands of individuals, mostly Trump's supporters, stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and disrupted a joint session of Congress in the process of affirming the 2020 presidential election results. Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted in the Capitol attack, including about 80 U.S. Capitol Police and 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department. Authorities have linked at least five deaths to the mayhem. The worst attack on Congress in more than 200 years, the siege led to Trump's second impeachment by the House shortly before his term officially ended. Photo taken on July 21, 2022 shows a public hearing held by the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Al Drago/Pool via Xinhua) OTTAWA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said on Thursday that the government is partnering with community-based organizations to address monkeypox outbreak in the country. In a news release, the PHAC announced a total of 350,000 Canadian dollars (280,000 U.S. dollars) to support community-based organizations in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa, the regions most impacted by the monkeypox outbreak. The health agency confirmed 604 cases of monkeypox in the country as of Wednesday. "Every community has its unique ways of sharing information," said Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos in the news release, adding that this funding will enable the organizations to amplify what they are already doing, increasing and maintaining awareness about the risks of monkeypox and sharing information in the most effective and compelling ways possible. The funding will help the organizations, which work with gay and bisexual men, increase their capacity to respond to the expressed needs of their communities for prevention, education, awareness, and anti-stigma activities, the PHAC said. The agency said it is working closely with provincial and territorial public health partners to ensure coordination of the national strategic response, and that provinces and territories determine their immunization programs based on their unique circumstances. According to the PHAC, as of July 18, Quebec has administered 12,553 doses of vaccine to high-risk individuals. The majority of Quebec regions have opened vaccination to the population at risk. Monkeypox is a viral disease that can spread from person to person through close contact including sexual contact, with an infected person's skin, bodily fluids, mucosal surfaces, and contaminated objects, such as sex toys, or shared personal items, such as clothing, linens, bedding, towels, toothbrushes, and utensils, according to the PHAC. ISLAMABAD : Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary-General Zhang Ming is visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to attend the SCO annual summit, which will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 1516. Zhang Ming is in Pakistan for three days starting on Friday, The News reported. As per reports, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part the summit, which will offer an opportunity to the prime ministers of Pakistan and India to come face-to-face. An accidental meeting between Shehbaz and Modi couldn't be ruled out given that both men would be in the same complex for two days, highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here on Thursday. "Considering that India hasn't yet sought one, no formal meeting between the two has been scheduled. If such a request is made, Pakistan will respond favourably "sources said. The group's full members are China, Pakistan, Russia, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The new group chair has already listed the group's goals and objectives. These include initiatives to increase the organization's potential and power, maintain regional peace and stability, combat poverty, and provide food security. Discussions will also focus on creating a strategy for the growth of intra-regional commerce, which will include steps to remove trade obstacles, unify technical regulations, and digitalize customs processes. Imran Khan slams Pakistan govt over ongoing economic crisis Sharif to reduce 'PM of Islamabad': PTI leader post victory in Punjab bypolls New Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in Iraq observed July 21 as a national day of mourning for the "martyrs" who were killed on account of the "brutal Turkish bombing" of a mountain resort in Kurdistan's Dohuk province on Wednesday. The attack resulted in the death of 8 tourists and had injured more than 24 people. Having vowed to "bring the aggressors accountable," Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi personally accepted the victims' bodies on Thursday at the Baghdad International Airport. Al-Kadhimi had declared in a statement hours after the incident that "the Turkish Forces perpetrated a clear and obvious violation of the sovereignty of Iraq, and the lives and security of Iraq residents." He had also said that the "brutal attack reinforced the reality that Turkey disregarded Iraq's repeated requests to cease military violation against Iraqi land and the lives of its people." Al-Kadhimi, who serves as the country's commander-in-chief and called an urgent meeting of his Ministerial Council for National Security to "examine the repercussions," has stated that Iraq reserves its entire right to retaliate against the assault. The former head of intelligence agreed to a number of actions and instructed his Foreign Ministry to compile a thorough report on Turkey's ongoing violations of Iraqi sovereignty and to file a formal complaint to the UN Security Council as soon as possible. The Council also agreed to recall the Iraqi Charge d'Affaires from Ankara for consultation and halt ongoing proceedings for choosing a new Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey. In addition to recalling the Turkish Ambassador to Iraq to convey the censure. Iraq is also requesting that Turkey provide a formal apology and leave its territory with no military presence. While denying any involvement in the Dohuk bombings, Turkey maintains that Kurdish separatist groups, who are predominantly active in a region of northern Iraq and southeast Turkey, constitute a threat to its national security. Iraqi soldier, Islamic State militant killed in Iraq Saudi Arabia, Iraq sign electric power grids deal Shehbaz, Modi meeting may take place in Uzbekistan at SCO summit ANKARA: In a bid to resolve a global food crisis, a bilateral agreement to resume grain shipment from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea will be signed in Turkey on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has confirmed. Together with the UN secretary-general, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, we will take the first step toward resolving the global food crisis in Istanbul tomorrow, Cavusoglu tweeted on Thursday. The deal will be signed on Friday with participation from Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations, and Turkey, according to earlier statements by the Turkish presidency. "We will keep trying to settle the problem," Turkish presidency added. The signing ceremony will take place on Friday at 16:30 local time at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, and is anticipated to be attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The deal comes at a time when worries about a global food shortage are developing as a result of the extended Ukrainian crisis, which is partially to blame for the increases in food prices everywhere. The four parties held their first round of talks last week in Istanbul with the goal of importing grain from Ukraine to help with the global supply crisis. Iran at risk of dependence after hosting Putin Iran supports Putin as the US claims that Russia plans to invade more of Ukraine Putin visits Tehran for meeting as war in Ukraine continued Amsterdam: Dutch MP Geert Wilders, who has always raised his voice over terrorism and religious intolerance, has this time raised his voice over Islamic violence against Hindus in India and Bangladesh. The Dutch MP has called for this aspect to be addressed at the global level to support Hindus in Parliament. He also discussed the issue of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had received murder and rape threats on charges of "blasphemy." My Parliamentary Questions from today about the Muslim violence against #Hindus in #Bangladesh and #India, the lack of support for #NupurSharma and more international attention and support for Hindu safety and security. #HindusUnderAttack #HindusLivesMatter #Wilders pic.twitter.com/ovYoR11Upo Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) July 19, 2022 Wilders has shared documents on Twitter containing 13 important questions about Hindus, their safety and their support. He has written about the Muslim violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and India, not standing up in support of Nupur Sharma and giving more attention and support internationally for the safety of Hindus. Geert has also included in the list of questions the recent incidents of attacks on Hindus in India and demanded strict action against the accused. He has also highlighted the brutal killing of a Hindu tailor (Kanhaiyalal) by two Muslims for supporting Nupur Sharma. Wilders has asked the ministry to take an international stand, demanding that these issues be considered. At the same time, he also questioned the increasing atrocities on the minorities (Hindus) in Bangladesh. He asked the Ministry of External Affairs to consider incidents of setting fire to Hindu houses, places of worship and shops in Bangladesh. On July 15, 2022, a Hindu temple, grocery store and several houses were destroyed by a radical Islamic mob in the Sahapara area of Lohagara in Bangladesh. Police had said that the Facebook post of an 18-year-old Hindu boy incited Muslims to brutality, following which the incident was carried out by a Muslim mob after the Jumma prayers. The Dutch MP also said that he has been receiving death threats from several fundamentalists from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh for supporting Nupur Sharma. He asked Parliament, "What is your opinion on this? Will the suspects be traced and action should be taken against them? What international steps will you take for this?'' So this is what I get supporting the brave #NupurSharma. Hundreds of death threats. It makes me even more determined and proud supporting her. For evil may never win. Never. #IsupportNupurSharma pic.twitter.com/gsl6tnJAoF Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 11, 2022 Let us know that Geert Wilders, who supported Nupur Sharma, was threatened by the fanatics to hang him on the tower by cutting his neck. The MP himself had tweeted about these threats. He wrote, "So in return for supporting brave Nupur Sharma, I am getting all this. Hundreds of death threats. All this makes me even more proud that I supported Nupur. The devil will never win. Never.'' In this tweet, Geert Wilders once again used the #Isupportnupursharma tag and also put up some screenshots of the threats of the fundamentalists. Neeraj Chopra's eyes on world title Sri Lanka's assignation with China, India Putin, Saudi Crown Prince review bilateral ties The House of Representatives on Friday endorsed an amendment to Nepals citizenship law by majority votes. The bill will now move to the National Assembly before the president enacts this to become a part of the citizenship law. Over recent years, Nepals parliament and other stakeholders have talked a lot about the countrys citizenship law. The bill to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2006, had been pending in parliament since August 2018. The bill was discussed time and again, yet the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives was not able to build a consensus on the bill. Despite the discussions, even major political parties have been at odds over the provision to grant citizenship to foreign women married to Nepali men. Citing this, the government, as recently as July 5, withdrew the bill to amend the citizenship law. This brought a lot of criticism, but the government was so determined that it made the House pass the bill through a fast track method at the House of Representatives. In doing so, it has addressed three major issues concerning the citizenship law. They are explained here. 1. Statelessness of citizens by birth Representational sketch Before the constitution was drafted in 2015, the government would also issue citizenship by birth along with citizenship by descent and naturalised citizenship. This meant any child born within a countrys borders or territory was automatically granted citizenship in the country if the person did not have other citizenship. But, the government did not include that provision in the constitution, which means the children of those who got their citizenship by birth have not been able to get their citizenship. Addressing this, the proposed amendment to the citizenship law aims to give citizenship by descent to those born to parents with citizenship born to citizens by birth. This proposal seems to have been accepted by all major political parties. 2. Citizenship with the mothers name Sketch for representation: Many Nepalis have been deprived of citizenship due to problems in the citizenship law. The constitution states that the government can hand out citizenship to anyone with their mothers name. But, since the government has not made corresponding changes to the citizenship law, this constitutional provision has not been implemented yet. The proposed amended has addressed this too. Once the law is in effect, those who have not been able to get their citizenship through their mother will also be given citizenship by descent if he/she is living in Nepal. This even goes for people who do not know who their fathers are. For this, the mother has to self-declare that the father does not exist. But, if the declaration is false, the government will take action against as per law. 3. Citizenship to NRNs Non-resident Nepalis around the world had been repeatedly telling the government that they believe in the once a Nepali, always a Nepali slogan. Listening to them, the government has tried to address this in the amendment. Accordingly, a different type of citizenship would be given to them. The citizenship will give them economic, social and cultural rights. But, these people would not have any political rights, meaning these people cannot vote, contest an election and get appointed in public posts. Photo credit: Drew Angerer - Getty Images When the Supreme Court of the United States voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to an abortion, the future of other cases concerning the right to privacy immediately fell into question. These include Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision that protects the right of same-sex couples to marry. Last month, per CNBC, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion that the high court rulings involving gay rights and access to contraception should be reconsidered, as they were demonstrably erroneous decisions. Amid growing concern that the Supreme Court will act on Thomas recommendations and reverse these historic decisions, the House of Representatives took action this week. On Tuesday, July 19, the House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would codify and provide federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages nationwide. According to NBC News, the vote was 267-157, with all Democrats and 47 Republicans voting in favor. The bill also formally repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. [The Respect for Marriage Act] makes crystal clear that every couple and their children has the fundamental freedom to take pride in their marriage and have their marriage respected under the law, said Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor, per Politico. But what happens next? Here, we break down everything you need to know about the Respect for Marriage Act and the steps that need to be taken to ensure that President Biden signs this bill into law. What does it mean to codify same-sex marriage? According to Cornell Law Schools Legal Information Institute, codify is defined as a means to arrange laws or rules into a systematic code. Codifying same-sex and interracial marriage would establish marriage equality as federal law and safeguard the rulings federal protections. Story continues The Respect for Marriage Act would override any state legislatures against marriage equality, as it would block states from discriminating against marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. Similar bills have been passed in the House in an attempt to codify Roe v. Wade, but so far, theyve either failed in the Senate, or havent reached a vote yet. The bill was passed in the House. What happens next? The Respect for Marriage Act now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. According to CBS News, at least 10 Republicans need to vote in favor of the bill for it to advance but so far, the only Senate Republican in support of the Respect for Marriage Act is Senator Susan Collins of Maine. The bill could go to a filibuster, which means that it needs a supermajority of 60 votes to pass. However, its unclear when this vote will take place according to NBC News, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not confirm a timeframe on Tuesday. Does the White House support the Respect for Marriage Act? Yes. On Tuesday, July 19, the Office of Management and Budget released a statement in support of the bill. This legislation would secure marriage equality in the United States. The right to marriage confers vital legal protections, dignity, and full participation in our society. No person should face discrimination because of who they are or whom they love, and every married couple in the United States deserves the security of knowing that their marriage will be defended and respected, it read. President Biden took to Twitter on Tuesday night to express a similar response. The Supreme Court made it clear after they overturned Roe: the basic right to privacy right up to marrying who you love is at risk, he wrote. Last night, 47 Republicans and all House Democrats took an important step to codify every Americans right to marry into law. The Supreme Court made it clear after they overturned Roe: the basic right to privacy right up to marrying who you love is at risk. Last night, 47 Republicans and all House Democrats took an important step to codify every Americans right to marry into law. President Biden (@POTUS) July 20, 2022 You Might Also Like VILNIUS, LITHUANIA / ACCESSWIRE / July 21, 2022 / Oxylabs research shows companies are adopting web scraping at breakneck speeds despite legal concerns associated with the process. 80% of financial services businesses expect to shift more towards web scraping in the coming year. The trend rises to 85% among US organisations, but drops to 74% among UK businesses. However, concerns still remain, with risk of legal complications being the primary reason organisations do not use web scraping (37%). Complicated technology was another reason (35%) along with budget constraints (35%). Four in five financial service organisations expect to shift their focus more towards web scraping in the coming 12 months, according to the findings from Oxylabs ' white paper, Alternative Data Unlocks Key Decisions in the UK & US Finance Industries . Among the main reasons given for such a shift were enriching the data they have available, making extraction more efficient, and getting access to a larger volume of information through web scraping. The findings highlight the important role data collection plays in helping financial organisations gain valuable insight into their performance, as well as key industry trends. As a result, web scraping providers should look to accommodate the increasing volume of financial services companies who want to put further emphasis on the process, while acting quickly to alleviate their lingering concerns. Gediminas Rickevicius, VP of Global Partnerships at Oxylabs, said: "It seems like over the last 12 months the attitude towards web scraping has changed drastically, and while it is not surprising, it is incredibly telling. Companies in the finance sector are seeing others gain an informational advantage through new data acquisition methods. To keep up, companies need to make the shift themselves. "The results also highlight a clear distinction between the US and UK, with companies in the US more enthusiastic about the shift (86% vs 74%) than UK businesses. Such a wide margin of difference is hard to explain purely from a technological adoption perspective. It may be influenced, however, by online data being primarily US-driven, making web scraping slightly more useful for information gathering purposes." Story continues While web scraping is on the rise, a number of businesses still associate it with risk. Potential legal issues have previously been one of the primary concerns. This is still the case, with legal complications remaining the number one issue (38%) for those who are yet to implement web scraping. Complicated technology (36%) and budget constraints follow suit (36%) with lack of technical expertise (34%) also figuring prominently. Vaidotas Sedys, Head of Risk Management at Oxylabs said: "Risk is inherent to all new technologies, as pioneering a field means there are no footsteps to follow. However, any web scraping risks can be greatly mitigated by applying data collection and management best practices, and by employing legal and risk professionals. These practices may take some time to get used to, but they will ensure the organisation derives consistent ROI from web scraping." US companies are more concerned by legal complications than their UK counterparts (43% vs 34%). This could be due to organisations perceiving legal processes as more stringent and demanding in the US, causing companies to be extra wary about implementing such practices. "The finance sector has always used data as a key tool for making important decisions. However, the findings in our research have revealed that even more emphasis will be put on data collection over the coming months. It's no secret that the web scraping industry is still fraught with numerous legal and technical challenges, but the organisations that can overcome these hurdles will be the ones reaping the benefits in the years to come," concluded Sedys. Learn more about web scraping trends and best practices at the free online conference OxyCon. The event will take place on the 7-8th of September, and the registration is now open. About Oxylabs Established in 2015, Oxylabs is a premium proxy and public web data acquisition solution provider, enabling companies of all sizes to utilize the power of big data. Constant innovation, a large patent portfolio, and a focus on ethics have allowed Oxylabs to become a global leader in the web data acquisition industry and forge close ties with dozens of Fortune Global 500 companies. In 2022, Oxylabs was named the fastest-growing public data gathering solutions company in Europe in the Financial Times' FT 1000 list. Media Contact: Vytautas Kirjazovas Email: press@oxylabs.io Website: www.oxylabs.io SOURCE: Oxylabs View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/709312/80-of-Financial-Organisations-to-Put-Web-Scraping-First-in-the-Next-12-Months Action Against Hunger Event Organized by Action Against Hunger Aims to Inspire Greater Urgency to Address the Growing Global Hunger Crisis NEW YORK, NY, July 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Action Against Hunger, a nonprofit leader in the global movement to end hunger, today announced new headline speakers at Together Against Hunger, its premiere two-day event, which will be held on October 12-13, 2022 in Washington, D.C. and broadcast to a wider virtual audience online. Notable speakers include Jerry Greenfield, Ben & Jerrys co-founder, and brand ambassador. Ive spent much of my life championing social causes, and deeply believe that ending hunger is a cause worth fighting for, since its a fight we cant afford to lose, said Jerry Greenfield. Im really honored to engage with Action Against Hunger and inspired to see so many people come together across sectors to create new approaches to addressing the growing global hunger crisis. Jerry Greenfield, co-founder and brand ambassador of Ben & Jerry's announced as a featured speaker at Together Against Hunger. The Together Against Hunger movement aims to spark urgent collective action to end hunger through effective alliances at the intersection of possibilities that may include nonprofit practitioners, the private sector, funders, and community members. The event this fall will accentuate ways to amplify successful efforts, engage participants in co-designing new strategies and rethink approaches to funding and action on a range of hunger-related issues. We are excited that Jerry Greenfield will join us and so many others in shedding a bright light on the urgent issues surrounding global hunger. Jerry has long believed in the importance of shared success and helped pioneer fair trade and organic sourcing for ingredients like vanilla, cocoa, and coffee, which is just one example of the kind of action we need to achieve the UN Sustainable Development goals, said Ashwini Kakkar Chair of Action Against Hungers International Network. Together the global community has proven that hunger is preventable, not inevitable, yet today hunger is on the rise again. We urgently need to reinvigorate the movement to end hunger for everyone, for good. Story continues The initial slate of speakers includes: activists such as Mwandwe Chileshe, Global Policy Lead, Food Security and Agriculture, Global Citizen nonprofit leaders, including Esther Lupafya, Executive Director, Soils, Food & Healthy Communities (SFHC); Nhlanhla Ndlovu NN, Executive Director, Centre for Economic Governance and Accountability; Nicolas Metro, Founder and CEO, Kinome and Asma Lateef, Policy and Advocacy Lead (Agriculture), SDG2 Advocacy Hub academics including Rachael Bezner Kerr, Professor of Global Development, Cornell University and Daniel Maxwell, Henry J. Leir Professor in Food Security and Research, Tufts University government leaders, such as Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance private sector innovators, including Amy Guterman, Senior Director, Community Innovation, Salesforce, and many more! The event builds on insights from a report developed by Devex and sponsored by Action Against Hunger, which provided insights from more than 860 international NGOs, bilateral donors, corporations, private foundations, and United Nations agencies. The research found that nearly 90% of participants predict that without innovative action, global hunger will continue to rise through 2032. However, two-thirds believe achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger by 2030 is still possible if current approaches change. The event will be broadcast live online. To register for event updates or to RSVP attend virtually, visit TogetherAgainstHunger.org. # # # Action Against Hunger is a nonprofit leading a global movement to end hunger in our lifetimes. It innovates solutions, advocates for change, and reaches 25 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, its 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. It strives to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good. CONTACT: Emily Bell Tyree Associate Director of Communications Action Against Hunger +1 917-847-8636 ebtyree at actionagainsthunger.org FILE PHOTO: The spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in London LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways staff accepted a new pay offer and called off a planned strike at London's Heathrow airport, two unions said on Friday, averting a further escalation in the disruption seen at airports this summer. Earlier this month hundreds of British Airways' mainly check-in staff at Heathrow suspended strike action after the airline agreed to improve its pay offer. Staff represented by the GMB and Unite unions voted to approve their respective pay offers from British Airways, they said on Friday. "No one wanted a summer strike at Heathrow, but our members had to fight for what was right," Nadine Houghton, national officer for the GMB union said. GMB said workers would now receive a consolidated pay rise of 8%, a one-off bonus and the reinstatement of shift pay. In addition, more than 500 members of Unite, who initially voted in favour of industrial action over a pay dispute with British Airways, also accepted a new pay offer. Unite said the offer was worth a 13% pay rise for staff, which will be paid in several stages. British Airways welcomed the announcements from the unions, saying in a statement it was happy with the "positive news". Any strike at Heathrow could have further pressured an aviation industry struggling with staff shortages, which have resulted in long queues and cancelled flights amid increased demand from travellers after the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reporting by Farouq Suleiman and Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James, Louise Heavens, Elaine Hardcastle) Head of the British intelligence service MI6 Richard Moore said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had thus far suffered a "strategic defeat" in Ukraine, failing to achieve any of what Moore described as three key objectives removing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power, taking control of the country's capital, Kyiv, and sowing disunity within NATO. "On all of those," he said, "I think they count as epic fails." Moore, who took part in a question-and-answer session at the annual Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, predicted that Russian forces would be forced to regroup within "the next few weeks," offering Ukraine a crucial window within which to make battlefield reversals. "I think they're about to run out of steam," Moore said of the Russian military, adding that the U.K.'s assessment was that Russian forces "will increasingly find it difficult to supply manpower and material over the next few weeks." "They will have to pause in some way and that will give the Ukrainians opportunities to strike back," Moore said. He added that the Ukrainians' ability to notch successes would serve as "an important reminder to the rest of Europe: that this is a winnable campaign by the Ukrainians" especially ahead of what Moore said would be a "pretty tough winter." "We're in for a tough time," he said. Still, he said Russia had been hampered since the start of the invasion by what he called a "toxic combination" of military miscalculation and intelligence failure. "I don't think they're having a great war," Moore said. "They clearly completely misunderstood Ukrainian nationalism. They completely underestimated the degree of resistance that the Russian military would face," he said. The Kremlin's intelligence shortcomings were now likely exacerbated by the expulsion, earlier this year, of more than 400 Russian intelligence officers from the European continent. Story continues "We reckon in the U.K., that's probably reduced their ability to do their business to spy for Russian in Europe by half," Moore said. The British intelligence chief also echoed a more casual remark made at the same forum yesterday by CIA director William Burns, who quipped that Putin appeared "entirely too healthy" before noting that was not a formal U.S. intelligence assessment. Moore said Thursday that "there's no evidence that Putin is suffering from serious ill health." Like Burns, Moore also said China had been "conservative" in weighing whether to provide military assistance to Russia though it had otherwise supported the Kremlin by purchasing Russian oil. "[I]t feels pretty tight, but it's not an equal partnership, and Ukraine has made it less equal," Moore said. "Moscow is very much the junior partner and the Chinese are very much in the driving seat." He also said China's close observation of the West's approach to the conflict made it imperative to continue bolstering Ukrainian forces. "[T]his is one of the reasons why it is so essential that we tough it out on Ukraine and we keep going through this winter and we help the Ukrainians to win, or at least negotiate from a position of significant strength," Moore said, "is because Xi Jinping is watching this like a hawk." Trump in Jan. 7 video: "I don't want to say the election is over" Trump's former assistant describes his Jan. 6 conversation with the former president After Capitol riot, Giuliani still pushed to delay election certification FILE PHOTO: A Cargill logo is pictured on the Provimi Kliba and Protector animal nutrition factory in Lucens WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Cargill and Continental Grain Co said on Friday that they had closed their deal to buy Sanderson Farms Inc, the third largest chicken producer, in a deal worth some $4.53 billion. Under the deal, which was announced last August, Sanderson is being combined with Continental Grain subsidiary Wayne Farms. Sanderson will cease trading on Friday. Any outstanding issues with the Justice Department were resolved prior to close, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal had raised concerns on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers asked for the Justice Department to take a hard look at it because of fear of pushing up prices. The Justice Department, which had been investigating the deal for antitrust concerns, declined comment. Chicken wings and breasts have climbed 38% and 24% since February year-over-year, respectively, according to research from Wells Fargo. The Biden administration, concerned about price hikes in general and especially in the meat sector, announced in January that it would spend $1 billion and issue new rules as a way to address a lack of "meaningful competition" in meat processing. (Reporting by Diane BartzEditing by Marguerita Choy and Diane Craft) A major Bluetooth headphone maker, Dongguan Koppo Electronics Co, has decided to shut down for good and dismiss all its workers, becoming the latest casualty of the economic headwinds, supply chain disruptions and trading woes that have hit China's manufacturing heartland. Koppo Electronics, which has operated its factory in the city of Dongguan in southern Guangdong province for 12 years, said it was ceasing operations partly because "a number of cross-border e-commerce clients have failed to make due payments", according to a notice seen by the Post. "Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, global economic and trade flows have seen unprecedented disruptions," the notice said. "The company has been hit by delayed payments by a number of cross-border merchants, and a huge amount of finished goods are stockpiling in the warehouse." 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. Koppo Electronics is expected to lay off 100 workers, according to a report on Wednesday by Chinese digital media Jiemian News. At its peak, the company had more than 1,000 workers and produced about 400,000 headphones a month. A production line inside the factory of Dongguan Koppo Electronics Co, a major Bluetooth headphone maker in China. Photo: Handout alt=A production line inside the factory of Dongguan Koppo Electronics Co, a major Bluetooth headphone maker in China. Photo: Handout> "The company has been making losses in recent years and it's difficult to continue the operation," the notice said. "The sudden outbreak of [the Ukraine] war has dealt another heavy blow to the company's business and the market situation is just grim." Phone calls to Koppo Electronics went unanswered on Wednesday. Its collapse comes on the heels of a number of high-profile factory closures in the Pearl River Delta, which has raised concerns about China losing its competitive edge in manufacturing and major role in global supply chains. Story continues Trouble in China's manufacturing heartland has the potential to ripple through the wider economy. The export sector provides jobs for 180 million people, or more than a third of the country's 530 million non-farming jobs, according to data from China's Ministry of Commerce. The demise of Koppo Electronics also reflects more signs of trouble for the "Made in China, Sold on Amazon" community, following the US e-commerce firm's extensive crackdown that removed thousands of Chinese sellers from the platform since last year. One of the company's biggest clients to miss payments was Shenzhen-based cross-border consumer electronics firm Sunvalley, a large seller of Chinese-made gadgets on Amazon, according to the report by Jiemian News, which cited major Koppo Electronics shareholder Wei Yongning. That Amazon vendor's accounts were frozen last year by the US e-commerce giant for failure to comply with the online platform's rules, which led to its failure to pay Koppo Electronics for the products it ordered, the Jiemian News report said. Sunvalley and its parent company, Guangdong SACA Precision Manufacturing Co, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The "Made in China, sold on Amazon" community faces a gloomy future after years of rapid growth. Photo: Shutterstock alt=The "Made in China, sold on Amazon" community faces a gloomy future after years of rapid growth. Photo: Shutterstock> In June last year, Amazon banned the sale of three popular product lines under Sunvalley - RAVPower power banks, Taotronics earphones and VAVA cameras - for attempts made by the seller to solicit positive customer reviews. Last October, three more of the company's gadget brands - Anjou, Sable and Hootoo - were removed online by Amazon. A total of 367 Amazon online stores operated by Sunvalley were suspended by the platform in 2021, accounting for 70 per cent of all of the Chinese firm's accounts, according to the annual report of parent SACA. It said more than 32 million yuan (US$4.74 million) of Sunvalley funds were frozen by Amazon. Shenzhen-listed SACA's cross-border e-commerce sales for 2021 were nearly halved because of Amazon's crackdown, which led to a 1.52 billion yuan loss in the period, according to its annual report. Koppo Electronics was one of the top suppliers for Sunvalley, the company's filing showed. When Amazon started to clamp down on fake reviews last year, the US platform shut 3,000 online merchant accounts backed by about 600 Chinese brands, damaging the operations of the "Made in China, Sold on Amazon" community. 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. (NewMediaWire) - July 22, 2022 - DALLAS While overall current electronic cigarette use (meaning use within the past 30 days) fell slightly in 2020 from previous years, daily e-cigarette use has been steadily increasing among U.S. adults, according to new research supported by the American Heart Association's Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science and published today in the JAMA Network Open journal of the American Medical Association. "This analysis reflects self-reported e-cigarette use among adults in the U.S. between 2017 and 2020 and we were glad to see a modest decline in overall e-cigarette use during this time. That was driven mostly by a decline in the current use of e-cigarettes, meaning use within the past 30 days, among our youngest adults, those aged 18 to 20 years," said senior study author Michael J. Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical research at Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Baltimore. "However, it was alarming to see that, overall, there was an increase in daily e-cigarette use among adults, with the largest increase among those aged 21 to 24 years." The study authors used data from the 2017 to 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to study e-cigarette use among more than 429,000 U.S. adults in 2017; more than 280,000 adults in 2018; and nearly 285,000 adults in 2020. Among the things they examined: national estimates of current use of e-cigarettes (meaning use within the past 30 days) and daily e-cigarette use, current (past-30-day) e-cigarette use for each state or territory and state-level trends between 2017 and 2020. The researchers found: There was a modest decline in current e-cigarette use (meaning use within the past 30 days) among U.S. adults from 5.5% in 2018 to 5.1% in 2020. The decrease was mainly driven by declines among young adults aged 18 to 20 years in current e-cigarette use, which the authors noted is the group impacted by the Tobacco-21 legislation, which raises the minimum age for e-cigarette sales from 18 to 21 years. The American Heart Association strongly supported this legislation. The decline in past-30-day e-cigarette use between 2018 and 2020 was not similar across all states. Some states recorded significant declines in past 30-day e-cigarette use. For example, in Connecticut past 30-day e-cigarette use went from 5.6% to 4.5%. Past 30-day e-cigarette use also fell in Massachusetts, New York and North Dakota. But other states and territories recorded increases in e-cigarette use, including an alarming increase in Guam, where past 30-day e-cigarette use went from 5.9% to 11.4%. Utah, Kansas and Tennessee also had higher increases in e-cigarette use in the past 30 days. Of public health concern, daily e-cigarette use, which represents a transition to more nicotine dependence, has steadily increased. Among current e-cigarette users, the proportion who reported daily use increased notably from 34.5% in 2017 to 44.4% in 2020. The authors pointed out that between 2018 and 2020, the prevalence of daily e-cigarette use among young adults aged 21 to 24 years increased from 4.4% to 6.6%. Story continues "Evidence on the long-term cardiovascular effects of using only e-cigarettes is limited, but acute exposure studies have shown e-cigarettes to have harmful effects on the cardiovascular system, including increased heart rate and blood pressure. More importantly, the use of e-cigarettes along with combustible cigarettes represents a problematic use pattern with an increased risk of cardiovascular and lung disease," said Blaha, who is the principal investigator of the Cardiovascular Effects of Tobacco Products in Community-based Cohorts project funded by the American Heart Association's Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science through federal grants. "Prior studies have found dual-use of these products to be associated with worse tobacco-related health consequences compared with non-use and sole combustible cigarette use." Blaha noted that it's crucial to monitor how the patterns of e-cigarette use are changing among different population subgroups, including youth, tobacco nave people and people who use combustible cigarettes, to determine the effectiveness of regulations and initiatives aimed at improving public health by reducing the use of all nicotine products, including e-cigarettes as well as combustible cigarettes. "Recent studies have shown that e-cigarette use among youth has decreased. That, coupled with the finding from this study of a modest decline in current use among young adults aged 18 to 20 years, might be an early indication that recently implemented federal and state policies, including the Tobacco-21 legislation and e-cigarette flavor restrictions, could be having an effect," said study co-author Ellen Boakye, M.D., M.P.H., a research fellow at Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. "It's also possible that the extensive public education and increased public awareness that accompanied the 2019 e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) outbreak may have played a role." The authors noted, however, that while some of these factors might have contributed to changes in e-cigarette use, this study did not determine if factors, such as legislation, actually had an impact. Differences in e-cigarette use by state might also reflect differences in state-level policies and their implementation, according to Blaha. "For instance, the significant reductions in e-cigarette use in Massachusetts and New York correlated with the reported declines in e-cigarette sales in these states following their state-wide restrictions on flavored e-cigarette sales," he said. Boakye noted the rise in daily e-cigarette use is a concern because it could represent a transition from occasional or experimental e-cigarette use to more nicotine dependence, associated addiction and increased health risk. Additionally, although current e-cigarette use among young adults aged 18 to 20 years has declined, a considerable proportion, 15.6%, still report using these devices. "Therefore, there is a need for stricter enforcement of the Tobacco-21 legislation and measures that discourage the social sharing of e-cigarettes. Also, measures that make e-cigarettes less appealing to young adults are needed. Additionally, there is the need for continued surveillance of the patterns of e-cigarette use, particularly daily use, as this represents a concerning emerging pattern of use with a greater risk of nicotine addiction and subsequent combustible cigarette initiation," Blaha said. Future studies that assess the factors that predict the transition from occasional to frequent or daily e-cigarette use are needed to help inform policies aimed at discouraging these transitions. The authors add that health care professionals should feel comfortable discussing e-cigarette use with patients to screen them for e-cigarette and other tobacco product use, educate patients and support efforts to quit. A limitation of this work is that not all states provided information on e-cigarette use in 2018 and 2020, so estimates for those years may not be nationally representative. The American Heart Association's Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science received funding for this study through grants from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products via the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Through this Center, the American Heart Association works closely with investigators at institutions across the country to pursue research that adds to the existing knowledge about the health impacts of smoking and nicotine-related products including e-cigarettes, findings that can help inform public health and the regulation of tobacco products. Co-authors are Ngozi Osuji, M.D., M.P.H.; John Erhabor, M.D., M.P.H.; Olufunmilayo Obisesan, M.D., M.P.H.; Albert D. Osei, M.D., M.P.H.; Mohammadhassan Mirbolouk, M.D.; Andrew C. Stokes, Ph.D.; Omar Dzaye, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.; Omar El Shahawy, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.; Glenn A. Hirsch, M.D., M.H.S.; Emelia J. Benjamin, M.D., Sc.M.; Andrew P. DeFilippis, M.D., M.Sc.; Rose Marie Robertson, M.D.; and Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D. Authors' disclosures are listed in the manuscript. The American Heart Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association's overall financial information are available here. Additional Resources: About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. ### For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173 Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org; 214-706-1324 For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) heart.org and stroke.org Company Logo Dublin, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Epigenetic Therapies in Oncology: Analytical Tool" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. In cancer, many aspects of the epigenome, controlled by DNA methylation, chromatin, and nucleosome positioning, are altered and an ever growing pipeline of agents targeting epigenetic regulation are under development and entering clinical trials. 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If you are not able to attend any of the conference(s) in person, this Analytical Tool ensures that you are not missing out on the important take home messages you need to know about. Run combination therapy analysis like no other The Epigenetic Therapies in Oncology: Analytical Tool delivers comprehensive combination therapy analysis, allowing you to analyze combination therapies from multiple perspectives; from a single drug to virtually any cross section of oncology drugs of interest. Unparalleled biomarker surveillance We also provide an outstanding oncology clinical biomarker surveillance & analysis, highlighting clinical phenotyping and patient stratification in trials. This analysis is based on our monitoring of the presence and usage of more than 1,000 biomarkers across tens of thousands of cancer clinical trials. Support and inspiration at your finger-tips You also have access to a great selection of How-to Training Videos showing best practice approaches to aspects such as competitive pipeline analysis right through to many real world case examples put forward by other users of our Analytical Tools. A tool to grow with and keep you informed Unlike a static report which just represents a particular snapshot in time, all of the Analytical Tools come with one year of online access to twice-weekly updates in both contents and features, pipeline alerts and online support etc. You can choose to renew your access to these updates and support on a yearly basis or go over to our industry leading full service platform covering all oncology drug development, 1stOncology. Story continues Epigenetic Therapies in Oncology: Analytical Tool achieves this by continuously scanning development in epigentic and reporting: Deals & Collaborations New technologies/drugs (emerging from patents, grants, abstracts (see Conference Coverage) etc.) Funding/Grants/IPOs Filings & Approvals Latest Clinical Trial Development & Results Newly launched clinical trials Conference Coverage of the world's twelve leading meetings in oncology* Quarterly & Annual Reporting This puts you in control of most, if not all, day-to-day developments in your field while also benefiting from one of the most comprehensive commercial pipeline review & competitive assessment tools available on the market today! Identify, prioritize, and lead scientific assessment of oncology opportunities and competition by multiple factors such as: Emerging Technologies Target Novelty Recent Funding Early & Late Stage Pipeline Biomarker/Companion Diagnostic Development (featured below) Entered Deals & Alliances Conference surveillance of world leading cancer meetings (featured below) Combination Therapy Choices (featured below) Outcome of Clinical Trials Indication Selection & Expansion Choices Drug Repositioning Opportunities For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pn2kdh 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 All amounts are in US dollars unless stated otherwise BROSSARD, QC / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / G Mining Ventures Corp. ("GMIN" or the "Corporation") (TSXV:GMIN) (OTCQX:GMINF) is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of $98.5 million (the "First Tranche"). Pursuant to the First Tranche, the Corporation issued 160,062,500 GMIN common shares at a price of C$0.80 per share, to the following investors: 82,875,000 common shares to La Mancha Investments S.a r.l. (" La Mancha ") 44,687,500 common shares to Franco-Nevada Corporation (" Franco-Nevada ") 32,500,000 common shares to Eldorado Gold Corporation ("Eldorado Gold") La Mancha, Franco-Nevada and Eldorado Gold now hold 19.8%, 10.7% and 19.0% of GMIN's outstanding common shares, respectively. All of the common shares sold pursuant to the First Tranche are subject to a hold period which will expire on November 23, 2022 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Additionally, pursuant to the previously announced $75.0 million Term Loan facility, Franco-Nevada has been issued 11.5 million common share purchase warrants (the " Warrants "). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Corporation at an exercise price of C$1.90 per common share until July 21, 2027. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration clause whereby if the volume-weighted average trading price of GMIN common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") is C$3.00 or greater for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days, GMIN has the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to 30 days from the date of delivery of a notice by GMIN to Franco-Nevada announcing the accelerated exercise period. The Warrants have a cashless exercise mechanism to enable Franco-Nevada to avoid its holdings from exceeding 9.9% of GMIN's common shares outstanding at the time of exercise. The Warrants are subject to a hold period which will expire on November 23, 2022 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. GMIN now has 48,969,770 warrants outstanding with a weighted average life of 2.82 years. Story continues The second tranche of the Offering, which will consist of the issuance to La Mancha of a further 29,004,265 GMIN common shares at a price of C$0.80 per share, and which will be subject to a majority approval of the disinterested GMIN shareholders pursuant to the policies of the TSXV, is expected to close in Q3-2022. Following the closing of the second tranche of the Offering, La Mancha, Franco-Nevada and Eldorado Gold will hold 25.0%, 9.9% and 17.7% of GMIN's outstanding common shares, respectively. About G Mining Ventures Corp. G Mining Ventures Corp. (TSXV:GMIN) (OTCQX:GMINF) is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal projects, to capitalize on the value uplift from successful mine development. GMIN is well-positioned to grow into the next mid-tier precious metals producer by leveraging strong access to capital and proven development expertise. GMIN is currently anchored by its flagship Tocantinzinho Project in mining friendly and prospective Para State, Brazil. 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. Additional Information For further information on GMIN, please visit the website at www.gminingventures.com or contact: Jessie Liu-Ernsting Director, Investor Relations and Communications 647.728.4176 info@gminingventures.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation: Those related to the Project financing, such as: the closing of the second tranche of its private placement in Q3-2022; and the approval of the disinterested GMIN shareholders therefor. And, more generally, the contents of the above section entitled "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions include, without limitation, those underlying the items listed on the above section entitled "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that, notably but without limitation, the Corporation will (i) close the second tranche of its private placement as outlined in this press release, (ii) make a positive construction decision regarding the Project in 2022 or ever, (iii) bring the Project into commercial production or (iv) become an intermediate gold producer, as future events could differ materially from what is currently anticipated by the Corporation. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in the Corporation's other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the relevant sections of the Corporation's (i) Annual Information Form dated June 3, 2022, for the financial year ended December 31, 2021, and (ii) Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. SOURCE: G Mining Ventures Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/709488/G-Mining-Ventures-Announces-Closing-of-First-Tranche-of-Private-Placement-Financing Jillian Michaels Marries Fiancee DeShanna Marie Minuto courtesy Jillian Michaels courtesy Jillian Michaels Jillian Michaels is officially married! The fitness trainer, 48, tied the knot with fiancee DeShanna Marie Minuto in a private ceremony in Namibia, PEOPLE can announce exclusively. The couple got married on July 11 at a Miami courthouse before traveling to the southern African country for an intimate ceremony and honeymoon. "Deshanna Marie Michaels it's an honor and an adventure saying I do to you. Finding you... my person... and eloping in Africa together has been one of the most magical and transformative chapters of my life," Michaels tells PEOPLE she said to her new wife. "A special thank you to Susan Neva at Alluring Africa, the team at Wilderness Safari, and the Himba people for helping us commemorate our union in style," The Fitness App by Jillian Michaels creator adds. "We will treasure these experiences for the rest of our lives." Michaels and Minuto, 37, now plan to have their official wedding celebration on June 23, 2023, in Venice, Italy. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Michaels and Minuto announced their engagement in November 2021. "DeShanna is 'all the things' beautiful, smart, funny, creative, quirky, passionate ... I could run down the list of adjectives. Those characteristics obviously attract you to someone. But it's the quality of their character that makes you think 'Thank God for this person laying next to me' every night when you fall asleep," Michaels told PEOPLE at the time. "It's easy to stay together when everything is going great, but when real life sets in and things get messy, challenging, scary, and even downright ugly that's when the truth reveals itself. And this woman has revealed herself to be strong beyond measure, wise beyond her years, and loving beyond my wildest dreams. I am so grateful to officially call her mine," she continued. Story continues The Keeping It Real: Conversations with Jillian Michael host popped the question with a 7-carat emerald cut diamond featuring two single carat, trapezoid diamonds on each side. The stunning ring was crafted by a family friend and specialty jeweler at H&H Jewels in Miami. RELATED: Jillian Michaels Explains How She Found Out She Was Becoming a Mom Twice in 24 Hours The former Biggest Loser trainer and Minuto have been dating since 2018. Michaels previously opened up about her relationship, telling PEOPLE Now that she and her then-fiancee work out together. While Minuto was once a college athlete, even Michaels' workouts proved tough for her, the trainer said. "What's interesting about DeShanna is she was like, a D1 athlete some crazy great athlete and is very fit, very lean, and was like, 'Okay, I'm going to start working out,'" Michaels said. "And so I was like, 'Alright babe.' " "I gave her a little routine and she was like, 'I can't walk, I've been zombified, I hate you,' and then, over a couple of weeks she's like, I just ran my mile in seven minutes and 15 seconds," Michaels added. JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Agritech startup KedaiSayur announced its Series A funding, led by Kejora-SBI Orbit to accelerate growth and build a strong farm-to-table infrastructure. Left-Right: Erida Gunawan, CFO Triputra Group; Adrian Hernanto, CEO KedaiSayur; Shunichi Keida, Director Kejora-SBI Orbit Fund; Billy Boen, Director Kejora-SBI Orbit Fund. This round of financing is also followed by previous investors Triputra Group and a few other strategic investors. "We'd like to say thank you to all investors for supporting our journey in improving the effectiveness of Indonesia's agriculture supply chain. Through this Series A funding, we hope to accelerate the growth of KedaiSayur in building a strong supply chain infrastructure for farmers and deliver better products to customers through technology," said Adrian Hernanto - CEO of KedaiSayur. KedaiSayur reportedly experienced 5 times growth in the last 12 months - serving more than 100,000 customers and businesses. This growth is catalyzed by a robust strategy in consolidating farmers' supply chains. "Agriculture in Indonesia is a big market that will be massively boosted by technology. For this to happen, we will need a strong supply chain infrastructure. We believe that KedaiSayur has the right ecosystem to build this farm-to-table network for fresh produce and groceries in Indonesia", added Billy Boen as Fund Director of Kejora-SBI Orbit Fund. KedaiSayur is also supported by Triputra Group - one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia. The conglomerate also has ample experience in the agricultural sectors - most notably through its subsidiary Triputra Agro Persada which focuses on the development of agriculture technology and Sumber Energi Pangan which focuses on producing food supplies. The CFO of Triputra Group, Erida Gunawan also added, "KedaiSayur's commitment in increasing the effectiveness of farmer's supply chain will be beneficial for customers and farmers alike. Both Triputra Group and Kejora-SBI Orbit will give our full-support to strengthen KedaiSayur's position and growth in the market." KedaiSayur has 3 main products: KedaiMart (B2C online grocery), KedaiBiz (B2B food supplies), and KedaiVenture (supply chain and farmers management). KedaiSayur will use this funding to fasten its collaboration with upstream farmers and suppliers. They hope to improve the quality of product and services of these farmers. Story continues About KedaiSayur KedaiSayur is an agritech / online grocery startup who is building a farm-to-table ecosystem. KedaiSayur has a few products: KedaiMart (B2C online grocery), KedaiBiz (B2B food supplies), and KedaiVenture (supply chain and farmers management). About Kejora-SBI Orbit Kejora-SBI Orbit is a venture capital fund from the joint partnership between Kejora Capital of Indonesia and SBI Holdings from Japan. The fund manages $30 million to invest in early stage startups in Indonesia. SOURCE KedaiSayur Lacroix Group PRESS RELEASE 22/07/2022 Intelligent local grid project celebrates its completion: LACROIX confirms its leading role in smart grids in Germany In June, LACROIX Environment activity joined wesernetz Bremerhaven to celebrate the completion of their "intelligent local grid" project in the northern German city of Bremerhaven. Telecontrol systems from LACROIX (SAE IT-systems in Germany) have been in use by wesernetz Bremerhaven since 2011 for monitoring and operational management of the gas, water, district heat and electricity networks. As a network operator in the maritime city of Bremerhaven, wesernetz Bremerhaven GmbH's service portfolio includes the transport, storage and metering of energy and drinking water. Its supply area covers approx. 114,000 inhabitants, an area of 7,763 hectares with a pipeline network of over 2,700 kilometers in length. The electricity network takes up about 1,292km of this and has 78,964 E-house connections, 306km of which consist of medium-voltage cable (20kV). The annual electricity sales of wesernetz Bremerhaven amounted to 478.9 million kWh in 2020. As part of the project to replace outdated technology, the local substations were upgraded to meet new network management requirements in terms of transparency and controllability, as well as safety and reliability. For example, substations must consistently be switchable in future, in order to ensure shorter downtimes in the event of faults. The connection of network analysis systems, short-circuit and earth-fault indicators as well as protection devices to the LACROIX telecontrol system enables precise monitoring of the network status. A comprehensive redundancy concept and extensive IT security measures in accordance with the ISO 27001 standard round off the project. The project, which began in 2018, has now been completed, with a total of 422 LACROIX telecontrol stations installed to help ensure the future security of Bremens supply networks. What makes this even more remarkable, the project has reached completion with no delays, despite significant challenges caused by the component crisis and the pandemic. Story continues "We have been working with SAE IT Systems, a LACROIX brand in Germany, successfully for 11 years, and are very proud to be able to complete this major project in Bremerhaven without any delays" says wesernetz Bremerhaven GmbH project manager Oliver Martens, "thanks to LACROIX technology, we are well prepared for all challenges in the power grid in the coming years." This project is a perfect illustration of our smart positioning, know-how and proximity with our customers, continues Ronald Vrancken, President of LACROIX Germany, a four-year project of retrofitting the existing infrastructure with telecontrol stations to make it smarter and more secure, all this without delays. Were very grateful to have had the chance to help wesernetz Bremerhaven transition to a smarter grid. Upcoming reports Revenue for the second quarter and first half of 2022: 25 August 2022 after market close Visit our investor relations page to find financial information https://www.lacroix-group.com/investors/ About LACROIX Convinced that technology should contribute to making our living environments simpler, more sustainable and safer, LACROIX supports its customers in the construction and management of intelligent living ecosystems, thanks to connected equipment and technologies. As a publicly-listed family-owned mid-cap, LACROIX combines the essential agility required to innovate in an ever-changing technological sector with the ability to industrialise robust and secure equipment, cutting-edge know-how in industrial IoT solutions and electronic equipment for critical applications and the long-term vision to invest and build for the future. LACROIX designs and manufactures electronic equipment, in particular in the automotive, home automation, aeronautical, industrial and health sectors. LACROIX also provides safe, connected equipment for the management of critical infrastructure such as smart roads (street lighting, traffic signs, traffic management, V2X) and the management and operation of water and energy systems. Drawing on its extensive experience and expertise, the Group works with its customers and partners to build the connection between the world of today and the world of tomorrow. It helps them to create the industry of the future and to make the most of the opportunities for innovation that surround them, supplying them with the equipment for a smarter world. Attachment Lenovo was one of the first companies to really nail 2-in-1 design, and ever since its been refining the formula for its top-notch convertibles. And while there are a couple small variables I'm not fully on board with for this year's edition, there's no doubt the new 14-inch Yoga 9i is continuing Lenovo's excellent track record. You get superb battery life, clever (and surprisingly) powerful speakers, good performance, plenty of ports and even an optional OLED display. In short, if you're looking for a light, long-lasting and very adaptable 360-degree hybrid, this thing belongs at the top of your list. Design Now I have to admit, when I first unboxed the Yoga 9i, there was something about its design that just didnt look right to me. And after thinking about it for a couple days, I realized Lenovo's attempt to create a luxury aesthetic doesn't quite go far enough. Most of the laptop is constructed out of matte aluminum including its lid, deck and bottom, while other components like its keyboard and touchpad have been painted to match. Lenovo calls this particular color oatmeal, which isn't especially flattering, though I must say the addition of subtle brown tones looks better in person than its name suggests. Nothing really unusual so far. The issue is that for 2022, Lenovo rounded out the Yoga 9i's sides to make the laptop more comfortable to hold, which is and it feels great. But then the company polished those edges to a mirror-like shine which, when viewed next to its satin finish, feels very mismatched. Then you add in the fact that the only other bit of shiny metal on the entire system is its combo hinge/speaker bar, and you're left with something that doesn't quite give off the same vibes as high-end jewelry, and also lacks the appeal of more minimalist competitors like a Surface or MacBook. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if you think the 9i looks great, feel free to ignore me. (That said, I maintain a number of Lenovos older Yogas looking better than the new one.) Story continues For 2022, Lenovo rounded off the Yoga 9i's sides, which makes it much more comfortable to use and hold. Aside from its appearance, the Yoga offers great build quality with very little flex across its chassis. Other small improvements include a larger touchpad, some handy new media and video calling keys on the right, and a subtle notch around the webcam that makes the lid just a touch easier to open. I also appreciate the dedicated fingerprint reader in the bottom right. My only remaining nitpick is the feel of the keys. They don't have a lot of travel and their light actuation weight leaves the whole affair feeling a bit lifeless, which is kind of a shame. And having used countless ThinkPads over the years, I know Lenovo can do better. On the bright side, the 9i includes a stylus that features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It also comes with a built-in USB-C for easy charging. And while there isnt a place to stash the pen in the laptop like on some previous Yogas, you can throw both the stylus and the laptop in Lenovos bundled travel sleeve. Display, sound and webcam Because its speaker is built into its hinge, the Yoga 9i delivers excellent audio quality, regardless of which mode it's in. By default, the Yoga 9i ships with a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080 LCD display with a new and slightly taller 16:10 aspect ratio (up from 16:9 on the previous model). But our $1,500 review unit has a 2,880 x 1,800 OLED screen that's brilliantly punchy. Not only does it feature VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification, it pumped out just shy of 400 nits of brightness. So you get rich, vivid colors in addition to excellent screen readability, regardless of the conditions. If you have a little wiggle room in your budget, this is a great component to upgrade. As for audio, the Yoga 9i features Lenovo's signature speaker bar hinge. So in addition to boasting an innovative design that ensures sound is directed at you in practically any mode (you know, instead of away from you or down into a table like some laptops like to do), the Yoga pumps out great audio with some of the deepest bass I've heard from a laptop this size. Look, you're not going to rattle your neighbor's china cabinet, but this is one the few times I'm not going to complain about a notebook lacking low-end thump. Unlike some of its rivals, the Yoga 9i comes bundled with an included stylus and travel sleeve. In another small, but very welcome upgrade, the 9i comes with a new 1080p webcam that supports Windows Hello. I've said it before and I'll say it again: 1,920 x 1,080 should be the bare minimum for cameras on modern laptops. And while I admit its image quality can be a bit grainy in low light, it's still plenty sharp for all your video calling needs. And if you look close, you'll notice there's even a physical shutter you can slide closed when it's not in use. That's a nice touch for some extra peace of mind. Performance The Yoga 9i packs a new 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1260P CPU, up to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, promising plenty of speed for all your standard productivity needs. Among ultraportables without discrete graphics, it posted top-tier scores in Geekbench 5, PCMark 10, and Cinebench. However, its Intel Iris integrated GPU means that even though it posted a solid time of 37 seconds in our 4K video encoding benchmark in Handbrake, you're still gonna want something a bit more substantial if you're looking to do a lot of heavy photo or video editing. Laptop PCMark 10 Geekbench 5 (multicore) Cinebench R23 Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch) 5,222 6,641 1,583/8,719 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 4,213 3,764 1,127/3,115 HP Spectre x360 16-inch 4,785 4,200 1,515/3,722 My one small complaint about the 9is performance is that when youre really pushing it, you may hear a high-pitched whine from the fans. I only encountered this while gaming, and you might not find it all that distracting. But even if you do, you can change the laptops mode to lower the noise, though that may result in some thermal throttling. Battery life and ports The Yoga 9i features a total of four USB ports including two with support for Thunderbolt 4. Moving on to battery life, even with its above average performance, the Yoga 9i still turned in an excellent time on our local video rundown test. It lasted 14 hours and 22 minutes, which is the second longest mark we've seen this year, only behind the Surface Laptop Go 2's time of 14:43. And in the real world, I had no problems making it through an entire work day on a single charge. Laptop Battery life Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch) 14:22 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 14:43 HP Spectre x360 16-inch 10:55 On top of that, because the laptop supports charging via USB-C, even if you forget your power brick at home, there's a good chance you can borrow an adapter from a friend or colleague in a pinch. Finally, I want to give credit to Lenovo for finding room for four USB ports (one Type-A and three Type-C) including two with Thunderbolt 4. A lot of laptop makers have started equipping systems with just two or three ports even on standard clamshells so it's nice to see that the corner cutting hasn't hit the Yoga line yet. Wrap-up Not counting my admittedly subjective complaints about the Yoga 9i's design, this thing is a nearly ideal 2-in-1. It offers good performance, great sound and even better battery life in a well-built and adaptable chassis. Heck, Lenovo even includes an active stylus and a laptop sleeve in the box, the latter of which you can use to stash the stylus while traveling. Its display is now 16:10, which gives you a little bit of extra screen space for productivity, and thanks to its curvy edges, this thing is noticeably nicer to hold than last year's model. You even get two different options for biometric login. The Yoga 9i supports charging via USB-C, which makes it easy to switch to a third-party power adapter in a pinch. The only real issue is its somewhat shallow and mushy keyboard. But given the rest of the 9i's strengths, that's probably not a dealbreaker unless you're a truly discerning typist. And while its starting price of around $1,250 isn't cheap, our review model with its OLED screen costs just $1,500 which kinda feels like a steal. I should also mention that at least in the US, the OLED model is a Best Buy exclusive. However, regardless of which version you go for, you're getting a quality product. Considering the pedigree of Lenovo's Yoga line, it's hardly a surprise that this year's 9i fares well by almost every metric. So if you're looking for a premier all-rounder with great longevity, there aren't a lot of systems that do it better than this. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2022 / Lucky Minerals Inc. (TSXV:LKY)(OTC PINK:LKMNF)(FRA:LKY) Lucky" or the "Company"). Lucky is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated May 27, 2022, the Company has now received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange to the services agreement (the "Agreement") with Franklin Vinicio Viera Ramos. The Company will issue 115,867 common shares of the Company for the services provided pursuant to the Agreement, and are issued in partial consideration for technical and other consulting services provided to the Company by Mr. Viera Ramos during the period May 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022. The common shares are issued at a deemed prices per share of $0.077. Any common shares issued to Mr. Viera Ramos are subject to a hold period expiring November 23, 2022 in accordance with Canadian securities laws. Franklin Vinicio Viera Ramos As announced in the May 27, 2022 news release, Mr. Viera provides services to the Company as a technical consultant for the drilling phase of the Company's Ecuador property. Services provided include 3D modeling, GIS, drill hole planning, geochemical analysis, core logging, field geological mapping property evaluation, database management and occasional field program supervision and other duties that may be required by the Company. Mr. Viera is a well known geologist in Ecuador and has been involved in many significant projects including the discovery of Quimsacocha which is now called the Loma Larga project. About Lucky Lucky is an exploration and development company targeting large-scale mineral systems in proven districts with the potential to host world class deposits. Lucky owns a 100% interest in the Fortuna Property. The Company's Fortuna Project is comprised of twelve contiguous, 550 km2 (55,000 Hectares, or 136,000 Acres) exploration concessions. Fortuna is located in a highly prospective, yet underexplored, gold belt in southern Ecuador. Story continues Further information on Lucky can be found on the Company's website at www.luckyminerals.com and at www.sedar.com, or by contacting Francois Perron, President and CEO, by email at investors@luckyminerals.com or by telephone at (866) 924 6484. Or by contacting: Renmark Financial Communications Inc. Kerry Schacter: kschacter@renmarkfinancial.com Tel: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989 www.renmarkfinancial.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Adjacent Properties and Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve 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. Such factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainties related to exploration and development; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund exploration and development; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in input costs; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or inability to obtain permits encountered in connection with exploration activities; and labor relations matters. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations also include risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will not update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements unless required by Canadian securities law. SOURCE: Lucky Minerals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/709541/Lucky-Announces-Issuance-of-Shares-For-Services-Performed C$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 TORONTO, July 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Manulife Investment Management today announced the July 2022 cash distributions for Manulife Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that distribute monthly. Unitholders of record of the Manulife ETFs at the close of business on July 29, 2022 will receive cash distributions payable on August 11, 2022. Manulife Investment Management Logo (CNW Group/Manulife Investment Management) Details of the distribution per unit amounts are as follows: ETF Ticker Distribution Amount (per unit) Distribution Frequency Manulife Smart Short-Term Bond ETF TERM $ 0.025386 Monthly Manulife Smart Core Bond ETF BSKT $ 0.023539 Monthly Manulife Smart Corporate Bond ETF CBND $ 0.024402 Monthly Manulife ETFs are managed by Manulife Investment Management Limited. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with ETFs. Please read the ETF Facts and prospectus before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 19 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com . Story continues SOURCE Manulife Investment Management Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/22/c3443.html (Bloomberg) -- Omead Afshar, one of Elon Musks top lieutenants and the executive running Tesla Inc.s Texas factory, is under scrutiny in an internal investigation for his role in a plan to purchase hard-to-get construction materials, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg Tesla has already fired some employees in relation to the probe, and the electric-vehicle maker plans to part ways with Afshar, likely through a leave of absence initially, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. Terms of his exit are still being worked out. Afshar declined to comment. Tesla and Musk didnt respond to requests for comment. The internal investigation, led by Tesla Acting Head of Legal David Searle, started after a purchase order for construction material was identified as suspicious, the people said. The order, for a special kind of glass, was flagged to Teslas finance and internal audit groups earlier this year, the people said. Investigators are trying to determine whether the glass was for Tesla Chief Executive Officer Musks personal use, people with knowledge of the matter said. Global supply chain disruptions have made the glass difficult to secure, but Teslas status as a global manufacturing powerhouse makes it easier for the company to acquire materials in high demand. Afshar had requested the purchase order be created and told the workers involved it was for a secret project, the people said. Afshar has continued to work at the Austin, Texas, plant this week, but is likely to take a leave of absence as the investigation continues, the people said. As one of Musks top executives at Tesla, Afshar has been in charge of overseeing the construction and then production at the plant in Austin, Texas. A member of the office of the CEO since 2017, his most recent job title was listed on his LinkedIn page as a cowboy hat emoji. Story continues Inside Tesla, Afshar was seen as Musks fixer, dispatched to smooth out kinks in the operation. In a 2019 interview at the University of California at Irvine, his alma mater, Afshar said hed performed many roles at Tesla over the years. I focus on where theres a problem, so a lot of firefighting. If theres an issue, thats where I am, he said. Usually when people see me theyre not always happy, because it means theres a problem. Afshar graduated from UC Irvine in 2009 with a degree in biomedical engineering and a seasons experience as a ski instructor at Californias Mammoth Mountain, according to his LinkedIn profile. He worked for more than six years at St. Jude Medical Inc. and its acquirer, Abbott Laboratories, in product engineering and managing roles before joining Tesla, part of a cohort of young, ambitious executives handpicked by Musk to carry out orders. Hes been a jack of all trades ever since. In early 2021, as the US was in the beginning stages of a Covid-19 vaccine rollout, Afshar wrote to Californias lead epidemiologist to convey a Tesla board members request to assist with distribution of the shot. By this year, Afshar was in Austin, providing tours to potential recruits from the nearby University of Texas. He briefly appeared on stage at Teslas Cyber Rodeo event in April, receiving a personal thank-you from Musk himself. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Company Logo Dublin, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Smart Railways Market Size, Share, Trends, By Type, By Component, and By Region Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The smart railways market size is expected to reach USD 57.97 Billion in 2030 and register a revenue CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period, according to the latest report. The industry is predicted to grow owing to the increasing investment by governments in railway infrastructure. Also, the need for reducing carbon footprint and inefficient energy consumption is expected to contribute to market expansion. With the increasing focus on developing efficient and automated transportation systems, railway operators have started adopting smart technologies to enhance their passenger experience. Moreover, several countries are investing in upgrading their railway infrastructure and networks, which is expected to lead to increased demand for smart railways market solutions during the forecast period. The report further states that many countries are investing in developing high-speed railways. This, in turn, is projected to fuel market growth during the forecast period. The European Union (EU) is investing in the development of high-speed railways. For instance, in 2017, the EU allocated around EUR 30 Billion for developing high-speed railways across Europe. Moreover, China has also invested in the development of its high-speed railway network. The country has plans to invest USD 361 Billion by 2025 to develop nearly 26,000 kilometres of high-speed railway. Such initiatives are anticipated to create a demand for smart railways, thereby driving market growth. Railways have a major impact on farming, since these provide the main link between farms and food markets. Railways help to bring goods to the market quickly and efficiently, which is essential for the farmers. In addition, railways also allow farmers to transport their goods to different parts of the country, which can be very helpful during peak seasons. Connected transportation systems are being developed to manage the demand and supply of transportation, by reducing the cost of Travel and waiting time. Also with this, there is an increase in safety and security at railway stations, as these systems are integrated with various technologies such as video analytics, beacon technology, etc. In addition to this, connected transportation systems enable real-time monitoring of assets and resources, thereby reducing the downtime. The demand for connected transportation systems is being driven by the need to reduce congestion and traffic jams, as well as to improve safety. Some Key Highlights from the Report Story continues The solutions segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period as it provides passenger information systems (PISs), ticketing management systems (TMSs), security & surveillance systems, operations management systems (OMSs), and asset management systems (AMSs). Increasing demand for these solutions from key countries, such as the US, China, India, Japan, and South Korea is contributing to the growth of this segment. By type, the on-board trains segment is estimated to lead the smart railways market in 2019. On-board trains are equipped with features such as CCTV cameras, infotainment systems, and passenger information systems, among others. These features make on-board trains more secure and comfortable for passengers as well as staff. In addition, the introduction of high-speed trains has further boosted the demand for on-board train solutions. Smart railways market in Europe is expected to grow at a significant pace during the forecast period. The major factor driving the growth of smart railways market in Europe is the rapid urbanization and industrialization in the region. The European countries are focusing on developing their infrastructure by investing in smart railway projects. This is expected to create several opportunities for the key players operating in the smart railways market in Europe. Smart Railways market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. This growth is attributed to the increasing number of rail projects and digitalization in railways sector. China and India are the two leading countries in the Asia Pacific region for smart railways market. The Chinese government has been investing heavily in the railway sector for past few years. In 2016, China's railway budget was USD 33.3 billion which increased to USD 37.5 billion in 2017. This trend is expected to continue in the forecast period as well. The Indian railway sector is also expected to grow at a significant rate in the coming years. The government of India has allocated USD 23 billion for railway infrastructure development in the Union Budget 2018-19. In December 2021, Alstom and Hitachi Rail announced the formation of a strategic partnership to create a world-leading smart railways business. The partnership will enable both companies to offer an even more comprehensive product and service offering to customers worldwide, as well as benefitting from significant operational synergies. This will enable the companies to further accelerate their expansion in the growing global market for smart railways solutions. Companies profiled in the global market report include Alstom SA, Cisco Systems Inc., IBM Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., General Electric Company, Cyient Limited, Thales Group, Siemens AG, ABB Ltd., and Bombardier Inc. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Market Synopsis 1.1. Market Definition 1.2. Research Scope & Premise 1.3. Methodology 1.4. Market Estimation Technique Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Summary Snapshot, 2020-2030 Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics Chapter 4. Smart Railways Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis 4.1. Smart Railways Market Material Segmentation Analysis 4.2. Industrial Outlook 4.2.1. Market indicators analysis 4.2.2. Market drivers' analysis 4.2.2.1. Rising urbanization and local commute requirements 4.2.2.2. Rising demand for passenger and freight capacity 4.2.2.3. Increasing number of railway projects across the globe 4.2.2.4. Changing passenger payment habits 4.2.2.5. Growing development of smart cities 4.2.3. Market restraints analysis 4.2.3.1. High installation cost 4.2.3.2. Lack of proper information & communication technology infrastructure 4.3. Technological Insights 4.4. Regulatory Framework 4.5. Price trend Analysis 4.6. Customer Mapping 4.7. Covid-19 Impact Analysis 4.8. Global Recession Influence Chapter 5. Smart Railways Market By Type Insights & Trends 5.1. Type Dynamics & Market Share, 2021 & 2030 5.2. Station 5.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.2.2. Market estimates and forecast, By Region, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.3. On-board trains 5.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.3.2. Market estimates and forecast, By Region, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 6. Smart Railways Market By Component Insights & Trends 6.1. Component Dynamics & Market Share, 2021 & 2030 6.2. Solutions 6.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.2.2. Market estimates and forecast, By Region, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.3. Services 6.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.3.2. Market estimates and forecast, By Region, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 7. Smart Railways Market Regional Outlook Chapter 8. Competitive Landscape 8.1. Market Revenue Share by Manufacturers 8.2. Manufacturing Cost Breakdown Analysis 8.3. Mergers & Acquisitions 8.4. Market positioning 8.5. Strategy Benchmarking 8.6. Vendor Landscape Chapter 9. Company Profiles 9.1. Alstom SA 9.1.1. Company Overview 9.1.2. Financial Performance 9.1.3. Technology Insights 9.1.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.2. Cisco Systems Inc. 9.2.1. Company Overview 9.2.2. Financial Performance 9.2.3. Technology Insights 9.2.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.3. IBM Corporation 9.3.1. Company Overview 9.3.2. Financial Performance 9.3.3. Technology Insights 9.3.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.4. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 9.4.1. Company Overview 9.4.2. Financial Performance 9.4.3. Technology Insights 9.4.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.5. Hitachi Ltd. 9.5.1. Company Overview 9.5.2. Financial Performance 9.5.3. Technology Insights 9.5.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.6. General Electric Company 9.6.1. Company Overview 9.6.2. Financial Performance 9.6.3. Technology Insights 9.6.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.7. Cyient Limited 9.7.1. Company Overview 9.7.2. Financial Performance 9.7.3. Technology Insights 9.7.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.8. Thales Group 9.8.1. Company Overview 9.8.2. Financial Performance 9.8.3. Technology Insights 9.8.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.9. Siemens AG 9.9.1. Company Overview 9.9.2. Financial Performance 9.9.3. Technology Insights 9.9.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.10. ABB Ltd. 9.10.1. Company Overview 9.10.2. Financial Performance 9.10.3. Technology Insights 9.10.4. Strategic Initiatives 9.11. Bombardier Inc. 9.11.1. Company Overview 9.11.2. Financial Performance 9.11.3. Technology Insights 9.11.4. Strategic Initiatives For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nxi72x 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 WASHINGTON, D.C., July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paralyzed Veterans of America Executive Director Carl Blake issued a statement today in reaction to the Senate confirmation of Dr. Shereef Elnahal as the Under Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). (PRNewsfoto/Paralyzed Veterans of America) "We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed an Under Secretary for Health to lead the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This position has been vacant for far too long and Dr. Shereef Elnahal's arrival is very overdue. This is a critical time for the Department of Veterans Affairs as it continues to move forward with Electronic Health Record Modernization, deals with the impacts of the COVID pandemic and staffing shortages, plans to care for more veterans exposed to toxic substances, and considers the need to address VA's aging infrastructure. We look forward to working collaboratively with Dr. Elnahal to advance the mission of VHA and ensure it continues to meet the unique needs of veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders." About Paralyzed Veterans of America Paralyzed Veterans of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and the only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated solely for the benefit and representation of veterans with spinal cord injury or diseases. The organization ensures veterans receive the benefits earned through service to our nation; monitors their care in VA spinal cord injury units; and funds research and education in the search for a cure and improved care for individuals with paralysis. As a life-long partner and advocate for veterans and all people with disabilities, PVA also develops training and career services, works to ensure accessibility in public buildings and spaces, and provides health and rehabilitation opportunities through sports and recreation. With more than 70 offices and 33 chapters, Paralyzed Veterans of America serves veterans, their families, and their caregivers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Learn more at PVA.org . Story continues Contact: S. Oname Thompson OnameT@PVA.org Cell: (703) 864-5980 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paralyzed-veterans-of-america-issues-statement-on-confirmation-of-under-secretary-for-health-for-the-veterans-health-administration-301591483.html SOURCE Paralyzed Veterans of America Gov. Ron DeSantis loves to slam the "corporate media." Now it looks like his party may prohibit reporters from covering its big election-year gathering in Hollywood. Top Republicans from across Florida are gathering at the Seminole Hardrock Hotel & Casino Saturday for the Republican Party of Florida's Sunshine Summit, an event that will include panel discussions, GOP congressional primary debates and a "Victory Dinner" featuring DeSantis. It traditionally has been open the media. This year, though, it's not clear whether many media outlets will be allowed to attend. Big weekend for Florida Republicans: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis set to speak at different Florida events amid growing rivalry DeSantis' big donors: DeSantis has extraordinary billionaire support, with at least 42 backing him. Who are they? The donor list: See where DeSantis billionaire supporters live across the US with this interactive map Florida GOP Executive Director Helen Aguirre Ferre did not respond to multiple emails and a text message from the USA TODAY Network - Florida about obtaining press credentials for the Summit. Florida GOP Chair Joe Gruters also didn't respond to a request for comment about media access to the event. Journalists working at Politico and Florida Politics said on Twitter Thursday that they also haven't been able to get press credentials to cover the Summit. A New York Times reporter tweeted that the event is "not going to be 'open media' or livestreamed." U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis speaks to reporters June 28, 2018, after a Florida Republican gubernatorial primary debate at the Republican Sunshine Summit in Kissimmee. The Florida GOP is holding another Sunshine Summit this year in Hollywood, but has not responded to requests by the media for credentials to cover the event. That's unusual. In 2018, the media was on hand for the same event, which featured a debate between DeSantis and his GOP primary opponent, Adam Putnam. Former President Donald Trump and other GOP candidates spoke in 2015 at the event also open to the media. Trump also loves to bash the media and, at times, barred certain outlets from covering his events. DeSantis has made criticizing the media a central part of this regular talking points. Story continues Donald Trump speaking the same day in Tampa This weekend, Trump will be speaking in Florida at a conservative event in Tampa. The media is being allowed to cover that event. Could Trump's simultaneous appearance Saturday night have something to do with the tight media access at the Sunshine Summit? The increasing attention DeSantis is receiving within the GOP reportedly is irking the former president. DeSantis may not want to draw too much attention to himself on a night Trump also is seeking the spotlight. Whatever the reason, it's particularly unusual to not have media at an event where candidate debates will be held. Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached at zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Trump and DeSantis both speaking in Florida with media allowed at one TORONTO, July 22, 2022 /CNW/ - Roots ("Roots," "Roots Canada" or the "Company") (TSX: ROOT), a premium-outdoor lifestyle brand, today announced the results of voting at its Fiscal 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders held yesterday (the "Meeting"). Each of the matters voted upon at the Meeting as set out below is described in greater detail in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Management Information Circular of Roots dated June 13, 2022. Roots Corporation Logo (CNW Group/Roots Corporation) The total number of shares represented at the Meeting was 30,048,431, representing approximately 72.07% of Roots outstanding shares entitled to be voted. Election of Directors All of the nominees listed in the Management Information Circular prepared in connection with the Meeting were elected as directors by a resolution passed by a majority of the shareholders represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting, to hold office until the next annual meeting following their election or until their successors are elected or appointed. The following represents the votes received with regard to such matter: Nominee Votes For % Votes For Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Phil Bacal 29,926,628 99.89 % 34,108 0.11 % Mary Ann Curran 29,925,701 99.88 % 35,035 0.12 % Gregory David 29,900,292 99.80 % 60,444 0.20 % Dale H. Lastman, C.M., O. Ont. 29,902,907 99.81 % 57,829 0.19 % Richard P. Mavrinac 29,930,001 99.90 % 30,735 0.10 % Dexter Peart 29,925,201 99.88 % 35,535 0.12 % Meghan Roach 29,929,401 99.90 % 31,335 0.10 % Joel Teitelbaum 29,930,001 99.90 % 30,735 0.10 % Erol Uzumeri 29,808,092 99.49 % 152,644 0.51 % Appointment of Auditors KPMG LLP was reappointed as auditor of Roots and the directors were authorized to fix the auditor's remuneration by a resolution passed by a majority of the shareholders represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting. The following represents the votes received with regard to such matter: Story continues Votes For % Votes For Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld 30,035,363 99.96 % 13,068 0.04 % About Roots Established in 1973, Roots is a global lifestyle brand. Starting from a small cabin in northern Canada, Roots has become a global brand with over 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, two stores in the United States, and an eCommerce platform, www.roots.com, that serves over 55 international markets. We have more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia, and we also operate a dedicated Roots-branded storefront on Tmall.com in China. We design, market, and sell a broad selection of products in different departments, including women's men's, children's, and gender-free apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories. Our products are built with uncompromising comfort, quality, and style that allows you to feel at home with nature. We offer products designed to meet life's everyday adventures and provide you with the versatility to live your life to the fullest. We also wholesale through business-to-business channels and license the brand to a select group of licensees selling products to major retailers. Roots Corporation is a Canadian corporation doing business as "Roots" and "Roots Canada". SOURCE Roots Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/22/c3420.html (This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine) MOSCOW (Reuters) - A few dozen Russian retail investors handed in a letter to the country's second-biggest bank VTB on Friday asking for compensation for losses made on their foreign investments after Western sanctions were imposed earlier this year. In the letter, they said VTB - among the first Russian entities sanctioned after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 - closed operations for retail investors too quickly and so deprived them of a chance to sell their now-frozen assets. They said VTB blocked retail clients from selling foreign shares on March 3, 13 days before Euroclear, one of two big Western clearing houses, suspended operations with its Russian counterpart, the National Settlement Depository, on March 16. The letter, seen by Reuters, asked VTB to reimburse the retail investors at SPB Exchange, the main trading platform for foreign stocks in Russia, for the March 3 value of their holdings and said they would take legal action if the state-owned bank declines. It did not say how much money the retail investors were claiming. VTB declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Reuters could not independently confirm that VTB had halted share trading for retail customers on March 3. The National Settlement Depository issued a notice on its website on March 17 saying Euroclear had suspended operations with it. The United States put full blocking sanctions on VTB, which accounts for one-fifth of Russian banking assets, on the day Moscow began what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine, severing the bank's ties with Western counterparts. According to VTB, it held about 2.6 trillion roubles ($47 billion) of retail investors' assets last year. Russia's central bank says sanctions have stopped some 5 million Russians from accessing shares they own in foreign companies, with a total value of over 320 billion roubles. Story continues Igor Deryabin, a 25-year-old Muscovite, and his wife Darya, were among those protesting at VTB's headquarters in Moscow's financial district on Friday. "We were buying the most secure shares hoping for price increase and dividends," Igor told Reuters. "We wanted to build a bigger capital for larger purchases, to buy a flat." He said his family had lost access to shares worth over 1 million roubles in two dozen foreign companies including IBM and Shell. The average monthly salary in Russia is 67,000 roubles. The couple were among more than 450,000 people that VTB said used its app to manage their stock holdings. Interest in stock market investments boomed in Russia during coronavirus lockdowns two years ago. As of last year, 17 million Russians - about one in five people - held nearly 8 trillion roubles in brokerage accounts, according to the central bank. Moscow has retaliated for Western sanctions by blocking foreign investors' access to Russian securities, including stocks and rouble bonds, ending years in which money had flowed into Russia's stock market and economy. ($1 = 55.3750 roubles) (Reporting by Reuters) ATHENS (Reuters) - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Greece on July 26 to meet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek foreign ministry said on Friday, in his first visit to an EU country since the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The ministry said the pair were due to sign bilateral deals, without giving details. A Greek diplomatic source said the deals were in the fields of energy, military cooperation, and an undersea data cable, among others. Greece and Saudi Arabia agreed in May on the main terms to set up a joint venture to lay the data cable that will link Europe with Asia. The "East to Med data Corridor" will be developed by MENA HUB, owned by Saudi Arabia's STC and Greek telecoms and satellite applications company TTSA. The visit will be closely watched after the killing of Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul sparked a furore in the West. U.S. intelligence concluded the crown prince directly approved the murder of the Washington Post columnist. The prince denies having any role in the killing. Some Western leaders have since visited Riyadh, including U.S. President Joe Biden last week, who said he confronted Prince Mohammed over the killing. Biden said the crown prince had said he had held those responsible to account. France's President Emanuel Macron and Mitsotakis also visited last year. (Reporting by Karolina Tagaris and Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Alison Williams) News Headlines Singapore executes fifth drug trafficker since March BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia will visit China from July 25 to 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday. In response to a question on the visit, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing Thursday that Widodo is the first foreign head of state to visit China after the Beijing Winter Olympics, and China is also the first stop of Widodo's first trip to East Asia since the pandemic, reflecting that China and Indonesia attach great importance to bilateral relations. During the visit, Xi will hold talks with Widodo, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will meet with Widodo. They will have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and major regional and international issues, Wang said. The two countries are major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies with broad common interests and broad space for cooperation, Wang said. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the two sides have confirmed the general direction of building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, constructed a new pattern of cooperation regarding the four pillars of political, economic, cultural and maritime fields, and interpreted the rich content of the comprehensive strategic partnership, he said. Through President Widodo's visit, China looks forward to deepening strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation, and setting an example for the win-win cooperation and common development among major developing countries in the new era, Wang said. China highly appreciates and firmly supports Indonesia's constructive role while Indonesia holds the presidency of the G20 this year, Wang said. Widodo will have face-to-face talks with Chinese leaders about the G20 Summit and discuss how to meet the current prominent global challenges, thus demonstrating the solidarity and coordination among major developing countries, injecting more positive energy into the post-pandemic development of the world economy, and contributing more to global equity and justice, Wang said. MarketWatch Recently, we came across a simple piece of money advice from billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban on his Maverick blog that we felt resonated in todays money-stressed world. Indeed plenty of pros agree with him that saving money can make you, if not rich, then at least richer (and the good news is this: savings accounts are now paying far more than they did a year ago, and you can find the best rates you can get here). The first step is you have to want to make changes, says certified financial planner Spencer Betts of Bickling Financial Services. When it comes to video-based data, advances in computer vision have given a huge boost to the world of research, making the process of analyzing and drawing insights from moving images something that is scalable beyond the limits of a small team of humans. A startup called Theator has been applying this concept to the world of healthcare: It's using AI to "read" video captured during operations, to look for best practices but also to help identify key moments when an operation may have taken the wrong turn. Today, it is announcing $24 million in funding -- a sign of how both the medical world is adapting and adopting advances in AI to improve its own work; and how investors are stepping up to bet on the opportunity ahead. The funding is a significant extension to Theator's Series A of $15.5 million from February 2021, bringing the total for the round to $39.5 million, and $42.5 million overall. As with the earlier tranche, Insight Partners led this latest investment. Previous backers Blumberg Capital, Mayo Clinic, NFX, StageOne Ventures, iAngels and former Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt also participated, alongside new backers iCON and Ariel Cohen, TripActions CEO and co-founder. The valuation is not being disclosed, but the Series A is notable for another reason: bringing in a big strategic investor, in the form of the Mayo Clinic, which is working with Theator -- based in Palo Alto with operations also in Israel -- on using its video analytics tools. Other partners include the Canadian Association of General Surgeons and others that it's not disclosing yet. In total, Theator's library now has amassed 30,000 hours of anonymized video, with almost 1 billion analyzed frames. The opportunity in the market that Theator is tackling is this: In the world of surgery, there is a huge trove of video already being created, specifically by way of the camera probes that are used in non-invasive procedures. Story continues Naturally, the main purpose for most of this video is for surgeons to be able to track what they are doing in real time. But Theator's premise is that -- tapped in an effective way -- this video could be an invaluable resource to those doctors, the care providing establishments where they work, and potentially to the fields in which they're working (that is, the wider network of other physicians working in the same areas as they are), if it could be examined and compared against similar procedures carried out elsewhere, and then matched up against outcomes. That may sound like an insurmountable task on a human level. There is too much video, and the concept of parsing even some of it sounds too time-consuming to carry out. All of this means something else, too: effectively, the best results have to date remained with those doing the best work already. Or, as Dr Tamir Wolf, the CEO and co-founder of Theator noted (leaning on an age-old saying), "Too often, where you live determines if you live." "There is no real understanding of ground truths today," he continued, despite the fact that there are tens of millions of hours of video created through visual guidance for different procedures. "None of that video is captured, stored or analyzed. You lose an understanding of what goes on in the operating room, and the best practices. Being able to identify what best practices look like and then share them is what we aim to do." And that is where AI comes into the picture. Wolf describes Theator's platform as "surgical intelligence." It takes many hours of footage and in real time can identify key moments in any procedure. So in a six-hour pancreatic surgery, the system leverages machine learning and computer vision to structure the raw footage, compare that video to other video of the same procedures, and then match what is happening in the videos to outcomes from earlier procedures to hone in on key "good outcome" characteristics, and where things have diverged. The data is then shared with individual physicians, teams, their institutions and so on to create better understanding for existing patients (to manage after-care better) and for future procedures. A lot of people tend to focus on after-care and the complications that can arise there after what has been deemed a "successful" procedure otherwise, but Dr Wolf contends that this is a common misconception, born in part out of the fact that there hasn't been enough data and insight into the operation itself. Wolf notes that some hospitals have worse outcomes than others for what equally have been determined "successful" surgeries in that there were no real-time complications during the actual procedures. Why is that the case? "We don't know," he simply said. Wolf's founding of Theator actually came out of that very question, which he asked of himself as a doctor, but also as a friend and family member to patients. Specifically, he recalled how both his wife and a friend/colleague coincidentally had the same operation at the same time, but at different hospitals. Both technically went okay, but one had a much bigger after-effects longer term than the other. Trying to get to the bottom of why that played out the way it did is what has in part motivated what his startup has been pursuing. Theators technology has proven to be the critical next step in surgical advancement, said Brad Fiedler, VP at Insight Partners, in a statement. Integrating AI and computer vision into the operating room improves surgical care and is transforming surgery for the better. Were excited to double down on our investment, especially as Theators expertise in AI and computer vision is now enhancing patient outcomes across an ever-growing range of commercial partners. To date, Theator has been negotiating its deals with care providers -- that is, hospitals and clinics where procedures are carried out -- although you could imagine a scenario where insurance companies, individual doctors and maybe even patients will be wanting to access this kind of data to understand more about what is going on, and perhaps more importantly -- a little like dash cams -- to have a record of what is going on in the event that something goes wrong. This is not something that Theator is pursuing right now, but it's an obvious opportunity. Similarly, there is a whole world of procedures out there that the startup is not currently tackling. Wolf described minimally invasive procedures as "low hanging fruit" in this regard because these operations already use cameras and are capturing video. Over time, there are a number of other, even more complicated, procedures that you could imagine could benefit from a similar treatment. At the same time, the market is still evolving. Not everyone wants this kind of scrutiny nor believes that it can give an accurate picture of the full set of circumstances that go into any single operation or treatment of one individual over another. It focuses, so to speak, only on the aspects that the camera can capture. And you could argue that once the parameters are put in place for what is "correct" it will make it harder and less likely that surgeons will take calculated risks that could result in better outcomes than whatever becomes "standard" based on the AI training. It's in effect the same problem you get with other applications of AI when it paints itself into essentially a logical corner that to the human brain and our actual reason clearly no longer makes any sense, and in fact is no longer "intelligent" but the opposite. However, that's not to detract from what Theator's tech has the potential to do. It's just a reminder that, as with all AI, there is a lot more that needs to be codified, no doubt, about how to use that intelligence in context. In the meantime, "Were slowly seeing a shift in the minds of surgeons and others in this ecosystem that there needs to be more transparency," Wolf said. "Moving to competency-based insights is part of that." That will see this tech potentially applied not just for operations and best practices for everyone but for training. "Video is going to be at the core of how surgeons are assessed to see if they can come out of residency and into full practice." TOKYO, July 22 (Reuters) - Member countries of a trans-Pacific trade pact will hold a working group meeting on Britain's accession into the deal in Tokyo from July 24 to 28, Japan said on Friday. The 11 members of the pact, known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), had agreed in February that Britain could proceed with its bid to join the group. Japan heads the pact's accessions working group. (Reporting by Daniel Leussink Editing by Chang-Ran Kim) DUBLIN, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Disposable Syringes Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo The global disposable syringes market reached a value of US$ 13.01 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 20.5 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.87% during 2021-2027. 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 market contributor. Disposable syringes are widely utilized for injecting medicines through intravenous or intramuscular ways to treat different diseases. They are plastic syringes designed for one-time use in the medical, veterinary, and research and development (R&D) fields. They are cheaper compared to traditional syringes without any maintenance costs. They assist in maintaining the safety of the patients while reducing the chances of cross-contamination. At present, there is a rise in the use of disposable syringes to support the diagnosis and treatment of various chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory disease, injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, influenza, and pneumonia. This, along with the growing number of surgeries across the globe, represents one of the key factors driving the market. In addition, there is an increase in the number of patients suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) around the world due to unprotected sexual contact and contact with infected blood. This, coupled with the burgeoning healthcare industry, is propelling the growth of the market. Besides this, key market players are focusing on efficient sterilizing surgery while avoiding infections among healthcare practitioners and patients, especially after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Moreover, the growing incidences of needlestick injuries among patients are catalyzing the demand for disposable syringes. Besides this, the rising trend of self-injecting medicines is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors. Apart from this, governments of several countries are undertaking initiatives to encourage the adoption of disposable medical supplies for preventing the spread of infections in operating rooms. These initiatives are projected to bolster the growth of the market in the coming years. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter International Inc., Becton Dickinson and Company, Cardinal Health Inc., Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Henke-Sass Wolf GmbH, Nipro Corporation, Novo Nordisk A/S, Retractable Technologies Inc., Terumo Corporation and Vita Needle Company. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global disposable syringes market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global disposable syringes 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 application? 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 disposable syringes 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 Disposable Syringes 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 Conventional Syringes 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Safety Syringes 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Key Segments 6.2.2.1 Retractable Safety Syringes 6.2.2.2 Non-Retractable Safety Syringes 6.2.3 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Application 7.1 Immunization Injections 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Therapeutic Injections 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End User 8.1 Hospitals 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Diagnostic Laboratories 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Others 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 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 B. Braun Melsungen AG 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.2 Baxter International Inc. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 Financials 14.3.3 Becton Dickinson and Company 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 Cardinal Health 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 Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA 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 Henke-Sass Wolf GmbH 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7 Nipro Corporation 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 Novo Nordisk 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 Retractable Technologies Inc. 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.10 Terumo 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 Vita Needle Company 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lfbfp6 Media Contact: 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-worldwide-disposable-syringes-industry-is-expected-to-reach-20-5-billion-by-2027--301591751.html SOURCE Research and Markets Students at five Stafford County elementary schools and those in the Head Start program will receive free breakfast and lunch this school year, the division announced this week. The Stafford schools join other local schools and school divisions that provide free meals to all enrolled students through the U.S. Department of Agricultures Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP. The program, which was created by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, allows schools and school districts in low-income areas to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Schools and school divisions in which 40% or more of enrolled students are eligible for free meals under the National School Lunch Program can participate in CEP. In Stafford, Kate Waller Barrett, Anne E. Moncure, Falmouth, Widewater and Rocky Run elementary schools, as well as Head Start programs at both North Star and Rising Star early learning centers, will participate in CEP this school year. Overall, about 29% of Stafford students qualify for free meals, but at some of the participating schools, such as Barrett and the Head Start programs, more than 50% of students qualify. Locally, Caroline, Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg schools also participate in CEP. In Caroline, just under 47% of all students qualify for free school meals, according to the Virginia Department of Education. Students at all five county schools will receive free breakfast and lunch this year. This will be the first year Caroline participates in the program, despite signing up in 2019, nutrition services director Keith Conner said. All eligible Spotsylvania County schoolsand some that are nearing eligibility, where more than 30% of students qualify for free mealsparticipate in CEP. The participating schools are Battlefield, Berkeley, Cedar Forest, Lee Hill, Livingston, Riverview, Salem, Smith Station, Spotswood and Wilderness elementary schools; Battlefield, Chancellor, Post Oak and Thornburg middle schools; and Chancellor, Massaponax and Spotsylvania high schools. Overall, just under 36% of Spotsylvania students qualify for USDA free meals. All five Fredericksburg City public schools have participated in CEP for several years. About 47% of city school students qualify for free meals. King George County is the only area school division that has no schools eligible for CEP, although King George Elementary is nearing eligibility with just under 34 percent of students qualifying for free meals. Families with students who attend non-CEP schools can apply through the school at any time for free or reduced-price meal benefits. Last school year, most local school divisions made use of waivers passed by Congress at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free meals to all students, but most of the waivers expired on June 30. Lawmakers last month reached a deal to extend some of the waivers, such as those permitting substitutions in case of supply-chain disruptions and higher federal reimbursement rates, but not the waiver that suspended eligibility requirements for free and reduced-price meals. The public is asked to complete a survey to help establish a Creative District in downtown Fremont. Creative Districts are described as cultural and economic areas where innovation flourishes and neighborhoods come together in the name of art. The City of Fremont is collaborating with several area organizations and community leaders to develop this district. This project comes through the Nebraska Creative District Program. Its administered by the Nebraska Arts Council and part of legislation passed in 2020 by the Nebraska Legislature. The survey has been created to solicit valuable community feedback. Angie Olson, City of Fremont grant coordinator, is collecting survey responses. By participating in this survey, residents, visitors and business owners will help Fremont tell their story. Its a great way to take part in Fremonts future, Olson said. The survey can be found at: Survey links are also available at fremontne.gov and the City of Fremonts Facebook page. Partnering organizations will share the survey information as well. Printed copies can be filled out at Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N. Broad St., and the Fremont Area Art Association, 92 W. Sixth St. Survey responses will be accepted through Wednesday, Aug. 31. In November, Suzanne Wild, executive director of the Nebraska Arts Council, gave a presentation to the Fremont City Council on the process of creating a creative arts district. It is a new initiative that is designed to promote not only the arts and culture of your community, but its really about economic development, Wise said at the council meeting. Wise said cities like Omaha are able to bring large performances of shows like Hamilton and Wicked due to partnerships with Omaha Performing Arts and Orpheum Theater. But Wise said the districts arent just limited to urban areas. The Nebraska Governors Association commissioned a study that found it impacted areas like Fremont as well. Arts and culture have long been part of urban rejuvenation, the study states. Now, an expanding body of research and practice showcases positive economic and quality-of-life outcomes associated with the rural creative sector. The Creative District Program would allow Fremont to attract artists and creative enterprises, encourage business and job development, establish the district as a tourist destination and promote its cultural and historic heritage. Everyone that is involved in the culture of your town can be part of a creative district or help create it, Wise said. Mark Shepard knew it was a drill. Not the real thing. But the Fremont Public Schools superintendent had an unexpected reaction when he heard the 9-11 call about an active shooter at Fremont Middle School on Thursday morning. Shepard was in the east meeting room in the FPS central office with school and city officials when the call was dispatched. He knew it was a simulation. Police, school and other officials have been working to coordinate this exercise for weeks. Then the simulated call came across the radio. It just literally brought a chill to my bones, Shepard said. The reality of those words are very sobering. Fremont Police Chief Jeff Elliott led the exercise, which he estimated involved about 100 people for the entire day. Although many of these entities have had training on their own, this was an opportunity to see how theyd work together in the event that a real-life situation would occur. Elliott previously told the Tribune that his goal was to have his officers realize they couldnt wait to go in, but needed to respond immediately. During the simulation, officers didnt wait to go in and Elliott said Thursday afternoon he was pleased with that result. As far as getting the officers in there and engaging the suspect, it was great, Elliott said. We were really happy about that. Elliott sees areas of improvement. Hed like to see the amount of time shortened between when officers neutralize a suspect to when injured parties receive treatment. Wed have liked to have seen the victims get treated a little quicker, Elliott said. We found some areas where we might be able to improve that response, but as far as the officers getting into the school and engaging the suspect, that was right on par with what we want. He also said there were a couple of technical issues involving communication, but that was resolved right away. Elliott said he spent weeks planning the event. He and Kevin Kavan, coordinator of safety and security for Fremont Public Schools, brought in multiple people to plan the drill. The police department had to coordinate shifts so one shift of patrol officers could be on the streets while the others trained and then swap the groups so the first could train. There was a lot of coordination there, Elliott said. Regarding safety, police also had to make sure there were no actual firearms in the scenario. Keeping fire and rescue personnel safe and working with them involved coordination as well. Elliott was pleased with the cooperation he saw. The teamwork was great, Elliott said. All the guys worked great together. The day was divided into two portions. An estimated 60 people including law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel took part in the active shooter training exercise in the morning. Shepherd said he watched most of the morning session from a remote location utilizing the schools camera system. It gave us an insight into what that looks like in the school, Shepard said. It was very impressive, how organized it was by the chief and his lieutenants and his assistants. Everybody responded so professionally and absolutely know what theyre doing. In the afternoon, FPS participated in a reunification drill, reuniting students with parents. Elliott said when an active shooter situation takes place in a school system, the idea is to get students out of a dangerous area and put them in another building and reunite them with their parents. He estimated another 30 to 40 people took part in that simulation. Shepard said Thursday afternoon that FPS would have a debriefing with law enforcement. Well follow up again with the entire group in a couple weeks from now to identify ways that we can strengthen our protocols and they can strengthen theirs, he said. Shepard noted that FPS practiced reunification with about 20 students. Thats many fewer students than the 1,500 at a high school or even 300 kids in an elementary school. Its a much different scenario than when youre talking about 20, Shepard said. As we continue to prepare for something we hope never happens here, well try to involve more people. Elliott and Shepard said theyd like to see this training take place each year. This was a great first effort, because it was very small and so it was very easy to control, Shepard said. We know that in a real situation thats going to be more difficult so we need to practice it being more difficult as well. Shepard appreciated the teamwork and expertise involved. Its amazing to me the way our community continues to come together, Shepard said. We had a flood (in 2019). We had a pandemic. All of these are opportunities for people to finger-point and that doesnt happen in Fremont. People come together. We identify a plan. We put it together and then we use it. Thursdays training exercise occurred as a cooperative effort between: Fremont Police Department; Dodge County Sheriffs Office; Nebraska State Patrol; Fremont Fire and Rescue Department; Methodist Fremont Health; Dodge County REACT; Dodge County Emergency Management; Fremont/Dodge County Communications; FPS. Autumn Johnson saw the dejected looks on the students faces. The students were part of Spoudazo, a Christian high school music and drama ministry. With this ministry, students spend weeks practicing for a show, before hitting the road with adult leaders to stage performances at various locations. Recently, students were preparing for a performance in a Dubuque, Iowa, church. It was 7 p.m. and no one had come to see the show. Kids and leaders thought people might have mistakenly thought the show would start at 7:30 p.m. That wasnt the case. It just kept getting later and nobody was coming, said Johnson, the shows producer. The kids were very sad at that point. Yet what happened next would energize students for the rest of their tour. This was the 29th year that First Lutheran Church in Fremont hosted Spoudazo, said coordinator Dawn Koehlmoos. Seventeen students, mostly high school age, from eight different churches took part in the 2022 tour. Students began rehearsals for the show after school got out. At first, they practiced once a week and then twice a week for the tour set from July 12-17, said Kaleb Jorgensen, chaplain. Rehearsals included time for students to learn the songs, which included This Could Change Everything, Yes He Can and Rescue Story. Practices also included devotionals. The tour consisted of eight performances, starting with a concert during the John C. Fremont Days festival. Students then performed at churches in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa, before giving a home concert at First Lutheran. Jorgensen cites the programs importance. It helps re-establish faith, which I feel like in this day and age with technology kind of gets pushed to the side, he said. The program also gives students a place to connect with others their age. A lot of kids meet people they didnt think they would ever connect well with and its really cool seeing that happen, Jorgensen said. The end goal is that they find a family of people that will always have their back even when life gets tough. The theme of the show was No Escaping His Love, with the idea that people can run from God, but hell find his way to them. Jorgensen thinks that sort of happened during a Thursday night performance when no one showed up for the program. After seeing how sad students were, the college leaders knew they had to do something, Johnson said. They gave the students a pep talk, reassuring them they did nothing wrong. And they gave the kids two options. They could sing inside the church for God and themselves. Or they could take their performance outside and sing for whomever was passing by. Students chose the second alternative. So leaders and students took risers, speakers and microphones outside. While they were setting up, an older couple in a house across the street brought out lawn chairs and sat down. People in the house next door came out and sat on their porch to listen. The kids began to sing. People driving by honked their horns. One vehicle driver stopped and rolled down a window to listen. At one point, an older couple and a child came by and stopped to listen. One adult leader Livestreamed the performance for Facebook and Johnson did so for Instagram for a while. At the end, the students sang Amazing Grace. College and adult leaders joined them on the risers. That was true and pure worship altogether and it didnt matter that we were outside. It didnt matter who was watching. It was just so powerful. I think half of us were crying by the end of that, Johnson said. Afterward, students and leaders gathered in a circle to pray to give glory to God for providing them with the opportunity. People poured their hearts out during the prayer. That kind of prayer, that kind of performance usually happens on the last night of the tour, because emotions are high and everyone has spent so much time together, but this was completely different from anything I and a lot of other people had ever experienced with Spoudazo, Johnson said. It was a really beautiful time to pray together and thank God for everything. Koehlmoos said if even one person had attended the concert inside the church, the group never would have moved outside. But because they moved outdoors, they got a whole new audience and were energized. They took their energy to a whole new level and they maintained that for the rest of the week, Koehlmoos said. That was a huge turning point. Johnson made a post about the experience with photos and video on Facebook. A woman, named Nancy Schadle, made a comment on the post. Schadle said she and her husband and a granddaughter saw the performance, which she described as a blessing. She added how refreshing it was to see young people with a heart to worship God. The woman was sad to learn no one had come to the show, but glad students and leaders didnt just pack up and leave. Schadle made reference to a parable Jesus told about people who were invited to a feast, but didnt come. When that happened, the man hosting the event had his servants go to the highway to bring anybody they could find to the feast. She compared the Spoudazo event to that parable. When those who were invited didnt come, you went out to draw them in from the street side, she wrote. May the Lord continue to bless your team as you step out in faith and obedience and do what Hes called you to do. Johnson was touched by the comment. It was really cool that she was able to find us on Facebook, Johnson added. Now, group organizers are looking to the future. We want to make it to Year 30, Jorgensen said. Ultimately, I would like to see this go on for as long as Im alive. We feel like theres a lot of potential out there. Jorgensen is looking at ways to reach students. I would encourage people to check it out, Jorgensen said. Were going to try and post things more on social media so people kind of get an idea for what this group is. We want to utilize those platforms to kind of get us out there for next year. Irans state TV says the countrys foreign ministry recalled its ambassador from Sweden after an Iranian citizen was sentenced to life by a Swedish court for committing war crimes and murder during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s Jimmy Sengenberger is host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show Saturdays from 6-9am on News/Talk 710 KNUS. He also hosts Jimmy at the Crossroads, a webshow and podcast in partnership with The Washington Examiner. On a cold day and night in late February when temperatures didn't rise much above zero, Colorado Springs recorded the largest number of chronic homeless people ever tallied by the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, an agency that counts El Paso Countys homeless population as a requirement for receiving federal funding for services and programs. Just shy of 400 people self-identified as being homeless for at least one consecutive year or repeatedly over the past three years and having at least one ongoing health condition such as physical, mental or substance disorders, according to the results released Thursday. The chronic homeless population was increasingly high among unsheltered folks. Eighty percent of unsheltered identified as chronic, which is significant, said Evan Caster, manager of homeless initiatives for Community Health Partnership, the administering agency for the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care. Thats where were going to focus a lot of our attention, he said. However, the county saw its lowest number since 2015 of 267 unsheltered homeless people during this years Point in Time survey. Volunteers and street outreach employees accounted for a total of 1,443 homeless people countywide in February; in 2021 there were 1,156 total counted in the survey, and in 2020 there were 1,339. Last year's numbers did not include unsheltered people living in tents, on the streets or in cars as the pandemic precluded that part of the survey from occurring. In 2020, there were 358 unsheltered homeless people, a 30% decrease over 2018s community high of 513 unsheltered. Of the 1,176 homeless people counted as "sheltered" in February, meaning they had a bed for the night but not a permanent residence, 688 were staying in emergency shelters and 488 were in transitional housing. Both the emergency shelter occupancy and transitional housing were the highest numbers recorded, according to survey results. Transitional housing does not necessarily mean beds; it can refer to people using subsidized vouchers from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Caster said. Nearly 300 transitional slots were earmarked for veterans, he said. This years numbers could have been influenced by the cold weather driving people inside, Caster said. However, this year the county saw its lowest number of unsheltered people since 2015, at 267. In 2020, the last time an unsheltered count was held, there were 358 people, a 30% decrease over 2018s community high of 513 unsheltered homeless. Steve Posey, community development division manager for Colorado Springs, said the city has spent money building up emergency shelter beds in the community, and as a result, shelters continue to have space available for those choosing to access the shelters. Street outreach teams from the citys police and fire departments also encourage people use the shelters, he said. The city also is participating in a federal House America challenge to address homelessness and support low-income housing projects, distributing emergency housing vouchers, securing tax-credit awards for 150 new permanent supportive housing units and providing more transitional housing for homeless families. All of this work is designed to address chronic homelessness, which the count indicates went up this year, he said. The search for a new homeless response coordinator also will begin in the next two weeks, Posey said, after the first person in that role was tapped by Gov. Jared Polis office earlier this year to work on homeless prevention statewide. The point in time numbers dont give a complete picture but a snapshot thats one of several measurements used to determine the scope of the homeless population and what programs are needed, Caster said. Monthly tallies of homeless military veterans and youths also help agencies and organizations set programs, he said. Over the first six months of this year, El Paso County averaged 401 households with at least one homeless veteran. The county also had a monthly average of 358 homeless youth ages 15-24, according to the statistics. The homeless youth population also is growing, said Shawna Kemppainen, executive director of The Place, a 20-bed emergency shelter for teens and young adults in Colorado Springs, which also operates a drop-in day center and is building a permanent supportive apartment complex for up to 55 youths. Compared to last year, the city has experienced a 20% increase in the number of youths who are homeless across the board, from the couch surfers to those staying at the shelter to kids living on the streets, she said. Veteran homelessness also jumped by 20% this year over last year, data show. Carl Bourgeois, a scion of one of the citys first Black families who was known for restoring historical properties in Colorado Springs and Denver, died Sunday after a lengthy battle with heart disease, according to his family. He was 71. The grandson of Kimbal D. Stroud who settled in Colorado Springs in the early 20th century and put down roots that continue to bear fruit today Bourgeois leaves a legacy of civic pride and selflessness, said his sister, April Nelson. His heart was as big as the developments and projects that he ran, Nelson said. He really cared about the community and environment that he was part of. In Colorado Springs and in Denver, he did so much to build up the communities in a positive way. The fourth of seven children born to Alfred Bourgeois and Bobby Stroud, Carl was born and raised in a small house Colorado Springs. He helped raise his younger siblings after his mother died at age 47, and in the 1970s he moved with his then-wife and family to Denver, where he worked as a banker. When he arrived in Denver, Bourgeois was disheartened to see that the historically Black Five Points neighborhood, whose cultural significance was on par with Harlems in New York City, had fallen upon hard times. By the time I got there, it was in that downward spiral, Bourgeois told The Gazette last year. But I was still really impressed there were so many remnants of Black business people, and I wanted to be one. When he came to Denver he saw that the Five Points neighborhood was going economically downhill, said Wellington Webb, Denvers first Black mayor and a longtime friend. He looked at it and saw something worth investing in. With the skills of an experienced banker and the impassioned heart of a community advocate, Bourgeois began to invest in and help revitalize a once-proud neighborhood that appeared destined for the wrecking ball, Webb said. In 1983, he and two partners bought their first property in the neighborhood the Triangle Building on Washington Street. They bought and renovated a second building three years later, and the rebirth of the Five Points had begun, according to Webb. He had a sense of history and wanted to provide opportunities by saving part of that history that might be torn down, Webb said. In 1989, Bourgeois founded Civil Technology, a firm specializing in construction management and real estate development. The company has lent its management and development expertise to many Denver projects, including Denver International Airport, Stapleton Redevelopment Project, the Webb Municipal Office Building, Denver Art Museum, and downtown Denvers 14th Street Streetscape, according to the firms website. Where other people might have seen a community in disrepair, Bourgeois saw opportunity, Nelson said. He could look at a property that no one else wanted to take on, and he would turn it into something that was beneficial to the community, she said. Bourgeois also had a passion for African history, Webb said. He visited the continent several times, bought a farm in South Africa and developed a friendship with South African musician Hugh Masekela. He thought it was important for Black Americans to maintain a connection with the Motherland, Webb said. After more than three decades in Denver, Bourgeois returned to the Colorado Springs neighborhood where he was raised and saw another property he could revitalize. He purchased a condemned home and the surrounding 10 acres at 944 N. Walnut St. and began to restore the two-story Victorian to its former glory. He decorated it with South African art and artifacts from his familys history, and breathed life into the crumbling acreage surrounding the home that was once an apple orchard. Bourgeois grandfather, Stroud, settled in this neighborhood west of what's now Interstate 25 in the early 1900s, patriarch of one of the citys first Black families. Strouds youngest child was Bourgeois mother, Bobby. Carl would be born in the same little house. And like the generation before him, he and his siblings would work at the neighboring country estate of the pioneer Hagermans the regal property surrounded by cobblestone. Its almost like a big, huge circle of history," Nelson said last year. Bourgeois in recent times began throwing an annual July 3 celebration at the Walnut Street home, inviting hundreds of people to eat and listen to live music. Webb and his wife went to this years party and sat with Bourgeois, whose once-robust frame had been weakened by cardiac amyloidosis, a condition that reduces the hearts ability to pump blood. Bourgeois watched most of the festivities from a window inside the home, but remained in good spirits, Webb said. I was struck by the fact that even in his unhealthy condition, even though he was in palliative care, he still thought it was important to carry through with this annual event even though he knew it was the last one he would see. Bee Harris, a Denver publisher who knew Bourgeois for more than 30 years, said he was a rare entity a kindhearted man with the grit to succeed in the business world. He was a successful businessman, but he used his success to help people, Harris said. Youd have a hard time finding anyone with anything negative to say about Carl Bourgeois. He loved his family, and he really cared about Denver and Colorado Springs, and the people who lived in those communities, Nelson said. He was a truly good man. No funeral or memorial service, according to Bourgeois' wishes, is planned, family said. With less than three weeks left before the scheduled trial of a former resident nurse at Union Printers Home accused of negligence in the death of a patient, all charges filed against her were dismissed on Thursday. Margarita Sam, 88, died in February 2020 after walking out of the assisted-living facility. She was found on the grounds and had suffered hypothermia. "Everything that has happened in the last 2 years have been senseless," Rosalie Warren told The Gazette following the dismissal of her case. "Ms. Sam's death is something that shouldn't have happened, but given the circumstances. ... It wasn't my fault." The circumstances, according to Warren, were the fault of the administration who ran the now-defunct Union Printers Home. Warren wouldn't elaborate, as she is now set to speak with the Colorado Attorney General's Office about Union Printers Home. "I'm going to be working with the Attorney General's Office to bring the appropriate people to justice," Warren said. Warren, 53, stood accused of at-risk negligence resulting in the death of Sam. During the preliminary hearing for Warren in May, the prosecution attempted to show the timeline of events that led to Sam's death. A former investigator with the Attorney General's Office, Ali Thompson, claimed during the hearing that Warren's inaction led to the death. "This was a completely avoidable incident," Thompson said during the preliminary hearing. Over the final few days before Sam's death, Thompson testified that Sam's mental health was taking a serious decline, and that in the early morning of Feb. 3, 2020, Warren ignored warnings from her co-workers and neglected to perform mandatory wellness checks on Sam. Sam was found dead 40 yards outside the Union Printers Home later that morning. Warren's case was scheduled for a pretrial readiness conference on Thursday, but the end result of that hearing was the dismissal of all charges against her. The defense attorney for Warren, Rachel Armstrong, spoke to the court about the "significant" issues in the case that ultimately resulted in this outcome. Armstrong spoke about issues in Warren's case that she said included the entire investigation that led to charges being filed against Warren, issues in discovery and conflicting reports on Sam's cause of death. Sam's cause of death was ruled hypothermia by the El Paso County Coroner's Office. "This allows (Warren) to have control back of her life for the first time in over two years," Armstrong said. "This should be a lesson to the Attorney General's Office in how they investigate and prosecute caretakers." Armstrong also noted that had the case gone to the jury trial which was scheduled for Aug. 8 she believed Warren would have had "a very strong chance at trial." The motion to have Warren's case dismissed was mutually agreed upon by the prosecuting attorney from the AG's office, who was present for the hearing virtually. "It's unfortunate it all came out this way," the prosecution said. "The end result here is because there has been substantial issues in this case." Two people unhappy with the dismissal of this case were a pair of nieces of Sam's, who spoke to the court in opposition of the outcome. "We suffered a great loss," Margarita Stokes, Sam's niece, said to the court. "We have lost faith in this process." "This was caretaker negligence ... professionals did not do their job," Savannah Stokes, another niece of Sam's, said to the court while appearing virtually. "Nothing you can say would appease me at this point." As part of the agreement, the charges against Warren of at-risk-negligent death and violent crime causing death were dismissed with prejudice, while Warren's second charge of at-risk neglect was dismissed without prejudice. Dismissing a case with prejudice means it will be the court's final ruling on the charges. Judge Gregory Werner ultimately accepted the agreement, dismissing the charges against Warren. While the charges against Warren were dismissed, the sealing of the case is contingent upon Warren completing a yearlong unsupervised diversion program. Upon completion, Warren can request to have the case sealed. If she fails to complete the program, the District Attorney's Office has the opportunity to refile the charge of at-risk neglect. The charges against the two other caretakers accused in the death of Warren, Asia Murray and Taquenis Eldridge, were dismissed in 2021, according to court records. Union Printers Home permanently closed its doors shortly after Sam's death in March 2020 after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment suspended its license. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold's office has denied requests by Republicans Tina Peters and Ron Hanks for hand recounts of results in the primary races they lost for secretary of state and U.S. Senate, respectively, a spokeswoman for Griswold said Wednesday. In an effort to address a growing shortage in Colorado's behavioral health care workforce, a new state program will cover the tuition for local rural or low-income students pursuing a master's degree in social work. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is one of five public universities to receive funding through the Behavioral Health Incentives Program, sponsored by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. The program will cover the tuition of students pursuing select degrees and certificates in behavioral health with the purpose to "support individuals, including youth, with severe behavioral health disorders by increasing the behavioral health care workforce, the program's website said. The department said the UCCS master of social work program received $232,167 of the $5 million approved for the BHI program. Students eligible for full-ride, multiyear support must qualify for the Pell Grant and/or graduate from a rural high school or live or work in a rural area, as defined by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Catherine Simmons, director of the UCCS social work program, said students in these demographics are often deterred by high costs of continuing education. Funding is the No. 1 issue that students talk about when they talk about their inability to stay in school. Oftentimes its not a lot of money that locks their account and makes them unable to continue. Sometimes they pay their tuition, but they cant pay their rent. Data According to the Colorado Health Institute: 11 counties have no hospital; counties have no hospital; 22 counties have no licensed psychologist; and counties have no licensed psychologist; and Over half of the state's rural counties do not have a licensed addiction counselor. The UCCS program, which started in 2020, is Colorado's newest social work program and exists to produce licensed social workers trained in diagnosis, intervention, social challenges that can exacerbate behavioral health issues and more. Having these tuition-focused stipends and grants allows students to become social workers who wouldnt otherwise, she said. Simmons said there were more than 2,400 unfilled social work jobs in Colorado before the COVID pandemic, and that behavioral health needs have risen exponentially due to pandemic-related factors like isolation, student learning loss and, most recently, drug use. With the pandemic weve seen an increase in substance abuse," she said. "During the pandemic, our suicide rates were just off the charts. Now, were seeing a lot of fentanyl. In just the past two years, the number of monthly fatal overdoses involving fentanyl has quadrupled, The Gazette reported in February. "Every suicide, every fentanyl drug overdose is preventable with the right interventions," Simmons said. "We just dont have the workforce right now to address all the problems in our community. Simmons said the social worker shortage in rural areas "far outweighs" that in urban areas, and the CDHE said that providing access to rural communities is a "funding priority." Simmons said UCCS will first prioritize retaining students already in the social work program that have expressed financial need. The program is awaiting more guidelines from the state on allocating funds, she said, but plans to publicly announce details in August. Every time you fund a student, youre funding that person and youre changing their life," Simmons said. "But when you fund a social work student, youre not just changing their life, youre changing the life of every single client that theyll ever work with. Its a ripple effect. Court documents obtained by The Gazette detail the alleged over-four-year money-laundering scheme at Top Dollar Pawn locations that investigators say resulted in the transfer of more than $1.3 million in stolen goods. Top Dollar Pawn and four co-defendants, Daria Mauro, Walt Mauro, Mischa Jargowsky and Jack Jargowsky, are accused of 29 charges, including pattern of racketeering and 27 separate charges of money laundering. In the affidavit for a requested search warrant filed in the U.S. District Court for Colorado, new details have emerged over the scale of the money-laundering scheme, and the extensive FBI and CSPD investigation into the pawnshop. The joint investigation into Top Dollar Pawn between the FBI and the Colorado Springs Police Department began in April 2021, according to the affidavit. Through the investigation, the affidavit states that Top Dollar Pawn was "the largest known fence of stolen goods in the Colorado Springs and Pueblo area." The affidavit claims that the pawnshop would knowingly buy stolen items from boosters, and sell those items in store and on their eBay account. A booster is a person who steals merchandise, usually from retail outlets. They often work in concert with others as part of a "booster crew. Some of the stores in which the retail thefts took place included Walmart, Target, Lowe's and Home Depot, according to the affidavit. To confirm these accusations, the FBI and CSPD conducted interviews with both store employees and boosters who sold stolen items to Top Dollar Pawn, conducted an undercover operation, and investigated bank accounts and eBay transactions of the company. Detective interviews In November 2021, an interview was conducted with a known booster selling to Top Dollar Pawn. The booster claimed in his interview that he and his girlfriend had been selling stolen goods to the pawnshop since January 2020. In the interview with detectives, the booster claimed that he learned from Top Dollar Pawn that "they pawn (pay) more for new in box." Colorado law requires that pawnbrokers must be given a receipt of purchase on all items still considered "new" and in-packaging to confirm that these items were not stolen. Pawnbrokers are also required to keep an electronic record of these items, as well as document the identification number of the pawned item and the identification of the seller. According to the affidavit, this process is done through a service called LeadsOnline. The affidavit claims that Top Dollar Pawn would frequently underreport "the number of items they buy at any given time and are intentionally documenting the wrong serial numbers of the items they are purchasing." The booster who spoke with detectives disclosed that between January 2020 and November 2021 he received $80,000 to $90,000 and that Top Dollar Pawn is the only pawnshop that accepts new items and they know they are stolen. Detectives also spoke with multiple employees of Top Dollar Pawn who claimed that "everyone knew" that the store was buying a large quantity of stolen goods. One employee told detectives that he believed between 50%-70% of all items taken into his Top Dollar Pawn location were stolen items, and that 75% of the items on Top Dollar Pawn's eBay were stolen. A second Top Dollar Pawn employee said between 40%-50% of all items he observed come into the store he worked at were stolen. Undercover operation In addition to interviews, detectives undertook a nearly yearlong undercover operation selling goods posed as stolen to Top Dollar Pawn. In total, the three undercover officer pawned items posed as stolen on eight different occasions for more than $2,800 to Top Dollar Pawn April 2021-April 22. Detectives noted that several of the purchases were filed incorrectly on LeadsOnline or not at all, according to the affidavit. All of the items eventually were sold on Top Dollar Pawn's eBay account. The affidavit describes one instance where an undercover officer pawned a set of Milwaukee tools still sealed in the original packaging with the wire security device still attached. Daria Mauro accepted the sale, and took suggestions from the undercover officer on how to best remove the security device and stop it from making the security breach noise. When Daria Mauro asked the undercover officer to fill out the pawn affidavit questions, he wrote that he was not the rightful owner of the tools. Despite this, Daria Mauro bought the tools for $220. On another occasion, according to the affidavit, an undercover officer told a manager at one of the Colorado Springs Top Dollar Pawn locations that he worked at Home Depot and stole the items he was attempting to pawn "right off the truck before it even gets in the store." Despite hearing this information, Top Dollar Pawn bought the eight tools from the undercover officer for $80 each, according to the affidavit. All the items pawned during the undercover investigation were either donated or bought at retail stores, according to the affidavit. Money, money, money Detectives on the case were given search warrants to investigate the five Top Dollar Pawn eBay accounts as well as the several bank accounts listed for Top Dollar Pawn and its co-defendants. According to the findings in the affidavit, 78% of all items sold on Top Dollar Pawn's eBay site were new; that number jumped to 86% in 2019, 90% in 2020 and 92% in 2021. Data shown in the affidavit claims that from 2008 to 2017, total eBay sales for Top Dollar Pawn were just over $1.3 million. From 2018-2021, when the alleged money laundering scheme was occurring, total sales were just over $4.4 million, an increase of 221%. Additionally, items described as new only accumulated a total of $381,579 between 2008 and 2017. From 2018 to 2021, new items sold on Top Dollar Pawn's eBay for a total of more than $3.4 million, an increase of 800%, according to the data in the affidavit. Credit card sales also saw an increase of 120% during the same four-year time period, according to the affidavit. The money allegedly obtained through money laundering via eBay and credit card sales would go on to fund a variety of different things for the Top Dollar Pawn and its co-defendants. More than $1.4 million was transferred from Top Dollar Pawn accounts to Top Land Investment and more than $70,000 to Top Construction, both businesses owned and registered to Jack Jargowsky. More than $1.8 million was transferred from Top Dollar Pawn accounts to personal accounts owned by Jack and Mischa Jargowsky and more than $600,000 to fund bank loans and lines of credit. As a result, the affidavit requested a civil seizure warrant for some funds held in 17 bank accounts and four ATMs connected to Top Dollar Pawn and its owners. Of the 17 bank accounts, all of the funds in 13 of the accounts were requested to be seized. The affidavit also requested to have inventory pawned illegally in all four stores seized, as well as two cars bought by Jack and Mischa Jargowsky and one car bought by Walt Mauro. Community impact The affidavit claims that the impact of the money laundering scheme of Top Dollar Pawn stretched across the community over the past four years. A retail crime investigator for Home Depot alleges in the affidavit that between 2018 and 2020, the five Home Depot stores in Colorado Springs and Pueblo lost approximately $5 million from retail theft. Top Dollar Pawn's acceptance of stolen goods also drove other pawnshops in the area to accept knowingly stolen items in an attempt to keep up, according to the affidavit. One pawnshop owner in Colorado Springs told police that "Top Dollar Pawn has a bunch of new stuff, and he is losing a lot of business by people going over there and doing business with them." We need a fair playing field, or level playing field," the pawnshop owner said to detectives. A different pawnshop manager in Colorado Springs told police that there is a "big problem" with Top Dollar Pawn accepting new items in their store. Additionally, the affidavit makes claims that retail theft in the area promotes the sale and use of illicit drugs. The booster interviewed by detectives mentioned within the affidavit admitted to frequent use of both heroin and methamphetamine, and the affidavit states that the cash being given to boosters increases the demand for drugs in the area. "The majority of the boosters admitted to opioid addiction specifically, 'blues' known to be an imitation of oxycodone which contains fentanyl," the affidavit claims. All four co-defendants were arrested on charges relating to the money laundering scheme, and subsequently posted the $50,000 bond to be released. The Top Dollar Pawn defendants will face a grand jury indictment to determine if charges will be presented in a trial. An vintage truck heads down one of the main streets of Victor, during Victor Colorado Gold Rush Days on Saturday, July 17, 2021. The invasive emerald ash borer beetle, discovered in the United States in 2002, reached Mason City two years ago, leaving large gaps in the citys tree canopy. Between 600 and 700 ash trees have already been removed. Mason City, which has received the Tree City USA Growth Award for the past 14 years for its ongoing efforts to inventory, plant and do risk assessments on trees, provided Public Works Operations and Maintenance Supervisor Bob Berggren with the heads-up he needed to start taking evasive measures. Berggren explained that in 2014, the city began planning the ash-tree removal process by taking a public tree inventory. It was determined there were up to 2800 trees within the city limits. He said his department has been removing 50 to 80 trees a month the last six to seven years. any mature ash tree that is showing signs of degradation, Berggren said. A good example of the huge scope of this infestation is to imagine all the trees planted in the median areas of MercyOne parking lot, as well as the majority of the trees planted in the median areas of the Mason City Library parking lot - all gone. I dont think people realize what the city will look like without all the ash trees, said Mason City Administrator Aaron Burnett. Burnett commented that ash trees, once chosen for their size and shade factor, were disproportionately used. When so many of one species are used, there is always the potential to lose so many, he said, referencing the Dutch elm disease that spread across Iowa in the 1970s. Many communities replaced their elm trees with ash trees. You need a diverse population of trees in communities in order to be more resilient in the face of invasive species, Burnett said. Ash trees can be treated with Imidacloprid, a soil drench or granular application, ...but you will have to treat the tree into perpetuity, Burnett said. They have chosen to treat trees in high visibility areas, such as Central Park, using this method. However, with the thousands of ash trees in Mason City, the treatment option on all of the trees is too cost prohibitive. If you have an ash tree on your property, and its not treated, youll end up taking it down, Burnett said. The sheer density of ash trees (in Mason City) is going to be a hard loss. To keep the cost of tree removal down, city crews have been used for urban-forestry efforts, Burnett said. The city does hire some private contractors when they need to. And we seek as many grants as we can for replanting, he said. According to Berggren, there are roughly 2200 ash trees still standing in Mason City public areas and parks. He said they have been replanting 150 trees a year since 2009. Mason City families will pay for school meals during the upcoming school year, after two years of eating for free. Prices remain the same as before the pandemic. The Mason City School Board approved school breakfast and lunch prices for the 2022-23 school year Monday night. "It's going to be a shock, anyways, going into the school year. It's hard enough to collect money the way it is. If we can sustain our program, we're going to do it," said Supervisor of Food Service Sarah Mariner. The daily prices for lunches for elementary and intermediate students will be $2.85, and middle and high school students will pay $2.95. Breakfast is $1.75 daily for all students. According to Mariner, it is a local decision as to whether prices increase. Adult meal prices are set by the USDA. North Iowa schools prepare for the end of universal free meals All North Iowa students have enjoyed free meals over the past two years. But the free meals are soon coming to an end. Free meals have been provided since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture began reimbursing schools. The free meals were discontinued June 30. Mason City and other North Iowa school districts have been communicating about the end of the program. For some schools, families can place funds in their student's meal account in advance. Mariner said in early June that families in the Mason City School District should budget $55 to $60 a month for full-cost lunches. Free and reduced lunch forms are now available at masoncityschools.org by clicking on the Cafeteria & Menu tab. The district encourages families to reach out if they have questions. Forms can be filled out anytime during the school year. Mariner said just more than 50% of Mason City students qualify for free and reduced lunch. "I just would highly encourage them all to fill out free and reduced applications, whether they think they're going to qualify or not. The worst we can tell you is no," said Mariner in June. Sorry! The requested post has been removed or deleted by its author. CHARLOTTE Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday told Gov. Roy Cooper hes the last line of defense in the statehouse for reproductive rights and encouraged attendees of a historically Black fraternity convention to vote for the states Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. The vice president spent the day in Charlotte meeting with local and state leaders about a new affordable internet program and abortion rights. She promoted the Affordable Connectivity Program, part of the Biden administrations bipartisan infrastructure law, asking city council members, community leaders and state legislators in attendance to spread the word. Harris also led a roundtable discussion with state legislators and abortion service providers about how abortion access can be protected in North Carolina. Harris arrival came the same day President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19. A White House official said Harris tested negative for the respiratory disease and she was last with the president on Tuesday. He is in good spirits. He is feeling well, Harris said about Biden. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides eligible households with $30 monthly toward internet bills and up to $75 per month for people on tribal land. Some program participants will receive high-speed internet for free. During her visit, Harris toured a computer lab where she met with three beneficiaries of the program. One beneficiary said the initiative could connect seniors to their families and help them with online shopping. The distance caused by pandemic lockdowns and safety precautions strained relationships, he said. Harris joined about a dozen state legislators, the executive director of a Charlotte abortion clinic and the president of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic for a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights. Harris said the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade took away the right to abortion for millions of Americans and put other issues such as access to contraceptives and gay marriage at stake. In North Carolina, abortion remains legal. State attorney general Josh Stein said Thursday his office would not ask a federal judge to reinstate North Carolinas 20-week ban on abortion, rebuffing a request from GOP legislative leaders in light of the landmark cases reversal. Calla Hales, co-owner and executive director of A Preferred Womens Health Center, said her clinic has seen more than 68,000 protesters on her sidewalk since January 2017 twice the number of patients the clinic helped during the same period. Theres also been a notable jump in out-of-state patients seeking abortion care here. In June, North Carolina and Virginia Planned Parenthood locations provided abortion care to 95 people from South Carolina. Just two weeks into July, those same locations saw an increase in the number of patients up to 225 South Carolinians seeking abortion services,said Planned Parenthood South Atlantic communications specialist Molly Rivera. Harris called on state legislators to support Cooper, whose veto power allows Democrats to block anti-abortion legislation. She also called on Congress to codify the right to abortion. There are certain principles that are at stake on this issue and in this discussion, and one of them is that everyone in America should be free to make decisions about her own body without government interference, Harris said. All evacuation orders and road closures have been lifted for the Black Sandy fire north of Helena, which may have been caused by spontaneous combustion. The fire started shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday in the area of 3525 Overland Road between Lake Helena and White Sandy Campground and was contained later that evening, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said. The latest available estimate put the size of the fire at eight acres. Residents of about 30 homes in the immediate area were asked to evacuate, Dutton said, and several roads were temporarily closed to civilian traffic. Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Chief Marc Weniger said Friday that the local responding volunteer fire departments -- Tri-Lakes, West Valley, East Valley, East Gate and York -- were released Thursday night by U.S. Forest Service and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. USFS and DNRC staffed overnight crews, and Weniger said those agencies were handling the mop-up Friday. Dutton said spontaneous combustion is the suspected cause of the Black Sandy fire and the confirmed cause of a separate fire that started around 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a compost pile in a barn on Audubon Road. He said the moisture from recent rainfall combined with the high temperatures in the area caused the pile of straw and manure to catch fire. "This combination is creating enough heat to spontaneously start a fire," Dutton said in a statement. "Many of us have similar piles in our yard. Grass clippings, compost and manure piles. You can help us prevent these fires by watering and stirring these piles during high temperatures. Pay attention to your surroundings. If you smell something hot, search for the source and dont shrug it off." The second fire was quickly extinguished by the firefighters already working on the nearby Black Sandy fire, officials said. "If we hadn't already been there for that one, we would've been in a mess," Weniger said. Weniger said no residents or volunteer firefighters were injured. "Everybody went home safe," he said. A father and daughter who are attorneys in Helena were each charged with 10 felony counts of embezzlement and three felony counts of exploitation of an incapacitated person after some of their clients were allegedly cheated out of $1.35 million, according to court documents filed recently. The father faces an additional count of felony tampering with witnesses or informants for allegedly trying to have a witness withhold testimony or information. Individual complaints against Timothy McKeon and Meghan McKeon Doud were filed July 15 in Helena Justice Court by Lewis and Clark County Attorney Leo Gallagher. The charges are similar in each case, except Doud's suit states she knowingly aided McKeon in getting unauthorized control over property entrusted to him. Bond was set at $500,000 each. Attempts to reach McKeon and Doud for comment were unsuccessful. The telephone number for their law firm was disconnected Friday. During a telephone discussion, Gallagher repeatedly offered a reminder that people are innocent until proven guilty. In March 2021, McKeon and Doud said they had offered restitution and hope a state commission recognizes that when it determines appropriate discipline. They denied allegations of wrongdoing and said they suffered from mental impairment during the period relevant to the complaint. They said they have made either full or partial restitution to the clients where the settlement calculation errors or payment issues occurred. According to court documents, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) received a complaint July 1, 2019, in which a person identified as "D.G." accused his attorney, McKeon, of violating ethical rules to deprive him of money he maintained McKeon owed him from a settlement McKeon negotiated on D.G.'s behalf. During its investigation, ODC uncovered ethical violations by McKeon facilitated by his daughter Meghan Doud since the two began practicing together as McKeon Doud PC in late 2007, according to court documents. ODC learned that D.G. had agreed to a contingent fee agreement in which his attorney was not paid hourly and payment was contingent upon a successful pursuit of damages from the firm. ODC found that the defendants not only violated ethical duties with D.G., but with several other clients as well, court documents state. This included some who were over 65. One client noted in the charging documents was 95. The ODC did an audit of business records and bank accounts and found that as of March 31, 2020, the defendants had unauthorized control over nearly $1.35 million entrusted to them by clients or by third parties for clients. The charging documents then offer the abbreviations of 10 McKeon Doud clients who had contingent fee agreements with the firm. Some of them owed large sums of money and others had their funds depleted. The defendants used deceptive tactics, such as duress, menace, fraud, undue influence and intimidation to gain control over their clients' money, court documents state. The ODC also found the defendants were using Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) to hold client money in trust and Doud was the sole signator, but McKeon could make electronic transfers. From Jan. 1, 2016, to March 31, 2020, the firm repeatedly transferred funds from banks to the law firms operating account or their personal account, court documents state. Further, the defendants appeared to have used the accounts as a slush fund to draw money whenever they wanted without regard to accounting to their clients for money removed from the accounts according to their obligations to do so for each respective clients, the court filing states. The law firm allegedly charged clients large fees for staff time, medical/nurse consulting and paralegal services when such tasks were performed. There were no third party invoices to support these charges. The ODC filed complaints against McKeon and Doud on Feb. 19, 2021 with the Commission on Practice, which, like the ODC, is under the supervision of the Montana Supreme Court. A court panel was to hear the complaints. McKeon said he was unable to assist in his own defense and on Aug. 11, 2021, the state Supreme Court placed him on disciplinary/inactive status, which prevented him from practicing law. Disciplinary proceedings will resume if he returns to active status. Douds disciplinary hearing has not occurred due to delays, but as a condition of a continuance, she was required to shut down her law practice and cannot practice law at this time. The disciplinary proceedings are stayed until the criminal matters are concluded. Doud appeared in Justice Court on July 18 and was released on her own recognizance. McKeon has yet to appear, a court official said. A discussion in Helena between an Afghan refugee and the head of an international aid organization led to nearly $100,000 in orthopedic equipment being sent to aid the people of war-torn Ukraine. Valerie Hellermann of Helena-based Hands on Global said her organization was seeking medication to help the people of Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia since Feb. 24. She said that while they were able to send about $12,000 in equipment, they had hoped to send a lot more. Hellermann returned to Helena in April after serving a month in the Ukraine on a medical mission. Hands on Global helped bring some Afghan refugees to Helena several months ago. Hellermann said one of them had been a trauma surgeon. He put her in contact with a nongovernmental organization that was able to get $100,000 in orthopedic equipment sent to the Ukraine. Oh my God, it is such a great connection, she said. She said they got the equipment through Sign International Fracture Care, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides orthopedic equipment to developing countries. Her organization sent a doctor to Maryland to learn how to use the equipment and its now in the Ukraine. Hellermann was asked if she would be returning to aid people. She said the most recent Hands on Global workers spent a lot of their time in bomb shelters. She said there is not a lack of doctors, but there is a lack of complex orthopedic and medical supplies. She said they are in a wait-and-see mode. We have doctors and nurses willing to return, Hellermann said. (Eastern Ukraine) is really dangerous and that is where the need is now. We are ready to go back, when needed, but at the moment it is just too dangerous. In an earlier interview, Hellermann said she and her team worked inside Ukraine, 45 minutes from the border of Romania. She said they would walk across the border every morning and their driver on the Ukraine side stayed with them at all times. They had tracking devices on their phones, and the team agreed to never stay in Ukraine past dark. The Moors Mountain fire remained at 94 acres early Thursday, with officials saying warm temperatures and lower humidity levels have led to an increase in fire activity. Two more hand crews were brought in by helicopter, bringing the total to four. The lightning-caused fire in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness was reported about 3:50 p.m. Saturday, and 189 personnel are assigned to the blaze. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest said more than 80 firefighters would be back on the mountain Thursday as they continue to work toward containment. They said the Pike Hotshots and two Grayback Forestry hand crews were able Wednesday to complete a saw line along the northern perimeter of the fire by trimming and removing vegetation. Thursday, the crews will begin building a handline that will follow the saw line. The Helena Regulars handcrew will continue mop up operations along the southern edge of the fire perimeter to remove remaining heat along the control lines put in place by the Missoula Smokejumpers during the initial attack of the fire. Crews are working to establish and strengthen these lines ahead of potentially gusty winds over the next few days. A weak weather system will move through Friday and Saturday, bringing a wind shift to the north and isolated showers and thunderstorms, any of which could produce gusty, erratic winds, fire officials said. They said a closure order is in effect for the eastern half of Gates of the Mountains Wilderness. Fire traffic will be concentrated on Beaver Creek Road east of Nelson. People are asked to avoid this road if possible. The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office said earlier no residences in that area are threatened. For more on the fire, and other fires in the United States, go to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/. Just over a year ago, I humbly accepted an invitation from Shodair Childrens Hospital to serve as an honorary co-chair for the Hope Takes Flight campaign to build a replacement hospital on the campus in Helena. Since that time, I participated in the public launch event and have proudly voiced my support for this incredible organization and its ambitious plans. Ive also watched in amazement as this new state-of-the art facility takes shape on the southeast corner of Montanas capital city. Shodair CEO Craig Aasved says, This building is what Montana kids deserve. I couldnt agree more. Mental health is a public health crisis nationwide, but particularly in Montana where we sadly rank in the top five for suicides. The team at Shodair is held in the highest regard for its professionalism paired with emotional intelligence in caring for this vulnerable population, 99% of whom are Montana youth. Montana Childrens Foundation has made great progress toward its $14 million goal to fund the $66 million project. Im encouraging Montana businesses, organizations, and individuals to support this effort because for over 126 years Shodair has been dedicated to Montana and its our turn to show them our appreciation. More than 90 percent of the projects construction work and materials are Montana-based. This, to me, affirms Shodairs commitment to serve this fine state we all share. The new facility is slated to open early in 2023 so fundraising will continue through the end of this year. I invite you to join Victoria and me, along with my fellow honorary co-chairs MSU President Waded Cruzado and U of M President Seth Bodnar and his wife Chelsea in supporting this inspirational project. We are proud to stand alongside Shodair because like Shodair, Montanas colleges and universities are committed to helping future generations live their best lives. A heartfelt thanks to those of you who have already contributed to Shodairs campaign. Know that your support will be appreciated and put to good use. To those who havent, I would encourage you to look at the renderings, videos, and descriptions found at shodair.org/hope-takes-flight/ or schedule a personal tour for an up-close view of this great project. Together, we can help hope take flight as Shodair creates a healthy and hopeful Montana through specialized psychiatric care for children and adolescents. When legislators meet in January for the 2023 session, well be walking in the door with well over a billion dollars in the bank. Not from new taxes or debt this is money that hardworking Montanans have already paid in taxes but is just sitting idle. As the costs of basic necessities rise, its critical that we put that money to work to lower costs for working Montanans. There is plenty of grain in the grain bin, and its time to give that grain back to the people who put it there in the first place. And we have a plan to do just that. We can put $1 billion to work right away to address the biggest crises that are hitting us in our wallets: the high cost of finding a home, rising property taxes, the lack of affordable child care, and the scarcity of mental health services. These are daunting challenges, but with bold solutions, we can overcome them. In Missoula and Bozeman, working Montanans are living out of cars and RVs because they cant find an affordable place to live. In Kalispell, Helena, Billings, and many other communities across our state, rising housing costs are locking young Montanans out of homeownership and making it nearly impossible to find a place to rent. We know that the heart of this crisis is that demand for housing outpaces our housing supply. In 2019, Democrats passed a bill to put $15 million into building over 250 new apartments guaranteed to be affordable for working folks. We want to turbocharge this successful model by putting $500 million more into it and dramatically increase the supply of housing that Montanans looking to rent or own can afford. But for many Montanans who are already lucky enough to own their home, skyrocketing property values are driving property taxes through the roof. We can tackle this problem with immediate relief through a one-time property tax refund targeted to working families, not millionaires. For the long run, we can protect Montanans from rising property taxes through a measure that keeps property taxes from exceeding a certain portion of folks income. In total, we can put $250 million back in Montanans pockets through property tax relief. As housing takes up a bigger portion of our paychecks, child care is eating up another chunk of families budgets. Child care is a necessity, not a luxury, for working families, but it costs as much to put a kid in daycare as it does to send a kid to college. Meanwhile, child care spots are so scarce that were meeting less than half of the demand in our state. That means there are communities where families cannot even find providers, even if they could afford them. We want to invest $125 million in getting new providers up and running in child care deserts, helping child care workers earn a living wage, and reducing out-of-pocket costs for families by expanding existing child care scholarships. Unfortunately, almost all Montanans have been touched by the impacts of our states mental health crisis. Montana has the 3rd highest suicide rate in the country, and one in five of our kids has seriously considered suicide. We took an ax to our community-based mental health infrastructure in 2017 and never built it back. We want to put $125 million towards rebuilding community- and school-based mental health treatment, including substance use treatment for those who need it. Folks need to be able to access care close to home where their friends and family are nearby to help them through their struggles. Every Montanan should be able to afford to live where they work, but thats becoming harder and harder for folks to do. Montanans have already sent an extra billion dollars to Helena in the form of taxes, and we think it makes sense to put that money back in their pockets so they can liveand thrivein their own communities. Make no mistakethis money wont be coming out of your paychecks; this money wont dip into our rainy day fund or our wildfire fund. The money to pay for these critical cost-cutting policies is sitting in a bank account in Helena. Youve already put it there. Now, its about time you got some of it back. DECATUR Hailey Thompson received three scholarships to attend Richland Community College's agriculture program. I'm very thankful to the people who donated the money and time to the future of our nation, she said. We students need to study and get a better education and to eventually help the world. I'm hoping that's what this scholarship helps me to do. Richland has $950,000 in scholarships and some go unawarded because students don't realize they're there, said Julie Melton, executive director, foundation and development for Richland. Her department also oversees scholarships. We've really had the capacity to award every single student that comes to Richland a scholarship, she said. Right now we award about 50 percent. Not every student applies for one reason or another. We're constantly working to get the word out, yet we still do have scholarships that go unawarded. We want to make sure students know they're available. There are scholarships for students studying hospitality services, nursing, engineering; students who plan to move on to another institution to earn a bachelor's degree; students from Meridian High School and one for St. Teresa High School graduates; those studying business; Boys and Girls Club members; culinary arts, and dozens more. We have scholarships for every degree program, and a lot of unrestricted scholarships that apply to many degrees and programs, Melton said. A couple of unique scholarships are non-credit: maybe students want to get certified nursing assistant re-certification, or a real estate license. We have one for that. So many times students believe only credit or transfer classes qualify, but we have funding for those that want to enter workforce as well. In most cases, students must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid first, she said, but if they've used up their federal aid allotment at another institution, Richland even has scholarships for students who don't qualify for any other kind of financial aid. Counselors in the financial aid office can find something for everyone, she said. Breanna Evans is also studying agribusiness at Richland with a focus on accounting. Her scholarships have made it possible for her to pursue higher education, she said, at little to no cost. I picked agriculture because of all the opportunities that arise from that, she said. At first I was just a regular business degree major and then with my dad being in agriculture - he works at ADM - I've met a lot of people in agriculture. Everything we do around here involves agriculture and food, so working with the farmers and doing their taxes and working with their management systems opens a lot of opportunities. Scholarships have made it possible for culinary student Scott Sanchez to focus on his education without having to work a second job, he said. He is in Richland's Culinary Institute and works at Bistro 537 there. He just returned from a trip to Italy with the culinary department, where they learned about real Italian cooking firsthand, and that, too, was paid for by scholarship funds. Some of Millikin's less well-known scholarships include help for children of farmers, for students who are undecided on a major, and for students with hearing loss. That one was endowed by an alum who also had hearing loss and wanted to provide assistance for others. The scholarship for students who are undecided was endowed by an alum in memory of a classmate who was always exploring the possibilities, Hubbard said. The time to start is in your junior year of high school and the place to start, Hubbard said, is with your high school counselor, whose job is to know how to guide students in looking for financial aid. Check with local organizations like the Community Foundation of Macon County, which offers several scholarships, with fraternal organizations such as the Eagles, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Kiwanis. Visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's website and Scholarship America. What you should not do, she said, is pay a service to help you. Plenty of free searching is available on the internet and you can do that searching without help. Scholarships are given by people or entities that have certain priorities, Hubbard said. At Millikin, we have, as far as our endowed scholarships, an alum or friend of the university wants to give a scholarship and last year we gave $4.3 million in endowed scholarships to students. The building at 1140 W. Sunset Ave. is listed as 0922232B and the minimum bid is $831. Sealed bids can be submitted to the Macon County Treasurer, 141 S. Main St., #302, Decatur, IL 62523. The auction is Sept. 2. Travis Riggs of Joseph E. Meyer and Associates, the firm that handles delinquent tax auctions in Illinois, said the property taxes for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 were not paid, resulting in the property being placed up for auction. Those delinquent taxes add up to a total of $17,152.31. The building, which also has a sign on it from the city declaring it unfit for human habitation, is slated for demolition. If a buyer does acquire the property, those back taxes would be forgiven, Riggs said. Opponents of the Decatur Public Schools' plan to acquire Lincoln Park and build a new Dennis School there have suggested the district could instead buy back Woodrow Wilson and use that building and site for the new Dennis. School board President Dan Oakes told the Herald & Review this week that the building is too degraded with time and vandalism to be used, and the property isn't large enough to accommodate a modern K-8 school with play areas and parking. Woodrow Wilson was built in 1932 and closed in 1979. DECATUR Police accuse Madison M. Scurlock of being a very persistent methamphetamine dealer in Decatur. Macon County Circuit Court records show that the 24-year-old woman pleaded guilty to dealing in meth and was sentenced to three years in prison in December of 2020. Illinois Department of Corrections records indicate she was paroled on February 28 of this year and, on May 25, she was stopped by Decatur police for a traffic infraction. Scurlock was requested to exit the vehicle and, upon her exit, she made the statement she had an ounce of methamphetamine in the vehicle, said Detective Jason Hesse, who signed a sworn affidavit. The methamphetamine was located in the vehicle by officers and was found to weigh approximately 21.9 grams with packaging. Based on detectives' prior training and experience, the amount of methamphetamine located is consistent with a distribution amount. Another traffic stop on July 8 led to Scurlock announcing to officers that, this time, she had a couple of ounces of the illegal drug in her bag inside the car. A second affidavit, signed by Officer Jacob Stewart, said police found three packets of meth: two weighing 29.2 grams each and one of 10.8 grams. They also found a digital scale in Sculocks bag. The amount of suspected methamphetamine, along with the digital scale, is indicative of narcotic distribution, said Stewart. The officer said Scurlock admitted she was dealing again. She advised a pound of methamphetamine (453 grams) was purchased for $1,500 and she had the intention of selling the remaining 69.2 grams I had located on her on this day, Stewart added. Scurlock has now been charged with two counts of dealing in meth and is due in court for a preliminary hearing August 3. Macon County Jail records checked Thursday showed she remained in custody in lieu of bail set at $200,000, requiring her to post a bond of $20,000 to be released. ABINGDON, Va. - One of the most anticipated summer events in town is in full swing this weekend, bringing together a village of volunteers who help put together the10-day festival unlike any other in the world. The 73rd Virginia Highlands Festival runs through July 31 in Abingdon, honoring Robert Porterfield, the late founder of the event. Porterfield is said to have described the event as a watering hole or gathering place for arts, culture, and ideas. One of those volunteers is Ryan Henderson, a resident of Abingdon who moved from South Dakota to Southwest Virginia in 2007. At 38, Henderson is finding his niche in the community while serving as one of the youngest board presidents for the festival When Henderson was asked to be board president for the 2022 festival, he wasnt even sure hed make a good one. After I was approached by multiple people about the idea, I started thinking on it. Then, I got excited about the possibilities, he said. As a multi-tasking leader, Henderson works with a large assortment of people to make sure the festival goes off without a hitch. I know I dont have all the best ideas. The ideas come from the people. When you trust the people who are in the thick of creation, thats when the best discoveries are going to happen, he said. Under the direction of Henderson, his fresh ideas are reinforcing a spirit of collaboration and a sense of community thats been part of the festival since its inception in 1949. My vision for the festival may sound a little corny or cliche, but its all about making connections in the community, he said. While building on that tradition, Henderson is placing value on accessibility. My personal vision is about breaking down the barriers that keep people from participating in the festival, he said. Theres no point to a festival or community gathering if not everyone feels like they are invited. According to him, more than 75% of nearly 200 events at this years festival are free to the general public. And, many of the remaining events are $5 to $10. Henderson, who described himself as a collaborator and a delegator, said he loves to have fun. And to Henderson, that means getting people involved. If we want to build those connections, we need to invite families to be part of the festival and have something that is worthy of their time, Henderson said. That means reaching the people who work 8 to 5 Monday through Friday, and they may even work two jobs. How do we get them vested in the festival?, he asked. How do we have a festival that really is of the people in the community? Making connections The answer, he said, is making connections. Henderson, who came to Abingdon after college to be a Barter Player, began to witness a transition in the festival even before the pandemic hit the country. I think COVID-19 exacerbated something that was already happening. I noticed the community---here and throughout the country--- wasnt connecting. We were not seeing successful fruits of our labors before the pandemic. Henderson said that called for changes. We couldnt do what wed always done, he said. One solution, he said, is to connect with community partners. We need to find organizations we can collaborate with and lift them up. Henderson gave an example of inviting Lori Briscoe, a community herbalist and owner of Appalachian Teas & Botanicals in Abingdon, to create a tea blend for the Virginia Highlands Festival and to be a special guest at a culinary event. Very likely well never have the same exact festival that we had 20 years ago, he said. Thats not a bad thing, but what we have to do is listen to our audiences, to the folks participating in the festival and see what is working. We need to engage our audiences, and listen to a lot of the voices that have not always been heard. Henderson sees the unique heritage and diverse culture of the Appalachian region as one of the best attractions for the festival. A beautiful thing is allowing people to see and appreciate what Appalachian is about, he said. One of the best ways for the festival to survive is to get youth vested as volunteers and participants, he said. Programming for youth activities is making a big resurgence this year, offering a fun variety of events created for children. Our youth are our future board members and volunteers. Introducing them to the festival is one of the best ways to ensure our sustainability, he said. Thriving on challenges Henderson enjoys the newness of every day, thriving on challenges. His full-of-life personality comes from being diagnosed with leukemia at a 6 years old. I was shown such support from my family. That shaped and formed my temperament, personality, and my openness to trust. I had to trust my parents and my doctors. That opened me up to trusting others to make decisionsand this is helpful in my work with the Highlands Festival, particularly, Henderson said. Community has always been an important part of what he feels and believes. He grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota in the Black Hills mountain region. Its a landscape that is very similar to the Appalachian Mountains except people here actually live in the mountains, he said. The mountains are a part of your everyday life. Even though I lived in the Black Hills, theres a lot of rolling hills and sky. Here you are enwombed in the mountains. The Appalachian scenery never ceases to amaze me. After a two year stent with Barter Players from 2007 to 2009, Henderson moved to Minneapolis to work in theatre at a middle school. He never anticipated his career path would lead him back to Abingdon until a former colleague convinced him to participate in Project REAL, a Barter Theatre education program that landed him in McDowell County, West Virginia, as a teaching artist in the schools. It was a time of solitude, but an amazing experience, Henderson, who lived in Grundy, Virginia, while working at Riverview High School in Bradshaw, West Virginia, said. After returning to Abingdon, Henderson was asked to teach an improvisational class at the festivals youth tent one year. His volunteer work with the festival was off to a good start when he served as performing arts chair in 2019 and vice president of the executive committee in 2020. Currently, he works as a community resilience coordinator at United Way of Southwest Virginia. He said the Virginia Highlands Festival has a lots of good things in its future and lots of room to grow. Were going to see a lot of growth from the efforts of our festival volunteers this year. I think its just the beginning. Next year will be even more amazing as we build up to our 75th anniversary, he said. He hopes visitors to the festival this year will say they cant wait to return the next day. I hope they feel connected and that they belonged. I hope everyone feels that sense of community thats at the heart of the festival. Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at citydesk@bristolnews.com. Despite the release of a purple plume of iodine into the air and oil into a river, Eastman officials said there is no risk to the community following a Friday morning power outage that led to the shutdown of the 40 million square foot facility in Kingsport, Tennessee. A press release from the company said all operations have been safely shut down. The most important responsibility we have is the safety of our employees and our community, Mark Bogle, vice president and Tennessee manufacturing site leader said in a Friday afternoon press release. There were no injuries as a result of the event and Eastman did not issue any evacuation notices. Bogle said employees in the south area of the plant were asked to remain indoors for a time in an excess of caution. As soon as we were aware of this incident, we established communication with city officials, Bogle said. I understand that events like todays power loss can cause concern in our community. We are working to determine the cause and restart the site in the coming days. Shortly following the Friday morning power outage at the plant, the company sent out a notice stating there had been a release of iodine into the air that some near the site may have witnessed as a purple plume. During this release, our safety systems minimized the impact of the emissions from this event as confirmed by air dispersion modeling. Air dispersion modeling indicated this event did not pose any risk to human health or the environment outside the plant, the release stated. A release of oil into the river was also a result of the shutdown. The companys statement said downstream users were notified of the discharge. Company officials said residents near the plant may hear loud steam venting and see more steam than usual as Eastman works to restore power and restart operations. GRUNDY, Va. James Young traveled from Utah to the mountains of Southwest Virginia this week to help residents recover from last weeks historic flooding and he isnt alone. A retired law enforcement officer, Young is serving as task force leader for Team Rubicon, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit disaster response organization that is marshaling about 30 of its members to the mountains this week. They began work in the area Thursday. Besides Team Rubicon, whose members wear gray identifying T-shirts, the area has seen faith-based agencies like Gods Pit Crew and Samaritans Purse on site to lend a hand to those displaced by flooding last Tuesday night and Wednesday. We have put the call out for everybody within a 450-mile radius so we have a lot of people driving in, Young said. We got here Wednesday and got set up and today is our first work period, and weve got crews out now Its a tragic deal that came through here, a lot of homes were affected. A lot of people are displaced right now. Team Rubicon members respond to hurricanes, tornados, floods, do wildfire mitigation projects in the American west, and help with Afghan refugee resettlement across the U.S, he said. During COVID-19 Team Rubicon helped with vaccine administration, set up testing centers, PPE distribution centers and ran a 250-bed medical center. Locally, they are operating out of the gym at Mountain Mission School in Grundy. A lot of it is we drive around, find a damaged house and try to find a homeowner. Were working with Chris Mitchell who is the local volunteer coordinator here and Denise McCloud with the Department of Social Services. Weve met with them to find areas that have been impacted, Young said. Anyone needing their services can contact officials in Buchanan County or log on to the Crisis Cleanup website https://www.crisiscleanup.org/login?from=%2F County Administrator Greg Horn said the response to this flood has been remarkable. Weve probably had more groups coming from out of the state to do house cleanup just go in and rip everything out, put the drying agents in and one or two that will go and build back. Team Rubicon is here, Operation Blessing, two Baptist groups, Gods Pit Crew and Samaritans Purse, Horn said. Team Rubicon has about 150,000 volunteers, said Young, who is a member of their field leadership team. About 80% to 85% are active duty or former military, emergency responders including police, fire and paramedics and very committed civilians who join as well, Young said. Twitter: @DMcGeeBHC A Roanoke woman was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for conspiring to recruit a 15-year-old girl to have sex with a man at a motel where he ran a prostitution ring. What Mickey Emma Jimenez, 28, did was similar to what was done to her as a child. According to testimony in Roanokes federal court, her mother sold her for sex with drug dealers to make money for more drugs. Judge Elizabeth Dillon cited the horrible circumstances of Jimenezs childhood in opting for an eight-year term, which was on the low end of a sentencing range set by a plea agreement. She was sex trafficked by her mother, the person she loved, Dillon said. Yet some 20 years later, Jimenez invited a friend a runaway from a foster home to the Knights Inn in Roanoke County, where drug-addicted women were encouraged to stay and work as prostitutes so they could earn money to support their heroin and cocaine habits. The man who sold the women drugs and facilitated their stays in motel rooms was William Randy Jackson, who on Jan. 8, 2020, arranged to have sex with an underage girl, according to court records. Jimenez, who often hung out at the motel, admitted to setting up the deal. She used Facebook to send pictures of the 15-year-old to Jackson and arranged for a one-hour sexual encounter for which she was to be paid $200. She knew what mental harm that would cause to the victim, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Swartz said. She knew what emotional trauma that would cause. Because shed been through it herself. A handcuffed Jimenez was brought to court Thursday from the Western Virginia Regional Jail, where she has been held since her arrest last year, knowing that she would face a sentence of eight to 10 years as part of the plea agreement. Defense attorney David Damico urged Dillon to impose the minimum, saying that his client suffered from a learning disability, substance abuse, bi-polar disorder, depression and post traumatic stress disorder triggered by working as a prostitute for her mother. I cant imagine the impact that would have on any child, he said. When Jimenez was 10 years old, she and her sister were placed in the foster home of Ethelene Stanley, who testified Thursday that she was told about the girls sexual abuse. Mickey had mixed emotions. She loved her mother, and she wanted to please her mom, Stanley told the court. Mickey is a confused and complicated child. She looked for love and approval in all the wrong places. Stanley lost touch with Jimenez after she got hooked on drugs and began a lifestyle that led to about 30 convictions on minor charges and, eventually, to the Knights Inn. At the motel, Jackson operated as a middle-man between his drug suppliers and the women working in commercial sex, read a statement of facts introduced in court when he pleaded guilty last August. After getting almost daily shipments of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine from a man known as Ghost and others, Jackson would sell the drugs to about a dozen women. The addicts, many of them with no other place to go, would post online advertisements for paid sex with men at the Knights Inn and several other motels. Although Jackson provided the women with motel rooms and other necessities, he and his drug suppliers profited from the scheme by acquiring the proceeds of the commercial sex which Jackson facilitated through his sales of narcotics, according to the statement of facts. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 1 on charges that include distribution of cocaine, possession of a pistol as a convicted felon, and recruiting women to engage in prostitution. Jimenez did not testify Thursday. I dont want to say anything, she said when asked if she wanted to make a statement before her sentence was pronounced. According to court records, the managing owner of the Knights Inn on Thirlane Road encouraged Jackson to stay there and offered discounted rates for him and the women. Jackson paid the Knights Inn in cash for the repeated use of multiple motel rooms and assisted the managing owner in dealing with patrons who did not pay, court records state. The managing owners name was not listed in court records. A message left at the Knights Inn Tuesday was not returned. As part of her sentence, Dillon ordered Jimenez to receive treatment while in prison to deal with her mental illness, drug abuse and sexual conduct. Perhaps you have not learned how to be empathetic, she told the defendant. Considering the sexual abuse that Jimenez has experienced, Dillon said, you should be able to place yourself in the victims shoes and understand what effect that would have on her. Could surviving sex trafficking be a legal defense for drug use? Yes, in Wisconsin The Wisconsin law that provides the trafficking defense is perhaps the broadest in the country. It was created by the state legislature in 2008, and can help combat the "Sexual Abuse-to-Prison Pipeline." Murder and child abuse charges against a Claremont woman were dismissed during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday. In October, 2020, Aaliyah Mungro was charged with murder and felony child abuse in the death of her infant son. The child was found unresponsive by his father, according to a 2020 news release from the State Bureau of Investigation. District Attorney Scott Reilly said the charges were dismissed due to lack of evidence, but the investigation into the childs death remains open. Defense Attorney Victoria Jayne represented Mungro in court. She said her biggest fear is that Mungro may never find justice for her child, who was 2 months old at the time of his death. Concord Planning Director Steve Osborne and I had a good conversation last week about some of things happening around Concord. I like Steve. He has worked his way up through the ranks at Concord, starting out on small projects and older parts of Concord are in better shape thanks in part to his efforts over the year. He is a key part of the Concord team. No. 1 The big projects are moving along. The most visible of these is the Eli Lilly project off Concord Parkway. Osborne is impressed with that project and building and design teams. I cant say enough good things about the people and team we are working with, Osborne said. Eli Lilly is in the development now called The Grounds at Concord. It is the old Philip Morris property. Across Concord Parkway, the beverage hub is making progress too. Red Bull is building an 800,000-square-foot distribution center and Rauch North America is building 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing, distribution and office space. The estimated cost of the two projects is $740 million. Coupled with that is Ball Corporations $383 million manufacturing operation. The three projects are making progress with building and site plans, Osborne said. The progress is not as visible as Eli Lilly, because it is back off the road where the main Philip Morris buildings were. The three are being built on about 500 acres. A third part of The Grounds at Concord has been claimed by GoldenHome International. The Chinese residential cabinet maker is going to build a North American headquarters on 60 acres of land closer to Concord Parkway, in front of the beverage hub. Osborne said less progress has been made on GoldenHome, likely because of COVID-19 restrictions. The company is expected to submit working plans to the city sometime this year. This is a really good project and people would be talking more about it were it not for the other billion-dollar projects next door, Osborne said. Also falling into that overshadowed category is the Kroger Distribution Center being built off the southeast side of N.C. 49 at the former Cline Trucking Terminal. Grading plans have been approved for the construction, Osborne said. The Kroger center is expected to employ almost 700 people. No. 2 Redevelopment is going on at old mills. The developer of apartments for the historic Warren C. Coleman Mill is continuing the approval process. Osborne said Concord and Cabarrus County have given their approvals for the project to proceed and now the developer is seeking state approvals which will help with tax credits for redeveloping an historic landmark. In the Brown Mill area off Cabarrus Avenue, some clean-up and demolition recently took place. Osborne said the Brown Mill owners tore down an old warehouse (on White Street) behind the main mill building, which fronts on Cabarrus Avenue. Plans are continuing for apartments to go in a Norcott Mill (across White Street from Brown Mill), Osborne said. The developer appears to be seeking landmark status for the property, which would make the project more viable. I always confuse Norcott and Brown Mill. They are two separate projects. No. 3 Plant-based soap and body product company opens. Buff City Soap a rapidly expanding handmade retail franchise known for its plant-based soap and body products made in-store daily opened Thursday, July 21, in the Concord Mills area. The new store is at 8080 Concord Mills Blvd. in the former Pier One Imports building. To celebrate the opening, the first 50 people who visit the new store each day in Concord from through Saturday, July 24, for the VIP Event, will receive Free Soap for a Year. In addition to the VIP Event, the grand opening event will be held from Sept. 9 11 where customers will have their second chance to win free soap for a year each day that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Its extremely exciting to us to be opening here in Concord, said owner Jessica Pace. We are confident that first time customers will fall in love with the locally-made, plant-based products that Buff City Soap has to offer. Founded in 2013, Buff City Soap has created a high-quality alternative to commercial soap products full of harsh chemicals, detergents, animal fats, and sulfates. By giving customers the chance to see the whole making process live in each Soap Makery, Buff City Soap is disrupting the consumer goods industry by focusing on transparency of ingredients and process. Each Buff City Soap store offers more than 30 unique and customizable scents across dozens of handcrafted soap products; including its famous soap bars, bath bombs, foaming hand soap, and even laundry soap. The brands products are crafted by local artisans at the in-store Makeries, which allow guests to customize the scent and ingredients used in the process to create a unique scent profile. The Concord VIP Event store hours will be today through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Normal business hours are Monday Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. To learn more about Buff City Soap of Concord, please visit https://www.buffcitysoap.com/. The Concord is the fourth for the company in North Carolina. The first three locations are in Hickory, Greensboro and Burlington and a fifth location will open soon in Winston-Salem. No. Activity at the old Gate Station. A couple of weeks ago we mentioned the rumored McDonalds for the corner of Pitts School Road and Concord Parkway. The rumor heated up this week with new activity. According to permits issued by Cabarrus County, the canopy where the gas pumps were is being demolished. So far that is the only permit I have found. The cost of the work is estimated at $10,000. That doesnt mean McDonalds isnt coming, but it does nothing about the convenience store building on-site. Maybe the fast food giant would renovate it. Thats not usually how they do business. Well keep our eyes and ears working on this one. Next door, the Human Bean, drive-thru coffee shop, opened this week. Customers were given a chocolate-covered expresso bean with their coffee. Those things are good, but coffee upsets my stomach so bad I cant eat them or drink coffee. No. 4 Reader responses. Edith Dickinson sent us a rant about people who use the drive in windows at restaurants or banks, etc. when there is a line. If you are handicapped, I understand. But if you can walk, go inside. Waiting in a car in long line is wasting gas and adding to pollution. Thanks for listening, Dickinson said. I agree, but many of the businesses and/or their employees dont seem to want you to come inside. It seems they want as little contact human to human as possible (my company is included in this). Last weeks Friday Five drew a lot of comments about Barber-Scotia College and the buildings that are falling in. Every person that reached out wanted something to be done to help the situation. At this one point a lot of money is needed and a plan. Maybe someone will win that big lottery prize and send part of it to fix the building. It will take a lot of money and some guts to fix Barber-Scotia. No. 5 A few odds and ends. Here are few things I have noticed while out and about: *CVS Pharmacy closed its location at the corner of Concord Parkway and Central Drive. There are a lot of other drugstores around town. It is surprising more locations havent closed. It seems there are Walgreens and CVS Pharmacies on every major corner. *Harris-Teeter is building a gas station in front of the Coddle Creek Shopping Center location (near the corner of Poplar Tent Road and George Liles Parkway. *I didnt know Afton Run Creek had fish in it. I was running/walking the greenway out of James Dorton Park toward the West Cabarrus YMCA and saw three small fish in the water near the bridge. *We have a lot of trees down, some from the storms. There is a big one down at the edge of the cemetery at Rock Hill AME Church. Our streams across the county are filled with downed trees and limbs and eroded creek banks have others hanging by a root or two. If you have a Friday Five, story suggestion or something I can rant about email mplemmons@independenttribune.com or call or text 704-786-0001. GREENSBORO For two decades, community chefs who are famous in their own kitchens have gathered to participate in an annual event called Men Can Cook. Over the years, barbecue, slaw and other culinary creations have helped raise thousands of dollars for the Womens Resource Center. In three months, the event will ring in its 21st year with a new twist for those 21 and over locally crafted wine, beer and distilled spirits served with the food. Ashley Brooks, executive director of the Womens Resource Center, said that chefs will also be encouraged to create smaller, cocktail-friendly dishes to go along with the events new upscale feel. For Brian Smith, a Men Can Cook alum, the food hes served has always been about creating a little piece of a bigger meal. Hes been involved with the event since his wife, Marti Smith, started working as the director of operations at the Womens Resource Center 15 years ago. At past events, hes served dishes ranging from tiny beef tacos with a side of pico and crema to Greek chicken bites with tzatziki sauce, and thinks of ground beef as his signature ingredient when cooking at home. But this year, Smith plans to let the new twist have an influence on his hors doeuvres. We didnt have a local craft brewery scene 10 years ago like we do now, Smith said. I like the challenge of thinking along those lines, of what goes well with that. Although ground beef is Smiths special ingredient, he sees the Womens Resource Center as relating to a well-known phrase about fish. In his eyes, the center is an expansion of give someone a fish, you feed them for a day, but teach someone to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. Maybe you already know how to fish but dont know where to get a fishing rod, Smith said. Maybe you have some ideas about fishing but it just needs some refinement. Or maybe youve never tasted fish, and dont care for it, but need to do something else to feed yourself Thats one of the things I love about the centers way of working they think both things are important. Brooks said this twofold purpose, both as a bridge to resources and being a resource itself, was one of the founding principles of the center when it started in 1995. I think its pretty much a proven deal that access to resources is one of the biggest problems that people have, Brooks said. We have all these wonderful agencies and a great community system of caring in Greensboro, but you need to know how to access those services. Being able to find those resources when you need them is the most difficult part, and thats really why we opened. Annually, the center serves about 9,000 women and 7,500 families who come from multiple backgrounds and different experiences. Brooks said the center is designed to help women no matter where they are in their lives. Like the widow whos lost her husband and now has to handle the finances. Like the single mother who just lost her job, her familys main source of income, and now needs to rejoin the labor force and start anew. And like the many women who have been taking care of others for so long, who are now faced with taking care of themselves and dont know where to start. The mission of the womens center is to help women to lead self-directed lives, Brooks said. To live up to their full potential so they have independent family success. Brooks said a lot of the resourcing the center is focusing on now is related to the housing crisis. Due to financial drains from the pandemic, a lot of women are unable to pay their rent and find affordable housing, Brooks said. And about 25% of the women who come into the center are from the homeless population. In addition to this housing crisis outsourcing, the center is also continuing to provide in-house programming like job training, support groups for emotional wellness and community resource counseling, where women meet one-on-one with trained research specialists that connect them to resources within and outside of the center. One of the major sources of funding for the centers programming is Men Can Cook. Brooks said that last year, the event raised over $100,000 for the center through tickets, sponsorships and silent auction gift baskets. This year, the center has a goal of signing up at least 40-50 chefs as they move the event back to Greensboro Coliseums Piedmont Hall. There have always been men involved with the womens center, Brooks said. So, (Men Can Cook) is kind of showcasing the men that have been helping us all along the last 27 years. Showcasing the everyday fella whos been supporting the womens center for a long time who is an excellent cook. Smith has yet to decide what he plans to make for the event, but said he is looking forward to seeing what the new twist will bring. He encourages all home chefs to apply for Men Can Cook, which he said is a lively time that brings all members of the community together. Its a relatively low commitment for a whole lot of fun, Smith said. Its a neat atmosphere, it feels like a party at the event. And it is the one time a year I get to cook for just the enjoyment of it, just because I enjoy cooking. MATTOON The Bagel Bow Wow has been part of Bagelfest for almost as long as there has been a festival and Bernie DeBuhr has been part of the Bow Wow for almost as long as there has been a dog contest. The Bow Wow celebrated 30 years with DeBuhr, whose family owns DeBuhr's Feed & Seed in Mattoon, in the role of this event's organizer as approximately 20 dogs and their owners gathered for the 2022 edition contest Wednesday evening at Peterson Park. The spectators at the Rotary Bend Shell applauded as DeBuhr and this milestone were introduced. "It's been a lot of fun. I just enjoy seeing people bring their dogs out," DeBuhr said afterwards. Community leaders started Bagelfest and its bagel breakfast in 1986 to celebrate the opening of the Lender's Bagels plant in Mattoon. The festival subsequently started a variety of other bagel-themed activities, including the Bow Wow. DeBuhr said the Bow Wow had already been in existence for a year when he was recruited in the early 1990s to serve as the organizer. The merchant said he is glad to play this role in a community where DeBuhr's Feed & Seed has been in business for five generations. "Mattoon has been good to us and our business over the years," DeBuhr said. "This is one way I can give back." DeBuhr said the Bagel Bow Wow was held at Peterson Park for the first time during his inaugural year as organizer. Bagelfest itself moved from downtown to the park several years later. As the years have gone by, DeBuhr said he has been thankful to see Albin Animal Hospital, Clyde's Animal Clinic, and others in the community regularly volunteer to serve as Bagel Bow Wow judges. He said the Mars Petcare factory has been a longtime supporter through its donation of large bags of dog food as prizes, plus dog snacks. DeBuhr said one of his favorite parts of volunteering at the Bagel Bow Wow is seeing all the costumes that dog owners put together to compete for the "Best Bagel Dog" and owner-dog look-alike prizes. "People love their pets. It's fun to see what people can do with their creativity," DeBuhr said. Several of the entrants on Wednesday used costumes incorporating the 2022 festival's Camp Bagelfest theme. Leona Liggett of Humboldt and her 12-year old Dachshund, Wyatt, both wore fishing outfits, including straw hats. Liggett said she has entered the contest on a near annual basis for many years because its fun and she enjoys seeing all the other dogs. Wyatt won the "Best Bagel Dog" prize. Pepper, a 3-month old Chihuahua and rat terrier mix, won the ""Best Look-a-Like" prize. Heather Fitt of Mattoon said she made the matching outfits for her daughter, Junior Miss Bagelfest Laney Fitt, and Pepper, including a little sash for the canine. Little Miss Bagelfest Lucy Bagwell, also wearing a matching outfit with the same paw print design, also took part in the contest, in which her 11-year-old Golden Retriever, Chloe, won the "Best Goode Ole Dog" prize. Ellis, a 6-year-old Dutch Shepherd search dog, won the "Best Trick" prize while demonstrating his search skills on objects hidden around and on the vehicle of his owner, Carolyn Muessman of Charleston. Muessman said Ellis is certified to conduct narcotics and search and rescue efforts, adding with a laugh that he is also good at finding her lost cellphone. Ellis' owner, a first-time entrant in the Bagel Bow Wow, said she is glad he and the other dogs got to show off in front of so many children at the contest. A total of 22 state government departments and agencies will hold a joint virtual government and nonprofit hiring event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday. The departments and agencies have combined more than 1,300 open job positions. Participating departments and agencies are: Administrative Office of the Courts; Administration; Agriculture & Consumer Services; Commerce; Environmental Quality; Health and Human Services; Information Technology; Insurance; Justice; Natural and Cultural Resources; Public Instruction; Public Safety; Revenue; Secretary of State; State Treasurer; Transportation; Office of State Human Resources; Office of the Commissioner of Banks; State Board of Elections; State Bureau of Investigation; Temporary Solutions; and UNC System Office. Job seekers will have the opportunity to virtually meet with representatives of state agencies and the UNC System Office to learn about the vast scope of jobs available across North Carolina. The event is presented by Career Eco. Interested participants may preregister and learn more about the free online event at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northcarolina. Event participants are encouraged to create an online profile and set alerts for postings in their career field and preferred location(s). In 2020, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill sought a criminal investigation against his political opponent, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, over a campaign ad that ONeill claimed was false. Two years later, Stein has filed a lawsuit claiming that the investigation is based on a law that is outdated and violates the First Amendment. During a heated campaign for the next state attorney general that ONeill ultimately lost, the two political opponents fought fiercely over how each handled a backlog of untested rape kits. The ad in question featured a woman who said she is a sexual-assault survivor. The woman, Juliette (her first name is used in the ad), said she was shocked and upset to learn ONeill had 1,500 untested rap kits on a shelf leaving rapists on the streets. ONeill filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections, saying the ad was false and that prosecutors had no control over submitting rape kits to the State Crime Lab. He also called for a criminal investigation. The woman, Ralston Lapp Guinn Media Group, which produced the ad, and Stein for Attorney General Campaign filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Greensboro against several members of the State Board of Elections, including chair Damon Circosta, and Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. The State Board of Elections turned over its findings to Freeman for possible prosecution. No criminal charges have been filed against Stein or his campaign. Freeman said she recused herself from the case because she and ONeill have served on the executive committee for the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys and Steins office has represented Freeman and her office in civil complaints. She referred the case to David Saacks, a senior prosecutor in her office, and she said the investigation is still pending. Our job as prosecutors in any case is to follow the evidence and apply the law, irrespective of who the individuals may be, Freeman said. The justice system should work the same for everyone. Stein said in a news release Thursday that fighting for victims of sexual assault has been a top priority and that he was proud of the results he and others in his office had in tackling the backlog of untested rape kits. But my opponent, Jim ONeill, misled voters about my record, he said. He alleged that ONeill didnt like being held accountable and instead initiated an investigation into the ad. After two years of this baseless investigation with which we have fully cooperated we have had enough. We are asking the court to step in and declare this statute unconstitutional. Its past time we resolve this issue, he said. ONeill, a Republican who is currently running for re-election as Forsyth County district attorney, maintained Thursday that the campaign ad was false, noting that one of Steins staffers, Bill Hart Sr., quit. Hart told the News & Observer that he resigned because he was bothered by a line in the ad he believed unfairly made it appear that ONeill submitted rape kits to the State Crime Lab. ONeill said Stein blatantly lied to the people of North Carolina in a desperate attempt to maintain his power. And now, Stein is attempting to interfere with an investigation and influence potential grand jurors in Wake County with his public statements today, ONeill said. He alleges that Stein is violating an ethical rule for prosecutors that prohibits them from making statements outside of a courtroom during a pending criminal investigation. And finally let me state the obvious: Why would Stein challenge the constitutionality of a law that prohibits candidates from running false ads to the public, if he claims that he stands by the veracity of his own ad? I think the public is smart enough to know the answer to that question. In the lawsuit, Stein said the ad was fact-checked, deemed accurate and was an appropriate response to what he claims were false and misleading attacks from ONeill about his record on handling the backlog of untested rape kits. He said he commissioned a study on the backlog when he took office in 2017 and then developed a strategy for testing the rape kits, including getting a total of $4 million from the U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Governors Crime Commission. He said he also got an additional $6 million in state funding and made changes in policy to ensure backlogs would not develop in the future. Despite the work done by Attorney General Stein on an issue that had been largely ignored by others, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill, a political opponent who became the eventual party nominee, made false reports about Attorney General Steins record on the subject of rape-kit testing while misrepresenting his own record, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit said the ad was accurate, citing a report commissioned by the N.C. Department of Justice that showed local law-enforcement agencies in Forsyth had 1,509 untested rape kits as of 2017. The advertisement never says the kits were in his custody, only that he left them on the shelf conveying that he was indifferent to and failed to address their presence in his prosecutorial district, notwithstanding his legal duty to advise local law enforcement, the lawsuit said. ONeills campaign filed a complaint with the State Board of Election on Sept. 29, 2020, saying that Steins campaign and Stein were in violation of a law prohibiting people from knowingly publishing or circulating derogatory reports to affect a candidates chances for nomination or election. Violation of the law is a misdemeanor with a maximum punishment of 60 days in jail and criminal fines. An attorney representing ONeills campaign also sent a letter to Juliette, saying that what she said in the ad was false and defamatory. The letter, according to the lawsuit, demanded that Juliette denounce the ad. The lawsuit said that the law, which was established as early as 1931, has never been used for any criminal prosecution. Stein claims the law is unconstitutional and will chill political speech. The woman has been interviewed twice in 2021 first by the State Board of Investigations and then again by agents with the State Bureau of Investigation, whom Freeman asked to assist. The lawsuit said SBI investigators have conducted at least six additional interviews with staff of Ralston Lapp, Stein and Steins campaign staff. Stein said in the lawsuit that he believes enforcement action under the Statute is forthcoming. The lawsuit called the investigation intrusive and invasive. Patrick Gannon, spokesman for the State Board of Elections, said in an email that his office is reviewing the complaint and other filings with counsel. Gannon said the case has been turned over the Wake County District Attorneys Office, and it would be up to that office on whether there should be any further proceedings or on what evidence should be released. The lawsuit is asking that the state law being declared unconstitutional and that a judge grant a preliminary injunction to keep the defendants from taking further action against Plaintiffs and those associated with Plaintiffs pursuant to the unconstitutional Statute. Forsyth County had not had a confirmed case of monkeypox as of Friday, but dozens of local residents have chosen to get the vaccine, according to county health director Joshua Swift. The county health department is one of seven statewide to have received the monkeypox vaccine from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The vaccine works to prevent illness or reduce symptoms if given within two weeks after someone is exposed to monkeypox. The department is serving as a regional clearinghouse for the 1,200 doses it had received as of Friday. The vaccine is provided in a two-dose regimen. Were seeing right around a half-dozen individuals per day coming through to get the vaccine, so we have ample supply now, Swift said. Swift said its likely Forsyth will have confirmed cases given its population size. Weve learned a lot of lessons during COVID in terms of distribution, being aware and prepared, Swift said in citing plans to provide monkeypox vaccine elsewhere in Forsyth communities, potentially as early as next week. There has been a publicly confirmed case of monkeypox in Davidson County and one in Guilford, the only two to date in the 14-county Triad and Northwest North Carolina region. In both cases, the infected individual was placed in isolation, and close contacts were identified. Health officials in both counties cited privacy policies in saying they would not provide additional information. DHHS said individuals who meet the criteria can call a local health department to make an appointment to receive the vaccine. In Forsyth, the number is 336-703-3100. Because of limited supply, the Jynneos vaccine is currently being offered only to individuals with known or suspected exposure to monkeypox. The vaccine is free. We are free to share the doses with other county health departments, hospitals and clinics, Swift said. The Triad cases are among at least 13 confirmed in North Carolina, according to DHHS and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DHHS is not providing a case breakdown by county, leaving the disclosures to county health departments. NCDHHS works closely with the CDC, local health departments and health care providers to identify and notify individuals who may have been in contact with an infectious person and to assess each individual contacts level of risk, DHHS spokeswoman Summer Tonizzo said. Nationally, there have been about 2,400 cases, with New York having the most at 830, followed by California with 356, Illinois with 230 and Florida with 226. Among North Carolinas neighbors, Georgia is listed with 158 cases, along with 40 in Virginia, 16 in Tennessee and nine in South Carolina. Background The CDC says monkeypox symptoms tend to last two to four weeks. Most monkeypox patients experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. Monkeypox is transmitted person-to-person through direct, skin-to-skin contact, having contact with an infectious rash, through bodily fluids or through respiratory secretions. Among people now being offered the vaccine: * Those who have been in close physical contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox; * Men who have sex with men or transgender individuals who have had multiple sex partners in the last 14 days in an area where the virus is spreading. Individuals who have an unexplained rash, sores or other symptoms should keep the rash covered, DHHS recommends. They should avoid sex or being intimate with anyone until they have been examined by a health care provider. DHHS response Kody Kinsley, the states health secretary, said during a Thursday meeting with local health officials that DHHS has had the ability to test for monkeypox at the state laboratory since before the first cases appeared in the country. At this point in the monkeypox outbreak, contact tracing is an especially important tool, Kinsley said. Get (individual) contacts connected to vaccine as quickly as possible. Kinsley said DHHS has been assured by the CDC that more monkeypox vaccine will be arriving in coming weeks. While anyone can get monkeypox, nearly all of the cases in North Carolina are in men who have sex with men, Kinsley said. More than 60% of cases are in Black men. Like any other health disparity, we need to focus our response to serve those at risk and tackle that disparity head-on. As more supply comes available, or as the outbreak shifts into other social networks, we will shift our guidance. Authorities say a North Carolina woman taken into custody on an assault charge suffered life-threatening injuries when she escaped her handcuffs, managed to lower a rear window and jumped out of a moving police car. Pineville police said in a news release that 27-year-old Morgan Johnson assaulted her boyfriend in front of officers, which led to her arrest. As she was being taken to jail, police say Johnson freed one hand from the handcuffs and pushed down the rear window of the police car to create a small opening. The officer slowed down, but Johnson got through the small opening and got out of the car while it was moving. So it has come to this? It boggles the mind that in the year 2022, members of the U.S. House, Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal, from the East, West, North and South, could not muster the decency and sense of fairness to vote unanimously for a bill that affirms the legality of interracial and gay marriages. It makes you wonder when the world spun off its axis, and got so mean and small-minded that not even one Republican from North Carolina supported the measure. Not Ted Budd. Not Virginia Foxx. Not anybody. They can rationalize all they want about how this was a Democrat stunt or political theater. And some Republicans have. We are debating this bill today because it is an election year, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan said. We are here for political messaging. As if that never happens in D.C. Or as Marco Rubio of Florida put it: I know plenty of gay people in Florida who are pissed off about gas prices. Which would make sense only if senators had been forced to choose between doing something about gas prices or the marriage bill. As for why the House bill was filed in the first place, you can thank the Supreme Court of 2022. This issue didnt become a headline again until conservative justices and some of Jordans fellow Republicans made it one. Specifically you can thank Justice Clarence Thomas, who suggested in a concurring opinion to the decision nullifying Roe v. Wade that the door now was open to rescinding other rights that Americans thought were settled law, including same-sex marriage and access to contraception. Some Republican elected officials agree. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz this week voiced his belief that the courts gay marriage decision was clearly wrong. So, here we are, 55 years after the Supreme Court ruled that a white man marrying a Black woman was not against the law in Loving v. Virginia (1967) and seven years after the court legalized gay marriage. Still, 47 Republicans did vote for the House bill, called the Respect for Marriage Act. And that counts for something. Even more encouraging (and surprising) is that in the Senate, where good bills usually go to die, bipartisan support seemed to be building Wednesday. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a Republican, told CNN on Wednesday that he probably will vote for the bill. As of Thursday, at least three other Republicans in addition to Tillis Rob Portman of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have said they would or would likely vote for a measure. Republican Whip John Thune said he expected comparable GOP support for the bill in the Senate as it received in the House. Said Thune: If and when (Democrats) bring a bill to the floor, well take a hard look at it. As you saw there was pretty good bipartisan support in the House yesterday and I expect thered probably be the same thing youd see in the Senate. And why shouldnt Republicans support it? What could be more conservative than endorsing the institution of marriage? And isnt it is a cherished tenet of conservatism to keep government out of our personal lives and out of the personal decisions of consenting adults? (Of course, you could say the same thing about a womans authority over her body. And look where we are.) Even so, Senate approval is a tenuous proposition. The bill would need 10 Republican votes in the Senate to avoid being derailed by a filibuster. It would be encouraging if Tillis does what he said he might do. And if enough of his Senate colleagues join him, including, we should hope, Richard Burr. But Burrs moral courage has tended to ebb and flow, even as he has little to risk politically because he is not seeking reelection. Meanwhile, theres nothing more to say about North Carolina Republican Reps. Ted Budd and Virginia Foxx and Richard Hudson and Greg Murphy and David Rouzer and Richard Hudson and Dan Bishop and Patrick McHenry and Madison Cawthorn ... except shame on you. You say you represent the people. Roughly 71% of Americans support same-sex marriage, including most Republicans. You often crow about freedom. Uh, except Americans freedom to love and marry whom they choose? This is an issue that we have to recognize as human beings that we need to work against discrimination of all kinds in our country, in our state, Republican Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who voted for the House bill, told 60 Minutes in September. Freedom means freedom for everyone. Twenty years ago, Lincoln embarked on an economic planning process that eventually led to the formation of the 2015 Vision group and produced huge projects such as Pinnacle Bank Arena. Now, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and partners in both the public and private sectors are embarking on a new strategic planning process to plan out the next 15 to 20 years of what local economic development should look like. The chamber has hired Broad Ripple Strategies, a consulting firm that has worked on strategic plans for more than 50 cities in 26 states and one Canadian province. Alex Pearlstein, a principal with Broad Ripple Strategies, laid out the plan Friday morning to attendees at the chambers annual Economic Development Breakfast at the Cornhusker Marriott. Economic development has never been more critical than it is now, Pearlstein told the crowd, highlighting major recent structural changes in the economy such as an increase in remote work. One advantage Lincoln has, he said, is that it is moving into this next phase of strategic planning from a position of strength, with a vibrant economy, low unemployment and a wealth of successful, growing employers. But communities cant stand pat on current successes, Pearlstein said, and must plan for what comes next. To that end, his firm, which is partnering with another consulting firm called DMOproz, will spend the next seven months engaging with people in the community to answer questions such as how Lincoln can capture the full potential of its assets, compete in a challenging talent market and be recognized nationally as a place people and companies want to be. The planning process will have four phases starting with stakeholder engagement, followed by a community assessment, creation of an economic vitality strategy and then guidelines for implementation. Pearlstein said the goals of the strategic planning process are to take Lincoln out of its comfort zone, establish priorities to take the next big leap and align partners behind a community mission. Marc LeBaron, CEO of Lincoln Industries and chairman of the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Developments Board of Directors, said he firmly believes this is the right time and the right process for our community. The stakeholder engagement part of the process has already begun, with Broad Ripple and the Chamber partnering to offer a survey open to anyone in Lincoln. The survey asks questions about what people see as Lincolns main challenges, opportunities and priorities in the coming years. The survey is available at: surveymonkey.com/r/lincolnvitalitysurvey. You as the community have a critical role to play, Pearlstein said, before he challenged attendees to break the record for responses to one of Broad Ripples community surveys, which currently stands at 6,500. Jason Ball, President of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, called the strategic planning process, "a crucial component to ensuring the ongoing prosperity of our community." "The business community of Lincoln recognizes the need to craft our own future, he said. A 30-year-old Lincoln man was charged with first-degree assault after a disagreement with his business partner turned violent on Tuesday, police said in court records. Duc Chu, the co-owner of Pham Chu Import and Export, is accused of assaulting his 38-year-old business partner Tuesday afternoon after he attempted to leave the partnership, Officer Jeff Schwartz said in the affidavit for Chu's arrest. The 38-year-old was hospitalized. The alleged assault, which occurred around 2 p.m. Tuesday near 27th and Vine streets, happened in front of the victim's 4-year-old daughter, netting Chu a misdemeanor child abuse charge along with the felony assault charge, police said. Chu was also charged with felony theft by deception for taking $3,375 from a client, meant to be wired to a relative in Vietnam, and instead gambling the money away at a Council Bluffs, Iowa, casino, Lincoln Police Investigator Scott Jarecke said in a separate arrest affidavit. Police arrested Chu on Thursday. He was taken to the Lancaster County jail. A Beatrice man accused of sexually assaulting a Beatrice State Developmental Center resident last year was granted a bond reduction Thursday in Gage County District Court. Allen Evans, 30, is charged with first-degree sexual assault of an incompetent person, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a vulnerable adult stemming from the October 2021 incident. Last month his attorney, Kelly Breen, asked District Court Judge Rick Schreiner for a bond reduction in the case from $500,000 with a 10% deposit required. That request was denied, but a similar request made this week was granted, and Schreiner reduced the bond to $350,000 with a 10% deposit required. In his argument for a reduction, Breen said the case is being held up by the State Patrols investigation. Breen said authorities seized documents that should have been protected under Allens attorney-client privilege. Judge, its not his fault that we havent started working on this case, Breen said. Not at all. He contacted an attorney in March and somehow those emails were part of the discovery. The State Patrol searched his home computer and phone Its going to be an involved case and while we want a speedy trial for him, weve got to protect his rights, too. Right now were at a standstill in the case. Hes languishing in jail and his familys suffering. He added that Evans cooperated with the investigation, and has a wife and five children he supports. Breen asked for the bond to be reduced to $100,000 with a 10% deposit, while prosecutors asked that the request for a bond reduction be denied. Evans was an employee at BSDC at the time of the alleged sexual assault. Last October investigators with the State Patrol were notified of allegations Evans had sexually assaulted a 34-year-old resident. The victim told an employee that she was sexually assaulted by Evans, according to the arrest warrant. The Department of Health and Human Services previously declined to say what Evans role was at BSDC, though the arrest warrant refers to him as a supervisor. The victim told the worker that Evans had raped her and did something to her in the bathroom. The worker took the victim to Beatrice Community Hospital, and eventually Bryan Health West in Lincoln. The warrant states the State Patrol investigator was told by a sexual assault nurse examiner that the injuries were amongst the worst she had ever observed and included vaginal and anal trauma. While at Bryan the victim told the investigator Evans had also placed her in the shower and sexually assaulted her again before using a towel to clean both of them before throwing the towel in a dumpster. Authorities searched the dumpster outside of the victims residence in the 3000 block of Peterson Boulevard. During the search they found a trash bag that contained a bloody towel, pajama pants and underwear. Testing was done that connected the items to DNA from Evans, as well as the victim. Evans was interviewed at BSDC, and denied sexual contact between the two. RICHMOND, Va. A month after some members of Congress urged Google to limit the appearance of anti-abortion pregnancy centers in certain abortion-related search results, 17 Republican attorneys general are warning the company that doing so could invite investigations and possible legal action. Suppressing pro-life and pro-mother voices at the urging of government officials would violate the most fundamental tenet of the American marketplace of ideas, the attorneys general wrote in a letter Thursday to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company. The effort was led by Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and the letter was shared with the Associated Press ahead of its public release. Also joining the letter were Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and the attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. The Republicans took issue with a June 17 letter to the company from Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., which was co-signed by 19 other members of Congress. That letter cites research by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate, which found that Google searches for abortion clinic near me and abortion pill turned up results for centers that counsel clients against having an abortion. Some of these places, known as crisis pregnancy centers, also have been accused of providing misleading information about abortion and contraception. Many are religiously affiliated. Directing women toward fake clinics that traffic in misinformation and dont provide comprehensive health services is dangerous to womens health and undermines the integrity of Googles search results, says the June letter, which was authored after the leak of a draft opinion indicating the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The court took that step June 24. The Democrat-led group asked Google to address what steps it would take to limit the appearance of crisis pregnancy centers in its search results, ads and maps results for users who search for abortion clinic, abortion pill or other similar terms. The group also asked the company if it would add disclaimers to address whether a clinic provides abortions. New York Attorney General Letitia James office raised similar concerns in a June letter to Google. The letter from the Republican AGs defends the work of crisis pregnancy centers. It notes that such centers often provide services such as free ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and parenting and prenatal education classes. It also argues that at least some Google users who search for information about abortion expect to find information about alternatives. They wrote that if the company complies with this inappropriate demand to bias its search results, their offices would respond by investigating whether there had been any violation of antitrust or religious discrimination laws. They also pledged to consider whether new legislation would help protect consumers and markets. We trust that you will treat this letter with the seriousness these issues require, and hope you will decide that Googles search results must not be subject to left-wing political pressure, which would actively harm women seeking essential assistance. If you do not, we must avail ourselves of all lawful and appropriate means of protecting the rights of our constituents, of upholding viewpoint diversity, free expression, and the freedom of religion for all Americans, and of making sure that our markets are free in fact, not merely in theory, the letter said. It asked the California-based company to respond within 14 days and explain whether it has or will take any steps to treat crisis pregnancy centers any differently than before the leak of the draft Supreme Court decision. Google and other Big Tech companies also have faced recent calls for more stringent privacy controls to address concerns that information about location, texts, searches and emails could be used against people seeking to end unwanted pregnancies. Google announced this month that it would automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems in light of the high courts ruling. Nebraska's Justice Administration Building, located next to the State Capitol, now bears the name of Chief Standing Bear above its front entrance. A few feet from the front door, a bust of the Ponca chief sits next to a plaque that shares the history of the civil rights leader who hailed from Nebraska. More than 100 people gathered to celebrate the rededication of the building Thursday morning. Ponca Tribe Historic Preservation Officer Stacy Laravie, a direct descendent of Standing Bear, noted the events that made the chief the civil rights figure he's known as today happened seven generations ago, in the 1870s. Even so, they still have ripple effects that last to this day, she said. Laravie said she often hears apologies from people who feel remorse about past trauma and injustices inflicted on her ancestors. Instead of apologizing, she advises people to be "healers today" by supporting Native American causes and increased education. "We are here to witness a part of the healing," Laravie said. Gov. Pete Ricketts, who said he considers Standing Bear one of his personal heroes, requested the Nebraska Legislature pass a law to rename the executive office building in his honor. State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, ultimately introduced the resolution that did so. It passed earlier this year. As part of the dedication, the state commissioned several art pieces in honor of the chief, including the bust, sculpted by Benjamin Victor, and a mural inside the front entrance, painted by Sarah Harris. Harris said she wanted the mural to tell Standing Bear's story in a way that could be "seen, heard and felt." The bust and mural cost about $75,000, which was donated by the nonprofit Nebraska Impact, a Ricketts official said. Standing Bear was a leader of the Ponca Tribe during the late 1800s, when by an order from the federal government, the tribe was forced to relocate from their homes in Nebraska to a reservation in Oklahoma. Along the 600-mile journey, Standing Bear lost his daughter Prairie Flower, and shortly after their arrival, he lost his son Bear Shield. Bear Shield's dying wish was to be buried in his homeland in Nebraska, near the Niobrara River. So, even though it violated a federal order, Standing Bear and about 30 other tribe members made the trek back to Nebraska through the "bitter winter," Ricketts said. Standing Bear was subsequently arrested for this reason, and in response, he sued the federal government. During his trial, Ricketts said federal officials argued that Standing Bear was not considered a citizen, nor a person, and therefore could not sue the government. This prompted Standing Bear to say what is now known as one of his most famous quotes. "That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be of the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both." Judge Elmer Dundy ruled in favor of Standing Bear, confirming that indigenous peoples had human rights under the law. This was both a landmark civil rights victory, and cemented Standing Bear's legacy. That legacy has gradually received greater attention in recent years. Joe Starita, an author and since-retired University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor, wrote I Am a Man: Chief Standing Bears Journey for Justice, which was published in 2010. Statues of Standing Bear have since been erected in Nebraska and beyond including at the U.S. Capitol. The statue was installed in 2019 after the Nebraska Legislature voted to replace the states previous representatives in the National Statuary Hall. Still, Ricketts said few people know the story of Standing Bear, who the governor called one of Nebraska's greatest heroes. Ricketts acknowledged he didn't learn about Standing Bear's life until after he was elected governor. In the last few years, Ricketts said multiple Nebraskans, including his wife Suzanne Shore, have made efforts to teach more people about the Ponca chief, and the building dedication was the latest step of that effort. "We have to tell this story," he said. Norfolk real estate developer Robert Dover was appointed Friday by Gov. Pete Ricketts to fill the District 19 seat in the Legislature vacated by the election of Mike Flood to the U.S. House of Representatives. Dover is president of Coldwell Banker Dover Realtors in Norfolk. A graduate of Wayne State College, he and his wife, Ann, have four children. Ricketts introduced him at a brief event during which he was sworn into office by Secretary of State Robert Evnen. In brief remarks, Dover praised the governor for "an exceptional job of controlling spending while delivering tax relief." Dover served as the vice chairman of the Madison County Republican Party until earlier this year, when new leadership was elected during the county party convention. Recently, Dover served as a delegate at the state GOP Convention, which saw the upheaval of the party establishment. It is unknown if Dover played any role in the leadership changes. In a statement released by the governor's office, Dover said he'll "work in the Legislature to help reduce the tax burden on Nebraska's families (and) use my education and experience in finance to ensure the state wisely stewards taxpayer dollars." Ricketts said Dover "will strongly defend pro-life values and work to protect 2nd Amendment rights (and) be dedicated to controlling spending and delivering more property tax relief to Nebraskans." Unlike an event last month marking the appointment of Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha to fill the District 31 seat vacated by the death of Sen. Rich Pahls, Friday's announcement ended abruptly without an opportunity for members of the news media to ask the new senator any questions. It is unlikely that Dover's appointment will have any impact on the possibility of a special session to debate abortion restrictions later this year. Flood also opposes abortion, and he supported a trigger bill earlier this year that would have banned all abortions in the state upon the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. That bill failed to reach the 33 votes needed for a filibuster-ending cloture motion. Dover's appointment doesn't improve the chance of that changing. As of Thursday, Ricketts said he was still in discussions with Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers and had yet to reach a decision on a special session. Dover will serve the remaining two years of Flood's term; the governor said the new senator plans to run for election in 2024. The Omaha World-Herald contributed to this report. Thanks to a new partnership between the Nebraska State Fair and News Channel Nebraska, everyone who attends the fair Aug. 30 will get in free, as long as they display an app at the gate. The Nebraska-based media company announced Friday that it will donate $50,000 in cash and media services to the State Fair. As part of the partnership, News Channel Nebraska will advertise a special promotion via its statewide TV network, 15 radio stations and online outlets. Tuesday, Aug. 30, is the Veterans Day Celebration at the State Fair. The fairs traditional veterans recognition program will be at 3 p.m. at the Heartland Events Center. Fairgoers will need to show the News Channel Nebraska app on their mobile devices in order to gain free admission that day. The app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. We are excited to support the State Fair and even more excited to use our multimedia outlets to invite the state of Nebraska to this premiere event in Grand Island, News Channel Nebraska Chief Executive Officer Andy Ruback says in a news release. The State Fair runs from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5. YBO - The 2022-2023 school year will be the third year that the education and training sector of Yen Bai and the whole country has implemented the general education programme 2018. In Yen Bai, the new programme will be applied for third, seventh and tenth grades from this year. In the 2021-2022 academic year, 57 primary, 53 secondary, 128 primary-secondary and three secondary-high schools across the province applied the programme, achieving good results. All student of grades 1 and 2 have attended school full time, while 100% of students have accessed textbooks designed for the general education programme 2018. Various measures have been rolled out to ensure the quality of education services. Local teachers have flexibly changed their teaching methods. Thanks to the efforts, local students, especially those from ethnic-inhabited and mountainous areas, have acquired higher studying capacity and become more confident. Over 98% of primary students have shown good qualifications and capacity, while 99.2% have showed strong performance in maths and Vietnamese. The number of students completing their curriculum reached 98.7%. In the 2022-2023 school year, in order to apply the general education programme 2018 for grades 3, 7 and 10, the province has selected textbooks in line with guidance and completed the compilation of local education materials for grades 3 and 10 and submitted to the Ministry of Education and Training for approval. The local education and training sector has organised training courses for 100% management officials and teachers in grades 3, 7 and 10 on the use of new textbooks. At the same time, the province has prepared classrooms and equipment serving the teaching and studying of the general education programme 2018. The sector has given advice to authorised agencies on the use of teachers with the priority of those in subjects of Informatics, Foreign Languages and Arts. Particularly, it has reviewed the conditions for the teaching and learning of English and Informatics under the new programme, while directing the Education and Training Divisions in localities to advise district People's Committees to design specific plans on the arrangement of computer classrooms as well as teachers for the teaching of Informatics and English. English teachers from Yen Bai city, Nghia Lo township, Yen Binh and Tran Yen districts will be sent to remote districts of Mu Cang Chai and Tram Tau to support them in the work. SOUTH SIOUX CITY A Thursday night shooting in South Sioux City that involved an officer with the South Sioux City Police Department is now being investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol. According to a news release, the shooting occurred around 7:50 p.m. as officers were responding to a call about a possible overdose at an apartment complex near the 300 block of East 12th Street. "Paramedics had already responded to the call, but they were forced to evacuate the location after a subject brandished a firearm," the release stated. The release then goes on to say that the suspect fired the weapon at officers in the hallway of the apartment building, which led to an officer returning fire and hitting the suspect. At a news conference on Friday morning, South Sioux City Police Chief Ed Mahon said Richard Germek was injured and transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries that were not life threatening. He then was placed in Dakota County Jail but needed to return to the hospital for a medical condition. "It was unfortunate when we have to resort to that much force, but the subject began firing on our officers and we had no other choice," Mahon said. Mahon was unable to identify the officer who fired on Germek but said he would be going on administrative leave, which is standard protocol. Mahon also couldn't say whether Germek was the person who called 911 about the overdose and whether Germek was returned to the hospital for overdose treatment. In 2021, Germek successfully completed probation for a misdemeanor assault conviction and had his jail sentence waived. As of now, charges are pending in the case and the investigation is ongoing. MOUNT PLEASANT More than five years since it all began, the homeowners often considered to be the final Foxconn holdouts may be selling their land to the Village of Mount Pleasant. But its not a done deal. While there had been dozens of residences in what has been considered Foxconn Area 1, all have since sold their properties to the village or otherwise moved. Except the Mahoneys. For the first time, according to an agenda for Mondays upcoming Village Board meeting, village trustees are to consider an offer from the Mahoneys in closed session. Kim and Jim Mahoney had only lived in their new home when then-Gov. Scott Walker, urged by then-President Donald Trump to strengthen manufacturing on American soil, initiated the deal with the Taiwanese tech giant to build a massive factory in Mount Pleasant a plan that has never really neared its claimed potential. Soon after, Mount Pleasant threatened to use eminent domain to clear the way for Foxconn. That meant the Mahoneys home could be taken by the government with the village paying assessed value for properties; the Mahoneys home has never been seized, nor have any others in the Foxconn areas. The villages offers to other property owners in the area typically were for 140% of a propertys assessed value (so a home worth $200,000 would be sold for $280,000) plus stipends to cover moving costs. All of the Mahoneys neighbors took the villages offers, quickly transforming the Mahoneys park-like neighborhood into essentially a construction site with a ranch home in the corner. It is unclear what the Mahoneys offer to the village, to be considered Monday, is. One of the other long-term holdouts, Catherine and Rodney Jensen, received more than double what the villages expected initial offer was and almost quadruple the most recent assessed fair market price after refusing to sell for more than four years. They agreed to a deal for $796,000 in January for their 2.92 acres east of Interstate 94 and south of Highway 11. The village is continuing to seek potential manufacturing companies that could build something and hire people like Foxconn had ostensibly planned to but never did. Chipmaker Intel considered Mount Pleasant for a similarly transformative megaproject, but Intel announced in January that it was picking a site in Ohio over Mount Pleasant. Offers The Mahoneys asserted offers made by the village to buy their ranch home were insulting low-ball offers. What those offers were have never been publicly known. The Mahoneys have never said what their offers to the village were either. Under state law, municipal staffs do not have to disclose offers for land purchases/sales in public until they are to be voted on by elected officials. Offers by the Mahoneys to sell have never before been officially considered by elected officials because village staff and contracted attorneys working for the village never allowed the offers to be heard by the board. Neither the Mahoneys nor the village agreed to speak on the record for this report. In a text message to a reporter, Kim Mahoney said, No comment at this time. It is far from a done deal. In an email, Mount Pleasant Village Administrator Maureen Murphy said, The village has received and will be considering an offer from James and Kimberly Mahoney to sell their property at 10640 S. Prairie View Drive in TID (Tax Increment District) No. 5 to the village. It is not anticipated that action will be taken at Mondays meeting. TID 5 is where Foxconns current buildings in the village are located. Five years ago The handwritten initial commitment with then-Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou promising 13,000 jobs and $10 billion in infrastructure investment, and Walker offering up to $3 billion in incentives on behalf of Wisconsin was signed by Gou and Walker on July 12, 2017. An event at the White House two weeks later made the deal public. Mount Pleasant was publicly announced as the would-be home for the megaproject in October of that year. Dear Mr. Dad: My first baby is due in a few months, but I'm going to miss the birth. I've been out of work for more than a year and just landed a great job. The problem is I need to go across the country for a six-week training that starts on my baby's due date. The company is very family-friendly, but this session is mandatory. We burned through our savings while I was unemployed, and I'm afraid that if I pass up this job, it could take months or longer to get another one. Of course, I'm sad to miss my baby's birth, but I'm especially worried about my wife. She's very supportive, but I know this is going to be hard on her. I'm feeling really guilty. Is there anything I can do? Dawn Manor, a historic Lake Delton house being relocated from its original property, has all of its historic components stored while its owner seeks a Dells area location. Original stonework, woodwork, and other hardware original to the house has been wrapped and stored away on 94 total pallets, according to owner Steve Uphoff. Uphoff worked with Amish contractor Jacob Mast to preserve the original parts of the house, which he will use to reconstruct it in another area and exhibit as a private event venue honoring the mid-1800s, the time period in which the house was built (in 1855). Dawn Manor Preservation gallery A gallery of photos contributed by Steve Uphoff, the owner of the Dawn Manor house, picturing the preservation process of the house, is below. We made the decision that we would basically cannibalize the building, removing from it every single piece of hardware, said Uphoff. Wood, staircase, beams, flooring, and stone from the house, that was original. It was 94 pallets of Potsdam Sandstone we removed. Uphoff said the Mast family spent 2 months removing the stonework from the building by hand. He added that stained glass was also part of the components that were saved. A new location is still not specified, but Uphoff said he has narrowed it down to four spots in the Dells area. The whole purpose was to preserve Dawn Manor, said Uphoff. He has gone to an unbelievable expense of taking every single piece of stone down, piece by piece, labeling it where it was, said Lake Delton village trustee Tom Diehl. Those people were there one heck of a long time dismantling that. Its all stored off site. After Uphoff and the contractors completed the process of storing the original components, the frame was knocked down by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, which now owns the land. There are no current updates from the resort on what it plans to do with the vacant property. The only thing that was taken down was the physical wood structure that was still left after we took all of our materials, said Uphoff. Following the demolition of the frame of the house, social media comments indicated that the entire house was demolished, which Uphoff said were inaccurate and were upsetting to him. It hurts me terribly when I hear that Dawn Manor was destroyed and not preserved and no one cared about the history, said Uphoff. That is exactly the opposite. We cared so much that we spent 2 months taking every stone off of it, wrapping it in cellophane and having it stored. Architectural Design Consultants was also involved in the process, as Uphoff hired the company to painstakingly measure every square inch of that house in order to duplicate the structure in another location. Every hinge, every doorknob has been saved, said Uphoff. In 2017, Uphoff purchased Dawn Manor (the house and its surrounding land) from previous owner George Raab, whose family has a deep history with the house. Uphoff sold the land to Kalaharis owner Todd Nelson in August of last year and maintained ownership of the structure as part of the purchase. Steve concluded everything he needed, said Lake Delton village trustee Tom Diehl. All the stonework was tagged and labeled. When he finds the location that hes going to redo it, he has all the components to reproduce it the way it was. STURTEVANT An inmate allegedly had Suboxone on him, claimed he got it from a staff member. Daniel W. Sabah, 32, was charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and possess illegal article by inmate. According to a criminal complaint: At 5:50 p.m. on May 28, a deputies were sent to the Racine Correctional Institute (RCI) for an inmate possessing Suboxone. Suboxone is a drug typically used to treat opioid addiction, but it can be abused to get high off of, even though the drug is significantly less potent than certain other common opioids like heroin and oxycodone. A deputy spoke with the captain of the RCI, 2019 Wisconsin St., who said Sabah had Suboxone hidden inside of a coffee mug along with pieces of sandpaper and two blades that were broken off from a shaving razor. Sabah admitted to possessing the Suboxone and said he got it from a staff member. No staff members have been named in criminal complaints related to this incident. He said he uses it because it gives him a "mellow feeling." Sabah was given a $400 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Tuesday. A preliminary hearing is on July 28 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, online court records show. Sabah is in prison after being convicted of repeated first-degree sexual assault of a child in 2012 in Brown County. KENOSHA The second bomb threat this week at a local college forced Herzing University, 5800 Seventh Ave., to evacuate students and staff for about an hour. That gave time for Kenosha Police Officers to search classrooms for a supposed bag with a timer that was counting down. KPD received the bomb threat sometime before noon, which described a backpack with a timer, claiming it was located in one of the schools nursing classrooms. Police contacted the school. After officers found no explosive devices, students and staff returned to their classrooms before 12:30 p.m. 70 people evacuated Erin Ginn, Herzings senior director of admissions, was the senior-most school official on scene when the evacuation began. Ginn said approximately 70 people were evacuated from the building. The priority was students and faculty safety, Ginn said. We evacuated immediately while police inspected the building. Students said they learned something was wrong as staff ran room-to-room instructing people to exit the building. Micaela Pasillas, a student at Herzing, was standing across the street from the building with other students. She said she and friend were studying for an upcoming test when the evacuation began. We were in a study hall when someone came in and told us to skedaddle, Pasillas. Despite the bomb threat, students and staff alike seemed largely unworried. After less than an hour, KPD officers on scene had finished their search and determined the building to be safe. Despite some light-hearted protests from students, classes and tests resumed. The bomb threat comes after a similar case at Carthage College Tuesday, occurring shortly after 3 p.m. The threat forced an evacuation of campus buildings out of an abundance of caution, according to the colleges associate vice president for marketing and communications, Elizabeth Young. That case remains open, and Lt. Joseph Nosalik said detectives would continue to investigate. If someone is identified, they will likely face charges of terrorist threats, which is a felony, Nosalik said. It was uncertain if the two calls were related as of press time Thursday. Anyone with information on either bomb threats should call Crime Stoppers 262-656-7333. The Republican head of the Assemblys election committee has called for the impossible task of decertifying Wisconsins 2020 presidential election results, a position her Republican Senate counterpart called lunacy at best. In a statement Friday, Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, said she was joining fellow Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, who is running for governor this fall, in calling for decertification something experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said isnt an option under the law or the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions. Tyranny is at Wisconsins door, Brandtjen said. We have been told for months now that decertification is impossible, meaning there is no downside to cheating in Wisconsin elections. How many more times do we need to endure this election injustice? Multiple reviews, recounts and court decisions have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which saw President Joe Biden narrowly defeat incumbent Donald Trump in the state. Despite that, escalating rhetoric from the Republicans continues to animate the partys base. Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, chair of the Senate elections committee, has consistently rejected calls for decertification based on baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. We cannot open up a door that has been closed, we cannot un-ring a bell, Bernier said Friday. So to keep going after the decertification of an election that has been fully certified and the new president has been in office for nearly two years, is lunacy at best. Ramthun earlier this month revisited his call for state lawmakers to take up his resolution seeking to decertify the states presidential election results. Ramthun said his resolution only applies to the presidential election, and not the dozens of other races, including his own, on the 2020 ballot. Bernier said she wasnt surprised by Brandtjens call for decertification. Brandtjen has previously called for a full cyber-forensic audit of the 2020 election and used her Assembly committee to provide a platform for several election deniers, including a man convicted of mail and bank fraud, to give a presentation featuring false and unprovable claims about the 2020 election. Brandtjen has also clashed with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who has also made unfounded claims of widespread fraud but has insisted there is no way for the Legislature to decertify the 2020 election. Janel has been in this corner all along so it shouldnt be a surprise, Bernier said, adding that she feels Brandtjens chance of being the Assembly elections committees chair next session is pretty remote. Vos office did not immediately respond Friday to questions about whether or not Brandtjen will serve as the committees chair next session. Brandtjen also did not respond to a request for comment. Trump, for his part, ramped up his pressure on Vos to decertify the election following the Wisconsin Supreme Courts 4-3 decision earlier this year barring the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. This is not a time for him to hide, but a time to act! Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media site. I dont know his opponent in the upcoming Primary, but feel certain he will do well if Speaker Vos doesnt move with gusto. Robin, dont let the voters of Wisconsin down! The decision by the states high court applies to future elections not past ones, including the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Biden by close to 21,000 votes. If you could even decertify an election, the proof (of fraud) isnt there, Bernier said. (Brandtjen) has not proven it. Trump last month endorsed Brandtjen in the upcoming election, saying she was the most courageous member of the Assembly and provided the platform for the investigation into the Rigged and Stolen 2020 Presidential Election. Bernier took issue with Trumps endorsements in states like Wisconsin, where he repeatedly denies the results of the 2020 election. I find it hypocritical at best that Donald Trump is going around endorsing all sorts of people, including Janel Brandtjen, in a state where he has no confidence in the electoral process, Bernier said. You have all the police officers and all of us take the oath of office to uphold the law. Some things are left to the state, and others are left to the county. As far as a municipality trying to negate a state law, you are really not supposed to do that. Jim Nichols Bell County Attorney Against 1. Yes. The new high school has made it a must. Thousands of people are impacted.. 2. Yes. Even if it means revising some budgets, these entities must move on the project. 3. No. Its been known for years that the road was a problem.. Why the urgency now? 4. No. If prioritizing the road means more taxes, forget it. The project will just have to wait. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say until school has been in session for a few months. Vote View Results The report said Konecko first found photos of herself on Groene's work laptop on Jan. 3. She didn't report the incident until she found more photos some dating as far back as 2018 on Jan. 31. News of the photos broke in February, with the news site Nebraska Sunrise News reporting that the photos some of which were zoomed in on "provocative body parts" appeared to have been taken by Groene, then sent with "email captions of a sexual nature." Konecko previously confirmed those details to the World-Herald, but said she didn't see any evidence Groene sent the photos to anyone other than his personal email address. Paulson said she found no evidence that Groene shared the photos with any members of the Legislature, although she said Groene did admit to sending some photos to his wife. However, she noted she did not have access to Groene's laptop because of the Nebraska State Patrol investigation. She said if she had access to his laptop, that would have likely revealed if he had shared the photos with anyone else. Hughes said the legislative investigation ended with Paulson's report. But lawmakers created a select committee on ethics that is meeting over the summer and fall to examine the Legislature's workplace harassment policies and consider the need for a permanent ethics committee. The committee is expected to provide recommendations by November. The La Crosse County Board decided one referendum on whether or not the state should legalize marijuana was enough. The board voted 16-12 against holding an advisory referendum this fall that would have asked voters whether they support marijuana legalization in Wisconsin, with supervisors arguing it was redundant after a similar referendum was held just four years ago. Asking voters again was part of a statewide push, according to board chair Monica Kruse, to send a renewed message to the state Legislature that they should take up the issue of legalization. The county held a similar referendum in 2018, where 63% of voters were in favor of full legalization of marijuana. Similar results were seen around the state, but the Legislature has taken little to no action on the issue since then. The referendum question would have been on the Nov. 8 ballot and would have cost $5,000. I think its silly to spend $5,000 on a referendum that we already know the answer to, supervisor Dan Ferries said. Supervisor Rob Abraham, who said he supports marijuana legalization, said, What we should be doing is electing state officials who will do what their constituents want them to do. Several supervisors said they questioned the motives behind holding the referendum again. There have been criticisms that its a way to bring more Democrats out to vote during the midterms. But others thought it was a worthwhile effort to send a stronger message to the state. In my opinion, its worth $5,000 to make a statement to the state, supervisor Gary Padesky said. I would like to make the statement and vote again to let my representatives from the state maybe listen this time. Supervisor Randy Erickson said he was curious to see how opinions on marijuana legalization have changed in the past four years. My guess is support will be greater than the last time, he said. The supervisors that voted in favor of holding the referendum were Kim Cable, Rick Cornforth, Maureen Freedland, Peg Isola, Margaret Larson, Grant Mathu, David Pierce, Pam Viner, Dawn Wacek, Erickson, Kruse and Padesky. Those that voted against were supervisors Mike Baroni, Ralph Geary, Dan Hesse, Kevin Hoyer, David Hundt, Dennis Jacobsen, Karen Keil, Joe Konradt, Dillon Mader, Matt Nikolay, Roger Plesha, Jack Pogreba, Ken Schlimgen, Tina Tryggestad, Abraham and Ferries. Supervisors Steve Doyle and Patrick Scheller were excused from the meeting. Other communities around the state will or are considering holding their own referendums on marijuana legalization, some of them for the second time as well. Both Eau Claire County and the city of Racine have already agreed to hold a referendum, and Milwaukee County is also considering one. Funding for a child care center with the School District of La Crosse has been put on hold again as the La Crosse County Board continues to evaluate how it wants to invest in child care in the community. It has been the summer of daycare for the board, as they juggle just over $3 million to be invested in child care and three proposals that have been shuffled from month to month while officials decide the right step. La Crosse Schools has requested about $700,000 from the county to help it develop a child care center on its campus, which would serve children of staff members and low-income families. The school district plans to invest a little over $1 million of its own money for the three-year program. But concerns have persisted that funding a new daycare facility with the school district will hurt existing providers in the community who are facing a workforce shortage. A group of providers presented a $2.9 million proposal to the board earlier this month, but that plan has also been postponed over what county officials said has been disagreement between the businesses and lingering questions about how the proposal would actually be implemented. An additional proposal the board is considering would earmark $1 million to be used by other school districts to open centers similar to La Crosses proposal. But that proposal has also been postponed. On Thursday, several county board supervisors said they would prefer to take up all of the child care proposals at once, not wanting to risk investing in the wrong one. I think this is probably the most botched deal Ive ever seen in my life, said supervisor David Hundt, saying the board would be slapping small businesses in the face by approving the school districts funding. Its an absolute travesty to think that the schools can run something better than the private sector, he said. Others didnt want to wait to begin funding the school districts project which was first presented in April just to wait for the child care providers proposal to be ironed out. Just because there may be a different way to fund child care, I think its foolish, supervisor Peg Isola said. She added, We have to decide if its a good model or not. To continue to say, Well wait there might be a better one ... its not the policy of the board. The school district told the Tribune that it wont be able to open the child care center by this school year as originally planned, something some supervisors said meant the board didnt need to rush into the decision. It is too late to establish the day care for this school year, superintendent Aaron Engel said in an email. We would anticipate renovations being undertaken next summer and have the facility and staffing ready for the next school year if the project were approved. This is the third time the school districts proposal has been postponed and the fourth month its decision has been extended. The funds for these proposals are part of the countys American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The board voted 16-13 to postpone the decision until next month. This story was updated at 9 a.m. Friday morning to include comments from superintendent Aaron Engel. The La Crosse Jazz Orchestra will perform many of its greatest selections chosen by fans and band members at its third concert at 7 p.m. Sunday in Riverside Park. Highlights include a tenor sax battle with Mark Heinz and Jeff Erickson on Count Basies original Swing Shift. Band vocalist Tim Henkes selections include Paul Ankas version of Hello and Michael Bubles great version of Save the Last Dance for Me. Whiplashs memorable selection Caravan didnt make our Hollywood show but will feature Rich MacDonald in the lead role on drums. Band leader, Greg Balfany will hold forth on saxophonist Marshall Royals memorable ballad version of What Kind of Fool Am I. The entire four man trombone section will take some swings at Dinner for One a great jazz arrangement from Romanian composer Peter Herbolzheimer. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California punched back Friday against two recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law and urged other states to follow suit. He acted one month after conservative justices overturned the constitutional right to abortion and undermined gun control laws in states including California. Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50-caliber rifles. Were sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement," he said. Its time to put them on the defense. You cannot sell, you cannot manufacture, you cannot transfer these illegal weapons of war and mass destruction in the state of California. And if you do, there are 40 million people that can collect $10,000 from you, and attorney fees, for engaging in that illegal activity. Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsom's request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but California's law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Courts support for the Texas law was a terrible decision, Newsom said. However, if they're going to use this framework to put women's lives at risk, we're going to use it to save people's lives here in the state of California. Newsom also placed $30,000 worth of full-page advertisements in three Texas newspapers Friday criticizing what he said is Gov. Greg Abbotts hypocrisy on gun safety. The ads parrot a comment by Abbott about children's right to life but substitute gun violence where he said abortion. Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze responded. It's a similar tactic to the television ad that Newsom, a Democrat running for reelection, recently aired in Florida targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis. Newsom again denied presidential aspirations Friday even while stoking that speculation. I cant take whats happening in this country," Newsom said in explaining the ads. Cant take the assault on liberty and freedom, cant take the rhetoric, cant take the ... bullying, the zest for demonization of these governors, not just Abbott, DeSantis, but many of these other governors. An unusual combination of gun owner advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized Newsom for creating what they said amounts to a bounty system to encourage such lawsuits. The ACLU called California's law an attack on the constitution for deliberately trying to sidestep judicial review by empowering enforcement by citizens and not governments, and for undermining due process rights. Its all about these two big issues that are facing us. And you cant have a double standard. You cant have one standard for guns and another standard for womens reproductive health. Its not right, Democratic state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, who carried the bill, said in an interview. Gun control advocacy organizations Moms Demand Action and affiliated Students Demand Action backed the bill's potential to combat untraceable ghost guns. Newsom signed the bill at Santa Monica College, where five victims were killed in 2013 by a gunman using such a gun. The new law will make it easier for victims of ghost gun violence like myself to help enforce our laws, said Mia Tretta, who was shot in Santa Clarita during a 2019 attack at Saugus High School. She is now an incoming senior and a volunteer with Students Demand Action. Newsom grew emotional as Tretta introduced him. He later said he couldn't help but recall her optimism as he visited her in the hospital after an attack that he said personalized the danger for him as the father of a pre-teen daughter himself. Aside from the merits of the bill, opponents say it is written to discourage any legal challenges to California's myriad gun regulations by requiring plaintiffs or lawyers to pay attorneys' fees if they lose the lawsuit. That portion of the law is intended to make it impossible to file a Second Amendment challenge to an unconstitutional gun control law. That is itself unconstitutional, said Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Newsom acted a day after he signed eight other gun laws among numerous measures adding to California's already strict regulations. They encourage the safe storage of firearms and limit gun making including with a 3D printer. The governor recently signed another bill patterned after a New York law that empowers anyone who suffered harm to sue gun makers or dealers who fail to follow precautions under a firearm industry standard of conduct. He further criticized the high court and conservative Republicans in a video message after he signed two earlier gun bills into law, one also addressing ghost guns and the other barring marketing firearms to minors. California and New York also are scrambling to update their laws regulating the concealed carrying of firearms after the nation's high court ruled that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called lawmakers there back into a special session to approve changes that take effect Sept. 1, including requiring gun owners to allow an examination of their social media accounts. California legislators expect to act in August on concealed carry restrictions. Associated Press Writer Paul Weber contributed to this story from Austin, Texas. Two GOP candidates running for Wisconsins 2nd Congressional District will meet in the Aug. 9 primary, with the winner going on to face incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, in the Nov. 8 general election. The term is for two years. Douglas Alexander, who is running as an independent, will also be running on the Nov. 8 ballot. The 2nd Congressional District leans heavily Democratic and includes the counties of Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, Sauk and Green, as well as portions of Richland and Rock counties. Charity Barry Age: 26 Address: 1049 Miller Road, Mineral Point Family: Single Job: Ground crew supervisor, Higher Ground Prior elected office: None Other public service: Varied volunteering through faith-based organizations since 2008, Wildlife Foster with Wisconsin WildCare since 2017 Education: Music engraving, private apprenticeship (in progress) Email or Website: www.CharityBarryforCongress.com Erik Olsen Age: 46 Address: 111 W. Wilson St., Apt. 307, Madison Family: Engaged Job: Attorney, private practice Prior elected office: None Other public service: None Education: Law degree, masters degree, UW-Madison Email or Website: www.olsenforliberty.com Q&A Why are you the best candidate for the job? Barry: I am a lifelong resident of the 2nd Congressional District that is willing to fight to truly represent the people. We need a representative that loves our country, puts people over party narratives, and works for sustainable results over fleeting virtue signals. I am that candidate, and I will not back down under pressure. Olsen: The incumbent has been in the position for five terms, I think that it is important to get new voices and new energy into Congress. What unique experience/expertise do you bring to the office? Barry: Hard work in a blue-collar business and solid relationships with people, from immigrants to multigenerational farmers, successful business owners to low-income families, and everything in between, has taught me valuable, practical life lessons and given me the ability to take a multifaceted perspective to Washington. Coming from a background not centered in politics, but truly being able to understand the effects of policy on our day-to-day life, brings better focus to decision-making in D.C. I am not a career politician, well-to-do attorney, or high-class socialite, and that sets me apart. Olsen: I have been doing civil litigation in the Wisconsin and federal court systems for 17 years, primarily representing Wisconsin landowners to protect their constitutional rights. Working in the court system, and litigating against the government, and doing a substantial amount of appellate work, all provide a good understanding of how laws actually function once they are written and passed. What do you feel is the biggest challenge before Congress and how would you work to address that in the upcoming term? Barry: Congress needs to take action on the inflation that is crippling our citizens. We need to balance our national budget, taking an honest look at what we can cut or reduce; responsibly attain energy independence; bring manufacturing home to become independent in production; stop incentivizing the destruction of farmland with unreliable industrial energy developments; and simplify the tax code for the average American. Olsen: I think that the biggest challenge is how to regain Congress respect from the American people. Currently Congress approval is below 20%. Congress will need to work together to get the economy back on track so that families are able to make ends meet. Working together will also help with public approval. The public is tired of bickering; they want elected leaders to work together to solve the countrys problems. While he called the measure unnecessary, Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Thursday he has no reason to oppose legislation recognizing same-sex marriage at the federal level. Johnsons likely support for the measure is critical because 10 Republicans would need to support the bill for it to break a filibuster and pass the U.S. Senate. Democrats introduced the measure after conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas signaled his desire to review Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case legalizing same-sex marriage. Prior to the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, I supported civil unions, Johnson, of Oshkosh, said in a statement. After Obergefell, I considered the issue settled. Unlike Roe v. Wade, I do not see any scenario in which the Supreme Court would overturn Obergefell. The Respect for Marriage Act is another example of Democrats creating a state of fear over an issue in order to further divide Americans for their political benefit, Johnson continued. Even though I feel the Respect for Marriage Act is unnecessary, should it come before the Senate, I see no reason to oppose it. The legislation already passed the House of Representative with all of Wisconsins Democratic representatives as well as Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, of Janesville, voting in favor. The bill would require the federal government to recognize marriages that are valid in the state where it was performed. The measure would also repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman and allowed states to ban same-sex marriages. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down that law, which was signed in 1996 by Democratic President Bill Clinton, but it remains on the books. Democrats introduced the bill in fear that the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned Roe v. Wade in June, could overturn other precedential cases that rely on the right to privacy found in the U.S. Constitution. Democrats also introduced a bill to protect access to contraceptives, which is currently protected under another U.S. Supreme Court decision Thomas signaled his desire to review. That measure passed the U.S. House on Thursday with all of Wisconsins Democratic representatives voting in favor and the states Republicans voting against it. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, has largely driven the U.S. Senate effort to bring Republicans on board to pass the legislation. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have signed onto the measure as co-sponsors. A spokesperson for Baldwin, the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate, said on Wednesday that her office reached out to Johnsons office, along with other Republicans, to get support for the bill. Senator Baldwin is talking with her colleagues to try to get to 60 votes, Baldwin spokesperson Eli Rosen said. Yes, our office has reached out to Johnsons office on the bill. Early this year, a 10-year-old girl who was impregnated by her stepfather came to the Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center in Madison, said Jennifer Ginsburg, the centers executive director. The girl wanted an abortion, Ginsburg said. Staff at the center, which serves victims of child abuse, referred her to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, where she received one, Ginsburg said. Now, providers in Wisconsin have halted abortions after the U.S. Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade last month left state courts to determine if the states 1849 abortion ban still stands. The ban includes an exception to save the life of the mother, but not for rape or incest. Ginsburg wonders what will happen to other sexual assault victims, especially children, who want to end their pregnancies. The concern gained national attention after a 10-year-old girl from Ohio, which also has an abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest, underwent an abortion in Indiana in late June, shortly after the Supreme Court reversed Roe. A 27-year-old man has been charged with raping the girl. Theyve already had control of their body taken away by being sexually assaulted. Then, to be potentially forced to carry a pregnancy is just more violence put on them, Ginsburg said. Like older females who seek abortions, teens and preteens in Wisconsin can try to travel to Illinois, Minnesota or other states with laws that broadly allow abortions or attempt to get pills for medication abortions. But children have less autonomy and ability to take those steps, Ginsburg said. Adding those barriers is adding to the trauma a child is already experiencing, she said. Abortions among young teens or preteens are somewhat rare but more common than some people might realize, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights and tracks abortion statistics. Its not clear how many pregnancies in the age group involve rape or incest, but such girls are generally below the age of sexual consent. Ginsburg declined to say where the 10-year-old girl seen at her center is from or in which jurisdiction her assault took place, citing privacy concerns. The state Department of Justice said that without more details it could not provide information about the case. In the 11 years Ginsburg has worked at the center, its staff have seen a handful of similar cases, she said. Many sexual assault victims go to UnityPoint Health-Meriters Forensic Nurse Examiners Program, which can provide emergency contraception pills to prevent pregnancy if given soon after an assault. That is a much more common occurrence, where theyre getting the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy, Ginsburg said. American President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Administration officials say Biden is experiencing very mild symptoms and will continue his duties. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden has begun taking Paxlovid. The antiviral drug is designed to reduce the severity of the disease. She added that Biden has been in contact with administration staff by phone and will take part in his planned meetings at the White House on the phone and Zoom from the residence. Biden is 79 years old. He is fully vaccinated. He received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine shortly before taking office in January 2021. The president received two more shots, called boosters, last September and in March of this year. Jean-Pierre said Biden had last tested negative on Tuesday, and he will stay isolated until he tests negative again. Hes doing fine, she said. Hes feeling good. Biden had planned to visit Pennsylvania on Thursday and spend a long weekend in Delaware. Those events are canceled. First lady Jill Biden spoke to reporters as she arrived at a school in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday. She said she had just gotten off the phone with her husband. The first lady, who was wearing a face covering, said she tested negative earlier in the day. For two and a half years, Biden has been able to avoid the virus that has spread around the world. Several world leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron, have all gotten the virus. The virus and its variants have also infected U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as Cabinet members, White House staff and lawmakers. The Biden administration has worked to protect the president from COVID-19. All visitors and staff are required to be vaccinated or submit to daily tests. People expected to be near Biden are tested daily. The president, however, has increasingly stepped up his travel and has returned to holding large indoor events where not everyone is tested. In his State of the Union speech at the Capitol on March 1, Biden said it was safe for most Americans to resume their normal pre-pandemic activities. Tonight, I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines, the president said. Its time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again. Speaking to more than 2,600 people at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on April 30, Biden talked about the risks of holding large events. I know there are questions about whether we should gather here tonight because of COVID, he said. Well, were here to show the country that were getting through this pandemic. In recent weeks, U.S. officials have again urged Americans to be careful with the fast-spreading Omicron sub-variants, or versions of the disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the country still has on average 126,000 new cases of COVID-19 daily. The virus is causing an average of 353 deaths a day in the United States. The health agency said COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness and death from the disease. It says booster shots, which Biden had received, can help older and other at-risk people. Dr. Anthony Fauci is the nations top infectious disease expert. He said on July 12 that COVID-19 is a reality that we need to deal with. But he added, We should not let it disrupt our lives. Im Ashley Thompson. Zeke Miller and Chris Megerian reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story positive n. showing the presence of a virus or condition symptom n. a change in the body or mind that shows the presence of a disease staff n. workers for a particular organization or company isolated adj. alone, separated from others negative adj. not showing the presence of a virus or condition routine n. a regular way of doing things in a usual order disrupt v. to cause a person or group to be unable to carry on in a normal way ________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Hello. In this weeks Everyday Grammar report, we will talk about how to communicate politely in emails, especially when making requests. Samuel from China recently wrote to us asking about how to communicate more effectively in email. Thank you, Samuel for suggesting the idea. Knowing how to express politeness is important, especially if you are emailing in English for a job or school. Lets consider a few ways to make our communication by email more polite when making requests. Politeness When writing a request by email, there are several ways to express your politeness. Turning a command into a question Instead of making your request as a command, turn the request into a question. Commands or imperatives use the you form of a verb to create the command. Instead of: Please meet me at 5 PM. You could say: Do you want to meet me at 5 PM? Here we use a yes or no question to make the request. You can make a yes or no question this way: Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb The question permits the receiver a choice which is more polite. The receiver could say yes or no and provide a reason or suggest a different time to meet. Use of please Did you notice anything about the use of please in the above examples? The word please was used in the command. And it was not used in the more polite question. We do not always have to use please to make a polite request. Sometimes the use of please can come across as too strong or demanding. In email, we do not always pick up on the tone of what is written. Could you please meet me at 5 PM? This question may come across as too strong. Would you like to meet me at 5 PM? Using would like is a polite way to offer and make requests. The use of please is not necessary here. Requests with modals Modals are verbs that are used to express possibility, ability, or necessity. These include verbs like would, could, will, and can, among others. You can use modals with your question to make a request. Could and Would are the more polite forms. Can and will are still polite, but they are used for requests that are more casual or informal. Here are some common expressions with modals to make your request: Could Could you help me with this? Do you think you could meet me later next week? Would Would you have time to help me? Would you be able to take me to the store later? Will Will you still pick me up from the airport? Can Can you get me a coffee if youre going to the cafe? When we use these modals to make requests, the level of politeness is understood because the polite meaning is attached to the modal itself. Closing thoughts Today, we talked about three ways to make our requests more polite. We can turn a command statement into a question. We can choose to use or not use please when making the request. And we can use modals to help express the request. Next time we will continue our report about politeness in emails, covering three more ways to make polite requests. Now it is your turn! Practice politely requesting something using the three ways discussed above. For example, you could request a favorite language or grammar subject for us to explore. Let us know in the comments below or write to us at learningenglish@voanews.com. We might use your message in a future episode of Everyday Grammar! Im Faith Pirlo. And Im Jill Robbins. Faith Pirlo wrote this report for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story politely adv. to do something showing good behavior and respect for other people formal adj. following established form, custom, or rule tone n. a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing casual adj. not formal; done without much thought or effort informal adj. not requiring serious or formal behavior or dress : suitable for ordinary or everyday use with close friends and family _________________________________________________________________ Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Annie England Noblin is 40 years old and lives in rural Missouri. She has never had a problem getting her medication methotrexate -- until last week. Noblin takes methotrexate to treat a condition called rheumatoid arthritis. When taken in high amounts, the medicine can cause an abortion, or the end of a pregnancy. Last week, Noblins pharmacist said she needed confirmation from her doctor that the drug was not going to be used to cause an abortion. The state of Missouri now bans almost all abortions. Methotrexate can be used to end a pregnancy. But it is also one of the leading medicines doctors prescribe to treat rheumatoid arthritis, which affects more than one million Americans. In the end, the pharmacy filled the prescription. But Noblin said she wants to change to a different, more costly medication in case the pharmacy refuses to fill her prescription in the future. "It made me feel I couldn't be trusted with the medication prescribed to me simply because I have a uterus," Noblin said. Missouris restrictive anti-abortion laws went into effect following last months decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 ruling known as Roe v. Wade. The case protected abortion rights throughout the United States for the last 50 years. More than 30 states have enacted legislation that restricts the ability to get medication that can be used to end a pregnancy. Six other state laws clearly list methotrexate as an abortion-causing medication, says Steven Schultz. He is director of state legislative affairs for the patient support group Arthritis Foundation. Today, women in Missouri and other states including Texas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee have problems getting methotrexate. Some have faced difficulties getting the medicine from pharmacies. Others say their doctors simply stopped prescribing the drug. That information comes from social media posts examined by Reuters reporters and the support groups Global Healthy Living Foundation and the Arthritis Foundation. Rachel Rebouche is a law professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She said such laws have a chilling effect on doctors and pharmacists. The laws often lead care providers to not give out medications that can cause an abortion because they fear legal punishment. Last week, the U.S. government health agency told pharmacies they are required to fill prescriptions under federal civil rights laws. It said denying women methotrexate could be considered discrimination. The governments guidance shows the possible effects across the country in limiting such prescriptions. But the federal guidance may not be enough to deal with concerns about state bans. Rebouche said, Well have to wait and see what the federal government is willing to do to ensure people have the information they need. The National Community Pharmacists Association represents 19,000 independent pharmacists. It said in a statement that pharmacists are caught in the crossfire between conflicting federal and state laws. CVS and Walgreen Boots Alliance are two of the biggest U.S. pharmacy companies. Representatives for both said they tell their pharmacists to confirm methotrexate will not be used to end a pregnancy before giving it to people in states with strict abortion laws. Commonly prescribed drug Methotrexate is a low-cost drug. It is commonly prescribed to treat diseases like lupus. It has been approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis for more than 30 years. It is also used to treat cancer. In much higher amounts, it can end a pregnancy, complete miscarriage, or end a life-threatening form of pregnancy called an ectopic pregnancy. Pharmaceutical market research company IQVIA found that about 500,000 methotrexate prescriptions a month were written in the past year. Im Caty Weaver. Rose Horowitch reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story pharmacy n. a store or part of a store in which drugs and medicines are prepared and sold uterus n. the organ in women and some female animals in which babies develop before birth chilling adj. very disturbing or frightening ensure v. to make sure that something happens crossfire n. shots that come from two or more places so that the bullets cross through the same area sometimes used figuratively miscarriage n. a condition in which a pregnancy ends too early and does not result in the birth of a live baby What do you think of the change in ability to get medication related to abortion? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Olivia Gahan places a sticker with a QR code on a bus stop post in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue on July 19, 2022. Gahan, 29, one of the transit riders behind Commuters Take Action, helped to put up mock customer-alert signs in CTA stations drawing attention to delays with stickers asking, "Tired of being ghosted by the CTA?" (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) It was the day he was left by two CTA buses because they couldnt finish their routes that set Micah Fiedler over the edge. He was trying to get from his home in Ravenswood to a variety show near Wicker Park on a hot weekday evening in late spring, Fiedler recalled. Within a span of 30 minutes, two buses arrived. The operators of both said they could take passengers no farther because it was the end of their shift, and no relief driver had arrived, he said. Advertisement Fiedler had given himself an hour to get to the show by bus. He never made it. The experience spurred Fiedler, 28, to team up with a group of other frustrated transit riders, who have undertaken a guerrilla campaign of sorts to put pressure on CTA over long wait times and so-called ghost buses and trains, which show up on digital trackers but fail to arrive in real life. Calling themselves Commuters Take Action, they have put up mock customer-alert signs in CTA stations drawing attention to delays, and stickers asking, Tired of being ghosted by the CTA? as they collect reports of riders who have experienced missing buses and long waits. Advertisement A transit rider steps onto the street to see if a CTA bus is coming in the 3100 block of Chicago's North Clark Street on July 19, 2022. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) CTA has struggled with complaints of irregular service and inaccurate trackers as ridership plummeted during the pandemic. CTA President Dorval Carter is promising to address unreliable service, saying upgrades to the trackers are imminent and hiring is underway to improve a staff shortage that is behind the schedule challenges. CTA weekday ridership is hovering at more than half of pre-pandemic levels. As CTA looks to continue drawing back riders, train and bus reliability have taken on heightened urgency. An increasing number of CTA riders take public transit by choice, but could also drive or call a ride-share to get around the city, said P.S. Sriraj, director of the University of Illinois Chicagos Urban Transportation Center. Many riders-by-choice have changed their commuting patterns and expectations over the course of the pandemic, which are now colliding head on with the workforce and technology challenges that have led to unpredictable CTA service. It will be very easy to alienate that (rider) base if problems become very systemic and long-standing, he said. Others continue to rely on public transportation to get to work, school and events. But if a significant number of riders with other options are driven away from CTA, its unclear whether enough people will remain on buses and trains to maintain current fare prices and service levels, without changes in how CTA gets funding, Sriraj said. Already, Fiedler struggles to take CTA on weekends. There is no chance in any universe that I would take a Chicago Transit Authority bus on the weekends, he said. At this point, the service is so bad its impossible to plan anything unless you have a bike or a car. A pigeon rests atop a bus arrival times display at the CTA Belmont station in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue on July 19, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Fiedler hopes the work of Commuters Take Action puts pressure on CTA to be transparent about how theyre addressing late and ghost trains and buses and to move quickly to solve the problem. He said he is fortunate that he no longer has to commute into his office every day because he works from home, but others rely on CTA to get to work and family. Advertisement We dont want to sit by as people have to wait 20 minutes, an hour or more for people to access something that the city has given to us as a right, he said. Olivia Gahan recalled turning to an Uber to get to a work meeting in mid-February, when her Blue Line train failed to arrive. She and a co-worker were trying to get from the Belmont Blue Line to Merchandise Mart for the midmorning meeting, a trip she estimated should have taken about 30 minutes door-to-door. After waiting 30 minutes for a train to arrive, they called the ride-share. Gahan, 29, is one of the transit riders behind Commuters Take Action, and she said the group has collected similar stories. In less than one month, they say they collected more than 250 complaints about wait times or buses and trains disappearing off trackers, according to a log provided by the group. Some people reported turning to ride-share or bike-share instead. The group is working to collect more commuter information, in an attempt to put personal stories to train statistics and report the information to the CTA board, Gahan said. They hope to meet with community groups. And, in the meantime, she, Fiedler and others have taken to bikes and trains in their spare time to put up hundreds of stickers with a QR code and a ghost who has taken on the name Reprot, after a typo printed on the stickers where commuters can visit the groups website and report their experiences. Theres a lot we can do to improve the CTA, she said. This is a small part of it, but to me it seems the most urgent because we cant get to everything else until trains are on time. Carter said the primary reason for unreliable service is staff shortages. Job vacancies, combined with unexpected absences when people call in sick or take a day off, mean there arent always enough operators to staff every train or bus run. Advertisement Im in a situation where I have people retiring and resigning faster than I can fill them, Carter said. And that has created a shortage of workers to operate my buses and trains, which leads directly to the reliability issues that were experiencing with our service right now. In May, CTA had about 1,000 fewer union positions than in 2019, spokesman Brian Steele said, though recent hires will bring the number of vacancies down. The majority of open positions are for bus operators. Carter said the vacancies are a combination of retirements and hiring challenges similar to those companies across the country are experiencing as employees decide they want to do something different. Operating a bus or train is a high-stress job, and it became even more high-stress during the pandemic, he said. A transit rider steps off a bus in the 3200 block of North Clark Street on July 19, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) In the meantime, unreliable service has also led to problems with bus and train trackers, he said. The trackers rely on both scheduled service and real-time service, so when service doesnt run as scheduled they become less accurate. Carter said plans are in the works to address both problems. Upgrades to train and bus trackers are expected in the coming weeks that are intended to improve their accuracy and clarity. CTA is hiring, and bringing on bigger cohorts to go through training at one time, he said. Recent changes to a labor contract have allowed the agency to directly hire full-time bus operators, rather than having new hires start as part-time operators. The agency is also asking retired bus and train operators to return to work part time. Advertisement Still, staffing remains below pre-pandemic levels, and CTA service continues to have long gaps and delays. Carter is working to adjust schedules to reflect rider trends and bring consistency to the length of time that passes between bus and train runs, so riders have a better sense of what to expect. I think that our customers, theyre willing to accept that the service may not be running as frequent as theyre used to over the course of the day, he said. As long as they have some sense of when that bus or train is going to arrive. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the next step in its release of the worlds first approved malaria vaccine. The release is expected to take place in three African countries: Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. But the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a vaccine supporter, has said it has concerns. WHO said last fall the vaccine was a historic development in efforts to control malaria. But the Gates Foundation told The Associated Press this week that it will no longer financially support the vaccine. Some scientists warn the decision could leave millions of African children at risk. It could also weaken future efforts to solve difficult problems in public health. The vaccine is called Mosquirix and is sold by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). It is about 30 percent effective and requires four doses. The malaria vaccine has a much lower efficacy than we would like, said Philip Welkhoff. He is the Gates Foundation's director of malaria programs. The foundation is ending its support after spending more than $200 million and working more than 20 years to get the vaccine. Welkhoff also said the vaccine is too costly and difficult to provide. Welkhoff said the foundation's money would be better spent on other malaria vaccines and treatments. Some of the resources that might have gone into providing the vaccine to countries have been redirected to buy new mosquito nets. Alister Craig is with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Its not the greatest vaccine in the world, but there are ways of using it that could have a big impact, he said. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic hurt efforts to stop malaria. Malaria killed more than 620,000 people in 2020 and caused 241 million cases, mainly in children under five in Africa, Craig said. There could be another vaccine approved in about five years, but thats a lot of lives lost if we wait until then, Craig said. There is another vaccine currently being developed by Oxford University. BioNTech, creator of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, also plans to use the messenger RNA technology it used for the coronavirus for a malaria shot. But that project has just begun. Another big problem is production. GSK said it can only produce about 15 million injections per year until 2028. WHO estimates that to protect the 25 million children born in Africa every year, at least 100 million doses every year might be needed. All the money in the world would not help the vaccine's short-term supply problems, said Welkhoff. He noted that the Gates Foundation continues to support the Gavi vaccine alliance. Gavi said it is spending nearly $156 million to make the vaccine available in the three African countries. The vaccine, even with its problems, is still greatly desired in Malawi. Nolia Zidana said she hopes to get her two young sons the shot after seeing malaria sicken them several times and surviving it herself. Growing up with my parents and siblings, we have been sick from malaria all the time, she said. Dr. Michael Kayange is with Malawi's Ministry of Health. He urged everyone in the country to take whatever measures they can to stop malaria. Immunization itself is unable to stop the disease and people should take many measures, he said. Even just by sleeping under a mosquito net, you have played your role in reducing the malaria burden in the country, he said. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story efficacy n. the power to produce a desired result or effect impact n. a notable result or effect ____________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is a blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. LEXINGTON Pastor Velma Tim is the new lead pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Lexington and she brings her passion for Jesus and people to her new position. Tim is a native of Cameroon, a country in central Africa, and was raised in the southwest area of the country where English is predominantly spoken. She spent her formative years in Cameroon and attended elementary through Bible college in the country. Tim said she experienced a crisis of faith after high school but had an encounter with Jesus that would send her down the path of ministry. In 2014, she traveled to the United States and attended the Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. Prayer is the core of who we as Christians are, Velma said while attending seminary. Prayer is where our relationship with God is developed. The Scriptures come alive when our prayer life and intimacy with God is good. Prayer allows us to be victorious over situations we cant change unless we have a good prayer life. Tim received a dual degree in Christian Education and Christian Leadership and graduated in 2017. She first served for a year at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan. before being assigned as the lead pastor at New Lancaster United Methodist Church in Paola, Kan. in 2019, one year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Tim remarked. When asked what she took away from her first experience as a lead pastor, Tim said while the sermons are important; people and the personal connections made with them are paramount in ministry. She said people wont remember every sermon preached but being present with them in their lives, through the ups and downs, is something they never forget. It was in late April 2021 that Tim was informed she had been appointed to the First United Methodist Church in Lexington. She said she took time to pray and three words came to her, connect, grow and serve, and she wondered if those were important in some way. She later looked into the Lexington FUMCs website and found those were the three main focuses of the church; she felt then that this is what God was calling her to do. Prior to visiting Lexington, Tim said she read up on the community and viewed different videos from the schools and other organizations to get a feel for the area. When asked what Tim said she took away from her initial research she said Lexingtons diversity stood out quickly. She also said it seemed like the people had a sense of pride and ownership in their community, shown even by the younger generation. Tim came to FUMC to meet with the lay leadership and she said her initial meetings went well and felt a sense of calmness and that things would work out. One thing that stood out to her upon her arrival in Lexington was the hospitality shown by the church and community. She said Amber Burson had the Lexington High School Powerlifting team helped move her into the parsonage and several people brought her meals. Tim said that type of hospitality can change ones perspective and when that type of love is shared, people will be willing to sacrifice for another. When asked what she thought she brought to FUMC in her lead position, Tim said she has a theology that focuses on reaching people where they are at and then helping them grow in their spiritual faith and their understanding of scripture. Prayer is also something that plays a large role in Tims life. Being a prayer warrior is a lifestyle of being hungry for God, Tim said in seminary. Its not being satisfied or content with where we are. She said one of the most important things she can do is to listen to people, to find out what they celebrate and their expectations. Tim noted the United Methodist Church embraces a lay-person driven system and so it is important to learn about the congregations visions. Tim also feels equipped as a leader to help strategize and meet the various goals of the church; she also feels that sometimes people do not see the fullness of their gifts and she encourages people who have the potential to try something new. Asked what her hope was for FUMC, Tim said she wants to see the church grow in several different ways. One of those is for people and the church, as a whole, to grow in their relationship with God and to develop a lasting love for Jesus. She also wants the church to grow in its community outreach and be missional when they meet with new people. Tim noted she wants to see the church be more multicultural and take new steps to embrace the diversity of the community. For those who have never met Tim before, she said she wants people to know that she is passionate about everything she sets her mind to and doesnt do anything halfway. She also has a strong love for people and said ministry isnt about figures, its about the people that make up the church. Tim was asked about what types of challenges she thinks she will face, she responded that some people think the pastor is the one who can fix any and all issues, but in truth, it is the church as a whole that addresses issues. No one person can do it, Tim said. She also noted that sometimes people can be attached to the status quo and resist changing. We have always done things this way, is the common saying attached to that mentality. When questioned about what she was most excited about in her role, Tim said she had met with over 50 people from the church either individually or in small groups and sensed a hunger for something new. She said from this type of mentality, miracles can occur. I am pumped for it, Tim said. Googles first Pixel-branded smartwatch is set to ship this fall. But its not the companys only new smartwatch on the way. Google-owned Fitbit appears to be working on new members of the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa families, and a series of leaks give us a pretty good idea of what to expect. In other recent tech news, Amazon Fire Tablet hacking utility Fire Toolbox has been partially broken for the past few weeks due to an issue that prevented it from downloading the files necessary to install the Google Play Store. A new version with a temporary workaround has been released. DVR maker Tablo has announced it will no longer offer lifetime subscriptions to TV guide data after August 30th, so if you dont want to pay monthly youd best get your orders in before then. And Google is offering really good trade-in deals for folks who want to turn over an older Pixel phone when pre-ordering a new Pixel 6a. Heres a roundup of recent tech news from around the web. Regulatory filing spill the beans on the designs of the upcoming Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatches, along with details about some of their features. https://t.co/wQGmgnFamM Liliputing (@liliputingnews) July 22, 2022 Fire Toolbox is a free Windows app for hacking Amazon Fire tablets by installing Google Play, changing default apps, and more. For the past week or two it was unable to download files for Google Play, but version 28.7 is out now with a workaround. https://t.co/Fh0jts1CM1 Liliputing (@liliputingnews) July 22, 2022 Lifetime subscriptions to TV guide data were once commonly offered by DVR makers, but theyre becoming a thing of the past. The latest casualty? Tablo says itll stop offering the one-time payment option later this summer. Existing customers unaffected. https://t.co/leTprTyVn7 pic.twitter.com/3hXq8v3fxm Liliputing (@liliputingnews) July 22, 2022 Google is offering up to $300 credit toward a Pixel 6a when you trade in a Pixel 3a or newer Pixel phone. Youll have to pay full price (or sign up for financing) up front, but youll get a refund after your old phone is received/inspected. https://t.co/QGSk27REYB Liliputing (@liliputingnews) July 22, 2022 Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Twitter and Facebook and follow @LinuxSmartphone on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news on open source mobile phones. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) Senate Democrats recently blocked US$13.5 billion in relief for Americans whose lives were disrupted by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, flooding and other natural disasters. The objections had to do with Puerto Rico. In addition to aid for Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, this bill included $600 million to cover six months worth of nutritional assistance requested by Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rossello. But Democrats refused to back the bill because it lacked funds that would protect the island from floods and rebuild its electrical grid. The result is an impasse between a Congress that wants to assist a U.S. territory in distress and a hostile White House. As the daughter of Puerto Ricans who moved to the mainland and a policy analyst of racial inequities, Im concerned that the Trump administrations neglect of Puerto Rico is based in racial bias. Complaints President Donald Trump has vocally opposed disaster relief for Puerto Ricans almost since Hurricane Maria made landfall in September 2017. Within two weeks of that storm, which killed an estimated 3,000 people, Trump accused Puerto Ricans in a series of tweets of wanting everything to be done for them. Not much has changed. Since January 2019, Trump has reportedly dismissed the need for emergency food aid on the island as excessive and unnecessary. Rossello responded by urging Trump to stop treating Puerto Ricans as second-class U.S. citizens. He seems to have reached a breaking point after avoiding being critical of the president. When CNN asked if he felt working with Trump was like dealing with a bully, Rossello replied, If the bully gets close, Ill punch the bully in the mouth. Part of the US Yet Trump has repeatedly ignored these basic facts by asserting that money to aid Puerto Rico takes money away from priorities on the U.S. mainland. We could buy Puerto Rico four times over with this aid money, he reportedly said in late March. Some things operate differently in Puerto Rico, though, including the safety net. Puerto Ricans, for example, lack access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nutritional benefit system formerly known as food stamps and today better known as SNAP. Instead, Puerto Rico operates its own Nutrition Assistance Program, or NAP. Hurricane Maria did so much damage to Puerto Ricos economy that nearly 300,000 more Puerto Ricans became poor enough to be eligible for its nutrition assistance a roughly 30% increase in beneficiaries. Without the additional $1.27 billion in funding that Congress approved in September 2017, the greater need would have meant that everyone getting this help would have had to make do with less, as the cost of this program is generally capped at around $2 billion per year. Puerto Ricos nutrition assistance program differs from SNAP in another critical way: The threshold is much lower. Americans in families of three on the mainland can be eligible for food stamps if their income totals $1,732 per month. Puerto Rican families of the same size may not earn more than $4,901 per year $408 per month and get their own version of SNAP benefits. Because of this distinction, fewer Puerto Rican families get nutritional assistance benefits than would be the case if they earned the same incomes on the mainland. The poverty rate in Puerto Rico is nearly 44%, triple the national average poverty rate. Thats especially problematic given that Puerto Rico ranks among the most expensive places in the U.S. to buy groceries. Slashed benefits Even before Hurricane Maria struck, the territorys nutritional benefits program was already failing to meet the nutritional needs of low-income Puerto Ricans amid a prolonged recession. And once the disaster relief funds Congress appropriated for this purpose ran out in March 2019, Puerto Rico was forced to slash benefits for the 1.35 million people getting nutrition aid. While nutritional assistance funds should certainly be a high legislative priority, so should protecting Puerto Rico from future floods and fixing the islands power grid. Puerto Rico experienced an 11-month power outage, the longest blackout in American history and the second-longest in world history after Hurricane Maria. The House, unlike the Senate, passed a $14.2 billion disaster relief bill in January. A new House version, about 25% bigger, would cover $17.2 billion in expenditures. As lawmakers entered their two-week spring recess in mid-April without sending legislation to Trump to at least consider signing, Puerto Rico, Iowa and other disaster-struck regions remained in limbo. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/a-political-stalemate-over-puerto-rican-aid-is-leaving-all-us-disaster-funding-in-limbo-114498. An 18-year-old was found fatally shot in a stolen vehicle parked in the middle of the road on the North Side just as gunshots were reported in a nearby cul-de-sac Friday morning, Madison police said. Police found the victim in a white KIA Optima in the 1700 block of Vahlen Street, a residential area near North Sherman Avenue, just as other officers were responding to gunfire in the 600 block of Vera Court. Authorities believe the incidents are related, and shell casings were found at both scenes, said North District Capt. Kelly Donahue. It was still unclear at which location the victim was shot. Im sad that an 18-year-old lost their life to gun violence, Donahue said at a news conference. Im frustrated by the ongoing gun violence in our community, she said. Police were speaking with a person of interest, said Sgt. Jason Sweeney, but no one had been arrested. There were reports of people fleeing from the parked car on Vahlen Street, Donahue said, but that had yet to be confirmed. Donahue did not know how many shots were fired, how many gunmen were involved, how many times the victim was shot or whether the KIA had been seen in the area of Vera Court. At least six yellow evidence tags could be seen on the pavement of the Vera Court cul-de-sac. There was a large police presence at that scene, about 2 miles to the northwest off Northport Drive. That scene, just south of Mendota Elementary School, included officers and a forensic services vehicle from the Madison Police Department. Additional support from the Dane County Sheriffs Office, UW-Madison Police and other area police departments was also at the scene early Friday afternoon. The shots fired on the 600 block of Vera Court were near the Vera Court Neighborhood Center, 614 Vera Court, which runs a summer camp for elementary and middle school students. About 35 elementary school students and staff were outside at a playground between the center and Mendota Elementary School, 4002 School Road, when they heard what they thought were fireworks or gunshots midmorning on Friday, executive director Tom Solyst said. The children were in a part of the park away from the incident and did not see it, he said. The center does emergency drills, and staff escorted children back to the center, which went into lockdown about 11:30 a.m., Solyst said. Staff spoke to children, and parents were notified, he said. We talked to all the kids, he said. Some were a little more excited than others. Some parents picked their children up from the center, which resumed normal activities indoors, Solyst said. A group of middle schoolers arrived for summer camp around noon but chose to do an off-site field trip to stay away from the commotion, said Hope Jones, director of operations. The center chose to keep doors locked and have a senior staff member open doors only for known parents and community members, Jones said. All elementary school children stayed indoors until the end of camp at 4 p.m. to ensure safety, she said. Staff intended to walk students home who werent being picked up, and the center will resume its normal summer camp on Monday, Solyst and Jones said. Everyone is doing fine, Solyst said. The center is a safe place to be. The kids have a great relationship with the staff. Im very proud of the students. Staff did a great job of protecting the students. Between sandwiches, scones and sweet pastries, afternoon tea is easy to love. We can thank Duchess of Bedford Anna Maria Russell for kicking off the ritual around 1840, when hunger pangs hit in the middle of the day. Back then, dinner was served much later in the evening, so her grace called upon the only logical solution she countered the midday slump with an afternoon snack of bread, butter and tea. Advertisement That modest delivery has since evolved into an ornate, multicourse spread that proves to be an indulgence worthy of special occasions and everyday sugar cravings alike and thankfully, our city is brimming with options. From lavish pastry towers to lessons in tea steeping, here are some of Chicagos best afternoon tea spots. Advertisement Vanille Patisserie Vanille's afternoon tea is served Tuesdays through Sundays with three time slots. (Vanille Patisserie) This Lincoln Park cafe serves afternoon tea Tuesdays through Sundays in its private tea room, where guests can sample three rounds of treats inspired by an afternoon tea owner Sophie Evanoff experienced in Dubai. Sample the summer menu, which features seasonal macarons, lemon cheesecake, smores bars and summer pavlova. Book well in advance: The time slots (three per day) are limited to one party each. 2108 N. Clark St., 773-868-4574, vanillepatisserie.com The Pavilion at The Langham The Langham's afternoon tea is served Fridays through Sundays, but weekends feature live pianist and harpist performances. (Marcin Cymmer/The Langham) The team at this five-star hotel takes inspiration from its sister property across the pond, the Langham London, which in 1865, became known as the first grand hotel in the city to serve afternoon tea. Settle into the second-floor Pavilion lounge with a grand piano, fireplace and striking artwork (including an aerial installation of Czechoslovakian blown glass pebbles) as you await an order that is equally impressive one comprising potato leek panna cotta, barbecue chicken salad sliders and shrimp rolls; then, cherry blossom macarons, blackberry lemon-basil eclairs, and grapefruit Earl Grey mousse tarts. Tea is served Fridays through Sundays, but go on a weekend for live pianist and harpist performances. 330 N. Wabash Ave., second floor; 312-923-9988; langhamhotels.com Russian Tea Time These sweets are part of the Queen experience at Russian Tea Time. (Andrey Ivanchenko/Russian Tea Time) Born in Ukraine, owner Klara Muchnik moved to Chicago in 1990 with the dream of opening a restaurant celebrating her passion for food and hospitality. Within a few years, that vision was realized with this downtown location, where the team specializes in Eastern European and Central Asian cuisine along with a venerated afternoon tea service. Choose from one of three experiences Regular, Brunch and Queen with the Queen proving the most filling, with additions like crepes and extra sandwiches and sweets. For the tea itself, guests can choose from more than 25 kinds, and are encouraged to lean on the staffs expertise for guidance in their selection. 77 E. Adams St., 312-360-0000, russianteatime.com Bar Pendry at Pendry Chicago Housed in the tony Pendry Chicago hotel, Bar Pendry boasts everything one might want in a lobby level hangout: comfy leather sofas, cool yet cozy vibes, and a show-stopping selection of food and drinks. Advertisement Tea takes on a boozy twist here, as evidenced by cocktail accompaniments like the Emerald Petal (with green tea, vodka and ginger beer) or the large-format Convivial Punch (blackberry-infused bourbon, Granny Smith apple tea syrup and raspberry vanilla rooibos ice). Pair them with bites like truffle egg quiche or prime beef tartar (elevated by ingredients like Osetra caviar or aged balsamic glaze, respectively). Save room for the finales: Tahitian vanilla bean scones, blueberry-lemon macarons and carrot cake entremets. 230 N. Michigan Ave., 312-777-9000, pendry.com/chicago Palm Court at The Drake The queen of England, Princess Diana and the empress of Japan are just a few of the renowned names who have enjoyed afternoon tea at the Palm Court, situated within the century-old Drake Hotel. Credit that reputation to the rooms timeless grandeur, made possible by towering floral arrangements, fountain sounds and melodies by a harpist, who plays throughout the afternoon. Those who frequent the venue can look forward to a different experience upon nearly every visit. The team changes the menu for a handful of holidays and special events, from Christmas and St. Patricks Day to Halloween and Valentines Day. Through July, theyre serving a Queens Platinum Jubilee Tea, featuring options like coronation chicken, peppered beef loin and smoked Scottish salmon alongside sweets and three types of scones (including black currant and butterscotch). Dont miss a glass of the rose it was specially secured by the British Consulate of Chicago just for the occasion. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > 140 E. Walton Place, 312-787-2200, thedrakehotel.com Advertisement Bridges Lobby Bar at LondonHouse The afternoon tea is served year-round at Bridges Lobby Bar at LondonHouse. (Amy Ulivieri/LondonHouse) Guests can take in floor-to-ceiling water views with this hotels aptly titled River Vista Afternoon Tea, served year-round. The summer menu features a selection of raspberry-lychee macarons, peach melba profiteroles and tropical cakes (caramelized banana cake met with passion fruit cream and milk chocolate mousse). Bring the kids: A childrens menu features favorites like pigs in a blanket and red berry doughnuts. 85 E. Wacker Drive, 312-357-1200, londonhousechicago.com Hugo Tea Space Amp up your tea IQ at this Bucktown day bar, where the teams version of afternoon tea comes in the form of patience and plenty of welcomed questions. Thats because they specialize in small-format tea steeping, incorporating more weight, less water and less time across multiple steepings (sometimes upward of a dozen). The Chinese term for the process is gong fu cha, or tea with effort, and guests can book gongfu sessions to learn about a teas origins and many nuances while also enjoying bites like matcha-rose cookies, homemade wonton chips and Taiwanese pineapple tarts. 1816 N. Milwaukee Ave., 872-802-4499, hugotea.com Nicole Schnitzler is a freelance writer. 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 Dane County Board might yet again consider a new plan for its jail overhaul project as the board's Black caucus successfully postponed a contract change that would finalize a compromise jail plan already passed by supervisors in March. A final hour plea from Sup. Anthony Gray, 14th District, asked for the board to give him and a caucus of Black supervisors time to introduce the new plan he said they've been working on as a group. Gray and his colleagues have yet to introduce specifics on what the change of the project would look like. The current iteration of the jail frustrated the board's more liberal members when it was passed since it might limit in-person visitation for inmates. Black residents and criminal justice reform groups have long opposed funding for the new jail. "Our proposal costs significantly less taxpayer dollars," Gray said. "It will provide enough beds to make sure that we can cover whatever it is we need in terms of head count and population going into the future, and it will refocus the debate on diversion and human and civil justice rights initiatives," the supervisor added. Ultimately, the board voted 25-6 to postpone a $798,000 change order to its contract with architect Mead & Hunt to finalize a design of the latest jail plan. In March, the board scaled back its original vision for the jail, appropriating about $16 million to build a six-story, 825-bed facility that would replace the county's current jail facility at the City-County Building in Downtown Madison. But ever-rising construction have pushed even that plan farther from reality. In May, County Executive Joe Parisi said that plan was about $9.8 million short. Originally, the county wanted to build a seven-story jail with 922 beds. Thursday night, Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said Black supervisors had not consulted with him on new versions of the jail. Gray called that "inaccurate." Passage of a new plan wouldn't necessarily delay the county's ability to bid out the project, since an expected bid in November has already been pushed back to the start of 2023, said Todd Draper, the county's director of public works. Debate over the project and public comment pushed back a vote on putting referendums on this fall's ballot asking voters if they support repealing the Wisconsin's 1849 near-total abortion ban, the legalization of marijuana and the expungement of low-level possession convictions. The three referendum questions are advisory, and have no legal ability to change state law. The text of the referendum questions are as follows: Should marijuana be legalized, taxed and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older? Should all records of previous convictions for marijuana possession in small amounts in the State of Wisconsin be expunged? Should Wisconsin Statute 940.04, which bans abortion at anys tage of pregnancy without exception for rape, incest or health of the patient, be repealed to ensure legal access to abortion care? Dane County voters already had a referendum question on the pot legalization of marijuana in 2018. Seventy-six percent of voters said then they support legalizing the drug for recreational use. Other business Later in Thursday night's meeting, the board was set to consider spending $50,000 in federal stimulus money to fund a gun buyback program through the Dane County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office and Madison Police Department plan to hold a "no questions asked" event for residents to surrender unwanted firearms on Aug. 13. Supervisors also planned to consider Thursday the creation of two new positions in the Dane County District Attorney's Office Victim Witness Unit. The two new positions, a case manager and an administrative legal assistant, create an annual cost of $220,000 for the county. In June, the Board previously sent back to committee legislation that would have that would have allowed the office to extend the number of hours limited-term employees can work on victim assistance. The District Attorney Ismael Ozanne pushed for the extra hours to meet constitutionally mandated services to victims of crimes. Four Democrats are vying in the Aug. 9 primary to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ron Kind in a tossup district that covers areas of western and central Wisconsin. The winner will face Republican Derrick Van Orden in the Nov. 8 election. The term is for two years. Rebecca Cooke Age: 34 Address: 1534 50th St., Eau Claire Family: Single Job: Small-business owner of Reds Mercantile and founder of nonprofit Red Letter Grant Prior elected office: None Other public service: Board member and secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., 2019-21 Education: Bachelors degree in marketing and public relations, University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota Deb McGrath Age: 61 Address: E5446 770th Ave., Menomonie Family: Married with three children, one stepdaughter, two grandchildren Job: Former U.S. Army captain, retired CIA officer, mother Prior elected office: None Other public service: Voting Assistance Officer, U.S. Army Installations and U.S. Embassies, Interims, 1988-2008; volunteer in various humanitarian operations during worldwide assignments; League of Women Voters since 2018 Education: Masters degree in strategic studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania; masters degree in public administration, University of Kansas; bachelors degree in American government, University of Virginia; certificate in executive leadership, University of Notre Dame; certificate in theology, Princeton University; currently pursuing a certificate in organizational development from Harvard University Mark Neumann Age: 68 Address: 4500 Stone Bridge Road, La Crosse Family: Married with two adult children and one in high school Job: La Crosse Common Council member Prior elected office: La Crosse Common Council since 2021 Other public service: Member of La Crosse County Democratic Party, Our Wisconsin Revolution, Citizen Action Wisconsin, Physicians for a National Health Program. Member of the Franciscan Order from 1976 to 1996, serving for six years as a foreign medical doctor in Zaire, Africa. Education: Bachelors degree from University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota; medical degree from University of St. Louis Medical School; pediatric residency at University of Chicago; Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship at UW-Madison Brad Pfaff Age: 54 Address: 2122 Krause Road, Onalaska Family: Married with two children Job: State senator Prior elected office: State Senate since 2020 Other public service: State executive director and national deputy administrator for Wisconsin Farm Service Agency (USDA); Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Education: Masters degree in public administration, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia; bachelors degree in science, UW-Green Bay Q&A Why are you the best candidate for the job? Cooke: I was raised on a dairy farm in Eau Claire by my parents, who came from a long line of farmers, veterans and union members. After working through college, I opened a small business in Eau Claire and founded a nonprofit to invest in small, women-owned businesses. I was honored when Gov. Evers recognized my work with an appointment to the state commerce board. Im running for Congress because I understand the squeeze folks are feeling from health care to housing to the cost of everyday goods like gas and groceries, and know we can do better. McGrath: I was born and raised in Menomonie and am a former Army captain, CIA officer and mother of three. My father, the late Congressman Al Baldus, grew up on a farm and taught me the value of hard work. My drive to serve our country led me to become an Army officer after college, and I went on to serve over two decades in the Army and CIA. I have been recognized for my ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, listen to their concerns and solve problems. As a wife and mother, I understand the challenges that families are facing. Neumann: I am free from seeking a new career after having completed 35 years of successful service as a pediatrician. I dont need to become a career politician at this point in my life, and I am free to serve in ways that may not always be the most politically expedient. I am free from political party entrapment, willing to be called the non-establishment candidate as I try to promote progressive public policy. I am free from expectations owed to money-powered special interests having made no deals for political campaign funding. I have personal maturity from years of life experience as a doctor and Franciscan brother. Pfaff: I was raised on a dairy farm in northern La Crosse County, went to work for U.S. Sen. Kohl and Congressman Kind on rural and agriculture issues, and then to the Obama Administration in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I went on to serve as Gov. Evers Secretary of Agriculture and when Republicans in Madison voted me down, I won a seat in the State Senate. Theres nobody in this race, on either side of the aisle, that knows this district like I do and that has been fighting for it and its people like I have. What unique experience do you bring to the job that sets you apart? Cooke: I am the only working-class candidate in the race. Im in this fight to be a tireless advocate for working people. As a small-business owner, I have to stick to a budget and I believe that legislators need to work to solve our countrys greatest challenges without plummeting us into further debt for our children and grandchildren to inherit it takes creativity and nuance, much of what Ive garnered as a scrappy entrepreneur. McGrath: Throughout my career in the Army and CIA, I put country over politics, and worked side by side with people from all walks of life to achieve mission accomplishment. I learned to build consensus in high stakes situations, and was recognized with the CIAs Career Commendation medal for leadership and courage. I have managed large federal budgets, I understand the interagency process, and Im a daughter of a farming family that is resilient and hard-working. Neumann: Having served as a pediatrician over a 35-year career I met and responded to the needs of people and families of all cultures, creeds, race, political affiliation and gender identity. I was available and open to care for all my patients and their families with no reservation or prejudice related to identity or culture. I intend to bring this same kind of availability to others into my service as a legislator. Pfaff: I am very familiar with the agriculture policy that impacts our district and state more than any place in the country. I can relate to farmers and rural residents, because my family has been farming here since the 1800s. I know the struggles because as Secretary of Agriculture I stood in farms and sat at kitchen tables and heard their struggles and their hardships. Nobody in this race can say that. What is the single most important issue for the 3rd District? Cooke: Access to quality, affordable health care is a top issue of concern for people in every corner of the district. I firmly believe that health care is a human right, and I would start by unabashedly protecting womens health; expanding Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing; addressing antitrust issues in the health care system that put the power in a few major corporations; taking on prescription drug companies, ensuring seniors can get the drugs they need at prices negotiated through Medicare; annually lowering the age that seniors can start receiving Medicare benefits, expanding the number of Americans covered each year; making decisions based on scientific evidence rather than politics. McGrath: We need a path for immediate economic recovery. We must hold corporations accountable for their windfall profits, address issues in our supply chains, and support clean energy investments that create economic growth. Ill stand up to Big Pharma and the politicians they bought off. I will support Medicare negotiating lower drug prices to bring down costs for Wisconsinites. We must strengthen our supply chains to help farmers get their products to market. I will protect our planet and support renewable energy policies that create good-paying jobs for Wisconsinites. Neumann: The mistrust and misunderstanding that is presumed to exist between folks identifying as urban versus those identifying as rural. When neighbors promote fear toward one another, we become unable to govern ourselves as a democratic society open to the common good for everybody. We close off to one another and seek authoritarian leadership in place of the freedom of democracy that allows us to be a people capable of governing ourselves. Good governance of the people, by the people and for the people requires that we break through barriers of distrust and fear. Pfaff: Its making sure that the people here in rural Wisconsin dont get overlooked and left behind. They need somebody who knows them, their stories and their struggles, and who will take those lived experiences and fight for them in Washington. I believe Im uniquely qualified to do that. Kratom, an herbal extract that is banned in Wisconsin and five other states, could be legalized in the state after a regulatory board agreed to provide guidance to the Legislature at the urging of a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The states Controlled Substances Board last week said it would study kratom, sometimes used to treat pain or manage opioid withdrawal, and make recommendations. The substance became illegal in a 2014 state law that mostly regulated cannabinoids such as CBD and those found in marijuana. Were taking the approach of providing some guidance around kratom, Doug Englebert, chair of the Controlled Substances Board, said during the boards meeting July 15. The move came after a bipartisan group of lawmakers last month made a second request to the board for guidance. In May, after the first request, the board said it would be up to legislators to decide whether to change the 2014 law that listed two compounds in kratom as controlled substances. The compounds are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. A bill to legalize kratom failed to pass the Legislature in March, after an Assembly committee voted 9-2 to support it. The measure is expected to be taken up again next session. We believe the (2014 law) ... inappropriately included the natural alkaloids of the kratom plant, said the June 24 letter from nine legislators, including six Republicans and three Democrats. The board in May chose to ignore our request for guidance, the letter said. We consider this response inadequate, it said. At the July 15 meeting, Englebert said members will review research on kratom before the board takes up the matter in January. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island and Vermont also have state bans. Kratom, taken from a tree in the coffee family found in Southeast Asia, can ease symptoms of pain, mental health conditions and opioid addiction, according to proponents including the American Kratom Association. The Food and Drug Administration warns people not use it, saying the substance appears to have properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence. More research is needed on kratom to understand its safety, effects on the body and potential therapeutic uses, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health. Fatal overdoses from kratom alone appear to be extremely rare, but the use of kratom in combination with other drugs has been linked to deaths and severe adverse effects such as liver problems, the NIH says. President Joe Biden says he's doing great after testing positive for COVID-19. The White House said Thursday the 79-year-old Biden is experiencing very mild symptoms, including a stuffy nose, fatigue and cough. He's taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease. New York health officials are reporting the first U.S. case of polio in nearly a decade. Officials said the Rockland County resident is an unvaccinated young adult who developed paralysis. The Jan. 6 committee returns to prime time on Thursday evening with a hearing focusing on three-plus hours during the insurrection at the Capitol when then-President Donald Trump failed to act to stop the violence. Italy is headed for an early election after its president accepted Premier Mario Draghis resignation and decided there was no possibility for cobbling together another government. The election was set for Sept. 25. A Puerto Rico court has archived a restraining order issued against superstar Ricky Martin, meaning the case is closed, according to a judicial spokesperson. Hours after Thursday's court ruling, Martin said he had been the victim of lies from a relative, though he gave no details. A judge has sentenced former Minneapolis police Officer Thomas Lane to 2 1/2 years in prison on a federal civil rights charge for his role in the killing of George Floyd. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Lane on Thursday for his conviction of depriving Floyd of medical care as he lay dying under Officer Derek Chauvins knee in May 2020. One passenger jumped into a river and several others climbed out of windows when a Boston-area public transit train caught fire during the morning commute. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority says no injuries were reported in Thursday's fire. Amazon announced Thursday it will acquire the primary care organization One Medical in a deal valued roughly at $3.9 billion, marking another expansion for the retailer into health care services. One Medical runs membership-based primary care practices in several markets around the country and offers virtual care as well as in-person visits. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week rose to its highest level in more than eight months, a sign the labor market may be showing some weakness. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending July 16 rose by 7,000 to 251,000, up from the previous weeks 244,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. A majority of Americans say Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide. That's according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The Supreme Courts recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade asserted that abortion is not a constitutional right and handed states the authority to severely restrict or ban abortion. Monarch butterflies are now listed as endangered because of fast dwindling populations in North America. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature announced the designation on Thursday for the orange-and-black butterflies. The oldest-ever male giant panda in captivity has died at age 35 after his health deteriorated. An An lived most of his life at a Hong Kong theme park after he and a female panda were gifted to Hong Kong by China in 1999. Jia Jia died in 2016 at age 38, making her the oldest-ever panda in captivity. Federal authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information about the man who allegedly shot Lady Gagas dog walker last year in Hollywood and stole two of the pop stars French bulldogs. Nineteen-year-old James Howard Jackson was mistakenly released from custody in April and remains missing. William Poogie Hart, a founder of the Grammy-winning trio the Delfonics who helped write and sang a soft lead tenor on such classic Sound of Philadelphia ballads as La-La (Means I Love You) and Didnt I (Blow Your Mind This Time), has died at age 77. His son told The New York Times that Hart died July 14 at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia from complications during surgery. FILER When the new school year starts in August, a full-time police officer will be on-site to serve and protect Filer schools. Mayor Robert Templeman and Police Chief Jeff Troumbley have appointed Sgt. John Darnall as the school resource officer. Darnall will be moved from the patrol division to serve as the new school resource officer. Its a good idea to have it, its something thats needed, and its something that makes a more sound and safer community, Templeman said. For some reason, everything fit and was meant to be. Templeman said getting a school resource officer had been a long-time goal for both the city and the school district. Its been kicked around for quite a while, and it just slowly came to a head here and weve seen some opportunities knocking at the door since January, the mayor said. Its something thats been going on, but it hadnt really gotten wound up here until the last 45 days. According to Templeman, everything kind of fell into place, from the city and school district budgets, to the officer selected for the serve in the school and to the officer promoted to patrol duty to replace Darnell. This will be the first time Filer schools have had a resource officer. In previous years, officers have spent considerable time providing education, outreach, and security support to Filer schools. The primary reason for a school resource officer is to provide security for teachers, staff and students. Darnall will perform three major roles: law enforcement officer, law-related counselor, and law-related educator. In addition, he will work in collaboration with the school and the community as a resource for safety and security issues. Darnall is a 1997 graduate of Filer High School, and began his law enforcement career with the Filer Police Department while he was still in high school in 1996 as a reserve officer. He is also a volunteer with the Filer Fire Department and has qualifications in emergency response instruction and evaluator regarding threats to school facilities. Along with his training in school resource management, he has fire and EMS certifications. With this newly established position, Officer Andrew Easterday has been promoted to a full time patrol position. Easterday, who has worked for the police department for several years as a reserve officer, has recently completed the College of Southern Idaho law enforcement program and obtained his full certification in law enforcement. All three Twin Falls County Commissioners attended the latest Kiwanis Club meeting to talk about county affairs. The commissioners took an informal approach as they moved about the crowd of about 20 members while answering questions as they spoke concerning a number of topics. Some of the issues that were addressed were building another bridge, mental health awareness and gun rights along with the Lava Ridge Wind Project and the new juvenile detention center located at Twin Falls County West. According to the Kiwanis Club Facebook page they are a service club made up of caring men and women from all walks of life who want to support the children and the community of Twin Falls, Idaho and the surrounding Magic Valley. As Idahos population grows, so does energy use. And the sweltering summer months are peak demand for Idaho Power. We think we are seeing growth contributing to higher summer loads, Ben Brandt, director of load serving operations at Idaho Power, told the Idaho Statesman. The utility brings energy to Southern Idaho and parts of Eastern Oregon. Last June, the company hit its all-time high in demand at 3,751 Megawatts. This peak reveals a steady, upward trend. In 1996, Idaho Power served approximately 351,000 customers, with a peak-hour load of 2,437 MW, according to Idaho Powers 2021 Integrated Resource Plan. 25 years later, the population served nearly doubled to more than 600,000 customers in Idaho and Oregon. The plan said the utility expects summer loads will continue to grow. Idaho Power anticipates adding 13,300 customers each year until 2040, with the summer peak-hour load requirement growing nearly 55 MW each year. Its not just population growth. Its also the type of growth, Brian Johnson, electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Idaho, told the Statesman. A few years ago, cryptocurrency mining operations flocked to Idaho for its low electricity rates, Johnson said, and operations like this can be equivalent to the electricity use of hundreds of houses or more. Theyre running relatively high performance computers, consistently solving mathematical problems, Johnson said. Places with low electricity rates, like Idaho, yield higher profit margins for cryptocurrency miners. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission regulates gas, water, electricity, and some telephone services in the state. Last month, the commission approved a new Idaho Power rate for cryptocurrency operations. Peak demand already behind us While the areas energy demand may increase in the long term, Idaho Power will likely see reduced load throughout the rest of the year. Many utilities in the Northwest have peaks in August. But Idahos greatest annual energy demand is in late June and early July, Brandt said. Southern Idaho is an agricultural community, Brandt said. In addition to air-conditioning, irrigation is a significant portion of total power load. Idahos famed potatoes contribute to this demand. Farmers use irrigation to control the moisture levels around growing potatoes, which gives the starch a nice oval shape, Johnson said. But that means irrigation systems which use electricity to pump water out of the ground are run continually from late March to the beginning of July, Johnson said. Once potato growers and other farmers shut their irrigation pumps down, Idaho Powers load starts to drop, Johnson added. Flowing water essential to Idaho Powers energy production While irrigation demands energy, flowing water produces it. Hydropower, which converts the energy of moving water to mechanical energy, is Idaho Powers main source of energy. The states rivers, like the Snake River, are a unique resource, Johnson said. But climate change may threaten the renewable energy source. Changes in snowfall patterns could make it challenging to generate sufficient hydropower in years to come, Johnson said. Some of the long-range forecasts dont look as optimistic for what snowpack is going to look like, he said. And short of building new hydroelectric facilities, theres no easy way to scale up hydropower, Johnson said. While increasing water flow can generate more electricity, there are limits on how high or low water levels can be. To prepare for summer demand, Idaho Power performs maintenance on its systems during the spring and fall, when energy use is lower. The utility also imports a lot of power to meet summer demand, Brandt said. They will often purchase power months, and sometimes even years, in advance to ensure enough supply. Naturally, the increased loads stress Idaho Powers distribution system, and the challenge is to keep up with growth, Brandt said. One thing we do is plan way out into the future, Brandt said, and we begin those processes early. TWIN FALLS Signs, signs, everywhere a sign. But how many are legal? Yard sale season is here, and that means dozens of brightly colored signs posted along busy street corners, encouraging motorists to make a turn and discover a new treasure. It is also a time for code enforcement workers in Twin Falls to remove those signs that violate city regulations. And not many yard sale signs meet that code, Sean Standley, code enforcement coordinator, says. Standley estimates that only 25 percent of signs he sees around the city are in compliance. There are signs plastered on utility poles and on cardboard boxes on city streets, all encroaching on the citys right of way. Standley has seen some that block stop signs and cause other visual obstructions. He says the Twin Falls code, which took effect in 2018, is there for a reason, including safety. Our No. 1 thing is to create a clean and safe environment, he said, not only for city residents but for visitors. It might seem like an uphill battle, as violators arent fined and are willing to take the chance that their signs wont be impounded. Others are unaware of the ordinance. Rules for yard sale signs arent many. Generally, they need to be 10 feet from the street and be on private property with the property owners permission. They cant be more than six square feet and need to be removed afterward. The city code also says yard sale signs cant be closer than 60 feet from each other, but thats a rule Standley said isnt enforced. For violators, the most code enforcement can do is impound illegal signs and talk with the people who put them up. For first-time violators, signs will be given back but after that, there is a $25 charge if people want them returned. Violators are not fined, and because cardboard comes cheap, not many people are willing to pay to get their signs back, with the exception of metal real estate signs and other signs with similar value. Iris Hawkins and her daughter offered their wares at a Friday yard sale in Twin Falls after several bright-orange signs were placed on utility poles. Hawkins said she was aware of the city code. I knew you werent supposed to put signs on light poles and other places like that, she said. Although she knew that the yard sale signs were in violation, she promised to take them down after the sale and didnt think the signs represented a big violation. Its just a short amount of time, she said. Hawkins daughter, meanwhile, said she wasnt aware of the city code. I think younger people dont know about it, she said. Standley agreed that education needs to continue to make people aware and said the big majority of people want to do the right thing, he said. All we can do is to ask our citizens to comply with city codes. Standley said several other cities, including Ketchum, Pocatello and Nampa, have ordinances regarding yard sale signs, but they are for the most part unregulated in most Idaho towns. We dont regulate them, said Karri French, clerk/treasurer for the city of Wendell. Wed expect what other people would expect if you put it up, you need to take it down. Twin Falls code enforcement employees arent on a mission of removing as many illegal signs as possible, Standley said, but take down signs as time allows. The last time I looked there were 127 city codes that we enforce, Standley said. Employees dont always have time to talk to the people who placed the signs, so if a persons yard sale sign comes up missing, there is a chance code enforcement impounded it. On the other hand, other people are annoyed at the signs as well and are within their rights to remove them, he said. The same thing applies to signs that are placed on private property without permission. The property owner might do whatever he wants to do with it, he said. This will be the first time that President Emmanuel Macron visits these three countries. Cameroon, the leading economic power in Central Africa, is a strategic partner for France. Benin is increasingly connected to Sahelian issues, to use the Elysees formula. And Guinea-Bissau has just taken over the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of West African States. In Yaounde, Cotonou and Bissau, Emmanuel Macron will meet with his counterparts, but will not meet with representatives of the opposition. This trip to Africa, the first since Emmanuel Macrons re-election in April, will focus on the food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, agricultural production issues and security questions, according to the presidency. The aim is to mark the continuity and constancy of the commitment of the President of the Republic in the process of renewing relations with the African continent, the Elysee commented. The French president announced last week his desire to rethink by the autumn all (of Frances military arrangements) on the African continent, while the Barkhane force is completing its departure from Mali. Saying that he wanted less posed and less exposed devices, the president had judged that it was a strategic necessity. At each stage, questions of governance and the rule of law will be addressed during direct exchanges between heads of state, the Elysee said, but no media injunction. The French Presidents line, it is assured, is in no way to set himself up as a teacher or to promote a model. Since the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi, Libyas oil has been at the centre of all sorts of rivalries, with rival militias and foreign powers jostling for control of one of Africas largest oil reserves. Libya resumed oil exports on Wednesday, ending a months-long hiatus. The resumption comes after the country restarted production in oil fields following the sacking of the chairman of the state oil company by one of the countrys two rival governments. A Maltese-flagged tanker, the Matala, has docked at the al-Sidra terminal to take on a million barrels of crude oil, the new management of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said. The ship will then head for Italy, it said. Two other tankers, the Marshall Islands-flagged Nissos Sifnos and the Liberian-flagged Crudemed, are expected to ship 1.6 million barrels from the Zueitina Ras Lanuf terminals, the NOC said. Production resumed on Tuesday in several fields, including Sharara, the countrys largest, after a three-month shutdown, the NOC said. Abdulhamid Dbeibah, Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based government, announced last week the dismissal of Mustafa Sanalla, the chairman of the NOC. In his place, he appointed Farhat Bengdara, former governor of the Libyan Central Bank. Reputedly close to Marshal Haftar, whose forces control the east and much of the south of the country, the new NOC boss should enable Prime Minister Dbeibah to gain Haftars support. Set in the titular small town which is half an hour south of Memphis this is the story of a struggling young working-class couple, Laurel and Jim. Laurel, played by Liz Sharpe, is pregnant with the couple's first child, and at the start of the play, we see her fending off the ministrations of a well-meaning but suffocating mother, Celeste (Cecelia Wingate). Jim (played by Linder) seems like a good guy. That's the setup. Before long, though, it becomes clear that Jim might not be the father of this baby. Perchance Laurel has had a relationship with an African-American man. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki warned on Thursday that his country was sitting on a time bomb and could face an uprising similar to the Arab Spring triggered by a social revolt. Mbeki, who succeeded anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela in 1999, said South Africa was facing unsustainable levels of poverty and unemployment. One of my fears, comrades, is that one of these days weare going to have our own version of the Arab Spring, Mbeki said at a memorial service for Jessie Duarte, the deputy secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC), who died of cancer at the weekend. The trigger for the Arab Spring was the suicide by self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, who was harassed by the police in Tunisia. His death marked the beginning of a national revolt that led to the flight into exile of dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and triggered the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011. One of my fears is that one of these days it will happen to us, said Mbeki, who left office in 2008. You cant have so many unemployed, so many poor, people facing this lawlessness, and corrupt leaders, he said. One day it will blow up, he said at a memorial service at Johannesburg City Hall. Mbeki criticized President Cyril Ramaphosas government for not having a national plan to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment, which stands at more than 34.5%, and youth unemployment at around 64%. Ramaphosa was absent from the memorial service attended by his deputy David Mabuza. President Joe Biden speaks to members of the media after exiting Air Force One, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Biden is returning from a trip to Somerset, Mass., where he spoke about climate change. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, is experiencing mild symptoms and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral pill treatment. A look at what we know about the president and his coronavirus infection: HOW'S HE FEELING? Biden is reporting a runny nose, fatigue and an occasional dry cough, according to a memo from Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the president's doctor. Biden felt tired Wednesday evening and didn't sleep well, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said at a press briefing. Biden tweeted Thursday: "Folks, I'm doing great. Thanks for your concern." WHAT KIND OF TEST DID HE USE? Biden is routinely screened for coronavirus. His infection was detected first with an antigen test, the same type that many Americans use at home. It was then confirmed with a PCR test, the president's doctor said. The president's last previous test for COVID-19 was Tuesday, when he had a negative test result. IS HE VACCINATED? Yes. The president is fully vaccinated and twice boosted. Biden got two doses of the Pfizer vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30. IS HE GETTING TREATMENT? Biden is taking Paxlovid, which was authorized in the U.S. late last year. In older people and other high-risk patients, the drug was shown to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. The pills work best if taken within five days of the start of symptoms. The president's doctor said Biden's vaccination status and early treatment with Paxlovid should keep him out of danger. Biden has temporarily stopped taking a blood thinner and a cholesterol drug as recommended for patients on Paxlovid. WHAT'S THE ISOLATION PLAN? Biden will work in isolation for at least five days and until he tests negative, the White House said. Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work. The White House said it will provide a daily update on the president's status. HOW DOES THE VIRUS AFFECT OLDER PEOPLE? At age 79, Biden is in a high-risk group for severe illness. About 8 in 10 COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 65, with risk increasing with age. Also among the most vulnerable are those with other health issues such as diabetes and heart conditions. DID HE GET THE BA.5 VARIANT? It's unclear which variant Biden has contracted, though a sample has been sent for genetic sequencing to determine that. The dominant virus variant in the U.S. is the omicron mutant BA.5, which is also prominent worldwide. The variant accounted for three-quarters of new infections reported in the U.S. last week. It's also been gaining ground globally, making up more than half of sequenced omicron cases. Experts say BA.5 is one of the most transmissible variants yet but they haven't seen an increase in severity compared with previous omicron variants. WHERE DID HE CATCH IT? That's unclear. Symptoms can start two days to two weeks after exposure to the virus. Biden has kept a busy travel schedule lately. During his recent Middle East trip, the president was seen fist-bumping, handshaking and even occasionally hugging. He returned to Washington late Saturday and kept a low profile for the next three days, leaving briefly to attend church and for a Tuesday appearance outside the White House with Ukraine's first lady. He traveled to Massachusetts on Wednesday to announce modest new steps to combat climate change. WHAT ABOUT JILL BIDEN? The first lady said Thursday that she tested negative earlier in the day. She will follow CDC guidance on masking and distancing during scheduled visits to Michigan and Georgia on Thursday, said Michael LaRosa, her spokesperson. Explore further Biden doubles US purchase of Pfizer COVID therapeutic pills 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Glioma of the left parietal lobe. CT scan with contrast enhancement. Credit: Mikhail Kalinin/CC BY-SA 3.0 Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) who previously developed a blood test for mutations in a gene linked to gliomas, the most common type of adult brain tumors, have now applied their technology to detect additional mutations, in this case in the gene that codes for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The advance, which is described in a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, provides clinicians with a powerful tool to detect the presence of gliomas, characterize the tumors, and monitor their status after treatment. The team's test is a form of liquid biopsy that detects pieces of tumor cells' genetic materialcalled mRNAthat are circulating in the blood. A previous study first reported the technique, a highly optimized novel digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) blood test, for accurately detecting and monitoring the presence of two mutations of the gene TERT, which is commonly mutated in glioma tumors. After further tailoring their technique to detect mRNA produced from a mutated EGFR gene called EGFRvIII that is often present in especially aggressive gliomas, the investigators determined the prevalence of EGFRvIII mRNA in glioma tumor tissue from 37 tumor tissue samples, and they tested their blood test in plasma samples from 30 patients with gliomas with tissue-confirmed EGFRvIII, 10 patients with gliomas with no EGFR mutations, and 14 healthy controls. The team reported that the blood test had an overall sensitivity (ability to detect the presence of EGFRvIII) of 72.8% and a specificity (ability to detect the absence of EGFRvIII) of 97.7%. "There is a real need to make brain tumor diagnosis less invasive than the current technique of tissue biopsy. This research demonstrates that it is now feasible to diagnosis a brain tumor via a blood test for one of the most common mutations detected in brain tumors," says cosenior author Leonora Balaj, Ph.D., an investigator at MGH's Brain Tumor Research Center and an assistant professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. The technology could also be used to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from drugs targeting the EGFRvIII protein on cancer cells. "Current studies involving CAR-T immune cells are aimed at targeting this surface marker. A blood-based assay for EGFRvIII would allow to stratify patients who would be eligible for potential clinical trials as well as monitor the response to the therapeutic using a simple blood test," says cosenior author Bob S. Carter, MD, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at MGH and the William and Elizabeth Sweet Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. The scientists note that their EGFR and TERT tests will require additional studies to evaluate their performance in larger groups of patients; however, combining different mutation assays represents a promising strategy to more accurately diagnose gliomas, monitor tumor progression, and assess response to therapy. The technology could also be applied to a range of other cancer types that carry mutations in these and other genes. Explore further Breakthrough blood test developed for brain tumors More information: Syeda Maheen Batool et al, Highly sensitive EGFRvIII detection in circulating extracellular vesicle RNA of glioma patients, Clinical Cancer Research (2022). Journal information: Clinical Cancer Research Syeda Maheen Batool et al, Highly sensitive EGFRvIII detection in circulating extracellular vesicle RNA of glioma patients,(2022). DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-0444 Credit: Schira/Shutterstock A recent investigation published by the British Medical Journal revealed that long COVID patients are traveling abroad to seek expensive "blood washing" treatment. This experimental treatmentthe medical name for which is apheresisinvolves taking blood from the body and "filtering" it. Essentially, when blood is spun quickly in a centrifuge, it separates into layers. You can then either filter out specific components or remove some layers and replace these with more desirable fluids. The blood is then returned to the body through another vein. Apheresis can be effective for some conditions like sickle cell disease, where abnormal red blood cells can be removed, and leukemia, where the patient can have white cells removed and even receive white cells collected from a healthy donor. Thousands of people experiencing the debilitating symptoms of long COVID are traveling abroad to seek costly but unproven treatments such as "blood washing." @madlendavies reports in this Investigation by The BMJ and ITV Newshttps://t.co/ZjNe7h3zIF The BMJ (@bmj_latest) July 15, 2022 As a treatment for long COVID, apheresis is proposed to filter out circulating factors in the blood that are involved in inflammation and clotting. It has yet to be proven effective in any meaningful trial in this context, and is not without risks. Nonetheless, it's getting a lot of attention, especially driven by social media. But who can blame long COVID patients for pursuing experimental and unproven treatments? We have failed to fully define the spectrum of disease contributing to long COVID. More disappointingly, we have failed to start good-quality trials of potential long COVID treatments. There is an empty space worldwide where there should be a huge, coordinated effort. A public health disaster is emerging As we come to understand the medium and longer-term health problems many people are facing after COVID-19 infection, it's akin to watching a car crash unfold in slow motion. In the medium term, we're seeing a modest but real increase in blood clots (these are not microclots but normal clots visible on traditional imaging). We're noticing this even in patients who weren't hospitalized with COVID-19. Meanwhile, new diagnoses of conditions like diabetes are more frequent in patients who have recovered from the virus. During the first year of the pandemic, more than one in four patients who survived hospital had died or were back in hospital within the first few months of being discharged. Although vaccines are likely to have helped, we still don't know if this has changed in more recent waves. If these trends continue, health services are looking at a double whammy of patients needing care during their initial infection, then these patients' ongoing and significant health care requirements down the track. All of this is before we've even got to the challenge of treating long COVID. We don't have an accurate handle on how many people are affected, partly due to the lack of standardized definitions and diagnostic criteria. The impact cannot at present be underestimated. Now, patients are taking increasingly desperate measures in hope of seeing some improvement to their chronic symptoms. Apheresis is not the first purported panacea, and it won't be the last. We need trials Many of the leading proponents of unproven treatments like apheresis will tell you that we just need to start treating patients with long COVID; that there's no time to run clinical trialsand that trials are not needed anyway as anecdotal evidence is powerful. I heard that same argument about treatments for COVID-19, often made by the same people, at the start of the first wave. This was proven to be the wrong approach. Treatments touted as promising early onsuch as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectinwere later shown to be ineffective. Therapies like dexamethasone and tocilizumab, meanwhile, have been proven to save lives in rigorous trials and have altered the course of the pandemic. Both in the realms of vaccines and antiviral treatments, we have proven we can run trials at scale and pace in the pandemic. But right now we're not applying these lessons to long COVID. My colleagues and I have set up the HEAL-COVID study, which has recruited more than 1,000 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19. We're aiming to identify possible treatments that could improve longer-term outcomes for these patients, and ideally prevent the onset of chronic health problems. However, when we get further down the road and look at established long COVID, research in terms of treatment is currently sparse. There are exceptions such as the community treatment study STIMULATE-ICP, but they are notable for standing out from a less than crowded field. Into this evidence gap steps a combination of misguided evangelists, well-meaning people who are just trying to offer hope and assistance, and the worst type of charlatans who prey on the sick and vulnerable. So we urgently need to force the requirement for well-funded, large-scale and definitive clinical trials up the agenda. If we can do it at the height of a pandemic with a few weeks notice, why is now any different? Trials for long COVID treatments are indeed complex due, among other factors, to the broad range of symptoms and ideas about what might be driving them. But this complexity is not insurmountable. If we don't invest resources and funding to get these trials done, many people will be exposed to unproven treatments at great expense and with possible harms. And at the end of it, we still won't know if any of them actually work. The burden on healthcare systems, not to mention people and families, will be enormous. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Texas A&M's Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center and the advocacy group Texas Prisons Community Advocates As millions of Americans continue to sweat through triple-digit temperatures this week, the incarcerated population within most of Texas' prisons are living without air conditioning. According to a new report, dying from heat is a common fear among inmatesand the failure to mitigate the issue is systemic. J. Carlee Purdum, a research assistant professor at Texas A&M University, presented the findings to lawmakers last week during testimony for the Texas House Appropriations Committee. "With our prisons not having air conditioning, it's a really dangerous situation," she said. "When we have a heat wave such as this summer, it can potentially lead to disastrous consequences." Purdum is the lead author of the new report released this month by Texas A&M's Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center and the advocacy group Texas Prisons Community Advocates. Benika Dixon, visiting assistant professor at the School of Public Health, is also a co-author. The authors say in the report that while 87% of U.S. households have air-conditioning, only 20% of Texas prison units are fully air-conditioned. Texas is one of at least 13 states without universal air conditioning in state prisons. Without it, the report says, the system will remain under extreme stress, putting the population at risk for health emergencies: "This could kill them, but if it doesn't, it will certainly degrade their health over time." The report scrutinizes current heat mitigation policies used by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), and the findings are informed by surveys from 309 incarcerated individuals collected between June 2018 and 2020. The inmates' responses paint a grim picture of life inside prison during the summer. "Every summer I battle with heat rash and it's maddening," one person wrote. Others describe dizziness, nausea and difficulty breathing. A different inmate said they had fainted four times in their cell, but received no medical attention, and no report was filed. The co-authors point out that incarcerated people have described the living conditions in Texas prisons during extreme heat and the COVID-19 pandemic as a "living hell." Purdum is a hazard scholar who studies how disasters impact vulnerable populations. TDCJ heat mitigation procedures, like providing constant access to water and ice, showers and cooled respite areas where people can cool down, she said, are "not enough." "They're extremely inefficient, and that's because it's an enormous demand on staff and on resources when you have 120,000 people who need access to those resources very day. It really becomes an impossible solution." According to the report, at least 79 incarcerated people and prison staff reported heat-related illnesses from January to October 2018. And since 1998, TCDJ has recorded at least 23 heat-related deaths. But as Purdum stressed to the House Appropriations Committee, the impact of heat is still "wildly underestimated." It's difficult to tie specific deaths to heat, she said. A person who dies of a heart attack, for example, may not have died from heat exposure directly, but exposure to excessive heat continuously degrades a person's health over time. "So that person might not have had that heart attack or had those health issues if they weren't in hazardous conditions every day," Purdum said. She also believes heat was a contributing to factor to COVID-19 deaths in prisons, making it more difficult for infected individuals to fight off the virus. The report also states the pandemic led to lockdowns throughout TDCJ and restricted access to water coolers and ice in common areas, with one man stating officers were not distributing water to inmates locked in their cells due to COVID-19 restrictions. Purdum and her co-authors conclude TDCJ policies in place "don't ensure quality, quantity or even that every individual will have access to heat-mitigating resources. Subsequently, there is nothing to truly hold TDCJ accountable for these failures." The solution, Purdum said, is to mitigate exposure from heat in the first place rather than trying to mitigate its impacts. "The only way to really do that at this point is to add air conditioning to the units and bring the temperatures down," she said. TDCJ has previously claimed it would cost $1 billion to install air conditioning across all units, according to the report, with an additional $140 million needed annually for utilities and maintenance. The authors state it could be argued the lack of air-conditioning is in violation of the U.S. Constitution's Eight Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment, and the 14th Amendment guaranteeing equal protection to citizens. "People don't understand how much of an issue this is, and it has enormous spillover effects for our prison systems and our communities," Purdum said. "We're not talking about a luxuryit's a necessity. Especially in months like this when we're going through these extreme heat waves. We're talking about a human rightthe right to live and the right to be in a safe place." Explore further Overcrowding, old buildings fueled COVID surge in California prisons More information: Extreme Temperatures and Covid19 in Texas Prisons. Extreme Temperatures and Covid19 in Texas Prisons. tamucoa-juiceboxinteract.netdn s/2022/07/22-01R.pdf Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers have called for an experimental COVID treatment, which has shown early indications of being more effective against dominant Omicron subvariants, to be made available outside the United States. Numerous monoclonal antibody treatments have helped blunt the worst of the disease for patients since the start of the pandemic, but their effectiveness has been weakened as the virus mutates. However one such anti-viral treatment, bebtelovimab, is "particularly good at targeting the mutated spike protein of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants," Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, told AFP. But as BA.4 and BA.5 run rampant in many countries, the drug made by American pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly has so far only been made available in US. Bebtelovimab has not yet been officially approved in the US, but received "emergency use authorisation" earlier this year following positive results from a trial involving patients with mild to moderate COVID symptoms. The US government ordered 600,000 doses in February, then another 150,000 doses late last month. But as more evidence emerges of how weak other monoclonal antibodies are against BA.5 and BA.5, some are calling for the rest of the world to get access to the drug. Five Europe-based medical researchers wrote a letter published in The Lancet Infectious Disease journal this week saying that among monoclonal antibodies, bebtelovimab "stands out" against the dominant Omicron subvariants. "Bebtelovimab would be an important anti-viral globally," the researchers wrote, adding that it "should be made available outside the U.S. for patients worldwide". On Wednesday, France's COVID Scientific Council asked the French government "to do everything possible to ensure that bebtelovimab, the only monoclonal antibody treatment currently active against BA.5, is available as soon as possible in France." 'This drug can save lives' Eli Lilly told AFP that it "maintains permanent and open communication with health authorities around the world, in order to understand the local need for this antibody, bebtelovimab, which remains experimental for the time being". The company added that "in Europe, in view of the available data which is considered preliminary," it did not currently plan to make the drug available for trials or apply for authorisation to market it on the continent. Eli Lilly said bebtelovimab had not been the subject of a European Medicines Agency (EMA) procedure for emergency use, "as was the case for the previous neutralising antibodies against COVID-19." Given the stakes, some urged quick action. "This drug can save lives," Flahault said. "We should consider making it a global public good in order to make it available to very vulnerable patients who could benefit from it around the world." He said such treatments were particularly important for COVID patients who were at a higher risk of severe symptoms, or whose immune systems had been comprised. "This is the drug that retains the best efficacy against BA.5," tweeted Renaloo, a French association of kidney disease patients. "What are our European health authorities waiting for... to guarantee access to immunocompromised patients who need it?" The calls for wider access come during a pandemic which has consistently seen the wealthy countries where new treatments and vaccines have been developed save the critical first doses for themselves. The vast gap in access between higher and lower income countries has spurred numerous nations to call for intellectual property rights to be temporarily lifted on COVID vaccines and treatments, allowing them to boost local production. On Tuesday IFPMA, which represents global pharmaceutical firms, called on wealthy countries to work towards a more equitable distribution for vaccines and treatments in the case of a potential future pandemic. Explore further US authorizes new antibody drug to fight omicron 2022 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Treating liver cancer tumors to shrink them in order to allow the patient to qualify for a liver transplant leads to excellent 10-year post-transplant outcomes, according to new Mount Sinai research published in JAMA Surgery. The results validate current national policies around transplant eligibility. Selection of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, for transplant has been guided for more than two decades by standards known as the Milan criteria. The Milan criteria state that transplantation should be performed in those with a single tumor of five centimeters or less in diameter or three tumors that are each three centimeters or less in diameter, have no macrovascular invasion, and no metastasis. Over time, the rising incidence of HCC and mortality rates in the United States have led to refinements to the selection policy, shifting the focus to guidelines that also incorporate tumor biology, response to bridging therapies, and waiting times for patients within and beyond the Milan criteria. One aspect of the current criteria is known as downstaging: the process of applying liver directed therapy to tumors too big for the Milan criteria with the hope of reducing them to the suggested size. Downstaging is now an option in selecting suitable liver transplant candidates with initial tumors that exceed the criteria. However, liver cancer can recur after transplantation, either within the liver or outside of the liver. The treatment options of patients who have recurrence post transplantation is limited and prognosis is poor. In this cohort study, a retrospective multicenter analysis of prospectively collected data was conducted for 2,645 adults who had undergone liver transplant for HCC at five U.S. academic medical centers between January 2001 and December 2015. The analysis was performed from May 2019 through June 2021. Outcomes of 341 patients whose disease was downstaged to fit within the Milan criteria were compared with those in 2,122 patients whose disease always fit within the criteria and 182 patients whose disease was not downstaged. The 10-year post-transplant survival and recurrence rates were, respectively, 52.1% and 20.6% among those whose disease was downstaged; 61.5% and 13.3% in those always within the criteria; and 43.3% and 41.1% in those whose disease was not downstaged. "Our study validates national policy on downstaging prior to transplantation and shows the clear utility benefit for transplantation prioritization decision-making," said Parissa Tabrizian, MD, co-lead author on the study and Associate Professor of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "These results can increase the level of recommendations for the downstaging policy on a global basis. It also demonstrates that surgical management of HCC recurrence after transplantation is associated with improved survival in well-selected patients and should be pursued. The study also supports expanding the policy of downstaging applied to guidelines in Europe and Asia." "Our study represents a solid confirmation that HCC patients effectively downstaged to Milan criteria have an outstanding median survival of 10 years, thus providing the rationale to adopt this policy on a global basis," said Josep Llovet, MD, Ph.D., co-lead author on the study and Founder and Director of the Liver Cancer Program at Mount Sinai Health System. "With this study clinical practice guidelines of management of HCC can recommend our approach with an acceptable level of evidence." Explore further Liver transplant patients with prior drinking problems can do well after transplantation, new study finds More information: Parissa Tabrizian et al, Ten-Year Outcomes of Liver Transplant and Downstaging for Hepatocellular Carcinoma, JAMA Surgery (2022). Journal information: JAMA Surgery Parissa Tabrizian et al, Ten-Year Outcomes of Liver Transplant and Downstaging for Hepatocellular Carcinoma,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2022.2800 This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. The spread of monkeypox in the U.S. in 2022 could represent the dawn of a new sexually transmitted disease, or it could yet be contained. Or it might be too early to tell. Credit: Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP, File The spread of monkeypox in the U.S. could represent the dawn of a new sexually transmitted disease, though some health officials say the virus that causes pimple-like bumps might yet be contained before it gets firmly established. Experts don't agree on the likely path of the disease, with some fearing that it is becoming so widespread that it is on the verge of becoming an entrenched STDlike gonorrhea, herpes and HIV. But no one's really sure, and some say testing and vaccines can still stop the outbreak from taking root. So far, more than 2,800 U.S. cases have been reported as part of an international outbreak that emerged two months ago. About 99% have been men who reported having sex with other men, health officials say. Health officials are not sure how fast the virus has spread. They have only limited information about people who have been diagnosed, and they don't know how many infected people might be spreading it unknowingly. They also don't know how well vaccines and treatments are working. One impediment: Federal health officials do not have the authority to collect and connect data on who has been infected and who has been vaccinated. With such huge question marks, predictions about how big the U.S. outbreak will get this summer vary widely, from 13,000 to perhaps more than 10 times that number. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the government's response is growing stronger every day and vaccine supplies will soon surge. "I think we still have an opportunity to contain this," Walensky told The Associated Press. Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals. It does not usually spread easily among people. But this year more than 15,000 cases have been reported in countries that historically don't see the disease. In the U.S. and Europe, the vast majority of infections have happened in men who have sex with men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus. It spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be transmitted through linens used by someone with monkeypox. Although it's been moving through the population like a sexually transmitted disease, officials have been watching for other types of spread that could expand the outbreak. There have been several cases like that: Officials on Friday said they were aware of two children with monkeypox in the U.S., and at least eight women. Symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and the bumps on parts of the body. The illness has been relatively mild in many men, and no one has died in the U.S. But people can be contagious for weeks, and the lesions can be extremely painful. When monkeypox emerged, there was reason to believe that public health officials could control it. The tell-tale bumps should have made infections easy to identify. And because the virus spreads through close personal contact, officials thought they could reliably trace its spread by interviewing infected people and asking who they had been intimate with. It didn't turn out to be that easy. With monkeypox so rare in the U.S., many infected menand their doctorsmay have attributed their rashes to some other cause. Contact tracing was often stymied by infected men who said they did not know the names of all the people they had sex with. Some reported having multiple sexual interactions with strangers. It didn't help that local health departments, already burdened with COVID-19 and scores of other diseases, now had to find the resources to do intensive contact-tracing work on monkeypox, too. Indeed, some local health officials have given up expecting much from contact tracing. There was another reason to be optimistic: The U.S. government already had a vaccine. The two-dose regimen called Jynneos was licensed in the U.S. in 2019 and recommended last year as a tool against monkeypox. When the outbreak was first identified in May, U.S. officials had only about 2,000 doses available. The government distributed them but limited the shots to people who were identified through public health investigations as being recently exposed to the virus. Late last month, as more doses became available, the CDC began recommending that shots be offered to those who realize on their own that they could have been infected. Demand has exceeded supply, with clinics in some cities rapidly running out of vaccine doses and health officials across the country saying said they don't have enough. That's changing, Walensky said. As of this week, the government has distributed more than 191,000 doses, and it has 160,000 more ready to send. As many as 780,000 doses will become available as early as next week. Once current demand is satisfied, the government will look at expanding vaccination efforts. The CDC believes that 1.5 million U.S. men are considered at high risk for the infection. Testing has also expanded. More than 70,000 people can be tested each week, far more than current demand, Walensky said. The government has also embarked on a campaign to educate doctors and gay and bisexual men about the disease, she added. Donal Bisanzio, a researcher at RTI International, believes U.S. health officials will be able to contain the outbreak before it becomes endemic. But he also said that won't be the end of it. New bursts of cases will probably emerge as Americans become infected by people in other countries where monkeypox keeps circulating. Walensky agrees that such a scenario is likely. "If it's not contained all over the world, we are always at risk of having flare-ups" from travelers, she said. Shawn Kiernan, of the Fairfax County Health Department in Virginia, noted that so far the outbreak is concentrated in one group of peoplemen who have sex with men. Spread of the virus into heterosexual people would be a "tipping point" that may occur before it's widely recognized, said Kiernan, chief of the department's communicable disease section. Spillover into heterosexuals is just a matter of time, said Dr. Edward Hook III, emeritus professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. If monkeypox becomes an endemic sexually transmitted disease, it will be yet another challenge for health departments and doctors already struggling to keep up with existing STDs. Such work has long been underfunded and understaffed, and a lot of it was simply put on hold during the pandemic. Kiernan said HIV and syphilis were prioritized, but work on common infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea amounted to "counting cases and that's about it." For years, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis cases have been rising. "By and large," Hook said, doctors "do a crummy job of taking sexual histories, of inquiring about and acknowledging their patients are sexual beings." Explore further US officials: States getting more monkeypox vaccine soon 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain When Ariela Schnyer was choosing where to get trained as a nurse-midwife, California stood out for an important reason: The state would allow clinicians like her to provide abortions. But three years later, after graduating from her nurse-midwifery program at UC San Francisco, Schnyer is not yet prepared to provide abortions that require hands-on care. After the news broke that Roe v. Wade had been overturneda shift that is expected to send more abortion patients to CaliforniaSchnyer was trying to find out whether she could get trained in Mexico City. "It feels frustrating to have that theoretical training," she said, "but not be able to jump into the gaps that are going to be here." As Texas, Mississippi and other states have clamped down on abortion, California leaders have vowed to make their state a haven for abortion patients. UCLA researchers have estimated that 8,000 to 16,000 more patients will head to California annually for abortions after the Supreme Court ruling. But the limited availability of abortion training has constrained the number of clinicians who can provide the procedure, abortion rights advocates warn. California lawmakers have laid the legal groundwork for a range of health providers to provide abortions, but certified nurse-midwives and other eligible health professionals say that scant opportunities for training have made it harder for them to do so. The obstacles to getting trained are steeper for abortions that involve a physical procedure than for medication abortions, which use pills to end a pregnancy. When California changed its laws to allow more health professionals to provide early abortions, "many people came to California to become clinicians, thinking that they would be able to be abortion providersand then there was no training available to them," said Debbie Bamberger, a nurse practitioner and board member of Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare, a group focused on abortion training. Obstetrician gynecologists are supposed to get access to abortion training in their medical residencies under accreditation requirements, although residents can choose to opt out. Other physicians can also become trained in abortion care, but such opportunities have been sparser. Abortion access advocates estimate that in California, roughly a fifth of family medicine programs routinely offer "opt-out" abortion training under their residency programs; nationally, the estimated number is under 6%. For physicians, if it isn't covered in medical school, "you're most likely going to enter residency with very little to no education in abortion," said Flor Hunt, executive director of TEACH. "And then if your residency program doesn't have a meaningful abortion rotation, your chances of then being able to get abortion training are very low." Then there are other health professionals including certified nurse-midwives: nurses who complete additional higher education in pregnancy and childbirth. California allows nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse-midwives to provide abortions using suction early in pregnancyalso known as aspiration abortionsif they get training and follow other requirements under a law passed in 2013. But that training can also be hard to get. Kim Q. Dau, who directs a UC San Francisco nurse-midwifery education program, said that when that law passed, the program was quick to provide training through lectures and reading but has "struggled over many years to find the hands-on learning experience." Many of the local sites that can train her students are already teaching physicians, which limits their capacity to bring in more trainees. "To teach anything takes more time and energy" than simply doing it without training anyone at the same time, Dau said, and clinics are concerned about not being able to see as many patients as a result. Schnyer, who recently graduated from the midwifery program, said she had gotten training on medication abortions and had a chance to practice with tools used in early abortions on a papaya. But she had limited chances to observe procedural abortions. Her midwifery program gave her an opportunity to assist with preparing patients for abortions, but not the actual procedure, she said. "It is kind of frustrating to leave school without that skill under my belt, in terms of actual clinical training," Schnyer said. She hopes to find a job that will assist her in getting trained. In the meantime, Schnyer is looking into whether she might be able to continue her training at a Mexico City clinic. Zoe Carrasco, another graduate from the UC San Francisco midwifery program, also said she had limited opportunities for hands-on training in abortion, which meant that "we only saw a small glimpse of what abortion management looks like." Carrasco had wanted to help provide access to abortion care as a Latina provider who speaks Spanish, but doesn't feel prepared to do so with the amount of training she has received. Like Schnyer, she is hoping she might be able to get trained on the job, but knows that those opportunities are also rare. That scarcity, she said, "is a reflection of how abortion is viewed in this country." The California law that paved the way for physician assistants, nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to provide aspiration abortions does not mandate a specific number of hours of training, but says the required training must be recognized by state boards or, for physician assistants, other options outlined in state code. In an analysis of training opportunities across the country, the reproductive rights advocacy and educational group Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health found that most abortion training is focused on medical doctors; it identified only one program across the country offering "clinical training"hands-on education meant to build clinical skillin abortion care for registered nurses. Two others accepted "advanced practice clinicians" such as nurse practitioners. Nurse-midwifery programs are focused on preparing students to take a licensing exam, and unless abortion procedures are on that test, "it's hard to get programs to really robustly incorporate that into education," said Anna Brown, a registered nurse and director of education for Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health. Tiffany Lundeen, a certified nurse-midwife who works in Contra Costa County, said that during her graduate school training at Yale University, "there were no opportunities for me to be trained in abortion care." After she graduated, Lundeen went to work in federally qualified health centerscommunity clinics that provide primary care to poor and uninsured patients. Lundeen sees abortion as something that should be part of primary care"as fundamental to health and well-being as getting your screening tests for cancer." But because such clinics rely heavily on federal funding, they often steer clear of providing abortion care, Lundeen said. "What that means is I don't have access to on-the-job training in abortion care," Lundeen said. "I could never find another way to be trained." Lundeen said she tried reaching out to nonprofits trying to fill that gap, but found that they had limited capacity. Abortion training has been limited, in part, by the number and distribution of existing providers in California. Bamberger estimated that to become adept in procedural abortions takes being trained with an abortion provider on 20 to 50 procedures. Broad swaths of the state have no abortion providers at all. "In order to provide training, we have to be able to do the abortions in the first place," said Dr. Melissa Myo, a complex family planning fellow at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. "Even in places like California where it is legal, access is an issue" because many rural counties lack an abortion provider. At Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which covers dozens of health centers from Sutter County to Bakersfield, nurse practitioners and midwives can get hands-on training, but "it's just one person at a time," Bamberger said. Clinicians can get trained quicker in providing medication abortion but need added training to step in if complications occur, Bamberger said. "There's a vicious cycle with not enough providers and not enough trainingwhich produces not enough providers," said Ian Lague, curriculum and program manager with Reproductive Health Education in Family Medicine, a group seeking to integrate abortion training into residency programs for family physicians. For that reason, the group has emphasized training in medication abortion, which is simpler to learn. "There is a deluge of people who want to help in this moment, and while it would be wonderful to get them trained in procedural abortion, this is the low-hanging fruit." Dr. Katrina Heyrana, a fellow in family planning at County-USC, said it has been refreshing to see doctors from all specialties being galvanized by the Supreme Court ruling. Physicians have asked her, "How can I become a mifepristone prescriber?"one of the medications used to end a pregnancy. California lawmakers are also trying to help: Under Assembly Bill 1918, one in a package of state bills aiming to expand and protect abortion access, the state would create the California Reproductive Health Service Corps to recruit a diverse workforce by offering scholarships, stipends and loan repayment for health professionals who get abortion training and agree to work three years in underserved areas of the state. The recently enacted state budget includes $20 million for the health service corps and an additional $20 million for scholarships and loan repayment to healthcare providers who commit to providing reproductive healthcare services. Health educators are also anticipating that more out-of-state physicians will come to California for training as abortion is criminalized in other states. Two years ago, 92% of OB-GYN residents reported that they had some access to abortion training; UCLA and UC San Francisco researchers estimated that number would fall to 56%and possibly lowerafter Roe was overturned. Training out-of-state doctors is important, but "I definitely think there's going to be a bottleneck," said Heyrana, who will soon start a new job training medical residents in abortion care. "We need to train our residents to feel comfortable in providing this careand now have the added burden of having to train residents in probably over half the country." Explore further Many obstetrics and gynecology residents won't get abortion training if Roe is overturned 2022 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Schematic of vaccination schedule and sample collection. All participants were vaccinated with BNT162b2 on days 0 and 21 and samples were collected early in 2021. A 10 healthy participants underwent serial phlebotomy that was performed pre-vaccination (day 3 to 0), on day 2830, and on day 105108. PBMCs were isolated at each time point, and citrated plasma was stored when possible. PBMCs from these participants were utilized for CyTOF and in vitro stimulation studies. Plasma was used both for SARS-CoV-2 ELISAs and vesicular stomatitis virus pseudoneutralization assays. B A single healthy participant underwent serial phlebotomy pre-vaccination and on days 8, 14, 28, and 42. PBMCs and citrated plasma were isolated at each time point and used for transcriptional analysis of SARS-CoV-2-specific B cells. Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31142-5 In a technical tour de force, a collaborative team of Vanderbilt researchers has characterized the antigen-specific immune response to the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine. The group used multiple single-cell technologies, unbiased machine learning, and traditional immunological approaches to track cellular and antibody responses in samples collected over time from a cohort of healthy participants. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could guide testing for vaccine response and booster timing. "There is a lot of debate in the clinical immunology field about what is an appropriate vaccine response: What actually protects someone against disease?" said Erin Wilfong, MD, Ph.D., instructor in Medicine and one of three co-first authors of the paper with Kevin Kramer, Ph.D., and Kelsey Voss, Ph.D. "How do we know who's had a good response, and who hasn't? How do we know when people need a booster?" When VUMC began vaccinating its workforce against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in December 2020, the collaborative team was in a unique position to explore these questions. The researchersincluding the groups of Jonathan Irish, Ph.D., Ivelin Georgiev, Ph.D., Rachel Bonami, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Rathmell, Ph.D., all co-senior authors of the Nature Communications paperhad been working together through the Human Immunology Discovery Initiative (HIDI), which was funded in 2019 by a Vanderbilt Trans-Institutional Programs (TIPs) award. "The TIPs grant brought together researchers with disparate technologies and expertise focused on trying to understand how the human immune response works," said Rathmell, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, which coordinates HIDI. Kramer, who was a graduate student in Georgiev's lab, suggested that the group study the response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in healthy volunteers who had not had the disease COVID-19. "It's challenging to find a setting where you can study the human immune response to something new," Rathmell said. "This was an opportunity for us to see what happens for the very first time with an entirely new class of vaccines, the RNA-based vaccines. From a basic science standpoint of 'What do these vaccines do?' that was very interesting." Within hours of getting Institutional Review Board approval and sending out an email to a faculty list, the team had volunteers ready to donate blood samples ahead of being vaccinated, and several times afterwards. Irish and Georgiev have both pioneered single-cell technologies and unbiased analytical approaches to find and identify the rare immune cells directed at specific antigensin this case the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein. Bonami is a B cell biologist who developed single-cell analytical pipelines to identify which of the functionally distinct subsets or "flavors" of antigen-specific B cells expanded with vaccination. Using these technologies alongside other single-cell and traditional approaches, the group identified and characterized the SARS-CoV-2-directed B cells that instruct T cells and produce antibodies and the T cells that can kill virus-infected cells and also help direct antibody production. "Right now, the way that we test if vaccines are working is by measuring antibodies," Rathmell said. "You really need both antibody-producing B cells and T cells for an effective immune response, and we're not measuring either of the cells." The team was able to develop strategies for using a more common technologyflow cytometryto find the B and T cells that respond specifically to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. "We're still a long way off, but this is a first step towards being able to test whether someone had a good cellular response," Wilfong said. The researchers expect such measurements will be useful, particularly for determining the vaccine response of high-risk individuals and for defining if and when booster doses might be beneficial. One of the participants who did not have the identified vaccine-induced cell populations had a breakthrough COVID-19 infection, they reported. The group was also intrigued that the vaccine-induced T cells they identified had unique characteristics that didn't match previously described categories of T cells. "I think we found a new phase in an immune response," Rathmell said. "It's going to be an interesting set of cells to study in the future. These cells are the ones that correlate best with the antibody response." Rathmell noted that the "cellular analysis platform" the group developed can be broadly applied to study cellular immune responses, for example in patients with kidney cancer who are being treated with immunotherapies, patients on immunosuppressant therapies following cardiac transplant, and patients with lupus. Explore further New fast test discriminates between cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination or infection More information: Kevin J. Kramer et al, Single-cell profiling of the antigen-specific response to BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Kevin J. Kramer et al, Single-cell profiling of the antigen-specific response to BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31142-5 Corinna Sac decorates cakes at her bakery, UpRising Bakery and Cafe, on July 21, 2022, in Lake in the Hills. Sac and her business are getting online and in person harassment because they are hosting a family-friendly drag show on Saturday. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) A far northwest suburban bakery has received a stream of harassment after selling tickets to a family-friendly drag show scheduled at the shop on Saturday, while protesters and counterprotesters plan to rally outside during the show, according to the owner and police. Corinna Sac, owner of UpRising Bakery and Cafe in Lake in the Hills, planned what she said is a fun and child-friendly event, replete with costumes, dancing, breakfast food and a celestial theme. Sac, a baker, opened the shop with the goal of creating a space for everyone, she said. The space holds live music, poetry slams and other community events. Advertisement The backlash against the drag show in the McHenry County town was seemingly centered on the show being open to children, Sac said. People called and emailed the store voicing concerns. Some called workers at the bakery pedophiles. They insulted Sac as a mother, she said. Other people who havent been exposed to this need to learn about it and be more accepting, she said. Advertisement Corinna Sac at her bakery, UpRising Bakery and Cafe, in Lake in the Hills on July 21, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) UpRising limited the ability of the public to post on its Facebook page, and more than a dozen reviews on the bakerys Yelp page were taken down for violating terms of service. Someone left a sign on the door that said, Pedophiles work here, Sac said. Another person came into the store and spit into the bakery case. Another time, a bag of feces was left outside, she said. People also called police to report the drag show, according to a news release from the Lake in the Hills Police Department. It investigated and found no violations, the release said. It also subsequently investigated threats to the bakery. Despite the harassment, Sac plans to go ahead with the drag show on Saturday. She is also planning a second one on Aug. 7 and possibly more in the future. Saturdays show has sold out. She is expecting both protesters and counterprotesters outside the bakery on Saturday, but said the groups have worked with the Police Department to protest in a designated area. Customers enter UpRising Bakery and Cafe in Lake in the Hills on July 21, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) In its news release, the Police Department said it is aware of protests and counterprotests planned for Saturday. We are taking measures to ensure that everyone has the right to engage in peaceful protest, the release said. However, we wish to remind everyone that under no circumstances will the police department tolerate a disruption of this event or any activity that disrupts the peace. Advertisement A Lake in Hills police spokesperson did not return calls from the Tribune. Sac said the show is very, very family friendly with no nudity or explicit content. The event, called Brunch at Night, features well-known local performers. The worse thing is a high kick, possibly, or someone doing the splits. Thats about it, she said. In the wake of the backlash, there has been an outpouring of support from the community, Sac said. LGBT organizations and some pastors and ministers in the area have organized to support the bakery. Patrick Murfin, social justice chair at the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, said the backlash against the event was discouraging. He put information about supporting the bakery in the churchs newsletter this week. Corinna Sac, left, speaks with customers Mary Yazel-Muska, right, and Cynthia and Ian Narcisi at her bakery, UpRising Bakery and Cafe, on July 21, 2022, in Lake in the Hills. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Up until the late 80s and early 90s , it was dangerous to be out in McHenry County, Murfin said. But there has been so much progress since then. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > Though he said there is sometimes local pushback against Pride events and LGBT organizations in the area, he hasnt seen the level of vitriol experienced by the bakery. This particular event, the opposition to it, seems ... to be being orchestrated by certain far-right elements to exploit the moment, he said. Crys Squires, president of Woodstock Pride, an organization based in the nearby suburb, said the group has also marshaled support for Sac and the bakery. The whole community and group really rallied around the bakery, Squires said. Were just really trying to shower the bakery with as much support. Like Murfin, Squires also felt that the community has made progress in recent years and was disappointed to see the level of nastiness spewed at the bakery. Woodstock Pride has hosted drag shows locally that have received some backlash but not to the same extent. I think one big takeaway from this whole thing is that while there is still negativity and people who maybe do not support the LGBT community, there are also a lot of people that do, and those people are standing up, Squires said. Advertisement mabuckley@chicagotribune.com It was the summer of 2020. Everyone was out of work, and no one wanted to be inside. Local guitar and banjo player Tyson Gerhardt, aka Dusty The Kid, was looking for someone to start playing with, so he reached out to violin player Buck-Eyed Geoffrey Taylor and they began busking on street corners every night. Before they knew it, two new members joined them, Finn "Stovepipe Rides Again" Carroll on bass guitar and Quint "Thrift Storrs" Bishop on percussion. The Recession Special was born. After a pandemics worth of finding their sound and playing shows around town, the group is celebrating releasing its self-titled first album with a release show at Free Cycles this Saturday. Self-described as old-time folk punk meets squat club swing, Gerhardt brings a background in punk rock to the group, Taylor classical violin, Rides Again jazz and Bishop pop music and music production. The amalgamation of their experiences comes together to create an eclectic sound that feels like an Appalachian folk song, an Irish fiddle tune, a punk show and something you just want to get up and dance to all at once. Politics also play into many of the bands songs, because music is inherently political, Gerhardt said. I think that music is inherently political, whether its political music or not its an expression of joy or pain or loss, its all the major emotions that human beings are capable of, Gerhardt said. Most of the music Americans love is the music of oppressed communities, he said. An appreciation for that music and an earnest desire to stand in solidarity with the marginalized is reflected in the Recession Specials sound. This is the music of Appalachian coal miners, Gerhardt said. This is the music of Romani travelers in Europe. This is the music of American workers on the picket line. American music is the music of the disenfranchised and oppressed, he said. And anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is wrong. In recording the Recession Specials album at Soundcolor Studios in Livingston, one of the biggest challenge the band faced was getting the chaos and energy of the bands sound to translate to tape after mostly playing on street corners around Missoula, Gerhardt said. It was tough, but he thinks they achieved it. At the show, he said they have a few surprises in store for everybody. While he hopes people take away the political message of the music, he also hopes people get what they need out of the album or maybe just find a bunch of fun crazy folk music that they love. The band has had to go on a hiatus since December, as a couple of its members have moved away. He said hes excited to get the band together and play again. I just cant wait for us to get up there and give it all weve got again, he said. FRIDAY, July 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- People with hemophilia B could find their bleeding risk dramatically reduced with just one injection of an experimental gene therapy, a new study reports. Hemophilia B is a rare and inherited genetic disorder in which people have low levels of the factor IX (FIX) protein, which is needed for forming blood clots. Patients have to inject themselves regularly with a synthetic version of the FIX protein. But a new gene therapy called FLT180a led to sustained production of FIX protein in 9 of 10 patients participating in early trials, removing the need for regular replacement injections, researchers reported. After 26 weeks, five patients still had normal levels of FIX protein, three had levels that had flagged but were still higher than before, and one had an abnormally high level, researchers said. The therapy works by using a hollowed-out virus to deliver a functional copy of the FIX protein gene to replace the one that isn't working. While the treatment was generally well tolerated, all patients experienced some side effects. This included an abnormal blood clot in a patient who received the highest dose of the therapy and later produced the highest levels of FIX protein. Researchers plan to track the patients for 15 years to judge the long-term safety and durability of the approach. "Removing the need for hemophilia patients to regularly inject themselves with the missing protein is an important step in improving their quality of life," said lead researcher Dr. Pratima Chowdary, a hematologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London and University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute. "The long-term follow-up study will monitor the patients for durability of expression and surveillance for late effects," she said in a UCL news release. The findings were published July 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine. More information The National Hemophilia Foundation has more about hemophilia B. SOURCE: University College London, news release, July 20, 2022 Was this page helpful? The judge in penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will soon decide whether the jury will be told about some brain exams his lawyers had conducted on him. His attorneys this week will tell Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that she should permit the tests be shown in their upcoming presentation. They say the tests bolster their claim that Cruz suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. The prosecution says the tests are junk science and should not be shown to the jury. Cruz has pleaded guilty to murdering 17 at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. His ongoing trial is to determine whether he is sentenced to death or life without parole. Two pilots are dead after their helicopter crashed into Idaho's Salmon River on Thursday while flying water drops on the Moose fire. The helicopter, a twin-rotor CH-47D "Chinook" helicopter operated by Alaska-basked ROTAK Helicopter Services, crashed around 3:30 p.m., according to the company. ROTAK announced the crash on its website and social media Thursday afternoon. In an update on the fire Friday, the Salmon-Challis National Forest stated that the accident was under investigation by the Forest Service and the Lemhi County Sheriff's Office. The pilots, Thomas Hayes, 41, of Post Falls, Idaho, and Jared Bird, 36, of Anchorage, Alaska, were extricated from the wreckage and transported to medical facilities. "Despite the life saving measures in place, each pilot succumbed to their injuries," Lemhi County Sheriff Steve Penner announced on Friday. Both pilots were employed by ROTAK and "were highly experienced and both were veterans." Chinook helicopters weigh about 23,700 pounds and can lift up to 26,000 pounds. On fires, they can be used to transport heavy equipment or drop water. On June 4, ROTAK announced the activation of its helicopter on Instagram: "Been a long time coming, here is our first Chinook out and ready to meet the civil world for the first time." Columbia Helicopters, located in Aurora, Oregon, announced in a Facebook post July 7 that it had sold two Chinook helicopters to ROTAK. The Moose fire had grown to 23,620 acres by Friday morning and was 0% contained. It had 690 personnel assigned to its suppression. The fire started July 17 just west of North Fork, Idaho, and about 22 miles south of Lost Trail Pass and the Montana-Idaho state line. No evacuation orders are in place, according to an update Friday morning from Salmon-Challis National Forest, but Salmon River Road is partially closed, with a pilot car leading vehicles through the blaze beginning at 6:30 a.m. daily and lasting as long as conditions permit. The fire is burning on both sides of that road. The fire is just a few miles west of U.S. Route 93 between Lost Trail and Salmon, Idaho, but has not yet reached or crossed the highway. However, crews have extinguished spot fires across the highway. Crews were bolstering structure and infrastructure protections along the Route 93 corridor. A Type-1 incident management team the largest and most robust configuration of the interagency teams assigned to oversee wildfire response took command of the incident at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Hog Trough fire The lightning-caused Hog Trough fire about 17 miles east of Hamilton grew to approximately 523 acres by Friday morning, up from 3.5 acres when it was first discovered on Sunday and up from 300 acres on Tuesday but only 23 acres more than before. The fire is not threatening any structures and is 9% contained. Fifty-three personnel are working the fire, which is burning in the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area on both the Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge national forests, south of Skalkaho Highway and about 5.4 miles east of the Black Bear Campground. A Type-3 team is managing the fire but ground-based firefighters are not yet directly engaging the blaze, which is in a 22-year-old burn scar, because of "extremely remote, rugged and inaccessible terrain." The team plans to make water drops on the fire via helicopter and ground crews will thin fuels ahead of the fire's eastward growth. Fire activity was moderate on Friday morning but expected to increase. Missoula may have gotten lucky this time: Firefighters have so far held the Black Mountain fire west of Missoula to about 20 acres, and there are no evacuation orders in place. On Thursday afternoon, the day-old fire was burning within its footprint and being held at bay by ground and aerial resources, according to Shawn Bradshaw, the incident commander. Firefighters worked to lay hose around the perimeter on Thursday afternoon as a bulldozer prepared to crawl up the mountainside and cut lines to contain the blaze. "It's not doing much right now," he said around 3:30 p.m. Thursday. "We're trying to keep it in its footprint." Bradshaw, who works for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, was stationed on Big Flat Road near Martin Gulch and the fire, about to prep the bulldozer to head to the fire. A DNRC Huey helicopter roared overhead at an interval, flying fast and low as it shuttled buckets of water to drop on the fire. The fire started Wednesday evening above Big Flat Road on Black Mountain, about 5.75 miles southwest of Missoula International Airport. Bradshaw wasn't sure when the fire would be fully extinguished, but said, "We try to hit it hard and get it stopped as quick as possible. I'm glad we caught it when we did." So were Adam Trina and his wife, Parisa Jaroenrach, who own the 160-acre plot on which the fire is burning. Trina said the couple, previously of Columbia Falls, live in a camper on the property as they prepare to build a home there this year. He was driving home on Mullan Road around 6 p.m. Wednesday when he saw the plume of smoke rising from the mountainside. He immediately called Jaroenrach, who was at the camper. Fearing a propane tank explosion or other accident, "my heart dropped for a minute" until she picked up the phone, he said. In consultation with officials, he directed Jaroenrach to drive an ATV out of the property. The vehicle became stuck, but she found an alternate route out with assistance from responding firefighters. The couple's camper is unharmed, and they can't see the fire from that section of their land. Trina praised the efforts of responding firefighters, calling it a good expense of tax dollars. Trina said he's not sure what caused the fire; he wasn't home and wasn't aware of anyone being near where the fire started. But, he said, he couldn't imagine a cause other than humans. Other people sometimes travel across an easement through the property. "Something happened between 1 o'clock and 5 o'clock," Trina said. "Who knows yet, but it's human, it has to be." Just 1.25 miles east of the incident command post, where Kona Ranch Road crosses the Clark Fork River, people swam and fished in sweltering 93-degree weather. The only sign of a wildfire nearby was the occasional tuft of white smoke from the mountainside to the west and, of course, the thrum of the Vietnam-era helicopter filling buckets of water just downstream. The fire "made a little bit of a run yesterday," Bradshaw said, but on Thursday was exhibiting moderate behavior with only occasional single-tree torching and no runs through tree crowns. About 45 personnel were working the blaze at that time, across four DNRC engines, one U.S. Forest Service engine, one USFS hand crew and the bulldozer. Bradshaw said that's changing constantly as resource availability and allocations shift. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The landscape around the fire is a mixture of steep, rocky slopes, dense brush, and open Ponderosa pine forest. Missoula Rural Volunteer Fire Department Chief Chris Newman said around midday Thursday that holding the fire to 20 acres was a feat. He credited in part the quick arrival of three air tankers dropping retardant and two helicopters dropping water. Firefighters were "assisted with some very good air support with air tankers and also helicopter bucket drops, so that's a best-case scenario," Newman said. "That could've been obviously a lot worse." It was so far very impressive, he said, "to hold something like that in an area that hasn't burned in a long time, well, it's very thick in there." Crews from his agency were the first on scene, arriving around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. They were soon joined by firefighters from other local agencies and the DNRC. Initial attack involved three Missoula Rural engines, three DNRC engines and one Missoula city engine. Winds were blowing 20-25 mph when crews arrived. "Very quickly after arrival we went into joint command with DNRC and also the Missoula County Sheriff's Office because there were evacuation potentials," he said, adding that the fire "was pretty difficult access. There's quite a network of ... roads up there, but some of them are what we call Jeep trails or two-track." DNRC took command of the fire and Missoula Rural crews cleared the fire by midnight. One house near the fire has been evacuated but "there are no other evacuation orders or warnings that have been issued," according to Missoula County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jeannette Smith. Smith said that Big Flat Road near the fire was closed to non-residents. Sarah Coefield, an air quality specialist with Missoula City-County Health Department, said that the fire likely won't significantly impact Missoula's air quality, but that things would've been much worse had it blown up. "If it were a fire that had escaped or ignited on a red-flag day ... then we would've been looking at really significant smoke impact," Coefield said. "That would be a terrible place for air quality for there to be a prolonged smoke event." Coefield said that some smoke haze in the area had come from fires in Alaska and Canada, and that she's monitoring fires in British Columbia that could send smoke to Missoula if they grow larger. The Hog Trough and Moose fires to the south were "unlikely to be an issue in Missoula County," she said. The Montana Department of Justice released its 2021 Missing Indigenous Persons report, which revealed an uptick in cases. According to the report, in 2021, Montana law enforcement entered 2,114 missing person cases into the FBIs National Crime Information Center database. Of those, 650, or 30.7%, were identified as Indigenous. In the Department of Justices (DOJ) 2017-2019 report, Indigenous people accounted for, on average, 26% of missing persons cases in Montana, though they comprise about 6.7% of the state's population. Dana Toole, special services bureau chief with the DOJs Division of Criminal Investigation, said its hard to determine the meaning behind the increase, as missing persons data changes every day, sometimes hourly. Whats in the report? The DOJ report revealed that of the missing Indigenous people in Montana in 2021, 67% were women and 33% were men. Toole said on a daily basis, those numbers are closer to 50-50. Of the missing Indigenous people in Montana in 2021, more than 80% were under the age of 18. Toole said this number is consistent with all missing persons in Montana, meaning that non-Native people under 18 also go missing at higher rates than any other age. We have a real problem in Montana with youth being reported missing, she said. Of the 650 missing Indigenous persons entries in 2021, 457 were unique. That means that 193 missing persons cases concerned people who were reported missing at least twice. Toole said a number of factors contribute to a person being reported missing more than once. Someone whos got a lot of stressors in their life or perhaps is unsafe or in very stressful situations repeatedly, may try to leave and get reported missing, she said. Then, theyre found, but the patterns in their lives dont change, so they leave again. The report revealed that 229 missing Indigenous people were located the same day their disappearance was reported, and 167 were found within one or two days of being reported missing. The report also showed a slight increase in missing Indigenous persons cases during the summer months, when the weather gets warmer and students are out of school. In May, there were 66 reports of missing Indigenous people, in June, there were 52 and in July, there were 79. February had the lowest missing Indigenous persons cases with 38. Of the various state and tribal law enforcement entities that handle these cases, the Billings Police Department saw the highest number of missing persons cases in 2021 with 119. Toole said she thinks the Billings Police handle a greater amount of cases because they are located near two reservations the Crow and Northern Cheyenne and because many Native people also live in communities neighboring the reservations. All these folks go to Billings for major services, like shopping, medical care, school, etc., she said. It makes sense they have more reports because of all those factors. Of the 650 missing Indigenous persons cases in 2021, 32 were still missing as of Jan. 1, 2022. As of Thursday, seven Native people who went missing in 2021 were still missing. Five are under the age of 18. Arden Pepion, 4, has been missing since April 22, 2021. Leo Wagner, 27, has been missing since April 27, 2021. Randolph Plenty Hawk, 59, has been missing since July 14, 2021. Wanda Lou Dawn Fast Horse, 14, has been missing since Nov. 5, 2021. Lacie Rides The Bear, 16, has been missing since Dec. 6, 2021. Chandler Long Tree, 16, has been missing since Dec. 24, 2021. Tyana White Hawk, 16, has been missing since Dec. 26, 2021. As of Thursday at noon, there were 184 missing people in Montana, of those, 47, or 25.5%, were Indigenous. Challenges of data Comprehensive national data on the missing Indigenous persons epidemic is limited, and Montana is one of a few states to collect and analyze numbers. A 2021 Government Accountability Office report found the total number of missing or murdered Indigenous women is unknown because federal databases do not contain comprehensive national data. It also revealed that federal entities, including the Department of Justice and Department of the Interior, have failed to meet required deadlines. Toole said when it comes to Montana data collection, missing Indigenous persons reports can be filed with a number of law enforcement agencies including state, tribal and federal entities. Theres no statewide, centralized place all the reports go, she said. Thats why legislation that requires all entities to enter those reports into the National Crime Information Center is so important. The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a federal database that helps users manage and resolve cases. The Montana Legislature in 2019 passed House Bill 54, which requires all missing person reports to be entered into the database within two hours for a person under the age of 21 and within eight hours for a person older than 21. Toole said data is critical not only in understanding the scope of the problem but also in identifying effective solutions. In order to make relevant and effective public policy decisions and allocate any resources or funding to the problem, our policy and lawmakers need accurate information about the problem, she said. If we only know part of the story, we may make assumptions about the causes, reasons for and impact of the problem. Data helps us know the full story. The Montana Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force, which was created in 2019 with the passage of the Looping in Native Communities Act, reviewed and approved the DOJs report. The task force plans to use it to inform their future discussions and decisions. Although the number of short-term rentals in Missoula is on the rise, city officials dont think the impact of these units is creating distress in the local housing market. Ultimately, the current data do not support the conclusion that tourist homes or short-term rentals are taking up a significant proportion of our housing stock in Missoula at this time, said Montana James, the citys deputy director of community development. The number of short-term rentals in the city has increased 25% since early 2020, according to a presentation given Wednesday to the city Housing, Redevelopment and Community Programs Committee. City officials in April identified 445 short-term rental units in the city, which accounts for less than 2% of Missoulas housing stock. Those units, however, arent evenly distributed throughout the city. The Riverfront and Heart of Missoula neighborhoods have the highest concentration of short-term rentals. There are 75 units in the Riverfront neighborhood and 63 in the Heart of Missoula. Other neighborhoods with high concentrations of short-term rentals include Rose Park, with 50 units, and the University District with 41. This really sort of creates an out-sized feeling that there are short-term rentals on every corner because they are very heavily concentrated in the Riverfront and Heart of Missoula neighborhoods and the third neighborhood there is the University District that we saw a lot of, noted Rikki Henderson, Missoulas housing programs manager. Besides their location, Missoulas short-term rentals also share a number of common characteristics. 61% of short-term rentals are in single-family units, and 95% rent the entire unit. Only 5% rent individual bedrooms. The majority of local listings represent one- or two-bedroom units. The current average nightly rate for all short-term rental listings in the city is $150. There were 141 listings that rented for over 120 nights per year. Fifty-three units generate over $25,000 in yearly income for their individual owners. The average short-term rental price for a one-bedroom is $158 per night, compared with the average monthly rent of $820 for a unit of the same size. For a two-bedroom unit, the average short-term rental price is $196 per night, versus $1,064 per month as a long-term rental. While the citys analysis provided substantial insight into the short-term rental landscape in Missoula, city officials pointed out there remain multiple lingering questions. Those include the frequency that each unit is utilized as a short-term rental, the occupancy status of those units and why people list homes as short-term rentals. Henderson also wondered whether changing the citys short-term rental ordinance would change the number of available units, whether market changes might drive short-term rentals to become long-term rentals and if those potential long-term rentals would be considered affordable. Its a complicated picture, Henderson said. Going forward, city staff suggested a number of next steps the city could take to get a better handle on short-term rentals in Missoula. They suggested updating the annual tourist home registration with a survey form and shifting to more active monitoring of tourist homes. They also floated the idea of increasing the citys registration fee for short-term rentals, because the current $60 fee doesnt provide enough revenue to effectively keep tabs on the citys short-term rentals. Industry standards suggest charging a fee equal to a two- or three-night stay, which would mean a fee of around $300 to $450 for Missoula. Despite city staffs conclusions about the impacts of short-term rentals, Ward 3 Council Member Daniel Carlino advocated for regulation changes for these units. Those two things combined definitely make me feel like we need to put some further regulations in, with the financial incentive and the availability to build these around town and turn long-term rentals into them, Carlino said. With a temporary measure set to sunset next year, a bill that would permanently reverse an appellate courts decision on when federal agencies must consult on endangered species advanced from a U.S. Senate committee Thursday. Montana Republican Steve Daines and West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin co-sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 2561, aimed at reversing the 2015 Cottonwood Decision," before the bill passed from committee Thursday. The decision is named for the Bozeman-based Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, which won the case before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision found that the U.S. Forest Service needed to take a top-level look at its management plans after new critical habitat designations were determined for the threatened Canada lynx. In practice, the decision meant that within the 9th Circuit, the Forest Service needed to open up forest plans to consult the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when a new species was listed under the Endangered Species Act, when new critical habitat was designated or when significant new information about a listed species became available. Litigation has followed as conservation groups seek enforcement of the decision. Supporters of the decision say the consultation is critical in ensuring endangered species receive adequate protections based on the latest science. Critics of the decision argued the requirement was duplicative of project-level analysis that includes the consultation, only serving to delay projects. Legally, government attorneys contended that the management plans were static decisions that did not direct on-the-ground work, and that consultations rarely resulted in management changes. In 2018, a rider backed by Montanas congressional delegation partially overturned the Cottonwood decision, but only until 2023. The measure overturned consultation requirements on new listings and critical habitat, while consultation on new significant information has remained in place. The looming expiration has led to new bills seeking a full and permanent overturning of Cottonwood, including bills from Daines and Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, with Thursday the farthest any have advanced. Democratic Sen. Jon Testers office said that he had recently signed on as a cosponsor to the Senate bill. The Cottonwood decision established a new standard for re-consultation on completed forest plans for only states within the 9th Circuit, Daines said in the Senate Natural Resources Committee Thursday. It created a split in the courts, and a different standard for Bureau of Land Management plans than forest plans. More importantly, it set a new, never-ending procedural requirement for consultation on plans that has diverted agency resources and time. In testimony before the same committee from October, Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French said the agency estimates consultations on about 100 forest plans could take 5-10 years and millions of dollars to complete. Daines argued the amendment will also bring clarity to a conflicting decision in the 10th Circuit. Speaking against the bill was Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat for Oregon. Wyden indicated support for the principle of the bill and increasing timber harvest, but argued that its language would not have the desired effect of reducing environmental litigation. I very much wanted to work out with the sponsor (Daines), with a number of my Democratic colleagues and Sen. Manchin, I believe the Daines amendment as written will create more confusion, more litigation and looks like a lawyers full employment program, he said. Wyden pointed specifically to language saying consultation would not be required if there are no on the ground effects, believing it left legal ambiguity to the question of whether forest plans would qualify. Daines countered that the language of the bill mirrored legal language from the Department of Justice used to argue the 9th Circuit case. The amendment passed on a vote of 16-4. Tester was among those who applauded the vote Thursday, with a spokesperson saying he has been concerned about additional red tape, cosponsored the current bill and joined in sponsoring the 2018 partial fix. The committees action demonstrated strong, bipartisan support for the legislation that will put the issue to rest by allowing timber, trails, and conservation projects to move forward while protecting a thorough environmental review process and without impacting conservation outcomes on the ground, his office said. The vote also saw support from several conservation and wood products groups such as the National Wild Turkey Federation and Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, citing concern about delays on forestry projects. The vote drew some opposition as well, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, which said it hamstring consideration of new and important information on endangered species, such as the effects of climate change. Senate leaders are looking to clear legislation that would expand veterans health and disability benefits after passing a semiconductor manufacturing incentives and science package, but getting both bipartisan priorities done next week will require cooperation from all 100 senators. Democratic leaders are trying to secure a time agreement to speed through procedural votes and pass the semiconductor measure, also known as the "chips-plus" bill, by Tuesday, said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., a leadership team member. "We've got the votes. Now we're running the clock out. Any one person can object," Stabenow said of a potential unanimous consent agreement to speed up the clock on various procedural votes that still need to occur before final passage. "I'm hopeful that we'll have a final vote by Tuesday. It's not locked in." Senate Republican Whip John Thune of South Dakota predicted final passage would occur Wednesday. A time agreement on the chips bill was not reached before the Senate adjourned Thursday, so the Senate is scheduled to vote to invoke cloture and cut off debate on a motion to pass the House-passed legislative vehicle, with the Senate's substitute amendment attached, on Monday at 5:30 p.m. It is still possible for leaders to secure a time agreement early next week to speed up final passage but without one that vote would occur Wednesday. The "chips-plus" package includes $54 billion in grants over five years for semiconductor manufacturing and research, along with 5G wireless deployment; a tax credit covering 25 percent of spending on new semiconductor manufacturing plants through 2026; and numerous science-focused provisions, among them funding authorization for the National Science Foundation. While there are enough Republicans supporting the bill to ensure the Senate can clear a filibuster, some of the measure's opponents have said they may not consent to speeding up votes. But at least one Republican who supported a procedural motion Tuesday to get on the bill is seeking an amendment and is not sure whether he will vote for final passage if he does not get it. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said he wants a vote on an amendment that would fast track the permitting process for companies trying to build semiconductor manufacturing facilities. "That makes all of this investment actually happen because it takes what is roughly a five-year permitting timeline down to roughly 18 months," he said. "Given the pace of technology development in the semiconductor space, it's far too rapid for a five-year permitting timeline. And when I called CEOs of chip manufacturing companies around the world they all told me this was one of the biggest hurdles." Democrats have offered no signals that they would be willing to entertain amendments to the carefully negotiated bill. But they may allow votes on amendments they know won't get enough support to be adopted if it helps secure a unanimous consent agreement to get to final passage more quickly. Veterans bill After passing the semiconductor and science package, the Senate is expected to try to clear the veterans bill, which would make it easier for veterans with certain types of cancer and respiratory illnesses to obtain VA benefits by presuming they were exposed to burn pits or other toxic substances during their service in Afghanistan, Iraq or Persian Gulf countries. The Senate has to vote on the measure for a second time after the House removed a tax provision the Senate was not allowed to include under the Constitution's origination clause. The House passed the revised measure last week in a 342-88 bipartisan vote, and Senate passage would clear the measure for President Joe Biden's signature. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., took procedural steps Thursday to tee up the House-passed text for Senate floor consideration, with Schumer filling the amendment tree to block further changes. Senate Veterans' Affairs Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he expects the Senate to clear the veterans measure after it completes consideration of the chips bill, but the Senate will "probably have to go through the (procedural) hurdles." Tester had tried to get unanimous consent for an "engrossment correction" before the July Fourth recess to resolve the blue slip problem created by the tax provision. But Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., one of 14 Senate Republicans who voted against the bill, objected because he did not like that the bill would shift a significant chunk of veterans' health funding, which is currently subject to discretionary spending caps, to the mandatory side of the spending ledger. Tester said he expects Toomey to object again and waste time. "But that's OK. I like Patrick. I do. And I think it's the wrong effort, but what the hell," he said. Toomey said Thursday he is still concerned about the funding shift and is "likely" to object to any unanimous consent request to let the veterans bill sail through, but that no one has presented him with any proposal yet so "these are procedural hypotheticals." Compressed calendar The chamber faces a compressed calendar for completing work on a handful of time-sensitive bills before its summer recess is scheduled to begin Aug. 5. Senate leaders can always push that date back as needed but there will be little appetite to stay later from the rank-and-file who have planned vacations, overseas work trips, and district and campaign events around the existing schedule. In addition to the semiconductor and veteran bills, the Senate is planning to vote before the recess on a slimmed-down "Build Back Better" budget reconciliation package that would extend more generous health insurance subsidies for two years and allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs on certain drugs. The timing of the reconciliation package will depend on how quickly the Senate parlimentarian's review of the legislative language concludes. The "Byrd bath" on the prescription drug pricing language, in which both parties will present their case to the parliamentarian on whether provisions comply with the budget reconciliation rules, was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. But it's not yet clear how long after that the parliamentarian will take to issue her opinion or when the same process would occur for the health insurance subsidy language. The Senate is working to clear the deck on the other bills next week to prepare for potential floor action on the reconciliation bill the first week of August. That measure could take some time to process because of the "vote-a-rama" process in which senators can offer unlimited amendments, which Republicans are expected to take advantage of to score political messaging points. The House is set to leave for recess on July 29, but Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., said Thursday lawmakers in that chamber could come back to vote in late August on the reconciliation measure. There also is talk of the Senate taking up treaty protocols to ratify Finland and Sweden's application to join NATO before the recess, but it is unclear where that would fall in the sequencing. ____ Laura Weiss and Tia Yang contributed to this report. This summer, Idahos Stanley Basin could see the most robust return of sockeye salmon it has seen in several years. Sockeye numbers at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River surged at the end of June, smashing preseason forecasts and providing unexpected fisheries from below the dam to the rivers upper reaches. More than 56,000 were counted on June 27 alone and, as of Tuesday, the total run was more than of 639,000. But almost none of those will come anywhere near Idaho or the Stanley Basin. Instead, just a tiny fraction of the steady stream of reds counted at Bonneville Dam, perhaps as many as 1,800, will peel off near the Tri-Cities and venture up the Snake River. But its still a big deal. Snake River sockeye are the most imperiled salmon in the Columbia Basin. Theyve been hanging by a thread for decades and exist today only because of an emergency captive brood program hatched in the 1990s. Just like all of the Snake Rivers wild salmon runs protected by the Endangered Species Act, sockeye have had a rough half a decade. Poor ocean conditions, layered on top of high water temperatures, dam-caused mortality and predators, have hammered returns. It started in 2015, a year that looked promising for sockeye. More than 4,000 Idaho-bound redfish were counted at Bonneville Dam that year. But an unprecedented combination of low flows and scorching weather caused the Snake and Columbia rivers to overheat. Biologists estimated about 90% of the Snake River sockeye succumbed to water temperatures in the 70s. That same year, a mass of warm water nicknamed the Blob formed off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. It lingered into 2016 and ushered in a string of years in which the northern Pacific Ocean experienced elevated sea surface temperatures and a dearth of upwelling that fuels the bottom of the food chain. Salmon and steelhead suffered. But that cycle finally broke and 2021 was among the most productive for salmon and steelhead recorded over the past two decades. Salmon species appear to have benefited, including sockeye. Its 100% ocean, said Eric Johnson, a sockeye specialist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Everything seems to be responding a little bit better. Our chinook runs are up, our steelhead runs are up. It wasnt a surprise our sockeye numbers are up as well. Earlier this month, 150 of the 600,000 sockeye counted at Bonneville Dam were detected carrying tracking tags indicating they started life in Idaho. Only a portion of juvenile sockeye salmon are implanted with tags. Expand the numbers and it means about 2,800 Snake River sockeye have or will pass Bonneville Dam this year. Bonneville is the first of eight big dams the fish must negotiate. If they experience average survival, about 1,600 to 1,700 will make it to Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River the eighth dam in the gauntlet. But they will still have hundreds of miles to swim and another 40% can be expected to succumb, leaving about 1,000 to survive the 900-mile trip from the ocean to the Stanley Basin, the headwaters of the Salmon River. It would be the best return since about 1,500 sockeye made the journey in 2014 and a welcome one-year trend for those trying to save the fish. But the job is far from done. There have been incremental leaps forward in previous years and serious setbacks as well. Only 23 sockeye returned to the Stanley Basin in the 1990s, which included two years when no fish made the journey. The fish were listed as endangered in 1991. The next year, only a single male adult sockeye returned to Idaho. He was given the name Lonesome Larry and became part of a desperate effort to save the fish. Idaho, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe and the federal government had started a hatchery brood program. Lonesome Larry and other sockeye that made the trip were no longer allowed to spawn in the wild. Instead, they were captured and spawned in a hatchery. Most of their offspring spent their entire lives in captivity. Slowly, as numbers built in the captive brood program, more and more juvenile sockeye were released and allowed to migrate to the ocean. Eventually, some adults were allowed to spawn in Redfish, Pettit and Alturas lakes cold, clear water catchments at the base of Idahos famed Sawtooth Mountain Range. In 2013, Idaho opened Springfield Hatchery dedicated to sockeye and with a goal of releasing 1 million smolts each year. A problem with water hardness led to low smolt survival rates for the first few years of the program. Then came the string of poor ocean conditions. Could the fish one day provide the type of fishery that happens on the Columbia River? Thats the goal, but it remains distant, and sockeye continue to swim near the brink of extinction. But those on their way to the Sawtooth Valley look like they will have good conditions. I dont anticipate any issues, Johnson said. Water temperatures are really low, really cool compared to what they normally are. We are kind of getting to the average (air) temperatures right now for summer, so I think unless things really heat up and change, I wouldnt expect anything different than average (survival). Letty Arreola gives Cory Hawkins, 35, a monkeypox vaccine shot at the Silver Room Block Party near Burnham Park in Chicago on July 17, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Chicago health officials have decided to prioritize the first doses of the monkeypox vaccine, and delay scheduling the second shots, to give as many people as possible their first dose of protection against the spreading virus, the citys top doctor said Monday. The biggest increase in protection comes from the first dose, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said at a news conference at City Hall on Friday that focused on the virus. The city will make exceptions and more quickly give second doses to immunocompromised people, as well as those who have had contact with someone known to have monkeypox, she said. Advertisement This is the right approach, Arwady said. Weve looked at all the data and feel that that is the best way to control this outbreak. The citys strategy follows other cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, that have chosen to use their limited vaccine supply to inject as many people as possible with first doses to offer the broadest measure of protection. Advertisement Chicago health officials are targeting the most at-risk people for vaccines, including men who have sex with men at venues, with multiple or anonymous partners, or for money, Arwady said. Second doses will be scheduled when more vaccines become available, she said. The city has grappled with vaccine shortages experienced nationwide as it reacts to the viral outbreak. As of Friday, there were 202 cases of monkeypox in Chicago, with 230 reported in the state overall, putting Illinois among the top five states in the country, the citys health department said. But Arwady acknowledged at the news conference that the number of reported cases doesnt tell the full story. International, national and local level, this is definitely an undercount, she said. Dr. Maurice Brownlee gives a monkeypox vaccine to Joey Kiening, 41, at Northstar Medical Center in Chicago, July 18, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) The citys health department reported that Chicago has distributed 5,400 doses to vaccinators and will soon receive an additional 18,000 doses. Chicago will receive 15,440 doses from the federal government as soon as Saturday and anticipates another 2,600 coming from the state, Arwady said. But the city will need even more, she added and health officials working on the front lines agree. [ As monkeypox cases climb in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker calling on federal health officials to ramp up vaccination efforts ] We simply do not have enough vaccines for all those who need it, said David Ernesto Munar, president of LGBTQ-focused Howard Brown Health Center. For that reason, its going to be so important for us to continue to expand community education and awareness so that people understand the steps that they can take to evaluate themselves and their partners for any signs or symptoms of monkeypox, he added. Advertisement Those signs include fever, swollen lymph nodes and unusual rashes throughout the body, including on the hands, trunk, genital area and orifices, Munar said. Howard Brown has targeted Black and other minority gay men for outreach and vaccination, Munar said, citing the more severe impact that dangerous illnesses often have on people of color. The medical center hosted a vaccination clinic at the Silver Room Sound System Block Party last weekend. Quickly filling vaccination appointments at Howard Brown are currently being scheduled three weeks out, Chief Operating Officer Steven Glass said during a Thursday night monkeypox town hall. The medical center, inundated with concern over the virus, had 1,300 unanswered calls this week, he added. The city can respond to the outbreak by blasting information out as the federal government gets more vaccines to epicenters like Chicago, said Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, who also spoke at the town hall. The education is so important. We have centralized resources, whether its putting together promotional pieces on the CTA, reaching out to families in CPS, Hadden said. Hadden said shes worried that it is unclear to most people that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection and can spread to anyone through physical contact. Advertisement The virus is generally passed on through close physical contact with a scab or bodily fluids of someone who has monkeypox, as well as contact with objects theyve touched. Spread could occur through acts like sharing a towel or having intimate sexual contact. The current outbreak has spread mostly among men who have sex with men. Health officials have repeatedly said that the disease could infect anyone and is currently spreading among men who have sex with men because that is a tight-knit group. [ Monkeypox concern grows as virus spreads in Chicago: They need to get loud about this ] At Fridays news conference, Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, called on men who have sex with men to be responsible while having sex by using common sense and limiting partners. The LGBTQ-geared Northalsted Market Days street music festival will bring hundreds of thousands of people to the city on Aug. 6 and 7. The city will continue to have a concerted effort to make sure the massive party is safe and is not considering canceling events or closing venues at this time, Arwady said. Were going to have a lot of visitors coming in over the next month, Tunney said. Smallpox and monkeypox vaccine at Northstar Medical Center in Chicago, July 18, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) The smallpox-related monkeypox virus was first detected in humans in 1970 and is endemic to parts of west and central Africa. The illness often begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes before progressing to distinct, large rashes throughout the body that look like pimples or blisters. Monkeypox can last up to four weeks. Advertisement [ WHO again considers declaring monkeypox a global emergency ] Most Chicago cases have been identified on the North Side, but cases have also been detected in the South and West sides, Arwady said. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > Anyone who is having possible symptoms of monkeypox, no matter who you are, no matter where you live, get tested, she said. The citys testing capacity can meet demand, she added. A hard-to-secure, Food and Drug Administration-approved antiviral treatment called TPOXX is being used to treat the most severe cases, Arwady said. Around 5% of Chicago monkeypox patients have been hospitalized, and no one has died from the disease, she added. When asked about the potential for monkeypox transmission through casual contact, such as brushing up on someone in a crowded space, Arwady said the city hasnt seen any monkeypox cases among the health care workers who have worked with infected patients. Some of the more casual contact, its possible. But its not based on everything we know now that high risk, she said. We will obviously continue to monitor as this grows, and I do expect it will continue to grow, Arwady said. Advertisement jsheridan@chicagotribune.com Twitter @jakesheridan_ The June 22 passing of our founding president Eric Feaver left us shocked and sad, but it also left us more determined than ever to carry forward his lifelong mission to better the lives of Montana families. Over the course of his nearly eight decades, Eric Feaver served his country, his colleagues, his union members, the state of Montana, and his adopted hometown of Helena. Eric Feaver made an indelible imprint on everything he touched. It's nearly impossible to list in one editorial all of Erics crowning achievements on behalf of his neighbors and colleagues. Eric led numerous efforts in the Legislature and at the ballot box to protect against spurious attempts to wipe out critical funding of public services. Eric believed in Democracy, and time and again, he stepped up to protect voting rights. Eric dedicated his last four decades to protecting the right of public employees to bargain with their employers, including state employees who now bargain with the governor through a consistent pre-budget bargaining process. He merged large, separate and fiercely independent unions twice, uniting and strengthening Montanas labor movement for the betterment of us all. Eric knew that unions are the only way to assure fairness, equitable treatment, due process, and a real middle class and he spent his entire life fighting to make sure that unions in Montana continued to thrive and that folks realized that unions are strongest when we work together. Erics largest legacy may be his work in public education. A public educator first and foremost, Eric triumphantly defeated every privatization and school voucher bill that came before the Montana Legislature to assure that public tax dollars are spent on public schools and not redirected to unaccredited, unaccountable, and even out-of-state institutions that would gladly profit from such schemes. Eric worked to completely reconstruct Montanas system of education funding not once, but twice in an ongoing effort to attain adequate and equitable school funding. Eric never backed down from a fight to defend the Montana Constitution and its visionary provisions regarding schools, universities, an independent judiciary, and good government. He worked to pass the six-mill levy to fund our university system three times. He worked tirelessly to save our states retirement systems and ensure their assets would be secure from legislative raids. Feaver was a uniter, always willing to work with anyone, even if the day before they had been his sworn enemy. He put his neighbors, his community, and workers ahead of himself at every turn. He lifted others up, educating, training and setting the example for generations of fellow labor leaders, policymakers, educators. We are now, each of us, standing on his shoulders as we consider our role in protecting the Montana we love from privatizers and profiteers. Erics fire for justice was a candle that lit a ame in thousands of us who will carry the torch and fan the ames to protect Montanas constitutional guarantees. Well-chilled huckleberries to the Montana Republican platform delegates willing to consider the impact of planks inserted in the state GOP statement of principles and goals. Whether you support or oppose abortion, keep in mind that issue is the flea wagging the tail that wags the dog of the world right now. Anyone who can recount an incident of economic, political or social importance that depended on whether an individual woman had an abortion ought to step forward and add it to the debate. Otherwise, this fight is little more than a smokescreen intended to enchain fealty to a cavalcade of choices through enforced loyalty on a single issue. One cant uphold the principles of personal freedom and private property rights through the lens of religious principle that forms the core of the First Amendments prohibition on any law respecting the establishment of religion. To the platform member who did not believe that the baby should be responsible for the sins of another person, as a reason to leave out exceptions for abortion in the case of rape and incest: A huge portion of a dominant religious community in the United States believes in the doctrine of original sin, going back to original creation. If that conundrum seems too complicated to solve in a party platform debate, perhaps the issue should be left to the private religious and personal beliefs of those directly involved. Three family members were shot and killed while camping in an eastern Iowa state park Friday, and the suspected gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Officers responded to reports of the shooting at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground before 6:30 a.m. Friday, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Officers found three people fatally shot in a tent at the campground, DCI assistant director Mitch Mortvedt said. 9-year-old survived shooting of his family at Maquoketa Caves State Park, mayor says A 9-year-old boy survived the Friday morning shooting that killed his parents and sister as they camped at Maquoketa Caves State Park, the mayor of Cedar Falls said in a Facebook post. The victims were identified Friday evening as Tyler Schmidt, 42, Sarah Schmidt, 42, and Lula Schmidt, 6, of Cedar Falls. "Their 9 year old son Arlo survived the attack, and is safe," wrote Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green. "I've notified neighbors." Green said in the post that Sarah Schmidt was an employee at the Cedar Falls Public Library. "I knew Sarah well, and she & her family were regular walkers here in the Sartori Park neighborhood. I was working with her this week on a public library tech presentation." Green, who described himself as "devastated" by the deaths, said that details were in the works about services and memorials. The Cedar Falls Library will be closed Saturday "for the sake of the staff who loved and worked with Sarah," he wrote. "Please offer some extra grace to the Schmidts' many friends, neighbors, and coworkers as we try to process this horrible tragedy." 7:30 p.m. Victims identified in Maquoketa State Park shooting The Iowa Department of Public Safety has released the names of the family members killed at the Maquoketa State Park. Those victims were identified as Cedar Falls residents Tyler Schmidt, 42, Sarah Schmidt, 42, and Lula Schmidt, 6. Public officials have not said if they were related to the suspect or provided a motive for the killings. Story continues "The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner will conduct autopsies of all three victims. Once completed, the findings will be released," the public safety department's release said. "Additionally, the State Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy on suspect Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23. "Law enforcement would like to thank the public for their assistance with the investigation and their concern for the Schmidt family," the statement said. Correction: This piece has been updated to correct the first name of the 6-year-old who was killed. Her name is Lula Schmidt. 7 p.m. 'Somber' mood at nearby restaurant At Bluff Lake Catfish Farm restaurant, which is so close to the park that patrons and staff usually drive through it to get to the eatery, the mood was very somber compared to a normal summertime Friday, said Maggie Muhlhausen, 30. Muhlhausen, a regular customer at the restaurant that abuts wooded creek with a small waterfall, said she sees what happened as evidence of an U.S. ongoing mental health crisis. I think its an absolute tragedy and I think its sad that there are things like this going on in the world, said the lifelong Maquoketa resident. Mindy Till, 36, who has lived in Maquoketa for three years and busses tables at the restaurant, said she was "shocked and surprised and sad" by the news. 5 p.m.: Park closed through July 28; camping reservations refunded Armed DNR conservation officers monitored the eastern entrance to the park, which was blocked off Friday afternoon. It will remain closed through at least July 28, DNR spokesperson Tammie Krausman said. "All camping reservations have been canceled and refunded from last night through Thursday at this time," she said. "Campers have been notified." 4:30 p.m.: Statement from director of Iowa Department of Natural Resources Iowa DNR Director Kayla Lyon released the following statement Friday afternoon: "I, as well as the DNR staff, am devastated for the families impacted by the tragic incident at Maquoketa Caves State Park. Our long standing tradition of enjoying Iowas natural wonders was shaken today, but the legacy for the millions of families that recreate at Iowa State Parks will continue. This heartbreaking incident hits home for the DNR family; not only as people who are passionate about getting folks outside, but as people who regularly camp with our families at these same parks. "We appreciate the collaborative work between local law enforcement, the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the DNR State Parks staff and conservation officers on this investigation." 3 p.m. Camp Shalom campers went 'quick as little bunnies into the bus' when counselors were alerted Camp Shalom, a Christian camp for young people, is about a mile and a half from the park and campers frequently take trips to the caves throughout the week. Fridays are pick-up days at 11 a.m., however, so all campers were on the camp property when law enforcement notified them of the shooting, Beth Sallak, the camp's executive assistant, said. We heard that something's going on at about 9:13 a.m., and then at 9:15 a.m., is when we told campers, 'hey, we're going to do pick up at Little Bear Park. We are going to all load up into buses and we're going to do it quick as little bunnies into the bus. Staff was very efficient in making that happen, and we transported all the campers to Little Bear Park in Maquoketa," Sallak said. We moved forward in a very calm, calculated way to keep campers happy, not stressed. And the staff, our camp counselors, are stellar," she said. Camp staff does 'alert training for situations like this," she said. "This is the world we live in now. What would we do if this happened? And so that's what they exercised today was the evacuation process," she said. 2:45 p.m. Suspected shooter was 'known to be armed' After they learned that Anthony Sherwin was the only registered camper unaccounted after the shooting, they began their search for him. "He was known to be armed. That of course heightened our awareness as well," Mortvedt said. Law enforcement used a plane to aid in their search for him. Sherwin came from Nebraska, and investigators don't believe he had any prior relationship with the victims, Mortvedt said. Mortvedt said he could not say whether Sherwin had a criminal record. A search of online court records in Nebraska and Iowa did not produce any record of prior criminal behavior. Autopsies on Sherwin and the victims were scheduled to be performed over the weekend, Mortvedt said, and more information would likely be released based on those findings. 2:24 p.m.: The victims were inside a tent Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, told the Des Moines Register that the early morning call to law enforcement was that there were three people dead 'inside a tent'. When police arrived they confirmed the deaths and began canvassing the area and asking people to leave. "It became apparent that there was one individual missing from a camp site, not the same camp site but within the campground," Mortvedt said. Law enforcement then began searching the park for that missing person. At that point, law enforcement did not know why he was missing or whether he was a victim or a suspect. "Ultimately, a body of a male was discovered, some distance from the camp site but yet in the state park, in the timber," Mortvedt said. The person, whom officials later determined was Sherwin, had suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mortvedt said law enforcement will investigate what occurred, including whether there was any relationship between Sherwin and the other three people who were found dead. He said law enforcement did not have any reports of an earlier altercation at the park. The park would remain closed at least through Friday and perhaps through the weekend as the investigation continues, he said. 2:15 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson tweets: 'Horrifying and senseless' U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson tweeted this statement following the shootings: "This was a horrifying and senseless act of violence. As we wait to learn more, I join all Iowans in praying for those who lost their lives and our community. My team will continue to be in contact with local officials and I am grateful for our law enforcement officers who are working to keep us safe." 2:02 p.m. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst: 'I am heartbroken' U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said: "I am heartbroken to hear of the tragedy in Maquoketa Caves State Park and am praying for the victims and their families. My staff and I are following the situation. Thankful for all of the responding law enforcement." 1:10 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley tweets: 'Killing innocent ppl is sickening' U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted the following statement today in response to the shootings: "Im closely monitoring situation in Maquoketa Caves State Park. Praying for the lives lost & their loved ones Im grateful for Iowa law enforcement who responded +camp staff for ensuring safety of other campers Violence cant be tolerated Killing innocent ppl is sickening" 12:45 p.m.: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds releases statement Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released the following statement today in response to the shootings: Im horrified by the shooting this morning at Maquoketa Caves State Park and devastated by the loss of three innocent lives. As we grieve this unimaginable tragedy, Kevin and I pray for the victims family members and the law enforcement officers who responded to the scene. We ask Iowans to do the same. 12:40 p.m.: Campground, Camp Shalom evacuated The campground was evacuated in the wake of the shooting. A children's summer camp on site called Camp Shalom said in a Facebook post that parents had been notified and that it had established a pick-up site for campers. "There was an emergency situation this morning at the Maquoketa Caves. We evacuated camp as soon as we learned about it. All campers and staff are safe and accounted for in town at Little Bear Park, where we will do closing worship and pickup at the usual 11am time," camp officials said on Facebook shortly after 10 a.m. More about Maquoketa Caves State Park Maquoketa Caves State Park has long been considered one of Iowa's gems for its accessibility and 13 caves that are of four types solutional, mechanical, talus and rock shelters. The caves in the park were used by Native Americans and became a popular picnicking spot for settlers and souvenir hunters; they stole the white stalactites. The large, 1,100-foot Dancehall Cave is the longest wild cave open to the public in Iowa and easy to walk. The main passage has a lighting system but bring your own lights. There is a 50-foot, arching Natural Bridge over the creek, and smaller rock tubes, like Bat Passage, and a 17-ton Balanced Rock that rests on a base a foot in diameter. Where is Maquoketa Caves State Park located? Maquoketa Caves State Park is located at 9688 Caves Road, about 10 miles northwest of Maquoketa in Jackson County. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 9-year-old survived attack that killed his family at Maquoketa Caves A county board ruled Thursday night that a planned Loves truck stop off of I-90 next to Ramsay is allowed under Butte-Silver Bow zoning laws, dealing another serious blow to residents who have spent years fighting the project. The Butte-Silver Bow Zoning Board voted 5-0 to back an April 29 decision by county planning staff to issue final building permits for a sprawling truck-stop complex 7 miles west of Butte and a stones throw east of Ramsay. Board members said they understood why Ramsay residents oppose a truck stop next to their quiet, isolated community, but said they were acting in a quasi-judicial role and the only issue before them was whether zoning allowed the development. Member Tyler Shaffer said the planned truck stop was an example of a worldwide proliferation of greed by a big corporation and he was absolutely sick to my stomach that it was before a volunteer board in Butte. Is there anyone in this great city who thinks we need a sprawling truck stop 10 miles from two other full-service truck stops? Shaffer asked. Are we looking to be the capital of truck stops? But he, like other board members, said the only issue before them was whether planning staff acted appropriately and lawfully in issuing the permits and he trusted they did so. Many residents attended the meeting in council chambers of the courthouse and were visibly upset with the decision. One, just after the meeting ended, turned to board members and yelled Cowards! Residents vowed to appeal the ruling to state District Court. That could be their last stand, however, and courts in Montana typically give great deference to local zoning boards. An attorney and a representative of Loves left the meeting quickly after it was over. The company has declined to return numerous emails and phone calls from The Montana Standard in recent months seeking comment. Oklahoma City-based Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores has 590 locations across the U.S. This one would include a convenience store, Arbys restaurant, casino, tire shop and spaces for 111 semis. Residents have fought Loves on all government, regulatory and legal fronts, saying the truck stop will bring traffic, noise, pollution, transients and crime to their quiet community of 40 houses and five square blocks. But they have lost nearly every battle. County planning officials say Loves had completed all regulatory and procedural requirements so they issued final building permits on April 29 and Loves began excavation days later. A judge halted that temporarily when residents appealed to the Zoning Board. Residents say the truck stop is not permitted under Ramsay zoning boundaries and provisions that were added to Butte-Silver Bow ordinances in 1993. The boundaries are shown on a zoning map the county recognized for years until officials changed it in 2019 based on a 1972 crayon drawing. Residents say the county only changed it when Loves came on the scene, but under either map, all or parts of the complex are not allowed. The county says the 1972 crayon drawing was the original map and a later GIS map inflated the boundaries. The county acknowledges the erroneous map was discovered when the Loves project was being studied, but said the area had not been developed before then. Under long-standing written descriptions and the correct map, the county says, most of the complex is on unzoned land. Underground storage tanks and semi-truck parking spaces that are in Ramsay zones are permitted in those zones, they say. Zoning Board members said the question before them was technical: Was the truck stop allowed by zoning regulations? If the area was zoned and Loves was seeking a variance or a special use permit, they noted, the board would take public input and residents concerns would be among criteria they considered. But that was not before them. Member Todd Collins said he loved Ramsay and Loves had pursued the project for six years because they have lots of money. If this goes through, it will be another piece of America lost. Its a very important piece to a lot of us, Collins said. But he said county officials were obligated to work with developers and follow the law and they had done that with due diligence. Board Chairman Dave Wing, an attorney, agreed. I have found nothing in the record and the zoning ordinances that would permit us to overturn the decision, no matter how much we might want to do that, Wing said. We are still bound by the law. Shaffer urged Ramsay residents to appeal the ruling so they can actually have their day in court. Jim Ayres, a longtime Ramsay resident who has played a leading role opposing the project, said they absolutely would do that. The problem with the Planning Department is they took us out of the equation because they determined themselves that it (truck stop) was suitable for that site, Ayres said. In most cases, with zoning existing, they (Loves) would have had to go through a variance or a special use permit. And that, he said, would have allowed residents to object to the project on numerous grounds. Ramsay resident Holly Scherbel interrupted the board discussion at one point, saying residents have never had an opportunity to give any testimony on the matter. She reiterated that to the Standard after the meeting. We would really just like to be able to give our point of view and just show our voices, not legalese, and just say, These are people you are affecting with this decision, and put a face to it and say we matter, Scherbel said. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe is suing the federal government after enduring years of unaddressed violent crime and missing tribal members. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, names the United States, the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and several leading officials within those agencies as plaintiffs. The tribe is claiming the federal government has breached its obligation to keep Northern Cheyenne residents on the reservation safe, and demands that the DOI and BIA fulfill those obligations. "Public safety on-reservation is severely compromised due to the lack of meaningful BIA law enforcement presence in our communities," said Northern Cheyenne Tribe President Serena Wetherelt in a statement Tuesday. "Officers often respond to 911 calls too late and even when they do show up, they frequently fail to make reports, secure crime scenes, or arrest people who are actively committing crimes. We are plagued by repeat offenders. Meanwhile, we have virtually no local jail. Our Northern Cheyenne people are in danger due to the inadequacy and incompetence of BIA law enforcement." Law enforcement on the 444,000-acre reservation is the responsibility of the BIAs Office of Justice Services, per federal law. Over the past four years, according to the tribes lawsuit, repeated requests for the BIA to fill its allotment of officers on the reservation and maintain the jail in Lame Deer have been ignored. Previous tribal administrations have called in the states congressional leadership to ask the BIA and FBI to improve their responses to missing and murdered Indigenous people, and their communication with the families of those victims. The Northern Cheyenne Nation lies within Rosebud and Big Horn counties, which lead the state for people reported missing per capita. In August 2021, according to the lawsuit, federal data showed 17 missing Northern Cheyenne Tribal members. Several homicides during the summer of 2020 prompted then-Northern Cheyenne Tribal President Rynalea Pena to declare the reservation a lawless land. That same summer, as noted in the lawsuit, several Northern Cheyenne tribal members formed the Northern Cheyenne People's Camp. The citizen-led police force operated its own phone lines and took calls from residents who didn't trust the BIA to respond soon enough. As recently as March 2022, according to reports included with the lawsuit, the BIA has only two patrol officers on duty during most shifts. In June of this year, a man was shot dead in Lame Deer. The Northern Cheyenne capital was placed on lockdown during the ensuing manhunt. The lawsuit alleges those officers who are on duty consistently show a lack of understanding of both tribal and federal law. Officers have also allegedly failed to properly investigate crimes, gather and store evidence, file police reports and some have even failed to appear for Tribal Court hearings. Cases that could have been charged and prosecuted as federal crimes, according to the lawsuit, have been squandered because of the BIA officers failure to investigate crimes or complete adequate police reports. The lack of a functioning jail has also been a further detriment to the functions of the Tribal Court and local efforts to treat drug addiction. The Lame Deer Adult Detention Facility was shuttered in 2019, only to be reopened by the BIA two years later as a temporary holding facility. The current policy for the jail is to only book as many as nine people into the jail on intoxication charges, and they can only be held for up to eight hours. Everyone else arrested in Lame Deer is either booked into Rock Mountain Regional Detention Facility, 56 miles away in Hardin, or sent to contracted facilities in Oklahoma. The lack of a local jail not only drains the already limited manpower the BIA has available for the Northern Cheyenne, according to the lawsuit, it also keeps those incarcerated in Hardin or Oklahoma from participating in the Tribal Courts Healing-to-Wellness Program. The majority of arrests made on the reservation are for drug and alcohol offenses. In May of this year, President Wetherelt sent a final letter demanding immediate action to address these issues to BIA Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland within 60 days. Newland, Acting Deputy Bureau Director of BIA-OJS Steven Juneau and DOI Secretary Debra Haaland are included as defendants in the lawsuit. With the Northern Cheyenne tribal government having invested an estimated $1 million of its own budget to address the dearth of safety on the reservation, according to the lawsuit, the tribe is seeking restitution from the federal government. The tribe is also demanding immediate fixes to the lack of officers and a proper jail in Lame Deer. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe previously filed a suit with the federal government in December 2020 in which tribal leadership demanded funding to administer its own criminal investigation unit. After several years of mediation with the BIA, the Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services launched in early 2022 to fill a portion of the investigative needs of the Tribe. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) The sting of the premature death of 27-year-old Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, is still fresh. On Christmas Eve, Erica Garner suffered a massive heart attack which caused extensive brain damage. She died on Dec. 30. This latest loss emphasizes something we have known: Black women are dying from the trauma of police violence and this issue must be grappled with before more die. When I heard the news of Erica Garners heart attack, a wave of familiar shock and pain ran through me. I immediately recognized the correlation between her heart attack and her fathers death because I had seen it before. As an anthropologist who studies the impact of police violence on black communities in Brazil and the United States, I was familiar with many stories like Ericas. My research examines the ways that police violence kills black women slowly through trauma, pain and loss. Some may find this idea startling. Let me explain. Trauma, pain and loss In the wake of the deaths of black people at the hands of the state from the police to the prison system the living are often weighted with a sadness that is too heavy to bear, and in the weeks and months following the initial death of a loved one, they become sick and many die prematurely. When we think of police lethality, we typically consider the immediate body count: The people that die from bullets and baton blows. The death toll gives the impression that black men are the disproportionate victims of police killings. But these numbers do not reveal the slow death that black women experience. The long-range trauma police brutality causes can be as deadly as a bullet. The pain of loss kills with heart attacks, strokes, depression and even anemia. This is not to say that black women do not also die from the immediate physical effects of police abuse. The work of researchers like Andrea Ritchie and Kimberle Crenshaw, and black womens organizations like Assatas Daughters and Let Us Breathe Collective clearly demonstrate that they do. But in addition to working tirelessly to draw attention to the immediate ways that black women are killed and abused by the police, it is also important to consider what happens to black women in the weeks and years after lethal police encounters. To be sure, black men also suffer from the trauma and pain of brutal policing. But I believe that the people most affected by the sequelae, the fallout of state violence, are black women, particularly black mothers. This is true beyond the United States. Mothers and grandmothers It happens in Brazil. Consider the case of Dona Iraci, the 45-year-old grandmother who died of a heart attack when the police in Salvador, Bahia, raided her home looking for her grandson in 2002. Anthropologist Keisha-Khan Perry chronicles this story in her research on black land rights struggles. There is also the story of Joselita de Souza, the mother of a 16-year-old boy who was gunned down and killed when the police ambushed the car he was riding in with his friends in Rio de Janeiro in 2015. Less than a year after her sons death, de Souza died of what her family members said was sadness. After Roberto was killed, she stopped eating everything but soup, developed a severe case of anemia and passed away from its complications. In the United States similar cases hit home. In 2016, Venida Browder died of complications from a heart attack at St. Barnabas hospital in New York. Sixteen months earlier she lost Kalief, her baby boy, to suicide. Kalief had been suffering from depression since his release from Rikers Island, where he spent three years awaiting trial for allegedly stealing a backpack. His case was eventually dismissed, but not before he suffered permanent damage. While locked up, he was severely beaten and subjected to more than 800 days of solitary confinement. Venida Browder worked relentlessly to release her son from prison. But, by the time she succeeded, the trauma of his confinement had taken a deadly emotional toll. It eventually took a toll on her as well. Im struggling In one of her last interviews before her death, Erica Garner talked about the death of Venida Browder, and her own health challenges. Look at Kalief Browders mother, she died of a broken heart, Erica Garner said. Im struggling with my health right now. The system beats you down. In multiple interviews, Garner talked about her deep sadness. She also talked about the financial obstacles that black families living on public assistance, like hers, face when they need therapy to deal with grief. Racism kills black women, yes. And Erica Garners passing cannot be separated from the growing research that demonstrates that the toxic stress of living with gender-based racism in America, misogynoir has a deadly impact on black womens health in pregnancy. Erica Garner had a baby boy in August. She named him Eric after her father. The enlarged heart that in part caused her heart attack was strained due to her recent pregnancy. But the added dimension of her fathers death complicates the difficult yet familiar story of black women, maternal death and racism. In addition to the cumulative effects of misogynoir that no doubt took a toll on her body, the extreme trauma of having her father choked to death by Staten Island police officers and then having to watch the video of his killing loop endlessly on social media and television exacerbated her experience with stress in her everyday life. Indeed, she said as much. The links between stress and disease are clear and corroborated; just consider the connections between stress and cancer. The impact that stress has on black women is acute. Black women already exhibit signs of accelerated aging due to the stress of gendered racism in our everyday lives. One study found that At ages 4955, black women are 7.5 years biologically older than white women. We can only imagine what that looks like for a young woman who has been through all that Erica Garner experienced. Erica knew that the aftershocks of her fathers death were killing her slowly. This is what in part makes her death so painful. The fallout of police violence, not just the chokeholds and baton blows, are killing black women. If the world is to truly begin to take steps to preserve black womens lives, then we must take this into account in our discussions. Given Ericas passion for justice, and her fearless and fervent efforts to fight police violence, I believe that is one fight she would want to see tackled right now. I also believe that she would be leading this fight if she were here today. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/the-fallout-of-police-violence-is-killing-black-women-like-erica-garner-89654. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) This month, more than 4 million students across the nation will begin high school. Many will do well. But many will not. Consider that nearly two-thirds of students will experience the ninth-grade shock, which refers to a dramatic drop in a students academic performance. Some students cope with this shock by avoiding challenges. For instance, they may drop rigorous coursework. Others may experience a hopelessness that results in failing their core classes, such as English, science and math. This should matter a great deal to parents, teachers and policymakers. Ultimately it should matter to the students themselves and society at large. One of the biggest reasons it should matter is because students fate as they transition to ninth grade can have long-term consequences not only for the students but for their home communities. We make these observations as research psychologists who have studied how schools and families can help young people thrive. In the new global economy, students who fail to finish ninth grade with passing grades in college preparatory coursework are very unlikely to graduate on time and go on to get jobs. One study has calculated that the lifetime benefit to the local economy for a single additional student who completes high school is half a million dollars or more. This is based on higher earnings and avoided costs in health care, crime, welfare dependence and other things. Lifetime consequences The consequences of doing poorly in the ninth grade can impact more than students ability to find a good job. It can also impact the extent to which they enjoy life. Students lose the adults and many of the friends they turned to for support when they move from eighth to ninth grade. One study of ninth grade students found that 50 percent of friendships among ninth graders changed from one month to the next, signaling striking instability in friendships. In addition, studiesfind the first year of high school typically shows one of the greatest increases in depression of any year over the lifespan. Researchers think that one explanation is that ties to friends are severed, while academic demands are rising. Furthermore, most adult cases of clinical depression first emerge in adolescence. The World Health Organization reports that depression has the greatest burden of disease, in terms of the total cost of treatment and the loss of productivity, of any affliction worldwide. In search of solutions Given all thats riding on having a successful ninth grade experience, it pays to explore what can be done to improve the academic, social and emotional challenges of the transition to high school. So far, our studies have yielded one main insight: Students beliefs about change their beliefs about whether people are stuck one way forever, or whether people can change their traits and abilities are related to their ability to cope, succeed academically and maintain good mental health. Past research has called these beliefs mindsets, with a fixed mindset referring to the belief that people cannot change and a growth mindset referring to the belief that people can change. We found that when students felt like their declining grades were a sign that they will never be successful, or when they feel like a loss of support from friends means that they will be stuck being not likable for life, then they have coped poorly. In one recent study, we examined 360 adolescents beliefs about the nature of smartness that is, their fixed mindsets about intelligence. We then assessed biological stress responses for students whose grades were dropping by examining their saliva for cortisol levels a so-called toxic stress hormone that is secreted by the body when people feel threatened. Students who believed that intelligence is fixed that you are stuck being not smart if you struggle in school showed higher cortisol levels in their saliva when their GPAs were declining at the beginning of ninth grade. If students believed that intelligence could improve that is to say, when they held more of a growth mindset of intelligence we detected less cortisol in the saliva of students whose grades were declining. This was an exciting result because it showed that the bodys stress responses are not determined solely by ones GPA. Instead, declining grades only predicted worse stress hormones among students who believed that worsening grades were a permanent and hopeless state of affairs. Keeping stress at bay We also investigated the social side of the high school transition. In this study, instead of teaching students that their smartness can change, we taught them that their social standing that is, whether you are bullied or excluded or left out can change over time. We then looked at high school students stress responses to daily social difficulties. That is, we taught them a growth mindset about their social lives. In this study, students came into the laboratory and were asked to give a public speech in front of upper-year students. The topic of the speech was what makes someone popular in high school. Following this, students had to complete a difficult mental math task in front of the same upper-year students. This is called the Trier Social Stress Test, and it has proven to be an effective and ethical way to examine physiological signatures of stress responses. Public speaking is stressful but is no different from common experiences in high school. Students are thoroughly debriefed and have the opportunity to have a more lighthearted interaction with the upper-year students afterward. Parents also consented before allowing their children to participate. Students who were not taught that people can change showed poor stress responses. When these students gave the speech, their blood vessels contracted and their hearts pumped less blood through the body both responses that the body shows when it is preparing for damage or defeat after a physical threat. Then they gave worse speeches and made more mistakes in math. But when students were taught that people can change, they had better responses to stress, in part because they felt like they had the resources to deal with the demanding situation. Students who got the growth mindset intervention showed less-constricted blood vessels and their hearts pumped more blood both of which contributed to more oxygen getting to the brain, and, ultimately, better performance on the speech and mental math tasks. These findings lead to several possibilities that we and others are investigating further. First, we are working to replicate these findings in more diverse school communities. We want to know in which types of schools and for which kinds of students these growth mindset ideas help young people adapt to the challenges of high school. And where do they need to be paired with other resources to have their strongest effects? We have made a free beta version of our intervention available to schools or parents. We also hope to learn how teachers, parents or school counselors can help students keep their ongoing academic or social difficulties in perspective. We wonder what would happen if schools helped to make beliefs about the potential for change and improvement a larger feature of the overall school culture, especially for students starting the ninth grade. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/the-start-of-high-school-doesnt-have-to-be-stressful-101294. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is lodging a claim for R931,121,989.35 against the estate of disgraced bitcoin-based network marketing scheme Mirror Trading International. If collected, the tax would consume nearly all of the money the schemes liquidators have recovered to date. The taxman says that the companys appointed liquidators failed to file its tax returns like they were supposed to and slapped them with a R580,441,463.28 penalty. It also levied interest to the tune of R1,016,997.99. Crucially, SARS said in a letter to the liquidators that they must pay the full amount immediately and may dispute it later. This is because the company is in final liquidation, and there are reasonable grounds to believe it will not pay the entire tax amount. It also said that recovering the tax the scheme owes may become difficult in future. SARS warned that objections and appeals do not suspend the collectability of the amounts and that it would continue to charge interest. Chainalysis named Mirror Trading International the biggest cryptocurrency scam of 2020. Mirror Trading International (MTI) made headlines in September 2020 when a group calling itself Anonymous ZA exploited vulnerabilities in its poorly-coded website. Together with a MyBroadband journalist and community members, the group exposed the inner workings of MTI. Following the reports, South Africas Financial Sector Conduct Authority executed a simultaneous dawn raid on three MTI-linked locations on 26 October 2020. By November 2020, members started reporting that they were struggling to get their money out of the scheme. In mid-December, MTI CEO Johann Steynberg disappeared while travelling in Brazil. All earnings on deposits stopped, members could not withdraw their money, and liquidation proceedings began shortly after that. In March 2021, the liquidators recovered 1,281 bitcoin frozen by MTIs former brokerage in Belize, FXChoice. The liquidators immediately sold the bitcoin and received a relatively favourable rate, getting close to R1.1 billion for the assets. If SARS claim is successful, that leaves between R69 million and R169 million in the failed schemes estate a sizeable chunk of which has likely been spent on legal fees. By SARSs own calculations, that would leave precious little for the victims of MTIs masterminds and promoters. The tax collector disclosed that it obtained MTIs back office data from the liquidators on 12 November 2021. It complained about the delay in getting the information, as it requested the data on 22 July 2021. Using MTIs database, it calculated that members transferred 35,504.69763 bitcoin valued at R6,852,454,358.60 into MTIs bitcoin wallets between August 2019 and December 2020. Mr Steynberg, in his representative capacity director of MTI, was placed in full control of these bitcoins, SARS stated. In its notes on deductible expenses, SARS stated that MTIs senior management embezzled bitcoin worth R3,367,763.12 in the 2020 tax year, and R132,502,972.71 in 2021. SARS is appearing at a special meeting of creditors on Friday, 22 July, to make its case before the Master of the Court. With less than R170 million left to repay a potential R6.9 billion in claims, victims hopes of getting their money back hinges on the liquidators ability to claw back funds from the schemes alleged masterminds. In May 2022, the liquidators issued a joint summons against eighteen individuals to pay R4,666,077,528 to cover the schemes debts with 7% interest. However, SARS is not the only external party laying claim to the proceeds of the MTI estate. At the end of June 2022, the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a civil enforcement action charging Steynberg with fraud. According to the CFTCs complaint, MTI and Steynberg as its principal agent accepted at least 29,421 Bitcoin from at least 23,000 individuals from the United States. The regulator has laid claim to the assets, further arguing that over the relevant period, the bitcoins value came to $1,733,838,372 (R29.6 billion). It is interesting to note that the CFTC uses an average price of $58,932 per Bitcoin. When MTI collapsed on 22 December 2020, bitcoin had set a new all-time high price of around $24,000. However, the CFTC complaint asserts that Steynbergs activities continued beyond MTIs apparent collapse to end-March 2021, when the bitcoin price hit over $61,000. In addition, SARS claim contains the nugget that the 1,281 bitcoin recovered from FXChoice was actually in an account under Steynbergs name. MyBroadband has learned from a source with knowledge of the matter that Steynbergs liquidated estate plans to lodge its own claim against MTI for the proceeds of the bitcoin recovered from FXChoice. Therefore, at least four parties are vying for their slice of the R1.1 billion pie MTIs liquidators, Steynbergs liquidators, the CFTC in the US, and now SARS. Sadly, very few of these parties seem concerned about the victims the people MTIs masterminds and promoters took advantage of to enrich themselves. MyBroadband contacted the MTIs liquidators for comment. They promised to provide feedback after a special meeting of creditors on Friday, where SARS will present its claim to the Master of the Court. Vumatel can offer lower-cost fibre products to low-income regions due to lower rollout costs, and its aim to provide uncapped fibre for under R100 per month appears to be going well. This is according to Remgros head of strategic investments, Pieter Uys, who spoke about Vumatels fibre rollouts during an interview with Moneywebs Ryk van Niekerk. Van Niekerk asked if Vumatels plan to offer uncapped fibre for under R100 per month would be the first product or service in South Africa where the tariff is linked to income level. Were trying it, and it looks like its working, Uys stated. Uys explained that the costs associated with rolling out fibre infrastructure vary depending on the area. He said that Sandton residents dont want to see the fibre infrastructure at all, and as a result, rollouts in the area require the trenching of fibre. In a place like Khayelitsha, people are used to poles, and its not such a big problem, so we can roll out cheaper aerial fibre instead of trenching, which is much more expensive, Uys said. Thats how we can depending on the circumstances and suburb offer a better tariff. Uys explained the concepts behind Vumatels Core, Reach, and Key offerings. If you consider Sandton-type leafy suburbs, there are around 2.5 million homes in that market category, he said. But if you look at Soweto, Mitchells Plain there are another five million households. Then if you look at areas like Alex, there are perhaps 10 million homes that can be connected. Vumatel describes its Core network as one aimed at higher-income households like those in Sandton-type leafy suburbs, while its Reach and Key networks are designed for lower-income families. The network operator determined that there is an opportunity to expand uncapped fibre connectivity to households earning between R5,000 and R30,000 a month and those earning less than R5,000 a month through its Reach and Key networks. Uys said the launch of Vuma Reach and Vuma Key democratises broadband in South Africa. If you live in Sandton, you probably already have fibre, but what if you live in Alexandra? Then you only have access to prepaid mobile data, which is limited, Uys said. You only have so much in a month. For example, if you download a YouTube video in HD quality one hour would cost you a gigabyte. Thats already R200. But what if we can roll out unlimited Internet with unlimited video in Alexandra for under R100 per month? Then were making it possible for people to truly be connected to the rest of the world. Then were making a difference, Uys added. He explained that Vumatel had already rolled out a pilot project in Alexandra, where residents can get an uncapped 20Mbps fibre connection for less than R100 a month. Uys said they found high demand for data in areas like Mitchells Plain, Soweto, Vosloorus, and Alexandra. Just to give you an example, in Sandton in neighbourhoods like Parkhurst and Parkview a typical household uses 350GB data per month, he said. In Mitchells Plain, where the homes are much smaller the usage is up to 100GB greater than in Sandton. It shows you that the demand is there. Remgro holds a stake in Community Investment Ventures Holdings, which owns Dark Fibre Africa and Vumatel together, their networks span over 43,000km. Infrastructure is a long-term investment. [DFAs 13,200km and Vumatels 30,000km fibre network] cost us R31 billion over ten years to build, Uys said. Now read: Fibre war in South Africa heats up Two men, including one who police called an innocent bystander, were shot after police exchanged gunfire with at least one person in Pilsen Friday morning, Chicago police said. Just after 6:50 a.m., two major accidents unit officers who were driving to the police academy for training saw four people wearing masks loitering in front of a closed business in the 1000 block of West 18th Street, Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference Friday afternoon. Advertisement After one officer identified himself as a Chicago Police Department officer, one of the people in the group pulled out a handgun. An exchange of gunfire occurred at that time, Brown said. Advertisement After the exchange of gunfire, both officers got out of their vehicle and the shooter, while running away, continued to fire shots at the officers, Brown said. A 23-year-old man who was in the group was shot during the exchange of gunfire, Brown said. He was in serious but stable condition. A 35-year-old man, who was an innocent bystander, also suffered a graze wound to the leg during the shooting, Brown said. He was taken to a hospital in good condition. Brown said it was not immediately clear if it was the officers or the gunman who had shot the two men during the exchange of gunfire. The 23-year-old man, who is at the hospital, a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old are in custody, Brown said. The shooter made an escape and a gun was not recovered. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > Neither of the officers were injured, Brown said. But it raises the total of officers shot or shot at so far this year to 36. Police involved shooting in the @ChicagoCAPS12 in the area of 18th & Morgan. No Officers injured. @Area3Detectives are interviewing persons of interest. Investigation continues. #ChicagoPolice pic.twitter.com/2iDAVNVXjt Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) July 22, 2022 Investigators with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability also arrived to the shooting scene to investigate, COPA spokeswoman Jennifer Rottner said. Advertisement The officers involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for a period of 30 days. Check back for updates. pfry@chicagotribune.com Communications minister, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has revealed that their DigiTech app store to showcase South African innovation was designed and developed by the State Information Technology Agency (Sita). She also acknowledged that her department isnt satisfied with the quality and functionality of the DigiTech website. In response to parliamentary questions from the Democratic Alliances Solly Malatsi, Ntshavheni stated that the design and development of the website didnt cost a cent, adding that it is undergoing a redesign. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) launched the DigiTech website on 17 May 2022. DigiTech serves as a digital distribution service developed, maintained, and operated by the South African government, Ntshavheni stated. The website describes the platform as a digital products portal for South Africa, supported by the DCDT. Through DigiTech, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies seek to promote SA-developed digital products in other markets whilst facilitating partnerships with other countries on co-promotion of local technologies, the website reads. The platform allows users to browse and download apps developed across operating systems. However, when MyBroadband visited the DigiTech website, its marketplace offered nothing more than a grid of YouTube videos. The department soon faced backlash over the website, with Malatsi saying it looks like a high schooler could have developed it. An anonymous security researcher told MyBroadband that the website ran on an outdated version of Drupal. Drupal has tagged the software as insecure. MyBroadband also established that the site was built using a $59 (R1,000) Drupal template. Sita set the site up so anyone could register an account and upload a digital product, complete with images and video links. Needless to say, some users had a field day uploading Rickrolls and other videos like Pepe the Frog doing REEEE for 10 hours. Two Vallejo residents were arrested Wednesday afternoon after a reported theft from the Napa Premium Outlets, police said. Shortly before 4:25 p.m., a man and woman entered the Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store on Freeway Drive and stole about $1,000 in merchandise, according to Napa Police Sgt. Brett Muratori. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. After a vehicle description and license number were broadcast to law enforcement agencies, an American Canyon Police officer stopped a vehicle on Highway 29 and Tower Road and found the stolen merchandise inside, along with suspected methamphetamine and a smoking pipe, Muratori said in an email. Two occupants, 37-year-old Ernesto Samuel Esquivel and 26-year-old Candace Sierra Conway-Noel, were arrested on suspicion of shoplifting, receiving stolen property, and criminal conspiracy. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Vallejo and cold-plated with a different license plate to evade detection, according to Muratori. Esquivel and Conway-Noel were booked into the Napa County jail. Authorities have identified two Placer County residents who died aboard a small airplane that crashed in rural Napa County earlier this week. Scott Killian, a 61-year-old Roseville resident, was piloting the plane when it went down near Pope Valley at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, the Napa County Coroners Office announced Thursday. Killian died at the scene along with his passenger, 22-year-old Dreyson Hicks of Rocklin. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The crash remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Earlier, a NTSB spokesperson said the victims were aboard an Evolution Revolt Weight Shift Control Trike when it struck a power line while maneuvering. It was not immediately known where the plane had taken off or was intended to land. The resulting crash started a vegetation fire that spread to more than an acre and took about two hours for Cal Fire crews to extinguish. A website for Florida-based Evolution Aircraft Inc. describes the Revolt as a small, propeller-driven aircraft with two seats mounted front to back, a roll cage instead of bodywork, and a design geared for short takeoffs and landings at slow speeds no higher than 90 mph. The NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report within three weeks of the crash, though a full investigation may last as long as two years. Three people who stole hundreds of pairs of sunglasses from a Napa store Wednesday evening led police on a vehicle pursuit into San Francisco before they were arrested, according to Napa Police. When speaking of Portuguese wines, Port the sweet fortified wines of the Douro River Valley, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site is usually the first one that comes to mind. These treasured wines, in all of their complex iterations of Ruby, Tawny, Colheita, Vintage, etc., represent a benchmark for quality and have historically been the marquee selections of this multifaceted winemaking country. But in recent years, Portugals dry table wines have received a great deal of attention and notoriety. While these wines seem to be the new kids on the block to many, theyve been made since 2000 BCE and now hail from virtually every corner of the country. Portugal has only two neighbors: Spain surrounding it to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west and to the south bordering the Algarve region. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Together, Spain and Portugal form the Iberian peninsula, with the Colares DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) near Lisbon as the European continents westernmost growing area. Given the peninsula's relative geographic isolation from Europe, the varieties found in Portugal are unique and descended from wild grapes that once thrived in the region. They are part of the Vitis sylvestris family that is considered the ancestor of Vitis vinifera (Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, etc.) found elsewhere in Europe and now adopted internationally. Portugal is home to diverse vineyard locations and second only to Italy in the number of indigenous varieties grown. The current count of 250 will continue to grow as the field of grape genealogy advances. There are more indigenous grapes per square kilometer in Portugal than in any other wine-producing country, plus an additional 340 endemic varieties that have found a new home. Only one-quarter the size of California and 350 miles long, Portugal boasts 1,115 miles of coastline with countless inlets and bays providing an interwoven pattern of distinctive viticultural landscapes, each speaking to its individuality by varying climatic conditions, soil types and varietal composition. In 1756, the Douro became the world's first officially demarcated wine growing region. Today there exists a web of 31 DOCs, 14 Vinho Regionals (VR or IGT), and other non-classified areas that cover the entirety of the country. Amazingly, there is nowhere in Portugal where grapes arent grown and wine isnt made. Wine lovers around the world are the beneficiaries of the Portuguese domestic markets demand that their wines exhibit freshness with heightened acidity, complex aromatic elements, deep structure, balance, textural appeal and integrated tannins. The reds are deep in color and the whites typically exhibit brightness and pale to medium golden hues. These are wines intended to pair with a range of culinary choices, and are geared to complement rather than overwhelm the dish. Earlier this month, I attended a press/trade masterclass on Portugals wines and winemaking history hosted by the Wines of Portugal (aka ViniPortugal, an interprofessional association of the Portuguese wine industry). This informative tasting and educational seminar was led by ViniPortugals U.S. ambassador, Eugenio Jardim. During the seminar, Eugenio astutely addressed Portugals unique history by reflecting on the entwined effects of its political, social, religious and winemaking influences. Through this lens, he ably presented an interwoven tapestry of Portugals wine growing regions along with a multitude of personal insights, while leading our tasting of 10 dry table wines (three whites and seven reds) from diverse growing areas and representative of individual winemaking styles. My standouts among the whites were 2021 Aveleda Alvarinho and 2021 Joao Portugal Ramos Alvarinho, both from the Vino Verde DOC where Alvarinho is the dominant grape. It is also known as Albarino from Spains Rias Baixas region, located in the eastern area of Galicia and separated from Vino Verde by the Minho River. Both Alvarinhos were reflective of their terroir and accentuated historic stylistic differences from Albarino. Vinho Verde is further divided into nine subregions and is located inland on a bed of granitic soils as opposed to the coastal Rias Baixas. The warmer inland temperatures and indigenous soil type yield more complexity than the cooler Rias Baixas, bringing forth an emphasis on more tropical and stone fruit flavors than its Spanish sibling. The reds were far more diverse and spoke well of Portugals mantra of blending. Overall, they represented several expected stylistic profiles with some pleasant surprises. A couple of my favorites were the 2018 CH by Chocapalha (100% Touriga Nacional from Lisbon) and 2019 Duorum Reserva (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz from Douro). The CH by Chocapalha is made by Sandra Tavares da Silva, who was Portugals first female winemaker. As pointed out by Eugenio, This wine is a reflection of Sandras unique passion and incredible skills. I found it in the classic bold yet elegant mold of Portuguese reds. The Duorum was quite a surprise as it was among the lowest-priced wines in the tasting, yet from the classic Douro region. It spoke more of elegance than power and was texturally rich, with strong notes of refreshing cranberry and red currants on the palate. Two others that showed very well but just a notch below the CH and Duorum were 2017 Cabriz Reserva (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Alfrocheiro from Dao) and 2018 Casa Ferreirinha Quinta da Leda (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cao and Touriga Franca from Douro). These two wines represented the extremes of the tasting as I found each a counterpoint to the other. The Cabriz (also one of the more value-oriented examples) evoked a lighter crimson hue and exhibited bright red fruit, contrasted by notes of richer black fruit and impeccable balance. Its style was reminiscent of Burgundy. The Casa Ferreirinha (the most expensive wine of the tasting) was far bolder in its expression, beginning with an ultra-deep ruby color that led to the impression of highly extracted fruit on the palate typically representative of a more forward Napa Cabernet. It and the Cabriz were bookends to the tasting, and both were representative of their individual stylistic interpretation. The history of wine growing in Portugal dates back several millennia, and the valued Port wines of the Douro have long been regarded as among the worlds finest. However, it has only been since 1986, when Portugal formally joined the European Union, that the industry has grown and upgraded its efforts both in the vineyard with newly adopted farming regimens, and in the winery by the acquisition of modern technology and equipment. A new generation of vintners, growers and winemakers continues to evolve that views the wines of Portugal through an international vision, with its dry table wines as the prize. Given their quality and value, they should be even better represented on wine lists and retail shelves. While the U.S. is Portugals No. 2 export market behind Brazil, it may still take a little searching to find just the right examples for your table. The reward will be in your glass. Its no secret how many people are moving to Nashville. Every single day there is a new crop of people relocating to Music City. Not everyone is excited about the newcomers, otherwise known as carpetbaggers, but with Southern hospitality, its difficult not to welcome people looking for a better life in a great place like Nashville. If youre already moving to Tennessee, you might as well do it the right way. It is a big city with a small-town mindset and perspective. It is Southern but eclectic. Below is your guide to moving to Nashville. Why Nashville? When you announce that you are moving to Nashville, your friends and family might ask why. This is a strange question because there are so many reasons to move to Nashville. First, it is known for being one of the live music capitals of the United States. If you are a musician trying to play frequently and get paid to do it, the capital of Tennessee is the spot that could provide this. Are you a chef or a business owner looking to own a restaurant? Nashville has a bustling food and drinking scene. There are also tech companies moving in. Music City isnt just good for music, it is good for so many things. Anyone who lives in Nashville wont be surprised youre moving there. Will You Buy or Rent? Depending on where you live now and how much money you make, youll need to decide whether you are buying or renting property. Moving out to Tennessee is an opportunity to buy some land and a house that youve always dreamt of. Look just outside of Nashville and the prices will go down. A real estate agent who knows the area can help you find the best property for your situation and a Tennessee mortgage lender can help you determine the best way to make this big purchase. If you plan on living in Nashville for a long time, buying property is probably the way to go. What Neighborhood is Right for You? If youre not interested in living outside of the city and want to be around the energy of Nashville, you will need to decide where you will live. There are plenty of neighborhoods where youre able to find the right area for your situation. The Gulch is a high-end area whereas downtown youll be in the center of honky-tonk tourism. Hillsboro Village is an urban neighborhood where walking is encouraged. It is also next to the universities if you are going to school or have a child who wants to attend Vanderbilt or Belmont. When you are moving to the city and plan on staying, you should make sure to do your research about the right neighborhood. What is the Culture Like? People who live in Nashville are a fun-loving group of people from around Tennessee and the rest of the country. Some say that people from elsewhere are more prominent than natives, but it remains a city with a Southern spirit. Nashville is known for a few things, but they just scrape the surface. For example, hot chicken is the food this city is known for, but it has plenty of good restaurants outside of this. High-end or low-end, Nashville has all kinds of food. It is also known for country music, but it has just about every genre you can imagine. Theres a reason its called Music City and not Country Music City. Furthermore, Nashville values education and is home to respected schools and universities. The culture of Nashville is established, but it continues to change and evolve over time. Lets face it, we all know why people want to move to Nashville. The people are incredible. The food is amazing. The music is constant. The nightlife is wild and fun. Here you can work a respectable job during the week and let loose on the weekends. One of the reasons some people arent excited about Nashville is because they dont want it to change. They want it to remain the awesome, beautiful city that it is. So, if you decide to relocate to Nashville remember that you are a visitor and do your best to support the culture and people of Nashville. If you do, Music City will welcome you with open arms. Is Western unity over Ukraine about to crack? Which countries could survive nuclear war? Surmalu re-inspection scheduled for November In Lebanon, man who held hostages in bank released without charges TerraPower of Bill Gates raises $750 million for projects in nuclear energy and medicine China's 'Galaxy Fold clone' sold out in five minutes and became a bestseller Germany plans to postpone closure of its last three nuclear power plants Expert estimates environmental consequences of Yerevan explosion and gives advices Switzerland signs agreement with Uzbekistan to return $131 million seized from Gulnara Karimova Artsakh also declares mourning Norway can no longer supply Germany with more gas UN Secretary General to meet with Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey in Lviv Ministry of Emergency Situations: There were about 4 tons of flammable substances in Surmalu Russian Security Council says Kyiv threatens global nuclear security Content of toxic substances in air after explosion in Yerevan has increased sharply Scholz says Sweden and Finland's NATO accession process goes according to plan Macron and Zelenskiy discuss situation over Zaporozhye nuclear power plant Expert: Biden is not preparing Americans for what is to come Armenian Prosecutor General's Office: Representatives of management and employees of Surmalu will be interrogated Mourning declared in Armenia Latvia will not extend residence permits previously issued to Russian citizens NEWS.am BREAKING on Yerevan market explosion: 16 people killed First Lady of US contracts COVID-19 Aghvan Hovsepyan undergoes surgery Investigative Committee: More than 20 people questioned in case of Surmalu explosion in Yerevan Head of Armenian HM visits victims of explosion on territory of Surmalu in Yerevan Deputy PM of Singapore: US and China may slide into conflict Director of Surmalu shopping center is in heavy psychological state and does not comment Identity of another victim of Surmalu shopping center in Yerevan established Two Armenian startups advance to EWC Global Finals (PHOTOS) Patriarch Kirill expresses condolences in connection with Surmalu shopping mall explosion Russia announces supply of second S-400 regiment to Turkey Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia Republican Party of Armenia calls for naming leader of united opposition Yerevan market explosion death toll is 16 as of 3:30pm, Armenia emergency ministry says Putin calls Pelosi's trip to Taiwan gamble Russia embassy: Russian citizen considered missing in Yerevan market blast is alive and well Gazprom: European gas price will exceed $4,000 per thousand cubic meters in winter Yerevan subway operations resume Yerevan market explosion: 6 people still considered missing Former head of NSC: Bomb alerts have never been so systematic and periodic before Armenia truckers temporarily block Goris-Sisian motorway Georgia PM: Our thoughts and prayers are with families of those killed in Yerevan Yerevan market blast: 14 of 16 casualties identified, official says Georgia President: I stand with the people of Armenia Bloomberg: Jump in gas prices sent European electricity prices to a new record Armenia official: Pointless to say that Surmalu market was deliberately blown up Japan embassy expresses condolences over Yerevan market explosion No bombs found at 4 Yerevan subway stations, international airport Armenia, Russia defense ministers hold talks Shoigu says there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine Bomb threat at Yerevan international airport Putin: Russia will ensure its national interests, protection of allies US lifts F-35 flight ban Armenian Red Cross Society: 140 people asked for psychological service, 110 othersfor first aid, in 3 days 14 of Yerevan market blast casualties are identified Trump says after leaving Afghanistan, US left Taliban weapons worth $ 85 billion India blocks Azerbaijan's participation in upcoming BRICS summit as a guest Baku is concerned about safety of its diplomatic mission in London Yerevan explosion: 13 of 16 dead are identified, emergency ministry spokesperson says Iran responds to EU nuclear deal proposals Yerevan market explosion: 17 people considered missing, Armenia official says Yerevan explosion: 7 injured continue to receive hospital treatment Day of mourning to be declared in Armenia Newspaper: Unpunished crime gives birth to new, more catastrophic crime in Yerevan Bomb threat made at Yerevan subway Newspaper: Who is No. 1 accountable for Yerevan market tragedy? Yerevan market explosion: Fire extinguishing no longer being carried out, emergency minister says Yerevan market explosion death toll reaches 16 Armenia emergency minister: Rescuers removed young child, pregnant womans bodies from under rubble Yerevan explosion death toll climbs to 15 Yerevan market explosion death toll reaches 10 Yerevan explosion: 5 of 6 assumed missing Iranians are in Georgia, Armenia emergency ministry spokesman says Musk plans to build at least 1,000 starships to send groups of pioneers to Mars Russian DM: Ukraine is preparing large-scale provocations near Zaporizhzhia NPP Rescuers find another body from rubble of Surmalu shopping center Deputy Minister: Tomorrow it will be known when we can finish rescue work near Surmalu shopping center FBI and DHS say threat grows after search of Donald Trump's residence Armenian Emergency Ministry updates list of citizens missing in Surmalu explosion: Six Iranian and one Russian citizen Modi says they must transform India into developed country in next 25 years Ministry of Emergency Situations denies information about pregnant woman and her son found Myanmar Military Court hands down second sentence to Aung San Suu Kyi Head of Emergency Ministry unable to confirm another survivor has been pulled out of rubble German Chancellor: Visa ban for Russians must be discussed Rescuers hear sounds under rubble of Surmalu shopping center Emergencies Ministry: 22 people missing in Surmalu shopping center Bloomberg: Recession risk in eurozone has reached highest level since November 2020 Investigation into explosion in Surmalu shopping center continues Georgia's tourism revenues have exceeded pre-pandemic levels French Embassy expresses condolences to families of Surmalu explosion victims CSTO Secretary General sends condolences to Armenian Prime Minister over Surmalu trade center explosion Hungary and Turkey plan to launch joint drone production Russian-Armenian Humanitarian Response Center joins work to eliminate consequences of explosion in Surmalu Tesla has produced more than 3 million cars since company was founded Rescuers find another body under rubble of Surmalu shopping center Ministry of Emergencies presents new list: 21 people are missing from Surmalu shopping center Electricity bills in Germany will rise by another 480 euros year because of gas surcharge 12 injured in Surmalu shopping mall explosion remain in hospitals Media: Russia signs contract with Iran to buy 1,000 drones Armenian DM attends opening of Army 2022 exhibition at Patriot center near Moscow (PHOTOS) The US Supreme Court on Thursday declined to reinstate President Joe Biden's policy shifting the focus of America's immigration enforcement toward public safety threats, handing a victory to Texas and Louisiana as they challenge a plan they call unlawful, Reuters reported. The Supreme Court justices on a 5-4 vote denied the Biden administration's request to block a federal judge's ruling that had prevented immigration officials from carrying out the enforcement guidelines while litigation over the legality of the policy continues. But the court said in a brief order that it would fast-track the Biden administration appeal and hear oral arguments in December. Biden's policy departed from the hard-line approach taken by the Democratic president's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to broaden the range of immigrants subject to arrest and removal. Biden took office last year promising a more humane approach to immigration. In announcing the new guidelines last September, Biden's administration noted that US officials have long relied on setting enforcement priorities due to the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally. The policy would give agents more discretion to consider individual circumstances and prioritizes threats to national security or public safety. Republicans have criticized Biden's administration, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal border crossings. Texas and Louisiana sued in a federal court in Texas over Biden's policy, arguing that under federal law officials lack discretion and are obligated to detain immigrants who commit a broad array of crimes or who have been ordered removed. US District Judge Drew Tipton agreed on June 10, suspending the policy nationwide. Tipton was appointed by Trump. On July 6, the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block Tipton's ruling pending an appeal. China will act strongly if U.S. official insists on visiting Taiwan: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 08:25, July 22, 2022 BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday that China will act strongly to resolutely respond to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned trip to Taiwan and take countermeasures should the U.S. side insist on making the visit. The Chinese side has repeatedly stated its stern position on firmly opposing Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Wang said at a daily press briefing, adding that the U.S. Congress is part of the U.S. government, and is supposed to strictly adhere to the U.S. commitment on the Taiwan question. "If Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, it would seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques and harm China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wang said. Wang said it will have a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and send a gravely wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. "Should the U.S. side insist on making the visit, China will act strongly to resolutely respond to it and take countermeasures. We mean what we say," Wang said. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Former Chicago police detective Beth Svec stands outside the courtroom at the Daley Center, July 12, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) A jury decided Friday that former Chicago police Detective Beth Svec is entitled to more than $4.35 million in damages under the Illinois Whistleblower Act. Svec sued the Chicago Police Department for retaliating against her in 2016 after she brought forward evidence contradicting two officers accounts of an arrest. Advertisement As the jurors filed out of the courtroom, Svec pulled down her mask, placed her hand on her heart and mouthed thank you as tears welled in her eyes. It was a hard, hard fight, said one of Svecs lead attorneys, Torri Hamilton, outside the courtroom. This is important for other police officers to see. A jury will have your back. Advertisement Svec, dressed in police black and blue with a badge pendant hanging from her necklace, says she still supports the police. I hope this never, ever happens to another police officer, she said. As detailed in the original complaint, Svec was a detective in Area 2, assigned by her superiors to a pilot program investigating cases of unlawful gun possessions in 2015. On May 30, 2016, she was investigating a case in which two officers were pursuing felony charges against two men for unlawful possession of a firearm and for assaulting an officer. While conducting her investigation, Svec testified that she found evidence including a video that contradicted the accounts of Officer Brandon Ternand and Officer Robert Caulfield. Svec notified the officers, her supervisors and the assistants states attorney of her findings, she said. The Cook County states attorneys office rejected the request of officers to charge the two arrested men and notified the CPD Bureau of Internal Affairs, Svecs complaint states. In the weeks after the arrest and investigation, Svec was transferred out of Area South to the Englewood neighborhood. Later that year, she found herself reassigned to the midnight shift, which she said she hadnt worked since her first few years as a police officer. YEREVAN. Zhoghovurd newspaper of Armenia writes: Judge Arusyak Aleksanyan, who had [the late film] producer Armen Grigoryan arrested by her decision, submitted a petition yesterday to leave the Union of Judges, but did not note any reason [for this]. Details have become known to Zhoghovurd daily about the reasons for this move by Judge Aleksanyan. In particular, she left the Union of Judges because she has become offended by and upset with her colleagues. The thing is that after the death of Armen Grigoryan [in the courtroom during his trial], the activists publicized a photo on their social media pages and subjected the judge to harsh insulting criticism because she was the judge who sent Grigoryan to arrest. The judge was saddened that the [aforesaid] union [of judges] did not show her any support, so her staying in the union is pointless. What is noteworthy is that the judge was heavily criticized also in the [Armenian] judicial system for the arrest of Armen Grigoryan and the interview she gave to the media. There were rumors in the [Armenian judicial] system that it would have been better if she remained silent rather than expressed such an opinion. And what had the judge said? She noted that she deeply sympathizes with the relatives [of Armen Grigoryan], and the only thing she is sorry for is that a person died. The meeting of the Council of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia scheduled for Friday was not held due to the lack of a quorum. The NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that if there is a quorum within two hours, this meeting will convene. As reported earlier, the matter of petitioning to the Constitutional Court with a request to strip 32 MPs of the opposition "Armenia" and "With Honor" Factions of the NA of their parliamentary mandates is on the agenda of the aforesaid meeting. A week ago, the NA Council convened a meeting also on this matter, but it ended immediately after the quorum because the opposition lawmakers were not present. According to the NA regulations, if the MP regarding whom the matter of striping from the parliamentary mandate shall be addressed is not present at the session, the latter discontinues the first time. But one week later, a second respective NA Council session is convened by force of law, during which, regardless of whether or not the given MP is present, the NA Council makes a decision to petition or not to petition to the Constitutional Court with the aforesaid request. A week ago, the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the NA had announced that they decided not to petition to the Constitutional Court. The NA Council will discuss the matter of each MP separately, which means that the NA Council may decide not to petition to the Constitutional Court with a request to strip all the said opposition MPs of their parliamentary mandates. The NA regulations stipulate that if an MP has been absent from more than half of the NA votes during one session for acceptable reasons, the NA Council can petition to the Constitutional Court with a request to strip this MP of his/her parliamentary mandate. Veronica Alvarez, mother of 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, holds a photo of her son and his grandmother, Maria Luisa Lira, at her home on Feb. 23, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) The Chicago Police Board has denied the Civilian Office of Police Accountabilitys recommendation to fire the officer who shot Anthony Alvarez in a high-profile case last year, with a reviewer for the board calling the shooting objectively reasonable. Alvarez, 22, was fatally shot by Chicago police Officer Evan Solano after a foot chase in Portage Park. Police Board member Steven Block reviewed COPAs investigation and recommendation of separation and denied it. Advertisement At Thursday nights Police Board meeting, Block announced his decision to side with Chicago police Superintendent David Browns recommendation for a 20-day suspension for Solano. Block, a partner at the law firm Thompson Hine and a Police Board member since late 2021, wrote in his opinion of the case that Solanos use of force was objectively reasonable based on the totality of the circumstances as the officers reasonably perceived them. He agreed with Brown that COPAs evidence was legally insufficient to sustain that the officers acted against general orders when using force and engaging in the foot pursuit. Advertisement Block found that Browns proposal of a 20-day suspension was more reasonable than the chief administrators recommendation of firing the officer. Block only agreed with the allegations that Solano failed to activate his body-worn camera in a timely manner, properly load his firearm or make a required notification to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications of the pursuit. Blocks opinion noted that the officers had reasonable suspicion to make an investigatory stop of Alvarez based on their knowledge that he had been driving on March 29, 2021, with a suspended license and that they had probable cause to arrest Alvarez based on how he held his waistband when he fled, leading the officers to believe he was illegally concealing a firearm. Block also noted that the officers were familiar with Alvarez because both Solano and his partner, Sammy Encarnacion, had responded to a domestic call involving Alvarez and the mother of his child the previous April. That call resulted in Solano chasing Alvarez, who was detained without incident. Block disagreed with COPAs finding that Solano failed to use de-escalation techniques. Solano tried to minimize the confrontation by using continual communication, yelling at him to drop the gun and further warning that Solano was going to shoot could have prompted Alvarez to shoot first, Block found. But because Encarnacion did not activate his body-worn camera until after Alvarez had been shot, footage of the foot pursuit captured by the camera was in buffering mode, which does not have audio. So Block credited the officers consistent testimonies to confirm the verbal demands directed at Alvarez during the pursuit. The attorney for the Alvarez family, Todd Pugh, decried the choice in a statement Thursday. The Alvarez family continues to reel from Anthonys death. They are appalled by Mr. Blocks decision to merely recommend a 20-day suspension of a police officer who COPA determined violated numerous policies and directives before killing Anthony Alvarez, the statement read. " ... Todays decision is not only a gut-punch to the Alvarez family, but it perpetuates the message that encounters with the Chicago Police Department remain potentially lethal. Solanos attorney, Timothy Grace, called the decision the right one. Advertisement With its ruling in the Anthony Alvarez officer-involved shooting, the Chicago Police Board has shown that is has potential to be a great force in providing civilian accountability that is both fair and just..., his statement read. COPA, on the other hand, has proven once again that while its statutory mandate in theory could provide acceptable police oversight, in reality it is beholden to the mob mentality of the anti-police movement. Andrea Kersten, COPAs chief administrator, said at the meeting that she stood by COPAs investigation and findings. After the meeting, Kersten told reporters that she understands each case has its own merits. But she said COPA believes its important with cases of this consequence with large amounts of evidence that it should advance to the full Police Board instead of being up to a single member. We reached the conclusions we made because, based on the totality of the circumstances, she said. We felt that the officers actions put in motion the circumstances that led to this unnecessarily and that that is a big part of the reason why we reached the sustained finding that we did, particularly with respect to the ultimate justification or lack thereof as we found to use fatal deadly force. Kersten said the 20-day suspension is the final decision and COPA has no avenue of recourse or appeal. Alvarez was shot while moving away from Solano, who was pursuing him and yelling at him to drop the gun, a video of the shooting released last year showed. Solano fired shots, and footage shows Alvarez drop a pistol as he fell to the ground. He was shot in the back and thigh, an autopsy later revealed. His family filed a lawsuit in February alleging the city bears responsibility for his death partly because the Chicago Police Department did not have a policy on foot pursuits at the time. The familys lawsuit states that Alvarez did not threaten the officers or anyone else, and that police had no valid reason to stop him or chase him that night. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > His death came just days after a different Chicago police officer fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo during a foot chase. The two shootings sparked protests and prompted the city to implement a policy on foot pursuits. In April 2021, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability had recommended to Chicago police officials that Solano be relieved of his police powers during its investigation, an action that would require the officer to forfeit his badge and gun for work purposes while assigned to paid desk duty. He was stripped of his police powers in June 2021. In January, COPA concluded its investigation of the Alvarez shooting. In March, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx announced her office would not bring criminal charges against the officers involved in the Alvarez and Toledo shootings. Foxx said at a news conference that prosecutors determined both officers reasonably believed they were in danger when they opened fire. Both Toledo and Alvarez were carrying guns on the nights they were shot. The Police Department released its final version of a foot pursuit policy in June, which was in the making for over a year since the Alvarez and Toledo shootings. The policy states that officers can engage in a foot pursuit only if there is a valid law enforcement need to detain the person that outweighs the dangers of the pursuit. Officers also must not start a chase or stop one for various reasons, such as if the officer becomes injured or a third party is injured and requires immediate medical aid; if the officer is unaware of their current location; and if the officer loses his or her radio or firearm. The policy also states that if an officer is alone, he or she should not start or continue a chase. All officers will receive e-learning training on the new policy, and it will also be built into the departments in-person 40 hours of mandatory training, according to police leaders. Robert Boik, CPDs executive director of constitutional policing and reform, said the policy wont officially go into effect until all officers have been trained on it, which will likely be by the end of the summer. pfry@chicagotribune.com Advertisement asweeney@chicagotribune.com Armenia is interested in Indian arms, DNA India reported. During the recent visit of the Armenian military delegation to India, a list of arms Armenia is interested in purchasing was presented. While little is known about its contents, it was confirmed that drones featured prominently on the list. But not only drones, the official confirmed, without going into details, according to the newspaper. It is noted that this is not the first time Armenia has shown interest in Indian military equipment. In 2020, the country signed a $40 million deal with India for the supply of four SWATHI radars for weapons location detection. Since then, Armenia's defense needs have grown exponentially. "The war in Karabakh has forced us to rethink our defense needs," said an Armenian official who wished to remain unnamed. India sees Armenia not only as a friend, but also as a good counterweight to Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly belligerent on the Kashmir issue, and so is Azerbaijan, which is closely tied to Turkey and Pakistan. Together with defense, trade and investment, Armenia could become a strategically important partner for India, where the latter could establish bases and a commercial and defense center for co-production and Indian exports beyond its borders. Being in Russia's sphere of influence is an additional advantage for India. Any Indian bases should not irritate Russia, even though they offer an alternative to Armenia and are ahead of China's expanding presence, the paper writes. The European Commission initiated four new lawsuits against Britain after the lower house of the British parliament approved a bill to repeal certain rules governing Northern Ireland trade agreements after Brexit. The EC said the U.K.'s unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussions about the protocol governing these trade agreements and the House of Commons' passage of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill undermined the spirit of cooperation. This brings to seven the number of "breach procedures" that the European Commission has launched over what it believes are Britain's failure to comply with the trade aspects of the divorce agreement with Northern Ireland, agreed to by both sides. The procedures could lead to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) imposing fines, though that likely won't happen for at least a year, Reuters reported. London has proposed eliminating some checks on goods from the rest of the United Kingdom coming into the British province and has challenged the role of the European Court of Justice in deciding parts of the post-Brexit agreement agreed to by the EU and Britain. The four new legal proceedings are not related to the UK's new plans, but to the charge that the UK has not complied with the protocol. The British province is in the EU's single market for goods, which means that imports from the rest of the United Kingdom are subject to customs declarations and sometimes require inspection upon arrival. The agreement was created to avoid restoring border controls between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, but sparked the ire of pro-British unionist parties by effectively creating a border in the Irish Sea. Specifically, the Commission accused Britain of failing to comply with customs requirements for goods moving from Northern Ireland to Britain, of failing to comply with EU rules regarding excise duties in general and duties on alcohol, and of failing to comply with EU rules regarding sales tax for e-commerce. The Commission gave the U.K. two months to respond. YEREVAN. Hraparak daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: The opposition "Armenia" and "With Honor" Factions [of the National Assembly (NA)] have refused to meet together with the MPs of the ruling faction with the delegation of David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee. Although from the beginning the agenda was such that the European MPs were to have a joint meeting with the RA NAthat is, the [Armenian] parliamentary leadership had to decide which MP from the opposition should participate in the meeting, we were informed that the oppositionists proposed to the delegation to meet separately with different factions [of the NA]; they said that this format will be more effective. The proposal was not rejected, and today the oppositionists will meet with the [aforesaid] delegation in the parliament. Pro-government circles or those directed by them are already speculating that the oppositionists returned to the parliament smartly. However, let's recall that the [parliamentary] opposition has announced the boycotting of the NA sessions and emphasized that it does not give up the work of parliamentary diplomacy. Moreover, it wants to present the situation in the country to the European parliamentarians. Emory faculty and staff are frequently recognized for their work locally, nationally and internationally. The following is a sampling of recent accolades, including awards for professional contributions and leadership appointments. Honors highlighted in this column: Blank appointed to Department of Defense counsel role Laurie R. Blank, clinical professor of law, has been appointed as special counsel to the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense. The Office of the General Counsel provides advice to the secretary and deputy secretary of defense regarding all legal matters and policies. In her role as special counsel, Blank will focus primarily on the law of armed conflict and national security law. Blank is director of the International Humanitarian Law Clinic at Emory University School of Law, where she teaches the law of armed conflict and works directly with students to assist international tribunals, non-governmental organizations and militaries around the world on cutting edge issues in humanitarian law and human rights. Boise elected cancer pharmacology secretary/treasurer Lawrence Boise has been elected secretary/treasurer for the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics division of cancer pharmacology. The society is the professional home for those working to advance pharmacology research, knowledge and impact. Boise serves as professor and R. Randall Rollins Chair in Oncology, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institutes associate director for education and training. Castellino takes on scientific chair role Sharon Castellino, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a member of Winship Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, has been named scientific chair of the Hodgkin Lymphoma Committee of the Childrens Oncology Group. In this role, she will oversee and set priorities for clinical trials with the goal of improving equitable trial access, outcomes and quality of life for young patients. Learn more about the COG Disease Committee leadership. Outstanding mentor award given to Chen Amy Chen has received the Margaret Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in Head and Neck Surgery Award from the American Head and Neck Society for demonstrating leadership in promoting gender diversity in the field. Chen will also be named chair of the Societys Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Learn more about the award. She serves as Willard and Lillian Hackerman Professor of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and member of Winship Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program. Cotes receives exemplary psychiatrist award Associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Robert Cotes was selected as a recipient of a 2022 National Alliance on Mental Illness Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. The award honors psychiatrists who have made exceptional contributions to improve the lives of people with mental health conditions. Cotes is director of the clinical and research program for psychosis at Grady Health System, which comprises of the PSTAR Clinic and Project ARROW. The PSTAR Clinic provides evidence-based, recovery-oriented care for individuals with persistent symptoms of psychosis, specializing in the use of clozapine. Project ARROW is a coordinated specialty care team for people experiencing early psychosis, offering comprehensive, person-centered care using a multidisciplinary approach. Cronin, Mullins and Tigges are elected AUR fellows Professors Paul Cronin, Mark E. Mullins and Stephan Tigges have each been elected a fellow of the Association of University Radiologists (AUR). Fellow is an honor granted to an AUR member in continuous good standing who has made exceptional contributions in administration, mentorship, professionalism, research, teaching, service and leadership in organized medicine and scholarship and service to AUR. Cui earns an Early Career Award Ruomeng Cui, associate professor of information systems and operations management in Goizueta Business School, received a highly competitive POMS Award from the Production and Operations Management Society. The Chelliah Sriskandarajah Early Career Research Accomplishments Award (previously known as the Wickham Skinner Early Career Research Accomplishments Award) aims to shape the development of the operations management field through recognizing and rewarding academics who have achieved exceptionally high accomplishments early in their careers. Cuis publication topics, ranging from gender inequality in research productivity to wholesale price discrimination in global sourcing, demonstrate her expertise in a variety of areas. In addition to her research and teaching successes, she recently took on the role of a scientist for Amazon in supply chain optimization. Dichev receives seminal research award The 2022 Seminal Contributions to Accounting Literature Award from the American Accounting Association was given to Ilia D. Dichev of Goizueta Business School. The award, which recognizes works that have stood the test of time and have contributed in a fundamental way to later research, is given no more than once every three years. Only one work is honored in any given year. Eligible works must have been published at least 15 years prior to the year in which the award is bestowed. Dichevs paper Earnings Management to Avoid Earnings Decreases and Losses was published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics in December 1997 and has been reviewed and well-respected in the field for years. Dichev serves as professor of accounting and Goizueta Foundation Chair in Financial Reporting. Eaton receives outstanding reviewer award The International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics has given a 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award to Bree Eaton. Known as Red Journal, the journal is the official scientific publication of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Eaton is assistant professor of radiation oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and a member of Winship Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program. Findeiss chosen as Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow Laura Findeiss has been selected by a national competition for the 2022-2023 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows at the National Academy of Medicine. As one of six fellows, she will spend a year in Washington, D.C., working on health-related legislative and regulatory issues with members of Congress and the executive branch. The RWJF Health Policy Fellows program is the nations most prestigious learning experience at the nexus of health, science and policy in Washington, D.C. Since 1973, this nonpartisan fellowship has offered exclusive, hands-on policy experience with the most influential congressional and executive offices in the nations capital. Findeiss is a professor of radiology and surgery in the Emory University School of Medicine and chief of service, radiology, for Grady Health System. Flowers named president of American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Lisa Flowers, professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a member of Winship Cancer Institute's Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program, has been named the new president of the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. A professional society founded in 1964, ASCCP works to improve clinician competence and patient outcomes through educational activities focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and management of anogenital and HPV-related diseases. Radiology faculty help lead professional societies Several members of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Services have been elected to serve in leadership roles for professional societies. Judy Gichoya, assistant professor, has been elected to the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine board of directors. Earlier this year, Gichoya was named the most influential radiology researcher as part of the Minnies Awards, which recognize excellence in radiology and honor those who are shaping the specialty. Associate professor C. Matthew Hawkins has been elected Health Policy and Economics Councilor for the Society of Interventional Radiology. Ranliang Hu, associate professor, was elected chair of the American Society of Neuroradiology membership committee. The committee promotes the enrollment of PhDs and other trained neuroscientists in the society and provides input on how to enhance the societys membership offerings. Stephen Simoneaux, professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Imaging, has been elected president of the Society for Pediatric Radiology. The society fosters excellence in pediatric health care through imaging and image-guided care. Clinical instructor Anna Trofimova was elected chair of the American Society of Neuroradiologys young professionals committee. The committee advises and supports residents and medical students interested in neuroradiology and creates society resources to serve and recruit young professionals. Golde named GRA scholar, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease director Todd Golde has accepted a position with Emory University as director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease in the Goizueta Institute @ Emory Brain Health. Golde will also be appointed a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Neuroscience, with a primary faculty appointment in the department of pharmacology and chemical biology and a secondary appointment in the department of neurology. In his new role, Golde will expand translational research for development of new therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, while facilitating interdisciplinary research in neuro-inflammation, bridging the neuroscience and immunology communities. Read more about Goldes new role. Nuclear medicine society awards Grady and Schuster Erin Grady and David M. Schuster of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Services were both recipients of awards from the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. Grady, an associate professor, received the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from the SNMMI Academic Council. This award recognizes individuals within nuclear medicine who have distinguished themselves with a career dedicated to advancing patient care through academic achievement and education. Honorees also have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and dedication to the Academic Council. Schuster, a professor of radiology, received the 2022 Barry Siegel Lectureship Award from the SNMMI Correlative Imaging Council. This award honors an individual who has made groundbreaking and consistent educational contributions to correlative imaging and to the SNMMI and the CIC. ARVO appoints Grossniklaus to presidency Emory Eye Center clinical pathologist and researcher Hans Grossniklaus has been named to a one-year term as president of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), the largest vision research organization in the world. As is the tradition for each incoming ARVO president, Grossniklaus announced a theme to guide his term. He chose The Beauty of Diversity in Nature and Science because it articulates a deeply held conviction about optimizing both his research and the environment that produces it. Research is more rigorous and more productive, he noted, if it is accomplished from different perspectives, approaches and data interpretations. Likewise, more diversity among the ranks of ARVO can only strengthen the organizations impact on the field. Kadous selected as senior editor of The Accounting Review Goizueta Business Schools Kathryn Kadous has been named the next senior editor of The Accounting Review. The publication is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Accounting Association that covers accounting with a scope encompassing any accounting-related subject and any research methodology. Kadous is the Schaefer Chaired Professor of Accounting and director and associate dean of the PhD program at Goizueta. Kedar named to the Cyrus H. Stoner Professorship Sachin Kedar has been appointed to a five-year term as the Cyrus H. Stoner Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology. Kedar first came to Emory in 2004 to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology. He joined the Emory Eye Center faculty in 2021. In addition to treating patients, he serves as vice chair of education for the Department of Ophthalmology. Early career awards go to Kokabi, Pourmorteza and Sekhar Three faculty members from the Department of Radiology and Imaging Services have been recognized with early career awards. Nima Kokabi, assistant professor, received the Gary J. Becker Young Investigator Award from the Society for Interventional Radiology. The award promotes excellence in academic research from interventional radiologists early in their careers. Amir Pourmorteza, assistant professor, was elected to the Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research Council for Early Career Investigators in Imaging Class of 2022-2023. The award recognizes the achievements of researchers in the early phases of their careers and engages them in the Academys advocacy activities. Aarti Sekhar, associate professor, received the Society of Abdominal Radiology Early Career Committees first Outstanding Support of SAR Early Career Members Award. The award recognizes exceptional service in promoting resources and activities to support young professionals in abdominal and body radiology. Kraft accepted into academic medicine leadership program Colleen Kraft, professor of pathology and infectious diseases, has been accepted into the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. ELAM is a core program of Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. It continues the legacy of advancing women in medicine that began in 1850 with the founding of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, the nations first womens medical school and a predecessor of todays Drexel University College of Medicine. Liu elected fellow of American Society of Physicists in Medicine Tian Liu has been elected as a fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, recognizing her exemplary contributions to the field, service to the profession and dedication to training the next generation of medical physicists. Liu is associate professor of radiation oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and a member of Winship Cancer Institute's Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program. She will be inducted as a fellow on July 11 during the associations annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Arbor Day Foundation recognizes Martin of Oxford College Thanks to lecturer in biology Michael Martins leadership of the Tree Advisory Committee, Oxford College has once again been awarded Tree Campus recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. To be recognized, a school must meet the following five criteria: establishment of a tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree care plan; dedicated annual expenditures for a campus tree program; an Arbor Day observance; and the sponsorship of student service learning projects. Martin assumes presidency of Association of VA Psychologist Leaders Associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences Mike Martin will assume the role of president for the Associate of VA Psychologist Leaders on Aug. 4. The Association of VA Psychologist Leaders is a nonprofit organization with a voluntary membership of psychologists with various leadership roles within the Department of Veterans Affairs. As president, Martin will help address the professional needs and concerns of VA psychologists and the organizations primary goal of providing the highest quality of patient care to U.S. veterans. McDonald named chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences William M. McDonald has been appointed chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine. McDonald is professor and J.B. Fuqua Chair for Late-Life Depression and Reunette W. Harris Chair for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and has led the department as interim chair since January 2021. McDonald joined Emory in 1993 as a faculty member, and since 1999 has led the Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression as director. Read more about McDonalds appointment. McGonigle presents at chaplaincy meetings Gregory W. McGonigle, dean of religious life and Emory University chaplain, presented on Assessing University Chaplaincy at the national Association of Muslim Chaplains monthly convening earlier this summer. He also presented on Religious Diversity in University Chaplaincy: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Humanist at the International Association of Chaplains in Higher Education (IACHE) conference at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. ASCO selects Meisel for leadership development program The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) selected Jane Meisel to participate in the ASCO Leadership Development Program. The year-long program provides leadership training, mentorship from ASCO leaders, exposure to U.S. government research agencies and first-hand advocacy experience on Capitol Hill. Meisel is associate professor of hematology and medical oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and a member of Winship Cancer Institute's Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program. Nakajimas roles build connections with Japanese medical communities Emergency medicine physician Yuko Nakajima is working to develop meaningful collaborations between the U.S. and Japan. She was appointed president of Doctors Without Borders Japan earlier this spring and recently accepted a position as lead ambassador for Japan for the American College of Emergency Physicians. She is an assistant professor in the School of Medicines Emergency Medicine Department and practices at Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown. Newman honored with Top Science neurology award Gene therapy research conducted by Emory Eye Center neuro-ophthalmologist Nancy J. Newman was singled out for high praise by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) this spring. Her abstract, The Phase III REFLECT Trial: Efficacy and Safety of Bilateral Gene Therapy for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) summarized the results of a multinational clinical trial for which Newman was the international coordinating principle investigator. LHON is a rare but devastating disease that starts in one eye and invariably leads to bilateral blindness. Newmans was one of three scientific abstracts chosen for the Top Science honor from AAN's Science Committee, which received more than 2,400 submissions. Announcement of the three Top Science awardees was made just days before the American Academy of Neurologys 74th Annual Meeting earlier this spring. OBanion helps develop new global ophthalmology course A new online course offered through the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is answering the growing demand for practical and philosophical wisdom in the field of global ophthalmology. Jacquelyn O'Banion, the director of Emory Eye Centers global ophthalmology program, was one of nine ophthalmologists who spent the last two years developing the course. Sometimes, even well-intentioned efforts to do global health outreach in other countries falls into the rut of being a fly-in, fly-out mission, explained OBanion. By sharing best practices and foundational knowledge in public health, we can give learners the tools to be impactful as visiting physicians. The 10-part course, entitled Academic Global Ophthalmology, is free and now available to all AAO members. Schiff awarded Rome Prize in Literature Poet Robyn Schiff, a professor of English and creative writing in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded one of four 2022-2023 Rome Prizes in Literature. Schiff received the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize for Literature, a gift of the Drue Heinz Trust, as one of 38 overall winners selected for the highly competitive honor by the American Academy in Rome. The prize comes with a stipend, workspace and room and board at the Rome campus of the academy, Americas oldest overseas center for independent study in advanced research in the arts and humanities. Schiff is the author of three poetry collections, including 2016s A Woman of Property, named a best book of the year by The New Yorker and the Chicago Tribune and an Editors Choice at the New York Times. She will work on Information Desk: An Epic, the book-length poem that draws on her time working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, during the fellowship in Rome. Chaplains share perspectives, receive commissioning Emory Office of Spiritual and Religious Life (OSRL) Buddhist chaplain Venerable Priya Rakkhit Sraman and Hindu chaplain Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya joined a panel at the Catholic Theological Society of Americas annual convention at Sheraton Atlanta Hotel to discuss current interreligious realties on college campuses. Sharing their experiences of ministry in a multifaith setting, they both reflected on how such a setting provides opportunities for deep, meaningful encounters for the campus community in their religious and spiritual explorations. Christian chaplain Maddie Henderson was commissioned as a provisional deacon in the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. In the ordination process in the UMC, this is a significant step that represents a mutual commitment between the candidate and the denomination. Over the next three years, Henderson will participate in a program called residency in ministry to prepare for the final step of the process, which is ordination as a deacon in full connection. The capacity of soil to hold water will be critical to determine how well farms in some regions of the United States manage the problem of prolonged heat stress due to climate change, a new study suggests. The journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems published the finding, based on analyses of 30 years of data on four major U.S. crops: corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat. At the same time that farmers are facing more extreme weather events caused by climate change they are dealing with the growing problem of soil degradation, says Debjani Sihi, first author of the study and assistant professor in Emory Universitys Department of Environmental Sciences. Sihi is a biogeochemist who studies environmental and sustainability issues at the nexus of soil, climate, health and policy. Globally, according to Sihi and her co-authors, 750 million people were undernourished in 2019 due to the effects of climate change, including a decline in food production, hikes in food prices and increased competition for land and water. And the problem of global food security is expected to intensify. World crop yields are projected to decrease by 25% overall within the next 25 years due to climate change, and yet global food production would need to double by 2050 to feed the projected growth in human population. How soil impacts climate Keeping soil healthy is a key component needed to adapt to the climate crisis, Sihi says. Healthy soil contains microbes that provide the nutrients needed for healthy plants to grow, she explains, while also helping make the plant foods that we eat more nutritious. The presence of these microbes also improves the ability of soil to sequester carbon. The top 30 centimeters of the worlds soil contains about twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere, making soil the second-largest natural carbon sink after oceans, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The rise in average temperatures, however, is contributing to declines in soil moisture in some areas, which can impact crop production while also degrading the soil over the long term. For the current paper, the researchers sought to quantify the long-term impact of climate and soil properties on yields of corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat across the mainland United States. They drew on county-level data of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1981 to 2015. Their dataset contained precipitation rates and accumulation of average daily temperatures over a crops growing season, known as growing-degree days. The data also factored in soil variations, including water-holding capacity, organic matter texture (the percentage of sand, silt and clay), pH, slope, erodibility and soil-loss tolerance. How farmers can adapt The researchers used an explainable machine-learning approach to evaluate the impact on crop yields of each of these climate and soil variables. The results singled out growing-degree days as the most important climatic factor and water holding capacity as the most influential soil property for crop-yield variability. The take-home message, Sihi says, is that farmers in regions facing added heat stress for their crops may want to proactively focus on the water-holding capacity of their soil. Clay soil and soil rich in organic material holds water better than sandy soil, she explains. So farms with sandy soil, or with soils containing less organic material, may want to add more amendments to improve the water-holding capacity of the land. Another possible adaptation is to use more mulch to reduce evaporation. The researchers hope that their findings will help farmers, land-management specialists and policy makers in decision-making related to sustainable and long-term soil-, water- and crop- management practices. Co-authors of the study include Kanad Basu and Abraham Peedikayil Kuruvila from the University of Texas at Dallas; Biswanath Dari from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Gaurav Jha from Montana State University. Funding for the work was provided by Emory University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Montana State University. Greater Bay Airlines sets Bangkok for maiden flight Greater Bay Airlines says it's applying for permits to fly to other destinations. File photo: Shutterstock Startup carrier Greater Bay Airlines has confirmed that its maiden passenger flight will take off on Saturday, to Bangkok. According to the Airport Authority, flight HB660 will depart at 10:30am. The airline founded by mainland tycoon Bill Wong declined to comment on the booking situation for the flight, citing commercial reasons. The carrier said it will initially fly to Thailand's Suvarnabhumi airport twice a week, and it is planning to add other destinations. "We are in the process of applying for operating permits from related aviation authorities, and we shall share more information once we received the required confirmation," said an airline spokeswoman. She added that Hong Kong should scrap or shorten its seven-day hotel quarantine requirement, as it could deter residents from travelling for leisure purposes. "We sincerely hope that the HKSAR government may consider shortening the quarantine period or cancelling the quarantine requirement as soon as possible. This is a crucial demand from the aviation and tourism industry," the spokeswoman said. Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], July 22 (ANI/PRNewswire): Zinnov, a leading global management consulting and strategic advisory firm, hosted the 13th edition of its flagship Awards to celebrate leaders and companies who have effectively navigated a highly dynamic business environment to successfully future-proof their business. Zinnov Awards has grown to become a platform that acknowledges the relentless pursuit of excellence that is celebrated by the ecosystem at large. Zinnov Awards continues to be the acknowledged gold standard in recognizing the outstanding achievements and pivotal contributions of Global Centers of Excellence (GCoEs), Indian MNCs, and Start-ups. This year saw an overwhelming response with 400+ nominations from 175+ companies across 10 award categories. 43 seasoned industry leaders served as jurors and selected 32 individuals and companies in total, to be recipients of these prestigious awards. Each year, Zinnov Awards introduces categories in keeping with the pulse of the ecosystem. It has expanded the breadth and depth of factors considered to recognize the best of the best in the technology community. In this edition, there were 2 new organization-wide award categories: Best in Class Center of Excellence and Excellence in Talent Engagement in the Hybrid Age; and 1 new individual award category: Leader Extraordinaire. This year also saw nominations from 100+ women, out of which 7 women leaders emerged as winners across categories. Award Categories and Winners Category 1: Champions of Unlocking Center Value: This award recognizes those companies that have rapidly evolved from being pure-play cost centers to value creation centers. The category assessed GCoEs on the nature and type of transformation, the drivers, the key milestones, and metrics achieved, and the key outcomes across ER&D, IT, BFSI, and GBS teams. Winners: - ER&D - Micron Technology Operations India LLP - Lowe's Services India Private Limited- GBS - Standard Chartered Global Business Services Pvt Ltd - AB InBev GCC Category 2: Great Place to Innovate: One of the two most participated award categories, Great Place to Innovate recognizes companies that are focused on value creation from India, and have made concerted efforts across five key areas: Organization Charter, Culture, Internal Programs & Processes, External Linkages, and Innovation Metrics. The assessment criteria focused on how conducive the environment was for innovation and measured the pervasiveness of the innovative mindset and culture across the GCoE. Winners: - SAP Labs India Private Limited- Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Category 3: Best in Class Center of Excellence (COE): This award recognizes those India centers that are leading the way in driving innovation and research in specific technologies/processes, while facilitating collaboration across various business units. These COEs act as the go-to teams for cutting-edge research and innovation in relevant areas, providing indispensable value to the parent organization. The assessment was across two areas - Technology COE and Process/Functional COE. Winners: - Established - Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore - Continental Technical Center IndiaEmerging - Maersk Technology Centre - Innovation, Data Science & Automation (IDA) CoE Category 4: Pioneers of Inclusion & Diversity: This category recognizes organizations that have established programs and have set the gold standard for Inclusion & Diversity in India. The assessment criteria focused on 6 major drivers of Inclusion - namely People, Processes, Ecosystem, I&D Charter, Culture, and Workplace Engagements. These criteria gauged the inclusive culture and approach promoted within the organization and the measures taken to address the larger socio-economic challenges of I&D. Winners: -Established (Women & Beyond) - Mastercard, India - Dell Technologies- Emerging - Providence India Category 5: Excellence in Talent Engagement in the Hybrid Age: This award is for organizations that have successfully managed to keep their workforce engaged, productive, and connected, post the pandemic in a hybrid work model. The assessment criteria gauged the efficacy of the strategies implemented and the programs in place that measured the effectiveness of talent management and performance of employees and processes, as well as compensation and incentive programs. Winners: - ServiceNow India- SAP Labs India Private Limited- Hewlett Packard Enterprise, India Category 6: Brand by Design - Excellence in Employer Branding: This award recognizes organizations that have successfully created a great brand name in the talent market and are considered employers of choice. The assessment criteria evaluated the efficacy of organizations across various parameters including the company's values, vision, culture, and its dissemination across installed and potential talent as part of their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Winners: - AB InBev GCC Category 7: Aatmanirbhar GCoE: This award category recognizes organizations that have created large-scale impact by conceptualizing, designing, developing, and manufacturing products from India. The assessment criteria focused on the drivers, key metrics, milestones achieved, and the key outcomes derived through technology innovations for both Software as well as Hardware products. Winners: - Micron Technology Operations India LLP- Philips Innovation Campus Bengaluru Category 8: Next Generation Women Leaders: This category celebrates those women leaders in India, who have created large-scale impact through their business, leadership, and/or technology expertise. These women leaders have excelled at mentoring upcoming talent and serve as an inspiration for the industry for excellence in work. The category evaluated excellence shown across the dimensions of individual, organizational, and ecosystem development. Winners: - Business or Tech Leaders (Senior) - Bhumika P Balani - IBM India Pvt Ltd - Sumathi Chutkay - Providence India - Sukanya P - Swiss Re GBS India- Corporate Function Leader (Senior) - Mona Bharadwaj - IBM India Pvt Ltd- Corporate Function Leader (Mid-Level) - Nithya Cadambi - Commvault Systems (India) Pvt Ltd - Shaon Sengupta - Philips Innovation Campus Bengaluru Category 9: Technical Role Model: The second award category with the most participation, recognizes individuals who are technology stalwarts and have served by example and inspired individuals - both within their organization and beyond - to follow a technical career path. As part of this award, leaders who have created a significant impact in the technologies of Artificial Intelligence/Big Data Analytics and Intelligent Automation are also recognized. Winners: - Established (Senior Level) - Ravish Masti - BorgWarner Inc. - Suhas Shivanna - Hewlett Packard Enterprise, India- Established (Mid-Level) - Anshu Gupta - Continental Technical Center India- Emerging (AI & BDA - Senior Level) - Vijayananda J - Philips Innovation Campus Bengaluru- Emerging (IA - Senior Level) - Prabal Mahanta - SAP Labs India Private Limited- Emerging (AI & BDA - Mid-Level) - Dr Pinaki Bhaskar - Samsung R&D Institute India - Bangalore Category 10: Leader Extraordinaire: This award recognizes leaders who have mentored and influenced other leaders from the ecosystem for them to be able to achieve positions of eminence either in India or globally. This award category looks at the scale as well as the seniority of the leadership influenced by the leader extraordinaire. Winners: - Sindhu Gangadharan - SAP Labs India- Sarv Saravanan - Microsoft Corporation Founded in 2002, Zinnov is a leading global management and strategy consulting firm, with presence in New York, Santa Clara, Houston, Bangalore, Gurgaon, and Paris. Over the past 20 years, Zinnov has successfully consulted with over 250+ Fortune 500 enterprises and technology companies to develop actionable insights that help them create value - across dimensions of both revenue and optimization. With core expertise in Product Engineering, Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Outsourcing Advisory, Zinnov assists clients by: - Enabling global companies to develop and optimize a global engineering footprint through center setups, and technology and functional accelerators to achieve higher R&D efficiencies, innovation, and productivity.- Advising global PE firms in asset shortlisting and target evaluation, commercial due diligence, and value creation.- Growing revenue for companies' products and services in newer markets through account intelligence, market-entry, and market expansion advisory.- Structuring and implementing Digital Transformation levers enabled by technologies like AI/ML, Cloud, IOT, and RPA.- Helping global companies outline and drive their open innovation programs, design, and operate accelerator programs, and enable collaboration with start-ups across specific use cases and predefined outcomes. With their team of experienced consultants, subject matter experts, and research professionals, Zinnov serves clients from across multiple industry verticals including Enterprise Software, BFSI, Healthcare, Automotive, Retail, and Telecom in the US, Europe, Japan, and India. For more information, visit http://zinnov.com. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has recommended an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged violations of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government's new contentious excise policy including "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" made by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to "provide post tender undue benefits to liquor licensees." A report on July 8 by the Chief Secretary established prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. The report indicates substantively of financial quid pro quo at the top political level and that Delhi excise policy was implemented with the sole aim of benefitting private liquor barons for financial benefits to individuals at the highest rungs of the government leading up to Manish Sisodia. The Minister in charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications, officials at the LG office said. The LG office said that Sisodia also extended "undue financial favours" to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the ex-chequer. Sisodia's role is under the scanner for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licensees for the year 2021-22, officials in the Lieutenant-Governor's office told ANI. The excise policy was passed in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. As migrants were leaving the city, dhabas, restaurants, hotels, gyms, schools, and all other business establishments were facing closure, the excise department under Sisodia allegedly allow a waiver of Rs 144.36 crores to a liquor cartel with an excuse of COVID-19 pandemic. "While people were dying, livelihoods collapsing, businesses shutting down that could have been helped by giving financial assistance, all that the Kejriwal government had on mind was benefitting merchants of alcohol in lieu of kickbacks and commissions," the LG office said. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has claimed that the new excise policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience. AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters the CBI investigation has been ordered at the behest of the central government. "In 2016, when our government had completed one year, even then the central government was nervous and efforts were made to stop the work of Kejriwal government. The then LG got instructions from the Prime Minister's Office and by forming a Shinglu committee, 400 of our files were examined but nothing came out," he said. He lashed out at the Central government saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were jealous of the rising popularity of AAP across the country and would do anything to stop them. "We already knew this, Arvind Kejriwal has also said that after Satyendra Jain, the central government will try to trap Manish Sisodia in any case. But it will not happen. Their effort is to restrict AAP only in Delhi and Punjab, but people are watching and they will not allow this to happen," Bharadwaj added. The new Excise policy 2021-22 was implemented in November last year. "I asked a question (in Parliament) that what is the amount that the Govt earned in last 6 years through excise duty on petrol & diesel. The Govt, in a written reply, told me that Govt of India earned excise duty of more than Rs 16 Lakh crore in last six years," AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha told ANI. He argued that even if one combines the Budgets of several Indian states, it would perhaps not cross the figure of Rs 16 Lakh crore. "What do we call it if not a loot? What did the government do with it? They used our money to pay off loans of big industrialists and loot common man and poor," Chadha added. (ANI) Shanghai [China], July 22 (ANI/PRNewswire): A major platform for international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchanges and open cooperation, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) has been held successfully for four consecutive years and is widely regarded as an international public good and the multilateral trading system, as well as a pivotal carrier for building an open world economy and a community with a shared future for mankind. Since its inception in 2018, the CIIE has been growing in scale and influence. The area of its business exhibition increased from 270,000 square meters in 2018 to 366,000 square meters in 2021. Exhibitors at the past four CIIEs launched more than 1,500 new products, technologies and services and clinched tentative deals worth over $270 billion. As the CIIE enters its fifth year, multinational exhibitors have continued to express hope in participating in this year's edition in November. At an online ceremony held recently, more than 30 heavyweight companies and institutions signed agreements to attend the fifth CIIE, demonstrating their optimism about the Chinese market. Marc-Antoine Jamet, secretary general of LVMH, hailed China as a vibrant, huge and growing market and a major source of inspiration for the group at the ceremony. He added holding the CIIE as scheduled against the backdrop of COVID-19 showcases China's confidence and its bright economic prospects. Among the contracted enterprises were not only firms with longstanding ties to China and the CIIE like LVMH, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Marubeni but also newcomers such as Gilead Science, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. So far, more than 80 per cent of the planned business exhibition area has been reserved and more than 260 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders will attend the expo. Many countries have confirmed their participation in the country exhibition, while a new World Openness Report and World Openness Index will be released at the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, a major part of the expo. With so many showing their interest, space will be filling up fast. Be sure to sign up for the fifth edition before time runs out! Click here to register: https://www.ciie.org/exhibition/f/book/register?locale=en. 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] July 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): Your-Space, India's most loved student-housing brand, is currently expanding to 15,000 beds across the nation by the end of July 2022. A roadmap is in place to double Your-Space's count to 30,000 beds by 2023. As the first student housing company to implement a digital booking platform, Your-Space has enabled students to book online using virtual tours of the space, rather than the traditional process of visiting hostels first. The website has proven to be the fastest mode to book rooms at Your-Space, attaining a visible growth of 50 per cent each month. This past month, Your-Space experienced the highest organic website visits, proof of the impressive current occupancy rate of 85 per cent+ across all cities. After Your-Space tripled the size of its business in the last two years, on track for its fiscal year projection, the promise as a trusted brand for students enabled Your-Space to withstand and grow even during the pandemic. Investing up to 50 crores in the nationwide expansion, Nidhi Kumra, Co-founder and CEO, Your-Space, discussed how this has always been a part of your-space's growth plans. "These cities are the educational hubs of India, where students travel away from their homes and work hard towards their dreams. Being able to provide your space's facilities here would help several students find a community and the safety of their homes." As the number 1 housing brand in competitive markets like Mumbai and Delhi, Your-Space is lining up to achieve the same in all cities with this nationwide expansion. The largest for this season starting in Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Dehradun and Mumbai. Your-Space's comfortable and secure atmosphere with home-like food, friendly wardens, and diligent COVID-19 protocols has brought in an increased demand with students. This is assisted by Your-Space's understanding in the micro markets of its operation. With the COVID-19 uncertainty also beginning to ease out, students are excited to return to their old college lifestyle, which Your-Space is here to accommodate with its nationwide expansion underway. Your-Space is an IIM-Cambridge initiative Co-founded by former bankers, consultants, and great friends, Nidhi Kumra and Shubha Lal who recognized the disproportion in the student housing environment and created a welcoming space for young adults to find a home in. Your-Space was set up with the purpose of improving student-life while they work hard away from home. Your-Space was born with a purpose, to better the students' world while they toil hard to study away from their homes. Its foundation is cemented in four pillars of commitment: Security, Comfort, Community and Health. It is redefining student living with a unique product proposition. The core philosophy is to cultivate a student-first environment that promotes holistic well-being and personal growth. With 9000+ operational beds in 9 cities, Your-Space will have more than 20,000 beds by July 2022 for the coming 2022-2023 academic year. For more information, please visit www.your-space.in. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) The central government has released Rs 206 crore to states for the promotion of exports under the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) initiative, which was introduced in the financial year 2017-18, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said on Friday. The Department of Commerce, Government of India is implementing the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) w.e.f. FY 2017-18 with the objective of assisting Central and State Government agencies in the creation of appropriate infrastructure for the growth of exports, Patel said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. Under the scheme, financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid is provided to Central/State Government owned agencies (or their Joint Ventures with major stake-holding by them) for setting up or upgrading export infrastructure in States/UTs. The scheme can be availed by States through their implementing agencies, for infrastructure projects with significant export linkages like Border Haats, Land customs stations, quality testing and certification labs, cold chains, trade promotion centres, export warehousing and packaging, SEZs and ports/airports cargo terminuses. Under the TIES, financial assistance for 27 export infrastructure projects has been approved during FY 2019-20 to 2022-23 (till 19th July 2022), the minister said. The total approved amount stands at Rs 206.904 crore. (ANI) Romantic novels have long drawn a massive readership. As the monsoon sets in over most parts of the country, what better to do than flick through these non-preachy, quick-read offerings that weave fictional narratives around love and its various shades. The IANS bookshelf reignites romance this weekend. 1. Book: From Twinkle, With Love; Author: Sandhya Menon; Publisher: Hachette India; Price: Rs 399; Pages: 330 Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy, Sahil's twin brother, is a bonus. When mystery man "N" begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she's fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorable Sahil. Twinkle soon realises that resistance is futile: The romance she's got is not the one she's scripted. But will it be enough? Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favourite female filmmakers, "From Twinkle, With Love" navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you. 2. Book: The Girl Who Couldn't Love; Author: Shinie Antony; Publisher: Speaking Tiger; Price: Rs 299; Pages: 167 An introverted, middle-aged spinster, Roo, or Rudrakshi Sen, lives with her mother and teaches English at a local school. Roo's mother, semi-blind and a chronic invalid, lives most of the time in an imaginary world where she turns the grief of her husband's death and their bizarre relationship into the belief that theirs was a happy, conventional marriage. Roo cultivates an aloof manner and distances herself from close relationships to stave off memories of her childhood and of Eeedee, the girl who entered her life as a six-year-old and left as a teenager-after one night that was to haunt and shape both their adult lives. When Kumar, a man much younger than her, enters Roo's life out of nowhere, she is intensely attracted to him -- an attraction she believes is reciprocal. She begins an affair with this mysterious stranger, knowing that all affairs end messily. It is her secrets she wants to shield. But her secrets and this man are inextricably linked. Grab a copy of the book to read more. 3. Book: The Kaafir's Love; Author: Abhisar Sharma; Publisher: Rupa; Price: Rs 295; Pages: 257 Two dramatic incidents shake up the tenuous peace in an Old Delhi neighbourhood: A terrorist commits suicide in the Jama Masjid area and an influential trader is shot near the same spot. As simmer comes to boil, age-old antagonisms surface and sharp lines are drawn. Amidst these troubled times, Sameer, a Hindu boy, falls in love with a Muslim girl, Inara. Unaware of the consequences of his love that is considered forbidden, Sameer is dragged down the rabbit hole of intolerance and as he sinks, he discovers a shocking truth -- a truth that shall change many lives forever. Restless and on the edge, "The Kaafir's Love" is volatile and an intense love story set against our troubled and provocative times. --IANS ss/vm/sac ( 573 Words) 2018-07-06-11:06:08 (IANS) Hollywood actor Amber Heard filed a notice of appeal on Thursday of the USD 10 million defamation verdict that a Virginia jury awarded to her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. According to Variety, Heard's lawyers had announced they would appeal immediately after the jury found on June 1 that she had defamed Depp by publishing an op-ed in the Washington Post in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." The jury held that the statement was false and was made with "actual malice." "We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment," Heard's spokesperson said on Thursday. They added, "We are therefore appealing the verdict. While we realize today's filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice." The two-paragraph notice does not spell out the grounds for Heard's appeal. In response, Depp's representative said his team remains confident the verdict will be upheld. "We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand," his spokesperson said. The jury awarded Depp USD 15 million in damages but Heard had to pay USD 10.35 million due to a Virginia law limiting punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount). In her countersuit, Heard won one of the three defamation counts and was awarded USD 2 million in damages. Heard's lawyers had previously asked Judge Penney Azcarate to set aside the verdict for several reasons, including the allegation that one of the jurors showed up to the trial despite never receiving a summons. As per Variety, Azcarate denied Heard's request, finding that she had waited too long to raise her objection and had not shown she was denied a fair trial. (ANI) "Copenhagen Cowboy," a poetic neo-noir series by Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish director of the "Pusher" trilogy, "Drive," and "The Neon Demon," has officially been picked up by Netflix. According to Variety, a teenage heroine named Miu (Angela Bundalovic) journeys through Copenhagen's criminal underworld in the six-part series "Copenhagen Cowboy" with a Danish location for the six-episode drama. The production is now finished. Later this year, the series will debut internationally on Netflix. "With 'Copenhagen Cowboy,' I am returning to my past to shape my future by creating a series, an expansion of my constantly evolving alter-egos, now in the form of my young heroine, Miu," said Refn. The director praised his partnership with Netflix as well, stating that it had "been an absolutely wonderful experience on all levels." "I not only perceive them as my partners with many future adventures to come but also as my friends. The new term has been born: Netflix Winding Refn," quipped the helmer. Refn is "one of Denmark's most recognized directors," according to Jenny Stjernstromer Bjork, director of the Nordic Original Series at Netflix. Bjork said that Netflix was "bringing him back to Denmark to develop a native Danish programme after more than 15 years overseas" with the release of this new series. "Nicolas is a creative force and is such a fascinating and unpredictable filmmaker. We can't wait to bring Copenhagen Cowboy to the world," continued Bjork, as reported by Variety. Angela Bundalovic, Lola Corfixen, and Zlatko Buric are the series' main actors. Andreas Lykke Jensen, Jason Hendil-Forssell, Li Ii Zhang, Dragana Milutinovic, Mikael Bertelsen, and Mads Brugger are among the additional cast members. (ANI) While Alice has her adventures in the Wonderland, you can have your own as well this summer. British contemporary artist Philip Colbert has created a Lobster Wonderland in Changsha, Hunan province. The exhibition launched on July 15 is the London-based artist's first large-scale outdoor public art installations. Born in Scotland, Colbert has been dubbed as a contemporary pop master and the godson of Andy Warhol by prominent art world figures. His globally welcomed lobster series has won the hearts of a large number of followers. The artist, with a master's in philosophy, takes lobster as his second personality. Through large installations, public art theme exhibition and new media art, the artist has introduced works from galleries and created a surreal art scenery in city's public space with a combination of pop art and local culture. In Changsha International Finance Square (Changsha IFS), Colbert's exhibition has three major sectors, showcasing his large installations, sculptures and new media arts as well as the special works created for the event. The opening ceremony, an art carnival, saw the debut of a 12-meter-long Lobster Taikonaut specially made by Colbert. His Lobster Flower and Lobster Shark also found their way in the parade. At the southwest square, people can find Lobster Fountain towering 12 meters and enjoy two major theme sectors, Lobster Island and Lobster Skate Park. Lobster Rainbow, a lobster breaking through a roof with a rainbow behind it, is the artist's brand-new work for Changsha IFS. In his works, such as Daydreamer, Colbert also expresses his wish of narrowing the distance between art pieces and people. The organizer, Changsha IFS with offering of more than 370 brands and fashion boutiques, has a 452meter-tall skyscraper, the highest architecture in Hunan. It has introduced artists from home and abroad, such as Steven Harrington and Tom Claassen, to the city and organized a series of art exhibitions and cultural activities. The collaboration with Colbert aims to build an international culture creative center in Changsha through cultural exchanges. After Focus Features boarded the project 'Asteroid City' and unveiled new details about the film, Bill Murray's absence didn't settle down easily with fans. Soon after, fans started talking about it on social media only to later realise that the actor has been dropped from the upcoming film. The actor, a regular in Wes Anderson's films like "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and "The Royal Tenenbaums," was among the first people to sign on to the Spain-set movie, which began shooting last September. Murray was noticeably absent from the film's star-studded cast on Wednesday, which also included Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Carell, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, and Adrien Brody. According to Variety, a source close to the magazine has informed that shortly before the movie's filming started in September last year, Murray acquired COVID-19, forcing the filmmakers to recast his part. Before dropping out, he is not known to have shot any scenes. Variety has also reported that 'Morning Show' star Carell has replaced Murray in the film. According to Variety, following the news that Searchlight Pictures paused filming on Aziz Ansari's 'Being Mortal' in April after a complaint of inappropriate behaviour made against Murray, speculation has been rampant that Murray was maybe cut from the project. However, sources claim that Murray's absence from 'Asteroid City' has nothing to do with the claims. The exact nature of the complaint against Murray was never disclosed. Speaking about the film 'Asteroid City', the movie is referred to as a "poetic meditation on the meaning of life" and was co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The movie gathers children and parents from around the nation for academic competition, relaxation and recreation, humour, drama, romance, and more. It is set in a fictional 1955 Junior Stargazer convention in an American desert town. 'Asteroid City' is produced by Anderson and long-time collaborators Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson. (ANI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and NCP leader Sharad Pawar were among the opposition leaders who congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her election as the country's 15th President. "I send my congratulations and best wishes to the President-elect Smt. Droupadi Murmu. I look forward to meeting her soon as well," Sonia Gandhi said in a message. Party leader Rahul Gandhi also congratulated Droupadi Murmu. "Congratulations and best wishes to Droupadi Murmu ji on being elected as the 15th President of India," he said in a tweet. Mamata Banerjee said the country will sincerely look up to Droupadi Murmu to protect the ideals of our Constitution "I would like to congratulate President-elect Droupadi Murmu. The country will sincerely look up to you as the Head of State to protect the ideals of our Constitution and be the custodian of our democracy, especially when the nation is plagued with so many dissensions," Banerjee said in a Twitter post. Sharad Pawar wished Droupadi Murmu success in her new role. "Heartfelt congratulations Droupadi Murmu on being elected as the President of India. My best wishes to you as you prepare to take up the responsibilities and charge of your esteemed office. Wishing you success in your tenure as President," Pawar said in a tweet. Opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha also congratulated his contender Droupadi Murmu. "I heartily congratulate Droupadi Murmu on her victory in the Presidential Election 2022. I hope -- indeed, every Indian hopes -- that as the 15th President of India she functions as the Custodian of the Constitution without fear or favour. I join my fellow countrymen in extending best wishes to her," he said. Droupadi Murmu, NDA's Presidential candidate, on Thursday emerged victorious in the presidential election which was held on July 18. She secured 2824 votes with a value of 6,76,803. (ANI) The bomb squad and police who were at the spot conducted an inspection after a man reportedly claimed a bomb was in his baggage. His bag was checked further but no bomb was found. The passenger has been detained and the plane is being checked further. All passengers were safely deboarded from the Delhi-bound IndiGo flight (6e 2126) at Patna airport. Further details shall follow. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Thursday said it is a matter of concern that people are still dying of hunger despite the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and migrants play a very vital role in building the nation and their rights cannot be ignored at all. A bench of Justices M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna said in a welfare society, in our country, two persons are most important - farmers and migrant labourers, and migrants play an important role in building the nation. "They cannot be ignored at all," it said. The bench said that no citizen in the country should die of hunger and the Centre and states must act to provide them food, and asked the Centre to devise a mechanism so that migrants receive food grains without ration cards. It added that Centre's welfare schemes must reach a maximum number of workers and state governments should cooperate. In April this year, the apex court sought compliance reports within four weeks from the Centre and states on actions have been taken to comply with its June 2021 order to provide food and social security to migrant workers. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Central government, contended that approximately 27.95 crore unorganised labourers or migrant workers have been registered as on July 11 on a portal, based on states' information. She added that an e-Shram portal has been launched to help people like migrant workers, construction workers, etc, and also there is National Career Service portal, a one-stop solution to provide a wide array of employment. The bench said: "They may be illiterate and may not know how to avail benefits of government schemes. Concerned states will have to ensure benefits of the scheme reaches them." Bhati added that Centre has introduced Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM), a pension scheme for unorganised workers, and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana has been extended till September. She added additional grains can be procured by states from the Food Corporation of India. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing three activists, alleged that the Centre is asking states to buy ration at market rates and in the absence of ration cards, a majority of workers are deprived of ration. He said the census of 2011 is being used for beneficiaries under the NFSA and there has been a 15 per cent increase in the population eligible for ration cards. The bench said using 2011 data may be an injustice to the needy, and the authority concerned must look into it. "You have to fix the criteria and introspect on this. All efforts should be made by the state governments so that migrants have ration cards," said the bench, adding that it will pass some orders on the matter. The top court scheduled the hearing on the matter after two weeks. --IANS ss/vd ( 483 Words) 2022-07-21-20:36:02 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and will be self-isolating at the White House from where he will continue to carry out his official duties, the White House said in a statement on Thursday. Biden (79), who is fully vaccinated and has taken the booster dose, is showing mild symptoms and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral used to treat Covid-19. Kevin O''Connor, the President''s doctor, said in a statement that Biden tested positive in a routine morning screening on Thursday, first by an antigen test and subsequently through RT-PCR. He added that the President was showing mild symptoms -- runny nose, fatigue and an occasional dry cough -- and being fully vaccinated and twice-boosted, he is expected to respond favourably to the treatment as most maximally protected people. The White House said Biden will work from self-isolation over phone and on Zoom till he tests negative, which could take seven to eight days. Jill Biden, the First Lady, has tested negative. She told reporters that she spoke with her husband in the morning and he is feeling fine. For herself, she said she intends to stay with her schedule. Biden joins a growing band of world leaders to have tested positive for the virus that has killed 6.3 million people around the world and infected over 562 million. Other world leaders to have been infected before include his predecessor Donald Trump and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had been put in ICU, France President Emmanuel Macron and Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro. "This morning, President Biden tested positive for Covid-19," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement, adding, "Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence." Jean-Pierre added, "Consistent with White House protocol for positive Covid cases, which goes above and beyond CDC guidance, he will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative. Once he tests negative, he will return to in-person work." Biden has been careful and cautious as he went about his meetings and trips abroad, but his exposure to so many people almost on a daily visit, as other world leaders, left him vulnerable to the virus, which is still around in its newest iteration, Omicron BA.5, in the US, experts said. Trump was cavalier about Covid-19 precautions set out by his own administration, shunned masks and belittled them, touted untested treatments and freely met and interacted with people despite his history of being a germaphobe. He and then first lady Melania Trump tested had positive in October 2020. Those were pre-vaccination days and he may have concealed his symptoms as he participated in the first of the Presidential debates ahead of the November 2020 elections. His condition had suddenly turned for the worse and he was airlifted to a military hospital outside Washington DC. Trump received the best treatment available, getting medicines and treatments that had not been approved for general use until then and he had recovered soon enough and marked it with a triumphant return to the White House where he had dramatically ripped off his mask to prove he had returned unscathed. Trump continued to display indifference to the virus and instead of publicly touting the benefits of vaccines that his own administration had pushed through at remarkable speed, he had quietly got himself vaccinated along with Melania before leaving the White House in January 2021. Biden got vaccinated in full view of news cameras in a bid to encourage people to get themselves inoculated as well. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had also volunteered to get vaccinated publicly and together featured in a video to spread the word. --IANS yashwant/arm ( 679 Words) 2022-07-21-21:48:06 (IANS) The last rites of the Haryana DSP who was mowed down by a truck in Nuh were performed in Hisar district on Thursday. DSP Surendra Singh Bishnoi was mowed down by a truck at a site where he was probing illegal mining in Nuh in Haryana on July 19. The main accused was arrested on Wednesday in the killing of DSP. The accused was identified as Shabir alias Mittar hailing from Tauru, Haryana. A person was arrested after an encounter with Haryana Police in connection with the case. The accused was arrested from the hills of Ganghora, the hill station area of Bharatpur (Rajasthan) where he was hiding after the killing of the DSP. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of Surendra Singh Bishnoi and said the culprits will not be spared. He said strict action will be taken against the mining mafia in the state."We will control the mining mafia in the state and the culprits will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them," he said. Khattar said police posts will be created near mining areas and the destination of mining vehicles and their equipment will also be fixed. The Chief Minister said that the state government will provide a job to one of the family members of the deceased police officer. The Chief Minister said the DSP performed his duty with bravery and the dumper truck involved in the incident has been identified. Senior Haryana Police officers had rushed to the spot. Haryana Mining Minister Mool Chand Sharma also said that "strict action" will be taken against the guilty. Later on Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to examine the issue related to the killing of DSP. Earlier, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij also said that the state government will conduct a judicial inquiry in connection with the killing of the DSP. (ANI) The firm is beneficially owned by LTB Infra consultant Pvt. Ltd. in which Trinamool Congress leader Vinay Mishra and his brother Vikas Mishra are directors and shareholders. The Mishras delivered proceeds of crime of Rs 731 crore with the help of business associates of Anup Majhi a.k.a. Lala from July, 2018 to March, 2020. In this case, Enforcement Case Information Report was recorded on November 28, 2020 on the basis of CBI case. Earlier, the ED had conducted searches at 56 premises and attached assets to the tune of Rs 204.64 crore. Three persons have been arrested by the ED so far and a prosecution complaint was filed on May 13, 2021. --IANS atk/pgh ( 168 Words) 2022-07-21-23:08:03 (IANS) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday termed Droupadi Murmu's victory as a "historic moment" and said the country is celebrating it like a festival. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for nominating her as NDA's Presidential candidate. "It's a historic moment. The country is celebrating Droupadi Murmu's victory like a festival. A tribal woman is President-elect now, it's an achievement of its own. I congratulate PM Modi for nominating her as NDA's Presidential candidate," Joshi said. Earlier, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also thanked PM Modi and said because of his (Modi) thoughts and effort, the victory of Murmu happened. The NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu has been officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday. Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18.Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in Delhi. Soon after the completion of the third round of counting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda met Murmu at her residence in the national capital and extended greetings for her victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her election as new President of the country and said she has emerged as a ray of hope for citizens, especially the poor, the marginalised and the downtrodden. President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his best wishes to Draupadi Murmu who will succeed him in the highest office of the country. Wishes poured in from the political fraternity across party lines on the victory of Murmu who will be India's first tribal president. Odisha's Rairangpur village, the native place of Droupadi Murmu erupted in celebrations in anticipation of Droupadi Murmu's victory. A large crowd gathered outside BJP headquarters in Delhi earlier to celebrate her victory. Meanwhile, Droupadi Murmu's brother Tarinisen Tudu expressed his happiness over the outcome of the Presidential election and said Murmu getting elected as the 15th President of India is an inspiration for everyone. (ANI) Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the party wants to tarnish the image of the "Gandhi family" and the "Congress party". This comes after the Enforcement Directorate questioned Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case on Thursday. The Congress leader said that the party has no issue with ED questioning Sonia Gandhi, the protest is against the intention of questioning. Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said, "We don't have any issue with the questioning of Sonia Gandhi but we protest against the intention that's behind her questioning. BJP wants to tarnish the image of the Gandhi family and Congress party that's why they're hatching such conspiracies. They (BJP) know Congress is the party of ideology. "And BJP does not like the ideology of Congress that what they hatch the conspiracies and have one slogan that is Congress-free India," he said. The Congress leader said that the Congress party was in power for 54 years, will anybody believe that the party can commit a scam? "Congress was in power for 54 years. Will anybody in India believe that the party that was in power for 54 years will commit a scam of 90 crores that too by people like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whose family members sacrificed their lives," he asked. He further said, "On the same day when the BJP is proud of a tribal woman becoming India's President, they meted out injustice to a woman, who sacrificed PM post, in the name of questioning." Meanwhile, Delhi Police said that it has detained 349 Congress functionaries including 56 MPs after the leaders protested in the capital over ED summons to the Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi. At about 11 am, a large number of AICC workers started gathering at various locations i.e. RML Hospital, Akbar Road, Maulana Azad Road, Man Singh Road, Tolstoy Marg, etc. for the protest. The protestors were appropriately warned about the prohibitory order in force in the area and were requested to disperse. However, the protestors did not pay heed to the requests of the police and continued their unlawful assembly. Therefore, they were stopped and detained for violation of lawful directions. Senior Congress leaders including P Chidambaram, Ajay Maken, Manickam Tagore, KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhry, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Harish Rawat, Ashok Gehlot, K Suresh were among those detained. Congress workers in Nagpur were also detained in the wake of the protest. The protest by the Congress turned violent in Bengaluru as the Youth Congress workers allegedly set a car on fire, in front of ED office. Congress workers also stopped a train and blocked railway tracks at New Delhi's Shivaji Bridge railway station. Chandigarh Police also used water cannons to disperse Congress workers and leaders as they protested over the questioning. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said party MPs and CWC Members have courted mass arrest outside the party's central office in a show of collective solidarity with Sonia Gandhi.Congress leaders accused the government of misusing the probe agencies to target political opponents. (ANI) Many people believe that, for women, their wedding day is the happiest of their lives. But for He Xingfu, the protagonist in the TV series, The Story of Xing Fu, whose name literally means "happiness", it represents the darkest of dayswitnessing her younger sister being indecently assaulted by a group of villagers. For centuries, naohun, or wedding hazing, has been part of a traditional wedding ceremony. It is the practice of teasing the bride and groom with its main purposeto lighten the mood and break the ice. But in some areas, the old ritual has evolved to become somewhat vulgar and even obscene, often triggering heated debates online when news of such things is reported. As the latest outing of Zheng Xiaolong, a prolific director renowned for the smash hit Empresses in the Palace, The Story of Xing Fu delves into these old customs and the changes in the mindset of locals in rural China. It also provides an in-depth look at topics such as farmland requisition and the development of countryside tourism. Currently soaring as one of the most popular dramas, the 40-episode TV series has been airing on Dragon TV and Beijing Satellite TV, as well as on the streaming site Youku, since late June and has earned 7.3 points out of 10 on the online review aggregator Douban. Adapted from author Chen Yuanbin's novel Qiuju Chuanqi (The Story of Qiuju), the TV series stars A-list actress Zhao Liying as He, a brave rural woman who embarks on a tough journey to pursue justice for her younger sister, a recent college graduate who serves as a bridesmaid at He's wedding. Because the man responsible is the son of an influential villager, who leads residents in the establishment of a lucrative enterprise, He's family members, including her husband and his parents, all try to convince her to drop the issue. But the hardheaded woman refuses to give up her fight for justice and finally propels a ban on the shameful tradition. For Zheng, a veteran director who has shot a lot of real-world TV series, such as Red Sorghum (2014) and Medal of the Republic (2021), the TV series hooked him around six years ago, when he read the story outline written by Zhao Dongling, an award-winning scriptwriter with a 2015 Golden Rooster Award to her name. "In the last few years, the domestic film and TV industry has produced a lot of tales reflecting how villagers have shrugged off poverty to lead a prosperous life," says Zheng. "But what makes our story a bit special is that it highlights that, aside from pursuing economic development, rural areas should also enhance their juridical system infrastructure and modernize societal behavior." The latter part of the TV series sees He and her husband depart the village to find work in the city, escalating family tensions over whether they should return home or continue striving in the city. "China has seen a lot of changes taking place, both in the cities and rural areas, in recent decades. The TV series also endeavors to explore the influence of the country's urban-rural integration effort," explains Zheng. "In the drama, audiences will see that China's rural areas have achieved a lot of progress in multiple areas, such as environmental protection and rising job opportunities, hence making the countryside more appealing to the younger generation," he adds. Filmed between September 2020 and early 2021, the TV series was shot in Ningbo in Zhejiang province, as well as Huangshan in Anhui province. Zheng reveals that he maintained his trademark habit of eating fried melon seeds on set, as a method to reduce stress and spark inspiration. Liu Xuesong, who codirects the TV series with Zheng, recalls that he was invited to join the project after the script was finished. Visualizing the scenes in his mind, Liu says the series has a unique story to tell, shaking off stereotyped narratives to re-create a realistic view of the complexities of life in rural China. He comments that actress Zhao, who has a large fan base from portraying beautiful and powerful heroines in a string of hit costume dramas like The Journey of Flower (2015), found her feet in the role quickly, matching the protagonist's temperament thanks to her own personal background as a native of rural Hebei province. "As a talented actress, Zhao has spent a lot of time researching her character, exemplified by details like always putting her hands in her pockets while walking or speaking, mimicking the gestures typical of a rural woman," says Liu, adding that such details also hint at the character's complex inner emotions. After serving the People's Liberation Army in the far-flung areas of Yunnan province for seven years, Liu says he got used to rural life thanks to the multiple jobs he did during his time in the military, which helped him to master cooking, farming and the maintenance of livestock. Those years prepared him for the TV series based on rural life, Liu says, noting that he has also learned a lot from local farmers, ensuring that all the details in the series, from village home designs to characters' costumes and props, look as real as those in a Chinese village in the late 2000s. In line with China's rural revitalization vision, recent years have seen a greater number of TV series set in rural areas, and many center on poverty elimination, says Liu. "What is also important is to get rid of 'poverty' in the spiritual sense. We hope the new series will raise awareness about changing biases and indecent traditions in rural areas," he says. The Uttarakhand government has been following all COVID-related guidelines amid rising cases in the state, the official informed on Thursday. Speaking to ANI, Uttarakhand Health Secretary in charge and Director of the National Health Mission Dr R Rajesh Kumar said "The guidelines of the government regarding COVID infections are in place. The government is ensuring that all the precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing also take place." The Health Secretary also said that the instruction will be given further if the covid cases increase further. As far as taking dengue cases, it is also a matter of concern for the state. Adding that Kumar said this year, the dengue cases can be more prevalent here. "We are already in contact with all the concerned departments and instructions have been given to follow all the measures," Kumar said. While responding to the Kanwar Yatra, the health secretary said three districts of the state Dehradun, Haridwar and Pauri are sensitive but full arrangements for the medical camp have been made. "One of these, Haridwar is the most sensitive district, however, I myself visited the areas and checked all the measurements there," he added. (ANI) The alternate aircraft arranged for passengers of the Dubai-Kochi Air India flight that got diverted to Mumbai a day ago due to a loss of cabin pressure landed at the Cochin International Airport here early on Friday morning. An alternate aircraft AI 1681 BOM-COK from Mumbai landed at 0433 hours today with 180 passengers. The rest of the passengers will arrive on an Air India flight at 0730 hrs. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into the incident that took place on July 21 when an Air India flight from Dubai to Kochi was diverted to Mumbai due to a loss of cabin pressure after which an alternate aircraft was arranged to carry passengers from Mumbai to Kochi. A senior DGCA official informed that the captain of Air India Boeing Fleet Aircraft of Flight No. AI- 934 from Dubai - Cochin, reported to IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Centre) regarding pressurization loss in the aircraft. The flight was diverted to Mumbai and it landed safely. Two senior officers of DAS WR are assigned the task to carry out a preliminary investigation, he added. He added that an inquiry has been ordered. On Wednesday, in an incident of technical malfunction, the windshield of a Go-Air flight between Delhi and Guwahati cracked mid-air due to bad weather on Wednesday, a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. The aircraft was diverted to Jaipur and landed safely. Earlier this month, DGCA said that 30 such incidents take place daily, but these occurrences hardly have any safety implications. "On average, about 30 incidents do take place, including go-around, missed approaches, diversion, medical emergencies, weather, technical and bird hits," the top DGCA told ANI. "Most of them have no safety implications. On the contrary, they are a sine qua non of a robust safety management system," he added. In similar incidents, another two Go First flights were diverted due to engine snags on Tuesday. The DGCA has said that the matter is being investigated and the aircraft are being grounded. The DGCA added that the flights will take off once they get clearance from the authority. While the GoAir A320 aircraft VT-WGA flight from Mumbai to Leh was diverted to Delhi due to Engine No.2 EIU (Engine Interface Unit) fault, Go Air A320 aircraft VT-WJG flight G8-6202, from Srinagar to Delhi was diverted to Srinagar due to Engine no. 2 EGT over limit. Earlier on July 17, an Air India Express aircraft while operating from Calicut to Dubai was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed from one of the vents in the forward galley of the flight. Meanwhile, after frequent engineering-related glitches were reported in several airlines, the DGCA conducted several spot checks and advised that all aircraft at base and transit stations shall be released by certifying staff holding a licence with appropriate authorization by their organization, said officials on Monday. The spot checks carried out by DGCA teams have indicated the improper identification of the cause of a reported defect, increasing trend of minimum equipment list (MEL) releases and non-availability of required certifying staff to cater to multiple scheduled arrivals/ departures in a short interval. The move comes after several instances were reported in the country where flights were diverted citing safety or functioning issues. (ANI) Congress MLA and former Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar has claimed that Congress functionaries have amassed enough money to last for three to four generations by using the names of Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and it was now time to payback. Kumar made the remark on Thursday while participating in a Congress protest against the Enforcement Directorate's summons to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in connection with an alleged mone-laundering case. Sonia Gandhi appeared before the ED in Delhi yesterday in connection with the alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper. "If this country should survive, Congress should survive. Let's leave all the petty issues aside. Sonia Gandhi should be morally relieved. Only then the two meals we eat will be worthwhile. We have earned enough for the next three-four generations in the name of Nehru, Indira and Sonia Gandhi. If we are not prepared for even this small sacrifice today, the rice we eat will rot and have worms in future," he said. On questions being raised whether Sonia Gandhi is bigger than the law, Kumar said he would answer it and said , "But first I want to ask if your forefathers of R Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Mahasabha and Bharatiya Jana Sangh had gone to jail in the freedom struggle." Kumar famed for making controversial remarks had in December last year sparked a row in the Karnataka assembly by saying, "There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That is exactly the position in which you are." The Congress leader's statement had created uproar in the country, with many demanding his sacking as an MLA and protest in the state Assembly. Following the uproar, Kumar had apologized on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly for his remark. "... I don't want to be defensive. Whatever I have said last night, if it hurts anybody's sentiment, I would like to apologize for the statement. I don't have any ego issues. I respect everybody. We all are here to uphold the dignity of the Assembly," he said while speaking in the Assembly. (ANI) As greetings poured in after NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu registered her thumping victory in the presidential elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday hailed her win and said the country will reach newer heights under her guidance. He also highlighted that the nation now has its first tribal President. "India got its first tribal President. Along with belonging to the tribal community, Droupadi Murmu is also an extraordinary leader. This is a unique opportunity to showcase the diverse culture of India. The country will reach newer heights under her guidance," Sarma told ANI. Earlier Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said it is a big achievement for a tribal woman to get elected as the President of the country. The Union Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said because of Modi's thoughts and effort, this could happen. Speaking to ANI, Rijiju said, "It is a big achievement for a tribal woman to get elected as the President of the country. All tribal MPs and ministers came here to congratulate Droupadi Murmu and expressed their happiness. I thank PM Modi as because of his thoughts and efforts, this happened." He further said that it is a big message to the country that a common woman can become the President of India. "It's a big message to the country that a common woman can become the President of India. It's a result of our commitment under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, "Rijiju said. The NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu has been officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday. Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177.A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18. Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in Delhi. Soon after the completion of the third round of counting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda met Murmu at her residence in the national capital and extended greetings for her victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her election as new President of the country and said she has emerged as a ray of hope for citizens, especially the poor, the marginalised and the downtrodden. President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his best wishes to Draupadi Murmu who will succeed him in the highest office of the country. Wishes poured in from the political fraternity across party lines on the victory of Murmu who will be India's first tribal president. Odisha's Rairangpur village, the native place of Droupadi Murmu erupted in celebrations in anticipation of Droupadi Murmu's victory. A large crowd gathered outside BJP headquarters in Delhi earlier to celebrate her victory. (ANI) The court granted the interim bail till August 4 to the SFI leader to write his university exams. He is presently under judicial custody. The Kerala High Court had cancelled the bail of Arsho in connection with an attempt to murder case observing that he was involved in the 12 cases during the bail period. The case against the SFI leader was registered in 2018. He was arrested for a case registered under sections 308, 355, 323, 324, 506, and 427 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly attacking a student. Earlier on July 12, the Kerala High Court had dismissed the bail petition of Arsho in connection with many cases including an attempt to murder. On June 12, Kerala Police arrested him over the matter and also for violating the bail conditions following which he was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. SFI workers later felicitated Arsho by raising slogans and putting garlands just before entering the sub-jail in Kakkanad district. He was felicitated when the police brought him to the sub-jail. (ANI) The officials of the Animal Husbandry Department are visiting the farm. The African Swine Fever causes fever, nausea and diarrhoea in pigs. The disease was confirmed among pigs at a farm in the district after the samples went for tested in Pune was confirmed. In early July, Uttarakhand had reported cases of African Swine Fever. This disease is highly communicable and has no vaccine. The government has urged residents to avoid having pork. Earlier this month, the north-eastern states of Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura reported ASF. In April, a total of 63 mature pigs died due to unknown reasons in Tripura which raised an alarm. Before the outbreak, there were 265 mature pigs and 185 piglets in the pig shed of the farm. Instances of ASF first emerged in India in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in May 2020. The haemorrhagic disease is harmless to humans but deadly to pigs. ASF continues to spread worldwide, threatening pig health and welfare. The disease has reached multiple countries across Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific, affecting both domestic and wild pigs. Globally, since 2005, ASF has been reported in a total of 73 countries. (ANI) The Division Bench of Delhi High court on Friday reserved the order on an appeal challenging the Central Information Commission (CIC) order denying information regarding the agenda of the Supreme Court collegium meeting held on December 12, 2018. Earlier on March 30, 2022, the single bench of Delhi High Court had dismissed the plea moved by RTI Activist Anjali Bhardwaj challenging an order dated December 16, 2021, passed by the Central Information Commission in Second Appeal, in which it had dismissed the petitioner's appeal. The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad on Friday said, while keeping the order reserved on the appeal said, we will pass the appropriate order on it. Appearing for Appellant, Advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted before the Division Bench that decision of the collegium where the elevation of judges to the SC was made was never made public. The Single bench of Justice Yashwant Varma while passing the judgement on March 30, 2022, said that "the court finds no ground to doubt the disclosure made that no resolution was drawn. Atleast no cogent material has been placed on the record which may convince the Court to take a contrary view". It is manifest that, in the absence of any formal resolution coming to be adopted and signed by the members of the collegium on December 12, 2018, the respondent has rightly taken the position that there was the absence of material that was liable to be disclosed. The submission addressed in the backdrop of certain newspaper reports is noticed only to be rejected since it is well settled that such reports are of no evidentiary value and courts would be clearly transgressing their well-settled limitations if cognizance were to be taken of such unsubstantiated and unverified reports. The appeal seeks direction to authorities to disclose the available information sought in the RTI application on February 26, 2019. It also stated that on January 23, 2019, former Justice Madan B Lokur, who was one of the members of the collegium meeting of December 12, 2018, and retired on December 30 that year, in an interview had expressed his disappointment that December 12, 2018 collegium meeting resolution was not uploaded in the Supreme Court website. In the petition, Justice Lokur was quoted having said, "once we take certain decisions, they have to be uploaded". "In such circumstances, in the interest of transparency in the appointment in the judiciary, on February 26, 2019, the petitioner through an RTI application to the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Supreme Court sought a copy of the agenda, decisions and resolution of the collegium meeting held on December 12, 2018," stated the plea. The plea stated that the CPIO of the Supreme Court refused to provide the information. It was challenged before the First Appellate Authority (FAA). "While disposing of the appeal, the FAA had also dismissed it holding that in view of the subsequent collegium resolution of January 10, 2019, it was clear that though certain decisions were taken in the meeting of December 12, 2018, the required consultation could not be completed therefore no resolution was formally passed. Therefore the information sought could not be supplied to the petitioner," the plea said. The petition stated that in the second appeal, the CIC dismissing it had relied on the resolution of 10 January 2019. It was also held that the copy of the decision and the resolution of 12 December 2018 did not exist on record and therefore could not be supplied to the petitioner. (ANI) After the Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee declared that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential polls, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said the opposition should work unitedly. "We want that the opposition should work unitedly. We will try to find the reason behind this sudden decision by TMC," said Kharge. The TMC had earlier stated that they would not support NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar for the Vice President election, nor will support Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the election. "We know how Jagdeep Dhankhar was when he was the West Bengal Governor. He attacked the people of Bengal and the Chief Minister in different ways. Hence we will not go with the NDA candidate at any cost," he said. According to the TMC MP, the Opposition without consulting the TMC decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate. "The candidates were announced by the Opposition without consulting TMC which has 35 MPs," he added. "We had proposed some names and those were in consultation. But the name was decided without our consultation. However, the Opposition unity does not depend on the yardstick of elections of the President or Vice President. Alva has a very good equation with Mamata Banerjee but the personal equation does not matter," added the TMC General Secretary. Meanwhile, just before Dhankhar was declared V-P candidate, Mamata Banerjee had a three-hour meeting with him at the Darjeeling Governor's House along with Assam CM Hemanta Biswa Sarma. Dhankhar will face Opposition candidate veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Margaret Alva in the August 6 Vice Presidential election. NCP chief Sharad Pawar had announced on Sunday, "We have unanimously decided to field Margaret Alva as our joint candidate for the post of Vice President." The decision came after the opposition party leaders met in New Delhi at Sharad Pawar's residence to select a joint VP candidate. Sharad Pawar said their candidate is being supported by 17 Opposition parties and they have also reached out to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for supporting Alva. (ANI Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday called upon countrymen to join the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav by hoisting the tricolour from their homes. Shah appealed to citizens to hoist the Tricolour from their homes from August 13 to 15. Shah made the appeal through a series of tweets and said, "Our national flag not only unites every Indian but also strengthens their spirit of devotion to the nation. It was on July 22 1947, that the announcement to adopt the present form of the tricolour as the national flag was made". The Home Minister further said that the Prime Minister launched the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. With this campaign, Shah said, the tricolour will be hoisted in about 20 crore homes across the country, which will work to further brighten the flame of patriotism amongst citizens, especially the youth. "I appeal to everyone to join this campaign by hoisting the tricolour from their homes from 13th to 15th August. By doing so, we will be able to increase the youths respect and attachment to the tricolour, as well as make them aware about the sacrifices of the brave hearts that fought for Freedom," said Shah. Earlier in the day, to strengthen the Har Ghar Tiranga Movement, PM Modi urged people to hoist or display the tricolour at homes between August 13 and 15 stating that this movement will deepen our connect with the national flag. "This year, when we are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, let us strengthen the Har Ghar Tiranga Movement. Hoist the Tricolour or display it in your homes between August 13 and 15. This movement will deepen our connect with the national flag," he said. 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is an initiative by the Ministry of Culture to mark celebrations for India's 75th year of Independence. As part of the campaign, citizens will be encouraged to hoist the tricolour at their homes during August 13-15. The initiative will inspire the public to hoist the national flag in their homes. The idea behind the initiative was to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people. Ministry of Culture is Nodal Agency for the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign and Ministry will seek help from State Governments to mobilize all resources, housing, and urban development departments and local bodies including municipal bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions for furthering the goals of the campaign. The Culture Ministry is counting on all public representatives to play an active role in the promotion of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign and make it a success by spreading awareness about the campaign and encouraging others to hoist flags in their houses. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to take appropriate action on the recommendation submitted by the commission in the Vikas Dubey encounter killing case. A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India said, "We direct state govt to take appropriate action on the recommendation submitted by the commission." The court also said that the report will be kept on a public domain and be uploaded on the Supreme Court website. The court has received the commission of inquiry report in the Vikas Dubey encounter killing case. The court noted that the report was submitted in the state assembly. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Government has accepted the recommendations made by the commission of inquiry. Senior Advocate Harish Salve submitted that there should be closure to this case. He further added that this is a report of the commission of inquiry and it is in the public domain now. The top court was hearing pleas relating to the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey and his associates in the state. Vikas Dubey was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Ujjain on July 9 2020. He was on the run and had come to the city to offer prayers at the Mahakal temple. The history-sheeter was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police on July 10 2020 after he allegedly attempted to flee. The gangster was the main accused in the encounter that took place in Bikru village in the Chaubeypur area of Kanpur, in which a group of assailants opened fire on a police team, which had gone to arrest him. Eight police personnel were killed in the encounter. (ANI) Chinese experts have called for more investment and adaptive measures to mitigate the health risks caused by climate change, as recent extreme heat waves have caused rising deaths globally. Huang Cunrui, professor from Tsinghua University's Vanke School of Public Health, told a forum in Beijing on Wednesday that adaptation and mitigation are necessary to protect people's health from climate-related risks. However, current funding for adapting to climate change in the health sector accounts for very little among climate finance projects, he said. "Net benefits from well-protected health such as a reduction in hospitalizations, morbidity and premature deaths, can outweigh the economic costs of mitigation measures," he said. "Climate change is expected to significantly increase people's exposure to heat waves globally. That will cause malnutrition and even child mortality especially in Africa and Asia due to water security problems and reduced food productivity as a result of droughts, floods and loss of soil nutrition," he said. Climate change has also increased the risk of getting infectious diseases in many parts of the world and displaces more than 20 million people each year due to severe floods and storms with the hardest-hit region being Asia. A heatstroke monitor by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Emergency Center showed that for the first six months of this year, the number of people who had heat stroke increased by 42.2 percent compared with the average level of the previous two years. Elsewhere, Japanese fire services' data released in early July said that more than 10,000 people went to hospital for heatstroke treatment in June, the highest since 2010, causing dozens of deaths. China's National Climate Center data showed that the last 50 years have been the warmest in the past 2,000 years. The global surface temperature between 2011 and 2020 increased by 1.09 C compared with the pre-industrialized era. Almost all of the warming, 1.07 C, was caused by human activities. To counter the impact, Huang said a sustainable and climate-resilient development path should be adopted to increase adaptation and mitigation. The path includes clean energy and green transport, better urban planning, healthier food systems, universal health coverage and enhanced infrastructure, he said. Gao Jian, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission's department of international cooperation, told the forum that under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that came into force in 1994, developed countries need to provide developing ones with financial and technical support in climate actions based on their historical responsibilities. "The convention put forward the principle of the common but differentiated responsibilities of countries to take action. And developed countries should continue to take the lead in achieving their emission reduction targets while developing ones continue to solve climate change according to their national conditions. "China attaches great importance to keeping its promises, which has been recognized by the international community. And the country's influence and voice will continue to increase," he said. A senior Customs official informed that on the basis of the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday that a passenger coming after a short stay is involved in the smuggling of gold. A team of Customs at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi seized 2332.800 grams of 99.90 per cent pure foreign origin gold valued at Rs 1,21,30,560 from a passenger who came from Sharjah to Varanasi on flight no. IX184 of Air India Express on Thursday. The smuggled foreign origin gold was kept in the form of 20 gold bars having marks ARG UAE 10 TOLAS 999.0, concealed in black tape and wrapt under the waist. These gold bars were recovered during the personal search of the passenger. The accused passenger has been arrested and is being produced before Special CJM (Economic Offences), Varanasi. Further investigation into the matter is underway. Earlier on Thursday, gold worth Rs 18.17 lakhs was seized by customs officials at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi. Weighing 349.500 grams, it was retrieved from three trolley bags of a passenger. The gold was kept in form of eight nickel-coated rods, concealed in the corners of trolley bags. (ANI) The Central government on Friday said it has no proposal to constitute a Birsa Munda regiment in the Indian Army. The information was given by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt in a written reply in the Lok Sabha to a question on whether the government proposes to form a Birsa Munda regiment in the Indian Army keeping in view the sacrifices made by the people of Jharkhand in the army. "No such proposal is under consideration. Recruitment to the Indian Army is based on domicile and merit. As per government policy on the subject, all citizens irrespective of their class, creed, region or religion are eligible for recruitment in the Indian Army. After Independence, it has been the policy of the Government not to raise any new Regiment for a particular class/community/religion or region. Adequate vacancies are being provided to all classes to ensure equitable opportunity for recruitment into the Army," said the Ministry of Defence. Further, to the question of whether the government proposes to raise a regiment in the army by the name of Assam Regiment on the lines of Jat regiment, Rajputana Regiment etc, the Defence Ministry said, "Assam Regiment is already part of Indian Army since independence (Raised on 15 June, 1941)." The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 18 and will continue till August 12. There will be 18 sittings during the Session. (ANI) Swapna Suresh, prime accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, has accused former Kerala minister and CPM MLA KT Jaleel of anti-national activities while serving as a minister in the previous Left government. She also accused Jaleel of having shady deals with the Consul General. She claimed that illegal transactions between the two were done through the diplomatic channel. According to her, Jaleel had promised the Consul General all the support of the state government including the ruling political party as well as the Chief Minister in furthering the unauthorised business activities of the Consul General misusing the diplomatic channel. She alleged this in the affidavit submitted before the Kerala High Court in a case of conspiracy registered against her on the complaint of KT Jaleel. Swapna Suresh was then the PA to the Consul General. She, in her statement, had said that Jaleel had sought the support of the Consul General to ban the newspaper in the Gulf. The affidavit reads, "The petitioner is in possession of the WhatsApp chat which KT Jaleel had with the petitioner which the petitioner is producing before this Court along with this affidavit. These chats have taken place in the backdrop of the situation where, because of the delay in bringing back a lot of expatriates working in UAE several deaths have taken place due to COVID. KT Jaleel has approached the petitioner pointing out one of the reports of Madhyamam daily showing the death of the expatriates in UAE due to COVID. He has informed the petitioner that this report has to be utilised for banning the publication of the above media in Gulf countries which in turn will give him political leverage in his political party. He has also requested the petitioner to help him to take steps to see that he attains a special space in the minds of the rulers of UAE." "He informed the petitioner that he is taking these steps as suggested by the Consul General so that he can do more activities through the Consulate using the diplomatic channel. The petitioner consulted with the Consul General about this requirement of KT Jaleel and also about his claim that the Consul General has supported his move. The Consul General informed the petitioner that KT Jaleel has promised the Consul General all the support of the State Government including the ruling political party as well as the Chief minister in furthering the unauthorised business activities of the Consul General misusing the diplomatic channel." "The Consul General has also informed the petitioner that he and Mr KT Jaleel has planned several business activities inside and outside Kerala and placing KT Jaleel in the good books of the rulers of UAE is a must and that the present move in informing the rulers of UAE painting the activities of a daily operating from Kerala publishing in Gulf Countries as anti-UAE will help in achieving the above goal." The Consul General has also informed the petitioner that KT Jaleel has told him that banning the newspaper in question will give political mileage to Jaleel in the ruling party so that he can influence the party and the government to further support the business activities of the Consul General by misusing the Consulate. So the petitioner agreed with the demand of KT Jaleel and decided to help him in sending the letter to the ruler of UAE Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan - the then President of UAE. As suggested by the petitioner he has drafted a letter addressed to the ruler of UAE and sent the same through his email to the Consul General which he could not open because of some technical issue. KT Jaleel thereafter started frequently calling the petitioner as well as the Consul General enquiring about the fate of the letter he has send to the ruler of UAE through the Consul General. When the frequent calls of KT Jaleel started creating trouble and nuisance to the Consul General he instructed the petitioner to deal with KT Jaleel, the affidavit further read. In response to the several calls made and messages sent to the petitioner by KT Jaleel, the petitioner responded by sending a Whatsapp chat instructing KT Jaleel to send a copy of the letter addressed to the ruler of UAE in wats app to the petitioner. As instructed by the petitioner, KT Jaleel has sent a copy of the letter addressed to the ruler of UAE to the petitioner. Since the petitioner found the contents of the letter and language inappropriate and not befitting to be addressed to a head of state, the petitioner instructed KT Jaleel to amend the letter and resend the same. The petitioner has also enquired with KT Jaleel about the contents of the attachments he has to send along with this mail which was two pages of 'Madhyamam' daily. As he was complaining about the contents of that report, the petitioner made enquiries as the contents were not against the rulers or administration of UAE as falsely claimed by KT Jaleel in his letter addressed to the ruler of UAE. In response, he informed the petitioner that it will not be a problem as he is not proposing to send a translation of the news report contained in the attachment which is in Malayalam. So in effect, his attempt was to hoodwink and fool the ruler of UAE and its administration for his political gain. Since the Consul General instructed the petitioner to support the move of KT Jaleel, the petitioner was forced to stand with this illegality of KT Jaleel and has forwarded the letter of KT Jaleel with its attachment to the ruler of UAE through the email of the Consul General, the affidavit stated. KT Jaleel has done this illegality of writing a letter directly to the head of a State without any legal authority or power against the citizens of India in the pretext of protecting the interest of UAE a foreign Nation, its rulers and its citizen. "The action of KT Jaleel as a minister is in total violation of the oath of office as his action is in effect against the interest of our nation and its citizens including a news daily of this nation which is considered the fourth pillar of our Constitution. All the citizens of this country and all the organisations established and functioning in the country as per the laws of this land forms part of this Nation and therefore the action of KT Jaleel in conspiring against the citizens and organisations of this Nation while holding the Constitutional post of a Minister of State is in total violation of his oath of office and MEA Protocol and therefore is unconstitutional and anti-national and betrayal of people's confidence reposed in him as an elected representative. From the contents of the letter of KT Jaleel, it is clear and evident that his allegiance is more towards UAE which is a foreign country than with India in which country he is residing and a citizen of," the affidavit read. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the central government to continue providing security cover to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his family in Mumbai. A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli quashed proceedings in the PIL pending before Tripura High Court challenging security to the Ambanis. The apex court questioning the locus of the petitioner, said that there was no reason for proceedings to continue before the Tripura High Court which is scrutinising the need for the security. It noted that the family was paying cost of security provided by the government. "We see no reason for the proceedings in this case to continue before the Tripura High Court," said the bench. Earlier, the vacation bench had stayed the High Court orders that had sought from Centre the details of threat perception based on which security cover was provided to the Ambanis. The Centre had challenged in the top court the orders of the High Court seeking security details of the Ambani family. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had told the apex court that the High Court had sought details of threat perception based on which security cover was provided to the Ambanis in Mumbai. Solicitor General had said that the security provided to a family in Mumbai has nothing to do with Tripura government and that High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the PIL. Central Government had filed the appeal against High Court's order asking the government to place the original file maintained by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding threat perception and assessment report of Ambani family prepared by it. The appeal in the apex court said "the PIL is filed by an individual person who had no locus in the matter and was just a meddlesome interloper, claiming himself to be a social activist and student by profession." "The petition is a misconceived, frivolous and motivated public interest litigation petition, where no violation of any fundamental right was even pleaded, the High Court has sought to exercise its judicial review jurisdiction over a decision which has been taken by trained experts on public order, individual and national security," the government in its plea had stated. The High Court has failed to appreciate that the family members were neither residents of Tripura nor any part of cause of action remotely arising from Tripura existed. Therefore, the High Court had no territorial jurisdiction nor subject matter jurisdiction over the matter, it had said. (ANI) The Supreme Court has set aside the directions passed by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh to conduct an EOW investigation against the trustees of Khasgi (Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Charities) Trust, Indore where two of the trustees are daughter and son-in-law of late king Yashwant Rao Holkar who was the great-great-grandson of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. "We hold that the direction issued by the High Court to Economic Offences Wing of the State Government to hold an inquiry was not warranted," a bench of justices A.M.Khanwilkar, Abhay S. Oka and C. T. Ravikumar said. "No finding has been recorded by the High Court based on material that the alienation made by the Trustees has resulted in causing loss to the Trust and that the entire sale consideration was being diverted for personal use. It is noticed from the record placed before us that the entire consideration received from the purchasers has been credited to the account of the Trust," the top court said. "The allegation of misappropriation can be gone into only by the authorities under the form of a resolution of the Board of Trustees to file the writ petitions, even an individual Trustee was entitled to take proceedings for questioning such orders, which adversely affect the Trust and /or its beneficiaries. On the contrary, it is the duty of every Trustee to take such action of challenging an order holding that the properties held by the Trust are not the Trust properties," the court said. "Moreover, none of the Trustees has come forward to challenge the authority of Trustee Shri S.C. Malhotra who had filed writ petitions and further proceedings. There was also a direction issued to the Economic Offences Wing to hold an inquiry about the misappropriation of the Trust property by the Trustees. Every Trustee was affected by the said direction. Therefore, in the facts of the case, the objection raised to the maintainability of the petition filed by one of the Trustees cannot be sustained," the court said. The top court, however, said that the view taken by the Division Bench that the Khasgi Trust is governed by the Public Trusts Act and no alienation of the Trust properties could be made without complying with Section 14 thereof, will have to be affirmed. The Supreme Court hold that the Khasgi (Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Charities) Trust, Indore, is a Public Trust governed by the provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Public Trusts Act, 1951 and direct the Trustees to get the Khasgi Trust registered under the Public Trusts Act by making the necessary application within a period of one month from today. The Supreme Court also put to rest the issue of ownership of the 246 properties that were the subject matter of the list. The Khasgi (Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Charities) Trust, Indore has been embroiled in contentious litigation, since the year 2012, over the ownership of the 246 properties which was held by the Registrar of the Public Trusts which asserted that the ownership lies with the State of Madhya Pradesh. However, the order of the Registrar of Public Trust was set aside by the Ld. Single Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. The State being aggrieved by the said order, challenged the same before the Division Bench wherein vide order dated 05.10.2020, it was held that the ownership of the properties lies with the State of Madhya Pradesh. The Division Bench further directed the Economics Office Wing (EOW) to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter and take appropriate steps regarding the sale and creation of third-party rights of some of the properties. The order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh was assailed before the Supreme Court of India by the Trust. The Supreme Court while partially allowing the appeals held that, though Trust was owner of 246 properties, however, Section 14 of the Madhya Pradesh Public Trust Act, 1951 will be applicable to the Trust which simply states that prior permission of the Registrar, Public Trusts would be required in case of sale etc. of the property belonging to the public Trust. The Supreme Court of India also directed the Registrar, Public Trust to hold a fresh enquiry into the sale of the properties sold by the Trust to ascertain if by virtue of alienation made by trustees any loss was caused to the Public Trust and to take necessary action in this regard. The Khasgi (Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Charities) Trust, Indore was represented by Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Amit Desai, assisted by the team from Karanjawala & Co-led by Ruby Singh Ahuja, Senior Partner, Nandini Gore, Senior Partner, Tahira Karanjawala, Principal Associate and others. (ANI) Acting upon the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "Rebranding the Indian toy story", India's imports reduced from USD371 million in 2018-19 to USD110 million in 2021-22, witnessing a decline of 70.35 per cent. In a big boost, Indian toy exports jumped by 61.38 per cent during the same period. The change was visible at a recently held 13th Toy Biz International B2B Exhibition in New Delhi. In India, where over 158 million children are in the age group of 0-6, there is a huge market for the toy industry (as of the Census 2011). India used to import a large percentage of toys until August 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call. He emphasized the need for the right kind of toys for children, using toys as a learning resource, and designing toys based on the Indian value system, Indian history, and culture in order to strengthen domestic design and position India as a global manufacturing hub for toys. The government devised a comprehensive action plan to boost local manufacturing and make India the global toy hub by incentivising the manufacturers. Establishing toy clusters across the country followed... R&D infrastructure for toys and games was strengthened. Subjects like Maths, Science and History were integrated into toy product development and production. Sharad Kapoor, General Secretary of Toy Association of India said, "The Toy fair was first organised in 2009 where 116 stalls were put up in which 90 per cent of the stalls were of imported toys. This year, 96 stalls are put up and 100 per cent of them are selling Made in India' toys. The Toy Industry, in reality, has acknowledged the Prime Minister's call for "Rebranding the Indian toy story". As per the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, the Indian toy industry is estimated to be valued at approximately 1.5 billion USD making up 0.5 per cent of the global market share. The sector is fragmented, however, with 90 per cent of the market lacking organization and 4,000 toy industry units from the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sectors. Observers say that the Indian toy industry has the potential to grow to 2-3 billion USD by 2024. The industry leaders are optimistic about the growth and are looking forward to making India the global export hub of toys. Amitabh Kharbanda, Executive Director of Sunlord Toys said, "Because of the QCO, the Indian Industry has realized that they can do a lot more products than they thought they were even capable of. And in the future, I think they are going to grow much more than this". A huge investment potential lies in India's toy industry, as the sector becomes increasingly organized. As the domestic toy demand is forecasted to grow at 10-15 per cent against the global average of 5 per cent, the industry is expected to grow further in the future. (ANI) Union Minister Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the e-FIR system in Gandhinagar on Saturday which will enable the citizens to file an FIR online, without visiting the police stations. Under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, important services of Gujarat Police will be made available online. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi on Friday said, "It is totally unacceptable in this age of technology that a simple mobile phone gets stolen and a person has to leave work and rush to the police station for the whole day. Then, to remove such difficulties faced by the people in normal cases, under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, an initiative has been taken to make all the important services of Gujarat Police online." The Minister of State for Home Affairs added that Gujarat Government has taken an important decision to start the e-FIR service by adding one more service to these online services. Now citizens of the state need not go to the police station to register a complaint of vehicle theft or mobile phone theft. Through this online service, the citizens of the state will be able to file complaints online at home. Sanghavi giving details of the e-FIR said that within 48 hours of registering the FIR, the police will contact the complainant directly and visit the scene of vehicle theft/mobile phone theft and complete the investigation within 21 days and send a report to the court. The complainant will also be informed about the registration of this online complaint and the progress made in the investigation through Email/SMS. And at the same time, the insurance company will also be informed by the police through email/SMS so that it will help the plaintiff to get his insurance claim easily. Through the e-FIR online service, the citizens of the state will not need to go to the police station to file a complaint and the time of the citizens will be saved and the complaints will be disposed of quickly. Thus, e-FIR online service will be very useful for the citizens of the state. He added that the e-FIR service has been coordinated with the Gujarat State Police CCTV Command and Control. After the e-FIR will be registered, if the vehicle passes through the road, the vehicle number will be immediately flashed at the CCTV command and control and through which the crime of theft can be detected immediately. The Minister also added when the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Amit Shah was the Home Minister of the state, he had a dream that in this age of technology, Gujarat Police would be equipped with the latest technology to ensure the safety and security of the citizens of the state, with the intention of online police operations in the state. To do this, e-Gujkop project was started. The then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had said at that time this new beginning will bring a radical change in the style of policing, and today the Gujarat government has achieved many achievements through the visionary vision of PM Modi and the then state Home Minister Amit Shah. The minister added that the Gujarat Government launched the Citizen First Mobile App, Citizen Portal in 2019 to enable the citizens of the state to get some police services online using the e-Gujcop database. So that the citizens of the state of Gujarat can access a total of 16 police services at home. Under which, Senior Citizen Registration, Tenant Registration, Household Registration, Missing Property Registration, Missing Person Registration, "Police NOC" etc. services are available. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the condition imposed by the Allahabad High Court, while granting interim bail to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, relating to the sealing of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and directed the concerned authority to deseal the building. Allahabad HC had imposed the conditions to seal the property while granting interim bail to Azam Khan. A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar also directed that immediate steps to be taken to unseal the concerned property. The Supreme Court said that the concerned HC ought to have dealt with only those aspects which were related to bail and not venture into unrelated issues. "We have no hesitation in setting aside that part of the order while retaining the relevant conditions which are necessary for grant of bail," the court said. During the hearing, the court orally observed that it is time to say it out loud, this is becoming a pattern. Azam Khan's counsel had told the court that concerned authorities have put barbed wire and cordoned off the university. The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the condition imposed by the Allahabad High Court directions to the District Magistrate to hold a measurement of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University as part of the condition of bail granted to Azam Khan. Khan has moved a plea against the impending threat of demolition of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University as part of the condition of his bail. The Court stayed the conditions till further orders. Khan has apprehended that conditions imposed by the Allahabad High Court may lead to demolishing of buildings of Jauhar University. The top court had said that Allahabad High Court while imposing conditions for grant of bail has exceeded the settled parameters laid down in certain sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The top court had also said that prima facie conditions imposed for the grant of bail are disproportionate and have no reasonable link to the means to secure the presence of the accused. On May 10, the Allahabad High Court granted interim bail to Khan in a case related to wrongful possession of the land. The case is about wrongful possession of Waqf Board property. The Allahabad High Court had imposed various conditions including directions to the District Magistrate, Rampur being a representative of Custodian/Administrator of Evacuee/Enemy Property, to hold a measurement of the landed property in dispute which is the centre dispute of this issue admeasuring area of 13.842 hectares in village Singhan Khera, Rampur district and thereafter, raise a boundary wall and barbed wire around it to take the actual physical possession of the property in dispute on behalf of the administrator of evacuee property Mumbai latest by June 30, 2022. (ANI) A day after the Trinamool Congress announced it would abstain from voting in the upcoming vice presidential election, Opposition candidate Margaret Alva on Friday termed the party's move as 'disappointing' and said it "isn't the time for whataboutery, ego or anger". Taking to Twitter, the Opposition V-P candidate wrote, "The TMC's decision to abstain from voting in the VP election is disappointing. This isn't the time for 'whataboutery', ego or anger. This is the time for courage, leadership & unity. I believe, @MamataOfficial, who is the epitome of courage, will stand with the opposition." Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll. "TMC will abstain in the upcoming VP polls as it was decided in the meeting. TMC will not support NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar for the Vice President election nor will it support Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the election," said Abhishek Banerjee. "We know how Jagdeep Dhankhar was when he was the West Bengal Governor. He attacked the people of Bengal and the Chief Minister in different ways. Hence we will not go with the NDA candidate at any cost," he said. According to the TMC MP, the Opposition without consulting the TMC decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate. "The candidates were announced by the Opposition without consulting TMC which has 35 MPs," he added. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said the opposition should work unitedly."We want that the opposition should work unitedly. We will try to find the reason behind this sudden decision by TMC," said Kharge. "We had proposed some names and those were in consultation. But the name was decided without our consultation. However, the Opposition unity does not depend on the yardstick of elections of President or Vice President. Alva has a very good equation with Mamata Banerjee but the personal equation does not matter," added the TMC General Secretary. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of having a pact with BJP and of trying to avoid any kind of enmity with the ruling party. Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury alleged, "West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is a Vice Presidential candidate, he often used to have a spat with the Chief Minister. A few days ago, Governor called Mamata Banerjee in Darjeeling and they had a meeting along with Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma at the Darjeeling Governor's House. The next day he was announced as Vice Presidential candidate, which means there was a Darjeeling pact among them." He further alleged that Mamata Banerjee, Hemanta Biswa Sarma and the Governor had an agreement that if she helps them then it will be good for them and that is why Yashwant Sinha, who was Mamata's candidate and did not get any help. "Mamata Banerjee did not participate in the all-party meeting. When all the parties were signing the joint statement, even at that time the TMC party of Bengal was absent and did not sign. This means that she does not want enmity with BJP and I am saying this from my own experience," said Chowdhury. On the allegation of TMC that the Opposition without consulting the party decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate, the Congress leader said, "Margaret Alva's name was declared after consulting Mamata Banerjee. Yet today Mamata wants to abstain from voting. It means instead of voting for Margaret Alva, she wants that Dhankhar wins the poll with the maximum number of votes. That's why I am saying that this is a Darjeeling pact." Dhankhar will face Opposition candidate and veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Margaret Alva in the August 6 Vice Presidential election. (ANI) Amid an ongoing tussle, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday skipped the weekly meeting called by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, according to sources. Aam Aadmi Party sources alleged that the LG had "skipped" a similar meeting on July 8. Responding to the claims by the party, the LG office sources said that Saxena had not "skipped" the meeting on the said date, rather he was in Jaipur to attend the Northern Zonal Council Meeting. "Delhi LG convenes such meetings. He doesn't need to 'skip' them. If at all, LG will cancel such meetings. Besides, LG had not 'skipped' the meeting. He was in Jaipur that day to attend the Northern Zonal Council Meeting. Dy CM Manish Sisodia was also there," said the LG office sources. This comes amid simmering tensions between the Delhi Chief Minister and the LG over some issues for quite some time. Recently, after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor denied permission for Kejriwal's Singapore visit to attend the World Cities Summit, the AAP convener said he differs with the LG's advice and would go ahead with the visit. Notably, Saxena also recommended a CBI probe into the alleged violations of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government's contentious new excise policy including "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to "provide post tender undue benefits to liquor licensees." The LG office said that Sisodia also extended "undue financial favours" to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer. Sisodia's role is under the scanner for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licensees for the year 2021-22, officials in the Lieutenant-Governor's office told ANI. The excise policy was passed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta wave of Covid pandemic in 2021. However, the Delhi CM dismissed the allegations and said that the Centre "cannot" see AAP rising to the national level and thus is "resorting to such measures". "We're not scared of jails, not scared of the noose. They have made several cases against our people. AAP has been growing since its win in Punjab. They cannot see us rise to a national level thus they are resorting to such measures. But nothing will stop us," Kejriwal said. A report on July 8 by the Chief Secretary established prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009, and Delhi Excise Rules 2010. The report indicates substantively financial quid pro quo at the top political level and that the Delhi excise policy was implemented with the sole aim of benefitting private liquor barons for financial benefits to individuals at the highest rungs of the government leading up to Manish Sisodia. The minister in charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications, officials at the LG office said. Sisodia's role is under the scanner for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licensees for the year 2021-22, officials in the Lieutenant-Governor's office told ANI. (ANI) Chinese scientists have found a gene in crops such as rice and wheat, which can improve the efficiency of photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization and significantly boost grain yield. Scientists believe the discovery could provide a potential solution for increasing agricultural productivity and efficient utilization of resources, and contribute to human food security. The discovery made by a team led by researchers with the Institute of Crop Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) was published online Friday (Beijing Time) in the academic journal, Science. Zhou Wenbin, leader of the research team, said a substantial increase in crop yield has been achieved since the 1960s through the breeding of new varieties and the improvement of cultivation and management technologies. However, in recent years, the per unit area yield of crops has increased slowly. "We need to find new methods to coordinate the further improvement of crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency," said Zhou. Scientists have found that maize has a much higher yield than rice and wheat mainly due to their different photosynthetic pathways. The research team examined 118 transcription factors associated with photosynthesis in maize and analyzed the related genes in rice with similar sequences. At last, they identified the key gene, OsDREB1C, that responds to both light and low nitrogen conditions, and thus they found the gene modulates both photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization. The researchers enhanced the expression of the OsDREB1C gene in two rice varieties through genetic engineering technology. And they conducted field trials at three different sites in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Sanya in northern, eastern, and southern China, representing very different environmental conditions, from 2018 to 2022. The results showed that the yield of the two rice varieties increased by more than 30 percent. Their growth duration was also shortened. In the experiment on a wheat variety, they found the OsDREB1C gene can increase its yield by more than 17 percent, and shorten its growth duration by three to six days, showing that this gene has the function of increasing yield and shortening the growth period of different crops. Wan Jianmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the discovery provides a potentially valuable gene for crop variety improvement. Yang Weicai, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said the discovery of this gene undoubtedly has important scientific value and application prospects, providing an important genetic resource for cultivating crop varieties with a higher yield, higher nitrogen utilization efficiency, and early maturity. This innovative research has provided a new approach for achieving a substantial increase in crop production and efficient utilization of resources. It is expected to be applied to rice, wheat, and other crops and vegetables in the future, which is of great significance in promoting sustainable and intensive agricultural production, said experts. Qian Qian, head of the Institute of Crop Sciences under CAAS and also an academician of CAS, said the team will deepen their research on the key gene's function and mechanism in main grain crops such as rice, wheat, corn, and soybean in the future for the development of new varieties. The number of active cases in the city has gone up to 2,327. According to the Delhi Health Department bulletin, 593 COVID patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours. The total number of recoveries since the onset of the pandemic stands at 19,18,400. One patient succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours in the city taking the death toll to 26,298. As many as 15,943 COVID samples were tested in the last 24 hours. Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 33,137 beneficiaries were administered the COVID vaccine taking the cumulative vaccine doses jabbed in the city to 3,55,71,218. According to Union Health Ministry, India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 201.30 crores. It said 21,880 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours and the active caseload currently stands at 1,49,482. India's recovery rate stands at 98.46 per cent and the weekly positivity rate currently is 4.51 per cent. (ANI) The samples of both the patients were sent to NIV, Pune. Both patients hail from outside Maharashtra but are residing in rural parts of Pune for professional reasons. They have been found COVID-19 positive at the routine screening of Pune airport (Period July 3-9) while they were returning from Dubai. They were asymptomatic and recovered fully at home isolation. These additions have taken the overall tally of BA.4 and BA.5 cases in Maharashtra to 160, the health department further added. District wise BA.4 and BA.5 are-- Pune -93, Mumbai -51, Thane -5, Nagpur, Palghar - 4 each, Raigad -3, informed the health department. Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Friday reported 2,515 Covid-19 cases and six more deaths linked to the infection, taking the tally to 80,29,910 and the toll to 1,48,051, an official said. The recovery count increased by 2,449 in the last 24 hours. BA.4 and BA.5 are subvariants of the Omicron variant circulating globally. These were reported first from South Africa earlier this year and are now reported from several other countries. These variants have not been associated with disease severity or increased hospitalization. The first case of BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been found in Tamil Nadu and Telangana respectively, confirmed the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). (ANI) Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 which aims to provide a regulatory framework for India's research activities in the Antarctic and protect the Antarctic ecosystem. The Bill was moved by Union Minister of Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh. The Bill is intended at having India's own national measures for protecting the Antarctic environment as also the dependent and associated ecosystem. It also aims to implement the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Speaking about the Bill, Singh said, "The main aim is to ensure de-militarization of the region along with getting it rid of mining or illegal activities. It also aims that there should not be any nuclear test/explosion in the region. The bill is in pursuant to India's accession to Antarctic Treaty, the Protocol on Environment Protection (Madrid Protocol) to the Antarctic Treaty and to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the Bill provides a harmonious policy and regulatory framework for India's Antarctic activities through well-established legal mechanisms and will help in efficient and elective operations of the Indian Antarctic Programme. It will also facilitate India's interest and pro-active involvement in the management of growing Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries resources in Antarctic waters. It will also help in increased the international visibility, and credibility of India in Polar governance leading to international collaboration and cooperation in scientific and logistics fields. Dr Jitendra Singh also elaborated that the continuing and growing presence of Indian scientists in Antarctica in the research stations with concurrent commitment to Antarctic studies and protection of fragile Antarctic ecosystem warrants the adoption of domestic legislation on Antarctica consistent with its obligations as a member of Antarctic Treaty System. The enforcement of such laws will confer jurisdiction on the courts of India to deal with any dispute or crimes committed in parts of Antarctica. Legislation of such a kind will bind the citizens to the policies of the Antarctic treaty system. This will also be useful in building credibility and enhance the status of the Country globally. The Bill was introduced in Parliament during the Budget session. The Bill also proposed to set-up Indian Antarctic Authority (IAA) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which shall be the apex decision making authority and shall facilitate programmes and activities permitted under the Bill. It shall provide a stable, transparent and accountable process for the sponsorship and supervision of Antarctic research and expeditions; ensure the protection and preservation of the Antarctic environment; and shall ensure compliance by Indian citizens engaged in the Antarctic programs and activities with relevant rules and internationally agreed standards. According to the Ministry of Earth Science, India today has two operational research stations in Antarctica named Maitri (Commissioned in 1989) and Bharati (Commissioned in 2012). India has successfully launched 40 annual scientific expeditions to Antarctica till date. With Himadri station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic, India now belongs to the elite group of nations that have multiple research stations within the Polar Regions. The Antarctic Treaty was signed at Washington DC on December 1, 1959 and was initially signed by 12 countries. Since then, 42 other countries have acceded to the Treaty. A total of fifty-four State Parties to the Treaty, twenty-nine countries have the status of Consultative Party with a right to vote in the Antarctic Consultative Meetings and 25 countries are Non-Consultative Parties having no right to vote. India signed the Antarctic Treaty on the 19th August, 1983 and received consultative status on September 12. 1983. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources was signed at Canberra on the May 20, 1980, inter alia, for the protection and preservation of the Antarctic environment and, in particular, for the preservation and conservation of marine living resources in Antarctica. India ratified the Convention on June 17, 1985 and is a member of the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources under that Convention. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed at Madrid on October 4, 1991, inter alia, to strengthen the Antarctic Treaty system and for the development of a comprehensive regime for the protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems. India signed the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty on January 14, 1998. Antarctica lies south of 60 n South Latitude, which is a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science and should not become the scene or object of any international discord. (ANI) The Kerala High Court harshly criticised the survivor in the 2017 actress assault case over her allegations against the trial court judge. A single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas asked the survivor on what basis she raised allegations against the judge. The court observed this while considering a petition of the survivor seeking the court's intervention in the case to ensure justice. The court also condemned the allegation of the survivor that the memory card, which is evidence of the crime was accessed when it was in the trial court's custody. The survivor also pointed out that she is making this allegation after she received the information from the prosecution. In reply to this, the court asked her whether the prosecution is leaking confidential details of the probe to her or not. After this, the court also allowed the request of actor Dileep, who is the eighth accused in this case to implead in the petition. Court will further hear the plea on August 1. The survivor via her plea alleged that the "investigative team is moving to close further investigation of the case prematurely. The investigation team was unwilling to question the lawyers of actor Dileep, the eight accused in the case despite the evidence that they were trying to influence witnesses. There is an attempt to influence the politicians in the ruling alliance to end the case. A move was being made to end the case in a hurry. This raises the question of whether this will lead to denial of justice. There is political pressure on the probe team to close the case. The accused in the case, Dileep, is a man of high political influence. The move is underway to snatch the final report. This is due to the nexus between the ruling party members and Dileep. A move to question his lawyers was blocked by Dileep's lawyer's political affiliation. I have no choice but to go to court for justice." The case pertains that the actress, who worked in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films, was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017. (ANI) After a woman sub-inspector was mowed down to death allegedly during a vehicle check, Ranchi Police is investigating the cattle smuggling network. Anshuman Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Ranchi City said, "We are taking the accused on further remand to investigate him. He has taken the names of two more persons. We are verifying their involvement so that we can reach the person who is running the cattle smuggling and who was the second occupant in the vehicle on that day." "We are very close to the other accused. We will arrest him after proper verification. As he (the arrested accused) has revealed, the source location of this cattle smuggling is in Odisha and the destination location was Ranchi, but we are verifying all these things," added the official. On July 19, sub-inspector Sandhya Topno who was posted in-charge of Tupudana OP was run over while she was conducting a check of illegal smuggling of animals. Earlier in conversation with ANI, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishor Kaushal had said, "We got information from Tupudana Out Post area that a suspicious vehicle coming from Gumla is reaching Ranchi. Thus, a police check led by sub-inspector Sandhya Topno was deployed in the area." Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ranchi Kishor Kaushal said, "Sandhya Topno mowed down to death during the Vehicle check, last night. She was posted as incharge of Tupudana Police station. The accused has been arrested and the vehicle has been seized". Ranchi Police had earlier arrested the driver of the vehicle in the matter. The accused arrested tried to breach government works as well in the past, the police said. "One more person was present inside the vehicle, for whom a continuous search is on. Efforts will be to complete the investigation quickly and get the guilty punished with a speedy trial. Accused, namely Nigaar Khan tried to breach government works as well," said Ranchi SSP Kishor Kaushal. Further probe into the matter is underway. (ANI) Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be on a two-day visit to West Bengal from Saturday as a preparatory mission for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. A state committee member of the BJP told IANS on condition of anonymity that the visit of Scindia is especially significant for the state leadership as he has been assigned for the Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency, which elected a BJP representative for two consecutive terms before. Dum Dum, an erstwhile refugee-dominated Lok Sabha constituency on the outskirts of Kolkata, had been a traditional Left bastion since 1977, when the Left Front government to power for the first time. However, the red fotress started witnessing the first signs of collapse in 1998, when BJP's Tapan Sikdar got elected from there and also retained the seat in 1999. However, CPI(M) regained the constituency in 2004. Since 2009, Trinamool has gained control of the crucial Lok Sabha constituencies with Saugata Roy getting elected from there for three consecutive terms in 2009, 2014 and 2019. "The party leadership feels that Dun Dum can be regained by the party in 2024 and hence Scindia has been especially assigned to oversee the process of restructuring the party organisation in Dum Dum," the state committee member said. It is learnt that Scindia will arrive in Kolkata on Saturday morning and will first visit the Dakhineswar Kali temple which comes under the Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency. As per the schedule, Scindia will also visit the recently-inaugurated Sealdah Metro station as a public relations exercise. On Sunday, Scindia will hold meetings with the party functionaries of Dum Dum and discuss the roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He will also visit the Khardah Ramakrishna Mission before returning to Delhi on Sunday evening. However, the state BJP leadership is yet to specify the schedule of Pradhan. "As per initial plans, Pradhan's programme will be mainly restricted to North Kolkata," the state committee member said. --IANS src/arm ( 343 Words) 2022-07-22-19:50:02 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday criticised the new trend where high courts have made irrelevant observations, not connected with a case before them, and going overboard by imposing pointless conditions in bail matters. A bench, headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, said it is disturbed by such orders passed by high courts and cited directions passed by a separate bench setting aside an order, similar in nature. The bench, also comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala, set aside the Allahabad High Court's bail condition to seal the premises of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University at Rampur while granting bail to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. He is one of the members of the board of trustees of the university. Expressing disappointment with the new trend, the top court said the high courts are exceeding their authority to delve into issues which are not relevant to the determination of the bail pleas. "This is yet another matter where we find the high court has referred to matters which are unrelated to consideration of prayer for bail in respect of concerned crime," noted the bench. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared on behalf of Khan in the apex court. After hearing Sibal's arguments, the top court said the high court ought to have dealt with only those aspects which were related to bail and not ventured into unrelated issues. The top court noted that if sealing proceedings were to take place, then it should have been independent of the observations made by the high court. "You take action under other law, not under the high court order," the bench told Uttar Pradesh's counsel. Only July 18, the Supreme Court stayed all proceedings and adverse remarks, calling for B summary reports and service records, against the Karnataka ACB by a Karnataka High Court judge. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said the judge while hearing a bail plea of an accused made unnecessary observations. It added that the observations made and directions passed in the petition, calling for B summary report, are irrelevant and detrimental to the accused. Only July 14, the Supreme Court set aside the orders of a judge of Patna High Court, who acted without jurisdiction, ordering the appearance of businessman Subrata Roy Sahara and also asked for a plan to return the money to the investors. In May, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Khan in an alleged case of grabbing of enemy property for the construction of the university. The court directed the Rampur District Magistrate to take possession of the property attached to the campus of the University by June 30, 2022, and raise a boundary wall with barbed wire around it. --IANS ss/vd ( 462 Words) 2022-07-22-20:02:03 (IANS) Denied a discussion on the Agnipath scheme in the Standing Committee on Defence meeting, Congress MPs walked out on Friday. Sources said that Congress Rajya Sabha MPs KC Venugopal and Uttam Kumar Reddy walked out from the meeting and some other opposition MPs followed suit. The opposition MPS wanted to raise the issue of the Agnipath scheme but the chairman did not allow it as the agenda was something different, the sources. KC Venugopal said Uttam Reddy, Danish Ali and I walked out in protest from the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence for not taking up the controversial Agnipath scheme despite our repeated requests and my earlier letter addressed to the Chairman, requesting a discussion. "The Chairman turned a deaf ear to these crucial questions & the scheme was not discussed. We urged the Chairman to clarify; Why was the Parliament Standing Committee on Defence kept in the dark on the #AgnipathRecruitmentScheme? Why the scheme was not taken up in the committee's budget scrutiny meetings despite involving financial implications? No discussion in Parliament, no deliberations in the Parliament Standing Committees, thus goes the way of bulldozing legislations in the Modi era." he said. The agenda was, "Consideration and adoption of the Draft Report on the Action Taken by the Government on the observations/ recommendations contained in the Twenty-Second Report of Standing Committee on Defence (17th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Defence for the year 2021-22 on Ordnance Factories, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Demand No. 20) (2) Chalking out of the future programme of the Committee." The Congress has been against the Agnipath scheme and is pressing for its withdrawal. --IANS miz/bg ( 308 Words) 2022-07-22-20:04:04 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha on Friday debated a private member's bill 'The Right To Health Bill, 2021' moved by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that he was glad that the Rajya Sabha today held an insightful debate on a private member's bill. Jha moved the bill to make health a fundamental right for all citizens and to ensure equitable access and maintenance of a standard of physical and mental health conducive to living a life of dignity. After the House adjourned for the day, Rajya Sabha chairman Naidu tweeted, "Glad that Rajya Sabha today held an insightful debate on a Private Member's Bill on Right to Health. 10 members spoke. On the last day of first week of monsoon session today, full Question Hour was taken up. First four days were lost due to disruptions." Naidu hoped that the House will function smoothly from next week onwards. The Rashtriya Janata Dal MP appealed to the Union government to hold a discussion on the 'Right to Health' as death doesn't consider voting patterns. Jha noted that commitment to public health is extremely important and mentioned that the country needs a Covid memorial to act as a reminder of lives lost and mistakes made during the pandemic. Participating in the discussion on the Bill, BJP member Rakesh Sinha said that India will have three doctors for every 1,000 people by 2025. Taking a dig at the Opposition Sinha said that slogans don't bring change in a society, fundamental reforms are needed. Congress member Indu Bala Goswami hit out at the Centre over Covid mismanagement. Supporting the Bill, K Keshava Rao of the TRS said that health is indeed a serious subject. NCP MP Fauzia Khan said that expenditure needs to be increased on health and urged the government to pay attention to the exploitation by hospitals during the pandemic. She also urged the government to allocate funds to help patients with rare diseases. --IANS ssb/bg ( 343 Words) 2022-07-22-20:24:03 (IANS) While issuing orders for this, Court has expressed its concern over the increasing number of child pregnancies. The court permitted the petitioner, who is the parent of the victim to get the pregnancy terminated at a Government Hospital. The Court also directed the petitioner to file an appropriate undertaking, authorising them to conduct the surgery at 'her family's risk. In the order, Court observed that "the incredulous but harsh truth is that the girl is impregnated by her sibling, who is also a minor." Single Bench of Justice VG Arun opined that it is the time for authorities to take a relook at the sexual education being imparted in the schools. Court further observed that "the easy availability of pornography on the internet can mislead the juvenile minds of youngsters and give them wrong ideas. Educating our children about the safe use of the internet and social media is absolutely essential. The educational machinery of the State has fallen woefully short in imparting the required awareness to young children about the consequence of sexual overtures." (ANI) The 2022 Competition for the Transmission and Promotion of Beijing Central Axis kicked off Thursday in Beijing. The event aims to solicit cultural and creative ideas and products to better promote the traditional culture of the city's iconic core area. According to the organizers, this competition consists of five tracks, inviting the public to provide renovation plans for time-honored brands along the Central Axis, photos and short videos, creative and cultural products, as well as digital expressions of the landscape and culture of the Central Axis. Notably, the competition has also invited the public to participate in the efforts for the Central Axis to join the list of world heritages, either by telling their own stories or giving performances related to this historical site. Former minister and Congress MLA from Sangod, Bharat Singh, has opened a front against a minister of his own government over the issue of illegal mining, demanding his immediate sacking. He also threatened self-immolation if his plea remained unheard. Politics has intensified in Rajasthan after the self-immolation bid by a seer in Bharatpur district on Wednesday. The seer set himself on fire to protest against illegal mining in Pasopa village of the district. Singh wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stating that if the mining mafia is to be controlled in the state, the mines minister should be sacked immediately. He wrote: "I have written many letters to you on Sorsan and Godavan protection. If the only way to stop illegal mining is the path of the sadhu of Bharatpur, then please wait for me to follow this effective route and talk to you." Singh wrote: "I want to bring your attention to seers staging a sit-in for 551 days against mining in the mountains of Bharatpur as well as to the seer who set himself on fire. Illegal mining is directly related to hooliganism. This cannot be possible without the patronage of the government. After the sadhu's suicide attempt, you held a press conference and directed the district collector and district administration to take strict action by identifying the mining mafia. The Minister of Mines of the state was with you in your press conference." Pramod Jain Bhaya is the minister for mines in the Rajasthan government. Singh said that the biggest mining mafia of the state is the mines minister, a record in illegal mining has been set in his home district. In Baran district, corrupt officers are selected by the minister in the ranks of collector, divisional forest officer, and other high posts. Many people are dying due to illegal mining in Baran district, he added. --IANS arc/bg ( 324 Words) 2022-07-22-20:44:03 (IANS) The Union Government on Friday said that there was a need to keep a strict vigil on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) procurement data and identify any deviant behaviours using Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (AI ML) based tools so that immediate and strict action could be taken against any such deviant behaviours. On the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a review meeting of GeM was held under the chairmanship of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday. Buyers from over 50 Central Government Ministries and 50 CPSEs were invited for getting firsthand feedback of the Buyers. Goyal lauded the efforts being made by various Buyer organizations in increasing their procurements through GeM and emphasized that the Prime Minister has set a target of 75 per cent procurement to be made through GeM by August 15 and 100 per cent procurement to be made through GeM by the end of the current financial year. "The minister said that there was a need to keep a strict vigil on GeM procurement data and identify any deviant behaviours using Advanced Analytics and AI ML based tools so that immediate and strict action could be taken against any such deviant behaviours," Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a press release. The Minister emphasized on the need to change in the perception that public procurement is a source of corruption. He said that GeM has brought about a sea change in the way public procurement is perceived by public at large. He expressed the hope that GeM will continue its engagement with all stakeholders and going forward will also focus on ease of doing procurement. He desired that GeM should be benchmarked against best in the class rather than being benchmarked against other Government systems. Goyal also expressed the hope that the kind of data being generated in GeM will certainly help the government in improving transparency and efficiency in public procurement. The Minister said that aggregation of demand because of procurement happening through a single portal will help in reducing the cost of procurement also for Government Buyers. With collective wisdom and collective efforts of all stakeholders, GeM can well become the largest marketplace for public procurement in the world, he added. During the review meeting, buyers were briefed about the new features and functionalities deployed on GeM in the last one year and also about planned developments in near future. Queries of the Buyers were discussed and resolved or taken note of for further improvement on the portal. A large number of buyers appreciated the efforts being taken by GeM to make the procurement process simpler and transparent. GeM has made significant strides since its inception. GeM has about 61,440 Government Buyer Organizations and about 47.99 Lakh Sellers & Service Providers with a rich listing of over 41.44 lakh Product Offerings and 1.9 lakh Service offerings. All states (except Sikkim) have already signed MoUs with GeM. As many as 239 CPSUs are also registered on GeM and making significant procurement through GeM Portal. GeM has taken a host of steps to onboard products of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), tribal communities, craftsmen, weavers, and MSMEs with a view to making the platform more inclusive. 57 per cent of the total business on GeM has come through the MSE units and over 6% has been contributed by women entrepreneurs. GeM is also integrating with Panchayati Raj Institutions to allow online buying and selling by the Panchayats at the grassroot level. GeM is also in an advanced stage of integration with IndiaPost for extending logistics services at the grassroot level. GeM SAHAY is another initiative of GeM to facilitate small sellers to avail credit financing from various integrated lenders against the Orders received on GeM. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is an online platform for public procurement in India which was envisaged by the Prime Minister. The vision for GeM expounded by the Hon'ble Prime Minister was to drive the three pillars of inclusivity, efficiency with attendant cost savings and transparency along with more and more usability. The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with the objective to create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers. The portal has transformed public procurement in India by driving its three pillars viz. inclusivity, transparency, and efficiency. (ANI) ADJ-cum-POCSO court judge Suman Kumar Diwakar also slapped a Rs 25,000 penalty to each of the three accused, named Upendra Singh, Ranjit Kumar and Ajit Kumar. The accused are natives of Thikaha village under Gadkha police station. Public Prosecutor Surendra Nath Singh said: "The accused committed the gang rape with a minor girl on December 4, 2019. The victim went to an agricultural field to meet her boyfriend. The three accused Upendra Singh, Ranjit Kumar and Ajit Kumar cornered them and they gang raped the victim one by one." The accused also made video clips of the incident and threatened to upload the video on social media. The victim immediately narrated her ordeal to her mother and lodged an FOR on December 5, 2019. "During the investigation, we have brought medical evidence and the statement of 6 witnesses including her boyfriend and the doctor who conducted the medical examination at that time. The sexual assault with the victim was proven in the court. Hence, the POCSO court has given the maximum quantum of punishment to the accused," Singh said. --IANS ajk/vd ( 216 Words) 2022-07-22-21:32:03 (IANS) A joint team of Patna Police ATS and NIA had busted a training camp of the radical group Popular Front of India (PFI) on July 14 following which several persons were arrested. The raids also led to the seizure of documents about PFI's 'Mission 2047' for making India an Islamic state. The police said that they were allegedly providing training to Muslim youth on Jihad and making India an Islamic country by 2047. The joint team has registered two separate FIRs against 26 people and 8 of them were arrested so far. The main accused Mohammad Jalaluddin, a retired sub-inspector in Jharkhand police, has a house in Phulwari Sharif where he along with another accused Athar Parvez were providing physical training to the Muslim youth under the umbrella of PFI. They were allegedly brainwashing the Muslim youth against India. Parvez has a brother named Manzar Alam who was involved in serial terror blast during then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's Hunkar rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan in 2013. Earlier on Thursday, Patna SSP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon had written a letter to Bihar police seeking investigation of the Phulwari Sharif case would be handed over to Bihar ATS. Earlier, on Thursday, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manavjeet Singh Dhillon suggested transferring the case to the Bihar Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Dhillon, in a letter to ADGP, law and order, Jitendra Singh Gangwar, recommended transferring the case to the Bihar ATS. The probe into the case was being led by the Patna Police, with the Bihar ATS, NIA and the Intelligence Bureau providing support and assistance. --IANS ajk/pgh ( 308 Words) 2022-07-22-22:14:03 (IANS) "Hardeep Singh Nijjar is wanted by the National Investigation Agency in NIA case inthe conspiracy hatched by Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operating under Nijjar, to kill a Hindupriest at Jalandhar," read an official statement by the investigative agency. "Hardeep Singh Nijjar is presently residing in Canada and is the Chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Nijjar is also promoting the secessionist and violent agenda of Sikhs for Justice in India," NIA in a statement said. NIA has declared a cash reward of Rs 10 lakhs against Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Any information pertaining to the above absconding accused leading to his arrest or apprehension, may be shared to the investigative agency, informed the NIA. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI) Right after African swine fever was reported from two farms in Wayanad in Kerala, the state government on Friday initiated steps to prevent its spread. Kerala Minister for Animal Husbandry J Chinchu Rani confirmed the infection in the state and directed the pig farms to strictly implement the biosecurity and waste disposal mechanism as part of the swine fever action plan. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the minister said, "African swine fever has been confirmed in pigs present at Mananthavady area in Wayanad district. The disease was confirmed by the ICAR's National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD)." "43 pigs died in Mananthavady farm and one pig in a farm in Thavinhal panchayat in the districts. There are 300 pigs on the farm of the panchayat. Currently, there are three animals showing signs of illness. On July 19, 2022, a meeting of the experts from various sections under the animal husbandry department was held and we discussed the ways to bring the disease under control," said the minister. "A team of experts visited the affected areas and collected samples. Necessary information to spread awareness was imparted to the farmers. A meeting of the District Veterinary Officers was held at Bathery and the Chief Disease Investigation Officer explained the situation and gave an awareness class to the representatives of the Wayanad Pig Farmers Association," he added. The Kerala minister said, "The disease has been confirmed in Kerala. As per the directive of the Central Government, the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009 (Central Act 27 of 2009) has been imposed here thereby implying a strict ban on the transportation of pigs in and out of the state," he said. The Minister has issued instructions to tighten checking at all border check posts and to prevent the entry of vehicles carrying pigs, pork meat, pig meat products and pig excrement into the state. The Minister has also suggested that the forest department should be informed if any wild boars die under unusual circumstances. Inspections are being conducted in all the farms in the state under the guidance of doctors from the animal welfare department. According to the said law, severe punishment will be taken against those who try to smuggle pigs by violating the regulations. The Minister also informed that all farm owners should take care to strengthen the biosecurity system as suggested by the Department of Animal Welfare in case the preventive vaccine is not available at present. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), African swine fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of domestic pigs. It was first described in Kenya, East Africa, in 1921, and soon afterwards in South Africa and Angola, as a disease that killed settlers' pigs. Contact with warthogs was proven to be important in the transmission of the virus. (ANI) A new study suggests that an elephant's muscles aren't the only way it stretches its trunk, its folded skin also plays an important role. The combination of muscle and skin gives the animal the versatility to grab fragile vegetation and rip apart tree trunks. The research finds that an elephant's skin doesn't uniformly stretch. The top of the trunk is more flexible than the bottom, and the two sections begin to diverge when an elephant reaches more than 10%. When stretching for food or objects, the dorsal section of the trunk slides further forward. The research, in collaboration with Zoo Atlanta, finds that an elephant's skin doesn't uniformly stretch. The top of the trunk is more flexible than the bottom, and the two sections begin to diverge when an elephant reaches more than 10%. When stretching for food or objects, the dorsal section of the trunk slides further forward. The findings could improve robotics, which today are typically built for either great strength or flexibility. Unlike an elephant's trunk, the machines can't do both. As an example, the study's authors point to soft robotics. Their fluid-filled cavities allow flexible movements but can easily break when forces are applied. The researchers say the elephant findings suggest that wrapping soft robotics with a skin-like structure could give the machines protection and strength while continuing to allow flexibility. The paper is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by the same Georgia Tech team that authored a study last summer about how elephants use their trunk muscles to inhale food and water. "When people extend their tongue -- a muscle-filled, boneless tissue similar in composition to an elephant's trunk -- it stretches uniformly. We expected the same when we challenged an elephant to reach for food," said Andrew Schulz, the study's lead author and a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech's George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. He and the team filmed two African savanna elephants reaching for bran cubes and apples at Zoo Atlanta. "But when we looked at our high-speed camera footage and plotted the trunk's movements, we were surprised. The top and bottom weren't the same at all," Schulz said. After seeing the video, Schulz stretched the tissue of a dissected elephant to better understand the skin's elasticity. That's when he found that the top of the skin, which is folded, is 15% more flexible than the wrinkled bottom side. It's also when the team realized they weren't just seeing muscle movement on the video. They were also tracking a thick sheet of skin. "Flexible skin folds are the elephant's innovation," said David Hu, Schulz's advisor and a professor in the Woodruff School and the School of Biological Sciences. "They protect the dorsal section and make it easier for the elephant to reach downward, the most common gripping style when picking up items." The Georgia Tech study also found that an elephant trunk differs in another way from other boneless, muscle-filled appendages found in nature, such as squid and octopus tentacles. Instead of extending evenly, an elephant telescopically stretches its trunk like an umbrella, gradually lengthening in waves. An elephant first extends the section that includes the tip of its trunk, then the adjacent section and so on, gradually working its way back toward its body. Schulz says the progressive movement towards the base is intentional. "Elephants are like people: they're lazy," he said. "The section at the end of the trunk is 1 liter of muscle. The section closest to its mouth is 11-15 liters of muscle. An elephant will first stretch the end of its trunk, then the adjacent section, because they're easier to move. If an elephant doesn't have to work very hard to reach something, it won't." Schulz said he had to rely on a drawing from 1908 when learning about trunk anatomy because scientists and engineers haven't done much research on the biomechanics of elephants during the last century. Part of his curiosity of elephants is based on helping them; he thinks a better understanding of the animals will lead to better conservation efforts. As a mechanical engineer, Schulz also sees the applications of robotics. "Soft robotics created with biologically inspired design are always based on muscle movement. If they were wrapped with a protective skin, like an elephant's muscle-filled trunk, the machines could apply larger forces," he said. "Last year we learned that a trunk is a multi-purpose, muscular hydrostat. Now we know that skin is another tool at its disposal." (ANI) At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit China next week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday. The visit will take place from July 25 to 26, reported Xinhua. Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-hosted the Second Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism with Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Cooperation with China, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. The visit of FM Yi comes after China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was confronted about its global influence in the Group of Seven (G7) Summit held in Germany. His visit aimed to reassert China's ties with these countries. US President Joe Biden during the NATO summit announced plans to raise USD 600 billion in order to create a new G7 initiative -- also known as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) -- in an effort to counteract China's global influence through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as a number of recent developments in its naval and military programmes. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the new G7 initiative aimed to curb China's growing military prowess and business operations via its BRI project. The PGII initiative seeks to offer an alternative to infrastructure models that sell "debt traps," the White House said following Biden's announcement on June 26. In addition to "bullying" debt-riddled countries such as Sri Lanka and Djibouti to sign up for the BRI under the premise of handsome funding for large infrastructure projects, the Chinese regime has also been gaining favours via the BRI. NATO also unveiled its new strategic concept, pointing out that the alliance faces "systemic competition" from China that challenges its values and interests. The military alliance noted China's malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target allies and harm alliance security. The NATO document states that Beijing seeks to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains. Meanwhile, Pakistan and China pledged to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation during the meeting between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi. The meeting comes amid the faltering economy of Pakistan with China assuring its ally of a rollover of over USD 2 billion at a much-reduced rate. Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Pakistan is China's "ironclad" friend and reliable brother. No matter how the international situation changes, the mutual trust and friendship between the two countries are rock solid, reported Xinhua. (ANI) YouTube on Thursday (local time) said that it will start removing videos containing false claims about abortion in a crackdown on misinformation about the medical procedure. The move comes as women seek reliable pregnancy-related information online in the wake of the right to abortions being revoked in many areas across the United States. "We believe it's important to connect people to content from authoritative sources regarding health topics, and we continuously review our policies and products as real-world events unfold," YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez said in a statement cited by CNN. "Starting today and ramping up over the next few weeks, we will remove content that provides instructions for unsafe abortion methods or promotes false claims about abortion safety under our medical misinformation policies," it stated further. According to CNN, the policy update comes amid widespread attention to abortion, and the accessibility of the procedure, after the Supreme Court last month overturned Roe v Wade Medical experts have warned that bad actors may try to capitalize on the confusion and emotional upset caused by various states limiting access to abortion in order to spread false claims about the procedure. Toxicologists have also raised concerns about dangerous "DIY" abortion methods that have been shared on social media, as per CNN. Recently, TikTok began removing abortion-related videos that violate its policy against medical misinformation, including those that share potentially dangerous advice about how to self-induce an abortion. Google (GOOGL GOOGLE), which owns YouTube, has come under a unique amount of scrutiny from lawmakers and privacy advocates for the wide range of data it collects on users, which could be used by law enforcement to enforce anti-abortion laws. Earlier this month, the company said it would delete location data when users visit abortion clinics. Lawmakers have also urged Google to prevent searches for abortion clinics from returning misleading results and ads that direct users to facilities that oppose the procedure, as per CNN. (ANI) Last month, retired Justice Javed Iqbal stepped down as NAB chairman. "The federal government is pleased to appoint Aftab Sultan, a retired BS-22 officer of Police Service of Pakistan, as chairman NAB after consultation between the leader of the House and the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, for a non-extendable period of three years with effect from the date he assumes the charge of his office," Dawn newspaper citing a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice reported. It added that the new NAB chief's terms and conditions during his service would "be same as admissible to the judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan". Taking to Twitter, the country's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also told the federal cabinet had approved Sultan's nomination. "The federal cabinet has approved the nomination of Aftab Sultan as Chairman of NAB. He is a man of impeccable integrity having an impressive past record. We are hopeful that he will be able to steer the accountability drive without any partisanship," he tweeted. Sultan had retired as the IB head on April 3, 2018 after serving since June 7, 2013, as per Dawn newspaper. He served two governments each of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) under four Prime Ministers including Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. (ANI) Acting Resident Coordinator Dirk Wagener expressed his deep concern over allegations of the killing of dozens of civilians, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. There were reports of sexual violence against women and the displacement of thousands of people, primarily women and children. Wagener called for a swift investigation into alleged crimes, the spokesman told reporters at a regular briefing. Haq said businesses and markets closed, trenches dug across roads and destroyed bridges halted traffic. Schools and medical facilities were damaged. "This has resulted in disruptions in the delivery of goods and services to impacted communities, which are now experiencing shortages of food, fuel, medicines, and other critical supplies," the spokesman said. "Wagener called for an immediate cessation of violence in the Highlands and for humanitarian assistance to be delivered to affected communities," Haq said. "The United Nations and its partners stand ready to respond to any call for assistance if requested by the government." Balloting in Papua New Guinea, one of the world's poorest countries, ends Friday, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems said on its website. Results are to be announced by July 29. Voters are choosing 118 representatives to serve five-year terms from more than 3,600 candidates, the foundation said. (ANI/Xinhua) A US lawmaker from the city of New York has extended strong support to the Sindhi people in Pakistan against the human rights atrocities that have been inflicted upon them for years. Delivering her remarks in the US parliament, Representative Carolyn Maloney last week raised concerns about the rights situation in Pakistan's third largest province of Sindh, where members of the local community find themselves subject to intense and unfair government scrutiny. "There is perhaps nowhere in the world more important for the United States to battle extremism with public diplomacy than Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where numerous extremists over the years have unfortunately sought refuge from justice," Maloney said during her remarks on July 14. "The people of Pakistan--especially those in the Sindhi community--deserve respect for their human rights, regardless of creed or conviction. I urge my colleagues to continue to speak out for the Sindhi community in Pakistan and ensure that their human rights are respected," she added. During her address, the US lawmakers highlighted how Sindhi persons, who are notably absent from the high echelons of Pakistan's government, are subjected to exceptional jail times for trumped-up crimes. "As of 2022, there has not been a single Sindhi-speaking judge on the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Of deepest concern however are the many instances of human rights abuses against the community, including exceptional jail times for trumped-up crimes of blasphemy, beatings, harassment, and forced disappearances. In 2017 alone, many activists, budding politicians, teachers, and students were forcibly disappeared by authorities," she said. Citing data from an Islamabad-based think tank, the US House Representative said that nearly 1,500 accusations and cases of blasphemy. She even raised the case of Notan Lal, a member of Pakistan's Hindu minority, who was accused of speaking blasphemously about the Prophet Muhammad. "For this supposed infraction against the common good, he was arrested in 2019 and ultimately sentenced in February 2022 to 25 years in prison. No one should ever have to face a life in prison on such trumped-up charges," said Maloney. Despite the grave situation, the US lawmaker said there is a silver lining as US Congress continues to hear the cries for help from the Sindhi community. "Sindh Caucus Co-Chair Representative Brad Sherman and I were especially grateful to see that our Caucus' efforts to see Voice of America promote additional material and resources in the Sindhi language. Nearly 14 per cent of Pakistanis--over 30 million people--speak Sindhi, but there has unfortunately never been significant material in the language from VOA until now," she said. "With this new material, it will become easier to reach out to the Sindhi community in Pakistan, and for them to reach out into the world in turn," she added. (ANI) United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan (SAPM), Ambassador Tariq Fatemi on Friday where they discussed the devastating effects of war in Ukraine on the food security in Pakistan. "The Deputy Secretary and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister also discussed coordination on Afghanistan, regional stability, and the devastating effects of Putin's invasion of Ukraine on food security in Pakistan and worldwide," the State Department said in its press release. SAPM Tariq Fatemi during his meeting with the Deputy Secretary Sherman at the State Department in Washington DC on Friday stated, "Pakistan seeks close and cordial relations with the on the basis of equality, mutual cooperation and mutual benefit." The discussions between both sides also focused on coordination on Afghanistan and regional stability. Moreover, the leaders held talks in terms of bolstering the US-Pakistan relationship by reinforcing economic and commercial ties along with cooperation in health sector. Deputy Secretary Sherman also noted the 75 years of diplomatic relations between both nations. "Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met today with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ambassador Tariq Fatemi. The Deputy Secretary noted the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Pakistan and reaffirmed our shared goals for enhancing the U.S.-Pakistan relationship by advancing our economic and commercial ties and health cooperation," it added. Meanwhile, a top US State Department official few days back said that the foreign conspiracy allegations by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan were "very disturbing" and asserted that there is no truth in them. The remarks were made by Director Pakistan Desk Neil W. Hop while addressing a convention of Pakistani physicians in Atlantic City, New Jersey, reported Pakistani local media outlet, Dawn. Meanwhile, during the convention, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, Jalil Abbas Jilani acknowledged that relations were passing through a difficult phase and suggested "the revival of structured high-level dialogue" to keep the partnership on track. Responding to a question about former supremo Khan's claim of alleged US conspiracy to oust him from power, Hop said, "It's very disturbing. There's absolutely no truth in those allegations. We support a strong, democratic set-up in Pakistan. We have no interest in its domestic politics." Jilali termed the whole playout of Khan's conspiracy theory as a "tragic" episode. He added that he has had personal relations with the US official, Donald Lu, implicated in this alleged conspiracy. "He has positive feelings for Pakistan and has rejected involvement in any conspiracy," he said. Hop too called Lu a thorough "professional who cannot make such statements." Jilani suggested tackling this and other similar issues "in a discreet and dispassionate fashion," as per the media portal. Imran's rival PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz also said that Khan staged "the biggest drama in the history of Pakistan" under the name of a foreign conspiracy. "Unfortunately, Pakistani politics met with a person who is the biggest liar, chaos-maker and imposter. He used to say to people that we are US slaves. He kept people busy with his conspiracy claims. This is the biggest drama in Pakistan's history," she had said. (ANI) In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Council has adopted new measures intended to tighten existing economic sanctions targeting Russia, perfect their implementation and strengthen their effectiveness. "Today, we are taking another important step to curtail Russia's capacity to continue and finance its war of aggression against Ukraine. We are effectively banning Russia's most significant export after energy - Russian gold. We are also extending the exemption of transactions for agricultural products and transfer of oil to third countries," Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. "Because the EU is doing its part to ensure we can overcome the looming global food crisis. It is up to Russia, to stop bombing Ukraine's fields and silos, and stop blocking Black Sea ports," he added. According to the council of EU, today's "maintenance and alignment" package introduces a new prohibition to purchase, import, or transfer, directly or indirectly, gold, if it originates in Russia and it has been exported from Russia into the EU or to any third country after. This prohibition also covers jewellery. The package also extends the list of controlled items, which may contribute to Russia's military and technological enhancement or the development of its defence and security sector, thereby reinforcing export controls on dual-use and advanced technology. Furthermore, the new measures extend the existing port access ban to locks to avoid the circumvention of sanctions and expand the scope of the prohibition on accepting deposits to include those from legal persons, entities or bodies established in third countries and majority-owned by Russian nationals or natural persons residing in Russia. The acceptance of deposits for non-prohibited cross-border trade will be subject to a prior authorisation by the national competent authorities. The EU is also introducing a number of clarifications to existing measures, for instance in the field of public procurement, aviation and justice. "With a view to avoid any potential negative consequences for food and energy security around the world, the EU decided to extend the exemption from the prohibition to engage in transactions with certain state-owned entities as regards transactions for agricultural products and the transport of oil to third countries," the EU council statement said. "More broadly, the EU is committed to avoiding all measures which might lead to food insecurity around the globe. None of the measures adopted today or earlier in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine target in any way the trade in agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers, between third countries and Russia," it added. Similarly, EU measures do not prevent third countries and their nationals operating outside of the EU from purchasing pharmaceutical or medical products from Russia. In addition to economic sanctions, the Council decided to list additional individuals and entities and strengthen reporting requirements, putting the burden of declaring assets onto sanctioned people, in order to facilitate the freezing of their assets in the EU. (ANI) Terming the actions of Sri Lankan authorities on the peaceful protesters at Galle Face "brutal and despicable", the country's Human Rights Commission condemned the act and urged the state to conduct its own investigation to ensure that rule of law is maintained. In a press note, Justice Rohini Marasinghe, Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, said, "The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) condemns the brutal and despicable attack on the peaceful protesters at Gallface vicinity by the Military in the early morning hours today." Also a former judge of the Supreme Court, Marasinghe added, "A total violation of the fundamental rights of the people by the actions of the Executive. The HRCSL advises the State to identify the perpetrators and take appropriate action and ensure such actions by the Military or any action within the control of the State to violate the fundamental rights of the people will never occur in the future." In the meantime the HRCSL will conduct its own investigation to ensure that rule of law is maintained, the release added. A large number of protestors confronted armed security personnel as the latter setup barricades outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on early Friday. The armed soldiers were deployed in a bid to control the protestors who have been protesting against the new Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat. Protesters are alleging that security personnel raided the anti-government protest camp in the capital. Tents of protestors are being dismantled by the armed security personnel outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat. "Ranil Wickremesinghe wants to destroy us, they are again doing this, but we will never give up. We want to make our country free of such nasty politics," said a protestor amid an armed forces crackdown. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as President of Sri Lanka on Thursday in Parliament before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. He was elected as president in an election held in Parliament on Wednesday. During Wednesday's vote, Wickremesinghe received 134 votes following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the presidency last week amid severe economic turmoil in the country. After his official residence in Colombo was stormed by tens of thousands of angry protesters last week, Sri Lanka's ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives before flying out to Singapore. Rajapaksa had offered his resignation after fleeing the country. Sri Lanka's economy is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country's failure to meet its international debt obligations. As Sri Lanka scrambles to get back on track after the election of a new President, the people in the country -- who are facing severe economic hardship -- are still uncertain about the future. (ANI) The January 6 select committee's latest public hearing on Thursday (local time) said that then US President Donald Trump chose not to intervene as a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol. Adam Kinzinger, one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection at the Capitol said, "President Trump did not fail to act, he chose not to act." The Thursday primetime hearing focused on what happened during the 187 minutes between Trump's speech, during which he encouraged supporters to march to the Capitol, and when he put out a video urging them to go home. "Trump sat in his dining room and watched the attack on television while his senior-most staff, closest advisers and family members begged him to do what is expected of any American president", Congresswoman Elaine Luria said during the hearing. "President Trump refused to act because of his selfish desire to stay in power," she added. The nine-member committee, which is comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans, said they confirmed through interviews that Trump did not call senior law enforcement or military leaders, Vice President Mike Pence's staff or Washington government officials to issue orders or offer assistance during the riot. The committee also played newly-released outtakes from a Donald Trump speech filmed the day after the Capitol riot. The former President is repeatedly seen refusing to read the lines in the script given to him that say "the election is over". "I don't want to say the election is over," Trump is seen telling his staff. "I just want to say Congress has certified the results." He also refused to say that rioters broke the law. "I can't say that," he says. Several witnesses with first-hand knowledge of what was happening inside the White House on Jan. 6. Sarah Matthews, a former Trump deputy press secretary, testified that Trump could have made a statement to Americans and stopped the violence "almost instantly" if he wanted to. She also testified that Trump was resisting sending a message of peace to rioters. Matthew Pottinger, a former White House security official, told the House January 6 committee that Donald Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 presidential election played into the hands of the United States' adversaries.Pottinger, who served as Trump's deputy national security adviser, told the probe Thursday, that any presidential transition is a "time of vulnerability" even "under the best circumstances." The committee announced that it will reconvene for three more hearings in September. (ANI) The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief has warned that China appears to be determined on using force in Taiwan but Russia's experience in Ukraine has affected Beijing's calculations on when and how - rather than whether to invade. CIA Director William Burns said that China likely saw in Ukraine that "you don't achieve quick, decisive victories with underwhelming force", Al Jazeera reported. China repeatedly claims that Taiwan is part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Burns said that China was "unsettled" when looking at Russia's five-month-old war in Ukraine, which he characterised as a "strategic failure" for President Vladimir Putin because he had hoped to topple the Kyiv government within a week. "Our sense is that it probably affects less the question of whether the Chinese leadership might choose some years down the road to use force to control Taiwan, but how and when they would do it," Burns said as quoted by Al Jazeera. The CIA Director's comments came amid the continued tension between Washington and Beijing over a slew of issues including trade and Taiwan, as United States President Joe Biden revealed plans for a call with President Xi Jinping - the first between the two leaders in four months. "I think I'll be talking to President Xi within the next 10 days," US President Joe Biden told reporters after he returned from the state of Massachusetts. The US calls China its main strategic rival and says high-level engagement is important to keeping the difficult relationship stable and prevent it from veering inadvertently into conflict. Earlier, Biden said the US military believes it is not a "good idea" for House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to travel to Taiwan as planned. Meanwhile, China warned against Pelosi's upcoming visit to Taiwan next month saying that it will act strongly and take countermeasures if the US side insists on going ahead with the visit. Burns played down speculation that Xi could make a move on Taiwan after a key Communist Party meeting later this year but said the risks "become higher, it seems to us, the further into this decade that you get", according to Al Jazeera. "I wouldn't underestimate President Xi's determination to assert China's control" over Taiwan, he said. Speaking before Burns at the forum in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, China's ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, said that Beijing still preferred "peaceful reunification", but he accused the US of supporting "independence" forces in Taiwan. (ANI) The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe has condemned the action of the Chinese Embassy in Harare which had threatened a weekly newspaper after it published articles on violations by Chinese mining companies. The Alliance said that the embassy threatened to take strong measures against "The Standard" newspaper, which the group called an attack on the freedom of the press, Voice of America reported. "Firstly, the Chinese Embassy did not specify what counteractions they would take against the newspaper in question, and it is something of a concern -- particularly coming from a global powerhouse in the mould of China," said Nigel Nyamutumbu, head of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe. "And this, in our view, such unspecified threats would amount to an attack on press freedom," he added. According to the publication, the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday said that they would not comment on the statement made by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe. "The Chinese embassy did not also seek any redress with the professional mechanisms that exist, whether through the ombudsman of the Alpha Media Holdings, which houses the newspaper that they had issues with or approaching the self-regulatory mechanism that is available to seek redress and to seek accountability, and to get areas they wanted threshed out to be handled," Nyamutumbu said. He further added that the Chinese Embassy could have used the Zimbabwe Media Commission or any diplomatic channels so that their issues could have been handled amicably. Zimbabwean officials could not be reached on Wednesday for comments. In an interview, former Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Ashton Masunda, a member of the Alpha Media Holdings editorial advisory board, said journalists would not relent, despite the threats by the Chinese embassy. "The allegation that really stung me into action was the allegation by the Chinese embassy that the Alpha Media Holdings journalists were paid by foreign-linked non-government organizations as well as an embassy," Masunda said. "Alpha Media Holdings is an independent media house, which is free from any political ties. It is an anathema for any Alpha Media Holdings journalist to receive any payment outside remuneration which he or she receives from [the] company," the former Harare Mayor added. Masunda noted that his organization would continue to report accurately and fairly in Zimbabwe. (ANI) Raising concerns over the enforced disappearances and a spike in fake encounters of missing persons, Baloch activists plan to protest on July 24 in Berlin, Pakistani media reported. Taking to Twitter, BSMA or Baloch Social Media Activists requested all the political and social activists to join the demonstration. They have also said that the protest will take place at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate between 4 pm to 6 pm. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, people planned to hold a protest on July 23 against the extra-judicial murders of forcefully abducted persons in fake encounters. Taking to Twitter, Baloch Yakjahti Committee - Kech, a local media outlet, said, "Pamplets were fixed and shared among citizens at various points in Turbat regarding the protest rally, to be held, against the extra-judicial murder of forcefully abducted persons in fake encounters. Venue: Atta Shad Degree College Turbat - Fida Chowk Date & Time: 23rd July, 11:00 AM." Earlier, a pro-Baloch rights committee condemned the killing of missing persons reportedly in fake encounters in the Ziarat district of northern Balochistan. Condemning the act, Baloch Yakjehti Committee-Karachi expressed its grief. "Enforced disappearance is a crime in itself and putting a missing person to death by framing a false case as a terrorist is a crime as well as a gross violation of human rights that is reprehensible," the committee tweeted in Urdu. "Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Karachi) also supports the Twitter campaign organized by BYC Shaal. We urge every individual to raise their voice against the fake encounter of Baloch Missing Persons. This tactic is a form of Baloch genocide and we highly condemn it," the committee said on its Twitter handle. Innocent Baloch are killed in fake encounters and their mutilated bodies are found in remote places, according to several reports. Recently, nine persons who were killed in fake encounters in Ziarat were first forcefully made to disappear. An annual report of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, which is an organisation that documents human rights violations in the province, has said that students remained the main target of these kidnappings both in Balochistan as well as in other provinces of Pakistan. (ANI) Pakistan High Commission published a distorted flag that adds moon and crescent to the original Red and Green flag of Bangladesh. As soon as the picture went viral on social media, it created an outrage among Bangladeshi nationals. "Muktijoddha Manch demanded exemplary punishment for the act of desecration of the national flag," an official statement said. "The flag was earned by the sacrifice of millions of Bangladeshi people. If strict action is not taken immediately against the Pakistan High Commission, the organisation will launch a nationwide movement," the statement added. The Muktijoddha Manch also demanded prosecution of the Pakistan Army at the International Criminal Court for carrying out genocide in then East Pakistan, killing more than 3 million people in the country. Accusing Pakistan of constantly working against the ideals and spirit of the Liberation War of 1971, Muktijoddha Manch demanded an apology from Pakistan for atrocities committed during the liberation war of Bangladesh against its people. Earlier, in May, the organisation held a protest in front of the National Museum in Shahbag against the Pakistan High Commission for allegedly sending agents in the guise of a media delegation to Bangladesh. Muktijoddha Manch members including Muktijoddha Ruhul Amin accused Pakistan of sending the Jama'at-e-Islami (JeI)-ICS Islami Chhatra Shibir agents in the name of a media delegation to Pakistan. On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh was proclaimed as an independent nation by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and this led to the Bangladesh Liberation War when a guerilla war ensued between Pakistan and Bangladeshi liberation forces with Indian support. Muktijuddho Manch is a platform of descendants of freedom fighters comprised of mostly Chhatra League members. (ANI) Nord Stream 1 resumes gas deliveries to Germany after maintenance Xinhua) 08:34, July 22, 2022 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, July 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Currently, gas storage facilities in Germany are 65.1 percent filled, according to the BNetzA. However, if Russian gas supplies stay at this low level, it would "hardly be possible to achieve a storage level of 90 percent by November without additional measures." BERLIN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- After ten days of maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, gas deliveries from Russia to Germany resumed on Thursday morning. "Nord Stream AG has successfully completed all planned maintenance works on its twin gas pipelines within the scheduled period," the operator said in a statement. Although gas flows have now reached the pre-maintenance level, which corresponds to 40 percent utilization of the total pipeline capacity, the missing volumes and the political instability gave "no reason to sound the all-clear yet," said Klaus Mueller, president of the country's Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). "We need (to take) a long breath, the winter is yet to come," said Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck during a press conference on Thursday. Habeck announced further government measures to save energy, including stricter requirements for filling gas storage facilities, which in the future must be at 95 percent of the capacity by November 1, up from 90 percent previously. Currently, gas storage facilities in Germany are 65.1 percent filled, according to the BNetzA. However, if Russian gas supplies stay at this low level, it would "hardly be possible to achieve a storage level of 90 percent by November without additional measures." Gas pipes are seen at a natural gas storage facility operated by Hungarian Gas Storage Ltd. in the village of Zsana, Hungary, May 20, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Natural gas is a "major energy source" for both industry and households in Germany, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Thursday. In 2020, 31 percent of the German industry ran on natural gas. European gas prices have fallen after the restart of Russian gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The front-month contract in the European reference market TTF fell to 148 euros (150 U.S. dollars) per MWh baseload in the afternoon, about 4 percent below yesterday's settlement price. "(The relaunch of) gas deliveries from Russia through the strategically important Nord Stream 1 pipeline is the reason for (this)," Christoph Schmitz of r2b energy consulting told Xinhua on Thursday. After some speculation as to whether Russia might use the maintenance work as an excuse to suspend deliveries for longer than contractually agreed, "expectations of renewed deliveries increased in recent days," said Schmitz. Germany has been highly dependent on gas imports: in 2021, net gas imports translated to 904.5 billion kilowatt hours, while around 5 percent were generated from domestic production, according to Destatis. The European Commission proposed on Wednesday that member states should voluntarily reduce their gas demand by 15 percent to ease the tight supply situation. However, there is an option to make this reduction mandatory by declaring a "Union Alert." (1 euro = 1.02 U.S. dollars) A man shows gas consumption on a meter in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on July 13, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) China's innovative development goes together with the strengthening of its space industry. While space activities are multifaceted and cover different sectors such as transport systems, infrastructure, communications, satellite navigation systems, and planetary exploration, the construction of the Chinese space station, named Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace, frequently attracts international attention. Three crewed missions have already contributed to the construction of Tiangong. In June 2022, another crewed capsule went to orbit and docked there. It also complemented the arrivals of June 2021 and October 2021. To portray members of the missions, China employs the lemma "taikonauts," a synonym for astronauts, which is a combination of the Chinese term "taikong" (space) and the Greek "nautes" (sailor). A few days ago, the Chinese taikonauts reportedly started their work in establishing an inhabitable environment within the station by reconfiguring, among other things, ventilation and air purification. Meanwhile, a Long March carrier rocket, which will send the Wentian lab module to Tiangong, was transported to the launch pad in China's southern island province of Hainan. According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), this module has experiment cabinets and an installation platform for extravehicular payloads. It also has a mechanical hand that can be used alone or connected to the bigger one belonging to the management and controlling hub, Tianhe. China's self-reliance has defined its impressive space program for years. However, of course, cooperation remains the desired goal. The white paper "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective," published last January, uses the word "cooperation" 46 times. It refers to the central role of the UN in managing outer space affairs. It focuses on the importance of the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), an intergovernmental body headquartered in Beijing aiming to function as a cooperative mechanism for developing countries in the region, G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Furthermore, the white paper gives weight to synergies within the BRICS. Already in August 2021, under the Indian chairmanship, the BRICS space agencies heads had signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing. A few months later, in May 2022, countries of the group, currently chaired by China, went further and officially launched a joint committee on space cooperation. In the same spirit, BRICS leaders issued a declaration in June in which they reasserted their support for ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and preventing an arms race in outer space. Last but not least, China-Africa joint actions are noteworthy. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Dakar Action Plan 2022-2024 calls for the two sides to enhance cooperation on space technology. Moreover, China will promote Africa's space technology application and infrastructure development and use the space industry to drive social development and improve people's living standards. A relevant sub-forum under the FOCAC framework is also expected to be established. Furthermore, the youth are not being overlooked. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is, among other things, building a space science exchange platform, enabling students to explore new modes of education communication and enrich their knowledge. The CNSA also runs online training courses in China, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The more China grows, the bigger its international footprint becomes. Technological achievements expanding with cosmos exploration result from China's systematic planning and emphasis on research, science, and hard work. China is naturally creating new, promising conditions for the country's future progress and relations with the world. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. Panasonic Holdings Corporation is progressing its 'Green Impact Plan', which is a solution to reduce CO2 emissions. In July, Panasonic HD group CEO Yuki Kusumi articulated the action plan for 2024 with the target of net zero CO2 emissions to be achieved by 2030. "As the milestone to realize 2050 target set by Panasonic Green Impact, Panasonic has set specific target figure for 2024, such as reduction of CO2 emissions, reduction of CO2 emissions to society, and contribution," Group CEO of Panasonic HD, Yuki Kusumi said. He further stated that the number of factories will be expanded by 2024 to 37 where CO2 emission is substantially zero. "In the Scope III area, we will thoroughly conserve energy in the living business area and expand to 31.45 million tons with our impact and in the area of Contribution impact, we have the goal of 93 million ton saving in 2030," he added. This goal is guaranteed by the spreading of Panasonic products. The wide circulation of electric vehicles will enlarge the market for mobility installing batteries. Heat pump water heater accelerates de fossil oil fuel. In the field of renewable energy pure hydrogen fuel battery market will expand as the need for clean air will accelerate the combined control of air condition and ventilation. Continuing his statement, Yuki Kusumi said, "We decided to make progress on the activity with Government and industrial partners positively. It aims to realize carbon neutral society as soon as possible and coexisting society with a beautiful global environment. Two years ago Japanese Government declared to realize Carbon Neutral Society." In another statement, Shinichi Kinara of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan said that the GX league has launched as a trial case and 440companies agreed. It covers 40 per cent of the main emissions. This activity accelerates emissions trading and rule-making by main companies. "There is a company which develops new technology to contribute to a reduction of emissions. And there is the company to invest in future innovative technology. To get an appropriate evaluation of the effort for emission reduction and investment for environment, Japanese companies should not only accept European standards but also propose the rule case," he added. Reducing the usage of fossil, fuel oil will increase the availability of heat pump hot water heater that makes hot water with much lower CO2 emissions. Panasonic aims to achieve the goal by accelerating the market of its products. (ANI) Foreign Policy Writer, Lynne O'Donnell was detained by the Taliban for columns accusing them of forcefully marrying teenage girls and using teenage girls as sexual slaves. The terror outfit forced the writer to issue a Public Retraction after holding her caged for 3 Days, Khaama Press reported. Lynne O'Donnell, an Australian writer who writes a column for Foreign Policy magazine presently, tweeted, "l apologize for 3 or 4 reports written by me accusing the present authorities of forcefully marrying teenage girls and using teenage girls as sexual slaves by Taliban commanders." Notably, O'Donnell was forced to make an apology by the Taliban, she revealed in a statement on Wednesday. "Tweet an apology or go to jail, said Taliban intelligence," she tweeted. "Whatever it takes: They dictated. I tweeted. They didn't like it. Deleted, edited, re-tweeted. Made a video of me saying I wasn't coerced. Re-did that too," she said. The agents disapproved of her reporting on LGBTQ persons and asserted that there were "no gays" in the country, the journalist added. Lynne is an internationally acclaimed war journalist who has reported occasionally from Afghanistan for over 20 years. However, following her alleged detention, harassment, and threats she departed the war-ravaged country on Wednesday for Pakistan, reported Khaama Press. O'Donnell was the Afghanistan bureau head for the Agence France-Presse wire service and the Associated Press between 2009 and 2017, according to her biography on the Foreign Policy website. However, the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture and intelligence authorities have not reacted to the issue as of yet. The atrocities of the Taliban against Afghan women have been on an incessant surge since the group seized power in Afghanistan in August last year. The Taliban had previously promised an inclusive society and equality during their first press conference after the takeover of Afghanistan while on the contrary, stopped girls from going to school beyond sixth grade on March 23 and a decree against the women's dress code was issued after a month. There are restrictions on movement, education and freedom of expression of women posing a threat to their survival. According to locals, the Taliban has prevented women from using smartphones, and the Women's Affairs Ministry often extorts money for providing essential protection. Around 80 per cent of women working in the media have lost their jobs, it said adding that almost 18 million women in the country are struggling for health, education and social rights. (ANI) Chinese President Xi Jinping's two-day visit to Xinjiang, where he was criticised for actions against Uyghur Muslims, signals no change in his Uyghur policy. "Xi's visit certainly is a symbol that Beijing feels firmly in control of the region," avers Adrian Zenz, a researcher at the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation said. The Chinese President's visit signalled a two-fold message to the world, firstly that there is no question of relaxing the iron grip over Xinjiang which serves as a direct link to Central Asian, West Asian and European markets and secondly that his regime does not accept the US-led global criticism, according to The Hong Kong (THK) Post. Moreover, Xinjiang is at the heart of his flagship programme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is from here that the BRI showpiece, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) takes off to provide direct access to the Arabian coast. Notably, Xi last visited the region eight years ago before the present crackdown, seen as genocide, was unleashed on the Uyghur minority. Xinhua circulated a photo showing Xi surrounded by Uyghurs, wearing ethnic costumes and Muslim prayer caps clapping with smiling faces. According to the publication, the photo was no more than a PR exercise. It barely hides the fact that Beijing is rattled by the spectre of sanctions and consequent loss of the global market that its practices among the Uyghurs have invited, reported THK Post. Like Tibet, China is doing the same thing in Xinjiang, trying to bring a massive demographic transformation, while tapping into its vast deposits of coal, gold, tungsten, oil, tin, silver, copper, lead and salt. It is said that uranium also exists in such large quantities to make Xinjiang a prime source of supply of nuclear material. As a result, the population of Han Chinese in the region reached 40 per cent in 2010 from a meagre 6 per cent in 1945. They have captured the job market with as many as 65 per cent of Han Chinese employed in the secondary and tertiary sectors. The bulk of the locals at 81 per cent of the indigenous population, make a living on agriculture and allied activities. The demographic changes and increased economic exploitation have given rise to ethnic discord, which the CCP is blaming on separatism, violent extremism and terrorism, according to THK Post. Uyghur Muslims have especially become the target of the CCP after the commencement of the BRI initiative. Because CCP is worried that massive BRI investment in Xinjiang is susceptible to risk. Hence it has hit upon a "three-evil card of terrorism, separatism, and extremism" as a pretext to suppress the Uyghur Muslims and to ensure that its investment is safe. (ANI) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz has been re-elected as Chief Minister of Punjab province after Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari rejected the votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. As the vote counting in the crucial session of Punjab provincial assembly began, Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari ruled that PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi's votes will not be counted in the election of the Punjab Chief Minister in light of party head Chaudhry Shujaat's letter, the Dawn reported. According to Mazari, the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q, Pervaiz Elahi received 186 votes, while Hamza Shehbaz got 179 votes. However, 10 votes of the PML-Q leader were cancelled by Deputy Speaker, reducing his vote count to 176. Before announcing the result, Mazari read Shujaat's letter out loud. "As party head of Pakistan Muslim League, I have issued directions to all my provincial members to cast their votes in favour of Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif," Mazari quoted Hussain as saying, the Dawn reported. "As per this letter, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court, all the 10 votes cast by PML-Q leaders have been rejected," Mazari ruled. The 10 members whose votes were not counted included Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Shuja Nawaz, Muhammad Abdullah Warraich, Parvez Elahi, Muhammad Rizwan, Sajjad Sajid Ahmed Khan, Ehsanullah Chaudhry, Muhammad Afzal, Bismah Chaudhry, and Khadija Umar. PTI MPA Raja Basharat countered the ruling saying that the law states that the parliamentary party could issue instructions to party members. He pointed out that the party chief was not authorized to give such instructions if the parliamentary party had decided to vote for a certain candidate. He also read the order of the Supreme Court. "The head of the parliamentary party is Parvez Elahi," he said. However, the Deputy Speaker said that the matter had been clarified by the Supreme Court, subsequently proroguing the session, the Dawn reported. As the voting for the Chief Minister (CM) Punjab election began, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain refused to vote for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidate Pervaiz Elahi. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain excused himself from voting for Pervaiz Elahi, the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q. It was learnt that Shujaat gave a clear message to Moonis Elahi, ARY News reported. The crucial session of the Punjab provincial assembly for the election of the Chief Minister commenced on Friday after a three-hour delay. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Fayyazul Hassan Chohan claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) was busy with 'technical manipulation', which caused the delay in the commencement of the session. The assembly session presided over by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari began with the recitation of the Quran and its translation, the Dawn reported. Taking the chair, Mazari said that on April 16, elections for the chief minister of Punjab were held for the first time during which PML-N leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had not received any vote. "While 197 votes were cast for Hamza Shehbaz. But after the Supreme Court's order on Article-63A, 25 votes were removed," he said. "Hamza had 172 votes, highlighting that none of the members could clinch 186 votes -- required to become the leader of the house. Hence another round of voting under Article 130 (4) of the Constitution and rules and procedures of the assembly is being held," Mazari added. After the procedure was announced, Mazari asked MPAs supporting Elahi and Hamza to gather on opposite sides. At the outset of the session, PML-N's Raja Sagheer, who had won Rawalpindi's PP-7 seat during the recently-held Punjab by-elections, was administered his oath. Separately, a PML-N MPA raised a point of order. He claimed that PTI leader Zain Qureshi was both a provincial assembly and National Assembly member and couldn't cast his vote. The deputy speaker Mazari ruled that under Article 223(4) of the Constitution, a member ceased to be an MNA after he became an MPA and allowed Qureshi to cast his vote, the Dawn reported. Meanwhile, the ruling party also raised an objection against the vote of PTI MPA Shabbir Gujjar, saying that he had a case pending in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). PTI's Raja Basharat came to Gujjar's rescue and revealed that the ECP had granted the later permission to vote. Deputy Speaker Mazari turned down the objection. Following the delay in the commencement of the session, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to say that, the "unnecessary delay" in the session was a "violation of the Supreme Court's orders". "We have told our lawyers to prepare for contempt proceedings," he tweeted, adding that in a while, a petition would be filed in the apex court. PTI leader Babar Awan said the Supreme Court had ordered that the assembly session be conducted at 4 pm "today, and not tomorrow". "This is a contempt of court." Besides, the Lahore High Court barred police from entering the assembly, which was requested by deputy speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari over the violence he endured during the April 16 election. Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir pronounced the verdict on PTI lawmaker Sibtain Khan's petition, ruling that the can police enter only when the situation goes bad, the Dawn reported. Meanwhile, before the session commenced, the Pakistan government also appointed a new provincial police chief, Rao Sardar Ali Khan replacing Faisal Shahkar. Notably, Imran Khan-led PTI on Sunday made a "clean sweep" in the crucial Punjab assembly by-pollin Punjab bypolls. PTI grabbed 15 of the total 20 seats while PML-N won four seats and the remaining one seat went to an independent candidate. It was a massive win for PTI in the by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats. PTI candidates secured victory in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, and Khushab provincial assembly seats while the party took the lead by a clear majority in 15 constituencies of the province. (ANI) Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements in Istanbul Friday with Turkey and the United Nations to resume grain shipments to international markets via the Black Sea. The agreement has ended a wartime standoff that had threatened food security in several countries and cleared the way for exporting tons of Ukrainian grains. The ceremony in Istanbul was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan whereas Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate deals with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, The Washington Post reported. "Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea," Guterres said. "A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever." "You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all," he said, addressing the Russian and Ukrainian representatives. In a further statement, Guterres said that the "Black Sea Initiative," would open a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny and would also bring relief to developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people at the brink of famine. "It will help stabilize global food prices which were already at record levels even before the war - a true nightmare for developing countries," Guterres added. The deal will enable Ukraine to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products that have been stuck in Black Sea ports due to the war. According to the Washington Post, Ukrainian and Russian military delegations had reached a tentative agreement the previous week on a UN plan that would allow Russia to export its grain and fertilizers. Notably, the deal will create provisions for the safe passage of ships. Moreover, a control centre will be established in Istanbul, staffed by UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials, to run and coordinate the process and the ships would undergo inspections to ensure they are not carrying weapons. Ukraine is regarded as the "breadbasket of Europe" supplying 10 per cent of the world's wheat, 12-17 per cent of the world's maize and half of the world's sunflower oil. Twenty-five million tonnes of corn and wheat - the entire annual consumption of all the least developed countries. The West accused that Russia's actions have driven up prices in countries like the UK and the ongoing blockade has placed 47 million people around the world on the brink of humanitarian disaster. In addition to preventing grain from leaving Ukraine via the Black Sea - the route by which 96 per cent of Ukraine's grain has historically been exported, Russian attacks are disrupting rail exports.Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, security experts say one of Moscow's earliest strategic aims quickly became apparent as its armoured columns advanced along the coast in an effort to seize Ukraine's coastline. The seizure of ports would strangle Ukraine economically at a time when it most needs the funds to fend off Russia. After more than four months of the conflict, two of Ukraine's five main commercial ports have been taken and both are in the northeast of the Black Sea. (ANI) The police personnel posted at the check post in Arjali Nadi, where a policeman and a substitute were killed in an attack on July 16, were transferred to remote Tirah valley for negligence, according to the Dawn citing a statement issued by a district police officer in Jamrud. The statement said that DPO Mohammad Imran along with other security officials visited different checkpoints in Bara and issued instructions to the policemen. He also checked the security measures at these buildings. The policemen on duty were ordered to stay alert and wear both helmets and bulletproof jackets during duty timings. They were also warned against the use of mobile phones during duty timings, Dawn reported. Meanwhile, Peshawar Capital City Police Chief Ejaz Khan expressed displeasure over the rising incidents of terrorism in Khyber and the killing of a number of policemen in the attacks. At least four policemen lost their lives and two more were injured in such attacks during the last three to four months. A checkpoint in Tirah was also attacked with a hand grenade a week ago. Earlier, a policeman was killed and four others including two other policemen were injured in a blast that occurred inside a police check post in the Mardan district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local media reported citing police officials. In recent months, several cases of bomb attacks have been reported in Pakistan. (ANI) The staff talks were hosted by the Royal Thai Army at the heritage city of Ayuttaya situated 70 km North of Bangkok from July 19 to 22. Three member Indian Army delegation was led by Maj Gen Anil K Kashid, ADG International Cooperation of the Indian Army and Maj Gen Thongchai Rodyoi from the Royal Thai Army. Talks were conducted in a professional manner, in an extremely cordial environment and discussed the conduct of bilateral military exercise 'Maitree' between both Armies. The talks also discussed enhancing training cooperation and a roadmap was prepared for defence cooperation activities between both Armies. Indian Army Delegation during their four-day stay in Thailand conducted bilateral meetings with the Senior military Hierarchy at Royal Thai Army headquarters in Bangkok. Indian Army delegation also visited Command and Staff College Bangkok, Artillery Center and Artillery Division at Lopburi. The delegation also interacted with the Ambassador of India, H.E. Suchitra Durai, and discussed defence cooperation between both militaries and ways to enhance defence cooperation and Make-in-India initiatives. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan have called for peaceful protests tonight against the outcomes of the Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shahbaz's 'surprising' victory in Punjab. The PTI chairman was addressing the public after Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N's) candidate Hamza Shahbaz retained the post of Punjab CM against Pervez Elahi in the run-off election held in the Punjab Assembly. Hamza's victory was secured after the deputy speaker rejected Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q's) 10 votes. He was surprised by the happenings in the Punjab Assembly today. "Everyone is now looking to the Supreme Court (SC). Parliament has the power of morality, not the army, democracy is based on morality." Khan also lashed at Asif Zardari, Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) leader, charged with allegations of 'horse-trading' ahead of the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) election. "Asif Zardari, the famous bandit of the country, has been robbing the country for thirty years. Funeral of democracy is taken out by Zardari when he uses the money of people of Sindh to buy souls," said the former PM. He criticised that strict action would be taken against the horse-trading of lawmakers in any other society. "I want to appeal to the nation to record their peaceful protest against the Punjab Assembly developments tonight." Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz was reelected as the chief minister (CM) of Punjab after the votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were rejected by the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker. Pervaiz Elahi - joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q - received 186 votes, while Hamza Shahbaz got 179 votes. However, 10 votes of PML-Q were cancelled by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, hence taking the figure to 176. Meanwhile, former Pakistan Foreign Minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi also lambasted the decision of the Deputy Speaker. "Absolute farce in Punjab but what can one expect from this corrupt govt who continues to go to any lengths to stay in power, even if it means the people of Pakistan suffer. This ruling is against the Constitution & rejection of people's voice. We are going to the Supreme Court for justice," said Qureshi. The PTI chief said that no action was taken against the horse-trading of lawmakers during the last Senate polls despite the footage of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Yousaf Raza Gillani's son having surfaced. "We have defeated the state machinery, all political parties and the corrupt election commission. When this CM Punjab election was underway, Asif Ali Zardari was present in the province. I was fully aware of the trade of consciences by Zardari by using the stolen public funds." "These people are mafias, not politicians. I am surprised after witnessing what happened in the Punjab Assembly today despite the clear direction of Article 63A which defines the enforcement of the parliamentary party's decision. PTI had also sent the letter against the 25 turncoats through the parliamentary leader." Imran Khan censured that he does not know the eligibility of the Punjab Assembly's deputy speaker as his letter was rejected by the parliament but Dost Mazari used a letter in favour of Hamza Shahbaz. Khan said that PTI remained peaceful despite the illegal use of power by the government on May 25. He added that PTI ran a successful election campaign during Punjab by-polls and the nation voted for the political party. The PTI chief said that the nation was angry after the imposition of corrupt rulers, back-to-back crises and destruction of the national economy. "Economic crisis is going to increase by what happened today. Today I want that my Nation registers a protest against this Zulm! All eyes are on Supreme Court, article 63- is clear," he said. Khan also talked about the alleged "foreign conspiracy" which led to the downfall of his government "My government was overthrown by foreign conspiracy and the people came out. We were brutally tortured but our movement continued peacefully and the people came out in the by-elections which was a historic thing," said Imran Khan. Meanwhile, Protests in different cities of the country against the illegal bulldozing of majority voting rights in the Punjab Assembly erupted at the call of Imran Khan in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur AND Gujrat "Once again the mandate of the people was killed. The law was openly violated. People reached Lahore Liberty Chowk," PTI tweeted. "Once again the mandate of the people was killed. The law was openly violated. People reached Peshawar Hastingri Chowk and registered protest," added PTI. (ANI) Tirana [Albania], June 23 (ANI/Xinhua): Former Albanian prime minister and current leader of the country's main opposition Democratic Party (DP), Sali Berisha, has denied claims made earlier by British authorities of his "involvement in corrupt acts and ties to criminality." "I was informed in a letter that the (UK) home secretary had decided to ban my entry into the UK," Berisha told reporters at a press conference on Friday. On Thursday, the UK's special envoy in the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach, announced a set of anti-corruption measures targeting Albanian individuals. "This week, we took disruptive action against several Albanian individuals with well-publicized and documented ties to criminality and corruption. This is the first wave of a set of actions intended to encourage accountability and end impunity," according to a statement posted on the official website of the UK government. According to Berisha, UK authorities claim to have facts proving his ties to organized crime and criminal groups that pose a risk to public safety in the UK and Albania, as well as his involvement in corruption acts. Berisha refuted these claims, calling them "lies" intended to damage the opposition in the country. He also called the move a smear campaign against him, claiming that it was sponsored by the American billionaire George Soros. Berisha said he had decided to make the UK decision public even though it was confidential because he "wanted Albanian citizens to know that he had always been honest with them." Berisha said he would now seek legal advice on how best to protect "his honour and dignity and that of the country" against the claims he dismissed as "defamation." Last year, Berisha, his wife and children were declared persona non-grata also by the US State Department. Berisha, 77, was Albania's first elected president from 1992 to 1997, and later he was prime minister from 2005 to 2013. He lost the 2013 parliamentary elections to current Prime Minister Edi Rama and resigned as head of the DP, but returned to lead the party this year. (ANI/Xinhua) Flash Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday that China will act strongly to resolutely respond to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned trip to Taiwan and take countermeasures should the U.S. side insist on making the visit. The Chinese side has repeatedly stated its stern position on firmly opposing Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Wang said at a daily press briefing, adding that the U.S. Congress is part of the U.S. government, and is supposed to strictly adhere to the U.S. commitment on the Taiwan question. "If Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, it would seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques and harm China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wang said. Wang said it will have a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and send a gravely wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. "Should the U.S. side insist on making the visit, China will act strongly to resolutely respond to it and take countermeasures. We mean what we say," Wang said. The move comes after Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari's ruling on the Punjab Chief Minister's election about rejecting PML-Q votes, Geo News reported. Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz was reelected as the chief minister (CM) of Punjab after the votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were rejected by the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker. Pervaiz Elahi - joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q - received 186 votes, while Hamza Shahbaz got 179 votes. However, 10 votes of PML-Q were cancelled by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, hence taking the figure to 176. Following the counting of votes, the deputy speaker, citing Article 63A of the Constitution, rejected ten votes cast by the PML-Q members. As a result, Hamza received 179 votes, while Elahi managed to bag 176 votes. After the election, PTI's and PML-Q's parliamentary parties held a meeting and deliberated on Mazari's ruling. Later, they reached the apex court's Lahore registry to submit the petition, reported Geo News. Meanwhile, Deputy registrar SC Lahore registry Ijaz Goraya also reached the court and received the PTI petition. "I have come here to accept the PTI petition," he said while talking to Geo News. While talking to media outside the SC's Lahore registry building, PTI leader Yasmeen Rashid said that "186 members of Punjab assembly are present here, therefore I request that court is opened immediately." Meanwhile, PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan have called for protests tonight against the outcomes of the Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shahbaz's 'surprising' victory in Punjab. He was surprised by the happenings in the Punjab Assembly today. "Everyone is now looking to the Supreme Court (SC). Parliament has the power of morality, not the army, democracy is based on morality." "These people are mafias, not politicians. I am surprised after witnessing what happened in the Punjab Assembly today despite the clear direction of Article 63A which defines the enforcement of the parliamentary party's decision. PTI had also sent the letter against the 25 turncoats through the parliamentary leader," said Imran Khan. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters took to Karachi's Shahrah-e-Faisal streets to demonstrate their frustration against the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari's ruling to re-elect Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab chief minister. "A massive protest erupted in Karachi's Shahrah-e-Faisal as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters took to the streets to demonstrate their frustration against the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker's ruling to re-elect Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab chief minister," tweeted The Express Tribune. PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan have called for protests tonight against the outcomes of the Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shahbaz's 'surprising' victory in Punjab. He was surprised by the happenings in the Punjab Assembly today. "Everyone is now looking to the Supreme Court (SC). Parliament has the power of morality, not the army, democracy is based on morality." "I am 72 years old but I go to every meeting, whoever is honest will be with Imran Khan. I am deeply disappointed with what happened today in Punjab. People's mandate was robbed. These people will eat their mouths," said an elderly woman who participated in the Shahrah-e-Faisal protest. "Salutations to you Karachi people, it is impossible to defeat your determination. I told the leadership in Lahore that there are thousands of people who are determined to go to CM House and Bilal House. Patalgah, my application has been approved for hearing. We will give our next action plan tomorrow. President PTI Karachi," tweeted PTI Karachi. Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz was re-elected as the chief minister (CM) of Punjab after the votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were rejected by the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker. Pervaiz Elahi - joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q - received 186 votes, while Hamza Shahbaz got 179 votes. However, 10 votes of PML-Q were cancelled by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, hence taking the figure to 176. Following the counting of votes, the deputy speaker, citing Article 63A of the Constitution, rejected ten votes cast by the PML-Q members. As a result, Hamza received 179 votes, while Elahi managed to bag 176 votes. PTI supporters are protesting across Pakistan against Mazari's ruling on CM Punjab poll. Nationwide protests happening right now in - Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Gujrat, DG Khan, Faislabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sukkur, Layyah, Larkana and Hyderabad. "People are protesting at these places all over the country. Get out for the sake of Pakistan!" tweeted PTI. PTI also slammed Asif Zardari, Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) leader and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "Zardari and Sharif should remember one thing: they will never defeat this Zinda Qoum. Lahore has completely rejected them!" tweeted PTI. The protestors were screaming "Today the conspiracy will not work." Protests were also organized in Sargodha, Peshawar and Quetta as well. "Sargodha rejected those who steal public mandate!" tweeted PTI. "Massive protest in Peshawar against corrupt mafia!" added PTI Peshawar. The PTI also thanked people for supporting them. "Shukriya Pakistan, InshAllah we will defeat the mafia once again... remember no one can defeat a zinda qoum!" PTI The whole country is protesting against the theft of public mandate. Protests are taking place in all the small and big cities of the country. (ANI) (Writes through) BEIJING, July 22 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping offered Sri Lanka's new president his support on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as the Indian Ocean island grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades. Ranil Wickremesinghe, a lawyer who served as Sri Lanka's prime minister a record six times, was sworn in on Thursday in the face of fierce public opposition. Sri Lanka's crisis sparked months of mass protests and eventually forced then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country. In his message, Xi said he believes Sri Lanka will be able to move towards economic and social recovery and he is "ready to provide support and assistance to the best of my ability to President Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka in their efforts", CCTV reported. Sri Lanka owes at least $5 billion to China although some estimates put it at almost twice that amount. India has also lent it $3.8 billion and Japan is owed at least $3.5 billion, according to the International Monetary Fund, with another $1 billion due to other rich countries. Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency. Security forces raided and partially cleared a protest camp occupying government grounds in Colombo on Friday, fuelling fears that Wickremesinghe had launched a crackdown a day after being sworn in. (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Beijing Newsroom; editing by John Stonestreet and Nick Macfie) Ron_Thomas / Getty Images/iStockphoto For those thinking about retirement, it might seem daunting to live with a strict budget from month to month. However, there are several factors to consider that can make the budgeting process less intimidating and allow people entering retirement to feel more prepared. When choosing a city to retire in, it's important to consider cost of housing, groceries, healthcare and overall livability. In order to streamline the process, GoBankingRates has compiled a list of the 11 best cities to retire with a budget of $2,500 a month. MidwestWilderness / Getty Images/iStockphoto 11. Omaha, Nebraska Monthly expenditures: $2,126.22 Livability: 72 Omaha's rent falls in the middle range: A one-bedroom apartment averages $1,166. What ranks Omaha lower on the list, however, is the steep monthly healthcare cost of $562 and the hefty monthly grocery average of $398. Despite those sizable expenses, the livability in Omaha (72) is quite high. f11photo / Getty Images/iStockphoto 10. Milwaukee, Wisconsin Monthly expenditures: $2,061 Livability: 61 Milwaukee falls at No. 10 on this list, with monthly rent at $1,231 and groceries among the most affordable on the list, at $383. While Milwaukee offers monthly living for under $2,000, the city ranks the lowest on the livability scale, at 61. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 9. Buffalo, New York Monthly expenditures: $2,040 Livability: 63 Buffalo is the No. 3 most expensive city on this list, thanks to the second-highest rent ($1,215) and grocery costs ($406) each month. But the healthcare expenses ($419 per month) fall in the middle of the pack. All things considered, living in New York state is going to be expensive, but Buffalo is a cheap alternative to New York City. benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto 8. Des Moines, Iowa Monthly expenditures: $2,029 Liability: 75 Des Moines may not be the best place to settle for social people as only 14% of the city's population is over 65. Monthly rent for a one-bedroom in this city ranks highest on this list, at $1,138, and the city features the second-highest monthly healthcare costs, at $495. Living in Des Moines, however, could be worth it, as the livability score is 75. Story continues traveler1116 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 7. Scranton, Pennsylvania Monthly expenditures: $2,015.15 Livability: 63 Scranton features a monthly rent of $1,174 and a lively retired community as 20% of the city is 65 or older. The city does showcase pricier monthly grocery costs, at $398. Sebring_Florida_iStock-1324752145 6. Sebring, Florida Monthly expenditures: $2,009 Livability: 65 Sebring offers amazing opportunities for residents looking for a vibrant social life as 36% of the city's population is over 65. The rent for Sebring falls at $1,148 for one bedroom, and the city's grocery costs are the highest on this list, at $417. Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock.com 5. Sierra Vista, Arizona Monthly expenditures: $2,007 Livability: 78 Sierra Vista is a great option for social adults as over one-fifth of the population in the city is 65 and older. With monthly one-bedroom rent at $1,171 and a livability score of 78, the city offers amazing social opportunities with an impressively low cost of living. Davel5957 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 4. Toledo, Ohio Monthly expenditures: $1,893 Livability: 62 Toledo offers a one-bedroom apartment for an average of $1,148 and the cheapest grocery costs on this list, at $372. The monthly healthcare costs in Toledo are also very low: $373. The city is great for retirees who are looking for a place to live with an abundance of recreational activities and a stable housing market. Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 3. Akron, Ohio Monthly expenditures: $1,868 Livability: 63 Akron is also a top contender for retirees as it offers the lowest monthly healthcare costs on this list, at $359. With rent costing $1,124 for a one-bedroom apartment, the city offers multiple appealing factors for those looking to find a place to settle down during their retirement. dlewis33 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2. Little Rock, Arkansas Monthly expenditures: $1,822 Livability: 64 Little Rock takes second place on this list, with rent costing $1,055 and an impressively low healthcare cost of $372. While this city features a lower livability number, the great rent and healthcare costs make it a fantastic city for retirement. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 1. McAllen, Texas Monthly expenditures: $1,812 Livability: 81 McAllen made the No. 1 spot as the best city to retire on a monthly budget of $2,500 or less by offering the most budget-friendly expenditures compared to the rest of the U.S. and the top livability score among these 11 cities. Rent averages $1,042, $885 less than the U.S. mean. Groceries typically cost $379, significantly lower than the U.S. average of $412. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 11 Best Cities To Retire on $2,500 a Month Two Whatcom County men were indicted Friday in the Western District of Washington for offenses related to the distribution and sale of fentanyl pills, the Department of Homeland Security announced. Juan E. Hernandez-Hernandez and Alejandro Macias-Velazquez were arrested in July after an investigation into their connections to a transnational criminal organization importing bulk quantities of fentanyl pills into Whatcom County. According to court records, Homeland Security Investigations agents working with the Whatcom County Sheriffs Office received information that Hernandez-Hernandez had arranged for the delivery of about 91,000 pills in Bellingham. HSI agents later saw Macias-Velazquez arrive at a parking lot in Bellingham to deliver a duffle bag. The duffle bag was later found to have about 10 kilograms of fentanyl hidden in cardboard boxes and potato chip containers. Both men were arrested. The dangers of fentanyl cannot be understated, more so in an area where there have been recent overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl laced pills, said special agent in charge, Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. I am grateful for the continued support of the Whatcom County Sheriffs Office and Customs and Border Protections Air and Marine Operations along with our other law enforcement partnerships that are critical in keeping drugs out of our communities in the Pacific Northwest. More news from KIRO 7 DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP Gavel A 20-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 29 years to life in prison for the murder and carjacking of a Panda Express employee in Stockton in 2018, the prosecutors said. Andrew Whitlach, a minor at the time of the crime, was convicted of his involvement in the fatal shooting and carjacking of 20-year-old Juan Hernandez-Dominguez. "The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office continues to hold those who commit harm accountable," District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said in a news release. Shortly before 2 a.m. on Aug. 15, 2018, Hernandez-Dominguez walked to the back of the Panda Express parking lot on Fremont Street to his vehicle after working his shift. Prosecutors said Whitlach and a 13-year-old boy were waiting nearby to rob the victim of his car keys. Whitlach had given the child a revolver and instructed him to shoot Hernandez-Dominguez in the leg if he didn't comply to the demands of surrendering his car keys, according to the District Attorney's Office. Hernandez-Dominguez was pistol-whipped by the young boy while Whitlach held him from escaping, then the 13-year-old shot him in the head. Police found the victim on the ground shortly afterward and transferred him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Following the shooting, both boys fled the scene in the victim's car and crashed it in a Burlington Coat Factory parking lot in Sacramento later that morning. They were apprehended by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. Whitlach was tried as an adult and last year in December was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and carjacking, prosecutors said. He received a 25 years to life sentence for the murder charge and a four-year sentence for the carjacking charge, to be served consecutively. This article originally appeared on The Record: 20-year-old man sentenced in slaying of Stockton Panda Express employee Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., speaks as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 21, 2022. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Rep. Adam Kinzinger said House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy was "scared and begging for help" on Jan. 6. Jared Kushner also told the House panel McCarthy called him. He got the sense the lawmaker was "scared." The comments came during the committee's eighth hearing on Thursday evening. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a member of the January 6 committee, said during Thursday's hearing that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was "scared and begging for help" from former President Donald Trump during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. "Leader McCarthy, who was one of the president's strongest supporters, was scared and begging for help. President Trump turned him down, so he tried to call the president's children," Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, said. The January 6 committee also played testimony from several former Trump White House officials who said that McCarthy spoke to Trump on the phone as the violence unfolded at the Capitol and urged him to tell the rioters to stop. Trump refused, prompting McCarthy to contact his daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, then-senior advisors to the president, according to testimony played by the January 6 committee. Kushner told the committee in an interview that McCarthy called him and said, "It was getting really ugly over at the Capitol." "I don't recall a specific ask, just anything you could do," Kushner added. "Again, I got the sense that they were scared. ... That he was scared, yes." The January 6 committee's eighth hearing on Thursday night showed evidence to support its argument that Trump repeatedly ignored pleas from his staff and allies to call off the violence at the Capitol as it unfolded. Besides McCarthy, several other prominent Republican figures pushed Trump to tell the rioters to go home, but the president did not immediately condemn the violence. "President Trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the Ellipse and telling the mob to go home," Kinzinger said at the beginning of the hearing. "He chose not to act." A spokesperson for McCarthy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Alt-right extremists watch the January 6 Committee hearings too, say experts who monitor their chatter online. Hearing days correspond to spikes in conspiracy theories on Telegram, Gab, 4Chan, and other 'niche' sites, they say. A fake document blaming the Capitol attack on 'antifa' and the FBI pinged around these sites after the last hearing. Alt-right extremists watch the January 6 hearings, too and there is a corresponding spike in conspiracy theories and denial about the veracity of the hearings' findings when they air, says an expert who monitors their online chatter. On Telegram, Parler, 4Chan and other sites, chatter turns to who they think really stormed the Capitol, said Ross Frenett, CEO and founder of Moonshot, a DC-based global counter-terrorism organization. "You get spikes in talk about 'This was all antifa,' and 'This was all FBI,' and "This was an inside job' all a big part of what they talk about," Frenett told Insider. Alt-right sites on Telegram include a recurring hearing "Watch Party" "Well tonight is the big finale," one user posted hours before Thursday's hearing and some very active Proud Boys and Oath Keepers chapters. "J6 Committee Deceives a Nation!" "Proud Boys Infiltrated!" and "Proud Boys Did Nothing Wrong" were common memes on Proud Boys chapter channels in the lead-in to Thursday's hearing. Pleas for contributions to the legal defense of Enrique Tarrio mingle with links to InfoWars and Gateway Pundit "exclusives" promising details on "leaked evidence" and "Liz Cheney's Bogus Seditious Conspiracy Charges." "It's an attempt, when legitimate documents and findings are released, for them to release their own documents," said Frenett. "Then it becomes, 'He said, she said' to the members, right? They say, 'Well, there are two sides to this.'" During the last hearing, on July 12, a fake or doctored FBI surfaced on 4Chan and was shared many thousands of times in the following 24 hours, said Frenett. Story continues "It claimed to be evidence that the FBI knew that the Proud Boys weren't violent, and that the Proud Boys weren't involved in this at all," he said. "It's basically groups that are pro-Oath Keepers, pro-Proud Boys, their Telegram groups. A bunch of anonymous folks that sit at the center of these various ecosystems," said Frenett, whose group informs the Department of Homeland Security on emerging trends and risks. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian army attack Nikopol again A railway track, 25 residential buildings, cars of local residents, and the local port were damaged as a result of the incident. Read also: Russians spent $78 million on missile strikes on the city of Dnipro, says Dnipropetrovsk regional official The invaders also shelled the village of Vyshneve of the Synelnykove district with artillery, resulting in the infrastructure of the horse farm was damaged. Russia has been systematically shelling Nikopol in recent days. In particular, they shelled a residential quarter of Nikopol with Grad multiple launch rocket systems on July 20. Two people were killed, while another nine were injured, including four children. Read also: 53 Russian rockets strike Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Earlier overnight on July 19, the invaders launched up to 40 missiles at the town. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine You are here: World Flash Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation on Thursday to review bilateral ties, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Putin made the call to the Saudi Crown Prince, during which the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in various fields, said the report. They also reviewed the most prominent regional and international issues as well as their respective efforts to ensure security and stability, according to the report. The phone call came days after U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia on July 15. The community came together Thursday night for a vigil to wrap their arms around the family of a fallen Apopka firefighter. WATCH: He was strong: Firefighter Austin Duran remembered after passing from on-the-job injury Firefighter Austin Duran died last week after fighting for weeks to recover from injuries he received in the line of duty. This department has come together to honor a former brother and what a beautiful tribute this is, one vigil attendee said. Photos: Austin Duran vigil People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. People gathered Thursday evening to honor Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died on the job on June 30, 2022. A firefighter runs one mile during a memorial for Austin Duran, an Apopka firefighter who died after being crushed at his fire station on June 30, 2022. Those who worked with Duran said being a firefighter was his dream. WATCH: Our hearts are broken: Apopka mourns line-of-duty death of firefighter Austin Duran It means a lot. We lost a member of our family, said Ed Bowman, father of fire chief Brian Bowman. His death has left the Apopka community devastated. WATCH: Teen leads run honoring fallen Apopka firefighter Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV. Jen Shah will go to prison after pleading guilty to charges of fraud in July. Shah will not go to trial , which was set to begin on July 18. She pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. In turn, count two, conspiracy to commit money laundering, was dropped. "Jennifer Shah was a key participant in a nationwide scheme that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release. "These victims were sold false promises of financial security but instead Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it," the statement continued. "This office is committed to rooting out these schemes whatever form they take." Jen Shah faces between 11 and 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud. Heidi Gutman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images JEN SHAH PLEADS GUILTY IN FRAUD CASE Shah originally faced up to 30 years in prison, but her plea deal contained a sentencing guideline, according to Courthouse News. The reality TV star can be sentenced to prison for anywhere from 135 to 168 months, or 11 to 14 years. Shah isn't the first reality star to spend time behind bars. "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice spent almost a year in prison. Additionally, "Chrisley Knows Best" stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were recently convicted of fraud and tax evasion. Giudice's lawyer told Fox News Digital what really happens to reality TV stars behind bars. Attorney James Leonard Jr. noted that celebrities can sometimes be used by the criminal justice system as an "example." "I think that the criminal justice system sometimes dishes out a very heavy hand when the offender is someone of note, whether that be someone that is on television, an athlete or someone that is known to the general public," he said. "I believe that oftentimes, and it's unfortunate, but oftentimes the criminal justice system seeks to make an example of individuals like that." The Chrisleys are facing up to 30 years in prison. The two pleaded not guilty to their charges of tax evasion and fraud but were found guilty during a June trial. Story continues Todd and Julie Chrisley face up to 30 years in prison after being convicted of fraud and tax evasion. Photo by Kevin Mazur/ACMA2017 "The government makes examples of these individuals, and they are treated harsher than your average citizen," Leonard Jr. said. "And it's to send a message that if it can happen to them, it can happen to you." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Jen Shah won't be housed in what many think of when they hear the word "prison." Leonard Jr. explained that women who are incarcerated on white collar offenses are typically sent to what the Bureau of Prisons calls "camp-like settings." But despite not being locked in a cell behind bars, time in prison is still "extremely difficult," according to the attorney. "It's extremely difficult because you are away from your loved ones," Leonard Jr. told Fox News Digital. "You are away from the amenities that you have grown accustomed to, your lifestyle, and it's very difficult in that sense." However, reality TV stars and celebrities have found ways to focus on themselves. "They leave a lot of their stress at home. They can do anything on the outside. So when they are inside, they are in a unique position where their sole focus is themselves." "So, they typically will read a lot. They exercise. They work out." Leonard Jr. represents Giudice, who served 11 months of her 15-month sentence after being convicted on charges of mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud in 2014. She and her husband, Joe Giudice, were handed a 39-count indictment in the case. "Today, I took responsibility for a series of mistakes I made several years ago," Giudice said in a statement at the time. "I have said throughout that I respect the legal process, and thus I intend to address the court directly at sentencing. I will describe the choices I made, continue to take responsibility for my decisions, and express my remorse to Judge Salas and the public. I am heartbroken that this is affecting my family especially my four young daughters, who mean more to me than anything in the world." Giudice's experience in prison "completely changed [her] physically, mentally, emotionally," he explained to Fox News Digital. "She came out with a very different mindset than that she went in with." "Some people will say that being incarcerated actually can preserve you as far as the aging process," Leonard Jr. continued. "Because all of the stressors that we have in life and all of these stressors that these high profile individuals have, they no longer have those stressors when they're incarcerated." Leonard Jr. did have advice for reality stars or those seeking to become one. "Individuals that either find themselves in the spotlight or put themselves in the spotlight by participating in reality TV programs should have their affairs in order," he told Fox News Digital. Atlanta school officials now admit an employee mistake caused the delay of more than $200,000 in teacher paychecks in a summer tutoring program. A week ago, Atlanta Public Schools was adamant that teachers not getting paid was the fault of the nonprofit agency overseeing the summer program -- not APS. Turns out that was not the case. This is a black and white situation -- no gray area. Youre supposed to pay people on time, teacher Ronni Amos said. You know we want to get back, continue with the rest of our summer and get, you know, some money to pay for our bills, teacher Julius Richard said. When Channel 2 investigative reporter Richard Belcher interviewed Amos and Richards a week ago, their concern was paying bills. At the time, their paychecks were a week late, and it was unclear when they would get paid. Their employer in the summer program aimed at elementary age students was a nonprofit called Artportunity. Artportunity emailed the 50 or 60 teachers involved, blaming APS and an unnamed state agency. TRENDING STORIES: The school district fired back, saying APS is not responsible for a vendors inability to maintain its commitment to paying its employees on time. But now, Belcher has learned that the very same day APS was blaming Artportunity, the school district was sending Artportunity $205,000 it shouldve sent earlier. It was employee error, the district now says. Belcher did some digging and determined that unnamed state agency was the Georgia Department of Education, which has paid Artportunity $227,000 this year but told the nonprofit its final payment of $75,000 was coming after June 30. The DOE emailed Channel 2 Action News saying, there are no issues on our end that would add to (Artportunity Knocks) missing payroll. Story continues Were glad to finally get paid -- actually just yesterday, Richards said. Richards and Amos told Belcher that people on tight budgets shouldnt have to wait nearly two weeks for a promised paycheck. Most people they allocate where they want their money to go, when they already know that theyre going to get paid after theyve been working, so, it definitely was missed, Amos said. But now... I think you could say this adventure is over and we could move on, Richards said. In the statement acknowledging its error, APS praised Artportunity for helping students in science, technology and math. The nonprofits CEO, Chris Woods, said in an email: In the organizations 15-year history, program staff has never had a delayed paycheck. Its unfortunate this story has overshadowed our good work, which is what really needs to be highlighted. RELATED STORIES: By Walter Bianchi BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's debt sank deeper into distressed territory on Friday, in just the latest week of sour financial news led by a battered currency, highlighting growing doubts about the near-term prospects for Latin America's third biggest economy. The peso currency hit fresh record lows this week on a daily basis, trading in the parallel black market at nearly 350 per U.S. dollar on Friday, down nearly 4% from the previous day, according to private traders. So-called over-the-counter sovereign debt slipped 1.1% overall on Friday, fueled by persistent investor doubts, even as yields for the benchmark Bonar 2030 bond exceeded 40% after its value tumbled 2.1%. "The bonds are at default levels," said one trader. On the political front, bad luck compounded the situation as the White House canceled a scheduled meeting next Tuesday between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez, due to the former leader's recent COVID-19 diagnosis. Newly-installed Finance Minister Silvina Batakis has so far failed to calm anxious markets, despite her commitment to follow through with the country's current debt deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "The government is trying to do the bare minimum to preserve the IMF agreement, showing some fiscal restraint, a timid rate hike, a faster depreciation pace, more financial repression and import controls," according to a BTG Pactual research note published on Friday. In a bid to boost dwindling U.S. dollar reserves, the government announced on Thursday a plan to allow foreign tourists to exchange greenbacks at a significantly higher rate than previously available. Due to a widening exchange rate gap with the official, tightly-controlled rate, much of the hard currency brought in by tourists never enters central bank coffers. Currently, U.S. dollars are worth more than twice their value in pesos in the black market versus the official rate. (Reporting by Walter Bianchi; Writing by David Alire Garcia and Marguerita Choy) ROMAN PETRENKO FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022, 19:15 Ukrainian military intelligence has released a video showing the Armed Forces executing a high-precision attack on Russian positions near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Source: Ukrainian Chief Intelligence Directorate Details: According to intelligence, a kamikaze drone hit the occupiers tent camp and equipment, specifically anti-aircraft vehicles and a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher. According to the information available, three Russian soldiers were killed and 12 more were wounded in the attack. The tent city was destroyed by a fire that could not be extinguished for a long time. Background: Enerhodar City Hall reported that on 18 July, nine Russian servicemen from the "guard" of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant were hospitalised with injuries. At least 13 people have been killed in fighting that flared overnight between armed groups in Tripoli, emergency services said Friday, the latest violence to hit the Libyan capital in months of rising political tensions. The fighting had broken out after midnight in an area of parkland, sowing terror among Tripoli residents who head there to cool off after roasting summer days. Dozens of people were forced to seek refuge on the campus of Tripoli University and a nearby medical centre. The fighting "killed 13 people, among them three civilians including a child aged 11, and wounded 30," the ambulance service told news channel Libya al-Ahrar. The clashes were between two armed groups with major clout in the west of the war-torn country: the Al-Radaa force and the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade. On Friday, another group called the 444 Brigade intervened to mediate a truce, deploying its own forces in a buffer zone before they too came under heavy fire, an AFP photographer reported. Images posted on social media showed dozens of vehicles abandoned, their doors open in the middle of the road, by drivers fleeing the violence. The trigger for the latest fighting could not be immediately verified, although the groups had clashed on June 10, leaving one fighter dead. - First civilian deaths since 2020 - Tensions have been rising for months in Libya as two prime ministers vie for power, raising fears of renewed conflict two years after a landmark truce ended a ruinous attempt by eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar to seize Tripoli by force. The dead were the first civilian casualties of fighting in Tripoli since the 2020 truce. The fighting trapped hundreds of women attending weddings in the area, including Maisa bin Issa and her sisters. "Thank God, the ambulance came and rescued us, otherwise we would have been stuck in the wedding hall in Ayn Zara, miles from our house in the city centre," she said. "It was really scary with the bombing and gunfire." Story continues Local resident Mokhtar al-Mahmoudi said he and his family had spent the night in the basement. "Our kids are still terrified," he said. Malek al-Badri said he had used his phone to avoid major roads and find his way to his mother's house. "Tripoli will never find peace again as long as all these armed groups are here," he said. Dozens of students were trapped in university dormitories until they were rescued, Osama Ali of the ambulance service told Al-Ahrar. Libya has been gripped by insecurity since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, leaving a power vacuum armed groups have been wrangling for years to fill. Both groups involved in this week's fighting are nominally loyal to Abdulhamid Dbeibah's Government of National Unity, appointed last year as part of a United Nations-backed peace process to end more than a decade of violence in oil-rich Libya. Dbeibah has refused to cede power to Fathi Bashagha, named in February as prime minister by a parliament based in Libya's east after he made a pact with Haftar. The fighting forced the capital's only functioning airport, Mitiga, to close until further notice. The United Nations Libya mission UNSMIL said it had received reports of civilian casualties and demanded an investigation. "Any action that endangers the lives of civilians is unacceptable," it said in a tweet, calling on "all Libyans to do everything possible to preserve the country's fragile stability at this sensitive time". rb/fka/par/kir (Reuters) - Belarus has appointed a new ambassador to Russia, state news agencies reported on Friday, as Moscow and Minsk continue to forge closer ties amid their mounting isolation from the West. Moscow is Belarus' key backer and the two sides - officially part of a borderless "Union State" - have accelerated integration talks in recent years after both were hit with Western sanctions. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko's crackdown on protesters and the opposition after a disputed 2020 presidential election pushed Minsk further into Moscow's arms, and he allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as one of the launchpads for its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Lukashenko said the two leaders had agreed to appoint Dmitry Krutoi as Minsk's new envoy to Moscow, the Belta state news agency reported, citing Lukashenko's press office. Krutoi was deputy head of Belarus' presidential administration and was previously involved in integration projects with Russia - a broad list of policy areas the two countries have agreed to move closer together on. Krutoi replaces Vladimir Semashko, a veteran Belarusian diplomat who had been ambassador to Russia since 2018. (Reporting by Reuters) Flash After ten days of maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, gas deliveries from Russia to Germany resumed on Thursday morning. "Nord Stream AG has successfully completed all planned maintenance works on its twin gas pipelines within the scheduled period," the operator said in a statement. Although gas flows have now reached the pre-maintenance level, which corresponds to 40 percent utilization of the total pipeline capacity, the missing volumes and the political instability gave "no reason to sound the all-clear yet," said Klaus Mueller, president of the country's Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). "We need (to take) a long breath, the winter is yet to come," said Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck during a press conference on Thursday. Habeck announced further government measures to save energy, including stricter requirements for filling gas storage facilities, which in the future must be at 95 percent of the capacity by November 1, up from 90 percent previously. Currently, gas storage facilities in Germany are 65.1 percent filled, according to the BNetzA. However, if Russian gas supplies stay at this low level, it would "hardly be possible to achieve a storage level of 90 percent by November without additional measures." Natural gas is a "major energy source" for both industry and households in Germany, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Thursday. In 2020, 31 percent of the German industry ran on natural gas. European gas prices have fallen after the restart of Russian gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The front-month contract in the European reference market TTF fell to 148 euros (150 U.S. dollars) per MWh baseload in the afternoon, about 4 percent below yesterday's settlement price. "(The relaunch of) gas deliveries from Russia through the strategically important Nord Stream 1 pipeline is the reason for (this)," Christoph Schmitz of r2b energy consulting said on Thursday. After some speculation as to whether Russia might use the maintenance work as an excuse to suspend deliveries for longer than contractually agreed, "expectations of renewed deliveries increased in recent days," said Schmitz. Germany has been highly dependent on gas imports: in 2021, net gas imports translated to 904.5 billion kilowatt hours, while around 5 percent were generated from domestic production, according to Destatis. The European Commission proposed on Wednesday that member states should voluntarily reduce their gas demand by 15 percent to ease the tight supply situation. However, there is an option to make this reduction mandatory by declaring a "Union Alert." (1 euro = 1.02 U.S. dollars) The White House disclosed Thursday that President Joe Biden had contracted a mild case of COVID-19. Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21 and was "experiencing very mild symptoms," the White House said. Days later, Biden tested negative but tested positive again on July 30 with a rebound case. Experts say that Biden's fully vaccinated and twice-boosted status bodes well for his chances of avoiding severe illness. President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again on Saturday. He had previously tested negative multiple times earlier in the week. Upon his first infection on July 21, medical experts at the time told Insider the president's chances of developing severe disease were low. The White House said that Biden was "experiencing very mild symptoms" and had already begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug used to combat COVID-19. In a memo, the president's doctor said he had a runny nose, a dry cough, and fatigue. Biden's doctor had said his oxygen rates were normal and that he'd taken Tylenol overnight after having a temperature of 99.4 degrees. He also noted that the president developed a "loose" cough and a deeper voice. Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on July 26 and 27, when he announced he was going "back to the Oval" after isolating. But days later, on Saturday, Biden tested positive for again, tweeting: "I've got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me." "I'm still at work, and will be back on the road soon," he added. Biden, who is 79 and has some mild pre-existing conditions, is in an age bracket with high mortality rates but his health and vaccinations offer greatly enhanced protection. Experts characterized the chances of the commander-in-chief's health taking a severe turn as "incredibly low," a situation likely to require invoking the 25th Amendment and transferring control of the US's nuclear forces to the vice president while he would undergo treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as happened to his then-unvaccinated predecessor. Story continues Biden will need to stop taking two of his regular medications, one that lowers cholesterol and one that's a blood thinner for a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, for as long as he's on Paxlovid. "It's a very standard, common thing that we do when we give people Paxlovid," White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Thursday during a press briefing. "They both get stopped for the five days that he's on Paxlovid, and then they get restarted. And it's totally fine and pretty normal practice." Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, noted last week that Biden has already received four COVID-19 shots. Given his vaccination status, O'Connor was bullish on Biden's chances for a swift recovery. "The President is fully vaccinated and twice-boosted, so I anticipate that he will respond favorably, as most maximally protected patients do," O'Connor wrote. 4th shots are key for older adults The World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommend that older adults should get an additional (fourth) boost, to better protect them against severe disease with COVID-19. According to a June study of older adults from Israel, having the second boost provides elders much greater protection from bad coronavirus outcomes. "Compared with individuals who received 3 doses," the study says, "those who received a fourth dose had a 3.5-fold lower rate of severe disease during a 6-week follow up." Robust recent data on tens of thousands of Swedes shows, likewise, that a fourth dose can help guard against death from COVID, even "in the oldest and frailest" patients, and "after the emergence of the Omicron variant." "If you are over the age of 50, and if you've not gotten a vaccine shot in the year 2022, you need to go get one. You need to go get one now," Jha said Thursday. Biden's 'a healthy and vigorous person with 4 shots' Dr. Michael Klompas, an infectious disease expert at Harvard Medical School, told Insider that Biden is also generally in good health, which bodes well for his chances of having a mild case. Biden's 2021 health summary presented by O'Connor did not reveal any severe health issues or comorbidities. "He's old, yes, but he seems to otherwise be pretty vigorous, there's nothing I've heard to say that he's got comorbid illnesses, like bad heart disease, or lung disease, or liver disease, or cancer, or immunocompromised conditions," Klompas said. "I'd say on the basis of that, of being simply old, otherwise a healthy and vigorous person with 4 shots, his risk of a bad outcome's incredibly low." Dr. Seth Cohen, medical director of infection prevention at the University of Washington Medical Center, echoed Klompas and the booster data. Neither Cohen or Klompas have personally evaluated Biden, or been consulted on his care by White House staff. Cohen said that Biden's vaccination status decreases his chances of severe illness. "We also have very, very strong data to show how crucial it is to be fully boosted in terms of preventing severe outcomes from Omicron," Cohen said. "Hopefully, that is giving a lot of people some peace of mind." Read the original article on Business Insider By Susan Heavey and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden appeared virtually at a White House meeting of economic advisers on Friday to highlight his good health a day after testing positive for COVID-19. Speaking remotely at the meeting to discuss White House efforts to lower gas prices, Biden appeared vigorous and in good spirits but with a noticeably deeper voice, hours after his doctor released a statement saying his symptoms had improved. Im feeling much better than I sound," he said, apologizing for intermittent coughs as he described recent efforts to lower gasoline prices. "Gas prices are coming down. In fact, gas prices have fallen every day," he said. Seated as a desk in the White House residence and flanked by a bag of Halls cough drops and a box of tissues that was quickly removed before his remarks began, Biden gave a thumbs-up when asked by reporters how he felt. Biden, 79, tested positive for COVID on Thursday, when the White House said he was experiencing mild symptoms and would continue working but in isolation. His diagnosis comes as a highly contagious subvariant of the coronavirus drives a new wave of cases in the United States. A letter released from the White House physician, Kevin O'Connor, said Biden reached 99.4 F (37.4 C) on Thursday night but he responded favorably to Tylenol and was breathing normally. "His voice is deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain normal, on room air," O'Connor said. Biden has a runny nose, fatigue and occasional dry cough, the doctor said. At the Friday afternoon briefing, White House COVID-19 Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha stressed that the 99.4 F reading was the highest Biden had experienced during his illness. Jha noted that Biden's vitals had remained in the normal range but admitted the president had used an inhaler a couple of times since testing positive. Story continues Overall, Jha said Biden was doing better, noting that he had slept well and ate his breakfast and lunch. "He joked that his one regret was that his appetite had not changed," Jha said, adding that the president "was, and is, in a very good mood." On Friday, as the White House sought to convey a sense of normalcy, it also released another photo of Biden signing legislation a day earlier wearing a black mask. "The president said he is still putting in eight-plus hours of work a day," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a daily briefing. O'Connor said two medicines that Biden takes, Eliquis for atrial fibrillation and cholesterol drug Crestor, are being held back temporarily to avoid interfering with his treatment course of the antiviral drug Paxlovid. He said low-dose aspirin is being added to Biden's treatment as an alternative blood thinner. "The president is tolerating treatment well," he said. Biden, who is the oldest person ever to serve as president of the United States, is due to hold a total of three virtual meetings with his staff on Friday, including his economic, legislative and national security aides, according to his public schedule released by the White House. He began experiencing typical COVID symptoms and, once diagnosed with the virus, was immediately put on Paxlovid. Fully vaccinated and twice boosted, Biden said he was "doing well" in a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday. In the 21-second clip, he also said he was "getting a lot of work done" and would continue with his duties. Jha said it was still unclear where exactly Biden, who recently returned from a trip to the Middle East, contracted the coronavirus. Speaking at the briefing on Friday afternoon, Jha also said the White House's medical unit had identified and informed 17 close contacts of Biden's, including senior staff, and said so far none of the staff had tested positive. U.S. COVID cases have jumped more than 25% in the last month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the new BA.5 subvariant takes hold there and across the world. 'THE BEST CARE THERE IS' Biden had been planning to travel to his home state of Delaware this weekend but instead first lady Jill Biden, who has so far tested negative, will stay there while the president isolates in the White House. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has also tested negative. Paxlovid, the Pfizer Inc antiviral drug the president is taking, has been shown to reduce the risk of severe disease by nearly 90% in high-risk patients if given within the first five days of infection, but has also been associated with rebound infections in some cases. Even with the powerful antiviral drug and vaccines, a small percentage of older people do wind up in the hospital. However, health experts have noted that Biden appears to be in relatively good health for his age, echoed by the president's physical in late 2021. (Reporting by Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt and Katharine Jackson and Steve Holland; Writing by Susan Heavey and Alexandra Alper; editing by Trevor Hunnicutt, John Stonestreet and Jonathan Oatis) Tesla (TSLA) has had its share of setbacks over the past year. The company revealed it sold 75% of its bitcoin holdings last quarter, and at the same time, CEO Elon Musk is in an ongoing battle with Twitter after trying to back out of his deal to acquire the social media platform. I think they both have been black eyes for the Tesla story, for Musk in particular, Ives said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). Tesla, which initially purchased $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin (BTC-USD) in February 2021, converted approximately three-quarters of its bitcoin holding to fiat currency before the end of its second quarter, adding $936 million of cash to its balance sheet. It also announced it would start accepting bitcoin as payment for its vehicles. The moves sent crypto prices higher at the time. Crypto had a very volatile year, however. Following Tesla's announcement that it had shed most of its bitcoin holdings, the stock moved higher. Ives said it was "a move in the right direction in terms of some of those sales," and Tesla executives also defended the move in the company's most recent earnings call. We are certainly open to increasing bitcoin holdings in future," Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn said. "So this should not be taken as some verdict on Bitcoin. Its just that we were concerned about overall liquidity for the company given COVID shutdowns in China." Musk also noted on the call that Tesla has not sold any of its Dogecoin (DOGE-USD) holdings. Tesla investors are also grappling with Elon Musk engaged in a legal battle with Twitter, which is fighting to force him to honor the terms of his $44 billion deal to buy the social media platform. Earlier this week a Delaware Chancery Court judge granted Twitter its motion for an expedited trial against Teslas CEO. The five-day trial is scheduled for October. In this file photo illustration, a phone screen displays the Twitter account of Tesla CEO Elon Musk with a photo of him shown in the background, on April 14, 2022, in Washington, DC. "The Twitter situation, because of Musk's ownership and what ultimately could happen in the court case, that continues to be a bit of an overhang," Ives said. "And that has ultimately played out in terms of what we have seen in the stock. Story continues Tesla stock is off more than 22% year to date. The Street and legal experts across the board view Twitter as having a strong iron fist upper hand heading into the Delaware court battle after months of this fiasco and nightmare playing out since April, Ives wrote in a recent note. This will be a fierce battle in court with the fake account/bot issue front and center, but ultimately, Twitter's board is holding Musk's feet to the fire to finish the deal at the agreed upon price. Seana Smith is an anchor with Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @SeanaNSmith. Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks 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 BA check-in Strike action by hundreds of British Airways workers at Heathrow has been called off, after staff accepted an 8% pay rise offer. The GMB and Unite unions said more than 75% of members backed the pay deal. A total of 700 workers - mostly check-in staff - had been set to strike during the summer over a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic. Workers will also get a one-off bonus and the reinstatement of extra pay for irregular shifts. Unite said the offer, which will be paid in several stages, is worth 13% in total. A spokesman for British Airways said the company was "delighted with this positive news". The proposed strike action had been expected to cause disruption and cancellations for passengers during the busy summer holiday period. Unite and GMB members initially voted to strike last month, after a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic was not reinstated. GMB national officer, Nadine Houghton, said: "No one wanted a summer strike at Heathrow, but our members had to fight for what was right." "Now these mainly women workers have won pay improvements for themselves - as well as forcing BA to make this offer to the rest of their staff too," she added. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "This is a great result for our check-in members at British Airways. "By standing together, they have forced a corporate giant like BA to do the right thing and restore levels of pay slashed in the pandemic." Bonus payment Meanwhile refuelling workers, who were due to strike at Heathrow Airport this week, have also reached a pay deal. A total of 50 workers from Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) were due to stage a three-day walkout from Thursday to Sunday, affecting several airlines, in a row over pay. However, the Unite union suspended the strike on Wednesday after talks resulted in a new pay offer from AFS. The offer was put to members in a vote, and on Friday Unite announced that its members have accepted it. The deal involves AFS workers receiving a 12.5% pay rise, increase in weekend overtime rates plus a 2,500 bonus. Story continues Tens of thousands of passengers have been hit by airport disruption and flight cancellations in recent weeks. Hundreds of flights across the UK were cancelled during the week of the Platinum Jubilee in June and school half-term holidays, and concerns have been raised of further travel woes during the summer. The disruption has been caused by several factors, but the aviation industry has struggled to recruit workers quickly enough after demand for overseas travel returned following the pandemic, leading to staff shortages. Banner saying 'Get in touch' Are you concerned about booking a holiday? Do you work in the industry? Please get in touch by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Brock Porter is a rich young man. The Texas Rangers have signed the Orchard Lake St. Mary's star pitcher for just under $4 million, according to New York Post columnist Jon Heyman, three days after drafting him in the fourth round with the 109th overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. Heyman tweeted Thursday evening: "Rangers have a deal with Michigan HS pitcher Brock Porter for close to $4M (a bit under 4), well over slot for pick 109. Its a coup for Texas. They were able to do that by getting Kumar Rocker for an under-slot $5.3M at No. 3 overall. Porter was ranked 7th by Baseball America." More: Rangers feel they got the steal of the MLB draft in Brock Porter More: How Brock Porter, the best Michigan high school pitching prospect in decades, almost didn't happen Orchard Lake St. Mary's pitcher Brock Porter throws to first base in a pickoff attempt against New Boston Huron on Friday, June 18, 2021, at McLane Stadium in East Lansing. Porter, a right-hander committed to Clemson, was the 2022 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year as a senior, after going 9-0 with a 0.26 ERA and 0.58 WHIP in 10 outings, including three solo no-hitters and two more combined no-hitters. He struck out 115 batters and allowed two earned runs in 58 innings, guiding OLSM to a state title and 44-0 record; it was the program's third consecutive state championship after being named Baseball America's national champion in 2021 with a 43-1 record. "He's the best healthy pitcher in the draft," MLB.com draft expert Jim Callis said this week. "Thought he'd go in the top 10-15 picks." More: 2022 MLB draft: Here are players selected with Michigan ties Rangers have a deal with Michigan HS pitcher Brock Porter for close to $4M (a bit under 4), well over slot for pick 109. Its a coup for Texas. They were able to do that by getting Kumar Rocker for an under-slot $5.3M at No. 3 overall. Porter was ranked 7th by Baseball America. Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 21, 2022 Stay informed on what's happening across Michigan: Subscribe to our news alert emails. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brock Porter signs with Texas Rangers for almost $4 million: Report NEW BRUNSWICK A city man was charged in a drive-by shooting last Saturday outside a bar on Remsen Avenue. Jhamir Hoagland, 22, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of attempted murder and one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office announced. Police responded about 2:43 a.m. July 16 outside Los Amigos Bar, 142 Remsen Ave. on a report of a shooting where officers found three people with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, the prosecutors office said. The three a man from the Somerset section of Franklin, a man from Edison and a woman from the Dayton section of South Brunswick, all 28 years old were treated at an area hospital, according to New Brunswick police. Hoagland was arrested Thursday and taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center pending a pre-trial detention hearing, the prosecutors office said. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call New Brunswick Police Detective Keith Walcott at 732-745-5217 or Middlesex County Prosecutors Office Detective Christopher Pennisi at 732-745-4060. Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: New Brunswick man charged in drive-by shooting outside city bar Jul. 22Cabinet Peaks Medical Center welcomed Amy Johnson, MSSN, APRN, FNP-C to the care team at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center Emergency Department. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, Johnson furthered her education at Montana State University, where she earned a Master of Science in Nursing. Johnson also has many certifications which includes a certification in Family Practice with American Association on Nurse Practitioners (AANP), RN/FNP-C, DEA, ACLS and BLS. She will also be sitting for the Emergency Medicine AANP in early 2023. Johnson joins the CPMC team after gaining experience across the U.S., with her most recent position in Crownpoint, New Mexico. In Crownpoint, she worked as a hospitalist in the Emergency Department, as well as in Family Medicine. Doug House, CPMC Emergency Department, is excited to have Johnson join the team. "Amy Johnson is a wonderful addition to our Emergency Department, she brings a wealth of knowledge and new excitement to our medical community." Growing up in the Mission Valley, Johnson has fond memories of Libby. "I have great friends in Libby, and grew up traveling here throughout high school. Libby is beautiful and has many outdoor experiences." She and her family currently reside in St. Ignatius where they own a small market farm with chickens, ducks, geese and produce. In her spare time, she loves to garden, kayak, golf and write. A California man was arrested in Mohave County after trying to kill a man with a forklift, according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office. A California man was arrested Thursday in Mohave County after trying to kill a man with a forklift, officials said. About 10 p.m. Thursday, Mohave County Sheriff's Office deputies noticed Erwin Colato in distress at a business near Highway 95 in Mohave Valley and made contact with him, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Anita Mortensen said in an email. A news release from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office stated the 36-year-old from California City "indicated he had done something wrong and that he was ashamed of it." Colato told deputies he had lowered a forklift on another man and didn't know if he was dead. He led them to the victim's location, where deputies found a man pinned beneath a large forklift. The injured man was transported to the hospital by the Mohave Valley Fire Department and later flown to Las Vegas for treatment, the Sheriff's Office statement said. As of Friday morning, the victim's condition was stable but critical, officials said. During an investigation, Colato said he assaulted the victim in a travel trailer located in a home's garage, dragged him onto the garage's floor and then lowered the forklift onto him, with the intention to kill him, officials said. The forklift, according to the Sheriff's Office statement, weighed about 32,000 pounds. Colato was arrested on one count of felony attempted homicide. Reach criminal justice reporter Gloria Rebecca Gomez at grgomez@gannett.com or on Twitter @glorihuh. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: California man accused of trying to kill man with forklift in Arizona Flash Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday officially resigned, remitting his mandate to the hands of the president, and putting an end to his national unity government after 17 months in office. "President Sergio Mattarella has received Mario Draghi, who ... has reiterated the resignation of the government he leads," a statement from Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic Ugo Zampetti read. "The President has taken note (of the resignation). The current government remains in office to take care of current affairs," it added. Draghi announced his intention to meet Mattarella in the early morning, while addressing the lower house ahead of a scheduled confidence vote. As he shortly explained to the lower house, his decision to step down came after a confidence vote held in the senate on Wednesday, which the government survived with a thin majority. "In view of what has happened yesterday in the upper house, I ask to suspend the session because I am about to go to the President of the Republic in order to communicate my decisions," Draghi told deputies before meeting the president. Having formally accepted Draghi's resignation, Mattarella could now either launch a round of consultations among parties in parliament, to see whether another majority could be formed, or call for snap elections directly. Draghi's cabinet has been in charge since February 2021. The 74-year-old former president of the European Central Bank already made an offer to resign last week, when the populist Five Star Movement -- a major ally in the national unity coalition -- boycotted a confidence vote on a key relief bill, thus denying its support to the cabinet. Mattarella rejected Draghi's resignation last week, asking him to assess the situation in parliament. BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping offered Sri Lanka's new president his support on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as the Indian Ocean island grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades. Ranil Wickremesinghe, a lawyer who served as Sri Lanka's prime minister a record six times, was sworn in on Thursday in the face of fierce public opposition. Sri Lanka's crisis sparked months of mass protests and eventually forced then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country. In his message, Xi said he believes Sri Lanka will be able to move towards economic and social recovery and he is "ready to provide support and assistance to the best of my ability to President Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka in their efforts", CCTV reported. Sri Lanka owes at least $5 billion to China although some estimates put it at almost twice that amount. India has also lent it $3.8 billion and Japan is owed at least $3.5 billion, according to the International Monetary Fund, with another $1 billion due to other rich countries. Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency. Security forces raided and partially cleared a protest camp occupying government grounds in Colombo on Friday, fuelling fears that Wickremesinghe had launched a crackdown a day after being sworn in. (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Beijing Newsroom; editing by John Stonestreet and Nick Macfie) Researchers at Hongtuo Joint Laboratory in Wuhan, China, said the laser created characters in the air that could be viewed from any angle (Hongtuo Joint Laboratory ) Researchers in China have invented a high-powered laser capable of essentially scorching the air to create patterns. The Wuhan-based team demonstrated the laser by drawing Chinese characters in the air, which can be viewed from any angle and can be physically touched. It works by stripping the electrons off air molecules using ultra-short laser pulses and turning them into light. The researchers hope the technology can be implemented in various fields, ranging from brain imaging, to quantum computing. With the brand new device, we can draw in the air without using paper and ink, Cao Xiangdong, lead scientist at the Hongtuo Laboratory of Ultra-Fast Laser in Wuhans optics valley, told Science and Technology Daily, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The display is an accumulation of our research over more than a decade. The displays are created using pulses that last for just a few femtoseconds, which is equivalent to one quadrillionth, or one millionth of one billionth, of a second, but they require a million megawatts of power to be shot out. In order to turn the air into light, the energy density required is roughly a trillion watts per square centimetre. The unveiling of the laser comes just weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited laser companies in Wuhan as part of plans to boost advanced technology sectors in the country. President Xi described the development of such technologies as a matter of great urgency during the trip, stressing the need for scientific and technological self-reliance. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty President Bidens COVID diagnosis on Thursday is a reminder that not only is the virus an ever-present risk but also that we are in the midst of a surge of two extraordinarily transmissible variants. Biden has just returned from a short trip to the Middle East and a quick day trip to New England. Despite his teams best efforts, he has clearly been exposed to someone infected with COVID. The fact that Biden is 79-years-old puts him at a higher risk compared to a healthy 40-year-old, but he has a number of things going in his favor. To my knowledge, he is pretty fit for his age and doesn't suffer from other severe co-morbidities, such as diabetes or immunosuppression. Even more importantly, Biden has access to amazing scientific advances that did not exist when former President Trump tested positive for COVID in October of 2020. Bidens COVID experience will be very different than if he had caught this nine months ago, much less 21 months ago. Thats not because the virus itself has become more mild, but rather because we have made such tremendous strides with prevention and treatmentall of which offer us hope amid the ongoing pandemic. Biden Says Hes Doing Great After Testing Positive for COVID Biden is vaccinated and twice-boosted. Those steps he has taken to protect himself significantly decrease his risk of hospitalization and severe illness. (By up to 80 percent, even in the face of the new variants, according to one study published this month.) Now add the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which President Biden is taking, into the mix. This new medicationthree pills, twice daily, for five days-reduces his risk of severe disease or hospitalization even further. Although nothing in medicine is 100 percent, this puts his risk of something bad happening pretty darn close to zero. Based on preliminary data, Biden is also less likely to develop long COVID, thanks to the vaccine and treatment. For Bidenthanks to vaccinations, boosters, and PaxlovidCOVID is more likely to be a discomfort and an annoyance, rather than something serious. I wish that were true for all of us. Story continues We cannot forget that some Americans remain at higher risk despite vaccination and boosting because they are getting treatment for cancer or have other immune issues. The good news is these modern miracles that make COVID lower risk for Biden are available to every one of us in the United States. However, only 23.6 percent of Americans aged 65 and older are vaccinated and double-boosted, according to the CDC. Nevertheless, as an emergency physician and public health professional, I cannot emphasize this fact strongly enough: Every American over 50 should be vaccinated and twice boosted. Although Paxlovid is theoretically available to all Americansthanks to the Biden administrations test-to-treat programthe reality is that most of us dont know to ask for it and many are unable to get a prescription, even if eligible. Furthermore, access to this drug is likely to drop further this fall, considering the lack of action in Congress to continue funding COVID preparedness and treatment plans at the federal level. What to Know About the COVID-19 Pill Joe Biden Just Got At the end of the day, if I were treating Biden, I would tell him the same thing I tell all my vaccinated patients in the emergency department, which is, Im glad youre vaccinated and boosted. If appropriate, let me prescribe you Paxlovid to decrease your risk further. Secondly, take it easy until youre feeling better. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen, for fevers and body aches. And finally, if youre not starting to feel better in 5 to 7 days, or if you start to feel much worse at any point, please see your doctor for further evaluation. My overall level of concern for Biden is relatively low, but Im going to be keeping a watchful eye on him for the next week, as I would for anyone. Ultimately, I want everyone to know that what hes getting for treatment is not out of reach for the rest of us and thatwith proper prevention, testing, and treatment protocolswe can help make COVID a less lethal disease for all. The world is watching when a US President catches COVIDoffering us new opportunities to talk about why everyone should take steps to prevent the spread, be vaccinated and boosted, and have access to the best treatments that science can produce. 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. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon speaks a news conference outside the Hall of Justice in June 2021. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) A man who was convicted of murder as a teenager, then freed from prison last year because prosecutors under Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon did not object to his release, was arrested on suspicion of weapons and drug possession after leading police on a chase earlier this week. Andres Cachu, 24, was charged Thursday with evading police, being a felon in possession of a gun and possession of cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, after he led sheriff's deputies on a short chase, according to the district attorney's office. Deputies found Cachu asleep and slumped over the wheel of a car Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement released by Gascons office and jail records. When they woke him, the deputies noticed he had a firearm in his waistband and appeared to be intoxicated, the statement said. Cachu attempted to flee, but crashed a short time later and surrendered, prosecutors said. During the brief pursuit, he drove the wrong way on a freeway, according to a criminal complaint. The sheriff's department did not respond to calls or e-mails seeking comment on the incident. In 2016, Cachu was tried as an adult and convicted of fatally shooting a man in Palmdale the year before. Seventeen at the time of the killing, he was given a prison sentence of 50 years to life. The same year, California voters approved Proposition 57, a sweeping criminal justice reform, which barred prosecutors from trying juveniles as adults without a judges approval and allowed felons like Cachu to seek new, more lenient sentences as juveniles. When Cachu pursued a new sentence last year, prosecutors could have asked for a court hearing and left it up to a judge to decide whether Cachu should remain in state prison. But Gascon had been elected as a progressive reformer and, as part of his plan to overhaul the district attorney's office, he was opposed to trying juveniles as adults. Alisa Blair, a former public defender Gascon hired to design his juvenile justice policies, was in charge of Cachu's case and declined to request a court hearing. Story continues As a result, the case was transferred to juvenile court, where sentences typically do not keep a person in custody beyond the age of 25. Because of his age, Cachu was released. Blair did ask a judge to have Cachu sent to the state Department of Juvenile Justice, which often houses teens convicted of murder, attempted murder and other serious offenses, but the request was denied, according to the district attorney's office. It was unclear how much longer Cachu could have been held. While Gascon said he would not try juveniles as adults when he was elected, his stance on cases returned to his purview under Proposition 57 has been less absolute. As of last September, Gascon's office had reviewed 17 cases, including Cachu's, in which juveniles who were tried as adults sought to be resentenced through the voter initiative. In 12 of those cases, prosecutors declined to seek a court hearing, and the case was returned to juvenile court. In some of those cases, the defendant was set free. In a statement, Gascon said he was "disappointed" in Cachu but defended his office's handling of the prior murder case. "Based upon the facts of the case and the individual characteristics of Mr. Cachu, we determined that we would not likely prevail in a transfer hearing because we could not prove that he would not have benefited from juvenile resources at the time of the original offense again, as the law requires," he said. Earlier this year, Victor Bibiano a 30-year-old man who was convicted of murder in adult court as a teen but resentenced as a juvenile via Proposition 57 was arrested in connection with the April shooting death of a homeless man in Pacoima. Though prosecutors said Bibiano did not pull the trigger, he too was released after prosecutors declined to seek a court hearing and a bid to remand him to the Division of Juvenile Justice failed. Blair declined to comment on Cachu's arrest. The district attorney's office confirmed Thursday that Blair is leaving her position at the end of the month. I am incredibly grateful for Alisas partnership and service over the last few years and will continue to rely on her partnership in our communities in her new endeavors," Gascon said in a statement. "Alisa will always be an ally in the movement for criminal justice reform. In a lengthy statement on her departure, Blair praised Gascon and said she was thankful for the opportunity to "bring restorative justice diversion pathways for youth to the largest prosecutorial agency in the world." "I am in awe of the victims and survivors who have lost loved ones in unthinkable ways but were still willing to share their photos and stories with me as they advocated for the spectrum of justice," she wrote. "I think about the victim of a drive-by shooting who told me he wanted the shooter released because he shared the same upbringing and understood it could have just as easily been him." Blair is the second close ally of Gascon's to leave the office in recent memory. Special Advisor Alex Bastian, who worked for Gascon in San Francisco and largely led his communications team in L.A., resigned last month to become president of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. The exits come as Gascon waits to find out if he will face a recall election later this year. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Conway man pleaded guilty to a second-offense distribution of heroin and was sentenced to 12 years in prison Wednesday. BJ Thomas Frazier, 38, pleaded guilty before Judge Benjamin Culbertson, according to Adam Harrelson, the assistant solicitor who prosecuted the case for the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office. Members of the Horry County Police Department conducted this investigation and made this prison sentence possible, Harrelson said in a press release. A thank you goes to them. Frazier was facing five to 30 years in prison on the charge. The number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise in Montgomery County over the past two weeks. According to Tennessee Department of Health data, Montgomery County reported 936 cases of COVID-19 between July 3-16, an increase of 136 from the previous 14 days between June 19 to July 2, when there were 800 cases reported. As numbers increase, the department of health recommends following all precautions against COVID-19, including getting vaccinations. "Regarding vaccine for six months and older, we encourage parents and caregivers to make this decision in consultation with their pediatrician," said heath department spokesperson Bill Christian. As of July 16, there have been 53,627 COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County since March 5, 2020, 590 deaths and 713 hospitalized from the virus. Kim Outland, center, a medical assistant and COVID-19 tester for Austin Peay, and Kayla Jeffery, a medical assistant and COVID-19 tester, evaluate lab samples at the Ard Building in Clarksville, Tenn., in April 2021. Spread is trending down at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, according to a spokesperson. Previous coverage: COVID hazard pay for Clarksville city employees makes for 'tough decisions' From earlier this year: Red Cross testing blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies "At this time, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital continues to trend down and remain low in positive COVID-19 cases. Hospital personnel continue to encourage infection control measures for patients and staff to limit exposure and spread of COVID-19 and other viral infections," Laura Boyd, public affairs officer for Blanchfield Community Hospital said this week. "The key to fighting COVID 19 remains handwashing, disinfecting high touch surfaces, and staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines." Boyd said Blanchfield offers eight individual COVID-19 free home testing kits to TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries every 30 days. Tests are available 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the hospital's A Building in the hospital's welcome center. Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com. This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: COVID cases rise over two week span in Montgomery County The Bernardino County District Attorneys Office has filed multiple felony charges against 35-year-old Nicholas Campbell, who they say shot and injured a SBC Sheriffs deputy in Rancho Cucamonga. The Bernardino County District Attorneys Office has filed multiple felony charges against the man who they say shot and injured a SBC Sheriffs deputy in Rancho Cucamonga. The DA has charged 35-year-old Nicholas Campbell of Fresno, a convicted felon who is currently on parole out of Northern California. Campbell was charged on suspicion of attempted willful, deliberate, premeditated murder of a peace officer. Also, possession of a firearm by a felon, having a concealed and unregistered firearm and carrying a loaded handgun The DAs office is also filing several special allegations including intentionally discharging a firearm and causing great bodily injury to the deputy. Campbells extensive criminal history includes prior strikes for attempted carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon and gang activity, the DAs office stated. Campbell is in custody and was arraigned on Wednesday with no bail set. His next hearing is scheduled for July 27 at Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court. The incident On July 16, SBC Sheriffs Dispatch received a call for service referencing a suspicious vehicle in the 5700 block of Sycamore Court in Rancho Cucamonga. The area is located north of Interstate 210 and west of Haven Avenue, near Chaffey College. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a subject and was struck twice by gunfire from the subject, who was later identified as Campbell. The deputy returned fire as the suspect fled on foot. The injured deputy used his radio to inform sheriff's officials that he had been shot. He also rovided a description of the suspect. Emergency personnel arrived and rendered medical aid to the deputy and arranged for the Ontario Police Department to airlift him to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center for treatment. During an early morning press conference at the hospital, Sheriff Shannon Dicus reported that the deputy, a five-year department veteran, was in stable condition. Campbell, who was not injured, was arrested and taken into custody a short time later, according to sheriffs officials. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: DA filed felony charges against felon who allegedly shot, injured deputy A Washington, D.C., police officer corroborated previous testimony Thursday that former President Trump got into a heated discussion about going to the Capitol with his supporters after his speech on Jan. 6, 2021. The Jan. 6 panel presented clips of testimony from Sgt. Mark Robinson (Ret.) of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, who was assigned to Trumps motorcade on Jan. 6. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), a member of the select committee, said Robinson was in the lead vehicle with the Secret Service agent overseeing the motorcade, known as the TS agent. During previous testimony behind closed doors, Robinson, who said he had been part of the presidential motorcade more than 100 times, described what he was told about Trumps conduct in the presidential vehicle. The only description I received was that the president was upset and that he was adamant about going to the Capitol and that there was a heated discussion about that, Robinson told the committee. He said the TS agent described it as heated. Meaning that the president was upset and he was saying there was a heated argument or discussion about going to the Capitol, Robinson said. During a public hearing last month, former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson told the Jan. 6 select committee about an altercation that had taken place with Trump in the presidential vehicle when the president was told he could not go to the Capitol after his speech at the Ellipse. Hutchinson said she was told that Trump was irate and said something to the effect of Im the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now. When Bobby had relayed to him were not, we dont have the assets to do it, its not secure, were going back to the West Wing, the president had a very strong, a very angry response to that, Hutchinson said, referring to Robert Engel, who led Trumps security details and was in the presidential vehicle at the time of the episode. Story continues Hutchinson said Trump then attempted to grab the steering wheel in his vehicle when he was told he would not be joining his supporters at the Capitol following his speech on the Ellipse. Hutchinson said he heard about the incident from Engel and White House deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato. Trump denied lunging at the Secret Service on Jan. 6 in an interview with Newsmax following Hutchinsons hearing. She said I jumped from a car and started strangling think of this started strangling a Secret Service agent who I know very well, Trump said. Who would do that? I would grab a Secret Service person by the throat? Multiple outlets also reported after the hearing that Engel and the driver of the vehicle were willing to testify that they were not assaulted by Trump, and that the ex-president did not attempt to take hold of the steering wheel. The committee also presented previous testimony on Thursday from a former Trump White House employee, who was with Ornato and Engel after the violence began unfolding on television. The employee told the committee that Ornato expressed to me that the president was irate when Engel refused to take him to the Capitol, according to a transcript of the individuals interview. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Flash China said on Thursday that it looks to deepen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation with Indonesia, after announcing President Joko Widodo's upcoming visit to China next week. President Widodo will be the first foreign head of state to visit China after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. According to Wang, Widodo is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. As both are developing countries, China and Indonesia are representatives of emerging economies that share extensive common interests and have broad space for cooperation, Wang said, adding that the two sides have confirmed the general direction of building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future. Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year, and China highly appreciates and firmly supports Indonesia's constructive role as the host country, Wang said. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty America is a tinderbox, Donald Trump and his allied political arsonists are on a rampage. And yet, its Democrats who keep pouring gasoline on the flames. Thats my conclusion after watching the spate of election-denying MAGA candidates win Republican primaries, with more than a little help from their frenemies. Indeed, Democrats are spending millions to boost far-right candidates. Lets start in my native state of Maryland. On Tuesday, Republicans rejected the moderate two-term Gov. Larry Hogans chosen heir apparent, to vote in favor of Trump-backed Dan Cox, a man Hogan describes as a QAnon whack job. After Coxs victory, Democrats were quick to denounce the GOP, declaring that, Theyve succumbed to the ultra-ignorant QAnon, MAGA wing of their party. They have a point. The only problem? Democrats helped build that. GOP Candidates Cant Stop Trump, but They Can Beat Trumpism The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) funded an ad that aired during the run-up to the Republican primaries, noting (among other things) that Cox was 100 percent pro-life. The ad included flattering photos of Cox with his family, and one with him next to a smiling, thumbs-up-giving Donald Trump. The ad concludes with this: Dan Cox: Too close to Trump, too conservative for Maryland. You dont have to be a genius to see the deceptive game Democrats are playing. Its like running a pro-abstinence TV segment with b-roll of scantily clad hot models and the word SEXY flashing on the screen. This subterfuge wasnt just some silly web ad, either. According to The New York Times, Democrats spent more than $1.16 million on TV ads trying to help Dan Cox in the Republican primary for Maryland governor, while Cox spent just $21,000 [of his own money] on TV and radio advertising. Nor was this just a one-time occurrence. In multiple states, Democrats have meddled in Republican primary races, always on the side of the far-right fringe-y candidate. Their cynical assumption being that the MAGA candidate will be easier to defeat in a general election. Story continues In Arizona, Democrats are helping Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake, by thanking her more mainstream primary opponent for past donations to Democrats. In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the DGA spent $35 million on ads to help a far-right state senator win Illinois Republican gubernatorial primary. And in Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, spent $840,000 to boost the Trump-endorsed election-denying state Sen. Doug Mastriano. According to Open Secrets, this was more than double what Mastriano spent on his own ad buys. The problem? Mastriano is just 3 points down, according to a recent poll. Theres also the problem that, according to Politico, he has a real shot at winning. Still another problem? As The Washington Post notes, Pennsylvania governors appoint their own secretaries of state, who supervise elections. What this means is that Democrats have helped make it more likely that a Gov. Mastriano could assist Trump in swinging the Pennsylvania election results. Again, Democrats are assuming they will easily beat Mastriano (and the other Trump acolytes across the nation). This is quite a high-stakes assumption to make, especially given the apocalyptic terms liberals are wont to use regarding Trumpism and the precarious state of American democracy. Shapiro, for his part, seems to be aware of the high stakes, telling a crowd, My wife said to me earlier, with a finger poked in my chest, You better win. I can only imagine what it will feel like if Democrats wake up with a hangover on Nov. 9, only to discover that one or more of the election-denying Trumpers they elevated has won elected office. How will they explain it to their voters? How will they explain it to their donors? How will they explain it to their grandchildren? How will Shapiro explain it to his wife? When dealing with something as fragile as liberal democracy, youd think Democrats might handle it with a bit more care. This may sound weird (but stick with me)Im reminded of Dick Cheneys one percent doctrine. In case youve forgotten, Cheney argued that If theres a one percent chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. In other words, the stakes were so high, that a low-probability, high-impact event justified a preemptive strike. Compare that to Democrats confounding behavior, in light of the insistence that Donald Trump and the illiberal forces on the right also constitute an existential threat. Now, I think it is unlikely that these MAGA candidates will, in fact, win. But how unlikely? I mean, down 3 points, Mastriano certainly has more than a 1 percent chance of becoming Pennsylvania's next governor. Lets say theres a 40 percent chance he wins. If you really believe candidates like Mastriano pose an existential threat, is that a chance youre willing to take, just to win an election? Clearly, Democrats have determined it is worth the risk. Dinesh DSouzas Vile Big Lie Documentary Is Too Stupid Even for Fox This tactic was used in 2012 by former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who bragged about her strategy to pick her own opponent. It worked for her, but has the potential to backfire. Bigly. Hillary Clintons team famously wanted to run against Trump, believing he would be the easiest to beat. As you may recall, a lot of people gave Trump less than a 1 percent chance of beating Hillary. A couple experts even suggested Trumps chances of winning were approaching zero. More conservative (in the sense of being safe) prognosticators gave him a 29 percent chance of winning. Are we really convinced that the pollsters and the brainiacs in the Democratic Party are dramatically better at making predictions than they were six years ago? The point is, we dont always know what the future will hold. Be careful what you wish for. Republicans deserve the blame for nominating crazy candidates, but we already know that they are dangerous. The real question is, why are the Democrats also playing with fire? And what will they say if their gamble blows up in their faces, again? 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. Deputies are investigating a shooting in Douglas County. NewsChopper 2 is live in Lithia Springs, where they see a police presence in front of a home on Trail Creek Drive. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Douglas County Sheriff officials did not release information on what led to the shooting. It is unknown how many victims there are and what their conditions are. This is a developing story. Stay with Channel 2 Action News for the latest updates. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] IN OTHER NEWS: As others look on, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks during a press conference in front of an abandoned apartment complex on Tyler Street in Detroit on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Detroit officials announced a broad $203 million plan Thursday that aims to stabilize housing for city residents. Detroit City Council members joined Mayor Mike Duggan and nonprofit leaders to introduce the plan, which includes a range of programs, from renovating Detroit Land Bank Authority properties to offering down payment assistance to 600 Detroiters. "We built a lot of affordable housing, we've converted a lot of vacant land bank homes, we've preserved every affordable unit we have, but there is no question, affordable housing is a more urgent issue than it has been in this city in many decades," Duggan said during a news conference in front of a city-owned building in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood. The building, which has been vacant for about a decade, is slated to become subsidized housing as part of the plan. More: Michigan tenants with active eviction cases can still apply for pandemic rent assistance More: $12M in tax credits will keep 6 Detroit affordable housing projects on track Many of the programs are backed by federal pandemic recovery aid the city received last year. The funding for the plan is through this year, Duggan said. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan points to and talks about the abandoned apartment complex behind them, as Detroit City Council member Mary Waters looks on, during a press conference on Tyler Street in Detroit on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Duggan and council members talked about a $203 million affordable housing plan to address housing insecurities in the city. "There's going to have to be at least $500 million of public money over the next three years and a lot of private money to go with it," he said. The city of Detroit worked with Detroit City Council members Mary Waters, Angela Whitfield-Calloway and Latisha Johnson to develop the plan. During City Council meetings, residents had raised many housing concerns. "Affordable housing is more than a buzzword. It is the very livelihood for thousands of we Detroiters," said Whitfield-Calloway, who represents District 2. At-Large Councilmember Waters said one of the housing developments will be named after Ca'mya Davis, an 11-month-old who drowned in a flooded Detroit basement after falling through a hole in the floor. Davis' mother, Waters said, felt she had nowhere else to live. Story continues "We have a sacred duty to protect our babies, as we protect the health, safety and welfare of all the people of Detroit," Waters said. She said it's important for Detroiters to have housing available at their income levels. Sandra Henriquez, CEO of the Detroit Housing Commission which is renovating 10 to 12 vacant buildings into subsidized housing said she constantly gets emails from residents asking about housing options. Sandra Henriquez, the chief executive officer for the Detroit Housing Commission, talks during a press conference in front of an abandoned apartment complex behind heron Tyler street in Detroit on Thurs., July 21, 2022. City officials announced a $203 million strategy for expediting and creating more deeply affordable housing in neighborhoods across the city of Detroit. The plan includes turning vacant homes and apartment buildings into deeply affordable housing; turning more renters into homeowners; and fast-tracking projects that include apartments below 60 percent area median income, among other initiatives. "We're filling a niche that larger developers don't want to touch. ... They don't see it as profitable. So for us, this is filling in the neighborhood and helping to jumpstart redevelopment and revitalization of neighborhoods," she said. Julie Schneider, director of the city of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department, called the plan "a comprehensive approach to housing stability" that seeks to connect residents with resources while also supporting the creation of new developments amid rising construction costs. Affordable housing is an ongoing concern in Detroit. Roughly one-third of Detroiters missed at least one housing payment in the past year and about 39,000 households are spending more than half of their income on rent and mortgages, according to a survey of city residents conducted last year by the University of Michigan. That figure exceeds what the federal government considers affordable. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says that families spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities may have trouble paying other bills, whether that's food or medical care. Housing itself is also scarce. The Detroit, Warren and Dearborn areas alone need about 100,000 affordable rental units for extremely low-income households or a family of four earning $27,750 according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Here's a rundown of what the plan will include: $132 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and state and federal dollars will fund 1,600 new housing units across 30 developments, 250 of which will be permanent supportive housing for Detroiters transitioning from homelessness. Many of these projects have already been announced. Rent prices at the income-based housing may range from roughly $850 to $500, said Donald Rencher, the city of Detroit's group executive for Housing, Planning and Development. The city of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department, working with Detroit City Council, aims to "streamline" the process for approving affordable housing developments. Twenty to 50 properties owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority will be sold to local community development organizations tasked with rehabilitating them. They will then be rented for at least a decade to those at 50% to 60% of the area median income. That translates to a three-person family earning between $40,300 and $48,360. The work will be backed by $3 million in ARPA funds. Repairs are slated to start in spring 2023 and the first homes may be available in winter 2023. $13 million in ARPA funds will go toward down payment assistance for 600 Detroiters, a third of whom will get dollars to own the homes they are currently renting. That may look like helping Detroiters with land contract agreements, Rencher said. The remaining residents will get the help to buy homes they aren't renting. The program is expected to launch in the fall. A new Detroit Housing Services division, funded by $20 million in ARPA dollars, will serve as a central spot for residents to access housing help, such as housing counseling and foreclosure prevention assistance. It will include at least six neighborhood housing service centers run by nonprofits. A new hotline, slated to be available in the fall, will help Detroiters facing displacement or immediate homelessness. The Detroit Housing Commission plans to renovate 10 to 12 vacant apartment buildings using $20 million from the sale of the Brewster-Douglass site to Bedrock, which was finalized at the end of 2019 that will be set aside for a family of three making $24,180. The housing commission has identified four buildings so far, Henriquez said. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of next year. $5 million in ARPA dollars will be used to bring more than 1,000 rental units up to code. One program will renovate vacant second-story apartment units within commercial corridors into housing while another initiative will be for smaller landlords to get matching grants in order to bring their properties into rental compliance. A recent report from the University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions initiative found that about 6% of Detroits approximately 87,000 rental properties had a certificate of compliance, as of March 15. $10 million in ARPA funds will go toward the city's Detroit at Work program helping residents with immediate job placements or GED and literacy programs. Lisa Johanon, interim director of Central Detroit Christian Development, said her organization has houses in line that are "shovel ready" now that this funding is available. Detroit received $826 million in ARPA dollars the fifth largest amount among American cities. Of that, $400 million was set aside to address budget shortfalls, while the remaining $426 million was designated for community investments, such employment and job creation, blight remediation and home repairs. Nushrat Rahman covers issues related to economic mobility for the Detroit Free Press and Bridge Detroit as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact Nushrat: nrahman@freepress.com; 313-348-7558. Follow her on Twitter: @NushratR. Sign up for Bridge Detroit's newsletter. Become a Free Press subscriber. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A $203M housing plan seeks to ramp up housing options for Detroiters (iStock) Disney has revealed that it is scrapping the use of the term fairy godmothers at its theme parks for a more gender-inclusive title. According to an update posted on the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World websites, instead of fairy godmothers in training, employees with that title will now be referred to as fairy godmothers apprentices. The changes will affect those working at Disneys Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques located in both Disney World and Disneyland. The stores, which offer makeovers to children between the ages of three and 12, are currently closed but are set to reopen on 25 August. The change was explained on the Streaming the Magic Disney blog. Disney will continue their efforts at being more inclusive with all guests and cast members by renaming the Boutique cast members to Fairy God Mothers Apprentices rather than Fairy Godmothers in training, the post read. This way cast members that might not identify as female can still be part of the process to dress up and style the children without having to refer to themselves as a female Disney character. People reacted to news of the change on Twitter, with some commentators labelling the change terrifying while others called for a boycott. However, others praised the company for becoming more inclusive. You have to be really angry and close minded to be bothered by Disney changing Godmothers in Training to Godmothers Apprentices. Yet, some people are bothered and say they will no longer go to a Disney park. Wow. The times we live in, tweeted one person. The news follows a survey of 10,000 employees from 10 different countries including the UK, US, Mexico, France and the Netherlands, which found that four in 10 UK workers do not want their employer to introduce gender-neutral toilets. Jul. 22LIMA A Lima man faces decades behind bars after a jury returned guilty verdicts Thursday on all 19 counts of rape and other sex-related crimes for his actions against a young boy. Jurors in the trial of Matthew Brown, 33, deliberated for slightly more than two hours before returning their verdicts on nine counts of rape, seven counts of sexual battery, two counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of attempted rape, all involving the young boy. The charges stem from repeated, unwanted sexual conduct with the juvenile that occurred between May 2019 and Nov. 21, 2020. Judge Jeffrey Reed ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set Brown's sentencing date for Aug. 29. Testimony in the trial was spread out over two days this week in Allen County Common Pleas Court. Jurors heard directly from the victim in the case, who said he had been sexually abused by Brown on numerous occasions by being forced to engage in oral sex, unwanted touching and attempted anal sex. Testimony during the trial revealed the boy had previously been asked by his mother if Brown had sexually molested him. After initially denying at that time that any sexual activity had occurred, he told his mother in a text message on Feb. 1 of this year that "Matt did ..." sexually abuse him. The 14-year-old testified that he did not originally tell his mother about Brown's unwanted advances "because I was scared of what he would do." In their closing arguments to jurors, attorneys offered differing scenarios about what happened in the case. Defense attorney Carroll Creighton suggested the victim came forward only after being urged to do so by family members and that the boy's statements to law enforcement were manipulated by those around him. Assistant Allen County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Everhart said that for jurors to believe there was a "big conspiracy theory that mom and grandma put (the victim) up to this" would require them to subscribe to the belief that an unfathomable and unbelievable level of planning coordination between multiple parties had taken place. Story continues Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca King-Newman told jurors the statements made by the victim, his mother and his grandmother "were consistent from the very beginning and through yesterday (Wednesday). And there is no evidence that (the victim) was coached." " If you use your reason and common sense about how everyone testified, you will return guilty verdicts," King-Newman said. And jurors did just that. This is part of an occasional series of some of Palm Beach County's most notorious murders. Karen Slattery, 14, loved being a babysitter and was much in demand. The Pope John Paul High freshman was also a diving star, scheduled to try out for the U.S. team. She'd just had her braces off in March 1984 when her life ended in horrendous fashion. Owen on Death Row: Florida's death row: 305 people live there. Only 8 killed victims in Palm Beach County. Killer's appeal: Judge to Death Row inmate: No new trial for killing Delray babysitter Death penalty rare: First death penalty sentence in 18 years splits from Palm Beach County trends Karen Slattery had just picked up the phone when Duane Owen struck Karen Slattery, 14, was stabbed to death by Duane Owen in 1984 in a Delray Beach home where she was baby-sitting. Duane Owen cut through a bedroom screen at a home where the teen was watching a 7-year-old and 3-year-old and confronted her in the kitchen. She had called her mom at 10 p.m. but was dead by 12:30 when children's parents found her. Owen had stabbed the girl 18 times then raped her. The children were unharmed. About two months later, Georgianna Worden, an executive secretary and mother of two children who was separated from her husband, was sleeping when she awoke to a hammer coming down on her head. Owen struck her four more times on the head and face. He also raped her after he got into the Boca Raton home in May 1984. Court documents say she may have been alive up to an hour after the first blow. Duane Owen on Death Row for killing a 14-year-old baby-sitter, Karen Slattery and a woman in her Florida home. Her 13-year-old daughter found Worden, posed, the next morning before she went to school. Both were not the Owen's only victims. Two Boca Raton women were hit in their homes with blunt objects a plumber's wrench and an clothing iron but they survived. In Worden's murder, police found a fingerprint on a copy of Mistral's Daughter by Judith Krantz, which was lying on her bedside table. Owen's court journey lasted decades after he was initially convicted and sentenced to death in 1985 for Slattery's killing. Representing him were famed defense attorney Michael Salnick and Barry Krischer, who was to become Palm Beach County state attorney for 16 years. Owen got the same sentence in 1986 for killing Worden. Story continues Duane Owen claims he was looking for hormones to become a woman Then the appeals began. Owen said police officers improperly "Mirandized" him. He got a new trial in 1999 in Slattery's death where he claimed he was insane, looking for hormones that night so he could become a woman. The jury didn't buy it and sentenced him again to death. Owen appealed the verdict in the 1999 trial, saying his lawyer failed to enter into evidence the tale of his childhood with an alcoholic mother who died when he was 11, a father who killed himself when Owen was 13 and his own drinking and drugging since he was 9. 1/19/99-- Carolyn Slattery, mother of murder victim Karen Slattery, gets a hug from Assistant Attorney General Celia Terenzio (cq) after accused killer Duane Owen was found guilty on all three counts in his first degree murder trial in Palm Beach County Court. In background is the victim's brother, Gene Slattery. Childhood friends described Owen's alcoholic parents. "It was the only house I know to have beer delivered by a beer truck," said a neighborhood friend. As recently as 2017, Owen appealed again the Slattery verdict after a Florida Supreme Court ruling frowning on death sentences that didn't arise from an unanimous jury recommendation. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley in 2018 denied him a new trial. In 2020, the Florida Supreme Court agreed. Holly Baltz is the investigations at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com. Support local investigative journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida murders: Karen Slattery, only 14, killed by Duane Owen (iStock) A team of researchers from Oxford University have found that eating with your mouth open can make food taste better. While it may be a bug bear for some people, or just simply bad manners, chewing food with your mouth open can help volatile organic compounds reach the back of the nose which can make food taste better, the new study said. Volatile organic compounds are molecules that can create aromas and contribute to the flavour of food. So the benefit of them reaching the back of our nose means it can stimulate cells responsible for our smell, which can enhance the dining experience. Charles Spence, who teaches experimental psychology and who has been working on the study, told The Times that we have been doing it [eating] all wrong. When it comes to sound, we like noisy foods think crunchy and crispy. Both crisps and apples are rated as more pleasurable when the sound of the crunch is amplified, he explained. To best hear the crunch of an apple, a potato crisp, a carrot stick, a cracker, crispbread or a handful of popcorn, we should always ditch our manners and chew with our mouths open. Spence is among a team of researchers who are trying to better understand how senses can impact that way we eat. As well as chewing with your mouth open, Spence added that people should use their hands to eat their food where possible. Our sense of touch is also vital in our perception of food on the palate, he explained. The research shows that what you feel in the hand can change or bring out certain aspects of the tasting experience. Feeling the smooth, organic texture of the skin of an apple in our hand before biting into it whole is likely to contribute to a heightened appreciation of the juicy, sweet, crunch of that first bite. He added: This can be extended to the feeling of grains of salt sticking to the fingers when eating French fries with our hands or the sugary residue of buttercream on a hand after picking up and biting into a slice of birthday cake. ASPEN, Colo. (AP) A rural Colorado official known as the states most prominent election denier surrendered to authorities amid allegations she violated the terms of her release as she awaits trial on accusations of breaking into her countys election system. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters turned herself at the Pitkin County Jail in Aspen in Thursday night and was booked, said Parker Lathrop, the county's chief deputy of operations. She was released on bond later that night, Lathrop said. Authorities claim she had violated bail conditions by contacting workers at the Mesa County elections office. A warrant for her arrest had been issued less than a week after Peters' lawyer convinced a judge not to send her back to jail because of allegations she improperly traveled out of state while awaiting trial. Peters has echoed former President Donald Trumps false theories about the 2020 election. She and her chief deputy, Belinda Knisley, are charged with allowing a copy of a hard drive to be made during an update of election equipment in May 2021. Peters and Knisley have denied wrongdoing and Peters has called the charges politically motivated. A judge prohibited Peters from overseeing last years and this year's local elections in Mesa County, a western region of the state that is largely rural and heavily Republican. Trump won it in the 2020 presidential election with nearly 63% of the vote. President Joe Biden won Colorado overall with 55.4% of the states vote. Peters lost a bid for the Republican Party nomination for Colorado Secretary of State last month. After the Secretary of States office told her she was not entitled to a hand recount under the law, Peters contacted dozens of county election offices asking them to do their own. Authorities said she included Mesa County and that doing so was a violation of her release. SpaceX founder and chief engineer Elon Musk looks at his mobile phone in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. January 19, 2020 (REUTERS) Elon Musk has said that hes rubber while Twitter is glue, in response to the comapanys statement about him in its earnings call. Twitters revenue decreased by one per cent in its second quarter, reflecting advertising industry headwinds associated with the macroenvironment as well as uncertainty related to the pending acquisition of Twitter by an affiliate of Elon Musk. Subscription and other revenue totaled $101 million, a decrease of 27 per cent year-over-year, while net loss was $270 million, representing a net margin of -23 per cent. Given the pending acquisition of Twitter by an affiliate of Elon Musk, we will not host an earnings conference call, issue a shareholder letter, or provide financial guidance in conjunction with our second quarter 2022 earnings release, Twitter said. Regarding the purchase itself, Twitter said that representatives of Mr Musk delivered a notice purporting to terminate the merger agreement. Twitter believes that M . Musks purported termination is invalid and wrongful, and the merger agreement remains in effect. The company has commenced litigation against Mr Musk and had an expedited trial granted to them earlier this week, scheduled for October 2022. The exact timing of completion of the merger, if at all, cannot be predicted because the merger is subject to ongoing litigation, adoption of the merger agreement by our stockholders and the satisfaction of the remaining closing conditions. In response to Twitter blaming Mr Musk for missed earnings, Mr Musk replied: Im rubber, theyre glue. Im rubber, theyre glue Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2022 The saga behind Elon Musks purchase of Twitter began when Mr Musk bought 9.2 per cent of the company, which is worth almost $3bn (2.3bn), on 4 April 2022. The following day, Mr Musk said he would join the companys board. After six days, Mr Musk reversed his decision, before making an offer to buy the entire company on 14 April. Story continues However, in May, Mr Musk began raising questions about the number of bot accounts on the platform despite saying in the April press release that he was purchasing Twitter in order to deal with the spam bots. Twitter filed to sue Elon Musk last week, arguing the tech billionaire is legally bound to carry out his $44bn acquisition of the social network, after the Tesla chief executive said he wanted to walk away from the deal. Twitter argued leaving the deal now is invalid and wrongful, saying that Mr Musk apparently believes that he unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away. Mr Musks claimed reasons for walking away from the deal is that Twitter did not give him information about fake accounts and spam bots on the platform. Twitter has failed or refused to provide this information. Sometimes Twitter has ignored Mr. Musks requests, sometimes it has rejected them for reasons that appear to be unjustified, and sometimes it has claimed to comply while giving Mr. Musk incomplete or unusable information, Mr Musks attorney said in a letter to the Twitter board. Twitter subsequently filed with the Delaware Chancery Court. Mr Musk replied to the news via a tweet: Oh the irony lol. It is unclear who will come out victorious in this case, but in the case that Mr Musk loses it seems unlikely he will be able to simply walk away from the deal without paying a penalty. Should Mr Musk refuse to buy Twitter despite enforcement from a judge, he could be held in contempt and set a daily fine until he complies, Brian Quinn, a Boston College law professor who teaches about mergers-and-acquisitions law, told Bloomberg. For Musk, that would have to be a rather large number. Tesla is also a Delaware corporation, which would give the court the power to go after Mr Musks stock options. However, no situation like that has ever happened before. SheKnows Ever since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they were returning to the UK for a slew of charity events, people have wondered, Will they still see the royal family? While their trip wasnt meant for a reunion, many believe theyll still see quite a few royal family members, except for one very important member. [] The entire staff of the Kenly Police Department in North Carolina submitted their resignations this week, citing the work environment as the reasons for their departures (News and Observer) The entire staff of a small North Carolina police department has resigned, citing the work environment created by the towns manager, prompting the town to hold an emergency meeting in response to the mass departure. Josh Gibson, the former police chief of the Kenly Police Department, five officers, the town clerk, and the utilities clerk all submitted their two-week resignation on Wednesday afternoon, CBS 17 first reported. I have put in my 2 weeks notice along with the whole police dept. Sharon Evans and Christy Thomas with the town of Kenly after 21 years of service, Mr Gibson wrote in a public Facebook post Wednesday evening. The new manager has created an environment I do not feel we can perform our duties and services to the community, the post continued. I do not know what is next for me. I am letting the lord lead the way. I have loved this community.. it has become family and one of my greatest honors to serve.. God bless you all in Kenly. The full-time employees of the Kenly force all cited in their departure notices that they could no longer perform their duties because of the work environment created by the towns manager, Justine Jones. All of us are very heartbroken that it had to come to this, Mr Gibson told CBS 17 after submitting his notice of leave. Ms Jones, who was appointed manager of the town with a population of about 2,400 people in May by the town council after they conducted a nationwide search of candidates that yielded 30 finalists. She began working in the position on 2 June. In a statement announcing Ms Jones appointment back in May, shes described as being responsible for delivering public services effectively and efficiently in local governments in Minnesota, South Carolina, North Carolina and overseeing budgets ranging from $5,000 to $61m. I am honored that the Council has entrusted me with the responsibility of being Kenlys next manager, Ms Jones said in a statement following the appointment. Story continues Kenlys diversity and dynamic potential offers intriguing challenges and a promising future of growth and prosperity that I am excited to become a part of. The town announced that an emergency meeting would be scheduled on Friday at 7pm to discuss the mass exodus from the towns police department. In an interview with ABC 11, Mr Gibson expressed how he and the rest of the members of the force felt they were understaffed and the stress from the job was creating a toxic environment. It was just a lot of stress on a lot of us trying to maintain and keep coverage, Mr Gibson said. This is heartbreaking. The community has always been so tremendously so supportive of us. Typically, the department has eight officers on staff, WRAL reported, but its recently only been operating with a staff of five. The Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell told The News & Observer in an interview that his office will make sure that residents of Kenly are protected, noting that this is the first time that his office has had to contend with an entire police department submitting their two-week notices simultaneously. The Board of [County] Commissioners and I both agree that the number one priority of the government is public safety, Sheriff Bizzell said. We are going to be there for the people of Kenly if and when they need law enforcement. WRAL obtained the resignation letters of some of the employees who submitted their notice to the town, many of whom echoed the concerns that were picked up in Mr Gibsons public Facebook post. I have enjoyed my time working at the Kenly Police Department and fully intended to remain employed with the town, wrote Darren Pate, one of the officers who submitted their notice this week, in a letter obtained by WRAL. But unfortunately decisions are being made which make me question what the future will hold for all town employees. The Independent reached out to Ms Jones and the town of Kenly for comment on the resignations but did not hear back immediately. The Post and Courier reported back in May 2016 that Ms Jones, a Black woman, had previously sued her employer Richland County, S.C. alleging, in part, that shed been fired from her position for being a whistle-blower about problems within the countys transportation penny tax program. Ms Jones, who was employed as a manager of research and an assistant director with the county, alleged in the lawsuit that she faced gender, racial, and disability discrimination after she was terminated. The suit was initially filed in state court and then moved to US District Court before being voluntarily dismissed. Court records never disclosed why the case was dismissed, according to WRAL. Speaking to the Atlantic Council, Yuriy Vitrenko condemned the move as a disturbing example of Western leaders succumbing to Kremlin blackmail and warned that it would only serve to encourage further Russian aggression. The turbine was not critical and this was confirmed by the German government. Putin also had other options to send gas if he wanted to via Poland or by sending more gas through the Ukrainian transit system. Clearly, Putin was blackmailing, getting Europe to accede to his demands to test their resolve and see how firm they are in keeping commitments to punish Russia for its crimes, Vitrenko comments. Read also: Why Putin is blackmailing Europe with gas Moscow claimed to need the turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which connects Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea and accounts for more than one-third of Russian natural gas exports to the European Union. In early July, Moscow halted gas deliveries via the pipeline citing maintenance while warning that it could not guarantee future deliveries due to exceptional circumstances. Putin also recently suggested Europes mounting energy crisis could be resolved by commissioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline was built in order to bypass the established Ukrainian gas transit system and prepare the ground for a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. These security concerns led to US sanctions on the pipeline in 2020. However, sanctions measures were subsequently lifted in early 2021 by US President Joe Biden at the request of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. After the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Germany suspended certification of Nord Stream 2. With Putin now increasingly looking to weaponize gas supplies in his struggle to undermine European support for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pre-emptively rolled out an emergency plan requiring European nations to cut back natural gas consumption by 15 percent this winter. Story continues Read also: Europe must be ready for Russian gas blackmail Russia is blackmailing us. Russia is using energy as a weapon. And therefore, in any event, whether its a partial major cutoff of Russian gas or total cutoff of Russian gas, Europe needs to be ready, she commented on July 20. Vitrenko is convinced Putin will shut down gas supplies completely in the coming months if he thinks he can gain more concessions from European leaders, such as the lowering or removal of some sanctions. Putin will try to use this as leverage on Europe because he still believes he can make European leaders accept his demands and hand Ukraine over to him. The continent has been lining up energy alternatives since August 2021 when Russia first began reducing gas volumes in apparent preparation for the coming full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If Putin completely cuts off gas exports to Europe it will be a difficult situation but not fatal, says the Naftogaz CEO. Prices will be high, people will have to save gas and energy, but nobody will die. Read also: For the first time in history, US gas supplies to Europe exceed Russia Vitrenko acknowledges that Putin can still count on strong support from the German business community but questions whether this justifies the reluctance of so many German politicians to confront the Kremlin. Putin still has leverage because big German industry is afraid of losses and they are the major sponsors of German politicians. Why are they so concerned about a gas cut off? Maybe the world can live without profits in Germany for one year. According to Vitrenko, this is likely to be Putins last winter with enormous energy leverage over Europe because other sources will be in place by next year. These alternatives are set to include expanded Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facilities, greater coal options, and more nuclear power. The newly announced Azerbaijani natural gas deal with Europe is another very encouraging step toward diversification away from Russia, he notes. Everyone knew Azerbaijan could increase its gas volumes. It just needed more compressors to double its capacity. Going forward, Turkmenistan will also be connected to the pipeline and it has huge reserves of natural gas. Vitrenko is convinced that if Putin thinks Europe is weak, he will escalate his energy war along with the ongoing military invasion of Ukraine until the West finally accedes to his demands. The Naftogaz CEO warns that any concessions offered to the Kremlin will inevitably be interpreted as signs of weakness. Putin continues pushing the envelope and so far it is working. He will go on raising the stakes and engaging in larger scale blackmail. This is why it is so important to increase rather than decrease sanctions pressure on Russia. We must work together and not let Putin believe he has the upper hand. European leaders need to act as adults and recognize that Putin declared war on them long ago. This story was first published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Everton fans will stage a protest at Goodison Park on Saturday (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire) Everton fans will resume their protests outside Goodison Park on Saturday in an attempt to invite more scrutiny on the mismanagement of the club under owner Farhad Moshiri. Supporters previously staged walk-outs and sit-ins at matches last season but, with the relegation battle threatening the clubs 68-year top-flight status, focus turned to an orchestrated campaign designed to maximise home ground advantage and boost the players. However, with a prospective takeover seemingly having been abandoned by Moshiri, 370million of cumulative losses over three years, one of their best players in Richarlison sold and a lack of squad strengthening just two weeks before the new season starts with a seventh permanent manager in six years the fans will be out in force again this weekend. Fed up of the poor running of our football club from the Owner, Chairman & Board? Then please join us in protesting at Goodison Park on Saturday 23rd July at 12 Noon. Please bring along any banners & flags pic.twitter.com/xhqjMt2ojp 27yearscampaign (@27yearsCampaign) July 17, 2022 In the last six years or so, since Moshiri has taken over, the club has been on an evident downward spiral, a spokesman for the 27 Years campaign (referring to the time since Evertons last trophy) told the PA news agency. Financial Fair Play has hit us at such a point we have been forced to sell arguably our best player and we are struggling to reinvest that money. It is more than mismanagement, it is more the erratic behaviour of the owner and the board that are working with him as well. If he (Moshiri) is going to continue he cant continue with that board. We think the board in place has shown a consistent pattern of failure. Everton fans will protest about the running of the club at Goodison Park this weekend (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire) Previous protests have targeted the board, in general, and specifically long-standing chairman Bill Kenwright. Story continues However, organisers of Saturdays gathering want it to be about raising awareness of the issues and asking for better communication from the club rather than singling out individuals. It is no secret at all there are a massive amount of Evertonians who are not happy with Bill Kenwright, (chief executive) Denise Barrett-Baxendale and others on the board, added the spokesman. But this is not called the Kenwright Out protest, that is not what it is. It is for raising awareness. Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale have been targeted in previous protests (Nigel French/PA) (PA Archive) At the end of the day it doesnt matter who the individual is, if they are not doing their job properly they are not doing their job. It is trying to influence Moshiri to make the right decisions. There seem to be a lot of short-term fixes for short-term gains by Moshiri. What we would really like is proper communication from the board, to be told there is some sort of plan. Everton have rejected criticism of their communication to supporters, with a source saying it was a fallacy and wrong. | "I want to reassure all of you that Everton Football Club is not for sale." A message from our Majority Shareholder... Everton (@Everton) July 14, 2022 The club pointed to a number of open letters from Moshiri, the latest last week, in which he said judge us at the end of the transfer window not now and also to the channels of communication now open through the newly-launched Fan Advisory Board. Chairman Jazz Bal said in his opening address: My fellow members and I fully understand our job is to reflect the views of the entire fanbase to the Everton board and senior management team. Through the FAB, we all now have a direct line to the senior officials at Everton. We are engaging with board members directly. By Luc Cohen and Jacqueline Thomsen (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol has sought to build a case that then-President Donald Trump behaved illegally when he tried to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat, but what charges could prosecutors bring against Trump and how might he defend himself? Here are some ideas being floated: OBSTRUCTING AN OFFICIAL PROCEEDING In a March 2 court filing, the committee detailed Trump's efforts to persuade then-Vice President Mike Pence either to reject slates of electors for Joe Biden, who won the election, or delay a congressional count of those votes. The president's efforts likely violated a federal law making it illegal to "corruptly" obstruct any official proceeding, or attempt to do so, said David Carter, the California federal judge overseeing the case said in a March 28 written order. At a primetime hearing on Thursday, committee members alleged that Trump watched the violence at the U.S. Capitol unfold live on television and failed to prevent it. Witnesses testified as to Trump's reluctance to tell the rioters to leave for hours after they breached the building. Jennifer Rodgers, a former federal prosecutor and lecturer at Columbia Law School, said a prosecutor would include that testimony if they were to try Trump on an obstruction charge because it would show his intent at the time. "(Trump) was urged by everyone around him to act, to try to do something to stop it, and he chose not to," Rodgers said. CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES In the March 2 filing, the committee said it was likely that Trump and others conspired to defraud the United States, which criminalizes any effort by two or more people to interfere with governmental functions "by deceit, craft or trickery." In addition to Trump's efforts to pressure Pence, the committee cited his attempts to convince state election officials, the public and members of Congress that the 2020 election was stolen, even though several of his allies told him there was no evidence of fraud. Story continues Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, previously testified that Trump was so enraged by then-Attorney General Bill Barr's interview with the Associated Press saying there was no evidence of election fraud that Trump threw his lunch at the wall, breaking a porcelain dish and leaving ketchup dripping down the wall. SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY? Prosecutors have already charged more than a dozen members of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups who were at the Jan. 6 riot with seditious conspiracy, a rarely used statute that makes it illegal to overthrow the U.S. government by force. To prove Trump committed seditious conspiracy, prosecutors would need to show he conspired with others to use force. Rodgers said a prosecutor could use Trump's failure to act to bolster such a charge, including testimony that he knew he was the only person who could get the rioters to leave the Capitol. TRUMP'S DEFENSE? Trump has repeatedly denied doing anything illegal in connection with the Jan. 6 events. In a series of posts on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday, Trump attacked the House panel, but maintained his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. "So many lies and misrepresentations by the corrupt and highly partisan Unselect Committee!" he wrote. If the Justice Department were to bring charges, prosecutors' main challenge would be to prove that Trump acted with corrupt intent, experts said. Trump could argue he sincerely believed that he won the election and that his well-documented efforts to pressure Pence and state election officials were not meant to obstruct Congress or defraud the United States, but to protect the election's integrity. DOES THIS MEAN TRUMP WILL BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED? No. Neither Carter nor the committee can charge Trump with federal crimes. That decision would have to be made by the Justice Department, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland. The department is conducting its own investigation of the Jan. 6 events. Any decision to indict Trump would have enormous political consequences as the former president weighs another run for the White House in 2024. The department did not respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Jacqueline Thomsen in Washington; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Daniel Wallis) BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Jihadi rebels have attacked Mali's Kati military base on the outskirts of the capital city Bamako, the ruling junta confirmed Friday. It's the first time Kati, Mali's largest military base, has been targeted by extremist rebels in the more than 10-year insurgency in the West African country. Two vehicles loaded with explosives detonated at the camp at about 5 a.m., according to a statement issued by the military. The Malian Armed Forces vigorously repelled a terrorist attack on the Kati barracks, said the statement, which said that two attackers were killed. The situation is under control and a sweep is underway to find the perpetrators and their accomplices, said the statement. Fridays attack on the Kati barracks follows a coordinated series of insurgent attacks Thursday. In one of those incidents, the extremists attacked a police base in Kolokani, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Bamako and two Malian soldiers were killed, said the military in a statement. The leader of Mali's ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita frequently stays at the Kati camp, where he launched the 2020 coup that brought him to power. Jihadi rebels linked to al Qaida and the Islamic State group have been fighting an insurgency in Mali for more than a decade. Their attacks have mostly been in northern Mali but recently the extremists have moved into central Mali. In recent weeks they have moved closer to the capital. Last week gunmen attacked an army checkpoint about 60 kilometers (37 miles) outside Bamako, killing at least six people and wounding several others, officials said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it appears to be by the al-Qaida-linked rebel group known as JNIM that has carried out several other attacks around Bamako. The attacks show how the al-Qaida affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin continues to expand its operations outside its traditional strongholds in northern and central Mali, said Heni Nsaibia, a senior researcher at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. As in other Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger ... major cities including the capitals themselves, are increasingly surrounded by a steady spread of Islamist militancy that poses an ever-increasing risk and challenge to the security environment. Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Malis northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks in the northern and central regions. The claim: An image shows a statement from Trump on Biden's COVID-19 positive status After President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19, the White House moved quickly to announce he contracted the virus. Soon after the announcement, claims that former President Donald Trump had released a statement on Biden's illness spread widely on social media. A tweet by Clay Travis, a conservative sports and political commentator, included a screenshot of the supposed statement. The tweet accrued thousands of retweets. The statement in the screenshot is dated July 21, 2022, and headlined with Trump's "Save America" logo. In it, the former president supposedly wishes Biden a swift recovery and calls his own fight with COVID-19 "Herculean, and not meaning the woke Disney Hercules." It adds, "I hope Sleepy Joe is able to bounce back quickly, much as I was." Within hours, the image of the supposed statement had also been shared in numerous Facebook and Instagram posts and on Twitter. "This is funnier than anything SNL has done in the last 15 years," one Facebook user wrote in a post of the image that was shared more than 50 times in a day. Comments showed many users believed the statement to be legitimately from Trump. However, the statement is fabricated, according to Trump's spokeswoman and his social media accounts. USA TODAY reached out to Travis and others who shared the image for comment. In a reply to his tweet of the image, Travis wrote, "This is a parody. But should be the official statement. Still a work of art." Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks In this file photo taken on July 14, 2022, US President Joe Biden wipes his nose after signing the guest book while visiting Israel's President Isaac Herzog at Beit HaNassi, the presidential residence in Jerusalem. Biden said on July 21, 2022 that he was "doing great" after the White House announced he had contracted Covid-19 and was isolating with mild symptoms. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Statement in viral posts was fabricated The message in the image may have convinced some people by repeating language Trump has previously used, including the terms "Sleepy Joe" and "China virus." It reads: Joe Biden, who many have said is our worst President, has come down with a case of the China virus, despite being vaccinated. I hope Sleepy Joe is able to bounce back quickly, much as I was. Doctors described my fight against the China virus as Herculean, and not meaning the woke Disney Hercules but rather the Kevin Sorbo one. The Lou Ferrigno one as well. Joe, I wish you a speedy recovery, even though you are taking America in the wrong direction. No one wants Kamala! Story continues However, Trump releases statements through his email list and Truth Social, a Twitter alternative owned by his media company, according to Harrington. The message doesn't appear on Trump's Truth Social profile or on his personal website, where his email statements are also published. "(The statement) is not real," Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington wrote in an email to USA TODAY. Washington Post correspondent Philip Bump was among the first to debunk the fabricated statement in a Twitter thread posted on July 21. Fact check: Fake Trump quote about battling coronavirus, his body Our rating: Altered Based on our research, we rate ALTERED an image that supposedly shows a statement from Trump on Biden's COVID-19 positive status. Trump did not release this statement, his spokesperson told USA TODAY, and there's no evidence of the message on the former President's social media and website. The screenshot was altered to appear as if it is a statement from him. Fact check: Fabricated statement from Donald Trump spreads online amid Jan. 6 hearings Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Viral Trump statement on Biden's COVID-19 status is fake Far-right streamer Tim "Baked Alaska" Gionet, facing a federal charge for livestreaming inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pled guilty on Friday but not before his court proceedings were ironically interrupted by a livestreamer. A video posted on YouTube shows livestreamer James Worley stood outside Gionet's modest Florida home. He had on a red T-shirt with a map of the United States, sunglasses and a khaki hat. Traffic whizzed by. He complained about the heat as he waited for the federal court hearing, which ran nearly 30 minutes behind because of technical issues. He said he wanted to get the first interview of Baked Alaska after the court hearing. The hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., eventually began with a court staffer giving a routine warning that audio recordings of proceedings were strictly prohibited. One of Gionet's attorneys told the judge that the 33-year-old former Arizona resident was appearing by video from his home where there was a "a little distraction" going on because someone was livestreaming and protesting outside his home. "Protesting what?" U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan asked. I guess him as a person, I guess," the attorney said. A few moments later, the attorney told the judge that the protester was recording court proceedings in violation of court rules. The man, standing outside the home, appeared to have dialed into a public-access line set up for the media and the public to follow U.S. District Court court hearings. "Disconnect the public line," the judge ordered. Tim Baked Alaska streamed live from Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, a day before the riot as he walked down the street. The stream has since been taken down. Court records filed Friday afternoon showed that Gionet pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside the U.S. Capitol. He faces up to six months in prison and will be sentenced Jan. 12. His plea agreement stipulated that he must cooperate with the government's investigation into the Capitol riot. Story continues Worley, in a telephone interview with The Arizona Republic a few hours after the livestream, defended his actions outside Gionet's home. He said he is an acquaintance of Gionet and lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. The livestream was meant to be entertaining and to end with a possible interview, he said. "I was outside the house on a public right-of-way on the sidewalk. I wasn't protesting at all," Worley said, adding that Gionet lied. "There was no harm intended. There was no protesting." Worley said he later changed his YouTube video to private because he was getting harassed by people, who accused him of being in cahoots with Gionet to delay court proceedings. He said that accusation is totally off base. He said he was unaware the court prohibits audio recordings and didn't hear the staffer remind listers of the prohibition. The media policy for U.S. Courts in the D.C. District states that "the use of electronic devices to take photographs, make audio or video recordings, or transmit live audio or video streaming is prohibited." Gionet is known for livestreaming edgy, aggressive videos. He livestreamed from inside the U.S. Capitol as thousands of people overran the building and grounds and drove lawmakers into hiding on Jan. 6, 2021. The federal complaint against Gionet alleges he entered the U.S. Capitol between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and livestreamed video for 27 minutes on the DLive platform. The complaint alleges Gionet is repeatedly heard encouraging people not to leave. The video shows him entering a congressional office, sitting on a couch and placing his feet on a table. The video was later posted on YouTube and Twitter, where the FBI viewed it. Arizona: New law requires tougher background checks for Arizona massage therapists At one point in the video, the complaint says he curses repeatedly at law enforcement, calling one officer an "oath breaker." Gionet's attorney, Zach Thornley, has argued in court documents that the livestreamer was acting as a member of the press when he entered the Capitol. Thornley has said his client did not engage in violence and told others not to break or vandalize anything. He said Gionet left the building when he was told to go. Gionet has remained out of custody while facing federal charges. But he has twice been threatened with jail. In June 2021, he had additional release conditions imposed after having three interactions with Valley law enforcement over six days. In two interactions with Mesa police which he livestreamed in two parts he tells police officers that his friend assaulted him and slapped him in the face. Prosecutors also told the judge in June that Gionet has been banned from a Starbucks in Arizona for one year after he allegedly entered the business and played an offensive song. They did not give the store's location. He is prohibited from having weapons and is required to report any interaction he has with law enforcement to his pretrial services officer. At the time of his arrest in January 2021, Gionet listed as his residence a home owned by his parents in Queen Creek. Recent court filings say he is leasing a residence in Clearwater, Florida. Originally from Alaska, he told Business Insider in 2017 that his nickname came about as a way to brand himself. He was working in the entertainment industry, and his boss called him "Alaska." "So I came up with 'Baked Alaska,' because at the time I was a stoner. So I was like the baked kid from Alaska. And it's also a double meaning because it's a dessert." Gionet is one of at least 11 people with current or former ties to Arizona who face charges related to the Jan. 6 riot. The group includes a Cottonwood man dressed as a gladiator who the FBI says lives with his mom, a three-time Olympic swimmer who wore his Olympics team training jacket into the Capitol and yelled "(expletive) Nancy Pelosi!" and a self-described shaman whose bare chest and horned hat became synonymous with the Capitol rampage. In total, law enforcement has arrested nearly 800 defendants from nearly every state after a crowd of protesters turned violent on Jan. 6, 2021, stormed the historic building and sent lawmakers scrambling for shelter. The insurrection delayed Congress from certifying the presidential election of Democrat Joe Biden. The criminal cases are slowly making their way through the federal court system as the sheer number of cases and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused delays. Because of pandemic restrictions, the U.S. District set up public-access telephone lines that allow the public and the media to listen to court proceedings for people facing charges related to the U.S. Capitol riot. But listeners are warned by court staff at the beginning of hearings that recording is strictly prohibited. After public access to Gionet's Friday court hearing was cut off, Worley, the livestreamer, decided to end his livestream with a joke, leaving what he called a "gift" for Gionet. Walking across the street, he hung a prisoner shirt taken from a Halloween costume on a stop sign across from Gionet's home. Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Far-right media personality Baked Alaska faces up to 6 months prison Michael Fanone (right) had some choice words for Sen. Josh Hawley (left) in response to a video clip of the latter sprinting away from rioters. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Michael Fanone slammed Josh Hawley after a video of the lawmaker fleeing the Capitol mob was aired. Hawley, who had stirred up protesters, was seen running away as they stormed the Capitol building. "Josh Hawley's a bitch, and he ran like a bitch," Fanone told Politico. A former DC police officer who was brutally beaten by rioters during the Capitol riot has called Sen. Josh Hawley a "coward" and a "bitch" for fleeing from the very mob he helped rile up. Michael Fanone, who was knocked unconscious and badly injured in the attack at the Capitol, made the comments on Thursday in response to a video clip shown by the January 6 panel during its eighth public hearing on the riot. In the clip, Hawley is seen running away as rioters poured into the Capitol building. The now infamous image of Hawley raising his fist seemingly in support of the January 6 rioters as he entered the Capitol hours earlier stands in sharp contrast to the footage seen on Thursday. .@HawleyMO's legacy will forever be fleeing from the same mob he helped incite. pic.twitter.com/a3eOv84faA The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 22, 2022 "I thought he ran like a coward," Fanone told CNN's Don Lemon on Thursday. "Like many people in Trump world, he performs when he's in front of a camera, and he acts very differently when he is not," he added. Fanone also lamented that "a lot of Americans" tend to react positively to such behavior. The former police officer also had some choice words for Hawley when interviewed by Politico. "Well, to be completely honest, to give you the first thoughts that popped into my mind Josh Hawley is a bitch. And he ran like a bitch," Fanone said when asked about the Hawley clip. "The fist pump, combined with what he did in the immediate aftermath just shows the true character or lack thereof," he added, referring to the lawmaker. Story continues Fanone told Politico that there was an "eruption" of laughter after the video clip of Hawley fleeing was played. "Listen, obviously, I see the amusement of it, and I'm not going to fault people for finding it humorous, but that pisses me off. That guy's a clown," Fanone said. Representatives for Hawley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider The ex-Washington, DC police officer who was attacked with a stun gun during the January 6 riot said a clip of Missouri Senator Josh Hawley running from the mob hed offered a raised fist to hours before was a show of cowardice that indicated his true character. On Thursday, the House January 6 select committee used a portion of its eighth public hearing to present Capitol security footage of Mr Hawley running at full-tilt from the mob of former president Donald Trumps supporters on the day of the Capitol attack. Hours before, Mr Hawley had been photographed making a gesture of solidarity towards the crowd, but once theyd breached the Capitol defences he fled with the rest of his Senate colleagues. Former DC Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone, who attended the hearing as a guest of the select committee, said his first reaction to the clip which caused most of the hearing room audience to burst out laughing was one of scorn towards Mr Hawley. The first thought that popped into my mind was Josh Hawley is a b**** and he ran like a b****h, he said. The fist pump, combined with what he did in the immediate aftermath just shows the true character or lack thereof. Mr Fanone, who retired from the DC police force shortly after he testified in the select committees first public hearing last July, said he did not fault people for finding the clip of Mr Hawley humourous, but noted that he did not have the same reaction. That pisses me off that guy is a clown, he said. The way these guys perform in public, and then what they are in reality, you get a lot of that nonsense up here on Capitol Hill with these members of Congress that had become like a caricature in the media, but in reality, they have no character. They have no honour. They have no integrity. Elected officials were mourning Friday the death of former Norwalk Mayor Bill Collins, an influential Democrat who served in both the state legislature and the city. Collins was a key figure in his heyday, serving two terms in the legislature in the 1970s and then four terms as mayor. The mayoral terms were split as he won two races, lost for reelection, and then came back and won two more times. He served from 1977 through 1981 and then again from 1983 through 1987. Collins died in a car accident in New Mexico as he was on his way to see his stepson on the West Coast, said Alex Knopp, a former state legislator and longtime friend. Collins was known for traveling long distances by car. Bill Collins was the architect of Norwalks modern urban government,' said Knopp, who is also a former Norwalk mayor. His policies of staff professionalization, active city planning, support for education, historical preservation, using the Maritime Aquarium for tourism as a city economic development, and support for affordable housing all laid the foundation for the modern successful city that Norwalk has become.' Knopp credited Collins with the transformation of South Norwalk. His rescue of the SoNo downtown from the wreckers ball became known as one of the most important urban preservation projects in the country,' Knopp said. As close friends, the two Democrats served simultaneously as Knopp was the city council president at the time that Collins was serving as mayor. He was the first person to urge me to run for mayor,' Knopp said. Bill presided at my wedding and our families went on many vacation trips together to walk the streets and parks in other states.' The influence of Collins stretched over the decades. During a debate last year on the bottle deposit bill, Senate majority leader Bob Duff of Norwalk stood up to say that when he was a young boy, he wrote a letter to Collins about litter in the city. Bill helped inspire me to public service when I wrote to him as an 8-year-old about the future of Duffy Field, now Veterans Park,' Duff said Friday. The fact that he actually answered me back speaks volumes about his character. I still have his letter hanging in my office, which always reminds me to help the next generation into public service.' Story continues Duff added, Bill was a visionary leader who began the revitalization of Washington Street, supported the vision of The Maritime Aquarium and made sure the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion was saved. He made long-term decisions for the betterment of Norwalk even if they werent always popular at the time. Bills legacy with the city he loved and the people he represented will live on for generations. I will miss him, but Bill will always have a special place in my heart. Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com (Reuters) - FTX said on Friday it was planning to offer Voyager Digital's customers access to some of their funds, the latest relief measure by the Sam Bankman-Fried-led cryptocurrency exchange for the ailing crypto industry. Under the plan, Alameda Ventures, the trading firm also founded by Bankman-Fried, would purchase all of Voyager's digital assets and digital asset loans, except the loans to bankrupt crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital. Voyager's customers could then receive some of those funds if they open an account with FTX. Such customers could either withdraw the cash balance immediately or use it to make purchases on FTX's platform, the company said. FTX expects to close the deal in early August. Participation in the plan would be voluntary, the company added. Voyager filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month. In June, the company had signed an agreement with Alameda Ventures for a revolving line of credit. Bankman-Fried has become crypto's white knight in recent weeks, throwing lifelines to digital asset platforms that have stumbled in the crypto winter. (Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio) The cleaning of a garage revealed a tote bag with human remains, according to media reports. Ohio authorities identified the remains as those of Larry Davis, a man missing since March. Davis, a 48-year-old from Chillicothe, Ohio, was last seen on March 4, the Chillicothe Police Department said in a news release. According to WCMH, his family filed a missing person report a few days later, and authorities began searching for Davis. The search led them to a house on North Poplar Street, Davis last known location, WCMH reported. Authorities searched the garage and, according to The Scioto Valley Guardian, found Davis backpack and phone. But they found no sign of Davis, WCMH reported. A while later, on July 19, the family of the homeowner cleaned out the garage, the Scioto Valley Guardian reported. They found a tote bag and opened it, revealing a body. The family called police who identified the remains as Davis, according to a July 22 news release. The cause of Davis death remains unknown. Davis on-and-off girlfriend told WMCH that, I dont understand how the tote wasnt there the first time they went there and searched and now it is? Like, how did they miss it? Or when did it get there? Those questions remain unanswered as the investigation continues. Woman lay dead on her couch for 2 years. How did no one notice, London court asks Attacker hits woman with toilet seat while shes showering, Ohio prosecutor says 17-year-old kills a father and his son as he robbed their mobile home, Ohio cops say A Georgia woman has died after she fell from a patrol car while being arrested last week. Hancock County sheriffs deputies were called to a home in Sparta, Georgia on July 15 and arrested 28-year-old Brianna Marie Grier. Its unclear what she was being charged with. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says that while Grier was being taken to the Hancock County Sheriffs Office, she fell out of the patrol car and was injured. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Grier was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment of her injuries. She was pronounced dead nearly a week later on July 21. Hancock County Sheriff Terrell Primus requested the GBIs assistance after the initial incident. TRENDING STORIES: Griers body is being taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy as the GBI continues their investigation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: (Bloomberg) -- Germany agreed to provide a 17 billion-euro ($17.3 billion) rescue package for struggling utility Uniper SE in its biggest move to date to prevent the collapse of its energy network in the wake of Russias moves to slash gas deliveries. Most Read from Bloomberg While consumers will soon start to bear the cost of the fallout of lost supply, Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to contain the impact of the energy crunch on the wider economy as the country prepares for potential gas rationing in the coming months. We will do all that is necessary to ensure that together we will succeed and we will continue to do so for as long as it takes, Scholz said Friday in Berlin, interrupting his vacation to announce the bailout. We will overcome the difficult times together. Uniper became the first major corporate casualty of Europes unfolding gas crisis when it asked for a government bailout earlier this month. Germanys biggest buyer of Russian gas was pushed to the brink as President Vladimir Putin squeezed supplies in retaliation over European sanctions against Russias invasion of Ukraine. Decades of increasing reliance on cheap energy from Russia made Germany vulnerable to pressure from Moscow. German authorities have warned consumers to brace for energy bills to double or triple in the coming months, deepening the pain from surging cost-of-living increases. Im pleased and relieved that todays agreement stabilizes Uniper financially as a system-critical energy partner, Chief Executive Officer Klaus-Dieter Maubach said. We now have a clear perspective on how the costs, which arise due to the interrupted gas supplies from Russia can be shared by many shoulders. Story continues Scholz said a new package of aid measures would be put in place by early next year to ease the burden on households, as the government effectively shores up the entire energy sector. Uniper -- set up in 2016 from E.ON SEs former fossil-fuel assets -- emerged as the weakest link in the energy system that powers Europes largest economy. Its extensive contracts with Russias Gazprom PJSC made the utility particularly exposed to supply cuts and forced it to cover shortfalls at high prices on the spot market. As part of the bailout, Uniper can pass on 90% of the additional costs for replacing missing Gazprom supplies and it said the government would cover the losses on gas sold in Germany. After initial gains, Unipers shares tumbled as much as 25% to value the company at about 3 billion euros. Fortum Oyj, Unipers main shareholder, also rose and then fell as much as 6.3%. After the transaction closes, the government will control about 30% of Uniper, a holding big enough to give it veto rights on important strategic decisions. The total bailout package is worth more than four times the companys current market value, and it could just be the beginning. Whilst we have now achieved immediate stabilization of Uniper, further efforts will be required to create a long-term sustainable basis for the gas business, said Fortum CEO Markus Rauramo. The Finnish utility agreed to see its stake diluted to 56% from 78%. As it burned through cash, Uniper had already drawn a 2 billion-euro credit line from KfW and started talks about additional funds after getting 8 billion euros in financing earlier this year from Fortum. Despite the financial risk, Germany couldnt afford to let Uniper fail as the fallout would ripple through the economy, hitting industrial companies and local utilities. While flows on a key gas link with Russia have resumed after 10-day maintenance, deliveries remain significantly reduced and storage levels are low. On Thursday, Germany raised its targets for gas reserves, reflecting growing concern about having enough energy to heat homes and keep factories running through the winter. The move increases the likelihood that the government will intervene in managing supplies. Germanys gas storage stands at about 65%. To reach the 95% level targeted for Nov. 1, the country would need nearly three months at the average fill rates in the week before the Nord Stream pipeline was halted. Scholz indicated that he isnt relying on Russia to hold to its delivery commitments. The energy squeeze has been gradually becoming more tangible in Germany. Heating pools is banned, Cologne is dimming street lights and Hamburg plans to make warm water only available at certain times of the day. Some cities are setting up heating halls to help people escape the cold. In this crisis, the state must do everything possible to prevent the system from collapsing, said Michael Vassiliadis, head of the IGBCE union, acknowledging that higher energy bills needed to be part of the package. Waste needs to be combated through price. (Updates Olaf Scholz quote in the fifth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Woman pregnancy test Getty Images Earlier this month, an OB-GYN revealed that she terminated a pregnancy for a 10-year-old victim of sexual assault who was forced to travel from Ohio to Indiana following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn 1973's Roe v. Wade, sparking a national debate on whether a child should have to carry out a pregnancy. Many health experts have detailed the possible traumatic consequences that can occur to a young girl's body if they have to experience childbirth. Adolescent mothers reportedly face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections than older women, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm delivery and severe neonatal conditions. Dr. Ashok Dyalchand, who has worked heavily with pregnant adolescent girls for 40 years, told The New York Times that pregnant girls typically "have long labor, obstructed labor, the fetus bears down on the bladder and on the urethra," which can cause pelvic inflammatory disease or the rupture of tissue between the vagina and the bladder and rectum. At least 777,000 girls under the age of 15 give birth each year in developing regions, according to the World Health Organization. "It is a pathetic state particularly for girls who are less than 15 years of age," said Dyalchand, head of the Institute of Health Management Pachod, a public health organization serving marginalized communities in central India. "The complications, the morbidity and the mortality are much higher in girls under 15 than girls 16 to 19 although 16 to 19 has a mortality twice as high as women 20 and above." One critical health issue these young mothers face is that their pelvis is too small to birth even a small fetus. Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a board-certified OB/GYN at Yale University School of Medicine, and a member of PEOPLE's Health Squad, tells PEOPLE that there are multiple physical and psychological issues that can arise. "Physically she is nowhere near reaching adulthood the pelvis is not fully grown and the incidence of requiring a Cesarean section is significantly higher in the very young women," she explains, noting that typically the baby is too big to get out. "And then she may need future Cesarean sections." Story continues "You have a child herself dealing with a pregnancy. Her own body, which had been experiencing all sorts of changes, is now experiencing even more changes and she is nowhere near emotionally competent to deal with the psychological issues of normal adolescence on top of all the new issues of pregnancy," Minkin adds. "Pregnancy can be tough to deal with for a 24 or 34-year-old woman, let alone a 10-year-old child." Close-Up Of Mother Holding Baby Girl Getty Images RELATED: 10-Year-Old Ohio Girl Travels to Indiana for Abortion After SCOTUS Overturns Roe v. Wade Another major complication seen in very young women with their first child is a high incidence of preeclampsia, Minkin adds, which is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the U.S. and around the world. Preeclampsia, also known as toxemia, is a pregnancy condition that can cause serious complications and is characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. When preeclampsia isn't controlled, the mother can seize and the fetus can die, Minkin says. Dr. Shershah Syed, a gynecologist and expert on maternal mortality in Pakistan, told the Times that the "mental torture she will go through" is immeasurable. "In normal physiology a 10-year-old child is not supposed to be pregnant. The point is, she's a child and the child cannot deliver a child, she's not ready," Syed told the outlet. "They go to labor for three days, four days, five days, and after that labor, usually the baby is dead." When babies from very young mothers do survive, they typically have a very low birth weight, preterm deliveries, and severe neonatal conditions, according to WHO. Rarely has a rising politician thrilled party regulars the way Ron DeSantis is thrilling Republicans right now. "If you were scripting a perfect Republican presidential candidate, the list of preferred requirements would read something like DeSantis' resume," broadcaster Piers Morgan swooned in the New York Post last month. Like other conservative commentators, Morgan touted DeSantiss relative youth (hes 43); his honors degrees from Yale (undergraduate) and Harvard (law); his time as a Navy lawyer, which took him to Guantanamo and Iraq and won him a Bronze Star; and most of all his reign as governor of Florida, where he has muscled his way into the middle of every contemporary culture war from COVID-19 to "critical race theory" and banked over $100 million for his PAC and his 2024 reelection bid, a staggering sum for a state-level race. "I think [DeSantis would] destroy beleaguered Joe Biden or any other Democrat, for that matter to win the presidency," Morgan predicted. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Marco Bello/Reuters, Harrison McClary/Reuters) There's only one roadblock. He has to destroy Donald Trump first. The reason MAGA pundits are even mentioning Ron and Don in the same sentence is simple. Amid growing legal troubles and a deluge of damaging revelations by the House select committee investigating his supporters' insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, Trumps viselike grip on the Republican electorate may be slipping. According to a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll, more than 4 in 10 Republicans say either that Trump shouldn't run for president again (27%) or that theyre not sure (17%). Among all voters, a majority (52%) now think "Trump committed a crime by trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election," and even more (54%) think the U.S. Department of Justice should prosecute him numbers that could make some Republicans wary about his ability to win a general election. Meanwhile, DeSantis seems to be growing stronger. When asked to choose between the two potential 2024 candidates, fewer than half of registered voters who identify as Republicans or Republican-leaning independents say they would pick the former president (45%), according to the Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Nearly as many say they would prefer DeSantis (36%). GOP primary polls in key states such as New Hampshire, Michigan and Florida already put DeSantis in the lead (or close to it), and he has swept straw polls of GOP insiders in Wisconsin and Colorado in recent weeks. In September, he will headline the Republican National Committees fall retreat. Story continues A supporter of Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis at a 2018 campaign rally in South Daytona Beach, Fla. (Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images) It's a remarkable showing for a state-level politician who just four years ago was an obscure congressman in an uphill battle to become Floridas governor. On Capitol Hill, DeSantis was mostly known as a founding member of the far-right Freedom Caucus and a frequent Fox News guest; he barely defeated his Democratic opponent in 2018. But since then he has become a "conservative folk hero" by loudly railing against what he considers the excesses of the left closing schools and restricting businesses because of COVID-19; teaching students about structural racism and gender identity; wearing masks and then trolling liberals with laws that steer his state the opposite way. As a result, DeSantis has been called "Trump with a brain"; his brand of politics, "competent Trumpism." And he keeps rising in the polls. "I think DeSantis is the favorite right now," Jon Schweppe, policy director of the American Principles Project, a populist conservative think tank, told Yahoo News. "Whether or not but even if Trump runs, I think DeSantis can win." The question, though, is how. Is there a message that can actually pry Republican voters away from Trump after years of blind devotion? And can DeSantis credibly deliver it? Or is he doomed to follow in the footsteps of nearly every other Republican who has defied the former president? DeSantis is hardly the first to consider toppling Trump. Before the "Apprentice" stars dominance was fully established in 2016, more than a dozen GOP hopefuls tried to stop him from securing their partys nomination. Nothing they did from ignoring him (Jeb Bush) to excoriating him (John Kasich) to buttering him up (Ted Cruz) to mocking the size of his hands (Marco Rubio) worked. Trump won 45% of the vote in a crowded field and nearly three times as many delegates as anyone else. Now a comeback bid in 2024 looks to be less a matter of if than when. "In my own mind, Ive already made that decision," Trump told New York magazine last week. "My big decision will be whether I go before or after [the 2022 midterm elections]." Despite Trumps somewhat depleted state, he would still enter any 2024 GOP primary contest as the prohibitive favorite. So far every national poll that pits him against the rest of the potential field as opposed to just one challenger at a time shows the former president with a large plurality of the vote; many put him over 50%. Trumps small-donor base is huge; his psychological hold on the average Republican primary voter is unshakable; his sway over party officials is undimmed; and even without access to Twitter, his ability to command media attention remains unrivaled. For many younger Republicans who plainly want to be president someday ambitious strivers such as Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas or Josh Hawley of Missouri a third Trump effort would likely prevent them from launching a first attempt of their own. Ex-Trump officials who have been flirting with a White House run former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would struggle to circumvent their old boss. Former Vice President Mike Pence, at least, seems determined to make a go of it. But actual Republican voters are less enthusiastic about that prospect, with just 18% saying they would back Pence over Trump in the latest Yahoo News/YouGov survey. Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to a crowd of supporters in Chicago in June. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) As Trump put it to New York magazine, "I think a lot of people would not even run if I did because, if you look at the polls, they dont even register. Most of these people. And I think that you would actually have a backlash against them if they ran." Yet DeSantis appears undaunted. He has pointedly refused to seek Trumps endorsement for his Florida reelection bid or to rule out a run against Trump in 2024. He has criticized COVID policies under the former president. And he has raised more money than Trump so far this year including huge sums from six- and seven-figure Trump donors. (Trump himself has raised $140 million.) "DeSantis doesn't strike me as someone who would be afraid to challenge Trump," said Republican strategist Mike DuHaime. "I dont know if DeSantis will run, but I dont think hes afraid to." "I think DeSantis believes this is his best time to run and Trump is at his weakest," said veteran pollster Michael Cohen, managing director at Purple Strategies. "No one else is even close and that is without DeSantis engaging him yet." If Trump and DeSantis do decide to go toe-to-toe, they could dominate fundraising and media coverage, making it harder for other candidates to break through. And a smaller field could put the Florida governor in a better position to consolidate the non-Trump vote than his counterparts in 2016. "The only way [Trump] gets beaten for the nomination is if maybe somebody is able to run a one-on-one campaign against him probably DeSantis," lawyer George Conway, one of Trumps most outspoken conservative critics, recently predicted. Attorney George Conway, a conservative critic of Donald Trump, in 2019. (Georgetown Law School handout via Reuters) So far, Trump and DeSantis have refrained from crossing each other in public. For his part, Trump seems to believe that taking credit for DeSantiss career he backed the Floridians 2018 gubernatorial bid early might somehow dissuade the governor from challenging his supremacy. "Well, I get along with him," Trump said last month when asked if hed be willing to offer DeSantis the VP spot in 2024. "I was very responsible for his success, because I endorsed him and he went up like a rocket ship." Behind closed doors, however, Trump has "privately questioned DeSantis' loyalty while also raising questions about whether DeSantis is personable enough to win over voters," according to Politico. (Neither the Trump camp nor the DeSantis camp responded to requests for comment.) Meanwhile, those around DeSantis reportedly see the Jan. 6 hearings as a "shit show" that is "exhausting" the GOP donor class and might even end up sidelining Trump before 2024. "Thats where [DeSantiss] head is at," a Republican consultant familiar with the governor's thinking recently told Politico. "He thinks the goal here is to get Main Justice to go after him. Thats what Ron thinks this is all about." Both men, in other words, may be hoping to avoid a head-to-head contest. But neither should bet on the other backing down. Assuming they do face off in 2024, then can DeSantis really dethrone The Donald? Republican strategists say it's possible but only if DeSantis can convince enough base voters that Trump has finally become the very thing he has spent his entire life desperately trying not to be: a loser. Sarah Longwell, an anti-Trump GOP strategist, tweeted this week about a sudden shift that shes been seeing in her focus groups. "Just had another focus group of Trump voters where ZERO wanted Trump to run again in 2024," Longwell wrote. "Really a striking departure from dozens and dozens of focus groups pre-Jan. 6 hearings when at least half of any Trump-voting group wanted him to run again. His support is noticeably softer." Sarah Longwell, an anti-Trump GOP strategist, in 2017. (Rick Bowmer/AP) The reason, according to Longwell, isn't the hearings per se, which Trump voters still see as a "witch hunt." Rather, its the way the hearings remind them of "how much baggage Trump has." Republicans "want someone who can win in 2024 and [they] are increasingly unsure he can," Longwell concluded. DeSantiss goal would be to crystallize that concern then offer himself up as a winning alternative. He could point to President Biden's approval rating: just 38% right now, lower than any other modern president at this point in his first term (including Trump and Jimmy Carter). He could note that, despite Biden's paltry numbers, the damaged Democrat is still leading his predecessor in most nonpartisan national polls. And without directly contradicting the "stolen election" lie that has sadly become table stakes for GOP candidates in the Age of Trump, he could remind his fellow Republicans that Trump has never actually won the national popular vote. Trump is still the GOP alpha, Schweppe said, so attacking him directly will almost certainly "backfire." But if Republican voters are "presented with an alternative they think is even stronger who happens to maybe be more electorally viable in a head-to-head matchup with a Democrat, with Biden or whoever I think they're going to jump at it." If DeSantis can destabilize Trump, Republican strategists say, it wouldn't be hard for him to pivot to a positive case for his own candidacy. "Its a message that's very forward-looking, but also not anti-Trump," Schweppe said. "Let's go defeat woke-ism. Let's run it out of our institutions. Let's take this country back and actually make America great again." President Biden delivers his inauguration speech on Jan. 20, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/AFP via Getty Images) DeSantis, he added, is "an excellent messenger for that" because of "everything he's done" in Florida a MAGA-heavy resume that includes reopening schools early, railing against COVID mitigations, yelling at a student for wearing a mask, battling Disney over its support of LGBT rights and engaging in strategic spats with the press. The Florida governor has figured out that Republicans love a culture-war brawl, but that overdoing it can alienate a general-election electorate. His solution has been to provoke narrowly targeted fights over issues that matter a lot to highly engaged conservatives and liberals but that will not mean much to anybody else come 2024," the Atlantics David Frum argued last year. Think Trump 2.0, but with less counterproductive tweeting and more hard-nosed governing. "I'm taking what Trump did in 2016, where he broke through and really put the GOP in a great spot," Schweppe said, channeling DeSantis's message. "And I want to build on that. And here's how I'm going to do it. Look at my record in Florida. Look how I think on every issue you care about and was able to actually get legislation passed to start doing things. That's what I'm going to do if I'm elected president." Some insiders contacted by Yahoo News for this story dont think that DeSantis or anyone else can beat Trump in 2024. And given Trumps seemingly insurmountable bond with real-life Republican primary voters who dont always agree with conservative pundits and professional GOP strategists, many of whom have been rooting for Trumps demise for years the odds are probably on their side. No battle. Why would DeSantis go against Trump? Makes no sense. He can be a wildly successful two-term governor of the third-largest state and run for president in his 40s, Kellyanne Conway, a prominent Trump adviser and his 2016 campaign manager, told Yahoo News. This is not complicated. Former Trump White House adviser Kellyanne Conway. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) "Ron thinks he can run; I think Trump would absolutely destroy him," added a longtime Republican campaign director who requested anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations with aides from the Trump and DeSantis campaigns. "I think Ron's doing a great job in Florida. Rons weird with people. Hes a better governor than candidate for president." In Trumpworld, the most common refrain about DeSantis is that he doesnt have the "charisma" for a presidential campaign. "On DeSantis, I think he would say he's Trump without the abrasiveness," one Trump adviser told Yahoo News. "If he were to use that line of attack, which is what I think he would try to do, I think it would end badly because he's so much more of a jerk than the president ever was." An extensive New Yorker profile published in June portrayed DeSantis as a pathologically remote figure who is far more comfortable poring over scientific papers than performing the rituals of retail politics: working rope lines, making eye contact, connecting with other human beings. "People who work closely with him describe a man so aloof that he sometimes finds it difficult to carry on a conversation," the magazine reported. "You will be in the car with Ron DeSantis, and hell say nothing to you for an hour," a Republican donor once told Politico. "He would prefer it that way." DeSantis holds a press conference in Miami in January. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Yet so far, DeSantis's charm deficit hasn't halted his rise perhaps because he has figured out that combativeness plays even better on Fox News, where at times he has appeared at the astonishing rate of nearly once a day and where producers "see him as the future of the party," according to internal emails obtained by the Tampa Bay Times. As for waiting his turn? Strategists say that history tends to favor those who strike while the proverbial iron is hot. "Timing is so important in politics," said DuHaime. "Many thought Obama went too soon, only having been in the Senate for a year. But he was the right candidate for the right moment and won." Schweppe concurred. "[Former New Jersey Gov.] Chris Christie was probably the favorite to win the 2012 GOP primary," he said. "But he made a practical decision; he thought Obama was likely to win a second term. Then he didn't have the same gravitas in 2016. So your moment could be really fleeting." And even if DeSantis doesn't end up defeating Trump, Cohen argued, he "should [still] run now" if he wants to be next in line. "Trump is unlikely to win in 2024, despite Bidens low ratings," the pollster says. In that case, "DeSantis could conceivably run again in 2028." His message next time around? "I told you so." Republican states, including those at the southern border, are pushing back against calls from Democratic politicians in Washington D.C. and New York City for federal help with alleged surges in illegal immigrants hitting their cities -- arguing that those cities are dealing with the effects of liberal immigration policies by the Biden administration. Both NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser have blamed Arizona and Texas for sending migrants to their cities, which they say is straining their social services, including homeless shelters. Bowser claimed that migrants have been "tricked" into getting on buses to the nations capital and called for federal aid. "Local taxpayers are not picking up the tab. They should not pick up the tab," Bowser said. "We really need a coordinated federal response. We know that its done for refugees who come to the states from all points of the world and the same has to be done in this situation." NYC MAYOR ADAMS ASKS FOR FEDERAL MONEY TO HANDLE ASYLUM SEEKERS BUSED IN FROM OTHER STATES Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent migrants to Washington D.C. Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Adams, meanwhile, said NYC is dealing with a "marked increase" in asylum seekers, with more than 2,800 entering the citys shelter system. "In some instances, families are arriving on buses sent by the Texas and Arizona governments, while in other cases, it appears that individuals are being sent by the federal government," he said in a statement. Both Texas and Arizona have been moving migrants to the nations capital as part of an effort to bring what they say are the consequences of "open border" policies to the politicians who promote them -- but they both denied sending any migrants to the Big Apple. They have also urged those mayors to turn their attention to the Biden administration, not to their states. In a statement, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said that Adams "needs to get his facts straight and pay closer attention to whats really occurring because our nations security depends on it." Story continues "The State of Arizona is providing voluntary transportation for asylum seekers only to Washington, D.C., not New York," he said. "President Biden created the crisis at the border hes failed to respond to calls for action and refuses to even visit the border, so were bringing the issue a little closer to home for him." "The Presidents policies have placed overwhelming burdens on Arizona communities," he said. "Its convenient that these liberal mayors are finally speaking up on this humanitarian crisis once it affects their communities, even though our program does not charter to New York City." Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Texas Gov. Abbott, also said that Texas had bused 5,200 migrants to D.C. since April, but not to NYC. "If these Democrat mayors are now that concerned about having migrants in their cities, they should call on President Biden to do his job and secure the border, instead of attacking Texas with baseless political accusations," she said in a statement. MAYOR BOWSER CLAIMS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CROWDING DC HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE ASYLUM SEEKERS TRICKED ONTO BUSES "Our border communities are being overrun and overwhelmed as President Bidens open border policies encourage record-high illegal crossings and deadly drugs like fentanyl to flood into our state, and Texas is utilizing every strategy to help our local partners," she said. "Every American community is a border community until President Biden secures our southern border." Meanwhile, in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis battled with the Biden administration last year over the movement of migrants into the Sunshine State. Most recently, he has secured funding to transport migrants out of Florida -- and has suggested they be sent to Bidens home state of Delaware. When asked whether DeSantis was sympathetic to the concerns of the D.C. and NYC mayors, DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw told Fox News Digital: "Were sympathetic to the concerns of all Americans who are suffering due to Bidenflation, housing shortages, and failing public schools that are further strained by uncontrolled illegal migration." "This is a direct result of President Bidens open-border agenda, which most liberal politicians (including the Mayor of NYC) have vocally supported," she said. "In other words, we feel for the innocent citizens harmed by the Biden Border Crisis, but we have zero sympathy for the politicians who created it and now complain about the predictable results." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office has suggested sending migrants in Florida to Biden's home state of Delaware. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images "For over a year, Governor DeSantis has pointed out that everyday Americans particularly in Texas and Arizona, but also in Florida and elsewhere are bearing the brunt of consequences from the Biden open-borders agenda," she added. "Meanwhile, Biden and other elites who advocate for these inhumane and anti-American policies have been insulated from their harmful effects." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP DeSantis office highlighted a slew of overdoses on fentanyl, which is primarily brought in via the southern border, as well as a number of Floridians who have been killed by illegal immigrant criminals -- as well as "skyrocketing" human trafficking into the state. "Politicians in Washington, DC and New York City have pushed an open-border agenda while having the privilege to ignore the horrific consequences," Pushaw said. "Thats why Governor DeSantis supports the efforts to send illegal aliens to cities (including DC and NYC) controlled by those politicians who have supported and enabled such reckless violations of our sovereignty." Republicans have pointed to the rollback of Trump-era policies like the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) by the Biden administration, as well as the narrowing of interior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) priorities and the halting of border wall construction. The Biden administration has instead stressed the importance of tackling "root causes" like violence and poverty in Central America. A Harris County grand jury has decided not to indict a Texas man who accidentally shot 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez. Tony Earls was found not responsible for the tragic death of Alvarez on Tuesday. However, the courts have insisted that he help the family find the man responsible for the incident. Earls was found innocent after a pending investigation determined that while at a Chase Bank ATM on Feb. 14, Earls and his wife were robbed as they were preparing to attend a late dinner at a pizzeria. Earls chased the robber and shot at a truck that he assumed the suspect was getting into but was wrong and struck the vehicle belonging to the Alvarez family. The fourth grader watching a movie in the backseat with headphones on could not hear her mothers cries to duck down. The bullet fatally injured the young girl when it struck her head. Earls was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault causing severe bodily injury. A $30,000 reward will be given to anyone who finds the perpetrator. Police have released surveillance footage. Today is an extremely difficult day. Arlene never asked to be put in this situation. Today, she is everyones daughter, a Harris County representative from The Crime Stoppers division said. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg believes Earls was found guilty because of his need to defend himself and his wife. Harris County Grand Jury declines to indict man in fatal shooting of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez, DA says https://t.co/kBA8nAaI9i pic.twitter.com/xh7r2eddJW KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) July 19, 2022 The grand jury, a random group of ordinary people in Harris County who answered their jury summons, heard the evidence in this case as presented by our prosecutors, heard all of the possible charges from murder to manslaughter to aggravated assault to criminally negligent homicide. That grand jury also heard possible defenses, Ogg said. Story continues Ogg explained that in the Earls-Alvarez case, Earls was excused under these circumstances where he had operated in a matter of defense of ones property. Earls will no longer face charges in Alvarezs murder, and his case cannot be reopened. The family is devastated by the ruling. The young girls mother, Gwen Alvarez, feels Earls intended to kill whoever was in the vehicle. I go back to that day every night, and I know what happened. Maybe Earls was not accountable for his actions, but he knows with what intentions he did, Gwen said. With what intentions he shot at our vehicle because self-defense is not more than nine shots. He knew what he was doing, and he knew he was going to intentionally kill whoever was in that vehicle. Earls released a statement through his attorney about the grand jurys final decision. We are relieved that, despite the emotion and tough decisions that had to be made in dealing with this case, justice was served for Mr. Earls, the statement said. We do not envy the difficult task of the grand jury, but we certainly appreciate their careful deliberation. The family wants someone held accountable for the murder of their daughter. A heatwave in northern Greenland melted nearly six billion tonnes of ice in just three days enough water to leave the entire state of West Virginia standing in a foot water, scientists said. Temperatures in the Arctic region have recently hit 60 degrees Fahrenheit (nearly 16 degrees Celsius). Northern Greenland normally remains below freezing, even in summer, with maximum temperatures around 32F (0C). The extreme heat led to vast melting from the islands gigantic ice sheet, between 15-17 July, sending billions of gallons of freshwater into the ocean. Footage from CNN showed water streaming across the landscape. Ice sheets are melting because of excess heat trapped in the atmosphere, largely caused by emissions from burning fossil fuels, and fuelling global sea level rise. If Greenlands entire ice sheet were to melt, the worlds oceans would rise by seven metres (23 feet), Nasa says. The northern melt this past week is not normal, looking at 30 to 40 years of climate averages, Ted Scambos, a University of Colorado scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center, told CNN. Greenland has faced a run of extreme summer temperatures. In 2019, Earths third hottest year on record, Greenlands ice sheet lost an average of one million tonnes of water every minute. Over the whole year, thats enough to fill up 200 million Olympic-size swimming pools. Climate scientists are gravely concerned about the lost of ice from the polar regions - particularly in the Arctic which is now warming at four times the rate of the rest of the world. Greenland, the worlds largest island between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, is on pace to lose more ice this century than in any other 100-year period for 12,000 years. There are concerns that the islands ice sheet is approaching a tipping point, where the ice destabilizes enough to accelerate even more melting. Melting ice sheets, along with melting glaciers and ocean waters that are expanding due to increasing heat, is causing sea-level rise around the world. Story continues Even if the world takes aggressive action to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, the oceans are expected to rise by half a metre (1.6ft) by the end of the century, the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the worlds leading climate authority, says. Sea level rise caused by the climate crisis will have long term repercussions. Under even the best-case emissions scenario, sea levels could rise up to three metres (10ft) by 2300. If we continue to pump emissions into the atmosphere unabated, seas could rise nearly a metre (3ft) by the end of this century and over six metres (20ft) by 2300, the IPCC warns. Such changes would be enough to decimate coastal cities around the world, including New York City, Miami and Shanghai, along with vast areas of low-lying countries like Bangladesh home to tens of millions of people. When history records the COVID-19 pandemic, many phrases, virtually every one of them negative, will be used to describe the impact on families, students, society, economy. They'll discuss the premature death of elderly and/or medically compromised citizens, the academic achievement and advancement that was disrupted, the increase in suicide rate, economic instability and insecurity; and the list of negatives goes on. However, there is one unanticipated positive interpretation of the pandemic that demands exploration, the gift that goes on giving. Only a fool would deny COVID-19 caught the United States and the world off guard. The sudden and massive negative impacts on society demanded a sudden and massive attempt at relief. As is so often the case in the eyes of government, the way to combat any negative issue is with piles and piles of money. To that end $2.2 trillion generated the 2020 Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). Largely because state and local governments could not design projects and spend allotted funds within one year, as specified by the CARES ACT, a second $1.9 trillion program American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was immediately passed by Congress. ARPA allowed local governments until December 2024 to spend funds. Bucks County government, school districts and municipalities received $109 million and $298 million, respectively, from the two acts. With the United States on the verge of financial recession caused in part not totally, but in part by CARES and ARPA spending it is imperative that taxpayers are confident that elected officials view their role as responsible stewards when directing investment of newfound millions of dollars. Elected officials must avoid the caustic advice of Rahm Emanuel, You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before." Every taxpayer deserves nothing less than absolute certainty that the elected officials charged with oversight of millions of COVID dollars are in fact good stewards and not falling prey to taking advantage of an opportunity to do what could not be done before relative to use of pandemic relief dollars. Story continues While the vast majority of pandemic relief spending by Bucks Countys commissioners is beyond reproach, there are, in the mind of this writer, dozens of projects similar to those sampled below that call into question if perhaps the line between good steward/caustic advice may have been crossed on more than a few occasions: September 2, 2020: $1,863,766 to replace a generator at Neshaminy Manor October 7, 2020: $4,053,587 to replace radio equipment for eight county departments October 7, 2020: $190,371 to purchase four vehicles (one for the department of general services, one for the coroner and two for the county sheriff's office. June 15, 2022: $387,703 for sign-on and retention bonuses, no longer bound July 6, 2022: $391,703 to purchase a Workforce on Wheels vehicle July 6, 2022: $5 million on sign-on and retention bonuses (11 to county providers, three to unions, non-union personnel) July 6, 2022: $387,703 to correct June 15, 2022 wording to read approve ARPA funding for programs for at-risk and low-income youth at Bristol Education Center. So why all the fuss? What if Bucks Countys spend lines may been blurred a time or two? If Bucks County didnt use its allotted federal dollars some other county would. Between CARES and ARPA Bucks County received approximately $400 million. If lines may become blurred consciously or unconsciously, even by as little as 5% to 10%, that equates to between $20 million and $40 million. There are 1,143 counties in the United States. If each county blurred its spending by 5% 10% billions of dollars would become questionable. As economic recession becomes more of a possibility with each passing day, every citizen has an absolute responsibility to question potential blurred spending by elected officials. Andy Warren is a resident of Langhorne and a former Bucks County commissioner. This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Guest Opinion: Watch the commissioners' COVID relief spending closely Toddlers to teenagers are sleeping in classrooms at the prestigious Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague Hundreds of children in Haiti are taking refuge at a high school in the capital Port-au-Prince after escaping gang violence that has claimed hundreds of lives this month. Toddlers to teenagers are sleeping in classrooms at the prestigious Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague. A severe wave of violence erupted between two rival gangs in the Cite Soleil area on 7 July. Around 300 people have reportedly been killed, Human Rights Watch says. Children joked around in the playground on Friday, playing hide and seek or improvised football games with plastic bottles, Reuters reported from inside the school. Kids have been playing games as the violence continues outside the school grounds But Sister Rosemiline, a nun with religious community group Kizito Family, said "the kids need a lot of help". "The situation is really bad where they are from. We are waiting for food but what we get is not satisfactory to the kids," she said, adding that she is hoping to relocate them. A community organiser told Reuters that the children wore school uniforms to convince gang leaders they were on their way to class in order to escape the violence. Most of the children are alone as their parents were unable to flee the Cite Soleil turf war, he said. The children managed to escape the violent turf war, but many are without their parents Battles between the G9 and G-Pep gangs erupted on 7 July over control of the neighbourhood. Human Rights Watch said on Friday that roughly 300 people have been killed, including 21 whose bodies were apparently burned, and 16 people have been reported missing, citing the National Human Rights Defence Network. "The gangs also burned homes and used heavy machinery to demolish them, the group said, with 125 homes reportedly destroyed," it said. The situation has become so dire that earlier this week the UN Security Council voted unanimously to ban some weapon sales to Haiti. There have been protests over chronic fuel and electricity shortages Gang violence has shot up since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by mercenaries a year ago. According to the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, 540 people were kidnapped and more than 780 were killed between January and May 2022. In the last five months of last year, 396 people were kidnapped and 668 killed. The country has also been hit by chronic fuel and electricity shortages because of the gang violence. By Harold Isaac PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Hundreds of Haitian children are taking refuge at a prestigious high school in Port-au-Prince after escaping gang violence in the town of Cite Soleil that killed some 400 people and destroyed hundreds of homes this month. At the sprawling campus of Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague, which is currently empty for summer vacation, children ranging from teenagers to toddlers are sleeping in classrooms that are serving as improvised dormitories. They chatted and joked in the recess yard on Friday, playing hide and seek or improvised soccer games with plastic bottles. They gathered excitedly when a Reuters reporter arrived to ask questions about their situation. "The kids need a lot of help," said Sister Rosemiline, a nun with religious community group Kizito Family, who said she stopped using her last name after taking her vows. "The situation is really bad where they are from. We are waiting for food but what we get is not satisfactory to the kids," she said, adding that her organization is hoping to relocate them to five other sites. The children are part of a group who donned school uniforms to convince gang leaders they were on their way to school in order to escape the turf war, according to a community organizer leading the effort to shelter the children. The vast majority were there without their parents, most of whom could not leave Cite Soleil because of continuing gang violence, he said, asking not to be identified for fear of gang reprisals. Children started arriving at the school a week ago, some of them barefoot. Most have nowhere to return to because their homes were burned during the battles between the G9 and G-pep gangs. (Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Brian Ellsworth in Miami; Editing by Matthew Lewis) A party bus with a roof deck built on top was pulled over and ticketed in New Jersey for letting people ride on top on the highway. Today in health care, President Bidens doctor gave updates on his health as we entered day two of the presidential COVID case. 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. Doctor says Bidens symptoms easing President Bidens COVID-19 symptoms have improved but he ran a 99.4 degree temperature on Thursday evening, his physician Kevin OConnor wrote in a memorandum on Friday. OConnor said that Bidens temperature has returned to normal after Biden took Tylenol and that the president continues to experience a runny nose, fatigue and an occasional cough. His voice is deeper this morning. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal, on room air, OConnor wrote. The physician said that Biden is tolerating the antiviral Paxlovid well and that he would continue the course as planned. OConnor said Biden would continue to drink water, take Tylenol and use his inhaler as needed. The letter is the first update from Bidens physician since Thursday morning, when he wrote a letter detailing the presidents symptoms and treatment after he tested positive for COVID-19. The national security angle: White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday that Bidens COVID-19 diagnosis has had no impact whatsoever on the national security decision-making process, noting that the president joined a regular call with his national security team on Friday morning. Read more here. Klobuchar concerned over One Medical acquisition Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a fierce critic of Amazons market power, is urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the e-commerce giants proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of primary health care provider One Medical. Story continues The Minnesota Democrat, chair of the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, asked the FTC in a letter Thursday to investigate the deal over concerns she said it raises about anti-competitive behavior in the pharmaceutical industry and sensitive data it would allow the company to accumulate. This proposed transaction raises questions about potential anticompetitive effects related to the pharmacy services business Amazon already owns and about preferencing vendors who offer other services through Amazon, Klobuchar wrote. I also ask that the FTC consider the role of data, including as a potential barrier to entry, given that this proposed deal could result in the accumulation of highly sensitive personal health data in the hands of an already data-intensive company, she added. The American Economic Liberties Project has pushed for regulators to block Amazons One Medical Acquisition, calling it dangerous. Allowing Amazon to control the health care data for another 700,000+ individuals is terrifying, Krista Brown, a senior policy analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement. Read more here. JUDGE EXTENDS ORDER BLOCKING KENTUCKY ABORTION BAN A Kentucky order blocking an abortion ban was extended Friday, preventing a trigger law from taking effect and keeping the procedure legal in the state. The trigger law went into effect after the recent U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month. But Kentuckys Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Mitch Perry suspended the ban with a June 30 temporary order. Perry extended that order with a temporary injunction Friday. The injunction will prevent enforcement of a ban that would criminalize almost all abortions in the state, and comes after a challenge from Kentucky abortion-rights groups contending that the state constitution protects the right to the procedure. Read more here. LA POISED TO IMPOSE NEW INDOOR MASK RULES Most places in the U.S. do not have mask mandates, but Los Angeles could soon be an exception. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is expected to instate an indoor mask mandate as early as next week, in response to rising COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations in the area. County officials have said theyd reinstate the indoor mask rules if the county stays under high levels for two weeks. To reach the high category, the countys rate of daily COVID-positive patients admitted to area hospitals would top 10 per 100,000 residents. LA County lifted outdoor mask rules in February and got rid of the indoor mandate in March. Reinstating the indoor mandate in the nations most populous county would impact 10 million residents. Under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) metric measuring COVID-19 in a community, LA County is currently flagged as high risk, and the CDC recommends indoor masking in public to match these elevated case levels. Much of California is under this designation, according to the latest CDC county maps. Read more here. California Dem presses Biden for more monkeypox vax Pressure is rising to step up the U.S. response to monkeypox. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) pressed the Biden administration on Friday to increase the volume of monkeypox vaccines to his state, which has endured the highest number of infections in the country. Padilla urged the administration to work together to address the outbreak and increase access to the Jynneos vaccine, a smallpox inoculation used to prevent monkeypox, in a letter addressed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky and Dawn OConnell, the Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary of preparedness and response. The United States has invested billions of dollars to develop, manufacture, and stockpile doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine as a component of a federal biosecurity program, Padilla wrote. However, across the country, state and local health officials have reported that limited vaccine supplies are not keeping pace with the growing number of people seeking appointments, a gap that continues to fuel anxiety about a virus that is generally unfamiliar to Americans, he continued. Cases of monkeypox in the United States reached 2,000 this week, and a majority of them have been recorded in the state of California. Read more here. WHAT WERE READING As new variant spreads, a crucial drug to protect the most vulnerable goes vastly underused (Stat) Bidens bout with covid tests his return-to-normal strategy (Washington Post) Clinical trials could get monkeypox drug to desperate patients, but U.S. efforts lag (NBC) STATE BY STATE South Carolina bill outlaws websites that tell how to get an abortion (Washington Post) Wyoming abortion ban expected to take effect in coming days (Associated Press) Bulk of North Dakota counties have elevated COVID-19 transmission risk (The Bismarck Tribune) THE HILL OPEDS Finally, check out The Hills photos of the week Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you next week. VIEW FULL VERSION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Police identified the man they arrested late Thursday night after a long standoff in front of a motel near the downtown as Jakeima Rohrbach, 32, of Redding. Officials gave no other information in a Facebook post early Friday morning. "The Redding Police Department will provide an update regarding the facts of this incident, along with all charges being sought against Rohrbach, once the investigation is completed," the post said. Rohrbach was being held Friday in the Shasta County Jail with no bail. He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless evading of a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, violating a domestic violence restraining order and failure to appear on a felony charge. The incident began about 5:45 p.m. on Thursday when police said they received a tip that a man wanted on felony warrants was at the Market Street Manor Motel. Officers arrived to arrest him as he was getting into the car to leave, said Capt. Brian Cole with the Redding Police Department. "He's armed with a firearm," Cole said, so police called in the SWAT team and Crisis Intervention Response Team to help. The CIRT negotiated with him on the phone, Cole said as he stood across the street from the motel. "We're trying to take it as slow as possible to get him to give up safely so nobody gets hurt." Police escorted guests from the hotel, cordoned off the motel and closed Market Street to traffic near Mallory's Flowers & Gifts shop, as a helicopter hovered over the area. The standoff ended about 10:45 p.m. when the man came out of the car with his hands up, in front of two SWAT vehicles and a barking police K-9. No shots were fired. Update 10:45 p.m. Redding police arrested a man in the parking lot of the Market Street Manor motel after a five-hour standoff Thursday night. The man barricaded himself in a car, but finally came out of the vehicle with his hands up, in front of two SWAT vehicles and a barking police K-9. Story continues No shots were fired. A man wanted on felony warrants was arrested Thursday night after a five-hour standoff with Redding police in the parking lot of the Market Street Manor Motel. Original story Redding police who've swarmed the parking lot of a Market Street motel near the downtown say they are trying to negotiate with a man who is inside his car with a weapon and will not come out. A SWAT team rifleman at right keeps his eye on a man who refused to come out of his car during a five-hour standoff in the parking lot of the Market Street Manor Hotel on Thursday evening, July 21, 2022. The man, who was wanted on felony warrants, eventually surrendered about 10:45 p.m. At about 5:45 p.m., police said they received a tip that a man wanted on felony warrants was at the Market Street Manor Motel near downtown Redding. Officers arrived to arrest him as he was getting into the car to leave. said Capt. Brian Cole with the Redding Police Department. "He's armed with a firearm" so police called in the SWAT team and Crisis Intervention Response Team to help. Police cordoned off Market Street Manor Motel on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Members of the Crisis Intervention Response Team are negotiating with him on the phone, Cole said. "We're trying to take it as slow as possible to get him to give up safely so nobody gets hurt." Police escorted guests from the hotel so they're not in danger, Cole said. Police are asking motorists and pedestrians to stay out of the area, he said. Negotiations are still in progress, police said at 8 p.m. Redding police swarmed the parking lot of the Market Street Manor Motel near downtown Redding on Thursday July 21, 2022. Original story A heavy police presence was seen early Thursday evening in a parking lot of a motel on Market Street near downtown Redding. Police have cordoned off Market Street Manor Motel and blocked off Market Street near Mallory's Flowers & Gifts shop. A helicopter was hovering over the area. Police cautioned drivers on social media to avoid the area of Market Street near the motel because of their presence but did not say what prompted them to come out. Law enforcement could be seen throwing what appeared to be tear gas into one of the rooms and at least one officer wiped their eyes after four or five loud bursts. Redding police are seen outside the Market Street Manor Motel on Thursday, July 21, 2022. More: Lawsuit to obtain records about investigation into former Sheriff Magrini moves forward A Record Searchlight journalist is at the scene. Check back on this story for updates. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Man arrested after standoff outside downtown Redding motel Hungary is hoping "better cooperation" with the European Commission will unlock billions of euros (dollars) of held-up funds, according to the minister in charge of the negotiations, as its economy struggles. Brussels has so far refused to approve post-Covid recovery funds for Budapest, citing concerns over rule of law and alleged corruption, making Hungary the only EU member not yet to have received the green light. "There are obviously areas of disagreement between Budapest and the European Union at a high political level, but I think much better cooperation is possible in day-to-day exchanges," Tibor Navracsics, a minister in Prime Minister Viktor Orban's cabinet, told AFP in an interview this week. Orban, who has ruled Hungary since 2010 and was re-elected in April by a landslide, has frequently clashed with Brussels over issues including migration and LGBTQ rights. In the latest row, the nationalist premier last week said Europe had "shot itself in the lungs" with sanctions targeting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, while his foreign minister travelled to Moscow on Thursday to discuss buying more gas despite EU-Russia tensions. - 'Indispensable' - Better communication "is indispensable for reaching an agreement on the funds", which are "very important" for Hungary, said Navracsics, who is regarded as a moderate in Orban's cabinet. The 56-year-old said that work was "continuing" to find a compromise, but gave no timeframe for when 5.8 billion euros ($5.9 billion) in funding might be unlocked. Like the rest of Europe, Hungary is struggling with decades-high inflation, despite the government introducing price caps on a range of different products. Thousands took to the streets last week to protest against a change in the tax law which the government says is needed for its budget. The central European nation of nearly 10 million people, which is largely dependent on Russian oil and gas, last week declared a "state of danger" over the energy crisis. Story continues The government "needs the money. There is huge fiscal pressure," Gabor Gyori, an analyst with Budapest-based think tank Policy Solutions, told AFP. "The truth is that Hungary is very dependent on both: EU funds and Russian energy. It is a genuinely tricky situation for the Orban government." Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga this week presented two laws to improve transparency in the legislative process and better fight corruption. These efforts put a deal with the EU Commission "within reach", Varga said on Facebook. - 'Jekyll and Hyde' - But critics, like Gyori, are doubtful that Orban will make "genuine concessions on fighting corruption". "This is his dilemma. What is the minimum he can offer to get aid? The problem is very systemic and I don't see major movements," he said. "It's like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde," he added, pointing at the government's "dual communication" -- on one hand seeking to appease Brussels, but on the other hand taking actions sure to cause friction. At the same time, the EU is under pressure not to let Hungary off easily, Gyori said. In a separate row in April, Brussels triggered the so-called "conditionality" mechanism -- never used previously -- against Hungary over concerns about the misuse of EU funds by Orban's government. The two issues "are closely linked", Navracsics said, adding it was important "to strengthen the Hungarian rule of law so that there are no more doubts that Hungary is... a democracy like the EU members". mg-anb/jza/spm An Indian woman who needed an emergency surgery was airlifted from the United States to her home country this week in one of the longest aeromedical evacuations in recent years here. The flight lasted 26 hours and stopped three times on the way - once in Iceland and twice in Turkey - before reaching the southern Indian city of Chennai (Madras) early Tuesday morning. The woman is now awaiting surgery at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai. A hospital spokesperson told BBC Hindi that her condition was stable. "She was in the ICU in the US with a heart valve problem. The family was in touch with our cardiologist Dr Sai Satish from 5 July. They came here to get the heart valve repaired," a hospital official said. The 67-year-old woman - whose identity has not been disclosed - was staying with her children in Portland, Oregon, when she developed the problem. Her family felt it would be better for her to be treated at home and contacted the International Critical-Care Air Transfer Team (ICATT), an air ambulance service based in the southern Indian city of Bangalore (Bengaluru), where the woman is from. "We used two planes to reduce the mandatory fuelling and maintenance time at airports to fly her to Chennai, where she is set to have her surgery," says Dr Shalini Nalwad, co-founder and director of ICATT. The flight time, Dr Nalwad says, beat the company's previous record of an 18-hour-long journey from Johannesburg in South Africa to Chennai with a cancer patient - this was done during the peak of the Covid lockdown in 2020, when flight services were curtailed. The air ambulance market is still at a nascent stage in India - industry experts say it is currently growing at around 6% every year and has high potential for expansion. Most Indians are unable to afford the high costs of private air ambulances, but operators say demand is growing. In May, a federal minister told India's parliament that there are 49 air ambulances in the country, run by 19 operators. In the past three years, about 4,100 patients have been moved in air ambulances in India. Story continues From Reykjavik to Istanbul In the recent case, a medical team from ICATT reached Portland two days before the scheduled flight to make the arrangements and get the patient ready. The team included critical care physicians and two perfusionists (who operate heart-lung machines). They first flew in a Challenger 605 plane - which has been converted into a "flying ICU" - to Reykjavik in Iceland, where the plane was refuelled. Then they went to Istanbul, in Turkey, where the patient was shifted to another plane which had a new crew. They then stopped once more for refuelling in Diyarbakir in Turkey, before flying to Chennai. The aircraft was changed, Dr Nalwad says, to reduce the time taken for mandatory checks every time a plane stops for refuelling. "It is also mandatory for the pilots to rest after eight hours of flying, so the crew was also changed," she added. ICATT, which was set up in 2017, has 25 doctors and 25 perfusionists. It owns two aircraft in India - one is usually parked in a southern city while the other is in the eastern city of Kolkata in West Bengal state. The second plane was shifted from the capital, Delhi, to Kolkata because of high demand from patients in north-eastern states, Dr Nalwad said. Many patients from the north-eastern and northern states use these services to travel to hospitals in the south, where medical infrastructure and facilities are better. India's southern states have comparatively better health infrastructure Shifting the plane to Kolkata has cut costs, she said - while earlier, a patient would pay 1.4m rupees ($17,500; 14,690) to fly from Kolkata to a major southern city, now they would be charged only about half that amount. The recent flight, from Portland to Chennai "was expensive", Dr Nalwad says, without giving the number. But news reports have estimated that the journey cost around 10m rupees. ICATT, Dr Nalwad says, airlifts about two-three patients every day. They also airlift organs for transplant and surgical teams. You may also be interested in: The chief minister of a north Indian state was briefly hospitalised two days after a viral video showed he downed a glass of polluted water from a holy river on the heels of a campaign to clean waterbodies. The video of Punjab state chief minister Bhagwant Manns act of drinking water from the Kali Bein river in Punjabs Sultanpur Lodhi city has gone viral after reports emerged of his subsequent alleged illness. Mr Mann, who was elected the states chief minister in March, was admitted to neighbouring state Delhis Indraprastha Apollo Hospital on Tuesday, reported The Indian Express. He fell ill with a severe stomach ache at his residence in Chandigarh city and had to be airlifted to Delhi, the report said, citing sources familiar with the incident. People soon started linking his reported illness to him drinking water from the river, considered to be holy. His office has, however, denied the chief minister fell ill and said Mr Mann went to the hospital for a routine checkup. The chief minister was invited by lawmaker Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal to participate in the 22nd anniversary of the cleaning of the river. Surrounded by saffron-clad religious seers, Mr Mann was seen scooping up a glass of water from the river and downing it amid loud cheers from the crowd, showed the video, which was also tweeted by the Punjab unit of his political outfit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). AAP said in its tweet that Mr Mann drank holy water at Sultanpur Lodhi, the land touched by Guru Nanak Sahibs [Sikh religions founder] feet. The Independent has reached out to Mr Manns office for a statement. The denial of illness, however, did not deter several social media users who dubbed it a failed PR stunt by saying that the contaminated water from the river was the reason behind his hospitalisation. Punjab Chief Minister openly drinks a glass of polluted water from a holy river to prove that water is clean. Now admitted to hospital, said Ashok Swain, a professor. EXCLUSIVE: Republicans on the House Select Committee on Intelligence are raising the alarm about "grave" national security threats facing Americans due to the destabilized southern border. Fox News Digital exclusively interviewed members of the congressional delegation following their law enforcement briefings and line tour along the El Paso, Texas, border with Mexico Friday. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who serves as the ranking member on the committee, said that, counter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' claim earlier this week, the border "is not secure." "We met with the FBI, the Texas Department of Safety, the Border Patrol. What's clear as we stand here on the border is that the border is not secure. Thousands of people are being apprehended a day, others cannot even be captured. The amount of drugs, even guns, that go across the border, cash, illegal activity, human trafficking. The toll that's happening on people who are crossing this border is extraordinary," Turner told Fox News Digital while standing next to the border wall with Mexico. LANKFORD SEEKS ANSWERS FROM CBP CHIEF ON BORDER PATROL 'WHIPPING' PROBE OVER DUE PROCESS CONCERNS "This represents a national security threat. The number of people who are crossing who are not from Mexico, Central America, or even South America is enormous. These individuals are a threat to our national security. Many are from countries that have very questionable purposes when they come here. So our border patrol are overwhelmed. They need assistance. This wall needs to be completed. "What we heard repeatedly today and yesterday was the portions of the wall that had been built worked. And some areas since the [Biden] administration stopped construction of the wall have gaps in them where wall was being repaired or replaced and those repairs even stopped. So today you have a porous border, you have a great risk to our nation." Story continues The number of terrorists coming across the border poses an "absolute threat and danger" to the U.S., continued Turner. "You have people who are on the terrorism watch list, people who are known terrorists, there is a threat of them crossing the border. People who have been apprehended fall within those categories," he said. "This represents an absolute threat and danger to our country, and it could be stopped if this border wall was completed. If we gave [Border Patrol] the right resources, we could be able to stop these border crossings and, of course, keep our country safe." Mayorkas Tuesday said the border is "secure" and "we are working to make the border more secure. That has been a historic challenge." He then faulted lawmakers who have said they wont commit to broad immigration legislation until the situation is addressed. "I have said to a number of legislators who expressed to me that we need to address the challenge at the border before they pass legislation and I take issue with the math of holding the solution hostage until the problem is resolved," he said. "There is work to be done," he said before adding that "safe and secure are two different words." "There are smugglers that operate on the Mexican side of the border and placing one's life in their hands is not safe," he said. Turner also discussed the trafficking of American guns into Mexico, which is doing little to nothing to stem the tide of migrants before they reach the U.S. border. "What's amazing is when you hear stories about how destabilizing the gun smuggling into Mexico is, the smuggling of cash, the smuggling of drugs into the United States, the human trafficking into the United States, the cartels that are operating within Mexico, the violence that occurs along the way as people are being smuggled into the United States." ERNST SAYS HUMAN SMUGGLERS 'TAUNTING' LAW ENFORCEMENT BY 'BRUTALLY' RAPING YOUNG GIRLS AT BORDER, URGES ACTION "What's amazing is what the Biden administration is saying is just not true. This border is not secure," he said Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., described the horror of human trafficking. "I talked with a couple individual agents and all of them have encountered this taking place," he said. "Young girls being sexually abused. They are a commodity to the cartels, they are a renewable resource. Every bit is valuable, if not more than the drugs that they are trafficking. Crawford echoed Turner, telling Fox News Digital, "The message coming from DHS Secretary Mayorkas is absolutely false. The border is not secure and border patrol will tell you that, and they need more help. DHS WON'T PROVIDE INFO ON TERROR PLOTS UNTIL CONGRESS GETS WAIVERS FROM ACCUSED NON-CITIZENS, REPUBLICANS SAY "We're seeing an uptick in fentanyl, I think that's one of the most pressing concerns in regard to drug trafficking," he said. "But I think broadly speaking, the border patrol is limited with the resources they have. They can only do so much. We have to take a more holistic approach to how we address border security that involves ICE and the courts so that we apprehend these border crossers, but then we can detain them and actually have the bed space to do that, and then adjudicate them and send them back. The congressman summed up what he would recommend the Biden administration do in order to solve these issues. "My advice would be come down here, see for yourself and engage with border patrol agents and find out what a fantastic job they're doing. You put them in a very unenviable position. They're having rocks thrown at them on one side, and negative rhetoric from the American people. So come down and talk to them yourself and you'll find out they're fine people." Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, also disagreed with the Biden administration's assessment that the border is secure, saying Biden must "pay attention to what is going on here, and pay attention to what's going on throughout the country as a result." Wenstrup, a physician, told Fox News Digital that he's concerned about the rise in fentanyl smuggling from Mexico into the U.S. "As a physician in Congress, fentanyl has some great medicinal uses, and we don't want to lose that. At the same time, it's extremely dangerous and too many Americans are dying," he said. "And so I look at it almost as a weapon of mass destruction that's coming across our border and I worried about it being used in other nefarious ways." He also said China must stop sending fentanyl precursors to Mexico for the cartels to develop and then traffic across the border. "The administration is turning a blind eye to all the needs and also turning a blind eye to the effects this is having on all of America, not just our border towns," said Wenstrup. Fox News' Adam Shaw and Peter Hasson contributed to this piece. Isabella Bank Corporation (ISBA) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.69 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.58 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.57 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 18.97%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.54 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.62, delivering a surprise of 14.81%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Isabella Bank Corporation , which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $18.52 million for the quarter ended June 2022, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.06%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $16.03 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Isabella Bank Corporation shares have lost about 3.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of -16.9%. What's Next for Isabella Bank Corporation? While Isabella Bank Corporation has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Isabella Bank Corporation: favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.63 on $18.1 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.53 on $71.2 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the top 16% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Another stock from the same industry, Midland States Bancorp (MSBI), has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2022. The results are expected to be released on July 28. This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.96 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +11.6%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Midland States Bancorp's revenues are expected to be $75.8 million, up 12.3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Isabella Bank Corporation (ISBA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (MSBI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - Italy will keep sending arms to Ukraine and back Kyiv in its war against Russia if the conservative bloc wins a forthcoming national election, the head of the most popular party in the alliance has said. The far-right Brothers of Italy, led by Giorgia Meloni, has been one of the few Italian parties that has wholeheartedly endorsed Prime Minister Mario Draghi's decision to ship weapons to Ukraine, even though it was in opposition to his government. By contrast, Meloni's two main allies, the League and Forza Italia, which were both in Draghi's coalition, have been much more ambivalent, reflecting their historically close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The government collapsed earlier this week, opening the way for snap elections on Sept. 25 which polls suggest the rightist bloc will win, with Brothers of Italy the dominant force, meaning its leader Giorgia Meloni could be the next premier. "We have always defended and supported the Ukrainian cause, not just because we believe in the cause, but also because Italy cannot risk being the weak link in the Western alliance," Meloni told state broadcaster RAI late Thursday. "(The West) needs to know they can count on us," she said. "I would not tolerate any ambiguity on this point." Forza Italia chief Silvio Berlusconi is a close friend of Putin, while League leader Matteo Salvini praised the Russian president in 2019 as "the best statesmen currently on earth". Both their parties have questioned the wisdom of sending arms to Ukraine, as did their coalition partner, the 5-Star Movement, suggesting that by doing so, the West was delaying inevitable peace talks. All three parties pulled their support for Draghi this week, effectively bringing down the coalition, leading to accusations that his backing for Ukraine had motivated the pullout. "It is no coincidence that the government was brought down by political forces that wink at Vladimir Putin," Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday. Story continues Draghi himself told parliament this week that some of his partners had tried to "weaken our opposition to President Putin's plan", although he did not name any names. The League, Forza Italia and 5-Star all deny that Ukraine played any part in their decision to pull support for Draghi. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has perhaps divided Italy more than any other major Western nation, with a survey last month showing that the country was split between those who saw Moscow or the West as the bigger obstacle to peace in Ukraine. Opinion polls have also shown that in Italy - unlike in Europe's other G7 states Britain, France, and Germany - there is little public support for sending weapons to Kyiv. But Meloni said more was at stake than just the current war. "Ukraine is the tip of the iceberg in a much wider conflict which aims at re-drawing the world order," she told RAI. The conservative bloc has not yet put together a manifesto and it was not clear if Forza Italia or the League would endorse Meloni's uncompromising pro-Ukraine stance. Latest opinion polls suggest Brothers of Italy will win almost 23% of the vote at the Sept. 25 election, with the League on 14.4% and Forza Italia on 8.4%. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Toby Chopra) Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump's daughter and senior adviser, was among those who gathered at the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to pressure her father to issue a stronger statement to get the rioters at the Capitol to disperse, aides testified during a House hearing Thursday. In testimony before the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the riot, former staffers recounted how the former president returned to the White House from the rally of his supporters having unsuccessfully convinced the Secret Service to take him to the Capitol. By that time, a mob had breached the perimeter of the Capitol and had begun laying siege on the building in an effort to block the certification of the Electoral College votes confirming Trump had lost to Joe Biden. Trump, meanwhile, remained in the White House dining room, where he watched the attack unfold in real time for more than two hours. A video clip of Ivanka Trump played at a House select committee hearing. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Did you continue, Mr. Cipollone, throughout the period of time up until 4:17, continue you and others to push for a stronger statement? Were you joined in that effort by Ivanka Trump? lawyers for the committee asked former White House counsel Pat Cipollone. Yes, Cipollone answered. Eric Herschmann? the lawyer asked in reference to the former White House lawyer. Yes, Cipollone, whose videotaped testimony was shown Thursday, responded. And Mark Meadows? the lawyers asked regarding Trumps former chief of staff. Yes, Cipollone said. The videotaped testimony of former White House counsel Pat Cipollone was shown on Thursday. (Al Drago/Pool via Reuters) Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Meadows who worked in White House, corroborated Cipollones recollections about Trumps eldest daughter on Jan. 6. White House counsels office wanted there to be a stronger statement out to condemn the rioters. Im confident in that, Hutchinson testified. Im confident that Ivanka Trump wanted there to be a statement to condemn the rioters. During the committees June 9 hearing, Ivanka Trump was shown testifying that she believed former Attorney General William Barrs findings that the election results had not been affected by voter fraud or election interference. Story continues Trump panned his daughter's statement, saying on his social media website that she was not involved in looking at, or studying, Election results. She had long since checked out and was, in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr and his position as Attorney General (he sucked!) Late last year, the Jan. 6 committee revealed that another one of Trumps children, Donald Trump Jr., was among those who urged White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to push the president to act. Hes got to condemn this s*** ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough, Trump Jr. wrote to Meadows on Jan. 6, according to Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the committee. _____ The rioters got within 2 doors of Vice President Mike Pence's office. See how in this 3D explainer from Yahoo Immersive. Bobby Brazier is "very grateful" for the role Bobby Brazier, a model and son of late reality-TV star Jade Goody, is joining BBC One's EastEnders as Freddie Slater, the son of Little Mo. He is filming scenes to be broadcast on the soap opera in the autumn. "Stepping into the acting world has always been a vision of mine and doing that with EastEnders as a Slater is a blessing," Brazier said. "I'm very grateful." Executive producer Chris Clenshaw described Freddie as "chaotic". "Freddie Slater is a chaotic 18-year-old with a sensitive soul," he said, "a modern-day lad who's in touch with his spiritual side," and Brazier "an amazing young addition to the EastEnders cast, who brings heart and humility to the role". Freddie was last seen in 2006, when he and Little Mo left to start a new life away from Walford. Brazier's mother Goody died aged 27 with cervical cancer, in 2009. Her death led to a 12% spike in women having NHS smear tests. She shot to fame in Big Brother, in 2002, and found herself embroiled in a racism storm, in 2007, after her comments about Indian actress Shilpa Shetty in the celebrity edition of the reality show. Her cancer diagnosis was delivered live on the Indian version of Big Brother, the following year. Three years to the day after James Bryon Easling Jr. shot and killed his estranged girlfriend and her friend, a jury Thursday voted to convict him of capital murder charges. During his trial, Easling, 35, admitted to the July 21, 2019 fatal shootings of Amber Smith, 27, with whom he shared a home in the 1300 block of 20th Court Southwest, and Jeremy McAuliffe, 26, who was at the home with her at the time. Prosecutors at trial said Easling arrived home before 1 p.m., found Smith and McAuliffe together in her bedroom and during an argument, fatally shot them both. Capital murder trial: Jury hears of James Easling Jr.'s 'enraged' fury before killings IRC murders: Man and woman killed in south county remembered by friends, employer Double homicide: Father, best friend of fatal shooting victims recall good times The jury of 10 men and two women deliberated for just over one hour before finding Easling guilty of two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon after four days of trial. Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn sentenced Easling to two consecutive life-in-prison terms without the possibility of parole. Vaughn ordered Easling to serve the two life terms one at a time, not to send a message, he said, but because senseless murders warrant it. After the verdict was announced, Easling sobbed nearly uncontrollably as Smith and McAuliffe family members spoke of their grief and loss. Photo of Amber Smith, 27, who was a victim in a double shooting death. Jeremy McAuliffes father, Timothy McAuliffe, told Easling he was thoroughly appalled by your careless actions. I have two grandsons now that have to grow up without their father Now your little boy gets to grow up without you because of your stupid actions, he said, facing Easling in court. My son, who I adopted at 12 years old you have taken that from me, McAuliffe said. Sir, I wish you nothing but disgrace in jail. I have no remorse for you And I also pray for your soul. Murder charges: Indian River deputies arrest James Easling Jr outside home of fatal shootings Story continues Murder indictment: State won't seek death penalty in 2019 double homicide Easling testified for several hours beginning on Wednesday and told jurors the shootings were committed in a heat of passion, and he never intended to hurt anyone. During questioning by his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Dorothy Naumann, Easling admitted being armed with a Glock 9 mm handgun when he entered the home he shared with Smith, their toddler son and her mother, Susanna Star. He said he often carried the gun after his car was burgled months earlier. He'd gone to the house to get clothes for work after spending the night before with a female friend. When he opened Smiths bedroom door and saw her with McAuliffe, he was heartbroken, he said, his voice strained with emotion. James Bryon Easling Jr., accused of being the gunman in the July, 21, 2019 shooting deaths of Amber Smith, 27, and Jeremy McAuliffe, 26, gets emotional before his defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Dorothy Naumann, Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Indian River Courthouse in Vero Beach. I was upset with seeing her in bed with another man, Easling Jr., said. I felt heartbroken because I loved her. He told jurors he was more angry than hed ever been before. I can't even describe it, just seething, he said. My entire body, it was just insanely tense. I couldn't rationalize anything. It just kept replaying in my head seeing her in bed. On Monday, Star testified that she saw Easling fire a single shot at her daughter as the two bickered in the kitchen of her rented home in Indian River County. When Smith fell to the floor, Easling stepped past her, Star said, and then fired a second round into a bedroom, killing McAuliffe, of Vero Beach. Jeremy McAullife leaves behind two children: Robert, 2 and Peter, 5 months old. He was a loving family man, his father said. Smith and McAuliffe were both servers at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 1285 U.S. 1, in Vero Beach 'Heat of passion' Under cross examination by Assistant State Attorney Brandon White, Easling said after shooting McAuliffe, he put the gun down, removed the magazine and exited the house. James Bryon Easling Jr., accused of being the gunman in the July, 21, 2019 shooting deaths of Amber Smith, 27, and Jeremy McAuliffe, 26, demonstrates how he shot Jeremy McAuliffe while on the stand before Assistant State Attorney Brandon White, Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Indian River Courthouse in Vero Beach. Star had already fled the home to call 911, she testified Monday. Easling insisted he was still in a "heat of passion" from shooting Smith when he fired at McAuliffe. James Bryon Easling Jr., accused of being the gunman in the July, 21, 2019 shooting deaths of Amber Smith, 27, and Jeremy McAuliffe, 26, demonstrates how he shot Jeremy McAuliffe while on the stand before Assistant State Attorney Brandon White, Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Indian River Courthouse in Vero Beach. So not only now have you seen something that threw you into a tizzy, but now you've also shot two human beings, right? asked White, who described the killings as premeditated murder. Yes, Easling replied. He told jurors several minutes after he saw Smith and McAuliffe in her bedroom, he argued with her in the kitchen. She loudly ordered him out of the house. Homicide database: Treasure Coast He claimed she tried to reach for a knife in the sink but he blocked her with a chair. When he believed she was reaching for an exacto knife stored with art supplies on top of the refrigerator, he feared she would use it against him, he said. That's when you pulled out the gun? White asked. Yes, he replied. The loaded handgun was tucked into his waistband, Easling said. You raise that gun, right? White pressed. I didn't raise it," he said. "I pulled it out in one swift motion. When I did, I didn't point it at her. It was pointed to her direction and thats when it went off. Easling then stood up and raised his arm in a downward angle to show jurors how he held the gun as Smith was shot. You had to pull the trigger, right White asked. By accident, Easling said. You pulled it by accident? White repeated. Yes, sir, he replied. He was arrested shortly afterwards outside the house. Before Vaughn imposed his punishment, Easling admitted that "regardless of the circumstances, it is my fault." "I'm truly sorry for what happened that day," he said, leaning forward as he sobbed loudly. When Star addressed Easling, she said she'd thought of him as a son. He had continued to live in their home long after his romantic relationship with Smith ended. "I tried to treat you as a son. Amber and I both helped you, we build you up when you put yourself down," Star said. "We always tried to build you up and I'm empty. I mean, this is what you've done to all of us." After court, Naumann said the tragedy illustrated that people need to be more responsible with their gun ownership. They need to know themselves. And if you think you have an issue if it's an anger issue, a mental health issue, just know and recognize your own line, she said. And realize that you shouldn't possess or own a firearm. Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers, and is writer and co-host of Uncertain Terms, a true crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: James Easling Jr. testified he killed in 2019 during heat of passion By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan warned on Friday of escalating national security threats, including repercussions from Russia's war with Ukraine, Chinese intimidation of Taiwan, and vulnerable technology supply chains, in its annual defence white paper. The report sets out the government's security concerns as it prepares the defence ministry budget request due next month, aiming to build public support for an unprecedented hike in military funding that the ruling party aims to double over the next decade or so. It also sets the stage for a year-end national security review expected to call for the acquisition of longer-range strike missiles, strengthened space and cyber capabilities, and tighter controls over access to technology. "The political, economic and military rivalries between nations is clear, and the challenge posed to the international order is a global issue," the white paper said. It describes Moscow's attack on Ukraine as a "serious violation of international law" and raises concerns that Russia's use of force to resolve a dispute established a precedent that threatens the security of neighbouring Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory. Chinese military planes are increasingly probing Taiwan's air defences, with fighter jets this month crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line, the unofficial buffer between China and Taiwan. Taipei criticised that manoeuvre as a "provocation". Beijing says it has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the waterway. The defence white paper approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government identifies China, Russia and North Korea as its main security concerns. Kishida's defence minister, Nobuo Kishi, last month had described Japan as being on a front line surrounded by nuclear-armed actors. Most Japanese appear to share government concerns over Japan's deteriorating security environment, with recent opinion polls putting support for higher defence spending at more than 50%. Story continues Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has pledged to double military spending to 2% of GDP, gained seats in national elections for upper house lawmakers this month. A 2% target would bring Tokyo in line with a minimum commitment set by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, and given the size of its economy, would make the pacifist nation the world's No.3 in total defence spending after the United States and China. The white paper cited comparative OECD estimates of defence spending for Japan and eight other countries, showing Japan at 0.95% of GDP, the United States at 3.12%, South Korea at 2.57%, nearby China at 1.2%, and neighbouring Russia at 2.73%. Japan's spending as a percentage of GDP is lower than all other Group of Seven nations, as well as Australia and South Korea, it said. "Spending per capita in South Korea, Britain, France, and Germany is two to three times as much," the document said. (Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Edmund Klamann) When the alarm sounds at Jikei hospital in southern Japan, nurses race down a spiral staircase. Their mission: to rescue an infant left in the country's only baby hatch. For 15 years, the clinic has been the only place in Japan a child can be anonymously and safely abandoned. The pioneering hospital in the Kumamoto region also offers a 24/7 pregnancy support hotline and the country's only "confidential birth" programme. These have made it the target of criticism, but head doctor Takeshi Hasuda sees the facility as a vital safety net. "There are women out there who are ashamed that they did something horrible (by getting pregnant) and are so scared," he told AFP. "For these women, a place like ours that bars no one and makes them think 'even I will be welcome' counts a lot, I think." Nurses try to arrive at the hatch, with its stork illustrations and meticulously tended baby bed, within a minute of the alarm sounding. "If we find mothers lingering nearby, we ask if they're comfortable sharing their stories with us," said hospital staffer Saori Taminaga. They offer to check the health of mothers, providing support and encouraging them to leave information that could help a child learn their origins later. "If they try to go, we persist and keep pushing until just before they leave the grounds. Once that happens, it's time for us to give up." The Catholic-run hospital opened its baby hatch in 2007, modelled on a German scheme. Baby hatches have existed globally for centuries and are used today in places including South Korea, Pakistan and the United States. But they have been banned in some countries, such as Britain, and criticized by the UN for violating a childs right to know their parents and identity. - 'Alienated by society' - Jikei hospital sees the hatch as a way to prevent child abuse and deaths in Japan, where police recorded 27 child abandonments in 2020 and at least 57 children died from abuse the year before. Hasuda says children abandoned at the hospital include those who were "the result of prostitution, rape and incest", with mothers finding nowhere else to turn. Story continues "I think the most important role our baby hatch system has played so far is to provide a sort of last resort for women left alienated by society," he said. In all, 161 babies and toddlers have been dropped at the hospital -- with some coming from the Tokyo region, about 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) away, and beyond. But the hatch has also faced scepticism in Japan, partly because of traditional ideas about what constitutes a family, according to Chiaki Shirai, an expert on reproduction and adoption studies at Shizuoka University. The country uses a registration system that lists births, deaths and marriages in a family going back generations. The crucial piece of administrative data also shapes views on family structure. It has "entrenched the idea in Japanese society that whoever gave birth to a child must raise the child," to the point where children are almost considered "the property" of parents, Shirai told AFP. "Children who are abandoned and shown as having no family in the registry are heavily stigmatised." Despite the anonymity offered by the hatch, child welfare officials typically try to trace the family of infants abandoned at the hospital. As a result, around 80 percent later learned their family's identity, and 20 percent have returned to parents or relatives. - 'It's all your fault' - Jikei hospital has expanded the services it offers marginalised women, adding a "confidential birth" programme to a pregnancy hotline that fields thousands of calls a year. Two babies have been delivered under the programme, which the hospital says is intended to discourage risky, solitary deliveries at home. Both mothers told the Jikei they had been abused by their parents and wanted their children to be put up for adoption, Hasuda said. Under the scheme, a mother's identity is revealed to a single staffer and kept confidential for possible disclosure to the child later on. The programme has also faced opposition -- and while the government has not declared it illegal, it has baulked at legislation to formalise it. Shirai said women who resort to confidential births or the baby hatch face judgement for not choosing other options, including abortion. "'You could have chosen an abortion but didn't. Now it's all your fault' is the kind of sentiment," she said. Abortion has been legal in Japan since 1948 and is available up until 22 weeks, but consent is required from a male partner. Exceptions are granted only in cases of rape or domestic abuse, or if the partner is dead or missing. Hasuda, too, feels society often prefers to blame women rather than help them. "Society's motivation to sympathise with them or help them out seems to be low, if not completely non-existent," he said. tmo/sah/dva/cwl Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Jon Cherry/Getty Images Freedom House, a democracy watchdog, is urging the Justice Dept. to prosecute the perpetrators of Jan. 6. "The president and his allies knowingly perpetuated the lie of a stolen election," the organization's president said. Freedom House described January 6 as an "attempted coup" that nearly succeeded. Freedom House, a leading democracy watchdog based in the US, is calling for the perpetrators of the "attempted coup" on January 6, 2021 to be prosecuted by the Justice Department. In a statement reacting to a series of eight hearings held by the House select committee investigating January 6, Freedom House president Michael J. Abramowitz said, "Over the past six weeks, the hearings of the select committee have presented convincing evidence that President Trump led an attempted coup d'etat following his 2020 election loss. The president and his allies knowingly perpetuated the lie of a stolen election a lie that still holds sway over nearly four in 10 Americans." Trump and his allies "knowingly encouraged a violent mob to storm the US Capitol in a last-ditch attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power," Abramowitz said, describing January 6 as the "culmination of a coup attempt" that "nearly succeeded." "For decades, Freedom House has tracked cases of authoritarian leaders who defrauded their people and resorted to violence when they failed to earn public support, often justifying their actions with the claim that they were protecting democracy. In other cases, we have seen that even a failed coup attempt can mortally wound a democratic system," the statement went on to say, before adding that it's "vital" for the Justice Department to "hold the perpetrators of January 6 to account, and that lawmakers strengthen our democratic institutions against future attacks." The January 6 committee does not have the authority to charge anyone with a crime, but has sought to lay out in intricate detail how Trump and those close with him attempted to subvert democracy in the US. Trump and his Republican allies have countered by attacking the bipartisan panel's legality and accusing it of partisanship. Story continues The committee could share evidence with the Justice Department, which is conducting its own inquiry into January 6, and submit criminal referrals. The hearings have ramped up pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland over Justice's inquiry into January 6. Garland this week said that the inquiry "is the most important investigation that the Justice Department has ever entered into." "We have to get this right," he added. The latest January 6 hearing, which took place on Thursday, outlined how Trump sat by and watched the riot unfold on TV after riling up his supporters in an incendiary speech littered with falsehoods. As he observed the mayhem from the safety of the White House dining room, Trump ignored pleas to step up and call for calm. "There needs to be accountability, accountability under the law, accountability to the American people," Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the committee, said Thursday. "If there's no accountability for January 6, for every part of this scheme, I fear we will not overcome the growing threat to our democracy." Similarly, Rep. Liz Cheney, one of two Republicans on the January 6 committee, in her closing remarks on Thursday presented Trump as an inherent threat to America's democracy. "Every American must consider this: Can a president who is willing to make the choices Donald Trump made during the violence of January 6th ever be trusted with any position of authority in our great nation again?" Cheney said. The Wyoming Republican has been ostracized by the GOP for refusing to embrace Trump's effort to overturn the election. Prominent political scientists and experts on authoritarianism have also sounded the alarm about the state of US democracy during and after the Trump presidency, particularly in the wake of the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power that culminated on January 6. Fiona Hill, who served as the top Russia expert on the National Security Council during the Trump administration, recently told Insider that Trump's false claims about the 2020 election including the bogus assertion that it was "stolen" from him are a "recipe for communal violence." The US could end up in a state of "civil conflict," she warned, echoing assessments from other scholars. "Right now it has to be said that the Republican party, the congressional Republican party, so it seems, so it would appear, is hellbent on undermining democracy to exert minority rule," Hill said. "We're in a mess." Read the original article on Business Insider